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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, , at sacred-texts.com
- Jacob's Family and Wealth
6. דן dān, Dan, "judge, lord."
8. נפתלי naptālı̂y, Naphtali, "wrestling."
11. גד gād, Gad, "overcoming, victory." בגד bāgād, "in victory or" =גד בא bā' gād, "victory cometh." גוּד gûd, "press down." גדוּד gedûd, "troop."
13. אשׁר 'ǎashēr, Asher, "prosperity, happiness."
18. ישׂשכר yı̂śāskār, Jissakar, "reward." The second Hebrew letter (ש s) seems to have been merely a full mode of writing the word, instead of the abbreviated form ישׂכר yı̂śākār.
20. זבלוּן zebulûn, Zebulun, "dwelling." There is here a play upon the two words זבד zābad, "to endow" and זבל zābal, "to dwell," the latter of which, however, prevails in the name. They occur only here as verbs.
21. דינה dı̂ynâh, Dinah, "judgment."
24. יסף yôsêph, Joseph, "he shall add." There is, however, an obvious allusion to the thought. "God hath taken away (אסף 'āsap) my reproach." Double references, we find, are usual in the giving of names (see Gen 25:30).
This chapter is the continuation of the former, and completes the history of Jacob in Haran. The event immediately following probably took place after Leah had borne two of her sons, though not admitted into the narrative until she had paused for a short time.
Bilhah, Rachel's maid, bears two sons. Rachel becomes impatient of her barrenness and jealous of her sister, and unjustly reproaches her husband, who indignantly rebukes her. God, not he, has withheld children from her. She does what Sarah had done before her Gen 16:2-3, gives her handmaid to her husband. No express law yet forbade this course, though nature and Scripture by implication did Gen 2:23-25. "Dan." "God hath judged me." In this passage Jacob and Rachel use the common noun, God, the Everlasting, and therefore Almighty, who rules in the physical relations of things - a name suitable to the occasion. He had judged her, dealt with her according to his sovereign justice in withholding the fruit of the womb, when she was self-complacent and forgetful of her dependence on a higher power; and also in hearing her voice when she approached him in humble supplication. "Naphtali." "Wrestlings of God," with God, in prayer, on the part of both sisters, so that they wrestled with one another in the self-same act. Rachel, though looking first to Jacob and then to her maid, had at length learned to look to her God, and then had prevailed.
Leah having stayed from bearing, resorts to the same expedient. Her fourth son was seemingly born in the fourth year of Jacob's marriage. Bearing her first four sons so rapidly, she would the sooner observe the temporary cessation. After the interval of a year she may have given Zilpah to Jacob. "Gad." "Victory cometh." She too claims a victory. "Asher." Daughters will pronounce her happy who is so rich in sons. Leah is seemingly conscious that she is here pursuing a device of her own heart; and hence there is no explicit reference to the divine name or influence in the naming of the two sons of her maid.
"Reuben" was at this time four or five years of age, as it is probable that Leah began to bear again before Zilpah had her second son. "Mandrakes" - the fruit of the "mandragora vernaIis," which is to this day supposed to promote fruitfulness of the womb. Rachel therefore desires to partake of them, and obtains them by a compact with Leah. Leah betakes herself to prayer, and bears a fifth son. She calls him "Issakar," with a double allusion. She had hired her husband with the mandrakes, and had received this son as her hire for giving her maid to her husband; which she regards as an act of generosity or self-denial. "Zebulun." Here Leah confesses, "God hath endowed me with a good dowry." She speaks now like Rachel of the God of nature. The cherished thought that her husband will dwell with her who is the mother of six sons takes form in the name. "Dinah" is the only daughter of Jacob mentioned Gen 46:7, and that on account of her subsequent connection with the history of Jacob Gen. 34. Issakar appears to have been born in the sixth year after Jacob's marriage, Zebulun in the seventh, and Dinah in the eighth.
"God remembered Rachel," in the best time for her, after he had taught her the lessons of dependence and patience. "Joseph." There is a remote allusion to her gratitude for the reproach of barrenness taken away. But there is also hope in the name. The selfish feeling also has died away, and the thankful Rachel rises from Elohim, the invisible Eternal, to Yahweh, the manifest Self-existent. The birth of Joseph was after the fourteen years of service were completed. He and Dinah appear to have been born in the same year.
Jacob enters into a new contract of service with Laban. "When Rachel had borne Joseph." Jacob cannot ask his dismissal until the twice seven years of service were completed. Hence, the birth of Joseph, which is the date of his request, took place at the earliest in the fifteenth year of his sojourn with Laban. Jacob now wishes to return home, from which he had been detained so long by serving for Rachel. He no doubt expects of Laban the means at least of accomplishing his journey. Laban is loath to part with him. "I have divined" - I have been an attentive observer. The result of his observation is expressed in the following words. "Appoint." Laban offers to leave the fixing of the hire to Jacob. "Thy hire upon me," which I will take upon me as binding. Jacob touches upon the value of his services, perhaps with the tacit feeling that Laban in equity owed him at least the means of returning to his home. "Brake forth" - increased. "At my foot" - under my guidance and tending of thy flocks.
"Do" - provide. "Thou shalt not give me anything." This shows that Jacob had no stock from Laban to begin with. "I will pass through all thy flock today" with thee. "Remove thou thence every speckled and spotted sheep, and every brown sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats." These were the rare colors, as in the East the sheep are usually white, and the goats black or dark brown. "And such shall be my hire." Such as these uncommon party-colored cattle, when they shall appear among the flock already cleared of them; and not those of this description that are now removed. For in this case Laban would have given Jacob something; whereas Jacob was resolved to be entirely dependent on the divine providence for his hire. "And my righteousness will answer for me." The color will determine at once whose the animal is. Laban willingly consents to so favorable a proposal, removes the party-colored animals from the flock, gives them into the hands of his sons, and puts an interval of three days' journey between them and the pure stock which remains in Jacob's hands. Jacob is now to begin with nothing, and have for his hire any party-colored lambs or kids that appear in those flocks, from which every specimen of this rare class has been carefully removed.
Jacob devises means to provide himself with a flock in these unfavorable circumstances. His first device is to place party-colored rods before the eyes of the cattle at the rutting season, that they might drop lambs and kids varied with speckles, patches, or streaks of white. He had learned from experience that there is a congruence between the colors of the objects contemplated by the dams at that season and those of their young. At all events they bare many straked, speckled, and spotted lambs and kids. He now separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flock toward the young of the rare colors, doubtless to affect them in the same way as the pilled rods. "Put his own folds by themselves." These are the party-colored cattle that from time to time appeared in the flock of Laban. In order to secure the stronger cattle, Jacob added the second device of employing the party-colored rods only when the strong cattle conceived. The sheep in the East lamb twice a year, and it is supposed that the lambs dropped in autumn are stronger than those dropped in the spring. On this supposition Jacob used his artifice in the spring, and not in the autumn. It is probable, however, that he made his experiments on the healthy and vigorous cattle, without reference to the season of the year. The result is here stated. "The man brake forth exceedingly" - became rapidly rich in hands and cattle.
It is obvious that the preceding and present chapters form one continuous piece of composition; as otherwise we have no account of the whole family of Jacob from one author. But the names אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym and יהוה yehovâh are both employed in the piece, and, hence, their presence and interchange cannot indicate diversity of authorship. | <urn:uuid:cf6fc78c-abd9-48c0-9729-51fb9212eb12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/barnes/gen030.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976656 | 2,188 | 2.125 | 2 |
Carbon addiction is the same as any other in at least one respect: the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. For greenhouse gases, reducing emissions requires knowing what you’re putting out to begin with.
The Conoco Phillips refinery in Rodeo is a relatively small player, as refineries go, at 1.9 million metric tons of CO2 per year. Photo: Craig Miller
It was toward this end that this week the California Air Resources Board released the first comprehensive data on large-scale industrial carbon emissions in the state. Not surprisingly, the top emitters tend to fall into two categories: power plants and oil refineries, with cement manufacturers not far behind.
Individually, major oil refineries have the largest carbon footprint. Two of Chevron’s refineries–in Richmond and El Segundo, BP’s Carson refinery and the Shell refinery in Martinez, all clocked in at more than three million metric tons (tonnes), CO2-equivalent, for 2008.
Use the interactive map below, prepared by Climate Watch intern David Ferry, to locate the largest industrial emitters and see how they sort out by industry (We’ve been having difficulty with embedded maps vanishing from the blog, so if you don’t see the map below, just click on the link to it).
(Click here for a larger map and a list of all the largest emitters.)
View KQED: California’s Biggest Industrial CO2 Emitters of 2008 in a larger map
Cumulatively, electric power generation is California’s biggest emitter, despite the virtual absence of coal-powered plants in the state. The ARB report lists nearly 20 utility or industrial cogeneration plants in the million-plus club. Several plants put out more than two million tonnes, including Dynegy’s gas-fired plant at Moss Landing, the LaPaloma McKittrick plant, Southern California Edison’s Mountainview plant in Redlands, and the L.A. Department of Water & Power’s Haynes Generating Plant.
The federal EPA considers anything above 25,000 tonnes to be a large emitter. But with carbon emissions, “large” is a relative concept. California imports power from other states and we can get a clue to “large” from the carbon output numbers on some of the mostly coal-fired plants feeding the California grid from states like Utah and Wyoming. Some fossil fuel plants in those states weigh in at a hefty six, ten–even 15 million metric tons. Los Angeles still depends on out-of-state fossil plants for roughly half of its electric power.
A few large cement plants are also in the million-plus column. To find out why, listen to Amy Standen’s report for Quest.
Of course, all this careful accounting leaves aside the elephant in the room: transportation, which has a bigger footprint in California than all electrical generation combined, including imports from other states–and is about equal to total industrial emissions.
The industrial tally released this week is subject to revision and will be used to set caps and allowances for the carbon trading (cap & trade) system mandated by the state’s 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, commonly known as AB-32. There’s more on the emissions report and what it means in Paul Rogers’ story for the San Jose Mercury News. | <urn:uuid:6ca24609-2a23-4fcb-b851-f3eca688796a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/tag/map/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913792 | 708 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Area youngsters put on lifejackets and boarded the research vessel the W.G. Jackson on May 7 for a two-and-a-half-hour hands-on, investigative science experience which is truly a unique learning experience. In this floating classroom, aquatic science instructors guide participants in the use of sampling equipment and instruments to compile water quality data from Lake Michigan and shoreline water bodies.
Sampling equipment used on a standard cruise includes a plankton net, Van Dorn water bottles, and a PONAR dredge. Equipment for determining water color, transparency (secchi disk), and temperature is also found on the vessels.
Each of the main cabins on the vessels has a laboratory with stations for water analysis including dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and conductivity. Other types of analyses can include nitrates, phosphates and alkalinity.
Microscopes with video cameras are used for examining biological samples. Other instruments on the vessels are a global positioning system (GPS) and depth finders.
Data from sampling stations are compared and contrasted to develop an understanding of Lake Michigan and inland lake or river ecology. For school groups, attention is paid to aligning the cruise experience with Michigan science standards. | <urn:uuid:d1794b4a-6618-4daa-b606-dd54af2fc317> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rockfordsquire.com/2010/05/20/roguewood-elementary-students-on-board-for-unique-field-trip/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921984 | 250 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Then & Now, Inverness County
Then and Now
The Heritage of Inverness County
by Jim St. Clair
Fields are growing up times change
Webposted September 9, 2003
"When in doubt about what to write, go out, walk around and look at what
you see!" So said my grandnephew Peter upon an occasion when "writer's
block" was preventing the mind and the words from coming together. Peter,
with a first name going back in this family's history to the early 1700s
with nearly 300 years of Peters here and there on the family tree, spoke
And so it is the time to take a walk, take a drive, climb a hill, open
your eyes, and clear your mind. For it is that lovely week in September
when "down-East" days are frequent skies of blue with varied clouds, a
breeze but not a gale, low humidity "large days" as we frequently call
them in translation from the Gaelic "la mhor." And there is so much
to see from the top of Marble Mountain, or the side of Ben Noah, or from
Cape Clear with is long, long view down the Margaree Valley and from the
MacKay-MacLellan-MacKenzie road on the side of Dunakyn/Dunakin ridge.
In contrast to earlier "down-East" days of July and August, we see the
countryside bleaching out where once green grass and thistles grew. But
accents of colour speak to the coming autumn the purple asters, both low
and high; the red choke cherries; and the yellow sow thistles. Blueberry
bush leaves are becoming deep red, and ripening wild apples are yellow and
crimson on roadways where deer no longer gather the windfalls from
The deep orange of rose hips are becoming popular with some birds,
although the humming birds have taken their colour away from the feeders.
And the occasional maple twig predicts the glory of the coming weeks and
the next month. So much to see so much to relish in the mind and the
The clouds and the sun create shadows on the hillsides of Margaree and
Belle Cτte and East Lake Ainslie indeed, the shadows seem to run
smoothly across fields still green with the aftergrass that grew following
the haymaking and undulate across fields that have been left unshorn.
Vergil, the Roman poet, wrote of the same effect in the Italian
countryside in the first century of this era when he stated, "dum
montibus umbrae lustrabunt."
From along the edge of the Dunakyn ridge, one can watch the sun and the
shadow interweave across the home site to which James and William Wright
came from County Cavan, Ireland, in 1819. In that time, a blazed trail
went across what would eventually come to be a three-hundred-acre farm a
walking and horseback trek from Whycocomagh to Port Hood. From the distant
vantage point, the route of that former pathway is still visible.
Coming from a part of Ireland where there were many lakes and rolling
hills as well as long-established roads and farms and even small towns,
Southeast Mabou (as Mull River was then known) must have seemed very
challenging. But trees were cut and a house (and later a store) was built
and people going along the old roadway between the lakes and the centre of
government at Port Hood often stopped at the Wright house or made
purchases at the small general store.
From the early 1820s to 2002, hay was cut on the sloping hillside field.
Animals were pastured and winter feed was prepared for storage. Potatoes
were planted and dug. Gradually, the farm was extended to include one
hundred and twenty or so cleared acres.
By 1870s, the son of James Wright, John, brought by his parents as a baby
from Ireland to Cape Breton, was raising 200 bushels of oats, 20 bushels
of buckwheat, and 300 bushels of potatoes in a year. With a stock of a
dozen milk cows as well as two dozen sheep and a number of pigs reported
on the census record, John Wright had a big farm with lots of milk to turn
into butter and cheese; and wool to be woven; and beef and mutton and pork
to be put away for the winter.
After 1840, the road was no longer in service, as a new system of
travel-ways came into existence. The store was closed, but the making of
hay and the harvesting of grain continued over the decades as generations
came and went. And shadows continued to be created as clouds passed
between the sun and the earth.
Today, the hay is unmade for the first time in perhaps one hundred and
eighty years. It stands tawny and bleached on the big fields. Here and
there late thistles and an occasional daisy bloom. Golden rod and stinking
willie can be seen here and there where once cattle and sheep grazed or
huge piles of hay waited to be transported to the large barn built in the
"English style" with symmetrical openings for cattle and horses and hay
wagons and farmers to go in and out.
The look of the countryside reminds us that the season of summer is indeed
changing to autumn. And fields, as at the Wright farm, once the source of
fodder for animals for the winter and of potatoes and other root crops for
human beings for the cold months ahead, are uncultivated and starting to
grow up to weeds and bushes.
So much to see, so much to think about, so much to record as we travel on
foot or by vehicle around Inverness County. The economy developed by
people such as the Wrights of Mull River is changing. People live
elsewhere. But, the hard work and the diligence of generations past are
important for us to recall as the seasons turn.
Stories about Canada | <urn:uuid:92fc3a44-71d9-45b1-b9a7-2e6a4bb2f3c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.electricscotland.com/canada/stories/story1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962506 | 1,305 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Children tend to be visual learners. Hang up a savings goal chart, like an empty thermometer or table, that they can fill in as they reach their goal. For older children, have them create a ‘Wish List’ of items they want with the cost included. These visual reminders will help encourage them to save their money instead of spending it immediately.
2. Field Trip!
Every child loves a good field trip. Tell them you are going to take them on a field trip to the bank and watch their eyes light up. Many banks, including TD Bank, offer a joint savings account option that the parent and child can open together. Let them come with you when you open this so they can be involved in every aspect of their money management. Have them deposit money with you on a regular basis, particularly when they receive money for birthdays or holidays.
As a treat for filling up their coin jars visit the Penny Arcade at your local TD Bank and let them cash in their coins for deposit into their savings account. The interactive coin counting machine even offers the chance to win a prize!
- Visit the Store Locator to find the nearest Penny Arcade.
3. Penny Pinching
Compare prices in stores or online to help teach your child to spot a great deal. When shopping with your child, check the sale and clearance sections first. Let them know they may find something on their wish list or a similar alternative for a better, less expensive price.
4. Let Them Pick Up the Tab
Spending Mom and Dad’s money is easy! Help them to develop a better relationship with money by having them use their own money to pay for the items they want. They’ll appreciate the hard work that goes into saving your own money.
5. Give them a “Job”
Teach them the value of hard work by working out a reasonable rate for chores or other odd jobs around the house. Using these rates, share with them how many working hours it would take in order to afford the items on their wish list.
6. Here’s the Game Plan
Play a board game customized for teaching children about money or make up your own game! For a list of recommended games, check out this article from About.com. You can also visit the TD Bank WOW! Zone game room for interactive computer games for your child.
7. Let’s Make a Deal
Make a deal with your child that you will match a percentage of the amount they save if the save consistently or reach a certain amount. This could be anything from a video game to their first car—it’s whatever works best for your family!
In lieu of a percentage, reward your child for great savings habits. Some experts say it is most effective to reward children with something non-material like an extra hour of TV-watching, a later curfew one night or a sleepover! | <urn:uuid:d5f45123-c30d-49aa-9b79-01bb3ce552ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://247moms.com/2012/03/7-fun-ways-to-teach-children-to-save/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950489 | 599 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The Spiritual Brain: Here’s the cover!
This is what the cover for The Spiritual Brain looks like. Mario liked it and so did I. Here’s what I said when someone asked me recently what the book is about:
The Spiritual Brain examines the claim that the mind is simply the functions of the brain and rejects it, not because it is uncomfortable, but because it conflicts with key evidence. In fact, materialism is approaching a crisis. Unable to account for such fundamental features of the human being as consciousness and free will, it is reduced to asserting that they are illusions. As one small example, the 1990s generation of antidepressants that was famously hyped as proving that there is no such thing as the soul turned out to perform only somewhat better than the familiar placebo effect. Similarly, claims that spirituality can be reduced to a God gene or lobe in the brain are paltry, and sometimes ridiculous. Having demolished the nonsense, the book introduces the quietly growing discipline of non-materialist neuroscience, which treats the mind as real and demonstrates the ways in which it changes the brain. A non-materialist approach to neuroscience is not merely another new theory: It offers hope for treating difficult disorders such as phobias and obsessive compulsions. Treating the mind as real, we also examine claims for such puzzling and controversial experiences as the psi effect and near death experience. We also let the public in on a little secret you won’t hear from the current spate of anti-God books on the market: Overwhelmingly, the evidence shows that spirituality is good for you. More significantly, Beauregard and Paquette's Carmelite nun studies demonstrate that it is reasonable to believe that mystical contemplatives do indeed contact a power outside themselves.
There’s lots for some people to like and others to be mad about.
My other blog is the Mindful Hack, which keeps tabs on neuroscience and the mind.
If you like this blog, check out my book on the intelligent design controversy, By Design or by Chance?. You can read excerpts as well.
Are you looking for one of the following stories?
NEW!! Evolution in the light of intelligent design - look up intelligent design topics here.
Animations of life inside the cell, indexed, for your convenience.
Anti-God crusade ... no, really! My recent series on the spate of anti-God books, teen blasphemy challenge, et cetera, and the mounting anxiety of materialist atheists that lies behind it.
Catholic Church A summary of the Catholic Church's entry into the controversy, essentially on the side of ID.
Collins, Francis My review of Francis Collins’ book The Language of God
Columnists weigh in on the intelligent design controversy A summary of recent opinion columns on the ID controversy
Darwinism dissent Lists of theoretical and applied scientists who doubt Darwin
Gilder, George A summary of tech guru George Gilder's arguments for ID and against Darwinism
Intelligent design academic publications.
Intelligent design-friendly students should be flunked, according to bio prof Evolutionary biologist’s opinion that all students friendly to intelligent design should be flunked.
Intelligent design controversy My U of Toronto talk on why there is an intelligent design controversy, or my talk on media coverage of the controversy at the University of Minnesota.
Intelligent design controversy timeline An ID Timeline: The ID folk seem always to win when they lose.
Intelligent design and culture My review of sci-fi great Rob Sawyer’s novel, The Calculating God , which addresses the concept of intelligent design.
March of the Penguins A critical look at why March of the Penguins was thought to be an ID film.
Origin of life Why origin of life is such a difficult problem.
Peer review My backgrounder about peer review issues.
Polls relevant to the intelligent design controversy A summary of recent polls of US public opinion on the ID controversy
Stove, David O'Leary's intro to non-Darwinian agnostic philosopher David Stove’s critique of Darwinism.
Blog policy note:Comments are permitted on this blog, but they are moderated. Fully anonymous posts and URLs posted without comment will be accepted if I think they contribute to a discussion. For best results, give your name or some idea who you are and why we should care. To Mr. Anonymous: I'm not psychic, so if you won't tell me who you are, I can't guess and don't care. To Mr. Nude World (URL): If you can't be bothered telling site visitors why they should go on to your fave site next, why should I post your comment? They're all busy people, like you. To Mr. Rudesby International and Mr. Pottymouth: I also have a tendency to delete comments that are merely offensive. Go be offensive to someone who can smack you a good one upside the head. That may provide you with a needed incentive to stop and think about what you are trying to accomplish. To Mr. Righteous but Wrong: I don't publish comments that contain known or probable factual errors. There's already enough widely repeated misinformation out there, and if you don't have the time to do your homework, I don't either. To those who write to announce that at death I will either 1) disintegrate into nothingness or 2) go to Hell by a fast post, please pester someone else. I am a Catholic in communion with the Church and haven't the time for either village atheism or aimless Jesus-hollering. | <urn:uuid:d581cb2f-e55e-4ee2-8777-5e0132c08b1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.post-darwinist.blogspot.com/2007_06_22_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943302 | 1,153 | 1.585938 | 2 |
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SOURCE: National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Inc.
Brenda Davis has been running her entire life, until a cancer diagnosis nearly stopped her in her tracks. Now cancer-free, Davis prepares to spread awareness about the disease at the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition - Iowa Chapter's 5th Annual 5k Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer.
Knoxville, IA (PRWEB) May 08, 2012
After completing the Quad Cities Marathon in 2009, Brenda Davis thought her body was just recovering from the grueling physical demands of racing. Davis had competed many times before, from 5k runs to half-marathons, and knew what to expect. But something didn't seem right. Nearly a year later, Davis was still experiencing strange symptoms - she couldn't sleep and had debilitating back aches, diarrhea, bloating, and pain during intercourse. Eventually, the abdominal pain was causing Davis to double-over in anguish and she had to miss work. Davis' husband insisted that she see a doctor; she was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. But her symptoms still didn't subside. Two more trips to the doctor brought no results and eventually, Davis' sister - a nurse - stepped in and had Davis scheduled for a transvaginal ultrasound at the clinic at which she worked.
The test confirmed - Davis had softball-sized masses on each of her ovaries. On June 6, 2010, Brenda Davis was diagnosed with stage IIC Low Malignant Potential Ovarian Cancer. From the time of diagnosis to her surgical procedure - it was less than 5 days and Davis was thrown into the whirlwind of emotions a cancer diagnosis brings.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 22,280 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. An estimated 15,500 women will die from ovarian cancer. It ranks fifth amongst cancer deaths in women and is the most deadly of all the gynecological cancers. Unfortunately, most cases are diagnosed in their later stages when the prognosis is poor. However, if diagnosed and treated early, when the cancer is confined to the ovary, the five-year survival rate is over 90 percent. That is why it is imperative that the early signs and symptoms of the disease are recognized, not only by women, but also by their families and the medical community. There is currently no early detection test for ovarian cancer. Pap tests do not detect ovarian cancer. Until there is a test, the key to early diagnosis is awareness. And the key to awareness is knowing the subtle symptoms of ovarian cancer and urging women to take early action and live.
Almost two years later, Brenda Davis is cancer-free and training to run again. Currently, she is prepping for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition - Iowa Chapter's Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer on June 9, 2012 in West Des Moines. She also plans to run a half-marathon - the Des Moines Marathon - in the fall.
"We thank God every day for helping us get through the worst nightmare of our lives. The 'gray ghost,' as I call it, still lurks in my mind, but I know that I am cancer-free today," Davis says. "If telling my story helps save the life of one person, then I will have done my job. In the mean time, I will continue to tell my story and encourage others to pay attention to the message their body is sending them."
The Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer is the largest fundraiser and awareness event for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Organized by local Chapter volunteers, this event celebrates our survivors, remembers those we’ve lost to ovarian cancer and increases awareness about ovarian cancer. Registration fees include a t-shirt and access to all activities on the day of the event. Pledges and donations are welcome, but not required. The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is the largest and oldest ovarian cancer awareness and education organization in the United States. Since its inception in 1995, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) has been committed to raising awareness of ovarian cancer in communities across the country and to providing education, support and hope for women with ovarian cancer and for their families. NOCC has established itself as an important national advocate for patients and families struggling with ovarian cancer. To register for the Iowa Chapter’s “Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer,” please visit nocc.kintera.org/Iowa or call 515-289-0871.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9473712.htm | <urn:uuid:ef1ccb98-efc1-4f42-a2f8-7133eef1751b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.siouxlandnews.com/story/18193925/local-marathon-runner-ovarian-cancer-survivor-races-for-hope-and-awareness | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962302 | 998 | 2.046875 | 2 |
As I struggle with papers at the end of the semester, I feel tempted to bemoan the futility of writing about art. I want to reassure myself that my problems come from the impossibility of my task, not from my scholarly inadequacies. In this rationalizing process, words often serve as a useful scapegoat. “Words get in the way,” as Gloria Estefan so trenchantly put it. We might reason that in matters of love and art alike, language doesn’t suffice.
If an early 90s pop ballad doesn’t carry enough gravitas, I could marshal plenty of academic machinery in support of a comparable claim about the insufficiency of language. The incommensurability of words and images, or the structuralist critique of the illusory nature of textual description…these words come all too easily. Deploying them might provide a boost to my intellectual ego at moments when I would otherwise feel helpless at expressing myself, but that defense seems like a cop-out. Plenty of writers whom I admire have done just fine with words, without recourse to qualifications about the impossibility of expression.
At the recent Fictions of Art History conference, organized by Mark Ledbury and Michael Hatt at the Clark Art Institute, a collection of speakers convincingly opened up the poetic possibilities of writing about art. For a full rehearsal of their arguments, we will have to wait for the planned book version of the conference. In the meantime, I thought I would highlight one moment that particularly caught my attention.
In the question and answer session, AIexander Nemerov noted how Helen Keller has shaped and affirmed his relationship to language. To paraphrase Nemerov imperfectly, the theoretical discourses that question the mediating function of words can make us forget the access language provides to the world around us. For a reminder of this capacity of words, one only needs to read Keller’s famous account of her experience at the well-house, where she learned not only the meaning of “w-a-t-e-r,” but also the function of language. For Keller, words provided a connection to the world that we often take for granted.
Nemerov’s comment prompted me to revisit Keller’s memoir. Re-reading the story surrounding the water pump, I paid particular attention to the preceding and following scenes. Just before visiting the well-house, Keller tosses a porcelain doll to the floor, shattering it to pieces. She gives little thought to what she destroys. After coming back from the water pump, she returns to the ceramic fragments of the doll, this time with a dramatically different relationship to them:
…every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow.
In Keller’s story, words make inanimate matter come to life. They provide a “strange, new sight” that animates everything that was previously dead to her. A doll, a representation of another being, takes on a new value. It develops a vitality that Keller discovers, sadly, only after having destroyed it. This anecdote, whether truthful or constructed, captures the powerful possibilities of words. Keller’s narrative dramatizes the potential immediacy and occult power of linguistic description. That possibility, the chance of animating the inanimate and revealing the life of an object, provides a provocative model for speaking about art. Of course, it helps that Keller’s story is so beautifully written… | <urn:uuid:3e6730aa-518f-479a-881f-448839d6b7e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.art21.org/2010/12/08/open-enrollment-words/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950574 | 794 | 2.015625 | 2 |
The program is called Summit County Solar, and Stephanie Dolmat-Connell, Summit County Energy Programs Coordinator, likened the idea to Costco.
"When you buy in bulk, prices go down," Dolmat-Connell, told the Summit County Council during a budget meeting with department heads on Monday, Dec. 3. "If you get as many people signed up for this program as possible, you can get solar down to a really affordable price point."
Salt Lake County has started the same program, with 64 homeowners participating, creating 231 kilowatts of solar power.
"There are different pricing tiers depending on how many people sign up," Dolmat-Connell said. "So if you get the community to sign up for 100 kilowatts, you get a certain price. But if you can get up to 150 kilowatts, it's an even lower price."
With similar programs, residents have purchased solar panels at a 10 to 30 percent discount, not including additional tax benefits.
To be eligible for solar panels, residents would have to own their home and have enough sunlight. "Some people may have extreme shading issues with trees," she clarified.
Utah Clean Energy has offered to help fund the program for Park City and Summit County, if they agree to foot part of the costs.
"If we can't commit the money, they can't support us," Dolmat-Connell said.
Dolmat-Connell requested $15,000 from the County Council for sustainability programs, including Summit County Solar. Because the program would benefit areas outside of Park City, it would come out of the Municipal Fund, if the County Council approves it in the 2013 budget.
"It's designed that once you get going, you get a savings in utilities, but somebody has got to seed it," County Manager Bob Jasper said. "If we can install a whole neighborhood with panels and help with the upfront costs, do we do that?"
Dolmat-Connell reminded the County Council that they identified sustainability as a county priority.
"We've really focused on county operations so far, and we've been able to save the county over $20,000 a year in utilities. Now I think it's time to go out to the community and offer it to them," she said.
For information about solar tax benefits and rebates can be found at www.utahcleanenergy.org. | <urn:uuid:c2a05a80-7f20-46ed-b17c-ccbf50286e1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parkrecord.com/summit_county-news/ci_22124017/park_city-contact_us | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970119 | 487 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Congo's Leaders Not Interested in Their People, Say Bishops
Cushy Lifestyles and Widespread Corruption Criticized
| 839 hits
KINSHASA, Congo, FEB. 20, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Congo's national leaders lack interest in their own citizens' well-being, say the bishops of this central African nation.
At the end of the episcopal conference meeting held Feb. 9-14, a message addressed to the country's Catholics and to all people of good will acknowledged that progress has been made, albeit slow, in the process of political transition.
However, "we are grieved by the fact that instead of working for social development our national leaders assign social advantages to themselves openly demonstrating disinterest for the people's well-being," the bishops wrote, according to the Vatican agency Fides.
"Besides frequent travels and missions abroad, the advantages of which are unclear, leaders allow themselves a lifestyle which is quite the opposite to the precariousness of our public finances," the prelates observed. "They are doing nothing to stop the corruption afflicting all state services, and they are the only ones who benefit from the calm since the war."
They added: "In the social field, we are sad to see that announced reforms have not occurred. They have shown themselves to be merely political promises for electoral gains."
"From the beginning the transition revealed the lack of qualification of certain people who gained power through the logic of consensus," the bishop wrote. "In some institutions we see hesitation and insecurity which threaten to drag the country to ruin."
"We see power managed with inexpert hands and this will cost our republic a high price," they warned. Too often, "the exercise of public functions has the semblance of a political campaign."
The bishops mentioned numerous recent accidents on railways, rivers, roads, and in the air, and denounced the superficiality with which the leaders responded. Their indifference reveals a profound crisis with regard to the significance of human life and its inviolability, the bishops said.
Another sign of Congo's moral crisis is the lack of security, which leaves the people at the mercy of bandits.
The conflict that lacerated Congo since 1998 has cost close to 3 million lives. Powers in the Great Lakes region are in dispute over control of the territory's immense natural resources.
Congo has been in a state of transition since July 17, when a national unity government was installed on the basis of an agreement reached in South Africa last April. The main task of the interim government is to prepare for elections in 2005. | <urn:uuid:dfb71a56-3b50-47f6-85e7-5b770e2a6c8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/congo-s-leaders-not-interested-in-their-people-say-bishops | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96392 | 535 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Enter Gen. John Pope’s General Order No. 5, which was issued 150 years ago today. Alas… key elements in the Southern Claims application process…
1) “In an area where the Union army was to subsist upon the country…”
2) “Vouchers will be given to the owners… payable at the conclusion of the war, upon…”
3) “…sufficient testimony being furnished that such owners have been loyal citizens of the United States since the date of the vouchers…”
GENERAL ORDERS NO. 5
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA
July 18, 1862, Washington,
Hereafter, as far as practicable, the troops of this command will subsist upon the country in which their operations are carried on. In all cases supplies for this purpose will be taken by the officers to whose department they properly belong under the orders of the commanding officer of the troops for whose use they are intended. Vouchers will be given to the owners, stating on their face that they will be payable at the conclusion of the war, upon sufficient testimony being furnished that such owners have been loyal citizens of the United States since the date of the vouchers. Whenever it is known that supplies can be furnished in any district of the country where the troops are to operate the use of trains for carrying subsistence will be dispensed with as far as possible.
By command of Major-General Pope:
GEO. D. RUGGLES,
Colonel, Assistant Adjutant-General, and Chief of Staff.
That pretty much… oh, hold on a sec. Back it up for just a minute… “loyal… since the date of the vouchers”?! I think “Uncle John’s” estate has a shot at a court case on this one. After all, the Commission denied his claim based on the fact that he couldn’t prove his military service with the Confederate army wasn’t voluntary. Yet, the vouchers he had dated from 1864 and 1865. | <urn:uuid:3561878d-cb90-4aef-8ff2-3c6069568c04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cenantua.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/a-sesqui-moment-some-key-ingredients-of-the-southern-claims-process/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=62ae90ba45 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966474 | 433 | 1.742188 | 2 |
An undersea fiberoptic cable runs through today’s Geo Quiz. This weekend, an operation begins in Venezuela to lay down a fiberoptic cable all the way to Cuba.
That means Cuba is about to get plugged in to high-speed Internet for the first time. It’s not clear how that will affect regular people in Cuba.
We want to know where in Venezuela will the undersea cable start its journey? And where will it come ashore in Cuba?
Camuri, Venezuela and Siboney, Cuba are the answers to our quiz. Anchor Marco Werman discusses the future of high-speed internet in Cuba with Ted Henken, professor of Latin American Studies at Baruch College in New York City. Henken writes about Cuban culture on his blog El Yuma. | <urn:uuid:a2791ac8-1f8a-45e4-87a8-ef1675ce52ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theworld.org/2011/01/connecting-venezuela-and-cuba/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915263 | 165 | 2.015625 | 2 |
While you gather your resources to start to start your own business, you must continue to maximize all options in the workforce. This career coach has solid suggestions.
In today’s work world where jobs are readily changed or eliminated, “doing a good job” is no longer an effective, long-term career strategy. In a recent interview, Ford R. Myers, Career Coach and Author of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring,” (John Wiley & Sons, www.GetTheJobBook.com), stated that every individual – regardless of career status – should consider adopting a different approach which he has termed “Perpetual Career Management.”
“Instead of being focused completely on your current job performance, the term ‘Perpetual Career Management’ means you should focus on managing your entire career – engaging continually in a variety of activities that you thought were necessary only for job seekers. This way, you’ll always be prepared, no matter what happens in your company or your job,” states Myers.
To become a “Perpetual Career Manager,” Myers has identified ten vital activities that everyone – regardless of job level – should always be doing:
1. Keep all your career documents up to date – résumé, reference list, letters of recommendation, accomplishment stories, etc. – so you’ll be ready to leverage them at any point of transition, planned or unplanned!
2. Put time aside every week for active networking to maintain established relationships and develop new ones. You should always be positioned to leverage your professional and personal contacts when the need arises.
3. Join and take leadership roles in appropriate associations and trade organizations. This will boost your visibility and enhance your credibility in your industry.
4. Write articles or do presentations focused on your area of expertise in any venue – associations, conferences, publications, online. This type of exposure demonstrates your level of “trade skill” and expertise.
5. Continue your career education and maintain your industry credentials through seminars, academic classes, lectures, professional events, conferences, and new certifications/degrees.
6. Research and be aware of the competition ¬- whether it be information about other companies or other professionals in your industry. Always know who they are and what they’re doing.
7. Offer to help people in your network even though they may not be in a position to “help you back” at this time. These people will remember your good will.
8. Look at other job openings and investigate other opportunities, even if you’re not job hunting at this time. This will help you to know the market, gauge various aspects of your current position, and stay “plugged-in.”
9. Always ask yourself, “How can I contribute more?” Doing a good job isn’t good enough. The people who move-up in the organization and get the best assignments are the ones who clearly demonstrate their value to the organization in measurable ways – every day, every week, every month.
10. Practice your interviewing, negotiating and related skills on a regular basis. Don’t wait until a career crisis arises to polish your job-seeking skills. You never know what’s going to happen.
Myers adds, “By committing yourself to these ‘Perpetual Career Management’ strategies, and implementing these behaviors in a consistent manner, you will always be in top career form and have plenty of professional options!”
For more information and other useful tips for achieving career success, visit http://www.getthejobbook.com .
Copyright (C) 2012, Career Potential, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by permission of Ford R. Myers, a nationally-known Career Coach and author of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring.” Download your free bonuses now at http://www.careerbookbonuses.com.
