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A popular greeting card attributes this quote to Henry David Thoreau:
"Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude
you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit
softly on your shoulder."
With all due respect to the author of Walden, that just isn't so,
according to a growing number of psychologists. You can choose to be
happy, they say. You can chase down that elusive butterfly and get it to sit on
your shoulder. How? In part, by simply making the effort to monitor the
workings of your mind.
Marjorie Lindholm is a survivor of the 1999 school shootings at Columbine
High School in Littleton, Colo. Lindholm, who wrote a book titled A
Columbine Survivor's Story, spoke with WebMD about her experiences and
shares her advice for school shooting survivors and their loved ones.
Research has shown that your talent for happiness is, to a large degree,
determined by your genes. Psychology professor David T. Lykken, author of
Happiness: Its Nature and Nurture, says that "trying to be happier is
like trying to be taller." We each have a "happiness set point," he argues, and
move away from it only slightly.
And yet, psychologists who study happiness -- including Lykken -- believe we
can pursue happiness. We can do this by thwarting negative emotions such as
pessimism, resentment, and anger. And we can foster positive emotions, such as
empathy, serenity, and especially gratitude.
Happiness Strategy # 1: Don't Worry, Choose Happy
The first step, however, is to make a conscious choice to boost your
happiness. In his book, The Conquest of Happiness, published in 1930,
the philosopher Bertrand Russell had this to say: "Happiness is not, except in
very rare cases, something that drops into the mouth, like a ripe fruit. ...
Happiness must be, for most men and women, an achievement rather than a gift of
the gods, and in this achievement, effort, both inward and outward, must play a
Today, psychologists who study happiness heartily agree. The intention to be
happy is the first of The 9 Choices of Happy People listed by authors
Rick Foster and Greg Hicks in their book of the same name.
"Intention is the active desire and commitment to be happy," they write.
"It's the decision to consciously choose attitudes and behaviors that lead to
happiness over unhappiness."
Tom G. Stevens, PhD, titled his book with the bold assertion, You Can
Choose to Be Happy. "Choose to make happiness a top goal," Stevens tells
WebMD. "Choose to take advantage of opportunities to learn how to be happy. For
example, reprogram your beliefs and values. Learn good self-management skills,
good interpersonal skills, and good career-related skills. Choose to be in
environments and around people that increase your probability of happiness. The
persons who become the happiest and grow the most are those who also make truth
and their own personal growth primary values."
In short, we may be born with a happiness "set point," as Lykken calls it,
but we are not stuck there. Happiness also depends on how we manage our
emotions and our relationships with others. | <urn:uuid:75db0507-b18c-4971-8940-8e444b3b2907> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/choosing-to-be-happy?ecd=wnl_nal_051308 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956296 | 725 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Leaving a Legacy
Plan to Live On
What do you want your grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren to know about you? What talent, trait or feature will they inherit from you? Will they know that their love of science, freckles or athletic abilities is something that they may have gotten from you? Everyone's life is unique. No one else has had your experiences, your memories, your thoughts and definitely not your personality. It’s a life that should be shared and preserved for generations to come. That's why it’s important that even after you’re gone, something about you can live on forever. Let us show you how you can create a lasting legacy that can help unite your past with the future.
Reflections on a Life
One of the most important questions to consider is how you want to be remembered. This requires a thoughtful look back on your life, and it may not be something you can answer right away. We've put together some tips to help you start thinking about what you want those who come after you to know about you.
- Think back on your most important memories. Some may be sad; some may be funny. Maybe your car broke down in a rainstorm on your honeymoon. Or when you burnt your first Thanksgiving dinner and smoked out the house. Or the time you and your spouse toured the Amazon River.
- Consider what you are truly passionate about in life. Maybe it’s cooking. Or preserving a nearby national forest. Maybe it was jazz. Whatever it may be, write about how it’s important to you, how it all started. Give detailed accounts of the particulars or events. Provide examples, like a photo or article about the national forest you helped save. Or maybe a recipe you perfected. Or a recording of your favorite jazz song. It can be anything that helps others truly understand and appreciate your passion.
- Is there something about you or your life that's really unique? Maybe no one knew you picked apples in Australia one summer during college. Or that your ultimate dream was to sing with the Rat Pack in Vegas, even though you couldn't even sing in key. It can be something that maybe your family never knew or something future generations would find interesting.
Your Family's Lasting Heritage
While no one lives forever, your heritage remains. Just as each individual life is only a branch on a larger tree, exploring, recording and preserving your family's story for future generations may be one of the most important gifts you can give.
Our society has become increasingly transient. Families are uprooting themselves from their place of birth and resettling all over the world. One way to build and maintain your family heritage, even when your family is scattered, is to create an online family memorial to give everyone a place to reconnect and share. The Internet can keep everyone connected. In an online community, such as Enduring Memories® Online, you can chat, share photos, tell family stories and stay in touch.
Another way to build and preserve your heritage is to establish a family burial site, which can provide family and friends a permanent place to remember and reflect on the many lives that were lived. Selecting burial property together can maintain family closeness and keep loved ones nearby. No matter your preference, whether you choose traditional ground burial, mausoleum entombment or placement in a cremation garden or niche, families can be memorialized together forever.
For those desiring the utmost in upholding a family legacy, private family mausoleums can be a timeless reminder of your achievements. And family settings such as these can also be personalized to reflect your life's passions. Favorite verses can be inscribed in granite and marble on benches, markers and even statuary. The selection of plants, landscaping and lighting can provide even more ways to express your individuality.
No matter how you want to be remembered, you should begin planning today for a lasting tribute that will maintain your legacy and will be cherished and appreciated by generations to come.
Preserving Your Memory
It’s essential that family and friends are able to not only remember your life, but also celebrate it. There are many ways to ensure this can happen, but perhaps the most touching and lasting way is by leaving a personal remembrance for to those you love.
Tokens of remembrance can also be given out to those who attend your funeral service, and it can be as simple as an engraved golf ball, a customized seed packet or a special prayer card or as personal as a piece of your favorite crystal or a baseball card from your collection. You might choose to be remembered through a memorial fund to an important cause, or a scholarship or donation to be given in your name and even options like memory books, permanent Internet memorials and unique keepsakes. We can also help you organize, coordinate and arrange distribution for almost any memorial gift of your choice.
Today is the time to start thinking of the perfect gift that will keep your memory alive in the hearts and minds of family and friends for many years to come. | <urn:uuid:a350fe22-4da2-4aa1-80ba-c39b35a6cbdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cementerioportacoeli.com/plan_ahead/legacy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9566 | 1,038 | 2.25 | 2 |
Show that a subspace X of the Euclidean space Rn is compact if and only if any
sequence of elements of X has a converging subsequence. Remark: this statement
holds in the considerably greater generality of any metric space but the proof of this
more general result is quite involved. | <urn:uuid:69512b74-2fca-4f37-895f-53f1039b40bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathhelpforum.com/differential-geometry/195688-showing-subspace-compact-iff-any-sequence-elements-has-converging-subsequece.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903032 | 65 | 1.625 | 2 |
SIRIBALA // The vibrant jewel colours of the Tuareg men's turbans glowed in the dim light of their mud house, and their silver rings flashed as they told a story of how war in Mali tore their village apart and turned their friends into enemies.
Here in the centre of the country, just south of the swath of territory taken over by Islamic extremists and Tuareg groups, long-standing ethnic, religious and military tensions heightened by a year of fighting have slowly come to a head.
Anger against Tuaregs - a tribal, lighter-skinned, ethnic minority in the diverse country - have long existed and increased during a series of uprisings in the 1990s.
But after last year's takeover of the north of the country, initially by Tuareg fighters who then fought alongside the Islamist extremists, hatred against them increased markedly among the military and the general population.
In the village of Siribala, one Tuareg family has lived alongside other Malian ethnicities for a generation, sharing meals with them, farming and walking to the market on Wednesdays.
But after rebels stormed the town of Diabaly, about 70 kilometres north, they found that their friends and neighbours had turned against them.
"All the people blame us. They say we are friends of the bad guys," said Ali Ag Noah, a slight man who looks to be in his 50s, wearing a deep indigo turban that has stained the collar of his white robe.
His family originated from Kidal, in the northern part of the country where Tuareg fighters were active.
"But we were born in this area," he said.
Many of his relatives - brothers, cousins and sons - live in the same neighbourhood, in large communal houses, and they clustered around to listen and interject as he told of how the threatening atmosphere suddenly erupted into deadly violence on January 18, a peaceful Friday afternoon.
It all started with his older cousin, a rich, successful teacher and religious man known as Abu Bacrine, who lived with his family in a house a few blocks away.
"People disliked him," said Mr Ag Noah. "Because he was someone who had wealth, people thought the bad guys were coming to meet him."
Mr Ag Noah had heard from the mayor of the town last year that his cousin, who travelled often to Kidal, was accused of meeting rebels - an idea that terrified him.
On that particular Friday, after he had visited his cousin after lunch and chatted with him about the family farmlands, he headed home for a nap.
As he was drifting off to sleep, a disturbance broke out in the streets.
"Rebels are in the city, rebels are in the city," cried crowds of people, including women and children. Rushing out to see what was happening, he was stopped by three soldiers who checked his ID, took him home and searched his house.
Another cousin, Sidi Ag Mohammed, took over telling the story.
He had been in Abu Bacrine's house as the crowds began to shout. At the same time, a pickup truck full of soldiers stopped outside.
Taking an eight-year-old nephew with him, Sidi Ag Mohammed climbed over a wall at the rear of the house and fled, hiding nearby to see what would happen.
Shots were fired, and another cousin, Samba Dicko, lay dead in the street.
Looters - who were once friends - poured into the house, stealing everything. The family was later told that Abu Bacrine had been taken away and shot dead.
The story was confirmed by a local official, who was not a Tuareg, who had been in the area at the time and helped bury the bodies.
Petrified, but with nowhere to go, the family hunkered down in their houses. They were told that friends and officials would make arrangements for the bodies to be buried but that they must not attend the ceremony, or they too would be killed.
They did not report the attack, said another cousin, because they believed the military was hunting Tuaregs.
Rights groups fear that similar incidents may be happening in other parts of the country.
The Tuareg are traditionally nomadic and most populous in the northern part of Mali, where they have been fighting for independence since at least 1958.
After security was weakened by a military coup in March last year, they overran the vast desert wastes, alongside Islamist fighters. They were later marginalised by the stronger radicals, and some have left the shaky alliance.
Past efforts to solve the problem of Tuareg separatism included appointing them to the government and recruiting them into the army.
But many defected when the rebellion began in the north, and Human Rights Watch has raised concerns that the defectors may have been killed by soldiers in the eastern city of Sevare.
Civilians too, could be carrying out vigilante violence. Human Rights Watch said in December that pro-government militias and ethnically allied youth groups had prepared lists of people to be targeted for reprisal once government control of the north was restored.
An EU training mission for Malian soldiers is set to focus on issues of accountability. But the divides between people with a profound sense of identity and dignity will not easily be bridged.
After the death of Abu Bacrine and the looting of his house, another of his cousins, Yahya Ag Mohammed, complained to the mayor, who suggested that he take his complaint to the prefect of the region.
But the mayor advised him against wearing his traditional turban on the journey, to avoid the risk of another attack.
He declined to make a journey that required him to do such a thing.
"This is a part of our culture," he said, indicating his ochre headdress. "You have to die with it. Once you put it on, you cannot take it off." | <urn:uuid:60257fdc-be01-4a09-a8f5-e4170d30d4b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/africa/how-the-war-in-mali-tore-a-village-apart | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990663 | 1,220 | 1.71875 | 2 |
If you’re planning your college career and considering an online bachelor degree program; choosing the right college is as important as choosing the right concentration. Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the path to the right online college for your needs:
List your options. Once you’ve defined your field of study, do a Google search for online colleges that offer degree programs in that concentration. Consult websites and gather as much information the program as possible. Is the college an online-only institution or are there brick-and-mortar locations too? Consult academic counselors or admissions officers to learn more and ask questions about program curriculum. Clear any doubts before making your final decision.
Check Accreditation. A major part of developing your short-list of online colleges involves checking accreditation. There are many reputable online colleges but as diploma mill scams rise, it is extremely important to vet a schools credentials. Research whether the online schools on your list are nationally accredited, regionally accredited, or both. Do they hold any program-specific accreditations’? For example, some nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). An online bachelor degree from an un-accredited college may not serve your intended purpose since many employers will not recognize the degree as valid.
Check School Rankings. Whether you are considering an elite college, a for-profit location and online-based program or online-only program, research school rankings. How is the curriculum ranked? How does the faculty and facilities (if classroom-based study is offered with an online component) rank? The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report are two publications that survey students, colleges and faculty and compile rankings annually.
Check Program Cost. The cost of online bachelor degree programs vary greatly. You’ll need to determine whether the program cost suits your budget. There are additional costs that will affect your decision in addition to tuition such as textbook costs, exam fees, workshop fees, lab and other fees. Find out if any additional fees are included with tuition each semester or if you can expect to pay them separately.
Student Life-line. What type of student support is available? Are there systems in place to guide students as they navigate through an online bachelor program? You’ll need to determine if each school offers mentors, student advisors and tutors as a part of student education as well as how available these services are to support online students.
Choosing the best college to earn your online bachelor degree requires determination and work. Once you’ve made your decision, you’ll be well on your way to a brighter future. For even more information on online learning, check out the infographic below provided by the good folks at WiredAcedemic and OnlinePHDPRograms.
About Ashworth College
Ashworth College has built a tradition of excellence that spans more than 25 years. Our online bachelor degree programs are accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) which is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Infographic Via: Online PhD Programs Blog | <urn:uuid:0a7edcd3-7d74-4556-8d80-a4c2725da694> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://community.ashworthcollege.edu/community/student-life/open-house/blog/2012/04/26/choosing-the-right-college-for-your-online-bachelor-degree | 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 | 0.943796 | 640 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Twelve days ago, an amazing thing happened.
Project Kal-El came into the building, shepherded by a team of engineers from around the world, who had been working around the clock for months. For the uninitiated, the entrance that I’m referring to was by none other than the next generation of our Tegra super chip.
Today at Mobile World Congress (MWC), we demonstrated this little beauty running in an Android tablet. We not only showed that it was alive. We showed it browsing the Web, running games and streaming amazing video. This wasn’t your average amazing video. It was 1440p video content running on a 2560×1600 panel. That will enable mobile devices to output to the highest resolution monitors or tablets equipped with a 10.1-inch display with 300 DPI.
I should mention, in passing, that this is the first mobile quad-core processor. And that it contains a new 12 core GeForce GPU. Our customers are getting samples now, and they’re planning production in August.
While demonstrating Project Kal-El was exciting, we also gave a glimpse of our roadmap here at MWC. It includes Projects codenamed Wayne, Logan, and Stark, coming out in a steady one-year cadence over the next three years. You might well ask, What on earth can be done with nearly 75x improvement in performance over Tegra 2 that Stark will provide in 2014? Our customers and partners have already indicated that they’re confident they can use everything we give them.
If you’ve followed NVIDIA, you know the relentless velocity of innovation that we’ve brought to the PC space with our GeForce processors. Prepare for that same intensity to play out in the mobile space.
While we demonstrated this to our customers and press today, you can come by and see it live in our booth at MWC in Barcelona tomorrow.
I left CES thinking this was going to be the most exciting year of my career. Now, I know it will be.
I can’t wait to see the next wave of superphones and super tablets. | <urn:uuid:d50a9713-09dc-474b-b869-bb9ef115d734> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.nvidia.com/2011/02/tegra-roadmap-revealed-next-chip-worlds-first-quadcore-mobile-processor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945616 | 438 | 1.507813 | 2 |
TIHA, from the Turkish words Türk İnsansız Hava Aracı (Turkish Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV program developed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries for the Turkish Armed Forces.
The TIHA system, which is designed for night and day missions including adverse weather conditions, performs real time image intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, moving/stationery target detection, recognition, identification and tracking missions.
While the TIHA system has an open architecture to support other potential payloads and missions, within the context of the existing project the air vehicle is configured to carry the following payloads onboard:
The whole composite airframe is composed of a monoblock fuselage, detachable wing and V-Tail, retractable landing gear, redundant control surfaces, avionics and payload bays and service doors. The sandwich skin structure is reinforced by composite or metallic frames, ribs and supports. Propelled by a pusher type heavy fuel engine, the aircraft is furnished with fuselage fuel tanks and fuel system, ice protection system, environmental control system, lighting system, redundant electrical system with battery backup and harness system.
The platform is also equipped with a digital flight control system, electro-mechanical actuators, and flight control sensor systems such as pitot-static, air data computer, navigation sensor, transducers, temperature, pressure, displacement sensors, etc. Various tasks are distributed along flight management computers and auxiliary control boxes. Identification and communication units and interface computers are employed in order to establish real time wide band communication and provide test and diagnostics functions. An air traffic radio is also integrated in the communication system for the integration of the aircraft into the civilian airspace. All flight critical equipment are dual or triple redundant and emergency modes of operational scenarios are taken into consideration for fail safe design.
All flight software configuration items embedded on both the air and ground equipment are being developed indigenously by TAI. In a similar manner, all mission hardware and software are aimed to be developed by national sub-contractors, such as Aselsan.
TIHA operations are supported by highly sophisticated ground systems. Whole mission segments of the air vehicle can be managed, monitored and controlled by a GCS. A pre-programmed mission plan can be loaded before the flight begins or can be altered during the flight. All the imagery stream of the payloads can be displayed and recorded in real time and all the payloads can be controlled from the GCS. ATOLS allows the air vehicle to perform its operation without operator intervention, including the most critical phases which are landing and take-off.
In TIES, valuable intelligence information can be obtained by the analysis of bulky imagery data. TIES operators can initiate intelligence missions prior to or during flight. Refined information flows to the upper command layer in order to assist the headquarters to monitor a network of TIHA systems and benefit from the gathered intelligence information. Another interface of the TIHA system is the RVT, with which other friend unions who are close to the target area can utilize the real time imagery that TIHA air vehicle broadcasts.
The basic performance specifications of the TIHA system released by TAI are as follows:
During the initial development phase which is scheduled to be completed within 51 months, until mid 2011, three prototype air vehicles will be built under the programme; along with ground control and mobile imagery exploitation stations, two ground data terminals and two remote video terminals. Subsequently in the production phase, at least six systems with 18 UAVs will be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces.
The UAV will have a 10m (33ft) all-composite fuselage, detachable low-mounted wing with a span of 17.3m and a detachable V-tail with a span of 4.5m.
Maximum take-off weight is 1,500kg (3,300lb) including provision for a 200kg payload and 250kg of fuel.
Initial payload elements will comprise a daylight camera, thermal imager, laser designator, and synthetic-aperture radar with ground moving-target identification capability. Weaponization will be studied in the production phase.
The TIHA will have a pusher propeller configuration and a cruise speed of around 75kt (140km/h), service ceiling of 30,000ft and 24h endurance.
Keys to the Arcana: Shahrast[a.bar]n[i.bar]'s Esoteric Commentary on the Qur'an: A Translation of the Commentary of S[u.bar]rat al-F[a.bar]tiha from Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Kar[i.bar]m Shahrast[a.bar]n[i.bar]'s Maf[a.bar]t[i.bar]h al-asr[a.bar]r wa mas[a.bar]b[i.bar]h al-abr[a.bar]r.(Book review)
Jan 01, 2011; Keys to the Arcana: Shahrast[a.bar]n[i.bar]'s Esoteric Commentary on the Qur'an: A Translation of the Commentary of S[u.bar]rat... | <urn:uuid:a8e133d6-063b-4b77-8df2-b888ff7806ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reference.com/browse/TIHA | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906469 | 1,081 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Speak Truth To Power: The Book
In a world where there is a common lament that there are no more heroes, too often cynicism and despair are perceived as evidence of the death of moral courage. That perception is wrong. People of great valor and heart, committed to noble purpose, with long records of personal sacrifice, walk among us in every country of the world. I have spent the last two years traveling the globe to interview fifty-one individuals from nearly forty countries and five continents, some of whom appear in these pages and in the play by Ariel Dorfman you will find here, people whose lives are filled with extraordinary feats of bravery. I've listened to them speak about the quality and nature of courage, and in their stories I found hope and inspiration, a vision of a better world.
For many of these heroes, their understanding of the abrogation of human rights has been profoundly shaped by their personal experiences: of death threats, imprisonment, and in some cases, bodily harm. However, this is not, by any measure, a compilation of victims. Rather, courage, with its affirmation of possibility and change, is what defines them, singly and together. Each spoke to me with compelling eloquence of the causes to which they have devoted their lives, and for which they are willing to sacrifice them-from freedom of expression to the rule of law, from environmental defense to eradicating bonded labor, from access to capital to the right to due process, from women's rights to religious liberty. As the Martin Luther Kings of their countries, these leaders hold in common an inspiring record of accomplishment and a profound capacity to ignite change.
The defenders' own voices provoke fundamental questions: why do people who face imprisonment, torture, and death, continue to pursue their work when the chance of success is so remote and the personal consequences are so grave? Why did they become involved? What keeps them going? Where do they derive their strength and inspiration? How do they overcome their fear? How do they measure success? Out of the answers emerges a sympathetic and strength-giving portrait of the power of personal resolve and determination in the face of injustice. These fundamental questions have a special interest for me personally. As a mother of three young girls, I deeply wished to understand if there were steps I could take to encourage my own daughters to develop similar attributes, or if moral courage was something certain people are born with, inherently, while the rest of us (with our own lesser sensibilities) are left to muddle through. And if we are capable of less, then are we off the hook? Condemned to be sinners, is there any point in striving to be saints?
Several defenders recalled an early moment or incident that galvanized their social conscience forever. Some told stories of searing childhood encounters with injustice, as when Patria Jimenez speaks of bigotry in her own family against gays and her own experience of prejudice as a lesbian. Many defenders are members of groups that have endured sustained repression, and so have come to a natural understanding of the issues and desire to overcome the wrongs, like Juliana Dogbadzi. Others saw injustice in a community they were not a part of and took up the cause, such as Bruce Harris. And still others had enjoyed the comforts of being among the elite in their countries, yet risked ostracization-and worse-to right wrongs committed by their peers, notably Kailash Satyarthi.
Despite the overwhelming powers arrayed against them, these men and women are, as a whole, an optimistic lot. In my interview with Archbishop Tutu, he emphasized this attitude saying, "We have a God who doesn't say, 'Ah ... Got you!' No. God says, 'Get up,' and God dusts us off and God says, 'Try again.' " Perhaps the stance should be qualified as less optimistic than hopeful. Overwhelmingly pragmatic and realistic about the prospects for change, all too aware of the challenges they face, nonetheless they continue to roll their boulders back up the hill. Oscar Arias Sanchez, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist, points out, "In a world which presents such a dramatic struggle between life and death, the decisions we make about how to conduct our lives, about the kind of people we want to be, have important consequences. In this context, one must stand on the side of life... One works for justice not for the big victories, but simply because engaging in the struggle is itself worth doing."
These voices are, most of all, a call to action, much needed because human rights violations often occur by cover of night, in remote and dark places. For many of those who suffer, isolation is their worst enemy, and exposure of the atrocities is their only hope. We must bring the international spotlight to violations and broaden the community of those who know and care about the individuals portrayed. This alone may well stop a disappearance, cancel a torture session, or even, some day, save a life. Included with each story is the resource guide of contact information for the defenders and their organizations in the hope that you, the reader, will take action, send a donation, ask for more information, get involved. The more voices are raised in protest, the greater the likelihood of change.
I grew up in the Judeo-Christian tradition where we painted our prophets on ceilings and sealed our saints in stained glass. They were superhuman, untouchable, and so we were freed from the burden of their challenge. But here on earth, people like these and countless other defenders are living, breathing human beings in our midst. Their determination, valor, and commitment in the face of overwhelming danger challenge each of us to take up the torch for a more decent society. Today we are blessed by the presence of these people. They are teachers, who show us not how to be saints, but how to be fully human.
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DeLeon Springs family hold on to citrus way of life
Published: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 6:24 p.m.
DELEON SPRINGS — About a half dozen workers stood beside a noisy metal machine, coaxing freshly picked oranges down a series of rollers into a bath of chlorinated water and then into boxes.
The picking season is under way at Vo-LaSalle Farms near DeLeon Springs where workers recently packed navel oranges for sale directly to customers, mostly as gift boxes, and to wholesale buyers such as orange juice producers.
As the acreage devoted to citrus groves continues to drop in Volusia County and statewide, the Crump family at Vo-LaSalle Farms is holding onto a way of life that began for them in the 1800s.
The cold snaps this fall have helped the crop, Steve Crump said, and brought out the sweetness of the fruit.
"Quantity-wise, it's an average year of fruit," he said. "The quality, I think, is up a little bit from previous years."
Volusia County produces a tiny fraction of Florida's citrus crop and Flagler County has no commercial citrus production at all, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Volusia produced 245,000 boxes of citrus out of Florida's 165 million boxes in 2010-11, the latest year that federal statistics are available. A box is 90 pounds of oranges or 95 pounds of tangerines.
Much of the reason for the area's lack of citrus production is climate. In fact, Vo-LaSalle at one time had more acres of groves than the 65 acres it cultivates today. After a series of hard freezes and crop losses in the 1980s, the family opted not to replant some of its land.
Citrus was grown as far north as Jacksonville and Gainesville in the late 1800s, but freezes have forced the crop south over the years, Crump said. Today, much of Florida's citrus production occurs south of State Road 60, which runs from Vero Beach to Tampa, where freezes are less common.
The Crump family has tried other enterprises, such as a hydroponic "you-pick" vegetable farm, to offset the wavering citrus crop. But citrus remains their way of life for four generations now, despite challenges from cheap imports, citrus disease and occasional hard freezes.
"After the freezes in 1985, we talked about maybe we should get out," Crump said. "All the groves were frozen, there really wasn't much left. But my mom and dad decided citrus is what we do the best, it's what we know the best, and there really wasn't anything we could grow as well as citrus."
This year, the price of juice oranges has dropped significantly, but Crump is hopeful it won't impact growers like him.
"The price for juice oranges is down probably about 40 percent from last year," he said. "But the fresh fruit price is up a little bit. So it might be a wash for us, because we have both types."
Cheap foreign imports are a constant challenge for domestic growers, he said. Orange juice is a globally traded commodity, much like crude oil, so events around the world and the appetites of futures traders in New York can affect the fortunes of even small-scale growers like the Crump family.
"It's taken a beaten, especially the fresh fruit guys, but the whole citrus industry has had challenges," said Mark Ritenour, an associate professor at the University of Florida's Indian River Research and Education Center. "We were up around 800,000 acres statewide and now we're down in the 500,000 range. A lot of that is due to disease."
Currently plaguing the growers is a disease known as citrus greening, which was brought to the United States from Asia. The pathogen is spread by an insect known as the Asian citrus psyllid.
Karen Stauderman, a commercial horticulture extension agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Office in DeLand, said Volusia County is better off than other areas of Florida, partly because citrus growers here have a coordinated insecticide spraying program.
"Some other counties do not have synchronized grower cooperation," said Stauderman. "But the wonderful thing about Volusia County is these growers understand the importance of working together to try to control the insect."
That's paying off, she said. Although the greening problem hasn't gone away, it also hasn't gotten worse.
"Our county is one of the few that haven't increased," said Stauderman, citing information from UF's Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
At Vo-LaSalle Farms, Crump said his family has noticed a worsening of the disease each year, but they use insecticides to attempt to contain the psyllid population and prevent the disease from spreading further.
A spot of good news this growing season has been the weather. There have been a few cold snaps in the area, but no hard freezes yet. Temperatures around 28 degrees or below for more than four or five hours can damage citrus crops.
"We've had several cold snaps," said Bruce Crump, Steve's father, "and they have been just what the doctor ordered to get the flavor, the sweetness really developed."
For the Crump family, the picking season will last until April and include navel oranges, two kinds of grapefruit, tangelos and tangerines.
Steve Crump says he foresees passing on the groves to the next generation.
"I want to make a career out of it here," he said. "I hope one of my three children, either they or the future spouses, will get into it one day."
Dwindling orange groves
The amount of acreage devoted to commercial citrus groves is on the decline in Volusia County and statewide.
Volusia County: 2006-07 1231 acres
2007-08 1083 acres
2008-09 1065 acres
2009-10 1090 acres
2010-11 981 acres
2006-07 621,373 acres
2007-08 576,577 acres
2008-09 568,814 acres
2009-10 554,037 acres
2010-11 541,328 acres
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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ASIS Midyear '98 Proceedings
Collaboration Across Boundaries:
Theories, Strategies, and Technology
Case Studies in Academic Collaboration
Sponsored by SIG CRS, SIG LAN, and SIG TIS
Academe has endured many intellectual and cultural revolutions, but how well is it handling the technology evolution? New technologies have made enormous demands on the institutions of higher learning. Unusual, even unimagined collaborative partnerships have been forged to address the demands of student, staff and faculty related to technology. How successful have these partnerships been? How does collaboration or lack of it impact the academy? How stressful are these partnerships? This panel will present case studies that involve two or more academic related organizations addressing needs generated by changes in technology.
Collaboration Between a Computer Services Help Desk and Library Reference Department
Doug Kaylor, Wright State University
As computer technology and network access diffuses throughout the university, faculty and staff demands for WWW training and support resulted in a blurring of user support responsibilities. This case reports on the collaborative model developed at Wright State University. Issues involved included accuracy, timeliness and expertise of support, duplication of services, coordination of efforts, interdepartmental communications, diverse corporate culture, and funding.
A Statewide Cooperative Project: The Louisiana Library Network
Carol Barry, Louisiana State University (contributed paper)
Describes the development and implementation of two statewide library networks in Louisiana: the Louisiana Online University Information System (LOUIS), a network of academic libraries, and the Louisiana Library Network (LLN), a network that includes public and school libraries. The projects that resulted in the creation of LOUIS and LLN are discussed in terms of the cooperative efforts of state agencies, academic institutions and libraries throughout the state. The services and resources provided to library patrons as a result of these projects are described, and the benefits of this type of cooperative project are discussed.
Contrary to Collaboration: Issues in Academic Isolation
M. Jay Norton, University of Southern Mississippi
Preliminary report on an investigation into why some academics seem to prefer isolation over collaboration. Circumstances which contribute to academic isolation will be suggested. Discussion of collaboration and professional contact as an essential but sometimes threatening aspect of being a professional academic.
Moderator: Vivian Hay, Getty Information Institute
Panel presented at the 1998 midyear meeting of the Association for Information Science, May 17-20, 1998, Orlando, Florida.
Return to ASIS MY98 Proceedings Table of Contents
Copyright © 1998, Association for Information Science. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.
