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The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has just opened the archaeological site on Mount Gerizim in Samaria. A few years ago we drove up to see the Samaritan Passover sacrifice (quite an experience!) but the site was closed. This is the first opportunity in many years to visit and I can report that it’s definitely worth it. Mount Gerizim is one of two mountains that overlook the West Bank city of Nablus (in Hebrew Shechem, of which there are many Biblical references). Mount Gerizim at 886 meters above sea level (higher than Jerusalem) is one of the highest mountains in Israel. Today, the Samaritan village of Kiryat Luza and an Israeli settlement, Har Bracha are situated on the mountain ridge.
In Deuteronomy 27:2-13 Moses and the Elders command the nation to build an altar of large, natural white-washed stones on Mount Ebal (the mountain across from Gerizim) and to make peace offerings on the altar, eat there and write the words of the Law on the stones when they cross the Jordan River into the land of Israel. The Israelites are then to split into two groups, one to stay on Mount Ebal and pronounce curses, while the other goes to Mount Gerizim and pronounce blessings.
According to the Samaritan version of Deuteronomy and a scroll fragment found at Qumran, the instruction where to build the altar is Mount Gerizim not Ebal. The mountain is sacred to the Samaritans who regard it, rather than Jerusalem’s Temple Mount on Mount Moria, as the location chosen by God for the Holy Temple (Make me a sanctuary and I will dwell among you – Exodus 25:8).
At the end of the 5th century BCE, Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, constructed a temple on Mount Gerizim and a large city grew around it and flourished during the Hellenistic period. Religious tension between the Jews and the Samaritans led John Hyrcanus to destroy the temple on Gerizim in the 2nd century BCE according to Josephus (in the Talmud, it is destroyed by Simon the Just). Later when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, the Samaritans were barred from worshiping on Mount Gerizim. In 484CE the Byzantine ruler Zenon constructed a fortified monastery with a Christian octagonal martyrium inside, in honor of Mary Mother of God (Theotokos) – the plan is virtually identical to the Kathisma church on the way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
There are the remains of quite intricate mosaic floors in some of the areas.
In 529CE, Emperor Justinian made Samaritanism illegal, extended the enclosure to the north (destroying the Samaritan temple to its foundations) and built a protective wall around it.
According to Muslim tradition, the tomb of Sheikh Ghanem one of Salah al-Din’s commanders was built on the foundations of the northeastern tower.
In the excavations of the city both public and residential buildings were uncovered as well as olive presses. | <urn:uuid:358383bc-33cb-48ed-9cb1-bade9bacd544> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israeltours.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/mount-gerizim/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951849 | 639 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Google does many smart things. One of the things I like in particular is that rather than just promote the advertiser that pays the most, Google also factors in the click through rate of the ad when they rank search campaigns. This means that if your advertising copy is good, and you are targeting the right keywords, you end up paying much less than your competitors for traffic.
This has never existed in other forms of advertising. Imagine if a television channel went to an advertiser and said, “Your advertisement is so obnoxious that it is causing people to change the channel. That hurts our Nielsen ratings and it costs us revenue from advertisers later in the broadcast. Going forward we are going to charge you three times as much to advertise here.” That doesn’t happen. Yet many of us can point to a TV advertisement that was so bad it had this effect.
Over the next five years this conversation is going to be more mainstream. And this is happening in large part thanks to online video.
Online video is unique. Unlike standard web content, most online video has a pre-roll advertisement in front of it. This means that if the viewer clicks away during the ad, then the content is never watched. Unlike TV content, the advertiser only pays if their ads are seen, so if a user quits watching in the beginning the content company doesn’t get paid for ads later in the show.
The next generation of video ad servers now support multiple ads in a single break. This doesn’t sound hard, but imagine trying to forecast the number of ad impressions each month. Here are some of the questions that you need to solve before you can do multiple pre-roll ads:
1.) If I put three ads in front of each video, how does that impact the number of overall videos watched?
2.) Do some ads cause people to quit the video more than other ads?
3.) What happens if I change the order of the ads I am running?
4.) How many times can I show a single person the same ad before they leave my site?
5.) What is the right price for the first ad in a block, versus the second and third ad?
6.) How does that price change depending on the ad creative?
These questions are all required for a publisher to optimize revenue and yield over time.
In the end this is going to create a new paradigm in advertising that is based on accountability. For the first time there is going to be hard data on which creative agencies produce the best advertising. This won’t be honored by a Clio trophy, but it will be directly measured in their client’s media costs. There will also be a lot more emphasis on media planners. Figuring out the right audience to run creative against is a tough job, and smart media buyers will need to understand a lot of math to run these calculations. Just like in search, mistakes will have a lasting impact on their clients ability to get good pricing in the market. | <urn:uuid:1018d39b-9009-40fa-80be-0e9a50583828> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sigalow.com/2012/03/advertising-innovation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961728 | 617 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Report: Businesses Must Embrace Web's P2P Trend
Companies that try to force customers to use distribution strategies from the brick-and-mortar past will miss the opportunities of peer-to-peer exchanges.
The use of peer-to-peer networking among Internet users -- for example, on controversial music file-swapping site Napster -- is changing the way people exchange information, and companies ignore the trend at their peril, according to a report released Thursday by IDC.
The rise of Napster shows that "virtual communities" have the potential to affect the pricing, packaging and marketing of Internet content, IDC said.
"Communities of e-customers empowered by peer-to-peer (P2P) computing are changing the use, distribution, and value of intellectual capital," the report said.
IDC Canada country manager Michael O'Neil, who co-authored the report, said that marketers "need to understand this sea change now, so that they can build strategies that tap the power of the e-customer affinity and avoid being run over by the unharnessed capacity and enthusiasm of legions of P2P-powered enthusiasts."
Change is Here
As the Napster phenomenon proves, the change has already occurred in music, and "it's pretty much here in video," O'Neil told the E-Commerce Times.
O'Neil pointed to the new movie "Planet of the Apes," which opened in theaters July 27th. The day before it opened, he said, "you could pick it up off Morpheus," a software program that allows the downloading of files.
"Software's just around the corner," the analyst said, adding that "it's only a matter of time before, for example, drug formulas start getting swapped over the Internet," allowing Third World countries to avoid paying exorbitant prices for AIDS treatments and other drugs.
"Napster was much more than just a means of 'sharing' music," O'Neil said. "Napster was the first expression of how peer-to-peer networking enables communities of customers to exchange value and information, and change the structure of an entire industry."
IDC's study, based on a survey of 2,000 Canadian adults, concluded that successful marketers will find ways to work with prospective customers, "while losers will attempt to force their e-customers to follow well-worn distribution strategies of businesses' brick-and-mortar past."
Canada, he said, is a good barometer of the peer-to-peer trend because of the country's heavy broadband penetration. With the growth of broadband, as well as improvements in playback and other technologies, P2P content distribution will only grow, he said.
Among companies, "the knee-jerk reaction is, let's shut down piracy, use the best protection technologies we can, and prosecute, prosecute, prosecute," O'Neil said. "It's more important that suppliers segment their markets, identify those markets they can make money from online, and then build online offerings."
Offering Internet products does not have to come at the expense of companies' traditional distribution venues, according to IDC. Movie production and distribution companies, for example, have an advantage, in that "Planet of the Apes" is much more enjoyable to watch in a big theater than on a small screen, he said.
A substantial portion of the potential audience "would prefer to pay for content that is of reliable quality, and may prefer to observe the laws around copyrights," said O'Neil. If companies recognize this, he said, they can turn the trend to their advantage. Denying it, on the other hand, just shuts off a potential revenue stream.
"Just saying, 'We would rather not do this,' is not going to prevent it from happening, as music companies found out quite clearly," O'Neil said. | <urn:uuid:65ab2186-118c-4481-aa3f-2135d0a2603f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/commerce/12466.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956054 | 799 | 1.9375 | 2 |
When Thomas Rose first spots the girl hidden by the roadside she looks as drab as a lark with only her red kerchief giving her away. But French Hélène who goes by "Ling" is no ordinary bird. Tiny Ling enchants Thomas with her wild spirit and tales of a circus where she danced atop her beloved horse Belladonna. But the horse has been sold and Ling must fetch her back. Now Thomass life as a clever but unschooled wheelwrights son is about to change. Their search leads to painter George Stubbs who euthanizes ailing animals in order to study their anatomy. Stubbs draws eerie horses that stride as if they could move out of the paper world into the real one - but he assures his young friends that their horse is safe at a nearby estate. As Ling and Thomas devise a risky plan to recover Belladonna Stubbs hires Thomas as an apprentice teaching him to read and write as well. In this fascinating story Mary Finn incorporates a real eighteenth-century artist into a beautifully imagined tale of adventure and young romance.
If you use one of Kobo's free reading apps you won't need to worry about download options most of the time. Your Kobo reading app can easily add Kobo Store books to your library for a seamless reading experience.
Download options matter when:
You want to read your book on an eReader other than the Kobo eReader (see here for a list of supported eReaders).
The book you want is only available as an Adobe DRM PDF.
In both of these cases you will need to:
Download a copy of your book to your computer.
Open the book using a free application called Adobe Digital Editions.
You can also use Digital Editions to transfer the book to your eReader. See here for more information on Digital Editions.
You can read this item on your computer using our free Kobo Desktop Application. This application lets you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones. Check out our demo for more information! | <urn:uuid:d7834fb0-b86f-46db-b550-f35dba944e2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Belladonna/book-tTB7bAm5wE6FDgH92aelng/page1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945972 | 426 | 1.625 | 2 |
But critics say the union is not being consistent
An education group recently reported some prosperous years for the Michigan Education Association: The head of the state’s largest teachers union is being paid nearly $300,000 while other top leaders earn more than $200,000.
But some are wondering why a union that supports its members being paid based only on education level and seniority is compensating its leaders differently.
“If the MEA is attempting to attract a high-quality workforce with top-notch compensation packages, why don’t they allow school districts to do the same?” asked Michael Van Beek, director of education policy for the Mackinac Center. “Locked into a union-demanded single salary schedule that treats all teachers like assembly line workers, districts can’t offer a high-quality physics or calculus teacher more money.
“School districts are forced to offer all teachers the exact same pay package.”
But Doug Pratt, director of public affairs for the union, says that MEA executives are paid democratically and by seniority.
“Each year at MEA’s Spring Representative Assembly, democratically-elected MEA members vote to approve MEA’s budget – this includes the budget for executive salaries,” said Pratt in an e-mail. “[The] MEA firmly believes in providing excellent compensation to all employees as a means of recruiting and retaining the best possible workforce for MEA’s members.”
But Pratt denies that union leaders are paid differently than members. “MEA salaries are determined by seniority-based salary schedules. MEA pay is not based on merit.”
A watchdog group critical of the union says this is misleading.
“They have a different salary schedules for their union executives than their other lower-level union staff,” said Steve Gunn, the communications director for the Muskegon-based Education Action Group. “And those [salaries] are entirely different than what they suggest for public school teachers.”
“This reminds me of Animal Farm, where all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.”
Van Beek believes the union is being inconsistent with their pay levels.
“If the MEA held true to its beliefs about what’s best for teachers, they’d pay all of their employees exactly the same regardless of their position or value to the union.” | <urn:uuid:e39f09df-d91b-4949-87a9-d88e0e3600ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/14168 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958883 | 512 | 1.773438 | 2 |
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For information about Managed Servers, please contact us: | <urn:uuid:f00a4972-e7d9-46d2-9bd2-2379a1455a06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://net-master.net/networkservices/managedservers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945184 | 417 | 1.5 | 2 |
We got our flu shots at TIME Healthland HQ this week, which reminds us to remind you to do the same. A few flu shot basics to follow.
What it is: The seasonal influenza vaccine is formulated to protect against the three strains of flu that public health researchers believe will be the most common during the upcoming season. That calculation is based on flu trends observed in the previous year and usually includes two influenza A subtypes and one influenza B subtype.
The 2011-12 flu vaccine protects against two influenza A strains: H1N1, the infamous “swine flu,” and H3N2, a similar subtype that sickened many last year. The influenza B virus included in the current flu vaccine is the “Brisbane” strain.
Some critics say the flu vaccine isn’t worth getting because it doesn’t guarantee protection if, for instance, you become infected with a strain of flu that isn’t included in the shot. That’s true, but it does protect against the three strains you’re most likely to get and, additionally, it can help make illness from other strains of flu milder.
What’s new this year: This season’s flu vaccine comes in a new package, with a much shorter and finer needle than the standard shot — which should make it more attractive to those with a fear of needles. It also contains fewer antigens than the traditional vaccine. The new vaccine began shipping last month. Reported Alice Park:
While the typical flu vaccine uses a 1-in. to 1.5-in. needle, the new Fluzone Intradermal influenza vaccine comes with an ultrafine needle that’s 90% smaller, at just 0.06 in. Both vaccines contain the same antigens, which help the immune system to protect against the three commonly circulating influenza strains this season.
But because of its formulation, the new vaccine contains 40% less antigen material than the regular flu vaccine. That means the same amount of antigen can be used to make more doses of the intradermal vaccine, a useful feature if a flu-shot shortage were to occur this season.
The standard flu vaccine is still on offer, of course, but the new vaccine should be available wherever the usual injection is. Unfortunately for kids, though, the new shot is approved only for adults aged 18 to 64.
Who should get it: Everyone over 6 months of age should get the flu vaccine, provided they don’t suffer from allergies to eggs, chicken feathers or the preservative thimerosal; also, if you’ve ever had a serious reaction to a flu shot in the past or had Guillain-Barré syndrome, talk to your doctor first.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly urges people at high risk of developing flu complications to get vaccinated, including: children younger than 5 (and especially younger than 2); adults aged 65 or older; pregnant women; the morbidly obese; those with underlying disease, such as asthma, diabetes, neurological problems, lung disease, or chronic conditions affecting the blood, kidney or liver; and those with weakened immune systems.
The CDC also recommends a flu shot for health-care workers and caregivers to small children or the elderly.
For specific info about the nasal-spray flu vaccine, which contains weakened live viruses, see the CDC’s webpage here.
Why getting a flu shot is a good deed: If you’re on the fence about getting inoculated because, let’s face it, you’re a healthy, young person for whom the flu would be more inconvenience than tragedy, here’s another reason to do it: herd immunity. Babies under 6 months, who are very vulnerable to flu complications, are not able to have a vaccination. By protecting yourself, you’ll lower the risk of passing infection on to them. | <urn:uuid:2b7d73bc-2ee2-4a22-a48b-fef49bec5294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/13/no-excuses-a-brief-guide-to-the-flu-shot/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941341 | 815 | 2.78125 | 3 |
To get the conversation started for today’s first Twitter Town Hall at the White House, Twitter executives turned to a handful of journalists from across the country to help generate questions about jobs and the economy for President Obama.
Dorrine Mendoza, 42, the online editor for The North County Times, a daily newspaper outside San Diego, was among the journalists invited by Twitter late last week to help find questions. “I am deeply honored to participate,” she said. “I believe Twitter can be the great equalizer. It allows anyone to ask the president a question.”
Ms. Mendoza said most of the questions she is getting from her Twitter followers reflect concerns from military families who live in the region and worries about the economy, expiring unemployment benefits and the California state budget, especially the impact of cuts on education.
Steven Norton, 21, editor of The Daily Tar Heel at the University of North Carolina, said he has been focused on trying to get questions from people living in the South and from college students who are wondering about job prospects after graduation.
“The questions that I hope will reach the president will be a lot about job trends, what jobs will be available for seniors coming out of college and what initiatives are being taken to provide job opportunities,” he said.
Mr. Obama is expected to answer questions from Twitter users for about an hour, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time. The conversation will be displayed in real time on two gigantic screens in the East Room. Questions will be chosen in advance and during the event by Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s co-founder and executive chairman who recently returned to the company.
In addition to the help from journalists, Twitter is also using its own curation tools and working with a partner, Mass Relevance, to help identify the most popular and relevant questions on the platform that use the hashtag #AskObama.
Twitter officials said they looked mostly to journalists as curators to help make sure questions reflected geographic diversity. The journalists include Kara McGuire, personal finance columnist for The Minneapolis Star Tribune; Kim Quillen, business editor of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans; and Drew Cline, editorial page editor for the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester.
Mr. Cline said that he was flooded with questions from Twitter users within a few hours after he made a few posts on his Twitter feed, saying he was asked to be a curator.
“It’s an interesting mix of people expressing their anxieties and fears about their own economic future, people grinding axes, and people trying to ask something that might be noticed amid the deluge,” said Mr. Cline who began using Twitter about two years ago.
The Twitter Town Hall is the latest effort to use social media platforms to help Mr. Obama hear from people outside of Washington, according to Macon Phillips, special assistant to the president and director of digital strategy.
Mr. Obama took questions from Marc Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer of Facebook, at the company’s headquarters in California earlier this year. The event was also streamed live and the questions and answers were displayed on Facebook.
In addition to the @whitehouse Twitter account with more than two million followers, there is a @barackobama account on Twitter with nearly nine million followers. That account is now being operated by members of Mr. Obama’s campaign team.
Campaign officials announced last month that Mr. Obama would post his own updates from time to time to the account, signing them – BO. So far, he is not tweeting regularly. | <urn:uuid:6ca19f56-c9e9-465e-abe4-f0164bfb9767> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/journalists-cull-questions-for-obamas-twitter-town-hall/?smid=tw-nytimes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964072 | 744 | 1.546875 | 2 |
September 14, 2010
Simons on Statistical Knowledge
In a wide range of contexts, especially in criminal law and tort law, the law distinguishes between individualized knowledge (awareness that one’s act will harm a particular victim, e.g., X proceeds through an intersection while aware that his automobile is likely to injure a pedestrian) and statistical knowledge (awareness that one’s activity or multiple acts will, to a high statistical likelihood, harm one or more potential victims, e.g., Y proceeds with a large construction project that she predicts will result in worker injuries). Acting with individualized knowledge is generally much more difficult to justify, and is presumptively considered much more culpable, than acting with statistical knowledge. Yet the distinction is very difficult to explain and defend.
This article presents the first systematic analysis of this pervasive but underappreciated problem, and it offers a qualified defense of the distinction. Acting with statistical knowledge is ordinarily less culpable than acting with individualized knowledge, and often is not culpable at all. Expanding the spatial or temporal scope of an activity or repeating a series of acts might cause the actor to acquire statistical knowledge, but such an increase in scale ordinarily does not increase the level of culpability properly attributable to the actor. I articulate two invariant culpability principles, “Invariant culpability when acts are aggregated” and “Invariant culpability when risk-exposures are aggregated,” that formalize this idea.
Why is acting with individualized knowledge especially culpable? Part of the answer is the special stringency principle (SSP), a deontological principle that treats an actor as highly culpable, and treats his acts as especially difficult to justify, when he knowingly imposes a highly concentrated risk of serious harm on a victim. (Under SSP, speeding to the hospital to save five passengers, knowing that this will likely require killing a pedestrian in one’s path, is much harder to justify than speeding to the hospital to save one passenger, knowing that this creates a 20% chance of killing a pedestrian in one’s path.)
The analysis has a number of implications and is also subject to important qualifications: Notwithstanding the invariant culpability principles, if a faulty actor repeats his unjustifiable acts or expands his activity, that repetition sometimes reveals a new type of culpability: the defiance of moral and legal norms. Accordingly, a retributivist can indeed support a punishment premium for recidivists; in rare cases, when the actor possesses merely statistical knowledge but his conduct is extremely unjustifiable, the actor’s culpability is comparable to that of an actor with individualized knowledge; the higher culpability of acting with individualized knowledge is not explained by a supposed higher duty owed to “identifiable victims,” except insofar as that duty is a crude version of SSP; the decision by an actor to proceed with an activity after conducting a cost-benefit analysis is not, by itself, evidence of culpability, even if that analysis provides the actor with statistical knowledge that the activity will cause serious harm; a legal system can be legitimate even though legal actors within the system know that it will, as a statistical matter, punish the innocent.
September 14, 2010 | Permalink | <urn:uuid:1feeeace-0f1c-4ebe-8ae5-2496a37fe2e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/crimprof_blog/2010/09/simons-on-statistical-knowledge.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945958 | 670 | 2.0625 | 2 |
There are two aspects which are crucial to any civilization, according to Jane Levan: sex and food. If a civilization messes up either of these simple but critical functions then the civilization will decline, and the reasons are pretty self-explanatory. But for Levan, the messing up of food is occurring even in the face of unprecedented prosperity. On a large scale, we’re just not doing it right.
Feeding people is about community. It is about nourishing a whole person by sitting down to a meal together and eating wholesome food together. This gathering together is truly what creates civilization, and our dominant culture tends to drive us away from this primal need. Jane is doing her part to bring back this critical social function along with her husband Terry, by providing nutritious, high quality chicken at farmer’s markets and to restaurants in and around Austin.
I arrive on Dewberry Hills Farm early on a crisp February morning, and Terry and Jane have already been up and working with their weekend employee Chaz for a few hours. Terry is repairing the brakes on his tractor, and while he works, he and Jane chat with me about life on a chicken farm in Lexington, TX.
Dewberry Hills wasn’t always a chicken operation. Terry and Jane initially moved to the land to give a home to their horses, which they’d been boarding when they lived in Austin. It seemed better in the long run for both the horses and the Levan’s pocket book to move to greener pastures. The land seemed like a good opportunity to farm, so they began raising chickens for their own personal use. Production quickly outpaced consumption, and with more food on their hands than they could possibly eat, they began giving the chickens to friends and neighbors.
A neighbor approached Terry to tell him that the chicken they had given her was the best chicken she’d ever eaten, and she suspected they’d find plenty of customers who felt the same way. So they began raising chickens full-time and selling them at farmer’s markets.
Since moving to the farm, the Levans had become familiar with the Polyface Farms method of pasture rotation. Joel Salatin’s theories of farming really resonated with the Levans because of its humane, sustainable, and scalable nature. Using much of the advice laid out in Pastured Poultry Profits, Terry and Jane designed their farm with mobile chicken houses that could be rotated onto different plots of land each morning.
Raising chickens sustainably and humanely is certainly good for the conscience; it’s also completely practical for the farm’s bottom line. Green grass abounds without any effort on the part of the Levans, even in the cold of February. Take a look at the ranches to either side of their property planted with grass engineered by scientists at Texas A&M, and the difference is remarkable. By following the rules of nature and the logic of husbandry, the animals work in tandem with the earth over time to transform the sandy loam of the Lexington landscape into nutrient-rich soil. The horses graze happily on the fresh grass aerated and fertilized by the chickens, and the cycle repeats indefinitely.
Sustainability factors into just about everything that happens on Dewberry Hills Farm. Baby chicks are housed by age group in various repurposed buildings. The coolest one is an old WWII army shed – now lined with soft bedding and perfect for sheltering the youngest chickens. In the field, mobile chicken houses feature frames made of reused PVC pipes and roofs made of stretched canvases that once were billboards. Terry’s design is perfectly adapted to the changing Texas weather. In winter the houses are completely enclosed, but during the warmer months the bottom tarps are removed to allow air to flow through the houses. If there’s a way to reuse an item for a new purpose on the farm, the Levans have done it. It makes good sense to them both as stewards of the farm and as entrepreneurs interested in saving money.
Dewberry Hills processes all the chickens on site, too, so the chickens never experience the extreme stress of transport to processing plants. In the commercial agricultural model, chickens are transported in closely confined containers without food or water for up to 48 hours, and often otherwise healthy chickens will die under this duress. By eliminating this unnecessary stress, the chickens are as healthy as they can be right up to the point of slaughter. All waste disposal of bird parts is handled by the farm’s vulture flock, a couple of which are welfare vultures that can’t fly. Not only is it legal to dispose of fowl processing waste by using vultures, it’s environmentally preferable and you guessed it – economically practical. There’s another advantage to processing the chickens on site. Jane has complete quality control over the birds. If she sees irregularities in the organs of a chicken as she is processing it, that chicken is not going to be sold at a market or to a restaurant.
Quality is of utmost importance to Jane. She and Terry are nourishing the families who buy their chickens and whom they usually know by name. The Levans want to work towards a civilization where people know their food providers, who care about one another, and who build an honest and caring world. For them, that starts with open and honest food. If they wouldn’t eat it, you can rest assured they will not sell it to you. | <urn:uuid:20cd2d79-34bd-4d2a-8bf4-9199499e7d76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://littlebirdimages.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/85/ | 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 | 0.968233 | 1,130 | 2.015625 | 2 |
FindLaw KnowledgeBasePublished: 2011-12-28
The United States economy could be missing out on highly-educated, skilled foreign employees because of a temporary work visa process that is seen as inflexible and burdensome. Some critics have called for reform, saying that qualifying for the H-1B visa, which authorizes temporary work status to foreign workers for certain occupations, involves too much time and trouble filling out paperwork then waiting.
The sponsoring employer must file a lengthy petition and paperwork regarding labor conditions. Then, they must show that the foreign worker holds, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. In addition, the specific job the worker plans to enter must fall into a “specialty occupation” category. Examples include architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts.
Even if these requirements are met, a temporary work visa is far from guaranteed; the number of H-1B visas awarded annually is capped at 65,000. Commentators and politicians debate whether to update the approval process and whether to increase the cap. Until they reach consensus, however, completing the H-1B petition and receiving approval will be an uphill battle for employers and prospective employees.
Drop in Petitions Filed Linked to Burdensome Process
Historically, the H-1B visa has been in high demand. According to foreign affairs commentator James P. Dougherty, as recently as 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reached the 65,000-visa cap in one day. In 2011, that number dropped to only 16,500 petitions filed. This decline in interest is an indication that employers and foreign employees need assistance navigating the visa process.
In an essay for CNN, Dougherty wrote that the U.S. visa system is often perceived as unfriendly, long and unpredictable. Reform, he said, will spur innovation. Efforts to simplify and speed up the petition process could lead to more U.S. employers bringing in well-trained, intelligent workers to boost their companies and in turn, the national economy.
Employers and foreign workers seeking an H-1B visa should consult with a knowledgeable immigration lawyer to ensure that they meet all requirements and that all necessary paperwork is filed correctly and on time. To prevent delay and take advantage of employment opportunities, those seeking authorization as a temporary worker should contact a skilled immigration attorney to be sure that the visa petition complies with the government’s requirements. | <urn:uuid:cc0b2880-438b-4fec-bbc4-0221963a6dec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2011/Dec/477424.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95634 | 525 | 1.921875 | 2 |
gzt: How does emergency dialing work on this kind of service?
Bee: +1 How DOES emergency dialling work with VOIP? my understanding is that it doesnt? so if everyone goes fibre and VOIP then we have a big problem if for instance the power goes out at night and you then start a fire by tripping over your gas heater and you dont have a mobile phone... or is there some solution for this?
sbiddle: Emergency calls with VoIP using a "quality" NZ based VoIP operator should be no different to a Telecom PSTN landline. Dial 111 and you're connected to the operator.
In the UFB world all ONT's / RGW's will be installed with a UPS. This is exactly how existing Telecom Wholesale FTTH installations are done and how FTTH installs are done everywhere in the world. Plan for maybe 8 - 12 hours backup before your connection goes down.
Like the PSTN now the weakest link is cordless phone that many people rely on that has no power to operate. It was an issue that many people in Chch discovered after the earthquakes when the PSTN was up and running but because of no power people couldn't make calls.
So I think you are saying with naked dsl + voip there is no inbuilt provision for emergency dialing in the case of power loss - the end user needs to supply a small UPS of some kind to mitigate power loss.
With fibre based Ultra Fast Broadband services you are saying the telco provides a small local UPS good for about 8-12 hours.
My pick for the cases above would be one with a solar charge adaptor I think.
With cordless phones civil defense needs to add 'have a corded phone' to the emergency kit if it is not there already. | <urn:uuid:c0940691-11f7-4917-9e05-21917a4fcae1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=86869 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957002 | 372 | 1.539063 | 2 |
What Newspapers Must Do To Survive Online: Customize!
from the yes,-but... dept
A long, but very interesting article from Vin Crosbie outlining what he believes newspapers must do to stay alive in an online world. He lays out his argument very carefully, and it's clear that he's done a lot of thinking about this and just as much research to back up his point. He gives a history of the newspaper business, and how it's been having trouble. He looks at current online efforts and how they fail to help solve the fundamental problems facing newspapers today (falling readership, fewer and fewer young readers). He points out that most newspapers are simply taking their offline content and tossing it online. This is cheap and easy, but does little to help solve the real problems. The whole point of the internet, of course, is that it's interactive and limitless. There aren't a limited number of pages that hold back how much content you can put online. Thus, his point is that newspapers need to create very customized content - pulling from a huge variety of sources, so that any reader gets the stories he or she wants. Furthermore, he says this content needs to be available and formatted for a variety of devices, since he believes many people will use wireless to read this ultra-customized newspaper. The points are all very well made, but here's the thing: I already have that and I don't need a newspaper company to provide it. It's called the web, and it lets me access whatever I want and "build" my own customized newspaper (and even format it for non-PC devices). In fact, with tools like Google, Bloglines, Feedster, RSS and whatever else people are using these days, many people are already doing this. So, what's the newspaper's role in all of this? | <urn:uuid:8477fb97-ffcc-4c3b-8253-40a4b6a646b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20040304/0224236.shtml?threaded=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978741 | 375 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Education and Spending in America – From a Carton of Milk to College DebtCertification Map | No Comments »
It can be difficult to imagine how the 20 cents you give your child each day for a subsidized carton of milk affects the $11 billion the federal government spends annually on school lunch. Especially during an election season a lot of numbers get thrown around and it can be hard to put them into context. One billion dollars for new technology in schools might sound like a lot until you find out that’s the same amount being spent on test preparation.
We’ve put together this infographic on education and spending to help our readers understand how their local school and their child’s education fits in the big picture of American education. We’ve divided the spending into different categories to help you keep track of how what might seem like a small number can really add up. | <urn:uuid:470e73b0-c292-4f9c-adcf-a51b31a42877> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://certificationmap.com/education-and-spending-infographic/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957895 | 180 | 1.90625 | 2 |
When it comes to approving medical devices for patients to use, the Food and Drug Administration is handcuffed by conflict of interest rules that it says slow the process. A bipartisan trio of senators have introduced a bill that would ease the rules in favor of getting devices approved quicker, possibly at the expense of medical ethics.
Reuters reports the bill would counteract a 2007 law that stopped advisory panelists with ties to either the companies that manufacture the devices or their competitors from serving without waivers. The FDA said the law makes it difficult to find experts to fill out its panels, hurting patients by holding beneficial devices in limbo.
According to the senators, the new legislation would hold expert panelists to similar requirements in other areas of the federal government. A like-minded law is said to be in the works in the House of Representatives.
Skeptics, which include patients and consumer advocates, say the legislation is unnecessary because the FDA isn’t looking hard enough for experts and doesn’t use up its allotment of waivers. | <urn:uuid:0559ef17-0d50-4d34-b39e-d3de7c8bfe77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://consumerist.com/2011/10/14/senate-bill-would-streamline-medical-device-approval/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970698 | 205 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Smallest Baby Was Delivered at 25 Weeks
Delivered at a gestational age of 25 weeks, Rumaisa Rahman weighed only 8.6 ounces and is the smallest baby ever to survive, according to her very proud doctors at Loyola University Medical Center. [Sun Times]
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This is so cool! :)
Posted by: Stacy L. Harp at December 21, 2004 1:59 PM
That so nice to hear that their still with you my sons in the hospital and he's been in thier for about 2 and a half months hes stiil practacly on life support well i wish you guys luck my mom has triplets and they are 4years and she has 2 younger so good luck. you are so lucky Loretta. sorry if some words are wrong.
Posted by: loretta at February 15, 2005 10:13 AM
Our daughter was born at 25 weeks and just one day. She weighed 13 oz and was 10 inches long. She was hospitalized for 4 months to the day and weighed 6lbs exactly when she cam home.
She is such a blessing now, walking clapping waving bye and the constant baby talk. Developmentally she is between her gestational and birth age! PRAYER! | <urn:uuid:d684d218-2075-4f7a-8efd-e1e96c7b825f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blogicus.com/archives/smallest_baby_was_delivered_at_25_weeks.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953098 | 407 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Please see the below press release from our partners at the campaign to regulate marijuana like alcohol:
New Government Survey Highlights Need to Regulate Marijuana and Control Sales to Teens
Centers for Disease Control survey shows significantly more teens using marijuana nationally than cigarettes; Meanwhile, teen marijuana use in Colorado down since 2009
DENVER – The High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control highlights the need to regulate marijuana in order to reduce availability and use among teens.
Significantly more teens in the United States are using marijuana than cigarettes, according to the survey. Just more than 23 percent of high school students nationwide reported using marijuana within 30 days of taking the latest survey, up from 20.8 percent in 2009. Meanwhile, 18.1 percent reported past-30-day cigarette use, down from 19.5 percent in 2009.
“Marijuana prohibition has utterly failed to reduce teen access to marijuana, and it is time for a new approach,” said Betty Aldworth, advocacy director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. “Strictly regulating tobacco and restricting sales to minors has lent to significant decreases in use and availability, and we would almost surely see the same results with marijuana.”
Previous studies have shown that cigarette use and availability among teens, which had been sharply increasing in the early 1990s, began steadily declining shortly after the 1995 implementation of the “We Card” program, a renewed commitment to strictly restrict the sale of tobacco to young people.
“By putting marijuana behind the counter, requiring proof of age, and strictly controlling its sale, we can make it harder for teens to get their hands on it,” Aldworth said.
Interestingly, the CDC report also found that Colorado has bucked the national trend of increasing teen marijuana use. Nationwide, past-30-day marijuana use among high school students climbed from 20.8 percent in 2009, to 23.1 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, in Colorado, it dropped from 24.8 percent to 22 percent. It is worth noting that from 2009 to 2011, Colorado enacted strict state and local regulations on the production and sale of marijuana for medical purposes, whereas no such regulations were implemented throughout the rest of the country.
“This report suggests that even the partial regulation of marijuana could decrease its availability to teens,” Aldworth said. “Those who shrug off this mounting evidence are shrugging off the health and safety of our young people.”
# # #
You must be logged in to post a comment. | <urn:uuid:347bf0bc-09a0-4a56-b4bb-465146417150> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cannabisalliance.org/2012/06/11/regulate-marijuana-reduces-teen-use/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941939 | 527 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Everyone thought Portia Winters had lost it.
Why, her curious friends asked, would she even consider owning a racehorse who had lived and competed on a track for eight years?
He’d be lame, they chorused. He’d have battle scars, they reasoned.
Winters knew better.
Having spent the better part of her equine career retraining and reselling animals that others might not have given a second look, she was fairly confident that Neartic Ice could be let down from a long, winning career at the Fort Erie racetrack, and emerge as a wonderful riding horse.
So, when Canadian jockey, and friend, Francine Villenueve-Anderson extolled the animal’s work ethic—even when he’s sore, she was told, Neartic Ice will push through it and keep on going —Winters was eager to meet the gelding who earned more than $160,000 in winnings.
