text stringlengths 213 24.6k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1 value | url stringlengths 14 499 | file_path stringlengths 138 138 | language stringclasses 1 value | language_score float64 0.9 1 | token_count int64 51 4.1k | score float64 1.5 5.06 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recorded on 08/03/2000, uploaded on 06/17/2009
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Franz Liszt notoriously composed etudes that only he could perform. In fact, his Études d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini, the original version of his Grandes études de Paganini, are among the most difficult compositions ever written for the piano and catered to his own technical abilities (such as his large hands that were able to span large intervals no other pianist could), and it is quite possible that Charles-Valentin Alkan was the only other pianist besides Liszt capable of performing them. Luckily for successive pianists and audiences alike, Liszt removed many of these outlandish technical challenges in the final versions of his etudes. Yet, even in these final forms, the skill required of performers is great. This is no less the case with his 2 Concert Etudes of 1862-63, and the second of these, Gnomenreigen (“Dance of the Gnomes”) is considered one of Liszt’s most difficult creations for the piano.
Besides its technical demands, Liszt employs his characteristic ingenious approach to color and imagery in his depiction of Gnomenreigen’s impish scene. Essentially a scherzo (though with no trio section) and designated to be executed at a breathtaking Presto tempo, the etude opens with a puckish theme in F-sharp minor embellished by crisp grace notes before each tone. Offsetting this delicate opening theme is a subordinate melody in the relative major with a subtle fanfare-like dignity. Liszt presents the two themes again, this time modulating away into the key of B-flat major at the arrival of the second theme. At its conclusion, Liszt then introduces an episodic section and for the first time in the etude ventures into the low register of the piano. Arpeggios lead the left hand down to reiterated eighth notes first on the dominant of G minor, then descending a halfstep to the same scale degree of the tonic key. During the left hand’s descent, the right keeps up the playful antics, though here one feels that they have turned somewhat more roguish. Feigning a sonata-like return, Liszt leaves this central episode and reprises the second theme in F-sharp major, yet returns to it again for the etude’s coda. Joseph DuBose
We at classicalconnect.com believe that classical music is a necessity of life. It is our pleasure to be your virtual concert hall and bring you this performance.
Copyright 2008-2010 Classical Connect, LLC | <urn:uuid:8e5b6e6e-d223-4a38-86c1-ccb3212407a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.classicalconnect.com/Piano_Music/Liszt/Gnomenreigen/2299 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940818 | 565 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Eight dimensions of quality
Eight dimensions can be used at a strategic level to analyze quality characteristics. The concept was defined by David Garvin. Some of the dimensions are mutually reinforcing, whereas others are not—improvement in one may be at the expense of others. Understanding the trade-offs desired by customers among these dimensions can help build a competitive advantage. Garvin's eight dimensions can be summarized as follows:
- Performance: Performance refers to a product's primary operating characteristics. This dimension of quality involves measurable attributes; brands can usually be ranked objectively on individual aspects of performance.
- Features: Features are additional characteristics that enhance the appeal of the product or service to the user.
- Reliability: Reliability is the likelihood that a product will not fail within a specific time period. This is a key element for users who need the product to work without fail.
- Conformance: Conformance is the precision with which the product or service meets the specified standards.
- Durability: Durability measures the length of a product’s life. When the product can be repaired, estimating durability is more complicated. The item will be used until it is no longer economical to operate it. This happens when the repair rate and the associated costs increase significantly.
- Serviceability: Serviceability is the speed with which the product can be put into service when it breaks down, as well as the competence and the behavior of the serviceperson.
- Aesthetics: Aesthetics is the subjective dimension indicating the kind of response a user has to a product. It represents the individual’s personal preference.
- Perceived Quality: Perceived Quality is the quality attributed to a good or service based on indirect measures.
Performance refers to a product's primary operating characteristics. This dimension of quality involves measurable attributes, so brands can usually be ranked objectively on individual aspects of performance. Overall performance rankings,however, are more difficult to develop, especially when they involve benefits that not every consumer needs. Performance is often a source of contention between customers and suppliers, particularly when deliverables are not adequately defined within specifications. The performance of a product often influences the profitability or reputation of the end-user. As such, many contracts or specifications include damages related to inadequate performance. The question of whether performance differences are quality differences may depend on circumstantial preferences-but preferences based on functional requirements, not taste. Some performance standards are based on subjective preferences, but the preferences are so universal that they have the force of an objective standard.
Features are additional characteristics that enhance the appeal of the product or service to the user.
Similar thinking can be applied to features, a second dimensions of quality that is often a secondary aspects of performance. Features are the "bells and whistles" of products and services, those characteristics that supplement their basic functioning. Examples include free drinks on a plane, permanent-press cycles on a washing machine, and automatic tuners on a color television set. The line separating primary performance characteristics from secondary features is often difficult to draw.
Reliability is the likelihood that a product will not fail within a specific time period. This is a key element for users who need the product to work without fail.
This dimension reflects the probability of a product malfunctioning or failing within a specified time period. Among the most common measures of reliability are the mean time to first failure, the mean time between failures, and the failure rate per unit time. Because these measures require a product to be in use for a specified period, they are more relevant to durable goods than to products and services that are consumed instantly.
Reliability normally becomes more important to consumers as downtime and maintenance become more expensive. Farmers, for example, are especially sensitive to downtime during the short harvest season. Reliable equipment can mean the difference between a good year and spoiled crops. But consumers on other markets are more attuned than ever to product reliability too. Computers and copying machines certainly compare on this basis.
Reliability may be closely related to performance. For instance, a product specification may define parameters for up-time, or acceptable failure rates. Reliability is a major contributor to brand or company image, and is considered a fundamental dimension of quality by most end-users. I.E., recent market research shows that, especially for women, reliability has become an automobile's most desired attribute.
The dimension of conformance depicts to what extent a product’s design and operating characteristics meet established standards. This dimension owes the most to the traditional approaches to quality pioneered by experts like Juran.
All products and services involve specifications of some sort. When products are developed, these specifications are set and a target is set, for instance the materials used or the dimension of the product. Not only the target but also the tolerance (the range of permitted deviation from the target) is defined. One problem with this approach is that there is little interest in whether the specifications have been met exactly as long as the tolerance limits are met.
On the one hand, this can lead to the so-called “tolerance stack-up”. When two or more parts are to be fit together, the size of their tolerances often determine how well they will match. Should one part fall at a lower limit of its specification and a matching part at its upper limit, a tight fit is unlikely. The link is likely to wear more quickly than one made from parts whose dimensions have been centered more exactly.
This problem can be addressed by taking a different approach to measuring quality. Instead of measuring a simple conformance to specifications, the degree to which parts or products diverge from the ideal target is measured. Using this approach, process 1 (see picture) is better even though some items fall beyond specification limits. The traditional approach would have favoured process 2 because it produces more items within the specification limit. It was demonstrated that the problem of “tolerance stack-up” is worse when the dimensions of parts are more distant from the target than when they cluster around it, even if some parts fall outside the tolerance. This approach requires a fresh look at the common process quality factor of 'defect rate', to take into account the fact that two parts may each pass the 'tolerance test' separately but be unusable when the attempt is made to join them together.
In service businesses, measures of conformance normally focus on accuracy and timeliness and include counts of processing errors, unanticipated delays and other frequent mistakes.
Durability measures the length of a product’s life. When the product can be repaired, estimating durability is more complicated. The item will be used until it is no longer economical to operate it. This happens when the repair rate and the associated costs increase significantly. Technically, durability can be defined as the amount of use one gets from a product before it deteriorates. After so many hours of use, the filament of a light bulb burns up and the bulb must be replaced. Repair is impossible. Economists call such products "one-hoss shays" (Oliver Wendel Holmes poem).
In other cases, consumers must weigh the expected cost, in both dollars and personal inconvenience, of future repairs against the investment and operating expenses of a newer, more reliable model. Durability, then, may be defined as the amount of use one gets from a product before it breaks down and replacement is preferable to continued repair.
This approach to durability has two important implications. First, it suggests that durability and reliability are closely linked. A product that often fails is likely to be scrapped earlier than one that is more reliable; repair costs will be correspondingly higher and the purchase of a competitive brand will look that much more desirable. Second, this approach implies that durability figures should be interpreted with care. An increase in product life may not be the result of technical improvements or the use of longer-lived materials. Rather, the underlying economic environment simply may have changed.
Serviceability involves the consumer's ease of obtaining repair service (example: access to service centers and/or ease of self-service), the responsiveness of service personnel(example: ease of getting an appointment, willingness of repair personnel to listen to the customer), and the reliability of service (example: whether the service is performed right the first time). Competence and ease of repair is the speed with which the product can be put into service when it breaks down, as well as the competence and the behavior of the service personnel.
Consumers are concerned not only about a product breaking down but also about the time before service is restored, the timeliness with which service appointment are kept, the nature of dealings with service personnel, and the frequency with which service calls or repairs fail to correct outstanding problems. In those cases where problems are not immediately resolved and complaints are filed, a company's complainthandling procedures are also likely to affect customer's ultimate evaluation of product and service quality.
Some of these variables reflect differing personal standards of acceptable service. others can be measured quite objectively. Customers may remain dissatisfied even after completation of repairs. How these complaints are handled is important to a company's reputation for quality and service. Eventually, profitability is likely to be affected as well. Companies differ widely in their approaches to complaint handling and in the importance they attach to this element of serviceability. Some do their best to resolve complaints; others use legal gimmicks, the silent treatment and similar ploys to rebuff dissatisfied customers.
For example recently, General Electric, Procter & Gamble and other companies have sought to preempt consumer dissatisfaction by installing toll-free telephone hot lines to their customer relations departments.
Important attributes for serviceability dimension are: service warranty, parts warranty, parts availability, number of reasonable distance to dealer service centers, distance to service parts center-dealer, distance to service parts center individual, length of wait for service appointment, schedule of preventive maintenance, employees listen to customers, information regarding repairs, courteous service centers, sepaired correctly first time, service time relative to other dealers, warranty claims handled without argument, average repair cost/year, extended warranty, underestimation of service cost and provision of loan car.
The aesthetic properties of a product contribute to a company's or brand's identity. Faults or defects in a product that diminish its aesthetic properties, even those that do not reduce or alter other dimensions of quality, are often cause for rejection. Aeshetics refers to how the product looks,feels,sounds,tastes or smells.It is clearly a matter of personal judgement and a reflection of individual preference.Nevertheless,there appear to be some patterns in consumers' rankings of products on the basis of taste. A recent study of quality in 33 food categories,for example,found that high quality was most often associated with "rich and full flavour,tastes natural,tastes fresh,good aroma,and looks apetizing". The aesthetics dimension differs from subjective criteria pertaining to "performance" in that aeshetic choices are not nearly universal.Not all people prefer "rich and full" flavor or even agree on what that means.Companies therefore have to search for a niche.On this dimension of quality,it is impossible to please everyone.
Perceived Quality
Perception is reality. The product or service may possess adequate or even superior dimensions of quality, but still fall victim to negative customer or public perceptions. Consumers do not always have complete information about a product's or service's attributes; indirect measures may be their only basis for comparing brands. A product's durability for example,can seldom be observed directly; it usually must be inferred from various tangible and intangible aspects of the product.In such circumstances,images,advertising and brand names-inferences about quality rather than the reality itself-can be critical.For this reason,both Honda-which makes cars in Marysville,Ohio-and Sony-which builds color televisions in San Diego-have been reluctant to publicize that their products are "made in America". Reputation is the primary stuff of perceived quality.Its power comes from an unstated analogy:that the quality of products today is similar to the quality of products of yesterday,or the quality of goods in a new product line is similar to the quality of a company's established products.
See also
- "Garvin's Eight Dimensions of Product Quality". Tenner & DeToro, Total Quality Management. 2008 [last update]. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- "Competing on the eight dimensions of quality". David A. Garvin, Harvard Business review. 1987 [last update]. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- "Quality handbook". Joseph M. Juran. 1998 [last update].
- "The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay". LEGAL LANGUAGE SERVICES. 1836 [last update]. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- "Consumer Complaint Handling in America". Report. 1979 [last update]. Retrieved December 23, 2012. | <urn:uuid:69a197a5-155a-4f9f-9247-0e636b81a9ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_dimensions_of_quality | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937499 | 2,646 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Now that the United Nations Security Council has passed a new round of sanctions against Iran, we can expect a degree of self-congratulation from the Obama administration, which has been working toward this goal for many months. But it is no secret that the package passed by a vote of 12-to-2 with one abstention (Brazil and Turkey voted no while Lebanon abstained) and does little to make life more difficult for Iran or to hamper its ongoing quest for nuclear capability.
The sanctions make life a bit more difficult for 40 Iranians involved in the nuclear program, who had been mentioned in previous resolutions, by freezing their assets and banning their travel. Only one name was added to the list, Javad Rahiqi, the head of the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center. There is also language about requiring countries to inspect ships or planes headed to or from Iran if they suspect that banned cargo is aboard, but there is no authorization to board ships by force at sea. Iran is now also not allowed to invest in nuclear-enrichment plants, uranium mines, and related technology. The sale of heavy weapons to Iran is also now banned.
But as a result of many months of haggling with Russia and China, who gave only reluctant backing to these sanctions, Iran’s oil, financial, and insurance industries — which are all highly vulnerable to international pressure — were left untouched. As the New York Times noted today, the European Union — America’s supposed ally in the campaign to restrain Tehran’s nuclear plans — alone does more than $35 billion in business with Iran. The amount of trade between Iran and China — whose vote in favor of the mild measure just passed was bought by American concessions that watered down the same sanctions — exceeds that amount. China gets 11 percent of its oil from the Islamist regime. And as the Times reported in a feature last week, Iran’s ability to evade sanctions with shell companies and by having their ships registered under foreign flags has made a mockery of the world body’s previous attempts to sanction it.
So, like the three previous rounds of UN sanctions on Iran, we can expect this latest one to have no impact on either Iran’s willingness to buck global displeasure over the nuclear issue or its ability to proceed with its plans.
All of which leaves us asking the Obama administration, what now?
In theory, the new UN sanctions could prompt the United States and other Western powers to unilaterally impose far harsher sanctions by themselves. But that move will take even more months of negotiations and would almost certainly not include Russia and China, countries that have played a major role in enabling the Iranians to avoid paying the price for their nuclear ambitions. With force off the table and little hope of a truly crippling round of international sanctions, what does Iran have to worry about?
Though the administration is busily spinning recent developments as proof that the year they wasted trying to engage Iran helped build support for sanctions, the fact remains that Iran is not only a year closer to its nuclear goal but also in a stronger political and diplomatic position today than it was 12 months ago. Having completely suppressed domestic opponents in the wake of their stolen presidential election, the Khamenei/Ahmadinejad regime can also now point to the acquisition of two important foreign allies: Brazil and Turkey, both of whom are now firmly in Iran’s camp. And those two countries can say that the mischief they are making on Iran’s behalf is no different from what President Obama tried to do himself during his long unsuccessful attempt to appease Tehran.
Just as bad is the fact that over the past year, Obama has allowed the Iranians and their friends to establish a false moral equivalence between their nuclear program and that of the State of Israel, a country whose very existence requires a nuclear deterrent that Iran’s does not. The United States’s vote last week in favor of a resolution at the UN nonproliferation conference, which called on Israel to open up its nuclear facilities, is a clear signal that the Obama administration’s faltering resolve on Iran is matched by its ambivalence about the Jewish state and its security needs.
The bottom line is that far from today’s UN vote being a cause for celebration or even satisfaction over the fact that the world is finally paying attention to the threat of a nuclear Iran, it may well be a better indication of the West’s slide toward ultimate acquiescence to Iran’s goals. | <urn:uuid:9e6d6b18-0132-4f56-93da-7a9abeeda69c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2010/06/09/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969619 | 913 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Summary: This new edition of Animal Behavior has been completely rewritten, resulting in a more compact yet thoroughly up-to-date text. Notable is the inclusion, for the first time, of four-color photographs and illustrations throughout. Like previous editions, the book shows how evolutionary biologists analyze all aspects of behavior. It is distinguished by its balanced treatment of both the underlying mechanisms and evolutionary causes of behavior, and stresses the utility ...show moreof evolutionary theory in unifying the different behavioral disciplines. Important concepts are explained by reference to key illustrative studies, which are described in sufficient detail to help students appreciate the role of the scientific process in producing research discoveries. Examples are drawn evenly from studies of invertebrates and vertebrates, and are supported by nearly 1,300 reference citations. The writing style is clear and engaging: beginning students have no difficulty following the material, despite the strong conceptual orientation of the text. Indeed, instructors consistently report a high level of enthusiasm for the book on the part of their students.
The book is organized into two major sections, one dealing with the proximate mechanisms of behavior and the other with the ultimate or evolutionary causes of behavior. The first two chapters introduce the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes in biology that is the foundation for the remaining chapters. Four subsequent chapters then take a more detailed look at different aspects of proximate bases of behavior.
The text then shifts to the other major section that covers the evolution of behavior. Making the point that each behavioral trait has an evolutionary history as well as potential current adaptive significance, the author examines the history and adaptive value of various categories of behavior, including evasion of predators, reproductive tactics and social behavior. A final chapter presents an evolutionary view of human behavior.
Throughout Animal Behavior, the author keeps the essence of the scientific enterprise clearly in front of the student reader. The text stresses the role of theory and hypothesis-testing in doing science. The book also emphasizes the tentative nature of scientific conclusions, and it identifies controversial and unresolved issues. In addition, Dr. Alcock conveys his deep enthusiasm for the process of science and the discoveries made by behavioral researchers.
An accompanying Instructor's Manual provides answers to the discussion questions presented in the text and sample exam questions (and answers), as well as a listing of films on animal behavior for use in the classroom. ...show less | <urn:uuid:fa5dbbb4-b6b6-494c-ae83-7a76f28c43dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.textbooks.com/Animal-Behavior-An-Evolutionary-Approach-7th-Edition/9780878930111/John-Alcock.php?mpcond=Acceptable | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926462 | 473 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Calendar captures children touched by students’ international workFundraiser will help with projects in Liberia and help bring Nicaraguan students to UMass
Click on the image above to view a PDF of the calendar
An annual project of Mick Godkin, PhD, director of international medical education and professor of family medicine & community health and medicine, and designed by Sherrie Carey in his office, the calendar features the photography of students who have traveled to a wide variety of countries. “A calendar seemed like a great way to showcase what our students do and the generosity of Curry Printing to print at cost has enabled us to make enough money for worthwhile projects” said Dr. Godkin.
The Nicaraguan medical students will be coming from the Autonomous University of Nicaragua—Leon, which is the international site for the family medicine global health track. “Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere and its students could not come here without our financial support ,” Godkin said. “To facilitate a bi-lateral exchange and repay the generous hospitality of our UNAN hosts we have taken the unusual step of raising money for all their expenses.”
The calendars, which can be previewed by clicking on the image to the right, cost $20 each. They can be purchased by contacting Godkin at Michael.Godkin@umassmed.edu.
Related stories on UMassMedNow:Kelley House partners with African Community Education to bring water to clinicStudents share stories of summer adventures | <urn:uuid:49d0b96e-f2e5-4bf3-bd8a-96ef3d4f7694> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.umassmed.edu/news/education/2011/international_calendar.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944102 | 311 | 1.804688 | 2 |
John Cage (1912-1992) has emerged as one of the most visionary and influential American composers of the 20th century. Exploring a multitude of new sound sources and novel ways to organise sound, Cage distinguishes himself as the most important pioneer of percussion music and of works for the prepared piano. He also attained fame for championing the use of silence, chance and indeterminacy in compositional and other artistic contexts.
Cage’s aesthetics were influenced by Eastern cultures, including Zen Buddhism, the I Ching, and Japanese art, which Cage began to delve into in the late 1940s and 1950s, and by nature, the writings of Henry David Thoreau and ecology, which he focused on from the 1970s. In celebration of Cage’s centenary, this CD gathers five of his important works, '27’ 10.554’’', 'Variations VIII' (in a world-premiere recording), 'Ryoanji', 'Composed Improvisation' and 'One4', which feature silence, chance and indeterminacy and reflect his interest in Asia and nature. | <urn:uuid:62ccaa6a-b467-4b71-be13-b7715f88d389> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/w/85463 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963039 | 232 | 2.328125 | 2 |
10 Things To Do if You See a UFO
John Royer searches for UFOs over Emmaus, and across the Lehigh Valley.
One of those objects, Royer says, appeared over Emmaus High School in 2003.
Those experiences got him interested in UFOs, and his research led him to become a volunteer field investigator for the Mutual UFO Network, called MUFON.
Royer, 65, retired as a drafting instructor from Lincoln Technical Institute, and is a graduate of Lafayette College. Now he investigates dozens of sightings throughout the Lehigh Valley, most of which, he says, are mistakes.
Royer makes no judgment about what he or others think the saw, but in the interview he says, 'I believe there is something flying around out there that we don’t know about.'
Read the complete story in The Morning Call.
What about you? Have you ever seen a UFO? When, what did you see? Let us know.
In the mean time, according to MUFON, if you have a close encounter in the future, here are 10 things you should do:
1. REMAIN CALM, but protect yourself from any hazards real or perceived.
2. Be objective. Not every UFO is extraterrestrial.
3. Use a camcorder or camera to record the event.
4. If you have a tape recorder, record your description of the event as it happens.
5. If other witnesses are present ask them to also write or record their observations.
6. If the UFO left some trace of its presence behind do not disturb the area around it.
7. If the sighting is from a distance, at an arms length, what would it take to cover up the object? A Quarter? A Penny?
8. Try to judge the distance from you to the object, the objects altitude, and its speed.
9. Should you encounter some type extraterrestrial being associated with the craft be prepared to take evasive action to protect yourself.
10. Immediately report the event to a UFO research organization. | <urn:uuid:ff9dcd96-fab1-4f9e-8113-cccab5300677> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://emmaus.patch.com/articles/john-royer-searches-for-ufos-over-emmaus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952039 | 425 | 2.078125 | 2 |
How public libraries can serve the diversity in the community
Fra rapportens resumé:
Libraries can play an important role in a culturally diverse society. They enable different groups to enjoy their cultural heritage, keep in touch with their homelands, practice their mother tongue, learn the new country's language, fi nd their way in the new society, celebrate cultural activities and educate and inform all new community members. In order to be successful, the director of the library has to have a vision and commitment to serving their culturally diverse community. Without that vision and commitment there will be no political approval sought, no goals set, no community engagement, no staff encouragement, and fi nally no money dedicated to these services.
Staff needs to be trained to work in a culturally diverse
community. A code of conduct can help to create the desired
performance. But also staff from different backgrounds need to be
recruited. Cultural sensitivity and respect are important aspects in
the interaction between staff and patrons.
Staff from different backgrounds can also play an important role
in processes like acquisition and cataloguing even if they are not
(yet) trained librarians. Additional payment for these additional tasks
is sometimes needed. It is important to have the work on cultural
diversity spread among many staff-members and that it becomes
part of all of their day-to-day work. In too many libraries, working
with the different groups in the community is the work of one or two
devoted staff-members; if they leave, the work they are doing might
simply cease. Although many activities in libraries have started
based on project-money, long-term work on cultural diversity will only
become integral if the money becomes permanent and ongoing.
Libraries have found a variety of ways to acquire materials for different language groups, but diffi culties like lack of knowledge of the language, limitations in cataloguing in different languages, reliable vendors, copyright-issues, and limitations in budgets have made this task one beyond the reach of many libraries. National and international cooperation between libraries and consortia is needed to improve these processes and make them both more effective and effi cient. Many examples illustrate the opportunities in this area.
For libraries to succeed they must both understand the community demographics and have an absolute commitment to collaborating with other agencies and organizations in the community. When target groups and possible partners are identifi ed, the library can more easily reach out. The needs of the groups can be more thoroughly met in an appropriate way when cooperation takes place based on the motto "Nothing over them without them". Collaboration also enables the library to promote the library and its services in a more synthesized manner to new groups. Here, again, staff members speaking the language can play a role, as well as translation of the library's Internet services, local newspapers in various languages, or radio and television stations in foreign languages.
Not many libraries have the possibility to adjust the architecture of their buildings as cultural groups change. Good results, however, can be achieved by adjusting coloring, signage, and art in the library refl ective of groups using it. A visible and inviting placement of collections is also very helpful.
Ideally, all libraries throughout the world would have a thorough strategic plan to serve their rich multi-cultural communities. This is ideal. However, even taking an incremental approach is a good beginning. Without ongoing commitment all results are at risk of slipping away. | <urn:uuid:ebcd7efb-ee47-4544-8dfa-d9cded3c429d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kunstoginterkultur.dk/vidensbase/rapporter/cultural-diversity-how-public-libraries-can-serve-the-diversity-in-the-community?sort=18&sort2=&dir=desc&by=page_count | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958825 | 709 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Today I would like to welcome Jessica Fediw to whipup, Jessica blogs at Happy Together. There you can find all kind of tutorials and free patterns.
I love to create especially by sewing and crocheting, and also have an Etsy shop. With that said, I am always looking for ways to use up scrap fabrics, even the tiniest bits are hard for me to let go of. So one day I remembered some bows I had made a while back and figured that I could do the same with fabric. Guess what? It worked! And I like it :)
Fabric bows tutorial:
What you need:
-Scrap Fabric (for the one I created for my daughter specifically you will need 8 pieces of .5″x4″ and 5 pieces of .5″x4″)
-Hot glue gun
-Something for the center (a button; fabric yoyo; fabric rosette)
-Piece of felt for back
-Optional: pin back or hair clip
1. Cut out your pieces. You can add as many as you like to make it “poofier” or make the layers longer to make it larger, etc. I also starched and ironed them.
2. Glue the short ends of each piece together to create a loop, wrong sides facing.
3. Glue two of the long pieces together, right across from each other.
4. Continue to glue on the rest of the long pieces evenly.
5. Then glue on the shorter top pieces. I just filled in the spaces of the bottom ones for an even look.
6. Glue on the center piece of your choice.. I added a button to this one, but you could add a fabric rosette or yoyo like I did on the other ones below.
7. Use a round object (such as the bottom of a glue bottle) to trace onto the felt. Cut it out and glue it on the bottom of the bow to cover up the glued pieces.
8. Glue on a pin back or hair clip if desired.
Now you can clip it into a little cuties hair or add it to a card or a present! | <urn:uuid:e8c897a1-16c3-4727-8f8b-299c32e299bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whipup.net/2011/03/09/guest-blogger-series-fabric-bows-tutorial/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926367 | 457 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Warren Buffet a highly influential American has finally hit the panic button, saying that we are going to be crushed under a mountain of debt taking into consideration the amount of debt the country is piling up.
Last year, Warren Buffett says, we were justified in using any means necessary to stave off another Great Depression. Now that the economy is beginning to recover, however, we need to curtail our out-of-control spending, or we’ll destroy the value of the dollar and many Americans’ life savings.
Here are some not-so-fun facts from Buffett’s editorial today in the New York Times:
* Congress is now spending 185% of what it takes in
* Our deficit is a post WWII record of 13% of GDP
* Our debt is growing by 1% a month
* We are borrowing $1.8 trillion a year
$1.8 trillion, that’s a lot of money. Even if the Chinese lend us $400 billion a year and Americans save a remarkable $500 billion and lend it to the government, we’ll still need another $900 billion.
Which brings us to the million Dollar question “where’s it going to come from?” Most likely the printing press. And, ultimately, that will destroy the value of the dollar.
You can leave a comment below. | <urn:uuid:e6849b0e-9640-4b48-8866-115ff48b8b7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/26020 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940181 | 282 | 1.828125 | 2 |
|Back||1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16||Next|
Philippus, the father of Marcia, was that year consul, and the authority and power of the office rested in a manner in Cato; for the other consul paid him no less regard for his virtue's sake, than Philippus did on account of the connection between them. And Cicero now being returned from his banishment, into which he was driven by Clodius, and having again obtained great credit among the people, went, in the absence of Clodius, and by force took away the records of his tribuneship, which had been laid up in the capitol. Hereupon the senate was assembled, and Clodius complained of Cicero, who answered, that Clodius was never legally tribune, and therefore whatever he had done, was void, and of no authority. But Cato interrupted him while he spoke, and at last standing up said, that indeed he in no way justified or approved of Clodius's proceedings; but if they questioned the validity of what had been done in his tribuneship, they might also question what himself had done at Cyprus, for the expedition was unlawful, if he that sent him had no lawful authority: for himself, he thought Clodius wee legally made tribune, who, by permission of the law, was from a patrician adopted into a plebeian family; if he had done ill in his office, he ought to be called to account for it; but the authority of the magistracy ought not to suffer for the faults of the magistrate. Cicero took this ill, and for a long time discontinued his friendship with Cato; but they were afterwards reconciled.
Pompey and Crassus, by agreement with Caesar, who crossed the Alps to see them, had formed a design, that they two should stand to be chosen consuls a second time, and when they should be in their office, they would continue to Caesar his government for five years more, and take to themselves the greatest provinces, with armies and money to maintain them. This seemed a plain conspiracy to subvert the constitution and parcel out the empire. Several men of high character had intended to stand to be consuls that year, but upon the appearance of these great competitors, they all desisted, except only Lucius Domitius, who had married Porcia, the sister of Cato, and was by him persuaded to stand it out, and not abandon such an undertaking, which, he said, was not merely to gain the consulship, but to save the liberty of Rome. In the meantime, it was the common topic among the more prudent part of the citizens, that they ought not to suffer the power of Pompey and Crassus to be united, which would then be carried beyond all bounds, and become dangerous to the state; that therefore one of them must be denied. For these reasons they took part with Domitius, whom they exhorted and encouraged to go on, assuring him, that many who feared openly to appear for him, would privately assist him. Pompey's party fearing this, laid wait for Domitius, and set upon him as he was going before daylight, with torches, into the Field. First he that bore the light next before Domitius, was knocked down and killed; then several others being wounded, all the rest fled, except Cato and Domitius, whom Cato held, though himself were wounded in the arm, and crying out, conjured the others to stay, and not while they had any breath, forsake the defense of their liberty against those tyrants, who plainly showed with what moderation they were likely to use the power, which they endeavored to gain by such violence. But at length Domitius also, no longer willing to face the danger, fled to his own house, and so Pompey and Crassus were declared consuls.
Nevertheless, Cato would not give over, but resolved to stand himself to be praetor that year, which he thought would be some help to him in his design of opposing them; that he might not act as a private man, when he was to contend with public magistrates. Pompey and Crassus apprehended this; and fearing that the office of praetor in the person of Cato might be equal in authority to that of consul, they assembled the senate unexpectedly, without giving any notice to a great many of the senators, and made an order, that those who were chosen praetors, should immediately enter upon their office, without attending the usual time, in which, according to law, they might be accused, if they had corrupted the people with gifts. When by this order they had got leave to bribe freely, without being called to account, they set up their own friends and dependents to stand for the praetorship, giving money, and watching the people as they voted. Yet the virtue and reputation of Cato was like to triumph over all these stratagems; for the people generally felt it to be shameful that a price should be paid for the rejection of Cato, who ought rather to be paid himself to take upon him the office. So he carried it by the voices of the first tribe. Hereupon Pompey immediately framed a lie, crying out, it thundered; and straight broke up the assembly; for the Romans religiously observed this as a bad omen, and never concluded any matter after it had thundered. Before the next time, they had distributed larger bribes, and driving also the best men out of the Field, by these foul means they procured Vatinius to be chosen praetor, instead of Cato. It is said, that those who had thus corruptly and dishonestly given their voices, at once, when it was done, hurried, as if it were in flight, out of the Field. The others staying together, and exclaiming at the event, one of the tribunes continued the assembly, and Cato standing up, as it were by inspiration, foretold all the miseries that afterward befell the state, exhorted them to beware of Pompey and Crassus, who were guilty of such things, and had laid such designs, that they might well fear to have Cato praetor. When he had ended this speech, he was followed to his house by a greater number of people than were all the new praetors elect put together.
Caius Trebonius now proposed the law for allotting provinces to the consuls, one of whom was to have Spain and Africa, the other Egypt and Syria, with full power of making war, and carrying it on both by sea and land, as they should think fit. When this was proposed, all others despaired of putting any stop to it, and neither did nor said anything against it. But Cato, before the voting began, went up into the place of speaking, and desiring to be heard, was with much difficulty allowed two hours to speak. Having spent that time in informing them and reasoning with them, and in foretelling to them much that was to come, he was not suffered to speak any longer; but as he was going on, a sergeant came and pulled him down; yet when he was down, he still continued speaking in a loud voice, and finding many to listen to him, and join in his indignation. Then the sergeant took him, and forced him out of the forum; but as soon as he got loose, he returned again to the place of speaking, crying out to the people to stand by him. When he had done thus several times, Trebonius grew very angry, and commanded him to be carried to prison; but the multitude followed him, and listened to the speech which he made to them, as he went along, so that Trebonius began to be afraid again, and ordered him to be released. Thus that day was expended, and the business staved off by Cato. But in the days succeeding, many of the citizens being overawed by fears and threats, and others won by gifts and favors, Aquillius, one of the tribunes, they kept by an armed force within the senate-house; Cato, who cried, it thundered, they drove out of the forum; many were wounded, and some slain; and at length by open force they passed the law. At this many were so incensed, that they got together, and were going to throw down the statues of Pompey; but Cato went, and diverted them from that design.
Again, another law was proposed, concerning the provinces and legions for Caesar. Upon this occasion Cato did not apply himself to the people, but appealed to Pompey himself; and told him, he did not consider now, that he was setting Caesar upon his own shoulders, who would shortly grow too weighty for him, and at length, not able to lay down the burden, nor yet to bear it any longer, he would precipitate both it and himself with it upon the commonwealth; and then he would remember Cato's advice, which was no less advantageous to him, than just and honest in itself. Thus was Pompey often warned, but still disregarded and slighted it, never mistrusting Caesar's change, and always confiding in his own power and good fortune.
|Back||1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16||Next|
Plutarch's Lives -by- A.H. Clough | <urn:uuid:454f7c09-55d9-4788-ae17-64af92b1c2b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.public-domain-content.com/books/Plutarch/C50P10.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992086 | 1,964 | 2.234375 | 2 |
The Pupil Activity Permit is required for a pupil activity program that involves athletics, routine or regular physical activity or activities with health and safety considerations.
Requirements for a Pupil Activity Permit
Completion of one of the following first aid/sports injury prevention trainings:
Effective April 26, 2013, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 3319.303, any applicant for a new or renewal pupil activity permit is required to complete training specifically focused on recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussions and head injuries and brain injury management as a condition of obtaining a new or renewed permit.
- There are two online training courses linked through the Ohio Department of Health’s website at www.odh.ohio.gov that will meet this requirement – one is the NFHS training program “Concussion in Sports – What you Need to Know”, and the other is the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program “Heads Up – Concussion in Youth Sports Online Training Program.” Either program will meet the requirement;
both are free of charge, and they may be completed online in about an hour or less.
- A certificate of completion may be printed out upon successful completion of the training, and a copy should be submitted along with the pupil activity permit application.
Pupil Activity Permit Application
Additional Coaching Requirements to coach in the State of Ohio – verified by the hiring authority
Requirements for renewal of the Pupil Activity Permit
- Successful completion of an approved cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training course evidenced by a currently valid certificate and verified by the hiring authority;
- Successful completion of one of the first-aid training options (see above).
