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WAG Staff Install Fragile Carl Beam Work
It was all hands on deck at the Winnipeg Art Gallery today as 16 staff members were enlisted to help install Carl Beam’s masterpiece, Time Warp, in the WAG’s newest exhibition, Carl Beam. Measuring 3.04 x 12.19 metres (9, ft, 11.68 in x 39 ft, 11.92 in), the acrylic painting on linen is in a very fragile state, and this is probably the last time the work, which is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, will ever go on tour.
“Time Warp is of such an immense scale that our regular staff who do the art installations needed assistance to install it,” says WAG Chief Curator Helen Delacrataz, “so we put out a call to other staff to give us a hand. I think it was kind of exciting for them because normally they are not allowed to touch the art.”
Delacretaz adds that, “Due to some conservation issues, Time Warp was not installed in time for the exhibition opening on June 29, so we hope our visitors will come back to see it. It’s well worth the trip.”
The installation was done under the direction of Genevieve Saulnier and Alexis Rodrigue Lafleur of the National Gallery of Canada.
Carl Beam consists of 49 of Beam’s most remarkable works featuring his powerful, large-scale paintings, sensitive ceramics, and highly personal constructions. It includes The North American Iceberg, purchased by the National Gallery of Canada as the gallery’s first acquisition of an artwork created by a contemporary First Nations artist. It has become recognized as a coming of age for contemporary Indigenous art in Canada. The exhibition, which has been organized by the National Gallery of Canada, is on view until September 11.
Carl Beam has been curated by Greg A. Hill, Audain Curator of Indigenous Art, National Gallery of Canada. It is sponsored by Manitoba Hydro, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, and the Canada Council for the Arts. A fully-illustrated catalogue is available in the Gallery Shop.
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- 2009 (24) | <urn:uuid:ba0818c0-6521-45ad-8a68-b4f64ca50f40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wag.ca/about/press/media-releases/read,release/151/wag-staff-install-fragile-carl-beam-work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964719 | 479 | 1.5 | 2 |
Whats' new from the Government
Foster Carers’ Charter
In partnership with the fostering sector, a Foster Carers’ Charter was published on 18 March 2011. It sets out what foster carers should expect from their fostering service and local authority, and what is expected of them. The charter provides a foundation for discussion and agreement at a local level about how to improve fostering services. The Foster Carers' Charter
The Tell Tim area of the Department's website was launched 18 March 2011. The Minister wants to hear from you about the care system; what works, what doesn’t, and what changes the Government should be considering to make the care system better.
National minimum allowance rates for financial years 2010-11 to 2012-13
The national minimum allowance rates for 2011-12 and 2012-13 are now available.
Publication of fostering services regulations, national minimum standards and guidance
The Department has now published revised regulations, national minimum standards and statutory guidance for fostering services and children’s homes. These came into force on 1 April 2011.
Call for local authorities to reduce barriers for foster carers (27 August 2010)Children’s Minister Tim Loughton wrote to all local authorities to support foster carers to make decisions for the children in their care, where at all possible. | <urn:uuid:334ca5c9-0231-49f8-bfcd-bffe94b94542> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.simplyfostering.co.uk/what-is-fostering/foster-carers-charter | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941591 | 270 | 2.15625 | 2 |
What is EAGLE?
Leaving a Legacy in the Law
EAGLEs take the critical but necessary step from being a member of the FJA to being a leader and an advocate for public service, setting an example and leaving their mark to protect access to Florida’s courts.
It is through the dedication and culture of commitment established by our EAGLE leaders that FJA is able to provide the tools and resources necessary to battle within the legislature and ensure the continued success of our practices and the safety of Florida’s consumers.
EAGLEs provide an unwavering consistency that guides and protects our civil justice system. A culture of commitment by our members in our mission of justice has been the source of our strength and resilience through countless challenges and has contributed to our success. FJA owes its consistent level of success to our selfless contributors, as their commitment to our mission of justice remains an integral part of our accomplishments as an organization.
Who are EAGLEs?
Lawyers Who Become Legacies
Attorneys, member firms, businesses, and individuals that have chosen to step forward and stand beside us and other consumer advocates as we strive to protect Florida citizens from dangerous special interest legislation are the core of EAGLE. Their decision to become members of the EAGLE team is rooted in their knowledge of the law, their deep respect for our civil justice system, and their continued fight for justice. These men, women, and businesses take the critical but necessary step from being a member of the FJA to being a leader and an advocate in the public sector, setting an example and leaving their mark to protect access to the courts.
For more information on our Business Friends of EAGLE, please click here.
Why Become an EAGLE?
Contribute to Our Culture of Commitment
" The choice to support EAGLE is not a choice at all but a necessity. If we are able to survive the current onslaught against consumer rights, we must each work to support the only organization committed solely to the protection of Florida’s civil justice system."
FJA Past President | <urn:uuid:8d1a098f-8202-47f0-b2ac-5c727d32b6ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.floridajusticeassociation.org/index.cfm?pg=JusticeinAction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9557 | 433 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Boffin predicts pee-powered cars
Wee are not taking the piss
Leccy Tech Forget chicken-powered cars - a researcher has discovered that the key to hydrogen-powered transportation lies in taking the piss - quite literally.
Dr Gerardine Botte, an Associate Professor from the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at Ohio University, has discovered that hydrogen can be extracted from urine through electrolysis at a fraction of the cost of producing hydrogen from water.
No, Botte isn't taking the proverbial. Her research revealed that because hydrogen atoms in urea molecules aren’t as strongly bonded as they are in water molecules, significantly less energy is required to free them from kidney juice.
Although initial stages of the research used synthetic urine made from dissolved urea, the process, Botte claimed, works just as well with real human wee.
“It took us some time to get clearance to work with human urine - which held up publication of the research,” Botte told the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Presumably, then, there’s more to the process than just handing a beaker to a lab assistant and looking the other way.
Of course, not everyone will be comfortable with pointing their hampton at the fuel tank of their Honda Clarity, but as the old saying goes: hydrogenii non olet... (with apologies to the Emperor Vespasian) ® | <urn:uuid:2039b8a4-1219-4e9d-87d0-2f64bcd7c6e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/06/piss_cars/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961884 | 291 | 2.828125 | 3 |
I guess it comes as no surprise that I believe organic foods are superior in quality, flavor and nutrition over ‘conventional’ foods.
Cooking food with organic ingredients that are way more flavorful than if I used the lifeless produce found at conventional grocery stores has changed my life. Cooking – and eating – organic food has doubled my energy levels and helped me enjoy permanent weight loss. No researcher can take that away. In fact, it’s something I help others achieve in my Green Club every day.
When it comes to my health and my family’s health, organic’s got my vote every time. I see it as an investment – a way to live a life of prevention everyday. Witness my blogs on the topic.
Think of organic and conventional foods like this. If I gave you a beautiful recipe for a homemade soup and told you to season it with a dash of a few pesticides in your garage to keep the pests at bay would you do it? Probably not. Well that is exactly how conventional foods are grown. They are sprinkled with toxic pesticides that you, your kids, pets and family ingest on a daily basis. Consuming toxic chemicals on a daily basis adds an additional layer of stress that can promote weight gain, and contribute to the development of serious human disease.
Trusted researchers – like the ones found at The Organic Center – are tried and true resources for me and my fellow bloggers here at OrganicAuthority.com on the benefits of organic foods…which brings me to the point: the American Journal of Clinical Research just published a paper commissioned by the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA). Its shocking findings include that there are no differences in nutritional quality between conventional and organic foods.
The good folks at The Organic Center, lead by chief scientist Chuck Benbrook, have issued a strong response. Highlights from the study include:
- Old news: The FSA review included studies over a 50-year period: January 1958 through February 2008. The Organic Center team included studies published since 1980. Most studies published before 1980 were found flawed for purposes of comparing the nutrient content of today’s conventional and organic crops.
- Downplayed Findings: The FSA downplays the positive findings which favor organic food, and did not measure important nutrients such as antioxidants.
- Missing Altogether: The FSA doesn’t take into consideration the health benefits of organic farming to the people and planet as a whole. By not using fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides and chemicals that pollute air, water and soil, organic food is by its very essence better and healthier than conventional foods.
You can read the entire response here.
Here are my previous blogs and articles on the benefits of organic foods
Organic Food and Safety
The Top Five Benefits of Natural Organic Pet Food For Your Dog
Revised Food Pyramid Triples Fruit and Vegetable Servings
Organic Living and Prostate Health
Discover The Delicious Health Benefits of Organic Food
Medical News You Can Use
Organic Cranberries for Good Health
Are Children and Infants Most in Need of Organic Foods?
Organic Foods: A Healthy Return on Investment
Organic Gardening 101
Have you read or seen media coverage on the FSA study? Share your personal insights here! | <urn:uuid:2e0656d1-bf5e-42af-be3e-9ec1acfb59c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/no-nutritional-difference-between-conventional-and-organic-foods-the-organic-center-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952194 | 667 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Statute of Gloucester
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...vast developments and reorganization of the administrative machine that Burnell coordinated, they created a new era in English government. The quo warranto inquiry, begun in 1275, the statutes of Gloucester (1278) and of Quo Warranto (1290) sought with much success to bring existing franchises under control and to prevent the unauthorized assumption of new ones. Tenants were required to show...
...years, providing a kind of supplement to the common law. Some measures protected the king’s rights; others remedied the grievances of his subjects. In the quo warranto proceedings set up under the Statute of Gloucester of 1278 the magnates were asked by what warrant they claimed rights of jurisdiction and other franchises. This created much argument, which was resolved in the Statute of Quo...
promotion of common law
Four of Edward’s statutes deserve particular mention. The first Statute of Westminster (1275) made jury trial compulsory in criminal cases and altered land law. The Statute of Gloucester (1278) limited the jurisdiction of local courts and extended the scope of actions for damages. The second Statute of Westminster (1285), a very long enactment, instituted four main changes: (1) it confirmed the...
What made you want to look up "Statute of Gloucester"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:810dd1f7-2708-4c31-b080-bd9dd32ead4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/235724/Statute-of-Gloucester | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930374 | 322 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Yes, she's probably ready. I think the most important criterion in deciding whether or not to try learning to use a knife is willingness to follow directions. If she's not listening to and obeying every word you say, no knife practice, period. That and sufficient gross motor and fine motor skills to control the knife would be important. If she can handle butter knives and isn't a super-clumbsy kid, she's probably ready. Even my 2 1/2 year old begs to learn how to cut vegetables, and we've been beginning to work on learning to cut them together, and that has gone well for us.
Obviously, you may want to have her watch you first up close and see how you cut, and have a dialog going about how you use the knife properly (probably every time you cut), which side of the blade is sharp/used for cutting, where your fingers should be when you cut, how you don't want your fingers near the blade, how you should cut slowly and carefully rather than quickly and carelessly, etc. When I was first teaching my son how to hold the knife to cut, I had him put his hand on the handle, and then I put my hand around his, and I held the veggies, and we cut together, so he could get the feel of a chopping motion, while I was steadying the knife to make sure it went where it was supposed to...build that muscle memory of what chopping should feel like. From that level of joint chopping, you can increase the independence, let her position her other hand safely to hold the veggies, and then help her get the knife in position, and let her do the slicing, and so forth until she's doing every part if it without assistance. Make sure she's standing somewhere stable and is situated high enough to see what she's doing. Stand on a chair or at a lower surface like the table if needed.
Additionally, I would note to match the type of knife to the task at hand. A small knife like a paring knife is going to be much easier for a small child to control, but it doesn't have the heft and weight of a large knife, so it will actually be harder to chop hard vegetables like carrots with than a chef's knife. So if you'd like to stick to starting cutting practice with small knives, make sure you pick something fairly soft (eg: strawberries, bananas, peeled cucumber, etc) that will not require fighting the tool.
And of course, remind her every time you practice that it's very important to have mommy's help when you're cutting with sharp knives so you don't get hurt, and that she needs to come get you and have you "watch" (ie: help to the degree needed) if she wants to cut something, no using the knife alone when you aren't watching. At least, until she's fully mastered using knives.
If she really wants to learn to use the knife, she will probably be very willing to pay close attention to all the rules that go with cutting, and be willing to learn them. And if not, put the knife away for a while and try again a different week or month. | <urn:uuid:492ef930-bf36-4dbe-93e9-8014ec17b226> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/6619/when-should-a-child-begin-to-learn-knife-skills-for-use-in-the-kitchen?answertab=oldest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975334 | 652 | 1.6875 | 2 |
If Memory Serves...
NCI’s first director was Dr. Carl Voegtlin, who served in this role from 1938 to 1943. He was born in Switzerland and received his Ph.D. from the University of Frieberg before coming to the United States in 1905. (Read more)
For more information about the birth of NCI, go to http://www. cancer.gov/aboutnci/ncia.
On March 26 and 27, leading breast cancer clinicians and scientists will discuss “Preoperative Therapy in Invasive Breast Cancer: Reviewing the State of the Science and Exploring New Research Directions” in the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus. The meeting is sponsored by the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program in NCI’s Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis. The conference will seek to determine the state of the science of preoperative therapy in breast cancer, as well as identify future research agendas.
There is no charge for this meeting, but preregistration is requested. The proceedings will be webcast at http://videocast.nih.gov and archived for later viewing. The meeting will also be available as a podcast. Information about registration and Continuing Medical Education credit, the agenda, and the faculty list are available at http://ctep.cancer.gov/bcmeeting.
New Cancer Health Disparities Web Portal Launched NCI has just launched a Web portal on Cancer.gov to highlight the Institute’s efforts to reduce and ultimately eliminate cancer health disparities. The portal includes links to information about the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, as well as information about training opportunities, statistics, and research resources and results. To view the portal, go to http://www.cancer.gov/health-disparities. | <urn:uuid:28902c60-164a-46a2-ae2a-6bad37472832> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/archive/2007/032007/page8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936537 | 371 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Bad and mad: the FOI requests undermining our independence
Universities need exemption from the time-wasting - and costly - absurdities of the Freedom of Information Act, argues Jon F. Baldwin
Universities are communities that love finding answers to questions. Those answers may save lives, help a business, overthrow a paradigm, or they can simply be interesting and inspiring.
Although that is what they were created and funded to explore, we now live in an age where this is not enough. Now there is a law that obliges universities to address even more questions.
But what more could our legislators want universities to answer? What powerful but supposedly neglected questions could there be that require the law itself to bend university resources to the task of answering them? Welcome to the strange world of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 has opened up a whole new, and often bizarre, world in which questions are put to universities. These questions are considered so important that we are under threat of legal action if we fail to answer them.
Now that we have a few years' experience in dealing with these new questions, what vital new areas of knowledge have they unlocked?
One key theme so far has been requests for information that will bring a company a commercial advantage.
The University of Warwick has been one of higher education's most passionate advocates of the advantages of working with industry. We have helped to create new processes and products, bringing new insights to managers and technologists. But the FOI Act has brought us nearer to a much less attractive, parasitical type of commercial contact. For example, the legislation has been used to demand detailed information about our current suppliers and contractors.
The aim often seems to be to give an advantage to questioners' own supply bids. Companies that have failed in a tender use the process to mount lengthy inquests into their loss, while marketing bodies require us to supply endless details on student numbers.
Of course we can use FOI rules to refuse some of these commercial requests, but the mere existence of the legislation creates expectations from questioners that embroil us in unnecessary, fractious and time-consuming confrontations.
Bad requests run in parallel with the simply mad. For centuries, universities have attracted - and cheerfully answered - all manner of questions from the public. The FOI Act has done little to change the flow of such questions except in one small but very depressing way.
If the question suggests that the university is part of some vast international conspiracy, or makes some other equivalent assertion, you can be pretty sure that the questioner will choose to clothe their inquiry with the full glory of the FOI process.
Of course some of the most staunch defenders of the FOI legislation - journalists - must now be expecting me to turn my fire on them. While I do defend the benefits that FOI can bring to a journalist seeking to pin down the facts about a matter of public interest, it is surely reasonable for me to be vexed by the frequent round-robin FOI requests made by a small number of journalists.
These trawl large lists of universities with questions in hope of a story. These requests are so sweeping in scope that I almost expect the next one to be "please simply list the three things you would least like us to publish in our next edition".
I have a question of my own that I would like to pose about the FOI process, although sadly the law will not force anyone to provide me with an answer. Why does FOI legislation include universities within its remit when it so obviously undermines the whole idea of universities being independent, self-governing organisations?
If I go to the Directgov website, I am told: "The FOI gives you the right to ask any public body for all the information they have on any subject." But why are we considered one of those public bodies?
One could argue that it is because universities are in receipt of public money, but so are a vast number of other charities and organisations that remain exempt from the Act.
There is one question that we at Warwick have yet to be asked through the FOI process: roughly how much a year does it cost us to process and respond to FOI questions? The answer is £50,000 a year. If that is typical of the sector (and I suspect the figure is low), UK universities are spending in excess of £5 million a year on this process.
Is there a legislator who also feels that it is time for a simple amendment to the Freedom of Information Act that would free up £5 million for UK universities? Now there is a question.
Jon F. Baldwin is registrar, University of Warwick. | <urn:uuid:773d95be-effe-4d11-a107-3adb78ba6eb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/403484.article | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96067 | 963 | 1.648438 | 2 |
AFD will create memorial to 9/11 victims
Nearly two years ago, Auburn Firefighter Julian Beale read a message that set something very powerful in motion. It was an e-mail announcing that the New Jersey/New York Port Authority would be accepting requests from organizations wishing to receive a section of the World Trade Center.
Firefighter Beale decided to apply on behalf of the Auburn Fire Department, where he serves as a full-time firefighter, as well as the Farmingdale Fire Department, where Beale is a volunteer firefighter. He wrote a two-page letter for each department, followed by countless forms, paperwork and even court documents.
“We were surprised at how long and complicated the process was, but we understand,” said Beale. “The New York officials just wanted to make sure that the steel was going to be treated with the respect it deserves.”
His hard work paid off. Beale’s dream of bringing the “Twin Towers” home to Maine became a reality on Thursday, June 30. On that morning, Beale picked up two sections of twisted steel in New York, one for the Auburn Fire Department and one for Farmingdale.
Beale and the other members of the Local 797 (Auburn Firefighters) have big plans for the piece of history that will remain in Auburn. They plan to create a permanent monument to the people who died on September 11, 2001 in front of the Central Fire Station on Minot Avenue.
“We are not exactly sure what the memorial will look like,” said Beale. “Our piece has a twist in it, so we will have a better vision as soon as we see it in person.”
The mangled piece of steel, which measures 22 inches wide and 134 inches long, will be a lasting memorial, a reminder of the day the towers fell. The piece of steel that will be going to Farmingdale Fire Department is somewhat smaller, only 4 feet long, so it will most likely be displayed inside the station.
Beale and his fellow firefighters are proud to provide a monument in honor of the firefighters, police officers, EMTs and civilians who died in the World Trade Center tragedy.
Updates will be posted on the Local 797 page on Facebook (on FB, search: “Local 797”).
The Auburn memorial will be unveiled and dedicated during a 10th Anniversary 9/11 Ceremony at Central Fire (550 Minot Avenue) on Sunday, September 11. | <urn:uuid:89ca2320-3898-48a1-ac0c-df344f504165> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.twincitytimes.com/news/firefighter-brings-home-steel-from-world-trade-center | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964708 | 522 | 1.71875 | 2 |
STOCKTON - For Alyssa Arrington, a dimpled and sweet-voiced third-grader at Spanos Elementary School, being cold when the weather gets frosty is not so much a hardship as a chilly and accepted reality.
Alyssa, 8, dons the light hooded sweatshirt that is the heaviest article of clothing she owns and heads each day to school. When recess arrives, she goes to the yard with her friends and makes the best of her free time, chattering teeth and all.
"I sit down on a bench or I play with my friends," Alyssa said matter-of-factly this week. "But I shiver."
Facebook users joining the event "Simply Warm (Coats for Kids)" will receive instructions on how to provide a winter jacket to a Spanos student.
Those not on Facebook can email Devyn Lach at email@example.com or call (209) 933-7335. Lach said she also will accept cash or Target gift cards, which she will use to purchase jackets for her students.
Spanos Elementary sits next to Gleason Park in a crime-riddled south Stockton neighborhood. Virtually all of the school's 500 students qualify for free and reduced meals, a key indicator of poverty.
Alyssa's teacher, Devyn Lach, is trying to make life a little warmer for Spanos' students. Lach, 29, has set up a page on Facebook titled "Simply Warm (Coats for Kids)."
Those who join the page will receive a message from Lach next week with the name and coat size of a specific second- or third-grader at Spanos and will be asked to donate a new winter jacket. As of Wednesday, 40 people had responded to the page, agreeing to donate coats.
"A lot of these kids have a lot of different struggles," said Lach, who ran a less formal coat drive for her students last year. "If I can help them at least be warm, at least take that off their plates, it's one less thing for them to worry about."
Four days ago, the temperature dipped to 31 degrees, a record low for the date, according to the National Weather Service. Based on the 72 third-grade students at Spanos, about half of the school's children lack the coats they need for the cold winter months ahead.
"Quite often some kids don't have coats hanging on their chairs at all or they just have hooded sweatshirts," Lach said. "It's starting to get cold. We're starting to see our breath. They're cold."
When Lach began her Facebook campaign, she sent notes home to Spanos' third-grade parents informing them of her plan. She said 36 parents responded, asking for coats for their children.
Lach has expanded her coat drive to Spanos' second-graders and she said her efforts have dovetailed with a unit she recently taught her students on community service.
"I'm hoping now they can see what they learned in action and learn that anybody, just one person, can make a difference," Lach said.
Alyssa, sitting in her warm classroom, already has made the connection.
"She's trying to help people to get clothes so they won't be cold in the winter," Alyssa said of her teacher. "It just helps the community." | <urn:uuid:f8edf345-1f8c-49ce-bbc9-4b26cb1694b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121115/A_NEWS/211150320/-1/A_NEWS04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974079 | 716 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The origin of species?
A recently discovered class of gene may help regulate embryonic development, control the differences between body tissues and even drive animal evolution
THE old saying that where there’s muck, there’s brass has never proved more true than in genetics. Once, and not so long ago, received wisdom was that most of the human genome—perhaps as much as 99% of it—was “junk”. If this junk had a role, it was just to space out the remaining 1%, the genes in which instructions about how to make proteins are encoded, in a useful way in the cell nucleus.
That, it now seems, was about as far from the truth as it is possible to be. The decade or so since the completion of the Human Genome Project has shown that lots of the junk must indeed have a function. The culmination of that demonstration was the publication, in September, of the results of the ENCODE project. This suggested that almost two-thirds of human DNA, rather than just 1% of it, is being copied into molecules of RNA, the chemical that carries protein-making instructions to the sub-cellular factories which turn those proteins out, and that as a consequence, rather than there being just 23,000 genes (namely, the bits of DNA that encode proteins), there may be millions of them.
The task now is to work out what all these extra genes are up to. And a study just published in Genome Biology, by David Kelley and John Rinn of Harvard University, helps do that for one new genetic class, a type known as lincRNAs. In doing so, moreover, Dr Kelley and Dr Rinn show just how complicated the modern science of genetics has become, and hint also at how animal species split from one another.
Lincs in the chain
Molecules of lincRNA are similar to the messenger-RNA molecules which carry protein blueprints. They do not, however, encode proteins. More than 9,000 sorts are known, and most of those whose job has been tracked down are involved in the regulation of other genes, for example by attaching themselves to the DNA switches that control those genes.
LincRNA is rather odd, though. It often contains members of a second class of weird genetic object. These are called transposable elements (or, colloquially, “jumping genes”, because their DNA can hop from one place to another within the genome). Transposable elements come in several varieties, but one group of particular interest are known as endogenous retroviruses. These are the descendants of ancient infections that have managed to hide away in the genome and get themselves passed from generation to generation along with the rest of the genes.
Dr Kelley and Dr Rinn realised that the movement within the genome of transposable elements is a sort of mutation, and wondered if it has evolutionary consequences. Their conclusion is that it does, for when they looked at the relation between such elements and lincRNA genes, they found some intriguing patterns.
In the first place, lincRNAs are much more likely to contain transposable elements than protein-coding genes are. More than 83% do so, in contrast to only 6% of protein-coding genes.
Second, those transposable elements are particularly likely to be endogenous retroviruses, rather than any of the other sorts of element.
Third, the interlopers are usually found in the bit of the gene where the process of copying RNA from the DNA template begins, suggesting they are involved in switching genes on or off.
And fourth, lincRNAs containing one particular type of endogenous retrovirus are especially active in pluripotent stem cells, the embryonic cells that are the precursors of all other cell types. That indicates these lincRNAs have a role in the early development of the embryo.
Previous work suggests lincRNAs are also involved in creating the differences between various sorts of tissue, since many lincRNA genes are active in only one or a few cell types. Given that their principal job is regulating the activities of other genes, this makes sense.
Even more intriguingly, studies of lincRNA genes from species as diverse as people, fruit flies and nematode worms, have found they differ far more from one species to another than do protein-coding genes. They are, in other words, more species specific. And that suggests they may be more important than protein-coding genes in determining the differences between those species.
What seems to be happening is that endogenous retroviruses are jumping around in an arbitrary way within the genome. Mostly, that will—in evolutionary terms—be either harmless or bad. Occasionally, though, a retrovirus lands in a place where it can change the regulation of a lincRNA gene in a way beneficial to the organism. Such variations are then spread by natural selection in the way that any beneficial mutation would be. But because they affect developmental pathways and tissue types, and thus a creature’s form, rather than just its biochemistry, that could encourage the formation of a new species.
This is a long chain of speculation, but it looks a fruitful one. For it is still the case that, more than a century and a half after Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species”, biologists do not fully understand how species actually do originate. Work like this suggests one reason for this ignorance may be that they have been looking in the wrong place. For decades, they have concentrated their attention on the glittering, brassy protein-coding genes while ignoring the muck in which the answer really lies. | <urn:uuid:cb16aeed-400c-49af-94d4-b885904beaa3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21567314-recently-discovered-class-gene-may-help-regulate-embryonic-development/email | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961536 | 1,171 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Import duty on gold dores hiked to 5%
However, industry executives say buyers may, at best, defer gold purchases for some time, but the decisions would not deter them in the medium term as the fundamental aspect of gold as a profitable investment tool and a hedge against inflation still stands.
India, the world's biggest gold consumer, imports more than 800 tonne a year and dore — an alloy of gold and silver used by refineries to produce pure gold — accounts for slightly more than 10% of annual purchases from abroad.
Tuesday's move was a natural option for the government to bridge the gap on import duties on bullion bars and dore, which had become an attractive import since April 2012 when the government doubled the tax on refined gold purchases from abroad to 4%.
Most of the around 100 tonne dore imports are done by refiners such as MMTC, Rajesh Exports and PAMP.
“The hike in duty (on gold dore) won't affect companies like us, as ultimately the extra cost will be passed on to consumers. Overall, these decisions won't help much other than opening up avenues for gold smuggling. It's because consumers tend to believe that gold prices will rise further in future and this is just like another hike in prices," Siddharth Mehta, chief strategy officer at Rajesh Exports, told FE.
Monday's hike marked an effective six-fold rise in the refined gold import duty in around a year. The import duty on gold was fixed at R300 per ten grams before January 17, 2012, when it was effectively doubled to 2% and, then, to 4% during the Budget announcement for the 2012-13 fiscal.
Be the first to comment. | <urn:uuid:cf29ebd4-3c5d-49a9-b70e-8048e73e38ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.financialexpress.com/news/import-duty-on-gold-dores-hiked-to-5-/1063438/0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971315 | 356 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Reeves Family Plumbing Company in Dallas is your #1 source for tankless water heater installation and repair. Like many other Dallas households, you're always looking for a way to lower your energy bills. Many families opt to run the air conditioner less, and others limit their computer usage. Very few people think about their water heater when it comes to energy savings.
You can reap the benefits of saving energy without sacrificing comfort with a tankless water heater.
There are many ways to fuel tankless water heaters. Some fuel types include:
Your tankless water heater varies wildly from a conventional water heater. A conventional water heater constantly burns fuel to keep a tank of water at a desired temperature. There may be long periods of disuse where your conventional water heater is simply wasting fuel. A tankless water heater provides hot water "on demand", so you only consume fuel when you need hot water.
Tankless water heaters range from whole house water heaters to small water heaters mounted under the sink. Whole house tankless water heaters tend to pack the largest form factor, though they still use less space than a conventional water heater. A tankless water heater can make a huge difference when it comes to space savings.
Aside from energy inefficiency, conventional water heaters have yet another drawback. That large tank of water could cause a very large leak one day. Think of the damage that 50 gallons of water or more could do to your home. Tankless water heaters do not store any water. Water is heated on demand as it passes through the heater.
Tankless water heaters can last up over 20 years with the proper maintenance. You're not just buying a high efficiency water heater, you're buying peace of mind. | <urn:uuid:082448b4-9b28-490a-a61d-e75b4b942b23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reevesfamilyplumbing.com/dallas-tankless-water-heaters.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949721 | 357 | 1.96875 | 2 |
SEA-TAC AIRPORT, WASH. - Red-tailed hawk chicks hatched just five weeks ago, but they're already big enough it takes two hands to hold them. In another two weeks, they would start to fly, and for the people who run Sea-Tac airport, that's a problem.
"They're very naive at that age," said Bud Anderson, with the Falcon Research Group.
For more than a decade he's overseen the removal of young hawks from nests sitting high in cottonwood trees surrounding the airport. When the birds start to fly they are very vulnerable to aircraft.
"They don't know what planes are," said Anderson.
Birds are a hazard around airports. So-called "bird strikes" happen when planes hit birds. Most often it's the bird that loses, but large birds have broken through cockpit windows injuring pilots, clogged engines and caused other damage. The most well-known case happened when a US Airways A320 lost power in both engines after flying through a flock of geese on takeoff in New York. The crew safely belly landed the plane on the Hudson river with no loss of life.
Adult hawks are not a problem, says Anderson. There are at least two nesting pairs. Anderson says one is a 12-year-old male who's remained clear of air traffic. Sea-Tac likes the adult hawks because they can help drive out other bird species, but the young are a different story.
The chicks are taken to a farm in Skagit county, where they learn to fly and hunt. Anderson says none of thee chicks has ever returned to Sea-Tac.
A total of five chicks were removed from two nests on Tuesday. | <urn:uuid:874a2c50-87b0-4242-a5eb-5ba596d749a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.king5.com/news/Red-tail-hawk-chicks-removed-from-airport-nests--152690795.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973539 | 353 | 2.3125 | 2 |
February 13, 2013
Contact: Bruce Leutscher
(Munising, MICH.) The National Park Service has released a summary of comments received during public scoping for the personal watercraft use environmental assessment underway Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/piropwc.
On October 9, 2012, the National Park Service (NPS) released a Public Scoping Newsletter for the Personal Watercraft Use Environmental Assessment at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to the public for review and comment. The newsletter included a description of the project background, purpose and need, project objectives, project issues, and a list of preliminary alternative concepts. The newsletter was available for public review until November 9, 2012.
During the scoping period, public meetings were held in Munising, Marquette, and Grand Marais. NPS staff was on hand to visit with meeting attendees, answer questions, and accept handwritten comments. Comments were also accepted at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website.
The NPS read and analyzed all public correspondence received during the scoping period. A summary of public comments is provided in the "Pictured Rocks NL PWC Public Scoping Comments Summary Report," which may be viewed and downloaded on the NPS PEPC website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/piropwc.
Once at the website, navigate to the Document List section by selecting that option from the left side of the screen. The report contains an introduction, some statistical comment analysis, concern statements, and a selection of representative quotes from individuals and organizations.
Also posted is a document containing all of the public correspondence received during the public scoping period. This document, "Pictured Rocks NL PWC Public Scoping Comments - All Correspondence" can also be viewed and downloaded on the above website. | <urn:uuid:d4bc2718-b48d-448d-803e-0890412abb1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nps.gov/piro/parknews/pwc-scoping-comments-available.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945992 | 392 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Identifying Social Issues and Income Disparities in the Creative Economic, Building Toward a Positive Future for Appalachia
The 2011-2012 Emory and Henry ATP project is a response to requests from Washington County, Virginia, civic leaders for help in developing wider community support for nonprofits that address systemic issues facing this community. Additionally, there is a need to raise the consciousness of leaders and citizens in this county regarding the integration and complexity of poverty, income disparity, and the need for holistic community-focused approaches to economic development. Students in the Public Policy and Community Service Senior Practicum Seminar (PPCS 400) will examine the ways that the creative economy is and is not providing the foundation for a more sustainable, positive future for this Appalachian county. In order to gain a broader view of the effectiveness of the creative economy on the issues of poverty and income disparity, students will give attention to six agencies and/or organizations: the Washington County Regional Jail, Feeding America Second Harvest Food Bank, Washington County Habitat for Humanity, a privately owned for-profit long-term care facility, the County’s Department of Social Services, and a center working with women who are victims of domestic violence. | <urn:uuid:4cba2386-f815-48d1-bedc-483350852cdd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etsu.edu/cass/projects/emoryhenry/2011.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918362 | 242 | 1.976563 | 2 |
What is a volcanic field?
Volcanic activity is not evenly distributed in time or space across the surface of the Earth, but instead is concentrated in different areas on the Earth's surface. A volcanic field is an area on the Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity and is usually covered with volcanic materials produced during past eruptions. A volcanic field may have been active during a single eruptive event, during a protracted period of related volcanic activity, or during unrelated periods of activity widely separated in geologic time.
Volcanic fields are of particular interest to geologists for several reasons. Concentrations of related volcanic materials which span a range in geochemical composition are natural laboratories where petrologists can learn about processes which lead to the production of different kinds of magma. The diversity of landforms in volcanic fields has also expanded our knowledge of volcanic processes and their effects on the land and environment. The regional distribution of volcanic fields and their differences in age and geochemistry highlight the important role of plate tectonics in shaping our planet. Finally, the more recently-active fields mark locations of heightened geologic activity and elevated risk from volcanic hazards. | <urn:uuid:cade7099-41c8-4a5c-a274-301f9fbb83e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://serc.carleton.edu/research_education/cyberinfrastructure/volcanic_fields/intro.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958533 | 234 | 3.890625 | 4 |
|Climate responsive Building (SKAT, 1993)|
|4. Case studies|
Design: P. Gut
The climatic conditions in Kathmandu (see Chapter 4.6) with warm summers and cool but sunny winters suggest itself, to improve the indoor climate by simple means of solar radiation control.
For this purpose, a simple system of movable metal louvres has ben designed in such a way, that local mechanical workshops can easily manufacture it, thus expensive, imported parts are not required.
The louvres can be operated through the open window by simply shifting a metal bar linkage. The louvres can be arrested in two positions, for summer and winter. The winter position allows to enter the solar radiation unhindered, whereas the summer position shades the window completely.
Because the climate in Kathmandu is regular, it is assumed, that the louvres have not to be moved often, but not much more than once in spring and once in fall.
So far, the performance of this system could not be monitored, because the buildings are (in 1992) still under construction. | <urn:uuid:e44c6b31-0e00-4280-b0a3-2633097a78aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0envl--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-preferences---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-10&a=d&c=envl&cl=CL1.1&d=HASH7fb3fd71d302d3efdfe64e.5.10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906751 | 228 | 2.8125 | 3 |
While I can't talk about places like Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, I have seen Chennai upclose and can definitely say that the huge loss of lives in Chennai would have been probably avoided if the shanties have been forcibly removed from Marina beach and along Elliots beach by the corporation guys. While I regret the needless death of so many people, they were squatting in a place they shouldn't have been in the first place. Whenever there was a 'drive' to remove 'encroachments', some politician or the other intervenes on behalf of the 'oppressed poor' and try to stop this 'cosmetic' 'beautification plan'. Even social workers protested against this to 'protect the downtrodden' and 'protect their livelihoods'.
The huge beach would've considerably reduced the impact of the waves. If experts are to be believed, the energy of the waves was largely dissipated by the time they crossed the main road. Had those huts been constructed beyond the mainroad leaving the beach clear, they would've probably escaped with loss of just their possessions.
Even in places like Velachery, Kolathur and Ambattur, people fill up the rain catchment areas with dirt from construction going in the city and build dense settlements, sold by a government agency! Whenever the rainfall is heavy, these places are inundated under a few feet of water and they blame the government for everything.
During monsoons, the huts built on the banks of River Cooum and River Adyar are washed away, the people complain and build the huts back after the water drains. When the corporation tries to remove these encroachments, they protest a lot, pelt the police with stones and the party in the opposition comes to their support even if they tried to do the same thing when they were occupying the treasury benches. One year Stalin tries to remove encroachments and Jayalalitha decries the 'high handedness' of Karunanidhi. The next year, the roles are reversed and Karunanidhi talks about the arrogance of 'that lady' Jayalalitha.
I've lived in Mumbai and I've seen 'shanties' constructed along the shore after clearing the mangroves that act as a natural barrier against such incidents. They are stubbornly putting themselves in the path of danger and they are encouraged by those politicians just because they will get a block of votes.