Ford R. Myers, firstname.lastname@example.org; 610-649-1778 (PA), or http://www.careerpotential.com. | <urn:uuid:5584b90a-0133-4657-a8e6-1f6340840822> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sbomag.com/2012/07/11202/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922149 | 878 | 1.695313 | 2 |
While most people in the e-discovery industry have heard of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), many think it is simply a chart that describes the stages of the e-discovery process. However, the EDRM is more than a bunch of boxes; it is an organization that drafts and makes available practical information to help everyone who works within the e-discovery space. Members of EDRM represent a diversity of professions that touch discovery in a variety of ways. There are services providers, software companies, IT professionals, litigation support professionals, law firm attorneys and corporate counsel who all bring their breadth of experience to the table. Having a diverse membership allows for interesting and wide-ranging discussion, and provides the expertise necessary to create meaningful guidelines and protocols that run the gamut, from information governance to industry metrics – and all participate with the sole purpose of improving our industry.
The goal of the EDRM is to develop new reference models, best practices and practical standards for the public domain. The organization continually strives to provide better information for each stage in the model, from Information Management through Presentation. To do this, the group is organized into a series of Projects in which industry leaders in that area work to create protocols and metrics.
The following Projects are currently being tackled by the EDRM:
- The Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) Project aims to offer guidance to Legal, IT, Records, Privacy and Security, line-of-business leaders and other business stakeholders within organizations. The IGRM provides a common language and a reference chart to facilitate the conversations among these stakeholders to support better decision-making regarding their information governance policies. The IGRM recently published Version 3.0 of their model, which was presented at ARMA International’s 57th Annual Conference & Expo and the IAPP Privacy Academy 2012.
- The EDRM Data Set Project aims to create standardized “big data” sets of electronically stored information (ESI) for testing purposes. It will support evaluation of processing accuracy, speed and other metrics for vendor comparison and other uses. The Project is now finalizing an upload utility designed to collect a broad sampling of user-generated, copyright-free files that are representative of the type of files currently encountered in data processing and put them in the public domain for testing.
- The EDRM Evergreen Project works to ensure that the Electronic Discovery Reference Model remains current, practical and relevant, and creates educational resources to effectively teach all aspects of e-discovery. The reality of litigation today is that effective ESI analysis wins cases, so this project aims to provide sufficient education for lawyers to become comfortable with the technology. Lawyers, vendors and technicians all need to work together to win cases, and Evergreen seeks to enhance understanding of these key relationships.
- The Jobs Project is developing a framework for evaluating discovery personnel needs or issues. Typically, individuals in charge of hiring personnel in the e-discovery space have little or no practical experience, so the goal of this Project is to create a tool to help hiring managers better understand the responsibilities associated with common e-discovery roles. Currently, the Project offers a draft matrix which maps responsibilities to the EDRM framework so duties associated with e-discovery processes can be assigned to appropriate parties.
- The EDRM Metrics Project seeks to provide an effective means of measuring the time, money and volumes associated with e-discovery activities. This group creates tracking and reporting protocols to assess and analyze “big data.” The Metrics Project is currently refining the EDRM Metrics Database, which is an anonymous set of e-discovery processing metrics from actual matters. The goal of this work is to allow vendors and law firms to anonymously submit data to the system for analysis.
- The EDRM Search Project provides a framework for defining and managing various aspects of Search as applied to an e-discovery workflow. There are several search techniques available for collecting, culling, filtering, locating and classifying electronically stored information. The Search Project works to specify specific types of Search, their behavior and expected results to address the challenges of uncertainty and incompleteness. Currently the Search group is developing a model called the Computer Assisted Review Reference Model (CARRM). The goal of the CARRM is to demystify the predictive coding process and to allow for a common communication platform between vendors and end users at each phase of the computer assisted review process.
- The Model Code of Conduct Project has recently published the EDRM Model Code of Conduct (MCoC), which establishes ethical guidelines for business conduct between the providers of electronic discovery services, software and other products, their clients and other providers. The code reflects years of exhaustive dialogue and a wide array of viewpoints, including those of corporations, law firms and service providers. The MCoC guidelines have already been voluntarily adopted by many organizations.
- Finally, the EDRM XML group focuses on standardizing formats for e-discovery data exchange between parties and systems, which reduces the time and risk involved with data exchange. The goal of EDRM XML is to help practitioners significantly streamline processes and enable the integration of multiple e-discovery technologies.
The key to the success of EDRM is involvement. Industry standardization is not only beneficial to the community as a whole, but an exciting process in which to participate. With so much change in technology, individuals who make the effort to keep up with cutting-edge applications and help shape evolving industry protocols contribute to their own professional development and create a foundation for continual growth and improvement within the industry. All of the EDRM Projects are actively looking for participants and offer a great opportunity to make a difference. For more information, visit http://www.edrm.net/projects. | <urn:uuid:99ebbb20-44c9-42e8-b7a5-2b53f0eb65ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.discoveryresources.org/technology-counsel/sound-evidence/edrm-beyond-the-boxes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932531 | 1,184 | 1.71875 | 2 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2009 MEDIA CONTACT
DSS Legislative Package Aims to Increase Protections from Sexual Predators, Realign Business Practices
BATON ROUGE - Reducing the threat of sexual predators, increasing educational stability for foster children and allowing the state to use public facilities during an emergency are part of the nine bills that make up the Department of Social Services (DSS) Legislative Package that Louisiana lawmakers will consider during the current legislative session.
"These bills reflect DSS' commitment to Louisiana's families," said Department of Social Services Secretary Kristy Nichols. "Specifically, the DSS Legislative Package focuses on protecting children and providing that all children are cared for in safe and nurturing environments. DSS' goal is to ensure that Louisiana's children and families are safe, thriving and self-sufficient."
The nine bills in the DSS Legislative Package focus on issues such as protecting children's health and safety while in child care settings, foster care, residential facilities and at home, deal with sheltering residents during times of emergencies and continue DSS' efforts to realign and streamline the agency's business practices.
One of the bills that is part of the DSS Legislative Package will help make sure more children are covered under their parent's insurance plan by providing for electronic data matching between DSS and health insurance companies.
- SB 230 by Sen. Buddy Shaw - Medical Insurance Data Match & Redirecting Child Support Payments via Income Assignment
This legislation provides for two important changes to child support enforcement. It provides for electronic data matching and cooperation between DSS and health insurance companies in Louisiana to facilitate enrollment of children in health insurance policies. This bill also provides a process for administrative correction of income assignment orders so that child support payments may be redirected to the centralized collection unit without having DSS or the parent to incur additional legal and court costs
Another bill seeks to make transitions for foster children easier by allowing them to remain at their current school when moving to a home outside of the school district.
- HB 590 by Regina Barrow - Educational Stability
In response to the recently passed federal legislation -- Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 -- this legislation when in the best interest of the child, will allow children entering foster care to remain in the same school they are attending at the time of the removal from their family regardless of the district or parish boundaries.
Two bills help DSS realign its business practices in regards to licensing by transferring adult residential licensing to DHH and moving Child Residential Licensing from the Office of the Secretary to the Office of Community Services. Both of these changes align licensing with offices with similar programmatic missions.
- SB 137 by Sen. Lydia Jackson - Bureau of Residential License Transfer to the Office of Community Services (OCS)
To provide for continuity of services and alignment with the functions and mission of the OCS, this legislation transfers the Bureau of Residential Licensing responsibilities and duties to license child residential facilities, foster care, adoption placing agencies, emergency shelters, maternity homes and transitional living facilities form the DSS Office of the Secretary to the DSS Office of Community Services.
- HB 728 by Rep. John Schroder - Transfer of Adult Residential Licensing
To appropriately align programmatic and policy expertise, this legislation transfers regulatory authority from DSS to the Department of Health and Hospitals for all adult residential care facilities, which includes assisted living facilities, personal care homes and shelter care homes.
Five of the bills are included in Governor Jindal's Legislative Package, four of which are part of his Cracking Down on Sex Offenders & Protecting Louisiana Children Package.
- HB 476 by Rep. Patrick Connick - Relates to cracking down on sex offenders preying on children in the five following ways:
- Prohibits Sexual Contract between educators and students up to age 21.
- Amends the 1,000-square-foot radius law for sex offenders to clarify what facilities and areas are off limits.
- Strengthens restrictions and penalties on sex offenders who volunteer for activities involving children.
- Prohibits sexual offenders who were convicted of a sex offense with a child under the age of 13 from owning a day care facility or in any way participating in board governance (post probation, parole or suspension of sentence).
- Prohibits and provides penalties for child-care providers who knowingly employ sex offenders and/or knowingly grant them access to the facility; however, the law does not impose civil liability on volunteer organizations.
- HB 703 by Rep. Kay Katz - Criminal Background Checks
Authorizes DSS to conduct criminal background checks on certain department employees; Requires DSS to execute a survey to assess the impact and cost of conducting national criminal history records checks on potential owners, operators, employees and volunteers of a child care or child residency facilities.
- HB 784 by Rep. Kay Katz - Relates to the hiring of employees by DSS in the following three specific ways:
- Authorizes DSS to cross-reference the State Central Registry against Louisiana's child abuse cases prior to hiring Department employees who will: 1) deal with investigation of child abuse or neglect, 2) have supervisory or disciplinary authority over children, 3) direct care of a child or perform licensing surveys.
- Establishes an internal administrative appeal process for determinations made by DSS.
- Mandates that DSS conduct an assessment of the impact and cost of utilizing SCR information to prohibit individuals from owning, operating, being employed by or volunteering at a child care or child residential facilities licensed by DSS.
- SB 238 by Sen. Willie Mount - Provides sole statutory authority authorization to DSS to issue and revoke childcare licenses; Changes the appeal period from 30 to 10 days when a license is revoked.
Eliminates the Louisiana Advisory Committee on Licensing of Childcare Facilities (which regulates Class A facilities); Eliminates the Louisiana Committee on Private Child Care (which regulates Class B facilities).
"The sexual predator package strengthens Louisiana's sexual predator laws," said Nichols. "Currently, there is no law prohibiting a convicted sex offender from owning or governing a child care facility. The lack of such a law could put children at risk. Additionally, these bills increase the criteria that DSS uses when hiring employees who work with children. As the state's authority on child protection, we must hold our own employees to the highest standards."
The other bill in the Governor's Legislative Package will help keep more Louisianians inside the state when evacuating during an emergency. The bill allows the state to use any public facility as a shelter during disasters.
- SB 279 by Rep. Mike Walsworth - Works to increase Louisiana's emergency shelter capacity in following ways:
- Expresses the legislature's intent that Louisiana not have a deficit of safe public evacuation shelter space in any region of the state by 2014.
- Provides that public facilities owned or leased by the state or local governments, including schools and postsecondary education facilities, which are suitable for use as public evacuation shelters will be made available at the request of the local Office of Emergency Preparedness.
- Provides that each local Office of Emergency Preparedness complete an annual inventory, assess all local public facilities, and identify those public facilities suitable for use as an emergency evacuation shelter as well as those public facilities requiring retrofitting or hardening to meet the criteria of a facility suitable for use as an emergency evacuation shelter.
- Provides that the committee select from the inventory those facilities recommended by the local Office of Emergency Preparedness or retrofitting that, with reasonable hardening or retrofitting modifications, would accelerate the state and local efforts to reduce the deficit in shelter space.
- Any such public facility that is the recipient of retrofitting construction funded from monies appropriated by the state for such costs shall make the facility available for use as a public evacuation shelter at the request of the local office of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
-- 30 -- | <urn:uuid:68b81bf5-cb43-4ea9-bc19-aded19252351> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dss.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=emaillist&tmp=viewcampaign&nowrap=1&msgid=162&uid=h%60hgnWh%3F | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930777 | 1,629 | 1.671875 | 2 |
To the Editor:
On Dec. 18, The Morning Call printed two columns supporting drug legalization. The arguments in favor of legalization are intriguing classroom exercises, demonstrating the effects of juggling supply and demand in a criminal segment of a capitalist system. It is sophomoric, however, to compare too closely the legalization of so-called recreational drugs to the story of Prohibition and alcohol. It is possible for the vast majority of Americans to have an occasional drink without aftershocks. But users of cocaine, crack, ice, marijuana and heroin are more than occasional users and seize more opportunities to become impaired, dependent and dangerous to society.
Lobbyists for legalization should also propose higher auto, health and disability insurance premiums for drug users, and they should also provide guidelines for managing greater numbers of deformed and addicted newborns. There would also have to be a more efficient court system which could handle all the charges of employer discrimination against innocent, legal drug users exercising their rights.
Finally, supporters of drug legalization need to design a system where the drug users would come only from the ranks of someone else's airline pilots and military, someone else's police and clergy and someone else's physicians and school teachers. After all, we wouldn't want the welfare of our own families depending on anyone involved in drugs, would we? | <urn:uuid:bd7bb810-bd2b-4453-a123-b7f5a5bd5495> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.mcall.com/1989-12-26/news/2710547_1_drug-legalization-drug-users-efficient-court-system | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949077 | 264 | 1.8125 | 2 |
A recent New York Times article, From Many Imaginations, One Fearsome Creature, discusses one of my favorite subjects, dragons, and presents a few explanations for why people around the world believed in them:
In “An Instinct for Dragons” (Routledge, 2000), Dr. David E. Jones, a professor of anthropology at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, posits a biological explanation that jibes with the Jungian notion of unconscious collective fears. He argues that the dragon image, fermented in the primal soup of man’s first nightmares, is a composite of the carnivores who fed on human ancestors when they were tree-dwelling monkeys: the pythons, the big cats and the raptors.
Professor Jones was struck by the idea, he said, while reading about the three-alarm calls of the vervet monkey. The first, for leopards, makes them leap for the treetops. The second, for eagles, makes them duck to low branches, and the third, for snakes, makes them jump.
Obviously, there is quite an evolutionary gap between vervet monkeys and the Sumerians of 5000 B.C., the first people known to have drawn dragons. But Dr. Jones argues that the same elemental fears persist in humans as snake and bird phobias, and he cites as evidence the fact that infant chimpanzees who have never seen snakes are terrified of them.
This explanation makes some sense:
Pliny, ignoring Greek and Roman mythology, held that “dracos” did exist, but just in faraway India, where he reported that they were large enough to prey on elephants by dropping out of trees and strangling them. Modern naturalists assume that he heard reports of pythons, which not only grew bigger in retelling, but also turned into fish stories. Some dragons, Pliny wrote, had such large crests on their heads they could sail to Arabia to hunt.
This could also explain some sightings:
In 58 B.C., Pliny reported, the “spine of the sea serpent killed by Perseus at Joppa” (modern-day Jaffa) was displayed in Rome. Karl Shuker, author of “Dragons, A Natural History” (Simon & Schuster, 1995), surmises that the monster Cetus, swimming up to eat Andromeda, might have grown out of rare sightings of oarfish, a snakelike fish up to 30 feet long with a coral red head crest. Other scholars theorize that the skeleton might have been one of the sperm whales that once commonly beached near Jaffa. A half-rotted whale, with its jawbones and vestigial leg bones exposed, would look rather dragonlike, they say.
Of course, there’s one particularly good reason for believing in dragons — dragon bones:
But there is another obvious source for the dragon myth: the bones of dinosaurs and extinct mammals. Bones exposed by storms, earthquakes or digging were well known to the ancients, said Dr. Adrienne Mayor, a professor of folklore at Princeton and the author of “The First Fossil Hunters” (Princeton, 2000). She argues that the myth of gold-guarding griffins arose in the red clay of the Gobi Desert, a landscape literally scattered with white Protoceratops skulls, with parrot beaks and bony neck frills.
Othenio Abel, an Austrian paleontologist, speculated as early as 1914 that the central nasal holes in skulls of prehistoric dwarf elephants were the source for Homer’s Cyclops. Abel added that the skulls of cave bears — ursus spelaeus, half again as big as grizzlies — could have given rise to tales of dragons.
Medieval Europe is “full of stories of knights fighting dragons in caves,” Dr. Mayor said.
Some extinct mammals have startlingly dragonlike skulls, and Asian dragon myths may be based on Pleistocene and Cretaceous fossils, which were at one time universally known as “dragon bones,” Dr. Mayor added.
Sivatherium giganteum, a huge proto-giraffe, has a pointed three-foot-long skull, and another, Giraffokeryx, has four swept-back horns.
Mount Pilatus in Switzerland abounds in pterodactyl fossils, and with stories of fights between men and dragonets — small, scrawny winged dragons.
The head of a dragon sculptured in 1590 by Ulrich Vogelsang for the city of Klagenfurt, Austria, was modeled on a “dragon skull” found by quarrymen in 1335. It is now known to be that of an Ice Age woolly rhinoceros.
Paleontologists can even account for the legend that dragons have jewels in their foreheads. Big calcite crystals form on long-buried skulls.
Of course, dragon-like crocodiles and komodo “dragons” exist in the real world, but, interestingly enough, dragon myths are more common where there aren’t any quasi-dragons:
[A]lthough draconian crocodiles appear in the mythology of Australian aborigines, dragons are just as common in the myths of Vikings, who might have been eaten by bears, but never by crocs. And dragon lore is rare in Africa, where crocs are common, but predator myths revolve more around lions and hyenas. | <urn:uuid:bb1e2244-8c4b-4f93-b929-b2f59bcc398d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.isegoria.net/2003/04/from-many-imaginations-one-fearsome-creature/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952546 | 1,153 | 2.953125 | 3 |
I posted this earlier in another thread and still hope to open up the discussion. To me it's an important question as my interpretation leads me to see a conflict in the definitions of the following subject. It doesn't mean there is a conflict but right now, my understanding of the two terms is seeing a conflict.
A Padaparama is an individual who, though he encounters a Buddha Sàsana, and though he puts forth the utmost possible effort in both the study and practice of the Dhamma, cannot attain the Paths and the Fruits within this lifetime. All that he can do is to accumulate good habits and potentials (vàsanà).
Such a person cannot obtain release from worldly ills during this lifetime. If he dies while practising samatha (Tranquillity) or vipassanà (Insight), and attains rebirth either as a human being or a deva in his next existence, he can attain release from worldly ills in that existence within the present Buddha Sàsana. Thus did the Buddha declare with respect to four classes of individuals.
However...... Dhamma-follower and Faith-follower are define as such:
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, the eye is impermanent, changing, becoming otherwise. The ear
… The nose … The tongue … The body … The mind is impermanent, changing,
becoming otherwise. One who places faith in these teachings and resolves on them thus is
called a faith-follower, one who has entered the fixed course of rightness, entered the
plane of superior persons, transcended the plane of the worldlings. He is incapable of
doing any deed by reason of which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal realm, or in
the domain of ghosts; he is incapable of passing away without having realized the fruit of
“One for whom these teachings are accepted thus after being pondered to a sufficient
degree with wisdom is called a Dhamma-follower, one who has entered the fixed
course of rightness, entered the plane of superior persons, transcended the plane of the
worldlings. He is incapable of doing any deed by reason of which he might be reborn in
hell, in the animal realm, or in the domain of ghosts; he is incapable of passing away
without having realized the fruit of stream-entry.
Does this mean that a Padaparama cannot be a Faith-follower or a Dhamma-follower since a Padaparama cannot attain Stream-entry within this life-time and yet the Faith-follower and Dhamma-follower cannot pass away without attaining Stream-entry? I can see where a Dhamma-follower may not be a Padaparma because of his sufficient wisdom. Where I am somewhat confused by is the definition of a Faith-follower when viewed in the context of the definition of a Padaparma.
I'm sure I am missing something, that's why I am asking for clarification.
"To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas" - Dhammapada 183 | <urn:uuid:84f8f8e8-74d1-44fa-adb3-18cae87c2ac0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?p=17193 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941624 | 672 | 2 | 2 |
Anyone who wishes to visit Australia requires a valid legal document from the government, called visa. There are different types of visas which are granted to meet individual requirements. The grant of a specific visa depends upon the qualifying criteria which individuals have to satisfy. There are exceptions to this rule. In case of Citizens of Papua New Guinea who live in the Torres Strait the requirement of visa is waived. Individuals who are citizens of New Zealand enjoy a special status and can travel, live and work in Australia on special category visa which is automatically issued. They therefore need not apply for a visa. However there are some exceptions. New Zealand citizens are therefore advised to clarify and enquire about visa restrictions which are applicable to them before leaving for Australia.
Citizens of all other nation are required to hold a valid visa while visiting, staying, studying or working in Australia. Each category of applicant is issued with visa pertaining to his or her specific circumstances. One must therefore ensure that they apply for the right visa before travelling to Australia. For example, a person visiting Australia for a holiday must be in possession of a visitor visa. On the other hand a business visitor would require a Business visitor visa. Those wishing to mix business with pleasure may have to judiciously apply for a visa since they would be visiting Australia as a tourist as well as a businessman. Sometimes the exact criteria for applying for a visa may be difficult to ascertain. It is always advisable to approach a professional team of experts who specialise in visa application and processing. There are some visas which must be applied for while residing within the country.
Visas can be classified under four different categories. In cases where citizens of other countries wish to settle down permanently in Australia, they must apply for a Permanent visa. Those visiting Australia on a temporary basis as businessmen or tourists can apply for a temporary visa which is valid for a short duration. The third type of visa is called ‘Protection Visa’ since this is issued to people who enjoy refugee status. These three categories of visas are termed as substantive visas. The last category is called a ‘Bridging visa’. This visa is usually granted for those visitors who are already residing inside the country. Generally these visas are issued to people who are awaiting a substantive visa. For example, a person on a temporary visa may get married to an Australian citizen thus entitling him to a substantive visa. During the time of pendency, the individual may be issued a ‘Bridging visa’ in order to entitle him to a legal stay in the country.
All visitors to Australia must be in possession of a valid visa. To avoid unnecessary paper work and ensure speedy and efficient processing of visas, Australian Department of Immigration and citizenship has advanced information technology tools in place. Visitors are issued with an electronic visa and they only need to remember their visa grant number. This also ensures that the Department captures the latest information regarding the location and movement of visitors.
The place from which a visitor applies for a visa is important. In order to avoid disappointment due to invalidation , applicants should ensure that they apply for the visa from the designated place, either from inside or outside Australia.
Can a person on visitor visa extend his stay in Australia?
This is a tricky question. While some categories of people can get their visa extended due to extenuating circumstances, there is a possibility that a visa is not granted extension. One must carefully examine their visa to ensure that they have not been issued a “no further stay” condition. Individuals are under the erroneous impression that all visas are regularly extended and they could get the same done when inside Australia. This impression is created because they may have heard of someone who has been granted an extension. This may not be the case when no further stay condition applies to some individuals.
In some exceptional cases even ‘no further stay’ condition may be waived. In such cases one must be able to conclusively prove that they have sufficient mitigating circumstances or situations which have developed dramatically since the issuance of their original visa . Compassionate grounds may be cited though they are considered only in the rarest cases. | <urn:uuid:077bc91e-824d-43e0-8137-40825244f04d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.migrationagents-melbourne.com.au/Visas.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952311 | 836 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Outside of the people in the Bible, Augustine of Hippo is the most influential person in church history. Yet how many people know his story? In this book, Simonetta Carr introduces young readers to the life and ministry of Augustine. Readers will come to know Augustine's personal struggles and the high value he came to place on the Bible and truth. Readers will also see the difficult days in which Augustine lived, learning about his disputes with false teachers and the turbulent times during the fall of the Roman Empire. This volume is vividly illustrated, simply written, and full of interesting facts. It is written for young readers, but is sure to capture the interests of the whole family.
- Type: Hardcover ()
- Category: Books > Biography
- ISBN / UPC: 9781601780737/1601780737
- Publish Date: 9/1/2009
- Item No: 308355
- Vendor: Reformation Heritage Books | <urn:uuid:55b2fca2-3412-4b6d-9aa3-3a8d27ecb8df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.c28.com/products/books-augustine-of-hippo-308355/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932921 | 193 | 2.78125 | 3 |
There are basically two different types of brushes, although either can come in any number of styles. Natural bristle brushes are for use exclusively with alkyd (* AL-kid) paints, while artificial bristle brushes are designed for use with latex paints. If you plan to do a lot of painting and are willing to take the time to clean it properly after each use, a top-quality brush will last you for years. If you only paint occasionally, an inexpensive brush may be a better buy. Make sure the ferrule (*FAIR-rule), the metal band that holds the bristles to the handle, is tightly fitted. Aside from the types of bristles, brushes are designed for specific uses. Get a four-inch brush for walls, a two-inch sash brush, and a two-inch sash-trim brush for starters. The sash-trim brush will have its bristles set at a slant, for reaching into corners. Brushes are meant for painting trim or around the edges of a wall. For large, flat areas, you'll want a roller. Find one that fits your hand and replace roller covers, depending on the job. Roller covers with a long nap are ideal for rough-textured surfaces. Short naps will apply paint more smoothly to smooth surfaces. For really big jobs, consider buying or renting a power painter that pumps paint directly to the roller. There are also a number of specialty products for applying paint. A paint mitt consists of a plastic glove covered with a paint-holding nap. It's ideal for painting pipes and other round surfaces. Paint pads are versatile choices for occasional paint jobs and touch-ups. If you're planning a really big job, like painting the exterior of your home, consider renting an airless spray gun to make the task go more quickly. | <urn:uuid:8a0da9be-d1e6-424c-89fb-d02296e3bcc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fox23news.com/guides/home/household/story/Choosing-brushes-and-rollers/c_1ZDL8-B02Dx445sPNryg.cspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950426 | 373 | 1.992188 | 2 |
National Energy Grid
Full Size Map National Electricity Transmission Grid of Australia(27 kb)
As of January 2000, Australia had an electrical generation capacity of 43 million kilowatts (or gigawatts). Approximately 84% of this capacity was thermal (mostly coal) and 14% of it was from renewables (mostly hydro). In 2000, Australia generated 202.7 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) of electricity and consumed 188.5 BkWh. ABARE expects electricity usage to grow by 2.8% per year over the course of this decade.
Australia is relatively well endowed with renewable energy resources, including solar, biomass and wind power. Renewable energy is often a viable
alternative to diesel-generated electricity in remote areas of Australia, such as parts of Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, that do not have access to the main electricity grids. The Renewable Remote Power Generation Program, which began in July 2000, provides financial support for the conversion of diesel-based generators to generators dependent upon renewable energy resources and technologies. The Photovoltaic Rebate Program was designed specifically to support installation of grid-connected or stand-alone photovoltaic systems. Participants can receive rebates up to $8,250 for a 1,500-watt photovoltaic system.
In early 2000, researchers, industry experts and government officials met in Canberra to discuss the potential for biomass as a future energy source. Utilization of biomass as an energy resource could be very important for a country, where, according to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries,& Forestry, Warren Truss, agriculture contributes up to 22% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Utilization of biomass not only could provide a use for many agricultural wastes, but also could encourage tree plantings which would help provide relief for areas experiencing erosion.
Wind energy also is a feasible renewable energy alternative. The Australian Wind Energy Association has pledged to increase the country's wind power generating capacity from 72 MW in 2001, to 5,000 MW by 2010. In July 2001, Pacific Hydro Ltd. opened Australia's largest wind farm in Codrington, Victoria. The $US 16.7-million project has a generating capacity of 18 MW. Renewable energy currently provides about 5% of Australia's electricity generation, with further increases depending partially on pending legislation that would require electricity suppliers to source an additional 2% of their electricity from renewable energy by 2010.
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(Для дополнительных переводов проверяют FreeTranslation.com ) | <urn:uuid:a5fa8201-e404-4adc-a7b1-1407c63c9ee6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geni.org/globalenergy/library/national_energy_grid/australia/index.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915099 | 607 | 3.15625 | 3 |
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort is a multi-center prospective study initiated in 1992, and it includes questionnaires regarding dietary, lifestyle, and health factors and their relationship to cancer. Recent data from the cohort show the association between different measures of smoking exposures and subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in women from 10 European countries.3
Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) of EOC overall and serous, mucinous, and endometroid histologic subtypes, with 95% CIs associated with different measures of smoking exposures. adjusting for confounding variables.
The study identified 836 incident EOC cases among 326,831 women. Compared with never smokers, current smokers had a significantly increased risk for mucinous tumors (HR = 1.85 [95% CI, 1.08-3.16]) and those smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day had a doubling in risk (HR = 2.25 [95% CI, 1.26-4.03]) as did those who had smoked less than 15 pack-years of cigarettes (HR = 2.18 [95% CI, 1.07-4.43]).
These data further support the hypothesis that smoking increases risk of mucinous ovarian cancer. It also supports the notion that the effect of smoking varies according to histologic subtype.
Dr. Reed received her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and currently works as a medical editor in the greater Philadelphia area.
1. Ebbeling CB, Swain JF, Feldman HA, et al. Effects of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance. JAMA. 2012;307(24):2627-2634.
2. Jakicic JM, Tate DF, Lang W, et al. Effect of a stepped-care intervention approach on weight loss in adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2012;307(24):2617-2626.
3. Mohr DC, Ho J, Duffecy J, et al. Effect of telephone-administered vs face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy on adherence to therapy and depression outcomes among primary care patients: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2012;307(21):2278-2285. | <urn:uuid:cbf310e3-5d22-4094-9901-b0b5bbc30d95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/issue/2012/August2012/Smoking-and-Ovarian-Cancer-Risk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922168 | 481 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Left: Roses are one of the special attributes of Saint Dorothea, as shown in the detail of this stained-glass panel; Right: Rosa gallica officinalis blooming in Bonnefont garden. Remarkably, the rose has retained its ancient name in dozens of modern languages.
The rose has been known by the same name throughout Europe since antiquity. It began as vrda in ancient Persia (related to the modern Arabic warda) and became known as rhodon to the nearby ancient Greeks. (Oddly, the modern Greek for rose is triantafillo, meaning “thirty leaves,” while rhodon remains in our “rhododendron,” meaning “rose tree”). By the time of the Roman Empire the name had become rosa, immediately recognizable in most modern European languages—rosa (Italian and Spanish), roos (Dutch), ros (Swedish), rosier (French)—and many others, including the Japanese rozu. | <urn:uuid:e548aebc-1304-445a-9c7e-8ae79f8ff5ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/tag/linnaeus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963726 | 213 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Queensland's Gold Coast is Australia's most visited stretch of coastline and the justifiably famous right point-breaks can get crowded especially at Kirra and Snapper Rocks. However away from 'Surfers' Paradise' and the further north you travel up the 'Sunshine Coast' the crowds thin but other factors such as hazardous wildlife start to become a factor before the fickle Great Barrier reef starts to block incoming swells from the mainland. Facing east before progressively sloping west, the coastline below this reef picks up any east swells and some north-easterly during summer, including cyclone swells. Southerly winds dominate except for during the summer when they swing northerly. Water temperatures are sub-tropical, ranging from 19-25°C or 66-77°F. Introduced to the area by local lifeguards in the 1920s, the local surfing population now exceeds 100,000.
From captaining you own vessel to joining a group on a boat trip, boat charters can be a good way to get away from the crowds and reach the best spots that are only accessible by boat. | <urn:uuid:023ea281-c5d4-4748-bc8e-4657152a58fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://magicseaweed.com/Boat-Charters-in-Queensland-Directory/30/48/0/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939755 | 233 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Joint Degree Programs
This program allows students interested in careers in medical science to undertake training in both clinical medicine and research. The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Rochester is funded by an MSTP grant from the National Institutes of Health, and provides an outstanding faculty and a wide diversity of research training opportunities found only in our nation's leading biomedical research and clinical training centers.
M.D./M.S. in Medical Neurobiology
This Masters of Science degree combines coursework in the medical curriculum with experimental studies in preparation for teaching and research careers.
A dual degree M.D./Master of Public Health is available to medical students and can be completed in five years. The M.P.H. is offered in association with the Department of Public Health Sciences.
Rochester offers a joint degree M.D./M.B.A. degree program in Health Care Management in conjunction with our William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. Matriculants in this program complete their first year of study at the Simon School, then spend 4 years in the School of Medicine and Dentistry and take additional electives for credit in both schools.
These programs in the basic biomedical sciences are available to medical students by special arrangement and can often be done through the Academic Research Track. | <urn:uuid:6928527c-7785-4a19-93bb-2f922640b657> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/education/md/prospective-students/joint-degree.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942964 | 266 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A recent study commissioned by the American Association of University Professors reveals that the politicization of the academy has become a matter of concern for the American public.
The study was conducted among 1000 American adults who were surveyed by telephone on their view toward higher education. The researchers found that even among Democrats only 48.3 percent have "a lot of confidence" in American universities. Among Republicans the figure was much lower-only 30.5 percent. Furthermore, 7.3 percent of Democrats reported having hardly any confidence at all in our universities, along with 15.9 percent of Republicans. Considering that our medical schools, engineering schools scientific academics are the envy of the world, this is striking. Considering that 90% of university humanities faculties vote Democratic, the fact that only 65.5% of liberal Democrats consider the job of college or university professors to be "very prestigious" is quite striking. Only 40.6% of conservative Republicans agree. By contrast, 71.9% of all respondents ranked the occupation of Physician to be "very prestigious."
A Gallup Poll conducted in 1949 revealed a much more positive public perception of professors, with participants ranking professors/teachers second only to medical doctors when asked to rank among a multitude of choices which profession they trusted most. A full 26.09% of respondents in 1949 chose Professor/teacher as the profession they trusted most, compared with 31.59% for doctors and 17.63% for bankers, the next most trusted profession.
Survey participants' responses to questions that asked directly about political bias in the academy were also revealing. A huge percentage of those surveyed-35.5% of respondents-stated that "political bias is a very serious problem."
Only 26.9 percent of Democrats said that bias in the classroom is a very serious problem, but nearly half (48.5 percent) of Republicans did.
The study's authors ask themselves whether their statistics show that David Horowitz and Students for Academic Freedom are having an impact on the public perception of universities. "Our finding is that there is more support for [Horowitz's view] than might otherwise be imagined, and less consensus about U.S. higher education than previous research has suggested."
While the study's authors stop short of offering any concrete guidelines on how to address these issues, other organizations have already done so in their place.
This past April, the entire student body at Princeton University voted on April 27 to pass a version of the Student Bill of Rights-the first time the Bill has faced a campus-wide referendum. The referendum was initiated by the university's chapter of the College Republicans but it was clearly a nonpartisan bill aimed at promoting greater intellectual diversity and academic freedom on campus.
Although the vote was close (with 51.8% of students voting for the measure) the result showed that even many students not affiliated with the College Republicans voted in favor of academic freedom, proving the Bill's ability to inspire bi-partisan support.
The resolution is a simple and elegant statement of the principles of academic freedom including that "professors must never allow a student's political affiliation or religious beliefs to negatively affect his/her academic performance" and that "Teachers are entitled to freedom in teaching their subject as they see fit, but not to the point of political, ideological, religious or anti-religious indoctrination, or to the exclusion of other opinions or viewpoints."
"While we have not the power to declare the above binding or irrevocable, it is the position of this body that any act in violation would contravene the 'fundamental principles of free discovery' to which Princeton University is committed," concluded the resolution.
By revealing the Academic Freedom Movement's success in expressing concerns about the political abuse of American universities and by providing evidence of declining public confidence in our university systems, perhaps the AAUP report will finally persuade university officials to strengthen protections for academic standards and for students' academic freedom. | <urn:uuid:ca81899a-ac4f-4c5d-945b-b5496f7574ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/news/2129/AAUPStudyPoliticizationofAcademy062206.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962316 | 793 | 2.125 | 2 |
Backing for fracking case by case
Environment Southland councillors will consider fracking applications case by case.
The recommendation to "continue to deal with any application for gas exploration and production activities on the merits of each case and within the operative policy and regulatory frameworks" was put to the Environmental Management committee yesterday.
Councillors approved the recommendation after a presentation explaining the tender block process, how fracking worked and its potential benefits, by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment petroleum strategy, planning and promotion manager Bradley Ilg.
He said 42 per cent of profits from these operations was returned to New Zealanders.
The tender process and new legislation would stop "shoddy companies" from winning blocks, he said.
When the proposed tender blocks were online they were "advertising New Zealand to the exploration world - Come to New Zealand and hopefully we will collect your royalties."
Applicants would need to consider the management of stress strain, water quality, resource management, air quality, land, data and information, and companies would also need good health and safety, environmental, and indigenous people records, he said.
It could be 10 years before a site was mined commercially if tenders were accepted,Mr Ilg said.
Cr Jan Riddell said it was important the ministry managed potential environmental effects of abandoned wells. She was told the issue was being considered in the new legislation.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Buy copies of photos featured in The Southland Times. | <urn:uuid:6dd5c5a4-2345-4af0-b081-c2ce6edb594e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/7486363/Backing-for-fracking-case-by-case | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956036 | 363 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Shahbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani minister for minority affairs, is the latest victim of the vile hatred towards Christians that has become entrenched in parts of Pakistan.
He was murdered in broad daylight because of his demand for change to the blasphemy laws – the root cause of Christians and other religious minorities suffering in Pakistan.
The blasphemy laws have several sections but Section 295-C, added in 1986 by the late president Zia ul Haq, is considered the most stringent. This section first stated that whoever defied the name of the Prophet Mohammad should be punished with death or life imprisonment but was made even more severe when the federal Sharia court later removed any reference to life imprisonment and instead made the death penalty mandatory.
Since then, these laws have been used as a tool by extremists and even some of the mainstay of the Muslim community to settle their personal grudges or seize the possessions of Christians, such as property or businesses. All minorities have been affected but Christians continue to be the principal targets. Innocent Christians have been killed in broad daylight, some burnt alive. Churches have been attacked and Christian villages have been burnt to ashes.
Yet hardly anybody has been held to account for these heinous crimes and all the while, the blasphemy laws hang like a sword over the heads of Christians. It is a sword that can drop at any time and when it does the consequences are generally devastating.