Pupil Activity Provider Packet
This informational packet and application are for individuals or organizations who are seeking to become approved to offer first aid/first response programming for coaches pursuing a pupil activity permit.
Pupil Activity program requirements governed by Ohio Administrative Code: 3301-27-01 Qualifications to Direct, Supervise or Coach a Pupil Activity Program
Office of Educator Licensure
1(877) 644-6338 (toll free) | <urn:uuid:56b3cd40-a6ea-4403-866e-dee5c2096af6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=1328&Content=142290 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917281 | 453 | 1.75 | 2 |
The local school, the Abdullah Patel Girls High School, reported that 96.31% of its students had passed their 10th standard exams.
These are not unusual results in Mumbra, the far suburb that shelters Kismat. There are more than 70 schools in this teeming centre of aspiration. The students are sons and daughters of small-time traders and businessmen, handymen and hard-working women, more than 80% Muslim. A marsh until as late as the early 1990s, Mumbra was flooded by Muslims seeking safety after the 1992 Mumbai riots. They were joined by migrants from north India, everyone hastily cobbling together new homes and starting new lives.
Today, more than half a million people live in Mumbra. They study, work and strive to grab some part of the Indian dream. They try, too, to forget that the police and the city beyond once regarded their neighbourhood as a haven for terror. The stain of terrorism is like a permanent mark on a community's collective soul. You may scrub all you like — and it might disappear — but the world remembers the stain.
So it was with Mumbra and the Abdullah Patel Girls High School.
On June 15, 2004, the school and the suburb awoke to the depressing news that Ishrat Jahan Shamim Raza, 19, a pretty, round-faced alumna of the school was one of four people dead in a shootout with the police across the state line in Ahmedabad. The bodies of Ishrat and three men, two of them supposedly Pakistanis, were laid out for the media beside the alleged getaway car, a Blue Indica. AK-47s lay by their side. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) DG Vanzara, head of the 21-man police squad, said Jahan and her associates were operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and they were planning to assassinate Narendra Modi, Gujarat's chief minister.
In the seven years since, much of that story collapsed.
In 2009, an Ahmedabad Metropolitan magistrate ruled the "encounter" a staged, extra-judicial killing. When the Gujarat government appealed against the verdict, the Gujarat High Court set up a special investigation team (SIT), which on Monday — after four chiefs, detailed ballistic examinations (including one that showed the officer who supposedly shot the "terrorists" never once fired his weapon) and interrogation of the police officers involved — agreed there was never a shootout. As for Vanzara, feted once as a hero, he was arrested in the extra-judicial killing of a suspect in another case. He is presently in jail.
Mumbra was seething and sorrowful when Ishrat's body came home. She was, after all, a local role model. The eldest daughter of a lower-middle-class migrant family from Bihar, Ishrat studied science at Mumbai's Guru Nanak Khalsa College. Her father dead, she ran tuition classes and undertook embroidery jobs in Mumbra to supplement the family income. When the SIT verdict came this week, Ishrat's family and Mumbra rejoiced, saying they knew all along she was never a terrorist.
Was Ishrat, then, an innocent teen shot by brazen officers in search of reward and promotion?
This is where the story isn't quite as clear as the staged killing. Ishrat and the three men with her (one of them a Kerala Hindu who converted to Islam to marry his sweetheart) were radicalised and even if they were not plotting Modi's death appear to have been up to "something", insists a former Mumbai police officer who was closely acquainted with the case. This officer first told me in late 2004 what was an open secret in the Maharashtra police, that the killing of Ishrat and her colleagues was staged. For the Mumbai police, this was never a big deal. The Maharashtra police wrote the book on extra-judicial killings, decimating the city's mafia by assassinating tens of criminals (and conducting hit jobs on people without criminal records) in the 1990s.
Many newspapers also reported that Pakistani-American Lashkar operative David Coleman Headley told officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a Chicago prison that Ishrat was a Lashkar suicide bomber. In May this year, the NIA submitted this carefully drafted statement to the Gujarat High Court: "Aversion made regarding David Colman (sic) Headley making statement on Ishrat Jahan is purely in the nature of hearsay, it does not have any evidentiary value."
Whenever I visited Mumbra in the years following Ishrat's death, I heard a common refrain on the street: "If she was a terrorist, she should have been arrested. Why was she shot?"
The random killing of Muslims suspects and equally random arrests can never lead to a triumph over terrorists who work in the name of Islam. It is patently unfair at a time when Hindus are now implicated in a series of bombings once automatically blamed on Muslim suspects, that many are still in jail. Only last week a court released seven Muslims, accused of bombing the Maharashtra town of Malegaon, after NIA said it would not oppose bail because a Hindu preacher had confessed to the blasts. Pre-judgement and prejudice have no place in the continuing, complicated battle against modern terrorism. India cannot afford to let an Ishrat be killed again, not when the vast majority of the country's 200 million Muslims — like those in Mumbra — strive harder than ever to rise out of the underclass, educate their children and just get along. | <urn:uuid:f3d54b7a-7eb8-4e28-9dbf-92a32d605295> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hindustantimes.com/viewssectionpage/Samar/Lesson-from-Mumbra/Article1-773167.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97861 | 1,145 | 1.703125 | 2 |
California policies to fight global warming, reduce oil consumption, and clean our air are under sweeping attack from critics who are warning that they portend an economic doomsday for the Golden State while ignoring their benefits to our health and environment.
The fossil fuel industry is on a media blitz to convince California consumers that the price they will have to pay to pioneer the nation’s first comprehensive effort to tackle climate change is too high. The Wall Street Journal joined the fray with a misleading editorial blaming California’s recent surge in gas prices on laws designed to reduce the negative effects of our oil consumption, ignoring the economic reality that only a handful of largely unregulated oil companies control the state’s gas market. With no major jump in demand and no significant reduction in gasoline supplies in California to explain the spike in gas prices, Sen. Dianne Feinstein called on antitrust regulators to investigate possible illegal manipulation of the market.
Paying for pollution is part of the solution
Meanwhile, large oil refiners and manufacturers launched a series of expensive ads and a petition to force the governor to stop next month’s inaugural cap-and-trade auction. The Nov. 14 auction, which will kick off the nation’s first economy-wide carbon market, is the result of years of careful study and deliberations. After failing to convince the California Air Resources Board last month to provide them with more free carbon credits, some of the state’s heaviest polluters are now trying to stop the auction. They claim that the auction is unnecessary to achieve the goals of AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
That is simply not true. By requiring polluters to pay for each ton of carbon they emit, the auction creates financial incentives for polluters to reduce their emissions through greater use of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and alternative technologies. The auction is a critical component of our climate legislation because it will generate revenues that will help us to transition to a clean energy economy.
As a prominent group of economists, including UCS’s Jasmin Ansar, wrote in a recent letter to the governor, cancelling or scaling back the auction would disrupt the current design of the cap-and-trade program.
The economists noted that distributing more free carbon credits poses the potential for windfall profits because carbon-intensive businesses can pass the market value of the allowances through to consumers even though they received them at no cost. Already, concerns that some businesses might move production outside of California to avoid paying for carbon emissions within the state were addressed when regulators decided to allocate 90 percent of the allowances for free to most industries for the first few years of the program.
Cap-and-trade opponents, and the oil industry in particular, have been aware for several years that they will be expected to pay for a portion of their carbon pollution by participating in the allowance auction. They should join the rest of California in being part of the solution by complying with policies that will encourage clean energy investments and create broad spillover benefits throughout our economy.
Another oily strategy: Litigate, don’t innovate
Another critical piece of the state’s efforts to reduce global warming emissions — the low-carbon fuel standard — is under fire in a federal appeals court, where air quality officials are defending the first-in-the-nation mandate requiring cleaner fuels for millions of cars and trucks in the California. Because the transportation sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in California, the law requires that all vehicle fuels be an average of 10 percent less carbon-intensive by 2020. The standard is designed to cut California’s dependence on petroleum by 20 percent.
One of California’s top lawyers rightfully argued in a hearing last week that petroleum refiners and out-of-state ethanol producers who are challenging the law’s constitutionality are trying to “prevent California from following sound science” and defended the state’s method of using a “life cycle analysis” that takes into account the pollution caused by manufacturing and the distance it has to travel when calculating the carbon intensity of fuel.
Let’s move forward!
All of these 11th-hour attempts to derail key components of California’s climate change legislation are part of a shortsighted strategy to cling to the businesses practices of the past, protecting corporate profits over California’s economic growth and public health.
Despite their claims of wanting to shield consumers from higher prices, large industrial polluters are using scare tactics to continue our reliance on dirty fuels and bolster their bottom lines. It’s time for the state’s heaviest polluters to join other businesses who recognize that clean energy investments also present economic opportunities.
We can all learn from California’s leadership on these issues that dramatically reducing our oil use is the only long-term and permanent solution to air pollution, climate change and, yes, lower gas prices.
Support from UCS members make work like this possible. Will you join us? Help UCS advance independent science for a healthy environment and a safer world. | <urn:uuid:5a4f3eec-a68f-46c1-9ed9-a56f0480c5e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.ucsusa.org/here-they-go-again-oil-companies-trying-to-stop-progress-on-climate-policy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93354 | 1,039 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Articulate Your Personal Brand Through Your Social Network
Business guru Jack Canfield says that you are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.
It makes sense, right? The people in your personal and professional networks have an extraordinary effect on who you are and how you see the world. They affect how you spend your time. They affect many of the decisions you make. They affect the way other people see you. In short, your network and how you interact with people in it are key components of your personal brand.
The Care and Feeding of Relationships
It’s surprising, then, that people don’t pay more attention to building and nurturing their professional relationships. The reality is that you need to pay as much, if not more, attention to building your relationships as you do to building your skills and abilities. Genuine professional relationships, just like personal ones, take time, care and commitment to sustain; the return on your investment will be more than worth the effort. People often think about networking if they need something — a job, a reference, some advice — but they often don’t think about how their relationships directly shape them as a professional. If you only pay attention to your network when it’s convenient or when you need something, your relationships won’t be very strong or authentic. In turn, your personal brand and career development will suffer.
Keep Better Track
The first step to managing your relationships better is to literally manage them better. Make sure you have an accurate, up-to-date database or address book application where everyone you know is listed. Don’t use your cell phone as your only address book in case you lose it! In addition to keeping track of people’s e-mail addresses and phone numbers, keep a record of other important information that will help you build strong relationships, such as people’s birthdays, Twitter names and snail mail addresses for those times you’ll want to send a handwritten note. It’s also a good idea to jot down when and where you met someone or another specific detail, such as the person’s favorite football team or children’s names.
Next, be sure to follow the people in your network on various social media sites. For professional purposes, LinkedIn and Twitter are the most important. This way you can keep up with people’s news and occasionally send a hello or forward an article that might be of interest. Small gestures on social media demonstrate to others that your personal brand includes generosity and a true interest in the careers and lives of the people you know.
Broaden Your Thinking
As you continue to build your career and increase your networking activity, you’ll want to associate yourself not just with individuals, but also with groups. Group involvement shows people that you value community, sharing and helping others.
Without a doubt, these groups should include your university alumni community, with whom you can connect through Listservs, LinkedIn groups, in-person alumni clubs and reunions. It’s likely your alma mater helped you grow as a professional and influenced your personal brand, so it’s valuable to maintain a connection and give back to others who shared the same college experience. Strong personal brands include demonstrating pride and loyalty to the institutions that have shaped you.
You should also look into joining professional associations related to your field of interest. Most professional associations have local, state and national groups. Some even have an international presence. Depending on your interests and goals, other potential communities include volunteer organizations, your local Chamber of Commerce, arts organizations, running clubs and any other online or offline group that appeals to you. Such memberships provide countless ways to meet others, learn about yourself and discover new skills and opportunities that will enhance your personal brand.
If you are trying to build your experience in a new field, then it’s even more important to take part in communities associated with your desired profession. Even if you’ve never officially worked in public relations, for instance, you can include your interest in PR in your personal brand by joining the Public Relations Society of America, following their tweets and attending their in-person events. This will help you learn the lingo, find out about potential opportunities and build relationships with people in the field you want to enter.
Go the Extra Mile
No matter where or how you are connecting with people, a crucial piece of your personal brand involves how you interact with the people you know. When you see that it’s someone’s birthday on Facebook, write a quick “Happy Birthday” wall post. When you invite someone to connect on LinkedIn, always customize your request with a polite and gracious note instead of using the generic message. Occasionally reach out to people in your network to say hello and ask if there is anything you can do to support them. Send holiday cards. You’ll become known as someone who is thoughtful and always goes the extra mile. And, in turn, people will be more likely to go the extra mile for you.
Share Your News
Finally, don’t be shy about keeping your network posted on what you’re up to. Remember that networking and personal branding are not just about who you know; they’re about who knows you. While staying conscious of not posting sensitive personal, client or privileged information, update your social networking status at least once a week with news about what you’re doing, what you’re reading or what events you’re attending. If you’re speaking on a panel, invite people in your network to attend. If you’re walking in a charity fundraiser, invite people to participate or support your efforts. If you’ve built truly genuine professional relationships, people will want to know how your personal brand is evolving and how they can support you.
So, look around right now at your relationships. Glance at the last three people who IM-ed you today. Find your last five Facebook friend requests. What can you do for each of these people? What can you do to strengthen each of these relationships? What should they know about you? Attend to your network daily so that not just your personal brand, but your entire life, will be better for it.
Holly Paul is the US Recruiting Leader for PwC LLP (PwC). PwC employs 30,000 people in the United States and is one of the top recruiters of college students in the country. | <urn:uuid:511b168a-9e0e-464e-aaa0-7a3a19645362> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dailynexus.com/2010-11-01/social-network-internet-market/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954534 | 1,342 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Speer: The Final Verdict
by Joachim Fest, translated from the German by Ewald Osers and Alexandra Dring
Harcourt, 419 pp., $30.00
Until the Nuremberg trial of the major war criminals, the name Albert Speer had made little impression on the Western world compared with those of other Nazis like Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, and Heinrich Himmler. The revelations during the trial of the extent of his powers as minister of armaments and economic czar during the war years, and his behavior during the proceedings—his professed willingness to accept his share of the collective responsibility for the actions of the Hitler regime, while denying allegations of complicity in specific crimes—awakened an interest in him as a person that was soon reflected in a number of books and articles, notable among them being Gitta Sereny’s Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth.
There has, however, been no adequate biography—Sereny’s book was an extensive report on Speer’s personality that emphasized issues of guilt and responsibility—and it is gratifying to have that deficiency repaired now by Joachim Fest, the author of one of the most highly respected biographies of Adolf Hitler. On the basis of a full mastery of the sources, including Speer’s own works and letters, Fest has provided us with the first detailed account of his ministerial service, as well as a thoughtful analysis of his relations with Hitler and the other Nazi notables, his trial and imprisonment in Spandau, and the controversies that filled his last years. Whether this is, as Fest’s subtitle suggests, the final verdict on Speer’s career, it is perhaps too soon to tell, but most readers will probably find it a reasonable one.
It would be difficult to find anything in Speer’s early life to explain how he became a member of Hitler’s inner circle within a year of the Nazi takeover. The second of three sons of an upper-middle-class family in Mannheim, he had lived through the horrendous events that destroyed the Weimar Republic almost without noticing them, and it was only after his architectural studies, his marriage, and his appointment as assistant to his teacher Heinrich Tessenow that, almost as if driven by idle curiosity, he attended a meeting in Berlin that was addressed by Hitler. He had expected a kind of circus performance, filled with violent language and bizarre gestures, but instead Hitler gave a reasoned discussion of the causes of Germany’s present condition and the policies it must follow if it were to recover. The speech made a deep impression upon Speer, and in March 1931 he enrolled in the National Socialist Party.
Everything else followed from this almost accidental beginning. A well-placed acquaintance steered some architectural commissions his way, the most important of which was the renovation of Joseph Goebbels’s official residence in Berlin. It was Speer’s reckless promise to have this completed in two months and his subsequent meeting of that deadline that brought him to Hitler’s attention. A commission to help the prominent architect Paul Ludwig Troost renovate the chancellor’s residence in Berlin … | <urn:uuid:fd0add26-51e3-48db-9356-fe4e72c536bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2002/oct/24/hitlers-pal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979649 | 663 | 2.125 | 2 |
What facilitates social engagement in preschool children with autism?
Dawn C. Wimpory, R.Peter Hobson, Susan Nash
Abstract We studied the association between an adult’s behaviour and episodes of social engagement (ESEs) in young children with autism during play-based assessment. ESEs were defined as events in which a child looked toward the adult’s face and simultaneously showed an additional form of communicative behaviour. The adult’s behaviour before each ESE, and before time-sampled control periods, was rated using Coding Active Sociability in Preschoolers with Autism (CASPA). As predicted, adult musical/ motoric activity, communications that followed the child’s focus of attention, scaffolding through social routines, imitations of the child, and adult repetitions were significantly more prevalent before ESEs, but cognitive assessment activities, adult inactivity, and 'ignoring' were significantly less prevalent. We consider the implications for understanding the developmental psychopathology of autism.
What Facilitates Social Engagement in Preschool Children with
Dawn C. Wimpory, R. Peter Hobson and Susan Nash,
Springer Science and Business Media, Inc. 2006 | <urn:uuid:5eb4b4b0-ee13-4ab1-abcc-72f1ae0becea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.awares.org/conferences/show_paper.asp?section=000100010001&conferenceCode=000200020013&id=56 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934008 | 250 | 2.171875 | 2 |
14th Dalai Lama Visits Connecticut
His holiness spoke two days at WCSU about compassion and living each day.
3500 people travelled to Western Connecticut State Universitys campus in Danbury Thursday afternoon to hear his holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. The school worked in partnership with the Tibetan Buddhist Center in Redding to host his visit.
As WNPR's Lucy Nalpathanchil reports, the spiritual leader of Tibet shared his thoughts on finding inner peace within oneself.
People streamed through the doors of the university's O'Neill Center to listen to the Dalai Lama talk about the art of compassion.
Most walked in with smiles on their faces. Tracy Smith from East Hampton had a glow about her as she scanned the arena for her seat.
"Already my breath is taken away, I have tears in my eyes and I have goosebumps. Just knowing the Dalai Lama is somewhere around here. It's one of the most extraordinary things I could have hoped for in my life."
Smith, like many in attendance, said she came to see the Dalai Lama after spending time reading his books or learning about Buddhism.
Before the Dalai Lama appeared, the audience first they took in the calming chants of seven Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang monastery in India.
And then there was time to be a bit starstruck when actor, Richard Gere, a well known Buddhist and friend of Tibet gave brief remarks.
But the crowd saved its biggest applause for the Dalai Lama when he appeared from behind the stage curtains wearing his familiar red robes, rimmed glasses and characteristic wide smile.
One of his first messages on compassion was that human beings should view each other as the same instead of noting differences.
"If I look at you as human brothers and sisters, no barrier, I'm one of you. I'm always telling people that now is the time to develop oneness of humanity. And think about well being of humanity, not my group your group, not that way."
Inner Peace is the key to happinnes according to the Dalai Lama. He says reaching this place is possible but it takes more than just praying.
"Of course as a Buddhist monk, in my daily life at least four or five hours some prayers, some contemplation and mainly analytical meditation.
"But I believe action is more important. These prayers should translate into action. So therefore, real peace does not come through prayer alone."
His words resonated with Addie Avery of New Milford. She came with her mother to hear the Dalai Lama. And while her family has been interested in Buddhism for sometime, Avery says his message appeals to people from many bcackgrounds.
"His love of everyone and everything I think some people can't believe it's possible to have. And to see it and know it really is possible, it's such a moving experience."
The Dalai Lama will speak again at WCSU Friday morning before travelling on to New York City and then India later this month. | <urn:uuid:0915abb5-19db-421a-9a93-27022ceabadc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/14th-dalai-lama-visits-connecticut | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974711 | 615 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Facebook, with a base of over 650 million active users, continues to be the top-notch social networking site. The term ‘active user’ in context of Facebook implies a user who has logged in to the site in the last 30 days. More than 250 million active users currently access Facebook through their mobile devices with a level of activity twice that of non-mobile users. Other social networking sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn etc. lag much behind Facebook in terms of the user base and its engagement. Twitter, for instance, has just over 200 million registered users and Linkedin just over 100 million registered users.
Let’s now take a peep into some amazing facts about Facebook (Source: Facebook):
- About 50% of the active users of Facebook log on to the site in any given day
- An average user on Facebook has 130 friends and is connected to 80 community pages, groups & events
- An average user creates 90 pieces of content including links, news / updates, photo albums, notes etc. every month
- Facebook users spend over 700 billion minutes per month on it
I happened to compile information on some of the parameters for Facebook as well as its nearest rivals viz. LinkedIn and Twitter. Here is what I could gather as a comparative analysis:
|Minimum Age for Registration||13 years||18 years||None|
|Number of Users||650 million+||100 million+||200 million+|
|Available in Languages||Over 75 languages including Hindi, Punjabi & many other regional langauges||English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish||English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Turkish|
|Office in India||Hyderabad||Mumbai||None|
If we were to go by the Facebook monitoring site Inside Facebook, Facebook has lost users in the some of the regions including in the key countries like US and UK. Facebook has been quick to deny this. However, it has been widely acknowledged in many reports that the rate of growth of Facebook user base is not as good as it used to be in the year 2010. This brings us to the question if it is the right time for Facebook to go public & get listed by floating an IPO?
Last month, LinkedIn became the first major social networking company to go public and its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LNKD”. Its huge success can be gauged from the fact that LinkedIn shares more than doubled in value on the very first day of the trading itself. It has paved the way for other social networking companies to follow the suit.
Presently, Facebook terms of registration restrict a person from using Facebook if he/she is under 13 in line with age limit dictated by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act which was made Federal Law in America in 1998. However, Facebook founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants the social networking site to let children under the age of 13 use it and he is willing to fight to get the law changed. Probably, this is an extra mile Facebook might be willing to go when the growth is becoming sluggish. Going by these events, the day should not be far when we would also see Facebook going public. | <urn:uuid:f8ff0510-e886-479b-a7c5-f575bf5359fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://varunjindalblog.wordpress.com/category/technology-internet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944547 | 664 | 1.78125 | 2 |
When a popular uprising started in Tunisia less than two years ago, it took the world by surprise. Not many observers had anticipated the outbreak, let alone the success, of popular uprisings in a region far better known for the longevity of its tyrants and despots.
Israeli lawmakers debated on Monday recognizing the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide but were warned by the Foreign Ministry about further damage to frayed relations with Turkey.
While acknowledging that the massacres were a genocide, the ADL and its national director, Abraham Foxman, continue to refuse to support the congressional resolution (HR 106) that officially recognizes the Armenian genocide.
From my experience in tackling difficult relationships, I believe that engagement, not avoidance, is the best strategy. In a perfect world, Armenian and Turkish historians would sit together and review the archival material, debate differences and seek a common understanding of the past.
In a dramatic reversal, the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) national director has issued a statement describing the massacres perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians as "tantamount to genocide." | <urn:uuid:544116b8-b638-4ed0-8e05-981b3c8ff901> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishjournal.com/tag/armenia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960746 | 227 | 2.25 | 2 |
Eco-Friendly Snail Measuring Tape
3 years & up. Whimsical and practical! This cute snail can be transformed into a measuring tape. Just pull his "tail" to expose a cloth tape that can extend to approximately 24 inches in length. The cloth tape has metric measurements on the reverse side. The snail measuring tape makes it fun to learn spatial recognition and distance through measurement. The tape retracts by spinning the knob on the side of the snail shell. Made of natural, chemical free recycled rubber wood and finished with non-toxic water based dye. | <urn:uuid:0dd14538-8d14-4841-8257-60470b6fe640> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kaplantoys.com/store/trans/productDetailForm.asp?CatID=29%7CKTNEW5%7C3&Page=1&Max=16&Seq=17.95&PID=51152 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956365 | 117 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Coastal and Tropical South
Grow Healthy Caladiums
A colleague of mine once decided to see how large he could grow a standard caladium plant. He planted in well-drained, richly organic soil and set up a drip system to provide nearly constant water and fertilizer to its base. The result was a single caladium plant with more than 25 leaves that measured 2-3 feet in height by July. You may not want quite so large a caladium, but let its success remind you to plant in well-drained soil and to water and fertilize regularly for continuous growth.
Whether yours is a kumquat in a garden bed surrounded by annual flowers or a grapefruit tree dominating a courtyard, citrus trees are famously popular for their flowers, fragrance, and fruit. Established trees should be fed three times annually, both before and after blooming, and again in the fall to maintain levels of available nutrients. The numbers on fertilizer labels are always in order of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the product. Citrus trees benefit from lower levels of phosphorus, such as can be found in 5-2-6 and similar formulas.
Plan for Storms
Everyone is aware of the record-setting and at times violent weather of the past few months, and we're all wondering what is to come. Without predicting the future, we can know that it is time to prepare for hurricane season by surveying the landscape and taking steps now to secure it. Start with the hardscape, making sure trellises and pergolas are stable and well-anchored, and that there's nothing else in the garden that can become a projectile in high winds. Tend to trees and large shrubs by pruning out damaged or dead limbs. If a big tree is barely alive and could fall on your home, remove it. If large, leafy trees overhang your home, consider thinning their canopies to allow for better air flow and to lessen the weight they support. Steps such as these can be taken well in advance, but you should still keep a mental list for battening down the hatches when necessary, such as taking down flags and patio umbrellas, tying down furniture, and opening ditches.
Replan the Lawn
Plenty of gardeners are taking the lawn out of the garden, almost or entirely. Xeriscape gardens replace the turf with mulches and rocks, but even rain-soaked areas can be designed to need less mowing. You can begin with a new path that curves around the lawn to take in the beds you already have and define new ones. To begin removing sod, mow or string trim as low as possible, then scrape the area to remove the rhizomes and thatch. Replant with ground covers immediately, or solarize for three months by laying a tight film of 6 mil clear plastic over the area so sunlight can destroy weeds and grass in the space.
Care for Orchids
If you have been fertilizing your orchids at half strength so far this spring, it is time to step it up to a full dose to promote new growth and flowers. Many popular orchid formulas are low in nitrogen, such as a 5-20-20 formula or an equivalent ratio. Such specialty fertilizers are not always necessary, but can be quite useful in orchid cultivation. Be careful of increasing light and heat levels, especially on porches and in sunrooms. Move the plants, close the blinds, or put up shade cloth to prevent sunburn on orchid plants. Repot those that have bloomed if they are crowded or have been in their pots for more than two years, particularly cymbidiums and dendrobiums. | <urn:uuid:a004f3c1-5be8-45f4-bef5-690e7168599e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/reminders/4109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95661 | 762 | 2.65625 | 3 |
LONDON (Reuters) – Summoning a degree of national unity rarely seen outside times of war, Britain’s parliament will tell Rupert Murdoch on Wednesday to drop an expansion plan for his media empire while police probe possible crimes by his journalists.
In a watershed moment for British politics, a barrier of fear of the Murdoch press that affected all parties has collapsed under the weight of public outrage. It has triggered a stampede among politicians who were last month courting his favor to outbid each other in condemning the U.S.-based mogul.
A vote, called by the opposition Labour party but also endorsed by Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives and their coalition partners, will pass in parliament after 4 p.m. (1300 GMT). Though non-binding, it could well force Murdoch to withdraw News Corp’s $14-billion bid to buy out the 61 percent of broadcaster BSkyB it does not already own.
While some analysts said it was too early to declare that the business was in serious retreat in Britain, many said that the sweeping political influence Murdoch had enjoyed over both left and right in politics seemed most suddenly curtailed.
“This is a vote of seismic significance,” said politics professor Jonathan Tonge of Liverpool University. “It could spell the beginning of the end for the Murdoch empire.
“For decades now, successive prime ministers have cozied up to Murdoch. Now it’s a new era.
“Political leaders will be falling over themselves to avoid close contact with media conglomerates. This is a turning of the tide — it’s parliament versus Murdoch at the moment.”
Others, however, were cautious.
“I’m in two minds,” said Steven Fielding, politics professor at Nottingham University.
“My first instinct is to think … in the medium to longer term, the natural order will reassert itself … People will forget what the News of the World did … and that people’s desire for tittle tattle, regardless of how it is found, will remain … Ultimately there’s a reason why politicians sucked up to Rupert Murdoch and to others.
“They inherently need to get on well with the press.”
The company has not commented as its share price has fallen and investors have renewed calls for the Australian-born billionaire and his family to cut emotional ties to struggling newspapers on which their empire was built in order to focus on expansion in television and other media.
The fallout from the scandal threatens to spread to the United States, where Murdoch owns The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and Fox television. John Rockefeller, chairman of Senate’s commerce committee, called for an investigation to determine if News Corp had broken any U.S. laws.
Rockefeller said he was concerned by allegations that the hacking of cellphone voicemails, acknowledged in London by News Corp, “may have extended to 9/11 victims or other Americans,” in which case he said “the consequences will be severe.”
British police are also investigating whether News of the World journalists bribed policemen. Police chiefs defended their honesty in parliament on Tuesday but faced questions over whether their relations with Murdoch managers had meant that previous inquiries into phone hacking were limited.
The buyout of Sky, Britain’s dominant pay-TV network and highly profitable, has been a key part of a global strategy.
Murdoch, 80, has sacrificed the 168-year-old News of the World, a top-selling Sunday tabloid which he bought in 1969, closing it down after a long-running scandal over phone hacking by journalists blew up last week with allegations that not only celebrities but vulnerable victims of crime had been targeted.
Yet that has failed to draw the sting of popular anger and Cameron, who has been embarrassed by his own ties to former News of the World editors, has been forced to rescind the provisional blessing the government gave to the Sky takeover.
Cameron has ordered a full public inquiry into the affair and promised new regulation of the British media. Before the debate on Murdoch, he will face his weekly grilling in the chamber by Labour leader Ed Miliband and others at noon.
BID “POLITICALLY DEAD”
The Independent newspaper, which has been critical of Murdoch since the scandal broke, quoted ministers as saying privately that the takeover would be “politically dead” after the vote on the opposition motion in parliament.
It said the only way News Corp could complete the takeover of BSkyB would be to sell off his three remaining British newspapers — The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times — grouped in the British subsidiary News International.
The Sun hit back on its front page on Wednesday at a charge by former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown that it may have hacked medical records to break a story in 2006 that his newborn son was suffering from cystic fibrosis.
The Sun said it had a legitimate source. The Sunday Times also defended its actions in probing Brown’s personal finances as pursuing a story that was in the public interest. It denied Brown’s accusation that it hired “criminals” to do so.
Many politicians believe that journalistic misdeeds have not been restricted to News International. Allegations surfaced this week of possible phone hacking by other tabloids and police raided the offices of the Daily Star last week.
That has increased pressure for formal regulation of the British press which, while restricted by draconian defamation laws, is otherwise subject to a voluntary code of conduct.
The potential costs to News Corp of the scandal have been growing as police have said thousands may have been targeted by the News of the World — at least according to notes kept by a private investigator who, with the paper’s royal correspondent, was jailed in 2007 for hacking the phones of aides at court.
Police say they have not even contacted more than a few dozen of those whose names or numbers were found in the notes.
The News of the World has already made payments worth tens of thousands of dollars to some celebrities who complained their phones were hacked. Lawyers said compensation to, for example, the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan or of children murdered in notorious cases could be even greater.
A lawyer for England soccer star Wayne Rooney said on Wednesday he was seeking damages from the newspaper for hacking his voicemails to break stories that he had hired prostitutes.
Whatever the cost of such action, and the billions in value that has been wiped off its shares, the greater damage to News Corp may come from crimping its expansion strategy as a result of damage to its reputation among politicians and regulators.
News Corp shares on Tuesday lost gains they had made on news of a $5 billion share buy-back that took advantage of a 14-percent slide in the company’s stock price since Thursday. BSkyB has lost a fifth of its value over the past.
Murdoch, his son James and Rebekah Brooks, the former News of the World editor who is now chief executive at News International have been summoned to answer questions by a legislative parliamentary committee next week.
As a U.S. citizen, Murdoch need not attend.
“This is a potential sea change, clearly in the short and medium term, he is damaged and severely limited,” said Ivor Gaber, professor of political journalism at City University.
“Where as before he would have walked through the back door of Downing Street, now he might not walk through at all.
But you should never underestimate Murdoch.
“We’re three or four years off an election and people can afford to be quite brave. Whilst he still controls a significant amount of British newspaper circulation and its TV and radio news he’s bound to continue to have influence.
Labour has sought to capitalize on Cameron’s friendship with Brooks, 43, and his hiring of her successor as News of the World editor to be his spokesman just months after the paper’s royal correspondent was jailed for phone hacking in 2007.
Andy Coulson quit as spokesman in January and was arrested on Friday on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and to corrupt officials.
(Additional reporting by Georgina Prodhan, Mohammed Abbas, Brenda Goh, Karolina Tagaris, Paul Sandle, Michael Holden and Timothy Heritage; Writing by Alastair Macdonald)
Raw Story is a progressive news site that focuses on stories often ignored in the mainstream media. While giving coverage to the big stories of the day, we also bring our readers' attention to policy, politics, legal and human rights stories that get ignored in an infotainment culture driven solely by pageviews.
Founded in 2004, Raw Story reaches 5 million unique readers per month and serves more than 19 million pageviews. | <urn:uuid:3c28dde8-a749-424b-b0f8-627dc13678a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/07/13/british-parliament-to-vote-against-murdoch-deal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970964 | 1,810 | 1.546875 | 2 |
June 23, 2011
Posted by Milton Carrero at 06:00:00 AM on June 23, 2011
Encouraging your children to wash their teeth might not only help to prevent cavities and bad breath, it could also reduce their likelihood of suffering a stroke or a heart-attack later in life.
A recent study by a team of local dentists and cardiologists revealed that those who did not receive proper oral care as youngsters had three times the risk of developing coronary disease as adults, according Lehigh Valley Health Network cardiologist, Martin Matsumura.
Matsumura, along with Allentown dentist, Dr. Timothy C. Burke, surveyed inner-city patients about their brushing habits and lifestyle behaviors. Those who did not have good oral care as children not only had a higher risk of developing periodontitis, they also showed signs of coronary disease.
Matsumura says that the study, which will be published by Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry this summer, should provide ammunition for those programs looking to secure funds to bring oral care to underprivileged children.
Oral care, he says, should no longer be seen as cosmetic option, but rather as a crucial component of people's general health.
I really enjoy reading your blog as the postings are so simple to read and follow. Outstanding. Please keep it up. Thanks.’
Posted By: Thomas And Sabo
| Jun 23, 2011 11:50:15 PM
I had read somewhere that studies are currently examining whether there is a link between poor oral health and heart disease
Posted By: Family Dentistry
| Nov 2, 2011 7:46:08 AM
Leave A Comment
NOTE: Please express your opinions in a civil and respectful manner. Insensitive, inflammatory and derogatory comments will be removed at our discretion. | <urn:uuid:7fb37d0f-fd2f-4b0c-8608-76adbcf928c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.mcall.com/health/2011/06/the-consequences-of-poor-oral-hygene-as-serious-as-a-heart-attack.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970084 | 376 | 2.015625 | 2 |
FRONTIER is a project of Bologna municipality which aims to be an important opportunity to show and underline how much the art of Writing and of Street Art have been so prominent and pioneering for the development of the contemporary international art scene, Bologna will be an historical centre of production and observation.
