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“The Greek city-states reached their heyday in the centuries between about 750 and 323 B.C. The period between 750 and 480 is known as the Archaic Age, while the years from 480 to 323 are called the Classical Period.”
“See also Marcel Mauss, The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies, trans.”
“The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies.”
“B.C.; but these accounts are of so general a character and so wanting in detail that I shall pass on about two hundred years, after saying a few words of the advance made in the arts of sculpture, and mentioning a few of the examples which remain from that early time, which is called the Archaic period.”
“Scholars have argued for nearly 70 years over the provenance of what's called the Archaic Mark, a 44-page miniature book, known as a "codex," which contains the complete 16-chapter text of the Gospel of Mark in minuscule handwritten text.”
“Scholars have argued for nearly 70 years over the provenance of what's called the Archaic Mark, a 44-page miniature book, known as a "codex", which contains the complete 16-chapter text of the Gospel of Mark in minuscule handwritten text.”
“One of Skywalds first B & W magazines, long before they starting doing the extremely nasty horror comics SCREAM, PSYCHO, NIGHTMARE etc. under the editorial direction of "Archaic" Al Hewetson....”
“That's what it was all about during the later issues of Skywald Magazines output, under the direction of "Archaic" Al Hewetson.”
“Suffice it to say the story illustrated above is one of the best from "Archaic" Al, and is NOT for the faint of heart!”
“No wonder Jim Warren HATED the guys at Skywald.... and this is an example of the early stuff before "Archaic" Al and the crew REALLY hit their stride!”
These user-created lists contain the word ‘Archaic’.
List of "commonly" used words in academic papers, those specific to the field of innovation management and business development, but also those that are more general. Feel free to add those you fee...
During the month of September, post at least 10 new words to this list. Make sure you cite where you read the word (book/author/pg) and quote the context/sentence where you found it. If someone has...
Looking for tweets for Archaic. | <urn:uuid:7cea517c-2e52-4803-85a0-73d1aaf6c128> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/Archaic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945773 | 578 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Financing Highways and Byways
Travelling the North-South highway through Peninsula Malaysia never fails to bring to mind the work behind the issuance of the bonds that financed the construction of the roads (preceding the further issuance, earlier this year, of PLUS Berhad’s RM30.6 billion bonds – the world’s largest sukuk to-date). The financial cost of building that sheer length of paved roads, of the equipment and manpower needed to cut through hills etc. was substantial.
After being fed more pork at Yut Kee Restaurant (Jalan Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur) than i have ever eaten in one sitting, even while bracing for a stint in the Middle East (but what good pork – oily roti babi and Hainanese pork chop with a splash of Lea & Perrins (the special weekend roast pork had disappeared within the hour of its emergence from the kitchen), with old skool kaya and toast (though not butter cake) for dessert, washed down with iced lime tea and strong iced coffee),
headed to St Mary’s Anglican Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur, just in time for the combined service celebrating the feast-day (how quaint!) of the builder of a more important highway, John the Baptist. When asked by the Pharisees to explain himself, John B said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’, as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:23)
Several hundred years before, the prophet Isaiah prophesised:
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5)
It was by preaching the coming of Jesus (though he had yet to know him by name) and urging repentance for the forgiveness of sins that John the B prepared the way for Jesus’ first arrival.
So Jesus wasn’t a self-proclaimed messiah, just another self-appointed guru out to trick the gullible. John the Baptist had already heralded his coming. As did many prophets of old. Andrew Cheah reminded the congregation that this Jesus was the descendant God promised to King David (2 Samuel 7) who would reign forever. He was a king but in a way that the world did not expect and the world still does not understand – a king that was the servant of all who came to die for our sins and be pierced for our transgressions so that we might be forgiven (Isaiah 53:5). The historical fact of his resurrection from the dead proved that his claims were true, and therefore, there is the hope of being restored to right relationship with God if we turn away from rebelling against God (= “sin”) and believe that Jesus’ death is effective payment for our crimes.
And if Jesus is trustworthy, then what he has promised will also come to pass: that he will come again to judge the living and the dead and to inaugurate the start of a new creation. And we prepare for his coming by urging repentance so that people can have their sins forgiven before the offer is revoked. We do so using words, not acts of kindness or charity because nice deeds, though nice, articulate no warning to repent and explain nothing about the coming judgement.
(Restoran Yit Sieang – yong tau foo noodles, char kuey teow, roasted pork rice, and Mr. Chiam Pisang Goreng/Fried Fritters cart outside – the fried pisang raja and kuih bakul (sweet sticky nian gao sandwiched between two slices of sweet potato) were very good reasons to oil the arteries)
And highway construction and maintenance continued to be the subject of two days’ discussion. Different terrain in different countries required different skills and personalities: some worked brilliantly and very patiently within existing structures, others felt the need to hack through a granite hill with a teaspoon; both anxious to prepare the way for Jesus’ return…and in need of resources.
An attempt at summarising the past week’s discussion on this matter: it is common to think of tithing 10% as a form of church taxation – painful, so we try to get away with giving as little as possible, just enough to please the authorities and God (with an eye out for loopholes and exceptions), yesyes to pay salaries and keep things running. Perhaps the more accurate of perceiving one’s resources is this (very preliminary thoughts):
- if God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, all our time, energy, skills, money come from God. In fact, our very breath and continual life on earth is from him;
- if this is so and we know that God’s will is to have people believe in his Son and be saved, then the proper stewardship of all God-given resources would necessarily require that we plan to give to God’s work once we get our salaries and not scrounge around for loose change at the end of the month (see The Urban Pastor’s useful post on this);
- how much to give? God does not stipulate any percentage to be “tithed”. But like the girl at the Easter Party who was hoarding Bunny Money, not realising it would be worthless after the party, so it would be foolish to be hoarding resources for this world if all these resources will be useless in the new creation;
- whom do we give to? Generally, if the aim is to herald the kingdom of God, then whoever is preaching the God’s gospel. So we are to pay pastors and other full-time workers as we would feed the ox and cattle that plow or a labourer who works the field (1 Corinthians 9:3-11, 1 Timothy 5:15-18). And, like the early church, we are to feed overseas missionaries so they can be freed to do God’s work wherever they are;
- gospel generosity – quite a lot of talk was about gospel generosity – giving to (and of) those whom one would not directly serve one’s community: not hoarding well-qualified gifted people but sending them out into the world so they would be a blessing to the universal church, allowing people on the local church payroll time to do gospel work outside the local church’s purview etc.
Now this is what one does in response to God, knowing that one day, he will call us to account for how we have spent all he has given us. And since a Christian’s faith isn’t blind, so his/her giving should not be naive either. And I suspect a Christian’s understanding of criminal breach of trust and mismanagement and misuse of funds would be different from what Kong Hee and four other leaders of City Harvest Church are being charged with under the Charities Act:
- first, God isn’t looking for a fan club; he doesn’t need people to be attracted by the wealth of the church (assuming the general understanding of what CHC’s prosperity gospel was about is correct). Even if such money was legitimately earned, Jesus already warns his disciples that money is a very attractive idol: “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (The Rich Ruler, Luke 18:24-25). God alone rightly deserves to be the sole object of people’s worship and anything else that attracts worship from people is a false god. And He’s attractive enough, thank you, without anyone having to trick people into believing in him;
- second, if indeed church-goers monies (including monies from allegedly forced sales of Sun Ho’s CDs in CHC (what music did she make? Michelle has a nice guide here) funded their S$27,700 a month mansion in Hollywood Hills, and Kong Hee’s supposed weekly flights between Singapore and LA, and their S$9.3 million penthouse in Sentosa Cove, then it is difficult to see how this is using God’s money to do God’s urgent work in warning people to repent before the coming judgement. God wants people to see the depravity of their own sin, how hopeless they are at acting rightly before him; he’s wanting people to be saved from his coming wrath;
- finally, having lavish lifestyle funded by money from the congregation, then preaching that this same prosperity will come to all who believe in God (and give generously to the church) doesn’t so much prove the truth of the prosperity gospel as the moral of The Story of the Stone Soup (the variation that has the villagers buying the proffered magic stone with all their wealth).
*cute fondant figure-topped cupcakes from Delectable by Su (Midvalley Mall). | <urn:uuid:29d86612-611e-48e8-9c3c-642765ee9f81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ponderouspilgrim.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/financing-highways-and-byways/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957723 | 2,024 | 1.609375 | 2 |
AMX CONNECTED CAMPUS
Connected campuses provide universities powerful ways to distribute information to students, faculty, staff and visitors throughout
the campus. Academic institutions gain the control and efficiency of centralizing the information delivered to students and staff. If there is a need to distribute video and information throughout a campus from a central location, Vision2 and Inspired Digital Signage are the solution. They can connect information throughout a campus, a building, a classroom, cafeteria, gymnasium, and stadium.
Control and efficiency of centralized information are key to being a connected campus.
• Digital Signage provides a powerful way to distribute important information immediately to students, faculty, staff and visitors on displays throughout the campus including weather, schedules, menus, breaking news, emergency messages and evacuation.
• Comprehensive video content management system provides broadcast capabilities as well as classroom capture, central storage and management of content with the opportunity to simulcast live lectures to additional classrooms or campuses, and an opportunity of creating a campus channel that broadcasts school content throughout a campus all with user friendly interface.
• Security Footage Archive provides a simple user interface to activate quick changes to messaging and playlist for digital signage and to control and distribute the content stored on Vision2. | <urn:uuid:6eee0a98-41c1-4dac-bf35-c5200f189fb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amxallies.com/solutions/connected.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903611 | 250 | 1.585938 | 2 |
BY GLENN PUIT
— TRAVERSE CITY — Talk about wild, wacky weather.
A week ago it was zero degrees with wind chills to minus-25. This week, it’s a big, wet snowstorm followed by a 51-degree day, heavy rains and fog as thick as peanut butter.
Thursday through Friday it’s more snow — lots of it — with cold temperatures and treacherous roads.
“Oh boy,” said Jillian Miles as she walked along Union Street in Traverse City today as sleet fell sideways and pelted her face. “I’m not looking forward to this ice, but that’s northern Michigan. What are you going to do?”
January’s tempestuous climate is the talk of the region, and it’s probably going to stay that way at least into the early days of February, given predictions for lots more lake effect snow.
Snow accumulation predictions through Friday afternoon in the Grand Traverse region range from five to 10 inches. Some areas, including Kalkaska and Antrim counties, could see even more.
The National Weather Service issued a lake effect snow warning through Friday and officials monitored area rivers for signs of flooding after Tuesday’s record warm temperatures, a snow melt-off and three-quarters of an inch of rain Tuesday night into this morning.
“It is highly unusual to have that amount of rain this time in January, which is supposed to be our coldest time of the year,” said Nick Schwartz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord.
Some wonder if climate change is to blame for the wacky weather.
Not necessarily, said Anthony Barnston, a chief forecaster for the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University.
Science clearly demonstrates the climate is warming, he said, but wild weather fluctuations here are, well, weather.
“Often people think there is lots of new or different weather going on when there are periods of great variation, but really, those variations have always happened,” Barnston said. “It’s possible there is a bit of climate change going on, but we are really hard-pressed to quantify the day-to-day and week-to-week variations.
“Any single winter, you can get other causes for mild or cold winters,” Barnston said.
The most frequent causes for big fluctuations in weather are storm systems, as well as atmospheric phenomenon like El Nino, La Nina and what’s called the North Atlantic Oscillation.
“It’s hard to wrap your mind around all of those things together, but those storms are completely natural,” Barnston said. “They come every winter.”
A record high temperature of 51 degrees in January is not normal, he said, but temperatures like that in a cold, snowy region like northern Michigan can and do happen.
So do low-snow winters like the one experienced in 2012.
“It’s on the tail of the curve,” said Barnston. “There’s no doubt it’s not near average, but it’s normal to have times when you are on the tail of the curve. It has to happen sometime, and to think these anomalies will go on forever is probably a big mistake.”
Traverse City resident Doug Throop didn’t let today’s weather weirdness stop him from a bit of steelhead fishing. Throop waded into the Boardman River and tossed his fly fishing line back and forth with the hope of landing a big one in the face of a snowy sleet.
“This kind of weather is nice for fishing,” Throop said. “Not that five above stuff, though.” | <urn:uuid:a45ffe60-84bd-4f31-929e-7247927688f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://record-eagle.com/local/x1633468052/More-snow-coming-after-warm-foggy-days/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952041 | 806 | 2.375 | 2 |
Ask the Doctor
Questions about kidney disease? Risk factors? Signs and symptoms? Are you concerned about yourself, a friend or family member? Ask Dr. Spry.
Traci is a living donor. Her husband Matt is a living donor. Their son, Tanner, is the recipient.
Traci has a unique perspective on organ donation. Nearly nine years ago her son, Tanner, was born with malformed kidneys. Since then, she has spent a considerable amount of time using the National Kidney Foundation's resources to educate her family and herself about kidney disease, transplantation and dialysis.
On April 11, 2007 her husband Matt donated his kidney to Tanner. Not only was Traci the primary caregiver to the recipient; but she was also the primary care giver to the donor. Tragically, 16 months post-transplant, her son lost the kidney, not to rejection but due to another complication. Traci stood by her husband's side as he questioned the loss of his son's organ, his organ. It was a difficult healing process, one they still have difficulty understanding today.
Tanner spent the next four months on dialysis. On December 8, 2008, Tanner received his second kidney. This time, Traci was his donor. It has been more than a year since Tanner's second transplant and the family has once again settled into a comfortable routine. Through their experience, they have a new outlook on the world and a greater appreciation of their son, their lives and how they can impact the world.
Their experiences have driven Traci to be an advocate for living donors. Traci knows both the good and the bad that can accompany living donation. Physically, her recovery was easy, but she found tremendous challenges in addressing her emotional needs. She wants to address depression and psychological issues in living donors and make sure that there is a support system in place for those who need it.
For many years, Traci utilized many resources that the NKF had to offer, and last year her family started to give back to the NKF. They participated in a promotional advertisement for the local NKF and created a team for the Kidney Walk.
Traci has a B.S. in Education from SUNY Fredonia and an M.S. in Special Education from SUNY Geneseo. She has been teaching in public schools since 1991. She currently teaches 2nd and 3rd grade at Letchworth Central School District in Gainesville, NY.
Megan Lewis donated a kidney to her sister Diane in January 2005. She works as a public health researcher for a not-for-profit research organization. She served as the first living donor on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Patient Affairs Committee (PAC), and as the PAC representative to the Paired Kidney Donation (PKD) committee, and the PKD education subcommittee. She has also volunteered as part of the speaker's bureau for her local Organ Procurement Organization.
Megan participated in NKF's advocacy efforts in April 2009 in Washington DC. She has participated in NKF walk-a-thons since 2008. She is interested in providing better data and research about living donation to improve informed consent and donor follow-up.
When not working or volunteering, she enjoys cooking, doing yoga, and just hanging out with her husband Bryan and step-daughter Emily.
Atlanta mom and attorney Kathie McClure's first encounter with chronic kidney disease was in May, 2008, when she read in the Atlanta newspaper that Dan Krinsky, chef-owner of her neighborhood restaurant, had polycystic kidney disease and needed a transplant. A few days later when Kathie ran into Dan, looking terribly ill, she told him on the spot that he could have her kidney. Their date in the operating room was August 28, 2009, and Dan is enjoying his new lease on life.
Although Kathie knew little about kidney disease before becoming a donor, she knows quite a bit about chronic illness. Kathie's son, Chris, 28, has Type I Diabetes, and daughter, Caitlin, 25, has epilepsy. After years of struggling to keep good insurance coverage, Kathie founded the nonprofit, VoteHealthcare.org, dedicated to achieving quality, affordable health care for every American. Kathie has traveled the country in a little purple bus working with local nonprofits to educate citizens about our nation's health care crisis so that they can be informed participants in the national debate.
Kathie is interested in advancing the NKF's END THE WAIT initiative, particularly the recommendations related to donor insurance, cost issues, data collection, and study of donor outcomes.
In 2005, Cynthia learned that her mother had chronic kidney failure that was slowly progressing to End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD). It was also her introduction to how hypertension (chronic high blood pressure) could lead to permanent kidney damage. Cynthia, along with eight siblings, was tested; only two were matches, and only one was healthy enough to donate. After two months on dialysis, Cynthia gave her mother the gift of life on January 25, 2006, and says that "I often find myself amazed at the fact that my mom has a piece of me in her."
When her mother was diagnosed with ESRD, Cynthia was an executive at the U.S. Postal Service managing the national community relations programs, including the "Delivering the Gift of Life" program with The Marrow Foundation and National Marrow Donor Program, which made the experience of helping to save a life even more personal with her mother's illness. She also managed several other cause-related corporate programs supporting the United Way, Feeding America Food Bank Network, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and an organ donation and education alliance with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cynthia wants to be a "voice for living donors" and use her public relations and public speaking experience to educate and assess needs for families and professionals. She also wants to address legislative issues, medical concerns, and financial support for donors.
Currently, Cynthia is the Principal of Global PR Solutions, LLC, and has nearly 20 years of extensive public relations experience in the areas of corporate and strategic communications, media relations, event planning/management, government relations, community outreach and corporate philanthropy. Cynthia resides in Glen Allen, VA near Richmond where she lives with her husband and 6yearold son. She's a volunteer coach for her son's basketball and soccer teams.
Suzanne Ruff comes from a family that for five generations has been devastated by polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Eight relatives have died from the disease, including her mother. Five different family members have received kidney transplants. One cousin died while waiting for a kidney transplant.
Suzanne is a donor to one of her sisters. While she believes becoming a living donor is a personal choice, her gratitude is profound for those who become organ donors as a result of a sudden or unexpected death. During their worst nightmare, people reached out to save her family. Her mother and another sister each received a kidney transplant from deceased donors.
Suzanne is interested in studying long-term donor outcomes.
A volunteer for the Minnesota Chapter of the PKD Foundation and LifeSource, Suzanne has worked tirelessly to find a cure and better promote organ donation awareness. A new program with LifeSource and the Minnesota Drivers Vehicle Services has been part of her work this past year. She is the author of the book, The Reluctant Donor, which was published in April 2010. The Reluctant Donor was a finalist in the Midwest Book Award (MIPA) in the health category. The book spans sixty-five years of kidney disease in her family, portraying the incredible progress made in the treatment of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplantation. The book will not only inspire anyone diagnosed with kidney disease, but also anyone struggling to understand the miracle of organ donation, or anyone who has struggled and needs a reason to celebrate life. After living in six different cities during their marriage, Suzanne and her husband, Bill, now live in Minnesota.
Michael Sauls has lived and worked in the Washington, DC area for 30 years in various positions related to government relations. Originally from Florida, Michael worked as a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Congress, Subcommittee Staff Director in the US Senate, and as a political appointee in the Executive Branch of the federal government.
He currently is Senior Vice President of John Dudinsky & Associates, a government and business relations firm in Washington, DC., representing a number of various domestic and international clients.
Michael donated a kidney to his brother, Tim, seven years ago and has been involved with the National Kidney Foundation since that time, currently serving as Vice Chairman of Operations of the National Kidney Foundation of the Capitol Area. He is interested in removing obstacles to living donation.
Matthew Cooper is Director of Kidney Transplantation and Clinical Research in the Division of Transplantation at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. After receiving his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1994, Dr. Cooper completed his general surgery training at the Medical College of Wisconsin followed by a fellowship in multi-organ abdominal transplantation in 2002 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He was appointed to the transplant faculty at the Johns Hopkins Hospital upon completion of his training, and was appointed Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation and Clinical Research in 2003. While at Johns Hopkins Hospital, he was instrumental in the success of the division's Incompatible Kidney Transplant Program and the world's first live triple donor kidney exchange in July 2003. Dr. Cooper joined the University of Maryland in 2005 as an Associate Professor of Surgery performing general and transplant surgery as well as academic clinical research. Dr. Cooper is the director of the UMMS Transplant Fellowship Program.
Dr. Cooper trained with the pioneers of the laparoscopic or minimally invasive removal of donor kidneys, regularly performs these procedures and seeks new opportunities for living donation while promoting the safety and long-term care of live organ donors.
Dr. Cooper is involved in the National Kidney Foundation both locally in the state of Maryland and on a national basis. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the NKF of Maryland and a member of the NKF's national END THE WAIT! Executive Committee. He presently serves as the chairman of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) Living Donor Committee and a member of the UNOS Subcommittee for Paired Kidney Donation. Dr. Cooper as serves as Vice-Chairman for the Living Legacy OPO's Advisory Board of Trustees. He is interested in safety and long-term protections for living donors, including security of health benefits for basic post-operative medical care for donors, and removing disincentives to living donation.
Nicole teaches Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University and works in the Center for Biomedical Ethics at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She has conducted research on motivating integrity in research, determining how physicians discuss issues of uncertainty, and understanding the needs of health care providers, caregivers, and patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
Currently, Nicole is conducting interviews to better understand the living organ donor experience to identify good practices and areas in need of improvement. This is the first step in the journey to understand and address the needs of living donors. Her research interests include the informed consent process, patient/physician communication, professionalism, research regulations and living donor organ transplants.
Rebecca Hays is a transplant social worker at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. In this role, she helps people sort and sift questions regarding living donation, transplant, and quality of life. She also facilitates a living donor mentor program, in which people thinking about kidney donation can learn more about the experience from past living donors.
Over the years, Rebecca has helped build education for donors and tools for recipients to learn about donation and gain comfort broaching the topic. She has participated in several national consensus conferences to build standards of care for living donors and people with kidney disease. She is currently on the NKF Continuing Medical Education committee and is NKF social work professional education programming chair. In the past, she served as an editor of NKF's Transplant Chronicles newsletter. She has also helped advocate for legislation to offer protections and improved benefits for donors and transplant recipients.
Rebecca has been a kidney social worker since 1999. She trained at University of California at Berkeley and at Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Madison, WI with her family.
Rebecca wants to increase support and quality of information for donors, create best practice recommendations, and reduce financial disincentives. She wants to share her knowledge about psychosocial barriers/outcomes, building mentor programs, and in teaching psychoeducation strategies. | <urn:uuid:6f76ae4a-47bd-44af-b7e5-f9bc78acf732> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors/ldc.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975056 | 2,622 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The $30,000 study was paid for by federal grant money and conducted this past March by BBC Research & Consulting, the Denver-based firm that conducted an affordable housing study for the city last year.
But the results, to now, have largely been used to verify the need for the new homeless services complex, the Montgomery Center, not to identify the real problem, argue some homeless advocates.
Research included personal surveys of homeless people at 19 sites around town and a telephone survey of 100 households whose income is half or less the Colorado Springs median. In all, 499 people were surveyed.
The study concludes that the number of homeless in Colorado Springs has jumped from around 364 people in 1995 to around 853 at present -- an increase of 234 percent -- and that an additional 1,204 people verge on homelessness.
Valorie Jordan of Community Development says the study was commissioned to count the homeless, learn their chief characteristics and determine their needs.
The media, however, has ignored one of the study's most striking findings: Relatively few of this town's homeless fit the stereotype of the bleary-eyed derelict staggering in alleys and sleeping under bridges.
The study learned, for example, that:
One-third of this city's homeless hold down full-time jobs.
More than one-third of Colorado Springs' homeless are families.
Sixty-four percent have some college or vocational training and nearly two-thirds have a high school degree or GED.
Two-thirds are trying to find permanent housing.
Eighty percent attribute their homelessness to this city's lack of affordable housing.
"This suggests the extent to which we're all 'at risk,'" observed Matt Parkhouse, a frontline volunteer for numerous charitable agencies that serve this city's low-income and homeless. "The wrong set of circumstances or personal choices could land most any of us on the street."
Palace for the homeless
The report has evoked conflicting interpretations by this city's homeless advocates and service providers
Red Cross and the El Pomar Foundation argue that the study underscores how badly Colorado Springs needs the $6 million Montgomery Center proposed for the Mill Street neighborhood just south of downtown.
The homeless center would consolidate a 400-bed shelter, soup kitchen, health clinic, drop-in services and other amenities on a 3.8-acre campus.
Some of the city's most respected homeless advocates and long-time volunteers insist, however, that the study argues against the center, not for it.
The facility wouldn't provide a single service that's not already available, they say. Meanwhile, the Red Cross shelter typically has 75 to 90 empty beds, the soup kitchen has held steady at 300 to 350 meals a day over the past five years, and a number of homeless services -- the annual "Standdown" for homeless Vietnam vets, for example -- have declining participation.
"The homeless don't need a $6 million palace with a drop-in center having 12 showers, 12 phones, mail service, pack storage, free washers and dryers, and possible on-line access," Parkhouse admonished. "What they desperately need is affordable housing. That's where you solve the homeless problem. That's what the $6 million should be targeting."
According to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, around 650 of Colorado Springs' 14,863 apartment units are vacant at any one time -- a vacancy rate of 3.9 percent considered microscopic by industry standards.
BBC determined in a separate study last year that it would take 37,000 new affordable apartment units to meet this city's low-income needs.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless reports that a person working a 40-hour week must earn at least $11.98 an hour to afford the average Colorado Springs rent of $630 a month. A person earning minimum wage would have to work 93 hours a week to meet that rent.
Many of the city's homeless, in short, live in shelters, parks, under bridges, in cars or tent camps because they can't feed their families and pay rent, even with full-time jobs. And the free market isn't solving the affordable housing crunch.
"Many shelter residents come to Colorado Springs because they've heard our economy is booming," said Red Cross director Jeannine Holt. "They find, though, that the only jobs available to them are low end, and it's a lot more expensive to live here than they'd anticipated.
"A large percentage of the jobs in this town pay in the $7 an hour range. Do the math. That won't get you an apartment, let alone the security deposit and last month's rent most landlords demand in addition to the first month's rent, all of which averages out to around $2,000.
"I'd say that 90 percent of the able-bodied people staying in the shelter have full-time jobs," she said. "We've had in excess of 50 children here the past two months, most of whom attend school. People living here aren't vagrants or single men out drinking all night and sleeping all day."
Parkhouse joins Mill Street resident and Montgomery Center opponent Will Robinson in questioning the 850 homeless figure cited by the recent study. Both insist the real number is closer to 550 and suspect the higher numbers are projected with an eye to justifying the Montgomery Center complex.
"If the number of homeless has more than doubled," Robinson asked, "why isn't the Red Cross shelter packed to the rafters every night, and why has the soup kitchen held steady at 300 to 350 meals a day?"
"If that figure is legitimate," added Parkhouse, "the Mill Street neighbors are right to be worried because the new center would draw 400 to the shelter every day and another thousand to the soup kitchen. Concentrate that many people with problems, and you concentrate problems.
"I also worry," he concluded, "that a megacenter campus would be a street-life support center, an enabler of the homeless lifestyle. It would be a 'destination resort' for the mobile hard-core homeless."
"Fancier homeless services isn't the answer," Robinson reiterated. "The answer is affordable housing." | <urn:uuid:80f91514-e32b-4ce5-903c-6375cd98639c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/study-links-homeless-to-affordable-housing-crisis/Content?oid=1109727 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96316 | 1,270 | 2.015625 | 2 |
There's this article that I enjoyed reading and I must admit I wouldn't have a clue what it was going on about if I'd read it 4 months earlier. After my son's delivery, the confinement lady (CL) prepared all our meals. We purposely went and bought a rice cooker (yes we didn't have one before that) that allowed for steaming. CL would cook the rice and to save time, (and tend to the baby and other chores) she set the rice to cook with the vegetables in the above compartment to steam. Many things have been said about not overcooking vegetables and the decreasing nutrient contents with prolonged cooking, but I guess that was the last thing on CL's mind.
The results were surprising. The vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas) became soft, sweet and pleasantly disintegrated without much chewing. Broccoli? Sweet? You'd better believe it. So what happened here?
"It's true that when vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables, are cooked, the damage to the plant's tissue brings about reactions between compounds that are usually kept separate," he said—hence the sulfuric aroma. But, he emphasized, if you continue to cook these foods, "at a certain point the aroma will dissipate, and you'll end up with the flavor compounds left in the plant, including its sugars—especially if it's cooked and served in a way that the sugars aren't poured out with the cooking water." -from 'The Soft Approach' article
So here's a tip when cooking for picky eaters who hate greens, overcook it! It is a fact that the anti-cancer properties of broccoli is highest when raw (yucks!) or lightly cooked, but I think it's a better compromise this way, eating diminished nutrients vs none at all. | <urn:uuid:ee2ebeca-38e4-4218-a036-48d68abff419> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tedearl.blogspot.com/2011_10_18_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976254 | 373 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Call for Support Oakland (510) 530-HAIR San Rafael (415) 454-HAIR
The Facts of Lice.
- Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on the human scalp. Much like other parasites, they live by sucking blood. Lice cannot fly or jump; they can only crawl. Children often get head lice from head-to-head contact with other children, but may also get them by sharing personal items such as hats, combs, or headphones.
- Outbreaks of head lice in the United States are on the rise. An estimated 8 million cases are reported to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) each year, and statistics indicate that this number will continue to increase significantly in the coming years.
- Several recent studies report increasing resistance to commonly used pesticide products. In other words, most of the products you buy from your local drug store are less and less effective.
- There are three stages in the life of a louse. First there is an egg stage when the female louse lays eggs or "nits" at the base of the hair shaft. These nits can be very difficult to see, as they are light in color and look like dandruff. The eggs hatch in the second, or "nymph" stage. The young lice are difficult to spot with the naked eye. Stage three occurs approximately 10 days later when the nymph has grown into an adult louse. At this stage the small wingless insects can usually be detected with the naked eye. This last stage is when most of the itching occurs on the head that is infested.
- Without blood from the human head, lice can survive for only 24 to 48 hours. It is recommended that all clothing and bedding be washed in hot water. Items such as stuffed animals and pillows should be bagged and stored for 24 to 48 hours. In addition, vacuuming upholstery, carpet, and mattresses is recommended.
- Head lice affect all socio-economic groups and should not be an embarrassment for the person who has contracted it. In fact, lice prefer clean hair! The important thing is to treat the infestation immediately and take preventative measures for the future. | <urn:uuid:f75f4875-2fac-4e76-b2eb-b37318e8085b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nitpixies.com/lice-facts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952486 | 466 | 3.75 | 4 |
Form RQ - Questions and answers
What is a restriction?
To understand what a restriction means please see Public Guide 17 – How to safeguard against property fraud.
What does form RQ do?
An owner who is not living and does not intend to live at their registered property can make a request to the registrar to enter a restriction set out below.
The wording of the restriction is:
"No disposition of [the registered estate or the registered charge dated (date) referred to above] by the proprietor [of the registered estate or of that registered charge] is to be registered without a certificate signed by a conveyancer that the conveyancer is satisfied that the person who executed the document submitted for registration as disponor is the same person as the proprietor."
The restriction is designed to help prevent forgery. It does this by requiring that a conveyancer certify they are satisfied that the person transferring or mortgaging the property is the same person as the owner. It provides additional safeguard against forgery by operating as a deterrent.
You should note that we will not normally enter a restriction if the contact address supplied is that of the property because this suggests you are living at the property. Form RQ is aimed at those who are not living at the property.
Can anyone request a restriction in form RQ?
No. This service is only open to private individuals who do not live at the property concerned. The initial target group for this initiative is individuals where a property is empty or the owner absent. It is this category that has been identified as being most vulnerable to forgery and fraud. It does not include companies. Generally when the owner is a company there will be a tenant or officer of the company in occupation.
Over 4000 properties are now protected by the Form LL restriction requested via the RQ procedure, which was originally introduced as a pilot measure for six months. We have decided that the service should continue as part of our range of counter-fraud measures and are presently considering whether it can be extended to owners who are not private individuals.
What do I have to do?
Print off form RQ from our website and complete it.
Please note that if you are applying yourself (without the aid of a conveyancer) then you will need to:
- complete section 1, 2, 3 (if you know the title number) and 4
- sign and date the form in section 4
- send the completed form to Land Registry, Birkenhead Office. The address is given on the form. You will have to pay the postage.
If you are asking a conveyancer to complete the form, then your conveyancer will need to:
- complete sections 1, 2, 3 (if the title number is known) and 5
- sign and date section 5
- send as above.
If we have any questions or queries and need to contact you, we will use the contact details you have given.
What does this restriction do?
Once this restriction is registered, we will not register a sale or mortgage of the property concerned unless a conveyancer has certified that they are satisfied that the person who has signed the document is the same person as the registered proprietor. This can help prevent someone from forging a signature on the transfer or mortgage of the property. It means that if you sell or mortgage your property after this restriction has been registered, we will need a certificate from a conveyancer that the person who has signed the document is the same person as the proprietor before we register the sale or mortgage.
Is there a fee?
There is no fee. The restriction is being entered by the registrar of their own volition. Section 42(1)(a) of the Land Registration Act 2002 gives the registrar power to enter a restriction in the register “if it appears to him that it is necessary or desirable to do so for the purpose of.....preventing invalidity or unlawfulness in relation to dispositions of a registered estate or charge...”.
Will you enter the restriction every time?
We will normally only enter a restriction when we are satisfied that you meet the criteria – that you are not living and do not intend to live at the registered property.
What if I fall within the group but did not know about this new initiative and have already applied for a restriction using form RX1? Can I get my fees back?
You can get a refund if both of the following points apply.
- You made the RX1 application on or after the date of introduction of RQ service.
- You or at least one of the other owners do not live at the property.
How do I claim a refund?
In order to claim the refund you will have to contact the office which dealt with your application and make a request. You can make your request by letter or telephone.
Can joint proprietors make a request for a restriction using form RQ?
Yes, as long as at least one of them does not live at the property. The request needs to be made by or on behalf of only one of the joint proprietors.
What are the circumstances when I am not allowed to use this measure?
You cannot use this process if you are living, or intend to live, at the property. In such case you will need to make an application for entry of a restriction. Generally this will have to be done by way of a form RX1 accompanied by a fee of (currently) £40. For further information see Practice Guide 19 – Notices, restrictions and the protection of third party interests in the register.
The wording of the restriction refers to a 'disponor'. What does this mean?
In this context, the disponor is the person who is dealing with the property – in particular selling or mortgaging it.
Can a request be made on behalf of a proprietor?
Yes. A request can be made on behalf of a proprietor by an attorney, a deputy appointed under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 or a personal representative. You will need to lodge the appropriate evidence of appointment such as a copy of the power of attorney, court order, probate or letters of administration with the request.
What do I have to do to remove the restriction?
In order to remove this restriction, you will normally need to make an application in form RX3 to cancel the restriction if it is no longer required. If an application to register a dealing with the title to property is lodged, we will consider whether or not the restriction has been complied with, for example a transfer of the property on a sale. Where there is a change of ownership and the terms of the restriction have been complied with the restriction will be cancelled automatically.
Please see Practice Guide 19 – Notices, restrictions and the protection of third party interests in the register for further information.
What happens after six months?
Over 4000 properties are now protected by the Form LL restriction requested via the RQ procedure. We are presently considering whether it can be extended to owners who are not private individuals.
Land Registry takes the issue of fraud very seriously and we are constantly evaluating our security measures to minimise the risk of fraud.
A restriction registered using form RQ will remain in place unless an application to cancel the restriction using form RX3 is subsequently submitted – see point (13) above. | <urn:uuid:1fd49dc4-ece7-4215-be86-bffa99389c40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/property-fraud/questions-and-answers-form-rq | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947251 | 1,504 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Web page design
Help me out here.I know nothing about Web designing,I have no xperience whatsoever.Now Im very interested in designing my own webpage.What do I need(programs) to design this.
Any help will be appreciated.
Ta in advance.
You will no doubt here a million different opinions to your questions but here goes mine!
You need two things to start off with.
Firstly I would suggest a WYSIWYG type of web page design programme, this ensures you don't 'need' to know any programming languages. I started off with MS Frontpage, it is a possible option to start with, many web pages are made using this and it is fairly cheap. Drawbacks to this are that it is a MS product so I try to leave it alone and it is very basic and you can tell a web page made with FP a mile off.
If you have money, then I suggest something like Dreamweaver, very good, very professional end product, takes a bit of getting used to but well worth it.
Secondly you need a graphics programme. There are many, many progs out there from Paint Shop Pro to Fireworks. Try downloading free trials of them and see which you like.
You design the buttons and pictures in the graphics programme and then export/import them into your web page design programme.
If you are really serious then try learning HTML, Java, blah, blah, but as a beginner I would not suggest this. Get into it (and it is addictive)and then you know what you need to learn!
Hope that helps a bit.
It depends what your intentions are. I agree with the above... but keep in mind that if you would just like to do a one-time personal page, then go with those WYSIWYG editors. Dreamweaver or GoLive are the top dogs there... Frontpage is a popular one, but I've never personally touched it so I can't comment.
If you'd like to start a career or a nice hobby with web design, then you'd want to learn HTML and some graphics editing. You'll save yourself a lot of heartache/headache later on if you get the basics down up front... especially because you'll need to do some troubleshooting at some point.
[This message has been edited by rh71 (edited 07-30-2001).]
I don't realy think it is right to depend on WYSIWYG editors. These can do things that you don't know about.
Also they can easily go out of date with the advances in all the codes that are used on the web.
And you will inevitably have to debug your code at some point so realy it is better if you don't have any experience, insted of getting a programme you should GET some experience. So get a WYSIWYG programme if you like but soon you WILL need some reference whether you like it or not.
I would suggest getting a text editor with tabs and syntax highlighting (e.g. UltraEdit). Then go to http://www.w3schools.com/ and go through their tutorials, examples and quizes.
I had an HTML textbook laying around last summer, and I decided to pick it up.
It's nice to know that you can "cheat" with programs like FrontPage, but it's also nice to go into the HTML side of things, and do your own customizations.
It's always good to know "how things work" right?
There are 1000's of places on the Internet that offer HTML tutorials. Give it try..
New Security Features Planned for Firefox 4
Another Laptop Theft Exposes 21K Patients' Data
Oracle Hits to Road to Pitch Data Center Plans
Microsoft Preps Array of Windows Patches
Microsoft Nears IE9 Beta With Final Preview
Simplified Analytics Improve CRM, BI Tools
Android Passes RIM as Top Mobile OS in 2Q
VMware Updates Hyperic System Management
File Monitoring Key to Enterprise Security
LinkedIn Snaps Up SaaS Player mSpoke | <urn:uuid:02d4eb80-2db9-4e7b-91e1-dc1d5dfa7f17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sysopt.com/showthread.php?82745-Web-page-design | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942326 | 855 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Sarkin on the Origins of Human Rights Law
Posted by Mary L. Dudziak
Jeremy J. Sarkin, Hofstra University School of Law, has posted a recent essay with a very long title: The Historical Origins, Convergence and Interrelationship of International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law and Public International Law and Their Application from at Least the Nineteenth Century. It appeared in Human Rights and International Legal Discourse (2007). Here's the abstract: The emergence and scope of international law, whether in treaties or in customary international law, is especially relevant to those seeking reparations for atrocities committed against indigenous populations during colonization. This article examines the origins, interrelationship, and dimensions of international law, the law of armed conflict, international human rights law, and international criminal law. It explores the time when these legal regimes came into being and when the protections accorded by them against various types of conduct became available. It is submitted that by the turn of the twentieth century many of these laws were already available and in force. While it is commonly held that international protections against human rights violations were activated in the post-World War II era, they actually were accessible much earlier. A specific focus of this article is the Martens Clause adopted into the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. The Martens Clause it is argued constitutes one of the origins of international human rights law in the positivistic sense, and is considered applicable to the whole of international law, and has indeed shaped the development of customary international law. It will be shown that the Martens Clause is a specific and recognized provision giving protection to groups and individuals during both war and peace time. A further focus of this article is the origins and interconnectedness of concepts such as crimes against humanity and genocide. This article looks as the origins of these notions. It argues that they are tied to the origins of international human rights law and finds they existed at least in the ninetieth century, if not before. | <urn:uuid:440e22a2-02c3-4b57-87d9-63c5728610a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/sarkin-on-origins-of-human-rights-law.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9531 | 412 | 2.65625 | 3 |
IBM Haifa’s Gal Shachor: This new application development tool will let users with no software development expertise skill create online forms with ease that complete routine tasks,”If you’re a small business owner and drowning under a sea of information with …
They’ve just announced their Development Engagement Service (DevEngage), a free Web application development tool with a simple user-interface to allow people without technical skills in small businesses and other organizations to create applications that solve daily tasks. By giving users easy tools to create simple applications themselves, the DevEngage eliminates wait time required when a typical employee issues an application development request through an IT department.
Unlike other solutions which require technology-savvy users, the software is designed to appeal to the average business user. By giving small businesses tools that had once only been available for large businesses with large programming budgets, IBM has given the power back to the people.
“This new application development tool will let users with no software development expertise skill create online forms with ease that complete routine tasks,” said Gal Shachor, project lead for this technology at the IBM Research Lab in Haifa. “IBM wants to ensure that users at small and medium-sized businesses are able to capitalize on modern Web 2.0 technologies in a simple, user-friendly way.”
IBM Israel is the umbrella organization for all IBM activities in Israel and was established in 1950. It employs about 2,000 people, with its main headquarters in Haifa.
Looking to simplify business collaboration and eliminate the need to send small projects to programmers, IBM Haifa’s team saw that most small businesses were operating inefficiently.
“When we look at how small businesses organize the way they work or how business scenarios happen today, we see that people are using spreadsheets and inputting it into another application or database,” Shachor told ISRAEL21c. “When people try to collaborate around a solution that was built around a spreadsheet, it’s very hard to keep the data in synch.”
The DevEngage has a variety of potential uses. For example, in a small business where lunch is ordered every day from a local restaurant and the office manager collects orders and subtracts lunch costs from an employee’s weekly salary, the application can be used to build a web-based form where each employee fills in his lunch order. The program can then track the weekly or monthly costs and keep everything orderly, freeing up the office manager for more essential tasks. This can also allow the restaurant owner to prepare the right food on time, leading to better service.
If any of the above sounds complicated or relevant only for businesses, it’s not. In fact, its inspiration was a simple home repair project.
Shachor, one of IBM’s senior technical employees, needed a way to work with his wife during a recent home renovation, managing quotes and contracts. Looking at how IBM works in a large setting, he realized that the process could be simplified to allow for individuals and small businesses to create customized systems to collaborate and organize their needs.
“I felt that this could be done by someone who’s not a developer if only we had the proper user interface,” he said.
With the DevEngage, interactive forms can be developed over the Internet, using a regular browser. The user runs through a series of “wizard” pages that allow for the customization of details such as an application name, behavior, look and feel. Once the application is designed, it is submitted to the tool’s Java-based server-side back-end where the application is built. At this point the back-end uses templates to generate the application and returns a website address where the form is accessible via the Internet.
In addition to capitalizing on the Web 2.0 trend of increasing participation and collaboration at the user-end, the DevEngage has great potential to save time and money, by avoiding needs for businesses to wait for programmers to develop software to suit their needs. And by basing the system over the Internet, it avoids the need to purchase multiple expensive software programs and is more secure.
“If you’re using something over the web, there’s no hardware installation, no risk,” said Shachor.
This brand-new software – available here – fills an important need for workers in small businesses, according to Glen Gould, Director of Small-to-Mid-Size Business at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
“As more business activities move online, there are more occasions to ask the IT Department for help. But if you have to wait a lengthy period for support, or you don’t have an IT dept, you can save either time or money – and a lot of aggravation – by quickly creating your own online forms for just about anything.”
As Shachor neatly sums up the advantage of the DevEngage, “Basically just open the browser, point to a URL, and you see your data.” | <urn:uuid:9fb922d9-e962-4229-b273-eb429d0cfbe3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israel21c.org/technology/ibm-israel-helps-small-businesses-solve-daily-tasks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943002 | 1,060 | 1.601563 | 2 |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland House of Delegates voted 88-47 on Friday for a scaled-back measure to help develop offshore wind off the coast of Ocean City in as soon as five years.
Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley is backing the legislation again this year after it failed last year over concerns about its costs.
Supporters, who say offshore wind has great potential to create jobs and reduce pollution, emphasized during debate that this bill is very different. Residential utility customers would pay about $1.50 a month if offshore wind turbines are developed. For commercial ratepayers, rate increases have been reduced from 2.5 percent to 1.5 percent.
Delegate Benjamin Kramer, D-Montgomery, pointed out that the risk of financing wind turbines will be on the developer, not ratepayers.
“Yes, there may be a small — a small — increase to Maryland’s ratepayers, but the potential for reducing our carbon footprint is dramatic,” Kramer said.
But opponents, mostly Republicans, questioned the viability of building wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean. They also pointed out that Maryland could be extracting natural gas that is readily available in western Maryland in the Marcellus Shale. The O’Malley administration has delayed drilling there for further study, out of concern for environmental damage and water contamination.
“The problem is this technology is unproven,” Delegate Michael Smigiel, R-Cecil, said. “Maryland is like Don Quixote running out 23 miles to sea to see if we can put up and erect some windmill, when in fact what we should be doing is staying here and fighting the real problems with the technology and getting the energy out of the ground that we have and putting people to work now.”
Delegate Dereck Davis, D-Prince George’s, noted that ratepayers won’t begin paying anything extra until wind turbines are actually built and generating electricity. He also underscored that the measure doesn’t mandate anything.
“This is not something we’re saying that we have to do,” Davis said. “We’re saying that if this is a good deal for the ratepayers, and if the developer is willing to assume the risk and if the feds come back with their subsidies to make it viable, then it’s something we can do. If the feds choose not to, then we won’t do it. It’s as simple as that.”
Delegate Ron George, R-Anne Arundel, said he believes Maryland should wait and see how a prototype offshore wind turbine in Virginia performs — at no cost to Maryland.
“It will test the economics of large-scale offshore wind projects like this. It will test the mechanics and construction issues related to it, and it will study the ability of offshore wind projects to withstand the weather conditions,” George said.
The measure now goes to the Senate. It remains to be seen whether there is enough support to move the bill out of the Senate Finance Committee, said Sen. Thomas Middleton, the committee chairman.
The governor and environmental activists are still counting votes and encouraging senators to support the measure. Amendments made in the House seem to have resolved some senators’ concerns about the bill, Middleton said.
“I know they’re working it, and my hope is at the end of the day they’ll have everything so (they can) get the bill out of committee, get it on the floor and get it passed,” Middleton said.
The Senate will have a little more than a week to do that. The legislative session is scheduled to adjourn April 9. Supporters are planning a rally Monday night in Annapolis, where they plan to circle the Maryland State House holding glow-in-the-dark miniature wind turbines.
Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club, said environmentalists have been lobbying the Senate since the start of the session.
“This bill sets the right framework,” Tulkin said after the House vote on Friday. “It’s a step in the right direction. It’s a signal to business and investors that Maryland is serious about offshore wind.”
Earlier in the day, proponents of the bill gathered in Annapolis to tout a new study commissioned by the advocacy group Environment Maryland, which suggests offshore wind could bring thousands of jobs to the state. Minority business leaders and Maryland NAACP conference president Gerald Stansbury praised language in the bill that would give minority-owned businesses opportunities to fill those positions.
“As minorities we are always at the end of the spectrum,” Stansbury said. “Today I feel that this wind energy bill and the way it’s written will put us at the front end when we start thinking about minority participation.”
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) | <urn:uuid:f5709349-46ca-4fc9-b3b2-8a356ef01ca9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/03/30/offshore-wind-supporters-to-discuss-benefits/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944239 | 1,036 | 1.882813 | 2 |
By The Humane Society of America Many diseases common to cats can be prevented in two ways: by keeping your cat indoors, and by having your cat vaccinated according to your veterinarian's advice. CommonMore >>
By The Humane Society of America Outfitting a house for a new cat isn't nearly as complicated as it may seem. Just a little advance thought will help make the newcomer feel at home and welcome in strangeMore >>
These days, it's not unusual for our feline companions to reach their late teens or even their twenties, but they need lots of love and care from us to do so. As cats get older, their claws often become thickened, and dirt, hair, and kitty litter may become trapped underneath them. Because of both this thickening and an elderly cat's decreased activity, it is sometimes difficult for cats to shed their claws properly, and they need help from us -- their caregivers and veterinarians. It is probably a good idea to have your veterinarian check your cat's claws and trim them. Ask him or her to show you how to trim them properly, and then begin examining and trimming them every 2 to 4 weeks.
A couple of hints: Use a new sharp nail trimmer; a dull one will only split and crack an older cat's claws, causing them to bleed and exposing them to infection. Also, be especially gentle when restraining your cat and when handling his toes; older cats might be slightly stiff or arthritic. And be sure to give him some special attention after the trimming! | <urn:uuid:d5622070-bd89-4d41-986b-85bd3df83e35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wrcbtv.com/global/story.asp?s=479803 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96641 | 311 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Vacuum-Assisted Closure for Wound Healing
In advanced wound healing, vacuum-assisted closure is used to help drain blood or fluid from a nonhealing wound.
First, a special piece of foam with a tube on top is inserted into the wound. Then, the wound area is covered and sealed with an adhesive covering, with only the tube exposed.
The wound is then drained through the tube. The membrane provides a partial vacuum that can:
- Reduce the size of the wound
- Help prevent infection
- Increase blood flow to the area to speed recovery
Vacuum-assisted closure is effective for patients with deep, chronic wounds as well as patients staying at the hospital for prolonged periods of time. | <urn:uuid:5cd3bc09-cdd9-46d0-bdaa-2dce24abbfa6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.upmc.com/Services/wound-healing/treatments/Pages/vacuum-assisted-closure.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941238 | 149 | 2.65625 | 3 |
|Hamans Plot against the Jews|
1After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.2All the kings servants who were at the kings gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.3Then the kings servants who were at the kings gate said to Mordecai, Why are you transgressing the kings command?4Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecais reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.5When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.6But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar.8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the kings laws, so it is not in the kings interest to let them remain.9If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the kings business, to put into the kings treasuries.10Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.11The king said to Haman, The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.
12Then the kings scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the kings satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the kings signet ring.13Letters were sent by couriers to all the kings provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder.14A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day.15The couriers went out impelled by the kings command while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in confusion.
NASB © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Ahasuerus, Haman, Hammedatha, Mordecai
1. Haman, advanced by the king, and despised by Mordecai, seeks revenge upon the Jews.
7. He casts lots.
8. He obtains by false accusations a decree of the king to put the Jews to death. | <urn:uuid:66325c49-e5fc-413c-b94c-008048a82340> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biblehub.com/esther/3.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984518 | 784 | 2.75 | 3 |
The purpose of this forum is to provide an open forum where people can discuss all matters related to drink driving, whether they have been convicted of the offence and are seeking help, support or free legal advice or they just have a keen interest in the subject.
Your anger and bitterness towards the system is understandable. However, if an individual has been convicted of drinking and driving and is required to pass a DVLA medical to regain their driving license and upon taking that medical the results show that the person in question is abusing alcohol then I think it is a fair presumption that the risk of them re-offending increases.I can say from experience that the Medical procedures carried out by the DVLA to determine Fitness to Drive are a complete sham and should be open to scrutiny beyond this forum as they raise several concerns not least of which are Infringments on Human Rights and contrevention of the Freedom of Information Act.
Both my MP and several Motoring Organisations due to my extensive research are very concerned about the conduct of the DVLA in both carrying out Blood Testing and thier subsequent findings, and how they are being used. Investigations are ongoing but It would seem that the DVLA are acting well beyond thier remit ( Road Safety ) and are now exerting control and enacting sanctions from activities we are all FREE! to do in our own homes and participateing in such is not and does not present any danger to any road user! as these activities are carried out whilst not driving and in the privacy of our own homes.
In other words there is a vast difference between Drinking and Driving which is against the law and drinking whilst not driving in your own home or other place over a period of time which is NOT ILLIEGAL! yet the DVLA are now able to adjudicate on such matters which have nothing whatsover to do with them or the safety on our roads.
The medical panel of the DVLA is laughable and a cursory look at the minuetes of thier many meetings will confirm this as such. I fail to see how an individual who does not Drink then Drive is a danger to other road users. I do however see how drivers with serious medical problems such as heart attacks, deafness, diabetics and others are! The granting of licences for such persons is a scandal and is without doubt a real danger to other road users! and is poseing a very serious risk to road safety yet these persons drive on our roads daily and have been passed as " fit to drive " by the DVLA
In particular persons who are at risk of heart failure and have a known record of such should have thier licences revoked imediately they are a real menace and hidden time bomb and cause many fatalities on our roads.
Yet the DVLA continue to pontificate on Drink Driving and how best to deal with it, in particular how to ensure they have a chance of taking persons of the road who have a drink but dont drive but are still perhaps over the limit the next morning. At present they have no way and niether do the police of actually determining wether you are fit to drive as the road side tests do not as yet test for MCV GGT AST etc, needless to say they are working on such technology and if introduced will significantly increase the numbers of people who will have thier licences revoked through abuse/misuse of alcohol even if that abuse/misuse took place a week prior to driving and although does not affect your ability to drive at all, is in your bloodstream and would be revealed by a more stringent analysis of your blood. In other words and for those who are both blind and stupid, this will enable behaviour control via the back door on the pretence it is relevent to road safety. yet those with known serious disabilties which do not dissapear in time via the bloodstream and filtration are given licences to operate a car and drive.
I stated I feel the medical is a sham and i have proof lots of proof! as i have done my research unlike some of those commenting on here under the pretence of " expert "
My advice to anyone convicted of Drink Driving is simple, take the punishment as in serve out the ban when your medical is due insist that the DVLA supply you and your GP with the criteria and specifics of the tests in full, they will carry out on your blood, furthermore I also suggest that you have your blood independently analysed before offering any samples to the DVLA Franchise Doctors. As it stands at present they Franchise Doctor, in the employ! of the DVLA does not provide individuals with like for like blood samples for testing, in my view this is scandalous and leaves the way open for incorrect and illiegal practice to remove completely those who have have been convicted of any DD offence from driving. Do not give permission for any contact with your GP until these requests have been met in full! Should the DVLA fail to supply adequate information concerning the test then refuse to take the exam and seek to Appeal in the Courts to get your licences reinstated. Your argument is simple and lawfull and would succeed! try it! You are entitled to know just what is being tested and why etc and so is your GP so demand all the information! I would also suggest you explore getting the Court to ensure the DVLA supply you with like for samples of blod taken at the exam for your own independent analysis for OBVIOUS REASONS!! It would be of interest to see the courts reactions to such a demand thats of course if you can find any legal expert with any backbone to actually argue your case as opposed to the easy route they now take of Mitigation which basicly means they will stand in court yapping about how sorry you are etc etc. i dont think there is a single lawyer in the country who has ever considered properly and adequatly challenging the DVLA on the matters I allude to here. yet if these were investigated they would reveal a total abuse by the DVLA and thus the State of personal liberty and serious contrevention of the Freedom of Information Act by a Goverment Agency. Many lawyers as we know are no more than ambulance chasers and looking for an easy victory and are not prepared to investigate matters which directly concern our rights etc that daily are being eroded by this nanny state and those in charge of it.
How is it that upon arrest and asked to give a sample of blood/urine for testing at any police station you are given an identical sample by the Police to have tested via an independant laboratory this is of course good and fair practice and ensures fairness and transparency, yet when the DVLA's own Franchise Doctors take your blood for testing you are not provided with an identical sample to have tested via an independent laboratory???? One answer given by the Chief medical Officer at the DVLA is " its not practicle " furthermore this same individual when asked about information concerning what samples would be taken and what markers would be used wrote " this information would have little benifit to the laymen " from his response it is very clear he also views GP's not under his franchise as " laymen " as his department failed to supply the information to my own GP when requested to do so. Furthermore the DVLA's medical team can with impunity ignore the findings of independant laboratories throughout the land which proved beyond any doubt in my case I had no serious conditions whatsoever and that my licence should have been reinstated!
I think I know the real answer! and bet not one of you so called experts will actually reveal the truth to the general public at large so they can see for themselves just what is happening to our personal freedoms and liberties. Also can you explain why it is when a candidate submits to the Medical exam niether him/her nor thier GP is given exact and precise information as to just what is being tested? why its being tested? and what markers are being used to determine wether or not a person has been abusing/misusing Alchohol and as a result will not get his/her licence back after serving the ban as given in the magistrates court.
I await your response with considerable interest!
As to whether the process is an Infringment on Human Rights and contrevention of the Freedom of Information Act is debatable.
