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In response to a question I received from Thomas Sharples, I’m going to take the time to talk about watch winders. If you are familiar with automatic wristwatches you know that if you don’t wear them for a couple of days they come to a stop. This isn’t a big deal if your watch only tells the time, like my vintage Benrus. Since most of my watches are manual wound watches, I’m used to winding and setting my watch in the morning. I keep a radio-controlled quartz clock with my watches exactly for this reason. If your automatic has a date, or other complications, it can be more of an ordeal to set your watch after it has stopped.
If for example you had a 1960s Rolex (and a lot of you do because I work on them all the time) you probably have a Datejust and it has no quickset. If you don’t wear it for 10 days it can take you a little while to set the date and time and get it going. Imagine you have a perpetual calendar (I have no choice but to imagine because I could never afford one), you have to be very careful when you set the date so as not to disturb the month and year.
A watch winder is a device which will keep your watch wound and running so that you can just pick it up and put in on in the morning without worrying about it. If you have multiple watches, this can be a great tool. Watch winders range from the most simple rotary device to very complex “tourbillon” style winders which not only wind your watch but rotate it through multiple positions to average out variations in rate.
Mr. Sharples question is wether or not leaving a watch on a winder puts unnecessary wear on the watch. Well here is my two part answer:
1. Automatic watches are designed to be used. This means that the weight is designed to be in near constant motion. I say near constant because, unless your as active as my three year old “Bug”, your arms don’t move all day long.
2. When the oscillating weight is in motion it creates more wear than when it is not. This is why I recommend a winder that has some kind of a program built in. There are lots of things to consider in this program. Here are the two most important:
- Direction of Wind: Some watches wind in both directions, some in only one direction. If your winder only turns one way it’s possible that it would never wind your watch. If your winder only rotates both ways and you have a uni-directional wound watch when it is turning the other way it is creating unnecessary wear on the ratcheting mechanism. — So you should choose a program that performs well for your watch.
- Duration of Wind: Most winders will let you choose to have your watch wind for a specific number of rotations or a specific length of time. Some of them will also let you choose a rest period between winds. For example you could choose to have your watch wind for 5 minutes and rest for an hour or wind for half an hour and rest for a day. — I recommend a program that fully winds your watch in one cycle just once a day.
So, how do you know exactly what treatment your watch needs? Whether you use an Orbita winder or not (probably the most recognized and respected winder) they have some great information on their web page including a database of watch models and the settings you should use for best performance with your watch. You can check it out at www.orbita.net. You will also find lots of valuable information about automatic watches and watch winders at their site.
If you found this information valuable, please feel free to donate. | <urn:uuid:635eb022-8567-4734-bbf8-78ce9eb63c17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://watchmakingblog.com/2008/05/19/monday-myth-watch-winders/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962405 | 796 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Someone asked on my Twitter feed today what ‘FTP’ is. I had recently mentioned it in a tweet. Since I use that term a lot it’s probably a good idea to define it. A little background first…
Anaerobic threshold. Lactate threshold. Ventilatory threshold. These are terms used to describe points in the intensity spectrum when the athlete is on the verge of or is already accumulating lactate and hydrogen ions in the body’s fluids. This means that the body is rapidly becoming acidic. Scientists attempt to define the above terms very precisely and see each as having unique conditions. Despite their best efforts even they fail to be in complete agreement on what each means.
As athletes we seldom get involved in such discussions. We tend to see these terms as interchangeable and meaning roughly the same thing – you are “redlining.” And for all intents and purposes, that is reasonable since these thresholds occur at roughly the same point and are seldom exactly the same from one day to the next due to variations in fitness and fatigue.
Magazines and books written for the athletic market use these terms when talking about training for endurance sports, also often interchangeably. So we have come to accept and generally understand what they mean, especially 'anaerobic' and 'lactate' threshold. They are less clear on 'ventilatory' threshold since this term is used much less frequently than the other two. In fact, you can simply use the word 'threshold' when speaking with other athletes and they will usually take that to mean a high effort with an RPE of about 7 or 8 on a 10 scale.
Now there is a new term being used to describe this level of intensity – 'functional' threshold. This is largely due to the work of Andrew Coggan, PhD, and Hunter Allen and their book, Training and Racing with a Power Meter (VeloPress, 2006). I like this term for field work because it removes all of the mystery associated with scientific concepts such as hydrogen build up, lactic acid, lactate, aerobic, anaerobic, RER, ventilatory rates, and the like. Very few really understand these terms. Functional threshold solves this problem by defining redlining based on actual output in a field test or race.
Functional threshold power or pace (FTP) is the highest mean average power or pace you can maintain for one hour. That’s quite precise, clear and logical. It even fits nicely with what we know about AT, LT, and VT. When you are in good shape these various measures of intensity can be maintained for about an hour. So rather than trying to describe this phenomenon with biological conditions, we simply define it based on a common output denominator.
Once you know FTP your training zones may be established based on power or pace. WKO+ software does this for you. All you do is plug in your FT power (cycling) or pace (running) and the zones are automatically calculated. Then workout intensity is determined based on pace or power zones. WKO+ will also determine heart rate zones using the system described in my books. Just enter your average heart rate for a one-hour race effort. Of course, this software goes well beyond simply setting zones. It also allows you to see a visual representation of the pace- or power-based workout and graph the workout/race data into several different charts for analysis.
All of this analysis data is based on FTP so it must be kept updated with periodic testing to make sure you have it right. Over the course of a season FTP will change a lot if your training is affective. And it is one of the best indicators of how your fitness and race readiness are progressing. While heart rate remains rather steady throughout the season, power and pace change considerably. That’s obvious since becoming more fit provides several benefits including being faster and more powerful. Training is all about accomplishing these goals. That’s why I keep a close watch on FTP for the athletes I coach and highly recommend that self-coached athletes do the same. | <urn:uuid:24591eb0-dca2-4a1c-82ba-7b8ab03161e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2009/09/functional-threshold.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958436 | 844 | 2.515625 | 3 |
What you will learn in this tip: Cloud storage gateways can be an attractive storage solution for your organization. They look like and work like the storage you're used to, and provide advanced functions like snapshots and deduplication. But it's how cloud gateways move data to and from cloud storage providers that makes them attractive to small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
There are two key obstacles stopping most SMBs from utilizing cloud storage. The first is the relatively slow performance as measured by response time. This slow response time often makes cloud-based storage unacceptable for some users. The second is the requirement to write code for applications to the representational state transfer (REST) API. If the applications don't have a native interface to cloud storage, many SMBs lack the aptitude, desire, skills or time to develop it themselves.
Cloud storage gateways are designed to overcome both those obstacles. They do this by first looking, acting and operating just like a standard local DAS, SAN or NAS storage system. This means for servers, applications and users, the cloud gateway is just like the storage they’re used to. It provides most of the functions expected in primary storage today including snapshots, thin provisioning and even deduplication and/or compression. This eliminates any requirement to write application code for SMBs to utilize cloud storage.
But it’s how these cloud gateways move data to and from the cloud storage providers that makes this type of solution very attractive to SMBs. The gateway acts as a cache for the storage cloud. Most of the cloud storage gateway vendors allow the user to utilize any or multiple different cloud storage providers such as Amazon S3, Azure, EMC Atmos service providers, Nirvanix and others. Data is stored initially locally on HDDs or even solid-state drives (SSDs). It's then moved to the storage cloud based on policy such as age of the data, time since last accessed, or the number of newer snapshots.
Cloud storage gateways are also ideal target storage for backups and snapshots. Just like snapshots, data protection windows are met because of SAN or LAN performance. Then the backup or replicated data is deduped, compressed and moved offsite based on policy. In essence, these gateways use the cloud storage providers as just another tier of storage that just so happens to be, for all intents and purposes, infinite. Even better, the cloud gateway provides a true pay-as-you-grow financial model.
That financial model creates an attractively low TCO for an SMB. Remember: This is a combination of a gateway (local primary storage); cloud storage (for older files, data and archives); data protection (instantaneous multiple snapshots with rollback and, in most cases, integrated with Windows VSS); and disaster recovery (migration of older snapshots to the cloud storage on an automated policy driven basis, taking protected data offsite). That’s four different solutions rolled into one low cost.
There are a number of cloud storage gateway vendors in the market today, with more emerging every quarter. They include Cirtas Systems, CTERA Networks, Nasuni Corp., StorSimple Inc., TwinStrata Inc. and others that are still emerging.
About the author: Marc Staimer is the founder, senior analyst, and CDS of Dragon Slayer Consulting in Beaverton, OR. The consulting practice of 12+ years has focused in the areas of strategic planning, product development and market development. With more than 30 years of marketing, sales and business experience in infrastructure, storage, server, software and virtualization, he’s considered one of the industry’s leading experts. Marc can be reached at email@example.com.
This was first published in March 2011 | <urn:uuid:adfef915-6dec-438c-9ada-f06c85702e2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searchsmbstorage.techtarget.com/tip/Cloud-gateways-open-up-cloud-based-storage-options-for-SMBs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92979 | 785 | 1.8125 | 2 |
WCA students are 4 of the 6 winners!
SALINE, December 11, 2012
Washtenaw Christian Academy proudly congratulates our four winners
of the VFW’s writing contest. We are excited to report that four of the six
winners this year were from Washtenaw Christian Academy! The competition was
divided into two sections – one for high school students and one for middle
and our founding fathers. While the competition was open to all in the area to
participate, this year’s winners all came from WCA and area home schoolers. We
are proud to honor our military by fostering an environment of respect and a
strong allegiance to our nation’s history! WCA continues to pray for and
support our Veterans who have sacrificed for our country to remain free.
High school students (9th-12th grade) were asked to write and record a three-to-five minute essay on a theme for 2012-2013, “Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?” on an audio cassette tape or audio CD and present their recording, typed essay, and entry form to the VFW Post 423.
Middle school students (6th – 8th grade) were invited to write a 300-400-word essay on a patriotic theme. The theme for 2012-2013 was “What I Would Tell America’s Founding Fathers.”
The celebration dinner will be in March or April. Post winners are advanced to District judging.
While many may think that there is a decline in patriotism here in the U.S. or that students are being taught revised history – we are proud of our students and believe it is a reflection of our commitment to honor God and our country.
WCA serves a broad demographic, including Saline and surrounding
cities. WCA is a unique school that has students from preschool through 12th
grade. WCA strives to make a difference one student at a time by providing
students with a quality education that is integrated with a biblical worldview.
While college preparatory in nature, WCA believes each student is a unique and
wonderfully made individual, with God-given capabilities and gifts. WCA
believes it is their responsibility to partner with their parents to provide an
atmosphere where students are challenged to be the best they can be. For more
information about WCA check out our website (www.washtenawchristian.org) or
call us today.
2012-2013 VFW Post 423 Essay Contest Winners
Patriot’s Pen Essay Winners
1st Place -- Isabel F. Nunez – 7th grade, Washtenaw Christian Academy
2nd Place -- Avalon E. Donat – 8th grade, Washtenaw Christian Academy
3rd Place -- Jessa E. Davis – 8th grade, Washtenaw Christian Academy
(37 total -- top 3 were forwarded to District VFW)
Voice of Democracy Essay Winners
1st Place -- Russell P. Houpt – 11th grade, Washtenaw Christian Academy
2nd Place -- Kurt D. Richardson, Home School Saline
3rd Place -- Nicholas J. Recker, Home School Ypsilanti
(16 total -- top 2 were forwarded to District VFW) | <urn:uuid:02302bcb-5c6e-4488-afc8-655621381cb7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://saline.patch.com/groups/laurie-campbell-nunezs-blog/p/bp--wca-salutes-our-vfw-post-423-2012-13-patriots-pen1e77d356e2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959764 | 686 | 1.867188 | 2 |
The Clark County Fire Department firefighters Union, Local 1908 took out a full page advertisement on Monday in an effort to scare Clark County residents and County Commissioners into reversing a decision to close down the heavy duty and haz mat units and their associated rescue units. The County Commissioners today responded to the firefighters claim with articles in the Sun and LVRJ.
So, who is telling the truth? Who is lying. Well, the answer to both questions is that both are telling some truth and some things are lies.
First, the firefighters lie when they say that they offered cuts to the County. These "cuts" would have cost the County more than $3.8 million dollars. That is not a cut.
The union says that the heavy rescue responds to all sorts of emergencies. They do, but the vast majority of the calls are handled by engines and ladder trucks. Don't engine and or ladder trucks carry the Jaws of Life. If they don't they should, I am pretty sure that they probably do. Elevator rescues can be handled by engine and ladder trucks. Most Haz Mat incidents can done with regular engine crews. Most haz mat calls are for gas spills from car and truck accidents and broken natural gas mains. They don't need the haz mat crews except for extreme cases. Same with heavy rescue. Rapid Intervention teams can also be engine crews that are trained throughout the County.
Flash flooding is mostly handled by first in engine and truck crews. However, the high angle, trench and building collapse rescues do require specialized teams and that is where the City comes in. Time is usually not a major factor as the first in crews can stabilize the situation while they wait for the city's heavy rescue truck. The heavy rescue truck can respond most anywhere in the Valley (except Henderson) in 15 minutes or less.
Here is where the County Commission is lying. They state there will be no decrease in response times. That's just false. The first in company response time will be the same but the heavy rescue and haz mat trucks response time can be longer
They say that the haz mat truck was called out first in 45- 46 cases. Maybe yes, but how many times was it called out after the first arriving engines arrived on the scene. Rory Reid doesn't give that number.
So, what can they do. Cross staffing and cross training can be the solution. It is done all over the country, so it is not a new idea. I don't like the idea of totally dismantling the haz mat and rescue trucks. What I would like to see is that the units still be in place, but whatever station they are at, they also are on the engine crew and or truck crew. For instance, they could place the heavy rescue unit at the main fire station on Flamingo. The heavy rescue truck would be cross staffed with the ladder and engine crew members at the station. That way, you will save the unit, free up personnel, save money and maintain service. There is no reason why crews cannot be cross staffed and trained. The same would be true with the Haz Mat crew.
The Milwaukee Fire department does this with their Haz Mat unit. They operate out of a station on 84th St. and the crew operates both the Haz Mat truck and engine. So, they respond to medical emergencies, fire calls and most haz mat calls. Clark County can do this and they can do the same with the heavy rescue truck- cross train and cross staff the truck.
So, if the firefighters don't like my proposal, then all they are really after is the over time check. If the County doesn't like my solution, then maybe they are making election year threats.
Captain Obvious: Dictionary.com Doesn't "Get" Atheism
4 minutes ago | <urn:uuid:b8eb4338-34db-4664-8520-c228805d3894> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/06/ccfd-union-pisses-off-county.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961671 | 769 | 1.648438 | 2 |
With the Congress on the backfoot, the BJP on Saturday asked it to come clean on its role in allegedly providing safe passage to then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson after the Bhopal gas disaster in 1984 and demanded that it apologise to the nation.
"Why is the Congress silent on the issue? Why is Arjun Singh silent? Why has the country not been informed about what happened? The silence is eloquent," BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said in his inaugural address at the two-day party national executive in Patna.
Terming Bhopal tragedy as a saga of "treachery, backstabbing and betrayal", he said the government should move the Supreme Court and "aggressively" seek review of its judgement.
A retired CBI official B R Lall had stated earlier that the then Congress government at the Centre had tried to protect the Union Carbide management. There are reports alleging that Arjun Singh, then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, helped Anderson flee at the behest of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"Anderson was booked under Section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).... Government helped the main culprit in the accident in which 20,000 people died. Congress must apologise to the nation," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted Gadkari as saying.
He termed Congress-led UPA as "Union-Carbide Protection Agency". Gadkari raised the Bhopal gas tragedy case to argue against the government's move to pass the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill in Parliament.
"After the recent verdict on Bhopal gas tragedy, the danger of capping the liability through such legislation has become more pronounced," Gadkari said.
The BJP president also maintained that the compensation given and the delay in the process was a "cruel joke".
"The Bhopal gas verdict is a cruel joke by our criminal justice system. BJP demands that the government should again knock the doors of the Supreme Court and aggressively seek review of its judgement... Bhopal tragedy is the saga of treachery, back-stabbing and betrayal," he said.
"No words are powerful enough to condemn all those who mishandled this issue," the BJP chief said.
"The Congress owes an explanation to the nation and victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy as to who instructed that Anderson be allowed to leave the country," senior BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters on the sidelines of the meet.
He demanded that the Congress disclose the individual's name who had ordered the release of Anderson from police custody in Bhopal on December 7, 1984 and facilitated his travel to Delhi by a state plane. | <urn:uuid:d33545a6-f688-468c-abf0-7b6314e05c41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Patna/BJP-asks-Congress-to-come-clean-on-Anderson-issue/Article1-556702.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967956 | 557 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Jeffco will have to wait until the end of the year before it can see an Army Corps of Engineers report on the proposed expansion of Chatfield Reservoir.
The controversial expansion would raise the reservoir by 12 feet and flood 600 acres to help meet the area’s rising water needs. The corps’ report was originally due at the end of 2012 but was delayed due to the extensive public comment on the project.
Monique Farmer, a senior spokeswoman for the corps, confirmed that the public unleashed a barrage of opinions about the plan.
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Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
[NOTE: I am reposting this piece, given that it was first posted during the dog days of August and I don't want those interested to have missed it in digging out from time away from the office. If you have an interest in understanding just how much the Safe Chemicals Act has changed to account for earlier industry concerns, please take the time to look at the analysis I've done comparing the bill to ACC's TSCA Principles.]
You wouldn’t know it from listening to the American Chemistry Council (ACC) talk about the Safe Chemicals Act, but the new and improved version of the bill that was passed out of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on July 25 closely mirrors every detail of ACC’s 10 “Principles for Modernizing TSCA.”.
Those principles, issued in August of 2009, represent a key reference point given that they are virtually the only somewhat detailed public articulation by ACC of its substantive position on TSCA reform, one to which ACC continues to refer today. In describing its principles, ACC says they “create a roadmap to a modern chemical regulatory system that will protect public health and the environment, while preserving the ability of American chemical companies to drive innovation, grow jobs, and compete in the global marketplace.”
ACC indicated in its statement on the revised bill that it only conducted a “cursory review” of the bill language, which perhaps explains why it got even some basics wrong. One example: ACC claims “[t]he bill would also dramatically increase the time it would take for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review new chemicals.” In fact, the revised bill retains the 90-day review period for new chemicals operable under current TSCA.
So how does the bill stack up against ACC’s 10 Principles for TSCA Modernization? Read More | <urn:uuid:4218f4a3-dd52-447e-ab5f-a3168c8c0dae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.edf.org/nanotechnology/tag/data-requirements-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969721 | 402 | 1.773438 | 2 |
The Objects of the Illinois PTA and the FFAC PTA, in common with the purposes of the National PTA are:
a. To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
b. To raise the standards of home life.
c. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
d. To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
e. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.
The PTA is essentially the community building arm of the school. We plan and organize many events throughout the year, including the Welcome Back Coffee, Popsicle Playdate, Halloween Parade, Scholastic Book Fairs, Holiday Bazaar, Book Worm Angels, Art Day, Field Day and the Kindergarten and 8th grade graduations.
PTA meets the third Tuesday of every month from 6 - 7 p.m. (except for September – see calendar). Babysitting is available during the meeting.
Our current officers are:
Susan Pyne-Torres, President
Ann Marie Buzcek, V.P.
Lucy Wojtas, Secretary
Tim Serges, Treasurer
Christy Bauhs, Community Relations
2011-2012 Approved Budget
Meeting Minutes April 2012 | <urn:uuid:9f54b57b-8533-48e1-ab9b-175254a38cfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.franklinfineartscenter.org/involved/i_pta.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926958 | 313 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Basic Guitar Technique
All other instrumentalists learn early on to play with 100% control does not come naturally. For one reason or another alot of guitar players don’t develop great technique. Many hours of study and practice are necessary, and you can practice to your heart’s content but if your posture and hand positions are awkward it’s going to work against you, and take longer.
Like my favorite uncle used to say “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect”. It is important to be comfortable when you are playing. And learning how to sit, how to finger a chord or note properly, how to pick accurately can go a long way in developing some skill.
Some guitarists are natural and develop their own technique; however this doesn’t work for everyone. Here are some loose guidelines that will help get you on the right track.
Don’t be holding the guitar up, that is the strap’s job. If you are sitting then it is the job of your knee. You want your hands to be free to fret and strum. Try and have your strap adjusted to the same height. Learning to play guitar in a consistent position will help alot.
Alot of guitar teachers will tell you the guitar has to be in an exact certain position, I don’t completely agree with this maxim as everyone is different. Bodies come in different shapes and sizes and so do guitars. So experiment, and observe your body and position when you are playing. Pay attention to your arms and hands especially, but keep in mind your whole body plays a role.
- Your body works alot better when your spine is straight so sit upright and slightly forward
- Try to sit in the same chair every time you practice (or if you prefer to stand with a guitar strap, stand in the same position)
- Focus on what you are doing, and check your posture and body position, try not to develop any awkward habits
- Try not to slouch
- Don’t lay the guitar flat on your lap
- Don’t rest your left forearm on your left knee
- Don’t push the neck way out in front of you
- Be careful of having too much tension, and try to relax when you play; alot of people play with alot of tension you should be pretty loose and relaxed when you play, it shouldn’t be all pain
The Invisible Thumb
In most situations your thumb should be invisible to anyone standing in from of you. Check in a mirror if you are unsure if this is the case. Yes, some of the best guitar players in the world (Hendrix is one example) have used their thumbs to great success, but you should probably leave advanced techniques like these until later in your development.
Generally keep your thumb in hitchhiking position, pointed away from you with the ball of the thumb in the center of the neck. Your thumb will more than likely move around when you play, especially if you are fretting awkwardly shaped guitar chords. But for the most part try to keep it in this center position. | <urn:uuid:f617201b-25b0-4745-8db3-5da10aa0253a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/lessons/the-basics/basic-tehnique/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953873 | 646 | 2.546875 | 3 |
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A novel design of microstrip patch antennas for circular polarisation (CP) is proposed. As an example, two CP patch antennas are investigated: a broadband CP patch antenna and a dual-band CP patch antenna. The proposed structure can be achieved by embedding circular holes in the microstrip circular resonator. By changing the size and position of loaded holes, two orthogonal modes are simultaneously excited with equal amplitude and ±90° out of phase. Without any 90° phase-shifter, the proposed CP patch antennas are excited by single feed.
Date of Publication: 29 April 2004 | <urn:uuid:af7d05af-93b0-4a65-81b0-8896ebaa6f75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=1296966&contentType=Journals+%26+Magazines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901942 | 124 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Pokhara University was established in 1997 under the ‘Pokhara University Act-2053 (1997)’. At that time, it was located in Pokhara, the beautiful city famous for tourist destination. In 2001, Faculty of Science & Technology started Bachelor’s Program in Pharmacy under the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2003, the name of the School was changed into ‘School of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences’ and it launched very relevant program ‘B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Technology’ (B.Sc. MLT). In 2005, the School started Master’s Level Program ‘M. Pharm.’ in Natural Product Chemistry and Pharmaceutics. The M. Pharm. program was run only for a single batch until it resumed with newly launched M. Pharm. (Clinical Pharmacy) and M. Pharm. (Natural Product Chemistry) programs from 2011. The fifteen kilometer east from Pokhara Airport, a modern city of Nepal, locates a peaceful lake city Lekhnath with its glorious present of this University. The new era for Pokhara University started after shifting from Pokhara to its own administrative and academic complex, the Garden City of Seven Lakes. The Lakes Begnas and Rupa, known for serene and crystal clear water and plenty enough plankton for aquatic animals, are at walking distance from the University. A scenic view of the beautiful Himalayan Mountains under Annapurna Range adds on its panorama. It offers a sound learning & research environment for excellence.
In course of time the Faculty of Science & Technology introduced School of Engineering. 2009 became an epoch for this faculty establishing one more school making two schools: School of Health & Allied Sciences (previous ‘School of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences’ name changed) and School of Engineering. Similarly, School of Engineering brought out two programs: B. E. Civil and B. E. Electrical & Electronics. Faculty of Science & Technology has adopted four years academic courses in Bachelor’s degree based on the credit-semester system with continuous internal evaluation. Academic year of the University consists of two semesters of 16 week each. The fresh intake is enrolled at the beginning of the Fall Semester.
- Bachelor of Civil engineering | Fee Structure |
- Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Fee Structure |
|Bachelor of Civil engineering|
|Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering| | <urn:uuid:9debbd20-a9b8-40ab-9048-7e5d9acd7015> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pu.edu.np/university/school-of-engineering/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93437 | 507 | 1.773438 | 2 |
June 20, 2012 1:13 pm
It is an uncomfortable question that, in today’s world, is often asked by expectant mothers who had more than one male partner at the time they became pregnant. Who is the father? With more than half of births to women under 30 now out of wedlock, it is a question that may arise more often. Now blood tests are becoming available that can determine paternity as early as the eighth or ninth week of pregnancy, without an invasive procedure that could cause a miscarriage.
June 6, 2012 11:55 pm
Heralding a future in which a child’s entire genetic blueprint can be examined for traits and defects — noninvasively — long before birth, researchers have announced that they have reconstructed the whole genome of a fetus by using only a blood sample from its mother and a saliva sample from its father. The work was published today inScience Translational Medicine1.
April 30, 2012 10:42 am
The potential benefits of NIPD are many: elimination of the risks associated with amniocentesis, the replacement of aggravating probabilities with accurate information, and more time for expectant parents to make difficult decisions. But because insurance providers have an incentive to cover them, fetal DNA tests stand to be introduced before we have time to consider the slew of ethical and political challenges they will introduce.
March 9, 2012 9:47 am
A recently developed and newly released Stanford-created blood test can detect Down syndrome and two other major genetic defects at early stages of pregnancy. Experts have expressed concerns, however, about the ethics of knowing a fetus’s genetics during a period of pregnancy when abortion is both safer and more commonly legal. The $1,200 test, which analyzes fetal DNA in expectant mothers at 10 weeks, is being offered by Verinata Health — a Redwood City biotechnology company — which licensed a technique designed by Stanford biophysicist Stephen Quake. | <urn:uuid:7e05085a-7350-4213-adb3-bb1113c9f106> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bioethics.net/tags/prenatal-testing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968676 | 399 | 2.4375 | 2 |
This first image shows CONTOUR breezing past a comet nucleus (artist's rendition). The second image is a picture of all of the orbits involved. It shows how CONTOUR will be able to intersect the paths of the three comets.
Images Courtesy of NASA
The COmet Nucleus TOUR (CONTOUR) will be launched in 2002. The spacecraft will spend six years studying three different comets. It will take pictures of the comets' nuclei and also collect comet dust.
CONTOUR is similar to Giotto, when scientists studied Comet Halley. Scientists say we need to study comets because they will tell us more about the Earth and how it formed.
CONTOUR mission page
Other comet missions
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NASA’s Comet Nucleus Tour (called CONTOUR) launched July 3, 2002. The CONTOUR spacecraft will fly by at least two comets. It will take pictures and collect dust from the nucleus of each comet. Learning...more
We are sad to report that CONTOUR is lost in space. The CONTOUR spacecraft was launched July 3, 2002 to explore the nucleus of comets. It was to take pictures and catch dust from the nucleus of at least...more
Cassini is the name of a robot spacecraft. Cassini is studying the planet Saturn. It is also studying many of Saturn's moons and Saturn's cool rings. Cassini blasted off from Earth in 1997. It took Cassini...more
Do you know what MESSENGER stands for? It's the MErcury Surface Space ENvironment, GEochemistry Ranging mission! What does this mean? Well, the spacecraft will study Mercury's atmosphere, crust and polar...more | <urn:uuid:7eba25c4-a557-4b73-81ae-bfee764cebee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windows2universe.org/missions/contour.html&edu=elem | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914501 | 399 | 3.734375 | 4 |
Gotta love all those happy bass. The latest figures from the Arizona Game and Fish Department confirm what anglers have learned: Roosevelt Lake has turned into bass heaven.
As a result, Arizona Game and Fish biologists say the state can lift the restriction on keeping 13- to 16-inch-long bass that has been in place for the past eight years.
That good news comes just in time for the FLW National Guard Bass Tournament, which should bring some of the country’s best bass fishermen and a gleaming school of fans and television cameras to Rim Country in September.
Hopefully, the Game and Fish Commission will act on the recommendation of its fish experts on Aug. 7 and lift the slot limit.
Back when the commission imposed the restrictions, it took the average fisherman eight hours to nab a bass —which perhaps explains why they kept half of the bass they caught. Now, it takes an hour, on average and fishermen keep just 7 percent of the fish they catch.
Moreover, the lake has risen to record levels — submerging shoreline vegetation. The nutrients injected into the water creates a “new lake” effect, with a boom in both bait fish and bass.
Studies show that the average fisherman spends about $200 a day and that Roosevelt generates more than 300,000 angler days annually. The FLW tournament will only boost that impact, thanks to the national exposure such a tournament yields.
Tournament advocates worried about the impact of the slot limit on that exposure. Tournament fishermen keep their five biggest fish for weigh in, but the slot limit would have forced them to throw a lot of fish back — even though they would release all the fish alive at the end of the tournament. Because of the limit, a worrisome number of anglers showed up at the televised weigh in with just three or four fish — or with a couple of small fish under the slot limit.
Fortunately, Game and Fish completed the study just in time and thoughtfully moved up the meeting to make a decision before the tournament
So now the biologists are happy. The anglers are happy.
And best of all — them bass be happy. | <urn:uuid:63b506b0-8876-48e5-a11b-68790ce7cf18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/jul/30/happy-ending-fishy-story/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95909 | 437 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Quillen College of Medicine
In 1963 East Tennessee State University President Burgin E. Dossett, Dean John P. Lamb, Charles E. Allen, M.D., and various civic leaders and legislators called attention to the need for a regional health center in Upper East Tennessee. When Dossett retired in 1968, he and his associates were ready to implement their plans, but the hard work was left to his successor, Delos P. Culp, who enthusiastically and skillfully worked with local committees and legislators. Four years later, the group asked the general assembly to appoint a joint committee to negotiate with the Veterans Administration to establish a medical school in cooperation with the Mountain Home Hospital adjacent to the university campus.
Formidable opponents, led by Governor Winfield Dunn and friends of the University of Tennessee, marshaled their forces. The climax came in February and March 1974, when Dunn and seven members of the governing Board of Regents voted eight to seven to kill a proposal for a freestanding medical school. When Culp informed the governor that supporters of the medical school would continue their work, Dunn considered removing the president from office; he changed his mind after being warned against alienating Republicans in northeast Tennessee, however. In the legislature, Representatives Palma Robinson and Robert Good and Senator Marshall Nave worked to gain support for the school. With the help of Speakers Ned R. McWherter and John S. Wilder, the bill to establish the medical school passed. Dunn vetoed the bill, but both houses overrode the veto.
The next step involved qualifying for federal funds under the Teague-Cranston Act. U.S. Representative James Quillen helped to secure grants, which assured the Liaison Committee on Medical Education that ETSU would meet the standards for accreditation. The letter of assurance arrived on June 20, 1977, Culp's last day in office. Full accreditation came when the first class graduated in 1982.