In 1984 the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna was held an exhibition titled “Arte di frontiera” -frontier art- hosting New York Graffiti with the partipation of a lot of artists form the Old School of New York, including Kenny Scharf, Keith Haring, Crash, John Ahearn, A One, Toxic, Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Arte di frontiera could be considered as the starting point of the project FRONTIER, an historical and critical link. A backwards trip, a possibility to remember that period as the perfect example and to create a new cultural frontier helpful in recalling the stylistic steps of the founders and so arriving to what our times are producing.
FRONTIER has the ambition to produce a moment of observation, research and analysis on a group of international artists representing the evolution of styles. An opportunity that creates the possibility to intervene directly on the urban landscape. | <urn:uuid:cc2b6ed9-f3fe-4139-8976-def804af959b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.travelemiliaromagna.com/frontierbo-street-art-in-bologna/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900009 | 257 | 1.65625 | 2 |
'They want to call us what?' . ..
John Mitchell, a running back on the 1948 football team from Ohio, and teammate Leonard Cisco, a defensive end from New Jersey, were relaxing in the campus canteen one fall afternoon when Charles C. Jacobs, the college's public relations director, "walked up ... in a high state of anxiety saying the newspapers wanted to call (the team) the Fishermen."
The two student-athletes and Jacobs immediately began throwing out names, none of which they could agree upon. Here is how Mitchell recalls that encounter:
"I remember the football scoreboard had two emblems on it, one to represent the opposing team and one to represent the home team. On the left was a drawing of a Roman soldier's helmet (galea) and on the right side was a bird, of some sort."
"What kind of bird was that on the scoreboard?," Mitchell remembered one of them asking.
Cisco said it was a hawk.
"Professor Jacobs, who also served as the college s public relations officer, and I stared at the ceiling. There were some moans, 'ahhs and 'umms."
"Professor Jacobs walked out of the place. The following week, the papers reported the Maryland State Hawks had beaten (the) mighty Grambling (Tigers)!"
The nickname stuck.
"The original version of the Hawk was facing right to left, but somewhere in time, it was changed to face the opposite direction," Mitchell said.
Beginning in the 1960s, "The Hawk" yearbook staff apparently felt free to experiment with displaying the flying direction of the mascot on the cover; some years it was facing right-to-left, just as Mitchell remembers, while other years it faced in the opposite direction -- the standard logo in 2011.
Red-tailed hawks occasionally can be seen soaring above the campus. Few of UMES' peer institutions can make that claim about their mammal mascots.
--- as told by JOHN MITCHELL
How the "Hawk" became "Harry" . . .
Former athletics director Hallie Gregory decided the UMES mascot needed a three-dimensional persona, so one day he ordered a grey and white Hawk suit. The university's athletic teams had been known as the Hawks since the late 1940s, but it wasn't until the 1990s that the bird came to life. Thus was born Harry the Hawk.
The original grey and white Hawk is on loan and lives just down Route 13 as the mascot for Holly Grove Christian School, where Dr. Gregory works in semi-retirement as athletics director. Someday, the original Harry is expected to return to a retirement nest at UMES known as the university archives.
Approximately 10 years ago, UMES purchased a maroon costume that now assumes the role of Harry. In 2007, current Director of Athletics Keith Davidson decided to go "big" and approved the purchase of a nine-foot inflatable walk-about suit.
"Big Harry," as he is affectionately known, is the pride of the campus. Along with the maroon Hawk, (referring to either as 'Harry' is correct) "Big Harry" delights crowds at public events across the Eastern Shore and Mid-Atlantic region.
Harry is a fixture at most UMES athletic contests and campus functions, and also maintains an Internet presence on popular social networking sites.
As a campus ambassador, he makes appearances for non-profit groups and at Arthur Perdue Stadium in Salisbury to celebrate the birthday of his close feathered friend, Sherman the Shorebird. Harry also maintains a friendly rival relationship with Sammy the Seagull, Salisbury University's mascot.
"Big Harry's" coming out party was Oct. 14, 2007 at Hawk Hysteria, the annual pep rally signaling the start of college basketball season. Many others in the local mascot menagerie, including Sammy and Sherman, show up for his birthday celebration.
Promoting UMES and Hawk Pride is "Job 1" for Harry wherever he goes.
-- STAN BRADLEY | <urn:uuid:c2fd183e-ba0d-44ab-834e-270d55ff87b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://umes.edu/125/Content.aspx?id=35846 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969665 | 840 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Carol Malone never knew her father. She was born in 1942, and her father, U.S. Army Sgt. Victor J. Hubany, was killed in 1944, before he'd been home from war to meet his little girl. She used to watch hours of World War II footage, looking for a glimpse of him.
"I don't even know if he ever saw pictures of me," said Malone, now 70.
But eight years ago, she made her first-ever trip to visit his gravesite -- in Belgium, his final resting place after battles throughout Europe, including the liberation of Paris.
He's just one American fighter whose remains lie in foreign fields, a soldier whose sacrifice is forever commemorated in one of the 24 permanent American burial grounds outside the United States.
"It brought me some peace in my soul. Up until then, I only heard 'You were young then. Your father never came home,'" Malone said. "But I don't think I understood until now, at my age now, that he was someone who fought and died.
"When I stood next to his grave, that was the closest I ever was to him, and it was just great."
About 125,000 U.S. war dead are buried in these overseas resting places. The cemeteries are maintained by the Arlington, Virginia-based American Battle Monuments Commission, which also maintains memorials in New York's Battery Park, San Francisco's Presidio and its newest memorial, the Vietnam Pavilions at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, set to be dedicated on Veterans Day.
The battle monuments commission was created by Congress in 1923. Foreign cemeteries for American military members existed earlier, but most conflicts before then were fought at home or incurred fewer casualties.
World War I changed everything.
"Given the number of those killed on all sides, the U.S. did not know what do to. How can you bring this many over? But they also had to figure out a way to commemorate why these men died, their sacrifice," said Tim Nosal, the commission's director of public affairs.
"The idea was, if we establish cemeteries, the soldiers and sailors become the monument."
Among the first cemeteries was Meuse-Argonne in France, containing more than 14,000 American military dead, the largest number interred in a single place in Europe.
Today, the overseas cemeteries are visited by family members and history buffs. Many are located near major tourist centers around Europe, although "they weren't necessarily located because something was popular or beautiful but because something happened with specific meaning," Nosal said.
Families of deceased World War I soldiers were given choices regarding their loved ones' remains. Among them were burial in these overseas cemeteries with perpetual care; return to the United States to a national cemetery or to a family grave site; or sending the remains anywhere in the world, with the family responsible for funeral costs. About 20% of families chose overseas cemeteries.
"They took so many casualties, we decided it was hallowed ground," Nosal said, referring to Meuse-Argonne, adding, "when you leave the cemetery you are literally walking in trenches of the war."
The military repeated the program for World War II, leading to the creation of the battle monument commission's best-known cemetery, Normandy, which appeared in the closing scene of the movie "Saving Private Ryan." Legislation in 1947 put World War II cemeteries in the commission's care, as well.
"The Normandy campaign is so important for the world and for the United States and its history. This is why it so resonates with people," Nosal said. "If you think about it, this was the first time the U.S. was leading an Allied force, so it propelled the U.S. into a superpower. This is the beginning of the end for World War II. Hitler would be gone within 11 months."
France has 11 American cemeteries, the most of any other country. Belgium has three, the United Kingdom and Italy, two, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, one.
A few exist outside Europe and some have passed into the battle monument commission's stewardship, such as the oldest, Mexico City National Cemetery. It dates from 1847 and is the burial site of nearly 750 unidentified American soldiers killed in the Mexican-American War, and later from the U.S. Civil War and Spanish-American War. Another cemetery in Panama dates from 1914 with remains of soldiers and others from Panama Canal construction and conflicts.
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines is the largest of the overseas cemeteries, with more than 17,000 Americans, marking World War II's Pacific Theatre. Another in Tunisia holds remains from World War II's North Africa battles. Even earlier battles the U.S. fought in North Africa along with those in Mexico are reflected in a line from the Marines' Hymn: "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli."
By the Korean War, Nosal said, there was "a conscious decision to return all the remains back home," with technological advances speeding the process. A new overseas memorial -- not a cemetery -- will open next year in Busan, South Korea, in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery and Peace Park.
Various travel companies bring Americans to these cemeteries and other war sites.
Vietnam veteran Butch Sincock, president of Pennsylvania's MilSpec Tours, believes showing them to a new generation is important. Even if veterans themselves aren't able to go, those close to them can; some of his European tours have included family members of George C. Marshall, an architect of the post-war plan to rebuild Europe.
"World War II vets are literally dying out, unfortunately," Sincock said, "but some of their adult children are taking interest."
Carol Malone's son, Bruce, is superintendent of the commission's Rhône Cemetery in France. Himself a military veteran, he said "it is an emotional event to visit, but we also show the families the level of care we take for these beautiful memorials. That helps sometimes, that their families, these soldiers are being taken care of very well. It also helps to put into context what happened where they died, and what they were fighting for." | <urn:uuid:219c9033-af12-4cc9-92a7-527ebcc25af7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news8000.com/lifestyle/travel/Overseas-burial-grounds-honor-US-military/-/472/17355980/-/aveyk2/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979238 | 1,328 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Sir Thomas Browne
Browne, Sir Thomas, 1605–82, English author and physician, b. London, educated at Oxford and abroad, knighted (1671) by Charles II. His Religio Medici, in which Browne attempted to reconcile science and religion, was written about 1635. After circulating in manuscript, it was first published in a pirated edition (1642); an authorized edition followed (1643). Inspired by the discovery of funeral urns near Norwich, he wrote Hydriotaphia: Urn Burial (1658), a solemn reflection on death and immortality, in which he expressed a belief in the futility of things here on earth. Published with Urn Burial was the more optimistic The Garden of Cyrus, a work devoted to the mystic symbolism of the number five. Browne's philosophy is now primarily of historical interest. It is the quality of his faith and, particularly, his mode of expression that make him one of the outstanding figures in the history of English literature. His other notable works are Pseudodoxia Epidemica (1646), commonly known as Vulgar Errors, and Christian Morals (1716).
See edition of his works (ed. by G. Keynes, 6 vol., 1928–31); biographies by J. S. Finch (1950) and J. F. Post (1987); studies by J. Bennett (1962), L. Nathanson (1967), and C. A. Patrides, ed. (1982).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
More on Sir Thomas Browne from Fact Monster:
See more Encyclopedia articles on: English Literature, 1500 to 1799: Biographies | <urn:uuid:58ab640e-6569-43c2-9fab-ad8a57e4b3ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/people/browne-sir-thomas.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932837 | 357 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Verin Mathwin is character from the Wheel of Time series of books by Robert Jordan. She is an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah. She has some graying in her hair - a sign of not inconsiderable age for an Aes Sedai. Like all Brown Ajah, she devotes herself to knowledge and the pursuit of it; as a result, she has a tendency to ramble when talking about a particular subject or become lost in thought.
Verin's scatterbrain tendencies hide a calculating mind that is more aware of events in the world than she lets on. Speculation of whether she is Black Ajah is rife in fandom.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details | <urn:uuid:d5de8711-d557-469c-8665-47b3658b774f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Verin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923364 | 171 | 2.015625 | 2 |
It’s amazing how much religion works its way into funeral services, especially into rites performed in churches that have ties that bind them to the language and the symbols of the early church. It’s really hard to edit the Godtalk out of these events.
Scribes in the mainstream press have been known, however, to give it their best shot.
This is especially true when covering the funerals of political figures or of the people close to them. It was amazing, a few months ago, to compare the content of the news stories about the funeral of R. Sargent Shriver with the actual texts of the eulogies and the sermon from that event. The event was rooted in faith and family and the coverage was, well, centered on his political life and legacy.
Never forget, dear readers, that politics is real. Religion is, well, about personal feelings and stuff like that.
I thought of that again when reading the stunningly faith-free Los Angeles Times report about the California funeral of former First Lady Betty Ford. If you wish, try to count the number of sentences focusing on the political leaders who attended (and who sat where and who spoke to whom) in contrast with sentences about the actual content of the service and what it had to do with Ford’s life and deeds.
The story — for obvious reasons — included quite a bit of material about the first lady’s trailblazing work in the field of treatment for those with addictions, best symbolized by the creation of the world-famous Betty Ford Clinic. Once again, however, this is a subject that is assumed to have little or no spiritual content at all. At the very end of the piece, there is this brief hint of any transcendent element in this issue.
A Ford Center worker, Gwendolyn Walton of Banning, was another of the evening visitors. Walton said she has been in recovery for five years and felt the pull to come because Ford had played a significant role in her life.
“I thank God for the services that she’s done, and I learned a lot about reaching back and helping someone else like she did,” said Walton, 48. “I probably wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t done what she’s done, not just for women but for everyone in recovery.”
Well, that’s nice. But what about the service itself? What did the people who knew Ford best have to say about this part of her life and her passion for helping others facing the same — yes — hell.
Over at USA Today, the main story about the funeral was just about as faith-free as those in other publications. But then there was the online feed that offered chunks of the actual texts and remarks from the event. All of a sudden, people are talking about addictions and recovery in a completely different and very non-political language.
Thus, let me offer a few paragraphs from the remarks of Betty Ford Center board member Geoffrey Mason, care of Gwen Flanders of USA Today. This is rather long, which is kind of my point:
“I remember what you told us the first week we were here. … I remember you said it didn’t have to be that way anymore. … And you said something that I’ve never forgotten. You said that you had discovered that you were allergic to alcohol. That rang the bell for me. That, Betty, made it understandable. I could grasp allergic. We began to understand that if you could do it, with all the pressures on you every day … maybe, just maybe, if we worked at it like you told us to, maybe we could also get some relief from the darkness that we had become almost comfortable with. From the abyss that we had fallen into. From, yes, hell.
“As the years have changed, and as the world has changed more than any of us would ever have believed, the wisdom and support that we take every day from the rooms has guided us in the right way. And you were the one who introduced us to this, Betty. You were the one who helped us understand we can walk with God, we can walk together, each and every day, and our lives will be better. What a gift to us, to several generations of those like us who need help and who just need to learn how to generate a little pride and self-respect. What a gift. What a profound legacy.’ ”
She always said, “Don’t thank me , thank yourself.”
“OK, then, thank you. Thank you, God, for bringing us this extraordinary lady, this brave and inspirational pioneer, into our lives, all of our lives, even those who haven’t experienced the gift of treatment and recovery. All of us are supremely better for having known you, for having been inspired by you and for having shared love with you. May God now grant you the peace and reward that you helped so many of us learn about and experience. Yes, God’s grace upon you, dear Betty.
I would argue that this funeral, more than a political event, was actually a symbolic road mark in the story of the old mainline Protestantism in America. Whatever you thought of Ford and some of her cultural pronouncements, it’s clear her faith was more than a passing fancy. She battled with demons and had to come to terms with that those demons were saying about her life and the meaning of her life.
One of the places where she fought those battles was in church and in the context of a marriage that was universally admired by partisans on left and right. Isn’t the religious side of the addictions issue worthy of a spot of coverage? I honestly think that American readers would be more interested in reading about that subject than, oh, the fine political details of this kind of worship service. | <urn:uuid:c8ce385c-62a8-4ca6-aa8d-b8dbe0f2d914> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.patheos.com/blogs/getreligion/2011/07/betty-ford-and-the-road-out-of-hell/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979227 | 1,229 | 1.6875 | 2 |
One of the big problems OpenGL runs into after you've got your first few polygons flying around the screen is the lack of a standard method for generating text within the API.
Pre-generated string textures
Polygon glyphs created from outline font definitions
WGL and GLUT extensions
A bitmapped font is simply an atlas texture containing a collection of glyphs and symbols.
The characters can then be mapped individually onto polygons to create dynamic strings of text.
Adding width information to the glyphs allows the textured quads to be overlapped to create better looking text with variable character widths.
There are many bitmap font generators around, but I wanted a few features that the others didn't provide. So I wrote my own.
Codehead's Bitmap Font Generator (CBFG) is now at version 1.43 and supports the following features:
DownloadsCBFG Packages Windows Installer Package
Files only zip
BFF Loading Code C/C++ - included in zip/installer.
Android by Codehead
O'Caml by Einar (local mirror)
The FutureCBFG is still evolving, there are a few features I'd like to add and there are some bugs to be ironed out.
Problems, ideas, bugs?
Drop me an email on the link below. | <urn:uuid:5853f15f-abd6-4ba3-9c89-3522af0c3966> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.codehead.co.uk/cbfg/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908578 | 277 | 1.976563 | 2 |
06-02-2012 12:38 PM
My name is Paul, I am from Romania.
I need some ideas on how to make a project.
I need to control a fake antenna (I am saying fake because it won't be attached to anything, just for display purposes) using LabView.
The antenna will be very small (about 15cm in diameter and made from light materials) so I won't need powerfull motors. I was thinking about hooking up 2 stepper motors (maybe from a printer) to some sort of controll board and to a PC with LabView. The antenna needs to move 360 degrees on a round base and 180 degrees of elevation.
I found a video on youtube that is a lot more complicated and a lot heavier than what I need, but should give you a better perspective of what I am talking about.
I need the cheapest way possible (because I am on my own budget).
Thank you !
Solved! Go to Solution.
06-04-2012 09:26 AM
Interesting project. I'm glad you're choosing to use LabVIEW. Do you have the NI Motion driver installed yet? A great website for getting started with motion can be found here. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Also, I'm a little confused about what you mean by 180 degrees of elevation. Perhaps you could include a sketch.
06-04-2012 09:51 AM - edited 06-04-2012 09:53 AM
Thank you for your answer.
I decided to go with the Arduino package for LabView.
I got the Arduino Uno v3, two EasyDriver Stepper Motor Driver and two Stepper Motors (1.8 deg step angle).
I'm trying to get the antenna to track a satellite. I have to enter the azimuth and elevation of the satellite into LabView, and the antenna, from the 0 position (I will use the magnetic north as 0) will have to move accordingly to face the satellite.
So the base will have to be capable of a 360 degrees turn (for azimuth) and the elevation a 90 (my mistake, not 180) degree angle (for elevation).
I found an example built in the Arduino package for Labview on stepper motor, but how can I adjust that to what I need ?
How can I convert 360 deg and 90 deg to steps for the motors?
06-05-2012 03:51 PM
I drew a quick sketch hoping you will understand better what I'm trying to do. I only connected one stepper motor for a test run. I opened the "Arduino Stepper Motor.vi" in LabView and tested on stepper motor 1. It didn't move (but maybe I didn't set it up correctly in labview). The setup was made exactly as the picture I attached.
The stepper motor 1 (which controls elevation) has to move the antenna 90 degrees. So I'm guesing I have to divide the 90 degrees to 1.8 degrees (the motors deg/step) to find out how many steps I need in total. And the same for stepper motor 2 (360 / 1.8).
So I need a .vi that automaticaly transforms the degrees which you set the elevation and azimuth to steps for the stepper motors. And when I press "Start" the two motors move to the desired position. I also need a "Reset" button to automaticaly come back to the original position (which will be 0 degrees azimuth and 0 degrees elevation - let's say the magnetic north) each time I run the program.
06-06-2012 10:39 AM
And one more thing: is there an explanation document for the "Arduino Stepper Motor.vi" ?
There are a few things I don't know how to set up, like the "Stepper Configure.vi" - seems like anything I change doesn't really do anything and the same thing with the "Init.vi" , "Stepper write.vi", "Stepper ToGo.vi" or "Stepper Close.vi".
06-06-2012 05:01 PM
It appears that the Arduino Discussion forum may be your best route for getting assistance with your application specific to Arduino VI's. I wanted to make sure you knew about it.
I will do my best to resolve your issue here, but I don't claim to have much Arduino experience. I am still unsure of where you got the VI's. Was this what you downloaded? https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-15971 | <urn:uuid:634eb08b-66cc-4eed-aa8f-9a587e837bef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.ni.com/t5/Motion-Control-and-Motor-Drives/stepper-motors-to-move-antenna/m-p/2014748 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938175 | 962 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Organic Red Wine Marietta GA
Red Wine: Extra Credit?
Q Does red wine count as one of my five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables?
A Ah—if only healthy eating were so intoxicatingly easy. One reason we’re always told to eat our five-to-nine-a-day is so we can be sure to get a wide variety of the nutrients found in plants. And it’s true that red wine contains some good ones, such as resveratrol, which has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
But it’s not really fair to count wine as a fruit, says Mary Flynn, a registered dietitian and nutrition researcher at Brown University. Most of its calories come from alcohol, while fruits and vegetables give you lots more nutritional bang for the buck, packing in carbohydrates and fiber.
So don’t hesitate to enjoy that glass of merlot—but not as a replacement for grapes, apples, mangoes, apricots, or other real fruit. (If we’re lucky, maybe someday chocolate will be reclassified as a vegetable.)
Breast Exam Dilemma
Q Are breast self-exams useful or not? I keep hearing conflicting advice.
A While regular breast self-exams (BSEs) have long been considered a crucial way to detect breast cancers, they haven’t gotten very good marks when scrutinized by researchers. Last year, in the wake of studies showing that women who did BSEs every month were no less likely to die from breast cancer than women who didn’t, the American Cancer Society changed its position: It now considers self-exams an optional, rather than necessary, element of early detection. (Breast exams by a doctor every three years beginning at age 20 and regular mammograms starting at 40 are still advised.) Many alternative practitioners recommend thermography, too.
That doesn’t mean you should leave all the responsibility for checking your breasts to your doctor. Most experts still counsel women to make a regular effort to monitor their breasts themselves, says Mairi Breen Rothman, a certified nurse-midwife in Washington, D.C. If you feel comfortable doing BSEs, by all means continue. Otherwise, get familiar with the way your breasts feel at different times of the month. If you notice anything unusual, tell your health care provider right away.
A Healthier Fireplace
Q What’s better to burn in the fireplace, processed logs or real wood?
A Surprisingly, this is one case where the heavily processed, prepackaged choice is the healthier option. “Just bringing natural firewood into the house introduces mold, dirt, and other debris into the air,” says Steve Klossner, an indoor air quality consultant with the American Lung Association. Once you start burning that wood, it releases thousands of airborne particles, which can be highly irritating to the lungs.
Manufactured logs, made primarily from compressed sawdust, burn cleaner. The cleanest-burning of all are those made without added wax (Pres-to Logs and Goodwood, for instance). The wax in the more common Duraflame type is petroleum based; in a poorly ventilated room, it could trigger headaches o...
Copyright 1999-2009 Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living/Alternative Medicine/InnoVisi...
- 6x16.9 OZ
- Pack of six, 8-ounce (total of 48-ounce)
- This Dressing has A hint Of lemon and the unique addition of green tea
- Trans fat free
- Cholesterol free
Traditional, fresh-flavored olive oil vinaigrette with the tanginess of red wine vinegar. Light, yet full-flavored, this dressing has a hint of lemon and the unique addition of green tea.
- Annie's Naturals | <urn:uuid:ec271737-7f04-4213-92f2-a5199d207b50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://local.naturalsolutionsmag.com/Housecalls_Why_Red_Wine_Isnt_Perfect_Breast_Exam_Advice_Healthy_Fires_Marietta_GA-r1315462-Marietta_GA.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91562 | 809 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Gunshot Detection and Biometrics Merge to Form Real-Time Shooter I.D.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Amidst the recent revelations regarding the use of facial recognition software by police in San Diego as well as its use by department stores via mannequins equipped with cameras and microphones, it appears that yet another facial recognition technology is being rolled out. This new introduction of yet another method by which to develop and utilize a massive database of American biometrics, like all the other programs, represents the further shredding of privacy rights as well as the fourth amendment.
The new program being referred to is the product of the partnership between two military industrial complex firms – Safety Dynamics and Airborne Biometrics Group (ABI). Both of these firms are thinly veiled creatures of the stampeding DARPA-style surveillance state and shadow government infrastructure now firmly in place the world over.
Essentially, the new programs being prepared for implementation all over the country are designed to detect gun shots from a remote location via acoustic sensors. When the gunshots are detected and located through a quick process of triangulation, a high-resolution camera is then used to photograph the shooter’s face, which is then processed through a biometric database to determine the person’s identity. If the shooter is not yet enrolled in the police state database, the new technology can actually create a new record using the photograph. | <urn:uuid:ffab57d3-5012-486d-91ae-84acdc1d4e3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://revolutionradio.org/?p=40898 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944337 | 287 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Posted on January 1, 2010 - by admin
The average church is wide open to dangerous legal liabilities.
Is Your Church at Risk?
By Robert Hidde
Almost every pastor has been tempted to write this kind of letter at some point in his ministry. The letter, written by Jerrold Swinton, a United Methodist district superintendent, urged the Shell Rock Church to “acknowledge they allowed the spirit of Satan to work in their midst, express some contrition, and seek help.”
A small group of members led by Jane Klienbenstein refused to accept a new minister and began a campaign of rumors against the pastor. The district superintendent’s letter was sent to the church’s mailing list (which included members and non-members who had requested to receive mail from the church).
In the letter, the superintendent wrote, “When will you stop the blaming, negative and unhappy persons among you from tearing down the spirit of Jesus Christ?” He added, “You know whether a person has the spirit of Jesus or Satan by their fruits.” He announced a congregational meeting to deal with the problems and the people causing them.
The Klienbensteins sued Swinton and the conference for defamation. The county district court ruled in favor of the church. The Klienbensteins appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court and prevailed. The Iowa Conference has appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
While this case may not be typical of the liabilities that concern a church, there are myriad sources of liability for congregations. These range from the traditional risks from accidents on church property, fire, vandalism and theft to allegations of sexual abuse by volunteers and the clergy. It should be obvious to us that churches need to rethink their way of doing things, as well as reevaluate the type of insurance coverage they have.
If we were to ask most people what the four most important documents in the church were, we would get several different answers. The Bible would probably rank first, with the Treatise, hymnals and Sunday School literature competing for the next three positions. While the Bible should always be the most important document in the local church, the second, third and fourth most important documents in the church are its articles of incorporation and bylaws, written policies and procedures, and insurance policies.
Articles of Incorporation
An unincorporated church may be legally recognized as a religious organization, but in most instances this recognition does not create the legal entity necessary to protect those who make up its membership and are responsible for decision making. Regardless of its size, every church should be incorporated in order to protect its officers and members from liability.
When a church, business or ministry incorporates, it becomes a separate entity that, among other things, can own property, incur debt, transact business, execute contracts, and sue and be sued. This separate entity is governed by its members and those to whom it grants specific authority through its bylaws.
This legal standing can help protect the assets of individual officers and members in the event it defaults on financial obligations or in the wake of lawsuits resulting from accidents or allegations of misconduct. The limits to which individuals are protected depends to a large extent on the wording of the church’s bylaws.
The church’s bylaws establish the way the church is governed. They clearly define the distribution of authority for decision-making, how finances are handled, and the method for the selection of officers and staff. The bylaws should also identify the limits of personal liability incurred by employees, unpaid staff and officers, volunteers and board members, as well as provide clear procedures for dealing with disputes within the church (simply stating that “all disputes will be handled according to scripture” or citing a passage is not sufficient).
Unfortunately, the bylaws of most churches are the product of simpler times and usually fail to address important issues that can help protect the pastor, staff, unpaid workers and congregation from liability. Church bylaws should be carefully reviewed and thoughtfully revised with the assistance of an attorney.
Written Policy Manual
The next document in importance for a church is a written policy manual outlining guidelines for staff and officers (paid and unpaid). This manual should include rules for working with children and youth, procedures for responding to complaints about staff, officers and volunteers, and limitations on church-sponsored events. Every staff member and officer should have a copy of the manual and be required to attend group orientation sessions to ensure their understanding of the policies.
This manual does two things for the church. First, it lays out a systematic plan for handling all personnel (paid and unpaid) matters, and second, if properly written and followed, it can provide a means of defending against negligence and negligent staffing claims.
Areas that should be covered in the manual include a requirement that anyone handling church finances or working with children and youth undergo a thorough reference and background screening. In the case of individuals working with children and youth, it is imperative to check the registered sex offender listings in addition to the standard background check.
State laws regarding background checks and the waivers required before performing them vary widely; it is recommended that the church obtain the services of a firm that specializes in performing these checks. One individual in the church should be assigned the task of handling all paid and unpaid personnel issues and screening, and receive training on the legal requirements for obtaining, safeguarding and using the information.
To further protect the church against liability from child abuse allegations, the guidelines for working with children should discuss issues such as limits on the workers’ authority to discipline children, a rule that two adults (preferably not related) be present at all children’s activities, as well as establishing an adult to child ratio for classes and activities.
The policy should also discourage the practice of a non-custodial adult being alone with a child for any reason. Other topics should include a requirement for written waivers from parents or guardians for trips and activities, as well as a list of activities not covered by the church’s general liability insurance policy.
This brings us to another set of documents that are important to the church, its general liability and property damage insurance policies. The church’s designated representatives (usually the Trustees or General Board) should meet with the church’s insurance agent annually to review their coverage.
In addition to ensuring that coverage is adequate to cover losses by fire or vandalism, this review should address other areas including hired and non-owned vehicle coverage, accidental medical coverage for volunteers, special events coverage (including coverage for events taking place off church property), errors and omissions, and coverage for theft and embezzlement.
The Apostle Paul reminded us that we are in the world but not of the world. The unfortunate fact is that being in the world means the church in a post-modern world faces many legal concerns unheard of 50 years ago. For that reason, every church should protect itself before the need arises by investing in a legal review of its bylaws, obtaining legal assistance in formalizing procedures and policies relating to staff and volunteers, and minimizing risks through increasing and improving its insurance coverage.
About the Writer: Reverend Robert Hidde, a Free Will Baptist pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, serves as senior partner at Hidde and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in human resources issues. Adapted from Contact Magazine, March 2004. | <urn:uuid:e4a26640-1bb9-4fbb-b08a-1e73ae8eafa3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fwbpastor.com/?p=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96141 | 1,514 | 1.945313 | 2 |
50 examples of U.S. government waste
Ending or fixing this stuff (via Heritage Foundation) is not going to fill a $1.4 trillion budget gap, but they would be nice confidence builders:
1. The federal government made at least $72 billion in improper payments in 2008.
2. Washington spends $92 billion on corporate welfare (excluding TARP) versus $71 billion on homeland security.
3. Washington spends $25 billion annually maintaining unused or vacant federal properties.
4. Government auditors spent the past five years examining all federal programs and found that 22 percent of them–costing taxpayers a total of $123 billion annually–fail to show any positive impact on the populations they serve.
5. The Congressional Budget Office published a “Budget Options” series identifying more than $100 billion in potential spending cuts.
6. Examples from multiple Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports of wasteful duplication include 342 economic development programs; 130 programs serving the disabled; 130 programs serving at-risk youth; 90 early childhood development programs; 75 programs funding international education, cultural, and training exchange activities; and 72 safe water programs.
7. Washington will spend $2.6 million training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job.
8. A GAO audit classified nearly half of all purchases on government credit cards as improper, fraudulent, or embezzled. Examples of taxpayer-funded purchases include gambling, mortgage payments, liquor, lingerie, iPods, Xboxes, jewelry, Internet dating services, and Hawaiian vacations. In one extraordinary example, the Postal Service spent $13,500 on one dinner at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, including “over 200 appetizers and over $3,000 of alcohol, including more than 40 bottles of wine costing more than $50 each and brand-name liquor such as Courvoisier, Belvedere and Johnny Walker Gold.” The 81 guests consumed an average of $167 worth of food and drink apiece.
9. Federal agencies are delinquent on nearly 20 percent of employee travel charge cards, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
10. The Securities and Exchange Commission spent $3.9 million rearranging desks and offices at its Washington, D.C., headquarters.
11. The Pentagon recently spent $998,798 shipping two 19-cent washers from South Carolina to Texas and $293,451 sending an 89-cent washer from South Carolina to Florida.
12. Over half of all farm subsidies go to commercial farms, which report average household incomes of $200,000.
13. Health care fraud is estimated to cost taxpayers more than $60 billion annually.
14. A GAO audit found that 95 Pentagon weapons systems suffered from a combined $295 billion in cost overruns.
15. The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually in flight upgrades.
16. Washington will spend $126 million in 2009 to enhance the Kennedy family legacy in Massachusetts. Additionally, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) diverted $20 million from the 2010 defense budget to subsidize a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute.
17. Federal investigators have launched more than 20 criminal fraud investigations related to the TARP financial bailout.
18. Despite trillion-dollar deficits, last year’s 10,160 earmarks included $200,000 for a tattoo removal program in Mission Hills, California; $190,000 for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming; and $75,000 for the Totally Teen Zone in Albany, Georgia.
19. The federal government owns more than 50,000 vacant homes.
20. The Federal Communications Commission spent $350,000 to sponsor NASCAR driver David Gilliland.
21. Members of Congress have spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars supplying their offices with popcorn machines, plasma televisions, DVD equipment, ionic air fresheners, camcorders, and signature machines–plus $24,730 leasing a Lexus, $1,434 on a digital camera, and $84,000 on personalized calendars.
22. More than $13 billion in Iraq aid has been classified as wasted or stolen. Another $7.8 billion cannot be accounted for.
23. Fraud related to Hurricane Katrina spending is estimated to top $2 billion. In addition, debit cards provided to hurricane victims were used to pay for Caribbean vacations, NFL tickets, Dom Perignon champagne, “Girls Gone Wild” videos, and at least one sex change operation.
24. Auditors discovered that 900,000 of the 2.5 million recipients of emergency Katrina assistance provided false names, addresses, or Social Security numbers or submitted multiple applications.
25. Congress recently gave Alaska Airlines $500,000 to paint a Chinook salmon on a Boeing 737.
26. The Transportation Department will subsidize up to $2,000 per flight for direct flights between Washington, D.C., and the small hometown of Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY)–but only on Monday mornings and Friday evenings, when lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists usually fly. Rogers is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which writes the Transportation Department’s budget.
27. Washington has spent $3 billion re-sanding beaches–even as this new sand washes back into the ocean.
28. A Department of Agriculture report concedes that much of the $2.5 billion in “stimulus” funding for broadband Internet will be wasted.
29. The Defense Department wasted $100 million on unused flight tickets and never bothered to collect refunds even though the tickets were refundable.
30. Washington spends $60,000 per hour shooting Air Force One photo-ops in front of national landmarks.
31. Over one recent 18-month period, Air Force and Navy personnel used government-funded credit cards to charge at least $102,400 on admission to entertainment events, $48,250 on gambling, $69,300 on cruises, and $73,950 on exotic dance clubs and prostitutes.
32. Members of Congress are set to pay themselves $90 million to increase their franked mailings for the 2010 election year.
33. Congress has ignored efficiency recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services that would save $9 billion annually.
34. Taxpayers are funding paintings of high-ranking government officials at a cost of up to $50,000 apiece.
35. The state of Washington sent $1 food stamp checks to 250,000 households in order to raise state caseload figures and trigger $43 million in additional federal funds.
36. Suburban families are receiving large farm subsidies for the grass in their backyards–subsidies that many of these families never requested and do not want.
37. Congress appropriated $20 million for “commemoration of success” celebrations related to Iraq and Afghanistan.
38. Homeland Security employee purchases include 63-inch plasma TVs, iPods, and $230 for a beer brewing kit.
39. Two drafting errors in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act resulted in a $2 billion taxpayer cost.