If you feel you have been treated unfairly and the system is flawed then you are doing the right thing by contacting your MP. | <urn:uuid:6e7be459-801a-4492-a194-eda7fb35bc38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forum.drinkdriving.org/general-discussion/1511.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975386 | 1,714 | 1.59375 | 2 |
We went to the Cherokee National Museum in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.The museum itself is filled with interesting artifacts. We were most excited about visiting the Ancient Village, which shows what life was like among the Cherokee at the time of the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving. We gathered under the museum’s clock to meet our guide for the tour.
The clock used Cherokee numbers. The Cherokee were one of the few Native American groups to have a written language.
We strolled through the village, admiring the homes and learning from our guide what daily life was like for the people of that time.
Cooking was quite an undertaking, requiring a lot of hard, physical labor.
Dried corn would be pounded in the hollow stump you see here with the wooden post leaning behind it, and all the cooking utensils had to be made by hand before any food preparation began.
The people kept chickens and other small animals for food, as well as hunting and growing crops like squash, corn, and beans to eat.
We enjoyed our trip into the past. There was also an 1890′s village, and you can visit both the Ancient Village and the pioneer-era village virtually at the Heritage Center.
During Native American Heritage Month, it’s good to study the Native Americans who lived in your region, as well as those who joined the Pilgrims for the first Thanksgiving celebration. | <urn:uuid:283e0e9d-f005-4763-b790-4d99af1e09ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myfreshplans.com/2011-11/freshplans-visits-a-cherokee-village/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978312 | 287 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Email A Friend|
Enter the information below to forward this great tip to a friend!
He Said ,She Said
Never argue about something someone has told you. You set yourself up to be treated the same way. If you get side swiped by a piece of news that may have some validity, and can't be ignored and it's from a source you can TRUST, approach it with your significant other with caution, giving them a chance to explain or tell their side. Never make it seem that you're believing hold heartedly what has been told to you. But make it known how embarrased and hurt you were to be told something that they should have told you instead of hearing it from someone outside your relationship. But you must be careful with this. Don't be petty. In my experience anything that's meant for you to know, you will eventually find out...with no ones help.
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Japanese Love Kanji|
Express your love with these gorgeous tote bags, tshirts and other items! The Japanese character for "love" is on a red background.
Bookmark this site so you can reference it any time you need romantic / relationship info in the future! | <urn:uuid:cf3b62a6-7b23-4003-b662-042d48117a5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.romanceclass.com/miscr/emailfriend.asp?id=3094 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971221 | 248 | 1.578125 | 2 |
As the Builder, Tim Carter: Making repairs over torn drywall
DEAR TIM: I was removing an ugly ceramic tile backsplash in my kitchen. Some of the drywall paper came off with the old glue. It looks horrible. A home center employee told me I have to put in new drywall. This can’t be true. Is there a way to repair this so the wall is once again perfectly smooth? Surely you know secret ninja tricks that will save me! - Shelly B., Siesta Key, Fla.
DEAR SHELLY: I’ll never forget the first time that happened to me. I was removing large sheets of a thin wood paneling that had been nailed and glued over unpainted drywall. What a mess I had! The second time it happened to me, I was stripping off wallpaper in a bathroom. The paperhanger hadn’t primed the drywall with the proper sealant to prevent the wallpaper glue from bonding to the drywall paper.
The advice you received from the home center employee is completely wrong. You don’t have to replace the drywall. I’m going to describe to you how to repair it. It’s a shame that so much bad advice is dispensed each day inside those big- box stores.
The common drywall found in many homes is made with fairly high-technology paper. You’d be surprised how thick the actual paper is. You can see it if you look closely at a cross section of drywall after it’s been cut or at the end of a piece before it’s installed.
The side of the paper that faces into your room and the other side that touches the wet gypsum at the factory both are made to resist the water that’s in the finishing compounds and the wet gypsum. But the center part of the paper will react violently if water reaches it.
If you’ve ever tried to patch drywall where the facing paper is torn off, exposing the core of the paper, you’ll discover that the water in the patching compound almost always causes bubbles and blisters to form. The more you pop them and recoat them, the faster they return.
The first step in making a blister-free repair is a razor knife. You use this tool to trim any partially peeled-up paper around the edges of the damaged area. You must have crisp cut lines all around the damaged area with no peeling paper.
Once you’ve done this simple step, you should coat the brown inner-core paper with an oil-based sealer that dries quickly. You can purchase spray cans of these primers, or you can brush on clear or white shellac. Just be sure that, whatever sealer you use, it doesn’t contain any water. You can even use leftover oil-based paints.
When you apply this sealer, paint or spray over the edges of the damaged area onto the undamaged drywall paper. You want to seal the thin edges of the drywall paper, too.
Once the sealer has dried, you can skim-coat the area with regular drywall compound. The area that needs to be coated is probably less than 1/32 inch, so it’s not very thick. | <urn:uuid:0fb26ba4-1a22-4b1e-84e1-bab05898efc4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northjersey.com/community/house_gardening/186498441_As_the_Builder__Tim_Carter__Making_repairs_over_torn_drywall.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933743 | 688 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The extant professional literature has extensively evinced that Black male students academically underperform all students throughout the educational pipeline (See Jerlando F.L. Jackson’s “Toward Administrative Diversity: An Analysis of the African-American Male Educational Pipeline”). Limited research exists on what impact the level of love teachers have for the profession has on Black male students’ learning outcomes. People will ask how are you going to measure love for the profession. One of the important ways to measure a teacher’s love for the profession is to ask him or her how important of a problem is it to him or her that Black male students academically underperform all students throughout the educational pipeline. Next, one can ask the teacher what is he or she doing to ameliorate this problem. I think that gaining answers from teachers on those two questions are important steps to gaining a qualitative understanding of where teachers stand on the problem of Black male academic underachievement.
Given that America has been a historically racist nation and continues to be a racist nation, I contend that it is vital to engage White teachers with queries that seek to understand how they feel about the quandary of Black male academic underachievement. In no way am I trying to call all White teachers racists. It’s just a reality that most students are educated by White teachers in America. The existing scholarly literature needs to benefit from qualitative research that examines the perceptions of White teachers about the problem of Black male academic underachievement. We need to understand what percentage of them really views this as a serious problem. We also need to know why White teachers think this problem exists. These questions need to be asked to White teachers because we need to uncover the level of investment they have in Black male students throughout the educational pipeline.
It is very possible that one of the foremost contributing factors to Black male academic underachievement could be many White teachers’ lack of a strong investment in Black male academic success. As we look to further identify the most significant factors that contribute to Black male academic underachievement, we cannot be afraid to ask questions that might be offensive to people. If people get offended when you are solemnly exploring questions aimed at buttressing Black male academic achievement, then that’s just tough for them. It seems that there are not enough people getting offended about Black males academically lagging behind all students throughout the educational pipeline. That’s what we need to get offended about! Therefore, if you get offended when I start asking you whether or not you really love Black male students, then you will just have to be offended.
I am not going to let Black teachers off the hook either. If you really love the members of your community and are looking to uplift your community, then what are you doing to advance Black male education? What are you doing to support positive educational experiences and outcomes for Black males? What are you doing special for them to meet their special realities? I don’t want to hear this crap about having to treat them the same as everyone else. If you have that kind of mindset, then you really don’t care about them because they are not just like everyone else—they are the most academically underperforming students throughout every grade level.
I encourage you to do whatever you can to help to ameliorate Black male academic achievement throughout the educational pipeline. We can keep more Black men off the streets, out of gangs, out of prisons, and off of drugs when we take the initiative to dedicate ourselves more to ensuring that they have positive educational experiences and outcomes. I will continue to posit that the American education system is failing until I see a substantial improvement in Black male academic achievement throughout the educational pipeline. Black boys and men are worth more than the gargantuan profits they can produce for you on football fields and basketball courts.
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison
In a recent article (http://theloop21.com/society/sex-education-or-sexuality-education-danger-of-saving-ourselves), Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Columbia University professor, contended that abstinence-only sex education is “ineffective,” “flawed,” and “dangerous.” Just as I disagreed with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill for “hating” Drake, I also disagree with his opposition to abstinence-only sex education. Dr. Hill is one of the leading public intellectuals of our time and someone I deeply admire. As much as I respect, admire, and appreciate the work of Dr. Hill, I cannot disagree more with him on abstinence-only sex education.
As a person who experienced sex education in high school, I found that it only increased the desire of everyone in the class to engage in sex—risky sex at that. How do I know this? Everyone said it! We never had the opportunity to experience abstinence-only sex education in my high school. Although that we know that our young people are having sex at early ages, we cannot give up on promoting abstinence-only in the classroom and in curriculums. Pre-K – 12 should instill in our children character—not hand them a condom.
The decision to tell children about condoms and how to prevent getting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) should be left to parents to decide. Parents do not send their children to school to have teachers telling them all kinds of things about condoms and how to prevent getting an STD. Our children should receive an education that teaches the best and brightest aspects about life and America. Even from the advent of American education, character education has been a mainstay. We should never give up on telling our children to just say no to sex while they are still in the Pre-K-12 educational pipeline. Schools should be promoting civil behavior—not saying, “Hey, if you’re going to go ahead and have sex, make sure that you put on a condom.” Children are exposed to so many dangers when we assume that they are going to have sex anyway.
We have to continue to promote abstinence-only sex education because we must insist that our children are going to be responsible individuals who wait until they have graduated from high school before they have sexual intercourse. Now, Dr. Hill certainly believed in the rhetoric of hope that then Senator Obama was selling, so I expect for him to have hope that abstinence-only sex education can be the most effective and appropriate form of sex education we can deliver to our students. Although comprehensive sex education may sound like we are fully education our children about sex, I contend that this is an improper thing for schools to do. Schools should leave the more controversial aspects of sex education to children’s parents.
Do you really want some man or woman in a classroom telling your child how to use a condom? If we devote more time, resources, and money to abstinence-only sex education, then we can see better results emerge and we can see it become more effective. The problem is you have people like Dr. Hill saying that it is not enough, and this ends up having such an influence on curriculum developers. Dr. Hill, why don’t you just dedicate more time to thinking about better ways to make abstinence-only sex education more effective instead of trying to demean it as you have in the aforementioned article? In your criticism of Drake, Dr. Hill, you say that he “leaves much to be desired.” On this issue, I say that you leave much to be desired. You are still one of my favorite and most admired public intellectuals, however.
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison | <urn:uuid:10c93dd3-a37b-48a5-b186-06b399de29a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://revolutionarypaideia.com/tag/american-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965321 | 1,584 | 1.945313 | 2 |
The Suffering of Obese People in Our Society
John Robbins, author of “Diet for a New America”, writes a
heart-warming and challenging article about the suffering and alienation
obese people suffer in our society. Robbins highlights the
misinformation given by physicians to people who suffer from chronic
diseases, like diabetes, by not offering the choice of adopting a
plant-based diet and instead prescribing medications only. While he
agrees that fast food companies are indeed in part guilty of our state
of health, Robbins ultimately believes the responsibility is on us.
To read the article and also learn about Natala Constantine, an obese
woman with many health problems, who -- by adopting a plant-based diet
-- begins the journey to regain her health, please search online for
Being Fat in America
Suffering is all around. In our society, people are alienated and
ridiculed for their appearance, sexual orientation, race, etc., thus
perpetrating a vicious cycle that only brings darkness and pain.
However, humans also have the power to love and care for one another
bringing much needed healing into this world. May each one of us choose
to follow Christ’s teachings of compassion, mercy and love, by extending
our circle of compassion to all of God’s Creation.
Your question and comments are welcome | <urn:uuid:4914b55f-e200-4582-9272-11a19c06ee8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-creatures.org/cva/th-20110331-h.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938199 | 286 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Filed under: Aging in place, Alzheimer Residence, Assisted Living, Baby Boomers, Community Gardens, Continue Care Retirement Communities, Gardening, Healing Gardens, Horticultural Therapy, Landscape Architecture, landscape design, Meditation Gardens, Organic gardens, Restorative gardens, Senior Environment Assessment, Senior Living, Successful Aging, Sustainability, Sustainable design, Therapeutic Gardens, Uncategorized
Our bodies natural rhythms are connected to the cycles of night and day. For centuries people have been able to to balance these natural rhythms by spending time outside. With the advent of the light bulb, we have been able to spend more time indoors and staying up late into the night. However, for people who are not able to get outside this can be disruptive to the natural processes of the body, including the absorption of vitamin D.
Sunlight is important for its ability to help the body create vitamin D. Vitamin D ‘works’ with the parathyroid hormone to balance calcium in the blood and in turn helps to build strong bones. The vitamin also helps regulate our immune system and maintain healthy cell growth.
Residents of nursing homes and other senior residences, in many instances, do not have the ability to access the outdoor environment. Either it is too difficult for them to be able to get outside or there isn’t even a place where they can go outside. Creating safe accessible outdoor areas for older adults is very important for their health and well-being. The opportunity for older adults to be able to spend time in a garden is a natural way for the body to create vitamin D.
Developing gardens that are fun and interesting is a way to encourage older adults to go outside. Gardens should be planned with activities and programs in mind. Activities such as gardening, bird watching, reading groups, bar-b-ques, and walking clubs are just a few of the elements of a garden that make people want to go outside. The goal is to get people to enjoy visiting the garden so that they will want to go outside often. This will help them get their daily dose of vitamin D – naturally!
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Leave a comment | <urn:uuid:c437b757-fdbf-4e59-8772-fa88b7048a0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://designforgenerations.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/vitamin-d-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946669 | 438 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Letter To Susan Crawford, Convening Authority, Office of Military Commissions
Department of Defense
Office of Military Commissions
1600 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301-1600
June 3, 2008
Make a Difference
Your support helps the ACLU stand up for human rights and defend civil liberties.
Dear Ms. Crawford:
Many of us learned for the first time this week that only one relative of a 9/11 victim was invited to attend the proceedings at Guantánamo Bay. The Defense Department’s belated disclosure that Debra Burlingame, a staunch supporter of this administration and the military commission system, was secretly invited to attend the arraignment of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is but the latest example of a covert, politicized military commission system that has little hope of bringing any legitimate outcome.
As people who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we want nothing more than to see that justice is served in the prosecution of suspects. However, we know that no justice will come out of a system that has been compromised by politics and stripped of the rule of law. Unfortunately, the government insists on trying those accused of participating in the 9/11 attacks in military commissions that operate largely outside the realm of public scrutiny and rely on confessions derived by torture, secret evidence that a defendant cannot rebut, and hearsay.
The American public has every right to expect that prosecutions of 9/11 suspects will be conducted in a fair, open and honest manner that is not compromised by crass political considerations. Selectively inviting only 9/11 family members whose views are in alignment with those of the Bush administration is only one example of the repeated attempts to infuse politics into what should be an impartial process that has the goal of achieving justice.
We know that we are not the only ones who object to the illegitimacy of these proceedings. Respected military figures as well as law enforcement officials like Janet Reno and William Webster have spoken out. And in an effort to make this system more in line with our constitutional values, the American Civil Liberties Union has assembled civilian legal teams to assist the woefully under-resourced military defense counsel. If the prosecution of these suspects is carried out in a manner that is not in accordance with American values of due process, the rule of law, and transparency, any verdict will lack legitimacy and we will be left to wonder if those responsible for the deaths of our loved ones have really been brought to justice.
Anne M. Mulderry
Mother of Stephen V. Mulderry
Mother of Firefighter Timothy Welty
Wife of Alan Kleinberg
Lorie Van Auken
Wife of Kenneth Van Auken
Mother of Police Officer John Perry
Wife of Richard Gabrielle
Wife of John F. Casazza
cc: Capt. Karen Loftus, DoD OGC | <urn:uuid:a59748c2-af79-4532-9553-3e1e5442aef0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aclu.org/national-security/letter-susan-crawford-convening-authority-office-military-commissions?quicktabs_content_video_podcasts=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939692 | 585 | 1.5625 | 2 |
[This is the first in a series of posts on getting started with the new features in Entity Framework 4 based on the demos I did in my session at TechEd Europe in Berlin last week (Nov 2009). ]
When adding an Entity Data Model to a project you are given the option to:
- Generate the Model from an existing database (SQL Server, Oracle etc) or
- Start with an Empty Model and create your conceptual model (sometimes referred to as Application Model or Domain Model) first – adding new Entities and Associations between Entities.
Unfortunately in version one of the Entity Framework the button “Empty model” was one of those “buttons that should never be pressed” (Reference the Xmas episode of Dr Who). Put simply – it took you down a path to many, many issues which were best avoided and the recommendation in the v1 days was to never use it.
Fortunately in the betas of Entity Framework 4 things have got a lot better. You can now safely click on “Empty Model” and continue to sensibly create a working solution.
Hence, lets start with an Empty model.
Once you have your empty model you can add Entities and Associations by right clicking on the design surface:
Lets add two Entities – Category and Product, which you will likely be used to from the sample database Northwind. Once these are added we can then add a single association between Category and Product which is visualised in the design surface as the Navigation Properties on each Entity and the 1:Many association:
We now have a “finished” conceptual model but with no mapping to database tables. Interestingly there is no way to start to map Entities to tables until you do at least one “Generate Database from Model”:
Which gives you the Generate Database Script Wizard:
When you click Finish two things will happen.
- A DDL script will be written to the file system and will be included into the project. In this case ModelFirstModel.edmx.sql
- The Entity Data Model will be updated – a new mapping file and store schema file will be generated. Remember that the Entity Data Model (EDM) is made up of three schemas – Conceptual, Mapping and Store
You get the option to update the Entity Data Model or not – but TBH the only option is to go with Yes. The update of the EDM is 100% destructive:
Note the DDL script is not automatically run against your database. Which is a good thing as it is also 100% destructive:
Hence all that is then left to do is to actually execute the DDL script to create the database, which for me I tend to do inside SQL Server Management Studio. You will then see that the Entities and Associations are now mapped and you can begin to customise those mappings.
That has covered the simple stuff with Model First but I plan to revisit this topic in the near future and look at why and how you might use it in a real solution. | <urn:uuid:da18b88a-383c-480d-98d2-f7db370eeef8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geekswithblogs.net/iupdateable/archive/2009/11/17/getting-started-with-entity-framework-4-ndash-simple-model-first.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932844 | 634 | 2.265625 | 2 |
I met Julie O' Yang, author of 'Butterfly' in Oct 2011. She had flown in from Netherlands to take part in the South Asian literature festival in London. I was pleasantly surprised by her unassuming and modest yet very confident attitude.
Julie has published fiction and articles in various publications worldwide. Apart from being an author Julie is also a visual artist and Butterfly has some of her own illustrations in it.
The book cover shows a vague woman's face underwater, a very artistic choice in keeping with the story.
Butterfly is a love story that spans life and death, magic and reality and parallel reality.
The author has woven mythology and history skilfully together to create a mysterious atmosphere in the story that keeps readers hooked till the end.
The butterfly motto has been used repeatedly to create and reinforce the idea that like a butterfly changes its form and gets reborn time and again, so does love in-spite of all the odds against it be it war, Nanking Massacre, or the darkest secret.
“They say butterfly fish was made by Bodhisattva Guan Yin after she had a strange dream. Guan Yin looked at the star-studded body hauling a fantail so black like ink spilled in water. At that moment a butterfly floated past her. One thing other fish don’t do, though. A real butterfly fish can change into a beautiful woman at night.”
The love scenes are infused with Chinese myths and strong imagery that gives it a mystical tinge.
“I decided to love him. I decided I would accept him for everything he was. I learned to forgive and how to forgive. The world happens, we can choose how much it happens. At the end of the day no-one loses or wins. There is no future living in the past. For all I know, we could start finding peace and happiness between two human beings. To love, to be loved is the true gift of our heart. Love is not mediocre. Love is our freedom.”
“You were pregnant by a man-killer, didn’t that bother you?”
The book is littered with metaphors and beautiful imagery that spell binds its readers and gives them wings to take them along on an unpredictable, conflicting journey of a butterfly.
I found it hard to put it down until the very end although the end itself is a bit lacking in clarity may be done so intentionally by the author to maintain the aura of mystery.
The book Butterfly all in all reads like a Bestseller and the readers will find it a page turner. A must read for all.
A book review by Smita Singh
The Culture Night
Join VAANI in celebrating the 'Culture Night' during Redbridge Book and Media Festival 2013
The VAANI Cultural Night will be on 1st June 2013. The final participants will be decided during the next few weeks.
The Culture Night is to celebrate the 'Cohesion' of different cultures residing in Redbridge. It is to provide a platform to be one in our differences, to perform, gain confidence and hopefully a launch pad for bigger and brighter future for local residents of Redbridge and surrounding area.
VAANI is also a BIG platform for disadvantaged people like people with learning disabilities and Asian women, for them to integrate better within the the fabric of society and a SMALL step towards main stream integration.
Have you got the X Factor?
Show the world what you've got!
We invite both young and old, raw and gold to perform on the night. We are looking for:
- group dance performances,
- group song performances,
- Asian Women group dance/song performances,
- original Poetry/ Prose recital in any language as long as a short description is given to the audience during the performance.
- One act play/ skit/ monologue (could be a Comedy)
There will be an Audition and then a final dress rehearsal prior to the event itself. All participants are expected to practice once they've been selected.
To register email Rupam on firstname.lastname@example.org stating your area of interest.
The closing date for registering is 20th March 2013.
Interested to know more about VAANI? www.vaani.org
As I was about to leave the door I hesitated, for a few seconds, it was cold, I was going alone. These hesitations only lasted for a few seconds. My husband gently encouraged me to go. My young boys understood, when I told them I was going to the open meeting at the London School of Economic and Political Science on Gender Violence.
Remembering the protest on the 7th January in front of the Indian High Commission in London, I had no hesitations, I was going and going with a determination, to find voices that felt the same anger that I had felt in isolation, anger of the 50 million girls missing, of the acceptance and support of abuse from government. This endless cycle had to be stopped. I needed to be the voice that had been denied to millions. I felt so much in unison with all the girls that had died and had yet to shout. The voices at the protest on the 7th January were powerful, very powerful. We shouted, ‘Shame on you’ for hours, we demanded justice, freedom and sang, 'We are not just flowers we are sparks and fire’. It was both a process of healing for all the hurt and an opportunity to be with other women, who were strangers but shared a common cause.
I was very lucky to be sitting next to my heroine Meera Syal during the open meeting at LSE, I spoke to her briefly.
Then the discourse began.
One of the audiences began with ‘We need more judges’ in India. Kavita Krishnanan Indian feminist at the forefront of change was on face time live to answer questions. Yes, Indian feminist will be watching closely the budget and assessing what actually has been done to address the issues. Having more judges is a right. But having judges with moral conviction, having an ethos in the system which respects and supports women is just as necessary and valid. Women’s issues have lit a spark which will not die down to the unjust system until real changes are made. Changes demanded by locals not just in urban communities but in rural communities, as well.
‘Women’s freedom is everyone’s freedom’
Is it a fight for the dignity of all our sisters, when one sister is unhappy it affects all sister’s. If one sister is abused in the global family then all our brother and sisters feel the pain.
There is a dangerous line that must be kept in check, while we demand freedom from abuse, we must be careful not to label a whole community of being abusive. It is the system, it is the ethos that must be changed from the top that allows, if not encourages the abuse.
Confronting abuse with abuse is not productive. We are asking for justice against crimes, we are asking for an end of reading, listening and knowing that millions of girls were denied the right to life, around 50 million missing girls in India. If they survived birth many did not see childhood, if they survived childhood, the incidence of abuse was high, if they got married then abuse would continue if they bore girls.
A member of the audience a lawyer who has dealt with crimes against women for 20 years and seen men escape justice and commit abuses against women. Now she cannot understand why the death penalty has not been implemented widely in India for rapes. There was ‘Boos’ from the rest of the audience. The problem with the death penalty is that the police and the army are exempt and the government is selective for whom they subjected death penalty to. Most rapes are committed by men whom the girls know for example, relatives, neighbours community members; girls would be under immense pressure not to ‘kill’ her abuser.
Rape laws as they stand in Indian are scandalous, they do not include stalking, inserting objects in women’s bodies etc. The sexual harassment bill is very problematic and as a first step this needs to change to encompass abuse against women. The widespread abuse and rape of UK military and police force was highlighted. The difficulties and issues are similar for example only 6% of sexual harassment cases are brought to justice in UK.
If the 23 year old student 'Damini' had survived, life would have been no better than a ‘corpse’. One of the audiences mentioned a cartoon she saw in paper. It had one candle burn out and then next to it a million candles light up.
This movement needs to continue, we must continue the dialogue, and we must stand up with the light within us to shine the light of justice everywhere.
The workshop ended with a list of actions that demanded action from Dr Manhohan Singh. Manmohan Singh is perfectly aware of the injustice to women; he was quoted as saying once that what was needed was a moral crusade to stop this. As if he was waiting for an outside force to deal with the problem within his government. That moral crusade needs to come from his government for effective change.
I was worried going back home alone but that light within me that took me to the open meeting also gave me another light to walk home with. I made a new friend, usually I say hello to an elderly man on the way to school run and occasionally I see his daughter with him. I went home with his daughter and it was delightful to connect and to hope for a better future.
by Gurmit Kaur
Berali has used both his skills as a poet and as an artist to tell his readers a story of friendship and coming of age.
Muted yet colourful images have dream like qualities to them in the twin books. The words add to the magic created by the art.
"Jupiter's colors are like slipper orchids, hard to find in nature. colors that I imagine are a memory of ancient seas, colors that remind me of fish from coral reefs."
The authors love for the Eastern box turtle of North America is evident on each page but sometimes a reader might forget that this story is about a tiny turtle and not about themselves.
"Look at all the patterns in a garden, stars in moss, circles in sand, ivy wings, little hats on mushrooms and sun letters on box turtle shells."
The second book Manni from a World Beyond Stars is more suited for children aged 5-9 as it tells a story along with beautiful and mesmerising illustrations.
The books are best bought as a gift for children or even for adults who like rich art illustrations.
By Smita Singh
Copyright (c) VAANI etc.
Copyright © VAANI. The written piece of work is the property of the individual writers who belong to the group called Vaani. Copying or abuse of any material here is strictly prohibited. Permission of the writer is required to use their work somewhere else. For such matters, Please contact us here . | <urn:uuid:21ee2387-aef5-4fec-a47a-a16cc0e8bacd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vaani.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972461 | 2,289 | 1.65625 | 2 |
44. What is traffic shaping?
One of the main causes of congestion is that traffic is often busy. If hosts could be made to transmit at a uniform rate, congestion would be less common. Another open loop method to help manage congestion is forcing the packet to be transmitted at a more predictable rate. This is called traffic shaping.
45. What is multicast routing?
Sending a message to a group is called multicasting, and its routing algorithm is called multicast routing.
46. What is region?
When hierarchical routing is used, the routers are divided into what we will call regions, with each router knowing all the details about how to route packets to destinations within its own region, but knowing nothing about the internal structure of other regions.
47. What is silly window syndrome?
It is a problem that can ruin TCP performance. This problem occurs when data are passed to the sending TCP entity in large blocks, but an interactive application on the receiving side reads 1 byte at a time.
48. What are Digrams and Trigrams?
The most common two letter combinations are called as digrams. e.g. th, in, er, re and an. The most common three letter combinations are called as trigrams. e.g. the, ing, and, and ion.
49. Expand IDEA.
IDEA stands for International Data Encryption Algorithm.
50. What is wide-mouth frog?
Wide-mouth frog is the simplest known key distribution center (KDC) authentication protocol.
51. What is Mail Gateway?
It is a system that performs a protocol translation between different electronic mail delivery protocols.
52. What is IGP (Interior Gateway Protocol)?
It is any routing protocol used within an autonomous system.
53. What is EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol)?
It is the protocol the routers in neighboring autonomous systems use to identify the set of networks that can be reached within or via each autonomous system.
54. What is autonomous system?
It is a collection of routers under the control of a single administrative authority and that uses a common Interior Gateway Protocol.
55. What is BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)?
It is a protocol used to advertise the set of networks that can be reached with in an autonomous system. BGP enables this information to be shared with the autonomous system. This is newer than EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol).
56. What is Gateway-to-Gateway protocol?
It is a protocol formerly used to exchange routing information between Internet core routers.