The opinions expressed by contributors to this publication do not necessarily reflect the position or official policy of the Association for Information Science.
Last updated 5/14/98
Proceedings edited by Barbara M. Wildemuth.
Conference web pages maintained by Jan White. | <urn:uuid:5cbe6aef-e2a7-47e9-bd07-7022c0e5e469> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asis.org/Conferences/MY98/Panel-Case.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910359 | 603 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Keith Brenton, editor of New Wineskins magazine, asked me for a contribution for this month’s issue on Violence and Vulnerability.
Here’s the article I sent him, which is on the magazine’s website today:
JESUS’ WAY DOESN’T WORK
Jesus’ way doesn’t work.
I thought we should clear that one up right off the bat. We live in a pragmatic society, that tends to judge things based on their practicality. Because of that, it’s worth repeating: Jesus’ way doesn’t work.
That goes for a lot of the things that Jesus said and did, but it especially goes for what Jesus taught about self-defense, revenge, and dealing with violent enemies.
It just doesn’t work.
Look at the facts. The way Jesus dealt with his enemies led him to a violent death. Of Jesus’ twelve closest followers ten were killed by their enemies, one committed suicide and only one died of old age (if traditional history can be believed).
Over the next few centuries, the church suffered ten periods of intense persecution. Christians were killed in horrible ways. There is little indication that they fought back or resisted the evils being enacted upon them.
For, you see, Jesus’ way doesn’t work.
According to the norms and standards of this world, Jesus’ way is a complete and utter failure. It offers little to no protection to its followers. It’s manner of dealing with evil men does little to dissuade them from their immoral deeds. It gives us no sense of vindication, no gratifying undoing of the wrongs of men.
By men’s standards, Jesus’ way doesn’t work.
That’s why so few would be willing to turn the other cheek, for example. They want turning the other cheek to stop the violent man in his tracks. They want submission to aggression to cause the aggressors to repent of their ways and begin to defend the innocent.
Turning the other cheek doesn’t work.
Loving enemies? Completely impractical. Do good to those that hate us? That will only make them take advantage of us all the more.
Jesus’ teachings do not fit in the real world.
When Jesus offered impractical teachings about money, Luke tells us that the Pharisees scoffed at him (Luke 16:14) Then Jesus said something that should make us stop and think: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:15)
Just as Jesus’ way doesn’t fit the real world, the world’s way doesn’t fit Jesus’ kingdom. In the Kingdom of God, the world’s way doesn’t work.
In the Book of Revelation, we find God’s people in the Roman province of Asia struggling to know how to deal with an evil ruler. This wasn’t a question of high taxes, oppressive legislation or immoral practices. Christians had been killed, and all evidence suggested that more would be killed. How should the church respond?
One option was to flee. The Apostle Paul fled danger on more than one occasion (Acts 9:25, 30); it was possible that God wanted his people to emigrate to an area more tolerant of their religious views.
Or maybe they should fight. Gideon and three hundred men had defeated a foe that couldn’t be counted. If God wanted his people to fight, numbers wouldn’t matter. Maybe God wanted them to take up swords and punish the evildoers around them.
God sends an angel with a message for his church: the Book of Revelation. And the instructions of that book were to reject both of the above options.
In Chapter 5, John is before God’s throne. God holds a sealed scroll, one that no one is worthy of opening. Then John is told that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is able to open the scroll.
What happens next redefines everything. It tells us how to read Revelation. It tells us how to understand the Old Testament in terms of the cross. It tells us how to respond to the evil in the world around us.
Turning to see the Lion of Judah, John sees “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.” We can’t overstate the importance of this. The Conquering King, the heir of David, the awaited Messiah is a Lamb, not a Lion. Not only is he a Lamb, but he’s a slain Lamb.
In case we miss the significance of this, John spells it out for us by quoting a heavenly chorus: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
Jesus is worthy because he was slain. He is the faithful witness (Revelation 1:5) because he held true to his identity all the way to the cross… and beyond. He can call his followers to “patient endurance” (Revelation 1:9; 13:10; 14:12) because he has already walked that path.
“If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10)
The church heard Jesus’ message. They didn’t run away. They didn’t fight. They endured patiently. For more than two hundred years. They suffered. They died. They loved their enemies and prayed for them. They turned the other cheek. And they were killed for it.
Because Jesus’ way doesn’t work. It doesn’t protect your from suffering. It doesn’t protect you from death. (well, not immediately) It doesn’t bring your enemies to their knees. It doesn’t protect the weak nor avenge the innocent. In the eyes of the world, Jesus’ way is a complete failure.
If you’re looking for something that works, don’t look to Jesus’ teachings. But remember one thing: if you choose what makes sense to men, you’re choosing something that God despises. If your views line up with the views of your non-Christian neighbor, you’re probably not using God’s values. If your outlook is that of the Democrats or the Republicans or the Tea Partiers or NPR or the NRA, then you’re probably not following Jesus’ way.
Which is just as well. Jesus’ way doesn’t work. | <urn:uuid:04b89ad9-95f4-4d1b-9166-43e3286508af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timothyarcher.com/kitchen/from-new-wineskins-jesus-way-doesnt-work/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959966 | 1,454 | 1.679688 | 2 |
From "Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing Up Female" by Willa Shalit
Born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Maya Angelou was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. She is a poet, historian, author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer, and director. She lectures throughout the United States and abroad and has been Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina since 1981. She has published ten bestselling books and numerous magazine articles, which have earned her Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominations.
Becoming a woman is exciting, but it's hard. It's onerous, but it's honorable. It's satisfying, because people know a woman. When a woman is in the room, she doesn't have to talk loudly. She doesn't have to carry a six-gun. But people feel safe around her, all sorts of people, people she doesn't even look like. People whose color may be different and who may call God by different names. People from all generations feel comfortable around a woman. To grow up female with the determination to become a woman is to earn all the plaudits, all the accolades, all the respect that this society has to give. I believe you can't do it alone. I believe you have to have the ideals of women who went before you.
For me, these women are my grandmother, my mother, Pearl S. Buck, Madam Sun Yat-sen, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, a little, wan, white, female poet in the 1920s and '30s who became a recluse.
She wrote a poem that says,
I shall die, but
that is all that I shall do for Death.
I hear him leading his horse out of the stall;
I hear the clatter on the barn-floor.
He is in haste; he has business in Cuba,
business in the Balkans, many calls to make this morning.
But I will not hold the bridle
while he cinches the girth.
And he may mount by himself:
I will not give him a leg up.
Though he flick my shoulders with his whip,
I will not tell him which way the fox ran.
With his hoof on my breast, I will not tell him where
the black boy hides in the swamp.
I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for Death;
I am not on his pay-roll.
I will not tell him the whereabout of my friends
nor of my enemies either.
Though he promise me much,
I will not map him the route to any man's door.
Am I a spy in the land of the living,
that I should deliver men to Death?
Brother, the password and the plans of our city
are safe with me; never through me Shall you be overcome.
I've drawn from women in every culture and folk tale that I've read about. The great philosophers-European and Asian and American and African-have taken the wisdom from their grandmothers, mothers, fathers, and grandfathers that was spoken in common "kitchen" or "plantation" talk. They put the content into formal language, and those become philosophical statements of great pith and moment. The truth is the farmer, the peasant, the slave, the workman, and the workingwoman knew that birds of a feather flock together long before Shakespeare said, "Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,/Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel." They said, "Don't look down and bring somebody up. Look up and pull yourself up." My grandmother used to say, "It's almost impossible to make the richest clothes fit a miserable man." Listen to them without the trappings of academic ignorance. What they have to say is not all that important. It doesn't sound like it's Havelock Ellis, Kant, or Hegel? It doesn't sound as if it's Freud or Rollo May? Well, that's really stupid. If you sit there long enough, you'll hear "mother wit" that is applicable.
I believe that very few people grow up. Most people grow older, but growing up is challenging. Many people get older, honor their credit cards, matriculate into and graduate out of schools, get married and have children. They call that growing up, maturing. It's not. It is simply growing old. One has to assume responsibility for the time one takes up and the space one occupies. To grow up is to stop putting blame on parents. To grow up is to care not only about one's own self but about somebody else's, somebody yet to come. To grow up is to be in a constant state of forgiving. Forgiving yourself for not knowing better, or for knowing better and not doing better, and then releasing people from your own anger and angst. You must stop carrying them around in their ignorance and stupidity and cruelty, giving them purchase on your back, and always having them to poke and to pinch and to carry blame.
Growing up female is difficult. I have a son, and I was with him almost every day of his growing up, but I don't know what that was like, any more than he could know or anybody could know what it cost me to have a monthly period and not be able to explain why. I believe it's equally difficult for a male to grow up, but he may have more help because more men are empowered than women. When he's about fifteen or sixteen and doesn't know what to do with his hands because they're so big, his father and the president of the company and the principal of the high school and the president of the university and the chancellor have been there. They have sympathy for him and can help him. Many times the only people women can identify with are not people in power.
I would encourage a girl who is at that place in life to see herself as she would like to be. To try to envision herself with power. I married a man once because he was a builder. Part of why I married him stemmed from the fact that he was so intelligent. I said I would like to build, but I could never. He said building has nothing to do with physical strength and certainly nothing to do with gender. Building has to do with your insight and determination. He said that if you can see it, you can build it. See it in your mind's eye, see every part of it from the foundation up; then you can build it. That's true for a young woman. See yourself. No matter what the world is saying around you, imagine yourself with power. Try to see yourself with power. Not power so that you can get even with anybody else. Power so that you can become even with your vision.
Excerpted from BECOMING MYSELF by Willa Shalit. Copyright 2006 Willa Shalit. All rights reserved. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold.
DailyOM © 2004-06 DailyMedia, Inc. - All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:1602f0d8-40eb-4801-b2b5-6495dea32813> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/printerfriendlylib.cgi?articleid=1043 | 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 | 0.983797 | 1,473 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Lake Leelanau consists of two conjoining lakes north and south, and runs through the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan. The south lake has a maximum depth of 62 feet (19 m) and the north lake has a maximum depth of 121 feet (37 m). It is the reported home of a strange creature described as having a long neck and tail, and two large eyes.
The creature first appeared after the Lake Leelanau Dam was built in the late 1800s. When the dam was finished the lake’s water levels rose 10 to 12 feet ( 3-4 metres), flooding parts of the land and creating a marsh-like environment around the lake. It also shut off the lake’s outlet and some say, sealed the creature in.
In the summer of 1910 teenager William Gauthier was fishing on the lake. He rowed out to a new fishing spot near the town of Lake Leelanau looking for perch and paddled up close to a tree that he estimated to stand about five feet tall above the water, with a six-inch trunk. He cast a line and began tying the boat to the tree. The young William suddenly noticed the tree had eyes. They were staring him dead in the face at about four feet above water level. The two starred at each other for a few moments before the animal dove into the water and went under the boat. Gauthier said later that the creature's head passed one end of the boat while the tail was still at the other end, though it was undulating very quickly through the water. Gauthier admitted to having been frightened by his encounter, and that he stayed off that lake for many years. His great grandchild stated in an interview years later that his great-grandfather came from a prominent family in the area and was very well-educated, so not easily fooled. William had also told his family that he knew of others who would admit privately but not publicly that they too had seen the creature.
Several other encounters with the creature were apparently reported around the turn of the century but were not formally recorded for fear of ridicule.
I could not find any modern-day reports and the theory is that whatever was trapped by the dam was alone and has since died. | <urn:uuid:b71b0d97-5b2a-4fe5-94c2-1e60a6a1a1dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2010/02/lindsay-selby-lake-creature-in-michigan.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991562 | 463 | 2.8125 | 3 |
The phrase very best natural acne treatment is probably the constant search topics of the teenager, because acne cases are such a frequent teenage dilemma. Acne breakouts are fundamentally an epidermis issue, triggered due to the blocking of the oil glands, which help to build up sebum in the closed pores. In traditional medicinal practises, numerous remedies are suggested in the otc drugs and prescription medications. The relevance with the all-natural medications is its basically toxic free nature.
One form of natural acne cure is by using aloe vera gel. Natural aloe-vera are available worldwide and is also a common plant. Natural aloe vera might help unwind your skin layer. Plus natural aloe-vera known as a possible antiseptic that will help eliminate various bacteria causing acne. Natural aloe vera can also be used orally by means of tablets mixed with many other natural acne cures. Within the consumed form, natural aloe-vera will help preserve a variety of the body’s hormones causing acne.
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Healed acne leaves marks in some men and women nonetheless, also it is difficult to predict who’ll end up having marks right after an acne outbreak and who will not. Visit your skin doctor, skin doctor or dermatological surgeon to find the best acne breakouts scar strategy for you. Acne scarring caused by lack of cells are more common than scars as a result of increased tissue formation.
Evaluate all of the acne skin care treatments obtainable making the very best choice to suit your needs, according to your needs. Be sure, researchers are continually taking a look at brand new non-invasive methods to treat acne. Pick several inexpensive home cures or even natural cures and attempt all of them on the skin cautiously.
I’ve been creating articles for Several years, i want to present you certainly one of my last internet sites relating to cystic acne treatments. | <urn:uuid:56a636c6-19af-4920-a821-a89d2acf305c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.org/natural-acne-treatments/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925134 | 663 | 2.125 | 2 |
Economic Outlook - October 2006
25 years made a world of change for economy
Michael Walden has monitored changes in North Carolina’s economy since joining N.C. State University’s faculty in 1978. A professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, he prepares The North Carolina Economic Outlook, a semiannual forecast. In 2008, the University of North Carolina Press will publish The Modern North Carolina Economy: Origins and Prospects, his analysis of how it has evolved over the last 30 years.
BNC: What was North Carolina’s economy like in 1981?
Walden: It was very much dominated by tobacco, textiles, apparel and furniture. They made up 20% to 25% of the state economy.
How has it changed since?
Globalization has been very important. Deregulation of the economy has been important. Physical labor has become less important. Brainpower has been more important. The big four maybe collectively account for 5% to 8% of the state economy now. Industries like technology, pharmaceuticals, banking, food processing, vehicle parts and tourism have risen to take their place.
When was the tipping point?
In 1994. That’s when the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was updated. They dramatically impacted the traditional North Carolina industries. The protection that a lot of those industries, particularly textiles, had from foreign competition eventually ended. That’s been responsible for a lot of the movement of those industries.
How was deregulation important?
When the regulations limiting banks — both geographically and in terms of the services they offer — were removed, that spurred a tremendous jump in bank mergers. North Carolina banks, which had enjoyed some freedom within the state to operate, were well positioned to take advantage of that.
What in your research surprised you?
Two things. The conventional wisdom has been that globalization has hurt the North Carolina economy. Clearly, globalization has hurt the old North Carolina economy — tobacco, textiles, apparel, furniture. But many of the new North Carolina industries appear either to have not been adversely impacted by globalization or may have been helped by it.
The other surprise?
How prominent some of these new industries are. Banking alone accounts for 8% of the state’s economy. That’s a tremendously high figure. Another that comes to mind is vehicle parts. The press puts emphasis on South Carolina, for example, attracting foreign vehicle-manufacturing companies. North Carolina has not won any of those, but we have seen growth in parts production.
Those assembly plants in South Carolina have helped. Vehicle makers, generally speaking, want parts producers to be close.
What’s the downside of the economy relying so heavily on banking?
What if big discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco get that barrier between banking and commerce removed so they can move into banking? Wal-Mart is trying to do that. That’s a potential threat to our banks.
Many of the “big four” jobs lost were in rural regions. Any bright spots there?
Food processing, poultry and hogs. Those two at the farm level exploded over this time period. And those slaughterhouses are primarily located in the rural areas.
What about immigration?
It has helped the private economy by providing low-wage workers in sectors where there was a demand for workers. It has helped moderate prices for products. But the immigrants have been using more public-sector resources than they’ve contributed in taxes. Altogether, there is a net benefit.
Aside from education, what tools can the state use to adapt its economy?
The tax system is becoming more important to look at because we are in such a competitive environment. Businesses are much more footloose. Is the system one that encourages entrepreneurship and business location? At the same time, we need a system that raises revenue adequate to provide services like roads and education that business needs. | <urn:uuid:76d639e9-7993-48f9-b8cf-85983cab0f71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessnc.com/articles/2006-10/25-years-made-a-world-of-change-for-economy-category/?query=Category.eq.Manufacturing&back=articles | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966772 | 818 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Except for heat related fatalities, more deaths occur from flooding than any other hazard. Why? Most people fail to realize the power of water. For example, six inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet.
While the number of fatalities can vary dramatically with weather conditions from year to year, the national 30-year average for flood deaths is 127. That compares with a 30-year average of 73 deaths for lightning, 68 for tornadoes and 16 for hurricanes.
National Weather Service data also shows:
- Nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are vehicle-related,
- The majority of victims are males, and
- Flood deaths affect all age groups.
Flood Safety Book (pdf)Most flash floods are caused by slow moving thunderstorms, thunderstorms that move repeatedly over the same area or heavy rains from tropical storms and hurricanes. These floods can develop within minutes or hours depending on the intensity and duration of the rain, the topography, soil conditions and ground cover.
Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels. Rapidly rising water can reach heights of 30 feet or more. Furthermore, flash flood-producing rains can also trigger catastrophic mud slides.
Occasionally, floating debris or ice can accumulate at a natural or man-made obstruction and restrict the flow of water. Water held back by the ice jam or debris dam can cause flooding upstream. Subsequent flash flooding can occur downstream if the obstruction should suddenly release.
TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN®
Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these deaths, many are preventable, but foolish people drive around the barriers in place that warn you the road is flooded.
Of the three deaths which occurred as a result of the Fort Worth tornado, March 28, 2000, one death was due to flooding. The man who drowned was a passenger in a car with his girlfriend, the driver. They approached a low spot with water flowing over the road due to very heavy rain. Flooding was a common occurrence at this location with heavy rains and the danger was well marked.
As the driver drove her car into the water she became frightened as the water rose higher and higher around her vehicle. She backed out to higher ground. The passenger said the water was NOT too deep and he would prove it by walking across to the other side. He never made it.
Follow these safety rules.
- Monitor the NOAA Weather Radio, or your favorite news source for vital weather related information.
- If flooding occurs, get to higher ground. Get out of areas subject to flooding. This includes dips, low spots, canyons, washes etc.
- Avoid already flooded and high velocity flow areas. Do not attempt to cross flowing streams. If you enter a flowing stream and the water gets above you knee, TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN.
- If driving be aware that the road bed may not be intact under flood waters. Turn around and go another way. NEVER drive through flooded roadways! If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground. Rapidly rising water may engulf the vehicle and sweep you and your occupants away.
- Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly during threatening conditions.
- Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers. | <urn:uuid:b357a740-4ef9-4a0a-bc7f-51a948cff1c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/tstorms/flood.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950581 | 733 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Legislation Creating the Commission
Government Code Section 8240-8246
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
- § 8240. Legislative findings and declaration
The Legislature finds and declares that despite the fact that women apparently have greater equality in California than in many states, they still are not able to contribute to society according to their full potential. With a view to developing recommendations which will enable women to make the maximum contribution to society, the Legislature has created the Commission on the Status of Women.
- § 8241 Existence of Commission; membership; term of office;
There is in the state government the Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission shall consist of 17 members: three Members of the Senate and one public member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, three Members of the Assembly and one public member appointed by the Speaker, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Chief of the Division of Industrial Welfare in the Department of Industrial Relations, and seven public members appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Senate. The Members of the Legislature shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing powers.
Public member appointees of the Speaker and the Senate Committee on Rules , and appointees of the Governor shall serve four-year terms. All persons re-appointed pursuant to Section 2 of Chapter 1378 of the Statutes of 1965, as amended by Chapter 382 of the Statutes of 1973, shall continue in office until the expiration of their term and the appointment of their successors. The appointing powers may reappoint a member whose term has expired, and shall immediately fill any vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term in which it occurs."
All appointees shall hold office until the appointment of their successors. **
- § 8242 Per diem; expenses; chairman and vice chairman
- a) Public members of the Commission shall receive one hundred dollars ($100) per diem while on official business of the Commission, not to exceed 12 days per year. Each member of the Commission shall be entitled to receive his or her actual necessary traveling expenses while on official business of the Commission.
- b) The Commission shall select annually from its membership, a chairperson and vice-chairperson.
- § 8243. Open and public meetings
All meetings of the Commission shall be open and public and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meetings of the Commission.
- § 8244. Powers and authority of Commission
The Commission shall have the powers and authority necessary to carry out the duties imposed upon it by this chapter, including, but not limited to the following:
- a) To employ such administrative, technical and other personnel as may be necessary for the performance of its duties.
- b) To hold hearings, make and sign any agreements and to do and perform any acts which may be necessary, desirable, or proper to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
- c) To cooperate with, and secure the cooperation of, any department, division, board, bureau, commission, or other agency of the state to facilitate it properly to carry out its powers and duties hereunder.
- d) To appoint advisors or advisory committees from time to time when the Commission determines that the experience or expertise of such advisors or advisory committees is needed for projects of the Commission. Section 11009 is applicable to advisors or advisory committees.
- e) To accept any federal funds granted, by act of Congress or by executive order, for all or any of the purposes of this chapter.
- f) To accept any gifts, donations, grants, or bequests for all or any of the purposes of this chapter.
- § 8245. Study by Commission
- a) The Commission shall study the following:
- 1) Women's educational and employment problems, needs, and opportunities.
- 2) State laws in regard to the civil and political rights of women, including pensions, tax requirements, property rights, marriage and dissolution of marriage provisions, and similar matters.
- 3) The effect of social attitudes and pressures and economic considerations in shaping the roles to be assumed by women in the society.
- 4) Any laws, practices, or conditions which impose special limitations or burdens upon them or upon society, or which limit or tend to limit opportunities available to women.
- b) The Commission shall act as an information center on the status of women and women's educational, employment, and other related needs.
- c) The Commission shall recommend, develop, prepare, or coordinate
materials, projects, or other activities, and shall give technical and
consultative advice to public or private groups or persons concerned with
any of the following:
- 1) Preventing or minimizing problems brought about by the changing roles and responsibilities of women.
- 2) Developing programs to encourage and enable women to be fully contributing members of society.
- d) A prime function of the Commission shall be to encourage women's organizations and other groups to institute local self-help activities designed to meet women's educational ,employment, and related needs. The Commission shall make reports on its activities, findings, and recommendations to the Legislature from time to time, but not less often than every odd-numbered year.
- a) The Commission shall study the following:
- § 8246 Authorization to inform legislature and state positions
- a) The Commission is expressly authorized to inform the Legislature of its position on any legislative proposal pending before the Legislature and to urge the introduction of legislative proposals.
- b) The Commission is expressly authorized to state its position and viewpoint on issues developed in the performance of its duties and responsibilities as specified in this chapter.
- c) This section is declaratory of existing law.
***Note: The term of appointments made by the Governor are now subject to the specifications set forth in § 1774 — see Memorandum 91-16) | <urn:uuid:038abd34-b02d-4da8-a68e-b4ec7d26f809> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.women.ca.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=63 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933974 | 1,200 | 1.585938 | 2 |
In few professions can a person perform at a high level but be held back by time and credentials. In the business world, highly effective leaders are recognized, promoted and paid.
For our teachers - who labor with our most precious resource - their students could be achieving at a level beyond any others in the world, and they would have to wait for an arbitrary amount of time to pass before getting the recognition they deserve.
Our teachers move through a three-tier system, where higher tiers mean higher pay. The system is currently set up to reward teachers for two reasons: Number of years in the classroom, and whether or not they receive a master's degree.
Both circumstances are important, but ask any parent the measure of a great teacher, and they will tell you it's all about the students' learning growth.
Too many great New Mexico teachers are leaving our state, because they can advance more quickly elsewhere.
My effort to remedy the problem is simple: Allow great teachers who are most effective with our students to advance faster than they can today.
In our classrooms right now, a great teacher has to wait years before they can even advance beyond the first level. If our teachers are making great strides, shouldn't they be promoted faster? I say yes; the status quo disagrees.
The reason behind the defeat of my efforts can be
Their counter proposal is to re-package a dossier system many teachers despise already. The dossier lacks objective evidence showing why a teacher should be promoted.
Instead, teachers are allowed to pick which students to include in the portfolio they submit. In some cases, dossiers are authored - not by the teacher they represent - but by others. The bottom line is that student achievement holds only a fraction of the weight it should.
You will hear that judging a teacher only by "test scores" is wrong, and I agree. Teachers should be evaluated by a combination of student assessment results, fair observations and locally decided measures like what their students say about their teaching.
Speaking to parents and educators outside of Santa Fe, this is common sense. But in the Roundhouse where special interests can rule, good ideas face huge hurdles.
Nonetheless, Governor Martinez continues to lead our state in making student-centered education reform a huge priority, and I stand in strong support of this reform.
This issue is the perfect example of how the Governor's focus on students plays a role in the vital area of rewarding our greatest teachers.
Putting the student's interest first is a priority for me, for the Governor, and for the vast majority of New Mexicans.
There are well over 20,000 teachers in New Mexico who steward over 330,000 students across our state. They are the professionals who are guiding the future, and it is past time we give them the recognition they deserve.
Dennis Roch is a New Mexico State Representative (HD-67, Colfax, Curry, Harding, Quay Roosevelt, San Miguel, and Union County) - a 3-term legislator, with 14 years experience as an educator. | <urn:uuid:b38b4301-e96b-4259-bee8-75b3c72aa8c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.demingheadlight.com/deming-opinion/ci_22760489/education-reform-new-mexico | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967246 | 620 | 1.875 | 2 |
|Canto 3: The Status Quo||Chapter 30: Description by Lord Kapila of Adverse Fruitive Activities|
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.30.25
sva-kṛttaḿ parato 'pi vā
ādīpanam — setting on fire; sva-gātrāṇām — of his own limbs; veṣṭayitvā — having been surrounded; ulmuka-ādibhiḥ — by pieces of burning wood and so on; ātma-māḿsa — of his own flesh; adanam — eating; kva api — sometimes; sva-kṛttam — done by himself; parataḥ — by others; api — else; vā — or.
He is placed in the midst of burning pieces of wood, and his limbs are set on fire. In some cases he is made to eat his own flesh or have it eaten by others.
From this verse through the next three verses the description of punishment will be narrated. The first description is that the criminal has to eat his own flesh, burning with fire, or allow others like himself who are present there to eat. In the last great war, people in concentration camps sometimes ate their own stool, so there is no wonder that in the Yamasādana, the abode of Yamarāja, one who had a very enjoyable life eating others' flesh has to eat his own flesh.
Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness | <urn:uuid:94afaeb1-f4e1-4686-aae5-7754246d383a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vedabase.net/sb/3/30/25/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939092 | 383 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Spanish course for Young Students, San Sebastian
- 25 Spanish lessons per week
- Full board accommodation (3 meals per day) in Spanish host family, single or twin rooms
- 3 half-day activities per week
- One full-day excursion per week
The Spanish language school in San Sebastian is located in the city centre, just 10 minutes from the beach. The school has a library, computer room and multi-media centre.
There are 5 Spanish lessons each day and lessons take place every morning, Monday to Friday. All teachers are fully qualified and experienced in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language.
Accommodation is provided with carefully selected host families in single or twin rooms. Staying with a host family allows students to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture. All host families live in the centre of San Sebastian, within easy reach of the Spanish school.
Students are allowed some free time in the evenings and we ask all parents to provide us with a parental consent form giving their permission for students to go out. All excursions and sporting activities are supervised.
A full program of cultural activities and sports is included with 3 half-day activities per week (visit to Pamplona, Hendaye, naval museum, cycling excursion, island trip, Salsa afternoon, beach volleyball, surfing). There is a full day excursion each week (Vitoria, Guetaria, Bilbao).
This program is ideal for students wishing to totally immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture. Students attending the Spanish course are from a wide range of nationalities attend the course, all teenagers, aged 14-17 years.
Optional airport transfers are available from/to Bilbao, Biarritz and San Sebastian airports for an additional charge. | <urn:uuid:de9762f5-85ff-4499-aada-bd40e5ab32c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.applelanguages.com/en/learn/young-students/spanish/san-sebastian.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949838 | 366 | 1.6875 | 2 |
|a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.|
|an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.|
city, seat (1830) of McLean county, central Illinois, U.S. It is adjacent to Normal (north), about halfway between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. The site was settled in 1822 and was known as Keg Grove and later as Blooming Grove for the area's wildflowers. In 1831 the town was laid out and was renamed Bloomington. In 1856 at Major's Hall in Bloomington, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous "lost speech" on slavery during a convention to organize the Republican Party in Illinois; a plaque commemorates the site. The city lies in a rich agricultural region, and its economy is based mainly on farming (chiefly corn [maize] and soybeans), livestock raising, and the production of farm seeds; insurance and the manufacture of candy and vacuum cleaners are also important.
Learn more about Bloomington with a free trial on Britannica.com. | <urn:uuid:13e67845-1fb9-4461-8338-ec843e9ba4bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bloomington?qsrc=2446 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965187 | 230 | 2.75 | 3 |
- Rag & Bone to Host Baby Buggy Benefit
- Jackie Rogers Launches Kickstarter Campaign
- Fendi Planning Karl Lagerfeld Exhibit for Couture Week
LOAFING AROUND: In honor of Gucci’s horsebit loafer, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, a dedicated exhibit will open today at the Gucci Museo in Florence. The opening coincides with a global campaign transforming the house’s store windows and Facebook page into a celebration of the loafer. A digital campaign and video will appear across Gucci’s social networks. The horsebit loafer was introduced in 1953 when Guccio Gucci’s son Aldo expanded the family’s business with the incorporation of footwear.
“The horsebit loafer has lived many lives since its creation 60 years ago, earning itself an important place as a wardrobe staple for both men and women alike. The double-ring and bar motif taken from equestrian hardware remains an icon linking Gucci’s unique history with its modern-day attitude,” said creative director Frida Giannini.
The exhibit traces the loafer’s history from Hollywood’s leading men in the Fifties and Sixties photographed wearing them to archival shots of them becoming part of the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1985, to Madonna wearing them at the MTV Video Music Awards and Brad Pitt sporting them in the 1999 film “Fight Club.” | <urn:uuid:f08991b2-b012-44ac-9b62-d2828ee66e01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/loafing-around-6780987/print-preview/?navSection=issues&navId= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913742 | 304 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Athens group seeks to help domestic violence victims
Whether they need toiletries, pots and pans, clothing, a tank of gasoline, a place to stay, counseling or have assorted other needs, victims of domestic violence find it at the Family Peace Project.
"The types of services we provide change based on what an individual's need is," Executive Director Marlena Taylor said.