In the fall of 1978, 24 students chosen from 255 applicants enrolled in ETSU College of Medicine and met their 62 professors. Four years later 23 received their degrees; the twenty-fourth had dropped out because of illness but graduated in 1984. In 1996, 60 first-year students were selected from over 2,000 applicants; total enrollment is limited to 240 students. The full-time medical faculty consists of 185 professors. In almost two decades, 750 medical degrees and 50 doctorates have been awarded, and 560 medical doctors have completed residency programs. Four endowed chairs include the Cecille Cox Quillen Chair in Gerontology, the Carol Hardy Long Chair of Surgical Research, the Paul Dishner Chair of Medicine, and the Lee Ann Brown Group Chair in General Pediatrics. In 1989 regents acknowledged and honored Congressman Quillen for his political and financial support by renaming the institution the Quillen College of Medicine.
In 1988 the colleges of medicine, nursing, and public and allied health were brought together in the Division of Health Sciences. Two years later they received a six-million-dollar grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to develop centers for primary care in local communities where such services had never been available. The programs also made it possible for students majoring in public health, nursing, and medicine to work as teams in caring for patients.
The Division of the Health Sciences brought industries and businesses related to health care to Upper East Tennessee. In 1994 they provided 13,000 full-time jobs in Washington County alone and put $771 million into circulation.
Researchers anticipate that people living in the early decades of the twenty-first century will be better served by family practitioners than by specialists. The Quillen College of Medicine ranks eighth among 126 medical schools whose graduates enter family practice; the faculty is working to become one of the five leaders in this field. Another goal is the development of model allied health programs. A third goal focuses on working in conjunction with ETSU, the Veterans Administration, regional hospitals, and related industries to become a major force in the economic development of the region.
Published » December 25, 2009 | Last Updated » February 24, 2011 | <urn:uuid:2e4a1d1e-5106-4d6a-9e9c-9e1695cd6a70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1092 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966441 | 843 | 1.9375 | 2 |
AFTER SWEEPING TO victory in five presidential primaries this week, the former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, will now certainly face Barack Obama in the US presidential election later this year.
The presumptive nominee easily won five primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island on Tuesday night and with 14 primaries left to go, he has amassed an unassailable lead in terms of the all-important delegates and will now focus on the general election.
As well as outlining why he is a better fit for the White House than the current incumbent he must also choose his running mate, the man or woman who would be his vice president. The website of the US Senate describes the office as “…the least understood, most ridiculed, and most often ignored constitutional office in the federal government…”.
With only two constitutional duties – to assume the role of president if the incumbent becomes incapacitated and President of the US Senate – there is little set in stone about how a vice president is supposed to operate. For example, the role taken on by the current vice president Joe Biden has so far been more about his gaffes than his predecessor Dick Cheney whose role in the Bush administration led to him being described by some of his critics as Darth Vader.
Then there’s the jokes about the office. For example, have you heard the one about the two brothers? One of them went to sea and the other became vice president.
Neither was heard from again.
But before the jokes, Romney must first pick his candidate and then win the election. A tall order and his selection of a running mate will be crucial (see John McCain and the disastrous Sarah Palin in 2008). Here’s the field from which he is likely to pick and the pros and cons of each candidate.
Who? The governor of New Jersey has been in office for a little over two years but has been making big waves in the Republican Party for taking on the unions and for his straight-talking style. So much so, there was much clamour for him to enter the presidential race but he declined to do so.
Pros: His popularity among many Republicans could quell the unease that many in the party have with Romney, whose famous flip-flopping on issues from abortion to gun rights have left some disillusioned with their nominee. That and his regular-guy persona could make up for Romney’s perceived detachment from ordinary people.
Cons: The inevitable feeling amongst many that it should be Christie who is running for president and not tagging along as Romney’s running mate. The 49-year-old has also repeatedly said that he is not ready for the job of the president. So could he step up to the plate if called upon?
Who? The former governor of Florida and brother of former president George W Bush as well as son to George HW Bush. He became the first Republican in the history of the state to be re-elected as governor and only constitutional limits prevented a third term in office.
Pros: Could be key in an important swing state like Florida and would court the Latino vote (his wife is of Mexican origin). His stance on immigration is fairly moderate too which could be a vote winner.
Cons: There will be many who will feel there has been enough Bush in the White House over the last 20 years. That and the reluctance himself to be considered instead opting for Marco Rubio (see below) as the best candidate.
Who? A Florida senator in office for just over a year after easily winning an election in which the incumbent Republican, Charlie Crist, split the vote ensuring an easy win for the former state legislator. A Tea Party favourite and widely mentioned as a popular choice for Romney on the ticket.
Pros: Young, Hispanic, and a senator in a key swing state. On the face of it Rubio would have it all. That he is a darling of the Tea Party would also stand to his benefit given it is a group which Romney has struggled to appeal to given his moderate credentials.
Cons: Inexperience could work against Rubio when you consider that one of the most important capabilities of the vice president needs to be an ability to step up to the highest office in the land if required. Can Rubio realistically fulfil such criteria with less than two years experience in national office?
Who? Former Pennsylvania senator who recently dropped out of the race for the nomination having run an insurgent campaign in which he leapfrogged the many pretenders to become the only realistic challenge to Romney. A strong social conservative.
Pros: His social conservatism was a sharp contrast to Romney who was perceived to be more liberal on issues of the family and religion (Indeed we don’t talk much about Romney’s Mormonism). He has the experience of the campaign and legislative experience in Washington which Romney doesn’t have.
Cons: His strong views on religion and abortion were one of the main reasons he was not seen as a viable alternative to Romney in the primaries. That and a bruising campaign in which he was at times heavily critical of Romney, and vice-versa, could mean it’s too much of a stretch to have the pair arm-in-arm, campaigning together.
Who? Recently elected governor of South Carolina, the first Indian-American woman to ever hold such a role. A Tea Party favourite who was endorsed by one time VP nominee Sarah Palin in her gubernatorial campaign and was herself an early endorser of Romney.
Pros: A woman, which can attract extra votes from females in this usually male-dominated game. That and her Indian-American heritage could appeal to minorities. She is also, as her early campaign endorsement proves, a solid supporter of Romney.
Cons: A lack of experience having only been in office since January of last year. She is, in fact the youngest governor in the country. Selecting a little known Governor of a small US state was already done in 2008 by John McCain, with disastrous consequences.
Who? The governor of Louisiana who came to prominence following his co-ordination of the response to Hurricane Gustav in 2008, a sharp contrast to Katrina three years earlier. He also gave the Republicans’ response to Obama’s first State of the Union in 2009.
Pros: Like Haley, an Indian-American who could make history and a solid conservative unlike Romney. He could also help in the southern states where Romney’s moderate views may not appeal to some conservative voters.
Cons: That response to the 2009 State of the Union was widely panned and seen as evidence that Jindal is not ready for the national spotlight. He also initially endorsed Texas governor Rick Perry in his fight for the nomination. That may discount him in Romney’s view even though Jindal has since thrown his support behind the nominee.
Who? A congressman from Wisconsin considered to be one of the Republican Party’s most influential voices on economic policy, chairing the House Committee on the Budget. Author of the radical Ryan Plan that proposed to cut spending, slash taxes and make up for it by closing loopholes – a fiscal policy that goes down well with the Tea Party.
Pros: As with others, his strong Tea Party credentials would make him an ideal running mate for the un-Tea Party like Romney. He is a leading voice on the Republicans’ economic strategy and his economic plan has earned praise from Romney. He is also from a key swing state.
Cons: A poster boy for what Barack Obama called “thinly-veiled social Darwinism”, this could potentially work against him such is the radical nature of his economic plan, which proposes to privatise Medicare, a social insurance programme for over 65s.
Who? A junior senator from Ohio who was elected to office in 2010. Considered an expert on budget matters having served as budget director during the most recent Bush administration.
Pros: Ohio is another key swing state (There’s an old saying in American politics: “As goes Ohio, so goes the nation”) and Portman has been a solid supporter of Romney. The two men reportedly get on well and Portman has a wealth of experience in Washington, unlike Romney.
Cons: A virtual unknown whose experience of Washington, while potentially useful, is mostly as a bureaucrat. Also considered a moderate which may not play well to a base of supporters that Romney just can’t crack – the Tea Party.
Who? A former governor of Minnesota who was briefly a candidate for president but dropped out in August of last year after it became clear he could not win the nomination. Was vetted to be John McCain’s running mate in 2008.
Pros: Already vetted and backed Romney as soon as he got out of the race. Considered to be trustworthy and loyal and can appeal to blue collar voters in a way Romney cannot.
Cons: Doesn’t have the kicker of being from a swing state and failed to generate any sort of buzz during his brief and unsuccessful presidential run. This could be down to his perceived lack of charisma.
Who? Governor of Virginia and a former lieutenant colonel in the US Army. He is also currently the chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Pros: Governor of a battleground state who is eloquent and looks the part. His military credentials could be useful in a time when America is still mired in the Afghan war.
Cons: Recently mired in controversy over the signing of legislation that requires women to have an ultrasound procedure before they can have abortion in his state. That national controversy aside, he has very little in terms of accomplishments to point to if he were to be picked.
Who? A junior US senator from South Dakota who is considered a rising star in the Republican Party.
Pros: Strong conservative credentials would, like others, bring balance to the ticket. He is a strong supporter of Romeny having backed him prior to the Iowa caucus and has the looks of a future national star.
Cons: Would not offer the kind of benefits others might as his state is a solid Republican one (so much so no Democrat ran against him in his 2010 re-election bid). His inexperience might also count against him.
Who? The governor of New Mexico who took office last year and is the first female Hispanic governor in the US.
Pros: Hispanic and not of Washington (that can either be a pro or a con in some cases). She is a new and different face from an area that the Republicans need to win back after the electoral defeats of 2008.
Cons: She has said repeatedly that she does not want the job. Even if she did become the pick, she is relatively unknown on a national stage and lacking in experience. More likely she will look to 2016 and her own White House bid if Romney is not elected.
Any more for any more?
Other names mentioned include the former George W Bush budget director and current Indiana governor Mitch Daniels but he decided not to run for president outright because of family issues and is unlikely to be swayed by a VP spot. Former governor of Arkansas and a brief insurgent in the 08 race, Mike Huckabee, would be a good pick for the social conservative vote but is lacking in political force and seems more at home with his regular gig on Fox News.
Finally there is Nevada governor Brian Sandoval who is young, Hispanic and from a crucial swing state. But his lower national profile makes him a less attractive pick than Rubio. One to watch in 2016, perhaps. | <urn:uuid:4ca86981-44bd-4bf6-95e8-aa59c6500407> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thejournal.ie/meet-the-candidates-who-will-mitt-romney-pick-as-his-running-mate-428934-Apr2012/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979883 | 2,337 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Last year, Universal K-9 was in contact with the Finding Bigfoot crew vying for a chance to get in on the action to search for Bigfoot with the popular TV show on Animal Planet. It now looks like they got the job and the dog trainers are super stoked and their search begins this weekend in East Texas. "If Bigfoot really exists, I can guarantee you our dogs will find him," Brad Croft of Universal K-9 said, according to a news release.
Here's a snippet via TylerPaper.com:
One of the places they could be searching is the Mineola Nature Preserve. The preserve is on the Sabine River and has 2,911 acres of city-owned land.
More than a dozen man-made ponds are speckled on the property as well as walking trails and pavilions.
Mineola Mayor Bo Whitus said hunting is not allowed on the property, with the exception of periodic youth deer hunts. This was attractive to the “Finding Bigfoot” crews, he said.
Whitus said the locals tell stories of bear and cougar sightings in the preserve, but they never have been validated.
He had never heard the subject of Bigfoot come up until seven or eight months ago when a maintenance worker spotted a strange vehicle far into nature.
The maintenance worker “was at the river and coming back up close to a slough,” Whitus said. “There was an old car sitting there, and it concerned our guy, so he called the police department. They ran the tag, and it was from the Dallas area.”
As officers got close, they noticed fruit on top of the car and found a young man lying in the grass near the area.
“We don’t know how he got his car that far down into the preserve, but he did …” Whitus said. “He heard a radio announcer say there was a sighting in East Texas, and the guy took out a map and mathematically deduced this was the place for him to be.”
The man was not ticketed but was given a talking to and sent on his way, Whitus said.
Since the sighting, a newly constructed bridge near what is called the people’s pavilion was named for the alleged visitor.
“It was a coincidence that we had just finished one of the bridges, (so) one of them is called Bigfoot Bridge,” Whitus said. “We were trying to reinforce the story to try to create a little interest in what is going on in East Texas.”
The name must have worked because Whitus said the city received a letter from “Finding Bigfoot” before Christmas on its interests of filming a show on the property. | <urn:uuid:115f41f8-eddf-406c-b492-6697cf8450b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigfootevidence.blogspot.com/2013/01/universal-k-9-confident-that-their-dogs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982328 | 571 | 1.5625 | 2 |
|Debt Has Its Virtue|
|Topic||Money and the Financial System|
|Key Words||Money, Financial Markets, Government Securities, Budget Surplus|
The U. S. government finances its debt largely by issuing bonds called Treasuries. The Treasury securities market is very active and interest rates determined by sales and purchases of these securities are used as benchmarks for the pricing of other government and corporate bonds. Treasury securities serve still other functions. They provide a financial haven for investors in times of financial turmoil and allow investors to hedge risks. If the government uses its projected budget surplus to pay off the U.S. debt, the Treasury securities market may disappear.
The latest projection from the Congressional Budget Office predicts a $5.61 trillion surplus over the next decade. Based upon that estimate, the Treasury could buy back enough debt by fiscal year 2006, to close the Treasury market. President Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut in conjunction with increased spending for a prescription drug plan, defense and education will likely reduce the surplus and delay the market's demise - but not for very long.
Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, in testimony before Congress said, "it would be better to have a large Treasury debt outstanding so that those of us who deal in the financial markets have easy benchmarks and easy means of pricing and of funding." However, he did add that by far the most important thing is to get the debt down. Greenspan believes that the Fed can handle any problems that arise.
James R. Capra, the chairman of the Treasury borrowing advisory committee of the Bond Market Association, concluded in a report to the Treasury that the 30-year bond would have to be eliminated if the budget outlook does not change. Most of the committee members agreed that the Treasury should stop issuing the 30-year Treasury inflation protected security.
Wall Street professionals have argued that the bond market will be able to adapt to the absence of Treasury securities. Bond markets, it is argued, should be able to develop new benchmarks and other ways to hedge risk.
(Updated March 1, 2001)
|Source||Jonathan Fuerbringer, "U.S. May Not Need to Borrow, but it May Still Need to Be in Debt," The New York Times, February 15, 2001.|
Return to the Money and the Financial
©1998-2002 South-Western. All Rights Reserved webmaster | DISCLAIMER | <urn:uuid:3dd9179a-0869-4266-8ad6-53dfde2b8a5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.swlearning.com/economics/econ_news/debt_has_0301.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934173 | 495 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Narrative development is the key concern for readers, and should drive all design decisions, whether of visual or multimedia effects, screen layout, availability of menus, placement of links on text, or use of images as hotspots. Dr James Pope concludes his two-part series on digital storytelling.
Continue reading Designing the digital tale
Fascinating and cutting-edge though the evolution of non-linear narratives is, digital interactive fiction has not really taken off commercially. Dr James Pope interacted with 36 readers of hypertext to find out what cut their pleasure short.
Continue reading Twists in the digital tale | <urn:uuid:ce3751b7-5931-4c62-b326-fb07a7761665> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://interjunction.org/tag/non-linear-fiction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911785 | 122 | 1.671875 | 2 |
How do I prepare a National Register nomination?
1. Become familiar with the nomination process.
The National Register program, directed by the National Park Service, is administered in each state by its State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Nominations for listing a property on the National Register may be initiated by the SHPO or by private individuals and organizations. However, nominations must be submitted through the SHPO.
The nomination serves to make the case for the property's significance. If the Minnesota Historical Society's State Review Board determines that the property meets National Register criteria, the nomination is sent to the State Historic Preservation Officer for signature and then to the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C., for final review and approval.
2. Learn the National Register criteria used to measure a property's significance.
Properties listed on the National Register must meet certain criteria of historical significance and physical integrity.
3. Determine the property's potential for listing on the National Register.
You may request a preliminary evaluation by the SHPO on the property's potential for National Register eligibility. Contact SHPO to request a preliminary evaluation package for the type of property you want evaluated-school, church, commercial building, residence, etc. Include your address for delivery by U.S. mail. Once you have completed a draft nomination form, SHPO staff will review your draft and notify you of their opinion on the property's eligibility.
4. Complete the nomination.
If you decide to proceed, it will be your responsibility to submit a complete nomination for the property, including maps and photographs. You may complete the nomination yourself or retain the services of a historical consultant. | <urn:uuid:79d4233e-2578-4573-b971-0ae13d5d9af2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mnhs.org/shpo/how/nomination.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916148 | 338 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Johnny Carson: King of Late Night
Johnny Carson (10/23/1925 – 1/23/2005) was seen by more people on more occasions than anyone else in American history. Over the course of 30 years, 4,531 episodes and 23,000 guests, he became a fixture of national life and a part of the zeitgeist. In a 2007 TV Land/Entertainment Weekly poll, Americans voted Carson the greatest icon in the history of television. Two-time Emmy®-winning filmmaker Peter Jones explores his life, career, complexities, and contradictions in the two-hour documentary. The program marks the 50th anniversary of Carson taking over The Tonight Show from Jack Paar and the 20th anniversary of his retirement.
Narrated by two-time Oscar®-winner Kevin Spacey, the film features 45 original interviews with Carson’s friends, family and colleagues, including his second wife, Joanne, Dick Cavett, Doc Severinsen, and other The Tonight Show staff. Performers who appeared, or began their careers, on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson are also interviewed, including David Letterman, Jay Leno, Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, Drew Carey, Garry Shandling, Steve Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ellen DeGeneres, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Conan O’Brien, Joan Rivers, and David Steinberg.
For 15 years Jones wrote an annual letter to Carson requesting his cooperation in the production of a documentary. His appeals went unanswered until 2003, when he received a telephone call from Carson himself: “You write a damn fine letter, Peter, but I don’t have anything more to say.” Following Carson’s death in 2005, Jones directed his letters to Johnny’s nephew, Jeff Sotzing, who controls his uncle’s archives. Finally, in 2010, Sotzing agreed to cooperate and the Carson Entertainment Group granted unprecedented access to Johnny’s personal and professional archives, including family photo albums, home movies, memorabilia, and all existing episodes of The Tonight Show from 1962 until his retirement in 1992. His simple reason: “I didn’t want people to forget Johnny Carson.”
For more information on this American Masters program, click here.
|© 2011-2012 Community Foundation of South Florida, Inc. All Rights Reserved.| | <urn:uuid:de48dd1b-b516-40c9-8fc8-26679630dfed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wpbt2.org/guide/2012_05/hl_american_masters.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938664 | 499 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Chicago’s two-year try at a ban on serving force-fattened duck liver, otherwise known as foie gras, has ended. (Click here see a remarkable video moment showing how it ended, and revealing a lot about Chicago politics.)
While Chicago’s circle of power restaurants and wealthy gastronomes got their way, there does seem to be a growing push away from the age-old, but highly controversial, practice of transforming ducks (and geese) into bloated livers with wings. Fifteen countries ban foie gras production. California is heading toward a ban in 2012. Jennifer 8. Lee has a fine foie gras post on City Room summarizing some of the basic issues.
There’s a bigger question here, though, relating to how humans — as populations grow and grow more prosperous — choose to relate to the other inhabitants of this very finite planet. Sure, foie gras production is an ancient practice, with roots more than a millennium old. Sure, it’s delectable (to some). But suppose there are alternatives to producing a delicacy like this that don’t entail penning thousands of birds in dark sheds and sticking a pipe down their throats three times a day for the last 2 or 3 weeks of their 12-week lives until their livers swell about tenfold. Remember, this isn’t just about a few rich people in Chicago. China is just getting into high gear (both on producing such food products and, with its swelling ruling class, consuming them).
I have a proposal: Keep the liver; free the ducks. This will take awhile, of course. After all, it involves the frontiers of food technology — making meat in a lab instead of a feed lot. There’s a growing international push to do this, at least for nuggets and ground meat — for both environmental and ethical reasons. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has even offered a $1 million reward for affordable cultivated meat.
I think foie gras could be the perfect test case, all you cultured-meat entrepreneurs. First, as I learned in college, liver is one of the most proliferative tissues on the planet (that’s one reason it’s a relatively easy organ to transplant). So presumably it’s a lot easier to culture in a vat than, say, brisket. Second, there’s none of that structure or texture issue. In fact, among the gustatory attributes of foie gras, according to leading chefs and gourmands, is the buttery lack of structure or texture. Third, it’s a high-priced delicacy, so any manufacturer need not worry about trying to bring the cost of making a meat product competitive with, say, McNuggets.
I can’t think of a better way to cut through the impassioned arguments on both sides of the foie gras trade, which are well represented on YouTube. In one clip, Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity gourmand and television personality, attacks animal-welfare campaigners, saying: “A few twisted angry people would like to take your foie gras away.” He adds: “These fanatical stealth vegan extremists believe that the force feeding of ducks to plump their livers is actually cruel.”
In another widely viewed piece, animal-welfare campaigners produced a mock promotional ad for French foie gras that is a ghastly tour of a large-scale foie gras operation there showing one grisly scene after the other. This one definitely needs parental guidance.
While we’re waiting for factory-made, fowl-free foie gras, it’s worth taking note of farmers who are trying more humane methods for fattening waterfowl.
And I do recommend you get out the food processor and experiment with some of the “faux gras” recipes out there. I recently chatted with Tony Mantuano, one of the top chefs in Chicago, about a vegetarian alternative that he served during the ban for his restaurant, Spiaggia. It was inspired by a mock foie gras he tasted in a vegetarian restaurant in Milan, Joia, many years ago.
The recipe, in the book “Wine Bar Food” (by Cathy Mantuano and Tony Mantuano, Clarkson Potter), is essentially a chilled ultra-fine puree of chick peas (also called garbanzo or ceci beans), lots of butter, onion, capers, truffle oil, and sweet wine. I was a little intimidated by the butter and substituted a ripe avocado and some olive oil. My concoction was certainly delicious, although also certainly not foie gras (which I last ate at a friend’s 40th-birthday party; for him, it’s a “last meal” kind of ultimate treat).
I’ll share both recipes down the line. I have to jump back into tracking the climate issue again. Another round of climate-treaty talks just ended in Bonn, Germany, with another private round of climate discussions coming in South Korea next week (among “major economies” recruited by the Bush administration). And there are fresh recommendations from the Council on Foreign Relations on the need for meaningful domestic emissions curbs in the United States and continued efforts to make progress both among the established powers and those emerging as this century’s giants.
But food matters, too, particularly as humanity heads toward a population of 9 billion, more or less, with a ballooning global middle class.
Do you have any favorite recipes for a small planet? | <urn:uuid:87d02279-e914-43e6-b3f5-5e1d408a31db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/a-path-to-fowl-free-foie-gras/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943931 | 1,185 | 2.09375 | 2 |
This, to me, is an important point. Too many people think that drug laws are about catching criminals, when, in fact, they’re more about creating criminals.
Marijuana law just creates criminals by Hakeem Jeffries at CNN
The consequences of an arrest are severe, especially for young people of color who are already disproportionately subjected to criminal justice system intervention and incarceration. An arrest creates serious barriers to going to college or getting a job, and that person’s future may begin to spiral downward. The damage to police and community relations cannot be overstated.
Another serious problem is that these needless and inappropriate arrests detract from arresting and prosecuting serious criminals. Millions of dollars in law enforcement resources are wasted. Thousands of lives are damaged with the contamination of having a criminal record.[...]
The connected and powerful — including many in high political office — have frequently admitted to smoking marijuana when they were young. We didn’t unmercifully penalize them. We should stop needlessly criminalizing tens of thousands of our young people for doing the same thing. | <urn:uuid:0b54c5ec-5851-4f78-bf4b-54c5c3d0581d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drugwarrant.com/2012/06/creating-criminals/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964341 | 219 | 1.75 | 2 |
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Clean Water for Healthy Animals
Planet Earth, home to the most unique natural chemical composition found in the universe, water. It is the only life-sustaining compound to exist naturally in liquid, solid, and gaseous forms, with each variation essential for life.
Living in Liquid
Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth. However, for all we understand about the chemical makeup of water there is so much that remains unknown. In recorded history, it is estimated humans have only explored 5 percent of the oceans. Although much of the ocean remains a mystery, the impact of our industrialization is evident throughout marine life. From 2001 to 2011 the United States, Canada, and Russia combined, have spilled about 1,749,510,502 gallons (6,622,617,698 liters) of oil, compromising all water resources.
Sea turtles and salmon live in different kinds of water environments. Yet, with their differences they share similar complications from our quest for energy. Oil spills affect the sea turtles' ability to breed, eat, and breathe. Exposure to an oil slick usually results in organ failure, declining birth rates, and increased mortality. Turtles lay porous eggs in the sand. If oil covers the eggs, it seeps into the pores causing most to die. The few hatchlings that survive experience medical complications from prolonged exposure and die before breeding.
Canada's Athabasca River is a popular tourist and family destination for water activities and fishing. Dr. George Dixon, a research scientist and professor of biology, provided testimony to Environment Canada that the Athabasca River is receiving seepage from Tar Sands tailing ponds at a rate of 17.7 gallons (67 liters) per second. His calculations expect the seepage to compound on itself exponentially with further Tar Sands pipeline expansions. Salmon found swimming in the contaminated river show increased levels of toxicity in their systems, elevated mortality rates, reduced birthing cycles, and amplified genetic mutations. Dr. David Schindler, a highly decorated scientist and professor of ecology, presented the panel members of Environment Canada with evidence of rapidly declining fish populations and accelerated mutations outside tailing ponds hot zones. Besides the salmon plight, medical researchers have noticed expansive human populations developing unknown forms of cancer that do not respond to standard treatments. Environment Canada has ignored all professional findings and tried to bury the information while discrediting scientific conclusions.
Life on Ice Formations
Polar bears rely on solid ice formations to hunt, breed, and den. They are primarily found in Canada, Alaska, and Russia with a smaller population in Norway. In 2008, the polar bear was added to the list of animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. It is the first animal added as a direct result of planetary warming. Polar bear populations act as nature's gauge to climate stability. Each year these animals are squeezed out of existence from rapid loss of their habitat. Approximately 921,575 square miles (2,390,899 square kilometers) of ice mass has been lost and is unable to reform for lack of appropriate climate conditions. To better paint a picture, this would be equal to the states of Alaska, Texas, and Washington falling away never to return.
Saltwater does not freeze in the same manner as freshwater. It takes much cooler temperatures for longer periods to freeze. Unlike freshwater adhesion, when saltwater freezes it becomes denser and breaks away, further slowing the freezing process. The primary culprit to ice mass loss is the aggressive extraction of fossil fuels. The retrieval, refinement, and use of fossil fuels emit high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere acting like an added blanket of insulation. In March 2012, Dr. James Hansen's research equated the energy output trapped by the CO2 blanket equivalent to 400,000 atomic bombs detonating everyday, year round. Since this heat cannot escape Earth's atmosphere it remains trapped and unnaturally superheats the planet.
Water in its gaseous form creates vapor, which is a critical function for all plant and animal life. Vapor comes back to the Earth's surface as rain, hail, snow, fog, and dew, and is a particularly vital function to sustain human life. Where many marine animals can live in seawater people need freshwater to survive. Less than one percent of the Earth's water supply is safe for human consumption. With 7 billion people on the planet, vapor is a critical step in replenishing this small quantity of viable water. Unfortunately, the refining and use of fossil fuels creates a condition known as acid rain. Water vapor incorporates sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide released from burning fossil fuels into its molecule structure changing the global composition of freshwater. It is possible for people to survive about a month without any food while people will feel the effects of dehydration inside a week. About two thirds of a person's body weight consists of water. Without water, our bodies stop processing food and our respiratory and circulatory systems seize.
Each year on March 22 is World Water Day. The United Nations introduced this awareness day in 1993 to educate the world on the importance of water conditions necessary to support plants, animals, and humans. In 2012, the focus is on food security and water in agriculture. The timing of the topic is ideal as the United States intends to make the construction of the Keystone XL scheme a frontrunner political issue for reelection. Should the Keystone XL scheme pass it would run through the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers on the planet. It provides America with 30 percent of its farmland irrigation and is the main source for drinking water to 82 percent of the population within the aquifer boundaries of Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Change is an inevitable occurrence in life. Excessive use of fossil fuels does not produce long-term solutions for human energy needs. It damages the ecological stability necessary to support all forms of life and should not be utilized as a primary energy resource when there are effective, safe alternatives.
For those interested, sign the Stabilize Water Resources for Animal Life Initiative.
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Website copyright © 2013 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:37bfebd6-a99d-4615-867d-d9dc903dff3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art20835.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925125 | 1,358 | 2.9375 | 3 |
The Rule of Law and Freedom in Emerging Democracies: A Madisonian Perspective
There Is No Viable "Third Way"
AUGUST 01, 2001 by JAMES A. DORN
James Dorn is vice president for academic affairs at the Cato Institute.
The collapse of communism in 1989 in Eastern and Central Europe, and the fall of the Soviet Union two years later, have increased the number of democracies in the world to a total of 120. Of those, however, only 85 are classified as “free” by Freedom House—a stark reminder that creating a free society requires limiting government. That in turn requires limiting majority rule and protecting property rights.
Emerging democracies can learn from James Madison’s constitutional vision: The danger is that without limited constitutional government, electoral democracies (with universal suffrage) will undermine what F. A. Hayek called the “constitution of liberty.” Individual rights will then lose ground to special interests, and civil society will be weakened as all aspects of life become politicized. Instead of becoming less visible, the state will become more powerful.
For Madison, “The essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” The fundamental question that concerned Madison, and the other framers of the U.S. Constitution, was how to prevent the abuse of governmental power while protecting individual rights to life, liberty, and property.
Madison’s goal was to create a basis and structure of government that would protect persons and property and stand the test of time. His goal was justice under the law of liberty.
Madison regarded it as self-evident “that persons and property are the two great subjects on which Governments are to act; and that the rights of persons, and the rights of property, are the objects, for the protection of which Government was instituted.”
In Madison’s view, justice, liberty, and property are inseparable: “That alone is a just government,” wrote Madison, “which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own.” Like Hayek, Madison viewed justice as “rules of just conduct,” not as some officially sanctioned distribution of income that satisfies some subjective criterion of “social justice.”
Madison accepted Adam Smith’s distinction between perfect and imperfect rights, where “perfect rights” are associated with consent and commutative justice, while “imperfect rights” are associated with force and distributive justice. Imperfect rights, such as the “right to welfare,” are rights only in a “metaphorical sense”: they cannot be exercised without violating someone’s property rights.
True justice requires the protection of property rights, not the promotion of the welfare state. No one has the right to be compassionate with other people’s money.
Madison adhered to the classical-liberal view of democracy, which is consistent with limited government and the rule of law, rather than to the modern liberal view in which democratic government is virtually unlimited. In 1837, a year after Madison’s death, John O’Sullivan, the political editor of The Democratic Review, wrote: “The fundamental principle of the philosophy of democracy” is “to furnish a system of the administration of justice [in the Madisonian sense], and then leave all the business and interests of society to themselves, to free competition and association, in a word, to the voluntary principle”—that is, to the “principle of freedom.”
That view of democracy clashes with the welfare state and its open-ended vision of democratic government. Today, in both emerging and mature democracies, the rule of law and freedom have been sacrificed to majoritarian politics—a danger Madison warned against.
Just Government and Spontaneous Order
Madison supported limited government not only because he thought it was just but because he recognized, as did Adam Smith, that limiting government to the defense of persons and property prevents corruption and lays the basis for the emergence of a spontaneous market order and wealth creation.
