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Juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP) is an infrequent but debilitating disease. Because JORRP is uncommon, it has proven difficult for studies at single institutions to accurately evaluate its natural history.
To characterize the clinical spectrum of JORRP.
Standardized retrospective and prospective medical record abstraction.
Twenty-two tertiary-care pediatric otolaryngology centers throughout the United States.
All patients with JORRP younger than 18 years seen between January 1, 1996, and March 31, 2002.
Main Outcome Measures
Demographics, age at diagnosis, anatomic sites of disease, longitudinal disease course, frequency of surgery, need for tracheotomy, and medication history.
The registry includes 603 children. The mean age at diagnosis was 4.0 years. The children underwent a mean of 5.1 surgeries annually. Current age, rather than age at diagnosis, was the primary determinant of surgical frequency. The larynx was involved at the time of diagnosis in 96.1% of children, and 87.4% had only 1 anatomic site involved. Children with 1 site involved were significantly older at diagnosis (mean age, 3.9 years) than those with 2 sites (mean age, 2.9 years). Most (74.2%) had stable disease over time, 5.8% showed progression of papillomas to new sites, and 17.9% had no evidence of disease for at least 1 year. Children with disease progression were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than those who remained stable or became disease-free. Children who required tracheotomy were significantly more likely to have progressive disease.
The registry has established the clinical course of JORRP in a large sample representative of the United States. Young age was the most important determinant of disease severity (frequency of surgery, extent of disease at diagnosis, and progression of disease). Addressing questions of pathogenesis and disease course will require a revised data collection instrument and molecular analysis of tissues. | <urn:uuid:e1716d45-baa2-4e83-b9a5-a8415b0991ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=483957 | 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 | 0.966228 | 415 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Four years ago, I tried to write in the style of Dan Brown, using only my vague memories of The Da Vinci Code. I found it just now on an old hard drive, so here you go:
Robert Langdon creeped very carefully down the dusty steps into the secret Catholic archive vault. The steps were very dusty and old, like a very old bookcase that had not been dusted in a long time.
“Where are we going?” asked Francesca Cannoli, who was beautiful and Italian.
“To the secret Catholic archive vault to find an artifact – something cryptic and seemingly illogical.”
“Such things exist underneath the Vatican!?” Francesca asked.
“Yes, let me explain,” Robert explained. “Back in the 14th century, the Catholic church began hoarding vast amounts of cryptic, seemingly illogical items under their Pope Palace because they feared someone might discover them. You see, in a very tangential way, all the cryptic artifacts lead to a big secret that only the Catholics know about.”
“Wow, I wonder what the secret is!” Francesca said.
Robert knew the secret because he was very smart, but he wasn’t going to tell. He was like a man playing cards who didn’t want to show the other players his cards.
“I can’t tell you … because you’re a spy!” | <urn:uuid:382b0808-0806-4340-8754-69f3a308da12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cjciaramella.wordpress.com/tag/awful-similes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963856 | 307 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Learn the self defense strategy of Jiu-Jitsu. Discover an improvement in your focus, discipline, coordination, strength and flexibility. Enjoy increased self confidence and self esteem, benefits which will last a lifetime. If you are a Jiu-Jitsu student, a beginner, or someone looking for an overall workout, this class is for everyone.
Lengthens, strengthens, and aligns the entire body while maintaining a deep engagement of the core muscles. Pilates exercises are selected that stabilize the core or “powerhouse” of the body, focus on body-mechanics, coordinated breathing, and a centered mind-body connection. Amp up with a variety of props, mini-barrel, foam rollers and the magic circle.
Are you aware that stress is optional? Meditation is an available path, to quiet the mind. Just Be. Get more present with meditation in your life. Explore different techniques; affirmations, breathing, visualizations and energy work.
Dance = Love Live Life
Get out of your head and into your feet and body… experience freedom of expression through physical, creative movement and the joy of dance.
“The Way of the Warrior” spirit, is an integral system of mind and body organization which combines yoga, martial arts and meditation. Its main focus is to explore the full range of motion of the body, creating flexibility, strength, agility and balance, changing the way we move and the way we think.
A fusion of Eastern warrior training techniques, Karate, Akido and Judo combined with cardio conditioning and yoga breathing exercises. An outward expression of inner strength.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding is a surface water sport, in which each participant is propelled by a swimming motion on a paddle board. Stabilizes the core, builds balance and full body strength, while awakening your surfer spirit. Join us Bayside on the Yoga Dock for a one hour group lesson.
Take your fitness to the next level with a high energy training session on the bayside dock. Exercises are designed to tone & condition, burn fat, and develop strength & flexibility. Cross train with a mix of Plyo-metrics, Cardio, Yoga, Resistance Training, Kick Boxing, Athletic Intervals, Running & Calisthenics.
Qigong is a 5000 year old internal Chinese discipline that is practiced by 200 million people worldwide of all ages, physical abilities, religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds. “Qi” means energy or life force and “gong” means cultivation. It is the Mother of Acupuncture and Tai Chi and develops the cultivation of energy through the use of a variety of breathing techniques synchronized with meditation, movement and music. | <urn:uuid:2b9a68bd-8d29-4914-ba55-c7d15d974eed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://standardhotels.com/spa-miami-beach/spa/health-yoga-fitness/health-fitness?service=62 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904507 | 556 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Imagine hiking through a forest on a hot day. You're looking for a place to stop and rest when you come across a cool, spring-fed pool lit from above by shafts of sunlight poking through tall conifers. Sounds like a place you'd like to linger awhile, right? The pool in the picture at left could be that oasis in a deep forest, but it's in a backyard garden. And those "shafts of sunlight" come from yellowish foliage and flowers, not from the summer sky.
The pond is scarcely bigger than a puddle--less than 4 feet long and about 2 feet at its widest. Owner Sandra Adams built it by digging a shallow impression in the soil, then lining the hollow with a PVC liner. She covered the liner with small stones, edged it with river rock, and set a slab of basalt upright in the water's center to make the pool look deeper.
Behind the slab, she planted bright yellow Carex elata 'Bowles Golden'. In the foreground, a haze of chartreuse flowers covers lady's-mantle (Alchemilla mollis). At the left of the pond, the red-tipped blades of Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') echo the red-leafed Japanese maple that forms a lacy canopy overhead. At bottom right, coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea) send up hot pink flower spikes that play off the maple leaves and blood grass. | <urn:uuid:7bb36a61-fc61-4e7b-b828-da32196758d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/landscaping-woodland-pond-00400000021021/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913638 | 306 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Published 19 December 2012 | Standard notes SN05882
Civil partnerships, Marriage
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 creates a union which is very similar, but not fully identical, to marriage. Civil partners have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples in many areas. However, civil partnership is a completely new legal relationship, distinct from marriage. A legally valid marriage can currently be entered into only by a male and a female, whereas a civil partnership is available only to same-sex couples.
When enacted, the Civil Partnership Act 2004 prohibited civil partnership registrations taking place on religious premises. However, a change in the law, which came into effect on 5 December 2011, now enables civil partnerships to be registered on religious premises where religious organisations permit this, and the premises have been approved for the purpose. The new law also states, for the avoidance of doubt, that religious organisations will not be obliged to host civil partnership registrations if they do not wish to do so. The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church have said that they will not host civil partnership registrations. Some other faith groups, including the Quakers in Britain, Liberal Judaism and Unitarianism have supported the revised legislation.
On 15 March 2012, the Government launched a consultation on equal civil marriage. The Government asked for views on proposals to remove the ban on same-sex couples being able to have a marriage through a civil ceremony. The Government does not intend to make any changes to the way that religious marriages are solemnized, or how religious organisations define religious marriage, and it would not be legally possible under these proposals for religious organisations to solemnize religious marriages for same-sex couples. The consultation period ended on 14 June 2012. The consultation has received a mixed reaction from interested parties. The Church of England, which opposes the proposals, has raised concerns that there might be a successful legal challenge to the plan to limit same-sex marriage to non-religious forms and ceremonies. Some consider that religious organisations which want to solemnize same-sex marriage should be allowed to do so.
In July 2012, the Scottish Government announced that it intended to legislate to allow same-sex marriage.
This note deals with the position in England and Wales, unless specified otherwise. | <urn:uuid:cf42dc9a-cbec-450c-a0f4-1483182ea990> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn05882 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949973 | 447 | 3 | 3 |
Women Soon to Outpace Males in Lung Cancer Related Fatalities
Dr. Michelle Bloch, Chairwoman of the American Medical Women's Association, reported at a conference last week that women are dying of lung cancer at increasing rates and will soon die of it in greater number than men. At a conference entitled, "Women & Tobacco...There's Nothing Glamorous About It," Block reported that second-hand smoke, especially in the workplace, is endangering women's health. Numerous women work in bars, hotels and restaurants which allow smoking and they are thus inevitably expo sed to its side-effects. Block also pointed out that, in 1993, roughly one third of all women who lacked high school diplomas smoked while only twelve percent of women with college degrees did.
Media Resources: NewsHound, Richmond Times-Dispatch - September 18, 1995 | <urn:uuid:18f59a43-beee-498d-9e45-60c1c3cd4d11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=2965 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949883 | 172 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Well, besides this being a tremendous privacy concern you must worry about the effects it will have on your security. It could be something as insignificant as an attacker calling your phone attempting to social engineer you (with these ID's, it's possible that an attacker could impersonate an authority you trust because 'how else could he know these things?') to them being able to guess your security question(s), I believe 'mothers maiden name' is one of the most commonly chosen security questions.
I suppose if you really pissed someone off (who knew what they were doing), them simply having your address will give you a bad day (swatting anyone?). | <urn:uuid:57a9cace-75cb-4abd-904b-da18be3005b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/15578/what-bad-things-could-an-attacker-do-with-my-stolen-ids | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98278 | 133 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Behind Closed Doors
He is an Arab Christian with a ministry in the Middle East. And to start he says he could not speak freely with me in his home country. There our conversation would not continue, he said, until he had removed the battery from his cell phone.
“Why?” I ask.
“They would bug your cell phone to listen to your conversations?” I said to him in disbelief.
“It happens,” he said calmly. “If I were to openly speak with a Muslim about becoming a Christian, life would become very difficult for me and for him,” he said. And then he went on to discuss a litany of government offenses and harassment that has made his work difficult and sometimes dangerous. His precarious position is the reason I will not tell you his name, his ministry, our meeting place, or his nation.
His family fled from Palestine to this Arab country when Israel became a nation. Later he came to college in the United States, with plans to enter a high-paying professional career. But in America, his roommate was a Christian. And before he graduated, he had made Christ his Lord too. He returned to the Middle East a changed man, with a changed vision for how he would spend his life. Seminary in America followed, and then a ministry in the Middle East.
“I am very grateful for America,” he told me. “First, of course, because that is where I met my Savior. And then,” he added, “because of your Bill of Rights.”
Freedom of speech. Freedom to assemble and worship. Freedom to publish. And thus freedom to tell others about Jesus. Most of us take these freedoms for granted, and some would say they are threatened here today.
It’s sure every citizen should resist any effort to redefine or restrict these basic rights. Meanwhile, all of us can talk to a neighbor about Jesus without fear of government intrusion. We never wonder whether our small groups will be raided or our worship services shut down. No one is prosecuted for converting from one faith to another.
On every Fourth of July celebration since then, I’ve thought of this Arab Christian’s wistful testimony. His experience reminds me to thank God for our freedom to be the church. His faithfulness challenges me anew to approach the church’s work—evangelizing and studying and worshipping—with a passion we sometimes see best among those who must live out their faith behind closed doors. | <urn:uuid:87022c14-5e2d-40a2-8fb2-91ccc2498db7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://christianstandard.com/2011/06/behind-closed-doors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984494 | 527 | 1.726563 | 2 |
By Deborah J. Vagins & Erika Wood. Vagins is Legislative Counsel for the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union; Wood is Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.
In our recent Issue Brief for the American Constitution Society, The Democracy Restoration Act: Addressing a Centuries-Old Injustice, we examine an ongoing and deeply problematic barrier to the fundamental right to vote for millions of Americans. Currently, 5.3 million American citizens are denied this right because of a criminal conviction in their past. Nearly 4 million of those who are disfranchised are out of prison, working, paying taxes, and raising families, yet they are without a political voice.
With their roots in the Jim Crow era, many of these laws were originally enacted as a way to prevent African Americans from exercising their newly-won rights under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Their intended effects continue today. While 2.5% of the total U.S. voting age population is currently disfranchised, over 13% of African-American men are denied the right to vote on account of past criminal convictions -- this rate is seven times the national average.
Although in the past decade there have been significant reforms of these laws in the states, there is a compelling need for a federal standard. Some states disfranchise persons on parole or probation while others permanently disfranchise some or all who have completed their sentences. Several states even deny voting rights to persons who have incurred legal financial obligations or have only been convicted of misdemeanors.
This patchwork of laws governing voter qualifications often leads to confusion among both election and criminal justice officials about who is eligible to vote. As a result, countless individuals with convictions who are eligible to vote have been misinformed that they cannot vote, making the number of Americans impacted by criminal disfranchisement even greater. As we discuss in our Issue Brief, a federal standard is the only way to prevent future instances of this de facto disfranchisement and to ensure that all qualified Americans are able exercise their right to vote.
On March 16, 2010, the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties heard testimony from a broad group of experts, election officials, and advocates in support of such federal standard -- the Democracy Restoration Act (DRA). This legislation would restore voting rights in federal elections to the nearly 4 million Americans who have been released from prison; ensure that people on probation never lose their right to vote in federal elections; and notify people coming out of prison about their right to vote in federal elections. By establishing a federal standard for voter qualifications, the DRA would ensure that all citizens have a say in their communities, while at the same time, providing a bright line for government officials who provide voter registration information.
There has been incredible momentum behind reforming criminal disfranchisement laws in recent years. Law enforcement officials, members of the faith community, civil rights and legal organizations, and governors of both political parties have all advocated for the restoration of voting rights. Recently, The New York Times editorialized in favor of the DRA, writing that "it goes against one of democracy's most fundamental principles: that governments should rule with the consent of the governed."
However, without a national standard, the United States remains one of the only industrialized democracies where significant portions of its voting-age population are denied the ability to participate in civic life. International covenants and declarations recognize the right to vote as a fundamental human right and many countries' have determined that denying citizens with criminal convictions their fundamental rights is incompatible with the principle of equality in the protection of civil and political rights.
As we conclude in our Issue Brief, if passed, the Democracy Restoration Act would not just restore voting rights to millions of Americans; it would finally correct a centuries-old injustice.
[Image via Samuel Huron.] | <urn:uuid:8c9c4e1d-9a75-4879-b156-37e6ed8d8f8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acslaw.org/acsblog/node/15822 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952069 | 797 | 2.703125 | 3 |
What if your mall had only one shoe store, one clothing store, and one store in the food court? Maybe your mall already has just one pet store, one book store, or one technology store. If that is true, what difference does it make? Does competition make a difference?
Your task is to discover the role of the Federal Trade Commission. Explain how competition encourages producers to produce more of what consumers are willing and able to buy. You will then write a pretend e-mail to MallOwnersofAmerica.com and explain why the mall where you shop needs more than one pet store, one book store, one sports store, or one technology store. Make at least three key points in your letter, using your knowledge about competition.
Let's start out by comparing two different malls. One mall has four clothing stores, two shoe stores, and one fast food place in the food court. The other mall has one of each of these stores. Now on a T-chart (available as a PDF file) compare these two malls. Which one probably will offer good customer service, good prices, a large selection of products, and good quality in the products on sale?
As you can see, when consumers have choices, sellers have to keep their prices low, their service up to speed, andmake sure they offer plenty of merchandise for sale-merchandise of high quality. If they don't offer the merchandise consumers want to buy, or the merchandise is poorly made, or the prices are too high, or the salespeople are rude, then consumers can go to a different store to buy what they want.
Did Emily and Isaac choose the same pizza you would have chosen? They showed us that competition allows us to get goods and services at a lower price, with more choices, better quality and better customer service.
Sometimes stores of the same kind get together and merge. Click on Tripple Cold Creamery and find out what happens when competition is taken away.
The ice cream server showed us how the merger between the two ice cream stores led to lower prices. So competition works in our "flavor"-this time, cookie dough! She also warned us that when mergers take away all the competition, then they are called monopolies, and monopolies have to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission. A monopoly is a market where there are many buyers but only one seller.
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government. It is a consumer protection agency, and its job is to maintain fair and free competition. So, how does the Federal Trade Commission protect consumers? The federal government enforces antitrust laws and regulation to try to maintain fair levels of competition.
Read the Playing by the Rules article. Based on your reading, see if you can you answer these three questions:
- What is a monopoly?
- What is price fixing?
- What is bid rigging?
Check your answers by comparing them with Issac and Emily's answers. For more on the legislation and history, read the history of Antitrust Laws .
These three practices (monoploy, price fixing, bid rigging) are all illegal in certain circumstances.
So you see, competition is important- so important that it is protected by a federal agency.
Write a short response to these discussion questions.
1. Why was the Federal Trade Commission needed and established?
2. What is a monopoly? If you owned a business and did such a good job that the other store in town went out of business, are you breaking the law?
3. How does competition encourage producers to produce more of what consumers want and are willing to buy?
To summarize this lesson and find out more, read these fact sheets:
Your teacher will break your class into groups and pass out a fact sheet to one person in your group. Each group member will read his or her article and then make a presentation to the group on the article's content.
Your next task will be to write a pretend e-mail to MallOwnersofAmerica.com and explain why the mall where you shop needs more than one pet store, one book store, one sports store, or one technology store. Make at least three key points in your letter, using your knowledge of competition.
To find out even more about the Federal Trade Commission, read this About the FTC fact sheet . | <urn:uuid:3ad757a2-628f-4bf2-96fc-ebabaf4efc76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=841&type=student | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954024 | 893 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Depression and Bipolar Awareness Program at SUNY Downstate, Feb. 24
SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the NYC Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are offering a free educational seminar on “Depression and Bipolar Awareness: From Diagnosis to Remission,” on Wednesday, February 24, from 5:30 – 8:00 pm, in the Alumni Auditorium, at 395 Lenox Road, Brooklyn. To register, call 718-388-8649.
The event features a one-hour broadcast with medical experts and a panel of patients and family members describing their experiences, the benefits of treatment, and recovery. Following the broadcast, members of SUNY Downstate’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences will answer questions from the audience. For more information about the broadcast, visit www.afsp.org/depressionbroadcast.
On the night of the event, registration and refreshments will begin at 5:30, followed by the broadcast at 6:00 p.m. Discussion will follow at 7:00 p.m.
SUNY Downstate Medical Center, founded in 1860, was the first medical school in the United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patient’s bedside. A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and an Advanced Biotechnology Park and Biotechnology Incubator.
SUNY Downstate ranks ninth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty of American medical schools. More physicians practicing in New York City have graduated from SUNY Downstate than from any other medical school. | <urn:uuid:ab159b48-7144-427d-9cbc-941940162d20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.downstate.edu/news_releases/2010/news_release_full2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934672 | 372 | 1.851563 | 2 |
With photography in general, there are three basic settings you need to understand. The idea is to get these settings dialed in to create the best image possible. To adjust these settings, you'll need to set your camera to "Manual" mode. Every camera's settings are different, but every owner's manual I've ever seen has detailed diagrams and instructions on how to change these settings.
This is a setting carried over from regular film cameras. With film, there are different types of film rated for different ISO speeds that you can choose. 100 speed film was good for well lit photos, 200 for every day use and 800 for sports photography and so on. The higher the ISO setting, the more sensitive to light the camera is...allowing other settings to be set higher/faster to provide better focus, which is especially important when shooting a moving subject (like an athlete).
Changing the ISO setting is the "cheapest" fix for poor lighting. Unfortunately, the catch here is that the higher the ISO setting, the more grainy your image will look. With this being the case, I try to always shoot on ISO 200 or lower. Any higher than this will degrade your images too greatly. My advice - try playing with the settings on your camera. You might like what you get on ISO 400 or ISO 800, but keep in mind that it may be too grainy.
The shutter speed is extremely iportant to understand - and it's extremely simple. The shutter speed setting describes literally how long the camera leaves the shutter open to record an image. The faster the shutter speed, the faster the image is recorded, and the sharper the focus. When you set it to 1/125, that's 1/125 of one second. That's going to close the shutter much faster than 1/32.
The faster the shutter is closed, the less movement will be picked up in the image, therefore it's going to come out in better focus. This is especially important when the subject and/or camera aren't completely stationary...like a snakes tongue in mid-flick, a gecko that just won't sit still, etc. On top of that, my hands aren't always steady either, so a fast shutter speed is nice. So problem solved, right? Almost. The big catch with a faster shutter speed is that it requires far more light than any light fixture can produce. This is where flashes, both on-camera and off-camera, come into play, and we'll talk about that later on.
F-3.5 opens the aperature more than F-14, so that it's more sensitive to light, meaning less light is needed to shoot at the same shutter speed. Unfortunately, there's always a trade off! The trade-off here is that you get less depth of field. This is where you see a picture of a reptile where one part, such as the face, is in focus and the rest is blurry because it's slightly closer or further from the lens. The higher the F stop, the more depth of field you'll have and the more focused the entire image will be. For artistic images, you might not want so much depth, but I like to have most or all of the subject in focus when I'm photographing reptiles. So with reptile photography, we want a high "F stop" setting. I tend to shoot most images at F-14 to F-18, but a little lower probably wouldn't hurt.
Common Issue: Lighting
Solution: The Light Tent
If you hadn't already noticed, lighting is by far the single most important aspect in shooting sharply focused reptile photographs The issue is, you need a LOT of light to shoot at those fast shutter speeds, but you need that light to evenly surround the subject. Too much light coming from one angle and not another (eg. the flash on your camera in a poorly lit room) is going to create harsh shadows, and usually the front of the subject being blown out or over-exposed.
There are a lot of ways to get around this. The first thing you need is a light tent. There aren't many things I'll say you need...not even an expensive camera. But unless you're shooting pictures in broad daylight, you do need a light tent. To stress the importance, I can literally take better indoor reptile pictures with a $150 camera and a $45 light tent than I could with a $600 camera and no light tent. Where to buy? eBay. A lot of people go out and make their own light tent, but you can buy one made from the correct type of fabric for shooting pictures (not too shiny or porous) for around $45 shipped on ebay. And a real light tent will fold into a little disk when not in use (they have a wire frame). When you can get a 30" cube tent for $45 shipped, why waste your time making one? I use the SquarePerfect brand tent. This isn't a plug - quite frankly, they don't make anything else I've ever liked, but they make the best light tent out there - great fabric, heavy duty, etc.
A good light tent is essentially made of a translucent white cloth. When a flash is fired, the white cloth allows light to reflect off of it and bounce around the tent, which eliminates harsh shadows. The other cool thing about it being translucent is that light will pass through it, so it effectively softens the light with each "bounce". This eliminates the overexposure you see in a lot of images. This softening and reflecting effect is really ideal for creating a nice, evenly lit image. Because of its translucency, the strobe/flashes like you see in my setup, and modeling lamps (think dome lamp on a tripod), can be aimed right at the top or side of the light tent.
FYI - The setup you see here is the exact setup where almost every photograph on this website was taken. The light tent came with a black backdrop, which isn't in the photo, but that's what I've been using lately. If you look close, you can see my little glass table, trusty black scale, white/grey lazy susans and the camera sitting on top of them.
I want your input!
Reptile photography is something I really enjoy and think more people would enjoy if they just understood it. It's very simple, but at the same time, very intimidating when you don't know where to start. This "blog post" will most likely turn into another ongoing article, or series of articles here in my blog section. I regretfully don't have time to discuss photography in depth with everyone individually, but if there's something you're wondering about after reading this, let me know and I will try to add something here touching on your question.
Till next time... | <urn:uuid:66f14108-dac6-43e8-a8fd-624f3b976182> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://acreptiles.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=39&Itemid=325 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958885 | 1,410 | 2.234375 | 2 |
This is a report about the two classroom building block that was finished as a result of GlobalGiving monies. This classroom block was built at a school called Hopeland Junior School, Kitoola. This school is owned by a nongovernmental organization called Youth Focus Africa Foundation (YOFAFO). This school is found in Kitoola village, Najjembe Sub County, Buikwe district.
In the last report, this project had stopped at the beamlevel. This was reported at the end of November. This report will therefore report what happened on site from December till the whole building was finished. In this very report, the main activities involved were purchase of materials for the main activities and the actual activities taking off. These included roofing, fitting doors and windows, plastering, flooring and painting.
In December, materials needed for roofing were bought. These included timber, ironsheets, steel, faceboards, nails etc. A roofing expert was contracted and he together with his team did the roofing. In roofing, a rooftop is first erected using timber first, and then late iron sheets are nailed on to the timber. This is followed by nailing of the face board around the end of the ironsheets. This whole roofing process took around two weeks.
The next two weeks of December were for fitting in windows and doors. This involved delivering them on site and fitting them in to the building.
After fitting in the doors and windows, plastering of the whole building was done. This involves covering the brick walls with a mixture of cement and sand (concrete). In this process, the brick layers are covered completely and the whole building is covered in concrete and it all appears grey. Plastering was done both inside and outside the building.
Immediately after plastering, cementing of the floor took place. This involves leveling of the floor with stones, murram and covering them with concrete. The mixtures of the concrete for plastering are different from the mixtures of the concrete for cementing. In cementing, the mixtures are done in such a way that the floor is very smooth. These are all done by technical builders. Both the inside and the verandah were cemented
After all the above was done, the next stage done was painting. This was done by another group of people who are experts in painting. These painted the whole building including inside and outside.
This was followed by the finishing stage. In this stage, the builders make sure they smooth each and every activity that was not done so well. They also clear the building and all its surrounding and clean both inside and outside of any unwanted material making it read y for use. This marked the end of the building and the building was ready for use.
This was then followed by putting in furniture both in the office and in the classrooms.
4th February was the beginning of the new school calendar. Students reported back to school on 4th and were so excited at the new classroon block. This newclassroon block has therefore been in use since the beginning of the term. The two classrooms are occupied by primary six and seven and the two offices are occupied by the school administrator and the head teacher.
As a result of building this block, a primary seven class (Highest class in primary level) was added this year. The primary classes are therefore complete. The Nursery section (Kindergarten) was also able to get an additional classroom making them more independent instead of mixing them (All the three classrooms at kindergarten) in one classroom. This now makes learning and teaching more effective than it was before.
This could not have been achieved if YOFAFO had not got the funds from GlobalGiving. When the GlobalGiving opportunity came in, it was used effectively thanks to the people who were in charge of mass media. These people did a great job first to identify this opportunity of global giving for YOFAFO and making sure it qualified. It is through this that the money for finishing this classroom block was realized. With the monies the building was built from beam level to finishing level. It has not only added a new facelift to the school but the whole community at large.
The whole community and YOFAFO fraternity are so grateful to everyone who made this possible. Special gratitude go to the social media group for all their tireless efforts to make sure they fundraise the monies and also get the needed number of sponsors to qualify for global giving. Above all we are so indebted to the GlobalGiving team for a great job well done on their website to mobilize and communicate effectively and to uplift nongovernmental organizations that are especially doing work at the grass root. We would never have achieved this without your support.
We have attached the final expenditure report for the project. Thank you so much to all who contributed.
1. Project Status
Green. The project is running on time and on budget. Yofafo staff on the ground have been happy with the progress, and with the quality of the work so far. It compares favourably with previous classroom constructions. The contract labourers have been working well, however see (Issues) below. The students and villagers have been very excited to see their new classroom going up!
The construction of the classroom began in the first week of November. A previous project, funded by individual volunteers, had already seen the construction of the concrete footings and floor, and the purchase of bricks. The scope of this project is to complete the classroom block to a finished state.
The brickwork was completed to roof height on November 12 by contracted bricklayers. The next 2 weeks saw the construction of the ring beam (a concrete beam which sits on top of the perimeter brick wall and encircles the building), and also the construction of the reinforced concrete posts for the verandah supports. The 2 photos below show the progress as of November 30.
3. Expenses to date:
$915 USD (2,445,500 UGX / Ugandan Shillings) had been spent by November 22 on materials and labour.
4. Next Activities:
During December, the roofing work will begin. This will involve the purchase and construction on site of of timber roofing trusses, roofing iron, guttering and spouting, and payment of roofers and labourers.
Following the completion of the roofing, the building will be fitted out and finished:
It is expected that the classroom will be ready for use by January 31.
The lead engineer/builder is also working on other sites. Yofafo has found that has sometimes been not available when needed. It has been raised as a risk thst needs to be monitored. It has so far not affected the schedule. No other issues have been reported.
Project Reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you will get an e-mail when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports via e-mail without donating or by subscribing to this project's RSS feed.
Combined with other sources of funding, this project raised enough money to fund the outlined activities and is no longer accepting donations.
Still want to help?
Find another project in
that needs your help. | <urn:uuid:4b9dc413-2a39-46cb-972f-774713e74f02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/build-classrooms-for-primary-students-in-uganda/updates/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979978 | 1,553 | 2.25 | 2 |
by Tamara A.
Christmas shopping. Buying a Christmas tree. Decorating the tree. Baking cookies and other goodies. Crazy Shoppers. Desperation to complete your list. Wrapping presents. Last minute panic. Family gatherings. Watching A Christmas Story. Stocking stuffers. Christmas songs. Traveling. Seeing the Nutcracker. Hot chocolate. Hiked-up prices. Christmas lights. Expected nature of giving. Hopefully, snow.
There are a lot of things that the Christmas season brings about. Some of them are good. Some of them are bad. Some of them that are good to me are bad to someone else. Some of them that are good to someone else are bad to me. Like everything else, there are positives and negatives.
Everyone knows a scrooge. There is always at least that one person around you that doesn’t like Christmas. They aren’t infected by the Christmas cheer; they can’t stand hearing the Christmas songs; they don’t watch the holiday movies; they hate buying and wrapping presents. The season is more of something that they have to deal with for a month rather than enjoy. I have come across many a scrooge and they each have their own reasons for their negative feelings towards Christmas.
One of the most common grievances against Christmas is that it has become purely a hot bed of consumerism. Which holds some truth. Stores definitely take advantage of this “season of giving” by telling you what you need to give for the best present or need to buy to make your Christmas perfect. Christmas has become a money pit for those participating.
However, I heard a new argument this year…and it came from my boyfriend (I’d put him in the scrooge category). He fights the Christmas spirit because he feels that the season is promoted as a time of emphasized generosity and giving that allows people to skimp on such things the rest of the year. People use the phrase “tis the season” to explain being courteous, tipping their servers better, holding the door for people, making those extra donations, etc. when in reality, people should be doing these types of things throughout the whole year. He holds that without a Christmas season, this extra compassion and giving should be and would be distributed evenly throughout the rest of the year.
I agree with the fact that people should be like that throughout the whole year. I disagree with the fact that such generosity would be evenly spread evenly throughout the whole year.
In my mind, there are three types of people in this equation:
- The people that have that generous mindset all year round. They don’t need the push or the coercion of the Christmas season to give, whether that is of their time or skills or wallet. They have a more charitable focus on life.
- The people who use Christmas or other designated seasons/events to fuel their generosity. They don’t quite have the motivation to make donations on their own accord, but use a bit of Christmas persuasion and they are happy to join in.
- The people that won’t give no matter what the season. They are focused more on themselves and what is best for their own betterment.
None of these people are bad. (I would like to see fewer #3s.) A person’s spirit of giving can be hugely affected by their environment, financial situation, or ability to contribute among other circumstances. While I believe that, yes, it would be fantastic if the global population as a whole had this sense of giving and selflessness throughout the entire year, I will gladly except a season or defined period as the “season of giving” where generosity, compassion, sacrificing, and giving are stressed by all. It is idealistic to think that people could and would donate consistently during the calendar year; however, it is more realistic to understand and accept the motivation that the Christmas season provides and that it would probably not exist without it.
Some is better than none. And having Christmas time, that generates nearly a quarter of the yearly donations to nonprofits and charitable groups, is better than no Christmas time
And let’s be real, on top of boost in charity, I’m just a sucker for Christmas and the spirit it brings. It’s fun. | <urn:uuid:67c355f8-b9c2-4ea8-954e-da87e11735b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edgeofseven.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/tis-the-season/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973591 | 892 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Finding the Funding
The Bentley family has had a long association with the University of Michigan. Alvin M. Bentley III's parents Alvin Morell Bentley, Jr. and Helen Webb both graduated in 1916 with Bachelor of Art degrees from the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Their only child was born on August 30, 1918, three months before his father's death in France during World War I. Alvin III also attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1940. He earned a Master of Arts degree in history in 1963 and began work on a Ph.D. In 1965 he was asked to chair the major gifts committee of the University of Michigan's $55 Million Fund commemorating the university's sesquicentennial. Governor George Romney appointed Bentley to a vacant seat on the Board of Regents in 1966. When he died on April 10, 1969 at the age of 50, Alvin Bentley had been involved with the University of Michigan for over thirty years.
Dr. Warner and others at the ground-
breaking of the new library.
In 1961 Dr. Warner, assistant director of the Michigan Historical Collections (MHC), contacted Congressman Bentley about donating his personal papers to the Collections. In 1962 Bentley agreed to give his papers to the Michigan Historical Collections with the first shipment arriving in January 1966.
As Congressman Bentley was a member of the major gifts committee, Dr. Clever Bald consulted with him regarding the space needs and financing of the MHC. Bentley responded on January 28, 1966:
"I am wondering if this cost has been broken down into smaller amounts in order to attract potential donors and who might be interested in placing individual memorials within the new building itself. For example, I am thinking of the cost of each of the three levels, an assembly room, for social functions and historical conferences, staff room, sorting, room, reading room, research rooms, etc. I am not sure if the total estimated cost has been broken down to the extent I suggest but, following your suggestion of contacting persons whose papers are on deposit in the Collections, you can readily see how this approach might be
utilized." (Bentley donor file)
Site of the future Bentley Historical
After his death, Mrs. Alvin (Arvella D.) Bentley began looking for a memorial to honor her husband. It seemed logical that the best way to honor her husband was a contribution to the University of Michigan. Dr. Warner, who became director of the Michigan Historical Collections in 1966, was looking for funding to build a home for the Michigan Historical Collections which had outgrown its space in the basement of the Rackham Building. Mrs. Bentley became a member of the Executive Committee of the Friends of the Michigan Historical Collections in September of 1971.
In December 1971 the Regents accepted a gift of $500,000 from Mrs. Bentley for construction of the Michigan Historical Collections building, agreed to Mrs. Bentley's stipulation that the building be named the Alvin M. and Arvella D. Bentley Historical Library, and authorized the project for construction bids. Vice-President Smith commented that "the Historical Collections has been served by a most able administrator in Robert Warner, and he was sure this splendid
The new home of the Michigan
Historical Collections, the Bentley
With this generous gift, about half the sum needed to construct the building, Dr. Warner was able to approach other prominent citizens such as, G. Mennen Williams, Roscoe Bonisteel, Floyd Starr, the families of Wilbur Brucker, Arthur Vandenberg, and Prestiss Brown, as well as foundations such as the Whiting Foundation in Flint, and organizations such as the Delta Sigma Delta honorary dental fraternity and the Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of the state of Michigan about contributing to the library building fund. Their contributions are reflected in the various offices and rooms throughout the building.
Arvella Bentley and others at the
groundbreaking of the new Bentley
The groundbreaking ceremony occurred on August 2, 1972. Construction continued for about a year. In August 1973 the shelving in the stacks began to go up. The move from the basement of Rackham Building to the new facility at 1150 Beal Avenue was completed the following May.
Mrs. Bentley continued to make substantial gifts, totaling $275,000 from 1975 through 1980 to the library until her death on June 17, 1980. | <urn:uuid:04baab1f-b90d-4b69-8671-010a8224725e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bentley.umich.edu/exhibits/bhl75/funding.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964382 | 890 | 1.9375 | 2 |
University of Michigan Health System
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A bizarre twist on the usual way proteins are made may explain mysterious symptoms in the grandparents of some children with mental disabilities.
Neuroscience Apr 18, 2013 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0 | | <urn:uuid:02aa2235-b72a-4cc5-884c-161acd3854ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medicalxpress.com/partners/university-of-michigan-health-system/sort/date/all/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945352 | 826 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Why is hunger a geographical issue?
Introducing the topic: hunger
This course explores the issue of hunger. Completion of the course is intended to be a CPD activity, rather than a 'resource grab'. You are encouraged to adapt the ideas presented here to develop your own resources or unit of work. The intention is that completion of the unit will result in the development of new skills and pedagogical techniques, and offer opportunities for reflection.
One aspect of this course is to encourage an appreciation of the connections that food creates. Another aspect of the course is to develop some opportunities for students (and yourself) to engage in some 'creative writing'. The rise of new web technologies means that there are many more tools that can be used in the creation of a 'narrative'.
Food: A basic need?
"A trip to the market, a store, a fast-food restaurant, the movies or a local trader may be a taken-for-granted aspect of everyday life for many, but these actions play a critical role in the meaningful creation and expression of place." (Mansvelt, 2005)
Charles Rawding included the preceding quote in this article written for the Summer 2009 issue of Geography (GA members with a subscription to Geography can download this for free).
It might be appropriate to edit the diagram for use in the classroom if required.
Activity 1: I'm starving!
Imagine you are teaching a lesson about food.