40. North Ridgeville, Ohio, received $800,000 in “stimulus” funds for a project that its mayor described as “a long way from the top priority.”
41. The National Institutes of Health spends $1.3 million per month to rent a lab that it cannot use.
42. Congress recently spent $2.4 billion on 10 new jets that the Pentagon insists it does not need and will not use.
43. Lawmakers diverted $13 million from Hurricane Katrina relief spending to build a museum celebrating the Army Corps of Engineers–the agency partially responsible for the failed levees that flooded New Orleans.
44. Medicare officials recently mailed $50 million in erroneous refunds to 230,000 Medicare recipients.
45. Audits showed $34 billion worth of Department of Homeland Security contracts contained significant waste, fraud, and abuse.
46. Washington recently spent $1.8 million to help build a private golf course in Atlanta, Georgia.
47. The Advanced Technology Program spends $150 million annually subsidizing private businesses; 40 percent of this funding goes to Fortune 500 companies.
48. Congressional investigators were able to receive $55,000 in federal student loan funding for a fictional college they created to test the Department of Education.
49. The Conservation Reserve program pays farmers $2 billion annually not to farm their land.
50. The Commerce Department has lost 1,137 computers since 2001, many containing Americans’ personal data. | <urn:uuid:92ea62b8-0464-4611-baa7-f98df3b7a395> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/james-pethokoukis/2009/10/08/50-examples-of-us-government-waste/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924684 | 1,769 | 2 | 2 |
F. A. Hayek Quotes
Liberty not only means that the individual has both the opportunity and the burden of choice; it also means that he must bear the consequences of his actions and will receive praise or blame for them.
The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.
Find something you like? Get a new inspiring quote every day!
Get the free Daily Quote by email:
You should follow me on twitter here. | <urn:uuid:40e33bd6-5226-4af5-9548-bcbf1c839a62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.quotationcollection.com/author/F.-A.-Hayek/quotes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965036 | 104 | 1.8125 | 2 |
August 2, 2008
Well, at least they’re popping up in print form. And if you can’t travel the world to see them in person, maybe this is the next best thing. And make it even more fun by referencing the Tallest Buildings website we mentioned in an earlier post!
Anton Radevsky is responsible for the engineering of the pop-ups themselves. He also designed pop-ups for the The History of Architecture Pop-Up book (currently out of print). David Sokol is the writer, contributing interesting facts and history about each of these innovative buildings which, in many ways, shaped the direction of architecture and technology after they were built.
This book isn’t easy to find quite yet. You can purchase right from Rizzoli, the publisher, or you can pre-order from Amazon. | <urn:uuid:b24b7c05-d3e7-4773-8e4e-5b0f618cd5a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gamil.com/2008/08/02/modern-architecture-popping-up-everywhere/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963883 | 174 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Debate about Saturday mail will heat up
Published: Friday, February 8, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 2:08 p.m.
The unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service is familiar to most people: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." That quote, uttered by Herodotus way back in 503 B.C., can be found inscribed on the General Post Office facility on 33rd Street and 8th Avenue in New York City. It may soon have to be amended to "except on weekends."
Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe announced plans Wednesday to drop most Saturday mail delivery. It would happen relatively quickly, too: the week of Aug. 5, making Aug. 10 the first Saturday without a mailbox full of letters and magazines delivered to street addresses. Post offices that open on Saturday would continue to do so, and customers with post office boxes would still receive Saturday delivery. Package delivery would also continue on Saturday.
The reason all comes down to money. The Postal Service lost $15.9 billion in the past budget year, and the future looks bleak as well. Many people have shifted their correspondence to email, online websites (such as for paying bills) and private services. Another issue for the Postal Service is having to fund future retiree health benefits, a $11.1 billion hit in a two-year installment last year.
Reaction has been negative from many lawmakers and, as expected, the letter carriers' union. But response from regular customers has been more mixed. Many are taking advantage of these alternative options, and some even see a bright side of a day without junk mail and bills. After all, Monday already ranks as most people's least favorite day, so if a few more bills show up, so what?
Change is always difficult, and Americans expect Saturday delivery. But in the technologically advanced world in which we live today, is it really still necessary? Some correspondence that arrives on Saturdays can't be taken care of until Monday anyway. If eliminating most delivery on Saturday will help the Postal Service move into the black, that may be a worthwhile trade-off.
Much political wrangling will ensue in the next few months. The Postal Service is independent of government and doesn't receive tax money to operate. Yet Congress still has oversight over much of its operations, so even though Donahoe believes he can carry out the reduction, that remains to be seen. If enough lawmakers fight it, they could force the Postal Service to reconsider. But those legislators need to step back from the emotion and objectively analyze what's best for both their constituents and the Postal Service. Perhaps now is the time for Saturday delivery to go the way of the Pony Express.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:80f6dde5-29d9-4e43-bec8-a66ccf0bda3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20130208/OPINION01/302089996/1018/section/entertainment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965698 | 605 | 1.59375 | 2 |
- Possibly from the practice of examining the length of horses’ teeth when estimating their ages: an old horse has long, rectangular incisors, and their occlusion angle is steep. Compare don't look a gift horse in the mouth. (Wiktionary)
“When the blood was on the moon shortly after Okra's fourteenth birthday-there was no party, because she was getting entirely too long in the tooth for marriage, as if her faults weren't already bad enough-the third big uply event in Okra's life occurred.”
“Buzz walked to a U-Drive and rented an old Ford sedan, thinking it looked pretty long in the tooth for a getaway car.”
These user-created lists contain the word ‘long in the tooth’.
Phrases that use body parts metaphorically.
neck of the woods, bone of contention, mouth of a river, teeth of the storm, heart of the matter, foot of the bed, eye of the storm, dogleg hole, finger lakes, headwaters, foothills, knik arm and 212 more...
Just trying to make things more manageable for the moment
Looking for tweets for long in the tooth. | <urn:uuid:1d5cb58d-86e5-45e7-ba0f-ed995e7f6596> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/long%20in%20the%20tooth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935121 | 255 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Recognizing the growing demand and importance of biotechnology industry, Government of Malaysia has recently formulated a policy by name “Biotechnology Policy ” under which it envisages to encourage the industry on a large scale by setting up a biotechnology park in Malaysia and provide incentives such as Income tax exemption, Import duty exemption and sales tax exemption etc. The promoters of this company who had earlier set up a company- "SAAMYA BIOTECH (INDIA) LTD" in Hyderabad, India (the fermentation plant being established in the S. P.Biotech Park, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India) had decided to establish another Biotech unit in the Pharmaceutical Industrial Park, Seri Iskandar, Ipoh, Perak, at a location of the envisaged site in Malaysia. In view of incentives and Govt. support the company will apply to MIDA for incentives and exemptions under the high technology companies.
The Company proposes to manufacture Biopharmaceuticals in the plant proposed to be located at Pharmaceutical Industrial Park, Seri Iskandar, Ipoh, Perak State, Malaysia. The Company is supported by renowned Scientists and Technocrats in the field of biotechnology.
The cost of the project is estimated at USD 29.201 million. The project is financed by equity share capital of USD 9.330 million which includes Core-Promoters' contribution /Govt. participation and Private Placements / Public issue, and term loan of USD 19.871 million planned to obtain from Financial institutions. | <urn:uuid:663569e4-f607-4902-b069-b840d5d08613> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://saamyabiotech.com/Saamya-Malaysia/project/project.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936194 | 315 | 1.632813 | 2 |
To move awkwardly in such a way that things are likely to get broken, or to behave in a way that offends people
The current use of the phrase would appear to trace back to Frederick Marryat's Jacob Faithful (1834):
"Whatever it is that smashes, Mrs. T. always swears it was the most valuable thing in the room. I'm like a bull in a china shop."
However, variations on the expression are found much earlier, such as Aesop who spoke of an "ass in a potter's shop". Variations on a the same theme can also be found in a number of other modern languages.
U.S. ebook sales up in 2012, but rate of growth is slowing(May 16 2013) In 2012, trade book sales (i.e. non academic book sales) rose 6.9%, to $15.049 billion, and e-book sales continued to grow, although the rate of growth... | <urn:uuid:bd489d47-c1cb-4aae-8ce4-8f37341e725e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bookbrowse.com/expressions/detail/index.cfm/expression_number/335/a-bull-in-a-china-shop | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96662 | 202 | 2.171875 | 2 |
At church this morning, while we were holding our little square of bread waiting for the cue to eat together, I overheard a young girl around eight or nine years old. She was looking at her piece of bread and said, "So good! So yummy!"
This got me thinking. While preparing to serve, our pastor says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" Did that child know how her words related to those of our pastor? We know the Lord is "so good." But is He also "so yummy"?
Think about your favorite comfort food. The food that makes you feel all good inside. Full of great memories or just so satisfying to the taste buds. Got that? Now multiply it times the biggest number you can imagine.
Can you even start to understand how yummy that would be?
Me neither, but that's how Jesus is. So good! So yummy!
Picture credit: Communion clip art found here. | <urn:uuid:5793560f-fe3e-4615-b380-f70a8438de30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rfamhere.blogspot.com/2012/05/so-good-so-yummy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974396 | 199 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Contact: RCC Media Specialist
The Commerce Department's Census Bureau will use special enumeration procedures called "Service-Based Enumeration" (SBE) to count people without conventional housing in ____________________ (city) during Census 2000. The operation will take place March 27-29.
"We will make every effort to count every person regardless of where they reside," said ___________________ (regional director) of the ______________ (area) Regional Census Center. "People live in traditional and non-traditional dwellings. Service-based enumeration is a technique that will help us fulfill our goal and commitment to all residents so everyone is included in the decennial census."
The operation will take place at emergency shelters; transitional shelters; shelters for children who are runaways, neglected or without housing, hotels and motels that operate under contract to provide shelter to people without housing, soup kitchens; regularly scheduled mobile food vans; and targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations.
During SBE, enumerators first will meet with facility staff, including the designated contact person who will review the enumeration procedures.
On March 27, 2000, at both emergency and transitional shelters, enumerators will record the names of residents, including children, and ask each to fill out an Individual Census Report.
The next day, March 28, teams of enumerators will interview persons at soup kitchens and at regularly scheduled mobile food van stops. Census workers will fill out an Individual Census Questionnaire for each person, including children.
Each targeted, non-sheltered outdoor location, will be visited by a team of enumerators on March 29, between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. An Individual Census Report will be completed for each individual at these locations.
Note: Reporters may not accompany enumerators or film the enumeration since these actions would violate the provisions of confidentiality mandated by Title 13, U.S.C. The Census Bureau has prepared B-Roll simulating the enumeration for use by broadcast media. Contact the Census Bureau at the telephone number shown above. | <urn:uuid:d1811377-fa19-4d90-8637-a8bad3348159> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/census_2000/cb00-cn06.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930787 | 423 | 2.734375 | 3 |
From the author of A Suitable Boy, this masterful fusion of memoir, biography and history creates an extraordinary tapestry of India, the Third Reich and the Second World War, Auschwitz and the Holocaust, Israel and Palestine, post-war Germany and 1970s Britain. Vikram Seth's Two Lives is both a chronicle of a violent century seen through the eyes of two survivors and an intimate portrait of their friendship, marriage and complex love. A childless couple living in England—Henny, a German-Jew who fled Hitler’s Germany, and Shanti from the Raj’s India—take in their grand nephew Vikram Seth.
This interview was conducted while Seth was in New York for a Meet the Author program at the Asia Society on November 16, 2005.
In an interview to The Guardian recently you have said that each of your books has “come about because it could not not have been written.” You say that your writing has announced itself to you with an urgency you could not resist. Could you elaborate on this? Is this impulse what compelled you to begin a career in writing?
Yes. Yes, to the last question. I never decided to become a writer, as people sometimes put it. I just had to write certain books, or certain poems, and then after a number of these had been written, I realized that I was a writer. In other words, it wasn’t the lifestyle that attracted me. It was specific impulses to write specific books. My first full-length book, for instance, the travel book, From Heaven Lake, came about because of a particular journey, and then, I suppose, I got rather tired of telling people about the story so I wrote a few pages by way of notes. It is interesting in fact that my father suggested I make a book out of it. Now, at that stage, it wasn’t a book that could not not have been written. At the time I just thought: a parent has asked me to do it, I will just begin writing something about it. And that is true also of this book, Two Lives. My mother suggested that I interview my great-uncle because I was at a loose end. So, so much for the two non-fiction books. They began almost as tasks to be performed, and at some stage during that, they gripped me, and I came to realize that this was not just something that I was going to do for some family archival purposes, or just to avoid having to repeat myself. I became gripped by the telling of the story.
In this particular case, in the case of Two Lives, I was taken by the narrative after the discovery of a set of letters that my great-aunt had written that gave the story a kind of depth, a perspective, an intimacy, and a kind of psychological and moral connection, in terms of decision-making in times of great stress, apart from its human interest, which was considerable. But as far as my three novels are concerned, in each case, there was an impulse. In one case because I had read a novel in verse, which inspired me to write my own, and that was The Golden Gate. In one case because I heard a snippet of conversation: “You too will marry a boy I choose,” which germinated the book, A Suitable Boy. And in the case of An Equal Music, despite its subject matter, its inspiration was very non-musical: just watching someone stare at the water of the Serpentine very intently and wondering what on earth his thoughts were.
You have written, as you have just indicated, in several different genres: fiction, poetry, translation, travel, libretto. Is there any genre in particular in which you feel more at home?
Poetry. Always poetry. I have written lyric poetry throughout my career. The books appear sporadically, but that is only because composing poems to form a book takes a number of years. I should say too that there are some genres which I have written in but have not succeeded in. I’ve written a play, for instance, but it’s really awful, so I haven’t published it, and short stories of a sort as well, which weren’t awful, but they were pretty mediocre. I would like to write a good play and a good short story. I think I’m capable of it, but so far there’s no proof of it. I was persuaded by some friends to look at these things again on the basis that I might have been too critical, or too exacting, but no, I hadn’t been too exacting. They were what they were and they weren’t much good. But I think, in answer to the question that you posed, poetry is something that I’ve always considered myself primarily, or at heart, to be at home in. And I sometimes look at my work and wonder how on earth I strayed into prose. I think the reason is that after I wrote The Golden Gate, which either you could see as a long poem, or you could see as a verse novel, I discovered that I had the taste, and the stamina, for writing novels, and I subsequently wrote two more.
You were commissioned to write a libretto by the English National Opera (published as Arion and the Dolphin) and have also written on the lives of two musicians in Europe, An Equal Music, about which one reviewer wrote, “One of the most interesting aspects of this novel is the way in which it manages to convey music through language.” Could you explain how you became interested in European classical music and what its relation is, if any, to your writing in general, and to language in particular?
Good heavens! That is quite an elaborate question. My first serious training was in the North Indian classical tradition of singing khayal. In fact, my teacher, Pandit Amarnathji, was a shaagird of Ustad Amir Khan Sahib so that’s the sort of general line of descent. Though I wouldn’t really consider myself in any sense a proper musician. I just studied in the tradition for a couple of years.
I came to Western music somewhat late, in that when I was at university in England, I was taken along to hear the Bach Flute Sonatas and stuff like that and realized how much I liked it as well. I began singing Schubert Lieder when I was writing A Suitable Boy because I couldn’t strum the tanpura and start singing Indian classical music, it would just draw me back into the book, where there were a number of Indian singers, and in fact, also sarangi players and such like. So I thought that that’s what I would do. A friend of mine in Delhi, who was an Austrian diplomat, got me involved with Schubert. So one thing led to another. I think that the reason why I wrote An Equal Music about Western music was because I happened to be walking with a friend of mine, at the time when I saw, in my mind’s eye, this man staring at the water. My friend happened to be a musician, and when I said to him, “Look, I know this person has something to do with my next book, but I don’t know why. He’s so deep in thought. I know nothing of his profession, I don’t even know his nationality, except that he sort of looks white and could be Canadian for all I know, or a Scotsman or something.” But my friend said, “I don’t know what his nationality is, but I’ll tell you what his profession is. He’s a musician.” So that’s part of how it began. But I had my doubts about writing about music, because how does one write about music? Which is why I decided it should be in the first person, so that the obsessions of the man could somehow take me through music. Otherwise it would just seem like program notes.
As far as Arion and the Dolphin is concerned, I normally don’t work to commission at all. It seems to me to be almost the opposite of inspiration. But in this particular case I was working with a composer, Alec Roth, whose music I really loved. He had set some of my poems, which I had already written, to music, and so I thought that I wouldn’t be wasting my words, so to speak. It would be set well, and I would be intrigued by it. And they left the subject entirely up to me.
In your most recent book, Two Lives, you cover a range of historical events and themes: the British Raj, the Quit India movement, the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the current situation in Israel/Palestine, among others. Given the questions and reflections you raise in the context of these events, do you think that your work has become more overtly political with this book? And if so, was that your intention?
I think that the work has expanded in several ways, not necessarily just politically, because there were two completely different textures involved in the book: the interviews with my uncle, and the letters that my aunt sent, together with the responses that came. So those added two quite different textures to the general narration, or memoir, or biography that I was trying to write. So already there were at least two textures involved.
In addition to that it seemed to me that I would have to occasionally explain a bit of background to the historical events, and then I became intrigued by the history of it and the circumstances of it. In fact, there are other aspects of the book as well. A portrait of the marriage, for instance, the reasons why I wrote the book, and how I came to write the book, and in what order. So there are different aspects of the book, one of which is in fact, you could say, politics, and history, really. For instance I even return to the Battle of Monte Cassino, when Shanti Uncle has already left, and I asked myself what the purpose of this battle was and so on. It was an interesting process trying to make a book with so many disparate elements into an organic unity. So much for the fact that politics is one of the strands among the other, non-biographical strands, if you could call them that.
The second point to be made is that politics has always to some extent entered all my books. The Golden Gate had, for instance, the priest’s speech about the anti-nuclear movement. A Suitable Boy has matters of land reform and politics, and all sorts of related themes. And even An Equal Music has as a backdrop the decline of northern towns as a result of years of neglect, Thatcherite neglect. But the point is that one can’t just willy-nilly fling one’s own political concerns into a book unless they’re the concerns of the character, or unless they’re brought out as a result of the character’s lives. The lives of Shanti Uncle and Aunty Henny pretty much covered the whole century and were buffeted by all kinds of effects. At one stage I was thinking of writing, in fact I had already written in my first draft about Iraq, but I eventually cut it out since it was too far afield. So there it is. | <urn:uuid:e98ea4fc-3785-4472-9b45-914cb4761470> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asiasociety.org/arts/literature/vikram-seth-two-lives-and-one-century | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987249 | 2,389 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business
February 4, 2013
- Eric Schmidt, Jared Cohen
- Knopf (4/23/2013)
In an unparalleled collaboration, two leading global thinkers in technology and foreign affairs give us their widely anticipated, transformational vision of the future: a world where everyone is connected—a world full of challenges and benefits that are ours to meet and to harness.
Eric Schmidt is one of Silicon Valley’s great leaders, having taken Google from a small startup to one of the world’s most influential companies. Jared Cohen is the director of Google Ideas and a former adviser to secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. With their combined knowledge and experiences, the authors are uniquely positioned to take on some of the toughest questions about our future: Who will be more powerful in the future, the citizen or the state? Will technology make terrorism easier or harder to carry out? What is the relationship between privacy and security, and how much will we have to give up to be part of the new digital age?
In this groundbreaking book, Schmidt and Cohen combine observation and insight to outline the promise and peril awaiting us in the coming decades. At once pragmatic and inspirational, this is a forward-thinking account of where our world is headed and what this means for people, states and businesses.
With the confidence and clarity of visionaries, Schmidt and Cohen illustrate just how much we have to look forward to—and beware of—as the greatest information and technology revolution in human history continues to evolve. On individual, community and state levels, across every geographical and socioeconomic spectrum, they reveal the dramatic developments—good and bad—that will transform both our everyday lives and our understanding of self and society, as technology advances and our virtual identities become more and more fundamentally real.
As Schmidt and Cohen’s nuanced vision of the near future unfolds, an urban professional takes his driverless car to work, attends meetings via hologram and dispenses housekeeping robots by voice; a Congolese fisherwoman uses her smart phone to monitor market demand and coordinate sales (saving on costly refrigeration and preventing overfishing); the potential arises for “virtual statehood” and “Internet asylum” to liberate political dissidents and oppressed minorities, but also for tech-savvy autocracies (and perhaps democracies) to exploit their citizens’ mobile devices for ever more ubiquitous surveillance. Along the way, we meet a cadre of international figures—including Julian Assange—who explain their own visions of our technology-saturated future.
Inspiring, provocative and absorbing, The New Digital Age is a brilliant analysis of how our hyper-connected world will soon look, from two of our most prescient and informed public thinkers.
Kindle version also available at this link | <urn:uuid:b0674665-02ec-4711-8c76-565ff4f87ea4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-new-digital-age-reshaping-the-future-of-people-nations-and-business/comment-page-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924692 | 581 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Hackers used loopholes in the security at Amazon and Apple to obtain personal information about a Wired writer, who says his entire digital life was "destroyed." Experts say to ward off hackers, pick good passwords and get rid of unused accounts.
Hackers used loopholes in the security at Amazon and Apple to obtain personal information about a Wired writer, who says his entire digital life was "destroyed." Experts say to ward off hackers, pick good passwords and get rid of unused accounts. iStockphoto.com
Hacking. We often think of it happening to companies or governments. But it also happens to ordinary people. Mat Honan is a technology writer for Wired magazine whose computer and Internet accounts were hacked.
"I lost a year and a half of pictures of my daughter, pictures of her with her great-grandparents who are now deceased. You know, wonderful precious memories that I'm hoping to get back," Honan told NPR's Morning Edition. The hackers used loopholes in the security at Amazon and Apple to obtain personal information about Honan. Both companies say they are addressing security problems.
Some of what happened to Honan was avoidable. What's scary about his situation is that almost all of us are vulnerable. But we can take steps to stop it.
Step 1: Tough passwords
You need to have a separate password for each account, so that if one account gets hacked, all of your vital information is not vulnerable. The problem is that it's tough to remember dozens of passwords. The answer: a password manager. There are a variety of third-party software programs that will create and store passwords for you.
"It's just ridiculous that people are still creating their own passwords," says Lance Ulanoff, chief editor at Mashable.com. This is the first and simplest thing you can do. Ulanoff says it also takes away the anxiety that comes along with password management.
Step 2: Two-Part Authentication
When you log on to many different computers — especially shared computers — to access your email account, you are especially vulnerable to hackers.
Many websites are moving toward two-step verification. Google is one. Essentially, it means that you need more than a password to log into a new account. If you use the service, you have to remember a password but also remember a special key that gets sent to you as a text.
Step 3: Change Your Behavior
"I hate to say it, but the reality is they need to share a little bit less," says Ulanoff.
Ulanoff says we probably don't want to go back to the pre-social media days, but oversharing may not be just embarrassing, it may cause harm. Things like birth dates and graduation years can be used to access your information. That doesn't mean you need to shut down your online presence, but be careful what details you put out there.
Step 4: Consolidation
Remember Friendster? Or MySpace? Whitson Gordon, senior editor of Lifehacker.com, says that back in the early days of the Internet, it would have been hard to imagine "10, 20 years down the road when we would have so many services we're grappling with."
So sit down and think about the last 10 years of your online life. And then delete the accounts for the services you signed up for and no longer use.
Step 5: Back It Up
"If there's one thing I have to hammer home with everybody, it's back up your data," Gordon says. You can either use an external hard drive or an online service. As more of the things we care about get stored electronically, the more vulnerable they are to get lost. If your smartphone gets stolen with wedding photos on it, there won't be as much heartbreak.
Doing all of this takes time, energy and money. But being hacked can be the gateway to identity theft or worse.
Both Gordon and Ulanoff say it's worth the effort for the security.
For other tips on protecting yourself online, you can visit a special FBI website. | <urn:uuid:3add8383-8640-4328-9c92-8b875c3ba3fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/08/10/158505688/simple-ways-to-avoid-being-hacked?ft=1&f=1019 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963695 | 836 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Native American Art and Artists
Native Arts Collective was created to bring the work of the many talented native american and first nations artists to a wider audience, as well as to be an educational resource. Our goal is to help artists to make a living creating art, by exposing their work to more people and educating those visitors about the amazing depth of native culture, history and artistic traditions.
Recent blog post
Culture: Paiute Primary Medium(s): Painting Melissa Melero was born in San Francisco, CA in 1974 and spent most of her childhood living near Reno, Nevada. She is a Northern Paiute enrolled with the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe located in Fallon, Nevada....8 weeks ago
User reviewsPersonal attacks are NOT allowed
Please read our comment policy | <urn:uuid:6e968232-1d89-43d5-af0a-9eda87ca80b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://technorati.com/blogs/nativeartscollective.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968524 | 157 | 1.890625 | 2 |
America celebrated its 25-year anniversary this summer. The robotics
giant produces more than 200 robot models for multiple applications. This American subsidiary of Fanuc
Ltd. is headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and manages nine regional offices. Rick Schneider holds the position of president and CEO.
The Japanese parent company, Fanuc
Ltd., began in the 1950's as a manufacturer of NC equipment. With its headquarters located at the base on Mr. Fuji, the company was known as Fujitsu Ltd. until 1972 when it created a separate branch, Fujitsu Fanuc
is an acronym for Fuji Automatic Numerical Control. In the 1970's the company expanded to include robotics
Today, there are more than 172,000 Fanuc robots
installed throughout the world, 80,000 of these in the Americas. One hundred and thirteen Fanuc locations exist worldwide, with subsidiary offices in America and Europe.
Much of Fanuc's success is attributed to the leadership of Dr. Seiuemon Inaba. He became president of Fanuc in 1975. Earning the nickname, "the Emperor of Robots," Inaba pushed robotics
. He made it his goal to build robots that could assemble other robots. In the 1980's, Inaba created a showcase plant that demonstrated the efficiency and savings that robots provide. Fanuc Robotics
America exists in part because of Inaba. He established connections with GM and GE - creating joint companies in America during the 1980's.
Today, Inaba remains a strong influence for Fanuc. All Fanuc robots
are painted the bright yellow Inaba introduced during the early years. His explanation for the choice - "In the Orient, yellow is the emperor's color." | <urn:uuid:6de9d776-2b11-43ed-8120-ee01a1e660cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.robots.com/blog/viewing/manufacturer-spotlight-fanuc-robotics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949855 | 347 | 1.992188 | 2 |
WAVING black-and-red flags emblazoned with the word “fury”, a sea of nearly 100,000 supporters of the opposition flooded the grounds outside the office of Taiwan’s president on January 13th. They formed the largest protest against the president, Ma Ying-jeou, since he was elected to a second term, a year ago. The crowds demanded that Mr Ma step down over the ailing condition of their island’s economy. The rally, which was organised by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had another, newer theme too: media freedom. Protesters were demanding that regulators block the acquisition of the young democracy’s most popular newspaper, the Apple Daily, by a consortium that is widely perceived as being cosy with the government of mainland China. The DPP’s leader, Su Tseng-chang, accused Mr Ma of doing nothing while pro-Beijing corporations snap up Taiwanese media outlets. “The media freedom that I have witnessed Taiwanese people fight for with bravery and even their own lives is being destroyed,” Mr Su told the cheering crowd.
Taiwan has seen many feisty demonstrations of late. Mr Ma, first elected in 2008, has eased over six decades of hostilities with the mainland, which regards Taiwan as a renegade bit of its own sovereign territory, by signing nearly 20 trade and investment pacts across the strait. Mr Ma says this saves Taiwan from economic marginalisation. China, for its part, believes this bolsters its long-term goal of political unification. As Taiwanese companies, including media owners, see their fortunes increasingly tied to the mainland, critics of Mr Ma’s policies say that China will use its clout to muzzle criticism in the press and to Sinicise Taiwan’s separate culture, either by applying direct pressure to the media owners or by indirectly persuading journalists to self-censor. Political scientists say the resulting situation would be is similar to what has happened in Hong Kong since its handover to the mainland in 1997.
Worries converge on Tsai Eng-meng, a Beijing-friendly media baron, whose snack business in China has made him one of Taiwan’s richest men. After he added the influential China Times to his stable of newspapers, magazines and television stations in 2008, critics say the paper started to echo views from the mainland and grew reluctant to raise sensitive issues, such as unrest in Tibetan areas. The alarm increased when Tsai Eng-meng told the Washington Post that the number of people who were killed when China crushed the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 had been greatly exaggerated.
Then in November a flamboyant pro-democracy publisher in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai, sold off his Taiwan print-media businesses, including the critical Apple Daily, to a consortium that includes Mr Tsai’s son. Fresh protests erupted, stoked by the fear of a strengthening, pro-Beijing monopoly on the media. The China Times and Apple Daily newspapers combined would have a market share of nearly 50%, if regulators approve the deal.
Mr Ma denies the claim that Taiwan’s press freedom is at risk. George Tsai, an editorial writer at the China Times and a friend to Tsai Eng-meng (but no relation), says his paper’s owner is not a stooge of the government in Beijing: granted, he supports reunification, but only rarely does he meet with Chinese officials. And he will criticise them too, if need be.
University students are at the forefront of the protests. In one incident around 200 of them eschewed New Year’s Eve celebrations in favour of a rainy all-night sit-in near the presidential office. They were greeted at dawn by a phalanx of riot police standing behind shields.
Their movement will undoubtedly give the DPP new momentum, but the party still needs to find a way to negotiate with the economic powerhouse across the Taiwan Strait, which reviles all talk of independence, if it is to win the presidential election in 2016. In other respects the climate is favourable: Mr Ma faces a record-low level of public satisfaction, measured at 13%. The KMT might need to absorb the protesters’ ideas to some extent if it is to remain in power.
KMT lawmakers seem to be taking notice. At first they supported the DPP-sponsored draft legislation to prevent the growth of media monopolies. On January 11th however they voted them down in parliament, on the advice of Mr Ma’s media regulators, who said the plans were not well considered. Mr Ma says Taiwan still needs such legislation. His government will send fresh draft bills to parliament March. Even if they were enacted, it is not clear whether these laws would prevent the takeover already under way. The prospect of anyone’s winning ultimate control over the media is complicated by the fact that while China’s economic clout is ever rising, so too is the sense of a separate, distinctly Taiwanese identity. | <urn:uuid:c232f2f9-35c0-4691-a7b6-37dd3fbe3b64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/01/taiwan%e2%80%99s-press?zid=312&ah=da4ed4425e74339883d473adf5773841 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967455 | 1,034 | 1.960938 | 2 |
With only 250 words, they don't give you much room to be descriptive (your essay is at 254 words right now). You are going to need to make every word count.
You finish by saying that your mom has made you a strong-minded scholar, but there isn't anything in the body of the essay to indicate HOW she did that. Did she drill you with flash cards before spelling tests? Did she learn calculus so she could help you with your homework? Was she waiting at home with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk when you got home from school?
You have a few more traits in the second essay, but still not a lot of life. Has your mom done things that are above and beyond what a typical mother does? What kinds of roles did she take on that might be out of the range of a typical mom? Is she a single mother (and thus taking on some of the responsibilities of a father as well)? Try to use your words to show how much your mom loves you.
I agree with Liebe's suggestion to get right to the point (Liebe's suggestions and observations are always right on the mark--pay attention to what he has to say). Readers don't need to know that a lot of people influenced your life. We don't want to imagine your first-grade teacher, your Little League coach, the next-door neighbor that paid you to mow the lawn, the parish priest, Barney the purple dinosaur, or your first boss . . . we want to hear about you mom. Obviously you are close to her. State your admiration immediately and succinctly.
With an essay this short, you might want to state your person, give a reason/value/lesson, and then back it up with an example before providing a sentence that wraps things up. Let's see . . . your mom taught you to work hard, finish what you start, to think before you act, and to learn from problems.
My mother has taught me some of the same traits and some that are different. If I were to write an essay of this nature about my mom, it might look something like this:
The most influential person is my life is undoubtedly my mother. She takes the responsibility of raising a son seriously and works diligently to instill values. Education is a priority in our home. When I was young, my mother read to me for hours on end, quizzed me for my weekly spelling tests, and answered my myriad questions. As I grew older, she brought me to the library, provided a quiet place to study, and taught me how to use reference materials to find the answers to questions on my own. Alongside this academic foundation, my mom provided a moral grounding with life lessons designed to teach perseverance and responsibility. Although helping with household repairs felt like a chore, I realize now that I was learning to take care of my own home one day. My mom brought home a ceiling fan once and asked me to install it. The task seemed overwhelming, but my mom insisted that I read the directions, look up helpful hints on the Internet, and gather the needed tools. Within a few hours, we watched the ceiling fan spin around with pride showing on both of our faces. Time spent cooking at my mother's side and sorting out light-colored laundry not only taught me life skills, but enabled me to spend time with my mother and know her better outside of her role as a caretaker. She is an amazing woman and her influence has helped me to be a competent and confident young man.
That came in at exactly 250 words. Even though my mom is not super-human and has not had to overcome any great obstacles in my upbringing, the essay still gives some examples of HOW my mom has taught me and the time/care she has put into her role as mother. My mom has taught me other things (or tried to, *grin*), but I focused on the academics and household chores so that I could give examples.
The people on this thread are trying to push you to give a little more, share some examples, enliven your mom with your words. As it stands, it is a generic essay, but not because you are writing about your mother. It is a generic essay because it is in black and white instead of living color. | <urn:uuid:106d596f-aa44-4273-8bc1-4eb5184042be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.essayforum.com/undergraduate-essays-2/mom-help-most-influential-person-essay-6914/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979937 | 881 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Inheritance tax threat after trust crackdown
Families trying to avoid paying crippling death duties will be forced to tell the Government of their plans under tough new rules.
Last rites: Using trusts to avoid IHT may become more difficult.
Parents and grandparents trying to legally avoid inheritance tax by transferring property and other valuables into trust will from next April have to inform the taxman as soon as they have done it.
The move is part of a clampdown on tax avoidance unveiled by Treasury minister David Gauke yesterday.
It is the most aggressive of the measures and represents a change from detecting tax fraud after the event to forcing people who could be able to evade tax to register their intentions in advance so they can be monitored to prevent them breaking the law.
The new disclosure rules are widely seen as the first step towards outlawing trusts altogether.
The measures announced yesterday are designed to protect forecast revenues estimated at up to £5bn over the next four years, and are expected to raise over £2bn in additional revenue during the course of this Parliament.
A crackdown on tax avoidance was one of the key planks of the Liberal Democrats' election campaign and became part of the Coalition agreement struck between the LibDems and the Conservatives.
A raft of measures against dodging all varieties of taxes - including corporate, income, national insurance and VAT - was also revealed.
These include preventing groups of companies using intra-group loans to reduce tax bills.
Help with cutting your inheritance tax bill
Official figures suggest companies and individuals have been getting shrewder, as the cost of avoidance and evasion rose by £4bn to £42bn in 2008-09.
John Whiting, of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, welcomed the moves, saying they were aimed at 'trying to block the side-stepping of the rules' by people 'with considerable wealth'.
Neal Todd, senior partner at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, said the Government had promised a more stable tax system, but the new measures 'were a hash and will not help restore business confidence in the UK tax system'. | <urn:uuid:7c72e1a0-23d1-47c1-b42d-c631b51b1b05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-1709142/Inheritance-tax-threat-after-trust-crackdown.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974936 | 431 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The prevailing model of schooling is so deeply embedded in our collective psyche that it’s often difficult to imagine alternate models.