Anderson says she watched the horse labor year after year at the Fort Erie track, where she earned a great racing record herself, and that she deeply admired the equine athlete.
“I just admired the old guy for running so hard every time out, and I could see his career was coming to an end,” Anderson says. “I wanted to make sure he was rewarded for his hard work.”
She contacted Winters and described his virtues so well that his future owner came to think of him as a survivor, long before they met. After all, he had pushed himself to win, year after year, past the time other racehorses would have retired.
But now in the Winter of 2009, as she took in the full spectacle of his physical presence, her jaw nearly dropped. Not only was the sleek, dark horse beautiful, but his condition was immaculate. Those legs her friends feared would be dinged up and bearing battle scars? They were clean as a whistle! “There wasn’t even a sign of a small bow,” she says.
Race name: Neartic Ice
Barn name: Batman
Sire: King Neartic
Dam: Golden Gallary, by Barachois
Foal date: May 4, 1997
Earnings: 160,695And his coat, so dark, nearly black, shone without a blemish. Or, even a speck of white.
“When my friends saw him, they were all so impressed because his legs were so clean,” she says. “Even my daughter couldn’t believe it. I think everyone definitely had a different opinion once they saw him.”
He settled into the Pasco County, Fla. barn where she boards and teaches lessons, and Winters started working with him.
Having re-trained approximately 50 other ex-racehorse Thoroughbreds, Winters learned quickly that the horse they all called Batman, had no patience for 20-meter circles in a riding ring.
The more bored he got with flatwork, the more anxious he became.
So, Winters decided to shake things up by taking him foxhunting!
“He loved it! The more chaotic it is, the calmer he becomes,” she says. “When you think about it, life on the track can be chaotic, and I think some horses like it. Batman just goes into a zone when there’s commotion all around him.”
Amid the chaos, he shines. He puts his head down and gets to work.
Again, to the amazement of friends who’d previously warned that the horse would “kill her” on a foxhunt, Batman went through, around or over every obstacle and every challenge he confronted.
“Absolutely nothing fazes him with the foxhunts, or at a hunter/pace, not even the carriage horses,” she says. “At home, it’s a different story. When it’s quiet he’ll start paying attention to the wind blowing through the grass and go on high alert.”
In all the years of working with horses—her career includes stints as an exercise rider, an owner/operator of a boarding and training facility, and currently, Winters is a vet tech for an equine services company—it has been the rare horse who has wormed his way into her heart the way Batman has.
“I’ve had two other Thoroughbreds before him who stayed with me until their last days. My last Thoroughbred gelding stayed with me until he was 21, and died of liver failure.
“Now I have Batman, and there’s just something about him; he’ll be with me until his last days.”
In him, she may never have a show horse on a par with the many talented animals she has started, but with Batman, she has an animal she can respect. He worked hard at the track. He pushed himself to perform. And now he’s very brave when she asks him.
“He’d go through anything for me. The first time I took him foxhunting, he was in a new place, with horses all over the place, and dogs running around his legs,” she says. “He took it all in stride. He never bolted; he never flipped out; he never got worried.”
In the barn where Batman lives, there are many well-heeled Warmbloods, and some very fancy Thoroughbreds, purchased directly from the major sales, but never raced.
Each one is owned by an equestrian with strong opinions on which horses make the best riding prospects, and for whom.
And few believed the seasoned track campaigner would be a good fit for Winters.
But, three years later, even the most skeptical has had a change of heart.
“People say it’s amazing how well we’ve bonded,” she says. “They tell me that when Batman hears my truck, he looks around for me.
“When I walk down the aisle of the barn, he starts whinnying for me, and if I go out to his eight-acre paddock at night, where he’s turned out, he’ll walk right over to me.
“He’s one horse I’ll never sell.” | <urn:uuid:859c801d-e4cc-4e6d-a49d-0a73a596da6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://offtrackthoroughbreds.com/2012/02/10/neartic-ice-finishes-campaign-in-sunny-fl/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986848 | 1,361 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The Albany Symphony presented a stunning concert to a packed house Saturday evening. It began with a startlingly-different work called "Erasure Scherzo" by new composer-educator partner Ted Hearne. Only five minutes long, it had a memorable beginning with a repeating group of phrases somewhat in the style of Steve Reich. Then, suddenly, just as it was changing in length, the music stopped.
Conductor David Alan Miller kept conducting, waving his hands in the air while no one played, for several measures. When the music started again, it was completely different. This stop-and-start style, with little clips of music in different styles and centuries, reminded one of tuning in a radio. Somehow it all worked, and was quite hilarious yet musically done, a very tough thing to accomplish. Bravo to the orchestra for holding it all together with no discernible errors.
Valentina Lisitsa, the Ukranian-American soloist in Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor played flawlessly, if a bit under volume, not helped by the dead spot on the stage overhang. Rachmaninoff has such luxurious melodies and rich harmonies that one can fall into a trance. The second movement was powerful in its simple beauty, brought out by the fine performance of soloist and symphony.
The powerhouse of the evening was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor. For this, the orchestra became a Russian ensemble, with strident upfront brass and soaring strings. The strings have become the strongest part of this orchestra – a vast improvement from 20 years ago – due to Miller's molding and shaping this ensemble. Miller conducts as if every phrase was the most important one in the music, his whole body and face becoming totally engaged as he dramatizes the musical lines. His tempos are also right on the mark. It is a pleasure to experience the growth of the Albany Symphony through the years due to this dedication. Furthermore, he conducted without a score.
Not everything was perfect, though, as the winds, especially the horn section, needed some work in their intonation at times and the woodwinds sometimes did not project very well. However, William Hughes aced the famous horn solo in the second movement, to great satisfaction.
Tchaikovsky's last movement, a combination of complex rhythms, changing moods and gorgeous culminating melody, was played with daring speed and audacity, creating intense excitement, and providing a fitting end to a successful concert.
Priscilla McLean is a freelance writer and composer/performer.
Albany Symphony Orchestra
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Palace Theater, Albany
Length: Two hours and fifteen minutes, with one intermission | <urn:uuid:ef0e8c02-1b04-4b6f-97ba-bc08329d502d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/Symphony-hits-it-right-on-Saturday-3888037.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962505 | 574 | 1.5 | 2 |
Click on any phrase to play the video at that point.Close
Probably a lot of you know the story of the two salesmen who went down to Africa in the 1900s. They were sent down to find if there was any opportunity for selling shoes, and they wrote telegrams back to Manchester. And one of them wrote, "Situation hopeless. Stop. They don't wear shoes." And the other one wrote, "Glorious opportunity. They don't have any shoes yet." (Laughter)
Now, there's a similar situation in the classical music world, because there are some people who think that classical music is dying. And there are some of us who think you ain't seen nothing yet. And rather than go into statistics and trends, and tell you about all the orchestras that are closing, and the record companies that are folding, I thought we should do an experiment tonight -- an experiment. Actually, it's not really an experiment, because I know the outcome.
But it's like an experiment. Now, before we -- (Laughter) -- before we start, I need to do two things. One is I want to remind you of what a seven-year-old child sounds like when he plays the piano. Maybe you have this child at home. He sounds something like this. (Piano) I see some of you recognize this child. Now, if he practices for a year and takes lessons, he's now eight and he sounds like this. (Piano) Then he practices for another year and takes lessons -- now he's nine. (Piano) Then he practices for another and takes lessons -- now he's 10. (Piano) At that point, they usually give up. (Laughter) (Applause) Now, if you'd waited, if you'd waited for one more year, you would have heard this. (Piano)
Now, what happened was not maybe what you thought, which is, he suddenly became passionate, engaged, involved, got a new teacher, he hit puberty, or whatever it is. What actually happened was the impulses were reduced. You see, the first time, he was playing with an impulse on every note. (Piano) And the second, with an impulse every other note. (Piano) You can see it by looking at my head. (Laughter) The nine-year-old put an impulse on every four notes. (Piano) And the 10-year-old, on every eight notes. (Piano) And the 11-year-old, one impulse on the whole phrase. (Piano)
I know -- I don't know how we got into this position. (Laughter) I didn't say, "I'm going to move my shoulder over, move my body." No, the music pushed me over, which is why I call it one-buttock playing. (Piano) It can be the other buttock. (Piano) You know, a gentleman was once watching a presentation I was doing, when I was working with a young pianist. He was the president of a corporation in Ohio. And I was working with this young pianist and I said, "The trouble with you is you're a two-buttock player. You should be a one-buttock player." And I moved his body like that, while he was playing. And suddenly, the music took off. It took flight. There was a gasp in the audience when they heard the difference. And then I got a letter from this gentleman. He said, "I was so moved. I went back and I transformed my entire company into a one-buttock company." (Laughter)
Now, the other thing I wanted to do is to tell you about you. There are 1,600 people, I believe. My estimation is that probably 45 of you are absolutely passionate about classical music. You adore classical music. Your FM is always on that classical dial. And you have CDs in your car, and you go to the symphony. And your children are playing instruments. You can't imagine your life without classical music. That's the first group; it's quite a small group. Then there's another group, bigger group. These are the people who don't mind classical music. (Laughter) You know, you've come home from a long day, and you take a glass of wine, and you put your feet up. A little Vivaldi in the background doesn't do any harm. (Laughter) That's the second group. Now comes the third group. These are the people who never listen to classical music. It's just simply not part of your life. You might hear it like second-hand smoke at the airport, but -- (Laughter) -- and maybe a little bit of a march from "Aida" when you come into the hall. But otherwise, you never hear it. That's probably the largest group of all.
And then there's a very small group. These are the people who think they're tone-deaf. Amazing number of people think they're tone-deaf. Actually, I hear a lot, "My husband is tone-deaf." (Laughter) Actually, you cannot be tone-deaf. Nobody is tone-deaf. If you were tone-deaf, you couldn't change the gears on your car, in a stick shift car. You couldn't tell the difference between somebody from Texas and somebody from Rome. And the telephone. The telephone. If your mother calls on the miserable telephone, she calls and says, "Hello," you not only know who it is, you know what mood she's in. You have a fantastic ear. Everybody has a fantastic ear. So nobody is tone-deaf.
But I tell you what. It doesn't work for me to go on with this thing, with such a wide gulf between those who understand, love and [are] passionate about classical music, and those who have no relationship to it at all. The tone-deaf people, they're no longer here. But even between those three categories, it's too wide a gulf. So I'm not going to go on until every single person in this room, downstairs and in Aspen, and everybody else looking, will come to love and understand classical music. So that's what we're going to do.
Now, you notice that there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that this is going to work if you look at my face, right? It's one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he's leading to realize whatever he's dreaming. Imagine if Martin Luther King had said, "I have a dream. Of course, I'm not sure they'll be up to it." (Laughter)
All right. So I'm going to take a piece of Chopin. This is a beautiful prelude by Chopin. Some of you will know it. (Music) Do you know what I think probably happened in this room? When I started, you thought, "How beautiful that sounds." (Music) "I don't think we should go to the same place for our summer holidays next year." (Laughter) It's funny, isn't it? It's funny how those thoughts kind of waft into your head. And of course -- (Applause) -- and of course, if the piece is long and you've had a long day, you might actually drift off. Then your companion will dig you in the ribs and say, "Wake up! It's culture!" And then you feel even worse.
But has it ever occurred to you that the reason you feel sleepy in classical music is not because of you, but because of us? Did anybody think while I was playing, "Why is he using so many impulses?" If I'd done this with my head you certainly would have thought it. (Music) And for the rest of your life, every time you hear classical music, you'll always be able to know if you hear those impulses.
So let's see what's really going on here. We have a B. This is a B. The next note is a C. And the job of the C is to make the B sad. And it does, doesn't it? (Laughter) Composers know that. If they want sad music, they just play those two notes. (Music) But basically, it's just a B, with four sads. (Laughter) Now, it goes down to A. Now to G. And then to F. So we have B, A, G, F. And if we have B, A, G, F, what do we expect next? Oh, that might have been a fluke. Let's try it again. Ooh, the TED choir. (Laughter) And you notice nobody is tone-deaf, right? Nobody is. You know, every village in Bangladesh and every hamlet in China -- everybody knows: da, da, da, da -- da. Everybody knows, who's expecting that E.
Now, Chopin didn't want to reach the E there, because what will have happened? It will be over, like Hamlet. Do you remember Hamlet? Act one, scene three, he finds out that his uncle killed his father. You remember, he keeps on going up to his uncle and almost killing him. And then he backs away, and he goes up to him again and almost kills him. And the critics, all of whom are sitting in the back row there, they have to have an opinion, so they say, "Hamlet is a procrastinator." (Laughter) Or they say, "Hamlet has an Oedipus complex." No, otherwise the play would be over, stupid. That's why Shakespeare puts all that stuff in Hamlet -- you know, Ophelia going mad and the play within the play, and Yorick's skull, and the gravediggers. That's in order to delay -- until act five, he can kill him.
It's the same with the Chopin. He's just about to reach the E, and he says, "Oops, better go back up and do it again." So he does it again. Now, he gets excited. (Piano) That's excitement, you don't have to worry about it. Now, he gets to F-sharp, and finally he goes down to E, but it's the wrong chord -- because the chord he's looking for is this one, (Piano) and instead he does ... (Piano) Now, we call that a deceptive cadence, because it deceives us. I always tell my students, "If you have a deceptive cadence, be sure to raise your eyebrows. Then everybody will know." (Laughter) (Applause) Right. So, he gets to E, but it's the wrong chord. Now, he tries E again. That chord doesn't work. Now, he tries the E again. That chord doesn't work. Now, he tries E again, and that doesn't work. And then finally ... (Piano) There was a gentleman in the front row who went, "Mmm." It's the same gesture he makes when he comes home after a long day, turns off the key in his car and says, "Aah, I'm home." Because we all know where home is.
So this is a piece which goes from away to home. And I'm going to play it all the way through and you're going to follow. B, C, B, C, B, C, B -- down to A, down to G, down to F. Almost goes to E, but otherwise the play would be over. He goes back up to B. He gets very excited. Goes to F-sharp. Goes to E. It's the wrong chord. It's the wrong chord. It's the wrong chord. And finally goes to E, and it's home. And what you're going to see is one-buttock playing. (Laughter) Because for me, to join the B to the E, I have to stop thinking about every single note along the way, and start thinking about the long, long line from B to E.
You know, we were just in South Africa, and you can't go to South Africa without thinking of Mandela in jail for 27 years. What was he thinking about? Lunch? No, he was thinking about the vision for South Africa and for human beings. That's what kept -- this is about vision. This is about the long line. Like the bird who flies over the field and doesn't care about the fences underneath, all right? So now, you're going to follow the line all the way from B to E. And I've one last request before I play this piece all the way through. Would you think of somebody who you adore, who's no longer there? A beloved grandmother, a lover -- somebody in your life who you love with all your heart, but that person is no longer with you. Bring that person into your mind, and at the same time follow the line all the way from B to E, and you'll hear everything that Chopin had to say. (Music) (Applause)
Now, you may be wondering, you may be wondering why I'm clapping. Well, I did this at a school in Boston with about 70 seventh graders, 12-year-olds. And I did exactly what I did with you, and I told them and explained them and the whole thing. And at the end, they went crazy, clapping. They were clapping. I was clapping. They were clapping. Finally, I said, "Why am I clapping?" And one of the little kids said, "Because we were listening." (Laughter) Think of it. 1,600 people, busy people, involved in all sorts of different things, listening, understanding and being moved by a piece by Chopin. Now that is something. Now, am I sure that every single person followed that, understood it, was moved by it? Of course, I can't be sure. But I tell you what happened to me.
I was in Ireland during the Troubles, 10 years ago, and I was working with some Catholic and Protestant kids on conflict resolution. And I did this with them -- a risky thing to do, because they were street kids. And one of them came to me the next morning and he said, "You know, I've never listened to classical music in my life, but when you played that shopping piece ... " (Laughter) He said, "My brother was shot last year and I didn't cry for him. But last night, when you played that piece, he was the one I was thinking about. And I felt the tears streaming down my face. And you know, it felt really good to cry for my brother." So I made up my mind at that moment that classical music is for everybody. Everybody.
Now, how would you walk -- because you know, my profession, the music profession doesn't see it that way. They say three percent of the population likes classical music. If only we could move it to four percent, our problems would be over. I say, "How would you walk? How would you talk? How would you be? If you thought, three percent of the population likes classical music, if only we could move it to four percent. How would you walk? How would you talk? How would you be? If you thought, everybody loves classical music -- they just haven't found out about it yet." (Laughter) See, these are totally different worlds.
Now, I had an amazing experience. I was 45 years old, I'd been conducting for 20 years, and I suddenly had a realization. The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. My picture appears on the front of the CD -- (Laughter) -- but the conductor doesn't make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful. And that changed everything for me. It was totally life changing. People in my orchestra came up to me and said, "Ben, what happened?" That's what happened. I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people. And of course, I wanted to know whether I was doing that. And you know how you find out? You look at their eyes. If their eyes are shining, you know you're doing it. You could light up a village with this guy's eyes. (Laughter) Right. So if the eyes are shining, you know you're doing it. If the eyes are not shining, you get to ask a question. And this is the question: who am I being, that my players' eyes are not shining? We can do that with our children, too. Who am I being, that my children's eyes are not shining? That's a totally different world.
Now, we're all about to end this magical, on-the-mountain week, and we're going back into the world. And I say, it's appropriate for us to ask the question, who are we being as we go back out into the world? And you know, I have a definition of success. For me, it's very simple. It's not about wealth and fame and power. It's about how many shining eyes I have around me.
So now, I have one last thought, which is that it really makes a difference what we say -- the words that come out of our mouth. I learned this from a woman who survived Auschwitz, one of the rare survivors. She went to Auschwitz when she was 15 years old, and her brother was eight, and the parents were lost. And she told me this, she said, "We were in the train going to Auschwitz, and I looked down and saw my brother's shoes were missing. And I said, 'Why are you so stupid, can't you keep your things together for goodness' sake?' " The way an elder sister might speak to a younger brother. Unfortunately, it was the last thing she ever said to him, because she never saw him again. He did not survive. And so when she came out of Auschwitz, she made a vow. She told me this. She said, "I walked out of Auschwitz into life and I made a vow. And the vow was, I will never say anything that couldn't stand as the last thing I ever say." Now, can we do that? No. And we'll make ourselves wrong and others wrong. But it is a possibility to live into. Thank you. (Applause) Shining eyes, shining eyes. Thank you, thank you. (Music)
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Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it -- and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections.
A leading interpreter of Mahler and Beethoven, Benjamin Zander is known for his charisma and unyielding energy -- and for his brilliant pre-concert talks. Full bio » | <urn:uuid:60b75ede-fadd-4e69-8580-571f36dedd0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html?source=google_plusone | 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 | 0.985165 | 4,043 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The Justice Department is challenging Alabama’s new immigration law, which permits police officers to detain people during traffic stops whom they suspect may be illegal immigrants. The DOJ filed a lawsuit against the Alabama law, contending it conflicts with the federal government’s jurisdiction.
The Justice Department filed the lawsuit in an Alabama federal court, asserting that Alabama’s law allows the Alabama police to have entirely too much power, and that it would increase the incarceration of illegal immigrants by creating new immigration crimes.
“Today’s action makes clear that setting immigration policy and enforcing immigration laws is a national responsibility that cannot be addressed through a patchwork of state immigration laws,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement announcing the Alabama suit. “To the extent we find state laws that interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law, we are prepared to bring suit, as we did in Arizona.”
Click here to read the entire article.
Photo: Alabama State Capitol | <urn:uuid:b6346ac8-e652-4232-9038-3d4c4dba177b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jbs.org/give-now/doj-files-suit-against-alabamas-immigration-law | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959724 | 204 | 1.679688 | 2 |
25 Years of Perl
abigail at abigail.be
Sat Nov 24 08:45:50 GMT 2012
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 07:36:23PM -0500, Uri Guttman wrote:
> this thread reminds me of something we need to crow about more. so many
> conventions, inventions, ideas have come from the perl community and
> then be copied/stolen/absorbed by other langs, usually without much
> recognition. the most obvious is regexes with the pcre package everyone
> seems to use but it never can be truly perl compatible. how often have
> we seen regex questions in perl channels/groups for users in other
> langs? they say perlers know regexes better. hmmm
Regexes aren't a Perl invention. Larry started off with incorporating
Henry Spencers regexes. As for PCRE, they took Perl regexes, and went
way beyond. There was a dramatic increase in the number of regex features
when 5.10 came out -- many of them were backports from PCRE and other
languages. The fact so many of those features have multiple syntaxes was
because Perl wasn't leading, or second or even third to implement it.
It was late in the game.
> TAP is used everywhere now. perl invented and spread it so it is
> universal in the perl world.
"Everywhere"? I've yet to encounter a usage outside of perl or CPAN.
> cpan is always being copied (poorly) by other langs. they just never get
> the community feeling of uploading to cpan as a cred and for sharing.
CPAN isn't a Perl invention. Perl copied CTAN. It's ironic that you blame
others for not giving "cred", right there when discussing something that
Perl copied from others.
> yapc has yet to be properly copied. no one else delivers more bang for
> the buck and fun as well.
> mjd invented lightning talks and they are at many confs now, not just
> lang ones. another perl invention with no credit given.
Hmmm. MJD certainly was the person to pitch the idea at the second YAPC.
I don't know whether he came up with himself, or whether he copied something
he has encountered before. But at best, it's MJDs invention, not a Perl
invention, and not even a community invention. After more than 10 years,
we still use the same format, little change from the community here.
More information about the london.pm | <urn:uuid:e42f1b7e-3da4-45fe-ac34-e95e6ed8827e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://london.pm.org/pipermail/london.pm/Week-of-Mon-20121119/023008.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950894 | 556 | 1.773438 | 2 |
The Obama administration has yet again delayed a decision on the Keystone Xl pipeline. What a shock.
The Obama administration’s decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline will not be made until at least June, a U.S. official said, which would delay the project for months and frustrate backers of Canada’s oil sands.
“We’re talking the beginning of summer at the earliest,” said the source, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the TransCanada Corp project, which has been pending for more than four and a half years. “It’s not weeks until the final decision. It’s months.”
A series of steps still have to be taken by the State Department, where the decision will be made because the 830,000 barrels per day crude oil pipeline crosses the national border. The pipeline will link Alberta’s oil sands and North Dakota’s Bakken shale fields to refineries and ports in Texas. (Read More)
No doubt when June rolls along they will delay again. Who needs jobs when they can just sign everyone up for the welfare?
Oh, but he said the economy still stinks because of “bad decisions.” Yeah right, the very bad decision by voters to keep him in office.
Update: Linked by The Pirate’s Cove – thanks! | <urn:uuid:31fd221b-8c4c-4f37-a5b1-cd6b6a888164> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lonelyconservative.com/2013/02/keystone-decision-delayed-again/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957754 | 291 | 1.75 | 2 |
SALES OF DVDS SLOW DOWN LACK OF BLOCKBUSTER TITLES CITED.Byline: GREG HERNANDEZ Staff Writer
Sales of DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc.
in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc
Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. titles and players were ``stable'' during the first half of 2006 as the maturing DVD industry struggles to regain some of the explosive growth it enjoyed for so many years.
According to according to
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. a midyear report released Tuesday by the Digital Entertainment Group, nearly 14 million DVD players were sold from Jan. 1 through the end of June, virtually the same pace as last year.
More than 740 million DVDs were shipped to retail outlets during the first half of the year, a 4 percent drop from 2005's midyear total of 772 million units, according to figures compiled for DEG by Kaplan, Swicker & Simha.
``What we've seen in the first half of the year is a natural, expected slowing of DVD sales,'' said Steve Nickerson, senior vice president of market management for Warner Home Video Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video (for Warner Communications, Inc.). It was re-named Warner Home Video in 1980. . ``DVD sales are virtually flat.''
But industry leaders note that in addition to the still growing sales for TV on DVD titles, there is also growth in music DVDs and special-interest films including documentaries.
Ralph Tribbey, editor of the industry newsletter DVD Release Report, said one cause of the stalled sales of titles is the lack of blockbusters from 2005 when there was a record box office slump.
``It just hasn't been there,'' Tribbey said. ``But I think in the third and fourth quarters, things will go up and offset the early decline. We have a lot of big films and certainly with `Pirates of the Caribbean This article is about the franchise. For other, more specific uses, see Pirates of the Caribbean (disambiguation). For real pirates, see Piracy in the Caribbean.
Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest' opening so big, it's a real strong signal that we are going to have a very good October, November and December.''
In addition to ``Pirates,'' which just set the all-time opening weekend box office record and had grossed $153.8 million as of Monday, the summer has had such hits as ``The Da Vinci da Vinci Surgery A surgical robot for performing certain surgeries–eg, mitral valve repair and laparoscopic procedures–eg, cholecystectomy and gastric ulcer repair. See Laparoscopic surgery, Robotics, Surgical robot. Code,'' ``X-Men: The Last Stand,'' ``Superman Returns'' and ``Cars.''
In the past nine years, 6.3 billion DVD discs have been shipped and there are now more than 60,000 DVD titles available to consumers. But the double-digit growth enjoyed for the first seven years has slowed to a halt.
Now the major studios have been banking on the arrival of next-generation DVD players and discs to spur new growth.
High-definition DVD See high-def DVD formats and HD DVD. is high-resolution video and audio technology that represents a clear quality improvement over the standard DVD. But confusing matters, and possibly consumers, are two new high definition DVD formats There are several competing DVD Formats: Non-recordable formats
The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue-violet laser used to read and write this type of disc. and HD-DVD HD-DVD High Definition Digital Versatile Disk , which went to market in recent months.
While the major studios were initially split into either Blu-ray or HD- DVD camps, most have since hedged their bets and are committed to releasing movie titles in both formats this year. There is still debate over whether the two formats can co-exist or whether one must prevail in order for consumers, other than early adopters, to embrace the new technology.
``The big question remaining unanswered is whether Blu-ray or HD will succeed,'' Tribbey said. ``People are taking a wait-and-see attitude.''
Since the DVD format See VOB and DVD. was launched in 1997, more than 175 million products that play DVDs, including set-top and portable players, DVD recorders, Home-Theater-in-a-Box systems, TV/DVD and DVD/VCR combination players have been sold to consumers, according to data from the Consumer Electronics Association.
He said approximately 52 percent of people who own a DVD player have more than one, which he said reflects the growing popularity of HTIB HTIB Home-Theater-In-a-Box
HTIB Home Theatre in a Box systems and other products.
``Consumers in some 85 million U.S. households continue to enjoy their DVDs beyond the living room into every room of the home, as well as into cars and a variety of portable devices for use on the go,'' said Nickerson, a member of the DEG's communications committee.
Chart: Midyear sales stable
SOURCE: The Digital Entertainment Group | <urn:uuid:761d14ad-3282-4bf5-9ccd-b731c8e9554a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SALES+OF+DVDS+SLOW+DOWN+LACK+OF+BLOCKBUSTER+TITLES+CITED.-a0148166558 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946764 | 1,141 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Hardwoods are more durable than soft woods and typically more expensive. Colors range widely among woods -- even those of the same type -- and various woods can be stained or bleached to alter their original color.
Among all the hardwoods, cherry, maple, mahogany, oak, teak, and walnut are prized for quality furniture. However, cherry and maple are considered more difficult to craft than the other widely used hardwoods.
Hardwood choices are generally a matter of appearance, furniture style, budget, and personal preference. Listed below are the properties of various hardwoods.
Birch: Light tan to almost white. Good resistance to shrinking, swelling, and warping. Takes stains well and is often stained to resemble mahogany, walnut, or cherry. Hard to work with for intricate details; it is commonly used in furniture with simple lines, including some contemporary styles.
Cherry: Reddish-brown. Good resistance to shrinking, swelling, and warping; dyes well. Easy to detail for decorative carving.
See more wood types below.
Ebony: Brown to near black. Often stained black, emphasizing its distinct grain pattern. Very strong but rare. Used mostly in inlays.
Mahogany: Reddish-brown to red. Good resistance to shrinking and warping. Softer hardwood, easy to detail for carving. Takes rich, dark stains.
Maple: Light beige to tan. Good resistance to shrinking, warping, and wear. Very hard. Difficult to detail; sometimes dyed.
Oak: Light pinkish-brown. Good resistance to shrinking and warping. Takes stains evenly, generally available, carves well for detailing.
Poplar: Light tan often with pink- and green-tinted streaks. One of the weaker hardwoods, but has the same shrinkage rating as teak. Easy to work with; best for interior furniture parts.
Rosewood: Deep red with black graining. Good resistance to shrinking, swelling, warping, and wear. Easy to work with. Quite rare and expensive. Often used as a veneer.
Teak: Often used outdoors; extractions, such as silica, make it resistant to rotting. Also used for indoor furniture.
Walnut: Dark grayish-brown. Often stained darker. Good resistance to swelling and warping. Takes stains evenly and carves well.
Tip: Don't pay for vintage mahogany when you get Philippine mahogany. This inferior wood isn't as durable and may shrink or warp. Stained hardwoods, such as birch, are frugal alternatives to expensive mahogany.
Continued on page 2: Soft Woods | <urn:uuid:929acc59-5269-41b4-91b3-6ac96c8300ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bhg.com/decorating/lessons/furniture-guide/buying-wood-furniture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941075 | 561 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, you may make a proposal or compromise to your creditors.
This is usually a cents on the dollar compromise and generally consists of one monthly payment.
Your offer may be to compromise the total amount you owe your creditors or extend the time you have to pay your debts in full. Instead of monthly payments to your creditors, you could also offer to cash in certain assets (i.e. RRSPs) to pay a portion or all of the debts.
A Trustee in Bankruptcy will assist you in making a fair offer to your creditors. The filing of the proposal stops unwanted calls from creditors, stops your wages from being garnisheed, and allows you time to make arrangements to pay your creditors what you can afford.
A flowchart setting out the timelines and process for a consumer proposal can be found here .
In order to qualify for a consumer proposal you must owe less than $250,000 not counting mortgages registered against your principal residence. | <urn:uuid:5dc0a5cf-cbb3-4e9b-a0fd-94192d714659> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boalewood.ca/solutions/personal-solutions/consumer-proposal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952435 | 206 | 1.890625 | 2 |
OPUS 2083 - Trinity Episcopal Church, Clarksville TN
The story of Trinity Episcopal Church is one of tragedy, and faith, inspiration and determination. In the fall of 1999, Clarksville was hit by a devastating tornado. In a matter of minutes it destroyed a quarter of all the buildings in its center city. Numbered in these buildings are nearly half of the historic buildings which are the destination of thousands of tourists every year. When the tornado hit Trinity Episcopal Church its actions were simple and devastating. It lifted the roof of the church from its walls, and then dropped in to the church floor, destroying everything in its path. When I first visited Trinity, I was not prepared for what I saw. The doors were boarded up. The windows were open with birds flying in ad out at will. Upon entering the church I looked up ad saw no roof. I looked around and saw only bare walls, cracked plaster, dust, plywood sheeting used to cover large holes in the floor. During our discussions I learned that the church was in the midst of a total rebuilding of the church. The project was being lead by Arnold of Arnold and company, architect and member of the church. As part of this rebuilding, they were to include a new pipe organ.
For the organ project the first order of business was choosing a suitable location for the pipe organ. The church architecture was such that a pipe organ could not be placed in the center of the chancel. This left us two alternate choices. There are transepts o either side of the chancel. Each transept has an opening that faces the congregation and an opening that speaks across the chancel to the other transept. It was decided that the organ would be placed in the left transept. The sacristy would be placed in the base of the left transept. The choir and console would be placed in the right transept. This allowed us the following placement of divisions: The Great is placed in the transept opening that faced the congregation. The Swell and Choir are placed behind the Great and in a position that allows their sound to project through the transept opening that faces the congregation and through the transept opening that faces the opposite transept that houses the choir and console. Both the Swell and Choir were equipped with two sets of expression shades: one on the side facing the congregation and one on the side facing the choir. This arrangement provides the most effective projection of sound to both the congregation and the choir.
The selection of stops was a challenging process. The committee wanted a three manual instrument. While the budget allowed for three manuals, the space available was such that we had to pick stops very carefully. Our criteria in making these choices were based on the fact that the pipe organ’s primary function is leading the congregation and accompanying the choir. | <urn:uuid:e9e02633-6866-4651-bd2c-7d89d99041b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.holtkamporgan.com/Pages/Item/190/2083.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981735 | 584 | 1.953125 | 2 |
What is in this article?:
- June 2012 WASDE Highlights
This month’s U.S. soybean supply and use projections for 2012-2013 include lower beginning and ending stocks and reduced use. Lower beginning stocks reflect increased export and crush projections for 2011-2012. Soybean exports for 2011-2012 are raised 20 million bushels to 1.335 billion bushels reflecting increased global import demand, led mainly by higher projected imports for China. Soybean crush is raised 15 million bushels mostly due to stronger domestic soybean meal use.
Soybean ending stocks for 2011-2012 are projected at 175 million bushels, down 35 million. With reduced supplies for 2012-2013, soybean exports are projected at 1.485 billion bushels, down 20 million. Soybean crush is also projected lower due to reduced domestic soybean meal use. Ending stocks for 2012-2013 are projected at 140 million bushels, down 5 million from last month.
Soybean, meal and oil price projections for 2012-2013 are unchanged this month. The U.S. season average soybean price is projected at $12-14/bu. Soybean meal and oil prices are projected at $335-365/ton and 52.5-56.5¢/lb., respectively.
Global oilseed production for 2012-2013 is projected at 470.8 million tons, down 0.7 million from last month, mainly due to lower soybean and cottonseed production. China’s soybean production is reduced 0.5 million tons due to lower area as producers shift planting decisions toward corn. Brazil’s cottonseed production is also reduced due to lower area planted to cotton as world prices have declined in recent weeks. Other changes include reduced rapeseed production for EU-27, increased rapeseed production for Russia, increased sunflower seed production for EU-27, and reduced cottonseed production for Australia and Egypt. Brazil’s 2011-2012 soybean production is increased 0.5 million tons to 65.5 million while Argentina soybean production is reduced 1 million tons to 41.5 million. | <urn:uuid:15215ab7-b37f-40b6-adf7-49580b4aca2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/marketing/june-2012-wasde-highlights?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937072 | 436 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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Hairy cell leukemiaBy Mayo Clinic staff
Original Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hairy-cell-leukemia/DS00673
CLICK TO ENLARGE
|Hairy cell leukemia|
Hairy cell leukemia is a rare, slow-growing cancer of the blood in which your bone marrow makes too many B cells (lymphocytes), a type of white blood cell that fights infection. These excess B cells are abnormal and look "hairy" under a microscope. As the number of leukemia cells increases, fewer healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are produced.
Hairy cell leukemia affects more men than women, and it occurs most commonly in middle-aged or older adults.
