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copousa [at] copousa.org
Hi Friends of Indian food,
There are many people who love Indian food. They want to cook it and learn more about it. Sometimes it looks a little challenging to learn straight off the dishes you’ve ordered at the restaurant. But no worries: they’re not so daunting. I can teach you the diverse types of Indian dishes and spices. I will teach you the nuances and secrets, where to get the masalas, and how to keep the aroma intact.
You get to cook, have food, and bring your items back home for next day's Lunch. Bring your own containers, please.
Come, take the initiative into the mysteries of Indian cooking. Unravel the secrets of the mouthwatering spices.
- Lamb korma with potatoes
- Palak paneer( Spinach and Indian cheese with onion, ginger and other aromatic spices
- Roti ( Indian hand made bread)Cost: $40 per person
I know you're busy, but I'd much appreciate if you please confirm your RSVP by going to my meetup site: www.meetup.com/
muktiskitchen. I need to make preparation based on the actual number of students coming.
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you.
The city Parks Department has signed on to a plan to reduce the geese population in Prospect Park with non-lethal means such as poisoning goose eggs, posting signs asking people not to feed them and getting ready to deploy dogs to shoo them away. But the city is reserving the right to kill geese if less aggressive approaches aren't working.
VERY SPECIAL vision impaired kittens for adoption!
For Adoption: Bonnie and Clyde
5 Month Old Vision Impaired Kittens
Meet Bonnie and Clyde, the two most loving, gentle kittens you'll ever encounter. They were found living on the street with severe infections that caused irreversible damage to their eyes. Clyde's eyes were so bad that both had to be removed and he is 100% blind. Bonnie was luckier to keep both eyes, and some of her vision. Her eyes have improved since her rescue and may continue, to some extent, but she will always have cloudiness that affects her sight.
Some people may call these kittens "special needs" but they require no special care. Cats are highly adaptable and this pair does not know what it's like to have fully functioning eyes. Blind cats, like people, develop heightened senses of smell, sound and touch. They "see" not with their eyes but with their whiskers. Watching a blind cat navigate around a home is nothing short of awe inspiring as they wind their way around the couch and between the chair legs of the dining room table to their bowl of food, without taking so much as one wrong step!
Please consider opening your heart and home to these amazing creatures, they will change your outlook on life!
Bonnie and Clyde are about 5 months old, spayed/neutered, negative for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS, and free of parasites. Adoption application and fee apply, serious inquiries only!
For more information contact Bekah Wilcox at: bekah.w [at] gmail.com.
two cameras were installed atop the rest room building. They surveil the playground, central corridor of the Parade Ground, and the intersection of Parade Place and Crooke Avenue. Iron stanchions have been removed from the concrete at that intersection, allowing patrol cars, which we've seen with increasing frequency, into the park with greater ease. A sign "Under NYPD Surveillance" has been affixed to the side of the rest room building.
Last week, Councilmembers Brad Lander and Steve Levin introduced a city council bill that would establish a Wildlife Management Committee to oversee wildlife in city parks in hopes of preventing drastic methods of wildlife management, like the mass extermination of hundreds of park geese last summer.
The bill also calls for the board to draft a citywide wildlife management plan to promote humane treatment and “biological diversity” for park animals. If the legislation passes, the board would hear public input on how to more humanely manage wildlife in the city.
Planting Crops and Sign Up April 23rd, 10 am
Do you want to help Prospect Farm grow vegetables, herbs, flowers and more? Sign up to be a plot manager for 2011. We will begin planning and planting on Saturday April 23rd (rain date April 24th) at 10 am, and are looking for 12-14 plot manager to dedicate 1-2 hours a week watering, weeding, and tending crops.
We plan to grow together as a group, which means no individual plots. Plot managers will be scheduled a day to water and tend crops. At the end of each week we will harvest together, weigh and record what we got, and divide up the produce to all members. In the future (this is the beginning of our second year) we hope to offer a CSA, and we feel this is a step towards that model.
Currently our steering committee has decided what to grow based on space, amount of members, and quality of soil. In the future we would love input from the dedicated plot managers. Our current list includes multiple varieties of: tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, hot peppers, lettuce, spinach, herbs, zucchini, beans, eggplant, peas, squash and ornamentals: sunflowers, Seapink thrift, Ornamental Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Pennycress (Thlaspi rotndifolium), Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum).
All plot managers must become members of Prospect Farm, paying a fee of $25 (or $35 with tshirt) paid in cash or check and committing an hour a week to work at Prospect Farm. Details are here: http://prospectfarmbk.wordpress.com/support-us/membership/.
Please respond to by email with questions or bring them with you on Saturday the 23rd: prospectfarmbk [at] gmail.com.
If you can not make it there will be opportunites in the future to sign up.
"Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island customers requesting new service, an additional line, or in some cases, moving their service may be assigned a number in the new 929 area code. The 929 area code will co-exist everywhere in Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island with the 718, 347 and 917 area codes." | <urn:uuid:3248973e-088b-4836-ba5c-049af40256d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943636 | 1,362 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Nonprofit or community organization
Last modified: May 17, 2012, 1:57 PM
Inspirica (formerly St. Luke's LifeWorks) is one of the largest organizations serving homeless people in Connecticut. We provide emergency, transitional and permanent housing, support services, youth services, education and employment training to 500-600 adults and children in lower Fairfield County each year. In addition to being homeless, the people we serve typically suffer from mental illness, substance abuse and/or HIV/AIDS. Many further have severe cognitive impairments, a history of incarceration, little or no work history, and little or no education. All of our participants live at or below poverty level.
Our mission is to break the cycle of homelessness by helping people achieve – and maintain – permanent housing and stability in their lives.
Our principles are to be a results oriented, cost-effective organization with a caring professional staff and dedicated volunteers who believe in individual human potential, personal accountability and mutual respect. | <urn:uuid:0c77f96b-d024-41ac-a6f7-19ccf19f97d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.idealist.org/view/org/G7WDd6F6zwmD/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93872 | 199 | 1.5 | 2 |
Are you confused by the world of architecture? Don't know how to tell a capital from a column? A Queen Anne from a Tudor? Or do you know something about architecture, but would like to learn more about what you are seeing as you travel throughout Rochester and Monroe County? Then this tour is for you. Each pathfinder explores a different architectural topic or theme and is supported by an extensive vocabulary list.
Vocabulary List-By clicking on these purple words in the pathfinders, the user will be directed to the vocabulary list for a clear, concise definition (or just feel free to browse through the list and enjoy learning about architecture)!
Architectural Styles-Discover the many varieties of domestic and public buildings that exist locally.
Rochester's Own: Local Architects of the Past-Meet a few of Rochester's most prominent local architects who designed many of the structures we see every day.
Lost Rochester-Explore pieces of Rochester's past through buildings that no longer exist.
Adaptive Reuse-See how architects have modified and redesigned existing structures for modern day demands.
East Side-West Side-Stroll by the mansions and museums of East Avenue to the working class residential district of West Avenue exploring these two neighborhoods from the 19th century to present day.
Every Building Tells a Story-Learn about some of Rochester's most remarkable structures.
This pathfinder was funded by a grant from the Library Services and Technology Act and published by the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County.
Authors: Kathryn Heckle, Colleen R. McBride and Elizabeth P. Spring
Send comments to Webmaster
Copyright Monroe County (NY) Library System
115 South Ave., Rochester, NY 14604 | <urn:uuid:b7409438-4bbf-44f9-877f-87ceefebb8df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rochester.lib.ny.us/rochimag/architecture/ArchIntro.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934004 | 352 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Per·fec·tion·ism, noun. “A fault, often disguised as a good quality, that ends up leaving the bearer disappointed with oneself for not having acted ‘perfectly’ in a given situation.”
Time for a confession: I’m inescapably stuck with this trait. Perhaps you can sympathize with my overwhelming desire to say the right things, act in the proper way, have every situation work out “just-so.”
Perfectionism is a constant companion that pokes its irritating self out when I’m shopping (this shirt doesn’t make me look like I think I should), doing my hair (does my frizzy hair that can't decide if its curly or straight always have to be so untameable?), at work (I wish I had said that to my co-worker just a little differently), and even at home (this kitchen ought to be immaculate — even with 4 boys living in the house!) Even as I write this, I internally cringe to see my all-too-frequent perfectionist thoughts in writing.
As if all that’s not bad enough, I’ve even unintentionally persuaded myself that in the in the next few years, I’ll become an ideal version of myself and have more ideal circumstances (which will, of course, eliminate any desire for things to be perfect since they already would be). You may guess that this expectation leads to some let-downs. When I don’t look like I feel I should, I tend to spend time wishing I was beautiful like so-and-so. When I have an “uff-da” moment and say entirely the wrong thing, I spend the rest of the day thinking of what I should have said. And when I make yet another mistake at work, I feel that I’ve ruined something dreadfully and should spend hours dwelling on it.
But so many things I scold myself for aren’t worth the time the scolding takes… they’re just mistakes. It’s not wrong to stumble in speech, have trouble learning something new, or have difficulty knowing what to say. In fact, I should expect all those things. After all, I’m not God, who does exactly what He wills.
Setting myself up to be able to do exactly what I want just right is not only dangerous, but it comes with side effects. It keeps me open to a mindset of failure whenever I fall short of a self-made standard.
I must continually acknowledge that God alone is perfect.
This side of heaven, I will continue to have an imperfect appearance, difficulty knowing what to say, and a messy kitchen. As much as I ought to strive for Christ-likeness, I shouldn’t imagine myself to be mistake-free.
Rather than attacking myself for my mistakes, it would be much more worthwhile to tear down the mental idol I make of myself which causes me to expect perfection and flawlessness in myself. The time I spend wishing I had acted “just-so” would be better spent in repentance of the thoughts, words, and actions that truly violate God’s Word. Proper perspective of God’s perfection and my weakness will keep me from imposing my ridiculous standard on myself and encourage me to give God alone the glory when it feels that things are going right.
What a simply perfect idea! | <urn:uuid:0599961f-465f-49d7-bc0a-b1685ea7ef6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.proverbs31wannabe.com/2012/05/confessions-of-perfectionist.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961161 | 713 | 1.710938 | 2 |
|Text: Psalm 119:105 (in relation to
Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Australian Ivan Southall is a writer of novels for children. One of his books (Over the Top) tells the story of Perry Benson, an 11-year-old who's woken in the middle of a stormy night by his father. His mother is about to give birth and they have to get her to hospital. They live on an isolated property without electricity and without a telephone. What happens next is one mishap after the other.
Mr Benson goes down the dark path to the shed to get the car. Walking in the dark, he falls over Perry's billycart and hit his head on the rocks on the edge of the garden bed. He is knocked out cold. Perry and his mother manage to load the unconscious Mr Benson into the back of car. Then Perry's mother who hadn't driven for years tries to drive the car, runs off the drive way and gets hopelessly bogged.
Mrs Benson now decides that the only thing to do now is for Perry to walk to Mr Morgan's place, their nearest neighbour, who has a phone. Perry isn't too keen, not only because itís cold and stormy and dark, but because he's frightened of Mr Morgan. Mr Morgan and Perry's father didn't get on too well. But he has to go, there's no other way to get help. His mother encourages him to make the trip and tells him he'll be all right if he takes the hurricane lamp. So he goes into the shed out of the wind, lights the lamp and sets off for Mr Morgan's.
It's a scary journey for an 11 year old, even though it's not very far. His biggest worry was what he would do if the lamp went out. The night was so black. How would he find his way without the light from the lamp, not to mention how scared he would be?
As he made his way down the drive way, across the paddock, and past the big trees that made such big black shadows against the sky, his imagination ran wild. Were those giants closing in around him? Or did he see in the corner of his eye some strange creature hidden in the shadows? The wind was roaring and the rain was making a hissing noise as drops hit the hot glass of the hurricane lamp. The lamp was jigging up and down as he walked. "Don't go out, lamp." he kept on saying to himself, "If you do go out, I think I'll die."
The lamp doesn't go out, and he manages to climb the locked gate without dropping it. He gets to Mr Morgan's house. The baby is born safely.
Perry couldn't have made that journey through the storm in the dark without the hurricane lamp. Without it, he could have lost his way, or suffered serious injury stumbling along in the dark. The lamp enabled him to make the dangerous and scary journey safely.
Other lives were depending on that lamp too. His father was injured, and needed medical attention. His mother and soon to be born brother or sister could be in danger. To Perry and his family that night, the hurricane lamp was a real lifesaver.
This story about Perry and his lamp on a dark night provides an excellent back drop to the text. "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and guide to my path." In the middle of the night when everything is so black, in the middle of the storm when everything is so confusing, God provides us with a hurricane lamp - his Word.
What does it mean to walk in the light of God's Word?
Perry's hurricane lamp shone through the darkness and helped him to see the barbed wire fence, the broken tree limbs, the tree roots and all the other dangers along the way. Perry followed the beam of light and was comforted when he was most afraid. This is what the Word of God is for the Christian.
The Word of God can only truly be the Word of God in our lives when we take it seriously. The Word of God canít be a Lamp to guide our feet if it we donít use it. What good would the lamp have been for Perry if it remained where it was stored in the shed? How could it guide him safely through the dark? If our Bible lay on the bedside table unopened how can it be a guide for us through life?
Why am I making such a fuss over something so basic to our Christian faith?
I dare say that most people in our country have heard of the Bible, but the percentage of people who have actually read any part of the Bible would be very small indeed. If I took a survey of all the people who have anything to do with St Paulís, I wonder how many would have to admit that on an average they open their Bibles less than once a week.
Once we could assume that most people knew some basic stories from the Bible like the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, or events in Jesusí life. Today when we talk to people about the Bible, we canít assume anything. On one occasion, a mother was surprised when I told her that the story of Jesusí birth came from the Bible. She said, "I thought it was just one of those stories like, you know, Snow White and Cinderella".
Surveys have shown that for many Christians their weekly contact with Godís Word in the Bible is at worship services on Sundays, presuming they come to church every Sunday. The Bible has taken a different place in the lives of modern Christians. It has moved from daily use in the home to Sunday morning. How can God's Word light our daily walk if we donít listen to what God has to say to us as we negotiate the troublesome and scary road of life? To not read it, is like walking in the dark with an unlit lamp.
What is it that prevents us from making the Bible a
greater part of our lives?
The first thing most people say is that the pace of modern life leaves little time for any reading, let alone reading the Bible.
This is nothing new. We heard the story about Jesusí visit with Mary and Martha. This followed immediately after the story of the Good Samaritan that highlighted the way we are to love and serve our neighbour. Jesus concluded his conversation with the man who quizzed Jesus about who is his neighbour by saying, "Now then, you go and do likewise."
Maybe Martha had heard the story as well. Jesus had come to dinner and she was now going and doing, just as he had said. She was putting into practice what Jesus had said and was showing her love for Jesus by cooking one of the best meals Jesus had ever had.
Maybe Martha was thinking that Mary had missed the point of the Jesusí Good Samaritan story. Loving your neighbour involves being active, doing something, and going out of your way to help. Mary is doing just the opposite; sitting in the lounge room, and taking it easy.
Martha comes out of the kitchen all steamed up. "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!" Jesus answered, "My dear Martha, you are upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary is taking the time to listen and learn from me."
I believe Luke, the gospel writer, recorded this event straight after the Good Samaritan for a very good reason. Life is busy. We are busy not only in the work place and in our homes but also in the church. Our faith and love lead us to serve God and others everyday of our lives. Jesus isnít upset about the fact that Martha is busy. Thatís good. But he is also saying that there is a time for being busy and a time for listening to God, reading his Word, giving the Spirit the opportunity to increase our faith and love for even greater works of service to others.
Stephen Covey wrote this. "People expect us to be busy, overworked. Itís become a status symbol in our society - if weíre busy, weíre important; if weíre not busy, weíre almost embarrassed to admit it. Busyness is Ö a good excuse for not dealing with the first things in our lives." (First Things First, p. 33).
We can become so preoccupied with all the things that make up our lives, even committees and service toward others in the church, that we squeeze out of our daily program a time to spend hearing God speak to us through his Word and talking with him in prayer.
As Perry Benson walked along the dark road, he held his hurricane lamp high to guide him. He said to himself, "Don't go out, lamp. If you go out I think I'll die." He knew that if that lamp went out or he dropped it, he would be all alone out there in the pitch black stormy night. Every step of the way was guided by the comforting light of his lamp. Godís Word is a lamp to our feet, and a light for our path to guide us through the ups and downs, dark shadows and obstacles along the path of life.
In the Bible we read Godís Word, Godís powerful Word.
It is the same Word that created the world. God simply spoke and things happened.
It is the same powerful Word that stilled storms, cast out demons, healed the sick and raised the dead.
It is this same powerful Word that speaks to us and calms our fears;
comforts us when we are depressed and despairing;
forgives us when we our conscience hurts;
assures us healing power when we are sick and his presence when we are alone. Godís Word is more powerful than we often realise.
Unlike our words, Godís Word, the Bible, is his assurance that we are his beloved children and he is our loving Father and he will use all power in heaven and earth to help and protect us.
Mr Morgan came out on a stormy night to help his neighbour whom he hated. In Jesus and his cruel cross, we see our loving God who came out in the darkness and the storm to help us who were his enemies.
God's Word is a hurricane lamp that guides us to Jesus,
our rescuer. Through his death and resurrection, he has overcome the darkness of
sin and destroyed the dark powers of death and the devil.
Through him, God has brought us out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Jesus speaks to us through the Words of the Bible and reminds us that he will use his powerful Word in our lives today just as he did back in time when he said to sinners, "Your sins are forgiven" or to the sick, "Get up and walk".
With the lamp of Godís Word we can walk through the
blackest night and the wildest storms, and find our way safely home... safely to
our home in heaven.
In the light of the Word we can see our way through blackest of black sin in our lives that we might think is positively unforgivable. We see Jesus the only one who can save us and forgive all our sin. He has died so that we can be assured that our life in heaven is guaranteed.
Letís make it the prayer of everyone here this morning
that the Holy Spirit give us the determination to set time aside each day to
hear what God has to say through the Bible and through that reading and hearing
grow closer to him and more sincere in our faith.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
© Pastor Vince
St Paul's Lutheran Church, Caboolture - 22nd July 2007
Home / Sermons | <urn:uuid:5594fc39-062e-4d20-a11e-579093daec29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gerhardy.id.au/pent08_07.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980401 | 2,463 | 2.140625 | 2 |
The San Angelo Livestock Show has grown to be one of the largest junior shows in the nation. The event features over 40 different contests, competitions, and events for youth and open exhibitors. Featuring livestock species including cattle, swine, sheep, goats, llamas, and rabbits, there is something for just about everyone!
The event features a variety of shows and contests for youth and open show exhibitors to participate in across the two week event. From market livestock shows to breeding shows, judging contest and even an Ag Mechanics Show, everyone will find something to interest them.
Go AG Day is a new feature for the 2013 show and was started to help encourage students to become involved with agriculture. Competitions on Go AG Day will include the Ag Speaking Contest, a new Agricultural ID contest, and an Ag Science Fair. Students will also be allowed to tour a variety of different booths set-up by colleges and universities as well as leading industry businesses. Different educational sessions will be available for students to attend throughout the day to learn more about where agriculture is today and where it may be in the future!
To learn more about the different shows and contest the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo offers, please view the links to the different pages within our site! If you would like to learn more about the terminology used at the stock shows, there is a pdf file for that as well! | <urn:uuid:bca8b81e-cfe5-4ebb-a785-099c66fac6db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sanangelorodeo.com/p/Events/Livestock | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963126 | 283 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Read More GoNOMAD Stories about RaftingGoNOMAD has rafting stories from all over the world, with trips for for all ability levels.
Here are some sample stories:
En route to Mostar from Sarajevo, driving through a dizzying canyon, my guide, Sasha, decided to stop off at Konjic, a small town on the way. There was a man there, she claimed, I needed to meet.
My trip to Bosnia was purely an academic one – a meeting with a history professor at Mostar University, so arranged that I could savor a few days in the country which had once been beaten to within an inch of her life in a recent civil war.
"Samir Krivić," Sasha explained, "is a physical training instructor by profession, but he also owns a whitewater rafting company."
I recall thinking how civilized it all was – a cooked breakfast served on a wooden deck, shaded from the baking sun by canvas covers, followed by a general rule guide to rafting. Later we all piled into an assortment of 4x4’s and pootled off, following the river some 19 miles (30km) upstream.
Yukon Territory to Alaska: Rafting the Tatshenshini
She didn’t mention that the headwaters of this river in the Yukon Territory of Canada flow free for 140 uninterrupted miles through a 24-million-acre roadless wilderness that encompasses the largest non-polar ice field on earth.
Nor did she hint that ursus horribilis — big honkin’ grizzlies — thrive on these salmon-choked waters. Not a whisper about the apartment-building-
sized icebergs calving off the twenty glaciers that descend into the river that can explode into a thousand sparkling shards causing waves big enough to tip a rubber raft.
She didn’t chatter on about sucking holes and monster hydraulics where the Tat merges with the Alsek River to form one massive river four times the size of the Colorado. What she did say was that the guides were real good cooks!
Read more GoNOMAD stories on whitewater rafting:
Like this on Facebook: | <urn:uuid:ef1aaf82-cfa2-46b7-985a-115e220a82d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gonomad.com/outdoor-adventure/rafting/rafting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954539 | 463 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A quality learning environment...
All De Montfort University (DMU) students belong to one of our four faculties.
Each faculty delivers a wide range of courses to students as well as overseeing world-changing research and fostering enviable commercial links that inform our teaching and ensure DMU courses are relevant to modern employers.
The Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities brings together DMU’s creative disciplines. Its courses range from traditional to boundary pushing and research is rated as internationally excellent. Names such as shoe guru Jimmy Choo and novelist Adele Parks have lectured students thanks to the faculty’s exceptional industry links.
The Times Good University Guide 2010 ranked the Faculty of Business and Law seventh out of 110 institutions for its levels of student satisfaction. Housed in the new, state-of-the-art Hugh Aston Building, the faculty is known for its excellent teaching, leading edge research and superb links with industry.
The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences prepares students for careers in professions such as pharmacy, nursing, forensic science and social work, while also offering a fantastic range of research opportunities. Academics work on projects that are shaping our future, such as the development of an artificial pancreas.
The Faculty of Technology trains engineers, computer scientists and media technologists alike. From forensic computing and games programming, to electronic engineering and radio production, teaching and research is exceptionally varied and at the cutting edge. Facilities are industry standard, so graduates have the skills required for successful careers. | <urn:uuid:db237bc8-ae9c-4552-aeaa-684b2e5149d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/schools-and-departments/schools-and-departments.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950315 | 305 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries
A stunning documentary on the literary and spiritual force of Peter Matthiessen.
PITTSBURGH – He is a celebrated writer of fiction and non-fiction, a naturalist, an explorer, and a Zen monk. He has a worldwide following while maintaining a very private life. For the first time, the essence of the literary and spiritual force of Peter Matthiessen is captured in an intimate documentary from WQED Pittsburgh: Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries airing on Friday, April 24 at 10pm.
Independent filmmaker Jeff Sewald – who wrote, produced and directed the program – gains unprecedented access to Matthiessen, his family, friends and colleagues, and uncovers the author’s intense and, at times, controversial life in this hour-long, high- definition (HD) production for WQED and national PBS.
The documentary is a dynamic interplay between a host of elements including interviews with Peter Matthiessen, excerpts from his writings, and anecdotes from those who have known him, have worked and traveled with him; and those who have been inspired by his work. The interviews center on how the events and circumstances of Matthiessen’s life have shaped his point-of-view, established the trajectory of his spiritual quest and guided his selection of subject matter. Interviews include: NBC’s Tom Brokaw, actress Margot Kidder, poet and activist Rose Styron, preeminent field biologist George Schaller, Oscar-winning film director Sidney Lumet, and journalist Steve Kroft of CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
"It was our privilege to officially document the extraordinary life of Peter Matthiessen,” said Darryl Ford-Williams, vice president of production at WQED. “The result is a carefully woven tale of life and literature and the story of a true Renaissance man."
Matthiessen’s work deals primarily with the effects of encroaching technology on pre-industrial cultures and the natural environment. Among his many honors are two National Book Awards: the first in 1979 for his non-fiction classic “The Snow Leopard,” and recently for his novel, “Shadow Country,” in 2008.
“Our goal was to capture the fire that, for more than 50 years, has fueled Peter Matthiessen’s commitment to the environment, wildlife, vanishing cultures and oppressed peoples,” said filmmaker Jeff Sewald. “By seizing, shaping and expressing the essence of that fire in this film, we aim to help inspire a new generation of advocates and activists who share deep concerns about how mankind is negatively impacting the natural world – and, by extension, itself.”
WQED Pittsburgh, honored with the 2007 and 2006 Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Award for Station Excellence, was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. WQED creates, produces and distributes quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within its community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQEX-TV (A ShopNBC affiliate); WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; a publishing division that includes PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org); and The WQED Education Department.
Press release, title graphic and photos of Peter Matthiessen can be downloaded from the WQED Press Room at www.wqed.org.pressroom.
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Senior Director of | <urn:uuid:ed99351a-5547-43c0-a924-b1894f4860ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wqed.org/pressroom/releases/peter-matthiessen-no-boundaries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945661 | 873 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Motorists have had to be rescued across the West Midlands as the risk of flooding continues in the region
More than 100 flood warnings are in place in parts of the Midlands and drivers are being warned to take extra care following torrential rain overnight.
West Midlands Fire Service said they a had very busy night responding to calls mainly around the Solihull and Coventry area.
Emergency services helped drivers who had become stuck in their cars as they tried to make their way through standing water.Elsewhere, a woman has been killed by a falling tree in Exeter, Devon,Parts of Stratford Road were flooded and Valley Road in Earlswood, was not passable, according to the police.
Motorists were being warned not to drive through floods due to hidden hazards.
The Environment Agency said the River Cole and River Rea were also at risk.
The fire service have also asked people to keep an eye on elderly relatives and neighbours and make sure they were keeping warm.
A number of rail services have been disrupted because of the bad weather and London Midlands said buses were replacing some trains.
The operator said there were problems on the Wood End and Landywood lines. Services from Birmingham New Street and Rugeley have also been disrupted. | <urn:uuid:7b2c601c-bbfc-46af-8f33-0acacbb79347> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/100-flood-warnings-in-place-as-drivers-335056 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992882 | 253 | 1.734375 | 2 |
[Physician Comment] Pneumocystis linked to Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths
2MM | On 04, Jan 2013Save this report
1. 84% of infants with unexplained death were colonized with Pneumocystis, versus 66% of infants whose deaths were explained.
2. Pneumocystis colonization was associated with increased mucus production.
3. These results support a model for the etiology of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death involving Pneumocystis colonization and increased mucus production subsequently leading to an infant’s death.
The results from this study suggest a correlation in Pneumocystis colonization and unexplained infant death. This is the first study to show that Pneumocystis appears highly prevalent in infants and is correlated with upregulation of mucus in the airway. The authors theorize that Pneumocystis colonization causes an upregulation of mucus production which subsequently causes a narrowing of the airway and eventually infant death. This study did not examine for the presence of other pathogens, and the nature of the study did not allow it to correlate findings with healthy living controls. Future studies comparing colonization rates and examining for additional pathogens should be performed to further elucidate this correlation.
Study author, Dr. Sergio Vargas, MD, talks to 2 Minute Medicine: University of Chile School of Medicine
“The primary infection by Pneumocystis in presumably-normal infants is largely unrecognized. This infection is regarded as innocuous under the current view of Pneumocystis as a pathogen restricted to the immunocompromised host. We found Pneumocystis in over 90% of infants between 2 and 5 months of age dying suddenly and unexpectedly in the community. Furthermore, Pneumocystis associated to increased mucus a well-recognized by-product of innate immunity suggesting pathogenic expression may depend on ability to clear mucus.”
In Depth [autopsy study]: examined lung tissue of deceased infants in Chile. 128 lung tissue specimens were collected for infants between the ages of 3 days and 12 months who died unexpectedly between 1999 and 2004. 84% of infants with unexplained death after autopsy were colonized with Pneumocystis while only 67% of infants whose deaths were explained were colonized. When stratified by age, 3- and 4-month old infants with unexplained death had colonization rates of 97% and 100% respectively. Additionally, Pneumocystis colonization was associated with increased mucus production.
By [AS] and [MS]
© 2012 2minutemedicine.com. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without written consent from 2minutemedicine.com. Disclaimer: We present factual information directly from peer reviewed medical journals. No post should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2minutemedicine.com. PLEASE SEE A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IN YOUR AREA IF YOU SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE OF ANY SORT. Content is produced in accordance with fair use copyrights solely and strictly for the purpose of teaching, news and criticism. No benefit, monetary or otherwise, is realized by any participants or the owner of this domain. | <urn:uuid:16499f75-9bfa-409a-a96c-638cffc49ae9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.2minutemedicine.com/pneumocystis-linked-to-sudden-unexpected-infant-deaths/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95633 | 669 | 2.1875 | 2 |
A tiny new camera developed at an Illinois university is giving researchers a bug's eye view. The camera created by a research team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is about the size of a penny and mimics insects' bulging eyes. It features 180 micro-lenses, giving it a panoramic field of view and the ability to focus simultaneously on objects at different depths.
An international collaboration of scientists has discovered a unique crystalizing behavior at the interface between two immiscible liquids that could aid in sustainable energy development. Liquid interface behavior cannot be investigated at atomic level by most modern methods. Only brilliant X-rays at world-leading light sources can investigate this type of important chemical processes.
An impromptu spacewalk over the weekend seems to have fixed a big ammonia leak at the International Space Station, NASA said Thursday. The "gusher" erupted a week ago, prompting the hastiest repair job ever by residents of the orbiting lab. Spacewalking astronauts replaced a suspect ammonia pump on Saturday, just two days after the trouble arose.
Graphene has dazzled scientists ever since its discovery more than a decade ago. But one long-sought goal has proved elusive: how to engineer into graphene a property called a band gap, which would be necessary to use the material to make transistors and other electronic devices. New findings by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers are a major step toward making graphene with this coveted property.
Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas hasn't contaminated drinking water wells in Arkansas, according to a new study, but researchers said the geology there may be more of a natural barrier to pollution than in other areas where shale gas drilling takes place.
A Colorado company developing a spaceship to take astronauts to the International Space Station is having elements of its spacecraft undergo landing-related tests at NASA facilities in Virginia and California. NASA wants private firms to ferry astronauts into low-Earth orbit so it can focus on deep-space exploration and send crews to a nearby asteroid and eventually Mars.
With the hand of nature trained on a beaker of chemical fluid, the most delicate flower structures have been formed in a Harvard University laboratory—and not at the scale of inches, but microns. These minuscule sculptures, curved and delicate, don't resemble the cubic or jagged forms normally associated with crystals, though that's what they are. Rather, fields of flowers seem to bloom from the surface of a submerged glass slide.
In the wake of the sobering news that atmospheric carbon dioxide is now at its highest level in at least three million years, an important advance in the race to develop carbon-neutral renewable energy sources has been achieved. Scientists with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have reported the first fully integrated nanosystem for artificial photosynthesis.
Frustration led to revelation when Rice University scientists determined how graphene might be made useful for high-capacity batteries. Calculations by the Rice laboratory of theoretical physicist Boris Yakobson found a graphene-boron anode should be able to hold a lot of lithium and perform at a proper voltage for use in lithium-ion batteries.
Scientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. A prominent expert called the work a landmark, but noted that a different, simpler technique now under development may prove more useful.
The planets Uranus and Neptune are home to extreme winds blowing at speeds of over 1,000 km/hour, hurricane-like storms as large around as Earth, immense weather systems that last for years, and fast-flowing jet streams. Researchers using a new method for analyzing the gravitational field of these planets have determined an upper limit for the thickness of the atmospheric layer, which limits the depth of stormy weather.
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered that DNA "linker" strands coax nano-sized rods to line up in way unlike any other spontaneous arrangement of rod-shaped objects. The arrangement—with the rods forming "rungs" on ladder-like ribbons linked by multiple DNA strands—results from the collective interactions of the flexible DNA tethers and may be unique to the nanoscale.
University of Toronto engineering researchers, working with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.
Engineering researchers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated a paradigm-shifting "polariton" laser that's fueled not by light, but by electricity. Polaritons are particles that are part light, and part matter. The new device requires at least 1,000 times less energy to operate, compared with a conventional laser.
Injectable nanoparticles developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology may someday eliminate the need for patients with Type 1 diabetes to constantly monitor their blood-sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin. The nanoparticles were designed to sense glucose levels in the body and respond by secreting the appropriate amount of insulin. | <urn:uuid:79cd0960-f1de-4b22-96f7-7072c4c14d02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rdmag.com/News?folderid=2147483829&page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941871 | 1,023 | 2.71875 | 3 |
November 26, 2012
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream of a nation in which people are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. For almost fifty years, countless people have tried to make that noble dream a reality. Unfortunately, a disturbing number of ethically challenged people have dishonored that dream by distorting its principles to further their personal agendas. These distortions are commonly perpetuated by a practice known as “playing the race card”.
Rather than dealing with the true issues at hand, people who play the race card seek to trump all the other figurative cards in the deck of human relations. And so it was, at the November 12, 2012 meeting of the Snellville City Council, when Kelly Kautz played the race card in an apparent attempt to label other council members as racists. Although neither race nor ethnicity had ever been mentioned before in connection with a nomination, Kautz specified the race of only two of her 11 nominations that evening; she identified both nominees as African-American.
Her comments have left citizens and other Council members scratching their respective heads, wondering what prompted her inappropriate comments. It appears to me that the comments were just part of a procedural ambush, planned to discredit other Council members while attempting to position herself as a champion of diversity.
Kautz was already aware that one candidate would not be approved because he had failed to submit an application. Prior to his race being known or announced, Kautz stated that she was proceeding with his nomination in spite of objections about the nominee’s failure to submit an application. The matter could have been easily resolved by simply withdrawing the nomination and resubmitting it after the appropriate application had been filed. But that procedure wouldn’t have fit Kautz’s apparent ambush plan.
The second nominee that Kautz identified as being African-American does not live in the city and works in Atlanta. The position for which he was nominated is the city’s representative on the Evermore Community Improvement District’s board of directors. Questions about the applicant’s suitability for the position had absolutely nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that he has absolutely no stake in the city. Further, from conversations with the applicant, it appeared that his primary reason for applying was to form a business alliance amongst the companies along the Highway 78 corridor. An overwhelming majority of those businesses are outside the city limits.
But announcing a nominee’s race was only one part of what appears to be Kautz’s plan for the evening. As specified in the city’s Code of Ordinances, a motion must be made and seconded before a vote on a nomination is taken. (For at least the last 12 years, that’s the way it has always been done in Snellville.) Kautz attempted to circumvent that procedure, citing Roberts Rules of Order. However, the City Attorney advised her that the Code of Ordinance takes precedence and that a motion and a second are required.
That begs the question as to why Kautz attempted to change procedures. In my opinion, it has to do with trying to force a vote that could later be marketed as racially motivated. Instead, neither nomination came to a vote because there was no second to the original motions. That outcome doesn’t work particularly well when someone is trying to paint a picture of racism.
All forms of racism and ethnic prejudice are repugnant. And in my opinion, the most offensive type is wherein one person’s race is used by another as a platform for self-promoting political posturing.
Snellville’s population is indeed diverse, and as such, members of the city’s boards, committees and commissions should be as diverse as the citizen population they serve. However, the best way to achieve that is to first aggressively solicit applications. To assure that the best interests of all our citizens are served, applicants should be nominated based on their qualifications and willingness to serve. And when the time comes, I can assure you that all applicants will be confirmed based on the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
My apologies to anyone who finds the term “African-American” objectionable or offensive. It is used herein to preserve the accuracy of the comments made by Kautz during the Council meeting.
In response to:
SNELLVILLE A "new concept" RaceTrac service station and convenience store is coming to the city of Snellville and will be located on 2.21 acres at the southwest corner of Oak Road and Highway 124. The high tech, 5,928 square-feet store, will be only the eighth such RaceTrac in | <urn:uuid:78a1cfce-c4cf-4c2d-a34a-a331f37265d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/weblogs/daveemanuel/2012/nov/26/adventures-in-contrived-allegation-land/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980061 | 980 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Summary: Basic Chemistry is written in a style and language that students without science backgrounds can understand. This best-selling introduction to the basic principles of chemistry draws on the student's own experiences through analogies and cartoons to learn difficult concepts. The clear, systematic, thinking approach to problem solving has also been highly praised by reviewers and users alike. Basic Chemistry, Alternate Edition, covers only chapters 1-17. ...show more Features
More prices and sellers below. | <urn:uuid:a9edcb41-ac63-4b71-b61f-3a3c5317d65f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.textbooks.com/Basic-Chemistry---Text-Only-7th-Edition/9780133736304/G-William-Daub.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920874 | 92 | 3.265625 | 3 |
From Leopard Gecko Wiki
The word Eclipse refers to an eye trait where the eye is completely covered. There are three different forms in which the Eclipse trait appears. The forms are also unrelated. They are, Mack Super Snows, Tremper Eclipse, and Blizzards.