New Tech Network’s Lydia Dobyns and Tim Presiado with myself and Br Patrick Howlett at Parramatta Marist in March 2012
Last Friday, my colleagues and I visited New Tech Network’s president, Lydia Dobyns and senior director, Tim Presiado to look at ways to build a sustainable framework beyond their 100 schools in the US and to identify opportunities to extend their approach to interested schools within our own system.
New Tech Network is a non-profit organisation working with schools, school districts and communities to reframe schooling by creating innovative learning environments using a project based learning (PBL) approach. Students not only acquire subject matter knowledge, but the skills needed to thrive in today’s world such as critical thinking, collaboration, work ethic, content literacy and communication.
One of our own successful secondary schools, Parramatta Marist, has been involved with the New Tech Network for over three years and as a result has reshaped its curriculum offering, invested significantly in the ongoing professional learning of teachers and demonstrated sustained improvement in student learning. Lydia and Tim visited Australia in March this year to announce the inclusion of Parramatta Marist as the first school outside the United States to become part of the network and to share their approach with over 300 educators within our system.
It is important to understand that PBL is not a solution that can be simply taken and imposed on any school. It is a construct to support school communities committed to reflecting on and improving student learning and teacher practice in a contemporary world. Lydia describes the heart of New Tech’s work as building the capacity of teachers and students as part of an educational network through a focus on quality, sustainability and growth. It is through the network – the collaboration within and between schools – that the approach is strengthened and refined.
From our meeting, we identified several issues critical to reframing schooling, including resource implications, a blend of support incorporating coaching and teacher shadowing, the adoption of rigorous application criteria as a starting point for engagement, opportunities for the creation of a PBL professional learning community and an overall commitment to working together to build a sustainable framework.
It is great to see we can broker connections with partners across the globe who are so willing to share their expertise and experience as we meet the challenge to look beyond standardised, off-the-shelf solutions and engage in a process of discovery and learning to improve schooling.
This post originally appeared in Greg Whitby's blog on July 10th, 2012.
Thanks for visiting Newtech Network!
I'm sorry, we do not support the browser you are using on our website.
Please update your browser to a current browser. We support many browsers, including:
and other current browsers. If you are still having trouble after upgrading, contact us by emailing email@example.com | <urn:uuid:67c556dd-aeb8-4c04-943a-ac2943e3ce29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newtechnetwork.org/blog/building-connections-sustainable-framework | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959113 | 611 | 2.125 | 2 |
The Queen's concern
Telegram to Disraeli from Queen Victoria, 20 Dec. 1872
Dep. Hughenden 202/1, fol. 133
The Queen sent a total of six telegrams asking for news of Mary Anne's condition, and after her death asked one of her Ladies-in-Waiting to write to Disraeli requesting an account of his wife's last hours. The Queen had wished to visit Hughenden on her way to Osborne, but she had been advised that her own cold and the distance made it unwise. The fact that both Victoria and Disraeli had lost their spouses would be another factor in their working relationship in Disraeli's last government.
Return to Chapter 11
Return to Disraeli home page | <urn:uuid:c1d6ac6e-0d1b-458f-b39c-4a29d3598441> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/projects/disraeli/modpol001-aei.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970394 | 157 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Our goal is to teach new skills so your child feels successful and can excel when he/she returns to school.
BADP provides skill building in the areas of: peer relationships, problem-solving, self-esteem, academic performance, anger management, and behavioral compliance. In addition to a high staff-to-child ratio of 1:3, small peer groupings, and professionally-trained staff, there are several characteristics that make our program unique.
1. Evidence-based Social Skills Training
We employ several key ingredients of evidence-based psychosocial treatments to help children improve peer relationships and behavioral compliance. Our program is intensive (e.g., 40+ hours per week), behaviorally-oriented (e.g., daily report cards, group reward system, time-outs) and occurs across multiple settings (e.g., classroom, athletic activities, community). We also offer weekly parent training to teach parents how to improve behavior at home. These characteristics increase the chances that new social skills will be learned and generalized across settings.
2. Focus on Improving Life Skill Competencies
Children improve their self-esteem when they are successful, which is why we teach the skills they need to be better friends, athletes, and classmates. Children learn specific specific social skills via a brief explanation followed by examples, role plays, and experiential exercises so they can socialize appropriately with peers in structured (e.g., team sports) and unstructured settings. Children play recreational sports (soccer, baseball, kickball) which includes learning the game rules, practicing techniques and then playing against each other. In addition, we teach swimming, group problem-solving and how to transition appropriately to/from various activities.
3. Individualized Attention & Support
Not all children benefit from a group approach; many require specific interventions to address specific strengths and weaknesses. With a high staff-to-child ratio and clinically trained staff, we are able to create individualized plans that meet the needs of each child. This can take the shape of customized academic lessons or constantly revised target behaviors on the daily report card. We set the bar high enough for children to learn new skills and feel successful without compromising their self-esteem.
4. Academic Classroom Learning & Tutoring
Children receive daily 2 hours (Mon-Thurs) of classroom academic lessons and tutoring to help protect them (especially those with learning disabilities) from “summer learning loss.” Special-education teachers tutor and teach in small groups to replicate the challenges of a typical school environment. Children receive individualized lesson plans in math and language arts based on information collected from teachers and parents.
Click here to learn about our schedule. | <urn:uuid:33212f3c-6be7-462c-9cb8-e4e7f99afb62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigappledayprogram.com/adhd-summer-day-camp-nyc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944097 | 553 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Call it your future eye phone.
Contact lenses that display information have long been a trope in science fiction. However, science is one step closer toward making that a reality. Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium have developed a way to convert contact lenses into LCD screens that can project information. The technology could rapidly change medicine and even cosmetics.
The LCD screen was built directly onto the contact lens. In order to do so, the researchers behind the technology needed to create a special type of material.
Previous contact lens displays were limited to just a few pixels that could be used to display an image. The technology developed by Herbert De Smet and his team utilizes the entire contact lens to project an image.
Some speculate that the technology could spell out the end of the smart phone or revolutionize the personal computer. Google, Microsoft, and Apple are all currently developing glasses that contain a built-in computer. The technology could conceivably mean that users could read text messages right on the lens. It could also pose the possibility of displaying driving directions or street signs.
The technology also has medical implications. The technology could be used to create adaptable sunglasses, which would cut down on sunlight-related eye problems. It also could control the transmission of light toward the eye's retina in the event of iris-related problems.
Finally, it could also revolutionize cosmetics. The lens could be used to turn the eye's iris any color that the user wanted, allowing users to change the color according to their moods.
The technology is quite a bit away from being ready for human eyes. Though the technology exists for placing the image on the lens, developers would still need to trick the brain into thinking that the image was farther away from the eye than it really was.
Humorously, the researchers have only managed to make the lens display one thing: dollar signs, in a joke about the way cartoon characters' eyes display dollar signs when they think of a money-making scheme.
Published by Medicaldaily.com | <urn:uuid:b0f25265-43f9-49dc-a104-0134d99b5818> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/13461/20121210/researchers-create-contact-lens-lcd-display.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95013 | 409 | 3.140625 | 3 |
A British woman whose son faces a court-martial for desertion from the Israeli Defence Force is set to cause controversy by claiming rules on olim serving in the military should be changed.
Emma Caplin made aliyah from Oakwood, London, in 2005 and settled in Kfar Saba, near Ra'anana, with her son Adam and daughter Nicol.
Adam, 18, was drafted into the Israeli Defence Force in February 2010 to do his compulsory military service.
After running away "once or twice" during his 10 weeks of basic training, Adam, who suffers from dyspraxia
(difficulty with motor skills) and depression, was given a job maintaining aircraft.
But the former King Solomon High School pupil deserted, running away for 45 days before giving himself up last week.
He is now awaiting
Ms Caplin said: "Adam's dyspraxia means he cannot set boundaries. He has been to 10 schools and couldn't settle and did not really finish school.
"I knew the kids would have to do military service, but I did not really think about it when we moved.
I didn't know how long we would be staying here." Ms Caplin said she was not allowed to visit her son for the first eight days of his detention. She expected him to be held for another fortnight before his court-martial.
Nicol, 20, returned to England six months after arriving in Israel and now cannot return to visit her family for fear of being arrested for avoiding her own military service.
Ms Caplin said: "I do not think the law is clear enough about it and it needs revising, but I understand Adam has to be punished.
"I feel like it is not Adam's fault. I brought him here and he wants to go back to England. Perhaps when his case comes to court he will be let off for medical reasons."
Ms Caplin said she plans to go back to England next January, but is worried Adam will not be free to join her.
Rafi Nassi, director of the Jewish Agency in the UK, said: "I'm not familiar with the details of the Caplins' case, but we give our olim all the necessary information about aliyah including about their rights, benefits
"Olim serve in the military for different periods depending on their personal situation and age. Sometimes people do have difficulties but every oleh gets additional support from the army."
Mr Nassi added that military service was "one of the best ways to integrate" into Israeli society. | <urn:uuid:6a344c4a-f9ff-47df-b1e9-d5f7e29038b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thejc.com/print/35751 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981873 | 527 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Many changes have not all hybrids in the new 2011 Toyota Prius made its 2010 version.This car still has a breakdown of solar energy and fuel consumption of cars is 50 mpg. These energy efficiency is in 2011 Toyota Prius hybrid as one of the most powerful vehicles. The appearance of the 2011 model of the Toyota Prius has remained almost the same. In its exterior styling, it still looks like a small car. The increase in the ceiling of the car, he allows, larger doors, larger than most cars of this type to have. This makes the perfect car for long distances.
The rear seats of the hybrid Toyota Prius 2011 are very comfortable, with plenty of legroom. Devices on the dashboard of the car are different from conventional cars. The all-new Toyota Prius hybrid is equipped with Toyota’s hybrid system. The car is built with a gasoline engine with four cylinders with a displacement of 1.8 liters. The nickel-metal hydride batteries with a pulse of 134 hp. This creates a balance between acceleration and fuel economy.
However, there are plug-in feature of the car. Toyota Prius is one of the most popular hybrid cars in the world. The car also has cruise control and intelligent functionality of parking, the driver can park the car in the parking lot crowded. The car also comes with other advanced features such as Bluetooth, audio, connectivity, backup camera and voice recognition. The height adjustable steering wheel has an air conditioning and audio.
Incoming search terms:
- toyota prius hybrid 2011 (1) | <urn:uuid:3ddc1761-561c-4883-b900-749cf350bc60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wkmotorcycleadventures.com/category/toyota-prius | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949658 | 320 | 1.828125 | 2 |
The Reaper and the future of military flight
A U.S. army soldier with prepares to launch a UAV -- or drone -- outside Combat Outpost Nolen in the village of Jellawar in The Arghandab Valley.
There's an ongoing debate over the ethics of fighting war in a detached, videogame-like manner. You have planes launching missiles on human targets on the ground in Afghanistan but the pilots of those planes are sitting at a console somewhere in Nevada. But that debate hasn't slowed a global push in UAVs. They're cheaper, fewer of your own personnel are put at risk. It's the future.
The U.S. has been using Predator drones for a while now. But Predator was built as a spy plane, then retrofitted to carry weapons. Predator is being phased out in favor of a plane called the Reaper.
We're joined by Gary Solis. He's an adjunct professor at Georgetown University School of Law and teaches the law of war. As for the difference between the Predator and the Reaper, he says the Reaper "is bigger, better, faster and has a greater payload. It weighs 5 tons, which is 4x what a Predator weighs. Predator can carry 2 hellfire missiles while a reaper can carry 14. A Predator can fly 140 MPH, Reaper can fly 275 MPH depending on payload."
At the same time, other countries are developing their own technology and their own drones. Gary talks about one surveillance vehicle out of Israel that essentially looks like a pencil with helicopter blades.
Also in this program, Rupert Murdoch plans to launch a newspaper for iPads. Because what everyone wants from the technology of an iPad is to have it be more like a printed newspaper. | <urn:uuid:20e78c2b-f321-4baf-a1fa-524d46bb02fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/reaper-and-future-military-flight | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957761 | 351 | 2.578125 | 3 |
In my mind I could see Harriet hidden in the darkness. The moon was just a sliver in the sky. In the distance I could hear the sounds of dogs and patrollers looking for her. That's how Ann Petry worked on writing books. She put herself in the mind of the character she was writing about.
Ann Lane (Petry) was born on October 12, 1908 in a small town in Connecticut called Old Saybrook. She was treated unfairly when she was young because she was black. Her mother told her stories about her ancestors to help her understand about prejudice. This inspired her to write.
Her whole family worked as pharmacists and in 1931 Ann graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in pharmacy. After working in the family business for three years, Ann wrote for the Amsterdam News. On February 22, 1938 Ann married George David Petry. They had a daughter named Elisabeth. She later became a news reported and editor for other publications. In 1941 she founded Negro Women Incorporated.
She was the first African American to write a best-selling novel. In 1946 she wrote her first book, The Street, about a tragic story on a block in Harlem. For her work she won the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellow Award in 1945. From 1944 until 1946 Ann studied creative writing at Columbia University in New York City. In 1947, she wrote The Country Place, a story about dishonesty in a group of white people in a small town in Connecticut. The Narrows was written in 1953. The Narrows is a story about Link Williams, an educated black man, who works in a bar in the black part of Monmouth, Connecticut. The book also tells of his love for a rich white woman.
Ann Petry also wrote several other historical biographies for children. Her most famous is Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Ann Petry died on April 28, 1997 in Old Saybrook, Ct.
image courtesy of the African American Literature Book Club
By John P. & Reynelson, fourth grade, 2004 | <urn:uuid:04089462-3538-4806-a0e6-3b1063c9cefe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pocanticohills.org/womenenc/petry.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985082 | 426 | 2.390625 | 2 |
The mission of the Reference Department is to anticipate and meet the information needs of the Alvin Sherman Library and all its users in a timely, accurate, and professional manner. We strive to effectively communicate the library's services, resources, and policies to users and provide assistance and information to all readers that are both accurate and comprehensive. We offer a full range of reference services to both NSU-affiliated users and the public.
The Reference Department is located on the second floor of the Alvin Sherman Library. The reference desk is staffed seven days a week except for all Nova Southeastern University designated holidays.
Reference librarians provide the following services:
The Ask a Librarian reference service is available in person, by phone, and via email or chat to all library users. Reference librarians also prepare electronic help pages as well as subject guides, database instruction sheets and maps to help library users better utilize the library's varied resources.
Librarians work with NSU faculty and public groups to provide instruction and orientation to the library and its services. Faculty from NSU as well as other institutions can consult with a reference librarian for assistance in developing class assignments and readings that best utilize the library's resources. Professors, teachers and/or media specialists are encouraged to advise Reference librarians in advance of homework assignments so that we can be better prepared to help students with research and library projects.
Librarians also work one on one with individuals to provide specialized library instruction and library orientation. See Library instruction.
Reference staff works with Collection Development and NSU faculty to select materials in a wide range of disciplines for the Alvin Sherman Library's collection. NSU faculty members are encouraged to consult with a subject specialist if they wish to have materials acquired in their area of interest.
Reference librarians work on special projects such as exhibits, academic
and public programming and workshops, and serve on a variety of committees
and boards for the library, the university, and the community.
Follow the links on the right to find out more, or feel free to contact us. | <urn:uuid:a6ca193c-8fcf-4407-b8fa-1afcfd0cd086> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nova.edu/library/serv/reference/reference.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942857 | 418 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A Groundbreaking Study -- And Its Housing Connection
May 17, 2011
Last week, scientists announced the findings of a groundbreaking study that shows that HIV-positive people drastically reduce the risk of passing the virus to a partner if they begin antiretrovirals while they are still healthy.
The findings of the trial, known as HPTN 052, make a convincing argument for treating people with antiretrovirals early in their diagnosis. Incidentally, the results of the study also make a powerful argument for guaranteed early access to another type of treatment -- housing.
Years of research show that people connected to a stable home are significantly more likely to be linked to care, and thus, to the medications that can halt transmission and protect public health.
We know that without a bed for rest, a refrigerator to store medicine, or a kitchen to prepare meals, it's incredibly difficult -- if not impossible -- to adhere to the burdensome prescription regimen that accompanies life with HIV/AIDS. For those without a home who also battle co-occurring disabilities like mental illness and substance use, sticking to a prescription schedule can be an insurmountable task.
Despite the undeniable link between housing and antiretroviral adherence, however, funding and support for housing-as-treatment continue to lag in this country. Housing is the greatest unmet need of Americans living with HIV/AIDS, according to the National AIDS Housing Coalition. Today, according to NAHC, there are 140,000 families with HIV that lack a stable home.
Which is why, for those who have spent years pushing housing as a data-proven, cost-efficient method for treatment and prevention, the results of the clinical trial represent a powerful advocacy tool.
"[The study] is another piece of the puzzle," said NAHC's Lauren Nussbaum. "Housing links to treatment and treatment links to prevention. So if we can get a person into housing and then into treatment faster, it's good not only for the individual, but for society as a whole."
The results of the trial show that participants with HIV were 96 percent less likely to transmit the virus to their partners if they were taking antiretrovirals immediately following HIV diagnosis. Run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the University of North Carolina, the study involved 1,763 couples in 13 cities on four continents.
Scientists have conducted previous studies that demonstrated that starting drug treatment immediately after diagnosis can prevent HIV tranmission. This is the first evidence, however, from a randomized clinical trial, considered the gold standard in medical research.
This article was provided by Housing Works. It is a part of the publication Housing Works AIDS Issues Update. Visit Housing Works' website to find out more about their activities, publications and services.
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before
adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.) | <urn:uuid:eaaa1263-9474-4787-b3f5-cf0ff7e37f8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thebody.com/content/art62020.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953031 | 622 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Elementary Education Program
Elementary Education majors develop skill and competency in educating children in grades one through eight. The student acquires an academic foundation in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies by completing at least twelve semester hours in each of these content areas. Elementary Education majors expand their teaching knowledge and skills in the use of teaching methods, materials, various assessment instruments, and appropriate technologies toward meeting the educational needs of elementary students. They develop perspective and skills in planning, organizing, implementing evaluating learning activities and lessons. Students also learn appropriate classroom management skills that provide a setting and climate conducive to learning and growth. | <urn:uuid:a0db611e-f932-46c9-80d4-875cdadf512b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecok.edu/colleges/education_psychology/education/ele_edu/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945369 | 125 | 3.453125 | 3 |
You wake up ready for a big day, have a shower and get ready. You then walk out to find that you are starting to sweat underneath your armpits already. It's one of those things that you probably can't find a reason for. You are not exerting yourself but somehow you are sweating. Actually, there is an explanation for this occurrence. When you come out of the shower, your skin temperature is fractionally higher than usual and to cool off it sweats (especially in hot places).
- 1Bathe regularly.
- Step out of the shower, gently dry your body and your hair.
- Use a soft towel to pat-dry your armpits and other problem areas. Make sure not to vigorously scrub with the towel. This leads to sweating due to the fact that scrubbing stresses the skin.
- Spread a towel out on your bed and cool off by laying down with your legs and arms spread. This will allow cool air to slowly dry the armpits and other areas that normally experience perspiration Once you are dry, use antiperspirant deodorant.
- Dress as you normally would and you should be sweat stain free.
- 2Wear an antiperspirant (prevents perspiring or sweating) deodorant (prevents body odor). If typical drug store products do not help decrease sweating there are over-the-counter products such as Certain Dri or you can have an antiperspirant prescribed by your doctor.
- 3Sprinkle baby powder on your underarms.
- 4Wear a T-shirt or some other garment of a light weight material under your shirt to avoid sweating through clothes.
- Try ending your shower with a minute or two of cool-to-cold water. This will lower your surface temperature, making you less likely to sweat right away. As an added bonus, it will also close your pores and seal your hair shafts, leading to smooth skin and shiny hair!
- Try not to wear tight-fitting clothes as this will cause more friction and the result will be more sweating!
- The type of antiperspirant deodorant matters the most. Choose a deodorant that is appropriate for your skin. You can try deodorants for either gender--if it works, who cares?
- Try not to think a lot about stressful things because that can cause sweating to occur.
- Carry a travel size tissue pack, and, when possible, go to a bathroom and pat your armpits dry.
- When cooling off, it really helps if you lay near a fan as this will help evaporate the water off of your skin, thus cooling you off.
- Do not spray perfume while your underarms smell. The smell mixes and makes a terrible smell, worse than before!
- If you shave/wax or have sensitive armpits then use a deodorant that is soft on sensitive skin. The last thing you want to be doing is scratching your armpits because friction causes skin stress.
- Make sure you have enough time to cool off properly, rushing will only increase stress and stress equals sweating.
Edit Things You'll Need
Edit Related wikiHows
Categories: Sweating and Body Odor Hygiene
Recent edits by: Jeffrey, amber, DerekParnell | <urn:uuid:d4db0d70-5594-432e-8891-1181e3dc15b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wikihow.com/Lessen-Underarm-Sweating | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913867 | 682 | 2.125 | 2 |
LITIGATION & ARBITRATION–THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE!
Let us find the perfect remedy for you
Let’s take a closer look, this area of law covers a vast range of disputes varying from, Criminal, Family, Company and Commercial to Personal Injury and Property disputes.
Fact is, if a dispute arises either Civil or Criminal, and can not be solved by Arbitration or Mediation then Litigation (Lawsuit) will prevail.
That’s right, arbitration is a type of hearing that reaches a remedy to an issue that is solved outside the courts. The remedies are both legally binding and can also be non-legally binding by both parties. Mediation which is also a type of non-judicial remedy seeking area can also be sought for these disputes.
So the bottom line is, if an agreement cannot be reached by both parties then litigation (Lawsuit) will determine the out come. The case will be heard by a Judge or Jury in a court of Law.
- Personal Injury
- Property Litigation
- Insolvency Litigation
- Company and Commercial
- Administrative and Public Law
- Asset Recovery and Business Fraud
And that’s just a small taste of what’s in store contact our expert Legal Department for a consultation!
You’ll be glad to know that you are in capable hands! | <urn:uuid:c823a027-7077-4162-a100-a3a13ad1a94b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lawcyprus.org/areas-of-practice/cyprus-litigation-and-arbitration/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915616 | 287 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Thank you, Mike Adams, Webmaster
One of Lee's most important inventions was the first sound-on-film process in 1920.
He helped make the movies talk. Mike Adams is writing a book about de Forest and his sound-on-film work
An OSCAR for Lee
Lee de Forest lived in Hollywood and worked on a variety of non-radio technical devices, most notable his Phonofilm process, a way to make the movies talk by adding a synchronized optical soundtrack to the film.
For that 1920 invention, the first sound-on-film process, he received in 1959 an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The inscription reads:
"Academy Honorary Award to Lee de Forest for his Pioneer Invention which brought Sound to the Motion Picture. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 1959."
The OSCAR is now at History San Jose
The de Forest Phonofilm process allowed the sound and picture to be synchronized
The de Forest technology called PHONOFILM was invented in 1920 and was the very first sound-on-film process. And while almost a decade earlier than the Warner Vitaphone system, it was not the system used in the 1928 film, the "Jazz Singer." The Vitaphone system attempted to synchronize its sound with the picture using a Rube Goldberg device consisting of a record player turntable connected to the film projector. The sound was recorded on an ordinary vinyl disc like the one used today for music. The de Forest process, the one we use today for analogue film audio, uses a device called a light valve to expose a series of light and dark areas right on the film itself, and those areas are read by a photocell and converted to audio. At the right, President Calvin Coolidge speaks on film, the small strip between the sprocket holes and picture is the de Forest sound on film.
Lee de Forest in Hollywood Movie Marquee for Phonofilm Feature | <urn:uuid:0eb100a3-af04-4ab3-ad80-8a104e441459> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leedeforest.org/hollywood.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941543 | 412 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Massachusetts Educational Rewards Grant Program
The Massachusetts Educational Rewards Grant Program was established by the Legislature for the purpose of providing financial assistance to dislocated or incumbent low income workers to enable them to receive education to transition into jobs in targeted high demand occupations. The grant program emanates from the Economic Stimulus Bill that is contained in Chapter 123 of the Acts of 2006 (Ch. 29 Sect. 2SSS of the M.G.L.). Such a bill is relative to the economic investments in the Commonwealth to promote job creation, economic growth, competitiveness and overall stability in the Massachusetts economy. This need-based grant program is to serve as a last resort after all other federal and state grant resources have been exhausted in meeting postsecondary education enrollment costs. The Educational Rewards Grant Program also allows up to thirty percent of the grant amount to be used by the recipient for living expenses.
An eligible institution is defined as a public, private, independent, for-profit or non-profit, or vocational technical institution located in Massachusetts and authorized to offer post-secondary certificate or undergraduate degrees. The institution must be accredited and eligible to participate in both Federal Title IV and Massachusetts State Financial Aid Programs.
A program is eligible if it is an accredited post-secondary certificate or vocational technology program or an associate or bachelor degree program in high-demand occupation fields.
The Board of Higher Education and the Department of Workforce Development, in consultation with the Massachusetts Workforce Board Association, State Workforce Investment Board, Reach Higher Initiative, and the Workforce Accountability Task Force, shall determine the eligible high demand occupations.
Who Is Eligible?
Student applicants enrolled in an eligible program must meet the following criteria to be considered for an award under the Massachusetts Educational Rewards Grant Program:
- Shall be a dislocated worker or an incumbent worker whose income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level or meet other criteria as established by the Department of Workforce Development and the Board of Higher Education, in consultation with the Workforce Accountability Task Force.
- Has applied for financial aid using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submitted necessary documentation to verify dislocated worker status and/or an income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
- Is not in default of any federal or state student loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.
- Is enrolled in an approved full time or part time certificate or degree program located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and meets the institution’s requirements for satisfactory academic progress.
- Is a Massachusetts resident living in The Commonwealth for at least one year prior to the beginning of the current academic year.
- Is a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen capable of receiving federal financial aid under Federal Title IV.
- Has not received a first bachelors degree.
- Is not considered a dependant for the purpose of state or federal financial aid.
The award under this program shall be a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $3,000 and shall be used to fund tuition, fees and books and may include up to 30 percent of the student’s calculated cost of living as determined by the institution or the Board of Higher Education.
The funds from this grant shall serve as a last resort, after other federal, state and institutional aid has been exhausted. To comply with this provision, institutions shall complete and submit to the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance a detailed financial aid Cost of Attendance and a listing of all financial aid awarded.
Institutions must also report the student’s enrollment information as requested.
Institutional Disbursement of Funds
Each institution must provide information to the Office of Student Financial Assistance regarding every student’s award, credit hours, and financial aid budget plan for the current academic year.
One hundred percent of the funds allocated shall be used for awards for students. Funds that are not disbursed by the institution to the student, for any reason, must be remitted to the Office of Student Financial Assistance as required by the Refund Policy for State financial aid programs.
Education Rewards Grant funds awarded in excess of billed tuition and fees must be disbursed to the student for books and related living expenses, according to program guidelines.
All institutions must file a State Financial Aid Participation Agreement to be maintained on file at the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
It shall be the responsibility of each institution to maintain adequate documentation of a recipient student’s eligibility for the Educational Rewards Grant Program.
All financial books, records and documents pertaining to this program shall at all times be open to inspection, review and audit by the Chancellor, the State Auditor or their authorized representatives who shall have access to the premises wherever such books, records and documents are located. The institution shall retain such financial books, records and documents for seven years. An institution may retain such records for a period of five years if approval is received from the Records Conservation Board in accordance with General Laws, Chapter 30, Section 42.
How Do I Apply?
The Educational Rewards Grant Program is not funded for the 2012-2013 academic year. | <urn:uuid:ba7c9025-97c7-4de4-b0f7-8bf0365f6bae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.osfa.mass.edu/default.asp?page=educationalRewardsGrant | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917883 | 1,044 | 1.914063 | 2 |
The church and monastery of Saint Francis were consecrated in 1673 and completed in 1774. The church, built in the Spanish Baroque style, survived earthquakes in 1687 and1746 but was extensively damaged in 1970. The complex was World Heritage listed in 1991 as part of the Historic Centre of Lima.
One of the most interesting features of the monastery is the Catacombs. Located below the building is an ossuary and a maze of passageways (said to connect to the cathedral during the time of the Inquisition). they remained in use until 1808 and were re-discovered in 1943. One of the features is a pit of bones and skulls arranged in a circular design.
When I visited I was disappointed not to be able to take photos - even without a flash.
Open daily from 09.30 am to 05.45 pm.
The Church of San Francisco and Monastery is open almost daily for tours every hour between 9-5 for the low price of 10 Soles. This is a popular attraction and unfortunately there aren't many English speaking tour guides. I had to settle on a Spanish speaking guide, which I found to be difficult in the areas I was particularly interested in. I won't attempt to put any background info from guide books, because I really didn't experience that part of the tour. The entire tour doesn't allow photography. I was bummed because I was really interested in the Last Supper painting. Jesus and his disciples were enjoying a lovely roasted cuy! Another interesting point to mention would be the vandalized frescos through out the monastery. The monks on the frescos have their faces completely scratched out. I wish that I could have asked why this occured. And finally the catacombs are such a hit on the tour. It is quite an amazing sight!
Another quick tip: Visit during the week if you would like to have the chance to take a full picture of the front the church with out the entire front plaza filled with vendors.
*cuy is guinea pig, yes peruvians eat guinea pig!
** Photos and video are not permitted in the church or in the catacombs!
Nestled almost adjacent to the Cathedral of Lima is the impressive Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco. The church was built in 1674 and is considered to be an outstanding example of colonial baroque architecture. At the door is a very nice wooden portal. Inside the church there is a very nice altar and well preserved wooden stairs. There is a tour of the church that takes about an hour but we didn't go. In the basement of the church is a former burial ground with a catacomb and hundreds of skulls.
The San Francisco Monastery was built by donation between 1546 and 1735. ( Franciscans rely on donations because they don’t do business.) Usually their facilities are rather plain, but their rich benefactors were showing off. There are hand painted tiles from Spain, and one altar that is solid silver. Walls in the priests’ dressing room are carved wood covered with gold and the floor is alabaster.
Benefactors expect the honor of being buried under the church floor, but there were too many of them. They solved the problem with catacombs. Estimates range from 25,000-70,000 skeletons down there, and some of the bones arranged in decorative patterns.
Built in 1557, destroyed by earthquakes in 1656 and rebuilt in 1672, San Francisco is a fascinating church to explore in Lima. Contained here is a church, convent, eerie cloisters, and a library with ancient manuscripts and books. We took a very educational guided tour of the complex. As you explore the church make sure to look for the painting of The Last Supper. The one in this church as a very Peruvian context. The meal being served is Cuy better known as Peruvian Guinea Pig.
The monumental set of buildings of San Francisco of Lima, is the most representative jewel of the viceregal architecture of Peru, being the most beautiful colonial complex located in the historical center of the city. The buildings of this remarkable set are churches of San Francisco, La Soledad and El Milagro, that together with the courtyards and annexed are known the MONASTERY OF SAN FRANCISCO.
This old colonial building has tons to recommend it. It was built around an interior courtyard which is full of lovely green foliage and cloisters and fresh air. Numerous walls are covered with colorful Portuguese and Spanish tiles so the look is both Moorish and Spanish. There are many beautiful paintings throughout the rooms, including one of The Last Supper with angels bearing parrot wings – exactly the kind of local influence I love to come across! The Franciscan monks collected a world-renowned library set in a beautiful room that looks even older than it is. Our guide said that a couple of the books were so old they were hand-written. You can’t walk into the room because it’s so fragile, but you can look in from the doorway – it reminded me a bit of the ornate libraries in the Strahov Monastery in Prague.
In the crypt you’ll find the ghoulish catacombs, where tens of thousands of old bones have been arranged in geometric patterns. I think a lot of people take the tour just to see this area, but in my opinion the monastery would be well worth visiting even without it.
The San Francisco church is attached to the monastery and is worth a look as well. It has many elaborate and ornate statues and paintings in the little altars up and down each side, and a beautiful dark wood altar.
The tours (you can’t go in on your own) only cost $2 or $3, and they’re offered in both Spanish and English.
Deep under Iglesia San Francisco is its weirdest site. In the catacombs are the remains of 1000's. The monks here have arranged these remains by bone types. The strangest is this arrangement in an old well.
Our guide kept calling this a convent, but I think that is a missed translation on her part because when I think of a convent, I think of nuns. Apparently this church is most famous for the catacombs, and secondarily for the library and collection of religious art. It is probably best known for a mural of the last supper depicting the apostles dining on guinea pig and a devil standing next to Judas.
We saw none of that, because we stayed to see if the Chinese Ambassador would come out of the government building while we were watching so we had to cut short our visit here. The catacombs are somewhat claustraphobic, and the site is definitely not handicapped accessible. Some people didn't even go in and waited outside in the courtyard.
The San Francisco Monastery and Church was consecrated in 1673 and is one of the best preserved colonial churches in Lima. It withstood the earthquakes of 1687 and 1746 but did suffer extensive damage in a quake in 1970.
The architecture has been described as baroque or Spanish Neoclassicism.
It is open every day from 9:45 to 5:30
Adult 5.00 S/I
Students 2.50 S/I
Child 1.00 S/I
Easily the highlite of Lima. Await for the departure of a English or Spanish speaking tour by sitting in the courtyard and admire the intricacy of the exterior of the building, and try to snap a good photo of Limans play with the many pigeons that call the outside of the cathedral home. The inside of the Cathedral is fantastic. Regarded as one of the best cathedrals in South America it is a suprise at every room. Unfortunately photography is forbidden. :-( Do not miss this.
7 Reviews and 417 Opinions We did not stay here, but it was pointed out to us as the hotel used for some of the VIPs that came...
Swissotel Lima Lima
1 Review and 163 Opinions I stayed at the Swisshotel for two nights during my trip to Peru. The Hotel was very, very nice. The...
2 Reviews and 416 Opinions A fabulous hotel overlooking the Pacific with roof top swimming, superb rooms and clean beyond... | <urn:uuid:e9f26a7b-16aa-4df4-8600-6a293e698c10> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/South_America/Peru/Departamento_de_Lima/Lima-1605109/Things_To_Do-Lima-San_Francisco_Church_And_Convent-BR-1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9784 | 1,725 | 2 | 2 |
Gamel Family Genealogy Forum
Looking for information on this family.
Benjamin Franklin Gamel born 10-22-1875 in Paulding County, Ga. married Margie Rosaner Hutcheson born 9-25-1873. Ben and Margie married 11-25-1894 in Paulding County, Ga. Most of their children were born in Yorksville, Paulding County, Ga. Their children names are:
1.Minnie Irene Gamel married Samuel Edward Williams.
2. Carrie Lee Gamel married D.E. Fuller
3. Audie Ethel Gamel married Ben Brown
4. Cordie Vella Gamel married Dewey Baxter
5. James Warner Gamel married Jessie Shirley
6. Joe Felix Gamel married Floy Head
7. Maybelle Gamel married Leroy Wells
8. Runell Gamel
9.Robert Hershell Gamel married Naomi Whitehead
10. Annie Ruth Gamel married Zelmer Whitt
11. Bennie Haisten Gamel married Ruby Hagan
12. Velma Inez Gamel married Bernard Wells | <urn:uuid:f9e8ba4a-7783-446c-81cc-e0d90eaf6911> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://genforum.com/gamel/messages/12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901809 | 236 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Life Recovery Systems (http://www.life-recovery.com) is a small NIH SBIR funded start up company that has developed the Thermosuit. This device is designed to cool patients in need of temperature management such as those suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association now includes in its resuscitation guidelines that patients who are unconscious following resuscitation from Ventricular Tachycardia/ and or Ventricular Fibrillation should be cooled from a normal 37 degrees C to 32 to 34 degrees C. They should be maintained at that temperature for 12 to 24 hours before re-warming. The Thermosuit system is the most rapid cooling device available to effect this temperature change. It was developed following early experiments at the University of Rhode Island during the past several years. The system is based on skin-water contact and exploits this novel heat removal approach.