Who are the people affected? Women and children. Entire villages washed away, a whole generation of children lost forever (at least a third of the victims this season were children). Maybe the 'social workers' do have a point, what good does it make when these people are forcibly removed without an alternative site to live in? Even if they move away, a new wave of people move in here! Maybe life is cheap in a populous country like India.
The 'officials' are saying that this is the first Tsunami to hit India, while this is the third time since 1885 (or some closeby year) with the last one being in 1945. After incidents like the Bhuj earthquake and the fire tragedy in Kumbakonam everything is just a knee jerk reaction. Builders are back to pushing the unsafe houses they constructed, crowded classrooms operating in unsafe schoolhouses, while politicians try to build their power base rather than working for the people that elected them - the ruling party punishing constituencies that did not vote for them.
May the souls of the dead rest in peace and let the people and politicians wake up atleast now! The environmentalists and safety-conscious people are not our enemies, they say this for our own good. | <urn:uuid:d776a8e4-5582-4fe4-bc81-9135062b7a42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://manojar.blogspot.com/2004/12/killer-tsunami.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971239 | 759 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Hi, what does it mean when persons blood pressure readings vary in both directions at the same time?
If the Systolic # is high while the diastolic # is low - 139/55
This person has also been experiencing headaches for 3 days
They are 56 yrs old - and diabetic - and are not on meds for diabetes type 2
They are not real physically fit or very active
In people older than 50, the main abnormality is high systolic blood pressure, often associated with low diastolic pressure.
After midlife, the diastolic blood pressure often falls.
The change in blood pressure as you age is caused by progressive stiffening of the aorta and its main branches.
As the aorta stiffens with age, it expands less when blood from the heart enters it, causing higher systolic blood pressure. Also because of the stiffening, more of the blood in the aorta and its main branches is forced into other smaller blood vessels when the heart beats, thus, less is present between heartbeats to support the diastolic blood pressure, which becomes lower.
Does this person have a history of hypertension?
Does it take antihypertensive drugs? | <urn:uuid:c000e6dd-ad07-43b6-920b-7841e2caab6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ehealthforum.com/health/systolic-and-diastolic-readings-t141335.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93893 | 254 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Dr Carol Swain discusses how to end race based Affirmative Action
By the year 2047, the United States will have a majority minority population and thus changes need to be made to the current race based Affirmative Action educational system.
(Media-Newswire.com) - By the year 2047, the United States will have a majority minority population and thus changes need to be made to the current race based Affirmative Action educational system.
Dr. Swain, this week, speaks about this topic on her new television talk show, 'Be The People'.
BE THE PEOPLE is a new hard-hitting television series directly confronting the hot topic issues facing Americans today. Featuring one-on-one interviews and panel discussions with influential politicians, businessmen, journalists, celebrities, entertainers and nationally known political pundits, no opinion will go unheard and the truth will prevail.
Hosted by Dr. Carol M. Swain, a frequent guest on Fox News Channel and CNN, "Be the People" is the source to uncover truth, awaken people and restore America.
Lou Dobbs, Host of Host, Fox Business Network's Lou Dobbs Tonight; nationally-syndicated radio host, Lou Dobbs Show and Lou Dobbs Financial Reports , says, ( in her book ) "Be the People Professor Carol Swain thoughtfully examines the biblical roots and religious significance of today's most pressing issues. Professor Swain shows how to make your voice heard and how to reclaim America's faith and values."
This story was released on 2012-12-26. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information. | <urn:uuid:c7534e8f-84ef-4842-952c-fa0dc0efc0cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://media-newswire.com/release_1180559.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920852 | 348 | 1.976563 | 2 |
A Guide to the Repertoire
Oxford University Press: 528 pp., $39.95
I like jazz but I don't know much about it. Or perhaps I should say that I know what I like. Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith and Benny Goodman, yes, but my appreciation really kicks in with the beboppers, Monk and Bird and Dizzy, and their spiritual brethren (or descendants): Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Throw in a little Billie Holiday, some Dave Brubeck and Stan Getz, and there you have it: my autodidact's pantheon.
And yet, as Ted Gioia points out in his monumental "The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire," this is true in many ways for everyone. "My own education in this music was happenstance and hard earned," the jazz historian and pianist acknowledges in a revealing introduction. "… Aspiring musicians today can hardly imagine how opaque the art form was just a few decades ago — no school I attended had a jazz program or even offered a single course on jazz."
"The Jazz Standards" is an attempt to offer a kind of one-stop shop overview of the genre, looking not so much at the musicians as at the songs. An alphabetical survey of 252 classic pieces, it is to some extent an extrapolation of "The Real Book" — "the underground collection of jazz lead sheets that began circulating in the 1970s" that itself grew out of a series of "fake books," bootleg compilations used by jazz players to work their way through the entire tradition. This history is fascinating, a reminder that jazz is at heart a vernacular medium in which the most essential skill for a musician may be the ability to think on his or her feet.
"I recall the lament of a friend," Gioia writes, "who was enlisted to back up a poll-winning horn player at a jazz festival — only to discover that he wouldn't be told what songs would be played until the musicians were already on stage in front of 6,000 people. Such instances are not unusual in the jazz world, a quirk of a subculture that prizes both spontaneity and macho bravado. Another buddy, a quite talented pianist, encountered an even more uncooperative bandleader — a famous saxophonist who wouldn't identify the names of the songs even after the musicians were on the bandstand. The leader would simply play a short introduction on the tenor, then stamp off the beat with his foot … and my friend was expected to figure out the song and key from those meager clues."
What makes "The Jazz Standards" so engaging is just this sort of anecdotal texture, Gioia's ability to write as an inhabitant of both the tradition and the songs. He takes us through music that's well known ("Beale Street Blues," "My Funny Valentine," "Mood Indigo," "Embraceable You") and not so well known ("Nardis," "Billie's Bounce," "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)"), but either way, his connection is a starting point.
"When I was a very young child," he recalls, discussing the song "I'll Remember April," "I saw the Abbott and Costello movie 'Ride 'Em Cowboy' on several occasions on television, but I have no recollection of 'I'll Remember April,' which was introduced in this unlikely film by Dick Foran. But a decade later, I encountered 'I'll Remember April' again — this time in a version by pianist Erroll Garner from his landmark album 'Concert by the Sea.'" From there, he riffs briefly about Garner ("I am convinced that a young musician could build a killing style using his tricks and techniques as a foundation") before highlighting a dozen or so covers by artists including Getz, Keith Jarrett and Frank Sinatra, who recorded it in 1961.
Here we see Gioia's method in microcosm: to move from the general to the specific, and in so doing, to trace the saga of the song. This is especially interesting when there's real history to uncover; his entry on "St. James Infirmary" goes back to 16th century England, making clear "the oft-forgotten folkloric roots of jazz," while his explication of "Shine," first recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1931, reveals an unexpected link to gender reversal: the song had been popularized 20 years earlier by a female performer, Aida Overton Walker, who went onstage dressed as a man.
To call "The Jazz Standards" a work of history, however, is to miss at least half the point; it is also a work of criticism, and Gioia is not afraid to offer pointed commentary. He opens his discussion of "Mack the Knife" by declaring, "I often cringe when I hear this song," and he dismisses "Tea for Two" as "monotonous and akin to a second-rate nursery song." But here's where Gioia's critical acumen asserts itself, as he moves beyond his own response to conjecture about the popularity of the song.
"I suspect that the ease with which the song is adapted to ulterior purposes is what keeps it in the jazz repertoire," he writes in reference to a pair of 1937 recordings, one "an uncharacteristically graceful and subdued performance" by Fats Waller, the other Django Reinhardt's "impressive reworking of the song's underlying harmonies." Then, he fantasizes about an imaginary meeting between Thelonious Monk and the classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who recorded the song three months apart in 1963.
Monk and Horowitz, Gioia tells us, were at the same studio on the day the latter cut his "never released version," and he ends his account by admitting that he enjoys "speculating on what might have happened if Monk had joined Horowitz in a duet to show him how it should be played." That line gets very close to the heart of things, with the improvisational master schooling the formally trained musician, teaching him to find the spirit, if not necessarily the letter, of the song.
In a sense, of course, this is what Gioia is also doing with "The Jazz Standards." What is the book, after all, if not an extended improvisation, beginning with its framing of the repertoire? Such a repertoire is fluid, and if in recent years it has undergone a "process of codification," his approach can't help but be subjective, defined by his experience and sensibility. To read "The Jazz Standards," then, is not unlike listening to Gioia play his way through this music, sharing not just what he likes (and dislikes) but also what he knows. | <urn:uuid:154f1425-33e7-4778-80f1-5d5bc69f42e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-ted-gioia-20120722,0,5538433.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981347 | 1,409 | 2.1875 | 2 |
After last weeks post about Bullying, parents are asking for another way. How do we change? How do we learn to respect our children instead of coerce them? There are two follow up pieces to “Are we Bullying Our Children” coming. For now, here are 5 posts about respecting children that may help you get started.
How Not to Treat Children: “I have never taken an entire blog post to share a you tube video before, but this one is that good and that important! I am also including a couple of links to pieces that remind us that children are people!”
5 Changes I have Made for My Children: “It is easy for us parents to get caught in a rut; we know what we do not want to do, but what can we do to make things better with our children? Here are 5 Changes I have made for my children.”
Reconsidering Praise, Shame, and Punishment: Knowing More to Do Better: “A collection of articles for Reconsidering Sharing, Praise, Capability, and Punishing.”
Quick Start Guide: Rethinking Discipline: “Alternatives to Punishment, Living by Principles Instead of Rules and exploring what’s wrong with time outs, this is a collection of articles useful for learning to parent respectfully.”
Quick Start Guide: Living Respectfully with Children: “Learning to treat children with respect will require a change of heart, that can come only from a major shift in consciousness of how we view children and how we define respect.” | <urn:uuid:7b18b876-2e73-44c9-bfa7-1450f7f84594> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ourmuddyboots.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945691 | 331 | 2.703125 | 3 |
WebMD Medical News
Louise Chang, MD
June 14, 2007 -- Sex dreams make up 8% of men's and women's dreams, a
University of Montreal researcher announced today.
Antonio Zadra, PhD, asked 109 women and 64 men to keep a dream diary for two
to four weeks. Participants were about 30 years old, on average.
According to Zadra, only two other studies have probed the frequency and
content of sexual dreams, and both of those studies were done more than 40
In Zadra's study, participants jotted down every dream they had, whether it
was sexual or not. All in all, they noted 3,564 dreams. Of those dreams, 292
included sexual content.
"Sexual intercourse was the most common type of sexual content, followed
by sexual propositions, kissing, and fantasies," Zadra writes.
For men and women alike, sexual dreams accounted for 8% of all reported
dreams. Zadra also notes that "masturbation accounted for approximately 6%
of both male and female sexual dreams and an orgasm was experienced in
approximately 4% of all sexual dreams."
However, there were some gender differences in sex dreams.
"Men's sexual dreams were more likely to take place in public or unknown
settings, to have the dreamer initiate sexual contact, and to involve unknown
characters or multiple partners," Zadra writes, adding that "gender
differences in the content of everyday sexual dreams may reflect people's
waking needs, experiences, attitudes, and concerns with respect to
His findings were presented today in Minneapolis at Sleep 2007, a joint
venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research
SOURCES: Sleep 2007, the 21st annual meeting of the Associated Professional
Sleep Societies, Minneapolis, June 9-14, 2007. News release, American Academy
of Sleep Medicine.
Here are the most recent story comments.View All
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of FOX16 - Breaking News and Weather to Plan Your Day for Little Rock and Central Arkansas
The Health News section does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information. | <urn:uuid:bd849e7a-a68d-47f5-834b-87ed05dd73f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fox16.com/webmd/sexualconditions/story/Sex-Dreams-Equal-8-of-Adults-Dreams/99WRDsQQ7Eu0mjkiVIoqxA.cspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936888 | 454 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Here’s a little known fact. Most universities, colleges and management programs don’t teach enough about customer service management. Is it any wonder customers are so dissatisfied?
Recommended topics for a course on customer service.
1. What is the mission of customer service?
2. Where should customer service report in an organization (eg marketing, public relations, operations, administration, sales) and the pros and cons of each organization type.
3. Different models of customer service (entitled with a contract only, or anyone entitled)
4. The role of on line Self Service versus call in for support.
5. The impact of Social Media on customer service and different methods of servicing customers in a mixed mode of call center and social media.
6. Managing the customer service organization: type of positions, salary levels, reward, recognition, hiring criteria.
7 Typical measurements in a customer service environment: Number of calls, call duration times, wait times, abandonment rates. calls per person, how many people do you need.
8. Skills Inventory. How to create and maintain a skills inventory. Who has what skill and at what level. How many of each skill level is needed?
9. Procedures for getting the right skilled person to address the customer’s issue.
10. Procedures and best practices to ensure that the rest of the organization learn about repetitive problems customer service is addressing that could be fixed at the management level. How to create a learning organization to minimize customer dissatisfaction by fixing the source of the problems.
11. Training customer service personnel to support customers.
12. Customer Satisfaction processes. How to set up and run a customer satisfaction survey process. How to listen to social media. Aggregating the data and disseminating it to the rest of the organization.
13. Best practices on handling difficult customers and escalations.
14. Preparing for a crisis.
15. Managing a crisis.
16. Tools needed in a customer service organization such as telephone front ends, switching calls to appropriate call takers, problem management systems to track problems, data bases with known problems and their resolutions.
17. Best practices in encoding problem causes and problem resolutions to help with management reporting.
18. Best practices in Management reporting.
The orientation of the college course would be ‘management’ oriented rather than call taker oriented. I believe call taker orientation should be done at the organizational level.
I am sure there are other topics that could be added here to ensure that we train our future managers about customer service. Feel free to comment below.
Our future executives need to understand that the policies they set the executive level, get executed at the customer service level and failure to understand how customers are impacted by executive decisions will increase call volumes and customer dissatisfaction.
It is very sad that there appears to be so few courses available on this important topic. If you know of any, please share in the comments section below.
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Accessibility & the Web | Feature
8 Simple Tips To Improve Accessibility
Adding a few simple accessibility features to your school's Web site will transform the experience for those with vision or hearing impairment--and everyone else as well.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
Few districts these days have the kinds of budgets that enable them to employ Web experts to help schools design and update their sites. Fewer still have Web staffers who understand the basics of making Web sites accessible to people with disabilities. But to vision- or hearing-impaired students or parents, your Web site may appear cluttered, confusing, or completely un-navigable. Fortunately, following a few basic principles of Web design can transform a site into an inviting space for different user needs, devices, and situations, without breaking the bank.
Janet Jendron, program coordinator at the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program, has seen many unintentional design blunders, from bad color schemes to graphics with no description to the overuse of video--all of which can prevent users from getting the information they need from a Web site.
Jendron runs a program to help South Carolina state agencies create Web sites that are accessible and usable for everyone. To get the work done, she has enlisted a small army of mostly volunteer Web testers, many with disabilities, who have been trained to evaluate pages using a variety of accessibility tools, such as Job Access With Speech, a screen-reading program for the vision-impaired. Also known as JAWS, the program allows users to navigate a page through keystrokes and listen to audio information about the elements that appear on-screen. The Web site testing process is task-oriented: Have a chat session with a librarian; fill out the form; follow a link to a PDF; and try to access it. Their findings are reported back to the state agency, along with a "boatload" of resources to help them improve their sites, she said.
Links and Text
Many of the changes required to make a Web site more accessible aren't complicated, Jendron explained. "When you see someone accessing your Web page with only a screen reader application (which audibly identifies and interprets what's on the screen), the light bulb turns on," she said. For example, a person using a screen reader, looking for something specific on a page, is likely to tell the program, "Read all the links on the page." That's useless if the page displays a lot of links stating, "Click here," "Download," or "Learn more." Instead, Jendron suggested formatting links so they stand out from other text and describe their destinations.
Links and text are only part of what makes a Web site truly accessible, which is why Jendron and her Web testers suggested paying attention to the more complete picture. Here they shared with THE Journal a number of Web site elements that make a big difference in site accessibility for those without a lot of time or money.
Titles and Headers
According to Jendron, the most common complaint she hears from testers is the lack of heading tags on Web pages. A user opens a page and often asks the screen reader to read levels of headings, in order to get the basic outline of the page. "Then he decides where he wants to go," she explained. "Or more important, he decides, 'Do I even want to stay on this Web page?' If none of the topics is anything he's interested in, he'll move on, just like a sighted user would quickly scan the page's content."
She emphasized that the best approach is to specify heading structure for each Web page (and other electronic documents), rather than merely make the heading look different visually by enlarging or bolding text.
The alt (for "alternative") attribute is used in HTML to label a graphic image on a page. If the person creating the Web page doesn't provide alt text for images, a screen reader may read it as "graphic" or "8714.jpg," which can confuse the listener. If the page contains a graphic element that's simply filling up space, the image might not need a description, but it would need alt text that tells a screen reader to ignore it (called a "null alt tag"). If the image is important, such as a photo of students participating in a school activity or a graph showing district budget numbers, the alt text needs to be meaningful and descriptive, such as "Students plant trees for Earth Day" or "2011 district budget shows decline for fourth consecutive year."
If your school's site changes the navigation path from one page to another, it could challenge both accessibility and usability. People without vision, for example, remember a site's navigation when they return to it. If the navigation is inconsistent, they're not as likely to return. Another essential tool, called "Skip to Main Content," lets the viewer ignore navigation elements altogether using a link at the top of the page, which allows them to jump over standing elements and get right to the meat of the page. Screen reader and screen enlarger users benefit greatly from this simple addition.
A busy navigation setup can also be frustrating to users of mobile devices--even those who can see. "If I'm on my Droid looking at a Web page, I may only see a small part of it, maybe a drop-down menu and graphics," Jendron added. "I want to get quickly down to where the real content is. When the page lets you skip to the main content, it takes you to the right place on that page."
Where to Start With Accessibility
AccessIT is the national center on accessible IT in education. This page offers access to free curriculum on Web design and development.
Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education (GRADE) has an online tutorial to show viewers how to make distance education accessible.
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) Center provides free training on "universally designed technology," of which Web design is a component.
South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) provides links to a number of resources on a "Web Accessibility Resources" page.
WebAIM is an initiative of the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. "Everything is there," says Janet Jendron, program coordinator at SCATP, "all the issues, the how-to's. There's no other site like it."
YouTube is a big fish in free captioning help. Learn more about what Google's video site is doing.
Increasingly, school sites are adding video to their pages. Ideal accessibility would mean synchronized text captioning on each video. A second alternative is a description of the video that a screen reader could relay back to the user. Of course, captioning can be very labor-intensive, Jendron observed. Free technology is available for manual and automatic captioning, but it still needs improvement. "When the automatic captioning and translating tools progress to the point where they're really accurate, we'll have a global explosion in accessibility," she said.
The use of color schemes with low contrast between the text and the background, or the use of color as the sole way to convey meaning, is challenging for those with vision impairments and color blindness. The same is true with font use. If the font is hard to interpret by a person with full vision, you're guaranteed to make it even tougher for other users. Likewise, if you use a tiny button or font for linking, the person who can't use a mouse and is using a mouthstick or head pointer will have trouble interacting with the link.
Additionally, pages cluttered with lots of materials--long lists of links, never-ending animation, music that can't be turned off--can be distracting for users of all kinds. "Clutter confuses everyone, not just people who can't see or don't use a mouse, but also older folks just coming onto the Internet and kids who may have a learning disability," Jendron said. "Many people need help focusing. Cleaner Web sites are better for everyone and convey a clearer message."
Content Management Systems
A typical school may have multiple people contributing to and updating a Web site. Content management systems provide a template for adding new pages and the words and media that go onto those pages. If the basic design is accessible, you can prevent many accessibility errors made by producers inexperienced with accessibility issues. Also, use of a CMS can help keep page design consistent when a team of people is adding materials to the site.
Get Your Own Volunteers
School districts have their own built-in group of people who can help with Web site accessibility: students and employees with disabilities who use assistive technology to access a computer and the Web. "These folks have a vested interest in the site's accessibility and should be called on for their input," stressed Jendron. "Everyone's awareness increases in this way."
Ultimately, efforts to make a school's Web site accessible will be broadly beneficial. "If you design with accessibility and usability in mind from the beginning, everybody has an easier time getting to the information: people with learning disabilities, people who are older, people using smaller screens," Jendron said. "These principles of good design help all of us." | <urn:uuid:2bd19b79-108b-4cdb-8c29-f498698545dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/09/22/8-simple-tips-to-improve-accessibility.aspx?admgarea=Features1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932794 | 1,911 | 2.625 | 3 |
In a summary judgment, a federal judge ruled (PDF) on Monday that the United States government can continue to classify and redact 23 embassy cables that have already been released in their entirety by WikiLeaks.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had previously filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that would compel the government to reveal embassy cables on topics as diverse as torture, detention, detainee rendition, Guantanamo, and drones. The State Department still maintains that the redacted sections of those cables are classified. When the State Department responded last year with some cables that had redacted sections and some cables that were withheld outright, the ACLU sued in federal court.
Not only have these 23 cables in question been available on WikiLeaks for quite some time, the ACLU had previously created an online tool allowing anyone to compare the redacted versions of five excerpts with the full versions as published on WikiLeaks.
The Monday decision finds that because the State Department (and therefore, the executive branch) classifies these sections as secret, and that those sections in question have not been “officially acknowledged,” (as defined in a 1990 appeals court decision), they remain secret.
“No matter how extensive, the WikiLeaks disclosure is no substitute for an official acknowledgement and the ACLU has not shown that the Executive has officially acknowledged that the specific information at issue was a part of the WikiLeaks disclosure,” Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote. “Although the ACLU points to various public statements made by Executive officials regarding the WikiLeaks disclosure, it has failed to tether those generalized and sweeping comments to the specific information at issue in this case—the twenty-three embassy cables identified in its request.”
The ACLU argued that because the government responded to its FOIA last year, this constitutes public acknowledgement. By law, the government must release information in court that has already been officially acknowledged in public.
But the court disagreed. Judge Kollar-Kotelly found that because the ACLU specifically referred to the 23 cables by their name and date, and did not refer to the WikiLeaks disclosure, “the State Department made no admission by producing responsive records”—in other words, the disclosure of some information does not constitute an official acknowledgment of the withheld information that the State Department wishes to keep secret.
And why should the court believe the executive’s requests to keep it secret? The legal justification for allowing such secrecy essentially boils down to the court’s total willingness to comply with executive orders concerning secrecy.
“In recognition that courts are generally ill-equipped to second-guess the Executive’s opinion in the national security context, ‘the government’s burden [here] is a light one,’” she wrote, citing a previous case involving the ACLU. | <urn:uuid:54b510b6-4139-4975-a0cb-247503c716f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/us-can-continue-to-withhold-embassy-cables-already-on-wikileaks/?comments=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962704 | 568 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Upside the Head... The "errors" that Bolt supposedly discovers in my work, extracted in The Age, are in fact howlers on his part. Indeed, so egregious are some that it's hard to believe that Bolt has not set out to mislead his readers. Let's look at five of the biggest whoppers.
1 Bolt says that I claim that climate has been stable for the past 10,000 years. This is not so. In my book I reprint the graph that documents northern hemisphere climate variability over the past 1000 years, and enter into an extended discussion of well-known variations such as the Medieval Warm Period. Either Bolt has not read the book he is critiquing, or he is lying through his teeth. The point I do make, however, is that variability in average global temperature over the past 10,000 years has been small when compared with earlier periods. This is indisputable
2 Bolt accuses me of saying that Katrina was the most powerful hurricane on record. Katrina is not mentioned in my book, which went to press before Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast ...
Tim Flannery on Andrew Bolt in today's Age | <urn:uuid:f620efb1-6240-4880-b95b-d2c0dab1fe72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tugboatpotemkin.blogspot.com/2005_10_02_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980839 | 233 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Dec. 16, 2011 Researchers at the Max-Born-Institute, Berlin, Germany, observed the extremely fast onset of electrical resistance in a semiconductor by following electron motions in real-time.
When you first learned about electric currents, you may have asked how the electrons in a solid material move from the negative to the positive terminal. In principle, they could move ballistically or 'fly' through the solid, without being affected by the atoms or other charges of the material. But this actually never happens under normal conditions because the electrons interact with the vibrating atoms or with impurities. These collisions typically occur within an extremely short time, usually about 100 femtoseconds (10 -13 seconds, or a tenth of a trillionth of a second). So the electron motion along the material, rather than being like running down an empty street, is more like trying to walk through a very dense crowd. Typically, electrons move only with a speed of 1m per hour, they are slower than snails.
Though the electrons collide with something very frequently in the material, these collisions do take a finite time to occur. Just like if you are walking through a crowd, sometimes there are small empty spaces where you can walk a little faster for a short distance. If it were possible to follow the electrons on an extremely fast (femtosecond) time scale, then you would expect to see that when the battery is first turned on, for a very short time, the electrons really do fly unperturbed through the material before they bump into anything. This is exactly what scientists at the Max-Born-Institute in Berlin recently did in a semiconductor material and report in the current issue of the journal Physical Review Letters [volume 107, 256602 (2011)]. Extremely short bursts of terahertz light (1 terahertz = 10 12 Hz, 1 trillion oscillations per second) were used instead of the battery (light has an electric field, just like a battery) to accelerate optically generated free electrons in a piece of gallium arsenide. The accelerated electrons generate another electric field, which, if measured with femtosecond time resolution, indicates exactly what they are doing. The researchers saw that the electrons travelled unperturbed in the direction of the electric field when the battery was first turned on. About 300 femtoseconds later, their velocity slowed down due to collisions.
In the attached movie, we show a cartoon of what is happening in the gallium arsenide crystal. Electrons (blue balls) and holes (red balls) show random thermal motion before the terahertz pulse hits the sample. The electric field (green arrow) accelerates electrons and holes in opposite directions. After onset of scattering this motion is slowed down and results in a heated electron-hole gas, i.e., in faster thermal motion.
The present experiments allowed the researchers to determine which type of collision is mainly responsible for the velocity loss. Interestingly, they found that the main collision partners were not atomic vibrations but positively charged particles called holes. A hole is just a missing electron in the valence band of the semiconductor, which can itself be viewed as a positively charged particle with a mass 6 times higher than the electron. Optical excitation of the semiconductor generates both free electrons and holes which the terahertz bursts, our battery, move in opposite directions. Because the holes have such a large mass, they do not move very fast, but they do get in the way of the electrons, making them slower.
Such a direct understanding of electric friction will be useful in the future for designing more efficient and faster electronics, and perhaps for finding new tricks to reduce electrical resistance.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
- P. Bowlan, W. Kuehn, K. Reimann, M. Woerner, T. Elsaesser, R. Hey, C. Flytzanis. High-Field Transport in an Electron-Hole Plasma: Transition from Ballistic to Drift Motion. Physical Review Letters, 2011; 107 (25) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.256602
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:a7ebd89b-ee21-4800-8392-930ee47fecf2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216084221.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922622 | 867 | 3.6875 | 4 |
PREVIOUS: Direct Abusers
REVIEW posts: “Feeling Sorry For – Healthy vs Unhealthy”
REMINDER: See ACRONYM Page for abbrev.
VICTIMs or NOT? (V = victim , P = Perpetrator / abuser)
ACoAs have tendency to get most things backward:
• Sanity tells us the TRUTH : We did go thru a terribly painful childhood – were very real Victims of our home, neighborhood, school, religion, & playground. We had no choice & very few options. We were Vs then, but we don’t have to be Vs any more.
• BUT the distorted logic of SELF-HATE says the opposite:
It wasn’t all that bad (even if we suspect it was), they really loved us, did the best they could. We weren’t really Victims – just selfish, weak, bad flawed, hopeless – and will be forever! As long as we hold this lie as our only reality, we can’t fully recover – & it’s why we get stuck. Before Recovery – & sometimes long into it – ACoAs’ reaction to our early abuse come in 2 major forms:
a. Perpetual: Many ACoAs actively live in the old destructive patterns set out for us, & refuse to give up the V. ROLE. The attitude is: “I was then & am forever a casualty of my family / school / church….. I just can’t cope. You can’t expect me to function. I can’t do anything differently now because I’m so debilitated by those experiences. Someone has to take care of me”…. We stay loyal to our Ps so we don’t have to:
• do the lifelong hard work of healing our wounds (to feel)
• fully take care of ourselves as healthy adults, having ‘done that’ as kids
✶ lose the proof of what was done to us as kids! “If I get better, no one will ever know how much they hurt me, & I want everyone to see it & feel sorry for me!”.
It is a sad reality that most people in our culture assume that if someone ‘looks good’ it means that: they’ve healthy, always had it easy, must have come from a good home, don’t have any problems & never needed to overcome anything. So, ACoAs who are looking for external validation for our trauma – from everyone – believe we can only get it if we stay miserable. This keeps us torturing ourselves unnecessarily, which is a great shame. We DO need validation, but gradually it has to be internalized, so that we always “know what I know” in all settings.
John W. Garner (writer & Sec of Health, Education & Welfare) said:
“Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the non-pharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.” There is truth in this, but ACoAs have to be very careful – of getting things backwards again.
NEGATIVE: Perpetual Vs indulge in Self-pity, which is an emotion generated by the ‘poor-me’s (T): “Everything goes wrong for me, no one likes me, I can never get a leg up…” There is no responsibility taken for their actions – or more likely NON-actions – & always blame others for causing their woes.
POSITIVE: Having deep compassion for ourselves is NOT self-pity. Feeling sorry for the WIC is self-caring, a respect and sorrow for all the hardships we’ve endured – which we did not cause. This is hard for ACoA to do without disgust & annoyance, the way our parents & other caretakers felt towards us as kids.
We DO need to mourn, feel angry, be sad, feel the loss of time & opportunities our damage has stolen from us. That is NOT living in Victim mentality! The more we can feel these things the healthier we get.
b. Stoic: At the other extreme are the ACoAs (often Heros) who can’t admit anything bad happened to them. These believe we were not abused & that everything was fine. Even if we do sometimes say it wasn’t all great, we believe it was our fault. We walk around with emotional stab wounds, bleeding from unseen trauma & pretend nothing’s wrong. Our closest & dearest can carelessly spew their damage at us, YET we blame ourselves! We will say: “But, they didn’t mean it” , “They didn’t know any better”…. What we’re actually saying is : “Since they didn’t mean to hurt me, I have no reason to be upset”. Phew! (I don’t want to feel anything).
• This reasoning is flawed because ACoAs are in fact sad, lonely, disappointed, hurt & angry! It’s not healthy for us to ignore what’s going on – inside or outside. Denying that we were wounded by our family and that we have many & complex emotions – is a way to victimize ourselves. If adults are enraged by being mistreated over time, how much more so are children, who are dependent, vulnerable & powerless. Abuse & neglect is terrifying & humiliating, no matter what the reason for or motivation of the P. As kids, the longer we had to ignore bad behavior, the angrier we got – which then gets acted out on ourselves & others. EXP: Reason for the murder of Martha Moxley, seen near the end of the TV movie “Murder in Greenwich” (2002).
REVIEW of why we don’t want to “know what I know”. It’s because:
• the situation is futile – since we can’t change it – so why even notice. This is NOT the healthy Powerlessness of Recovery, ie. Letting Go
• it means having to S & I (leave home), be on our own, give up the WIC’s desperate wish to be taken care of
• it means giving up hope they will get better, love us, turn things around
• we’ll have to give up the illusory power of our S-H (I can fix people-places-things so they stop hurting me)
• we’ll have to feel the depth of pain about how we’ve been treated
• it’ll make us angry & we’re not allowed to be angry at ‘them’ …… etc.
Re. Pity for others
One way stoic ACoAs can feel superior & also deny our pain – is to feel sorry for others, especially our parents & mates. It may seem like a show of kindness & empathy on our part, but all it does is allow Ps to get away with being inappropriate & stay unhealed. Feeling pity for abusive & incompetent people is used to disguise our anger at them for not taking care of themselves & not carrying their weight in the relationship. Protecting someone else’s feelings from the truth (how their damage affects us) is not only arrogant, it’s abdicating our responsibility to ourselves – by giving someone permission to neglect us, beat up our Inner Child & disrespect our Healthy Adult!
• Harvey Fierstein
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”
• Maria (from ‘Eleven Minutes’, book & play by Paulo Coelho)
“You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life.”
Not letting ourselves feel ALL our emotions (high achievers, isolators, rescuers, caretakers, Mascots….), especially the old sorrow & rage, has a high price – it keeps us separated from ourselves and from others, making us ‘dead’ & alone – even if we keep busy, busy & have lots of relationships. RECOVERY is about moving out of the Victim Role into our True Self.
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Weather with Cliff Mass
Seattle's boring winter gets zesty this weekend
It's nothing like the major storms across the midwest and eastern U.S., but western Washington is tasting a little bit of winter, finally.
"After one of the most boring winters that I can ever remember, we are going to be getting heavy rain, good snow. We'll be getting some winds gusting up to 30 to 50 miles per hour, and big waves along the coast," says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.
That snow is relegated to the mountains, however, keeping the urban lowlands snow-less so far this winter. Some higher elevations, such as the Mt. Baker ski area, could get more than two feet of fresh snow on Friday, says Mass.
All of that should be a frequent occurrence during winter. But this has been an extremely boring winter, says Mass. In fact, he and some weather forecasting buddies created an informal "Winter Excitement Index" for Seattle and discovered this year is tied with 1963-64 for the most boring on record.
For Mass' complete weekend analysis, including why the Stevens Pass corridor will likely see much more snow than Snoqualmie Pass, click the "listen" button above.
The weekly KPLU feature "Weather with Cliff Mass" airs every Friday at 9 a.m. immediately following BirdNote, and repeats twice on Friday afternoons during All Things Considered. The feature is hosted by KPLU’s Science and Health reporter Keith Seinfeld. Cliff Mass is a University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, a renowned Seattle weather prognosticator, and a popular weather blogger. You can also subscribe to a weekly podcast of “Weather with Cliff Mass” interviews. | <urn:uuid:9996fdae-2984-4004-ba5d-10621d8934c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kplu.org/post/seattles-boring-winter-gets-zesty-weekend | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933799 | 461 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes
Senator Conroy made the announcement during a radio interview with Robyn Gaile, Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia, on the New Horizons program, which is broadcast on Radio for the Print Handicapped and community radio stations across Australia.
People who are legally blind or receiving a carer’s payment for a legally blind child need to register for the Household Assistance Scheme as their region of Australia transitions to digital-only television. A timetable of when each region switches to digital transmission is available on the Digital Ready website. The next region, Northern New South Wales, will be switched over in June. The Government is also investigating the possibility of providing talking set-top boxes to blind and vision impaired people in areas where digital TV switchover has already been completed.
Two talking set-top boxes, which feature talking menus, program guides and other features, were developed for the Household Assistance Scheme and trialled in 2010. One of these, the Bush Talking Set Top Box, went on sale last year for $200. The Government has also commissioned research into which other set-top boxes and TV sets are capable of receiving audio description.
In the interview, Senator Conroy also talked about the upcoming trial of audio description on ABC1, saying that, “The ABC and my department are developing plans to let interested people know how they can take part in the trial.” The trial is due to commence in August, and will involve 14 hours of audio described drama, comedy and documentary per week.
Top of page | <urn:uuid:9e78a51d-6717-4655-9c4a-15391559679b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/government-to-provide-free-accessible-set-top-boxes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950986 | 317 | 1.882813 | 2 |
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa and Otto-Friedrich- Universität Bamberg (OFUB) entered into a strategic partnership on June 6. Both institutions signed a memorandum of understanding and a student mobility agreement which will allow for the development of academic and research collaborations and student, faculty and staff exchanges.
OFUB is a public university in Bavaria, in the south of Germany, with approximately 12,300 students. Founded in 1647, it's one of the oldest universities in Germany and is located in a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site. OFUB has four faculties: information systems and applied computer sciences; social sciences, economics and business administration; humanities and cultural studies; and human sciences and education. Research and studies in Bamberg have a strong European and international component.
The partnership will explore joint degree programs as well as national sources of funding for joint research projects. "This is an exciting partnership," said Craig Klafter, associate provost for UNI international programs. "Our faculty and students will benefit in terms of intellectual development, our staff will benefit by learning about different business practices, and our entire university community will gain from exposure to a different social and cultural environment." Andreas Weihe, director of the International Office at OFUB, said, "The United States has always been a very popular destination among our students to spend a semester or even a year abroad, and I am convinced that our new partner, the University of Northern Iowa, will soon become one of their top choices." UNI students will also have the opportunity to learn German through OFUB and German students will be able to learn English through UNI. | <urn:uuid:d4cf055d-fa59-4363-856d-1cf2130b37aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uni.edu/newsroom/uni-and-otto-friedrich-universit%C3%A4t-bamberg-in-germany-enter-into-strategic-partnership | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956517 | 350 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Verano Mexicano: A Soundscape
Series produced by Sean McMahon
In this soundscape, entitled "Verano Mexicano" (Mexican Summer), you will hear the intricate rhythms of a Mexican rainstorm, the historic sounds of the organillo (a crank driven music box), trucks and trains, political chants, car horns, and street vendors hawking their wares. This auditory portrait highlights the socio-political climate of a country during a historically important period, as well as the beauty to found in the banality of everyday sounds.