Madison favored free trade and opposed government intervention. He called himself a “friend to a very free system of commerce” and regarded as self-evident the notion “that commercial shackles are generally unjust, oppressive, and impolitic.” He recognized that “all are benefitted by exchange, and the less this exchange is cramped by Government, the greater are the proportions of benefit to each.”
In 1792 Madison wrote, “Liberty and order will never be perfectly safe, until a trespass on the constitutional provisions for either, shall be felt with the same keenness that resents an invasion of the dearest rights; until every citizen shall be an Argus to espy.”
Argus, of course, refers to a giant with 100 eyes who acts as a guardian—in Madison’s case, a guardian of our liberties. In a free society, citizens must be vigilant and be able “to espy”—that is, to see at a distance—and use reason to discern the long-run implications of alternative policies.
Unless people learn to judge policy from a constitutional or long-run viewpoint, and not just consider it in the postconstitutional setting of majority rule, they will lose their freedom. By taking a long-run view and exercising “right reason,” individuals are more likely to agree to constitutional limits that insulate economic life from politics and prevent “rent”-seeking behavior that redistributes, rather than creates, wealth. That is a point James M. Buchanan, founder of the Public Choice school of economics, has so eloquently stated.
Lessons for Emerging Democracies
There are several important lessons that emerging democracies can learn from Madison’s constitutional vision:
- For true democracy to prevail, government must be limited and must be just; the security of persons and property must take precedence over electoral politics.
- To prevent rent-seeking and corruption, economic freedom must prevail; people must accept a rule of law that treats people equally under the law and safeguards private property rights and freedom of contract.
- A spontaneous market-liberal order will arise to coordinate economic activity and create wealth, provided the government minimizes its role in the economy and lets people be free to choose.
- A free society cannot coexist with a redistributive state—there is no “Third Way”; people must be ever vigilant to ensure that majorities are prevented from violating the rights of minorities in the name of distributive justice.
How quickly those lessons are learned in countries making the transition to democracy will depend crucially on the size and scope of government in the old regime and the duration of the old regime. For countries that had all-powerful governments and central planning for long periods of time, the transition to a liberal democratic state with the rule of law and free markets cannot be expected to occur as quickly as in countries with smaller governments, some experience with markets, and a memory of freedom.
The Freedom House rankings for democratization and economic liberalization for ex-communist countries, as of June 1999, show that nearly all of the post-Soviet states, or Newly Independent States, lag significantly behind Eastern and Central European countries that had previous experience with a liberal political and economic order.
Similar results hold for the Freedom House’s rankings for adherence to the rule of law and for the extent of corruption. Ex-communist countries that experienced the rule of law prior to World War II and respected property rights—such as Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia—have made faster progress on moving toward the rule of law and reducing corruption during the transition to democratic capitalism than countries such as Russia and Ukraine.
That Russia is making such slow progress should not be surprising; it takes time to change one’s thinking after so many years under totalitarian rule. As Alexander Tsypko, a professor of philosophy at Moscow State University, wrote in the Cato Journal in 1991, just prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union: “It is hard—very hard—to admit that your life and your work are being senselessly wasted and that you are living in an unnatural, false society, headed with your country for the dead end of history.”
The future of limited government in emerging democracies will depend on adherence to the rule of law and justice in the Madisonian sense. Citizens and leaders need to think about the proper scope of government and recognize the dangers of universal suffrage when there is no effective limit to the scope of government. Madison’s fundamental question is still relevant today, namely: How can we protect individual rights against majoritarian interests that violate private property rights?
In conclusion, emerging democracies need to consider the long-run implications of alternative rules, not just look at short-term policy options for redistributing income and wealth. They need to foster an ethos of law and liberty. Moreover, they need to recognize that change will take time and that there is no viable “Third Way.” Ultimately, political freedom requires economic freedom, and vice versa. To protect both requires limited government.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the future of limited government is to move China toward the rule of law and freedom. China’s leaders should heed the advice of Jixuan Hu, who recently wrote:
··By setting up a minimum group of constraints and letting human creativity work freely, we can create a better society without having to design it in detail. That is not a new idea, it is the idea of law, the idea of a constitution. Real constitutional government is a possible alternative to the dream of a perfectly designed society. . . . The idea is to apply the principle of self-organization.
History has proven that Madison was right and Marx was wrong. The future of freedom and democracy rests with the Madisonian vision of limited government. Let us salute the “great little Madison.” One person can make a big difference! | <urn:uuid:a848e8ea-779d-4095-9ea6-e7412f568f1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/the-rule-of-law-and-freedom-in-emerging-democracies-a-madisonian-perspective | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951517 | 2,079 | 2.15625 | 2 |
by Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr.
It is claimed that somewhere deep in the vaults of western central banks are huge stacks of physical Gold bars.
This Gold bullion are deemed to be part of their respective foreign currency reserves, which include all the usual fiat (paper) currencies like the USD the GBP, the JPY and the EUR.
The Western governments central banks; United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Eurozone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are believed to hold an 23,349 tons of physical Gold in their respective reserves, representing more than $1.3-T at today’s Gold price.
Other than the suggested tonnage (held therein) little is actually known about the Gold that makes up the stockpiles. | <urn:uuid:eb399717-eeef-41b3-aba3-fdcea9fd4868> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://financialsurvivalnetwork.com/2012/10/banks-and-the-gold-price/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945802 | 163 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Last modified: 2010-03-13 by ivan sache
Keywords: morbihan | lorient | an orient | ship (ermine) | sun (yellow) | ermines: 11 (yellow) | football |
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Flag of Lorient - Image by Ivan Sache, after the image shown by Agence Bretagne Presse, 31 October 2009
The municipality of Lorient (in Breton, An Orient; 59,264 inhabitants in 2006, therefore the fourth biggest town in Region Brittany after Rennes, Brest and Quimper; 1,748 ha) is located in South Brittany, between Quimper and Vannes.
In 1664, Louis XIV, upon Colbert's advice, founded the Compagnie française pour le commerce des Indes orientales (French Company for the Trade with East India), mostly known as Compagnie des Indes (India Company), which was granted a 50-year monopoly on the Asian spice trade. Two years later, the seat of the company was set up at Port-Louis, a port watched by a Spanish fortress built at the entrance of a wide harbour made by the confluency of rivers Scorff and Blavet. Shipyards were set up at Faouëdic, a place located across the harbour. Among the first vessels launched from Faouëdic, the Soleil d'Orient (Eastern Sun) gave her name of the small settlement that developed around the shipyards, as L'Orient, subsequently Lorient.
A wealthy port involved in the trade of Asian spices, tea, fabric,
silk, pieces of porcelaine and lacquerware, Lorient quickly superseded
Port-Louis as the headquarters of several shipowners. In 1690, the
Royal Navy set up a military administration at Lorient while the Navy shipyards and repairing workshops were transferred to Port-Louis.
The Nine Years' War (1688-1697) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) dramatically decreased traffic in the port. In 1719, the Scottish banker Law saved the India Company from bankrupt; the new India Company was granted a monopoly on trade with French counters in Africa, colonies of Louisiana and in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and China Seas. From 1709 to 1730, the population of Lorient increased from 6,000 to 20,000 inhabitants. Granted the title of town in 1738, Lorient became the sole place of trade of colonial products in France and the headquarters of military shipbuilding. Mignot de Montigny wrote in 1752 "The Company gathers in Lorient its fleet, its troops and the whole of its trade." The loss of the American colonies (1763) and the bankrupt of the India company (1769) did not stop trade in Lorient.
In 1770, the king purchased all the shipyards of Lorient, transformed for military use, while several private shipowners developed trade in the Indian Ocean, The War of American Independence and the opening of the scheduled line Lorient-New York made at that time Lorient one of the four biggest French ports.
An attempt of resurrecting the India company in 1785 was suppressed five years later by the Convention. In 1791, Lorient was declared an exclusive military port.
In the 19th century, the port and arsenal of Lorient were increased by
the Navy, which modernized and industrialized shipbuilding. The
introduction of inventions made by the naval engineer Henri Dupuy de
Lôme (born near Lorient, 1816-1885), such as the screw-propeller and
the steel armour-plate for battleships allowed the Lorient shipyards
to be among the most innovative in the world. Employement in the
shipyards increased from 1,500 in 1830 to 4,000 in 1870.
From 1880 onwards, Lorient developed an industrial fishing activity based on the recently set-up modern fish canning. Tin cans were produced in the neighbouring steelworks of Lochrist while electricity was supplied by river Blavet; the poor hinterland provided as many low- paid workers as required.
Lorient became the the second fishing port on France, and also a main coal-trading port. The population of the town reached 50,000 inhabitants in 1911. On the eve of the Second World War, Lorient was a wealthy military, fishing and commerce port.
In June 1940, following the invasion of France, Admiral Dönitz set up
the headquarters of the German Navy in Lorient, transformed into the main base for the submarines scouring the Atlantic Ocean. Targeted by air raids, the Germans decided the building of an underground base. Achieved in 1943, the Lorient base, made of four blockhaus named Kéroman I, II, III and IV, could handle 40 submarines; it was the biggest military building site ever managed by the Nazis outside
Germany. In January 1943, Churchill ordered to get rid of the base, so
that the civil population of the town was evacuated. One month later,
the town of Lorient, hit by more than 4,000 tons of bombs, was
destroyed at 85% but the submarine base was hardly damaged. The
Germans did not give up and the "Lorient pocket" was eventually
liberated on 10 May 1945, two days after the proclamation of the
The rebuilding of the town, managed by the architect Georges Toury, started in 1943 but was fully completed only in 1964. In contrast to Brest, Le Havre and Saint-Nazaire, the town was rebuilt according to its original plan, with an association of building of "regional" and "modern" inspiration.
The submarine base, left untouched by the Germans, was reused by the
French Navy and renamed for the Jacques Stosskopf (1898-1944). Of
Alsatian origin, Stosskopf was the main engineer of the Lorient base.
Everybody in Lorient, including the Germans, believed he was a
zelacious collaborateur of the Nazis and that his leave to Germany
in February 1944 was a promotion. In fact, Stosskopf worked for the
anti-German resistance network Alliance, to which he had forwarded
secrete information on the German submarine mission for four years; he
was indeed arrested and tortured by the Gestapo and eventually shot in
the Struthof camp on 1 September 1944.
After having housed three generations of French submarines, the Lorient base, deemed obsolete and not suitable for nuclear-powered submarines, was decommissioned on 28 February 1997. Since then, the municipality of Lorient has set up different projects of development, with some parts open to the public (Kéroman III) and other conceded to private companies.
Source: Municipal website, history section.
Ivan Sache, 31 October 2009
The flag of Lorient has been resurrected in October 2009 by Skoazell Diwan - the association funding the Breton-speaking school Diwan of Lorient - , with the technical advice of Mikael Bodloré, Secretary of the vexillological association Bannieloù Breizh. The new flag has been manufactured in 110 copies sold 25 € each.
The flag is horizontally divided blue-red-green, with a white three-
master sailing towards a quarter of yellow rising sun behind six white
islands, the whole being placed along the hoist. The ship has the
sails, the flag and the three masthead pennants charged with ermine
This flag is a modernized version of the legendary flag of Lorient, today known only as a single copy offerred by the municipal administration to the Bagad Sonerien an Orient, which proudly marches behind it in festivals. Shown by P. Rault [rau99] (photo) and D. Kervella and M. Bodloré-Penlaez (drawing) in their respective books on Breton flags, and, most significant, on a photo taken during the Great Parade of Nations of the 2005 Interceltic Festival, the original flag differs from its modern sequel by a few details in the ship equipment and, mostly, by the design and placement of the sun and islands.
The flag is derived from the coat of arms of Lorient, De gueules au
vaisseau équipé et habillé d'argent, voguant sur des ondes de sinople mouvant de la pointe, accompagné d'un soleil d'or se levant derrière trois montagnes aussi d'argent au flanc dextre, au franc-canton d'hermine, au chef cousu d'azur semé de besants d'or, translated by Brian Timms as "Gules sinister a three masted sailing ship dexter three mounts argent a sun in his splendour issuant or a champagne wavy vert a canton ermine a chief azure bezanty".
The arms were ascribed by the Armorial Général (1744). The ship, dressed in the Breton ducal colours (ermine plain), is the Soleil d'Orient sailing to the Asian islands and sun (another soleil d'orient). The bezants symbolize trade and cash.
Ivan Sache, 31 October 2009
Founded in 1971 by Pierrot Guergadic and Jean-Pierre Pichard as a very
local event succeeding a Bagpipe Festival ousted from Brest, the
Lorient Interceltic Festival (Festival interceltique de Lorient - FIL)
is today the biggest Celtic festival in the world, with more than
700,000 visitors each year. Through the 10-day festival organized in
August and many other cultural events organized all the year round,
the FIL promotes "interceltism", involving the Celtic (cultural)
nations (Asturias, Cornwall, Scotland, Brittany, Galicia, Man, Ireland, Wales) and "friend" Celtic nations (Australia and Acadia).
The main event of the August festival is the Great Parade of the Celtic Nations, scheduled on the festival's first Sunday, crossing the town of Lorient up to the Moustoir football stadium, also the place of the "Magic Nights" concerts and of the second big event of the festival, the Brittany Bagad Championship (top league), scheduled on the festival's first Saturday. The parade is opened by the flags of the nations, followed by 3,500 musicians and dancers marching behind the flag of their group. A very popular event, the Parade has been broadcast live on French national TV networks.
The photo report of the 2008 parade, posted by Erminnig Gwenn on
Flickr, shows several flags:
- Flag of the Celtic Nations;
- Bagad Sonerien Bro Dreger Perros-Guirec;
- Bagad Keriz (Clichy);
- Bagad Melinerion (with the town flag of Vannes)
Ivan Sache, 31 October 2009
FCL supporters' flags - Images by Ivan Sache, 1 November 2010
In 1925, Mrs. Cuissard, a wholesale fish merchant of Lorient, founded
the football club "La Mar&ecute;e Sportive" (here, marée means "the fresh
fish catch" and not "the tide", as most commonly used), renamed on 2
April 1926 "Football Club Lorientais" (FCL). In 1946-1947, Antoine
Cuissard, the grandson of the club's founder, came back from AS Saint-
Étienne together with the coach Jean Snella to help FCL, then playing
in Honour Division, to reemerge. Playing in a lower league did not
prevent Cuissard to play with the French national team, a unique case
up to now.
In 1967, FCL adopted the professional status. The club played in the Second League until 1977, when it was relegated to the Third League and got bankrupted. Close to extinction, FCL came back to the Second League in 1985 but was very often relegated. The first year of FCL in First League, 1998, ended with a relegation and money shortage. Back to the First League in 2001, FCL was relegated in 2002 but won the French Cup (1-0 against Bastia) and lost the League's Cup (0-3 against Bordeaux) the same year. FCL has been playing in the First League since 2006.
The legendary coach of FCL is Christian Gourcuff (b. 1955), coach and player in 1982-1986, coach in 1991-2001 and since 2003, also the father of the French international player Yoann Gourcuff (b. 1986).
The colours of FCL are tangerine (in French, tango, a colour also
used by Stade Lavallois) and black, and the nickname of the team is
Merlus ("Hakes"), referring to the origin of the club. The two
supporters' groups ("Merlus Ultras" and "Breizh Tango") mostly use
plain tangerine flags and flags horizontally divided tangerine-black-
Another tangerine flag is charged with the club's emblem, which shows on a tangerine disk outlined in black a white hake and a football ball, the whole surmonted by the name of the club in black letters.
"Breizh Tango" has its own flag, tangerine with the group's emblem in the middle.
FCL supporters' flag - Image by Ivan Sache, 11 August 2002
The supporters of FCL have also designed their own version of the Breton Gwen-ha-Du. The designers of the flag have simply used tangerine instead of white. This flag was seen during the match Lorient-Toulouse (EuroSport France, 11 August 2002).
Ivan Sache, 2 November 2009
Centre Nautique de Lorient
Burgee of SRL - Image by Ivan Sache, 2 November 2009
Centre Nautique de Lorient (CNL) was founded in 1950 as Société
Nautique de Kergroise (SNK) by Adolphe Pierre, a yachtman and ship
designer who had refused to compete in the 1936 Olympic Games at
Berlin. The club took its current name in January 1967.
The burgee of CNL, as shown graphically on the club's website, is blue with the point horizontally divided red-white.
Flag of SNK, unconfirmed - Image by Ivan Sache, 2 November 2009
A leaflet released by the SNK-CNL shows the graphic representation of what could have been the flag of SNK, red with a swallow-tailed canton horizontally divided blue-white and the white italic letters "SNK" near the bottom of the flag.
Ivan Sache, 2 November 2009
Société des Régates de Lorient
Flag of SRL - Image by Ivan Sache, 16 October 2001
Société des Régates de Lorient (SRL) does not seem to exist any longer.
Guide Vert Michelin Bretagne, edition 2001, shows a colour plate originally released by the SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine), undated, on which SRL has a nearly square white flag with a canton made of a horizontally divided blue-red-blue, swallow-tailed flag.
The flag in canton is the arrondissement flag, which was hoisted by civil ships registered in Lorient.
Ivan Sache, 16 October 2001 | <urn:uuid:eabeedc6-abb1-431c-81b3-5214b0f478e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flagchart.net/flags/fr-56-lo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939033 | 3,321 | 2.421875 | 2 |
"I have been listening to you on EWTN for about one year now. I left the Catholic Church 42 years ago and have been attending Protestant churches. After many struggles during this last year, I finally went to confession on Sunday. Thank you all so much for helping me on my journey home.”
"For the Scripture says 'Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts; full is every creature of his glory'. And we, led by conscience, gathered together in one place in concord, cry to Him continuously as from one mouth, that we may become sharers in His great and glorious promises."
~ The Sanctus, here described by Pope Clement I (from his I Cor., 34:6-7) circa A.D. 95, is one of the most ancient parts of the sacred liturgy, tracing back to the time of the apostles. | <urn:uuid:81242455-c9eb-4361-a1ab-7620eb37b97a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholic.com/browse/Eucharist/philosophy/Steven%20D.%20Greydanus/all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980185 | 178 | 1.539063 | 2 |
WHO establishing smallpox vaccine reserve
Research options for new medicines, vaccines for smallpox discussed by the World Health Assembly
20 May 2005 | Geneva - Today, countries at the World Health Assembly discussed two reports regarding smallpox.
Smallpox, a highly infectious disease which kills about a quarter of the people it infects, was declared eradicated in 1980. The only known samples of the virus are stored in two secure laboratories approved by WHO (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA and Vector, Kostsovo, Russian Federation). However, the World Health Assembly has recognized the possibility that smallpox could be reintroduced, and since 1996 has had ongoing discussions about measures to prepare for a smallpox emergency.
Today, countries welcomed progress on WHO's work to establish a global smallpox vaccine reserve. This reserve would be used in the event of a smallpox emergency, particularly for those countries that don't have the resources to create their own stockpile.
The reserve plan is twofold: WHO will build its strategic stockpile of smallpox vaccine in Geneva; and, countries are invited to donate and maintain additional stocks pledged to WHO which would be dispatched to where they are most needed in the event of an emergency. Progress on this reserve has already begun, with 2.5 million doses in Geneva, and an additional 31 million doses donated by countries, including 20 million doses from the United States and five million from France.
The World Health Assembly also noted a report which detailed several recommendations for research on the smallpox virus. This research was recommended by the WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research in November 2004, and is intended to develop better medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for smallpox.
During the World Health Assembly discussions, Member States noted the Director-General's report which contains a recommendation for the WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research to reconsider its recommendation to allow smallpox virus genes to be implanted into other less virulent types of orthopox viruses.
The Advisory Committee had also recommended a type of research which assists in swift screening of results, and increased safety for the researcher. The recommendation to insert a green florescent marker protein in variola virus helps to ensure more rapid screening of antiviral drugs to determine whether they are effective. This is a common method of screening antiviral drugs in research involving a range of viruses. In the process, the virus glows green when exposed to an ineffective drug, thus allowing rapid distinction between ineffective and potentially effective drugs against smallpox.
WHO will ensure that any research will only be conducted after detailed proposals have been thoroughly examined on a case-by-case basis by the WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research, paying particular attention to biosafety and biosecurity issues.
Background on smallpox virus research
In 1996, the World Health Assembly recommended that all remaining stocks of smallpox (variola) virus be destroyed. In May 1999, the World Health Assembly reaffirmed the decision to destroy all stocks of variola virus, but authorized temporary retention of stocks for research purposes. At that time, the World Health Assembly also established an external advisory panel, the WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research, to develop and oversee a research plan for priority public health-related research using the smallpox virus.
Temporary retention of variola virus stocks was authorized by the World Health Assembly in 2002, on the understanding that steps should be taken to ensure that all approved research would remain outcome-oriented and time-limited and kept under review. The destruction of variola virus stocks was reaffirmed as the agreed goal.
The WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus research has continued to oversee and report on the research plan. At its most recent meeting, held in November 2004, the Committee considered the safety and scientific value of proposed experiments that might expedite the development of new antiviral drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests. The Committee proposed that research in these areas could be permitted provided special conditions and approvals needed to ensure safe research practices were met.
These recommendations were discussed at this World Health Assembly. | <urn:uuid:ac9ced5d-beb3-4ab1-9c8f-b0e073cfe9ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2005/np_wha02/en/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952161 | 820 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Unfortunately, this is not an unfunny riddle, but more often than not, a cold, hard fact. Rather than being able to invest his heart, soul, and time into his new business, the average entrepreneur must suffice with his heart and soul and whatever spare time he can find…often burning the midnight oil long past midnight.
According to a The Wall Street Journal article on funding a startup1, “your first financial resource for starting a business will always be your personal stash”. For some, this may sound obvious – if you won’t invest in your own enterprising adventure, then why should anyone else dig into their pockets? But for the young, just-starting-out entrepreneur who doesn’t have tens of thousands of dollars stashed away in the bank, this means working another job not only to pay the bills, but also to fund the startup.
Forbes recommends using your own personal savings as an insurance to future investors that you truly believe in the potential of your startup22. The Wall Street Journal takes a more realistic approach: “[Here] comes the tricky part: getting your hands on the cash. Keep in mind, lenders such as traditional banks don’t find start-up ventures with minimal cash flow and unproven track records to be attractive clients” 1. Basically, the real reason you’re funding yourself is that no one else will!
And it’s not because you don’t have a good idea. You might have a great idea. You might have the best idea this side of the 21st century. After all, Google was a startup and now pulls in over $8.36 billion yearly. Groupon and Twitter were also startups.
The reason entrepreneurs are required to not only bring the brains, but also the spare change, stems from a number of different factors:
- Investors are hit with thousands of requests a year for funding.According to the Missouri-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation research center, over 54% of young adults ages 18-34 are looking to blaze their own path with some kind of new business. All of these will need funding.
- Startups, by definition, are usually brand-new…which means unproven. All of the research in the world demonstrating why your idea should work cannot compare to a successful track record of times your ideas did work.
- Lastly, the growth factor. Startups carry potential for huge payouts – they are expected to take off and grow quickly, turning its lucky investors into millionaires overnight, at best. But on the flip side, they also carry more risk than a typical investment.
Still looking to launch a startup? It’s not totally dismal out there. There are ways to overcome the obstacles and find yourself on the Google side of the fence, but most have to do with those dreaded four-letter words called hard work. Aside from that, there are few other practical steps you can take to get your dream off the ground:
Downsize your costs.
Cut any expenses that are not completely necessary. Remember the less funding you need, the quicker you can launch your startup. This can range from finding cheaper suppliers to staying up later to get the job done yourself, rather than outsourcing.
Turn to family and friends.
Now this tip should be taken with a (big) grain of salt because no one wants to be that annoying relative who’s always looking for money so you can get rich quick. If you really feel that your idea has potential, you’ve done the proper research and have the plans written up and you don’t usually approach them for money, this might be the time to ask your nearest and dearest for a personal investment. Caution! Make it clear as day that this money might be lost…hey, it’s called “love money” for a reason.
Research possible grants or contests in your chosen startup field.
Someone has to win the money and it might as well be you.
Use available lines of credit such as home refinancing, credit cards or a bank loan, but keep in mind that if your idea fails, you’ll still have to pay this back.
Above all, keep saving those pennies! Remember, a penny saved is a penny invested in your startup.
After graduating college, Donny Zanger began his first business All Week Walls, that erects temporary pressurized walls in the NY metro area. His company has been featured in numerous publications including the NY Times. He is also active in the development of mobile software technology.
1 Debaise, Colleen. “How to Fund a Start-Up.” Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2009.
2 Landes, Luke. “How to Fund Your Start-Up Business.” Forbes, December 12, 2011.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
Category: Startup Advice | <urn:uuid:a074c333-70d9-4fe5-9e2a-96e453733db9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://under30ceo.com/doomed-to-fail-the-uphill-climb-of-a-startup-entrepreneur/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953138 | 1,014 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Are death panels here?
While I’m not a big Sarah Palin supporter, it appears she was right. The Obamacare death panels are here.
The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force has deemed that men are submitting to prostate tests they do not need, as the treatments have been more detrimental than beneficial for some men.
My father-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 53 because of a blood test done when he entered the hospital. My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 44 because he was being tested regularly based on his family history. In both cases, they had radical prostatectomies (removal of the prostate). They sought out competent doctors versed in the most current treatment options. They were counseled on the potential outcomes and side effects of surgery and the other options available to them, including doing nothing. They both chose the surgery. In both cases, the cancer was contained within the prostate and neither man had to go through radiation or chemotherapy. Early testing was vital to the success of their surgeries and treatment plans.
Regular PSA testing should be required at regular intervals, especially if there is family history. Even with a digital exam, PSA numbers can detect early changes in the prostate that a digital exam may not find.
My father-in-law and husband will live long, healthy and productive lives because of regular PSA testing.
Tina Levorse, Parsippany
As a survivor of prostate cancer who firmly believes that the PSA test saved his life, I must respectfully disagree with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations (“Prostate blood test a failure, feds say,” Oct. 7).
What must be recognized is that the PSA test is merely a screening test. A high PSA number, or better yet a rapidly rising PSA number, should only be an alarm bell that sets off subsequent analysis and options — most notably a multipoint biopsy of the prostate gland to identify and capture cancerous cells. These are then graded by a pathologist to determine their aggressiveness. The latter is given a Gleason number.
It is then, and only then, that the various treatment decisions can be evaluated with some degree of confidence.
The panel’s report is glaringly deficient in failing to even mention this critical step in the overall analysis.
John Schlager, Springfiel | <urn:uuid:45bda756-2ed1-470d-8fa6-5fb81e4047de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.nj.com/ledgerletters/2011/10/regular_psa_testing_can_preven.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96686 | 492 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Lancaster's dog ordinance is cited in helping to drive down gang crime
The law, adopted in January 2009, was primarily aimed at preventing gang members from using dogs, such as pit bulls and Rottweilers, to bully people or cause physical harm, officials said.
City officials said that 1,138 pit bulls and Rottweilers were impounded last year by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Of those, 362 were voluntarily surrendered by their owners in response to Lancaster’s ordinance.
“A year ago, this city was overrun with individuals -- namely, gang members -- who routinely used pit bulls and other potentially vicious dogs as tools of intimidation and violence,” Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement.
“These individuals delighted in the danger these animals posed to our residents, often walking them without leashes and allowing them to run rampant through our neighborhoods and parks. Today, more than 1,100 of these animals have been removed from our city, along with the fear they create. Lancaster is now a great deal safer because of it.”
Parris believes there is a correlation between the results of the dog ordinance and a drop in the city’s gang crime rate. Lancaster’s violent gang crime, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, fell by 45% last year, and there was a drop in overall gang crime by 41%, Parris said, citing statistics from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Under the dog ordinance, a hearing officer can deem a dog to be
potentially dangerous, for example, if the animal becomes aggressive
when unprovoked. The dog can be impounded, and the owner must have it
properly licensed, implanted with a microchip and vaccinated at
his own cost before the animal’s release.
Dogs deemed to be vicious can be destroyed if they are determined to be a significant threat to public safety, according to the ordinance.
It also requires owners of potentially dangerous dogs to ensure proper leashing and muzzling, complete a dog obedience training course, spay or neuter their animals, and pay a fine of up to $500 for each offense.
Owners of dogs deemed to be vicious face fines of up to $1,000 per offense, and they could be prevented from possessing any dog for up to three years.
Though city officials praise the dog law, some residents continue to challenge its fairness. They argue that “breed-specific” legislation is an injustice to canines, because irresponsible owners are to blame for a dog’s behavior, not the dog.
-- Ann M. Simmons | <urn:uuid:5029dc32-b940-43a1-9b3e-6be3054ed2e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/lancasters-dog-ordinance-is-cited-in-helping-to-drive-down-gang-crime.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956954 | 556 | 2.125 | 2 |
The interest in renewable energy has increased greatly. The US currently produces enough wind energy to power 14 million homes. Approximately 2% of our energy comes from wnd, which is double from just 3 years ago. many beleive that in 2030, 15-20% of our energy will come from wind.
The reason for the growth is partially associated with new government regulations concerning our impact on the environment. Federal and local governments are receiving pressure from voters to find alternative sources. Experts believe that if the 2030 scenerio occurs, we would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 7600 metric tons and create 200,000 jobs.
Windmills have been around for centuries to pump water and grind seeds into grain. A wind turbine is an advancement that turns an electrical generator. The force of the wind, turns the blades. the rotor turns and spins a driveshaft that is connected to an generator. the generator converts this mechanical energy in to electrical energy.
There are several variables that determine the amount of energy produced: wind speed, diameter of the rotor, density of the air, and efficiency of the turbine.
A great product for teaching wind power concepts is the Basic Turbine. The Basic Turbine is a great start for teaching about wind energy in the classroom. Visit www.heathscientific.net to purchase this item. This is the most affordable and robust wind turbine kit on the market. Design blades and test your power output with a multimeter, LED bulbs, or an ultra capacitor.
The instructions that are included will show you how to build this PVC turbine, how to make blades for your wind turbine, how to use a multimeter to record electrical data and will discuss some basic wind energy science. | <urn:uuid:a500e95f-88ee-4a45-bae9-c6d4bbf23e45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gadgetscience.com/teaching-wind-power/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930827 | 349 | 3.734375 | 4 |
Almost everything in Algebra can be taught to a computer, and while it's good to know how computer algebra systems work, in the end it's more reliable to use them to solve problems than to solve them yourself, just as your calculator is more likely to do 276,435/6,250 correctly than you are, no matter how good you are at arithmetic. But word problems cannot be taught to a computer, and without word problems, Algebra is ultimately useless.
Before I start Algebra proper, I'll finish the review material by discussing word problems in Arithmetic. Most of the ideas that come up in Algebra already appear here.
The words for subtraction are largely the reverse of those for addition. Of course, minus and subtract, but also fewer and less (which is the literal meaning of ‘minus’). Be careful with the order; for example, 8 less than 7 is 7 − 8, or −1, which 8 less 7 (or 8 minus 7) is 8 − 7, or 1. The verbs for subtraction include decrease or reduce; for example, if I decrease the height of an 8-foot fence by 3 feet, then the new height is 8 ft − 3 ft, or 5 feet. The formal term for the result of subtraction is ‘difference’, but this can be tricky, so I save it for later.
The formal term for the result of multiplication is product. For example, the product of 8 and 7 is 8 · 7, or 56. More generally, the product of 8, 7, 12, and 1/2 is 8 · 7 · 12/2, or 336. Of course, the words times and multiply indicate multiplication. Notice that twice and thrice literally mean ‘two times’ and ‘three times’, so they also indicate multiplication. So if one fence is 3 feet high and another fence is twice as high, then the second fence is 2 · 3 ft, or 6 feet, high. Multiplication is also indicated in trickier ways that I discuss below.