"Our bedrock foundational support is from churches," Ms. Taylor said. She also credits community support from individuals, civic organizations, businesses, foundations and others for the agency being able to respond with a broad range of services to needs of victims of domestic violence.
"We get support from everybody," she said.
The Athens project networks with domestic violence agencies in Tyler, Terrell, Kaufman, Jacksonville and Palestine to accommodate in those towns Henderson County victims of family violence when their safety is in jeopardy.
Vice versa, those agencies may send victims in those towns to Athens, although most of the Family Peace Project's clients are from Henderson County
The Family Peace Project evolved from a conversation among a few women after seeing a television report about a peace accord reached in the Middle East and a news report about a domestic violence homicide, Ms. Taylor said.
"It has grown from that initial conversation to what can we, as a community, be doing to alleviate some of the immediate needs of families in crisis and what can we be doing (for) long-term prevention and long-term strategies in working with the resources that are here to leverage the support," she said.
Elizabeth Hitz was the driving force behind the beginning of the Family Peace Project in the mid-1990s in an attempt to bring peace at home, Ms. Taylor said.
The purpose was to provide resources and support from a faith-based perspective to Henderson County families in crisis because of violence, Ms. Taylor said. The Family Peace Project organized as a faith-based 501c3 nonprofit, nondenominational agency.
Ms. Taylor, who was hired as director in September 2001 and has about 15 volunteer helpers, said local people were seeing a need for the agency more and more, punctuated by a local high profile domestic violence homicide/suicide around June 2001.
A family donated a house that was totally refurbished. It opened in 2002 as a single-family transitional home for victims of family violence and later another transitional home was acquired. One is a single-family transitional home for independent living and the other is a multi-family supportive living transitional home.
"As we grow and change, we adapt to the needs," Ms. Taylor said. After the trauma of being assaulted, victims of family violence are devastated and distraught and, "We look at what can we do to help," she said.
"One of the things that's real important for people to understand is that it (family violence) happens a lot of times behind closed doors and they don't see the effects of it."
Family violence impacts the community, Ms. Taylor added, citing as examples that it affects how children do in school, and it affects the medical community because victims may seek medical treatment saying they fell down the stairs when they were actually injured by another person.
The Family Peace Project tries to provide resources to protect and help violence victims, educates the community about the aspects of family violence and the need for the community to help alleviate the problem.
"The need in a rural area is very critical," Ms. Taylor said, since victims might need to travel outside the area for protection, uprooting children.
"I look at our ministry from the perspective (of) what does each person need," Ms. Taylor said. "It can be a list as long as your arm so we prioritize and decide where we start. We have things here we can meet the needs of the individual while we are figuring out what the next step is."
Although they may stay in transitional housing operated by the Family Peace Project, families coming through the peace project are not staying; they are passing through, she said.
"We are attending to them whether it's a night of sleep, clothing or personal care items like toothpaste, deodorant, socks, underwear or cold medicine for their children," Ms. Taylor said. "The challenge we have is juggling all these needs."
She also talks with clients about their long-term outlook, asking them what they have always wanted to do. If, for example, a violence victim has wanted to be a cosmetologist, she may refer the person to Trinity Valley Community College's high school equivalency program and offer to pay the $75 required to take a GED test.
If the victim wants to work as a waitress, she provides uniforms and may buy shoes for work.
Ms. Taylor has seen a lot of growth in terms of victims learning how to make decisions and how to make choices. "We try to show them we are going to honor them and respect them as an individual and give them a choice," she said.
If they need food, Ms. Taylor refers them to food pantries and for food stamps. In that way, the peace project is "a conduit of information," she said.
"Every day is different. It's a joy being in a ministry like this. It's making a difference one life at a time. It might not fix everything, but at least they know they are cared about and they have some support. I get to see divine intervention all the time," Ms. Taylor said.
Last year, the Family Peace Project served 282 families, of whom 116 were new clients.
How long a family receives service depends on the situation.
In one case, a mom came last May after being thrown over a piece of furniture, suffering a broken foot, The woman needed time to heal, has found a job, someone gave her a car and she no longer needs to stay in the project's transitional housing.
"She is still my client; we are still walking along side of her although it (the help) is not as intense as it was last May," Ms. Taylor said.
Ms. Taylor has rented U-Haul trailers for violence victims to leave Athens and she has provided $60 for a victim to rent a storage unit for her belongings until she could find an apartment.
Family violence victims may need help paying a back ticket so they can get their suspended license released so they can go to a job or they may need a new tire for their car, Ms. Taylor said. If she is helping them get set up in an apartment, they may need a broom, mop, cleanser, shower curtain, scouring pad and similar items, she said. | <urn:uuid:4ccdd950-d646-4611-a22a-7693ad5a3a7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tylerpaper.com/article/20130308/NEWS01/303089994/0/features03 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979763 | 1,365 | 1.632813 | 2 |
After two decades of bipartisan tax policy, nearly half of all American households don't pay federal income taxes. Now, Republican presidential candidates are making a politically challenging case to change that fact.
Most working Americans do pay Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. But because of tax breaks for seniors and inducements for work and raising children, among other accumulated changes to the tax code, many manage to avoid income taxes altogether. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in July pegged that number at 46% of U.S. households for this year.
As a result, a 2012 election campaign that has featured vows against raising taxes also has produced the parallel critique that too many Americans pay no income tax at all, a point made by Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in July and more recently by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
"We're approaching nearly half of the United States population that doesn't pay any income taxes," Mr. Perry said in Iowa, when asked about combating an "entitlement culture" in the U.S. "And I think one of the ways is to let everybody, as many people as possible...be able to be helping pay for the government that we have in this country." In Nashua, N.H., Mr. Romney hit a similar theme: "We want to make sure people do pay their fair share."
Broadening the tax base, simplifying the tax code and lowering tax rates have long been prescriptions for a more efficient tax system, notably from the right. The idea is likely to be a major issue as a congressional supercommittee seeks at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by Thanksgiving.
Of the poorest 20% of American households, those earning less than $16,812 a year, 93.4% pay no income tax. But even 30% of the middle class earning between $33,542 and $59,386 are exempt. Some Republican economists say the tax policies that cause this phenomenon have gone too far, contending that people who don't pay income taxes have an incentive to support politicians who promise more federal programs, since they aren't paying for them.
Moreover, they argue the tax code has become too dependent on too few people. Sixty percent of the income tax is paid by 5% of U.S. households, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director who led domestic policy for John McCain's 2008 campaign. "We're going to have to have tax reform," he said. "The system is broken."
But the politics of change are not clear cut. About half of the households that pay no income tax do so simply because the standard deductions for tax filers and dependents are large enough to negate taxable earnings. In addition, nearly half of the remainder who were knocked off the tax rolls because of other tax measures are seniors, according to the Tax Policy Center.
The elderly who do not itemize their taxes get a larger standard deduction and most can exclude some or all of their Social Security from being counted as income. Repealing those benefits would subject 16.3 million more households to income taxation.
The next-largest group of non-taxable households that had no taxable income because of tax policy will be exempted from the income tax rolls because they qualify for the earned-income credit for the working poor or their per-child tax credits were large enough to eliminate their income tax hit.
The earned-income credit was Ronald Reagan's answer to welfare, a way to make even low-wage jobs pay better than the dole. The child credit, another Republican idea, was doubled in President George W. Bush's 2001 tax cut and is a favorite of religious conservatives.
Addressing the Republican lament about too few income tax payers likely would require a broad revamp of the entire tax code. But the chances of getting that done in an election season and with Washington bitterly divided on tax policy seem small.
Pressed on how they would bring more people into the tax system, none of the top three campaigns offered details. Alice Stewart, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Bachmann, said the Minnesotan "believes that the tax code is too complicated and must be reformed to be fairer and flatter."
Campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said Mr. Romney "is opposed to tax increases," adding he would produce his economic plan in the fall.
"Governor Perry wants more people on the tax rolls not by raising taxes or expanding the tax base, but by putting people to work," said Perry spokesman Mark Miner.
Kevin Hassett, director of economic policy at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said the GOP candidates were wrong to assume that working-class voters support government programs because they are free.
Poorer households pay disproportionate shares of what Mr. Hassett calls stealth taxes on gasoline, alcohol and cigarette, even lottery tickets. They may get back in Social Security and Medicare benefits more than they pay in payroll taxes, but that is cold comfort for struggling young workers trying to buy a house, he said.
Write to Jonathan Weisman at firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:308d93bf-c39c-4f49-9317-4e73c9c21318> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904070604576516703053922830.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978907 | 1,049 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Kollar, Ingo and Fischer, Frank and Slotta, J. D.
Internal and external scripts in computer-supported collaborative inquiry learning.
In: Learning and Instruction, Vol. 17, No. 6: pp. 708-721
We investigated how differently structured external scripts interact with learners’ internal scripts concerning individual knowledge acquisition in a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning environment. 90 students from two secondary schools participated. Two versions of an external collaboration script (high vs. low structured) supporting collaborative argumentation were embedded within a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning environment. Students’ internal scripts were classified as either high or low structured, establishing a 2x2-factorial design. Results suggest that the high structured external collaboration script supported the acquisition of domain-general knowledge of all learners regardless of their internal scripts. Learners’ internal scripts influenced the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge. Results are discussed concerning their theoretical relevance and practical implications for Web-based inquiry learning with collaboration scripts. | <urn:uuid:d4205e65-e588-4aef-9876-dca6a537b51a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://epub.ub.uni-muenchen.de/12925/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906963 | 204 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Pennington v. Fourth National Bank - 243 U.S. 269 (1917)
U.S. Supreme Court
Pennington v. Fourth National Bank, 243 U.S. 269 (1917)
Pennington v. Fourth National Bank
Argued January 26, 1917
Decided March 6, 1917
243 U.S. 269
The power of the states to seize tangible and intangible property and apply it to satisfy the obligations of absent owners is not obstructed by the federal Constitution.
The power is the same whether the obligation sought to be enforced be admitted or contested, liquidated or unliquidated, inchoate or mature.
The only essentials to its exercise are the presence of the res, its seizure at the commencement of proceedings, and the opportunity of the owner to be heard.
Where these essentials exist, a decree for alimony will be valid under the same circumstances and to the same extent as a judgment on a debt, i.e., valid as a charge upon the property seized. So held where the property was the divorced husband's bank account.
Property not subject to attachment at law may be reached in equity; an injunction entered at the commencement of proceedings for divorce and alimony may operate as a seizure, in the nature of a garnishment, of defendant's account in bank.
92 Ohio St. 517 affirmed.
The case is stated in the opinion. | <urn:uuid:a947954a-2f41-421b-a501-9ef7bfe58d86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/243/269/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925277 | 289 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Toma Zdravković was an outstanding figure on Serbian folk scene; a bohemian and a poet, he lived up to his sad songs. The songs, although having the form of Serbian folk music, had spirit of chansons. He had a characteristic vocal, not overly powerful but warm, resembling the one of Charles Aznavour. The violin underlined the melancholic atmosphere in most songs. Most of the lyrics were written by himself, devoted to unfortunate love, and love-suffering while drinking and singing in omnipresent taverns. He married four times, and settled only with his fourth wife Gordana in the late years.
Some of Zdravković’s most renowned songs are Prokleta je ova nedelja (“Damn this Sunday”), Dotak’o sam dno života (“I Touched the Bottom of Life”) Pesme moje (“My Songs”), Ostala je samo uspomena (“Only a Memory Remained”), Pustite me da živim svoj život (“Let me live my own life”) and testamental Pesme moje (“My songs”).
Edited by drunko88 on 30 Aug 2011, 21:23
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From other sources. | <urn:uuid:545aca3e-6a9e-4916-b874-f51803aa7048> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.last.fm/music/Toma+Zdravkovic/+wiki | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919253 | 343 | 1.640625 | 2 |
On September 15th, BoJ intervened on the forex. USDJPY jumped 3,3%, to the level from the end of August. Can this action stop the strenghtening of Japanese yen?
An interesting study on Japanese forex interventions in 1990s was prepared by Takatoshi Ito from Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
The amount of money used by the Bank of Japan for the intervention should be disclosed on November 8th on the page dedicated to Foreign Exchange Intervention Operations maintained by the Ministry of Finance in Japan: http://www.mof.go.jp/english/e1c021.htm
The amount of the intervention is estimated at 1 trillion JPY (11,7 billion USD).
The first test of the effectiveness of the intervention may come on Tuesday, September 21st, when FOMC announces its interest rate decision and possibly further plans for quantitative easing. | <urn:uuid:d53ecf68-63c7-4990-aac8-32800b11af7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reakkt.com/2010_09_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92861 | 189 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Chapter XXVI.—Of the Parting of Brethren.
You will not dismiss a brother who has entered your house without prayer.—“Have you seen,” says Scripture, “a brother? you have seen your Lord;” 8931 —especially “a stranger,” lest perhaps he be “an angel.” But again, when received yourself by brethren, you will not make 8932 earthly refreshments prior to heavenly, for your faith will forthwith be judged. Or else how will you—according to the precept 8933 —say, “Peace to this house,” unless you exchange mutual peace with them who are in the house?
I have ventured to turn the first part of the sentence into a question. What “scripture” this may be, no one knows. [It seems to me a clear reference to Matt. xxv. 38, amplified by the Matt. 25.45, in a way not unusual with our author.] Perhaps, in addition to the passages in Gen. 18:0, Heb. 13:2, to which the editors naturally refer, Tertullian may allude to such passages as Mark 9:37, Matt. 25:40, 45. [Christo in pauperibus.]690:8932
I have followed Rouths conjecture, “feceris” for “fecerit,” which Oehler does not even notice.690:8933
Luke x. 5. | <urn:uuid:ffdf7184-022c-457e-bb34-62ea489f8349> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/003/0030770.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948365 | 316 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Environmental Groups Praise EPA’s First-Ever Clean Air Protections for Fracking
Agency Takes Important First Step to Protect Air Quality and Public Health
Washington, D.C.—On April 18 environmental groups praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) vital updates to nationwide air quality protections to include oil and natural gas production. This is the first federal safeguard aimed at curbing air pollution from hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking.’
The EPA’s New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) will benefit the health of Americans and our environment in many ways. The updated standards will result in major reductions in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic benzene and methane, a highly potent contributor to climate disruption. These pollutants are known to cause asthma attacks, hospital admissions, emergency room visits, cancer and even premature death.
The measure will also benefit the gas industry –EPA projects that capturing more methane and other gasses to send to market will save an estimated $19 million annually.
Today’s announcement by the EPA is a major step forward. However, the two-year delay in reducing pollution from wellheads is an unnecessary setback because industry can meet those standards now. The environmental community is committed to working with EPA to strengthen the public health and air quality safeguards to protect families who live near existing fracking sites.
The EPA proposed the updated safeguards in July 2011. Since the proposal, environmental groups submitted more than 156,000 comments and turned out hundreds of supporters of strong standards to hearings in Pittsburgh, PA, Denver, CO, and Arlington, TX.
In response to EPA’s announcement, environmental leaders released the following statements:
“EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is taking an important first step in closing loopholes for the natural gas industry and addressing dangerous air quality levels in and near frack-fields across the country,” said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “The natural gas industry dumps massive amounts of air pollutants into our air every day, sickening families and children. An industry that touts its ability to efficiently drill thousands of wells thousands of feet into the earth is crying wolf when it claims it can’t build enough tanks to capture wellhead pollution. It’s time we clean up the natural gas industry’s dirty and reckless practices.”
“From Colorado to Pennsylvania, the gas industry is making a killing from drilling, and at the very least they should cut dirty and dangerous air pollution that threatens our families’ health,” said John Rumpler, senior attorney for Environment America. “EPA’s action today is a breath of fresh air for every man, woman, and child living in the shadow of the gas drilling boom.”
“Left to its own devices, the oil and gas industry has turned the clear skies over Wyoming as smoggy as the car-choked highways of Los Angeles. For decades, industry had a free pollution pass. Thanks to a court victory, that changes today,” said Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen. “There is more work to be done to protect Americans living near oil and gas fields from cancer and other unacceptable health threats, but this rule from EPA is an important first step.”
“The stories of families hurt by gas drilling’s air pollution were essential to the adoption of these new public health safeguards,” said Bruce Baizel, senior attorney for Earthworks. “Hopefully this much-needed first step will soon be expanded to better protect the families that illustrated the need for the new rules in the first place.”
"These important rules start to cut down on air pollution that harms people living near wells, creates smog, and warms the climate," said David McCabe, senior scientist with Clean Air Task Force. "They are a solid start, but we need to keep working to reduce pollution from the gas industry all the way from the well to the customer. People who live near compressors and equipment already in use need to see their air cleaned up as well. Unfortunately these rules won't do that."
“Our members in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Colorado have suffered because state regulators haven’t acted to control oil and gas operations, so these standards are a win-win-win,” said Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action National Campaigns Director. “They protect people from air pollution, help curb climate change and save the industry money. People expect the federal government to use their authority to protect their health, their drinking water and the air they breathe and this is a good first step.” | <urn:uuid:e0a1282b-31a8-4cb4-99de-897ddcbb6f17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cleanwater.org/press/clean-air-and-fracking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943192 | 973 | 2.875 | 3 |
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State rests its case in mammoth MTBE lawsuit
Thursday, February 21, 2013
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Lawyers for New Hampshire have wrapped up their gasoline additive groundwater contamination case against ExxonMobil, in what is shaping up to be the most lengthy and complex trial in state history.
The state's case against ExxonMobil and Citgo began Jan. 14, but two days later Citgo agreed to settle, leaving ExxonMobil as the sole defendant. Citgo agreed to pay the state $16 million to detect and clean up groundwater contamination by MTBE.
ExxonMobil lawyers will begin presenting their case March 4, after a scheduled week off.
The state claims gasoline containing MTBE was a defective product and that the oil companies had a duty to warn state officials about its special properties. ExxonMobil lawyers say MTBE did what it was supposed to — reduce air pollution. | <urn:uuid:d5590a46-8ff9-4ad2-9b86-da23e40eaa5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130221/AP02/302219959/-1/FOSNEWS0413 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968353 | 198 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Submission Number: 560891-00391
Received: 9/13/2012 11:38:40 AM
Commenter: Jacqueline Reed
Organization: Teegarden Veterinary Clinic
Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: Request for Comments and Announcement of Workshop on Pet Medications Issues, Project No. P121201
Attachments: No Attachments
Dear Federal Trade Commission,
I am writing in opposition of HR 1406 – Fairness to Pet Owners Act. As a veterinarian at a small animal private practice, I prescribe and treat animals with various medications on a daily basis. I strive to practice quality medicine with the best interests of both my client and my patient in mind. I believe this bill would impede on my ability to do so. An unfortunate case of mine speaks volumes to this issue.
“Buddy,” a 6 year old Labrador retriever, was presented to me this summer for a history of dramatic weight loss, anorexia, and wounds that would not heal. I diagnosed “Buddy” with a fungal disease called Blastomycosis, which is caused by inhalation of the fungal spores into the lungs. Pulmonary disease develops and the organism can spread throughout the body to various other organs, such as the eyes, bones, skin, lymph nodes, and brain. Without proper treatment, the disease can be fatal. By the time I saw “Buddy,” he was in very bad shape and needed treatment instituted immediately.
Treatment consists of a long course of antifungals and supportive care. The best choices for antifungal treatment include two different drugs, Sporanox or Fluconazole. Sporanox is the brand-name of Itraconazole and is very costly. Unfortunately, the veterinary profession has seen too many treatment failures to recommend using the generic form of Itraconazole. Whenever writing a prescription for Sporanox, we as veterinarians must be very specific that it is not substituted with generic Itraconazole. This is a question that I have received repeatedly from pharmacists because they do not understand why I would not prescribe the less expensive alternative. If a mistake is made in filling the prescription, it could have a very negative impact on the outcome of the animal’s health.
Finances were a concern for “Buddy’s” owners, so I elected to treat him with generic Fluconazole, which is a less expensive alternative to Sporanox. My staff made phone calls to the local pharmacies to determine which pharmacy offered the best price for the medication. I wrote the prescription, gave it to the client, and instructed her to fill the medication at the local Wal-Mart Pharmacy and start “Buddy” on the medication that day. Much to my client’s surprise, the Wal-Mart Pharmacy staff misquoted the price of the medication by around ten times! What was supposed to have been $20 for a month’s worth of the medication, was now well over $200. She elected to take the prescription to Kroger to be filled since their pharmacy offered a better price. However, the Fluconazole had to be ordered by Kroger as it was not in stock and would not be in for five days. Whenever I called to check on “Buddy” later that week, I was very shocked to find out that he had not been started on the Fluconazole yet. His condition had further deteriorated without the medication and he was euthanized.
“Buddy” is a very sad example of lack of owner compliance and communication from the local pharmacy. It was imperative that “Buddy” was started on the medication immediately and ultimately that failure led to his demise. Fluconazole is not a medication that my clinic carries as it is only prescribed for this specific disease. For most prescriptions, my clients leave the clinic with their pet’s medication in hand and I believe this greatly helps with client compliance. My biggest concern is that “Buddy’s” case could become much more common if veterinarians are required to write prescriptions for all medications. Owner compliance and lack of knowledge of veterinary pharmacology by pharmacists is detrimental to my profession. I urge you to please consider these issues whenever making your decision on this bill.
Jacqueline L. Reed, DVM | <urn:uuid:023695fe-8a8c-4ed6-9f1f-2f751156f6d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/petmedsworkshop/560891-00391.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970059 | 917 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Intel accused AMD of breaching the terms of a cross-licensing agreement between the two rival chip makers, a charge that AMD denied on Monday.
Intel disclosed that the company has notified AMD that it believes AMD has breached a 2001 patent cross-license agreement with Intel. Intel believes that Global Foundries is not a subsidiary under terms of the agreement and is therefore not licensed under the 2001 patent cross-license agreement. Intel also said the structure of the deal between AMD and ATIC breaches a confidential portion of that agreement. Intel said that it had asked AMD to make the relevant portion of the agreement public, but AMD had declined to do so.
"Intellectual property is a cornerstone of Intel's technology leadership and for more than 30 years, the company has believed in the strategic importance of licensing intellectual property in exchange for fair value. However AMD cannot unilaterally extend Intel's licensing rights to a third party without Intel's consent," said Bruce Sewell, senior vice president and general counsel for Intel. We have attempted to address our concerns with AMD without success since October. We are willing to find a resolution but at the same time we have an obligation to our stockholders to protect the billions of dollars we've invested in intellectual property."
Intel also threatened to terminate AMD's rights in 60 days if the alleged breach is not corrected, according to the filing.
"AMD's breach could result in the loss of licenses and rights granted to AMD by Intel under the agreement," reads Intel's statement.
AMD, in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said it has not breached the agreement and insisted that Intel has no right to terminate rights and licenses covered by the pact.
The Globalfoundries spinoff, which closed last week, leaves AMD, a distant rival to Intel in microprocessors, as a "fab-lite" chip company, focused on design rather than production.
The plants that make AMD's chips are now part of the new company, a joint venture with Advanced Technology Investment Co (ATIC), an Abu Dhabi state-owned venture capital firm.
Intel said the parties would attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation. | <urn:uuid:0a6ea73c-1627-4c1e-8100-09109186e5b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=25013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963422 | 436 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Q-We`re fighting an ongoing battle to prevent our aged and ailing mother from getting bed sores. She is being cared for at home. Can you recommend anything to aid us?
A-I wish that I had the remedy that could rid all sufferers of their bed sores (decubitus ulcers, in medical jargon). Over the centuries there have probably been thousands of treatments suggested and tried to relieve bedridden patients of these sores.
During the era of Hippocrates, a warm water wash, followed by a vinegar sponging, a surgical trimming of all dead tissue and then a poultice of verdigris (copper acetate), flower copper (copper oxide), molybdaina (lead oxide), alum, myrrh, frankincense, gall nuts, vine flowers and wool grease was applied-not a concoction I would recommend today. But even in our modern times, we use remedies without scientific data to prove their effectiveness, such as aloe vera, gold leaf, insulin, sugar vitamins and even iodine.
There are three major factors that contribute to the development of skin ulcers-pressure, time and friction. Pressure on the small capillaries that nourish the skin tissues compresses them, reducing the flow of blood to the cells and leading to their death. The longer the patient remains in one position, the longer the blood flowed is reduced, the more the damage to the cells. When the patient is pulled across the wrinkled bed sheets, or the skin moves over the bony prominences of the body, the friction may cause blisters or abrasions that lead to the formation of pressure, or bed, sores.
A sound program of treatment takes all these factors into consideration and consists of frequently turning, or carefully changing the patients position, keeping the wound free of infection and clean of dead tissue to aid natural wound healing. A wide variety of topical agents, applied directly to the skin, including silver sulfadiazine or povidone-iodine, are used. Newer, moisture-retaining materials reduce the number of dressing changes needed and reduce the loss of newly developed epithelial cells that aid in healing the wound.
Maintaining good nutrition is a must, and surgery may be needed to clean or close the wound or place skin grafts in position. The care of these patients is indeed difficult and you might consider studying nursing literature where many excellent articles about care of bed sores can be found. ----------
Dr. Bruckheim welcomes questions from readers. Although he cannot respond to each one individually, he will answer those of general interest in his column. Write to him, Box 119, Orlando, Fla. 32802-0119. | <urn:uuid:1ab725a6-5b91-4f3f-b359-6cb50f80c32b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-02-07/features/8903030502_1_sores-copper-oxide-skin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938189 | 561 | 2.5 | 2 |
|San José State University|
& Tornado Alley
Animal Coat Patterns
Humans have long had a fascination with the coat patterns of animals. Alan Turing was the first to articulate an explanation of how the patterns of animals like leopards, jaguars and zebras are determined. Turing asserted that the patterns can arise as a result of instabilities in the diffusion of morphogenetic chemicals in the animals' skins during the embryonic stage of development.
Let C be the vector of morphogen concentrations. The vector equation giving the spatial and temporal dynamics of morphogen concentrations is:
where F(C) is a nonlinear vector function and D is diagonal matrix.
The equations can be put into a form such that the diagonal matrix D
is of the form
D = diag(1,d). Thus d represents the relative magnitude of the diffusion coefficient of one morphogen compared to the other.
Turing said in effect that if D=0 and C goes to the steady state solution of F(C*)=0, then under some circumstance the introduction of nonzero D can create spatial variations that produce patterns.
For the problem to be properly formulated there must be boundary and initial conditions specified. Let B be the domain of the problem and let ∂B be the boundary of the domain. Then the boundary and intial conditions are:
Let C* be a solution to F(C)=0. C* is a solution which is uniform over space and thus ∇2C* = 0. Now consider a linearization of the equation about the point C*. Thus
where c = C - C* and γA = [∂F/∂C], where γ is a nondimensional scale parameter that is proportional to the square of the linear dimension of a one dimensional system and the area of a two dimensional system. The existence of γ and its relation to the scale of the system requires further analysis.1
In the absence of spatial variation in c the behavior of the system for |c| small is the same as the solution to the system:
This system is stable if all of the roots of the determinant equation
have negative real parts. In general, the product of all the roots of this equation when A is n×n is equal to γndet[A] and the sum of the roots is equal to γtr(A).
For a two-component system the equation for the eigenvalues is:
The condition that the real parts of both roots be negative is that the det(A) be positive and the trace of A be negative. These conditions are equivalent to both roots having the same sign and the sum of the roots being negative.
Now let us go back to the equation that includes spatial
variation and consider a separation of variables; i.e.,
c(r,t)= W(r)T(t) where W(r) is a scalar-valued function and
T(t) is a vector function. Thus,
In order to proceed further it is necessary to limit W to functions which are solutions to the boundary value problem:
Now the system of equation is
For the solution for T(t) to be of the form exp(λt)T, we must have
The λ's are the eigenvalues of the matrix M = γA - k2D. For spatial instability one of the eigenvalues for some value of k2 must have a positive real part. For k2 = 0 none of the eigenvalues has a real part.
For a two-component system the equation satisfied by the eigenvalues is:
In order for one of the solutions of the quadratic equation to have a positive real part for some value of k it is necessary that either:
Since -tr(M) = -γtr(A) + k2tr(D) and tr(A) was assumed to be negative for steady state stability there is no way that the coefficient of λ, -tr(M), can be negative. Therefore the only way that at least one root can have a positive real value is that det(M) be negative for some value of k2.
The graph shows the case that det(M) is negative for some value of k2. For this case to hold there must be a value of d such that for some value of k2 det(M)=0 and the derivative of det(M) with respect to k2 is also zero. The value of d such that det(M) is tangent to the k2 axis is called the critical value of d, dc.
For a periodic solution in an essentially linear domain, as for example in a snake skin, coloration of all regions above a threshold level would result in stripes. In more rectangular domains there could also be stripes, but there can also be spots as shown on the accompanying reproductions from J.D. Murray's book.
Murray's method of solution makes use of solutions to the Helmholtz equation,
He presents the patterns that occur on the special domains shaped as hexagons, rhombuses and triangles. The results shown in the following are evocative of types of patterns that occur on reptiles.
The most striking of Murray's simulations are those for a domain shaped like an animal skin with four legs, a head and a tail. He examines what the equations give for the junction of a horizontal stripe pattern on a leg with a vertical stripe pattern on the torso. The results are consistent with the pattern of zebra stripes at the junction of leg and torso.
Proto-types of Patterns of Animal Tails
Simulations of Animal Coat Patterns
Source: J.D. Murray, Mathematical Biology
HOME PAGE OF Thayer Watkins | <urn:uuid:3ddf3288-95c7-4768-842b-4e1ccff1312a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/murray.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902197 | 1,192 | 2.90625 | 3 |
The Center for Inquiry’s blog reports that the United Nations has, for the first time, adopted a resolution calling on all nations to end the disgusting practice of female genital mutilation. The committee report on the advancement of women can be read in its entirety here. Among other things, it says:
“Urges States to condemn all harmful practices that affect women and girls, in particular female genital mutilation, whether committed within or outside a medical institution, and to take all necessary measures, including enacting and enforcing legislation to prohibit female genital mutilation and to protect women and girls from this form of violence, and to end impunity;
Also urges States to complement punitive measures with awareness raising and educational activities designed to promote a process of consensus towards the eradication of female genital mutilation, and further urges States to protect and support women and girls who have been subjected to female genital mutilation and those at risk, including by developing social and psychological support services and care, and to take measures to improve their health, including sexual and reproductive health, in order to assist women and girls who are subjected to the practice;”
CFI notes that an estimated 140 million women around the world have been the victims of this horrific practice. | <urn:uuid:3db032d1-b73d-451a-9e9c-d7f34c544a7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/01/06/un-calls-for-end-to-female-genital-mutilation/?ak_action=force_mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953815 | 250 | 2.125 | 2 |
Updated: Aug. 3, 2011
William (Bill) H. Gates is chairman of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
On June 27, 2008, Gates transitioned out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He shares his thoughts about the foundation and other topics on Gates Notes, a Web site launched in January 2010. Gates continues to serve as Microsoft's chairman and as an advisor on key development projects. In June 2006, Craig Mundie assumed the new title of chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft and is responsible for the company's research and incubation efforts.