Understandably, Christians have long been demanding the repeal of these laws or at the very least the implementation of appropriate changes to put a stop to their misuse. Unfortunately every government thus far has bowed down in front of the religious extremists and refused to make any changes.
When the Pakistani court sentenced Asia Bibi to death for blasphemy last November, the issue of the blasphemy laws was highlighted in the national and international media. The Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, and the Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, took this matter seriously, meeting Asia’s family and promising to see justice done.
While Salmaan Taseer took Asia’s appeal for pardon to the president, Shahbaz was appointed to form a committee to review the blasphemy law. The result was to annoy the religious political groups who started protests throughout the county and fixed a price on the heads of Asia and Salmaan Taseer.
As we have seen, those who have dared to challenge the status quo have been made to pay with their lives. On January 4, Salmaan Taseer was killed by his own security guard, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, who in his statement to the judge in court denied any wrongdoing. Qadri said he had only done what he had been instructed to do by the Koran – no doubt inspiring words to other extremists. The killer has now become a hero and instead of condemnation for his crime, jubilant crowds of Muslims have shouted his praises, kissed him and showered flowers upon him.
Mr Bhatti is the latest victim of the radicals’ distorted thinking, punished once and for all for challenging the blasphemy laws and defending long-suffering Christians. He criticised the controversial blasphemy laws at every occasion and even continued to do so after receiving death threats in the wake of Salmaan Taseer’s murder.
With two government ministers dead in two months as a result of their concerns over the plight of minorities, surely this is the time for the government to take this matter seriously and bring about change to stop the killing of more innocent people.
Extremists may have silenced Salmaan and Shahbaz for opposing the blasphemy laws but there are many others who will continue to speak. Campaigns to reform these laws will continue and the blood of Salmaan and Shahbaz will not have been shed in vain. There are people still willing to stand up for the rights of those persecuted and pressed down by these unjust laws, even if the ultimate goal demands their blood too. | <urn:uuid:9df5b62f-5b2e-4e05-ad7c-a872e00c5f5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/03/04/shahbaz-bhatti%E2%80%99s-death-will-not-stop-the-struggle-for-blasphemy-reform/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972019 | 806 | 1.84375 | 2 |
I've never seen anybody ask how much time is too much time spent reading, drawing, putting together puzzles, or playing board games. Yet as I see it, reading on a tablet is just like reading a book whose pages can never get ripped; drawing on a tablet is like fingerpainting that my daughter can do no matter what she is wearing; playing puzzles on a tablet is like putting together puzzles without the ability to lose pieces or mix them up with those of other puzzles; playing a game on a tablet is just like playing a real game but without having to worry about remembering the rules or keeping the pieces out of the baby's reach.
As for television, I'm OK with reasonably educational shows. If your child has to sit in a chair listening to talking for 5 hours a day, does it matter if it's in a school listening to a teacher versus in your living room listening to the TV? Of course "school" for toddlers
is generally a lot more engaging than the lecture-style classes of older kids, but it's generally not as educational either.
I prefer human interaction to watching TV, but there's no way I can compete educationally. For example, I can tell my daughter "Remember, look both ways before crossing the street!", but on TV they can write a catchy song, choreograph a dance, make a skit with props and dialog, and then repeat it 10 times a day all month long.
I don't like plopping my kids in front of the TV all day, but other people in their lives do and honestly, I can't say that it seems detrimental to their mental development. When my 2-year-old starts leading an imaginary marching band, talking like a pirate, holding a toilet paper tube up to her eye and calling it a "spyglass", or saying something in Spanish, I know it's because she learned it on TV. There's just no way I would even think to teach her all that stuff. | <urn:uuid:e19c2a95-4e36-47b8-a233-372431646204> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/4818/how-much-time-is-too-much-time-playing-educational-computer-games/4829 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975565 | 402 | 1.742188 | 2 |
"Navy resumes sinking of old ships" (Web, July 2) highlighted the United States' wastefulness, but in so doing pointed out an opportunity that may seem bizarre to some but beyond practical to others.
As most readers surely are aware, increasing numbers of World War II and Korean War veterans are dying. Arlington Cemetery and other national burial sites reportedly are being overwhelmed by this sad but inevitable reality. At the risk of appearing insensitive, I suggest that there may be a large number of Navy, Coast Guard, Marine and other service veterans who would consider burial at sea, perhaps in the berthing compartments of these surplus ships. This could be an acceptable alternative to burial onshore.
The environmental oversight folks predictably will be appalled at the suggestion, as will lawyers and other self-appointed gatekeepers and busybodies, but because we are wasting precious and strategic ferrous and nonferrous metals by sinking these ships at depths beyond recovery, why not use them to help with the problem at onshore burial grounds?
With a bit of careful research and consideration, it would seem that the logistical and ceremonial aspects of a mass burial at sea - in conjunction with a post-ceremony sinking of these vessels during gunnery and other training - could be accommodated with reasonable cost to the government and veterans while providing a tasteful and memorable experience for friends and relations. Ceremonies could be conducted onshore or on barges temporarily moored to the stricken ship. The later, distant live-fire training probably would not disturb the ship's final "crew."
Considering that government regulations require that "casketed remains" must be placed in water at depths of more than 600 feet, salvagers and divers would be discouraged from disturbing them.
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By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums | <urn:uuid:f2b5c862-2776-4277-9479-03b265290714> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/6/sea-burial-could-be-a-space-saver/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957064 | 386 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Susan E. Gindin
The Federal Trade Commission's identity theft "red flags" rule has wide-sweeping ramifications for thousands of healthcare providers nationwide.
At a Glance
Important questions for hospitals to ask regarding the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft "red flags" rule include:
- What is the compliance deadline?
- Who must comply?
- What is required for compliance?
- What about HIPAA?
- What are the consequences of failure to comply?
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft was the number one consumer complaint lodged in 2008. The FTC estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year.
To stem the growing problem of identity theft, the FTC, the federal banking regulatory agencies, and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issued the "red flags" rule on Nov. 9, 2007, as part of Section 114 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA). The rule is aimed at detecting, preventing, and reducing identity theft. (To access the rule, "Identity Theft Red Flags and Address Discrepancies Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003," go to ftc.gov/redflagsrule.)
The rule requires certain businesses to develop identity theft protection programs or risk associated fines and other consequences. Affected organizations--including healthcare providers that allow consumers to make payments over time--must develop internal procedures to detect and respond to suspicious activity, or "red flags," that could indicate identity theft.
What Is the Compliance Deadline?
The compliance deadline for the rule was originally set for Nov. 1, 2008, but the FTC has delayed its enforcement until Aug. 1, 2009. The FTC moved the compliance deadline in part because it perceived that many entities, including healthcare providers, were unaware that they are regarded as "creditors" under the rule, especially as many of them had not been required to comply with the FTC's rules in other contexts.
Who Must Comply?
The FTC has confirmed that healthcare providers that regularly offer credit or payment plans to patients, or that allow patients to pay over time in installments, must comply with the rule by August 1. The rule does not apply to entities that accept payment by credit card only on a single-transaction basis.
In a Feb. 4, 2009, letter to Margaret Garikes, director of federal affairs for the American Medical Association, the FTC's Eileen Harrington explained:
The Red Flags Rule is intended to address all forms of identity theft, including those involving the provision of health care. . . . Medical identity theft can surface when a patient seeks care using the name or insurance information of another person, which can result in both false billing and the potentially life-threatening corruption of a patient's medical records. A nationwide survey conducted for the FTC found that 4.5 percent of the 8.3 million victims of identity theft had experienced some form of medical identity theft, including the fraudulent use of their health insurance to obtain medical care or to obtain health insurance in their name. The incidence of medical identity theft may be increasing.
All healthcare entities that allow patients to make payments over time are thus required to establish and maintain a written program, although the details will vary depending on factors such as the size of the healthcare provider, the kinds of consumer accounts the organization maintains, and the potential risk of identity theft.
What Is Required for Compliance?
Affected organizations must create and institute a written program appropriate to their size and operations that:
- Identifies "red flags"--patterns, practices, and specific forms of activity that indicate the possible existence of identity theft--and provides procedures for detecting them in day-to-day operations
- Proposes responses if red flags are detected in order to prevent identity theft for occurring or to reduce its effect if it has already occurred
- Provides for training of staff and oversight of any service providers
- Provides a plan for periodic updating of the program
- Is well-documented and approved by the board of directors, board committee, or senior management (if there is no board)
Each requirement is explained more fully below.
Identification of red flags and detection in day-to-day operations. The rule provides an extensive list of potential red flags for organizations to use in identifying potential red flags and in detecting red flags in their day-to-day operations.
For hospitals, an appropriate first step before providing medical services (and one that most hospitals already perform) is to check photo IDs and insurance information or credit card to ensure that these forms of identification match the person and name on the account. Attempted use of a photocopied driver's license as proof of identification, or of an ID on which the photo or physical information does not match the patient's appearance, would be red flags.
Other examples of red flags that a healthcare provider might identify and use in its day-to-day operations to detect identity theft include:
- Identifying information that is inconsistent when compared with external information sources--an address, for example, that does not match any address in the consumer report, or a Social Security number that has not been issued or is listed on the Social Security Administration's Death Master File
- A suspicious patient address--a mail drop, for example, or prison address--or telephone number that is invalid or is associated with a pager or answering service
- Account statements mailed to the patient that are returned repeatedly as undeliverable
Responses to prevent or mitigate identity theft. The program must also plan for appropriate responses to prevent or mitigate identity theft if a red flag is detected. Examples of possible appropriate responses a healthcare provider may take include:
- Ensuring that information relating to the identity thief is not commingled with information relating to the victim (e.g., medical records or consumer reports)
- Contacting an insurance carrier to prevent the misuse of stolen information
- Notifying the patient of any potential fraud
- Changing account numbers
- Notifying law enforcement
- Delaying billing the consumer until the provider is able to determine that there is no identity theft
Training of staff and oversight of service providers. The program must include staff training, and provide oversight for any service providers who have access to patient information.
Periodic updating. The program must provide a plan for periodic updating of the program (for example, to determine whether it is working and address any new means of identity theft).
Board approval. The initial written program must be approved by the board of directors or a committee of the board. If the entity has no board of directors, the plan must be approved by senior management. The board, board committee, or senior management must also oversee the implementation and administration of the program, review reports regarding the program (which must be prepared by staff annually), and approve significant changes to the program.
The FTC does not expect a "one-size-fits-all" approach to compliance. The program should be appropriate to the healthcare provider's size, operations, and potential risk. A small medical group that knows its patients could have a streamlined and much less complex program than a hospital. In fact, the FTC has posted a do-it-yourself template to help such "low-risk" organizations create an appropriate program.
What About HIPAA?
In some respects, the privacy and security requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) overlap the red flags rule's requirements. The FTC maintains, however, that the rule picks up where HIPAA's data security requirements leave off, so healthcare providers still must have a red flags program.
In her Feb. 4, 2009 letter to the AMA, the FTC's Eileen Harrington explained:
A comprehensive approach to combating medical identity theft . . . must include measures aimed not only at preventing the compromise of patient information, but also at preventing or mitigating the misuse of that information if it is compromised. The Rule is designed to prevent identity theft primarily by ensuring that organizations are alert to signs that an identity thief is using someone else's identifying information fraudulently to obtain products or services, including services such as medical care. Thus, the Red Flags Rule generally complements rather than duplicates the HIPAA data security requirements.
What Are the Consequences of Failure to Comply?
Theinitial written program, reports, and any decisions made regarding the program must be well documented. The current penalties for failure to comply with the "red flag" rule include fines of up to $2,500 per violation and regulatory enforcement actions. There is also a risk of harm to the organization's reputation.
There are benefits to compliance. The rule will likely become a standard of care for appropriate handling of consumer information. In addition, a healthcare provider's well-documented and compliant program will be helpful if the organization is ever implicated in the identity theft of one of its patients.
Finally, it's important to remember that the focus of the rule is to prevent identity theft in the first place, and such prevention also benefits organizations that are required to have a program in place. After all, the goal of the identity thief is to avoid paying altogether. An effective red flags identity theft program will help an organization avoid providing services to those who have no intention to pay.
The final compliance deadline is fast approaching. It is therefore critical that hospitals' financial leaders be able to answer two questions without hesitation: Does my organization qualify as a "creditor" under the "red flags" rule? And, if so, what steps has my organization taken to ensure compliance by Aug. 1? Any uncertainty about the answers to either of these questions means it is time for quick action.
Susan Gindin, JD, is an attorney and Of Counsel, Isaacson Rosenbaum P.C., Denver (firstname.lastname@example.org).
Publication Date: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 | <urn:uuid:0aa2b5f2-f8c7-4c09-a24e-1edae11ac64c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=2444 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943388 | 2,028 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Let me introduce you to Terry, our planet Dad. Terry is a large soul--he's been here a long time. He sits in jumbled fashion on top of the mantle we know as Earth, surrounded by the ocean. He's humanoid, but somewhat asymmetrical, in appearance. But here is what he looks like.
Take a look at a map of Alaska. It looks like a face, doesn't it. Indeed, it is the side of a face, complete with an eye (the Kotzebue-Selewick Lake area), a nose (the Seward Peninsula0, a mouth (the Alaska Peninsula-Bristol Bay area), and a long beard (the Aleution Chain). The Kenai Peninsula is his adams apple. His breath causes the formation of atmospheric weather, a system of low pressure systems in the Bering Sea. As the planet rotates, his face faces backwards toward Siberia. Siberia is a long arm which almost touches his nose. Indeed, it looks like Terry is thumbing his nose. He is. He doesn't like progress. He thumbs his nose at it. He likes backwards progress, and that's why he faces backwards. The
Blog Posts by Loyd
Let me introduce you to Terry, our planet Dad. Terry is a large soul--he's been here a long time. He sits in jumbled fashion on top of the mantle we know as Earth, surrounded by the ocean. He's humanoid, but somewhat asymmetrical, in appearance. But here is what he looks like.Read More »from Welcome to our Planet
In the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples, "this is my blood, this is my body, eat it." So every Christmas and Easter, good Catholics eat Jesus at Communion time. Now, it would make me rather sick to eat Jesus, so I am not a good Catholic. I don't believe Jesus should be eaten for supper. I'll eat a cookie, but I won't eat Jesus. Someone needs to talk to General Petraeus. If you're gonna blow a man away, you'd better eat 'em. The thought of cannibalism generally makes people sick. Sick enough, so they won't blow people away, if they have to eat them.
In the movie, "Soylent Green", they made cookies out of dead people. As our planet wastes away, it could happen. I don't think anyone really wishes to eat dead people, any more than they desire to eat Jesus. So don't blow people away. Jesus would appreciate it.
Last week I asked each side in the struggle whether or not they were willing to negotiate in good faith. They were not--I got burned. This is why the wars continue. I'm a peacemaker. Let me know when each side in the battle is willing to negotiate in good faith, and I will show them how to achieve peace.
Does this country operate through negotiation or through forced withdrawal? Something has to give. It's just easier to negotiate, that's all.
Move, or get off the throne.
The Cosmos operates more in terms of needs, not wants. It is relatively easy to satisfy needs, but wants are insatiable. Want is the root word of power. How much power is enough? The more power you have, the more you want. Some have 50 thousand million dollars worth of power. Is that enough? What could you possibly do with 50 thousand million dollars?Read More »from Needs, not Wants
The general idea is to keep your wants weak, get your needs met with a few creature comforts. Then you don't have to concern yourself with mega wattage. You can then have a quiet cup of coffee in the morning. What do you face with overabundance of power in your system? Burnout and withdrawal. If you have a lot of power, you must do a lot of withdrawal. Withdrawal sucks.
Here is a simple, easy way to handle withdrawal without side effects like feeling sick to your guts. Give your surplus power/wealth away to those in need. There are no side effects and you feel better for it. You can get it out of your system safely. The alternative for
As I understand it, we've got troops from two opposite sides of the fence beating hell out of each other. Is this any way to achieve peace? All you have to do is tell them to stop beating the hell out of each other. That's how you achieve peace. Negotiate or die. Is this too hard to understand?
I think Iraq should be called "I-Ran- Amuck" and Afghanistan should be called "Aw-Fouled-Up-Again-Stan".
Why can't President Obama understand that there's no war to end all wars, there's only peace? Why can't President Obama negotiate peace?
I just lost my 12 year old yellow lab. He's miserable in Heaven because he's treated like a dog there. I know his dream: he wishes to be treated like a human being. I'm the only guy who knows how to treat him like a human being, and I use magic to do it. Better to be a human being here with me than to be a dog in Heaven. He's raising hell in Heaven because I put him in Heaven here with me. I have a feeling, I haven't heard the end of it yet, and neither has anyone else. | <urn:uuid:71d20d9b-b0c5-4955-a198-860a717f6bc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shine.yahoo.com/blogs/author/ycn-1138845/archive/19.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980062 | 1,116 | 1.726563 | 2 |
What RTD Has Discovered on the Route to FasTracks
The Regional Transportation District's expansive FasTracks rail vision for the Front Range will journey over a parcel of land that appeared lush 66 million years ago, in the era after dinosaurs went extinct. Workers uncovered the plant fossils at Sixth Avenue and Simms Street, prompting the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to dispatch a team to recover evidence of ancient palm trees, ferns, and flowers. Scientists say the fossils appear to come from a time when mammals began to dominate the landscape (via 7News). Dr. Ian Miller, curator of paleontology at the museum, says the plants are linked to the first forests to recover after an asteroid explosion in Mexico is believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. Meanwhile, a fossil of a different sort has popped up in FasTracks' plans, thanks to T-REX---the massive expansion project on I-25 and I-225, not the king of the dinosaurs. According to Kevin Flynn's Inside Lane, RTD has learned a lesson from the T-REX project and will improve its contracting methods as FasTracks grows.
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From obesity to food allergies, we break down five issues facing Colorado’s kids. | <urn:uuid:2b39a4dd-2bc5-4dd5-b832-3c186f359d3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.5280.com/blogs/2009/09/22/what-rtd-has-discovered-route-fastracks | 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 | 0.926198 | 340 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Very sad news about Joe McNally's death after a three year battle with cancer, writes Billy MacInnes.
He was there in the wild wild west days of the PC industry, starting Compaq UK in 1984 with $40,000.
It's easy to look back at the past with rose-tinted glasses but it's even easier when PCs cost about three times what they do now and the margins were much higher too. No wonder people could afford, like McNally did, to deliver PCs by black cab.
Things are much more "professional" now, of course, but probably a lot less fun too. That's what happens when a market grows up and becomes mature.
One of the things about McNally that he shared with most of his contemporaries was a varied work experience background. Before he came to the computer industry, he had stints as a roadsweeper, a supply teacher, working in a steel stockpiling business and at the UK's leading meat and bacon supplier, FMC Harris.
This wasn't that out of the ordinary at the time because the rapid expansion in the computing industry, fuelled by the PC, meant there just weren't enough people with IT qualifications to fill the jobs. Even if there had been, the qualifications would probably not have prepared them for the PC world.
As a result, there was a wider range of individuals operating in the market with far more varied backgrounds than you have today. In this sense, they reflected an industry which, at the time, was more diverse in terms of products and companies selling those products.
Consolidation and homogenisation have made most PCs virtually indistinguishable from each other. While I wouldn't go so far as to say the same about the people in it, there's no doubt that if you populate an industry with people that have very similar qualifications and life experiences, you're not going to get a lot of variety in it.
His own experiences probably served to fire McNally's long-standing enthusiasm for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme which helps to develop young people. This involvement led to his being awarded the Commander of the Victorian Order (CVO) in the New Year's Honours list last year.
McNally left Compaq after 17 years in 2001, the same year it was acquired by HP in a classic piece of consolidation. I wonder if he was starting out today, might he be doing something in cloud computing? Possibly. But I think it is a source of some sadness that for many of the new breed of entrepreneurs, their work experience is likely to be limited to sitting in front of a screen. One thing McNally's career demonstrated all too clearly is that there really is "more to life" than most people think.
This was first published in March 2012 | <urn:uuid:99ee22cb-c4b6-48be-befb-01a3d5f4ddeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.microscope.co.uk/opinion/Column-McNally-showed-the-value-of-varied-experience | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98232 | 566 | 1.5 | 2 |
Overcome Your Productivity Barriers
Do you find yourself starting the day with yesterday’s work still staring you in the face? If your work is piling up, or not up to par, you can help yourself by overcoming your productivity barriers.
“High productivity is the result of doing the right things right the first time,” says Donna Long, president of Learning Journey Inc., in Kissimmee, Fla., and coauthor of JukeBox Journey to Success. “Three of the most common barriers to productivity are poor time management, lack of effort, and a negative attitude.”
Here are Long’s suggestions for overcoming these issues.
Manage your time
Here's how to improve your time-management skills:
Keep a detailed log of what you’re doing for a week. Document even non-work time, such as the 15 minutes you spend talking with your coworkers about the latest movie or the weather. “As you look over your log, you may be surprised how much of your time is unproductive or wasted,” says Long.
Shorten coworker interruptions. “Give them 30 seconds just to be polite, and then say, ‘That was great, but I’m really crunched. I have a deadline to meet,’ ” advises Long. “If that doesn’t work, stand up and walk to the door. Do something to break the interaction so you can come back and get your work done.”
Control phone interruptions. Unless part of your job is to answer the phone every time it rings, turn off the ringer and listen to your messages later. Every interruption breaks your focus and concentration.
Break an e-mail addiction. If possible, check e-mail once in midmorning, and once again in midafternoon.
Eliminate unnecessary work. List the most important things you should be doing every day to be successful—call five customers, process 20 claims, whatever. Review it with your supervisor, and eliminate any unnecessary work.
Boost your effort
“We tend to do the things we want to do instead of what we must do,” says Long. “So, don’t procrastinate. If you get the tough job done in the morning, you won’t be dreading it for the rest of the day.”
Make an extra effort to double-check your work as you do it. If you’re working on a project, get continual feedback from your boss to make sure you’re on the right track.
When you have to redo your work, learn from your mistakes by asking yourself these questions:
Why do I have to do this task more than once?
Are there more effective ways to do this task?
Who can help me become more effective at this task?
Improve your attitude
“There are two kinds of people: Externals believe whatever happens simply happens, and they have no control over it. Internals believe there are things they can do to help control their work and their productivity,” says Long.
Externals look to people or things outside themselves for reasons their productivity is slipping. Internals take responsibility by looking at productivity barriers as challenges to conquer, and they tend to focus on what they can do.
“If you want to boost your productivity, take responsibility,” says Long. “You can do so by controlling your time, your effort, and your attitude.” | <urn:uuid:e948a0f8-0132-4ac0-9f3c-98f41ef05feb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medcentral.org/Main/HealthLibrary/Overcome-Your-Productivity-Barriers-1628.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945686 | 736 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The great thing about street photography is that there are so many different ways of doing it. Some people stick with a rangefinder with a 35mm or 50mm lens. Some use mobile phones. Other prefer using a longer lens or telezoom on a professional DSLR. Whichever lens you decide to use affects the process and ultimately the look of the photos you take. A conscious choice of lens is a conscious choice of the style you choose to shoot and the scenes you want to portray. But there are also many practical reasons for choosing one lens over another.
Primes versus Zooms
It could be that all you have is the kit zoom which came with your camera. Zooms are fine for starting out, they give a flexibility in framing, reduces the need for lens swapping, and maybe all that you have. If you’ve shot a bit with your zoom, you can have a look at the focal lengths you’ve used more often. I found when I did this that the wide end was dominant. I preferred to get in close and take a more intimate photo of the subject, or else take in a larger scene incorporating greater context.
Lots of street shooters tend to work with single focal length lenses (so-called prime lenses). There are practical and psychological reasons for this. Practically, single focal length lenses can be made with larger apertures for low-light work, and also for greater background blur. On conventional rangefinder cameras, primes are your only choice (Fuji X-Pro1 excepted or a Leica M digital, or Leica M with Visoflex). Psychologically, it’s one less decision factor to take care of when making photos. A single focal length can act as an artistic constraint forcing you to concentrate your creative energies on positioning, lighting, framing, rather than zooming in and out of a scene.
Focal Length Choice
So if you do decide to shoot with a prime lens, then it boils down essentially to whether you want to use a wide, medium or long lens. It’s tempting when starting out to use a long lens as this allows you to stand back and “pap” (act like a paparazzo) people from afar. It is tempting to keep away from your subjects if you are not confident but the perspective often has the effect of being impersonal. Also, a large telephoto lens does make you stand out more, especially if attached to a big DSLR. A short tele, e.g. 85mm on film, makes a good portrait lens though so could do double duty.
A favourite lens is the 50mm (~35mm on APS-C, ~25mm on M4/3), the so-called normal lens. It’s gives an in-between angle of view, neither very much telephoto or wide angle. This can make it either versatile or boring depending on how you look at this things. It’s popular partly due to the fact that large aperture 50mm lenses are relatively cheap compared to other focal lengths. Cheap 50mm/1.4 manual focus lenses are easy to come by. Even AF versions of normal lenses aren’t terribly expensive. It’s probably a good place to start, if you find yourself stepping back to capture a scene, or wanting to crop in a lot to isolate an individual, then you can step up or down in angle of view by choosing a different focal length lens. But if you can live with tweaking your frame by stepping a little bit back or forwards, then the normal prime may be good for you.
Going wider (but not especially wide), the 35mm (~24mm on APS-C, 17mm on M4/3) is also a very popular focal length/field of view. It gives a moderately wide angle of view, but not obviously so. It allows approaching the subject a bit closer with the same approximate framing as a 50mm, or else capturing a usefully larger scene at the same distance.
Even wider lenses can be used for effect, 28mm (~19mm on APS-C, 14mm on M4/3) or even 24mm (~16mm on APS-C, 12mm on M4/3) allows really close approaches to the subject. This suits a fairly intimate style of candid photography best done in crowded scenes where even though you’re within a metre or so of the subject, they do not notice you taking photos.
Autofocus versus Manual Focus
A lot of the time, the choice is driven by necessity. Cheap manual focus lenses may be all that one can afford. AF versions of desirable focal lengths and apertures may not be available. You may be using a conventional rangefinder camera. One is forced to use manual focus lenses in these cases. Luckily some AF cameras have focusing aids for manual focus. On SLRs, you may be able to get a focusing screen optimised for manual focus, usually with a split prism. On LiveView cameras, many offer a magnification function blowing a region of interest allowing fine focus. Other cameras also offer focus peaking, a coloured outline of areas with high contrast usually indicative of in-focus regions. Using manual focus lenses for street photography is an acquired skill, it can take a bit of practice to use it effectively.
In some circumstances, AF may be more appropriate. It is usually faster, allows those snaps shots and reduces the time you have the camera up to your face and the possibility of alerting your subject. AF allows completely unseen operation, from the hip for instance. In bright light, with manual focus you can approximate the results by using a small aperture and “zone focusing” but this becomes generally infeasible in low light.
Your Own Style
After trying different options, you may find that you are drawn to a particular “look” given by a particular lens used in a particular way. My advice is to explore the range of possibilities in order to find your own personal style. Just because many street photographers use a rangefinder with a 35mm or 50mm lens doesn’t mean that this combination necessarily suits your own photography. I can imagine someone being attracted to using telephoto lenses up close for ultra-intimate candids (though I don’t personally recommend it, I will not be held responsible for any arrests), or using ultra-wides or fisheyes for taking vistas. The important thing is to make it interesting, engaging, and compelling. | <urn:uuid:85e7a334-04e0-4aed-933b-c4243ee69113> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dkloi.co.uk/?page_id=27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934467 | 1,338 | 1.75 | 2 |
NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg hit the brakes Wednesday on a proposal to keep tourist-toting pedicabs from charging confusing, sometimes exorbitant rates.
The plan — the latest in a series of attempts to regulate the tricycle taxis in recent years — was up for Bloomberg to consider signing Wednesday. But after a pedicab driver complained that the city was unfair to the pedal-powered cabs, Bloomberg said he wanted "to find out a little more" about the proposal.
"I've always thought, in this city, people want pedicabs, and there's been discrimination against pedicab drivers from day one," said the mayor, who has previously praised pedicabs as environmentally friendly transportation and tourist attraction rolled into one.
"That's not to say there shouldn't be adequate protections against people gouging," Bloomberg added. He said he'd announce by Friday whether he'll sign the measure.
About 700 pedicabs now ply city streets, according to the New York City Pedicab Owners' Association. The vehicles, resembling giant tricycles with three-passenger carriages in the back, mainly jaunt around Central Park and other midtown Manhattan landmarks.
Now, most pedicab drivers charge by city block and per passenger. Some add surcharges and fees, and riders can find themselves facing unexpectedly steep bills at the end. In one notorious example, a Texas family this summer paid $442 for a 14-block ride.
The City Council voted unanimously last month to require pedicab drivers to charge by the minute, with the timer clearly visible.
The plan "simplifies what has otherwise become an opportunity for predatory, deceptive practices," sponsor Councilman Daniel Garodnick said Wednesday, as Council Speaker Christine Quinn issued a statement urging the mayor to sign the measure.
The pedicab owners' association, which says it's tried to draw attention to price-gouging drivers, is guardedly optimistic about the fare plan, president Laramie Flick said. The group says it represents about 100 owners.
But owner and driver Ibrahim Donmez says the measure won't standardize fares because drivers pedal at different speeds. His suggestion is to have drivers give passengers a total, in writing, before the ride.
Donmez told the mayor the rate proposal reflected discrimination and "ignorance against the pedicabs," saying the predominantly immigrant drivers are subjected to tougher enforcement and afforded fewer accommodations — such as dedicated standing zones — than taxi drivers are.
"We are both in the transportation industry, so the city is basically putting us in a different light," Donmez said after speaking to Bloomberg at a City Hall event Wednesday concerning recent council measures.
The city Consumer Affairs Department, which regulates pedicabs, had no immediate response.
Pedicabs have been under city lawmakers' scrutiny since 2007, when the City Council imposed licensing and safety standards and capped the number of pedicabs allowed on the streets at 325, over Bloomberg's veto. Pedicab owners sued, and a judge struck down the regulations. The city and pedicab owners later agreed to licensing and safety rules, which Bloomberg signed in 2009.
Last year, Bloomberg signed another measure that required drivers to obey parking rules that apply to motorists. That law also capped the citywide fleet at 850, the number then licensed.
Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz | <urn:uuid:b646e9df-a91d-480b-b141-ee7226df155e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.khou.com/news/national/183219321.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 | 0.965293 | 706 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Eighth-graders at Wapakoneta High School are working together to make a change in how students 8,000 miles away are learning.
“We’re trying to raise money to make a school,” Kacey Gerlach said.
She and a friend, Lacey Hayes, said they were touched by seeing all the pictures of young children in Africa who need their help.
The girls, who are helping to advertise for a drive to raise money to build a school in Africa, said they want to bring in as much money as possible.
Each eighth-grade classroom at the high school has a milk jug designated for “Kash for Kibera.” Jugs also are in the cafeteria. Students are being asked to bring in their pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters throughout January to raise money to help Acacia of Hope’s build a school in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya.
“For every piece they put in their homeroom container, we ask they remember that there are children in Africa that need their help,” said Melissa Brown, a graduate of Wapakoneta High School, who started the non-profit Acacia of Hope last year.
Brown, who spent a year teaching in Africa and serves as director of Acacia of Hope, talked to the students, many of whom she student taught as fifth-graders in math and reading, this week about what they were doing and how it was expected to help.
“They were silent and in awe of the statistics of how many kids their age died and how so many of them don’t have proper housing or have food to eat,” Brown said.
Brown, whose passion for the people and children of Africa began with a church mission trip, said she feels blessed with the burden of feeding, loving and teaching these children. Through Acacia of Hope, Brown said she is hoping to build a school which would providing a place for children to attend classes during the week, a place to offer adult lifeskill and literacy classes in the evening, and a place to hold church services and Bible studies on the weekend.
“Every six seconds a child dies in Africa. Every six seconds,” Brown stressed. “By the time people are done reading this article, 120 children have passed away.
“Death is everywhere, especially in Kibera, the largest slum in all of Africa,” she said.
Brown said her hope is that during the month of January, Acacia of Hope can help others remember all the children in Africa who need help.
While the homeroom that raises the most change or money to give toward building an elementary in Kibera is to receive a pizza party, Brown said she is hoping it is much more than that to the students who get involved.
“Every single penny raised will go toward the children of Kibera by opening up a school for them,” Brown said. “It’s been proven that if a child receives an education their survival rate goes up by 40 percent. For many of us, we don’t even think about trying to live. For those in Kibera, it’s on their minds every moment of the day.”
Kacey and Lacey started helping the cause as fifth-graders collecting school supplies to send to Africa and baking cookies and cupcakes for numerous bake sales.
“We have been involved in different ways however we can be since we first heard about it,” Kacey said. “We have this whole education here and they don’t really have anything. They have so many kids in a class it is tough to have that one-on-one time and they are just learning the basics. We have so many more capabilities than that. It’s terrible.”
Some adults in the community also have been inspired and are keeping a jar at home for the month of January. Brown encourages others to do the same.
“With just your pennies you can help us save children in Africa,” Brown said. “Will you be part of a change with us?”
She requested anyone wishing to make a donation or who collects change in a jar throughout the month to contact Acacia of Hope at the end of January and they can pick it up. | <urn:uuid:f9aef204-6353-4cd1-8b25-b773580467a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wapakdailynews.com/print/5751 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983621 | 918 | 2.421875 | 2 |
November 23, 2010
A strange other world recently emerged in the third floor galleries at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s a vivid, surreal land where cities are swamped by floods, man-size mosquitoes taunt ecotourists in the night, cows and pigs and chickens are re-engineered to look more ani-meal than animal, and microorganisms grow huge and threatening.
This is our future as seen by New York artist Alexis Rockman in a show entitled “A Fable For Tomorrow,” which opened November 19. The title is borrowed from the prologue of environmentalist Rachel Carson’s epic 1962 book, Silent Spring. There, Carson chillingly foretold of the dangers the world faced as it grew increasingly dependent upon chemical pesticides. Carson’s book launched the environmental movement and is credited with helping to usher in the ban on DDT.
As did Carson’s work, Rockman’s apocalyptic fable emerges from the artist’s admirable reserve of research and scholarship. In this show, artist and scientist are one; and the museum’s mid-career retrospective of the 48-year-old painter is also a provocative commentary on biodiversity, genetic engineering and global climate change. Rockman frequently consults with scientists and researchers before he begins his work. The artist has contributed to several publications and has taught at both Columbia and Harvard Universities.
Curator Joanna Marsh says the interdisciplinary approach makes Rockman a “master of merging fact and fiction.” The show, she says, is a perfect example of how the Smithsonian Institution itself has long formed a tradition of embracing the “intersection and the interplay of art and science.”
And in fact one of Rockman’s friends and mentors is Thomas Lovejoy, who served as the Smithsonian’s assistant secretary from 1987 to 1994 and was the scientist who coined the term, “biological diversity.” In our December issue, Lovejoy says Rockman’s paintings depict “a surrealism that is seriously anchored in reality.” (Learn more about Rockman in Cathleen McGuigan’s article “Picturing Tomorrow.”)
“I’m picking through the debris,” said Rockman at a recent press preview. His 2006 work, Hollywood at Night (above) reduces the famous California hillside to a lost civilization where the city of Los Angeles is barely distinguishable in the distance, its lights and power extinguished. All that is left to sparkle are the moon and the fireflies.
But all is not lost and dreary in this fabled world, the final gallery explodes with the seven-panel, 2007 painting entitled, South. A glorious floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall panorama depicts in chill blues and grays the place where immense glacier meets water—a sight the artist took in aboard a cruise ship on an expedition he took to the Antarctic Peninsula. The work, housed in a dead-end cave of a gallery, lends a sense of cautious hopefulness to the dreary depictions on the walls of the other galleries. But in order to leave the exhibition, visitors must first retrace their steps once again back through Rockman’s disquieting Tale of Tomorrow.
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No comments yet. | <urn:uuid:d6b743d9-c985-4e9f-9825-acd9ef7ad7a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2010/11/artist-alexis-rockman-tells-a-tale-of-tomorrow-at-america-art/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947712 | 713 | 2.765625 | 3 |
It is perhaps not surprising that counsel could not find a reported case since the second world war in which anyone had succeeded in a claim under the rule. It is hard to escape the conclusion that the intellectual effort devoted to the rule by judges and writers over many years has brought forth a mouse
This was Lord Hoffmann’s description in Transco v Stockport MBC of the rule in Rylands v Fletcher (it is another matter that India has moved on to absolute liability). In its recent judgment in Mark Stannard v Gore, the Court of Appeal has considered two important questions about the rule: (a) whether the inherently dangerous thing must itself “escape” or may contribute to the escape of something else (such as “fire”); and (b) whether there is a special rule for liability arising out of a fire. The judgments of Ward, Etherton and Lewison, LJJ contain a careful and instructive analysis of the law on this subject, and is another example of the importance of incremental reasoning in the common law. As another great judge (Lord Greene MR) once put it in a different context, the temptation to do “what may appear to be fair in an individual case” must be resisted because “principles of construction are not to be outraged” (see Hankey v Clavering 2 KB 326, overruled on the substantive point it decided in Mannai Ltd v Eagle Star Life Assurance AC 749).