The lesson begins with some images of food being displayed on the white board or screen, and someone makes a comment that is said by all of us at some point: "Oh, Sir / Miss, no more, I'm starving..."
What might be some appropriate responses to that statement?
Activity 2: The issue of hunger
Now let us go back to the original question: "Why is hunger a geographical issue?"
Get hold of a world map (see our Mapping Our Globe area for an outline map).
Mark where people are "most likely to":
a) Be hungry?
b) Be starving?
c) Be reliant on foreign aid for their food?
d) Become immigrants to increase their food security?
e) Be fighting conflicts related to the supply of food?
f) Be resorting to extreme measures to secure their food supply?
g) Be facing rising food prices?
h) Be spending an increasing amount of their income on food?
i) Be producing the food that we eat?
j) Be exhausting a food source that has existed for centuries?
k) Be receiving help from a UK Aid agency?
By working through these courses, it's hoped that you will be able to have a much clearer idea of the answers to all of those questions, and much more.
Activity 3: Food Wordles
One tool which has garnered a lot of interest since its launch is Wordle.
The image to the right was made with Wordle and contains the text of an article from the GA Magazine on the subject of food security, written by Professor Peter Jackson.
In the image, the words which appear larger are those which occurred more frequently in the original source text. Some key words associated with foods can be discerned.
Source 3 images which could be used as a lesson starter in a lesson on the theme of hunger.
Write a 50 word description of each image, and then create a Wordle of the text that has been written and identify some of the common features some of the common words which appear. Are the words mostly negative or positive?
Activity 3: Donate-A-Meal
Hunger is not confined to the less developed parts of the world: an area that we might call the 'Global South'
Visit the Donate-A-Meal website.
The website is for a charity which works in Dusseldorf, Germany: an important member state of the EU, a major industrial power.
Interact with the site for a few moments. It has been very cleverly designed so that you 'interact' with the children, and are 'thanked' for your donation with a smile.
How successful do you think this website is in persuading visitors to donate? What happens if you don't donate anything ? How could you take some of the methods used in the website and use it in other contexts?
What might be the difficulties in persuading people to donate food for children in:
Your own home town or city?
Consider that well-worn phrase "charity begins at home" – is that appropriate here?
See the table below. Consider how these issues are connected to hunger.
This could also be used as a card sorting activity with students.
|Changing weather patterns||Deforestation||Conflict|
|International trade agreements||Foreign aid||Globalisation|
|Poorly developed transport networks||Risk of natural hazards||Governance / political system|
|Poor health||Availability of land||Debt|
How might these form part of your proposed activity / lesson sequence?
What opportunities could you provide for students to explore / research these issues in more detail, but at an appropriate level?
Another possible focus for your unit could be the mapping of 'food webs', not of which animal eats which, but of the connections that are created between individuals and the wider world each time a meal is sourced, cooked and eaten. These webs or mind-maps could also inform lesson, or curriculum planning, and form the basis of student enquiry.
A selection of useful graphs and statistics related to food and hunger can be found at the BBC news website and these are well worth taking some time to explore when planning such an activity.
Your Learning Journey
Discuss with your year group partner(s) and / or mentor what ideas you might develop and how you will do this.
- How have these examples and ideas help you to plan coherent and relevant learning for your pupils?
- How did you adapt them?
- What curriculum links did you focus on to link with the geography? Why did you choose them?
- How have you enabled pupils to make connections between the local and the global?
- How did you place value pupils' contributions and personal geographies? How did this impact on their self esteem and the value they place on themselves as individuals and as a group?
- How do you think these activities contribute to your pupils' understanding of issues around sustainability and interdependence, and in particular the issues surrounding hunger?
On your learning journey
- What changes, if any did you make to your original plan? How did professional learning conversations with your coach or learning mentor influence this and the outcomes of your learning?
- How did you evaluate your own learning?
- What feedback did you receive from pupils or colleagues?
- How did you share this learning with others? What feedback have you had?
You may now wish to move on to another course in this family in order to widen and deepen your knowledge base.
The courses explore a range of supporting areas and can be completed in any order you wish. You may wish to take a quick look at them before going any further.
They are related to:
- The work of Oxfam around the world in the area of food security
- The sustainability of the world's oceans and fishing industry
- The potential impacts of global climate change on food security
- The impact of food preparation and cooking on the environment
It is important that you end by completing the Plenary section, as this allows you to reflect on your learning.
Why is hunger a geographical issue?
OXFAM and 'The Perfect Storm'
Climate change and food supply
Plenty more fish in the sea?
Cooking up a storm?
Links and resources
Introduction and Course Selection
Main Image: Empty Plate by Flickr user matt.ohara, made available under Creative Commons
Comment on this page
Comments made by GA members appear instantly - make sure you're logged in! Guest comments will be sent to a moderator for approval. | <urn:uuid:63ba0cc9-349e-49fe-a5fe-8af2f6c691a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/onlinecpd/geographyoffood/hunger | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94122 | 1,657 | 3.4375 | 3 |
56% Say Federal Government Encourages Illegal Immigration
In terms of immigration legislation, which is more important - gaining control of the border or legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States?
Some people believe that the goal of immigration policy should be to keep out national security threats, criminals, and those who would come here to live off our welfare system. Beyond that, all immigrants would be welcome. Do you agree or disagree with
Do the policies and practices of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally?
Should the U.S. military be used along the border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigration?
Which is the better approach to dealing with illegal immigration—allowing individual states to act on their own to enforce immigration laws or relying upon the federal government to enforce immigration laws?
Most voters continue to believe the policies of the federal government encourage illegal immigration, but fewer voters than ever think it’s a good idea to put the U.S. military along the border to stop the flow of illegals into this country. | <urn:uuid:965410fe-9002-4a7b-bd9d-fdb1ab6cf2d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/56-say-federal-government-encourages-illegal-immigration/question-2684541/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9325 | 216 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Recent CBI disclosures have been revealing to say the least. One case of corruption after another appears to be falling by the wayside. What’s going on here? Is the CBI acting under pressure from the government? Since the CBI directly reports to the Hon’ble SC on 2G related investigations, is it fair to blame the government at all? Did we all jump the gun in simply believing every single accusation when it was made? Should we admit that we may have vastly misunderstood the whole 2G scam?
The first truth that CBI has brought out is that TRAI had not recommended that 2G spectrum be auctioned. This much the TRAI has itself admitted. The same TRAI had recommended that 3G auctions be put through an e-auctions route. Does this mean that TRAI has been inconsistent or does it mean that the two subjects were different in nature and warranted different treatments? Everyone knows that 3G is a premium service. The need for a fast data service is felt more by sections of the premium society, who are willing to pay a stiff fee. As compared to an ARPU (Average Revenue per User) of less than Rs 150 per month for users of 2G services, the outlay for 3G services is at least 5 times that. Besides, 2G is a “basic” service – almost like kerosene or diesel, and hence it cannot be compared with a “premium” service like 3G. So when TRAI recommended that 2G spectrum not be auctioned, what it did was the right thing. Had 2G spectrum been auctioned, telecom prices would have been much higher, and mobile penetration would never reached the levels it reached. Telecom companies passed on cheaper costs of spectrum to their subscribers in the form of cheaper pricing. 2G pricing in India reached a ridiculously low level of half a paise per minute. It’s not as if the telecom companies made huge profits. Airtel’s EBITDA margins are about 30%, which is at best par for the course. Voda – the number two telecom company – turned in its first profit (a small one at that) after being in the country for so many years. Reliance – the number three company – is in losses. Idea – the number four company – has a much smaller profit margin. The new companies are all in a very bad shape.
I have always maintained that the one policy the government got right was the telecom policy. Started in the NDA days and then continued by the UPA, the telecom policy of giving spectrum free resulted in the telecom revolution. Today, there are more than 800 million telecom connections; an estimated 550-600 million of these are live and unique connections. This would not have been possible without free spectrum. But rather than take credit for this good policy, both the NDA and UPA have been wanting to dissociate themselves with it. None wants to accept that they took the smart decisions willingly and voluntarily. The NDA in particular has wanted to exploit the situation politically, lumping charges of corruption on the UPA. The chickens are truly coming home to roost for the NDA, now that the CBI is charging ministers in its tenure – starting from Pramod Mahajan and including Arun Shourie and possibly Jaswant Singh – with complicity.
The second truth that has come out is that the CBI could not find any kickback from Unitech to Raja. There is merely a suspicion that Unitech is somehow involved. Apparently, Unitech was ineligible to apply for 2G licenses and Raja’s tricks allowed it to do so. Unfortunately in law, mere suspicion is not enough to indict someone. In all likelihood, Unitech will be let off with a small charge of cheating…..
The 3rd truth is about Swan Telecom. Again, the CBI has admitted that there was no trail of any quid pro quo against Reliance Telecom or Raja. Nor does it appear that there was any benefit to the company. The charges against the three executives of Reliance group are merely limited to setting up an ineligible company (Swan). More dirt may come out, but at least so far, the charges appear much smaller than thought earlier.
In the case of both Unitech and Swan, it was alleged that by diluting their equity in favor of foreign companies (Telenor and Etisalat respectively), the promoters had made thousands of crores of profits. Nothing could be far from the truth. Yes, the promoters did dilute their equity stakes – but they did not take anything home as profit. Both companies issued new shares to their foreign investors and all the money that came from the foreign companies came into the companies. This is a usual business practice. If these joint ventures now make a loss (as is quite obvious they will), then the value of the equity will fall and each party will make losses.
In the case of Look Mobile, there is still a lot of confusion. And debate. Was Loop Telecom a “subsidiary” of Essar and was Essar’s holding in Loop more than 10% or not is the crux of the matter. The telecom policy didn’t allow an existing telecom operator to have more than 10% stake in another telecom company in the same circle. This case is still not closed as the CBI is trying to unearth if a “corporate veil” existed between the two companies which is preventing a clear view from emerging. We will have to wait to see what comes out here.
So was there no scam at all in the 2G matter? Of course not. There were scams but they were of a much much smaller order than the CAG or even the CBI has claimed in the past. The CAG put out a fantastic figure of Rs 1.76 lac crores – a number that has stuck in the minds of people. The CBI revised that figure down to Rs 30,000 crores – again a fantastic figure. The real figures are much much smaller.
It appears that the owners of Swan (DB group) paid Rs 200 crores as a quid pro quo to DMK’s TV business, Kalaignar TV. If this is proven, it would be a clear case of corruption against Raja. Then there are charges of process violations in following the first come first serve policy. Raja changed the first come first serve policy to suit a few companies. These charges look like they will stick. Then there are also FEMA violations that CBI has found amounting to some Rs 10000 crores as per today’s papers. Now FEMA violations are different from 2G violations. FEMA violations relate to foreign exchange coming into the country through illegal routes. The money may come into any sector of the economy; it has nothing to do with the 2G scam on hand. It’s early days – the CBI has to show what evidence it has to prove these FEMA charges.The problem is that if nothing substantial against Raja can be established, then it will be extremely difficult to charge him with anything more than small time cheating.
The political damage the the UPA is irreversible. Even if the CBI now comes out and says that there was only a small loss to the exchequer – nothing even remotely close to the Rs 30,000 crores – the UPA will never be able to say “see we said so”. In the minds of the public, the UPA government is the most corrupt government ever – no matter what the truth. Nor will it help the UPA if the NDA is equally indicted by the SC. The charges will stick to the UPA more than they will to the NDA. For one, the NDA rule is largely out of public minds. The UPA rule is fresh. The UPA’s credibility has also suffered because of other scams. But that’s the way politics is played. The truth seldom matters. Suspicions and charges matter more.
The real truth is that we should have held our horses till the CBI finished its investigations; till the SC delivered its verdict. Today, the charges are looking a lot smaller than they looked earlier. The SC may not even be convinced with the evidence that the CBI has unearthed. Of course, politically speaking, the truth hardly matters. Those who are opposed to the UPA ideology will continue accusing the government of being the most corrupt government ever. Those who are aligned with UPA will feel they have been vindicated.…..
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Networkingitimes | Dating & Chat | Email | <urn:uuid:0fce252d-898b-4ab2-9fb1-9d73070c050c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/the-real-truth/entry/the-truth-in-the-2g-scam-is-slowly-emerging | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975741 | 1,759 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Order Ed McCarty's New DVD
" The Owners Guide to Horse Teeth & Equine Dental Care"
In over 30 years of being involved with horses as a profession in some form or another, I have noticed that the average horse owner can discuss horse health issues such as worming programs, vaccination schedules, hoof care and feeding programs rather extensively. If you mention dental care, however, the response generally leans toward agreeing that the teeth "should be looked at occasionally". This stems in large part from the fact that there is information not only readily available to the owners, but literally forced upon them, regarding worming, shots, feet and feed.
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There is very little information aimed at the education of the owner on teeth, dental care, and the effects of dental care on the health and performance of horses. An effective dental care program can greatly enhance the other health related programs and can have an extremely positive effect on the performance of a horse. It is my fervent hope that this DVD will provide a platform for owners to understand the reasons dental care is necessary and exactly how good, effective dental care will positively effect the health and performance of their horse. | <urn:uuid:0e089f71-e48a-4ae0-8fdf-b5bc934c2ac8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myhorsesteeth.com/order.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942479 | 267 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Three Hour Graphic Design Introduction for £39 at The BKH Academy (87% Off)
- Hosts various graphic and web design courses
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- Upcoming video production and animation courses
- Covers practical and theoretical components of graphic design
- Uses Adobe Photoshop
- Lessons taught on Apple Mac computers
- Groupon customer discount for full 10 week course
Limit 1 per person. May buy multiple as gifts. Booking recommended by 27 July 2012. Booking required via http://www.thebkhacademy.co.uk/GraphicReg.html. 48 hour cancellation policy. Customers advised to book as early as possible. Groupon customer discount for full 10 week course, enquire when booking. Valid Wed-Thu 6:30pm-9:30pm; Sat 10am-1pm.
See the rules that apply to all deals.
Although slideshows are known for their ability to illuminate complex theories, a static presentation can often keep some guests in the dark. Shine a light on your creativity with today’s Groupon: £39 for a three hour graphic design introduction at The BKH Academy.
Lead by industry insiders with national TV credits, The BKH Academy teaches graphic and web design to burgeoning media types. The creatively concocted digital content courses introduce the futuristic software and tools necessary to produce modern cyber masterpieces. Rolling out upcoming video production and animation workshops, the school aims to round up virtual innovation into one bustling, bespoke centre.
After elucidating the theoretical golden rules of spatial alignment, customers can expect to get their hands on the practical side of graphic design with an introduction to the Adobe creative software suite. During the three hour course, students can expect to get a taste of how to use Photoshop, for everything from creating vibrant logos to magazine covers and t-shirt design.
Wednesday 5th September 2012 (6:30pm - 9:30pm)
Thursday 6th September 2012 (6:30pm - 9:30pm)
Saturday 8th September 2012 (10am - 1pm)
Tuesday 11th September (6:30-9:30pm)
Wednesday 12th September (6:30-9:30pm)
Saturday 15th September (10am - 1pm) | <urn:uuid:142aa606-c5f0-4149-8738-852bd4ccdb14> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/south-london/bkh-academy/9339555 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934814 | 480 | 1.59375 | 2 |
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A redundant array of inexpensive disks is a data storage system that is typically used with computers, especially computer systems storing data that is important or accessed often. This type of system can be utilized in a number of different ways to ensure greater availability of data through redundancy or increased performance through distribution of data. Each of these two primary goals can be achieved in their entirety by sacrificing the other goal or in part as a combination of both goals. A redundant array of inexpensive disks is a common method of creating a data storage system and has come to be industry standard in some professional sectors.
Though often referred to simply as a “RAID,” the term “redundant array of inexpensive disks” has generally been replaced with the term “redundant array of independent disks,” but both names refer to the same type of system. The modern usage of “independent” rather than “inexpensive” has been utilized merely to dissuade potential clients or users from believing this type of system will be inexpensive. While the disks themselves may be fairly inexpensive, since there is an entire array of these disks, with at least two and potentially dozens or hundreds, a redundant array of inexpensive disks can still be quite costly.
The basic idea behind a redundant array of inexpensive disks is that multiple disks, each capable of storing data, are used together in a single system. Computers or terminals connected to this system see the entire array as a single storage device when writing to or reading from the array. By using multiple disks within a single array there is the potential for greater availability, being able to access data, and greater performance, the speed at which data is accessed.
Greater availability is created through the use of redundancy of information in a redundant array of inexpensive disks. With only a single disk, if data on that disk becomes corrupted then it is lost without other forms of backup. A redundant array of inexpensive disks, however, can be used to store the same data on multiple disks, and if one disk is corrupted the data can still be retrieved from another disk. This type of system is often referred to as a RAID-1 system.
A redundant array of inexpensive disks can also be used to increase performance. If data is stored in separate pieces across multiple disks, not as copies but as separate parts, then the data can be retrieved more quickly as each disk is accessed for one piece, rather than waiting for each piece of data to come from different parts of a single disk. This is called “data striping” and increases performance of a system, but not availability, and is typically referred to as a RAID-0 system. Other systems use a combination of both RAID types to improve performance, while still creating redundancy to ensure availability. | <urn:uuid:aa332652-755b-4ca6-9681-9860a8c4ea53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-redundant-array-of-inexpensive-disks.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947227 | 572 | 3.5625 | 4 |
A Guide to Israel
and its Holy sites
The Chatzbani River
All the way up north, only a little before we
reach the Chermon mountains, we come to a beautiful nature reserve with gorgeous trails
leading through dense forest, streams and the Chatzbani river. This is the site where the
tribe of Dan once lived. The story of how it was captured is told in detail in Shoftim
(perek 18) . The site was discovered by a group of five explorers from the
shevet of Dan.
They then sent 600 soldiers to capture this city from the Tzidonim who inhabited it. Its
original name was Layish, which means Lion (perhaps because it was inhabited by lions). On
their way they also took along the idol known as "Pesel Micha", as well as its
priest, Yehonoson. They easily overpowered the Tzidonim, captured it for themselves and
renamed it Dan. Here they also found an expensive stone called Leshem which was the stone
upon which their Shevet's name was inscribed upon on the Choshen. This now became the
northernmost dwelling place of the Jews, as we find many a time "from Dan to
Be'er Shevah"- Dan was the Northernmost point while Be'er
Sheva was the southernmost
Jewish kingdom was divided into two parts and Yerovom ben Nevot ruled over the ten tribes
this became one of the two places where he set up a golden calf and turned it into a place
of worship in order to prevent people from going to Yerushalayim. (The second idol was set
up in Bais El).
Extensive archeological digs in the area have uncovered much of this ancient city along
with the mizbayach that once stood here. Many of the finds can be seen in a museum nearby. | <urn:uuid:a24ba6c0-2f66-4ad9-ba3d-ee8de1295be9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.campsci.com/iguide/tel_dan.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983361 | 397 | 2.90625 | 3 |
The Nasher folks had no idea this full-page ad was coming, they tell me. It blows up an agreement between the two sides for a news blackout during negotiations over sunlight that bounces off the luxury condo tower into the Nasher’s garden and interior exhibit area.
One potent statement from the Museum Tower:
“Museum Tower is in compliance with every city code. However, it’s not uncommon for bold projects like Museum Tower to encounter an unexpected issue or two, and they are invariably solved.”
With these words, sunlight roasting the museum itself is relegated to the status of “an issue or two.”
It was one year ago this week that reflected light from the luxury condo building, then under construction, first splashed into the Nasher’s interior. The two sides pulled together an emergency meeting for the next day, and the talks went nowhere.
Mayor Mike Rawlings eventually stepped in and called super-lawyer Tom Luce for help. Luce-mediated talked began last spring, and a news blackout — a voluntary self-muzzling — was agreed upon. Until today.
Here is the full text of the MT ad:
TO OUR FUTURE RESIDENTS, NEIGHBORS, ART LOVERS AND CITIZENS OF DALLAS
Museum Tower and its neighbors in the Arts District share many things in common, including world-class architecture and the desire to boost the international
stature of Dallas.
Our sights are set on building one of the most environmentally responsible and elegant residential towers in the world, and one that will become an iconic, architecturally significant structure for Dallas.
Museum Tower celebrates the art of living fully immersed in the thriving art culture surrounding it. Since construction began, much has been reported about sunlight reflection from Museum Tower’s glass surface. Prior to construction, Museum Tower’s design plans were open for comprehensive public review and approved by the City of Dallas. Museum Tower is in compliance with every city code. However, it’s not uncommon for bold projects like Museum Tower to encounter an unexpected issue or two, and they are invariably solved.
Our number one priority is finding the best solution to the reflection issue. Over the last year, Museum Tower’s owner, the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, engaged the most prominent optical experts in North America to study this challenge. A team of architects, engineers, and material and construction experts evaluated more than 20 ideas. Today, the most promising potential solutions are undergoing exhaustive testing with the highest standards of science and technology being applied.
We are very proud of Museum Tower. There is no residential building in Texas built to more exacting standards of elegance, energy efficiency and comfort. It is already internationally recognized as a work of art unto itself and a graceful example of environmentally responsible construction.
Museum Tower is honored to be part of Dallas’ world class Arts District, adding to the new vitality of our city center. We are good neighbors and valuable contributors to this community. Museum Tower opens in January 2013.
Learn more about this exciting addition to the Dallas skyline and luxury living in the heart of the Dallas Arts District by logging on to www.MuseumTowerdallas.com.
– The Museum Tower Team
There are only two permanent approaches to solving the sunlight intrusion: Put something on the exterior of the tower or have the Nasher re-do its honeycombed roof. Public sentiment, most people would say, argues for the high-roller tower to do something, since it’s new to the neighborhood.
The Museum Tower’s ad pushes back on that, suggesting that its plans were out in the open and people had a chance to say something.True? I don’t know.
Also unaddressed is who would pay the tab if the tower agreed to change its exterior. People have speculated on cost into the tens of millions of dollars.
The other reason for this ad is a big sales pitch. You have to think that this real estate venture would have been advertising about this time anyway. Sales have been hurt by the sunlight battle, MT folks have said. So here’s a message trying to reassure would-be buyers that they wouldn’t be arts pariahs if they bought multi-million-dollar condos. | <urn:uuid:143050fc-9abd-40e6-8c0a-d710706de29b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/09/major-salvo-from-museum-tower-in-pr-war-against-nasher.html/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956812 | 894 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Find out how to promote transfer of learning with a supportive workplace.
Keep your eye on the big picture with these 5 questions.
Prepare for a year of productivity in 2012 by try out these online apps.Then you can leave work early.
You never know when it’s going to hit the fan. Take these steps to avoid trouble.
Need help starting a career in eLearning? Check these ways for getting into the field.
You don’t want your project to fail, but how can you control it?
If you’re having trouble maintaining your focus at work, check out these tips. They’re bound to help.
In the market for a Learning Management System? Tom Werner, an expert in these technologies, guides the way.
Designers and developers of online learning need a creative environment to do their best work. How does your workplace measure up?
The arena of online learning is continually reshaped by technological advances. Just as we must pay attention to the latest research on learning and pedagogy, it’s important to be aware of current technological trends. These have the potential to redefine what it means to learn online. | <urn:uuid:aae13610-f438-47a0-8942-adda42f6bd2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theelearningcoach.com/category/business/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937053 | 243 | 1.953125 | 2 |
The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson’s Triumph
One of the few elements of the War of 1812 remembered by Americans today is that the Battle of New Orleans made a hero of Andrew Jackson. This crowning achievement to the Unites States’ second victorious war against Great Britain is one of the most remarkable battles in the annals of American military history.
For one thing, there is this: the Battle of New Orleans, arguably the most famous battle of the War of 1812, should never have taken place—because for the most part the battle occurred after the war had ended! The 17-day clash began on Dec. 23, 1814, and the next day in Ghent, Netherlands (currently Belgium), the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the war. Communication was slow in those days, and news of the war’s end did not arrive until well after the Battle of New Orleans’ climax on Jan. 8, 1815.
Another surprising aspect of the battle is the composition of Jackson’s ragtag army. To supplement the Louisiana militia, Kentucky and Tennessee militiamen and irregulars made the long trek to New Orleans to support their hero Jackson. Some of the Choctaw warriors Jackson had used in his 1814 Creek War joined him as well. Finally, and most surprising, Jackson’s little army was augmented by Jean Lafitte and his pirates, who had been promised pardons if they would help Jackson defend New Orleans.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Battle of New Orleans is the number of troops involved in the fighting and the resulting casualties. Arrayed against a powerful British invasion force of 11,000 men, Jackson’s force consisted of about 4,000 fighters. Yet somehow, when the smoke cleared on the fateful day of January 8, the British had suffered over 2,000 casualties—Jackson’s army barely 100!
The British attacked at dawn, marching across an open field against an American force strongly entrenched in earthworks supported by a dozen cannon, sandwiched between the Mississippi River and a cypress swamp. During the battle the British lost many of their senior commanders, and the confused troops milled around uncertain how to proceed, all the time being raked by concentrated rifle fire and grapeshot from the cannon. The resulting slaughter was a tremendous victory for Jackson and the Americans, and an utter disaster for the British.
From the moment Jackson arrived in New Orleans on Dec. 1, 1814, the city’s population felt encouraged and determined to put up a stiff resistance. This article was published by the City Gazette and Daily Advertiser (Charleston, South Carolina) on Jan. 9, 1815:
From New Orleans
Information of a very satisfactory nature was received on Saturday last. Gen. Jackson, with a detachment of his army, arrived at that city on the 1st of December, and on the 2d proceeded to examine the defences down the river. Vigorous preparations were making for the reception of the enemy, who however had not made his appearance; the people were all in high spirits, and no doubt was entertained of their ability, with their present force, to repel and defeat any expedition the enemy may send against them.
The same confidence was expressed in this article, published by the Connecticut Journal (New Haven, Connecticut) on Jan. 9, 1815:
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in New Orleans to his friend in this town, dated Dec. 9
General Jackson has gone down the river to view its defence; three additional forts are to be erected. This country is more secure than any part of the United States. In addition to local barriers, we shall soon have more troops than are necessary, say from 12 to 15,000.
Not everyone was so optimistic, however. Note the despairing tone of this article, printed after the Battle of New Orleans but before the editors knew of the battle’s outcome. It was published by the American & Commercial Daily Advertiser (Baltimore, Maryland) on Jan. 11, 1815:
The storm of war has fallen upon New Orleans, and we apprehend an unfortunate result—The conflict is unequal—Brave as General Jackson is, the number and quality of his troops, we fear, are not fit to contend with the superior numbers and discipline of the enemy, supported by a vast naval force, and furnished with all the munitions necessary for such an enterprise. The brave Tennesseans are hastening to his support, but they have a long journey, and many difficulties to encounter, before they can reach the scene of action—Even then, Jackson’s army will be inferior to that of the enemy.
Mark the Contrast—Whilst the men of the South and the men of the West are making every possible effort to repel the enemy at New Orleans, the men of the East not only quietly permit the British to take possession of a part of the district of Maine, but are busily trafficking with them for all manner of merchandise, and supplying them with all manner of provisions!—Yet these men loudly complain against Government for not assisting them!!!
When the climax of the battle began the morning of January 8, Louisiana Governor William C.C. Claiborne rushed to the front lines and witnessed the remainder of the fighting. The next day, he described what he saw in a letter to Governor Shelby of Kentucky, published by the Weekly Recorder (Chillicothe, Ohio) on Feb. 2, 1815:
Copy of a letter from his excellency Gov. Claiborne to his excellency Gov. Shelby, dated: New Orleans, Jan. 9, 1815.
Since I last wrote you nothing important occurred until yesterday the 8th inst. At the dawn of day, the enemy advanced in columns to the attack of our lines, protected by an incessant fire from all his batteries—his primary efforts were directed against both our flanks—the right supported by the river, and the left by the Cypress Swamp. This evinced an ardour which nothing could have overcome, but the steady and well directed fire of our brave troops.
At the commencement of the firing, I repaired to the scene of action, and arrived there before the battle was ended. The officers—the regulars, the Kentucky and Tennessee and Louisiana militia, seemed to me to be alike cool and determined—The fire of the Kentucky and Tennessee forces on the left was particularly fatal to the enemy—They soon strewed the field in front with the dead and dying. The battle continued with vigour for near two hours, when the enemy retired from the contest.
I cannot, with any kind of certainty, state their loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners: It is however estimated at from 12 to 1500—among the killed are a Col. Raney, a Maj. Pringle and many other officers—Among the prisoners, I have seen 15 or 16 officers, most of whom are wounded.
It is a matter of equal joy and wonder that in a conflict so long, so glorious to us, and so fatal to the enemy, our loss is astonishingly small—It is not believed to exceed in killed and wounded 25 or 30, among whom I have not heard of one officer.
The entrenchments protected our men from the fire of the enemy, and altho’ their batteries poured forth a shower of shells, balls and rockets, they did very little injury, for most part overshooting the lines, and falling harmless in the field behind.
The commanding Gen. Jackson will give to government the particulars of a day no less honourable to him, than profitable to his country—He will do justice to his brave army, and his distinguished brothers in arms, Gens. Carroll, Thomas, Adair, and Coffee and many others whose merits he can justly appreciate.
The victory of the American arms would have been complete, and Louisiana probably delivered at once from an invading foe, but for the momentary success of the British on the opposite or west side of the Mississippi.
Batteries had been erected there to annoy the enemy’s lines, and under the brave Commodore Patterson, had gloriously contributed to our success. They were protected by a detachment of the Kentucky and Louisiana militia under Brig. Gen. Morgan of this State.
Pending the attack on our lines, a part of the enemy, the force of which is not correctly ascertained, but is supposed to be inconsiderable, crossed the river and owing to some cause, not yet accounted for, our troops speedily gave way and the brave Commodore was compelled to spike and abandon his cannon. Gen. Morgan is understood to be cool and collected, and to have made many efforts to rally his men. Gen. Jackson was prompt in reinforcing him, so as to check the enemy’s advance, and we hope today to hear of our batteries being reoccupied.
I am, &c.,
Wm. C. C. Claiborne.
P.S. Since writing the above I have had the pleasure to learn that the enemy has abandoned our batteries on the opposite shore, and recrossed the river; he has also suffered more in the action of the 8th than I at first imagined. Their commander, Lieut. Gen. Pakenham, is said to have been killed, and his second in command, Maj. Gen. Keane, badly wounded.
After the victorious battle, General Jackson wrote a letter to the Secretary of War describing the fighting. It was published by the Essex Register (Salem, Massachusetts) on Feb. 11, 1815:
Gen. Jackson’s Official Account of His Brilliant Victory at New Orleans on the 8th Jan.
Copy of a letter from Major General Jackson to the Secretary of War, dated
H.Q. 7th Military District,
Camp 4 miles below New Orleans,
January 13, 1815
Sir—At such a crisis I conceive it my duty to keep you constantly advised of my situation.
On the 10th inst. I forwarded you an account of the bold attempt made by the enemy on the morning of the 8th to take possession of my works by storm, and of the severe repulse which he met with. That report having been sent by the mail which crosses the lake, may possibly have miscarried; for which reason I think it the more necessary briefly to repeat the substance of it.
Early on the morning of the 8th the enemy, having been actively employed the two preceding days in making preparation for a storm, advanced in two strong columns on my right and left. They were received, however, with a firmness which it seems they little expected, and which destroyed all their hopes. My men, undisturbed by their approach, which indeed they had long anxiously wished for, opened upon them a fire so deliberate and certain, as rendered their scaling ladders and fascines, as well as their more direct implements of warfare, perfectly useless. For upwards of an hour it was continued, with a briskness of which there have been but few instances perhaps in any country. In justice to the enemy it must be said, they stood it as long as could have been expected from the most determined bravery. At length, however, when all prospect of success became hopeless, they fled in confusion from the field—leaving it covered with their dead and wounded. Their loss was immense. I had at first computed it at 1500, but it is since ascertained to have been much greater. Upon information, which is believed to be correct, Col. Haynes, the inspector Gen., reports it to be in the total 2600. His report I enclose you. My loss was inconsiderable, being only seven killed and 6 wounded. (This was in the action on the line—afterwards a skirmishing was kept up in which a few more of our men were lost.)
Such a disproportion in loss, when we consider the number and the kind of troops engaged must, I know, excite astonishment, and may not everywhere be fully credited; yet I am perfectly satisfied that the account is not exaggerated on the one part, nor underrated on the other.
The enemy having hastily quitted a post which they had gained possession of, on the other side of the river, and we having immediately returned to it, both armies at present occupy their former positions. Whether, after the severe losses he has sustained, he is preparing to return to his shipping, or to make still mightier efforts to attain his first object, I do not pretend to determine. It becomes me to act as though the latter were his intention. One thing, however, seems certain—that if he still calculates on effecting what he has hitherto been unable to accomplish, he must expect considerable reinforcements; as the force with which he landed must undoubtedly be diminished by at least 3000. Besides the loss which he sustained on the night of the 23d ultimo, which is estimated at four hundred, he cannot have suffered less between that period and the morning of the 8th inst. than 300—having, within that time, been repulsed in two general attempts to drive us from our position, and there having been continual cannonading and skirmishing during the whole of it. Yet he is still able to show a very formidable force.
There is little doubt that the commanding General, Sir Edward Pakenham, was killed in the action of the 8th, and that Major Generals Keane and Gibbs were severely wounded.
Whenever a more leisure moment shall occur, I will take the liberty to make out and forward you a more circumstantial account of the several actions, and particularly that of the 8th, in doing which my chief motive will be to render justice to those brave men I have the honor to command, and who have so remarkably distinguished themselves.
I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,
Andrew Jackson, Major General Commanding.
P.S.—A correct list of my killed and wounded will be forwarded you by the Adjutant General.
Click here for more articles about the War of 1812. | <urn:uuid:7d05dd1b-65c9-46c0-9844-b10a7f420fab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsinhistory.com/blog/battle-new-orleans-andrew-jackson%E2%80%99s-triumph | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977305 | 2,909 | 3.625 | 4 |
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Facebook for Kids Facebook is the part of social network site, And its related site are Orkut, Twitter etc. Social networking site has become a hobby of every youngest children. There are lot of traffic in this root. Cyberbullying Cyberbullying is the bullying that is the lake place online, The Cyberbullying bad affect in the youngest children, They also find to internet for using to social network site, More time its heart to them. Parental Control Software Now a days who don't know to social network site, There are lot of traffic and mostly the youngest are using to these site, For the parents have to need best internet control software than they can secure to their children. And they can save to their children form here. | <urn:uuid:60e05e0a-05e9-40b6-9fbe-377c2a7dabd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pdfcast.org/pdf/anti-money-laundering-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912448 | 263 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Enjoying Redeeming Live Horse Racing Suspense and Thrill
The thrill and excitement as they can in a Live horse racing is just unimaginable. The conditions prevailing in particular racing venue decides the outcome of Live Horse Racing. The Live Horse racing is crucial for the planned horse racing. But behind that need a lot of preparation. The horses are trained in advance so that they fit and prefect on the day of live horse racing.
The factors that are completed in advance before the live horse racing are as follows:
> The racing horses is different from the ordinary ones. They are specifically addressed in the same style to make them most suitable for horse racing. They are offered special training and breeding. Some horses are trained later after the age of five years. Such horses are thus best suited for live horse racing.
> The jockeys sitting on their horses to ride them is also specially trained. They should also be in good shape. They conduct exercises with their horses. Thus, they do very well at the time of Live Horse Racing.
> The courts are also ready for live horse racing. Such horses can run nicely on dirt or hard racetracks. Thus, depending on it, the jockeys accepted to participate in the competition with their horses on specific racecourses.
But it's not just the case. They focus on the tracks is the most important task for many alive racing. They put their bets on the horses, and look at the shape off the tracks. Some in the running game is done at some racetracks. At the time everyone gathered Wager The location and see it live horse racing to put their games. But it is considered as the very risky thing to go "in time".
Therefore, before live racing the bettors make their assessments in advance. Lots of analysis and thinking is done before it. The story of the horses have been studied, and on that basis they decided to pick games. The final live horse racing is very important for them to check whether their efforts are going to get back in the odds given or not.
The Live Horse racing is broadcast on big screens and electronic media to provide clear picture of the racing. There are many race tracks all over the world where daily live horse racing is organized.
About the Author | <urn:uuid:79e1dc5a-65b8-4ce2-8e68-b288ca59a586> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hoofwizard.com/tag/live-horse-racing-results/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97587 | 464 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Registered money managers are paid professionals who are responsible for handling the securities portfolios they oversee in the best interest of the institutions or individuals for whom they work. That obligation is known as fiduciary responsibility.
The specific decisions an individual money manager makes vary, depending on the portfolio in question. For example, pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies have money managers, as do endowments, managed accounts, and hedge funds.
The portfolio that the manager constructs and the amount and timing of the trading he or she authorizes are directly linked to the portfolio's investment objective and risk profile.