Born on Oct. 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. Their late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International.
Gates attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School. There, he discovered his interest in software and began programming computers at age 13.
In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft's chief executive officer. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair.
In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view, reflected in its industry-leading investment in research and development each year.
In 1999, Gates wrote "Business @ the Speed of Thought", a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in fundamentally new ways. The book was published in 25 languages and is available in more than 60 countries. "Business @ the Speed of Thought" has received wide critical acclaim, and was listed on the best-seller lists of the "New York Times", "USA Today", "The Wall Street Journal" and on Amazon.com. Gates' previous book, "The Road Ahead", published in 1995, was at the top of the "New York Times" bestseller list for seven weeks.
Gates has donated the proceeds of both books to non-profit organizations that support the use of technology in education and skills development.
In addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis, which is developing one of the world's largest resources of visual information - a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections around the globe. He is also a member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities.
Philanthropy is very important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, started a foundation in 2000 to help reduce inequities in the United States and around the world. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.gatesfoundation.org
Gates was married on Jan. 1, 1994, to Melinda French Gates. They have three children. Gates is an avid reader, and enjoys playing golf, tennis and bridge. | <urn:uuid:a21d3df6-9367-43db-90b6-34ec04cef080> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/exec/billg/default.aspx?hdrFo=mthdr07 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968809 | 800 | 2.1875 | 2 |
The stomach is a hollow organ in the upper abdomen, under the ribs.
It's part of the digestive system. Food moves from the mouth through the esophagus to the stomach. In the stomach, the food becomes liquid. Muscles in the stomach wall push the liquid into the small intestine.
The wall of the stomach has five layers:
Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.
Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old or damaged cells do not die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth, polyp, or tumor.
Tumors in the stomach can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as harmful as malignant tumors:
Stomach cancer usually begins in cells in the inner layer of the stomach. Over time, the cancer may invade more deeply into the stomach wall. A stomach tumor can grow through the stomach's outer layer into nearby organs, such as the liver, pancreas, esophagus, or intestine.
Stomach cancer cells can spread by breaking away from the original tumor. They enter blood vessels or lymph vessels, which branch into all the tissues of the body. The cancer cells may be found in lymph nodes near the stomach. The cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues.
The spread of cancer is called metastasis. See the Staging section for information about stomach cancer that has spread.
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Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:0c919f20-1f85-4c51-a545-5b1b9647fd59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicinenet.com/stomach_cancer/article.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927507 | 473 | 3.4375 | 3 |
How oft when thou, my music, music play’st,
Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway’st
The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,
At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!
To be so tickled, they would change their state
And situation with those dancing chips,
O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,
Making dead wood more bless’d than living lips.
Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.
Sonnet 128: Translation to modern English
How often – when you, my joy, make music on those wooden keys whose movement responds to your sweet fingers, and stuns my ears with the harmony of the strings – do I envy those keys that leap nimbly up and down to kiss the tender palms of your hands while my poor lips, that should be doing the kissing, look on, blushing at the boldness of the keys! To be tickled like that my lips would willingly be transformed into wood and change places with those dancing chips over which your fingers walk with gentle steps, making dead wood more blessed than living lips. Since those cheeky keys are so happy doing this give them your fingers and me your lips to kiss.
See other Shakespeare sonnets in modern English >> | <urn:uuid:8204ce4a-01fb-48b2-83d5-e3f25ec52883> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/sonnets/128/?wpmp_switcher=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904844 | 328 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Clarence A. Crowley.It is an old saying that a young lawyer must leave home and go among strangers in order to build up a successful legal career. While this is often the case there are marked exceptions to the rule, and the life and achievements of the man whose name introduces this sketch prove that a young man of the right temperament and application may become prominent and honored as a lawyer in the very locality where he first saw the light of day. Among the many rising young attorneys of Kansas few stand higher in their profession than Clarence A. Crowley, Morris county's well known prosecuting attorney. Sixty years ago his grandfather, Allen Crowley, came to that old historic town of Council Grove and thus was one of the pioneers of the Neosho Valley. There he became one of the most progressive and prosperous farmers of that locality and when he died left a large family of sons, daughters and grandchildren. The Crowley family is of English originfirst coming to Virginia and afterwards to Tennessee. Before coming to Kansas they lived for a time in Clay county, Missouri.
Clarence A. Crowley was born at Council Grove, July 28, 1880. His father was Augustus Crowley, long a well known merchant of that city, and his mother, before her marriage, was Fanny Price Roberts of Clay county, Missouri. Clarence was reared in the indulgent and popular home of his parents right on the banks of the Neosho and, being somewhat frail in his youth, early took to books and was an apt student and always popular with the young people of his native city. His desire for an education took him through courses of study somewhat varied in their scopeone year at the Agricultural College at Manhattan, one year at Washburn College, Topeka, and two years at the College of Emporia. During his school life he developed an independence along lines of study and thought and his keen originality chafed somewhat when held in check by obsolete forms or hindered by the consideration of dead issues. Mr. Crowley began the study of law during vacation periods, and was admitted to the bar before he was of age. For a time he was a partner of ex-Judge M. B. Nicholson and afterwards in company with Senator George P. Morehouse formed the law company of Morehouse & Crowley, which for several years was one of the leading law firms of that section of Kansas. Senator Morehouse moved to Topeka and Mr. Crowley being elected county attorney of Morris county, the firm dissolved, and since that time Mr. Cowley has been practicing alone. For a young man his legal experience has been of a wide range and has embraced litigation of the most intricate and important character. His large per cent. of successes, both as a trial lawyer and before the supreme court evinces the labors of a close student of legal principles and industry as a practitioner. He was elected county attorney of Morris county in 1910 and has made a safe, efficient and vigorous public prosecutor. He always refuses assistant counsel, when appearing for the county and state, no matter how many or able are the attorneys for the defense, believing that a county attorney should have the legal ability and energy to enforce the criminal laws without calling upon the county commissioners to go to the expense of hiring assistants. This has made Mr. Crowley popular with the people, who have found that he has the legal ability and force to cope with the best legal talent of the state. Mr. Crowley is possessed of a keen perception and has a careful and analytical legal mind which serves him well in his chosen profession. While able to care for himself in the hurly-burly of a law suit he never loses sight of the real law in the case and the equitable rights of all parties concerned. One of his strong points as a lawyer is that he is never boisterous or domineering in his methods and never becomes excited or loses his head during the trial of a cause. Possessing, as he does, this judicial temperament, although yet young in years, he has already been favorably mentioned for the position of district judge, a position his many friends confidently expect him to fill some day. Mr. Crowley is prominent in Masonic circles, being a member of Chapter 60, Royal Arch Masons, Knights Templars, Commandery 32; and also a member of Isis Temple, Mystic Shrine of Salina, Kan.
On Oct. 22, 1902, he married Miss Pearl Hainer, daughter of D. W. Hainer of Emporia, Kan. Mrs. Crowley's lineage goes back to prominent New England Colonial and Revolutionary families, and she is active as a Daughter of the American Revolution and in other social and civic organizations. They are both members of the First Congregational Church of their home city. Mr. and Mrs. Crowley live in a neat little cottage well up on the slope of Old Belfry Hill, right where the famed Santa Fe trail climbed up to the level of the highland ridge on its way to the far Southwest. Here they can look down upon the historic little city of Council Grove, partially hidden in woodlands, bordering both sides of the beautiful Neosho. Here they can see the very groves and dells where Mr. Crowley played in childhood and muse upon and relate to their friends the fascinating legendary lore of that famous valley.Pages 1065-1066 from volume III, part 2 of Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... / with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence. Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912. 3 v. in 4. : front., ill., ports.; 28 cm. Vols. I-II edited by Frank W. Blackmar. Transcribed December 2002 by Carolyn Ward. This volume is identified at the Kansas State Historical Society as microfilm LM195. It is a two-part volume 3.
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Background and KSGenWeb logo were designed and are copyrighted by
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Permission is granted for use only on an official KSGenWeb page.
Home Page for Kansas
Search all of Blue Skyways
The KSGenWeb Project | <urn:uuid:a2904a19-d457-4f59-9ad8-e5d706e2998f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/c3/crowley_clarence_a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976118 | 1,399 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Probably the most difficult thing to determine when your car needs work is who to trust to do the job. Luckily, there are two organizations that mechanics can belong to. Their membership is a good sign of skill and knowledge. The national Institute for Automotive Service Excellence or A.S.E., has a voluntary certification process for mechanics in almost all fields of automotive repair, from engines to body work. Mechanics who wear the blue and white A.S.E. patch have passed tests in their field and must renew their membership every five years. An A.S.E. plaque in a shop does not mean everyone there is certified. It could be only one person, so be sure and ask. The American Automobile Association--Triple A-- also provides standards for repair shops to operate by. Certification by the A.S.E. or Triple A is a good indication that you've found a mechanic you can trust.
©2006 Crossroads Mobile. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:398301e5-871a-4a43-97c2-0f4c2576b520> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utv44.com/guides/auto/prorepairs/story/Certification/U6XJbcqpEUmNNUNtBLLBOg.cspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95312 | 212 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Sports Medicine Fellowship
The fellows are active in the extremely productive research program of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Each fellow has one day per week of protected research time and is required to bring at least one project to completion with a paper in publishable format. There are both clinical and basic research opportunities and our department has excellent collaboration with the Department of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest School of Medicine and with the Center for Biomedical Engineering at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). In addition, the fellows have access to the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the Wake Forest University undergraduate campus, which houses a full gait laboratory.
The fellows have full access to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Research Laboratory. This consists of over 1500 square feet of dedicated space located in the Medical School buildings adjacent to the hospital. This includes an approved small animal surgical facility, an extremity laboratory, and access to animal housing facilities. In addition to two full time PhD supervisors, staff includes two full time laboratory technicians, a research secretary, a research center administrator, a research intern, and two clinical research data coordinators. Significant computer support and orthopaedic operating room equipment (including an arthroscopy setup) is also available in the laboratory. An abundance of funded research is ongoing and the personnel are available for new submissions for funding as well. The fellows have access to a new state of the art motion monitor and computer analysis system at the CompRehab Plaza and this is currently being utilized to analyze the golf swing and throwing motion. The department of Health and Exercise Science at the Wake Forest University undergraduate campus is also an area for fellow involvement in our research program. They have a full gait lab with high speed cameras and force plate capabilities. A prospective study on running injuries has been submitted for funding and will be a major undertaking for the Sports Medicine section.
The fellows spend one day per week in protected research time. This day will vary depending on the clinical service assignment and depending on research program opportunities. The fellows are required to produce at least one publishable paper, but opportunities and support exist for much greater experience and production. This portion of the fellowship is administered jointly by Cristin Ferguson, MD and Beth Smith, PhD | <urn:uuid:f9a2d73e-1a06-42bd-a322-889ff634321b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wakehealth.edu/School/Orthopaedic-Surgery-/Sports-Medicine-Fellowship/Research.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948323 | 466 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Cross posted from Monstrous Beauty.
The Valle de Boi in Catalonia, with nine standing Romanesque churches and several ruins in about 85 square miles, has the densest concentration of Romanesque architecture in the world. The largest and best preserved of these churches is Sant Climent de Taüll, consecrated in 1123.
Catalonia in the 12th century was not a prosperous region and the builders of the church could not afford expensive mosaics, so the church was decorated with fresco. These frescoes are amongst the extant Romanesque murals. The apse mosaic is a Christ in Majesty, with Christ seated on the throne of the world. He is flanked by angels and is above medallions bearing the four beasts of the apocalypse. Mozarabic influence is seen in the broad bands of color that form the background.
In 1922 the murals of Sant Climent de Taüll were removed to protect them from theft and are now in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona. | <urn:uuid:ddf89e3c-d624-4b51-88d7-b192698aad43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://randomdafydd.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950831 | 209 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Why the test is done:
This test can be used to determine if your baby has a chromosomal disorder.
How the test is done:
A small needle/catheter is placed either through the abdomen or through the vagina near the uterus to collect a small sample of villi. Ultrasound is used to guide the needle/catheter away from the baby and the placenta.
When the test is done:
Genetic disorders testing can be done as early as 8 weeks.
How the results are given:
Depends on the results. Usually the genetic defect is identified or a normal baby is identified, including gender.
There was a 3-5% miscarriage rate associated with this test, though recent studies are saying that the risk of CVS is more in line with the 1-2% from amniocentesis. This may vary by practitioner, mainly due to experience levels. There are also some studies that suggest that there may be a slight increase in the number of limb deformities from amniotic banding syndrome.
Where do you go from here?
Genetic disorders that are detected will be referred to the genetic counselor for further counseling and decision making. | <urn:uuid:be7e7e3e-899e-4d61-b0c1-844f51100190> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pregnancy.about.com/od/cvs/a/cvstest.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949675 | 244 | 2.609375 | 3 |
D'Addario Prelude 1/16 Size Violin Strings are convincing even the most conservative orchestral teachers and players that all student strings are not created equal. Prelude Strings are precision crafted with a solid high-carbon steel core and polished, pure nickel windings. While this composition is similar to other quality student violin strings, the difference is the damping fluid that D'Addario inserts between the windings. The fluid reduces unwanted overtones, creating the kind of warm, rich sound you never though you could get from steel strings. Yet, students still get the full response with minimal effort—traditionally a virtue of solid core strings—as well as D'Addario Prelude Strings' longevity and resistance to changes in temperature and humidity. | <urn:uuid:8bef695e-9beb-4028-b274-149219ec0e2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guitarcenter.com/D-Addario-Prelude-1-16-Size-Violin-String-Set-102093-i1430505.gc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947416 | 154 | 1.5 | 2 |
The scars of war take many forms: the limb lost, the illness brought on by a battlefield exposure, and, for some, the psychological toll of encountering an extremely traumatic event. PTSD Compensation and Military Service presents a thorough assessment of how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates veterans with possible posttraumatic stress disorder and determines the level of disability support to which they are entitled. The book presents a history of mental health disability compensation of military personnel and reviews the current compensation and pension examination procedure and disability determination methodology. It offers a number of recommendations for changes that would improve the fairness, consistency, and scientific foundation of this vital program. This book will be of interest and importance to policy makers, veterans affairs groups, the armed forces, health care organizations, and veterans themselves. | <urn:uuid:7c262d78-2a1b-422f-92c9-22987e2d4868> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11870 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906433 | 156 | 1.804688 | 2 |
2. Flash Showed It Wasn't A Flash In The Pan
The storage industry's use of flash memory advanced significantly in 2012, as all the major and many of the secondary vendors unveiled their strategies and products. The years also saw a staggering array of new options for using flash memory to increase storage performance, including:
* Several startup vendors introduced all-flash storage arrays in which the hard drives have been replaced by either SSDs or flash memory modules for ultra-high-performance applications.
* PCIe flash modules for servers, which were introduced last year as a way to increase application performance, got a big boost from a couple of vendors that introduced ways to tie modules from multiple servers to share the cache and applications.
* Network-based flash-based cache devices, which allow multiple servers or storage devices to share flash-based storage across a LAN, also hit the market. | <urn:uuid:b6c32643-4e43-4ca3-8f7f-365b3ba3b3b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/storage/240142943/the-10-biggest-storage-stories-of-2012.htm?pgno=10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935121 | 179 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Genus of 51 species of conifers, mainly native to the mountainous areas of North and central America, Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are usually large conical trees, from which several dwarf cultivars have been developed. Evergreen plants with single needles in a two-rowed or spiral arrangement, with a flat cross section. Abies are different from Spruces (Picea) in that each needle features a couple of white lines on its undersurface, whereas the needles of Spruces have rhombic cross-sections and have no white lines. Firs feature characteristical resin-scented leaves, Their cones are erect and cylindrical and disintegrate when mature. Branches grow in regular whorls. Very slow growth in small age.Great requirements in water and air humidity. They grow in neutral or slightly acid, light, well-drained soils.Trees are planted alone or in clusters and dwarf cultivars are planted in rock gardens. Large plants are used in Christmas decorations.No pruning is required save perhaps in rare occasions, only to restore shape and to remove the occasional double leader.Typical species are propagated by seeds that germinate easily in sprin at 15-20 οC after a 2-3 month cold stratification. Propagate cultivars by semi-woody cuttings in summer and early autumn. Seed-born plants take more than 10 years to reach 1.5-2 meters in height (3 years for the first 3 cm).Subject to root rot such as Armelaria melea and Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Species native to the mountains of Peloponnese, Central Greece and the island of Cephalonia, from which the plant's name is derived.Big, pyramidal tree with green foliage, with acute needles and very resinous cones.Relatively dry-tolerant species, grown in alkaline soils.
All data came from Gardens and Plants program. Click
here to Download the FREE version of the program | <urn:uuid:9a2976b6-b21f-4bf0-91e4-3ddb718681a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant_id=12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932328 | 423 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Geology students and faculty gave presentations on their research at the meeting of the northeastern section of the Geological Society of America, held March 18 through 20 in Hartford, CT.
Emma Coronado '12 gave a presentation on a Keck Geology Consortium project, with Assistant Professor of Geology Alexander Stewart, Don Rodbell '82 (Union College) and Nathan Stansell (Ohio State University), titled "X-ray analysis of sediment core material as an indicator of the transition from valley glaciers to cirque glaciers in the Peruvian Central Cordillerian."
Krystyna Kornecki '12 presented her senior thesis work, conducted with Emeritus Professor of Geology J. Mark Erickson, titled "Out with the old, in with the new: How have new gastropod systematic schemes affected faunal comparisons?"
Coronado, Timothy Beaupre '12, Ashley Durham '13 and William Knoble (non-matriculated) presented a term project in optial mineralogy, conducted with Professor of Geology Jeffrey Chiarenzelli '81, on "Investigation of geologic relations in drill core from the Sylvia Lake Syncline, Adirondack Lowlands." Tyler Harris '13 was also involved in the latter project, but is in Kenya this semester.
Geology department website
Posted: April 19, 2012 | <urn:uuid:2854c7fc-4669-45e2-864e-ca467b252cb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stlawu.edu/netnews/gsaspring12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930949 | 277 | 1.851563 | 2 |
The Fundamental Physics Prize
Back to basics
The physics Nobel gets a well-endowed rival
IN THE late 1980s, while working on a PhD thesis in the fiendishly complicated maths of quantum chromodynamics (a theory in particle physics) Yuri Milner decided he was not quite clever enough to do his Nobel prize-winning mentors at Moscow’s Lebedev Institute proud. Nearly three decades and a billion dollars later, the Russian internet entrepreneur, who was an early investor in Facebook, wants to honour those who are.
On July 31st Mr Milner, no dullard, announced that he will dish out $3m each year to the most influential thinker in fundamental physics. To jump-start matters he put up $27m for nine prizes and picked the inaugural recipients himself after conferring with experts.
Some of the winners, like Edward Witten, one of the most accomplished living theorists, and Alan Guth, the father of the theory of cosmic inflation, are well-known beyond the world of physics. Others are more familiar within their specialisms, which range from cosmology to quantum computing, but Mr Milner insists they are no less deserving.
In February or March the nine will name next year’s winner—or winners, for the prize can be shared by any number of people. (A $100,000 prize will also go to a promising young researcher.) This distinguishes it from the Nobel, which can be awarded to no more than three people, often leading to controversies.
The Milner prize, as it will no doubt be called, is more generous, too. In June the Nobel Foundation cut its prize money to $1.1m from $1.4m, citing the economic crisis. Mr Milner wants to keep things as lean as his internet businesses. The prize foundation has one part-time employee running its website and co-ordinating the work of the selection committee.
Crucially, recipients earn the prize for inspired contributions that have yet to be experimentally verified, a tactic the Nobel committee eschews. If these later prove beautiful but wrong, so be it. The principle, Mr Milner explains, is to afford the world’s best brains the financial freedom to pursue fundamental ideas wherever these take them. It may have the added benefit of keeping some imaginative physicists away from Wall Street. | <urn:uuid:ed79cd45-4a5a-48b1-9ee0-ef5475d694b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/node/21559904?fsrc=rss%7Csct | 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 | 0.964011 | 479 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Life is uncertain. We never know what happens next. And yet, despite uncertainty, we continue to search for a place to rest. Trying to find security in a fluid and changing world defines our struggle as human beings – our predicament.
In her book, The Power of an Open Question, author Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel takes this predicament by the horns and turns it into an inquiry. She invites us to join her. Read more...
Are we really practicing? New on Elizabeth's Q&A Blog
View Elizabeth's Spring teaching schedule.
Elizabeth is known for her willingness to question the entire path in order to reach a place of genuine practice and awakening. She asks audience to engage in the practice of open questioning with her while she takes a fresh look at all the assumptions and beliefs we have about spirituality. Audiences repeatedly comment on how this approach has reinvigorated their meditation practice and how they relate to their lives as a whole. | <urn:uuid:f4b0109a-a20b-46d5-a308-369af7e1cbd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepowerofanopenquestion.com/ | 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 | 0.959111 | 193 | 1.5625 | 2 |
According to the Bible, a man must fulfil any vows he might make to God. He must not break his word. On the other hand, a woman's vow is not necessarily binding on her. It has to be approved by her father, if she is living in his house, or by her husband, if she is married. If a father/husband does not endorse his daughter's/wife's vows, all pledges made by her become null and void:
"But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand ....Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself" (Num. 30:2-15).
Why is it that a woman's word is not binding per se ? The answer is simple: because she is owned by her father, before marriage, or by her husband after marriage. The father's control over his daughter was absolute to the extent that, should he wish, he could sell her! It is indicated in the writings of the Rabbis that: "The man may sell his daughter, but the woman may not sell her daughter; the man may betroth his daughter, but the woman may not betroth her daughter."
The Rabbinic literature also indicates that marriage represents the transfer of control from the father to the husband: "betrothal, making a woman the sacrosanct possession--the inviolable property-- of the husband..." Obviously, if the woman is considered to be the property of someone else, she cannot make any pledges that her owner does not approve of.
It is of interest to note that this Biblical instruction concerning women's vows has had negative repercussions on Judaeo-Christian women till early in this century. A married woman in the Western world had no legal status. No act of hers was of any legal value. Her husband could repudiate any contract, bargain, or deal she had made. Women in the West (the largest heir of the Judaeo-Christian legacy) were held unable to make a binding contract because they were practically owned by someone else. Western women had suffered for almost two thousand years because of the Biblical attitude towards women's position vis-à-vis their fathers and husbands.
In Islam, the vow of every Muslim, male or female, is binding on him/her. No one has the power to repudiate the pledges of anyone else. Failure to keep a solemn oath, made by a man or a woman, has to be expiated as indicated in the Qur’an:
"He [God] will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; Or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths you have sworn. But keep your oaths" (5:89).
Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (S), men and women, used to present their oath of allegiance to him personally. Women, as well as men, would independently come to him and pledge their oaths:
"O Prophet, When believing women come to you to make a covenant with you that they will not associate in worship anything with God, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill their own children, nor slander anyone, nor disobey you in any just matter, then make a covenant with them and pray to God for the forgiveness of their sins. Indeed God is Forgiving and most Merciful" (60:12).
A man could not swear the oath on behalf of his daughter or his wife. Nor could a man repudiate the oath made by any of his female relatives.
Swidler, op. cit. p. 141.
Gage, op. cit., p.141 | <urn:uuid:eea8bc62-b917-47df-a9e3-963a2bffd228> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.al-islam.org/women_islam_juchr/9.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981559 | 803 | 2.28125 | 2 |
One of the dumbest examples of wilderness survival folklore ever espoused is the notion that to determine whether a potentially edible plant is poisonous or not, a person should observe an animal consuming the plant. The logical fallacy is the assumption that if the animal could eat the plant and not die, than it would be safe for humans to eat. This is a stupid assumption for 2 reasons: First, the animal could crawl off in the bushes and die later out of sight. Second, and more importantly, all animals have completely different physiologies than humans. There are many plants highly poisonous to humans but perfectly edible to many species of mammals, birds, and especially insects, such as caterpillars which consume poisonous plants that make them inedible to birds when the caterpillars become butterflies. Below are 2 species of common plants found in Georgia that are favorite foods of deer but are poisonous to humans.
Strawberry bush–Euonymous americanus. Naturalist refer to the plant as “ice cream” for deer. But it is poisonous to humans. It’s in the bittersweet family.
Buffalo nut–Pyrularia pubera. Also a favored deer edible that is poisonous to humans. It’s in the sandalwood family.
Deer eat strawberry bush twigs, and birds eat the fruits, but both parts are deadly to humans, causing vomiting, diarrhea, irregular hearbeats, convulsions, coma, and death. Scientists don’t know what type of poison it is. Strawberry bush is also poisonous to livestock. It was advantageous for deer to evolve the ability to digest a plant that was likely poisonous to competing herbivores of the Pleistocene, such as bison and horses. I wonder if other browsing Pleistocene herbivores (mastodons, tapirs, Jefferson’s ground sloths) could also eat strawberry bush without ill effect. Browsers tend to be more resistant to plant poisons because they eat small amounts of a great variety of foods and don’t concentrate the poison in their systems. Grazers eat large quantities of fewer species of plants, making it more difficult to evolve the ability to eat toxic vegetation. Deer probably evolved the capacity to survive eating toxic plants because they only nibbled on the plant, and individuals that could survive eating small quantities passed this characteristic on to the next generation, unlike bison which ate such large quantities that no individuals survived consuming the toxins. Gradually, each generation of deer had a growing inherited capacity to digest this toxic plant with no ill effects.
Buffalo nut is toxic to humans, rabbits, and pigs, but not deer, cattle, horses, sheep, and mice. Its poison is an amino acid similar to that found in cobra poison. The protein stimulates growth hormone in deer and may facilitate antler growth. In addition to harboring plant toxins, buffalo nut is a parasite, living on nutrients from other tree’s roots. The roots of a buffalo nut “kiss” the roots of other species forming a hausteum, an attachment that helps them leech nutrients absorbed by the other tree. Many species of trees serve as host species for buffalo nut, including oak, chestnut, and hemlock.
Both strawberry bush and buffalo nut grow as understory trees in disturbed moist woodlands–a habitat that expanded during interstadials and interglacials but decreased during stadials. Grazers always became more abundant during stadials when arid cool climates fostered the growth of grasslands but decreased the abundance of toxic woodland plants. Browsers increased when forests expanded. Strawberry bush and buffalo nut are known as “gap phase” species, thriving in areas of the forest disturbed by fire, storm, or human activity.
Like most plants, strawberry bush and buffalo nut are invisible in the Pleistocene fossil record, but they must have been present then or they wouldn’t be here today.
Speaking of (or rather writing of) ice cream for deer, I tried growing fava beans in my garden 2 years ago. Fava beans are a cold hardy legume. I read they could survive temperatures as low as 15 degrees F. Because winters in Augusta, Georgia seldom get that cold, I predicted they would do well. I had a great stand of fava beans in my backyard by early December. One afternoon while taking a walk in broad daylight, I saw a deer. It stopped about 20 yards from where I stood. It seemed unafraid and even stomped its hooves as if attempting to intimidate me. I resumed walking up the street until I heard hooves hitting pavement behind me. I realized it was heading straight for my fava bean patch. I raced back to scare it away but 2 big dogs came out of nowhere and chased the fleeing deer from my garden for me. My fava beans were safe but nor for long–a few days later the temperature dropped below 15 degrees, an unfortunate stroke of luck because temps here get that cold maybe once every 10 years. The favas did sprout back from the roots but production was meager compared to what would have been from the lush first growth. | <urn:uuid:1ccb7247-2298-4447-84b7-8eaee1f48b9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://markgelbart.wordpress.com/tag/evolution/ | 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 | 0.960962 | 1,064 | 3.015625 | 3 |
USPS customer Karen Gullick mails packages at the post office often, so she knows how to check and make sure what she sends gets where it's going.
"You go on the USPS.com and go on tracking and put your number in and it tells you everything, Where the package is and what's going on with it. If it doesn't get delivered, you'll know it," Gullick said.
Here's the problem. Beware of bogus emails claiming to be from the post office or other shipping companies. Fraud specialist, Beth Schell, says the emails contain false information about a package that could not be delivered. Here's how to tell it's real.
"Some of the grammar and the spelling was incorrect. On the top, it said USPS. But inside the label, they forgot one of the 'S's," Schell said.
Here's the most important thing: the USPS tells us it will never send an email regarding packages it cannot deliver.
"So basically the consumer needs to be aware of receiving any emails they don't solicit with instructions to click," Schell said.
Because, if you do click, it could activate a virus that can steal your personal information.
"Just with delivery confirmation, being able to track the package. I just don't think i'll run into that then. I just advise everyone to do that," Gullick said.
The only way the postal service will get your email address is if you sign up on their website.
(Copyright © 2012 NBC Universal, All Rights Reserved) | <urn:uuid:d54431b2-2183-47de-b4c6-bc3466e20642> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.9news.com/rss/article/301524/103/Shippers-beware-Bogus-emails-from-the-post-office | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959586 | 321 | 2.109375 | 2 |
A wok is an extremely versatile, traditionally round-bottomed cooking vessel that originated in China. It is used throughout East and Southeast Asia, and over the years its use has spread throughout the world. A wok has many of the advantages of both a pot and a pan combined. It can be used for stir-frying, pan-frying, deep-frying, steaming, poaching, braising, boiling, searing, stewing and smoking. It can serve as a soup pot, a stew pot and has even been used as a fermenting vessel for making rice wine.
What does a wok look like?
One of the most distinguishing features of a wok is its shape. Traditional woks have a round bottom and gently sloping sidewalls. More contemporary-design woks have flat bottoms, which are ideal for use on electric range tops but render them little more than a modified skillet or frying pan when used on a gas burner range. Traditional woks sit on top of a wok ring, which provides stability for the wok resting on a gas burner and helps concentrate the heat to the very bottom of the wok.
What you need to cook with a wok
The walls on a wok tend to be higher than those of a standard frying pan, so special implements that are designed for use with a wok are important accessories. Their long handles keep the cook from being burned when working with the wok. The two primary utensils used in wok cooking are the spatula (known in Chinese as the chahn) and the ladle (known in Chinese as the hoak).
Why use a wok?