Mr Stannard ran a tyre business. He kept more than 3,000 tyres in his compound and in the space between his compound and the plaintiff, Mr Gore’s compound at the rear. On 4 February 2008, a fire broke out in Mr Stannard’s premises because of faulty wiring. The tyres, which are ordinarily not combustible, caused the fire to spread rapidly and Mr Gore’s property was entirely destroyed and reduced to rubble the following day. Mr Gore naturally felt that he was blameless (which he was) and sued Mr Stannard for compensation. The claim was put in two ways: ordinary negligence, and strict liability. The negligence claim was destined to fail, which it did once the Recorder found that Mr Stannard had done all he could to ensure that the electricity system was as it should be. The case therefore turned entirely on Rylands v Fletcher, the Recorder holding that the plaintiff was entitled to judgment since Mr Stannard had, within that rule, kept combustible tyres that could cause a fire to break out at his peril. Of course, the “tyres” had not escaped – they had stoked the fire, which had.
Mr Stannard appealed. The first point in the Court of Appeal was that the Recorder had failed to distinguish between the escape of the dangerous “thing” which a defendant must keep or collect on his land to fall within the rule, and the escape of a fire that was stoked by something which did not itself escape.
Ward LJ’s review of the authorities (the leading post-Ryland cases are Cambridge Water Co and Transco) established that the rule had never been invoked in respect of a fire that had broken out accidentally, since, by definition, nothing had “escaped” the land. There was one exception, and that is the case of Musgrove v Pandelis 2 KB 43, in which the defendant’s servant failed to shut off the supply of petrol to a burning car that was in a garage below the plaintiff’s property. This led to a fire that destroyed the car and the plaintiff’s property. Bankes LJ in the Court of Appeal had expressed the view that the car was the dangerous thing (apparently overlooking that the “car” was very much in the land, it was the “fire” which had escaped). Ward LJ notices the criticism to which Musgrove has subsequently been subjected, and explains that if the Rylands rule at all applies to fire, it is confined to fire that is deliberately kindled. In that case it does no more than reaffirm the ancient English custom of the realm (ignis suus) by which an occupier of land was liable for “his” fire unless it was caused by a stranger (a person who entered without his leave) – in other words, deliberately by himself or who entered his property with his leave.
Etherton and Lewison LJJ go even further. Etherton LJ holds that it is impossible to apply Rylands v Fletcher to “fire” cases because the first condition that the inherently dangerous thing must have been “kept” or “collected” in one’s land can never be satisfied; the defendant in such cases does not keep the fire, he keeps the thing that starts or stokes the fire. Lewison LJ holds that Musgrove was wrongly decided. The judgments of Ward and Lewison LJJ contain a valuable historical analysis of liability for fire, and of the influence (in this area of the law as in many others) of the old forms of action on the modern law.
Perhaps the most important point that emerges from this judgment is that Rylands v Fletcher is a principle of limited application: after Transco and Stannard, it is confined to cases in which a defendant keeps a thing that he knows will cause exceptional damage if it escapes, and it can be said that keeping that thing was as an exceptionally unusual use of his land given the context of the land and general practices. It is sometimes tempting for a court to compensate a “victim” by fastening liability on the person from whose land or because of whom (in a “but for” sense) the loss emerged; this judgment emphasises that this approach is not correct, for liability, if any, can arise only on a recognised cause of action in accordance with existing principles of law. | <urn:uuid:d1c08a01-4df0-4ab8-aad3-34cf033be746> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://indiacorplaw.blogspot.com/2012/12/strict-liability-and-nature-of-rule-in.html?showComment=1354767185725 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978643 | 1,230 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Safety Should Never Be an Option Offered Only to the Rich by Car Manufacturers, Advises Auto Product Liability Lawyer
For all too long, the big car manufacturers have made safety a luxury for the rich, offering lifesaving devices such as electronic stability control (ESC), side airbags, and rollover airbags as expensive options. While the technology for these lifesaving devices has existed for a long time, manufacturers have continued to offer these optional safety features at a significant expense and their failure to install them in even the basic model may result in a design defect claim if you or a loved one has sustained a substantial or catastrophic injury or death.
We recently concluded a claim where a vehicle manufacturer possessing technology to install side airbags failed to install them due to the fact that they were only offered as an expensive option. The position that we successfully maintained was that manufacturers have an obligation to put the interests of safety over profitability.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently examining the failure and non-existence of side airbags. Vehicle and passenger safety is clearly diminished when an automaker only makes safety options available for the rich.
The Philadelphia airbag defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily understand that there should be no classes of distinction when it comes time to safety. Safety should never be an option! If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident that may have been prevented by the addition of a safety device such as an airbag or ESC that was not included in your vehicle as a standard option, we would be interested to learn more about your situation as we are currently building a database of such accidents and other similar instances.
If you or a loved one has sustained an injury in an automobile accident, contact one of our airbag failure and automobile accident lawyers today toll free at (800) 421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. | <urn:uuid:c514a612-32f7-4269-ba1b-673a2692eb2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.philadelphiacaraccidentlawyerblog.com/2012/10/safety_never_be_option_offered_only_rich_car_manufacturers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967935 | 389 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Understand Others: Styles, Types, Personalities
It is repeatedly stated that no man/woman is an island. That means leaders must effectively engage, collaborate, influence and manage people of different cultures, styles and personalities. Being self aware of your own style is the starting point. Learning about others and their styles is key to effective decision making and teamwork. Assessments are a core competence of all TPG consultants and coaches. We will greatly expand your knowledge and appreciation of others. | <urn:uuid:3ca93223-caa8-49b9-b96b-c3eaa7aa3a2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepirasgroup.com/services/training-and-workshops/understand-others | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950917 | 98 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Python for Newbies
rmcorrespond at gmail.com
Thu Dec 10 04:56:21 CET 2009
On Dec 9, 9:46 pm, "Alf P. Steinbach" <al... at start.no> wrote:
> * rm:
> > Here is a new tutorial that may be a good starting point for learning
> > Python.
> Looks nice.
> I have two comments: (1) what is "the N900"?, and (2) the naming convention,
> using 'Num' for a variable and 'clsAddress' for a class, is opposite of the
> usual Python convention where one'd write 'num' and 'Address'.
> Shameless plug for my own writings, an introduction to /programming/ for
> newbies, using Python -- this work is progressing slowly but steadily:
> which is in Google Docs; a table of contents available as text file (it's not
> complete wrt. to latest stuff I added) and also in the PDF files themselves.
> Comments very welcome! :-)
> - Alf
> PS: The last three or four paragraphs in ch 2 were sort of negative so I've
> replaced them with one single short much more upbeat paragraph. Working...
One of the reasons I started writing this tutorial was because I found
the lot of existing tutorials lacking in their approachability by
people new to programming. Just about all of them were either not
comprehensive enough, or seemed written by geniuses for geniuses. I
hope you will allow me to quote a little excerpt from your tutorial
that makes my point quite eloquently:
"I have to use as-yet-unexplained language features in order to
present examples that do relevant things, because it would be too much
to explain the language features & concepts here. These features are
explained in later chapters, so for now you can just adopt a very
casual attitude, hey, it works!"
Don't get me wrong, your approach probably works for a certain type of
people. But there are a lot of us that find this approach very
difficult to follow. The approach of this tutorial is gradually
introduce new concepts so that the student can follow along at a
logical and pleasant pace. Yes, it has a disadvantage. The examples
can't be too elaborate. But, the purpose of tutorial, to teach the
language, is better accomplished this way. If I was teaching a group
of people the English language, I would not go about doing so with a
George Gordon Byron poem.
More information about the Python-list | <urn:uuid:13196688-2337-4d2e-8a9f-fdb6ea2d38b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2009-December/560973.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938144 | 559 | 2.734375 | 3 |
When the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit was created, it was a tax credit of 10% of purchase price capped at $7,500. This credit was actually an interest free loan, as it had to be paid back. I believe the pay back terms were $500 a year for 15 years. There were also other stipulations along the lines of: If the house was sold, then the remaining balance was due on that year's taxes. (Do not quote me on this, as I bought my house in 2009) This was part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008
The credit was changed to a true credit capped at $8,000. I believe this transition occured at the start of 2009. This one had a provision that if you did not keep the home as your primary residence for a minimum of three (I think) years then you would have to pay it back. This was done as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Wow, I learn something new every day!
Still, in that case I'm no sure I would consider it a debt like other debts. Maybe technically it is but it seems more like deferred taxes to me. I think at worst I would consider it an additional mortgage. | <urn:uuid:b45c5b58-b172-4b93-b407-667ce3b23b8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.getrichslowly.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=60802 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.995108 | 256 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Despite being Nepal's second largest city Pokhara, 200 km west of Katmandu, has a distinctly more laid back feel than the capital. On the banks of Lake Phewa and with fantastic views across the lake of the Annapurna Range, Pokhara originally became popular as a hippy retreat in the sixties. Although now much more famous as a trekking base the city retains its relaxed appeal.
Pokhara is surrounded by green rice field filled mountains which rise up into the Annapurna Range, and the town is the starting point for famous treks such as the Annapurna Circuit, Jomsom and Sanctuary trek as well as a number of shorter one to two day treks. Our volunteers are based in these mountains, in small villages above Pokhara. Although not very remote by Himalayan standards, and within half an hour of Pokhara, these villages are still very basic and most volunteers will have to travel into Pokhara for facilities such as the Internet.
Sarangkot & Kaskikot
Sarangkot and Kaskikot are small Nepalese mountain villages, both around half an hour’s bus ride to Pokhara. Volunteers teach in the local primary or secondary schools and work together with a local teacher to help improve English skills including listening and speaking, grammar, and reading for children and teachers. You can also assist local teachers in a variety of other subjects including math and history.
Maidan Children’s Resource Centre
The Maidan Children’s Resource Centre was established in November 2006 and is situated in the middle of the village, 5 minutes walk from the homestay. 20-40 children access the centre everyday. There is also a day care centre 10 minutes from the homestay, where volunteers can come to play with the children. Volunteers can also teach children aged 7-12 in a local school.
Children’s Welfare Home
The Children’s Welfare Home is within the city center of Pokhara. It is a non-profit social welfare organization which was established in 2001. The home currently has 32 children between the ages of 7-18 whom are parentless. Volunteers placed at the home will help the children with their studies before and after school in the mornings and the evenings. Volunteers also can help with the daily routine including basic hygiene and care, not to mention sports playing and other extra-curricular activities. Volunteers will have a room in the orphanage.
|2 Weeks||4 Weeks||8 Weeks||12 Weeks||24 Weeks||Extra Weeks|
Read how your fees are spent or compare our
prices with other volunteer organisations.
View our prices in other volunteer locations's or combine your stay in with stays in other locations as part of a combination stay.
Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can
be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we receive the initial application from you, we will send you our
full application form.
(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon receiving this we will send you the full application form.
(2) Complete the Full Application Form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your suitability and place you on one of our programs.
(3) Placement info:
We will return detailed placement information and an invoice. If you accept the placement you should clikc the link to say so. The fee can be paid with credit card through PayPal or by bank transfer.
Once you have made your traveling arrangements you should mail your time of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm pickup.
For the majority of our Nepal programs, you can join us for any amount of time from 2 weeks to 4 months. However, some projects have minimum time restrictions.
We recommend a trip of 2-4 months since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay.
June: Sat 8, Sat 22
July: Sat 6, Sat 20
August: Sat 3, Sat 17, Sat 31
September: Sat 14, Sat 28
October: Sat 12, Sat 26
November: Sat 9, Sat 23
December: Sat 7, Sat 21
|January: Sat 4, Sat 18
February: Sat 1, Sat 15
March: Sat 1, Sat 15, Sat 29
April: Sat 12, Sat 26
|May: Sat 10, Sat 24
June: Sat 7, Sat 21
July: Sat 5, Sat 19
August: Sat 2, Sat 16, Sat 30
|September: Sat 13, Sat 27
October: Sat 11, Sat 25
November: Sat 8, Sat 22
December: Sat 6, Sat 20
Our volunteers stay with local Nepali families in the mountains around Pokhara. Nepali families are extremely welcoming and all our host families have experience looking after volunteers. The houses are however basic by Western standards, most with Nepali style outdoor toilets and showers and the electricity supply is not always reliable. All of the houses are located close to the volunteers placements and all have fantastic mountain views.
During your time in the house you will be encouraged to participate in activities around the home such as cooking, washing and generally caring for the house and family as if you where a member of the familly. We believe this is best way to experience real Nepali life.
As well as the huge amounts of trekking, there are numerous other things to do around Pokhara. Highlights include boating on Lake Phewa Tal (the second largest lake in Nepal), paragliding, numerous temples (both Hindu and Buddhist), Rani Ban (the Queen’s Forest), local museums, Patale Chango (Devi’s Falls), Yoga Ashram Centers and Tashipalkhel (a Tibetan area including a Monastery and village).
During the week volunteers usually eat with their host families. The staple food for people in Nepal is "Dal Bhat" which most families will eat at least once a day and consists of rice (Bhat), lentil soup (dal) and vegetables in curry (Tarkari) and/or meat (Masu) and a small amount of pickle /sauce (Achar). Other traditional Nepali food are quite similar to Indian food with lots of curries and potatoes although in the mountainous regions Tibetan foods such as thugba (noodle soup), momos, Tibetan breads and tsampa are particularly popular. At weekends volunteers often travel in Pokhara where there is a huge variety of Western food available. Some of the placements are also close to trekking trails and the trekking lodges also sell a variety of Western food.
The climate around Pokhara depends very much on elevation. Pokhara itself is at only 884 meters and the climate is generally warm and more moderate that Kathmandu, although it gets hit harder than Katmandu by the monsoon season which runs from June until September and can get very humid at times. The best time to visit the region is between October and November when its cool and views of the mountains are clear from December through to February snows make much of the region and the longer treks inaccessible and it can get extremely cold at night. March and April are also good time to visit although May and June can get very hot during the day making trekking unpleasant even at high altitudes. Even at this time it can get very cold at night in the mountains so volunteers should be prepared for this.Pokhara Weather Chart
In order to fly directly to Nepal from your home country, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. TIA has direct airlink with Osaka, Shanghai, London, Frankfurt, Hongkong, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Bombay and Calcutta. Lufthansa, Royal Nepal Airlines (RNAC), Air India, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways are the airlines that carry most of the foreign travelers into Kathmandu; and if you buy tickets from any other airlines, you will probably connect with one of these airlines for the final leg of your flight.
Volunteers will be met at the international airport in Kathmandu by our in country coordinators.
Asim, T2T's partner in Nepal, directs our Nepali programs. He lives with his wife Namrata and his two young sons Narawas and Nirnaya, at the Happy Home Children's Care House. Asim has nearly 20 years experience working with volunteers and managing programs for various NGO's and has travelled to the UK as part of a cultural exchange program. His interests include working in the theatre and writing plays, he has also made one series for Nepali National Television.
Bicky is our Nepal Program Director and Co-coordinator. With over 6 years experience working with volunteers, Bicky is responsible for co-coordinating our volunteers and scheduling their training programs as well as matching each volunteers to suitable programs. Bicky has travelled extensively around Nepal and also been to Holland and China as part of volunteer exchange programs. As well as travel his interests include social work, especially with orphanage projects and in the local communities surrounding our projects.
A Visa can be obtained from the Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate office located in your country. It is also possible to get a Visa upon arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. However, it is recommended that you obtain your Visa prior to arrival as the Visa lines at the airport tend to be quite long.
The fee for a Single Entry Tourist Visa to Nepal for 60 days is US $60. Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum of 150 days. The Visa extension fee for 30 days is US $30.
If you are planning to work in Cambodia then you will need to obtain a police records background check before starting your placement. For details on the application procedure in your home country please take a look at: www.travel-to-teach.org/CRB-information.php
At all other locations you will be required to abide by the Travel to Teach Child Protection Policy.
Volunteers should consider vaccines/medication for the following:
Please consult your doctor before traveling. More information is available from the WHO's (World Health Organization) Travelers health information
One of the conditions of entry onto our programs is that volunteers have travel insurance. Most importantly the insurance needs to include medical treatment and repatriation in case of unforeseen accidents or illnesses. Volunteers should purchase insurance independently and bring a copy of their insurance certificate with them for their local co-ordinator to check before starting their program. Read our terms and conditions. | <urn:uuid:ad0f6f4f-0377-4624-b369-995a78ff25da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travel-to-teach.org/nepal/volunteer-pokhara.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960787 | 2,264 | 1.710938 | 2 |
A tentative recovery in the global economy is running out of steam and growth could weaken further due to Europe's debt crisis and inaction over a looming fiscal squeeze in the United States, the International Monetary Fund said Monday.
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF predicted global growth of 3.3% this year, down 0.2% from July. The IMF was also more pessimistic about 2013, when it expects growth of only 3.6%, down from its previous forecast of 3.9%.
"The recovery has suffered new setbacks, and uncertainty weighs heavily on the outlook," the IMF said. "A key reason is that policies in the major advanced economies have not rebuilt confidence in medium-term prospects."
The U.S. economy is projected to grow 2.2% this year and 2.1% in 2013, according to the report. In July, the IMF projected 2% growth this year and 2.3% in 2013.
The IMF said growth would be even weaker than forecast if eurozone leaders fail to take further measures to support ailing members of the 17-nation currency union, and if the United States drives headlong over the so-called fiscal cliff -- a $7 trillion program of automatic tax increases and spending cuts that start taking effect at midnight on Dec. 31.
"If for some reason we actually jump all the way down the [fiscal] cliff, this would be an enormous fiscal contraction," Olivier Blanchard, the IMF's chief economist, told CNN on Tuesday. "It would be a U.S. recession, and God knows what would happen to the world."
The European Central Bank gave markets a shot in the arm last month when it agreed to buy potentially unlimited amounts of government bonds, providing an effective back stop for eurozone member states facing crippling borrowing costs.
The IMF said it was now up to European leaders to play their part. Specifically, the IMF said the recently activated €500 billion European Stability Mechanism "must intervene in banking systems and provide support to sovereigns."
The ESM, which replaced a temporary fund that backed bailouts for Greece, Portugal and Ireland, is a key component of the "breakthrough" agreement that European Union leaders announced in June.
It's also crucial that plans to create a banking union and achieve greater fiscal integration move forward, said the IMF. | <urn:uuid:e1502656-d1cd-49be-946e-b13bd9bb422f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wgal.com/news/money/IMF-Slow-growth-big-risks/-/9360224/16903802/-/item/0/-/9v1mcvz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958289 | 476 | 2 | 2 |
Sony has been somewhat hit and miss with their compact cameras recently. The small, stylish models such as the DSC-W50, have been excellent all around units. However, their latest effort - the Cyber-Shot DSC-S650 - leaves quite a bit to be desired. It has image quality issues such as high chromatic aberration and poor colour response, and its sporadically malfunctioning auto focus resulted in blurred and unusable photographs. The interface was also quite sluggish and unintuitive.
- ISO 1000
- Focus issues, High chromatic aberration, Poor colour response, Stiff controls, Slow shutter speed
An uninspiring compact camera, Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-S650 has numerous issues with regards to image quality and general operation that mean there are better purchases elsewhere.
Price$ 199.00 (AUD)
Our big problem with the unit was the auto focus. In our tests, we shoot using a standardised setup consisting of a tripod with two tungsten lights and a set of test charts and subject material. On at least half of our shots of the contrast chart, the camera blurred the picture horribly, resulting in a ruined shot. This also occurred, at times, when shooting other targets too. In many cases, we would take a perfectly clear picture, adjust the exposure by one measure, and then take the same picture again and the second would be out of focus. There were plenty of situations where this wasn't a problem, but the focusing was definitely hit and miss.
Aside from the auto focus issue, it performed moderately well in our image quality tests. We ran our test pictures through our Imatest software, in addition to subjective tests, to determine what sort of quality the S650 produced.
Its score of 1443 for sharpness is a good result for a 7.2 megapixel sensor, and the shots that weren't blurred were reasonably impressive. There was a little softness and fringing around some edges, but this is fairly typical of mid-level 7 megapixel consumer cameras, and won't be an issue at small to medium magnifications.
However, the S650 did exhibit higher than normal chromatic aberration, with Imatest giving it a score of 0.129% in this area. We could clearly see it in our pictures, with a noticeable lack of clarity towards the exterior and visible haloing at areas of high contrast.
Colour response was the area this camera really fell down, achieving a score of 14.1. This result is much higher than the results of competing models, most of which score around half as high. Every shade exhibited noticeable error, with yellows and greens being the least accurate. At this level, the poor colour reproduction was noticeable in our test shots and will be a big negative factor for most people.
Fortunately, the S650 redeemed itself a little in our noise test, where it achieved a great result of 0.62% at ISO 100. Most units achieve scores around 0.8% to 0.9% so this is an excellent performance and our shots reflected it, with no visible noise whatsoever. As expected, when we ramped up the sensitivity, the noise level came along for the ride and by the time we hit ISO 400 our shots were speckled and quite fuzzy. We wouldn't recommend using anything above ISO 200 with this model, unless you're intending the final product to be extremely small.
Our other main complaint with the S650 is its controls. It uses the standard Sony camera slider bar menu which is alright, but nothing outstanding. However, throw in sluggish response times and controls that require three or four presses to activate, and it quickly becomes tiresome. With some extremely firm presses on the keys, it operates properly most of the time but even then, many of these problems still persist and the overall navigation experience was quite irritating.
As this is a fairly basic compact camera, the features list is somewhat bare, but most of what you'd expect is here. We were disappointed, but not surprised, to find manual white balance has been omitted; you'll have to use the presets or automatic modes here. However ISO sensitivities extend up to 1000 and there are a variety of colour modes including sepia, rich, natural and black and white. The burst mode is rather poor, operating at a sluggish 1.2 frames per second.
This slow speed was also apparent in the rest of the camera's operation. Its 1.9 second shot-to-shot time and 2.6 second power up time were serviceable if a little behind other models, however the S650's shutter lag was extremely disappointing, clocking in at .2 of a second. That's more than double what we expected and will put a serious dampener on those trying to capture a quick snap.
Aesthetically the S650 is fairly plain. It has the same matte silver plastic chassis that is seen on the majority of digital cameras these days and it looks decent but uninspiring.
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Find the product you're looking for with our Digital Cameras search tool. | <urn:uuid:4feb5b18-af3d-4edd-a869-373bd8bc7d32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/digital_cameras/sony/cyber-shot_dsc-s650/220050 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955901 | 1,080 | 1.5 | 2 |
With the Grow Your Own movement rooting itself in our everyday lives, people everywhere are enhancing their yards (and their diets) by growing their own fruit. Some are lucky enough to have a large enough area to plant their own orchard, but others who don’t have as much room might feel like they don’t have a lot of options. Not true! If you’re renting an apartment, have limited or no space, or just want something for your patio, you should try growing your fruit trees in containers. In this article, which is part one of a two-part series, we focus on what you need to know to get started with this fun and surprisingly easy process.
Choosing the Right Container
Most people choose to grow fruit trees in containers for easy mobility. For this purpose, the ideal container size is about 10-15 gallons — substantial enough to support a tree, but small enough to move easily. This size is perfect if you’re growing in a window or on a balcony or patio, so you can bring the tree indoors for protection when the weather starts getting too cold. It also comes in handy if you need to relocate your tree to an unheated garage, shed, basement or cellar during winter.
And containers are perfect for growing warm-weather varieties, like citrus trees, banana plants, or fig trees you’ll find at Stark Bro’s, in areas where the climates are cooler than where they grow naturally.
If you want to start out smaller, then try a 7-gallon container. As the tree grows in a container of this size, it will eventually become root-bound. At that point, you can simply re-pot it into a larger container. You will be able to tell that your tree has become root-bound to its current container by its lack of vertical growth. It will still produce leaves and even fruit at this point, but you might want to start looking for something bigger to support continual growth and increased production.
No matter what size you choose, your tree won’t grow at all for very long if it doesn’t have adequate drainage. Make sure the container you use has holes (usually in the bottom and/or sides), so that any excess water can drain, and air can access the soil. This will help you to prevent potentially fatal diseases like root rot.
Planting in Containers
It is important to choose the right soil. Potting soil is best, since it is specially designed for container planting, and it is easy to find at your local garden supply store. You should avoid using top soil, since it is prone to becoming compacted, and it will eventually cause water to run down the inside edges of the container and out the bottom, barely reaching the tree’s roots.
When you are ready to fill your container, you should first add a layer of gravel or rock to the bottom of your container to help with drainage. Then, add some of your soil mix for the roots to rest on, and place your tree in the center of the pot so that it is vertical and straight. After that, add the rest of your soil until the tree is properly situated in the container. Make sure to tamp the soil down around the tree in order to remove any air pockets, just like you would if you were planting your tree in the ground. Give it a thorough watering, and you’re set!
Be sure to check out part two of our series on growing fruit trees in containers, which will focus on the care and upkeep of potted trees. | <urn:uuid:2037925c-0125-40f9-91c3-5121f4d0f003> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.starkbros.com/blog/fruit-trees-in-containers-pt1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952233 | 734 | 2.21875 | 2 |
April 21, 2009
If you live in the vicinity of Frankston, Victoria in Australia, you still have a few days to see gigantic dinosaurs made from sand. This year the theme for the Sand Sculpting Austrlia exhibition was “DinoStory,” and an international team of sand sculptors has etched dinosaurs into the sand. They are very impressive, and look even better at night. If you want to see them, you will have to move fast. The exhibition closes on Saturday, April 25.
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No comments yet. | <urn:uuid:4a9b9663-69e1-405a-95d7-75e16c57361f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2009/04/dinosaurs-get-a-day-at-the-beach/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967872 | 135 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Failure of a lender to sign a guarantee will not make the guarantee unenforceable.
In FBME Bank Ltd v Elwes and another, the claimant entered into a facility agreement with the defendants' company for a non-revolving short-term loan, supported by guarantees provided by the defendants. The guarantees were not to exceed £50,000 and had an addendum to them (signed by the defendants but not the claimants) providing that any liability under the guarantee would be discharged in full by the guarantor making five equal instalments. These were to be payable annually on each anniversary of a demand having been made.
The defendants then entered into a second facility agreement with the claimant which provided for the borrowed sums to be used for a specified purpose only. When the defendants' company sought to drawdown from the second facility, the claimant declined as the money was not going to be used for the purpose it had been agreed. The company subsequently went into administration and the claimant sought payment from the defendants under the guarantees in the sum of £50,000 each by instalments.
The second defendant denied liability under the guarantee claiming it was unenforceable as the claimant had not signed it and had not been entitled to refuse to permit the drawdown as it had done.
The High Court held that as the second defendant had signed the guarantee, he was bound by it. The claimant had not needed to sign it to make it enforceable. Also, the provisions of the second facility agreement were clear. The claimant was entitled to refuse to permit drawdowns that were not provided for in the agreement. The claimant was entitled to judgment for the sum of the instalment that had fallen due.
Things to consider
It was clear from the face of the facility agreement that the loan was for an intended purpose and the lender was within its rights to refuse to allow drawdown for any other purpose. Had the borrower wished to use the money for a different purpose, it should have tried to agree a variation to the loan, which it had failed to do. | <urn:uuid:c1d5731f-6779-43b6-a877-c067a666e314> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c577de3f-c300-4ff5-952f-6b9f39bf7931 | 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 | 0.988291 | 420 | 1.679688 | 2 |
President Lyndon Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the White House, March 1966 (Photo: Yoichi Okamoto/Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum)
In formal logic, Argumentum Ad Verecundiam refers to arguing a point with an appeal to authority. This type is categorized as a logical fallacy. Citing one seemingly authoritative source is simply not conclusive evidence, even if the authority is seen as an expert on the given subject.
For the sake of clarity, there are three degradations of this maxim enumerated in this essay. First, it is especially fallacious as proof when the quoted authority demonstrates no special knowledge on the subject. Second, when the authority who is not an expert on the given subject is also quoted out of context, the argument is even weaker. Third, the lowest violation of this formal logic principle is when an advocate uses a false rendition, or a fabricated quote, by the same authority who can claim no expertise.
This is the best framework for understanding how various exponents of Israel have used Martin Luther King Jr. to promote their cause.
Dr. King’s expertise as a non-violent civil rights leader and visionary are unparalleled in U.S. history. However, that does not make him an informed commentator on Middle Eastern affairs or on the ideological facets of Zionism. As impressive as the references to his views on Israel may seem, this is a textbook example of Argumentum Ad Verecundiam.
Finding direct and published utterances by Dr. King about the modern Middle East and Zionism is extremely rare. A cursory review of dozens of books on and by the civil rights leader turned up nothing.
Nonetheless, defenders of Israel often refer to a letter by Dr. King. This letter is reprinted in full on many web pages and in print. One example of a quotation derived from this letter is:
“… You declare, my friend; that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely ‘anti-Zionist’ … And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountain tops, let it echo through the valleys of God’s green earth: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews… Anti-Semitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this: anti-Zionist is inherently anti-Semitic, and ever will be so.”
Antiracism writer Tim Wise checked the citation, which claimed that it originated from a “Letter to an Anti-Zionist Friend” in an August, 1967 edition of Saturday Review. In an article on January, 2003, essay he declared that he found no letters from Dr. King in any of the four August, 1967 editions. The authors of this essay verified Wise’s discovery. The letter was commonly cited to also have been published in a book by Dr. King entitled, “This I Believe: Selections from the Writings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” No such book was listed in the bibliography provided by the King Center in Atlanta, nor in the catalogs of several large public and university libraries.
Soon afterwards, CAMERA, a rabidly pro-Israeli organization, published a statement declaring that the letter was “apparently” a hoax. CAMERA explained how it gained so much currency. The “letter” came from a “reputable” book, Shared Dreams, by Rabbi Marc Shneier. Martin Luther King III authored the preface for the book, giving the impression of familial approval. Also, the Anti-Defamation League’s Michael Salberg used the same quotes in his July 31st, 2001 testimony before the U.S. House of Representative’s International Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.
The bogus letter was further quoted by writers in prominent publications one would imagine armed with fact-checkers capable of spending the short amount of time needed to verify the primary source. Mort Zuckerman, the editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World Report quoted the letter in a column (17 September 2001). Warren Kinsella followed suit in an article for Maclean’s (20 January 2003). Commentary, which is known more for its ideological zeal than any appreciation for factual scruples, ran a piece by Natan Sharansky. He quoted the false passage as a block–some ten months after CAMERA declared it a hoax.
More recently, the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) featured excerpts from the letter prominently on its website. Despite its name, SPME is an advocacy group seeking to bolster Israel’s image on campus–a mission it claims promotes peace in the region. Ironically, right under the false Dr. King quotation is an announcement of the formation of a task force “dealing with academic integrity with respect to fabricating and falsifying data when discussing the Middle East.”
After one of the authors of this article informed SPME’s director of the quotation’s discredited status, he replied with hostility despite the simple verifiability of the claim that the citation is incorrect. After several exchanges he replaced it with another seemingly far-fetched quote:
Martin Luther King addressed the issue in 1968, in a speech at Harvard when he said: “.. You declare, my friend, that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely ‘anti-Zionist.’ …When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews… And what is anti-Zionist? It is the denial to the Jewish people of a fundamental right that we justly claim for the people of Africa and freely accord all other nations of the Globe…When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews–make no mistake about it.”
When a citation for this new quote was requested, he refused to provide one, leaving visitors only with its claim that Dr. King delivered it in a 1968 Harvard “speech.” However, the language of SPME’s new posting strongly resembles their original one – on account of the fact that it too comes from the same discredited “Letter to an Anti-Zionist Friend.”
The first time the fake letter was quoted, it could have been a mistake, but to draw on different lines from the same fictitious letter is strikingly unscholarly – as is the false citation of it to a 1968 “speech” at Harvard. Either this citation was invented or taken from another unspecified source–classic plagiarism, whether intentional or out of gross negligence.
SPME’s reference to a 1968 “speech” at Harvard mirrors the details from a published account that appeared in two sources: First, it was in right-wing and ardently pro-Israeli sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset’s 1969 article in Encounter. Second, it was in a January, 2002 San Francisco Chronicle op-ed by Congressman John Lewis, who knew Dr. King personally.
Lipset wrote in his essay “The Socialism of Fools: The Left, the Jews & Israel” about a “dinner” for Dr. King he attended. When one black student made “some remark against the Zionists,” Dr. King “snapped” back, “ ‘When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You are talking anti-Semitism’.” The piece by Congressman Lewis also quotes this same remark though it is not clear if it is gathered from Lipset’s essay.
Congressman Lewis claims Dr. King made this comment “shortly before his death” during “an appearance at Harvard.” Lipset states it was “shortly before he was assassinated” at a “dinner given for him in Cambridge.” This quotation seems on its face much more credible. Yet, SPME presents snippets from the fake letter while apparently citing this statement (a 1968 “speech” at Harvard).
There are still, however, a few reasons for casting doubt on the authenticity of this statement. According to the Harvard Crimson, “The Rev. Martin Luther King was last in Cambridge almost exactly a year ago–April 23, 1967” (“While You Were Away” 4/8/68). If this is true, Dr. King could not have been in Cambridge in 1968. Lipset stated he was in the area for a “fund-raising mission,” which would seem to imply a high profile visit. Also, an intensive inventory of publications by Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project accounts for numerous speeches in 1968. None of them are for talks in Cambridge or Boston.
While these points raise some doubt, let us assume that the quote is accurate.
This is where context comes in. One of the principal arguments of Lipset’s 1969 article is that the split between blacks and Jews “stems much more from the American situation than from the Middle East Conflict.” He identifies Jews as a dominating force within the civil rights movement. Black nationalist leadership wanted to distance themselves from Whites in the movement, Lipset argues. In Lipset’s own words, he summarized what Black nationalists were saying: “We don’t want whites, but we particularly don’t want Jews, and we are expressing antagonism to Jews in the form of opposition to Israel.”
Few of the articles that cite Lipset’s essay mention this crucial context. One individual who did explore this, albeit crudely, still managed to contrive another Dr. King quote unimaginatively. Dr. Andrew Bostom, a medical professor at Brown University, wrote an article for Front Page Magazine (20 January 2003) that was reprinted on former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s website. In it, he claimed that Dr. King had the “moral courage” to confront the anti-Jewish rhetoric of black left-wing and Muslim organizations. This is not to say that Dr. Bostom is a reliable source. Central to his article is a 347 word passage which he attributes to Dr. King. He fails to cite a source for the outlandish tirade. A quick google search determined it was lifted entirely from original material on the homepage of www.yahoodi.com (which has a copyright date of 2002), plus healthy portions of the fake “Letter to an Anti-Zionist Friend.” Dr. Bostom’s article featured the least creative and perhaps most fraudulent doctored script yet: a patchwork of plagiarism.
Taking the context described by Lipset and Dr. Bostom to be generally correct for the sake of argument would shed light on the credible Dr. King quotes. If the movement he figured so prominently in was facing such a rift, his response was only natural. To borrow Lipset’s analysis then, Dr. King’s statement also “stems much more from the American situation than from the Middle East Conflict.” Given his local political anxieties, Dr. King was hardly the kind of disinterested authority worth quoting on the subject.
As a note: the actual validity of Lipset and Dr. Bostom’s views of that context is beyond the scope of this essay. While it is true that black nationalists, such as SNCC’s leadership, became increasingly critical of Israel after 1967, it is not convincing that the motive was to alienate American Jews even if that was the foreseeable effect. An ardent internationalist for example would care more about linking oppressed people’s struggles across the globe than they would about the relatively mainstream political movement for equality in the American polity.
Back to the main point: if the forged quotes reflecting Dr. King’s views on Israel were accurate, citing him would still be classic Argumentum Ad Verecundiam. Where is the proof that Dr. King studied the region or its modern history? The dearth of then-publicized comments and writings on the region by Dr. King shows that it was probably not a subject he was well-versed on, nor did it appear to be a priority of his throughout his career.
Even the statements Congressman Lewis attributes to him are low in substance and high on flourishing rhetoric. For example, Dr. King stated that Israel is a “marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.” Referring to it as “marvelous” and an “oasis” sounds rather uninformed given the realities of military occupation and the forced exile the Palestinians have witnessed since Israel’s foundation. They surely do not sound like the words of someone familiar with both sides of the story.
More significantly, as Tim Wise pointed out, Dr. King’s supposed statements on Zionism came before the more than three decades of crippling Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and the 1987 intifada that grabbed the world’s attention. The Palestinian narrative was sparsely conveyed in the United States up to that point. There were few Arabs or Palestinians in the U.S. and fewer Arab academics, policymakers, and activists working with Dr. King. Wise also suggests that application of Dr. King’s principles logically give way to more sympathy to the Palestinian side given the systematic inequality it faces.
That advocates of Israel have relied on fabricated and out-of-context quotations from a leading moral figure of yesteryear only underscores the absurdity of the general point that all opposition to a Jewish state in a diverse land is anti-Semitic. There are obviously many legitimate ways to critique Zionism. One quite reasonable observation is that after more than a half-century of conflict, the Zionist project has failed to bring the Jews of Israel peace and security–its raison d’etre. One might counter that this is due to Arab intransigence; the Palestinians should accept their dispossession. However, Palestinian opposition to this fate is an indisputable fact, and security was and is Zionism’s key goal. This necessarily was an analytical failure on the part of the Zionists who assumed the Palestinians would blend in to other Arab countries while the later generations forget their past. To dismiss this argument–one that evaluates Zionism by its own goals–and every other critique of Zionism as anti-Semitism is not only dishonest but a cowardly evasion of meaningful debate.
This is not to say that all opponents of Israel are not anti-Semitic. Of course the Palestinian cause, like all movements, is exploited by those with other agendas, such as David Duke and Osama Bin Laden. Blanket statements in either direction are inaccurate.
The main reason why critique of Zionism persists is that whether Israeli officials like it or not, history as it is written and the actual land are still disputed by the millions of Palestinians who are refugees as a result of Israel’s birth, the 3.5 million Palestinians living under Israel’s direct military rule, and the Palestinians who compose twenty percent of Israel’s citizens in second class status. If Israel was founded and developed on uncontested terrain then arguments against its existence would more likely be out of hatred against the Jewish people. For supporters of Israel to wipe away all critics of the methods and outcomes of Israel’s foundation with the “anti-Semitic” label denies completely the legitimacy of the Palestinian narrative–the experiences and perspectives that never show up in Dr. King’s imagined “oasis.”