The formal term for the result of division is quotient. For example, the quotient of 8 and 2 is 8/2, or 4; and the quotient of 6 and 4 is 6/4, or 3/2. Another word for quotient is ratio; if one fence is 8 feet high and another is 6 feet high, then the ratio of the first height to the second is 8 ft/6 ft, or 4/3. (Notice that the factor of a foot cancels when you reduce this fraction!) Of course, division is also indicated by the verb divide; informally, people also often use the word over, which refers to the use of the fraction slash or horizontal bar.
For fractions and percentages, the word of indicates multiplication. For example, half of 12 is (1/2) · 12, or 6; similarly, 4% of 50 is 4% · 50, or 2. For that matter, the word percent itself means division by 100; in the example above, 4%, or 4 percent, means 4/100, or 0.04. Multplication can even be indicated by nothing at all! For example instead of ‘half of 12’, I might say ‘half a dozen’, which means the same thing.
The word difference indicates subtraction, but sometimes it also indicates taking an absolute value! For example, if one fence is 6 feet high and another is 8 feet high, then the difference between their heights is the absolute value |6 ft − 8 ft|, which is |−2| feet, or 2 feet. If I want the result to be negative, then I should say the difference to 6 feet from 8 feet; this means 6 ft − 8 ft, which is −2 feet. Conversely, the difference from 6 feet to 8 feet means 8 ft − 6 ft, which is 2 feet. But the differnce from 8 feet to 6 feet is −2 feet again.
For example, if a fence is 6 feet high and you raise it, but you don't know how much the height is raised, then let x be the number of feet the fence is raised; then the new height is 6 + x feet (and that's all that you can say). Later if you learn that x is 2 (as in the first fence example on this page), then you can go back to this expression, change it to 6 + 2, and work out that the new height is 8 feet.
This actually gives you a little more flexibility. For example, if you don't know whether the fence will be raised or lowered, still you can let x be the number of feet it is raised; if the fence is actually lowered, then this simply means that x is a negative number. If you later learn that the fence is lowered by 3 feet (as in the second fence example on this page), then you can use −3 for x. The expression 6 + x still works, and you work out 6 + (−3) to get a new height of 3 feet.
In algebra, using absolute values to express absolute differences is even more important. In the last fence example from the previous section, it may seem obvious that you get the difference between 6 feet and 8 feet by working out 8 − 6 instead of 6 − 8, since 6 is smaller than 8. But if you don't know the height of the second fence, and you let h the number of feet in that height, then you don't know whether 6 is larger or smaller than h, so you don't know whether to use h − 6 or 6 − h. However, you can still use |h − 6| (or |6 − h|, which comes to the same thing), and that will always be correct.
This web page was written in 2007 by Toby Bartels. Toby reserves no legal rights to it.
The permanent URI of this web page | <urn:uuid:77c03fec-cb96-4053-8aa5-527ec6f90c37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tobybartels.name/MATH-0950/2007s/words/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947483 | 1,232 | 3.625 | 4 |
|Before the Microscope and the Telescope
|© 2008 - 2011 Nadine Lalich
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|UFOs - ET Contact - Science & Technology - Crop Circles - ESP - Remote Viewing - Brain Technology - Survival
Conservation - Earth Preservation - Animal Welfare - Health and Alternative Healing - Spirituality - Personal Growth & Psychology
The following are two very famous men who developed methods, the microscope and the telescope, that
allowed humans to discover things that heretofore had never been seen. No one in human history has
been aware of the existence of many of the minute life forms or the gigantic astral bodies that actually fill
our universe, simply because the human eye was not capable of seeing them. They could not "see"
them, so they did not exist.
Thonius Philips van Leeuwenhoek, better known as Anton van Leeuwenhoek, (October 24, 1632 - August
30, 1723) was a Dutch tradesman and scientist from Delft, Netherlands. He is known as "the Father of
Microbiology," for his contribution to the improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards
the establishment of microbiology. Using his handcrafted microscopes, van Leeuwenhoek was the first to
observe and describe single celled organisms that he first referred to as animalcules, and which we now
refer to as microorganisms. The "wee animals” he found in the water were so small that if one hundred
were laid end to end “they could not reach to the length of a grain of coarse sand.” Heretofore, the
existence of such life forms was entirely unknown.
He was also the first to record microscopic observations of bacteria, muscle fibers, microscopic
nematodes and rotifers, spermatozoa, blood cells, and blood flow in capillaries (small blood vessels). His
early discoveries in the field of microbiology can be likened to Galileo's early discoveries in the field of
astronomy. Both men used the newly improved optical technologies of their day to make major
discoveries that entirely overturned traditional beliefs and theories in their respective fields, and both
men were initially met with strong skepticism and resistance. Nevertheless, van Leeuwenhoek
remained undaunted and continued to insist to the Royal Society that his observations were accurate, true,
and valid. In 1680, van Leeuwenhoek's observations were fully vindicated by the Society. | <urn:uuid:254158a4-cec2-47af-b12d-cff8b7f43102> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alienexperiences.com/Subject-ScienceandTechnology-MicrobiologyandAstronomy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954679 | 529 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Like Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands were impacted by the tsunami that resulted from the devastating earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. In general, the impact on the islands is not severe, but there was significant flooding in some areas. One of the areas that suffered the most significant damage with the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz. The Marine Science labs flooded with several feet of water. Despite emergency preparation, waves destroyed a concrete pump house and broke massive wooden doors, flooding laboratories, workshops, and storage facilities, scattering furniture and equipment as far as 650 feet away.
Fortunately, no lives were lost. And tortoises (including Lonesome George) from the Park’s Tortoise Captive Breeding Center on Santa Cruz were temporarily relocated to higher ground.
There are some sensationalized reports of emergency supplies sent from the mainland to Ecuador and how hotels were destroyed. And while some hotels were flooded, no hotel was destroyed. The Finch Bay hotel which was one of the hardest hit reopened yesterday. The Red Mangrove’s lodge in Puerto Ayora will be back and operational by April 1. The amount of emergency supplies that the Ecuador military sent out is 6 tons. To put it in perspective, that is about six pick-up truck loads. Supplies were sent to assist those whose businesses and homes where impacted by the flooding.
Flights were canceled on Friday, but were operating once again by Saturday and all reports from Galapagos yachts state operations are back to normal.
Currently, the Charles Darwin Center is closed, but we will keep you posted as to its re-opening, which we are optimistic will be soon. If you have any specific questions on the impact of the tsunami in the Galapagos, or how it might impact your visit to the islands, do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-344-6118. | <urn:uuid:d56d2a89-a877-4c59-ac88-c5b8488f8752> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adventure-life.com/blog/2011/03/16/galapagos-travel-following-the-tsunami/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=8ef4095fcf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977355 | 384 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Hydraulic fracking sites require a wastewater treatment system that is robust enough to process millions of gallons of wastewater per well, versatile enough to service several wells in geographic sequence, and expandable enough to meet compliance standards anywhere in the world. Ecologix has once again raised the bar with its highly efficient Integrated Treatment System, the Mobile ITS – the first complete mobile system designed specifically for fracking wastewater treatment.
The Integrated Treatment System (ITS) is a complete mobile wastewater treatment system designed specifically for mobile fracking. Capable of treating 900 gallons per minute, the ITS efficiently treats flowback water at each site, making it ready for reuse in the next series of wells or to be safely placed back into the ground or local waterway. The ITS is made up of the MCT-900, which is a Chemical Mixing Treatment unit, and the MD-900, a mobile DAF unit. | <urn:uuid:9bbebba6-63fa-4f49-b9de-e5301548ceec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.environmental-expert.com/products/its-integrated-treatment-system-143272 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926688 | 179 | 2 | 2 |
Updated 11:57 a.m. throughout with new and background information.
Gmail isn't just about e-mail anymore: it's also a phone.
Google launched the ability to make voice calls to any traditional phone number from a Gmail account Wednesday, which CNET had reported Tuesday was in testing. It's a blend of Gmail and Google Voice technology that allows users to dial numbers from their computers as well as receive incoming calls through one's Google Voice number.
Gmail users can link their Google Voice accounts with their Gmail accounts to have their in-boxes treated like just another line that will ring when people call their Google Voice numbers, and their Google Voice number will appear on the incoming call screen of those they are calling. A Google Voice account isn't required to use the service, but international calls will be funded through Google Voice accounts.
Calls to phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada will be free, and will cost 2 cents a minute to several other countries such as France and the U.K. The service should be rolling out to Gmail users in the U.S. on Wednesday, with international availability coming at an unspecified later date.
In a blog post announcing the feature, Google would only commit to offering free calls in the U.S. and Canada through the end of the year. Google's Craig Walker, product manager for real-time communications, said the company had no plans to raise rates beyond 2010, but it is still waiting to see if it will make enough margin on international calls to justify the free cost of U.S. and Canada calls. It will cost a little more to call mobile phones in countries outside the U.S., depending on the country.
Google adds phone line to Gmail
Google Apps customers won't see this function just yet, no doubt disappointing some small-business customers looking to eliminate their phone bills. However, Google played it coy as far as plans for bringing out a business-friendly version of this technology, saying it wasn't ready as of yet but that it was interested in providing such a service.
The obvious target for such a service is Skype, the most well-known VoIP provider in the world with 124 million active users each month, according to data it released along with plans to raise money through an initial public offering. Google wouldn't confirm exactly how many Gmail users there are at present, only to say it was in the "hundreds of millions" according to Gmail product manager Todd Jackson.
However, Google has no plans to make this service available on mobile devices at the moment, which is an advantage for Skype and other VoIP companies. There are dozens of other mobile VoIP apps--including Skype--inside both Apple's App Store and the Android Market, although mobile VoIP is still a relatively new technology with performance problems from time to time. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has talked many times this year about the importance of developing applications for mobile devices, however, so it's not a stretch to assume Google is working toward making this feature available through either mobile browser or an Android application.
Google plans to promote the new service by installing Google Voice phone booths in various airports and universities around the U.S., where people will be able to step into the booths and make free phone calls. | <urn:uuid:c90f0f22-30a4-4a9a-a1be-7a7d6d86e8f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20014676-265.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964562 | 666 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The recent “fiscal cliff” legislation provides small businesses and farms some much-needed relief from uncertainty about estate taxes, says a University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist.
“We were scheduled to drop the estate tax threshold from $5 million to $1 million on Jan. 1, but they extended the $5 million level,” said Ron Plain. “So now estate taxes start on inheritances greater than $5 million. The other thing Congress did was cap the tax rate at 40 percent.”
The top tax rate on estates had been scheduled to increase from 35 percent to 55 percent.
Also, unlike past legislation on estate taxes, which extended lower rates for a limited time, these changes have been made indefinite, Plain said.
Plain says that while farmers have a lot of assets in terms of land and equipment, limited cash income means that estate taxes can be a problem. By leaving the exemption at $5 million, a lot more family farms will be able to transfer from one generation to the next without getting a huge tax bill, he said.
However, because of rising land values, the $5 million exemption may not be enough to shield some family farms from estate taxes, Plain added.
“For the typical farm, 70 percent of all the investment is in land,” he said. “So if you have a father-son operation or siblings farming together, you can very quickly get above that $5 million threshold and face some sizable estate taxes.”
Plain recommends exploring different estate planning options with a tax professional in order to be able to pass on the family farm while holding estate taxes at a manageable level. | <urn:uuid:ce3900d6-49de-42cd-a8b0-9f433b8781b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-news/latest/Legislation-removes-some-uncertainty-on-estate-taxes-188248261.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959311 | 343 | 1.617188 | 2 |
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In the first section of this course, students will become acquainted with the Latin language and its connections to many of its daughter languages. In the second section, students will increase their understanding of the language and further develop written and oral fluency. In the third section, students will further develop their written and oral command of the language and study the contributions Latin has made to today’s spoken languages and the use of Latin as a tool for learning and understanding modern languages.
This course may be used toward the Electives requirement for diploma-seeking students. | <urn:uuid:d41049fa-8e1a-423e-80a9-810e38d37223> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theamericanacademy.com/content/latin-iii | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944535 | 161 | 3.140625 | 3 |
News, but not the serious kind
The other guys dared you to do WHAT?
When I was growing up back in Indiana, we had a few firm rules in our home. No eating candy in the morning, always make your bed, and never put a live cobra head-first into your mouth. My sister did that once, and let me tell you, our mama wouldn’t let us play in the snake drawer again for a month!
This is why I was so shocked to see this photo. Hasn’t anyone ever told him that cobras do not work well for flossing, or that when a cobra and a human tongue go up against each other, it always ends up pretty much the same way?
Well, that’s where flouting the rules will get you. I’ll bet he doesn’t make his bed, either.
Snake charmer Sajal Biswas puts the head of a cobra into his mouth at a roadside in Agartala, capital of India’s northeastern state of Tripura, August 8, 2007. REUTERS/Jayanta Dey | <urn:uuid:9c179624-4506-40f4-a1b1-ea0e351487c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/oddly-enough/2007/08/13/the-other-guys-dared-you-to-do-what/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968083 | 236 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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We have this very cool report from Michael Gochfeld, author with Joanna Burger of "Butterflies of New Jersey: A Guide to Their Status, Distribution, Conservation and Appreciation" (Rutgers University Press,1997):
Giant Swallowtails Appear in New Jersey
The Giant Swallowtail, a southern species of butterfly, that rarely visits New Jersey, is showing up in unprecedented numbers in many north Jersey localities in recent weeks.
Butterfly watchers from the North American Butterfly Association have been seeing Giant Swallowtails in various favorite butterflying haunts since early August, and numbers continue to increase, as new individuals arrive from the south. Several butterfly species tend to migrate northward in late summer, but some of the Giant Swallowtails may be the offspring of the few that were seen in New Jersey in 2007.
Although called “Giant”, this swallowtail is only slightly larger than the very familiar and common Tiger Swallowtail from which it can be distinguished, by its entirely yellow under surface, and the broad yellow band across the black upper wing surface.
In the south the Giant Swallowtail caterpillars feed on various types of citrus, but in New Jersey their main plant host species is the Prickly Ash, Zanthoxylum americanum (which is not an ash at all). This bush is common in northern and western New Jersey, and Giant Swallowtails have been seen laying eggs which may give rise to future generations.
These striking butterflies can turn up anywhere in the state. Several butterfly-gardeners have reported individuals in central and even southern New Jersey, where Giant Swallowtails have been photographed nectaring at butterfly bush.
The "Butterflies of New Jersey" book by Michael Gochfeld and Joanna Burger considers this a vagrant, with only one or two records per decade, although it occurred more regularly fifty years ago. It was one of the victims of widespread pesticide use in the 1950s and 60s to control mosquitoes in residential communities and gypsy moths in state forests.
hi, tb -
this video was actually part of a larger story that appeared in print on Sunday. Hardy varieties were identified in that story, with details concerning their origin and culture contained in a graphic. click here to read the story:
or go to the nj.com home page and search on "palms."
We plant and we hope, but chances are we will have unripe tomatoes at the end of the season. Reader Pat Winecker of Flemington has kindly sent along a recipe for a green tomato relish.
Here is something to do with those green tomatoes, don't throw them on the compost pile.
Sweet Green Tomato Relish
2 quarts of chopped green tomatoes
2 chopped green pepppers
2 cups of chopped onion
1 pint of vinegar
1/4 cup of salt
3 cups of sugar
1/2 mixed pickling spices tied in a bag
The tomatoes don't need to be peeled, just coarsely chopped. This recipe is from WWII and was one that my mother made every summer with the red tomato chili.
Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the spice bag and pack the relish into pint or half pint jars. Process in a hot water bath** for 10 minutes. Yield about 4 pints.
**A hot water bath means putting the jars in a single level in a large flat bottom pot, cover the jars with water and bring to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer for 30 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and allow them to cool, you'll know they sealed when each lid clicks or stays depressed in the center.
NOTE: I realize this may seem daunting to today's working woman, but it is very simple and requires no special equipment. Canning jars are available in supermarkets and the half pint jars with pretty lids make a terrific hostess gift. This relish tastes like the kind of green relish you put on hot dogs, only better!! | <urn:uuid:f7d2ae74-b20b-4fee-86ea-f146e808fb64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://connect.nj.com/user/vsudol/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943745 | 866 | 2.625 | 3 |
Extinct for 50 million years, an enigmatic fossil species
may still live at the bottom of the seabut it defies capture.
By Peter A. Rona
o little is known about the deep ocean, that those of us who explore it should expect surprises. Yet even I and my research team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were dumbfounded in 1976, when we studied photographs of the seafloor in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. From our research ship Discoverer, we had slowly towed a deep-sea camera on a cable two and a half miles long. Pings of sound had guided the camera roughly ten feet above the seafloor, while strobe lights fired every twenty seconds to illuminate patches about the size of a bed sheet. In those days we had to wait until we were back on landFlorida, in this caseto process the film and view the images.
At first all we saw was the silt that coats the ocean floor. Then something a little bigger than a poker chip caught our attention. Under a magnifying glass, a distinctive pattern of black dots appeared in our photograph. The dots were evenly spaced and arranged in crisscrossing rows, forming a perfect six-sided figure that resembled the center of a board of Chinese checkers.
Once we knew what to look for, we recognized thousands of these hexagonal forms in our sequence of hundreds of photographs. Could such a uniform pattern be the sign of some unimagined life-form? Certain corals, for example, build structures with hexagonal symmetry, but not in seafloor sediment. Our imaginations ran wild. Was this a hoax perpetrated by the people who had processed our film? Was this some strange cargo spilled from a shipwreck? A message left by extraterrestrials? Surely my local marine biology colleagues at the University of Miami would quickly enlighten us. But they were just as puzzled as we were. They referred me to their counterparts at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington.
The area we had surveyed was in the rift valley that lies along the center of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a mile-high undersea volcanic mountain range that traverses the Atlantic from north to south. The ridge links with similar ridges in the Arctic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Along this global ridge system, continent-size tectonic plates, which form the outer shell of the planet, are moving apart, and new crust is constantly being created by the upwelling of magma from the Earth's hot interior. As it emerges, the molten rock cools, solidifies, and spreads apart at a rate of a few inches per year. Earthquakes accompany the slow widening of the seafloor.
Armed with a dozen black-and-white photographs, I made the rounds behind the scenes at the Smithsonian. My first consultation was with Frederick M. Bayer, an expert on corals. But Bayer concluded that the form was not a coral at all, and introduced me to an expert on another phylum of marine invertebrates. By the end of the day, specialists in every major group of marine invertebrates had examined the photographs and had drawn a blank. Their only advice was to prepare an article for publication in a scientific journal, with photographs showing the pattern as related to an invertebrate of uncertain identity.
No sooner had the suggested article appeared, than I received a letter and a reprint of a paper from Adolf "Dolf" Seilacher, a paleontologist at the University of Tübingen in Germany. Seilacher is an expert on classifying and interpreting traces of lifesuch as the trails left by wormsthat are preserved in ancient marine sediments. Your pictures were a real thrill to me, his letter began. Hoping that you have in the meantime received my reprint, the perfect identity with the trace fossil Paleodictyon nodosum of my paper is beyond any doubt.
Seilacher's paper described a fossil form preserved at least 50 million years ago in sediments of the deep-sea floor, which were now exposed on land at various sites in continental Europe. He was particularly excited that our discovery would enable us to find out what had left this enigmatic form in the fossil record. In other words, he proposed, we had stumbled onto evidence that a creature presumed to have been long extinct was still alive today. If we could confirm Seilacher's confident belief in the identity of the fossil and the pattern on the seafloor, it also seemed possible that we could discover what creature had produced it.
From the sketches in Seilacher's paper, we learned that the black dots visible in our photographs might be holes that led straight down a fraction of an inch to a horizontal network of tubes or tunnels just beneath the sediment surface. The tubes in the fossil forms interconnected in an orderly hexagonal network. Seilacher's interpretation was that the network was a tunnel system excavated by some kind of worm. This creature, he believed, augmented its sparse supply of food in the deep ocean by farming and harvesting bacteria in the tunnels. Furthermore, he proposed, the hexagonally arranged network was an evolutionary descendant of simpler traces preserved in 500-million-year-old sediments. As he envisioned it, the first organisms that excavated such tunnels inhabited shallow waters, but soon they retreated to the deep sea, perhaps a place where they could pursue their feeding strategy undisturbed. Over time the tunnels became more regular, and multiple exits were added to improve circulation, culminating in the strikingly regular Paleodictyon form.
In 1977, a discovery was made near the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern equatorial Pacific, that fundamentally changed the biological understanding of life on Earth. At a depth of about a mile and a halffar deeper than sunlight can penetrate to provide the energy needed for photosynthesisan oasis of life was unexpectedly found in the desert of sediment and lava flows that covers most of the deep-sea floor. In an area about the size of a football field lived foot-long clams and red-plumed tubeworms that stood taller than a person.
These and what turned out to be hundreds of other animal species new to science were prospering in warm springs issuing from cracks in pillow-shaped lava flows. Biologists immediately wondered how these animals could make a living, apparently without depending on nutrients generated through photosynthesis. It turned out that at the base of the food chain were bacteria that nourished themselves through a process of chemosynthesis. Drawing their energy from gases dissolved in the warm springs, mainly hydrogen sulfide, they were able to manufacture sugars and starches from carbon dioxide and water.
The Galápagos discovery was soon followed by the revelation of similar ecosystems at hot springs discharging from spectacular black smoker vents along the ridge system in the Pacific. The temperatures in these hydrothermal vents ranged as high as a scalding 750 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius). With these discoveries geologists realized that the ocean basins are really leaky places. The cold, heavy seawater can sink downward for miles, through cracks in the underlying volcanic rock. There it is heated as it flows near reservoirs of magma at sites beneath the ridge system, expanding and rising until it discharges from the seafloor. Along the way it dissolves metals and picks up gases from the rocks and the magma. The metals precipitate out of solution as iron-rich sulfides, coalescing into chimney-like structures and pouring into the surrounding cold seawater as a black cloud of particles (hence the name black smoker).
For marine biologists, discovering these new ecosystems was like being a member of a Star Trek crew and finding a previously unknown basis for life on another planet. More astonishing still, certain heat-loving, chemosynthetic microorganisms living in those ecosystems turned out to have genetic characteristics that place them near the base of the tree of life. That raises the tantalizing possibility that life on Earth began at such hydrothermal vents in the early ocean, rather than in shallow waters at Earth's surface.
The initial consensus of the scientific community was that the hot springs and their ecosystems were confined to the Pacific Ocean, where the seafloor is spreading as much as ten times faster than it is in other ocean basins.
For biologists, the most surprising aspect of our discovery was that the animals at the Atlantic vents differed from those in the Pacific. The red-plumed tubeworms and giant clams were nowhere to be seen. In their place, the dominant vent animal is a new variety of shrimp. But for me the greatest surprise was that the vent field lay in the same region of the Mid-Atlantic Ridgenear the latitude of Miami, Floridawhere we had photographed the hexagonal forms nearly a decade earlier.
Our Atlantic site now became the cutting edge of seafloor hydrothermal research. Almost overnight, we gained ready access to collaborators and support for undersea expeditions in human-occupied deep-sea-diving submersibles. Although we were focusing our efforts on an actively venting mound the size and shape of the Houston Astrodome, in 1990 I managed to piggyback some dive time with the submersible Alvin to visit the east wall of the rift valley, about a mile east of our mound. That was where our photographs of Paleodictyonor whatever the creature washad been taken years earlier.
Accompanied by Dudley Foster, Alvins pilot, I was able to view our mysterious hexagonal patterns up close. Then, with one of the sub's manipulator arms, Foster and I pushed clear plastic tubes, about two-and-a-half inches in diameter, a foot down into the seafloor sediments.
But to my dismay, when we sieved some samples to look for the worm or other organism that might have made the pattern, the sediment passed through the sieve and left nothing behind. Other samples that we preserved in formalin to take back for study by biologists were also a disappointment: the pattern of holes collapsed and disappeared, and the expected underlying hexagonal network of tunnels or tubes was nowhere to be seen.
My next opportunity to pursue this elusive phenomenon came in 1991, when the Canadian director Stephen Low began work on his IMAX film about the Titanic. Because the wreck lies in 12,500 feet of water several hundred miles off Newfoundland, Low had contracted with the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow to use its two state-of-the-art submersibles Mir 1 and Mir 2. The underwater photographer Emory Kristof of the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., and I arranged for a series of dives en route to the filming off Newfoundland, in which we would test the IMAX cameras while exploring the TAG Hydrothermal Field. Our tests of the cameras contributed little to the film, revealing only the inadequacy of the lighting system then available. In research terms, however, the dives paid rich rewards.
The Mirs passenger compartmenta steel sphere no wider than one person's outstretched armscan accommodate only three people at a time. I made the first of the research dives with Yury Bogdanov, a senior research scientist with the Shirshov Institute, and Mir chief pilot Evgeny Chernjaev. Our aim was to explore the region from our Astrodome mound eastward to the hexagonal forms.
The dive was breathtaking. After a two-and-a-half-mile descent, at a rate of about one mile an hour, we landed on top of the Astrodome mound next to chimneys that poured forth turbulent clouds of black smoke and swarmed with shrimp. From there we set our course eastward, slowly gliding away from the rusted bright red and yellow mineral deposits of the mound and over the monotonous light tan sediments and pillow-shaped lava flows of the surrounding seafloor. Then we began to see the hexagonal patterns on the surface of the sediments.
As we continued eastward, the sediments gradually changed from light tan to reddish brown. Inactive chimneys, several feet high, began to appear, while the hexagonal patterns disappeared. Farther on, the chimneys became much taller, and we found ourselves traveling about a hundred feet above the seafloor near the level of the dead chimney tops, weaving our way as if we were flying through a forest of redwoods. Finally we were able to descend near to the seafloor, which was littered with fallen chimneys, each several feet in diameter and fluted like a column of a Greek temple.
After fifteen hours on the seafloor, my companions apologetically asked me whether I was ready to ascend. By comparison, the Alvin typically spends only about four hours on the deep-sea floor. When Bogdanov, Chernjaev, and I returned to the surface, we were chilled to the bone. The temperature of the deep water is near freezing, and deep-diving submersibles lose heat quickly through their metal hulls. But back up on the support vessel, we warmed up quickly in a mercifully hot sauna.
We collected no hexagonal forms during the Mir dive, but I did secure several a couple of years later, using the Alvin. One core was dried and impregnated with liquid epoxy resin, finally preserving the curious surface pattern of holes. But nothing more definitive was learned, and the sample was stored away.
My next close encounter of the hexagonal kind came in 2001, when I joined a team making a new IMAX film, again directed by Stephen Low. The star of the enterprise was the Alvin, now equipped with IMAX and high-definition TV cameras and a powerful underwater lighting array capable of illuminating an area half the size of a football field. The team had already made spectacular images of a vent site in the Pacific. I was there to help with filming the contrasting Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The new equipment performed beautifully. Only one thing seemed to be missinga story that could tie together all the spectacular images. When I recounted how Seilacher and I had converged on the fossil Paleodictyon and its apparently living counterpart, and how we were trying to solve its mysteries, Low became intrigued. He invited me to make a dive with Emory Kristof to point out the form and its setting. We used the high-definition TV camera and replayed the video to a packed house in the ship's laboratory that evening. The next day, Low sent his director of photography, William Reeve, down with the IMAX camera to make some more images. Our detective story ultimately became the narrative thread for the film, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea.
With Paleodictyon in the limelight, some nagging questions resurfaced: Did the form on the seafloor really correspond to the fossil? If it did, where was its hexagonal network of tubes or tunnels? I remembered the sample I'd preserved in epoxy and gave it to Seilacher, who set out to dissect it. I received a photo from Seilacher with a handwritten note: Epoxy did not evenly penetrate. Still hexagonal network of tunnels can clearly be seen. Drawing on his mental picture of what it should look like, Seilacher could see a network, but I was skeptical. By now the film was a wrap, but to unequivocally prove the existence of the network, and to try to discover what was making the patterns on the seafloor, Low supported an Alvin dive for Seilacher and me.
The dive took place in July 2003. Twenty-five years had passed since I had received Seilacher's excited letter proposing a link between his ancient fossils and my seafloor photographs. We climbed into the Alvin together and, after our long descent, landed knee deep in hexagon country. Crouched by the window on his side of the sub, Seilacher exclaimed at the abundance of the patterns. We immediately began collecting cores, targeting the freshest-looking hexagons with the sharpest margins.
With time growing short, our pilot, Pat Hickey, dexterously aimed a hose he had rigged at a fresh pattern and began blowing away the surface sediment with a gentle stream of water. Within seconds, as we watched on the video monitor, the hexagonal pattern of tiny holes on the sediment surface disappeared and a hexagonal network of tubes or tunnels emerged, exactly like those in the fossil form.
For me, it was a eureka moment! Unable to jump up and down in the confined space, I reached across and shook hands with my companions. The living form on the seafloor and the fossil form that lived on the seafloor more than 50 million years ago were indeed one and the same. The deep ocean had served as a sanctuary, a place where Paleodictyon had lived on for an unimaginably long time, protected even from the global environmental changes that caused the extinction of many of the animals living in shallow water and on land.
We carefully preserved the sediment cores we had collected, and I felt confident that we finally had the answer in hand. Experts are now examining the structure of the forms and the microorganisms they contain, and chemically analyzing the sediment and sampling it for organic matter that will be genetically sequenced.
But Paleodictyon remains elusive. Two hypotheses for its origin are being tested. One is Seilacher's original explanation, that the form is constructed as a burrow by an as-yet-unknown worm. The alternative hypothesis is that the form itself reflects the shape of the organism, perhaps a large single-celled organism whose living tissue fills the horizontal network. In that event, the organism might take up the sediment to make a kind of hexagonal exoskeleton, leaving holes in the sediment open to catch food from above. These studies are in progress. After nearly thirty years, to my surprise, the mystery of Paleodictyon still seems as deep as the waters where it lives.
A leader in the exploration of the deep-sea floor, Peter A. Rona was thrilled to work with director Stephen Low and others on the IMAX film Volcanoes of the Deep Sea (see www.volcanoesofthedeepsea.com). The film highlights Rona's discovery of the enigmatic living fossil Paleodictyon, the subject of this article. He is also the author of an earlier article for Natural History, Metal Factories of the Deep Sea (January 1988). Rona is a professor of marine geology and geophysics at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a consultant to the United Nations on seafloor resources. He continues to make dives in deep-sea submersibles, an activity that he considers safer than driving to work.
Copyright © Natural History Magazine, Inc., 2004 | <urn:uuid:1c5e24bb-0521-4bf0-82ff-e62a40d463b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/0904/0904_feature.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965549 | 3,879 | 3.703125 | 4 |
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history of Ukraine
On Sept. 28, 1989, Shcherbytsky, long rumoured to be ill, resigned as first secretary of the CPU. His successor, Volodymyr Ivashko, while praising his predecessor and reaffirming the CPU’s basic policy line, made the first cautious references to new political realities and the need for the Communist Party to take these into account. These realities included a rapid institutionalization of...
What made you want to look up "Volodymyr Ivashko"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:a63fff60-15d9-46a2-95e5-3106a70cbd07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/298240/Volodymyr-Ivashko | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930896 | 149 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Need to Book a Hotel in Shirdi ? CALL 08452040404 - 022-65165500 Chennai:+91-8939369183
Khandoba Mandir is situated on the main road. In front of this temple Baba was welcomed by Poojari Mhalsapati, of this temple, who said "Aao Sai", when Baba stepped in Shridi. In this temple there are icons of Khandoba, Banai and Mhalsai.