Mack Super Snows
One of the key traits which makes a Super Snow a Super Snow is the eclipsed eye. In the non albino version, the Mack Super Snows have two solid black eyes, seen at the right. In the albino versions, the Mack Super Snow eyes tend to vary from red to a deep ruby red.
The Tremper Eclipse trait randomly popped up in 2004 when Ron Tremper was producing the APTORs. The Tremper Eclipse eye is solid black in the non albino variations and red to a ruby red in the albino versions, as seen on the right. From the Tremper Eclipse, Snake Eyes.
Genetically, the Tremper Eclipse trait is recessive. When breeding two Tremper Eclipses, Snake Eyed geckos can be produced as well as Eclipses. If Snake Eyes are bred together, Eclipses can also be produced.
The Tremper Eclipse trait has also been crossed into a few different morphs, creating a few new combination morphs. They have been crossed with the Blizzards, as apart of the Diablo Blancos, crossed with the Super Snows as apart of the Super RAPTORs, and in the RADAR Bells.
The Blizzard Eclipse trait also randomly popped up in Blizzard groups. As of right now, there seems to be nothing genetically behind the Blizzard Eclipse. When breeding two Blizzard Eclipses, non Eclipse Blizzards can be produced as well as Snake Eyed Blizzards and Blizzard Eclipses.
Eclipse White and Yellow (Baronak). | <urn:uuid:fa01e130-cb98-4b7d-a6d5-c13c494608d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leopardgeckowiki.com/index.php?title=Eclipse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919899 | 381 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Considering the expression above is trivially small it would be easiest just to leave it as is. (My program doesn't mess around inside lists, it only tries to interpret free symbols at the top level of input.)
But I think I know what you are really getting at, because when the single letter symbols above are more complex expressions, converting the above gets much more difficult. The fact is, in a system where indentation is significant, you can't make arbitrary decisions about indentation to make the code look the way you want. So either you have to line everything up equally so you can't distinguish between test and expression, or you need to come up with some fancy indenting rules that somehow know what an if expression is supposed to look like. I don't particularly like the former, and I'm to lazy to really work on the latter, so that leaves us with just having the badly formatted if expressions. (Unless someone else can think of something. Maybe that discussion does, but I don't entirely have time to look through their archives right now.)
But at the very least I am having fun messing with Arc internals, so not all is lost.
Yeah, I don't know what to do about that one. I've been thinking about it for a while, I just didn't know that was what you were asking.
I can't see any way to make indentation show you need just a symbol and not a function call with no arguments. You could add symbols, but that works against the removal of the parentheses in the first place.
Its a bit of a hack but if you had a simple read macro for an identity function you could do it. (Quote doesn't quite work because it prevents evaluation.) But say you had a function identity like such:
(def identity (x) x)
And you defined a CL style read macro (e.g. $) to expand to (identity x). Then in my current function, because the read macro would expand before checking the subexpression to see if it was a list or not, you could do the following:
Which basically exchanges all the parentheses in the traditional version for a identity macro. Of course, it isn't exactly the same because you are adding extra meaning (the call to identity) to the expression. But maybe you could make it a macro instead of a function, and do the expansion at compile time (although this is dangerous because if you expanded the macro too soon you would defeat the purpose of using it in the first place...):
(mac identity (x) x)
On the other hand you could alway just use traditional s-expressions in the middle of significant-indent code. The goal is to make parentheses optional, not to remove them entirely. Sometimes it may just be more convenient to leave them in than take them out.
I just thought of another solution which might fix this problem without needing any special syntax characters.
If you consider that the reason we know to add parentheses around structures in the first place is the indentation of forms below the current line, then it is ambiguous whether a form with no nested forms should be wrapped in parentheses or not. If the system then does not assume the innermost forms are function calls, then it solves the problem of interpreting literals as function calls. Thus you can now do this:
(very-long-exp3 5 6 7 8)
Which cleans up many parentheses (removing all parentheses was never our goal in the first place), and doesn't result in the extra parentheses that were a problem before. | <urn:uuid:5fb46e44-2b31-45f3-8253-d05db54a8278> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arclanguage.org/item?id=1990 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957276 | 730 | 2.046875 | 2 |
|Waking up every day not knowing where she is, who the man is beside her, or how she got there, Chrissie Lucas lives each day relying on what others tell her. An accident over twenty years ago has left Chrissie with a rare memory disorder. One where she can't retain new memories and has lost many of her old ones. Relying on her husband, Ben, to tell her about her life and fill in the gaps, Chrissie lives each day anew. When neuropsychologist Dr Nash takes an interest in Chrissie's case she slowly begins to piece her life together. Writing in a secret journal every day Chrissie forms some sense of memory, but the pieces don't fit together. The book is often redundant, but towards the end a twist makes the book interesting. Not exactly a thriller, but it is frightening if you think about this type of memory loss a possibility. | <urn:uuid:4f993070-f9ef-4021-869f-96c7d185615b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carmel.lib.in.us/wrp/rate.cfm?idnum=20077 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958157 | 187 | 1.515625 | 2 |
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The same scientific advances that have led to increased local food production in the tropics have also inspired imaginative ways to fill the local animal protein needs of the rural people in tropical countries. Projects range from elaborate game ranching in East and South Africa to the development of simple facilities for restocking edible green iguanas in Central America. Not only have scientists successfully increased endangered animal populations through captive and controlled breeding, they have also been able to reintroduce these captive animals into their original habitats with considerable success.
In recent decades, animal breeding techniques have advanced to the point where embryos can be implanted between species within a genus. Thus, the relatively common eland antelope has been implanted with a rare bongo embryo and successfully carried to term. As our knowledge and skills improve, other rare mammals can be born to foster mothers to develop captive populations large enough for eventual reintroduction to their former habitats. Admittedly this is a slow and expensive way to maintain biodiversity and is clearly limited to a few mammal species. Such reintroductions, however, are worthwhile only if a reasonable facsimile of the original habitat exists. There is always the likelihood that all the essential components of the original habitat cannot be reproduced when the landscape is artificially restored.
The reaction of those attending and participating in the forum, however, seemed to support the idea that artificial restoration was well worth undertaking. We do indeed have an obligation to future generations to keep life on the planet as diverse as possible; for this participant, such is the principal message of this book.
What else did the audience learn from all these presentations? The scientists and scholars generally reported on work already published but seldom read by the layman. Judging from the questions from the audience, most were knowledgeable about the subject but undoubtedly learned many new details on all aspects of biodiversity, especially the magnitude of the problem.
Coverage by the major newspapers and journals spread the word beyond the forum attendees. The sessions closed with a national teleconference transmitted via satellite to more than 100 universities and other organizations throughout the nation during which the conferees questioned directly six of the principal participants. (An edited videotape of this conference is available from the National Academy Press.)
Although well publicized by environmental news standards, the critical messages generated at the symposium had to compete for the public’s attention with other seemingly more immediate problems, such as the threat of nuclear war, acid rain, and other global nest-fouling threats. World leaders, who must make hard economic choices, may be so overwhelmed by more acute problems that they may not choose to invest in the security of humanity by perpetuating biological diversity.
Despite the bleak picture of the threat of rapid extinctions, the technical advances in biology give hope for alleviation. Perhaps the symposium session most relevant to changing human behavior and to maintaining biodiversity was the last one: Ways of Seeing the Biosphere.
The concluding four speakers addressed the issue of human perceptions of and behavior toward the environment from the viewpoints of a poet, a theologian, a | <urn:uuid:080e8e53-1e2f-4986-8781-68c86640def9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=989&page=495 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947895 | 649 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Gone is the stark delivery room and administration of heavy duty anesthetics. Parents now have more choices than ever as to the environment into which their babies will be born.
With the growing openness of medical staff to complementary and
alternative therapies, now often called integrative medicine, moms-to-be are investigating and choosing new options for delivering their babies. In fact, so many parents elect nontraditional paths that "what used to be 'alternative' is now the norm," says Loma Ellis, nursing manager for California's Alameda Hospital Birthing Center. As a result, parents now have more birthing choices than ever before.
Giving Moms a Helping Hand
A doula, or birth assistant, is a professional woman hired privately by parents to attend their child's birth. A doula serves the role as support and coach for the laboring woman. The doula does not replace the role of partner, and, very importantly, is not a member of the health care team. She is present solely to attend the laboring mom. Usually trained and experienced in childbirth, doulas can serve as a stand-in when dad is not available. But doulas can be an asset for any mother; many parents hire doulas even if dad is present.
"The doula's a safety net," says Sandi Miller, RN, CD, owner of Before Birth and Beyond in San Jose, CA. "Whatever happens, whether it's a
or whatever, the parents know what's going on and the doula is watching out for them."
Miller, a certified member of Doulas of North America (DONA), says that a doula's main purpose "is the continuity of someone who is not only trained and experienced, but is there for you and has no other agenda."
Although doctors may not have worked with a birth assistant before, most doulas accompany moms to a prenatal visit in order to meet the doctor before the big day. Once the doctor knows the doula is there for support and not to replace or interfere with the medical staff, he or she is likely to welcome this additional member of the team.
Studies Support Doulas' Role
Studies also show that doulas—whose services start at as low as $100 for a doula-in-training and can go as high as $1000 or more—have positive medical effects on both mother and baby. A study published in the
British Medical Journal
suggested that doulas result in fewer cesareans and shorter labors for mothers, and a lower admission rate to neonatal intensive care for infants.
A review found that continuous support by a doula reduces
anxiety, shortens labor, decreases the need for cesarean deliveries and other forms of assisted birth, and reduces rates of
The Wetter, the Better
Water can smooth away aches, drain off tension, and float us to a state of bliss. It's no surprise, then, that moms who labor and/or deliver their babies in a birthing pool experience less pain and greater relaxation.
These benefits may be passed on to the infant as well:
- Less discomfort
—"If mom is having a positive, easy birth, it makes it positive and easy for the baby," says Barbara Harper, RN, director of Oregon-based Waterbirth International and the author of
Gentle Birth Choices. When the mother is relaxed, says Harper, the child spends less time in the birth canal and undergoes minimal discomfort.
- Less trauma
—Proponents of waterbirths also believe the method is less traumatic for babies. "Babies seem to be very relaxed. They open their eyes and focus on people," says Beah Haber, CNM, of The Birth Home in Pleasanton, California, who has attended approximately 200 waterbirths. However, there is no scientific evidence to document this opinion.
- Smoother transition
—The easier transition is partly a response to the relaxed state of the mother, and partly due to water's insulating effects, according to Harper. "The baby has hearing even
in utero, but it's muffled and muted…the same way it is underwater," she says. Underwater, the baby is protected from harsh lights, sounds, and even touch, and thus is more relaxed and comfortable. Again, however, scientific evidence is lacking.
Caution Regarding Waterbirthing
Despite the rising interest in water birthing, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has not been so quick to endorse this practice. ACOG does not feel there is enough information, specifically concerning rates of infection, to recommend warm water immersion as a safe and appropriate birthing alternative. There are concerns that a baby can develop an infection if he or she begins breathing while underwater and inhales the soiled birthing water.
"However," explains Marion McCartney, certified nurse midwife and director of professional services for the American College of Nurse Midwives, "most research has found that healthy babies do not gasp upon delivery, rather they do not take a breath until they are removed from the water and reach the air."
Studies have shown that there is not a significantly increased risk with waterbirth. Nonetheless, ACOG maintains that water birthing should only be performed under the strictest measures of infection control. And all experts agree that water birthing is only a consideration for healthy moms and babies.
Pain, Pain, Go Away
The bad news is that labor will probably hurt. The good news is that there are many nonpharmaceutical options when it comes to managing the discomfort.
The first step to pain management is relaxation. The tenser you are, the higher the sensation of pain.
"Get the woman to relax and her perception of pain goes way down," says doula Miller.
Relaxation starts with the environment. Even in the hospital, you can dim the lights, play soft music, light candles, or use
to create a safe feeling. The Birth Home's Haber says that lavender and sage are especially soothing scents. Other relaxation techniques include
massage, showers, and baths.
The mind is one of the most effective pain-fighting tools available. Hypnotism, visualization, and imagery are all methods moms have used for pain relief, and there is some scientific support for their use.
"The psychology involved in birth is pivotal," says Miller, who says relaxation tapes are also effective.
Acupressure and acupuncture have been studied as natural treatments for reducing labor pain. Each of these methods may offer some benefits, but more research is needed.
Although red raspberry is an herb traditionally used during pregnancy and labor, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effects of red raspberry in 192 pregnant women failed to find benefit.
The herb blue cohosh is sometimes recommended by midwives, but it is a toxic herb and should not be used.
Have It Your Way
When planning your baby's birth, investigate the options and be realistic about your personality and desires. Work with your doctor or midwife early on, and check policies of the hospital or birthing center you've selected (for instance, some may allow only family members in the delivery room; others might have policies against candles or other open flames). And be flexible; even the best laid plans can go awry. After all, babies have their own ideas about the way things should turn out! | <urn:uuid:c5c314e0-1023-4491-9ec5-1aab36e7021e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crouse.org/health/healthy/alternative/1999/altbirth/index/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960825 | 1,530 | 1.867188 | 2 |
The Nissan Delta Wing is no doubt one of the most innovative cars to come out of the racing world in a while, weighing about half of what other comparable race cars do and putting out only half the power, yet remaining competitive.
Nissan has been testing its new race car at the Sebring racetrack this past week, to delve deeper into what it takes to build a winning car. Learning from the project, Nissan hopes to inject some of the technology and ideas that are developed on Delta Wing into its everyday use road cars.
What the company is truly trying to do is revolutionize racing. Being such a highly competitive sport, we will have to wait and see how the Delta Wing does in a real racing scenario. The car will run the 24 hours of Le Mans, but it will be placed in its own experimental car category, and therefore will not really be competing. Though its performance at Le Mans will no doubt be a sign of things to come.
Watch the video below of Nissan Engineers discussing the Delta Wing Project.
Get the Flash Player to see this player. | <urn:uuid:e400ece0-091e-4c1a-a5b5-649b5a6f50c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03/nissan-delta-wing-is-incubator-for-innovation-video.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955119 | 219 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Expat Lankans, like expat Egyptians, should have voting rights
Sri Lanka has long experience in voting. Even under British rule, Sri Lankans enjoyed adult suffrage when they voted to elect members to the State Council in 1931. Ever since, Sri Lankans have used their franchise both for Parliamentary and local government elections.
It is therefore surprising that these facilities are not provided to Sri Lankan living overseas. This is the 21st century – we are in the new millennium of instant communication, thanks to Information Technology (IT).
Egypt will hold its first multi-party election on the 23rd and 24th of this month, and the country has already provided facilities for Egyptian expatriates to vote. Expat Egyptian started voting on May 12, and will continue for a week to vote at their respective embassies and consulates.
Now, is our Parliament going to debate this matter for eternity?
E. A. Vidyasekera
Callous bosses who care naught for their employees
It seems that employers in certain private sector companies, and even certain multinational companies, are taxing their employees to the limit, and beyond.
These poor employees are so loaded with work they can hardly breathe under the pressure. Some private sector organizations, unlike the public sector, do not observe mandated hours of work. They ignore labour laws and regulations. Such employers squeeze the maximum out of their employees, and give them a low salary, with no incentives or allowances.
Certain employers recruit on contractual basis, promising permanent employment, but even after one or two years the employees have still not been made permanent. After working with dedication and putting in long work hours, they feel cheated and consider looking for a job elsewhere. These employees do not know where they stand, and live in fear of being dismissed at short notice.
Some employers get rid of their so-called contractual employees by saying the company is being re-structured, and that such-and-such a department is to be closed.
These employees suffer in silence. If they complained of harsh treatment, they will be thrown out of the company. Many employees are forced to take unfinished office work home.
Even after showing so much commitment and dedication, they do not receive a word of appreciation for a well done job. But if they should slip up, or show any shortcomings, their superiors will pounce on them.
Not all private sector employers treat their staff badly. There are humane employers who are genuinely concerned about the safety, health and mental wellbeing of their employees, especially female employees.
But and until these callous employers start treating their employees in a humane way, thousands of staff will go on suffering.
Why shouldn’t Malinga seek greener pastures, just like other Lankan professionals?
The sports pages of your newspaper have run articles directly and indirectly critical of cricketer Lasith Malinga’s move to be a freelancer.
Let me relate a true story from a long time ago.
On the day our national side played a one-day game against England, I took a bus from Panadura to go to the SSC Grounds. At Moratuwa, a dark, tall and lanky cricketer, carrying a sports bag, boarded the bus. I tried to identify the player. We both got off at Bambalapitiya, and as we waited for the No 154/104 bus to go to Torrington, I started a conversation with the lad.
I was stunned when he told me who he was. As a member of the cricket squad, he has been named for possible inclusion in the final eleven for the big game. This national cricketer told me he walked one mile from his home to catch the express bus.
It took another 30 minutes to get from Bambalapitiya to the SLBC junction, near Longden Place. We headed out on foot to the sports ground, a walk of a few hundred metres. Neither of us could afford a taxi. As I could not keep up with the young cricketer, I urged him to go ahead. Before we parted, the modest Moratuwa boy told me he went for practice at the Cricket Board nets four days a week, and that he was out of pocket most of the time.
That was the plight of a national player and the economics of cricket once upon a time.
The match I refer to took place in 1974, almost four decades ago. It was a one-day, one-off, 45-overs game, against England (MCC). The team, led by Mike Denness (Tony Grieg was a member too), was en route to Australia. I paid Rs. 2 for a place in the covered stands.
The national player I met in the bus that day was the late Sarath Fernando. The Moratuwa pace bowler was one of those special sportsmen whose wealth was their commitment to the game and their sense of country before self. Sarath, who was always financially on a weak footing, passed away in 1990, having battled with cancer for some years.
By refusing to sign with Sri Lanka Cricket and instead accepting an offer from Middlesex, Malinga has only cleared the way for the rest of the team to go over the ropes as well, which they probably will after the IPL.
This is no cause for panic, given the circumstances and trends in an open economy. If it is acceptable for politically backed administrators to invade the SLC and chase away the pre-Test era greats who were doing an honorary job, it should be acceptable, indeed natural, for players to change their priorities. When professionals in other fields go looking for greener pastures, why bash cricketers for doing the same?
The type of administrators we now have are politically backed hangers-on who are both running and ruining the gentlemen’s game, and they have left the SLC, a once economically sound body, in debt to the tune of US$32 million.
Remember that Malinga was born in the open-economy, post-Test era.
K. K. S. Perera | <urn:uuid:005b34dd-d021-483e-a938-d45baac63355> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sundaytimes.lk/120520/Plus/plus_03.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970789 | 1,261 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Quite recently I was helping somebody out on MSDN forums with a question about Windows Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS). One thing that came up on that thread is how would one move their VMs from one subscription to another. There could be many reasons as to why one would want to do this. One possible scenario is that you started trying these features out in a subscription which was tied to your personal account and now you want to move that to a subscription associated with your official account. Another reason could be that you wish to move VMs from one data center to another (e.g. EU to US). I found one way of doing so which I am about to describe in this post. To be honest, it is rather a very convoluted process. If you think of better ways to accomplish this or if you’re doing it some other way, please let me know by providing your comments.
How it is accomplished?
Since the Windows Azure Virtual Machines are stored as page blobs in blob storage, mostly we’ll rely on the new asynchronous copy blob functionality to copy the blobs storing the virtual machines and data from storage account in 1st subscription (Source) to another storage account in 2nd subscription (Target). Then we’ll add these as disks and create VMs using those in the target subscription.
Again, I don’t really use VMs that much so I created a bunch of VMs using Windows Azure Platform Training Kit exercises. The one I followed is “Introduction To Windows Azure Virtual Machines” Hands On Lab. You can download the kit from here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8396.
Once I completed the exercise, this is how things look on the portal for me. Essentially I have 2 VMs – One for the web server, one for the SQL Server and 4 Disks – 2 for VMs and 2 for SQL Server Data and Logs:
If I explore my Blob Storage, I will see 4 page blobs in “vhds” blob container. For obvious reasons, I used Cloud Storage Studio
When I run my application, this is what I see in the browser.
Now let’s try and move this application to another subscription.
I followed the steps below to move my VMs from one subscription to another.
Step 1 – Copy Blobs
First we’ll copy these blobs into a storage account in the target subscription. To do so, we can make use of Asynchronous Copy Blob functionality. You can read more about this functionality on Windows Azure Storage Team Blog here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazurestorage/archive/2012/06/12/introducing-asynchronous-cross-account-copy-blob.aspx. I have also written a blog post with code sample to copy an object from Amazon S3 to Windows Azure Blob Storage. You can read that post here: http://gauravmantri.com/2012/06/14/how-to-copy-an-object-from-amazon-s3-to-windows-azure-blob-storage-using-copy-blob/ (You can download the source code of the Visual Studio project from here). All you have to do is provide appropriate values for various variables there. For “amazonObjectUrl” variable, you would need to provide the URL for the blobs. Richard Conway from ElastaCloud has also written a blog post about copying blobs across storage accounts which you can read here: http://blog.elastacloud.com/2012/07/04/copying-azure-blobs-from-one-subscription-to-another-with-api-1-7-1/. When copying blobs from source to target storage account, there are a few things to remember:
- Make sure that your target storage account is created after 7th June 2012 otherwise asynchronous copy blob operation will fail. If the target storage account is created before 7th of June 2012, you would need to first download the blobs on your computer and then upload them again as page blobs in the target storage account. You could use Cloud Storage Studio or any other storage explorer tool which supports downloading page blobs sparsely i.e. which only downloads the pages which are occupied or in other words downloads the pages containing non-zero bytes.
- Since the blob container holding your blobs has a private ACL, for asynchronous copy to work, either you would need to make that blob container public (not recommended) or generate a signed URL using Blob Shared Access Signature with at least “Read” permission on the blobs (recommended). Again you could use Cloud Storage Studio or any other storage explorer which allows generation of signed URLs.
After the copy operation is completed, I see the same 4 page blobs in my target storage account.
Step 2 – Create Disks
Next we’ll create disks from these page blob VHDs for our IIS Server and SQL Server. To do so, on the portal, click on Virtual Machines –> DISKS –> CREATE DISK and follow the wizard.
You would need to do for all 4 page blob VHDs. For the disks which contain the operating system, you would need to specify so by checking the checkbox which reads “This VHD contains an operating system”. Once you’re done with this, you should see the new disks in the portal.
Step 3 – Create VMs and Attach Disks
Next step would be to create VMs. To do so, on the portal click on NEW –> VIRTUAL MACHINE –> FROM GALLERY
On the subsequent screen, click on MY DISKS option and select one VM.
Once the VM has been set up and in running state, I can RDP into that box and see exact same settings as that of the previous one.
In my scenario, I will do the same thing for my SQL Server VM.
Since with the SQL Server VM in the 1st subscription we attached 2 disks (to store the data) we would need to do the same here as well. To do so, select the SQL Server VM and click on ATTACH icon on the bottom and choose ATTACH DISK option there.
In my case, I needed to do this 2 times as I had 2 data disks. Once I am done with all of these, this is what I see in the portal.
I was expecting to see my website up and running on my 2nd subscription but got an error instead. I guess the reason for that being my SQL Server VM (and hence SQL Server) was brought up before I could attach the disks containing data. I rebooted the SQL Server VM and once it came back up, I accessed my site and it was live and kicking!!!
Step 4 – Clean Up
Last and final step is clean up which is essentially deleting the VM and associated blobs from the source subscription. These are large blobs and you don’t want to pay for storing the blobs in case you don’t want to use them anymore. To clean up data from the source subscription:
- Detach the disks you attached.
- Delete the VMs
- Go into DISKS menu and delete those disks from there. IMPORTANT – Please note that deleting those disks from the portal doesn’t physically delete them from blob storage. This process just removes the locks (leases) from these disks so that you can delete them using any storage explorer. If you don’t need those disks anymore, please delete them to avoid storage charges.
- Now delete all the disks using a storage explorer.
In this blog post, we saw that how we can move Windows Azure VMs across subscriptions. Obviously my scenario was rather simple and the VMs were not in a complex configuration. By and large, this was all made possible by Windows Azure team’s foresight of keeping the virtual machine’s and other VHDs as page blobs in blob storage. Also having asynchronous blob copy functionality across storage accounts helped immensely by cutting down the blob copy time significantly. In my case both storage accounts were in the same region and I was able to transfer 4 blobs totaling 70 GB (30 GB + 30 GB + 5 GB + 5 GB) in less than a minute.
I hope you have found this information useful. As I said at the start of my blog post, if there are better ways to accomplish this please feel free to share by providing comments below. If you think I have made some errors and provided some incorrect information, please feel free to correct me by providing comment. I’ll fix those issues ASAP.
Stay tuned for more Windows Azure related posts. So Long!!! | <urn:uuid:95cd483a-b479-4483-8a78-d0471150f07d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gauravmantri.com/2012/07/04/how-to-move-windows-azure-virtual-machines-from-one-subscription-to-another/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92538 | 1,840 | 1.695313 | 2 |
It took nearly 3 years, but the United States Congress’ efforts to make the minimum wage more competitive have finally come to pass. The Federal minimum wage is now $7.25 per hour. Chanda Richards is the Sheridan Center supervisor for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. She says that last year, employers had to offer much more than minimum wage just to find employees, but now things have changed.
Washington chose to make the increase to over $7 an hour a gradual one. Last summer the rate climbed to $6.55 an hour, and this year it reaches the goal set by Congress.
The job market is depressed all over the country but there are jobs available in the Sheridan area. Whether a potential employee or an employer, the W-F-S office can help bring these two groups together. Click here to go to the workforce services website. | <urn:uuid:802609c3-63b9-48a6-9c35-ea4924fbb49d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/some-entry-level-workers-sheridan-will-get-raise-today | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960254 | 177 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Provide students an opportunity to network face-to-face with companies that otherwise they would not ever contact. To ease the fears of these college students that they can get a great job by offering opportunities to find employment with the companies attending. As a result, the attending companies can more accurately screen out the candidates that they want because the students will be relaxed and themselves.
The project benefits the attending companies because they find profitable employees without spending money to search for them. Also, it saves them money because of the date of the event being after the job fair. This project also benefits the students by bringing influential companies to them and provides insight on how they expect potential employees to be. The advice they will get will help them be successful regardless.
They would be taught ways to find jobs in large corporations, handle conflict problems such as mock customers, and solve problems that they would encounter in the workplace based on the genre of the company. A section of the round-table discussions will be a group situational mock interview.
This project has the potential to impact 8000 students. | <urn:uuid:24e56283-a64f-402a-8f23-cb073bccc221> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dosomething.org/webform-submission/726030 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966825 | 215 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Proper and safe disposal of RH commodities is critical as consequences of improper and unsafe disposal pose public health and environmental implications. UNFPA has developed a guidance document on responsible management and safe disposal of unusable by-products of UNFPA procured commodities. The Safe Disposal and Management of Unused, Unwanted Contraceptives provides recommendations on policies and procedures. The guideline should be useful for situations where commodities are: expired, counterfeit, have quality concerns, or are unused for various reasons
Furthermore, UNFPA is leading the development of a new standard by the International Standards Organization (ISO) on environmental requirements when manufacturing male latex condoms. As such, clearly defined environmental requirements for suppliers will gradually be implemented as a standard in all UNFPA procurement and quality assurance activities. | <urn:uuid:e489a207-83db-4f06-a6d4-c244211be72f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unfpa.org/public/cache/offonce/home/procurement/pid/10870 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903352 | 158 | 2.53125 | 3 |
It is essential that you have taken out an insurance if you intend to stay in Sweden less than a year. The Swedish authorities require you to provide evidence of insurance when applying for a residence permit.
If you are a European student you must bring your European Health Insurance Card, or E128 form, that is issued on request in your home country. You are then entitled to use the public medical services on the same conditions as Swedish citizens for emergency medical care.
If you come from a country outside of the European Union you have to buy a private medical insurance in your home country. There are reciprocal agreements for public medical benefits between Sweden and Australia and the province of Quebec in Canada. However, you should still consult with your insurance company on an adequate insurance policy.
As you will be staying in Sweden for some months, we recommend a medical check-up before you leave your home country. If you use medication, make sure that the prescription is valid for your whole stay. There are generally no vaccination requirements for entering Sweden. Temporary regulations may sometimes apply to travellers from specific countries.
Student In – Swedish State’s Insurance for Foreign Students In Sweden
Karlstad University offers a basic insurance in case of emergency for all exchange students, called the Student In (Swedish State’s Insurance for Foreign Students In Sweden). The insurance provides reimbursement for costs in connection with emergency visits and additional coverage for accidents that may occur during leisure time. The insurance also covers liability and legal costs. This insurance is free of charge.
All students from abroad who are registered in the national student record system, Ladok, at Karlstad University are covered by Student In provided that there is an exchange agreement between Karlstad University and the student’s home institution. Students who are not enrolled in a formal exchange programme may join the Student In programme individually.
Author: Ximena Deramond
The page was updated on 2011-04-20 16:09 | <urn:uuid:ce8f938c-7c81-4d90-a3ca-d4693c847906> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kau.se/en/ects-information-package/general-information-for-students/insurance | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959581 | 395 | 1.695313 | 2 |
One night, during the time I was writing The Mysteries of Isis, I had a dream of the ancient temples. A nighttime celebration was taking place, and I remember walking toward the high pylon gates, hearing music drifting out over the sands; the night was warm and bright with moonlight and hundreds of oil lamps illuminated the temple courtyards. Everyone was mingling together—temple staff and students, local residents, and a few merchants and travelers, all enjoying the music and dancing. The presiding priestess of the temple called everyone’s attention to a divine game about to be presented. She took hundreds of carved scarabs of all different colors and shapes, gathered them together into a net, and then swirled the net and scarabs above her head, suddenly releasing a corner and letting a rain of scarabs fall on the assembled crowd.
Whatever scarab touched us, that was the one that would be interpreted. My attention had been caught earlier in the evening by a young trader from far away, and now, the scarabs seemed determined to bring us together. One of the stone bugs bounced off of him, hit me, and then tangled in my robe. The resulting laughing efforts to extract our scarab attracted the attention of the high priestess, who came over to us. She noted that the shared scarab which had chosen us was one that indicated impending marriage.
From this dream, and extensive research into Egyptian arts of foretelling the future, I developed the Sacred Scarab divination system which has now manifested as the Egyptian Scarab Oracle kit and the book Sacred Scarabs for Divination and Personal Power. The kit includes the book, a pouch, and thirty scarabs designed and sculpted by Kerigwen.
I have always loved scarabs, and an ordination of mine was blessed by the spontaneous appearance of one which we passed from hand to hand. This dream seemed to be a special gift, a way of sharing the magic of scarabs. While today the ankh symbolizes ancient Egypt to us, in times past it was the scarab that was more frequently revered as a symbol of Egypt and of ever-changing life itself.
Khephera, the name of the sun in its form of a divine scarab beetle, is also the Egyptian word that means to become, to transform, to take on new shapes, new roles. It is a word of regeneration, of expanding the self and of taking on new forms, in life and in other planes of existence.
So when we hold a scarab in our hand, we are holding the essence of change and transformation. While the Egyptian Scarab Oracle can be used to foretell future trends, it is also ideal for bringing about personal change and growth. You are in charge of your own transformation; we are all self-created anew each and every day. You can passively accept the future as it weaves around you or, like Khephra going through the physical phases of transformation from grub to pupa to winged metallic beetle, you can choose to change and so alter the future. Any divination speaks to the person you are at that moment. Don’t like the future? Change the local present, which is yourself, and what is to come will amend itself.
One of the reading patterns given in the Egyptian Scarab Oracle is the Double Arc of Nut. This pattern can be used in two ways—outlining approaching trends and situations, or revealing the strengths and weaknesses already active in an individual. It is also very insightful in considering different careers or job choices.
When using the Double Arc of Nut pattern for this purpose, simply hold the thought in your mind that you wish to understand your strengths and weaknesses as you draw the scarabs. Remember, too, that few traits of character are entirely one or the other. Lay out ten scarabs in an oval before you. Picture an imaginary horizon line dividing the scarabs into two groups, five active above the horizon, five lying nascent below. All that is above the line is positive, active, and in use; all that is below it, is challenging, latent, or intuitive. In some cases, those positive strengths above need the compensation below.
Interpreting from left to right above the horizon, you find those traits that are most active now. The first two scarabs are “morning” scarabs—influences which are just coming into play. The key scarab is in the middle or noon position, where it shines over all others. The last two are “afternoon” scarabs—parts of you that are diminishing in influence, though still active. Continuing under the horizon, you find the evening scarabs, distant influences, deep parts of yourself just beginning to exert a pull. At the center, at the place of the midnight scarab, you find what balances, modifies, or diminishes your brightness above. Proceeding on, you find the scarabs of the approaching dawn—latent influences that may be about to break through and affect your everyday reality in a more potent way. Read all together, this pattern gives you a grasp of what is active and “above the horizon” in your life as well as what is concealed in mystery “below the horizon.”
As scarabs have always been used as amulets of protection and magic, the scarabs in the set can be carried to draw their influence to you. They can also be used to make traditional impressed images on foil or paper, which can be folded and carried for use as talismans.
Enjoy the magic of the mysterious scarabs!
Please note that the use of Llewellyn Journal articles
is subject to certain Terms and Conditions | <urn:uuid:0c01f2d3-a3be-4280-b0ee-091b478967ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/print.php?id=247 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956649 | 1,169 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Baden’s Bluff is one of the largest Human cities still functioning in the Last Age. It sits on the southern coast of the Sea of Pelluria, and is the main port used by Izrador’s forces sending troops and supplies south to aid in the fight against the Elves in southern Erethor.
The population of Baden’s Bluff is in the tens of thousands. Among those are over 100 Legates, a few hundred Hobgoblins, around a thousand Orcs, and maybe a thousand Goblins. Of the approximately 50,000 inhabitants of the city, likely at least 5,000 are slaves. The main players in the Resistance, by contrast, number around three dozen.
The city is still nominally in the hands of the Baden family. The Bastard Count Helrion Baden, raised by Legates, is the titular head of the city. His mentor, Lord Werner Dalmark, still supports him and seeks to advise him.
High Legate Cerano is likely the most powerful individual in Baden’s Bluff, but he primarily interacts with other Legates. When he intervenes in city affairs, he does not bargain, lie, or pretend to hide his contempt for others.
By far the most noteworthy denizen of Baden’s Bluff is Zaindal the Drake, a massive, horrifying flying creature out of the nightmare caverns of the north. It perches in the highest point of the city, an ancient, slender spire built by Elves long ago, and casts a pall of rot and dread over the city at all times.
The city sits on a rocky bluff of land stretching out into the Sea of Pelluria. On the northern and eastern side of the bluff are the main docks. The western side is dominated by the ruins of the ancient quarry that was used to build the city, long fallen into disrepair, where the most desperate squatters cling to a bare existence and fight with gulls for scraps.
Trade barges travel down a wide, ancient canal called the Aransway that goes south through the center of the city. Rather than construct a system of locks, the canal simply delves beneath the city until it reaches the Well, a vast vertical tunnel which uses a system of vast winches and lifting-chains to raise barges up to the center of the city to unload their goods.
Main Sections of Baden’s Bluff:
The Tidewood section of the city is where the human refuse huddles and the city meets the sea. this low-lying area is a tangle of shanties, huts and a few rickety inns, taverns and brothels. The long-abandoned Quarries are the most desperate part of the Tidewood, filled with refugees and beggars, haunted by street-toughs, and periodically swept by Goblin slavers seeking to round up the unwary. Along the eastern face of the bluff lie the Stone Docks, where ships from many other cities can be found, and where the resistance and the Shadow vies for influence. The northern face of the bluff is dominated by the rickety Worm Docks where hundreds of fishing boats can be found, daily going out to harvest the bounty of the sea.
The Bellows section of the city is it’s beating heart, including the slum section that rises from sea level to the heights of the city – The Steeps, the Well, which is a center for trade of goods coming up the Aransway, and Guildhall, the old center of the city’s trade guilds.
The Crown, the first citadel built to defend the city in case of attack, no an administrative center, is the highest point in the city. This section of the city includes The Spire, built long ago by Elves, some say, currently the home of Zaindal; Baden Court and the barracks of The Watch, as well as the Temple of Shadow, the center of Legate power and activity in the city, and the place the average person would least want to visit for any reason.
The Main Gate is in fact the only gate in the outer wall of the city. It is guarded by Hobgoblins, and all those entering or exiting the city are subject to inspection, including huge dogs trained to smell iron and steel. Outside the city proper, Orcs are often camped.
The Snarl is what is left of the many layers of ancient sewers dug at various times beneath the city. It only functions well in the Crown district – otherwise, it is a twisted, broken and mostly-unused tangle of tunnels, dead ends and stagnant pools.