Dr. King, though long-passed, is still monumental in the continuing movement for civil rights in the United States. His legacy should be celebrated, and also critiqued constructively; it should not be falsified or stretched to accommodate a different agenda today. The context behind Dr. King’s authentic statements on Zionism was unique to a particular domestic political moment in order to sustain a fragile political coalition. Beyond that, Dr. King never claimed any expertise on the subject, nor made it a frequent topic of his speeches or writings. Claiming that all critiques of Zionism are anti-Semitic based on the force Martin Luther King Jr.’s words on the matter fails as an argument on many different levels.
Fadi Kiblawi is a law student at George Washington University. Will Youmans is a contributor to The Politics of Anti-Semitism (AK Press, 2003). | <urn:uuid:d4c15ea4-2c32-43c5-955d-230ae0b171cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://electronicintifada.net/content/israels-apologists-and-martin-luther-king-jr-hoax/4955 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954061 | 3,433 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Drexel University was founded in 1891 as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry by Philadelphia financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel.
Drexel's purpose? To provide educational opportunities in the "practical arts and sciences" for women and men of all backgrounds.
The College of Nursing and Health Professions educates nurses and health professionals through educational innovation, interdisciplinary research and community-based practice initiatives.
World-class instruction insures that students are well prepared for careers as nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, radiologic technologists, mental health practitioners and other disciplines.
The Division of Continuing Nursing Education strives to uphold the integrity of this prestigious institution, delivering quality continuing nursing education programs to professionals the world over.
Review the pages of this Web site to familiarize yourself with the leader in continuing nursing education: Drexel University. | <urn:uuid:ad0f66eb-2025-42c4-a258-bb5d28657c92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://drexel.edu/cne/aboutUs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935576 | 182 | 1.804688 | 2 |
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Soon Warren has three new watercolor painting videos out that you’re going to love! Learn how to paint cherries in a glass bowl, koi fish in a rippling pond, and get great tips and techniques for creating great watercolor paintings. …
There is lots of information on finding balance in our lives available. Nevertheless, for freelancers, small business owners, and aspiring artists, it might seem as though the only way to get ahead at work is to get behind at home. As a professional artist who juggles a busy painting career along with blogging, teaching, writing, social networking and family, I can speak on this subject with authority, because I have been guilty of imbalance myself.
You can learn great drawing and coloring techniques with Janie Gildow in her four videos on colored pencil techniques, including an easy way to draw an apple, the types of surfaces you can use, such as mylar paper and dark …
Love to create landscape paintings? Want to learn oil painting techniques? Brian Keeler is here to help! With his keen knowledge of art history; his years painting in oil, pastel, watercolor and acrylic; and his passion for all styles of …
Chris Cozen is a not only a great artist, but a great instructor, too! See how she creates great abstract acrylic paintings with a lot of acrylic painting techniques that are so easy to do yourself, you’ll be blown away. …
Installing a solo show of your own work is a challenging and rewarding task. A solo show is probably something you’ve worked toward for a year or more. You have a substantial emotional investment—and often an economic one as well—in its success. If your show is in a museum or commercial gallery, installing the show will most likely be the responsibility of the museum curator or gallery director. But if your show is in a co-op gallery, art association, alternative art space, library, bank, restaurant, office space or your own studio, part or all of the responsibility for arranging and hanging the work will probably fall on your shoulders. Exploring the installation process will help you create a cohesive exhibition that will show your work to its best advantage.
Many artists are unaware of the career benefits that winning a grant can have. A grant can provide help for you to focus on a favorite theme and can lead to publicity for your work in the local press and TV, as well as in social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. Listing an award on your curriculum vitae adds considerable weight to your accomplishments as well.
North Light Shop is your one-stop for great art books, video workshops, fine art magazines, instructional painting downloads and more, all at incredible savings. Propel Your Artwork Forward with Must-Know Essential Techniques! Discover THE Essentials of Pastel Landscapes Value Pack. …
We’re really excited about one of our newest North Light Books, Acrylic Solutions, by Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard, out in March. In this book, they talk about how you can use acrylic paints and techniques to build up mixed … | <urn:uuid:c9c0902b-d52d-48aa-a3a4-51694d7250a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artistsnetwork.com/category/shop | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91672 | 929 | 1.625 | 2 |
The Blog — Protest
Ignored by local media, arrested and beaten by police, hundreds of protestors in Bahrain stood their ground Friday in support of imprisoned activist Nabeel Rajab.
As Egyptian opposition protestors marched in unprecedented numbers to the Presidential Palace, social media streams tracked the day's events.
Protest4 is an application that helps you connect with other protesters around the world and in the next street. It empowers anyone to create a protest and then invite others to join using social media. After joining you can communicate exclusively with other people who are following that protest, sharing text and publishing images on the same protest wall in real time.
We want to create a comprehensive library of all video documenting protests and violence agaisnt civilians in Syria. Check out what we already have, and send us what we are missing.
The Chavez government has fined the Venezuelan television station Globovison (the country's last remaining critical network) $2million for coverage of deadly prison riots in June and July. Venezuleans have turned to Twitter to support the station and the freedom of expression.
After months of peaceful protests against the Mauritanian government, violent scenes erupted into clashes with police, with at least one dead and several injuries reported, some of them critical. The dead and injured had to be transported to hospital over 100 kilometers away in Kaédi; the long journey increasing risk of death or medical emergencies. An escalation of events occurred after police opened fire on a protest by residents of Maghama, in the far south of the country, on Tuesday, 27 September. The people were protesting against the national identity procedures, until police aggression sparked the protest into a riot, with heavy damage to buildings reported.
Brazilian NGO uses creative protest tactics to symbolize the need to "Sweep Out" corruption in Brazil.
This morning we are following the livestream of Sifting Fact from Fiction: The Role of Social Media in Conflict featuring speakers such as Jillian C. York, Andy Carvin, Clay Shirky, Marc Lynch, and Alec Ross. Follow the conversation via the livestream or on Twitter: #USIPblogs. This event accompanies the release of a paper, "Blogs and Bullets: Social Media in Contentious Politics" which examines the role of social media in political movements.
In her article, "Auc Strike: And the flag Mania reaches to the New AUC Campus" @zeinobia provides excellent insight and overview to the events at the American University in Cairo this week where students and workers were on strike.
Students and staff at the American University in Cairo striked today and used FB, Twitter, and YouTube to report and debate on the days events. | <urn:uuid:324163ed-079b-4fc1-a868-f0a5c8c5f1a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.movements.org/blog/c/protest/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937363 | 545 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Southern Company River Scout Gallery
The albino American alligator is white due to a rare genetic mutation that affects its production of the skin pigment melanin.
The eyes of these alligators are red because the underlying blood vessels in the iris can be seen due to the lack of pigment.
The tail of an adult American alligator makes up about one half of its body length.
These gators have between 74 and 80 teeth that are used for grasping and tearing prey.
American alligator is native to the southern United States.
The Asian small-clawed otter is a very social animal.
These otters are the smallest in the world and are known for their energetic disposition.
Most cichlid species are found in three East African lakes: Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. Lake Malawi alone contains more than 500 species.
The emerald tree boa is not venomous, but its long curved teeth can inflict a painful bite. | <urn:uuid:84ca784e-68c3-48a8-98d1-ed0fb0555466> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/newsroom/photo-library/rs.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937044 | 203 | 3.296875 | 3 |
by Gwen Moritz
Posted 8/15/2011 12:00 am
Updated 11 months ago
Say-on-pay refers to a provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act of 2010 that requires public companies to give shareholders a regular opportunity to express their opinion of pay packages granted to executives, although the vote is non-binding.
In this first year, shareholders had two decisions to make: Whether to approve the current pay packages and how often they wanted to cast such an advisory vote. The Securities & Exchange Commission allows say-on-pay votes to be every year, every other year or every three years.
The boards of directors of Arkansas companies were about evenly split on whether to seek opinions from shareholders as often as possible - every year - or as infrequently as possible by doing it every three years.
A survey released last month by the Towers Watson business consulting company found that nearly 80 percent of public companies said say-on-pay had little or no effect on their proxy season and only 17 percent were planning to change their core compensation programs.
"Most companies are breathing a sigh of relief now that the proxy season is over," Doug Friske, head of Towers Watson's executive compensation consulting practice, said in a press release about its survey.
Still to come as a result of the Dodd-Frank law are SEC regulations requiring companies to disclose the relationship of executive pay to company performance and requiring companies to "claw back" bonuses from executives - and even former executives - if it turns out that company financials contain significant errors. In late July the SEC pushed back the timeline for issuing the regulations, making it unclear whether they will be ready in time for the 2012 proxy season. | <urn:uuid:02d3ee05-e8d9-43b3-accb-63a5db2d16f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/print/article/33780 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971924 | 349 | 1.851563 | 2 |
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
This year, the federal government gave billions of dollars of stimulus money to medical providers to help speed up their use of electronic health records. The idea is for doctors to coordinate care better so that patients can see their charts online, and to allow clinics to grade their doctors.
Oregon is ahead of the curve. Sixty-five percent of clinicians have electronic medical records, compared to about 45 percent nationwide.
Steve Novick, shown in 2008, was the campaign spokesman for measures 66 and 67, which passed in Oregon last fall. Novick says that Oregonians voted for the measures because they decided to protect public safety, social services — and the middle class. | <urn:uuid:8a58ea84-7f4d-4a8d-9c01-420ee53136e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://knau.org/people/kplu-fm-kristian-foden-vencil | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964557 | 153 | 1.976563 | 2 |
06/14/11 CNSNews.com - MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s polarizing union rights law will take effect, thanks to a sharply divided ruling by the state Supreme Court that determined a judge overstepped her authority when she voided the governor’s plan to curb collective bargaining rights for most public workers.
The ruling Tuesday evening was a major victory for Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who said the law was needed to help address the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall. His proposal — which drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to the state Capitol for weeks earlier this year — thrust Wisconsin to the forefront of a national debate over labor rights.
In a 4-3 decision that included a blistering dissent, the Supreme Court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi overstepped when she declared the law void last month. Sumi sided with a lawsuit that claimed Republicans didn’t provide proper public notice of a meeting that helped get the original legislation approved after Democratic senators fled the state to prevent a vote.
Walker claimed that the law, which also requires public employees to pay more for their health care and pensions, would give local governments enough flexibility on labor costs to deal with deep cuts to state aid. Democrats saw it as an attack on public employee unions, which usually back their party’s candidates.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling provides our state the opportunity to move forward together and focus on getting Wisconsin working again,” Walker said in a one-sentence statement Tuesday. | <urn:uuid:050f32c5-0b63-45c0-8d23-2ed27640b9cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecorereport.com/archives/4719 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952956 | 321 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Rates of Tax on Aviation Gasoline and Jet Fuel for 2013; Oil Company Franchise Tax Rate for 2013; Alternative Fuels Tax Rates for 2013
[42 Pa.B. 7617]
[Saturday, December 15, 2012]
I. Aviation Gasoline and Jet Fuels
A. Aviation Gasoline Rate for 2013
Under 74 Pa.C.S. § 6121(b) (relating to tax on aviation fuels), the Secretary of Revenue (Secretary) announces that for calendar year 2013 the rate of tax on aviation gasoline and all other liquid fuels used or sold and delivered by distributors within this Commonwealth for use as fuel in propeller-driven piston engine aircraft or aircraft engines remains at the 2012 rate of 5.9¢1 per gallon or fractional part thereof.
B. Jet Fuel Rate for 2013
Under 74 Pa.C.S. § 6131(b) (relating to tax on jet fuels), the Secretary announces that for calendar year 2013 the rate of tax on jet fuels used or sold and delivered by distributors within this Commonwealth for use as fuel in turbine-propeller jet, turbojet and jet-driven aircraft and aircraft engines remains at the rate of 2.0¢ per gallon or fractional part thereof.
C. Calculating the 2013 Aviation Gasoline and Jet Fuel Rates
The rate of tax on aviation gasoline is adjusted annually beginning on January 1, 1985, and each January 1 thereafter.
The rate of tax on jet fuels is adjusted annually beginning on January 1, 1986, and each January 1 thereafter. Under 74 Pa.C.S. §§ 6121(b) and 6131(b) the rate of each tax increases or decreases 0.1¢ per gallon for each 10% increase or decrease in the producer price index for jet fuel as determined by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the most recent 12-month period available as of November 1, subject to a maximum rate of 6.0¢ per gallon for aviation gasoline and 2.0¢ per gallon for jet fuels.
On November 1, 2012, the most recently available 12-month period was September 2011 to September 2012, as reported in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, Producer Price Index, September 2012, USDL-12-2032, released October 12, 2012, for which the percentage change was +7.1%. Accordingly, the 2013 aviation gasoline tax rate remains the same as the 2012 tax rate of 5.9¢ per gallon; the 2013 jet fuel tax rate will remain the same as the 2012 rate of 2.0¢ per gallon.
II. Oil Company Franchise Tax
A. Oil Company Franchise Tax Rate for 2013
The Secretary announces that for the calendar year 2013 the rate of the oil company franchise tax remains at the current rate of 19.2¢ per gallon on all liquid fuels and 26.1¢ per gallon on all fuels used or sold and delivered by distributors within this Commonwealth under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9004 (relating to imposition of tax, exemptions and deductions).
B. Calculating the 2013 Oil Company Franchise Tax Rate
The rate of the oil company franchise tax imposed under 75 Pa.C.S. Chapter 95 (relating to taxes for highway maintenance and construction), 75 Pa.C.S. § 9502 (relating to imposition of tax) and collected under 75 Pa.C.S. Chapter 90 (relating to liquid fuels and fuels tax), 75 Pa.C.S. § 9004(b), is determined annually by the Department of Revenue (Department) and announced by each December 15 for the following calendar year. The tax rate is determined on a ''cents-per-gallon equivalent basis,'' which is defined by 75 Pa.C.S. § 9002 (relating to definitions) as:The average wholesale price per gallon multiplied by the decimal equivalent of any tax imposed by section 9502 (relating to imposition of tax), the product of which is rounded to the next highest tenth of a cent per gallon. The rate of tax shall be determined by the Department of Revenue on an annual basis beginning every January 1 and shall be published as a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin no later than the preceding December 15. In the event of a change in the rate of tax imposed by section 9502, the department shall redetermine the rate of tax as of the effective date of such change and give notice as soon as possible.
''Average wholesale price'' as previously used is defined as:The average wholesale price per gallon of all taxable liquid fuels and fuels, excluding the Federal excise tax and all liquid fuels taxes, as determined by the Department of Revenue for the 12-month period ending on the September 30 immediately prior to January 1 of the year for which the rate is to be set. In no case shall the average wholesale price be less than 90¢ nor more than $1.25 per gallon.
For the 12-month period ending on September 30, 2012, the Department has determined that the average wholesale price of liquid fuels and fuels was $3.114 per gallon, which exceeds the statutory maximum of $1.25; therefore, an average wholesale price of $1.25 is used to compute the tax rate for 2013.
The oil company franchise tax imposed under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9502 in terms of mills applicable to each gallon is:
Imposition Section Liquid Fuels Fuels 75 Pa.C.S. § 9502(a)(1) 60.0 60.0 75 Pa.C.S. § 9502(a)(2) 55.0 55.0 75 Pa.C.S. § 9502(a)(3) 38.5 38.5 75 Pa.C.S. § 9502(a)(4) 00.0 55.0 _____ _____ Total Mills per Gallon: 153.5 208.5 Decimal Equivalent: .1535 .2085 Multiply by Average
× $1.25 × $1.25 _____ _____ Product: 19.188¢ 26.063¢ Oil Company Franchise Tax per Gallon
(Rounded up to next Highest tenth)
C. Collection of Oil Company Franchise Tax
The act of April 17, 1997 (P. L. 6, No. 3) provides that the oil company franchise tax as computed previously is collected at the same time as the liquid fuels and fuels tax of 12¢ per gallon; therefore, effective January 1, 2013 the combined rate of tax for liquid fuels (primarily gasoline) is 31.2¢ per gallon and for fuels (primarily undyed diesel fuel) is 38.1¢ per gallon.
III. Alternative Fuels Tax Rates for 2013
Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9004(d) the Secretary is required to compute the rate of tax applicable to each alternative fuel on a gallon equivalent basis. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9002 ''gallon equivalent basis'' is defined as the ''amount of any alternative fuel as determined by the department to contain 114,500 BTU's.'' The amount determined on a ''gallon-equivalent-basis'' for each alternative fuel is subject to liquid fuels and oil company franchise taxes currently imposed on 1 gallon of gasoline. The rate of tax on 1 gallon of gasoline during the period of this notice is 12.0¢ for the liquid fuels tax and 19.2¢ for the oil company franchise tax for a total tax of 31.2¢ per gallon of gasoline.
The 2013 tax rates for Compressed Natural Gas and Hydrogen are calculated by utilizing the unit of measurement referred to as the gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE). A GGE is the amount of alternative fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one liquid gallon of gasoline. A GGE is the most common form of measurement for gaseous fuels at the retail level. By measuring in GGEs one may make energy and cost comparisons with gasoline.
The Secretary announces that the 2013 tax rates for alternative fuels are as follows:
Alternative Fuel (Liquids) Rate of Conversion (BTU/Gal of Alternative Fuel) Liquid Gallon Equivalent to 1 Gallon of Gasoline @ 114,500 BTU per Gallon Tax Rate per Gallon of Alternative Fuel Ethanol 76,400 1.499 $.208 Methanol 56,560 2.024 $.154 Propane/LPG 83,500 1.371 $.228 E-85 80,460 1.423 $.219 M-85 65,350 1.752 $.178 Liquefied Natural Gas 74,720 1.558 $.204 (LNG) Electricity 3,412 BTU/KWH 33.558 KWH $.0093/KWH
Alternative GGE Equivalent Tax Rate Fuels under to One Gallon per GGE Formula of Gasoline GGE (Gaseous) Compressed 1 $.312 Natural Gas
Hydrogen 1 $.312
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-2441. Filed for public inspection December 14, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]
1 The rate of 5.9¢ per gallon consists of 1.5¢ per gallon tax imposed by 75 Pa.C.S. § 9004(c)(1), and the 4.4¢ per gallon additional tax imposed by 74 Pa.C.S. §§ 6121(a), (b). As limited by 74 Pa.C.S. § 6121(b), the combined rate of these two component taxes may never exceed 6¢ per gallon or be less than 3¢ per gallon.
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version. | <urn:uuid:031d9f72-894a-449d-91ab-d86e7395a6be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol42/42-50/2441.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916449 | 2,051 | 1.5 | 2 |
Jeremiah complains of the prosperity of the wicked—If other nations learn the ways of Israel, they will be numbered with Israel.
1 Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the
3 But thou, O Lord,
4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
5 ¶If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
6 For even thy
7 ¶I have
9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the
11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man
13 They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have
14 ¶Thus saith the Lord against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The Lord liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. | <urn:uuid:cbb86943-e1fe-42cf-9d7b-d887d34bcba6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/jer/12.4?lang=eng | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948099 | 362 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Disco and the Remaking
of American Culture
W.W. Norton: 338 pp., $26.95
Recently, I attended a wedding reception during which a 10-year-old boy, to entertain the adults on the dance floor, started making the point-to-the-sky motion that John Travolta patented in 1977's "Saturday Night Fever." Why was I surprised? I doubt the tiny dancer even saw the movie, but he needn't have. Thirty years after its heyday, disco has so thoroughly saturated global popular culture that its songs and signifiers are recognizable to children born in a different century.
The death of disco was quick and dramatic. In April 1979, Newsweek ran a cover story on "The Disco Takeover"; less than a year later, radio had placed a "virtual ban" on the music. It's arguable that disco is known as much for its downfall as for its peak years. But as Alice Echols explains in "Hot Stuff," a quietly dazzling history of the musical genre that she describes as "interpretive rather than . . . comprehensive," disco's brief life as a mainstream phenomenon yielded a rich, seemingly never-ending afterlife. Disco begat new wave, early hip-hop and a lineage of pop stars that includes Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga, who has performed in a dress made up of disco ball shards. Disco has become, in the words of critic Jon Pareles, "roots music."
Echols, a professor at Rutgers University and the author of a biography of Janis Joplin, is interested in the way that disco culture acted as a staging ground for the sexual revolution of the 1970s and empowered African Americans, women and gays -- the cultural "Other" who were its primary makers and its initial consumers -- usually with mixed blessings. In the late 1970s and early '80s, Echols deejayed at a small Ann Arbor club and was charged by dancing's "collective yielding to the rhythmic." "Hot Stuff" is the result of a lifetime of thinking deeply about the music and its influence.
From the beginning, disco music was dogged by critics as schmaltzy, repetitive and not authentically black. The songs grew out of 1960s soul, but the typical disco single, writes Echols, favored "the synthetic over the organic, the cut-up over the whole, the producer over the artist." Barry White, who crooned about "fidelity, devotion, and desire" backed by a mixed-race orchestra of sweeping strings, and Isaac Hayes, who covered Burt Bacharach, were seen by detractors as soft, apolitical, bending to bourgeois tastes -- a wrong direction from the "trouble music" of Sly Stone and Marvin Gaye and the hard male swagger of James Brown. But White and Hayes, says Echols, "weren't interested in cataloging disappointments, but rather in breaking expected racial stereotypes and 'taking it to the bank.' "
Echols selects some of the genre's best-known black female vocalists to illustrate their ambivalent relationships to the music and their public images. Chaka Khan, a former Black Panther, wore midriff-baring outfits and strutted onstage, promising to "sure 'nuff set your stuff on fire" but came to regret her sex symbol status. Donna Summer became disco's biggest star after recording "Love to Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love," porny moaning set to chilly Teutonic beats.
When Summer later experimented with rock -- music that didn't conform to "racially coded" genres -- her career stalled. Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash had once made up a standard-issue girl group called the Bluebelles; they threw caution to the wind and reinvented themselves as freaky glam stars, making albums (rather than singles) of forthright political songs and embracing their gay following. They had one monster hit, "Lady Marmalade," but later singles went nowhere.
Were women able to claim power with disco, as some critics have argued -- was it a "cultural arm of feminism"? The truth, as Echols explains, was more complicated. Disco songs often put female desire front and center -- "you can ring my bell" -- and allowed black women to play up a sexuality they were once encouraged to hide. But for many, sexual expressiveness was "deeply unsettling," Echols writes.
The group that formed disco's most loyal fan base was gay men. When the Firehouse, the first New York gay disco, opened in 1971, two years after the Stonewall riots, it revolutionized the way gays mingled -- until only recently, same-sex dancing had been forbidden, even at gay bars, whose owners were wary of police raids. Fueled by drugs and DJ mixes that were carefully constructed to build and climax, discos allowed gay men to experience "tribal oneness" dancing in a sea of shirtless bodies. Many gay men began to sculpt their bodies for dancing, and the muscled, short-haired "clone" look became the norm -- out went the Playbill-collecting sissies of yore. Meanwhile, the gay community carried on a complicated dance with the straight mainstream. | <urn:uuid:b501cf8a-7462-4d83-b09f-09a2ffcaf277> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/11/entertainment/la-ca-alice-echols11-2010apr11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973911 | 1,096 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Photograph of guests at the California Eagle's seventieth birthday party celebration in 1949. The newspaper's publisher, Charlotta Bass, seated in the front row, second from left, attended the anniversary party, along with some of the African-American community's most influential church and civic leaders. The man in the front row on the left is Rev. J. Raymond Henderson, pastor of the Second Baptist Church from 1941-1963. Rev. Clayton Russell, of the People's Independent Church of Christ, is seated third from the left in the front row; Mabel V. Gray is seated on the far right. Gray was a member and leader of many African-American women's clubs, and served as president of the California State Association of Colored Women and president of the Southwest Region of National Association of Colored Women. The man seated in the back row, with his arms folded over his chest, is Dr. Foster, a Los Angeles physician.
Researchers may make single copies of images solely for the purpose of private study. Copies for any other purpose must be requested in writing from the director of Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research at the address or e-mail given (phone (323) 759-6063; fax (323) 759-2252). When the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research gives permission for publication, it is as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. USC may provide high-resolution images and/or prints for purposes other than private study only with written permission from the Southern California Library. | <urn:uuid:173af19a-4493-4625-a2d3-e1b747d7d6d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15799coll102/id/438/rec/9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955533 | 330 | 1.773438 | 2 |
As with any application, reading through the documentation is the best
way to get started. But realizing the desire to get your feet wet
quickly, you should glance over this page to get a feel for what the
Wrapper can do.
Then to get up and running, at a minimum you will need to read over
the Summary of Integration Methods section.
There you will be presented with 4 Integration Methods. From the
overviews, choose the one that best meets your needs and then proceed
to read over the section dedicated to that Integration Method.
[For powerful features of Wrapper] :
The Wrapper provides a very large feature set.
At some point, it is suggested that you look over the
full Configuration Properties
to get a feel for the full power of the Java Service Wrapper.
[You Need Help?] :
If you run into problems or have any questions,
the preferred method for getting help is posting a message to the
Wrapper-User Mailing List.
Run a Java application as a Windows Service or UNIX Daemon
The Java Service Wrapper makes it possible to install a Java Application
as a Windows Service.
Likewise, the scripts shipped with the Wrapper also make it
very easy to install a Java Application as a Daemon process on UNIX systems.
The Wrapper correctly handles "user's log outs" under Windows,
service dependencies, and the ability to run services which interact with the desktop.
Java Application Reliability
As the use of Java expands, your applications have
been written to provide a variety of mission and critical services.
These services must be able to provide a high level of reliability.
In an ideal world, only software which is 100% bug free will ever be released and installed.
However, history has shown this not to be the case.
Almost every application suffers from quality issues at one point or
another during their life-cycle. Applications hang, crash, run out of
memory or suffer from any number of problems. Where possible, problems
are fixed quickly without significant service outages. There are times,
however, when fixing a problem can be prohibitively expensive or
impossible to solve in a short time period.
While these advanced features of Java Service Wrapper will not make every problem go away,
they will help you to sleep easier knowing that
if there is a problem, the Wrapper will be there
to keep things up and running until you can get into the office to check the logs.
Say goodbye to that emergency phone calls!!
Standard, Out of the Box Scripting
Write once run everywhere configuration. Java has been marketed as a
"Write Once, Run Everywhere" programming language. While this is true
for many aspects of an application, the developer is often plagued with
having to write complicated, platform specific scripts which are tasked
with building up class paths and collecting other system information
necessary to launch an application.
The Java Service Wrapper helps to relieve the developer of the troublesome task
by providing a set of scripts for a wide range of platforms that can be
used as is to launch and run almost any Java Application controlled by the Wrapper.
The Java Service Wrapper provides a way for a Java Application to request that
its own JVM (Java Virtual Machine) be restarted. This can be useful in a number of cases.
Applications may wish to restart after having had their configuration
files modified. Or the application may simply need to be restarted
to avoid problems with a memory or resource leak of some kind.
There are also more passive ways to trigger restarts. The Wrapper has
the ability to monitor console output
and trigger shutdowns or restarts whenever certain text is detected.
The Wrapper can also be configured to either restart another JVM instance or
shutdown normally depending on the exit code returned by a JVM.
The Java Service Wrapper provides a wide range of configuration properties which can
be used to configure the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) in any way possible
from the command line.
The Wrapper configuration file
also provides a number of properties to allow you configure things
like logging and how the Wrapper is installed as a service.
By using the Wrapper's standard scripts,
and relative paths in the configuration file
it is usually possible to create an application
which requires no further complicated installation
than simply expanding an archive file into a directory of the user's choice.
Logging the output to the JVM console
can be critical to tracking down problems with an application.
Without the Wrapper, when a JVM is being run as a Service under Windows,
or as a Daemon under UNIX, the console output would normally be lost.
The Wrapper makes sure that all console output is logged.
Java-based Logging Tools are only capable of logging output generated from within the JVM.
If the JVM crashes or prints out low level messages such as thread dumps,
there is normally no way to log it.
The Wrapper logs all console output from the JVM process
regardless of its source meaning that a record of any crash
will survive even after the Wrapper has restarted the JVM.
The Wrapper is known to work with the Sun, IBM, Blackdown and BEA WebLogic
JRockit JVMs without any problems. If you get a chance to test any other
JVMs, please be sure and let us know the results.
Java Service Wrapper version 3.4.0 or later require JVM version 1.4.x and above.
(Wrapper versions prior to 3.4.0 supported JVM versions back to 1.2.x.)
The Wrapper can be used with Java 1.2.x versions however some functions are disabled
due to this version of Java's lack of support for
Shutdown Hooks were implemented with the 1.3.0 release of Java.
Only OS versions which are known to work have been listed.
If you have had successful or unsuccessful results running on other OS versions,
please post a comment below and it will be added to the list.
It should be fairly easy to build the Wrapper from source on additional UNIX platforms.
Please let us know and we will update the list.
linux - Linux kernels; 2.2.x 2.4.x, 2.6.x.
Known to work with Debian, Ubuntu, and Red Hat, but should work with any distribution.
Currently supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit x86, Itanium, and PPC systems.
macosx - Macintosh OS X.
osf1 - DEC OSF1.
solaris - Sun OS, Solaris 9 and 10.
Currently supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit sparc, and x86 systems.
Windows - Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 and Windows 7.
Currently supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit x86 and Itanium systems.
Also known to run on Windows 98 and ME, however due the lack of support for
services in the OS, the Wrapper can only be run in console mode. | <urn:uuid:c874b43f-0c0e-46f5-9c0f-d33dcaa22a58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com/doc/english/introduction.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903129 | 1,509 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Interesting, true story I want to share.
A GWOT (Global War on Terrorism)veteran is driving and sees a black bag lying on the side of the road. He panics and starts swerving out of control. A nearby police officer catches the car spiraling and turns his lights on in pursuit. When the car finally pulls over to the side of the road, the officer pulls the license plate number. After making sure there weren’t any obvious signs of danger, he steps out of his vehicle and walks towards the car. As he gets closer to the window he can see a young man sitting in the driver’s seat with a look on his face like something isn’t right. He proceeds to ask for the young man’s driver’s license and registration. Normal procedure. However, something different occurred during this stop. Something that made me say, “Somewhere in the legislature someone did something right.” He notices the word “veteran” on this young man’s driver’s license. What the young man didn’t know was that the police officer was himself, a veteran of the Vietnam War. So what happened next brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. The police officer asked the young man “Are you okay?” The young man explained to the officer how seeing the black bag frightened him. The officer calmed the young man down, gave him some advice from one veteran to another, and sent him on his way. He followed the young man a little ways down the road to ensure he was okay.
There is something remarkable about this story. A law was passed and now our law enforcement officers, and other who require identification, can know they are dealing with a veteran. A veteran is prone to many things (not including violence) and flashbacks are one of them. The ability of the police officer to identify that on the front end was undoubtedly a plus in this situation. His response changed, and the young man’s reaction changed, and a situation that could have gone wrong for the veteran went right.
If you’re a veteran, I encourage you to go get the identification on your license; you never know when someone needs to know “from whence you came.” We have a unique opportunity to identify ourselves. For those that didn’t do twenty and retire or those that aren’t still actively in, if you want to wear it proudly now you can. Take your DD-214 into your local Revenue office and your license will have the word “veteran” displayed on it. Please keep in mind there is a fee associated with this designation. Below is a link to an article about this new law.
Secondly, I want to applaud the officer, who didn’t react first but thought first, and how far his kindness went. I salute you. | <urn:uuid:984da235-882c-482d-aa47-4f41cf61becf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arvets.org/nicoles-notes/the-veteran-designation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974495 | 603 | 1.632813 | 2 |
HOUSTON, June 27 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they found an inverse relationship between the level of vitamin D in the blood and the presence of risk factors for diabetes 2.
Dr. Joanna Mitri, a research fellow at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said metabolic syndrome is a series of risk factors -- increased triglycerides, reduced levels of the "good," cholesterol, raised blood pressure and raised fasting blood sugar -- that increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
People with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had a 48 percent lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome than did those with the lowest vitamin D levels, the study found.
"This association has been documented before, but our study expands the association to people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds," Mitri said in a statement. "These include minority groups that are already at higher risk of diabetes."
In this study, all study participants were at risk of developing diabetes because they had prediabetes, abnormally high blood sugar levels that are not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes.
In the study, the group with the highest levels of vitamin D had a median concentration of 30.6 nanograms per milliliter and those in the lowest group had a median vitamin D concentration of 12.1 ng/mL. The risk of having the metabolic syndrome with a high vitamin D level was about one-half the risk with a low vitamin D level, Mitri said.
The findings were presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th annual meeting in Houston.
|Additional Health News Stories|
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., May 19 (UPI) --A Hempstead, N.Y., police officer shot and killed a 21-year-old Hofstra University student while aiming for the man holding her hostage, officials said.
MALMO, Sweden, May 19 (UPI) --Denmark's Emmelie De Forest won the Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Only Teardrops" in Malmo, Sweden.
MIAMI, May 19 (UPI) --The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade said he wanted to make a Miami teen's prom "a memorable moment," so he surprised her by showing up at her senior prom. | <urn:uuid:cb3cecb5-237e-4153-a4a5-305e1a5d0564> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/06/27/Low-vitamin-D-linked-to-type-2-diabetes/UPI-53301340776472/?rel=80321356745581 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95747 | 467 | 2.34375 | 2 |
TRAVERSE CITY -- As more Christians view Halloween with skepticism -- disliking its emphasis on the supernatural and celebrations of gore -- a local youth theater company is offering an alternative.
For the second year, the Homeschool Arts Project will present a classic C.S. Lewis story from "The Chronicles of Narnia" series over the Halloween weekend.
"A Horse and His Boy" will run for four public shows Oct. 30 and 31 at the New Hope Community Church.
Attendees may also participate in a Narnia character costume contest, complete with prizes awarded by Narnian royalty, before the Saturday evening show.
Brimming with ideas and enthusiasm for the Christian company, director Lynn Moody mines multiple positives in the annual production.
"First of all we like to bring classic literature to the stage," she said. "Second of all, it gives the the homeschool students an opportunity to do something they might not otherwise get to do -- in other words, theater."
"The third thing, obviously by doing a Narnia play, there's so many fantastical characters it just lends itself to Halloween," said Moody. "It also allows us to do a large cast and involve younger kids and older kids."
This year's company features 50 homeschool students from third grade through high school. Many of the cast are veterans from the 2008 show, which delved into untapped -- and, at the time, mostly untrained -- acting abilities.
"Last year, we had three or four kids with actual play experience, others had had church drama experience," recalled Moody. "And they were wonderful. I'm just amazed at the talent these kids have."
The Williamsburg church seats 1,600 in its sanctuary. Last year's three showings of "The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe" at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium drew more than 400 attendees and launched a loyal following.
Not to mention a welcome Halloween tradition for many area Christians.
"I think this is a wonderful alternative, to be able to go and watch a play, especially with children," said Carolyn Hoover, like Moody a member of New Hope Community Church, rented for the event but not a sponsor.
Besides her annual "Narnia" productions, for the past six years Moody has offered a range of programs for area Christian or homeschooled youth, including summer programs, summer performing arts camps and a USO show.
This past summer, Moody skipped her usual performing arts camp because, after holding auditions in May, she wanted her cast to focus on "The Horse and His Boy." Taking an unusual approach, she assigned parts and handed out scripts shortly after the audition. She challenged the students to return in the fall ready to go "off book" -- that is, with lines memorized and ready to rehearse.
Moody believes that drama is an excellent outreach for Christians. She also sees a resurgence of interest in the arts, using theater as a ministry that allows participants to share their talents while glorifying God.
"Jesus taught in parables, parables are stories," Moody said. "He taught that way for different reasons. But we use the same idea: We teach in parables or stories by doing theater on the stage, which makes the message real to people."
Hoover, part of a church team that presents "The Promise" every Easter featuring a cast of 150 adults, seconds the notion that drama can help spread Christian gospel.
"If you make the show good enough people will come," she said. "If it was well done, you hope a seed is planted."
'The Horse and His Boy'
-Where: New Hope Community Church, 5100 Bethesda Court, Williamsburg
-When: Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
-How much: $4 for adults, $2 for students; available at the door or online at www.thehap.net.
-Contact: Lynn Moody, 313-2420; www.thehap.net | <urn:uuid:438bc8ba-d6c0-4481-8634-e2c8fc299504> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://record-eagle.com/features/x546323647/Homeschool-troupe-performs-C-S-Lewis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959254 | 841 | 1.601563 | 2 |
FERNDALE, WA (BRAIN)—Kona this month is donating 100 AfricaBikes to one of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) water projects in Tanzania, Africa.
The Great Ruaha River is one of the most important sources of freshwater in Tanzania. Since 1993, research records show that sections of this massive river in the Rufiji River Basin have run completely dry for atypical periods of time. This wasn't due to global warming or climatic variation, but rather uncontrolled and poor water management.
Since 2003, the WWF has implemented a sustainable water management program to help better the lives of more than 6.35 million people living in the region. By establishing the Water Users Associations—groups whose members are trained in water irrigation, law, policy and conservation— the program saw great success in 2006 when the Great Ruaha flowed throughout the year for the first time in five years.
But the river is big and to monitor its status members of the Water Users Associations need bikes to cover the long distances. By having access to 100 Kona AfricaBikes, workers will be able to cover more ground; ultimately resulting in a healthier river and healthier communities.