The primary advantage to using a wok to cook is its concave, curved shape. Its shape allows for the heat of the burner to be concentrated into a small area at the bottom. This allows for some of the food to be seared with very intense heat while using comparatively little fuel compared to flat-bottomed vessels. The tall, sloped sides make it much easier for the cook to use a tossing type of cooking technique when cooking solid foods or thick liquids without spilling it all over the range top. The sides also allow for stirring food while cooking without having to chase the food all over the pan. Because the sides of the wok are less hot than the very bottom, food can be seared at the bottom and then gently pushed up on the sides to continue cooking at a lower temperature over a longer period of time. Because any oil that is being used continually flows toward the pointed bottom of the wok, frying any food requires considerably less oil than if it had been prepared in a standard pot or pan. | <urn:uuid:8bd1f4f4-b68e-4d8a-9f39-171505b1da4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.life123.com/food/cooking-asian-food/wok/the-beginners-guide-to-woks.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954107 | 550 | 2.625 | 3 |
A step-by-step manual designed to help parents cope with children's fears; this book discusses common fears, how to respond to childhood anxieties, and other ways to deal with frightened children.
From the Hardcover edition.
Robyn Freedman Spizman
About Robyn Freedman Spizman
Robyn Freedman Spizman is author and coauthor of numerous parenting, educational, and how-to books. A motivational speaker, she has lectured to thousands about balancing family and work and getting organized. She has appeared on radio and television, including CNN's Parenting Today, the Discovery Channel, CNBC, and Home Matters.
Monsters Under the Bed and Other Childhood Fears by Stephen W. Garber, Ph.D., Marianne Daniels Garber, Ph.D., Robyn F. Spizman | <urn:uuid:ab273a76-a4fc-4a12-a998-0952bd70fa5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.randomhouse.com/book/57936/monsters-under-the-bed-and-other-childhood-fears-by-stephen-w-garber-phd-robyn-freedman-spizman-and-marianne-daniels-garber | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934325 | 172 | 2.03125 | 2 |
|Home » |
Lincoln Memorial 3D Puzzle 42 Pieces
|CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.|
This is a cool 3 dimensional Puzzle to build the Lincoln Memorial. The puzzle creates a beautiful desktop display of the statue and is a great learning project item. This is a 42 Piece Puzzle toy.
42 Piece Puzzle toy.
|Average Customer Rating:
|| based on 10 reviews|
Average Customer Review:
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
just as picturedMar 25, 2011
By amber b
this puzzle is as described and pictured, it was well priced and came in a timely manner. wonderful! and as an added bonus Lincoln is really inside.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Got an AApr 21, 2012
By April M. Stacey
This was great for the school project! My son got an A and was extremely happy! It was easy to put together an stayed while on the bus rides to and from school.
Great!Mar 18, 2013
Easy to assemble and an impressive finished product. Lincoln is visible inside and the model can be used for teaching bulletin boards.
Awesome!Mar 12, 2013
By Mark Lambert
Took about an hour to assemble, and half of that time was spent punching out the pieces and the holes where the pieces fit together. The detail is awesome, even the parts you will never see once the kit is assembled. I call it a kit instead of a puzzle because the pieces are all numbered with detailed instructions of how they fit together, so if you are expecting a real puzzle, you may be disappointed. You won't be disappointed with the quality or details.
Great parent-child projectMar 11, 2013
By Stephen P. Hiel
Or 6-year-old has developed a love for history and building, so this was a perfect gift around President's Day and fun project to do together on a weekend morning. Pieces are detailed, but assembly is straightforward and easy to follow. He was very proud of his results!
See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.com | <urn:uuid:ecd2d3eb-cb02-465f-9a5e-73d36e830bb6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://books.jsrproducts.com/Lincoln-Memorial-3D-Puzzle-42-Pieces/M/B003NML90W.htm?traffic_src=bing_shopping | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917306 | 462 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Frank Girardin California impressionist landscape oil
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Directory: Archives: Fine Art: Pre 1950: item # 485411
Please refer to our stock # 109 when inquiring.
Antiquarian Art Co.
A beautiful California impressionist landscape of a field of poppies and mountains in the distance oil on board signed lower right. A fine painting in excellent condition framed in a fine custom made hand carved gilt frame. Measuring approx. 11 x 11 inches overall size 16x 16 inches. A fine example of this highly regarded artists work would be a nice addition to any collection or decorative accent in any interior. Please view my other painting by this artist they make a nice pair.
Francois (Frank) J. Girardin (Painter) [1856-1945] Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Frank Girardin began his art instruction in 1870 under Frank Noble and later Frank Duveneck at the Cincinnati Art Academy. A semi-pro baseball player in Cincinnati, he was best known for his beautiful landscapes of both Indiana and California. An extremely active participant in the development of the Art Association of Richmond and original member of the local Sketch Club, he served on the Board of Directors of Art Association for several years. He was considered ranked next to the late John E. Bundy in talent and skill by the former Art Association Director, Mrs. Ella Bond Johnston. It was during his time in Indiana, that he received the most recognition for his work. In 1903, he won first prize for his painting, “Lingering Snow” at the Cincinnati Art Club Show. This would be one of numerous prizes and awards the he would receive during his time in Indiana, including the coveted Mary T. R. Foulke Prize. In 1910, Girardin moved to Redondo Beach, California where he continued to paint the local landscape. Although living in Californian, he never forgot his friends in Richmond, continuing to participate in the annual exhibition by Indiana artists. Many California residents referred to him as “The Beech Tree Painter”. Indiana public schools and libraries, including the Richmond Community Schools, Morrison-Reeves Library, and the Fayette County Public Library, purchased or acquired works. His paintings are in the San Diego Art Museum and the Richmond Art Museum.
courtesy ask art | <urn:uuid:e3e9b2f2-1be8-413b-99db-790a6da31b42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trocadero.com/stores/1sirlancelot/items/485411/item485411.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96257 | 485 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The library of the new International University of Central Africa resembles a space ship docked in a jungle clearing. This is only a small part of President Teodoro Obiang's ambition to build an entirely new multi-billion-pound capital by 2020, to be called Oyala.
Down a new six-lane highway, dubbed the 'Avenue of Justice', Oyala's first luxury hotel is taking shape at a cost of £250 million. A golf course has already been carved out of the virgin forest.
Mr Obiang himself is a frequent visitor to the construction sites, causing one university building to be moved because he disapproved of the view.
Within a decade, Oyala will house the president, the government and – according to the master plan – up to 200,000 people. The money will come from Equatorial Guinea's 1.7 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.
Where the new capital will find its inhabitants is harder to understand. The population of the entire country is only 700,000 and the vast majority live far away on the Atlantic coast.
But Oyala's very remoteness makes it appealing to Mr Obiang. In a rare interview, he described how rebels had plotted a seaborne assault on his palace in the current capital, Bata. "We need a secure place for my government and for future governments. That's why we have created Oyala, to guarantee the government of Equatorial Guinea," he said.
The president's obsession with security is rooted in his past. He came to power by toppling his own uncle 33 years ago. Critics and human rights activists are invited to reflect on their disloyalty in Malabo's Black Beach prison.
Many opponents have been accused of conspiring with foreign powers to bring down the government. The failed coup attempt led by Simon Mann, the British mercenary, in 2004 fuelled Mr Obiang's paranoia, particularly as Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of the former prime minister, admitted to providing some of the funding.
"That coup attempt was organised by certain powers – we know all about it," said Mr Obiang. "Margaret Thatcher's son was involved. Also other well-known personalities. It is not possible that it was organised in Spain, London, South Africa and in the United States without the knowledge of the security services in those countries."
Relations between Mr Obiang and Western governments remain complicated. They want access to his oil wealth, without appearing to endorse his regime. For his part, the President is particularly vexed by legal action against his eldest son and likely successor, Teodorin, in France and the US.
French investigators have seized a Paris mansion and 12 luxury cars belonging to Teodorin. The US is trying to confiscate a home in Malibu, a private jet and Michael Jackson memorabilia worth two million dollars.
The US Department of Justice alleges that Teodorin Obiang, who was recently appointed Vice-President, diverted tens of millions of dollars of state revenues into personal accounts.
But Mr Obiang defended his son. "The process in Paris is a farce, a political set-up," he said. "They are accusing my son of having illegally acquired these things but they have not sent a commission to this country to make inquiries. No one steals here."
A five-minute drive from the presidential palace provides ample evidence that Equatorial Guinea's oil riches are not benefiting most of its people. A baker in a ramshackle neighbourhood of tin-roofed shacks said: "We don't have clean water, and we don't have any sanitation."
A youth in his twenties allowed anger to overcome caution: "The president and his family are nothing but thieves," he said. "Yes, people are frightened, but one day there will be an explosion here'."
For now Mr Obiang appears in complete control. In the last presidential election, he won 97 per cent of the vote. "It's a police state, just like North Korea," said Placido Mico, the only opposition MP in parliament. "They use the oil money as a weapon against democracy."
Having seized power in 1979, Mr Obiang, 70, is now the longest-serving leader in Africa – and the longest-serving head of state in the world, aside from monarchs. Does he intend to stay for long enough to transfer his government to the new jungle capital? "It depends on the will of the people," he replied. "When the people want something we should not disappoint them."
Stephen Sackur's reports from Equatorial Guinea will be on the BBC's 'HARDtalk' and 'Ten o'clock News'. | <urn:uuid:d14e7e7c-46dd-46ab-8d31-d8b406779ccf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/equatorialguinea/9748510/President-Teodoro-Obiang-plans-new-Equatorial-Guinea-capital.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972878 | 952 | 1.804688 | 2 |
|How can a single mother provide her son with the strength and wisdom most boys receive from their fathers? How will her son learn to be a good man without a healthy male influence around?|
In today's world, many women--single mothers, grandmothers, even military wives--are left with the responsibility of raising children on their own. Being a single parent comes with many challenges, but for women one of the most difficult is to raise sons to be strong men and good fathers without a healthy male role model in the home.
In Single Moms Raising Sons, Dana Serrano Chisholm speaks from her own experience as a single mother of two boys and inspires other single moms to partner with God--the Father of the fatherless. She teaches them to find strength and wisdom as they allow Christ to be their partner in very real ways--helping them raise their children.
From financial concerns to passing on macho, Single Moms Raising Sons supplies honest insight, unifying encouragement, and practical applications to guide mothers as they raise their boys to be the solid, Christian men they want them to be. | <urn:uuid:234fb6e6-1e6b-4568-8c5d-53741e5d2017> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/bhol/itempage.jsp?itemId=083-412-3088&catalogId=NA&catSecCd=NA&subCatSecCd=NA&subSubCatSecCd=NA | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960164 | 229 | 1.695313 | 2 |
"The Great African Mail Robbery" by Larry Bucher
This story comes from the August 1961 issue of Our Navy, a long-defunct magazine.
A Navyman's True Adventure--
THE GREAT AFRICAN MAIL ROBBERY
by Daniel Pettigrew
The cities of Asmara and Massawa in Ethiopia are connected by eighty miles of treacherous, mountainous road, barely wide enough for one way traffic. As first class storekeeper at the communications station in Asmara it was my duty to escort the U.S. mail between those two cities, along that winding road bordered on the one side by sheer drops of over 3000 feet and by the steep rise of the mountain on the other. It is an area of unrelieved wilderness and desolation.
At all times during the mail run, the driver and escort were armed with .45 caliber automatics. The reason for this precaution was two fold. First, we were carrying registered mail and official correspondence. Second, there was the constant menace of the Shifta, a notorious bandit tribe in the neighborhood.
The Shifta are an extremely wild mob inhabiting the hills and preying upon the villages and travelers of the mountains. Their deeds are so violent and infamous that African officials have passed a law automatically carrying the death penalty for any captured Shifta.
On 15 June, 1959, Willis Fox, TE3, and I began our mail run. The first leg of the trip was performed without mishap. At Massawa a Navy doctor requested that I transport two of his patients to the Army hospital at Asmara. While making the necessary arrangements, I happened to encounter Mr. Grimaldi, the fresh milk supplier from Asmara. He had just delivered some milk to the ships in port and was preparing to return home.
We decided to make the return trip together. The two patients would ride in Mr. Grimaldi's more comfortable Volkswagon truck and Fox and I would follow in the jeep. We loaded the mail, placed the patients in the truck and took off.
We were only eight miles from Asmara when the trouble started. I had lost sight of Mr. Grimaldi's truck as he rounded a curve and disappeared in the dark shadows cast upon the road by the steep upward slope of the mountain. My jeep was trailing about 300 feet behind the milk suppliers Volkswagon; a common practice due to dust, twists and gullies.
I automatically slowed down. As my eyes became accustomed to the darkness, I saw the truck. It was stopped. Standing beside it were the two patients and Mr. Grimaldi--all with their hands in the air. The cold hard realization struck me with a sickening blow: Shifta!!
My hands became moist. A peculiar cottenish taste formed in my mouth. My breathing became audible and hard. Four Shifta were in the road and one was standing to the side behind some huge rocks. All had rifles in their hands and ammunition belts entwined about their torsos. Long bushy jet black hair hung over their ugly pock marked faces. Their skinny arms and legs protruding from tattered and filthy clothing gave them a look of dire desperation.
They were all short and thin and jabbering in a dialect similar to the guttural sounds exchanged by unfriendly dogs. Sandals tied to their feet with rags gave them an almost comic appearance. But there was nothing funny about the rifles pointed at us. All the dastardly tales I had heard about the Shifta raced through my mind. A thousand panic-born ideas occurred to me, but not one of them was even feasible.
The road was too narrow to floor the accelerator and dodge the roadblock. The steep mountain on one side and the sharp drop on the other killed any thoughts of turning. The sharp bend I had just negotiated precluded any quick shifting into reverse and backing down. Reaching for my .45 and blasting away from such a distance would make a lot of noise but tactically it would be sure suicide. The rifles leveled on all of us made it tough to think of anything--let alone anything good.
The bandit behind the rocks motioned us forward, indicating that my jeep was to stop about seventy feet from the truck. The other four bandits finished robbing the men ahead and headed for my jeep.
My heart sank. The cotton in my mouth grew thicker. My hands grew sodden with perspiration. Still my mind was entertaining thoughts of taking action--any action--to extricate ourselves from this position.
As the bandits approached, I slipped my right hand down to my .45. There was a round in the chamber and the clip was filled. I eased out the pistol, thumbed off the safety and sat praying. When the first bandit was ten feet from the jeep, I gently raised the .45 and squeezed the trigger. The slug caught him dead center, flipped him backwards and tossed him over the bank. My second shot caught the next bandit chest high, killing him instantly.
At the first sound of shots, the two patients dove for cover behind the truck. The milk supplier grabbed his pistol from beneath the truck's dashboard. Meanwhile Fox had drawn his .45 and was firing at the surprised bandits. Noise, shouting and shots filled the air. It resembled the Fourth of July in the middle of a Mardi Gras. Another bandit was killed in the melee.
After the two remaining bandits fled into the mountains, a profound silence ensued. What had seemed like hours had taken only seconds. It occurred to me that my .45 was empty. I ejected the spent clip, inserted a full one and cocked the pistol so a round was in the chamber--just in case.
A quick check revealed that everyone was alright. I then ordered all the people back into their vehicles. A half mile further on, I left Mr. Grimaldi and Fox in the jeep to prevent other vehicles from entering the area. I drove the two patients to Asmara in the milk truck and after leaving them at the Army hospital told the local police and the Provost Marshal what had happened. Within a few minutes, a delegation of local policemen, MP's and myself were back at the scene.
Upon investigation we discovered that three bandits had been slain and, judging from the blood drops trailing up the mountain slope, one or two others had been wounded. An inspection of the Shifta's rifles disclosed that the poor condition of these ancient weapons had resulted in many misfires, a factor which probably saved our lives. Two of the Shifta were later identified as the most notorious bandits in the area, one ranking on Africa's ten most wanted criminal list.
The official naval message from ComNavSta Asmara to the Chief of Naval Operations describing the hold up read in part . . . "in review of this sailor's action in the face of extreme danger to his life under fire of a proven enemy and efforts to protect lives of his party and the U.S. mail entrusted to his custody, it is recommended that he be granted the Silver Star Medal."
On 20 July 1959, my 28th birthday, the commanding officer informed me that I was to receive the Navy and Marine Corps medal. For diplomatic reasons, the US ambassador to Ethiopia would not permit the medal to be awarded to me in Asmara. To avoid any retaliation by the Shifta, it was decided that I should be transferred to the United States as soon as possible.
Initially, I was rather upset and somewhat bitter at not receiving the medal plus being hustled out of the country on the first available transportation. It seemed to me that I was being punished for having been held up and shot at in addition to acquiring quite a few premature grey hairs. After the freshness of the incident faded a little, however, I was able to appreciate the wisdom of the ambassador's decision.
As I boarded the plane bound for the States, I took a last backward
glance at the area I was leaving. The mountains seemed regal in their big,
bold vastness, the forest gave the trees and grass a shiny green gloss,
the air was clean and clear. Asmara lay sleeping peacefully in the morning
sun and as the plane gained altitude, the events of 15 June 1959 seemed to
have taken place an eternity ago.
"The article is accompanied by two photos, one of a dead shifta
and one of Pettigrew receiving his medal aboard the USS Macon. These
events happened when I had been in the country just one month.
Pettigrew really did get a shafting from the navy, his reward was sea duty
-- they couldn't find *any* shore billet for him! I also knew Willis Fox
-- Fox was quite critical of Pettigrew, thought he was nuts to have begun
blasting away and was lucky he didn't get both of them killed." | <urn:uuid:346f65a7-ca6e-4b2c-9938-028f07a674ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kagnewstation.com/stories/04.html | 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 | 0.980404 | 1,838 | 2.03125 | 2 |
My comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of my company.
For the last several years, Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, has been the buzz in privacy circles. That’s old school now. By itself, PII is fairly useless for violating one’s privacy, except as it pertains to identity fraud, or when coupled with other sensitive information that ties our behavior to our identity.
Lately, I’ve been tossing a new phrase in my new role (and really to anyone that will listen): “Energy Privacy.” That is, privacy issues having to do with an energy utility customer’s detailed energy usage information, generally obtained through “smart meters” or “advanced metering infrastructure.” The concept of energy privacy is nothing new to utilities. They’ve been analyzing coarse-grained usage data for years and have been generally very good at protecting customer privacy while doing it.
The difference now is how fine the granularity is becoming. Forget monthly reads. Smart meters are reading our energy usage in near-real time (even though many utilities only collect reads every 15 minutes or every hour.) Privacy professionals typically fear that this means that 3rd parties will be able to tell when customers are home and when they are not based on their usage.
Please. That doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what we can expect.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe smart meters and the smart grid in general can provide some great benefits to everyone: customers, utilities and 3rd parties wanting to sell awesome products and services that will improve our lives and perhaps help preserve the environment. Energy usage information will help utilities build grids that are more reliable and less susceptible to power outages while accommodating more unpredictable renewable energy sources like wind and solar, and a flood of new energy-soaking devices like electric cars. I get it and I embrace it as long as my privacy is respected.
But consider this analogy. Today’s smart meters are akin to binoculars on the sides of our homes. The algorithms used to analyze usage information in order to find patterns that describe how the energy is being used allow anyone with access to it to see inside our homes the types of devices we plug in. For example, refrigerators, air conditioners, or electric vehicles. Analysts can see when we’re using these devices, how often, and how many we have.
Tomorrow’s algorithms will be more like microscopes. Not only will we be able to see that a consumer has a refrigerator, but what brand and model it is, what condition it is in, and even how much food it has in it (full refrigerators use less energy than empty ones…if I know the expected output of your brand and model, I can determine this.) Analysts will be able to tell what you’re watching on television. Tomorrow’s algorithms will be able to not only detect devices, but predict behavior. Of course, early algorithms will be used to determine how we can save energy. That’s a primary reason smart grid exists. But what if an algorithm could be written to determine whether a single parent was neglecting their kids? Not enough food in the fridge, too much time on the game console? Must be bad parenting. What if usage data could be used to detect criminal activity or “unwanted” behavior…I don’t just mean pot growers. I mean anything that society deems unacceptable at the moment. Maybe someone has too many water features plugged in their backyard, or watches TV too much (shouldn’t you be looking for a job?) All that is needed to see an average person’s behavior inside their home is to examine their usage data.
Now couple that with California’s consideration of plans to build an energy data center to house and analyze all this energy usage data. Their intentions are good. They want to help plan future infrastructure needs, especially local governments. They want to help us reduce energy use. But when the government wants to peer inside our homes with a microscope, regardless of their stated intentions, what privacy do we really have left?
Some say that as long as the data is anonymous or aggregated that it should be fine to share the information. Does anyone recall the privacy breach at AOL in which hundreds of thousands of “anonymous” customers were at risk of having their personal searches tied to them? How long will it be before an algorithm is developed that can determine who we are simply by our energy use coupled with the treasure trove of free information available on the Internet, such as Google Maps? How difficult will it be for smart mathematicians to de-aggregate information that we thought was aggregated? I don’t know except that it will be sooner than we think.
Enter the importance of energy privacy. Our energy usage data will say more about us than whether we are home or not. A lot more. This by itself is not a bad thing IF we as consumers have control over whom the data is shared with and how it is used. Give consumers control and confidence builds.
My goal is to raise awareness of the importance–and value–of your energy usage data. So informed, you can begin to participate in the discussion about how your usage information will be used and whom it will be shared with. I believe that as long as consumers have knowledge of the risks of sharing this information, have the ability to decide who they would like to share it with (referred to as “opt-in”), and the ability to review and terminate any such sharing in the future, that the consumer then retains control of this information. Control equals power.
At the vanguard of protecting our energy privacy are utilities (who often get a bad rap for protecting such information) and privacy advocates who understand the potential risks and are fighting to preserve this last bastion of personal privacy. Why should utilities care about your privacy? Its quite simple: They don’t want you to remove the smart meter from your house. Even if you don’t fully trust your own utility, you can absolutely trust that they have an intrinsic business-minded reason to passionately protect your privacy. They want you to participate.
Now is the time for us all to consider how important our energy privacy is inside our own homes and how much intrusion we are willing to tolerate. Ask your utility and your government about your energy privacy and what they’re doing to protect it. Let’s have a conversation and ensure consumers retain the power they have every right to expect. | <urn:uuid:977af02e-8a6f-4097-b351-dd5709866029> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://weaklinksecurity.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952513 | 1,362 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The cruise observations suggest that the 2009 Alexandrium bloom is nearly gone for much of the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Several caveats are in order here. The first is that these low cell concentrations should not be interpreted to mean that shellfish are safe to consume. Shellfish species vary in their rates of detoxification, so shellfishermen and private citizens should refrain from harvesting any shellfish until state monitoring programs have reopened closed areas. There are still very dangerous levels of toxin in shellfish throughout the region.
The second caveat is that toxicity in eastern Maine is believed to be linked to Alexandrium blooms that occur within the Bay of Fundy. Those blooms are ongoing at this time, so there is a possibility that some cell populations can leave the Bay of Fundy and impact eastern Maine. Therefore, its premature to signal the end of the 2009 bloom for that region.
Note also that, although rare, fall blooms of Alexandrium do occur within the Gulf of Maine. In some past years, this has resulted in shellfish closures in September and even October.
Thus the 2009 bloom season appears to be winding down, but there are possibilities for a continuation or resurgence of toxicity in eastern sections this summer as well as for a second bloom event in the fall.
Looking back to the advisory we issued in April, in many ways this has been borne out since a significant regional event did occur that closed shellfish beds from the Canadian border to the middle of Massachusetts Bay, much as happened in 2006 - the year we used as an example in that advisory. However, there were aspects of the 2009 bloom that were not foreseen nor were they captured in our numerical model simulations, in particular, the high levels of toxicity throughout Maine, in contrast to the relatively low levels measured in Massachusetts. Its too soon for us to answer the question of why 2009 was so severe in Maine, and unfortunately this was not a year of GOMTOX cruises, thus we have very limited survey data to scrutinize for an answer. We do wonder whether the large amounts of rainfall as well as the lack of strong northeast winds (which can transport the Alexandrium populations from east to west) were factors in the observed toxicity patterns.
As for future cruises - we do not anticipate any additional survey work during this bloom period unless something unusual happens and the bloom increases dramatically. We will, however, be out again in October when we will map the abundance of Alexandrium resting cysts. In the past, we have found a very strong linkage between the abundance of these cysts and the magnitude of the Alexandrium bloom in the following year. It is thus too soon to speculate about what might lie in store for the region in 2010, but we will be working towards an advisory this winter and should make it public in the spring.
We wish to thank the National Ocean Service and all of the Congressional delegations who worked to obtain event response funding to provide valuable cell count information over the last week. This has been a difficult time for shellfishermen and many others in the region and it is welcome news that the outbreak is on the wane. | <urn:uuid:71398da9-8a47-44f8-b7db-073cb6ac22b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=33475&tid=282&cid=74967 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97366 | 637 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Lifestyle choices can affect fertility
Are you struggling to get pregnant? According to the Mayo Clinic, some lifestyle choices can affect your ability to get pregnant.
Maintaining a healthy weight can affect your fertility. According to the Mayo Clinic, being overweight or extremely underweight can affect hormone production and inhibit normal ovulation.
Practicing safe sex to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can also increase your chances of becoming pregnant, as STIs such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause infertility.
Eating a healthy diet can promote fertility. Keeping up with good nutrition and consuming the prenatal vitamin of folic acid can benefit your fertility chances, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Seeing your doctor regularly to ensure you’re in good overall health can also benefit your chances of becoming pregnant. This way your doctor will be able to promptly treat any conditions that might threaten your fertility chances.
The Mayo Clinic also recommends managing your stress levels to increase your odds of conception. The Mayo Clinic suggests practicing relaxation techniques when trying to become pregnant.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:712e06e0-e0cd-4c23-8250-a425a25dae4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.click2houston.com/lifestyle/2abetteryou/fertility/Lifestyle-choices-can-affect-fertility/-/4025210/16588892/-/view/print/-/y3r9mdz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932805 | 235 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Her colleagues still call her "the mistake." In late 2001, Jennifer Miller was on track to become a theoretical physicist. "My dream was to work for NASA and go to Mars," says Miller, who was then a senior at Fordham University. She was flying high--so high that when she received an e-mail invitation to speak at a 2-day stem-cell bioethics conference in Rome, she proudly agreed. She knew a little bit about stem cells, she says, and she figured that they wanted a young person's perspective. "I call it innocence, naïveté, hubris--I don't know." As she arranged her travel, rescheduled her final exams, and boarded the plane, she never had an inkling of the truth: The invitation was an error.
Miller attended the closed-door conference anyhow, thanks to an acquaintance who sneaked her onto the translator roster. She heard scientists, philosophers, theologians, and policymakers discuss cutting-edge stem cell technologies and their ethical ramifications. "I loved it," she says, but "I was unsettled." Who would have access to these new, lifesaving technologies--only the rich? Would the new technologies make the world a better place or more unjust? "An invention itself is good usually," she says, "but it's how we use it and apply it and distribute it that can cause some inequalities."
Today, Miller, 29, runs Bioethics International, a Manhattan-based nonprofit that helps the medical industry, including hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, grapple with everyday and exceptional ethical questions. Miller has organized a United Nations–affiliated conference and advised the American Medical Association. In the next year, she plans to launch an ethical-standards program for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical-device industries. With her innovations--undertaken with the same bold spirit, though less naïveté, as that first trip to Rome--she has earned her place on many podiums. "I don't think that science or business is for a timid person," she says.
Finding a niche
Miller returned from the 2001 conference intending to follow her original plan to go into physics. But then she received an e-mail invitation that was not an error: Based on her participation at the conference, the pontifical university Regina Apostolorum in Rome, which hosted the conference, offered her a scholarship to study in their new School of Bioethics for a year following her graduation from Fordham. She resisted at first, but a physics professor finally persuaded her to take the opportunity. Studying in Italian, a language she scrambled to learn in a summer course, Miller discovered that her physics training helped her work logically and methodically through ethical problems. In ethics, she says, "there are, just like in science, procedures for helping you reach a good conclusion. I never knew that."
Miller returned to the United States in 2003. At the time, few people had heard of bioethics. Her parents hadn't and worried that further study wouldn't lead to a viable career. "I'm superpractical," she says, so she decided to hedge: She'd work as a clerk in health care law at a firm in New York City, and she'd go to Rome four to five times a year to do intensive study toward a doctorate. That way, if things didn't work out, she could always parlay her ethics training into a career in health care law.
In her spare time, she started to develop a niche for herself in health care ethics. People called her for advice, referred by friends and family. She remembers advising a nurse whose blind patient refused hydration, a decision that would lead to the patient's death. Could the nurse just give the hydration through an existing IV without the patient's knowledge? No, Miller explained, because that would violate the patient's freedom to choose, which is fundamental to human dignity. "Then she understood, and then she was very at peace," Miller says. She says she probably could have run an ethics hotline for medical professionals, but "I thought the best thing I could do was empower them to make their own decisions."
First, she needed to build a framework for making ethical decisions that she could teach others. She reviewed all the philosophical possibilities--including utilitarianism, which promotes the "greatest good for the greatest number," principlism, and virtue theory, which are often taught in medical schools. She decided on the person-centered approach, created by Emmanuel Mounier in the early 20th century. Mounier's approach puts individuals at the center of decision-making, she says, "rather than whatever else would be tempting--like money, winning a war, or ideology." She finished building the framework at the end of 2006. In early 2007, she left the law firm and went to work full-time at her new nonprofit, Bioethics International.
The last thing to fall into place was Bioethics International's specialty. In early 2007, while working with the National Disaster Life Support Education Consortium of the American Medical Association, Miller met Anna Pou. Pou was a New Orleans doctor who was arrested but ultimately not indicted for second-degree murder after she gave lethally high doses of painkillers to critically ill patients in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Miller realized, and Pou agreed, that hospitals desperately needed ethics training for emergency situations.
At the time, flu pandemics were the emergency-preparedness “topic du jour,” she says. She developed a 1-hour pandemic training session for hospital staffs that used the person-centered approach to teach "the 'why' behind the 'what' " of standard triage protocol, which is designed to maximize the number of survivors. In a small exploratory study, Miller found that health care workers were more likely to use the protocol after the training than before. Recently, thanks in part to the increased attention to pandemics because of the swine-flu outbreak, she has partnered with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative to expand that study. She hopes that more evidence on the effectiveness of ethics training will lead to more funding. "On a national level, people are always saying the word 'ethics,' but they need to start funding it better," she says.
A bridge between disciplines
In all her activities, Miller tries to act as a bridge linking the players in the bioethics world: science, law, philosophy, and religion. Each of those disciplines has tools that it can bring to bear on ethical questions, she says, to arrive at answers that everyone can agree on. "That's one of my driving forces," she says: "to try and build consensus and help people realize that these are human issues. These are not religious, ideological issues."