57. What is NVT (Network Virtual Terminal)?
It is a set of rules defining a very simple virtual terminal interaction. The NVT is used in the start of a Telnet session.
58. What is a Multi-homed Host?
It is a host that has a multiple network interfaces and that requires multiple IP addresses is called as a Multi-homed Host.
59. What is Kerberos?
It is an authentication service developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kerberos uses encryption to prevent intruders from discovering passwords and gaining unauthorized access to files.
60. What is OSPF?
It is an Internet routing protocol that scales well, can route traffic along multiple paths, and uses knowledge of an Internet’s topology to make accurate routing decisions.
61. What is Proxy ARP?
It is using a router to answer ARP requests. This will be done when the originating host believes that a destination is local, when in fact is lies beyond router.
62. What is SLIP (Serial Line Interface Protocol)?
It is a very simple protocol used for transmission of IP datagrams across a serial line.
63. What is RIP (Routing Information Protocol)?
It is a simple protocol used to exchange information between the routers.
64. What is source route?
It is a sequence of IP addresses identifying the route a datagram must follow. A source route may optionally be included in an IP datagram header. | <urn:uuid:78550a64-69e8-408e-9a4d-7705f3436d22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://way2freshers.com/aptitude/computer-networks-aptitude-questions-and-answers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916142 | 837 | 3.578125 | 4 |
It took a solid year of outrage from Canadian researchers, the international science community and the public to force the Harper government to finally agree to transfer the world-renowned Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) to a non-profit organization.
“The Harper government was being hammered on this from every conceivable angle before they finally buckled,” said Diane Orihel, PhD student at University of Alberta and founder of the Coalition to Save ELA.
The ELA is 45 year old freshwater research facility in northern Ontario considered unique in the world. It was there that Canadian scientists discovered the dangers of acid rain as well as mercury and phosphorus pollution. Regulations that protect the health of the environment in Canada many countries are based on the work done at the ELA.
Blame Canada is a four part series revealing how Canada has become a wealthy, fossil-fuelled energy superpower and an international climate pariah. Part 1 reveals Canada's emergence as a Petrostate, part 2 outlines Canada's climate crimes, and part 3 shows how energy 'wealth' contributes to the nation's poverty.
Canada's opposition to anything that might help developing countries is “mind-boggling” a delegate from Mali told me during a UN conference to slow the widespread extinction of species. “Canadians are known to protect the environment, I cannot understand why they are pushing policies that are clearly unsustainable," he said.
Only a few days before Prime Minister Stephen Harper told delegates that losing wildlife was an urgent and alarming issue. Then as nearly 190 nations made plans to take action, Canadian delegates blocked those plans with legal and technical manoeuvres.
“Do Canadians know what their government is doing here? You must tell them.”
That was in 2008. Since then at environmental or development gatherings around the world I've been asked dozens of times “what has happened to Canada?” And it's not just me.
Sunday marked the beginning of Freedom to Read week, an annual event reminding Canadian citizens of the intellectual freedom they are constitutionally guaranteed. It also reminds us we are governed by other citizens with the capacity to permit or limit that freedom. These are citizens that we can hold accountable only to the extent that we know how they make their decisions and what consequences those decisions have.
The event this year stands out on the Canadian political landscape, an uncomfortable reminder of just how frustrated the free flow of information has become in this country.
The timing is significant, as the event arrives on the heels of a University of Victoria study that highlights the Harper government’s efforts to restrict media access to federal scientists.
What a difference a decade makes - especially when it comes to government-directed communications policies regarding science, and especially when you're in Canada.
In 2003 a Canadian-American research collaboration, involving scientists from US universities and Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), began in the Eastern Arctic to track oceanic conditions and ice flow in the Nares Strait.
“If people don’t speak out there will never be any change,” says the University of Victoria’s award-winning climate scientist Andrew Weaver.
And the need for change in Canada, says Weaver, has never been more pressing.
“We have a crisis in Canada. That crisis is in terms of the development of information and the need for science to inform decision-making. We have replaced that with an ideological approach to decision-making, the selective use of whatever can be found to justify [policy decisions], and the suppression of scientific voices and science itself in terms of informing the development of that policy.” | <urn:uuid:ce92777c-4e95-4ace-b035-342a813130e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://desmog.ca/directory/vocabulary/2499 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959566 | 741 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Italian president dissolves parliament
December 23, 2012 -- Updated 1530 GMT (2330 HKT)
Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti, shown in this file photo, resigned after Parliament approved the budget.
- Italy's president has dissolved parliament
- The move follows the resignation of the prime minister
- New elections will be held in February
Rome (CNN) -- Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday dissolved the country's parliament, following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Monti.
New elections will beheld on February 24-25, according to a statement posted on the president's website.
Mario Monti: 'Minds are focused'
Berlusconi engaged to 27-year-old
Monti was appointed prime minister last year after the resignation of former premier Silvio Berlusconi. Monti has not indicated whether he will run in the new elections, while Berlusconi says he will.
Monti resigned Friday after Parliament approved the budget.
An economist and former European commissioner, Monti was appointed by Napolitano after Berlusconi stepped down under pressure for failing to control Italy's debt and a series of scandals.
Since then, international investors have displayed confidence in the country's finances. Italy's borrowing costs have fallen this year on Monti's efforts to bring down borrowing and the improved sentiment generated by the European Central Bank's conditional scheme to buy bonds of struggling sovereigns.
Berlusconi has criticized Monti's austerity policies as damaging to the country. Berlusconi's party, the People of Freedom, is the largest in Parliament.
Read more: Berlusconi, 76, reveals plans to marry 27-year-old
Part of complete coverage on
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 1526 GMT (2326 HKT)
Advocates say the exam includes unnecessarily invasive and irrelevant procedures -- like a so-called "two finger" test.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 0009 GMT (0809 HKT)
Supplies of food, clothing and fuel are running short in Damascus and people are going hungry as the civil war drags on.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 1801 GMT (0201 HKT)
Supporters of Richard III want a reconstruction of his head to bring a human aspect to a leader portrayed as a murderous villain.
February 5, 2013 -- Updated 1548 GMT (2348 HKT)
Robert Fowler spent 130 days held hostage by the same al Qaeda group that was behind the Algeria massacre. He shares his experience.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 0507 GMT (1307 HKT)
As "We are the World" plays, a video shows what looks like a nuclear attack on the U.S. Jim Clancy reports on a bizarre video from North Korea.
The relationship is, once again, cold enough to make Obama's much-trumpeted "reset" in Russian-U.S. relations seem thoroughly off the rails.
Ten years on, what do you think the Iraq war has changed in you, and in your country? Send us your thoughts and experiences.
February 5, 2013 -- Updated 1215 GMT (2015 HKT)
Musician Daniela Mercury has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide over a career span of nearly 30 years.
Photojournalist Alison Wright travelled the world to capture its many faces in her latest book, "Face to Face: Portraits of the Human Spirit."
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 0006 GMT (0806 HKT)
Europol claims 380 soccer matches, including top level ones, were fixed - as the scandal widens, CNN's Dan Rivers looks at how it's done.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 1237 GMT (2037 HKT)
That galaxy far, far away is apparently bigger than first thought. The "Star Wars" franchise will get two spinoff movies, Disney announced.
February 8, 2013 -- Updated 0718 GMT (1518 HKT)
It's an essential part of any trip, an activity we all take part in. Yet almost none of us are any good at it. Souvenir buying is too often an obligatory slog.
Today's five most popular stories | <urn:uuid:7ab8bc19-a449-403c-8fc5-506cf2b6b7f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/22/world/europe/italy-parliament-dissolved/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946323 | 864 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show in the skies of Cuyahoga Falls.
Earth started passing through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet on Oct. 15, which will give us the benefit of the annual Orionids meteor shower—though you probably won't see much until a bit later.
The shower should be at its peak the night of Saturday, Oct. 20, until just before dawn on Oct. 21. This year, the moon will be setting at approximately midnight, which will keep the sky darkened enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour.
The best places to watch, not surprisingly, are open, dark skies. (Be selective in picking your vantage point, city parks don't open till dawn.)
According to an article on NASA's website, the best time to view the shower is one to two hours before sunrise, when the sky is still dark and the constellation Orion is high above. They recommend people lie down on a blanket to get the best, broadest view of the sky.
What makes this shower so cool? First of all, c'mon—it's a show of shooting stars.
Also, though, there's no question about where to look for this one. Meteor showers get their names from the constellations in the sky where they can be spotted. And what's easier to spot than Orion the Hunter?
The stars tend to shoot from Orion's club, pierce Taurus the Bull, the Gemini twins, Leo the Lionand finally, Canis Major, home of Sirius, the brightest star we can see—well, aside from the sun.
There's also something else that's special about this show: With the second-fastest entry velocity of all the annual meteor showers, meteors from the Orionids produce yellow and green colors and occasionally produce an odd fireball.
To make sure you get the best view possible, remember to check the weather forecast and conditions before you head outside to watch.
See More on Patch
- When You Need to Paint the House (Sponsored)
- Got Allergies? Find Out the Pollen Count in Cuyahoga Falls, OH Today
- Lyrids Meteor Shower 2013: Where and When to Watch In Cuyahoga Falls
- Track the Easter Bunny on His Way to Cuyahoga Falls
- Cuyahoga Falls Area Hospitals ER Wait Times; Fed Report Compares Data | <urn:uuid:3175a312-47e7-4c4a-9bb6-5d30979144ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cuyahogafalls.patch.com/articles/orionids-meteor-shower-2012-where-and-when-to-watch-in-cuyahoga-falls | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926646 | 516 | 2.53125 | 3 |
- Car Seats
- Toddler Tips (6)
- Expert Toddler Q & A (37)
- Potty Training
- Temper Tantrums
- Growth and Development
Ages and Stages Photo Gallery
The Ages and Stages Photo Gallery will help you view other children at all of the different parenting ages and stages and get more information about all of the common issues and problems that you may face at different times as your child grows up.
What to expect from the growth and development of your child at fifteen months.
Sippy Cups - Use and Misuse for Babies
Sippy cups can provide a good way to transition from bottles to open cups for toddlers, but can be misused if they are used for too long if your child carries one around filled with juice all day.
What to expect from the growth and development of your child at eighteen months.
What to expect from the growth and development of your two year old.
Potty Training Readiness Quiz
Potty training is an important milestone that almost all children learn. Unfortunately, it can sometimes cause a lot of distress for families, especially if they begin potty training before their child is ready. Take our quiz to see if your child is ready to start potty training.
Top 6 Toddler Parenting Issues and Tips
Review these common toddler parenting issues, including picky eaters, safety, temper tantrums, speech delays, and potty training.
Baby's First Steps
A photo of a baby taking her first steps, a developmental milestone most babies reach between eleven and fifteen months.
Pretend play, or imitating activities, is an important developmental milestone that most infants reaches when they are about ten to 16 months old.
Potty Training Your Toddler
Advice and resources from experts and successful caregivers on how to potty train your toddler.
Using Leashes with Toddler Twins/Multiples
Parents of twins and other multiples sometimes use leashes or harnesses as a safety device.
Quick and simple advice to help you get your toddler to brush teeth and prevent cavities.
Baby Walkers - Are they safe?
Mobile baby walkers, although fun for babies, can put your child at big risk of getting injured.
Board Books for Babies and Toddlers
Find out all about the benefits of using board books with young children, read articles and book reviews, and learn about recommended books.
Moving to a toddler bed can be stressful for many children and it is a significant milestone in their development. Read these tips to ease the transition and get your child to give up her crib.
Looking for the best toddler toys and clothes? Your About Guide to Baby Products has top picks for toddler clothing and toys that toddlers are sure to love. | <urn:uuid:f428166d-ab03-4844-ae29-dda91cc492a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pediatrics.about.com/od/toddlers/Toddlers.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927691 | 569 | 2.5 | 2 |
As of 2007, parents with children under 6, or those with disables children under 18, have the right to request flexible working hours. This even extends to adults under certain circumstances.
Flexible working offers options that are meant to help employees balance their work and home lives and is therefore particularly valuable for parents of young children, or those looking after the elderly of have disabled family dependent on them, where the normal 9-5 working hours may not be suitable.
What Can Be Asked For
Employees must firstly be eligible. The following is a list of SOME of the reasons an employee may be eligible for flexible working hours:
• Of a child under 6, or disabled child under 18
• Be responsible for the upbringing of the child
• Be either parent, adopter, guardian, special guardian or foster parent of child, or married to the partner of one of the child’s biological parents or adopter, guardian etc.
• Must be or expect to be caring for spouse, partner, civil partner or relative, or
• Live in the same address as adult in your care if not spouse, partner etc.
Employees can request flexible working hours, working from home, job sharing with another person working a set number of hours per year rather than per week, and not have to work during school holidays.
Do You Have To Accept?
No, but you must have a good reason not to accept. A certain procedure must be followed, which is designed to ensure the request is taken seriously and make sure everyone involved is on the same page.
As an employer, you can only reject the application if there is a recognised business ground for doing so and your employee understands why they have been rejected the right. If not, you could face a tribunal.
What Else To Bear In Mind?
Always be aware of the Sex Discrimination Act. A woman that can’t continue working her usual working pattern due to family commitments may try and claim under this Act if flexible working hours are rejected unreasonable.
On the other hand, a man who feels his application was not treated as sympathetically as a womans request may also claim sex discrimination.
Also be careful not to discriminate against those working for you part-time. It is again illegal to treat part timers less favourably than full timers, so when granting a request for flexible working hours that means reducing the number of hours worked, you should keep in mind the same thing when it comes to training, promotion and financial problems.
What Do You Think?
Does your company recommend flexible working hours? Are there even benefits of having employees on flexible hours?
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- Unemployment on the rise again | <urn:uuid:101e2e87-b6c1-4a8d-b03a-fcb09f85e914> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tworkshb.com/don%E2%80%99t-get-caught-out-by-flexible-working-rights/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945127 | 580 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Syrian civil war reached new heights of brutality on Sunday with government troops accused of massacring civilians a few miles from Damascus on a weekend which saw one of the worst reported death tolls in 17 months of conflict.
Opposition groups claimed more than 200 bodies had been found in Daraya, a poor Sunni community on the south-west outskirts of the capital, after Syrian troops had stormed the town on Saturday, going door to door in what President Bashar al-Assad's regime described as a counter-terrorism operation. Opposition and human rights activists claimed many of the dead were civilians.
A New York Times employee in Daraya reported seeing "scores of bodies lined up on top of each other in long thin graves moist with mud".
The paper quoted a 40-year-old resident, Abu Ahmad, as saying: "The Assad forces killed them in cold blood … I saw dozens of dead people, killed by the knives at the end of Kalashnikovs, or by gunfire. The regime finished off whole families, a father, mother and their children. They just killed them without any pretext."
The claimed death toll could not be independently verified, but if confirmed, it would be the worst single massacre of the civil war.
With the world's major powers still divided on how to respond to the bloodletting, Syria's neighbours took urgent steps to try to stop the violence spreading on to their territory. Turkey temporarily closed its borders to refugees, trapping 2,000 people trying to flee the conflict on the Syrian side of the frontier, until shelters could be built to accommodate them. Jordan appealed for more international aid for looking after more than 160,000 Syrian refugees, who it said were arriving at the rate of 2,000 a day.
The spillover into Lebanon was being held back by a fragile ceasefire in the port city of Tripoli, where Sunni-Shia clashes broke out as a result of the abduction of Lebanese pilgrims by an anti-government militia in Syria, evoking uneasy memories of Lebanon's own long civil war.
Egypt called for a regional peace conference, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both supporters of the Syrian rebels, as well as Assad's main ally in the Middle East, Iran.
Anxiety over the risks of a regional conflagration deepened further as it became clear that the violence in Syria was intensifying, with more civilians killed. The Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), an opposition network, claimed that more than 200 bodies had been found in Daraya, and activists circulated a video appearing to show dozens of bodies lined up in dimly lit rooms, described in the commentary as being in the town's Abu Suleiman al-Durani mosque.
The government, which has rejected previous allegations of atrocities, portrayed the attack as a counter-terrorism operation. "Our heroic armed forces cleansed Daraya from remnants of armed terrorist groups," the state news agency said.
The junior foreign minister responsible for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, said that if the reports were verified "it would be an atrocity on a new scale, requiring unequivocal condemnation from the entire international community".
The storming of Daraya followed three days of heavy bombardment by government tanks and artillery, which the opposition said killed another 70 people. The offensive appeared to be part of a larger struggle for control of the southern fringe of the capital. Residents said that government tanks on the Damascus ring-road shelled the neighbourhoods of al-Lawwan and Nahr Aisheh late into Saturday night and that there was also heavy fighting in the Ghouta suburbs to the east of the city.
The LCC said forces loyal to Assad had killed 440 people across Syria on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based activist group drawing information from a network of monitors across Syria, put the nationwide death toll for the day at 370, including 174 civilians. If confirmed, it would be one of the bloodiest days the country has suffered since the anti-Assad revolt broke out in March 2011.
It was impossible to verify such claims because of severe Syrian government restrictions on independent or foreign media coverage.
A United Nations report this month into an earlier massacre at Houla found that the indiscriminate attacks against civilian populations and other atrocities were "state policy" and claimed Assad's forces and allied Shabiha militia were involved at the highest levels in "gross violation of international human rights".
The UN inquiry found that anti-Assad forces had also committed war crimes including "murder, extrajudicial execution and torture" but that these abuses "did not reach the gravity, frequency and scale of those committed by government forces and the Shabiha".
A new Amnesty International report on the fighting in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, also found that "the overwhelming majority of victims were killed in air strikes and artillery attacks by government forces", but it criticised rebels for using imprecise or indiscriminate weapons like mortars and home-made rockets.
Activists in Daraya alleged that most of the victims had been summarily executed by government troops moving from house to house. "Assad's army has committed a massacre in Daraya," Abu Kinan, an activist in the town, told Reuters news agency by telephone, using an alias to protect himself from reprisals. "In the last hour, 122 bodies were discovered and it appears that two dozen died from sniper fire and the rest were summarily executed by gunshots from close range," he said.
The activist said he witnessed the death of an eight-year-old girl, Asma Abu al-Laban, shot by army snipers while she was in a car with her parents. "They were trying to flee the army raids. Three bullets hit her in the back and her parents brought her to a makeshift hospital. Nothing could be done for her," he said.
A thorough investigation of atrocity claims can only be carried out by the international criminal court in the The Hague if it is given a mandate by the UN security council, but that has been blocked by Russia, the Assad regime's principal backer and arms supplier, together with China. Moscow and Beijing have also vetoed resolutions threatening Assad with sanctions for non-compliance with a peace plan backed by the UN and the Arab League. The last UN monitors in Damascus left earlier this month when the security council failed to agree on a new mandate for them.
Western officials say they have largely given up on security council diplomacy and are stepping up their assistance to the fragmented opposition, though they say that assistance stops short of weapons. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are reported to be shipping arms to rebel groups, however, as the conflict continues to escalate.
Egypt became the latest country to offer its services as a peace broker, calling for a regional conference on the crisis, aimed at bridging the Sunni-Shia divide. The new Egyptian president, Mohammad Mursi, is due in Tehran for a meeting of more than 120 countries in the Non-Aligned Movement this week. He will be the first Egyptian leader to visit Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
While Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have all backed the mainly Sunni Free Syria Army rebels, Iran's Revolutionary Guard forces have fought alongside Assad's forces. Syria's vice president Farouq al-Sharaa met an Iranian delegation on Sunday, according to Syria's state news agency, marking his first appearance in several weeks. It put an end to opposition rumours that he had defected.
In the increasingly daunting search for a diplomatic solution, the UN and Arab League have appointed a new special envoy, a veteran Algerian diplomat, Lakhdar Brahimi, after the resignation of the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan. On Friday, Brahimi declared himself "honoured, flattered, humbled and scared" to be given the job.
February 1-8 More than 100 killed in shelling of Homs
March 17 Bombs in Damascus kill more than 30
April 25 Dozens killed in rocket strike on the city of Hama, central Syria
May 10 At least 50 die in bomb attacks at intelligence building in Damascus
May 25 More than 100 people, including children, killed in Houla, western Syria
June 6 Around 80 people killed at Qubair, near Houla
July 13 Dozens of people killed in the village of Tremseh
July 18 Suicide bomber kills senior defence and security officials in Damascus
August 25 Regime accused of killing 200 at Daraya in suburban Damascus | <urn:uuid:f373593a-3215-4c9e-a9ea-8c7e25bffc72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/26/syrian-regime-accused-daraya-massacre | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972703 | 1,724 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Biotechnology Virtual Labs
February 15, 2010
Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amritapuri
The Amrita School of Biotechnology offers bachelors and masters degrees in Biotechnology, Microbiology and Bioinformatics. Students enrolling at the School have the opportunity to study advanced subjects such as Pharmaco-genomics and Computational Biology.
“One handicap, however, is the ability to provide adequate lab time for training,” states Dr. Shyam Diwakar, Assistant Professor at the School. “Now we have started a new trend by making labs available to students online.”
In partnership with the Government of India’s Sakshat initiative, these Amrita Virtual Labs, focus on helping students retain the real feel of a laboratory, while conducting the experiment from an internet-enabled computer terminal, much in the same way he or she would, in a real lab.
Various approaches are used. There may be remote triggering of equipment, using measurement data from experiments, or simulations and interactive animations. Some virtual labs even use haptics technology to convey essential feedback to the student.
Several virtual labs are already online for public use. Visit Website »
A paper titled Biotechnology Virtual Labs – Integrating Wet-lab Techniques and Theoretical Learning for Enhanced Learning at Universities was presented by Dr. Diwakar at the 2010 International Conference on Data Storage and Data Engineering (DSDE), Feb 10, at Bangalore.
Paper authors included Dr. Krishnashree Achuthan and Prema Nedungadi in addition to Dr. Diwakar. The paper will be included in IEEE Xplore, and submitted to the Thomson ISI, Ei Compendex and INSPEC for indexing.
“For enhanced education at the level of university courses such as those in biology or biotechnology, one of the key elements is the need of time and expertise to allow the student to familiarize with laboratory techniques on par with regular theory,” states the paper abstract.
“The Sakshat Amrita virtual biotechnology lab project focusing on virtualizing wet-lab techniques and integrating the learning experience has added a new dimension to the regular teaching courses at the university.
Establishing virtual labs requires both domain knowledge and virtualizing skills via programming, animation and device-based feedback. Challenges in the biotechnology sector in setting up a laboratory that integrates both the feel and phenomenon includes a medley of multiple techniques.
This work includes one such cost-effective process used in virtualizing a real biotechnology lab at the university-level. The major challenge in setting up an effective knowledge dissemination for laboratory courses was not only the scientific approach of biotechnology, but included the virtualization aspects such as usage/design scalability, deliverability efficiency, network connectivity issues, security and speed of adaptability to incorporate and update changes into existing experiments. The published paper also discusses an issue-specific case-study of a functional virtual lab in biotechnology and its many issues and challenges.” | <urn:uuid:de30b4c5-4674-409a-8f4d-a299ebd17f91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.amrita.edu/news/2010/02/15/biotechnology-virtual-labs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910279 | 627 | 2.328125 | 2 |
The Mahalsa Temple located at Mardol in Ponda is one of the most famous temples in Goa. It is also known as the Shri Mahalasa Narayani Temple and is dedicated to the Goddess Mahalasa.
Lakshmi (Mahalasa), the goddess of wealth and prosperity is the presiding deity in this temple. This deity was originally located at a temple in the Salcete taluka. However, in the 16th century, the troops of Adil Shah attacked the temple and razed it to the ground. The deity though was rescued and moved to its present location. In Goa, the goddess Mahalsa is accepted as Vishnu's consort.
However there is another belief that proclaims that Mahalsa is the female form of Lord Vishnu. Once, Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini, an extremely beautiful woman and lured the demons away from their evil intentions of destroying the world. 'Mohini' was eventually disrupted and came to be known as 'Mahalsa'.
At the entrance to the Mahalasa Narayani Temple is an artistic, seven storied lamp tower, which is known as a deepstambh. Made entirely from brass, this tower stands 12.5 metres high. It is indeed a sight to see the tower aglow with oil lamps during festivals. The inner hall of the temple has carvings of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu that have been resplendently painted. An embellished silver frame adorns the doorway to the sanctum.
Behind the Mahalasa Temple is an ancient water tank. The ambience around this tank is serene. The main festival celebrated here is the annual fair of the temple that is held in February. It is also called the Mardol Zatra. The other festivals observed here are Mahashivratri and Kojagiri Purnima. | <urn:uuid:6ee0dcfd-8adc-4051-b535-681e1f5be484> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goaholidayhomes.com/info/96/shri-mahalsa-temple/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982397 | 388 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.
There are alternative, natural-looking materials to conventional silver-colored fillings – materials made from porcelain and composite resins, which are colored to match natural tooth enamel. Unfortunately, few materials can match the strength and durability of dental amalgam and such, may need more frequent replacement.
Common amalgam alternatives include:
- Composite fillings -- As stated, composite fillings are just what the name implies: a mixture of resins and fine particles designed to mimic the color of natural teeth. While not as strong as dental amalgam, composite fillings provide a pleasing aesthetic alternative. Sometimes, composite resins need to be cemented, or bonded to a tooth to allow for better adhesion.
- Ionomers -- Like composite resins, these materials are tooth-colored. Ionomers are made from a combination of various materials, including ground glass and acrylic resins. Ionomers are typically used for fillings near the gum line or tooth root, where biting pressure is not a factor. They are more fragile than dental amalgam, however. A small amount of fluoride is released by these compounds in order to facilitate strengthened enamel in the affected area.
- Porcelain (ceramic) -- This material is usually a combination of porcelain, glass powder and ceramic. Candidates for porcelain fillings are typically crowns, veneers and onlays and inlays. Unlike ionomers, porcelain fillings are more durable but can become fractured if exposed to prolonged biting pressures. | <urn:uuid:31e41a3c-d20e-4c6f-b48a-0583397da0e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.levysmiles.com/library/1976/CosmeticFillings.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923532 | 378 | 2.453125 | 2 |
A letter from the Pastor................
As we have worked our way through our series on miracles two very important points have been made clear to me. The first is that we must never worship miracles themselves, we must never cling to miracles themselves, we must instead cling to and worship only the miracle worker. If we are right with him he will be right with us and that means he will do whatever needs to be done for us, even if it takes a miracle.
The second thing that has been made clear to me is we cannot be blessed by miracles until we believe the miracle worker can in fact do miracles. If we believe that miracles do not happen, if we believe that they can be explained away scientifically as rare but natural events or as mere coincidence, then we will never be blessed when a miracle occurs and the fact of the matter is if we believe in miracles we can even be blessed when a miracle occurs in someone else’s life.
When he was not running around with lions, witches, and cute little furry beavers in a place called Narnia, a very wise man by the name of C.S. Lewis wrote, “Many people think one can decide whether a miracle occurred in the past by examining the evidence “according to the ordinary rules of historical inquiry (science).” But the ordinary rules cannot be worked until we have decided whether miracles are possible, and if so, how probable they are. For if they are impossible, then no amount of historical evidence will convince us. If they are possible but immensely improbable, then only mathematically demonstrative evidence will convince us: and since history never provides that degree of evidence for any event, history can never convince us that a miracle occurred. If, on the other hand, miracles are not intrinsically improbably, then the existing evidence will be sufficient to convince us that quite a number of miracles have occurred.” (Miracles: How God Intervenes in Nature and Human Affairs).
Professor Lewis is saying here is if we don’t believe that there is a God and
that same God can do miracles, then there is no way miracles can be proven to
us. If on the other hand we believe in God and that he can do miracles, then we
don’t need any proof because we accept them by faith. Miracles, even those done
to bless others, then become events that encourage and reassure us. The
encouragement we receive is that when we come to a point where we need a miracle
in our lives, we have the comfort of knowing that God will do what needs to be
done for us even if what we need is a miracle. That means life is never hopeless
and we are never helpless.
As we begin the Christian season of miracles (Christmas thru Easter) let us do so not only believing in miracles ourselves but sharing the miracle worker with everyone we can. Now is the time for the church of Jesus Christ to go and tell the world all about the miracle worker who came to save us from the fate we deserve by miraculously providing us with a fate we do not deserve, eternal life. This sorry old world needs miracles more now than ever before. It also needs to believe in miracles now more than ever before and as far as I can see it is ready, almost desperate, to believe in miracles now more than ever before. All that is left is for us to go voluntarily and tell them and not wait for the Lord perform a miracle to make us go and tell them.