Yahoo Finance - Cite This Source - This Definition
- Actively managed fund, Audit committee, Buy side, Enhanced index fund, Institutional investor, Managed account, Management fee, Passively managed, Portfolio manager, Prudent man rule, Wrap account
All > Business > Finance > Personal Finance | <urn:uuid:1a3acec8-bab1-4c53-94d4-4f71c5972632> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.expertglossary.com/personal-finance/definition/money-manager | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921446 | 185 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Hi guys!a math question:
i've spent lots of hours trying to figure it out,so if it seems easy,i'm just dumb not lazy^^
i'm reading the artificial intelligence book by russel and norvig,where the 8 puzzle is described as the usual 3*3 board with 8 numbered tiles and an empty cell...
the authors claim that only 9!/2 states can be reached from a given initial state(wich means there are only 2 equivalence classes).well intuitively it seems
correct,but i can't figure out any satisfying proof.i know i just could use a few lines of code to calculate this,but the authors mentioned that so casually
that it seems like it's the result of a very simple deduction...so what am i missing?
by the way i posted that on mathoverflow,they closed it in less than 5 minutes. | <urn:uuid:cde6c298-3088-4263-b696-6c7cbd4dd9b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lispforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3302&p=9556 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955174 | 183 | 2.03125 | 2 |
>[mailto:firstname.lastname@example.org]On Behalf Of David Gilbert
>Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 01:41
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Sloper or Inverted V
>That statement hasn't been accurate for about three decades.
>engineers now understand and can model exactly how bumblebees and
>hummingbirds fly. The only reason the myth lives on is because people
>are so fond of quoting it as a rationalization for believing as
I apologize if I stepped on your engineering toes. That was not my intent
with my candid remarks. As usual, conjecture can bring out the best or worse
>Within known limitations (close-spaced wires, wires near ground, etc),
>computer programs do a pretty good job of modeling antennas as well.
>9 times out of 10, those antennas that are claimed
>to defy the modeling programs don't.
I don't have any "evidence" to counter support for that one. Besides I did
not knock Modeling in my posts. I merely stated that I had not modeled any
of my antennas.
>They might defy the careless modeler, but I
>ham radio is advanced at all by non-quantifiable endorsements and
>anecdotal experience, at least not when objective inspection and theory
>would indicate otherwise.
He was not asking for "quantifiable endorsements". As far as your "anecdotal
experience" I have the logbook to prove the antennas in question work.
However this is not a brag forum. I saw no benefit to Cal to brag about my
But for your criticism, I offer that In recent years I have worked Asia,
Europe, Russia and South America on 40M RTTY with 50 watts. I accomplished
this with a 1/4 wave Sloper off the West side of my tower. I also have
worked 38 states on 40M since moving to this QTH all with the same 40M
I will not argue with your Modeling and the results it shows. However,
please consider that Theory has its place and so does operational reality.
I stand by my remarks about the sloper/inverted V antennas. Please re-read
the post which Cal placed and I answered. Here is a reminder:
> I'm working on plans for a 90' tower.
> Has anyone used the top set of guy wires, with johnnyball insulators at
the correct places of course to make an inverted V, or Sloper?
> OR..maybe using the guy wires connected at 60' for another sloper or
I simply answered his question. I have seen responses to this kind of
question advocating both sides of the house. Hence my reasoning for
answering Cal's query with my own experience.
Is the sloper/inverted V a good antenna? Compared to What?
Simply stated "Inverted V & Slopers DO work". How well, depends on your
perspective. If you compare it to a dipole in free space, they are probably
not as good. However, they work extremely well compared to using Bed springs
for an antenna.
Please don't laugh at that comment.
I have personally loaded a double bed spring with an old ART-13 and made
many contacts on 40 & 80 meters.
When I first became a ham I was living in a very small house with no real
estate for antennas. So in these conditions you improvise. I had heard that
the ART-13 (my first transmitter) would load anything that had metal in it,
so I set out to prove it. It worked.
Perhaps you could practice modeling that one. I used a double bed open
spring installed in a wooden bed frame. Counting the house foundation, the
spring was perhaps 4 ft off the ground.
By the way that was when you were 6 years old. I'll let you model the math.
>....was correct when he said that a
>half-sloper (quarter wavelength of wire fed at the tower) is basically
>an Inverted-V with a very sharp angle (lots of field cancellation) and
>one leg grounded.
An accurate description. Does that make it good or bad? Again, conjecture
>It doesn't sound very attractive in that
>is probably why historically few hams with something to
>it against have ever been very impressed with it.
There has been some form of Sloper/Inverted V in the Antenna/ARRL handbooks
since I can remember. That should tell you something about its acceptance.
Based on your personal lack of acceptance, maybe you could convince all the
authors to quit including it in their antenna books. Perhaps you need to
take another approach toward convincing those of us that have successfully
used that type antenna for the past 55 years.
Dave, Amateur radio was built on experimentation along with trial and error.
Please provide a space in your mind for the practical side of the house and
enjoy this great hobby for what it was founded on. There is no argument,
theory has its place, but the bottom line is the satisfaction of making a
contact using something you built, regardless of how you got there.
Again, I apologize if I hit a nerve. I wish you the best of DX. in the mean
time, I will continue to use my slopers, "It works for me".
* 73's Jim W5IFP *
>Jim Hargrave wrote:
>> Antennas are kind of like the Bumble bee. Aeronautical
>engineers tell you it
>> can't fly, but they failed to tell the Bumble Bee.
>TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk mailing list | <urn:uuid:7858d26f-ded3-4a98-9ccd-a4f640b17a96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lists.contesting.com/_towertalk/2009-04/msg00648.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944238 | 1,219 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Newshawk: Cannabis Health (http://www.cannabishealth.com/)
Pubdate: Thu, 10 Oct 2002
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 The Toronto Star
Author: Prithi Yelaja
STUDY TO PROBE ROLE OF MEDICINAL POT
HIV/AIDS Patients Will Test Benefits in First Canadian Trial
St. Michael's Hospital is leading the first Canadian study to probe the possible benefits of medicinal marijuana.
The results of the pilot study, funded by Health Canada, are expected to form the basis for a larger, multi-centre trial next year.
The study will test the safety and efficacy of smoked marijuana on appetite stimulation, pain, nausea, mood and cognitive function, said lead investigator Dr. Kevin Gough, medical director of the HIV program at St. Mike's.
"There's been a lot of controversy and debate around the potential role of smoked cannabis in the treatment of medical illness. There's a lot of speculation and anecdotal data and it's time to collect some good scientific data to answer this question."
The study will involve 32 HIV/AIDS patients who will smoke various doses of pot for eight weeks.
Patients will be allowed to smoke as much marijuana as they need to help their symptoms, and they will be expected to record the effect it had on them. At certain times, patients will also get a placebo to determine if they can tell if they're using an active drug or not.
Patients will be recruited from Toronto HIV/AIDS clinics, agencies and referring physicians.
The marijuana is being supplied by the U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse, the only supplier in North America of research-grade cannabis, grown under controlled conditions to contain measurable amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ), Gough said.
THC is the component of cannabis known to cause the "high" that people experience.
Results of the pilot study are expected next year, and may also benefit patients suffering from other chronic illnesses, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis, said Gough.
Ottawa has flip-flopped on the issue of providing medicinal marijuana to people with chronic illness. Last year, former health minister Allan Rock promised cannabis would be available for medical use.
The current minister, Anne McLellan, said she's uncomfortable endorsing medical marijuana without knowing all the benefits or side effects.
Also, because of the federal government's long-standing campaign against tobacco smoking, McLellan said she sees some contradiction in a decision to let ill patients smoke marijuana on a compassionate basis. | <urn:uuid:8e337200-3bce-441f-9a7c-bf0ff4494abb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.torontohemp.com/news/news139.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937918 | 532 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Matching an espresso machine to your needs or style, as we like to call it, is the most important decision you can start with. If the machine does not offer the proper balance of "ease of use" to "user control" then the experience will be less then optimal. Not a good thing! Choosing the proper espresso machine is akin to a marriage for some - searching for a match made in Java Heaven. So, as match makers, we endeavor to assist you in finding the right machine. It is also important to know what is available and the differences between them.
This is an elegant old world espresso machine that is a throw back to a time when espresso was first discovered. Before the invention of this style of machine it was not possible to generate the necessary pressure to extract an espresso in the manner that we enjoy today. Steam powered machines made the best coffee at the time and the introduction of the piston style enabled the barista’s to generate the 8 to 9 atmospheres of pressure necessary for a true espresso. However they still used boiled water, which would destroy much of the sensitive aromatic oils and coffee flavors. In the 1930’s this process was further refined to use water heated below boiling at around 190 to 195 degrees. This refinement coaxed the finer undertones and more full-bodied tastes from the bean as well as a superior crema, which is the hallmark of a successful extraction. These machines are considered pieces of functional art and are actually on museum display! They are pretty much the same today and are capable of producing superb espresso.
These machines are best suited for people that thoroughly enjoy the ritual of making espresso, a hobbyist or other coffee culture enthusiast. The ease of use is low and the learning curve is high. However the coffee that they are capable of extracting is on par with the best machines.
These have nice frothers, powerful enough for home use. Some come with an auto-frother to simplify the process. You will have no problem making a couple of cappuccino’s, however since they do not have a water reservoir you will find that they are not that practical for large gatherings. Cleaning and maintenance is fairly standard as compared to the semi and fully automatics. However, the exterior of the machine has either a brass, chrome or even copper finish that will show wear, tarnish and fingerprints if not immaculately cleaned. Other then that they are an exceptional showpiece!
To use will pull down on the machine’s handle to force the hot water through the coffee. This does require some arm strength and the consistency of the pull is critical to obtaining a good extraction or espresso.
These are electric pump machines that were first introduced by Gaggia in the 1940’s. These succeeded the Pistol machine because of their comparative ease of use. The electric pump was easily able to produce the necessary pressure of 8 to 9 atmospheres without the inconsistencies inherent of the human powered pistons. This system quickly replaced the Piston Style machines and became the method of choice for cafes, food services and the home.
These machines operate in what we call the semiautomatic mode. This means that the user starts the pump with an on/off switch and stops the pumping action when the extraction is complete. The extraction takes about 20 to 25 seconds so the user will wait for the coffee process to finish and then switch off the machine. Ease of use is good and the learning curve is average. This is the most popular style of machine for use in the home. These machines are more consistent and simpler to use then the Piston Style units and will also produce an excellent product
Most machines use a boiler like the piston machine except that they also have a separate water reservoir. This is effective for users that require greater capacity and hot water for teas or cafe Americano’s. The boilers will all have some overheating protection device - like a thermal fuse - to protect the machine as well as the user. There are newer generation heating devices that use a thermoblock or thermocoil system instead of a boiler. The water is heated on demand as it passes through a heating tube, which can make for faster heating to brew temperature, but not necessarily to steam temperature as our tests have confirmed. Not to confuse you, but there is even a hybrid thermoblock/boiler version available. Unless you have a preference, consider the total machine capabilities - not boiler style.
Frothing on these machines vary from simple to requiring some skill to simple. The machines with frothing adapters help in the aeration process, however those with more traditional steaming wands are easy to master once you know the technique. Any of the machines we sell will steam at least 14 ounces of milk, which is far more than you will normally need. Range of motion on the steam wand is also a consideration for some. However all the machines we sell are capable of using a 20oz steaming pitcher. Anything larger is not recommended, the height of the steaming pitcher starts to become an issue because it will inhibit your range of motion. Also, if you wish to steam 4 to 8 ounces of milk the low level will make it more difficult to reach with the steam wand.
These machines extract in the same manner as the semiautomatics with the exception that they are a one touch system. This means the user will start the extraction by activating a touch pad switch. The machine will then continue to extract until a predetermined volume of espresso has been satisfied and then it will stop on its own. This is very helpful for when the user has other tasks to perform. The ease of use is very good and the learning curve is medium. Fully automatic machines are preferred in cafes and restaurants but are also available for the home. The selection available for home use is very limited and are based on modified semiautomatic modes. These machines do not offer better coffee quality and for the automation that they offer in a home environment consider the overall price to performance aspects before deciding.
Frothing and nearly all other commentary on the semi automatics can be applied to the fully-automatics; see those comments above.
These machines are simply that - super automatics. They perform the entire ritual for the user in a fraction of the time. They contain water reservoirs and integrated coffee grinders. This is push button technology at it’s best. Press the brew button and it will grind the right amount of beans, tamp the ground beans, extract a predetermined amount of coffee and then it will dispose of the puck (left over coffee) into an internal dump box. Some models will even help the user maintain the machine. The popularity of this style of machine is the fastest growing in the market. This machine presents some substantial advantages to all others that we discussed.
Special features found on the super-automatics can be really cool and add considerable flexibility. Some will give you the ability to change the coffee strength by controlling the amount of coffee used in each extraction. This can be used to make weaker or stronger espresso, doubles and the highly popular crema coffee. The crema coffee is a regular coffee only made in the pressure brewed style - fuller bodied and a whole lot better. You can make these on demand with freshly ground beans - a cup a Joe doesn’t get any better then this!
Some machines will even provide a bypass doser. This feature allows the user to bypass the whole bean coffee grinder with pre-ground coffee. The most common use is decaf for those guests that can’t drink the good stuff or perhaps you don’t feel like caffeinating yourself in the evening. This prevents the desire to dump the beans out of the hopper and gives more practical value to the machine for some buyers. The coffee quality offered by these machines are excellent and exceed that produced by most users here in the US. This is not to say that you can not make it better yourself, it is just very unlikely that the average user has the knowledge to make a better product. This is particularly true in regards to consistency - the ability to make a great extraction one after another. I speak from substantial experience with all varieties of users.
Frothing is very simple. They all have frothing adapters which as I described earlier, help in the aeration of the milk to produce a thick froth. They are unique in that they do not use boilers for heating of the water for brewing or steaming. They use a thermoblock technology that heats the water as it passes through a tube encased in an aluminum block - hence the name thermoblock! They react very quickly and are capable of steaming continuously. The pump goes into a slow pulsing action that sends droplets of water from the reservoir into the superheated thermoblock where it is flashed steamed. This is a very effective system that works great for hot water dispensing as well.
Maintenance and cleaning of the Super Automatics is on the lowest end of the scale for comparison purposes. These are no-tools required systems - some are self -cleaning and for those of you who want to visually inspect the brewing components you can remove the entire brew group on some models.
The Super Automatics will go further than simply making an espresso automatically. They take the used grounds and place them into an internal dump box, when this is full the machine will tell you. The machine will also indicate when it is out of water. Some models have their own cleaning cycles, decalcification cycles and auto-rinse cycles.
A concern for some users is that the super-automatics take away the control that you get with the other styles. This is true to an extent. What you loose is the ability to control the brew pressure manually like you do with the piston style (only). This is not necessarily a bad thing - most users could not put up with this human error prone procedure. Another concern is that you cannot control the tamp pressure. This is also true, but what you want is consistency of tamp pressure. Therefore, you should change the fineness of the grind to suite the tamp.
As you would expect, all the grinders have a wide range of settings. In fact they all use very strong conical burr grinders with gear reduction systems. This makes the grinder a strength of the machine and not something to excuse away.
To learn more about Super Automatics see our page dedicated to explaining them is fuller detail - What is a Super Automatic.
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Copyright ©2013 Whole Latte Love. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:13d84a0b-0b4d-47f3-93d8-2479daad8d6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wholelattelove.com/buyingguide.cfm?buyingguideID=6 | 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 | 0.951416 | 2,231 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Around 74,000 years ago, a massive volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island erupted, spewing thousands of cubic kilometers of material into the atmosphere and plunging the Earth into a "volcanic winter," a period of prolonged cooling. The Lake Toba event, which is thought to have been the largest eruption in the past 25 million years, extinguished a significant share of the planet's early inhabitants, including almost 60 percent of all humans, and thoroughly disrupted the climate system, reducing global temperatures by 3 to 5�C.
Though geologists have been studying calderas—or supervolcanoes as they are more commonly known—for years, their understanding of the basic geophysical processes underlying eruptions and magma dynamics has been limited. Considered among the most violent geologic events, supervolcanic eruptions have occurred every few hundred thousand years and are believed to have triggered mini-ice ages at several points in Earth's history.
The recent discovery of an area of crustal uplift in the Italian Alps' Sesia Valley has, for the first time, allowed researchers to peer deep below the surface at a fossil supervolcano's "plumbing"—the networks of tracks and trails that magma follows as it pushes upwards through the crust. The study, led by James Quick of Southern Methodist University, was detailed in the July issue of Geology.
The crustal uplift, which exposed rocks as deep as 25 km underground, was formed when the continents of Africa and Europe began colliding around 30 million years ago; the enormous friction this generated pushed Italy’s crust up. It granted the authors an unprecedented insight into magmatic underplating, the process by which erupted magma is driven by the intrusion of mantle-derived magma in the deep crust.
Quick and his colleagues collected five different depth samples and determined their ages using a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP), a mass spectrometer that blasts rocks with an ion beam to measure the isotopic and elemental abundances of minerals. Their analysis revealed that several magmatic events—the movement of mantle-derived melt into the deep crust—took place during the Permian period between roughly 289 and 284 million years ago.
The intrusion of mantle-derived magma at depths below 15 km induced anatexis, the partial melting of rocks, in the continental crust. This produced silica-rich melts that slowly made their way towards the surface, triggering intermittent eruptions between 289 and 280 million years ago. These repeated events were interspersed with periods of slow cooling and deformation in the crust. Crustal melting proceeded apace for several million more years until the rocks eventually crystallized during the early Permian.
These results agree with other studies that have shown that volcanic activity involving large silicic complexes elsewhere in the Alps was common at the time. Similar analyses of other supervolcanoes, including active ones in Long Valley and Yellowstone, could help geologists better interpret geophysical profiles and, more importantly, predict future eruptions.
Geology, 2009. DOI: 10.1130/G30003A.1
Listing image by NASA | <urn:uuid:3b42c4d3-2753-460f-a23d-aa12db2246bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/science/2009/09/a-plumbers-guide-to-supervolcanic-eruptions/?comments=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955948 | 653 | 4.28125 | 4 |
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More US coal plants to retire due to green rules-study
* Coal retirement/retrofits to cost up to $144 billion
* Brattle says up to 77,000 MW of coal could shut
* Higher natural gas prices will reduce coal retirements
By Scott DiSavino
Oct 8 (Reuters) - More U.S. coal-fired power plants could retire due to environmental regulations and weaker-than-expected electric demand, costing the industry up to $144 billion, economists at consultancy Brattle Group said.
In a new study, Brattle's economists forecast 59,000 to 77,000 megawatts (MW) of coal plant capacity would likely retire over the next five years.
That was about 25,000 MW more than the firm had estimated in 2010, Brattle said in a release. There is about 317,000 MW of coal-fired capacity now in the United States.
Brattle estimated more coal units would shut than other recent studies, including a report by the power industry's research arm Electric Power Research Institute that forecast 36,000 to 61,000 MW could shut over the next several years. One megawatt can power about 1,000 homes.
"Everything else being equal, this amount of retirement will be enough to increase prices in both electric and gas markets for a few years, but we do not envision that impact to be large or persistent enough to alter retirement decisions," Frank Graves, Brattle principal and co-author of the study, said.
The economists estimated the power industry would have to invest $126 billion to $144 billion to retrofit and replace the coal capacity.
Since December 2010, when Brattle released its prior estimates of coal plant retirements, natural gas prices and the projected demand for power have decreased.
The economists said these shifts in market conditions had resulted in an acceleration in announced coal plant retirements.
As of July 2012, generating companies had announced the retirement of some 30,000 MW of coal plants (roughly 10 percent of total U.S. coal capacity) by 2016, Brattle said. For factbox on coal plant retirements, click on
But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency still has to finalize some rules related to emissions, cooling water and coal ash.
To reflect the remaining environmental uncertainty, Brattle said its economists had developed "strict" and "lenient" scenarios, with about 59,000 MW likely to retire under lenient rules versus 77,000 MW under strict regulations.
NATURAL GAS FACTOR
The economists said natural gas prices would play a major factor in determining the number of coal plants to retire.
Retirements would drop to between 21,000 and 35,000 MW if natural gas prices increased by just $1 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) relative to April 2012 forward prices.
If gas prices fell by $1, the economists projected coal retirements would increase to between 115,000 and 141,000 MW.
Natural gas prices in April bottomed at $1.90 per mmBtu. Over the past decade, natural gas has traded in a wide range from less than $2 to more than $15, averaging about $6. The current spot cost is $3.35.
The biggest coal-fired generation companies in the United States include units of American Electric Power Co, Duke Energy Corp, Southern Co, Xcel Energy Inc , GenOn Energy Inc and FirstEnergy Corp.
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By Andrew M. Seaman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A growing and aging population, along with increased access to health insurance, will create the need for 52,000 more primary care doctors within the U.S. by the year 2025, according to a new study.
The researchers wanted to estimate how many such doctors the U.S. healthcare system would need after the passage of 2010's Affordable Care Act, which will give an estimated 34 million more Americans access to health insurance.
But Dr. Winston Liaw, one of the study's authors, said the biggest need will not come from more people having health insurance.
"A lot of the increase in utilization is going to be from population growth. That's going to be the largest driver. Then, a smaller percentage is actually going to be from insurance expansion," said Liaw, who was a fellow at Washington's Robert Graham Center when the study was written.
Liaw and his colleagues, who published their findings in the Annals of Family Medicine, used several databases to estimate how many primary care doctors there are in the U.S., and how many people visit them.
They then used that information with additional data from the U.S. Census Bureau to predict how many doctors would be needed as the population grew, aged and gained access to health insurance.
In 2008, the researchers estimated that people made 462 million office visits to primary care doctors. They estimate that number to grow to 565 million office visits by 2025.
That additional use, they say, will require a 3 percent increase in the current primary doctor workforce, or an additional 52,000 doctors.
"That number is an expectation of how many we'll need in addition to how many we have today," said Liaw, now at Virginia Commonwealth University in Fairfax.
Of those, 33,000 doctors are needed to account for population growth, 10,000 for the aging population and more than 8,000 for increased insurance access.
"The fact that they made separate estimates for the increased demands for primary care services that might be due to population growth on the one hand, and aging of the population and thirdly the Affordable Care Act is a very useful addition to this area," said Dr. John Rowe of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York.
The study, however, cannot say whether or not there will be enough doctors to handle the additional need, said Liaw.
For that, he added, they would have to also look at how many people are expected to graduate from medical school and how many doctors will retire.
But some organizations have looked at those numbers, and are expecting a severe doctor shortage in the coming years.
The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. will face a shortage of 90,000 doctors by 2020, which will grow to a shortage of more than 130,000 by 2025.
The Affordable Care Act, which puts a lot of focus on primary care doctors, includes some provisions - such as offering additional money - to encourage medical school students to become primary care doctors instead of specialists, who tend to get paid more.
Those provisions, however, are only expected to provide 500 additional doctors per year.
Rowe, who was not involved with the new research, told Reuters Health that he found it "striking" that the authors neglected to address the potential for non-physicians, such as nurse practitioners, to pick up some of the extra workload.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine issued a report saying nurses could take on additional duties to take some of the strain off of the healthcare system. (see Reuters story of October 5, 2012. http://reut.rs/WfvMcn)
In addition to not taking into account how nurses or physician assistants may influence the numbers, the authors also warn that their estimates are based on how many people visited primary care doctors in 2008.
"If things change, we could not account for that," said Liaw.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/XIQ26D Annals of Family Medicine, November/December 2012. | <urn:uuid:3ccb3282-b7d3-4701-99a4-0351631bebe1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wdez.com/news/articles/2012/nov/16/us-will-need-52000-more-family-docs-by-2025-study/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974245 | 842 | 1.945313 | 2 |
As lawyers who practice in elder law and in estate & trust litigation, we often see clients whose aging parents or family members require assistance. For many, the assistance is necessary because the loved one has dementia. Our primary role is provide the client with information about the legal steps that will help them care for their loved one. For example, we often bring applications to Court for the appointment of a Committee.
However, in addition to their legal needs, clients also need to know about what to expect from their loved one as dementia progresses. The loved one’s doctors and other health care professionals can provide guidance, of course, but another excellent source of information is the three part series of articles published on the Diamond Geriatrics website addressing dementia.
The first article talks about what to expect in terms of limitations the loved one will likely encounter, and which abilities will be lost or limited. The second article addresses changes in the relationships the loved one has. The third article discusses how the person caring for the person with dementia may be affected emotionally.
From my perspective assisting clients caring for loved ones with dementia, and as someone whose Grandmother has dementia, these articles address many of the issues that I see arising. If you are caring for a loved one, I encourage you to read these articles and others to better understand the dynamics arising from caring for loved ones with dementia. | <urn:uuid:e488019d-4633-40f6-a0b6-2eb2056c0eb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://yourestatemattersblog.ca/the-emotional-aspects-elder-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961829 | 275 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Notes & News
Internet Mailing List
TAZUP / WORKUP
Old Data (pre-2000)
PUMS & PUMAs
ACS & C2SS
The American Community Survey (ACS) is the new Census Bureau program to provide continuous sample, or "long form" data, throughout the coming decades. Full scale implementation of the American Community Survey is expected to commence November 2002, with annual data for all geographic areas of 65,000+ population expected starting summer 2004. Very small area data (e.g., census tracts) will be based on an accumulation of five years of ACS data (2003-2007) and will be expected in 2008.
The American Community Survey, formerly known as "Continuous Measurement", was introduced to the transportation planning community in 1994 at the Census and Transportation Planning Conference in Irvine, California. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) then convened a panel to examine continuous measurement, and issued an April 1996 report "Implication of Continuous Measurement for the Uses of Census Data in Transporation Planning" (available from BTS.)
Full-scale pilot testing of the ACS started in 1999 and will be completed in 2002. Thirty one counties were selected as pilot sites to test ACS. Research on comparing and "bridging methodologies" for ACS and standard long form data is underway.
For more information on the American
Community Survey, visit the Census Bureau's ACS
This web page will update users on the status of a new NCHRP project, #08-48, entitled "Using American Community Survey Data for Transportation Planning." (NCHRP, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, is a pooled-fund program sponsored by AASHTO and managed by the Transportation Research Board).
The NCHRP Project #08-48 is currently
pending publication and will be released around February 2008.
The TRB subcommittee on Census Data for Transportation Planning hosted a half-day workshop on Sunday, January 13, 2002, on the American Community Survey for Transportation Planners. Results of this workshop will be posted on this web site in the near future. | <urn:uuid:0bbd15fb-f5e9-4649-995c-fc44e2e44318> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://trbcensus.com/acs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904075 | 432 | 2.078125 | 2 |
The advent of large catalogs with more accurate positions enables the WCSTools
IMWCS program to fit more accurate world coordinate systems to images. There
has always been a question as to how the error in matching images to source
catalogs was split between the uncertainties of the catalog positions, the
uncertainties of the image centroids, nonlinearities in detector and telescope
optics, and nonlinearities in the actual detector chip.
Figure 1 shows an image of a field on the center of the open cluster M67 with sources from the GSC II Catalog plotted over it based on a fit WCS.
Figure 2 compares the results of world coordinate system fits to the field based on sources from the USNO-A2.0, GSC II, 2MASS Point Source, GSC-ACT, and HST GSC and M67 Proper Motion Catalogs. For each catalog, the first column indicates the number of stars matched between the catalog and the image, the second column shows how many catalog stars were found in the image (with an upper limit of 300), and the third column indicates the mean separation between the image and catalog positions for the matched stars after the WCS fit in units of arcseconds times 1000 so that the bars all fit on the same scale.
Note that the proper motion catalog fits significantly better than the other catalogs and that the recent epoch catalogs fit better than the 1950's Palomar Sky Survey-based USNO-A2.0 catalog. Further tests are being undertaken to discover exactly what the position errors really are, but this simple test shows that the better the astrometry in a source catalog, the better it will match an image.
Figure 1 (Click for bigger graph)
Figure 2 (Click for bigger graph) | <urn:uuid:4ddd0cdb-c518-431d-93db-1d627576685a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/software/wcstools/publications/adass2001/m67comp.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905573 | 367 | 2.890625 | 3 |
With President Obama determined to bring New START to the Senate floor before the end of the year, the national security establishment is virtually unanimous in its support of the treaty. Backers include everyone from the head of Strategic Command, seven of his predecessors, the co-chairs of the bipartisan Strategic Posture Commission, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration and his predecessor, the directors of the nuclear weapons labs, and nearly every living former secretary of state. Public opinion, too, is strongly in favor of ratification.
With approximately 12,000 nuclear warheads -- about 2,600 of them deployed with "strategic" missiles and bombers capable of crossing the oceans -- Russia remains the sole force on Earth that could terminate the existence of the United States on any given day.
But if one were to go by the statements of editorialists, talking heads, and the senators who actually must vote on the question, there's precious little consensus about anything. Overall, is arms control a good idea? Is it even important anymore? Wouldn't it be better to build stronger missile defenses instead? Could a vote on New START be delayed without crippling its chances for ratification and entry into force? Confusion pervades the debate, almost to the point that no two pundits agree on even the most elementary questions.
Perhaps this problem is to be expected: The number of commentators or public servants willing to devote sustained attention to nuclear policy has only declined since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Still, if any undecided senators are pondering the issue, how should they think about New START? Reviewing four basic questions should help to place the treaty in perspective.
The role of nuclear arms control. The first and most essential question to ask is: What's the point of strategic nuclear arms control? Regardless of the merits of New START, has any US-Russian treaty really been necessary?
The answer is, yes, strategic nuclear arms control matters profoundly. With approximately 12,000 nuclear warheads -- about 2,600 of them deployed with "strategic" missiles and bombers capable of crossing the oceans -- Russia remains the sole force on Earth that could terminate the existence of the United States on any given day.
In this sense, strategic nuclear weapons are quite unlike other military capabilities. Strong ground, air, and naval forces could protect America from any conceivable invasion by stopping an attack before it reaches our shores. But no imaginable use of force, nuclear or otherwise, could reliably prevent Russia from wielding its arsenal of mass destruction against the United States.
Of course, America has its own massive nuclear arsenal to threaten Russia in return: about 9,400 warheads, including almost 2,000 deployed with strategic delivery systems. By itself, however, this is insufficient and even perilous. Without an effective means to limit, reduce, and monitor each other's strategic nuclear weapons, Washington and Moscow historically have experienced an acutely mistrustful, competitive dynamic that has sparked dangerous crises from the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 to the Soviet war scare of 1983. No strategic nuclear arms control means that the two countries will be tempted to renew the nuclear arms race, even if only to compel each other to accept an agreement.
The continued relevance of nuclear arms control. The second question is: Does New START really matter, now that the Cold War is over?
Yes, arms control still matters. When each side holds the other's future in its hands, the need for effective mutual reassurance endures.
Far from being a relic of the Cold War, the original START treaty did not enter into force until December of 1994, more than three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The START system of force limits and verification measures has played an important role in limiting potential tensions between Russia and the United States. Even when relations were at their nadir during the Putin and Bush presidencies, the reduction of arms proceeded apace.
As of December 5, 2010, a full year has passed since the expiration of the START treaty. Neither side's strategic nuclear arsenal has been subject to any binding limits during that time, and neither side's inspectors have laid eyes on the other's bombers and missiles. As a temporary condition en route to the swift renewal of arms control measures, this is one matter. As an indefinite state of affairs, it is another entirely.
US-Russian relations continue to waver between cooperation and mistrust. We can ill afford to let strategic nuclear force limits and verification lapse indefinitely.
Substituting missile defense. The third question is: Haven't defensive technologies come far enough that we no longer need to accept mutual vulnerability between the United States and Russia?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Even under the most optimistic assumptions about its performance, America's strategic ballistic missile defense, the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, would be of no help against Russia's arsenal.
There shouldn't be any illusions on this score. Designed to address emerging threats from North Korea and Iran, the defensive system has no chance of stopping a Russian attack, for reasons of size, cost, and inherent technological limitations. For the foreseeable future, the time-tested combination of deterrence and arms control will remain the only way of managing the threat.
Delaying New START. The fourth question is: Could a ratification vote safely be postponed until next year, or perhaps later?
After months of maneuvering, the vote has already been delayed until the last possible moment in the legislative session. Deferring it to next year and the new Congress would -- to coin a phrase -- "reset" the entire process of committee hearings, briefings, questions, answers, and unseemly horse-trading. During this time, Russia's leaders will have little choice but to begin contemplating the alternatives to arms control. President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin have already raised the possibility of a new arms race if New START is not ratified. Delay would probably be fatal to the treaty's chances.
Even if New START were somehow ratified in 2011, the harm to US interests would be considerable in the meantime. We can ill afford to alarm and antagonize Russia precisely when Iran's leaders are hoping to divide Moscow and Washington. If Iran's illicit nuclear ambitions are to be checked, they must face a united front from the great powers. The alternative increasingly looks like the start of a three- or four-way nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
The importance of swiftly ratifying New START is entirely apparent. Failing to renew arms control would be a radical experiment in relations between two nuclear-armed nations -- a step into the unknown, with little room for error. | <urn:uuid:47020b7c-30b4-42fe-a8a0-e968b7539003> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thebulletin.org/print/web-edition/columnists/joshua-pollack/the-high-stakes-of-new-start | 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 | 0.945681 | 1,341 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Is there a different view by political-scientist in history mention that printing more bill is different from adding few more zeros on the bill. I know some Africa country tend to doing that.
closed as not constructive by Sardathrion, Tom Au, canadiancreed Aug 13 '12 at 1:32
As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or specific expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, see the FAQ for guidance.
You are confusing money supply with inflation. Increasing the money supply can sometimes (but not always) increase prices right along with it - this is called inflation. Inflation devalues the currency, and if it devalues too much, smaller denominations, like the penny in the US, becomes an impractical medium of exchange.
Increasing the money supply is a function of a central bank (or reserve bank) - they are not literally printing more money. The phrase "print more money" is poetic shorthand for a complex series of transactions between the government and private financial institutions.
If you massively increase the money supply, as Zimbabwe did, you will be in a situation where it will require printing new bill denominations, otherwise people will be paying for bread with wheelbarrows full of bills. More money in circulation results in more zeros on the bills.
This brings us to an interesting distinction - money and currency are not the same thing. I'm having trouble finding a link that explains the distinction that isn't gold-bug conspiracy theory BS, so I'll lay it out here.
Money is a stored value that is used as a medium of exchange - and in most modern economies, that value it is stored in two ways. First, it is stored as bank deposits, and most of the money supply is here, as most things are paid for using the bank - when you write a check, you are moving money from one deposit (yours) to another (the check recipient's.) You have spent money - and you did it without currency!
The other way value is stored is in currency - these are objects issued by a guarantor, most often but not always a government, that represent not only stored value, but a unit of account. The worth of these objects depends on many factors, almost all of them concerning the guarantor. If the guarantor increases the money supply, the worth of a unit of currency can sometimes (but not always) decrease in value. This requires new or replacement currency to be denominated at larger and larger units to be a practical medium of exchange. | <urn:uuid:8585afce-b32b-4341-a337-1952ebb261db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/2796/is-there-a-different-view-by-political-scientist-in-history-that-printing-more-b/2803 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947184 | 558 | 2.59375 | 3 |
YOUNG mother Tahleha Baptie and her partner, David O'Connell, count their blessings every day when they admire their baby Skylah.
The alert and rosy-cheeked little girl living and growing with them today was born premature and pallid on April 2 after losing massive amounts of blood through a tear behind the placenta.
Tahleha still shudders when she thinks back and reflects on how close the couple came to losing their newborn.
"She was born with severe foetal-maternal haemorrhaging," Tahleha said.
"There was a big tear in the placenta, but it did not show up on the scans.
"When she was born she had only 50% of her blood in her system and was only the second baby in (Hervey Bay) hospital to be given a blood transfusion like that."
Skylah was rushed into intensive care where she stayed for five days, part of that time in a humidi crib as she struggled to breathe.
Medical staff told Tahleha, once the crisis was over, that only one in 5000 babies suffered from Skylah's condition, and the mortality rate was 37%.
"They were so blown away at the hospital by how well Skylah has recovered," Tahleha said.
"She has all her colour back and is eating well and putting on weight.
"We couldn't be happier."
Tahleha, who has just finished Year 12 and a hospitality and tourism course through TAFE, said she planned to stay at home to care for Skylah for the foreseeable future. | <urn:uuid:17e5d7e3-4fdd-475a-8d57-19ff8512b40e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/miracle-premmie-blooming-premature-baby/1370294/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988417 | 337 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Engineers breathe new life into wind power concept for southeastern Ohio
June 21, 2010
For years, wind maps of Ohio have predicted that the Appalachian region is a poor resource for wind energy. But a new study by a team of Ohio University undergraduates and engineer Carole Womeldorf might show that the area is more suited to the alternative power concept than previously thought.
Womeldorf, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and students Zach Fetchu, Giffin Whites, and Patrick Seders launched the Wind Energy Assessment Visualization project in December to take a new look at whether the region could yield the type of wind speeds that can economically generate power.
The project, funded by a development grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, examines various wind character-istics, including wind speed, direction, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity at heights well above the local hills and ridges. The team will measure the density of wind power blowing in a 2,000-square-mile region (a 25-mile radius circle) across Athens and surrounding areas, including parts of Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Vinton, Washington, and Hocking counties.
Current wind resource maps publish estimates based on models designed for flatter terrain, and their predictions aren’t very reliable for the hills and ridges in this area, Womeldorf says. With local measurements and a customized numerical modeling approach, “we’ll be able to find the best wind sites this area has to offer with much higher confidence,” she says.
The researchers chose Ohio University’s WOUB television tower, which measures 262 meters tall, to capture wind readings. The team gathers data via sensors attached to booms, poles that connect to the tower perpendicularly. There are two booms placed at six heights on the tower, from 43 meters to 241 meters. Each boom measures 29 feet long. Womeldorf receives an e-mail every night with measurements that were recorded every 10 minutes by the sensors the day before.