"This sort of interdisciplinary dialogue is essential," says Mark Mercurio, director of the Yale Pediatric Ethics Program. Last year, he spoke at a United Nations–affiliated conference that Miller co-organized about the ethical consequences of new medical technologies. It featured scientists, doctors, philosophers, and theologians--not unlike that first conference Miller attended in Rome. "There's an energy that she brings to this which is welcome," he says.
But not everyone is so open to her message of bridge building, Miller says. Her secret weapon is her youth: A petite woman with a small voice, at first she seems even younger than she is. It can disarm people long enough to get them to actually listen, she says. "I think [audiences] look at her initially as a young, inexperienced person," says Ferdinando Mirarchi, emergency department medical director at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. But once she starts talking, he says, "they begin to pay attention quickly."
Her latest project, the World Council for Ethical Standards, stems from the perception that the pharmaceutical industry puts profits before people--an accusation that's sometimes warranted and sometimes not, she says. Miller intends for the project to rebuild trust between the industry and consumers by creating a set of ethical guidelines for the pharmaceutical industry and related industries such as biotechnology and medical devices. Representatives from medicine, research, religion, philosophy, patient advocacy, law, and industry will sit on the council, which will give a seal of approval to companies that comply with the standards they develop.
The seal will encourage companies to act ethically, Miller says, and then inform the public when they do. She hopes to have it running within a year. That should also mark the end of her studies, because she is developing the seal's guidelines as her doctoral dissertation.
Miller is eager to tackle other ethical quandaries, including electronic medical records and artificial intelligence. She no longer has any doubt that her expertise will be in demand. She recently appeared as an expert on a local news station discussing the ethics of cloning and joined the advisory committee of a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., think tank, the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies. These days, "everybody's calling for ethics reform--even on Wall Street," she says. "We're there."
Chelsea Wald is a freelance science writer in New York. | <urn:uuid:3b705daf-eb19-453d-b774-adbaf367d96a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2009_06_05/caredit.a0900072 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977134 | 1,883 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Personal DNA kits seem to be popping up everywhere these days, and National Geographic is no exception. However, the kits available through National Geographic are but an optional “audience participation” aspect of the Genographic Project, the results of which interested readers can explore online for no cost at all! DNA samples collected as part of the Genographic Project are used to trace the migratory history of the human species, using maternal markers from mitochondrial DNA and paternal markers from the Y chromosome. On the project’s website, visitors can explore the “atlas of the human journey,” which illustrates the migratory patterns established from the project. The “journey highlights” tab provides short blurbs of information on the milestones that early humans encountered during their migrations. Additionally, the rotatable and interactive “globe of human history” is a joy to explore. In total, there is much to learn on the Genographic Project’s website…no cheek swab or DNA kit required! | <urn:uuid:242fca27-8fcd-49a6-bbda-cf0782101713> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://genengnews.com/best-of-the-web/the-genographic-project/2699/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904522 | 207 | 2.84375 | 3 |
© All rights reserved.
s we travel back through history we pass by the various 20th century productions until we arrive at the first stop on our journey; St. Petersburg, January 7th 1898, to be present at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre for the very first performance of Raymonda, the latest ballet created by the great Petipa.
Our progamme tells us that the scenario for this tale of medieval chivalry is by Lidiya Pashkova (née Vera Glinskaya), a Russian-French Countess who is the St. Petersburg correspondent for the French newspaper Le Figaro and the Russian Southern Region. In addition to being a columnist, Lidiya Alexandrovna writes ladies novels and plays based on scenes from contemporary life.
Countess Lidiya is out to make a name for herself in the fashionable world of ballet and already has one success to her credit: the libretto for Cinderella (Zolushka) written in partnership with Ivan Vsevolozhsky, Director of the Imperial Theatres, and first presented by the Imperial Ballet in 1893 choreographed by Enrico Cecchetti with the production supervised by Marius Petipa, Premier Maitre de Ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres.
Though not in the itinerary of our search for Raymonda, while traveling backwards in time to the Middle Ages let’s stay in St. Petersburg until 1893 to be at the Mariinsky to see Pierina Legnani make her debut with the Imperial Ballet in the premiere of Cinderella and witness the historic occasion when for the first time ever in public performance a ballerina accomplished 32 fouettés en tournant. Dancing the title role, Legnani did them without stopping and without traveling an inch, having to encore her success, although doing only 28 fouettés. So, the audience was counting even in those days!
Better still, now that we’ve arrived in 1898 and are staying on till 1893, we can attend the Mariinsky for the 1895 premiere of the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake with Legnani as Odette/Odile. And in 1894, if you’re up for it, you can come with me and gatecrash the first performance of Le Réveil de Flore presented by the Imperial Ballet for the court at Peterhof in honour of the wedding of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna to Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. Two premieres not to be missed at any cost!
1895 is also an important year for us to be in the Imperial capital because we can get to know more about Countess Lidiya. That year a topic of conversation in St. Petersburg drawing rooms was France’s wars of conquest in Africa, a subject of interest to Pashkova as she was a great traveler, a member of the French Geographical Society and a respected travel writer. Even Tolstoy himself read her essays and drew information from her book “The French and British Colonies in the Far East” published in Odessa 1886.
Lidiya Alexandrovna spent many years in Palestine, Egypt and Syria, sometimes in the company of the esotericist Helena Blavatskaya, who became famous as Madame Blavatsky and was a founding member of the Theosophical Society. Pashkova also traveled to Aden where she met Natalia Blavatskaya.
It was Pashkova’s journeys in the Middle East and North Africa that led to her interest in the history of the Crusades to regain possession of the Holy Land, allowing her fanciful imagination to take her into the fairytale world of “Once upon a time” with crusader knights in shining armour rescuing beautiful damsels in distress.
Envisaging her romantic story as a ballet, she prepared a libretto which she submitted to Ivan Vsevolozhsky in 1895. Not impressed, the Director of the Imperial Theatres at first rejected the scenario. However, Countess Lidiya Alexandrovna had powerful patrons at court and could not be dismissed so easily.
Vsevolozhsky took some time pondering on how to proceed with the story and eventually rewrote the libretto, which was then worked on by Petipa, although in the programme the scenario is quite rightly credited to Ms. L. Pashkova.
When Nureyev was staging Raymonda for the Paris Opera Ballet he tried to find a copy of Pashkova’s original story but was unsuccessful, as I was in my own attempts to locate a copy when researching this article.
Therefore, let us take as our primary source the programme of the Pashkova/Vsevolozhsky/Petipa version, which is preserved in the Mariinsky archive.
So, here we are at last, taking our seats in the stalls of the Mariinsky Imperial Theatre, the beautiful auditorium ablaze with diamonds adorning the hundreds of bejeweled society ladies.
We’ve paid our 30 kopecks for the programme and while we await the first big performance of the evening, the entrance of the Imperial Family, let’s find out what we can expect on this glittering first night.
We already know that the premiere is a benefit performance for prima ballerina assoluta Pierina Legnani in the title role and that she will be partnered by Sergey Legat, but being seasoned ballet goers we want to know who else is dancing tonight.
Wow! What line up of Mariinsky legends; Kschessinska, Preobrajenskaya, Trefilova, Egorova – and Pavlova, even though she is still in her final year at the Imperial Ballet School and not due to make her official debut with the company until after her graduation next year.
And as an extra treat for us time-travelling balletomanes we even have the eighteen year old Agrippina Vaganova, on her way to becoming the queen of variations.
What’s more, we’re actually going to see the bitchy Bakerkina, who we know of only because Kschessinska tells how she tried to make trouble with the young Karsavina over the trifling matter of a gift of a costume in deep lilac colour.
Next, looking at the list of characters we see that, unlike modern productions, we have two Countesses; it is Raymonda who is the Countess de Doris, while her Aunt Sibyl is both a Countess and a Canoness.
No time to read the plot because now we must stand and turn to face the Imperial box for the awesome spectacle of the entrance of the Tsar and the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, followed in correct order of precedence by Empress Alexandra Fedorovna and our favourite patrons of the ballet, the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and his magnificent Grand Duchess, Maria Pavlovna, outshining even the two empresses with her fabulous jewels.
And how interesting to note that tonight Nicholas II is not taking his usual seat in the Tsar’s box to the left of the stage; but of course – Kschessinska is only dancing a minor role tonight!
Now the lights start to dim and in comes the conductor – Riccardo Drigo no less – and St. Petersburg gets to hear the first notes of Glazunov’s score.
Curtain up on Act I Scene 1, titled La Fete de Raymonda. The set is magnificent – the Hall of the Castle of the Countess de Doris.
The troubadours Bernard de Ventadour and Beranger d’Aquitaine are playing the lute and viol. The music lures maidens away from their tasks and they dance with the pages.
Enter Countess Sibyl, who admonishes the girls for neglecting their duties, but she fails to restore order and others join in the dancing, so she commands Bernard and Beranger to stop playing.
Turning to the maidens, she points to the statue of The White Lady, telling them that this is a former Countess de Doris, a beloved ancestor whose ghost appears from another world to warn and protect anyone in the House of Doris and punishes those who do not do their duty.
The young girls laugh at this superstition and try to pull Countess Sybil into the dance.
A horn sounds the arrival of a messenger with a letter from Jean de Brienne to his fiancée the Countess Raymonda. The Countess Sibyl goes off to tell her niece the good news, while the seneschal oversees preparations for the arrival of Raymonda and the maidens strew flowers along the path their mistress will take.
Enter Ms. Legnani to rapturous applause. The messenger kneels and hands her the letter with the news that her betrothed, Jean de Brienne, having fought valiantly under the banner of King Andrew II of Hungary, has returned from the Crusade and will arrive at the Castle de Doris no later than tomorrow.
So, in the original production, our hero didn’t make it back in time for his girl’s fete day!
Who does turn up instead is the villain of the piece, Abderrahman, accompanied by his entourage of Saracen and Spanish dancers, soldiers and slaves bearing gifts.
Countesses Raymonda and Sibyl are surprised at this uninvited guest but the tradition of the House of Doris is that all visitors must be admitted.
Hmmh! Forget the tradition and gifts, I wouldn’t let this guy and his army in to my castle, would you?
After being greeted with great dignity, Abderrahman tells how he has heard of the beauty of Raymonda and the legendary hospitality of the Castle de Doris, and has come to congratulate the lovely young Countess and present her with gifts.
When Raymonda rejects his gifts, Abderrahman, in an aside, confides to his one of his henchmen that he intends to abduct Raymonda.
Didn’t I say not to trust this guy?
On with the dancing, a grand valse, then Raymonda instructs the seneschal to arrange a Cour d’Amour for the morrow in honour of the arrival of her fiancé.
All exit except Raymonda, Clemence, Henriette and the two troubadours.
The sky darkens and the stage is bathed in moonlight.
Raymonda plays the lute then, passing it to one of her friends, shows them a new dance. Exhausted by the events of the day, she rests.
Suddenly, a magical lethargy descends on the scene and everyone falls into a sleep except Raymonda, who is drawn by a mysterious force to follow The White Lady.
Act 1 Scene 2. A park on a high terrace of the Castle de Doris.
This is some big castle!
Now we get the vision scene. The park is shrouded in mist. The White Lady enters followed by Raymonda in a state of trance.
The mist lifts to reveal Jean de Brienne surrounded by his knights – note, no portrait coming to life – and, intoxicated with happiness Raymonda throws herself into his arms.
More dancing then The White Lady dispels the vision of Jean de Brienne and tells Raymonda to wait and see what is to happen next.
The stage darkens and the foreboding apparition of Abderrahman appears. He declares his love for Raymonda, which she indignantly rejects.
Abderrahman attempts to abduct Raymonda who begs The White Lady to save her. She falls unconscious.
The first rays of dawn appear and The White Lady, Abderrahman and the other apparitions disappear.
Where have we seen this before?
Ladies, servants and pages rush on to the terrace and attempt to revive Raymonda.
Interval – time for champagne and caviar, of course – and much excited discussion about events so far. The St. Petersburg cognoscenti agree; Legnani is in top form and dancing divinely – her pizzicato variation stopped the show.
Act II. The Cour d’Amour: another magnificent set, this time a Courtyard in the Castle de Doris. Raymonda welcomes her guests but cannot hide her dismay that her fiancé is a no show.
Enter Abderrahman and his entourage. Countess Raymonda asks for him to be dismissed but Countess Sibyl reminds her that according to tradition all visitors to the Castle de Doris must be welcomed with honour. Grand pas d’action.
Abderrahman again attempts to plight his troth but Raymonda rejects him with disdain. He commands his minions to entertain Raymonda with Arab and Spanish dancing.
Butlers fill the guests’ cups with wine and we have a Bacchanalia – yes, that’s what is says in the programme, a Bacchanalia – at the height of which Abderrahman attempts to carry off Raymonda.
Cue for the valiant Jean de Brienne to appear accompanied by King Andrew II of Hungary. Our hero rescues his damsel in distress and goes for Abderraman, but King Andrew orders the fighting to stop.
What, no single combat?
The King orders Raymonda away from danger just in time before the Saracens start fighting again.
The White Lady appears at the back of the stage.
Jean de Brienne inflicts a mortal sword wound on Abderrahman who is carried away by his slaves. The rest of the entourage attempt to escape but are taken prisoner on the orders of King Andrew.
The King joins the hands of the young lovers.
Interval – more champagne, this time with a delicious coupe glacée – and back to our seats for ACT III: A Garden in the Castle of Jean de Brienne.
Festivities for the wedding of Raymonda and Jean de Brienne, celebrated with a splendid Hungarian divertissement in honour of King Andrew, then a gallop and the ballet ends with an apotheosis depicting a tournament – yes, a tournament complete with knights jousting and all.
Well, it isn’t quite like the productions we’ve got used to seeing, but Raymonda has a long future ahead of it and we know that later choreographers will try to make more sense of the scenario.
While Nureyev’s Paris version stays closest to the original Mariinsky, most others have tried to make the story more acceptable – in my opinion, Grigorovitch’s revised version for the Bolshoi is the most successful.
But I still have a problem with that Bacchanalia. What a way to carry on at the Countess Raymonda’s elegant Cour d’Amour. You can’t take those Saracens anywhere!
And some of these 19th century ballerinas could lose a kilo or two!
Nonetheless, tonight who’s complaining. We’ve been privileged to be present at the premiere of a great new ballet with a happy ending and loads of flowers. We’ve shouted our bravos and then lingered at the stage door to applaud Pierina Legnani yet again as she goes on to celebrate her latest triumph – at Cubat’s no doubt – and now we set off for home marveling that the octogenarian Petipa has given us yet another masterpiece.
However, our euphoria soon evaporates in the cold night air of St. Petersburg, leaving us all too aware that something about the ballet was not quite right. We loved the brilliant choreography, the divine dancing, the magnificent sets, the beautiful costumes and the glorious Glazunov, but it’s obvious that the weak link is the story line. Contrived is putting it mildly.
The White Lady is no problem: we’re used to supernatural beings – where would the repertoire be without them. Ever since La Sylphide and Giselle, audiences – and prima ballerinas – have demanded a white act, a vision scene or a dream scene.
But what on earth are a Saracen and his entourage doing in the South of France, enemy territory at the time of the crusades, and why are the gates of the Castle de Doris so readily opened to admit the sinister Saracen and his entourage?
Well, of course, dear old Petipa usually gives us an act with exotic dancing. He has already taken us on trips to sunny Spain with Paquita and Don Quixote; ancient Egypt with La Fille du Pharaon and mysterious India with La Bayadere. What to do next? This time he decided to give us a taste of Moorish Andalusia.
So now we know how Abdurrahman and his entourage got into the story!
And, naturally, the ballet must have a spectacular last act with the usual national dances. What to do this time? Why not something Hungarian? St. Petersburg society loves a good czardas and that gives us a reason to bring in King Andrew II of Hungary because he was a real life Crusader.
Now we’re getting somewhere, an actual historical personage. Are there others in the story? Was there a real Jean de Brienne and did Raymonda herself ever exist? To find out the answers to these questions I decided to dig in the rubble of history.
I do not claim to be a writer but taking up my pen in its modern incarnation – the keyboard – in a series of articles I will tell you what my digging has turned up as we continue our on our journey to discover the life and times of the real Raymonda. | <urn:uuid:053efeac-53b0-480b-8ccf-7c904cf1ac0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.balletbase.com/ballet/petipacode?acpage=38 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931962 | 3,750 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Health officials tell 27 NEWSFIRST the student injured in an explosion at UK campus is now listed in good condition. We've learned the woman is an exchange student from Germany. Her name has not yet been released because her family has not yet been notified.
Six other people were taken to UK Hospital for observation from exposure of fumes. They were told to shower and to throw away their clothes.
The exchange student was injured Friday during an engineering lab on
campus, a school official said.
The woman was pouring nitric acid into a waste container on the
seventh floor of Anderson Hall when the chemical came into contact
with another substance and exploded, said Kathy Johnson, a UK
The woman suffered cuts and burns to her face and throat. The explosion also caused minor damage in the lab area.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Enter your number for a chance to win great prizes!
Message and data rates may apply | <urn:uuid:bac1b726-87c6-43d7-902e-be8071323672> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/4559957.html?site=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979062 | 196 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Quiz: Chapter 5
|Name: _____________________________||Period: ___________________________|
This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions.
Multiple Choice Questions
Directions: Circle the correct answer.
1. What is the conflict in Chapter 5?
a) Ivan still cannot accept that he may be dying.
b) Ivan dislikes his brother-in-law but must visit with him.
c) Ivan feels that know one is listening to him.
d) Ivan cannot stay awake, but he has work to do.
2. What does Ivan Ilych hear down the hall?
a) His family visiting with his brother-in-law.
b) His family getting the house ready for the party that night.
d) An intruder.
3. What does Ivan Ilych do for a few hours after seeing himself in the mirror for the first time in quite a while?
a) He sleeps.
b) He cries uncontrollable.
c) Ivan tries to think...
This section contains 344 words|
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) | <urn:uuid:ce0b6c68-f50f-4057-9234-2339c592b820> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/deathivanilych/quiz8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926003 | 235 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Hoboken, New Jersey, is not exactly known for its good governance. Steve Cappiello, mayor from 1973 to 1985, was arrested for drunk driving in 2007 after ramming into a parked government car and then fleeing the scene. Thomas Vezzetti, mayor from 1985 to 1988, was called “the wackiest mayor in America” by the New York Daily News. And the corruption and bribery of Anthony Russo, mayor from 1993 to 2001, was so over the top that he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
Still, Hoboken’s current administration may go down as the most hated in modern history. In late 2008, a state supervisor, sent in because the local government failed to pass a budget, imposed a property tax increase of 47 percent. The steep hike was necessary, officials claimed, because the city of 40,000 faced a shortfall of more than $15 million.
Hundreds of angry anti-tax demonstrators stormed City Hall in December and again in March, demanding a recall of council members and carrying a tarred-and-feathered effigy of embattled Mayor Dave Roberts. “Mistakes were made by this administration,” Roberts told the crowd. Protesters launched websites at lowerhobokentaxes.com and hobokenrevolt.com, hoping to hook up with the nationwide “Tea Party” demonstrations against Barack Obama’s economic policies.
In February, Obama insisted that “if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime.” In Hoboken, owners of houses assessed at the local median price of $250,000 have seen their annual property taxes raised by $2,600. The tax hike especially hurts seniors living on fixed incomes, who suddenly can’t afford a house they’ve long owned.
For this, New Jersey has an answer: Seniors are eligible for the state’s Property Tax Reimbursement Program, so long as they have lived in New Jersey continuously for more than a decade, have occupied their current residences for at least four years, and can navigate the tax bureaucracy. Instead of dealing with all that, many residents are deciding to sell. But when the worst housing market in decades combines with some of the highest property taxes in the nation, buyers may be hard to come by. | <urn:uuid:8d6c82fc-f606-4622-82fe-18f29a47bb6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reason.com/archives/2009/05/29/hiking-in-hoboken | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966864 | 496 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Viewing posts from November, 2011Roniece Weaver, MS, RD, LD But what is blood pressure? Its something everyone has and it’s something that we can’t do without. As blood is pumped through your body's arteries, it creates force against the inside walls of your blood vessels. The amount of blood the heart pumps and the resistance of the arteries determines your blood pressure. A "silent killer," ………..High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but yet it can lead to serious and even life-threatening problems if left untreated. The good news is that there are ways to manage hypertension.
Page 1 of 1: | <urn:uuid:75c5864b-995b-45e0-9149-220b6081eabe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blackwomenshealth.com/blog/archive/2011/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933074 | 133 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Education Watch is an evolving database constructed to illuminate the connections between wealthy individuals, the proliferation of newly formed tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, and the policy that diverts public money to these private ventures. Nearly all of these organizations were formed or co-opted within the past decade. If you know of an organization to add to Education Watch, please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.org. We'll check it out.
Under the provisions of No Child Left Behind and through many organizations like the ones listed here, our public school system is being stealthily co-opted by America's elite. In 2009, Rahm Emanuel called it The Quiet Revolution. In his New York Times op-ed column, David Brooks, speaking of Arne Duncan, gushes over these education reform ideas, and quotes Jeb Bush as saying, “President Obama has been supporting a reform secretary, and this is deserving of Republican support.” When Jeb Bush suggests an Obama agenda deserving of Republican support, it's worth a second glance. And when President Obama praises Jeb Bush on education reform, something's rotten in the state of these United States. Education Watch is presented here to shed some light on “education reform” and the reformers. Today, the Quiet Revolution has become quite noisy.
Search the Edwatch Database
Select an organization from the list below and click Submit to see what information is available in the Edwatch database.
How to use Education Watch
Each organization/corporation under our scope is identified with a link to its web site.
The company line states the company's mission and/or vision exactly as it is stated on the web site.
The bottom line presents information from an educator's perspective about how the organization influences education policy, supports deregulation of the teaching profession, promotes racially segregated schools for poor children of color, deflects badly needed funding away from traditional public schools, and/or other things.
Form 990, is required of all tax-exempt organizations by the IRS. The database contains the 990's available from 2006 to present. They allow curious minds to investigate where an organization's money goes.
The documents provide a treasure trove of information. For example, we can see on the 2009 form that Teach for America paid 84 people over $100,000 -- none of whom was a classroom teacher. In 2007, TFA paid 469 people over $50,000 -- again none of them were teachers. Let's say we wanted to find out how many hours David Levin of KIPP schools works in a week, and from how many KIPP and other organizations he collects a paycheck. With a little investigation, we can do that. We can also find out who is on the board of directors, the value of the organization's assets, the CEO's salary. Most of the income is public money paid in government grants. It's good to know where our tax money goes.
The list of donors for each organization is by no means complete for several reasons. Some organizations do not publish the names of their donors and some make it a game of hide-and-seek. We will continue to update the list of donors as we find them so the public may know how the very wealthy are connected to our public school system. By clicking on one donor, you can view other organizations the donor supports. This allows you to begin to see the connections.
Articles of interest may be included about some organizations, also. | <urn:uuid:a9756c2f-3659-4180-8a2c-aad7c394a370> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.greatschoolsforamerica.org/edwatch.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95615 | 706 | 1.804688 | 2 |
HUNLEY'S FATE: Sen. Glenn McConnell says some evidence suggests a lone Yankee bullet
may have led to the submarine's sinking.
Friday, September 15, 2000
By BRIAN HICKS
Of The Post and Courier staff
A single Yankee bullet to the Hunley's front conning tower may
have set off a chain of events that slowly sent the Confederate submarine to the bottom of
the Atlantic 136 years ago.
Since the Hunley was raised last month, that is the prevailing
theory that's risen with it, according to state Sen. Glenn McConnell, chairman of
the Hunley Commission.
"Right now, the evidence - if you blend scientific fact with
historical facts - makes it a plausible theory. It just fits as the culprit,"
McConnell said Thursday.
In talks up and down the Eastern Seaboard in recent weeks,
McConnell has entranced audiences with new details about the Confederate submarine - the
first submersible to ever sink an enemy vessel - and its mysterious disappearance.
Although scientists have barely begun to study the sub, a clearer
picture of it is emerging. And, sitting in clear water and laboratory conditions at the
Warren Lasch Conservation Center, the Hunley is slowly beginning to discount some old
theories and revealing evidence that points to the "lucky shot" story.
have found a new, and busted, porthole or eyesight on the front of the forward conning
tower. It sits to the port side of the cutwater blade that arches up from the hull to the
tower and - perhaps tellingly - just below a 4-by-6-inch hole in the sub.
Previously, experts thought the Hunley sailed blind unless
someone was looking through an open hatch. That forward porthole, illuminated with
candlelight from the sub's interior, would have served as a bull's-eye for Union soldiers
on the Housatonic.
The damage to the conning tower is unlikely to have come from a
collision because the hatch just above the hole appears undamaged, McConnell says. A
bullet, however, would likely have shattered the cast-iron conning tower. It appears,
McConnell says, that the eye piece was shot in.
covered with layers of concretion - hardened sand, silt and sediments - the hull so far
shows no signs that it has buckled. One theory has held that the Hunley, too close to the
Housatonic when its 90-pound charge detonated in the Union Sloop of Wars arsenal, could
have sunk from concussion blasts that buckled the iron plates of the hull, allowing water
Another theory was that the Hunley successfully completed its
mission only to sink after it was hit by the Union ship Canandaigua, coming to rescue the
Housatonic's crew. The hull, however, so far shows no signs of impact with another ship.
the submarine's dive planes are in the up position. McConnell says that indicates the crew
was trying to surface when the Hunley went down.
McConnell, who is out drumming up support for the Confederate
submarine's excavation and restoration, is carting around a slide show and video of the
submarine from its discovery through its recovery.
He says the response to the talks have been "amazing."
So far, McConnell has given his talk in North Carolina and New Jersey, and Wednesday in
Bluffton to the Lowcountry Civil War Roundtable.
The story he tells of the Hunley's final minutes are chilling.
The Union sloop Housatonic, more than three miles off the shore
of Sullivan's Island, is anchored pointing to the northwest. The Hunley's course comes up
the coast, from behind the ship and slightly seaward of it.
The submarine surfaces once, perhaps twice. General P.T.
Beauregard has ordered them to attack on the surface, which makes the Hunley vulnerable to
gunfire. Soldiers on the Housatonic think they see a log or a dolphin. Later some will
report seeing something like a "glowing eye" - possibly the illuminated front
They open fire on it.
The Hunley rams its charge into the Housatonic and backs away -
toward the open sea, in an outgoing tide.
Sometime during all that, at least one Yankee bullet hit the
forward conning tower, and probably sub commander Lt. George Dixon. Water rushing over the
Hunley's deck would have easily flowed into the submarine.
McConnell says that people close to the project realize the
submarine is so small that, if Dixon were killed, it's unlikely the crew could have moved
him out of the way to get to the controls.
"When we open the submarine, we will be able to tell if
Dixon was shot in the face," McConnell says.
McConnell cites two sources - one Union soldier hanging in the
Housatonic's rigging, and a Confederate on the shore at Battery Marshall - as seeing the
blue light signal from the submarine. That, he says, indicates that whatever else
happened, crew members at least initially thought they could make it home.
"But it's rough out there, and with that hole in the tower,
I believe it was robbed of its positive buoyancy," he said.
Then, even if Dixon were only wounded or the crew could get him
out of the way, there would have been little they could do to keep the sub up.
The biggest test of the theory comes when scientists open the
submarine, probably sometime this fall. Scientists are working on a plan to open the sub
without harming it to allow excavation.
Until then, the archaeologists are hesitant to offer theories.
But looking at the submarine in good light is bringing things into focus.
For instance, McConnell says, the hole on the starboard side near
the stern appears to be damage from an anchor. A smaller hole near the bottom of the
forward section remains a mystery.
Even though he realizes the facts might not bear it out,
McConnell says this is the story that fits best, so he's sticking to it. For now.
"She's proved us wrong before," he says. "The real
mystery won't be solved until the sub is X-rayed and opened."
Used with permission of The Post and
Courier and Charleston.Net
[ Home ] [ Up ] [ The USS Keokuk ] [ Full Scale model ? ] [ BATTLE MAP ] [ Housatonic Sank ] [ ARTIFACTS ] [ USS HUNLEY ] [ Torpedo Warfare Around The Civil War- Article ] [ Torpedo Part 2 ] [ SITE MAP ] [ News Home Page ] [ ENGINEERING ] [ ARCHIVES ] | <urn:uuid:446a7570-7882-4952-8bef-1359c2e5af25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehunley.com/Crew/singlebullet.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959732 | 1,444 | 2.5 | 2 |
LHS postgraduate research student, Preena Mistry, is looking for dog owners to volunteer to help with her project researching Salmonella carriage in pet dogs.
It is estimated that up to 43% of dogs may carry Salmonella, though they show no signs of clinical infection. Preena’s project aims to isolate these salmonellas from dog faeces and to determine if the strains could potentially cause human salmonellosis. It is anticipated this study will provide valuable information on the prevalence of Salmonella in dogs and provide a better understanding of the gut flora of pet dogs.
In exchange for a faecal sample from your dog, participants will be reimbursed with dogs treats provided by Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition!
If you are interested in getting involved in this study please contact Preena Mistry on ext 3904 (Lab MB327). | <urn:uuid:c7e37893-6c3d-4f40-9579-bfab68430db1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.aston.ac.uk/staff/aspects/research/archive/dog/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913628 | 184 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Thursday, 31 Mar 2011
Powers boosted to drug test people on arrest in stations.
All 43 police forces in England and Wales are to be given the power to drug test people who have been arrested if officers have reasonable grounds to suspect they have used specified Class A drugs.
Until now, police forces have had to apply for authorisation from the Home Office to 'test on arrest' at specific police stations.
But from today chief constables need only notify the Home Office.
By dropping this target, and simplifying the process, a considerable bureaucratic burden will be lifted from forces and local partners.
Minister for crime prevention James Brokenshire said: 'We are determined to free the police from needless bureaucracy and pointless national targets. By scrapping the requirement for police to apply for authorisation to test on arrest, we are giving officers the flexibility to test where it is appropriate.
'Drug testing on arrest is a vital part of the work police and local partners do to reduce drug related crime locally. We must give those who know what works in their neighbourhood the power to develop plans which meet local needs.'
Helping cut crime
Identifying drug-using offenders can significantly cut drug-related crime.
This is because if the person tests positive for a Class A drug they are legally required to attend an assessment which looks at treatment to support their recovery.
Recommendations by trained drug workers, which can include attending treatment, can be taken into account by the courts when setting bail conditions or sentencing. | <urn:uuid:60109a7e-ae1a-4ab2-b598-57b40158b16d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/http:/www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/news/greater-flexibility | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94888 | 307 | 1.734375 | 2 |
If My Pole Falls, What Happens?
Don't Try What We Did!