Doctors aren't sure what causes hairy cell leukemia, and there is no cure. Hairy cell leukemia is considered a chronic disease because it may never completely disappear, although treatment can lead to a remission for years.
Some people have no signs or symptoms of hairy cell leukemia, but a blood test for another disease or condition may inadvertently reveal hairy cell leukemia.
Other times people with hairy cell leukemia experience signs and symptoms common to a number of diseases and conditions, such as:
- A feeling of fullness in your abdomen that may make it uncomfortable to eat more than a little at a time
- Easy bruising
- Recurring infections
- Weight loss
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs and symptoms that worry you.
It's not clear what causes hairy cell leukemia. Doctors know that cancer occurs when cells develop errors in their DNA. In the case of hairy cell leukemia, mutations in the DNA cause your bone marrow stem cells to create too many white blood cells that don't work properly. Doctors don't know what causes the DNA mutations that lead to hairy cell leukemia.
Certain factors may increase your risk of developing hairy cell leukemia. Not all research studies agree on what factors increase your risk of the disease. Some research indicates that your risk of hairy cell leukemia increases based on your:
- Exposure to radiation. People exposed to radiation, such as those who work around X-ray machines or those who received radiation treatment for cancer, may have a higher risk of developing hairy cell leukemia.
- Exposure to chemicals. Industrial and agricultural chemicals could play a role in hairy cell leukemia development. However, some studies have found this not to be the case.
- Exposure to sawdust. Some studies have found a link between working with wood and sawdust and an increased risk of hairy cell leukemia. But this connection hasn't been proved conclusively.
Hairy cell leukemia progresses very slowly and sometimes remains stable for many years. For this reason, few complications of the disease occur. However, untreated hairy cell leukemia that progresses may crowd out healthy blood cells, leading to serious complications, such as:
- Infections. Low white blood cell counts put you at risk of infections that your body might otherwise fight off.
- Bleeding. Low platelet counts make it hard for your body to stop bleeding once it starts. If you have a mildly low platelet count, you might notice that you bruise more easily. Very low platelet counts can cause spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums.
- Anemia. A low red blood cell count means fewer cells are available to carry oxygen throughout your body. This is called anemia. Anemia causes fatigue.
Increased risk of second cancers
Some studies have found that people with hairy cell leukemia may have an increased risk of developing a second type of cancer. It isn't clear whether this risk is due to hairy cell leukemia's effect on the body or if the risk comes from the medications used to treat hairy cell leukemia. Second cancers found in people treated for hairy cell leukemia include Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, among others.
Preparing for your appointment
You're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. If your doctor suspects you may have hairy cell leukemia, you may be referred to a doctor who treats diseases of the blood and bone marrow (hematologist).
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready and know what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements that you're taking.
- Consider taking a family member or friend along. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For hairy cell leukemia, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Do I have hairy cell leukemia?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Will I require treatment for my hairy cell leukemia?
- If I don't have treatment, will my leukemia worsen?
- If I require treatment, what are my options?
- Will treatment cure my hairy cell leukemia?
- What are the side effects of each treatment option?
- Is there one treatment you feel is best for me?
- How will cancer treatment affect my daily life?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
- Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may allow more time later to cover other points you want to address. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
Tests and diagnosis
To diagnose hairy cell leukemia, your doctor may recommend tests and procedures that include:
- Physical exam. By feeling your spleen — an oval-shaped organ on the left side of your upper abdomen — your doctor can determine if it's enlarged. An enlarged spleen may cause a sensation of fullness in your abdomen that makes it uncomfortable to eat. Your doctor may also check for enlarged lymph nodes that may contain leukemia cells.
- Blood tests. Your doctor uses blood tests, such as the complete blood count, to monitor the levels of blood cells in your blood. People with hairy cell leukemia have low levels of all three types of blood cells — red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Another blood test called a peripheral blood smear looks for hairy cell leukemia cells in a sample of your blood.
- Bone marrow biopsy. During a bone marrow biopsy, a small amount of bone marrow is removed from your hip area. This sample is used to look for hairy cell leukemia cells and to monitor your healthy blood cells.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan. A CT scan shows detailed images of the inside of your body. Your doctor may order a CT scan to detect enlargement of your spleen and your lymph nodes.
Treatments and drugs
Treatment isn't always necessary for people with hairy cell leukemia. Because this cancer progresses very slowly and sometimes doesn't progress at all, some people prefer to wait to treat their cancer only if it causes signs and symptoms. The majority of people with hairy cell leukemia eventually need treatment.
Though you may be eager to rid your body of cancer if you've been diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, there's no advantage to early treatment. Unlike some other types of cancer, hairy cell leukemia is quite treatable at all stages, meaning that waiting to treat your cancer won't make remission any less likely.
If your hairy cell leukemia causes signs and symptoms, you may decide to undergo treatment. There is no cure for hairy cell leukemia. But treatments are effective at putting hairy cell leukemia in remission for years.
Doctors consider chemotherapy drugs the first line of treatment for hairy cell leukemia. The great majority of people will experience complete or partial remission through the use of chemotherapy. Two chemotherapy drugs are used in hairy cell leukemia:
- Cladribine (Leustatin). Treatment for hairy cell leukemia typically begins with cladribine. You receive a continuous infusion of the drug into a vein over several days. Most people who receive cladribine experience a complete remission that can last for several years. If your hairy cell leukemia returns, you can be treated with cladribine again. Side effects of cladribine may include infection and fever.
- Pentostatin (Nipent). Pentostatin causes remission rates similar to cladribine, but it's given on a different schedule. People who take pentostatin receive infusions every other week for three to six months. Side effects of pentostatin may include fever, nausea and infection.
Biological therapy attempts to make cancer cells more recognizable to your immune system. Once your immune system identifies cancer cells as intruders, it can set about destroying your cancer. Two types of biological treatments are used in hairy cell leukemia:
- Interferon. You might receive interferon if chemotherapy hasn't been effective or if you can't take chemotherapy. Most people experience partial remission with interferon, which is taken for a year. Side effects include flu-like symptoms, such as fever and fatigue.
- Rituximab (Rituxan). Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody approved to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, though it's sometimes used in hairy cell leukemia. If chemotherapy drugs haven't worked for you or you can't take chemotherapy, your doctor might consider rituximab. Side effects of rituximab include fever and infection.
Surgery to remove your spleen (splenectomy) might be an option if your spleen ruptures or if it's enlarged and causing pain. Though removing your spleen can't cure hairy cell leukemia, it can usually restore normal blood counts. Splenectomy isn't commonly used to treat hairy cell leukemia, but it may be helpful in certain situations. All surgery carries a risk of bleeding and infection.
Some people with cancer find that complementary and alternative treatments can help them cope with side effects of cancer treatment. Complementary and alternative medicine can't cure your hairy cell leukemia, but it may offer helpful ways to cope during and after treatment. Talk to your doctor if you're interested in trying:
- Acupuncture. A practitioner inserts tiny needles into your skin at precise points during an acupuncture session. Acupuncture may help relieve nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Acupuncture can be safe when done by a certified practitioner. Your doctor may be able to recommend a practitioner in your community. Acupuncture isn't safe if you have low blood counts or if you're taking blood thinners.
- Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses fragrant oils that give off pleasant scents, such as lavender. Oils can be massaged into your skin, added to bath water or heated to release their scents. Aromatherapy may help improve your mood and relieve stress. Aromatherapy is safe, but oils applied to your skin can cause allergic reactions, so check the ingredients first.
- Massage. A massage therapist uses his or her hands to knead your muscles and soft tissues. Massage may help relieve anxiety and fatigue. Many cancer centers have massage therapists who work with people who have cancer. People with cancer shouldn't have a massage if their blood counts are low. Ask the massage therapist to avoid using deep pressure. A massage shouldn't hurt, so speak up if you feel pain during a massage.
- Mind-body therapies. Mind-body therapies may help you relax, and they may help reduce pain. Mind-body therapies include meditation and relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery. Mind-body therapies are generally safe. A therapist can help you with these therapies or you can do them on your own.
Coping and support
Doctors consider hairy cell leukemia a chronic form of cancer because it never completely goes away. Even if you achieve remission, you'll likely require follow-up visits with your doctor to monitor your cancer and your blood counts. Knowing that your cancer could come back at any time can be stressful. To help you cope, you might consider trying to:
- Find enough to feel comfortable making decisions about your care. Learn about your hairy cell leukemia and its treatment so that you can feel more confident about making decisions about your treatment. Having a better idea of what to expect from treatment and life after treatment can make you feel more in control of your cancer. Ask your doctor, nurse or other health care professional to recommend some reliable sources of information to get you started.
- Connect with other cancer survivors. While friends and family provide an important support network during your cancer experience, they can't always understand what it's like to face cancer. Other cancer survivors provide a unique network of support. Ask your doctor or other member of your health care team about support groups or organizations in your community that can connect you with other cancer survivors. Organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society offer online chat rooms and discussion boards.
- Take care of yourself. You can't control whether your hairy cell leukemia comes back, but you can control other aspects of your health. Take care of yourself by eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and by exercising regularly. A healthy body can more easily fend off infections, and should you ever need to be treated for cancer again, you'll be better able to cope with the side effects of treatment.
- Abeloff MD. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:2309.
- Hoffman R, et al. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06715-0..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06715-0&uniqId=230100505-56. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Lichtman MA, et al. Williams Hematology. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=69. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Hairy cell leukemia treatment (PDQ): Patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/hairy-cell-leukemia/patient. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Grever MR, et al. Modern strategies for hairy cell leukemia. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2011;29:583.
- Rituxan (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech Inc.; 2009. http://www.rituxan.com/index.html. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Integrative medicine & complementary and alternative therapies as part of blood cancer care. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. http://www.lls.org/#/resourcecenter/freeeducationmaterials/treatment/integrativemedandcam. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012. | <urn:uuid:c3e8124a-71fe-4f00-b207-d3698bf0c568> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hairy-cell-leukemia/DS00673/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930764 | 3,431 | 3.21875 | 3 |
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Student 'Mathletes' Coming to Campus for MATHCOUNTS Competition
Approximately 250 middle school Mathletes® from 31 Hartford County schools will compete in the 2013 Hartford Chapter MATHCOUNTS Competition at the University of Hartford on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in Gengras Student Union.
Teachers and students have been preparing for the competition since the fall. Students will compete individually and as teams in written and fast-paced oral matches on subjects that include algebra, probability, statistics, and geometry.
Chapter winners will advance to the statewide competition on March 9, which also will be held at the University of Hartford. Winners of the statewide competition will advance to the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition to be held in Washington, DC, on May 10.
During Saturday's event, Robert L. Devaney from Boston University will discuss some of the amazing new fractal images to come out of the new field in mathematics known as dynamical systems. Come and hear Devaney's talk and watch the final, fast-paced oral round, in which the top 16 Mathletes® will compete against each other and the clock to solve problems.
MATHCOUNTS is a national program designed to improve math skills among the nation’s students. The program focuses on middle school students who are at a crucial stage in developing and sustaining math interest and ability. Students who do not begin developing strong problem-solving, logical thinking and analytical abilities in middle school will face an uphill battle later in life if they wish to pursue a medical, scientific, mathematical, engineering or technical career.
The Hartford Chapter MATHCOUNTS Competition is organized by the Connecticut Society of Professional Engineers, hosted by the University of Hartford and sponsored by engineering firms and businesses in the Greater Hartford area. | <urn:uuid:5a93592d-237e-4142-8c4b-eafbdd4a784f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hartford.edu/daily/article/View/14277 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942718 | 438 | 1.84375 | 2 |
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United States was built on Christan belief and the very same people who came to this country were seeking freedom. Lets not reminded you that this country was not ours yet we took it way from the natives who lived here for years before the 1st American laid foot here. Our counrty NOT "yours" is made up of different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, etc and most who come here seek for a better life. Granite there are people who take advantage of federal programs generation after genernation and something needs to be done. But there are those who benefit from these programs and seek their way out of poverty. I completely agree with Romney but I think people took it out of context. Middle class citizen dont need higher taxes because they are already struggling with the economy. Ignorance is bliss and ones perception isnt more right than someone elses perception.
The GOP has always cared about their rich friends and big corporations they don't care about you if you are not rich.
Most of them are racist pigs.
It is truly sad that their is so much hate between those of us who call ourselves proud to be Americans. I am black and grow up poor and I heard Romney's first words "I am concerned about Americans" the poor are American's. This man loves this country he sings about it, not because Obama sang an Al Green song but because he loves this country. The man is concerned about all of us and he better than most understands the American dream, he lived it and wants to see that dream come true for everyone. Knewt is not going to take his mistress of 6 years into the White House. It is appauling that Knewt is even running for President.
Like every other President Romney says he plan to do this & that and once in office this things never happens. Every American should be a concern, the High Class, Middle Class, and Low Class. Fixing the Economy should be our main concern. Some people comments on this site shows why America is in the situation its in today.
God Please Bleass America...
Sloan chatepa, he didn't mean he didn't care about you. You already have your food stamps and disability or welfare. He's talking about the middle class who wants to work and cannot get jobs. His focus he said, will be on middle class so they can find a wanted job...and i think he still wants you to get yours too!!
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© 2013 The Hollywood Gossip - Celebrity Gossip and Entertainment News | <urn:uuid:95fd103a-83f6-4e0f-823b-25bc3d17c25a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/02/mitt-romney-not-concerned-about-poor-people/comments-2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975997 | 537 | 1.53125 | 2 |
|Pets: Get Involved!
If you already volunteer to help animals, or plan to in the future, you're in good company! Check out these celebs who are passionate about giving our furry friends an extra "leg up":
Now it's your turn!
Set a good example. If you have pets, always show them the love and care they deserve. Make sure they get plenty of food and water, take them to the vet when they're sick, and be sure to have them spayed or neutered. And talk to your family and friends -- especially younger sibs -- about how to treat animals!
Write to your local police department. Let them know how important it is to investigate animal cruelty. Remind them that animal cruelty is a CRIME.
Join the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in your city, state or country. These groups fight for anti-cruelty laws.
Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. Donate money, food, or supplies to make sure the animals in their care get plenty of help.
Volunteer. There are many opportunities for you to help animals who are homeless or have been victims of abuse. Your local shelter, SPCA, or humane society are always looking for volunteers to help care for the animals in their shelter. If volunteering at the shelter isn't an option, maybe you could help by fostering a homeless animal until it finds a good "forever" home. You can also get involved with community groups that have other missions, such as helping feral cats (those are untamed stray kitties), caring for the pets of elderly or sick eople, or even teach younger kids about kindness to animals. You may have to get Mom or Dad to volunteer with you. | <urn:uuid:d916b25c-5e0a-4a69-a135-50c04c3fabab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/family/pets/print_article11.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957872 | 364 | 2.171875 | 2 |
What is an Astronomer?
An astronomer is generally described as a scientist who focuses primarily on the study of outer space - that includes the stars, the planets and the galaxies. In ancient times, it was described almost as a study of the unknown - people were curious about what was in the sky and wanted answers for what they considered phenomena. Despite scientific advances there is still a certain sense of mystery to what is in the skies above us, and astronomers focus on research that both allows us to analyze the stars and planets as well as letting us determine how they can help various causes on our planets as well.
How you're compatible
Find your compatibility with this career and discover the career that you're meant for.
Astronomers on sokanu
Does your group have something to offer people in this career? Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org if you're interested in a partnership. | <urn:uuid:3da7842b-d4a0-4696-8636-bb81daa12e2e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sokanu.com/careers/astronomer/overview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978252 | 183 | 2.765625 | 3 |
A Mixed Story
I’m just appalled by the cheerleading tone of US news coverage of the so-called elections in Iraq on Sunday. I said on television last week that this event is a “political earthquake” and “a historical first step” for Iraq. It is an event of the utmost importance, for Iraq, the Middle East, and the world. All the boosterism has a kernel of truth to it, of course. Iraqis hadn’t been able to choose their leaders at all in recent decades, even by some strange process where they chose unknown leaders. But this process is not a model for anything, and would not willingly be imitated by anyone else in the region. The 1997 elections in Iran were much more democratic, as were the 2002 elections in Bahrain and Pakistan.
Moreover, as Swopa rightly reminds us all, the Bush administration opposed one-person, one-vote elections of this sort. First they were going to turn Iraq over to Chalabi within six months. Then Bremer was going to be MacArthur in Baghdad for years. Then on November 15, 2003, Bremer announced a plan to have council-based elections in May of 2004. The US and the UK had somehow massaged into being provincial and municipal governing councils, the members of which were pro-American. Bremer was going to restrict the electorate to this small, elite group.
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani immediately gave a fatwa denouncing this plan and demanding free elections mandated by a UN Security Council resolution. Bush was reportedly “extremely offended” at these two demands and opposed Sistani. Bremer got his appointed Interim Governing Council to go along in fighting Sistani. Sistani then brought thousands of protesters into the streets in January of 2004, demanding free elections. Soon thereafter, Bush caved and gave the ayatollah everything he demanded. Except that he was apparently afraid that open, non-manipulated elections in Iraq might become a factor in the US presidential campaign, so he got the elections postponed to January 2005. This enormous delay allowed the country to fall into much worse chaos, and Sistani is still bitter that the Americans didn’t hold the elections last May. The US objected that they couldn’t use UN food ration cards for registration, as Sistani suggested. But in the end that is exactly what they did.
So if it had been up to Bush, Iraq would have been a soft dictatorship under Chalabi, or would have had stage-managed elections with an electorate consisting of a handful of pro-American notables. It was Sistani and the major Shiite parties that demanded free and open elections and a UNSC resolution. They did their job and got what they wanted. But the Americans have been unable to provide them the requisite security for truly aboveboard democratic elections.
With all the hoopla, it is easy to forget that this was an extremely troubling and flawed “election.” Iraq is an armed camp. There were troops and security checkpoints everywhere. Vehicle traffic was banned. The measures were successful in cutting down on car bombings that could have done massive damage. But even these Draconian steps did not prevent widespread attacks, which is not actually good news. There is every reason to think that when the vehicle traffic starts up again, so will the guerrilla insurgency.
The Iraqis did not know the names of the candidates for whom they were supposedly voting. What kind of an election is anonymous! There were even some angry politicians late last week who found out they had been included on lists without their permission. Al-Zaman compared the election process to buying fruit wholesale and sight unseen. (This is the part of the process that I called a “joke,” and I stand by that.)
This thing was more like a referendum than an election. It was a referendum on which major party list associated with which major leader would lead parliament.
Many of the voters came out to cast their ballots in the belief that it was the only way to regain enough sovereignty to get American troops back out of their country. The new parliament is unlikely to make such a demand immediately, because its members will be afraid of being killed by the Baath military. One fears a certain amount of resentment among the electorate when this reticence becomes clear.
Iraq now faces many key issues that could tear the country apart, from the issues of Kirkuk and Mosul to that of religious law. James Zogby on Wolf Blitzer wisely warned the US public against another “Mission Accomplished” moment. Things may gradually get better, but this flawed “election” isn’t a Mardi Gras for Americans and they’ll regret it if that is the way they treat it. | <urn:uuid:9b5ca934-9872-4471-9af5-daa6f947eb1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.juancole.com/2005/01/mixed-story-im-just-appalled-by.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984802 | 974 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Many of the broad homeland security and intelligence issues before Congress this term will be addressed by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired again by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). In announcing the committee's agenda, Collins stressed overseeing and improving the Department of Homeland Security and monitoring the outcome of new intelligence legislation. The committee also plans to investigate sources of terrorism financing. In addition, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced that antiterrorism legislation (S. 3) introduced by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) will be a priority. S. 3 would increase penalties for attacks against rail systems, passenger vessels, and mass transit. The bill also includes provisions designed to aid vaccine production and protect drug companies from liability related to vaccine programs. | <urn:uuid:d47ddde5-ece4-4bc1-8853-0cce61b45928> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/homeland-security-9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94484 | 158 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Science fiction writers traffic in a world that tries on possible worlds. What if, as in the Hollywood blockbuster Minority Report, we could read people's intentions before they act and thus preempt violence? An intentionality detector would be a terrific device to have, but talk about ethical nightmares. If you ever worried about big brother tapping your phone lines, how about tapping your neural lines? What about aliens from another planet? What will they look like? How do they reproduce? How do they solve problems? If you want to find out, just go back and watch reruns of Star Trek, or get out the popcorn and watch Men In Black, War of the Worlds, The Thing, Signs, and The Blob.
But here's the rub on science fiction: it's all basically the same stuff, one gimmick with a small twist. Look at all the aliens in these movies. They are always the same, a bit wispy, often with oversized heads, see through body parts, and with awesome powers. And surprisingly, this is how it has been for 75 or so years of Hollywood, even though our technologies have greatly expanded the range of special effects that are possible. Why the lack of creativity? Why such a poverty of the imagination?
The answer is simple, and reveals a deep fact about our biology, and the biology of all other organisms. The brain, as a physical device, evolved to process information and make predictions about the future. Though the generative capacity of the brain, especially the human brain, is spectacular — providing us with a system for massive creativity, it is also highly constrained. The constraints arise from both the physics of brain operation, as well as the requirements of learnability.
These constraints establish what we, and other organisms have achieved — the actual — and what they could, in the future and with the right conditions, potentially achieve — the possible. Where things get interesting is in thinking about the unimaginable. Poof! But there is a different way of thinking about this problem that takes advantage of exciting new developments in molecular biology, evolutionary developmental biology, morphology, neurobiology, and linguistics. In a nutshell, for the first time we have a science that enables us to understand the actual, the possible and the unimaginable, a landscape that will forever change our understanding of what it means to be human, including how we arrived at our current point in evolutionary theory, and where might end up in ten or ten million years.
To illustrate, consider a simple example from the field of theoretical morphology, a discipline that aims to map out the space of possible morphologies and in so doing, reveal not only why some parts of this space were never explored, but also why they never could be explored. The example concerns an extinct group of animals called the ammonoids, swimming cephalopod mollusks with a shell that spirals out from the center before opening up.
In looking at the structure of their shells — the ones that actually evolved that is — there are two relevant dimensions that account for the variation: the rate at which the spiral spirals out and the distance between the center of this coil or spiral and the opening. If you plot the actual ammonoid species on a graph that includes spiral rate and distance to the opening, you see a density of animals in a few areas, and then some gaps. The occupied spaces in this map show what actually evolved, whereas the vacant spaces suggest either possible (not yet evolved) or impossible morphologies.
Of great interest in this line of research is the cause of the impossible. Why, that is, have certain species never taken over a particular swath of morphological turf? What is it about this space that leaves it vacant? Skipping many details, some of the causes are intrinsic to the organisms (e.g., no genetic material or developmental programs for building wheels instead of legs) and some extrinsic (e.g., circles represent an impossible geometry or natural habitats would never support wheels).
What is exciting about these ideas is that they have a family resemblance to those that Noam Chomsky mapped out over 50 years ago in linguistics. That is, the biology that allows us to acquire a range of possible languages, also puts constraints on this system, leaving in its wake a space of impossible languages, those that could never be acquired or if acquired, would never remain stable. And the same moves can be translated into other domains of cultural expression, including music, morality, and mathematics. Are there musical scores that no one, not even John Cage, could dream up because the mind can't fathom certain frequencies and temporal arrangements? Are there evolvable moral systems that we will never see because our current social systems and environments make these toxic to our moral sensibilities? Regardless of how these questions are resolved, they open up new research opportunities, using methods that are only now being refined.
Here are some of my favorites, examples that reveal how we can extend the range of the possible, invading into the terra incognita of the impossible. Thanks to work by neuroscientists such as Evan Balaban, we now know that we can combine the brain parts of different animals to create chimeras. For example, we can take the a part of a quail's brain and pop it into a chicken and when the young chick develops, it head bobs like a quail and crows like a chicken.
Functionally, we have allowed the chicken to invade an empty space of behavior, something unimaginable, to a chicken that is. Now let your imagination run wild. What would a chimpanzee do with the generative machinery that a human has when it is running computations in language, mathematics and music? Could it imagine the previously unimaginable? What if we gave a genius like Einstein the key components that made Bach a different kind of genius? Could Einstein now imagine different dimensions of musicality? These very same neural manipulations are now even possible at the genetic level. Genetic engineering allows us to insert genes from one species into another, or manipulate the expressive range of a gene, jazzing it up or turning it off.
This revolutionary science is here, and it will forever change how we think. It will change what is possible, potentially remove what is possible but deleterious, and open our eyes to the previously impossible. | <urn:uuid:b037ad24-2dec-43d8-a48c-5d179c6f401f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edge.org/response-detail/10207 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934488 | 1,281 | 2.453125 | 2 |
|2008 Election:||McCain's book||Obama's book||Biden's book||Palin's booklet||Keyes' book||Nader's book||Barr's book||2008 Debates|
Gold, Peace, and Prosperity
The Birth of a New Currency, by Ron Paul (published 1981; re-released 2007)
(Click for Amazon book review)
BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:
This book was written in 1981 and re-released for Paul's presidential campaign in 2007. It has no 2007 update, unfortunately, so we have to infer that Rep. Paul still subscribes to all of his policy prescriptions from 26 years ago. There is a substantial chapter on this topic in Rep. Paul's 1987 book, Freedom Under Siege; so we can explicitly state that he believed this policy at least through 1987 (and hence in his presidential campaign of 1988). Rep. Paul has not much raised this issue in the 2008 presidential race, but the few times he does, he appears to be consistent with his views expressed in this book.
The theme of this book is that the federal government should return to the gold standard for the US dollar. The "gold standard" means that a person can take a dollar bill, and ask for its equivalent in gold bullion at any time (assuming one can find a bank that actually keeps gold bullion in stock). That was the case until 1971, when Pres. Nixon removed "redeemability" of dollars. Rep. Paul refers to that as creating "fiat currency," i.e., the dollar now has a value only by government fiat (the dollar's value is based on a promise from the US government to maintain its value -- that is accomplished by the semi-autonomous Federal Reserve) rather than a value based on gold. In other words, you can no longer ask for gold in exchange for a dollar bill -- the dollar bill's value is only because everyone else agrees to accept it.
Rep. Paul explores the history of the dollar as redeemable currency, as an explanation of how we got to the point of fiat currency. He explains how fiat currency causes inflation and empowers politicians and big business; and explores the implications for international organizations. Because currency is a complicated topic, most of the book goes to explaining how currency woks and the problems with the current system, but there are some policy prescriptions along the way.
This book will be of interest to Paulistas and Libertarians who want a deeper understanding of why fiat currency is problematic and how a gold-standard currency would disempower the central government and its corporate supporters. However, the topic is not very relevant to the 2008 presidential race, since no one else is discussing the possibility of returning to the gold standard. Readers interested in a more general book about Paul's policies should read Freedom Under Siege, which is considerably more relevant to the 2008 presidential race.
-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, Dec. 2007
The Birth of a New Currency, by Ron Paul (published 1981; re-released 2007). | <urn:uuid:61977309-dd69-44fe-bc6b-a6fd69817da3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://recent.ontheissues.org/Gold_Peace.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956962 | 630 | 1.9375 | 2 |
DOH Service Telephone Directory
Select directory to view the telephones number of the various DOH services.
Medically Underserved Areas - Populations
The federal Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and Medically Underserved Population (MUP) designations identify areas and populations that have limited access to primary care services. MUAs include groups of census tracts that have a population-to-provider ratio indicating a shortage. Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) may include groups of persons who face economic, cultural or linguistic barriers to health care in the District and reside in a specific geographic area.
MUA/P designations are used to qualify for state/local and federal programs aimed at increasing health services to underserved areas and populations. Programs in DC that rely on MUA/P designations include: DC’s Health Professional Loan Repayment and DC 30/J-1 Visa Waiver programs and the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program operated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
MUA determinations are based on an Index of Medical Underservice (IMU) for a defined service area (i.e. group of census tracts which represent a neighborhood with similar socioeconomic and demographic characteristics). IMU calculations rely on data on demographic indicators associated with underservice. The IMU scale is from 0 to 100, where 0 represents completely underserved and 100 represents best-served or least underserved.
MUP designations are based on the same data elements and the same calculations that are used for MUAs; however, the demographic and provider data used for MUPs should be specific to the population to be designated (e.g. only data on providers that serve the population of interest should be included). A score of 62 or less qualifies a population as medically underserved (MUP).
As of 2010, DC had a total of 9 MUAs encompassing 86 census tracts and no MUP designations. Approximately 45% of the population of the District was residing in a MUA.
MUA/P designations do not expire. Designation of new MUA/Ps requires collection of extensive information on providers practicing in the areas of interest. The Primary Care Bureau must submit any/all applications for MUA/P designations. Any entity interested in designating currently undesignated areas/populations as MUA/Ps should contact the Bureau.
For more information on MUA/P’s, please contact (202) 442-5892. | <urn:uuid:233b7ac0-7c1f-44b8-a98b-9df295f386e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://doh.dc.gov/service/medically-underserved-areas-populations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923275 | 528 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Resources for Teachers and Students
For the week of May. 19, 2013
Lazaro Cardenas (1895-1970): Mexican. Political and military leader. As president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940, Cardenas did more than any other Mexican chief executive to achieve the goals of the Mexican Revolution: redistributing land from large landowners to peasants, organizing confederations of workers and peasants, and taking control over foreign-owned industries. He emerged from retirement in 1943 to serve as defense minister and then chief of the army, retiring again in 1945.
Victoria Day observed: Canada. This public holiday in Canada commemorates the birth of Queen Victoria, who lived from 1819 to 1901 and ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, during which time England became the worldis leading industrial power and the center of the British Empire.
Leo Baeck (1873-1956): Jewish German. Religious leader. Baeck was a leader of German Jews and of Progressive Judaism. He became head of the World Union of Progressive Judaism and a leader of Reform Judaism, the branch of the faith that emphasized Judaism as a system of ethical monotheism.
Declaration of the Bab: Baha`i. This holiday commemorates the Babis prediction in Shiraz, Persia, in 1844 of the imminent appearance of the new messenger of God.
Ines Mexia (1870-1938) : Mexican American. Botanical explorer. Mexia discovered her vocation at the age of 55, when she took a summer course on flowering plants at the University of California. Over the next 13 years she traveled throughout the southwestern states, to Alaska, and through much of South America, often living in primitive conditions as she gathered thousands of specimens, many of them previously unclassified, for academic institutions and government agencies. Her intrepid spirit and her careful preservation of plant materials in difficult field conditions won her the admiration of her colleagues.
James Francis (Jim) Thorpe (1888-1953): American Indian (Sauk and Fox). Athlete. Chosen as the best athlete of the first half of the century in an Associated Press poll, Jim Thorpe won the decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games and went on to play professional baseball and then professional football, and to be named to the college and professional football Halls of Fame. Thorpe was forced to give up his Olympic medals when it was discovered that he had briefly played professional baseball, disqualifying him from competition as an amateur. This action was rescinded in 1983 by the International Olympic Committee, which retroactively recognized his amateur status and presented his heirs with duplicates of his medals.
Coleman A. Young (1918-1997): African American. Politician. Coleman Young became the first African American Mayor of Detroit, Michigan, in 1973 and served in that office for the next twenty years, the longest period of time that any mayor had served in that position. During his administrations, Detroit rebuilt much if its business area, created the Renaissance Center and fought tirelessly the social and economic problems facing many of Americais cities.
Ascension Day: Christian. This marks the anniversary of the day Christians believe that Jesus rose to heaven.
Ascension Day: Eastern Orthodox Christian. This marks the anniversary of the day Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus rose to heaven.
Africa Day: Zambia and Zimbabwe. In these and some other African states, this is a holiday commemorating independence from colonial rule.
Anniversary of the May Revolution: Argentina. This commemorates the beginning of the war of independence from Spain in 1810 by Jose de San Martin.
Independence Day: Argentina. This day commemorates Argentinais declaration of independence from Spain in 1816.
Independence Day: Jordan. This marks the day in 1946 that Jordan under the Hashemite Monarchy gained independence from Britain.
Maulid an-Nabi (Prophet Muhammadis Birthday): Islam. This occurs on the 12th day of the Muslim month of Rabi ul-Awwal and marks the birth of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam in 570 A.C.E.
Susette LaFlesche Tibbles (1854-1903): American Indian (Omaha). Activist. Daughter of a chief, Susette La Flesche joined with her father, her brother , and her future husband, journalist Thomas Tibbles, to bring national attention to the plight of the Poncas, a kindred tribe that had been forcibly removed to Indian territory. This is the anniversary of her death.
Dragon Boat Festival (Tuan-wu): China. This is a holiday in honor of Chiu Yuan, Chinais first major poet, who drowned himself in 278 B.C.E. to protest the injustice and corruption of his princeis government. In the traditional dragon boat races, teams from different towns compete in long boats with bows shaped like large dragon heads. The customary holiday food is a dumpling made of rice with a sweet filling wrapped in a bamboo leaf.
Lessons & Classroom Activities
Resources by grade level
Online Reference Guides | <urn:uuid:8b21931e-675d-443a-8168-46bbd79bf515> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nieonline.com/neni/calendar.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950289 | 1,044 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Sharks disappearing as fin chopping rises
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Populations of tiger, bull, dusky and other sea sharks have plummeted by more than 95 percent since the 1970s as fisherman kill the animals for their fins or when they scoop other fish from the ocean, according to an expert from the World Conservation Union, or IUCN.
At particular risk is the scalloped hammerhead shark, whose young swim mostly in shallow waters along shores all over the world to avoid predators.
The scalloped hammerhead will be listed on the 2008 IUCN Red List as globally "endangered" due to overfishing and high demand for its valuable fins in the shark fin trade, said Julia Baum, a member of the IUCN's shark specialist group.
"As a result of high and mostly unrestricted fishing pressure, many sharks are now considered to be at risk of extinction," Baum said in a statement.
The numbers of many other large shark species have plunged due to increased demand for shark fins and meat, recreational shark fisheries, as well as tuna and swordfish fisheries, where millions of sharks are taken as bycatch each year, said Baum, a fellow at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.
Last year, IUCN put the great hammerhead, the largest of the nine species of hammerhead, on the Red List as "endangered." IUCN said in September that numbers of the shark in the eastern Atlantic may have crashed by 80 percent in the last 25 years.
Hammerhead meat has a very low value but the sharks are among the most endangered species because their fins are highly prized for the Asian delicacy shark-fin soup. In shark finning, fishermen chop the fins of the animals and dump the sharks back into the sea.
Fishing for sharks in international waters is unrestricted, said Baum, who supports a recently adopted U.N. resolution calling for immediate shark catch limits and a ban on shark finning.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, editing by Stuart Grudgings) | <urn:uuid:f0dc5ccd-1d62-45ca-83fd-b03dd42691dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/31323 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94033 | 426 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Mark-to-Market Accounts Signal Caution for Investors
Mark-to-market accounting has long been viewed in academia as the gold standard for preparing financial statements. The rule makers, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board, are coming to the same view. Yet shifting to those norms has some adverse consequences for investors.