Organizations in Baden’s Bluff
The Avenging Knives (Now largely defunct) | <urn:uuid:5f3acac7-adba-47ed-8f14-cad3df871103> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/baden-burning/wikis/badens-bluff | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952734 | 997 | 1.53125 | 2 |
6.2°in Wagga Wagga
The Bland Shire Mayor says he cannot fathom what more could convince the state government, the area deserves flood assistance.
In Ungarie, more than 70 buildings went under water three months ago and its residents are devastated at not receiving help.
On Friday the Council was told it is not eligible for Category C Natural Disaster funding as it is reserved for situations where the farming sector is severely affected.
The Mayor Neil Pokoney says in the March flooding, farmers had water across land never before inundated and he cannot believe that is not enough.
"We had farmers impacted greatly right across the east of our shire on Back Creek," he said
"We had over 300,000 acres under water out in that region alone.
"So as much so Ungarie has had the focus we can't forget the other parts of the shire that have been devastated as well."
Councillor Pokoney, says the council is disgusted the state government has decided not to grant the assistance to the shire.
Councillor Pokoney says the shire has been badly let down and some people believe a rally in Sydney may help, but others do not know what more could be done.
"When you have farmers suffer losses of over 1200 lambs, that was just in one situation alone, look if that can't get us over the line and if that doesn't demonstrate a farmer sector that's severely affected I just can't understand what sort of event we'd have to have to qualify," he said.
The Bland Shire is now looking at how to recover from flooding.
Councillor Pokoney says the council is not sure what to do next.
"The overwhelming response has been and quite sadly so I think, people have now reached the point where they're not expecting anything from government," he said.
"Even if it did come it was going to be too little, too late because this weekend marks the three month anniversary of this flood." | <urn:uuid:ea6064d9-7fcd-4e27-a55d-ce582e4d7f4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-04/bland-flood-reax/4050508/?site=riverina&source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985973 | 410 | 1.625 | 2 |
Helping young people reach their goals.
PIP regulations announced
Thursday 13 December 2012
Mencap is concerned about people who have lower level needs as the government announces new PIP regulations
The government has today (Thursday 13 December) presented parliament with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) regulations.
Under the Welfare Reform Act, PIP will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) next year. The regulations set out that, by May 2018, 600,000 fewer people will be in receipt of PIP than would have been the case under DLA – 450,000 of these are of working age.
Disabled people's minister Esther McVey told the House of Commons: "By reforming the system, ensuring it is fit for the 21st century, we can use the money we spend on disabled people more efficiently and effectively to help those most in need."
She added: "By October 2015 we will have reassessed 560,000 claimants. Of those, 160,000 will get a reduced award and 170,000 will get no award. However, 230,000 will get the same or more support."
The reassessment timetable will also be slower than anticipated. New claims will be assessed for PIP from April 2013 (in controlled areas), with a national roll out for new claims taking place from June 2013. October 2013 will see the start of reassessment, but the peak period of reassessments will be October 2015. There will be an increase in numbers getting both the enhanced rates of mobility/daily living components, compared to high rate care/mobility for DLA.
Mencap welcomes some changes to the regulations, but remains concerned that the assessment criteria do not allow for the subtleties of someone’s learning disability and the impact it has on the different aspects of their lives.
“While we welcome the fact that there will be an increase in the numbers of people getting both the enhanced rate of PIP for mobility and daily living, we are hugely concerned about those people who have lower level needs, but who will miss out on support altogether,” says Jane Alltimes, Mencap’s senior campaigns and policy officer.
“Looking at the assessment criteria, we believe that some people with a learning disability will struggle to accumulate enough points to reach the threshold for eligibility. We remain disappointed that there has been no work carried out by the government to look at the impact the loss of this benefit will have on disabled individuals, or the knock-on impact to other services like the NHS.”
The announcement on PIP follows the presentation of the draft regulations to support the introduction of Universal Credit, earlier in the week. | <urn:uuid:97d15053-3cb5-47c6-b391-65dbe0d06d3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mencap.org.uk/news/article/pip-regulations-announced | 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 | 0.958953 | 545 | 1.554688 | 2 |
We are a not-for-profit educational service for public and private school students and the program welcomes all kinds of groups. Up to 170 can be accommodated with all teaching, full room and board and just about everything you need provided during your stay.
The campus includes nearly one mile of beach, 100 acres of salt marsh, 200 acres of undisturbed maritime forest, freshwater ponds, and a freshwater swamp. Barrier Island facilities include classrooms, numerous outdoor teaching sites, arts and crafts building, climate controlled gymnasium, low ropes course, beach front recreation hall, lighted outdoor recreation field, a health center, full service dining hall and climate controlled beach front cabins with bathrooms.
The Barrier Island program is and always has been a ministry of St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center, located 25 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina on Seabrook Island.
Since 1980, the Barrier Island Environmental Education Program has provided public and private school students in Kindergarten through 12th grades a unique opportunity to learn about and experience nature in a way that is hands-on, memorable and a whole lot of fun. Our carefully designed program impacts over 8,000 school aged children each year by giving them the chance to discover the scientific world with all of their senses in an open and encouraging environment designed to see, smell, touch, hear and, yes, even taste lessons in biology, ecology, conservation, astronomy, botany and much more. The kids love it, and very often have their eyes opened to a world they have never experienced or understood before.
Barrier Island’s sessions run throughout the school year. Schools come for either a 3 day or a 5 day session. With over 25 years of professional educational experience, the program and naturalist staff have earned the approval and admiration of educators throughout the Southeast. Will your students be among those who get to share in this amazing experience? | <urn:uuid:39cd62d0-2db0-4e91-b5b9-7609cc43795e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stchristopher.org/index.php?BI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95564 | 385 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Saturn's mysterious moon may have airplanes in its future.
- By Tony Reichhardt
- Air & Space magazine, July 2010
ESA/NASA/JPL/University Of Arizona
In his 30-odd years designing aircraft, Rick Foch has, believe it or not, seen trickier problems than this one. His shop at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., has invented dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles of all shapes and dimensions, from a UAV that folds up in a Marine’s backpack (Dragon Eye, 2000) to a small drone launched from a Predator (Finder, 2000) to a winged radar target that can withstand 10,000 Gs while being shot from a ship’s gun (FLYRT, 1991).
Foch understands the difficulty of sending a robot airplane to fly, with almost no human supervision, for a full year in an alien atmosphere nearly a billion miles away—around Saturn’s moon Titan. But it’s doable, he says. You want tough? Try designing an airplane for Mars. Foch has done that too.
Of all the worlds in our solar system, only a few have atmospheres that would allow winged flight: Titan, Venus, Mars, Earth, and the outer gas planets. Aerodynamically, Titan is by far the best place to fly airplanes. Ralph Lorenz, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory near Baltimore, Maryland, who has made this exotic moon his object of study, calls it “an aviator’s paradise.” Never mind that it rains methane there, and is so cold that water turns hard as granite. Titan’s atmosphere is thick—four times as dense as Earth’s—and the pull of gravity is only one-seventh what it is here. That combination makes it ideal for generating aerodynamic lift, so flying on Titan takes far less power than a comparable flight on Earth.
Larry Lemke, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, started studying the problems of extraterrestrial flight in the 1980s. He well knew the terrible constraints that space engineers suffer every day—especially the tight limitations on power, mass, and volume. What he needed was a collaborator from the aeronautics world who wasn’t fazed by those requirements. “When I got into studying Mars airplanes, 20 years ago or so, I looked around to figure out who I would want to work with,” Lemke says. “I understood all the space systems, and am an aeronautical engineer, so I knew how to design airplanes. But the tricky part was how to design airplanes that have strange configurations and—oh, by the way—need to deploy in midair and fly away. So I went around to all the usual suspects—the Skunk Works, Burt Rutan, AeroVironment, and so forth. They’re all very, very competent airframe designers and builders, but almost none of them had ever built a folding airplane. And by that time, Rick Foch had already built eight or ten. All the vectors pointed to him.”
Lemke and Foch have been collaborating, off and on, ever since. Their most recent Mars airplane concept, called Matador, won enough NASA R&D funding to advance to wind tunnel tests in 2006. Now they’re working together on a proposal for a Titan airplane called AVIATR—Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance—which scientists at Ames and other centers are pitching as a candidate for NASA’s next $425 million Discovery mission, scheduled to launch in 2016. If selected (the winner will be chosen in 2012 or 2013), it will be the first airplane built for another world.
Titan is more than just a convenient place to fly. It has become in recent years a prime destination for planetary scientists. It’s the only world we know of, beside our own, with lakes of liquid (in this case methane), and due to its abundance of organic chemicals, some researchers consider it the perfect laboratory for studying the origins of life. After the European Huygens lander touched down on the moon’s surface in 2005, scientists immediately started planning a return. “Everybody was instantly talking about mobility,” says Lemke. A winged vehicle could cover a lot more territory than a rover, so the advantages of flying are obvious. And on a moon perpetually covered by clouds, an airplane flying under the haze could “do the equivalent of satellite reconnaissance.” Hence, AVIATR.
Foch, whose title at NRL is Senior Scientist, Expendable Vehicles, takes the same approach to designing a Titan airplane that he would for a drone launched from a ship or Humvee: “We always start with the container.” AVIATR would travel to Saturn packed in a clamshell-like entry capsule, which upon arrival would parachute into Titan’s atmosphere. The clamshell’s heat-resistant bottom drops away, AVIATR is released, and the airplane noses into the airstream and levels off. Its speed at deployment is leisurely—a mere 25 mph. (A Mars airplane, by contrast, separates from its parachute at nearly the speed of sound, then has to unfold and begin flying in a matter of seconds. Lemke calls it the “death plunge.”)
To get enough lift in the thin air around Mars, airplanes require large wing areas, making them “diaphanous and fragile,” says Lemke. But for Titan’s dense atmosphere, an airplane can be as stubby and rugged as a C-130—which, Lemke points out, can fly through a hurricane. The latest iteration of the AVIATR design has a delta shape with a 11.4-foot wingspan, sized neatly for a 13-foot entry capsule. “Compared to a Mars airplane, it’s wonderful,” says Foch. “We don’t even have to fold the wings.”
Once released in the atmosphere, AVIATR would fly slow hawk-like circles over the Titan landscape, taking photos and spectra of the surface, which would remain in constant sunlight. Depending on the target, controllers on Earth could direct the airplane to fly at different altitudes, from a low of two miles (safely above the mountains) to a ceiling of almost nine, where icing becomes a risk.
The mission would last a year or more. The technology that makes such a long-duration flight possible is a new type of nuclear battery called an Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator, or ASRG, which NASA is developing for the 2016 Discovery launch. Lighter and more efficient than the plutonium batteries used on current planetary missions like Cassini, the ASRG would drive the airplane’s pusher propeller, power the instruments and communication antenna, and provide heat when the outside air is minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit. | <urn:uuid:dd8aadb7-4300-4d41-898e-2324a9ea6c4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.airspacemag.com/space-exploration/Titan-Air-.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943467 | 1,477 | 3.734375 | 4 |
The Jakarta Post: November 8, 2011
Locals say that a recent survey, which reveals that most of the 691 slaughtered Borneo orangutans were eaten by residents, is out of context and misses the core issue.
Margareta Seting Beraan, of East Kalimantan, said the survey seemed to accuse the locals of harming the environment and endangering animals.
"We Dayaks are so disappointed with the report because it seems to discredit us. The report fails to understand the real forestry problems in Indonesia, particularly in Kalimantan," she said.
Margareta said orangutans were losing their habitat and thus occupying villages and harming people.
"We never harm orangutans unless we are forced to defend ourselves. The report should have highlighted the fact that orangutans are losing their habitat because more land is being cleared for plantations and mining companies," she said.
A consortium of 19 NGOs led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) conducted the survey from April 2008 to September 2009 to study perceptions of orangutans and efforts to conserve the animals, questioning 6,972 respondents in 698 villages across Kalimantan.
The report said that 54 percent of the 691 Borneo orangutans killed during the 17-month study were consumed by residents, while others were used for traditional medicine.
According to the survey, orangutans are also killed to trade the babies for pets. The survey shows that 70 percent of respondents are aware that orangutans are a protected species.
April Perlindungan, a member of the Dayak Ngaju tribe in Central Kalimantan, also questioned the result of the survey.
"The locals will never intentionally kill orangutans because the animals reside in the sacred pahewan zone of the forest. People are prohibited to touch anything in that part of the forest. The orangutans that are killed must be those outside that forest. I can guarantee that locals only harmed the animals to protect themselves," April said.
According to Dayak Ngaju law, the forest is divided into three different zones: the sacred pahewan zone where rituals are held, the saphean zone for hunting animals or collecting rubber and the kaleka zone for farming.
April also said that their ancestors taught traditional methods of expelling orangutans from villages without harming them.
"Just burn eggplants in the forest, and I assure you that the animals will follow the scent," he told The Jakarta Post, adding that knowing the trick, locals could easily trap and kill orangutans if they wanted to.
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) campaign manager Deddy Ratih told the Post that the study should have provided deeper insight into the causes of the conflict between locals and orangutans in Kalimantan instead of highlighting the fact that orangutans were eaten.
"The conflict is the result of clearing land for oil palm plantations and mining, which forces orangutans to leave their habitat. The core problem is that humans have damaged the forest and the animals in it," he said, suggesting that the survey should have pointed the finger to the government and plantations and mining companies that were responsible for decreasing the orangutans' habitat.
TNC previously presented the survey's findings at a press briefing, telling reporters that the orangutans were not killed intentionally.
The study found that some residents hunted orangutans because they had no choice after spending three days in the forest, while others killed them in self-defense. | <urn:uuid:71a6b4dc-93aa-428d-87fd-43ad41073949> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orangutans.com.au/Orangutans-Survival-Information/Residents-object-to-orangutan-survey.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9664 | 747 | 2.3125 | 2 |
by Theresa Notare
February 27, 2004
Children are the hope for the future. Their well-being should be foremost among society's greatest concerns. Every child deserves a mother and a father committed to one another in marriage.
The nature of marriage reveals to the world the wholeness of the human race, men and women who compliment one another. The marriage of a man and a woman and that openness to parenthood, go together — nature designed them to be that way. As with the nature of heterosexual intercourse itself, marriage is both unitive and potentially procreative. These two meanings of marriage are inseparable. And society itself benefits greatly from traditional marriage, because it provides the best environment for children.
Sociological data over the past twenty years demonstrate clearly that certain modern trends are injurious to children. For example, premarital sex and cohabitation involve no long-term commitment between the man and woman who engage in sex and become pregnant. Many children born of such unions end up living well below the poverty line. Divorce is another example and perhaps even more difficult because often one parent does not want to divorce and is forced to parent alone. While many single parents work hard to raise their children, they know how difficult it is to be both father and mother to a child. And the data continues to show that children whose parents divorce often carry great emotional trauma long after they have grown into adults.
The institution of marriage — the union of husband and wife is so important to the life and stability of a nation that there are laws to protect it. As the U.S. Bishops said in their recent statement, Between Man and Woman: "It is not unjust to deny legal status to same-sex unions because marriage and same-sex unions are essentially different realities." "The state," said the bishops, "has an obligation to promote the family, which is rooted in marriage. Therefore, it can justly give married couples rights and benefits it does not extend to others."
In all the rhetorical volleys in the media by gay activists, social commentators and politicians, few are talking about this essential piece of the marriage puzzle — the life and well being of children. Every baby comes into the world with the great possibility of contributing to society. And society has a vested interest in supporting traditional marriage. The family — husband, wife and children — is truly the foundational building block of society.
Theresa Notare is the Assistant Director of the Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning, Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. | <urn:uuid:d4481c8f-76fd-4433-b5c1-709e6da0d29b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://old.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/lifeissues/022704.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961274 | 527 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Adult Education & Literacy
State Grant Administration
The National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) is an outcome-based reporting system for the State-administered, federally funded adult education program. Developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL), the NRS continues a cooperative process through which State adult education directors and DAEL manage a reporting system that demonstrates learner outcomes for adult education. The project is being conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in Washington, DC. An NRS technical working group provides guidance to DAEL on NRS policy and projects designed to improve use of NRS data.
The NRS Guidelines include the NRS Implementation Guidelines and related documents used to assist State and local education staff in managing reporting systems. The NRS Implementation Guidelines, the core of the NRS, may be downloaded for printing or viewed online in a searchable format. In addition, a recent NRS Webinar provides details to changes made in late 2005. Related NRS documents provide information and changes from recent program years, including changes to NRS Guidelines for Distance Learners that went into effect in June 2007.
New Assessment Regulations PDF (4.2MB) issued on January 14, 2008 specify requirements for statewide assessment policies for the NRS that must contain certain elements and be submitted to and approved by OVAE each year. The regulations also describe how tests must be administered locally in order to accurately measure education gains.
Annual State Reporting Requirements
OVAE issues guidance on annual reporting requirements PDF (24KB) to eligible state agencies by October 1 each year. All reports must be submitted by December 31. Annual reporting requirements include:
- NRS Statistical Tables
- Narrative Report
- Assessment Policy
- Data Quality Checklist
- Financial Status Reports
State and National Data Reports
The reports, available on the NRS web site , reflect the current status of the NRS. They are either provided by the Federal government or were created by the project staff. | <urn:uuid:b69341ef-8be5-4a61-aa24-1f5085135d82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/accountability-reporting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939691 | 401 | 2.171875 | 2 |
New York, NY
The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University in New York City, also known simply as GSAPP, is regarded as one of the most important and prestigious architecture schools in the world. It is also home to the well regarded Masters of Science in Urban Planning, Historic Preservation, and Real Estate Development.
The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) has evolved over more than a century. It was transformed from a department within the Columbia School of Mines into a formal School of Architecture by William Robert Ware in 1881 -- making it one of the first such professional programs in the country. While the number of specialized programs being offered by the school has multiplied over the years, architecture remains the intellectual core of the school, providing the central focus for more than half of the students and faculty, in addition to conferring a unique identity onto each of the other affiliated programs. All programs share a commitment to both professional training and research. The curriculum and philosophy stress the necessity of analyzing and challenging the underlying history, premises, and future directions of the design professions, even as students are prepared to become accomplished practitioners in their respective fields of specialization.
Among the school's resources is the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, the United States' largest architectural library and home to some of the first books published on architecture, as well as the origin of the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals.
Recent deans of the school have included architect James Stewart Polshek and noted architectural theorist and deconstructivist architect Bernard Tschumi. The current dean is Mark Wigley.
Although the GSAPP is a strictly graduate and research-based institution, Columbia University operates an undergraduate architecture program in association with the Barnard College of New York City.
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY, US , 10027 | <urn:uuid:b6ab7d12-7734-4dd9-8b44-ae3d1cb1f15b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archinect.com/schools/cover/3109814/columbia-university | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958844 | 376 | 1.953125 | 2 |
|by Greg Slisz '10 • January 14, 2010|
The program kept participants engaged as it interspersed vocal performances from the MXI Singers and the Second Baptist Church Choir between readings from Dr. King’s Stride Toward Freedom and Strength to Love as well as Rosa Parks’ Quiet Strength. The excerpts, which tackled serious topics such as racism and oppression, were juxtaposed alongside energetic and hopeful renditions of African American spirituals. The MXI Singers, a quartet composed of seniors Edward Davis and Danny King, junior Deonte’ Singfield, and sophomore Reginald Steele, sang spirituals such as “Down by the Riverside” in multi-part harmony while the enthusiastic Baxter 101 audience kept time with their hands and feet.
Reverend Kenneth Wilson, a pastor at the Second Baptist Church. Reverend Wilson summarized the life of Dr. King through a Biblical verse from the book of John, as he quoted, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend.” This willingness to sacrifice himself for his cause, as well as the desire to lead without delegation, were two of the key qualities that made Dr. King such an outstanding leader, Reverend Wilson said.
Despite the emphasis on the past, Dr. King’s influence on the present day was not lost. “I believe that because Dr. King displayed the courage that he did at that particular time that today America has an African American president,” Reverend Wilson said. On a more personal level, Wilson added that King’s vision and drive were instrumental to his own success. “Dr. King had a dream, and because he had a dream, because he did what he did, I can.”
The evening reached a crescendo with a dramatic reading of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. MXIBS members read alternating lines while multiple members exclaimed some of the especially poignant lines in unison. King’s dream became a reality before the audience’s very eyes, as Wabash students of multiple races delivered the speech side-by-side with poise and conviction.
As the program came to a close, Dr. Jill Lamberton, a visiting English professor, offered those in attendance a parting blessing to continue Dr. King’s work. Quoting the Bible, she stated, “I would pray that you, you who stand for justice and fight for freedom will go out with joy and be led forth in peace. That the mountains and the hills will break into song for you, and that the trees and of the field will clap their hands.”
The day of celebration began this morning with a symbolic march across campus. Lake, assistant basketball coach Antoine Carpenter (at right), and retired track coach Rob Johnson all offered brief remarks. | <urn:uuid:668440dd-65bd-4b61-a7fd-05e32d0a81c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wabash.edu/news/displaystory.cfm?news_ID=7673 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968068 | 600 | 1.53125 | 2 |
WIRED NEWS OMITS PERTINENT INFORMATION FROM ARTICLE
By Thomas R. Horn
Two weeks ago a writer for Wired Magazine, Elizabeth Svoboda contacted me to let me know she was writing an article "about research advances using transgenic animals to produce pharmaceutical compounds." She had come across an editorial by me raising caution about this kind of experimentation, and wondered if I might be willing to provide points for her article, elaborating areas where I saw producing transgenic animals as potentially harmful. She stated that most of the scientists she planned to quote were "pretty gung-ho about the practice," and thought it would be important to provide some balance. I thanked her for the invitation, and sent a short summary of some, though not all, of the areas where concerns about this science could be raised.
When the article was published by Wired last week, I was surprised that none of my notes had made it into the story. When I contacted Elizabeth and asked why, she said, "Unfortunately, my editors cut your quotes (originally included in "Pharm Animals Crank Out Drugs") during the editing process." She apologized and said she hoped the experience had not soured me on dealing with Wired Magazine.
"It doesn't sour me," I assured her. "I just think the reporting by most agencies is lopsided and missing the opportunity to thoroughly engage such an important issue."
The Wired Magazine article was mostly positive about transgenic research and concluded with scientist Marie Cecile Van de Lavoir saying that potential human health benefits from transgenic research "justify tinkering" with nature's plan. "If a transgenic animal produces a great cancer therapy," she said, "I won't hear anyone saying, 'You shouldn't do that.'"
The shortsightedness of Van de Lavoir's comment was as scary as the science in my opinion, and in case anybody is interested, below is the short list -- by no means a complete list -- of areas where I suggested ethical issues could be raised about transgenic and related science and which need to be addressed for any balanced treatment of the field:
NUMBER ONE: What will the long term impact on the environment and health-related issues be? As we have seen with genetically modified crops, unpredictable things can occur when living organisms are modified in unnatural ways. Transgenics is one of the fields in biotechnology where the DNA of one species is blended with the DNA of a different species, thus crossing the species barrier, something that neither creation nor evolution allowed for. In the past I have cited laboratory results reported by Dr. Arpad Pustai and repeat verified by Irina Ermakova that showed GM food had surprisingly ill effects on the health of test rats, including organ deterioration, shortened life span and cancer development. The independent experiments led to the biotech industry suppressing the findings and an 8-year court battle with biotech corporations, who did not want the results made public. Just last week the suppressed report was in the news again as Greenpeace activists published evidence from the Russian trials verifying the ramifications of the negative health issues related to transgenic foods. Additional research on the significant health dangers represented by GM foods are archived at SeedsOfDeception.
NUMBER TWO: Transgenic research that includes inserting animal DNA into humans and human DNA into animals at the embryonic level could escape its control environment, thereby passing the altered DNA into nature. Once this happens it would be impossible to put the genie back in the bottle and could lead to hybrid viruses, prion contamination or new diseases that we neither can foresee or prepare for.
NUMBER THREE: Animal rights activists have raised questions in this area that have to do with the ethics of altering animals in ways that could be demeaning to them. For instance, creating zombie-like creatures that grow in feeder labs and gaze off into space from birth until death. Militarized animals that behave in unnatural, unpredictable ways. Humanized animals that become "self-aware," or animals that produce human sperm and eggs, which then are used in vitro fertilization to produce a human child. Who would the parents be? A pair of mice?
NUMBER FOUR: Questions are evolving now over "patenting" of transgenic seeds, animals, plants and synthetic life forms by large corporations, which threatens to impact the economy of rural workers and farmers.
NUMBER FIVE: Biotech "patenting" of human genes. Consider Michael Chrichton's piece for the New York Times last week "Gene patents aren't benign and never will be" in which he claims that people could die in the future because they might not be able to afford medical treatment as a result of medicines owned by patent holders of specific genes related to those persons. Some of these gene modifications and patents are growing out of transgenic research.
NUMBER SIX: Where biotechnology is ultimately headed in redefining what it means to be a human. I have been a guest on Dr. James Hughes Changesurfer Radio show (Hughes is the author of "Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future" and a professor at Trinity College) and I know that James together with other transhumanists (such as professor Nick Bostrom of Oxford University) speak eagerly of advances in human genetic modification including transgenics as the next step in human evolution, ultimately leading to post-humans.
NUMBER SEVEN: Redefining basic human rights. Dr. Hughes wants transgenic chimps and great apes uplifted genetically so that they will have basic human cognitive ability as a way of proving that certain cognition and not "human-ness" should be the key to constitutional protections and privileges. Such changes to intrinsic sanctity of human life could pave the way for such things as harvesting organs from people like Terry Schiavo, due to a loss of cognitive ability. Adopting such "personhood" theory based on specific cognitive abilities would be to deny what bioethicists like Wesley J. Smith (www.wesleyjsmith.com) champion as "human exceptionalism", the idea that human beings carry special moral status in nature and special rights, such as the right to life, plus unique responsibilities, such as stewardship of the environment. Some but not all believers in human exceptionalism base this concept on a biblical worldview: Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Others who do not necessarily have a biblical worldview are nonetheless concerned about the unnatural alteration of living organisms and the unknown repercussions.
NUMBER EIGHT: Transhumanist views of Biotechnology including transgenics are opening the door for a new eugenics and social Darwinism, which we already see developing in "Right to Die" laws and related issues. The whole idea of transhumanism is to use the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, mind-interfacing and related sciences to create a superior man. The result will lead to classifications of persons -- the enhanced and the not enhanced -- ultimately giving rise to a new eugenics.
conclusion, there are numerous other reasons to be cautious about
GM and transgenic fields. No doubt some positive advances could come
of genetic engineering, but the president's own former chairman for
his Council on Bioethics, Leon Kass has warned that this technology
is placing the animal and human species as well as other living organisms
on the operating table for wholesale redesign; that we are reinterpreting
what it means to be an animal, a human, a super-human or even a god.
Professor Francis Fukuyama, in his book "Our Posthuman Future: Consequences
of the Biotechnology Revolution" says this is the most dangerous field
of science in the history of man and could produce an extinction level
event for the human race, a Pandora's' box. For these reasons and
more, careful consideration should be given to the control environments
where fields of study are being made. That has not always been the
case, and given what we are seeing in open studies, it appears the
public is the guinea pig in some cases.
© 2007 Thomas R. Horn - All Rights
E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale
Over the last decade, he has authored three books, wrote dozens of published editorials, and had several feature magazine articles. In addition to past articles at NewsWithViews.com , his works have been referred to by writers of the LA Times Syndicate, MSNBC, Christianity Today, Coast to Coast, World Net Daily, White House Correspondents and dozens of newsmagazines and press agencies around the globe. Tom's latest book is "The Ahriman Gate," which fictionalizes the use of biotechnology to resurrect Biblical Nephilim.
Thomas is also a well known radio personality who has guest-hosted and appeared on dozens of radio and television shows over the last 30 years, including "The 700 Club" and "Coast to Coast AM." When looking for a spokesperson to promote their film "Deceived" staring Louis Gossett Jr. and Judd Nelson, "Cloud 10 Pictures" selected Thomas as their spokesperson to explain the Christian viewpoint on UFO-related demonology.
When the article was published by Wired last week, I was surprised that none of my notes had made it into the story. When I contacted Elizabeth and asked why, she said, "Unfortunately, my editors cut your quotes (originally included in "Pharm Animals Crank Out Drugs") during the editing process." | <urn:uuid:1f72e40d-a206-45eb-b317-3c065a5ceba3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newswithviews.com/Horn/thomas6.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95977 | 2,007 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Congressman Smith Recognizes UT's Win of an $18.5 Million NSF Grant
Nanotechnology developments will lead to product innovations and job creation.
Congressman Lamar Smith today (9/10) recognized the University of Texas for its work in earning an $18.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create and lead a nanosystems engineering research center. The Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy Technologies (NASCENT), will develop new nanotechnologies leading to product innovations and job creation for Austin, Texas and the nation.
"The University of Texas is a national leader for engineering and technology research and development," Congressman Smith said. "This grant award affirms the talent and skill of UT engineers and students, and places a greater share of our nation’s future products and innovations in their hands."
Congressman Smith serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and is Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee vice-chairman. He presently represents the bulk of the UT-Austin campus. | <urn:uuid:1488d100-942b-4462-8347-11e637fc6f22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.texansforlamarsmith.com/news_items/congressman-smith-recognizes-uts-win-of-an-18-dollars-5-cents-million-nsf-grant | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927242 | 220 | 1.578125 | 2 |
What is ASSIST?
ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California’s public colleges and universities and provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about student transfer in California.
You may consult with ASSIST to find out which of your courses articulate with Fresno State. You may contact us if you have any questions while using ASSIST. It is also highly recommended that you schedule an appointment to review your course works with one of our transfer counselors. | <urn:uuid:e64fbd86-0b57-4b25-8864-82d77140adf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/outreach/transfers/assist.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936677 | 128 | 1.632813 | 2 |
23 February 2011
A new Holocaust era restitution project has been launched with the aim to identify the victims whose assets were confiscated by the Nazis. Project HEART, an initiative of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) with the support of the Government of Israel and the Holocaust Era Asset Restitution Taskforce, aims to provide the tools, strategy, and information to bring about a small measure of justice to eligible heirs of Jewish victims, the victims themselves, and the Jewish people.
The project focuses on identifying individuals with potential claims regarding the following types of private property for which no restitution was received after the Holocaust era, inclduing private property located in countries that were controlled by the Nazi forces or Axis powers during the Holocaust era, private property that belonged to Jews as defined by Nazi racial laws; and private property that was confiscated, looted, or forcibly sold by the Nazi forces or Axis powers during the Holocaust era.
"Many victims of the Holocaust returned to their homes to find that they had no ability to recover their own property," said JAFI Chairman Natan Sharansky, adding: "Project HEART is a general comprehensive program that is launched to gather information with the eventual purpose of receiving compensation for property looted, stolen, or forcibly sold during the Holocaust."
Jewish Shoah victims and their heirs worldwide whose families owned movable, immovable, or intangible personal property that was confiscated, looted, or forcibly sold in countries governed or occupied by the Nazi forces or Axis powers during the Holocaust era are eligible. The only limitation for application is if restitution has been made to a victim or the victim's heirs for that property after the Holocaust era; then they are not eligible for further restitution in connection with that property.
"It is not necessary to have evidence of property ownership to be eligible to apply. If individuals believe they owned or were beneficiaries of such property, they should fill out the Questionnaire," stated project director Anya Verkhovskaya. To participate, individuals only need to fill out the questionnaire that may be found on the project's website, which then be processed based on agreements with relevant governments or authorities in their efforts to achieve restitution.
We welcome any comments you may have on this article.
Comments are moderated and we reserve the right to edit or remove any which are derogatory or offensive.
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New teacher hiring, firing laws take effect
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.
Terrebonne Parish teachers will find it harder to get tenure and easier to get laid off after the School Board overhauled its policy manual Tuesday night.
The sweeping changes, which deleted swaths of board policy governing how the school system hires and fires its employees, were largely a formality — board members had little choice but to bring their rules in line with new state laws.
“This is not something we proposed. This isn’t even something we wanted,” said board member Roger Dale DeHart. “But we didn’t have the choice. The state has come down and told us this is how it’s going to be, and we have to do what they say.”
Pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal and approved by the legislature, the new rules make it more difficult for teachers to get tenure.
Previously a teacher earned tenure after three years of service in the school system. To earn tenure now, a teacher must earn a “highly effective” rating on the state’s new COMPASS evaluation system five years in a six-year period.
COMPASS uses student scores on standardized tests and principal evaluations to judge a teacher’s job performance. The system hasn’t been around long enough to accurately judge how many teachers might earn the “highly effective” rating.
Teachers who have tenure will keep it, though any teacher who gets an “ineffective rating” will lose tenure.
Without tenure, teachers can be let go seven days after receiving a letter stating reasons for their firing. The process for tenured teachers takes longer and involves stricter oversight.
Among other things, the changes also place decisions for who to hire, who to fire and where a teacher should be assigned solely in the hands of principals and the school superintendent.
The board’s actions on Tuesday mean those rules are now school policy and begin immediately.
Jindal and his legislative allies argue the changes will let school administrators place teachers where they can be most effective and reward teachers who are best serving students, while allowing them the flexibility to remove teachers who aren’t effective.
Those changes have some teachers upset. At Tuesday’s board meeting, teacher Kenneth Fountain, who sits on the school system’s employee representation committee, told the board he didn’t agree with the changes.
“These are changes to our contract in the middle of a school year. We don’t think it’s fair,” Fountain said. “The state has decided to put the blame on teachers, and we don’t think that’s right.”
Several board members said they wouldn’t be implementing the changes had the state not forced their hand.
“I understand why teachers are upset. I’m upset too,” DeHart said. “These changes are so big and happening so fast. It’s a like they were bought by a new company and all of a sudden that company was taking away their vacation time or making changes like that.”
DeHart said he thinks teachers should be especially worried because everything is happening so fast.
“A year ago I said they made the biggest changes to schools ever. Well, that was going to kindergarten compared to this year,” DeHart said. “Jindal and his administration have changed more than anyone else faster than anyone else. It’s coming so fast we almost don’t know what to do with it.”
Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at firstname.lastname@example.org.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:1e33fd22-7f56-485c-abbf-721421073feb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20120920/ARTICLES/120929970/1015/living | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971395 | 827 | 1.585938 | 2 |
From Our 2012 Archives
Why Stress Might Make You Sick
Latest Mental Health News
That would appear contradictory, because the immune system creates inflammation (for example, the redness around a wound) to help the body heal. But the research suggests that high and long-term levels of stress contribute to inflammation.
The research "suggests the kind of diseases that are going to be affected by stress," said study lead author Sheldon Cohen, professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "They're diseases in which inflammation is a key aspect."
Over the past five to six decades, researchers have linked stress to disease, Cohen said. "There's not much question that stressed people are at greater risk for developing some of these diseases or having them become more severe. A little bit less clear is exactly how that happens. How does stress get under the skin to affect disease outcomes?"
One possibility is that stressed people are simply unhealthier -- smoking and drinking more and sleeping less. In that area, the challenge is figuring out which came first, stress or unhealthy decisions.
The other possibility is that the body's hormones that respond to stress play a role.
In the new study, investigators performed two experiments, involving more than 300 people, to gain more insight. The researchers asked the participants about the stresses in their lives and then exposed them to cold viruses to see if they got sick.
After adjusting the statistics for various factors, the researchers found that people whose bodies had higher levels of ongoing psychological stress -- such as that caused by divorce -- were less able to dampen inflammation. This seemed to have something to do with their immune cells being less sensitive to a hormone that turns off inflammation.
The people with more stress were also at higher risk of developing a cold, according to the report published online April 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Andrew Miller, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine who studies how stress affects the immune system, said the research "provides a very concrete example of how chronic stress and its effects on the immune system can affect our daily lives in a very real-world context."
However, this is just part of a wider picture of how stress affects the body, Miller cautioned.
"In ancestral times, a stressful environment would have a high likelihood of involving some form of fighting and being wounded and thereby infected," he said. "Inflammation is a process in the body that is essential to fighting infections and healing wounds. Therefore, the induction of inflammation by stress is a way for the body to prepare itself for battle in an environment that represents danger of attack."
While the study uncovered an association between chronic psychological stress and inflammation, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCES: Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh; Andrew H. Miller, M.D., professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; April 2, 2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online
Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:cd5ad3f1-a3bf-46c7-9810-bfd771d3a836> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=156678 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95844 | 653 | 3.28125 | 3 |
The scholarship is funded by contributions by Seattle-area Fellows of the American Institute of Architects and AIA members.
Posts Tagged ‘Landmarks’
Writers often dream up worlds that are very similar to our own but have fundamental differences that shine a light on what’s wrong with ours. Thomas More’s Utopia and Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels come to mind.
Oakland has long been San Francisco’s ugly sister derided for its crime and Gertrude Stein determined that there was no there, there.