Here are our results - with photos below.
|We wanted to find out "What would happen if a pole slipped out of one's hand?" What a great question, but, as the TV shows say, "Don't try this at home."
For our drop tests, we used a number of different cameras on a 16 foot pole. |
As you will see from the tests below, if your pole slips from your hand while the end with the camera is more than a couple of feet off the ground, you may seriously damage your camera. Every camera we dropped from more than 5 feet showed serious damage even without ever hitting the ground! So, keep your camera from getting damaged - Keep your pole in control and lower it gently to the ground!
Crash Test 1 - 6 foot drop
For this test, we used a fully operating HP Photosmart 735 camera. This camera takes 4 AA batteries, and its total weight was about 10.5 ounces. We placed the camera on the Pole Pixie Adapter, and then attached the foam-padded resting plate and adapter to a 16 foot pole. We raised the end of the pole with the camera to about 6 feet and released it. Results of drop: The foam resting plate showed some slight scuffing/damage from the impact, but the foam absorbed enough energy and damage to the resting plate was pretty minor. The electronics in the camera were not damaged, and the camera still worked after the drop! HOWEVER, the camera was damaged from the fall. The energy from the weight of the camera was simply too great for the plastic screw mount - it sheared off because the camera wanted to keep going towards the ground and the camera's mount wasn't strong enough to hold it. This left a hole in the camera and the plastic part on the Pole Pixie Adapter. We were incredibly lucky that the lens did not get damaged when the camera hit the ground. The camera still works, but it can now only be used as a handheld, and it can no longer be mounted on a tripod or a Pole Pixie adapter.
Crash Test 2 - 8 foot drop
For the second test, we raised the pole so this Canon digital camera was about 8 feet off the ground when we released the pole. This camera took four AA batteries and weighed nearly 12 ounces. This camera has a metal exterior, that metal frame kept the camera mount from breaking off like the first test. (Good job, Canon!) However, as you can see, the camera had so much kinetic energy from the 8 foot drop that the camera was pretty much wrecked because the camera's desire to continue towards the ground distorted the frame and the camera is now unusable. The foam resting plate showed a little damage but was still usable.
Crash Test 3 - 16 foot drop
Based on the last two tests, we decided that the camera's mount was the weak part of these cameras, and so we put a non-working Nikon Coolpix 885 on the pole for the highest drop. We raised the 16 foot pole pole upright, and just nudged it over. As you can see from the photo, the foam padded resting plate was seriously damaged and the plastic frame of the Nikon simply could not hold the camera together and the mount sheared off from the body. The camera impacted the ground pretty hard, but surprisingly, the camera showed almost no scuff marks! We cannot say whether or not the electronics or lens would have been damaged, but, having watched the camera hit the ground, I think it is more likely than not that a working camera would have broken.
Please note: Our resting plates and foam-padded resting plates are not guaranteed to prevent any damage and they are to be used at your own risk. They are intended to keep your camera from getting scuffed up on concrete and/or from getting dirty or wet from the touching the ground. | <urn:uuid:f764baff-241d-4288-8196-bfdacab3b86c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.polepixie.com/crashtests.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966436 | 804 | 1.828125 | 2 |
August 15, 2012
The 11 locomotives, originally built by MotivePower about five years ago, will be equipped with new engines and propulsion systems that meet significantly higher environmental standards.
April 10, 2012
Modernizes and streamlines the FRA safety regulatory program for locomotives by consolidating existing regulations and addressing technological advancements.
January 12, 2012
Key actions planned in the new year are building the first units of 70 new electric locomotives and 130 new single-level long-distance cars, the national roll-out of eTicketing to all trains, and the further integration and advancement of Northeast Corridor planning efforts to improve the existing corridor and develop a high-capacity, next-generation high-speed rail system.
April 27, 2011
With this contract, Trenitalia has placed orders for a total of 688 E464 locomotives, 570 of which are already in successful commercial service. Delivery of the locomotives is scheduled for between 2012 and 2013.
February 7, 2011
The state-of-the-art diesel-electric locomotive, which burns less fuel and emits lower levels of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons, is one of two purchased from the Utah Transit Authority at a cost of $7 million.
January 12, 2011
The order is valued at approximately $485 million. The double-deck coaches and locomotives are scheduled to enter service at the end of 2013.
December 28, 2010
Delivery of the first locomotives is planned for July 2011, with all of the vehicles planned to be in service by November 2013. The contract totals approximately $157 million.
October 29, 2010
Per the $466 million contract, Siemens will build 70 electric locomotives for Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridor lines as part of Amtrak's landmark fleet rejuvenation.
September 23, 2010
Hybrid technology, which can be used in all heavy shunting services, reduces fuel consumption by approximately 50 percent and is aimed at a Europe-wide market of several thousands of locomotives that are obsolete. With a top output of 600 kW, the locomotive has only a small diesel generator of 250 kW and draws the additional power from batteries that are recharged by the generator.
June 1, 2010
With 2009 revenues of $1.8 billion, company has the largest installed base of diesel-electric locomotives in the world and offers extensive range of locomotive products.
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Copyright © 2013 Metro Magazine. All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:ce6178d0-2295-4161-b3d1-4250fdfc270b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.metro-magazine.com/news/list/tag/locomotives.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932142 | 628 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book: Write and Use an Effective Resume in Only One Day
Title: The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book: Write and Use an Effective Resume in Only One Day
Author: Michael Farr
Shows how to create a basic resume in an hour and an improved resume in half a day, and includes over 90 sample resumes for all types of jobs and people.
The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book, Fourth Edition, gives job seekers all the expert advice they need to stay ahead of competitors and land a great job. This book offers proven, proactive advice on how to create outstanding job search documents and use them efficiently. Readers learn to create a basic resume in an hour and an improved resume in about half a day.
The fourth edition of this helpful guide includes more than 90 all-new sample resumes written by professional resume writers for all types of jobs and people, including a new chapter with electronic resume samples. The book also provides excellent career counseling sections to help anyone from high school graduates to high-level professionals define their ideal job and go out and get it. | <urn:uuid:ed790dea-f02d-4471-809a-f70ad0a58554> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kdl.org/categories/749/books/4862 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921924 | 227 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Civil engineering is a field of engineering that deals with the construction and maintenance of the structures that are required for human civilization, such as buildings, roads, water supply and sewers. In general, civil engineering has developed from observations of the ways natural and manmade systems react and from the development of empirical equations that provide bases for design.
It is an umbrella field comprised of many related specialities.
Structural engineering, of which structural design is a component, is typically the largest part of civil engineering as a practice. Structural engineers design bridges, buildings, offshore oil platforms, dams etc. Structural analysis is another component of structural engineering and a key component in the structural design process. This involves computing the stresses and forces at work within a structure. There are some structural engineers who work in non-typical areas, designing aircraft, spacecraft and even biomedical devices.
Supporting structural engineering is the field of geotechnical engineering. The importance of geotechnical engineering can hardly be overstated: buildings must be connected to the ground. Geotechnical engineering is concerned with soil properties, foundations, footings and soil dynamics.
Transportation engineering is concerned with queueing theory and traffic flow planning, roadway geometric design and driver behavior patterns. Simulation of traffic operation is performed through use of trip generation, traffic assignment algorithims which can be highly complex computational problems.
Sanitary engineering is primarily concerned with purifying water for drinking and with treating sewage.
Hydraulic engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water. This area of engineering is, of course, intimately related to the design of bridges, dams, channels, canals, and levees, and to both Sanitary and Environmental engineering.
Construction engineering involves planning and execution of the designs from transportation, site development, hydraulic, environmental, structural and geotechnical engineers.
Civil engineering also includes material science. Engineering materials include concrete, steel and recently, polymers and ceramics with potential engineering application.
A popular misconception is that civil engineering is far from the exciting frontiers in mathematics and computer science. In actuality, much of what is now computer science was driven by work in civil engineering, where structural and network analysis problems required parallel computations and development of advanced algorithms.
There are also civil engineers who work in the area of safety engineering, applying probabilistic methods to structural design, safety analysis and even estimates of insurance losses due to natural and man-made hazards.
The civil engineer degree
In Scandinavian countries, some people prefer to call their Master of Science degree by the term civil engineer. The word has its origin from one of the English meaning of 'civil engineer' ;
Although a 'college engineer' (högskoleingenjör, diplomingenioer) represents a Bachelor of Science in Scandinavia, to become a 'civil engineer', one have to almost re-start the education from zero and it will take a half up to one year extra compared to B.Sc./M.Sc. studies. This is because the higher educational system is not fully suited to the international standard graduation system since, at least in Sweden, it is treated as a professional degree. | <urn:uuid:fb221567-6ad4-44bd-ba81-13e901310d27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fact-index.com/c/ci/civil_engineering.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958043 | 654 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Galactic Dead Zone
|Spectacular gas remnants from exploding star.
Image Credit: Hubble
Life near the center of our galaxy never had a chance. Every 20 million years on average, gas pours into the galactic center and slams together, creating millions of new stars. The more massive stars soon go supernova, exploding violently and blasting the surrounding space with enough energy to sterilize it completely. This scenario is detailed by astronomer Antony Stark (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and colleagues in the October 10, 2004, issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The team's discovery was made possible using the unique capabilities of the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory (AST/RO). It is the only observatory in the world able to make large-scale maps of the sky at submillimeter wavelengths.
The gas for each starburst comes from a ring of material located about 500 light-years from the center of our galaxy. Gas collects there under the influence of the galactic bar-a stretched oval of stars 6,000 light-years long rotating in the middle of the Milky Way. Tidal forces and interactions with this bar cause the ring of gas to build up to higher and higher densities until it reaches a critical density or "tipping point." At that point, the gas collapses down into the galactic center and smashes together, fueling a huge burst of star formation.
|The Milky Way. Credit: Akira Fujii
"A starburst is star formation gone wild," says Stark.
Astronomers see starbursts in many galaxies, most often colliding galaxies where lots of gas crashes together. But starbursts can happen in isolated galaxies too, including our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
The next starburst in the Milky Way is coming relatively soon, predicts Stark. "It likely will happen within the next 10 million years."
That assessment is based on the team's measurements showing that the gas density in the ring is nearing the critical density. Once that threshold is crossed, the ring will collapse and a starburst will blaze forth on an unimaginably huge scale.
Some 30 million solar masses of matter will flood inward, overwhelming the 3 million solar mass black hole at the galactic center. The black hole, massive as it is, will be unable to consume most of the gas.
"It would be like trying to fill a dog dish with a firehose," says Stark. Instead, most of the gas will form millions of new stars.
|Life is possible on Earth because it lies in what is called a habitable zone.
The more massive stars will burn their fuel quickly, exhausting it in only a few million years. Then, they will explode as supernovae and irradiate the surrounding space. With so many stars packed so close together as a result of the starburst, the entire galactic center will be impacted dramatically enough to kill any life on an Earth-like planet. Fortunately, the Earth itself lies about 25,000 light-years away, far enough that we are not in danger.
The facility used to make this discovery, AST/RO, is a 1.7-meter-diameter telescope that operates in one of the most challenging environments on the planet-the frigid desert of Antarctica. It is located at the National Science Foundation's Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. The air at the South Pole is very dry and cold, so radiation that would be absorbed by water vapor at other sites can reach the ground and be detected.
"These observations have helped advance our understanding of star formation in the Milky Way," says Stark. "We hope to continue those advancements by collaborating with researchers who are working on the Spitzer Space Telescope's Legacy Science Program. AST/RO's complementary observations would uniquely contribute to that effort."
Stark's co-authors on the paper announcing this finding are Christopher L. Martin, Wilfred M. Walsh, Kecheng Xiao and Adair P. Lane (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), and Christopher K. Walker (Steward Observatory).
Related Web Pages
Black Hole Broadcasting
The Catalog and Atlas of Cataclysmic Variables
Automated Telescope Grids, Instant Messages
The Mystery of Standard Candles
Inevitability Beyond Billions | <urn:uuid:ad2b52c6-d894-49ca-b026-7a0aa83b128d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.astrobio.net/includes/html_to_doc_execute.php?id=1229&component=news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912728 | 881 | 3.703125 | 4 |
It's been 10 days since Hurricane Sandy blew through and nearly a third of all power customers in one Warren Co., N.J., township are still living in the dark.
The mayor of Liberty Township, John Inscho, is making it his mission to ensure everyone has their lights on.
"Hey, how are you?" Inscho asked a woman's caretaker Thursday. "I'm coming to see how Vivian is doing. Is she alright?"
Checking in on constituents has never more crucial. More than 1,000 people in the rural Warren County community of just fewer than 3,000 still don't have power.
"You'll see this all around. Telephone poles down, wires, trees. I mean mass destruction," Inscho said.
So, for the past 10 days, Inscho has put his plumbing business on hold to devote his days and nights driving through the township, doing what is needed.
As a teen, Inscho delivered papers to 103-year-old Vivian Lobb's front door. Now, as her mayor, he delivers gasoline to her generator twice a day.
"I can't say much about it. I'm stuck like everyone else," Lobb said.
Inscho said he's not unique. Neighbors, he said, have been helping neighbors.
"We bring them fresh water. We bring them ice. Try to bring a couple of meals. The firehouse, at the church have helped. The people and the outpouring of support is really great throughout town," Inscho said.
Ken and Kay Lang are both in wheelchairs, both in their upper 80s and both said they'd be in the dark and freezing cold without Inscho's warm heart.
"He's done a fabulous job, not just for me but for everyone who needs the help," Ken Lang said.
Inscho's help has included taking out their trash. Inscho said he's been helping six senior citizens keep afloat until the power comes back on.
"If you can help someone out, help them out. That is what Liberty is all about," said Inscho, who expects about 80 percent of people to get power on by Thursday night and everyone by Sunday. | <urn:uuid:7c918686-4a34-4888-b5c7-fd5c9ae3eeb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-newjersey/Liberty-mayor-on-mission-to-help-township-residents-still-without-power/-/132518/17333090/-/nmygit/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986766 | 454 | 1.5 | 2 |
Concrete Protection for Your Home. Concrete roofs may be expensive compared with asphalt shingles. It may be heavier than metal tiles. Concrete tiles surely needs expertise of a professional in having it installed. Its maintenance may be tricky. Yet, concrete roofs protect homes better than other roofing materials.
How do concrete roofs protect homes? It being heavy makes it durable. Its weight enables the concrete tile to surpass the challenge of incredible weather conditions. It can stand against tornadoes, heavy rains, snowstorms and hails. This material can even survive fires. These amazing features show how concrete roofs protect homes.
There are actually more reasons why you should choose concrete tiles. Roof tiles can come in different designs and colors. This is a durable way to be fashionable. The good thing about concrete roof tiles is that it doesn’t give up the idea of becoming attractive and pleasing to the eye over durability. Also, concrete tiles when installed and maintained properly can last really long. Its life-span is up to fifty years and up. Its price will surely be in proportion to what it can do to your home.
In installing concrete roofs, you will need the help of your reliable home builder. For one, since it is heavy, it is best to make sure that the structure of your home’s foundation can fully support the weight of your concrete roofs.
Roofs installed with concrete tiles are the way to go. All you need is good cement, water, quality river sand, and you’re in business.
We produce Aluminum Roof Tile Molds for the concrete tile roofing industry. If your company needs an aluminum mold for concrete roofing tiles, please call 800-524-8083 or email us at email@example.com.
Die Casting Concrete Roof Tile Molds Blog gives information on how to get a Die Casting Aluminum Molds for Concrete Roof Tiles to make concrete roofing. If you are looking for Aluminum Diecast Roof Tile Trim Molds look at this webpage, contact us today | <urn:uuid:d712c061-5db0-4818-8902-1a45229538c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tile-molds.com/blog/concrete-protection-for-your-home/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920907 | 419 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Landmarks of Washington, D.C.
by Mark D. Hughes photos by Carol M. Highsmith
Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States and home to many of the country's most famous and recognizable landmarks. Follow this slideshow to learn more about some of the capital city's notable sites.
- Washington, D.C.
- Find more Carol Highsmith photos on PhotographsAmerica.com. Carol Highsmith, a distinguished and widely published American photographer, is donating her life's work to the Library of Congress.
- Washington Monument
- Completed in 1884, the Washington Monument is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Washington, D.C. The monument stands just over 555 feet, allowing visitors who make the ascent to enjoy views of up to 40 miles on a clear day. Shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, the Washington Monument is made of marble, granite, and sandstone. It was built to honor George Washington, the first president of the United States.
- Fun Fact: The Washington Monument is the tallest stone structure in the world.
- Jefferson Memorial
- The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is located in the East Potomac Park. Twenty-six columns surround the domed, white-marble structure. The memorial was the brainchild of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who believed Thomas Jefferson deserved a memorial, along with Washington and Lincoln. Construction began in 1938 and was finished in 1943.
- Fun Fact: The 19-foot-tall bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson weighs five tons (10,000 pounds).
- Lincoln Memorial
- The Lincoln Memorial was completed in 1917. Inspired by the designs of Greek temples, there are 36 columns representing the number of states in the union at the time of Lincoln's death. Two murals by Jules Guerin and the famous seated statue of Abraham Lincoln are found inside the building.
- Fun Fact: The statue of Lincoln was carved from 28 blocks of white Georgia marble.
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Simply called "The Wall," this highly polished black granite national shrine features the names of 58,202 Americans killed or missing during the Vietnam War. Designed by American sculptor and architect Maya Ying Lin, the V-shaped wall is 493 feet long. It is one of the most visited memorials in DC.
- Fun Fact: Maya Lin was still an undergraduate at Yale University when she won the national design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
- Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial
- Although officially a part of DC, this island memorial can only be accessed from the Virginia side of the Potomac River. Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was a naturalist. During his administration, he created the U.S. Forest Service and adopted many national parks and forests that total 42 million acres of conserved land. In honor of his efforts toward conservation, Roosevelt's memorial is an island nature reserve. Nearly 90 acres of forest, marsh, and swamp are open daily to the public. No cars are allowed. A 17-foot-tall statue of Teddy Roosevelt stands on the island, surrounded by granite tablets that display his most memorable quotes.
- Fun Fact: Theodore Roosevelt was the first American to receive a Nobel Prize.
- Albert Einstein Memorial
- A 21-foot-tall statue of Albert Einstein sits near the National Academy of Sciences. The memorial was dedicated on April 22, 1979, in honor of the centennial of his birth. A star map set in granite at the statue's feet shows the position of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars on the date of the memorial's dedication. In the statue's left hand is a piece of paper showing three significant mathematical equations: eV = hv - A (photoelectric effect) R�v - ��vR = kT�v (theory of general relativity) E = mc� (equivalence of energy and matter)
- Fun Fact: Albert Einstein was named "Person of the Century" by Time magazine in 1999.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- The FDR Memorial honors the 32nd President of the United States and the era from 1933 to 1945. Divided into four outdoor rooms, each represents one of FDR's terms in office. This image represents the Great Depression. The inscription at the top of this room reads "I SEE ONE-THIRD OF A NATION ILL-HOUSED, ILL-CLAD, ILL-NOURISHED."
- Fun Fact: One of the memorial's statues depicts Fala, FDR's faithful Scottish terrier.
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Nineteen soldiers, each standing over seven feet tall, form the centerpiece of the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Juniper bushes evoke the rough terrain of Korea, and the granite strips represent the obstacles overcome in war. Surrounding the soldiers is a wall of black granite with thousands of faces looking straight out over the platoon. This memorial opened in 1995 in honor of the veterans who fought in the Korean War (1950-1953).
- Fun Fact: South Korea's national flower, the Rose of Sharon hibiscus plant, can be found on the southern side of the memorial.
- National World War II Memorial
- The National World War II Memorial opened in 2004 in honor of the 16 million men and women who served, and the more than 400,000 who died fighting. Fifty-six granite pillars - one for each state, territory, and the District of Columbia - are connected by bronze rope to symbolize unity. Each pillar is adorned by two bronze wreaths, reflecting "America's role as the arsenal and breadbasket of democracy."
- Fun Fact: Each of the 4,048 gold stars on the Freedom Wall represents 100 Americans who died in World War II.
- Smithsonian Institute
- The Smithsonian Institute, also called "the nation's attic," is the largest museum in the world. It is vast, comprising 17 museums and the National Zoo in DC, and two museums in New York City. In 1829, James Smithson of London died and bequeathed his fortune to the people of the United States to create a research and educational institution. The Smithsonian Institute was officially founded in 1846, with the first museum opening that year. Pictured is "The Castle," the first building of the institute and now the Smithsonian Information Center.
- Fun Fact: $508,318 is the amount of money Smithson left to the United States in 1829.
- White House
- The White House is the official residence of the president of the United States and the oldest public building in Washington, D.C. Much of the White House was destroyed in the War of 1812. Later, when the building was being restored, the smoke-stained gray stone walls were painted white. Six levels with 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms accommodate all the people who live, work, and visit the White House. Approximately 6,000 people visit the White House each day.
- Fun Fact: Other names for the White House have been the "Presidential Palace," "Executive Mansion," and the "President's House."
- Supreme Court
- In 1935 the Supreme Court finally got a building of its own. Prior to this, the court sat in what is now called the "Old Senate Chamber." The current building stands due to the efforts of William Howard Taft, chief justice of the Supreme Court and former president of the United States, who persuaded Congress to create a permanent home for the Supreme Court in 1929.
- Fun Fact: Taft was the only president to go on to serve as the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
- Capitol Building
- For two centuries, the Capitol Building has housed the meeting chambers for the Senate and the House of Representatives. Similar to the White House, the Capitol Building was burned by the British in the War of 1812. Fortunately, a rain storm prevented the fires from completely destroying the building and repairs were already underway by 1815. Today, the Capitol Building is a museum of American art and history in addition to its use by Congress.
- Fun Fact: The dome of the Great Rotunda is 180 feet tall, which is also half the length of a football field.
- More from Structures and Buildings
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:2c15c2e2-8486-4b3b-aa99-8529917b1bcb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fun.familyeducation.com/us/slideshow/washington-dc-landmarks.html?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943054 | 1,707 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Is That the Right Medicine for You?
Not Created Equal
What kind of mistakes are you at risk for? According to eye-opening research by the Institute of Medicine, from the moment your doctor writes a prescription, any of a number of things can go wrong -- often in the hospital, but not always. A pharmacist misreads the physician's scrawl. A doctor, unaware of research about when a drug shouldn't be used, prescribes it for you anyway. A patient forgets to tell a doctor about an herbal remedy she's taking, resulting in a dangerous drug interaction. "Mistakes can be made with something as common as birth control pills or allergy medication," says Jim Jirjis, MD, director of primary care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. These mess-ups may not be life-threatening, but they can have very serious side effects.
Experts say women are at special risk. Until recently, most medicines were tested primarily on men, under the assumption that the two sexes would process them the same way. "We now know that women respond differently to many medications," says Rosaly Correa-de-Araujo, MD, PhD, director of Women's Health and Gender-Based Research at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Women have a lower body weight, a higher proportion of fat, smaller organs, and a slower rate of metabolism, as well as different hormone levels. All of these factors affect the way a medication is metabolized, absorbed, and eliminated by the body." In addition, during the menstrual cycle, water retention frequently occurs, which can lead to dilution of a medication. As a result, even if you, your doctor and your pharmacist get everything right, you still might need to readjust the dosage of your medication.
Which isn't to say you should flush all your prescriptions down the toilet. What you need to do is educate yourself. "There are many things women can do to protect themselves," says Dr. Correa-de-Araujo. For starters, pay close attention to your body's response to a new medication and tell your doctor if you notice anything she didn't tell you to expect. For instance, is the drug less effective during your period? If so, you may need a different dosage.
What do you think of this story? Leave a Comment.
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Right after Christmas our local museum had a miniature train exhibit. We've been all about transportation in our house lately so we thought taking the boys would be fun. The Little Guy did not disappoint. He was fascinated with the small trains and quite unhappy when the museum closed and we had to leave.
These trains are built by hobbyists and are very intricate. You can see everything from farms to cities. Tiny military bases and train stations. People, animals and familiar geography. It was a fun way to see how trains have impacted the state of Washington. And it was definitely fun to watch the Little Guy enjoy himself!
The trains were built like a racetrack, in a big square. The owners would sit in the middle and run them and you could usually walk around the entire set-up and see the different towns and countryside.
Our little engineer was quite enthralled.
This is the Owens Ranch and Farm. The pieces were tiny!
Waiting for the train to arrive!
The Littlest Guy enjoyed hanging out too.
This picture was part of the army base. It was huge!
You can see in this picture how the background was painted and then the scenes were set up in front. I can't imagine the number of hours it takes to create one of these scenes and then put it together for the exhibit!
There was a funeral going on at this little country church.
Tanks at the army base.
More army tanks.
This was a great exhibit. There are a number of trains around the Seattle-Tacoma area to ride during the summer months so we'll definitely be doing that when the weather gets better. We are officially a train-obsessed family! | <urn:uuid:eb670182-f761-45a9-98af-5005a0013eb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://storybookreality.blogspot.com/2013/02/mini-train-exhibit.html | 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 | 0.985992 | 350 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Green Marketing Overview:
Consumers' actions demonstrate that they are looking for companies they do business with to develop a sustainability strategy or risk losing their business to "greener" firms. (2007 smart reply white pages "It's Good to be Green")
Today's consumers are committed to preserving the environment- so much so that they are willing to shift their purchase decisions and brand loyalties toward green retailers. (2007 smart reply white pages "It's Good to be Green")
Membership in the environmentally-based Sierra Club is up 33% in four years to almost 800,000 (Newsweek, "The New Greening of America" July 27, 2006)
The US Organic Food Industry accounted for $13.8 billion in 2005 consumer sales, a 284.4% jump over just eight years ago (CNN.com)
Green building products and services doubled from $5.8 billion in 2003 to $10 billion in 2005 (US Green Building Council)
35% of consumers say they will still pay more for "environmentally friendly" products, despite the recession (Mintel research report, March 2010) while 74% say they would switch to another brand if it helped them conserve resources without having to pay more (P&G and Ipsos Public Affairs' "Consumer Conservation Survey" 2010)
Consumers expect to double their spending on green products and services in 2008 to reach $500 billion annually (ImagePower Green Brands Survey, April 2007)
There are 63 million consumers eating organics, driving hybrids and buying fair trade morning lattes, making up 30% of the American Market. They have proven themselves willing to spend up to an astounding 20% premium on clean, green products over non-sustainable alternatives.
Two huge markets - Baby Boomers and Millennials - are twice as likely to associate their own personal values with companies and brands.
Perceptions of environmental, ethical, and social stewardship are the fastest growing contributors to consumer brand value. (Z+ Partners)
The market for "all natural" cleaning products was at $100 million a year in 2007 (Forbes.com) and reached $298 million a year by March 2010, not including sales at mass-market retailers such as Walmart (MediaPost.com).
Over the past five years the sales of organic and all natural products have increased 18% to 25% year over year.
Over two-thirds of Americans interviewed said "Doing well by doing good is a savvy business strategy." (GolinHarris CCI Report 12.6.06.) | <urn:uuid:88440b0b-3e4f-4531-9965-91da20adf4af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goodandgreen.biz/fast_facts.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95132 | 518 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Owning horses means you have to find the right land to house and ride them. If you don’t want to keep them a few miles down the road or further, you’ll want to invest in a piece of property suited for horses. If you already own an equestrian property you know how much work goes in to finding the right spot. From zoning requirements to land quality, there are a number of factors you’ll need to take into account.
Quality of Buildings
When choosing the right property, it’s imperative that you address the quality of the buildings currently standing. Though the property may look good right now, Bayequest.info suggests, “Just because a particular property looks like it will fit your needs as they exist today doesn’t mean that it will continue to do so in a few years time. Do you plan on enlarging the home or adding more facilities? Is there sufficient space to expand or improve the existing infrastructure?”
• Storage area: Is there sufficient storage and stall area? Be sure your needs are being met without renovations.
• Renovation potential: If you want to renovate, consider where that puts your budget. While the property may seem like a good price, it’s critical you consider how much you’ll need to spend after the fact.
• Resell value: If, in 5 years time, you want to move on, will the property be just as valuable, more or less?
The Available Land
If there are no buildings on the land, you’ll need to assess the land as it sits right then. There needs to not only be room for the animals and equipment, but new stalls, barns, fencing, etc. There are a variety of aspects that you should assess, and stick firm to, right away.
• Size: In case there aren’t already proper buildings in place, be sure you have the space for all the structures you’ll need to build.
• Geography: The environment should be suitable for grazing and riding. If possible, find property with tall trees for shade.
Buying an equestrian property isn’t the same as purchasing one to build a home. Because you’ll be raising animals, and using the property for various structures, you’ll need to assess based on a variety of factors. From various zoning requirements to lot conditions, owning an equestrian property requires you to consider two main factors:
• Zoning: Consider how many horses you have now and how many you hope to have in the future. Zoning varies from town to town, so be sure that you are set in the event that you want to have more horses.
• Water drainage: While each property will have different drainage options and needs, TheHorse.com advises,
“Environmentally speaking, the golden rule on horse properties is to “keep clean rainwater clean” by diverting it away from paddocks, buildings, manure piles, and high traffic areas.” Be sure this will be possible.
If you want to keep your horses close by, you’ll need to purchase the right kind of property. When choosing which equestrian property will be best, there are a number of factors to consider including land quality and zoning requirements. Be sure to assess the whole picture before making your final decision.
Photo credit: pahorsefarmstoday.com | <urn:uuid:7c3218ab-ab4a-47dc-98bd-5eac3ae2eb80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travelxl.org/pages/what-to-look-for-in-an-equestrian-property/ | 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 | 0.941829 | 714 | 1.765625 | 2 |
In the book, Persuasion Engineering, and in workshops of the same name, Richard Bandler and John La Valle discuss the concept of “inoculation.” In medicine, the shot you receive to inoculate you against a particular disease anticipates your exposure to a pathogen and teaches your immune system how to respond appropriately so that you can avoid the disease. It’s a good metaphor to creating resistance to harmful ideas in a wide variety of change work, including sales, behavioral change, and therapeutic interventions.
If you buy a new car, say an ABC from the DEF dealership, not long after you . . . → Read More: The Importance of Inoculation | <urn:uuid:aaa643af-1892-4476-81dc-ca58ef527c3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scs-matters.com/blog/?tag=future-pace | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924018 | 142 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Mysterious Bat-Killing Disease
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A mysterious bat-killing disease is striking caves throughout the Northeast. It's been called "white nose syndrome," because a white fungus grows on the sick bats' noses. Wildlife biologist Alan Hicks, bat specialist for New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation, tells us more about the disease, and why we should be concerned for the bats' welfare. | <urn:uuid:aa3ffe7a-544b-4644-8538-e1fd991d9d7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2008/mar/19/mysterious-bat-killing-disease/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947388 | 86 | 2.515625 | 3 |
When I explain to someone that stress for children doesn’t come from monsters in the closet—it comes from their thoughts about monsters in the closet—they typically agree.