Dr. Ohley will discuss the formation of the company, experimental results and current clinical experience plus proposed new applications to emergency medicine.
Speaker: Wiliam J. Ohley, PH.D.
Dr. Ohley received the M.S.E.E., from the University of Massachusetts and the Ph.D. in electrical Engineering from Stony Brook University. He has authored in excess of 100 papers, has edited several proceedings, and book chapters, and holds several patents. Currently he works in the area of cardiac assist, resuscitation, and in the use of fractals to analyze medical data. He is a recipient of the URI College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award, the Eta Kappa Nu Appreciation Award, University of RI Intellectual Property Award, and Honor Roll of Harvard Dr. Ohley is a founding member of Life Recovery Systems which is a medical device company.
This BioTuesday is FREE, however, pre-registration is required at www.tech-collective.org | <urn:uuid:ff757e25-72c0-4276-91f4-1c14656b8d98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pbn.com/BioTuesday-Life-Recovery-Systems-Thermosuit-Cooling-Device,68725 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948753 | 380 | 2.09375 | 2 |
[Jan] was looking for a way to monitor web site hits while sitting on the couch. This lead to the Lucky Cat Hit Counter. The hack gives a stock Lucky Cat some new hardware: a servo, a RGB led, a light sensor, and a 7 segment display. The added components are controlled by an Arduino Ethernet.
The Arduino Ethernet is set up as a web server. When a visitor fetches [Jan]‘s site, a GIF is requested from the Arduino. This trigger changes the RGB LED color, increments the seven segment display, and of course, makes the cat wave by actuating the servo. The light sensor is used to make the cat silent at night. When the light value is below a threshold, night mode is engaged and the cat doesn’t wave.
After the break is a video walk through of the Lucky Cat receiving some HTTP requests. | <urn:uuid:0dd3584a-0372-4249-b5d4-bb784ea734ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hackaday.com/tag/arduino-ethernet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90769 | 182 | 1.914063 | 2 |
League tables might not be welcome as a measure of schools' performance but the OECD periodically publishes a feast of them that are used by its member nations as a reliable comparison of their educational results. On one of those tables, New Zealand's efforts in tertiary education, have rated surprisingly badly.
This country is at the bottom of the table for salary gains from tertiary qualifications. On average, a person with a degree from our universities does not earn much more in a lifetime than someone without one. The net value of a man's tertiary education here is just $63,000 over a working life, compared with $395,000 in the United States. For a Kiwi woman, it's $38,000.
That result will dismay those who raised tertiary fee levels in the 1990s to 25 per cent of course costs based on the contention that the private gain from tertiary education is greater than the return to the public. The student contribution can, of course, be covered by loans now interest-free and repayable only when the borrower reaches an earning threshold, but students have been given to expect a better income for their efforts.
The taxpayer should be no less disappointed by this result since the bulk of tertiary costs are met from the public purse, either as grants to the institutions or as foregone student loan interest. The graduates' consequent earnings and the taxes on them are the main measure of the public benefit, too.
Why are we getting such a low return from our investment in higher education? University vice chancellors and others will offer answers, including no doubt the accusation that the Government is not investing nearly enough in their institutions. At the last survey, OECD nations spent $16,459 annually on each tertiary student. New Zealand spent $12,000, much less than Australia ($19,000), Canada and most countries we would like to compare with.
So there may be a case for more public investment when economic growth permits. We are spending less than the OECD average on each person's education at primary, secondary and tertiary level, but our education budget is still a large proportion of our GDP, second only to that of Iceland.
In seeking the reason for our poor salary return, the quality of the education provided deserves attention, too. Workforce training has become heavily institutionalised in recent decades.
On-the-job apprenticeships and cadetships have largely given way to tertiary qualifications acquired in full-time study.
The length of the courses, often three or four years, sometimes seems excessive and the per-student funding formula is often blamed for "dumbing down" courses and degree standards. If the lectures are so easy that almost anybody can pass, it could explain the fact that graduates are earning not much more than those with no degree.
Yet the league table shows we are only average in the proportion of school leavers who go on to higher education. International students and mature students also exaggerate our entry rate, and those of Britain and Australia. When they are excluded, Australia slips from first to seventh on the table, New Zealand from fifth to 12th.
Perhaps most disturbing for our efforts to provide equal opportunity for all, we do not score at all highly for intergenerational mobility. A young New Zealander whose parents did not go to university is still not very likely to do so. Young men, in particular, are unlikely to exceed their parents' education.
There is nothing like a league table to puncture complacency. Crude comparisons they may be but they confront us with the need to explain our failings, or change. The challenge is ours. | <urn:uuid:9094af4c-f8e9-4a3f-90f1-8da3a1e182b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10837382 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968668 | 740 | 2.40625 | 2 |
When I saw the cats cautiously approaching my Christmas tree, sniffing, sniffing some more, and then stepping onto the tree skirt, I knew it was time to put a fresh Repellem tablecloth under the tree skirt. It looks like three weeks is the approximate life span of a Repellem tablecloth being used under a Christmas tree!
In a cartoon or movie, two cats leaping onto a loaded Christmas tree, knocking it down and sending ornaments every which way, would be funny. In real life? Not so much. Until I discovered Repellem, however, there was NOTHING that seemed to deter the cats from that tree.
Once I put a Repellem tablecloth under the tree skirt, though, the tree, with all its moving parts and batting possibilities, didn’t even seem to exist for the cats. It was perfect.
Thank you, Repellem. My Christmas tree is STILL upright and beautiful, and it’s all because of YOU.
P.S. Remember, our fantastic EcoSmart Blog Contest will be running until Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2009. If you haven’t signed up already, please do it now! | <urn:uuid:68849a67-851a-496c-b6e9-774660c6f08e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.repellemblog.com/time-to-put-some-fresh-repellem-under-my-christmas-tree/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937845 | 251 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Vanna (which is not represented by a greek letter) is one of the options greeks which are collectively used to determine how closely an options or warrants contract will track its underlying market. Specifically, vanna is the rate at which the delta (Δ) of an options or warrants contract will change in relation to changes in the volatility of its underlying market. Vanna is also the rate at which the vega (v) of an options or warrants contract will change in relation to changes in the price of its underlying market. Vanna is a second order derivative, and is useful when a trader is making a delta or vega hedged trade.
Vanna is the second derivative of the value (V) of an options or warrants contract, with respect to the price and the volatility of the underlying market. Vanna is calculated as shown in the above calculation image. Vanna is mathematically equivalent to both the first derivative of delta with respect to volatility, and the first derivative of vega with respect to the underlying market's price.
Use In Trading
Vanna is the rate that the delta and vega of an options or warrants contract will change as the volatility and price of the underlying market change (respectively). Vanna is therefore useful for traders that want to make a delta or vega hedged trade. In other words, traders that want to make an options or warrants trade where the delta or vega do not change regardless of what happens in the underlying market, will need to use vanna. | <urn:uuid:9ac5c868-ffdf-45de-8bb1-4e0343cb7f39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://daytrading.about.com/od/optionsgreeks/a/OptionsVanna.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943352 | 310 | 1.859375 | 2 |
A customer who planted a hedge of Graceful Clumping Bamboo along his property line several years ago recently wrote with the following question:
Our clumping bamboo is growing really well, but starting to hang into our neighbors yard, should I cut the offending canes in the middle or at the ground level to prevent this in the future?
You can cut the overhanging canes anywhere but I usually like to cut them off at the base for aesthetic reasons. However, trimming existing canes won't stop new shoots which come up around the base to grow tall and eventually do the same thing - overhanging the neighbor's yard. The only way to prevent that is to knock over the new shoots coming up on your neighbor's side so they won't grow tall. When bamboo gets to the stage your has, it needs maintenance once a year. Remember that the growing season continues through November so new canes will keep coming up. We suggest doing a pruning once in the late winter before the growing season begins and then knocking over unwanted new shoots as they appear during the spring-summer-fall. | <urn:uuid:401e182d-0751-4433-bd62-d2d5719ac6c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beautifulbamboo.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-to-do-when-canes-overhang.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974761 | 225 | 1.75 | 2 |
The Rail Museum, Cairo, Egypt
The Khedive Train, Controls
The Khedive Train, Controls - This train was only built for the use of Khedive, Saiid Pasha. He only used it to go back and forth between his two palaces in Rass El Teen and Al Montazah. It was built by Robert Stephenson in 1862
Who are we?
Tour Egypt aims to offer the ultimate Egyptian adventure and intimate knowledge about the country. We offer this unique experience in two ways, the first one is by organizing a tour and coming to Egypt for a visit, whether alone or in a group, and living it firsthand. The second way to experience Egypt is from the comfort of your own home: online. | <urn:uuid:959e82ed-7470-48d0-9951-156597a55f4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/trainm10.htm | 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 | 0.955157 | 151 | 1.882813 | 2 |
So you have installed and uninstalled programs over the years. Did you know you could have dozens or even hundreds of empty folders on your computer. Delete these Folders with Empty Folder Nuker. Empty Folder Nuker deletes empty folders and insures if there are subfolders with files, it skips these folders.
The base folder is the hard drive or a directory you want to check.
It will take some time to scan each drive. Deleting empty folders will optimize your hard drive (especially after defragging).
So what was the result?
You should scan through and make sure you check only folders that are not needed. This program is around 99% accurate. DO NOT DELETE YOUR TEMP FOLDER OR OTHER FOLDERS THAT WARN THEY ARE SYSTEMS FOLDERS. | <urn:uuid:a42e0a9c-76c4-4085-98ad-c2de4f476ceb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ttcshelbyville.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/delete-empty-folders/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943515 | 168 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Homemade Cleaning Products
A paste of white vinegar and cream of tartar helps remove burned-on gunk from casserole pans or burner pans.
I had burnt food spots on my stove for a couple of days that wouldn't come off just by wiping. I made a paste of 1 tsp. white vinegar and 2 tsp. cream of tartar and put it on the spots. After 15 seconds, it came off like magic. It works on pans, too! This was by far my favorite homemade cleaning remedy.
We have white tile with white grout. The grout was constantly dark looking and, yes, we sealed it several times. I filled a squirt bottle with undiluted hydrogen peroxide and sprayed it on the grout, then scrubbed it clean and white. This is the easiest method I have ever used, and I've tried lots!
I sprayed undiluted hydrogen peroxide on some white tile and grout in my bathroom and scrubbed it with an old toothbrush; it worked fairly quickly. Now I have one really clean spot in my shower. I guess I'll have to use this fantastic remedy again!
To clean garlic-smelling or stained hands, rub them with half a lemon.
This test was by far the most interesting. Jennifer, our intern, was gracious enough to let us borrow her hands, which we stained with a concoction of soy sauce, Worcestershire, parsley and orange peel, then we rubbed them with garlic. After an hour of torture (she said the smell was horrible), we rubbed her hands with half a lemon. All the stain vanished, and the garlic smell was gone! Although we could still smell the Worcestershire, this tip worked well enough to endorse.
Keep houseplants shiny and nice by rubbing them with a cotton ball or cloth dampened with a little milk.
I remember doing this as a kid to my indoor house plants, so I picked a rubber tree plant that had been outside all spring and summer. Using a cotton ball and milk, the dirt easily came off the leaves. It didn't get really shiny, but it was a definite improvement.
Use a mixture of cornstarch and water to clean windows. I have always had trouble with streaking, but never with cornstarch!
I mixed 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1 qt. water together in a bowl. Using one paper towel soaked in the mixture and another for drying, I washed my car windows, which were very dirty. The method worked very well and even made that squeaky clean sound. My windows are cleaner than ever and they're not streaky, either.
I use a paste of Dawn, baking soda and enough vinegar to make it workable to clean my kitchen sinks. We have really hard water, and this is the only thing I have found that works.
I combined 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup liquid dish detergent, then added 1/4 cup vinegar. I used the paste on my bathroom sink and bathtub with very good results. It takes very little scrubbing, but really cleans without leaving a residue. Everything rinses right off.
Find more cleaning tips and homemade products (and share your own!) in our Hints & Tips community forum» | <urn:uuid:c07c11db-de13-4c38-9a52-0e6d79e236cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tasteofhome.com/Simple---Delicious-Magazine/Homemade-Cleaning-Products/Print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970245 | 678 | 1.695313 | 2 |
"Who does it hurt? That's who the story is about." -Harlan Ellison, on writing
Pain is a fascination for me, but increasingly I realize I know only minuscle amounts about how it works biologically. I could go on for hours, despite audience rejection, about hurtin' for my baby; however, where exactly does this emotional pain come from? My heart may be metaphorically cut, but it is not bleeding. The traditional "physical" definition of pain - that pain is, for example, "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage" - doesn't always work. I've gotten much more emotional pain from a loved one's rejection than from shoulder dislocation, but the first involves no tissue damage or threat of tissue damage. I discovered I needed to do research on what pain was before I could understand emotional pain.
Don Ranney says in his "Anatomy of Pain" that:
...pain is a perception, not really a sensation, in the same way that vision and hearing are. It involves sensitivity to chemical changes in the tissues and then interpretation that such changes are harmful. This perception is real, whether or not harm has occurred or is occurring. Cognition is involved in the formulation of this perception. There are emotional consequences, and behavioral responses to the cognitive and emotional aspects of pain.
pain.com uses essentially the same definition, but adds: "Pain is a complex perception that takes place only at higher levels of the central nervous system."
Dr. Pennal pulls from a textual definition in "The Personality of Pain:"
[Pain is] an abstract concept which refers to (l) a personal, private, sensation of hurt; (2) a harmful stimulus which signals current or impending tissue damage; (3) a pattern of responses which operate to protect the organism from harm. These responses can be described in terms which reflect certain concepts, i.e., in neurological, physiological, behavioral, and affective "languages."
The Web version of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica defines pain as:
...a complex experience consisting of a physiological (bodily) response to a noxious stimulus followed by an affective (emotional) response to that event. Pain is a warning mechanism that helps to protect an organism by influencing it to withdraw from harmful stimuli; it is primarily associated with injury, or the threat of injury, to bodily tissues.
It's interesting to notice that of the three definitions, only the Encyclopaedia does not mention "personal, private" or "perception." For the two doctors, pain involves the mind; pain is a perception, and the mind makes a conscious analysis of an event and decides that the individual perception of it means that pain should result from the event. "Cognition is involved in the formulation of this perception." This is interesting, because until now I thought that, vaguely, some neuron or other would float up from my arm and tell my brain that my arm was hurting. These doctors are telling me that this happens, but it is my mind which interprets the situation as pain.
The definitions above, however, are not really enough for me to understand the process of pain. What part of the mind is used to interpret a situation as painful? What is the "noxious stimulus" from the injury to the mind? And, of course, If the mind requires this specific stimulus to experience pain, where does it come from when we ask about emotional pain? This is a really tough question to ask in the face of modern thought, which states that "pain is a totally subjective experience which cannot be simultaneously shared and reported by another individual," and that "clinical pain as we know it is a unique experience peculiar to the human." This frame of thinking is the one I found most common on the Internet and it seemed to preclude any discussion of the actual biological processes involved in pain. While I am happy to view the development of a concern in the medical community for accepting all types of pain on equal terms and not taking physical evidence as the only signifier of extant pain, I am interested in seeing what happens biologically when pain is present, whether psychosomatic or not. The only definition involving physical elements other than the vague term "body tissues" was "central nervous system" from pain.com.
The reason there is a brevity in the definition and a lack of explanation to the exact physical elements involved is that there is as much difference between different types of physical pain as there is between physical and emotional pain. I will focus here however on a brief analysis of what happens with peripheral pain, then try to compare it with what happens where emotional pain is concerned.
First, peripheral pain. This pain "originates in muscles, tendons, etc., or in the peripheral nerves themselves." The procedure which begins when "danger to tissues" of some sort occurs is this: the amount of pH drops and chemicals are released, called histamines and bradykin. Bradykini seem to be receptor cells of some kind, but I have been unable to discover more than that about them. Histamenes are organic substances stored within and released from cells in response to irritation; they cause contractions in certain body parts, like the stomach or lungs. Small non-myelinated C fibres are sensitive to these chemicals (myelinated fibers specifically perform this purpose, as well as sensing heat.) When they sense histamenes and bradykini, the C fibres send an electrical charge along the spinal cord. It goes to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the part of the spine which receives afferent information.
What happens at the dorsal horn is really complex and not fully understood, but it is called the "Pain Gate" by many doctors. From what I as a layman have been able to comprehend, more neurotransmitters are released when the dorsal horn senses the electrical charges sent to it.
From the dorsal horn, pain goes to the brain. But which part of the brain? No specific part, apparently. "Unfortunately there is no discrete centre where pain is recognised. Pain is so important to survival that almost the whole brain is involved. Pain involves cognition, emotion, and behaviour... All of this supports Dennis Turk's claim that "the reign of pain is mainly in the brain". But there is no one centre "in control". Rather we see that pain can be all-pervasive, affecting our thoughts and memories, attitutudes and emotions, movements and behaviour -- and in turn be affected by each and all of them."
It was difficult to find a concrete analysis of emotional pain on the Web. However, on a page called "The biology of emotional disorders with the self help measures," I found this interesting statement:
The toxicosis consists of excess neurotransmitters and other neurochemicals. When this develops in the brain, the neurons cannot release enough neurotransmitter molecules to excite the rest of the nervous system, and symptoms of depression occur. Depression is also caused by the clogging of receptors with endogenous neurochemicals and with substances from the environment such as unmetabolized food substances, drugs, and other toxins.
The paper goes on to say:
But neurons generally do not replace themselves, so when they become toxic a portion of the neuron breaks open and releases the toxins during what might be called a detoxification crisis. A detoxification crisis is an excitatory nervous symptom such as intense anxiety and many other symptoms. During a detoxification crisis excess neurotransmitter molecules and other neurochemicals flood the synapses. These toxins include excessive amounts of the neurotransmitter noradenaline, also adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, GABA, endorphins and other substances. The excess neurotransmitter overexcites the nervous system causing excitatory nervous symptoms that can range from mild anxiety to mania and to extreme acts of violence.
Depression is a toxic situation built up over time in the brain's neurons, sometimes beginning as early as childhood. The chemicals and neurotransmitters which are affected cannot perform their function well enough to bring the person out of depression. Eventually, the neurons become too toxic and need to detoxify, and they flood the nervous system with neurotransmitters, overexciting what was once underexcited.
This seems to be an extreme case, however. What about temporary grief, rejection maybe from a date, that sort of pain? There doesn't seem to be much literature on the subject - perhaps because it's too difficult to study.
Comparing the two sorts of pain - the analysis of the biology of depression and the analysis of the biology of peripheral pain - opens up some really interesting points for discussion. I find it fascinating how the two sorts of pain seem to react to and interact with each other. Many of the websites I researched on peripheral and physical pain indicate or state directly that the emotions have a direct impact on how the individual experiences pain. And some of the readings I've done on the side state that pain can be used to enhance a person's emotional state. Many people who engage in self-mutilitation, for example, do so because they want to feel emotional pain, not physical pain. Forms of Eastern medicine teach that treating the mind is as important as treating the body - the two interface. So I am left with the distinct impression, not that emotional pain and physical pain are different sorts of pain (after all, biologically they are both the reaction of the brain to neurotransmitters), but that they somehow work together to keep the body in order. We need emotional stability as well as physical safety in order to achieve equilibrium and get rid of pain. This raises even more interesting questions for me. Did this evolve as a survival tactic? Why would emotions be important to survival? Does emotional connectivity resulting in grief at the loss of a loved one, for example, represent a way the body evolved to protect the person, since people working in groups are safer than individuals alone? I was really frustrated by the confusion of materials available online. People seemed afraid to define pain, mostly because they were afraid that defining pain would invalidate forms of pain which didn't fall under their definition. I view this almost as a cop-out, because it allows people to keep going without analyzing each individual type of pain and maybe learning more about the body and about pain as a whole.
Note: The hardest part of this paper was the looking up of every other word in each of the documents I read online. The Encyclopaedia Brittanica was invaluable in helping me do this, but I think this wordiness represents another problem. I never saw a website in all my searches which tried to explain pain to a patient or layman. The assumption is that the patient is always looking for a cure. While this is no doubt true, sometimes it feels good to a patient to know what exactly is happening to their bodies and this needs to be respected.
I e-mailed Don Ranney, whose work I quoted in this paper, and asked him about emotion-caused pain. He sent me the following response:
I have not run across anything that describes neuroanatomical pathways in emotional pain AS DISTINCT FROM physical pain. Emotion is inseparably involved in all pain because the limbic system is always affected to some degree or another in any pain, and the limbic system ( especially the mammillary body, anterior nucleus of the thalamus, cingulate gyrus, amygdala and hypothalamus ) is the say of emotions.
Of course you are asking about suffering due to cognitive processes, ideas that are present in the mind. In this there should not be any activity in the peripheral sensory system. Chemical mediators in the CNS would be active, e.g., serotonin and I don't know what else. But I don't think substances like bradykinin and histamine or even substance P would be released.
All this is not very much but I hope it helps.
Don Ranney, MD, FRCS
This e-mail basically states that there has not been any work done on emotion-caused pain as opposed to physically-caused pain. That would explain the difficulty in finding information. I believe work on emotionally-caused pain needs to be done. It might lead to new understanding of the mind-body balance, for one thing.
Don Ranney, M.D. The Anatomy of Pain.
Aghabeigi: The pathophysiology of pain. at pain.com
Billy E. Pennal, Ph.D. The Personality of Pain
The Encyclopaedia Brittanica Online
Van Winkle, Elnora. The biology of emotional disorders: self help for mood disorders, major depression, bipolar depression, manic depression, mental illness, psychosomatic disorders, alcoholism, addiction, and aggressive or violent behavior
other helpful websites not cited in this paper:
- What Is Pain?
- University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain
- How do Physicians Recognize Somatization?
- Holt, Doug. The Role of the Amygdala in Fear and Panic. [Note: this guy used to be in Biol. 202 and his paper's on Serendip! I found it in a search online... cool!]
Comments made prior to 2007
I direct a Coping Skills 4 Kids emotional health education project that focuses on the subject of understanding brain-based coping capabilities that enable us to safely recover from emotional pain. I noted your interest and wanted to coment upon a recent exchange on your website lamenting the absence of literature on emotional pain as distinct from physical pain.
Our project uses Paul McLean's "Triune Brain Theory." However it is integrated with my own theory of violence and suicide (self-harmful behavior) being linked to how our brain processes emotional pain in the same way as physical pain. Recent brain imaging research (the Journal Science in Oct., 2003) has revealed that both types of pain are processed in the same part of the human brain. Three years earlier I had theorized in my book: "Emotional Honesty & Self-Acceptance: Education Strategies for Preventing Violence." We now can understand how the human brain is so often self-deceiving and acts of violence (whether toward self or others)stem from inner turmoil from "stored," collection of painful incidents until we "explode" by wanting to end our life or punish others for our own pain. As James Gilligan, director of the Harvard Center for the Study of Violence, wrote in his book "Violence" that murder was a "symbolic act." Now that neuroscience and brain imaging can track human emotions in real time, we know that emotional pain, empathy, etc. are real ... Ronald Brill, 25 November 2006 | <urn:uuid:97515acc-90f1-4597-9161-0c2f71b2cf66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/print/1850 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955674 | 3,056 | 2.625 | 3 |
Utah Education Association
Political Action Committee (U-PAC)
Working for You
The Politics of Public Education
Elected officials make decisions that impact teachers on a daily basis. From funding decisions to working conditions, public policy makers make political decisions that have very real consequences in the classroom. Therefore, the UEA takes a leadership role in urging the Utah State Legislature and State Board of Education to prioritize public school funding, promote quality teaching and learning, and ensure that school employees are valued and respected.
What is U-PAC?
Founded as the nation's first educator political action committee in 1964, the Utah Education Association Political Action Committee (U-PAC) is the political arm of the UEA. Since absolutely no UEA member dues are used for political parties or candidates, U-PAC allows educators to have a voice in political issues affecting children and public education. U-PAC is directed and run by classroom teacher members from throughout the state. Chaired by the UEA President, the U-PAC Executive Council has bi-partisan representatives from each local UniServ and the UEA Board of Directors.
What U-PAC Does
U-PAC provides education and information to UEA members about political matters, works with local associations to identify candidates with favorable positions on the UEA's legislative priorities, recommends and provides financial and other assistance to political candidates for statewide and legislative offices, participates with the two major parties, and collects and utilizes data related to candidate screening and campaign assistance. Local associations and UniServ units have independent PACs that assist candidates in their local areas, including local school board candidates. U-PAC works in consultation with bi-partisan teacher teams in local areas around the state to make candidate recommendations for state and federal races. Many UEA members also volunteer to work for recommended candidates in their local areas.
How Can I Get Involved?
Making a financial contribution to U-PAC is your chance to join a select group of educators and supporters of public education who have recognized the importance of being actively involved politically and financially. U-PAC members understand that voting is not enough to elect officials who truly “measure up” for children and public education, but that it also takes both time and money. There are numerous options for making a financial contribution to U-PAC and, whether you contribute $20 or $500, each contribution helps to ensure a strong collective voice for public education.
Capitol Club Bronze members contribute at least $99.00 per year to help elect public education-friendly candidates to office, with at least $72.00 of that amount designated to U-PAC. Capitol Club Silver members contribute at least $200.00 per year, with at least $140.00 of that amount designated to U-PAC. Capitol Club Gold members contribute at least $250.00 per year, with at least $175.00 of that amount designated to U-PAC.
Each of the Bronze, Silver and Gold Capitol Club members receive a distinctive lapel pin representative of their contribution level, along with an annual invitation to a special legislative reception. More importantly . . . YOU will set an example about the importance of taking an active role in the UEA’s political activities.
There are four easy ways to contribute: cash, check, PayPal, or EZ-Pay PAC (a monthly electronic funds transfer from your checking account). Click the "Donate" link above or download a political action contribution form (PDF) now and mail to UEA Political Action Committee, 875 East 5180 South, Murray, Utah 84107.
Make an investment in your career, in public education and in the lives of Utah students. Join U-PAC today. For more information contact Kory Holdaway, Director of Government Relations. | <urn:uuid:78144c14-dc1b-4974-b24f-863acc6c445a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myuea.org/politics_legislation/u-pac_political_action_committee.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940295 | 764 | 1.851563 | 2 |
The Mighty Earthworm in Climate
An earthworm is a tube-shaped, segmented animal that is commonly found living in soil. It is one of the more harmless creatures on Earth. Earthworms are long revered for their beneficial role in soil fertility, but with the good comes the bad: they also increase greenhouse gas emissions from soils, according to a study published Feb. 3 in Nature Climate Change by a research team that includes a University of California, Davis, soil scientist.
Earthworms travel underground by the means of waves of muscular contractions which alternately shorten and lengthen the body. The shortened part is anchored to the surrounding soil by tiny claw-like bristles set along its segmented length. The whole burrowing process is aided by the secretion of lubricating mucus. They also work as biological pistons forcing air through the tunnels as they move. Thus earthworm activity aerates and mixes the soil, and is constructive to mineralization and nutrient uptake by vegetation.
The team found that earthworms do not, as was suspected, stimulate carbon sequestration in the soil, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, they actually increase greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of ways.
"There was a hypothesis that earthworms were having a positive effect on the greenhouse balance, but they don’t," said co-author Johan Six, a plant sciences professor at UC Davis during the study who is now a professor at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. "I would never say you have to take out the earthworms because of greenhouse gases. It’s just that you cannot give them credit for reducing greenhouse gases."
The team gathered all relevant published research to date: 57 different experiments. The research team then employed a statistical technique called meta-analysis to discern overall patterns in the data.
They found that the presence of earthworms increased nitrous oxide emissions from soil by 42 percent and carbon dioxide emissions from soil by 33 percent. But they found no indications that earthworms affect soil organic carbon stocks — the carbon stored within the soil.
According to the researchers, earthworms likely increase greenhouse gas emissions several ways: they mix organic plant residues in the soil, which may increase decomposition and carbon dioxide emissions; the earthworm gut acts as a microbial incubator, boosting the activity of nitrous oxide-producing microbes; and the earthworms, by burrowing through the soil, make it easier for greenhouse gases in the soil to escape into the atmosphere.
"Our literature search also pointed out a large gap in the published studies," Lubbers said. "We need more experiments that include growing plants, as well as more long-term studies and more field studies before we can decide to what extent global worming leads to global warming."
For further information see Worms and GHG.
Worm image by Petr Kratochvil via UC Davis. | <urn:uuid:d8c82656-9953-4226-ac7f-1d62c987f1c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enn.com/enn_original_news/article/45561 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958201 | 582 | 4 | 4 |
- African American actor and political activist
- Frequent speaker at anti-war demonstrations
- "[I]t was only natural that black men should associate their own hopes and their own expectations with the promises of socialism."
- Husband of actress Ruby Dee
- Deceased, February 2005
Ossie Davis was a prominent African American actor and political activist. During a film career that spanned nearly six decades (1950-2005), Davis played roles in 49 films, including The Joe Louis Story (1953), Do the Right Thing (1989), Gladiator (1992), Malcolm X (1992), Grumpy Old Men (1993), and Get on The Bus (Spike Lee's 1996 celebration of Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March). Davis also appeared in numerous television productions and stage presentations. For his work as an actor, he was named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in 1989.
Davis was born in Cogdell, Georgia in December 1917. His given name was Raiford Chatman Davis. He acquired the name Ossie when his mother's pronunciation of his initials, "R.C.," was misunderstood by the county clerk employee who recorded the boy's birth.
Davis briefly attended Howard University and later Columbia University's School of General Studies in the late 1930s. In 1948 he married Ruby Dee, a fellow leftwing activist who would later describe her husband and herself as "foot soldiers, ready, willing and able to do [our] part in the struggle." Among the causes to which Davis and Dee most passionately devoted their energies were antiwar activism during the Vietnam War, and again in the post-9/11 era.
In 1998, Davis and Dee penned their autobiography, With Ossie and Ruby, in which they discussed at length their political activism as well their decision to have an "open marriage." The pair also collaborated on a number of other publications, including: Every Tongue Got to Confess: Negro Folk-tales From the Gulf States (2001); We Shall Overcome: The History of the Civil Rights Movement As It Happened (2004); and Life Lit by Some Large Vision: Selected Speeches and Writings (2006).
In the late 1950s and early 60s, Davis became involved with Hollywood SANE, a local chapter of the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. In the early 1980s, SANE merged with its sister organization, the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign (FREEZE), and eventually became known as the Peace Action Network.
Davis' celebrity as an actor during the 1960s provided him with a platform from which he could disseminate his political views to a wide audience.
He was a personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, and he delivered eulogies at both of their funerals. At the 1965 funeral of Malcolm X, Davis characterized Malcolm as "a prince -- our own black shining prince! -- who didn't hesitate to die, because he loved us so."
Davis also served as the Chairman of a memorial tribute to W.E.B. DuBois, the African-American scholar and communist.
In November 1965 Davis was a sponsor of the "March on Washington for Peace in Vietnam," which was attended by 25,000 anti-war demonstrators and was organized by the Students for a Democratic Society, which later splintered into the domestic terrorist group Weatherman.
For many years, Davis candidly proclaimed his pro-Communist, anti-capitalist views. In 1967 he penned an article in the Communist journal New World praising the Soviet Union. In the piece, he wrote
"The black man's mightiest expectations have always been in the alternative which, though nowhere present, he dreamed about as a part of the future…. Thus fifty years ago when the good news came out of Russia that men there had decided to abandon capitalism and attempt to construct, here, 'on earth,' a system in which no man would be the hereditary victim of other men because of the color of his skin … it was only natural that black men should associate their own hopes and their own expectations with the promises of socialism."
In June 1968, Davis was a keynote speaker at the two-day founding convention of the Peace and Freedom Party of New York State, a regional offshoot of the California-based organization whose goal is to build "a mass based socialist party throughout the country."
Francis X. Gannon reports that over the years, Davis had affiliations with: (a) Communist publications like New World Review and Morning Freiheit; (b) Communist fronts like the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee (which eventually was absorbed by the Center for Constitutional Rights); the Citizens Committee for Constitutional Liberties; the American Peace Crusade; and the National Council of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions; (c)Communist Party enterprises like Camp Midvale and the National Committee to Abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee; and (d) leftwing outfits like Freedomways magazine; the Association of Artists for Freedom; the Liberation Committee for Africa; the Monroe Defense Committee; the Alexander Defense Committee; and the Charter Group for a Pledge of Conscience.
Davis also demonstrated in support of the atom spies, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and Morton Sobell. On another occasion, he attended a rally in honor of the Castro regime's Communist revolutionary Che Guevara.
In 1999 Davis was a signatory to a "Call to Justice" initiative which proposed a nationwide "Mumia Awareness Week" devoted to overturning the purportedly wrongful conviction of cop-killer and leftist icon Mumia Abu-Jamal. Fellow supporters of this initiative included C. Clark Kissinger of the Revolutionary Communist Party, Robert Meeropol of the Rosenberg Fund for Children, and Sam Jordan of Amnesty International's Program to Abolish the Death Penalty.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the start of the war on terror, Davis was a featured speaker at a number of anti-war demonstrations organized by groups like International ANSWER and United For Peace and Justice.
In 2002 he joined such celebrities as Ed Asner, Oliver Stone, Danny Glover, Susan Sarandon, Jane Fonda, Pete Seeger, Spike Lee, Bonnie Raitt, and Gore Vidal in signing the Not In Our Name (NION) anti-war "Statement of Conscience." Drafted by members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, this Statement specifically condemned the Bush Administration's "stark new measures of repression" and its "unjust, immoral, illegitimate, [and] openly imperial policy towards the world." Davis also narrated an Internet announcement for NION, warning that the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan was the beginning of America's "war on the world."
In 2004, Davis and Ruby Dee were co-recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, an award given annually to performing artists.
Davis and Dee parented three children: Guy Davis, Nora Day, and Hasna Muhammad.
During his life, Davis' political donations were directed chiefly to Democratic candidates. Recipients included Jesse Jackson, Charles Rangel, Bernie Sanders, Al Gore, Corrine Brown, and Barbara Lee. In 1999 Davis also made a financial contribution to EMILY's List.
Davis died of natural causes on February 4, 2005, at the age of 87. His funeral was attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, movie director Spike Lee, Marxist professor Cornel West, entertainer Harry Belafonte, and former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume. In lieu of flowers, Davis' family asked that donations be made to such organizations as Oxfam America and Pacifica Radio. | <urn:uuid:c06fe18f-4bc9-48a6-830b-3b3b3c7372f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.discoverthenetworks.com/individualProfile.asp?indid=1241 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966885 | 1,557 | 2.125 | 2 |
Over the course of 6 days, Bryn Mawr’s Geology Department traversed a set of rocks that record a complex mountain-building event across northwestern Spain.