Lord Khandoba was tutelary deity of Mhlasapti, who was priest of Khandoba temple by heredity and he was then responsible for starting worship of Sai Baba. Khandoba temple which had its origin about 500 years ago was but natural rural and simple. It did not even had a door. There is large banyan tree where Sai Baba alighted with marriage party of Chand Patil at the entrance of Khandoba temple and it stands today also. Having felt calmness and peace at this place, Lord Sai Baba first decided to make this temple His residence, but Bhagat Mhlasapati thought Him to be Muslim and did not allow Him to stay there. Baba said to him while leaving, "If you do not wish that I should stay here, I will go away". Thenafter, Baba made an old dilapidated mosque of Shirdi His residence and lived there till His last breath.
Khandoba temple holds importance in other way too. Sai Baba asked Upasani Maharaj, a staunch and prominent devotee, to stay at this temple for four years for his spiritual upliftment .
Khandoba temple is well maintained, neat and calm place. It is 15 ft long and 15 ft in breath commemorated with a small shrine and Padukas as its base. A stone idol of Lord Khandoba is located in central shrine of the temple. Also idols of Lord Sai Baba and Mhlasapti are inscribed as a remembrance of event of Lord Baba coming to Shirdi. When it comes to daily rituals now, two artis at 12 noon and 6:00 PM are performed daily.
A rectangular sandpit is situated in front of the Khandoba temple which was used for fire-walking in those earlier days. Now this tradition has stopped. Even though during annual festival of "Champa Shashti" (usually occurs in December and celebrated for six days after new moon) devotees, to show their devotion, walk on hot coals in accompaniment of bhajans. The mythological story behind Champa Shashti is - being pleased by demons named Mal and Mani, Lord Brahma granted a boon of immortality to them. With passing time they grew evil and killed people. Lord Shiva took form of Lord Khandoba and fought a battle with them. Champa, Lord Khandoba's wife Champa prayed for her husband's victory. The battle resulted into defeat of the demons on sixth day and in that happiness, Champa gave a huge feast of Bharit (a dish made of roasted brinjal with curd and Indian spices) and Bhakhri (a dish made of Bajri - millet, similar to roti). This event marked celebration of "Champa Shashti" as a tradition. The defeat of Lord Khandoba made Him repent, so He walked bare-foot in rectangular sand-pit on which burning coal was kept.
Your enquiry has been submitted. We will get back to you shortly. | <urn:uuid:7cdcb727-eaff-4a55-a6e0-165f7524bb76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shirdisaitemple.com/shirdi-article/id/90/khandoba-mandir-shirdi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977438 | 741 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Subject: Visual Art
Grade Level: 3-5 grade
Lesson Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Lesson Topic: Visual arts lesson featuring individual tissue paintings that are constructed by students and emphasizes color blending.
Rationale: The visual arts offer aesthetic, perceptual, creative and intellectual dimensions. Creating and constructing these tissue paintings fosters students' abilities to create, analyze, reorganize, and critique. This will also encourage students to explore and create with new colors.
Artistic Perception: Each student will pencil sketch a drawing and color it in with tissue pieces.
Creative Expression: Each student will design a unique tissue painting by filling in the sketch with selected colored tissue paper and its placement.
Aesthetic Valuing: In pairs, students will discuss and compare differences and similarities between the completed pieces to appreciate their peers' art as well as their own art work.
Strategy: Direct Instruction and Guided Discovery
color- pigment or paint that imparts a hue
blending- mixing two or more colors together to create a new color
sketching- a brief, light, or general account or presentation, an outline
Introduction: I will ask an initial question: How many colors can we make from the colors we have here? (While showing the available tissue colors)
1. The teacher will then demonstrate by either combining two colors on chalkboard, dry erase board, overhead, or piece of paper by using two colors to create a third color. Students will be asked if they can determine what new colors are formed by combining two other colors. Then the teacher will demonstrate how it will work the same way when using different colors of tissue papers
2. The teacher will ask if the students could create a new color by adding a different color to the existing blend. The students should understand that mixing two or more colors creates new pigments.
3. After the general discussion on blending colors, the teacher will show some professional examples of paintings and let them discover through guided discovery how these artists have used a variety of colors to create their art pieces.
4. If students aren't already familiar with modge-podge, the teacher will demonstrate the procedures involved.
Pupil Activity Sequence:
1. The students will sketch out a drawing that will need to be colored in with a variety of different colors.
2. After the sketches are done, have students make sure the lines are dark enough so as they can see their sketches through the wet tissue papers.
3. The students will then tear small pieces of tissue papers and paint on individual pieces at a time with a modge-podge mixture previously made by the teacher. The students will be adding, combining, or taking away pieces of tissue as they wish while creating and experimenting with the different possibilities. They will do this until their piece is completed with color. The tearing of the tissue paper allow the colors to blend more naturally than a cut edge.
4. As the students finish, have them put their paintings in a designated area for drying, then start on the clean-up process.
Closure: When all students have completed his/her painting, have the students observe each other's pictures in pairs while comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of the pictures. They will reflect/discuss on the process of what worked well and what did not.
Clean-Up: 10 minutes. One person per group is designated to collect and clean brushes and another to collect and clean the bowls. Another is selected to clean up remaining tissue pieces from group. While the last person will wipe down the desks with wet paper towels after the desks are cleared.
Evaluation: The teacher will visually check for completed art pieces and for use of color blending with tissue paper. The teacher will listen to the closure procedures to check for understanding and reflections of classmates' art work regarding similarities and differences in color choices, shapes and process.
1. Large white paper.
2. Paint brushes- handed out while students are sketching.
3. Modge-podge, water, bowls- the mixture will be prepared and handed out while students are sketching, or previously during recess.
4. Various colored tissue papers- students collect as they finish their sketches.
5. Pencils- students may have their own at desks already.
Reference: This idea was provided in Art 207 at Chico State with Professor Smith, Art Department. | <urn:uuid:94371269-44e6-45e6-8ede-e9548fa539b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csuchico.edu/~cguenter/FourArts/VA/VAtispap.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948278 | 900 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Can you spot the fake smiles? What is a Duchenne smile anyway. CLICK HERE.
Looking for a new mate? Ask to see their school grad photos and see if they are smiling. If they are then carry on, if not, hmmm, well maybe you want to try out some other dates before you settle in for the long haul.000000comment
Love Is Not All You Need. The importance of listening, teamwork, and flexibility. [Psychology Today]000000comment
"The kit purchase and sample submission entitles participants to obtain information about their own migratory histories and track the project's overall progress securely online."
New DNA project to trace human migrations
By Jason Motlagh
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Washington, DC, Apr. 18 (UPI) -- The National Geographic Society and IBM Corp. have launched a joint five-year study to attempt to trace definitively the migratory history of the human species using DNA analysis.
The Genographic Project is a non-profit research partnership in which a team of international scientists, spearheaded by Spencer Wells, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, will gather genetic samples to map and analyze how Earth was populated.
"We see this as the 'moon shot' of anthropology, using genetics to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of human history," Wells said.
He said more than 100,000 DNA samples will be gathered from indigenous groups and the global public to be analyzed at 10 research centers worldwide. The project is expected to reveal details that provide a new understanding of the connections and differences that make up the human species.
"National Geographic has been exploring and mapping the world for 117 years," said John Fahey, the society's president and chief executive officer. "This is the biggest thing of its kind we have ever done. The field science work ... will go into a virtual museum of human history."
Fahey said that unlike the Human Genome Project, this collaboration has no medical objectives and is "at its core a historical and anthropological project."
The resulting database is expected to become a vital resource for geneticists, historians and anthropologists seeking answers to age-old questions about the genetic diversity of species Homo sapiens.
"The more we can improve our understanding of the common origin and journey of humankind, the greater the possibility for all of us to see each other as members of the same family," said Ted Waitt, founder of the Waitt Family Foundation, one of the project's underwriters. "I believe this is vital at a time when people tend to emphasize differences."
One of the Genographic Project's core components involves field research. Scientists will collect blood samples from indigenous populations whose DNA has remained relatively unaltered over hundreds of generations. The samples should serve as reliable indicators of ancient migratory patterns.
The project also encourages public participation, inviting individuals to purchase a DNA-sampling kit for $99 and submit cheek swabs for analysis. The kit purchase and sample submission entitles participants to obtain information about their own migratory histories and track the project's overall progress securely online.
This way, a person can "understand his (or her) connection to people around the world -- that we are all linked to each other by a genetic thread, and that our threads are interwoven through the migration of our ancestors," Wells said.
Fahey noted that people had purchased 1,200 kits within the first few days of availability on the National Geographic's Web site.
Some of the proceeds from the sale of the genographic kits will fund the Legacy Project, designed to support education and cultural preservation among indigenous groups.
The project builds on a body of work by Wells that includes a book and a television documentary -- both titled "The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey." He said the goal is to capture a "genetic snapshot" of human diversity before it is permanently erased by the homogenizing effects of globalization.
"Our DNA carries a story that is shared by everyone," he said. "We'll be deciphering that story, which is now in danger of being lost as people migrate and mix to a much greater extent than they have in the past."
Wells explained that as people increasingly move to urban centers, diverse native languages that are critical markers to understanding migratory histories are disappearing. Of the roughly 6,000 languages reported to be practiced worldwide, one is said to be lost every two weeks. Some have estimated that over 50 percent will vanish by 2050.
When asked what he saw as the effort's primary possible outcomes, Ajay Royyuru, IBM's lead scientist on the project, said he hoped to build a statistical model for human variation and migration.
"There are a host of questions ... that are unique to each indigenous population -- language, dialects, appearance -- we want to answer," he said. "What correlations will we find? Can we trace how these particular characteristics are unique to individual indigenous groups?"
Three representatives of indigenous communities that are participating in the field research attended the launch ceremony in Washington last week. Each had agreed to undergo DNA analysis, and the results of their tests were made known to them for the first time.
Julius Indaaya Hun!un!ume, a Hadza Chieftain from Tanzania whose tribe is the last of his nation's hunter-gatherers, learned that his genetic lineage can be traced back to the very origins of humans in East Africa.
Battur Tumur, a Mongolian émigré now living in San Francisco, discovered he was a direct descendant of 12th century warlord Genghis Khan, a revered symbol of strength and stability in his homeland.
Phil Bluehouse Jr., a Navajo Indian living in Arizona, found out that his ancestry linked to nomads that once roamed present-day Mongolia, a recurring notion he said had permeated his dreams since he was a boy. He said he now felt more complete as a person knowing all people are connected, and the Genographic Project had confirmed a belief the deeply spiritual Navajo peoples have long held to be true.
"Because we know who we are, we can better understand the being that links us all together," he said. "We're all beautifully connected, there's no other way to put it."
Jason Motlagh is an intern for UPI Science News. E-mail: email@example.com
Psychologists, Therapists, Psychiatrists. Are you familiar with or often confused about these professions: Therapist, Psychotherapist, Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), Licensed Clinical Psychologist,and Psychiatrist? Read here for definitions.... [About Psychology]000000comment
Scientists Say Everyone Can Read Minds. [ article ] The root of empathy (the ability to identify and relate to the feelings, motives, and perspectives of others) may have been located in the brain. In 1996, neuroscientists discovered in monkeys and later confirmed in humans the existence of "mirror neurons". The cells fire not only when an individual performs an action, but likewise when the same action is observed being performed by someone else. In addition to mirroring actions, the cells reflect emotions and sensations. ... [CogNews]000000comment | <urn:uuid:26d9e7c8-36b6-4b68-9cff-46f3fa19565a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://radio-weblogs.com/0132028/2005/05/02.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952671 | 1,512 | 2.578125 | 3 |
It's long been known that teenagers like to sleep in late and older people like to wake early – and researchers chalk that up to age differences in internal circadian and sleep rhythms. Research has also shown that young adults who buck tradition and prefer to wake up early tend to feel happier and more alert than their peers who sleep in. But there's been little research to show whether the relationship between morningness and emotional state observed in young adults also holds for older adults.
New research led by Renee Biss, a graduate psychology student at the University of Toronto and senior scientist Dr. Lynn Hasher of Baycrest's RRI has found the same relationship between emotional state and morningness in older adults! Older early risers are happier and tend to report feeling more positive about their health than older adults who sleep in.
The study is published in the June issue of the American Psychological Association journal, Emotion.
"We found that morning-type people, whether they were younger or older, reported feeling happier than their age-equivalent peers who liked to sleep in," said Biss. "But we also found that older adults reported feeling greater positive emotion than younger adults."
In the study, 435 healthy younger adults (ages 17-38) from the University of Toronto and 297 healthy older adults (ages 59-79) from the community filled out pencil-and-paper questionnaires in a supervised lab setting during a typical working day ( 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.). One questionnaire asked them about their sleeping habits, how they felt when they woke up in the morning, what time of day they felt most energized to handle physically or intellectually demanding activities, and what time in the evening they felt tired and in need of sleep. They were also asked to judge their overall health on a scale form 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) and to rate their current experience of different positive and negative emotions. The researchers analyzed the response data using scientifically-validated measurement scales for mood and chronotype (patterns of sleep/wake activity).
Among the key findings with early risers:
"The positive feelings associated with starting the day earlier may offer a protective benefit for older adults," said Dr. Hasher. "Research has shown that subjective health ratings in older age are a strong predictor of objective health outcomes."
For more information on this press release or to interview the authors, please contact:
Senior Media Officer
Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest | <urn:uuid:68916421-fdcc-4974-9b38-31bd9ce153e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://research.baycrest.org/news/showByTitle/title/-whether-young-or-old-early-morning-risers-are-in-a-better-mood/src/@random4d822358917ef | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96187 | 503 | 2.5 | 2 |
Thursday, March 29, 2012
How To Install A New Thermostat
Electrical things attached to your wall tend to be intimidating to neophyte do-it-yourselfers, especially if the apparatus controls the temperature of your home. But before you call in a pro to install a new thermostat, it's worth taking a crack at the operation yourself.
The Penny Frugalista explains how she tackled the project. Here are some key steps:
* Do a lot of unscrewing. Every model is different, but be prepared to detach it piece by piece. Says the writer, "there were a lot of screws."
* Remember which wires go where. Your thermostat won't do you much good if it's not connected. Note which wires are attached and where, and find the corresponding parts on your new thermostat.
* Fill in the holes. A new thermostat installation kit may require new screws in different places, so use some putty to fill in the old holes before you mount the new unit.
Fix-It Friday: Installing a Digital Thermostat [The Penny Frugalista] | <urn:uuid:f4c0c578-e7c2-423b-87b5-de3c78469d3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.becauseitoldyouso.com/2012/03/how-to-install-new-thermostat.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919046 | 238 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Policy Exchange orders Government to focus on internet coverage, not speed
Think tank argues money spent on superfast broadband should be used to get more people online.
Think tank Policy Exchange has called on the Government to end its fixation with attaining world's fastest broadband speeds.
In a new report, The Superfast and the Furious, the organisation claims politicians have become preoccupied with broadband speeds, at the expense of the 10.8 million people, Policy Exchange claims, have no internet access.
The think tank suggests the Government should end subsidies for broadband infrastructure in 2015, when current commitments will be met.
The money saved should be used to connect those who are not yet online, the majority of whom are over 65, and help SMBs make the most of internet opportunities.
A poll of 2,000 people and 500 businesses, which is featured in the report, suggests the majority of people agree with the think tank’s proposals.
Sixty-four per cent of respondents think good basic broadband coverage for the whole country is more important than chasing fast speeds.
Moreover, 79 per cent claim every household should have access to the internet, while 76 per cent did not think it was fair for people in remote areas to pay more for access.
When it comes to SMBs, the survey showed 79 per cent have a web presence, with 34 per cent taking online bookings and 36 per cent using the internet to accept payments.
Graham Walker, CEO of Go ON UK, the UK’s Digital Skills Alliance, said: "The UK has strong digital foundations, but is not maximising the full economic and social benefits offered by digitisation.
"To reap benefits for all in the UK, we need universal broadband access and greater investment in the digital skills and capabilities of individuals and businesses," Walker added. | <urn:uuid:d35a7c2e-050b-4ab9-832b-7e1f144ccfa6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.itpro.co.uk/644920/policy-exchange-orders-government-to-focus-on-internet-coverage-not-speed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94447 | 370 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Global Security Newswire
Daily News on Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Weapons, Terrorism and Related Issues
U.S. Intelligence Sees Potential CW Preparations at Multiple Syrian Sites
U.S. intelligence has uncovered activities possibly related to the preparation of chemical weapons at more than one location in Syria, CNN reported on Tuesday.
An anonymous U.S. official said the Syrian military could be "cooking up recipes" for chemical arms at a "small" quantity of manufacturing sites. Other unidentified officials earlier this week told news organizations that Syrian engineers were combining the precursor agents for sarin nerve agent.
The Defense Department estimates there are more than 50 sites with roles in the Bashar Assad regime's substantive chemical weapons program, including depots, research facilities and manufacturing plants. There appears to be operations at some of the sites though there are no signs that chemical warfare materials have been removed from the facilities, multiple high-ranking U.S. armed forces sources said.
Officials declined to specify what sort of work has been detected; they said there were no indications that a Syrian chemical attack was looming.
Fighting has ramped up around Damascus in recent days, placing further pressure on the embattled regime.
"Our concerns are that an increasingly desperate Assad regime might turn to chemical weapons, or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within Syria," Reuters quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying on Wednesday.
"We have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account," according to Clinton, who on Tuesday joined other NATO foreign ministers in approving deployment of Patriot air-defense batteries along Turkey's border with Syria.
Any attempt to take control of Syria's chemical stockpile would be fraught with danger for the U.S. ground troops that might have to be deployed and the risk that some chemical warfare materials would not be secured, Agence France-Presse reported..
"It's difficult to come up with a viable scenario where you do this without putting troops on the ground," Jane's Information Group analyst David Hartwell said in an interview. "If your aim is to secure chemical weapons, you can't do that from the air."
A bombing raid on chemical agent plants and weapon warehouses could lead to the unintended release of toxic materials into the environment -- putting residents in the area at risk -- and might not even result in the the total destruction of the targeted substances, Washington Institute for Near East Policy issue expert Michael Eisenstadt wrote in an analysis.
A more likely option would involve the deployment of elite units of British, French and U.S. troops to provide advice to friendly regional armed forces on how to carry out a ground assault of Assad's chemical sites. "The U.S. provides advice, the logistics, and the backup whereas the boots on the ground would be provided from somewhere else," according to Hartwell.
It has been estimated that it would require as many as 75,000 soldiers to secure Syria's chemical arms complex.
Some 150 U.S. military personnel are already in Jordan to advise the military there on how to prepare for a chemical weapons emergency, including a potential incursion against Syrian installations.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday pressed Damascus to refrain from mounting chemical attacks, the Associated Press reported.
"I again urge in the strongest possible terms that they must not consider using this kind of deadly weapons of mass destruction, the U.N. chief told AP. "I have warned that if in any case this should be used, there will be huge consequences."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said "we are closely following developments in Syria related to its chemical weapons stockpiles," AFP reported.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Defense Department to report to relevant congressional committees on the possibilities for a military intervention in Syria aimed at weakening the government's ability to use air attacks to assault opposition forces, Foreign Policy reported. The report is due within three months after the law's entry into force.
March 12, 2013
The UNSCR 1540 Resource Collection examines implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540, which requires all states to implement measures aimed at preventing non-state actors from acquiring NBC weapons, related materials, and their means of delivery. It details implementation efforts in all of the regions and countries of the world to-date.
This article provides an overview of Syria's historical and current policies relating to nuclear, chemical, biological and missile proliferation. | <urn:uuid:0721f5f1-eae8-49fd-b273-efcc94cf651b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-intelligence-sees-chemical-preparations-multiple-sites-syria/ | 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 | 0.954392 | 937 | 2.234375 | 2 |
One hundred Million people are considered poor in the US. 50 million of those are on food stamps allowing them a couple of dollars worth of food a day. Just think about that! That is 25 Americans for every Kiwi. 50 million Americans are on food stamps, that is 12.5 persons for every Kiwiw and while you might argue that the poorest of Americans are still richer than most of the poor people in poorer countries here are some more figures that might make you go Hmmm…
Let’s start with this Infograph:
Here are some more interesting facts:
- The six heirs of the Wall Mart family which you might argue stole the ability of millions of people to produce locally and sell locally in mum and pop stores all over America by abusing a time of cheap fuel and great poverty in foreign countries they more or less colonised to produce cheap food and plastic stuff now own more than the 40% of the lower income Americans.
- JP Morgan has a huge interest in keeping people poor because they make a mint of the Food stamp program keeping millions of people dependent on an unsustainable system while they rake it in.
#1 In the United States today, somewhere around 100 million Americans are considered to be either “poor” or “near poor”.
#2 It is being projected that when the final numbers come out later this year that the U.S. poverty rate will be the highest that it has been in almost 50 years.
#3 Approximately 57 percent of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be either “low income” or impoverished.
#4 Today, one out of every four workers in the United States brings home wages that are at or below the poverty level.
#5 According to the Wall Street Journal, 49.1 percent of all Americans live in a home where at least one person receives financial benefits from the government. Back in 1983, that number was below 30 percent.
#6 It is projected that about half of all American adults will spend at least some time living below the poverty line before they turn 65.
#7 Today, there are approximately 20.2 million Americans that spend more than half of their incomes on housing. That represents a 46 percent increase from 2001. | <urn:uuid:2f3e3e9b-d4a9-4397-9133-1f6ae06707a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/a-100-million-poor-people-in-the-us-and-that-number-is-growing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959741 | 464 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Summer Reading Success! | Arts & Culture
Summer Reading @ KDL 2012 is over, and thanks to you, it was a HUGE success! A record-breaking 28,914 people participated this year!
- 8,155 children completed the program
- Teen participants read 62,156 books
- Adult participants read 37,023 books
We would love to hear from you. Was there a program that your family loved? Did your child develop a passion for books this summer? Do you have any thoughts on how we can improve Summer Reading @ KDL? Leave us a comment and let us know! | <urn:uuid:716a1706-66a8-4bb1-90fd-4df62c235843> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://egr.wzzm13.com/news/arts-culture/73340-summer-reading-success | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936591 | 123 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Complete Tadanori Yokoo. Design and layout by Yokoo with photographs by Kenji Ishiguro, Akira Kobayashi, Kishin Shinoyama, Eikoh Hosoe, and others. Barron's, 1977. 330 pp. Small thick quarto. First English edition. Stiff photo-illustrated wrappers with photo-illustrated gatefolds. Printed slipcase. Numerous reproductions of graphic work and photographs in color and black-and-white.|
Graphic designer, animator, and photographer Tadanori Yokoo is one of the most compelling figures of post-war Japanese art--arguably Japan's most important contemporary graphic artist, his work is featured prominently in Tokyo 1955–1970: A New Avant-Garde, currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
This compendium of Yokoo's early work shows him at his most outrageous - morphing western urban pop and psychedelic influences, with references to Kabuki portraits and traditional Japanese subjects and techniques - all through the lens the 60's cultural mayhem. It is much more inclusive of his early works than the more common 1981 monograph. An important and very scarce look at Yokoo's in the 60's. Originally published by Kodan sha in 1971, was reprinted in this English edition in 1977. In an unlikely bit of cultural drift the publisher was Barrons, at the time a company much better known for their prep materials for standardized tests and college entrance exams.
Fine- in Fine- slipcase; slight wear; very faint spine crease (typical). | <urn:uuid:f361fb82-7bf8-425c-9c60-cb6140c3e9a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.photoeye.com/Auctions/Citation.cfm?id=7146 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950671 | 327 | 1.96875 | 2 |
The Mom and Pop Shop’s Gritty View of Government
Small business owners in the United States are overwhelmingly disillusioned and dissatisfied with the federal government, according to a recent press release from American Management Systems, a 21-year-old organization that provides turnaround services and profitability guidance to more than 6,000 small- to medium-sized business across 400 industries.
The clear-cut results of the survey, conducted this year from June 23 to July 3, certainly aren’t sunny or optimistic. In fact, the opinions of small business owners are rather bleak in regards to the US economy and government.
- 86% say the federal government is doing “little to nothing” to help small businesses
- 81% believe the United States is in an economic recession
- 50% believe the US economy will get worse before it rebounds
- 78% say the economic stimulus checks did nothing to help their businesses
- 72% believe that the government is bailing out big businesses on Wall Street
“Our country’s 23 million small business owners are disappointed with the lack of actions on their behalf. While Wall Street and big businesses get bailed out, small businesses receive no assistance in these difficult times,” says George Cloutier, founder and CEO of American Management Systems. “Tens of thousands of small businesses will fail this year due to government inaction. They create 60% of the nation’s jobs; the small business industry is clearly an economic engine and it’s stalling. It’s time to get it re-started.”
When the survey tiptoed into our volatile political landscape, 80% of respondents admitted to having no idea what Senators Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s platforms are pertaining to small business. Yet, 38% of small business owners favor McCain over Obama, who attracted 21% while 32% remained undecided. Perhaps coinciding with the preference to McCain, 77% of respondents believe the government should tap into restricted oil reserves in Alaska and off the coasts of California and Florida. | <urn:uuid:091c0004-af2f-4d8c-97db-01c241c1b1ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://businessfacilities.com/the-mom-and-pop-shops-gritty-view-of-government/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957124 | 424 | 1.875 | 2 |
In addition to helping collaborators, Immunovaccine is building an internal pipeline. The company’s lead candidate, DPX-0907, targets breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. The vaccine contains seven specific peptides found on the surface of ovarian, breast, and prostate tumor cells that are recognized by the immune system and generate key cellular responses. The seven cancer antigens represent six major cancer pathways.
"We’re coming at cancer cells from seven different directions, so they cannot easily downregulate a single protein and escape," Dr. Chase says. Oncologist Michael Morse, M.D., at Duke University School of Medicine, is coordinating Phase I trials of DPX-0907 at sites in the U.S., and safety results are expected by the end of 2010.
A recent preclinical study found that DPX-0907 does not induce undesirable immune responses that favor tumor growth, a problem for most therapeutic cancer vaccines. The immune system plays two contradictory roles in cancer. First, an adaptive immune response, such as by Type-1 CD8+ T-cells, attacks tumor cells. However, a secondary response, such as by regulatory T cells, accumulates at tumor sites and suppresses Type-1 CD8+ T-cell responses.
A major challenge of cancer vaccine design is to enhance the immunogenicity of chosen peptides while overcoming tumor-induced suppressive immune responses. DPX-0907 achieved this goal in a mouse model, as reported in the April issue of the Journal of Immunotherapy.
Other vaccines for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pandemic flu, and hepatitis B are in early-stage development at Immunovaccine. The vaccine against P. aeruginosa contains a mutated flagellin antigen with potential to protect against several strains of the bacterium.
Tests show that a single dose of the DepoVax pandemic flu vaccine raises a stronger immune response than two doses of the conventional formulation, Immunovaccine claims. Also, the lyophilized product can be stored long term and reconstituted should a flu pandemic hit. The company also notes that a single dose of the hepatitis B vaccine elicits faster, stronger, and longer-lasting humoral responses than conventional vaccines.
Immunovaccine is collaborating with Defense Research and Development Canada to improve a vaccine for anthrax. In animal models, a single dose of anthrax antigen formulated in DepoVax raises antibody levels 10 times higher on average than a comparable alum-adjuvant anthrax vaccine, the firm claims. It says that a single dose induces persistent antibody levels within a month, and the results indicate that DepoVax can reduce the number of doses of anthrax vaccine needed to immunize people from six to one or two.
Vaxil BioTherapeutics in Israel is one of the newest collaborators. Vaxil is developing T-cell synthetic vaccines for therapeutic and prophylactic use. The company’s VaxHit™ technology identifies vaccine candidates for cancer and infectious diseases, and its ImMucin™ vaccine for multiple myeloma is in Phase I/II clinical trials. The combination of the VaxHit and DepoVax technology will advance vaccine development, the companies predict.
On April 29, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Dendreon’s Provenge, the first immunotherapy for prostate cancer. "This approval confirms that there is a place for immune therapy in the treatment of cancer," says Dr. Chase. "We are building on that by developing cancer vaccines that will play a key role in the treatment of cancer." | <urn:uuid:f6efe643-56fb-4b5f-be57-4bb38c2ba790> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.genengnews.com/gen-articles/delivering-long-lasting-cancer-vaccines/3491/?kwrd=Drug%20Delivery&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917002 | 756 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Hosted and narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr., THE MARINES OF MONTFORD POINT: FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM profiles the first African Americans recruits in the United States Marine Corps, beginning with their experiences at Montford Point Base, a segregated boot camp in the heart of the Jim Crow South. All-black battalions from Montford Point loyally served their country (some as officers) in three major conflicts - World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War - while fighting for their civil rights back home. During the film, Montford Point veterans recount the racism they faced both within and outside the military and reminisce about the rigors of basic training, the harsh conditions of the barracks and the perils of combat.
Visit the Website: www.unctv.org/marines
Length: 55 minutes | <urn:uuid:10bd2ee6-b9a6-4990-8935-825246c509f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.klru.org/schedule/episode/168788/?M=support | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929024 | 178 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Two years after Bugti, divisions and disunity
By Malik Siraj Akbar
Balochistan is marking the second death anniversary of its former chief minister and governor, Nawab Mohammad Akbar Khan Bugti, today (Tuesday).
The actual causes of the death of the 79-year-old Baloch tribal elder are still shrouded in mystery but its relations between the Centre and the country’s largest province continue to degenerate. The late Nawab, who also headed the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), a purely political organisation that had representation in the provincial legislature, the National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan, was forced by security forces to take shelter in the mountains of Balochistan. Until his last breath, Bugti insisted that neither he nor his tribe had waged war against the State but had been merely defending themselves against a powerful army.
What is known is that Bugti was killed in the midst of intense clashes between security forces and the Bugti tribesmen. Though the government announced on television that Bugti had been killed in an open battle, it continued to change its version of the events. Initially, it was said that his death took place in an open battle between the security forces and tribesmen but later on they said he died when a cave collapsed. What was unexplained, however, was how his watch, sunglasses and ring remained intact in the collapse. As if to make matters worse, the government refused to hand over his body to his family. It is perhaps not surprising then that the already angry people in the province were incensed and separatist thought became more popular among the younger generation of the Baloch.
Bugti, born on July 12, 1927 in Barkhan, dominated the political scene in Balochistan for nearly six decades. He was educated at Oxford University UK and succeeded his father Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti as the chief of the Bugti tribe. He was a staunch sub-nationalist who challenged the rule of Generals Ayub Khan and Pervez Musharraf. He was a member of the Shahi Jirga that voted for the accession of British Balochistan to the newly formed Pakistan in 1947. He was a member of the AGG Council for many years as well.
During the 1950s, Bugti lost against Dr Khan Sahib, the elder brother of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the Constituent Assembly polls. He later joined the Republican Party and worked with Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon as his minister of state for defence from September 20, 1958 until Ayub’s coup in 1958. During the same period, he played a key role in the Pakistani government by securing the return of Gwadar from Oman on September 8, 1958.
Following the imposition of martial law in 1958, a military tribunal convicted Bugti of murdering his uncle, Haybat Khan, in 1960. He was disqualified from holding public office and was sent to Mach jail. His death sentence was, however, revoked in the coming days but despite this, he could not participate in the 1970 polls.