For centuries, assets generally had been recorded on balance sheets at their actual “historical” costs. Critics argued that this method provided investors with stale information that was irrelevant to decision-making (“sunk” costs). Instead, they advocated marking assets to their estimated market prices, or “fair values.”
The greatest impact of the transition to mark-to-market accounting has been on financial assets and liabilities, which is where the best price information is found.
Banks and financial institutions are particularly affected. Their trading assets (debt, equity, Treasuries, derivatives and securitized loans) are on their balance sheets at market value. Gains and losses are booked in earnings each quarter. Because these entities are highly levered (typically more than 10-to-1), the effects on earnings are substantial. As an example, Citigroup Inc. (C) had $292 billion in trading accounts as of Dec. 31, 2011, about 3.8 times its total market capitalization and 26.4 times its earnings for the year.
Clearly, mark-to-market accounting has a lot going for it, and current prices seem preferable to old. But several recent studies, including research that I conducted with Sudarshan Jayaraman, of the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, and Lakshmanan Shivakumar, of the London Business School, indicate it also has several limitations that investors need to be aware of:
-- Earnings expectations are more difficult to calculate: Under the new rules, published financial statements don’t reveal whether mark-to-market gains and losses are due to shocks to expected returns (yields) or shocks to expected cash flows, or both. This is important because yield shocks reverse in earnings over time, and cash-flow shocks don’t. Consequently, by omitting causes, mark-to-market accounting doesn’t provide enough information to form expectations of future earnings.
Take the example of a debt instrument bought for $100 and expected to pay a single $121 cash flow in two years, an annual yield of 10 percent. Imagine if a year after it is purchased, the bond is marked to its then market price, $105.22. This is bad news for the investor because the asset was expected to appreciate by 10 percent, to $110.
There is no way, however, for the investor to know why the price has dropped and this deprives him of the ability to accurately predict its future value.
If the bond fell because an increased risk of default reduced the expected cash flow to $115.74, and the instrument still is expected to yield 10 percent, then estimated next- period earnings would be $10.52 (calculated as $115.74 -$105.22, or as 10 percent of $105.22).
If, on the other hand, the bond fell because market forces had driven up the yield to 15 percent ($121/$105.22 - 1), then expected next-period earnings would be $15.78 ($121 - $105.22, or 15 percent of $105.22).
Interpretation is even messier if yields and default risk changed together. As the example illustrates, mark to market creates uncertainty about expected future earnings, and therefore also about the “surprise” content of these earnings when they are announced. The uncertainty only can be removed by knowing what caused the change in market price. Larger investors and insiders are in a better position to acquire that information. That means smaller “uninformed” investors are at a disadvantage in forming earnings expectations.
Our research shows that shares of banks that invest in trading securities are quoted at considerably wider bid-ask spreads than those that don’t. The spreads widen as banks’ trading portfolios increase. Widened spreads indicate that uninformed investors are attempting to compensate for their informational disadvantage.
Trading securities also are associated with diminished tracking by analysts, fewer earnings forecasts by management and less timely information environments generally.
Traditional accounting theory assumed that up-to-date prices provide all the information about company assets that investors need. That turns out to be incorrect. In the real world, earnings expectations play an important role, and forming them requires information about why mark-to-market prices changed.
-- Manipulated numbers: Under historical cost accounting, gains and losses would be booked only when assets were sold. This would allow companies to “manage” earnings by choosing what to sell, and when. Winners can be sold to book gains when earnings are short of consensus expectations, and losers can be unloaded in good years.
Mark to market books gains and losses as they occur, eliminating that timing discretion. But don’t be fooled: Companies can still manipulate the numbers. Because markets aren’t perfectly liquid, companies can make trades at the end of the quarter that influence mark-to-market prices. (Such window dressing is believed to be a reason for high quarter-end trading volumes.) Securities that aren’t actively traded attract “mark- to-model” accounting, which bases the reporting on subjective judgment and is subject to even greater abuse. In this case, too, uninformed investors who take reported numbers at face value are at a disadvantage.
-- Marking liabilities to market: FASB’s Statement 159 allows companies to record their liabilities at market price. Paradoxically, increased default risk reduces the value of debt and then triggers book gains. When Citigroup was bleeding during the first quarter of 2008, it booked a $12.65 billion pretax gain from deterioration in its credit quality. The gain was buried in the footnotes, and many shareholders wouldn’t have been aware of it. Even if they had, many would have found it difficult to interpret.
There are traps for investors in debt, too. Borrowers commonly agree to restrict risk by maintaining specified maximum leverage ratios, such as debt/assets or debt/Ebitda. When these covenants are violated, lenders obtain rights such as veto power over dividends, stock repurchases, new investment, mergers and acquisitions or more borrowing. The loan might become due immediately. Renegotiation frequently ensues. But if debt is written down on the balance sheet when asset quality deteriorates, the covenanted leverage ratio is rendered ineffective -- even if the assets are written down, too.
FASB introduced this rule in 2007, so researchers cannot untangle its effects from the financial crisis. Preliminary research shows a precipitous drop in the use of balance-sheet leverage covenants in Europe after the European Union adopted similar rules in 2005. No wonder: Balance sheets can no longer be relied on to record the actual amount that companies owe.
FASB is correct that mark-to-market accounting puts more up-to-date information in financial statements, but the theory on which that belief is founded places too little emphasis on what investors actually use the information for. Until standard setters change that mindset, investors need to exercise caution.
(Ray Ball, a professor of accounting at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, is a contributor to Business Class. He is also a trustee of Harbor Funds and chairs its audit committee. The opinions expressed are his own.)
Read more opinion online from Bloomberg View.
Today’s highlights: the View editors on what’s missing from the U.S.-Afghanistan pact and better ways to fix the farm bill; Ezra Klein on how the U.S. isn’t like Greece; Amity Shlaes on why we should all back the gold standard; Caroline Baum on the lack of alternatives to austerity; Josh Barro on new arguments for a U.S. value-added tax.
To contact the writer of this article: Ray Ball at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Max Berley at firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:a272557d-a5e0-4696-b1d2-9f93857567f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2012-05-02/mark-to-market-accounts-signal-caution-for-investors.html | 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 | 0.950711 | 1,720 | 2.28125 | 2 |
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Warning as whooping cough cases soar by 4,000 per cent
4:52pm Wednesday 1st August 2012 in News
HAMPSHIRE parents are being warned of the dangers of a potentially fatal illness after the numbers of cases have soared by more than 4,000 per cent.
Latest figures have revealed that 126 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed so far this year across the county and the Isle of Wight – compared to just three in the whole of 2011.
Worryingly for mums and dads nine of these were in babies under the age of 12 months, when the cough can be fatal.
The sudden surge has left health chiefs urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the infection as well as looking to take new steps to tackle any further increase.
The figures show that 107 cases were reported in Hampshire during the past six months, compared to just three in the whole of 2011.
The increase mirrors a national trend that has sparked concern and led to the Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health working together to stem the problem, with plans to introduce a booster dose in teenagers and offering the vaccination to pregnant women.
So far this year there have been five infant deaths related to the infection, compared to four in the same period in 2008, but health chiefs have refused to say where these deaths occurred.
Babies and young children who contract the illness often need hospital treatment.
Public health boss Dr Andrew Mortimore said: “Whooping cough affects all ages but this ongoing increase has extended to very young babies. It’s this age group that is most likely to suffer severe complications or even death.
“Whooping cough can spread easily to those who are in close contact such as family members.
Vaccination is the most effective way to protect people from the infection, so it’s really important that parents ensure their children’s vaccinations are up to date.”
The whooping cough vaccine is given in three separate jabs and a booster so that a child’s body has time to build up an effective level of protection. However its effectiveness may fade over time meaning that it is possible to develop the condition during adulthood.
Health bosses say that whooping cough is a cyclical disease, with increases every three to four years, but during the last peak in 2008, the total number of cases reached just 13.
Dr Mortimore added: “Anyone showing symptoms of whooping cough should visit their GP, who may prescribe antibiotics if they are still in the infectious stage.” | <urn:uuid:7c691e55-5aff-400a-90cc-0fdd299c55e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/9850364.Warning_as_whooping_cough_cases_soar_by_4_000_per_cent/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969708 | 548 | 2.265625 | 2 |
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Just how old is the oyster feast?
The annual Oyster Feast is a long-established local tradition. Historian ANDREW PHILLIPS outlines the complex origins of this famous event.
The 2008 Oyster Feast
Full house - a typical view of
How old is the Oyster Feast? Why does it exist? Is it unique to Colchester?
Year after year speakers at the Feast resort to the mists of antiquity and lost in ancient times to cover their uncertainty. This is not necessary.
The origin of the Oyster Feast is absolutely clear, well documented and now to be revealed.
There are clues all over Europe. In Germany they have an Oktober Fest, Nottingham has its Goose Fair, churches from Ireland to Poland hold their harvest thanksgiving.
|Colchester Town Serjeant Michael Kirby
brings a salver of oysters into the 2008 feast.
In the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Michaelmas daisies offer a
last display of flowers to autumn honey bees. Michaelmas (September 29th) marks
the turning of the year, the traditional date for renewing business contracts,
for settling harvest money, and employing your farm labourers for another year.
With harvest money in their pockets, labourers looked for a Michaelmas fair to buy new breeches, shoes, knives, and perhaps a pewter mug. For with harvest gathered in, there was time to hold a feast before the cold winds of winter made you batten down the hatches.
Feasts took many forms, but in Colchester the Michaelmas Fair was the St Dennis Fair, held every October 9th on the Beryfield, now home to the Colchester Bus Station.
The St Dennis Fair dates from at least 1318 and lasted for a week, craftsmen coming from all over the district with their wares, setting up High Street stalls (under which they slept). It was the big event in Colchesters calendar.
The decision to adjust Europes calendar led to the removal of 11 days in 1752, moving the date of the St Dennis Fair to October 20th.
By this time there were two main Colchester civic feasts.
|Delicious - former MP and TV journalist,
Martin Bell, samples some oysters.
There was the Election Dinner (sometimes the Freemans Dinner), when these
hereditary gentleman elected a new town council, which in those days entered
office on Michaelmas Day. On that day was then held the Mayors Dinner.
Im sure you see the point keeping the voters happy.
Also on the day of the Proclamation of the St Dennis Fair (now October 20th) there was a corporation lunch just for the mayor and the councillors.
This much quieter event was marked from at least the 1790s by a gift of October oysters by the Colne dredgermen who had just received their annual licences from the town council. Im sure you see the point keeping the bosses happy.
Thus matters remained until 1835 when a major reform of local government forbade all forms of civic feasting.
Time to end corruption, that sort of thing. No more Election Dinner, no more Mayors Dinner. But the little Corporation Lunch (sometimes supper) survived, since they paid for it themselves, except for the oysters which came from the grateful dredgermen.
|Taste test - guests relax
at the 2004 Colchester Oyster Feast.
In 1845 the new mayor was Henry Wolton, a great traditionalist. For example,
he reintroduced the punishment of the stocks for persistent drunkards
a practice by then unknown elsewhere.
He also dramatically renamed the Corporation Lunch, inviting 200 guests to dine at his expense in the newly-built town hall (the one before the present one).
Wolton had invented the modern Oyster Feast, by cleverly re-inventing the banned Mayors Dinner. For this he was re-elected mayor five times.
Not all subsequent mayors were as generous as Wolton and not till 1878 did another wealthy mayor, Thomas Moy the coal merchant, make the Wolton Oyster Feast the normal thing.
Before long cabinet ministers and London dignitaries were coming down to Colchester as our guests, to be followed in the 20th century by showbiz and media personalities to give the event popular appeal.
|All smiles - (l to r) Sue and Adrian Bouckley, Linda
and Tony Hughes at the reception before the 2004 feast.
By now the St Dennis Fair was no more, last seen as a horse fair near the bottom
of Ipswich Road. It was last proclaimed by the mayor and town council
So there you have it: 1318 St Dennis Fair, 1790s Corporation (Oyster) Lunch, 1845 modern Oyster Feast, all (after 1752) occurring in late October. | <urn:uuid:47e43894-b0d7-4340-896f-05b778998f3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/features/aboutthearea/colchesteroysters/theoysterfeast/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960044 | 1,039 | 2.515625 | 3 |
The Herald reports:
The Government is planning to allow all companies to have 90-day trials for new workers and wants to give employers the power to keep unions out of the workplace.
Unions say the proposals are outrageous and an attack on workers’ rights.
The present scheme – restricted to firms with 20 staff or fewer – lets bosses take on workers on trial for up to 90 days.
The unions of course predicted all sorts of massive abuses when the scheme came in for smaller employers. Since then, a total silence. Where are the scores and scores of examples of terrible abuses? Sure the scheme has been used (that is why it was introduced), but have there been any cases of bosses sacking new workers because they wouldn’t sleep with the boss etc – as predicted by the unions?
Grievance free trial periods are common in OECD countries, and they encourage employment – especially of employees whose backgrounds may make it harder to be given a go.
One News reported last night that the Government plans to extend the scheme to all companies. It is also looking to let employers deny unions access to the workplace on reasonable grounds – a plan that appals Labour and the unions.
Union leaders vowed to fight the changes and Labour leader Phil Goff promised to scrap the 90-day scheme altogether if Labour regained power.
What the Herald doesn’t mention regarding the access to workplaces, is it was explicit 2008 election policy for National.
UPDATE: My bad. The Herald did in fact state that in the article. I just didn’t see it.Tags: industrial disputes, National | <urn:uuid:5b3a87d2-b6ad-4c6c-927c-f878e043d427> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/07/the_boy_who_cried_wolf.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954762 | 327 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Learn which writers have written about death, love, sex, violence, and life in general. Find out how the quotations from these famous authors and great works of literature relate to the body of literature as a whole. Then, search out the original works to find out what else the Shakespeare, Dickens, Thoreau, Dickinson, Chaucer, Twain, and all the other poets and novels have written on the theme you're researching. Read on.
by Peter Kemp. From the publisher: "A marvelous gathering of 4,000 quotations on the tortures and triumphs of the writer's life, this reference is arranged thematically, allowing readers to dip easily into a chosen topic."
by Lamar Underwood (Editor). Globe Pequot Press. From the publisher: "But who are the ones who make it and how? In spite of the eventual success of the well-known writers in this collection, many of them had to journey to the dark midnight of their souls and back."
by Kirsty Crawford. Cadogan Guides. From the publisher: "'Cadogan's Much Have I Travell'd' is a lively compilation of travel and exploration in all its guises, from the conquering of Mount Everest to the unforgettable words of the love torn lovers in Brief Encounter. It ranges from the ancient world to the present day including quotes from 'Alice In Wonderland,' Spenser's 'Faerie Queen,' Wordsworth, Keats, Yeats, Blake... to novelists Austen, Henry Miller and Hemingway..."
by Michael Macrone. HarperCollins. From the publisher: "Each phrase is presented with background notes, explanations, and literary anecdotes that set it in its original context. With a new filmography of the finest Shakespeare movies, 'Brush Up Your Shakeapeare!' is an accessible and entertaining guide for Bard aficionados and amateurs alike."
by Ben Jacobs (Editor), and Helena Hjalmarsson. Globe Pequot Press. From the publisher: "This robust collection of more than five hundred quotations captures the wisdom and wit of the most insightful things ever said about books, spoken and written by many of the most famous writers from antiquity to the present day." | <urn:uuid:4ed4028c-cf5e-487d-8210-446f3fd6159a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://classiclit.about.com/od/forbeginners/tp/aatp_litquote.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910953 | 447 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Ted Grimsrud—May 19, 2013
In the first of these posts on gay marriage, I suggested that our starting point—whether (1) we assume acceptance unless persuaded to withhold it by the evidence or (2) assume withholding acceptance unless we are persuaded by the evidence to give it—is crucial in considering the issue of how Christians might respond to gay marriage. I suggested that the benefit of the doubt should be in favor of churches embracing such relationships and the people in them. One main reason for an accepting starting point, that I discussed in the first post, is the importance of hospitality in the biblical story.
The second main reason for an accepting starting point, that I will discuss in this post, has to do with the goodness of marriage. My third post will focus on the biblical bases usually used by those who would withhold acceptance, testing whether that evidence is strong enough to persuade us to withhold acceptance after all.
Most of the theological literature in relation to homosexuality until quite recently did not focus particularly closely on marriage. Major books from a “restrictive” perspective that urged Christians not to “normalize” homosexuality could comfortably repeat stereotypes about sexual promiscuity and short-term relationships being the norm especially among gay men (and probably among lesbians as well).
It was easy to equate “homosexuality” with obvious “sexual immorality” since gays and lesbians were, it seemed, not involved in committed, long-term relationships—and probably did not really desire to. So in the literature, we encountered widespread use of terms such as “the gay lifestyle” and “homosexual practice” (note the singular) as if there was only one “lifestyle” or “practice” and it involved a lot of casual sex with multiple partners.
Of course, all along in the debate over the past 40 or so years, many gay people and allies argued against these stereotypes. In just the past few years, though, as the movement toward legalizing and affirming gay marriage has gained remarkable traction, increasing numbers of people are learning of the existence of countless same-sex marriages that have existed for decades and reflect similar patterns as opposite-sex marriages—for better and for worse.
So, is it possible to construct a theology of marriage that does not discriminate against same-sex couples and that accounts for the actual experience of healthy marriages of many such couples? Continue reading | <urn:uuid:524088c1-61af-4f4c-b60e-f883cf69ea91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thinkingpacifism.net/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96399 | 500 | 1.835938 | 2 |
A Cosmic Team-Up of Planets This Weekend
The planets Venus and Jupiter will be prominent in the western evening sky at sunset today and tomorrow (Feb. 25 and 26), with the crescent moon nearby. The planet Mercury joins the cosmic team-up briefly just after sunset.
According to space.com Mars is also making an appearance this evening, but rises in the east a few hours after sunset.
“This is a great weekend to watch the sun go down. Venus, Jupiter and the slender crescent moon are lining up in the western sky, forming a bright triangle in the evening twilight,” astronomer Tony Phillips of the skywatching website Spaceweather.com wrote in an alert. “These three objects are so bright, they shine through thin clouds and even city lights.”
If it is cloudy, rainy or snowy tonight, and visibility is obscured in the WNY area you can watch the events here.
[Skywatcher Photos: Jupiter, Venus & the Moon] | <urn:uuid:ced3440c-e72c-4710-9dd7-736fa23c1e43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://961joyfm.com/a-cosmic-team-up-of-planets-this-weekend/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912425 | 207 | 2.21875 | 2 |
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba -- The boat people trying to reach U.S. soil are imaginary and so is the Caribbean nation in crisis. But the Army general who flew in from Texas to take charge is the real deal for hundreds of troops rehearsing to get ready for a humanitarian crisis.
Guantánamos airstrip was abuzz this weekend as about 500 troops descended for an every-other-year drill whose name reflects how little the military wants to draw attention to it Exercise Integrated Advance.
For a week, soldiers, sailors and Homeland Security officials are rehearsing how to manage an imaginary humanitarian-relief crisis inspired by the tens of thousands of Haitians and Cubans who overwhelmed this base in the 1990s.
But the exact nature of the scenario how many migrants flood the base, whether theres unrest, disease, spies in the tent camps is all classified. Only Pentagon-approved photos of the exercise will be released, and the people involved in acting out the episode from here to Miami to Washington, D.C., are sworn to secrecy.
Thats because nobody wants news about it to touch off a real, live Caribbean exodus. The intent, say organizers, is not to encourage anyone in the Caribbean to get on rafts to reach this Navy base in southeast Cuba, but to be ready in case it happens.
Is the scenario driven by political unrest or a natural disaster?
All Army Col. Greg Julian, spokesman for the U.S. Southern Command, will say is that this 21st century war-game is about a mass migration event in the Caribbean.
One thing theyll rehearse is registering 1,000 migrants in a single day. And if history is any guide, the actors should cram inside the processing tent desperate, undocumented and disorganized.
We certainly wouldnt want to instigate a real event, said Julian from Southcom, which is spending $2.7 million on the exercise, nearly half of it on transportation for troops and supplies from its Army South headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
So, We generally wont use a nation. We use country 1, country 2 because we dont want to get into any political issues.
The exercise is occurring less than a month after Cuba abandoned a policy of requiring citizens to get exit visas to leave the island legally.
But so far, the U.S. government has detected no spike or anything of Cubans trying to reach U.S. soil either by land or sea, said a federal official who spoke on condition he not be named because he was not authorized to discuss the Pentagons drill.
The drill was planned long before Cuba changed its exit-visa policy, with U.S. government divisions that would answer to the Department of Homeland Security rehearsing a reaction to whatever that push factor is going to be, from political activity to natural disaster.
It helps us to make sure all the ducks are in a row, Julian added, if and when we have to kick this off for real.
The International Organization for Migration is taking part; the International Committee of the Red Cross is not.
Meantime, just to make sure theres no misunderstandings, the Navy captain in charge of the base here used the occasion of his monthly meeting with a Cuban Army officer at the U.S. Marine Corps fence line to notify the military across the minefield of the reason for the U.S. troop build-up. | <urn:uuid:62df52fd-7899-4bd4-9ee0-3888d5ece553> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/11/3228062/guantanamo-is-used-for-mass-migration.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948383 | 706 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Rajakur Rehman’s job involves walking. He begins early, at the crack of dawn, and walks alongside a pair of bullocks tied together. Dressed in a lungi and shirt, he covers his mouth with a towel to keep the dust away. He keeps a stick handy to prod the young pair every now and then. It might seem like a classic old Indian scene, caught in a centuries-old time warp. Except that he is not a farmer.
Rehman’s job is riskier. He walks not the length of a farm, but hundreds of kilometres in a single direction. The cloth that saves his throat from dust must also muffle his identity, occasionally. And it is not just one pair of bullocks he has with him, but a long trail of 20 pairs in tow, their pep reportedly guaranteed by generous doses of a banned anti-inflammatory drug called Diclofenac sodium, reportedly.
By dusk, Rehman expects to reach the Indo-Bangla border, where a group of smugglers will take charge and hustle the cattle across the river Padma in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Today’s walkathon began at Berhampore, 220 km north of Kolkata. It will end 55 km from the city at a cattle shelter in Katlamari on the border, across which lie a series of slaughter houses. Every third cattlehead that Bangladesh consumes is said to come from India.
Are you not scared of getting caught? We ask Rehman. “Amra symbol peye gachchi (We have a symbol that lets us go freely),” he says.
The animals have been marked in advance. Rehman’s lead pair bears a painted ‘plus’ symbol within a circle, an unofficial passport that smoothens the journey all the way to the border. It’s a sign that all authorities en route have been paid off. Sure enough, any policemen who happen to spot the trail just look on nonchalantly, pleased perhaps to have their boredom broken.
It’s an illegal trade estimated at Rs 10,000 crore every year by the Indian Customs Department. Bangladesh has a bustling meat market. Its high-value meat packaging industry is doing very well too, with beef exports booming. India’s poverty-stricken Murshidabad and Nadia districts are a significant source of cattle supplies, with cattle handlers like Rehman paid Rs 100–200 per pair for their services. The bunch who ferry the live haul across the border earn about Rs 500 per pair, sometimes more.
It is the actual smugglers, the real operatives, who get to count the fat wads of cash that keep the trade going. A pair of bullocks fetches Rs 20,000 upfront at the border. At an abattoir, a pair could be encashed for the Indian currency equivalent of Rs 30,000–40,000, depending on the size of the beast and current state of demand.
For all the Diclofenac sodium at hand, several animals need motorised transport to reach the border. The 35 km stretch of state highway from Berhampore to Islampur is dotted with cycle-rickshaws equipped with makeshift motors and laden with bullocks lying on their side. On others, there are half-a-dozen or more calves trussed up. “Sick animals and calves that cannot walk long distances need to be carried,” says Alaudin Farook, a handler, “If they are not delivered, I have to pay Rs 20,000 per pair.”
One worry is India’s Border Security Force (BSF), which sometimes springs into action to seize animals; it seized a record 100,000 cattleheads in 2005. If the BSF happens to nab their haul, the handlers have to bear the bribes for their release; or else, the cost of re-buying them at official auctions. This can be done for as little as Rs 700 per pair, going by BSF records—which is a big relief since the pair would have been acquired for Rs 10,000 or so.
Most of these animals are picked up at cattle fairs as far away as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, and are brought to Berhampore, where special operatives buy them, mark their hides, and send them trundling down the smuggling corridor.
The operation is well coordinated and has no time for religious taboos, evidently, with Muslims and Hindus jointly engaged in the pursuit of profit. For local administrators, it seems, the only thing four-legged and holy is the table under which they grab their share of the bounty. “Otherwise, how can 3,000 heads of cattle cross the border every week just here?” asks Gopen Chandra Sharma of the Manbadhikar Suraksha Manch (Masum), a human rights outfit that monitors the 170 km long border in the two districts for cases of illegal detention, eviction, torture and other horrors. In the course of keeping tabs on cross-border human trafficking (especially of girl children), Masum has acquainted itself well with cattle smuggling as well.
The passage on the other side is also smooth, with Bangladeshi authorities there equally happy to look the other way for a fee. Demand for cattle typically shoots up during their festive seasons, observes Masum, but over the past three months, supply has increased thanks to a BSF decision to refrain from using lethal weapons against cattle smugglers.
According to Sharma, there had been 30 reported firing incidents last year and 14 this year, some of them resulting in fatalities. What has silenced the guns is the case of Alamgir Seikh, a 30-year-old father of two who was shot under mysterious circumstances at the border on 21 April this year. Seikh escaped with injuries, but later died in Rajasahi Hospital, 2 km across the border in Bangladesh. With no evidence of what the man was up to, the BSF denied having shot him. However, once Masum took up the incident, writing to both the Bangladesh High Commission and Ministry of External Affairs, it became a diplomatic issue; Seikh’s body was recently returned to his family in India, but the BSF suffered such criticism that it ordered its guards to keep their fingers off the trigger.
Is there no better way to seal the border? “Fencing can never be an option as there are no proper buffer zones,” says a BSF official, “There are human settlements right on the border, often just a few metres from one another.” The terrain, with farms and water patches seeming to blend into each other, does not lend itself to the segregative clarities of border making.
At Rajanagore, a border village not far from Islampur, the river Padma is greenish after a spell of rain. “The river was dry this summer and is getting filled up now,” says villager Rajan Pandey, “Farmers have to cross over on boats to reach their farms.”
For some farmers, that’s just one of many problems. Kanhai Mondal, 58, for example, owns three acres across the river right at ‘zero point’, where a boundary pillar delineates the two countries. While the view all around is of a jute crop swaying gently in the breeze, his field looks as if an army has run through it. “Paat khete upor diye goru niye jaoai, oi khet nasto hoye geche (Smugglers have been driving cattle through my fields, ruining my crop and causing me losses),” he complains. The BSF’s Char Moiroshi camp, which watches over this section of the border, does not allow us to cross the river to Mondal’s field, though we can clearly see it 200 metres across the gurgling Padma.
As cattle are natural swimmers, the hustlers simply have to push them into the river to get them across.
“They are very clever,” says Mondal’s son, Vivek, an articulate painter, “They chase buffaloes into the river, and as the beasts love to wallow in water, they allow them the luxury… till an all-clear signal comes from a watcher to drive them over to the other side.”
Even as the father and son hold forth, a boat lands on the ghat. Several people disembark, and a wiry man with a gunny sack walks up. He has Bangladesh-made soap, cigarettes and torches for sale. This is daily practice here. The BSF allows people to cross back and forth, checking only their voter ID cards, but won’t let them carry mobile phones, which they see as a security threat for some odd reason. “We are allowed to cross the border post at 7 am to go the fields and have to be back by 4 pm. Five pm is the last re-entry. If we’re even a few minutes late, the guards beat us up,” says Mondal senior.
It is easy to make out those who are not really farmers. In Kahar Para village, a few kilometres away from Rajnagore, the grunt of our SUV wakes up a group of men in their 20s and 30s. They’re bleary eyed at noon; smuggling operatives, according to our local source. They admit nothing, preferring to get back to bed and rest for what might presumably be a busy night.
What makes late-night operations easier is the utter lack of lighting. At Char Bainsgara, Seikh’s village, there are electric poles but no power. Most villagers here have mobile phones, and we wonder how they charge them. For farmers with modest patches of land, they also appear to own rather too many motorcycles.
According to Tinku, Seikh’s neighbour, there are only two sources of income around here: farming and smuggling. “Sab chille pele ra bekar. Sarkaar kichu kore naa (The youth are jobless here. The government is not doing anything),” he says, adding that his regular job is as a mechanic in Hyderabad and he is here only to visit his ailing mother.
It’s a sombre day at the village. It’s the day of the funeral of Alamgir Seikh, whose body was in diplomatic limbo for so long that it has been released nearly three months after his death. As the burial rites are performed, we find ourselves and our SUV being photographed by a surreptitious stranger; the moment we confront him, he leaps onto a numberless motorcycle and vrooms out of sight.
Smuggling operatives, we are told, have a vast ring of informers around here. “Kaun kiske saath he, hame maloom nahin (Who is with whom is difficult to tell),” say the villagers in Hindi. They don’t know who’s running the smuggling racket either, they aver.
What they are sure of is this: they are tired of burying the bullet-ridden body of yet another village youth.
For Char Bainsgara, Seikh is the sixth victim of a border firing in recent memory. It explains why villagers have renamed a nearby border point Kargil. Until the BSF clamped down on its guards, it was one of the region’s deadliest spots. The bullets might have deterred a few smugglers, but what of ordinary villagers? Guilt and innocence, like the very border itself, is way too fuzzy in these parts for hard certainties. | <urn:uuid:237a6d30-9ed4-40c1-816a-422a4c90147d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/the-crossborder-cattle-caravan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96693 | 2,482 | 1.984375 | 2 |
The Use of the Means of Grace: A Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament
, Application A of Principle 11 states, “Music is a servant of the Gospel and a principal means of worshiping God in Lutheran churches. Congregational song gathers the whole people to proclaim God's mercy, to worship God, and to pray, in response to the readings of the day and in preparation for the Lord's Supper.”
Further explore the role of music and musicians in worship
by considering the principles about “Music in the Christian Assembly” in the Renewing Worship volume, Principles for Worship
Find education and training events
and connect to guilds and societies especially for church musicians.
Copyright question? Your compliance with copyright law ensures that musicians, composers, and arrangers are compensated for their creative work. Find out more about copyright
and connect to worship publishers.
Explore the worship books, hymnals, and songbooks
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
God creates music as part of the whole creation and gives it to humankind to develop and shape.
- Principles for Worship, Principle M-1, “Music and the Christian Assembly” | <urn:uuid:70590aaf-2803-4818-9978-6c579fc82eec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Leadership/Musicians.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915606 | 248 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Partnership is the key to success here at WQED. Whether it's promoting other arts organizations on our FM channels, showing documentaries of local filmmakers and telling the stories of our region, or, in our education department, reaching out to collaborate with our schools and universities, museums, and corporations to enhance the lives of kids in our community, partnership is the way that we work here at WQED. Learn more about our featured community partnerships:
The Design Lives Here initiative is an educational outreach program, offered in partnership between WQED Multimedia and the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, that promotes learning about engineering via interactive teaching, mentoring, and challenge activities. With curriculum based on the popular show Design Squad, the program offers trainings for educators and challenge-based events for students in grades five through 11. Visit the Design Lives Here website for videos from our 2010 engineering event, information on how to participate, and more!
Get Curious, Pittsburgh! was an innovative partnership between WQED and the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh designed to educate the children and parents of our region about science, technology and discovery. Leveraging the traveling exhibition, Curious George™: Let's Get Curious, in conjunction with the television show, Curious George, we were thinking uniquely about how to engage parents in helping their kids be curious – for a lifetime. Visit the Get Curious, Pittsburgh! website for information from the project.
iQ Kids Radio is a collaboration between WQED and The Saturday Light Brigade, that asks families to listen, imaginatively together. iQ Kids Radio is a trusted source for media that caregivers can rely on and enjoy themselves. iQ Kids Radio will be a safe, entertaining and fun way to learn, listen, laugh and much more. Available through internet streaming, iQ Kids Radio is the go-to place for listening to learn.
iQ Zoo is an innovative new partnership between WQED Multimedia, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, and PBS KIDS GO! that educates children about animals, habitats, and careers using engaging multimedia content, both at the zoo and online! Children can access iQ Zoo with an internet-enabled mobile phone at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and at participating zoos across the nation starting in 2011, or visit the complementary website for a learning experience at home, at school, or on the go. iQ Zoo is the first project in the nation to use QR-code technology to leverage the capacity and reach of PBS content in partnership with a community-based educational facility. Learn more at iQzoo.org.
Once home to Fred Rogers, Pittsburgh is now home to modern-day Fred Rogers who - like Fred - make use of child-centered media, technology, and arts to engage kids in learning, inspire their creative play, and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them. Kidsburgh is an all-out effort by a large and collaborative group in Pittsburgh to make Pittsburgh the best place for kids on the planet. Download a comprehensive guide to Kidsburgh and its many members from across southwestern Pennsylvania, or visit the Pittsburgh is Kidsburgh website for more information!
SecureMyCyberspace is a partnership between WQED and Carnegie Mellon University's Information Networking Institute (INI). The INI was established by Carnegie Mellon in 1989 as the nation's first research and education center devoted to information networking. The INI promotes safe and responsible online behavior to citizens at all levels and partners with like-minded organizations to extend cyberawareness educational and outreach programs to the broad audience of people using information networking as part of their daily lives. SecureMyCyberspace will education children and adults about how to use technology safely and securely, and will empower them as digital citizens in the 21st century. Visit SecureMyCyberspace.org for more information.
WQED and Winchester Thurston School are partnering to provide cool new summer camps for students in grades Pre-K – 8, based on your favorite PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! shows! There is something for everyone: programs focus on numerous topics including art, science, paleontology, cooking and nutrition, engineering, Spanish language and culture, reading and writing, animal behavior, and even superhero journalism just for girls! All camps are held on Winchester Thurston’s North Hills and City campus locations. WQED members receive a 10% discount on all smart.squared camps. Learn more and register at smartsquared.org.
The 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge will award prizes to middle school students (5th-8th grade), high school students, college students (undergraduate and graduate), and educators for coming up with the best STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) video games using a variety of free game-making platforms. The Challenge launches on November 15, 2011 and closes on March 12, 2012; winners will be announced in the summer of 2012. The Challenge is being launched in partnership with the Digital Promise, a new initiative created by the President and Congress, supported through the U.S. Department of Education. The implementing partners for the challenge are the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media. Learn more about the national contest online. | <urn:uuid:6fe1f816-cf29-4d6e-9777-9acbc315588c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wqed.org/education/partnerships.php?pledgevidid=fund_cith_b | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941246 | 1,072 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Jan 14 2009
Darwin taught us all about the survival of the fittest – the “fitness function” by which life has evolved over the past 4 billion years or so. However, we are the first generations of the first species to reach a point of intelligence that we can understand and affect our own evolution. This is not your grandfather’s evolution. The birth control pill in the 60′s allowed us shift our species’ hormones and triggered a sexual revolution. Our understanding of DNA and the human genome poises us for fantastic new vistas in medicine.