May God bless and keep you all as you go and serve him. Diane and I pray God will bless you with the greatest Thanksgiving celebration you have ever known. By the way, do you think it is a coincidence that thanksgiving comes just before we celebrate the advent of Christ or is turkey day God’s way of preparing us to be truly thankful for the blessings to come? Hmmm.
Peace Presbyterian Church: Home Page | <urn:uuid:f44d8ca2-47df-4962-812a-90ddb72e527c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ppcflint.org/Pastor%20Letter%20November%202009.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952631 | 805 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Dáil Éireann - Volume 521 - 13 June, 2000
Written Answers. - Banking Sector Regulation.
Mr. J. O'Keeffe Mr. J. O'Keeffe
146. Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Finance if any comparative study has been undertaken in relation to dormant accounts in other member states of the EU; if so, if he will give an indication of the ways in which they are dealt with in those other members states; and in particular if 15 years is the shortest defined period for the purposes of dormancy in the EU. [16602/00]
Mr. McCreevy Mr. McCreevy
Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy): No formal comparative study has been undertaken by my Department in relation to the regimes applying to dormant accounts in other EU member states. However, when this issue first came up for policy consideration some years ago, my Department did obtain from the Central Bank details of the position in some member states.
More recently, we got details from the Irish Bankers' Federation of a survey it had conducted on dormant accounts policy in the EU. Most member states do not have any legislation on dormant accounts. While there is a legislative framework in six countries, for two of these – Austria and Sweden – it is a case of the national Statute of Limitations applying. For the other four countries, the position is as follows:
Dáil Éireann 521 Written Answers. Banking Sector Regulation. | <urn:uuid:b229664f-4521-4993-b9da-bcf208a67ada> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0521/D.0521.200006130120.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944413 | 312 | 1.875 | 2 |
Category Archives: Archbishop John Mary Harty
The following letter was sent by Pope Pius XI to the Most Rev. John Mary Harty, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, on 18th January, 1939. It was the last letter that pope sent to Ireland, before his death a few weeks later.
Venerable Brother, health and Apostolic Benediction.
When We learned that the solemn day of the 25th anniversary of your Episcopal consecration was at hand we immediately had Our paternal congratulations on the happy event conveyed to you by telegram, but We feel that you have deserved so well of the Church and have so faithfully served with filial devotion this Apostolic See that some clearer and more lively expression is called for, so We decided to send you this letter also to affirm Our special friendship for you and to convey more explicitly Our good wishes.
Meanwhile We earnestly pray the Giver of all good gifts that He may preserve and guard you for many long and fruitful years filled with heavenly gifts.
Let Our Apostolic Blessing be the promise and pledge of these gifts from above and a witness of Our special love for you. We give it most lovingly to you Venerable Brother, and to the clergy and faithful entrusted to your care.
PIUS PP. XI | <urn:uuid:37b45077-232c-4f3a-a9d4-11a3ad8cd1cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lxoa.wordpress.com/category/archbishop-john-mary-harty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968645 | 262 | 1.554688 | 2 |
World Youth Assembly for Road Safety
On 23-24 April 2007 a World Youth Assembly for Road Safety is held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The Assembly is modeled on the format of the UN General Assembly or World Health Assembly, involving delegations of young people from many countries. The Assembly is a youth-oriented event, organized, led and attended by young people. Many of the delegates representing Member States and NGOs serve as road safety advocates in their countries. The objectives of the Assembly are to:
- give a voice to young people on the road safety issue
- contribute to a shift in attitudes and behavior towards road safety among young people
- encourage and support a cadre of national leaders for road safety
- launch the "Youth Declaration for Road Safety", a document describing the views of young people on what they, their parents, teachers, government leaders and others can do to improve road safety, which will be used to catalyze attention and spur action around the world
In addition to adopting the "Youth Declaration for Road Safety", delegates have the opportunity to hear from road safety experts, present on national and local road safety activities involving youth, and participate in working groups on how to implement the declaration in their home countries. | <urn:uuid:aafc212f-82eb-4888-952e-3fd8ae35a846> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.who.int/roadsafety/week/activities/global/youth/en/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961577 | 253 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The new USGS data come from samples taken in April at one of the test wells near Pavillion in central Wyoming. The other test well didn't produce enough water to yield samples deemed large enough to test.
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is the petroleum industry practice of pumping water, sand and chemicals down well bores to crack open fissures and boost the flow of oil and gas.
Environmental groups have sounded the alarm about fracking for years — but with few, if any, examples of verified pollution. Petroleum industry officials say the lack of verified pollution, out of many thousands of wells fracked in the U.S. over the past few decades, proves the process is safe.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Wyoming, the USGS and two American Indian tribes collaborated on the latest sampling, which followed previous testing done solely by the EPA.
The EPA theorized a fracking-pollution link in a draft report released in December. The report drew heavy skepticism from petroleum industry and state officials, including Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, who characterized the finding as a flimsy one.
Wyoming officials — whom the EPA briefed on its findings more than a month ahead of the report's release — also grumbled that the EPA hadn't kept them in the loop about what the federal agency was up to during the previous testing.
"Gov. Mead felt that this process was an improvement on how the first draft report from the EPA was done. It was more transparent. The team had input throughout the process," Mead spokesman Renny MacKay said Tuesday.
Even so, the EPA plans to post its own data separately, EPA Region 8 spokesman Rich Mylott said.
"All EPA data have gone through the agency's quality assurance process," Mylott said by email Tuesday.
EPA spokeswoman Alisha Johnson in Washington said Wednesday she did not know what data the EPA might release or when that might happen.
Testing by the EPA this past spring included new samples from five domestic water wells in the Pavillion area. That sampling happened outside the collaborative process.
One person each from the EPA, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, and the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation near Pavillion peer-reviewed the collaborative data, according to MacKay.
A full peer review of the sampling and findings to date will occur later.
MacKay said Mead wants "science and a good process" to guide any new findings.
"The governor's position has always been he wants this investigation to play out and whatever it finds, you move on from there," he said. | <urn:uuid:56af55cd-62a2-4849-bb71-d646403338ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/20281721/article-New-test-results-due-from-Wyoming-fracking-zone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9681 | 544 | 2.984375 | 3 |
“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.”
John Muir ~ Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of U.S. wilderness (1838 –1914)
Several years ago, I walked past the U.S. Capital Building in Washington D.C. I recall it was a beautiful spring day. The magnolia and cherry trees were in bloom as I strolled the grounds with my camera taking pictures.
Suddenly a tennis ball bounced and rolled past me as two black dogs with short curly hair charged after it. I thought they were poodles. But I would later learn that they were Portuguese Water Dogs, the same breed now adopted by the first family of the United States. Perhaps they’re cousins.
I looked to see where the ball came from and I saw a large man in a charcoal grey suite with a shock of white hair holding a tennis racket. Behind him there were fit looking men in conspicuous dark sunglasses scanning the immediate area for trouble. The man they guarded was Ted Kennedy.
Right away I started taking pictures. Back then I had Canon digital point and shoot with a nasty shutter lag. So I didn’t take many. As I stood there the dogs wrestled and chased at one another around my feet as Kennedy came toward me.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “They’ve been cooped up all day and need some Exercise.”
“It’s OK,” I said. “I have two of my own. Do you mind if I take your picture?”
“No not at all,” Kennedy said. “Maybe we can get this lady to take one of us together.”
I handed my camera to a woman who stopped to admire Kennedy’s dogs. Looking back on this moment I can’t believe I didn’t take a single shot of them too!
Once the picture was taken I stood there trying to think of something to say. My mind was flooded with images of his family and the legacy of service the man before me represented. I saw in my head newsreel pictures of his brothers John and Bobby, both killed a few years before I was born. I thought of my own family, my mom and dad, who made it through the 1960s Civil Rights era due in part to the sacrifices the Kennedys made for the sake of disenfranchised African-Americans across the county. What could I say?
So before he turned and walked away I shook his hand. I said simply, “Thank you.” Somehow I could tell he knew I didn’t mean for the photograph. -JEM | <urn:uuid:545146a5-d995-4322-8811-d83d76f0ddca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joytripproject.com/2009/on-the-passing-of-ted-kennedy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984749 | 619 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Strategies for preventing drunk driving
Originally Published: January 29, 1999 - Last Updated / Reviewed On: December 9, 2009
Please, I would like you to tell me some ways to prevent drunk driving after a party.
There are many different elements to throwing a fun, successful event. You have to invite compatible people, do something entertaining (via a theme, perhaps), and, hopefully, keep partiers feeling welcome and engaged. But one thing that often gets overlooked is what happens when it's time to go home. Concerned friends, family members, and colleagues all over the world are often faced with your very question. Keep in mind that there's more to keeping those you care about safe than just taking their keys and keeping them off the road. With some thoughtful planning, you may be able to stave off mishaps without having to pull out the sleeper sofa and serve breakfast to a hung-over crowd.
Depending on the type of social situation and setting, you may want to try different strategies. Instead of waiting until the party's over to deal with drunk driving Here are some ideas that people have used successfully:
Before a party:
- Develop a theme for your party or event. Decorate the space and be sure to provide entertainment.
- Set up the room so that the area where alcohol is served is not the first thing people see. You don't want the bar to be the center of attention.
- Provide non-alcoholic drinks — enough for both underage and non-drinking attendees to have plenty of options, and display these as prominently as the alcoholic beverages.
- Prepare lots of yummy food. A mouth-watering buffet is sure to keep people's attention and support efforts toward moderate and responsible alcohol consumtion. Especially good options are snacks high in protein and carbohydrates, such as cheese and crackers, chips and guacamole, or buffalo wings. Avoid serving too many salty snacks though, as these tend to make people thirsty.
- Always measure the amount of alcohol put into punches and mixed drinks.
- Using smaller cups helps people keep their alcohol servings to an appropriate size. Each drink should contain no more than 1/2 ounce of pure alcohol. In general, this means 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or one mixed drink with 1-1/2 oz of liquor.
During a party:
- You may want to collect keys or encourage some of your guests to designate drivers who won't drink any alcohol. Remember that even one drink can impair motor skills and judgment, the two things needed most to drive safely.
- Respect party attendees who choose not to drink alcohol.
- Avoid drinking games. This will help to cut down on rapid and over consumption.
- When serving drinks, pace your friends to one drink per hour, and encourage them to drink non-alcoholic beverages in between (this can, sometimes, help prevent hangovers).
- Have a reliable friend or family member, or a hired professional, serve the drinks. This will discourage your guests from mixing their own, and help keep track of the size and number of drinks they consume.
- Don't feel pressured to serve anyone who has already had enough to drink.
- Plan to stop serving alcohol about 90 minutes before the party ends. This will give your party-goers some time to process the alcohol they have consumed before they go off into the night.
After a party:
- Try to speak to each of your guests before they leave the party. Trust your instincts — if you think someone is ill-equipped to drive, call a cab and pay for it yourself, arrange a ride with a friend, drive her/him home yourself, or encourage her/him to stay over.
- Many towns and college campuses offer free escort services or provide free shuttle buses or safe rides. Contact your police or security department, high school or college health office, or town department of education for more information. These programs are created to keep people alive, not to punish drinkers.
- When holding a party at a hotel or other banquet facility, arrange for reduced-rate or complimentary rooms for guests. This will encourage them to stay over, rather than drive home while intoxicated. You could also arrange for taxi, limousine, or shuttle-bus service both to and from the party. Advertise this service in party invitations.
Helping your friends get home safely is like the buddy system we learned in kindergarten — holding hands (so to speak) and looking out for one another. Asking a friend not to drive home can be hard — maybe you are afraid you'll be teased, excluded from future parties, or cause your friend to be angry with you. Sometimes, people do react this way, especially if they feel you are questioning their choices. But in the long run, they are likely to appreciate your caring and clear concern for their well-being.
Try out some of these suggestions and see how they work. You can also talk with your friends about your concerns and develop a safe plan before you drink any alcohol. Cheers to a safe and fun party! | <urn:uuid:a998aa95-6f26-4218-8f97-115d47bc960f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/strategies-preventing-drunk-driving | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959766 | 1,047 | 1.960938 | 2 |
This site provides a comprehensive overview of electricity news, information,
saving and safety tips.
Save electricity and money!
Click here for information.
Tips and hints in the event of a power outage
1. Switch it off:
If the power goes off, it is safer to turn off or disconnect any electrical appliances that you were using, since a power surge may occur when the electricity is restored. It is always useful to keep one light switched 'on' to alert you when the power returns.
2. What is not be affected by power outages?
3. Useful tips to minimise inconvenience when the power is off:
- Security systems that have battery back-up (some may go off due to the interruption).
- Telephones that are not reliant on electricity mains (answering, fax machines and some cordless telephones may however, be affected).
- Cell phones
- Ensure that your cell phone is always fully charged when power is available.
- Ensure that your vehicle always has fuel in the tank since during power outages, petrol stations cannot pump fuel
- Ensure that you have adequate cash as auto tellers cannot operate without electricity.
- Release automatic electric garage door mechanisms to allow you to gain access to your property during a power outage
- Release electric security gates and switch to manual operation to avoid either being locked out or locked into your home
- Keep temporary lighting, such as candles and electric torches readily available.
- Keep a torch (with fresh batteries) by your bedside at all times
- Obtain a small LP gas lamp, as they provide good quality lighting for a large area
- Boil water and keep in hot water flasks for hot drinks for when the power is scheduled to be switched off
- Use a thermal cover on tea pots and other pots and pans to keep hot drinks, soup and other hot meals warm
- Prepare meals beforehand in readiness for periods when there will be power cuts
- Obtain a stand-by bottled LP gas heating ring for essential cooking and to boil water for hot beverages
- Keep adequate stocks of essential foodstuffs that do not need to be refrigerated
- Keep refrigerator doors closed, as a power outage of up to four hours should not cause food spoilage, and a freezer should keep frozen food safe for at least a day. It is a good idea to have available alternative snacks that do not need refrigeration
- Most medication requiring refrigeration can be kept in a closed fridge for several hours without spoiling. To be sure about this, check with your doctor or pharmacist
- Fill plastic containers with water, leaving some space inside each container for expansion during freezing in a deep-freeze or the freezer compartment of your fridge. This frozen water will help keep food cold during a power outage | <urn:uuid:9d216991-2eca-49e3-8ded-e7cf82252dad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/electricity/Pages/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945143 | 574 | 2.78125 | 3 |
From ETN News Mobile RFID Code In Use
For the first time in the world, a wide range of products being distributed in the domestic market will be attached with a mobile RFID code from upcoming October.
Mobile RFID codes can be categorized into 3 types such as mCode with interoperability with ISO standards, micro-mCode for acceptance of two-dimensional bar-codes and mini-mCode developed for a mobile RFID pilot service.
The National Internet Development Agency of Korea had a public hearing on guidelines to establish mobile RFID services and management measures for mobile RFID codes in Gangnam, Seoul on July 25.
The Agency will officially open a webpage for mobile RFID registration (www.mcode.kr) by the end of this month. Before October when a formal registration service will begin, temporary codes (mCode and mini-mCode) will be issued to organization in need for mobile RFID codes.
Nokia has already developed an RFID phone and I think Microsoft is producing an RFID browser | <urn:uuid:af9984d4-51f5-4c70-9ef6-15c57dcd647e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com/2007/07/mobile-rfid-codes-coming.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91289 | 211 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Jan. 22, 2005 Since World War II, organophosphate chemicals have provided an inexpensive, easy-to-use and effective method for controlling insect pests on the farm, in the home and garden, and even on household pets.
But these insecticides are also toxic to many nontarget species, including humans and wildlife, and their uses are being severely curtailed as the result of a major overhaul of federal pesticide regulations triggered by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. As of 2002, 42 of 49 organophosphate products that were registered in 1996 had been either cancelled or their uses significantly curtailed.
Fortunately, the demise of organophosphate insecticides -- including well-known products like diazinon, chlorpyrifos and malathion -- has resulted in a trend toward less-toxic and more environmentally friendly insect control on California farms. This includes innovative and technologically advanced methods such as the use of pheromones to disrupt insect mating, "biological control" of nonnative pest insects using their natural enemies, and applications of less-toxic and more insect-specific alternative pesticides.
In a special 48-page issue of the University of California's (UC) peer-reviewed California Agriculture journal (January-March 2005), scientists explore the range of alternatives to organophosphates currently available and look to the future. The current issue of California Agriculture, including PDF versions of all peer-reviewed research articles, can be viewed in full online at: http://californiaagriculture.ucop.edu/0501JFM/toc.html
One classic example of biological control -- using natural enemies to keep insect pests in check -- is the introduction of the vedalia beetle in 1889 (sic) to control cottony cushion scale, which was a major citrus pest at that time. The vedalia beetle has been so successful in controlling cottony cushion scale that it is now virtually taken for granted by growers.
The same is true of many other successful biological control agents. "Growers are naturally concerned with pests that are causing crop damage, and are often unaware of those pests that are present in the crop system but held in check by the continued success of introduced biological control agents," write Nicholas Mills and Kent Daane, co-directors of the Center for Biological Control at UC Berkeley.
The special issue of California Agriculture discusses numerous successful alternatives to organophosphates, including:
* The use of pheromones -- chemicals secreted by insects for communication -- to disrupt insect mating and thereby reduce populations. Important successes to date include the control of codling moth in pome fruit, oriental fruit moth in peaches and nectarines, tomato pinworm in vegetables, pink bollworm in cotton and omnivorous leafroller in vineyards.
* Cultural controls that make the crop less palatable to pest insects, such as improved field sanitation, targeted planting dates, crop rotations, and improved irrigation and fertilization schedules. Successful examples include reducing dust in orchards to prevent the buildup of spider mites, and the cleanup of unharvested grapes to limit overwintering pests.
* Less toxic, more pest-specific alternative insecticides, such as pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, insect growth regulators and other novel chemistries. While these products also have drawbacks -- such as toxicity to nontarget organisms, or the development of pest resistance or secondary pest outbreaks -- they are significantly less toxic than organophosphates.
The special issue of California Agriculture also explores novel strategies such as microorganisms (including widely used Bacillus thuringiensis), beneficial nematodes, petroleum oils and particle films, genetically modified plants, and "natural" products well known to organic growers (including sulfur, pyrethrum, and neem oil). These occupy a small but important niche in insect control for California agriculture.
"The elimination of the uses of many broad-spectrum pesticides has resulted in the development and registration of numerous reduced-risk products, as well as alternative pest- control strategies," said Robert Van Steenwyk, UC Berkeley entomologist with and co-chair of the special California Agriculture issue. "University researchers have been at the vanguard of this change, and in providing cost-effective new methods and technologies that growers can use."
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University Of California, Division Of Agriculture And Natural Resources.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:be36a05e-3b92-4e97-a7cf-486f9b44b2c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050121105037.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932587 | 953 | 3.671875 | 4 |
APRIL 15, 1960
HYDE PARK—I have been meaning for some time to draw the attention of my readers to the World Affairs Center for the United States, which is on the main floor of the Carnegie Endowment Building, First Avenue and 47th Street, New York City.
Anyone who wants information about any specific subject connected with any country anywhere in the world or with the United Nations or the efforts being made by different organizations for peace can get this information at the World Affairs Center without running from one place to another.
Fortunately, many of the organizations working for peace along different lines have their offices in this building. Among them are the American Association for the United Nations, the American Friends Service Committee, and the National Council of Women.
The World Affairs Center also operates a book shop in connection with its activities, has an auditorium on the first floor, and on the second floor there are rooms which the Carnegie Endowment has set up and which groups can rent for meetings.
At intervals the World Affairs Center itself gathers individuals for briefing and for visits to the U.N. Such meetings often have meant the awakening of interest in businessmen and government officials to visit the U.N. for the first time and become aware of its many activities.
The World Affairs Center also publishes a magazine, called INTERCOM. This magazine is of value to people all over the world but particularly valuable, I think, to those in our country who are interested in foreign affairs. Well-informed experts are the contributing writers.
The February issue of this magazine earned some very flattering notices. For instance, the Committee for International Economic Growth wrote: "It (INTERCOM, Feb. issue) is, by all odds, the most useful listing of materials and organizations concerned with foreign aid which has ever been compiled."
Organizations that differ widely in their interests commented in the following way. The National Association of Manufacturers said: "Congratulations on that excellent February 1960 issue. With its special treatment on foreign aid, I believe it is one of the best compendiums on the subject I have seen." The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. said: "Congratulations on another great publication. We are bringing it to the attention of our constituency."
This publication covers foreign aid in a very comprehensive way and will be of value to young and old who want really to understand the issues before us on this subject. The director of the World Affairs Center, Mr. Richard S. Winslow, has long experience in connection with our own government and the U.N., and no one could be better fitted to direct the activities for the benefit of the general public. | <urn:uuid:09b2a2da-fffd-4797-afa9-d04a17918e40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1960&_f=md004720 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961486 | 543 | 1.679688 | 2 |
On the surface, Sunday’s ordination ceremony for the first three graduates of Bronx, N.Y.-based Yeshivat Maharat—the first institution to train Orthodox women as spiritual leaders and halakhic authorities—marked a historic moment for the Jewish community.But Rabbi Jeffrey S. Fox, rosh yeshiva (academic dean) of Yeshivat Maharat, does not view the institution as trailblazing or revolutionary.
“On the ground, on a day-to-day basis, what we are doing is very normal, especially for these women who grew up in the modern Orthodox world, where they had access to the same level of Jewish education as their male friends,” Fox told JNS.org.
Ruth Balinsky Friedman, Rachel Kohl Finegold, and Abby Brown Scheier — who completed a four-year program modeled off a traditional semikha (ordination) program and earned the title “Maharat,” an acronym for legal, spiritual and Talmudic leader — at Sunday’s ceremony in New York City were “found worthy of being granted the authority to teach and determine halakhic rulings to the Jewish people and … ordained as spiritual leaders and decisors of Jewish law.” Rabbi Avi Weiss, founder of Yeshiva Maharat, stated that there are no halakhic barriers to women’s ordination.
What is new about Yeshivat Maharat, according to Fox, is that the graduates have secured jobs within the Orthodox community in accordance with their training. “You can give them the best education and the community can choose to call them whatever they want, but if we don’t give them jobs, it is not worth anybody’s time and money,” Fox told JNS.org.
Yeshiva Maharat is shaping a role for women in clergy that does not involve serving as a prayer leader, which women are not allowed to do under Jewish law. “In a certain sense we are looking to create a different kind of leader,” Fox said. “There is a certain type of leader who leads from a place of davening (prayer) and another who leads from place of learning, and that type of leadership has a certain power to it.”
For Yeshivat Maharat board member Rabbi Dan Smokler—whose wife Erin Leib Smokler teaches students at the yeshiva to integrate Jewish texts into services and pastoral work—the yeshiva is an answer to his dream of being able to tell the passionate, brilliant Orthodox Jewish women he sees as a Hillel rabbi at New York University that they can become leaders in the Orthodox Jewish community.
“I think the inclusion of women, who are more than half the population, in the spiritual, legal and scholarly leadership of Orthodox faiths is of central importance to the era we are living in,” Smokler told JNS.org. Rabba Sara Hurwitz, dean and cofounder of Yeshivat Maharat, is a nuts-and-bolts fundraiser (of $4 million thus far), board developer, and infrastructure creator for the growing yeshiva, which began in September 2009 and now has 14 students.
Hurwitz maintains that none of the halakhic limitations on women will affect the graduates’ clerical duties. “Women don’t count in a minyan, can’t serve on a bet din, and don’t lead certain parts of services, but they can create a presence on Shabbat morning, and can speak from the bima, can give a dvar halakhah,” she told JNS.org.
Rachel Kohl Finegold, who came to the ordination ceremony with a two-week-old infant in tow, has been working for six years with Rabbi Asher Lopatin, rabbi of Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Chicago and the next president of the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah rabbinical institute for men, which was started by Rabbi Weiss. In 2009, she went to Hurwitz’s conferral ceremony and heard her speak about opening Yeshivat Maharat.
“I realized this was training I had never had for this role I was in,” Finegold told JNS.org. “The kind of learning Yeshivat Maharat offered was different from anything I had done before, and it would allow me a certain clarity around my role vis-à-vis relating to congregants and people really seeing me as clergy.”
Finegold does not view herself as a rebel, but sees her ordination as the next step in the process of the Orthodox community taking women’s learning seriously. “We’re standing on the shoulders of all the women who came years and years before,” she said. “The fact that I was given a Talmud to open and study was because women in the ’70s and ’80s pushed for it.”
“The fact that everybody has a job means that the community is ready for us and interested in us,” Finegold added.
Starting in August, Finegold will be joining the clergy of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Westmount, Quebec, Canada — which has 1,500 families, compared to her current synagogue’s 375 — as director of education and spiritual enrichment.
Abby Brown Scheier, whose father is an ordained Conservative rabbi and a professor at York University in Toronto, and her mother a Jewish educator, said it never dawned on her that she “would ever be able to go to a program that would be the equivalent to a traditional rabbinical school.”
“When Yeshivat Maharat opened, it seemed like the obvious thing to do,” she told JNS.org.
Scheier, who has four children under 7, is not interested in pulpit work, but will continue teaching in the community as well as tutoring privately for the National Bible Contest, bar mitzvas and conversions. Scheier’s husband is the rabbi of the synagogue where her classmate, Finegold, has been hired.
Ruth Balinsky Friedman, after earning a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College in psychology and Jewish studies, opted to spend an intensive year studying Jewish texts at the Drisha Institute to broaden her Jewish education. “I was thinking about grad school in psychology but something in me knew that wasn’t what I totally wanted to do,” she told JNS.org.
Having spent so much time with people studying to be Jewish spiritual leaders while she was at Drisha, she thought, “Hey, this is something I want to do also.”
Friedman will be working at Ohev Sholom, the National Synagogue, as Maharat, alongside head rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, in all areas of synagogue life.
Beyond being able to do the work she loves, Friedman sees herself paving the way for other Jewish women to do the same.
“A second layer is to [set a] model for girls in the future to feel this is something they can be, too — they can be leaders in the Jewish community if that is something they want to do,” she said. | <urn:uuid:174b06e3-800e-4efc-8483-c2f9b0c4e2a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thejewishchronicle.net/pages/news_metro/push?x_page=2&class=&per_page=10&rel=&instance=news_special_coverage_right_column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973081 | 1,544 | 1.734375 | 2 |
East Asian Languages and Cultures | Chinese in Social Science
C467 | 28865 | Liu, J
This course meets with EALC-C567, same topic, for graduate students.
C467 is designed to complement Anth-E345/EALC C350: China Through
Anthropological Eyes. Flagship students should take both C467 and
E345/C350 to fulfill Flagship requirements; other students are
encouraged (though not required) to do the same.
C467 is designed to help students advance their Chinese language
proficiency from an intermediate-high or advanced-low level to
advanced plus (from ILR 1+ or 2 to 2+). It aims at developing
studentsí overall competence in listening, speaking, reading, and
writing academic Chinese at the discourse level and covers topics in a
specific social science domain. This course also fosters self-study
skills and encourages students to access and research topics of their
own interest and become independent learners of Chinese.
The course meets three times per week: two 75-minute classes (Monday
and Wednesday) and a 30-minute one-on-one session (Friday) conducted
entirely in Chinese. In general, Monday classes emphasize intensive
reading, discussion of key issues, and close analysis of text
structure, expressions, and usage of key vocabulary and grammatical
patterns. Wednesday classes underscore extensive reading and listening
skills and include topics of student interest. Friday one-on-one
sessions focus on training advanced speaking and writing skills.
Assignments consist of readings, preview exercises, oral reports,
dictations, writings, recordings, and a term paper.
Prerequisites. A grade of B or better in Fourth-Year Chinese I and II
or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. | <urn:uuid:e5fa8e9c-8f35-4c89-aa94-5cde4962ff63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiana.edu/~deanfac/blfal11/ealc/ealc_c467_28865.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900746 | 386 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Winston fumes at axing of 'Child of Our Time'
It should have been a landmark science series, which solved the nature versus nurture debate once and for all.