Workers who receive AfricaBikes will play an important role of not only helping support a better way of life for numerous communities in the Great Ruaha River area, but also remedy an important water source that will impact future generations. Without the AfricaBikes, chances are the successes of bringing the river back might begin to fade. | <urn:uuid:e149ed61-1ea9-4dd2-aaae-5e6637cfe35e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2008/09/11/kona-donating-100-africabikes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941509 | 310 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Editor's Picks(1-4 of 8)
How Entrepreneurs Can Become Fearless
Personal development is the opposite of immobility
Why are restraining beliefs so ingrained in society? What makes human beings support fantasies in word and deed? How is it possible that some people devote their energies to pretending that paralysis is an acceptable approach to living?
Three reasons explain why human beings are often deeply invested in immobility. Social convenience is the first, since it feels good to belong to the majority. Financial benefit is the second, since many doors are closed to those who ask uncomfortable questions. The third motive, fear of rejection, is perhaps the strongest.
Each of those justifications possesses extraordinary appeal on its own. All three combined are almost irresistible. Nevertheless, experience proves that, in the long run, doubt and psychological paralysis will destroy a man's life.
Personal growth is more important than short-term convenience
Social convenience can lead people to repress their best initiatives. The habit of seeking conformity deprives men of the force to pursue their dreams and stake their claims. However, the financial benefits of immobility, although sweet, tend to be short-lived.
In industrial societies, the negative consequences of rejection tend to be exaggerated by the media. Nowadays, global markets allow innovators to find their customers anywhere in the world even if their ideas are not appreciated by friends and neighbours.
Thinking for yourself is difficult in the face of opposition. The golden advantages of social convenience always seem, at first sight, the obvious choice, but conformity and passivity make man's happiness impossible. Becoming aware of long-term consequences of immobility and taking rational initiative mark the path to success.
Inaction and conformity have so many advantages that, for some people, they become the choice by default. Few are told that those short-term benefits are dwarfed by their lifetime costs. Seldom is the fact mentioned that long-term passivity wipes out man's capacity for attaining success and happiness.
How to be fearless and find happiness in life
Psychological immobility arises when people are overwhelmed by problems, threats, or obstacles that look insurmountable. Logic and evidence provide the means to dispute and eliminate from our mind the fallacies that feed mental passivity. Rationality is what allows a person to make reasonable calculations and take action to improve his life.
For instance, if you want to avoid psychological exhaustion, you should never take it personally when people do stupid things. Never allow yourself to be paralysed by the fact that other persons have made a large mistake.
Stand up and resume your efforts to attain success. Get back on your feet and avoid the temptation of passivity, since it produces nothing and leads to nothing. Motivational paralysis only serves to waste your life.
Make a point also to ignore gloomy predictions from the media, friends, or family. Most depressing statements are not true anyway and the world is not coming to an end. Do not join people wallowing in their misery. Never fall into immobility out of fear of things that, most likely, will never happen. Asses your alternatives, pick up the best, and begin to move in the right direction.
The solution is self-improvement through rational living
What looks today as universal malignancy often turns to be just another benign local problem that is quickly forgotten. What today seems a serious challenge has often little long-term significance. For those who refuse to be paralysed, catastrophes frequently contain the seed of profitable opportunities.
When people embrace passivity, that's the best time to take swift action. A crisis, personal or otherwise, should be faced through relentless initiative, not with immobility. Nobody but you can decide when a game is over.
Psychological paralysis is the worst enemy of achievement and happiness. Immobility is always a losing proposition. What you learn on bad days builds your creativity and strength of character. For entrepreneurs who remain alert and active, opportunities are created every minute.
JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living and is the author of four books in KINDLE India "When everything fails, try this” (2009), ”Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010) and “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012). See John Vespasian's blog about personal development. | <urn:uuid:2df70af6-7c9e-4492-ada8-d96aa826ed25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.siliconindia.com/johnvespasian/Why_I_Am_Optimistic_About_the_Future_of_the_World_Economy-bid-UIl4LF5y19184994.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953542 | 910 | 2.34375 | 2 |
In response to the letter from James and Doris Baker in the Jan. 3 Advocate-Messenger, I first wish to thank Mr. Baker for his service during World War II. He is part of what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation” and this country certainly owes him thanks. I am also a retired veteran, having served in Vietnam in 1967.
I take exception to his view on the National Rifle Association’s statement that guns don’t kill people, only people kill people. I believe that statement is accurate, and to agree with the Bakers would be tantamount to saying that alcohol kills but the alcoholic doesn’t. A drunken driver chooses to endanger lives when he drives drunk. If someone gets killed that driver is responsible because he chose a specific course of action. If someone is killed by a gun, the person behind the trigger is totally responsible, not the gun.
Would I use an AR-15 to protect my home and family? I would, but taking the Bakers’ words at face value, that would make me a coward. Would I go out and shoot innocent, unarmed victims? No. That would make me a coward. But simply owning a firearm does not make anyone a coward.
I am also quite perplexed why Mr. Baker, as a veteran, is now arguing against one of the basic rights men like us fought to protect, and is guaranteed by the Constitution of The United States. My heart also cries out for those innocent victims of the many shootings that have occurred in this country, but better enforcement of existing laws and better background searches is the answer to effective gun control. Trying to take away legal gun rights is not the answer. | <urn:uuid:d37ef9c4-a1af-49a3-8d8e-ed6a9dc487e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews/opinion/amn-owning-an-ar15-doesnt-make-you-a-coward-20130107,0,5510470.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970067 | 349 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Will 2012 be the year when OpenCL adoption really takes off?
From where I sit it seems that the majority of scientific GPU work is being done with NVIDIA’s proprietary CUDA platform. All the signs point to the possibility of this changing, however, and I wonder if 2012 will be the year when OpenCL comes of age. Let’s look at some recent and near future events….
- AMD have recently released the AMD Radeon HD 7970, said to be the fastest single- GPU graphics card on the planet. This new card supports both Microsoft’s DirectCompute along with OpenCL and is much faster than the previous generation of AMD card (see here for compute benchmarks) as well as being faster than NVIDIAs current top of the line GTX 580.
- Intel will release their next generation of CPUs – Ivy Bridge – which will include an increased number of built in GPU cores which should be OpenCL compatible. Although the current Sandy Bridge processors also contain GPU cores, it is not currently possible to target them with Intel’s OpenCL implementation (version 1.5 is strictly for the CPU cores). I would be very surprised if Intel didn’t update their OpenCL implementation to be able to target the GPUs in Ivy Bridge this year.
- AMDs latest Fusion processors also contain OpenCL compatible GPU cores directly integrated with the CPU which programmers can exploit using AMD’s Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) SDK.
The practical upshot of the above is that if a software vendor uses OpenCL to accelerate their product then it could potentially benefit more of their customers than if they used CUDA. Furthermore, if you want your code to run on the fastest GPU around then OpenCL is the way to go right now.
Having the latest, fastest hardware is pointless if the software you run can’t take advantage of it. Over the last 12 months I have had the opportunity to speak to developers of various commerical scientific and mathematical software products which support GPU acceleration. With the exception of Wolfram’s Mathematica, all of them only supported CUDA. When I asked why they don’t support OpenCL, the response of most of these developers could be paraphrased as ‘The mathematical libraries and vendor support for CUDA are far more developed than those of OpenCL so CUDA support is significantly easier to integerate into our product.‘ Despite this, however, OpenCL support is definitely growing in the world of mathematical and scientific software.
OpenCL in Mathematics software and libraries
- ViennaCL, a GPU-accelerated C++ open-source linear algebra library, was updated to version 1.2.0 on December 31st (just missing the deadline for December’s Month of Math Software). Roughly speaking, ViennaCL is a mixture of Boost.ublas (high-level interface) and MAGMA (GPU-support), yet based on OpenCL rather than CUDA.
- AccelerEyes released a new major version of their GPU accelerated MATLAB toolbox, Jacket, in late December 2011. The big news as far as this article is concerned is that it includes support for OpenCL; something that is currently missing from The Mathworks’ Parallel Computing Toolbox.
- Not content with bringing OpenCL support to MATLAB, AccelerEyes also realesed ArrayFire– a free (for the basic version at least) library for C, C++, Fortran, and Python that includes support for both CUDA and OpenCL.
- Although it’s not new news, it’s worth bearing in mind that Mathematica has supported OpenCL for a while now– since the relase of version 8 back in November 2010.
Finite Element Modelling with Abaqus
- Back in May 2011, Version 6.11 of the finite element modelling package, Abaqus, was released and it included support for NVIDIA cards (see here for NVIDIA’s page on it). In September, GPU support in Abaqus was broadened to include AMD Hardware with an OpenCL compliant release (see here).
- In late December 2011, the first alpha version of FortranCL, an OpenCL interface for Fortran 90, was released.
What do you think? Will OpenCL start to take the lead in scientific and mathematical software applications this year or will CUDA continue to dominate? Are there any new OpenCL projects that I’ve missed? | <urn:uuid:9390d762-fcfe-4d70-a3b3-8cb38407794e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.walkingrandomly.com/?p=4036 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937497 | 920 | 1.578125 | 2 |
News & Events
Five Livestock Care Informational Sessions to be held across Ohio
The following is a release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio -- Farmers, veterinarieans and livestock haulers are encouraged to attend one of five informational sessions to be held in August and September by the Ohio Department of Agriculture which will provide an overview of the state's new livestock care standards. The two-hour sessions will be held in Allen, Highland, Mercer, Muskingum and Wayne counties.
The meetings are open to the public and will feature a presentation on the new livestock care standards as well as an opportunity to ask Ohio Department of Agriculture staff questions about the new rules.
Dates and locations for the information sessions are:
- Wednesday, Aug. 24, 6-8 p.m. Southern State Communic College (Auditorium), 100 Hobart Drive, Hillsboro, OH
- Wednesday, Aug. 31, 6-8 p.m. Ohio State University OARDC (Shisler Center Ballroom), 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH
- Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6-8 p.m. Independence Elementary School, 615 Tremont Avenue, Lima, OH
- Tuesday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. Ohio University - Zanesville Campus (The Campus Center T430 & 431), 1425 Newark Road, Zanesville, OH
- Thursday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m. American Legion, 2490 State Route 49 N, Fort Recovery, OH
Ohio's livestock care standards affect all persons raising or caring for one or more head of livestock raised for human food or fiber, and anyone raising or caring for equine animals in the state. Rules affecting the care of dairy, beef, swine, turkeys, broilers, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas and horses have been approved by the Ohio General Assembly's Join Committee on Agency Rule Review and will go into effect later this year. | <urn:uuid:e6d6cda8-3abe-4ed2-8b53-b8810daa11e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ofbf.org/news-and-events/news/1671/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914678 | 420 | 1.5 | 2 |
The Supreme Court has ended years of legal uncertainty by ruling on what constitutes a house in the contest of leasehold enfranchisement.
The two joined appeals raised the question of whether a property used wholly for commercial purposes qualified as a ‘house’ under legislation governing the right to leasehold enfranchisement - the right of a lessee in certain circumstances to acquire the freehold of the building from the landlord.
The judicial panel of seven was unanimous in overturning a Court of Appeal (CoA) decision stating that the 2010 decision has unintended consequences.
“Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury MR regretted this result,” Lord Carnwath said in the substantive ruling. “He saw it as the probably unintended consequence of amendments made by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, removing the previous residence requirements.”
The ruling concluded: “A building wholly used for offices, whatever its original design or current appearance, is not a house reasonably so called. The fact that it was designed as a house, and is still described as a house for many purposes, including in architectural histories, is beside the point.”
The Howard de Walden Estates (HdeW) appeal was lead by Falcon Chanbers’ Jonathan Gaunt QC and Landmark Chambers’ Katharine Holland QC, instructed by Speechly Bircham partner Jeremy Hudson.
Instructed for the respondent in that appeal for Lexgorge was Falcon Chambers’ Anthony Radevsky, instructed by Wallace partner Simon Serota.
The joined appeal was led by Maitland Chambers’ Edwin Johnson QC, instructed by Pemberton Greenish partner Damien Greenish, for Day.
Responding to the joined appeal was Falcon Chambers’ Stephen Jourdan QC, instructed by Bircham Dyson Bell legal executive Bernard D’Monte, for Hosebay.
Hudson at Speechly Bircham said the ruling was of paramount importance.
“Had the appeal failed, HdeW were fearful that over time very many more of its freeholds would be lost through enfranchisement, threatening the very integrity of their estate,” he said. “This was a concern evidently shared by the other major estate landlords in central London as well as landowners further afield.
“However, it’s disappointing that the Supreme Court has passed up the opportunity to lay down a definitive test as to what is or is not a house within the scope of the 1967 act, so that there will inevitably be borderline cases troubling the courts in future years.”
The Day appeal related to three properties in Kensington that were originally built as houses but that at the relevant time had been converted into a self-catering hotel.
In both cases the County Court and the CoA had concluded that these were houses within the meaning of the 1967 act. The Supreme Court disagreed.
In its view, the primary meaning of ‘house’ is a single residence, adding that the act “is about houses as places to live in, not about houses as pieces of architecture, or features in a street scene, or names in an address book”. Therefore, in the court’s view none of the buildings involved in these two appeals could reasonably be called a house. | <urn:uuid:aacd27f7-cdfa-48aa-9d8f-ed5760d86fbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelawyer.com/supreme-court-reverses-coa-ruling-on-the-legal-definition-of-a-house/1014848.article | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976379 | 687 | 1.671875 | 2 |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Thursday that, despite the risk of occasional accidents, he favors arming teachers and principals to prevent tragedies such as the Dec. 14 shootings at a Connecticut school that killed 26 students and faculty.
"If my kids were at that school, I would have preferred that the teacher had concealed-carry and had a gun in her desk," Paul told a group of Oldham County, Ky., business leaders during a luncheon.
"Is it perfect? No. Would they always get the killer? No. Would an accident sometimes happen in a melee? Maybe," he said. "But nobody (at the Connecticut school) had any defense, and he just kept shooting until he was tired and he decided to shoot himself."
Paul's statements were almost immediately rebuked by some educators, who said adding guns to classrooms would be dangerous.
"It's a ridiculous idea," said Brent McKim, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association. "The solution to gun violence is to implement common-sense laws to make them more difficult to have, not to introduce more guns into schools."
Paul's comments came a day after President Barack Obama laid out his proposals for tougher gun measures in response to the Newtown, Conn., shootings that left 20 students, six adults and the shooter dead.
Obama's plan calls for prohibiting the sale of assault-style rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines. He also signed 23 executive orders, including ones to make more federal data available for background checks and to end a freeze on government research into gun violence.
Paul said in his speech to the Oldham Chamber & Economic Development gathering that he plans to file legislation next week to reverse Obama's executive orders.
He also promised to fight Obama's other gun-related initiatives, including the plan to ask for legislation requiring background checks before all gun sales and prohibiting the possession, transfer, sale or manufacture of armor-piercing bullets.
"I think banning the guns is not the way to go," Paul said.
He said he doesn't know how to solve the nation's gun-violence problem but added that self-defense should be part of the solution, as should tackling the issue of mental illness.
Paul did say private citizens should be allowed to restrict guns on their property and that they should be prohibited in bars.
"I think alcohol and guns are not a good idea," he said, before adding that he agrees with rules that prohibit people from having guns in the U.S. Capitol, saying, "probably not a good mix either."
In a news conference afterward, Paul said teachers and principals who have passed concealed-carry courses should be allowed to carry guns on school property.
Currently, the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act allows an extremely limited number of people to carry weapons on school property.
But teachers and school administrators questioned Thursday said they oppose allowing teachers and principals to carry guns, saying they are not properly trained to engage in shootouts.
McKim said having more guns in schools in the hands of people who don't receive ongoing training is too dangerous and that children could die.
"That's not an accident," he said. "What he (Paul) is calling an accident would be a tragedy."
Jefferson County school board member David Jones Jr. tweeted his concern about Paul's plan in states such as Kentucky with "stand your ground" laws, which remove the duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense.
"How would this work in 'stand your ground' states -- teachers shoot students they fear?" he asked. "Bad idea."
Brad Hughes, spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association, said that group also would oppose Paul's plan.
"We would like to have every school that wants a trained school resource officer have one available, but we are adamantly opposed to opening it up for any principal or custodian or teacher's aide or teacher who has a concealed-carry permit," he said.
"What do you do if a teacher goes off the deep end? School employees have brought weapons and killed people in schools before."
Josh Zeller, a special education teacher at Western High School, said he also opposes allowing teachers to carry weapons. "I didn't get into teaching to carry a gun."
Jon Akers, executive director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety, also criticized the idea, noting that police officers go through extensive training to learn how to secure their weapons and learn techniques to subdue people that don't involve firearms.
"It just scares me to think about arming school people," Akers said. "They are trained to teach kids, they are not trained in riot control."
Experts on law enforcement and security testifying before a new legislative committee on school safety in Frankfort on Thursday said teachers are not properly trained to carry and use firearms in response to school violence.
Alex Payne, a retired Kentucky State Police sergeant, said teachers are much more effective at protecting students by implementing lockdown procedures rather than using a gun.
"To throw teachers into a position of having to assume that duty on top of the immense duties they already have, to me would serve no purpose," he said. "…It would endanger those people around them."
Payne added that studies show that having uniformed police officers stationed in schools decreases the chances of a school shooting to nearly zero.
Other experts testified that schools should look at low-cost measures to beef up security, such as entry control, security cameras, better building codes and active-shooter training for school personnel along with annual reviews of emergency response plans.
"We need to build basic redundancy, basic security into the system," said Mark Filburn, a retired lieutenant from Louisville Metro Police. "This is not complicated. It's not expensive."
But state Rep. Keith Hall, a Democrat from Phelps, Ky., said the subcommittee should review the possibility of allowing principals to obtain concealed-carry licenses and training to protect schools with firearms. "They are the first line of defense, and they are the manager, the CEO, of that school," he said, arguing that an armed principal could have likely stopped the shooting in Connecticut.
Contributing: Mike Wynn | <urn:uuid:6bf9e5c1-a5c0-480a-b6ac-265157b5ba9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/17/rand-paul-lets-arm-teachers/1843003/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980303 | 1,271 | 1.890625 | 2 |
By CAROLYN CUI
Yu Lianmin, a cotton farmer in Huji, China, harvested 6,600 pounds of cotton this year. Despite record cotton prices, he didn't sell any of it.
Instead, mounds of cotton are piled up in two empty rooms of Mr. Yu's home, and the homes of many of the farmers in his small township of Yujia, which is part of the bigger township of Huji in northern Shandong province, 220 miles southeast of Beijing. The farmers are holding out for higher prices, aiming to help overcome higher costs of labor and fertilizer, which are up about 20% in the past year.
"I think there's still hope for prices to go higher," he said.
The amount of cotton held in hamlets throughout China is unknown, but, with 25 million cotton farmers, a Chinese cotton agency estimates it could amount to about 9% of the world's cotton supply. And the situation is occurring throughout the supply chain. Many ginners and merchants in China are keeping warehouses full, according to the agency, in an attempt to obtain higher prices.
Expectations that prices will rise are driving the apparent stockpiling, which causes short-term shortages and leads prices to rise further. The situation is complicating an already volatile picture for cotton, which has jumped to 140-year highs in the U.S. and has become a symbol of brewing commodity inflation around the globe.
China, the world's largest cotton consumer, is the biggest missing piece in the global cotton puzzle, though it isn't the only one. India stopped publishing data on cotton mill use, exports and imports in March, citing a change in a computer system. Pakistan, the third-largest user, doesn't publish data on cotton production, consumption or stocks until three years after each season. Uzbekistan, the third-largest exporter, refused to publish data on exports or stocks, making it a constant subject of rumor, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee, an association of governments of cotton-producing, consuming and trading countries.
Moreover, there is no data published on cotton stocks in Brazil, Argentina or Mexico.
"The problem with keeping the information from the market is that the information then becomes a source of endless rumors and speculation," said Terry Townsend, executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee.
Much of the rise has been driven by worries that the world is running short of cotton, in large part because of demand from China, whose imports have been surging. Chinese cotton imports in December 2010 more than doubled from the year-ago month. But with piles of cotton apparently being stashed throughout the country, some argue that there is more of the commodity available, and that Chinese imports could significantly slow once that cotton is unleashed on the market.
The apparent hoarding has the effect of making an already tight market—production has been falling as demand is increasing—look even more strained.
In China, merchants often do their own surveys of farmers. But for others in the U.S. and elsewhere, there is little ability to gather intelligence. The Chinese government also has stockpiled cotton as part of its strategic reserve, and gives little detail about how much and of what quality.
"It's difficult to know where there's an artificial short supply in China based on speculation or hoarding, or if there's a real shortage," said Jordan Lea, chairman of Eastern Trading Co., a cotton merchant in Greenville, S.C. "We have assumed that China and other countries will need to import more U.S. cotton. But if indeed that's not the case, the market will fall." The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of cotton.
That uncertainty has helped exacerbate the swings in the cotton market, and has prompted an outcry from governments, producers and users around the world. Cotton was the most volatile of all the 53 exchange-traded commodities in 2010, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee. Hoarding by Chinese suppliers is one of the biggest concerns, they said. Thursday, cotton prices rose to a 140-year record, closing at $1.6939 a pound on the ICE Futures U.S. Friday, cotton fell 4.64 cents, or 2.7%, to $1.6475.
"It's a vicious cycle of accumulation of raw materials and risks. We don't know when the whole thing will explode," said Gong Wenlong, chief executive of the China National Cotton Information Center, a government-funded cotton information provider. He estimates that about 1.94 million metric tons of cotton is being kept off the market, compared with China's production last year of 6.14 million tons.
In Yujia, more than 90% of the villagers make a living from planting cotton. Middlemen drive to the village to buy cotton from the farmers each winter. However, transactions are few this year.
Cotton has been farmed here for generations. Mr. Yu, who has been planting cotton for more than 10 years, said this is the best year he has seen for cotton prices. Prices shot up early in the season, then dropped late last year before rising again. Mr. Yu decided during the downturn to hang on for higher prices.
"We couldn't accept the prices," Mr. Yu said. He said he keeps his cotton in two empty rooms in his home, which he shares with his parents, and has locked the door to protect it from fire and theft.
More than 50% of the harvested cotton in Huji still is being held by farmers, including Mr. Yu., said Yu Dingyue, a planting director overseeing more than 10 villages. Shandong is China's second-largest cotton-producing province.
The farmers estimate they can keep the cotton until April or May, if stored properly.
"Cotton output was smaller this year and costs were higher. If prices are not going higher, we couldn't cover our costs," said Yu Feng, another farmer in the village. His cotton is piled in a room that also is used to prepare food for the family.
Mr. Yu, the planting director in Huji, said it is hard to talk farmers into selling the cotton. The only thing he could do to help is to make sure their cotton stays safe, particularly because the winter has been so dry and the dangers of fire are increasing.
"I told them not to cook or smoke in those cotton-filled rooms," he said.
Write to Carolyn Cui at firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:9da512dd-8b79-4b85-8c08-905af56e1308> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704680604576110423777349298.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971596 | 1,343 | 2.171875 | 2 |
LCM is an abbreviation for Least Common Multiple’. It is also called as ‘lowest common multiple’ and less popularly as ‘smallest common multiple’. For a given set of two or more integers, the least common multiple is the least integer that can be divided by all the integers in the given set.
The fundamental method of finding the smallest common multiple for a set of integers is first list out the multiples of each integer. Pick up the common integers that appear in all such lists. Now figure out the lowest among them. It is the least common multiple. For example, let us try to find the least common multiple of 4 and 6.
The multiples of 4 are: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40 …
The multiples of 6 are: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 …
The integers that are seen common in both the lists are: 12, 24, 36 …
The smallest integer among these commons is 12.
Therefore, the smallest common multiple of 4 and 6 is 12.
There is another method to find the lowest common multiple by using the following formula.
LCM of x, y = (x*y)/(GCF of x and y)
Let us try this method to find the least common multiple of 12 and 16.
The GCF of 12 and 16 is 4.
Therefore, the least common multiple of 12 and 16 = (12*16)/(4) = 3*16 = 48.
In cases where you need to find the lowest common multiples of many numbers, especially large, you can find that by prime factorization. The method here is to do the prime factorization of each number. The lowest common multiple is the product of the highest power of each prime number, out of all factors. Let us find the least common multiple of 9 and 12 by this method.
The prime factorization of 9 is 3*3 = 32.
The prime factorization of 12 is 3*4 =3*2*2 = 3* 22.
The product of the highest powers of prime numbers is 32* 22= 9*4 = 36.
Hence, the smallest common multiple of 9 and 12 is 36.
The knowledge of lowest common multiple for a given set of integers are greatly helpful in finding lowest common denominator for a given set of fractions. The lowest common denominator is the lowest common multiple of the denominators of the given fractions. Therefore, LCM problems are mostly found in such applications. For example the lowest common divisor of the fractions (1/3) and (1/5) is 15, which is the lowest common multiple of 3 and 5. | <urn:uuid:83130e85-e607-41db-9cc3-25e27b7a0799> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathlogicactivities.blogspot.com/2013/01/lcm-least-common-multiple.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941336 | 575 | 4.34375 | 4 |
Chained, Rested and Ready: The New and Improved GDP
Accurate estimates of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) are a necessity. Why? Because the growth rate of GDP affects everything from presidential elections to a firm's sales forecast. If policymakers or business executives lack accurate estimates of economic growth, the decisions they reach will contain an element of error, which could then produce unintended consequences. To improve the measurement of real GDP—the broadest yardstick available for gauging the economy's performance—the U.S. Department of Commerce recently decided to compute GDP differently than the way it has in the past. Although the new measure of GDP, which took effect in January 1996, shows the economy to have grown more slowly over the past few years than originally thought, most economists have given it their stamp of approval.
Accounting for GDP
GDP is the capstone measure of the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA). The NIPAs are an array of economic statistics designed to measure the production of goods and services and the income derived from the factors of production (land, labor and capital) that produce them. To calculate GDP, the Commerce Department collects millions of pieces of data from tax returns, census surveys and profit statements. These data, which are culled from households, businesses and government agencies, enable the department to construct a single measure of the dollar value of output produced in the United States every quarter. By definition, GDP counts only final goods and services—like the production of new cars, refrigerators and computers, or the services rendered by doctors, travel agents and hair dressers. Specifically, GDP is the sum of consumer spending on goods and services, investment expenditures by businesses (including any additions to inventory) and households, government purchases of goods and services, and the difference between exports and imports.
The problem with measuring the current dollar value of economic activity is that GDP will always rise as long as prices of goods and services rise. To properly analyze changes in economic activity, economists separate GDP into two parts: its price component and its quantity component. The price component of GDP refers to the prices of the millions of types of goods and services produced; the quantity component refers to the actual number of units produced. Thus, current dollar value of GDP—called nominal GDP—is simply price times quantity.
The quantity, or "real," measure of GDP is what most economists follow because it is an indication of the demand for goods and services produced. To construct real GDP, the current dollar value of its components are "deflated" by a series of price indexes and then "summed up." These price indexes are known as "fixed-weight" indexes because they measure changes in prices relative to a fixed base year, which Commerce would change about every five years.
Despite its familiarity, this measure of real GDP is flawed. Economists have known for quite a while that calculating real GDP using a fixed weighting scheme eventually produces substantial measurement error. There are two reasons for this. First, the structure of the economy—meaning the relative prices and types of goods and services produced—changes significantly over time. For example, think of the advent of the Internet and the products and services now offered online. Second, these relative price changes cause corresponding changes in the purchasing patterns of consumers. If, for instance, technological innovations lower the cost of producing a product, which should then lower its selling price, the quantity demanded of that product should increase and, accordingly, its importance in the calculation of GDP should increase.
Prior to the 1980s, the Commerce Department believed that these problems were not serious enough to warrant a change in the methodology used to calculate real GDP. The computer revolution, though, convinced them otherwise. In 1982, the production of information processing equipment (largely computers) as a share of GDP was 1.8 percent; by 1994, this share had more than doubled to 4.7 percent. At the same time, computer prices fell dramatically: Between 1982 and 1994, they dropped by roughly 13 percent a year. While a bonanza for consumers, these kinds of changes caused a significant problem for the number crunchers at Commerce.
The problem arises because the fixed-weighted system used to calculate GDP is not capable of fully accounting for these structural changes. As a result, the further the measure of GDP gets from the base year, the less accurate the calculation of real GDP becomes.
Under the old calculation method, the most recent base year was 1987. This meant that calculating real GDP in, say, 1994, was determined by: 1) how much the price of a particular good or service changed in relation to its price in 1987; and 2) how large a share it accounted for in relation to total GDP in 1987. To see how this works, let's use the example of the personal computer. According to the Commerce Department, today's Pentium personal computer would have cost about the same as what a new car cost in 1987—or, a little more than $13,700. In the fixed-weighted calculation of GDP, then, each new computer and new car produced added the same amount to GDP (about $13,700). By 1994, however, because of falling computer prices and rising new car prices, the average price of a new personal computer was around $2,500, while the price of a new car was almost $19,700. By calculating real GDP (in 1994) using fixed 1987 weights, however, each new computer was still being counted as if it were equal to one new car ($19,700) instead of its actual amount (about $2,500). This meant that fixed-weighted measures were overstating real growth in the output of computers and, thus, real GDP growth.
To counter this upward bias, the Commerce Department decided to estimate the quantity measure of GDP using a chain-weight system. Essentially, a chain-weight system differs from a fixed-weight system in that it measures output using current and previous year prices—something akin to a floating base year. For example, calculating chain-type GDP for 1994 is done using prices and quantities from 1993 and 1994.
Can the Chain-Weight Measure Up?
The primary advantage of the chain-weight measure is that it allows for substitution effects overtime—that is, it accounts for changes in consumption and production patterns that occur from relative price changes. Another important advantage is that chain-type measures value output of final goods and services for any period in terms of what the structure of the economy was at the time. Under the old method, Commerce would effectively rewrite economic history every time it reconfigured the GDP accounts to a different base year. Although the chain-weight measure of GDP depicts a more accurate portrayal of the business cycle, there are some drawbacks associated with using it. First, because of the way the chain-type measures are constructed, the components of GDP do not sum exactly to the total. In contrast, under the old method, GDP was the exact sum of its components. In percentage terms, however, this discrepancy is pretty small.
An ancillary problem that must be overcome concerns making economic forecasts with large-scale macroeconometric models. Under the old methodology, forecasters relied on the fact that GDP was the sum of its components. Because this is no longer strictly correct, forecasters will now be forced to restructure their models in away that introduces a greater potential for forecast error. While this hurdle may be eventually overcome through a process of learning-by-doing, it nevertheless introduces a further element of uncertainty that policymakers and others who closely monitor GDP forecasts must take into account. Despite these encumbrances, though, the new measure of GDP should more than measure up to its predecessor.
- To avoid double counting, real GDP is calculated using the value-added concept. This means, for example, that instead of adding up the total dollar value of all intermediate materials (like cotton) and labor used to produce a new shirt, their value is represented in the price of the shirt (the final good). [back to text]
- A price index, such as the consumer price index (CPI), attempts to aggregate into one number the prices of a large number of goods and services. For instance, in the NIPAs, a price index for personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is calculated, which attempts to measure the prices attached to everything from consumer spending on Big Macs to bib overalls. Similar price indexes are calculated for the other components of GDP. The real component of GDP is simply the current dollar value of each component of GDP divided by its respective price index. Real consumer spending, then, is the current value of spending divided by the PCE price index. [back to text]
- A relative price change occurs when the price of a good or service changes in relation to another. For example, if the price of hamburgers rises and the price of tacos stays the same, the relative price of hamburgers (to tacos) has risen. All other things equal, we should see people consume more tacos and fewer hamburgers. [back to text]
- See Ehrlich (1995). [back to text]
- See NABE News (1995). [back to text]
Ehrlich, Everett M. "The Statistics Corner: Notes on Chain-Weighted GDP," Business Economics (October 1995), pp. 61-62.
"Special Issue: Changes in the Reporting and Calculation of GDP," NABE News (September 1995).
Young, Allan H. "Alternative Measures of Change in Real Output and Prices," Survey of Current Business (April 1992), pp. 32-48. | <urn:uuid:a7280aa8-a4e8-4cbb-8dda-1bad9ef6f29d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/re/articles/?id=1810 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949334 | 1,983 | 3.59375 | 4 |
By Yuliya Chernova
Procter & Gamble’s Duracell battery unit is responding to the frustration of smartphone users whose juice runs out midday not by releasing an improved battery, but by investing in a network of charging stations, a decision that’s raising a debate in the battery industry.
“It’s a different business model,” said Stassi Anastassov, president of Duracell and chairman of the joint venture between Duracell and Israel-based start-up Powermat Technologies Inc., which is starting to sell inductive chargers to consumers in stores and rolling them out pre-installed in New York City locations such as Madison Square Garden. “It’s insurance for the future,” Mr. Anastassov said.
It’s a future that the current state of battery technology isn’t equipped to handle, considering the demands caused by brighter smartphone screens, 4G networks and a plethora of apps.
“I’m not extra optimistic about finding a battery that will deliver twice the power,” said Mr. Anastassov, adding that Duracell is continuing to invest in battery research and development but is also checking out alternatives. The company currently makes cellphone batteries in addition to batteries for a wide range of consumer electronics and appliances.
As smartphones continue to tax battery technology, Duracell has teamed up with Powermat to provide wireless charging stations. At the industry’s current rate of technological advancement, batteries would double their capacity in 15 years or so, said Venkat Srinivasan, staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he has been studying battery chemistries. He said it could happen in 10 years, too.
“Whether that’s enough is a completely different question,” said Dr. Srinivasan.
There are numerous challenges ahead for battery manufacturers, and start-ups are especially prone to missteps. Even as consumers want more power from batteries, manufacturers must make sure that the number of times batteries can charge and discharge doesn’t drop as power is added.
Many start-ups are untested companies with low volumes, which often spells major difficulties in marketing to major device manufacturers, said Peter Nieh, founder and managing director at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
“That being said, people still continue to sell millions and millions of iPhones and iPads,” said Mr. Nieh, an investor in battery company Leyden Energy Inc. “I believe that batteries can be a real source of competitive advantage for these consumer electronics manufacturers.”
Leyden Energy is having original equipment manufacturers make its batteries, giving customers confidence in its ability to meet necessary volumes, said Mr. Nieh. It’s also selling its batteries to battery-replacement outfits, rather than directly to cellphone manufacturers, he said.
Venture investors have poured into the battery start-up business, especially between 2007 and 2009, largely because of the interest in electric vehicles, according to both Mr. Nieh and Dr. Srinivasan.
Although the electric vehicle market isn’t developing as quickly as hoped, consumer electronics are benefiting from the influx of funding in this area that came from governments and investors. “A lot more people are working on batteries today,” said Dr. Srinivasan, explaining why we might see an improvement in the sustained average pace of energy density improvement of 5% per year over the past 20 years or so.
Mr. Nieh is optimistic, saying that batteries don’t need to power up consumer electronics devices for a week. “One day of continuous use is a worthy goal,” he said.
Duracell-Powermat, in the meantime, is rolling out its wireless charging stations in New York, with plans for nationwide installations in the fall.
Mr. Anastassov declined to say how much Duracell is investing in this strategy, but it’s clearly a significant undertaking. Duracell owns a majority stake in its joint venture with Powermat, and the marketing campaign, powered by Procter & Gamble’s consumer-research machine, in New York City includes ads in the subway system, bus wraps and other ads.
“It’s a risk,” said Mr. Anastassov. “A lot needs to happen to get a good financial return” on this investment, he added. Until batteries start performing better, he said, he trusts that consumers will respond favorably to new ways of getting their power-hungry smartphones running.
One venture investor agrees that wireless charging could find a receptive audience, despite its flaws.
“Wireless charging isn’t very efficient, [and] on a large scale it’s a step in the wrong direction, I think,” said David Wells, investment partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. “But it plays to consumer convenience, so it might get some significant adoption.”
Goldman Sachs Investment Partners and another growth equity firm are co-leading a round of up to $100 million for Powermat, VentureWire reported last week.
Write to Yuliya Chernova at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @ychernova. | <urn:uuid:880cfc8c-99cd-4d0a-8cbf-88aa67458097> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2012/06/12/smartphone-charging-gets-jolt-as-batteries-struggle-to-keep-up/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947954 | 1,115 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Happy birthday to Robert Allen Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan, born this day in 1941 in Duluth Minnesota and raised in nearby Hibbing. Born “far from home” according to his own account in Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary Bob Dylan – No Direction Home, he knew that there was something out there for him to do, and it had something to do with the sounds coming out of his radio.
So, after forming a rock n’ roll group, and playing piano for touring singers, he pursued folk music after pawning his electric guitar for an acoustic. At some point too, he changed his name to Bob Dylan, starting out with the intention of going by Bob Allen, using his middle name, and then deciding that “Dylan” had more connection to the world of poetry through Dylan Thomas. Young Bob was excited by the Beat poets, Hank Williams, the blues, and by Woody Guthrie, a songwriter who would inspire him to write songs of his own and seek out a community of others who were driven to do the same thing. First, he went to Minneapolis, and then to New York’s Greenwich Village.
The folk community in the Village embraced him and his incredible gift for folk interpretation as evidenced on his first album Bob Dylan released in 1962 on Columbia Records, the record label that has retained him since. The folk community loved him even more after the release of his second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan in 1963. Even the rock n’ roll world stood up and took notice of that one. The album contained Bob Dylan originals such as “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”, “Talking World War III Blues” and the era-defining “Blowin’ in the Wind”, which would become a civil rights anthem. Such was the impact of his writing and stage presence that the folk community wanted to make Bob the successor to Woody Guthrie, who’d been hospitalized by the end of the 50s with Huntington’s Chorea. Bob would visit Woody in the hospital a number of times, starting in 1961. But as Bob branched out and developed his craft, he showed that he had no intention of accepting the mantle of his hero. To make this clear, he sang that he didn’t “want to work on Maggie’s farm no more” during a tumultuous appearance at the 1965 Newport folk festival. His pursuit of electrified sounds, and use of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band for the performance demonstrated a new direction that certainly didn’t involve any further marches to Washington, or any other songs about answers Blowin’ in the wind. Bob was on his way down Highway 61 instead.