Whites, an undergraduate mechanical engineering major and data analyst on the project, explains that the height and large number of booms is essential to the success of the research.
“Because of the hills, we need to reach higher to find out the driving winds above,” he says. “It won’t be perfect, but with those winds in our model, we’ll be able to perform a detailed energy assessment across a large part of southeastern Ohio.”
If the booms show good wind readings, the project could point to a new renewable energy option for the region. Wind turbines could be strategically installed, producing electricity for households and businesses. Jobs would be generated during construction and for longer-term operations and maintenance.
Though the project is in its early stages, the students were encouraged by the data from a high-velocity windstorm that came through the area during the second week of December. They’re curious to see what the weather holds for 2010.
“It’s all about relying on what the wind is going to do,” says Fetchu, a junior in mechanical engineering working on the project. “We’re going to need some booming, strong winds in the future in order to be successful.”
By Bridget Peterlin
This story also will appear in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Perspectives magazine. | <urn:uuid:53accb2e-04a7-403e-98f8-1638e3e83228> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ohio.edu/research/communications/second_wind.cfm | 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 | 0.947652 | 703 | 3.375 | 3 |
The identification and distribution of an intracellular ciliate in pearl oysters, Pinctada maxima (Jameson 1901)
Spiers, Zoe (2008) The identification and distribution of an intracellular ciliate in pearl oysters, Pinctada maxima (Jameson 1901). PhD thesis, Murdoch University.
|PDF - Front Pages |
|PDF - Whole Thesis |
In October 2001, a new intracellular parasite was detected in Western Australian pearl oysters, Pinctada maxima. This ciliated parasite had not previously been seen in the area despite surveillance over preceding years. A study was performed to identify its characteristics and distribution. The information provided by this study could thereby assist the Pearl Producers Association and Government bodies in determining the industry’s response to infections.
The morphology of the intracellular ciliate of pearl oysters was investigated using light microscopy, revealing organisms that were approximately 5 x 11 μm in size, with 9 rows of cilia and a lobulated nucleus. The ciliates were located within the apical portion of the cytoplasm of digestive epithelial cells of the digestive gland. Investigations into the ultrastructure of the ciliate using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supported the findings made using histology.
On initial morphological examination, a similarity between the pearl oyster parasite and a ciliate found in Canadian mussels was identified. Samples of Canadian mussels infected with their intracellular ciliate were analysed using light microscopy and TEM. This identified almost identical morphological characteristics to the Western Australian ciliate of pearl oysters, with a slight difference in size that could be attributed to fixation and processing.
The successful culture of adductor muscle, mantle tissue and digestive gland derived cells from pearl oysters was developed and maintained in vitro for up to 75 days, using a number of varying cell culture media. This was attempted in order to provide an ability to study the live intracellular organisms in the laboratory. Contamination and slow growth were the main issues affecting the viability of the technique.
An investigation into the pathology associated with the presence of the ciliate in the pearl oysters was performed. A positive correlation between the presence of the ciliate and an inflammatory response of the digestive gland was displayed using statistical techniques. Pathological changes to the infected cells were demonstrated using TEM, indicating disrupted cytoplasm, vacuolation and nuclear degeneration.
Field trials placing naïve spat in pearl farm leases that had prior ciliate infections were performed. No intracellular ciliates were detected in P. maxima. Other bivalve species from the same regions were examined histologically for health and parasites. With a total of 345 bivalves surveyed during 2005 to 2007, from 8 geographical locations and over 11 species of bivalve included, one oyster contained the intracellular parasite. This oyster was a 20 mm male bastard shell (Pinctada sp.) from Gales Bay, sampled in October 2006. One protozoal parasite was identified in a novel host bivalve species, and a previously undescribed single celled organism was also discovered.
An experimental design for a cross infection trial, should the ciliate become available, was completed. The sensitivity of histology to detect ciliates was also examined, revealing its sensitivity as a diagnostic tool in at risk populations was low (38%) to moderate (50%).
The historical distribution of the ciliate was examined using archival records, indicating that the highest prevalences occurred in the warmer months of October to February from 2001 to 2006. This also corresponded to the months of reduced rainfall.
An attempt at designing a PCR test to determine the molecular characteristics of the ciliate was performed. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded oyster DNA was successfully extracted, amplified and sequenced, however isolation of ciliate DNA remained elusive, and may have been out-competed with host DNA. In situ hybridisation displayed positive staining with a probe designed from the Ciliophora 16s ssu gene.
|Publication Type:||Thesis (PhD)|
|Murdoch Affiliation:||School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences|
|Supervisor:||Raidal, Shane, Jones, J. Brian and O'Hara, A. J.|
|Item Control Page| | <urn:uuid:ed3ff5e0-d846-4e2c-b310-f14ec9702d7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/3006/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953322 | 897 | 2.25 | 2 |
WASHINGTON — Throughout the campaign, Barack Obama made many promises to the American people. Msnbc.com has chosen 14 of these to explain, explore, and track. See if the new president keeps his word, and vote on his progress during the first 100 days.
Other political news of note
Obama challenges Naval Academy graduates to help restore trust in institutions
In a speech to the graduating class of 2013 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., President Barack Obama challenged the 1,047 graduates to “live with integrity” and help restore trust in a military that has been stained by recent charges of sexual assault.
- Republicans' 'Mad Lib' IRS controversy
- Obama reframes rules of engagement on terrorism
- IRS official Lerner placed on leave
- Heckler repeatedly interrupts Obama speech
- Obama challenges Naval Academy graduates to help restore trust in institutions
Obama’s words: President BarackObama promised in January 2008 that he would be “a president who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers and scientists and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.”
The issue: Obama pledged during the campaign to “invest $150 billion over the next ten years in alternative sources of energy like wind power, and solar power, and advanced bio-fuels, investments that will create up to five million new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced.”
Until August 2008, Obama opposed additional offshore oil drilling, arguing that it would take at least five years for more drilling to lead to lower gasoline prices.
But in a significant change of position, Obama said on Aug. 1, 2008 that he would be willing to support limited additional offshore drilling.
Obama said he’d make this compromise if it were necessary to get enough votes in Congress to pass a comprehensive plan to encourage fuel-efficient vehicles and develop alternative energy sources.
Following through: In his inaugural address Obama promised to “harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories,” an indicator of his interest in solar, wind and biofuel power.
On Feb. 17, Obama signed a $787 billion congressional stimulus package. Included in this package is about $50 billion for energy programs, focused chiefly on efficiency and renewable energy. Among the eco-centric funding:
- $5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes
- $6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites
- $11 billion toward a so-called "smart electricity grid" to reduce waste
- $6 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects
- $6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy grants
- $4.5 billion make federal buildings more energy efficient
- $2 billion in grants for advanced batteries for electric vehicles
Obama touched on this promise during his address to Congress on Feb. 24, promising to "invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars."
He also said, "We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country."
On April 9, the president's science adviser, John Holdren, outlined the White House's climate and energy plans.
He discussed geoengineering, or the concept of using technology to purposely cool the climate.
One option raised by Holdren and proposed by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays.
© 2013 msnbc.com | <urn:uuid:a01ac675-c714-452e-9074-b1fecd454c76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28883752/ns/politics-white_house/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944335 | 744 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Chettali Orange & Coffee Research Station (24 km):
Run by the Government, many interesting experiments and research on the production of coffee are conducted here. Best time to visit is between November and March.
Cauvery Nisargadhama (25 km):
It is a breathtakingly beautiful riverine island formed by Cauvery river in the plains, 2 km from Kushalnagar. Nisargadhama teems with lush foliage, thick bamboo groves, teak and rosewood. The sprawling 64-acre nature resort has a deer park, orchidarium and elephant and boat rides.
Bhagamandala (39 km):
This is the confluence of three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Kanika and Sujyothi. There are three important temples above the confluence of the rivers dedicated to Bhagamandaleswara, Subramanya and Vishnu. During an annual festival, which falls in October/November, the temple is illuminated by thousands of oil lamps. A Central Apiary located here, is a unique centre for demonstration and research-cum-training in modern methods of bee keeping.
Harangi (38 km):
A reservoir and dam located here make it a popular picnic spot.
Bylekuppe (40 km):
The second largest settlement outside Tibet. The Golden Temple has some very impressive 40-foot high golden idols of Buddha. The prayer sessions are a sight to behold, as more than 400 monks chant in unison. There are also a few Tibetan handicraft shops selling shawls, artefacts and souvenir items.
Kudige (40 km):
A model agricultural farm with a basic Training College for teachers.
Talakaveri (44 km):
It is the source of the River Cauvery situated on the slopes of the Brahmagiri Hill, 4,187 ft above sea level. On Tulasankramana (17 October 17) pilgrims throng this place to witness the miraculous rise of the fountainhead, when water gushes up from the spring at a predetermined moment.
Virajpet (32 km):
A small town in Kodagu is reputed to be the largest producer of honey in Asia.
Irupu Falls (80 km):
Nestling beside the Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarhole) and 48 km from Virajpet, Iruppu Falls presents a stunning sight during the monsoon. From its humble origins in the Brahmagiri Range, the falls plunge down 170 ft, in two distinct stages. It is also a well-known pilgrim centre, associated with Lord Rama, hero of the great epic Ramayana. The Rameshwara Shiva Temple, located close to the Lakshmana Theertha River here is said to have been built by Rama. On Mahashivarathri, thousands of pilgrims gather here to take a holy bath.
Rajiv Gandhi National Park - Nagarhole (90 km):
This Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 284 sq km with tropical and deciduous forests and belts of swampy ground at the head of small streams. It derives its name from its snake like winding streams. The place gives an excellent opportunity to the visitors to see wild animals. This reserved forest is famed for its amazing variety of avian fauna, an elephant training camp and angling. Contact forest office in Madikeri, Tel: 08272 228305. | <urn:uuid:1d149a46-6d75-4111-ae51-c00fb95b3bab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.incredibleindia.org/index.php/travel/destination/madikere/madikere-things-to-do/madikere-excursions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924905 | 716 | 1.960938 | 2 |
How to Encourage Word of Mouth
Click here for a PDF version
"Word-of-mouth is the only promotion method that is both the means and the end of marketing. On one hand, it is one of the most compelling methods to communicate with customers. On the other hand, a good reputation spread by word-of-mouth is one of the goals to which organizations strive." Michael E. Cafferky
Word-of-mouth marketing (WOM) is an umbrella term for dozens of techniques that can be used to engage and energize customers. In many cases, WOM isn’t actually marketing at all. It is great customer service that earns customer respect, and it is fantastic programs and services that get customers talking about you.
WOM marketers make their biggest impact when they provide the infrastructure to help messages spread. Its recent growth as a marketing technique is largely due to the growth of the tools that we have to support WOM conversations. A special friends and family discount may be worth talking about, but it has exponential marketing power when you pack it into an easy-to-forward email. A blog is a tool that enables an organization to talk directly with clients, giving them a story to share. Online communities create a home and focus for otherwise disparate conversations. Formal evangelism programs provide the support and encouragement that keeps clients talking.
WOM includes the following techniques that get people talking about your programs:
- Solicit Testimonials
- Facilitate Viral Marketing
- Recruit Program Ambassadors
Testimonials are a silent sales force that you have more control over (once you have them in your possession) than other forms of WOM. Testimonials are powerful because they:
- Express consumer issues in the words of consumers.
- Help a new customer visualize what it will be like for them if they try your program.
- Speak in terms that other customers understand and relate to easily.
Ten Strategies for Successful Customer Testimonials
There is more to obtaining testimonials than just asking participants for their comments and feedback. Consider the following strategies to collect powerful testimonials that catch your prospect’s attention and build a relationship of trust:
Strategy # 1: Try to get a testimonial from your customer as soon as possible after the program ends. Do not wait until the honeymoon period is over. Consider having participants write the testimonial before the conclusion of their class series.
Strategy # 2: Always ask your participants to include your unique selling proposition (USP) in the testimonial. Ask your participant to attest to those qualities included in your USP.
Strategy # 3: Don’t ask for participant testimonials in survey requests. Many organizations make the mistake of sending out participant surveys to get feedback from their customers, in addition to testimonials. Your customer needs to have the freedom to stay anonymous and say negative things in your survey, which is the opposite of what you’re looking for in testimonials.
Strategy # 4: Ask your participants to be specific in their testimonials. Ask them to include specific outcomes that they received due to participation in your program, such as decreased pain, better function or more confidence in their ability to manage their disease.
Strategy # 5: Ask your participants to talk about the struggles they were having previous to receiving the benefits of your product or service. Most likely, the reader will have had the same or similar struggles and will empathize. This will only make your prospect more interested in receiving the benefits of your program.
Strategy # 6: Have your participant state their credentials. This will make their testimonial even more persuasive because their comments will be perceived to come from a credible source. People tend to believe people in positions of perceived authority as well as those who seem like them.
Strategy # 7: Try to get a picture of them participating in your program. Pictures double the effectiveness of your testimonial and bring the testimonials to life.
Strategy # 8: Make sure you get permission from your participants to use their testimonials in your advertising. Thank them profusely and let them know that testimonials like theirs help your programs grow.
Strategy # 9: Ask them if you can use both their name and the community where they live. Even if it is just the name of a city, addresses increase the believability of the testimonial. It demonstrates that they are real people who live in the same community as your prospects.
Strategy # 10: Draft a testimonial for your prospect to review. This is a controversial tactic, but it works. If your customer procrastinates, call them and mention that you know they are very busy but that you value them as a customer and their testimonial is important to you. Suggest that to save them time and hassle, you will draft a testimonial for them; they can make any editing changes they want and send it back. Be sure to include a self-addressed envelope. You get the perfect testimonial and they don’t have to do any work.
FACILITATE VIRAL MARKETING
Viral marketing includes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands of potential customers.
There are two major types of viral messages:
- Pass-along messages encourage the user to send the message to others. People respond to recommendations they receive from friends and family.
- Incentivised messages offer rewards for providing someone's address. This can dramatically increase referrals. Although it is more costly, it has been proven to be effective.
Viral marketing can begin with the e-mail database that you already maintain. Build on it when gathering e-mail addresses at events, programs and seminars. Make sure you get permission from potential participants to communicate through e-mail.
Incentivised viral messages can be sent electronically with a reply back to you or can be done in person at events or programs. The latter is the most cost-effective as you can supply the incentive to the person immediately.
RECRUIT PROGRAM “AMBASSADORS”
Develop ongoing relationships with class participants, active instructors and trainers, and invite them to help you in promoting the programs and recruiting class participants. These individuals who know the programs first-hand can be very powerful champions. Encourage them to:
- Provide testimonials that you can use in a variety of ways.
- Be spokespersons with the media as needed.
- Informally communicate the program benefits to their peers.
- Join your speaker’s bureau and make presentations to community groups using tools such as the Participant Recruitment PowerPoint presentation.
- Serve on workgroups to assist with promotional efforts.
Also consider involving professionals to build your referral team. Physicians, nurses, physical therapists, fitness experts and many others can add to your reputation. Use their influence. Give them the types of information that they love to relay to others. In order for these professional ambassadors to be effective champions in spreading your reputation, they need information. Share stories of successful program participants. Give them information about how you build quality into your programs. Find ways to involve them, to inspire them to talk about you.
To educate your professional champions, choose an orientation method that is cost-efficient, appropriate to your organization and sustainable over time. This might be as simple as distributing to them the AF program marketing brochures and flyers that they can use in their waiting rooms or can pass along to their patients. | <urn:uuid:82e79713-40bc-4803-b28d-dcb5d2233715> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arthritis.org/toolkit/recruiting-program-participants/tip-sheets-2-7/encourage-word-of-mouth/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950754 | 1,578 | 1.726563 | 2 |
- n. Plural form of botanical garden.
“He used to tell us that if Miss Lill had been born a generation later, she’d have followed a path more like Dr. Turner’s—maybe she’d have pursued a doctorate in plant science, then gone on to invent plant cures or sculpt the famous botanical gardens in some famous European city—something truly grand and worthy of her brains.”
“In the vicinity of Kandy is an immense cemetery where were deposited the bodies of the mighty kings and heroes of Ceylon, and about four miles away are the botanical gardens of Peradenia, covering one hundred and fifty acres with most luxuriant exotic vegetation.”
“The manuscript of the botanical-scientific part was discovered by Clements R. Markham in a shed in the botanical gardens of Madrid; he published it under the title: "Tabula synoptica ad specierum generis Chinchonæ determinationem.”
‘botanical gardens’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
Looking for tweets for botanical gardens. | <urn:uuid:521cd2cc-9ac4-4d3c-9918-1e21b428100b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/botanical%20gardens | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920703 | 238 | 2.1875 | 2 |
JOHNSON CITY – Researchers at East Tennessee State University’s College of Public Health have completed an annual evaluation of Tennessee’s Coordinated School Health (CSH) program that shows the state has made strides toward reversing the trend of childhood obesity.
Coordinated School Health strives to improve health among the state’s school-aged youth through school system programs that emphasize healthy nutrition, physical activity and health education. The Tennessee Department of Education contracts with ETSU’s College of Public Health, the state’s only accredited college of public health, to evaluate the effectiveness of CSH and report the findings in a detailed executive summary for state legislators. The college also prepares an individualized annual report for each school system.
Dr. Deborah Slawson, an assistant professor in ETSU’s Department of Community Health and primary investigator for the evaluation, said the report “reveals encouraging signs even as the state continues to face significant challenges in terms of overall health.” Coordinated School Health efforts in the Volunteer State have been hailed as an example for how states can implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s evidenced-based CSH program on a statewide level.
One of the major findings in this year’s evaluation is that Tennessee has seen a marked improvement in childhood obesity. Tennessee still has the third-highest rate of pediatric obesity in the nation, but the prevalence of children who are overweight or obese dropped from 40.9 percent in 2007-08 to 39 percent in 2008-09.
“From looking at rates from one year to the next, we can say that national rates of pediatric obesity are just now leveling out after a long upward trend, while Tennessee rates have actually decreased,” Slawson said. “It’s a good sign that Tennessee has made strides in the right direction.”
Dr. Rebecca Johns-Wommack, interim executive director for Tennessee’s Coordinated School Health program, agrees with Slawson. The results in the report should be an encouraging sign for all in the Volunteer State, Johns-Wommack said.
“Watching firsthand what is taking place in our state is very exciting,” Johns-Wommack said. “Tennessee students, their parents, school system staff and community members have benefited tremendously from having Coordinated School Health. When visitors walk into most Tennessee schools today, they observe many different kinds of physical activity opportunities for students and staff, healthier food served in cafeterias and vending machines, comprehensive health education classes, school health screenings and staff wellness programs.”
One possible contributor to lower obesity rates is the quality of food and drinks sold in Tennessee schools. The percentage of Tennessee schools that did not sell soda or high-calorie fruit juices increased from 27 percent in 2006 to 74 percent in 2008. The Volunteer State now ranks second nationally in that category and is used as a “best practice” for other states to follow, recognition that is largely due to the CSH initiative, Slawson said.
“We have gone from being in the bottom quartile of healthy foods available in schools to the top,” Slawson said. Slawson and eight colleagues from the College of Public Health spent months gathering and analyzing data from CSH schools to write the report, which clocked in at over 30 pages. Dr. Robert Pack, associate dean for the College of Public Health, and Dr. Xuefeng Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics/Epidemiology, served as co-investigators. Other findings in the summary include: | <urn:uuid:bf936fff-3d1b-4fab-8b03-635773f33168> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etsu.edu/cph/NewsEventsDocuments/childhoodobesity.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952511 | 749 | 2.109375 | 2 |
In EuropeGeert Mak
Price $17.99 with FREE shipping!
Buy this and get 144 Nile Miles
Ships in 7–15 business days
“Fascinating, informative, sometimes exhilarating, often painful, and quite impossible to summarise... This is a splendidly panoramic picture of our common European home, a book to read through and then to dip into frequently...I thoroughly recommend his book” — Allan Massie Literary Review "A broader travelling history of the whole of Europe's 20th century. As befits a journalist with an eye for bad news, he also has much more to say on its calamitous first half than on its more successful second half... Mr Mak tells this part of the story vividly and in great, gory detail, moving from grim fields of battle (Verdun, Stalingrad) to places of revolution (Petrograd, Berlin), and on to ghastly charnel-houses of death and destruction (Auschwitz, Dresden)“ Economist ”An ingenious geographical-chronological structure ... It's impossible not to get drawn into this book" — Noel Malcolm Sunday Telegraph “The pace rarely slackens and every page sparkles with insight” Herald "In Europe is not so much a work of history, nor is it strictly a travelogue of the present; it is part of a growing genre that is sometimes referred to as the 'history of the present', but might just as well be the 'presence of the past'. It is undoubtedly a spectacular and beautifully crafted piece of such writing" — Isabella Thomas Sunday Times | <urn:uuid:1373b4b5-2731-48f1-a9be-d497f150d661> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenile.com.au/books/Geert-Mak/In-Europe/9780099516736/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937898 | 329 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Recently we’ve had a lot of people asking us about Caffeine Free chocolate, so we asked Mary Kinsella at The Gorgeous Chocolate Heart to tell us more about Caffeine in chocolate, and it turns out there’s a BIG difference between Raw chocolate and Roasted chocolate.
Read on to find out which is better if you’re looking for a Caffeine Kick and which is better if you’re looking for a Caffeine Free chocolate high, all according to Mary Kinsella at The Gorgeous Chocolate Heart…
“Is there Caffeine in Chocolate?
This is an interesting one. Raw Cacao contains a bitter alkaloid named Theobromine that is similiar to caffeine but not the same. It is much more gentle on the central nervous system and adrenal systems, and works differently than caffeine in the body.
Technically there is a very small trace % of caffeine in Theobromine (00000.04), which is naturally occuring. So in the main when you eat Raw Chocolate you get a Theobromine “high”, and by the way Theobromine translates as “food of the Gods”.
Raw Cacao is so good for the body and brain as it contains high levels of antioxidants and generous portions of magnesium, iron,chronium, vitamin C and zinc.
Notably when Cacao is processed, roasted, had additives and no longer kept in its raw state, the high nutrient content of the Theobromine is destroyed so you are left with a caffeine “high” and not a lot else!” ”
If you want the caffeine kick get some roasted chocolate, and if you’re looking for a Caffeine Free chocolate indulgence go get the raw stuff! And enjoy it – raw chocolate is much healthier in other ways too, and maybe if we’re lucky we’ll get Mary Kinsella back to tell us more about the health benefits of raw chocolate?
Meantime, if you want to get any raw chocolate for a Caffeine Free Diet or just for a late night treat that won’t disrupt your sleep, check out The Gorgeous Chocolate Heart, where you can get a variety of hand made Raw Chocolates delivered fresh to you from Mary Kinsella . | <urn:uuid:016776fd-b073-4042-8e8e-fa1a7575ec85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://foodado.com/blog/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921848 | 491 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Another Day at the Crossing
Corinne Kendall— 28 July 2011 — in East Africa Project Share
Nearly 600 wildebeest have drowned in the last week. It isn’t so much that the water is high as the fact that the wildebeest are stupid. After watching the crossing, it really is the only impression one is left with. Why, why do they cross that way? You sit as the herds approach, anticipation building as they near the beckoning water, filled with crocodiles and completed with a cliff. The wildebeest have reached the edge and take a drink before beginning what will likely be the hardest part of their journey.
You look across the river and it seems clear. The current is strong, so the wildebeest will need to start a bit upstream to aim for the least steep part of the opposite bank; only then will they be able to get out safely. The zebras seem to agree with the observers and though they don’t give themselves much leeway they make it to the safest part of the bank and go up the steady incline. Not only do the wildebeest not aim upstream to make the crossable area, they aim farther downstream directly into a rocky bank that is completed with a five foot cliff that none will be able to pass. In a gentler world, the wildebeest would turn back once they realize their error, but when crossing in the hundreds one doesn’t have such options. The animals soon find themselves packed against the banks with a few struggling to go up but many trapped in the river and squished into the banks. As more animals pour into the river, the few in the middle slowly slip beneath the water, unable to swim any longer. They will appear downstream in a few days as the rotting corpses on which the vultures will gorge. Blotted and rotten the dead wildebeest pile together creating great island on which the Ruppell’s and African white-backed vultures will walk and fight.
For a few of the stronger swimmers there awaits another fate. Some wildebeest are able to break free of the herd and turn around. They doggy-paddle their way back to the other shore in great effort and exhaustion, but they don’t go unwatched. Lurking in the distance, a crocodile enters the scene. Ancient, hard, and build for the water, they have waited all year for this special moment. The crocodile enters the herds and waits a few meters back. As the stragglers turn around and try to get back to the original bank, they drift right up to the crocodile who holds himself in place with his powerful tail. A splash and a crunch and the wildebeest vanishes beneath the waters. Strong enough not to drown, but not strong enough to escape such a magnificent killing machine. Gluttons after months of famine, the crocodiles move in again and again – killing three wildebeest in less than an hour and storing them along the riverbank for later consumption.
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|Unknown column 'Hits' in 'field list'| | <urn:uuid:6fc36838-33da-429c-9205-97c744c1666e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.peregrinefund.org/article/717 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948772 | 661 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state's grid, said a so-called "Flex Alert" would be in effect from Friday through Sunday evening as temperatures climbing into the 100s in the state's interior regions are compounded by rising humidity.
Cal-ISO also urged immediate conservation during Thursday afternoon's peak hours to meet a predicted demand of 47,125 megawatts.
"Should the situation worsen for any reason and power reserves drop to dangerous levels, the independent system operator could direct utilities to conduct involuntary rotating outages - for blocks of customers - across their service areas until sufficient reserve levels are achieved," Southern California Edison said in a statement.
But the heat wasn't the only concern in the region.
Heavy rain and lightning strikes were reported in the San Bernardino Mountains, which have led to a few spot fires and a rock fall on Highway 38 in Angelus Oaks Thursday afternoon, according to California Highway Patrol reports.
At about 2 p.m., CHP officials received reports of heavy rains along Highway 38 in the Angelus Oaks area which led to a small mud slide, according to the CHP web site. Two road plows were able to clear the roadway, according to reports.
Lightning strikes were reported throughout the mountains including some in the Big Bear Lake area. Some of those strikes did lead to about seven small spot fires, according to the U.S. Forest Service web site. The largest was less than an acre in size and located along Highway 22 in Angelus Oaks which led to one lane of Highway 38 being shut down temporarily.
In the High Desert, there were some reports of flooding including out in the Phelan area near Highway 18 and Sheep Creek Road.
Isolated thunderstorms were reported in the Lucerne Valley area as well as in the Running Springs area, according to the National Weather Service.
Southern California Edison suggested customers set their thermostats no lower than 78 degrees, shut off lights and other appliances when not in use and try to use large appliances early in the morning or in the evening hours to reduce the stress on the power grid, according to a SoCal Edison release.
The NWS issued a excessive heat warning until Friday for most of San Bernardino County with temperatures reaching up to 107 degrees in some areas.
Electrical demand, particularly from so many air conditioners
The call for conservation was echoed by utilities such as Southern California Edison, which serves an area with about 14 million people, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which supplies the nation's second-largest city.
The "Flex Alert" calls on individuals, businesses and governments to voluntarily cut back on energy use between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to prevent operating reserves from falling to emergency levels. The first stage of California's three emergency levels is triggered when operating reserves are forecast to fall to between 6 percent and 7 percent. | <urn:uuid:936cf24b-f61d-4031-90f2-8a1d4dc0afbe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_21277539/california-urged-conserve-power-during-continuing-sweltering-days?source=most_emailed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970941 | 591 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Posted on Monday, August 13, 2012
in Emotional, How To, Relational, Social, Spiritual, Values
Caution – Course language used in this post may offend you.
Millions, perhaps a billion people, spent time in the last two weeks watching the Olympics.
While the athletes are judged in their individual events, real life is not like the Olympics. We do not have a right to judge and award people based on competitions of our choosing.
While we do not have the right to arbitrarily create events in which we serve as judge, many people do.
Have you seen, or judged these events?
– Who’s the biggest “b****”?
– What’s up with their yard/house/car?
– Who’s gonna do something about him?
– Who’s kid is that?
Those events are played out every day in people’s imagination.
Those events are judged every day in people’s mind.
Those events are broadcast every day through gossip.
Today you and I have a decision: Will the games continue, or will we see the games for what they are?
Here’s a principle I’m seeking to embrace:
Guard yourself from judgments and comparisons. They’ll hurt both of you! | <urn:uuid:a37c90eb-0272-449d-beeb-74e2102a1cdb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mysilentscream.com/olympics-judge-jury | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961563 | 276 | 2.234375 | 2 |
US 5891167 A
A catgut suture includes a dehydrothermal cross-linked collagen coating which is insoluble in tubing solution. The collagen coating is formed by immersing the gut suture in a solution of collagen in acidified water. Optionally, a plasticizer may be included in the coating solution. The suture is then heated in a vacuum to effect cross-linking of the collagen.
1. A gut suture having a dehydrothermal cross-linked collagen coating which is substantially insoluble in a tubing solution containing water and an alcohol.
2. The gut suture of claim 1 wherein said coating further includes a plasticizer.
3. The gut suture of claim 2 wherein the plasticizer is glycerine.
The pre-coated catgut sutures used in the method described below may be provided by conventional techniques. By way of illustration, beef serosa ribbons are desalinated and assembled. They are then soaked in wet phase treatment in baths of sodium carbonate, hydrogen peroxide, and water. Plain catguts are then soaked in sodium hydrosulfite and then soft water, whereas chromic catguts are then soaked in pyrogallic acid, sodium bichromate to which sodium bisulfite is later added, and optionally gelatin. After the wet phase treatments the wet catguts are then twisted. This operation blends the serosa lengths before the drying operation which creates chemical liaisons between the collagen molecules. After twisting, the catguts are dried and cut to final length. The catguts are then machine polished. Chromic catguts are further soaked in an aqueous solution of ethanol and glycerine.
The above described process provides catgut sutures which may then be coated in accordance with the method described below. The coating method described herein advantageously provides a collagen coating which surprisingly does not come off the suture even when the suture is stored in tubing solution. Thus, an important distinguishing feature of this method is that the collagen coating remains on the suture when the surgeon removes the suture from the tubing solution and provides improved knot run down and reduced fraying characteristics on an immediately usable suture.
The method described herein comprises three basic steps which will be discussed in greater detail below: (1) soaking the suture in coating agent solution, (2) subjecting the coated suture to a dehydrothermal cross-linking process, and (3) storing the suture in tubing solution.
The coating solution comprises an aqueous solution of collagen in acidified pyrogen free water. The solution can be prepared by dissolving soluble collagen powder in the acidified water and filtering the solution, if necessary. The water preferably has a pH of from about 1 to about 6, more preferably from about 2 to about 5, and most preferably from about 3 to about 4. The water can be acidified by the admixture of inorganic or organic acids such as hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, and the like, in an amount sufficient to lower the pH to the appropriate level. The solution preferably ranges in concentration up to about 2% collagen, more preferably from about 0.01% to about 0.5% collagen, and most preferably from about 0.1% to about 0.2% collagen. Percentages given herein are by weight unless otherwise indicated. Optionally a plasticizer, such as triethylcitrate or glycerine or other polyhydric alcohol, can be included in the coating solution and preferably ranges from between 0.001% to about 0.020% of the coating solution composition, more preferably from about 0.005% to about 0.010% of the coating solution. The ratio of collagen to plasticizer preferably ranges from about 5 to 30, and more preferably from about 10 to 20. The coating solution can be stored in a freezer if necessary. The collagen coating provides beneficial surface properties to the catgut suture by improving surface smoothness and reducing fraying. The plasticizer enhances the benefits of the collagen coating.
The coating solution is maintained at about room temperature when the suture is immersed therein for a period of time sufficient to provide a suitable coating, preferably from about 1 to about 20 minutes, and more preferably from about 5 to about 15 minutes. Preferably, the soaking time is sufficient to allow the suture to swell and the collagen solution to penetrate the interstices of the suture where it is later cross-linked.
The suture can be immersed in a coiled configuration or straight configuration. After immersion for the predetermined duration of time the suture is removed and secured to a frame.
The frame with the suture is then placed in a vacuum oven and heated to a temperature sufficient to effect the cross-linking of the collagen. When collagen is heated in the presence of water it becomes denatured, which is to be avoided in this process. Since the collagen is cross-linked above the denaturation temperature of from about 40 60 vacuum dried at a pressure of less than about 1 torr and heated to a temperature of from about 70 preferably from about 105 dehydrothermal cross-linking process is preferably maintained for about 10 to 20 hours, or until sufficient time has elapsed to effect a suitable degree of cross-linking. Cross-linking fixes the collagen and renders it insoluble in the tubing solution in which the suture will be stored. The suture is then allowed to cool down to room temperature before the vacuum is released.
After the suture is removed from the frame it is immersed in a tubing fluid for storage. Various compositions of tubing fluids are known in the art. A tubing fluid suitable for use in the method described herein includes water, isopropanol, and triethanolamine (TEA) in the following percentages: 12% water, 86.6% isopropanol, and 1.4% TEA.
Catgut sutures can be individually packaged and shipped in tubing fluid and stored for later use by a surgeon in an operation. When the catgut sutures are removed they retain the collagen coating and exhibit superior handling characteristics and fray resistance as opposed to sutures which have not been treated in accordance with the method described above. Examples of suture coating are provided below. Comparative Examples A and B are experimental controls which are not performed in accordance with the method described above. The remainder of the Examples illustrate the method described herein. Suture handling characteristics were tested manually by loosely tying an overhand knot in the suture and running the knot down the length of the suture. Surface roughness was estimated by tactile observation. Fraying was observed visually.
Collagen powder (SEEMED S, supplied by Kensey Nash Corporation, Exton Pa.) 0.06 grams was placed into a 100 cc glass beaker and 50 c.c of acidified pyrogen free water with a pH value of 3 was added to the collagen powder in the beaker. The mixture is stirred until the collagen was completely dissolved. The solution was allowed to settle and was stored in the freezer. Prior to use, the collagen coating solution was brought to room temperature. Coiled gut sutures were introduced into the collagen solution and were completely immersed for 2 minutes. The collagen coated gut samples were removed, uncoiled, and secured to a metal frame. The metal frame with coated sutures was then introduced into a vacuum oven and heated at 110 After the heating cycle the oven was cooled to the room temperature, the vacuum released, and the metallic frame removed from the vacuum oven. At least 30 minutes was allowed to cool the frame and gut sutures. The sutures are removed from the frame and cut to the required length and stored in the gut tubing fluid containing 12.0 grams of water, 86.6 grams isopropanol and 1.4 grams triethanolamine.
Table top knot run down results showed that more than 15 knots could be put in. No fray was observed even after 12th knot run down.
Collagen powder (SEEMED S, supplied by Kensey Nash Corporation, Exton, Pa.) 0.06 grams was placed into a 100 cc glass beaker and 50 c.c of acidified pyrogen free water having a pH value of 3 was added to the collagen powder in the beaker. The mixture was stirred until the collagen was completely dissolved. To this collagen solution 0.004 grams of glycerol plasticizer was added. The mixture was stirred for an additional 10 minutes and the solution allowed to settle. The collagen coating solution was stored in the freezer. Prior to use, the collagen solution was brought to room temperature. Coiled gut sutures were introduced into the collagen solution and were completely immersed for 10 minutes. The coated collagen gut sutures were then removed, uncoiled, and secured to a metal frame. The metal frame with coated sutures was then introduced into a vacuum oven and heated at 110 heating cycle the oven was cooled to room temperature, the vacuum released, and the metal frame removed from the vacuum oven. At least 30 minutes was allowed to cool the frame and gut sutures. Upon removal from the frame the sutures were cut to the required length and stored in the gut tubing fluid containing 12.0 grams of water, 86.6 grams isopropanol and 1.4 grams triethanolamine.
The collagen coated gut sutures exhibited smooth run down. Table top knot run down results showed that more than 15 knots could be put in. No fray was observed even after 15th knot run down.
Uncoated gut sutures were secured to a metal frame. The metal frame with uncoated gut sutures was heated in a vacuum oven at 110 hours at a pressure of less than a torr. The resulting gut sutures were then introduced into gut tubing containing 12.0 grams of water, 86.6 grams isopropanol and 1.4 grams triethanolamine. Upon testing for handling characteristics, the gut sutures frayed immediately.
A small amount of collagen gel (designated as SEEMED SA-1, and supplied by Kensey Nash Corporation of Exton, Pa.) was taken onto a paper and smoothly rubbed on the gut sutures throughout. The collagen gel-coated gut samples were secured to a metal frame, and the metallic frame with coated sutures was then introduced into a vacuum oven and heated at 110 hours at a vacuum of less than a torr. After the heating cycle the oven was cooled to room temperature, the vacuum released, and the metal frame removed from the vacuum oven. At least 30 minutes was allowed to cool the frame and gut sutures. The sutures were removed from the frame and cut to the required length and stored in gut fluid containing 12.0 grams of water, 86.6 grams isopropanol and 1.4 grams triethanolamine.
The coated sutures were tested for knot run down on a table top. The gel coating was observed to be not uniform on the suture. Run down was rough and the sutures frayed soon after 3 knot run downs.