This brings up the question: just what is our new fitness function as we consciously shape our own evolution? The tried-and-true formula that nature has used until now – maximizing the number of your surviving offspring – is not going to work. We won that race, and now have 6.5 billion homo sapiens sapiens on earth. Blindly increasing that number is not going to work.
Scientists in China have just announced that they have sequenced the DNA of the Giant Panda – surely the mark of distinction the millions of species in the world today. But why the panda? According to Jun Wang, the institute’s associate director and professor, they chose the giant panda it’s cute and therefore able to capture the public’s attention.
Never mind that the Panda is one of the most “brittle” species on earth, locked into a single food source (bamboo), and a single climate. But what about the trillions of lowly earthworms, constantly refreshing our soils. Darwin recognized this: “it may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organized creatures.”
But they aren’t cute.
Perhaps saving the most mediagenic species has a lot of sex appeal to some, but perhaps we need to move to the Survival of the Wisest, not the Survival of the Cutest. A great visionary, Jonas Salk, coined this phrase. I think we need to pay more attention to it. | <urn:uuid:09bd6c60-8a5a-464d-aeca-a93bb455b2bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://munnecke.com/blog/?tag=sex | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94544 | 437 | 2.875 | 3 |
While aspirin has been shown to be effective in preventing heart attacks in men, it also increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and possibly stroke, even at low doses. As such, national guidelines suggest that aspirin be used for prevention...
6/5/2013 8:40 AM EDT
Cancer patients, physicians and insurers want to be sure that whatever therapy is recommended and provided to patients is based on evidence, preferably results from randomized clinical trials. But are there enough clinical trials data to provide...
5/29/2013 8:00 AM EDT
Cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women each year, and most of these deaths could be prevented with prophylactic HPV vaccination, routine cervical cancer screening and continuity to treatment. At the Women Deliver Conference in Kuala...
5/28/2013 10:00 AM EDT
While the mutated KRAS oncogene is associated with many cancers, it has not yet been successfully targeted by a therapeutic agent. Scientists are trying to find another way to target the gene by blocking signals from another protein downstream.
5/28/2013 9:00 AM EDT
The protein GATA-3 plays an important role in mammalian immune response, but its overall function in cell development and cancer formation is not well understood. In an effort to further define the importance of GATA-3, researchers at the University...
5/24/2013 3:00 PM EDT
University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers uncover surprising insights about how nerve cells rewire themselves, shedding light on a process linked with neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia...
5/23/2013 9:30 AM EDT
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy has become the most commonly used type of radiation in prostate cancer, but research from the University of North Carolina suggests that the therapy may not be more effective than older, less expensive forms of...
5/16/2013 4:00 PM EDT
The University of North Carolina Health Care System and the UNC School of Medicine (UNC) seek a communications professional with an aptitude for writing for electronic media, photography, video production, and graphic design to serve as Multimedia...
5/14/2013 11:00 AM EDT
Experts Available to Discuss NEJM Editorial on Use of PARP Inhibitors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In the editorial, the UNC researchers explain the excitement about this new class of drugs and the importance of this trial. They also highlight the reasons that caution as well as enthusiasm is warranted.
1/3/2011 2:50 PM EST
Dr. Darren DeWalt, author of a JAMA editorial being released early online this week, is available for media interviews.
11/29/2010 11:45 AM EST
UNC expert available to discuss latest development in search for AIDS vaccine.
9/24/2009 12:40 PM EDT
UNC brain surgeon Anand Germanwala, M.D. and ENT surgeon Adam Zanation, M.D., collaborated to develop through-the-nose approach to repair a patient's ruptured brain aneurysm.
8/26/2009 9:00 AM EDT
Pneumonic plague expert available for interview at UNC-Chapel Hill.
8/5/2009 5:00 PM EDT
UNC School of Medicine experts offer story ideas for back to school, including: sleep apnea and tonsils, kids with restless leg syndrome and returning to normal sleep habits; an STD reality check for teens; how to return to school with prescription...
8/4/2009 8:30 PM EDT
Two infectious disease experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "“ Dr. David Weber and Dr. Myron Cohen -- are available to discuss swine flu.
4/27/2009 12:00 PM EDT
Lance Armstrong broke his collarbone today in a bike race in Spain. Two orthopaedic surgeons at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are available to discuss how this type of injury can be treated and what the road to recovery for...
3/23/2009 3:45 PM EDT | <urn:uuid:78dff6c2-91f0-4fdb-bf0d-0fb01242a666> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newswise.com/institutions/newsroom/504/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919267 | 848 | 2.09375 | 2 |
|As some celebrated 200 years of independence, others mourned what they see as the erosion of the rights they secured 200 years before [EPA]
When he took office in 1999, Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, was widely embraced. But with the passage of time, some Venezuelans have grown disillusioned, believing that their president poses a threat to freedom and democracy.
In a country divided between those for whom Chavez is a saviour and those who consider him a dictator, one man has been prepared to put his life on the line.
Here Luis Del Valle, the director of Challenging Chavez, explains how students have become a major force of opposition in Venezuela.
|DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: LUIS DEL VALLE
"What is the purpose of your visit?" asked the customs officer when I arrived at Caracas airport, in the Venezuelan capital. I responded, as it had been suggested I should, by saying: "I'm coming to film the celebrations for the 200-year [anniversary of] independence."
"Why instead you don't film the misery we live in?" came the unexpected reply as the officer stamped my passport.
Just a little later as I sat in the car and listened to the Chavez-supporting driver tell me all about subsidised food and cheap loans, I was able to see just how polarised Venezuela is.
The student organisation we were there to film comes down very firmly on one side of that divide.
The students there are very critical of the government and refuse to acknowledge any good it may have done. They do not believe that the social programmes have benefited the poor and are convinced that corruption is widespread among officials.
For them Venezuela is living under an authoritarian regime where freedom of speech has been restricted and democracy is at peril. To fight for freedom is what drives them and, in such circumstances, objectivity is sometimes very difficult to achieve.
|Villca, right, and 20 other students go on hunger strike to protest against the Chavez government [EPA]
Villca Fernandez - the main character in the film - is one of the best representatives of the fight students have fought in recent years. He has taken part in street protests, marches and hunger strikes and has even sewn his lips together in a bid to generate attention for the issues he seeks to challenge.
His commitment towards defending democracy and freedom is impressive and does not seem to fade, despite the bullets and punches he has endured and the threats he and his family have received.
I cannot recall meeting anybody with such strength. This is a guy with determination but also a huge amount of charisma; someone who has time to listen to others and to help them whatever their needs might be.
However, this is also somebody whose activism has overshadowed his more youthful dreams of becoming a footballer or travelling the world. It was not easy to chip away at the image of strength Villca sought to portray in front of the camera to get him to openly talk about those broken dreams.
As always, things did not go as planned. Initially, the students had decided to protest at a regional summit that was due to be held on a Venezuelan island. But that meeting was cancelled because of Hugo Chavez' illness. So the students changed plans and decided to travel to Caracas to attend the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the country's independence.
They wanted to be there to tell the country it was losing its freedom and to generate some media attention. But the trip was not without its problems. The students had to travel for 15 hours to reach the capital so finding food and a place to sleep was difficult. Plus, with their university semester coming to an end, many were busy with exams and nobody knew how many would be able to attend.
'The revolution has its own guards'
Some students from other parts of the country joined the main group in Caracas, but there were fewer than 100 people in total. Having seen other marches with thousands of students in attendance, the turnout for this one was a little disappointing. But, despite the low number, spirits were high and the students managed to carry out their first day of protests without any trouble.
I was impressed by the organisation and discipline they showed, always paying attention to their leaders and obeying their instructions. It was also impressive to see their determination once they found out about the detention of a student from the capital who was not taking part in the protests. Very quickly they went to the police station where he was being detained to show their solidarity.
It was while filming there that we noticed civil police agents taking photographs of us. Having filmed in Venezuela before with members of the opposition, this was something we knew might happen. What we did not expect was that later that night a pro-government TV programme would send us their "regards" and advise us to take care, whilst emphasising that the revolution has its own guards who will do anything to defend it.
In the end I think the main regret I have is not being able to follow some of the students who support the current regime. Despite the questions we asked Villca and other members of the movement about positive things the government may have done, I believe this film will be disliked by "Chavistas". But this is Venezuela and a film about Villca and the student movement will automatically be rejected by half the population before they have even watched it. | <urn:uuid:cf4fadd1-5779-4380-b114-bd7b7041b9c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/activate/2011/09/201194114715130351.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985157 | 1,096 | 2.265625 | 2 |
|Steve Priovolos (left) and Leon Logothetis at Chernobyl, Ukraine. (Leon Logothetis / July 22, 2012)|
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” –Albert Einstein
I vividly remember the day in 1986 when the Chernobylnuclear reactor exploded. I was 9. My next-door neighbor came rushing in holding a newspaper aloft, telling me of the disaster in the Ukraine and the impending doom — a radioactive cloud — heading toward London. I was petrified.
I rushed to my mother and asked when the cloud was coming and how were we going to escape. She reassured me that the accident was too far away to affect us. The memory never left me. Since that day I have always had this urge to visit Chernobyl. The name still sends tingles down my spine.
On Sunday I got my chance when Steve Priovolos and I stopped on our drive from Britain to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, as part of the 10,000-mile Mongol Rally. The rally began July 14 and is expected to last five weeks.
Chernobyl is a surreal place. There is an 18-mile exclusion zone where no one is allowed — except for a small cadre of workers and tourists like me, who are too curious for their own good.
Chernobyl is a ghost town. Nature has taken over. Derelict buildings are everywhere. Remnants of lives, which used to fill the squares of this Soviet bastion, are evident. Women’s shoes. Children’s dolls. Shopping carts. Memories of a way of life extinguished.
My guide gave Steve and me a Geiger counter that showed us the radiation levels. He also assured us that everything was safe. The Geiger counter begged to differ. At times it went above 8.0. A safe level is 0.30. Not very reassuring.
When it was time to leave we had to pass through two separate radiation meters. These Soviet-era-looking machines checked whether we had been contaminated. Any contaminated item would be left behind or decontaminated. This included humans.
Luckily we were all radiation-free. | <urn:uuid:7340fcef-10f1-4568-8bd9-cc0453ee5634> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leonlogothetis.com/blog/2012/07/22/mongol-rally-day-9-putting-memories-to-rest-in-chernobyl | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970814 | 455 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Washington: The US-South Korea alliance provides security and stability in Northeast Asia and that partnership will continue into the future, said Brig. Gen. Kang Yong-hee, chief of public affairs for the South Korean Army.
The United States and South Korea today stand together to face the threat posed by North Korea, Kang said in an interview with the Pentagon Channel. That partnership, he said, stems from the two nations’ comradeship during the Korean War.
“We fought together to protect values we both share — freedom and democracy,” Kang said. “I think this experience is the founding stone of the ROK [South Korea]-US alliance.”
North Korea has a 6 million-man military out of a population of 23 million. An armistice, rather than a peace treaty, ended the Korean War, which was fought from 1950 to 1953. Technically, this means the North and South are still at war.
The United States has about 28,000 troops serving in South Korea who exercise and train with their South Korean counterparts. They are seasoned by 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and are passing lessoned learned to their South Korean counterparts.
“I think the realistic, action oriented training system based on real combat experience has been very helpful,” Kang said.
South Korea is scheduled to assume wartime command of allied forces on the peninsula in 2015.
“As we develop our level of cooperation beyond the realm of military and security to areas such as politics, economics, society and culture, we need to enhance our military partnership beyond operational level,” Kang said. “I believe we can achieve that.”
During his visit, Kang received briefings and met with officials at the Pentagon. He also visited Fort Meade, Md., where he toured the studios of the Defense Media Activity. | <urn:uuid:75a1eb9f-2027-4eb1-9c34-d459ed89293b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/05/17/us-south-korea-alliance-provides-security-in-northeast-asia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964098 | 379 | 2.1875 | 2 |
I have been holding off writing this review because I’ve never felt quite so personally unravelled by a novel. Call me a nerd – for that is what I am – but the emotional entanglement I feel with good fiction has become more complicated after encountering Reif Larsen’s ‘The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet’. I fell deeply in love with this book very quickly, but turned the final pages feeling letdown, heartbroken even.
The cover of the book, or my edition at least, is beautiful (and even better without that Daily Mail sticker on the front!), and I have derived comfort in contemplating the book whilst tracing my fingers over the rolling blue waves and the stark outline of the different states. Inside, a story awaits about a young mapmaker and his journey across America, from his farm in Montana to Smithsonian Institute in D.C. He makes maps of everything in his life, from corn shucking and parental facial expressions, to the loneliness of city pedestrians and the automated menu options on a phone. What is spectacularly beautiful about the book is that these maps mark the margins next to the text, as illustrations that not only aid the narrative, but also bring an alternative and enchanting way of interacting with the story. It’s not so much that the book is brought alive by the maps – as the storytelling does that on it’s own – it’s more that it brings another dimension, a new perspective, a different way of presenting a narrative, which is exactly what Larson’s view of the power of maps seems to be. As noted in the book, ‘a map does not just chart, it unlocks and formulates meaning; it forms bridges between here and there, between disparate ideas that we did not know were previously connected.’
Now, I have yet to meet another human being who is not in some way intrigued by the power of maps, their quality of detailing information that requires a scientific logic but also an artistic creativity. We love maps because of their power to represent reality, and we hang in the balance between the truth of the map, and the awareness that this truth is limited, a fragment, to be used only as a guide. I know many scholars who are often keen to draw on the metaphor of mapping for the value of their research – it’s best for navigation, a particular perspective on the world, do not confuse it with the whole, with the real world. As T.S. notes about his own early attempts at map-making, ‘in retrospect, the map’s crudeness was not only due to the shaky hands of youth but also because I did not understand that the map of a place was different from the place itself. At age six, a boy could enter the world of a map just as easily as the genuine article.’ What blew me away about this book was the reverence, almost mysticism that Larson created around the power and limitations of maps, and indeed the mapmakers themselves.
T.S. is more than obsessed with map-making, it’s something of a quest, a heroic burden on him to map as much of existence as he can. It’s beautifully played and balanced this quest. On the one hand, you feel that it is the impulses of an odd 12-year-old boy, slightly out of time and out of step with the surrounding world, to try and comprehend his surroundings through scientific observation. (There is an underlying sense that his genius comes with a lack of social and emotional intelligence: he makes maps of facial expressions to try and understand emotions; he calls his mother Dr Clair and appears to see her more as a scientific colleague than a family member; and he has elaborate packing routine every time he leaves the house, in order to prevent hyperventilating.) At the same time, this obsession with mapmaking as a search for understanding the world and trying to find a place in it feels so emotional rather than rational that you cannot help but feel that these desires are common to all of us, and indeed what make us human. Due to this, I resonated completely with T.S’s cartographic desires, and felt that ache, that inner loneliness of the knowledge of never being able to make a single map that draws everything together, single map that can detail every truth. T.S. draws on this power and transience of systems and maps in one of the annotations: ‘Still, even with such a system in place, things fell and things broke; piles formed and my methods of orientation always seemed to unravel. I was only twelve, but through the slow, inevitable burn of a thousand sunrises and sunsets, a thousand maps traced and retraced, I had already absorbed the valuable precept that everything crumbled into itself eventually, and to cultivate a crankiness about this was just a waste of time.’
The book begins with T.S. out West on the ranch he calls home, and this section of the book is full of charming, moving insights and humorous annotations. He receives a call from the Smithsonian Institute, who offer him a prestigious award on the basis of his work, clearly unaware that he is only twelve. The middle section of the book details his journey across America to get there – ‘hoboing’ on trains and hitching lifts with truckers. This is interspersed with stories from a notebook stolen from his mother about his Great-Great-Grandmother, Emma Osterville, one of the first female geologists in America. The tale is pleasant enough, and provides the opportunity for T.S. to gain insight into his mother as a person and family member as well as a scientist. This family story is perhaps telling in it’s lack of an ending; his mother cannot write the great romance of the story, which for T.S. is evidence of her uncertainty about staying with his father and raises questions about what keeps any of us together, and whether loyalty and love can be evidenced in any scientific mapping. The story begins to unravel however, as T.S. reaches the Smithsonian. There is, of course, the issue of these scientists being confronted with the fact that their prize-winner is actually a 12 year old, who has arrived without the permission of his parents. Following this, there is a lot of confusion surrounding television interviews, being turned into a political pawn for the Smithsonian, and even secret clubs and hidden tunnels. By this point, the charm of the book feels lost and the narrative confused, paralleling in many ways T.S.’s own displacement and confusion. There is no Hollywood moment where he gains clear insight and gets himself out of the mess of lies and politics he is in, or where he delivers an erudite speech to the scientific community. Instead, he becomes more lost, adrift without his mapmaking equipment, growing more lonely as he realises his inability to come to terms with the death of his brother, Layton, and his own part in Layton’s passing. The insight and the wonder of the first half of the book have diminished, and the obsessive little boy has become irritating in his genius and his childishness. In many ways, this disappointing ending to the book feels like the dawning realisation that, despite his brilliance, we are dealing with a 12 year old: the promise and genius cannot be sustained, leaving only a sense of dissatisfaction.
Having laughed, cried and felt undone by the first quarter of the book, it is understandable that I felt cold, even a little angry at the ending being unable to live up to the magic. However, I’d still recommend the book, if only for the novel experience of the annotations and drawings in the margins. The book also contains one of my favourite scenes about dealing with gender pressure and playground bullying, which is too long to relate here, but contains a hilarious comeback for anyone who has ever been picked on by a little girl. And, if like most people, you are entranced by the beauty of maps and their makers, it’s worth picking up for knowing that someone else can describe that joy so eloquently. | <urn:uuid:bd696246-37ec-4ac3-8801-b8ac26e32889> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apocalypsebakery.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977138 | 1,682 | 1.601563 | 2 |
By Steve Brown
Passive lifestyles along with an unhealthy diet are the primary drivers behind obesity. Based on the obesity statistics reported recently, anyone can realize the importance of keeping fit by doing exercises.
For a lot of people, getting to the gym is the hardest step. However, some, who did hit the gym, decide to give up because they see no significant result after making long and hard efforts. The problem lies in the fact that hitting the gym is not enough. It is necessary to have an effective exercise program.
There are some mistakes which are commonly made while one gets started on exercise. Here are top 10 common mistakes that people should avoid:
1. Improper warm-ups
Warming up before starting your workout sessions is always necessary. A proper warm-up way will increase your heart rate, range of motion, circulation, and neural drive to the working muscles. Benefits of warming up are more than just loosen stiff muscles. When exercisers do it carefully, it can actually improve their performance. On the other hand, an improper warm-up, or even no warm-up at all, can greatly increase your risk of injury from engaging in exercise activities.
A good way of warming up will increase your heart rate, range of motion and so on.
2. Spot reduction exercises
Losing weight in one area of your body is impossible, it means that weight loss can never be isolated to a particular area. Localized strengthening and toning exercises will only help to firm your muscles and will have no effect on the fat reduction of the target area. As shown by many fitness specialists, “spot reduction” is an ineffective method of “burning fat.” Therefore, exercisers are strongly recommended to adopt a better alternative method of a well-rounded full-body weight reduction program.
This exercise only makes the arms more toned. You should follow a well-rounded full-body weight reduction program.
3. Working one muscle at a time
Using the type of machines that only focus on a single muscle (like the chest press) means people are losing a major chance to challenge their body and get stronger. When they combine several muscle groups such as abs & arm and core at the same time, the results will be totally different. More calories are burnt and fat is lost quicker. Thus, instead of using the machines which only stress on your shoulders do alternating leg lunches on a bosu ball while simultaneously raising 5 to 8 pound dumbbells overhead. You should feel a sign that you’re getting the great workout while you tone.
4. Low intensity cardio
Steady-state cardio has been shown to be less effective in burning fat, less useful in improving anaerobic and aerobic capacity. Actually, low intensity exercises may not be enough to really elevate your heart rate above 100 beats per minute—essential for getting in shape and burning calories. Just by increasing your speed and intensity, you’ll start to see major improvements in your fitness level, and in your body.
5. Inadequate hydration
It is estimated that 75% of people are chronically dehydrated. Accordingly, it’s critical to hydrate before you hit the gym floor because if you wait until you’re already thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated. The consequence of this error relates to significant decrements in mental as well as physical performance. For an inactive person, it is recommended to drink six to eight cups of water per day to prevent dehydration. Realistically, most active people will need to drink twice that amount so that you can replenish and retain the fluid you’ve lost.
You should drink enough water to avoid dehydration.
6. Resting too much
It is true that every one should not overdo their workouts; however, spending too much time taking breaks between exercises can lower the workout benefits and set you up for injury. An idle time to move to the next session is about 30 seconds. Then, you should exercise intensely enough to work up a light sweat, get your heart beating at the needed rate to burn fat.
7. More is better
Studies show that it is unnecessary to spend over an hour doing cardiovascular exercise and the risk of injury overcomes the benefits after 60 minutes. For that reason, sessions of around 45 minutes most days of the week are recommended for weight loss. A complete program of well-being requires exercisers to do exercises frequently and have the spiritual and psychological satisfaction.
Over-exercising can lead to many serious consequences.
8. Stretching ignorance after your hard sessions
Many people take this mistake, when they head right to the locker room after finishing the workout. In fact, doing exercises naturally makes your muscles tighten. When your muscles get too tight, they pull on your bones and this is one of the biggest reasons people get injuries, aches and pains. It’s best to release the tension and return them to a relaxed state of tension after using your muscles and tightening them up. You just simply stretch the main muscle groups such as hip flexors, chest, outer thighs, ankles and shoulders. Doing these activities will help increase blood flow and circulation to reduce muscle soreness and attain better posture and alignment.
Stretching your body after doing exercise to loosen muscles
9. Working out every day
It’s a big mistake to work out every day as our body needs the rest and recovery time to rebuild and be at its best. Doing exercises every day will not make your body get enough recovery so your workout intensity will drop significantly and you may be easy to get bored and lose motivation. If you want to be active on your rest day, you can do some activities with a low intensity. Jogging with your dog in the park is a good recommendation.
10. Doing the same thing each time
Mentally, you’ll get bored in doing the same routine over and over again. Doing the same movement patterns consistently will result in reduced calories burned and muscle building. As a result, you should choose to shock your system and switch up your gym process. Because our bodies are smart, they become very efficient at utilizing the least energy amount possible to perform the same movement. Typically, your body has a six-to-eight week learning curve. So if you are resistant to change, make your cycles every two to three months for your best result return.
About the Author:
I have been working as a doctor of a general hospital since February 1998. In addition, I am a full time writer and specialize in weight loss related issues. I also write for a number of different websites on the Internet.
Articles Source: Link | <urn:uuid:a8cd5ce8-bd68-4315-98ff-5cdeb263673b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.avadita.com/10-common-workout-mistakes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949536 | 1,365 | 2.328125 | 2 |
There are some basic rules to successfully matching food and wine. The first and most important rule is this: always drink what you love. Another tip suggests you do not allow the wine to overwhelm the flavors of the food nor do you allow the food to take over the subtle flavor nuances of the wine. Here are some very basic guidelines to pairing your food perfectly with wine:
This sounds complicated, but it’s really very simple. When pairing up food and wine, start by matching the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. Heavier wines like Cabernet and Bordeaux should be paired with heavier (heartier) dishes. Light wines like Pinot Grigio and Riesling should be matched with lighter fare.
Sweet and spicy dishes accentuate the acidity, astringency and tannic qualities, often referred to as texture of any given wine. Foods high in acids or salt content, tend to dull the textures of wine, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. What you’re looking for when pairing food and wine is a delicate balance between the flavors of the wine and the flavors of the food.
When matching textures of food with wine, think about what you want the wine to do to the food and vice versa. For example, if you want to bring out the tannins in a Cabernet Sauvignon, serve it with a sweeter or spicier dish. If you think the tannins in the Cab you plan on serving are too “big,” cut them down a bit by serving it with a dish that is a bit salty and bitter.
Filed Under: F&B
About the Author: | <urn:uuid:9b68d444-1ade-481d-bce5-14ff4f4cc4bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ehospitalitytimes.com/?p=51205 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946369 | 350 | 1.90625 | 2 |
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The U.S. can also encourage China's leaders to recognize that irresponsible policies will diminish China's long-term influence. As China expands its global reach, it will find itself exposed to all sorts of pressures--of the sort it has never had to face before--to behave itself. Already, there are voices in Africa warning China that it is acting just like the white imperialists of old. In the Zambian city of Kabwe, where the Chinese own a manganese smelter, the local shops are stocked with Chinese-made clothes rather than local ones. In the oil-rich delta region of Nigeria, where Chinese rigs have a reputation for poor safety and employment practices, a militia group recently warned the Chinese they would be targeted for attack unless they changed their ways.
There are some glimmers that such criticism is having an impact in Beijing. The Chinese, says Joshua Kurlantzick of the China Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, "are beginning to understand that some of their policies in Africa are turning people off" and have quietly turned to the U.S. and Britain for help in devising foreign-aid policies. A former senior U.S. official says Chinese officials have been closely monitoring the growing international distaste over its support for the Sudanese government. Congressman Lantos says younger Chinese diplomats "are embarrassed that the Chinese government is prepared to do any business with Sudan for oil despite what is happening in Darfur." Slowly, slowly, engagement with China, debate with its leaders--and the hope that as they see more of the world, they will understand why so many want to shun dictatorships--may all act to shade Chinese behavior.
Such engagement will always be controversial. Like it or not, it involves cozying up to a nation that is not a democracy--and does not look as if it will become one soon. But China is now so significant a player in the global economy that the alternative--waiting until China changes its ways--won't fly. There is still time to hope that China's way into the world will be a smooth one. Perhaps above anything else, the sheer scale of China's domestic agenda is likely to act as a brake on its doing anything dramatically destabilizing abroad.
On the optimistic view, then, China's rise to global prominence can be managed. It doesn't have to lead to the sort of horror that accompanied the emerging power of Germany or Japan. Raise a glass to that, but don't get too comfortable. There need be no wars between China and the U.S., no catastrophes, no economic competition that gets out of hand. But in this century the relative power of the U.S. is going to decline, and that of China is going to rise. That cake was baked long ago. [This article contains charts and graphs. Please see hardcopy or pdf.] | <urn:uuid:56ccb3e3-be99-4f71-bdbd-7dee5d504bd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1576831-9,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964102 | 592 | 2.09375 | 2 |
JUNEAU -- A new state-funded study says a 500-mile road to Nome championed by Gov. Sean Parnell could cost nearly $3 billion to build.
The price tag staggered some legislators Tuesday, but others want to push ahead in approving planning money Parnell is asking for. Parnell highlighted the project in his State of the State speech last week.
"The governor is very interested in this project. The road would create jobs for Alaskans and open access to resource development," Parnell's spokeswoman, Sharon Leighow, said Tuesday after the study came out.
The study was paid for by a $1 million appropriation from the Legislature, and the idea of a road to Nome was pushed a year ago by then-Gov. Sarah Palin.
The Anchorage engineering firm of Dowl HKM did the work and recommended the road begin near Manley Hot Springs and follow the Yukon River through Interior villages west to Norton Sound.
Dowl estimated construction of the recommended route would run $2.3 billion to $2.7 billion (or $4.6 million to $5.4 million per mile). Maintenance and resurfacing costs would run another $40 million a year.
"Oh my gosh. That's a shocking price tag," Senate Majority Leader Johnny Ellis said Tuesday when a reporter told him the construction cost estimate.
Advocates have described the road as opening up the country for mining opportunities. Ellis said he'd be interested in seeing the private sector kick in. "And it depends on how much the state is getting back in terms of state revenue, because mining doesn't really pay very much into the state treasury," said Ellis, a Democrat from Anchorage.
Legislators from Nome and Fairbanks are pushing hard for the project.
Nome Democratic Sen. Donny Olson has said the road would bring in much cheaper gasoline and heating oil to Western Alaska. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Mike Kelly said the state should start now on construction, and eventually expand the road to Kotzebue and Dillingham. It would create jobs and bring hope to the region, he argued, helping with problems like domestic abuse and suicide.
Parnell is asking the Legislature to appropriate $2 million in the coming year for more route analysis and engineering. His spokeswoman said the idea is to build the road in phases, going from one "resource deposit" to the next and providing for cheaper supplies for villages along the way. She said it's too soon to say how the actual construction would be financed, and if private money might be involved.
The route recommended by the Dowl engineers would begin as a branch off the Elliott Highway near Manley Hot Springs, which is about 160 miles from Fairbanks. The road would then roughly parallel the Yukon River, running near villages including Tanana, Ruby, Nulato and Koyuk before veering off from the Yukon toward Nome. Plans include access roads to the villages.
The road would pass through an estimated 65 miles of mountains, 185 miles of wetlands and require the construction of a new Yukon River crossing. The Dowl engineering study said the general area has great potential for gold, silver and other minerals, although the data on that is limited because it's so remote there's been little exploration.
The road would run through Interior villages represented in the Legislature by Chalkytsik Democratic Rep. Woodie Salmon. He said Tuesday that whether he supports the road or not would depend on the exact route, but at this point he's inclined to favor the project because it would bring fuel costs down and make it easier to get supplies in.
But there are downsides. "There would be land squabbles and everything else that would be associated with the influx of people," he said.
Alaskans have been talking for decades about building a road to Nome. Whether it could actually happen or is just a fantasy like so many giant Alaska dream projects depends which legislator is speaking.
"I don't think we're going to be able to find the money. Do you?" said Anchorage Democratic Rep. Mike Doogan, after hearing the $2.7 billion figure.
Sitka Republican Sen. Bert Stedman said the road to Nome is a possibility. He said he also wants to look at the potential of extending the Alaska Railroad to the Brooks Range, maybe even Prudhoe Bay. Stedman, who helps write the state budget as co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the state hasn't built such a big project in decades.
"To me that's unacceptable. To have generations of designers, planners and builders that don't design, plan and build infrastructure to advance the state," he said.
Read more of Sean Cockerham's dispatches from Juneau on our Alaska Politics blog at adn.com/alaskapolitics. | <urn:uuid:571515cc-a277-4d6b-b448-219989c7cfb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adn.com/2010/01/26/1111745/nome-road-could-cost-27-billion.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972025 | 1,001 | 1.5 | 2 |
An Italian theologian, b. 28 May, 1696, at Sarravezza, Tuscany; d. 26 March, 1766, at Pisa. His parents were of the lower class. At the age of fifteen he entered the Augustinian order, and preached with success before he had attained his twenty-third year. He subsequently occupied important offices in his order, i.e. those of general secretary, prefect of the Angelica (the former valuable library of the Augustinians at Rome), general assistant. He first taught philosophy, then theology, at Sienna, Florence, Bologna, Padua, Rome, and finally (1748) became professor of ecclesiastical history at Pisa. He suffered, in 1762, a stroke of apoplexy which was repeated and eventually caused his death. His literary career was an agitated one. By order of Father Schiaffinatti, his Superior General, he wrote the extensive work "De Theologicis Disciplinis" (Rome, 1739-45), an exposition of the theological teaching of St. Augustine. The book, which appeared in several editions, was vehemently attacked by d'Ise de Saléon (who was successively Bishop of Agen, 1730-35, Bishop of Rodez, 1735-46, and Archbishop of Vienne, 1747-51) and by Languet de Gergy, Archbishop of Sens (1731-53). They accused Berti of Jansenism. In answer, the latter published: (1) "Augustinianum Systema de Gratiâ" (Rome, 1747; Munich, 1750); (2) "In Opusculum" (Leghorn, 1756). The accusations against Berti were submitted to the Roman authorities. Benedict XIV (1740-58) had his book examined and found its teaching sound. Besides other works published in this controversy, Berti wrote: (1) "Commentarius de Rebus gestis S. Augustini" (Venice, 1756); (2) "S. Augustini Quaestionum de Scientiâ . . . . dilucidatio" (Pisa, 1756); (3) "De Haeresibus Trium Priorum Saeculorum" (Bassano, 1769); (4) "Historia Ecclesiastica" (Florence, 1753), an ecclesiastical history, which he later published in an abridged form (Pisa, 1760), and which, thus shortened, was frequently re-edited (recently at Turin, 1892).
APA citation. (1907). Giovanni Lorenzo Berti. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02522a.htm
MLA citation. "Giovanni Lorenzo Berti." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02522a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Kryspin J. Turczynski.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads. | <urn:uuid:d9f073ff-2f1e-4c3d-bc59-ee673a59e6f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02522a.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939299 | 776 | 3.0625 | 3 |
The 2005 Rock, Paper, Scissors International World Championship was held in Toronto last month. As more of a whist, backgammon and bridge afficionado, Tulkinghorn is mystified as to the nature of this so-called game, but is assured it is a wide-spread pastime, notably on the far side of the Atlantic.
It involves two players making simultaneous representations of the three named artefacts with a single hand. The winner, it transpires, is the player whose chosen item would do most damage to his opponent's (scissors cut paper, rock blunts scissors and so on). A novel game, thought Tulkinghorn, practising getting his fingers and fist into the right shapes. What does it tell us about the state of the world that a Canadian lawyer - Andrew Bergel of Toronto-based Bergel & Edson - beat 500 other international competitors to the gold medal? Probably nothing. | <urn:uuid:e4276a83-308f-41f7-a684-6b62907652c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelawyer.com/finger-flingers/117882.article | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961071 | 188 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Important historic fittings such as doors and panels were removed and stored while the restoration work was being done.
The gallery floors were Burmese teak. They had to be lifted for inspection and to allow the laying of power and telecommunications cables for the new displays.
The upper gallery floors were relaid, sanded and varnished. Any replacement timber was salvaged from the ground floor galleries.
The ground floor galleries had been subject to more wear and tear over the years than the upper gallery floors. The timber had to be completely replaced.
North European beech from sustainable sources was used. It was stained to match the original Burmese teak. | <urn:uuid:4a736384-d98a-464b-848a-60855500bcc9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/our-museums/kelvingrove/about-Kelvingrove/TheRestorationofKelvingroveArtGalleryandMuseum/BuildingWorks/Pages/Interior.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989781 | 136 | 1.929688 | 2 |
There’s a powerful irony lurking underneath the executive order and OMB memorandum on open data that the White House released in tandem today: We don’t have data that tells us what agencies will carry out these policies.
It’s nice that the federal government will work more assiduously to make available the data it collects and creates. And what President Obama’s executive order says is true: “making information resources easy to find, accessible, and usable can fuel entrepreneurship, innovation, and scientific discovery that improves Americans’ lives and contributes significantly to job creation.” GPS and weather data are the premier examples.