It is a small city and it has had its share of issues with crime. But there is a great deal of natural beauty, cultural and compelling architecture not to mention some fantastic historic landmarks.
What makes a trip to Oakland revealing is what its urgent desire to create more multifamily housing in the downtown area. There don’t seem to be the debates we have in Seattle about whether we have growth and whether Seattle should accommodate it. Instead former Mayor Jerry Brown developed the 10K Initiative which set as a goal to create 10,000 new units of housing.
Shocking! Imagine a housing agenda with an actual numerical and geographic target. And add to that the fact that the projects that are listed range from subsidized low income housing to large mixed used projects like the one on 23rd and Valdez Street. The amazing and historic Cathedral Building is also being converted to condominiums.
My walking tour of these projects took the better part of a day and some of the projects were completely ugly, others run of the mill and some appeared to really be reaching for new ground in design and function.
The sad thing is the effort may not be working. The flailing economy and the uphill climb to reverse the doughnut effect is creating a high vacancy rate—at least anecdotally. Some locals say they are the ones that should be living in the new units, but Oakland just doesn’t work for them.
So while some in Seattle want to shut the door behind them and keep out new growth, or nickel and dime developers with disconnected housing goals (How many? Where? Why?) Oakland is actually going out of its way to identify under utilized parcels and recruit efforts to build housing on them. I am
sure Oakland wishes it had our problems. And the Lesser Seattle folks, I’m sure, wish we had theirs.
The Southwest Design Review Board will check in tonight on a strangely familiar West Seattle development.
The project is at 3811 California Ave. W. The developer initially proposed tearing down the Charleston Court building to build an entirely new project. Then, partway through design review, Charleston Court was nominated for landmark status. The project went on hold for a year.
The landmark board voted in April against landmarking the 1927 building, designed by William Whiteley, clearing the way for demolition. (Original building shown above.)
But the developer is back with new plans that will give the neighbors deja vu.
The rear portion of the old building would be torn down, but the developer wants to use that brick to create a new building front between the wings.
Steven Butler and Paul Cesmat bought the building in 2007. Project architect is Nicholson Kovalchick.
She remembers taking the ferry from Madison Park to Kirkland for her first reporting job, and said the streetcars that criss-crossed the city cost a nickel each. Bellevue was a meadow, she said, while Kirkland was a vibrant little town.
Gray worked for Architecture West for about 20 years and led Relta Gray Associates for nearly 30 years. She also founded Environmental Design West and edited Northwest Architect.
I spoke to Relta about how today’s Seattle compares with that town of old and about her memories of earlier Seattle architects. Here’s a selection from our conversation.
Q. How has downtown changed?
A. To me, it seems like when I go downtown I begin to feel like I’m in New York or Chicago. I do like the energy of going downtown and feeling people around, but if feels like we’re taking away the whole character of the Northwest with the way they’re putting all these high-rises up and crowding it all together and taking down some of the little stores and things you always enjoyed.
Renovation of the historic Arctic Building is nearing completion.
(Quick, before you click the link above, name the architect. Hint: He also designed the old King County Courthouse.)
The Arctic Club Hotel will celebrate its grand opening in May, according to the Web site for Summit Hotels & Resorts. Summit bought the walrus-adorned historic building from the city in 2005 for $5.1 million. Check out a slide show of rooms and more here.
The city purchased the Arctic and the Alaska Building in 1988 for more than twice their 2005 selling price.
Summit has been busy converting the 1916 social club turned office building into an upscale hotel. The landmark building at Third and Cherry needed a full seismic upgrade in addition to repairs and refurbishments.
It’s been fun to see the building getting spruced up for its new purpose. Check out the room design here, and get a glimpse on the left of the refurbished ceiling and chandelier.
The building is no longer limited to those who made it big in the Alaskan Gold Rush, but rooms start at about $250 a night.
(Fun fact, from Jeffrey Ochsner‘s “Shaping Seattle Architecture:” The Arctic Building’s Architect, Augustus Warren Gould, had no academic training and transferred from the contracting business to architecture in the late 1890s.)
I’m sure I’m not the only one here who remembers pushing past other kids to make it to the top of the tugboat at Bellevue Square. While I’m not proud of all the things I did when confronted with that tugboat teeming with other determined kids, it was a memorable part of growing up in the Northwest.
The Square is renovating the tug’s old home on the first floor and the tug has been removed, but according to the Square’s Web site, the tugboat will be getting a new play area on the third floor this fall.
The new play area will have a seating area, and the tugboat and smaller ferry boat will both be moved there. The Square’s site says the new play area will also have “added structures and nautical-themed elements for playing and climbing.” And room for a little pushing, I expect. | <urn:uuid:75d65ae0-6b91-4fd3-ad91-21b78b0323ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.djc.com/blogs/SeattleScape/tag/landmarks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959192 | 1,375 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Climate Alarmism and The Prat Principle.
I’d like to introduce you to one of the great discoveries of my life, the Prat Principle. Before doing so, I’ll have to ensure we have a common understanding of what exactly a prat is, prior to sharing it with you, together with some related tricks and tips.
Prat is one of the great words in the English language. You occasionally see it spelt with a double T but I feel that’s just gilding the lily. Disappointingly, its use doesn’t appear to have spread much outside the British Isles and Australia, so perhaps this piece might move its usage a little more onto the global stage. It’s such a useful word, it deserves that. Certainly, in other parts of the English-speaking world, there are terms that come close to its exact meaning but none are really accurate synonyms, which I’ve always been surprised at. I’m thinking here of words like Klutz, Drongo, Dork and Galah, which get close but don’t quite ding the bell.
While it’s a term of disparagement, with a rather specific and particular meaning, it’s not classed as a swear word. It’s not just labelling someone as stupid, which it certainly does, but also that they are arrogant and blithely unaware of how pompous and ridiculous they appear to everyone else.
If you consult the Urban Dictionary, you should get an idea of the shades of meaning attached to it; “clueless person of arrogant stupidity”, “Basically someone who’s a major idiot, or is delusional and dumb. Acts against logic and thinks he’s self-righteous”, “Someone who is full of themselves and, almost invariably, stupid as well. With a hint of deluded.”
It’s the complete equal-opportunity insult; black, white, yellow, Jew, gentile, Muslim or Hindu – anyone can be a prat. Though it’s actually a gender neutral term, its usage is mainly directed at men, since they appear to have a greater propensity for acting like one. Intellect is no barrier to being a prat either. As a matter of fact, it’s people who’ve had some education or at least think of themselves as some sort of intellectual, who are most prone to acting like a prat.
It’s most commonly used in the phrase “What a prat”, uttered with feeling by one person to another, when the prat is safely out of hearing distance. Dependent on how big a prat they were, the R is rolled more. The prat of course, is blissfully unaware that everyone else thinks they’re a prat. A milder admonition, is to tell a friend to stop “acting like a prat”, when they’re being foolish in a proud and self-righteous way. Notice they’re not accusing their friend of being a prat, but acting like one; it’s usually enough to shock them out of it. However, condemning someone as a “complete prat”, is a bit like saying they’ve got irreversible brain damage. It’s an incurable and permanent condition.
I think after that lot, we should all be on about the same page, when it comes to our understanding of such a useful word.
Being a good prat spotter saves you lots of time. Seriously.
An ability to detect prats quickly is one of those essential life skills that inexplicably, nobody ever teaches you about in school. Sometimes you can pick them out at a great distance and that’s a real life saver.
Long distance prat spotting is a difficult and subtle art which really can’t be taught in a modest blog piece like this but I’ll try to give you some rough guidelines. It’s a bit like the way astronomers used to discover new planets in our solar system. It wasn’t that they could actually spot the planet itself, but that they could detect the effect it was having on the orbits of the other planets they already knew about. You see a group of people talking and all but one of them is periodically looking over their shoulder for any escape excuse. The one doing all the talking and not looking around desperately for some way out, is of course, the prat.
You see them across a crowded room at a party, where they’ve gradually backed some poor individual right across the room and up against the wall, and having ensured they’re now trapped, are boring them to death with their well-meaning earnestness. Don’t ever catch the eye of their hapless victim, because you might be tempted to mount some sort of humanitarian rescue mission, which will only get you pinned as well. You’ll become the fresh meat, while the original victim grabs the escape opportunity with both hands to artfully skip away. If your conscience starts to hurt, just keep sending the victim over lots of strong drink. Finding some refuge by drinking yourself into a mild stupor in such circumstances is understood and generally condoned by polite society. Needless to say, you should never risk taking them the drink yourself.
There can often be certain visual markers, plainly visible from afar. They’re mainly connected with a dysfunctional dress sense. They tend to wear an extra or curious item of clothing which makes them look silly but you just know, they absolutely think it somehow makes them chic, exotic or at least different. It’s that bad hat or overly loud tie or the wrong livid colour of hair dye or blasts from the past, like wearing bell-bottom trousers. It’s the sartorial manifestation of that same blind spot of self-reflection, inherent in being a prat.
There is a more subtle visual tell-tale sign but you have to be pretty sharp to spot it; it’s a mannerism of holding their chin up a little higher than is normal. It’s body language denoting their sure and certain knowledge that they’re more noble and therefore more caring about us poor children of a lesser God. It tends to be more pronounced in photographs.
It’s perhaps my imagination, but I swear to God, a lot of them don’t appear to blink much.
On the audio front, their voice will usually be a tad higher than any other in the conversation. Should you inadvisedly query any of the knowledge they’re patiently feeding you, it’ll rise even further because of something called escalation, which I’ll explain about later, and your days of finishing a sentence without being either interrupted or simply talked over, are over. Short of feigning an attack of the vapours or a coronary, you’re pretty much buggered at that point. You’ll know this for sure, when a steady stream of drinks starts arriving from your so-called friends.
It’s well worth working on your long distance prat spotting skills though, because they’ll prevent you having to use your close up and personal spotting techniques, which are usually too late to be of any use. By that time, you’re already in trouble. It becomes an escapology problem rather than a prat spotting one.
If you do get buttonholed by one, then you have to fall back on your own particular coping mechanisms. There’s a lot to be said for listening to your natural fight or flight response, the latter being invariably the right course. There are many ways you can do this and over the years, I’ve become rather good at it, though I say it myself. I’ve had a lot of practice, since I look eminently normal, rational and reasonable, which for some reason that has always eluded me, means I am a magnet to a variety of prats, determined to convince me of the merits of various dubious propositions. I’ll share with you a selection of my favourite escape techniques, which through necessity I’ve had to develop. Please feel free to share any good ones of your own as a comment.
Pretend you’ve just been hailed by someone out of their line of sight and quickly make your escape. The only preparation it needs is to physically rotate the conversation, by gradually shuffling left or right, until their back is to the door you plan to escape out of. Timing is critical on this one; wait until you see someone just exiting the room by that door, shout “Okay, okay I’m coming” loud but not too loud, a slight exasperated “some-people” roll of the eyes, make a hurried apology and head in the direction of the same door at a brisk catch-up walk. If you get it exactly right, the prat turns just in time to see you hurrying after your assumed friend’s back.
You can also get an important business call on your mobile, which with a hurried apology, you’ve absolutely got to take in private. Your phone, of course, is on silent ring, irrespective of whether it actually is or not. It may not even be switched on.
The venerable toilet excuse is always available but it somehow comes with the downside that out of common politeness, you feel slightly duty bound to return to wherever you were before your pit stop. This forces you to hide yourself in the toilet for at least ten or fifteen minutes with people banging on the door, in the hope that you’ve given them enough time to get bored with waiting for you and move off to persecute someone else, before you eventually reappear.
The one time when escape is virtually impossible, is in business meetings. If there’s a comfort to be found in the situation, it’s the shared misery with your fellow sufferers trapped in the room. The hell of it is, you so often have to sit and listen to them, just to get to the people who will be saying something useful. I tend to wait until they use a longish word, which is usually a short wait, and start working on its anagrams. Doodling can help.
Prats always have a cause and it’s always a very fashionable one. Once in a while, the cause is quite obscure but it’ll always be stylish. Within a few minutes of first meeting them, they’ll have moved the conversation around to it, just to impress on you how very special a person it is you’re meeting. That crowbar gear change in the direction of the conversation, usually sets off the alarm bell but by then you know it’s too damn late. It’s time to start work on an exit strategy.
They tend to suffer from what psychologists call escalating behaviour patterns. They can somehow sense there’s something wrong in the reception that greets their monologues. What the ordinary sane person would interpret as blank stares of badly concealed incredulity and stunned silence, they somehow see as a failure on your part to understand the vital importance of what they’re telling you. To help you out, they repeat, simplify and exaggerate every point and the delivery becomes more and more dramatic, which stuns their audience into silence even more, so they exaggerate even further. By the time you meet them for the first time, they’ve long ago reached the Nth exaggeration. It can be quite a bracing experience.
Climate alarmists, especially the prominent ones, are prime examples of being a prat. Because they’re on a mission to save the entire planet, it’s pursued with an almost religious zealotry, which in conjunction with escalation, forces them to say increasingly ludicrous things, to get us to recognise how important that mission is and how noble they’re being.
It’s probably not a view shared by many people on the climate realist side, but I consider such people to be real assets in our struggle. The number of ordinary people they can totally alienate with their wild claims is extraordinary, not to mention the rather guilty pleasure I take in watching their own supporter’s sharp intake of breath, every time one of them gets anywhere near a public podium. You can nearly read their thoughts – “Oh God, what are they going to say now.” I think of them as liabilities best left in place, to wreak the damage, which both their egos and personalities will inevitably compel them to do.
I thought at this point, I’d throw in a few world-class quotes by such people, simply by way of illustration, but it’s such a target-rich environment, it’s very difficult to pick out the choicest ones. From Al Gore’s “..because the interior of the earth is extremely hot, several million degrees…”, to James Lovelock’s “billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic, where the climate remains tolerable”, to James Hansen’s “The Oceans will begin to boil…”, to Gordon Brown’s “We have fewer than fifty days to save our planet”, to Dr David Viner in 2000 “within a few years winter snowfall will become a very rare and exciting event. Children just aren’t going to know what snow is”, and back to good old Al in 2008 “The entire north polar ice cap will be gone in 5 years” - they are all splendid examples but you’re cordially invited to share your personal favourites as comments.
Think of it as an opportunity to deploy that unique weapon which we possess and they don’t, a real sense of humour. I’m looking for the best of the best, Mirimar, the top gun of quotes made by climate prats. Bring me the crème de la crème of “your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” of quotes, here to be saved for history and the enjoyment of future generations, as yet unborn. Bring them to me, bring them to me and I will give the poor wretches a loving home and care and tend for them dutifully. They will be my gift to posterity.
You can spend a lot of time listening to a prat, and when you think it over in retrospect, whatever it was they were saying, it always turns out to be not just drivel but wrong. It’s one of the few things about human behaviour I can say always about; it’s always useless drivel and it’s always wrong. The big payback is that having developed your skills in prat spotting, you can then concentrate on escape and evasion, away to much more interesting people. That’s the prat principle really - they never say anything significant, they’re always wrong and you can ignore them completely.
So there you have it, the Prat Principle. It’s saved me years of wasting precious listening time.
Related articles by Pointman: | <urn:uuid:5cdb39ae-9022-43aa-8fa7-ba59434e6403> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thepointman.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/climate-alarmism-and-the-prat-principle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961212 | 3,207 | 2.15625 | 2 |
When “experienced hiker” David DeCareaux and his two young sons, aged 8 and 10, ventured into the woods they intended only a pleasant walk in the woods to take advantage of an unseasonably warm day in mid January. A few hours later all three were dead. No wild beasts, crazy axe murderers, aliens, or zombies were involved. There was no foul play of any kind. The tragedy was due to nothing more than the weather. And poor planning on Mr. DeCareaux’s part.
It all seemed harmless enough when the a dad and his two sons set out into the Mark Twain National Forest near Black, Missouri on Jan 12 of this year for a short day hike. The weather was ideal. Dad was dressed in a light jacket and his sons only slightly better: one in a sweater and in other in a “fleece” jacket. They had no rain gear or poncho-not even the cheap two dollar variety that will fit in the pocket. He carried only a flashlight, a cell phone and a snack. No map. When interviewed later, a park ranger said that because of poor reception cell phones were of little use in that area. One good lightweight poncho (that all could have hovered under) and a whistle would probably have saved their lives. In short, they weren’t prepared when the weather played a cruel trick on them.
Winter weather south of the Mason-Dixon line can be sneaky. I’m reminded now of the initial invasion of Tennessee by the army of U.S. Grant in February, 1862, early in the civil war. On their march toward Fort Donelson, where the enemy awaited them (near the present Land-between the Lakes state park) the green, untested Union soldiers in the balmy warm weather cast away their bulky overcoats. Now that they were in the “sunny South” , they were quite sure that they would have no need of them. Besides, many assumed, one big battle and the war would be over anyway. Huge mistake on both assumptions. Three days after their arrival in front of Fort DOnelson, the weather turned very nasty and thousands of Northern soldiers were very miserable indeed. And there were many more battles to go. They had underestimated both the Southerners and the Southern weather. Both could be deadly.
Many of the details about this recent tragedy we’ll never know. What we do know is this: A dad and his two young sons went out for an afternoon stroll in the woods, got lost, and died of “exposure” when the weather turned foul. The initial search party had to be called off that evening due to the inclement weather, a cold, icy rain, plunging temperatures, and very poor visibility in the deep forest. When the search resumed at daybreak a few hours later, they finally came upon a very sad sight, two shivering little boys, soaked to the skin, barely alive, lying close to their dead father. The paramedics and doctors did what they could, but they were too late. Both boys died a few hours later at a nearby hospital. A family tragedy doesn’t get much sadder than this. Very tough indeed.
Another thing makes it even worse. Just before the weather turned bad, a park ranger passed them as they hiked along the road and offered them a lift to the ranger station. The dad refused the offer and they kept walking. I cannot help but wonder if the ranger forgot to mention the weather forecast. Maybe he didn’t know himself.
Somehow the trio took a wrong turn and literally got lost in the woods. This is very easy to do. In the deep forest trails are often poorly marked and the signs themselves can be a bit confusing, especially when three or more trails converge at an intersection.
Another aspect of life in the back country so often unappreciated by visitors from the city is the thick, deep darkness. Far away from ambient light, in cloudy weather or even during a “new moon” it is difficult to see your hand in front of your face after the sun sets. It is much like being in a cave. For city or suburban dwellers this can be unnerving. With a good flashlight finding your way on a trail at night is still difficult at best. Camping in the forest, even when one is well prepared and has all needed supplies, can still be downright scary. Wandering about lost in the deep woods, even in dry temperate weather, can be absolutely terrifying. To make matters even worse, this tragic trio was lost in the woods after dark in foul weather “not fit for man or beast.” And they were poorly prepared for it-a prescription for disaster.
Mr. DeCareaux was found wearing only a light jacket. Regrettable but understandable. Ours is an “indoor” culture. Americans habitually dress for the indoors, regardless of the outside weather. Time and again I see people running from a car to a building doing their Christmas shopping or simply going about daily routines in the cold weather months clad in short pants and tee-shirts as if it were July. I’ve heard men brag about never putting on a coat or sweater the entire Winter. Really. A friend of mine never wears long-sleeved shirts and wears cotton jeans year round. His closet is a colorful mass of short-sleeved shirts. He works indoors, of course, and never, to my knowledge, goes camping. Nowadays with ever present heated spaces in buildings and vehicles it is possible to ignore the outdoor temp and never develop an appreciation for even moderately cold weather. As to weather people nowadays are far more concerned about driving conditions than dress. Spend some quality time out in the cold night air here in Tennessee in January and you’ll understand why our homeless friends go about 24-7 dressed like Eskimos. The habit of wearing light clothing in the winter is a modern habit, made possible only by ever present indoor heated space, something our grandparents didn’t experience,something our homeless friends even now cannot experience.
I don’t recall hearing the word “hypothermia” as a boy scout. The word “exposure” was, and still is, I suspect, more commonly used. Technically hypothermia is the gradual lowering of the temperature in the body core. Ordinarily our body temp is around 98.6. If conditions pull that down even one degree we start shivering. Two degrees and were in trouble. Three to four degrees and we are looking the grim reaper full in the face. Deaths from hypothermia, interestingly enough, rarely occur in extreme cold conditions. They almost always occur when the temperature suddenly changes from pleasant to cold-but not extreme cold. Add precipitation to the cold and it becomes much worse. This tragic trio perished in textbook “hypothermia” conditions. When they set out, all seemed well. But conditions deteriorated quickly. They didn’t exactly “freeze to death.” It wasn’t that cold. But, it was cold and wet enough to pull down their “core” body temp over the course of a few hours to kill them.
Another thing. When the body temp goes down, the mind is affected and poor decisions result. When a man is shivering uncontrollably, worried to death about the two sons at his side also scared and shivering, it really doesn’t matter about training and experience. The mental faculties are impaired. I suspect that instead of stopping in his tracks and finding or building shelter as soon as the cold rain hit, Mr. DeCareaux kept moving. Big mistake. When lost, and I remember this from the old Boy Scout Handbook, it is imperative to STOP. DO what you can to build a fire or somehow warm up. Construct a shelter, however crude. If you have a whistle, blow on it as much as possible while you work. Conserve energy and resources and wait as patiently as you can for rescue. When a person keeps moving the resulting fatigue and stress is likely to lower body temp even more.
The deep woods nearby seem very friendly and inviting while standing in the parking lot of a state park on a sunny day. But don’t be fooled. As adult boy scout leaders* we continually impress upon our boys the need for preparation in the back country. We teach that when venturing off into the woods, never go it alone-always take a “buddy”, always take raingear and proper clothing, check the weather forecast, take a map and compass(even if you’re reasonably familiar with the area), a whistle, matches, a water bottle (especially in warm or hot weather), a flashlight, and a good dose of common sense. Understand how conditions can change quickly and become dangerous in the late Fall and Winter. It is very easy to get lost out there. And you sure don’t want to be lost in bad weather. It can be deadly.
*Mr. DeCareaux was, it seems, a cub scout leader. In the photo accompanying a recent article he and his two sons are dressed in CUB scout uniforms. In cub scouting (ages 7-10) “tailgate” or “car” camping with youth accompanied by parents is the norm. As a matter of official (BSA) policy concerning cub scout packs, forays into the back country far away from vehicles and shelter is discouraged. | <urn:uuid:58a38d1f-2f7a-41b0-8e5d-fd9878ad0d62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ushistorybuff.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/tragedy-in-the-backcountry/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972398 | 1,974 | 2.453125 | 2 |
"Nothing better reflects the soul of a nation than its heroes and poets. If the Vietnamese do not all agree in their choice of a national hero, they unanimously consider Nguyen-Du, the author of “Kim-Van-Kieu ", a 3,254 line poem composed in the early 19th century, as their national poet.
“With this masterpiece, Nguyen-Du consecrated his mother tongue as a poetical language of an extraordinary delicacy, power and richness. He also gave to the soul of his fatherland a sensitive and prestigious mirror in which its eternal image, evolving throughout the centuries and in changing settings, is reflected."
Nguyen-Du was born in 1765 at the village of Tien-Dien, in the province of Ha-Tinh (now in North Vietnamese territory), the seventh child of a former Prime Minister under the Le dynasty. Several members of his family, including one of his brothers, were noted scholars and mandarins at the Court. At the age of 17, Nguyen-Du himself passed the traditional Chinese-style triennal competitive examination and received the title of "tu-tai", which opened up for him prospects of a bright mandarinal career. At that time, Viet-Nam was going through one of the darkest periods of her history, torn apart, as she now is, by a protracted civil war. It was not, however, an ideological war imposed by one party upon the other- such as is the case in the present conflict - but a war between two rival feudal families.
Since the early 17th century, Viet-Nam had been. partitioned into two parts along the Gianh river (19th parallel), the North under the control of the Trinh, the South under the Nguyen. The two families fought against each other while pledging allegiance to the Le dynasty, which each of them claimed to recognize as the legitimate authority. After fifty years of civil war, marked by intermittent campaigns in both parts of the country, a 100-year truce followed and lasted until 1774. But two years before, in 1772 - Nguyen-Du was then 7 years old - a-local rebellion led by three brothers, Nguyen-Nhac, Nguyen-Lu and Nguyen-Hue from the village of Tay Son, in the present central coastal province of Binh-Dinh, had reached the proportion of a nationwide revolution directed against both rival houses and widely-supported by the poverty- stricken peasants and the newly-emerging small merchant class - Kieu's father belonged to that new class, "he was neither rich nor poor" - tired by war and the exactions of corrupt officials at all levels.
The Tay Son revolt very quickly became fatal to the Nguyen: in 1776, Saigon fell and Nguyen-Anh, the heir to the Nguyen "throne", fled the country and sought refuge in Siam. The Tay Son brothers then turned against the Trinh: Nguyen-Hue, the youngest brother, and one of the most outstanding Vietnamese generals, captured Thang-Long (Hanoi) in 1786 and deposed the Trinh. Nguyen-Hue formally restored the Le dynasty and married the daughter of Emperor Le-Hien-Tong, Princess Ngoc-Han, a famous poetess. Le-Hien-Tong’s successor Le-Chieu-Thong, asked the Mandchu rulers for help and a 200,000-man Chinese army invaded VietNam but was routed by Nguyen-Hue in 1789. Le-Chieu-Thong fled to China and it was the end of the Le dynasty. For a few years, the Tay Son were going to be the masters of the whole of Viet-Nam but in 1802 they were in their turn defeated by Nguyen-Anh, supported by France. The rule of the Tay Son was brief but the unity of Viet-Nam which they had shaped survived and was to be strengthened by Nguyen-Anh, who became Emperor Gia Long.
It is necessary to keep in mind this historical and social background in order to understand both Nguyen-Du and his main work, "Kim-Van-Kieu".
One of the first lines of the poem -"Oceans turn to mulberry fields, a desolate scene", was an obvious reference to those upheavals and turmoil's.
Faithful to the Le dynasty, Nguyen-Du and members of his family joined the fight against the Tay Son - although according to certain historians apparently without much conviction - but as he realized that it was of no avail, he refused to co-operate with the new regime and returned to his native village. For several years led a secluded life, hunting, reading, writing and spending long hours walking in the Hong-Linh 99- peak mountain range area.
After the collapse of the Tay Son, Nguyen-Du halfheartedly rallied Emperor Gia-Long - some historians believe that he was "drafted"- and started a brilliant mandarinal career, first as a provincial administrator, then at the Court. 1n 1813 - he was then 48 - he was appointed Can-Chanh (Grand Chancellor of the Empire) and went as Special Envoy to China.
It was during that diplomatic mission that he noticed a Chinese novel entitled "The story of Kim-Van-Kieu ", written by an author under the pen-name of "Thanh-Tam Tai-Nhan" in the 16th or the early 17th century, which he later adapted into his own poem.
On his return to Viet-Nam, Nguyen-Du was promoted Le-Bo huu tam-tri (Vice-Minister of Rites) and in 1820, the first year of the reign of Emperor Minh Mang, on the point of leaving on another Embassy to China, he fell suddenly ill and died at the age of 56.
The initial title given by Nguyen-Du to "Kim-Van-Kieu" was "Doan-Truong Tan-Thanh" (New accents of a heart-rending song). It recounts the trials and tribulations of Kieu, a beautiful and talented girl, who had to sacrifice her love and sell herself - she was driven into prostitution - in order to save her father from jail, out of filial piety. According to most literary critics, Nguyen-Du saw in Kieu’s life and destiny a sad replica of his own. For him and his family, Gia-Long was after all a "usurper" and serving him was, according to Confucian ethical concepts, an act of disloyalty (that tiet), if not of treason or "moral prostitution ".
During his years at the Court, Nguyen-Du proved an able and honest administrator. But he gave the impression of feeling more at ease among peasants and the common people than among his colleagues. For these, he was a silent and moody man. Some of them saw in his attitude sheer arrogance and aloofness but those who knew him more intimately realized that he bore some secret wound. One day, during a Court session, Emperor Gia-Long himself reproachingly asked him why he usually remained silent while state affairs were being debated: Nguyen sobbed and offered to resign but the Emperor refused.
In a famous two-line verse, Nguyen-Du, who wrote under the pen-name of To-Nhu, in one of his pessimistic moods, wondered whether within three hundred years, there would be "someone, somewhere, who would still remember him with tenderness ".
It was a mere lack of self-confidence on his part, for "Kim-Van-Kieu ", after 150 years, is still the most popular poem in Viet-Nam and the foreigners who know it through translations - although translations are unable to render all its poetical beauty and flavour - readily recognize it as one of the masterpieces of universal literature.
Few are the Vietnamese - whatever their social background - who do not know one or two lines of the poem and some of them even use it as a book of oracles, finding in it, in times of difficulty and stress if not the answer, at least an echo to their own problems.
In "Kim-Van-Kieu" we find the dominant themes of Buddhism.
Four score and two tens, within that short span of human life,
Talent and Destiny are poised in bitter conflict.
Oceans turn to mulberry fields: a desolate scene!
More gifts, less chance, such is the law of Nature
And the blue sky is known to be jealous of rosy cheeks.
Pages of fragrant manuscripts turn under the lamplight
And the “Rom"nces of yore " recorded on green tablets,
Recount that, one year, under the reign of Gia Tinhof the Ming dynasty
There lived a craftsman by the name of Vuong.
He was neither rich nor poor.
His youngest child, a son, Vuong Quan, was a scholar, a proud link in the family tradition.
He had two daughters: they were as beautiful as the goddess of the Moon:
Thuy Kieu was the older sister, Thuy Van the younger one.
Both were as graceful as the "mai" flower and as pure as snow.
Each had her own charm, a perfect charm in its way.
Van was endowed with an uncommon poise,
Her face was one of harmonious features adorned with brows of a noble design.
A smile as fresh as a flower gave her a touch of natural distinction, a word she uttered was a precious stone.
Clouds could not shape the graceful fall of her hair and snow was no match for her complexion.
But there was more refinement, more glamour in Kieu’s charm
And in wit and culture she outshone her sister.
Her gaze had the deep intensity of an autumn lake,
The curve of her brows was like the dreamful line of mountains in the spring.
Flowers envied her frail delicacy, willows her green youth.
A smile from her could rock empires and citadels.
Her beauty was exceptional, her talents unrivaled.
Nature had bestowed upon her bountiful gifts:
She was equally well versed in poetry, painting, singing and diction.
The five-scale tone had no secret for her.
She excelled in the playing of the lute
And her favorite piece was her composition, "The cruel fate", a poignant lament.
A fair maiden, she lived behind curtains and screens,
Approaching the age when she would adorn her hair with combs and pins,
Indifferent to the bees and butterflies frolicking at the Eastern wall. | <urn:uuid:9d460f48-c4ad-4eba-a813-3d4e14977fb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vacets.org/vnarticle/vacets22.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982656 | 2,235 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Microsoft has partnered to develop software which may be able to predict outbreaks of disease, riots and other forms of civil strife using old newspaper headlines.
The BBC reports the prototype software uses a combination of archive material from the New York Times and data from other websites, including Wikipedia.
The experts behind the software focused on predicting riots, deaths and disease outbreaks, and say it has accuracy of between 70 and 90 percent.
The project is a collaboration between Microsoft Research and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The scientists involved are using a mixture of archived news reports and real-time data, and say they are able to see links between past and future events.
For example, say the scientists, in 1973 the New York Times published news of a drought in Bangladesh, and in 1974 it reported a cholera epidemic. Following reports of another drought in the same country in 1983, the newspaper again reported cholera deaths in 1984.
"Alerts about a downstream risk of cholera could have been issued nearly a year in advance," said Eric Horvitz, director of Microsoft Research, and Kira Radinsky, a PhD student at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. | <urn:uuid:5cb4473d-0737-40d7-99a3-287f362611fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/applications/3424446/microsoft-predicts-future-with-old-newspaper-headlines/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945329 | 239 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Sequestration, Nondefense Discretionary (NDD) Programs, and NDDAY of Action
What is sequestration?
The Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25) established caps on discretionary spending over 10 years, resulting in $1 trillion in cuts spread across discretionary programs. The law also directed a congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to identify an additional $1.2 trillion in budgetary savings over ten years. The failure of the bi-partisan “super committee” to come to an agreement on a deficit reduction plan triggered “sequestration” to take effect on January 2, 2013.
To sequester means to set apart or to take something away until a debt has been repaid. In the context of funding federal programs, sequester means imminent, across-the-board cuts to most programs, both defense and nondefense—in addition to the $1 trillion in cuts already sustained through the Budget Control Act’s discretionary caps.
There are a few discretionary programs that are exempt from sequestration in the first year, such as Pell grants in the Department of Education. Some mandatory programs, such as Medicaid, are also exempt from the sequester.
What is “NDD?”
When thinking about the federal budget, policymakers differentiate between discretionary programs and “entitlement” programs. Discretionary programs are those that Congress funds annually through the appropriations process. “Entitlement” programs are those that are funded almost automatically to meet the needs of all who qualify for them. Every year, Congress must make an active decision on whether to fund discretionary programs and at what level.
Nondefense discretionary or “NDD” programs are all the programs that the government funds for the benefit of all outside of defense programming, including medical and scientific research; education and job training; infrastructure; public safety and law enforcement; public health; weather monitoring and environmental protection; natural and cultural resources; housing and social services; and international relations.
How will the sequester impact nondefense discretionary programs?
In 2013, the sequester will mean an automatic 8.4 percent cut to program funding levels in 2013 for most NDD programs. These cuts will truly be across-the-board, with no departmental or agency control on how the sequester impacts individual programs.
Cuts of this level will be devastating to the nation’s investment in scientific research. For example, according to a letter the Department of Health and Human Services sent to Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), "The NIH could potentially eliminate 2300 new and competing grants, with 300 fewer grants given by NCI" if the sequester takes affect in January.
The Biophysical Society joined nearly 3000 other organizations in sending a letter to Congress in July asking them to use a balanced approach that does not include further cuts to NDD programs.
Conversations about how to address the “fiscal cliff” and avoid sequestration are happening NOW. It’s hard to believe, but it’s possible that a plan to avoid sequestration could actually be worse for NDD programs than sequestration itself.
What can you do? Participate in the NDDay of Action on December 10!
Let your Congressmen know that the nondefense discretionary community, including scientific research, has already done its part to reduce the deficit, and that any plan to reduce the deficit should not include more NDD cuts that harm American families.
Recommended message: " I suport a balanced approach to deficit reduction that does not include further cuts to nondefense discretionary (NDD) programs. These programs have already contributed to deficit reduction through the bipartisan Budget Control Act (BCA) and prior spending cuts."
There are a variety of actions you can take to participate:
Call, email, or send a letter to your Congressmen. Contact information available here.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
Use Facebook and Twitter to share the message #NoMoreCuts to #science. Tweet directly to policymakers by using the twitter handle of the Member of Congress whose attention you are seeking. Sample tweets are available here.
Share the video, Don't Let US Science Go Off the Fiscal Cliff with your friends and colleagues via social media.
Take a few moments to record a video or write a few sentences about the importance of federal funding to your work and what would be lost if our leaders do not reach a bipartisan resolution to the budget impasse. AAAS is collecting these stories to share with lawmakers.
Visit the AAAS sequestration webpage and the NDD United Grassroots Toolkit to access up-to-date information and a wealth of resources dedicated to sequestration, the fiscal cliff, and budget negotiations. | <urn:uuid:50b64da9-edec-4493-bb16-c77923a67103> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biophysics.org/Policy/FederalBudget/Sequestration/tabid/4060/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938364 | 986 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Why Andean states buck globalization
South America's Andean countries are rattling the continent like a fidgety fault line. From Ecuador to Bolivia to Peru, the dawning months of 2000 have lurched from a political coup to paralyzing social movements.Skip to next paragraph
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All serve as reminders that the post-cold-war promises of democratization and economic betterment through globalized markets have left many Latin Americans frustrated and poorer than they were a decade ago.
*In Bolivia this week, protests sparked by a water-system privatization plan turn violent, pushing President Hugo Banzer to declare martial law Saturday and warn that democracy itself is threatened.
*In Peru, 30,000 people in Lima chant "Down with the dictator" Tuesday as results from Sunday's presidential election trickle in. Suspicions of fraud are growing as incumbent President Alberto Fujimori's lead widens.
*In Ecuador, Indians and mid-level Army officers opposed to the government's economic program bring down a president and for a brief time in January install a military government - until international pressure effectively ushers the vice-president into power.
*In Colombia, President Andrs Pastrana has proposed a referendum to close down a corruption-plagued Congress until new elections can be organized.
*In Venezuela, public opinion is beginning to turn against a once wildly popular former coup leader turned president, Hugo Chvez. After more than a year in office, he faces a tough reelection bid in May.
"We are seeing what happens when the big expectations created for economic and social improvement collapse into the frustration of unfulfilled promises," says Alfredo Keller, a public opinion analyst in Caracas.
The process of globalization - exposing Latin America to a market-oriented, private-sector economy and international standards for democratic rule and human rights - has ushered in tremendous change that has benefitted some segments of the population, analysts say. Some workers have better access to goods and efficient services, with expanding options for political involvement and freedom of expression.