As can be seen from the above Examples, uncoated gut sutures (Comparative Example A) had poor handling characteristics. Surprisingly, sutures coated with unacidified collagen gel (Comparative Example B) also had poor handling characteristics as compared to Examples 1 and 2, in which the collagen solution was prepared from a collagen powder dissolved in acidified water. Use of acidified water is an important feature of the method. In Example 2 glycerol was added to the coating solution as a plasticizer.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a suture-containing package 10 includes an envelope 11 sealed around the edges 12 with collagen coated gut suture 14 immersed in tubing fluid 13. The envelope is fabricated from a material impervious to fluid, such as plastic or metal foil. The suture and tubing fluid can be sterilized by heat treatment to a suitable sterilization temperature and/or by incorporating suitable germicides in the tubing fluid, such as e.g., phenyl mercuric benzoate. The suture 14 and tubing fluid 13 are as described above. In another embodiment 20 the container 21 is a tubular ampule and sealed with a stopper 12. The container can be fabricated from glass or plastic. The collagen coated gut suture 24 and tubing fluid 13 contained in the ampule 21 are as described above.
It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein. The above description should not be construed as limiting but merely as exemplification of preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.
Various embodiments are described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are cut-away views illustrating alternative embodiments of packages for containing the coated catgut suture described herein in tubing fluid.
1. Technical Field
The subject matter disclosed and described herein relates to a surgical suture fabricated from gut and coated with collagen, and a method for making same.
2. Background of the Art
Sutures are well known in the art and are often used in surgical procedures for holding cut tissue surfaces in apposition for a period of time sufficient for healing. Non-absorbable sutures, e.g. sutures made from non-bioabsorbable materials such as polyolefins, nylon, cotton, and the like, are generally removed from the tissue after a period of time. Absorbable sutures, e.g. those fabricated from bioabsorbable materials such as polymers of lactide and glycolide, collagen, and the like, are gradually degraded and absorbed by the body, and do not require subsequent removal. Gut sutures are made from the submucosa layer of the intestines of certain mammals (e.g., sheep, beef, etc.) which consist mainly of collagen. In preparing gut sutures and ligatures, animal intestinal tubes are split longitudinally, cleaned and spun or twisted to form strands. Such strands are termed plain catgut and when implanted in animal tissues are normally absorbed within a period of several days by enzymolysis. For many surgical procedures it is necessary for the sutures to retain their strength for a longer period of time to permit a wound or incision to heal properly. Therefore, such sutures are tanned by immersion in a solution of tanning agent such as a chromium salt. Tanning increases the resistance of collagenous material to degradation. Such sutures are termed "chromic catgut".
Surgeons need sutures which are pliable and instantly usable. Unless catgut sutures are stored in a tubing solution, from which they are removed by the surgeon just prior to use, they will dry out and become too hard for use. Such storage solutions are well known in the art and typically include water and alcohol, for example ethyl and/or isopropyl alcohols, and optionally triethanolamine.
A method for treating a gut suture is provided herein to achieve a gut suture with excellent handling characteristics. The method includes cross-linking a collagen coating by a dehydrothermal process. The collagen cross-linked by the present method remains on the suture even when the suture is immersed in tubing solution and provides improved handling characteristics during a surgical procedure. In particular, the method comprises (a) preparing an acidified aqueous solution of collagen; (b) coating a gut suture with said collagen solution; and (c) heating said coated suture in a vacuum to a temperature above 70 preferably from about 105 predetermined period of time. The suture can then be stored in a tubing solution. The tubing solution preferably comprises water isopropanol, and triethanolamine. The aqueous solution of collagen is prepared by dissolving collagen powder in acidified water having a pH of from about 1 to about 6, preferably 2 to 5, and more preferably from about 3 to about 4, and optionally includes a plasticizer such as glycerine. The gut suture prepared by this method can be packaged and stored in tubing solution and has superior handling characteristics during surgical procedures.
Citas de patentes | <urn:uuid:37adb38d-5f0e-4fac-a59f-21e7fdaa01da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.es/patents/US5891167 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950352 | 3,390 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Courtesy of Google Images
Since 1954 November 11th, Veterans Day has been a day of remembrance of those who have served, fought and died protecting our Constitutional freedoms. To be a member of the Armed Forces takes a certain kind of person regardless of being drafted or volunteering. It is these men and women who stand up and find the inner strength and moxie to be willing to put themselves in harms way upon the order of the Commander in Chief.
The military, for all of its greatness and hardship does not 'go political'. They serve just the same under a Commander in Chief that does not respect them as it does a Commander in Chief that does respect them. It is their call. It is their mission. That is why the Commander in Chief has more often than not never served in the military and is not required to have served in the military. Out of pure, unadulterated respect toward the military those civilians holding elected office should not politicize the military, make them pawns to the political whims of a President or Congress. Yet we know it happens. And its despicable.
Our Armed Forces as a whole and as individuals give more to the least of those in this great nation. We as American enjoy many freedoms; free speech, owning weapons, a country without tyranny to name a few. To disrespect the military, to take a nonchalant view, or be abhorrent toward the military shows a willful act of selfishness.
Be thankful that the freedoms enjoyed as citizen of the United States were not just handed out but granted by the flesh and blood of your fellow Americans. Those who stand on the front lines and take the real hits on the ground, on the sea and in the air so that the least of us can sleep in warm beds at night, eat from a plentiful harvest and stand behind the lines not only to praise but to criticize.
So on this momentous day, a day where every American knows personally a member of their family or friends who has served our great nation, whether during American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican American War, American Civil War, Spanish American War, Philippine American War, World War I, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Pursian Gulf War, War in Afghanistan or the War on Terrorism and the War in Iraq. The wars and military operations we as a nation has called upon our military to endure, on the whims of politicians or the bonifide threats to our nation we sacrafice nothing compared to those who serve and their families who await their safe return. Since the majority of us do not serve in the military we are forever indebted to those who do.
Veterans Day is our one time we can come together in unison and say to those who have and are today serving to protect our great nation that we can not describe wholly in words the gratitude, proudness and debt that we owe them. But I, in my meekness and awe, especially today, say thank you and I truly appreciation their service, their sacrifice and their honor. To my uncles who have served. To my father who served in the Vietnam war. To my former husband who served in the Persian Gulf war, the many friends I know who have served and are serving today and to my son who is in basic training in the Air Force. May God Bless the American soldier, sailor, airman, and marine in their endeavor to provide and keep the liberties and freedoms I have.
Like what you have read? To ensure you receive the latest News and Commentary from me, please click on the subscription link or email alert link at the top of the page. Thank you for being a part of the discussion. | <urn:uuid:5b0e1ff1-a0ee-480a-9a54-74c17c0f4657> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examiner.com/article/in-service-of-our-country | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972722 | 742 | 2.09375 | 2 |
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On Tue, 16 Jul 1996, avigdor horovitz wrote:
> Dear Asia,
> I don't want to stir up a hornets' nest and open a discussion of women's
> contribution to the composition of the Hebrew Bible. There are examples
> in the ANE of female scribes and authors- note Enheduanna daughter of
> Sargon of Akkade who composed some beautiful hymns, as well as Nissaba
> the goddess of the scribal art and also acredited with inspiring some
> literary comositions. Nonetheless, it must be proven and not only
> asserted that women played such roles in every society. NOte that MIriam
> and Deborah both are said to have composed songs of victory, but, whether
> accurate or fictitious their compsitions seem to be orally composed.
> Also the prophetess Hulda, who is the final authority in determining how
> to react to the newly discovered book of the law is not said to have read
> it, and it is no less likely that the scribes who paid her a visit read
> it for her.
> There are women's names on seals. Does this constitute evidence of
> literacy or does it indicate just the opposite?
Avigdor - I agree with most of the issues you have raised, and by no
means see the assumption of female authorship as unproblematic. Just to
recap and clarify my points in my previos post on the subject:
1) one cannot argue from a general view of women to the _absolute_
inability of women to take part in the creation of the canon. As you note
itself, the "general view" did not prevent Hulda. Perhaps my comment on
anachronism of democracy was a bit obscure, but what it meant to covey
was that the existance of a exeptional individual that transends the
usual boundaries, be they human or female, is a given, albeit a rarity, in
the society we are talking about.
2) I do not think one can argue directly from existance of "undesirable"
for women, laws, to impossibility of female law-givers. The biblical law
is one huge system that makes life difficult for us humans - if men could
do it to themeselves, why not women? Also, one could easily deduct from
historical exprerience that if a women gets to a position of power in a
male dominated society, it is quite possible, not to say likely, for her
to be as shauvinist as any male.
Of course I do agree that in general the Biblical society [for lack of
better term] had males in position of official power - sheer statistical
count of the gender of Biblical characters tells us this much. However,
neither does it absolutely prevent some female participation.
Since we restarted this thread, I might as well add another argument
which seems to me to the point. When we talk about female participation
in the creation of the canon, a lot depends on what we envisage as the
circumstances of such creation. If we mean the existance of an Official
Creator - a scribe to the king, e.g., who sits down to write it all,
then female participation is less likely. But then, how realistic is this
picture? On the other hand, if we mean something much more fluid,
something like the text cristalizing into form as a result of retelling
and reshaping, from generation to generation, this means that female
participation is most likely. Of course in the last case, we do not have
a female whom we can actually name and point to - nothing like Hulda or | <urn:uuid:02dcd01d-f557-4102-9c66-bd3fbda37a82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il/orion/archives/1996b/msg00005.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948276 | 818 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Porto Alegre (VNA) - After six days of sitting and about 2,500 conferences, workshops and roundtable meetings, the 5th World Social Forum concluded in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre on Jan. 31 with a range of proposals having been adopted for the construction of a fairer and better world.
More than 155,000 people from 5,700 delegations representing social movements, people's organisations and non-government organisations in 135 countries attended the event. These were the highest figures ever recorded at an international forum.
The forum, held annually parallel to and as a counter to the World Economic Forum, provided an opportunity for participants to speak out against war, social injustice and environmental degradation.
The next forum will be organised simultaneously in several countries.
Earlier, on Jan. 30, speaking at a workshop on fair trade, Nguyen Chu Hoi, a representative of the Vietnamese delegation to the forum, criticised developed countries' protectionism, citing the US anti-dumping lawsuits against Vietnamese catfish and shrimp exporters. His criticism received backing from other delegations, which branded the US protectionist policy as unreasonable and unfair.
The Vietnamese delegation took this occasion to stage a forum, entitled "Meeting Viet Nam 30 years after the war", and a photo exhibition to showcase Viet Nam, its people and the achievements the country has made in its doi moi process.
The delegation also attended many meetings and workshops, whose topics ranged from poverty reduction, agriculture and rural development, workers' rights, to environmental protection, and joined activities showing solidarity with Cuba and Palestine.
The delegation was received by President of the Brazilian Communist Party Renato Rabelo, who praised the Vietnamese people for their past struggle for independence and the great achievements they have made in building their nation, saying that Viet Nam's success in doi moi has proved the strong vitality of socialism.
He said that his party will launch a campaign to collect signatures in support of the Vietnamese Agent Orange victims who have filed a lawsuit against American chemical companies./. | <urn:uuid:67bb2a88-b06c-4af1-9630-8fc50b268e54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mofa.gov.vn/en/nr040807104143/nr040807105001/ns050201153138/newsitem_print_preview | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965387 | 415 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Would you like to come and study at the Prince Claus Conservatoire?
Music students in a European Conservatoire, Musikhochschule or Music Academy can go on an exchange to the Prince Claus Conservatoire. This is possible due to the international ERASMUS MUNDUS Programme.
As an exchange student at the Prince Claus Conservatoire you are able to study a wide range of subjects. Before you arrive we will draw up a Learning Agreement which meets your level and choice of subjects. Most of our exchange students choose a mixture of the following subjects:
- main subject
- contextual studies
Depending on your profile (Jazz or Classical Music) these subjects, the duration of your stay and the ECTS credits can differ. You can start studying at our institute in September or February. Please contact your International Office at your home institution and discuss the possibilities for an exchange with us. All applicants are subject to an assessment of their documents and have to send in a CD with a sample of their playing. For the internal procedures of your school, please contact your International Relations Coordinator. | <urn:uuid:3526098d-4a66-4693-9bb5-00005033935f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hanze.nl/home/International/Schools/Prins+Claus+Conservatorium/Programmes/Exchange+Programmes/Exchange+Programme/?wbc_purpose=Basic%252523letterR | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916627 | 225 | 1.5 | 2 |
Iran says a suspected cyberattack on its state-run oil industry had little impact on operations thanks to rapid measures taken by experts to limit the spread of the virus.
Iranian state news agency IRNA quotes an Oil Ministry official as saying there was "no damage" to the ministry's computer data from the virus, which authorities first detected on Sunday. Deputy Minister for Oil and Civil Defense Hamdollah Mohammadnejad also said Iranian oil production facilities have continued to operate without interruption. But he said it will take several days to investigate and resolve the issue.
LATEST CYBERATTACK 'MINIMAL' IMPACT
Iranian authorities say they responded to the cyberattack by switching off Internet access at Oil Ministry offices and facilities, including the country's main terminal on Kharg Island, which handles three-quarters of Iranian oil exports.
Iran has periodically reported cyberattacks on its nuclear and industrial sectors.
The head of a U.S.-based energy research company told VOA that the latest digital assault on the Iranian oil sector is likely to have only a minimal impact on the country's oil production. International Petroleum Enterprises president Hossein Ebneyousef says Iranian oil terminals are "very low-tech" and have operated for decades without the Internet. For example, he says they use gravity rather than pumps to transfer crude from storage tanks to ships.
Ebneyousef says Iranian oil terminal workers also have other means to communicate when email systems are down, including telephones.
IRAN'S RESPONSE IMPROVED
He says Iran has improved its response to cyberattacks since 2010, when its nuclear facilities were affected by the Stuxnet computer worm. Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of trying to sabotage Iran's nuclear program through methods such as cyberattacks. Both nations accuse Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and refuse to rule out any options for preventing such an outcome.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. | <urn:uuid:786064f0-4d7f-4ae0-9b35-303b76c576b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-says-cyberattack-on-oil-industry-had-little-impact-148811105/370081.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96914 | 399 | 2.21875 | 2 |
What next on the New Pension System?
Business Standard, 4 January 2006
I am normally an optimist about democracy, but there are times when this optimism is sorely tested. In recent months, we have seen a strange hijack of the Indian State by the fringes of the political spectrum. The CPI(M) -- which got a princely vote share of 5.66% in 2004 -- now controls all legislation. So the consensus of the CPI(M) Politburo, rather than the consensus of Parliament, calls the shots. Pension reforms has been one of the important areas where Indian economic policy has been hijacked by this fringe.
One big component of Indian pensions is the EPFO. The EPFO was created in the 1950s, when there was very little understanding about pension economics. A major role in the governance of EPFO was given to trade unions. But trade union leaders are not known for their knowledge of economics and finance. Hence, EPFO has steadily made policy mistakes.
In terms of administration, EPFO is a mess. Participants do not get account balance statements. When a person moves from one job to another, the account does not move with the person. There are concerns about fraud such as removal of balances from inactive accounts, with the connivance of EPFO staff.
The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a defined-contribution (DC) scheme. But it is riddled with bad policies. There is only one monopoly fund manager. Participants do not have any choice, either about the fund manager or about the investment pattern. The investment guidelines ensure that high returns cannot be obtained over the multi-decade horizons that are found in pension investment. The trade union leaders have tried to overcome the problem of bad investment guidelines by extracting resources from the government. But 85% of the subsidy to EPFO goes to 15% of the accounts, and poor people are never part of EPFO. So, as with the LPG subsidy, the left parties are really fighting for the interests of the rich.
The Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) is a recent blunder. It was created in 1995. At a time when the whole world was waking up to the problems of defined-benefit (DB) schemes, and pension reforms everywhere were switching from DB to DC, India created a brand new DB scheme! EPS is now the biggest single disaster in Indian finance. Information about the funding gap in EPS is weak, but it probably exceeds Rs.22,000 crore. This would make EPS a bigger crisis than UTI.
As with the erstwhile UTI and LIC, EPFO mixes up all sorts of functions, of policy making, regulation, and monopolistic service provision. In the case of UTI and LIC, now there is a separation where SEBI and IRDA are regulators, and the industries are competitive. But this kind of clarification has not yet taken place with EPFO.
Solving the problems of EPFO requires amending the law, and this is unlikely to happen easily. In parallel, from 1998 onwards, other efforts at pension reforms have been taking place, starting with Project OASIS created by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. These efforts have led to the New Pension System (NPS), and the proposed regulator PFRDA (see my pensions page).
The people who are responsible for the rot in EPFO now seek to block PFRDA. Three claims are being made: There should be no private sector fund managers, there should be no pension investments in private companies, and there should be defined benefits as in EPS.
Why do we need competing private fund managers? Because, as we have seen in sector after sector, competition improves performance. Competition between telecom companies has given better results than the DOT monopoly. Private banks are well liked by their customers, and have pushed PSU banks to perform better. Everyone benefits when there is more competition.
Why do we need pension investment in private companies? To obtain higher returns. From 1979 till 2005, investment in the BSE Sensex index fund gave a compound return of roughly 18% - there is no other asset class which has matched this return. Yes, equity returns fluctuate from year to year, but over long periods, equities have outperformed bonds in every country of the world. The NPS seeks to give participants the choice of holding equity.
Why should the government get out of underwriting defined benefits? Because government does not have the financial strength to give out guarantees for crores of people. A mentality of feeding on the government works for trade union leaders, since trade unions are a tiny part of the country. But it does not work for the great masses. If a pension system has to go beyond trade union members to the larger population, then the participant has to build up his own pension wealth, without recourse to the government.
There are four parts of Indian finance: banking, securities, insurance and pensions. In three of the four, there is a clear separation of a statutory regulator dealing with a competitive industry. Pensions is the last piece of Indian finance which now needs to be put into such a format.
Given the peculiar influence of the 5.66% fringe, how can progress be achieved? The key point is to see that the NPS is distinct from PFRDA. The NPS has already come about at a legal level. It is feasible to implement the NPS without the PFRDA. Contracting with the recordkeeping agency does not require law (as has been done with the Tax Information Network). SEBI can regulate fund managers as a transitory measure. The NPS can and should be running.
What we should avoid is a bad PFRDA Act. If we start with a compromised system, it may become inherently difficult to amend it in the future (as has happened with the EPS). Even if the PFRDA Act can be amended in the future, this will induce substantial costs of modifying the institutional infrastructure, and of having all participants go through unlearning.
India has been blessed with four outstanding finance ministers from 1991 onwards. There is every likelihood that this peculiar situation with the CPI(M) in Parliament will end with the next elections. There is every likelihood that the next finance minister will be of the same calibre as Sinha, Singh, Chidambaram and Singh. Hence, it makes sense to build NPS now, avoid a compromised PFRDA Act, and wait for the next elections.
Back up to Ajay Shah's 2006 media page
Back up to Ajay Shah's home page | <urn:uuid:5dac0a38-df51-4d49-8091-056bdc02be56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mayin.org/ajayshah/MEDIA/2006/nps_what_next.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959272 | 1,341 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Artist/Maker: published by F. Chereau
Created: 18th century
Dimensions: 25 x 86.4 (9 13/16 x 34 in.)
Accession Number: 1970-93
Historical Notes: The Louvre and the Chateau des Tuilleries were at the center of may of Jefferson's social activities in Paris. On September 19, 1784, shortly after his arrival in the city, he witnessed from the Tuilleries gardens a manned hot-air balloon ascension. The gardens came to be a favorite spot for Jefferson, where he could sit on the parapet overlooking the Seine and admire his favorite building, Hotel de Salm. He attended more than twelve "concerts spirituels" held in the Tuilleries' "Salle de Machines." Here the Paris symphony presented works by French and Italian composers, performed by some of the most famous musicians of the day.
- ↑ This article is based on Stein, Worlds, 180.
- ↑ Howard Rice, Thomas Jefferson's Paris (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976), 27-28. Howard Rice suggests that the source for the Louvre engraving is Francois Blondel's L'architecture Francaise (1756). A similar engraving of the Tuilleries is in the 1752 edition of that work.
- ↑ Ibid, 29-30.
- ↑ Ibid, 30-31. | <urn:uuid:83260bf2-b5fb-4ae3-8867-b87aa58a9186> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.monticello.org/node/2577/revisions/2582/view | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913444 | 298 | 2.578125 | 3 |
India's ONGC sets world record in drilling oil well at deepest water depth
"ONGC's chartered-hired ultradeep water drillship DDKG1 has set a world record for drilling well in deepest water depth by an offshore drilling rig," the company said in a statement here.
The rig DDKG1 has spudded well NA7-1 in exploratory block KG-DWN-2004/1 in east coast India at a water depth of 3165 metres (10,385 feet) on January 23.
"Thereafter it successfully lowered and latched subsea (facilities) on February 09 to drill further to target depth 5625 metres," it said.
The rig owned by Transocean surpassed Transocean's own prior record of 10,194 feet of water depth, set in 2011 by DDKG2 working for Reliance Industries on the east coast.
Be the first to comment. | <urn:uuid:13f96bfd-c622-4a78-bab9-d6b134ab0acd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.financialexpress.com/news/indias-ongc-sets-world-record-in-drilling-oil-well-at-deepest-water-depth/1075956 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955928 | 194 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The Technical Studies programme stands as a complete and coherent technical education over five years, and constructs a creative collaboration with the material demands of individual unit agendas. The programme continues to evolve from detailed discussions with lecturers, all of whom are drawn from leading engineering practices and research institutions embracing a wide range of disciplines and current projects. It is founded on the provision of a substantial knowledge base, developed through case studies of contemporary fabrication processes, constructed artefacts and buildings. These studies include critical reflection and experimentation with the ideas and techniques taught. Knowledge acquired in this way generates a ‘means’, a set of principles capable of negotiating the technical requirements of construction in unforeseen futures and unpredictable contexts. Lecture courses form a portion of each year’s requirements, with a particular emphasis on the First, Second and Fourth Years of study. Students concentrate on case studies, analysis and material experiments, undertaking a selection of required courses, ensuring they receive a complete and all-round experience of structures, materials and the environment. In the Third Year, lecture coursework, workshop experiments and technical ambitions are synthesised in a detailed Technical Design Project (TS3). Students conduct design research and experiments to explore and resolve the technical issues of the main project of their unit portfolio, with the guidance of Technical Studies tutors. In the Fifth Year, students undertake a Technical Design Thesis (TS5), a substantial individual work that is developed under the guidance of Technical Studies. The thesis is contextualised as part of a broader dialogue which the technical and the architectural agendas that arise within the units. Its critical development is pursued through case studies, material experiments and extensive research and consultation. In both the Third and Fifth Years students are provided with options for interim reviews and final document submission that both unit tutors, technical tutors and each student agree upon. The aim is to integrate technical work within the unit agendas as much as possible, and by supporting it with additional specialised information by means of seminars, lectures and site visits. This ambition is tailored to the individual student and the programme attempts to be flexible in a way that can deal with the varying design agendas of each unit. Full details of the programme will be found in the Complementary Studies Course booklet, which will be available at the beginning of the academic year.
First Year Compulsory Course
Ben Godber and David Illingworth
This course aims to equip students with the skills to critically engage with existing buildings and works of architecture through the examination of structure. The year will be divided into groups, with each group being assigned a case study building in London. As such, London will be our principal teaching resource. Students will be encouraged to get under the skin of their case study buildings, to see them ‘in the flesh’, to draw them, to conduct research into them, to produce physical models and, above all, to ask questions. What loads is the building subject to? Why this particular geometry? Why was this material chosen? How was it constructed? Weekly lectures given by the course tutors aim to provide students with a sound qualitative understanding and appreciation of fundamental structural principles: forces and loads; form and geometry; and mechanics of materials. The course will conclude with each group of students presenting their case study to their peers along with the submission of a brief written report.
First Year Compulsory Course Term 2
Giles Bruce and Kori Kromm
Ben Godber, Marissa Kretsch and Manja van de Worp
Nacho Martí and Evan Greenberg
The purpose of this course is to offer students a more direct hands-on experimental approach that will allow a greater integration of Technical Studies with the First Year design portfolio. Technical Studies tutors (experts on structures, materials and environmental issues) will join First Year studio tutors. Seven separate briefs will cover three areas – structure, materials and environment. The submission for the course will be made as part of the TS workshop during Week 11 of Term 2 and will be assessed by the TS tutors in the presence of the First Year studio tutors. Intermediate School The TS requirements for AA Intermediate and RIBA Part I is that each student has to undertake and pass the Structures, Material and Technologies and Environmental Design in Practice courses in the Second Year and the Structures course in Term 1 of the Third Year. In addition to this the Third Year students undertake a Technical Design Project (TS3) as part of their main project, which synthesises their individual architectural ambitions with an account of the material production of the proposal.
2nd Year Compulsory Course
Phil Cooper and Anderson Inge
This course aims to develop a feel for forces in structures through a series of lectures and student presentations that investigate how the structural elements of a building carry a load. We will analyse well-known buildings to show how strength and safety can be predicted by calculation. In addition to making physical models and load-testing them to illustrate deformation and failure, we will find idealised conceptual models to demonstrate structural behaviour, focusing on the stability of the whole building structure. We will also examine how forces create stresses and deformations in architectural structures, taking into account material properties.
Material and Technologies
2nd Year Compulsory Course
This course will investigate a range of materials used in contemporary structures including concrete, timber, brick and blocks, glass, fabrics and composites. Material properties, methods of manufacture, durability, cost and appearance are significant factors that will be reviewed, leading to an understanding of how different materials can be used in a variety of applications.
Environmental Design in Practice
2nd Year Compulsory Course
‘We all know environmental design is important – but we just can’t see how it is relevant to our studio work.’ This course aims to challenge this sentiment by showing how every design decision that architects make has an immediate and quantifiable impact in terms of environmental performance. The course provides students with an intuitive grasp of the underlying principles of environmental design and the creative opportunities these present in terms of architectural form, materiality and expression. Above all, the course aims to eliminate the temptation of ‘greenwash’ from studio design work by providing students with analytical techniques to test and validate their environmental hypotheses.
3rd Year Compulsory Course
Phil Cooper and Anderson Inge
This course introduces structural model analysis, inviting students to make and test scale models to predict the static and dynamic behaviour of structures under load. The theory and practice of the effects of scale will become obvious from the model testing, promoting better intuition for predicting the behaviour of real, full-size structures. Analytical skills will be applied to make predictions. The observed behaviour of physical models under load will be used to establish the parameters of a detailed digital model that a computer can analyse.
3rd Year Technical Design Project (TS3)
Kenneth Fraser with Christina Doumpioti, Wolfgang Frese, Clive Fussell, Pablo Gugel and Manja van de Worp
Third year students undertake a comprehensive design study (TS3) that explores and resolves the central technical issues of their projects in collaboration with individual unit agendas. The study records the strategic technical decisions made as the design is developed, integrating knowledge of the environmental context, use of materials, structural forms and processes of assembly. It also documents the research carried out in the process of developing the design project. The individual projects are developed in conjunction with the unit tutors by means of the support and tutorials with the Intermediate TS Staff under the direction of Kenneth Fraser. Seminars on specific relevant subject are organised by the technical teaching staff and a guest speaker further supports the research.
Fourth Year students choose two courses in Term 2 from the selection on offer and may attend others according to their interests:
Form and Matter
Through the investigation of natural systems, form-finding techniques, smart materials and novel digital fabrication technologies, this course will introduce a new method of design influenced by the embedded intelligence of materials. Case studies will examine the use of traditional materials in both past and contemporary contexts, analysing techniques of assemblage and fabrication while developing an understanding of how common materials can be applied in innovative ways. Using physical formfinding models as well as computational tools to simulate material behaviour, we will approach structures as complex systems emerging from the strong relationship between force, energy and material organisation, resulting in the desired performative and spatial effects. Guest speakers from research and practice will contribute by providing expertise through different scales of material implementation.
Sustainable Urban Design
There is a continuing fascination with the tall and super-tall buildings that define the evolving skylines of the world’s major cities. But can they contribute to a more sustainable future, and what role does environmental engineering play in the design of these towering structures? The course aims to address these questions whilst imparting the fundamental knowledge needed to design tall. We will consider tall buildings in an urban context, the strategic considerations defining form, the impact of climate, the environmental drivers affecting form and fabric, servicing strategies and various approaches to low-energy and sustainable design. Students will have the chance to apply the principles learned from the course by developing a concept for their own tall building.
Process in the Making
This course aims to highlight and explain the complex forces underlying the transformation of architectural designs into built form, joining the processes that link the design of architecture with the ‘art of building’. We will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration since the architect, as lead consultant, has to constantly adjust and evaluate his designs to address these often contradictory forces. Guest speakers from other consultancies will discuss their own perspective on the importance of collaboration within a project team.
Small in Large – the Interrelation of Component and System
The course aims to analyse and classify architectural components as part of larger systems. Due to rationalisation, prefabrication, flexibility, exchangeability and maintenance the use of components in architecture has become very common. We will review existing component-based systems and investigate how advanced technology in the design and fabrication process can be used for redefinition and contemporary interpretation. Further investigation will introduce systems having an individual component that is adaptable and thus turns the whole system into a responsive structure. Invited researchers from different European and American research institutes will present their latest experiments in theory and practice.
Studies in Advanced Structural Design
Structures are complex systems providing strength, stiffness and stability to buildings. This course starts with a brief history of common types of constructions and an analysis of many structural materials, followed by detailed studies of structural principles and forms. The discussion includes the comparison of construction details, buildability issues and other non-structural design challenges. Advanced methods used in structural engineering are introduced and discussed with the students. The assignment for this course requires the analysis of drawings and photographs of an existing building to gain an understanding of its structural principles while also developing alternative concepts of the existing structure. The objective is to make students more aware of structural options and thus more comfortable during the development of their unit project designs and in their future professional endeavours.
Transform – Bridging technologies
Manja van de Worp
This course aims to explore and define methods of transforming a concept into a material. It bridges complexity and simplicity by understanding our own and other fields, making them exist simultaneously. Bridges with fashion, product design, information technology, science and nature bring us new products, systems and processes. We will interrogate their rules and applied methods to be able to not only see what is happening around us in technology, but also to use and apply it within architecture.
Environmental Modelling & Simulation
This hands-on technical course is on the use of environmental design software for the generation and assessment of climate data and the simulation of solar, thermal and lighting processes in and around real or virtual buildings. An introduction to fundamental environmental design parameters is followed by a study of adaptive comfort mechanisms relating to the different climatic, programmatic and operational conditions characterising unit projects. This becomes input for modelling and simulation studies using software aimed at achieving thermal and visual comfort with minimum use of non-renewable energy sources.
Form, Energy and Environment
The course explores design territories where architecture and engineering meet. It examines the links between building form, energy and the micro/ macro environment and reviews the development of the building skin. An investigation of sustainability issues, passive energy and renewable energy sources are examined through real projects that can generate exciting energy solutions. We will examine the application of computer modelling tools for the design of buildings and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Students will complete a project involving research of completed buildings in different climatic zones and can conceive a futuristic building that extends design and social boundaries.
5th Year Technical Design Thesis (TS5)
Javier Castañón with Kenneth Fraser, Mehran Gharleghi, Martin Hagemann, David Illingworth, Nacho Martí and Federico Montella
The Technical Design Thesis is a substantial individual work developed under the guidance of Javier Castañón and the Diploma TS Staff. Tutorial support and guidance is also provided within the unit. The central interests and concerns may emerge from current or past design work, or from one of the many lecture and seminar courses the student has attended in previous years. The Thesis is contextualised as part of a broader dialogue in which the technical and the architectural agendas that arise within the unit are synthesised, and its critical development is pursued through case studies, material experiments and extensive research and consultation. The ultimate aim is for students to materialise the ideas, concepts or ambitions born in the intimacy of their individual unit agendas.
Ian Duncombe is a Director of BDSP Partnership, which he co-founded in 1995. The practice has worked on projects including the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi and 30 St Mary Axe. Current work includes Central Market in Abu Dhabi.
Wolfgang Frese studied at Stuttgart and the Bartlett, UCL. He is an associate at Alsop Architects working on many international projects. Clive Fussell is a chartered structural engineer. He worked at Buro Happold Engineers and in 2010 founded Engenuiti. He studied Engineering Science at Oxford University and graduated from the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) masters degree at the University of Cambridge. He is a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Mehran Gharleghi is an architect, researcher and designer. He received his MArch in Emergent Technologies and Design from the AA and has worked for distinguished architectural practices including Plasma Studio and Foster + Partners. In 2009 he co-founded Studio INTEGRATE with Amin Sadeghy.
Ben Godber is a structural engineer and founding director of Godber & Co. He studied architecture at the Bartlett, UCL and civil engineering at Imperial College. He was an associate at Expedition Engineering and currently teaches at the Bartlett, UCL and The University of Kent.
Evan Greenberg is a researcher and design consultant based in London. He has worked with architects, engineers, artists and fashion designers around the world. He gained his MSc in Emergent Technologies and Design from the AA where he is also a First Year Technical Studies Tutor. He has lectured and taught internationally and was co-director of the AA San Francisco Visiting School from 2009 to 2011.
Pablo Gugel studied architecture at the ETSA of La Coruna and gained his MArch in Sustainable Environmental Design at the AA. He has worked for Diaz & Diaz Arquitectos and Grimshaw Architects, working on projects and competitions in the educational and cultural field around Europe. He currently works as an environmental analyst at BDSP Partnership. Martin Hagemann studied architecture in Germany and Denmark and worked in Vienna and Sydney before coming to London. He worked with Grimshaw’s in London until 2011 and is now director of WHP Architects in Germany. He has taught at the AA since 2008 and previously at UTS Sydney.
David Illingworth is a chartered structural engineer working at Buro Happold. He studied civil and structural engineering at the University of Sheffield and was awarded a Happold Scholarship. He has also tutored at the Welsh School of Architecture and lectured at Imperial College.
Anderson Inge studied architecture at the AA and at the University of Texas at Austin, before completing additional academic trainings in structures (at MIT) and sculpture (at St Martins). He practices in London, and has taught at the Ruskin School at the University of Oxford, Central St Martins, Rural Studio at Auburn University and the Sir John Soane Museum, London.
Marissa Kretsch gained a double degree in civil engineering and history from the University of Melbourne, before joining Arup Melbourne as a structural engineer. She has worked for Buro Happold and Expedition Engineering, while working alongside Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
Korey Kromm obtained his AA Diploma in 2010 and is currently working for Charles Tashima Architecture.
Emanuele Marfisi is a structural engineer with a degree from the University of Florence and a PhD from Cambridge University. He has worked with architects such as Foster, Grimshaw, Hadid, Hopkins and Arad. He is now working for Jacobs Engineering.
Nacho Martí graduated from Elisava School of Design in Barcelona and the Emergent Technologies and Design MSc at the AA. He founded his design studio in 2004 and has directed the Mamori Art Lab design summer workshops. He won the FAD award in 2008 and the IPlus award in 2009.
Federico Montella received his MSc in Sustainable Environmental Design from the AA in 2006 and is currently senior sustainability advisor at HLM Architects.
Manja van de Worp studied at the Technical University of Eindhoven, Holland and the Emergent Technology programme at the AA. She worked for Ove Arup in the Advanced Geometry Unit, and currently works in their AT&R department designing movable structures. She has also taught at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and an AA Visiting School in Tehran.
Simos Yannas has been involved in environmental design research for more than 35 years and has taught and lectured in some 30 countries. His book Roof Cooling Techniques was shortlisted for the RIBA International Book Award for Architecture. In 2001, he was awarded the PLEA (Passive and Low Energy Architecture) International Achievement Award.
Mohsen Zikri is a director of Ove Arup & Partners and a chartered building services engineer, specialising in the environmental design of buildings. He has worked closely with leading architects on notable buildings in the UK and worldwide. He has a particular interest in sustainability in tall buildings and has lectured on that subject. | <urn:uuid:02136fc3-9913-4ddd-8918-b7673a5ba0a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/UNDERGRADUATE/?name=compts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940628 | 3,818 | 2.21875 | 2 |
A tragic farm accident in central Wisconsin has claimed the life of a three-year-old boy.
The boy was killed when he fell from a bucket on a skid-steer driven by his seven-year-old brother and was run over.
The seven-year-old brother often ran the machine during farm chores, according to news reports. Read more.
Besides the human tragedy, this is significant for a couple of reasons:
- Skid-steer loaders are responsible for more than their share of farm fatalities. In one spate of accidents between Feb. 11 and Feb. 28 this year, four people across the United States were killed in farm accidents involving the machinery. Safety officials urge caution. Read more.