But government transparency was the crux of the president’s 2008 campaign promises, and it is still the rightful expectation of the public. Government transparency is not produced by making interesting data sets available. It’s produced by publishing data about the government’s deliberations, management, and results.
Today’s releases make few, if any, nods to that priority. They don’t go to the heart of transparency, but threaten to draw attention away from the fact that basic data about our government, including things as fundamental as the organization of the executive branch of government, are not available as open data.
Yes, there is still no machine-readable government organization chart. This was one of the glaring faults we found when we graded the publication practices of Congress and the executive branch last year, and this fault remains. The coders who may sift through data published by various agencies, bureaus, programs, and projects can’t sift through data reflecting what those organizational units of government are.
Compare today’s policy announcements to events coming up on Capitol Hill in the next two weeks.
On Thursday next week (May 16), the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will host a “DATA Demonstration Day” to illustrate to Congress and the media how technology may cut waste and improve oversight if federal spending data is structured and transparent. (That would include my hobby-horse, the machine-readable federal government organization chart.) We’ll be there demo-ing how we at Cato are adding data to the bills Congress publishes.
On May 22nd, the House Administration Committee is hosting its 2013 Legislative Data and Transparency Conference. This is an event at which various service providers to the House will announce not just policies, but recent, new, and upcoming improvements in publication of data about the House and its deliberations. (We’ll be there, too.)
The administration’s open data announcements are entirely welcome. Some good may come from these policies, and they certainly do no harm (barring procurement boondoggles–which, alas, is a major caveat). But I hope this won’t distract from the effort to produce government transparency, which I view as quite different from the subject of the new executive order and memorandum. The House of Representatives still seems to be moving forward on government transparency with more alacrity. | <urn:uuid:6f4f18b3-acfb-439f-95ac-20df4b95f017> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techliberation.com/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935899 | 618 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Leviticus 24: Laws and Rituals of the Covenant
Leviticus: Part 24 of 27
Oil and Bread Set Before the LORD
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.
For an omnipotent god you sure don’t do much for anyone. Always getting others to give, give, give.
3 Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
Considering that place doesn’t exist anymore, this bit is pretty well screwed.
4 The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually.
5 “Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf.
On the lamps?
6 Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD.
Why does a god have need of pure gold, meat, oil, grain etc?
7 Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire.
8 This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant.
9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.”
Skimming the profits! Or is that prophets?
A Blasphemer Stoned
10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.
11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)
They are both sons of Israelite mothers, so which one are you talking about?
12 They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.
How many lives have been lost in the name of God I wonder?
13 Then the LORD said to Moses:
Hey Bob? Over here dude, I have something to tell you.
14 “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.
Then you’ve just admitted to being a childkiller.
15 Say to the Israelites: ‘If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible;
I’d curse you if it would do any good, but as you are a myth, it would just be a waste of time. But just for kicks. Screw you bitch! God sucks. God is an arsehole! God is a child killing, genocidal, incest loving freak.
16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
That’s coming one day whether I like it or not, so that is not much of a threat.
17 ” ‘If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.
Then YOU should commit suicide. You have taken many human lives.
18 Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life.
You’ve done more of that than anyone else, so die you bastard!
19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him:
You have caused more injuries to peoples neighbours on this planet than any single group of people, so again, die you bastard!
20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured.
I’d pay to see that happen to you.
21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.
Before it was life for life when someone killed an animal. You changed it again. Your word can’t be trusted.
22 You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.’ “
No you’re not. You are my enemy. My arch nemesis. If I had the power right now I would drive the memory of you from peoples minds and from history.
23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Sick, depraved bastards and that goes for your supporters. | <urn:uuid:248d9061-db4c-4c46-96b1-b609e76eb34d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.distroman.com/?p=1989 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957886 | 1,064 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
"What would Bill Gates fund? That's the question many in higher education want to know and his annual letter about his interests for his foundation offers some guidance. This year, one of his areas of interest is online learning. "So far technology has hardly changed formal education at all. But a lot of people, including me, think this is the next place where the Internet will surprise people in how it can improve things — especially in combination with face-to-face learning. With the escalating costs of education, an advance here would be very timely," he writes. He praises colleges and universities for putting lectures online, but argues that online learning also needs to include interactivity. He also expresses interest in identifying the best educational materials online and better organizing them. "
You can read the Gates Foundation annual letter here: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/annual-letter/2010/Pages/education-learning-online.aspx
Friday, January 22, 2010
"What better way for a Mac-toting librarian to protect their laptop than the BookBook? The BookBook is a laptop case cleverly designed and disquised as an antique, distressed, leather-bound book.
It comes in two colors, red and black and in 13″ and 15″ sizes. According to the TwelveSouth website, the “rigid leather hardback covers for a solid level of impact absorbing protection. The rigid spine serves as crush protection for an additional line of defense. BookBook creates a hardback book structure that safeguards your MacBook like few other cases.” The zippers for the case look like little leather bookmarks.
The first attached image shows the outside look of the BookBook carrying case. The second attached image shows a MacBook inside the BookBook case.
The US campaign for uncensored and free flow of information on an unrestricted Internet is a disguised attempt to impose its values on other cultures in the name of democracy.
While technically correct, it seems a rather shallow interpretation of this larger idea.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
... is a manifesto against “hive thinking” and “digital Maoism,” by which he means the glorification of open-source software, free information and collective work at the expense of individual creativity.
He blames the Web’s tradition of “drive-by anonymity” for fostering vicious pack behavior on blogs, forums and social networks. He acknowledges the examples of generous collaboration, like Wikipedia, but argues that the mantras of “open culture” and “information wants to be free” have produced a destructive new social contract.
“The basic idea of this contract,” he writes, “is that authors, journalists, musicians and artists are encouraged to treat the fruits of their intellects and imaginations as fragments to be given without pay to the hive mind. Reciprocity takes the form of self-promotion. Culture is to become precisely nothing but advertising.”
... Mr. Lanier’s [complains] about masses of “digital peasants” being forced to provide free material to a few “lords of the clouds” like Google and YouTube. But I’m not sure Mr. Lanier has correctly diagnosed the causes of our discontent, particularly when he blames software design for leading to what he calls exploitative monopolies on the Web like Google.
It is a provocative review that puts this book on my reading list!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The practical wisdom of Kate Theimer’s introductory comment in which she notes “a successful Web 2.0 implementation needs to be part of an organization’s workflow” (p.xii) sets the tone for this useful overview of how these tools have been used to promote archival collections. Part cookbook, part “Come on, kids, let’s put on a show,” she discusses the parallel opportunities and obligations of blogs and microblogs (e.g. Twitter), podcasts, still image and video sharing sites for enhancing discovery of the dark archives in our cultural and commercial institutions. Although many of these tools are seductively simple to implement initially, the trick is to not to go public until you have considered what you’re actually trying to do - specifically what audience you wish to attract and what services you’re prepared to provide. Once you’ve identified that content, you must also be prepared to update it at regular intervals, measuring how it is received. Part of that preparation is cultivating institutional buy-in, investigating ownership and other legal issues, thinking ahead to policies that deal with changing interactions between archivists and users, publicizing and preserving the created content. It’s also well to be familiar with already existing projects, as your efforts will be measured against them, particularly in terms of production values.
Each chapter addresses the basic mechanics, hardware and software options and expertise required for deployment of the major Web 2.0 tools, supplemented with candid comments from the developers of the projects highlighted as examples. Standard interviews discuss selection of material for inclusion, challenges, positive and negative results and offer recommendations for those institutions wanting to do something similar. Chapters conclude with tips emphasizing the need to consistently identify your institution, since the intent is to drive traffic to your site. Additionally, since the major justification for using these tools is to increase the serendipitous discovery of material held in your collection by the pre- or non-academic users, it’s important to continually budget time and effort to provide descriptive and contextual information, to monitor use of the online collections, and to prepare to respond to that increased demand for reference service.
All common sense recommendations, perhaps, but the specific examples of various Web 2.0 tools are meant to inspire as well as inform. Theimer moves beyond the excitement of establishing a new resource to considering how its success can be evaluated, and the resources sustained, even after the project’s champion or creator moves on to other things. She also notes this is well to remain open to the possibility of unintended consequences, in which you may have “achieved outcomes like increasing your own knowledge about your collections and cultivating new stakeholders and potential advocates.” (p. 203) She argues that archives need be about the new as well as the old, claiming that, “in the current economic climate, institutions that don’t find a way to engage their audiences and stakeholders are going to get passed over for funding, and, with the added challenges brought by the Web, we need that funding more than ever before.” (p.224)
Thinking of expenses, the price of this helpful work is an unfortunate deterrent for a paperback that one would like to recommend for students, new archivists, or archival administrators concerned that they may be the last archives on the planet without a Facebook page.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Historians Throw the Book(s) at Google
By Thomas Bartlett
Here's a straightforward question: Is Google good for history? Or, more specifically, is Google Books good for historians?
That was the topic of a lively afternoon session at the American Historical Association's annual conference, happening right now in San Diego. The answer, as you might expect, wasn't equally straightforward. In fact, for nearly two hours historians alternately praised Google for its stunningly ambitious project to digitize the world's books and berated the company for missteps and a (supposed) lack of scholarly sophistication.
Kicking off the proceedings was Daniel J. Cohen, the director of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Cohen said "of course" Google is good for history, but he went on to criticize the project for its lack of openness: "I cannot understand why Google doesn’t make it easier for historians such as myself, who want to do technical analyses of historical books, to download them en masse more easily." You can read Cohen's entire talk on his blog.
Paul Duguid was harsher. While Cohen prefaced his remarks by saying it was easy to heap scorn on Google, Duguid, an adjunct professor at the University of California at Berkeley's School of Information, thought critics generally pulled their punches. Duguid certainly didn't. He said Google was "naive" going into the project and is guilty of "lying" about its search totals. He also mocked mistakes Google Books has made, particularly when it comes to metadata, that is, the information that identifies and categorizes a book or other material. Apparently, Henry James did not write Madame Bovary. It was some guy named Flaubert. Who knew?
You can read the rest of the story at http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Historians-Throw-the-Books/19562/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en
Thursday, January 07, 2010
and check out items 3, 15, and 46.....there is also an interesting note re methodology. This appeared in today's Wall Street Journal online edition.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Monday, January 04, 2010
This book is part prediction, part polemic, and part practice. Bell and Gemmell discuss the equipment needed to do this, the empowerment that capturing all this personal information means, and slip and slide around issues such as privacy, ethics, identity theft, and so forth. They believe that Total Recall will be fully underway by 2020, and only would not happen except if a “vast legal or political effort of social engineering” prevents it (p. 8). The book presents a lot of information suggesting that we have the technology to do this and do it inexpensively (the basic equipment needed is a smart phone, GPS unit, digital camera, personal computer, and Internet connection) and that if we do not do this we are stupid (“Abstaining from lifelogging will begin to seem more like avoiding the use of e-mail or cell phones, because so many advantages and conveniences will be foregone. Those who shun recording will be less empowered than those who embrace it” [p. 21]). Still, there is not a lot of reality in the book about just who can afford such devices or who has the time or other resources to do this (the specter of the digital divide looms not too far below the surface).
What I like about the book is its description of one possible scenario for the future, especially for those who work with archives and records systems. Bell and Gemmel’s description of applications in digital memory at work, in personal health, learning, and everyday life are engaging. When they dig a bit more deeply, they present interesting possibilities for future records and information management professionals. For example, “To date, it is common for a published paper with a few tables and charts to be the only long-term survivor of a research project that once had volumes of data, ‘metadata’ that describes how the data was gathered, copious notes, and conversations among the researchers” (p, 127). Now “researchers . . . will be able to preserve and share all of their material and notes to the benefit of others” (p. 128). The “scope of original sources is about to explode as lifelogging increases. We shall have to see how society evolves to deal with the legacy of e-memories, but I presume that eventually many lifelogs will be opened to a trusted historian to excerpt, if not entirely released to the public” (p. 129). Their effort to consider such matters would have benefitted considerably from some discussion with archivists, records managers, and, increasingly, historians and other scholars who are currently working with an array of digital sources (both digitally captured from analog sources and digitally-born). Bell and Gemmel argue, “If we can have a complete record of the things about people that especially provoke meaning for us, what will we do with this complete record when they are gone? We will maintain the e-memory of that person as a treasured heirloom. And, someday, we will ask it questions. The e-memory will answer. You will have virtual immortality” (p, 139). Since Bell and Gemmel place Total Recall within a personal realm, they never address the issue of why or how some of these digital memories might be placed in repositories for open access (what archivists would describe as being part of the appraisal function).
Some of their commentary suggests notions needing far more discussion. They “see four steps in the progression of digital immortality. First is digitizing the legacy media one has. Second is supplementing one’s e-memories with new digital sources. The third is two-way immortality – the ability to actually interact with an avatar that responds just like you would. The fourth is an avatar that learns and changes over time just as you would have” (p. 154). Why steps two, three, and four are necessary is more science fiction than practical necessity or reality, but, at least, they will prompt debate and discussion that ought to generate some new thinking within the community of information professionals including archivists and librarians.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Friday, January 01, 2010
You can read the whole WSJ piece here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703278604574624392641425278.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular | <urn:uuid:d140a80f-7c1c-4c65-8ccf-849d79b2dd4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sisfaculty.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952341 | 2,829 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Nine out of the 10 sectors that make up the Standard and Poor's 500 index lost ground. Utilities companies fell 1.4 percent, the most of any group, as explosions at Japanese nuclear reactors in the wake of the disaster dimmed prospects for the nuclear energy industry.
The S&P index, the basis for most U.S. mutual funds, fell 7.89 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,296.39.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 51.24, or 0.4 percent, to 11,993.16. The Nasdaq composite dipped 14.64, or 0.5 percent, to 2,700.97.
"Everything is linked now," said David Katz, senior portfolio strategist at Weiser Capital Management. "There is no such thing as a catastrophe happening in any major country and it not affecting the global economy."
Japan's central bank pumped a record $184 billion into money market accounts to encourage bank lending. Financial analysts said the move could put pressure on Japan to raise interest rates, particularly since the country is saddled with massive debt that, at 200 percent of gross domestic product, is the biggest among developed nations.
"The fiscal position is deteriorating in Japan," said Channing Smith, managing director of equity strategies at Capital Advisors Inc. "If we get higher interest rates, that is a major threat to ... the global recovery."
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 633.94 points, or 6.2 percent, to close at 9,620.49 -- its lowest level in four months. The decline wiped out this year's gains.
Shares of upscale retailers with large businesses in Japan also fell. Tiffany & Co. and Coach Inc. both dropped 5.3 percent. Caterpillar Inc. gained 2.1 percent on assumptions that it will benefit from the country's large-scale rebuilding efforts.
In the U.S., Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said it would purchase chemical company Lubrizol for $9 billion in cash. Berkshire will pay $135 per share, a 28 percent premium to Lubrizol's closing stock price Friday of $105.44. Berkshire's Class B shares fell 1.3 percent on the news, while Lubrizol rose 28 percent.
Cephalon Inc. closed down 1.6 percent after a federal court overturned two of the patents on its painkilling drug Fentora. That could allow competitors to start selling cheaper generic versions of the drug soon.
Bond prices rose, sending yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.37 percent from 3.41 percent late Friday. Oil prices added 3 cents to settle at $101.19 per barrel.
Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 969 million shares.
--The Associated Press | <urn:uuid:5e24ba56-3ffa-4119-a45e-78479f47cc92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/03/fears_of_a_slowdown_in_japan_p.html | 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 | 0.929194 | 589 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Septic Tank Cost
From WikiHow much do you think it would cost to install a new septic system? It can be very expensive and if the need arises unexpectedly you may not be able to afford it. That is why proper maintenance of your septic system is so important. If you take care of your system and get it pumped each year, your system should last you a very long time.
There are circumstances where a new septic tank system is needed. For instance, maybe you just moved into a very old home and the tank is made out of steel and you discover that it is rusty. Or, maybe you let a blockage problem progress too long and repair isn’t even in the picture. Restoring your system isn’t cheap either. This is why it is so vital for you to monitor your system on a regular basis.
Septic tank systems will vary in price according to size, what area in the country you live, and what material your tank and pipes are made out of. Typically, a traditional septic tank system in the Midwestern region of the country will cost anywhere from $2,000 to $9,000. The price can increase to $4,000 to $42,000 in other regions of the country where materials and man labor are more expensive. The septic tank alone will set you back $500 to $1,800, which again will depend on the size and material of the septic tank. There is also the added cost of pipes and other building materials. Add another couple hundred dollars to your bill.Other septic systems constructed in wetland areas or septic systems that use mounds can be even more expensive. Some newer alternative septic systems like aerobic systems and sand/peat septic systems have a higher price tag as well. The price for these septic systems will range anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000. These systems are more advantageous for individuals living near drinking water or areas with slow or fast percolating soil.
Depending on where your property is located and the size of your tank and drainage field, the cost can exceed $70,000. There are a lot of things to take into account when determining what type of septic system is appropriate for you. You may choose to go with a fiberglass tank over a concrete septic tank. They are more expensive but they are also unable to be penetrated by tree roots.
Once you have your new septic tank installed, take good care of it. Some experts suggest using products containing natural bacterial supplements to keep the healthy bacteria naturally present in your septic tank at a healthy ideal level. | <urn:uuid:765cbd0e-a212-43c0-b1ca-6d3442487327> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newtechbio.com/wiki/index.php?title=Septic_Tank_Cost | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959486 | 538 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Local History Index
Culture & Society
Local History Index
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"The cure for what ails ya"
August 15, 2012
Postcard image of and short article on the Thornton & Minor Sanitorium, 10th and Oak Street. The hospital was founded by Dr. T.W. Thornton in 1887. Eight years later, in 1885, Thorton partnered with Dr....
12th Street Viaduct Links Downtown to Bottoms
July 20, 2011
Photo postcard showing the construction of the "new" 12th Street Viaduct and an accompanying article about its opening on March 8, 1915.
A Turbulent Path for Rose Followed a Career Creating Beautiful Buildings
June 4, 2008
Short article about William W. Rose, architect and former mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. After two controversial stints as mayor in 1905 and 1906, Rose returned to the architectural profession and went...
A Visit with the "Postcard Lady": Postcard Lady Still Lives for Today
Photos and biographical article about Mildred Kittell Ray, or Mildred Ray (ca. 1895-1996), known as Mrs. Sam Ray in her articles in the Kansas City Star. The articles started about 1976 and depicted and...
Aviation History Took Flight at Fairfax
May 5, 2010
Postcard image and short article about the history of the Fairfax Industrial District, Fairfax Airport and Aircraft Assembly Plant. The Fairfax Airport opened in 1928 and was the primary airmail departure...
Bartle, Paige, Pendergast All Call Forest Hill Home
June 1, 2011
Postcard image of Forest Hill Cemetery (69th & Troost Ave.) and a short article about some of the notable Kansas Citians buried there.
Benton Circle: The Early Days
August 12, 2009
Postcard image (ca. 1925-30) of the Benton Circle intersection located at St. John Avenue and Benton and Gladstone boulevards. The accompanying article includes information about a monument and plaque...
Building Stands the Test of Time and Redevelopment
September 3, 2008
Postcard image and short article on the Kansas City Power and Light building, located at 14th Street and Walnut. Completed in 1931, the 31-story building was designed by local architects Hoit, Price and...
Car Dealers Replace Old Mill
July 6, 2011
Postcard image of the the Old Watt's Mill on Indian Creek and a short article about the mill's history. It was built in 1832 by Jackson County Judge John Fitzhugh and later purchased by Anthony Watts of...
Crowds Flock to Memorial Dedication
May 25, 2011
Postcard image and accompanying article describing the large crowds and dignitaries on hand for the dedication of the Liberty Memorial, November 1, 1921.
Cure For What Ails Ya
October 5, 2011
Postcard image and short article about The Ralph Sanitarium in Kansas City, located at 529 Highland Street. The treatment center was founded by Dr. Benjamin Burroughs Ralph. According to the postcard advertisement,...
Early 1900s School Site Is Now Interstate Interchange
June 23, 2010
Postcard image and short article about the Chace Public School and its namesake, former Kansas City mayor Charles A. Chace. Built in 1880, the school was located on Paseo Blvd. between 15th and 16th streets....
Elks Building Gone but Lodge 26 Still Vibrant
September 21, 2011
Postcard image and short article about the old Elks Lodge, no. 26 building located at 7th & Grand streets. The brownstone building was designed by William Walters of Oshkosh, Wis., and served as the Wisconsin...
Federal Van and Storage Company
December 7, 2005
In the "Postcards of Historic Northeast" column is featured a postcard for the Federal Van and Storage Co. which operated at the corner of 40th and Broadway. Includes a picture of a moving van as well...
Fire Destroys Once Grand Fairmount Park
March 23, 2011
Postcard image and short historical article about the old Fairmount Park, located in what is now Sugar Creek, Missouri. The 50-acre recreational area was developed by railroad magnate Arthur Stilwell to...
General Joseph O. Shelby Undefeated to the Last
January 26, 2011
Postcard image of the Joseph O. Shelby memorial at Forest Hill Cemetery (69th & Troost) and short article about the military career of General Shelby. The memorial pays homage to Confederate soldiers who...
Ginger Club Businesses Offer Snappy Service
January 30, 2008
Postcard image showing the 300 block of East 12th Street (circa 1909) and a short article about the "Ginger Club," a group of 12th Street business owners who promoted the 300 block area and whose motto...
July 25, 2007
Brief article and early postcard image of Heathwood Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The park is located at 10th & L Road and was developed in the early 1900s as part of the Parkwood residential district.
Highest Point in KC Housed Corruption Cleanser
August 19, 2009
Postcard image of the David Proctor residence at 7404 Mercier St., reported to be "located on the highest point in Kansas City, 301.5 feet above the Missouri River." The accompanying article includes biographical...
Holy Rosary Crib Tradition a Holiday Classic
December 24, 2008
Postcard image from 1941 of the Holy Rosary Church's Christmas crib nativity scene and a short article about the history of the church and its crib tradition. The Holy Rosary Parish was found in the 1880s...
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14 West Tenth St. | Kansas City, MO 64105 | | <urn:uuid:3d8442e8-97b9-44d6-b256-ca1e505de889> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kchistory.org/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=exact&CISOBOX1=Postcards&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP2=all&CISOBOX2=postcards&CISOFIELD2=subjec&CISOOP3=all&CISOBOX3=newspaper+article&CISOFIELD3=type&CISOROOT=all&t=s | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920319 | 1,226 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Chilling ProtocolCOLLEEN CARROLL CAMPBELL
When little Chanou was born in 2000 with a rare and painful illness that leads to abnormal bone development, doctors gave the Dutch infant less than three years to live. As it turns out, she only had seven months.
“It is in some ways beautiful,” Dutch pediatrician Eduard Verhagen told the London Times, when describing the dying moments of children like Chanou. “But it is also extremely emotional and very difficult.”
Not as difficult as it should be. In the Netherlands, euthanasia of teenagers and adults is legal and baby euthanasia — already practiced among Dutch doctors — will soon be sanctioned by the government. According to the Times, a committee established at the urging of the Dutch Royal Medical Association will begin regulating baby euthanasia in a few weeks. Its standard for deciding who lives and dies will be Verhagen’s own invention, the Groningen Protocol.
The Groningen Protocol is chilling, not only because of its audacity in attempting to judge the worth of human lives but because of its subjectivity in making those judgments. The protocol says that a newborn can be euthanized if his diagnosis and prognosis are “certain,” his suffering is “hopeless and unbearable,” and his quality of life is “very poor,” according to the child’s parents and “at least one independent doctor.”
That standard assumes that physicians are infallible, our current medical knowledge is complete, and human beings are omniscient. How else could one assess with certainty another’s prognosis, experience of suffering, and quality of life? We can know a child suffers; we can know a disease has no known cure. But we cannot pronounce with certainty that another person has no hope or that his suffering has rendered his life worthless. Verhagen himself suggested as much when he told the Times, “No doctor likes to do this. You will always ask yourself, ‘Is there something I have not thought of?’ That is why it needs to be done under a spotlight: you can never, ever be wrong.”
But human beings will be wrong. Discouraged doctors, distraught parents, and distant bureaucrats will make mistakes. And even when their deadly decisions conform perfectly to the protocol, they will commit grave evil by destroying innocent human life in a futile quest to destroy suffering itself.
Americans may be tempted to think that such things could never happen here. But support for infant and child euthanasia has a long history in the United States, stretching from the founding days of the Euthanasia Society of America in 1938 to the recent pronouncements of Peter Singer, a prominent Princeton ethicist who favors a parent’s right to kill disabled newborns.
The threat of euthanasia is already a reality for some American children. Haleigh Poutre, the 12-year-old Massachusetts girl severely beaten by her stepfather last fall, had spent only eight days in the hospital when her state custodians began fighting for the right to remove her ventilator and feeding tube. Doctors had diagnosed her condition as a persistent vegetative state, but Haleigh recovered before they could euthanize her.
Haleigh’s case reminds us that child euthanasia can happen in any nation that has lost respect for the intrinsic value of life and the inviolable dignity of the person. The chilling reality is that although our depraved indifference to the sanctity of human life may not be as advanced as Holland’s, we are moving in that direction.
Carroll Campbell. "Chilling Protocol." National Review
(March 13, 2006).
Colleen Carroll Campbell is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and an award-winning journalist who frequently comments on religion, politics, and culture in the national media. A former speechwriter to President George W. Bush and as a commentator on religion, politics, and culture on FOX news, EWTN, and PBS. She is the author of the critically acclaimed, The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy. Campbell speaks to audiences across America. Visit her website here.
Copyright © 2006 National
Not all articles published on CERC are the objects of official Church teaching, but these are supplied to provide supplementary information. | <urn:uuid:f7865218-2e61-4d77-81af-fcf1f7c93544> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholiceducation.org/articles/euthanasia/eu0037.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955693 | 899 | 2.203125 | 2 |
On This Date in History: John Luther Jones was born on March 14, 1863 in Missouri while the Civil War was in full swing. In 1876, the family moved to Cayce, Kentucky. John Luther was over 6’4″ tall and had gray eyes and dark hair. He loved trains since he was a young boy and his fascination with the iron horse only increased as he watched them come and go from the Cayce depot. He was born during the Civil War and in 1878, at the age of 15, he took a job with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad as a telegrapher and six years later moved to Jackson, TN where he continued with the Mobile and Ohio as a flagman.
When he moved to Jackson, the men with whom he worked asked where he was from. Locally, Cayce was pronounced with two syllables so the men started calling him “Casey” Jones. In 1884, he married Miss Mary Joanna ”Janie” Brady who was the daughter of the woman who ran the boarding house in which he resided in Jackson. The couple settled down in Jackson and had three children together. Casey was not a drinking man and was thought to have been devoted to his family. He certainly was devoted to railroading because in fairly short order, he was promoted first to brakeman by the Mobile and Ohio and then to firemen. His big break came through the misfortune of others. A yellow fever epidemic struck and the illness took its toll on the crews of the Illinois Central Railroad. With a shortage of experienced people, the Illinois Central provided a unique opportunity for rapid advancement of firemen to engineers. So, Jones left the only company for which he had ever worked and went to the greener pastures of the Illinois Central.
In March 1888 he started work for his new employer and on February 23, 1891 Casey Jones became an engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad. He developed a reputation for his fierce desire to always be on time. His reputation for punctuality was so well known it is said that people could set their watch by the passage of his train. He also developed a distinct style of operating the steam whistle. Janie Jones said, “he established a sort of trade mark for himself by his inimitable method of blowing a whistle. It was a kind of long-drawn-out note that he created, beginning softly, then rising, then dying away almost to a whisper. People living along the Illinois Central right of way between Jackson and Water Valley would turn over in their beds late at night and say: ‘There goes Casey Jones,’ as he roared by.”
Now, the Illinois Central had a passenger run from Chicago to New Orleans which involved 4 different trains. Jones was given engine number 638 for the Memphis to Canton, MS link. This service came to be known as a “Cannonball Run,” which was a generic term for fast or express passenger and freight trains. Keep in mind that Jones did not like to be behind schedule and he had already been deemed a hero for his 1895 rescue of a little girl. Jones had been doing maintenance work on the engine when he saw some kids dart in front of the locomotive. All crossed the track except the one girl who froze on the tracks as the train approached. Jones supposedly perched himself atop the cowcatcher and snatched the child from the tracks as the train approached.
At 10 PM on April 29, 1900, Casey Jones’ pulled his train behind engine 638 into the Canton station and, when he was ready to go home, he heard someone say that engineer Joe Lewis was ill and could not take out the engine 382 for the return trip to Memphis. Jones volunteered to take on the duty. By the time they left at 12:50 AM, he was already more than an hour and a half behind schedule so he had his fireman, Sim Webb, ”open it up.” Casey had a reputation for going too fast and I suppose that’s how he made sure that he kept his schedule. This night was no different. At times that night, John D’Angelo of virtual railroader says it’s entirely possible that the “Cannonball” reached speeds close to 100 mph. Jones came upon a freight train on a side track and so Jones reduced his speed to a still rapid 50 mph as he intended to pass. This particular freight train was long. So long, in fact, that the rear cars were on the main track. Casey figured that they would do as normal and that is ”sawing.” As Jones train passed, the freight train would move forward so as to clear the rear cars from the main line prior to Jones’ engine 382 arriving. The trouble was that the engineer of the freight train did not realize just how fast Casey Jones was moving and they did not move their freight train forward fast enough.
As they came around a curve, Jones saw the freight cars on the track ahead and he shouted for Webb to jump. As Webb lept to safety, Jones tooted his whistle and applied the brakes in vain. Engine 382 of the Illinois Central Railroad plowed into the caboose of the freight train. It is said that he had managed to slow his train down to 35 mph, thus saving all of the passengers but he was killed. Sim Webb had landed in some bushes and was not injured. Later ,he told Janie Jones, “that as I jumped Casey held down the whistle in a long, piercing scream. I think he must have had in mind to warn the freight conductor in the caboose so he could jump.” The legend is that he was found with one hand clutching the whistle and the other the brake. Casey Jones’ watch stopped at 3:52 AM on this date in 1900 and his action is credited with saving the lives of all of the passengers. In spite of the heroic lore that has followed his name, an investigation concluded that he was largely to blame for driving too fast.
Weather Bottom Line: The Lentucky Oaks weather forecast and Kentucky Derby weather forecast could not be more different. A frontal boundary is slowly plodding its way across the nation. It will not arrive in Louisville in time to really affect that 136th Kentucky Oaks. There is a very slight chance for a late afternoon isolated t’storm Friday afternoon but for the most part, it will be warm and breezy. I think that it will be dry with partly cloudy skies and highs in the low to perhaps the mid 80′s. The data also suggests that conditions will still be favorable for all of the Kentucky Derby events for Friday night including the Brownstable-Brown Gala. Previously, the data suggested rain chances increasing around midnight but the last few runs, all models have been holding off the rain until the 5AM to 7AM timeframe. So, aside from late departures from the parties, it should be a fine night. An unofficial Derby tradiition is cruising and the police have had issues over the years trying to control that activity. This year should the cops should get some help from mother nature.
For Derby Day, rain will begin in the morning. There is some disagreement on how much. The 6Z NAM only throws out a half inch of rain into Saturday evening with most of that coming in the first half of the day. The 6Z GFS though has about 2 inches of rain for the daylight hours of Saturday. The Hydrometeorlogical Prediction Center seems to split the difference and comes up with rain totals of 1.25 to 1.5 inches of rain for Saturday. There is also a slight risk of severe thunderstorms for Saturday. My biggest concern with this is that I think the best chance for tornadic activity will be in the same region of Arkansas and Mississippi that got hit with those brutal tornadoes last weekend. What is going on is that there will be a shortwave moving up along the front through the Ohio Valley on Saturday morning. Sensible weather wise, that should mean that after it passes, then rain chances diminish Saturday afternoon in Louisville. While the jet streak moves to the northeast with the shortwave, there may still be sufficient jet stream venting to work with some afternoon heating to the mid to upper 70′s Saturday afternoon to trigger scattered rain and t’storms. Obviously, the GFS is more bullish on this scenario. I would not be surprised to see a wet track on Saturday but times of actual rain falling will be sporadic.
Late Saturday, there will be another shortwave with the associated jet stream energy developing in the lower Mississippi Valley. It should develop in such a manner that a surface low will probably emerge. It is in this developing area that the risk of tornadic activity will be its greatest. As that low moves up along the front Saturday evening toward the Ohio Valley, a tremendous amount of moisture will be drawn up from the Gulf. This entire system, in fact, is what is also drawing the oil in the Gulf of Mexico onto the Louisiana coast. Rain chances will increase markedly on Saturday night with the risk of severe weather back in the picture. My guess is that we would be talking about strong winds as the most likely threat for Sunday morning. But, it’s the rain that has the attention of officials. A Flood Watch is in effect for Saturday and Sunday in Louisville and I would not be surprised to see it extended through Monday morning as the NAM takes rain totals to nearly 5 inches by 7AM Monday and the GFS is closer to 4.5 inches. The HPC is in line with these numbers as it adds another 3 to 3.5 inches for the Sunday AM to Monday AM timeframe. | <urn:uuid:58d56d6f-8c4b-4ca4-a8b6-f2fe30bd32f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://symonsez.wordpress.com/tag/railroads/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985147 | 1,991 | 3.03125 | 3 |
by Neil Thomas
January 15th, 2013
Quite a lot is written (mainly in magazines like Monocle) about Soft Power – the influence that a country can exert through the means of “attraction and persuasion” rather than “coercion or payment”. Embassies, cultural missions, tourism, film, literature, sport, art and music ‘exports’ are all part of the Soft Power activity that can give a country an edge in influencing others.
Unfortunately, political and economic factors can completely scupper a country’s Soft Power standing, however attractive its cultural inheritance.
A quick review of 2012 going into 2013 might help to explain what I mean:
First Sarkozy and then Hollande – both are viewed as ridiculous figures at home and abroad, effectively undermining the political basis of Soft Power. Add in Dominique Strauss-Kahn and you reach laughing-stock status, quite a handicap if you are trying your hand at international relations. This image collapse can also be seen, for example, in the wonderful world of French Cinema with icons like Renoir, Truffaut and Chabrol being completely overshadowed by the current idiocy of Gerard Depardieu.
You can see how the political farces of the past few years have changed the image of Italy: it is now easier to think of Berlusconi than it is of Botticelli, to get the image of Bunga Bunga rather than of a building by Brunelleschi.
When you think about Greece do you still picture the ‘cradle of democracy’ and ‘birthplace of philosophy’ or do you immediately think of it as a country that can only throw its economics out of its pram and be the butt of double-dip recession jokes (as in you can’t get hummus or taramasalata)?
Do you get the image of Gaudi and genius or of gaudy and jerry-built scams?
Surprisingly, despite the best efforts of our politicians, culturally, at least, we haven’t been undermined and 2012 was a good year for our international cultural and Soft Power image. Unfortunately, we are still viewed as lacking the economic and political muscle to back that up.