The Neoproterozoic: Subduction and a Passive Margin
The story of northwest Spain begins ~600 million years ago. Laurentia (modern North America) and Gondwana (modern South America, Africa, India, Antarctica, and others) had recently rifted apart as the supercontinent Rodinia broke apart. The Iapetus Oceanseparated the two continents.
On the northern coast of Gondwana, an ocean plate began subducting, producing melts that rose into the overlying crust and became granites. We observed these granites at the roadside outcrop near Pola de Allande. There, the granite had been foliated and deformed by later tectonism, but it still represents the oldest known rocks of Iberia. The rocks into which these granites intruded have never been found.
As subduction continued during the Neoproterozic, erosion of Gondwana was depositing a thick sedimentary sequence onto the continental margin. Clay-rich shales, sandstones, and limestones deposited onto the continental margin, interbedded with the occasional calc-alkaline volcanic ash from nearby subduction-related volcanism. We observed these sedimentary rocks at the roadcut showing the Precambrian-Cambrian unconformity.
The Cambrian: A Passive Margin
During the Cambrian, passive margin sedimentation continued along the northern coast of Gondwana. We saw evidence of this sedimentation at three places along our cross-section:
- The Luna Dam, just outside Barrios de Luna, in the Foreland Fold and Thrust Belt. There, we saw red nodular limestones, shales, and sandstones with cross-bedding from the Middle Cambrian. These layers were tilted to their near-vertical position by the later Variscan Orogeny.
- The Precambrian-Cambrian unconformity roadcut. These layers were later folded and tilted to their near-vertical position by the Variscan Orogeny.
The upside-down quartz sandstone at Binquereia Beach, in the Fold and Nappe Province, further into the hinterland of the orogeny. This sandstone had upside-down cross-bedding, indicating that it was on the lower limb of a recumbent fold. This giant fold was part of the Mondono Thrust, which formed later in the Variscan.
Taken together, we see that the Cambrian was a time of various marine environments off the coast of Gondwana: limestones, shales, and sandstones deposited on the passive margin of the Iapetus Ocean.
The Ordovician: Rifting of Avalonia
Toward the end of the Cambrian, subduction began on the opposite side of the Iapetus Ocean, on the east coast of Laurentia. The subduction was so intense that it pulled the whole Iapetus Ocean toward Laurentia, including Gondwana. The northern edge of Gondwana tore off, forming the long, narrow terrane of Avalonia (~480 Ma). Between Avalonia and Gondwana, a mid-ocean spreading center opened up, pushing Avalonia away and spreading open a new ocean: the Rheic Ocean.
The rifting event caused heating and melting in the Gondwana foreland. Granitic melts intruded into Gondwana. During the Variscan, these granites would be metamorphosed into the granitic gneisses we saw at Xilloy Beach, where the giant white alkali feldspar crystals formed lenses in the layered gneiss. The original granites were emplaced around 490 million years ago, near the Cambro-Ordovician boundary.
Meanwhile, the continental margin of Gondwana was still passive, and still collecting sediments – this time in the Rheic Ocean, not the Iapetus. We saw many Ordovician-age sedimentary rocks during this trip:
- The Armorican Quartzite that we observed at the Luna Damn near Barrios de Luna was deposited during this time, in the shallow sea between Avalonia and Gondwana.
The beautifully-deformed phyllites at Porcia Beach were originally deposited as mudstones and shales in the Rheic during this time. These rocks were further toward the hinterland of the Variscan, and so underwent more intense metamorphism and folding as they were thrust eastward by the Mondonco Thrust Fault.
- The granulites we saw on the beach near Carino, in the Cabo de Ortegal Complex at the end of the trip, also formed during this time, but not as part of Gondwana. These sediments were part of the Avalonia passive margin, and went riding off with Avalonia toward Laurentia. They would eventually be reunited with Gondwana during the Variscan.
The rifting of Avalonia also caused volcanism along the north coast of Gondwana. At ~456 million years ago, a supervolcano erupted off the coast of Gondwana, induced by the rifting event. The massive ashfall covered all of the coast of Gondwana, and can now be found as a thick kaolinite (clay) layer throughout Ordovician-age sediments in Europe. We observed this kaolinite layer in the Cambro-Ordovician sequence at the Luna Damn near Barrios de Luna. There, the kaolinite layer had been compacted by the quartzite that sandwiched it, but was still more than a foot thick.
The Silurian: Death of the Iapetus
By ~420 million years ago, 60 million years after it had split off from Gondwana, Avalonia docked at Laurentia, another in a set of minor orogenies that collectively would make the Appalachian Orogeny. This docking officially closed the Iapetus Ocean, and now only the Rheic remained between Gondwana and Laurentia.
At about the same time, subduction began off the coast of Gondwana, pulling the Rheic Ocean closed and Laurentia closer in.
The Devonian: Rapid Closing of the Rheic
Early in the Devonian, sedimentation continued along the Gondwana margin, even as the Rheic was closing. We saw evidence of this in several outcrops:
- In the Corresillas Conglomerate, we saw Devonian-age sandstones, rich with crinoids fossils. These must have formed early in the Devonian, along the continental margin.
- In the Alba Syncline sequence, we saw a series of deep marine shales and shallow marine quartzites that had been deposited on the Gondwana continental margin, and were later folded and metamorphosed during the Variscan.
Around 390 million years ago, Laurentia subducted the mid-ocean spreading center in the Rheic. This rapidly sped up the closing of the ocean, and Gondwana and Laurentia drifted toward each other faster.
The Early Carboniferous: The Variscan Orogeny
In the early Carboniferous, sedimentation continued as usual on the margin of Gondwana, as Laurentia continued to pull the Rheic closed. We saw evidence of this in the Alba Syncline sedimentary sequence, where the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary shows up as a fissile layer of black slate. In that sequence, we saw red nodular limestone laid down at the beginning of the Carboniferous, followed by more shale.
Around 325 million years ago, Gondwana and Laurentia began colliding. The western portions of Gondwana were affected first, as the collision forced giant fold and thrust belts up eastward onto Gondwana. You can watch a video of this process on Gabi’s YouTube Channel.
We saw abundant evidence of this in our trip:
- In the hinterland, we saw evidence of huge thrust belts that folded, faulted, and moved continental margin sediments hundreds of kilometers inland. The complex folds we observed in the gray phyllites at Porcia Beach formed during this time.
- Further toward the collision zone, we saw the limbs of a giant recumbent fold, propelled by the Mondonoco Thrust Sheet. This sheet alone shortened material by 180 km along the continental margin.
- Further from the collision zone, the Alba Formation was folded into the Alba Syncline.
- The Precambrian-Cambrian boundary we observed was folded during this time.
In addition to folding and thrusting the Gondwanan rocks, the Variscan Orogeny produced a suite of granitic rocks and smashed an ophiolite sequence up into the suture between Gondwana and Laurentia. We saw evidence of this in several places near the suture:
- The tectonic melange near Espasante
- A piece of Avalonia, left over from the collision, in the granulites near Carino
- The eclogites of Cabo de Ortega
- Harzburgites representing sub-oceanic mantle
- Deformed sheeted dikes
The Late Carboniferous: Oroclinal Bending
By the end of the Carboniferous, the mountains produced by the collision were shedding sediments. We saw evidence for this in the Corresillas Conglomerate, which formed during this time of cobbles from nearby mountains thrust up during the first phase of the Variscan.
The collision had more subtle effects than just pushing up dramatic thrust sheets. As the continental margin shortened and more and more Gondwanan rock piled up, the pile began to weigh down the crust, just like a bowling ball placed in a blanket will dimple the blanket downward. The result was a deep basin inland of the collision zone – the foreland basin.
During this time, marine water filled the foreland basin along Gondwana. There, a thick sequence of carbonates precipitated, forming the rocks that would eventually become the Picos de Europa Mountains.
Late in the Variscan Orogeny, the rocks of Northwest Spain experienced an oroclinal bending event: the area was rotated 90 degrees and compressed again, forming thrust sheets at right angles to the original Variscan thrust sheets. The overprinting of these two sets of thrusts produced the crazy folds of the Ponga Province, and the second set of thrusts pushed the limestones of the Picos de Europa Mountains up into the relief we saw.
Ultimately, the oroclinal bending event produced the Iberian-Armorican Arc, a continent-scale arc of mountains. You can watch a video of the oroclinal bending process at Gabi’s YouTube Channel.
The oroclinal bending event also produced a series of granites. As the bending proceeded, the inner part of the arc thickened past the point of stability, and the underlying lithosphere delaminated. Hot asthenosphere rushed up into the lower crust, producing melts that would become the post-orogenic granites of Northwest Spain. You can watch a video of this process on Gabi’s YouTube Channel.
The Carboniferous to Jurassic: Pangaea
The Variscan was one of several orogenies that assembled the supercontinent Pangaea. For ~170 million years, the mountains of Northwest Spain sat in the middle of the supercontinent. Then, about 200 million years ago, the Atlantic Ocean began opening, and separated Northwest Spain from North America again.
The Cretaceous: An Inland Seaway
After the Atlantic had opened, marine waters invaded the coast of Northwest Spain, depositing the limestones that we observed near Atapuerca. Eventually, these limestones formed the caves in which were found the earliest evidence of hominids in Europe. We saw evidence for these processes at the caves near Atapuerca, including Sima de Elefante, site of the oldest European hominid.
Fall 2012: An Amazing Trip!
Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso and Arlo Weil, thank you for an amazing field trip! | <urn:uuid:8debfca6-7697-4a80-9c1b-33dac654a651> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geology.blogs.brynmawr.edu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94505 | 2,587 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Posted June 5, 2009 Atlanta
Communcations & Marketing
Contact Matthew Nagel
Georgia Tech students were awarded the highest number of national scholarships in school history according to the Georgia Institute of Technology Fellowship Communication Program office. Tech had 10 nationally competitive scholarship recipients, including 6 Fulbright winners, which is double the number in previous years.
"Georgia Tech increases its global presence by encouraging students to apply for national awards," said Karen Adams, interim director of the Fellowship Communications Program. "Along with the six Fulbright winners, we had a Mitchell scholar, a Udall scholar, a Truman Scholar, and a USA Today's 2009 All-USA College Academic Team. In addition, a Georgia Tech alumna has just been selected for an ERASMUS award for a two-year program in Germany and Spain."
The Fellowship Communication Program's mission is to assist students with the application process for national scholarships, as well as to help them identify what opportunities might present the best option for them.
"Georgia Tech has phenomenal students," said Adams. "If we give them the proper information and encouragement, along with a little guidance on how to write a nationally competitive essay, then we can continue to see our students achieve these national honors."
Adams says that most students need a little assistance pulling out the details of their own story. The Fellowship Communication Program helps focus students on what will make a difference in their writing and their approach to the application process.
"Students need to tell a story about themselves that shows their values, the kind of impact that their research is going to make, and the kind of impact that they want their life to make."
According to Adams, the Fellowship Communication Program also needs the faculty's assistance in identifying and encouraging students to pursue these national honors. "We are one of a select group of schools in the US able to nominate two students for a Churchill award for a year at Cambridge University, but sometimes we do not even have two nominees. I would like to have suggestions for highly qualified seniors in science, engineering, math, and technology to identify good candidates. They need encouragement now to meet the campus application deadline in September."
Fulbright booklets are available now in French 105. Information about fall Fulbright applications is available online at www.fulbrightonline.org. The campus deadline for Fulbright applications for 2010-2011 is September 18.
The campus deadline for Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates, Churchill, and Gates applications is September 10. Students need to work with the Fellowship office on applications during the summer.
Students interested in scholarship information can contact Karen Adams at Karen.Adams@provost.gatech.edu.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world's premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report's top public universities and the eighth best engineering and information technology university in the world by Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities, Georgia Tech’s more than 20,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Tech is among the nation's top producers of women and minority engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units plus the Georgia Tech Research Institute. | <urn:uuid:66e9fe05-d251-4e30-aea2-e8dfb63d467c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html?nid=39674 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950266 | 666 | 1.703125 | 2 |
03 December 2012
On 5 December 2012, at the Annual General Meeting of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), a Science Slam, or science competition, will be held.
DLR (CC-BY 3.0).
Semi-final DLR-Science_Slam 2012 in Braunschweig
DLR employees have been impressed in recent weeks with the quality of the contributions. Twenty-one teams have competed in the preliminary rounds, which were held at four DLR sites. Each audience voted for its favourite.
An entertaining insight into our science – the DLR Science_Slam
On 5 December 2012, at the Annual General Meeting of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), a Science Slam, or science competition, will be held. At around 20:00, the best DLR 'Slammers' will be on stage in Cologne. This entertaining competition will be streamed live on this website. DLR employees have been impressed in recent weeks with the quality of the contributions. Twenty-one teams have competed in the preliminary rounds, which were held at four DLR sites. Each audience voted for its favourite; these will now face each other in Cologne in the creative battle to determine the overall winner. All the finalists have one thing in common – the vivid performances will present complex scientific issues (in German) in a way that is accessible to non-experts and easy to understand. This will show that science and research is accessible to everyone – and is fun!
Winners of the four preliminary rounds
In his performance – 'Singing Rocket Engines' – the winner of the Stuttgart preliminary round, Justin Hardi from the Institute of Space Propulsion, combines trenchant (Australian) humour with a sophisticated digital presentation. His special necktie supports helps to emphasise his theme.
The winners at the DLR site in Oberpfaffenhofen (Institute of Atmospheric Physics), however, offer live music and singing. Tina Jurkat and the Atmospheric Weather Band sing the song 'HALO WORLD – around the world in 14 days with the High Altitude LOng range research aircraft'. Reinterpretations of some classics of world music take the audience on a journey.
Thomas Dautermann from the Institute of Flight Guidance and Michael Felux from the Institute of Communications and Navigation land aircraft using projectors, construction kits and flexible javelins. Their slam topic: 'Blind landing – or is it? Landing with satellite navigation'. During the preliminary round in Braunschweig, they came in first place.
The winner of the last preliminary round, held at DLR Cologne, is Attila Wohlbrandt from the Institute of Propulsion Technology. In his highly entertaining presentation, he demonstrates the operation of aircraft engines and explains with pen, paper and a tablet how they can be made quieter in the future.
Live stream of the finale in Cologne
So much commitment and creativity deserves an even larger audience. So, watch it and vote via telephone for your favourite on 5 December 2012 from 20:00 – the final of 'DLR Science_Slam_2012', live from 'DIE HALLE Tor 2' in Cologne.
Last modified:03/12/2012 11:45:53 | <urn:uuid:fbb0dd64-3e5c-4d58-9c95-f794b096f7c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10080/150_read-5806/year-all/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908447 | 704 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Twin City's wealth of higher education gives us a competitive edge in the 21st century and is part of what makes its Piedmont Triad Research Park, an innovation community for life sciences and information technology, so dynamic and flush with collaborative opportunities. "Life outside the lab makes all the difference," the park's website states. "The city of Winston-Salem nurtures intellectual and business opportunities, stimulating its residents' creativity and their visions for the future."
Read the entire article here.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
As research extends into higher-level clinical trials involving patients, Targacept is adding to its work force. After spinning out with 24 employees, it expects to hire at least 35 this year to get to 150.
Read more here.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
The federal grant will be matched with $532,711 in cash and $163,500 in in-kind contributions from WinstonNet and its member agencies, said John Boehme, the president of WinstonNet and the director of technical resources for education- and research-administrative systems at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Read the rest of the announcement here.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Click here to get your tickets for this event.
Triad Forensics CEO, Lauren Stainback, will present examples of real CSI cases and the role their laboratory plays in helping to solve crimes and mysteries.
Don't have a science background? NO PROBLEM! These lunches are meant for all levels. A healthy, light snack will be provided but you are encouraged to bring your own lunch.
To Register Contact: Jill Peters email@example.com or 336.7154
September 15th- Office of Technology Asset Management
October 20th- Carolina Liquid Chemistries
November 17th- Ocular Systems
December 15th- Cathtek
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
FYI: The event has sold out the last two years. Get your tickets while they last.
Click Here To Learn More
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have made a “major breakthrough” in how to target and destroy the most malignant and aggressive brain cancer cells.
An announcement from the medical center said scientists have identified a way to target and destroy Glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, cells without harming healthy cells.
“Over the last 30 to 40 years, with all the cancer research efforts out there, we have only been able to extend the survival rate in these patients by about one month per decade of research,” said Dr. Waldemar Debinski, director of the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence at Wake Forest Baptist.
Read more: WFU researchers make cancer discovery - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area
Monday, August 2, 2010
If you've been to the movies lately, to see films like Avatar and Beowolf, you've probably heard about "motion capture." You may know that it's a set of computer techniques that enable cartoon characters to move the way real people do, like the dancing penguins in Happy Feet.
What you might not realize is that these same techniques can be useful in health care, as when physical therapists study the movements of elderly folks trying to reach or to maintain balance as they walk. Occupational therapists, too, can make better diagnoses and recommendations – for example, in drivers' rehabilitation. The same techniques can also inform designs for prosthetic and orthotic devices.
Captured motion data can give choreographers new ways to create dances, and athletic coaches new methods for planning sports moves. Athletes can get new views of their own movements, to better learn how to make the best jump shot or golf swing.
"Motion capture" refers to photographic and electronic means of tracking and digitally recording information about how things move. Example methods involve thermal imaging and high-speed videography.
Often the process involves markers that reflect light or transmit electronic signals. "MoCap" experts place these markers on the articulated joints of dancers or other moving forms, and cameras or other receivers register the changes in location as the form moves. Specialized software tools then enable showing these captured data visually, via computer displays.
Collaborators at the Center for Design Innovation are steadily developing MoCap capabilities. In time, Winston-Salem and the North Carolina's Piedmont area will become known for innovations stemming from these skills and techniques. You can follow their progress and the work of Carol Strohecker, their Director at: | <urn:uuid:dbb0bd4b-ef46-49bd-b5d5-84dcc57497f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tech.winstonsalem.com/2010_08_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922309 | 976 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Although analysts say Google's $22.5 million fine from the FTC is a simple slap on the wrist, they argue that the publicity about it may still push the company to change its ways.
Ending an FTC investigation into allegations that Google used cookies and bypassed privacy settings to track people who use Apple's Safari browser, the company will pay what the commission says is a historic fine.
The settlement also mandates that Google disable all of the cookies it placed on affected users' computers.
"FTC spokespeople seem to be emphasizing that the $22.5 million is the largest fine ever and that it will send a clear 'don't mess with the FTC' message," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "However, Google had more than $12 billion in pre-tax earnings in 2011, which is more than $33 million a day. That means the FTC's record-setting Google fine is the equivalent of a little over 16 hours of Google profits.
"When you look at the big picture, this FTC fine is more like a rounding error than a serious punishment," he added.
According to Olds, the fine is more akin to a traffic ticket than an arrest, not something that should leave a lasting mark.
But while the fine isn't too damaging, what may mean more to the company is the bad publicity associated with it.
"I think the bad press is enough to make companies like Google change their ways, because usually the press precedes any investigation by government agencies, which is sad, to say the least," said Jim McGregor, principal analyst with TIRIAS Research. "When issues like this are identified, the changes are usually made long before any sanctions are handed down."
Olds doubts the episode will change anything for customers or between Google and its competition, but the bad press could be a catalyst.
"It's more painful than the fine that the FTC imposed," he added. "It's this negative publicity that might keep Google from so obviously flouting an FTC order again. And if there is any future flouting, it will be much more subtle and hard to detect."
Brad Shimmin, an analyst with CurrentAnalysis, also pointed out that the FTC fine may be a cautionary tale for other companies.
"I think this is a reminder for Google, and more importantly the rest of the industry, that the FTC is willing and able to take action when corporations fail to adhere to their orders of compliance," he added. "Consumers are willing to overlook indiscretions and errors when those are met with some form of corrective action. But too many of those and too few reparations can undermine confidence over the long haul."
Sign up for CIO Asia eNewsletters. | <urn:uuid:2b89ca7e-ab26-4691-bb36-2c702bcfd80e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cio-asia.com/resource/internet/bad-press-may-affect-google-more-than-ftcs-225m-fine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96906 | 562 | 1.804688 | 2 |
SimplyInfo.org member Dean Wilke only recently discovered Ora Cohen's article with the title "Israeli firm which secured Japan nuclear plant says workers there 'putting their lives on the line'" published online by Haaretz Mar. 18, 2011. In this article the author reports that the operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station that incurred three reactor meltdowns after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Mar. 11, 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had hired the Israeli security firm Magna BSP to provide expert 24/7 security surveillance on the station's premises. The Magna system included a network of sophisticated video cameras canvassing the site from all angles and was active at the time of the accident. Per agreement, only TEPCO is able to access the data. To date, the company has not publicly acknowledged the existence of Magna's system or any footage that may have been recorded with it during the accident and its aftermath. Is TEPCO hiding valuable information pertinent to the accident?
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
On April 25, The New York Times published Gary Gutting's essay with the title "What Do Scientific Studies Show?" written for The Stone. The author argues that much scientific reporting in the media suffers from journalistic misconceptions of the methodological limitations inherent in the reported studies. As consequence, the significance of the findings tends to appear disproportionately exaggerated in the news, particularly when advances in medical treatments are at stake.
Because epidemiological studies, as much as empirical social science studies, profoundly depend on statistical analyses of covariance and correlation, Professor Gutting admonishes that association is too easily confused with causation. He proposes that journalists ought to judge the value of the observations they wish to report, ranking studies by methodological rigor. Essentially, the author encourages the media to evaluate a study's scientific merit, before the implications of its findings are reported in the news. He squarely places responsibility with the news editors and journalists.
I agree with the author that quantitative studies commonly incur the risk of unrepresentative sampling (read my essay with the title "Representative Sampling & The Mind" dated Mar. 18, 2011) and that professional science correspondents should strive to understand the limitations of the empirical sciences and their statistical methods. Best practice and scientific integrity are of utmost importance because of the wide-spread skepticism of science we find in this country today.
However, in some cases unprofessional judgment by the media is not the sole culprit of the undue embellishment of the relevance of new research findings. Rather, the exaggeration may begin with the investigators and the public relation departments of the academic institutions they are affiliated with. Below I provide one example.
Since the catastrophic nuclear reactor meltdown near Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, which blanketed vast areas of Europe with radioactive fallout, the effects of low-level ionizing radiation on public health have been of particular interest of research. The three reactor meltdowns in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, two years ago brought the importance of this topic even more into the awareness of public health professionals. Which levels of ionizing radiation can be considered safe continues to be hotly debated among scientists as much as in the public, while the US Environmental Protection Agency is striving to revise its guidelines on recommended limits (Radiation Protection; Protective Action Guide updates, Mar. 2013).
Roughly a year ago the journal Environmental Health Perspectives published a research study conducted with mice at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Olipitz and others, 2012). The authors could not find any statistically significant effect of low-level ionizing radiation in the mice. A discussion on simplyinfo.org brought this paper to my attention.
I found profound shortcomings in the design of the MIT study and the evaluation of the data. That is, the chosen time of exposure to ionizing radiation was shorter than that used in other studies showing dose-related chromosomal aberrations at low dose rates. Moreover, the investigators elected to integrate the results of separate experiments using different techniques, but no comprehensive statistical tests were carried out on the results. My concerns were published in a letter to the editor (Melzer P, 2012), to which the paper's senior authors responded (Engelward and Yanch, 2012).
Despite the study's shortcomings and of importance to the debate over Professor Gutting's stone of contention in The New York Times, the principal investigators brazenly chose to advertise their findings on MITnews as evidence that low-level ionizing radiation may be harmless to our health and that current emergency planning for radiological accidents may be too cautious in the assessment of the public health risks of ionizing radiation. I cite from Ann Trafton's post with the title "A new look at prolonged radiation exposure" published May 15, 2012:
“There are no data that say that’s a dangerous level,” says Yanch, a senior lecturer in MIT’s Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. “This paper shows that you could go 400 times higher than average background levels and you’re still not detecting genetic damage. It could potentially have a big impact on tens if not hundreds of thousands of people in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant accident or a nuclear bomb detonation, if we figure out just when we should evacuate and when it’s OK to stay where we are.”Conclusion
In my letter to the editor-in-chief of Environmental Health Perspectives, I explained in no uncertain terms why the findings of this study remain ambiguous at best. In their response, the senior authors conceded that they understood their study's limitations. Therefore, it remains difficult to comprehend why the authors made such extremely far-fetched claims with profound implications for public health policy in the MITnews release.
Sadly, news releases that recklessly misrepresent research findings may not seem unexpected. Federal funding vital to investigators and host institutions alike has been tight over the last decade, taking another significant cut with this year's sequestration. The National Institutes of Health currently fund fewer than 1 in 10 investigator-initiated applications for research grants. I have written previously about the crucial role of federal funding in US biomedical research in my post with the title "Research Funding & Lost Treasures of the Mind" dated Oct. 23, 2008.
Regardless of the difficult times, studies like the one discussed here should never be embellished to influence decision making in public health policy. Moreover, news releases like the one above ought never be used to inform the public.
- Engelward B, Yanch J (2012) Radiation dose-rate: Engelward and Yanch Respond. Environ Health Perspect 120:a417–a418.
- Melzer P (2012) Radiation dose-rate and DNA damage. Environ Health Perspect 120:a417–a417.
- Olipitz W, Wiktor-Brown D, Shuga J, Pang B, McFaline J, Lonkar P, Thomas A, Mutamba JT, Greenberger JS, Samson LD, Dedon PC, Yanch JC, Engelward BP (2012) Integrated molecular analysis indicates undetectable DNA damage in mice after continuous irradiation at ~400-fold natural background radiation. Environ Health Perspect 120: 1130–1136. Published online 2012 April 26. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1104294
- Trafton A (2012) A new look at prolonged radiation exposure. MIT study suggests that at low dose-rate, radiation poses little risk to DNA. MITnews.
Friday, February 22, 2013
The disastrous nuclear reactor accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi (number one) Nuclear Power Station on the Pacific coast 120 miles north of Tokyo is nearing its second anniversary. As a consequence of the loss of all electric power after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011, nuclear fuel melted down in three of the station's six reactors.
Destructive hydrogen explosions severely damaged the facilities. The amounts of radioactivity released into the environment has been surpassed only by the Chernobyl reactor accident of 1986. Residents near the plant were exposed to radioactive fallout while evacuating the area. The immediate surroundings of the power station and the region affected by the plume of airborne radioactivity remain highly contaminated today. Roughly 80,000 residents living in the government-declared exclusion zones are not permitted to return home permanently. Only daytime visits are allowed on occasion (see Chris Meyers' report with the title "A year on, only brief home visits for Japan nuclear evacuees" published online by Reuters Feb. 13, 2012). The International Medical Corps aptly summarizes the challenges the evacuees have faced on its Fukushima Prefecture Fact Sheet.
|Gamma radiation-based contamination map (high: orange; low: blue; dose rates can be obtained from the IMC Fukushima Prefecture fact sheet) showing the plume area, radii of the 12- and 15-mile evacuation zones as well as of the 50-mile ingestion zone US citizens were advised to avoid (source: NNSA).|
|Birdseye view of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station in February, 2013. Unit 1 (top, left) has been enshrouded in a tent-like structure to control gassous radioactive effluents. The refueling floor of Unit 4 (top; right) has been cleared in preparation for a new roof structure. TEPCO is in the process of clearing debris off the refueling floor of Unit 3 (left of Unit 4). Note the sprawling tank farm for the storage of contaminated cooling water (source: House of Japan).|
Now, that we are nearing the two-year milestone, the international media have begun to gauge the current state of affairs in Fukushima. In her article with the title "Unexpected Post-Fukushima Health Woes: Depression, Obesity" posted on CommonHealth Reform and Reality Feb. 15, 2013, guest contributor Judy Foreman writes that no noticeable direct effects on public health could be attributed to the exposure to ionizing radiation. She tells us furthermore that an international panel of experts concluded that the estimated effective absorbed doses were too small to warrant any concerns for public health. Rather, the experts warned that radiophobia is deeply affecting people, developing into the preeminent medical condition threatening public health. Ms. Foreman notes depression and obesity are on the rise in Fukushima Prefecture, while Geoff Brumfiel reported in his news feature with the title "Fukushima: Fallout of fear" published online by the journal Nature Jan. 16, 2013, that depression, anger and anxieties were prevalent among the displaced.
Phobia is defined as irrational, disproportional fear. Radiophobia represents the irrational, disproportional fear of ionizing radiation. This diagnosis does not seem to pertain to the evacuees from Fukushima who must face fears of the actual consequences of the radiological catastrophe every day. Their fears seem neither irrational nor disproportional.
Absorbed radiation dose estimates available to date for the people of Fukushima must be met with caution. No resident around the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station wore a dosimeter when the fallout rained down. In their preliminary Dose Assessment Report published last summer, radiation experts convened by the World Health Organization had to resort to computational models to estimate effective absorbed dose averages for the examined population. The averages were extrapolated from recordings of a handful of functional monitoring stations scattered across the prefecture. The recordings were incomplete. The available data did not cover the earliest hours of the accident (see The Mainichi article with the title "Fukushima radiation spread to residential areas hours before venting" published online Feb. 22, 2013). Moreover, it does not account for local variations and the contribution of human activity to individual effective absorbed doses.
Individual absorbed doses may depend profoundly on whether the person was indoors or outdoors at the time of the radioactive fallout, whether residents who stayed indoors were well insulated from the outside air, what produce a person consumed in the days and weeks after the releases, i.e. fresh home-grown groceries harvested in the garden and freshly-caught fish or prepackaged food bought in stores, as well as the source of water consumed. Moreover, medical predisposition, gender and age may have influenced how much radioactivity was incorporated and remains in the body.
Personal whole body counts were not performed early enough after the accident to directly capture the internal exposure to ionizing radiation emitted by incorporated short-lived radionuclides. By contrast, cesium-137 with a comparatively long half-life of 30 years is still concentrating in crops, vegetables, mushrooms and life stock and will persist to threaten the human food chain. A quarter century after the Chernobyl reactor accident, Bavarian wild boar stew must remain off the dinner table because the meat's radioactive cesium content is deemed unsafe for human consumption (see Charles Hawley's report with the title "A Quarter Century after Chernobyl: Radioactive Boar on the Rise in Germany" published by Spiegel International Online Jul. 30, 2010). In Japan, continuously emerging hot spots of cesium contamination may pose ever new local health risks for decades to come, requiring unrelenting, meticulous clean-up as well as persistent, diligent crop and life stock controls.
|Thyroid cancer rates in Belarus after the Chernobyl reactor accident (source: S. Yamashita).|
Furthermore, yet unrecognized long-latency effects may progressively attain prevalence. Pets abandoned in the exclusion zone of Fukushima are frequently found ravaged by viral infections. Though the infections might have mainly been the result of the harsh living conditions in the zone (see Jenny Marder's post with the title "What's the Fallout for Dogs Near Fukushima?" published online by PBS Newshour's Rundown Nov. 10, 2011), high infection rates may suggest that immune responses have been compromised, possibly because of the protracted exposure to low-level ionizing radiation (Manda and others, 2012).
Cat rescued from the Fukushima exclusion zone showing symptoms of a severe viral infection around nose and eyes (source: Touhoku inunekokyuen).
- Demidchik YE, Saenko VA, Yamashita S (2007) Childhood thyroid cancer in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine after Chernobyl and at present. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab 51:748-762.
- Manda K, Glasow A, Paape D, Hildebrandt G (2012) Effects of ionizing radiation on the immune system with special emphasis on the interaction of dendritic and T cells. Front Oncol 2:102.
I thank the contributors of SimplyInfo.org without whom I could not have written this post. | <urn:uuid:f37c537e-5714-4bd6-98a1-03ddc1945a32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brainmindinst.blogspot.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924751 | 3,032 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Open Your Heart
Bhakti: The Yoga of Love
As yoga has evolved over thousands of years, numerous forms and schools of yoga have developed. One of the major yogic traditions is known as bhakti – a Sanskrit term that can be translated as deep devotion or love. Bhakti is the path of the heart. It is the love of God as well as the cultivation and blossoming of love in all of our relationships. As the Vedic tradition teaches, since we are each an individualized expression of God or Spirit, through our relationships with others, we can discover our higher Self.
If you pay attention to love, think about love, express love, respond to gestures of love, and make love the basis for all your choices, then you are practicing bhakti yoga, the yoga of love.
Here are a few specific practices to expand the energy of love in your life.
Whatever we put our attention on expands in our experience, so focusing on gratitude and appreciation is a powerful way to expand our heart energy. One of the earliest advocates of a daily gratitude practice was Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. In the seventeenth century, he suggested that each day for a month we ask ourselves the following three questions:
1.) Who or what inspired me today?
2.) What brought me happiness today?
3.) What brought me comfort and deep peace today?
Writing down your answers to these questions each evening will deepen the power of this profound practice.
Enliven Your Heart Chakra
The heart chakra is the energy center located in the area of your physic al heart. Known as the anahata, the heart chakra represents the unifying energy of love and compassion. When the heart center is open and flowing, you feel connected at a deep level to all beings in your life.
To enhance the flow of energy through your heart, practice chanting the mantra that corresponds with this chakra: Yum. With your eyes closed, spend a few minutes focusing on the inflow and outflow of your breath. Then put your attention on your heart and repeat, silently or aloud, the sound Yum. Repeat the mantra until you feel infused with a feeling of peace and love.
Expand Your Heart with Standing Bow Pose
Standing bow pulling pose, or dandayamana dhanurasana (dan-dee-yah-MAHN-ah don-eh-AHS-ahna) in Sanskrit, is a wonderful pose for opening the heart, strengthening the lower back, and getting centered. As you stretch open your chest, you enliven the flow of energy the fourth or heart chakra.
- Begin by standing with your toes and heels touching and your arms handing relaxed at your sides.
- Now as you flex forward at the waist, shift your weight to your right leg as you bend your left knee, clasping your left hand around your left ankle. Press your left leg back and up as far as you can comfortably. Don’t be concerned if your foot is not above your head. As long as you’re extending your leg to your own full potential in this moment, you will receive the full benefits of the pose. Keep your right hand forward and parallel to the floor.
- Keep your gaze focused on a point 5 or more feet in front of you, either at eye level or higher. Hold the pose for 10–20 seconds, then release and slowly lower your left foot to the floor. Pause for a moment and repeat the sequence on the other side.
Modified: Support yourself on the wall or chair in front of you. Bring the heel of one foot back behind you. Hold on to your ankle or foot with your hand and keep your knees together. Gently squeeze your buttocks. Take 6–10 breaths.
Release Obstacles to Love
One of the most powerful ways to release blocks that prevent the free flow of love is simply to be present. Instead of trying to figure out what an emotion is about, connect to the sensations in your body, which has a natural instinct to discharge pain and heal.
- Take a few deep breaths, sit quietly, and feel the sensations in your body. You might feel tightness in your chest, stiffness in your shoulders, or some other manifestation of the upsetting emotion.
- Feel the sensation without judging it. Just be with it.
- Allow any feelings, thoughts or energies that arise. You may hear the voices of anxiety, anger, fear, or regret. Let the voices say what they want to say. Listen with compassion and understanding.
- Feel the energy of the emotion dispersing as much as it can, without demanding a complete release. Know that body will let go of as much stored emotion as it is able to.
- In a few hours or the next day, repeat the process. You will gradually release the toxicity of stored emotions and open your heart to the present moment.