- The U.S. Labor Department was about to crack down on the types of jobs children can perform on farms ― and the type of machinery they can use ― but decided in late April to scrap the proposal. Read more. | <urn:uuid:764d7c59-403c-4580-802f-7141304ac6bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dairyherd.com/e-newsletters/dairy-daily/Death-of-3-year-old-serves-as-safety-reminder--151403115.html?email=yes&cmntid=90922916 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984205 | 197 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Concierge.com's insider take:
This 1.4-million-acre jungle preserve, which separates Panama from Colombia, is the country's biggest draw for nature-lovers—and like a mini–Amazon rain forest in its diversity of terrain and wildlife. Several hundred bird species and more than 100 species of mammal (including wild pigs and capybaras—the world's biggest rodents) live among the cloud forest, mangroves, and winding riverbeds. Ancon Expeditions has treks for small groups lasting from three days (very easy, traveling mostly by boat) to five days (quite challenging, with three to five hours of hiking each day). You arrive by small plane from Panama City then head deep into the wilderness. Along the way you encounter villages inhabited by the indigenous Embera people, where your guide will stock up on supplies. Guests on shorter trips stay overnight in the tour company's own rustic cabins overlooking the Gulf of San Miguel; those on longer trips stay in dorm-style field stations and screened tents (507-269-9415; www.anconexpeditions.com). | <urn:uuid:960fccdb-4e6c-4fd6-a18d-6b533dfca3f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.concierge.com/print/travelguide/panama/seeanddo/18935 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915513 | 233 | 1.851563 | 2 |
> Office of Disability, Re-Entry and Veteran Services > Disabled Student Services
Accommodations on exams and quizzes are sometimes necessary to allow a person with a
disability to demonstrate proficiency in the material being tested. For example, a
student with a physical impairment may write too slowly or a person with a cognitive
impairment may process information too slowly to allow them to take exams effectively
within the time limits established for non-disabled individuals. Testing accommodations
may consist of use of special adaptive equipment, a change in exam format (e.g., oral
vs. written) or print size, or simply the provision of additional time or a distraction-free
Students who require testing accommodations are instructed by DSS staff to notify the
instructor at the beginning of the semester of their need and to remind the instructor
again two or three days before the exam. Depending upon the accommodations required,
students will take their exams at the Testing Service (Reid 243 - Phone: 406-994-6984), at a site
the instructor has pre-arranged, or at the DSS office.
If exams are to be taken at Disabled Student Services, the student will be given a copy
of the Exam Proctoring Setup Sheet. This form verifies the accommodations that will
be used and includes a section for exam scheduling. The setup sheet also allows the
instructor to indicate in writing the manner in which exams will be delivered to DSS and
returned to the instructor. The form is completed by the instructor in cooperation with
the student, and the student is directed to return it to DSS.
Typically, a student who uses testing accommodations should be expected to take exams at
the same time as the rest of the class. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule,
as noted on the following pages.
The instructor is responsible for making certain that the student has the exam in the
necessary format, at the proper time, and in the appropriate location. Completed exams
must be graded within a reasonable amount of time: like all other students, students with
disabilities are eager to learn the results of their efforts.
Any of the following methods may be used by instructors to transport exams to and from
an alternative testing site.
Exam Accommodation Procedures
- The instructor or his/her designee may deliver and pick up the exam.
- The student may carry the exam in a sealed envelope.
- The exam may be faxed or e-mailed to Disabled Student Services.
Extended Exam Time - Extending time on exams and quizzes for qualified students with
disabilities is a means of reducing or removing the effect of disability on test and
quiz performance. The minimum, and most common extension at MSU is time-and-a-half,
although some students may require double or even triple time to complete the exam.
The approved time extension and the types of exams for which the accommodation is
approved appears on the student's Disabled Student Services Certification Card. If
extended time is the only exam accommodation approved for the student, the instructor
is typically expected to make this arrangement without assistance from Disabled Student
Services. If the instructor does not have a room available in which a student may take
an exam under extended time conditions, arrangements may be made to have the Testing
Service (Reid 243 - Phone: 406-994-6984) proctor the exam.
The student will usually begin the exam at the same time as the rest of his or her class.
However, exceptions to this may be necessary if the Testing Service or Disabled Student
Services is closed during class time.
On occasion, a student will insist upon "unlimited" time in which to complete an exam.
Unlimited time is, however, not viewed by Disabled Student Services as a reasonable
accommodation. Disabled Student Services personnel will not, therefore, approve a
request for unlimited time on exams, and instructors are not expected to otherwise
modify examination policies in a manner which fundamentally or substantially lowers
essential academic standards. This position is fully supported in the publication
Testing Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities, written jointly by the Association
for Higher Education and Disability and personnel from The Ohio State University in
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Distraction-free Testing Environment - Some students with disabling psychological
impairments, learning disabilities and traumatic brain injuries are very easily
distracted by noise or by the slightest bit of activity. To compensate for this
limitation, these students are offered a relatively distraction-free environment
in which to take exams. Instructors who are called upon to provide this accommodation
may request that MSU Testing Services (406-994-6984) provide the necessary environment and
proctor the exam. An instructor who elects to provide this accommodation without
assistance from Testing Services must make certain that the exam room is
free from noise and activity.
(The Use of) Readers, Scribes, or Assistive Technology: Most students who require
these services will take their exams in the Disabled Student Services office, although
some assistive devices, such as electronic spellers and calculators, may be used
by a student in a classroom during an exam.
Tape Recorded Exams: A visually
impaired student or a student with a severe learning disability who is unable to read
an exam may be provided with an audio taped version of the exam. When it is necessary
for Disabled Student Services to record an exam, the instructor is asked to deliver
the exam at least one work day before the exam is scheduled to be taken. The student
and Disabled Student Services, via the DSS Exam Proctoring Setup Sheet, notify the
instructor well in advance when this accommodation is needed.
* Please Note: If the exam contains language, technical jargon, or discipline-specific
symbols that DSS staff are unable to read effectively, the instructor may be asked to
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pay the reader. | <urn:uuid:0b95207e-c78b-4c30-ade8-82f9129a1e55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.montana.edu/wwwres/disability/test_accom.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924105 | 1,270 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Most Active Stories
Valley Public Radio Staff
Thu October 11, 2012
Why Foods Go Together, Like 'Rama Lama Lama, Ke Ding A De Dinga Dong'
Originally published on Thu October 11, 2012 7:49 am
OK, Grease lyrics aside, when it comes to gastronomy, certain foods just belong together: red wine and red meat, sushi and ginger, tea and biscuits, beer and pretzels. But, ever wonder why your favorite cabernet goes so well with a nice filet mignon? What makes two flavors jibe?
"Lots of things come together to make flavor, whether it's hot, cold, lubricating, how it smells, what we taste. Flavor is an incredibly multisensory sensation," says Paul Breslin, an experimental psychologist at Rutgers University in New Brunswick and the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. Color and sound even impact how we perceive food. But, in a recent experiment, Breslin zeroed in on how food feels in our mouths.
Breslin and his colleagues published a study this week in Current Biology that delves into why fatty foods and astringent drinks pair well. Even though the drinks are only weakly astringent, such beverages (wine, tea, beer, etc.) build in astringency with every sip, creating a strong feeling of dryness in your mouth. Conversely, fatty foods lubricate your mouth and make it feel slimy.
"Our mouth really wants to be in a position of balance," says Breslin. And the more you sip and chew, the better your mouth feels.
Texture and feeling are clearly important to food enjoyment. "Dry things, especially something like shortbread, go with beverages because you need a lot of saliva to swallow dry things," says Marcia Pelchat, a psychologist at Monell who was not associated with Breslin's study. It's why milk and cookies or tea and biscuits are tried-and-true combinations. Asian cultures frequently pair tea and rice for the same reason (but hold the milk if you want the full effect of tea's health benefits).
Mixing different textures can also appeal to the mouth. That's one reason why some people can't stand soggy cereal, she says.
That's not to say taste isn't vital as well. Take beer and pretzels, for example. Salt typically reduces bitter tastes, but in the case of beer, it actually enhances the bitterness — something that might appeal to beer drinkers who like bitter flavors, says Pelchat.
Pairing two sweet things together — like a sweet desert wine and a slice of German chocolate cake — also comes down to taste. Because once you've taken a bite of the super sweet cake, the wine suddenly doesn't taste quite as sweet. (In addition, its astringency contrasts nicely.) This is called taste adaptation. "Every bite impacts how you perceive the next bite," explains Pelchat.
Some scientists have even gone as far as hypothesizing that foods with compatible flavors share chemical components. As we reported last December, University of Cambridge researchers compiled a "global flavor map" and found that Western cuisine often pairs like with like, chemically speaking. Think milk and eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Meanwhile, Asian cultures do the opposite.
So, how much of this is science and how much is culture? Breslin's finding about astringents and fats seems to hold true across hemispheres. "When you eat sushi or sashimi, that ginger refreshes your mouth. The same goes for a pickle and a corned beef sandwich. The French use sorbet and wine as a palate cleanser, while in some parts of Africa and Asia they use tea," says Breslin. "Different gastronomies pair them in different ways."
We'll drink to that. | <urn:uuid:3b9a0921-a5ea-4cda-99ab-070278c280c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kvpr.org/post/why-foods-go-together-rama-lama-lama-ke-ding-de-dinga-dong | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951245 | 798 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2003.12.22
Eric W. Robinson (ed.), Ancient Greek Democracy: Readings and Sources. Oxford: Blackwell, 2004. Pp. 326. ISBN 0-631-23394-6. $69.95.
Contributors: David Asheri, Schlomo Berger, Lowell Edmunds, Mogens Herman Hansen, Michael H. Jameson, Marilyn Katz, Ian Morris, Josiah Ober, Robin Osborne, Martin Ostwald, Kurt A. Raaflaub, P. J. Rhodes, Eric W. Robinson, Loren J. Samons II, Peter J. Wilson
Reviewed by John Lewis, History and Political Science, Ashland University (email@example.com)
Word count: 2328 words
This volume provides an up-to-date survey of issues vital to understanding ancient Greek democracy. An important strength of this book is its topical organization; each of six chapters focuses on a central question, using key ancient texts followed by two or three top-notch scholarly articles. This invites the audience, "students and other interested readers," to shift their focus through various perspectives and to revisit important ideas in differing contexts. Although Athens necessarily remains the primary focus, the volume delivers on its promise of an examination that is broader than Athens, showing the derivation of democracy not from some single inventor but rather as a result of "attitudes and conditions widespread in the Greek world," stretching from pre-democratic roots in Homer and Hesiod into fifth-century Syracuse. This book will elevate and enliven those students of Greek history and culture who have some grounding in the fundamentals of Greek history.
Demokratia remains the conceptual focal point of the book, and this thematic unity is strengthened by continual engagement with key terms, such as hubris, liberty and equality. To assist the student, a five-page Introduction provides a historical sketch of the appearance of democracies across the Greek world, giving an overview of the term demokratia, establishing the generally negative views of democracy that followed in Rome and the Renaissance, and bringing forth a range of works dealing with the subject in our own age. There is a two-page glossary of transliterated terms, and a twelve-page index. Each essay includes its original bibliography, and there is a short list of further readings with each chapter. A proper respect for the Greek democratic achievement, along with critical engagement, is maintained throughout. But students must be cautioned not to infer that democracy became nearly dominant in Hellas, that it superseded other forms of governance as a whole, or that the only alternative to it was tyranny. This implication could be drawn from the very brief historical overview.
Chapter One, "Prelude to Democracy: Political Thought in Early Greek Texts," poses the question of origins: "Where did the idea come from?" In Homer and Hesiod the reader sees "a glimpse of the kind of thinking that in time led to the development of Greek democracy." Such poems, demonstrating attitudes "toward power, authority, and the role of the community at large in political decisions" are properly distinguished from historically accurate chronologies of events (7-8). Selections here include some 600 lines of verse from Iliad books One and Two; a prose translation of Odyssey 2.1-259 (the assembly called by Telemachus); and two pages from Hesiod, Theogony 81-97 and Works and Days 213-69. Translations throughout are from established works; for example, Lattimore for the Iliad, Shewring for the Odyssey, and Athanassakis for Hesiod.
The interpretative readings that follow will expose readers to an energetic, healthy debate with attendant challenges and disagreements. Kurt Raaflaub's contribution, "Homer and the Beginning of Political Thought in Greece," emphasizes Homer's awareness, and use, of the community in the dispute between the Greek leaders. Not only do the kings violate the heroic code that serves as the foundation of their authority, but they in fact jeopardize their positions by incurring the disapproval of the people. The extent to which Homer may, or may not, engage in critical thought about contemporary institutions is the crux of the criticism that Lowell Edmunds ("Commentary on Raaflaub") brings to bear. By distinguishing a concern for political institutions from political thought and then accepting an anti-aristocratic strain in Homer, Edmunds establishes a context whereby he can challenge the idea that the fundamental situation in the Iliad is truly political. The rival interpretations of the Thersites scene -- Raaflaub holding that it validates an anti-aristocratic principle, while Edmunds sees kingship as vindicated -- will demonstrate for readers the range of disagreements possible even for texts that are often read.
Ian Morris, in his "Equality and the Origins of Greek Democracy," introduces his theory of a conflict in archaic culture between elite versus middling ideologies, with the result that "the elitist ideology suffered major reverses," and claims to a monopoly on political skill could not be made by the elites (46). This made popular rule possible. Readers must realize that this is a theory about the development of Greek political life, developed from archaeological evidence that is interpreted in terms of class struggle; the basics of that evidence must be derived elsewhere. For many readers, ideas such as Dahl's "Principle of Equal Consideration of Interests" will require more discussion than is offered here. Further, the article brings in important poetic evidence -- Archilochus, Theognis, Alcaeus, etc. -- that could not be provided in this volume. Students will need additional information, and foundational discussions of the ideas involved if they are to be able to evaluate this interpretation. A reader might hope that the thirty pages devoted to Morris's important essay had been followed by a response, even if excerpted.
Chapter Two takes a reader into "The Beginnings of Athenian Democracy: Who Freed Athens?" The evidence here is from Aristotle's Constitution of Athens and Politics, Herodotus, Thucydides, a fragment from the Athenian Archon List, a drinking song to Harmodius and Aristogeiton and a scholium to Aristophanes' Acharnians. The modern readings adopt opposite poles of interpretation; Josiah Ober's emphasis on rhetoric and ideology brings an energetic response by Loren Samons. Ober's well-known "The Athenian Revolution of 508/7 BC: Violence, Authority and the Origins of Democracy" argues that the events leading to the birth of democracy under Cleisthenes included a violent, leaderless, three-day riot that drove the Spartans from Attica. Samons' answer, "Revolution or Compromise?" takes issue with Ober's rejection of an institutional approach (and the "Iron Law of Oligarchy," pace Syme) and his emphasis on democratic ideology. This, Samons maintains, substitutes its own models and elevates its own methods over analysis of institutions and prosopography. Samons' criticism brings up a whole range of historical questions -- such as Cleisthenes' relationship to the tyrants, and his family connections, arrangements with Persia -- that lead to a deeper issue: the relationship between historical evidence and ideology. This volume often returns to this vital point of methodology. (One awkward point for first-time readers is that page references to Ober in Samons have not been updated to match this volume.)
Chapter Three, "Popular Politics in Fifth-Century Syracuse," questions the nature of Syracusan democracy in the sixty years post-460's BC. Selections from Thucydides (from the speech of Athenagoras in favor of democracy), Aristotle's Politics Book 5, and Diodorus 11 (the revolt in Syracuse) provide external points of comparison with democratic Athens. David Asheri's interpretation of "Sicily, 478-431 BC," and Shlomo Berger's "Revolution and Society in Greek Sicily and Southern Italy," being more overtly concerned with particular events and less with ideological and methodological issues, project nothing like the agonistic tone of the Ober versus Samons pieces. Robinson's own piece, "Democracy in Syracuse, 466-412 BC," clarifies in straightforward language some of the problems associated with the definition of demokratia, addressing those problems in terms derived from constitutional testimony. Robinson's is the clearest essay so far in laying out the basic issues that must be grasped prior to tackling higher level scholarly disputes. Indeed beginning students might wish that Chapter Two had provided such a clear narration of events in 508 BC Athens, prior to considering the questions of method and ideology that dominate the agon between Ober / Samons. It might benefit students to read Chapter Three before Chapter Two.
The central questions of Chapter Four are theoretical, "Liberty, Equality and the Ideals of Greek Democracy." The task here is to find the balance of power in a democratic polis. The readings are excerpted from Herodotus (the Persian Constitutional Debate), Euripides' Suppliant Women; Thucydides 2 (most of the funeral oration, which is completed in Chapter Six below); and two sections from Aristotle's Politics. Martin Ostwald, "Shares and Rights: 'Citizenship' Greek Style and American Style," and M. H. Hansen, 'The Ancient Athenian and Modern American Liberal View of Liberty as a Democratic Ideal," provide outstanding comparative essays that bring in material from the European and American Enlightenments and encourage historical and conceptual comparison between the Greeks and later Europeans. Non-Greek-reading students will be able to tackle transliterated Greek concepts in order to understand certain similarities and differences between ancient and modern democracy. Hansen's seven uses of eleutheria and eleutheros are contextualized with the positive and negative senses of freedom in Isaiah Berlin and Benjamin Constant (173-5). This demonstrates the complexity involved in grasping abstract political concepts, and provides a warning not to take a correspondence between the ancient and the modern for granted. At this point a reader should also realize that the criteria for selecting the essays have not been the same for each of the chapters and that there are broader issues of method and style needed to evaluate the multiple levels of interpretation being presented.
Chapter Five homes in on the issue of "Power and Rhetoric at Athens: Elite Leadership versus Popular Ideology." The readings bring two men forward from the crowd: Perikles, in Thucydides 2; and Meidias, in 14 pages lifted from Demosthenes 21 (the longest text passage in the volume). The evidence moves from Thucydides' sublime evaluation of Perikles to the rudeness and insolence of Meidias according to Demosthenes. P. J. Rhodes, in "Who Ran Democratic Athens?" provides a commentary to the Thucydides passages while placing Perikles into the institutional framework of Athens. Peter J. Wilson's piece, "Demosthenes 21 (Against Meidias), Democratic Abuse," turns from Rhodes' focus on the institutions to the use of rhetoric to undercut democratic ideology, an approach that Ober builds on in his "Power and Oratory in Democratic Athens: Demosthenes 21, Against Meidias." Readers should recall the previous salvos leveled by Samons against Ober and the debate between institutional versus ideological views of the democratic polis. Wilson's piece in particular draws parallels between the operations of the theatre, the jury and the assembly, both institutionally and through the rhetoric that is common to all such audiences, while adding a layer of self-reflective meaning to Demosthenes' words. This chapter also provides detailed examination of several key terms on Greek discourse (e.g., hubris) through interpretations that are the most tightly focused on the particular text sections of any in the volume.
Chapter Six takes on "Limiting Democracy: The Political Exclusion of Women and Slaves" by bringing in the close of the Perikles funeral oration, sections of Pseudo-Xenophon's Constitution of the Athenians, Aristophanes' Assemblywomen, and several passages in Aristotle's Politics. The essays here address various contentious issues concerning the place of women and slaves in ancient democratic societies, starting from the ancient evidence yet remaining firmly aware of the effects of modern ideas on the conclusions that follow. As in other chapters, there is a strong awareness that exploring the culture of ancient Greece requires an understanding of the history of the ideas underlying modern scholarship. This is another of the motifs that continually resurface in this volume.
Robin Osborne's "The Economics and Politics of Slavery at Athens" challenges the view that slavery was economically irrational and undemocratic and maintained simply as a prejudice. His survey of the economics of slavery leads to the opposite conclusion, that slaves did jobs which could not otherwise be economically performed, "or else yielded insufficient clear profit to enable a citizen family to survive, let alone to achieve upward mobility" (275). With Osborne having established that slavery was not a matter of ideology trumping economic irrationality, Michael Jameson's essay, "Women and Democracy in Fourth-Century Athens," confronts an ambiguous aspect of Greek democracy: that it both strengthened the divisions between free men and slaves, citizens and foreigners, and men and women, while making possible the concept of liberty so vital to later European history. Such ambiguities had consequences in fourth century Athens; as the democrats strengthened the distinction between slaves and free men, anti-democratic critics (such as Xenophon, and Plutarch, although the later historical position of Plutarch is not made explicit for readers) claimed to find conspiracies by the demos and excluded classes against aristocratic supporters. Jameson's valuable discussion allows a reader to understand that ancient categories were fluid and that the polis of the fourth-century may have allowed women, foreigners and even women into its ranks.
In further challenges to rigid categories, Marilyn Katz, in "Women and Democracy in Ancient Greece," criticizes the use of eighteenth-century models of domesticity as means to interpret women's positions in Ancient Athens. Such models were based upon an inappropriate public versus private distinction, all derived from the views that eighteenth century scholars had of their own times. Katz demonstrates the influence of such ideas in brief excerpts from all three editions of the Oxford Classical Dictionary. But the error is not only one of postulating anachronistic views of domesticity, but also in the use of principles of natural law and individual rights to interpret the Greeks. Katz is surely correct, that "the topic of women's exclusion from political rights remains inadequately theorized -- trapped still by the contradictions of a liberal democratic theory and practice inherited from the eighteenth century" (306). A reader should now be motivated to return to the discussions of Ostwald and Hansen for a deeper look at their use of Enlightenment political concepts to understand the ancients.
This is a powerful volume that brings democracy into focus through connected readings that continuously widen the context of a reader's understanding. Graduate students and scholars will find it invaluable. But many inexperienced students will need guidance with the essays; they will struggle with ideas such as "a subjective and an objective sense for the genitive" in Wilson (213), Ober's understanding of "speech acts," (104 f.), and Morris's criticism of synchronic functionalism versus diachronic analysis (45). Instructors will need to evaluate the level of their students and plan strategies of engagement with what can be rival, and controversial, interpretations. But readers who want to rise above basic historical interpretations of democracy into the level of scholarship will find this an important resource. | <urn:uuid:ceadec3a-c1c2-475d-a220-1169961c2823> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2003/2003-12-22.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93493 | 3,207 | 2.6875 | 3 |
This course is a new Scoutmaster's and Assistant Scoutmaster's introduction to the Boy Scouts of America and to the responsibilities, opportunities, and resources that will ensure a successful troop leadership experience. Course topics include:
The course is presented in one full-day session, or three evening sessions.
Last updated on Wednesday August 15, 2012 11:40 AM
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Findings from a new study of 7,700 teens surveyed by Piper Jaffray.
40% own an iPhone, up from 34% in Spring 2012 and 23% in Fall 2011
62% planned to buy an iPhone as their next phone; Samsung was next at 22%
44% owned a tablet, up from 34% in Spring 2012 and 29% in Fall 2011
72% of those tablets were iPads, up from 70% in Spring 2012
Of the 20% of students who didn’t own a tablet, but plan to buy one in the next 6 months, 74% want an iPad
43% of teens planning on buying a tablet said they would be more likely to do so if Apple released a smaller iPad at $299.
Read the Complete Article | <urn:uuid:1186626e-1da1-43ae-ac81-a0f228d740f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.infodocket.com/2012/10/09/survey-findings-40-of-u-s-teens-own-an-apple-iphone-44-own-tablets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967617 | 159 | 1.867188 | 2 |
The Reagan Administration spent the first half of 1982 in
increasingly tough negotiations with the People's Republic of China
(PRC) over America's continuing arms sales to Taiwan following the
1979 shift of U.S. diplomatic relations to Beijing. The Carter
Administration had insisted that, given congressional opinion,
continuing limited arms sales to Taiwan was a political necessity,
but this was a bone in the throat as far as Beijing was concerned.
American supporters of the new relationship with China also saw the
arms sales as an obstacle to good relations with Beijing and were
vocal on that point.
In the spring of 1982, the PRC began threatening to severely
downgrade its relationship with the U.S. unless something was done
about the arms sales, and some in Beijing were discussing "playing
the Soviet card." Then-Secretary of State Alexander Haig was
convinced that, "in the last quarter of the twentieth century,
China may well be the most important country in the world" in terms
of American interests. He pressed hard and successfully for some
form of accommodation with Beijing, although his ultimate
recommendation that the U.S. agree to cease arms sales to Taiwan
was not accepted.
The result was the communiqué signed on August 17,
1982--almost two months after Haig had left office. In it, the U.S.
government stated "that it does not seek to carry out a long-term
policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will
not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the
level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that
it intends to reduce gradually its sales of arms to Taiwan, leading
over a period of time to a final resolution."
Though he agreed to sign the communiqué, President Reagan
was disturbed by its possible effect on Taiwan and put little trust
in Chinese promises to adhere to a peaceful solution. Therefore,
while allowing the August 17 communiqué to go forward,
President Reagan also placed a secret memorandum in the National
Security Council files, which read:
The U.S. willingness to reduce its arms sales to Taiwan is
conditioned absolutely upon the continued commitment of China to
the peaceful solution of Taiwan-PRC differences. It should be
clearly understood that the linkage between these two matters is a
permanent imperative of U.S. foreign policy. In addition, it is
essential that the quantity and quality of the arms provided Taiwan
be conditioned entirely on the threat posed by the PRC. Both in
quantitative and qualitative terms, Taiwan's defense capability
relative to that of the PRC will be maintained.
This was not the only step President Reagan took. He decided
that Taiwan needed to be reassured that the U.S. would not abandon
the island republic. Therefore, on July 14, 1982, James Lilley,
then the head of the American Institute in Taiwan, America's
nominally unofficial representative body in Taiwan, called on
Republic of China President Chiang Ching-kuo. His visit came as
negotiations with the PRC were close to reaching a conclusion and
as Taiwan's anxiety was at its height. In President Reagan's name,
Lilley delivered orally, not in writing, six assurances regarding
America's policy toward Taiwan. The United States, he
- Had not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to the
Republic of China;
- Had not agreed to hold prior consultations with the PRC
regarding arms sales to the Republic of China;
- Would not play a mediation role between the PRC and the
Republic of China;
- Would not revise the Taiwan Relations Act;
- Had not altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan;
- Would not exert pressure on the Republic of China to enter into
negotiations with the PRC.
With American approval, the statement was made public in Taiwan
three weeks later, and soon after that, "The Six Assurances" were
the subject of a Senate hearing.
But this was not President Reagan's only message of reassurance.
Twice more, James Lilley delivered additional messages to Chiang.
Together with the assurances, they form a startling package, one
that has not received the attention it deserves.
On July 26, 1982, 12 days after their first meeting, Lilley
called again on President Chiang. This time he delivered a
"non-paper" again stating that the "U.S. side has no
intention of setting a date for termination of arms sales. The U.S.
does not agree to the PRC's demand to have prior consultations with
them on arms sales to Taiwan." It went on to outline the U.S.
proposal to the PRC about arms sales reduction over time--language
which in fact was included in the communiqué--and twice made
the point that this and any other concession to Beijing would be
"predicated on one thing: that is, that the PRC will continue to
advocate only to use peaceful means to settle the Taiwan issue."
Unwilling to trust Beijing, the non-paper said, "The U.S. will
not only pay attention to what the PRC says, but also will use all
methods to achieve surveillance of PRC military production and
military deployment." And then, quite dramatically, it added, "The
intelligence attained would be brought to your attention." The
"non-paper" concluded, "If the PRC agrees to the U.S. suggestion
and issues the joint communiqué, the U.S. would continue in
accordance with the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act to sell
such military items as Taiwan really needs."
On August 16, 1982, the day before the issuance of the joint
communiqué with the PRC (though word of its contents had
already leaked to the press), Lilley delivered a third "non-paper"
to Chiang Ching-kuo. In it, President Reagan reaffirmed the Six
Assurances, repeated the statement that Beijing's intentions toward
Taiwan would be monitored continuously (but did not again promise
to share intelligence), and said any change in circumstances "will
of course change our judgment of Taiwan's defense needs." It
concluded with these words: "Our only interest in this matter is
that any resolution of these issues be accomplished peacefully. We
will do nothing to jeopardize the ability of the people of Taiwan
to deal with this matter in their own way."
Taken together, Reagan's three messages to Chiang Ching-kuo,
together with the Taiwan Relations Act, laid a basis for U.S.
policy toward Taiwan which, with one significant and one partial
exception, has continued to this day. The partial exception is
Washington's tendency to decide which weapons will be sold Taiwan
on the basis of what Beijing will, in the end, tolerate. The more
significant exception is the sovereignty question.
From the time of the Shanghai Communiqué of February 1972
to the present, the U.S. position on Taiwan's sovereignty has been
a well-calibrated agnosticism, a refusal to say anything at all. In
the Shanghai Communiqué, the U.S. said it "acknowledges that
all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is
but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States
does not challenge that position." Nor did the U.S. state any
position of its own.
This agnosticism continued in the communiqué of January
1, 1979, that recognized the PRC as the sole legal government of
China. Dropping the part about "all Chinese on either side of the
Taiwan Strait," the United States said that it "acknowledges the
Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is a part
of China"--that is, in effect, "We hear you; we understand this is
what you claim." Again, the U.S. stated no position of its own.
In the communiqué that Reagan signed on August 17, 1982,
the U.S. took an additional, but modest step. Immediately following
a paragraph in which Beijing reiterated its position that "the
question of Taiwan is China's internal affair" and that its
"fundamental policy is to strive for a peaceful solution to the
Taiwan question," the American side pledged not to pursue either a
"two Chinas" or a "one China, one Taiwan" policy. But in a public
statement immediately following the communiqué, Reagan said,
"We will not interfere in this matter or prejudice the free choice
of or put pressure on the people of Taiwan in this matter. At the
same time, we have an abiding interest and concern that any
resolution be peaceful."
President Reagan's last sentence set out what became the U.S.
position. The U.S. will take no position on the ultimate goal,
whether independence, unification with China, or some other status.
That will be up to the parties themselves to determine. But the
U.S. will maintain a keen interest in the process: It must be
peaceful; it must not involve coercion of any kind, economic,
political or military; and it must have the consent of the parties
on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
President Clinton modified this position in a statement known as
the "Three No's": "We don't support independence for Taiwan, or two
Chinas, or one Taiwan, one China. And we don't believe Taiwan
should be a member in any organization for which statehood is a
requirement." Under the current Bush Administration, a
kind of corollary was added: The United States will oppose any
unilateral attempt to change the status quo. Most recently,
a senior member of the National Security Council staff added a
further fillip, stating that neither Taiwan nor the Republic of
China (which remains Taiwan's formal name) has the status of a
These statements move the U.S. from the position of refusing to
state Taiwan's status to one of saying that, whatever Taiwan is or
may be, it is not now a state. Knowingly or not, this tack put both
the current and the last administration in apparent contradiction
with the Taiwan Relations Act. Section 4(d) of the Act reads,
"Nothing in this Act may be construed as a basis for supporting the
exclusion or expulsion of Taiwan from continued membership in any
international financial institution or any other international
organization." For Congress to have made this part of American law
must mean that Taiwan is qualified to join international
organizations which make statehood a requirement for
An administration could argue that, whatever the law says about
Taiwan being a state--and it is definitely treated as a state in
American domestic law--the President, exercising his authority
in foreign affairs, has decided that it is not in the overall U.S.
interest to support Taiwan's membership in international
organizations that make statehood a requirement for joining. But
even this is different from the current policy of actually opposing
Except for the sovereignty issue, then, the rest of the Six
Assurances appear to be alive and essentially unchanged. The U.S.
continues to sell arms to Taiwan; does not formally consult with
Beijing on arms sales though it necessarily must be aware of PRC
reactions; has not adopted the position of mediator between the two
but instead urges China to talk directly to Taiwan's government;
has not forced Taiwan into negotiations with China; and has not
altered the Taiwan Relations Act.
Recently, Taiwan government officials have suggested, and in
some cases urged, that the U.S. formally repeat President Reagan's
Six Assurances and declare that they remain U.S. policy. In
considering this suggestion, it is important to understand what has
changed since 1982. Taiwan has gone from a one-party, authoritarian
state under martial law to a freewheeling, sometimes messy
multi-party democracy of 23 million people with per capita GDP that
will reach around $15,000 this year.
China meanwhile has experienced enormous economic advancement,
with unprecedented speed. But it remains a one-party, authoritarian
state where basic human and civic rights are guaranteed in the
constitution but ignored in practice. The PRC has long since
abandoned the pretense that its "fundamental policy" is peaceful
reunification and instead threatens military action if Taiwan
should attempt formally to change its de facto separation
into de jure independence. Every day, China is closer to
having the might to take Taiwan, with 900 missiles emplaced
opposite it, fourth generation fighter aircraft, growing bomber and
naval fleets, and regular military exercises which simulate
invasion across the Taiwan Strait. Its military publications
discuss "decapitation strikes" and ways to overcome Taiwan before
the United States can intervene.
As for reiterating that the Six Assurances remain U.S. policy,
though there is nothing wrong with reiterating basic American
policy from time to time--as in the formula "U.S. China policy is
based upon the three communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act,
and the Six Assurances" used by administration spokesmen from time
to time--a commitment given by the President of the United States,
especially on subjects as important as those covered in the Six
Assurances, must be understood to remain in effect unless and until
formally revoked. And of course such revocation can never be done
The same view applies to commitments given by the heads of state
of all other parties, including Taiwan. In particular, the
assurances as to national policy--usually referred to as the "Four
No's and One May Not"--given by President Chen Shui-bian in his
inauguration speech of May 20, 2000, are understood to remain in
In a recent article, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Randall Schriver suggested
updating the assurances in a new, expanded package. This would
include the following:
- The survival and success of democracy in Taiwan is in the
interest of the U.S. and thus the U.S. government will endorse
efforts that deepen and strengthen Taiwan's democracy.
- The U.S. will always honor the Taiwan Relations Act and will
continue to ensure that the U.S. government makes available to
Taiwan weapons needed for self-defense and that the U.S. military
maintains the capacity to resist force in the Taiwan Strait.
- The U.S. endorses cross-Strait dialogue and interactions but
will not pressure Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC on
terms Taiwan may deem unfavorable.
- Issues related to the sovereignty of Taiwan are for the people
of the PRC and the people of Taiwan to decide peacefully
themselves; the U.S. will not formally recognize PRC sovereignty
over Taiwan; and the U.S. will not support any outcome achieved
through the use of force, nor any outcome that does not enjoy the
support of a majority of Taiwan's people.
- The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is valuable in its own right and
worthy of greater investment. The U.S. will not "co-manage" the
issue of Taiwan with the PRC. While the U.S. needs good relations
with China to further a broad range of security interests, under no
circumstances will the U.S. seek to curry favor with China by
making sacrifices in its relationship with Taiwan.
- Taiwan, as a successful democracy, a thriving economy, and a
global leader in health and science stands ready to contribute to
the greater good as a citizen of the world. Therefore, the U.S.
will seek opportunities for Taiwan to participate meaningfully in
international organizations and will resist pressure to isolate
Taiwan from participating and benefiting from cooperative work
among nations in international organizations.
Provided that they are taken together with the original Six
Assurances, these new six assurances form an excellent foundation
for contemporary American cross-Strait policy. Combined with an
equal commitment to partnership with America on Taiwan's part, they
should meet contemporary needs and help the parties navigate the
troubled waters of the present.
Harvey Feldman is Distinguished Fellow in China Policy in the
Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation.
of the content of this WebMemo, in a greatly expanded form,
can be found in Harvey J. Feldman, "Taiwan Arms Sales and the
Reagan Assurances," The American Asian Review, Vol. XIX, No.
3, Fall 2001, pp. 75-102.
Alexander Haig, Caveat (New York:
Macmillan, 1984), p.194.
"Ronald Reagan and Taiwan" in James Mann, About Face, (New
York: Vintage, 2000).
full text of the communiqué, see Shirley A. Kan,
"China/Taiwan: Evolution of the 'One China' Policy-Key Statements
from Washington, Beijing and Taipei," Congressional Research
Service Report for Congress, September 7, 2006, p. 41.
used in American diplomacy, a "non-paper" is a document on plain
bond paper, without seal or signature, intended to convey a
position or policy in an informal but nevertheless authoritative
Harvey J. Feldman, "Taiwan Arms Sales and the
Reagan Assurances," p. 87.
For the full text of "Presidential Statement
on Issuance of U.S.-PRC Communiqué of August 17, 1982," see
Lester L. Wolff and David L. Simon, Legislative History of the
Taiwan Relations Act, (Jamaica, NY: American Association for
Chinese Studies, 1982) p. 314.
White House, Office of the Press Secretary,
"Remarks by the President and the First Lady in Discussion on
Shaping China for the 21st Century," June 30, 1998.
Section 4(B)(1) of the Taiwan Relations Act
reads: "Whenever the laws of the United States refer or relate to
foreign countries, nations, states, government, or similar
entities, such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with
such respect to Taiwan." The author claims some credit for the
presence of this statement within the TRA. Without it, the U.S.
could not sell Taiwan arms or enriched uranium fuel for its nuclear | <urn:uuid:b192b8b4-601d-4e2d-a357-ce01fb8d4b94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/10/president-reagans-six-assurances-to-taiwan-and-their-meaning-today | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93251 | 3,962 | 2.078125 | 2 |
As early as 5 a.m., Martin Antwi is already working on his vegetable farm. He works until the harsh mid-day sun does not allow him to work any longer.
Later in the afternoon, Martin returns to his land to weed, plow and water all the plants until dusk. He works hard on his farm and is rewarded with a good harvest.
But despite his hard work and a good harvest, Martin had been unable to provide adequately for his family. With nearly every harvest he would lose all of his profit to the market money lenders from whom he buys his seeds and equipment.
Because vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and lettuce mature within approximately two months, poor farmers make arrangements with market women who buy and sell the crops. The farmers prepare their land and, at planting time, they go to the market to look for prospective buyers to lend them money to buy seeds and other necessities.
Once the crops are harvested, they are taken to the market woman who lended money to the farmer. She determines how much to pay for it. She retrieves her loan plus interest from the amount she offers to pay the farmer. After all this is done, the farmer is left with virtually no money to take home.
“We work so hard but at the end of the day it is someone who loans you the money who gets everything and we go back home with nothing.”
That has been the cycle of life for this 45-year-old father of four. Martin and his family live in Pokuase, about an hour’s drive south of Accra off the main road.
The 12,000 people who live here are mostly vegetable farmers and keepers of free-range livestock, which accounts for the numerous domestic animals such as goats, chickens and dogs that roam the streets.