But, is there any country in the world anymore that combines culture/lifestyle, politics and economics to make it the envy of the world?
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Written by PETA
last week's killing of dozens of wild animals in Zanesville, Ohio, PETA
supporters gathered in front of the Ohio statehouse today calling on Gov. John Kasich
to ban ownership of wild animals as "pets" immediately, before other
tragedies occur. Earlier this year, the governor refused to extend an emergency ban on keeping
captive exotic animals that had been put in place by his predecessor.
a letter to Gov. Kasich,
PETA noted that there are at least 10 wild-animal facilities in Ohio that are accidents
waiting to happen. One facility in Massillon that holds more than 100 animals—including
tigers, lions, pumas, jaguars, bears, and wolves—was found this year to be
keeping tigers in an enclosure that had no top and was not tall enough to keep
the animals contained. Another facility, in Perrysburg, was found to be keeping
adult lions and wolves in enclosures that would not prevent them from jumping
dangerously lax laws about wild-animal ownership have already resulted in human
deaths, including a man who was mauled by a bear
kept by notorious wild-animal exhibitor Sam Mazzola.
To help prevent additional tragedies involving captive wild animals, click here to urge the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources to exercise its authority to implement emergency regulations prohibiting
private citizens from keeping wild animals.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to
an animal, please click
here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the
animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local
police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA
immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!
Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? Read more. | <urn:uuid:aec7a80e-5d5b-4f06-ac8c-28ff456e101c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2011/10/26/ohioans-call-for-ban-on-captive-wild-animals.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961841 | 470 | 2.25 | 2 |
Mexico scrambles to cope with egg shortage
A city worker sells eggs at government subsidized prices as people line up outside the city truck in Mexico City, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012. The Mexican government is battling an egg shortage and hoarding that have caused prices to spike in a country with the highest per-capita egg consumption on earth. About 11 million chickens were slaughtered after a June outbreak of bird flu. / AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini
(AP) MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government is battling an egg shortage and hoarding that have caused prices to spike in a country with the highest per-capita egg consumption on Earth.
A summer epidemic of bird flu in the heart of Mexico's egg industry has doubled the cost of a kilo (2.2 pounds), or about 13 eggs, to more than 40 pesos ($3), a major blow to working- and middle-class consumers in a country that consumes more than 350 eggs per person each year. That's 100 more eggs per person than in the United States.
Egg prices have dominated the headlines here for a week, spurring Mexico City's mayor to ship tons of cheap eggs to poor neighborhoods and the federal government to announce emergency programs to get fresh chickens to farms hit by bird flu and to restock supermarket shelves with eggs imported from the U.S. and Central America.
The national dismay over egg prices has revealed the unappreciated importance of a cheap, easy source of protein that's nearly as important to Mexican kitchens as tortillas, rice and beans. Added boiled to stewed chicken, raw to a fruit-juice hangover cure and in every other conceivable form to hundreds of other foods, the once-ubiquitous egg has disappeared from many street-side food stands and middle-class kitchens in recent days.
"Eggs, as you know, are one of Mexicans' most important foods and make up a core part of their diet, especially in the poorest regions of the country," President Felipe Calderon said Friday as he announced about $227 million in emergency financing and commercial measures to restore production and replace about 11 million chickens slaughtered after the June outbreak of bird flu.
Calderon said he was sending inspectors to stop speculation that he blamed for high egg prices, which have almost single-handedly driven up the national rate of inflation.
He said that the government had already begun large-scale importation of eggs and that about 3 million hens were being sent to farms hit by the flu outbreak.
The Mexico City government has sent a refrigerated trailer-truck of eggs into working-class neighborhoods over the last three days, selling kilo packets for less than half the current market price. Several thousand people lined up for about two hours Friday morning to buy eggs from the truck in southeastern Mexico City's Iztacalco neighborhood.
Isidro Vasquez Gonzalez, an unemployed 43-year-old cook, waited with his niece and nephew to buy three kilos of eggs that they said they would eat almost immediately in a lunch of meatballs with chopped eggs.
"You can make eggs with anything scrambled eggs, with pork rinds, eggs with beans, green chiles, poached eggs, green beans with eggs, eggs with tomato sauce, " Vazquez said, with a wistful look in his eyes. "People here eat a lot of eggs. They were the cheapest, but now they're the most expensive. They're more expensive than meat."
The crisis began with the June detection of bird flu in the western state of Michoacan, which produces roughly half of Mexico's eggs. Some 11 million birds were killed to prevent the spread of the disease, sharply cutting into the national supply of more than 2 million tons of eggs a year.
Government officials blame speculators in the wholesale egg business for driving up prices beyond the hike resulting from bird flu.
After existing stocks of eggs ran out, prices rose sharply in August.
"Eggs are what we eat the most these days," said Gertrudis Rodriguez, 68. But with the higher prices, she said, "if we eat beans, we don't eat eggs, or if we eat eggs, we don't eat beans with them."
Mexico City's public Food Supply Center, which provides government-subsidized fresh food to low-income residents, dropped other ingredients from its truck this week in favor of eggs, and will distribute 18 tons by the time its current stocks run out Monday, director-general Raymundo Collins said.
Calderon said more than 150 tons of eggs had already crossed the border from the U.S. and 100 trailers carrying 500 more tons would arrive in the country over the weekend.
"The federal government will keep using every tool in its power to keep family's quality of life from being eroded by unfair increases in the price of eggs," the president said.
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- Man, 80, becomes oldest to climb to top of Mount Everest | <urn:uuid:b97479be-7b5b-44a9-a4b8-4d6c4535aefc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57500290/mexico-scrambles-to-cope-with-egg-shortage/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973089 | 1,123 | 2.640625 | 3 |
There is a new Cattle Marketing Web Site put together by Dr. Dillon Feuz, USU Extension Specialist,
Department of Applied Economics, which offers Box Beef Prices, Fed Cattle Prices, Breakeven Analysis, and much more. Try it out at http://cattlemarketanalysis.org/
Duchesne County is located in the Uintah Basin in the eastern part of Utah. It's agricultural base is mainly made up of cattle, hay and sheep.
The base includes:
· 30,651 head of beef cows
· 7,525 head of sheep
· 46,079 acres of hay
· 3,309 acres of corn
The total value of crops and livestock products produced in 2002 was $46,047,000
The USU Extension office in Duchesne County offers a wide range of materials and resources related to livestock, crops, soils, agriculture profitability, weed control, farm and ranch management, range, home horticulture, gardening, insects and water management.
Please feel free to browse through the links. If you have suggestions on topics that would be of interest to Duchesne County producers please contact us by phone, email, or stop in the office. | <urn:uuid:c7d7df5a-11af-49ee-863e-53fcce730a6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://extension.usu.edu/duchesne/htm/agriculture | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936091 | 249 | 2.203125 | 2 |
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need (or needs) is a slogan popularised by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. In German, "Jeder nach seinen Fähigkeiten, jedem nach seinen Bedürfnissen!". In the Marxist view, such an arrangement will be made possible by the abundance of goods and services that a developed communist society will produce; the idea is that, with the full development of scientific socialism and unfettered productive forces, there will be enough to satisfy everyone's needs.
Origin of the phrase
The complete paragraph containing Marx's statement of the creed in the 'Critique of the Gotha Program' is as follows:
- In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labor, and therewith also the antithesis between mental and physical labor, has vanished; after labor has become not only a means of life but life's prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-around development of the individual, and all the springs of co-operative wealth flow more abundantly—only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe on its banners: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!
Although Marx is popularly thought of as the originator of the phrase, the slogan was common to the socialist movement and was first used by Louis Blanc in 1839, in "The organization of work". The origin of this phrasing has also been attributed to the French utopian Morelly, who proposed in his 1755 Code of Nature "Sacred and Fundamental Laws that would tear out the roots of vice and of all the evils of a society" including
I. Nothing in society will belong to anyone, either as a personal possession or as capital goods, except the things for which the person has immediate use, for either his needs, his pleasures, or his daily work.
II. Every citizen will be a public man, sustained by, supported by, and occupied at the public expense.
III. Every citizen will make his particular contribution to the activities of the community according to his capacity, his talent and his age; it is on this basis that his duties will be determined, in conformity with the distributive laws.
Some scholars trace the origin of the phrase to the New Testament. In Acts of the Apostles the lifestyle of the community of believers in Jerusalem is described as communal (without individual possession), and uses the phrase "distribution was made unto every man according as he had need":
- Matthew 25:14-30: And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his ability. And he went abroad at once.
- Acts 4:32: All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
Debates on the idea
Marx delineated the specific conditions under which such a creed would be applicable—a society where technology and social organization had substantially eliminated the need for physical labor in the production of things, where "labor has become not only a means of life but life's prime want". Marx explained his belief that, in such a society, each person would be motivated to work for the good of society despite the absence of a social mechanism compelling them to work, because work would have become a pleasurable and creative activity. Marx intended the initial part of his slogan, "from each according to his ability" to suggest not merely that each person should work as hard as they can, but that each person should best develop their particular talents.
Claiming themselves to be at a "lower stage of communism" (i.e. "socialism", in line with Marx's terminology), the Soviet Union adapted the formula as: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his work (labour investment)".
While "Liberation Theology" has sought to interpret the Christian call for justice in a way that is in harmony with this Marxist dictum, some Christians have noted that Jesus' teaching in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) gives only half an affirmation to the dictum: to the first half.
References in Popular Culture
According to a survey conducted by the Museum of the American Revolution, "more than 50 percent of Americans wrongly attributed the quote “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” to either George Washington, Thomas Paine, or Barack Obama," while noting that "those from the West Coast were slightly more likely to answer the question correctly."
See also
- He who does not work, neither shall he eat
- Jedem das Seine
- To each according to his contribution
- Workers of the world, unite!
- Marx, Karl (1875). "Part I". Critique of the Gotha Program. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- Schaff, Kory (2001). Philosophy and the problems of work: a reader. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 224. ISBN 0-7425-0795-5.
- Walicki, Andrzej (1995). Marxism and the leap to the kingdom of freedom: the rise and fall of the Communist utopia. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 0-8047-2384-2.
- "À chacun selon ses besoins, de chacun selon ses facultés". L'Organisation du travail, 1839.
- Norman E. Bowie, Towards a new theory of distributive justice (1971), p. 82.
- Gregory Titelman, Random House dictionary of popular proverbs & sayings (1996), p. 108.
- Joseph Arthur Baird, The Greed Syndrome: An Ethical Sickness in American Capitalism (1989), p. 32.
- Marshall Berman, Adventures in Marxism (2000), p. 151.
- Part 1, Critique of the Gotha Programme, http://www.marxists.org, quoting Marx/Engels Selected Works, Volume Three, p. 13-30.
- Ken Post; Phil Wright (1989). Socialism and underdevelopment. Routledge. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-415-01628-5.
- Geoffrey Jukes (1973). The Soviet Union in Asia. University of California Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-520-02393-2.
- Cohen, G. A. (1995). "Self-ownership, communism, and equality: against the Marxist technological fix". Self-ownership, freedom, and equality. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-47751-4.
- Critique of the Gotha Program (includes Marx's original use of the slogan)
- Marxism and Ethics
- What Does the Bible Say About Communism & Socialism?
- Encountering Communism: the theories of Karl Marx | <urn:uuid:1df9474d-a418-4569-89cd-7f83e19b38f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_each_according_to_his_ability,_to_each_according_to_his_need | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937591 | 1,500 | 2.671875 | 3 |
MORE NEW INK
Trumpet of the swan
Jan Huttner takes on the male-dominated film industry
By Ruth E. Kott
If you saw Sex and the City this summer, you were supporting more than the popular HBO franchise about four powerful New York City women. According to Jan Lisa Huttner, AM’80, the film’s box-office gross—$150 million as of the end of July—affirms that movies marketed primarily to females can succeed, a fact that Hollywood has been slow to realize. In 2007 only five of the 50 top-grossing films were about or starred women in strong roles.
But the hordes of gal pals who flooded the theaters, says Huttner, are showing film executives that superheroes aren’t the only story lines that sell. “Most women in the audience still don’t realize the impact of their decisions,” she wrote July 30 in TRACTIOn, an online magazine for women in the television and film industries. “How often have I been told: ‘There’s nothing good in theatres anymore.’ Or worse: ‘I wanted to go, but my husband won’t see chick flicks.’”
To combat this “lose-lose mentality,” in 2004 Huttner, along with members of the American Association of University Women–Illinois, formed a movement in which participants pledge to see more films by women directors and screenwriters, whether in theaters or on DVD. Called WITASWAN (Women in the Audience Supporting Women Artists Now), the aim is to generate media buzz and money for a more female-friendly film market…
Click here to read complete article online.
Magazine copy begins on page 52.
Photos above show Jan at one of her most frequent haunts,
Landmark’s Century Center
Theatre, in Chicago,
site of the last three annual WITASWAN programs:
March 18, 2006
March 31, 2007
March 29, 2008
All Photo Credits © Dan Dry. All Rights Reserved.
Visit Dan Dry’s | <urn:uuid:cff14b08-758e-4350-97f1-17ff36be1cc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.films42.com/witaswan/ink-08.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93777 | 450 | 1.71875 | 2 |
First, an open admission: all of this is based on local legend and rumor, so don’t expect a university historian to corroborate it.
Now the juicy part: according to the locals, it’s unquestioned that Boca Chica island off the Panamanian coast, just 15 miles Southeast of the David airport, was the no- kidding hideout for the legendary Captain Morgan, of spiced rum fame.
And with one step out onto the island, it becomes clear why…
The Island remains, even to this day, both wonderfully isolated amidst primeval, moon-of-endor-like forests, and also home to the highest peaks on the coast.
If you don’t want to be seen, you simply will NOT be seen. But if you wanted to see others coming, you’d see them from miles and miles away, since the tallest peak on the island boasts an elevation of 300 feet and offers views all the way back to the Baru Volcano on the mainland, and all the way out to the Chiriqui Marine Park at sea. Either way, it makes for a perfect hideout for a pirate and a perfect fortress of solitude for a superhero.
Also, if you’re willing to go with local custom a bit further, you’d probably also want to know that this island, at least according to the myths, was sacred to the Incan Kings.
All of which means it would be hateful to every romantic bone in a man’s soul to turn the place into condos and restaurants -- which is why Emerging Terrains has dedicated itself to keeping the island a pristine sanctuary for the kind of lost boys and tinkerbells looking for such a place.
And if the legends don’t move you, perhaps the facts will:
Just the Facts:
- Boca Chica Island is a 400 acre island that’s a 10 minutes boat ride from Panama’s Pacic Coast in waters that are always calm.
- 99% of the island is covered in primary rainforest, which provides for a truly prehistoric and totally un-touched feel.
- Boca Chica Island borders Panama’s Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park & the Hannibal Bank -- home to world-class fishing where 90% of the deep sea fishing records have been caught.
- Boca Chica Island is, in turn, surrounded by 50 other, smaller and uninhabited islands.
- We bought the entire island, including 400 acres of the island to include 5 contiguous miles of coastline.
Active Protection for Boca Chica Island’s Natural Beauty
So… unlike a lot of other Latin American real estate investors, our plan is never to buy utterly pristine land in order to create high-density developments of condos, parking lots, and tourist spots. that’s not how we create value.
We create value by finding pristine coastline that can be purchased cheaply and sold directly to the kind of adventurous, self-sufficient people who hunger for unspoiled beauty and privacy, and then we market directly to them.
And a big part of this business model involves protecting buyer’s investments through very low density (very few houses & lots of land) planning that actively protects the natural beauty of the island.
What’s Being Built and Planned for Boca Chica Island:
- Mango Bay Villa Estate - A villa designed to allow all of the comforts of home in an ancient setting. this is where prospective buyers stay when they come down to walk their reserved lots.
- A small fishing lodge under development on the North point. We sold this portion of the island to an investor from Texas who shares our eco-friendly vision for the island and who is building his Simple-Is-Beutiful lodge on Boca Chica Island’s North Point.
- Monte Vida Park, a new 50 Acre Park we are forming expressly to protect and preserve the natural Rainforest while adding value to the surrounding land.
- Playa Mystica -- a low-impact development of 30 lots on 60 acres that will serve as the anchor community on the island. this is about a 1/5 of typical development density and assures that each lot has 100 feet of rainforest between it and the next structure.
About Playa Mystica
Just like for our earlier (nearly sold out) Playa Burica project, we are quietly and quickly assembling a group of like minded individuals and prospective buyers for Playa Mystica from all over the world. their backgrounds are varied but common values and traits that bind them together: 
- They all have a pioneering spirit -- meaning that they’re creators who are willing to step out and live their dream, even if that dream takes them a bit off the beaten path.
- Whether they're fishermen, sailors, backpackers, hikers, or explorers, they all have a need or hunger for nature and natural beauty. It feeds their souls more than most and they feel the need for it more than most.
- They all have the courage of their convictions -- men and women who, after doing their due diligence, are willing to push play on their plans, willing to actually DO the thing.
- They all know what does and does not make them happy, and are willing to abandon what doesn’t work for them in order to pursue what does. If you think you might be such a person, and if you’ve been looking either at Panama Real Estate or at finding your own piece of prestige coastline, you owe it to yourself to reserve your lot, come visit and decide for yourself. | <urn:uuid:9be891bb-8ac7-4b4e-8624-15e75b75326d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.panama-guide.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939293 | 1,185 | 1.59375 | 2 |
"It's not that women weren't composing years ago, or aren't composing now - it's just that, with notable exceptions like Baroque harpsichordist Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, who lived in France at the turn of the 17th century, their music has remained mostly unplayed, confined for centuries to paper."Link
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Baroque women's music
It's your "must read" link for the day. A fascinating account of Laury Gutiérrez and her tireless work to rescue and perform works by female baroque composers.
at 10:21 am
Posted by - Bart Collins - The Well Tempered Blog | <urn:uuid:8607a26b-6ed9-48cd-b227-2589a8514ce9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pianophilia.blogspot.com/2008/08/baroque-womens-music.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964517 | 146 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Print version ISSN 1413-8123
Ciênc. saúde coletiva vol.9 n.3 Rio de Janeiro Jul./Sep. 2004
Concepts and approaches in the evaluation of health promotion
Concepções e abordagens na avaliação em promoção da saúde
Fernando P. Cupertino de Barros
State Health Secretariat, Goiás, Brazil. email@example.com
In recent years there has been an intense search for evaluation methods to measure the effectiveness of public policies in various fields, especially that of Health. Within the overall Health field, special emphasis has been placed on Health Promotion, which has emerged over the years as a point of convergence between ideas, reflections, and practices that aim to surmount the traditional biomedical model in favor of a broader perspective, containing interdisciplinary knowledge and inter-sector practices that expand the model of biomedical intervention and involve multiple dimensions of social life, as determinants of a population's health status.
In my view, the current article's merit is that it draws on well-defined concepts to highlight the importance of the evaluation of Health Promotion programs, particularly by health systems managers.
By recalling the importance of comprehending health reform measures for changes and the struggle against social inequalities, the authors quite appropriately state the position that the health sector and the population's health need to be viewed as a fundamental economic investment in human and social development. In fact, the successive governments in Latin America (Brazil in particular) have faithfully complied with the economic dictates of the international financial agencies (on which the so-called Third World countries are so dependent). Thus, public health outlays are always viewed as an expense rather than as an indispensable investment in the development of these populations. Except in discourse, governments have overlooked the social and technical complexity required to tackle the challenge of producing health, and thereby increasing the quality of life and promoting general happiness.
Viewed through this prism, Health becomes an area to be safeguarded, defended, and protected for all citizens, as an inherent right of citizenship that depends on the interaction between various areas of knowledge and work, within an inter-sector perspective in its construction, as emphasized by the authors.
What calls our attention is the fact that the de-medicalization and reorientation of services become essential premises for promoting individual autonomy, along with motivation for communities to effectively grasp the knowledge needed to promote participatory management aimed at the development of these same communities and ultimately leading to the adoption of public development policies that generate equity.
It is thus crucial to focus on social development and citizens' empowerment in order to reduce inequalities and foster social inclusion. As a process of community development, such inclusion needs to be evaluated, while maintaining scientific rigor, despite the inherent difficulties in an evaluation of this nature, where a multiplicity of effects stem from factors external to the Health field itself.
For us, as health systems managers, it is indispensable to develop on-going, close collaboration with the academic community and civil society organizations that are able to contribute to community development and citizens' empowerment, thereby helping decrease inequalities and promote equity. Furthermore, this approach points to a greater objective, namely, the quest for happiness.
Health systems managers are responsible for the public policies they implement, and as such need to acquire the habit and the necessary knowledge to promote systematic evaluation, seeking to produce knowledge and improve these policies. Furthermore, they need to understand the complex and innovative nature of the interdisciplinary work that acts as the motor force for local development, with the involvement and adherence of the communities and the various stakeholders.
Health systems managers need to create the habit of evaluating by drawing on the accumulated theoretical knowledge base and applying it to daily management practices. On this point, although within perfectly accepted academic rituals, in my opinion the authors of the article have relied too heavily on quotes in the English language, with which few [non-English speaking] health systems managers have the necessary familiarity to extract the broader and deeper meanings from the respective expressions. I contend that "Latium's last flower, untilled yet fair"* is capable of faithfully expressing the same ideas, although at times Portuguese may lack a single term to mean exactly what can be said in another language with one word. But after all, what are phrases for?
* Translator's note A widely-known quote from Brazilian poet Olavo Bilac (1865-1918, of the Parnassian school) epitomizing the Portuguese language, which Bilac lauds as "Latium's last flower", historically the last language to blossom from Latin and "untilled" (misused, uncultivated) yet beautiful. | <urn:uuid:c635b051-83e0-4ee4-ae87-3b8d8e04831a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-81232004000300004&lang=es | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937734 | 967 | 1.96875 | 2 |
We have arrived at Chapter 79 of The Lost Symbol:
Washington National Cathedral, Langdon thought, feeling an unexpected anticipation at being back after all these years. Where better to ask about One True God.
“This Cathedral really has ten stone from Mount Sinai?” Katherine asked, gazing up at the twin bell towers.
Langdon nodded. “Near the main altar. They symbolize the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.”
“And there’s lunar rock?”
A rock from heaven itself. “Yes. One of the stained-glass windows is called the Space Window and has a fragment of moon rock embedded in it.”
Welcome to the tenth day of Julie O’Connor’s Magical, Mystical, Masonic Photo Tour of Washington, DC. Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon have given the CIA the slip and reached Washington National Cathedral where they seek answers to the pyramid’s riddle Jeova Sanctus Unus–One True God–from the dean of the cathedral, Reverend Colin Galloway.
The Cathedral is a magnificent setting. One can easily imagine Dan Brown taking one of his anonymous tours of DC and being captivated by its possibilities. Here, in Chapter 82 and in true Brownian fashion, is the author’s description of the cathedral’s architectural statistics:
Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and soars higher than a thirty-story skyscraper. Embellished with over two hundred stained-glass windows, a fifty-three-bell carillon, and a 10,647-pipe organ, this Gothic masterpiece can accomodate more than three thousand worshippers.
The space is magnificent. It won’t be long now before Tom Hanks and his yet-to-be-announced female companion are led down the aisle.
Reverend Colin Galloway–dean of the cathedral–looked like he had been alive forever. Stooped and withered, he wore a simple black cassock and shuffled blindly ahead without a word. Langdon and Katherine followed in silence through the darkness of the four-hundred-foot-long nave’s central aisle, which was curved ever so slightly to the left to create a softening optical illusion. | <urn:uuid:873ebb97-49ab-47a2-9003-376d7d6f9f62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://secretsofthelostsymbol.wordpress.com/author/pdberger/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922509 | 478 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Engaging and empowering midwives in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal
Sixty-five young midwives from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces of South Africa held a very stimulating and empowering two-day workshop in July 2010.
The workshop saw midwives below the age of 40 years, from all walks of life, some working in very remote rural areas and others based in the city, meeting to come up with solutions on issues affecting their profession.
“We are going to influence the direction of maternal and child health care.”
Comments from participants included, “Exciting. Empowering. We are going to do things differently to make things happen. We now need to look at the bigger picture.”
The workshop aimed to ensure that the young midwives realize their significance in maternal, child and women’s health, providing valuable health care to women, their partners, and their children. It also intended to develop practical skills for tapping creativity, experience, and commitment. To achieve this, discussions were held on leadership and management, communication skills and tools, and team-building exercises, as well as group debates on issues affecting midwifery in South Africa.
The young midwives deliberated on the power that midwives have and what they can do to make a difference. Highlights of the workshop included debates on whether midwives faced challenges because of the system or they were to blame for shortcomings in the system and whether there were challenges with midwifery education or not. The young midwives emphasized their power to make a difference and focused on the bigger picture of maternal, child, and women’s health as a whole; what their country can do; the midwifery profession; and what the individual can offer and achieve.
As one of the midwives summarized it, “From now on we will work so that our voices as young midwives can be heard. We are going back to claim our space and position ourselves to influence the direction of maternal and child health care.”
The workshop was organized by the Midwives AIDS Alliance, which is hosted by PATH. The alliance aims to provide a platform for midwives to actively respond to HIV and AIDS in maternal, child, and women’s health in South Africa. The workshop targets young midwives in order to increase and retain the number of working midwives and to encourage them to become leaders that can take the midwifery profession to another dimension. | <urn:uuid:63e60fcd-c9da-4e96-9494-0b5792f0a760> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.path.org/projects/midwives-aids-alliance-workshop.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968892 | 510 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Originally Posted by coppermine
These discussions have been seen in bsdforums at least few times. Although the time passes, but some close to heart features as flash, WLAN, USB automounting are still not the shiniest side of FreeBSD.
The people talking that FreeBSD is server OS are right. In my opinion. If you are just willing to learn new things, you will discover that you can avoid significant pain by avoiding either broken hardware or just trying to run everything (!) on one OS or box. For example, I have stopped to try running BSD on my laptop. It is time Consuming! Note the capital letter. Instead, I have found Ubuntu or even Mac OS X better suited for this.
Yes, the FreeBSD hasn't received much attention from software developer side as linux has, but it is rock solid! These are not just loud words. The surveys (I found the Netcraft's) says that most hacks ever done by percent are done on linux-driven boxes! Even the Microsoft is behind. The BSDs are one of the strongest
... however, also they are secure as you make them. The operating system and on the other side - service/daemon/application/(whatever) security are NOT equal!!!
No OS except BSD can accept tremendous loads received on very responsible web servers. Not linux, not IIS ... ))) but BSD!
Yes, you guessed! I am FreeBSD fan... if FreeBSD will keep basic traditions as true UNIX, it will stay my only server OS.
What's so difficult about automounting on FreeBSD? What about USB support? USB support on my end is great, and automounting with Hald and Dbus is as good as it was on Linux. WLAN is a problem for all Unixes, other than Mac OS X.
FreeBSD is time consuming for those who don't need or appreciate the level of customization that it offers. How often have you needed to do a fresh install of FreeBSD on a box? How often has it broken? I've used over 20 Linux distributions, and Linux is much the same in respect to Windows that installs of distributions that offer unique package management systems break over time. What say you to Gentoo or Slackware? FreeBSD may be time-consuming at first to setup for the desktop, but it's easy to maintain, and the lack of maintenance required saves you time in the long run. That's true for all Unixes besides Linux. They're all relatively self-maintaining.
By the way, I do agree with you that if you want BSD Unix on a laptop easily, then you might as well get a MacBook or Pro and run Mac OS X on it. You can then stick MacPorts on it, install X11, and you'll be good to go. | <urn:uuid:22d6760a-c202-46f0-a853-ce4f84e7c9dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.daemonforums.org/showthread.php?p=12947&mode=threaded | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95804 | 578 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Volume 14, Issue 3: Footnotes
1. A lectionary is the table indicating the distribution of
readings according to the requirements of the calendar of liturgical seasons and
feasts. They can be weekly or daily. The weekly lectionary is used for the readings
in the worship service, the daily lectionary is used for the congregation to read
at home or daily chapel services. The lectionary concept is rooted in Scripture
and has been part of the church from the earliest times. Exodus 24:7 was the
first reading of the book of the covenant; Deut. 17:19 commanded the King to
read the law daily (we are all kings now and we all have Bibles); Deut. 31:11 tells
us that the law was to be read every seven years in the hearing of all Israel;
Acts 13:27 and 15:21 tell us that Moses and the prophets were read every
sabbath; Col. 4:16 and 1 Thess. 5:27 both assume that the epistle will be read to
the congregation in church.
2. The traditional church calendar is ordered on several levels: days,
the week, sabbaths, seasons. The yearly cycle is broken into two parts:
the Temporale which is the observance of various seasons, such as
Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc.; and the Sanctorale which is the observance
of saint's days. God mandated the first church calendar in the Law (see
Exodus 23:10_19 which was a cycle of sabbatical years and the three feasts
of unleavened bread, harvest or first fruits, and ingathering or tabernacles. It
is reviewed in Deut. 16 and Leviticus 23 with an added discussion of
the sabbath, weeks, trumpets, and day of atonement). In John 10:22 we read
that Jesus attends the feast of dedication or festival of lights (Chanukah).
This festival is not even one of the mandated feasts.
1. The first month of the Jewish calendar was Abib (Deut. 16:1), elsewhere called Nisan (Esth. 3:7).
2. First century historian Josephus wrote that northern Jews (e.g., Nazareth, Galilee, etc.) counted days from sunrise to sunrise
(cf. Acts 2:15); whereas southern Jews (e.g., Jerusalem) reckoned from sunset to sunset
(Luke 23:54 cf. John 19:31). Just to keep things interesting, John's narrative of the crucifixion used Roman time that reckoned days from the midnight hour as we still do today. Compare Luke's statement that Christ was crucified at the 3rd hour, but John's statement that Pilate condemned Christ to execution at the 6th hour. John used Roman time (midnight) while Luke used northern Jewish reckoning (sunrise). These regional variations are used by some to explain
why Jesus could legitimately celebrate Passover the previous night, yet still be slain with the Passover lambs the next day. Chronographic gymnastics are unnecessary, however. (See explanation of Ex. 12:6 elsewhere in article.)
3. Don't let your kids read this, or you'll be celebrating Christmas Eve from now on!
4. Paper could also refer to the dandy flavor of those little quarter-sized gems as well.
5. Ex. 12:3-4 cf. 12:26. See also Ex. 12:43_48.
6. I Cor. 5:1-5.
7. While none of the Gospels provides a chronological narrative to show when Judas left the feast, Jesus' words in Luke 22:20-21 are conclusive: "And likewise [he took] the cup after they had eaten, saying, `This cup that is
poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.'" (ESV).
8. I Cor. 5:8. | <urn:uuid:b3caab0e-6cf7-4dac-9fbd-edda4e458cbf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.credenda.org/archive/issues/14-3footnotes.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941611 | 855 | 3.515625 | 4 |
The sinking of tube wells, low-cost and shallow water wells in Southeast Asia as well as mining in various regions of China, Thailand, and the US often boost arsenic concentrations in water that frequently exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of 10 micrograms per litre (mcg/l), the value above which health problems start to occur.
Tens of millions of people are exposed to the risks associated with high levels of arsenic by drinking contaminated water or by ingesting cereal crops cultivated in polluted soils. Long-lasting exposure to this highly toxic metalloid can have a disastrous affect on human organs including the gastrointestinal transit, kidneys, liver, lungs and skin, and it increases the risk of cancer. In Bangladesh alone, it is estimated that 25 million people drink water that contains more than 50 mcg/l of arsenic and that 2 million of them risk of dying from cancer caused by this toxic substance.
Scientists from laboratories in Switzerland, South Korea and the US, and from the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Plant Survival believe that by identifying the key genes responsible for the accumulation of arsenic in plant cells they have made the first step towards tackling these problems. They explained their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Plants offer a way for toxic metals to enter the food chain. For example, arsenic is stored within rice grains, which, in regions polluted with this toxic metalloid, constitutes a danger for the population whose diet depends to a great extent on this cereal. Arsenic or cadmium in soils is then transported to plant cells and stored in compartments called vacuoles.
Within the cell, the translocation of arsenic and its storage in vacuoles is ensured by a category of peptides - the phytochelatins, which are important for the detoxification of heavy metals - that bind to the toxic metalloid, and are transported into the vacuole for detoxification.
The researchers said the process was similar to hooking up a trailer to a truck with the 'truck and trailer' complex being stored in the vacuole.
'By identifying the genes responsible for the vacuolar phytochelatin transport and storage, we have found the missing link that the scientific community searched for the past 25 years,' said Enrico Martinoia, a professor in plant physiology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. He and his team pointed out that controlling these genes will make it possible to develop plants capable of preventing the transfer of toxic metals and metalloids from the roots to the leaves and grains thereby limiting the entry of arsenic into the food chain.
'By focusing on these genes, we could avoid the accumulation of these heavy metals in edible portions of the plant such as grains or fruits,' said Youngsook Lee from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea.
Citation: Song, W-Y., et al. (2010) Arsenic tolerance in Arabidopsis is mediated by two ABCC-type phytochelatin transporters. PNAS. DOI:10.1073/pnas.1013964107.
For more information, please visit: | <urn:uuid:e69ba4f7-7563-44f3-8e74-6516edb77232> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2010/11/scientists-find-plant-cell-genes-that.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933327 | 667 | 3.515625 | 4 |
The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 6.7 percent — down slightly from 6.8 percent in November and 6.9 percent in October, the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services said.
It's the lowest since July 2008, when the rate was 6.6 percent. The rate reached a high of 10.6 percent for several months in 2009 and early 2010.
Officials said the state's economy is improving slowly, and it will take time for a full recovery. Still, Ohio's unemployment rate for December was well below the national average of 7.8 percent, which was unchanged from November. Ohio's unemployment rate has improved from 7.9 percent in December 2011.
The number of unemployed in Ohio has decreased 70,000 in the past 12 months.
The state agency reported 388,000 people out of work last month, down from 391,000 the previous month. Meanwhile, the state's non-farm wage and salary employment decreased 9,400 over the last month, according to the latest business establishment survey by the U.S. Department of Labor, in conjunction with the state agency.
Ohio gained about 1,000 jobs in goods-producing industries in December, and manufacturing added 900. Construction lost 100 jobs, and mining and logging remained unchanged from the previous month. Job losses were seen in service-producing industries.
The agency said Ohio has gained 90,700 non-farm jobs between December 2011 and the end of last month. Service-providing industries added 70,100 jobs over that period. | <urn:uuid:f6b49435-51ad-4bf9-9c97-98fff0e3742b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/3116581?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97163 | 315 | 2 | 2 |
Last April's 10-year House Republican budget called for agriculture cuts of $30 billion. On Monday, President Obama proposed a 22 percent cut, including an end to direct payments and an $8 billion cut in crop insurance. Rogers says those two proposals mean that change will happen, and agriculture's challenge will be to transition smoothly and maintain a "safety net." The going in Congress may not be so smooth; Rogers notes clashes have already occurred between leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees on one side and the 12-member deficit "super committee," who Rogers says are not "equipped to write agriculture policy."