Bugti did not see eye-to-eye with Sardar Attaullah Mengal, the first-ever elected chief minister of Balochistan and a candidate of the National Awami Party (NAP). As the rift between Bugti and Mengal grew, Bugti went into self-exile to London until Mengal’s dismissal from office on February 14, 1973. At this point, Bugti joined Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government as the governor of Balochistan on February 15, 1973. He remained in office until January 1, 1974 when he resigned because of differences with Bhutto on the PM’s Balochistan policies. But the nationalists led by Mengal and Khair Bux Marri never forgave him for siding with Bhutto even briefly.
In 1985, Bugti boycotted the Urdu language and only spoke Pakistan’s regional languages and English. In the meantime, his son Saleem Akbar Bugti and son-in-law Mir Humayun Marri participated in the non-party based elections of 1988 and won. After these elections, Bugti was inducted as the chief minister of Balochistan on February 4, 1989. He was a candidate of the Balochistan National Alliance (BNA) and remained CM until August 6, 1990 when the provincial assembly was dissolved. At this point, he formed his own political party, the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), and in 1993, was elected to the National Assembly.
In the last years of his life, Bugti stopped participating in active politics and retreated to his tribal abode in Dera Bugti. However, he resurfaced in January 2005 when Bugti tribesmen fired several hundred rockets on gas installations, following the alleged gang rape of a Pakistan Petroleum Limited doctor, Shazia Khalid, by a captain of the Defence Security Guards (DSG).
With tensions mounting in Dera Bugti, the government deployed troops in his native area. The turning point came on March 17, 2005, when a clash between troops and Bugti tribesmen resulted in the death of 77 civilians, mostly Hindus. Since then, Bugti tribesmen have engaged in a guerrilla war with the security forces. The mistrust between the government and the Nawab also hindered the progress of the Parliamentary Committee, headed by Mushahid Hussain Syed, that was attempting to find solutions to problems such as the National Finance Commission award and provincial autonomy.
Two years after his death, not much has changed in Balochistan. While Islamabad refuses to change its policy towards the province, the Baloch leadership remains embroiled in infighting. Bugti’s killing pushed the Baloch movement into a great leadership crisis which will be felt for a long time. He was a man who could unite the Baloch. Today, his own family remains divided on a number of issues. The Baloch nationalists are further divided on the issue of either participating in parliamentary politics or supporting armed groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The polarisation has reached such an extent that Islamabad can easily play a divide-and-rule game in the exploited province. | <urn:uuid:a0d7cb16-f75e-4e25-9fc9-96302a4f131c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gmcmissing.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/two-years-after-bugti-divisions-and-disunity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981681 | 1,283 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Advancing Female Changemakers at JDC’s 2nd Int'l Women’s Leadership Workshop
Seventeen high-profile female NGO and civil society leaders are taking part this week in JDC’s 2nd International Women's Leadership Workshop in Israel, whose opening was featured in eJewish Philanthropy. The intensive five-day seminar was organized and implemented by our International Development Program (IDP), which is responsible for JDC's disaster relief and global development work in places like Japan, Haiti, Turkey, South Asia, and Africa.
Representing 13 countries, including Argentina, Bosnia, India, Indonesia, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and the U.S., the group includes women who have established or run major social change organizations and have been key partners with JDC in responding to crisis over the past few years.
“One of the most powerful trends we see in humanitarian work today is the unparalleled role of women as trailblazers and forces for good in communities worldwide,” said JDC CEO Alan H. Gill. “We’re very proud to have these leaders join us and be enriched by JDC's global expertise. This is an important opportunity to further cultivate a growing network of women who can connect across borders and during times of crisis.”
The Workshop provides educational, networking, and professional development opportunities in global development and disaster relief.
Beyond JDC’s women’s initiatives that empower females to improve their own lives and that of their families and communities, the Workshop targets already empowered women who seek peer support to help them surmount the enormous challenges they face in changing their societies while at the same time juggling their personal responsibilities as mothers, daughters, and wives.
"This has been a huge learning experience for me … an opportunity to learn both about myself and about how influential and powerful women are throughout the world,” said Lejla, a research officer at Sarajevo University’s human rights center in Bosnia. “In coming together, despite our differences in culture and background, we find that we face similar challenges in our work…. This process has also helped me distinguish between 'leadership' and 'authority', and has enabled me to analyze challenges from a completely different perspective.”
The Workshop features a forum on Adaptive Leadership with Professor Marty Linsky of Cambridge Leadership Associates, and site visits to program models developed by JDC in Israel that focus on people with disabilities, education, employment, and community development.
Participants are able to hone their skills in resource development, partnership building, impact measurement, and public speaking at sessions run by JDC experts. “I see this workshop as a rare opportunity to 'train the trainers' so to speak, to give those of us in leadership positions very important skills development, which is something we cannot easily access in our regular professional lives, but is so important,” said the representative from Indonesia. “It also gives us an opportunity to learn that some of the challenges we face in our countries are actually global challenges.”
Underlining that last point, as a follow-up to the Workshop, all of the participants have undertaken to establish similar networking and peer support opportunities in their own countries when they return home.
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Logging In With One of Your Social Web Site Logins
Instead of trying to remember a bunch of special username/password combinations to log in to different web sites that you visit, you can now link your account on this web site to your account on one (or more) of the social media web sites shown and log in with the same username/password combination that you use on that social web site to log in to our site.
To provide this connection in a secure manner, we use Gigya, a social network connection provider that works behind the scenes to make safe, secure connections between user accounts on different systems, such as popular social media web sites like Facebook and web sites like ours where you are actively involved in social issues and causes.
Each time you log in, Gigya uses special application programming interfaces (APIs) to establish the connection between the sites and validate your username and password. Neither our web site or Gigya receive or store your social network passwords.
In addition to reducing the number of logins you have to remember, connecting your accounts can make it quicker and easier to share an activity or cause you feel passionately about from our web site with your friends on your social web sites.
You can break the connection between your accounts at any time. | <urn:uuid:628b57d9-e868-4507-9994-a3deabe1bd27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jdc.org/jdc-field-blog/2012/women-changemakers-gain-new.html?s=g_em | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947663 | 938 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Travellers could feel long-lasting impact of volcano disruption
- Professor Robert Bor is a clinical psychologist with a special interest in aviation and travel psychology. He has published several books on this topic. The opinions expressed are his own. -
The opening of UK airspace on Wednesday will clearly bring some relief to travellers stranded around the world. For others, their misery and feelings of fear and uncertainty will continue well after they have returned home, and that could be still a few weeks for now.
The emotional dust cloud generated could even take months or longer to clear as people struggle to make sense of the vulnerability that they have experienced and hardships they have endured.
Many travellers will be confused by what they perceive to be conflicting information: less than 24 hours ago it was unsafe to fly and now today the authorities have changed their minds.
A large proportion of the travelling public are apprehensive about flying at the best of times, and up to 10 percent suffer from a fear of flying. This new and largely invisible danger that emanates from Iceland will do nothing but feed their anxieties. Fears, phobias and vulnerabilities about travel and flying will be exacerbated at this time.
The human and emotional cost of this unprecedented disruption is enormous and complex. Television and newspapers have brought us images of people stranded abroad. But what is the nature of their distress and misery?
Many will feel vulnerable and abandoned. They will be asking ‘who cares about or for us?’; ‘who is to blame?’. Those stranded repeatedly express deep resentment that they have been left to make their own arrangements and to cope on their own.
Powerful feelings will come to the surface and occasionally spill out into the open; resentment, blame, fear and anger. It will be difficult to fairly attribute this: is it to the aviation authorities, the airlines that cannot accommodate passengers for days to come, the high prices being levied for new flights, ferries, taxis or hotel rooms?
Not all families are in the same place and bound together in this challenging situation. Some are split up, with children or parents abroad and others at home.
They will feel helpless and angry. Disruption and threat to relationships, emotional bonds and attachments are among the strongest feelings we endure and in cases can lead to the presentation of clinical levels of depression and anxiety by those affected.
Some will be extremely anxious and distressed that their personal medication supplies have run out and may have difficulty getting new ones abroad.
Those who are stuck abroad and prevented from going back to work or school will experience anxiety and fear, especially in the current economic climate. And they can probably ill afford the extra costs to them in terms of time (after all, the exam term looms for school children and students) and unforeseen expenses.
Some will harbour additional fears about being absent from work or school and will be stressed by their thoughts about what is going on behind their back whilst being ‘out of the loop’ for longer than planned.
Parents may have not only their own feelings of emotional distress to manage and contain, but also those of their children whom they may not be able to care for properly. Without a measure of privacy, a proper bed, a calming teddy bear at hand, washing facilities and the all-important routine, most parents will have their patience sorely tested.
Those caught up in the flight disruptions are not all holiday makers. Business men and women have been affected. Air crews are stranded in the wrong place. Military flights have also been disrupted adding to the stress and fear of those flying to and from combat zones.
Returning safely to the UK will one important milestone in the long journey home that so many have had to endure. There will be relief and happiness in many families.
But this may not signal the end of the difficult feelings for some who may still have to get back from the ‘wrong’ airport or port, have unforeseen bills to pick up, and questions to answer back at school or work.
Next time they plan their overseas travels they will have this unsettling and unpleasant experience in their minds. The emotional and financial repercussions will continue long after the dust cloud has settled. | <urn:uuid:bee30b0b-91d6-4db9-9fa6-1947cf15cbe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk/2010/04/21/psychological-impact-of-volcano-disruption-could-linger-for-travellers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96974 | 847 | 2.390625 | 2 |
The Vision Zero is the Swedish approach to road safety thinking. It can be summarised in one sentence: No loss of life is acceptable. The Vision Zero approach has proven highly successful. It is based on the simple fact that we are human and make mistakes. The road system needs to keep us moving. But it must also be designed to protect us at every turn.
Freedom to move
Mobility is crucial for all parts of society. But more traffic means more fatalities and injuries on the roads. Read more
The human factor
Humans are not made to travel at high-speed. We make mistakes. Thus, an effective road safety system must always take human fallibility into account. Read more
The Vision Zero Initiative
Transport systems traditionally place responsibility for safety on road users. The Vision Zero Initiative puts this responsibility on system design. Read more
Does the Vision Zero work?
The Vision Zero approach to road safety is highly effective. Traffic-related fatalities are falling even though traffic is increasing.Read more | <urn:uuid:33cd9b5c-a103-422a-b0b4-919bb45309b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visionzeroinitiative.com/en/Concept/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95636 | 206 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Best Ways Consumers Can Protect Themselves
It's National Consumer Protection Week. So I've come up with a list of our stories and columns that will help you learn what your rights are as a consumer and how to protect yourself. The Federal Trade commission also has consumer-protection resources you might want to check out.
Credit cards and banking
Our Man Goes Undercover and Tells All: The free trading-education seminars he attended turned out to be short on wisdom and long on hard sell.
Why It's Hard to Fight Brokers: Mad as hell over losses? You can go to arbitration, but the deck will be stacked against you.
This Pitch Is Legit: Reverse loans let seniors convert equity to cash, but at a price.
Protect Your Identity Every Day: Follow these tips so that you never become a victim of ID theft.
Resources to Help You Check Out a Company: Here's how to learn about the reputation of a business before you sign on the dotted line.
Complain and Get Results: If you're unhappy with a product or service you received, here's how to effectively lodge a complaint.
Showing ID When Paying With a Card: Here's why you should think twice about handing over identification when paying with a credit card -- and what to do if the merchant won't accept your card if you refuse to show ID.
Get Your Fair Share When a Company Goes Broke: Here's what happens if you buy a gift card or make a down payment with a retailer that files for bankruptcy. | <urn:uuid:dc14f6db-6cbd-4f0e-a3fd-9427b5573982> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kiplinger.com/article/spending/T048-C011-S001-best-ways-consumers-can-protect-themselves.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921333 | 313 | 1.742188 | 2 |
The industrial company that used to stand in Evansvilles Jacobsville neighborhood is long gone - but the lead contamination it and other companies left behind is still there. Now, the federal government is stepping in to clean up some of the most polluted areas. A survey team from the Environmental Protection Agency is in the near-north side neighborhood collecting confirmation samples at several homes. Those samples will be used to guide an excavation team that will remove several tons of lead tainted top soil in October. So far, samples from 36 homes showed lead levels 3 times more toxic than levels that usually warrant a clean up. Lead contamination in Jacobsville came from several sources over the course of the last century. EPA officials will conduct another study around the 36 contaiminated homes. But due to limited funding, the number of homes to be cleaned up will not exceed 100. | <urn:uuid:2131a228-182d-4e05-b5f9-7a3d9cbce37b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=2738 | 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 | 0.950286 | 169 | 2.328125 | 2 |
View Full Version : Is this right (stitch pattern)?
04-08-2009, 08:39 AM
If I have a length of stocking stitch, and want to break it up with raised ridge every few inches, what would be the best way to do that? A couple rows of just knit or just purl? Or something else? :??
04-08-2009, 08:50 AM
A few rows of just knit (garter stitch) or just purl would work well for a ridge.
Jan in CA
04-08-2009, 04:48 PM
Either way works. They have a different look so you might want to swatch it to see what looks best for you. :thumbsup:
04-08-2009, 07:14 PM
A welt would give you a larger ridge, but you can decide how large or small to make them. I've just recently heard of the technique myself.
Here's a how to article with pics:
Hope that helps.
04-08-2009, 09:04 PM
Thanks! It's coming along wonderfully :) That welt is neat (though not the look I was going for this time)... I wonder what sort of pattern would call for a welt?
04-08-2009, 09:17 PM
I realize you've probably committed to a certain method already, but another thing you could probably do is a few rows of reverse stockinette (After doing knit-purl-knit-purl, stick in a purl-knit-purl-knit).
If you really want it to pop, the pattern I'm about to start does the above, but then goes a step further by knitting the top and bottom of the reverse section together, making it more of a horizontal tube going across the work.
04-08-2009, 11:38 PM
I actually saw someone making a HUGE bag (think beach baggish) with welts (the welts were also a different color) And it was beautiful. I didn't know what they were called at the time, but then I saw this article and knew that's what she had done.
If you read the article it says that welts can also be used for a drawstring if you do a YO to created a hole, I think that's so clever!
04-09-2009, 01:41 PM
Along the same lines... if I'm knitting st st in the round, will doing a round of purl sts give me the same result of a raised ridge on the right side of my work?
04-09-2009, 02:50 PM
04-09-2009, 03:57 PM
You'll probably notice that the row you purled, doesn't perfectly line up at the end of the "row", because knitting in the round, is actually worked as a spiral. This is called a "jog" It happens when you add new colors to make strips. I know there are several methods for making "jogless stripes", I woud assume the same principles could be applied to making stripes when changing your stitch pattern.
Maybe someone else here knows for sure? | <urn:uuid:cc79d315-3251-4825-821c-530f1f4ba98e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-90575.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952566 | 660 | 1.632813 | 2 |
|Artemisia absinthium is a probable parent of this hybrid, which has aromatic, silvery-grey foliage. Artemesia blends well with other perennials, acting as a foil or transition plant between possible clashing colors such as red and pink.
These creamy white and appear from August to September. As with most perennials, the better prepared the soil, the better the performance of the plant. Because this perennial can get rather large, it is a perfect back-of-the-border plant, working well on slopes too. Divide spring or fall.
Artemisia is found mainly in the Northern hemisphere and also parts of southern Africa and South America. Many species are used medicinally and for cooking. | <urn:uuid:c9e2e2b9-0727-4b23-b9a3-dbeb8c9ab5c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pd_9d6c.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946988 | 148 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Clinton urges Egypt to stick with transition to democracy
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday urged Egypt's civilian and military authorities to stay committed to the transition to democracy as she began a high-profile two-day visit to the country.
REUTERS - The United States supports the full establishment of democratic rule in Egypt and the return of its military to an exclusively national security role, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday.
Making her first visit to Egypt since the inauguration of President Mohamed Mursi two weeks ago, Clinton stressed, however, it was entirely up to Egyptians to decide to do this and she emphasised democracy requires dialogue and compromise.
Clinton met Mursi on Saturday in the highest level meeting yet between a U.S. official and a Muslim Brotherhood politician whose first days in office have been marred by a power struggle with Egypt’s still influential army leadership.
She reiterated Washington’s support for a country that was a cornerstone of U.S. policy during Hosni Mubarak’s three decades in power but is now led by a man from a group outlawed during his rule.
Clinton is due to meet on Sunday with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the council of generals that oversaw the transition from Mubarak’s rule.
“The United States supports the full transition to civilian rule with all that entails,” Clinton said during a news conference after her meeting with Mursi, commending the military council for its role during Egypt’s transition.
“But there is more work ahead. And I think the issues around the parliament, the constitution have to be resolved between and among Egyptians. I will look forward to discussing these issues tomorrow with Field Marshall Tantawi and in working to support the military’s return to a purely national security role.”
The army, which has been at the heart of power for six decades, moved to limit the power of the new civilian president even as voters were lining up to elect him, while enhancing their own authorities in a constitutional decree.
The generals also dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood-led parliament on the grounds of a court ruling that had deemed the rules by which it was elected as unconstitutional.
But Mursi quickly challenged that decision, issuing a decree summoning the disbanded parliament just days after he took office and raising the heat in the power struggle.
Speaking ahead of Clinton’s arrival, senior U.S. officials said she would urge Egypt’s civilian and military leaders to work together to complete a full transition to democratic rule.
“She is going to say, you have to stick with it. You have to keep going,” a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters travelling with Clinton.
“It is crucial that all of the stakeholders who need and have a voice in Egypt’s transition engage in a dialogue to answer the complicated questions around parliament and the constitution.
“So she will encourage Tantawi, as she will encourage Mursi, and civil society, to engage in that dialogue and to avoid the kinds of confrontation that could potentially lead to the transition veering off track,” the official added.
The United States long held the Brotherhood at arm’s length and Clinton was asked if she regretted that successive administrations had supported a government in Egypt that worked to repress and marginalize the group, at times imprisoning now President Mursi.
“We worked with the government of the country at the time. We work with governments around the world. We agree with some of them. We disagree with others of them,” said Clinton.
“We were consistent in promoting human rights and speaking out for an end to the emergency law, an end to political prisoners being detained.”
She also said Mursi must stick by his commitment to uphold Egypt’s international commitments, which include the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
Speaking alongside Clinton, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said Mursi had reiterated his commitment to Egypt’s treaties.
“Mohamed Mursi has repeatedly announced on all occasions that Egypt respects all peace treaties that Egypt is a party to as long as the other party also respects them,” he said.
Mursi had also made clear that Egypt remained committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said. | <urn:uuid:0517729c-3827-493d-a2e3-b3f344f78c68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.france24.com/en/20120714-egypt-clinton-due-cairo-key-talks-morsi-military-generals-mubarak | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975372 | 921 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Monday, November 26, 2012
What do movie makers, televangelists, advertising executives, infomercial producers, and even high school speech team students have in common? They all know that the first few moments of an interaction provide the greatest opportunity and the greatest need to grab their audience's attention. Unfortunately for the rest of us this principle remains elusive in our day to day lives.
Think about your last meeting. How did it start? Most likely someone went through the agenda or discussed the logistics for the day. How many people got excited about that? What about your last training session or annual retreat? Probably the same. I’d bet that in most instances where you get people together, the first thing the audience hears is something administrative and logistical. In one meeting that I attended recently, the first thing the organizer told us was the location of the restrooms. It’s no wonder that there is so little engagement in the workplace and in meetings. Perhaps it’s because we don’t capitalize on opportunities to engage people.
Contrast that with the last movie or television show that you saw. How did those begin? They didn’t start with the title, theme song, or “opening” credits. They generally start with a scene to capture your attention and draw you in. Then, they take an abrupt break to formally introduce the event. That’s how they create an engaging experience and pull you in.
I’m not suggesting that the agenda, logistics, and especially the location of the restrooms aren’t important. From the perspective of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if people are concerned about those things, they probably won’t attend to the issues you really want to discuss. However, just because they are important, you don’t have to address them immediately. There are very few emergencies in the first three to four minutes of a meeting.
Shakespeare once wrote, “All the world’s a stage" (As you like it, Act 1, Scene 7). Every interaction is an experience. If you want to engage your audience, capture their attention in the first few moments that you have it. Then you can sort out the details.
Brad Kolar is an Executive Consultant, Speaker, and Author. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Posted by Brad at 7:52 AM | <urn:uuid:b492c2c0-4c2b-4ad8-8944-714ef1f6e4f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leaderquest.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-movies-dont-start-with-credits.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960246 | 502 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Calculate your way to home energy savings! Use any of the tools below to help you calculate your energy consumption for these home appliances, and compare the costs to savings associated with an ENERGY STAR appliance vs. a traditional appliance. Get started today and enjoy the savings tomorrow!
Bright Energy Solutions can connect you with a variety of tools and resources to help you save energy and save money. Check out these sites that will help you calculate your energy savings.
Home Energy Saver
-- Home Energy Saver is a web-based do-it-yourself home energy audit tool. Find the best ways to save energy in YOUR home.
Home Energy Yardstick
-- You can compare your household's energy use to others across the country and get recommendations for improvement. The website is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Residential/Commercial Fuel Cost Comparison
-- Use the Fuel Operating Cost Comparison Calculator to easily compare fuel costs to operate electric, natural gas, propane, or heating oil equipment. | <urn:uuid:165db327-af5e-488e-8b86-2bf5091bee0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brightenergysolutions.com/foryourhome/energycalculatorsforyourhome/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901429 | 219 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Series Big Idea:
The spirit world of angels and demons is real in the world and the greatest reality is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Paranormal Activity took less than $20K and in our day of multi-million dollar high production value movies, people flocked to it nonetheless. It made millions. Same thing with Blair Witch Project some years ago. TV shows like Ghost Hunters abound.
Many people are intensely interested in ghosts, spirits, demons, angels, and in this series we will lay out what the Bible teaches about the supernatural, including ghosts, demons, and angels, and we will land on the Holy Spirit and what it means to live filled with Him in a world of spiritual warfare.
Week 1: Paranormal Activity
The spirit realm is real and all around us all the time, and we should be neither afraid nor overly interested in it.
Week 2 Angels and Demons
Angels and demons are real. Demons are part of the spiritual darkness and angels are Gods messengers and representatives.
Week 3 The Spirit
The Big Idea:
How to be filled with The Spirit in a world that is full of spirits. | <urn:uuid:067709a5-cd3b-4fbf-817c-858f13980139> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bigidearesources.com/Fringe-Message-Transcripts_p_151.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906393 | 238 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Information and discussion on all aspects of British photographic history
I am writing a PhD research proposal on the topic of visitor's photography at heritage sites.
Within this field, I'm currently looking for books/sources that I can quote from on the topic of why people feel the need to acquire their own images of sites/sights, especially why it is an obsessive activity for many.
This is at a fairly basic level at this stage; I'll go deeper into the psychology and historical context that has produced this later on if/when the real research starts. If you know of any (concise) desciptions that address this area (or that I could summarize) could you let me know please?
Also, if anyone has a bibliography/reading lists around the development of the practice and behaviour (not the technology or photographs themselves) of tourist photography, particularly within museums & galleries, could they please get in touch as I will need to investigate these topics this year?
Derek Trillo MA ARPS
Thank you for your swift response. I am applying to the University of Manchester within Museum Studies (as they have some AHRC funding, whereas photography departments don't) . My MA (photography) was from De Montfort.
I know of UCLAN's research into tourism from a theoretical viewpoint (as opposed to business), but I wasn't aware of CTCC's connection with photography; so I'll definitely contact Dr Picard.
I am a tutor for the open college of the arts for which I have to recommend appropriate reading when marking each assignment (5 per module). As a result I've got around 30 students so far to buy/read 'Basics Photography: Lighting' by David Prakel - would that be you?
I'm sure Martin Parr has approached this (visually) from a number of angles; the irony of this situation has appealed to (non amateur) photographers and features in their work, e.g. Lee Friedlander. My own take on this, as a photographer, is in observing the ways people interact with aspects of culture: here are two (Ferrara and Fondation Maecht) of my own images.
Best, Piers Rawson (PhD Art History, Manchester 1986 - but always a freelance photographer...http://www.scenae.co.uk) | <urn:uuid:5b7b3e4c-17c5-4084-b291-b8957e228293> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/forum/topics/motivation-for-photography?commentId=2680769%3AComment%3A23133 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952526 | 480 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Why is there such ugliness outside Montreal?
Various groups have won prizes for suggesting innovative ways of presenting the access points to our city instead of the existing kilometers of strip malls and concrete, but the Turcot looks like being rebuilt in the spirit of the 1950s despite these exercises. The UNESCO YUL-MTL winners are described here with videos presenting the ideas. Quel Avenir asks readers to suggest their own ideas.
Connected to this, Le Devoir also asks why most modern Quebec architecture is so bad. Frédérique Doyon ends the article with a list of not-so-terrible structures built here in recent years.
The Journal simply looks at the impending calvaire des automobilistes as the Turcot is tweaked and patched to hold up its creaking structure before the reconstruction. | <urn:uuid:bb29aa86-ff7d-4e84-952f-d74b6a02d7c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://w5.montreal.com/mtlweblog/?p=15247 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932072 | 170 | 1.75 | 2 |
Note: This post follows “Henry Tufts’s Thanksgiving.”
Henry Tufts returned to his family in Lee, NH after slipping away from Mr. Pickard, who in good faith had released him from the Old York jail. When Tufts arrived in his home town, though, he discovered that his reputation was as bad as ever, especially when word of his recent exploits reached the gossip circles. To make matters worse, a group of drunken soldiers who were returning from training passed by Tufts’s property and decided to pull his house apart. Tufts threatened the ruffians with a musket, and even though the gun “snapt in the pan” when he took aim at the ringleader, it was enough to scare the group away.
This experience convinced Tufts that he once again needed to leave his family.
Back on the Road
While back on the road Tufts met James Smith, and the two became partners in crime by stealing hens, turkeys, sheep, and other food from farmers for their subsistence. Their carefree lifestyle lasted long enough, until they eventually needed new clothes and other necessities that were not as easy to acquire. A gentleman, who was an acquaintance of Smith, suggested that the two could easily break into a store owned by Smith Gilman and Levi Chapman in Newmarket, NH and even offered them help in doing so. The two partners decided to give it a try.
Using the knowledge they gained from the gentleman, Tufts and Smith forced their way through a window of the store and took clothes, money, pieces of silver, and other goods. They returned to Smith’s friend, gave him some of the booty in compensation for his help, and hit the highway towards Massachusetts, where they proceeded to sell the illicit goods. Unbeknownst to the two burglars, Gilman and Chapman were pursuing them. The two shopkeepers caught Tufts and Smith by surprise and had them arrested. As it happened, the gentleman who aided the burglary and enjoyed some of the spoils from it had turned informant and tipped off Gilman and Chapman about the burglars’ probable route of escape.
Tufts and Smith landed in jail in Exeter. Smith was held in the common prison ward, but Tufts’s reputation earned him solitary confinement in the dungeon with heavy shackles and chains attached to his feet and to a huge iron staple in the floor.
Tufts remained in total darkness with almost no human interaction while waiting for the Superior Court to meet and hear their case. The effluvia that built up in the chamber, the nipping of vermin, and a lack of adequate food and clothing kept Tufts from sleeping well. After three months of enduring these conditions, Tufts and Smith were finally brought to trial and found guilty. As punishment, they received thirty-five lashes, which were administered by one of the other prisoners. They were also ordered to pay costs and damages for what they stole, and if they could not meet the sum, they were to be sold into servitude to help make up the difference. In addition, they were sentenced to thirty-one more days in prison. This time, though, Tufts was placed in a regular jail cell.
While the two were being held, some friends smuggled a few instruments into the prison, and Tufts used them to drill a hole through the wall. Smith was held in a cell immediately above Tufts, and when he learned of his partner’s plan, he asked Tufts to help him escape as well. Tufts agreed to do so. That night, Tufts called up to Smith and told him that the first thing they needed to do to escape was strip off their clothes, turn them inside out, and throw them out the window. After the two accomplished this act, Tufts crawled out of his cell, gathered up the clothes, and sped away. Tufts figured that Smith’s clothes could come in handy after his escape and left his poor partner to his own devices in a naked state.
The Root Cellar
At one point Tufts traveled to Portsmouth in the hope that he would stumble into some kind of windfall, but not meeting with any success he left the city and headed toward Stratham in the darkness of night. Along the way, he grew hungry and remembered that he knew of a horde of apples and pears stored on a nearby property. He stumbled through the darkness, found the entrance to the root cellar, and broke into it with little effort.
Tufts could not immediately locate the cache of fruit in the pitch black, so he felt around and fell upon a box that gave a hollow sounding noise when he hit it. He continued fumbling about until he hit yet another box, which he came to realize was a great coffin. He had inadvertently broken into a crypt that held a grandmother and her daughter. The shock of his discovery froze him and stood his hair on end, but he eventually recovered and fled the grisly space.
Tufts formed another criminal partnership with someone he met on the road named Ebenezer Hubbard. The two agreed to split the spoils of their larcenies, but they did not meet with much success. Tufts wanted out of the relationship, but Hubbard convinced him to join a plan to break into a fulling mill and steal a quantity of milled cloth. Suspicion immediately fell on the two rogues, and when they were brought in for questioning about the burglary, Hubbard broke down and confessed everything. Tufts found himself back at the Exeter jail, where he received twenty lashes, was held for twenty days in prison, and even though he was ordered to compensate the victim, he was let go after no one stepped forward to purchase his servitude.
Despite the punishments he received during his stints in the Exeter jail, Tufts decided to throw himself into the burglary profession. He systematically collected a number of burglary tools—including augers, saws, and false keys—and then deposited them in several places, so that he could have easy access to them. Tufts was especially proud of his false keys:
I imagine my keys must have been viewed, as a curiosity, by such as were unused to the sight of such rarities; the construction of them, however, is so simple, as to easily be imitated or made by any smith of common ingenuity; and when judiciously fashioned, are of such extensive application, that one key will fit a great variety of locks. I am positive, that, with this assortment of keys, I could have opened, without violence, almost any lock I ever saw; this I am assured by experience, which is indeed the touchstone of truth.
Tufts also began carrying vitriol, aqua fortis, and other corrosive liquids that could soften or eat through iron.
Even though Tufts provides a detailed account of his preparations for becoming a professional burglar, his narrative from this point forward is filled with claims of false accusations of burglary against him. One of these apparent false accusations eventually landed him on the notorious Castle Island in Boston Harbor.
Note: The story of Henry Tufts concludes with “Henry Tufts in the Castle.”
- Tufts, Henry. A Narrative of the Life, Adventures, Travels, and Sufferings of Henry Tufts. Dover, NH: Samuel Bragg, 1807. Database: America’s Historical Newspapers, Readex/Newsbank. | <urn:uuid:52c48db9-52e7-4584-8655-25350d9b1905> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.earlyamericancrime.com/criminals/henry-tufts-partners | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989102 | 1,542 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Educators who provide the ability to understand and speak English have a rewarding career that is in high demand. Teaching immigrant or migrant students the English language gives students a bright future.
Commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teachers, the primary goal is to teach students English so they can successfully communicate in an English dominated society.
In comparison, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) or English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers are instructing students to learn English as a secondary language. These programs are often used overseas where English will not be the child's primary language in society.
Besides working in the k-12 setting, there is a wealth of other venues that seek to fill ESL teacher jobs galore. Community centers, adult learning programs, churches, and tutoring options are all available.
Education requirements for TESOL teachers vary depending upon the state. While rare, some schools do offer undergraduate degrees in ESL. Generally, one has a bachelor's degree in a related field: English, education, linguistics, or literacy is a good match. It is essential for an ESL teacher to have a strong command of the English language.