The residents are also petty traders who sell in stalls located throughout the community. It is possible to find almost anything one might need in these stalls. Some of the people have recently taken to cracking stones to earn a living.
Martin could not provide properly for his family. Three of his children were not in school. Even the oldest child who was enrolled in school was out of class most of the time because Martin was unable to pay the fees.
But two of Martin’s four children, Emmanuel and Sandra, are registered at the Compassion-assisted Church of Pentecost Child Development Center. It is very important for every child in the program to also attend school, so Emmanuel and Sandra were enrolled in school at the same time.
Emmanuel is a very serious 13-year-old who rarely smiles. He and his younger sister, Sandra, are in grade two at school — a situation he does not like.
“Because Sandra is in the same class with me she does not respect me as her older brother. She talks to me as if I am her age mate but I am 4 years older than her. Sometimes I want to hit her but my parents would not like it so I don’t. But I get angry.”
But Emmanuel enjoys and appreciates the child development center, where he and Sandra receive nutritrious supplemental food, medical checkups, tutoring and social nurture, school books and school fees, and Bible teaching. And there, Emmanual was also placed in the Highly Vulnerable Children’s program.
The center’s health social worker tells us,
“When we registered Sandra and Emmanuel, they were very sickly looking. We knew that they needed special care. So when the Highly Vulnerable Children program was introduced they were the first two names on the list.
“But the two of them could not benefit because the number was restricted to only six children. Emmanuel was chosen over Sandra because his condition was worse.”
Compassion’s Highly Vulnerable Children (HVC) program provides services or assistance for children in especially critical situations — conditions which may threaten their lives or prevent them from growing and developing in the way God wants them to.
HVC provided Emmanuel with nutritional supplements and nutritional food items such as beans, eggs and milk. The program also offered income-generation training for Emmanuel’s father, Martin, to help him provide for his family’s other needs. Once Martin received the training, HVC gave him a small-business grant of GHc100.00 (equivalent to about $61) which he invested into his vegetable farming.
Now Martin no longer needs the market women money lenders; he is able to keep his profit and better provide for his family.
“I am now enjoying my work. Since the ministry gave us that hundred Ghana cedis, which was a far bigger amount than I was getting from the money lenders, I have control over how much I want to sell my farm produce for.”
No longer do Martin’s children need to be pulled from school for lack of fee money. With the help of Compassion’s child development and HVC programs, Martin’s four children are all now attending school. | <urn:uuid:679cc109-6eeb-47c5-b03d-6a67682e53a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.compassion.com/investing-in-a-good-harvest/quote-comment-35386/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986564 | 1,045 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Sunset closing is an urban legend
Even with building of new Trillium Creek school, rumors of closing Sunset are false
While energy is being spent to complete Trillium Creek Primary School as West Linn's newest school in the fall of 2012, the school district hasn't forgotten about one of the city's oldest schools - Sunset Primary School.
The school, which first opened in 1930, may be on the back burner for the moment, but it is not forgotten, and it will not be replaced, said Tim Woodley, the district's operations director.
With enrollment slightly down this year, rumors have circulated that, after Trillium Creek opens, the school board could choose to close Sunset.
And while Woodley isn't a school board member, he said, 'There's nothing that has taken place that would lead me to believe that.
'It's just an urban legend.'
As next-door neighbor Lake Oswego looks to close three of its nine elementary schools due to declining state revenues, people have gotten nervous, Woodley speculates.
'I think it just bleeds into the fabric... (But) where (Lake Oswego) is contracting in student enrollment, we continue to have modest increases. There would be no need to close classrooms when you need them.'
This year's enrollment decrease was not projected, and it breaks the pattern of the last few years, said superintendent Bill Rhoades. But it is too early to call the dip a trend. All of the district's schools lost students except for Athey Creek, putting West Linn enrollment down by about 100 students from last year's opening enrollment of about 5,100.
Sunset has a capacity for 479, and a current enrollment of 409 students - all of which are attending school in the main building, as the district closed its two portables last year as a part of budget cuts.
So, while opening Trillium Creek will relieve some of the crowding and create more space in Sunset's building, the district does not plan to close it.
Instead, the aging building, which has had additions built in 1941, 1957, 1960 and 1966, will likely be rebuilt using money from a future bond.
The old building has a number of structural deficiencies. The building is not built to current ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, seismic standards or fire code, although, Woodley said, the district has worked with the city and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue to make the building safe.
It also has a leaky foundation and is scarce on parking, among other things.
While a 2008 committee had originally recommended replacing Sunset at the Oppenlander Fields, a 2009 commitee confirmed the neighborhood's desire to keep the school where it is. The board has acted in accordance with that ever since.
When last May's election solidified a land swap of about seven acres of former school district property at Parker Road for 1.6 acres of the city's Sunset Park, Woodley said that that the school board showed its intent is to rebuild Sunset at its current location. The exchange will help to give more space to the cramped site, which is smaller than the district's preferred site size for a primary school.
The Long Range Planning Committee is currently updating its plan and will likely include in its recommendations a timeline for the district's next capital improvement bond, which is likely to include money for Sunset Primary's reconstruction. | <urn:uuid:c47e6c71-aa7a-4011-8ef6-2ee583ccaf31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=14956 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971325 | 704 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Contact Lenses: Colored, Soft, Hard, Toric and Bifocal
Contact lenses have come a long way lately, and offer some exciting options for the consumer. You can bat a pair of baby blues one day, then flash golden tiger eyes the next. You can toss your disposable lenses in the trash each night. Or you can leave in your extended wear lenses for an entire month.
For people with vision problems, contact lenses remain an effective, almost invisible tool. The thin plastic or glass lenses are fitted over the cornea of the eye to correct vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. These days you can wear contact lenses even if you have presbyopia and need bifocals.
You have so many options, how do you choose? Check out your choices of contact lenses here. Then talk with your eye doctor about the contact lens that may work best for you.
Colored Contact Lenses
They're hip and they're fun, but colored contact lenses can also be quite practical. There are four types of colored contact lenses, each offering a slightly different benefit:
- Visibility tint. These colored contact lenses are lightly tinted so you can find your lens if you drop it. Visibility tints don't affect the color of your eyes.
- Enhancement tint. These colored contact lenses have a translucent tint that's meant to enhance your natural eye color. Enhancement tints are slightly darker than a visibility tint.
- Color tint. Darker, opaque tints that change the color of your eyes. Color tints come in a wide array of specialty colors, including amethyst, violet and green. The center of this colored contact lens is clear so you can see.
- Light-Filtering tint. These colored contact lenses are designed for athletes and sports fans. They enhance certain colors and mute others to make balls stand out. For instance contact lenses for tennis players would enhance optic yellow, the color of tennis balls.
Remember, never share colored contacts lenses with anyone. Clean and care for them just as you would any prescription contact lens.
Soft contact lenses are made of a soft plastic and are more comfortable than hard contact lenses because they hold more water. Many soft contact lenses also provide UV protection. They are usually disposable and can be thrown away after a short period of use, generally every two to four weeks or daily, depending on the type of contact lens prescribed. Being able to have a fresh pair of soft contact lenses means less chance of infection, less cleaning, and more comfort, especially for people whose eyes naturally produce more protein that clouds contact lenses.
While most people choose soft contact lenses because of their benefits, there are also some disadvantages. Soft contact lenses easily absorb pollutants like lotion or soap from your hands, which can irritate your eyes. Soft contact lenses are also more fragile than hard contact lenses and can rip or tear easily.
The most recent type of soft contact lenses to hit the market include Daily Disposables and New Silicone Extended Wear Disposables.
- Daily disposables. These soft contact lenses are only worn once and then thrown away. The benefits of Daily Disposables include never having to clean your contact lenses, convenient replacement schedule, and reduction of dry eye and irritation related to contact solutions. If you are an allergy sufferer, these are the contact lenses for you.
- Silicone Extended Wear Disposables. These soft contact lenses are made with a new material that can be worn for up to 30 nights and days. The new silicone material also prevents deposit build up and reduces dry eye irritation.
Next: Hard Contact Lenses
Get breaking medical news. | <urn:uuid:95890dc8-7b67-474e-91bb-767a0f718fd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rxlist.com/contact_lenses_colored_soft_hard_toric_and_bifoc/article.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911828 | 753 | 2.328125 | 2 |
JWT is the world’s best-known marketing communications brand and a true global network with 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals.
In 1864 the company was founded in New York as Carlton and Smith, an advertising broker buying and selling space in the popular religious journals of the nineteenth century. The firm was later purchased and renamed by James Walter Thompson in 1878. Under Thompson's leadership the company expanded its operations to include ad placement in women's magazines—an innovation to which the young business owed much of its success. As early as the 1890s, the company established branch offices in Boston, Chicago, and London. It also began creating advertisements and aiding clients in the development of trademarks and package designs.
The John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History at Duke University maintains an archive of the history of JWT. This collection is the most complete and informative corporate records of the history of modern advertising, and consists of over 5,000 linear feet of materials. Many of our pioneering ads can be found in these Duke archives. The archive is accessible both online and by invitation in Durham, North Carolina: http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/hartman/guides/jwt.html
By the early decades of the twentieth century, J. Walter Thompson created the very first advertisements for brands that are well-known products to the American consumer today. The company employed innovative methods in its advertising included the use of photography and testimonials, such as employing royalty and socialites for Pond's.
Company established a Research Department in 1915 and hired eminent academics such as John B. Watson, the founder of behavioral psychology. These professionals added a new dimension to marketing research. J. Walter Thompson applied motivational studies to advertising, initiated the use of scientific and medical findings as a basis for copy, and established the Consumer Panel, which surveyed family buying habits and supplied the findings to clients.
When General Motors Export Corporation became a client in 1927 the Company saw the opportunity to expand beyond the United States and Great Britain. Thompson offices were opened throughout Europe and in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Latin America.
Thompson also expanded into the new advertisement medium of radio. The Radio Department produced some of the most popular shows on the air during the 1930s and 1940s, including "Kraft Music Hall," "Lux Radio Theater," and "The Chase and Sanborn Hour." Thompson's success in radio was repeated in the new medium of television. The company produced television's first variety show, "The Hour Glass," and its first dramatic show, "Kraft Television Theater." By the late 1950s the networks were assuming the agencies' and advertisers' program activities, but Thompson nevertheless helped develop "Father Knows Best," "Naked City," "Wagon Train," "Ozzie and Harriet," "Kraft Music Hall," "Bat Masterson," and "Have Gun, Will Travel."
J. Walter Thompson became a publicly held corporation in 1969. Its international billings topped those from the United States for the first time in 1973. In 1980 the firm was reorganized to form a new holding company, JWT Group Inc., with J. Walter Thompson as the largest subsidiary. Other subsidiaries were advertising, public relations, and marketing firms that Thompson had acquired during the 1970s. In June 1987 JWT Group was merged with the British company WPP Group. | <urn:uuid:8ce50081-b5ef-4531-93f7-ba3eedd7eae8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jwt.com/jwalterthompson | 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 | 0.967879 | 696 | 2.375 | 2 |
A digest of important news from sources selected by our local editors. Delivered weekday mornings.
About 130,000 low-income, uninsured Kansas adults were supposed to be newly eligible for Medicaid as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s aim to establish near-universal health insurance coverage. But whether that group will actually be eligible now appears to hinge on a state decision, thanks to last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the law.
Meanwhile, money Kansas hospitals receive to offset the cost of caring for those uninsured is going away under a different provision of the law.
“If we choose not to expand the Medicaid program, it raises questions about how those people will get coverage, and the complicating factor is that several portions of the law depend on almost everyone having some type of coverage,” says M. Suzanne Schrandt, senior analyst and team leader with the Kansas Health Institute.
The law intended to stitch together several assistance programs to help cover uninsured people whose income is less than four times the poverty level.
Those who aren’t already getting adequate coverage from an employer can qualify for a subsidy to buy insurance if their income is between 133 percent and 400 percent of the poverty line. For an individual in 2012, that’s between about $14,850 and $44,680.
Medicaid was to take care of the rest — everyone below 133 percent of the poverty line — so those individuals weren’t made eligible for subsidies.
The federal government, says Hinkle Law Firm attorney Steven Smith, told states it would pay for the bulk of the Medicaid expansion — 100 percent for the first three years, then 90 percent. But it also said that if states didn’t expand Medicaid eligibility, they could lose existing Medicaid funding. However, the Supreme Court said last week that the federal government couldn’t take away existing Medicaid funding to coerce compliance.
So now, states do appear to be left with a choice: Accept the federal money and expand Medicaid eligibility, or decline and maintain current funding and eligibility.
But another type of funding looks slated to go away regardless, Schrandt says. The law phases out Medicaid’s Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, of which Kansas received about $42.6 million in 2010 to offset hospitals’ costs for caring for the uninsured. The law assumed hospitals would no longer need the funds because patients would all have health insurance or Medicaid.
“If the state says, ‘No, we’re not going to go the Medicaid expansion route,’ it doesn’t take away the fact that, under the law, those DSH cuts will still continue,” says Tom Bell, president of the Kansas Hospital Association. “That’s a dilemma.”
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott has already said that his state will opt out of the Medicaid expansion. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback isn’t speaking so definitively, though he’s not moving forward on an expansion so far, says spokesperson Sherriene Jones-Sontag.
Brownback has already refused to move on other aspects of health care reform, even sending back a $31.5 million federal grant that was to help the state establish a health insurance exchange under the law.
“Governor Brownback has said that he will wait until after the November elections before making any decisions related to ObamaCare,” Jones-Sontag says. “This is now a political issue that will be resolved by the American people in the November elections.”
Emily Behlmann oversees the website and other digital projects at the WBJ. | <urn:uuid:7dbcafda-542e-46d0-8e19-56195ae3ab63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/print-edition/2012/07/06/ruling-means-state-can-decline-to.html?page=all | 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 | 0.950787 | 760 | 2 | 2 |
USER COMMENTS 15 comment(s)
|Far preferable to… (12:12pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
Paying for potentially millions of dollars more if someone uses the information to commit identity theft. It'll probably still happen, but at least the state of California is doing what they can to warn people. - by Mr. Osborne
|That's a lot of money… (12:39pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
They're paying on average $.50 per letter. Since they're mailing/printing bulk, they could probably reduce that in half! I can't imagine it being so expensive (they don't pay $.37 per letter – they certainly get bulk rates. And considering the state owns the postal service, they could get at-cost rates… Whatever).
But yeah, this whole thing is no good (that is, that the information was stolen) - by Mike
|good idea (12:41pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
reducing the amount of lawsuits they were originally going to recieve…lol
- by Gir
|notify CC companys (12:59pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
instead of just sending snail mail to people they should have gone the extra step and made the Credit Card companys aware that the data may have been compromised so that new cards could be issued. take a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach! - by k2h.blogspot.com
|test (1:03pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
test - by tester
|Umm (1:09pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
The state does not own the post office dude. It is a federal agency. - by Dude
|Cal Sate U (1:26pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
I received a letter from the Cal. State U system recently informing me that a laptop was stolen that had my personal and school records on it. The letter didn't say how many students records were on it but I am guess at least all the records for the University that I went to. Why would that kind of data would be on a laptop for easy theft. The theft was probably more interested in the computer than the data but it still ticked me off. - by maximusGeek
|Very bad (3:21pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
Giving away secret info, allowing it to be stolen, or faxing it to some guy for years (CIBC hehehehe) is bad, very bad, very very bad. - by Not good
|Notifying CC Co. does nothing (3:58pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
They didn't steal credit card information, they stole their socials, name, and address stuff. Identity theft doesn't steal credit cards, they pretend to be that person and get their own credit card.
What I hope the notices detailed were the steps the people can take to monitor any identity theft activity and deal with it appropriately. - by Duhhhhh
|Whole new level (4:03pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
We need to take identity protection to a whole new level. This theft thing has gotten way out of control. Much much too easy to steal personal info. Privacy advocates have been warning us for years, but the munb-minded reaction has been “I got nuttin to hide”. Lazy slobs. Idiots. Let them collect info on you & it is either sold or stolen. Sometimes both. They are ruining our ability to buy & sell. What we need is a whole new beast that can give us a special mark that cannot be copied, lost or stolen. No one would be able to buy or sell anything without their own person private mark. - by Suberversive
|i guess CAL U should have been (4:14pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
using the new and improve AOL with a free anti-virus software.
I am a AOL user and I have suggestions on the internet. - by JMURules
|Mailing Cost (11:17pm EST Mon Dec 06 2004)
The USPS only discounts 1st class mail to 34.5 cents, based on my information. That only leaves 15.5 cents for all other costs of a mailing… Approximately 50 cents per piece sounds pretty appropriate to me.
- by Sketchy
|new “beast”? subversive? (11:27am EST Tue Dec 07 2004)
Yea, we should all take Satan marks to buy and sell and all go to hell because we need to protect our identity.
- by NotGoingToHell
|Trustworthy Computing (11:44pm EST Tue Dec 07 2004)
Let me guess: Was the compromised platform made by a company in Redmond, Washington? Uh-Huh.
Amazing, simply amazing. U of C owns BSD UNIX which is very secure and gets compromised running the insecureware/bloatware from Micro$oftopoly. Oh, excuse me. According to Microsoft, they produce the most secure system software. I guess why there is a multi-Billion $ industry based around anti-virus, anti-malware, etc targeting the 'doze.
If you hand matches to a 2-year old don't come crying to me when he burns your house down. Some people will never learn. - by P.T. Barnum
|Re: JMURules (1:56pm EST Wed Dec 08 2004)
” I am a AOL user and I have suggestions on the internet. “
Got stupid? - by Juicy | <urn:uuid:d7003247-be3b-4527-94f6-63c0d8cb26ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geek.com/blurb/california-to-pay-big-to-warn-of-hacker-attack-554915/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957293 | 1,162 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The news for patients who had injections of fungus-tainted steroids just keeps getting worse.
Now doctors are reporting two new spinal conditions among patients successfully treated for meningitis, a brain infection. One involves epidural abscesses, pus-filled sacs of fluid around the spine. A more serious condition is arachnoiditis — inflammation of tissue around the nerve roots coming out of the spine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn't yet have a good handle on the number of these new complications, but there appear to be dozens so far.
Most have been in Michigan and Tennessee, which together make up nearly half the 404 cases of fungal infections reported so far in 19 states. (Twenty-nine people have died.) But cases of spinal infections have recently been seen in Virginia and Indiana, too.
"What we're hearing is that patients have been treated for meningitis and improved. Then they returned with these complications," Dr. Tom Chiller of CDC told Shots. "We don't have a good understanding of why certain people are developing these conditions."
He says patients with these complications don't seem to be older or more immunocompromised, "so we're not able to predict who's going to develop this."
The New York Times reports that about a third of 53 meningitis patients treated at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., have developed epidural abscesses. Another 34 have had abscesses without prior meningitis.
Chiller says the situation is "an unprecedented event," so doctors and public health experts are learning how to cope with it as they go along.
The new problem affects different layers of tissue that encase the spine. The dura mater is the outermost layer. Next is the arachnoid, a delicate cobwebby membrane that carries much of the spinal cord's blood supply.
Of the two complications, epidural (meaning on or around the dura) abscesses are less dangerous and more amenable to treatment. If antifungal medication doesn't do the job, neurosurgeons can often debride or remove the infected tissue and drain the infection.
Arachnoiditis is much more difficult to treat. Delicate nerve roots are caught in a thick, fibrous material that compresses them, causing intense pain, numbness, paralysis, pins-and-needles sensations, sometimes loss of bladder control and other neurologic symptoms.
Surgery is not usually an option, if ever, and the success of drug therapy is uncertain. Chiller says experts don't think it's a good idea to infuse antifungal drugs directly into the spine because they can increase inflammation and make matters worse.
Patients who develop these spinal complications may need to be on antifungal medication, often intravenously, for six months to a year, Chiller says.
The trickiest problem for doctors is diagnosing epidural abscesses or arachnoiditis, because many of the patients exposed to the mold-contaminated steroids already have chronic back pain.
"That's why they were getting injections, right?" Chiller says. "So the real challenge is identifying whether the pain over the site of injection or where they have chronic pain is worse ... or is different."
There's no telling how many patients will develop the spinal complications. One indication is that so far most of the known victims previously had meningitis.
That appears to limit the risk largely to the 400 or so reported meningitis cases — and the others expected to be discovered in the coming weeks.
"We think the last of these products were given around Oct. 1, so we're already a month out from that," Chiller says. "We've passed the peak of the mean incubation period — the period between injection and onset of symptoms — which is around 20 days."
Other meningitis cases will be reported, he says, but they should begin to taper off quickly this month.
An estimated 14,000 Americans received injections of the mold-contaminated steroid made by New England Compounding Center, a Massachusetts company that has been shut down. Federal inspectors have found fungal and bacteria contamination in many samples of drugs made by the Massachusetts company.
A federal criminal investigation is under way, and a number of civil suits have already been filed. | <urn:uuid:8db17c34-da66-4b67-a4c9-6bf0ac5cdddd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/03/164253552/despite-anti-fungal-treatment-more-woes-for-some-meningitis-patients?ft=1&f=2100771 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959489 | 900 | 2.640625 | 3 |
This video is called Australian Antarctic season 2012-13.
From Wildlife Extra:
New acoustic devices to track and count Blue whales
Eavesdropping on the elusive blue whale
October 2012: Australian Antarctic scientists have successfully tested new acoustic technology to track and locate scores of blue whales hundreds of kilometres away by eavesdropping on the resonating song of these rare and elusive animals.
By using sound rather than sight to initially detect the whales, the scientists significantly improved the likelihood of finding and counting whales in the vast Southern Ocean. The research is a core part of an Australian-led international project to estimate the abundance, distribution and behaviour of the species that was decimated in the early 1900s when industrial whaling killed approximately 250,000 animals.
To test the technology, the team of Australian Antarctic Division scientists deployed directional sonobuoys in northern Bass Strait in January and March.
Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke said, “Blue whales are under threat of extinction and improved scientific knowledge will help in the conservation and recovery of the species. This research reinforces Australia’s commitment to non-lethal research of whales. This contrasts with Japan’s so-called ‘scientific whaling’ where the alleged research begins with a harpoon. This breakthrough project again shows you don’t have to kill a whale to study it.”
103 sightings of Blue whales
Leader of the Australian Marine Mammals Centre Dr Mike Double said that over 20 days on the voyage there were 103 sightings of blue whales over a 10,000 km2 area.
“While blue whales are the largest animals on earth, growing up to 31 metres long, they’re still very difficult to find in a vast ocean and we know very little about them,” Dr Double said.
“The real-time passive acoustic tracking system was highly effective at picking up their low frequency calls from hundreds of kilometres of away, thus maximising our chance of locating them.”
The sonobuoys allowed researchers to record more than 500 hours of audio including more than 20,000 blue whale vocalisations.
“During the voyages 32 vocalising blue whales were detected via acoustic tracking and of these 29 sightings located one or more whales. That’s a 90% success rate!” Dr Double said.
Once the whales were located they were photographed and biopsied for further identification.
A prototype moored acoustic recorder was also trialled, with the equipment deployed for three days in a fixed position. While the results from this recorder are still being analysed, the fixed moorings could be used to listen for whale song for up to 15 months.
Mr Burke said the acoustic technology will now be used in the Antarctic Blue Whale Project, which will estimate their abundance and migration patterns, in January next year.
“The Blue Whale Project is an initiative of international Southern Ocean Research Partnership involving nine other countries,” he said.
“When Australia attends the International Whaling Commission and some countries talk about so-called ‘scientific whaling’ we pursue programs like this.” | <urn:uuid:b48cf28f-e867-416f-b268-c1e0f6fd77b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/blue-whales-new-research-technology/ | 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 | 0.941007 | 635 | 3.53125 | 4 |
by Karen D. Swim
“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.” -- Zig Ziglar
No matter how passionate you are about your goals or how good your intentions are, you must fan the flames of motivation daily. Robyn McMaster offered this insight in response to yesterday's post: "Goals are extremely important to me because they help me keep my eyes on what I want to accomplish. When I put a picture of that near my computer or I write it out as a one line poem and put it there, it helps me sift past those things that would take me off the tracks."
Robyn knows a thing or two about goal setting and motivation as she is the Senior VP of MITA Brain Based Center.
Sometimes we fail to accomplish a goal and we blame it on a lack of discipline. In fact, it may have simply been a failure to renew motivation. Have you ever started a fire in a fireplace? The flames burn brightly and the heat engulfs the room but eventually the flames will flicker and die and the room will once again grow cold. To keep the fire going you have to add more wood.
I am highly visual so use visual cues to motivate you everyday. For example, when I embarked on my weight loss journey, I used a big wall calendar to mark my progress. I covered the walls of my work out room with pictures and posters of my favorite athletes. I taped motivational quotes to the dashboard in my car. On my runs, I carried 26 laminated scriptures in a wrist band carrier. I would pull one out every mile to encourage me to keep going.
If you are more of an auditory learner, try listening to motivational tapes or music. Load your IPOD (I really must get one of these!) or burn a CD of things that inspire you.
Read, watch, listen and talk to those that inspire. Head over to Brain Based Biz , Joyful Jubilant Learning or 6 Weeks for a bit of inspiration. The key is to do something everyday that will stoke the flames of motivation.
You may believe you are not disciplined or have an inability to focus. I am here to tell you that is not true. ERASE those negative thoughts from your mind. You simply may have been playing the game with the wrong equipment. You have accomplished things in life. As you think back on your accomplishments, what worked for you? What made that time different? I believe your answer may be that you cared enough about your pursuit and equipped yourself daily to achieve it.
My goal is to meet more people like those who read this blog. I am not pursuing X amount of readers so that I can feed my ego. I like getting to know you, hearing your thoughts, rants, and witticisms. I learn from you and am challenged by you. Why wouldn't I want to multiply that by reaching out to even more people just like you?
How do you stay motivated? What are your tips and tricks? Please share so that we can learn from one another. | <urn:uuid:39677200-f476-4f7d-b2cc-3274717a947d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wordsforhire.blogspot.com/2008/04/finding-strength-to-lace-em-up-everyday.html?showComment=1209074520000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970224 | 637 | 1.984375 | 2 |
That said, it's crucial to recognize the precious common ground between the United States and Europe. While on a different plane from those fallow battlefields of the Ardennes, it is also sacred soil. I refer to our shared cultural and historical progressions as civilizations whose ideals are founded on liberty. Such liberty is once again under threat and from an ideological enemy -- the ideology of Islam, which, as spread by a massive influx of Islamic immigration over the past several decades, promises, as historians and writers from Bat Ye'or to Mark Steyn have copiously explained, to transform all of Europe into an Islamic continent.
And what do our presidential candidates think of the strategic ramifications of an Islamic Europe? Who knows? The likely but not inevitable civilizational shift is so far off the U.S. radar screen (with our government keeping it there, what with its recommended lexicon discouraging all terror-related references to Islam) it is invisible. American tourists -- those flush enough to pay their way with Euros, that is (and I didn't see many) -- can still visit the old Europe of gingerbread towns and Gothic cathedrals without noticing much more than a few hijabbed women, signs of Islamization that usually fail to register more than a multicultural nod.
Of course, even many (most?) residents are blind to the staggering changes in progress. This is something I discovered, to take one example, in conversation with a conservative British MEP (Member of European Parliament), who, after nine years of representing a sector of southern England in Brussels, both doubts the existence of "no-go zones" in Britain -- despite the writings on the subject by the Bishop of Rochester -- and has never visited the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek. A stone's throw from the ritzy EU environs in which we sat, this Islamic enclave more closely resembles a bustling outpost of the umma than the so-called capital of Europe.
"You ought to get out more," I suggested.
As should we all -- which is why I embarked on this expedition in the first place. In the following weeks, I hope to turn the mountain of raw material I brought home with me into a series of reports from Over There, augmented by interview transcripts and photos that I plan to post at my Web site (dianawest.net).
We have a lot to learn from Europe.
Fired IRS Commissioner: I Promoted Sarah Ingram To Head Obamacare: "We Provided Horrible Customer Service" | Greg Hengler | <urn:uuid:c3713c41-57fa-48de-825c-d1c4f87ae70a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://townhall.com/columnists/dianawest/2008/06/26/we_have_a_lot_to_learn_from_over_there/page/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955252 | 513 | 1.539063 | 2 |
WAGMATCOOK, NOVA SCOTIA (August 15, 2012) – The Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, today joined Chief Norman Bernard of the Wagmatcook Band for the grand opening of its new wastewater treatment plant and the completion of upgrades to the existing sewage treatment lagoon.
"Our Government is committed to taking concrete steps to improve the living conditions for First Nations through investments in safe water and wastewater treatment facilities," said Minister Duncan. "Wagmatcook's new wastewater facility is an important investment in the health and safety of community members."
These projects were made possible through an investment of $6.3 million under Canada's Economic Action Plan and include the construction of a new extended activated sludge system to replace the existing stabilization pond serving the north side of the reserve.
"I would like to thank the Government of Canada for providing the financial resources to complete this strategic capital investment in Wagmatcook," said Chief Bernard. "We are pleased Minister Duncan has come to Wagmatcook to share with us the importance this investment is to our future housing and economic development plans."
The Harper Government is taking action to improve the lives of First Nations and stimulate economic growth in First Nation communities through targeted infrastructure investments. Between 2006 and 2014, the Harper Government will invest approximately $3 billion in water and wastewater facilities in First Nations communities.
Wagmatcook Band is located on Cape Breton Island, 51.2 kilometers west of Sydney, Nova Scotia. The community has 761 members, with an on-reserve population of 587.
Director of Operations
You can receive all our news and media updates automatically. Visit our Media Room RSS Feeds for more information or to sign up. | <urn:uuid:aed3a83c-a473-428a-9258-5ecce0cf3740> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1345041255172/1345041345209 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944137 | 353 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Senate Bill Would Require Doctor Training to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse
A bill co-sponsored by Senator Chuck Schumer (NY) and Jay Rockefeller (WV) would require doctors to receive training for prescribing opiate-based narcotics, the Times Union reports.
The training would cover clinical standards on safe management of pain, help doctors better identify patients who are vulnerable to addiction, and provide information on alternatives to opiate narcotics for pain management, according to a news release from Sen. Schumer’s office. Under current law, the Drug Enforcement Administration does not require doctors, dentists and other authorized prescribers to undergo training in order to obtain a license to dispense opioids.
The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2011 also would increase sentences for robbing pharmacies of controlled substances, as well as for stealing medical products and transporting and storing them. Under the bill, the penalty for committing a prescription drug-related crime would jump from 10 years to 20 years in prison.
The bill also would provide $25 million for states to create or upgrade prescription drug monitoring systems.
In April, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy announced a new government strategy to cut the use of prescription painkillers by 15 percent in five years. The plan includes doctor training, promoting prescription databases in all states and increased focus on rooting out illegal ‘pill mill’ clinics. | <urn:uuid:e797a2ae-5b7b-4fbb-8949-18334fe528fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/drugs/senate-bill-would-require-doctor-training-to-fight-prescription-drug-abuse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941288 | 279 | 1.804688 | 2 |
It’s easy to see why artist Klari Reis describes her San Francisco studio as “sort of laboratory-like.” Wearing a Tyvek suit and a "massive" respirator, Reis works under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, painting forms inspired by microbiology onto a lab bench staple—disposable, plastic Petri dishes.
The hazmat gear is necessary because Reis's paint is actually a two-part epoxy polymer, colored with industrial dyes. She describes it as a thick plastic similar to a resin but more rubbery.
"It's typically used to seal cement for that 'very shiny floor' look. It's not something you would pick up at the art supply store. Most of my materials are sort of...odd, which I like," Reis says with a laugh.
The idea for her Petri dish paintings came to Reis more than 10 years ago, when she was in her early 20s. She became ill with Crohn’s disease and was hospitalized while she was a grad student in London. As a patient at King's College Hospital, her doctor allowed her to come in to the lab and look at her own cells under a microscope.
"I found it really inspiring, being able to actually look at my own cells and see my cells reacting differently to different pharmaceuticals," she says.
Her aim isn't to faithfully recreate what she has seen under the microscope, but to evoke those cells and reactions in a colorful and visually interesting way. "For many years I really tried to copy exactly what was happening," says Reis. "But these days I just am inspired by those images and don't really try to copy as much."
Reis paints three sizes of the dishes and assembles them into groups of 30, 60, or 150 plastic plates. Each installation is called "Hypochondria." She has created works for clients including Microsoft and Royal Carribean. Reis also displays the individual works on her blog The Daily Dish
"I'm always working on them," Reis says. "It takes a couple weeks to make each dish, because there's drying time and layers involved. I work on quite a few at a time." You can see more of Reis's art, including paintings of maps and cellular structures on aluminum and wood panels, at her website | <urn:uuid:bc140746-f044-4484-853f-c4e0110d9864> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencefriday.com/blogs/02/28/2013/petri-culture.html?interest=1&audience=4&series=20 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98287 | 482 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Mauna Kea Telescopes Brace for Impact
June 9, 2005
MAUNA KEA, Hawaii (June 9, 2005) On July 3rd at about 7:52 PM HST, comet Tempel 1 will collide with NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft, and Hawaii is gearing up to witness this unprecedented event.
“It’s anyone’s guess what will occur as twilight ends on July 3rd and the collision obliterates the impactor,” said Subaru Telescope director Dr. Hiroshi Karoji. “If something profound does happen, Mauna Kea telescopes will see it in many different ways and quite possibly learn more about comets from that instant than in centuries of observations.”
Mauna Kea, and all of Hawaii, will have a front row seat during
the impact. NASA’s decision for the timing of the impact
was partially determined by the location of Earth-bound telescopes
and their ability to observe the event. Mauna Kea, with the
world’s best collection of giant telescopes, will be ready
to observe the event with a wide array of instruments when the
impact occurs near the end of evening twilight.
No matter what happens, the telescopes on Mauna Kea are doing everything they can to make the most of this collision. In particular, the world’s largest telescopes -- the W.M. Keck, Subaru and Gemini North telescopes -- have teamed up to maximize the unique capabilities of each facility:
- Subaru: Will characterize the strength of the comet’s surface by determining the size and distribution of rubble generated by the collision through mid-infrared imaging at a rate of up to 10 images per second. (808) 934-5086.
- Keck I and II: Will determine the composition of cometary ices and dust underneath the comet’s surface through high resolution spectroscopy. (808) 885-7887.
- Gemini North: Will monitor changes in the dust composition around the comet using mid-infrared observations pre, post and during impact. This will help determine if the comet’s pristine sub-surface material is similar to that which makes up the Earth and other rocky planets. (808) 974-2510.
"We are very excited about our participation in this unique astronomical event," said Dr. Frederic Chaffee, director of the W. M. Keck Observatory. "All the major telescopes on Mauna Kea are working together to be certain that we use the best capabilities of each facility. The data we obtain will be made publicly available as soon after the event as possible so that astronomers all over the world can begin to digest and interpret the results."
With a total light collecting area as large as a professional tennis court, the W.M. Keck, Subaru and Gemini North telescopes can see fainter objects in space at greater levels of detail than most other telescopes on Earth or in space.
“Most of the time Mauna Kea’s large telescopes have a healthy competition going on, to see things that nobody has ever seen before,” says Dr. Matt Mountain, director of the Gemini Observatory. “For a once in a lifetime opportunity like this we really want to make sure that all of Mauna Kea’s giant telescopes observe this event in a coordinated way. The common goal is to leave a legacy of knowledge for everyone.”
The public may participate in several Deep Impact events, all of which are free and open to the public:
- Saturday, July 2nd, 6:00 p.m., Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station: Public Lecture, “Cracking the Shell – What Might the Inside of a Comet Look Like?” Stargazing of Comet Tempel 1 to follow afterwards. (808) 961-2180.
- Sunday, July 3rd, 7:00 p.m., M W. M. Keck Observatory Headquarters in Waimea: Public may eavesdrop on observing and share the evening with professional and amateur astronomers. (808) 885 7887.
- Sunday, July 3rd, 6:30 p.m. University of Hawaii at Hilo, UCB 100: A panel of speakers will give mini-presentations and provide commentary on near images from the NASA Deep Impact spacecraft and a telescope on Mauna Kea. (808) 932-2328.
- Sunday, July 3rd, 6:00 p.m. Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station: Stargazing with 16-inch, 14-inch and several smaller telescopes. (808) 961-2180.
Comet Tempel 1 is now visible only through binoculars or telescopes. Scientists do not know what to expect at the moment of impact, but a huge plume of ejected material may cause the comet to brighten by several magnitudes. If the plume is bright enough, people may see a new star appear, near Spica and the planet Jupiter.
For links to more information on the Deep Impact mission and events in Hawaii, please visit: http://www.mkooc.org/deepimpact.html | <urn:uuid:02ea0d6d-493e-4d67-9b84-8fe38d5eb45d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://subarutelescope.org/Topics/2005/06/09/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91635 | 1,078 | 3.125 | 3 |
For the past few weeks, the Internet has been buzzing about which DC superhero would come out of the closet. Would Batman finally confess his love for Robin? Is Lois only Superman's beard? Does Wonder Woman wonder what's under Catwoman's slinky suit? The answer's finally here. Today, DC outed Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, as the first classic superhero to be gay.
Scott is currently the lead in DC's Earth 2 and Entertainment Weekly had a chance to speak to the series writer James Robinson about the evolution of one of DC's most treasured icons.