But the presenter Lord Winston has threatened to quit the BBC after accusing the corporation of abandoning Child of Our Time, a project which chronicles the lives of a group of children over a 20-year period.
Winston, the award-winning professor of fertility studies at Imperial College London, has been the face of BBC Science, presenting series such as The Human Body and Walking With Cavemen.
However, he said the BBC had stopped filming Child of Our Time, launched in 2000, which focuses on a group of millennium babies and follows their physical and emotional development as they grow into adulthood.
The series has returned on nine occasions to chart the progress of the 25 children. Lord Winston is unhappy that after a two-part special last May, the BBC has no plans to broadcast an update on the project until 2013.
He said: "I was under the impression they had dropped the series. They have stopped filming as the children reach adolescence. I would have thought puberty was an important stage of development that would produce a valuable, public service programme, provided it's done with everyone's consent."
Lord Winston said he was so upset that, after 30 years' commitment to the BBC, he would be "looking at other outlets". The peer, who is Britain's leading expert on fertility issues, has been usurped as the face of BBC science by Professor Brian Cox, 43, the pop star-turned-physicist who won awards for his Wonders of the Solar System series.
Lord Winston asked: "Perhaps the BBC are preparing the way for someone else to front the programmes?"
Although filming is not currently taking place, the BBC said the project was "very much active and a team is working on it now and working closely with the families".
A spokesman said: "All the children are facing big milestones – starting new schools, becoming teenagers, entering puberty – so we would like to give them some privacy." Some children may not wish to continue being placed under the television spotlight, the BBC added.
The BBC hinted that the programmes, which aim to examine how genes and the environment interact to define our adult selves, could return without Lord Winston, if the Labour peer chose to leave.
Sophie Raworth co-presented The Big Personality Test programmes in the series last year. The BBC said: "It's a 20-year project so there can be changes to the format." It added that it had finite resources and could not possibly film the children year-round.
Through experiments on the participants, Child of Our Time was designed to help answer the question: "Are we born or are we made?" The BBC hoped it would match the impact of the Seven Up series of documentaries, which followed the lives of 14 children born in 1964, at seven-year intervals.
Another BBC science presenter, Michael Mosley, recently won acclaim for his BBC1 series, Inside The Human Body, which covered similar ground to those areas investigated by Lord Winston's The Human Body programmes.
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Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page. | <urn:uuid:f706236b-d367-4476-ab7f-278cb1ef3584> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/winston-fumes-at-axing-of-child-of-our-time-2290146.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960078 | 1,006 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Establishing A New Kind Of Modern
In Saudi Arabia, the conservative and the progressive don't feud. They find a way to coexist.
Upon landing at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, it's instantly clear that Saudi Arabia is unlike any other place on earth—though not necessarily for the reasons one would expect. Sure, luggage is thoroughly searched for contraband, and the terminal is filled with abaya-clad women and their male counterparts in flowing white robes, known as dishdashas. But there are other, unanticipated sights that immediately command attention—primarily the ultramodern airport itself, a notable landmark and masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
Initiated in the '70s, it radiates out from under a bold, futuristic geodesic dome and is connected to an enormous hexagonal mosque that can accommodate up to 5,000 worshipers, with a courtyard big enough for an additional 4,000. The budget for the entire complex exceeded $3.2 billion, and it took more than 10 years to complete. It's one of the many large-scale development projects the Saudi government has been able to undertake thanks to a gargantuan stream of oil revenue. To uninitiated visitors, the high-design structure juxtaposed with the vast traditional space where busy travelers can stop and pray may come as a surprise. But it is a fitting gateway into a country dominated by ambitious public-development projects that jostle for pride of place while embodying the tension between conservative and progressive cultural currents.
Encompassing both futuristic, sky-scraping hotels and old-fashioned date and camel farms, Saudi Arabia is far more complex than its media coverage—usually limited to negative stories about a lack of civil rights—allows. Its smaller neighbors may attract more attention; after all, an airport doesn't invite as much journalistic interest as a man-made, palm-shaped island (in Dubai) or a new outpost of the Louvre (in Abu Dhabi). But in that difference lies the crux of Saudi Arabia's approach to development—and the most convincing reason to make the journey.
Since it opened to tourists in 2004, the country has challenged travelers to confront their preconceived notions while simultaneously offering an authentic version of the Gulf that has not been artificially constructed for Western consumption. Getting there can still be difficult: non-Muslims usually need either a sponsor within the country or a well-connected travel agent or tour guide. But once in, they are welcomed. The fact is that Saudi society is highly conservative and traditional, and in some cases authoritarian—but it is also fiercely modern in its contemporary esthetic, and deeply hospitable to strangers who respect its mores.
The tension is especially pronounced in Riyadh, the capital and largest city. It is the seat of such traditional, defining elements as the royal family and the historic Masmak Fort, whose recapture by Ibn Saud led to the founding of the current ruling dynasty. Women are not allowed to drive, or to socialize with men who are not family members. Yet the city is surprisingly sophisticated, boasting a cultivated and well-informed population. Fueled by outsize bank accounts enriched by the oil economy, they have traveled widely outside the country for education, business and leisure, returning home from destinations like Mumbai, London and Paris with a taste for both the Occident and the East.
The Riyadh skyline runs very flat to the ground. Speeding down the highway toward the city center, the first-time visitor is struck by the vastness of the desert surrounding a small concentration of glittering lights, dominated by the 45-story, bottle-opener-shaped Kingdom Centre and the 44-story obelisk that is Al Faisaliah Tower. Their unapologetic modernism competes with the natural majesty of the landscape, and serves as a metaphor for the technologically advanced trajectory the government is attempting to follow. The Kingdom Centre is owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the high-flying billionaire who is a major stakeholder in the Four Seasons hotel group. It houses offices, a Four Seasons Hotel, apartments, a three-level luxury shopping complex and a "skybridge." The interior architecture is immensely scaled, designed to impress and inspire awe, like so many public spaces in Riyadh.
Because of the religious tradition of Wahhabism, an ultraconservative strand of Islam, restrictions apply as to how these spaces are used. The most obvious are that men and women cannot mix freely, and music is not allowed in public. To the outsider, the effect can be surreal; what should be lively centers of human exchange can feel more like elaborate stage sets. Visitors can experience this sensation while standing in the vast lobby of the Kingdom Centre, but nowhere is it more apparent than in the Harvey Nichols store in Al Faisaliah Tower, where the sound of voices mixes with the click of stiletto heels but no background music is heard.
Most stores in Riyadh offer a fairly mainstream product mix—standard-issue logo bags from Gucci, embroidered Armani chiffon gowns—that appeal to a conservative clientele. But for those seeking to make more of a fashion statement, the most interesting store in Saudi Arabia, hands down, is DNA. The brainchild of international fashion plate Dina Aljuhani, DNA is the region's first concept store, à la Colette in Paris or 10 Corso Como in Milan. A respectable 800 square meters, the museum-like space stocks a global selection of cutting-edge labels, including Tunisian master couturier Azzedine Alaia and the New York design collective ThreeasFour. Aljuhani's vivacious personality has won over some of the biggest names in fashion and persuaded designers like Michel Klein and Martine Sitbon to custom-make abayas for her store, and Diane von Furstenberg and Proenza Schouler to produce longer versions of their short-skirted styles. "Most people think women from the Gulf are either in Al Qaeda or dressed from head to toe in logos," she says. "We want to change that perception, and to show that women here are much more savvy and aware of style and trends than people think."
The tension between tradition and modernity is readily apparent on the Saudi restaurant scene. Dining has always been a national pastime, with multicourse dinners stretching late into the night. The Globe restaurant, located at the top of the Rosewood Hotel in Al Faisaliah Tower, offers a dazzling example of Middle East meets West. Like a glass marble suspended in the sky, it is another impressive feat of engineering, providing a 360-degree view from within a geodesic globe while serving modern European dishes like Wagyu beef fillet with horseradish confit. But like the city's other architectural marvels, the interior affords its own surreal views: families making hushed conversation while sipping elaborate, alcohol-free mocktails from crystal glasses; a burqa-clad woman slipping a piece of foie gras behind her veil and into her mouth.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate the tension of modern-day Saudi Arabia is to gain an understanding of its history. The National Museum in Riyadh yields an engaging array of antiques, manuscripts and documents relating to the evolution of Islam and Saudi Arabia. Its eight halls are arranged in chronological order; the first explores the region's early inhabitants and the development of Arabic, then it moves into the "Age of Ignorance" that preceded Islam, the rise of the Prophet Muhammad and the development of Islam, and finally modern-day Riyadh.
The painstakingly restored Masmak Fort, built around 1865, contains a museum displaying antique firearms, costumes and agricultural tools— the relics of Saudi life in that period. The dramatically lit building is one of the few remaining traditional structures, a vivid example of how deeply the Saudi landscape has been transformed by the discovery of oil. Located in the Old Town, it is nonetheless surrounded by modern buildings.
Such contrasts can make Saudi Arabia a challenging place to visit. Women can't rent a car or wear a sundress in the unbearable heat. Those seeking a holiday filled with shopping, sunbathing and poolside cocktails should definitely head to Dubai instead; hedonism is not appreciated in Saudi Arabia. But respectful curiosity certainly is. It may be the only place on earth where Buckminster Fuller futurism meets contemporary French cuisine meets Wahhabi Islam—compelling proof that there is more than one definition of what it means to live in the modern world. | <urn:uuid:da67411b-d5d6-4eeb-9e9d-c29fab08d57b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://snuffysmithsblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/establishing-new-kind-of-modern-by.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938968 | 1,755 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Model: Reebok – Reebok HXL
Original Release: 1993
Updates: Reebok News
The Reebok HXL was first released in 1993. It was the only Reebok running sneaker at the time which utilized pump technology. It is a low-top sneaker with style.
The ability to have a custom fit via Reebok’s pump system made it a hit, and it was also lightweight. A large rubber button on the side is used to pump air, and the smaller button releases it.
The Reebok HXL’s heel area features Hexalite cushioning technology which is visible from the bottom of the heel. | <urn:uuid:7c21459c-458a-41d8-a75b-1d1504e15547> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sneakerfiles.com/reebok/reebok-rbk-hxl/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952786 | 143 | 1.5 | 2 |
The first hearing took place on Monday, 28 January 2008.
The second hearing will take the form of an interactive debate and will provide an opportunity for dialogue and an exchange of views among representatives of UNCTAD member States and representatives of civil society and the private sector and parliamentarians on issues relevant to the theme and sub-themes of UNCTAD XII:
|Addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalization for development |
- Enhancing coherence at all levels for sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in global policy making, including the contribution of regional approaches
- Key trade and development issues and the new realities in the geography of the world economy
- Enhancing the enabling environment at all levels to strengthen productive capacity, trade and investment: mobilizing resources and harnessing knowledge for development
- Strengthening UNCTAD; enhancing its development role, impact, and institutional effectiveness
The outcome of the hearing will be summarized in a report of the Preparatory Committee to UNCTAD XII.
Members of the Trade and Development Board are requested to submit to the UNCTAD secretariat by Monday, 25 February 2008, the credentials of their representatives and the names of the alternate representatives and advisers who will participate in the hearing.
Other participants (members of UNCTAD who are not members of the Board, specialized agencies, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations in the general and special categories) are requested to inform the UNCTAD secretariat by Friday, 22 February 2008, of the names of their representatives. | <urn:uuid:53cf73ef-16af-44d6-9805-fd8d03d263dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unctad.org/en/Pages/About%20UNCTAD/UNCTAD%20and%20Civil%20Society/Preparatory-Committee-for-UNCTAD-XII-2nd-Hearing.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933383 | 307 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Nov. 7, 2007 Mice that don’t produce lubricin, a thin film of protein found in the cartilage of joints, showed early wear and higher friction in their joints, a new study led by Brown University researchers shows.
This link between increased friction and early wear in joints is a first; no other team of scientists has proven this association before. The finding, published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, sheds important light on how joints work. The discovery also suggests that lubricin, or a close cousin, could be injected directly into hips, knees or other joints inflamed from arthritis or injury – a preventive treatment that could reduce the need for painful and costly joint replacement surgery.
In an editorial that accompanies the journal article, orthopedics researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago call the research an “important contribution to the field” and note that the use of biomolecules like lubricin to prevent joint wear “could have a substantial clinical impact, if successful.”
Gregory Jay, M.D, a Rhode Island Hospital emergency physician and an associate professor of emergency medicine and engineering at Brown, led the research. For 20 years, Jay has studied lubricin’s role as a “boundary lubricant” by reducing friction between opposing layers of cartilage inside joints. In this new work, Jay and his colleagues set out to answer the next question: Does reducing friction actually prevent wear, or surface damage, in joints?
To find out, Jay and his team studied cartilage from the knees of mice that don’t produce lubricin. Directly after birth, the cartilage was smooth. But in as little as two weeks, researchers found, the cartilage began to show signs of wear. Under an electron microscope, scientists could see that the collagen fibers that cartilage is composed of were breaking up, giving the surface a rough, frayed appearance. This damage is called wear, an early sign of joint disease or injury.
Jay and his team then took the work a step further. To better understand how lubricin works, they tried to see the structure of the film. So they put a tiny bit of the protein under an atomic force microscope. At the nanoscale, the molecule appeared as a mesh – row upon row of interlocking fibers – that could repel a microscope probe. This repulsion, created with water and electrical charges, shows how lubricin acts as a buffer, keeping opposing layers of cartilage apart.
“We demonstrated that lubricin reduces both friction and wear and also showed how, on a molecular level, it does this work in the body,” Jay said. “What’s exciting are the clinical implications. Arthritis and sports injuries damage the joints of thousands of people in the United States and millions of people worldwide each year. Our aim is to make a treatment that can actually prevent wear in the joints.”
Through Rhode Island Hospital, Jay has filed two patents on the protein and its sequences and, in 2004, helped form Tribologics, a biotech company formed out of Rhode Island Hospital. The Massaschusetts-based business is developing an injection treatment for inflamed joints that contains lubricin.
Members of the research team included Jahn Torres, a former Brown graduate student in engineering; David Rhee, a former graduate student at Case Western Reserve University; Heikki Helminen, M.D., and Mika Hytinnen, M.D., from the University of Kuopio in Finland; Chung-Ja Cha, a research assistant at Rhode Island Hospital; Khaled Elsaid, a postdoctoral research fellow at Rhode Island Hospital; Kyung-Suk Kim, a professor of engineering at Brown; and Yajun Cui, M.D., and Matthew Warman, M.D., of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskelatal and Skin Diseases funded the work, along with the Academy of Finland, the McCutchen Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:f80334e8-e0f7-4eb9-85c5-8e4fb722a797> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071106101829.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950659 | 897 | 3.78125 | 4 |
PDI-8: Inquiring Into Inquiry: Creating an Inquiry-based Classroom
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Conference Room 1 and 2, Marriott Rivercenter Hotel
Recommended Pathway Sessions
Provider: Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS), Colorado Springs, Colorado
Framing Questions / Outcomes
- What is scientific inquiry and the practices of science and what does it look like in the classroom?
- What does an inquiry-based science classroom that effectively incorporates the practices of science look like?
- Can students really learn essential science content through inquiry?
- How do I set up my classroom to be inquiry-based?
- What do I need to know to become an inquiry-based teacher?
- How do the learning experiences in the PDI mirror what happens in the classroom with students?
- How can we use the PDI to reflect on the teacher's role and the student's role in an inquiry-based classroom?
Are you interested in developing an inquiry-based science classroom that uses the practices of science to advance student learning? Immerse yourself in a day of scientific inquiry! Inquiring into Inquiry is intended for anyone interested in learning more about scientific inquiry, the practices of science, and how to help students learn through inquiry. Presenters will engage you in the question: What is scientific inquiry? and facilitate activities that allow you to explore inquiry as a learner. Next, presenters will help you elaborate ways in which inquiry can be used as a tool for teaching, considering how to set up and maintain an inquiry-based classroom. Finally, they will provide an opportunity for you to step back and reflect on how this professional development experience mirrors what you will do in your own classroom to engage students in learning important science concepts through inquiry. Through participation in the BSCS PDI strand, new teachers, established teachers, and other leaders will experience many facets of the role inquiry plays in student learning and teacher professional development.
Paul Numedahl describes this session:
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Description - *This information was provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources*
Experience the fun of outdoor adventure at Starved Rock State Park. Whether you enjoy hiking along the nature trails or viewing the many spectacular overlooks along the Illinois River, recreational opportunities abound. From picnicking to fishing to boating, from horseback riding to camping to enjoying winter sports, there’s so much to do that you’ll come back again and again.
The backdrop for your activities are 18 canyons formed by glacial meltwater and stream erosion. They slice dramatically through tree-covered, sandstone bluffs for four miles at Starved Rock State Park, which is located along the south side of the Illinois River, one mile south of Utica and midway between the cities of LaSalle-Peru and Ottawa.
The park is best known for its fascinating rock formations, primarily St. Peter sandstone, laid down in a huge shallow inland sea more than 425 million years ago and later brought to the surface.
While the areas along the river and its tributaries still are predominantly forested, much of the area is a flat, gently rolling plain. The upland prairies were created during an intensive warming period several thousand years after the melting of the glaciers. The Illinois River Valley in the Starved Rock area is a major contrast to the flatland. The valley was formed by a series of floods as glacial meltwater broke through moraines, sending torrents of water surging across the land and deeply eroding the sandstone and other sedimentary rocks.
During early spring, when the end of winter thaw is occurring and rains are frequent, sparkling waterfalls are found at the heads of all 18 canyons, and vertical walls of moss-covered stone create a setting of natural geologic beauty uncommon in Illinois. Some of the longer-lasting waterfalls are found in French, LaSalle and St. Louis canyons.
Waterfalls, rivers and streams can undercut a cliff, creating overhangs in the sandstone, like Council Overhang at the east end of the park. Other sights can be seen from the bluffs themselves, which provide vantage points for enjoying spectacular vistas. The porous sandstone bluffs allow water to soak quickly through, only to collect in greater quantities on the slopes below. The resulting lush vegetation supports an abundant wildlife and bird population, including woodchucks, moles, vireos and catbirds. Wood ducks that nest in hollow trees occasionally can be seen paddling along the river’s edge. Evidence of beavers and muskrats can be seen as you walk along the River Trail.
Black oak, red cedar and white oak, as well as white pine and white cedar, grow on the drier, sandy bluff tops. Yellowbellied sapsuckers drill parallel rows of small holes on cedar trees and return to feed on sap and small insects. Serviceberry and northern honeysuckle--shrubs that prefer a well-drained area--attract scarlet tangers and cedar waxwings.
Farther away from the bluffs, red oaks and hickories predominate in deeper soils. Typical plants characteristic of the forest floor include the American witch hazel, black huckleberry and bracken fern. Nuthatches and chickadees feed on nuts, seeds and insects found in the bark of trees. Raccoons and flying squirrels spend many hours searching for and gathering berries and nuts.
At the forest edge, bright blue indigo buntings flit through the wild crab apple and plum trees that skirt the former glacial till prairie, while cottontail rabbits scamper through the bluestem and Indian grasses. In the sandy prairie soil, prickly pear cactus grows alongside lead plant, compass plant and rattlesnake master. White-tailed deer come to munch on the sumac, and red-tailed hawks soar overhead in search of voles and field mice.
Throughout spring and summer, wildflowers are as plentiful and varied as they are beautiful. Included in the floral array are colorful lichens and mosses, marsh marigolds, wild iris, trillium and Dutchman’s breeches, plus purple-flowered spiderworts, nodding or orange columbine and the magenta blooms of shooting star.
The poison ivy plant is found in all areas of the park. Its greenish-white berries provide an important food source for birds.
- Lodging -
Situated on a high bluff just southwest of the rock itself is the stone and log lodge built in part by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The lodge has been refurbished, but still reflects the peaceful atmosphere of yesteryear. A new hotel wing has been added and features a registration lobby, an indoor swimming pool, children’s pool, whirlpool, saunas and an outdoor sunning patio.
The lodge offers 72 luxury hotel rooms and 22 comfortable cabin rooms. The original Great Room is furnished with decorative rugs and art and is centered around a massive stone fireplace.
The restaurant is open seven days a week and offers many house specialties. It can accommodate up to 250 people for banquets. The lodge’s conference area can accommodate up to 200 with four smaller meeting rooms also available.
Horseback Riding and Equestrian Camping-
There are equestrian trails and an equestrian campground along Illinois Route 178. Horse rentals are available on weekends in April and November and Wednesday through Sunday from May through October on Route 71, a half-mile west of Illinois Route 178.
There is a large campground in the south of the park, with 133 Class A-Premium campsites, 100 of them reservable, complete with electricity, showers and flush toilets, a separate youth group camping area and a children’s playground. Permits may be obtained from the park office or at the permit booth in the campground area. Seven campsites are accessible for people with disabilities. Alcohol is prohibited in the campground. NEW - There is a new camp store open in the campground this year. The store will sell fire wood, ice, soda, and other camping supplies.
Recreation - Hiking-
Exploring the majestic bluffs and canyons is the park’s primary attraction, and there are 13 miles of well-marked trails to help you enjoy them.
The trails are open all year, but hikers are urged to exercise extreme caution and to stay on official trails. To keep you oriented, trail maps are located at all trail access points, intersections and points of interest. There are colored posts along the trails, corresponding to colors on the maps, and letter symbols on the trail brochure to further assist you. Finally, yellow dots on trees or posts indicate that you are moving away from the lodge or visitor center, and white dots mean you are returning.
Due to the park’s fragile ecosystem, camping is prohibited in unauthorized areas and all rock climbing, rappelling or scrambling off trails is prohibited. Biking is not allowed on the hiking trails. For your own safety, you must be off the trails by dark. Alcohol is prohibited on all trails.
Fishing and Boating-
Boats may be launched from the west end of the park. Also, paddlewheel boat rides are available.
Boats are not allowed within 600 feet of the dam, as strong currents and powerful undertows can be dangerous.
Catfish, bullhead, white bass, sauger, walleye, carp and crappie may be caught in the Illinois River.
**Under no circumstances should you attempt to wade or swim in the river, canyons or from any park shoreline.
Cross-country skiing can be enjoyed in the picnic area and at nearby Matthiessen State Park. Cross-country ski rentals are available at Matthiessen Dells Area on weekends December through March. Snowmobiling is not allowed anywhere at Starved Rock, but is allowed at the I & M Canal one mile to the north in Utica.
Developed picnic areas are available to the day visitor, with tables, drinking water and restroom facilities. Eight shelters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Alcohol is prohibited January 1 through May 31 in the picnic area. Alcohol is always prohibited on the trails.
Climate - Illinois experiences four distinct seasons with varying weather throughout the year. Winter can be very cold. The highest humidity of the year occurs during this season averaging 70 to 75 percent. Average low temperatures in January dip to 20 degrees F with highs near 35 degrees F. Spring temperatures are mild with humidity below 70 percent. Temperatures during this season average between 32 and 50 degrees F. Summer is usually hot and humid in this Midwest state. Low temperatures remain in the low sixties with high temperatures near 90 degrees F. The highest rainfall of the year occurs during the summer months. Fall is an excellent time to visit the state with low humidity and rainfall and moderate temperatures.
I-39 southbound: South to I-80 east (exit #59). Go 2 miles to exit #81 (Rt. 178, Utica). Go south (right) 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the Park.
I-39 northbound: North to Exit #48 (Tonica exit). Go east (right) for approximately 5 miles to the T-intersection, which is Rt. 178. Go north (left) for approximately 5 miles and follow the signs into the Park.
I-80 Eastbound and Westbound: Get off at exit #81 (Rt.178, Utica). Go south 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the Park.
From the Chicago area: Take I-294 or I-355 south to I-55. Take I-55 south to I-80. Go west on I-80, 45 miles to Exit #81 (Rt. 178, Utica). Go south (left) 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the Park. | <urn:uuid:bf9cff35-957f-4a52-ae8e-54893385aa70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=ILSRSP&CU_ID=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942886 | 2,104 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Southern Polytechnic State University
The English, Technical Communication & Media Arts (ETCMA) department at Southern Polytechnic University (SPSU) focuses on user-centered communication, both verbal and visual, as well as the broader idea of media and culture in communication.
Our programs and courses give you the ability and vision to transform your future. We offer dynamic and innovative undergraduate degree programs and rigorous and challenging online graduate degree and certificate programs that help you learn to create meaning, inspire change, and deliver value.
You’ll leave any of our programs with an academic credential and a portfolio that showcases the kind of work that gives you a competitive advantage in the job market.
What will I learn?
You’ll learn key skills essential for success in the workplace over the next decade:
- critical thinking and analysis
- audience-centered, persuasive communication
- new media literacy
- problem identification and resolution
What will my learning experience be like?
Your studies will be grounded in the theory and principles that will teach you to communicate persuasively to a specific audience and situation. You'll apply your learning in a variety of modalities and combine theory and practice as an essential part of your coursework.
You'll receive personal attention from faculty members who have specialized knowledge in the field. You'll work independently, but will also work collaboratively with other students, helping each other learn and grow.
Will I have the opportunity to learn outside the classroom?
Whether you are pursuing an undergraduate degree or graduate degree or certificate in the English, Technical Communication & Media Arts department at Southern Polytechnic State University, you have the option to include a hands-on internship in your studies.
What kind of career can I expect with my degree or certificate?
You will enjoy a varied and challenging career in audience-centered communication, no matter the concentration you choose, and no matter your level of study (undergraduate or graduate). Your possibilities include careers in
- Web design,
- technical communication,
- medical or scientific writing,
- marketing communication,
- information design,
- visual communication,
- content strategy, and
- instructional design.
- 1100 South Marietta Parkway | <urn:uuid:f4211c1e-a867-4ef6-a668-48529f649817> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stc.org/education/academic-database/item/southern-polytechnic-state-university?category_id=42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926476 | 453 | 1.546875 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2006 – In a year when wetland conservation experienced setbacks in the Supreme Court, the U.S. House of Representatives lent a helping hand to conservation by acting to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Since 1989, NAWCA has successfully fostered over 3,000 partnerships, both public and private, and have implemented more than 1,500 projects to conserve more than 22 million acres of wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl, other migratory birds and wildlife.
“This is great news,” said Ducks Unlimited Executive Vice President Don Young. “All of us benefit from wetlands. Every duck hunter and person interested in the outdoors and water issues should support continuing this incredibly successful wetlands program.”
NAWCA is a landmark investment in wetlands conservation. The proposed reauthorization bill asks for a five-year extension for NAWCA and authorizes up to $375 million in funding during that time. DU Governmental Affairs staff will work with Senators and staff to expedite the passage of the bill through the Senate.
NAWCA projects are funded after assessing their benefit to continent-wide waterfowl conservation in accordance with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Since its inception, the partner match has actually been $3 for every $1 in federal money, even though the requirement is only 1-to-1. These partner contributions have totaled more than $2 billion during the past 16 years.
Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (Calif.) and Ranking Member Nick Rahall (W.V.) have been joined by Representatives John D. Dingell (Mich.), Thelma Drake (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Mark Kennedy (Minn.) and Curt Weldon (Pa.) as original co-sponsors of the legislation, which also garnered 13 other sponsors.
“The strong bipartisan support for NAWCA is indicative of the program’s record of achievements and potential for the future,” said Scott Sutherland, director of DU’s governmental affairs office. “We appreciate the leadership by the Resource Committee’s senior members and their introduction of this important bill. We also thank the members of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for their continued strong support.”