But for much of the middle and lower classes, observers add, the economic horizon has darkened. Those too poorly educated to benefit from new opportunities in a knowledge-based society are marginalized further, widening the world's worst rich-poor income gap. And as state-run industries have closed, whole sectors of the industrial-era economy have withered.
Privatizations, such as the planned waterworks sell-off that touched off Bolivia's strife, are seen benefitting only the financial elite. One of the principal entrepreneurs involved in the Bolivian package is a member of the ruling coalition who has become wealthy off government contracts. Meanwhile, some residents stewed over a a big water rate hike (see story right).
But if the Andean countries are most destabilized by this process of global change, it is because here more than in other countries of the region, economic upheaval has not been matched by equally swift political reform and modernization.
"The Andean countries offer the worst example of an inability to adapt to the forced march of globalization," says Bruce Bagley, an Andean specialist at the University of Miami. "It's the demise of the old system of governance that doesn't work anymore, without a more modern and efficient system to replace it."
Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and even countries of Central America - some still torn by warfare a decade ago - are doing a better job at reform, analysts say. | <urn:uuid:cd5f0d5c-6abe-40ce-95b8-427ded71fbef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0413/p1s2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948197 | 709 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Pub. date: 2010 | Online Pub. Date: December 16, 2009 | DOI: 10.4135/9781412972000 | Print ISBN: 9781412940818 | Online ISBN: 9781412972000 | Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.About this encyclopedia
Animal Color Vision
Gerald H. Jacobs
Under daylight conditions, most humans experience a richly colorful world in which objects appear to maintain consistent color appearances—such as green grass or blue sky. That familiar association makes it natural to believe that color is an inherent property of objects and lights. Although at first glance this idea seems reasonable, it is wrong. Color is actually a feature of our experience that is constructed from the overall pattern of illumination reaching the eye at any moment as subsequently analyzed and conditioned by the particular details of the organization of the eye and the visual system. Eyes and visual systems show great variation across the animal kingdom, so it is hardly surprising that other animals may experience color in ways that are strikingly different from those familiar to humans. This entry describes how and why color vision varies among the animals. Light reaches the eye directly from illuminants, such as ... | <urn:uuid:b967d73c-675b-4d4c-9e33-4fdc72c46f07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://knowledge.sagepub.com/view/perception/n20.xml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907279 | 235 | 3.6875 | 4 |
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Website developed by Optimal Business Solutions | <urn:uuid:5e0117d7-9985-46e9-be0e-3760a15e2ab3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.obsolutions.com.au/contplan.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905462 | 212 | 1.625 | 2 |
User logged in as Frank
: However, some lines of the family seem to
: have (or at least, use) the titles 'Duke of
: Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen
: and Oldenburg'. I believe I have seen this
: with the Holstein-Gottorp line which reigned
: in the duchy of Hosltein-Gottorp (renamed
: Oldenburg and later a grand duchy) and in
Both Schleswig, Holstein and Oldenburg were the consindered shared patrimony of the entire dynasty, thus every male member could use the titles - just as every Wettin was/is "Herzog zu Sachsen".
The Emperor created the counties of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst into the Duchy of Oldenburg on 27 Dec 1774, with raticiation by the Reichstag in 1778.
Also the Danish King exchaged "Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst" with "Duke of Oldenburg" in his titulature, allthough he did not have any claims at all anymore to the Duchy.
See François Velde's extensive essay on the Schleswig-Holstein/Oldenburg case on
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Create your own free message board! | <urn:uuid:e892478a-2fa4-4c03-943a-f2e80da6e84a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://members3.boardhost.com/EuropeanRoyals/msg/1299838529.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942058 | 283 | 2.21875 | 2 |
PEMBROKE - The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina will remain a member of the National Congress of the American Indian, after a vote last week to keep membership open to state-recognized tribes.
A proposed amendment sponsored by the president of the Delaware Nation from Oklahoma would have changed the organization's constitution to restrict membership to federally recognized tribes. It was one of nine amendments considered during the National Congress' 69th annual convention last week in Sacramento, Calif.
"This constitutional amendment would have changed the identity of 'Indian,' " said Lumbee Tribal Chairman Paul Brooks in a statement. The Lumbee Tribe has sought federal recognition for years.
Brooks and other tribal officials have said if the National Congress changed its classification of American Indian to include only federally recognized tribes, it would have a domino effect that could change the recognition process and defund the tribe.
"If NCAI accepted Amendment No. 1, then the proposed change would put the power of recognition exclusively in the hands of the federal government, not recognizing tribal inherent sovereignty," Brooks' statement read.
Larry Townsend, vice president of the National Congress' southeast area and a member of the Lumbee Tribe, lobbied against the amendment.
"The purpose of NCAI is to be a unified voice of tribal nations on the national level," Townsend said. "This past week, the congress has rejected the divisive resolution ... as it runs against NCAI's longstanding practice of including the interest of all Indian tribes, even if they have not yet been federally recognized, or terminated by Congress."
Founded in 1944, the congress is the oldest and largest organization dedicated to representing tribal governments and communities' interests nationally.
The organization lobbies for American Indian issues including health care, education and allocation of housing funds.
Townsend called the vote "momentous," saying it solidified the direction of the organization - and state tribes' inclusion - for decades to come. | <urn:uuid:871ca616-049e-446f-8981-a618c81d03b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/10/30/1213908?sac=fo.home | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969493 | 393 | 2.25 | 2 |
Privilege against self-incrimination
The privilege against self-incrimination is the right of anyone to refuse to answer questions when the answers might increase the likelihood of criminal incrimination. In other words, no one can be forced to testify against himself.
There are exceptions if a witness is granted use or transactional immunity, such that what he says cannot be used against him (use immunity) or he has received full immunity for any prosecution for the underlying crime or transaction (transactional immunity). If the witness has immunity, then he cannot refuse to answer questions when ordered to do so by a judge. | <urn:uuid:d54fef14-548f-4392-8394-73b4ddf20ec5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.conservapedia.com/Self-incrimination | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968739 | 123 | 2.609375 | 3 |
It is as if we had stepped into a ruin and were startled by a flight of birds that rose as we entered. The familiar experience is made unfamiliar and from that time on, whenever we think of that particular scene, we remember how we held our breath and how the hungry doves of another world rose out of nothingness and whistled away. We stand looking at a remembered habitation. All old dwelling places are subject to these transmogrifications and the experience of all of us includes a succession of old dwelling places, abodes of the imagination, ancestral or memories of places that never existed.
Wallace Stevens: from Two or Three Ideas, a lecture on Baudelaire's La Vie Anterieure, given at Mt. Holyoke College, April 28, 1951 (in Collected Poetry and Prose, 1997)
Storm clouds over Bodie ghost town, California: photo by Photographersnature, 2009
Mask found in window of Bodie, California ghost town school house: photo by Tahoenathan, 2009 | <urn:uuid:54ca0118-a30f-4904-8f1f-0650f70a1c59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tomclarkblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/wallace-stevens-ghost-town.html?showComment=1272460981013 | 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 | 0.947869 | 211 | 1.671875 | 2 |
APPEAL TO U.S. JEWS
Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren is worried that too many American Jews are “alienated from Israel” and is urging them to defend the Jewish state against attacks in the U.S. media, on college campuses and among some politicians.
“Over the past year, I have watched with deepening concern as Israel became an issue in the increasingly bitter partisan debates in this country,” he told the Jewish Federations’ General Assembly in New Orleans earlier this week.
Mr. Oren emphasized that bipartisan political support in the United States is a “national strategic interest” for Israel.
“We urge American Jews to ensure that preserving a secure, sovereign Israel remains a bipartisan goal, to which Americans of all political outlooks aspire,” the ambassador said.
He compared the American Jewish community to a “universe, expanding and contracting at the same time” to illustrate a contrast between Jews who assimilate into a majority-Christian nation and those who believe their Jewish roots are planted in Israel.
“A core of committed Jews, deeply connected to Israel, is growing, but the wider periphery of highly assimilated Jews is breaking off,” Mr. Oren said.
“Numbers of young Jews have indeed become alienated from Israel — not because the American Jewish leadership has failed to tell them the truth about Israeli policies or because the way those policies are portrayed on campus and in the media or even because some of our policies can indeed prove controversial.
“Rather, it is mainly because these young people have grown distant from their Jewish roots, all of which, at some depth or another, lead to Israel.”
He called on American Jews to defend Israel’s right to exist and recognize that it is the only “unequivocally pro-American, democratic state in the Middle East … .”
“I think it is fair for Israel to expect the American Jewish community to uphold our right to self-defense,” he said. “Israel is a strategic national asset to the United States. We expect American Jewry to refute any charges to the contrary.”
GUNNING FOR MEXICO
The Mexican ambassador criticized the National Rifle Association for failing to help the U.S. government combat illegal arms trafficking into his country, where American-made weapons are smuggled to drug gangs fighting Mexican police.
The NRA, however, fired right back, blaming Mexico for its own drug wars.
“This would be a win-win for the NRA,” Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Wednesday.View Entire Story
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By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
A carefully guided tour through the confusing world of modern bookselling and publishing.
“Right Angles” explores serious subjects, such as the Islamization of the Middle East and delegitimization of Israel, with humor, candor and a twist.
Columns from Voices around the World talking about the events, people, politics and social issues that concern us wherever, and whoever, we are.
Weekly agitation from a columnist who many believed to be one of the least likely to become known as a Conservative Republican.
Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal
Vietnam Memorial adds four names
Cinco de Mayo on the Mall
NRA kicks off annual convention | <urn:uuid:5840dd35-9bf8-422d-baad-fdd992a5fd84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/11/embassy-row-44792571/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946075 | 742 | 1.65625 | 2 |
When we started the 2 o'clock tour at the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center in the mountains above Colorado Springs, the wolves were napping, just as wild wolves do in the middle of the day. A woman in jeans and cowboy boots served as guide for our group — eight random travelers, most of whom simply had seen the road sign, pulled in and paid the $10 fee. She led us from one enclosure to the next to see animals with names like Princess and Wakanda — tossing them treats from a Ziploc bag, so we could hear their jaws snap shut. Then she led us in a group howl, hoping that some of the wolves would join in. "Ready?" she said. "One, two, three. ..."
Our first collective howl sounded more like the bawl of a dying cow, and a couple of the wolves flicked their ears as if irritated. "You guys are pathetic," the guide said. "Let's try it again." Finally a wolf stood up, shook the dust from his coat and gave a half-hearted howl. As the guide directed us toward the gift shop, where a bottle of wolf fur cost four bucks, she tossed a biscuit over the fence. The next tour would be in an hour. The Wolf & Wildlife Center hosts thousands of visitors each year in its mission to "educate the public ... about the importance of wolves, coyote and (foxes) to our ecosystem." It even takes wolves as "ambassadors" into classrooms and other public settings ranging from Colorado's ski towns to inner-city Denver.
Each captive wolf has its own story, as does every captive-wolf operation. It was almost feeding time when I arrived at Mission: Wolf, a remote 200-acre sanctuary nestled at the southern end of Colorado's San Isabel National Forest. Wearing blue rubber gloves, two knife-wielding volunteers sawed through frozen meat. They'd cook the meat, which had been donated, in a giant pot mixed with vitamins and kibble, and then serve it to the 29 resident wolves, using white five-gallon buckets with each animal's name printed on the side: Nyati, Ned, Merlin, Orion, Lily ... and Soleil, a female rescued from an owner who wanted a fighting wolf and kept her chained to a tree for five months.
"Get Face to Face with Wolves" is the catchy slogan of the Wolf Education and Research Center (WERC) in northern Idaho, which keeps about seven wolves on 300 acres. During my visit, I heard the epic story of a female wolf named Chemukh (the Nez Perce word for "black"). She'd been attacked and wounded several times by other wolves in her 20-acre pen and was desperate to escape. Most of the enclosure was double-fenced, but there was one single-fenced section, 13 feet tall, where staff entered during feeding times. As a safeguard, that section was electrified; it was also reinforced at the top with a lean-in of taut wires no more than three inches apart. Somehow, during October 2000, Chemukh clambered up that fence, even though it pulsed with 5,000 volts, resisting a caretaker's efforts to pull her off. She made it to the top, squeezed between the taut wires and leaped to freedom. WERC's resident biologist, Jeremy Heft, described Chemukh's escape: "It was sheer will." But Heft also said that, because Chemukh was a captive-bred, human-socialized wolf, she was doomed in the wild. She didn't know how to hunt large game, and even if she didn't starve to death, she would probably be killed by wild wolves or by people.
Heft came from Pennsylvania to be an intern at the center 14 years ago and fell in love with its wolves — "my new brothers and sisters," as he calls them on WERC's website. "The brutal extermination of wolves for unjustified reasons was a major rebellion platform for me and therefore I directed all my energy to fight for species that cannot defend themselves. ... My job remains far from ideal — strenuous labor ... on-call for problems all day, every day of the year; very few breaks away from camp; very little, if any, pay; no human social interaction outside of interns; no electricity or running water; living alone in a deep forest ... and the most difficult aspect: deciding when a brother must be euthanized and following through with the action. I have many scars (physical and emotional) ... Still, through it all I remain proud that I have provided the best life possible for the Sawtooth Pack," a group of wolves inside the WERC fences.
In five years of exploring the obscure world of captive wolves, I visited more than two dozen operations, driving on dusty back roads and interviewing biologists, geneticists and other experts. My quest was inspired by my own sad experience as the owner of a wolf-dog hybrid, because I realized that many of the issues with hybrids extend to captive wolves as well. Captive wolves don't get a lot of attention, as the public tends to focus on the more than 60,000 wild wolves in North America. But the number of wolves and wolf-dog hybrids in captivity is much greater: about 1,500 pure wolves whose captivity is federally regulated, plus untold wolves kept by unlicensed individuals, and an estimated 300,000 wolf-dog hybrids.
People who keep or work with captive wolves are often earnestly trying to help the species. Motivated by a desire to ensure the long-term survival of wolves, they use science to educate the public about this elusive and intelligent creature — an icon of the wilderness, especially in the West. Many make enormous personal sacrifices, running their facilities with a lot of love and very little money. But not all captive-wolf owners have conservation foremost in mind. Some are motivated by commerce, or by a difficult-to-pin-down yearning to possess "wildness." It raises uncomfortable questions: At what point does kindness to animals morph into exploitation? What are the appropriate boundaries between humans and wolves? And why do we insist on testing the limits of those boundaries?
Prior to the passage of the 1973 federal Endangered Species Act, which protected wild wolves beginning that year, people openly stole wolf pups from dens to supply the fur industry and zoos. Over the years, captive breeding has produced gray wolves and wolf-dog hybrids for the fur and pet trades, Hollywood, wildlife parks, and research and public education centers. There are even established genetic lines prized by private wolf and wolf-dog breeders. | <urn:uuid:c17e492a-cb23-4477-a9e6-21a6c1ad8ef7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hcn.org/issues/43.19/behind-the-scenes-in-the-lives-of-captive-wolves/article_view?b_start:int=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970853 | 1,367 | 1.9375 | 2 |
FBI Lab Under Fire for Faulty Procedures
Don't miss the Evidence of Misjustice segment on 60 Minutes tonight. It will air the results of a joint investigation with the Washington Post on the use of the discredited comparative bullet lead analysis technique.
Hundreds of defendants sitting in prisons nationwide have been convicted with the help of an FBI forensic tool that was discarded more than two years ago. But the FBI lab has yet to take steps to alert the affected defendants or courts, even as the window for appealing convictions is closing, a joint investigation by The Washington Post and "60 Minutes" has found.
Concerns developed over the technique in 1991. TalkLeft wrote about it in 2003 (here too.) In 2004, the National Academy of Sciences concluded the technique was bunk and the FBI stopped using it in 2005. But it has refused to release the list of the 2,500 cases in which the technique was used.
Dwight E. Adams, the now-retired FBI lab director who ended the technique, said the government has an obligation to release all the case files, to independently review the expert testimony and to alert courts to any errors that could have affected a conviction.
....The Post and "60 Minutes" identified at least 250 cases nationwide in which bullet-lead analysis was introduced, including more than a dozen in which courts have either reversed convictions or now face questions about whether innocent people were sent to prison.
As a result of the WaPo-60 Minutes investigation,
The FBI late last week said it would initiate corrective actions including a nationwide review of all bullet-lead testimonies and notification to prosecutors so that the courts and defendants can be alerted. The FBI lab also plans to create a system to monitor the accuracy of its scientific testimony.
Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project will serve on the review panel.
As part of its review, the FBI will release all bullet-lead case files involving convictions.
Bullet lead analysis is subjective and it is not science as juries had been told for decades.
Today, the FBI regards all such testimony as inaccurate. "The science does not and has never supported the testimony that one bullet can be identified as coming from a particular box of bullets," said Adams, the retired FBI lab director.
,,,,"It hadn't been based at all on science but, rather, had been based on subjective belief," [former FBI Analyst William]Tobin said in an interview. "Courts, and even practitioners, had been seduced by the sophistication of the analytical instrumentation for over three decades."
|< Job Well Done | Frank Rich on Rudy and "That Regan Woman" >| | <urn:uuid:d8e5732c-78e4-45d3-a481-2274f1ffb317> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/11/18/115128/22/misconduct/FBI-Lab-Under-Fire-for-Faulty-Procedures | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964948 | 541 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Make the Most of Patient Education Opportunities at Your Practice
Make the Most of Patient Education Opportunities at Your Practice
When you hear the term "patient education," do you think only of the interaction that takes place in the exam room between a provider and their patient, and usually around helping a patient manage illness? It can be so much more than that. There are opportunities to engage patients in a variety of settings, and to expand the scope from disease management to comprehensive care.
First, let me define what I mean by "education." Patients have all sorts of educational needs from requiring simple information about your practice policies to looking for a more sophisticated understanding and management of chronic diseases. So view education as the process by which you provide information and knowledge to your patients.
At your practice
Every employee who comes in contact with your patients has an opportunity to educate. Your front desk should be able to inform and explain to patients the policies and procedures of the practice. Your clinical support staff should be able to provide handouts that explain your most frequent procedures and basic chronic conditions.
Look around your practice. Do you see ongoing education happening around you or do you need to have the same conversations with patients over and over again? Cut down the time you spend on the phone and in the exam room by training staff to view every interaction as an opportunity to support patient education. You'll need to provide them the tools to do it, however, so create brochures, "one-sheets," and other handouts to help spread the word.
On your website
Many medical practice websites are simply informational and not inspirational. That is, they typically consist of pages that talk about the providers and list the address, phone number, and office hours. But that's an opportunity lost. If a patient arrives at your website, what is it that you'd really like them to learn? If you are in sports medicine, that might be injury prevention. Or if you are in primary care, appropriate nutrition might be what you'd love to talk to your patients about, but seldom have the time to do so during clinic hours. Create an online experience that seeks to educate your site visitors instead.
Now, I hear you say, "I'd love to do that, but there just isn't time to write up all the information!" Well, here's the good news — you don't have to. It is likely that you are constantly reading and coming across material that you feel is important to patients. If so, post a link to it and a quick paragraph about why you think it would benefit patients. That's enough of an endorsement for many of your patients to trust the recommendation and take the advice to heart.
Don't believe me? Think about this — do you think your patients would rather be educated by their provider or by Dr. WebMD? So view your website as a place that your patients can go to learn about important aspects of their care from the person they trust most — you.
Not only will you cut down on calls to the office, you may also shorten the time you spend in the exam room because you can refer patients to your website to access the information you want them to learn about. And having a customized online resource with information available to your patients not only marks you as an expert in your field, it also facilitates a trusting relationship with your patients — one that creates loyalty.
Through social media
You've come this far, so why not go one step further? Social media applications like Facebook pages and Twitter present great opportunities to stay in touch with your patients between office visits. It also allows you to build a relationship with your patients — something that is hard to do in a 10-minute visit once a year.
The best use of Facebook is to showcase not just good health information, but to also show the personality of your practice. Facebook is social, and patients want you to be too. I don't mean to suggest that you should be posting private details and opening up your personal life to patients, but you should certainly consider profiling your providers and staff from time-to-time, as well as posting healthy lifestyle tidbits, general clinical information, and relevant articles.
Twitter is a great way to push out interesting bits of information and newsworthy pieces. It also allows you to broadcast practice news; such as announcing that you have flu shots available, or that your practice will now be offering a new service, or has added a new provider.
So, view Facebook and Twitter as ways to expand your practice beyond your physical walls. I've heard more than one physician tell me "That would take up too much time." Not so! Check out Hootsuite.com which is an application that allows you to add messages and schedule when they will post to your social media sites. I run a number of Facebook and Twitter accounts for our clients, yet spend only a couple of hours a week doing so, thanks to this application.
Tying it all together
If you do it right, you'll end up with plenty of material in your office and quite a large online library on your website. You'll have interactions on Facebook and maybe some conversations and bulletins on Twitter. Bring it all together and you'll be amazed at how efficient disseminating important information and referring to great resources becomes.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
• Promote your website and social media accounts on all your practice marketing material.
• Hand out business cards that invite patients to browse your website and become a "fan" of your practice's Facebook page and follow you on Twitter — if you just do one social-media site, choose Facebook.
• Have the same information that you hand out in the office available on your website, so that patients have the option to take home a paper copy or view it on your website instead.
•Have your staff inform patients about what is available online. Think along the lines of helping a patient keep track of their diet by referring them to your website to download a food log that you've posted there.
• Add Facebook and Twitter "plug-ins" to your website. (It's easy, really.) The information you post there will then show on your website too. This is a great way to keep content fresh and up to date, and keep patients coming back for more.
Remember, the more you educate your patients, the better able they will be to participate in their own healthcare. And that's a goal that everyone should learn about!
Susanne Madden, MBA, is founder and CEO of The Verden Group, a consulting and business intelligence firm that specializes in practice management, physician education, and healthcare policy. She can be reached at email@example.com or by visiting www.theverdengroup.com. | <urn:uuid:b44957b5-eb34-4717-a21d-ecc408e5a2c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.physicianspractice.com/pearls/make-most-patient-education-opportunities-your-practice | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958926 | 1,382 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Category: Beowulf & Grendel News Posted by: admin An age old Anglo-Saxon tale that emerges from Old Norse in the Dark ages. A creature of pure evil. A King Scorned and broken. A man possessing the Strength of 30 and who knows no bounds. A legend destined for fame!
Interview with Sturla Gunnarson
Article Date: December 18, 2004 | Publication: OCE Travel | Author: Seán Ó Cearrúlláin
Stellan Skarsgård, Gerard Butler, Ingvar Sigurdsson, an Icelandic Setting and plenty of Viking
SAXON LITERATURE, or NORSE MITOLOGY?
This is the question one must ask when daunting on the latest Skarsgård epic to come
to your screens in 2005!
Beowulf and Grendel is an age old tale set in the dark ages of Denmark and Geatland, or better known as Götaland today in Sweden. The
fact that a Scotsman would play a man from
Gothland, or Götaland in Swedish, and a guy
from Gothland would play a Danish King whose savious is the Scotsman in the guise of a
Gothlandman is, no wait, where was I now…
Scotsman? Gothlandman? Dane? Ah feck…
this is confusing, let’s stickt to the script so! Right, here’s the craic! Way back in the dark ages, at a time when Christianity was making its way into Scandinavia there emerged the legend of Beowulf. It’s not really part of Scandinavian literature or history, Anglo-Saxon literature it is. The tale of a Danish King scorned for his troublesome past, yet a good King to his people he is. The Epic “Beowulf and Grendel” is based on the Anglo-Saxon poem written in the 1100’s
by a German monk or Minnesingers at a time
when he was removed by culture, mother-tongue
and timeline from the actual story.
900 years later this epic Scandinavian tale is
to be brought to our big screens all over the
world to make this story known. Icelander Sturla Gunnarsson is throwing his best efforts into bringing Andrew Rai Berzins’ screen adaptation of this fantastic tale to our cinemas. Berzins originally wrote a story on the subject and an academic pissed an Anglo-Saxon colleague off, suggesting that Gredenl is a Sasquatch (Yeti) and the story ought to be made into a movie, with Arnie [Schwarzenegger] in the role as the Geat,
The tale was at best a Chinese whisper passed
down orally much in the same line as the Táin
would have been, until ca. 1100 when it was
written down. The original manuscript can
actually be seen in a museum in London today
as it survived many disasters including Robert de Bruce’s castle being tragically burnt down and the fire of London. The burn marks are clearly visible on the manuscript and what a wonderful artefact It is.
Many have tried their hand at this piece,
including acclaimed Poet Séamus Heaney whose
go at it wasn’t half bad but he too embellishes the essence of the character and plot, as all good poets do.
It might be more well known in Britain where
the poem has been preserved and honoured down
through the centuries, but for us Irish it still ought to be an interesting insight into Norse Mythology if anything. Berzins is quoted as saying he is not doing the poem but rather his own story, “If the Poet rolls over in his grave, I’m trusting it will just be to get a better view of the screen!”, A. R. Berzins.
Basically this tale is about good and evil, again, yet the tale is also of prowess and strength of mind and body. Grendel is an evil being said to have the looks of a troll and torments the Danish people and King Hrothgar (“Roth-gar”), played by Skarsgård, and Beowulf, played by Butler, is the man who kills him. The story goes that Hrothgar rewards his people with many riches
for building an enormous Meadhall known as
Heorot (Here-ott) and there is joy and plenty of partying in the hall until Grendel comes along and begins to kill and rule at night. Many men try to kill the beast, none succeed.
For twelve years the beast rages, for 12 years
the people of Denmark suffer. A man in Geatland hears of Hrothgar’s plight and decides to help.
This man is Beowulf, a boaster, but a boaster
whose deeds can be backed up by fact. Beowulf
comes to the aid of the Danish King and
ultimately kills the beast, with his bare hands the poem states.
The film is a little different, the whole poem
is said to have taken place all in one day. The Screen adaptation is a little more drawn out, plus it has embellishments too. There are fi ctious characters in the fi lm that don’t appear in the poem, yet they add essence to the fi lm and give it a reality that wouldn’t exist without them. Plenty of women, although only one exists in the poem, widowed by Grendel appear in the fi lm to make it
more realistic. In the poem the plight of Hrothgar is based upon oppression undeserved, in the film it isn’t so. Nor is Beowulf so keen on killing the beast when hears of this. The fi lm and the poem have consequential differences that are needed to give life to the story.
With a star studded cast and fantastic Iceland
as the landscape for this epic we begin our
journey with Hrothgar chasing down the young
Grendel with his Father, Hrothgar and his men
corner Grendel’s father and a battle ensues. The outcome is to change the Danish King’s fate and thus seal it. Skarsgård is somewhat cast as an heroic fi gure who slew the monster.
Iceland and Not Denmark was chosen as the
location due to Sturla Gunnarsson who was born
in Iceland but lives in Canada. Gunnarsson says that the natural beauty and geographical makeup of Iceland is so much more powerful than the fl at and tree-lined Danish landscape. He also feels that this film will do much for the cause of the Icelandic film industry.
The Entire epic was filmed on location in
Iceland despite the tale taking place in Denmark, kind of wierd, but then the Norse tales are more vivid today in Iceland than the rest of Scandinavia, so it might have been
a good move. “Iceland, The Home of Sagas”.
Gerard Butler had to wade out into water that
was just above freezing point. He states that
it’s the most degrading thought that your penis shrinks to half its limp size because of the cold. Struggling with the natural
environment is giving the film good effect.
There is a character in the film called Brendan, yes he is based on the Irish monk who travelled in his Currach bringing Christianity
all over the place. He is played by Brit,
Eddie Marsan. Nice with a Celtic element in there, considering how the Irish Celts grasped Christianity!
Gunnarsson has stated that a rough estimate
on the film’s budget has landed at CA$16 Million so far. The release date is uncertain as yet, but the film will be finished by May of 2005, so June would be the apprpriate
Antoher Icelander involved in the film in a big way is Ingvar Sigurdsson who plays Grendel as an adult in the movie. For Ingvar the opportunity was irresistible. Ingvar has stared in fi lms such as “No Scuh Thing”, “K19” about the Russian Nuclear Submarine disaster off the coast of America (based on a true story), Second Nature with Alec Bladwin and the amazing Cold Light from earlier this year.
The British cast is fantastic; Eddie Marsan as
Brendan the priest who is Irish, Tony Curran as Hondschio and Gerard Butler as Beowulf himself.
We can’t forget Mark Lewis, nor Rory McCann
or Martin Delaney! From Canada we have the
fantastic Sarah Polly and then comes the man
himself, the real Geat, or Götalänning – Stellan Skarsgård.
We have the privilege of talking with Stellan
and Gerard about the film and of course we got
some comments from Gunnarsson as well as
Sigurdsson to make for a fantastic
Geatland was its own country in the time
the movie is set, as was Svealand and
Norrland the three provinces of modern
day Sweden. Geatland changed to Götaland over time and Stellan Skarsgård was born and raised here!
Berzins is quoted as saying he is not doing the poem, he is doing his own story! I spoke to Sturlan Gunnarsson in Canada and it went like this; They had just wrapped fi ve days previously in a cave in the south of Iceland. Sturla was in the cutting room in Canada when I called. He went out back as I heard him
say to someone, those two shots are too close together.
He steps out and we have a chat. First it was pertinent to establish how much the fi lm is based on the poem.
- The Film is a loose interpretation of the poem and although it is not entirely made from it, the spirit of the poem is there and the events are all there. There must have been some reason for choosing this film and Iceland as the location for it and here is what
Sturla had to say.
- I have always wanted to do a film in Iceland and for this one it was particularly apt. The elements are just so powerful and we were looking for a good location, Iceland is known as the Home of the Sagas in Scandinavia and even though the story is set in Denmark there was somewhat of a ‘Poetic Reality’ to doing it in Iceland.
What’s wrong with Denmark you might wonder?
- Well, Denmark is very fl at and tree-lined! Iceland is fantastic in the sense that it has high mountains, glaciers and just the sheer elements with storms and natural obstacles to overcome.
Does the Character Brendan have any relationship to the Irish Brendan who travelled around in his currach bringing Christianity to the world?
- Brendan is the Celt in the film, the Celt bringing Christianity to the region, which was just being settled at the time. You have to remember that this is pre-Viking era, so it is predominantly Norse Mercenaries who fought in the Roman Empire. The Brendan in our film is based on the Irish Brendan, yes, but not the
same one, it is a different timeline.
So there is some element of Christianity to the film then?
- You know, somewhere round a camp fi re in the 6th century this story was told, and then 400 years later it was written down by a Christian Monk who told it from a Christian Perspective. So the essence of the thing is basically good against evil.
Are there any kind of special effects in the film?
- This film is completely CG-free. It is fi lmed entirely on location in Iceland and incorporates all the elements. Ingvar created the troll together with Nick Dudman, he’s the guy behind a lot of the Harry Potter movies. Ingvar had a lot of control over the character
Grendel and he ultimately developed him. He’s this 7½ foot monster played by a man who isn’t 7½ foot tall, but looks it! It’s good old fashion fi lm making! It seems that the main point behind the fi lm is to create something believable from a poem based on Myth!
When asked if he felt Stellan Skarsgård would infl uence the fi lm’s success here’s what Gunnarsson had to say;
- Well you know, Stellan is just so awesome. He arrived out there in the middle of things when we had just begun setting up and there were winds up 130km an hour, storms and freezing weather. He was out shooting half naked battling the elements in his
Nightshirt. He’s just such a powerful force.
Seems like Skarsgård would know something of the story, was the real ‘Goth’ amused at playing the Danish King receiving the Goth – Butler -?
- Yeah, he was amused actually, he laughed a little at it and thought it was great.
And what of Gerard Butler, how does he compliment Stellan in the film?
- Gerry is fantastic, just simply fantastic. They are both very powerful actors and give a tremendous amount to the fi lm. He is playing the young hero, Beowulf the Hero, so Gerry fi ts that part very well indeed.
And Sturla Gunnarsson’s Expectations for the story’s impact in America?
- I’m hoping it has immense theatrical impact in the States and does really well. It’s a Dimaonds in the Mud Production!
Seán Ó Cearrúlláin
Copyright 2004 - Seán Ó Cearrúlláin
Category: Beowulf & Grendel News
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An age old Anglo-Saxon tale that emerges from Old Norse in the Dark ages. A creature of pure evil. A King Scorned and broken. A man possessing the Strength of 30 and who knows no bounds. A legend destined for fame! | <urn:uuid:af77c501-5f1e-45d4-8151-9f62c291f259> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gerardbutler.net/news/news_main.php?Action=Full&NewsID=612 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965057 | 2,979 | 1.945313 | 2 |
truffleArticle Free Pass
truffle, edible subterranean fungus, prized as a food delicacy from Classical times. Truffles are in the genus Tuber, order Pezizales (phylum Ascomycota, kingdom Fungi). They are native mainly to temperate regions. The different species range in size from that of a pea to that of an orange.
A section of a young specimen shows a whitish homogeneous flesh that with age becomes a rich dark colour showing a lighter marbling. Truffles flourish in open woodland on calcareous soil. They are saprophytes, usually associated with the roots of trees, possibly in a mutually beneficial association (see mycorrhiza). The spores of Tuber are large; one to four may be seen in a spore sac, or ascus. (These, the first ascospores to be observed, were described by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1701–11.)
The most-valued truffle in French cuisine is the Périgord (Tuber melanosporum), which is said to have first gained favour toward the end of the 15th century. It is brown or black, rounded, and covered with polygonal wartlike protrusions, having a depression at their summit; the flesh (gleba) is first white, then brown or gray, and when mature becomes black with white veins having a brown margin. The odour is well marked and pleasant. The main French truffières (truffle grounds) are in the south, notably in Périgord and the région of Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur, though truffles are gathered throughout a large part of France.
The truffle industry is an important one in France, and about one-third of the gatherings are exported. The French government undertook the reforesting of many large and barren areas, for many of the best truffle regions become productive by the planting of trees, particularly oaks. Because truffles often occur at depths down to about 30 centimetres (12 inches), it is difficult to detect them unaided. Truffles, when occurring near the surface of the ground, crack it as they reach full size, and experienced gatherers can detect them. Furthermore, in the morning and evening, columns of small yellow flies may be seen hovering over a colony. Occasionally an individual is sufficiently sensitive to the scent of truffles to locate them, but truffle hunting is usually carried on with the aid of trained dogs or female pigs (which are attracted by the truffle’s scent, similar to that of male pig pheromones).
Although truffles are much desired as food, direct cultivation of truffles for commerce is difficult. Calcareous ground is dug over and acorns or seedlings planted. Soil from truffle areas is usually spread about, and the ground is kept in condition by light plowing and harrowing. After three years, clearings are made and the trees pruned. If they are to appear, truffles do so only after about five years; gathering begins then but is not very profitable until 8 or 10 years have passed. The yield is at its maximum from 5 to 25 years later.
The English truffle, T. aestivum, is found principally in beech woods. It is bluish black, rounded, and covered with coarse polygonal warts; the gleba is white when immature, then yellowish, and finally brown with white branched markings.
Truffles are relatively rare in North America, being found most often in temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the “true truffles,” there are a number of “false truffles,” which are classified as club fungi (Basidiomycota). The Basidiomycota include puffballs, mushrooms, shelf fungi, and plant rusts and smuts. Similar to the Ascomycota in many ways, they differ in bearing their spores on the outside rather than inside.
Authorities estimate that the Tuber genus includes some 185 species. Further, in 2010 scientists identified 11 clades (groups that include all descendants of one common ancestor). Of these, Rufum, Melanosporum, Puberulum, Maculatum, and Macrosporum are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere; Gennadii and Multimaculatum only in Europe; Japonicum only in Asia; Gibbosum only in North America; and Aestivum and Excavatum in Europe and Asia. Certain Tuber species once thought exclusive to North America were also discovered in South America and Australia.
The most-valued species are the winter white truffle (T. magnitude) and the winter black truffle (T. melanosporum). Other culinary truffles include muscat black truffle (T. brumale), musky black truffle (T. brumale, variety moschatum), Chinese black truffle (T. indicum), Himalayan black truffle (T. himalayense), summer black truffle (T. aestivum), scorzone black truffle (T. aestivum, variety uncinatum), and autumn black truffle (T. mesentericum).
What made you want to look up "truffle"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:3f762a1e-ce79-46bb-b683-b89e50e1e684> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/607120/truffle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947194 | 1,140 | 3.046875 | 3 |
For now, let us consider a very general review, showing who will find the book helpful and why.
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For traders, another great strength of the book is the application of theory to practice. Because of his personal work in observing and helping traders with their problems and methods, Brett's writing really comes to life. Anyone has done some trading will recognize the characters in themselves or someone they know. Any trader has experienced many of the same foibles as the featured characters, who are all real traders. The reality of the examples gives the lessons and advice the ring of authenticity.