Advocates for subsidized crops are showing up at political fundraisers, trying to earn support for their industry. Some, such as the National Cotton Council, have written plans that doen't include direct payments. Corn interests have written a plan relying on insurance-premium subsidies. One thing is sure, USDA economist Keith Collins told Rogers: "The argument for direct payments is their economic neutrality . . . but their downside is the same as their upside: They are unrelated to price and production, and thus income. They get made even in boom times. In this budget environment, they are going to be eliminated." (Read more) | <urn:uuid:8f5cfb38-e638-43fa-acde-0bf163b65be2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://irjci.blogspot.com/2011/09/congress-will-end-direct-payments-to.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97192 | 250 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Posted by: bluesyemre | June 18, 2012
The Antikythera Mechanism: The Story of Humanity’s Oldest Analog Computer, circa 150 B.C.
- On their way back to Greece from Africa in October 1900, Captain Dimitrios Kontos and his crew of sponge divers encountered a severe storm, so they decided to wait it out on the small island of Antikythera. To pass the time, they set out to dive for sponges off the island’s coast. The first of them, Elias Stadiatos, had barely submerged 60 meters when he laid eyes on a striking sight — a heap of human and horse corpses lying on the sea bed. He rushed frantically to the surface and reported what he had seen. Kontos, suspecting carbon dioxide may have caused his fellow to hallucinate, dove into the water himself and soon resurfaced with the bronze arm of a statue. Over the two years that followed, Greek sponge divers and archaeologists recovered multiple artifacts from the shipwreck, estimated to have sunk some 2,000 years prior. | <urn:uuid:d4f8de9a-00cd-4e98-8f4e-cfbba6769829> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bluesyemre.com/2012/06/18/the-antikythera-mechanism-the-story-of-humanitys-oldest-analog-computer-circa-150-b-c/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948356 | 226 | 3.546875 | 4 |
What is it?
A triple-crème pasteurized cow’s milk cheese washed in Beaumes de Venise and topped with macerated currants. Made from organic whole milk from the Straus Family dairy. It has a medium soft creamy paste with a buttery consistency and a subtle, earthy slightly nutty flavor.
A sheep’s milk cheese heralded as the first spreadable Spanish sheep’s milk cheese. From the Murcia region of Spain.
Miticrema has a dense cream cheese-like consistency. Salty and acidic with a bit of bitterness and cream on the finish with some sweetness bundled in. The acids make it sing. Try on a bagel or with fruit preserves on a good bread. It’s much more complex than you would guess.
Made by Mitica and Imported by Forever Cheese in Long Island, NY. It comes in a tiny glass jar. | <urn:uuid:3b5e5217-a3db-409f-8639-a105cf4c4e23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forkandbottle.com/cheese/cheesefind/chfind1005.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94424 | 193 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Maher 22 years old, lives in Ramallah and is a student majoring in Sociology at Birzeit University. He had hoped to graduate in June 2002 -- but with the closure on the university he has no idea when he will be able to return to classes and finish the semester. Even when the University was not completely closed, and although he lives not far away in Ramallah -- the past 20 months of his academic life have been a nightmare. For instance, he had professors who live in Jerusalem who could barely reach the university due to having to cross so many checkpoints on the way. Often they arrived late and exhausted having spent more than three hours on the way. Maher's early morning classes were constantly in jeopardy.
Since the Israeli invasion of Ramallah in late March 2002, Maher says he avoids crossing the checkpoint in the way to Bir Zeit as much as possible. Once, he was held at the checkpoint by the soldiers for more than three hours. The only reason seemed to be because he's tall and looks strong making him a favored target by soldiers for a stronger humiliation. Another time he was accompanying a colleague of his when she was stopped by the soldiers, who searched her bag and found some sanitary towels. One of the soldiers took them out and started waving them around in front of the other soldiers and pedestrians. His friend was so embarrassed she began to cry. Maher felt so humiliated, and since then he hates going to the university.
Another of Maher's colleagues, a best friend is from Gaza. She used to live in the dorms in Birzeit village but then decided that it would be safer to move to Ramallah, since Birzeit students are a special target when the army goes into the village. Once in Ramallah, however, the apartment she lives in was twice invaded by soldiers. One of her roommates was arrested because she was carrying a Gaza identity card. Maher's friend was lucky -- she wasn't asked for her i.d. His friend knows that if she goes to Gaza she will never be able to return and finish her education. The last time she returned to campus after visiting her family in Gaza she had to go first to Egypt, then fly to Jordan and cross the bridge back into the West Bank even though Gaza is only a two hour drive from Ramallah. There are many other Gaza students at Birzeit in the same situation -- who have to choose between finishing their education and seeing their families. Maher's friend considers herself lucky -- she hasn't seen her family for two years while for others its been four.
Maher says he feels he has lost all control over his life and that all avenues forward are blocked. He cannot finish his studies, he cannot work and cannot see any possible future. He says he at least feels lucky that so far he has not been jailed, shot or injured as many of his friends have.
All of this has left him depressed and feeling paralyzed. When his parents complain that he should get up and "do something" , Maher's reply is "What can I do? there is nothing to do here, no work, no travel, no education, only a poor library in town. Besides, why the hurry? If I ever get to graduate, I will still have nothing to do, nowhere to work, and won't be able to travel." | <urn:uuid:8ce6d870-9d49-44c1-b8c5-e186767f9fd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/studenttestimonies.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990564 | 677 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Responding effectively to bullying involves a coordinated community with clear adult intervention plans, dialogue and training for the whole school community, as well as ongoing activities that build a climate of mutual respect.
Sarah Pirtle offers a free 30 minute phone consultation to discuss the needs of your PreK-6th school. She will help you identify your choices and select steps that will be meaningful to support your unique school culture and community.
Call or email to set up a time to talk:
Click here to read REFLECTION QUESTIONS for schools in the process of changing bullying.
Email Sarah at firstname.lastname@example.org or phone (413) 625-2355.
1. If you choose to contract with Sarah Pirtle, she will create an individualized program responding to your needs and choices.
Phone consultation will continue to help you identify where to put your focus and which specific social messages, plans, and social skills you will emphasize.
Chapter Eight of Kids Working It Out:
Stories and Strategies For Making
Peace in Our Schools
Published in affiliation with
The Association for Conflict Resolution
Tricia S. Jones and Randy Compton, Editors.
2. Efforts will be made to set fees that are affordable for your school.
3. An individualized schedule will be set up that can include teachers, staff, parents, and students as requested.
Sample schedules from past residencies at other schools can be sent as models upon request. Your plan can include trainings, consultation, classroom workshops, school assemblies for all classes, smaller assemblies for combined classes, and/or an evening program for parents involving students who are able to attend.
Sarah brings thirty years of experience in the field and can help you design a plan that addresses your goals.
4. When a school comes on board, selected textbooks and recordings that support the goals are sent in advance as part of the residency. You have permission to copy recordings and share them with teachers to help select which lesson plans best match their needs.
5. It is important to identify a team of two people who will make sure that the residency is effective and will communicate with your school community about your goals. These might include the principal, other administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, or a parent to share this role. Two people working together make sure that there is clear communication with each part of the building as well as with Sarah. They are also responsible for helping what is accomplished during the residency continue in the months that follow.
The goal is to provide a program that will have long-lasting value.
6. Sarah Pirtle works collaboratively with the interests and strengths of teachers
to create classroom workshops that demonstrate skills chosen by the staff. You will be sent a short feedback form so that participating teachers can indicate their needs and preferences.
A description of the photo above:
I shared a book called We Shall Overcome by Stuart Stotts while leading programs at Queensbury Middle School in NY State. When students saw the hand-shake that is used traditionally in the singing of this song, it was their suggestion to join hands, and a camera caught the moment.
Click here for:
The simple expression – Talk It Out – can be used to bring together people of all ages for constructive communication. Here are the basic steps:
Guiding Children: Help them meet together face to face.
For Families: Join hands and sit on the floor together.
For Adults: Prepare yourself by beginning with your intention. Are you concerned that you need to defend yourself to be understood? Can you move into an intention to learn and grow?
Take turns talking and listening.
Guiding Children: After each person has spoken, look for a way to articulate the strands of the problem and put attention there.
For Families: Parents summarize – "Is this what the problem is____?" to help children feel understood.
For Adults: Expand perspective to include both people's viewpoints. Verbalize what the crux of the matter is. "I guess what we're trying to figure out is ________."
Guiding children: Help them generate their own plans for solving the problem.
For adults: What matters most to me is ________. I'd be willing to _________.
Maybe we could __________.
Select an action that will help the problem. If the focus is on increased understanding more than a particular concrete action, you can summarize it: "Next time, I will/won't___."
Guiding children: Help them clarify what they're going to do as a result of this talk-it-out.
Test out that the plan is realistic by asking, "How would this work?"
For adults: Start to move together toward actualizing the solution that you've agreed upon.
Choose closure that you like – a nod, a smile, a hug, a "hooray!"
I was teaching the children at Tree of Life School how to find a solution that takes into account each person's needs. In the field of conflict resolution, this is called a win-win solution. However, I wanted a term that would be more descriptive for their age group.
"See! We're building a sandwich!" I said with excitement. As another student raised their hand to add their thoughts, I said, "Watch! We can include their ideas and make the sandwich bigger." As each need was spoken, we worked together to incorporate it like building ingredients.
Now when we reach solutions, the children call it, "Making a sandwich." In fact, the way they like to give closure to the talk-it-out is they say – I want to eat the sandwich.
As the solution is summarized, they pretend they are holding a sandwich and begin to munch with much laughter.
Music: "Two in the Bed and the Little One Said
New words by Sarah and 2nd grade students from Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
How to find it: The Linking Up! book and recording.
Activity: Use your fingers to beckon and turn it into a fingerplay.
There were two in the fight and the little one said, "I'm angry, I'm angry."
But the other one started to run away. Come back and hear what I have to say.
"Come on back, come on back. We can figure this out.
Come on back, come on back. We can figure this out."
There were two in the fight and the other one said, "I'm angry, I'm angry."
But the little one did not run away. "Tell me what you have to say."
"Keep talking. Keep talking.
Talk it out. Talk it out. We can figure this out."
True Story: "I didn't believe you, Sarah, when you said children are highly receptive to the idea of talking it out. After you showed your song Two in the Fight at the New England AEYC workshop, I said – Oh, well. I guess I'll try it once. I led this song one time with my pre-school. An hour later during morning playtime I saw two girls in an argument. One of them did the finger motions of the song to signal her friend that she wanted to talk it out. Sure enough that signal calmed everything down. And they did talk it out. Thanks."
Materials Needed: "Magical Earth" CD
Use the lyrics of the song, "Talk It Out," to discuss conflict transformation.
I wanted to create a realistic song that looked at the difficulties of talking things out and painted a picture of the effort involved in a communication breakthrough.
1. As an icebreaker, ask the students "Have you had a conflict that gnaws at you but you're afraid to actually sit down and deal with it?" Discuss, "What are some reasons why a person would like never to talk out a conflict?" In response to these questions students often express fears that someone will make fun of them or that the problem will get worse. The song says, "Talk It Out, I don't want to do it."
2. Play the recording. Ask why they think I made the melody of the song so fast and selected the instruments that I did. Then explain that I wanted the music to show the anxiety people feel when they are dealing with conflicts as well as convey the excitement for the potential of transforming them. I felt the accordion, drums and electric guitar would convey the fast heartbeat we get when we're upset. I also wanted to indicate the joy and relief of pushing through fear to talk out the problem.
3. Place students in two lines facing each other in partners. Each line has a chance to portray one of the characters—either the person who is asking to talk it out, or the person who initially walks away.
Step one: Pairs face each other at a distance with angry expressions.
I'm so angry I can't see straight.
I'm mad as a bull breaking down a gate.
You and I are in this fight.
Gotta find a way to set things right.
Talk it out. We don't wanna do it.
Talk it out. Do we have to go through it?
Talk it out. There is no doubt.
Gotta jump back, come back, talk it out.
Step two: One person walks toward the other. Both act out words.
I walked up to talk to you.
But you turned your head. What can I do?
I try to talk, but you go away.
Gotta jump back, hear me out today.
Talk it out. You don't want to do it.
Talk it out. We have to go through it.
Talk it out. There is no doubt.
Gotta jump back, come back, talk it out.
Step 3: Act out this change.
I didn't give up. I said, "Come on."
This fight's going on too long."
"I know," you said, and you nearly cried.
Jump back, come back, we both tried.
Conclusion: Show that they are friends again at the end.
Talk it out. Talk to me.
Talk it out. Now I see.
Talk it out. We can mend.
Jump back, come back, friends again.
Before Journey Camp begins, parents are asked to go over the following seven scenarios which flesh out how communication works at camp and what the basic agreements look like in action. Although these scenarios describe a camp setting, the basic agreements are widely applicable.
You and two friends have been eating lunch together the whole week. You don’t want to eat a part of your lunch. You put it down on the grass. One friend picks it up and throws it at the other. A food fight starts between them. A staff person comes over and asks all three of you to participate in a “talk it out” time. You didn’t throw any food. What would you do?
WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO: Be part of the discussion and join the circle to talk about this.
REASON: We encourage productive “talk it out” times that feel safe for all participants. We will assemble all people who can shed light on a problem so that we grow in understanding. You may have an important role as witness. Talk it out times aren’t a time for blaming, but rather for growth. It helps complete the understanding of the problem to include relevant people nearby. Each person talking will be listened to.
You ask someone to build a stick house with you but they have already planned to build with someone else. You’ve tried to talk to them but things seem to be getting worse. What would you do?
WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO: Ask for help from an adult or a Counselor.
REASON: All the staff members have been trained to help campers figure out a way to have fun when we are up in the woods. They will help you find a new solution, or help you talk it out with the others. We make sure that each child has help making friends and being included. Sometimes that means hearing “no” from one person and finding another person who will say “yes.”
When the staff isn't looking, a camper who is feeling uncomfortable is sticking out her tongue at you and flashing angry looks. You want this to stop. What would you do?
WHAT WE HOPE YOU'LL DO: Figure out the best way to get help with this. Decide if you want to try asking them to stop first, or go right to a staff member and describe what is happening so that they can assist. If you prefer, tell a parent and they'll let us know.
REASON: Whenever something upsetting is happening, adults can help. If you can handle it alone, use the Stop Rule, but make sure you use a friendly way of talking so it doesn't get worse. What words could you use to get your message across? Everyone has signed the agreement to use the Stop Rule. This means that if anyone asks you to stop a behavior – like teasing, grabbing, chasing, or hitting – that you will stop immediately.
Adults can't always notice teasing and other upsetting things that are going on, but we want to hear about them so we can help keep things friendly for everyone.
Let’s imagine that you have a friend from school that you sometimes play fight with. During lunch on the grass, suddenly you tackle that friend and roll around with them. You are both having a good time. A Counselor in Training is watching you with concern. The staff person says, “Stop.” What would you do?
WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO: Stop.
REASON: Everyone has to be able to control themselves upon request. If you are having trouble stopping, your parents and the staff will work together to teach you the importance of stopping when asked. Play fighting can turn into hurt and can be confusing for others to watch. We’ll help you start a different game.
A person you want to play with is upset with you and walks away. She or he returns with a counselor and asks you to talk it out. During the talk it out, each of you is asked to explain what it was that they found upsetting and what you think will help. You hear that the other person felt you were yelling.
WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO: Listen to their feedback and try a different way of talking.
REASON: Each person needs to be able to set agreements for what feels friendly and unfriendly. We have a rule in the Camper Code to treat everyone in a friendly way. Sometimes it's hard to know what that looks like. The staff will help children negotiate friendships and help you talk about whether you'll play together or separately.
We do a lot of work the first days in making sure people feel included as they decide where to build their stick house. Let's imagine that you and a new friend are working on a stick house. Later another person asks to work with you. It's a small area and you would prefer working as a pair.
WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO: Tell them your preference. If you want to, ask a staff person to help with the conversation. You might offer that they could build near you or just enjoy visiting your house.
REASON: We encourage people to express their real needs without using put-downs.
We've been working up in the woods on our stick houses. It's nearing lunch time. Most of the group is hungry and goes back down with five staff members. Two staff members stay up in the woods with a dozen others for a longer period. Now it's time for everyone to go back down. You don't want to go back down.
WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO: Listen to the reason that one staff person can't stay up with one child, and go back down with the whole group even though you'd rather keep working on your house instead of eating lunch.
REASON: At camp we look at how the whole group is affected. It's important for campers to respond to the requests of a staff person and to learn how to incorporate the needs of others. We will help campers see things from the point of view of the broader community and learn about the skill of compromise. | <urn:uuid:7a2941cf-d309-49fe-9d10-412c8d556a20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sarahpirtle.com/talk-it-out.htm | 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 | 0.972108 | 3,398 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Welcome to Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum
Mother's Day Special
May 11, 2013
Mothers get in free with paying child
Also, come see us at the Festival of Trails
May 11, 013
Imagine life 500 years ago. The Wolf Creek Indian Village will introduce you to the life led by the Eastern Woodland Indians who inhabitated the land 500 years ago. Our recreated village is the size and layout of an actual archeological evacuation known as the Brown-Johnston site.
The conventional museum exhibits artifacts from the actual site, various exhibits focused on the Eastern Woodland Indians. The exhibits are also enhanced with collections from across the United States.
Located within 2 minutes of Interstate 77, Exit 58 (Bastian, Virginia) this is an educational experience situated in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia. Interpretive guides will lead you on an exploration of skills needed by the inhabits to survive and thrive.
Beautiful nature trails and ample picnic facilities make this a must stop for families and those interested in the Native American history of the First People of Southwest Virginia. Groups are welcome. | <urn:uuid:c5de2f94-f8f8-4be8-80ac-638468cfdafa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianvillage.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93389 | 225 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Mar. 13, 2013 Diving and plunging through the waves to feed, some whales throw their jaws wide and engulf colossal mouthfuls of fish-laden water while other species simply coast along with their mouths agape (ram or skim feeding), yet both feeding styles rely on a remarkable substance in the whales' mouths to filter nutrition from the ocean: baleen. Alexander Werth from Hampden-Sydney College, USA, explains that no one knew how the hairy substance actually traps morsels of food.
'The standard view was that baleen is just a static material and people had never thought of it moving or that its function would be altered by the flow of water through the mouth', he says. Werth became fascinated with the substance during his postdoc days, when he worked with the Inupiat Eskimos of Barrow, Alaska, and decided to find out more about how the flexible material filters whale-sized mouthfuls of water. He publishes his discovery that baleen is a highly mobile material that tangles in flowing water to form the perfect net for trapping food particles at natural whale swimming speeds in The Journal of Experimental Biology.
Explaining that baleen is composed of keratin – the same protein that makes hair and fingernails – Werth also describes how the protein forms large continually growing plates, each with an internal fibrous core sandwiched between smooth outer plates. Whales usually carry 300 of these structures on each side of their mouths – arranged perpendicular to the direction of water flowing into the mouth – and Werth explains that the plates are continually worn away by the tongue to form bristly food-trapping fringes on the tongue-edge of each plate. In addition, the baleen fringes of the skim-feeding bowhead whale's bristles are twice as long as the lunging humpback's. Having obtained baleen samples from the body of a stranded humpback during graduate work at the New England Aquarium and collected samples from ram-feeding bowheads in Alaska, Werth began to compare how well the baleen trapped minute latex beads carried in flowing water.
First, he tested a small section of each type of baleen in a flow tank as he varied the flow speed from 10 to 120 cm/s and altered the inclination of the baleen to the water flow from parallel to perpendicular. Monitoring the fringes and recording how many beads became lodged for 2 s or more, Werth saw that the bristles trapped most beads at the lowest speeds, and as the flow increased the bristles began streaming like hair, increasing the fringe's porosity and reducing the number of snagged particles: single baleen plates are less effective filters at higher swimming speeds.
However, Werth says, 'It doesn't make sense to look at flow across a single plate of baleen, it's like looking at feeding with a single tooth; you can't chew anything with just one tooth, you need a whole mouthful.' So, he built a scaled down rack of six, 20 cm long baleen plate fragments and tested how well they trapped the latex beads.
This time, Werth could clearly see the fringes from adjacent baleen plates becoming tangled and more matted as the flow increased, trapping the most particles at speeds ranging from 70 to 80 cm/s, which corresponds exactly with the swimming speed of bowhead whales skimming through shoals of copepods. However, when he compared the porosity of the baleen of both species, he was surprised by the similarity of the performances, despite the whales' different feeding styles.
Having found that baleen filters best at the natural swimming speed of skim-feeding bowheads, Werth is keen to scale up and investigate how full-sized 4 m long baleen plates perform
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- A. J. Werth. Flow-dependent porosity and other biomechanical properties of mysticete baleen. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013; 216 (7): 1152 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.078931
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:ae1f6ef4-6c1a-4877-81ad-43071a53e308> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313182138.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fplants_animals%2Fdolphins_and_whales+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Plants+%26+Animals+News+--+Dolphins+and+Whales%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952948 | 885 | 3.59375 | 4 |
© Copyright Embassy of Greece 1996-2005. All Rights Reserved.
16 May, 1997
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos has taken steps to aid in the diffusing of tension created in Albania due to the voting of a controversial electoral law backed by embattled Albanian President Sali Berisha.
Opposition parties in Albania and several western countries have expressed objections to the new electoral law.
Mr. Pangalos last night spoke in turn with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) special envoy Franz Vranitzky, Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini, NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and Mr. Berisha.
He called on all to undertake efforts in order for elections in the neighboring country to be held correctly at the end of June.
According to reports, Mr. Pangalos asked the Albanian president not to lead his country into the elections under the law, which was passed on Tuesday, and to accept a compromise that would satisfy all sides.
Mr. Pangalos also contacted Greece's ambassador to Washington, Loukas Tsilas, and asked him to meet with Albanian Prime Minister Bashkim Fino, currently on a visit to the United States, and to ask the Albanian premier to undertake all possible efforts for elections to be held in order to avert a further political deterioration in Albania.
Source: Athens News Agency | <urn:uuid:22fabd56-d6d7-4727-aba5-f4a7ae42df99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.greekembassy.org/Embassy/content/en/Article.aspx?office=4&folder=258&article=1761 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949678 | 281 | 1.5 | 2 |
Letís focus on tips for caring for a stray once you decide to, for all practical purposes, take that stray under your wing.
First, keep in mind if you decide to feed a stray cat he/she will come back. Be sure youíre willing to take on the responsibility before you start feeding a stray. Itís not fair to the cat if you suddenly decide you no longer what to be bothered. Please do not let a stray begin to rely on you only for you to abandon him or her.
Okay, so youíve made the decision to take a neighborhood stray under your wing. Itís possible kitty wonít allow you to pet him or her at first. Be patient. Stay outside and talk to the cat while he/she eats. Build trust. Slowly, over time, try to lightly pet the cat while he/she eats. Most likely - in time - your newly adopted stray cat will warm up to you and let you pet him/her.
We have been feeding a stray on our neighborhood (Gimpie) for several months now. At first he hissed at us, but still wanted food. Then he graduated to meows followed by hisses, even though he allowed us to steal a pet or two. Now he rubs against our legs and meows. Yet when he finishes eating he ventures back into the neighborhood - usually toward our community pool area.
If you have the funds to do so, Iíd highly recommend getting your adopted stray spayed or neutered. We all need to do what we can to prevent further cat overpopulation. If you canít afford this, look for a low cost spay and neuter clinic in your area, or vouchers to aid with the cost. Also, if you can it's a good idea to get your stray vaccinated. Since he/she is outside, kitty is more susceptible to diseases.
During the winter months, if you can, try to bring your stray inside when itís really cold outside. Perhaps you can prepare a place in the garage or a shed or any type of shelter to help kitty weather the bitter cold temperatures. Weíve had a couple really cold nights where Gimpie spent the night in our utility room. At first he didnít like it, but he calmed down. We prepared a box with an old towel in it for a bed, a litter box (which he didnít use) and a lamp for warmth. Both nights before we showed Gimpie to his accommodations, we heated the utility room with an old space heater. However, we didnít leave it on overnight for safety reasons.
If you plan to be away, please try to make arrangements for someone else to feed your adopted stray during your absence. Kitty will come to rely on your care and on you for food.
You might choose to introduce your newly adopted stray to your current cats. Perhaps even bring kitty inside to live. If you do, itís important to first take kitty to the vet and make sure he/sheís healthy. It wouldnít be fair to your cats to bring in another cat unless the new kitty checks out health-wise. Itís possible the stray cat wonít want to stay inside. Or there might be a period of adjustment, as there almost always is when a new cat is introduced to a household. You might decide itís best for the stray kitty to remain outside. Whatever you determine is best for you and kitty is the right decision.
© Melissa Knoblett-Aman | <urn:uuid:94cc6100-9e9d-44f6-8f71-038c0c9d4944> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art174854.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956966 | 732 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't done battling federal judges over plans to relieve California prison overcrowding.
But as Schwarzenegger's last year in office approaches, much of the burden for cutting state inmate numbers will fall to the chief executive who follows him.
Schwarzenegger filed a plan last week to ease overcrowding that falls well short of a demand by a three-judge panel that he reduce the population by 40,000 inmates within two years.
That means the four declared gubernatorial candidates as well as Attorney General Jerry Brown, who is widely expected to run, face questions about how they would act to fix what everyone acknowledges is a broken state corrections system.
In conversations with The Bee, they've laid out two distinct visions:
Two of the Republican candidates, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, have rejected proposals that would let inmates out early or keep some parole violators out of prison. The two have also called for building more prisons to relieve overcrowding and sending inmates to other states with surplus bed space.
On the other side are Democrat Gavin Newsom, mayor of San Francisco, and Republican Tom Campbell, a former congressman, both of whom support reworking prison and parole guidelines to divert more inmates into parole and keeping some parole violators out of prison.
Brown, in interviews with The Bee, declined to comment on specific reform proposals, saying that as attorney general he has to enforce whatever proposals become law.
But in the past he has been harshly critical of a prison system that he said grew as a result of media-driven fears and profiteering by private corrections companies and prison guards.
Both he and Newsom said that reducing the state's nation-high recidivism rate - estimated at more than 70 percent - would go a long way to easing prison overcrowding.
"We're simply not preparing these prisoners for life outside of the system," Newsom said, "and the issue of re-entry programs becomes critical. Therein lies our big focus, at least mine."
Whitman and Poizner, on the other hand, have tried to out-tough each other, railing against legislation passed last month by the state Senate that would have let some inmates out earlier and appointed a commission to rework state sentencing laws. The ultimate version of the bill passed this month did not include the sentencing commission or a provision to release more than 6,000 inmates to home detention.
"You have to be a really bad person to get into state prison," Poizner said. "So I'm opposed to releasing people who are dangerous, absolutely opposed. That's no way to balance the budget."
Whitman went even further, saying she opposed rewriting any prison and parole guidelines that would shorten prison terms for any inmate.
"The most important role government has is public safety," Whitman said. "It's very important to be consistent."
Campbell, on the other hand, is bucking the prevailing wisdom in his party. He backed both the Senate version and the final bill although both shorten prison terms of some inmates.
"We have an opportunity to direct a more effective prison system," Campbell said. "I'd rather approach this pragmatically, through outsourcing of prisoners, developing a triage of parole violators and focusing on more violent offenders in prisons."
According to John Hipp, an associate professor at the University of California, Irvine, department of criminology, law and society, the reality laid out by research falls somewhere in the middle of the two positions.
Hipp studied parolees and crime rates in Sacramento from 2003 to 2006 and found that reports of aggravated assault, robbery and burglary mostly increased in neighborhoods that received parolees.
But crime rates decreased in parolee-receiving neighborhoods with longtime residents and increased more slowly when nonprofit groups and other supportive services were available to parolees.
"There's not a blanket statement about parolees and prisons," Hipp said. "There's no good way to do it, but by being careful about who you're releasing, you can do it right." | <urn:uuid:abe5d4a6-3f71-4dbe-80a0-6daa24c48df4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://facts1.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=1297 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968749 | 828 | 1.609375 | 2 |
FACTSHEET: Youth homelessness
Although youth are over-represented in the homeless population, homeless estimates for youth are likely to have been underestimated in the Census due to a usual address being reported for some homeless youth.
For some youth (sometimes referred to as 12-18 years or 12-24 years) who are homeless and 'couch surfing', a usual residence may still be reported in the Census. Their homelessness is masked because their characteristics look no different to other youth who are not homeless but are simply visiting on Census night. A usual address may be reported for 'couch surfers' either because the young person doesn't want to disclose to the people they are staying with that they are unable to go home, or the person who fills out the Census form on behalf of the young person staying with them assumes that the youth will return to their home. Homeless youth will be underestimated within the group: 'Persons staying temporarily with other households'.
ABS has not yet been able to establish any reliable way, with existing data sources, of estimating homelessness among youth staying with other households and for whom a usual address is reported in the Census. Service providers and researchers have indicated that the estimates of homeless youth derivable from Census data do not concord with their knowledge about youth homelessness.
Guided by its Homelessness Statistics Reference Group, the ABS is continuing to undertake research and development to improve the estimation of homelessness, including youth homelessness. In particular, the ABS has undertaken a quality study to inform the potential development of a nationally representative homeless school students survey.
Until a robust methodology is developed to measure the level of youth homelessness, ABS will focus on producing transparent, consistent and repeatable estimates that can be used to monitor change over time. Because the ABS methods are transparent, users can assess whether there is any evidence to suggest that the components of homelessness that cannot yet be estimated reliably are likely to be moving differently over time to those elements that can be measured.
For more information on the definition of homelessness or the methodology for estimating homelessness from the Census see Information Paper - A Statistical Definition of Homelessness (cat. no. 4922.0) and Information Paper: Methodology for Estimating Homelessness from the Census of Population and Housing (cat. no. 2049.0.55.001).
This page last updated 25 March 2013 | <urn:uuid:e2e6e325-d4c3-4ce6-bd2d-1f7987aa7126> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/2049.0Main%20Features302011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=2049.0&issue=2011&num=&view= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948402 | 475 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Tue 9th Sep 2008, 19:10
some ways to get funds for your business
this is the most important question to be answered : from where and how will i get funds for my new venture or business ?
well here are some options that are available -
1.Personal resources - these are the personal resources available to one starting the business
2.Angel Investors - investors who want to invest in your business without charging a penny , one who get these are considered very fortunate
3.Unusual Sources - the person starting a business are in reach of some unusual sources but is not willing to tell to anybody else about these
4.Venture Capitalists - some capitalists are always available in the market to become a partner in your business venture
5.Public Offering - those who have a renowned image , can raise the funds by taking the company to be started as public , and the public willingly pays the money to become their shareholders
these are some methods available to a person while starting a business , if you know some other , please tell . SUGGESTIONS are always welcome....
Wed 10th Sep 2008, 00:21
I think that you've forgot to mention about banks and other creditors. Most start off by getting a bank loan to finance their business. This might be one of the hardest ways to finance your business start-up if you don't have a business plan. Generally, most bankers are skeptical to loan you money if you're young and inexperienced and especially if you're not too sure about your business. If you have a great business plan, however, then you will be able to prove to them that you'll be able to repay your loan.
Wed 10th Sep 2008, 07:04
Thanks for sharing that with us Sam.
Do you have any examples of what you refer to as "Unusual Sources"?
Thu 18th Sep 2008, 04:23
I've just watched Rain Man again so I would guess that "Unusual Sources" would be sources like winnings from the casino or horse racing. This I think would be quite unusual and uncommon because not many people can win consistently by gambling.
Inheritance and insurance payouts or even funds that are acquired through unscrupulous means might also belong to the category "Unusual Sources".
Thu 18th Sep 2008, 04:52
All these are important sources. But before approaching them, you must have a valid paper and all information regarding your business. You must be able to satisfy them on getting success in the business that you start. First plan out your business. Think why you need to start and try to work for it.
Thu 18th Sep 2008, 07:03
All are important sources but all have risks of their own. In my opinion public offerings is the best among the four....as risk are minium because their is limited liability with it... | <urn:uuid:cceded20-d3ef-4530-af40-443b04eab804> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessadviceforum.com/showthread.php/1187-some-ways-to-get-funds-for-your-business?p=6401&mode=linear | 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 | 0.973448 | 586 | 1.710938 | 2 |
I noticed with interest the story "Downloadable Education," on the cover of last weekend's Education Life section of the New York Times, which discussed various free educational resources. The world of free education might be attractive for lifelong learners and home-schoolers, but, glaringly, it doesn't come with an official degree, accreditation, or recognition.
The obvious follow-up question to this is, what is the purpose of such official recognition? My thinking is that a degree from an institution is a guarantee by an objective third party. An individual may claim to be good at math, but if Harvard grants him/her a degree in math, the claim is more persuasive. At the least, an educational institution acts as a responsible agent to ensure that tests are administered fairly. Even if an educational institution ends up teaching educational culture as much as any subject, learning how to succeed under someone else's rules does have real-life relevance, as when a person goes to work in an organization or a corporation.
This is to say, an individual may have the capacity, and it is becoming increasingly possible, to learn something online without having to register for a class or become an apprentice to an expert, but to learn something and be recognized by society for it (and barring some product of your learning such as an independent portfolio), that individual continues to be somewhat beholden to occasionally messy, dysfunctional, or unfair educational systems.
Consider on the one hand an example of online learning deployed in real life: An organization's mandatory employee training program, covering topics such as How to Lift Heavy Objects and How Not to Sexually Harass One's Co-workers. Self-paced, easy to use, with quantifiable assessments, would it be surprising to hear employees trying to figure out how to cheat the system? Many might consider the training a chore to be done as quickly as possible, using tactics ethical or not. On the other hand, consider learning for the sake of learning, in the form of a higher degree in the humanities. Every anecdote I hear about a humanities PhD relates that it should be pursued out of love for a subject rather than hope of professional reward. With that in mind, what motivates people to participate in the humiliating, grueling, and time-consuming process of a graduate degree program? Is it the attention of an insulated group of scholars? Why not just remain an enthusiast, reading books and attending public lectures and exhibits -- much of which can now be done online? Does an individual truly need formal academic training to satisfy a curiosity about the world? Open learning may be for the people who answer "No" to this question.
And so, while open access to enriching educational materials is wonderful, I wonder whether it revolutionizes education to the extent that some imply. It is true that all you need for a learning experience these days is a computer and a network connection. But in the mainstream, open educational materials are supplemental, and it is still necessary for someone to validate that learning experience. Can technology fully replace this last, yet? | <urn:uuid:d861b5ca-f9da-4859-9502-9bf4ad3c9478> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://librarianscommute.blogspot.com/2010/04/online-learning-and-being-officially.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95921 | 615 | 2.109375 | 2 |