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands—nature’s most productive ecosystem—and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year. | <urn:uuid:1444c8e4-c14b-4ad8-a0b4-46ea6f6137eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ducks.org/news-media/news/5895/house-moves-to-extend-critical-wetlands-program | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939783 | 542 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Not to discourage you from kneading your dough by hand, but did you know that it isn't necessary? Try this sometime, put the water in the mixing bowl, add the yeast to the water and stir to suspend if using compressed yeast, you must prehydrate either IDY or ADY prior to adding it to the water. Then add the flour, and remainder of ingredients. Using a wood spoon (more on that shortly) stir the mass until it is wet and sticky. Remove the spoon and lightly cover to prevent drying, allow to ferment for 2 to 5-hours, turn out onto a floured bench top, fold the dough several times (I'm hesitant to call this kneading), lightly oil the bowl that the dough was fermented in, and place the dough back into the bowl to ferment for another 30 to 60-minutes. Turn the dough out onto your bench top and cut into desired size pieces, then shape into pizza skins for immediate use. The reason why I like to use a wood spoon to stir the "dough" is so you don't over mix the dough. As you stir, the dough will become tougher, and fear of breaking the wood spoon will prevail to the point where you will stop mixing, and that will be sufficient mixing in this application. The gluten development in this case is accomplished through what is known as biochemical gluten development. You can also get it by managing the dough through the cooler overnight too. This is how bakers used to develop their doughs before Mr. Hobart invented his first dough mixer. The procedure is still used in a number of developing countries around the world.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor | <urn:uuid:1c8cde49-add5-4f44-a6a2-f3d6ff48f67f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=14203.msg143396 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963078 | 340 | 2.015625 | 2 |
By Bee Friedlander,
Most readers by now know about the horrific case of abuse on a dairy farm in Ohio that was captured on tape by an undercover investigator working for Mercy for Animals [Ohio Dairy Farm Brutality]. The video depicts gratuitous violence toward cows and calves. It is graphic, extremely difficult to watch, and has had a visceral impact on those who watched it.
In the aftermath of the video, several predictable things happened. First, the farmhand prominently featured in the video was fired, with the owner of the farm decrying his employee's behavior. Second, there was an outcry by factory farming interests that this was unacceptable, and the result of "bad apples" who did not represent the industry (read the Ohio Farm Bureau's statement here). Third, there was much negative publicity after which, fourth, the county prosecutor investigated and brought charges against the one farmhand, with fifth, the farm's owner, who could be seen committing violent acts against cows and calves at his farm, not charged with the comment that his acts needed to be taken in context (the county prosecutor 's explanation is in this press release). And finally, sixth, MFA and its undercover investigator were criticized for not reporting the crime sooner.
Misdemeanor charges were brought against one person, the farmhand, 24-year old Billy Joe Gregg. (The single felony charge resulted from the fact that he was arrested with a loaded weapon in his vehicle.)
The ASI became involved in early September when I received a call from a man who identified himself as the attorney for a defendant in a "high profile" case involving animal abuse. He did not want to tell me more about the case, but said that he was in negotiations with the prosecutor and wanted to propose that his client undergo psychological counseling as part of the plea agreement. He had come across our AniCare program, and wanted information. I explained that it was the only published psychological assessment and treatment specifically designed for animal abusers. It was designed to prevent abusers from committing future acts of violence toward animals. I gave him the names of therapists who had attended an Ohio AniCare training in 2009.
There was no further contact until the day of Mr. Gregg's sentencing on September 24. The judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail, 3 years' probation, and ordered him to have "no contact either directly or indirectly with any animals." Judge Grigsby also included this provision: "Defendant shall enroll in counseling through the Animals and Society Institute and follow their counseling recommendations."
There was immediate condemnation and not only by animal advocacy groups. MFA's Executive Director Nathan Runkle said:
Gregg's punishment is a slap on the wrist compared to the unimaginable suffering endured by the animals who were victims of his malicious abuse. It's an outrage that in Ohio it's a mere misdemeanor to sadistically punch, beat and stab farmed animals, break their bones and otherwise torture them. This case should serve as a wake-up call to all compassionate citizens that Ohio must do more to strengthen its animal cruelty laws.
The New York Times Magazine online edition headlined its report "Something Biblical Seems in Order for the Guy Convicted of Cow-Punching"
I agree with these assessments. However, I don't think the analysis should stop there.
It's worth re-framing through a lens that considers the institution of industrial agriculture in this country. Is it possible that the reaction to the cruel treatment of cows and calves at an Ohio dairy farm can be seen as a crack – however minute – in this powerful system?
Here's why I'm taking what is for me – usually a confirmed realist if not pessimist – a position that some may consider Pollyanna-ish and naive.
First, the case has been widely publicized, and not just in animal and farm media. This coverage did have an effect on the general public, as I observed myself. The video was released last spring, during the waning days of a signature gathering effort by Ohioans for Humane Farms, which sought to put a measure on the ballot that would phase out three egregious factory farming practices: battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates. While not directly related to the subject matter of the initiative, the Conklin Dairy video did influence it. While collecting signatures in Ohio in early June, I had several people specifically mention the video as the reason they were signing (or had signed) the petition. Soon thereafter, a settlement was negotiated, after proponents collected enough signatures, and Ohio's governor intervened to bring all concerned to the table.
Second, there was a serious and thorough investigation by the Union County sheriff with assistance from the local Humane Society, the county Health Department, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Third, as unsatisfying as it was, there was a successful criminal prosecution. Such prosecutions are rare due to the fact that most state anti-cruelty laws exempt "standard" agricultural practices.
Fourth, the industrial agriculture interests were put on the defensive and went on record condemning the actions. Why? In a word, self-interest. I see it as tacit recognition that these powerful individuals and organizations recognize that the public does not tolerate cruelty to farmed animals.
Fifth, those in the criminal justice system, from defense attorney to prosecutor to judge, recognized that Mr. Gregg needed counseling. He certainly deserved punishment, but by undergoing AniCare assessment and treatment, the chances that he will harm another animal in the future are decreased. And that's the purpose of AniCare and the source of my cautious optimism. | <urn:uuid:679ba47e-bfe7-4fda-b066-c85dc27806eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-conklin.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981713 | 1,134 | 1.53125 | 2 |
I’ve never thought that going into the nitty-gritty of all the settings used when taking a photo is particularly interesting or helpful in most cases. There are some instances where you might wonder: “How did they do that?” On the whole, though, I don’t really see that it matters in the slightest whether the shutter speed was 1/250th or 1/500th. But I know that some people do find the detail interesting, so just for them, the facts and figures for Southend Shakedown are…
Camera: Canon EOS 350D.
A more than worthy replacement for the Canon A1, my camera of choice for the previous two decades. It remains to be seen whether the body is quite as robust as the A1 though.
Lens: Tamron 18-200mm XR Di_II LD.
Although a zoom with such a wide range is bound to compromise some image quality, the convenience of carrying one lens rather than two or more outweighs the disadvantages (at least until I can afford a Canon 17-40mm L and am convinced you can see the better quality with the naked eye).
I always used ISO 400 film in the A1, preferring to suffer a little grain than have to use a tripod if the light was marginal. The 350D is widely reckoned to be virtually noise free at ISO 400, so I see no need to break the habit of a lifetime.
Exposure mode: Aperture priority.
A fairly recent switch for me.
Way back when, the biggest single factor (apart from cost) for choosing Canon was that they offered shutter-priority automatic exposure and Nikon didn’t. Using the old guide that the slowest “safe” speed for hand-held shooting was the reciprocal of the focal length, I knew that if the shutter was set to 1/250th then I shouldn’t have to worry about camera shake when using my Vivitar 70-210mm Series 1 (which in those days was the lens that saw most action).
Because I’ve read a couple of reviews that suggest that the Tamron is a little soft when used wide open, then, providing it’s pretty bright, I tend to use aperture priority more now, to keep the lends stopped down to f11 (ideally) or f8 (at least).
Focal length: 200mm.
The finished image has only been cropped by a whisker, so is pretty much full frame.
Shutter speed: 1/160th sec.
A little slow for my liking with the zoom at full stretch. But I had to work quickly, so had better things to think about than opening the aperture to shorten the shutter speed.
White balance: Auto.
The EXIF data says the colour temperature was 4850K.
Colour space: Adobe RGB.
Post-processing: The RAW file was converted to a 16-bit TIFF with DxO Optics Pro 3.5 and then edited in Photoshop. | <urn:uuid:4523d187-f501-4564-bc5c-45efd1fbbc1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cdlcreative.me/2006/09/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950106 | 628 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The A15 phases
(also known as β-W
structure types) are series of intermetallic compounds
with the chemical formula A
(where A is a transition metal
and B can be any element
) and a specific structure. Many of these compounds have superconductivity
at around 20 K
(−424 °F), which is comparatively high, and remain superconductive in magnetic fields of tens of teslas
(hundreds of kilogauss
). This kind of superconductivity (Type-II superconductivity
) is an important area of study as it has several practical applications.
The all materials in the A15 phase are very brittle which makes machining difficult for those materials.
The structure of the A<sub>3</sub>B is based on a bcc structure of B. It has one lattice point in the centre of the unit cell in addition to the eight corner points. It has a net total of 2 lattice points per unit cell. Two atoms A are located on the each cube face is bisectedby orthogonal Nb chains
The first time the A15 structure was observed in 1931 when a electrolytically deposited layer of tungsten
was examined. The discussion if the β–tungsten structure is an allotrope of tungsten or a the structure of a tungsten suboxide was long-standing and in 1998 still articles about the discussion were published. In the end it seems most... Read More | <urn:uuid:46a4128e-5dd4-4012-b55f-96ca22a582ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pages.rediff.com/a15-phases/524338 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925849 | 310 | 3.453125 | 3 |
To educate Belarus' future leaders through western-style curricula and teaching methods. The organization will support students’ independent study of civics, history, economics, law, journalism and politics in Minsk and several regions.
To provide teachers with informational, methodological, and operational assistance in undertaking and promoting independent civic education initiatives. The organization will maintain its resource center for teachers, publish six issues of its informational bulletin, develop a multimedia DVD of teaching materials, support teachers' civic education initiatives, upgrade its website, and conduct a series of thematic meetings for educators.
Democratic Ideas and Values
To strengthen the capacity of young analysts and think tanks. During an important election year, the organization will conduct research, produce several publications, and organize public discussions in the regions on such topics as Belarus-EU relations and the relationship between democratization and a market economy. The think tank will organize public events, create video podcasts, and publish a series of articles and booklets.
To foster civic activism and freedom of information in Grodno region. The organization will convene a series of meetings and organize competitions to encourage youth to become active in preserving historic landmarks. The NGO will also produce historical publications and organize a series of independent cultural events.
To provide a public space for independent, cultural events promoting youth activism. The organization will hold approximately 150 cultural events, including meetings with prominent public figures, lectures and discussions, concerts and other musical events, theatrical productions, art exhibitions, trainings and movie screenings.
To encourage independent analysis and solutions to Belarus' social, political and economic crisis. To support and publicize public policy recommendations by young researchers, the NGO will organize calls for proposals, support research projects and policy papers, and publicize their findings at public events and through the media.
To strengthen independent culture, civic activism, and national identity. In cooperation with leading independent cultural groups, the organization will organize more than 150 concerts, book readings, historical excursions, art exhibitions and other cultural events throughout Belarus.
Freedom of Information
To publish a leading independent journal of ideas. During an important election year, the organization will print 750 copies of a unique monthly publication and subsidize its subscription costs to libraries and institutions of higher learning.
To produce an independent, online newspaper. The media outlet’s website serves as a source of objective political, economic and social information for civil society and ordinary citizens. In an important election year, about 100 new pieces of material will be added each day, including 10 articles and five multimedia pieces.
To defend freedom of information. The organization will monitor, document and disseminate information about media rights violations, as well as provide support to local journalists and media.
To increase access to independent Belarusian publications. The organization will expand its free online library of important books, journals, articles, and documents on Belarusian politics, human rights, civil society, history, literature and culture.
To support and safeguard independent news and information websites. The organization will expand its online service that secures and supports independent Belarusian media outlets. The NGO will continue to provide safe, reliable hosting and technical support for participants, develop new websites, upgrade and enhance current websites, and provide trainings for media professionals and legal and tax consultations for media outlets.
To improve the quality and quantity of independent youth publications. The organization will conduct trainings for young activists, create a handbook on self-publishing, cover the basic printing costs of up to seven new editions, offer technical and editorial support, and ensure stable monthly print runs 800 copies for five existing publications.
To offer objective news and information in Vitebsk region and operate two crowdsourcing new media tools during an important election period. The organization will maintain a popular regional news website and operate two Ushahidi platforms that track events resulting from the country’s political and economic crisis, and election-related developments, including fraud and falsification.
To expand an independent online newspaper. During an important election year, the media outlet will update its website daily, increase the number of original articles on political, economic and human rights issues, add new columns, make the site more interactive, and promote it offline and through online social networks.
To support youth media and activism. The organization’s website will inform and educate young people about their civil and human rights, as well as commemorate the history of the first generation of youth in independent Belarus and tell their story through a series of multimedia materials. The NGO will also organize trainings, thematic meetings, and a youth festival.
To broaden the reach and impact of independent media. The organization will produce pocket books and multimedia DVDs on independent culture and democracy-related topics, and distribute them at launch events throughout the country.
To understand public views on democracy-related topics during an important election year. The think tank will conduct public opinion surveys on the attitudes of Belarusians before and after the September 2012 parliamentary elections. The results will be disseminated by independent media and the think tank’s webpage, e-bulletin and print newsletter.
To support an independent news website that covers politics, economics, and social developments in Belarus.
To produce and disseminate an independent email newspaper. The media outlet will also expand its popular news and information website.
To publish an independent newspaper. In the aftermath of the September 2012 parliamentary elections, the weekly publication will increase its print run by approximately 10 percent.
To support an independent print and online newspaper. In an important election year, the publication will raise its weekly print run and expand its online version.
To publish a leading independent newspaper during an important election year.
To print and distribute an important independent newspaper. The publication will produce at least 48 weekly issues during an important election year.
To strengthen independent, objective information in Brest region. The organization will maintain and upgrade its news website and provide free legal assistance to readers.
To expand an independent online news and information source in Grodno region. During an election year, the media outlet will update its website daily and post 150 articles a month on social, political, economic and cultural developments impacting the region and country.
To help insure the viability of the independent regional press. In an election year, the organization will assist in publishing local and regional newspapers, allowing the publications to increase either their circulation or number of pages while keeping their prices competitive with state-subsided publications.
To produce a leading online newspaper. The media outlet will increase its coverage of the country's political and economic crises, upcoming parliamentary elections, and regional news from citizens' perspectives.
To improve the quality and quantity of independent publications in Mogilev region. The organization will cover the basic operating costs of producing and publishing regional and local editions, and organize training seminars to increase the skills of local editors and journalists.
To print and distribute an independent newspaper. The media outlet will produce 28 issues of its weekly publication and distribute it in 35 districts of the country’s six regions, plus the city of Minsk. The newspaper will inform and educate citizens about the country’s economic and political crisis, particularly prior to the September 2012 parliamentary elections.
To support an independent website that covers political developments. The media outlet will expand its reporting in the run up and aftermath of the September 2012 parliamentary elections. During the campaigns, the website will offer information about candidates and platforms, as well as document election-related violations and falsifications.
To support youth media and activism. The organization will expand its youth website, publish a monthly electronic bulletin, and organize a festival of Internet videos.
To support a leading regional news website. During an important election year, the media outlet will continue to increase its audience and expand its outreach in the Vitebsk region.
To promote freedom of movement. The organization will educate Belarusians about the visa liberalization issue and advocate for its positive resolution by recruiting and training a team of young activists, who will carry out an information and advocacy campaign with meetings, roundtables, public appeals, art exhibitions, and a conference.
To foster the rule of law and defend human rights. The organization will monitor the treatment of political prisoners, document and publicize violations of their rights, and advocate domestically and internationally for improvements in the conditions in which they are being held. The NGO will promote the accountability of those overseeing prisons, and improve the legal consciousness of prisoners and society as a whole.
To train a new generation of human rights lawyers. The organization will train Belarusian lawyers in applying international human rights standards to domestic and international cases. Through a series of trainings, consultations, seminars, and networking events, the lawyers will learn to effectively argue human rights cases before Belarusian courts and the UN Human Rights Committee.
To defend political and civil rights. The organization will assist political and civic activists whose rights have been violated, especially in the run up to the September 2012 parliamentary elections, and offer free legal aid to citizens.
To promote human rights. The organization will provide legal and humanitarian aid to activists facing persecution as a result of their political and civic activities, particularly long-term political prisoners and their families and activists repressed in the run up to the country's September 2012 parliamentary elections.
To monitor, defend and promote human rights. During an important election year, the organization will render legal and other assistance to citizens whose rights have been violated, especially prior to the September 2012 parliamentary election.
To advocate for and promote human rights. The organization will continue operating a website that spotlights the crackdown against civil society in 'Europe's last dictatorship.'
To defend political and civil rights. The organization will provide legal assistance to political and civil society activists, and free legal aid to citizens.
To highlight human rights issues. The organization will assist Belarusian directors in producing short documentary movies on human rights and democracy issues and preparing a further six for production. The films will be screened at selected movie festivals, shown on TV stations and disseminated through various social networks.
To support civic initiatives in Mogilev region. The organization will upgrade and expand a regional web portal that offers local and national news and information, publish a bulletin, maintain a legal advice reception room, convene civic discussion meetings and conduct a 'Blogger School' for regional activists.
To inform and foster youth activism in Brest region. The organization will recruit and train new volunteers and engage young people in civic campaigns targeting key issues in their communities. The NGO will also produce independent bulletins and an email newsletter, and organize petition campaigns on pressing local issues.
To support civic initiatives and independent news sources in Minsk region. The organization will serve as a NGO resource center and support regional and local workshops, meetings, civic actions and independent print and Internet publications.
To encourage civic activism at the local level in Minsk. The organization will plan and lead citizens' advocacy campaigns on pressing local issues in Minsk, produce and publicize a toolkit to help residents address local problems, and promote citizens' participation in local decision making processes.
To foster civic initiatives in Minsk region. The organization will organize a series of local civic campaigns focusing on environmental issues, publish a monthly bulletin, and conduct a series of roundtables bringing together activists from different sectors to highlight local issues ahead of the September 2012 parliamentary elections.
To support civil society in Mogilev region. The organization will produce and distribute an independent newspaper, print a series of local news bulletins, hold meetings on local problems, conduct training seminars, and organize civic actions in the region.
To increase the capacity of civil society. Through a series of training seminars, the organization will assist Belarusian regional and local organizations and initiatives in increasing their organizational capacity and improving their communications and outreach.
To strengthen and protect Belarusian NGOs. The organization will provide information, advice and legal consultations to assist Belarusian NGOs to legally register abroad. The grantee will create a website to facilitate the registration process.
To increase the effectiveness of assistance to Belarusian civil society. The group will convene an international meeting of organizations working in Belarus. The event will bring together up to 90 Belarusian NGO activists with 50-70 international partners.
To educate Belarusian citizens about civil society and inspire them to be more civically active. The organization will produce short video documentaries profiling Belarusian civil society activists and organizations. The clips will be broadcast into Belarus, posted on websites, and distributed on DVDs. The organization will also train Belarusian activists on how to promote their civic organizations and initiatives by producing their own videos.
To assist civil society initiatives in Gomel region. The organization will support resource centers in the region which assist NGO activities and independent publishing initiatives in 19 districts. The NGO will produce bulletins and other independent publications, and support independent websites.
To support civic initiatives in Vitebsk region. The organization assists a network of NGOs and civic initiatives in four districts, produces local publications, conducts roundtables bringing together local activists, and organizes civic actions.
To strengthen the capacity of the third sector. The organization will conduct training workshops and provide consultations to grassroots initiative groups, organize study visits abroad for Belarusian civic activists, and support local initiatives.
To improve the outreach capabilities of civic initiatives. The organization will conduct training seminars in Belarus' regions for civic activists who are not yet using social media. The organization will also provide online support to activists who are new users of social networks in district centers.
To engage new activists in civil society activities. The organization will conduct a summer school for young activists, organize meetings around the country to promote reforms and foster civic activism, produce a monthly bulletin, and maintain a website.
To expand civic activism in Brest region. The organization and a NGO coalition will organize civic campaigns advocating for resolution of local problems, hold a cultural festival, conduct a local environmental campaign, convene roundtables for local civic and political activists, and publish a bulletin.
To foster civil society in Vitebsk region. The organization will assist the activities of NGO resource centers which are conducting independent publishing, legal aid, and other assistance programs for nascent NGOs and independent publications.
To assist civic initiatives in Vitebsk region. The organization will support civic initiatives, organize meetings on democracy-related issues between well-known, national pro-democratic figures and local activists, and oversee a series of independent cultural events.
To promoting civil society in Mogilev region. During an important election year, the organization will serve as a resource center for civic activists and organizations, publish an independent newspaper, organize civic campaigns focusing on local issues, and update its website.
To assist civic activism among small entrepreneurs. During an election year, the organization will convene expert group meetings on the country’s political and economic situation, conduct awareness campaigns, and produce informational materials.
To strengthen civil society in Minsk region. The organization will hold seminars for local activists and journalists, arrange study visits to other regions, and organize visits of legal advisors to NGOs and civic initiatives in the region. The initiative will maintain its website and office, which serves as regional resource center.
To foster civil society in Grodno region. The organization will offer legal aid and education to activists and residents; produce brochures, leaflets, DVDs and other informational materials; conduct trainings and study visits for activists; and hold more than two dozen public events.
To assist independent civic initiatives in Mogilev region. The organization and its partners will operate resource centers that serve the region's independent initiatives, publish a regional NGO bulletin, and conduct training seminars for local activists.
To strengthen civil society in Vitebsk region. The organization will hold a training workshop for independent journalists, support local NGOs and civil society initiatives, and provide support to regional resource centers.
To assist youth and student organizations. The organization will foster youth activism by convening meetings in the capital and regions, conducting training seminars for regional leaders, supporting local civic initiatives, organizing independent cultural events, producing a brochure on youth issues, and operating its website.
To foster free and fair elections. The organization will monitor media coverage of the September 2012 parliamentary elections. A team will track the news and analytical presentations of state and independent television programs, newspapers and Internet sites. Interim assessments and a final report will be produced and distributed.
To inform citizens about quality of life issues in Brest region before and after the September 2012 parliamentary elections. The organization will foster debate among the electorate on solutions to local and regional socio-economic challenges.
To foster free, fair and transparent elections. The initiative will recruit, train and deploy volunteers to polling stations in 52 cities and towns to observe the voting and turnout during the country's September 2012 parliamentary elections. To inform the public about the results of the monitoring, a special issue of an independent newspaper will be produced and distributed.
To inform citizens, mobilize voters and monitor the polls in Vitebsk region for the September 2012 parliamentary elections. The organization will foster debate among the electorate on solutions to local and regional socio-economic challenges and monitor voting stations.
Grant descriptions are from the 2012 NED Annual Report. | <urn:uuid:33f54111-a939-4c7c-813f-3d36aa0e5183> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/eurasia/belarus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922942 | 3,477 | 2.015625 | 2 |
PSE&G to Upgrade 20 Towers in West Caldwell
Residents can ask questions, raise concerns about Northeast Grid Reliability Project at upcoming workshop.
A project to increase electric capacity and improve power delivery throughout northern New Jersey includes replacing 20 towers in West Caldwell, according to PSE&G.
The utility company will hold a public workshop to address questions and concerns with West Caldwell residents regarding the "Northeast Grid Reliability Project” on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Essex County Vocational School, 620 Passaic Ave., in West Caldwell.
The Northeast Grid Reliability Project upgrades existing overhead transmission lines from 138,000 to 230,000 volts and will add a 230,000-volt underground transmission circuit throughout North Jersey.
Some 50 miles of transmission lines would be replaced, including the stretch from the Hudson Switching Station in Jersey City to the Roseland Switching Station in Roseland.
PSE&G plans to replace 20 existing lattice type towers in West Caldwell with monopoles that will run between three- to 30-feet higher than the existing towers. Some monopoles will be shorter and some will be taller than the existing highest towers, the utility said.
“The upgrade will deliver increased electric capacity required by New Jersey businesses and residents, increase transfer capability, provide better power quality, and reduce transmission system congestion," according to the utility.
PSE&G has submitted an application to the township’s Zoning Board and a hearing is pending.
Experts will be available at the informational meeting on Feb. 27 to discuss the project with residents. RSVP to Richard Dwyer at 1-877-678- 5784 or email@example.com.
For more information about the project, visit www.pseg.com/negrid. | <urn:uuid:3105019b-55da-465a-9cf2-108158292d80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://caldwells.patch.com/articles/pse-g-to-upgrade-20-towers-in-west-caldwell | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907402 | 382 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Letter to the Editor: Bigger oil well setbacks more effective in NDHouse Bill 1348 would increase setbacks from oil wells to people’s homes from 500 feet to a 1/4 mile. I testified in support of the bill.
House Bill 1348 would increase setbacks from oil wells to people’s homes from 500 feet to a 1/4 mile. I testified in support of the bill.
At the hearing, the North Dakota Petroleum Council made the argument that if you get setbacks to 1,000 feet or more, it will cost the surface owner the most! The reality is this would be the most effective way to make the oil companies use the new technology and build multi-pads instead of single well pads.
Ron Ness of the Petroleum Council stated that 500 foot setbacks affect 18 acres of farmland and 1,000 foot setbacks effect 72 acres. This is something that I apparently don’t understand. I know a single well pad uses 6 acres and a multi-pad with 3 wells uses the same acreage. Then, we get six to eight well pads that use approximately 12 acres. Do the math: eight single well pads use 48 acres versus 12 acres for multi-well pads.
What the people in the counties of the Bakken oil fields don’t realize is the facts of what is intended with this new technology of horizontal drilling to produce the Bakken wells and to cover all the mineral interests. These wells are being drilled so the horizontal bore of each well is approximately 660 feet apart for a length of one to two miles, so this way they need to drill seven or eight across the end of a 640 acre section two miles long for their 1,280 spacing. With this new technology they can and have built multi-pad well sites with six to 12 wells and still get the well bores approximately 660 feet apart.
Food for thought: This type of drilling covers all of the mineral interest and they can drill from one mile away and turn 90 degrees and drill another one to two miles and multi-well pads can save countless amounts of acres, then why are oil companies being allowed to destroy western North Dakota with single well pads and making the largest foot print in North Dakota history?
Tags: opinionMore from around the web | <urn:uuid:e7237f87-d8a2-4f0c-a09e-eb8ab3a6d50f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/65693/publisher_ID/6/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939169 | 459 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Logitech Ships Billionth Mouse
Coincides with Fortieth Anniversary of First Computer Mouse Public Demonstration
FREMONT, Calif. - Dec. 3, 2008 - Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today announced that it has shipped its billionth mouse. A pioneer in the development of the computer mouse in the 1980s, Logitech has enthusiastically driven nearly every major innovation in mouse technology - persistently refining this ubiquitous interface between people and their digital experiences. With more than a billion people currently using computers worldwide and another billion expected to begin using computers by 2014, according to a report by analyst firm Gartner, Logitech continues to pursue compelling innovation to delight users of the next billion mice and input devices of the future.
Founded in a farmhouse in Apples, Switzerland in 1981 and shortly thereafter establishing strong ties in Silicon Valley, Logitech introduced its first retail mouse in 1985 and reached the 100 millionth mouse mark in 1996. Sales of Logitech mice topped 500 million seven years later. Today, Logitech sells mice in more than 100 countries worldwide and manufactures an average of 376,000 mice per day and 7.8 million every month.
"Since the first click of the Logitech® P4 mouse in 1982, Logitech mice have played an indispensable role in the evolution of the personal computer," said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. "During the last few decades, the way people use computers has changed dramatically - what was once strictly a business tool has become highly integrated into our personal lives. Logitech has continually pursued innovations to meet those changing conditions, introducing - in the last five years alone - the world's first laser mouse, hyper-fast scrolling and the nano-receiver."
"Looking to the future, the gesture-based Logitech® MX™ Air mouse and the hybrid Logitech® diNovo Mini™ palm-sized keyboard hint at what can be expected from Logitech's next generation of innovations," said Rory Dooley, Logitech senior vice president and general manager of the Control Devices business unit. "While the traditional mouse and keyboard still make the most sense for productivity, the emergence of the digital home and new forms of entertainment are opening the doors to new ways of interacting with the computer, whether it be voice, touch or something entirely new."
As Logitech celebrates its milestone, many will be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the first public demonstration of the computer mouse.
"What a wonderful coincidence that the leading mouse manufacturer has announced such a significant milestone in the same month that we celebrate Doug Engelbart's legendary public debut of the computer mouse," said Curt Carlson, president and chief executive officer of SRI International. "Logitech's product innovations support Engelbart's vision of human-computer tools for interactive and collaborative work."