Practice the Law of Giving and Receiving
The spiritual Law of Giving and Receiving states that giving and receiving are different forms of the same flow of energy. When we give from the limitless joy and abundance of our heart, we increase the circulation of abundance and love in our lives. If we feel diminished when we give or we give grudgingly, then the gift is not truly given. Anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given.
Every act of receiving is an act of giving. When you happily accept a gift, you give pleasure to the giver. Therefore, gratefully receive all the gifts life has to offer: nature, sunlight, food, and friends. Be open to receiving gifts from others, whether it is a material gift, a compliment, or a kind gesture.
Embrace Your Wholeness
The root of the word bhakti is bhaj, which means "to share" or "be part of." To share true intimacy with another requires that you know yourself, you trust yourself, and you love and accept yourself − including all your imperfections. If, like most human beings, you learned growing up that some aspect of yourself was unacceptable or unlovable, we encourage you to embrace your wholeness. Dr. David Simon’s best-selling book Free to Love, Free to Healis filled with healing wisdom and practical tools that help you release negative core beliefs and stored emotional pain – freeing you to love and be loved.
If you want to be personally guided in this powerful process, you may be interested in the Free to Love/Healing the Heart workshop, where the loving Chopra Center staff will help in your journey from constriction to expansion, and from fear to love.
- Stretches the front of body
- Strengthens legs and low back
- Increases circulation of blood to heart and lungs
- Knee injuries
- Ankle injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Hip injuries
- Back injuries
Download a free track from the Chopra Center's Sacred Chants CD >>
Purchase The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga book >> | <urn:uuid:168ca42b-cb01-470a-a80a-64fe1d74c18a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chopra.com/files/newsletter/Sept11/Newsletter-Sept11-yoga.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926558 | 1,452 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Engineers create innovations that make people’s life much easier. Every day we use products that have been designed by engineers. To enter this highly useful profession and provide solution to technical problems to make lives of many people easier, you must have an engineering degree. You can easily earn an engineering degree by getting admission at any of the best New Hampshire engineering degree online colleges for online engineering degrees.
Online engineering degrees provided by the best New Hampshire engineering degree online colleges allow you to design and create the next generation of cars and software. Best New Hampshire engineering degree online colleges provide degrees in many specialized areas of engineering ranging from mechanical engineering to software engineering. Online engineering degrees are very affordable and can be earned in a shorter period of time as compared to campus-based programs.
Best New Hampshire engineering degree online colleges that offer accredited online engineering degrees include AIU Online among others.
Best New Hampshire Engineering Degree Online Colleges | <urn:uuid:bdf4c874-113d-4aae-b942-16bace745fdb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.engineeringdegreesonline.net/nh/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940894 | 182 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Thousands of hours per year of fan-driven air movement combined with electrostatic charges make computers veritable dust magnets. Is all that dust simply a nuisance or is it actually harmful?
Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-drive grouping of Q&A web sites.
SuperUser reader Holy Sheet poses a question about dust and computer hardware:
During the last few days, my screen froze a couple of times. After opening the chassis I discovered plenty of dust beneath my mother board. I wonder if that can cause short circuits.
Can neglecting to spring clean your PC damage it? Let’s investigate.
SuperUser contribute Daniel R. Hicks offers some assurance and insight on the matter:
Dust is a problem from the standpoint of blocking fan vents, or, if deep enough, actually insulating parts, causing overheating, but unless it contains substantial amounts of corrosive or conductive material (in which case you shouldn’t be breathing it), it won’t damage the electrical components (beyond any overheating damage).
What could happen, in some circumstances, is condensation inside the box, mixing with dust and creating a conductive sludge. This would generally only occur if you bring the box in from an extremely cold environment (below 0C, roughly) into a humid indoor environment. The protection from this is to wrap the box tightly in plastic before bringing it indoors, and leave it wrapped for a couple of hours, while it has time to warm up.
Fellow contributor EdH offers some field experience to corroborate the previous assessment:
No way. Unless it over heats. Trust me, I have cleaned server motherboards deployed in Afghanistan for months with inches of dust caked on, still running fine. And as long as you keep them cool, they will survive.
Now, optical drives. That’s a different story.
While you’re at very little risk of a dust blanket shorting out your hardware, heat is the eternal enemy of computers and a good cleaning will help keep things cool (and extend the life of your computer in the process).
For more information on how to clean your computer and peripherals safely and effectively, check out the following resources:
- How To Thoroughly Clean Your Dirty Desktop Computer
- Why You Should Never Vacuum Your PC
- Ask The Readers: What’s Your Tech Spring Cleaning Routine?
- How to Thoroughly Clean Your Keyboard (Without Breaking Anything)
Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.
Jason Fitzpatrick is warranty-voiding DIYer and all around geek. When he's not documenting mods and hacks he's doing his best to make sure a generation of college students graduate knowing they should put their pants on one leg at a time and go on to greatness, just like Bruce Dickinson. You can follow him on Google+ if you'd like.
- Published 10/18/12 | <urn:uuid:d9f0039b-f250-42b5-946c-4f4a20f1b012> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.howtogeek.com/126956/can-dust-actually-damage-my-computer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907477 | 645 | 2.421875 | 2 |
June 05, 2000
Boosted by the hiring of 357,000 temporary workers to assist with Census 2000, total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 231,000 in May. However, private-sector payroll employment declined by 116,000 over the month, following large increases in March and April.
Since the beginning of the year, private nonfarm employment growth has averaged 182,000 a month, slightly below the average for all of 1999 (202,000). In May, job losses occurred throughout much of the private sector, including construction, manufacturing, and retail trade.
Government employment rose by 347,000 in May. The federal government hired 357,000 temporary workers for Census 2000, but employment declines continued in other federal agencies. State and local governments showed little change.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Editor's Desk, Drop in private-sector employment in May on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2000/jun/wk1/art01.htm (visited May 24, 2013).
This edition of Spotlight on Statistics examines labor productivity trends from 2000 through 2010 for selected industries and sectors within the nonfarm business sector of the U.S. economy. Read more » | <urn:uuid:5d38dbac-1df9-46b5-9c4b-ed99f64c0bab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/print.pl/opub/ted/2000/jun/wk1/art01.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93863 | 258 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Posted on | February 7, 2012 | No Comments
Who would have intended that magazine style website design will be the preferred approach by many website visitors? The idea of putting magazine pages on the internet generally disagree with the method. Pages are obviously distinct from shiny sheet of a real magazine. But what web designers and art directors probably did not envision at the beginning is that the customer experience ought to be exactly the same, regardless if the reader is browsing from shiny leaf or from a monitor display.
Website design however has more gain in terms of giving interface towards the website visitors. The shiny leaf of a magazine don’t give clickable possibilities, of course. But what are elements accessible inside the magazine pages that demonstrate to run within internet sites?
Firstly is white or pastel highlighted setting, that increases readability. Various website designers will usually conduct test with the backdrop of the site while they aim to include branding and inventive fundamentals however too much shade can make the site scrawled. White is the color to work.
White is effective as it is very easy to contrast it with large photographic images, or content fonts that require stress. Like magazine readers, internet site visitors are very much graphic individuals so using imagery that catch one’s attention are effective.
Grids inside the web page outline too make your internet site appear specialized, occupied, but systematic. A number of website owners carry out the error of overloading web pages in their internet pages which includes a dizzying assembly of images and texts. Grids give a blueprint which might appear smartly eventful.
If you’re are the web site owner, your target ought to be relating to the functionality which is possible using a internet site. This contains noticeable search button, category-based navigation, plus improved interactivity by enabling your contact page or chat aide that should be available at every page of your internet site.
Merging the philosophy of form and function into your website design, you may expect to present your site visitors the best encounter to make them keep returning to your website. | <urn:uuid:1b32df98-6d2f-4be8-af46-efb7870f9213> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://askkristi.com/how-news-organizations-benefit-from-website-design/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932599 | 415 | 2.09375 | 2 |
|Chinese President Hu Jintao, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), inspects the guard of honor on the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" at a naval base in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 25, 2012. China's first aircraft carrier "Liaoning" was delivered and commissioned to the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Tuesday after years of refitting and sea trials. (Photo/Xinhua)|
China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was formally delivered to the Chinese navy on Sept. 25, which is just an important and normal move in the development course of the Chinese navy. However, certain foreign media outlets deliberately misinterpreted it as a reflection of China’s maritime expansionism, saying the carrier would pose a threat to China’s neighboring countries and upset the geo-strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region.
In recent years, even the slightest move by the Chinese armed forces would attract the attention of many foreign media outlets, not to mention the construction of the strategically important aircraft carrier. Certain countries have made a lot of wild and completely unfounded speculation about the aircraft carrier in order to play up China’s military threat.
As the most advanced maritime operational platform of human civilization so far, aircraft carrier is considered the symbol of a country’s comprehensive national strength and naval strength, and is crucial to protecting a country’s maritime rights and interests.
Most viewed commentaries
Internationalization of Diaoyu issue cannot make water muddy
Greater co-op with China will bring more benefits to US
3 questions for Japan: Intention of
'buying Diaoyu Islands'
How should we protect Diaoyu Islands?
Diaoyu Islands issue tests U.S. political wisdom
Why was the U.S. ambassador killed in Libya? | <urn:uuid:1aa8d1c5-868b-4f4e-af43-083616c9d3e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.people.com.cn/90883/7963598.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935379 | 390 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Schools are classified as “Title I” when more than 60% of the students are eligible for the free or reduced price federal lunch program. To qualify for the free or reduced price lunch, parents report total family income on a form that is provided by the school (Form Number SD1041, Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals). A household’s eligibility is based on income eligibility guidelines issued annually by the federal government. The income guidelines are based on a national poverty index.
Chess-in-the-Schools works with schools where at least 60% of the students qualify for the federal free or reduced price lunch program. | <urn:uuid:ae06ad4b-fdc7-4694-9b38-47d69876ee81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chessintheschools.org/s/index.cfm?aid=14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965704 | 134 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Google, which has watched Amazon.com dominate the market for Web-based computer services, is boosting spending to carve out a bigger piece of the cloud for itself.
It's going to be a long campaign. Amazon Web Services, started six years ago, is used by hundreds of thousands of companies in 190 countries, allowing them to rent servers for their websites, support mobile applications and store customer data. Google has offered cloud-computing services for four years without gaining much traction.
"We missed it," said Amit Singh, a Google vice president, who runs the global enterprise team. "We have to get better."
The Mountain View company is hiring more engineers and salespeople, increasing marketing efforts and rolling out new features for businesses that are demanding faster computing speeds, more storage capacity and lower costs. Google said its customer roster has jumped by at least 10 percent each month this year, with clients ranging from car-sharing startup Getaround to established retailers such as Best Buy.
New revenue sources
The push into Web hosting reflects the urgency of Google's search for new revenue streams outside of online advertising, which now contributes 96 percent of total sales. The company already operates data centers across the globe to manage more than 12 billion Internet searches a month and videos uploaded from 800 million YouTube users.
Yet it's Amazon that has taken the lead in a market expected to grow to $10.5 billion by 2014 from $3.7 billion last year, according to Gartner Inc. Additional competitors include Rackspace Hosting and Microsoft.
"Cloud computing is a very large, very attractive market segment," said Adam Selipsky, vice president of Amazon Web Services in Seattle. "We've actually maintained and, in many cases, extended that early lead."
It's not hard to see why. The percentage of companies planning to use Amazon Web Services rose to 44 percent last year from 35 percent in 2010, according to a survey by Forrester Research. Google's App Engine, the business that provides online server computers, was preferred by just 13 percent in 2011, down from 23 percent the previous year.
"Amazon is just running away with the game right now," said Zachary, whose investments include Twitter and Yammer. Google has "plenty of technology and incredible scale. They just have to execute," he said.
Amazon's record isn't spotless. Its service crashed one morning in April 2011, knocking out the websites of companies including location-based mobile service Foursquare and question-and-answer-site Formspring.me.
Google's efforts have been hampered because it offers a limited number of languages for programmers and doesn't let companies control the operating system and security features. Its customers tend to run smaller, simpler programs, while Amazon clients are willing to hand over their entire Web service, said James Staten, an analyst at Forrester.
Amazon, by contrast, is more flexible. It provides the infrastructure and lets customers maintain everything in those servers and storage boxes at its data centers. Google is building what startups want - a product that lets companies focus on developing software and apps without having to spend extra time and money on mundane matters such as server capacity, said Greg D'Alesandre, project manager for App Engine.
"What we've gotten is an enormous amount of experience in understanding what it takes to run someone else's application," D'Alesandre said. "That's where we want to focus, and that's what we want to be really good at."
While Google entered the market in 2008, the company started getting serious about it a year ago, Singh said. It brought its storage service out of beta testing and released a product to manage databases. It also started distributing programs created on App Engine to at least three data centers, not just one, to ensure the apps keep running.
Beefing up support
The company has beefed up customer support and plans to spend more on sales and marketing around the world.
Meanwhile, the market is getting more competitive. Amazon's business is approaching $1 billion in revenue, according to analyst estimates. San Antonio's Rackspace increased sales at its cloud unit by 88 percent last year to $189.2 million. Microsoft is promoting its Azure services, while traditional technology providers IBM and Hewlett-Packard also are competing. | <urn:uuid:c952d273-c688-4f77-8ea6-385990df52b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Google-plays-catch-up-to-Amazon-in-cloud-services-3547415.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960482 | 879 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Developing eco-friendly logging
Graduate Student, School of Natural Resources and Environment
Logging is an important industry and offers many Third World countries hope of economic development. But when large trees are felled recklessly, they can wreak ecological havoc.
The falling timber smashes everything in its path, and vines running through its canopy act like cables, tearing limbs loose from neighboring trees. Experts estimate that for every tree crudely harvested, up to 30 trees are needlessly damaged or killed.
Vincent Medjibe wants to prevent these situations, common in low-tech logging operations in the tropics. A doctoral student from Central African Republic in UF’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, he’s researching the amount of forest being destroyed by low-tech logging in Gabon, as well as how much could be conserved if loggers used improved techniques to bring down big trees with a minimum of environmental damage.
This practice, known as reduced-impact logging, emphasizes preparation—determining where the tree should fall and how to put it there, cutting vines that connect its branches with other trees, and planning a route to drag the tree out of the forest.
Not only is it kinder to the environment, Medjibe said, it’s safer for workers and yields more usable lumber per tree than conventional methods. He’s the first to study the potential benefits of reduced-impact logging in Central African forests, because the practice hasn’t caught on there.
Here’s why: Reduced-impact logging requires more time and more fuel than cruder methods. But previous studies from countries such as Malaysia and Bolivia suggest that the practice actually has more financial and environmental benefits in the long run.
“The savings in yield more than make up for the extra cost,” he said. “This is what we’re trying to prove.”
Medjibe likes trees, but there’s another reason he’s pursuing this research—global climate change. Tropical forests hold enormous quantities of carbon, in the form of wood. So by preserving trees, he hopes to promote carbon sequestration.
After earning his doctorate, Medjibe, 35, may work in forest management in Central Africa. But he’s considering other options, all of them focused on sustainable management of Central Africa’s natural resources.
“I want to be involved in capacity-building, like training or teaching,” he said. “I also want to get information to policymakers, to help them make sound decisions on forest resources management.” | <urn:uuid:d665eda8-ffcc-4efd-900e-8d908f187a39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ufl.edu/2009/11/23/vincent-medjibe/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946399 | 541 | 3.3125 | 3 |
The American labradoodle, a cross between a Labrador retriever and a poodle, is a popular low-allergen dog. It is a different from the Australian labradoodle, which is being bred with the goal of creating a purebred Australian labradoodle and avoiding the quarantine period required of imported dogs. Some experts urge a dog diet high in omega-3 fatty acids to help cut down on allergens. This keeps a pet’s skin hydrated, decreasing dander flaking. You can also replace carpets with tile or wood floors, as carpet tends to be a holding ground for pet allergens. | <urn:uuid:5abca64f-ae59-491b-a5bf-29ea88906700> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mnn.com/health/allergies/photos/10-of-the-best-pets-for-allergy-sufferers/american-labradoodle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917696 | 128 | 1.976563 | 2 |
On a Saturday morning in late October, leaders of the country’s largest urban community college systems gathered in Baltimore to compare notes. Geographical differences notwithstanding, they discovered they occupied common—if somewhat shaky—ground. In the wake of the Great Recession and the tepid economic recovery that has ensued, financial pressures are distorting compacts between public institutions of higher education and a cohort of 50 benefactors that heretofore had been more or less steadfast in their support.
“I was surprised, perhaps even shocked, at the degree to which the fundamental relationship between states and colleges is shifting,” says Brice Harris, president of the Los Rios Community College District, in Sacramento, CA.
Harris and his peers described an environment in which state governments are pressing public institutions to do more—bolster graduation rates, maintain access, serve as economic engines, improve efficiency—with less. In some cases, states are cutting appropriations and awarding fewer funds on the basis of institutions’ ability to meet newly enacted performance goals. Essentially, government officials are employing a “stick, carrot, and reduced oats” approach.
“It’s different in every state, but when you’re in a room with 20 folks from across the country and you hear story after story, you’ve got to assume that generally it’s a trend,” says Harris. “I think it’s a pretty seismic shift.”
In Harris’s California, budget cuts have unmoored all three levels of what had been the most envied public system of higher education in the country. In fiscal 2012, the state reduced funding of the University of California and California State University systems by $1.4 billion. That cut followed a $695 million reduction, in fiscal 2010, to the state’s community colleges. The result is higher tuition, a diminished capacity to educate students, and lower enrollment at a time of record demand, particularly among fast-growing populations of Latinos, immigrants, and older students.
By some estimates, California’s elementary students of today will enter college in a few years as the least affluent group of postsecondary students in American history. “When you demand colleges and students be much more accountable and you weaken funding, what is likely to happen is students who are educationally and economically disadvantaged—the ones community colleges serve so well—are the ones who are likely to be pushed out the door,” Harris says.
At present, the Los Rios district enrolls 84,000 students, down from 92,000 just two years ago—the direct result of fewer funds and enrollment caps. An estimate based on prevailing trends suggests that the district’s enrollment should be around 100,000. Academic offerings have contracted 6 percent. If not for efficiencies that have allowed the district to maintain enrollments 9 percent above funding levels, it would be worse.
The severity of the financial crisis, the implications for state funding of higher education, and the policy response of states has given Harris and many of his peers reason to question whether the country’s longstanding commitment to post-secondary education will endure.
“I’ve been through a number of fiscal ups and down and initiatives that would seem to change education, but I have never seen what I believe is an environment where the fundamental structure of American higher education was going to change,” says Harris, who has worked in the post-secondary sector for almost 40 years. “I believe that is where we are now. I don’t know what it will look like on the other side, but I don’t think it will look like it does now.”
Laboratories for Policy
Politicians and policy makers are awakening to higher education’s funding crisis. They have proposed a raft of solutions, from President Obama’s recent executive order seeking to make college loans less expensive and easier to repay to the call by Rep. Ron Paul, a Republican presidential hopeful, to eliminate federal student loans altogether. (According to Paul, government loans have driven up the cost of education.)
At the state level, initiatives are mixed as well. The National Governors Association has embraced an agenda for raising higher education completion rates. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, another Republican presidential contender, has challenged educators to create a $10,000 bachelor’s degree, while his Republican peer in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich, has proposed a system of “charter” universities that would receive less financial support from the state in return for greater autonomy in running their affairs.
“The decline in state funding is having an impact on governance and policy changes,” says Muriel Howard, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Frequently, that has meant states adopting de facto policies of cutting higher education support as a means of managing severe financial challenges. Pennsylvania’s governor, Tom Corbett, proposed a budget last year that slashed by half the amount of funds the state would provide to Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh, and other institutions. Between 2005 and 2010, 30 states reduced higher education appropriations.
A database compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures details proposals and actions to close projected budget gaps of at least $183.4 billion in the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years. At the top of the list, sorted alphabetically, is Alabama, which has cut higher education budgets, increased tuition and eliminated university positions. At the bottom is Wisconsin, which cut $250 million from the University of Wisconsin system in the 2012-2013 biennium. The theme repeats itself across the country.
In addition, states’ policymakers have recommended or enacted proposals to change educational delivery models. The goals are to trim, merge, consolidate, or even eliminate various higher-education functions while imposing stricter accountability measures. Washington and California have eliminated state higher education agencies, and Florida’s board of governors has been diminished.
“The capacity to do the public agenda work is under attack,” says Jane Wellman, executive director of the Delta Project on Post-Secondary Education Costs, Productivity and Accountability.
Many observers blame the sector’s current hardship on the recession that began in 2008. In truth, the economics of higher education have been trending poorly for decades. A deep and protracted downturn simply tipped prevailing circumstances into crisis. Now, once-superficial cuts are nicking budgetary bone and hitting political nerves.
A quarter century ago, state funds covered 78 percent of the cost of college, says Julie Bell, education group director for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Today the figure is 60 percent. At the University of Michigan, state support has been declining for half a century. According to the institution, the state’s contribution to the university’s general fund has declined steadily, from 78 percent in 1960 to 23 percent in 2009. During the same period, the percentage of the general fund derived from tuition and fees crept up from just over 20 percent to 64 percent.
Dwindling financial support notwithstanding, Michigan isn’t inclined to walk away from its universities. They “are one of the few things the state has got going for it,” says Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. “They need those universities to play a big role in the revitalization of the state.”
The long-term trend of reduced state appropriations is largely a story of demographics and entitlement-based funding that have constrained state budgets, says Wellman. During economic downturns, states have spent larger percentages of budgets on legally mandated governments functions such as prisons, K-12 education, and Medicaid. When budgets were tight, discretionary spending shrank and investments in higher education suffered.
During flush times, states have been kinder to public colleges and universities, yet the “make up” appropriations doled out during economic recoveries frequently failed to close the gap. Over time, states’ support of public colleges and universities has eroded. “We got squeezed,” Wellman says.
Other demographic trends have exacerbated the situation. Of late, the United States population has become increasingly skewed toward younger and older age groups that use more government services. An age-distribution graph resembling a “U” illustrates the manifestation of imbalances in what economists call “population dependency ratios.”
At the same time, demand for higher education enrollment has been increasing in most parts of the country. Rapid population growth has driven demand in the mega-states of Florida, Texas, California, Washington and New York. Elsewhere, older adults seeking to become or remain employed in tight labor markets are clamoring to attain new skills and credentials.
“Enrollment in higher education in the first decade of [the 21st century] grew at a faster rate than the past three decades combined,” Wellman says. “Add to that the recession and you have an even steeper challenge.”
“Part of the Political Agenda”
For years, neither politicians, policy makers, nor the public paid much attention to dwindling state support of higher education or commensurate increases in tuition. Public institutions were seen as bargains when compared with the cost of private post-secondary education. If students and their families had to pay more each year to offset states’ divestments in education, reasoned policy makers and others, contended consumers were still getting a deal.
“It’s pretty much been a sellers’ market for the past 25 years,” says Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. During that time, “governors and legislatures have been passive. … I think that pattern [of higher cost] is not sustainable. You’ll see some resistance. … The political heat will be on.”By some measures, politicians are already feeling it. A survey taken last year by NCS L asked states’ legislative leaders to identify the issues that are most import to them. Higher education came in third. “It’s never even broken the top 10,” says Bell, noting that lawmakers’ constituents are expressing concern about the affordability of college. “For a long time, they [politicians] weren’t hearing dissatisfaction.”
Callan says polling data confirms that there is “a lot of public angst about the cost of college.” That concern derives, in part, from the perception that postsecondary education is becoming more important. In the past decade, the segment of Americans who told pollsters that college is necessary to be suc-cessful essentially doubled from about 30 percent to 60 percent of people surveyed, Callan says.
As the public’s perception of higher education’s value has grown, so too has its concern about cost. An analysis last fall by USA Today of the New York Federal Reserve’s August report on household debt and credit determined that “student loans taken out last year crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time and total loans outstanding will exceed $1 trillion for the first time this year.” The report noted that American’s student loan debt for the first time exceeds the country’s credit card debt.
“Higher education is becoming part of the political agenda,” says Wellman.
The steady decline in states’ funding of higher education has led some observers to conclude that politicians just don’t get it. Paul Lingenfelter of State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), rejects the notion that “elected officials don’t understand or appreciate the importance of higher education.”
“I see a lot of concern for K-12 and higher education, but [policy makers] are struggling with the political challenges,” Lingenfelter says. “Politicians are competing for public approval, and raising taxes is not a lot of fun. Nor is cutting programs a lot of fun. It is a very challenging time. … We are sort of frozen politically.”
Covering The Shortfall
States are less able to pay for higher education at a time when they can least afford to abandon it. Appropriations have been stuck at about $85 billion for several years. Per-student spending has declined and the ability to provide instruction has contracted at a time when capacity should be growing. If not for federal stimulus funds, which are expiring, the shortfall would have been more pronounced.
State support of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) declined $37 million during the last two bienniums—a total reduction of nearly 20 percent in consecutive budget cycles. Since about 2003, the state has tweaked the way it appropriates funds, setting minimal tuition by statute and affording the regents of individual institutions the opportunity to request increases above the base amount. Increases are subject to approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The state “did that in recognition of the fact that they were not able to keep pace with rising higher education costs,” says Diana Natalicio, UTEP’s president. “It was a trade-off, but when institutions raised tuition, there was an outcry. Suddenly it became our burden.”
Trading lower state funding for greater institutional autonomy has become one of state governments’ favored means of making up financial shortfalls. (Deregulation of higher education, says Wellman, is essentially code for increasing tuition.) Intentionally or not, the policy shifts the financial burden to students while shifting blame to institutions. As a result, “boards of regents are far more sensitive to tuition increases than they may have been at the outset, so they have begun to set increase caps,” Natalicio says.
Institutions that serve less-affluent populations, such as UTEP, have requested more modest tuition increases than peer institutions, such as the University of Texas at Dallas, whose constituents can more easily afford to pay higher rates. Capping tuition hikes as a percentage of the prevailing base rate, however, means institutions that have kept tuition low are less able to raise rates in the future.
“We are trying to deliver a high-quality product at a far lower cost. It is extremely challenging,” Natalicio says. The cap “only widens the disparities between institutions.”
In Texas, as elsewhere, states are also demanding greater accountability from institutions, even as they provide them with fewer funds. About half of all states have adopted policies that use performance metrics to distribute a portion of state education funds, typically 5 percent to 10 percent, says Bell. States such as Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee have moved to eliminate enrollment- based allocations in favor of using performance-funding allocations exclusively, she says.
“We are being challenged much more directly by the legislature on specific accountability measures,” Natalicio says. “The state is becoming much more engaged in trying to strategically shape the direction of universities through incentives.”
Historically, public support of higher education has varied wildly among states. In turn, public policies proposed to address current challenges are likely to vary as well. Just as institutions in the eastern part of the country have tended to be more tuition-driven than their counterparts in the west, so too will states tend to adopt policies that embrace one or another basic philosophy, predicts Bell.
“Some states will say ‘We would like to see this [public higher education] be much more market driven.’ Others will say ‘We have to have a strong presence with public higher education,’” she says. “States will go in different directions.”
In Vermont, tuition constituted 84 percent of total revenue for public higher education in fiscal 2010. In energy-rich Wyoming, fees paid by students accounted for about 12 percent of total revenue, according to a report produced by SHEEO.
“The ability of states to solve financial problems by raising tuition varies dramatically,” Lingenfelter says.
The ability of states to raise tuition also varies considerably. Selective public colleges and universities with well-regarded reputations can charge higher prices and enroll larger numbers of international and out-of-state students. “That has been a pattern,” McPherson says. “A lot of schools do it.”
Regional institutions that are not well known beyond their immediate spheres of influence will be less able to rely on price hikes as a means of offsetting dwindling state support. Institutions serving lower socioeconomic markets that raise tuition are at risk of pricing themselves beyond the means of students and their families. The financial squeeze could put some institutions at risk, particularly public maters and two-year colleges.
Unlike many of its peers, the University System of Maryland system took the lead in defining its relationship with state politicians and policymakers. The system took steps to contain costs, reorganize its administrative functions, and alter policies “to improve the effectiveness of operations without damaging quality,” says William “Brit” Kirwan, the system’s chancellor and chief executive officer.
Beginning in 2003 and 2004, the system moved to align its activities with the state’s priorities on economic and workforce development. Over a period of three to four years, university leaders took $200 million out of operations, retooled academic policies, and limited degree programs to 120 credits. The reformers consolidated backroom operations and began making systemwide purchases that leveraged its buying power. A provision of the overhaul required faculty members to spend more time with students.
“That, in particular got the state’s attention,” Kirwan recalls. The new practices “fundamentally changed the relationship between the university system and state government.”
Since 2008, the system’s state funding has increased slightly and tuition charged for in-state students has risen 6 percent. “We don’t have the resources we need to do all the things we want to do, but we have avoided some of the most serious budget cuts and tuition increases that have impacted so many other states,” Kirwan says. “There is a level of communication and interaction and respect and rapport with state government that has served us very well.”
Looking ahead, the system intends to redesign most of its lower division courses, leveraging technology to make them more affordable and effective. It also has become “much more of a partner with the two-year campuses.”
The university system initiated development of “highly articulated” 2+2 programs (in engineering, computer science, teacher education, and nursing) that allow community college students who earn associate degrees to seamlessly transfer to the university system as full-fledged juniors. By way of achieving the state’s goals of improving degree attainment, the university system is lobbying the state to appropriate funds for scholarships that would help students with two-year degrees earn a four-year degree.
At a time when most colleges are fighting not to lose state funds, Maryland’s universities think they have a fighting chance of convincing lawmakers to increase appropriations.
“This is a moment of truth for higher education,” Kirwan says. “If we don’t step up and begin taking seriously the need to find lower-cost means of delivering high-quality education, it will set our nation on perhaps an irreversible course.”
John L. Pulley is a veteran journalist with expertise in education and information technology. In 2006, he founded the Pulley Group, an editorial services agency based in the Washington, D.C. area. | <urn:uuid:f9076878-0ef5-4691-a606-3e22163eea13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acenet.edu/the-presidency/columns-and-features/Pages/State-of-the-States-0112.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962173 | 4,067 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Definitions and Explanations of Bill Terms
91st Avenue Plant: This fee is based on direct percentages of the sewer charges on the statement, this fee covers the cost of wastewater disposal to, and treatment at, the 91st Avenue pretreatment plant operated by the City of Phoenix. It also includes the cost of modification of and improvement to the plant, relating to environmental regulations.
Account Establishment Fees: Line items in each column on the first bill for each new customer at that service address. These fees cover the cost of beginning the new account, in the amount approved by city council.
Az Wtr Quality Tax: Arizona water quality tax was passed by the State of Arizona 09/27/1990. This tax is based on the amount of water used during the period covered, it is a direct tax by the state, to be paid to the state water quality assurance revolving fund for water quality improvement projects. Any questions regarding this tax should be directed to the Department of Environmental Quality at (602) 771-4756.
Bank Returned Check Fee: A $25.00 US fee for any check returned unpaid by the bank. To satisfy the debt, payment must be made in cash or by certified check and must include the $25.00 US returned check fee. We may resubmit your check electronically.
Base Fee: This is a monthly charge for each meter connected to the city's water line, whether or not any domestic water is used. Base fees are determined by meter size. This does not include costs associated with the water usage or consumption at the property for the period covered, but rather for the cost of the system which provides the service to the property.
Capital: To comply with federal regulations, the City of Scottsdale notifies users about that portion of their charges which is attributable to the capital costs used to provide sanitary sewer service, i.e. construction facilities such as mains and capital improvement projects.
City Tax: Applicable current city tax rate as approved by city council.
Conservation Information: Located on the back of most utility statements, this information is provided by the City's water conservation office, and includes water use comparisons and year-to-date usage. Also see high water usage.
Current Meter Reading: Is displayed on the utility statement. This is the read which was obtained by viewing the meter on the last date of the "period covered" on the statement.
Customer Service Charge: This is a direct cost to sewer customers, for maintenance of the sewer account. It is that portion of the bill that does not contribute to either capital or operations and maintenance of the wastewater system.
Due Date: Utility statements are due 20 days after the "Bill Date" listed on your utility statement. Your payment must be received in our office before the due date. Please allow at least five days for processing if mailing your payment or using the drop boxes. Failure to make payments prior to the due date may result in service disconnection and/or the filing of a lien against the property. If you dispute any amount shown, you may telephone, write or visit our office.
Late Fees: A late charge of 1.5% of the past due balance or $5.00, whichever is greater, will be assessed on any balance forward greater than $5.00.
Meter Size: Is displayed on the utility statement, it indicates the size of the meter being billed on the account. The "base fees" in the "water" column are determined by this meter size.
O & M: Is the term "operations and maintenance". To comply with federal regulations the City of Scottsdale notifies users about that portion of their payment which is attributable to the cost of day-to-day collection and treatment of the sewage. Also see "capital" above.
Payment Arrangement Due: Line item on some utility statements, this is usually the result of either debit charges made by utility billing to correct previously under-billed amounts, or a payment arrangement in certain circumstances for amounts previously billed.
Period Covered: Displayed on the utility statement these dates indicate the dates covered by that bill. This reflects the end date of the prior bill to the date of the current meter read. The first day of the period covered is not counted in the number of days billed.
Balance Forward: Includes any prior billing amount unpaid at the time of the regular billing, including but not limited to late fees, lien fees, returned check charges, and/or disconnect fees assessed. Any amount itemized on a previous statement may be added together for a single line item in this area.
Scottsdale Cares: A program for voluntary donations, administered by the City of Scottsdale Human Services Division, it appears in several places on the utility statement, giving customers the opportunity to contribute $1.00 US with each utility payment.
Service Address: Line item on the utility statement that indicates the address at which the service is provided.
Sewer: That term which is described as either the wastewater from residences, buildings, establishments, plants or industries, or the pipe or conduit which carries sewage to the pretreatment facility. The sewer fees on your utility statement include the "capital", "O & M", and "customer service charge" as defined above.
Solid Waste: That term which is described as either the refuse, debris, filth and all other manner of discarded materials, or the process by which they are collected. Collection includes recyclable materials, brush, and bulk rubbish. Fees and charges are based on service at a rate approved by city council.
State Recycle Fee: Is based on solid waste collection charges. It was mandated by the state and became effective September 1990. This fee is paid to the Department of Environmental Quality to promote and fund the state's research, education and implementation of recycling policies.
State Tax: Applicable current state tax rate as approved by state legislature.
StormWater: The Stormwater charge is used to develop and maintain a citywide cost-effective and efficient drainage system. More information on Stormwater and floodplains is available at ScottsdaleAZ.gov/StormWater.
Turn Off Fee: When the city turns off or attempts to turn off water service due to non-payment of a past due amount, the user is assessed a $55.00 US penalty whether or not the city is physically able to turn off the service.
Usage Fee: This fee is associated with the water consumption for the period covered. This is in addition to the base fee for providing the water service to the property. Also see high water usage
Usage in Gallons: This is displayed on the utility statement. It is determined by the current read of the water meter, less the last read of the same meter, with the difference multiplied by the correct multiplier indicated on the statement.
Wastewater Quality: Is based on a direct percentage of the sewer charges on the statement, reflecting charges associated with complying with state and/or federal requirements relating to improving the environment. | <urn:uuid:fc451489-0e4a-42c5-abef-bc38385a2182> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zmatz@scottsdaleaz.gov/Page4008.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946384 | 1,441 | 2 | 2 |