When asked how he came to the decision to make Scott gay, Robinson explained that the original Green Lantern was an older man whose son, Obsidian, was gay. In the reboot, Scott became a young man so Obsidian had to be cut from the series. Sad at the thought of losing a positive gay character — a rarity in the comic universe — Robinson came up with the idea of making Scott gay.
DC Comics Character to Come Out As Gay
Besides his sexual orientation, Robinson describes the new Scott as quite similar to the original — a philanthropic, media industry billionaire who's "kind of a cross between Mark Zuckerberg and David Geffen."
"The Alan Scott I'm doing now is that same dynamic, brave, honorable man," Robinson explains.
When rumors first hit that the Green Lantern might be outed, the Internet became flush with complaints, but Robinson hopes fans won't get too hung up on Scott's sexual orientation.
"I want to stress that Alan Scott is a gay man, but that's just a part of who he is. He's a business man. He's a hero. He's a lot of different things. His sexuality is a part of him, but it isn't his defining trait. He's an interesting, complex character that I think people will respond to on many levels. He's the epitome of heroism. And I hope that he's a positive representation of a gay man."
What do you think of the Green Lantern coming out? Sound off in the comments!
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- 'Bachelorette' Meredith Phillips: I'm an Alcoholic ET Online - 18 hours ago | <urn:uuid:3986c57c-38b9-4d87-a9a4-6166a1275577> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tv.yahoo.com/news/dc-gay-superhero-revealed-135500767.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949456 | 558 | 1.59375 | 2 |
New Congress takes office
More here: New Congress takes office Thursday, will tackle old Congress' leftovers - CNN.com
Although Republicans retained control of the House after the 2012 elections, Democrats gained seats in that chamber. They also expanded their control of the Senate.Republicans will fill 234 seats in the new House, down from 242. Democrats will take 201, up from 193.In the Senate, voters handed two former GOP seats to Democrats for a new balance of 55-45. The 55 Democratic seats include two independents who caucus with the party.The small shift in numbers could make a difference in votes across party lines. | <urn:uuid:99051d0f-7e69-4023-aeec-7936ced3ced4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apbweb.com/forums/thunderdome/51053-new-congress-takes-office-print.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947325 | 126 | 1.703125 | 2 |
You make the most positive impression
by being YOU. By speaking naturally and
even conversationally you project
confidence. This quality is more appealing
than the formal "I'm delivering a really
important speech" posture often seen in
business settings. Remember, you are not
an actor playing a part. Try these easy
suggestions to help you feel more
comfortable being yourself. The following
suggestions will help you communicate
Immediately make eye
contact with a friendly face.
Hold that eye contact until you
have completed a thought, feel
comfortable and are in control.
This should take a minimum of
five seconds. Now try looking at
small groups of people in the
audience. Using eye contact, like
any physical activity, takes
practice and muscle memory.
Use gestures. Gesturing
is an excellent way to channel
nervous energy and control the
fear of public speaking. When you
move, you reduce your own stress.
Also, the audience is obligated
to follow your action. Try
using your body to support your
Speak louder than you
usually do. High volume conveys
high energy. Also, speaking
louder can help with the fear of
Focus on what you want to
change about your presentation
style. Instead, work on
identifying your best qualities.
For example, have you received
positive feedback in the past
about your presentation style?
Can you incorporate those
suggestions now as you prepare
for your presentation?
don't tell a joke with a punch
professional speakers have
trouble with jokes that hinge on
the perfectly timed one-liner.
Also, if you are nervous you will
get even more nervous if no one
laughs. Instead, go for humor
that is light and
Psyche yourself up too
much. It's important to care
about your presentation and its
outcome but be careful about
having unrealistic expectations.
Of course you want to do well but
everyone can have an off day.
Worrying too much can create the
fear of public speaking. | <urn:uuid:5330ccb1-9a6e-4df8-82f8-86308b9f8e0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.communicatestrategies.com/quicktips.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90897 | 444 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Good news: Single women are generally more cautious spenders than men, since they only splurge on a few items (the expected ones: clothing and personal care products like shampoo and teeth-whitening products, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics), while single guys tear through more money overall, on things like eating out, entertainment and car ownership. Bad news: Those same women are behind on saving for their futures. We asked Alexa von Tobel, founder and CEO of the women's finance site LearnVest.com, and Barb Chang, head of product for the money management site Mint.com, what single women should be doing with their money right now.
You Need to Track Your Expenses (As Annoying As It Seems)
Chang says single women often say they're too busy and don't see the payoff of putting in a lot of time in tracking. In fact, Mint got started because its founder realized catching up on personal budgeting was taking up an entire Sunday afternoon every week. But staying on top of the money that comes into and goes out of the Bank of You every month is the first step in financial planning. More than 90 percent of Mint users say they have changed their habits as a result of using the service. Here are some different ways you can track your spending.
You Need an Emergency Fund More Than Anyone Else Does
The old rule of thumb was to have about six months' pay in an emergency fund, but von Tobel says that in the current economic climate, highly educated people who are laid off find that it takes about nine months to find a job—and because more women are getting advanced degrees than men, it's particularly important for them to have more put away. The best place to keep an emergency savings account, von Tobel says, is in a place you can easily access without penalty at anytime. This means a money market account or high-interest savings account. And as you know but it probably bears repeating, don't put the money in the stock market or in equities, as volatility in the market could decrease your savings.
Debt Can Hurt Your Future...Even If You Wind Up Marrying Mr. Perfect Credit
In 2009, 15 percent of American adults were late making a credit card payment; 8 percent missed a payment entirely. Those fees added up to about $20.5 billion, according to R.K. Hammer, a consultant to the credit card industry. Although those numbers decreased a bit last year, they've started creeping up again as some of the country's major credit card issuers posted increases in the number of credit card payments that were at least 30 days late in September. Even if you're only a week or two late, a credit card company can still disclose your missed payment to credit reporting agencies, and that may damage your credit score. You should know your debt-to-income ratio (the percentage of your income which you use to pay off your debts). These numbers impact anyone's credit score—so you want it lower than 36 percent. (If you're a single woman, even if you do end up marrying someone with pristine credit, banks will take the lower of you and your partner's credit scores.)
Next: The one thing childless women are almost always wrong about
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In Grim v. Sec. Fla. Dep’t of Corrections, No. 11-11890 (Jan. 22, 2013), the Court affirmed the denial of habeas relief to a Florida death row inmate convicted of a 1998 murder.
The Court rejected the argument that the indictment was defective because it failed to set forth the aggravating factor that was relied on as the basis for the imposition of a death sentence. The Court noted that the Fifth Amendment Indictment Clause is not applicable to the States.
The Court rejected the argument that the sentence was invalid because the jury was not required to find an aggravating factor beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court pointed out that the Florida Supreme Court had found that the jury unanimously found two aggravating factors, and recommended that the defendant be sentenced to death. The Court noted that it had recently held that a system of advisory jury verdicts does not violate the Sixth Amendment.
Finally, the Court rejected the argument that the indictment should have given the defendant notice of the aggravating factors it would rely on in obtaining the death penalty. The Court noted the Florida Supreme Court’s holding that the aggravating factors set forth in Florida’s death penalty statute notify defendants of the factors that support the death penalty, and no United States Supreme Court case has addressed this issue. | <urn:uuid:808afe8e-bcb2-4797-be16-4931a3a3b51b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://defensenewsletter.blogspot.com/2013/01/grim-statute-adequately-notifies.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966515 | 267 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Tea Estates in Unlikely Places
By Alexis Rubinstein
When one thinks of “tea-growing regions,” certain areas in Asia and India would certainly come to mind. However, with the popularity of tea on the rise, tea estates have begun to pop up in the unlikeliest of places. We travel from Colombia to Hawaii and beyond to find some of today’s most unique teas.
What does it take
to grow the perfect tea leaves? Camellia sinensis first needs a warm to moderate climate without extreme rainfall - too much moisture will encourage the growth of detrimental molds and mildews. Acidic soil is also required, keeping in mind that most tap water can decrease the acidity of soil over time. But tea estates do not need to be limited to the regions where the practice is already well established. With an experimental spirit and a driven dedication, almost anything is seemingly possible. Places like Colombia and Hawaii, which already have the elements needed for successful growing, have initiated their involvement in tea production. More surprisingly, areas not typically thought of as “ideal climates,” such as Tuscany, Portugal and Washington State have proven the success of nurture over nature.
Planting the First Seed
When starting a crop that is not indigenous to your particular region, it is always a gamble. There are no definite ways to tell if the efforts will be successful, if the bushes will flourish, or if the tea will be tasty. It is those beginning states that are crucial in the overall fortune of the tea estate.
San Miguel, on the Azores islands off the coast of Portugal, is not your typical tea-growing region, yet has been producing fine quality tea since the 18th century. The two main tea estates in San Miguel, Chá Gorreana and Chá Porto Formoso, are both instilled in traditional tea producing techniques and a large part of the island’s heritage. After tea was introduced to the island around 1750 from Brazil, small quantities of black and green tea (around eight to 10 kg) flourished. After seeing the success of the new crop, in 1978, the “Sociedade Promotora da Agricultura Micaelense,” a regional organization that helped promote local agriculture, elected the Tea Culture as one of the ventures to support. With this initiative, two Chinese men from Macau were employed to help the Azores tea plantations adopt Asian techniques. With their knowledge and assistance, tea factories and producers began springing up around the island.
While Colombia is a well-known coffee giant, there is one brave tea estate trying to make a name for itself. Located in the mountains of the state of Valle del Cauca, Agricola Himalaya (www.tehindu.com) started as a concept, a far-fetched idea, and developed into a success story. “Around the middle of the last century, the secretary of Agriculture asked Joaquin Llano to give his permission to have trials to find out which crops could be successfully planted in higher areas than where coffee was already growing,” explains Maria Beatriz Llano. “A few tea plants were planted and left to grow. Meanwhile, the project was forgotten. Around 10 years later, Joaquin’s son, Alberto, discovered the abandoned plants and started to investigate its cultivation and processing. In 1970, after conducting much research on the topic, the greatest part of the plantation was established.” Maria Beatriz Llano continues, “Alberto Llano was a tea lover. He had studied in the U.S. and Switzerland and was a visionary. As all tea was imported into the country, he saw a great opportunity for a unique business in Colombia.” Today, Agricola Himalaya is still the only company which has tea crops in the country.
Another key player in the coffee industry, Hawaii, known for its specialty Kona coffee, has also begun to explore the idea of growing tea leaves. While the first seeds planted may not date back as far as they do in Portugal or even Colombia, nonetheless this relatively “new” Hawaiian crop has already gained much attention. Eva Lee of Tea Hawaii and Company (www.teahawaii.com) grows tea on her five-acre estate in Volcano on the Big Island. “There are actively about six tea estates,” says Lee, “some with substantial yields for boutique sales as well as experimentation.” Presently, Lee is distributing tea through her company, Tea Hawaii, and has just finished holding the position of president of Hawaii’s Tea Society, which has been around for about five years, has approximately 100 members and was created to work with the University of Hawaii’s agriculture department with a mission to create a tea industry on the island. Lee estimates that “there are around 50 people that are growing tea in the private sector, with estates that range from two to a quarter-acre.” According to Lee, the first tea estate was established around 11 years ago, though the majority of the estates are going on the five-year mark.
The continental U.S., with its varied climates and topography, has also begun its quest towards locally grown tea. Charleston Tea Plantation, in Charleston, South Carolina, was known as the only tea plantation in the mainland U.S., until the Sakuma Brothers Farm, in the Skagit Valley of Washington proved that the notoriously rainy and chilly Pacific Northwest can support tea varietals. Already established, situated on approximately 1,100 acres, the Sakuma Brothers Farm grows small fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. “There are five acres of mostly mature sized tea plants; to date we have not yet processed any commercial volumes of tea,” says Richard Sakuma. “Our partner, John Vendeland, propagated the tea plants from specimens he collected some 15-20 years ago and established in the Willamette Valley of Oregon,” Sakuma continues. “It is his original vision of creating a tea growing region in the Skagit Valley of Washington that we are working on.” The Sakuma Brothers Farm has found it hard to tend to the tea to minimize the natural weather affects, as well as focus their attention on the crop when they have an up and running, lucrative fruit business. “The seedlings have been in the ground for 10 years, but I have basically just kept them alive at this point,” confesses Sakuma. “The tea season conflicts with berry harvest and I’ve not progressed with the tea project as much as we have planned. However, an interest in our tea is pushing me to get something going.”
The Role of Mother Nature
Even more interesting than the varied locations where tea is now grown is the effect of the climate on the tea leaves. As with most crops, the rainfall and temperature can determine taste profiles and can alter from year to year, dependant on the climate changes. In Washington, the Sakuma Brothers Farm is still trying to determine the effects of the temperature on their tea bushes. “The temperature in the summer averages in the mid 70s°F,” Sakuma explains. “That may be a little cool for attaining the yields needed to be profitable.” While no determination has been made, The Sakuma Brothers Farm remains positive in their outlook.
Already producing high-quality teas, the Chá Gorreana and Chá Porto Formoso tea estate attribute their impressive teas to ideal conditions of the Azores. According to the Chá Gorreana website, “The islands, due to their positioning in the mid-Atlantic withholds optimum characteristics for producing tea. The land posses a soft texturing, is very fertile and rich in iron (also carrying a PH value ranging from 7 to 5). Also, due to the island’s hill-type terrains, the plantations benefit from special protection from nature’s elements. The tea plants in itself require very little human care and attention, however it is recommended that the plantations be organized in parallel lines to maximize the production proficiency. The plant is grown with biological techniques through the use of plant-based fertilizers for its growth. The natural fertilizer is produced from the bushy leaves and seeds originating from oily plants.”
Also taking advantage of rich soil and salty, wet ocean air are the tea estates of Hawaii. “In general, tea can be grown from the ocean all the way to mountains,” says Lee, “from close to sea level to up to 4,000 feet. The fleshing in the state of Hawaii takes place almost every month. Professionals and other tea producing countries are delightfully surprised when they find out we can produce here year round, due to our clean air, water and soil.” According to Lee, black tea that is grown up in the mountains of Hawaii tastes completely different than black tea grown near the coast. It is these differences in taste that can take Hawaii from a lesser-known tea producing state to a widely acclaimed leader. “Rare teas being produced in each elevation has a unique flavor and aroma all to its own,” states Lee.
While it has been said that too much moisture can facilitate deterioration of a tea crop, Agricola Himalya has seemed to find the perfect equation. “The tea is grown between 1,750-1,950 feet above sea level, an ideal height to produce quality tea,” Llano explains. “It is surrounded by a tropical cloud forest reserve, and encompasses around 50 hectares, 10 of which are for herbal teas like chamomile.” An additional 100 hectares of the Agricola Himalaya property is a natural forest reserve. “Its location on a tropical strip, its high rainfall and day light throughout the entire year enable us to have a continuous crop, which is harvested every 15 days,” says Llano.
In these regions where tea growing does not have a reputation of its own, the support of the community is a critical aspect of the estate’s success. “Truth in labeling” was the first hurdle the tea industry in Hawaii needed to jump. According to Lee, much of the tea that is imported into Hawaii can be labeled as “Hawaiian tea,” despite the fact that the tea was not actually grown on the island. Changing the terminology to “Hawaii grown tea” has allowed consumers to determine which is the “real thing.” This, along with other cultural sensitivities has helped the Hawaiian tea industry gain popularity. The tea produced in the small estates of the Big Island is the epitome of specialty tea. Yielding small quantities and hand-picked, the “aim is to gain the same value as Kona coffee, even going beyond that, but not making itself available for commodities market,” says Lee. She even reveals that some Kona coffee estates are looking to enter into a dual market, and start to grow tea as well. “The Hawaiian community has embraced the tea growing areas,” she continues, “Tea Hawaii and Company grows tea in a native Hawaiian forest. With that, the eradication of invasive plant species have been removed, and we brought back a natural, native forest full of ferns, blossoms and birds. It showcases how people can keep the land in tact and still produce this type of tea.” Lee explains “this particular area is conducive to green teas and matcha because it is naturally shade grown with acidic, volcanic soil.”
Aside from being available in local specialty shops and even art galleries, Hawaii grown tea is looking to expand their horizons by combining their product with locally made chocolate truffles, baked goods and honey. Lee says that their tea “will be premiered in fine dining restaurants well known for their Hawaii regional cuisine.” Because chefs have been requesting that Hawaii grown tea be harvested and shipped upon request to their restaurants, fresh frozen tea leaf is also being offered.
In Colombia, while things are being done a bit differently on the estate, the local feedback is equally as positive. The CTC black tea is being harvested by hand and produced with machines imported from India. Llano tells us “this year, we are starting to produce TBC green tea, as well as others. We also have machines and the possibility to produce Orthodox.” But, for a country that is so deeply rooted in the tradition of coffee, how is locally grown tea being embraced? According to Llano, “90% of our tea is sold in Colombia under the ‘Hindu’ registered trademark. We are the leading company of tea and infusions in Colombia. We export the finished product with the Hindu trademark to Venezuela and Ecuador, and bulk tea to England and Pakistan.” Agricola Himalaya is in charge of packing all the Te Hindu tea, aromatic and infusion products using eight MAISA machines. “We are a company committed to the region’s well being,” says Llano. “We have an employee community fund and a foundation, which develops social, educational and environmental programs that take care of the water, protect the forest and promote biodiversity, as well as programs for environmental education and activities for Colombia’s youth.”
A World Tea Tour
After you have taken one of Eva Lee’s “agro-tours,” visiting the different tea estates in Hawaii, even after you have gone to the jungles of Colombia, the islands of Azores and the valleys of Washington, your exploration of interestingly located tea estates has only just begun. The Tuscany Tea Plantation is based in S. Andrea di Compito, a small town near Lucca in the Tuscany region of Italy. Here, the tea bushes blend in with the rolling hills and the tea tastes as rich as the locally made wine. A yearly event, called the Antiche Camelie della Lucchesia features teas from the Compito gardens and tea-related exhibitions.
Countries such as Malawi, Georgia and Thailand, may have been producing tea for quite some time now, but have recently expanded their portfolios to include different varieties of teas and larger quantities. Malawi, known for its black tea, is now producing handcrafted white teas from the Satemwa Tea Estate; the previously low-scale tea producing country of Georgia is now the fourth biggest exporter of green teas into the European Union; and Thailand has finally crawled out from under the shadow of the Asian tea-producing “monsters,” such as China.
England, probably the most well known tea-consuming nation has also decided to give production a try. Taylors of Harrogate, a tea distributor based out of Harrogate, UK, has recently planted their own tea leaves on their estate in North Yorkshire. While it still may be too soon to tell if England is suitable for growing tea, as well as sipping tea, we have high hopes for the “Britain grown tea pioneers.”
Whether your country has yet to join the list of tea-growing regions, consumers should be encouraged to try teas from varying places and support their local communities, if possible. Tea producers can now think “outside the box,” and instead of traveling to origin, bring origin to them. It will certainly make the cup of tea that much sweeter.
Tea & Coffee - April, 2008
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Washington should stay away from touching the mortgage interest tax deduction, warns the U.S. housing industry.
Lately, housing is on the mend and one of the few bright spots in a lumbering economic recovery. Taking away a key tax break could throw a wrench into home buying plans and hurt a long-sputtering recovery.
Lawmakers in both parties are on the lookout for tax revenue as a way to avert the fiscal cliff.
But the housing industry is preparing to fight against any move to get rid of the mortgage interest tax break.
Powerful housing lobbying groups are taking their fight to the grass roots, armed with granular data on the benefits of the homeowner tax break in every congressional district.
"(Getting rid of it) would throw the housing sector into turmoil... and chill the market just as it is trying to recover," said Jerry Howard, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders.
This isn't the first time Washington has taken a critical look at the mortgage interest tax deduction.
It is one of the oldest tax breaks designed to encourage home ownership, by lowering the tax bill for homeowners.
It tends to benefit upper middle class families the most, according to the nonprofit Tax Policy Center. For those earning more than $250,000 a year, the annual tax savings run about $5,460. For those with annual incomes of less than $40,000 a year, the average savings is just $91, according to the center.
The deduction is the third largest tax expenditure on the federal budget, according to the Congressional Research Service. The amount of revenue the government would forgo from those claiming mortgage interest deductions is estimated to reach $100 billion by 2014. | <urn:uuid:77f25e44-9e5b-4243-b430-aa3f2187ddac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtae.com/news/money/Powerful-interests-defend-mortgage-deduction/-/9680890/17559302/-/ovgii3/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970421 | 346 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Bellum maximus - Printable Version
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+-- Forum: Community Discussion (/forumdisplay.php?fid=28)
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+--- Thread: Bellum maximus (/showthread.php?tid=346410)
Bellum maximus - sirhoper - 18-05-2012 02:50 PM
The Adventures of the Two Generals
It was at the beginning of the war; Mundungens Taylor was a young Corporal at the royal army, he was responsible for a little group of men stationed near the delta of the Lea River. As the National Federation began her aggress, The Royals confronted the Federation with all their courage at the North Sea. The Nationals needed to conquer the riverside area near the Lea delta, so the National chancellor sent a killer to eliminate the leader of the troop responsible for riverside, Mundungens.
Mundungens approached to the railing, he sadly observed the birds flying towards the horizon. He was sailing to seaside in an old steamboat; it was carrying veterans, children, women and injured soldiers away from the frontline. “How many soldiers are dead by now? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? Why did they die? Because of racism and greed, no; this isn’t war; this is the hell on earth.” Suddenly Mundungens stepped back, these weren’t birds, these were planes; enemy planes. There were no weapons on board so the ship sank immediately after the shelling. The people on the ship were panicking; everyone tried to reach the lifeboats. In the middle of this fiasco, Mundungens was trying to collect his troop; he felt the pain and the fear, he heard the screams that were accompanied by the sound of the planes sailing through the air and searching for prey. He knew that this was the chant of death. Mundungens and five of his men reached one of the boats and sprang into it, leaving behind them the burning ship.
Taylor sighed as they finally reached the shore; he didn’t see anything but water for weeks. He looked around him as the Royal troops welcomed the survivors, “where is Ted? Asked he
- Dung, his boat didn’t arrive to the shore, replied one of the men; it was Private Johnson; he was one of Mundungens best friends.
- We must save them; they are probably somewhere around here, yelled Mundungens.
- No, we must save ourselves, he is in a better place now Dung” Johnson tried to calm down Taylor; he knew that there was no time for sadness.
Ted Turbington was Mundungens best friend; he was Mundungens pilot since they both were young recruits. Mundungens remembered the countless times they have fought together through the enemy troops; he remembered the innumerable flights they have flown together. Suddenly, a voice roused him from his thoughts; “May I introduce myself? I am lieutenant colonel Sergio Santos, I am responsible for the seaside area; I am here to guide you to the Royal forces camp.
-Mundungens Taylor, I am pleased to meet you.
-Are you the leader of these men?
want to know more about Ted Turbington; share your ideas and read those of others click here>>
RE: Bellum maximus - DerAnder - 18-05-2012 03:00 PM
Hol dir maln Neutrum, Junge.
RE: Bellum maximus - Knifes...:D - 18-05-2012 03:01 PM
Seems nice, i'm having expectations for this | <urn:uuid:ed86dd76-1942-40f7-b3f3-6683bafcded8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.battlefieldheroes.com/en/forum/printthread.php?tid=346410 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958983 | 786 | 1.585938 | 2 |
10/12/2009 - Budget cuts driven by the economic recession have hampered big cities’ efforts to raise public awareness of the 2010 census, a development that could result in urban populations being undercounted and cities getting short-changed in the allocation of government financing, according to a report released Monday by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
While the report, prepared by the foundation’s Philadelphia Research Initiative, focuses on that city, it quotes Joseph J. Salvo, who is chief of New York City’s population division, as saying, “Nobody is expecting a good census in 2010. I’m not optimistic. Since the last census we had 9/11, privacy issues, trust of government issues. And there’s been no public declaration that we’re going to suspend immigration raids like in 2000.”
Read the full article Budget Cuts Hamper Cities’ Census Outreach on the New York Times' Web site. | <urn:uuid:51a4e7f0-b90b-40ab-a0ed-f0469ab80bce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=55411 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942074 | 199 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Retail Pricing Science
A New Generation of Modeling, Forecasting, and Predictive Analytics
Real science is a powerful, pervasive force in retailing today, particularly so for addressing the complex challenges of retail pricing. Gone are the days when a category manager could trust in intuition and experience alone.
Price elasticity is the single most powerful driver of demand modeling, and is the critical enabler of the forecasting and predicting attributes of new-era price optimization systems. Price elasticity applies advanced math, statistics, and analytics to measure shopper response - sensitivity - to changes in price.
Done right, the application of scientific principles to the creation of a true price optimization strategy can lead to a significant sales, margin, and profit lift for retailers.
The Right Science Based Approach
New-era retail price optimization regimes are derived from integrating advanced statistics, mathematics, physics, and econometrics with traditional retailer best practices and heuristics. The new-era pricing regime, however, is more than just a mix of formulas; it is an adaptive process that integrates advanced modeling, analytics, forecasting, and workflow processes designed to provide retailers with a simple-to-use, easy-to-understand, fully integrated price, promotion and markdown optimization system.
Key differentiators between price optimization solutions:
- Sophisticated yet usable science. Integrates and balances business rules, strategies and operational policies into the optimization model and delivers recommendations in an intuitive, user-friendly manner which transparently provides the user with details on the application and prioritization of the rules and science used to derive the price.
- Self-learning demand models to respond quickly and accurately to changing market conditions. Demand models need to be updated automatically, without costly service fees, to ensure they reflect current and emerging shopper sentiment.
- Speed-to-Insights. Retailers should expect pricing strategy insights, transparent price recommendations and what-if scenario simulation results to be delivered at the point of decision in minutes- not days.
- Customizable for retailer specific needs. Most systems have been built for general purposes and adapted for retail use. Retailers should understand the level of retail know-how and adaptability to retail environments that a provider offers.
- Highly scalable at multiple levels: At the item level through to category, for any size retailer with any number of stores, with granularity and insight into pricing at the item/location level, for retailers across a variety of industries.
- Impact of data quality on forecast confidence. The more volatile the data, the less confidence the retailer has in the predictions produced by the system - price recommendations should account for this lack of confidence.
“Revionics helps us to understand the collective impact of competitive activity, cost changes, and consumer demand, then recommends the best weekly price changes for our locations. Price optimization helps us to put our customers’ needs first."
Pat Pessotto, Vice President of Merchandising, Longo’s
Blending Art and Science
Done right, new-era price optimization systems take the guesswork out of pricing – at every stage of a product’s life. Advanced science embedded in these systems is capable of providing specific pricing answers – but only in conjunction with the “art” of how a retailer wants their store to be positioned in the marketplace.
Information is power, and a good blend of science and rules based price optimization empowers retailers with the analyses, recommendations and measurements that allow them to improve profits, price image, and customer satisfaction.
Revionics Life Cycle Pricing uses sales data to produce mathematical models of customer demand, then makes informed, high-confidence predictions of customer behavior based on these models, allowing the retailer to make the best decisions for pricing, promotions, and markdowns in light of the strategic goals for their business, their competitive positioning and response to competitive price changes and promotions, the impact of weather and seasonality on product life cycles in different regions, the variation in elasticity attributed to demographic and price sensitivity characteristics in different locations, as well as their own individual “rules” and best-practices.
Decisions based on a good understanding of shopper demand (through elasticity modeling) allow retailers to boost revenue and profit, reduce waste, and save valuable time and effort across the entire organization, from planning to in-store execution.
In addition to analyzing shopper demand signals, modeling price changes to recommend new ones, and forecasting customer behavior based on recommended price changes, our price optimization science allows retailers to actually simulate alternate strategies and scenarios in order to predict the impact of recommended price changes, promotions and markdowns on future sales, margin, and profit metrics - for not only the specific product or category but also for products impacted by affinities and cannibalization. This predictive ability is brought about by the application of scientific disciplines that include mechanisms for not only generating prices, but also monitoring the effectiveness of price changes, learning from those results, and then adapting the underlying mathematical models that drive the science. Indeed, our retail pricing software is self-learning.
Our software as a service model requires us to fulfill our obligation, and be a true partner to our clients, each and every day - and our near 100% retention rate is an attestation to our continuous levels of customer support and satisfaction!
Over 30,000 retail sites a day are receiving our strategic recommendations. Like them, you can make decisions with confidence knowing that they are rooted in a scientific understanding of actual consumer behavior and sensitivity while supporting the operational policies, rules and brand considerations that have traditionally guided retailers.
“We realized we needed the science of a system in order to understand the price sensitivity of the items we sell, which offers an elasticity of demand calculation. A system removes some of the emotion that is built into pricing decisions and allows us to develop pricing that is consistent with our view of the strategic role of each category."
Dean Solyntjes, Director of Pricing and Business Support, Holiday Stationstores | <urn:uuid:2b8eda21-0853-4a36-893e-4489ef55819e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.revionics.com/retail-pricing-science.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922159 | 1,222 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The Duess Test
Another useful method for closer examination of young children is the Duess Test, which has been worked out in Switzerland and used in France. It is indispensable for the correct understanding of some children. With its help one can some times unearth subtle psychological factors not brought out by other methods.
The test consists in ten very brief fablelike stories. They are incomplete and after they are told to the child he is asked what the end of the story would be. In this way the child can complete the story in any way he likes. This test should be used in an elastic way. It should not be applied rigidly and should not be scored like a test. One can modify the original stories and can even add new ones to adapt them to the original case. I give the test in a way that is a mixture between telling a story, playing a game and asking a question. The Duess Test is often an interesting starting- point for further talks with a child.
The Duess Test can be given only to young children, the upper age limit being, in my experience, about eleven. In suitable cases the child projects himself into the story and identifies his own situation with that in the fable. In this way typical emotional complexes may be elicited, but, as in other tests, one should be careful not to view the child as if he were an adult neurotic or read too much abnormality into him. | <urn:uuid:64e6c690-b04c-4b42-866f-697850aa2b67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ep.tc/wertham/soti/blog/2005/11/duess-test.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970489 | 293 | 3.21875 | 3 |
© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
Doctors are working to learn more about Hodgkin lymphoma, ways to prevent it, how to best treat it, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with this disease. The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials. Always talk with your doctor about the diagnostic and treatment options best for you.
Measuring treatment effectiveness. A main focus of research for Hodgkin lymphoma is monitoring how well treatment is working to help make decisions about when to change treatment. Some new clinical trials are looking at changing chemotherapy depending on the results of a PET scan early in the treatment.
New chemotherapy. New chemotherapy, combinations of chemotherapy, lower doses, and shorter schedules are being studied in clinical trials to reduce short-term side effects and long-term health risks to patients receiving chemotherapy. Other drugs are being tested for recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma and may be added to the current standard drugs used for progressive disease.
Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials made either by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function. Some treatments involve antibodies that attach to proteins on the surface of cancer cells. Some antibodies have radioactive substances attached that will direct radiation therapy to the lymphoma (called radioimmunotherapy), and other antibodies direct drugs to the cancer cells. Research on the recently approved drug brentuximab vedotin is ongoing to find out how best to use this drug.
Gene profiling. Some researchers are looking at the specific genes and proteins that are found in Hodgkin lymphoma. These genes and proteins provide more information about the behavior of Hodgkin lymphoma, which may help better target the lymphoma with chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Other treatments. Vaccine therapy is being studied to see if it helps the body’s immune system kill cancer cells. Stem cell transplantation is being studied in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens for new or recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma. Mini-allogeneic or allogeneic transplantation is being tested in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy for new or recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma. Several new types of drugs which work in a different way than chemotherapy, called targeted therapy, are also being studied. Many of these are given in tablet (pill) form.
Supportive care. Clinical trials are underway to find better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of current Hodgkin lymphoma treatments in order to improve patients’ comfort and quality of life.
Learn more about common statistical terms used in cancer research.
Looking for More about Current Research?
If you would like additional information about the latest areas of research regarding Hodgkin lymphoma, explore these related items:
- To find clinical trials specific to your diagnosis, talk with your doctor or search online clinical trial databases now.
- Read ASCO’s latest Clinical Cancer Advances report, which highlights top research findings over the past year.
- Visit ASCO’s CancerProgress.Net website to learn more about the historical pace of research for Hodgkin lymphoma.
Or, choose “Next” (below, right) to continue reading this detailed section. | <urn:uuid:63c21507-15d5-4d97-b9cb-afde5cbeb355> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lymphoma-hodgkin/current-research | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930423 | 685 | 2.890625 | 3 |
13 February 2013
They used to be the 'happiest people on the earth'
On the fifth anniversary of Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations, Melissa Lucashenko looks back at how Indigenous families were shattered during white settlement of Australia.
In 1823 John Oxley moored his ship Mermaid off Fingal Head and rowed a whaleboat up the Tweed River, the first European ever to do so.
His journal records that this was country "altogether beautiful beyond description". Twenty years later the first permanent white settlers arrived in the Tweed, and Bundjalung civilisation was never the same again.
Oxley saw the beauty of the country, but he didn't understand the intelligence of the Bundjalung culture which had deliberately created that landscape though firestick farming. For the next century and a half, the project of Europeanising Australia went hand in hand with the project of eliminating those same people - my people. First our Aboriginal families were dangerous enemies. With the advent of scientific racism, we turned into inferior beings and "savages". It then became the job of the allegedly 'superior' British to tame and 'civilise' Aboriginal children of mixed parentage. We could never reach the lofty moral and intellectual heights of white men, but we could be taught, we sons of Ham, to cut wood and draw water, to serve the masters.
Aboriginal child removal and assimilation were policies practised in every state, either formally or informally. They were first and foremost economic policies. The black owners of the land had to be either tamed or eliminated in order for the incoming whites to take it. Because the burden of disease and frontier war rapidly killed so many, governments quickly turned their attention to those of mixed race (aka the "half-caste menace"). Missions and reserves were established universally across Australia to smash Aboriginal families and to Christianise our decimated populations. Some such missions and reserves continued to operate in Queensland up until the 1970s.
But, I hear you protest, but the intention was good, surely. Or: it had to be this way. I say listen to the stolen children themselves:
"They used to belt 'em till they was knocked out". (SA)
"My white father said he didn't want his kids being raised by Aboriginals, and so with one phone call the policeman arrived and took us from our grandparents." (TAS)
"She screamed for nearly two days to go home but they flogged her in her room." (NSW)
"When we went to bed we were made to pray that one day we would turn white, maybe our soul would be clean." (NSW)
The overwhelming majority of stolen children were fought for, mourned for and grieved by shattered black parents across Australia. Why else were the brown children of Oodnadatta in South Australia (to name only one example) covered in powdered charcoal and then sent to hide in the creek banks when the officials came? Why else did Aunty T - now in her early sixties - know to run whenever she saw the awful spectre of a shiny government car in her Brisbane street? (not that it helped - they took her in the end).
Once taken away, the task of controlling the kids and flogging the culture out of them could begin in earnest. Typical is the story of Aunty H, removed from Boorooloola in about 1928. She was picked up randomly by a policeman who was in the district and happened to notice that she was lighter-skinned than her brothers, sisters and cousins. She was kidnapped, taken by horseback and then by train to the "half-caste compound" in Darwin. She had never seen a train before; knew virtually nothing of white people (though she knew enough to realise that in Boorooloola, too, you ran across the creek and hid when they turned up).
Like all the other kids in the compound, Aunty H was forbidden to speak her "heathen" language. She had to speak English, become 'white'. She was brutalised by overseers who were no more than sadists on the government payroll. When the rare visits from higher-ups happened, the kids knew better than to complain about the terrible bashings, the hunger, or the molestations. Every tree in the institution compound was ringbarked - the starving children tore the bark off the trunks and ate it. Next door neighbours - kindly whites - must have seen some what was going on, for they sometimes threw food 'away' where the children could get to it. Aunty H's crime? To belong to a "filthy" culture that needing wiping out in the eyes of governments of the day.
These horrors were not unique to Darwin, nor to Aunty H's generation. As with the 'forgotten generations' of white kids removed from Britain and handed to paedophile rings all over the country to raise (and for closely related reasons - the promotion of a White, British Australia) our Aboriginal children were maltreated en masse. For well over a century, in both government and church institutions, abuse was not the exception, but the norm.
Did it have to be like this? No, it didn't. And for millennia, it wasn't.
John Oxley's fellow explorer, James Cook - also a Yorkshire man - happened upon the unmolested Aborigines of Cooktown in 1770. He stayed longer in Cape York than Oxley later did in the south. Cook stayed a month and unlike Oxley, who saw mainly the country, Cook saw the people too.
"These," James Cook wrote, meaning the Aborigines he observed thriving in their own families under their own laws, "…are the happiest people upon the face of the earth."
But those happy people, along with the Bundjalung, and the hundreds of other Aboriginal nations he was about to dispossess, were also the owners of the country. Taking the land without treaty meant killing or forcibly assimilating its owners. And so, almost as soon as Cook's flag was raised, the Aboriginal child removal policies began. We are still living with their impacts today.
Melissa Lucashenko is an Australian writer of mixed European and Murri (Aboriginal) heritage. View her full profile here. | <urn:uuid:0b526fa2-3cfe-4762-bcf4-b3c1e218ad65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4515738.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982142 | 1,309 | 2.6875 | 3 |
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Learn more about CDC at cdc.gov. | <urn:uuid:22aae41f-23e2-43d4-99d8-6543a1543c04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cdcfoundation.org/content/what-public-health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952928 | 419 | 3.640625 | 4 |