The next year in 1966, he pissed off folkies in Britain too, touring with an R&B band called the Hawks who blew the roof off of the Manchester Free Trade Hall, and helped to get Bob labeled “Judas”. They wanted the earnest folk singer of two years previous, not the speeded-out, wild-haired beatnik with the black and white telecaster and impenetrable shades. It is important to note that the concept that an artist could “change direction” was an alien one in 1966, nor was there any conventional ‘rock press’ to explain it to fans. Until Dylan, no one took this idea seriously on a mainstream level. Both the concept and the strain of journalism to convey it had yet to be invented, until Bob Dylan plugged in and dropped out of the folk pantheon in order to follow his own course. Somewhere in there, Bob made a string of classic records including rock’s first double LP, entitled Blonde on Blonde which he recorded in Nashville. The songs reveled in electrified country-flavoured rock music, equally influenced by the Beatles, and revealing his playfulness when it came to his lifelong romance with the english language.
And then, Bob changed again.
After returning home from his harrowing tour in Europe later that year, he had a motorcycle accident near his home in rural upstate New York. Details were sketchy at the time, and there were a lot of conflicting reports as to the severity of his injuries. But, serious or not, it took him off the map for 18 months. In late 1967, he emerged with a new album which completely went against the grain of the brightly-coloured, psychedelic times. This new record even stood in stark contrast to Blonde on Blonde. That album was John Wesley Harding – sepia-toned, spare, and desolate, yet also strangely biblical in it’s parable-like approach in the songwriting. He would further his efforts with two more albums – Nashville Skyline in 1969 which is a straight-ahead country album sung in an entirely new voice, and Self-Portrait in 1970, a collection of fragments and odd cover versions. Both of those albums were attempts to move further away from his supposed “voice of a generation” status, a position he had always rejected. His life at home was difficult once members of the counterculture tracked him down, visiting his home at all hours, and unwilling to acknowledge that he had a wife and children who didn’t see Dylan as they saw him. And indeed Bob himself saw nothing common in the graven image these people were erecting and equating to him. He just wanted to be a musician and raise a family at the same time, without being pestered about issues over which he had no strong opinion or control.
By the mid-70s, Bob’s marriage was on the outs, yet he enjoyed another purple patch of creativity to rival the one which had established him a decade before. He toured for the first time in 8 years, taking the Band along with him, the group who had once been the very Hawks who had stood by him in facing a sea of glaring faces during his ’66 tour. And he put out the excellent Blood on the Tracks, and its follow up Desire in 1975 and 1976 respectively. The supporting tours would be branded the Rolling Thunder Revue, featuring a number of Bob’s friends including Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, T-Bone Burnett, Mick Ronson, Rambling Jack Elliot, and many others who would join the tour and fall away from town to town. Bob wore white make-up on stage to accentuate his face. But the mask would always be looked upon as symbolic more so than practical. With Dylan, it was hard for critics to avoid. The mask was his stage face. He would always give a version of himself away, never the real thing (if such a person exists). His make-up was looked upon as a challenge to the identities his fans and critics attempted to place upon him.
There were further phases after that, as the tours stretched into years, and the years to decades. Dylan discovered Jesus in 1978 and sang about it for three albums. But, like many voices established in the 60s, Dylan had a patchy 80s overall. He thought about retiring a number of times. Still, he toured with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, became a Traveling Wilbury , made a live album with the Grateful Dead, and worked for the first time with Daniel Lanois on 1988′s Oh Mercy. He had been granted entry into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame that year, and was honoured in concert by friends and admirers.
In terms of recording during the 90s, he recorded an Unplugged show for MTV with an accompanying live album, and cut two albums of folk cover tunes – World Gone Wrong and As Good As I’ve Been To You – which made some wonder about whether or not his muse had skipped town. But then again, these records made others remember why Columbia records had signed him in 1962 in the first place – for his love of dusty old tales of betrayal and misfortune, and his ability to deliver them convincingly in a voice that was nothing less than original.
By 1997, Bob had dashed any doubts about his writing talent on the rocks with the critical and commercial smash Time Out of Mind, a collection of brutally eloquent songs about age, love, loss, fear, and death, again produced by Daniel Lanois. This, and an Oscar for his song “Things Have Changed” as featured in the film Wonder Boys would firm up his status as a songwriting elder statesman, as would his follow-up album Love and Theft in 2001, released on September 11 of that year. A third album in the trilogy would appear in 2006 – Modern Times. Interest in Dylan was driven by Scorsese’s documentary, his own autobiography entitled Chronicles Volume One, as well as Todd Haynes’ meta-biography I’m Not There in 2007 in which Bob, or a series of self-aware impressions of him, is portrayed by several actors, one of which is Cate Blanchet. In what other life could such an approach be feasible?
Like many songwriters, Bob Dylan sees himself as a vessel, out of which pours images and melody. The term ‘prophet’ sits uncomfortably with him as he has said that he doesn’t know where these things come from. It makes sense that if he were a prophet, he should know. But as it is, it’s a mystery to him too, which I suppose is why he keeps it up, why he tours almost constantly, and perhaps why people are fascinated with his work. Everyone loves a good mystery. And Bob Dylan is certainly that as well.
Bob Dylan is an artist who is both loved and hated – you either get him or you don’t. But, either way, the truth of it is that his work has benefited everyone who calls themselves a songwriter. Dylan proved you could sing in any sort of voice and be listened to, if what you were saying meant something to an audience. Where it’s easy to take this for granted these days when everyone writes songs about what ever they want to write about, it is important to remember that things were not always this way. And Bob Dylan was one of the few who cut the trail on which others currently tread.
Happy Birthday, Bob!
Hear Bob Dylan talk about his life and work in this interview with Ed Bradley from the television news program 60 Minutes.
And read about a new crop of Bob Dylan photos recently discovered, and taken around the time of Bob’s 1966 electric tour. | <urn:uuid:f4f5dea1-def9-4dcf-839f-28f1f55afec3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedeletebin.com/tag/bob-dylans-birthday/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987119 | 2,183 | 2.28125 | 2 |
DIE Martis, 20 die Januarii.
PRAYERS, by Doctor Wincupp.
Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker.
L. Viscount Say & Seale.
Countess of Bedford's House at Woburn exempted from billeting.
Ordered, That the Countess of Bedford shall have
a particular Order of this House, to exempt her from
having any billeting of Soldiers in her House at Woburne,
Chamberlain versus Nicholls; an Appeal from the Chancery.
Upon reading the Petition of Abraham Chamberlane,
of London, Merchant; complaining of a Decree in the
Chancery. (Here enter the Petition.)
It is Ordered, That the Cause shall be heard, at
this Bar, the Second Thursday after the next Term; and
that the Commissioners of the Great Seal shall have
Notice of this Petition, and be heard if they shall desire
it; and if the Petitioner do not make good by Proof
his Allegations mentioned in the Petition, then he shall
pay such Damages to those as he complains of as this
House shall think fit.
Letter to Colonel Poyntz, to call a Council of War, to try Hardy for the Death of Park.
The Letter to Colonel Poynts was read, and approved
of, as follows:
"I am commanded, by the Lords in Parliament assembled, to let you know, it is their Pleasure, That you
cause a Council of War to be called, to examine the
Death of John Parke, of Millenthorpe, in the County
of Westm'land; he being killed, as this House is informed, by Roger Hardy, a Surgeon to Colonel
Briggs's Regiment, upon the March of the Forces of
the Parliament against the Lord Digby, when he passed
those Parts towards Scotland.
"Your very loving Friend,
"Grey of Warke,
"Speaker of the House of Peers, pro Tempore."
Propositions for Peace.
Ordered, That these Lords following shall consider
of, and peruse all the Alterations in the Propositions for
Peace, and report the same to the House:
L. Viscount Say & Seale.
Any Five, to meet in the Prince's Lodging Tomorrow in the Afternoon, at Three of the
Clock: And Mr. Baron Trevor, Mr. Justice Phesant, and Mr. Justice Rolls, to attend the Committee; and in the mean Time to consider how
far the Forfeitures upon Delinquents Estates
Chamberlain's Petition, to reverse a Decree in Chancery, obtained by Nicholls against him.
To the Right Honourable the Lords in Parliament assembled.
"The humble Petition of Abraham Chamberlayne, of London, Merchant;
"Whereas Raph Nicholls and Elizabeth his Wife did
exhibit their Bill of Complaint in Chancery, against
Constance Askwith and your Petitioner, as Executors
of Nicholas Askwith Esquire, to be relieved for a Legacy of One Hundred and Fifty Pounds; and the
Point in Issue being "Asset or no," and referred
to Doctor Aylett; he, by One Report, allowed your
Petitioner nothing for Funerals, not so much as a
Coffin, Winding-sheet, or Church Duties; but Fortyeight Pounds, being no more than the Testator having
by his Will disposed to Fourscore Men to wait on
him at his Funeral, he being an Esquire, and a Citizen of London, of special Rank, Quality, and Estate,
and having many Children, Grand-children, Kindred,
Friends, and Servants, that in Mourning attended his
Funeral, according to common Course and Custom at
that Time. The Testator, by his Will, ordered his
Funerals to the Discretion of his Executors, who was
his Wife and Son-in-Law your Petitioner. The Wife
ordered all, and afterwards your Petitioner was enforced to pay.
"And afterwards the said Doctor Aylett, by a latter
Report, allowed your Petitioner Three Hundred
Forty-seven Pounds, and Sixteen Shillings, which he
truly paid and disbursed, and so no Assets; which the
Courts reduced to One Hundred Pounds, and decreed
your Petitioner to pay One Hundred and Fifty Pounds
to the Plaintiffs, whereas there are divers other Legacies unpaid: By which Decree your Petitioner conceives himself grieved, and humbly offers these ensuing Exceptions:
"1. In that what was truly expended and paid by
your Petitioner for Funerals as aforesaid is
not allowed him.
2. For that there being divers Legacies to a great
Sum which are unpaid, yet the whole Legacy
of the Plaintiffs in Chancery is decreed without respect to the other Legacies, whereby
your Petitioner may be doubly charged; in
regard that, if some Assets be in his Hands,
the Legacies ought to be proportionably paid,
and not all to one, and none to another; which
Right of the Legatees your Petitioner feareth,
(fn. *) and ought not to be hindered by the said
"Your Petitioner humbly prays the same may
be by your Lordships reviewed and reversed, and your Petitioner discharged
from all Contempts for not obeying the
said Decree; and further to be relieved
as to your Lordships shall seem meet.
"And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c.
House adjourned till 9a cras. | <urn:uuid:f38ab5bc-5a6a-41b6-baa6-9c156fd79037> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33937 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908994 | 1,229 | 1.578125 | 2 |
"East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet," goes the famous Rudyard Kipling quotation. It's a statement that certainly applied in the world of pop music prior to the 1960s, when a handful of influential British groups brought the sound of Indian classical music into rock and roll. Experimentation with the sitar by Brian Jones and George Harrison gave songs like "Paint It, Black" and "Norwegian Wood" their distinctive sound, and that experimentation was inspired almost entirely by the work of one man: Ravi Shankar. A classically trained sitar virtuoso who influenced a generation of Western pop stars and introduced millions of listeners to the music of his native India, Ravi Shankar was born in Varanasi, India, on April 7, 1920.
The Brahmin family into which Shankar was born had a tradition of involvement in music and the arts stretching back literally for centuries. Shankar's brother, Uday, 20 years Ravi's senior, was a famous classical dancer and choreographer. While on tour with Uday's Compaigne de Danse et Musique Hindou, a 13-year-old Ravi Shankar met the instrumental performer and teacher Allauddin Khan, a titanic figure in classical Indian music in the early 20th century. Shankar would apprentice under Khan for the next 10 years, mastering the sitar and the traditional raga performance style and repertoire. He set out on his own in 1944, eventually building an enormous international reputation on the strength of his recordings, live performances and film scores—the most famous being those for Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy. By the mid-1960s, Shankar had recorded eight albums on the British HMV label and played prominent venues and festivals from Moscow to Edinburgh, but it was his "discovery" by the Beatles' George Harrison that made him a household name and changed the very sound of the 60s.
George Harrison was first exposed to Ravi Shankar's music by David Crosby of the Byrds in 1965. He learned the sitar well enough on his own to record his part on "Norwegian Wood," but his desire to learn directly from the master took him to India in September 1966. (The rest of the Beatles later followed after George became involved with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi while there.) That association, in turn, brought Shankar to America, where he gave a four-hour performance at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival that produced a bigger ovation than for many of the festival's more famous acts. Shankar quickly became a darling of the hippie movement, but for his part, he found the counterculture's embrace of Indian culture to be superficial. And while the droning sound of a sitar still evokes images of fringed leather vests and lava lamps for many Americans, Ravi Shankar's performances on the ancient instrument are truly timeless. | <urn:uuid:c91cd83e-ab39-4479-a388-c438417feb8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indian-sitar-legend-ravi-shankar-is-born | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978892 | 602 | 2.6875 | 3 |
- approximately 40% of the Top 100 Technorati CMS/blogs are PHP-based,
- a good cut of the Top 50 websites (or Top 500?) makes a deep use of PHP
many enterprises continue to walk the wrong path in their web strategies (I won’t write the name of the programming language I ‘m talking about :D).
Why? Because they still think about the web like late-80s software!
There are four short lessons: learn them and you’ll start to understand a bit of it…
- cheap is better than expensive;
- distributed is better than centralized;
- tiny is better than huge;
- and free is better than proprietary! | <urn:uuid:c4bf39d1-9493-4281-a85e-214bb73a3e7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://perassi.org/2008/02/01/4-lessons-4-the-enterprises/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954506 | 147 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Recently, a few writers, including internet entrepreneur Peter Thiel and political activist and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, have espoused a fairly radical interpretation of the slowdown. In a forthcoming book, they argue that the collapse of advanced-country growth is not merely a result of the financial crisis; at its root, they argue, these countries’ weakness reflects secular stagnation in technology and innovation. As such, they are unlikely to see any sustained pickup in productivity growth without radical changes in innovation policy.
Economist Robert Gordon takes this idea even further. He argues that the period of rapid technological progress that followed the Industrial Revolution may prove to be a 250-year exception to the rule of stagnation in human history. Indeed, he suggests that today’s technological innovations pale in significance compared to earlier advances like electricity, running water, the internal combustion engine, and other breakthroughs that are now more than a century old.
I recently debated the technological stagnation thesis with Thiel and Kasparov at Oxford University, joined by encryption pioneer Mark Shuttleworth. Kasparov pointedly asked what products such as the iPhone 5 really add to our capabilities, and argued that most of the science underlying modern computing was settled by the seventies. Thiel maintained that efforts to combat the recession through loose monetary policy and hyper-aggressive fiscal stimulus treat the wrong disease, and therefore are potentially very harmful.
These are very interesting ideas, but the evidence still seems overwhelming that the drag on the global economy mainly reflects the aftermath of a deep systemic financial crisis, not a long-term secular innovation crisis.
There are certainly those who believe that the wellsprings of science are running dry, and that, when one looks closely, the latest gadgets and ideas driving global commerce are essentially derivative. But the vast majority of my scientist colleagues at top universities seem awfully excited about their projects in nanotechnology, neuroscience, and energy, among other cutting-edge fields. They think they are changing the world at a pace as rapid as we have ever seen. Frankly, when I think of stagnating innovation as an economist, I worry about how overweening monopolies stifle ideas, and how recent changes extending the validity of patents have exacerbated this problem.
No, the main cause of the recent recession is surely a global credit boom and its subsequent meltdown. The profound resemblance of the current malaise to the aftermath of past deep systemic financial crises around the world is not merely qualitative. The footprints of crisis are evident in indicators ranging from unemployment to housing prices to debt accumulation. It is no accident that the current era looks so much like what followed dozens of deep financial crises in the past.
Granted, the credit boom itself may be rooted in excessive optimism surrounding the economic-growth potential implied by globalization and new technologies. As Carmen Reinhart and I emphasize in our book This Time is Different, such fugues of optimism often accompany credit run-ups, and this is hardly the first time that globalization and technological innovation have played a central role.
Attributing the ongoing slowdown to the financial crisis does not imply the absence of long-term secular effects, some of which are rooted in the crisis itself. Credit contractions almost invariably hit small businesses and start-ups the hardest. Since many of the best ideas and innovations come from small companies rather than large, established firms, the ongoing credit contraction will inevitably have long-term growth costs. At the same time, unemployed and underemployed workers’ skill sets are deteriorating. Many recent college graduates are losing as well, because they are less easily able to find jobs that best enhance their skills and thereby add to their long-term productivity and earnings.
With cash-strapped governments deferring urgently needed public infrastructure projects, medium-term growth also will suffer. And, regardless of technological trends, other secular trends, such as aging populations in most advanced countries, are taking a toll on growth prospects as well. Even absent the crisis, countries would have had to make politically painful adjustments to pension and health-care programs.
Taken together, these factors make it easy to imagine trend GDP growth being one percentage point below normal for another decade, possibly even longer. If the Kasparov-Thiel-Gordon hypothesis is right, the outlook is even darker – and the need for reform is far more urgent. After all, most plans for emerging from the financial crisis assume that technological progress will provide a strong foundation of productivity growth that will eventually underpin sustained recovery. The options are far more painful if the pie has ceased growing quickly.
So, is the main cause of the recent slowdown an innovation crisis or a financial crisis? Perhaps some of both, but surely the economic trauma of the last few years reflects, first and foremost, a financial meltdown, even if the way forward must simultaneously treat other obstacles to long-term growth.
Read more at Project Syndicate. | <urn:uuid:3227ae40-3cfe-467d-afd5-b28d5885837d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessinsider.com/innovation-crisis-or-financial-crisis-2012-12 | 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 | 0.949498 | 988 | 2.25 | 2 |
Although the news is unofficial, the major media outlets in the country and the world are reporting: the three-banded armadillo is chosen by FIFA to be the mascot of the 2014 World Cup. Earlier this year the Association Caatinga creator of the campaign “Tatu-Ball World Cup 2014 Mascot” made it through the launch of social networking and the Internet. The impact was so great that the campaign spread by radio and television.
The proposal came as an idea to combine environmental concerns and commitment to the biggest sporting event on the planet, through the three-banded armadillo has, in her own name, the football player, and is 100% Brazilian and one of the few species with the ability take the form of a ball when it feels threatened.
This is a very threatened species and to save it from extinction we need efforts and investments in protecting the forests of Caatinga and Cerrado. Excited about the announcement, the Association Caatinga remain committed for the 2014 World Cup leave an important legacy environment, in addition to the legacy infrastructure and urban mobility. After the World Cup we want the three-banded armadillo and many other endangered species continue to exist.
This text was translated by Google translator | <urn:uuid:c7d0fb7e-44c0-4d31-b056-ec28d38bc232> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acaatinga.org.br/english/index.php/2012/the-caatinga-in-the-world-cup-tatu-ball-is-his-best-cup-mascot/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944375 | 256 | 2.046875 | 2 |
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 25, 2012) - The BC Securities Commission has developed a new financial literacy outreach program, saveSMART InvestRight, which teaches practical money management for the 18 to 80 set. The BCSC is launching saveSMART to mark November as Financial Literacy Month.
"saveSMART is a new 90 minute workshop developed by the BCSC for adult audiences around the province to complement the work we have been doing in BC high schools and with our InvestRight seminars for pre-retirees and seniors," said Patricia Bowles, Director Communications & Education.
Almost ten years ago, the BCSC introduced The City, its financial life skills resource for BC teachers, along with its supporting teacher training program. The City was developed for BC educators who teach Grade 10 students the Planning 10: Finances course which is mandatory in BC high schools.
The resource is used in all 60 of BC's school districts and has been delivered to more than 2,000 teachers since it was introduced in 2004. The BCSC's teacher training workshops will continue to be held throughout the education system with all of BC universities' Faculties of Education, with school boards and with individual high schools.
In 2007, the BCSC partnered with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to provide its teacher resource to all Canadians in English and French in the form of an interactive web-based learning tool. The City is now widely used in all provinces and territories.
"Teaching financial life skills and raising awareness about their importance is a priority for the BCSC," concluded Bowles.
The BCSC is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating trading in securities within the province. Learn more about the BCSC's Be Fraud Aware campaign at www.befraudaware.ca.
For media inquiries, contact Richard Gilhooley, media relations, 604 899-6713. For public inquiries call 604 899 6854 or 1 800 373 6393.
Learn how to protect yourself and become a more informed investor at www.InvestRight.org. | <urn:uuid:3e701ab7-f497-4c8e-9287-89080afa13bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/bc-securities-commission-launches-new-savesmart-investright-program-1718025.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959076 | 433 | 1.898438 | 2 |
From the Wires
Global Market for Food Additives to Reach $37.7 Billion by 2018
By: PR Newswire
Dec. 5, 2012 07:03 PM
FARMINGTON, Conn., Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Food additives represent a global, multi-billion dollar market, dominated by additive categories, including flavor and flavor enhancers, hydrocolloids, acidulants, and emulsifiers. There are several factors that are directly or indirectly driving the global food additives market. These include concerns related to food safety; health and nutrition, especially the need to control the spread of diabetes, obesity and food allergies; the emergence of value-added products; the need for convenience; the continued increase in raw materials and energy costs; commercialization of new products; and the need to make significant investments in research and development and in securing regulatory approvals. Other factors driving the food additives market include the adoption of sophisticated food processing methods by developing countries, restructuring of food processing companies, and a demand for more complicated food ingredients by processors, which are fuelling the demand for food additives.
Global Information Inc (GII) presents two market research reports covering the global food additives and artificial sweetener markets. Also from our premium research partner Global Industry Analysts, Inc., are two related reports of significance highlighting the global food safety testing and animal feed additives markets.
The global food additives market is projected to reach $37.7 billion by 2018. While consumers dictate trends in foods and beverages, the food additives market is expected to face all-too-familiar challenges in future. These may include delivering foods to new markets quickly and cheaply, developing quality products at affordable rates, adopting new packaging techniques, and increasing consumer awareness regarding the safety of new preservation methods.
Consumer preference is clearly favoring natural additives over synthetic additives. The categories benefiting the most and also affected the most due to the "naturals" trend include colors and flavors, where natural additives are gaining over synthetic additives. For instance, despite the higher cost and limitations, natural colorants are witnessing robust growth in the food colorants market. The trend is more or less similar in the flavors and flavor enhancers market, where demand for natural flavors is driven by consumer perception that naturals have health benefits. Natural flavors and flavor enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate and ribonucleotides, are likely to benefit from this trend. However, this trend has given rise to a situation where food additive makers are being pressurized to develop additives from natural sources, which is proving to be a daunting task for manufacturers operating in this space. Another prominent trend stimulating market expansion is the growing consumer fondness for the highly processed food products, making food makers demand more customized solutions from food additive suppliers. Additionally, there is a continuing trend towards low-calorie, low-fat foods favoring additives that help reduce overall fat content in foods. This trend is benefiting additives, such as sweeteners, emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, and vitamins and minerals.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/go124532-food-additives.html
The global market for artificial sweeteners is projected to reach $1.7 billion by the year 2018. Major players in the marketplace include Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Cumberland Packing Corporation, Hermes Sweeteners, Merisant, Spherix, and Tate & Lyle, among others.
Rising concern over the safety of artificial sweeteners is paving way for increased acceptance of various natural sweeteners such as plant-extracted stevia, cane sugar and agave nectar in the market. Stevia-based sweeteners are emerging as major alternative to the existing low-calorie artificial sweeteners, owing to its ability to offer enhanced health benefits in comparison to other sweeteners. However, robust growth of this sugar substitute is currently hampered due to several issues, with the major ones being improper access to extraction and refining technology, lack of coordinated standards and unpleasant after-taste profile of the sweetener, among others.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/go138679-artificial-sweeteners.html
Food Safety Testing
Driven by the continuous rise in the product recalls due to contamination by bacteria and other micro organisms, rising awareness about the harmful effects of consuming contaminated food, and implementation of stringent regulatory specifications, the global market for food safety testing is projected to reach $19.7 billion by 2018.
Major players profiled in the report include 3M Company, BioControl Systems Inc., bioMérieux SA, Biolog Inc., Celsis International Ltd., Charm Sciences Inc., DuPont Qualicon Inc., FOSS A/S, Eurofins GeneScan Europe AG, Genetic ID NA Inc., Neogen Corp., R-Biopharm AG, SDIX, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/go136183-food-safety.html
Animal Feed Additives
The global market for animal feed additives is forecast to reach $23.5 billion by the year 2018. Key players profiled in the report include Adisseo France SAS, Ajinomoto Co Inc., Alltech Inc., BASF SE, Danisco A/S, DSM Nutritional Products, Lallemand Inc., Lesaffre Feed Additive, Lonza Group Ltd., and Novozymes A/S, among others.
Feed additives help optimize the yield potential of animal production by aiding in superior digestibility of feedstuffs and meeting the nutritional needs of companion and farm animals. Feed-grade additives also improve the living environment of animals by preventing or reducing the pollution caused due to animal manure. Animal feed additives are rapidly rising in popularity based on its vast medicated as well as non-medicated applications for poultry, pig, aquaculture, companion animals, and ruminant feed. Increasing health-consciousness of consumers, continued breakthroughs, especially in research and clinical applications areas, and expanding commercial applications will help ensure sustained growth in the market. Advancements in feed manufacturing technology, and new feeding concepts unraveled possibilities to manufacture a range of novel products for companion and livestock.
An Executive Summary for this report and free sample pages from the full document are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/go124539-animal-feed-additives.html
About Global Information Inc. Global Information (GII) (http://www.giiresearch.com) is an information service company partnering with over 300 research companies around the world. Global Information has been in the business of distributing technical and market research for more than 25 years. Expanded from its original headquarters in Japan, Global Information now has offices in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Europe and the United States.
SOURCE Global Information, Inc.
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Call 800-475-4553 NOW
|Effective drug or alcohol rehab starts with really understanding exactly what rehabilitation is. Rehabilitate in its broad sense means to restore to a previous condition. Any rehab to be effective needs to address the three factors which lead up to and cause addiction to continue. These are mental and physical cravings, quilt, and depression. Drug and alcohol abuse stems from mental or physical pain an individual does not wish to confront or deal with. The drugs or alcohol only appear to alleviate these conditions and after a time contribute to them as well as creating new sources in and endless cycle and trap known as addiction. Confronting and effectively handling the conditions brought about by cravings, quilt, and depression allows the addicted individual to truly ‘rehab’ him or herself and so be restored to a previous condition or at least as close as possible. Our drug rehab is much more than a detox center where the individual simply quits using for a period. Our drug rehab drug rehab methodologies fully handle the above factors allowing one to truly rehabilitate a previous condition and so remove the need for further drug or alcohol use as a false solution to living the life they want.|
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Chemical dependence is a struggle that many people through out the world face in this day and age face. It is destroying the lives of many families and taking the lives of their loved ones at a rapid pace. Chemical dependence can be resolved for the addict and their family with the right 12 step recovery. 12 step recovery is available in most every state in the U.S and can be the saving grace that a family needs to help solve the addiction that's ruining happiness in the lives of so many. If you or some one you know is suffering please don't wait to contact a counselor who can help you find the help that is needed before it's to late. | <urn:uuid:f51edeb5-66ae-49be-bc77-c4418d13c19c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inpatientdrugrehab.org/rehab | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952404 | 533 | 1.617188 | 2 |
The biggest property transaction in the history of the Irish State has been officially filed with the Land Registry.
Clare County Council has delivered transfer maps for all property in Shannon, less than two-and-half years after responsibility for Ireland's newest town was transferred from Shannon Development to the Local Authority. The move represents one of the largest transactions handled by the Land Registry in its 115-year history.
The September 2004 transfer of responsibility for Shannon Town represented a unique transfer and culmination of many years of discussion and negotiation on bringing the Town under Local Authority control. Since then, Clare County Council has assumed full responsibility for all public services within the town including - roads, water services, public lighting, open space and housing, originally part of Shannon Development housing stock.
Ger O'Brien, Chief Technician with Clare County Council said that the map transfer represented the largest single project he had ever worked on during his 29 years of service as a public servant. "Today's historic handover of maps to the Land Registry will cater for Shannon Town's development needs well into the future" - stated Mr. O'Brien.
He added - "Now that all lands within the town boundary have been officially documented and filed, in consultation with True North Mapping, I am confident that new development opportunities will be facilitated - therefore providing a further injection of economic activity into Shannon." | <urn:uuid:62271722-38b9-49a0-9679-4ac2b384adee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://buckplanning.blogspot.com/2007/03/largest-property-transaction-in-history.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964464 | 273 | 1.742188 | 2 |
By Ray Fisman
— The Internet has fundamentally changed the way that buyers and sellers meet and interact in the marketplace. Online retailers make it cheap and easy to browse, comparison shop and make purchases with the click of a mouse. The Web can also, in theory, make for better-informed purchases — both online and off — thanks to sites that offer crowdsourced reviews of everything from dog walkers to dentists.
In a Web-enabled world, it should be harder for careless or unscrupulous businesses to exploit consumers. Yet recent studies suggest that online reviewing is hardly a perfect consumer defense system. Researchers at Yale, Dartmouth and University of Southern California have found evidence that hotel owners post fake reviews to boost their ratings on the site — and might even be posting negative reviews of nearby competitors.
The preponderance of online reviews speaks to their basic weakness: Because it's essentially free to post a review, it's all too easy to dash off thoughtless praise or criticism, or, worse, to construct deliberately misleading reviews without facing any consequences.
It's what economists (and others) refer to as the cheap-talk problem. The obvious solution is to make it more costly to post a review, but that eliminates one of the main virtues of crowdsourcing: There is much more wisdom in a crowd of millions than in select opinions of a few dozen.
Of course, that wisdom depends on reviewers giving honest feedback. A few well-publicized incidents suggest that's not always the case. For example, when Amazon's Canadian site accidentally revealed the identities of anonymous book reviewers in 2004, it became apparent that many reviews came from publishers and from the authors themselves.
Technological idealists, perhaps not surprisingly, see a solution to this problem in cutting-edge computer science. One widely reported study last year showed that a text-analysis algorithm proved remarkably adept at detecting made-up reviews. The researchers instructed freelance writers to put themselves in the role of a hotel marketer who has been tasked by his boss with writing a fake customer review that is flattering to the hotel. They also compiled a set of comparison TripAdvisor reviews that the study's authors felt were likely to be genuine.
Human judges could not distinguish between the real ones and the fakes. But the algorithm correctly identified the reviews as real or phony with 90 percent accuracy by picking up on subtle differences, like whether the review described specific aspects of the hotel room layout (the real ones do) or mentioned matters that were unrelated to the hotel itself, like whether the reviewer was there on vacation or business (a marker of fakes). Great, but in the cat-and-mouse game of fraud vs. fraud detection, phony reviewers can now design feedback that won't set off any alarm bells.
Just how prevalent are fake reviews? A trio of business school professors, Yale's Judith Chevalier, Yaniv Dover of Dartmouth and USC's Dina Mayzlin, have taken a clever approach to inferring an answer by comparing the reviews on two travel sites, TripAdvisor and Expedia. In order to post an Expedia review, a traveler needs to have made her hotel booking through the site. Hence, a hotel looking to inflate its rating or malign a competitor would have to incur the cost of paying itself through the site, accumulating transaction fees and tax liabilities in the process. On TripAdvisor, all you need to post fake reviews are a few phony login names and email addresses.
Differences in the overall ratings on TripAdvisor versus Expedia could simply be the result of a more sympathetic community of reviewers. (In practice, TripAdvisor's ratings are actually lower on average.) So Mayzlin and her co-authors focus on the places where the gaps between TripAdvisor and Expedia reviews are widest. In their analysis, they looked at hotels that probably appear identical to the average traveler but have different underlying ownership or management.
There are, for example, companies that own scores of franchises from hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton. Other hotels operate under these same nameplates but are independently owned. Similarly, many hotels are run on behalf of their owners by large management companies, while others are owner-managed. The average traveler is unlikely to know the difference between a Fairfield Inn owned by, say, the Pillar Hotel Group and one owned and operated by Ray Fisman.
The study's authors argue that the small owners and independents have less to lose by trying to goose their online ratings (or torpedo the ratings of their neighbors), reasoning that larger companies would be more vulnerable to punishment, censure and loss of business if their shenanigans were uncovered.
The researchers find that, even comparing hotels under the same brand, small owners are around 10 percent more likely to get five-star reviews on TripAdvisor than they are on Expedia (relative to hotels owned by large corporations). The study also examines whether these small owners might be targeting the competition with bad reviews. The authors look at negative reviews for hotels that have competitors within half a kilometer. Hotels where the nearby competition comes from small owners have 16 percent more one- and two-star ratings than those with neighboring hotels that are owned by big companies like Pillar.
This isn't to say that consumers are making a mistake by using TripAdvisor to guide them in their hotel reservations. Despite the fraudulent posts, there is still a high degree of concordance between the ratings assigned by TripAdvisor and Expedia. And across the Web, there are scores of posters who seem passionate about their reviews.
Consumers, in turn, do seem to take online reviews seriously. By comparing restaurants that fall just above and just below the threshold for an extra half-star on Yelp, Harvard Business School's Michael Luca estimates that an extra star is worth an extra 5 to 9 percent in revenue. Luca's intent isn't to examine whether restaurants are gaming Yelp's system, but his findings certainly indicate that they'd profit from trying.
The accumulating evidence on the gaming of review sites is a reminder of the limits of an open-source approach to rating quality. It works just fine in circumstances where there's only a modest payoff to inflating a product's rating, or where boosting the rating would require a massive effort by the cheaters. The quality of online reviews is also surely increased when they are tied into social-networking platforms, which construct recommendations based on social connections and which often lift the veil of anonymity that makes cheating easier. It's less likely to work in situations with little accountability and scores to be settled, or in circumstances where customers have a limited knowledge of the product they're buying. You probably wouldn't want to pick a brain surgeon by browsing online reviews.
So the techno-utopians were at least half right: The Internet has helped a lot of people make better decisions about which movies to watch, where to eat and where to sleep. But on the other side of any sophisticated system designed to produce fair and honest appraisals will be equally resourceful schemers looking to game the system.
In fact, given the subversive efforts of those working to undermine honest rating systems, it's a testament to the fundamental good nature and public spiritedness of human beings that crowdsourced evaluation doesn't unravel completely. The only way group feedback can survive is if there is a massive counterweight of reviewers taking the time to provide honest feedback despite the complete absence of economic incentives for doing so.
Fisman is a professor of social enterprise and director of the Social Enterprise Program at the Columbia Business School. | <urn:uuid:e2bfb253-7b11-4c98-8a17-e3f75c610f5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://paulsvalleydailydemocrat.com/business/x1144042148/Should-you-trust-online-travel-reviews/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966117 | 1,530 | 2.171875 | 2 |
I'm passionate about food, but I know it's just food. Once past the palate, it's all more or less the same. It's just fuel to keep us going until the next meal.
Nevertheless, food is political. Since Jesus broke bread with his apostles, food has always been more than mere sustenance. Food shows status and the lack of it. It's a statement about political leanings and personal choices. Food can bring people together and drive them to war.
Vegetarians swear off meat because they believe we no longer need to consume animals. Animal rights protesters picket restaurants to protest the use of certain ingredients. In the past few years, some of these groups have gone so far as to vandalize restaurants, intimidate staff and harass customers because they disagree deeply with the products on the menu.
Atop many activists' lists are surely veal and foie gras.
Few products seem to stoke people's anger more than the enlarged liver of water fowl and the meat of baby cows. And I think this anger is too often based on ignorance and agendas.
(Let me get this out of the way: I like veal and foie gras. I like them a lot. It was my interest in these products, as well as the controversy surrounding them, that led me to learn more about them and how they are produced.)
Most people, I believe, know little about veal and foie gras production. Most people are probably unaware that veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. Therefore, the more cheese we eat, the more veal dairy farms will produce. And I do not believe most people know much about the process the French call gavage. It is central to foie gras production, so whether you plan to eat foie gras or protest it, you should be familiar with the forced feeding technique.
During my next two posts, I will explore these two products and provide recipes. In the end, you may be no more inclined to eat veal or foie gras than before. That's fine. At least you will know more about these products and why you may or may not want them on your plate.
When produced properly, veal and foie gras are fantastic products. When produced under poor conditions, they are every bit the epitome of suffering and animal cruelty that organizations like the Humane Society, Society for the Protection of Animals and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claim they are.
Of course, every meat product we eat has or has had problems. Unfortunately, there is not a segment of the American agricultural industry that been free of abuses and abusers. Upton Sinclair might have exposed some of these issues a century ago, but as Robert Kenner showed in his film Food Inc., there are still plenty of problems today.Is the solution to stop eating meat? Some would say so. But given the numerous problems with the industrial production and importation of fruits and vegetables, maybe we should give up those foods as well.
That doesn't leave us with much, though.
Fortunately, we seem to be more aware of these issues today and interested in alternatives. That has given rise to farmers markets, Whole Foods, Yes Organic Markets, as well as organic and free-range options at traditional grocery stores like Harris Teeter and even Wal-Mart.
Despite becoming more educated about the food we eat, veal and foie gras remain taboo. They shouldn't be. The production of veal and foie gras can be every bit as humane as pasture-raised beef and free-range chicken.