This summer I had the privilege of traveling to Mexico for five weeks. While I was there I made numerous recordings of the people and places I experienced using a Marantz solid-state field recorder. It is hard to put into words the feelings evoked by the drone of church bells at a funeral in Tepoztlan the day before a neighborhood fiesta, or the rush of being swept up in a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people chanting their hopes for a better world. It is for this reason I have created a sound collage documenting my experiences in Mexico: to attempt to capture those moments in time and weave them together into a coherent whole. In this soundscape, entitled ?Verano Mexicano? (Mexican Summer), you will hear the intricate rhythms of a Mexican rainstorm, the historic sounds of the... Show full description | <urn:uuid:d205028d-32e9-4973-9c1f-2ac13050683e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prx.org/series/16052-verano-mexicano-a-soundscape | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947793 | 284 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Lance Armstrong has it easy, by comparison. His job is very predictable-he knows what races he'll ride during the season, so he gears his training for those races. There are few surprises.
Now consider the "typical" bicycle patrol police officer. Like any law enforcement officer out there on the street, his job is very unpredictable. Like Armstrong, he or she will spend many hours a day on the bike, but that's where any similarity ends.
The cop often cruises a beat, talking to people, answering questions, simply furthering public relations for the department. But in an instant, he or she may be called into action that maxes his heart rate as surely as ascending L'Alpe d'Huez does for Tour de France competitors like Armstrong. The officer may have to launch down a flight of stairs en route to a trouble spot five blocks away. Once there, he may have to throw the bike down and restrain a suspect.
It's all in a day's work for a bicycle patrol officer and, like any other item in the department's inventory, the varied demands of the job make the police patrol bicycle rather unique compared to one a civilian might want.
Of course, like civilians, no two police bicycle patrol officers are alike and, when it comes to bike features required or desired, there are few hard and fast rules. In other words, a police patrol bicycle must be affordable, durable, and versatile, but beyond that, one sometimes gets into the realm of purely personal preference.
Let's start with the basics. First of all, there are hundreds-if not thousands-of bicycle models available for sale. Even among mountain bikes (preferred for police patrol use because of their durability and versatility), you could practically fill a phone book with all the different types available, and they range in price from $150 bargain basement leftovers to custom jobs that go for $3,000 and up. Among the models we investigated that are marketed specifically as police bicycles, prices ran roughly in the $500 to $1,500 range. As Officer John Chapman of the Monterey (Calif.) Police Department points out, "With the current budget climate, it's all about getting as much bike for the buck as possible."
Chapman hopes his unit gets new bicycles next year and is pushing for a mid-priced model. Realistically, he notes, "It's not the cat's ass-WWLR (what would Lance ride?)-of patrol bikes, but it will get the job done very well for a reasonable price, right at a grand."
For those whose departments might be considering going the low-buck route, another bike patrol officer with an agency in Ohio cautions, "The main thing is, don't go out to Wally World and buy a bike thinking it will hold up to the rigors of police duty. I am a certified International Police Mountain Bike Association instructor. I taught a class two years ago where a department sent some officers with Huffy bicycles. I could not believe it. The officers were embarrassed but didn't have a choice. I did an inspection on the bikes and DQed them pretty darn quick. They ended up taking the course using a few bikes out of our department's inventory."
Don't take that as complete disdain for Huffy bicycles (or any other inexpensive ones). They have their place in the market and do a fine job there. Police work, however, is probably not their ideal place. That's because bicycles used for police work have to be durable-no ifs, ands, or buts.
An officer who works bike patrol at a police department in South Carolina knows that spending a little more money may not guarantee against things breaking, but after-sales service and warranties are likely to be more comprehensive. He says, "We purchase Treks. They are lightweight, use durable parts in their construction, and are priced fairly cheaply when compared to the civilian version. I don't know about the other manufacturers, but every time we crack a Trek frame, they send us a new one without any trouble," the officer says.
He knows from experience that a bicycle has to do more than look pretty if it's going to hold up to the abuse of the job.
"It sounds bad to crack a frame," the officer says, "but when you put 5,000 or 6,000 miles a year on a bicycle and throw in curbs, stairs, cobblestone streets, and bike throw-downs, I am not at all bothered by a little breakage."
Notice that "...curbs, stairs, cobblestone streets, and bike throw-downs" are common in 5,000 or 6,000 miles per year. That's not to mention the likelihood of having to traverse off-road conditions like sand or mud or maybe even crossing fallen logs or creeks if you patrol parks or are close to rural areas. A good mountain bike lets you tackle a variety of obstacles efficiently. | <urn:uuid:94ab2a8d-d400-4f5c-9010-08d5d1aa11f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.policemag.com/channel/vehicles/articles/2005/04/picking-a-patrol-bike.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971536 | 1,019 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Archive » April 26, 2007
Mark Your Calendar
By Judy Foreman
The 22nd Annual Girls Inc. Luncheon
On May 3, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett will be the featured speaker for the Girls Incorporated of Greater Santa Barbara 22nd Annual One Hundred Committee Luncheon that will be held at Bella Vista, the 40-acre ranch of Patrick Nesbitt and Ursula Krebs.
Scarlett, a Santa Barbara resident of 30 years, has been a dedicated swimmer, dogsledder and hiker since her youth. She earned multiple degrees at UCSB and says she was highly impacted by the oil spill in 1969 that sparked the national environmental movement. She began her career researching environmental issues for the Reason Public Policy Institute, rising to the helm of the think tank prior to her appointment to the Department of the Interior. She has written numerous studies and articles on environmental research and policies and describes her ideal formula for environmental policy as government by the “Four I’s” – integration, innovation, inspiration and insight. This philosophy, she believes, results in individuals and organizations working together to develop the best cooperative solutions and becoming invested stewards of their particular environment.
It is this approach to environmental policy that will be the focus of Scarlett’s talk at the upcoming luncheon. She says she will speak on “developing affirmative thinking skills” and show through her own experiences how “connecting with the environment can build leadership skills for life.” And while global climate change remains a hot button issue in the broad discussion of the environment, Scarlett says she will steer away from a politically loaded agenda and instead rely on positive messages for girls, discussing the opportunities for building life skills through interacting with nature.
Organizers of the luncheon credit Scarlett for her depth and discernment of her analyses and her adeptness at building partnerships between often-competing stakeholders.
“As a brilliant and dedicated professional, making a difference in a field of vital importance, Lynn Scarlett is truly an example of a strong, smart and bold woman,” says Nancy Barry, luncheon co-chair. “She’s a wonderful role model and inspiration for young girls to become active in education and advocacy, to aspire to leadership positions, and to believe that they can make a difference.”
The luncheon will be held on the Nesbitt polo grounds overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A massive white tent, provided by Classic Party Rentals, will frame the seating area, which will be decorated with cornflower blue and white, striped table linens and chinoiserie blue and white bowls overflowing with mums and white Gerber daisies with yellow centers. According to décor committee co-chair Sandi Nicholson, Wildflower Linens from Los Angeles is again providing the linens, as it has for the past three years, and Sunshine Floral in Carpinteria is supplying the flowers. Highlighting the theme of interiors, Scott Hogue, Maison K, Rue de Lillie and Summerhill Antiques will all have special displays.
Guest favor bags will be coordinated and donated by home couture store owners Caroline and Steve Thompson, owners of Cabana Home. The Girls Inc. chorus, under the direction of Montecito singer-songwriter Jeff Barry, will perform a medley of songs that includes “This Land is Your Land,” “America the Beautiful” and “Strong, Smart, and Bold,” Barry’s original composition for Girls Inc.
Until April 28, a portion of all proceeds at Susan Pitcher’s Dressed and Ready boutiques will be donated in support of Girls Inc., and on Thursday, April 26, from 9 am to noon, both stores will offer a special brunch.
Raffle tickets are available for $20 each or three for $50 and may be purchased through the Girls Inc. office; you are eligible to win, even if you do not attend the luncheon. Raffle items include diamond drop earrings donated by Carole Ridding, owner of Silverhorn; a stay at Catamount Lake in Steamboat Springs, Colorado donated by Polly Coleman, augmented by a fly fishing guide donated by Perri Harcourt; a $1,000 shopping spree donated by the South Coast Plaza, complete with hotel lodging; a wine lover’s basket of vintages; an overnight stay and brunch donated by The Four Seasons; and a deluxe spa package offered by Susan Ciminelli.
Girls Incorporated, founded locally in 1955, is a non-profit organization that provides after-school and summer educational enrichment programs for more than 1,000 girls ages 4.5 to 18 years old. It offers these programs at both Girls Inc. centers in Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley, as well as through many offsite and outreach locations.
Each year, it hosts the One Hundred Committee Luncheon, a benefit that has carved out a distinction through its legacy of power women speakers, including Oprah Winfrey, former First Lady Barbara Bush, professional race car driver Janet Guthrie, broadcaster Joan Lunden, First Lady of California Maria Shriver and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai.
For more information on the luncheon or purchasing raffle tickets, please contact Girls Inc. at 805-963-4757, ext. 16.
All comments are subject to review after submission. Please allow a slight delay before comments appear online! | <urn:uuid:128343ea-4a17-4891-89b2-370cea3bdc92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://montecitojournal.net/archive/13/17/973/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938135 | 1,131 | 1.5 | 2 |
States are in various stages of implementing, or opposing, aspects of the health care law.
The Connecticut Mirror: Legislature To Consider Expanding Exchange Board
The proposed change has the support of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who chairs the exchange board. The bill would add two voting members to the board. One would be a small employer and ... [the other] would be "a consumer of specialized health care services for a disability, a chronic illness or special needs, or of health care services" (Levin Becker, 2/14).
Kaiser Health News: Alaska Takes Biggest Step Yet Toward Health Insurance Exchange
Last month, the administration of Gov. Sean Parnell, a Republican, hired Public Consulting Group to study the state's options for setting up an exchange. The state is spending $200,000 on the contract with the Boston-based firm. ... Josh Applebee, Alaska's deputy director for health care policy, described the reasoning for hiring the consultant. "The biggest problem, I think, is we don't have enough information to decide," Applebee said. "Are we going to do a state exchange?" (Feidt, 2/14).
Kansas Health Institute News: Health Care Compact Bill Approved By House Committee
Members of a House committee today voted to support Kansas joining a multistate compact formed to challenge the federal government’s authority to set health policy. ... Once 20 or more states have joined the compact, proponents of the bill have said the member states will demand that Congress ratify an agreement to return tax dollars used to fund Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to the states (Cauthon, 2/14).
Related, earlier KHN story: Some States Seeking Health Care Compact (Gugliotta, 9/18)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Health Centers Growing More Slowly Than Planned
Outreach Community Health Centers, which saw almost 2,000 additional patients last year, recently expanded its main clinic. …That was the plan under federal health care reform. Community health centers, located in low-income urban neighborhoods and rural areas, were expected to double in size in five years. That target now seems unlikely. ... Federal budget cuts in the face of massive government deficits have reduced money available for expansion by $3 billion over five years (Boulton, 2/14).
WBUR: Poll: Most Mass. Residents Support State Health Care Law
In the latest WBUR poll, 62 percent support the law and 33 percent oppose it. “Even with all the attention the Massachusetts law has gotten nationally, it really hasn’t driven down support among voters here in Massachusetts,” said Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC polling group, which conducted the poll. The difference between national and local opinions about the law is part politics, part misinformation, and partly a difference of experience, said Robert Blendon (Bebinger, 2/15). | <urn:uuid:90f15066-bc2b-46e2-91ea-89c52bfd0d0e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2012/February/15/state-implementation-exchanges.aspx | 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 | 0.942605 | 615 | 1.570313 | 2 |
2008-01. Sipakapa: Defending Our Territory from Plunder
January 22nd, 2008
Sipakapa. San Marcos, Guatemala.
January 19, 2008.
Issue: Indigenous and Community Rights / Mining / Land
After the historic triumph by the Sipakapa Civic Committee during the general elections of last September (please view the photo-essay: Here in Sipakapa, the People Won
), Delfino Tema Bautista took charge as Municipal Mayor of Sipakapa on January 15, 2008.
Nevertheless, a number of celebratory events did not take place until Saturday, January 19.
Without a doubt, a mass given by Monsignor Alvaro Ramazzini, Bishop of San Marcos, turned into the main event: “The reason for our celebration today is to thank the Lord for our new municipal council which is the result of your effort and hard work. Little by little, all of you have been developing a higher conscience regarding your rights, responsibilities, and the need to have local authorities who will truly and continually seek the benefit of the people.”
“I invite you all to join me in prayer so that these men before me will truly become servants of the people, continually seek benefit for all, and that despite the dangers, the threats, the difficulties, the risks, the temptations, they will remain firm. Because the hard work starts now; we must always continue the struggle and not stop now just because we have won.”
“Lord, please accompany these brothers so that together, authorities and the people united can walk the paths towards welfare, increased social and economic development, and peace, in this beloved region of Sipakapa.”
“The Sipakapa Civic Committee was formed three years ago by locals who have continually struggled to peacefully defend their territory and its natural environment from the perils posed by mining activities. Their main goal has always consisted of gaining political power so as to develop policies backed by the majority of the municipality’s population. It was a conscious decision to run under the independent figure of a Civic Committee, as none of the traditional political parties were willing to firmly stand against the presence in Sipakapa of Montana Exploradora, local subsidiary of Canada-based mining giant Goldcorp.” (1)
In his first official interview as Mayor of Sipakapa, Delfino Tema declares: “Our principal goal is to defend our territory from the plunder of our natural resources by international corporations. We will continue our resistance against mining because life is worth much more than gold. Under no circumstances will we negotiate with Montana Exploradora because that would go against the will of the people [of Sipakapa].”
The Sipakapa case has truly become a landmark one as it was the first municipality in Guatemala to organize a community consultation (or plebiscite) with regards to mining activities in its territory. Nearly one hundred percent of the population in Sipakapa rejected the gold mining license given to Montana Exploradora by the Guatemalan Government. “The community consultation is a legal and peaceful process which gathers the population so as to allow them to implement their rights.” Thanks to the example set by Sipakapa in 2005, more than 20 other municipalities nationwide have since organized and carried out mining consultations; all have rejected mining activities in their territories by landslides (please view the photo-essay: Sipakapa’s Legacy
Nevertheless, Guatemala’s highest judicial power, the Constitutionality Court, deemed the landmark Sipakapa community consultation as legal yet not binding in May 2007. (3)
“The [federal] government protects the company rather than its own people… But the municipality of Sipakapa has a land title for all its territory. Hence, the land negotiations between company and individuals can occur, but such document empowers us above all and allows us to negate the permit… We have begun a legal process through the Inter-American Court on Human Rights (IACHR) so that our land titles are made valid.” (4)
“This document is the land title of Sipakapa as a whole. It is proven that Sipakapa is the sole owner of its own territory. The political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala declares that all documents issued before 1956 are untouchable. Therefore, both titles available, one written in 1816 and the most recent one of 1918 are very important documents for the inhabitants of Sipakapa and its territory. The State of Guatemala has violated the private property right of all the people of Sipakapa by granting a mining license without previously consulting with the rightful owners.” (5)
Regarding the alternative plan for development proposed by the Civic Committee during its campaign, Delfino Tema explained that despite the problematic municipal budget, they hope to begin the development of alternative projects this first year “but without the use of municipal funds and instead with the aid of foreign or national cooperation and development agencies. We are focused on providing support for our agricultural sector because most of the people in Sipakapa depend on it for a living.”
“We particularly seek to develop a fair-trade coffee brand, as well as the production of peaches and avocado. And, we are hopeful to find a market for our products, whether it is an international market or even industrialize our products at national level.” (6)
One of the first achievements by Delfino Tema’s newly elected municipal council has been the inclusion of residents of Sipakapa in the so-called Miracle Mission. “A health program created and ran by the Venezuelan Government of Hugo Chavez, it offers free eye surgeries of several degrees to low-income Latin Americans throughout the continent.” The first group from Sipakapa, consisting of 26 patients, returned successfully from Venezuelan territory on March 9, 2008. Roughly, 125 more residents of Sipakapa are slated to participate in the Miracle Mission within the next few months. (7)
“For us, development consists in protecting our natural wealth. And in particular, I believe good health is the most precious wealth one can have in the world”, continues Delfino Tema. “What good is it to have lots of money if one has an incurable disease? Even money can not buy another life. Good health is the most precious treasure we can possess. The main goal [these next four years] is to protect our territory and safeguard our health.”
Versión en español aquí.
In Japanese: 日本語で。
1 Comisión Pastoral Paz y Ecología (COPAE). “El Comité Cívico toma posesión de la alcaldía de Sipacapa, San Marcos”. El Robre Vigoroso, No. 14. San Marcos, Guatemala. February 6, 2008.
2 Cofiño, Anamaría. “Sipakapa no se vende: El Estado no tiene capacidad para verificar los daños de las mineras”. elPeriodico, Guatemala, June 24, 2006. (http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20060624/opinion/29095/)
3 Comisión Pastoral Paz y Ecología (COPAE). “Resolución de la Corte de Constitucionalidad ratifica la legitimidad de la consulta comunitaria”. El Robre Vigoroso, No. 9. San Marcos, Guatemala. June 19, 2007.
4 Interview with Delfino Tema Bautista; Municipal Mayor of Sipakapa, San Marcos, Guatemala. January 19, 2008.
5 Interview with Mario Tema Bautista; Sipakapa, San Marcos, Guatemala. January 20, 2008.
6 Delfino Tema Bautista. Op. Cit.
7 “Mayas Apuestan a Milagro de Venezuela para Ver” (http://www.terra.com/salud/articulo/html/sal4454.htm). | <urn:uuid:3c7efc0e-e5cc-4bcb-8920-1ee822f74460> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mimundo.org/2008/01/22/defending-our-territory-from-plunder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919227 | 1,738 | 1.898438 | 2 |
On September 4th, 2011, the Cabramatta Moon Festival celebration was held in the suburb of Cabramatta, Sydney's Little Asia. This year's Moon Festival was celebrated together with Australia's Father's Day, and about 90,000 people of various ethnic backgrounds joined the event. Falun Gong practitioners were invited for the 11th year to participate in the celebration, which is known as the largest Asian festival in Australia.
|Practitioners set up a booth at the Cabramatta Moon Festival||People stop to learn about Falun Gong|
Practitioners set up a booth on the main street in Cabramatta. They displayed information about Falun Gong and also the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Practitioner Ms. Yang said that she remembers what it was like when the CCP started to persecute Falun Gong in 1999. Many Chinese people had been deceived by the CCP's state-run media and dared not take informational materials from practitioners; some even refused to take them. After practitioners' continuous efforts to expose the truth over the past twelve years, more and more Chinese people have learned the facts and recognised the goodness of Falun Gong.
Ms. Yang said that many tourists from China stopped at the booth to take informational materials. Two of them came to the booth to declare their resignation from CCP organisations. One of them was from Shenyang City. He said that he used to be an outstanding Party member and wholeheartedly believed in Communism, but he has long since witnessed the CCP's brutality and has seen how the CCP constantly deceives the Chinese people. He said he had stopped paying membership dues long ago, but wanted to formally declare his resignation from the Party on the Epoch Times website.
Mr. Tian started practising Falun Gong in 1996. He has come to join practitioners at the booth every Mid-Autumn Festival to do the exercises and raise awareness about the persecution over the past ten years. He said, “Residents nearby all know that there is a Falun Gong booth here. Today many people took informational materials, some came to learn the exercises, and some came from afar to ask where they could find practice sites and buy Falun Gong books.”
Ms. Huang, who is in charge of the local practice site, said, “We have persisted in our efforts to expose the persecution for more than ten years. So many people have encouraged and supported us. The mayor, members of the city council, and members of the provincial parliament have all shown support for Falun Dafa.”
You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source. | <urn:uuid:b3abbaa7-a3c3-491d-a1b4-0bd19452eb63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clearharmony.net/articles/Australia_Practitioners_Take_Part_in_Cabramatta_Moon_Festival_Celebration_in_Sydney-a56866.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975935 | 554 | 1.585938 | 2 |
View a slide show about the Arctic
"The Arctic Is Experiencing a 21st-Century Gold Rush."
Wrong. In August 2007, a minisubmarine carrying Artur Chilingarov, a Russian parliamentarian and veteran explorer, descended into the ice-covered sea at the North Pole, extended its robotic arm, and planted a Russian flag on the seafloor. The world's reaction was swift, and in some cases furious. "This isn't the 15th century," fumed Peter MacKay, then Canada's minister of foreign affairs. "You can't go around the world and just plant flags and say, 'We're claiming this territory.'"
Maybe not, but many countries are looking at the Arctic today with fresh eyes. Because of climate change, the Arctic Ocean's summer ice cover is now half of what it was 50 years ago. In recent years, Russian and Canadian armed forces have staged Cold War-style exercises in the far north, and in the summer of 2009 a pair of German merchant ships conducted voyages across the relatively ice-free waters of the Northeast Passage, the long-dreamed-of trade route from Europe to Asia. And maybe the only thing heating up faster than the Arctic Ocean is the hyperbole over what's under it. "Without U.S. leadership to help develop diplomatic solutions to competing claims and potential conflicts," scholar Scott G. Borgerson wrote in Foreign Affairs in 2008, "the region could erupt in an armed mad dash for its resources."
It could -- but it won't. Anarchy does not reign at the top of the world; in fact, it's governed in a manner not unlike the rest of the planet. The region's land borders -- shared by Canada, Denmark (which controls Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States -- are all set and uncontested. Several maritime boundaries do remain under dispute, most notably those between Canada and the United States in the Beaufort Sea and between Canada and Denmark in Baffin Bay. But progress has been made recently in resolving even the thorniest disagreements: In April, after 40 years of negotiating, Norway and Russia were able to forge an equitable deal for a new boundary in the Barents Sea, a continental-shelf area rich in fisheries and oil and gas reserves.
What about the part of the Arctic where sovereignty remains unresolved: the seafloor that Chilingarov tried to claim? Despite being covered with ice for much of the year, the Arctic Ocean is governed much like the rest of the world's oceans -- by a maritime treaty that has been ratified by all the Arctic countries except the United States, which generally abides by its terms anyway.
Chilingarov's flag gambit was a clever bid for attention, but not much more than that. Although the resources of the Arctic seabed are likely to be partitioned among the five countries that could plausibly claim them, it won't be on a first-come-first-served basis. The world has learned a lot since the resource and land grabs of earlier centuries; for the most part, the only scuffles over borders and oil fields today are in regions that are badly destabilized already.
Tiffini M. Jones/U.S. Navy /via Getty Images | <urn:uuid:edb2f97a-6f62-4a70-8b25-4bd0c78c0bb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/08/16/think_again_the_arctic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963099 | 675 | 2.96875 | 3 |
A Thursday morning in a backstreet of Zermatt can be very interesting. Especially if you find a Matterhorn museum. It was an awfully quiet place this day in August 1997. Not a soul could be seen except for the old man selling the tickets. One room was dedicated to the famous first ascent of the Matterhorn. Or rather the famous first descent illustrated by a piece of the rope that broke. Four men lost their lives during the first descent in 1865. But how many people have been killed since then on the Matterhorn? I asked the question to the old man who sold the tickets. From his reaction it was obvious that he did not like my question. I tried to look serious and asked again. Without saying anything he disappeared into another room and returned after a while with a booklet containing a dozen pages. "See for yourself" he said and handed me the papers.
I sat down close to the rope that broke in 1865 and started to read. On page after page the names of the victims were neatly lined up, together with the dates and the cause of their deaths if known. The long list ended with the year 1991 and I added the number of names on each page and found the total number to be 315 persons. There were people from many countries; Germans, Americans, Japanese, etc. and I even discovered a Swede. Furthermore, there was a note saying that 24 persons never have been found despite comprehensive search operations. Reading this was not fun, but still exciting somehow.
Before leaving I talked to the old man who said that it is not possible to determine the exact number of victims, but that the average during recent years is about 10 people per year. The number heard of today is that more than five hundred climbers have lost their lives on the Matterhorn. Furthermore, I learned that only a few mountain guides have been killed. Up to 1992 a total of eight Swiss and five Italian guides had paid with their lives on the Matterhorn. After this somewhat dull arithmetic exercise it was a relief to breathe fresh air out in the street again.
We did this and we did that. But who are we? The previous year I had a great experience climbing the Eiger together with the Swiss guide Ueli Bühler. His suggestion for this year had been the Schreckhorn in the Bernese Oberland but I wanted to do the Matterhorn before it was too late. Being fifty one and not getting any younger I felt it was time for the Matterhorn. Ueli also worked with an agency for climbing equipment and was not available for a training tour. Instead he suggested Freddy Grossniklaus whom I knew from 1993 when we climbed the Wetterhorn.
On my suggestion we choose to climb the Nadelhorn (4327 m) and to spend half a day rock climbing on the Riffelhorn above Zermatt to prepare for the Matterhorn. Ueli was to join us in the Hörnli hut the evening before the climb and Freddy was also to come along guiding a German client.
“My mind is made up. I will ascend the Riffelberg. As usual, at Zermatt, when a great ascent is about to be undertaken, everybody, native and foreign, laid aside his own projects and took up a good position to observe the start. The expedition consisted of 198 persons, including the mules; or 205, including the cows. As follows:
Chiefs of service subordinates
Myself, 1 Veterinary Surgeon Mr. Harris, 1 Butler, 17 Guides, 12 Waiters, 4 Surgeons, 1 Footman, 1 Geologist, 1 Barber, 1 Botanist, 1 Head Cook, 3 Chaplains, 9 Assistants, 15 Barkeepers, 1 Confectionery Artist, 1 Latinist
27 Porters, 3 Coarse Washers and Ironers, 44 Mules, 1 Fine ditto, 44 Muleteers, 7 Cows, 2 Milkers
Rations, etc. Apparatus
16 Cases Hams, 25 Spring Mattresses, 2 Barrels Flour, 2 Hair ditto, 22 Barrels Whiskey Bedding for same, 1 Barrel Sugar, 2 Mosquito-nets, 1 Keg Lemons, 29 Tents. 2,000 Cigars, Scientific Instruments, 1 Barrel Pies, 97 Ice-axes, 1 Ton of Pemmican, 5 Cases Dynamite, 143 Pair Crutches, 7 Cans Nitroglycerin, 2 Barrels Arnica, 22 40-foot Ladders, 1 Bale of Lint, 2 Miles of Rope, 27 Kegs Paregoric, 154 Umbrellas”
To learn more about this humorous and exciting expedition one has to read A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain.
No crowds gathered when we left for the Riffelberg - which is not a mountain, it is more of a train stop and a hotel. We got off the train that had its terminal station Gornergrat at Riffelberg. Completely alone, we walked towards the Riffelhorn which is mountain, popular for rock climbing. The only thing that bothered us was that we could not see the Matterhorn. Somehow the famous pyramid attracted dark and ugly clouds. And there we would find ourselves in two days time. We tried to hide our concern about the weather but did not succeed. We had previously asked about the weather down in Zermatt, and even spent twenty francs to call the weather service. It will become better during the weekend, but remain uncertain for the next two days we were told.
After climbing two routes on the Riffelhorn we spent an hour on the terrace of the Hotel Riffelberg. Again we were alone except for the Matterhorn which could only be seen between the clouds for short intervals. A buzzing sound attracted our attention, through the binoculars we could see a helicopter landing at the Hörnli hut, the starting point for ascending the Matterhorn. After a while it lifted and flew towards the east face. It stopped and stood still like a buzzing hornet. Someone was winched down to pick up a human being. Had someone got into difficulties and need to be rescued? In the end, the helicopter took off in the direction Zermatt.
Main street Zermatt
Thursday at lunch time in the main street of Zermatt can be very interesting. Especially if you visit the bookshop where they have a large collection of books on the Matterhorn. Most of them fell in the category pretty pictures, a few dealt with climbing and climbing routes, some were about the history of the mountain. And the one that caught my eye; "Matterhorn Gipfel der Werbung”. It was not about the Matterhorn history, it did not describe the different routes to the summit but it dealt solely with the use of Matterhorn as a promotional items and logos. “Matterhorn – the summit of advertising” is a one hundred page book with numerous examples showing how the characteristic silhouette of the Matterhorn has been used for business purposes.
The chocolate Toblerone is probably the most famous trademark having the Matterhorn as model. There are sausages, wine, beer, cheese, yogurt and many other things to eat and drink with Matterhorn logos. Uneatable things like watches, knives, cigarettes, pens, sunglasses, stamps and skies use the Matterhorn as a trademark. And of course, both Donald Duck and Tintin have relations to the Matterhorn. And I cannot be the only one who has struggled with a thousand pieces Matterhorn jigsaw puzzle?
Dangerous so why?
What is it that makes the Matterhorn so dangerous? It is not so much the technical difficulty, but rather the total length and the exposure of the climb, and the risk of sudden weather changes. It is not a perfect ridge climb on splendid rock. Instead the ground is often loose with high risk of people kicking down stones of various sizes. And of course, some people are not adequately prepared for this adventure. During the high season and ideal condition that usually occur in early August as many as two hundred climbers, from all over the world line up on the Hörnli Ridge. It goes without saying that under such circumstances dangerous situations arise when people are acting at the utmost of their ability.
Being August 8 it would normally be the peak season. But this summer in the Alps had been very poor which meant that winter snow was still lying on the Matterhorn. The fact was that the Zermatt guides this season only had guided clients to the summit on three occasions.
So why do people from all over the world come to climb the famous pyramid? There may be as many reasons as there are climbers. I met a young German from Koblentz. “Why the Matterhorn?” I asked. “Well, I want to get it over with before I get married and have children”, he answered. I met an American who expressed his motives as “I want to do something that my fucking neighbour back home in Oklahoma hasn’t done.” And there was my category being tired of answering “No” when people hear that you climb mountains and ask: Mountaineer - really? The Matterhorn - of course?
To the Hut
We got off the cable car at Schwarzsee just in front of one the most photographed motives in the western Alps; the chapel with its mirror image in the little lake. The tourists visited the chapel while we walked up to the Hörnli hut.
Suddenly there was the sound of a helicopter landing on a small plate next to the hut. It took off again and flew out towards the mighty east face, very close to it as it seemed. A man was winched down to the rocks and it looked like he picked something up. We were about ten people watching and the word was that someone had fallen from the Hörnli ridge. The helicopter that we had seen the day before had actually salvaged the dead climber. What we witnessed was the retrieving of the dead man’s backpack.
While waiting for dinner to be served I withdrew to the bunk bed. A loud noise woke me up an hour later. Rain was pouring down accompanied by lightning and thunder. "So much for that", I thought, seeing my Matterhorn climb disappear into the void. The mood was subdued among the approximately thirty people who had dinner in the hut that evening. We finally got in to the inevitable - the next day. It was decided that the wake-up would take place at five instead of at three o'clock as was usual. In this way, we would be able to start almost in daylight. On the other hand, the snow would become more soft and difficult on the way down. I was awake all night waiting for the alarm to go off at five o'clock. And finally it did, even if it took time.
Too good to be true
It was too good to be true; starlight and no wind. The only thing that disturbed the picture was a layer of frozen hail on the ground. There was a certain tension around the breakfast tables. There was one Japanese table, one American table and one mixed table including ourselves. Twenty people would try to climb the Matterhorn this August day in 1997. The first phase was to chew down a few slices of bread with marmalade.
And then we were off, Ueli first and I at the other end of the rope. The difficulties began almost immediately but we worked our way up slowly without anyone saying a word. The terrain was bumpy, with a lot of loose material. For every step you had to make sure you did not send any stones down on the people coming after. We walked on a ledge and there were also people above us. Suddenly I heard a grinding noise and when I looked up I saw to my horror a boulder the size of an ordinary washing machine start moving. During a long second, we managed to throw ourselves out of its way. The big block continued down, bounced a few times and then disappeared into the depths. Before I had time to really understand what had happened Ueli was like a mad man and we quickly caught up with the guilty ones. Ueli literally asked the perpetrators to go to hell in every language he could. I am convinced that the message got through. They were so shocked themselves by the incident that they backed down again.
The Belgian Ernest Solvay was a generous man who in 1915 funded the construction of the hut just halfway to the summit. The Solvay hut, exceeding four thousand meters by three meters, is a bivouac hut to be used only in emergency situations. Looking at the hut from far below, it appears to be right above your head. I knew from experience that looking up just made the time to get there feel longer. A better tactic was to keep your eyes on the next step and fight in the small scale. The steep section up to hut is known as the lower Moseley slab. The icy condition did not contribute to make the going easier. At last we sat there on the little bench outside the hut. The ledge was a meter wide, including the bench. The pause lasted for ten minutes at most and for the first time I was given the opportunity to properly admire the surroundings. The Monte Rosa peaks were all at my feet.
Ueli looked for something in his backpack, having my video camera on top he took it out and put on the side. It began to slide towards the edge. I yelled as I saw what was going to happen and in the last millisecond Ueli got hold of the strap before it disappeared into the depths. We looked at each other but said nothing. Instead, I tried to count; 4003-3260 became 743 with some carrying over. 4478-4003 became 475 without carrying. "More than half finished", 743 meters done but there still remained 475 difficult meters to the summit.
To the summit
The American Edward Oxnard Moseley has also lent his name to the steep section above the hut, the upper Moseley slab. What did he do that to deserve such an attention? Tragically he died at an ascent in 1879. As I remember the pitch directly after the hut was steep and difficult which may contribute to the understanding of what happened to poor Moseley.
We climbed along the ridge, we found ourselves on famous places such as the Red Tower, the Shoulder and the Ceiling. When you are in the middle of it all it is easy to lose the sense of the outer world, only what you have at hand is important.
After the Shoulder there was a small traffic jam at the start of the thick fixed ropes. Ueli climbed quickly upwards without using the ropes between the belay points and I was performing at my best succeeding to pass people who had problems. One guide was pulling hard on his rope yelling to his client; “Es muss gehen! Es muss gehen!”
In the heavy wind Ueli finally exclaimed, "Well done!", and when I looked up, only fifty meters remained to the summit ridge. Up there, I saw the familiar narrow ridge. A few minutes later we stood on the highest point. Once there, I sensed for the first time how tired I was. Frankly, my first thought when I stood on the very summit on the Swiss side of the Matterhorn was "Get the hell out of here!" However, I tried to pull myself together and feel that it was the journey that made the goal worthwhile.
The Italian summit with its cross was just a few meters away. So close but still far away. "What time is it?" I asked but nobody answered. Two figures with hoods folded came stumbling in our direction along the ridge. "Don’t I know you from somewhere?" It was Freddy, humorous as always. He and the German had apparently been on our heels the last bit towards the summit. After one look straight down to the south side into Italy and one to the north side right down into Switzerland, we turned around and began the descent.
Even if I could not picture exactly where the rope broke in 1865 we must have passed the steep place. The tragic first descent of the Matterhorn and its aftermath creates interest even in our days. Allan Lyall has written almost seven hundred pages of the decent only.
After many tiresome rappels, we stopped for the first time at Solvay hut. There I had the most delicious apple I ever have eaten. Tossing the apple core down the east face does not make me proud to tell. Again followed a number of rappels. I heard Ueli’s voice saying "Lean in the Rope!" when I sometimes hesitated. It is one thing to rappel down steep terrain and quite another when the ground is a mixture of small snow fields and large blocks. The terrain was very tiring and awkward to negotiate wearing crampons.
The tempo dropped since it would be stupid to risk anything now, half an hour more or less made no difference whatsoever. The Hörnli hut came closer slowly, too slowly.
Coming down having less than an hour to go we took a little break. As I was looking down on the last awkward sections a guide and his client passed by. Without hesitation the guide made a move that I thought impossible when he went around a smooth outward leaning rock. How did he do that? Trying to repeat it later I discovered after a while a tiny little knob where he had put his finger to balance the overturning gravity component. On the other hand, having done that probably fifty times it was no big deal – for him. This little finger hold is lost for ever since 1500 cubic meters of rock dislodged from the ridge taking it down the east face on July 15, 2003. Dramatically 84 climbers were trapped and had to be air-lifted off the mountain from above the rock fall.
The rock fall of 2003
Down at last
When we finally made the last rappel down to solid ground and we were only a hundred meters from the hut I looked for the first time at my watch. It read half past three making our climb nine and a half hour long. Not so bad when the standard time is said to be ten hours.
I just stopped and had a beer at the hut terrace trying to feel the victory. What I felt was nothing but fatigue. With a couple of minutes margin we made it to the last gondola from Schwarzsee.
Over a cup of coffee among all the tourists down in Zermatt Ueli gave me a diploma as evidence of the achievement. "Ascension of the Matterhorn", signed, sealed and everything. Normally I am not much of a diploma man, but for once I felt it appropriate to be a little vain.