While the book is aimed at a trading audience, it is quite useful for anyone engaged in competitive activity where performance is measured. This is not just about trading. Those competing in athletics or games of the mind will find the work most helpful. Our own experience involves competing and coaching people in competitive activities like bridge, backgammon, chess, sports handicapping, poker and debate. Nearly every chapter has lessons for those striving for success in these fields.
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I started studying electronics 3 years ago as something to do during recovery from surgery. I studied long, not really too hard, and received my Extra class ham radio license. Much of what was covered today I just learned recently while preparing for the ham exams. This is an excellent refresher, and at my age (65), refreshment helps. Thanks for presenting this for free. Max is very good a teacher.
GeoSei - didn't know that it was, unless it is part of the device package in the form of BeO - berylium oxide - a super thermally conductive material which causes severe alergic reactions in some individuals, when in the form of dust.
If you take any elements in the same family as ilicons -- you can use them -- so silicon, germanium, and carbon (in th eform of diamond). Tings like Gallium Arsnide involve mixing two different elements.
Thanks for the presentation. Just a quick remark: I am aware of the time constraints but I think that as the complexity of the content of the following slides goes up, the lecturer shouldn't be cutting down on time spent on those following slides - especially first diode, or transistor - as that is where first and most of the people get lost/confused with the basics of electricity, of the whole "how it works" needed for later.
The effect know as water hammer is a manifestation of the accelerative head in of a liquid in a long tube being brought to a sudden stop. This is analigous to sudden the voltage spike that is observed accross a switching device in series with an inductor after the switch is shut off.
Electron migrate down the copper at about 13,000ft/sec. The electromagnet force (photons) move down the conductor at around 2/3 the speed of light. The photon knock the electrons off the atoms as the go. The electron move is a secondary event.
The streaming audio player will appear on this web page when the show starts at 2pm eastern today. Note however that some companies block live audio streams. If when the show starts you don't hear any audio, try refreshing your browser.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
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Standards in Economics
Below are the National Standards in Economics that most closely relate to the following lesson.
Name: Interest Rates
- Students will understand that: Interest rates, adjusted for inflation, rise and fall to balance the amount saved with the amount borrowed, which affects the allocation of scarce resources between present and future uses.
- Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Explain situations in which they pay or receive interest, and explain how they would react to changes in interest rates if they were making or receiving interest payments.
Name: Money and Inflation
- Students will understand that: Money makes it easier to trade, borrow, save, invest, and compare the value of goods and services. The amount of money in the economy affects the overall price level. Inflation is an increase in the overall price level that reduces the value of money.
- Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Explain how their lives would be more difficult in a world with no money, or in a world where money sharply lost its value. | <urn:uuid:6b5c2582-a925-45a4-970b-7f4e9767fbf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.econedlink.org/economic-standards/standards-by-resource.php?educatorState=nat&lid=814 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950508 | 212 | 4.375 | 4 |
The news that the British economy contracted in the last quarter of 2012 was utterly depressing. For young people it was especially unwelcome.
Youth jobless figures remain stubbornly high at 20.5%. But against a backdrop of austerity and a flat economy I can't help but feel that these difficulties will continue for some time.
There's not a whole lot that young people can do. Young people are the unfortunate prisoners to the very unfortunate circumstances.
There is one thing that does need to be done and that can be done. That's to address the education system's information asymmetry. By this I mean the misalignment between education and the world of work.
In a perfect world there would be a two-way flow of information between the world of education and the world of work. However in many places of learning the lines of communication remain blocked.
Two very serious and negative effects spill over from this reality.
Firstly, employers fail to communicate the skills needed for work.
Due to the information misalignment educators continually fail to properly inform, prepare and equip young people with the skills and know how needed to succeed in the professional and working world. Without basic job skills young people are essentially unemployable in a down economy.
Secondly, employers fail to communicate oversupply or undersupply.
Due to the information misalignment employers fail to indicate where the opportunities lie in the job market. For example, there may be lots of job potential in engineering but little opportunity in law.
But if employers don't indicate this, and if educators don't communicate this, young people will make uninformed career choices that may lead them to nowhere.
Some young people have the good fortune to be able to counter the information asymmetry. A few have well informed, well connected parents and family who help them to bridge the information gap. Other young people have the wherewithal to inform themselves.
But by and large these are the exceptions. The general rule is that young, impressionable people are not going to possess the initiative to properly align themselves to the job market.
So what can we do?
We need to open up the lines of communication and realign education to the world of work.
Firstly, educators need to teach young people the context and methodology of professional practice.
This may well mean bringing employers into the classroom. But it may also mean bringing young people into regular contact with the world of work.
We've already seen some positive signs. The coalition government have recently unveiled plans to push professional apprenticeships. This is a step in the right direction but more of this kind of work needs to be done.
Secondly, employers and educators need to communicate to young people which parts of the job market are growing and which are declining.
Young people need to make informed and market-minded decisions before choosing a career. If a profession like law is haemorrhaging jobs then you best have a good solution to beating the odds.
It's an utter travesty without qualification for a young person in want of a job to be unemployed. But it's equal if not more a travesty to see young people go through education uninformed about the world of work and uninformed about where the job potential lies.
There's never going to be a situation of perfect information but the current setup which sees the world of education strictly divorced from the world of work is ostensibly wrong. By realigning and bridging the two worlds we could move some way towards doing right upon our young people.
I welcome and applaud some of the recent developments. But more needs to be done. I am particularly drawn to the employer led-project learning model which fosters real employability skills. These have been unveiled in some parts of the country.
For my mind this new model represents the future of education and I look forward to exploring the emerging education paradigm in a later post.
Follow Brian John Spencer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brianjohnspencr | <urn:uuid:3357aa61-2b68-45fc-9ed9-6ee1ef3261cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/brian-john-spencer/educations-information-assymmetry_b_2566108.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958141 | 812 | 2.421875 | 2 |
I can't be more excited about the start of my junior golf camps.
One of the highlights of the camp for me is having some time to teach these kids how to improve their short game. The short game is the most important part of golf because a majority of shots take place on or around the green.
One mistake I see a lot -- especially from kids -- is failing to square the putter. On short putts, some beginners just step up to the ball and putt it, failing to notice they are not properly aligned.
This drill, which I call "Down the line," is designed to help people learn to square the putter face and roll the ball straight.
Using string I set up five lanes of different widths. The widest is two feet and the tightest is three inches. All but the 3-inch lane are 15 feet long; the 3-inch lane is 6 feet long.
Placing a ball in the middle of the lane, try to putt the ball from one end to the other without allowing the ball to touch the string.
If your putter face isn't square, you probably won't be able to do it. This is especially the case on the more challenging 6-inch and 3-inch lanes.
I hear the term "over the top" a lot.
It's something a lot of players say after a bad shot, but what does it mean?
It means that the player was over the top of the backward swing line -- the downswing was outside, or over the top, of the backswing path.
A good way to picture this is to place a ball on the ground and lay a stick or another club (pointing down the fairway) behind it. The stick represents the target line -- the line you'd like the ball to fly on. Then, inches in front of your feet, place another stick or club on the ground. This stick should be parallel to the stick behind the ball.
The stick closest to your feet represents the line you'd like to send the shaft back to during your swing. When the club is waist-high, parallel to the ground, it should be inside of the stick placed at your feet.
In a good takeaway, the face of the club will be in front of your hands and not cross the stick closest to your feet.
What a lot of amateurs do during the takeaway is twist with the wrists, arms and hands brining the face of the club behind the stick on the ground. The face of the club is behind the body. This causes the downswing to be outside of the stick behind the ball.
When the downswing goes from outside-in, or "over the top," the ball slices.
One way to get rid of the slice is to improve your takeaway. Take the club away, making sure the face of the club is inside the stick closest to your feet. This will help you go from inside-out on the downswing, eliminating the slice.
I talk to a lot of parents about their children's ability on the golf course. Parents want to know how their children can improve their skills, especially during the offseason.
One thing I suggest that they learn is bouncing the ball on the club face. What I tell them is: If all elite players can do this, and you want to be an elite player, then you need to learn how to do this.
It's more than just a neat trick. Bouncing the ball on the club face is just one way to improve hand-eye coordination, a key in hitting solid ball striking. What I like about this method is that it involves a club and a golf ball. You improve your hand-eye coordination and get a better feel for the equipment that you use.
To learn to be a better ball striker, learn to do this simple exercise. Hold the grip of the club at the bottom and angle the shaft so that the club face is flat -- flat enough to set a glass of water on.
Drop the ball and move your elbow up and down to bounce it.
It looks like we have a few weeks left before the weather is nice enough to get on the course consistently. Here's a simple way to get ready, even if you're stuck indoors.
Crystal Woods Golf Club
J is a local golf professional and is available for lessons by appointment. | <urn:uuid:9f6ec8db-95fc-4f8a-badd-ed309ecafeaf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwherald.com/blogs/full-speed-golf/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956016 | 896 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
LEADERS: Beka27 BinkyBunny Elrohwen KokaneeandKahlua LittlePuffyTail Peppypoo RabbitPam Sarita
I was looking over bud after i cleaned out his cage and he hasnt been cleaning himself too well....right around his tail there is (was, i cut it out) a wad of poo and his feet were stained with urine. I gave him a foot bath (soaking really) and cut the mats out. It's gotten to the point where I have to do this atleast once a week. I don't know if it is just old age or what. I'm gonna call the vet in the morning..and get an appointment.
Is there a safe soap to use on his butt and tail area...or should I just use warm water and scissors?
Use a hypoallergenic, non-medicated shampoo. Most popular shampoos for humans--including baby shampoos--are not recommended for use on rabbits, as they can contain harsh ingredients that are rough on delicate rabbit skin. Pet shampoos containing pyrethrins and other "herbal" or "natural" insect-killing ingredients are not recommended, either. Plants make toxic compounds to kill their herbivore pests, and just because something is "herbal" or "all natural" doesn't mean it's safe for a bunny! The best shampoo (for you or your bunny) is an organic, environmentally-friendly (and cruelty-free) product with emollients to soothe the skin, with as few additives as possible. (Bunny-safe shampoos are easy to find at natural food stores or other vendors that sell environmentally friendly products. Read the label and be a smart consumer.) | <urn:uuid:0edccd3c-bd72-4dd8-b781-3a198b746d01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/121757/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951252 | 430 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The unrecognized Bedouin village of Al Arakib has become the focal point of the intensification of the government’s demolition policy. Located just north of Be’er Sheva in the northern Negev, all its residents are Israeli citizens. Despite the fact that the land on which Al Arakib sits has been handed down through generations of Bedouin families, with proof of legal ownership dating back to Ottoman times, the entire village has been repeatedly demolished by the Israeli government since July 27, 2010.
The government carries out these demolitions in the face of the concluding observations of United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), which voiced its concerns in July 2010 about “allegations of forced evictions of the Bedouin population” and about what it described as the Israeli authorities’ “inadequate consideration” for the agricultural and other traditional needs of the Bedouin. The HRC called for the Israeli authorities to “respect the Bedouin population’s right to their ancestral land and their traditional livelihood based on agriculture” and to “guarantee the Bedouin population’s access to health structures, education, water and electricity, irrespective of their whereabouts” in Israel.
Video footage shot by Al Arakib resident (10 February 2011, YouTube)
Police clashes in Al Arakib (Hebrew).
Demolition, Dispossession and Resistance in Al Arakib (10 February 2011, YouTube)
On 10 February 2011, police and black-clad special forces units arrived in the Bedouin village Al Arakib, 15 km north of Beer Sheva, Israel, to demolish their homes and expel them from their land for the 16th time.
Demonstration in front of the JNF office in Jerusalem (1 February 2011, Social TV/YouTube)
In protest of the demolitions of the village of Al-Arakib and the JNF’s works there.
Al Arakib: Third Destruction of the Village (11 August 2010, YouTube)
The total destruction of an entire Jewish community by security forces on the eve of a major day of fasting, such as Yom Kippur or the Ninth of Av, would be inconceivable and illogical. But this is what happened in Al Arakib.
Israel’s Destruction of the Bedouin Village of Al Arakib (10 August 2010, YouTube)
The Israeli Police demolished Al Arakib for the third time in two weeks to clear space for a JNF forest. For the third time, the residents of Al-Arakib rebuilt their destroyed homes alongside Jewish-Israeli activists. Video by Max Blumenthal and Joseph Dana.
The village of Al Arakib was re-built (2 August 2010, YouTube)
Israel Social TV Presents: Al-Arakib is a Bedouin village that was founded in the Negev before the establishment of the State of Israel. During the 1950s, the residents of the village were expelled from their land by the Israeli authorities.
Israel leaves 200 children in the desert with no food, no water and no shelter (30 July 2010, YouTube)
Busloads of civilians cheered as the dwellings were demolished. Armed Israeli police used tear gas, water cannon, two helicopters and bulldozers.
Ethnic cleansing in the Israeli Negev (30 July 2010, YouTube)
Only a few days after the return of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu from Washington, Al Arakib was demolished. Shortly before this incident, six Arab houses was demolished in Palestinian East Jerusalem.
Israeli police raze ‘illegal’ Bedouin village in Negev (27 July 2010, BBC)
Around 300 Bedouin living in Israel’s Negev desert have been made homeless after police raided their village and razed their homes.
CAMPAIGNS & LETTERS
Stop JNF from Foresting over Bedouin villages (May 2012, Rabbis for Human Rights)
KKL-JNF’s activities violate basic human rights and contravene Jewish values by contributing to the forced displacement of Bedouin communities. These actions also threaten the security and moral fiber of Israel by fomenting hostility towards the State among Israel’s Arab-Bedouin citizens. Demand that KKL-JNF ends its forestation on the remains of demolished Bedouin villages and disputed Bedouin land.
Stop creating forests that are destroying Bedouin lives (11 April 2011, Amnesty International)
Al Arakib, a Bedouin village in southern Israel, has been razed to the ground to make way for a forest. The residents face permanent forced eviction from their homes. Further, they are denied access to the land which they use to grow crops and keep livestock.
The unconstitutionality of the state’s policy of demolishing Arab Bedouin unrecognised villages in the Negev (3 October 2010, Adalah)
A coalition of Israel civil society actors presented a letter to the Prime Minister, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, requesting a halt to the ongoing demolition of villages and the violations of the Bedouin’s constitutional rights.
Court Rejects 6 Beduin Negev Land Lawsuits (19 March 2012, Jerusalem Post)
In a precedent-setting ruling on Sunday, the Be’er Sheva District Court rejected six lawsuits brought by Bedouin citizens, regarding private ownership of some 1,000 dunums of land in the Negev.
State sues Bedouin of Al-Arakib village for 1.8 NIS million (27 July 2011, Jerusalem Post)
Residents are accused of “illegal invasions” of state land; the Israeli Lands Administration says that the state has incurred large expenses from evictions of families from the Negev village.
Press release issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (11 February 2011, OHCHR)
During a meeting on February 8, the High Commissioner for Human Rights was briefed about the ongoing demolitions of unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev. In the press release, Navi Pillay expresses her concern over the repeated destruction, and after meeting one man who told her that his village had just been demolished for the 15th time, she sent two members of her team to visit Al Arakib.
The Israelis keep bulldozing their village, but still the Bedouin will not give up their land (1 March 2011, The Guardian)
The tiny village of Al Arakib has been torn down by the Israeli authorities 18 times in seven months, but each time the Bedouin rebuild their homes.
Uprooting the Bedouins of Israel (2 December 2010, The Nation)
Despite the fact that it was the seventh demolition since last July, this time the destruction of the Bedouin village Al Arakib in the Israeli Negev was different. The difference is not because the homeless residents have to deal this time with the harsh desert winter; nor in the fact that the bulldozers began razing the homes just minutes before the forty children left for school, thus engraving another violent scene in their memory. Rather, the demolition was different because this time Christian evangelists from the United States and England were involved.
Israel condemned over Bedouin village demolition (25 November 2010, Amnesty International)
Amnesty International has condemned the Israeli authorities following the demolition of a Bedouin village in southern Israel for the seventh time since July.
PMO blocks recognition of Bedouin villages (17 November 2010, Haaretz)
The move prompted the council to a schedule second hearing over the issue less than a day after the adviser to the Prime Minister for Planning and Development in the Prime Minister’s Office announced the PMO’s intention to prevent Tel Arad and Atir-Um al-Hiran from being recognized.
A Test of Wills Over a Patch of Desert (25 August 2010, New York Times)
They had been fasting since sunrise in observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Now, they were cooking furiously, spicing okra in tomato sauce and stuffing hollowed-out zucchini, against a backdrop of piles of rubble, the remains of their homes recently demolished by the Israeli authorities.
Poets, artists, activists visit embattled Beduin village (22 August 2010, Jerusalem Post)
Over a hundred people show solidarity with residents who have seen their community dismantled by the Israel Lands Administration four times over the past month.
Displacing the Bedouin (8 August 2010, Haaretz)
It’s hard to understand why Israel is pushing a significant sector of its citizens toward extremism and crime.
Amos Oz: Situation of Bedouin in Negev is ‘ticking time bomb’ (27 July 2010, Haaretz)
Oz is the latest public figure to voice solidarity with the residents of Al Arakib, a town torn down four times in the last months in order to plant trees. | <urn:uuid:f7c5af88-de09-48bd-bec9-4da6b6a35d84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dukium.org/eng/?page_id=882 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954596 | 1,878 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Gender advocates condemn political hate speech
4/24/2012 4:30:21 PM -
Accra, April 24, GNA - Gender Advocates from Upper West Region on Tuesday condemned the flagrant use of hate speech which has characterised the political environment as the nation prepares towards the sixth consecutive general election in December.
'We are worried as mothers and women over the increasing cases of violence and hate speeches which are gradually gaining momentum in our national politicking.
'We call on the Government and all political parties to desist from making hate speeches and to conduct their political activities with a high sense of civility and decorum to safeguard and protect the peace of the land,' Mrs Abiba Nibaradun, Executive Director of Centre for the Promotion of Democratic Governance (CENPRODEG) stated in a statement.
Speaking at a Regional Women Election 2012 Peace Forum at Wa, Mrs Nibaradun noted that democracy was truly exercised when the electorate were knowledgeable and well informed about options to make an informed choice.
She regretted that most of the citizenry living in deprived rural communities particularly in the Upper West Region were largely unaware of their civic and political rights and that women participation in the democratic process in the Region had largely been passive.
The CENPRODEG Executive Director stated with great concern that, a large number of women in the Region still did not have the free will to vote for their preferred choice of candidates.
She added that majority of women reported that they mostly voted based on the dictates of their spouses or male counterparts.
Mrs Nibaradun said it was time for women to freely and independently exercise their franchise without fear or favour. She called on women in the Region to remain resolute and committed to fight for peace and the participation of women in the democratic process.
Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister pledged government's commitment to protecting and maintaining peace in the Upper West Region and the nation as a whole.
He noted that the Government recognised the immense contribution of women to the socio-economic and political advancement of the country. "Government fully supports the concerns of women and would endeavour to protect the prevailing peace in the country."
Alhaji Sulemana assured the women that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government would 'play it fair' in the upcoming electoral process.
He, therefore, called on all parties including the media to conduct their activities in a manner that would respect the laws of the land and safeguard the peace.
The forum was organised by CENPRODEG in partnership with STAR-Ghana, a multi donor organisation, with funding support from the European Commission, DFID and USAID.
About 120 women representatives, political party activists, civil society organisations and the media attended the forum which discussed the role of women in fostering free, fair, participatory and peaceful general elections.
CENPRODEG in partnership with STAR-Ghana has also commissioned a participatory study to develop a local regional women elections manifesto to serve as a tool for women to engage the various political parties and aspiring candidates.
It will set the agenda for issue based campaigning to deepen the participation of women in the democratic process. | <urn:uuid:10e42bc5-d299-4140-bc9f-d5a786ca0039> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.modernghana.com/news/391063/1/gender-advocates-condemn-political-hate-speech.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965757 | 656 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Often in counseling, we restrict options out of fear that others will choose poorly, and because of a loss of control we might feel if others were truly free to choose. Roger’s principles address this shortcoming.
Three personal characteristics, or attitudes, of the therapist from the therapeutic relationship:
- Congruence / Genuineness
- Congruence is the most important of the three personal characteristics
- Congruence exists on a continuum
- Inner experience matches outer expression of that experience
- Authentic means spontaneously and openly being the feelings and attitudes, both negative and positive, that flow through self
- may necessitate showing anger, frustration, liking, concern, boredom, annoyance, etc.
- not necessary to show all… self-disclosure must be appropriate.
- Unconditional Positive Regard
- Attitude of what’s inside the client
- Deep and genuine caring
- Caring is unconditional … “I accept you as you are”
- It’s not possible to genuinely feel acceptance and unconditional caring at all times
- Differentiate acceptance of the person, from some of their behaviors which may be less acceptable.
- No evaluation based on good/bad
- Judgment is based on clients feelings, thoughts or behaviors
- Non-possessive caring
- Accurate, Empathetic Understanding
- Understanding of client experience and feelings in the moment-to-moment interactions
- Sense clients feelings as if they were his/her own, without becoming lost in those feelings
- Move freely in the world as experienced by clients
- Go beyond recognition of the obvious to the less clear feelings
- Deep subjective understanding of the client with the client
- Strive to sense clients subjective experience in the here and now
- Encourage client getting closer to themselves; feeling more deeply and intensely; recognize and resolve incongruities within themselves
- When the private world can be grasped, without losing separateness, constructive change is likely to occur
What is Person-Centered Therapy?
Rogers believed people are trustworthy and have vast potential for understanding themselves and resolving their own problems . . . and that they are capable of self-directed growth if they are involved in a respectful and trusting therapeutic relationship. (A-5)
- According to Rogers, if the above 3 attitudes are communicated by the helper, those being helped will become less defensive and more open to themselves and their world, and they will behave in social and constructive ways. (A-7) Therapists use themselves as an instrument of change. (B-203)
- Person-centered therapy focuses on the person, not on the person’s presenting problem. Goal is to assist clients in their growth so they are better able to cope with both today’s problems and future problems. (B-202)
- The basic drive to fulfillment implies that people move toward health if the way seems open for them to do so. Thus, the goals of counseling are to set clients free and to create those conditions that will enable them to engage in meaningful self-exploration. (A-7)
- Therapists concern themselves mainly with the client’s perception of self and the world. (A-8) This approach provides clients with a rare opportunity to be truly listened to without evaluation or judgment. (A-10)
- Therapist does not choose specific goals for the client. (B-203) Primary responsibility for the direction of therapy is on the client. (B-211)
- General goals of therapy are: a) becoming more open to experience, b) achieving self-trust, c) developing an internal source of evaluation, d) being willing to continually grow (B-211)
Limitations: Some therapists may not challenge the client enough. Some people may expect a more directive counselor and be put off by lack of structure. Some cultures value external locus of evaluation (rather than an internal source of evaluation) and may look to traditional expectations for direction. Also, focus on individual development may be at odds with cultural values that place importance on the common good. (B-216)
Relevance to ABS
- In the early 1940’s Rogers developed nondirective counseling (later he renamed it client-centered therapy; also known as person-centered approach). Rogers caused a furor when he challenged the basic assumption that “the counselor knows best.” (A-5)
- The above concepts were a major departure from the directive and psychoanalytic approaches to individual therapy. Rogers challenged the validity of commonly accepted therapeutic procedures such as advice, suggestion, persuasion, teaching, diagnosis, and interpretation. (A-5)
- Rogers’ client-centered philosophy was later applied to education and was called student-centered teaching. (A-5) Rogers also applied his approach to multicultural settings through international encounter groups. (A-18) He worked to reduce racial and political tensions in South Africa and Ireland (B-213).
- One of Rogers’ contributions to the field of psychotherapy was his willingness to state his concepts as testable hypotheses and to submit them to research. (A-17)
He literally opened the field to research. (B-212)
A. Selected Readings in Fundamentals of the Coaching and Counseling Relationship (LIOS handout)
B. Person-Centered Therapy (Chapter Seven from LIOS Library) | <urn:uuid:01421600-5d20-4516-89e8-d1e575d2af0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.primarygoals.org/models/rogers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951421 | 1,125 | 2.734375 | 3 |
2. 12 is the largest number with a single-syllable name, so think of all the time we'll be saving saying "2012" instead of "2011." (That said, there were more rhymes for 11, including a few that are much more useful in poetry than "shelve." I'm thinking of "heaven," "seven," and "leaven.")
3. 12 feels nicely stable and satisfying, because of the familiar concept of a dozen and the number of inches in a foot. I guess that's why the 12 Steps program has 12 steps. And why there are 12 persons on a jury. You have 12 pairs of ribs too, you know. 12 months in a year. 12 hours on the clock.
4. Here's the etymology of "twelve" (which highlights the oddness of its being "twelve" and not "twelf"):
O.E. twelf, lit. "two left" (over ten), from P.Gmc. *twa-lif-, a compound of the root of two + *lif-, root of the verb leave (see eleven). Cf. O.S. twelif, O.N. tolf, O.Fris. twelef, M.Du. twalef, Du. twaalf, O.H.G. zwelif, Ger. zwölf, Goth. twalif. Outside Germanic, an analogous formation is Lith. dvylika, with second element -lika "left over."So it's basically "2 left" (and 11 was "1 left"). It's the same concept as the "-teen" numbers, relating the number to 10, but 12 and 11 use subtraction — what is left after 10 is removed — and the "-teen" numbers use addition, with "-teen" meaning "ten more than." I wonder why. Does it have something to do with the development of a child? If the child is 11 or 12, you think of taking him back to a younger age, but at 13, you picture him standing on a foundation of childhood and building from there? If that is so, then maybe 2012 is the last year when we feel we've just entered the new century/millennium, and next year, we'll feel we are truly in it.
5. 2012 is the last year when we won't have a name — a name that we actually use — for the decade. Next year, we'll be in the "teens." Don't tell me there really was a name for the first decade of the century. You can concoct something — I'd say "the 0s," pronounced "ohs" — but we didn't call it that casually and naturally, the way we said "the 80s" and "the 90s." The first 12 years of the century have been a weird respite from focusing on the decade-ness of the decade. And that has had some subtle effect on us. 2012 is that last year to experience that effect. And then next year, 2011 and 2012 will be swept into the decade that will thenceforward be called "the teens."
7. We'll ring in the new year at 12. At 12 it will be 12. Unless you're very young — and also very optimistic — you can't think that there will be any other day in your life when at 12 it will be 12. Unless you're extremely old, you've never before had the chance to realize: At 12 it will be 12. How stunningly unique today is! | <urn:uuid:64134608-b60b-43a2-a9cc-2eb7a4123e30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://althouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/lets-talk-about-12.html?showComment=1325347120688 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967055 | 739 | 3.109375 | 3 |
In the open source dimension I see a big future for Linux+KVM. Factoring in trends towards cloud computing, a bad economy putting a push behind Open Source, and a huge ecosystem surrounding Linux, Linux makes sense as the hypervisor. And as it so happens, the company behind the KVM hypervisor (Qumranet) is now owned by Red Hat, who has a focus on the Linux server business -- the same Red Hat who reported a 20% jump in earnings last quarter.
For those hiding under a news rock for the last week, Cisco's entry into the Unified Computing market means that to stay strong, players need to have an all-in-one solution. This reminds me greatly of the trend in the processor world, where to compete, players needed to pull in chipset and graphics logic to survive. So, for anyone who wants to be a big player in the cloud computing market, you'll need a strong virtualization and Linux and networking component. Buy Red Hat -- it'll cost you more than the USD 3 Billion market cap to not own it. You might also read my friend Tarry Singh's posting; he believes Oracle should snap up Red Hat.
Desktop virtualization isn't yet as pervasive as server virtualization. But it's a very interesting technology, and when implemented properly solves a lot of truly important problems: offering multiple OS personalities (one personal, one corporate), operating off-line or on-line, allowing remote unified image management, backup management, etc. We can really break this category down to two major bins, the hypervisor and everything else. The most interesting thing here is the everything else bin, because that's the logic that can potentially operate across a multitude of hypervisors. As far as promising companies here, the most interesting is Virtual Computer. Currently, they use Xen as the hypervisor, but their strength is really the everything else bin. My recommendation for big players who count corporate notebooks and desktops into their future, is to buy Virtual Computer now. So far, they are the most innovative private company in the space. Adding a team to extend it across Hyper-V and Linux+KVM environments would be a good follow-up idea.
In short, everything about cloud computing means more networking -- moving forward, computing is a dynamic fabric overlaying a multitude of physical sites. As soon as we start talking about dynamic and multi-site, many continuity problems arise which require more sophisticated techniques, with underlying networking. Storage becomes very much a networking issue, for example. If you want to see where multi-site memory optimizations (which enable cloud-wide long-distance VM migration and memory de-duplication) are going, check out a recent post of mine. These optimizations are new consumers of networking, and that will only increase. Networking continuity itself is a problem -- how do you maintain open TCP connections when migrating workloads to different physical sites?
To have a future selling solutions into tomorrow's data center, having a strong networking component is essential -- more so than ever before. Of course, some players will be forced to partner to get this. But Cisco's entry into the server market with their Unified Computing System, ought to send a smoke signal to the big players that they better get busy fast.
Rather than make recommendations here, I'll defer to some possibilities outlined in this article and this article (e.g. F5 and Brocade). My aim here is more to point out that networking is absolutely essential to the future of cloud computing. And I really don't separate virtualization out from cloud computing -- it's really and essential part of it. As well, I would think there'll be at least jockeying to partner or get busy with Juniper. A lesson learned from the processor and chipset market is that it doesn't pay fighting convergence. And convergence is exactly what is occurring. You need to offer it all-in-one, packaged neatly for the customer. IMO, M&A and deep partnership will have to occur soon.
Disclosure: no positions | <urn:uuid:3646ecba-13df-4f26-a191-4c6b3b281cff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trendcaller.com/2009/03/virtualization-cloud-m-opportunities.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951848 | 825 | 1.640625 | 2 |
BUDAPEST / GENEVA (31 May 2011) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism, Githu Muigai, commended the Hungarian Government’s efforts to fight racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the country. However, at the end of his first mission* to Hungary from 23-27 May, Mr. Muigai drew attention to a number of crucial challenges yet to be overcome.
Since the last visits of the Special Rapporteur on racism in 1999 and the Independent Expert on minorities issues in 2006, the expert noted that Hungary has made significant legislative, political and institutional efforts to fulfill its international human rights obligations and commitments with respect to the situation of national and ethnic minorities and the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
“But challenges remain,” according to Mr. Muigai, “including as to the implementation of the measures taken.” These are some of them:
Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants
The situation of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants is a matter that calls for some attention. Complaint of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia by refugees and asylum seekers on a daily basis were reported during the mission and the Special Rapporteur expressed his concern at the conditions of detention of asylum seekers and irregular migrants, including women, elderly persons, and children. It is important for the Government to ensure that it fully complies with its international human rights obligations.
National and Ethnic Minorities
Efforts undertaken by the Government to address the needs of, and problems faced by national and ethnic minorities ought to be noted. However, it is important to ensure that the recent constitutional changes will not weaken the current legal and institutional framework for the protection of minorities rights.
While the Government has developed key important measures to address the situation of Roma, their situation has not improved in the last years but rather worsened. They have been the most affected by Hungary’s difficult transition period from socialism to a market-based economy and they continue to face racism, racial discrimination and intolerance in the areas of employment, education, housing and health. Reports of violence and abuse against Roma by the police, and discrimination in the judiciary, including in the criminal system, were also brought to Mr. Muigai’s attention. “If we do not act now, there may not be a tomorrow on this issue,” he said. “There is a great urgency to reinvigorate the education of Roma with all the necessary resources of the Hungarian Government. Hungary will have succeeded when it removes Roma from poverty, lack of education and unemployment”.
Immediate action is required to tackle anti-Semitism in Hungary. The Government must be vigilant and the necessary mechanisms to address this issue should be set up.
Extremist political parties, movements and groups
“Hungary is a young and dynamic democracy,” the Special Rapporteur said calling upon the vigilance of the Government vis-à-vis the resurgence of extremist political parties, movements and groups, some of which are alleged to have racist platform. The expert also drew the Government’s attention to hate speech. It is important to prevent such behaviour and ensure that those responsible for racist acts are held accountable and the victims provided with appropriate legal remedies.
During his mission, Mr. Muigai travelled to Ózd, Gyöngyöspata, Pécs and Mohács. He held meetings with the local authorities, the representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, the Ministry of National resources, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The expert also held discussions with the Parliament, members of the municipal court in Budapest, political parties, representatives of civil society, lawyers, community members, academics and private citizens. The expert also met with the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information. Mr. Muigai also visited a prison in Budapest (Fővárosi Büntetés-végrehajtási Intézet) and a school in Ózd.
A full report of the Special Rapporteur’s mission to Hungary will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2012.
Githu Muigai (Kenya) was appointed by the Human Rights Council as Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in August 2008. He is a lawyer specialized in international human rights law. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on racism was established in 1993 by the former Commission on Human Rights to examine incidents of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and official measures to overcome them. It was further extended by the Council in 2011.
(*) Check the full end-of-mission statement by the Special Rapporteur’s: http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/NewsSearch.aspx?MID=SR_Racism
OHCHR Country Page – Hungary: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/ENACARegion/Pages/HUIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests please contact: Ms. Kellie- Shandra Ognimba (Tel: +41 22 917 92 68 / email: email@example.com) or write to firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:1a71e6a0-aa32-4213-bcb2-ef117a6bea81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11085&LangID=E | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936385 | 1,145 | 2.265625 | 2 |
On Saturday, July 10, 2010, President Obama announced in his weekly radio address that the VA is implementing a streamlined process for helping veterans get the much needed help for what has been identified as “the signature injuries of today’s wars”–PTSD and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Vets will no longer be required to document a specific traumatic event as “the cause” of their battle with PTSD. This change gives weightiness to the reality that almost all vets from past and current wars have been well aware of–you don’t have to be engaged in a firefight with the enemy to endure the trauma of war. War leaves a mark.
Lt. Col. Dan Nigolian, a 26-year USAF retired chaplain, agrees. Nigolian came home after 5 deployments–3 special opps, 1 in Iraq, and his last in Afghanistan–and was shocked to be diagnosed with both PTSD and TBI. He’d never considered that being shot down in an airplane and blown up in a convoy as events that left invisible wounds where there were no obvious physical wounds. Nigolian shares about the “buddy care” training that all military personnel get prior to a deployment. He reminds vets who come home that the war isn’t over and you’re not done caring for your buddies just because you back on US soil. “You are as responsible to take care of your buddy at home during the PTSD war as you were overseas during the shooting war.”
And the same is true for family members of returning vets who see the red flags of PTSD in their loved ones. Things like sleeplessness, depression, drinking too much, angry outbursts, can’t hold a job, relationships are suffering, isolating himself or herself from the world, reckless behavior, not taking care of herself or himself . . . to name a few. They need help. And you need to help them get help.
Check out the PTSD portion of the HelpForMyLife.org website for helpful video and written resources that will get you and your loved one on the path to healing the invisible wounds of war. Our DVD, The War Within, has been a source of help and encouragement to many who have been reluctant to get help. Don’t wait, and please don’t struggle alone.
God has reassured us repeatedly throughout His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). In the same manner, we are called to love one another the way God has loved us (John 13:34). Be there for your spouse, parent, brother, sister or friend who has brought the war home with them. Stand with them and see them through this healing journey with the hidden wounds of war.
If this has been helpful to you, feel free to post a comment and let us hear your story of bringing the war home and how you’re getting or giving help. | <urn:uuid:5a4844b5-a739-403b-91c9-3dbb5d21ddaf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.helpformylife.org/tag/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971483 | 617 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Daily Muse, Contributor
Providing career and life advice for professional women.
Every time I do, I get a momentary sense of relief, a mind-cleanse, as I spit out all my commitments on paper. But that wave of relief is quickly followed by sweaty palms. There’s so much to do—so little time and only one me to be everywhere, doing everything!
There’s an argument that says staying busy is good. It means you’ve got a job, and one that’s important enough that your boss needs you. It means you’ve got friends who want to spend time with you. It means you’re leaving your mark, and, hey, that takes work.
But a life that’s too busy is a double-edged sword, and it can affect more than just our sanity. Experts have found our frenetic pedal-to-the-metal mentality also could cause us to stall out in our careers. If that comes as a surprise, take a closer look at some of the implications of falling into the “busy trap.”
With too many commitments spinning us into a tizzy, we can find ourselves short on the capacity to prioritize—a skill that’s absolutely invaluable in the workplace. With a million and a half assignments, it’s easy to want to start with the simple, no-brainer stuff, and just knock it all out. And that works. Sometimes. But that mode of operation also leaves you with little time for the more complex, time-consuming, or less-desirable work on your plate.
So yes, that 200-word team memo on a seminar may take up the same amount of space on your calendar as the company PowerPoint presentation your boss’s boss asked you to create. But, know all assignments weren’t created equal.