In addition, certification must be earned. Various types exist. One way to earn certification is through a master's degree program in ESL. Many states have specific requirements and exams for ESL certification. Otherwise, national standards exist. Typically, 12 to 24 credit hours are needed for certification through an accredited college or university. An internship may also be required. Online certification programs are also widely available.
While salaries vary depending upon location and experience, the average ESL teacher earns US$37,000 as of 2008 according to SimplyHired.com. Demand for TESOL teachers is expected to grow faster than most professions.
Fluency in another language is beneficial but is not required. Rather, one must have the desire to help people from other cultures. Respect for diversity is important.
TESOL teachers must be flexible, patient, and able to use a variety of teaching methods. Effective nonverbal communication skills are necessary. Visual aids are a helpful teaching tool ESL teachers provide for their students.
Inclusion and pull-out programs are both used by TESOL teachers. Lesson plans and records of progress must be kept. In addition, TESOL teachers provide regular education teachers with the resources and knowledge to successfully integrate students who are not fluent in English into the classroom setting.
Communication with the students' family members is required. Parents or guardians usually have limited English and the ESL teacher should provide the parents with contact information and resources for learning English themselves. Additionally, home extension activities for students should be provided to increase the learning process.
The very nature of ESL teaching can be challenging to some. Communicating with students from a variety of languages can be frustrating at times. However, the breakthrough moments when true learning is witnessed are abundant in TESOL education. Each teacher knows he is significantly impacting the life of his students.
Consult the following resources for additional information.
Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
ESL Teacher Association | <urn:uuid:ff1ddd6c-1be8-4639-8720-401b14a7beac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jobmonkey.com/schoolteaching/tesol-jobs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946195 | 656 | 3.296875 | 3 |
- SCU Home Page
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Santa Clara's History
Located in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, Santa Clara University offers a rigorous undergraduate curriculum in the arts and sciences, business, and engineering. It has nationally recognized graduate and professional schools in business, law, engineering, pastoral ministries, counseling psychology, education and theology.
The 8,846-student, Jesuit, Catholic university draws on a more than 450-year-tradition of educating the whole person for a life of service and leadership. This diverse community of scholars, characterized by small classes and a values-oriented curriculum, is dedicated to educating students for competence, conscience, and compassion.
Santa Clara University, founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as "Santa Clara College," is California's oldest operating institution of higher learning. It was established on the site of Mission Santa Clara de Asís, the eighth of the original 21 California missions.
The "college" originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank until 1853. Following the Civil War, enrollment increased and by 1875, the size of the student body was 275. One-third of the students were enrolled in the collegiate division; the remainder attended the college's preparatory and high school departments.
Santa Clara experienced slow and steady growth during its first 60 years, becoming "The University of Santa Clara" in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added. In 1925, the high school was separated from the University taking the name of Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1928.
The Leavey School of Business opened in 1926 and within a decade it became one of the first business schools in the country to receive national accreditation.
For 110 years, Santa Clara was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and Santa Clara became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students tripled over the next decade. The size of the faculty also tripled and the University began the largest building program in school history, building eight residence halls, a student union, and the athletic stadium.
In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the University for generations to come.
In 1985, the University adopted Santa Clara University as its official name.
The 106-acre campus is located in Santa Clara, Calif., at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, approximately two miles from San Jose International Airport. The University enjoys a moderate climate year-round; the sun shines approximately 300 days a year.
At the center of the campus is Mission Santa Clara de Asís, surrounded by the roses and palm trees of the historic Mission Gardens. The more than 50 buildings on campus include residence halls, two libraries, a student center, and extensive athletic facilities. | <urn:uuid:e4b197d6-8a46-45e5-8c89-c17f16b8c3b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scu.edu/about/history.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966644 | 602 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Azerbaijan develops Islamic financing
Posted on January 27, 2012, Friday
BAKU, Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan may soon become a regional Islamic financing centre and play a significant role in boosting cooperation in Islamic banking with Persian Gulf and Central Asian countries.
Islamic financing is one of the fastest growing segments of the global financial services industry worldwide. At the same time, interest in Islamic finance as a source of investment is high in the country, reported Azerbaijan’s news agency, Trend.
Many countries’ interest in Islamic finance was associated with different factors, the foremost of which was the desire to attract liquid resources from the Middle East and Southeast Asia and a certain demand for financial products in accordance with syariah law by local Muslims.
Today, Azerbaijan actively introduced Islamic financing. The independent authority of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) on Islamic banking would start its work in March, which planned to present six Islamic banking products to the market during the first phase, it stated.
The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) was also in talks to create the first Islamic insurance company in Azerbaijan, takaful, which was popular in Europe, particularly in the UK. European and Central Asian countries were considered experts in Islamic financing.
Most of takaful’s customers were non-Muslims in countries where the Islamic insurance market was the most developed in the world.
Ansar Leasing, organised on Islamic principles and established by the ICD, had successfully operated in Azerbaijan for three years.
During this period, the company had formed a portfolio worth US$15 million and the company planned to draw about US$6 million to US$7 million from its founder to expand operations. Some Azerbaijani private banks were also starting to expand the range of Islamic financing tools, introducing Ijarah (leasing) and Murabahah.
One such bank was TuranBank, which plannned to introduce these tools with the financial support of the Islamic Corporation.
Another bank, Nikoil, was actively introducing deposit products, which include Wadia yad Daman. Evidently, Azerbaijani banks’ interest in Islamic products was growing gradually.
The amount of money that entered the market through this channel was very small in Azerbaijan, since many issues related to Islamic financing had not been yet addressed.
Therefore, the successful development of Islamic finance on the domestic market would depend on the further improvement of legislation, regulatory prudential norms, and supply and demand.
In the near future, it might become a subject of debate.
By developing Islamic financial infrastructure, Azerbaijan might indeed attract investments and financing from the Islamic capital market, not only from Arab countries.
Alternative financial tools could be provided for Azerbaijani investors in this way. Also, the number of practicing Muslims who could not and did not want to use traditional financial services was growing in Azerbaijan.
slamic financial tools could become the channel through which their assets could be involved in the economy. — Bernama | <urn:uuid:63438a2a-a7c9-4ebf-bbdf-71eca4215fde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/27/azerbaijan-develops-islamic-financing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972987 | 615 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Bermuda was settled in 1609 and is the oldest self-governing colony in the British Commonwealth. The Island measures 23 square miles, is home to 65,000 residents and lies approximately 660 miles east of North Carolina.
International Business and tourism are the main aspects of the Island’s economy with the insurance and reinsurance industry playing a dominant role.
The Bermuda insurance and reinsurance market, recognized today as being the third largest in the world after New York and London, had its origins back in the 1960s and 1970s with the development of the captive insurance industry. Growth continued with the excess liability insurance market in the 1980s and the large capital influx of the early 1990s with the creation of the catastrophe reinsurance companies. The first decade of the new century has seen another wave of substantial capital to the Bermuda market in response to industry needs, initially after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and then following Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005.
It is the financial strength of the market, key developments in innovative risk financing and strong flexible regulation that have made Bermuda “The World’s Risk Capital”.
Captive Insurance in Bermuda
By being the birthplace of captive insurance companies, and despite competition from other offshore and onshore domiciles, Bermuda has maintained its position as the worlds leading captive domicile. The Bermuda Monetary Authority(“BMA”), and specifically the Supervisor of Insurance, are responsible for regulation of the insurance industry under the auspices of The Insurance Act 1978 and various amendments (“The Act”). The Act is designed to provide an early warning about insurance companies that have potential solvency problems and to give the BMA statutory powers to restrict operations or force closure.
As Bermuda’s market developed over the decades and to ensure that all insurance and reinsurance companies domiciled in Bermuda have a level of regulation that is appropriate to their underlying business, a class system of regulation was introduced in 1995 and further amended in 2008.
Today, all Bermuda insurance and reinsurance companies are registered under one of the following classes for general business. The level of regulatory attention varies according to the class with Class 1 having the lowest level of regulation:
Class 1 - Single parent writing related risks only
Class 2 - Multi-owner captives, agency captives and single parent captives writing not more than 20% unrelated risks
Class 3 – Rent–a-captive facilities, segregated account companies, companies writing connected business and companies writing up to 50% unrelated risks
Class 3A – Companies writing in excess of 50% unrelated risks and less than $50 million in gross premium
Class 3B - Companies writing in excess of 50% unrelated risks and more than $50 million in gross premium
Class 4 – Companies with a statutory capital and surplus of at least $100 million that write excess liability or property catastrophe reinsurance businesses.
All insurance companies are required to maintain minimum solvency requirements: $120,000 for Class 1 companies, $250,000 for Class 2 companies, $1 million for Class 3, 3A and 3B companies and $100 million for Class 4 companies. Actual requirements depend on the volume of business being written and the level of loss reserves. Companies are also required to maintain “relevant assets” equal to at least 75% of “relevant liabilities”. While all insurance companies are required to appoint an independent auditor who will report on the statutory financial statements and return, the requirement to appoint a loss reserve specialist and filing requirements vary for each class.
In addition to general business, Bermuda regulations permit the formation of companies writing long-term business such as life, long-term health care and disability insurance and annuities. The minimum capital requirement is $250,000 and the company must maintain an actuarially determined Life Fund.
Companies may be licenced as composites – writing both general and long-term business and must meet the statutory minimums separately for each type.
Bermuda is currently home to approximately 1,000 of the world’s captives with parentage from all corners of the globe and ranging from Fortune 500 companies to family owned.
USA Risk Group currently manages 24 captives in Bermuda, with premium volume in excess of $800 million and capital and surplus in excess of approximately $806 million.
Why Choose Bermuda for Your Captive
- Political and economic stability – Bermuda’s political and economic structures are built on stable foundations. Bermudians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world.
- OECD – Bermuda has been white-listed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
- Taxation – Bermuda has no taxation on profits, dividends or income, nor are there any capital gains or gift taxes. The only form of taxation imposed on insurance and reinsurance companies is annual registration and licensing fees.
- Regulation – There is an effective, yet flexible, regulatory environment.
- Currency – Foreign-owned companies are not subject to any form of currency or monetary control. Local currency is the Bermuda Dollar, which is pegged at par to the US Dollar, which itself circulates widely.
- Communication – Communication facilities to and from the island are excellent. Fiber optic and digital technology services are available, as are video conferencing and internet services.
- Professional services – In addition to Cedar Management, there are excellent professional services on the Island, including banks, audit and accounting firms and law firms.
- Insurance expertise – Bermuda offers a high caliber of insurance expertise and technical knowledge.
- An island paradise – Bermuda has the charm of a premier tourist resort that provides excellent hotels and restaurants, top class recreation and entertainment facilities and an attractive sub-tropical climate.
Thomas R. McMahon
Cedar Management Limited
25 Church Street
PO Box HM 824
Hamilton, HM 12
Toll Free: 877/483-1850 ex 2371 | <urn:uuid:4a383d96-369d-4eff-9e10-dc9013881b6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usarisk.com/index.php/domiciles/bermuda | 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 | 0.935428 | 1,213 | 2.5625 | 3 |
You are herecontent / Elaborate fraud
By The Record, NorthJersey.com
ALTHOUGH it shook Britain on the eve of Prime Minister Tony Blair's reelection last month, the "Downing Street memo" hasn't received much attention in this country.
The memo summarized the minutes of a July 2002 meeting of Mr. Blair's inner circle, including his defense secretary, foreign secretary and head of intelligence, to discuss U.S. plans for invading Iraq - assuming that British forces would take part.
The memo reveals this about the coming war:
Eight months before the invasion began, President Bush had already made up his mind to wage war on Iraq, even though he told the American people it would be a last resort.
According to the memo, the head of British intelligence (known as "C") had just met in Washington with top U.S. intelligence officials: "C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable."
The memo also hints that intelligence on Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction was being manipulated.
It says: "Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."
That intelligence was later found by a presidential commission to be "deeply flawed." But the war was well under way by then.
At the July 2002 meeting, British officials discussed the weakness of the case for war, based on weapons of mass destruction, and what could be done to strengthen it.
"It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided," the minutes say. "But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran."
So how to justify an invasion? Go to the United Nations and hope it fails. According to the memo, Mr. Blair says that "it would make a big difference politically and legally if Saddam refused to allow in the U.N. inspectors."
As it turned out, Mr. Blair urged Mr. Bush to go to the United Nations first, rather than invade Iraq outright. Bush advisers didn't want to seek U.N. approval for the war, but British officials saw it as giving the invasion legitimacy - if Saddam didn't cooperate with the inspectors. However, he did.
Had the inspectors been allowed to continue their work, it might have become clear that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, and the war might never had started.
The memo shows the American people were hoodwinked. Now, more than 1,600 American soldiers are dead, and we are still being hoodwinked.
As Mr. Blair visits this week with the president in Washington, both are likely to insist, at least publicly, that the war in Iraq is going well.
Truth doesn't enter into it. | <urn:uuid:ae5e59c0-6dc1-4a0b-8fdd-28df8bb4b8b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://warisacrime.org/node/73 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985048 | 615 | 1.90625 | 2 |
(FRISCO, Texas) -- A high school basketball team in Texas is proving the old adage, “there’s no ‘I’ in team,” true by rallying around a senior player diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Justin Nicholas, 18, a senior at Wakeland High School in Frisco, Texas, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in late December after discovering lumps on his body. Doctors found the cancerous tumors had spread to Nicholas’ lymph nodes, stomach and neck, forcing the four-year basketball player, who had been playing basketball up to a week before his Christmas Eve surgery, to cut his senior season short.
Nicholas’ teammates on the Wakeland varsity team responded by rallying to his aid, holding “pass the bucket” fundraising drives at the halftime of their home games and holding a “shoot-a-thon” to raise money to help defray his medical costs.
“The insurance is paying some of the costs but each time he goes into the hospital [for chemotherapy] it’s a five-day stay,” Nicholas’ mother, Gayla, told ABC News. “He just did a stem cell collection in case he needs a transplant in the future. We don’t even have any idea what the total is going to be.”
Nicholas will begin his fourth round of chemotherapy treatment next week. In between his treatments he’s been a fixture on the sidelines and last week he got the chance to shoot the last bucket of his high school basketball career.
The team honored Nicholas on its senior night Feb. 12, presenting him with a signed team poster, the game ball and allowing Nicholas to score the first basket of the game against Heritage High School.
“Justin never thought he’d get to play again so that meant a lot, that his coach did that for him,” Gayla Nicholas said, also noting that the opposing team, Heritage High, gave the family a $500 check -- $100 of their own donations along with $400 raised by another local high school.
In all, Gayla Nicholas says, the basketball team and Wakeland High have raised almost $15,000 for Nicholas and his treatment. Friends of the family -- which also includes Nicholas' dad, Wayne, and brother, Drew -- and the local Frisco community have also made donations and tributes on his Caring Bridge page.
Nicholas is being home-schooled for his final semester of high school and still planning to attend the University of Arkansas in the fall. After his fourth round of chemotherapy is completed early next month, doctors will do a full-body scan to see if his tumors are continuing to shrink and then decide on the next course of treatment.
“That’ll be a fork in the road where we have to make more decisions,” Gayla Nicholas said.
The generosity from his fellow teammates and the medical team working to get him well have already led Nicholas towards a major decision himself.
The student, once planning to major in sports marketing in college, is now leaning towards a career in nursing, his mother said.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio | <urn:uuid:b287bc58-6d9b-4081-9c6e-b3e64e58d43a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kugn.com/common/more.php?m=58&ts=1368956822&article=D5D0B1907D3311E2B66BFEFDADE6840A&mode=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9824 | 663 | 1.507813 | 2 |
You may have heard by now that the unemployment rate reached 9.8 percent in September. There are lots of other ways to gauge the health of the job market, however. Here are a few graphs that show how tough it is out there.
First we have a chart showing a breakdown of monthly job losses (or, in some cases, gains) by industry, from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta:
Following any single color through the graph can help you track how its corresponding industry did. Note, for example, that the yellow bar — which represents the change in government jobs — switched from being above zero for many months in the beginning of the recession to below it in recent months. On the other hand the blue bar — which represents professional and business services, and rests below the zero marker — was ominously long around the turn of this calendar year, but has shrunk in recent months.
Also from the Atlanta Fed comes this beauty, which shows how many workers are part time but would prefer to be full time:
As you can see, the portion of workers employed part time for economic reasons has risen sharply in this downturn, relative to prerecession levels.
This chart, from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, shows a similar trend line: the broader measure of unemployment — the so-called U-6 rate, which includes both those working part time for economic reasons and people who want to work but have given up looking.
The Cleveland Fed also recently published this chart, showing the number of Americans who are employed as a fraction of the total adult population:
Note the long slide in the very last gray bar of the chart, which represents the current recession. The share of Americans working has not been this small since the 1980s, when fewer women were in the labor force. | <urn:uuid:cd355562-900b-4008-bfae-93faa82ba207> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/the-job-market-in-charts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972258 | 363 | 2.21875 | 2 |
eople have really weird issues with race, sex, and sexuality; we define ourselves in such strict little boxes that it’s almost dizzying. Man or woman. Gay or straight. Black or white. But nothing is really black and white is it? Even photographs have shades of grey. (Insert desired 50 Shades joke here). I can’t say for sure but I feel like this is largely an American problem, and one that we’ve created for ourselves.
For a long time now the politically correct way in which to describe a person who is for lack of a better word of color (or black–which fun fact for non-artists. Black is actually the absence of color. White is all the colors combined so technically white people are the ones who are “of color”) and American is to call them African American. So how would you describe a character who’s British and black? African British? or African English? I don’t think that’s a thing.
There’s also: Native American to describe what we previously called Indians (because the idiot who found this place thought he was somewhere else). Asian American, Latina/Latino or Hispanic American, LGBT American… but it gets dicey because not all Asians, Hispanics or LGBT individuals are the same are they?
They’re blanket terms, but if someone is Filipino they are not from Asia. As the term Asian assumes. Mexican is usually a blanket term for a Hispanic person however Mexicans are from Mexico, which is far from Spain where the term Hispanic comes from. Latino refers to people who are from Latin America as the name suggests, yet people use them as blanket terms to describe someone who is in essence not-white or Caucasian as the P.C. term dictates. Ironically according to the dictionary, caucasian is actually considered often offensive in itself. Also on the whole African American front what of those who have never been to Africa, know nothing of the continent and maybe weren’t even from there to begin with? I mean African American is also a term we use to describe people who appear to be dark skinned but could very well be from Jamaica or a similar island nation. It’s worth noting that you can be “white” and still technically an African American if you were born in Africa then moved to America. What box do you check then? You’re LITERALLY an African-American, except by definition of race you’re technically caucasian. In case you were wondering that was a reference to the film Mean Girls.
I’m not trying to be divisive or offensive I’m trying to make a point. We define ourselves in such strict terms and the reality is nothing is clear cut. There’s a huge grey area that we tend to overlook and sometimes maybe even ignore because it doesn’t suit our interests. Race and sex and sexuality shouldn’t be political issues that determine whether or not a candidate is worthwhile… but it is. Actually the reason I mention this at all is two-fold. I do want to have characters who are more than just caucasian, but I actually don’t want to offend anyone by describing them in the wrong way. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind offending people in certain ways, just not because of how I try to explain a character’s ethnic background.
Further proof this is more of an American issue than anywhere else… Here is how Kingsley Shacklebolt was introduced to us in chapter three of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
“And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt”– he indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed–”Elphaias Doge…” | <urn:uuid:60c6536d-6e80-4dd0-82ef-ffeaa3009b5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cultofajracewood.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/ethnical-difficulties/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96291 | 786 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Valuing our human infrastructure
For years, politicians have talked about the under-funded public infrastructure like highways, water lines, sewer systems and basic transportation.
There is another infrastructure that is being under-funded in this city and state in particular: our “human infrastructure.”
In educational terms, we are regressing.
When I was growing up, my school district supplied the basics for a well-rounded education. I took what I learned and then expanded my knowledge at my local county-funded library, and went on to graduate with honors at Angelo State University.
Today’s children receive a poorer quality education because Texas no longer properly funds public schools K-12, and our public libraries are being starved of resources. A university education that cost me $4 a credit hour has now increased 10 times or more since I went to school.
While libraries are being destroyed by budget cuts, the need for a strong library is greater than ever. The population that our schools serve face greater challenges since so many come from homes where English is not the first language in the home.
Despite this challenge for children and adults, ESL class funding has been slashed. Dallas Independent School District has a 50 percent dropout rate, and GED class funding has been slashed.
The state of Texas has eliminated funding for the online databases for K-12 and DISD has reduced the number of school librarians.
Each of these reductions by other government agencies has increased the demand by citizens of Dallas and other Texas cities to use public libraries; however, the city of Dallas has reduced our library spending by approximately 40 percent over the last three budget years.
We would be lucky were our library merely “decimated,” i.e. reduced by a tenth. We now spend less money per capita on libraries than Fort Worth, Austin, Houston or San Antonio. Despite this lack of funding, demand at Dallas Public Libraries has increased.
In the 2006 bond program, the voters approved approximately $60 million in funding for eight new or replacement libraries; unfortunately, those buildings are now short staffed and short of materials.
Each branch except for Hampton Illinois has only a branch manager for 2 ½ days a week since the branch managers cover two branches. The branch manager for North Oak Cliff also is responsible for West Dallas. By dividing their time, they barely have time to manage their branch, let alone get to know their neighborhoods.
Many branches no longer have children’s librarians even though it is critical to encourage children to love reading if they hope to succeed in life. Texas prisons are filled with men who read at a fourth grade level.
Our city is filled with unemployed men and women who lack the necessary job skills to compete in our global economy. If we do not invest in our children, our future as a community is doomed to failure.
It does not matter how much money we give in tax breaks if our citizens cannot read the English language. Companies may locate here but employ suburbanites who have better funded schools and libraries.
The choice is clear: Either we as a city invest in our library system, our cultural institutions where children and adults learn, or we are known as a city with beautiful monuments and a high unemployment rate.
If you want to change this situation, I would encourage you to contact your City Council member and the mayor of Dallas. The proposed budget can still be changed. If you would like to help improve the Dallas Public Library System, you can join the Friends of the Dallas Public Library or your local branch Friends Group. If your branch does not have a Friends group, I can help you start a group.
Stan Aten, president, Hampton Illinois/Oak Lawn Library Friends
Republicans won’t help economy
Why did the president of Dallas chapter of Log Cabin Republicans give no evidence in his commentary (“Why I will vote Republican in 2012,” Dallas Voice, Sept. 2) as to why the GOP will help your pocketbook?
He couldn’t. They won’t. They never have.
Take stocks, the way many generate retirement, as well as current income:
DJIA up 223 percent during Clinton’s eight years, down 25 percent during the George W. Bush eight-year reign of error, and up only 46 percent during his daddy’s four-year term.
Jobs? More than 11 percent increase annualized during the Clinton presidency, under 1 percent when George W. Bush was in the White House.
How do I know the above information? I googled it.
Don’t be misled by Republicans who talk about being better on pocketbook issues. You only have to check with Google to know the Democrats have consistently done better.
Dave Gershner, Dallas
Is Schlein nuts?
In re: “Why I will vote Republican in 2012,” Dallas Voice, Sept. 2, by Rob Schlein.
Is this guy nuts? Bring back “don’t ask, don’t tell?” A federal defense of straight only marriage amendment? America got it wrong in 2008?
Hundreds of millions of Americans think not.
Can we not be trusted to vote intelligently? How about we all do away with votes and have a permanent Republican government and bring back President Bush to save us from the recession he caused.
What kind of gay man would dare show his face and tell us to vote for the most homophobic party in politics? He must be very stupid, or on the GOP payroll.
Nathaniel Ash, via the Internet
Rob Schlein’s article about why he will vote Republican (“Why I will vote Republican in 2012,” Dallas Voice, Sept. 2) reminds me of the argument that many slaves were better off in bondage than they were after they were freed.
No level of economic privilege can compensate for the loss of basic civil rights. I will not live as a second-class citizen and hide in the closet, even if it buys me a nicer car and gets me a higher paying job.
Even if I accepted Mr. Schlein’s premise that voting Republican would lead to higher economic opportunities for the average person — which I don’t — the price is still too high. That’s why I will vote Democrat, no matter who is running. And I hope you will too.
Mark Swaim, Dallas
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 9, 2011. | <urn:uuid:2fb2d809-1728-42ba-ab90-a1b4f2ee1501> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dallasvoice.com/tag/university-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962951 | 1,334 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Staff Pick: Up in the Old Hotel
by Joseph Mitchell
Have you ever wondered what the bearded lady drinks at a cocktail party? Or what motivates a street preacher? Or about the morality of gypsies?
Joseph Mitchell (1908-1996) addressed these issues and other features of New York City's underbelly. He profiled members of the city's eclectic citizenry, described the city's venerable tavern, and examined the secret life of harbor rats in the richest detail as a staff writer for The New Yorker from 1938 until his death at age 87. At least he kept an office at The New Yorker during that time. Legend has it that one of the colorful personalities that populate Mitchell's tales gave him the severest documented case of writer's block.
The final entry in the Mitchell anthology Up in the Old Hotel was originally published in 1964, not quite 30 years after Mitchell joined The New Yorker staff, and just over 30 years before he departed this world. Of the latter period, Mitchell's colleague Roger Ansell observed: "Each morning he stepped out of the elevator with a preoccupied air, nodded wordlessly if you were just coming down the hall, and closed himself in his office . . . . Not much typing was heard from within, and people who called on Joe reported that his desktop was empty of everything except paper and pencils. When the end of the day came, he went home." And on it continued.
So who done it? Which of Mitchell's ensemble cast of eccentrics possessed the power to break his finely tuned brain? Did Lady Olga frighten Mitchell into silence with her naturally fuzzy chin and cheeks? Did Reverend James Jefferson Davis Hall convince Mitchell that elegantly crafted essays are the work of the devil, and coerce Mitchell to repent? Did he drink his gift away at the bar of McSorley's wonderful saloon?
Up in the Old Hotel contains Mitchell's corpus, essays anthologized in five smaller collections after running originally in The New Yorker. After reading these 718 pages, you realize that the world was fortunate to have Mitchell describe it for as long as he did. His Rip van Winkle act matters not. The essays are keenly detailed, apparently the product of years of sensitive observation and numerous interviews. Mitchell's delivery is unhurried, though he never obsesses. He strolls along leisurely, but purposefully. To excerpt his prose in this format would be about like spray-painting a Mona Lisa in hot pink on a freeway overpass.
Mitchell's tales eschew plot in favor of density of detail. The stories entertain as narrative does, but involve the reader at a great depth. Reading Mitchell, one feels like a witness. Mitchell so comfortably, so faithfully renders the stories of his motley crew, that the reader begins, after a while, to believe Mitchell is one of them. This empathy that distinguishes Mitchell's art proved to be his undoing as an artist. A Harvard-educated Bowery bohemian named Joe Gould, star of Mitchell's 1942 essay "Professor Sea Gull," fascinated Mitchell with the process of his life's work, a massive tome Gould called The Oral History of Our Time. Following Gould's death, Mitchell sought a copy of The Oral History. He learned that the book existed only in Gould's mind. Mitchell never published another word. Whether he continued to compose stories in his mind for those last 30 years remains a matter of speculation and fantasy. The first 30 years of his career can all be found Up in the Old Hotel. | <urn:uuid:f141ca82-ee26-4677-9326-42fce8c8faa3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.memphismagazine.com/Memphis-Magazine/March-2008/Staff-Pick-Up-in-the-Old-Hotel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964872 | 726 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Services are increasingly tradable, mainly as a result of rapid technological advances, in particular in information and communication technologies, and continuing liberalisation of trade in services. This has led to the relatively new phenomenon of global services sourcing or offshoring. This report analyses evidence from both trade and employment data. It finds that many of the countries prominent in the offshoring debate have experienced rapid growth of exports of computer and information services and other business services. However, the bulk of these exports still comes from OECD countries. Detailed analysis of occupational data for OECD countries to determine the share of total employment that could potentially be affected by international sourcing of IT and ICT-enabled services has yielded estimates close to 20 per cent. Services sectors such as business services (e.g. accounting, consulting), financial services and research and development have a relatively high share of such employment. Both low and high skill white collar occupations are identified by the study as potentially affected by this phenomenon of global services sourcing. | <urn:uuid:6bec6f83-f5b2-4d11-ac71-bf2df13bdf84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oecd.org/sti/ieconomy/potentialoffshoringofict-intensiveusingoccupations.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961433 | 198 | 2.03125 | 2 |
What do you know about online alcohol sales? I must admit that I knew little about this industry and was amazed with some of the statistics I recently discovered while reading an article in the September 2012, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. If you are a parent of a tween or teen, here is another topic for discussion and for monitoring as well.
According to this study that was done in 2011 out of the University of North Carolina there are greater than 5,000 internet alcohol venders (IAV), and there is little regulatory attention being paid to this 2.4 billion /year industry. It seems that another place for teens to purchase alcohol while underage is no longer just the corner liquor store, or grocery. In many communities it is much becoming more difficult for minors to purchase alcohol as there seems to be a push to improve enforcement by“carding” any one under the age of 30. I find this to be true in our area as I watch my 28 year-old married son have to produce his ID. (regretfully they no longer ask for mine!)
In this study 45 of 100 internet alcohol purchase (done by students age 18-20) attempts were successful and the alcohol (predominately wine, but beer and liquor as well) were successfully received by underage buyers. There was very little age verification at point of order, with some of the orders being processed using a parents birthdate or by simply checking a box stating that “buyer is over 21 years of age.” All of the orders in the study were for less than $100 and were made using prepaid gift cards that are difficult to track. Teens are savvy and are will buy a card with cash and then they do not have to worry about parents tracking credit card purchases.
Age verification at time of delivery was also inconsistent. Even when packages were shipped and labeled “age verification at delivery” half of the time the package was still delivered to a minor. In some cases the alcohol was delivered to a neighbor who then handed it off to the minor, with the neighbor not paying any attention to what was in the box. (this seems like an easy thing to miss as I often receive packages for my neighbors, sign and then put them on their porch).
So, it is hard to stay ahead of tech savvy teens and with little regulation underage internet alcohol sales may continue rise. I guess the good news is that this takes a bit of pre planning on the part of adolescent, but with a little notice and a pre paid gift card a party a few weeks out may be easier to pull off than heading to the local liquor store on a Friday night. | <urn:uuid:0c57ae8d-9e50-41a0-a4ec-d42ccbe95d82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kvue.com/news/health/kids-doctor/170706506.html?ref=next | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984732 | 541 | 1.8125 | 2 |
If you determine that a selected assessment does not provide adequate coverage for the content, you can use the tools in the view to strengthen the assessment. The tools let you link new or existing questions to the assessment and find additional questions related to the content that could be added to improve coverage.
Link New Question
Use the Link New Question list arrow to add new Fill in, Hotspot, Matching, Multiple Choice (Single Answer), Multiple Choice (Many Answers), True/False, and User-Defined questions. When adding the question, you are prompted to name it and select a folder for saving the question (defaults to the same folder where the document is saved). The new blank question is added to the selected assessment and automatically associated with the document selected in the outline, so it also appears in the Questions Associated table. You can double-click the question in the Questions Associated table to open it in the Question Editor and add the content for the question.
Link Existing Question
Use this option to browse the Library and add an existing question or topic (Know It? question) to the selected assessment. When you link an existing question associated with another document, you automatically break the original association and set the Associated Content property of the question to the currently selected document.
When you add a topic (Know It? question) that is outside of the assessment's coverage (either not linked to the outline or not linked to the assessment's parent), the Know It? question is added to the assessment, but no association is made with the selected document. Instead, the Know It? question is associated with the topic itself, and therefore does not appear in the Questions Associated table for the selected document.