I noted that the view from hotel window that evening did not include the Matterhorn. I was saturated with impressions, and I had had more than enough for the day.
At breakfast next morning I read the local newspaper. My eyes fell on a line saying, "Opfer identfiziert". The man who had been killed on the Matterhorn three days ago had been identified. He was a young Czech climber who fallen from 3900 meters on Hörnli ridge, one hundred meters below the Solvay hut. I raised my head and looked out of the window. In the upper right corner I saw a dangerous acquaintance, a 4478 meter high dangerous acquaintance.
Nobody asked: “Mountaineer - really? The Matterhorn - of course?” But I answered “Yes !” anyway.
Thanks to Ueli Bühler and Freddy Grossniklaus for excellent guiding.
Thanks to desainme and isostatic for comments on the original text. | <urn:uuid:278071b3-d5be-4f92-a673-8c9476a24518> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.summitpost.org/mountaineer-really-the-matterhorn-of-course/608696 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977516 | 4,093 | 2.359375 | 2 |
What’s the best time to visit X? When is the rainy season in Y? Central and South American countries have wildly diverse climates. At certain times of the year, you really don’t want to be visiting certain places. Here I’ll run briefly you through the seasons, weather and climate of all countries in Latin America.
Latin America’s Climate In general
Most countries are hot year round, but if you are at an altitude of anything above 2000 metres, it will start to feel cool, irrelevant of the season. Above 3000 metres and you’ll feel cold, above 4000 metres and it starts to get freezing. This is the most important consideration in terms of what clothes to pack - the altitude of the places you will visit. In South America, the “winter months” of May to September only really affect Argentina, Chile and Southern Brazil - all of these places become progressively cooler the further one travels South.
Capital city Buenos Aires is hot and humid during the summer months of November to March, but especially so during January when most locals take their vacations to get away from the sweltering heat. During winter, it can get pretty cold in Buenos Aires.
The weather in Patagonia is always unpredictable, but the summer months is by far the best time to visit. Fine weather can be found from November to April, but note that January and February can get very busy in Patagonia (ie. Southern Argentina - the same is true of Southern Chile’s Patagonia region). During the winter, most places shut down, unless you’re skiing (eg. in Bariloche), in which case the best months to visit are July and August (the depths of winter).
The North of Argentina (ie. around Salta) can be visited year round, but the driest (and best weather) is found during the winter months. Note that at this time of the year, crossing the Andes overland into Chile might not be possible due to snow though.
Belize & Guatemala
Belize’s climate is hot and humid year round. The rainy season is supposedly from mid May to November, while the dry season if from February to mid May. Remember that the rainy season means more mosquitoes - this is a tropical country. The rainy season also is the hurricane season in Belize (a marginal risk). The winter months of November to January are a little cooler than the summer months of May to September.
Guatemala essentially has the same climate as Belize. It’s not so hot and humid as much of the country consists of highlands. June is known as the rainiest season in the highlands.
The driest months in La Paz and the Western highlands are May to December - expect clear blue skies almost every day. November to March is the rainy season throughout the country. The lowlands are hot and humid year round, while the highlands are always cold (dependent on altitude), but particularly so during the winter months of June to August. At night, temperatures regularly hit minus 18 celsius around the Salar de Uyuni in winter for example.
Rio de Janeiro (and everywhere South of Rio) is cool during the winter months of May to September - it’s often not warm enough to hit the beach for example. In contrast, the weather in the summer months of December to March can be swelteringly hot in Rio and elsewhere in the South of Brazil. Expect short bursts of rainfall during these summer months in the South.
Iguazu is often hot and humid from August to April, when it also rains more often, giving a more spectacular sight of the waterfalls. May to September is drier and cooler - at the end of the dry season the falls are no where near as spectacular as during the rest of the year.
In the North of the country, May to August is the rainy season. Everywhere around Salvador and Natal will be rainy almost everyday - be warned if you’re expecting a beach holiday. If you head further West along the coast towards Fortaleza or Jericoacoara, you’ll find the weather gets progressively better as you travel West.
So May to August is winter in the South of Brazil, and the rainy season in the North East - so if you want a beach holiday in Brazil during these months, your only safe bet in terms of the weather is around Fortaleza.
If you’re a European, the simplest way for you to imagine Chile’s climate is to take a map of Europe and North Africa and turn it upside down (Chile’s climatic zones is like that of Europes, only upside down.). In the North it’s desert, in the middle it’s a warm wine growing region, in the South it’s temperate like North Europe while in the very South of Chile it’s weather approaches arctic conditions. The climate in Chile is very dependent upon the season, much as it is in Europe.
Santiago and Patagonia are usually cold and wet during the winter months of May to September - these are the months to avoid. The North of Chile is dry year round, though it is rarely hot due to the altitude.
Describing Colombia’s climate is almost impossible due to so much variation of such short spaces of distance. Bogota is generally cool year round due to it’s high elevation and Medellin is known as the “city of the eternal spring” [a lot of places are known as that I know] due to it’s year round spring like climate, though it can get rainy during October and November (it’s also rainy in the “coffee country” during these months). Cartagena and the Caribbean coast of the country is hot and humid year round, but especially so from August to November. The Caribbean coast generally sees fine beach type weather all year round. Choco, on Colombia’s Pacific coast, is the rainiest place in all South America - year round. See paisatours.com for more tips on Colombia’s diverse climate.
Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua & Honduras
All these countries have very tropical climates. May to November is the rainy season, but the Caribbean coast is far wetter than the Pacific coastlines during this period. Rain is usually in short bursts, and followed by clear skies - so there isn’t a problem if visiting during the rainy season. Note that Panama and Costa Rica are not affected by the hurricane season (July to November), while North Nicaragua and Honduras are on the outskirts of the hurricane region - occasionally hit but rarely.
Cuba & other Caribbean Islands
December to April is the dry season when it is sunniest and less humid. The hurricane season of July to November sees an increased chance of occasional prolonged torrential downpours. In Cuba and the Caribbean it’s hot and sunny all year round - hence it’s popularity as a beach vacation destination.
Hurricane damage season - one moment you’ll be playing on the beach like this, the next you get the evacuation order. Just remember it really doesn’t happen that often.
Ecuador’s climate is highly variable by region. In the highlands, February to April is supposedly the rainier season but in recent years everything has been thoroughly unpredictable all over the country at any time of year.
As for the Galapagos Islands, see the detailed section on the Galapagos Islands weather.
The “winter” months of November to April are generally drier and not so hot (notice I don’t say cooler - it’s always hot). The months of May to September are wetter, though rain is not usually prolonged in duration. The Maya Riviera (Cancun, the Yucatan and around) is hot and humid year round, but sees slightly more rain from July to September, which is also the hurricane season. During the summer months of April to September it is often unbearably, swelteringly, desert-like hot in Baja California and Northern Mexico. The tropical South West of Mexico’s climate is more akin to that of Belize and Guatemala (see that section). Throughout Mexico, the climate will vary greatly according to altitude.
November to Narch is the rainy sesason in Peru - especially so in the highlands (eg. Cuzco, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu). Note that the Inca trail is closed during February. During the winter months of June to September, days are almost always clear, but nights can get very cold at high altitude.
Lima, and much of Peru’s coast and beaches, are almost always misty due to the la garua phenomenon - mist is especially prevalent from May to October.
In Peru’s jungle (Amazon and the Puerto Maldonado area), April to October is the dry season - the rest of the year usually sees very high temerpatures (up to 40 celsius) and torrential rain for a couple of hours a day (but that’s what the rainforest is all about, so don’t let it put you off!)
The Caribbean coast is dry year round. The Llanos and Orinoco delta regions are hot and tropical in weather, and see a rainier season from April to October. The Gran Sabana is very wet during July and August - best to avoid these months as travel overland can be very difficult. In contrast, the dry season around Angel Falls and Canaima National Park is from December to April - while the weather might be wonderful, you’ll be sorely disappointed by the trickle of a waterfall at Angel Falls (the highest in the world). The Andes region of Merida sees the best weather from March to June and September to December.
A Final Note on the Climate and Weather in Latin America
El Nino years see particularly hap-hazard climatic conditions in South America - expect a lot more rain and unpredictability, especially in the Andean countries. It’s also important to note that South America’s climate is changing - in many of the places that I have visited, the locals have noted increasing unpredictability of the weather and either shortening or lengthening of seasons. All this is due to human induced global warming - so do consider offsetting the carbon emissions of your flights. | <urn:uuid:5c9754fc-b37c-4d29-ad5d-b76498d770fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigtravelweb.com/travel/2008/10/14/climate-weather-considerations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960861 | 2,172 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Governments of the rich countries, heavily influenced by corporate lobbyists, have given sweeping rights to multinational companies. These rights are being strictly enforced by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with disastrous consequences for people around the world. Now governments are proposing to further expand the WTO's mandate giving unprecedented new powers to the corporate giants.
Again and again we hear homage to the 'free market'. 'Liberalisation' is the mantra of global decision making. Reduce government rules and the free market will bring about economic growth which benefits all, we are promised.
But reality is very different. For most of the world, we are anything but free. The giant multinationals are concentrating power and wealth at an alarming rate. Just one man, Bill Gates, has as much money as 450 million of the world's poorest people. The WTO has become the vehicle for liberalisation, with the multinationals at the wheel. It has the power to punish governments who 'interfere' with free trade, leaving the field wide open for multinationals in pursuit of profit.
'More and more the WTO is under pressure to expand its agenda because more and more it is seen as the focal point for the many
challenges and concers of globalisation'
--Renato Ruggiero, former WTO Director General.
Having failed poor countries in favour of the rich, the WTO is now failing citizens in favour of corporations. It has proved itself an undemocratic institution, incapable of responsible global governance. Yet far from reining
it in, governments are planning to build an even bigger juggernaught when they meet this November in Seattle.
POOR COUNTRIES LOSE OUT UNDER 'FREE TRADE'
The WTO already has a poor record of increasing inequality between countries. In theory, the WTO stops governments interfering in the smooth running of free trade and everyone is meant to benefit from the economic growth which follows.
Reality is very different. Free trade pitches powerful rich countries against the Third World. Supposedly the playing field is made level, but nothing is done to address the unequal capacity of the teams. Developing
countries are prohibited from nurturing their industries, in the way that industrialised countries did during their own development. Impoverished Caribbean farmers are left to compete with the multinationals who already control most of the banana trade.
And what's more, the playing field is far from level. Rich countries have the negotiating might to ensure developing countries open their economies, but they have reneged on their own obligations. Subsidies on OECD countries'
agriculture are still twice the value of developing countries entire agricultural exports. Undercut by massively subsidised American corn, Oxfam estimates that half a million Filipino farmers will lose their livelihoods.
Over the last 20 years the share of global trade of the least developed countries has more than halved. At the time of the GATT deals in 1994 even the OECD predicted that Africa would lose out to the tune of $2.6 billion a year over the next ten years. Freer trade was predicted to push down prices for Third World exports like coffee and cocoa prices while the cost of things they import, like wheat and corn, would rise. Commodity prices have fallen even further than predicted.
It is already apparent that the winners are the rich countries and the losers are the poor in the Third World. UN reports have shown how free trade has lead to greater inequality both within and between countries.
Gender impact of free trade
Opening up trade affects men and women differently. In Ghana, women who had produced food for local markets came under pressure to give up their land for cash crops. The men then got the income when these crops were exported. Imported rice put many women farmers in the Philippines out of business. They had to take jobs on pineapple or banana plantations where they were exposed to pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.
MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS - THE REAL WINNERS
Five years ago, when the WTO was established, attention focused on the disparity of benefits between rich and poor countries. Now it is clear that the real winners have been the multinationals.
WTO rules mean that governments are not allowed to 'interfere' with trade. Increasingly this is being interpreted to mean that governments cannot even make normal domestic policy if it might have an impact on an overseas company wishing to sell its goods. Even government rules to protect the health of their citizens have come under attack. The battle is no longer between rich and poor countries, but between the demands of multinationals in pursuit of profit, and the duties of governments to govern.
Food safety under threat
- GMOs: The US and Canada have complained about 'GM free' labelling.
- Beef: An EU ban on hormone injected beef is WTO-illegal, despite scientific reports about its health risk.
Environmental protection outlawed
- Oil: Laws on cleaner petrol in the US fell foul of complaints from Venezuela, whose exported fuel was too dirty.
- Turtles: US not allowed to ban shrimp caught in ways which kill turtles.
Attempts to protect the poor thwarted
- Bananas: EU prevented from providing preferential treatment to impoverished Caribbean farmers. US multinationals, with plantations in
Latin America, felt they were being unfairly treated.
- Burma: Massachusetts' right to penalise companies doing business with Burma under threat from EU.
Government economic policy undermined
- India: Government not allowed to restrict imports even though it faced a serious balance of payments problem.
The implications are enormous. Governments are prevented from carrying out the will of their electorate and acting in a socially responsible manner. If EU governments are not allowed to protect the health of European citizens under the WTO, there seems little hope for developing country governments trying to protect the interests of the poorest people in their countries.
The WTO agreement on intellectual property rights (TRIPs) also benefits corporations. It imposes strict rules protecting patents, copyrights and trademarks -- most of which are held by multinationals. This increases the monopoly control some multinationals have, preventing local firms from
developing similar products. It also allows multinationals to own rights to the use of plants and natural derivatives, like the natural pesticide from the Neem tree, which has been used for hundreds of years by farmers but has now been patented by a US corporation.
Commenting on the WTO's position Indian ambassador S. Narayanan said "The implication of this seems to be governments must give a higher priority to the profits of TNCs rather than the welfare and well being of their people."
THE MONSTER GROWS
With such a dismal record the WTO might expect some critical evaluation from its member governments. Instead they look set to increase its powers. Trade Ministers from all the member countries will meet in November
1999 in Seattle, USA. Believing they are losing out, many Developing Countries want to review past agreements before adding yet more. Agriculture and services are already on the agenda. Now the EU is proposing a new 'Millennium Round' which would include a whole host of goodies.
Opposition to any extension of the WTO's mandate is mounting. India, Malaysia, and Egypt among others feel cheated that the promised benefits have not materialised. A campaign is burgeoning among campaign organisations too. A joint statement against the new round has been signed by over 1,000 organisations from over 80 countries.
INVESTMENT ISSUES IN THE WTO
WDM is particularly concerned by the EU proposal that the WTO should set rules for foreign investment -- where an investor or company from one country wants to set up shop in another country.
Under the TRIMs agreement (Trade Related Investment Measures) some government regulations are already restricted, such as specifying that a foreign investor should export a proportion of their products (to protect domestic producers and ensure that they earn some foreign exchange). India
wants this reviewed to give back some flexibility to developing countries so they can nurture their industries.
WDM fears the EU proposal would instead give multinationals even more power, just like its predecessor the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI). Strong opposition halted the MAI, which proposed extensive rules
to protect multinationals. Foreign companies would have been given the automatic right to set up in any country of their choice, the right to own 100% of the venture and the right to be treated 'at least as well' as any local enterprise. Governments power to make rules for foreign investors would have been curbed -- even if such rules were designed to benefit its citizens.
The EU proposal is heading in the same direction. WDM fears that an investment agreement in the WTO will only extend the power of the multinationals even further.
The UK Government appears to be taking a surprisingly complacent approach towards the WTO. When the MAI collapsed, then Trade Minister Brian Wilson appeared to have understood some of the concerns raised. He called for any
new negotiations to start with a 'blank sheet of paper' based on objectives which should 'take full account of social and environmental concerns'. Yet despite these undertakings, the Government is pushing for the WTO to cover foreign investment according to the same principles. It is a driving force behind the EU proposal on investment. In doing so it is ignoring the widespread opposition to the MAI and the mounting evidence of the WTO's abject failings.
WDM argues that an investment agreement is needed, but one which provides protection for the poorest people, not for the richest companies. WDM believes the WTO has proved itself incapable of housing such an agreement. An
International Investment Agreement should:
- Allow developing country governments to regulate foreign investment in the interests of their own economic development, and implement high standards on health, working conditions and the environment
- Set minimum requirements of multinational companies, and sanction them if they transgress.
- Provide a predictable set of rules for foreign investors so that they are willing to investment in the Third World.
One proposal to mitigate some of the worst abuses by multinationals is for minimum labour and environment standards to be included in the WTO package. While this could bring some benefits it misses the central point: Third
World governments need to retain the power to regulate foreign investment in a variety of ways to ensure it contributes to equitable development, not have standards imposed on them by international bodies.
LACK OF DEMOCRACY
Moreover, developing countries have made it clear that they do not trust the WTO to implement such standards fairly, and see it as a potential new form of protectionism -- where industrialised countries can ban imports from the Third World arguing that their standards are too low.
Mistrust of the WTO also stems from its lack of accountability and the lack of democracy for developing countries in the Geneva based institution. In theory the WTO is democratic. Each member has one vote and decisions are meant to be taken by consensus.
That's the theory. In practice developing countries are severely hampered in the negotiations which take place before the 'consensus' is reached.
- Rich countries dominate decision making. The US has over 250 negotiators while 30 of the 134 countries cannot afford to base anyone in Geneva, one of the world's most expensive cities.
- During the previous round of negotiations key decisions were taken behind closed doors with Third World representatives left in the coffee bar dependant on Western journalists for information.
Enforcement is similarly dominated by the superpowers.
- There is a dispute panel which adjudicates, but it is then up to individual countries to enforce their decision by imposing trade sanctions. The US has little to fear if a small Third World country threatens sanctions, but could destroy an economy if the situation is reversed.
- Developing countries constitute three-quarters of the membership but have made only one-fifth of the complaints to the dispute panel. The US has filed nearly 30% of all cases, and won 90% of them.
And again it is the multinationals who really win out.
- Their corridor persuasion is infamous. Scandal already surrounds the forthcoming Seattle meetings where 'sponsorship' by corporations will buy them access to officials.
- Settlement of disputes relies heavily on unaccountable committees providing 'technical' advice (such as the Codex Alimentarius Committee on food standards). These committees are packed with representatives of industry.
All the evidence suggests its time to stop and review the WTO, not rush headlong into yet more new agreements.
WDM is calling for
- Fundamental review and reform of the WTO to ensure that it benefits the poorest people not the richest companies. There should be no new agreements until past ones have been fairly implemented and their impact fully reviewed.
- An agreement on foreign investment which promotes the rights of people not corporations. In its current form, the WTO is not the appropriate forum for such an agreement.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Set up in 1995 to liberalise trade
Successor to the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which reduced tariffs (taxes on imports) and quotas (limits on the amount of imports).
Uruguay Round of negotiations (1986-93 ) expanded the mandate to just about anything which could affect free trade.
Unlike other international organisations the WTO has teeth. The victor in any dispute can bring sanctions. However sanctions imposed by the stronger countries are clearly a greater threat, giving them more power to use the dispute mechanism.
Supposedly each of the 134 members have equal say: in practice decision making is dominated by the 'Quad': USA; European Union; Japan and Canada.
Ministerial Conferences of Trade Ministers meets roughly every three years - the last one was in Singapore in 1996. The next is in Seattle, USA from November 30 to December 3, 1999.
A General Council of Member Representatives meets in between Ministerials.
The small secretariat is based in Geneva, with a Director General appointed by the members. A dispute panel of lawyers adjudicates over disputes. | <urn:uuid:d9c965fe-fc4d-4189-bf57-b0fe51a4b353> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=329 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960784 | 2,834 | 2.40625 | 2 |
For Immediate Release: May 3, 2010
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
The National Building Museum Honors ‘Civic Innovators’
Multidisciplinary Design Firm Perkins+Will; The Founders of New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village—Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis, Ann Marie Wilkins, and Jim Pate; and The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon to receive 24th Honor Award on May 11, 2010
On May 11, 2010, the National Building Museum will hold its 24th Honor Award ceremony to recognize three organizations that have advanced the quality of our built environment through their unique civic and social innovations: multidisciplinary design firm Perkins+Will; New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village founders Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis, Ann Marie Wilkins, and Jim Pate; and The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
The National Building Museum’s 2010 Honor Award recognizes leadership in civic innovation—the ability to conquer societal challenges through creative thinking and inventive design. The Museum will recognize this select group of leaders for their remarkable civic and social contributions to our built environment.
Architecture and interdisciplinary design practice Perkins+Will will be celebrated for its legacy of socially-relevant design that has promoted human wellbeing over the course of the firm’s 75 year-history.
The founders of the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village—Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis, Ann Marie Wilkins, and Jim Pate—will be honored for their creation of a multi-generational village to house musicians in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, thereby preserving and promoting the cultural traditions and practices that define New Orleans.
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon will be recognized for its commitment to educating the next generation of engineers, architects, and builders through a creative “whole building approach” with renewable energy, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible systems.
The Honor Award ceremony will take place the evening of May 11, 2010 during a gala event which will include the honorees, government officials, leaders from across the design and building industry, and guests from arts and cultural organizations. The Honor Award was instituted by the National Building Museum in 1986 to recognize achievements in our nation’s building heritage and to highlight those devoted to quality in our built world.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
VIP event begins at 6:00 pm, reception at 7:00 pm
Marketing and Communications Department, 202.272.2448, ext. 3458
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook. | <urn:uuid:0d1f24f6-0147-4e84-a18d-45ae219757c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbm.org/about-us/press-room/media-advisory/2010_honor_award_media_advisory.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924702 | 638 | 1.59375 | 2 |
On Monday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney caused a furor when he told a group of Republican donors in Israel that “culture makes all the difference” when it comes to a country’s economic success, and that it was “culture” that explained the economic disparity between Israeli society and Palestinian society.
The remarks drew a flurry of criticism, including from the Obama White House, which didn’t miss an opportunity to chide Romney. “One of the challenges of being an actor on the international stage, particularly when you’re traveling to such a sensitive part of the world, is that your comments are very closely scrutinized, for meaning, for nuance, for motivation,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat was more blunt, calling the comment “racist.”
Several major news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post and CNN, ran highly critical news reports and opinion articles about the incident. One scholar cited in Romney’s remarks, Jared Diamond, wrote in the New York Times that his views had been misrepresented by the Republican candidate.
But Republicans were undeterred by the criticism, instead rushing to Romney’s defense and arguing in a slew of articles that the Palestinians do in fact suffer from a stifling political and economic culture.
“Every sane person” knows Romney’s comments “to be true,” argued John Podhoretz in the New York Post.
“Romney said Israel has done better than the areas under Palestinian control because Israeli culture is healthier. That’s not only true,” Podhoretz wrote, “it’s a necessary thing to say – because the refusal to say it and accept it contributes to the continuing immiseration and unfreedom of the Palestinians themselves.”
Author and Romney campaign foreign policy adviser Dan Senor told NPR that Romney “was simply saying that there’s no question there were certain choices Israeli society has made over the years – protecting freedom of speech, protecting free enterprise, celebrating entrepreneurialism and entrepreneurs – that have contributed to economic success.”
According to Max Boot, a defense analyst and journalist, “there was nothing offensive – or particularly novel – in Romney’s observation… [Romney’s] words could have been drawn from the UN’s Arab Human Development Reports, written by Arab intellectuals, which have reached damning conclusions about the lack of freedom, education, women’s rights, and other factors holding back the Arab world.”
The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens praised Romney, writing that he was “not prepared to give Palestinians an automatic pass for their failure to do something with the political and economic opportunities they’ve been given. Israeli success, in [Romney’s] mind, is earned—and so is Palestinian failure.”
In an oped disseminated by the right-wing Zionist Organization of America primarily to Jewish audiences, the organization’s leaders argued that there was nothing racist in Romney’s remarks.
“There was… no reference in Governor Romney’s comparison of Israel and the Palestinians to religion or ethnicity, let alone race,” they wrote. Rather, they argued, the cultural divide is real.
“Israel has a culture of private enterprise, research, innovation and technological development. In contrast, the PA has been bedeviled from its inception with crony capitalism, endemic corruption, distortions of the market and other malpractices which also affect its economy in drastic ways, not least in the loss of foreign investor confidence.”
It was unclear if the flurry of criticism and the subsequent spirited defense of Romney’s remark have hurt or helped the candidate. Some Republican commentators, including Podhoretz in the Post, suggested that most Americans agreed with Romney’s comment, and the presumed gaffe would only help his election prospects.
However, a Google search for the terms “Romney” and “culture” offered a long list of thousands of headlines, of which more than three-quarters of the top-ranked articles were highly critical of Romney. As the Google search engine ranks links according to their popularity, both in terms of readership and how often they are linked from other sites, this suggests that the majority of readers who read about the incident online read a critical account.
For his part, Romney himself weighed in on the subject Tuesday in an oped in the conservative National Review, explaining his belief that a “culture of freedom” is a key factor for economic success.
In the case of America, he wrote, “one feature of our culture that propels the American economy stands out above all others: freedom…. Economic freedom is the only force that has consistently succeeded in lifting people out of poverty. It is the only principle that has ever created sustained prosperity.”
The United States did not always enjoy this culture of freedom, he added, arguing that through the battles against slavery and for civil rights, “we changed our ‘culture’ and vastly improved it.”
In a retort to accusations of racism from Palestinian officials, he wrote that all peoples, “Israelis, Palestinians, Poles, Russians, Iranians, Americans, all human beings deserve to enjoy the blessings of a culture of freedom and opportunity.”
Romney made the original remarks during a three-country tour of Britain, Israel and Poland meant to showcase his foreign policy acumen and shore up poll numbers that have been consistently lagged behind incumbent President Barack Obama.
|Like us on Facebook||Get our newsletter||Follow us on Twitter| | <urn:uuid:872cdad2-dc66-485c-91e6-91249999d75d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesofisrael.com/republicans-double-down-on-romneys-palestinian-culture-comment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957497 | 1,182 | 1.84375 | 2 |
How To Lose Weight Exercising
It is easy to learn how to lose weight exercising. Weight loss is one of the most popular topics, with shows like "The Biggest Loser", "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Losing it with Jillian", it is clear that the weight loss craze is sweeping the nation. It is no surprise that people are trying to lose weight exercising; its not just about getting a casual workout in anymore, it’s serious for many people. Dieting doesn’t work for everyone so that’s where exercise comes in, it is possible to lose weight with exercise and it is a great way to do it. Exercise not only peels off the pounds, but it makes you healthier, and can improve aspects of your self image. If you have been struggling to lose weight then struggle no more and learn how to lose weight exercising
- Get the most out of each workout. Every time you exercise, you should be pushing your self as hard as you can without causing pain or discomfort. If you give your all in each workout and really work your body, you will maximize the workout and end up with better results.
- Switch up your workouts. Lose weight exercising by switching up what your workouts. Your muscles get used to the same movement everyday and eventually that workout move you’ve been doing everyday for a week has minimal effect on your body, Instead of doing the same thing, try a different workout every three to five days so your body doesn’t have an opportunity to get used to certain moves.
- Find what works for you. The only way you will lose weight exercising is if you are doing a workout that works for you, don’t try anything too difficult and don’t settle for anything too simple. There are thousands of workout DVD’s and thousands of workouts you can do, somewhere in there is the perfect one for you.
- Loose weight with exercise by eating healthy as well. During your exercise, eat healthier. Simple steps such as adding a fruit or vegetable to every meal can drastically improve your weight and help you lose weight with exercise.
- Know your limitations. As mush as you may want to push yourself hard, eat as little as possible and try every intense workout on the planet, you still have to respect your body's limits. When your body says stop, then stop. And when it says feed me, then feed it. If you push too hard or go to far, you will only cause damage, and slow down the weight loss process. | <urn:uuid:481486eb-2a84-471a-bec7-db79dbf7645c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-lose-weight-exercising.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962004 | 525 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Flying Bulls press BO 105s into aerobatics routines
Several European helicopter pilots recently formed the Flying Bulls, the only civil helicopter aerobatic team in Europe. The team uses the BO 105 for its performances, the most recent of which took place in Kitzbuhel, Austria, on January 27.
Licensed aerobatic helicopter pilots are a tiny fraternity in Europe. Pilot Rainer Wilke, a former German military pilot and the Flying Bulls’ only licensed helicopter pilot so far, is now training two more pilots–one for the U.S. Red Bull team and one in Europe for the Flying Bulls. He conducts most of the training in the U.S., where the weather is better. “We fly helicopter aerobatics under experimental rules, which impose fewer restrictions,” Wilke told AIN. Separately, there are two other licensed aerobatic helicopter pilots in Europe (a former and current Eurocopter test pilot), but they do not fly for the Flying Bulls.
Wilke said the group chose the BO 105 because it is the only helicopter authorized for such operations. “Normally, you need a legally aerobatic-licensed helicopter, but none exist,” he said. The only solution is therefore to get a special authorization from the manufacturer, which is what the team did. The Flying Bulls petitioned Eurocopter for permission to use the twin turbine for aerobatics, and the company gave its blessing.
“MBB [which later merged into Eurocopter] engineers had aerobatics in mind when they designed the BO 105 in the 1970s,” Wilke said. As a result, it can perform some of the same maneuvers–rolls and loops, for example–as a fixed-wing aircraft.
A feature of the BO 105 is its rigid (hingeless) rotor. “As an early rigid-rotor design, it has a huge safety margin built in,” Wilke said. Perhaps the most important safety benefit is that it is impossible for the rotor to touch the tailboom.
Limitations are minus 0.5g and plus 3.1g in negative and positive accelerations, respectively. Frequent airframe checks are required. “The helicopter has to undergo a maintenance check every 10 hours of actual aerobatic flight,” Wilke told AIN. This translates into some 80 flight hours. In civil applications, the BO 105 has no life limit, but that might change for those used in aerobatic applications. The first 10-hour check will help determine whether the aerobatic types will have a life limit.
The Flying Bulls have two BO 105s in Europe, while the Red Bull airborne team has two in the U.S. | <urn:uuid:a3da0a51-787e-441d-97a1-01938cb79b5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2007-03-08/flying-bulls-press-bo-105s-aerobatics-routines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942866 | 569 | 2 | 2 |
Transportation infrastructure: DOT awards nearly $600 million in TIGER II funding
October 21, 2010
The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it has awarded nearly $600 million in funding from its TIGER II program for various transportation infrastructure-related projects.
TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II follows the original $1.5 billion TIGER program, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and distributed grants to 51 projects out of more than 1,400 applications for almost $60 billion worth of projects that came in throughout the country. Of the 51 recipients, 22 centered on projects pertaining to goods movement. These funds were awarded in February 2010.
The objective of the TIGER program is to ensure that economic funding is rapidly made available for transportation infrastructure projects and that project spending is monitored and transparent.
In terms of selection criteria for TIGER II grants, submissions required: contributing to the long-term economic competitiveness of the nation; improving the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems; improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; improving the safety of U.S. transportation facilities and improving the quality of living and working environments of communities through increased transportation choices and connections.
According to the DOT, TIGER II funding went towards 42 capital construction projects and 33 planning projects in 40 states. And DOT said that roughly 29 percent of TIGER II funding was for road projects, 26 percent for transit, 20 percent for rail projects, 16 percent for ports, 4 percent for bicycle and pedestrian projects, and five percent for planning projects.
Some of the freight-specific projects receiving funding were:
-Great Plains Freight Rail (KS and OK), $10.2 million;
-Port Manatee Marine Highway (FL), $9 million;
-Port of Miami rail access (FL), $22.8 million;
-West Vancouver Freight Access (WA), $10 million;
- South Park Bridge Replacement, (WA), $34 million;
- West Basin Railyard project at the Port of Los Angeles, $16 million;
-Coos Bay Rail Line, (OR), $13.6 million; and
- San Bernardino Airport Access project (CA), $10 million
As was the case in the initial TIGER funding, demand for dollars for myriad projects far exceeded what was available. In September, the DOT said that it had received nearly 1,000 construction grant applications for more than $19 billion from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia for the $600 million in available funding.
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was step one and has financed nearly 15,000 transportation projects across every state in the country,” said DOT Secretary Ray LaHood on a conference call yesterday. “It has improved 40,000 miles of roadways and will connect 80 percent of Americans with a high speed rail network within the next quarter century. And through the TIGER grant program, the Recovery Act is also funding $1.5 billion in merit-based projects across the country.”
In terms of next possible steps for the TIGER program, LaHood said that TIGER is included as part of the federal transportation DOT/HUD bill, which recently was passed in both the House and Senate. Although the funding levels are different in the House and Senate, LaHood said he is pleased that Congress realizes that the TIGER program allows for creative and innovative opportunities that don’t fall under the traditional formulas that have been used by the DOT.
“I think Congress gets it, and we are pleased and grateful that Congress understands this is an important program,” said LaHood.
In an interview with LM earlier this year, Mort Downey, senior advisor at infrastructure firm Parsons-Brinkerhoff, described the TIGER grant award winners as the “cream of the crop.”
The criterion used by the DOT to select projects was fundamentally cost-benefit analysis, and this bodes well for the freight-related projects that were selected. But in order for these projects to be considered successful, Downey said they ultimately need to deliver.
“These grants are important on the job creation front and even more importation on the long-term economic growth front—particularly for the freight projects,” noted Downey. “The freight projects in particular have very large cost-benefit potential and are largely focused on shippers in terms of supply chain efficiency and reducing inventories and [transit time] delays. A lot of these projects were ‘partnership projects’ between entities like railroads and ports, and TIGER money acted as the closer to make these deals work.”
The TIGER II grants were also warmly received by a prominent transportation infrastructure concern.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms that competitive grants with objective, merit-based criteria are an effective way to invest in the nation’s multimodal infrastructure,” said Leslie Blakey, executive director of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) in a statement. “These commerce-moving projects create jobs and other benefits up and down the supply chain, and are vital to the US economy.”
Subscribe to Logistics Management magazine
entire logistics operation. Start your FREE subscription today! | <urn:uuid:67899cdc-16bf-4253-ada2-e5d6a124c87a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/transportation_infrastructure_dot_awards_nearly_600_million_in_tiger_ii_fun/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958082 | 1,122 | 1.546875 | 2 |
THE RED, RUN-DOWN, two-story frame house on Morris Avenue in the West Bronx that houses the Picture the Homeless offices looks much like those around it, except for the organization’s blue banner that hangs from the porch. The youths (there are older members too) who log in to their homeless blogs and look for jobs on the computers upstairs, surrounded by images of Zapata and the Selma freedom marchers, are mainly black and Latino, and they could be almost any of the young people you see on the street. Picture the Homeless is seamlessly embedded in this New York City neighborhood, where the new poor from Africa and South Asia join the long-established poor from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Picture the Homeless (PTH) combines social action, advocacy, outreach, and community and is run almost exclusively by homeless and formerly homeless New Yorkers. The organization’s name references the importance of challenging widespread stereotypes about people who are homeless. “Don’t talk about us; talk with us” is a PTH slogan, and it claims as a founding principle that “in order to end homelessness, people who are homeless must become an organized, effective voice for systemic change.”
Kendall Jackman, in her 50s, one of PTH’s housing organizers, lives in a women’s shelter not far from Morris Avenue. The former postal worker from Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood—“No matter where I live, I will always be a Bed-Stuy girl,” she said—lost her housing two years ago when the building she was living in was foreclosed on.
“Of the 72 women in my shelter, 69 of us either work or go to school,” Jackman said. “With no low-income housing available, shelters are now the homes of the working poor.”
Jackman is one of 10,000 single adults living in the New York City shelter system (more than 7,500 are men; almost 2,600 are women). Family shelters house a little more than 10,600 families. The NYC Department of Homeless Services puts the number of unsheltered homeless at 3,200, a figure disputed by Giselle Routhier, a policy analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless, who claims it “does not account for people sleeping in non-public or invisible areas.”
PTH owes its birth to the authorities’ reaction to a gruesome act of violence in November 1999. A young woman named Nicole Barrett had her head bashed in with a six-pound brick by a panhandler in Manhattan. Her injuries required two brain operations. Mayor Rudy Giuliani ordered the police to raid homeless shelters in search of felons. There were many beatings and arrests. One night, at the Bellevue Shelter, where Anthony Williams and Lewis Haggins were residents, Haggins witnessed the beating of a defenseless resident by the police.
The violence transformed Williams and Haggins from homeless shelter residents into homeless revolutionaries. The two men (Haggins has since died, and Williams is now married and living in Lancaster, Pa.) began trying to get homeless people organized to defend their civil rights. Williams was ordered out of the Bellevue Shelter, and Haggins went with him. Picture the Homeless was born.
“Charas gave them space to hold meetings,” said Lynn Lewis, PTH’s director, referring to the late, legendary community center on the Lower East Side, “because homeless men at Bellevue would be labeled trouble-makers if they spoke out. I was at the first meeting. Lewis and Anthony set up around 40 chairs, but only a couple of people showed up. One of them was this guy who was either high or agitated, and he kept complaining about case workers. Lewis told him, ‘We are not here to talk about individual problems. We are here to change the system.’”
Williams and Haggins, she said, lived on the streets, riding the subways at night, or sometimes staying with anyone who would put them up. From this itinerant start a formal organization developed that maintains a commitment to keep the decision-making power with folks who are homeless or formerly homeless.