When I explain that stress doesn’t come from traffic jams—it comes from your thoughts about traffic jams—they typically agree.
When I explain that stress doesn’t come from moving, or getting divorced—it comes from your thoughts about moving, or getting divorced—they typically agree.
Stress doesn’t just happen. You don’t find yourself walking along, having a great time, and then spontaneously and for no reason at all, you get angry or upset. Your emotions happen because of something you are thinking about.
And yet it’s often the case that, upon hearing how emotions work, someone will say, “But what about ___________,” and then they insert their extreme circumstance of choice: sexual abuse, death of a loved one, cancer, genocide, warfare. Doesn’t THAT come directly from the experience itself? Isn’t THAT a completely different category of stress?
You tell me. In all of human experience, has there ever been someone who faced those circumstances and didn’t forever carry it as a heavy burden? Has there ever been a child with terminal cancer who remained happy, even if he or she was still dying? Has there ever been a prisoner of war who didn’t find the experience permanently traumatizing? Is it possible to survive genocide and, without condoning it, see it as an opportunity to find deeper meaning as a human being?
We don’t want to answer this question honestly because it exposes the myth that we believe in, and that exposure can lead to more accountability than some of us are ready for. It seems so much easier (and far more popular) to continue as a victim. But is it really easier?
People may always ask me “But what about…?” I think it’s a question worth really asking, and answering. | <urn:uuid:73b2914d-91ba-4771-9fb2-eda29f1fffb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mythofstress.com/but-what-about/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960796 | 424 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Snakes, caimans scare villagers
By CECILY ASSON Thursday, December 30 2010
click on pic to zoom in
A BIG ONE: A villager displays one of several long snakes killed in the village off Chester Road, Debe which the villagers say is infested with snakes...
A TINY village located a short distance from the Debe Constituency office of Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal is now under siege from snakes and other reptiles including caimans.
Residents told Newsday that the poor drainage in the area is responsible for the swampy conditions they are forced to live under and which encourage the breeding of the reptiles.
Yesterday, frightened father of four Krishna Boodhai, 38, of Chester Road, Debe said residents including a number of children are afraid to come out of their homes. He said the area is infested with snakes which are often seen slithering along the road and in the yards of people’s homes.
Caimans, he said, hide under vehicles. “We are afraid of being bitten by these snakes and caimans. The caimans are especially bold and the bigger ones will stand their ground when you confront them,” a villager said.
On Monday night, Boodhai told Newsday they killed the largest snake in quite some time, with the reptile measuring six feet in length. He did not know the type of snake and whether or not it was poisonous.
According to online reference site Wikipedia, there are four species of venomous snakes in Trinidad — two Coral Snakes (Micrurus spp), the Fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox) or Mappepire Balsain as it is commonly called and the Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) or Mappepire Znana as it is commonly called.
“We don’t know who to ask for help again,” Boodhai said. “We spoke to the councillor, the Member of Parliament (MP) and it’s like no one cares. I feel they are waiting on a child to get bitten before they respond.”
Boodhai said residents are forced to hunt the snakes and kill them to protect their children from harm. “You walk in the yard and there are snakes just lying or slithering around. In the night we have to take a torchlight and look for them and kill them so that the children and women can sleep easy,” he said.
The caimans and snakes inhabit the stagnant water said to be about two feet deep in mud drains in front their homes and a nearby lagoon. “Because there is no proper run off for the water, it settles in the drains and this causes the snakes and caimans to come out. We are accustomed to water snakes but the snake we killed on Monday night was different. We don’t know if it is poisonous or not,” Boodhai said.
Councillor Skafte Awardy acknowledged knowing about the villagers’ plight. “I have visited the area and the issue is a complicated one with regard to the location of homes in the village. I am working on the problem but it is taking longer than expected. I hope to bring relief to them as soon as possible,” Awardy said. | <urn:uuid:cf2b3ea5-9bc7-4a20-bd3b-14a85d2b70f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,133250.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972018 | 696 | 1.992188 | 2 |
In the Garden:
An oriental poppy is a masterpiece of color and design, with its characteristic dark brush strokes at the base of the petals.
Wild for Poppies
Few flowers carry the symbolic baggage of a poppy. The ancient Greeks believed poppies brought good luck to the harvest, calling them corn or grain poppies. When they grew adjacent to a field, they were a portent for a good crop. During World War I, drifts of red poppies spreading across the battlefields in Flanders in Western Europe seemed an apt symbol for the bloodshed and gave rise to the nickname, Flanders poppies. In modern-day Afghanistan, Mexico, and numerous other countries that traffic in heroin, the breadseed or opium poppy represents a cash crop, worthy of defending to the death.
To us gardeners, poppies are simply elegant flowers, with their fuzzy, nodding buds; crepe paper petals; and distinctive seedpods. Many different plants go by the name "poppy" -- some perennial and some annual -- so in the interest of clearing things up a bit, and since fall is a good time to sow seeds of some of them, let's talk poppies.
Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale) have been immortalized in Georgia O'Keefe's paintings of oversized flowers that seem to pull us inside the petals. No wonder they captivated her, with their brilliant blooms of red, peach, pink, rose, and white, often with a distinctive splash of black at the base of the petals. Even in real life, the plants seem oversized -- reaching 4 feet tall with flowers 6 inches across.
They are typically put in as nursery plants in spring. After flowering, the foliage dies back and then starts to grow again in the cool days of fall, so pair them with other plants that will fill in the holes during midsummer.
The poppy that sent Dorothy into drug-induced slumber in the Land of Oz was Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, with flowers of red, white, or pink, and shades in between. Unfortunately this species is listed as a controlled substance in the U.S. (Opium is made from the unripe fruits; the seeds contain none of the narcotic, but if you eat enough of them -- say, in muffins or bread -- you might test positive for opiates.) Gardeners take their chances growing this species, especially a large patch of them, and especially if they let the seedpods mature. Perhaps if we cut off all the flowers when they fade to eliminate any suspicious seedpods ...
Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule), as the name suggests, hail from subarctic regions so they strut their stuff in our climate. The typical flower colors are yellow, orange, and white. These grow about 1 to 2 feet tall and are easy to start from seed sown in fall.
The deep red corn poppy or Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas) -- beautiful in its own rite -- is also the origin of the wonderful Shirley poppy (named after Shirley, a town in England where the new form was discovered by a vicar), which blooms in a myriad of antique shades for many weeks. The flowers lack the dark base of the Orientals, and the foliage is more inconspicuous than on some other types. They grow 2 to 2-1/2 feet tall and can be started from seed in fall.
Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinus), with white, yellow, orange, and pink flowers on 6-inch-tall plants, are perfect for rock gardens with a sandy-ish soil. They are slow to grow from seed, so you might want to purchase plants.
Using the Term Loosely
Now we come to two poppies that are not "true" poppies of the genus Papaver. The orange California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) has a very different form than the other annual poppies, growing only 18 inches high. It's not hardy in New England, but it reseeds prolifically and can become a nuisance. It grows best in sandy soil.
Blue poppies or Himalayan poppies (Meconopsis betonicifolia) are to die for. I only wish they would reseed with abandon in my garden. They are so finicky that I could devote an entire column to growing them. Southern New Englanders would be especially lucky to successfully grow a plant that prefers the growing conditions of Tibet -- cool, moist summers with good snow covering in winter and early spring, and well-drained, acidic soil. They also need partial shade and a sheltered location.
Keeping Them Happy
Poppies put on a big show in early to midsummer and then they go dormant, so give them a place where they can shine before other perennials grow large enough to fill in the space. Sow the seeds on well-drained soil and barely cover them with fine soil because they need light to germinate. The seed is so tiny that sowing is easier if you mix it with some sand. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Then thin them to about 6 to 10 inches apart.
Annual poppies may live for more than one season in our region, but most likely they will return as new seedlings from seed scattered by nature. This gives us license to pull up some of the plants once they are finished blooming if they look too scraggly. Just make sure to leave a couple to go to seed for next year's blooms. To me, the seed heads are as worthy as the flowers, so I plant them where other perennials will hide the foliage as it declines. Since poppies don't like wet feet, give them well-drained soil in full sun. They don't need fertilizer or manure.
In the Wizard of Oz, a field of poppies lured Dorothy into drugged slumber. I could be overcome, too, by the allure of a field of these beauties.
Care to share your gardening thoughts, insights, triumphs, or disappointments with your fellow gardening enthusiasts? Join the lively discussions on our FaceBook page and receive free daily tips! | <urn:uuid:e7d82567-1c50-4a9f-b4a0-663c9298f043> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/inmygarden/2254 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949764 | 1,311 | 3.0625 | 3 |
This item is available under a Creative Commons License for non-commercial use only
Health care sciences and services
Methodology Seventeen nursing homes in Ireland were recruited to take part in this research.Ownership varies with seven private homes and ten Health Service Executive (HSE) administered homes involved. The homes were surveyed between May 2007 andNovember 2008. The methodology consisted of the following three elements: A building survey to establish fire safety facilities: An analysis of fire related documentation: Interviews with staff to establish existing fire safety procedures. Results None of the seventeen nursing homes showed an adequate ability to prevent fire or evacuate residents to a place of safety. None of the nursing homes carried out adequate fire risk assessments. None of the nursing homes prevented fire doors being left open. Only one nursing home fully complied with relevant codes of practice in terms of construction and required fire safety facilities. Only one nursing home had a sufficient standard of compartmentation to allow the movement of residents to a relatively safer part of the building to await rescue. However there were positive results such as the fact that all the homes had adequate automatic fire detection and alarm and emergency lighting systems installed and had carried out tests and maintenance on these systems to some extent. One home had routinely carried out all these required tests. Escape routes were found to be clear of obstructions and the standard of storage was high. Staff had received training in fire safety and they were found to be motivated and receptive to improving fire prevention and evacuation. Sample frame extrapolation The number of nursing homes surveyed in this research was 17. This represents a small percentage (0.03%) of the overall number of nursing homes in Ireland (approximately 586). This presents statistical difficulties when attempting to extrapolate to the rest of the country. Until a follow up survey using the same methodology is carried out on a representative sample of national nursing homes, it is not possible to predict if the research sample performance is replicated throughout Ireland. However it should be remembered that the results apply to the 17 nursing homes in question and in this regard are statistically significant for that sample (p=<0.05). Speculating on the extrapolation accuracy is therefore far too difficult to achieve meaningful conclusions. However the findings of the research should not be ignored on the basis that national fire safety performance cannot be assessed. Whilst the research did not set out to achieve national representation, the results should still be theoretically applied to Ireland given the potential scale of injury and fatalities due to inadequate fire safety management. Recommendations A larger sample of nursing homes needs to be surveyed using the same methodology to statistically assess the scale of the problem. A standardised fire risk assessment methodology and evacuation protocol should be adopted and all staff in nursing homes trained to this standard. Research is needed on the ratio of staff to residents required for successful evacuation together with a cost benefit analysis on the use of sprinklers. There is a need for a memorandum of understanding between relevant Government Departments to establish responsibility for the effective enforcement of fire safety management and evacuation procedures in Irish nursing homes. | <urn:uuid:f1794e94-28a1-4443-a4dd-db1dac6380e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arrow.dit.ie/scienmas/76/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956374 | 606 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Even if most of us are powerless to completely evade it completely, the pitfalls of mobile phone intercepts are well documented and known. However, two articles recently published on the web can be read as somewhat justifying the use of material thus collected for truth seeking after an act of terrorism. Whether such use justifies ab initio the clandestine harvesting of voice and data from consumers is a debatable point, particularly in regimes significantly less democratic than the US and India.
England’s Guardian newspaper reports on its blog an experiment by Wikileaks to place on public record more than 500,000 intercepted pager messages, many from US officials, at the time of the World Trade Centre attacks in New York on 9th September 2001.
The experiment by whistleblowing website Wikileaks includes pager messages sent on the day by officials in the Pentagon, the New York police and witnesses to the collapse of the twin towers. Wikileaks said the messages would show a “completely objective record of the defining moment of our time”.
Emphasis mine. In a similar vein, the Lede of the New York Times reports almost a year after the horrific terrorist attacks in Mumbai that,
… Channel 4 News in Britain had obtained and broadcast excerpts from those intercepted phone calls, between the attackers and people apparently directing them. This audio was also used in a documentary produced by Channel 4 and HBO, which was broadcast last summer in Britain is airing in the United States this week.
The Channel 4 video is chilling, demonstrating clearly how mobile phone communications were central to the terrorist attacks.
Implications for advocacy against mobile phone and communications monitoring
We know that the terrorists in Mumbai used Blackberry’s to communicate with home base and monitor news reports. Does this knowledge justify the Indian government’s threat to hack into Blackberry communications a few months before the attacks last year?
Both examples above point to extremely sophisticated, wide ranging signals and communications intelligence regimes in both countries, able to access the communications of specific mobile devices and numbers post facto. As noted in the Lede,
Wikileaks would not reveal the source for the leak, but hinted: “It is clear that the information comes from an organisation which has been intercepting and archiving US national telecommunciations since prior to 9/11.
This strongly suggests that both data and voice of a wide range of numbers (maybe even of all consumers?) are being recorded either by the telcos themselves and / or by government intelligence agencies.
Given the increasing sophisticated and ubiquity of signals and communications intelligence, it is reasonable to expect that every terrorist act today gives cause for more encroachment into private communications. For example, this is clear even in the United Kingdom, when in 2008 it was brought to light that it was the intention of the British Government to create a database to record every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by all citizens.
A common argument will be that these measures are necessary to protect the public in a context where terrorism relies on the same public infrastructure and communications channels to plans its attacks as ordinary citizens.
Will then a mark of democracy in the future be the open knowledge and contestation of these signals and communication intelligence regimes in the media by civil society, such as we find in the UK and US? If not, how can we discern between the ostensibly pro bono publico monitoring of communications in more robust democracies and the more sinister, parochial monitoring of communications in regimes like Iran, Saudi Arabia and China?
A case for slow-news?
Finally, I go back to the justification of Wikileaks to publish the records of pager messages sent after the World Trade Centre attacks. What it refers to as an objective record is actually a plethora of hugely subjective, partial and inaccurate messages. Any real time analysis of these messages could not have in any meaningful way contributed to situational awareness or policy decisions. As the Guardian notes, the messages “…show how panic and rumour began to spread on the day, and are likely to fuel conspiracy theories about the attacks.”
Dan Gillmor, using the more recent example of the shootings in America’s Fort Hood, writes about the need for a ‘slow news’ movement. As he notes,
I rely in large part on gut instincts when I make big decisions, but my gut only gives me good advice when I’ve immersed myself in the facts about things that are important. This applies, more than ever, to news, where we need to be skeptical of just about everything we read, listen to and watch, though not equally skeptical. A corollary to that is increasingly clear: to wait a bit, for evidence that is persuasive, before deciding what’s true and what’s not.
It comes down to this: The faster the news accelerates, the slower I’m inclined to believe anything I hear — and the harder I look for the coverage that pulls together the most facts with the most clarity about what’s known and what’s speculation. Call it slow news. Call it critical thinking. Call it anything you want. Give some thought to adopting it for at least some of your media consumption, and creation.
Dan’s full blog post, which refers to the work of Ethan Zuckerman as well, is linked to national security, in that policy decisions to counter terrorism taken on the basis of communications intelligence may be based on information that’s inaccurate, partial and in some cases, deliberately misleading. This is especially the case in a context where with a shocked and enraged citizenry, a government is forced to act upon, and rate more highly, intelligence it knows is suspect. There is also the flip side, where in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack known to have been coordinated using public telecoms infrastructure and channels, an unscrupulous government can more easily justify and embed communications monitoring for its own ends.
As Dan notes, the answer could lie in media literacy. But media literacy is pegged to the freedom of expression, sufficient literacy, education and access to alternative media. Fabrice Florin’s NewsTrust.net offers one compelling model of news reporting that fosters critical appreciation of online content. There are others. Coupled with an education in critical thinking, they can be a solid defense against mobs and riots instigated by disinformation, misinformation and misguided government policies that exacerbate conflict and act as a force-multiplier to terrorism. | <urn:uuid:421302bb-659d-4d48-983f-345539c9f8dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/intercepting-mobile-communications-a-cogent-case-for-truth-seeking-and-slow-news/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949371 | 1,311 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Young Dreamers United was created to encourage the youth to define their vision for success and then provide them with the necessary steps, skills, and resources to achieve it.
What is the YDU?
Young Dreamers United is a Non-Profit Business Licence that can be purchased by an individual or an organization that has a vested interest in developing a generation of young leaders and inspiring them to pursue their passions and dreams. This Non-Profit Organization supports a college student to middle school student mentor relationship. The organization’s core values include: Empowerment, Growth, & Action and our campaign is to encourage the youth to define their vision for success and then help them to achieve it. We accomplish this by empowering the students through personal and intellectual growth, and then illustrate the actions that must be taken in order to achieve their true potential. We have developed a series of lessons and activities that walk students through the various stages of personal development. Our core topics include Knowing Yourself, Personal Strengths, Taking the First Step, Obstacles, Teamwork, Conflict, and Re-definition of Self.
Our program is designed to help middle school students discover themselves and lay the foundation for success in wherever their dreams may lead them. We accomplish this through a series of thought provoking lessons and activities designed and administered by our college level members. The college students fill a much needed mentor role in the lives of these middle school children and provide the encouragement and support necessary for them to succeed. The lessons taught have the intention of helping middle school students discover themselves while encouraging them to embrace their own unique gifts and talents in pursuit of their dreams. We also use these activities to address many issues that have developed as a result of the remanences of a segregated society. We tackle tough issues like race, religion, gender roles, bullying, and socioeconomic status and present them in such a way that these middle school students understand them as well as provide solutions that the middle school students can implement right now to help combat them. | <urn:uuid:f7bd4ccf-aee0-4f8e-b633-563afe4705cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leadersoftomorrowisn.org/Young_Dreamers_United.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96353 | 406 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The Hottest Day in Chicago, Then and Now
It's 2 PM and 102 degrees at Chicago Midway, and we seem to be closing in on the all-time record of 105 degrees (temperatures usually peak between 3 and 4 PM; never mind, it just dropped 19 degrees). The prior record was set on July 24, 1934—an ill time for such a record, in the middle of the Great Depression and the ongoing extreme drought of the Dust Bowl. It was only anomalous in being just slightly hotter than the rest of that summer. July 1934 was intensely hot across virtually the entire country, with above-normal mean temperatures covering the entire country that July:
The mid-1930s were a particularly calamitous time for weather, with a frequency of heatwaves much greater than that of the past few years, and it would only get worse (source: EPA).
(The heat wave index reflects a "four-day period with an average temperature that would only be expected to occur once every 10 years, based on the historical record.")
1936 was the worst of it—in some ways, the most extreme weather year in U.S. history. In terms of "short-duration heat events," the highest average hourly temperature for a three- or four-day period in Chicago was July 12-15, 1995, at 91.2 degrees; in second was July 10-12 1936, at 90.1 degrees. (From 12:51 AM yesterday to 12:51 PM today, the average was 89.3 degrees.)
Detroit was devastated by the heat wave; 364 people died after seven straight days that hit 100 degrees:
Friday was the first time in history that three consecutive 100 degree days had been recorded in Detroit. It reached 101. As the weekend began, crowds began to throng to Belle Isle. It was a Detroit tradition to camp out on the island when oppressive heat moved in. But never in such numbers. Police reported that there was not a parking space to be found on the island and traffic was backed up from the bridge along East Grand Boulevard all the way to Kercheval. The island looked like a massive gypsy camp, with hundreds of thousands of families sleeping out in the open, wherever there was an open piece of grass.
1936 was the hottest summer in the U.S. on record, but the winter of 1936 was cold: the mean temperature in January in Chicago was 17.1 degrees, thirteen degrees colder than this January.
So the 1930s were, for summer heat, worse than the oughts. And that's reflected in the data:
(This chart shows "the percentage of the land area of the lower 48 states with summer daily high temperatures well above normal.")
The line represents a smoothed nine-year moving average, which is reaching 1930s levels. What's more worrisome, though, is the high low temperatures:
The graph is identical to the one above; otherwise it measures daily low temperatures that are above normal. Those have grown dramatically more frequent. And it was the high daily lows that played a major role in the severity of the 1995 heat wave:
The heat wave has been found to be remarkably unusual, but only partially because of the extreme high apparent temperatures (an index of the combined effect of temperature and humidity on humans), where the authors calculate a return period of the peak apparent temperature of ≤ 23 yr. Of greater significance were the very high temperatures that persisted day and night over an extended 48-h period. Analysis presented here indicates that for Chicago such an extended period of continuously high day and night apparent temperature is unprecedented in modern times. The 2-day period where the minimum apparent temperature failed to go below 31.5°C (89°F) is calculated to be an extremely rare event (probability of occurrence < 0.1%) based on a 10 000-yr-long simulation of a four-parameter (temperatures related to the mean, the intraseasonal daily variance, the interannual variance, and the day-to-day persistence of temperature) probabilistic model.
Humidity was also a factor. During the 1995 heat wave, the dew point got into the low eighties; the highest it's been during these past couple days of intense heat was
7.1 72.0 with humidity of 69 71 percent.
Speaking of dew points, in 2003 NIU professor David Changnon was the lead author on an interesting paper (PDF) that suggested higher dew points could be the result of changing agricultural practices. Dew points have been higher during recent heat waves:
Along with farming methods:
During the last 20 years cultivation practices have shifted. Many farmers in Illinois now practice no-till cultivation, leaving the post-harvest materials on the surface, which acts to reduce runoff. The water that previously went into runoff now has a greater chance of going into soil recharge and being available for the following growing season.... These results provide indirect evidence of increased sub-surface storage, which could allow enhanced growing-season evapotranspiration. Thus, regional increases in precipitation combined with changes in agricultural practices may have led to higher water vapor levels which may be related to observed increases in cloud cover.
Which, at the time, worried Changnon:
"Heat waves today are different than they were a half century ago because they are more frequently accompanied by extreme spikes in humidity," Changnon said. "I strongly suspect that changes in agricultural methods — particularly in the area of corn production — are playing a major role in this by adding more water vapor to the lower atmosphere of the Upper Midwest."
All plants transpire, that is, release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves. Corn is unique in that it belongs to a family of plants that transpire, or sweat, both day and night. "Stand in any cornfield and you can feel the increased humidity," Changnon said. | <urn:uuid:f960e4a4-2fd6-4970-ae41-07316362fb7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/The-312/June-2012/The-Hottest-Day-in-Chicago-Then-and-Now/ | 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 | 0.968987 | 1,213 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Jul 10, 2012 - Claremont, Calif. -
The award is given to K-12 science and math teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, offering them an opportunity to provide input for future national educational policy.
Chosen from a pool of more than 200 applicants, Tambara is one of only 19 teachers nationwide to receive the honor.
Fellows will spend an academic year serving in one of four sponsoring agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), or the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). They give practical insight and “real world” classroom perspectives to policy makers and program managers who develop or manage educational programs.
Fellows receive a $6,000 monthly stipend, a cost of living allowance and allowances for relocation and professional travel.
Tambara, who teaches science at Bert Lynn Middle School in Torrance, Calif., will head to Washington, D.C. in September. There he will serve in the Computer Information Science & Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation.
Einstein fellows help to increase understanding, communication and cooperation between the STEM education community and legislative and executive branches of the federal government. The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program was authorized by an act of Congress in 1994. It is administered by the DOE, in partnership with the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education and participating host agencies.
Media Contact: Judy Augsburger | <urn:uuid:9c0f24d3-a52e-4374-bebd-e02681151515> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hmc.edu/newsandevents/tambara-einstein-fellowship.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903639 | 312 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Visions From The Past of a House of the Future
Motorola ad/Promo image
In San Francisco on September 4 there is a great panel discussion happening on a subject dear to my heart, Why Is the House of the Future So Tied to the Past?
Why do the Jetsons remain the high bar of futurist thinking when it comes to the places we live in? Panelists Tom Chi, experience lead at Google X; architect Michelle Kaufmann; Ronald Rael, architect, author and assistant professor at UC Berkeley; and moderator Allison Arieff, contributing columnist to The New York Times and editor of The Urbanist, will discuss how can we expand our ideas about the house of the future to create inspired visions of the 21st century American Dream.
It is a subject we have covered many times on TreeHugger; Here is a roundup of some of our houses of the future from the past.
O, the future. Where we get to live under power lines and mainline all the juice we need. Complete with electric mood control. More in TreeHugger
Robert Heinlein's House of the Future
Alas, it isn't a tesseract as described in And He Built a Crooked House, but Robert Heinlein did build himself a very interesting modern house that is a good model for building today. More in TreeHugger
Vision of the City of the Future From 1950 Is Not That Far Off From the Reality of the PresentWe visit the Dobson family in Tottenville, a new town built around an airport much like the aeropolises that are now being proposed. "it is a crime to burn raw coal and pollute the air with soot and smoke". More in TreeHugger
Monsanto House of the Future
The best ever. One of the buildings that inspired me to become an architect.
a glimpse of carefree futuristic living inside a plastic-walled floating cruciform structure with picture phones, height-adjustable sinks, dishes washed by ultrasonic waves, and atomic food preservation.
More in TreeHugger
Disney's New Dream Home: Worse Than We Dreamed
Bruce Handy, writing in Time about Disney's reopening of a deliberately out-of-date Tomorrowland in 1998, began his essay with the sentence, "The future isn't what it used to be." He went on, "It's not a novel observation to point out that our culture has become increasingly backward looking."
Well, given the future envisioned in Disney's House of the Future, who can blame us for looking the other way?
Disney's Tomorrowland is deeply, thoroughly, almost furiously unimaginative. This isn't the fault of the "Disney culture"; it is the fault of our culture. We seem to have entered a deeply unimaginative era. | <urn:uuid:8e6b273f-84ef-4e0d-be4e-193c0bc653fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/visions-past-house-future.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93395 | 576 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Fort Hays State University > About FHSU > Executive Division > Overview
At the top of the administrative pyramid at Fort Hays State University is the president,who, as the chief executive officer, reports to the Kansas Board of Regents,which governs the state's six state universities. The president and his staff are responsible for the executive functions of administration, budget and organizational maintenance. The president is ultimately responsible for the overall health of the university and its success in performing its mission of educating students.
In addition to serving as a vital link between the state's administrative structure and the faculty, staff and student body of the university, the President's Office performs many different functions, playing key roles in setting the tone for the institution's internal relationships and serving as the university's most public face in the interaction with alumni, friends, donors and the community of Hays and the state of Kansas. Also, working with the Provost's Office and the faculty, the President's Office protects and nurtures the educational mission of the university, especially serving as a guardian of academic rigor.
The office is not only administrative, it serves to support, develop, promote and publicize initiatives and programs arising out of the diverse university community. The various facets of the President's Office are, in essence, chief executive and chief cheerleader, organizer, promoter and salesman, responsible for informing the institution's public about and seeking support for the university as it goes about the task of educating students for the future of the state and nation.
State of the University Fall 2012University Organizational ChartKansas Board of Regents on Facebook
Copyright © 2009-2012 Fort Hays State University • 600 Park Street, Hays, Kansas 67601–4099 • 785–628–FHSU (3478) Contact Webmaster with any questions or comments concerning this Web site. | <urn:uuid:c8eced78-d734-437e-a74d-140a5af9711a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fhsu.edu/president/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939027 | 375 | 1.726563 | 2 |
While the word "museum" might not initially set your tot's eyes (or yours, for that matter) aglow with excitement, you both might be surprised at how unstuffy a day at the museum can be.
Check out the locations below in Westchester County, NY, that offer exhibits that cater to the younger crowd, which means they're specially designed to be interactive, colorful, and fun, as well as educational. Some may build on your child's school curriculum while others might introduce something totally new, but each specializes in creating an environment that brings learning and playing together for children-and, of course, their grown-ups are welcome too!
Also see our complete 2011 Guide to Children's Museum Exhibits.
Greenburgh Nature Center
99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale
Grounds open daily - including hiking trails - from dawn till dusk, free admission. Indoor exhibits: open weekdays (except Friday) 9:30am-4:30pm; weekends 10am-4:30pm. $7, $6 students and seniors, $5 children ages 2-12, free members and children under 2.
The Way of Water: Westchester Watersheds: Learn about the watershed systems in Westchester County, including the life they support and how we can protect the quality of the water passing through them. Opens February 6.
Outdoor Animal Displays: See prairie dogs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and a birds of prey aviary (free).
Indoor Exhibits: The exhibits include an animal museum with more than 100 live specimens, a greenhouse with a variety of plants from all over the world, and a large exhibit room with changing natural history and nature related art exhibits.
Katonah Museum of Art
134 Jay Street (Route 22), Katonah
Part of the Fairfield Westchester Museum Alliance. This small museum explores culture and society through the visual arts.
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 12-5pm. $5; $3 students and seniors; free 10am-12pm; free children under 12.
Young Arists 2011: This annual exhibit showcases the artwork of 300 high school seniors from schools in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, and Fairfield (CT) Counties. Open May 15-22.
Trailside Nature Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
At Routes 35 and 121, Cross River
Exhibits spotlight the area's natural features and the reservation's history.
Open Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday 9am-4pm. No admission fee ($2 suggested donation). 35 miles of hiking trails open daily, dawn till dusk. Hosts nature and culture programs for children and adults, including guided hikes, Native American crafts, maple sugaring, and storytelling.
Westchester Children's Museum - Coming Soon
Future location: Boardwalk at Rye Playland (on the Long Island Sound)
The museum is currently under construction and set to open in late 2011. It will cater to children up to age 10 and provide opportunities for continued growth for preteens and teens, with exhibits focused on water play, pretend play, physics, science, art, music, and places to climb, build, and examine.
Westmoreland Sanctuary Nature Center & Wildlife Preserve
260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mt. Kisco
Open Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm; Sunday 10:30am-5pm. Free admission. The preserve includes more than seven miles of trails that are open daily, dawn till dusk, for hiking and leisure (use Chestnut Ridge Road entrance). The nature center offers a variety of nature-based public programs on weekends, including bird watching, maple sugaring, and guided nature hikes.
|Ever wonder how these exhibits come together, or what formula the museum's follow to find the perfect balance between learning and fun? Check out Children's Museums: Behind the Exhibits and get the answers, straight from exhibit developers in the New York metro area. | <urn:uuid:da7770ed-29b3-48e9-af56-cfbcd1d8d644> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://westchester.nymetroparents.com/article/Children-s-Museum-Exhibits-in-Westchester-CountyNY-2011-Guide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919348 | 837 | 1.984375 | 2 |