Veal touches a nerve for two reasons: the way in which the calves are raised, and the age at which they're sent to slaughter.
Traditionally, veal calves are male dairy cows, which don't develop as much muscle (meat) as beef cattle. And because male dairy cows don't produce milk, only a small number are raised to adulthood for breeding purposes. The rest are used for veal (if they weren't used for veal, they would probably end up as dog food).
The common way dairy farms raise veal calves in a hutch, or box, which restricts their movement, thereby keeping the meat as soft as possible. When a calf reaches about 250 to 300 pounds, it's sent to slaughter. Understandably, this method bothers a lot of people (by the way, this is very similar to the way most industrial chicken farms raise their birds).
Forrest Pritchard doesn't raise his calves in a box. He also doesn't raise dairy cows. On his Smith Meadows Farm near Berryville, Va., Forrest raises beef cattle on pasture land. A few of the calves are regularly pulled from the herd at four to five months for veal.
Forrest said he does this to give his customers the option of purchasing veal. It also doesn't cost him any extra money. The traditional method of raising calves for veal requires building hutches, having a building to house the hutches, hand feeding the calves powdered milk and grain, and cleaning up after them.
Forrest simply allows the calves to remain with the herd until they naturally wean from their mothers. Although this is a cheaper, more humane way of raising the veal calves, Forrest notes that most dairy farms don't have pastures. Therefore, dairy farms might see the hutch method as their best alternative.
As for slaughtering a cow at four months, keep in mind that many livestock animals are slaughtered at that point or earlier. Pigs, lamb and turkeys are slaughtered at about four to six months. Chickens go to slaughter at around 8 weeks.
Despite raising veal calves in a humane way, Forrest says he still faces complaints and criticism for selling veal. Some of these folks change their mind after learning more about Smith Meadows Farm and Forrest's sustainable approach to agriculture. Some don't.
Admittedly, I've never been very comfortable with the hutch method, though I've eaten a fair amount of veal. However, with the rise of free-range veal, I see few reasons to go back to the traditional product. But there are differences.
Free-range veal tastes different, looks different and is not nearly as tender as box-raised veal. Just as grass-fed beef has a richer, purple color than regular beef, Forrest's pasture raised, grass-fed veal has more color to it than pale pink grain-fed veal. His free-range veal is also lean, and has more omega 3 fatty acids and healthy cholesterol than hutch-raised veal. As for the flavor, it tastes a bit more like beef than traditional veal.
Because Forrest's approach to farming emphasizes allowing the animals to develop naturally, he has "zero interest" in foie gras. Smith Meadows Farm recently began raising ducks, and Forrest will sell duck livers, but foie gras is out of the question because it requires the liver to be artificially enlarged.
I'll get into that in my next post.
For this meal, I picked up a couple veal porterhouses from Forrest (actually, I picked them up from his wife Nancy at the Del Ray Farmer's Market) and a bottle of Ozzy from Baltimore's stellar brewpub, The Brewer's Art. The sustainable agricultural and local craft beer movements really go hand-in-hand. Both emphasize small-scale, high-quality production to create artisanal products for a local market. The Brewer's Art's Ozzy is a faintly sweet, Belgian style ale that comes in at about 7.25 percent ABV. A 22 ounce bomber of Ozzy can be found at a few D.C. area stores that have decent craft beer selections. But if you've never had it from the tap, it's well worth the drive to Baltimore.
Grilled veal porterhouses with tomato and basil salad
(Makes two servings)
2 pasture-raised, grass-fed veal porterhouses
1 pint of green zebra tomatoes, quartered
1/2 pint sun gold, or similar orange or yellow tomatoes, halved
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch of fresh basil, left whole
1 lemon, halved
6 oz. of goat's milk feta
2 oz. of canola oil
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
To get started, pull the porterhouses out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead of time, lightly coat both sides with canola oil and season generously with salt and black pepper. Keep them on the counter while you start your grill.
While you're waiting for the veal and grill to warm up, prep the salad by combining the tomatoes and feta. I went with goat's milk feta because it is a little less salty than sheep's milk feta and worked a lot better in this salad.
When the grill is hot, make sure you are set up for off-heat grilling by having a hot spot (directly over the coals or a couple burners on high) and a cool spot (an area without coals or a couple gas burners off or very low). Place the veal chops on the hottest part of the grill and close the lid, allowing the meat to sear for two minutes. Open the lid and give the chops a quarter turn to create hash marks. Close the lid and allow the meat to sear another two to three minutes. When a brown crust has formed on the meat, flip it and sear for another three minutes with the lid closed. After three minutes, move the veal to the cooler part of the grill to finish cooking with the lid closed (five minutes more for rare to medium rare, and seven minutes for medium).
This is a bit longer than I would normally cook veal chops, but because the meat is denser they require a longer cook time. Once the veal steaks are cooked to your liking, remove them from the grill and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes. While the veal is resting, place half of the lemon face-down on the grill. The heat will caramelize the lemon, reducing its citrus bite and increasing its sweetness.
Also, finish the salad by gently adding in the basil leaves, seasoning with salt and black pepper, and dressing with the olive oil, balsamic and the juice from the other lemon half. By the time you're done with the salad, the lemon will be grilled and the veal will be ready.
Drizzle the hot lemon juice over the veal porterhouses and enjoy. | <urn:uuid:2aecc67b-6671-4c4b-8384-2f41865f4db3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dcfoodies.com/veal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963402 | 2,187 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Georgia Lottery officials approved for the first time Thursday an online ticket system, with sales to the public set to begin as soon as November.
The move is expected to increase the Georgia Lottery's revenue by millions of dollars a year — thus helping the state's lottery-funded HOPE Scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs — and positions Georgia among the first states nationwide to officially expand lottery sales to the Internet.
While the lottery's governing board voted unanimously for online sales, the issue is not without controversy.
The Georgia Family Council, which lists faith in God and limited government among its core values on its website, expressed disappointment that sales will be expanded.
A statement from the group characterized the lottery as "inherently exploitative," saying that research shows a disproportionate share of lottery players are minorities with low incomes, while those who benefit most from it are white and from the upper-middle class.
"The fact that our state government runs the lottery and encourages gambling among those who can least afford it is contrary to the very purpose of government, which is to protect people, not to take advantage of them," it said.
But Gov. Nathan Deal — whose opposition has so far doomed a bigger expansion of gambling in Georgia — said Thursday that he was fine with online lottery ticket sales.
"I think that is a useful area to explore," Deal told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It does open the participation up to a generation of younger citizens of our state who might not take the time to go to a store to physically purchase a ticket."
Some critics of the move said the board's approval contradicts its stance against expanding legal gambling in Georgia to include casinolike video lottery terminals.
So-called VLTs are still not allowed in Georgia, much to the chagrin of developers of a proposed gaming resort in Gwinnett County.
"I'm glad they are at least in some areas trying to keep up with what other states are doing, but the revenue this [online sales] project is going to bring in is minute to what our project is going to bring in," said developer Dan O'Leary who, with a Delaware casino company, has proposed a $1 billion entertainment complex for a 122-acre industrial site near Norcross.
Backers of the unapproved Gwinnett complex say it and its thousands of VLTs could create 2,500 permanent jobs and 1,000 construction jobs. They say it would generate $350 million a year for the popular HOPE Scholarship and pre-k programs, which are both funded through lottery revenue.
That figure for O'Leary is important because while the Georgia Lottery is one of the most successful in the nation, it cannot keep up with the demand of rising enrollment and tuition costs. That gap exists even as officials for the lottery this week announced it had raised a record $901 million in the 2012 fiscal year for the HOPE and pre-k programs.
Officials said Thursday that the addition of online sales — which will be limited at first to Powerball, Mega Millions and Fantasy 5 — would amount to about 2 percent of annual existing sales of those games, although they could not provide an exact estimate. They also felt comfortable with technological controls they can place on players who buy tickets online.
Those controls include mandatory registration, banking requirements that would match an applicant's name, address and Social Security number, and limits on how much account activity or playing time will be allowed. IP addresses will be monitored to assure players buy the tickets only in Georgia. No out-of-state sales are allowed. Players must be at least 18 years old.
"This is not a silver bullet, but the long-term potential to this is very large," Georgia Lottery Board Chairman Jimmy Braswell said. "It really is just a change in our existing business model to reach a new set of players" who are Internet-savvy, he said.
Online lottery sales became possible last year, after the U.S. Justice Department reversed itself and said the national Wire Act of 1961 applies only to sports betting. The act otherwise prohibits placing bets over telecommunications systems across state or national boundaries.
With the restriction gone, Illinois at the end of March became the first state to sell lottery tickets online. States such as Delaware have approved the process but have yet to start it. Eight to 12 other states are actively working on it, according to state and national gaming officials.
The effect of online sales on convenience and retail stores already selling lottery tickets is unknown, although lottery officials offered a bit of a carrot to those merchants Thursday with approval of a new debit card for both lottery and retail transactions.
Branded as the lottery's "iHOPE" card, it will allow players to preload funds, buy tickets and have their winnings automatically downloaded into the card's account — instead of going to a store for cash on hand. It can be used any place that accepts debit cards for regular retail transactions. Stores that sell lottery tickets will not face debit card transaction fees for lottery sales through the iHOPE card.
(Click to display full-size in gallery) | <urn:uuid:b37b7a06-52ab-4c8e-9e2a-5112d6965bbc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lotterypost.com/news/248808/2623699 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966168 | 1,047 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The Last Word In Business
Originally published on Wed January 2, 2013 11:16 am
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And our last word in business might make you hungry. It's crispity, crunchity Butterfinger, as in the peanut butter and chocolate candy bar, which designated the year 2013 as its 90-ish birthday.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
That's 90-ish because, while there is a trademark document that dates back to 1928, the company believes the candy bar was first promoted in 1923. So, you know, 85, 90, 90-ish is what the people at Nestle settled on as Butterfinger's official age.
GREENE: Now, the name comes from old sports slang from the '20s to describe ballplayers who couldn't quite hold onto baseballs or footballs, you know, they're butterfingers.
The Curtiss Candy Company, which was based in Chicago, made Butterfinger and also the Baby Ruth candy bar.
INSKEEP: They're both made now by Nestle.
(SOUNDBITE OF BUTTERFINGER COMMERCIAL)
NANCY CARTWRIGHT: (as Bart Simpson) Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger.
GREENE: And that is Bart Simpson, Butterfinger's most famous spokesman. But that sweetness didn't last forever. After Butterfinger ended its contract with "The Simpsons," the candy became fair game for the show's writers. In one episode, Springfield is named the world's fattest town. In response, Marge Simpson takes on the Motherloving Sugar Company and gets sugar banned forever. All of Springfield's sugary treats end up in a bonfire.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HANK AZARIA: (as Chief Clancy Wiggum) All right, time to throw in the Butterfingers.
HARRY SHEARER: (as Eddie Burns) Hmm, it's not even singed.
AZARIA: (as Chief Wiggum) Even the fire doesn't want them.
INSKEEP: But somebody must, because the candy is still for sale, having survived its ribbing from "The Simpsons."
That's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
GREENE: And I'm David Greene. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio. | <urn:uuid:83976437-67ad-47ac-852c-fabf06c7f28a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvasfm.org/post/last-word-business-95 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957153 | 510 | 1.523438 | 2 |
EXPLAINING THE WHOLE FOODS DIET
by Maria Stevens, April 2010
I don’t like the term “whole foods diet.” It sounds like every other new-age fad diet that eventually flunks its adherents because of its impossible, unbalanced demands. However, “diet” is an appropriate term nonetheless, since a diet is merely a way of eating, as an ethic is a way of behaving.
There are two major reasons why the whole foods diet works–and works well. First, whole foods confer the most dense and balanced nutrition. Second, whole foods do not inhibit the body’s ability to interpret its needs.
“Whole foods confer the most dense and balanced nutrition:”
Every plant, animal, and fungus fit for human consumption came in an original form; they came, furthermore, from the wild before animal domestication and agriculture overtook hunting and gathering. Each food, depending on its environment, came intact with a certain nutritional profile. Food today, produced almost exclusively from the intensive industrial food system, lacks the same nutritional density, but it is a fact that must be accepted.
The moment a food is picked or killed, it begins to lose its nutrition. By “nutrition,” I mean a food’s micro-nutrient profile–vitamins and minerals, which are essential for optimal physical and mental functioning. Picking a vegetable from your organic garden, however, is scarcely something to worry about; nor is chopping that vegetable in your kitchen for that evening’s dinner. In fact, this sort of food processing is ideal.
“Processing” in its strictest sense means any alteration or handling of food: chopping, grinding, blending, heating, freezing, canning, preserving, or chemical alteration which changes a food from its original form. The unfortunate fact is that almost none of this processing is done any more in the home, by the individuals preparing to eat that food; processing is done on a large industrial scale. Worse yet, processed food is often combined with other food derivatives that in no way resemble anything found in nature.
So why is processing so bad? It’s not. That is, it’s not inherently bad. Most foods must be minimally processed in order to be fit for consumption. But for the purpose of explaining the merits of the whole food diet, I will reserve the term “processing” for foods processed by entities other than the individual preparing to eat them: namely, food manufacturers.
As a general rule, most things found in the center aisles of the supermarket are processed: cereal, frozen waffles, breakfast bars, canned soup, canned vegetables, potato chips, candy, soda, canned beans, breads, cakes, etc. These foods have been so heavily processed that, unless they have been fortified with vitamins and minerals after the fact, they are abysmally low in nutrition compared to their whole food counterparts.
Why is nutritional density so important? Because the body needs much, much more than mere calories. It demands and uses each micro-nutrient in ways only partially understood by even the most cutting-edge nutritional science. The body undergoes innumerable chemical processes each second at such a profoundly complex level, no computer on the face of the earth could map or decipher them. Whatever the sequence may be, however, the body is finely in tune with it, and it “knows” which building blocks are needed for those processes. When the body is deficient in specific building blocks, in many cases it is smart enough to make less-than-optimal compromises with its materials; but it cannot do this sustainably.
When the body is deficient in micro-nutrients, it searches externally for them, via cravings. Food, it knows, is the source of this nutrition, and amazingly, the body is quite in tune with the delivery packages of different food sources. Modern processed food, however, is much lower in nutrition than food in its whole form; this leads the body to continue to eat, even though sufficient calories (macro-nutrients) have been consumed. This leads to my second point…
“Whole foods do not inhibit the body’s ability to interpret its needs:”
For those less interested in nutrition, and who simply want to know why the whole foods diet is optimal for weight loss or physical performance, this point should be taken very seriously. The human body is hard-wired for three things: salt, fat, and sugar! The roots of this hard-wiring are very clear through the lens of evolutionary biology, and need not be explained here. Food manufactures (restaurants included) know this, and use these components very heavily in their products to keep the consumer craving more. Most processed foods resemble foods found in nature neither in appearance, nor in their nutritional profiles, and at first, the human body is not adequately familiar with them. Over time, the intelligent body becomes more familiar with them, and is able to handle the unnatural nutrient inputs. But, just because a food can be eaten doesn’t mean it should be eaten.
If one exists exclusively on processed foods, it is highly unlikely that he is in a state of optimal health. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatty liver syndrome, and countless other so-called “diseases of affluence” are directly affected by the diet. Such diseases are the products of a lifestyle of poor eating habits. Worse yet, after years of being accustomed to a processed food diet, the body will exhibit symptoms of addiction and withdrawal if the consumption of such food is truncated. Like any drug, foods laden with fat, salt, and particularly sugar have a profound impact on brain and body chemistry. This, in part, is why attempting to “quit” these foods is so difficult.
The effects of processed food are so strong–they are so altered, so fattening, so sugary, and often so delicious–that the body’s signals of satiety are overridden. Certainly, at one time or another, everyone has overeaten a delicious food despite pain in their stomach, or even hints of nausea.
Food manufacturers have one thing in mind: make a profit. In order to make a profit, they must think of ways to get people to consume more food, despite the biological limitations for energy needs. Certainly, human calorie needs have not risen over the past fifty years; if anything, they have done down as a result of the modern, more sedentary lifestyle. Processed foods are engineered to make people want to eat more. They are even packaged to promote excessive consumption (consider the upside-down, king-sized bottle of ketchup–so easy to squeeze compared to the old fashioned glass bottles).
Too many processed foods and snacks contain components that enhance one’s experience of eating the food– hydrogenated vegetable oil to enhance mouth-feel, when other fats would have gone rancid on the shelf; monosodium glutamate (MSGs), to dramatically enhance flavor; high fructose corn syrup (predominantly sourced from genetically modified corn) to significantly enhance sweetness… your brain doesn’t stand a chance against this kind of input. And in a flavor contest, neither does a carrot.
But is all that yummy-ness worth it? Think about the health consequences, the hormonal imbalances (diabetes takes center stage), and the crashes from excessive sugar consumption. Energy levels are difficult to sustain on an even keel. Your brain, which demands sugar (glucose, more specifically) all day long, cannot be expected to perform optimally if it doesn’t have a steady supply of fuel.
In the category of delivering steady energy throughout the say, processed foods fail miserably. One of the most common features of processed food is the removal of certain components of a food: grain-ingredients have been stripped of their bran, fruit of its pulp, milk of its fat, etc. This stripping of components radically changes a foods behavior in the body. Not only can the majority of a food’s nutrition be found in those discarded parts, but the stripped food is digested and absorbed by the body at rates not “intended” by the foods initial integrity. It may sound extreme to call the result “chaotic,” but when one looks closely at hormonal responses to many processed foods, chaos is what one sees.
So what are we to do?
To put it simply, stop buying junk food. Okay, that’s obvious. But what counts as junk food? In my opinion, junk food is anything that contributes very little nutritionally (most processed food), and contributes excessively in macro-nutrients (calories) per gram. I define this subject in more depth in a separate article, “What’s healthy, and what’s junk?”
Learn to prepare whole foods. Learn how to make your own salads, grill your own meat, make your own soup, cook your own grain, bake your own bread. It will put you deeply in touch with not just the food, but your body’s relationship to it. Food is energy, of course. But food is also medicine. High quality food confers the best, cleanest, steadiest supply of fuel, and the best medicine. When you commit yourself to eating the highest quality food–food grown, selected, and prepared with care–everything else in your life starts to fall into place. Trust me. | <urn:uuid:2c00df6f-dca9-4576-b3da-6f9ff44e694f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mariamaestevens.com/tag/micro-nutrients/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951966 | 1,976 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Tokyo (CNN) -- The Japanese prime minister issued a sobering and reflective assessment of his country's recovery as it prepares to mark the one year anniversary of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda discussed the economy, reconstruction and the lessons of the triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
"There will be many lessons learned, as well as remorse, from the nuclear power plant accident," Noda told CNN.
Japan is still in the process of self reflection and debate, he said, to avoid repeating the nuclear accident that unnerved the global community.
"Sharing the lessons and remorse of this nuclear accident with the international community will contribute to the overall safety of nuclear energy as well as international cooperation."
Noda addressed a scathing report last week from the independent fact-finding committee, Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation.
In the report, the group said Japan hid its most alarming assessments of the nuclear disaster from the public as well as its closest ally, the United States.
One previously undisclosed doomsday plan, according to the group, was that the government feared the nuclear disaster could lead to an evacuation of Tokyo.
Noda said each accident investigation, whether led by independent bodies or the government, would be taken "very seriously."
The legacy of the Fukushima disaster on Japan's energy policy is the country's idling of nuclear plants across the energy-starved island nation.
Out of 53 reactors, Japan has two nuclear reactors operating.
Since the nuclear triple meltdown, the reactors have gone offline for routine maintenance and have not been brought back online.
By the end of April, the remaining two reactors will go offline, leaving the country, which has no natural resources for conventional energy, looking at a summer without any nuclear energy.
The strain on the grid this summer is raising alarm bells in corporate Japan, which fears it won't have enough power to run production lines in the country.
"In case there is a short-term supply and demand gap of energy, it could cause downward pressure on the economy. We must avoid that," Noda said.
The prime minister said his government would release a mid-range and long term energy strategy by the middle of this year.
"Our basic stance is to move away from our dependence on nuclear power. This means that we have to try and increase the use of renewable energy, in a thorough effort to save energy," he said.
The prime minister said his government has included a 600 billion yen (US $7.5 billion) allocation in the fiscal year 2012 budget in renewable energy and conservation.
A year after the March 2011, earthquake and tsunami killed thousands and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Noda described reconstruction and aid to the tsunami-ravaged northeast as "steady progress," but said he hoped to boost reconstruction.
The prime minister faces not just the nuclear cleanup and disaster reconstruction, but an economy facing intense pressure.
Japan's currency, the yen, remains at historic highs versus the U.S. dollar.
A high yen makes it more expensive for Japanese corporations to make a profit when the funds are repatriated, dragging down corporate profits, domestic investment and employment.
Japan's debt to GDP ratio is highest among developed nations, topping 200%. The country is also aging at an unprecedented rate. By the year 2050, the government projects 40% of the population will be over the age of 65, straining public funds while relying on a dwindling tax base.
"We have no time to waste," Noda said about economic challenges, adding economic growth and fiscal health "must occur side by side."
The centerpiece of the prime minister's economic policy has been the doubling of the country's sales tax, from the current 5% to 10% by October 2015.
The plan remains unpopular with voters, but the prime minister has repeatedly endorsed fiscal responsibility, in the wake of the shrinking economy.
Noda is one of six prime ministers Japan has had in five years, a revolving door of leadership that's led to a years-long political instability and policy void.
When asked how long he believed he would be the country's leader, Noda laughed, aware of the recent historical probability that he might not last a full year on the job.
But he said the overwhelming amount of work to be done in Japan meant he doesn't have time to worry about his longevity.
"Yesterday marks exactly half a year since my administration started. Rather than thinking about how long I will be prime minister, I am thinking of working every day for the Japanese people." | <urn:uuid:7b1991aa-c69f-4413-b440-854d68b0d439> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnnwirestore.com/2012/03/03/world/asia/japan-pm-anniversary/index.html?iid=article_sidebar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962048 | 943 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Georgia Wildlife Resources Division
2070 U.S. Hwy. 278, SE, Social Circle, GA 30025
Lets take some time to summarize the important steps for managing your deer herd properly:
The rules of thumb and management advice contained in this brochure do not necessarily apply to every property or deer herd in Georgia. The many exceptions that exist point to the need for the collection of data specifically for your hunting land and to the interpretation of those data by a qualified (certified) wildlife biologist. Be careful about accepting advice from a self-proclaimed wildlife biologist who has not had appropriate training and certification to support their recommendations. Like a physician diagnosing the cause of an illness and recommending the prescription necessary for a cure, a biologist's prescription is only as good as the information obtained from the patient. Consistent, accurate deer data insures an accurate diagnosis and sound treatment and guarantees a good prognosis for your deer herd. | <urn:uuid:a52e2788-2e69-4c6d-b54d-48789e15a1c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgiawildlife.com/print/278 | 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 | 0.929173 | 189 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Reports claimed that Americans Airlines have hiked $10 per round trip fare. This has been the seventh fare hike in this year.
The US airlines have made the price change on Wednesday. The airlines have also raised a round trip fare rise of $20 for its services to Canada and Hawaii.
Reports are still unclear whether all the major airlines would be following the US airliner and take the same step over the weekend. The carriers are increasing the fare to keep in pace with the price rise of jet fuel.
The last time the price hike was rapid was during the year 2008 when the fuel cost touched $100 a barrel. This report has been confirmed by Rick Seaney of FareCompare. com, who closely monitors ticket prices.
"Airlines who finally started making a profit late last year have little choice but to pass on fuel costs to consumers in the short term", says Seaney, who expects airlines to try to boost fares weekly through April.
The demand for air travel has been always high as most of the corporate fliers make a plan trip for spring break, summer vacations.
Senior airline analyst at ITG Investment Research, Matthew Jacob claimed that the rising cost of the fuel have provoked the airliner to raise the cost of the tickets more aggressively.
US Business News
New Zealand News
- After Suspected Botulism, CFIA Warns People
- Health Care Education Necessary for the Future of Province: Analysts
- B.C. Government Grants $700,000 for Managing Facial Deformities
- Michelle Shocked delivers hate speech about homosexuality at her gig
- Guess who Justin Bieber got burned by?!! His ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez | <urn:uuid:77a8043e-2a5d-4c02-8a48-3c3f7fabab6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://topnews.us/content/236603-airfares-increased | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947949 | 343 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Do you add Mint to your diet? Arguably this is the most recognized herb out there. There are many ways which are available for you to add mint to your diet. The most desirable way which most people favor is to drink Mint Tea. It is recommended that you drink between one to two cups per day.
Ever wondered why most restaurants hand out mints? The most widely known use of this herb is to help with indigestion, upset stomachs and stomach cramps. Well know you know. It can also be used for many purposes such as a strong stimulant that can improve your appetite.
Although there are hundreds of varieties of mint. Most of them originate from Europe and Asia as well as a few varieties from Australia and the America’s. Mint is used for both medicinal and culinary purposes throughout the globe and it can be used to treat pain and sensitive skin. Our 100% Matcha Tea with Mint is the perfect combination for a great sense of well-being.
Mint also offers the following benefits to name a few :
- Reduces Headache pains
- Relief from congestion
- Prevents infections
- Soothes the digestive tract
- Relieves diarrhea
It’s time for that cool refreshing feeling. Perfect for that after dinner relaxation to soothe your stomach. Our Mint Matcha Tea flavors and health benefits are retained as our raw and organic fruits are freeze dried and ground into powder to offer the best quality.
- Matcha + Herbs
- Immune System
- Brain Activity
- Hair Loss
Mint Matcha Green tea is high in nutrients and perfect for any occasion. It's beautiful bright green color and wonderful taste make it great for every day of the week. Drinking it so often can make it somewhat boring after a while. To keep your Mint Matcha tea exciting and always something you look forward to, let's explore some ways to prepare it.
As a hot tea, Mint Matcha's penetrating smell and amazing flavor really come to life. To enjoy Mint Matcha as a hot tea:
- Bring your Mint Matcha powder to room temperature [18°C (64°F) to 23°C (73°F)], and sift through a strainer.
- Scoop 1 ½ to 2 rounded teaspoons of sifted Mint Matcha into a tea bowl or cup
- Add ¼ to 1/3 cup of hot, simmering water (this may be more or less diluted based on your preference).
- Briskly whisk your Mint Matcha. As the Matcha begins to dissolve, move the whisk briskly back and forth as fast as you can in the middle of the bowl or cup. The whisk should be vertical and barely touching the bottom of the bowl or cup. Once your Matcha has developed a soft, light foam, slowly lift the whisk from the center of the bowl or cup.
- Enjoy your frothy, healthy cup of hot Mint Matcha Green tea!
Traditional with a chill:
- Mint Matcha is excellent as a chilled or iced tea, perfect for hot summer days and when you're on the run. To prepare chilled or iced Mint Matcha-
- Get a 16 oz water bottle or glass that accomodates 16 oz.
- Measure ¼ teaspoon (or more if you like) into the bottle or cup with 16 oz of cold water. If you've opened a new bottle, be sure to sip a little so you don't overfill it!
- Shake or stir vigorously to dissolve the Mint Matcha powder.
- Drink immediately, pour over ice or refrigerate.
- If desired, add a sugar substitute or honey to sweeten it to your liking.
Red Leaf Tea products are not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Please consult your doctor before starting ANY exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Furthermore, none of the statements in this web site should be construed as dispensing medical advice, making claims regarding the cure of diseases.
You should consult a licensed health care professional before starting any supplement, dietary program, especially if you are pregnant or have any preexisting injuries or medical conditions. | <urn:uuid:279c281f-d170-4be4-b6ad-af073580432d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/mint-matcha.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927386 | 890 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Ehud Olmert launched the Gaza attack on December 27 and Israel goes to the polls on February 10, so the fighting's electoral impact has been closely watched. At first, Ehud Barak being minister of defense and head of the Labor Party translated into gains for Labor. But as the fighting wore on, a surprise development took place, one that has potential significance for the future of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"Lieberman gained most from war, surveys say," writes Gil Hoffman in the Jerusalem Post, referring to Avigdor Lieberman of the Israel Beiteinu Party. Five recent polls (by Panels for the Knesset Channel 99, the Kadima Party, Israel Beiteinu, Dialog, Ma'agar Mohot) found Israel Beiteinu winning, respectively, 15, 15, 15, 14, and 13 seats, in some cases even with or leading Labor.
Why this surge in support? Israel Beiteinu officials explain that
the party's rise in support actually began before the war began on December 27, but it intensified as a result of anti-Israel demonstrations during the operation in universities and Arab towns. There were calls of "death to Israel" at the protests and the mayor of Sakhnin, who receives an NIS 27,000 [US$7,000] monthly salary from the state, said he would be "honored to be a shahid in Jerusalem."
"Such vocal protests supporting Hamas while our soldiers were in Gaza made people realize that it's stupid to give benefits to people who support terrorist groups that are trying to kill our soldiers," an Israel Beiteinu official said. "People said, 'Enough is enough,' and only Lieberman was addressing that issue. While other leaders were out of touch on this issue, Lieberman captured the people's voice."
To capitalize on the anti-Arab sentiment, Israel Beiteinu's television, radio and Internet ads will highlight anti-Israel quotes from Arab MKs. Israel Beiteinu has also led the effort to ban Balad from running for Knesset.
Avigdor Lieberman of Israel Beiteinu.
The quote refers to the fact that Lieberman has made his name urging a tougher policy toward disloyalty among Israeli Arabs. For one example, note this report in The New York Sun on a talk he gave, when deputy prime minister in late 2006, to the Middle East Forum:
"The conflict includes not only the Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip, but Israeli Arabs also," Mr. Lieberman said. "The linkage between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Arab population — it will destroy us, it is impossible. What is the logic of creating one and a half country for one people and a half country for the Jewish people?"
Mr. Lieberman spoke of requiring Israelis to sign a commitment to loyalty to the Israeli flag and to its national anthem, and of requiring service in the army or alternative national service. Citizens who refuse to sign the declaration, he said, could continue as permanent residents of Israel, working, studying, and receiving health care benefits, but they could not vote in national elections or be elected to national office. … He said he would also deny Israeli citizenship to extreme anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish groups, such as the Neturei Karta, which sent representatives to this week's Holocaust denial conference in Tehran.
Mr. Lieberman said the "close linkage" between Israeli Arabs and the Arabs of the Palestinian Authority is a result of Israeli "weakness." "If we will be more strong, more tough, they will be more loyal," he said. "They are really afraid about their future."
He defended his statement that Israeli Arab parliamentarians who went to Damascus and met with Hamas should be shot, and he said Americans would understand that position. He asked whether one could imagine an American congressman or senator going to Tora Bora during the war in Afghanistan and meeting with Osama bin Laden, then returning to a seat in Congress.
Comment: If, as seems to be the case, Lieberman's views are getting traction in Israel, this is a major development. Israeli Arabs have recently shown signs of becoming overt enemies of the Jewish state and have been recognized as such by Shin Bet (which calls Israel's Arab population a "genuine long-range danger to the Jewish character and very existence of the State of Israel."); these polls may signify that the electorate has begun to focus on this, the ultimate Arab-Israeli battleground. (January 20, 2009)
Feb. 6, 2009 update: Lieberman is continuing to surge, the polls indicate. From a hostile Wall Street Journal report:
Israeli politicians have long tried to woo voters with tough talk about the country's many enemies. What's notable about Mr. Lieberman, analysts say, is the degree to which he is vilifying Arab citizens, and the success he appears to be having doing it. Recent polls indicate his party will get as many as 19 seats in the country's 120-seat Knesset, up from its current 11 and just shy of the 26 forecast for the Likud Party, which leads the polls. …
"For many years we said to ourselves that we don't hate, that hatred is something the others do," says Israeli historian and author Tom Segev. "This has changed now. It has become legitimate to hate the Arabs. It is an indication of just how far to the right Israel has moved." …
the country's politicians appear to be echoing Mr. Lieberman's bellicose rhetoric. Ms. Livni said in December that if elected she would tell Israel's Arab citizens "your national aspirations lie elsewhere," comments widely interpreted as an endorsement of Mr. Lieberman's plan to transfer Israel's Arabs to Palestinian control.
Feb. 11, 2009 update: I assess Lieberman's strength yesterday at the polls for National Review Online in "Who Won in Israel's Elections?"
Feb. 12, 2009 update: The official Knesset results page shows Liebeman's party coming in third with 11.7 percent of the vote, behind Kadima with 22.5 percent and Likud with 21.6 percent, but ahead of Labor with 9.9 percent.
Mar. 31, 2009 update: Robert O. Freedman, Pearlstone Professor of Political Science at Baltimore Hebrew University, writes:
the leaders of the Israeli Arab community have increasingly identified with Israel's enemies, particularly Hamas and Hezbollah, and have written several policy documents that effectively call for the end of the Jewish State. These actions have precipitated increasing anger against the Israeli Arabs—or Palestinian Israelis,as many now wish to define themselves—and have enabled politicians such as Lieberman to capitalize on this anger for electoral purposes. Indeed, it is estimated that one-third of his vote came from non-Russian Israelis angry at the Israeli Arabs. …
as tensions rise between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Israelis, the Arabs may soon face a difficult choice. The more they identify with Hamas and Hezbollah—organizations dedicated to the destruction of Israel—the more Lieberman's ideas will become popular. Assuming Lieberman is not sidetracked by a series of corruption investigations against him, Yisrael Beiteinu may increase in its electoral strength in future elections—something that has to worry not only Israel's Arab community, but politicians on the right side of Israel's political spectrum, such as Binyamin Netanyahu.
Related Topics: Israel & Zionism
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This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete and accurate information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL. | <urn:uuid:bcc1dd34-616f-40e3-a310-a75e50c7690f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/01/the-gaza-wars-impact-on-israeli-electoral | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964084 | 1,578 | 1.671875 | 2 |
South African Journal of Animal Science
versão impressa ISSN 0375-1589
AL-DARAJI, H.J. et al. Effect of in ovo injection with L-arginine on productive and physiological traits of Japanese quail. S. Afr. j. anim. sci. [online]. 2012, vol.42, n.2, pp. 139-145. ISSN 0375-1589.
This study evaluated the influence of administering different levels of L-arginine into eggs of 0-day-old Japanese quail embryos. On day 0 of incubation, 480 eggs (120 for each treatment group) were injected with 0% arginine (C group), 1% arginine (T1), 2% arginine (T2) or 3% arginine (T3). After hatching, 336 quail chicks (84 chicks produced from each in ovo injection treatment) were placed in an experimental quail house and allocated to four treatment groups of three replicates, with 16 quail chicks for each replicate. Traits involved in this study were hatchability rate, initial body weight (7 days of age), final body weight (42 days old), feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and blood serum glucose, protein, cholesterol, total lipids, triglycerides, calcium and phosphorus concentrations, and proportional weights of the carcass, breast, legs, backbone, wings, neck, abdominal fat, liver, heart and gizzard. Results revealed that in ovo injection with different levels of L-arginine on day 0 of incubation resulted in significant increases in the hatchability rate, initial body weight, final body weight, feed conversion ratio, and blood serum glucose, protein, total protein, calcium and phosphorus concentrations, as well as the proportional weights of the carcass, breast, legs, liver, heart and gizzard. However, there was no significant difference in feed intake between treatment groups. Significant decreases were recorded in blood serum cholesterol, total lipids and triglyceride concentrations, and proportional weights of the backbone, wings and abdominal fat. In conclusion, the inoculation of different levels of L-arginine into eggs of 0-day-old quail embryos, especially at the levels of 2% and 3% arginine, resulted in a significant improvement in the productive and physiological performance of the quail. Hence in ovo injection with L-arginine could be used as a tool for enhancing the hatchability rate and productive performance of quail hatched from the egg.
Palavras-chave : Coturnix coturnix japonica; egg; incubation; in ovo fed avian neonate; nutrition. | <urn:uuid:cbda3e8b-7d48-475c-a2a0-35c440c2a5e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0375-15892012000200006&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912253 | 562 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Across the U.S., more than 500,000 business leaders, community advocates, parents, teens and individuals who want to give back and support their neighbors volunteer at the Y. That's because in 10,000 neighborhoods nationwide we have the presence and partnerships to not just promise, but deliver positive, personal and social change.
With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, Y volunteers give men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life the resources and support they need to be healthy, confident, connected and secure.
At the YMCA of Indiana County, the programs and events that we offer to the community may not happen without our volunteers.
Students from IUP are a key group of volunteers that take on tough tasks and allow our programs to flourish because of their time and energy.
Each year we have hundreds of student volunteers helping in programs as well as facility care tasks including:
- Coaching a youth sports team
- Preparing our athletic fields
- Spring cleanup of our outdoor spaces
- Mack Park pool preparations each spring
- Mack park pool shutdown each fall
- 5K Run for the Kids
- Healthy Kids Day
- Pool -O-Ween
- Mentoring a youngster in our Big Hearts, Little Hands program
Big Hearts, Little Hands benefits greatly from the students as the college clubs, fraternities and sororities volunteer and raise funds for these programs at Bowl for Kids.
Many more events and activities are made more successful with the help and support of IUP student volunteers.
Whether for class assignments, club or team commitments or just to be involved, the time and energy that the IUP student volunteers bring is helpful and refreshing to our facility, staff and adult volunteers.
Jen Villa, director of membership and program development, said, "We appreciate the time and enthusiasm that they bring when they volunteer."
We wanted to be sure to recognize all of the IUP students who have taken their time and energy to make a positive difference at your local YMCA.
We couldn't do it without you. Thank you! | <urn:uuid:e06302dc-3a00-4164-ae89-ad05d5161fa0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianagazette.com/news/opinions-letters/shawn-sebring-iup-students-a-key-volunteer-group-at-y,148198/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947521 | 430 | 1.5 | 2 |