PTH SOMETIMES organizes public marches against police use of stop-and-frisk tactics and the “warehousing” of vacant buildings and lots by the city and by private developers. But it also makes it its business to establish a presence in places such as POTS (Part of the Solution), the West Bronx soup kitchen founded by the recently deceased Jesuit priest Father Ned Murphy. (If cuts in food stamps are our future, the Bronx, with its abundance of soup kitchens, is the face of that future.)
“You will always find homeless people at soup kitchens,” said Andres Perez, a 47-year-old single father who lived for two years at the University Shelter with his son, also Andres, now 12, who has physical and learning disabilities. Perez was lucky enough to obtain a Section 8 voucher while at University Shelter, enabling him and his son to move into a one-room apartment in the Bronx. “I am confident talking to [people who are homeless], because almost all of us at PTH have been through what they have been through.”
Jean Rice, his wiry 73-year-old co-worker and a fixture at PTH, puts it more forcefully: “We are not a bunch of textbook theorists.”
PTH has around 1,500 homeless (or homeless when they joined) members. A $5 donation makes you a member for life. Rice is no ordinary member. A kind of radical sage whose activism goes back decades, he initiated, along with Lynn Lewis, the Wards Island outreach.
“We go to 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, where buses take newly released prisoners from upstate prisons to the Wards Island Shelter. The men are sent back to New York City with a $20 bill, and wind up on Wards Island, embittered, with no community to speak of. They are the most alienated of all the homeless people we encounter.”
It is hard, Rice said, cutting through the apathy of homeless people who accept powerlessness as part of being homeless. (Although in the 1980s, single mothers in welfare hotels such as the Brooklyn Arms and The Martinique organized against abuses by shelter personnel, and for affordable housing. Men in a Manhattan shelter did likewise.)
Sam Miller, a policymaker for PTH, sees the situation more positively. “Many of our members are from the shelters,” Miller said. “They are frustrated about conditions there, and they push back. They try to organize. Some get kicked out. They come to us. Picture the Homeless members were hugely involved in the Occupy movement at Zuccotti Park. Some, who had been squatting, left their squats and went down there and stayed to the end. They attended all the General Assembly meetings. Homelessness became one of the angles the media jumped on to attack Occupy Wall Street. They said, ‘It’s overrun with homeless people.’”
PTH also has a civil rights component. It has banded together with Communities United for Police Reform to oppose the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York police. Since many of the homeless people in New York are African American or Latino, PTH’s community suffers disproportionate profiling.
“People who live in the streets and sleep on subways are getting arrested all the time,” said Ryan Gibbs, 42, who himself was on the streets for four years and now works on the group’s civil rights steering committee. “The police say stop-and-frisk is to get guns off the street, but all they do is make the lives of homeless people unbearable.”
PTH has also waded into the rough chambers of the New York City Council, over which Big Real Estate holds sway. Miller estimates the city pays approximately $1,500 to $2,000 a month to keep homeless singles in shelters, and up to $3,500 a month to shelter homeless families.
“That’s more than what would be spent on rent, and that’s what we emphasize. All the money that’s spent on shelters should be going to rehabilitate housing and create affordable housing. To create real housing for 41,000 people will mean getting landlords and real estate brokers involved, and that won’t be easy.”
One councilperson PTH has been able to influence is Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Democrat from Spanish Harlem. Viverito introduced in the council PTH’s homeless-authored Intro 48, a bill that would oblige the city to conduct an annual count of vacant buildings and lots. The bill, which has 29 co-sponsors, has been languishing in committee more than two years. Its passage, PTH hopes, would result in long-vacated properties, public and private, being turned into low-income housing.
The group supports setting up community land trusts that would transfer city properties—and perhaps, at some point, privately owned vacant properties—to not-for-profits to be administered as affordable and sustainable low-income housing units.
“These land trusts,” said Lynn Lewis, “would serve to de-commodify housing, a necessary step toward solving the homeless problem.”
She looks to the Cooper Square Community Land Trust on the Lower East Side as a model. After years of fighting to keep the city from selling their buildings to developers (the buildings were city-owned), the predominantly poor tenants, led by the Cooper Square Committee, forced the municipality to let them establish a land trust, aimed at ensuring that all necessary maintenance bills were paid and that the 21 buildings would function, unimpeded, as a low-income housing site.
From its earliest days as a movement, PTH has enjoyed close ties with Judson Memorial Church, the peace church in Greenwich Village. Back in 2000, Judson’s senior minister, Peter Laarman, gave PTH a home there and allowed the steps of its church to be used by Haggins and Williams to protest the transferring of troublesome shelter residents to Camp LaGuardia upstate. In recent years, Judson has hosted PTH’s Longest Night vigil on the winter solstice, memorializing the homeless who have died in the streets the past year.
Michael Ellick, assistant minister at Judson and a founder of Occupy Faith, said of the vigil, “There is a space created for people to share their stories and lift them up in prayer, and for those who don’t believe, to acknowledge in their own way what they lost. We try to do what Occupy did, which is to go beyond simply working on political issues, and give dignity and context and community to the homeless.”
When Adrian Antonio Paling, PTH’s veteran housing organizer, walks up and down the long, disheartened lunch lines outside POTS on Webster Avenue, he is often asked: “Does Picture the Homeless have apartments?”
It doesn’t, he says, but it does have housing meetings every Thursday evening, when people get together and talk about fighting for housing for the poor. Many in the line agree to come. It is clear they don’t expect miracles. But Paling shows up every week. He is young and Latino, like many of them, and he cares. Inside the door he opens, they see the warm light of support, the flicker of possibility.
Robert Hirschfield is a New York City-based freelance writer. | <urn:uuid:f077ddaa-ca1c-4ebd-ad60-b34f44d242bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sojo.net/magazine/2012/12/homeless-not-helpless?quicktabs_web_extras=3&quicktabs_top_magazine_articles=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973617 | 2,455 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Indexes fell on Wall Street as investors reacted to another weak forecast on the global economy and ahead of the traditional start of earnings season: results from Alcoa, the aluminum maker and economic bellwether, which come out after the closing bell.
The Dow Jones industrial average was off 58 points at 13,525 as of 11 a.m. Eastern.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost ten points to 1,446 and the Nasdaq gave up 42 points to 3,070.
Five years ago Tuesday, the Dow and S&P 500 hit record highs: The Dow closed at 14,164 and the S&P 500 closed at 1,565. The Dow is currently 4 percent below that peak, the S&P is 7 percent below its record.
Investors were discouraged by an International Monetary Fund report released overnight which said the global economy is weakening and that the downturn afflicting developing nations has begun to spread. The weak forecast comes one day after the World Bank cut its estimate for growth in China, the world's second-largest economy, and for developing countries across Asia.
The IMF forecasts that the world economy will expand 3.3 percent this year, down from the estimate of 3.5 percent growth it issued in July. Its forecast for growth in 2013 is 3.6 percent, down from 3.9 percent three months ago and 4.1 percent in April.
Markets have been supported for months by expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would step in if was any sign that the U.S. economic recovery was flaming out. However, economists have continually lowered expectations for the year ahead, and the IMF report only heightened that pessimism.
After the closing bell, aluminum maker Alcoa becomes the first major U.S. company to report third-quarter results. Analysts are expecting earnings at S&P 500 companies to decline overall for the first time in nearly three years.
Wall Street expects Alcoa to break even, but had been predicting profits of 12 cents per share from the aluminum maker as recently as July. Alcoa was up 2 cents at $9.14 in morning trading.
Two big banks, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, post earnings Friday.
Earlier Tuesday, the National Federation of Independent Business reported that business owners became increasingly pessimistic during September due to the weak hiring environment and poor sales. Nonetheless, the number of owners who expect business conditions to improve in six months gained 4 percentage points. Those believing it's a good time to expand rose 3 percentage points.
Among other stocks making big moves, Edwards Lifesciences dropped $19.51 to $87.90 after the company reported revenue that fell well short of analyst's forecasts. Sales of its Sapien heart valves were weaker than the company had expected.
Yum Brands, which owns the Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC chains, fell 72 cents to $66.22. The company, which also reports results after the closing bell, has predicted a return to rapid growth in its China operations in the second half of the year.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.72 percent from 1.74 percent late Friday. U.S. government bond trading was closed Monday for the Columbus Day holiday.
European markets were mostly lower. Benchmark indexes fell 0.6 percent in Germany and 0.4 percent Britain. France's stock market index fell 0.2 percent. | <urn:uuid:af776682-42db-4846-8f2b-87f5afa9ea23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rockmartjrl.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Stocks+indexes+slip+following+gloomy+IMF+forecast%20&id=20411979&instance=secondary_stories_left_column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971118 | 704 | 1.523438 | 2 |
The Australian Government established the Australia–India Council in 1992 to broaden the relationship between Australia and India by encouraging and supporting contacts and increasing levels of knowledge and understanding between the people of both countries.
The Council comprises a board of members with interests in the Australia–India relationship, drawn from a wide cross-section of the Australian community. Mr Michael Abbott QC was appointed as Chairman of the Council in March 1999 for a period of three years.
The Council is supported by a secretariat located in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi promotes the Council's activities in India.
|Mrs Suman Nath, Principal of the Tagore International School in New Delhi, with Lucina Yin and Jess Smith at St Marys Primary School in Melbourne during Mrs Naths visit to Australia as part of the 2000–01 Australia–India teacher exchange.
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"When in the Course of human events"
Published: Sunday, January 2, 2005 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 6:56 p.m.
Welcome one, welcome all to Independence Day 2003. It's time again for the annual celebration of.not what everyone seems to think.
I remember this day mainly for the birth of my dear, sweet mother, who is now 53, and has been in this country for 44 years since arriving in New York City from the shores of Cuba.
I remember this day also for our Declaration of Independence.
The majority of our population has misconstrued this holiday to proclaim that it is, in fact, a celebration of hot dogs, mom's apple pie, and all things American. Please allow me to clear some things up.
The first observance of Independence Day occurred on year after the signing of the Declaration in Philadelphia. The Second Continental Congress adjourned early to celebrate with fireworks, large dinners and bells at the closing of the session. The grand fiesta cheered the day we claimed independence from King George.
I have always enjoyed taking time out in the days prior to this gathering to actually read the Declaration in order to remind myself what is going on. It is a long, dreary list of complaints. Yes, the day when it is most uncouth to speak badly about America is actually a celebration of bitching about the government.
Our forefathers, who didn't even finish signing the document until 1781, voiced dozens of complaints centered on the idea that they were unfairly governed without their consent. The British citizenship that these men held so dearly was torn from them the instant they arrived on the North American shores. After 191 years (Sir Walter Raleigh formed the first British colony in America in 1585), they were fed up with jolly ol' England.
Since the first day of that auspicious celebration, we, as Americans, have morphed the ideals of Independence Day from rejection of unjust tyranny to drinking Natural Light and blowing our hands off with fireworks. We have taken the first step of a long, arduous journey towards freedom and made it yet another excuse to have a day off and get drunk.
As I said, my own mother came to this land of opportunity 44 years ago. Her father was a member of Fulgencio Batista's army. When Fidel Castro arrived in 1959, they fled to America on a "2 day vacation" in order to save their own lives.
Since the day she arrived, she has taken herself away from a life of poverty and oppression in Cuba to become a full-time teacher in a very respectable school in Southern Florida. The education for her sons that cost her and her husband years of hard work has allowed both of them to win full scholarships to the best university in the state.
On a day when we celebrate the fight against tyranny, oppressive government and lives spent in involuntary servitude, I implore you to look to people such as this. Look to people that have risen above a government that tries to keep them down. Look to those who work against the injustices within the system. Look to those who say:
".when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Light your fireworks for them.
This article was originally published on July 4, 2003
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Winter weather makes life tough
Published: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 11:28 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 11:28 p.m.
A few years ago, athletic directors emailed their schedules to us, and we would print them out. That's how we knew when and where teams were going to play before seasons began.
I will never forget one we got from then-North Davidson A.D. Tanya Burcham, which was the Knights' spring sports schedules. She warned, and I'm paraphrasing here: "Here they are. Let the rains come."
Well, it turns out spring sports being played outdoors are not the only sports that run the risk of postponement due to the weather. Most likely, before you began to read this column, you read our story on the front page of the news section about Friday's weather forecast. Davidson County looks to be right in the path of what we are always in the path of: a wintry mix. Rarely do we ever just get a nice 6- to 8-inch dumping of snow, that the kids can play in for a while and road crews can make life fairly simple with a scrape or two or a nice pouring in Brine solution.
No, we get the junk. Sleet. Freezing rain. A mix of all of the above. And when that happens, schools close down. If schools are closed, then no teams can play any sports. This makes sense to me.
Most people wonder why school and/or games get nixed, when nothing falls from the sky. But Dr. Phil Rapp and Dr. Fred Mock, the county schools' athletics director and superintendent, are in a very unenviable position. They have to rely on forecasts to make decisions.
Fans think a basketball game consists of driving from their home, within a few miles of the school, to the gym around 6 p.m. or so. Then, they get in their cars and go home when it's over.
Unfortunately, the schools have much more to consider. Teams don't roll up for a game or a wrestling match in a four-wheel-drive Jeep. They have to take a bus. Every time I question a postponement, I have to ask myself: would I want to drive a bus, with 15 teenagers, from my school to another school, for a basketball game? Then I would have to drive them home. So, if it's nice at 4:30 when we leave the school, but then it starts snowing or sleeting during the game, I have to drive that bus full of children back to the school.
When are the roads the worst? Right when the precipitation falls. I learned that in Driver's Ed in Mr. Wyatt's class many years ago. I may not still keep my hands at 10 and 2 when I drive, but I did remember that much.
Right after wintry precipitation begins to fall, the roads are slushy, slippery, and just plain messy. If you think that's tough in a car, can you imagine trying to drive a bus in it?
I also remember sitting in Ledford's gym one night for a wrestling match. At one point during the match, on a night when no wintry precipitation was even predicted, Ledford principal Bill Butts walked over to the scorer's table and took the microphone right after one match wrapped up. He said the rest of the match would have to be picked up at a later date; "Look outside, you'll figure out why," he explained.
When I walked out, a nice dusting of snow had already fallen and more was coming down. I believe the Panthers were wrestling Central Davidson that night, and I remember that I certainly did not envy Jay Lineberry that evening.
Snow and wintry weather is a real headache, for fans, parents, sports reporters, and certainly administrators. It is hard for us to take everything into consideration when events are called off.
Jason Queen can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 220, or email@example.com.
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You should know what is Phuket, everyone does nowadays! It is a magical picturesque Thai island in the Indian Ocean.
There are so many things to do in Phuket. Note only some of them: Phuket City and Patong beach. And observe carefully in Phuket two amazing phenomena: the large number of expats marrying Thai women and the large number of ladyboys (everyone calls them like this. An accurate translation is the English would be transgender. They are so many because of the permissive environment and religion in Phuket and in all Thailand. Beware the ladyboys, many of them are notorious pocket thieves!).
But Phuket is really a paradise on Earth and a major destination for millions of tourists coming from U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan. Today Phuket seems to be completely recovered after the devastating Tsunami from 2004, and the tourism is booming again. Tourism is actually the main income source for Phuket; other people on Phuket earn their existence from rubber plantations and tin.
In the past Phuket (known as Junk Ceylon)was an important brake for the trade between India and China. Since the XVIth century Phuket was an important issue for Dutch, English and French which fought hard to obtain a monopole on the trade with with this blessed Island. But don’t worry, you can easily communicate in your travel destination language using a speaking electronic translator.
What is so special in Phuket attracting yearly so many tourists? First of all, the vibrant night life with many bars, neverending parties, massage parlours. You haven’t seen something similar, believe me! Second, the large possibilities to stay on a budget (nevertheless, keep in mind that some parts of Phuket are very exclusive: e.g. Patong Beach! Which is one of the most expensive beach worldwide). There are also possibilities for active holidays on Phuket: swimming, snorkeling, riding horses, climbing mountains, sailing etc. A special mention for the people of Phuket, which are so good, warm, kind and gentle. Simply unbelievable.
Visit on Phuket the rebuilt Anantara Hotel Khao Lak, designed as a an old thai fishermen village, which was completely destroyed by the tsunami in 2004 and completely covered with bodies and debris. There is still a menace coming from the Andaman Sea, but the landscape is fantastic, and worth every penny.
if not, come back tomorrow on journeyetc.com and see what's new :) | <urn:uuid:f2999af1-e177-45ae-8a12-d1a3278a460b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.journeyetc.com/holidays/phuket-holidays/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94826 | 530 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Volunteer for NIAID-funded clinical studies related to syphilis on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Syphilis can cause miscarriages, premature births, or stillbirths. It can also cause death of newborn babies. Some infants with congenital syphilis have symptoms at birth, but most develop symptoms later.
Untreated babies with congenital syphilis can have deformities, delays in development, or seizures, along with many other problems such as rash, fever, swollen liver and spleen, anemia, and jaundice. Sores on infected babies are infectious. Rarely, the symptoms of syphilis may go unseen in infants and they develop the symptoms of late-stage syphilis, including damage to their bones, teeth, eyes, ears, and brains.
People infected with syphilis have a two- to five-fold increase risk of getting infected with HIV. Strong evidence shows the increased odds of getting and transmitting HIV in the presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). You should discuss this and other STDs with your healthcare provider.
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|Product #: H-VA801|
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Chopin's popular Waltz in D-flat, Op. 64, No. 1 is commonly known today as the "Minute" waltz and is commonly pronounced "min' it." A publisher gave the waltz that nickname because it was short, and therefore minute (meye' noot), not because it can or should be played in a minute. But that hasn’t stopped people from trying.
It was one of the last pieces Chopin wrote, as his health was already failing – and he included it in his final concert in Paris in 1848, the year before he died.
Chopin as a rule didn’t like the nicknames that became attached to his works, and this waltz actually has two. It’s also known as the “Little Dog” waltz. George Sand had a dog named Marquis, who – the story goes – was chasing his tail on the garden terrace when Sand said to Chopin: “If I had your talent, I would compose a fortepiano piece for this dog.”
It’s a small piece that can be played by piano students and virtuosos. It was a staple of Liberace’s recitals in the 1950s and 60s. According to a “Jeopardy” question, he “cut out the dull parts, and played the Minute Waltz in 37 seconds.” - Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr | <urn:uuid:b34f7fe0-c4ad-4e5c-b138-afbd9903762d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spoletofest.org/spoleto-stories/item/450-waltz-in-d-flat-major-op-64-no-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992685 | 310 | 2.640625 | 3 |
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Heat and animosity, contest and conflict, may sharpen the wits, although they rarely do; they never strengthen the understanding, clear the perspicacity, guide the judgment, or improve the heart.Landor, Walter Savage
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Professor Salim T S Al-Hassani, Chairman of the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and 1001 Inventions, was one of the keynote speakers at the Uniday (Students Day) conference on 22nd of October 2011 at Stadthalle in Bielefeld, Germany.
There were more than 3000 people at the event, predominantly young German Turks. Amongst the special guests that spoke at the event we mention Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, world expert on Sufism, poet Serdar Tuncer and musician Göksel Baktagir. According to IGMG, the symposium is a formal meeting in which scholars and researchers gather to discuss topics ranging from current affairs to those of an intellectual basis. In particular, these conventions seek to define the process behind perceptions between “myself” and the “other.” Also, elucidating the process of change within these perceptions by associating the hardships that Muslims living in Europe face on a daily basis with the theoretical issues causing these hardships.
The slogan of the event was ‘Our dreams rely on the past’. Celal Tüter, Chairman of IGMG Student Department, explains that: "Earlier our slogan was “The future is intertwined with tradition” and “Those who do not repeat cannot renew”. With steadfastness, we continue on this path of personal development. We strive to build our futures based on our rich traditions for it is within our broad history that we may find the horizon from which our future rises”.
In 1999, Professor Salim Al-Hassani and other colleagues founded the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), and he continues to be the Chairman of the Foundation. FSTC is a not-for-profit educational foundation which aims to generate social cohesion, inter-cultural appreciation, and to promote science and learning as an alternative to negative and extremist behaviour. It does this by illuminating the shared scientific heritage of humanity, with its initial efforts centring on uncovering the very significant scientific contributions by the Muslim Civilisation. In its various projects, from books to lectures, seminars, exhibitions, films and electronic publications, FSTC is supported by a large network of historians of science, academics, writers and intellectuals.
The projects carried on by FSTC are a compilation of stories that tell the history of science, technology and culture dating back to a thousand years, which school books, particularly in the West, lack. This thousand year time frame corresponds to a period after the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance in Europe, the period commonly known as the ‘Dark Ages.’ This is a misnomer as this period was not really dark, and outside of Europe people were living in a golden age, in the sense that the age of discovery and science had never really ceased. This period also corresponds to a time when the Muslim civilization was flourishing. Yet, when we look at European sources on mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, physics, technology and medicine, we find a one thousand year gap. Does this mean that the readers who derive their knowledge from these sources suffer from a thousand years of amnesia? This amnesia is of a dangerous type, in that it both feeds the superiority complex, and introduces an inferiority complex among other nations, particularly within young Muslims.
This gap in our history is destructive, rather than productive. Moreover, it will not help create or maintain peace in the world. Therefore, we are using the history of science as a new platform for dialogue. Our foundation is non-religious and non-political. Our researchers have chosen from among thousands of inventions to bring life into some of those that still are present in modern society. We have gathered together a large number of academics and experts in this field to ensure that the information we place in the public domain meet high academic standards.
The significance of this new platform is its ability to use the roots and routes of scientific inventions to enhance social cohesion and to induce cultural inter-appreciation.
For more information about these subjects, please visit MuslimHeritage.com.
FSTC’s initiatives include 1001 Inventions which has become a global success story attracting one million to its travelling exhibition which has toured London, Istanbul, New York and Los Angeles and its Library of Secrets film starring Sir Ben Kingsley has received 21 international awards and has been downloaded 12 million times; Curriculum Enrichment for the Common Era (CE4CE) was established in 2009 to further develop work with education in schools, prisons and communities around the world and receives 200 monthly users of its online teaching materials; the Muslim Heritage Awareness Group(MHAG) is expanding globally with networks in the UK, Turkey and the USA. The Arabick Roots exhibition opened in June at the Royal Society is proving to be yet another great success story | <urn:uuid:dd2380bb-48a6-491a-929f-e130270ff562> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fstc.org.uk/uniday | 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 | 0.954479 | 1,008 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Are there ways to prevent this static buildup/discharge when using a camera in low humidity?
Dons electrical engineer's day-job hat:
Not usually an issue.
Means can be provided to equalise person-equipment or person-ground voltages if felt necessary..
If required - the ground of the internal electronics is almost certainly connected to the tripod screw mount on the base of the camera and probably also to the metal strap mounting lugs. Touching any of these points or metal connected to them will almost certainly equalise camera and body voltages without causing any problems.
(If an ohm-meter check between lugs and base screw shows a low resistance connection then it will be camera "ground". )
- Modern electronic equipment should be designed to resist such problems. If not, ask why.
The most common principal risk to electronic equipment from ESD (electrostatic discharge) is discharge of energy accumulated as electric charge in the capacitor that the human body forms with ground. The ways to best deal with this are
Prevent charge buildup on body
Keep body at same voltage as equipment
Equalise voltages on body and equipment gradually
Discharge body to ground.
All reputable modern electronic equipment is required to be ESD proof with the ability to receive spark discharge from a human body model without damage and usually without malfunction. Equipment which fails to achieve this in most cases is not suitable for the purpose for which it is sold and may be able to be dealt with under consumer gauarntee legislation. But ...
Charge buildup is frequently caused by rubbing of "suitable" materials together. While I could go into a list of materials and characterisics, most people are aware enough of what causes this effect. Polystyrene, silk, certain other fabrics, non conductive material ... . If in dry conditions yopu can rub material X onm material Y and then either X or Y will make hair on person Z's head stand on end "we have a problem". Because of the inconvenience prevention is not usually a main method of attack.
If equipment and user are in conductive contact then voltage swill be equalised and will remain so if the body is raised to a high voltage. Discharge of the body to ground via the equipment could be an unlucky problem. If user and camera are inbody to metal contac voltage will be low. If not, touching an external large metal portion initially will equalise voltages and will usually not cause problems
In problem areas user voltage to ground can be zeroed by use of 'heel grounders' in shoes which maintain electrical contact with user and ground when shoes are non conductive. his is common in eg manufacturing facilities but rare for photographers.
In extreme cases where local circumstances cause known problems a slow discharge path can be provided which limits energy transfer rate./ Slow is relative. A 1 megohm to 10 megohm resistor is commonly used. Where needed this could be either mounted on the camera as a stud or extrusion with the user touching it first, it could be built into a case stud or similarly incorporated or a conductive mesh or simi;ar of high resistance could be integrated into the equipment. In a gear box or bag a butyl rubber sheet will usually provide high but usefuil discharge path. Some Butyl rubber may be too conductive.
In a check of 3 DSLRs here (2 x Minolta, 1 x Sony) all had a low resistance path between tripod mount screw metal and the strap mounting lugs. This will be almost certainly the case with a metal frame camera and still probably true in a camera with minimal metal internally as the manufacturer needs to be able to deal optimally with ESD and having electrically floating metal parts intruding into the system would be unwise. | <urn:uuid:a81578b4-10b8-40ed-b459-22d66f4664df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/23293/how-to-prevent-static-buildup/23303 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931256 | 778 | 2.0625 | 2 |
How You Can Eliminate Eczema With 8 Natural Home Remedies
For individuals who are suffering from eczema, you will find several different ways to deal with it. I am sure you are probably already acquainted with creams and creams that the physician or skin doctor has recommended you. While these remedies do provide some respite, it is simply temporary. Traditional medical cures are hard to rely on at best, and I am sure a lot of you’ve been to determine numerous doctors etc with the hope of beating Eczema, simply to don’t have any good results. If that is the situation for you personally, you might find a few of these natural treatments and tips helpful.
1. Fresh Lemon Juice It reduces the itching and may reduces your skin for most people. Fresh lemon juice as eczema natural remedy will help you protect against infection within the eczema lesions. Decide if it really works, you have to apply for yourself and the skin clean.
2. Have a couple of drops of e vitamin oil and message lightly around the impacted areas. You’ll eliminate eczema soon if this sounds like ongoing daily.
3. The following eczema home cure involves a juicer. Without having one you are able to substitute vitamins. I would suggest obtaining a juicer sooner or later. They are affordable and help you save lots of money over store-bought juice. For those who have a juicer, consider using a mixture of wheat grass, celery, celery, and parsley. This blend consists of minerals and vitamins which are essential for the skin. Have a daily multivitamin supplement. This can take proper care of the vitamins you miss in what you eat.
4. Drink numerous water. Consume a minimum of 8-10 8-ounce glasses daily. This helps and also hardwearing . skin hydrated and alleviate the dryness and itchiness.
5. Oatmeal bath is yet another eczema natural remedy. Bathe within the oatmeal bath mix towards the tub for 25-half an hour this is right for sensitive skin. You are able to prepare some oatmeal as alternative in your own home then rub it around the affected region to obtain good relief.
6. Avoid meals you’re allergic to. Allergic reactions can trigger eczema to some large extent. Avoid meals which have nuts and soy or avoid putting on clothes you aren’t confident with.
7. Begin taking Vitamins A, B
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Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more! | <urn:uuid:c0c0fb7d-4073-46b0-b8a8-c945937c6e57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eczemanaturalcures.com/how-you-can-eliminate-eczema-with-8-natural-home-remedies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932019 | 657 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Fowl Is Farewell: New York City Authorizes Geese Genocide
Nearly 400 geese have been disappeared from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park! In an effort to rid the area of its winged residents in the name of aviation safety, “biologists, working with the federal Agriculture Department, then packed the geese two or three to a crate and took them to a nearby building where they were gassed with lethal doses of carbon dioxide,” according to The New York Times. The city hopes to extinguish a significant portion of the goose population that surrounds New York’s major airports, La Guardia and Kennedy. One federal Agriculture Department spokeswoman estimates that their ranks increased by 700 percent between the years 1981 and 1999. The killings come a year and a half after several geese flew into the engines of a commercial airline, causing the plane to make an emergency landing in the middle of the Hudson River. Even the most rabid of goose supporters will admit that this was a rather inconvenient and ill-advised thing for the birds to do. Still, others will point out, as one did to the Times, that “[i]t’s really important to remember that the Canada geese that collided with Flight 1549 were tested by researchers at the Smithsonian and they were not populations that lived in our area.” New York geese would just never do that.
Among the 400 victims is Sticky, a local hero who lived and prospered in Prospect Park despite the considerable handicap of having an arrow through his neck. He eventually removed the offending arrow, but in a cruel irony, his rehabilitation would ultimately prove to be his undoing. As Daily Intelligencer pointed out, “Sticky's celebrity was probably enough to save him—but now without his stick, how were the death squads to tell the difference between him and the legions of other, not-yet-anthropomorphized (and therefore eminently euthanizable) Canada geese?” They very well may not have been able to tell, is the unfortunate truth. | <urn:uuid:17b07a2a-1284-4857-9a4e-ed7369aefc75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/07/fowl-is-farewell-new-york-city-authorizes-geese-genocide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979352 | 422 | 2.203125 | 2 |
I find that Adobe Illustrator can be a very flexible tool for creating print-ready artwork, especially for page layout where you don’t need any more than a couple of pages. This tutorial will show you how to create a stylish business card which is ready for professional printing, using just a few simple tools in Illustrator.
In this tutorial we are going to create a 1 process colour business card, namely magenta, which has a 3mm bleed and a 5mm quiet zone. Don’t worry if you don’t know what this all means, things will become apparent as we go through the tutorial. My business card’s final size is 85 x 55mm (width x height) but you should check with your local printer what size they prefer before creating your artwork.
Let’s Get Started
First open up Adobe Illustrator and create a new document that is 85 x 55mm (or whatever size your printer recommends). Make sure to set the Color Mode to CMYK (for printing) as opposed to RGB (for screen).
Once you have your new document, I recommend setting up some guides as a visual reference to let you know if you’ve going off-track. If they are not already visible, press CMD/Ctrl + R to show the page rulers.
First set up the bleed – the bleed essentially means you’ll make an image larger than your final artwork so that you can have colour right to the edges. It means that when the printer trims the paper, there is no chance of accidentally getting an unsightly white edge!
My printer recommends 3mm bleed, again you should check what your printer prefers. My guides need to be set 3mm outside the artwork box. The left guide is positioned -3mm on the x co-ordinates while the right is 88mm, the top guide is 58mm on the y co-ordinates while the bottom is -3mm.
The quiet zone again saves us from potential errors caused by any shift in the trimming process and also keeps our artwork looking tidy by not having text run all the way to the edge. I’m setting my quiet zone to 5mm. So the left guide will be at 5mm on the x co-ordinates while right is 80mm, the top guide is at 50mm on the y co-ordinates while the bottom is at 5mm.
Once you’re all set up, it’s time to get started and create the artwork. Grab the Type Tool (or T on your keyboard) and create a text box. Type your name or business name and select a strong typeface – I’ve opted for Century Gothic in bold.
Next we are going to add a star shape using the Star Tool. If you’ve never used it before, you’ll find it amongst the shape tools, most-likely fronted by the Rectangle Tool as shown above.
Just like the Rectangle Tool, if you click once on screen with this tool selected, you can enter in exact co-ordinates to help you create the perfect star for your artwork.
Create the star and position it beside your name. You may need to experiment with the size a bit to get the effect you are completely happy with. I recommend holding Shift while you scale the star up and down using the Selection Tool (or V on the keyboard) to keep it’s proportions correct. I’ve also rotated my star slightly to add some character.
Next we are going to create a magenta band of colour by using the Rectangle Tool (or press M on your keyboard). Like with the Star Tool, simply click once on screen to enter in the exact co-ordinates. I’ve created mine at 91 x 10mm – this means it runs from bleed guide to bleed guide and is 1cm tall. I’ve also positioned it just on the edge of my quiet zone, meaning when trimmed, my card with have a 5mm white band at the top. Make sure the colours in the colour pallette are set to 0, 100, 0, 0 for 100% Magenta.
Next select both the text and star and group them (CMD/Ctrl + G) and then position your logo inside the magenta band of colour. You will need to bring the logo to the front by pressing Shift + CMD/Ctrl + ] on your keyboard otherwise it will be hidden beneath the band of colour. Don’t forget to change the text to white, otherwise we are no longer preparing artwork for 1 colour-process printing.
Again, keep the logo outside the quiet zone. You may also wish to scale the logo up or down – don’t forget to hold Shift while using the Selection Tool (V) to keep the proportions.
Create another text box using the Type Tool and enter in your details. I’ve decided to create one box with type in bold for my occupation, and another in regular for my contact details (p.s. that’s not my real telephone number). I recommend keeping all your text boxes aligned to one another to keep everything looking professional, so on this case I’ll position all my text boxes and logo to the left edge of the quiet zone.
We have now finished the artwork for the front of the card. Save your artwork as ‘business-card-front’, then duplicate the file, renaming it as ‘business-card-back’. We now have the back of the business card already set up with guides and logo ready to use.
Open your new file ‘business-card-back.ai’ and delete the contact details. Resize your band of magenta to 91 x 61mm and make sure it lines up with the bleed guides on all sides.
Grab your Star Tool again and create an oversized star graphic. Change the star graphic colour to 75% Magenta, i.e. the CMYK colours in the colour-palette will read 0, 75, 0, 0. Position this graphic so that it flows over the boundaries of the canvas. Don’t worry, we sort out the over-spill in a minute! You will also need to Send Backward the graphic one layer (CMD/Ctrl + [) so that it is positioned above the background colour but below the logo.
Also, re-position your logo to the centre or wherever you feel looks best.
Now we are going to create a Clipping Mask to deal with our star graphic over-spill. Select the background box and copy it (CMD/Ctrl + C), then paste it in front (CMD/Ctrl + F). Still selected, bring the copied box to the front (Shift + CMD/Ctrl + ]). Select all (CMD/Ctrl + A) and then right-click and select ‘Make Clipping Mask‘ as shown above.
We now have our Clipping Mask in place and have completed the artwork for the back of the business card. Save your file (CMD/Ctrl + S).
We are nearly there! Now it is time to save our file as a PDF and make it ready for print! This time Save As (Shift + CMD/Ctrl + S) and change the file type to PDF. Then make sure you are saving as a high resolution PDF (with no compression) and that you have the above Marks & Bleeds set.
Selected are the Trim Marks and Registration Marks, with the Trim Weight set to 0.25pt and the Offset to 3mm. The Bleeds are all set to 3mm.
Open up the ‘business-card-front.ai’ file and repeat the previous step, saving the file as a PDF ready for print.
Lastly, open up your PDF files and double-check you are happy with everything before sending your final artwork to print. Always worth double-checking are things like your contact details, telephone number and if you’ve spelt your own name correctly!
That’s it! You’ve now created artwork for your own business card which you can send to any professional printers. This example uses only magenta ink, however for one colour processing you could also use cyan, yellow or black to create a similar effect.
Further Reading & Inspiration
You can apply the techniques used in this tutorial to create your own designs. Use the links below to get some inspiration and see some fantastic examples of business card design: | <urn:uuid:39ae8fd1-e386-4117-8af0-3c7f8bfa0958> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://creativeindividual.co.uk/2010/11/make-a-print-ready-1-colour-business-card-in-adobe-illustrator/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902736 | 1,769 | 1.75 | 2 |
Just in case Buddy ever feels like shooting up his toys, Premier has made sure that at least one toy survives: it's the Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug.
Why do dogs need a bullet proof material for the Tug-a-Jug? Because this devilish creation has treats inside, which are nearly impossible for him to get out of the bottle. The catch is that he can see the treats, hear them rumble around and, of course, smell the little buggers... but it's tough as a bullet proof bottle to get them out. And you know how a dog dogs stuff he can't have.
This kind of toy is meant to keep Buddy busy for a long time.
"Hmm. Smells like some good stuff in there. Wonder if Mom knows about them..."
"Okay. I'll just take this for a walk and see if it spills anything."
"No, there's probably more to this than meet the nose. You have to chew your way inside."
"Now, I'm getting mad. I'm going to bark at it until it gives me what I want!"
You know what the next step is for Buddy; destruction. That's why the Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug is made of a bullet proof material. (Premier says it is non-toxic.) Prior to this step though, Buddy can chew on the rope and the hard rubber dental cleaner, and even swing and fling the toy around. Or you can play a game of fetch with it. But, I recommend you give Buddy some treats when the play is done, and put the toy away until the next time, because you know that dogs can be dogged.
Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug is available at Amazon.com in extra small, small, and medium/large. | <urn:uuid:93db5d79-c333-4f82-b884-dbd7a06e7e39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inventorspot.com/articles/why_dog_toy_bullet_proof_busy_buddy_tugajug_29600 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96683 | 382 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The United States is on track to beat its previous peak production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, according to an analysis by consulting firm PFC Energy.