Author Barbara Ehrenreich tackles the topic in her essay The Cult of Busyness:
The secret of the truly successful, I believe, is that they learned very early in life how not to be busy. They saw through that adage, repeated to me so often in childhood, that anything worth doing is doing well. The truth is, many things are worth doing only in the most slovenly, half-hearted fashion possible, and many other things are not worth doing at all.”
A fraction of the work you do each day has important long-term implications on your career, and you need to plan ahead so you’re putting your best mental energy there—not just drilling through your to-do list on auto-pilot.
It seems contradictory, but maintaining a certain level of busyness also has a stilling effect. We get too bogged down in the details to spend time on the big-picture, strategic plan that we want for our careers.
Where do you want to be in one year, five years, 10 years—here or somewhere else? If it’s here, what’s the road to advancement? If it’s elsewhere, what’s it going to take to get there? Yes, these are hard questions, and you aren’t going to find the answers to them overnight. But if you’ve made yourself too busy to ever take the time to think about them, you risk letting months and years fly by without reflection.
David Allen, author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, argues that even while we champion “big picture thinking,” we often let ourselves rack up too many small commitments that actually impair our ability to pan out and see the bigger picture. In his words, “There is too much distraction at the day-to-day, hour-to-hour level of commitments to allow for appropriate focus on the higher levels.”
In a post he titled “The Busy Trap,” New York Times’ Tim Kreider argues that creating blank mental space is critical for vision and ingenuity. Being idle allows you to take that step back, make unexpected connections, and find inspiration.
Think about Isaac Newton, Kreider says. As the story goes, he was just hanging out under a tree when the apple fell. Greek scholar Archimedes was hopping in the bath when he had his “Eureka” moment and realized weight and the volume of water were connected. | <urn:uuid:75de70ee-4b30-49ca-bed9-03d6dc2c99cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/08/21/why-being-busy-can-keep-you-from-getting-ahead/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960575 | 915 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Dr Douglas Street, Contributor
There are very few people who have never had hiccups and, therefore, would not know how annoying they are. There a few things more annoying than your own body doing something you don't want it to do, with you having no control over it.
Hiccups are caused from uncontrollable spasms of the diaphragm, which pulls air suddenly into the lungs, followed by sudden closure of the vocal cords that produces the 'hic' sound. The diaphragm is a thin muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and its contraction creates the suction that pulls air into the lungs enabling us to breathe.
There are a number of situations that may increase the risk of hiccups. They are more common in males, and eating too fast or too much seems to trigger them off. Eating too quickly can cause one to swallow a significant amount of air, resulting in hiccups. Eating too much fatty foods or drinking too much carbonated or alcoholic beverages may be a trigger.
Drinking hot then cold drinks can set them off as well. Irritating fumes and smoking may also bring on hiccups. They tend to be more common in babies during the first year of life, especially those with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
As with many other conditions, sudden anxiety and stress can trigger hiccups as well. Even laughter can cause them.
There are also medical problems and medications that may contribute to this condition, especially some used to treat anxiety and Parkinson's disease. Electrolyte imbalance, strokes, brain tumours, head injuries, multiple sclerosis, and infections of the brain may initiate hiccups.
There are a number of home remedies that may help with hiccups, including holding of your breath, drinking water quickly, having someone startle you, using smelling salts, having someone pull hard on your tongue, breathing into a paper bag, and putting sugar or honey on the tongue every few minutes.
Sometimes hiccups can be so stubborn that they need medical intervention. These include chlorpromazine and haloperidol (antipsychotics), metoclopramide (a medication for vomiting), and phenytoin (a seizure medication). If these still don't work, an anaesthetic may be needed to block the nerve that produces them.
Dr Douglas Street is a general practitioner and has private practices at Trinity Medical Centre, Trinity Mall at 3 Barnett Street in Montego Bay, and Omega Medical Centre at Plaza de Negril, Negril. Send feedback to firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:1b28cb4b-fe3f-42df-bdf1-0d6eb22583aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120609/western/western62.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955795 | 534 | 2.796875 | 3 |
'Thinking' Car Key Predicts Driver Actions - VIDEO
Micro Computer Knows When to Lock, Unlock Buick LaCrosse Doors
DETROIT - September 7, 2010: When Dave Proefke gets locked out of his car, it's called "research."
Proefke, a General Motors Technical Fellow, leads a team that has developed an advanced wireless car key that automatically knows when to lock and unlock the doors on the 2011 Buick LaCrosse and selected other General Motors models.
"It does a lot of the thinking for you," said Proefke. "It tries to determine your intended action and perform that action for you."
The new key doesn't require a button press or even a keyhole. Instead it sends out a constant stream of data to the vehicle that includes where the key is located. That helps the car decide whether the doors should be locked or unlocked based on pre-programmed behavioral scenarios.
The LaCrosse can be equipped with push-button start with smart key technology. It knows whether or not the key is present inside the car. If it is, theft-deterrent encrypted coding allows the vehicle to start. The highly sophisticated system removes many of the mechanical systems such as wiring and cylinders that can make a vehicle easier to steal.
"With push-button start available on the CXL and standard on the CXS, LaCrosse owners can enter the vehicle, push a button to start the car and away they go," said Proefke. "No more fumbling for keys."
Buick's thinking car key knows when it has been left behind in a vehicle. Automatically sensing a lockout situation, it will alert the driver that the keys are still inside the vehicle. If the driver attempts to manually lock the doors, the fob system will keep the doors unlocked.
One of the common key fob myths is that someone could capture its signal and use it to steal a car. With advanced key fob technology, signals are encrypted and change with every button push. Stealing signals is virtually impossible.
Proefke, who grew up around cars, has been working on vehicle security systems for Buick for more than 20 years, and he holds several patents in the area.
"In the future, the functions that are on the key fob could be built into smartphone apps," Proefke said. "Also, key fobs will become smaller and more jewelry-like and could even be worn." | <urn:uuid:6faf06f0-b9f1-4d76-a2da-0d707d9096a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theautochannel.com/news/2010/09/07/495108.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948681 | 510 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Gold is decade's best-performing investment
By Myra Butterworth
The Telegraph, London
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Gold has proved to be the best value investment over the last 10 years, new research has disclosed.
The price of the precious metal rose 277 per cent during the past decade, with investors particularly attracted to gold during the recession as they sought a safe haven for their money.
Overall, gold, silver, and platinum increased in value by 242 per cent between December 1999 and December 2009, the equivalent of an average annual return of 13.1 per cent.
It means precious metals outpaced inflation, which has increased by 30 per cent during the decade or by an average 2.7 per cent a year.
Gold saw the biggest rise over the decade at 277 per cent, followed by platinum at 230 per cent and silver at 227 per cent.
Despite the slump in the housing market in the past two years, property has produced the second highest return after previous metals during the past decade of 187 per cent or 11.1 per cent a year, according to the findings by Halifax.
Shares saw an average return of just 18 per cent over the decade, while cash returned 57 per cent. It comes despite savers seeing their rates of return plummet to record lows after the Bank of England cut interest rates to just 0.5 per cent a year ago.
Suren Thiru, an economist at Halifax, said: "Precious metals were the top-performing asset during the noughties, largely reflecting increased demand from China and India for industrial uses and jewellery."
He said that the prospects for prices of investments such as gold and property will be driven in the year to come by the extent and pace with which UK and global economic conditions improve.
"Monetary and fiscal policy decisions, the outcome of the general election, and the strength of demand from China and India are all likely to be important determinants in 2010," he said.
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To contribute to GATA, please visit: | <urn:uuid:8e540885-69a8-40de-8c34-39c162ea7fbc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gata.org/node/8402 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947149 | 526 | 1.585938 | 2 |
This week saw the last meeting of my public speaking course. In some ways I am glad it was coming to an end and other ways I will miss it. I think over the three weeks you build up a bond with the other people in the course. As they have gone though the hardship of public speaking with you.
Show What You Mean
The task this week was to use body movements in your speech. The idea is to add another dimension to your speech and showing the audience what you mean.
- To learn the value of gestures and body movements as part of a speech.
- To explore the different ways of using body language.
- To develop a sense of timing and natural, smooth body moment.
- Time: Three to five minutes.
Taking on board the feedback from last week, I set out to have a very well structured talk and having a good opening and closing line. I started out thinking of some thing I know very well hackerspaces. I took out a bank piece of paper and brain stormed for a few minutes. I just wrote down bullet points. I then left it for a few days. Over the weekend we had the hackathon in TOG. I knew there would be other people in the space, so I wrote all my points up on the black board in the common room for everyone to see. Other people then started to shout out great ideas. My opening line came from their suggestions “Hello my name is … and I’m a hacker” . Taking in all the points I went off to write the speech and put all these ideas into some sort of order.
After writing out the speech I posted it to the TOG irc channel, I went though a number of revisions getting feedback each time from the hackerspace members. Here is a copy of the speech I transfraed to flash cards.
- Mass media definition of a hacker.
- Don’t believe the hype.
- Home Brew Computer Club.
- My definition of a hacker.
- What is a Hackerspace.
- Hackerspaces in Ireland.
- Why I like the term.
Over all I think the speech was very good. I think I did well specking. I did not hit all the objectives in this task, as was clearly shown in the feedback I received. I started out well using my hands and moving around. But from the middle to end I did not to many hand moments. As always with toastmaster you are given feedback on how your performed.
- Speaker very much at home with topic
- Excellent preparation.
- Confident Manner
- Animated, friendly friendly expressions.
- Great opening.
Areas of improvement
- Body movements some what awkward at the end.
- Posture at the lectern.
- Use bigger flash cards and less of them.
I will take the feedback on board for the next talk I do. After the tea breck we had another table topices sessions which I found great fun.
Overall I enjoyed the course very much. In the beginning I was second guessing myself for signing up for the course. I did not want to do any public speaking. But being forced to get up there every week and speak in front of people was well worth it. I would like to thank Engineers Ireland for providing this free course and the Engineers Toastmasters for teaching it. I would recommend it to anyone. I also think public speaking is some thing you get better with practice. That is where toastmasters clubs come in. After looking it up , I was amazed with the number of clubs in Dublin. As my college work is taking up a lot of my time, I wont commit myself to going to their meetings but after college I will try and go.
Yesterday saw my second night at my public speaking course held in Engineers Ireland . This week’s task was to prepare a speech on a subject you are in Earnest about.
Be In Earnest.
The objectives of this task are:
- To convince the audience of your earnestness, sincerity and conviction on a subject you thoroughly understand.
- To confront and control any nervousness you may have.
- Time : Three to five minutes.
As I mention last week I decided to pick the topic of Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware .I found this a very easy topic for me to write about and prepare a speech. I am a keen user of open source software , with Ubuntu being my operating system of choice. When it comes to hardware I love the exploding world of open source hardware. There are so many great projects, Arduino, Makerbot, OpenMoko to name just a few.
I started out by writing the whole speech , and then transferred the key points to flash cards.
- Examples of Open Source Software we use every day.
- No need to reinvent the wheel.
- Who makes Open Source Software. Hobbyists , Company’s.
- Is there any money in Open Source Software.
- Open Source Hardware - definition.
- Examples of Open Source Hardware.
- Still in its infancy – who makes it.
- Hope you all think about releasing any thing you make under a open licence.
As I was giving the talk it was clear that some of the people did not know anything about open source. I feel happy about the talk I gave. People seemed to like it. As always your speech is reviewed. Feedback is below.
- Good Content, interesting topic.
- Could clearly talk for an hour on the topic.
- Earnestness and conviction in voice.
Areas for Improvement
- Need a better opening to arouse audience interest.
- Repetition in the middle.
- Need to end on a stronger note of appeal.
- Eye contact
It is clear from the feedback from the last two weeks I need to add more structure to my talks. I need better opening and closing lines. At the tea break after the talk there were lots of great questions about my talk. I was surprised at the interest.
After the tea break we had a table topics session. The topic I was given “Is your bedroom tidy or complete bedlam”. I made a point that to some my bedroom may look like bedlam but it actually divided up into sections. One area for clean clothes one for dirty clothes and the rest of the room for everything else.
I have my last night of the course next week. Nest week task is “Show What you Mean”. I have to use gestures and body movements are part of a speech. I am going to take some time to think of a good opening line. As it was clear from the feed back I need to work on it.
Last night was my first night of a public speaking course I am attending in Engineers Ireland. In preparation for the first night, I had write an Ice breaker speech.
The objects of this speech are :
- To begin speckling before an audience.
- To help you understand what areas require particular emphasis in your speaking development.
- To introduce yourself to fellow Speechcrafters.
I spent a few days over the last week thinking about what I would say. I decided to talk about something I know very well me .
I turned up to the course to find 15 other people just as nervous about giving their speech as I was. The toastmasters(teachers) did a great job of making us all feel welcome and at ease. We were given a great demonstration of an Ice breaker speech. Now it was our turn, we broke up into two groups of eight, a group to a room. We started one by one to give our ice breaker speech, luckily I was number six. After each speech, the toastmaster gave feedback to the speaker on ways they could improve. It soon came to my turn. I was nervous just before I started talking but as soon became settled when I started talking.
Ice breaker speech
I prepared flash cards with the following points.
- Why I wanted to become an engineer- Always taking things apart.
- Went to DCU – Digital Media Engineering .
- Worked For School of Computing, DCU.
- Ahvited Project.
- The work I did in the project.
- Now in Final year.
I think my speech went well. I ran over the time limit a bit. I hoped to talk about my FYP(Final year project) at the end but I just did not have time.
I got some great feedback from the toastmaster on how to improve.
Strong Points: Good Stance, Strong voice , Relaxed Style, Open face to Audience.
Suggestions for improvement: Slower delivery.,Use of a pause.,Better opening, body and conclusion, Don’t say thank you to the audience.
After our ice breaker speeches we had a much needed break for tea. Afterwards all sixteen students were once again in the same room for the table topics session. Table topics sessions work like so, a topicmaster calls out the name of one of the students. Then he/she stands up. The topicmaster then gives the person a topic to start talking about immediately. The idea is to think of what to say as your talking. One by one all sixteen of us stood up and talked on a topic that we were just given. The topic I was given “what makes Ireland produce literary greats” I made a point that we produced these greats in the past but not any more. It turns out that this task is great fun. It is great to hear what people come up with off the top of their head. After we had all finished, we were given another example of a speech given by a toastmaster. I was amazed at how good the speech was. Titled “Hooray for the internet”. It was a very humorous speech about political correctness in every day society and the total lack of it on the internet.
The main task is to write a speech to convince an audience of my earnestness on a subject. I am thinking of doing the talk on open source hardware. There will also be a table topic session too. | <urn:uuid:ca5a7237-e9ca-4086-99f2-8c992e2c387d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~tdr/blog/tag/speech/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967608 | 2,094 | 1.851563 | 2 |
I missed this story about immigration and DNA testing when it was printed earlier this year. The story looks at some personal stories of immigrants who have had their DNA matches to family members outside the U.S. tested, as part of their attempts to win them entry to the country. Seeing the article linked at Eye on DNA, I found it really heartbreaking:
For Isaac Owusu, a widower, the revelation has forced him to rethink nearly everything he had taken for granted about his life and his family.
It has left him struggling to accept what was once unthinkable: that his deceased wife had long been unfaithful; that the children he loves are not his own; and that his long efforts to reunite his family in this country may have been in vain.
The State Department let his oldest son, now 23, come to the United States last fall, but said the others -- a 19-year-old and 17-year-old twins -- could not come because they are not biologically related to him.
The article claims that such non-matches among immigrants who undergo testing are very common:
But Mary K. Mount, a DNA testing expert for the A.A.B.B. -- formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks -- estimates that about 75,000 of the 390,000 DNA cases that involved families in 2004 were immigration cases. Of those, she estimates, 15 percent to 20 percent do not produce a match.
Some part of that proportion is explained by women who have been raped as refugees; others are the usual story -- men who were always sure they were the father, except they weren't.
Immigrants are not required to take these DNA tests, and negative results do not preclude family members from entering the country -- adoption being one solution. But the stories are poignant, with people discovering they are not always who they thought they were. | <urn:uuid:5044a580-30d7-4c7c-8181-b27718bcb313> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://johnhawks.net/weblog/topics/biotech/testing/immigration_dna_matches_2007.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991407 | 384 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Testing all possible scenarios (all permutation and combination of functionalities) is called exhaustive testing. Exhaustive testing is usually done when the programs and the scope of project is small. For bigger projects exhaustive testing is impractical and is not used. Exhaustive testing is time consuming and costly, thus it has only theoretical significance.
Exhaustive testing is usually impossible, there are a few possible options that can help when applied either individually or in combination with each other:
- Support Less – Sometimes we can’t support every platform or combination. This option reduces the number of potential customers for product, but it makes developing and testing easier. This is a good choice for products with narrower markets.
- Test More – We can’t test everything, but maybe we can test more than before. This option raises costs, but it’s a good choice when stability is crucial.
- Make it Simpler – Leave out complicated features or simplify the design. Leaving out features may mean that customers are unsatisfied, but it can also mean a product is ready for shipping sooner.
- Ship with Bugs – Maybe the bugs doesn’t matter. In this case, one accepts that product is buggy but they ship it anyway. Customers may not be happy when things crash, but it may not matter. This is a good choice if they know the bugs can be managed, or if their customers don’t really care about stability.
When testing is used as a technique to establish a property, the property of interest determines in large part the number of tests required. This is the case no matter whether the goal is to establish properties in a statistical sense or in the sense of a proof using exhaustive testing. By careful definition of the property and by the application of a technique called specification limitation, we have been able to prove a number of significant properties of a large software system by exhaustive testing.
Exhaustive testing is infeasible. However, this infeasibility is a direct result of the goal of testing for overall functional correctness. In considering the general issue of how safety-critical systems might be tested, we have concluded that a different view of testing is required. | <urn:uuid:5ec023b6-e0f0-4404-bed4-e13094beb71b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.360logica.com/insight/blog/exhaustive-testing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942752 | 444 | 3.109375 | 3 |
They could be your neighbors. A psychologist, a factory owner, an industrialist, an agricultural engineer, a school principle, a social worker, and an optometrist. What do they have in common? Each is commemorating the grim anniversary of three years of imprisonment and torture. Their crime you ask? What the Islamic Republic of Iran will tell you is that their crimes are “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic” and “corruption on earth”. The real reason is that in Iran being a Baha'i is a crime.
On Thursday, May 12th, Capitol Hill hosted an event to raise awareness of the plight of these innocent souls who have been unjustly sentenced to twenty years in prison purely for their religious beliefs. Senator Mark Kirk (R. Illinois) emphasized during this event the importance of committing their names to memory. Their names are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naemi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Ms. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.
This remarkable and inspiring event featured public officials, artists, family members and representatives of the Baha'is of the United States, united in a single goal: to shine a light on the darkness of relentless persecution of Iran's largest religious minority. In particular, the evening was dedicated to the seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders known as the Yaran-i-Iran (Friends of Iran).
Senator Kirk reminded us of the power of supporting those striving for freedom during the Soviet era through telling their stories. Ken Bowers, Secretary General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, called on the Iranian regime to respect freedom of conscience for all its people. Representative Michael Grimm (R. New York) praised the steadfastness of the Yaran in the face of oppression. Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick, Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor compared the Baha'is of Iran to the "miner's canary", an indication of the human rights climate in Iran generally. | <urn:uuid:609dc541-161d-48be-938c-7e545423bab9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/what-harm-is-there-in-this/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947939 | 457 | 2.46875 | 2 |
(NBC) - A shipment of children's pirate costumes en-route from China to a distributor in Seattle will never make it to store shelves.
Customs and Border Protection Officers and Consumer Product Safety Investigators were waiting for the shipment coming from a manufacturer with a bad reputation.
They tested the Halloween costumes and found lead levels in the costumes' buttons that are 11 times the legal limit.
In all, agents seized 229 cartons of 1,371 costumes.
All of them will be destroyed.
The shipments were valued at more than $10,000.
Lead can poison developing brains, and these costumes are marketed for young girls.
Inspectors all over the country will now pull any shipments of the costumes from any port where they may have been sent.
Workers from the two agencies are constantly on the lookout for dangerous toys, whether it be from lead, another toxin or breakable parts that can choke a child.
"I will do this ten times," said CPSC Investigator Craig Mabie as he dropped a plastic toy that broke into several pieces when it hit the floor.
Since none of the pieces were small enough to it into a simulated child's throat, that toy passed the test.
It also passed a scanner test that can instantly detect dangerous levels of lead and other toxins.
The agencies are on guard this time of year because so many Halloween and Christmas toys are coming in from producers around the world.
Copyright NBC News
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A mailing address error leads to an arrest warrant being issued for a man who was unaware he had been ticketed by a red light camera. | <urn:uuid:c78e1b62-c92a-4ec5-9fee-00d868035e4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kshb.com/dpp/money/consumer/halloween-costumes-found-with-11-times-the-legal-limit-of-lead | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965599 | 333 | 1.664063 | 2 |
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An explosion at Venezuela's Amuay plant, one of the world's largest, has halted production for two days.
An explosion at a Venezuela refinery plant has killed at least 39 people and injured 80 others.
The blast at the Amuay plant, one of the world's largest, has also halted production for at least two days and damaged the surrounding houses, according to BBC News. The fire has since been brought under control.
"The gas cloud exploded, igniting at least two storage tanks and other facilities at the refinery," Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez told state TV. "It was a significant explosion, there is appreciable damage to infrastructure and to houses opposite the refinery."
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the explosion, BBC News reported.
"I want to send out to the families of those who died, civilians and military, all our pain, mine, that of all my family, everyone in the national government and the people of Venezuela," Chavez said. "It has been decided to have three days of mourning, national mourning because this affects everyone in the big family of Venezuela."
Among the victims of the explosion, which was caused by a gas leak that ignited, was a 10-year-old boy, the Los Angeles Times reported. 18 of the victims were National Guard troops stationed at the refinery, and 15 were civilians, according to BBC. Six bodies have still not been identified.
More from GlobalPost: Venezuela sends 'deepest condolences' to Syria regime
Vice President Elias Jaua, who traveled to the scene of the accident in the western part of Venezuela, said the authorities were "trying to save the greatest number of lives."
"We are deploying our whole fire service team, all our health team, the whole contingency plan on the orders of Comandante Chavez to treat the people affected by this emergency," Falcon state governor Stella Lugo told state TV, Reuters reported.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said that the explosion was "sad and painful," The New York Times reported.
“We don’t have anything to hide,” Chávez, who said he would launch an investigation into the blast. “We have to overcome this tragedy.” | <urn:uuid:a4471d52-04c1-4082-8a7a-db487d6c27e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/120825/venezuela-refinery-blast-kills-at-least-26-video | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968664 | 471 | 1.796875 | 2 |
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Currently, large doses of chemotherapy are required when treating certain forms of cancer, resulting in toxic side effects. The chemicals enter the body and work to destroy or shrink the tumor, but also harm vital organs and drastically affect bodily functions. Now, scientists at the University of Missouri have proven that a new form of prostate cancer treatment that uses radioactive gold nanoparticles, and was developed at MU, is safe to use in dogs. Sandra Axiak-Bechtel, an assistant professor in oncology at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, says that this is a big step for gold nanoparticle research.
"Proving that gold nanoparticles are safe to use in the treatment of prostate cancer in dogs is a big step toward gaining approval for clinical trials in men," Axiak-Bechtel said. "Dogs develop prostate cancer naturally in a very similar way as humans, so the gold nanoparticle treatment has a great chance to translate well to human patients."
For their treatment, Kattesh Katti, a curators' professor of radiology and physics in the School of Medicine and the College of Arts and Science, and other MU scientists, have found a more efficient way of targeting prostate tumors by using radioactive gold nanoparticles. This new treatment would require doses that are thousands of times smaller than chemotherapy and do not travel through the body inflicting damage to healthy areas.
"We found remarkable results in mice, which showed a significant reduction in tumor volume through single injections of the radioactive gold nanoparticles," said Katti. "These findings have formed a solid foundation, and we hope to translate the utility of this novel nanomedicine therapy to treating human cancer patients."
Current treatments for prostate cancer are not effective in patients who have aggressive prostate cancer tumors. Most of the time, prostate cancers are slow-growing; the disease remains localized and it is easily managed. However, aggressive forms of the disease spread to other parts of the body, and is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men. The MU scientists believe their treatment will be able to shrink aggressive tumors or eliminate them completely. Axiak-Bechtel says this treatment can be safe and effective in dogs as well as humans because dogs are the only other mammal to naturally contract the aggressive form of prostate cancer.
"Being able to test the gold nanoparticle treatment on dogs is very helpful, because dogs develop these tumors naturally," Axiak-Bechtel said. "Because dogs can't tell us how they feel, many times they are diagnosed with the disease too late, but this treatment gives us some hope that we can still combat aggressive tumors."
Axiak-Bechtel and Katti, who is also a senior research scientist at the MU Research Reactor, have been working with colleagues in the Department of Radiology and Cathy Cutler at the MU Research Reactor, to develop the gold nanoparticle treatment. This research was presented at the 2012 World Veterinary Cancer Conference in Paris.
This study is a result of collaboration through the One Health, One Medicine area of Mizzou Advantage. Mizzou Advantage is a program that focuses on four areas of strength: food for the future, media of the future, one health, one medicine, and sustainable energy. The goals of Mizzou Advantage are to strengthen existing faculty networks, create new networks and propel Mizzou's research, instruction and other activities to the next level.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system. | <urn:uuid:62883957-e6ac-482b-976c-b5b39c31b379> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/uom-gnp101512.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951515 | 745 | 3.171875 | 3 |
In 1961, at the height of what is referred to as television’s “golden age,” Newton Minow, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), declared the medium “a vast wasteland.” With the explosion of cable companies and satellite services, television has become a vaster wasteland. Hundreds of channels compete for a narrow share of an increasingly fragmented audience and the advertisers’ dollars that follow. To lure viewers, many feature heavy helpings of sex, violence and language far raunchier than the shows you might remember from your youth. For instance, the programs that fill today’s “family hour” (8 P.M. to 9 P.M.) contain four times as many sexual incidents than were seen during the same time slot in 1976.
When it comes to teen violence, smoking and drug use, however, there is sufficient research to establish that TV influences youthful behavior. Since 1955, more than one thousand studies have substantiated that for some adolescents, frequent exposure to television violence contributes to overly aggressive behavior.
Many other factors, such as violence in the home, are accountable too, but experts estimate that TV’s impact, on average, ranges from 5 to 15 percent, which is significant. One study, conducted by psychologists Leonard Eron and L. Rowell Huesmann, followed males from age eight to age thirty. The third graders who immersed themselves in programs depicting violence were more likely to grow up to be aggressive teenagers than were the participants who did not watch excessive amounts of TV violence. As adults, they were more likely to have criminal records.
Another study by Dr. Huesmann disproved the assumption that TV violence had a less-pronounced effect on girls. In the late 1970s, he and his team of researchers interviewed nearly four hundred girls in grades one through five about their viewing habits. About fifteen years later, they checked in on their subjects, who by then were in their twenties. Three in five of those who had professed to be avid fans of such combative TV heroines as Charlie’s Angels and Wonder Woman (at the time, relatively novel role models for women) were involved in a higher-than-average incidence of violent confrontations, including shoving matches, chokings and knifings compared to the women who’d watched few or none of these shows during grade school.
Besides glamorizing and normalizing aggression, TV violence numbs youngsters to the horror of violence. The 1990s saw the proliferation of so-called reality-based “shockumentaries,” which treat viewers to full half-hours of nothing but horrific car wrecks, police shoot-outs and rampaging animals. Imagine: Now you can rubberneck from the comfort of your living-room sofa. These programs, shot on videotape, may have a greater impact than most because of the audience’s belief that the on-screen action is real and unpredictable. | <urn:uuid:d9b0a5aa-82d2-4fbe-a3cb-4153ee779e8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/TV-Violence.aspx | 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 | 0.974662 | 611 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Pope Benedict XVI has been "relentless and consistent" in seeking to oust child abusers from the priesthood worldwide, the pontiff's new American envoy to Ireland said Sunday in his first homily here.
Archbishop Charles Brown, a 52-year-old Manhattan native and veteran Vatican insider, was making his first public address since officially taking up his post as Irish papal nuncio three days ago.
"From the beginning, Pope Benedict was resolute and determined to put into place changes which would give the church the ability to deal more effectively with those who abuse trust. ... Pope Benedict has been relentless and consistent on this front," Brown told worshippers and diplomatic guests at a service at Dublin's Pro-Cathedral.
The first-time diplomat faces a delicate repair job in Ireland, a traditionally Catholic nation that has seen Mass attendance plummet in line with nearly two decades of pedophile-priest scandals.
Last year Prime Minister Enda Kenny accused the Vatican of overseeing a cover-up culture that encouraged the rape of children. The Vatican took two months to issue a legalistic rebuttal that sidestepped its refusal to help a series of Irish state-ordered investigations.
Ireland then closed its Vatican embassy but insisted this was purely a cost-cutting measure, a claim widely disbelieved in Ireland since the country's ongoing struggle to stave off national bankruptcy.
Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, widely considered to be Ireland's most reform-minded Catholic leader, told reporters he expected that Ireland and the Vatican would compromise on arrangements to open a new, cheaper Irish embassy in Rome. Ireland still operates one embassy in the Italian capital, but the Vatican insists that countries fund completely separate diplomatic facilities.
Speaking to reporters outside the cathedral, Martin said he was confident that the Vatican would permit Ireland to open "a leaner embassy" that is separate but on the same site as Ireland's Italian embassy.
In his homily, Brown reiterated the Vatican's longheld line that its leaders have never obstructed Irish efforts to identify and punish several hundred child abusers in parishes and religious orders.
Brown noted his own 17-year work as an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the powerful Vatican body that enforces church policies _ including the removal of pedophiles from the priesthood. Benedict, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, oversaw the body from 1981 until his promotion to pope in 2005.
"I speak from my own experience when I tell you that Pope Benedict was scandalized and dismayed as he learned about the tragedy of abuse perpetrated by some members of the clergy and of religious congregations," Brown said. "He felt deeply the wounds of those who had been harmed and who so often had not been listened to."
Ratzinger in 2001 was responsible for a new church edict ordering bishops worldwide to forward all known abuse cases to the congregation, so that offending priests could be more effectively defrocked under terms of the church's own canon laws.
But that and several other key church messages, including the pope's 2010 papal letter to the Irish people, have ignored accusations that Vatican policies discouraged Irish bishops from telling police about crimes. To this day, official Vatican policy remains ambiguous on the matter, stressing the need to observe the church's own rulebook.
A decade of Irish fact-finding commissions into the scandals has determined that church officials did not tell police of any crimes until the mid-1990s and only because Irish abuse victims had started to sue the church, challenging decades of Irish deference to church authority. One bishop was found to have continued to cover up crimes as recently as 2008.
The Vatican refused to respond to letters sent by Irish investigators seeking access to the church's secret files on abuse cases in Rome. The Vatican later said it couldn't respond because the investigators had failed to file their information requests through the Irish government.
More than 14,000 people have received abuse settlements in Ireland exceeding euro1.2 billion ($1.6 billion). The payouts have been funded largely by taxpayers rather than the church, another source of continuing church-state tensions. | <urn:uuid:4049da16-857c-474f-8d65-80e565a2540d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://townhall.com/news/world/2012/02/19/new_irish_envoy_pope_consistent_on_stopping_abuse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979968 | 836 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Scientists Detect Indentation in Space-Time from Spinning Black Hole
issued by Massachusetts Institute of Technology
January 9, 2006 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- MIT scientists and their colleagues have found a black hole that has chiseled a remarkably stable indentation in the fabric of space and time, like a dimple in one's favorite spot on a sofa.
The finding may help scientists measure a black hole's mass and how it spins, two long-sought measurements, by virtue of the extent of this indentation. Using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, the team saw identical patterns in the X-ray light emitted near the black hole over a nine-year period, as captured in archived data from 1996 and in a new, unprecedented 550-hour observation from 2005.
Black hole regions are notoriously chaotic, generating light at a range of frequencies. Similarities seen nine years apart imply something very fundamental is producing a pair of observed frequencies, namely the warping of space and time predicted by Einstein but rarely seen in such detail.
Jeroen Homan of the MIT Kavli Institute and his colleagues from the University of Michigan, Amsterdam University and MIT present this result today at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington.
"The fact that we found the exact same frequency of X-ray oscillations nine years later is likely no coincidence," said Homan. "The black hole is still singing the same tune. The oscillations are created by a groove hammered into spacetime by the black hole. This phenomenon has been suspected for a while, but now we have strong evidence to support it."
A black hole forms when a very massive star runs out of fuel. Without the power to support its mass, the star implodes and the core collapses to a point of infinite density. Black holes have a theoretical border called an event horizon. Gravity is so strong within the event horizon that nothing, not even light, can escape its pull. Outside the event horizon, light can still escape.
Homan's team---which includes Jon Miller of the University of Michigan, Rudy Wijnands of Amsterdam University and Walter Lewin of MIT---observed a region less than 100 miles from the event horizon of a black hole system called GRO J1655-40. Here, matter can orbit a black hole relatively stably, but occasionally it wobbles at certain precise frequencies. This is a direct result of how the black hole deforms space and time, a four-dimensional concept that Einstein called spacetime.
During most of the time between the 1996-1997 outburst and the 2005 outburst, the source had fallen into quiescence. The supply of gas dried up. After the onset of the new outburst, the team observed GRO J1655-40 twice a day on average for eight months, for a total of over 550 hours. Gas from a companion star was falling toward the black hole, heating to high temperatures and causing the entire region to glow in X-ray light.
During the long observation the team uncovered fluctuations in the X-ray light, called quasi-periodic oscillations, or QPOs. These are thought to be from wobbling blobs of gas whipping around the black hole. The team observed QPOs at frequencies of 300 Hz and 450 Hz---the same that were observed nine years ago. This was by far the longest observation of a black hole during an outburst. Previous observations have determined that GRO J1655-40 is about 6.5 times more massive than the sun.
"The precise frequencies are determined by the mass of the black hole and also by how fast it spins," said Miller. "Those measurements---mass and spin---have been difficult to obtain. Fortunately, we already have an estimate of the mass of this black hole. By understanding the behavior of matter so close to the black hole's edge, we can now begin to determine the spin and thus, for the first time, completely describe the black hole."
Making this detection possible, the team said, was the long and intensive observing program with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, a unique and durable observatory launched ten years ago, on December 30, 1995.
"Had we not observed in this way, we would probably not have detected the pair of QPOs again," said Wijnands. "We need time. X-ray light from black holes typically shows many types of fluctuations. Often we see black holes brighten and weaken a few times per second, but the rate at which this happens changes from day to day. What is so special about the fluctuations that we observed is not only that they are much faster than the ordinary fluctuations---a few hundred times per second!---but also that the rate of the fluctuations is exactly the same as when we last saw them, nine years ago."
If you have a question about RXTE, please send email to one of our help desks. | <urn:uuid:c9b1ad06-1130-4077-8e25-a8bbf6ca5002> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/whatsnew/press_releases/press/2006/060109a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948097 | 1,010 | 3.359375 | 3 |
So, inevitably when you make the statement I made in the last post you get the same question: "So you believe in evolution?"
Yes, yes I do.
It's not that I really "believe" in it either. I just accept it. After you spend enough time researching the subject with an honest and open perspective you can't help but realizing that it's not up for debate anymore. Science has tried extensively for over a century to debunk this thing and it just comes back stronger. More over, it has actually become the basis for the majority of medical knowledge. That's right, the Theory of Evolution has extended your life span without you knowing it. People figured out what was killing us based on how it evolved and they've been fighting it accordingly. Recently there was even a discovery that humans have a dormant gene in their genetics that, if activated, could cure AIDS.
And how did we figure that out? Because several breeds of ape are immune to HIV.
So the scientists studied these apes who were immune and found that they had a specific genetic code that made them incompatible with the virus. So the obvious conclusion to the researchers was that the gene was something we were lacking or was inert. But, of course, thanks to SCIENCE! they knew that there was a chance we were compatible with the genetic code since we're cousins to the apes in question. They looked and found that...we had the same damn gene. Sometimes genes go inactive over time, evolution gradually causes them to shut down or become useless. In our case, this was true for the HIV thing up until about three decades ago. Then the virus met with us again long after our genes had thought the coast was clear. Boom, we got sick.
"But that's just something in our genes, that can't prove evolution! You're expecting me to believe that stuff will change shape and size over time?"
Well, yeah. We've been doing it artificially since the dawn of civilization through breeding.
If you weren't made aware of it early on in your life, you never would have connected Chihuahuas to Wolves. But this is just the amount of change that has happened to these creatures over the course of human civilization. We're talking only tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Life has existed for millions to billions of years. What kind of change could have happened in that length of time if we can turn a big, bad wolf into a shivering little rat-like thing? Heck, genetically, the damn things are nearly identical and could (theoretically) breed still. That means they haven't even drifted as far apart as Horses and Donkeys yet. But we know that Horses and Donkeys are related because they too can breed. So, obviously, there's still room for Chihuahuas to diverge away from wolves still.