When you add an existing question (question or Know It! topic) that is already part of the assessment, a Duplicate Questions or Topics message opens telling you that the question item is already part of the assessment and will not be added. Duplicate question items are not added since a question or topic can occur only once in an assessment.
Use this option to remove the question from the assessment. Deleting the question link does not delete the question from the Library or delete the association between the question and the document.
Clear Associated Content
Use this option to clear the Associated Content property for the selected question. The question remains in the assessment, but since it is no longer associated with a document, it is removed from the Questions Associated table. Clearing the association between a question and a document reduces the associated question count by one. You cannot clear the association for a Know It? question, but you can remove the question from the assessment.
Note: You can undo your actions in the Assessment Coverage view until you select a different assessment from the Select an assessment list.
Table of Contents | <urn:uuid:fc820bbe-0f97-441f-89cf-83673a8615c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E35104_01/HTMLPages/tpc/1e86f76a-0f6d-4dc4-8a32-6b6127bcc596/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914544 | 564 | 2.296875 | 2 |
This Dollhouse is an Architect's Dream
If you want your child to become an architect, this is the dollhouse to buy for her (him?). Called the Stackhouse, it is a TreeHugger architect's dream. It is flat pack, DIY, certified wood and imaginative to boot.
Instead of a fake Tudor or suburban mansion, this modular toy can be re-arranged and inter-changed and made to measure, depending on you (or your child's fancy).
The doll's house is modular so the shape can change as you acquire more units over time. The individual stackable boxes become an apartment building, a castle or a chalet by interchanging the rooms.
Made out of ecofriendly sustainable European birch plywood, the house has a clean and sleek look, with no chipped paint in the near future.
The rooms are big, 14" by 14" so there is lots of space. Each comes with a ladder and the walls have different illustrations on them.They are different shapes, some even have balconies, and trees etched into the sides. The windows are big too so that it is easy for little hands to put in the furniture and figures without knocking things over.
It's a cinch to make: there are no tools, screws, or nails necessary. The walls of the rooms simply slide together and stay put. Units are sold in sets or individually, so you can start modestly and add over time.
Featured in Daily Candy Kids, the dollhouses are handmade by a small company in Kirkland, Washington, specializing in well-crafted original toys. The designer, Martijn van Tilburg, is a software designer, who wanted to "see whether it is possible to design, prototype and manufacture profitable products in small runs, without sacrificing any of the quality you get with mass manufacturing. And without it becoming a one-off craft product either."
Inspired by the birth of his daughter, he had his father build the design for him, but he was disappointed with the results. He then bought himself a small Shopbot CNC router to experiment with, using the principles of software design. As he writes: "I can create real versions of the product as I am designing it and test both the appeal and construction. Once I decide the product is good enough, I can start making copies." Toideloi follows a philosophy of local manufacturing. | <urn:uuid:c34f64f1-b88b-46cb-a1d6-b7cb97c07312> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/this-dollhouse-is-an-architects-dream.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955919 | 490 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Tim Cook, boss of Apple, and Larry Page, chief executive of Google, are said to have had “at least one conversation” about the patent battles that are costing both companies hundreds of millions of pounds.
The sources said that Mr Cook and Mr Page had discussed a range of intellectual property matters and could be considering a truce over basic features and functions on Google’s Android software, according to Reuters tonight.
The news wire reported that talks are also taking place between the companies at a lower level of management.
The technology companies are fighting each other for control over the operating systems on which mobile phones are run. Their intense competition has spawned a tit-for-tat war of lawsuits on both sides of the Atlantic, with Apple and other mobile phone manufacturers accusing each other of stealing their designs.
The battles have helped to fuel a large rise in the value of patents, the intellectual property rights that are at the heart of the cases.
Earlier this year, Google paid $12.5bn (£7.9bn) for the beleaguered mobile phone manufacturer Motorola
Mobility, largely so that it could secure an artillery of 17,000 patents and 7,500 pending patents to help it fight these battles, either on its own behalf or on the behalf of the companies which use its Android system.
The stakes of the ongoing litigation reached new heights last week, when a California court found Samsung infringed six of Apple’s patents and ordered it to pay the US technology giant $1.05bn in damages.
Apple and Google declined to comment on the talks. | <urn:uuid:ac4edaaa-7506-44b1-9fbe-42cee87b73fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9510652/Apple-and-Google-chiefs-hold-secret-talks-about-patents.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953858 | 325 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The Kissinger Institute on China and the United States is dedicated to promoting greater understanding of issues in the U.S.-China relationship and its impact on both countries and the world. It does so by exploring the political, economic, historical, and cultural factors that underlie the respective behavior patterns and world views of China and the United States. Inspired by and dedicated to Dr. Henry A. Kissinger’s vision of the importance of the relationship between these two nations, the Kissinger Institute brings together the most expert thinkers and the most promising policymakers and public officials to promote cross-cultural dialogue and enhanced understanding on a variety of issues.
In pursuit of this goal, the Institute will:
- Seek to prepare future public policy leaders;
- Provide leading scholars with the opportunity to conduct research that enhances understanding of U.S.-China relations;
- Improve bilateral comprehension, communication, and cooperation through seminars, workshops, briefings, and conferences featuring American, Chinese, and other representatives of the public, private and non-governmental sectors with relevant knowledge and expertise;
- Identify similarities and differences on issues for better insight in to the bilateral relationship
The Institute is non-partisan and is committed to improving American expertise about China as well as Chinese knowledge about the United States.
To further this purpose the Kissinger Institute has established a counterpart relationship with the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. The Kissinger Institute's Advisory Council will include scholars from both China and the United States.
Director of the Kissinger Institute
The current Director of the Kissinger Institute is J. Stapleton Roy, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1991 - 1995. | <urn:uuid:7517e3de-1e01-4d54-960b-843c8179ef8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wilsoncenter.org/about-kissinger-institute | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925131 | 337 | 1.773438 | 2 |
PIERRE — Brown County Commission chairman Duane Sutton asked a big question Wednesday of the James River Water Development District board members: Do they want to be a partner in developing a Brown County water management plan?
The already serious road problems facing Davison and other South Dakota counties were made worse this spring when some roads, already saturated from winter runoff, were rendered impassable by heavy rains.
Davison County has about 173 miles of blacktop and roughly 560 miles of county and township gravel roads. It’s unlikely the county will be able to maintain some deteriorating asphalt roads in a safe condition unless those roads are ground up and returned to gravel, according to County Commission Chairman David Weitala.
View your ad here! Cost effective targeted advertising. Contextual advertising starting as low as $79/month. This includes targeted ad delivery and search results! Add your business to the Marketplace » | <urn:uuid:3ec2faad-eca3-4d0c-9aa4-5b5eee84104e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/tag/tag/brown%20county/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961237 | 183 | 1.757813 | 2 |
We were thrilled when we had the opportunity to make the announcement on air at FOX 26 that a diabetic alert dog could be a very real possibility for a local family in need. It all started with the dream of the owners of Canine Country Club in Katy. They are in the process of training a dog to sniff out low blood sugar levels, and they wanted to give their special dog to a deserving family.
Jeff and Adrienne Murphrey are accustomed to teaching dogs better manners. This time, they are training a dog to possibly save someone's life. The Murphreys put out a request for families to come forward, who were struggling with the difficulties of Type 1 Diabetes.
The Lischka family from neighboring Bellville was watching FOX 26 Morning News that day. It paid off, because they have been awarded Splenda.
"We took in applications from all over: Houston, Katy, The Woodlands, Spring, Bellville. We contacted several people after reading their applications. We went through the criteria, moved on from there and selected the family," says Adrienne Murphrey.
The Murphreys wanted to find the perfect fit for the dog and child, because Type 1 Diabetes can cause serious dips in blood sugar. Researchers have figured out that a well-trained dog can smell out the danger and warn family members before it is too late. They found the perfect partnership in the form of 6-year-old Landon Lischka. His parents received the good news on Christmas Day by phone.
"Both of us were very shocked & surprised and overwhelmed," says Landon's parents, Jared and Candy. They feel that Landon's childhood will feel much safer with Splenda by his side.
"As a mom and dad with a child with a disability it's just always nice to get a helping hand, but in this case, a paw to help him and catch him when he's low and know he's going to be cared for - and the freedom of being a boy - and in a cool way," says Candy.
Landon says having Splenda by his side is a cool way to deal with Diabetes and now he can't wait to take her to school. This is important because he has a dangerous form of the disease that causes sudden, life-threatening drops in his blood sugar. Like many diabetics, Landon and his parents have to monitor everything from what he eats to how much he exercises, to his emotional stress. Since he has Type 1 Diabetes, all of these things affect his blood glucose, or blood sugar. "We check him 6 to 8 times a day and we just keep in good contact with the school nurse. We check him in the middle of the night. 2:00 AM is usually my watch, and Jared checks at 5:30 in the morning, to make sure he stayed during the night, the most important thing," says Candy.
Landon tried an insulin pump, but it just didn't work for him. "He hated every aspect of it. He just doesn't want anything attached to him, he just wants to play and run," says Candy. Landon says he does okay with his six to eight insulin injections a day. Getting Splenda doesn't mean the Lishka's can let down their guard though. "She'll just be part of the equation, we'll still do our checks and it's going to be nice to have her there for "in between" times," explains Candy.
Splenda should hopefully move in full-time with the Lischka family when she completes her remaining three months of training. An alert dog like Splenda can cost anywhere from $10,000 up to $25,000; that is because it takes months of specific training.
On the Web:
Diabetic Alert Dog -- http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/
Canine Country Club -- http://www.mycaninecountryclub.com/ | <urn:uuid:07d19ac2-6827-4cbb-9861-c6711599333b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/18177365/houston-area-family-gains-diabetic-alert-dog | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987103 | 809 | 1.984375 | 2 |
A couple of years ago, Hesham Rakha misjudged a yellow traffic light and entered an intersection just as the light turned red. A police officer handed him a ticket.
"There are circumstances, as you approach a yellow light, where the decision is easy. If you are close to the intersection, you keep going. If you are far away, you stop. If you are almost at the intersection, you have to keep going because if you try to stop, you could cause a rear-end crash with the vehicle behind you and would be in the middle of the intersection anyway," said Rakha, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech.
He's not trying to defend his action. Rakha, director of the Center for Sustainable Mobility (www.vtti.vt.edu/csm.php) at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (www.vtti.vt.edu), is describing his research. Since 2005, his research group has been studying drivers' behaviors as they approach yellow lights. Their goal is to determine signal times for intersections that are safer and still efficient.
If a driver decides to stop when instead of proceeding, rear-end crashes could occur. If a driver proceeds instead of stopping, collisions with side street traffic could occur. Although observation-based research shows that only 1.4 percent of drivers cross the stop line after the light turns red, more than 20 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States occur at intersections.
"If the yellow time is not set correctly, a dilemma zone is imminent," Rakha said.
"The dilemma zone occurs when the driver has no feasible choice," he said. "In other words the driver can neither stop nor proceed through the intersection before the light turns red. This can also occur if the approaching vehicle is traveling faster than the posted speed limit and/or if the driver's perception and reaction time is longer than the design one-second value."
In most cases, the yellow time is set for 4.2 seconds on a 45 mph road. The time is longer for higher-speed roads. "These timings are based on two assumptions," Rakha explains. "Namely, the driver requires one second to perceive and react to the change in signal indication and that the driver requires 3.2 seconds to stop from 45 mph at a comfortable deceleration level, assumed to be 3 meters per second squared (3 m/s2 ) or 10 feet per second squared."
For his studies, Rakha's used Virginia's Smart Road, located at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The Smart Road intersection has a signal that can be controlled for length of the red, yellow and green lights. "We can study driver behavior by changing the signal when the driver is a certain distance from the intersection."
Center for Sustainable Mobility researchers have determined that half of drivers make the stop-go decision three seconds before the stop line. Of those that go, few clear the intersection before the light changes to red. In Virginia, if you are in the intersection when the light turns red, you are not running a red light. However, there is still risk.
The specific findings from the Smart Road study are that 43 percent of drivers who crossed the stop line during the yellow time were not able to clear the intersection before the light turned red. At 45 mph, it takes 1.5 seconds to clear a 30-meter (98.4 feet) intersection. "If the all-red interval is the minimum conventional one second, then there is a potential risk that the legal yellow-light runners would not be able to completely clear the intersection at the instant the side-street traffic gains the right-of-way," the researchers reported at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in 2010.
People over 60 years of age have a longer perception-reaction time, so they have to brake harder to stop. But they are more likely to try to stop, compared to younger drivers. However, if they keep going, they are unlikely to clear the intersection, the researchers report.
"Even if yellow timing is designed properly to avoid a dilemma zone, someone driving above the speed limit could encounter a dilemma because it takes longer to stop from a higher speed. They could speed up, but our studies show that drivers who keep going usually maintain their speed," Rakha said.
The research determined that the perception-reaction time is slightly longer than one second, but that driver deceleration levels are significantly higher than the deceleration level assumed for traffic signal design.
If the road conditions are poor, drivers react 15 percent slower because they are processing more information. Deceleration level decreases by 8 percent. "In such conditions, you need a longer yellow," Rakha said.
He and his team has developed a novel procedure to compute the yellow and change interval duration that accounts for the risk of drivers being caught in the dilemma zone. Using this procedure they have created tables for light vehicles at various speeds for dry roads and wet roads, so that traffic planners can set traffic signals that can be adjusted to roadway surface and weather conditions. They also created tables for the driving characteristics for different age groups.
One strategy to make intersections safer might be more use of caution lights that tell drivers a green light is about to change, so the driver has a longer time to react. Such systems now are used on high speed roads, where the stopping distance is longer, and when the lighted intersection is not visible until the last seconds.
A future strategy that researchers are investigating is in-car display systems that can be customized to each driver's reaction time. "So one person receives a four-second warning of a light change, and another person receives a five-second warning. Or, instead of a warning, the system might just tell you to stop," said Rakha.
Research to implement vehicle-to-vehicle and infrastructure-to-vehicle communication is ongoing, including at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Tier 1 University Transportation Center. Rakha's research group is studying vehicle-to-vehicle communication at intersections.
The research has been presented at the 2010 and 2011 Transportation Research Board annual meetings. Articles published in 2012 are:
"Novel Stochastic Procedure for Designing Yellow Intervals at Signalized Intersections," by Ahmed Amer, transportation engineer with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.; Rakha; and Ihab El- Shawarby, assistant professor at Ain-Shams University in Cairo and senior research associate with the Center for Sustainable Mobility at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. It appeared in the June 1, 2012, Journal of Transportation Engineering.
"Designing Yellow Intervals for Rainy and Wet Roadway Conditions," by Huan Li of Blacksburg, who has received his master of science degree in civil engineering; Rakha; and El-Shawarby. The article appeared in the spring 2012 issue of the International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system. | <urn:uuid:d70949b4-7423-4189-bd24-55626bcb3c0e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/vt-ylm091112.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962127 | 1,456 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Lakehurst is located in New Jersey.
Lakehurst, New Jersey has a population of
family-centric than the surrounding county with
32.18% of the households
containing married families with children.
The county average for households married with children is 30.94%.
The median household income in Lakehurst, New Jersey is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $58,640
compared to the national median of $50,935.
The median age of people living in Lakehurst is
The average high temperature in July is 86
degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 21.1 degrees.
The average rainfall is approximately 47.3 inches
per year, with 10 inches of snow per year. | <urn:uuid:bc3d22fd-136a-421b-9a01-88ff22917c00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realliving.com/NJ/Lakehurst | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969202 | 155 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Charleston native to have Navy ship named after him, but Medal of Honor remains missing
This is the story of a thank-you from the Pentagon to a Charleston Marine awarded the Medal of Honor.
Class: Arleigh Burke
Builder: Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula, Miss.
Length: 509 feet
Speed: In excess of 30 knots
Contract: $697.6 million
Keel laying date: April 2014
Delivering date: Late fiscal 2017
Home port: Not yet designated
Where that medal is today remains a mystery.
Around Charleston, Ralph H. Johnson is a local hero, one of a handful of native-born South Carolinians to receive the nation's highest military decoration for bravery.
In March 1968, surrounded by North Vietnamese forces, Pfc. Johnson dived belly-first onto a hand grenade, sacrificing his life to save two other Marines.
The deed became so famous that this year, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced one of the Pentagon's next three Arleigh Burke class destroyers will be named the Ralph Johnson.
But a little-known mystery in Johnson's story is that the original medal has been missing for years.
Johnson's sister, Helen Richards, 69, of Summerville, said her mother died in 1991 and none of Johnson's siblings have said they found it when the discussion came up. He had 13 brothers and sisters.
What Richards does know is that their mother, Rebecca Johnson, died of a broken heart. That's what makes the naming of a Navy destroyer so special.
“I just dropped to my knees,” Richards recalled of the telephone call informing her of the Navy's plans. “You don't ever hear of a private having his name on a ship. It's usually generals and presidents.”
Johnson, who grew up on Coming Street in downtown Charleston, was barely 19 years old and just two months in Vietnam when he was killed. It was on the night of March 5, 1968. He was part of a reconnaissance team that was surrounded by the enemy in the Quan Duc Valley.
Johnson's commanding lieutenant, Clebe McClary, remembers that the final attack was a long time in coming.
“They beat sticks together and chanted for two nights,” he said. But “that third night was mighty quiet.”
Around midnight, the shooting started in a barrage of automatic weapons, satchel charges and grenades.
Those who could find cover scrambled for it. With the shooting getting worse, Johnson and two buddies were in a fighting hole about 10 feet away from McClary when the fatal grenade came in.
McClary was wounded seven times in the fight, losing his left eye and left arm. He repeatedly has said he owes his life to Johnson, saying he too could have died in the blast if not for Johnson's sacrifice.
McClary also remembers the close friendship they had.
“He was the only South Carolinian I had” in the unit, said McClary, who originally is from the Georgetown area and now lives on Pawleys Island.
During the down time, McClary said he often would sit with Johnson, reading to him from a book of ghost stories about South Carolina.
“I think it just reminded him of home,” he said.
McClary said the honor of naming a destroyer after a young African-American from downtown Charleston is a fitting tribute, but admits the recognition wasn't his first choice.
“I would have liked to see that (Arthur) Ravenel Bridge named after him, to tell the truth,” he said.
After Johnson was killed, McClary recalled that the higher-ups in the military kept asking the survivors of the fight if Johnson actually threw himself on the grenade. To that, McClary said: “When something like that happens, you have three choices: Fall on the grenade, throw it back or run. He chose to fall on it.”
Two years later, on April 20, 1970, Vice President Spiro Agnew handed the posthumous award to Johnson's mother in a ceremony at the White House. The families of 12 other fallen Marines and two Navy corpsmen received their posthumous medals that day as well.
News accounts of the ceremony don't explain what kept President Richard Nixon from attending. But around that time, Nixon was announcing a pledge to withdraw 150,000 more U.S. troops from South Vietnam, while the My Lai massacre was fresh in the headlines and anti-war demonstrations were stewing in Washington.
Johnson, believed to be the first Charlestonian to receive the medal since World War II, was buried by his family in rural St. Phillips AME Church cemetery. That would begin one of several efforts aimed at getting Johnson the recognition many thought he was due.
Local leaders and World War II Medal of Honor recipient Francis Currey were instrumental in getting Johnson's remains transferred to the National Cemetery in Beaufort in 1990. A year later, the veterans hospital in Charleston was named for Johnson.
That effort was not easy either, Richards said, pointing to opposition in some circles to recognizing a black serviceman.
Today, a duplicate of the medal with Johnson's name on it hangs in the hospital lobby. The family never pursued a replacement, she said.
Richards said she still feels connected to her brother, who would have been 63 this year. She volunteers on Mondays at the VA, pushing a cart filled with coffee, bagels and treats for the veterans who come in.
And when it comes time for the ship to take to sea in 2017, she plans to be there, and she will follow its construction at the Huntington Ingalls yard in Pascagoula, Miss.
Even with the honor, she doubts that her brother would be overwhelmed by it all.
“He'd probably say, 'Don't make a fuss over me,'?” she said. “He was just that type of guy.” | <urn:uuid:449a9be7-f6ad-48dd-9686-d569976b2c42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120701/PC16/120709924/charleston-native-to-have-navy-ship-named-after-him-but-medal-of-honor-remains-missing&source=RSS | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97749 | 1,243 | 1.609375 | 2 |
95 Scenes of Gilman Hall
My boss came to me last year and said my favorite uninformative phrase, “Someone needs a website.” Gilman Hall, our university’s iconic building, was finally reopening after a 2 year renovation and restoration process.
We tossed around a bunch of ideas, but I had just read Ethan Marcotte’s life-changing ALA article on Responsive Design and I knew I wanted to make this mini specialty site as responsive as possible. It had been 95 years since Gilman originally opened, so we decided to create 95 scenes featuring photos, videos, and sounds of the building and the people who helped shape it.
I immediately got to work on an idea for the layout of the site.
I mocked this up to demonstrate how the layout would work (big thanks to the Muppets—images were quickly pulled together from Google Images, for example only). In most standard sized browsers, the image grid would fill the screen like above. If your screen was bigger than 1500px, though, you’d see something a little different.
The grid stops expanding but keeps its shape. Up to now, this is all accomplished using flexible images1 and percentage widths for columns in the layout. But when the screen gets smaller, things start to get a little more magical. Using CSS3 media queries, I changed the percentages of the columns for smaller screens like, say, mobile2 screens.
I set up this layout in WordPress and we created a post for each scene, resulting in a flexible grid of images telling the story of Gilman Hall.
Each scene linked to a larger story, audio file, video, etc.
These inner pages were also adjusted, via CSS3 media queries, for smaller screens.
You can see the Gilman site live at http://krieger.jhu.edu/gilman.
If you’d like to check out the muppet-based prototype in the browser, you can see the demo here.
I’ve also been paying close attention to what Ethan Marcotte and the folks at Filament Group have been cooking up recently.
2 Media queries are fantastic… when they work. Unfortunately they don’t always work for mobile, especially if you care about more than the iPhone and iPad (and you probably should).
Bryan Rieger’s (Yiibu) slides on the subject are great, and suggest designing a mobile site first, using media queries to expand the layout for bigger browsers, most of which can handle media queries. | <urn:uuid:d0e96a6b-2086-44ae-bc69-9e5e41c1e898> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jasonthings.com/2010/12/95-scenes-of-gilman-hall/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937385 | 530 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Leading classification society ABS officially inaugurated the ABS Korea Energy Technology Center (KETC) in Busan, South Korea, on 19 October 2012.
ABS President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki joined senior representatives of the Korean shipping and shipbuilding sectors and academia to celebrate the official opening of the ABS KETC, ABS’ first global energy center.
Researchers at ABS KETC will work independently and in partnership with local industry, universities and government to develop technology for the offshore and energy industries in Korea. Focus areas will include offshore surface and subsea systems, oil and gas exploration and production, LNG technology, renewable energy development, alternative fuels and environmental efficiency.
KETC, staffed locally by skilled research engineers, will have access to resources at the ABS global technology headquarters in Houston as well as ABS offshore technology centers around the world.
“Korea’s yards are at the forefront of the global shipbuilding industry, and I believe the vision and initiative that have made Korea a leader in the marine industry can be similarly applied in other areas of specialization. ABS wants to join its resources with the drive, energy and technical capabilities of the Korean people,” Wiernicki said.
Investment in research and development is critical to the future of the offshore and energy industries and a priority for ABS, Wiernicki said. “I am convinced that we will make the best and most rapid progress in R&D by working together – pooling our knowledge and concentrating our efforts to solve challenges both in Korea and abroad.”
This objective dovetails with the efforts of the Korean Government, which according to Dr. Sang Jick Yoon, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, is developing offshore energy resources through R&D and investment in human resource. “In view of this,” he said, “it is all the more timely that ABS has established the Korea Energy Technology Center in the port city of Busan, which will serve to promote technology development not only in Korea but in Asia more broadly. I expect that KETC will offer a platform for close cooperation and enable us to generate innovative technology”
For Korea, the potential impact of research carried out through KETC will be significant. “As Newton’s apple changed the world and a small candle light brightens the whole room, I believe the beginning of ABS Korea Technology Center today will lead to positive changes and tremendous results in the shipping, shipbuilding and energy fields beyond our imagination,” said Dr. Kyuho Whang, Chairman of ABS Korea National Committee and President, SK Shipping.
Many local entities will benefit from collaboration with KETC. “It is the right time to establish the Korea Energy Technology Center, and I believe the goals of the center will be very much welcomed by Korean industries and academia,” said Professor Sang-Rai Cho, President of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea.
“ABS founded the KETC to increase knowledge and advance the development of the latest technology,” said Hoseong Lee, ABS Vice President, Global Korean Business Development. “We believe the KETC will be valuable in assisting ABS clients in solving their technology challenges and will enable ABS to develop stronger working relationship with Korean firms, local universities and R&D institutes.”
Press Release, October 30, 2012 | <urn:uuid:18a66665-4695-4385-ae49-1dbde6c3f9d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/abs-establishes-korea-energy-technology-center/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939935 | 701 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Featuring the writings and visual works (oil paintings, graphics, and watercolors) of visual artist Hannah Tompkins, these works based on the plays and themes of William Shakespeare were displayed at the Shakespeare Art Museum in Ashland Oregon. The Museum was founded in 1984 as a non-profit organization by Wolf Tomkins and Hannah Tompkins. "At the museum, Hannah often gave gallery talks and tours sharing her wit and wisdom of the Shakespearean experience." The museum closed in 1990 and Hannah died of cancer five years later. This online art museum displays Tompkin's oil paintings, multi-color graphics, and watercolors with her text and descriptions, all dealing with the works and themes of Shakespeare. | <urn:uuid:118f431c-5ed9-4a1e-9a9b-dfdd643ddd54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ipl.org/IPL/Display?key=res:ipl-70570&layout=blank | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953098 | 145 | 1.898438 | 2 |
There are six days left before ArtPrize kicks off and forces you to participate in the bickering- er, conversation, about art. Here's an essential piece of lingo you can use to make yourself sound smart:
A three-dimensional piece, constructed to fit a specific spatial area, often appealing to several of the senses and utilizing mixed media such as sound, mechanical parts or odors. It's a pretty loose term. A baby in a playpen is technically an installation – but is it art?
Check back every day through Sept. 20 for more questionably helpful vocabulary lessons.
Read previous lingo lessons: | <urn:uuid:f0e069ac-67b0-4093-9462-b6c727b9eb95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mlive.com/artprize/index.ssf/2011/09/artprize_countdown_6_days_left_to_learn_how_to_speak_like_an_artsy-fartsy_blowhard.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931495 | 129 | 1.875 | 2 |
Storing Word docs, XL spreadsheets etc in Oracle - Why?
Simple enough question. I know all about being able to store documents in an Oracle database. My question is why would you do this? What great business benefit to a company in storing documents in this fashion? I can think of two: security and recoverability, but if the network is secure and backed-up, is Oracle any better?
Have I missed something here folks? Anyone know any good on-line docs or resources where I can read up the concepts in a business scenario?
all I can think of is some kinda backend to a website or custom app that serves up documents from a massive library. A site that had lots of pictures would be a good example of this......apparently people like looking at pictures on the interweb
Remember also, using RMAN gives you block level recovery. If you have a problem with a large image or document you would have to restore the whole file from an OS backup. With Oracle restore/recovery issue is much reduced.
The next release of Windows will incorporate a database layer on top of the filesystem (WinFS) which will essentially act as a clever indexing tool. If you're going half-way why not go the whole hog! | <urn:uuid:ec6ca0ad-3b1a-4a05-98b1-9e5f8e31b9d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dbasupport.com/forums/showthread.php?41946-Storing-Word-docs-XL-spreadsheets-etc-in-Oracle-Why&mode=hybrid | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950879 | 258 | 1.648438 | 2 |
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealed to allies Friday to do more to help Afghanistan, and placed a hefty U.S. aid increase on the table as an incentive.
The Bush administration wants NATO allies to increase money, troops and other support for the unsteady democracy in Afghanistan, and is also working to dispel European suspicion that the United States is too busy in Iraq to pay attention to the older Afghan fight.
"Every one of us must take a hard look at what more we can do to help the Afghan people, and to support one another," Rice told a gathering of NATO foreign ministers that was arranged to commence planning for an expected Taliban military offensive in the spring.
Among other issues Rice raised Friday were the divisions within the alliance on sharing the burden in Afghanistan. Some NATO countries have shown a greater willingness than others to send troops to areas of conflict.
The United States is by far the largest contributor to the 34,460-member NATO force in Afghanistan, with 11,800 troops. Britain is next with 5,200.
The administration plans to ask Congress for $10.6 billion for Afghanistan, a major increase aimed at rebuilding the country and strengthening government security forces still fighting the Taliban five years after the U.S.-led invasion.
All but $2 billion of the new U.S. money is for security needs.
"We're looking to others to step up their effort with us, step up across the board," Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, told reporters Thursday.
The Bush administration funding proposal follows a year in which Taliban forces launched surprisingly fierce attacks across the country, poppy production expanded and relations worsened between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a key ally in the fight against global terrorism.
"The challenges of the last several months have demonstrated that we want to and we should redouble our efforts," Rice told reporters flying with her to Brussels for the NATO sessions.
The U.S. aid package would fund training and equipment to meet a previously set goal of increasing the ranks of Afghan soldiers and national police to about 70,000 and 82,000 respectively, among other uses, a State Department official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because President Bush will make a formal budget request next month.
The United States wants to strengthen the democratic government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has struggled to extend political control throughout his country and quarreled with Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf.
The new U.S. money would be on top of $14.2 billion in aid the United States has already given to Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban government.
Rice said that of the total, $8.6 billion would be for training and equipping Afghan police and security forces, and $2 billion would be for reconstruction. The money would be spent over the next two years.
The aid proposal comes alongside a move toward increasing the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
The Defense Department has said that 3,200 soldiers from the New York-based 10th Mountain Division already in Afghanistan would have their tour extended by four months. In a visit to Afghanistan last week, new Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicated he is likely to ask Bush for more troops for the country.
There are about 24,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the highest number since the war began in October 2001. About half are under the control of NATO, which is gradually gaining more control over operations there.
The NATO-led force is about 20 percent short of the troops levels pledged by its contributing nations.
Casualties in Afghanistan have risen sharply in recent months as an emboldened Taliban widened military operations and suicide attacks. Some 4,000 people died in insurgency-related violence in Afghanistan last year, according to numbers from Afghan, U.S. and NATO officials.
A springtime push caught international forces somewhat off guard last year, but the Taliban movement has not been able to translate military gains into a resurgent political force like the one that imposed harsh Islamic law on Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Some of the U.S. money will go to expand drug-fighting efforts.
Officials in the Afghan capital of Kabul said this week that despite pressure from the United States and a record crop last year, the country's heroin-producing poppies will not be sprayed with herbicide. Afghan officials said there would be increased efforts to destroy poppy crops with traditional techniques - typically sending teams of laborers into fields to batter down or plow in the plants before they can be harvested.
Fueled by the Taliban, a powerful drug mafia and the need for a profitable crop that can overcome drought, opium production from poppies in Afghanistan last year rose 49 percent to 6,700 tons. That's enough to make about 670 tons of heroin, or more than 90 percent of the world's supply and more than the amount that the world's addicts consume in a year. | <urn:uuid:de93684a-057b-42f0-a60c-0f1b8b618dd8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/nation_world/article_697bc2bb-7772-556d-bc1b-8540732497cc.html?mode=story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956823 | 1,024 | 1.695313 | 2 |