The analysis projects that the United States will become the world’s top producer of those fossil fuels by 2020. Though Saudi Arabia will continue surpass it in oil production, the United States’ booming shale gas business will make it the global leader in well-borne fossil fuels, according to PFC Energy.
Domestic energy production has declined since the early 1970s, when the United States peaked at about 22 million barrels of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids per year, the analysis noted. About 45 percent of the product was oil and 43 percent was natural gas.
The United States is poised to hit 22 million barrels of oil equivalent again in 2020. _FuelFix
My firm belief is peak oil will only come into consideration when the education and science into extraction techniques has peaked and that will not happen in the foreseeable future. _OilVoice
The significant new oil find in Colorado, seen in the image at left, is just one small drop in a very large bucket of new oil & gas finds across the continental US. Even under the burden of US President Obama's energy starvation agenda, US oil & gas producers are finding a way to push back against political corruption and the anti-energy bias of the modern green Luddite movement.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said that land it controls in northern Colorado may hold more than a billion barrels of recoverable oil and natural gas, the latest sign that U.S. energy production is set to surge. _WSJ
With production of oil & gas surging from Texas to North Dakota to Louisiana to Pennsylvania -- and new discoveries coming to light on an almost daily basis -- the outlook for US onshore oil & gas is quite bright. Unless, of course, the green dieoff.orgy camp of energy starvationists -- so dominant within the Obama administration -- can manage to engineer a political shutdown of energy in the US.
Labels: peak oil, political peak energy | <urn:uuid:628c7262-0020-4dbe-b9cf-dda2fb17f253> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alfin2300.blogspot.com/2011/11/us-on-track-to-exceed-old-hydrocarbon.html?showComment=1321497371374 | 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 | 0.94807 | 426 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Deciding on Life insurance is complicated process and once you have decided on the insurance amount, insurance tenure and which company and plan to go for, the last decision to be made is weather you should opt for single premium or Yearly premium payment?
I favour Yearly premium payment over single premium policies because of the following reasons:
- Portability: This is more relevant for term life insurance. If you have paid the entire premium then you cannot change your life insurance provider nor you can stop the premium payment if you no longer need insurance.
- Liquidity: You need to pay almost 5 – 15 times more premium in case of single premium, which makes it unaffordable for most.
- Cheaper than single premium payment: The example below would illustrate how Yearly Premium is cheaper than Single Premium for same life insurance.
For the illustrative purpose I have taken example of LIC Amulya Jeevan – a term life insurance plan.
Following are the details:
- Age at insurance: 30 Years old healthy male
- Sum Assured: Rs. 1 Crore
- Policy term: 35 Years
- Yearly Premium: Rs. 38,800 for 35 years – payable every year
- Single Premium: Rs. 5,58,700 – payable once
Total premium paid in 35 Years (in case of Yearly Premium) = 38,800 X 35 = 13,58,000
So the above calculation shows that you would end up paying Rs. 13.6 lakh if you choose Yearly premium payment while you would only pay Rs. 5.6 Lakh in case you opt for single premium.
A discount of approximately 60% over Yearly premium payment.
So is Single premium payment is what your should opt for?
Here are Six steps how you can utilize your single premium amount of Rs. 5,58,700 in a better way.
- Opt for Yearly Premium payment plan.
- Pay Rs. 38,800 as the first premium. You are now left with Rs. 5,19,900 (5,58,700 – 38,800)
- Do fixed deposit for Rs. 5,19,900 such that you get at least a post tax return of 7.5% or more Yearly. (You can easily get this kind of return from bank, post office deposits or bonds)
- Assuming 7.5% Yearly return – you would get Rs. 38,992 per annum. You can use this to pay all the future (Yearly) premium for your policy.
- At the end of policy term you would be left with Rs 5.2 Lakh in your account and all premiums paid.
- In case you die in mid of policy – your dependent would get 1 crore and also the Rs. 5.2 lakhs you have in your fixed deposit.
To conclude, you should always do your calculation when you need to decide on the Single Vs Yearly Premium payment for Life Insurance and in most of the cases the above strategy of opting for yearly premium payment over single premium payment plan should work for you.
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Dreamgates: Exploring the Worlds of Soul, Imagination, and Life Beyond Death
by Robert Moss
Posted by: DailyOM
A world-renowned authority on the history, uses, and power of dreaming practices guides neophyte and experienced adventurers alike to open their own dreamgates. Through these gates await otherwise inaccessible realms of reality as well as soul remembering — the “recovering of knowledge that belonged to us before we came into this life experience.” Exercises, meditations, and the mesmerizing tales of fellow dream travelers outline Moss’s Active Dreaming technique, a kind of shamanic soul-flight that offers “frequent fliers” a passport between worlds. In this world beyond physical reality, Moss points to wellsprings of healing, creativity, and insight. As readers move into these different ways of seeing and knowing, they may also communicate with spiritual guides and departed loved ones in ways that transform their everyday lives. Including wisdom drawn from the sacred teaching stories of many cultures, this is a guidebook to the adventure of any life and all time.
Traveling through Dream Images
The gateways to other worlds are already open to you, in the landscapes and images of your remembered dreams.
Dream reentry is one of the core techniques of Active Dreaming. The basic approach is quite simple. You focus on a scene or image from a remembered dream and travel back into that image with your question or intention. You may use drumming to power the journey. You may take a partner with you to watch over you and scout for additional information — which frequently produces rich experiences of telepathy and shared dreaming.
Dream reentry has four main applications, as follows. The first three are explored in depth in my book Conscious Dreaming, so I will deal with them only briefly here.
1. Getting the message straight.
Our dream memories are not the dream experience itself. At best, we wake with postcards from a journey. By going back inside the dream, we can fill in some of the gaps and bring back something of the fuller dream experience. In this way, the deeper meaning of dreams emerges, and we learn how to manifest their energy and insight in waking life.
For example, if you dream of a plane crash, you need to establish whether you should take this literally or metaphorically. Maybe you are in danger of taking a nosedive at work or in a relationship. But maybe you — or someone relevant to you — could be involved in a literal plane crash. If this seems possible, you don’t want to develop a phobia about air travel. You need to see whether you can go back inside the dream and clarify specific details. Which airline? What destination?
The counsel of Artemidorus, the celebrated Greek dream interpreter, is still valid: “You must spare no pains in ascertaining exactly every detail of the dream since sometimes the addition or omission of a tiny detail will change the entire meaning of the dream.”1
The best way to do this is to get back inside the dream and look around. Notice, in particular, where you are. “Location, location, location” is a motto for dreamworkers as well as real estate brokers. If you find yourself in an unfamiliar but realistic locale, you may be dreaming of a place you will visit in the future in ordinary reality. Joanna dreamed of walking a ceremonial path between stone figures. When she went back in, she counted twelve human and twenty-four animal statues. Two years after the dream, she joined a group tour to China and counted the same number of statues as she walked the Sacred Way to the Ming dynasty tombs.
Alternatively, your dream landscape may prove to be in another order of reality — perhaps a locale in the imaginal realm you can visit again and again for fun or instruction.
The dream message you need to get straight may be vital to your health and well-being. Gina dreamed she was walking along a dusty country road when she noticed with disgust that maggots were crawling over her arm. Some of them were coming out of her flesh. She rushed into a house and asked a man for help. He brought her a drink to help her sleep. She woke up nauseated and frightened.
When she went back inside the dream, she recognized the country house as a place she had been thinking of buying. The man who “put her to sleep” was her current partner. She realized that the strains in this relationship were having an adverse effect on her health but was unable to take any decisive action until she was diagnosed with lymphoma several months later — in the arm in which the maggots were breeding in her dream.
2. Dreaming the dream onward.
You may have been ripped from a dream by a lover’s caress, a child’s happy squealing, or the shrill of an alarm clock. Or you may have fled from a dream that posed terrors you were unwilling to face. You may want to go back into the dreamscape to pursue the adventure or to face your dream adversaries on their own ground. When nightmare antagonists are confronted in this way, they often prove to be allies in disguise who resorted to shock tactics to get your attention.
Suzie was terrified for ten years by an enormous serpent that reared up next to her face in dreams and half-dream states. When she found the courage to confront the snake, it became an ally that escorted her on a path of shamanic initiation and training that included an underworld journey to her ancestors.
3. Dialogue with dream characters.
You may want to go back inside the dreamscape to ask a dream character to explain herself. You may find yourself dealing with an angel in disguise or with an unrecognized aspect of yourself. You may discover that a troubling dream visitor is an entity you created through your thoughts and emotions, who is now goading you to reclaim your energy.
I asked Libby to go back into her dreams to confront a terrifying demon who had been bothering her. Though she was still scared, Libby agreed to do this when I promised I would play bodyguard. When she asked her demon to identify himself, he told her, “I am your own fearsome rage.” Dream reentry enabled her to acknowledge her legitimate anger over the abuse she had suffered both as a child and as an adult and to harness its energy for creative living — instead of leaving it “out there” as an uncontrolled demonic force, dangerous to herself and to others.
4. Opening personal doorways to other dimensions.
The gateways you discover in night dreams and twilight states are the best, safest, and most timely starting points for conscious dream journeys, including shamanic soul-flight. With practice, you will find you can have wonderful adventures riding that dream elevator, exploring that dream house (or dream city), or stepping through the hole in the wall or the magic closet, like the children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A Montana woman dreams of riding down to a basement in “an elevator that looks like a diving pod.” A Louisiana mother encounters a dream guide who leads her upward, toward a “black hole.” She is scared of going through it, but she trusts her guide. When she makes the crossing, she finds it is “incredibly beautiful” on the Other Side:
Everything is flying, including me! Clear blue skies, fresh air, pure green on the ground below. We are so high up. The sense of freedom is enormous; it is exhilarating. Then we have to return through the black hole.
Since I have learned about dream reentry, I have returned to this hole several times by myself just to enjoy the freedom of flight and the beauty of an untouched world. Instead of fearing the black hole, I know it as a gateway to another world.
Maybe your dream gateway opens into space in your present home that you never knew existed, as in Wanda’s dream:
My Dream Library
I am in my present home, but I go through a doorway into a library that does not exist in my house as I know it. The walls are newly painted white, and the marquetry floor has been refinished. There is no furniture yet. But when I open the tall cupboards, I find they are filled with books I did not realize I owned. I am thrilled to discover that this wonderful space is waiting for me. I will come here again and again.
Maybe your gateway is into an imaginal locale. Marcia dreamed she found herself in an “encyclopedia factory.” Different rooms were assigned to different topics. Different floors were assigned to different years. What a splendid invitation to research and exploration! Through dream reentry, she was able to return again and again to her encyclopedia factory to gather information on subjects that interested her.
Your dreamgate might be a portal to a different dimension, as in dreams where you discover you can breathe in a different element:
I step outside a spacecraft and find I can breathe and travel about safely among the stars.
Your dreamgate might speed you into a separate reality, as in a San Francisco woman’s dream:
Fire on the Lake
I dreamed of a fire in the middle of a lake. The fire itself was not at all threatening. It was about six feet tall, in the center of a dark space, floating on a black and glassy lake. A young moon was reflected in the dark lake, dancing in the moving water. It was utterly beautiful to me. The fire spoke directly to me about dreams and dreaming: “We are the dreams, the dreams are you.”
This seemed like the boldest invitation to the life of the spirit I’d ever received. I felt like I was being invited to come back to myself.
Your dreamgate might take you into other life experiences that are relevant to you — from the past, from the future, or from parallel worlds.
I have made many conscious dream journeys — and led others on shared adventures — through the image of a spiral staircase that first came to me in a dream. This image is especially powerful because it is kinesthetic as well as visual. You may find that it will help you to travel beyond the physical body.
Exercise: Climbing the Spiral Stair
Quiet your mind in a protected space. Follow the flow of your breathing. When you are fully relaxed, let yourself flow with the following sequence of images:
You are walking toward a staircase with wide flagstone steps. The staircase winds upward, describing a gentle spiral, through an immense stone building.
There is light above you.
The passage narrows. You are moving in tight circles around a central column, whirling faster and faster as you ascend toward the light.
You see it first as a point of light above the top of your head. You have to roll your eyes back into your head to look at it.
As you move higher, circling and spinning, the light grows. It becomes a skylight, a perfectly round skylight.
When you shoot through it, you are out among the stars in the deep blue night.
You will set your own course for the rest of the journey. If you like, you may set your course for another planet or star system.
Published by New World Library
Book Excerpt, Spirituality, Self Improvement | <urn:uuid:c07a6f00-5741-43a4-80bc-10938b215b76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/002/000002229.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963386 | 2,363 | 1.757813 | 2 |
by Chris Larsen
Black bear range and populations are expanding as is the popularity of what was once a hunt reserved for a select few. Bears are typically hunted utilizing one of three common techniques; over bait, with hounds, or spot and stalk. In my home state of Wisconsin baiting is the most common method. Bait is placed for several weeks before the season. Items such as candy, bread, pastries, pie filling and fruit are placed in hollow logs or holes in the ground covered with a rock. As a precaution against the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, the rock(or other heavy object) is required to prevent access to the bait by deer. Animal products such as meat and fat are not permitted. There are also restrictions on bear baiting near public roads or trails.
At first glance, hunting over bait may seem unsportsmanlike, but it is common practice. Bears are nomadic and don’t pattern the same way deer will. To increase success, bait and stands are set in areas that offer heavy cover. Bears won’t frequent open areas during daylight hours.
Hunters often get excited when they find their bait cleaned out day after day. Veteran hunters know a clean bait pile is often the result of several smaller bears using the same bait area. If the bait is being used but left unfinished, it’s a good sign your bait log is being used by one large bear. A large bear will keep smaller animals out of his territory. With today’s trail camera technology guesswork about the specific bears using your bait pile is a thing of the past.
Another common occurrence for bait hunters is a sudden drop in activity around the bait pile in the fall. After attracting bears during the summer it seems like they suddenly disappear. As autumn leaves begin to drop, berries ripen and acorns and hickory nuts hit the forest floor. Bears gorge on hardwood mast to pack on pounds for the winter hibernation. Placing your stand and bait in hardwood areas will help keep bears close during this time.
Size restrictions are in place in many states. In Wisconsin, the bear must measure at least 42 inches from the tip of the nose to tip of the tail. It is also illegal to kill a bear that is with cubs.
Bear hunting can be serious business. The are powerful animals and the methods for hunting them are unorthodox to many. Obtaining a tag may take years in many states. Accompany a more experienced bear hunter while waiting to draw a tag. Keeping the bait log full takes a lot of work and the hunter with a tag will appreciate any extra help. This experience can help the novice bear hunter be more prepared for their future hunt. | <urn:uuid:295994a5-d261-40ed-b08e-560f7656761b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foremosthunting.com/Resources/BearHunting/HuntingBearsWithBait/tabid/1334/Default.aspx | 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 | 0.963932 | 555 | 2.28125 | 2 |
CenturyLink and more than a dozen industry-leading multichannel video providers and device manufacturers—which collectively deliver service to more than 90 million American households—recently announced an unprecedented Set-Top Box Energy Conservation Agreement.
The participating companies agree that at least 90 percent of all new set-top boxes purchased and deployed after 2013 will meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star 3.0 efficiency levels. Based on market projections for set-top box deployments, this will result in annual residential electricity savings of $1.5 billion or more when the agreement is fully realized. The voluntary, five-year agreement goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013.
For immediate residential electricity savings, “light sleep” standby capabilities will be downloaded to more than 10 million digital video recorders (DVRs) that are already in homes. Light sleep mode stops a DVR’s hard drive from spinning when the device isn’t recording programming. In 2013, providers will offer light sleep capabilities or include an automatic power down feature in 90 percent of set-top-boxes purchased and deployed.
The Set-Top Box Energy Conservation Agreement, which is designed to improve set-top box energy efficiency, is just one example of CenturyLink’s commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring the long-term health, preservation and intelligent use of our energy resources. | <urn:uuid:5b5d5520-e8cd-49fc-9114-d72b6e5efb85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://community.centurylink.com/regulatoryblog/2012/12/centurylink-set-top-box-energy-conservation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912317 | 281 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Agartala, Jan 27 (IANS) With a fresh outbreak of bird flu at a government-run farm in western Tripura, authorities Friday started culling more than 1,600 poultry birds to contain spread of the infection, officials said here.
“In addition to culling poultry birds, destruction of eggs and feed material also has begun at the ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) farm at Lembuchara in western Tripura so as to control further spread of the disease to the neighbouring villages,” Manoranjan Sarkar, Tripura animal resource development department director, told IANS.
“Besides the ICAR farm, over 12,000 birds and ducks in the adjoining villages and poultry farms would also be culled within the next four days,” he added.
Samples of sick poultry birds from the ICAR farm were found to contain H5 strain of avian influenza virus. The samples have been tested and found positive by the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal, he said.
The ICAR farm, 25 km north of Tripura capital city Agartala, is surrounded by several villages.
On the advice of the central government, Tripura has also decided to cull poultry birds within a radius of three km, and conduct surveillance within a radius of 10 km.
“The state government has been asked to furnish a daily report on the control and containment operations to the central government’s department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries in the ministry of agriculture,” a state government official said.
Tripura has also imposed a ban on the import of poultry birds, ducks and other poultry products.
Tripura Chief Secretary S.K. Panda held a high-level meeting with senior officials after the Bhopal laboratory confirmed the incidence of the flu infection among birds.
Sarkar said 14 rapid response teams have been formed to cull the ducks and birds at the ICAR farm and in adjoining villages.
“The BSF (Border Security Force) has been alerted to check entry of ducks and birds from across the border,” the official said.
Tripura, which shares an 856-km border with bird flu hit Bangladesh, was affected by avian influenza in April and May 2008, forcing authorities to cull over 250,000 poultry birds and ducks then.
India declared itself free from bird flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) on Dec 29 last year. | <urn:uuid:1012bec1-c57e-4bb5-8d24-7e76327daa07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tdnpost.com/lifestyle/health/tripura-begins-culling-to-contain-bird-flu-6669.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951017 | 511 | 2.5 | 2 |
Mo. lawmakers pass truckers’ bill to avoid penalty
Thursday, May 17, 2012
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State lawmakers have sent the governor a bill that could bring Missouri in compliance with federal rules for trucker drivers and avoid a potential $30 million penalty.
The bill given final approval Wednesday night requires interstate truck drivers to provide the state proof from a medical professional that they are healthy enough to drive.
Truck drivers already carry around medical certification cards. Submitting the information to the state is intended to allow it to be entered into a nationwide database that also tracks such information as invalid licenses and driving violations.
Missouri missed a Jan. 30 deadline to be in compliance with the federal mandate. But by passing the bill now, lawmakers hope to avoid a penalty of the loss of 5 percent of its federal highway funds.
Truck bill is SB568. | <urn:uuid:e7e271c3-bc3d-471b-adea-64afdb726fa6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newstribune.com/news/2012/may/17/mo-lawmakers-pass-truckers-bill-avoid-penalty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944056 | 183 | 1.515625 | 2 |
- Aaron Lea
- Des Moines, IA
- United States
God/creation vs. big bang/evolution = no conflict!?!?!
Grand Unifying Theory
By Aaron Lea
The following is not written by a scientist, but a philosopher. Many of the conclusions herein are not researched, as human technology has not reached a sufficient level to prove or disprove most of these ideas. This is a piecing together of various puzzle pieces from the scientific and religious worlds with, admittedly, a good deal of assumption on the part of the writer when it came to connecting things and filling in the blanks.
The first thing that the reader must solidify in their mind in order to grasp the concepts addressed here is that there is no such thing as “matter”. The entire “Physical Universe” as you have perceived it through your 5 acknowledged senses contains absolutely NO matter. This does not mean that everything is an illusion. On the contrary- the atomic groupings we refer to as “Matter” are very real and firmly bound by many laws of physics. Not necessarily the limited and often incorrect “laws” that humans teach. Just recently, Albert Einstein’s accepted “law” that the speed of light was a universal constant and that nothing can travel faster than light, which had been believed by the scientific community for about 70 years was disproven on two counts- particles faster than light have been found and inconsistencies in the speed of light have been found. As our technology increases, so will our understanding of the true laws of the universe. The span of intelligent human existence in the Universal time scale is so brief, though, that it would be absolutely arrogantly foolish to ever claim to understand all of the laws governing our perceived “matter” here, let alone those governing celestial bodies millions of light years away. | <urn:uuid:e5dd4a2d-f9b1-4507-a0ce-9b1d02aa1208> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ted.com/conversations/7493/god_creation_vs_big_bang_evol.html?c=372514 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96565 | 383 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Last Updated: 2006-08-16 16:21:09 UTC
by Kyle Haugsness (Version: 2)
Of course, Litchfield has found lots of vulnerabilities and reported them to IBM in January 2005 and now patches are released in August 2006.
Please note that I'm not trying to make a political statement about IBM. There are plenty of other vendors with similar types of problems still lurking about. Instead, I am merely highlighting the research of Litchfield and posing some thoughts for our readers. I will do my best to leave my opinion unstated, so that you can draw your own conclusions.
Here is what I find interesting about the vulnerabilities that Litchfield found:
1) There is a basic stack overflow in the username parameter when you authenticate to the database. You can't get any more easy than this. The bug exists on all versions of Informix on all operating systems. This reminds me that "Smashing the Stack for Fun And Profit" by Aleph1 is almost 10 years old now.
2) An attacker doesn't need to authenticate to determine the remote operating system. The installation path is given in the error message for an authentication failure. This is very useful for exploiting #1.
3) After authentication, there are numerous buffer overflows available that allow for code execution and privilege escalation. These are vanilla buffer overflow scenarios that are easy to exploit.
4) In the event of a crash, Informix will dump username and password information to files that are world readable in /tmp. This makes it convenient for an unprivileged bad guy with local access to get usernames and password for admin or privileged users.
5) Any authenticated user has the ability to create a new database, which gives that user DBA privileges on the database. So once you do this, you own the whole server. This is a major architectural flaw.
6) Normal users can run arbitrary OS commands using the SYSTEM SQL command. There are numerous paths to get commands and user-specified DLLs executed as the privileged Informix account.
7) Finally, there are stack overflows still available in environment variables used by SUID command-line binaries.
Here is a link to the research paper by Litchfield: http://www.databasesecurity.com/informix/DatabaseHackersHandbook-AttackingInformix.pdf
So given the facts above, are you asking the right questions of your vendors? How certain are you that your favorite software vendor is writing secure code? Do you have the ability to change software packages if you find that a product has been found to have basic programming errors? And can your organization afford to let known holes live unpatched for 1.5 years?
Last Updated: 2006-08-15 20:06:26 UTC
by Kyle Haugsness (Version: 1)
Last Updated: 2006-08-15 19:13:33 UTC
by Swa Frantzen (Version: 2)
In some organizations the system or network administrators are the ones who are in the best position to keep them up to date and working properly, sometimes making it hard to coordinate with a different set of security people.
What should be in such a logbook ?
Hardware and configuration
IdentificationYou need to be able to identify a device should it get lost, stolen or otherwise compromised. I've found it useful for administrators who are less familiar with certain devices to still locate the right device and be able to power toggle a completely unresponsive system back to life. This information can be of great value and is easy to obtain during physical installation and initial staging.
- Options: CPUs, memory, disks ...
- Serial numbers
- Host ID
Network(s)Information on the network connections.
- Connects to: device, port
- MAC address
- IP addresses (use CIDR, network and broadcasts written out, remember you'll use it in an emergency!)
- FQDN (DNS name)
FilteringFiltering used by this device such as packet filters, their configuration, how to turn them on and off and how to get a closed emergency filter installed.
Disk(s)Detailed information on disks, partitions and slices. Make sure to add what they are used for and the information needed to select the right replacement drive.
The easiest is to print out the information from the OS. E.g.:
$ sudo fdisk wd0
Disk: wd0 geometry: 24321/255/63 [390716865 Sectors]
Offset: 0 Signature: 0xAA55
Starting Ending LBA Info:
#: id C H S - C H S [ start: size ]
0: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0: 0 ] unused
1: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0: 0 ] unused
2: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0: 0 ] unused
*3: A6 0 1 1 - 24320 254 63 [ 63: 390716802 ] OpenBSD
$ sudo disklabel wd0a
disk: ESDI/IDE disk
label: WDC WD2000JD-00G
total sectors: 390721968
headswitch: 0 # microseconds
track-to-track seek: 0 # microseconds
# size offset fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a: 4194225 63 4.2BSD 2048 16384 328 # (Cyl. 0*- 4160)
b: 1048320 4194288 swap # (Cyl. 4161 - 5200)
c: 390721968 0 unused 0 0 # (Cyl. 0 - 387620)
d: 4194288 5242608 4.2BSD 2048 16384 328 # (Cyl. 5201 - 9361)
e: 4194288 9436896 4.2BSD 2048 16384 328 # (Cyl. 9362 - 13522)
f: 377085681 13631184 4.2BSD 2048 16384 328 # (Cyl. 13523 - 387615*)
/dev/wd0a on / type ffs (local)
/dev/wd0e on /home type ffs (local, nodev, nosuid)
/dev/wd0d on /var type ffs (local, nodev, nosuid)
/dev/wd0f on /var/www type ffs (local, nodev, nosuid)
RAIDMake sure you have all the information to deal with raid devices you might have. As most often this is proprietary in format, giving guidance is hard. But make sure you have all information needed to replace drives, use hotspares, rebuild partity and reconfigure them in the same way as they were should the configuration information get lost.
Operating SystemThis information changes with reinstallation but stays as a while fairly static
- Revision (if any)
- Installation time choices indicating installed components.
OS patchesThis information changes a lot in modern OSes. An informational paragraph on how the patches are applied now and how they are done normally should suffice. Having a log of what was installed when is important.
ApplicationsThis section is what you installed as applications on the machine. It should include the important choices made during installation so that people coming after the installer could redo the installation in the same manner. This section must be expanded as time goes by and more applications are installed or removed.
If activation keys are used they should be copied here as well or at least clearly indicated how they can be obtained in an emergency.
Service contractsInformation on all hardware and software or other service contracts related to this machine. It should include the needed procedures, contract numbers , FAX and phone numbers, and any reference the other party will demand before they will start their service execution.
DependenciesA tricky part in larger organization to get right and it might make use of automation if you have many. Basically you want to show:
Services offeredServices the device offers. It should list what needs to be in place, how to test that the services are working, and a list of machines and/or other services depending on them. A prediction of what happens when the services are lost can be very valuable information when dealing with incidents and their needed communication.
Services usedDevices typically need a bunch of services of other machines. Having such a list with simple test to see if those services perform their intended task can be a great timesaver.
IncidentsAny incident this machine was involved in, should be documented in detail. Even simple hardware failures should be documented as they can lead to discover a trend that could indicate a problematic device and trigger a need for replacement.
- what was observed
- what was done
ProceduresProcedures can be either detailed procedures or pointers to specifics. Remember you'll need them under stressy conditions, so make them easy to find and execute. Make sure they list when and by whom they were last actually tested.
Emergency accessHow does an authorized person not having or remembering the passwords access the system in an emergency (e.g a sealed envelope in a safe).
Check Backup statusHow do you see what backups have been made, what they contain etc.
Normal backup out of sequenceHow do you make a backup use normal means for backing up ?
Emergency backupHow do you make a backup in an emergency ?
Restore of dataHow do you restore a single file or directory ?
Restore of full systemHow do you restore a full system ?
Raid proceduresAs needed.
...Add other emergency procedures that are usuful for the specific devices such as how to deny all traffic for a firewall. Also in the text above the procedures there are some links that say to document procedures, those coul dbe added here or pointed to at least.
How do you store this information ? I've used various document formats, but if I were today to start with this again I'd seriously consider an internal wiki.
Things to look out for:
- Make sure it is easy to access and update by all your administrators.
- Make sure you have a copy ready in your Disaster Recovery site, you'll put it to good use inthe process of a recovery should you ever need to start it.
- Make sure it is easy enough to add additional information the administrator thinks might be good to know. So allow for a flexible format to store it in. Allowing for some flexinbility allows you to use this kind of logbook for devices you might not consider to be "computers" such as network elements, or even devices such as accurate clocks, environmental controls etc. (even if they aren't networked).
- You can link this in with change management. In fact you should ...
- While updatign remember that you are documenting it for a slightly less experienced administrator than yourself who knows the hardware/software a little bit but does not know the specifics of this machine.
- It's meant to be used during emergencies, keep it simple to read and understand.
For additional inspiration refer to Security Consensus Operational Readiness Evaluation, there are check lists and incident forms available there.
Swa Frantzen -- Section 66
Please choose a specific diary above to comment | <urn:uuid:ba23c367-f210-41f3-a505-d2fbf9532cb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dshield.org/diary.html?date=2006-08-15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904091 | 2,354 | 2.734375 | 3 |
SC jobless rate for July up to 9.6 percent
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s jobless rate inched upward in July for the third month in a row, rising to 9.6 percent from 9.4 percent in June, state officials reported Friday.
The jobless rates for the three-county region:
July 2012 — 7.9%
July 2011 — 8.9%
July 2012 — 8.5%
July 2011 — 9.4%
July 2012 — 8.0%
July 2011 — 8.4%
Source: S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce
The Department of Employment and Workforce said the increase was fueled by the growth of 4,040 newly unemployed people in the state and a drop of 11,231 employed people.
The agency said in a release that the pattern often occurs during the middle of the year “due to the seasonal ebb and flow of employment in the education sector.”
That may be, said College of Charleston Professor of Economics Frank Hefner, but don’t expect the “normal boosts” once school is back in session. He said the state is emerging from “a deep recession, and we’re just not getting a bounce on the recovery side, and it doesn’t look like we will. There’s no clear momentum. That’s the problem.”
The June rate of 9.4 percent had been 0.3 percentage points higher than May’s rate.
May’s rate of 9.1 percent was the first time South Carolina unemployment had gone up in 10 months.
The national unemployment rate in July increased to 8.3 percent from June’s 8.2 percent, the agency said.
The figures showed South Carolina and North Carolina tied at 9.6 percent with the fifth-highest rate in the nation, said agency spokeswoman Adrian Fairwell.
“The state’s unemployment rate has once again mirrored the movements of the national rate. A decline in payroll employment is typical for this time of year, as educational institutions are on break for the summer,” said Abraham Turner, the agency’s executive director. Most of the state’s counties, however, saw a decrease in unemployment, as did all of the major metropolitan areas, including Charleston.
“Charleston is still kind of like the tortoise, slow but steady, which is great,” Hefner said.
The information sector experienced the only increase, adding 200 jobs, the agency reported.
The lowest rate was registered in Lexington County at 7.3 percent jobless while Marion County listed the top rate of 17.6 percent.
Compared to a year ago, the agency said the state’s non-farm employment saw an overall increase of 11,300 jobs.
Of those, professional and business services reported a gain of 5,500 jobs, mostly in temporary employment services.
The manufacturing sector also grew 4,600 from July 2011 to July 2012.
Sectors that showed a decline in employment during the past year include construction with a drop of 2,100, leisure and hospitality declined by 1,000 and financial activities with a drop of 600.
Brendan Kearney of The Post and Courier contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:10c76c91-7634-4369-aede-f0bca12e1274> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120818/PC05/120819152/1010/sc-jobless-rate-for-july-up-to-96-percent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952535 | 692 | 1.59375 | 2 |
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college | about the ACT
What is the ACT and why is it important?
Created by ACT Inc., the ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The idea (in theory, at least) is to provide colleges with one common criterion that can be used to compare all applicants. The weight placed on ACT scores varies from school to school. Other important factors that schools consider in their admissions decisions are your high school GPA, academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, interviews and personal essays. For more specific information on the importance of ACT scores at the schools you're interested in, contact the admissions offices directly.
The ACT is offered nationally every year in September, October, December, February*, April and June.
What specifically does the ACT test?
The ACT has four sections: English, Reading, Math and Science, as well as an optional 30-minute writing test. Some schools may require the writing test, so be sure to ask before you take it. More about what's on the different sections of the ACT.
Should I take the SAT or the ACT?
SAT versus ACT. Is one harder? Is one better? More prestigious? More useful? If only it were that simple. More about the SAT vs. the ACT.
How is the ACT scored?
You'll earn one ACT score (1 to 36) on each test (English, Math, Reading and Science) and a composite ACT score, which is an average of these four tests. Usually, when people ask about your score, they're referring to your composite ACT score. The composite score falls between 1 and 36. The national average is about 21.
If, for example, you scored 31 on the English, 30 on the Math, 29 on the Reading and 30 on the Science, your composite ACT score would be 30.
You'll receive subscores in English, Math and Reading that range between 1 and 18. These scores provide you with more detail about your performance, but they are not actually used by colleges or universities.
The ACT includes an optional essay, known as the writing test. If you take the writing test, you will receive a writing test subscore and a combined English/writing score. Visit www.ACT.org for detailed information about how your ACT writing test will be scored.
How do I know if my score is good enough to get me into my dream school?
Good question. Check out the Can I Get In function in our School Search.
When should I take the ACT?
Students have traditionally taken the ACT in the spring of their junior year and, if necessary, again in the fall of their senior year. However, more and more students are choosing to take their first ACT earlier, such as during the fall of their junior year. This gives them more flexibility to retake the ACT test one or more times, or to take the SAT or SAT subject tests.
How do I register?
Registration deadlines fall approximately five weeks before each ACT test date. You can get registration materials from your school's guidance counselor, or call ACT, Inc. at 319–337–1270 and they'll send you a registration packet. You can also register online at www.ACT.org.
How can I prepare?
We can help. We have ACT prep courses for every student and every budget.
*No test centers are scheduled in New York for the February test date.
©2013 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved.The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. | <urn:uuid:9f706d9b-7137-4eaa-9121-eab240b253ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.princetonreview.com/college/about-the-act-test.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958138 | 801 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Throughout the northern two-thirds of the United States and Canada, the Little brown bat and the Big brown bat would be the most commonly encountered. In general, any species that naturally roosts in buildings or under bridges is a candidate for a bat house. Here are some of the most likely:
COMMON NAME: Pallid Bat
SPECIES: Antrozous pallidus
HABITAT: Western and southwestern U.S., mostly in arid areas. Found in rock crevices, buildings and bridges. Winter habitat unknown, presumed to hibernate locally in deep rock crevices.
COMMON NAME: Big Brown Bat
SPECIES: Eptesicus fuscus
HABITAT: Most of the U.S. and Canada. Found in tree hollows and buildings. Hibernates in caves, abandoned mines and sometimes buildings. This is one of the most common and widespread North American bats.
COMMON NAME: Southeastern Bat
SPECIES: Myotis austroriparius
HABITAT: Mostly restricted to Gulf States. Found in caves, tree hollows and buildings. Rears young in caves, but bachelor colonies or hibernation colonies might use bat houses. Mostly non-migrating, hibernates in caves in northern range and often in tree hollows or buildings farther south.
COMMON NAME: Little Brown Bat
SPECIES: Myotis lucifugus
HABITAT: Wooded areas throughout most of Canada and the northern half of the U.S., except desert and arid regions. A few isolated populations farther south. Found in tree hollows and buildings. Travels to nearest suitable cave or abandoned mine for hibernation. Along with the Big brown bat, this is one of the species most commonly found in bat houses.
COMMON NAME: Cave Myotis
SPECIES: Myotis velifer
HABITAT: Southern Arizona and New Mexico into West Texas and Oklahoma, and extreme south central Kansas. Forms large nursery colonies and throughout its range is found in more caves than any other species. Also rears young in smaller groups in buildings, often in crevices. The eastern subspecies hibernates in caves, but the winter habitat of the western subspecies is unknown.
COMMON NAME: Yuma Myotis
SPECIES: Myotis yumanensis
HABITAT: All of Western Canada, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Arizona, extreme western Nevada, eastern Utah, southern Colorado to western New Mexico. Restricted to areas near water. Found in caves, buildings and bridges. Winter habitat unknown.
COMMON NAME: Mexican Free-tailed Bat
SPECIES: Tadarida brasiliensis
HABITAT: Common in southern and southwestern U.S., including Kansas and all of California. Found in caves, buildings and bridges, sometimes in huge colonies. Migrates to spend winter in caves and buildings of Mexico and Central America. Remains active year-round.
Little brown bats are among those species most often reported in bat houses. PHOTO BY MERLIN D. TUTTLE | <urn:uuid:af6602d5-4c30-4afc-9895-7054b1dd9e73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.batcon.org/index.php/media-and-info/bats-archives.html?task=viewArticle&magArticleID=395 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905919 | 650 | 3.375 | 3 |
- v. Simple past tense and past participle of luck out.
“I lucked out when Rick plopped his ample butt onto my lap for that bus ride to Fort Benning.”
“The OIA wasn't about to spring for a custodian, and we couldn't take a chance hiring an outside service to clean, so we'd lucked out when Iris volunteered to play maid.”
“I also lucked out because Arden Ward took the cover photograph—don’t y’all agree?”