"But that just means they're stuck in their kind. We've never seen something become anything that hasn't existed before."
Wrong. We totally, totally have.
Take a look at Nylonase. Nylonase is one of the best proofs of evolution out there since this:
Somehow grew the ability to digest compounds that only exist as a byproduct of making this:
That's right, somehow, bacteria has the ability to digest something that didn't exist until the 1930s! Something that didn't even randomly pop up in nature. This stuff was created strictly by human invention. For this to even remotely make sense without evolution you'd have to believe that the world would be created specifically with a kind of bacteria that could eat a material that would not exist for (according to the bible) 6000 years. Then you'd have to ask yourself...why?
To put this into perspective for you on just how insane that is as a concept. This material is ONLY created as a byproduct of the creation of nylon. So there's no real necessity for this bacteria to have this ability in order to survive in nature and...there's no real benefit to their survival either. So this would essentially be like you being born with a complete immunity to toxic gases for the eventual case of needing to survive... an attack by the Joker.
Doesn't make sense, does it? But then there's that nagging feeling in the back of your head, you imaginary reader you. There's a thing nagging at you because you've heard it from someone before (I know because I've heard it countless times from hundreds of people). "But Evolution is JUST a theory, even science doesn't believe it's fact."
That's a bit of a misunderstanding on what exactly science means when it says "theory". See, in science, theory is Theory. A "Theory of" something happens to be a collection of facts and hypotheses on a topic that is slowly evolving as we learn more about it. You start with a hypothesis, you prove the hypothesis, that becomes a fact which is included in your overall theory of how the thing works. Eventually you prove other hypotheses about the same thing and you include those facts into the evolving theory too. It's not called a theory because they don't think its true, it's called a theory because it's their current best estimate of the collective facts about it. To put this simply, there's other things out there which you know for a fact are true which science considers a "Theory".
Evolution isn't 100% figured out, nothing ever is. But what we do know is that it happened and it's continuing to happen. We just aren't completely sure about the hows, whys and whens to an absolute certainty. But, as far as science is concerned, we are 99.9999% sure this happened.
Though, not exactly like that... | <urn:uuid:a3aa573b-245a-4f6b-97cd-d5317ea2cf43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://walnutdust.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-am-what-i-am-religious-edition_05.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985013 | 1,177 | 1.96875 | 2 |
The African American Almanac provides a range of historical and current information on African American history, society and culture and includes coverage of such topics as:
Patrons will also find chronologies, texts of important documents, legislation, speeches, biographical profiles, essays, and more than 650 photographs, illustrations, maps and statistical charts to help them with their research. An expanded appendix of recipients of selected awards and honors and cumulative subject index make this resource easy to use.
This title is now available in eBook format through Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale Virtual Reference Library is taking eBooks to the next level by delivering a wealth of reference content in a database format. This valuable new product allows libraries of any size - based on user's needs and usage patterns - to develop collections at their own pace and within their own budget.
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Price: Sign In for price | <urn:uuid:acfcebd1-ee7a-4e9b-be4b-b76c339432d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=EBK14&cf=e&type=4&id=233117 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906746 | 285 | 3.125 | 3 |
You're Saving Enough for Retirement (Probably)
Don't worry—you won't have to live on ramen and cat food.
Here's the conventional wisdom on pensions: You're a weak-willed and shortsighted fool who isn't saving enough, and as a result you will spend your retirement in poverty. The American press is loaded with hand-wringing on the subject—largely, although not exclusively, based on "research" from companies that sell pensions and investments. In Great Britain, the definitive statement was made by Adair Turner's Pension Commission in 2004: "Most people do not make rational decisions about long-term savings without encouragement and advice." Ouch.
The sense of impending doom has been deepened by the realization that both corporate pension plans and implicit pension promises from governments may have too little cash behind them. That may be true, but it is only indirectly relevant to the question of personal pension saving.
One of the results of this nervousness has been a search for ways to encourage people to save more: tax breaks and enrollment by default, for example.
But look more closely, and it is far from obvious that there is a serious and generalized problem with personal pension savings. It's hard to say for sure partly because the future is unknown and partly because it's difficult to determine exactly how much money should be in a sensibly funded pension. For example, if someone is making $100,000 a year, what pension income would count as sensible? $125,000 would probably be excessive—but what about medical and long-term care costs? $45,000 a year seems low, but many people get by happily on less.
Yet economists have been gamely making the effort; they look for "consumption smoothing" as a sign of sensible saving. In practice, that means that aiming to consume about as much after retirement as before. But even that simple comparison can be misleading. The economist Erik Hurst has recently calculated (PDF) that while most American households do cut back on spending after retiring, that does not literally mean tightening their belts: The cutbacks mean spending less on commuting and work clothes. Spending on food also falls, but the retirees eat just as well: They simply spend more of their plentiful leisure time cooking at home. Spending on entertainment and donations to charity increase. No sign there of a penurious dotage.
An admired analysis of retirement saving was published in 2006 in the Journal of Political Economy by John Karl Scholz and two colleagues (PDF). They concluded that more than 80 percent of Americans seemed to be on track to retire with enough money in the bank; the remainder were mostly not far short of sensible savings. Another economist, Laurence Kotlikoff, is famous for his calculations that the U.S. government has run up a staggering implicit debt in the form of Medicare and Social Security promises, but he seems sanguine about private saving. Kotlikoff believes that the savings plans that tend to be recommended by the "retirement calculators" on investment-company Web sites recommend saving too much and buying too much insurance. (Kotlikoff is now marketing his own retirement calculator.)
So should we be more relaxed about personal pensions? It's hard to be sure.
Some people do suffer impoverished retirements, but they tend to fall into two categories: those who were poor for most of their lives, anyway, and those who unexpectedly lost their jobs or their health in their 50s. In neither case is "more saving" the answer to the problem.
Tim Harford is a Financial Times columnist. His latest book, The Logic of Life, will be published in paperback on Feb. 10.
Photograph of calculator by Joe Raedle/Newsmakers/Getty Images. | <urn:uuid:465d85e2-cae7-41b1-85b5-b35ff9361c0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_undercover_economist/2008/06/youre_saving_enough_for_retirement_probably.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974117 | 771 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Tribune reports that the Los Osos Sustainability Group has filed a request to the Coastal Commission asking it to revoke its permit for the sewer project. They allege that "the approval [of the upcoming coastal permits to proceed with this project] is based on willfully submitted inaccurate information."
Says the petition, "Basically, the information we present shows that the Los Osos Wastewater Project could have disastrous adverse consequences on the Los Osos area, including the water basin and vital sensitive habitat, and agencies intentionally provided inaccurate, erroneous and incomplete information that failed to disclose these impacts." The request for review/revoke is supported by "a 6-inch-tall stack of documents that allege false information was provided by the county and the Central Coast Regional Water quality Control Board in order to obtain the coastal development permit needed to build the sewer. . . . These include whether nitrates from the town's septic systems pollute the Morro Bay estuary; whether disposing of effluent would cause liquefaction of nearby soils; whether the project would worsen salt-water intrusion into underground aquifers; and whether the project would cause unsustainable growth to occur in Los Osos." And concludes, "The decision to allow this project to go forward cannot be based on popular opinion, political expediency, or on information that might otherwise fail to meet Coastal Commission standards for accurate and complete information or (state law) standards for substantial evidence."
And what was the response from Tim McNulty of the County Counsel's Office? "We are absolutely certain that there was no intent on anyone's part to provide that type of information. Under these circumstances, a project-delaying suspension is quite improbable."
And why would that be? Well, because "The petitioners must prove that information was inaccurate, that it was knowingly submitted and that the information changed the outcome of the commission's decisions."
Doncha love it?. It's not enough that the information may be factually incorrect, i.e. that the numbers are wrong, that doing X will result in disaster Y, the bridge will fall because you've transposed weight bearing numbers, the dam will collapse because you added the numbers wrong. No. That's not the key thing here. What's key is that you INTENTIONALLY gave the Commission the wrong numbers. That you MEANT to fudge the numbers, nudge the numbers, make the numbers smiley-faced, happy numbers so as to get whatever permit you're after. The fact of their wrongness isn't enough to get the Commission to back off and double-check. Nope. You have to prove intention.
And, of course, your correct numbers have to be sufficient to have caused the Commissioners to change their minds, which is a really high bar because nobody on the face of the earth believes that the Commissioners wouldn't have approved that sewer, no matter how fudged the numbers were.
Once again, we're back in Alice in Wonderland Land: actual facts don't matter much. Intention, not mere incompetence, trumps all. "Yes, the numbers are wrong and the bridge will collapse. But, we're not going to change the plans since the Engineer didn't mean to add them up wrong."
Meanwhile, Back On The Old SewerWatch
Ron Crawford, at www.sewerwatch.blogspot.com, has also written a letter to the Coastal Commission on a similar issue. And posted that letter. He's having way too much fun and this letter will be a delight for careful Sewer Watchers -- it's sly, and funny. And if you read his response to a blog comment, you'll see the further comic possibilities in his original letter. Sauce for goose and gander. After all, if "park amenities" were so critical, such a vital, overriding "community held value" for which the TRI-W defenders fought so ferociously, then here's the chance to get those park amenities back from the very Coastal Commission and Commissioner(s) who originally approved them.
Talk about Win Win. | <urn:uuid:344c54f5-9cee-4ac3-9502-0723652f80a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://calhounscannon.blogspot.com/2012/03/calling-humpty-dumpty.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956767 | 826 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Computer Software Engineer: What is it?
Computers have become an integral part of our everyday life hence the need to have someone with knowledge about how they work and in this case a computer software engineer is best suited for this task. Computers are used in nearly every aspect from just simple education, medical assistance to more complicated tasks such as jet navigation or flight simulation.
A brief insight into the computer world reveals that there are two people required for it to come into existence, computer hardware engineer and software engineer. The hardware engineer is responsible for the physical construction of the computer and after that the role of the computer software engineer comes in. Computers cannot operate without software which act as an interface between humans and the machine.
Generally, the tasks that are undertaken by software engineers include getting user’ requirements about what they need from a product, design it and develop it to an end product. This process usually involves a lot of complex scientific computation and engineering principles such as modeling techniques and employing the correct algorithms. When at the development stage, programming knowledge has to come into play when they are coding the software product.
Computer software engineers also modify old existing software by either removing bugs (errors) or upgrading them to meet new user requirements. This is usually referred to us evolution of software. They also direct in the software development and documentation process. As specified earlier, software engineers don’t deal with the hardware part of the computer hence there are deep consultations between these two fields such as a software engineer specifying the hardware specifications that are required for a particular software product to run efficiently and achieve greater performance.
One of the greatest advantages in software engineering is that one applies their own principles and creativity to build something from scratch. Not many careers that one can boost of developing something from scratch to a finished product. If one is always looking to learning new things, this is the right profession for you. In computer software development, engineers have to keep up with the latest trends in the market hence the need to learn new programming languages and new design techniques to make your product top notch.
Since 2008, computer software engineering has been ranked as the most valuable and most sort after career in the world by Money magazine and Salary.com both of the U.S. With technology expanding day by day, more software engineers are required to meet the current demand. Well, in terms of payment too, it does not disappoint with engineers being paid millions to develop a product for corporations. Also for permanent employed engineers, they average from $90-120 000 per year.
How do I become a computer software engineer?
The main course undertaken at bachelor’s level in this profession is computer science. Alternatively background information about programming is necessary and also specializing in software engineering since computer science is a huge field.
For one to be identified as a professional, there are international bodies such as IEEE computer society which one has to register with. Also some companies i.e. Apple and IBM offer their own certification examinations. | <urn:uuid:8ea4f047-edd8-4b60-94d2-16a8ce6a7df5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://questionstoaskduringaninterview.net/computer-software-engineer-what-is-it/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962141 | 603 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Posted: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 10:16 AM
By MAEGAN CLEARWOOD,The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown via Associated Press
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- A dairy farmer's life is one of routine and discipline, each day beginning with the rising sun.
The economic side of dairy farming isn't nearly as predictable.
"When it comes to working with cows, that's almost the easy part. You expect certain things with cows, but the economy is the challenge," said Ralph Shank, who runs Palmyra Farm with his family in Hagerstown.
Dairy farming is Washington County's single largest farming industry. The 148 dairy farms in the county account for about $45 million in annual sales, more than half of the $83 million farming accounts for each year, according to University of Maryland Extension agriculture educator Jeff Semler.
Washington County is the second largest producer of milk in the state, following Frederick County, which rakes in $51,537,000 in annual milk sales.
Milk is in demand, but because of fluctuating milk prices and the rocky economic landscape, it's impossible for dairy farmers to predict their income on a monthly basis.
Semler said most farmers sell their milk through federal dairy cooperatives, and have no control over the price of their product.
The majority of milk sold out of Washington County is in fluid form, not manufactured form, such as cheese, butter or powdered milk. Cooperatives, however, base liquid-milk prices on market-determined prices of manufactured products, not the raw product, Semler said.
The sales of manufactured products are determined on a monthly basis, and then are used to determine the price of raw milk. This means that farmers cannot predict the price of their milk, depending instead on estimates by cooperatives.
"It's a mystical thing when it comes to milk pricing," Semler said. "If you're a farmer, you have no idea what you're going to be paid for the month."
Claire Seibert, who with her husband, Mark, owns Clear Spring Creamery in Clear Spring, said they felt that selling cooperatively left them "at the mercy of co-ops," so they have been selling their products independently for a year.
"There are a lot less people in the middle of producing and selling," she said. "It's a lot of pressure and work, but there's a lot more value. We couldn't survive (with a co-op) with our small herd."
Seibert said she and her husband have about 100 milking cows. They own 72 acres of land and rent an additional 40.
Farmers such as the Seiberts, who sell independently, have control over pricing, but that can be a risky business.
"The scary part about (independent marketing) is if they don't need your milk one day, they might not take it," Shank said. "It's a co-op's job to market our milk."
Shank and his family sell through Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association Inc., which guarantees that their milk will be picked up and sold each month, albeit with inconsistent pricing.
In order to gain at least some control over milk pricing, Shank said they also started marketing some of their milk with private cheese companies a few years ago.
Seibert said she and her husband sell their products in the Washington D.C., area, where there is more of a market.
"We have a system down. We know how much to bring. We split it up between two markets," she said. "Pricing is based on how much work goes into individual products."
In recent years, economic conditions have made milk pricing particularly worrisome for cooperative-dependent farmers. Shank said that in 2009, milk prices plummeted as low as $12.40 per hundredweight, the lowest in 40 years.
This year, prices have rebounded to about $22 per hundredweight, Semler said.
"Even though milk prices have gone up, and it may look a little promising, it's still a bad situation," said Ronnie Leggett, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau. "This is a real bad time with farmers. (The industry has) been depleted over the years because the economy isn't always strong enough to support it."
The recession has affected many aspects of farming, most significantly through rising costs of fuel and other expenses. Shank said the price of feed alone increased 70 percent last year.
The poor economic situation also has affected the price of land, which many farmers own as an economic safeguard, Semler said.
Demand has been affected as well. Shank said domestic demand for milk has decreased by 2 percent in the last three or four years.
"People spend a little less at the market," Seibert said. "It costs us a lot more to do what we're doing."
Dairy farming is not an inexpensive undertaking. Semler said the average dairy farmer owns about 180 acres, and most rent additional land.
At a minimum, for a dairy farmer to survive, he or she must rent or own land and milking cows, and must own or rent basic cropping and milking equipment. For a more stable farmer, necessary amenities include tractors, mowers, a milking tank and plenty of nutritious feed.
Semler said basic expenses can easily add up to $350,000 to start a new farm.
"It's very capital-intensive," Semler said. "It's very difficult for someone to start farming without some sort of help."
Because of base expenses, many dairy farms have multigenerational family histories. Semler said every Washington County farm is family-owned, even those that call themselves companies.
Shank, for example, said his family's farm has been at the same location since 1952. His farm is on the larger side, with 300 acres of land and 150 cows.
Seibert and her husband started their milking business only five years ago. Seibert said the land has been in Mark's family for a long time, and he always had wanted to farm.
"It's been a lot harder than we thought it would be," Seibert said.
Keeping a farm running smoothly means long hours in the fields and with the cows. Semler said cows are milked two to three times a day, and each milking takes about two hours.
Although Seibert said her cows are milked only once a day and produce less than the national average, managing the farm is no easy task.
"It's so cliché, but it's a lot of hard work. It's very physical, but you see direct results of your hard work," Seibert said. "We love it. We get a lot of good feedback from our customers. We get to be outside all day. We get to be our own boss."
Information from: The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., http://www.herald-mail.com
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. | <urn:uuid:87c5bb72-f21d-408b-83d1-56c9d58baeea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.capitalpress.com/content/AP-MD-Business-beat-dairy-071911 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977823 | 1,464 | 2.171875 | 2 |
But Captain Planet had it easy. He was a superhero, an ever-ready deus ex machina. Other than his need to have the Planeteers combine their powers, he never had to deal with a bureaucracy.
Riverkeepers, on the other hand, get to deal with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). But when ADEM fails to follow its own regulations, riverkeepers must use another tool, one far removed from the great outdoors: the legal system.
BWR has been active in the legal arena as of late. The organization has an ally in the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), a group of attorneys that works to protect the South’s environmental treasures. Together, SELC and BWR have filed actions regarding two permits ADEM has issued, contending that ADEM did not receive a critical pollution abatement and prevention plan, or PAP, from either the 3,255-acre Rosa mine in Blount County or the 1,773-acre Shepherd Bend mine in Walker County. ADEM says it has an agreement with the Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC), which also must approve coal mines, to review pollution plans, but BWR and SELC contend ASMC does not have authority over water pollution—ADEM does.
In the case of the massive Rosa mine, which would discharge pollutants at more than 60 points along the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, the permit ADEM issues exempts the mine from discharge limits during rains, a time when water contamination and sedimentation are potentially at their highest. In addition, the mine would discharge pollutants into a stretch of the Locust Fork on Alabama’s list of already impaired waterways, known as the 303(d) list. BWR and SELC argue issuing a permit for a new source of pollution on a 303(d) section is not allowed.
“That portion of the Locust Fork is on the 303(d) list for sedimentation,” Brooke says. “And so we’ve contended in that appeal that it is illegal for ADEM to issue a permit that would cause or contribute to water quality violations in an already impaired stream.”
The Shepherd Bend mine, located on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River, would discharge potentially dangerous pollutants 800 feet from a major intake for Birmingham Water Works. BWR also says ADEM failed to follow its own public comment process because the agency issued the permit without notifying BWR or responding to the organization’s comments on the draft permit.
The ability to seek relief from the courts has been a tool of riverkeepers since the first such organization was founded to protect the Hudson River fishery. In 1966, Robert Boyle, an ex-marine and fly-fisherman who founded the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association (which later became Riverkeeper) discovered a 19th century federal statute, the Rivers and Harbors Act, which made it a finable offense to pollute America’s waterways and granted the person reporting the pollution a bounty equal to half of the fine levied against the polluter. The fishermen soon received their first bounty and used that money to sue other polluters.
In November, BWR petitioned for a hearing on the Rosa mine permit. An administrative law judge would hear that case and then make a recommendation to the Environmental Management Commission (EMC), which oversees ADEM. The two organizations went through a similar process with the Shepherd Bend mine earlier this year. The judge found that ADEM’s shuffling of the PAP review to ASMC was industry practice, and EMC agreed. BWR has appealed that ruling to a Montgomery County Circuit Court.
“The other counts of our complaint regarding water quality concerns were not addressed by the administrative law judge adequately, and so the EMC sent that part of our appeal back to the administrative law judge for a re-hearing,” Brooke says. “So we’ll see where that goes.”
Things might be looking up. ADEM’s director, Trey Glenn, resigned last week. Glenn’s tenure was plagued by claims from environmental watchdog groups that ADEM was barely enforcing pollution regulations despite having 600 employees and a $70 million budget at his command. Those complaints did much to raise awareness about environmental protection issues in Alabama.
On Wednesday, The Birmingham News editorial board chimed in on Glenn’s resignation: “The next director of ADEM needs to be someone who treats polluting businesses fairly but takes environmental laws seriously,” the article said. “And the next director needs to understand his most important job of all is to be a careful steward of the public’s trust.”
Let’s hope someone is listening.
Madison Underwood is a contributing writer for Birmingham Weekly. Send your feedback to firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:9b45029b-e5b3-45b9-9a86-aa92a6fee6a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bhamweekly.com/birmingham/article-1357-riverkeeper-keeps-coal-clean.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960604 | 1,012 | 2.234375 | 2 |
The housing market continues in the doldrums throughout much of the nation. Seattle hit a new low in December, according to the S&P Case-Shiller index, the national leader in measuring the housing market.
One of the people with intimate knowledge of the housing market is Peter Orser, president of Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Co. and before that president of Quadrant Homes, one of Weyerhaeuser Real Estate’s subsidiaries and the largest builder of single-family homes in the state.
“I didn’t see the massive size or depth of the bubble,” Orser admitted in a recent interview with Crosscut. “I started to sense some changes in the markets but thought we were in a different place, that we in the Northwest were immune because we had a thriving economy, even some supply shortages. Turns out we were not immune.”
Case-Shiller and other experts put the total national loss in the value of homes from the peak in mid-2006 to the end of 2011 at about $6.8 trillion. That’s about half the size of the country’s gross national product. People who bought at or near the top of the market suffered the most, while long-term owners saw little more than paper profits and losses. Orser said the correction here was about 25 percent to 30 percent of the value of homes. But there are differences in markets from place to place. In Las Vegas, for example, the losses were in the 60-70 percent range.
“We came to the party late and didn’t party as hard as some others, but it looks like we are going to leave the party at about the same time as everyone else,” Orser said.
Does that mean the housing market could finally have touched bottom? Probably not, though the declines are likely to continue to be smaller and smaller, then start a slow rise. Zillow.com, a leading real estate information company, said a survey of real estate professionals showed a 1.97 percent decline between the fourth quarters of 2010 and 2011. Home prices will fall another 0.18 percent by the end of 2012 and only begin to rise modestly in 2013. "Modestly" is definitely the right word: By the end of 2016, the survey showed home prices will be just 9 percent higher than they are today.
“Home sales are beginning to increase, but are dominated by distressed properties that are dragging down price aggregates,” according to Glenn Crellin of the Washington State Housing Market Report from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington. “Housing is remarkably affordable, but many buyers are remaining on the sidelines waiting for prices to hit bottom. Because of the seriously delinquent and foreclosure-pipeline properties, it is likely prices will continue to decline compared to a year earlier throughout most of 2012.”
Crellin’s report, which covers the final quarter of 2011, said that with 77,000 seriously delinquent mortgages throughout the state and a foreclosure rate of roughly 5,000 per quarter, the overhang of distressed properties “will impede the market during 2012.”
Orser sees some of the same trends but is concerned most about the “shadow inventory.” That includes homes that are “under water” but are not (yet) in the categories of delinquent or foreclosure. “How will the market clear?” Orser mused. “That’s the question.” Orser sees a bottom to the housing market coming, even with a bump down occasionally in prices or housing starts. There will be a steady climb from this year to 2014, he thinks, and no return to the bubble years, just a steady upward climb.
Banks are getting smarter about homes as well, Orser said, by not just dumping them on the market or abandoning them when in foreclosure. “They are thoughtfully ignoring defaults,” Orser said, “and allowing people to stay in their homes.” It helps to maintain the homes, helps the neighborhoods retain quality, and puts some limits on new supply.
Another trend is “investor” purchases of homes. Orser sees a number of people buying homes and condos at extraordinarily low prices as an investment. There are anecdotal stories of ordinary people with a little extra cash buying properties. “You can charge a relatively low rent, enough to maintain the unit and the mortgage,” Orser noted. It is a bet, of course, on an upswing in the housing market, but not a bad bet at this point.
The old real estate maxim about "location, location, location" remains true, Orser said. “Las Vegas is much different from Queen Anne Hill,” he said. “Las Vegas is down 60 percent and the upper end of the market (like Queen Anne) is doing much better than the lower end.”
Another issue for Orser is appraisers, whom he sees as being overly formulaic. He cites the Quadrant project at Redmond Ridge. “We’ve had very few foreclosures there,” Orser said. “It is a stable community.” But if appraisers draw a five-mile radius around a home on the Ridge it can include some areas where values have not held up. You end up with “comps” (comparable sales) that do not provide an accurate picture, Orser said. “So it creates a downward cycle that is a function of the process rather than of the market or the true value of the real estate.”
How has Weyerhaeuser reacted to the housing market with its Quadrant Homes division? Lending has tightened considerably, Orser said, making it harder for people to get the money to buy a house.
Quadrant has done two things. One, it now customizes homes for customers. “That means moving walls,” Orser said, allowing homeowners to create the kind of house they want. Second, there are more programs to ease the financial strain such as paying mortgages for six months if a homeowner loses a job or guaranteeing rental income from a house that a buyer is trying to sell. One innovative program helps people repair their credit rating by assisting them with budgeting and money management. There are 100 participants in that program now.
Orser himself is an interesting blend of business executive and environmentalist. He has supported a number of environmental and sustainability groups and issues and is the current chair of the board of Forterra, formerly the Cascade Land Conservancy.
He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in the mid-1970s with a degree in natural sciences and chemistry. “I envisioned myself as an environmentalist and even got a job as a technical writer for an environmental engineering firm.” But that was not for Orser and he got a degree in urban planning from the University of Washington, which led to the job at Quadrant.
“Quadrant is in real estate, a builder, but it has its roots in Weyerhaeuser and timber sustainability,” he said. “Growing trees gave the company a respect for the land.”
An example: Quadrant had a development on the Sammamish Plateau and the land included a 100-acre “bog or lake or swamp,” Orser recalled. “We did not know what to do with it,” he said. “Who would take care of it?” Orser said he bumped into Gene Duvernoy, president of the Cascade Land Conservancy, and soon an arrangement was worked out with fee title to the conservancy and a conservation easement held by King County. The homeowners association makes an annual contribution to the preserve.
Like what you just read? Support high quality local journalism. Become a member of Crosscut today! | <urn:uuid:59736b6e-809d-4558-bbd2-fd0ab75f4748> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://crosscut.com/2012/03/21/econ-finance/22084/A-long-slog-back-for-local-housing-values/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966599 | 1,652 | 1.710938 | 2 |
A few thoughts on William Butler Yeats’ “Lapis Lazuli”. My apologies to Yeats, who must be rolling in his resting place. I found this poem by Googling for “lapis lazuli” – I wanted to see what the stone/color mentioned in the Bible looks like. You cannot deny that “Lapis Lazuli” is thought provoking… I am here to discuss and share those thoughts… and the study they triggered. I understand some may object, saying that poetry is not philosophy and not meant to be discussed in the way that I do. I’m weird – nuff said. A text of the poem can be found by using Google.com.
Lapis Lazuli is about overcoming tragedy through detachment in a "this, too, shall pass" mood – what we (or some of us) love so much about life – is overcoming. Not the struggle itself, so much, but the overcoming of it – and there is no overcoming without struggle. The “death wish” of Freud is actually an encounter with life. Nothing better than life threatened brings the value of life to the foreground (the whole reason for animal sacrifice: life for life – the price of sin, of hate, of deception, is death; separation from God who is life, truth and love – we empathize with the animal when we take its life, and in that way we feel the value of life and the harm caused by sin). The fearless youths and thrill seekers who seem to flirt with death actually assert their love of life through their mastery of death (granted… those who succeed, only do so temporarily…). It is true that some of those few who cannot find the value in life, who are on the verge of taking their own – find that value only when staring death in the face… and they change their mind and do not end life. But some follow through… some beg to die… some do not even feel energized by adversity or confrontations with death… some end life, not knowing it is not the end… what could Yeats have offered them?
I know Yeats was a mystic based on other things I have read which had nothing to do with poetry directly. He had nothing to say worth listening to on matters of life and death. He could not have told you that the One who gave you life can put purpose into it, give you a reason to live – though you may not understand how it is possible to create from seemingly nothing. He could not have told you that the One who designed you, the only One who has truly overcome the world, can help you care about overcoming, and overcoming in good conscience … with Love, through an intimate connection with the only One who has fully overcome -- Jesus. The ‘memes’ of Yeats (certainly not Yeats the man) may live on in his poetry, but I assure you, beyond the seasonal pushing up of daisies with the rest of the unregenerate dead… he has overcome nothing (unless He had a heart-to-heart with God that we don’t know about). On a more positive note – my favorite part of Lapis Lazuli is this: “All things fall and are built again / And those that build them again are gay.” (Of course, not all things will be built again… some will eventually stay beaten down… Job 12:14.) It is tragic, but I know there are those of you reading, who understand what I mean when I say that deconstruction (the old wineskins must be destroyed) is often necessary before we can truly be constructive (creative, pouring new wine). God knows what He is doing.
Yeats’ treatment of tragedy strikes a chord. I have said many times before ever reading this poem… that beauty is born of tragedy… a Judeo-Christian theme (see for example Romans 5:3-5; Job 2:10; 5:17; Deut 8:5; 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 94:12; 1 Cor 11:32; Heb 12:5-11) counterfeited by many who do not give proper credit, and instead often, and ironically, when referring to it in the Bible, call it “slave/sheep mentality” – in that slaves consider suffering inevitable and do nothing to avoid it. Remember that God rescued the Israelites out of slavery, and wanted them to learn to follow His Law (given with our best interest in Mind) not because they were forced (like in Egypt), but because they had a choice to follow or not to follow – because they loved His Law (like under the promised new covenant of grace to which they looked forward). It is important to know that, though there is tragedy along the way, the Story (God’s Story, our Story) as a whole is a happy one. He is the Author, and we are the co-authors, as far as we are aware. When I wonder why He doesn’t take a ‘more’ active role in this Story, He reminds me of why I stay out of the scene when my sons are deep in laughter or a game of pretend, deep in whatever sort of interaction – because when you step into the scene, everything changes… and one day, in His timing, everything will change. I am glad He stepped into my scene – I was ready, though I didn’t know it, and was helpless to initiate it, for a change. Like Sara Groves sings in “Rewrite This Tragedy” – “Hold on, I’m changing all the scenery – it’s okay, we’ll be fine, ‘cause we know how this ends… there’s a better story.” [If you knew me before the change (really knew me), you know this change (if you’ve observed it) is a God thing. You know I was and am too weak (as we all are) to be good (the way God sees “good”) without God. Such a change is too good to keep to myself.]
On true Overcoming… We overcome by means of the love of Christ: Rom 8:31-39. Jesus has overcome the world: John 16:33, and through Him we overcome the world (1 John 5:1-4). Christians (those who overcome) are promised many rewards for overcoming: Matthew 10:22; Rev 2:7,11,26-28; 3:5,12,21 [a little of what the early Christians had to overcome: emperor worship from the Romans, unbelieving hostile Jews, false teachings of the Nicolaitans (with whom Jezebel and Balaam are associated in the book of Revelation – see the thread “Against the gods, goddesses, and syncretism” – and see the thread “Against Gnosticism”), martyrdom – just one example of this: “according to tradition, [Antipas] was slowly roasted to death in a bronze kettle during the reign of Domitian,” (Zondervan NASB Study Bible note on Rev 2:13).]
Our faith in God in the midst of trial refines us and makes us strong – but not independently from God. That we need God for that strength points to our weakness, yes – smoke and mirrors, my friend, is the meme that admitting weakness brands you as a “slave” and separates you from “the masters” in a fundamentally negative way. The reality is that all humans start out weak (relative to God), whether or not we share in God’s strength. The strong who attain strength apart from God (Love) are under the delusion that their strength matters. All “strength” obtained apart from God is counterfeit, temporary and corrupt (1 Cor 10:12), devoid of genuine, eternal, incorruptible (Eph 6:24) Love. Who is a master, relative to God?
Love (1 John 4:8,16) makes you vulnerable – which is why it takes the strength of God to do love right. Love’s power is perfected in our vulnerability (2 Cor 12:9). Those who do not dare to love because they think it makes one weak – lack the strength of God. Needs are only vulnerabilities when they can be used against you – and if God is for you, what can man do to you (Heb 13:6)? Denying we have needs and depriving ourselves is playing with fire, like grocery shopping on an empty stomach. He wants us to enjoy life in a right relationship with Him and eachother. One cannot overcome apart from Love – He bears all things, endures all things, Love never fails – for when the perfect (Love) comes, the partial (strength without Love) will be done away (1 Cor 13:7-10). All overcoming, apart from Love, is partial overcoming… which is not overcoming at all. We fool ourselves if we think we can attain real, lasting strength apart from our Creator. We deceive ourselves if we think we can outgrow Him. And in so doing, we cheat ourselves and rob ourselves of the Love (which, because we are vulnerable, requires the strength of God) for which He created (creates) (is creating) us (see determinism/free will thread). Self-reliance robs us of knowing God (Love)… so it is a good thing we all have human weaknesses for which He can be our strength.
To overcome (master) the world – not the world of people, nor the created (natural) world, but the world of sin – of patterns of behavior and thought which ignore or reject God (Love), and systems which support those patterns: put on the New Man and acknowledge God (Love), for without struggle (vulnerability to real Love) there is no overcoming (strength in God, who is Love). On mastering sin, see Genesis 4:7 (“you must master it”); Rom 6:14 (“sin shall not be master over you”). On putting on (walking as) the New Man (overcoming constant struggle with the Old Man, the phantom itch of the amputated flesh – if you are born again), see Eph 4:24 and Col 3:10.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:21
There was/is a belief that in order to master sin, you had to have a full experience of it (see “Against Gnosticism” thread, note on Rev 2:24). More smoke and mirrors – do not be deceived. It is just like saying, in order to become closer to God, you must get as far from Him as possible (baloney). Stick close to God, and He will transform you. Have God on your mind constantly and study His Word – and listen only to Love (1 Thess 5:17). That’s what Yeats, as a mystic, couldn’t have told you – how you truly overcome the world, rather than wallowing in it or detaching completely – how you truly live – is Love.
“Love wash over a multitude of things, make us whole…” – Sara Groves When It Was Over
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History Part 3
The transformation of this farmland into suburbs was initiated by the Chevy Chase Land Company. It was incorporated on June 5, 1890, by Francis G. Newlands and Senator William M. Stewart, two powerful and wealthy Westerners known to residents of the District of Columbia as the “California Syndicate,” and Colonel George Augustus Armes, a reared Army colonel involved in real estate. Their long-range vision was extraordinary, for the site they chose to develop began about five miles northwest of the seeded bounds of the city and was to become the first big development west of Rock Creek. The bridge they built across Rock Creek at Calvert Street opened the entire northwest section to new real estate ventures.
At the time of incorporation, Francis G. Newlands (1848-1917) was a young San Francisco lawyer. Early in his practice he had become an attorney for William Sharon, a senator from Nevada from 1875 to 1882, who made a tremendous fortune revitalizing and managing the rich Nevada Comstock Lode. In 1874 Newlands married Sharon's daughter. Following her death, in 1882, and William Sharon's death, in 1885, Newlands became trustee of Sharon's huge estate, was himself one of the heirs, and managed major land holdings in California and Nevada. Newlands quickly moved his share of the assets to Washington. In 1892 he was elected to Congress, where he was a great proponent of irrigation and land reclamation in the West. He served as a congressman from Nevada for 10 years and then as a senator for 14 years.
William M. Stewart (1827-1909), lawyer and two-time senator from Nevada (1862-1875, 1887-1905), made his fortune prospecting for gold in California and representing the legal interests of the original miners of the Comstock Lode. He was a leading political figure in the West, among other things carving out the Nevada Territory and representing Western mining interests and railroads in Congress over a 29 year period.
Newlands and Stewart had experience with large scale real estate ventures and a shared confidence in the future growth of Washington. They had been involved in other speculative land ventures in the city—at DuPont Circle, for example—albeit on a smaller scale than Chevy Chase. | <urn:uuid:1539c390-63cc-443b-84d1-e250c8114dba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/c/450/part-3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972848 | 468 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Answer: Like many executives, your president fails to realize that everything she does sends a message. Because top managers have a lot of power, their actions are always closely monitored by employees.
When the president breezes by your desk without so much as a nod, the message you get is that you’re not important. And when she speaks to your co-workers, you understandably feel that she prefers them to you. However, she might be quite surprised by these conclusions.
All top executives are highly goal-oriented. As they shift rapidly from task to task, they are often completely oblivious to the feelings of those around them. Also, many high-level managers are socially shy. They can talk all day about business, but informal conversation makes them uncomfortable.
Smart executives eventually grasp the importance of being friendly, but your president has yet to learn this lesson. Not recognizing the impact of her words, she may speak to your favored colleagues simply because she knows them better.
To encourage communication, here’s my simple suggestion: stop waiting for the president to speak first. Whenever you see her, smile and say hello or ask a question about the business. If you start initiating conversation, I bet you’ll soon be added to the greeting list.
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