Looking for tweets for lucked out. | <urn:uuid:d3755ce1-7177-41c3-b956-4be3d1269bf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/lucked%20out | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93686 | 125 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Two years after Ben Stein and Kevin Miller released the controversial movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Stein and Miller, 2008), which grossed nearly $7,700,000, the heated debate over discrimination towards those holding creationist beliefs continues. The Washington Post described astrophysicist Dr. Martin Gaskell as “uniquely qualified” for the position as director of the new, prestigious MacAdam Student Observatory at the University of Kentucky (UK). “He oversaw the design and construction of an observatory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also advised UK during the building of the MacAdam facility” (Lovan, 2010). However, although his credentials placed him “breathtakingly above the other applicants,” it seems that his Christian faith caused him to be rejected for the position. He, therefore, sued the university, “claiming lost income and emotional distress.” U.S. District Judge Karl S. Forester, who rejected a motion from the university concerning going to trial, said, “There is no dispute that based on his application, Gaskell was a leading candidate for the position” (Lovan).
Ironically, Gaskell does not even consider himself a creationist and does not believe the Earth to be “a few thousand years old.” However, apparently threatened by a lecture he gave in 1997 in which he stated that evolution has “significant scientific problems” and contains “unwarranted atheistic assumptions and extrapolations,” science professors believed “his Christian faith could conflict with his duties as a scientist” (Lovan). How unfortunate that many scientists are so quick to jump to conclusions about others before gathering all of the evidence. It is hardly unexpected, considering that they have done the same thing by jumping to wild, outlandish, unscientific conclusions in holding to evolutionary theory despite all scientific evidence that stands against it. The evolutionists are so stressed about the creationists’ arguments that they are now expelling people who even appear to be creationists. Contrary to open-minded, academically free expression of scientific thought, this sort of censorship provides a real barrier to scientific progress. Creationists must be making an impact with many in the debate if the evolutionary community is becoming so hyperactive in its decisions.
Lovan, Dylan (2010), “Scientist Alleges Religious Discrimination in KY,” The Washington Post, December 10, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121701178.html.
Stein, Ben and Kevin Miller (2008), Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Premise Media). | <urn:uuid:ea553574-9db8-4bfa-94a2-61b925c35eb9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.apologeticspress.com/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=944&article=1417 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95546 | 560 | 2.3125 | 2 |
July 20 2012 class suspensions
MANILA, Philippines (8th UPDATE) – Several local government units announced the suspension of afternoon classes as floods have yet to subside in some areas hit by heavy rains since last night.
The following LGUs suspended afternoon classes in the preschool, elementary and secondary levels:
- Manila (public schools only)
- Marikina City (public and private)
- Pasay City (public and private)
- San Mateo, Rizal (public and private)
After only suspending morning classes earlier, Parañaque City and Pateros announced that suspension of afternoon classes as well.
The following LGUs also announced suspension of classes from preschool to high school (public and private) for the entire day:
- Angono, Rizal
- Antipolo City, Rizal
- Bacoor, Cavite
- Cainta, Rizal
- Cavite City
- Malabon City
- Morong, Rizal
- Noveleta, Cavite
- Rodriguez, Rizal
- Rosario, Cavite
- Teresa, Rizal
Weather bureau PAGASA said the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and an active low pressure area (LPA) brought heavy rains in some parts of Metro Manila and nearby areas since Thursday night.
PAGASA said the southwest monsoon and active LPA will particularly affect the eastern portion of central and southern Luzon.
The active LPA was last spotted 320 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora.
Should the active LPA becomes a cyclone, it will be named “Ferdie.” It will be considered a tropical depression once it gains wind strength between 55-64 kilometers per hour.
Meanwhile, PAGASA said Visayas and Mindanao will experience rains brought by the southwest monsoon. - with reports from dzMM and ANC | <urn:uuid:ac5a499a-9dee-43ab-8b1c-641380e78368> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://filipinoscribe.com/2012/07/20/july-19-2012-class-suspensions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930645 | 402 | 1.601563 | 2 |
A lens is an optical device which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_(optics)]
I will keep this post up to date with all possible PS3 lenses, you are welcome to send me any new/better pictures. As say a lot of time before. Open up your PS3 before ordering any of these optical lenses online. There is no guarantee that your model with have one of the other model. This post should help you identify which lens to order.
Side by side, here are the PS3 lenses that are currently available for your PS3. If you ever decide to change the lens yourself, my best advice is to always open your PS3 first before ordering any new lens as there is no way to determine which model use which lens.
Attention: PS3 40gb may use a different lens: LENS KES-410A or KES-410ACA (but some ps3 40gb has been found with the other lens KES-400AAA)
Thanks to Sarah for allowing me to publish this picture on my site.
And about Hotlinking/bandwidth stealing. While looking at back link in Google, a thing very important to look at (Google page rank, who say what about me), I came about 2 forums entries
Come on, don't do that, this is plain bandwidth stealing! you reduced my number of visitors! why not just having a link to the ORIGINAL article? My domain name belong to me till 2015, so It wont disappear tomorrow.
What is Bandwidth Stealing ?
There are many forms of bandwidth stealing on the web today. However, the bandwidth theft on here is image/graphic stealing, and is the bandwidth theft that occurs most. That is when you find an image you like and you are:
Crime? Yes, it is a crime. The person whose site the image is on that you are linking to for the source of the image is paying the server costs, the bandwidth and loosing ad revenues.
I did implement a solution in .htaccess to avoid that, but has seen a dramatic drop in number of visitors, as Google images, live search images are also referencing some files on my server directly. I did switch this off now. I just hope people will get educated enough to understand the problem they create when they simply hotlinks content.
Attention: This operation will void your warranty!!! I recommend you to send it to
SONY if bought your PS3 less than a year ago.
Attention: While this operation require no particular knowledge, don't try it if you
have no patience and feel not confident enough!
Attention: Look at other tutorials at the end of my article before starting, I did not represent
all steps in details. Use them to complete missing steps (this is my brother's PS3, mine
may die also soon, will complete tutorial then)
DISCLAIMER: This tutorial is for information purposes, and I am not responsible or can
be held responsible if you screw up your PS3 by following this tutorial. Make sure the
PS3 is unplugged from mains power AT ALL TIMES. Mains power is dangerous!
Dismantle the Playstation 3 console and follow this tutorial at your own risk!
Duration: 25 minutes
Cost: 35 euro (SONY ask 200 euro, some shops 99 euro with 3 months warranty)
||Torx screwdriver TR10 :|
|Small flathead screw driver + Philips screwdriver|
|Order part: KES-400AAA on Internet or search for "ps3 lens" on EBAY.|
|Big flat space well lit|
Operation done on 18 July 2008, PS3 fully working.
|Remove the 8 screws, slightly lift up the back corners of the top half of the console. There is there 2 small clips near the back you may need to undo with a small screw driver. Now the top of the console should just lift off|
|1. Lift the drive.
2. Unplug the power supply near the front right side of drive.
3. Remove the wide ribbon cable connecting the drive to the motherboard.
|details of power supply near the front right side of drive.
|Remove the main board by removing the screws.
Put them beside in the same order as you did remove them. This will help a lot when you put everything back!
You can now remove the 2 metal plate that encase the ps3 BLU-RAY drive.
|Remove the white plastic part that maintain the DVD in place and put beside.
You now see the drive plastic box.
More screws to remove to to open that black case.
|remove these screws to be able to pull up the old ps3 lens out of the plastic case|
|the old lens is now ready to die.
Metal axes can be removed ad will have to be transferred to the new lens
|On the new lens, put the cable ribbon, by first pulling up the black clip (A), then insert the ribbon (B) and pull back the black clip .|
|On the old lens, the white plastic part has to be transferred to the new lens as well.|
|One screw to remove|
|Put axes on new lens and place it back in case.|
|screw everything back|
Sony is requesting more than 200euro for repairing it (sic). But I will do it myself ;)
|+ DIY risks??||= Total costs ????|
|PS3 Laser Lens KES-400AAA
Ebay link to PS3 lens
|Acessing PS3 lens on YouTube||But it will be FUN!|
Sorry Sony will take my chance this time :)
High Res video will be available on my site
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Disclaimer: The editor(s) reserve the right to edit any comments that are found to be abusive, offensive, contain profanity, serves as spam, is largely self-promotional, or displaying attempts to harbour irrelevant text links for any purpose. | <urn:uuid:4ccc05f4-d7f8-40d7-b0c6-5f07712cd6d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://waltercedric.com/tag/lens | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911822 | 1,334 | 2.203125 | 2 |
|The World of David the Gnome||Gnome Cartoons|
Who is David the Gnome?
Looking for unique outdoor garden sculptures?
Click here & shop for Garden Gnomes & other fantasy outdoor garden art at MissGnomer's Enchanted Garden Store!
Who indeed! Everyone knows the hero of many a gnomer and millions of children all over the world, David the Gnome was the title character of a popular animated TV series called The World of David the Gnome, which was first broadcast in the U.S. in 1987. A Spanish import, the series was based on the books Gnomes and The Secret of the Gnomes, which were published by Dutch gnome experts Rien Poortvliet and Wil Huygen in 1977 and 1987, respectively. Poortvliet was an accomplished artist, and filled his books with lavish paintings of gnomes at work and play. More than anyone, perhaps, Poortvliet has shaped the modern conceptions of what gnomes look like, and the various aspects of their culture. His lush illustrations of the wee folk triggered an upsurge of interest in these helpful, miniature people that persists to this day.
David's world was, of course, a magical one, which he shared with his tiny wife (the portly Lisa) and their two children (gnome ladies always give birth to twins, you know. Very small ones.) They were a family of woodland gnomes, so of course they lived in a miniature house built beneath the roots of a tree, shingled with the scales of a pine-cone. David was the patriarch of his gnome clan, and as such was often forced to deal with disagreements among gnomes and even between gnomes and their arch-enemies, the trolls. Because he was a kind, peace-loving little fellow, he was usually able to avoid any serious trouble for the wee folk.
David & Swift the Fox
Being a gnome, David naturally had many friends among the woodland creatures who called his patch of woods home. Because of their generous natures and general helpfulness, woodland gnomes are always loved and protected by their forest friends, who often cooperate in their adventures. In fact, David's trusty steed was a fox named Swift, who came whenever his tiny buddy whistled. You see, on top of all his other responsibilities, David was also a skilled physician who traveled about the forest on Swift, helping and healing injured woodland creatures, as well as gnomes and any other magical creatures they encountered. David may have been small in stature, but he had a big heart!
If you've ever watched this enchanting cartoon on Nickelodeon or The Learning Channel, you just might have recognized a few of the voices. The narrator was the distinguished actor Christopher Plummer, while David himself was voiced by none other than Tom Bosley, Richie Cunningham's Dad from the '70s TV show Happy Days (now there's a blast from the past). While it's true that David hasn't been the only gnome to appear in animated form -- there are other gnome cartoons about, including a famous South Park episode (Underpants Gnomes!). However, the series about David and his family is perhaps the most famous because it represents the true gnome society and lifestyle of quiet kindness and helpful good deeds. His show taught children to respect and enjoy nature as it is, and to try to resolve their conflicts peacefully. Both are lessons that all kids, small or grown, would be well advised to pay attention to.
What's the secret to happy gnomes and a beautiful garden? Knowledge!
Everything you need to know about gnomes both fact and fiction is right here!
Blog n' Chat
"I Rant - Therefore I am"
We want to hear all
about your Gnoming experiences!
Come chat with us! | <urn:uuid:00190989-36ed-4d02-90b8-d2c21fcef3ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phenomegnome.com/david-the-gnome.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978572 | 791 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Mobile Anti-Tank Gun
- Together with those guns that the Royal Navy made available for the Emergency Coastal Defence Programme, a number of smaller, four-inch and 6 pounder Hotchkiss guns were placed on mobile and static mountings to be used as anti-tank weapons.
- A number of the four-inch guns were mounted on 10-ton lorries and organised into three batteries of which two were allotted to Eastern Command.
- These guns were manned by personnel from Field and Medium artillery regiments who were without equipment after the withdrawal from France.
- In early July 1940 115 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, armed with six of these new mobile anti-tank guns, was assigned to this part of Suffolk. One gun was located to the west of Sallow Wood Covert to defend the two roads leading inland from Walberswick.
- The task of all six guns was to engage and destroy enemy tanks and to fall back in turn on positions already reconnoitred.
Mobile Anti-Tank Gun. The gun at Walberswick was given a specific anti-tank role (Imperial War Museum). | <urn:uuid:c0b751a1-db58-40dd-8b24-455633fb715c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.walberswickww2.co.uk/anti-tank-gun/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982906 | 229 | 2.875 | 3 |
I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child,
but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's
nice, really nice!
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from
birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family.
Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.
But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into
$8,896 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24
a day! Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have
children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite.
What do your get for your $160,140?
Naming rights, --- First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God everyday.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and
skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
(I'm throwing in geocaching here too!)
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or
how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch
lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney Land, and wishing on
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator
magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand
prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for
You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a
wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball
team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first
word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel. You get to
You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky,
a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice,
communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
You have all the power to heal a booboo, scare away the monsters under
the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them
forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you,
love without counting the cost.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
Nuff said….. Enjoy your kids and grandkids | <urn:uuid:ecee86f6-e367-449c-bdc6-436c8f4bf2c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum/showthread.php?2181-The-Cost-of-Kids&p=27900 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917378 | 717 | 1.726563 | 2 |
By Lynne Cooper
I attended the Rolls-Royce Science Prize awards evening on Monday (7 Nov 2011) at the Science Museum, London. I was really looking forward to hearing Professor Lord Robert Winston the keynote speaker who indeed lived up to expectation. However the real stars of the evening were the teachers I met who were all in the running for the prize. Entries ranged from building greenhouses out of CD cases to making and taste testing smoothies.
It was also great to catch up with teachers who had been on courses that I had led on. My day job is as a professional development leader devising and leading on a variety of courses and conferences at the National Science Learning Centre but I moonlight as a judge for the Rolls-Royce Science Prize. The other link is that for a school to be eligible to enter the Rolls- Royce Science Prize they must have sent a member of staff on a cpd course at the National Science Learning Centre or enter throug one of the network of Science Learning Centres. Not only do the winners receive £15,000 in prize money but the fifty merit award prize winners receive £1000 to go towards improving their science departments. I really enjoyed hearing tales recounted of the exciting high impact projects they did for the competition, as well as what the excited winners planned to do with the money.
And the winners are….
Staunton-on-Wye Endowed Primary School, Hereford, and Mulberry School for Girls, London, beat off competition from 2,000 UK schools to be declared this year’s joint winners. They each receive £15,000 in prize money to advance science teaching in their schools, along with the chance to spend the day with the Red Arrows display team. Presenting the awards, John Rishton, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive, said: “In the future, all of our lives will critically depend on the engineers, scientists and mathematicians who will discover how to produce enough low carbon energy to power the world, build planes that travel non-stop to the furthest corners of the world, using less fuel and travelling more quietly than any aircraft today. “
He went on to say “It is hard to think of a profession more important than teaching. The Rolls-Royce science prize was set up to recognise inspirational science teaching and reward outstanding teachers. I am extremely proud to award this year’s prize to two schools whose projects demonstrate that science teaching can be innovative, creative and fun. Both schools set a fantastic example and I congratulate them both.”
Staunton-on-Wye Primary School
Staunton-on-Wye Primary School
Pupils at Staunton-on-Wye Primary School carried out open ended investigations to research the environmental and social impacts of various building materials, which were then used to construct a play house in the school grounds. Staff, Parents, and local experts brought their skills in, which culminated in a local builder constructing the frame allowing pupils to build the walls and roof. The pupils also pitched to a local architect who helped them weigh the pros and cons of different materials .Science Co-ordinator, Karen Williams, said: “Our whole school has been immersed in exciting, practical science activities related to our Rolls-Royce project and our children have learned how to apply their knowledge and skills in the best way possible. We are all very proud of the house we have built and of the children’s commitment to using science responsibly.”
You can read their development diary and watch the video here.
Mulberry School for Girls
Mulberry School for Girls, London, Team Leader Deborah Colvin (centre front).
Mulberry School for Girls used a hydroponic greenhouse, powered by renewable energy to conduct experiments and learn about sustainable energy and food production. This was a very ambitious project in which the school also raised the money for the solar powered system. They involved students in harvesting and marketing the food, while another team researched the optimum conditions for the plants. Some feedback I had from the participants included
“The best thing was the opportunity to discuss the issues with colleagues”
“It was brilliant to bring people together who are passionate about solving the issues”
Director of STEM Learning for the school, Deborah Colvin, said: “It’s a great honour to accept this award on behalf of everyone at the school, whose hard work and dedication to science made the project possible. We shall invest the prize money wisely within the science department.”
Read about their progress and watch the video here.
The Rolls-Royce Science Prize is an annual awards programme. It is open to anyone who attends courses at the network of Science Learning Centres in the UK, including those taking advantage of Project ENTHUSE. Entries are accepted in three age categories: 3–11, 11–16 and 16–19.
Find out more about the Rolls Royce Science Prize here, including a video.
I’d be interested in comments and opinions on the competition.
- Have you entered it? Did you find it worthwhile?
- What would you do with the prize money?
- If you didn’t enter it - why not? What were the barriers to entry?
- How could we help in future?
I look forward to the conversation.
Filed under: Breaking News, continuing professional development | Leave a Comment » | <urn:uuid:b32fe65c-4619-4f91-ab1d-c0b2046c012f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sciencelearningcentres.wordpress.com/2011/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965508 | 1,124 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Bible Doctrines: Subjects and Texts
Martyr Scriptures Prove No Secret Rapture & No Millennium
Put these Scriptures together precept upon precept to understand the Bible's True End Time Scenario:
Revelation 6:10-11 - "And they [1st martyrs: v. 9] cried with a loud voice… How long O Lord…dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ...and it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season, until their fellow -servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
Note: The vengeance they seek is against "those who dwell on the earth", i.e., the oft repeated description of only the bad guys who "are not found in the book of life" [Rev. 13:8]. Vengeance must wait until the very last martyrs are killed. Who is last?
Revelation 11:7,11,12 - "And when "they" (The Two "Witnesses": Greek: "Martyrs") are killed [v.7], and resurrected by God [v.11] and ascend into heaven [v.12], the martyr roster is full. The promised vengeance time (the 7th Trumpet: v.15) has arrived!
Revelation 20:4 - Here we see the Roster of Martyrs from the 1st century through the 6th Trumpet Mark of The Beast time frame (v. 4) fulfilled by the arrival of the last Two Witnesses/ Martyrs. It is all of these Martyrs who are resurrected in heaven and reign with Christ (vs.4,5) during the fig. "thousand years", i.e., the seven vengeful 7th Trumpet Plagues of c. 2-3 months out of the Beast's 42 months (R. 13:5).
Revelation 11:15,17,18 - "…The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever" (v.15). We give thee thanks…because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned (v 17).
Note: Jesus was given "all power in heaven and earth" right after His resurrection (John 20:17; Matt.28:9,18). From then until these verses (Rev. 11:15, 17) is God's prelude to the still future 7th Trumpet's 7 plagues. During those 7 plagues, Satan's control is totally absent. It returns only after his leaders and millions of others are tortured and killed by these final plagues which culminate in the wipeout of those whom God "gathers" at Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). God's promise of vengeance for ALL Martyrs is fulfilled while Satan is bound helpless until released for "a little season"(Rev.20:3,7).
Revelation 15:1-8 - Once more we see the full roster of Martyrs preparing to be avenged during the fearsome 7 vial/bowl plagues of the 7th Trumpet plague itself..
That the 7th Trumpet Time Frame is the figurative "thousand years" of Rev. 20 is Scripturally inescapable. This is the time: a) When Jesus takes Satan's power away and binds him until his Beast and False Prophet are killed (Rev. 19:20), and then releases him (Rev. 20:7) to finish out his "little season" alone (v.3). b) This 7th Trumpet Time Frame is when the Martyrs are resurrected in heaven and "live and reign with Christ" through that time "ignorantly" called (II Pet. 3:8) a literal thousand years.
Revelation 20:5,6 - "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [the martyrs] is the first resurrection….Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection…[they] shall reign with Christ a thousand years."
It is the Martyrs who are resurrected in heaven. They reign with Christ during the 2-3 months 7th Trumpet time of God's promised vengeance. So, Martyr Scriptures also confirm that there is no literal thousand year reign by Christ on this old earth. (BDP #5, "Martyrs")
Look for 5th and final proof in September that Millennialist teaching can not be and is not Biblical. | <urn:uuid:efd1d70c-df29-4a76-b1d9-6dc7bff20a70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fixedearth.com/bible_doctrines4.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947966 | 948 | 1.6875 | 2 |
by Rachel Baar
Many times when humans study history, we project the values and ideas of the present onto the creations of the past. Neither religion nor science has been able to answer the questions that we have about our origins or our future, so we look for the answers in cultures that preceded us. In doing so, we assume that they were seeking answers to the same questions that we have. If we can create a link to the past, it seems like we should be able to uncover our history and predict our future. This is the situation that surrounds the study of the Nazca lines.
To understand the lines we need to consider the environment of the Nazca. In the desert terrain between northern Chile and southern Peru, there are rough tablelands carved by deep, lush gorges that connect the Andes with the coast. One of these gorges was home to the Nazca people 1500-2000 years ago. In between the valley strips lie elevated dry plains called "pampas"-- deserts where there is little wind and it only rains once every several years, conditions ideal for preserving the huge line drawings. The "Nazca lines" is the name given to the huge lines, trapezoids and animal figures that are etched into kilometer after kilometer of this plain. The pampa was originally covered with black, wind-smoothed rock -- the lines were created by removing these black-colored rock fragments and topsoil to reveal the light-colored sand underneath.
Possible Explanations of the Lines
Since the 1920s, when the first flight of people flew over southern Peru and noticed lines etched into the desert, archaeologist and others have been attempting to understand why and how these lines were formed. The theories, while ranging from spacecraft landing strips to population control systems, all seem to have one thing in common, they are narrow-minded and culture-blind. These popular descriptions looked for a single, causal purpose of the lines: those of astronomy, geometry, agriculture and irrigation, roads, and art. Recently, Anthony Aveni and others have proposed a new theory, one based on cultural as well as archaeological studies. It combines the relative and seemingly correct portions of the five earlier theories with cultural knowledge in order to reflect the multifaceted uses and purposes of the lines in a background of Nazca (not present-day) culture.
Since these lines were noticed some seventy years ago, many explanations have been created. The earliest and most imaginative of these theories, while not widely held to be true, play a small part in the creation of today's prevalent theories. In 1980, G. von Breunig suggested that the lines were used for running footraces. He examined the curved pathways and determined that they were partially shaped by continuous running. He evolved this thesis into a scenario in which local races led up to national events in which the runners had distinguishing team outfits, supposedly depicted on Nazca pottery. A second innovative purpose for the Nazca lines was theorized by William H. Isbell in 1978. He created an analogy between the work gangs that created pyramids in Peru and the creation of the Nazca lines because both occurred at the same time The Nazca society organized work gangs as a "social mechanism for investing unpredictable surpluses in ceremonial activities" in order to regulate population. The final pseudoscientific theory was proposed by E. von Daniken and is an example of today's society being forced upon that of the Nazca. He thought that the Nazca lines were runways upon which aliens landed their spacecraft and that Nazca masks depicted the faces of these aliens. These explanations are only a few of the pseudoscientific theories about the Nazca lines. They were created to entertain today's culture, not to explain or understand a history of the Nazcas.
The importance of these theories lies not in their explanations, but in their ideas. A lot of these basic ideas sparked the scientific and archaeological studies that led to the five most prevalent scientific theories.
The first of these five theories is based on the possible connection between the lines and astronomy. Paul Kosok, an archaeologist, was studying the Nazca lines and noticed that one night at sunset, the sun shone directly down the path of one line. The day happened to be the winter solstice, and the connection between the Nazca lines and astronomy was made. Kosok theorized that all of the lines replicated points on the horizon where astronomical objects set and rose on important days. Instead of undertaking a systematic survey of the lines, however, Kosok drew evidence from the social developments that he thought had happened during the Nazca time period. He attributed the creation of the lines to a "power-hungry astronomer-priest whose knowledge included the lines" and who used them as a form of rigid social control. This "priest" is totally unlike any political authority of the coastal people. Other astronomers then attempted to associate the animal figures with star constellations. Unfortunately, they worked without any criteria as to how close the position and likeness of the depiction were to the actual constellation and without any knowledge of whether the Nazca culture even recognized the constellations they were observing. At a later time, G. Hawkins, an astronomer who had worked on the astronomical relationships at Stonehenge, attempted to do the same with this astronomical theory. He looked for any cosmological object that rose or set near a line. While his study was more scientific than the first two (because it included actual measurements and observations), he fell into the same culture-blind trap. The astronomical phenomena that he related to the lines were objects obvious only to a northern latitude observer and the dates that he picked were not necessarily important to an Andean observer. All of the studies of possible astronomical relationships in the Nazca lines have simplistic character that ignores the complex culture of the Andean people. Instead of finding out which astronomical dates were important to the Andeans and then seeing if those dates have astronomical relationships, they ask only, "Do the lines point to astronomical phenomena or not?"
These generalizations are apparent again in the second theory. According to this theory, the lines were supposedly produced as a "cerebral exercise" and reflect a knowledge of geometry that can be seen in the precision of their execution and existence of units of measurement within their proportions. Maria Reiche was the major proponent of this theory, and to prove it she studied the lengths and angles of the figures in the desert. There were, however, problems with the details of her study. She did not examine all of the figures, or even a general sampling of them. She found three different "units of measurement"--32.6 meters, 26.7 meters, and 32.5 centimeters. While one measurement, if repeated, might be important, the repetition of three such unrelated numbers only discredits all of them. More importantly, the basis of her observation, the Nazca "knowledge of geometry" was not necessarily to construct these figures. This was proved by a 1981 Earthwatch field study in which a group created their own "Nazca line." Using a few people, two sticks, and a string, the Earthwatch group created a line similar to a spiral on the northern pampa. They made the lines straight and the curves even by using naked eye approximations and did not need the geometrical prowess or the large labor force that Reiche proposed.
Do the Lines Have a Practical Purpose?
The third theory is based upon qualities more directly linked to the Nazcas than geometry -- those of agriculture and irrigation. Water is the most important resource in Andean life and the seasonal and long-term variations have a direct effect on them. Underneath the pampa lie subterranean aqueducts and underground wells; in this theory, the placement of these canals is reflected in the placement of the lines. According to Aveni, "most of the line centers are located along the river banks, tributaries, and bases of the mountains from where the drainage proceeds" and the division of the water rights is a reason for local people to trek across the pampa. This theory defines a purpose for the lines and gives a reasonable explanation of who created them. But it still cannot explain the animal and trapezoid shapes, and it does not define the exact relationship between the lines and water.
The next theory goes beyond the relationship between nature and the lines to define a relationship between the lines and humans. The similarities between the Nazca lines and pre-Inca roads -- the straightness, the random piles of debris, the trapezoidal widenings, and the pairs of parallel features -- led to the theory that the lines were created to be walked upon. this amplified the fact that "roads were of considerable importance in ancient Peru and they extended all over." This explains a possible purpose of the lines and trapezoids, but, like the agricultural theory, does nothing to explain the animal figures. It also does not explain the purpose or possible significance of the walking. One possible purpose of walking on the lines could have been an attempt to feel their power. In this way the lines may have been some sort of art form. The figures seem to fit perfectly into the space that contains them, as if the artist saw the figure in the rock and then just uncovered what was already there. The problem with viewing the Nazca lines as art is that to see them we are taking an aerial view. The view of this "art" from an airplane is not the way the Nazcas ever intended their figures to be viewed. This view -- the eyes through which today's society is viewing the Nazca lines--is the basic problem with all of the above theories. They see the Nazca lines as reflections of today's ideas and society and they do not take the culture of the Nazca into account. The other problem is their general narrow-mindedness. All of the theories concentrate on finding one single cause, and assume one single time period. Anthony Aveni, along with Persis B. Clarkson, Gary Urton, and Helaine Silverman, has attempted to correct these problems. Together they have created today's most widely accepted theory by combining archaeology, astronomy, sociology and the best of the above theories in order to explain the Nazca lines.
The field work for this theory encompassed a broad range of resources. They used aerial photos from the Servicio Aerofotografio Nacional and took the astronomical measurements of all the lines. They also used a "ground-based strategy" in order to perceive the subtle details in the same way that the Nazca did when they were building them. Their work was complicated by the absence of pre-Columbian written texts and so they argue by analogy with other Andean cultures. These methods are used to develop a theory which unifies the many purposes of the lines.
The first element of this theory is that of the lines as a pathway. It complies completely with the theory mentioned above but does not limit the purpose of the lines to roadways. In fact, it links walking with the expression of art. Ritual walking along "straight, predetermined routes" has been documented among many pre-Incan groups. The lines seem to reflect more of the Andean ceque system than ritual walking. The ceque system was used by Andeans to organize their city--from the center of the city, 41 straight line ceques radiated out, each line being marked by several buildings and landscape features, called huacas.
Each ceque had a different social class that attended to it in a sort of "hierarchy of worship." The placement of ceques gave information about various kin groups, the relationship among the groups, and the organization of ritual and work activity. The ceque system was "the most dominating feature present in the physical and built landscape that denotes concepts of order and organization." In this way, the ceque system unifies ideas about religion, social organization, water, calendar, and astronomy. It is apparent that the line centers formed on the pampa, identical in shape to the ceques, could also have served similar, multifaceted purposes.
Astronomy was a part of this purpose. Some of the ceques were related to astronomy -- they lined up with the sunrise and sunset on the first day of planting season and winter and summer solstices and marked the rising of the Pleiades and the celestial llama. These same important days, accompanied by days important specifically to the Nazca (especially the solar zenith passages and the dates of pampa water flow), are reflected in the placement of some lines within the line centers. Astronomical planning was not a general part of all centers, but in fact seems to be concentrated in one or two specific line centers. Almost all of the lines in a line center located on the northeastern corner of the pampa are astronomically related. While this explains why astronomy only plays a part in some of the Nazca lines, it leaves the purposes of the remaining lines unknown. The most probable explanation lies in the Nazca relationship to water and irrigation. The placement of the line centers has to do with the locations of mountains and surface waters. With few exceptions, the centers are located at the bases of hills surrounding the pampa and along the place where the pampa borders the "principal river valleys and tributaries." Many line centers were alongside or within view of these tributaries and all of them were related to the Nazca river drainage. Often a line becomes a trapezoid a long way from the center -- these trapezoids are always situated on the elevated land between the dry irrigation canals (quebradas) and are parallel to the direction of flow of water. part of the study focused on determining the orientation and flow of each line's nearest quebrada. Aveni used aerial photographs to measure the width, length and placement of the quebradas. He then found the angle between the axis of the geometric figure and the direction of the flow of the water and the result reflected the tie between water and the Nazca lines. Within a five degree error, 60% pointed upstream and 40% pointed downstream. It is obvious that the placement of the trapezoids was not just a matter of convenience to fit in with land contours -- it was a reflection of the importance of water in Nazca life.
The importance of water is directly back to the ceque system and astronomy. The terminal huacas of many ceques lay at positions where the water flow changed directions. Many rituals associated with the ceque system stress the relationship between people and water. And since the "lines were almost surely walked upon (recall that many have footpaths within) and that the act of walking may have been associated with the water flow because the lines began and ended at centers that were located at significant points on the pampa with respect to the passage of water over it." It is clear that the purpose of the Nazca lines combined the importance of water and astronomy in Nazca life with the ceque system and other rituals.
But the biomorphic figures -- the spiders, birds and other animals -- do not seem to reflect these same values. Almost all of the figures are located on about 5% of the northwest corner of the pampa and are built on an entirely different scale from the lines. Ceramic data actually places the biomorphic figures about a thousand years before the dates of the lines. The animals do not align in the same directions of the geometrical figures and not a single line leads to or terminates within the drawing of an animal. The biomorphs seem to be from an earlier and more localized tradition, likely engaged in by people who lived in the area of that small corner.
As Helaine Silverman states in her article, "The study of the lines as undifferentiated features devoid of sequence has flawed several interpretations." This seems to be just one manifestation of the basic problem with the theories made about the Nazca lines. Many researchers seem to have a single-mindedness -- they view the Nazca as a culture like our own, with the same values, the same ideas, and the same desires. In doing so, they create culturally blind theories. They look for a single purpose for the lines created by single-dimensional people in a single time period. Anthony Aveni and others have recently tried to combine all of the previous theories into a multi-faceted, multipurposeful explanation for the Nazca lines. The lines are an integration of the roles that astronomy, water, ritual and the ceque system played in the lives of the Nazcas. They reflect the beliefs and ideas of a bygone culture and leave behind a story that we can understand only if we view it through Nazca eyes. Source
Copyright © by The Book of THOTH - The complete guide to the Tarot, Magick and the Occult All Right Reserved. | <urn:uuid:79746a76-0cdd-4f72-ae91-3a92c0049506> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thothweb.com/content-76.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966115 | 3,459 | 3.875 | 4 |
Andrew M. (Mike) Erdman
Walter L. Robb Director of Engineering Leadership Development
213E Hammond Building
University Park, PA 16802
Mondialogo: An intercultural dialogue and exchange
Penn State and Moroccan students collaborate on international engineering project
Eighteen Penn State students and thirteen Moroccan students from École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs came together in spring 2009 to form “Team Amerocco,” an international group of students with a passion for cultural exchanges and a drive to improve the world though engineering.
Eleven of the Penn State students were from the Engineering Leadership Development Minor (ELDM) capstone class, ENGR 497 Leadership, Innovation, and 21st Century Resource Challenges, taught by Assistant Professor Richard Schuhmann, director of the ELDM, and seven students from Engineers for a Sustainable World assisted the ELDM students with background literature research. The ELDM students collaborated with the Moroccans as part of the Mondialogo program, an initiative sponsored by Daimler and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to promote intercultural dialogue and exchange.
In the Mondialogo program, students from universities around the world collaborate and communicate with other universities on a team project through the Mondialogo online community (www.mondialogo.com). These international teams compete for the Mondialogo Engineering Award, which is given to those participants who best achieve the organization’s goal of promoting intercultural dialogue and cooperation between educational engineering institutions in developing and developed countries.
Team Amerocco explored stove designs for their Mondialogo project. According to the team’s project abstract, the World Health Organization estimates that more than three billion people around the world use solid fuels for their energy needs, which oftentimes produces indoor air pollution. This pollution, which ranges from carbon monoxide to particulate matter, is the cause of nearly three percent of global diseases.
Recognizing the need for clean and safe fuel burning in rural areas of Morocco, the team set out to create an efficient, solid-fuel-burning stove design, while also taking cultural implications into account.
For the first part of the semester, the American and Moroccan students shared ideas over the online Mondialogo platform, which is equipped with message boards and chat features. The two groups also communicated through Skype, an Internet-based videoconferencing, phone, and chat service, and through the College’s Polycom system.
Over their spring break, the eleven Penn State ELDM students traveled to the capital city of Rabat to meet their Moroccan counterparts. Team Amerocco spent one week together traveling to remote areas of the Moroccan countryside to assess the viability of their ideas—in both a functional and cultural context—and to refine their stove designs.
These “field challenges,” designed to help the students get a broader picture of the disadvantages of the existing stoves, proved to be much more than an engineering exercise. These day-long excursions gave the Americans and Moroccans a chance to bond and learn about each other’s cultures.
“Morocco is incredibly different from the United States, but we made some very close friends and learned so much about each other and each other’s cultures,” said Matt Yeamans, a May 2009 mechanical engineering graduate with minors in ELDM and engineering mechanics. “We asked some really personal questions about their way of life and had a great open dialogue about all aspects of their way of life and ours.”
In preparation for their immersion into an Arab culture, the Penn State students learned about Islam and studied Darija, the spoken Arabic language in Morocco. The course also prepared them to talk about their own beliefs and political views, which required some introspection on the part of the students.
“We were prepared before we went there to expect to be asked certain kinds of questions,” said Gopal Nadadur, a mechanical engineering graduate student. “We were told to be really comfortable with our religious beliefs and to be prepared to talk about what you believe and why you believe in it. So we really had to learn our own religions and our own cultures well before we went there. We did a self analysis.”
While in Morocco, the students discovered a different representation of Islam than that which is often negatively portrayed in American media.
“Undoubtedly, the most interesting thing I took away from the Moroccan culture is their devout following of the Islamic religion,” said Mike Ducker, a May 2009 mechanical engineering and ELDM graduate. “Nearly all of the Moroccans we met were Muslim and deeply dedicated themselves to the religion. It was an experience in itself simply learning more, hands on, about the Islamic religion, its background, and its people.”
“At the root of this religion is hospitality and kindness toward strangers, and all the Americans certainly experienced these aspects exhibited by the Moroccan students and other Moroccans we met along the way, helping to make the experience for us even better overall.”
During their stay in Morocco, the Penn State students lived in the Old City with Moroccan host families, many of which spoke very little English. The students ate with, socialized with, and even learned new bathing techniques from their host families.
“Visiting hamam with my host family in Rabat was literally getting dunked into a pool of culture,” said Steve Garguilo, a May 2009 information sciences and technology and ELDM graduate, about his visit to the hamam, a public bathing facility that is much like a wet version of a sauna.
“You had to scrub yourself with oil and soaps and soak in the steam,” said Nadadur, who shared the same host family as Garguilo. “The showers that I take these days are like—I’m not really clean after this!”
In addition to the engineering and cultural exchanges, the students gained something of perhaps even greater value to their lives: friendships. After spending an entire week together, the students became very close.
“My favorite part of Mondialago was having the opportunity to meet and really get to know our peers at École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs,” said Garguilo. “Getting the chance to live and work with people from the Moroccan culture gave me wonderful new insights and enabled me to make new friends for life.”
Through the Mondialogo project, the Engineering Leadership Development Minor continues its commitment to global engineering initiatives, promoting cultural education, and preparing students for careers in the global marketplace.
“The knowledge and experience gained through this project will be continually applied throughout the rest of my career and the rest of my life,” said Garguilo. “Knowing that people have different world views and different experiences is so important when working on global teams, and understanding how to best work in these situations to effectively leverage talent and diversity is also very important.”
“I will always think back to my wonderful experiences in Morocco when I commence work on global teams. I hope to continue this type of work and especially travel for the rest of my life.” | <urn:uuid:27285722-fffc-4b72-be88-ec2eb82c4401> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sedtapp.psu.edu/leadership/article.php?id=1&featured=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959083 | 1,501 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Enjoy adventurous Africa in Botswana
Botswana’s political stability has led to an increase in tourism. Botswana is the perfect destination who does not wants their roads paved for them but instead want to make their road as they go. Botswana is not exactly a cheap travel destination but those it’s an experience worth paying for those who have money. Those who want to enjoy the wilderness in Botswana should have enough time and be ready to let go of luxuries. Holiday packages in Botswana are meant for those who are prepared to rough it a little bit. Winter is the best time to visit the country. During winter days are clear and nights are cold, it is easy to spot wildlife during the period as they are usually found close to the water sources.
There is plenty to be experienced in Botswana and the Okavango delta tours must not be missed. It is usually a part of most holiday packages. The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world. The area is unspoilt as there is limited tourism, the game lodge at the delta can provide accommodation to tourists. The Moremi Game Reserve is located on the eastern side of the delta. It is perhaps not the largest wildlife parks in Africa but it is still worth visiting. One can find almost 500 species of different birds in the Game Reserve along with other wildlife species like the leopard, cheetah, giraffe and many more. The area’s biggest quality is its unspoilt and pristine nature.
Another must stop in Botswana for safari lovers in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. It has been opened for tourism quite recently and is famous because of the book – Cry of the Kalahari. There are two private camps inside the camp in which visitors can stay. The best time to visit the camp reserve is early in the year but travelling can be quite difficult during that time as well. The inter dune valleys are green and beautiful at that time and one can spot a large number of animals as well.
The Chobe National Park is another destination that is usually a part of holiday packages in Botswana. The Park is home to an extremely varied wildlife, perhaps the best in Botswana because the riverfront can support a large number as well as variety of wild animals. The area supports a seriously large number of elephants and one almost never leaves the park without viewing elephants, the best time to view it is during the dry months from April to October but those who are interested in birding should visit the park between November and March. The national park is huge with an area of around eleven thousand square kilometers. It is the second largest National Park of Botswana. | <urn:uuid:f6fd0bf6-f5ac-4318-8bcb-570e014fa5d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bookitnow.com/enjoy-adventurous-africa-in-botswana | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974249 | 556 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Tigers are the largest members of the cat family. Most are light orange with black stripesand no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes! The tigers skull (lower left) holds sharp teeth, the better to eat large prey such as deer, wild cattle, and wild pigs. The tigers ferocious roar (lower right) can be heard as far as two miles (three kilometers) away.
More About Tigers
Build a zoo habitat for a rare Siberian tiger! | <urn:uuid:2ca0bc07-7cd2-4c97-9063-dce89b99cf10> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coloringbook/tigers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95219 | 94 | 2.953125 | 3 |
|Volume 1: No. 14|
Richard Gabriel, CTO of Lucid Inc., reviewed the current state of LISP in the June issue of AI Expert. Particularly fascinating is his discussion of LISP's debilitating insistence on doing the fundamentals right the first time, vs. the success of UNIX and C through implementation efficiency at the expense of correctness, completeness, and interface simplicity. Richard concludes that worse is better: an easy-to-implement system that spreads like a virus will achieve critical programmer mass and can be [almost] fixed later; a hard-to-implement, resource-hungry, easy-to-use-if- you-know-what-you're-doing system like LISP will not be competitive.
Richard also comments on the psychology of software development with these languages. C is weak, so programmers write library routines that provide the next level of robust functionality. (Services like embedding a system call in a loop until it succeeds or returns a fatal error code.) This leads to a tradition of modular programming and code reuse -- but with a tolerance for idiosyncratic interfaces and incomplete functionality. LISP programs tend to start with functional design, then implementation design, then implementation. The result is essentially correct, but is large, complex, and delivered late. (Scheme code is more likely to be correct and small, but monolithic, even later, and slow.)
Richard then lists weaknesses of LISP environments, which haven't changed much in the last ten years. They are not well integrated, have no persistence except for files, discourage multilingual code integration, ignore life-cycle considerations (documentation, specifications, maintenance, testing, validation, modification, and customer support), provide insufficient information access (e.g., for performance monitoring), are too complex for easy learning and use, and do not support multiple users.
He still believes that C is wrong for AI, and that we have to support Common LISP because it's the only available standard. For the future, he would like to see multilingual development environments supporting a kernel-based LISP system. The kernel would resemble Scheme plus modules and macros, minus continuations and dynamic redefinition of functions. A linguistic layer would flesh out the language and a library layer would provide most of Common LISP's functionality. Additional layers could implement less-standardized functions.
Finally, Richard calls for more openness among developers. "The business leadership of the AI community seems to have adopted the worst traits of business practice: secrecy, mistrust, and run- up-the-score competitiveness." If the language is to survive, its application developers, expert-systems vendors, and LISP vendors must work aggressively for a faster, smaller, more deliverable product. | <urn:uuid:c252ace1-9e09-43eb-90e5-8241b19f4d28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0tcc--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=tcc&cl=CL2.1&d=HASH07209f9b48863e79503ef0.10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91839 | 568 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Dying to Live Free
by Stephen Lendman
Israel's prison gulag is one of the world's most hellish. Palestinians held suffer horrifically. Inflicting pain and suffering is official Israeli policy. Rule of law principles are spurned.
Virtually all Palestinians held are political prisoners. Refusing food is their only resistance weapon. The Addameer
Prisoner Support group estimates about 2,000 now engage in open-ended hunger strikes. Most began on April 17, Palestinian Prisoners Day.
Israel responded as expected. More pain and suffering was inflicted. Detainees are attacked and beaten. Personal possessions were confiscated. Electricity was cut off. Salt for water is prohibited.
Transfers are made harsher locations. Solitary confinement is imposed. Visits by family members and lawyers are denied. Addameer said its attorneys can't get access.
Israel hopes tough tactics will undermine the will to resist. Instead it's hardened.
Eight or more prisoners remain on extended strikes. On April 27, Thaer Halaheh and Bilal Diab reached day 59. Despite deteriorating health, an Israeli judge rejected their appeals against lawless administrative detention without charge. More on them below.
Hassan Safadi's High Court petition was rejected. He's refused food for 54 days. Omar Abu Shalal reached day 50. Jaffar Azzedine's on day 35.
In Ramleh Prison hospital, Mohammad Taj continues hunger striking after 41 days. He demands prisoner of war status and Third Geneva rights.
Mahmoud Sarsak reached day 36. He's imprisoned under Israel's draconian Unlawful Combatants Law (UCL). Without evidence, it's imposed based on "a reasonable basis" to believe Palestinians belong to a hostile group belligerently confronting Israel.
Israel calls wanting to live free belligerent and confrontational. UCL is similar to George Bush's "unlawful enemy combatant" designation.
Under America's 2009 Military Commissions Act (MCA), terminology was switched to "unprivileged enemy belligerent." Language changed, but not intent. Detainees charged lose all rights, including due process and judicial fairness.
Bush's UEC designation resurrected a defunct WW II provision. Four Geneva conventions superseded it. Under its new name, it's still enforced. Boyle once called it a:
"quasi-category universe of legal nihilism where human beings can be disappeared, detained incommunicado, denied access to attorneys and regular courts, tried in kangaroo courts, executed, tortured, assassinated and subjected to numerous other manifestations of State Terrorism."
Israel enforces the same harshness. Like America, it gets away with murder with impunity. Prolonged arbitrary detention is imposed. Hundreds face it uncharged because no evidence proves wrongdoing or intent to commit it.
Detaining someone long-term constitutes a serious international law breach. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states:
"Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are established by law."
"Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him."
"Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or detention shall be entitled to take proceedings before a court, in order that that court may decide without delay on the lawfulness of his detention and order his release if the detention is not lawful."
Although some wiggle room permits use "in time of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation," Israel consistently violates Fourth Geneva's Article 78, stating:
"If the Occupying Power considers it necessary, for imperative reasons of security, to take measures concerning protected persons, it may, at the most, subject them to assigned residence or to internment."
"Decisions regarding such assigned residence or internment shall be made according to a regular procedure to be prescribed by the Occupying Power in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention. This procedure shall include the right of appeal (decided on) with the least possible delay. (If it's upheld), it shall be subject to periodical review...."
Extended uncharged detentions should never substitute for criminal proceedings. Nor should anyone face imprisonment for political reasons. Israel flaunts international law and its own. Palestinians suffer horrifically in gulag hell.
Despite extreme prison harshness, hunger strikers resolve to resist. Their numbers grow. Expect more to join them. Their will defies Israeli lawlessness. They're dying to live free.
On August 17, 2011, Israeli soldiers arrested him. Around 40 masked men in civilian clothes surrounded his home at 12:30 AM. Sound bombs and tear gas were used. Family members were treated belligerently. Bilal's brother, Issam, was violently thrown to the ground. Hands shackled behind his back, he was beaten.
Bilal was shackled, blindfolded, and mistreated. He was dragged violently to a jeep about 250 meters away. First taken to Megiddo prison, he was transferred to Salem Detention Center for interrogation.
On August 25, he was ordered detained uncharged for six months. Secret evidence was alleged. If any existed, it would be revealed. Prisoners, family members, and counsel can only speculate why he's held. Lawyers know doing so violates international law. Israeli military courts and civil ones go along.
On February 14, Bilal was ordered held another six months. Administrative detentions have no limit. Prisoners can be held indefinitely uncharged.
On February 29, he began hunger striking in protest. At the time, he was at Al-Maqab Prison. On March 31, he was transferred to Ramleh Prison hospital and isolated.
After losing consciousness several times, he was sent to Harofeh Hospital, then returned to Ramleh. Addameer lawyers were denied permission to see him.
The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) claims he's being properly cared for. In fact, he's punished in isolation hell.
Earlier, he spent seven years in Israeli prisons. On February 17, 2010, he was released. Israeli authorities targeted him and family members. They said over 18 raids were made since September 2000. Each time, an arrest followed.
Bilal's brother Bassam spent seven months in prison. His brother Issam was detained uncharged for 10 months, then sentenced to another 16 months. His brother Allam was held six months, and Azzam got a life sentence. On March 29, he began hunger striking with Bilal.
Bilal had no family contacts since arrested. Their appeals were denied. Now they know he may die. Israel doesn't care either way.
On June 26, 2010, about 50 soldiers arrested him at home past midnight. Belligerently, they broke in and seized him. Soldiers told his father he was a "threat to the public." No other reason was given.
On July 5, 2010, he was administratively detained without charge. Alleged secret evidence was again claimed. Every three months, his detention was extended. On February 29, he began hunger striking in protest.
He's also now at Ramleh Prison hospital in isolation. Addameer can't see him. Reportedly, he's in serious condition like Bilal. In vain, both men appealed for release. Their failing health was disregarded.
Eight previous times, Thaer was arrested. He spent six and half years in prison uncharged. Since beginning his hunger strike, his mother, wife and daughter saw him once. His father and five brothers were denied.
No further family visits are allowed. His father and brothers earlier were arrested. His brother Shaher's serving a 17 year sentence in Rimon Prison.
On April 26, the International Middle East Media Center reported Thaer's immune system and organs may be failing. Mandela Institute lawyer, Anwar Abu Lafy, saw him. He said a recent liver and kidney CT Scan showed "his body is unable to function and his life is in grave danger."
He can't walk or stand. He suffers sharp chest and stomach pain. He's losing vision in his right eye. He lost over 52 pounds. His blood pressure and sugar levels are dangerously low.
He also suffers from "escalating heart beats, hair loss, bleeding from his mouth and gums, and weakening muscles." He's dying but won't stop hunger striking for justice. Neither will Bilal and others.
A Final Comment
Resisting courageously gets world attention. Israeli harshness hasn't gone unnoticed. Behind bars or free, all Palestinians suffer. Many resist. Their rights matter. They deserve justice like everyone. Hopefully one day they'll get it. It's decades overdue.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at email@example.com.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. | <urn:uuid:12ac8aac-e2d4-420d-a963-7e94943baa72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sjlendman.blogspot.jp/2012/04/dying-to-live-free.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972632 | 1,924 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Friday, 29 June 2012 00:00
On two separate days, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) held public comment sessions in the local community. On June 12, the public meeting held at Bethpage High School drew more than 200 local residents and business owners who may potentially be affected by the clean-up plan proposed for the Northrop Grumman - Bethpage site (Former Grumman Settling Ponds).
Likely because of the overwhelming public turnout during the first meeting, the DEC scheduled a second public session that was held on June 21 at the Bethpage Community Center. More than 20 residents stopped by the June 21 public session for the opportunity to speak one-on-one with representatives from the DEC and the Department of Health (DOH), and have their concerns and comments entered into public record. During this informal session, DEC and DOH staff reviewed the proposal and answered questions.
The following is the DEC’s proposed remedy:
“The goal for the remedial program is to restore the site to pre-disposal conditions to the extent feasible. The remedy proposed for the site includes excavating contaminated soils at Bethpage Community Park, treating some deeper contaminated soils with an underground heating technology, soil vapor extraction and extracting and treating contaminated groundwater both at the park and downgradient of the site.
“For soil on-site, the clean-up levels are based on meeting restricted residential Soil Cleanup Objectives in the top 10 feet of soil and removing deeper soils containing PCBs at levels of 50 parts per million (ppm) or more. For groundwater, the goal is to fully contain contamination within the Operable Unit 3 source area at the Park and to remove 90 percent of the contamination leaving the “hot spot” in the plume downgradient of the site. The Wellhead Contingency Plan that was part of Operable Unit 2 is continued to ensure protection of public health and the environment.
“The proposed remedy represents the alternative preferred by DEC and DOH to address site contamination. The draft cleanup plan has several goals: identify cleanup levels to be achieved; summarize other alternatives considered; explain why NYSDEC and NYSDOH believe the proposed remedy is the best alternative; provide a detailed description of the proposed remedy.
“The proposed remedy was chosen following a detailed investigation of the site and evaluation of alternatives to address contamination.
“The site is listed as a Class 2 site in the State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Sites (list of State Superfund sites). A Class 2 site represents a significant threat to public health or the environment; action is required.
“The former Grumman Settling Ponds and associated disposal areas are in the 18-acre Bethpage Community Park. This property was used historically for disposal of various wastes generated by industrial operations in the Grumman industrial complex. These wastes included chromium, PCBs, and volatile organic compounds (chlorinated solvents used for cleaning or degreasing machinery or fabricated parts).
“Three significant Interim Remedial Measures (IRMs) have been completed at this site. These include: removing contaminated soil by the Town of Oyster Bay in preparation for constructing the new Ice Skating Center; installing a soil vapor extraction system by Grumman in the Grumman access road to intercept contaminated soil vapor migrating from the Park; and installing a groundwater pump and treat system installed by Grumman in the Grumman access road to intercept contaminated groundwater migrating from the Park.”
On Thursday, June 14, two nights after the first public comment session, Senator Charles Schumer, in a letter to the United States Navy, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called for the proposed DEC plan to be revised to include additional remediation wells in order to remove toxins before they reach more drinking wells on Long Island.
Schumer pointed out that the Navy Optimization Report, which he says he pressed the agency to conduct, recommended additional remediation wells to clean up the plume. Schumer said the draft plan presented to the public on Tuesday, June 12 contains only one well with the explicit purposes of clean up before the plume further contaminates the groundwater supply.
Additionally, Schumer urged the DEC and EPA to require the Navy to develop a contingency plan to construct new drinking water wells to the south of wells near the path of the plume to ensure that an ample supply of clean drinking water is available for water districts that could see more wells in the north impacted by the approaching plume.
“The Navy made this mess and they should be required to clean it up before it contaminates more drinking water wells and not after, and they should do so without burdening Long Island ratepayers with the clean-up costs,” said Schumer, who has secured funds previously from the Navy to repay localities for clean-up costs associated with groundwater contamination. “From both a clean up and health perspective, we should be doing everything humanly possible to remove the toxins from the ground so that existing drinking wells, and ratepayers, are protected,” he stated.
In his letter to the agencies, Schumer called for a more comprehensive clean-up plan to be imposed on the Navy. Frustrated with the pace at which the Navy was moving forward with a clean-up plan, Schumer called on the EPA in September 2011 to take the lead role in coordinating a comprehensive clean-up plan for the plume emanating from the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage. Schumer said the agency agreed that a more comprehensive effort to remediate, delineate and monitor the plume needed to be in place to protect the massive sole-source aquifer water supply that serves hundreds of thousands of residents in Nassau County, as opposed to a wellhead treatment plan preferred by the Navy that simply waits for contamination to occur.
In his letter to the agencies, Schumer noted that wellhead treatment is less than optimal and invited carcinogens into the water supply only to clean them, after the fact. Schumer noted that while the DEC draft plan take a positive step in including one remediation well, it doesn’t go far enough.
Schumer also raised concerns with the pace in which a cost agreement has been established between the Navy and Northrop Grumman. He pointed out that while Northrop-Grumman has spent over $100 million on site clean-up and containment over the years, the Navy has largely been a slow and weak investor and has not adequately compensated local water districts for costs they have already incurred in addressing the contamination.
In the past three years, Schumer has secured millions of dollars in reimbursements for treatment facilities for South Farmingdale Water District and a new groundwater monitoring assessment by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The United States Navy operated a Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage for several decades beginning in the late 1930s, leaving behind one of the largest areas of contamination in New York State. The old Navy facility was located on 635 acres in Bethpage where former defense manufacturing activities resulted in the contamination of soil and groundwater with industrial solvents including trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride.
In 1976, contamination concerns were first identified when on-site wells were detected to contain volatile organic compounds. Since that time, the plume has spread and is threatening over 20 additional public drinking wells that serve over 250,000 Nassau County residents in the Massapequa, Bethpage, and South Farmingdale Water Districts. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) originally projected that certain wells in the Massapequa Water District would not be impacted for several years, however local water districts have said that groundwater sampling in the vicinity of these supply wells has revealed that the plume could hit within four years.
The DEC has extended the public comment period about a proposal to address contamination related to the Northrop Grumman - Bethpage Facility Site #130003A-Operable Unit 3 (formerly the Grumman Settling Ponds), under New York State Superfund Program through Monday, July 30.
The remedy presented by the NYSDEC includes excavating some of the contaminated soils at Bethpage Community Park, treating some deeper contaminated soils and soil vapor extraction, and extracting and treating contaminated groundwater at both the park and the downgrade of the site.
This site is part of the state’s Superfund Program. For additional information about the proposal to address contamination and how to submit comments, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8431.html
DEC has created a new online listserv to keep the public better informed of project activities. To sign up for the listserv, visit: www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/61092.html.
(Editor’s note: This article is part one of two. The second part will appear in next week’s edition with more from the local water districts, several residents and from a one-on-one interview with a representative of the Department of Environmental Conservation.)
— Christy Hinko contributed to this article | <urn:uuid:8efa21cb-d366-419b-bc88-311331993336> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antonnews.com/farmingdaleobserver/news/23704-dec-outlines-remediation-plan-for-bethpage-plume.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948625 | 1,890 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Along with a beloved old T-shirt or a perfectly worn leather jacket, jeans often have more of a backstory than a regular article of clothing. The recently launched Hiut Denim encourages the wearer to officially document their relationship with their pants from the moment they first put them on. Built into each pair is a HistoryTag—a unique code enabling an online memory bank for jeans. By setting up a special account, people can upload pictures and stories about their adventures in denim. The archived information about each pair is maintained even as they're passed from one owner to the next.
Interested in the stories behind the clothing we wear, David and Clare Hieatt founded Hiut—the name is a combination of "Hieatt" and "Utility"—to bring denim production back to their hometown of Cardigan, Wales which previously housed the U.K.'s largest denim factory producing 35,000 pairs a week. When businesses began moving operations east, the plant was closed, leaving a talented workforce behind.
With the new Hiut factory, the Hieatts hope to regenerate the local craft industry and in doing so, employ about 400 people in Cardigan again. Operating under the motto, "do one thing well," Hiut has Grand Master denim cutters and machinists focusing their efforts on making just two styles of jeans—regular and slim—in a choice of two denim fabrics, organic from Turkey and selvage from Kuroki, the artisanal Japanese denim mill.
In the face of fast mass produced fashion Hiut is taking a more focused approach, celebrating each individual pair of locally made jeans—and encouraging those who buy the wares to continue the process with the HistoryTag. Hiut is available on the brand's website, where you can pick your denim (organic or selvage), and then your cut (regular or slim), at prices starting at £130 a pair. | <urn:uuid:22a45059-685a-4b1a-8377-1d601fcddb22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coolhunting.com/style/hiut-denim.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ch+%28Cool+Hunting%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947034 | 385 | 1.664063 | 2 |
WASHINGTON — Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the AAA credit rating the United States has enjoyed for 70 years late Friday night in a move that had been expected, but still left the Obama administration angry and combative.
In announcing its rating downgrade to AA+, S&P said the recent debt-ceiling compromise that President Barack Obama signed into law on Tuesday had not done enough to trim the country's burgeoning debt load, currently $14.3 trillion.
S&P said its calculations indicated that under the deal, U.S. debt would total 88 percent of the country's gross domestic product by 2021, making buying the government's long-term debt a riskier investment. It also said the recent battle over the debt-ceiling had shaken its confidence that American political institutions were capable of managing the U.S. deficit and economy.
"The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics," S&P said. "More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011."
The Obama administration angrily accused S&P of sloppy mathematics and a politically tainted assessment, saying the calculation overstated by $2 trillion estimated future spending. As a result of the error, the rating agency overstated the ratio between the U.S. debt load and its economy, the administration said.
Sources familiar with conversations between S&P and the Obama administration, who spoke to reporters on the condition that they not be identified otherwise, said S&P acknowledged the error, but issued its downgrade anyway.
"A judgment flawed by a $2 trillion error speaks for itself," said a Treasury Department spokesperson.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, blamed the Democrats for the problem for the downgrade in a statement that did not address the debt-ceiling debate that figured so prominently in S&P criticism of U.S. creditworthiness.
"This decision by S&P is the latest consequence of the out-of-control spending that has taken place in Washington for decades," he said in a statement. "Republicans have listened to the voices of the American people and worked to bring the spending binge to a halt. We are no longer debating how much to spend, but rather how much to cut. Unfortunately, decades of reckless spending cannot be reversed immediately, especially when the Democrats who run Washington remain unwilling to make the tough choices required to put America on solid ground."
Analysts expected the S&P action would have little immediate impact on borrowing costs for U.S. businesses or consumers as long as the two other major credit rating agencies, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings, did not follow suit. Both have signaled they plan no immediate change in the U.S. credit rating.
The U.S.'s major banking regulators immediately took steps to make certain there would be no impact on banks or credit unions that hold U.S. bonds as part of their assets.
In a joint statement, the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the National Credit Union Administration and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said the downgrade would have no effect on how the agencies would assess financial institutions' health.
"The treatment of Treasury securities and other securities issued and guaranteed by the U.S. government, government agencies, and government-sponsored entities . . . will also be unaffected," the statement said.
The sources familiar with the talks but who could not be otherwise identified said they did not expect the downgrade would have an impact on the market next week. They said the most disappointing aspect of S&P's decision was how it would reflect on the United States abroad.
Credit ratings are given to bonds as a signpost to investors on the risk of a default. A lower credit rating implies more risk and investors often demand a higher interest rate in exchange for purchasing lower-rated bonds.
If the other two large rating agencies were to join S&P in downgrading U.S. bonds at some point in the future, it would raise the cost of borrowing for everything from mortgages and auto loans to how much corporations and cities must pay bond holders.
U.S. government bonds have long been considered the world's safest investment, and few countries can boast of a AAA rating. Only Thursday, as investors fled gold, the stock market and other commodities, they sought to buy U.S. government securities _ in such numbers, in fact, that at one point some government debt was actually paying negative interest.
The sources familiar with the S&P action branded the action as political, saying it focused too much on the ugly process of the debt-ceiling deal, instead of the outcome, which resulted in cutting the deficit by $2.1 trillion over 10 years. | <urn:uuid:4e36fe22-ecff-4163-b9a2-3e872cd56ff3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/08/05/119713/sp-cuts-us-debt-rating-cites-weakening.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968368 | 1,031 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The Case for Personalized Medicine: Interview with Edward Abrahams of PMC
The third edition of The Case for Personalized Medicine (PDF) was released a week ago and I had a chance to do an interview with Edward Abrahams, Ph.D. of the Personalized Medicine Coalition. The new edition is a primer that highlights the progress in the field of personalized medicine for policymakers, researchers, and business leaders.
- How many prominent examples of personalized medicine might we have next year?
It’s impossible for us to know how many prominent examples of personalized medicine products will be available a year from now, but we project that the rapid acceleration in the number of new products coming onto the market will continue. When we published the first edition of The Case for Personalized Medicine in 2006 – there were only 13 available products; when we published the second edition in 2009, there were 37 products available, and now, in 2011, there are 72.
- Sometimes lecturers use two numbers: 7 billion and 3 billion referring to the mass sequencing of everyone’s DNA in the world. When could it happen, what is your estimation?
We understand there to be 3 billion SNPs.
- It seems now from gene expression profiling we are moving towards RNA sequencing and next generation sequencing. What do you think is the next trend in research?
Both research and clinical care will benefit as the cost of whole genome sequencing declines at a rate dramatically more quickly than Moore’s Law would predict inching towards the $1,000 mark. The $1,000 price point is critical because it will make whole genome sequencing comparable in cost to existing medical tests thereby opening up new opportunities for researchers to understand the genetic underpinnings of wellness and disease and providing clinicians with a valuable tool for assessing patient health.
- It is often written by economists that while personalized medicine costs more, it is more cost-efficient. How can we find the balance between having a well designed personalized medicine concept in healthcare and checking everyone’s samples for random biomarkers?
This is a good question. Evidence is needed to show the clinical and economic utility of anything that becomes part of the standard of care. But personalized medicine will be most successful where it makes health care more efficient by enabling the matching of treatment to patient to maximize therapeutic benefits and reduce adverse events, not where it imposes a new one-size-fits-all guideline on physicians to test the entire population for a random biomarker.
- What are the goals and planned activities of the Personalized Medicine Coalition for the next few years?
The Personalized Medicine Coalition is an education and advocacy organization comprising more than 200 member institutions. In keeping with our educational mission, we will plan conferences and develop new documents along the lines of The Case for Personalized Medicine to educate policymakers, business leaders, and others needing to understand personalized medicine and the opportunities it offers to improve patient care while making the health care system more efficient. We will also work with our members to understand and remove barriers to personalized medicine by advocating for changes to health care policy in the United States and around the world. | <urn:uuid:d1952e2b-99ad-4ea3-b2cb-461d6ed02420> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scienceroll.com/2011/11/25/the-case-for-personalized-medicine-interview-with-edward-abrahams-of-pmc/?like=1&_wpnonce=81a70c627a | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945828 | 633 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Esophageal Cancer (cont.)
In this Article
- Esophageal cancer facts*
- What is the esophagus?
- What is cancer?
- What are the types of esophageal cancer?
- What are esophageal cancer causes and risk factors?
- What are esophageal cancer symptoms and signs?
- How is esophageal cancer diagnosed?
- What are the stages of esophageal cancer?
- What is the treatment for esophageal cancer?
- Radiation therapy
- Should people get a second opinion after an esophageal cancer diagnosis?
- What are the side effects of treatment for cancer of the esophagus?
- What follow-up care is necessary during recovery?
- Where can people get support for esophageal cancer?
- How can people with esophageal cancer participate in clinical trials?
- Where can people find more information about esophageal cancer?
- Find a local Oncologist in your town
There are several types of surgery for esophageal cancer. The type depends mainly on where the cancer is located. The surgeon may remove the whole esophagus or only the part that has the cancer. Usually, the surgeon removes the section of the esophagus with the cancer, lymph nodes, and nearby soft tissues. Part or all of the stomach may also be removed. You and your surgeon can talk about the types of surgery and which may be right for you.
The surgeon makes incisions into your chest and abdomen to remove the cancer. In most cases, the surgeon pulls up the stomach and joins it to the remaining part of the esophagus. Or a piece of intestine may be used to connect the stomach to the remaining part of the esophagus. The surgeon may use either a piece of small intestine or large intestine. If the stomach was removed, a piece of intestine is used to join the remaining part of the esophagus to the small intestine.
During surgery, the surgeon may place a feeding tube into your small intestine. This tube helps you get enough nutrition while you heal. Information about eating after surgery is in the Nutrition section.
You may have pain for the first few days after surgery. However, medicine will help control the pain. Before surgery, you should discuss the plan for pain relief with your health care team. After surgery, your team can adjust the plan if you need more relief.
Your health care team will watch for signs of food leaking from the newly joined parts of your digestive tract. They will also watch for pneumonia or other infections, breathing problems, bleeding, or other problems that may require treatment.
The time it takes to heal after surgery is different for everyone and depends on the type of surgery. You may be in the hospital for at least one week.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions about surgery:
Next: Radiation therapy
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Get the latest treatment options. | <urn:uuid:2c26d4ab-663d-4ddf-8db3-67bf127ed5a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rxlist.com/esophageal_cancer/page7.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931562 | 619 | 3 | 3 |
Syzygy: from Late Latin syzygia (“conjunction”), from ancient greek (syzygos, “yoked together”). a kind of unity, namely an alignment of three celestial bodies (for example, the sun, earth, and moon). this was the inspiration for this idea not to use two pointers and use two plates instead.
Hours, minutes, seconds interconnected to each other and to us constantly mutating. Syzygy analogic display features the alignments between the hours, minutes and seconds presenting the actual time to the user using the circle as a unit for the display. The display is composed by two rotating plates with a gap between. a half circle features the place for the hours in the inner plate and minutes in the outer plate, seconds are shown in a circle between plates by a pointer. In the center of the inner plate the logo of breil follows the never ending movement of time. Bracelet adapts to the wrist due to the outer surface in stainless and the inner shell textile in different colors. | <urn:uuid:68be7f93-d19b-42d8-b7ca-3f75526cbb5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.behance.net/gallery/Syzygy/3855159 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922796 | 220 | 2.34375 | 2 |
|TIPSTER Text Program A multi-agency, multi-contractor program|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TIPSTER Technology Overview
TIPSTER Related Research
Phase III Overview
Reinvention Laboratory Project
Generic Information Retrieval
Generic Text Extraction
12 Month Workshop Notes
Text Retrieval Conference
Multilingual Entity Task
Other Related Projects
Document Down Loading
Request for Change (RFC)
Glossary of Terms
TIPSTER Source Information
Return to Retrieval Group home page
Return to IAD home page
Date created: Monday, 31-Jul-00
The TIPSTER Text Program was a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA ) led government effort to advance the state of the art in text processing technologies through the cooperation of researchers and developers in Government, industry and academia. The resulting capabilities were deployed within the intelligence community to provide analysts with improved operational tools. Due to lack of funding, this program formally ended in the Fall of 1998.
DARPA, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) jointly funded and managed the program, in close collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR, or SSC), formerly NCCOSC/NRaD. A TIPSTER Advisory Board was formed in 1998 with members representing users from other Government agencies interested in automated text processing, such as the Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), National Science Foundation (NSF), Treasury Department and other Government agencies.
In its efforts to improve document processing efficiency and cost effectiveness TIPSTER focused on three underlying technologies.
These three capabilities formed the basis for nearly all other information handling tasks.
TIPSTER Phase I
During the first phase of TIPSTER research efforts, (1991-1994), the participants made major advances in creating the algorithms for document detection and information extraction and in improving the techniques for measuring those advances, through activities such as the Message Understanding Conferences (MUC) and the Text Retrieval Conferences (TREC). Document Detection technologies improved Recall from roughly 30% to as high as 75% and the improvement in the processing of natural language queries was also significant. Improvements in Information Extraction produced increases in Recall from roughly 49% to 65% and in Precision from 55% to 59%, and dramatic gains were made in the ability to automatically identify a wide range of items such as names (both personal and organizational), dates, locations, times, phone numbers, etc.
TIPSTER Phase II
The TIPSTER research and development community turned its attention to the creation of a software architecture during the second phase, (April 1994-September 1996), in order to standardize the technology components, enable "plug and play" capabilities among the various tools being developed, and permit the sharing of software among the various participants. Based on feedback from the researchers, developers, and users of the existing prototype and implementation systems, the architecture, funding permitted, continued to evolve.
The Multilingual Entity Task (MET) developed Chinese and Japanese training collectons with over 300 documents in each language. The task was initially confined to Named Entity extraction and the development of a variety of tools such as word boundary finder, part-of-speech tagged Chinese lexicons and dictionaries.
Various research projects and demonstration systems in support of Document Detection and Information Extraction were also completed.
TIPSTER Phase III
Phase III started in October 1996 and continued to build on Phase I and II achievements with new projects in supporting research, development and evaluation areas. Also, summarization was added as a fundamental task area. See Phase III Overview | <urn:uuid:ff22844c-7022-4950-afd9-086b0536a58a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.itl.nist.gov/iaui/894.02/related_projects/tipster/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909202 | 768 | 2.015625 | 2 |
The world’s first underground railway opened in London on Jan. 10, 1863. Nearly 150 years later, the Royal Mint in Britain marks the milestone with two £2 coins, each bearing designs inspired by iconic images of the London Underground.
The coins will be placed into circulation in 2013. Collector versions are now available.
One of the coins, bearing the Roundel design, depicts the London Underground logo while the Train £2 coin shows a 1967 Victoria Line train hurtling out of a tunnel.
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby of design firm Barber Osgerby created the Train design, which uses textures and perspectives to reflect the light and create a sense of movement.
The outer ring of the coin graphically suggests the tunnel wall with the rail lines extending into the center. The designers’ initials appear along the “wall.”
The coin’s patterned edge was inspired by Harry Beck’s iconic Tube map.
Barber and Osgerby said, “The £2 coin was the perfect choice; its form is naturally reminiscent of the Roundel that is the universal logo of the London Underground.”
Edwina Ellis, a former “Art on the Underground” artist, designed the Roundel coin.
The London Underground roundel logo first appeared on station platforms in 1908 — in 1916 Edward Johnson added the official Underground typeface to the bar. The coin design is inspired by a 1938 poster by Man Ray.
The edge inscription reads MIND THE GAP.
The obverse of both £2 coins features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.
The circulation version of the £2 coin has a copper-nickel center and nickel-brass ring; the coin weighs 12 grams and measures 28.4 millimeters in diameter.
A pair of Brilliant Uncirculated coins, one of each design, is available in a folder with unlimited mintage for £20.
A Proof .925 fine silver version (with the outer ring plated in .999 fine gold) is available in each design; each has the same weight and diameter as the circulating coins. The Proof silver coin has a maximum mintage of 12,000 coins per design, with 7,500 of each available individually for £50, and 1,500 available in a two-coin set for £100. The Royal Mint has not disclosed details about the release of the remaining coins, presumably in different packaging options.
A piedfort (double-thick) version weighing 24 grams is available in each design; 2,500 of each coin are available for £100 each, and a two-coin set is priced at £200, limited to 850 sets, from a mintage maximum of 5,363 coins of each design.
Each design is available in a Proof .9167 fine gold version (the outer ring is red gold, and the center is composed of yellow gold). The gold coins weigh 15.976 grams and have a maximum mintage of 960 pieces of each design, of which 750 are available individually for £1,000 each, and 150 are in two-coin sets for £2,000.
To order the coins, visit the Royal Mint at www.royalmint.com, or telephone the Royal Mint toll free at 866-519-7298 (in the United States) or at 866-924-0861 (in Canada). ■ | <urn:uuid:20f035ad-5eba-426e-a1d7-b39e66f448fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coinworld.com/articles/printarticle/coins-mark-londons-tube | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921993 | 708 | 2.84375 | 3 |