In celebration of its billionth mouse, Logitech is launching a worldwide contest that invites people to follow the travels of this notable mouse - from the manufacturing line to its final destination - and to try to figure out where in the world it will end up. The mouse's journey will be chronicled on Logitech's blog, BLogitech. For more details, please visit blog.logitech.com.
Logitech is a world leader in personal peripherals, driving innovation in PC navigation, Internet communications, digital music, home-entertainment control, gaming and wireless devices. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).
Further Reading: Read and find more Peripherals press releases at our Peripherals PR index page.
Do you get our RSS feed? Get It! | <urn:uuid:a948460b-fa5c-497a-9eba-4dabe8e61f44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://australia.tweaktown.com/pressrelease/606/logitech_ships_billionth_mouse/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926234 | 768 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Ashley Griffin, University of Kentucky
In addition to preparing the trailer for the horse's comfort, it is also important to consider the maintenance of all equipment.
Prior to each trip, check the following:
- Trailer lights and turn signals
- Trailer brakes
- Trailer hitch--is it secure?
- Trailer safety cables
- Spare trailer and truck tires and tools to change a tire, including tire jack
- Trailer and truck tires
- Trailer floorboards.
These checks should be done before you leave home. Finding out that something is wrong on the trip can be inconvenient and even disastrous.
Before you depart, make sure that your health papers are in order. Also, know the path of your trip, which routes might be best, how to avoid construction areas, where the rest stops are located, and how long it will take to get there. Most trips taken with horses are for recreation, and therefore, advance planning can help reduce the stress of the trip and make it more enjoyable. | <urn:uuid:48b2ce1d-7640-4183-a46c-0fd933d50942> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.extension.org/pages/12316/pre-travel-vehicle-and-trailer-check-for-hauling-horses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939379 | 205 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Your Government Launches the Canada Day Challenge
February 5, 2013
Y E L L O W H E A D — Recently, your Government launched the inaugural Canada Day Challenge (formerly known as the Canada Day Poster Challenge). This national competition encourages young Canadians aged 8 to 18 to demonstrate their artistic and creative talent and to express what Canada means to them.
“The Canada Day Challenge gives Yellowhead and all Canadian youth an opportunity to express themselves on the subject of Canada’s history, culture, and identity,” said Hon. Rob Merrifield, Member of Parliament for Yellowhead. “The contest will also help young people learn more about our country and celebrate Canada.”
Under the theme “Canada: Strong and Free,” the Canada Day Challenge is inviting young Canadians to illustrate how the people, places, and events of the past have shaped our country and to show their pride in being Canadian by entering in any or all of the following three categories:
- Draw It! Send in a drawing, painting, or sketch.
- Snap It! Submit an original photo taken with a digital camera or smartphone.
- Write It! Submit a literary creation in the form of a short story, poem, or essay.
“Your Government is proud to invest in projects that contribute to our collective identity and define who we are as Canadians,” added Mr. Merrifield. “On the road to Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, let us celebrate all the things that make Canada the united, strong and free country we are today.”
Entries will be accepted from February 1 to March 22, 2013.
Winners of the Canada Day Challenge will be announced in spring 2013. The winning entries will be on display at the Canadian Museum of Civilization from June to September 2013, and will be part of the design of the official poster for the 2013 Celebrate Canada festivities.
One national winner and two finalists will be selected in each category. Prizes will be presented to the three national winners and six finalists by the 2013 Canada Day Challenge sponsors: the National Capital Commission, Encounters with Canada, the Trans Canada Trail, Canada Post, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Royal Canadian Mint, and Parks Canada.
Canada Day Challenge contest rules and entry forms are available at www.challenge.pch.gc.ca.
For more information (media only), please contact:
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages | <urn:uuid:cff3a452-4eb9-4535-ab35-7bf8c6437e79> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://merrifieldmp.com/?p=2388 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9199 | 511 | 2.453125 | 2 |
BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre, is an independent British organisation dedicated to creating a more supportive environment for Israel in Britain. It does this by trying to create a more complete understanding of Israel and its situation. BICOM believes in the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security, as well as in the rights of the Palestinians to statehood. It supports a close relationship between Britain and Israel, based on shared values and interests. BICOM pursues its objectives through a range of activities:
- Providing daily, expert news summary and analysis of events in Israel and the region through our online publications.
- Taking British journalists, opinion formers and policy makers to Israel and the Palestinian territories to learn about the issues first-hand.
- Bringing analysts, journalists and politicians from the region to Britain, to share their insights with their British counterparts.
- Promoting a balanced discourse about Israel in the British media by creating opportunities for a wide range of voices to be heard.
- Organising events and seminars in the UK aimed at deepening the discussion about Israel in Britain.
- Engaging in dialogue with British opinion formers, policy makers and the media on issues of importance to Israel and the Britain-Israel relationship.
- Providing resources to individuals and organisations in Britain who share BICOM’s agenda to promote a better understanding of Israel.
Updates about BICOM
JLC Head of Policy & Research Claudia Mendoza describes the second issue of BICOM’s free quarterly journal, Fathom. Combining the authority of the old-school journal with the accessibility provided by modern technology, Fathom has quickly become a must read for anyone interested in Israel and the region. In this edition, highlights include an interview with …
In November BICOM (Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre) launched “Fathom: for a deeper understanding of Israel and the region“, a free quarterly journal, website and iPad app to open a new front in the fight against this simplistic and demonizing discourse and respond to a series of key intellectual challenges which we believe pose …
1. What motivates you to be involved in communal life? My wife, Anita and I are involved in a number of philanthropic activities from the Arts to Olympic legacy. As members of a relatively small Community, we believe it’s important to support the Jewish charities equally, taking on active lay roles and providing financial support … | <urn:uuid:1173b7eb-ea4e-4c56-99e4-5deeb5fbe2b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thejlc.org/portfolio/bicom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921001 | 505 | 1.703125 | 2 |
AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to millions of articles from top publications available through your library.
from THE JAKARTA POST -- MONDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2010 Indonesia matters. As world leaders step up engagement with Asia's rising powers, the focus is not just on China and India but increasingly also on Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, most populous nation and arguably one of Asia's most exciting nations.
A modern, robust -- and recent -- democracy, Indonesia is a key Asian member of the G20, a leading player in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a moderating force within the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
It is notching up impressive economic growth rates, is the driving force behind many Asian regional integration initiatives and is also strategically located: Half of world trade passes by its northern maritime border, giving the country a strategic role in ensuring safe and secure international navigation.
Small wonder then that US President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard are … | <urn:uuid:70a7dd58-8be6-4ae2-a049-c42cf3bb6e80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-243788287/eu-indonesia-time-stronger.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911217 | 207 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Jane Palmieri, managing director of Dow’s Solar Solutions unit, said the Powerhouse thin-film shingle slashes installation costs because it can be installed by a roofer who is already building or retrofitting a roof.
“As a roofer is nailing asphalt shingle on roof, wherever the array needs to be installed he just switches to solar shingle,” said Ms. Palmieri, who said the solar singles are similarly attached to the roof with nails.
“You don’t have to have a solar installation crew do the work or have an electrician on site,” she added. “The solar shingle can be handled like any other shingle – it can be palletized, dropped from a roof, walked on.”
An electrician is still needed to connect the completed array to an inverter and to a home’s electrical system, but unlike conventional solar panels that must be wired together, the solar shingles plug into each other to form the array.
Dow plans to begin test-marketing the solar shingle in mid-2010, initially targeting new-home construction. Ms. Palmieri said the market could be worth $5 billion by 2015 and noted that 90 percent of homes in the United States use asphalt shingles.
Dow designed the shingles, which will initially be manufactured at the company’s Midland, Mich., facility. Global Solar of Tucson, Ariz., is supplying the thin-film solar cells.
Thin-film has generally not been used for residential systems because of its relatively low efficiency – Global Solar’s cells are 10 percent efficient. That means a larger array is required generate the same of amount of electricity as conventional solar panels.
But Dave Parrillo, the senior research and development director for Dow Solar Solutions, said the solar shingles can offset between 40 percent and 80 percent of a home’s electricity consumption.
Ms. Palmieri said a solar shingle array is 10 percent to 15 percent cheaper than a standard rack-mounted solar panel system and about 40 percent less expensive than competing building-integrated photovoltaic products.
“Our objective is to prove that this can be a mainstream adopted product,” she said. | <urn:uuid:3579024f-9474-41af-ba18-37f901fc4b72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/dow-unveils-solar-shingles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930597 | 474 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Prior Knowledge and Neurobiology ?
mckee at starbase.neosoft.com
Sun Mar 5 10:30:26 EST 1995
Edward Simon Dunstone (ted at wraith.cs.uow.edu.au) wrote:
: Does anyone know of references that describe the role that
: prior knowledge plays in learning, from a biological rather than
: cognitive or computer science perspective (ie at the neuronal or dendritic
: level). Would I be correct in assuming that so far there has been
: little work in this area ?
I think you'd be correct in saying there's been little work in this
area, and I'd argue that people who are avoiding this topic are doing
so for a good reason. Thinking about knowledge at the level of neurons
or smaller is what philosophers call a "category error". In spite of
the ravings of some artificial neural network theorist about "the
hedonistic neuron" (I've conveniently forgotten his name), neurons
don't "know" anything, they're just pumps for potassium, calcium, and
It's only when neurons become organized into a
brain with representational power that the "system" can be said to
have any knowledge, be it prior, current, or subsequent. Although
the most interesting organism (us) obviously contains representations
and knows things, the brains of most organisms don't, they're too simple.
It's only via a psychological projection that flowers "know" to develop
flowers in time for the bees in springtime or spiders "know" how to build
At the abstraction level where the word "knowledge" is meaningful,
it doesn't matter whether you're a biologist, psychologist, or
computer scientist, which is why the interdisciplinary field of
"cognitive science" exists, to cover all these bases.
I've found the work of Allen Newell usually quite enligntening,
particularly his magnum opus (literally "big book"; actually it's only
500 pages) "Unified Theories of Cognition". I also found Henry Plotkin's
"Darwin Machines and the Nature of Knowledge" worthwhile in understanding
"where does knowledge comes from" in an evolutionary framework.
If you're in a philosophical community where truth is less important
than having a good argument, this can be a highly productive field,
publication-wise. If you're interested in doing hard, data-based
science, what we need is a knowledge-based expert system that "grows"
neural nets "in calculo" based on statements tagged to the literature.
This will take massive amounts of compute power and even more work
entering the facts. Just barely reachable within today's state of
the computational art, I think.
- George McKee
: Thanks in advance,
: Ted Dunstone
: CITR Neural Network Group
: University of Wollongong
: NSW, Australia 2500
Internet: mckee at neosoft.com
Voice: +1 713 890 8122
More information about the Neur-sci | <urn:uuid:1b7e7509-a3c7-4982-bea7-e084278efc17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/neur-sci/1995-March/017183.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911376 | 646 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Iran and Azerbaijan are taking steps to soothe bilateral tensions most recently stoked by Baku’s ties to Israel and its reported purchase of hundreds of millions of dollars of weapons from the Jewish state.
Public assurances of good neighborly relations were being made in Tehran during a visit by Azerbaijan Defense Minister Safar Abiyev that continued into its second day on Tuesday.
“We are sure that we will face no problem from our brother and neighbor Azerbaijan,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted by the official Islamic Republic News Agency as saying on Monday after meeting Abiyev.
“Rest assured that Tehran-Baku ties will never be harmed,” he said, adding that “artificial problems” that existed would be resolved and ties would be strengthened.
Abiyev was quoted as saying that “no nation can damage ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
He vowed that his country “will not allow anyone to use its soil and airspace against the Islamic Republic of Iran, since we consider Iran as a friend and brother.”
The professed closeness sought to mend a rift opened up by Iranian news reports that Azerbaijan had bought $1.5 billion worth of weapons from Israel.
Iran’s foreign ministry last month summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Tehran to request an explanation about the purchase, and to deliver a warning that Israel must not be permitted to use Azerbaijan to stage “terrorist acts” against Iran.
While Azerbaijan did not confirm the arms deal with Israel at the time, it did say it was boosting its arsenal “to liberate occupied Azerbaijani land” and it did not have hostile intentions against other countries in the region.
The “occupied land” referred to the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh which was seized from Azerbaijan by Armenian forces during a war in the 1990s. No peace deal has been signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia despite years of negotiations since a 1994 ceasefire.
Abiyev discussed the weapons issue in greater detail on Monday with Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi.
After their meeting, Abiyev was quoted by the Iranian news agency ISNA as saying: “These relations (with Israel) are not the way that the media have portrayed and I don’t want the media to take this issue so seriously.”
Vahidi added: “We talked about this issue with our Azerbaijani friends and they explained to us that it is not as it was reported by the media, and that the deal goes back to previous years and that amount is not that much.”
Neither minister elaborated on the Azerbaijan-Israel arms deal.
The problem with that deal emerged after a separate incident in Azerbaijan in which police said they arrested an unspecified number of people linked to Iran and to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on suspicion of planning attacks in the country.
Iran last month also accused Azerbaijan, which is mainly Muslim, of working with Israel’s spy services and helping assassins who murdered Iranian nuclear scientists in recent years − a claim rejected by Baku as “slander.” | <urn:uuid:dba25b5b-1ece-427e-9f80-926fbea12c89> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/03/13/200339.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979352 | 648 | 1.5 | 2 |
This is not about a wheelchair ramp, but about the change it can create.
“Prior to having the wheelchair ramp, Donald was basically housebound, because he wasn’t able to use his legs,” said Elizabeth Langosy, 62, of Medford, speaking about her husband and a modification they made to their home through a state low- and no-interest loan program.
The loan is part of the state’s Home Modification Loan program, which provides help to people requiring modifications to their home due to disability or age. Earlier this year, the program reached a milestone when it gave its 1,500th loan.
The Langosys were not the recipient of that particular loan, but are a good example of the change the program can make in people’s lives.
Donald, 64, is a painter whose work is featured in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts as well as The Fogg Museum, the oldest of Harvard University’s art museums.
He also has secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis, which means at different times, his legs go completely limp or stick out rigidly. Before the installation of the ramp, it was s struggle for Elizabeth, her two daughters, or a son-in-law to maneuver Donald out of the house and into the car.
“Often we would try to get him to a medical appointment, and I would just have to cancel it because we would be hours and hours late, no matter how early we started,” Elizabeth said. “It would also be difficult and humiliating for Donald, as we tried to bring him up and down the stairs of the house that way. And people are funny, too. People would just hurry by without offering to help. I think there’s a shyness in the world about disabled people.”
With the installation of the wheelchair ramp leading from the porch of the home they bought with their daughter’s family, leaving the house became as simple as wheeling him down the ramp. He’s signed up for The Ride, which provides transportation for those with disabilities, and also with the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at Mount Auburn Hospital, where caregivers helped him acquire a new, more versatile wheelchair.
“We’ve even gone for some walks around the neighborhood,” Elizabeth said. “He’s gone from being completely restricted and home all the time and having even a simple doctor’s appointment being almost impossible, to being more able to be more involved with the community, and his doctors.
“It’s made an enormous difference. I almost can’t put into words how much of a difference it’s made to have that door opened for him.”
Ditto for the other changes the Langosys were able to make with the $30,000 loan, specifically modifications that transformed their closet-sized bathroom to something much improved for Donald’s needs.
“The bathroom is really a nice room now. It’s actually the nicest room in the house,” said Donald, possessor of a sly sense of humor. “When you come over, we can have cocktails in the shower.”
Donald and Elizabeth Langosy were able to open that door by using a no-interest loan from the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, plus grants of $1,000 from Mystic Valley Elder Services and $2,000 from the MS Society.
“We have a survey people fill out at the end of their projects about their experience, and the glowing things that people say about how it’s changed their life is really rewarding,” said Susan Gillam, program and outreach coordinator for the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, which administers the Home Modification Loan Program statewide through six regional nonprofit housing organizations that work directly with consumers during the application process. North of Boston, those include the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership and Community Teamwork Inc. of Lowell.
According to statistics provided by the corporation, through January, $33 million had been loaned through the program since 2000, to people in 227 of the state’s 351 cities and towns.
Almost 80 percent of those have been no-interest loans, the average loan is slightly more than $22,000, and the money has gone to creating or altering 554 bathrooms and 575 ramps or lifts.
“With a relatively small dollar amount you can really have an impact,” said Karen Kelley Gill, the Community Economic Development agency’s deputy director and chief financial officer.
“It’s not the easiest thing to take advantage of, because there’s a lot of paperwork involved,” said Donald Langosy. “But when it happens, it’s fantastic. I’m just a humble painter, and my wife’s a writer, and we could have never made these changes in our life except for this program. It was a godsend.” | <urn:uuid:07405dc8-48b2-412a-8094-430faaa298fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2012/07/25/loan-granted-life-grown-smoother/e4sR8TEIoGQDvUjaCxZ5JP/story.html?camp=pm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976717 | 1,035 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Two shots rang out in the railroad station, and the President of the United States slumped to the floor, mortally wounded
Early on the morning of July 2, 1881, President James A. Garfield was awakened in the White House by his two older sons, Harry, seventeen, and James, fifteen. Their mood was sportive, for they were all about to leave on a vacation together. They challenged their father to jump over the bed. Garfield, whom Thomas Wolfe included in that procession of “gravely vacant and bewhiskered faces” between Lincoln and McKinley, was indeed bewhiskered. But he was not a stuffed shirt: he jumped over the bed.
Read more » | <urn:uuid:843a0845-72c8-4a52-8f77-04141732e491> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanheritage.com/category/article-keywords/charles-guiteau | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98738 | 144 | 2.625 | 3 |
EcoArt South Florida has a set of bright and shiny new scientific analysis tools to enhance our planning processes!! A Dartmouth geography class worked hard during the Spring 2011 semester to create information-jammed Geographical Information Service (GIS) maps that will help EASF identify best locations for our new EcoArt community education and artist apprenticeship programs. EASF has the goal of establishing at least one “EcoArt Node” in each of South Florida’s five watersheds by 2015.
See all of the GIS maps here: EcoArt Dartmouth Study PDF
This GIS analysis identified what we are calling “hot spots,” by electronically layering 15 different maps. The analysis shows how human settlement and modification of various Florida landscape characteristics are impacting important ecological systems in the region; where the impacts are the most damaging; and where these impact locales (“hot spots”) coincide with areas where there are significant resources to address them, including scientific entities, educational institutions and arts organizations. See additional detail on EASF’s approach to establishing “EcoArt Nodes.”
EASF’s Site Selection Committee is currently working with these stunning and highly informative maps, readying their recommendations for EASF’s upcoming Annual Meeting in Miami September 30-October 1st 2011. Based on the GIS map revelations, the Site Selection Committee will recommend several sites best suited for successful implementation of the organization’s core program. The maps will also be included in the Living on the Edge exhibition that will be up at Ironside in Miami during the annual international Miami Basel Art Fair. More information will be available on the exhibition closer to the opening in November, 2011.
Thanks to Dartmouth College geography Professor Xun Shi, his teaching assistant Kevin M. Mwenda, and students Henry A. McQueen, Emma L. Smith, Madolyn M. Mertz, Julia A. Watson, Amanda K. Wheelock, Duncan F. Hall and Megan R. Killigrew for this valuable new tool. Professor Xun Shi and his students were recruited to assist EASF probono by Community Compact, Inc. a new service learning organization located in Palm Beach County, Florida. EASF is indebted to Mary Arpe, president of Comunity Compact, and her Dartmouth intern Alyssa Perez for recruiting Professor Shi and his students. | <urn:uuid:2c42cf37-1ac3-4af6-9762-9468afebe00b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ecoartsofla.org/2011/07/20/ecoart-hotspots/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937358 | 494 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Icing, also called frosting in the United States, is a sweet often creamy glaze made of sugar with a liquid, such as water or milk, that is often enriched with ingredients such as butter, egg whites, cream cheese, or flavorings. It is used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or cookies. Elizabeth Raffald documented the first recipe for icing in 1769 in the Experienced English Housekeeper, according to the Food Timeline. However, it was not until 1915 that Mrs. Fred W. Gurney created the first buttercream recipe, and Fannie Farmer followed suit with several more recipes in 1918 and 1923.
Icing can be formed into shapes such as flowers and leaves using a pastry bag. Such decorations are common place on birthday and wedding cakes. Chef's color dye (food coloring) is commonly added to icing mixtures to achieve the desired color. Sprinkles, coloring mist, edible ink designs, or other decorations are often used on top of icing.
The simplest icing is a glacé icing, containing powdered sugar and water. This can be flavored and colored as desired, for example, by using lemon juice in place of the water. More complicated icings can be made by beating fat into powdered sugar (as in buttercream), by melting fat and sugar together, by using egg whites (as in royal icing), and by adding other ingredients such as glycerin (as in fondant). Some icings can be made from combinations of sugar and cream cheese or sour cream, or by using ground almonds (as in marzipan).
Icing can be applied with a utensil such as a knife or spatula, or it can be applied by drizzling or dipping (see glaze), or by rolling the icing out and draping it over the cake. The method of application largely depends on the type and texture of icing being used. Icing may be used between layers in a cake as a filling, or it may be used to completely or partially cover the outside of a cake or other baked product.
See also
- Royal icing, egg white and sugar
- Fondant, heated water and sugar, sometimes with stabilizers like gelatin
- Ganache, chocolate and cream
- Marzipan, ground almonds and sugar
- Cake decorating
- Couverture chocolate, a high cocoa butter chocolate
- Who invented frosting? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag.co.uk/q_view/2072478#ixzz13WaIRSGn
|Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Cookbook:Category:Frosting and Icing recipes|
|This confectionery-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.| | <urn:uuid:67db18d9-d0a9-4b49-82c4-4274b3aaf09e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icing_(food) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953005 | 574 | 2.9375 | 3 |
- The Global Game - http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog -
At home and away | With march, migrants seek space on foreign field
Posted By John Turnbull On 11 April 2006 @ 22:00 In History,Latin America,Mexico,Teaching Resources,USA | 1 Comment
Decatur, Alabama | Until hundreds of thousands marched yesterday, it had become hard to piece together isolated movements from such places as Janesville, Wisconsin; Liberal, Kansas; Bowling Green, Kentucky; San Angelo, Texas ; and Dalton, Georgia. These small to mid-sized locales have featured in recent media reports for burgeoning Hispanic populations and for the development of local, ethnically based soccer leagues.
The marchers for immigrant rights on Monday invited comparisons to the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s, with impressive organizational capacities and political and cultural alliances with labor advocates, liberal politicians and the Roman Catholic Church. Some 40,000 marchers, primarily Latino, took a day off Monday to gather outside Atlanta, a city not reputed for mass public protest. “I didn’t realize there were so many ,” said Nancy Gabriel, a resident of an apartment complex in Clarkston, Georgia, a magnet for immigrant and refugee communities in the metro area.
In another hamlet—Decatur, Alabama, in the Tennessee Valley—on Sunday, another expression of native Latino culture occurred as the 2,500-capacity stands and bleachers at Jack Allen Southwest Recreation Complex filled beyond capacity for an international women’s friendly between Mexico and the women’s soccer team of Duke University. “It appeared that at least five out of every six spectators at the … match were Hispanic ,” writes Bradley Handwerger for the Decatur Daily.
That so many Hispanic supporters could gather in a Southern town, far from urban centers, for an exhibition of women’s soccer speaks to the sport’s place in lending cohesion to a sometimes disparate group. They sang the national anthem of Mexico loudly, notes Handwerger, with less zeal for the “Star-Spangled Banner.” In interviews, Mexican fans supported immigration reform and proposals to grant residency status to those lacking the necessary papers. Said Maria Chavez, a U.S. resident of some 20 years’ standing:
We are good workers. We’re responsible. We like to do right. … We support the United States economy. I cannot imagine this country without the people who work specifically in the field.
Locals seemed proud, judging from the article, that the Alabama Youth Soccer Association would select its new soccer complex, constructed by the local parks and recreation authority, for an international event. Yet the good feeling seemed blunted by a “back to reality” editorial in the Decatur Daily on Monday:
[O]ur education and health care systems are pushed beyond their resources; millions of undocumented aliens are driving automobiles without licenses (or insurance) and driving wages down; and a burgeoning black market for forged documents allows foreigners to, among other things, obtain the skills necessary to fly commercial airliners into crowded buildings.
It is hard not to feel that such views, calling for a clampdown on borders and enforcement of existing immigration statutes, lag the reality on the ground. In today’s Seattle Times we read of coach Juan Carlos Torres‘s persistence in building a soccer team for 18 students at the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center . They call themselves “the Internationals” with players from Thailand, Mexico, Ethiopia, Senegal, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, all trying to gain mastery of English over one to three semesters and to move into mainstream Seattle schools. Even physical-education classes incorporate vocabulary-building drills.
Soccer helps provide familiarity and fraternity to soften the culture shock. “You put that ball out there and you don’t need language ,” says another Seattle-area coach, Ireland native Mike Ryan. “It’s like taking a teddy bear to bed.”
We take special notice of Nike’s donation of white home jerseys to the SBOC side. Not that the contribution causes the athletic-apparel giant, based in the Pacific Northwest, any pain. But its aggressive “Don’t Tread on Me” marketing campaign on behalf of U.S. soccer speaks with a different voice, a saber-rattling turn that seems calculated to alienate any native who thinks that soccer is anything less than the bee’s knees and to provide ready-made comic material for announcers abroad looking for examples of American naïveté.
Less than 20 short years ago, even microscopic island nations drooled rivers at the opportunity to dribble around us; to make us wish we never gained independence from England. They laughed at us. … Other nations do not merely scout us anymore; they toss and turn and develop digestive problems over us. … So Says This American Game.
The copy writer’s penchant for alliterative “d”s fortunately did not extend to dysentery.
The chest pounding obscures a soccer culture of subtle grace and quiet dignity, discussed well in research into the leisure habits of migrants conducted by Monika Stodolska and Carla Almeida Santos of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The researchers in interviews with Mexican workers in the Chicago and Champaign-Urbana areas determined that pickup soccer and basketball games were the recreation outlets of choice, given the crushing workloads of between 70 and 80 hours per week and the need to save money for extended families. The games’ unstructured and spontaneous qualities made them appealing. Undocumented workers also did not want to risk trips beyond parks near their homes lest a wrong move lead to identification and arrest. Says Stodolska:
It is unlikely that most Americans who come into contact with transnational migrants, who employ them, and who take sides in the “immigration debate” realize or consider the sacrifices these people make to support their loved ones in their home country, the tough lives they live in the U.S. and the contributions they make to the economy.
For many, buying a beer or cigarettes is considered too wasteful. “Beer is like a tile on my floor,” said one construction worker. Within such a circumscribed life, space on the soccer pitch must seem luxurious.
The Aztlan Soccer League, named for the mythical place of origin of Aztec people, receives its due in the Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain on Apr 17. One of the players, Juan (none wanted their last names used), contributes the harrowing tale of having to pass on traditions of his native Juarez, Mexico, to his son:
My little boy, I put him aside and play [soccer] with him. But then he goes and watches the [Denver] Broncos. … How can you compete with the Broncos?
I teach my little boy all these [soccer] moves and tricks, then he turns on the TV and there are the Broncos. After a while it’s, “Let’s go play soccer.” And it’s, “No, no. I want to go play American football.”
Article printed from The Global Game: http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog
URL to article: http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/2006/04/at-home-and-away-with-march-migrants-seek-space-on-foreign-field/
URLs in this post:
San Angelo Standard-Times: http://www.sanangelostandardtimes.com/sast/news_local/article/0,1897,SAST_4956_4542739,00.html
I didn’t realize there were so many: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/0411protestfaces.html
Decatur Daily News: http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060410/mexico.shtml
Alabama Youth Soccer Association: http://www.alabamayouthsoccer.org/
“back to reality” editorial: http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/060411b.shtml
Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center: http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/secboc/
you don’t need language: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002923855_prepsoccer11.html
“Don’t Tread on Me” marketing campaign: http://ad-rag.com/125554.php
Monika Stodolska: http://www.diversitylab.uiuc.edu/stodolska.html
Carla Almeida Santos: http://www.diversitylab.uiuc.edu/carla_santos.html
interviews with Mexican workers in the Chicago and Champaign-Urbana areas: http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/06/0407immigrants.html
How can you compete with the Broncos?: http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1145329226/3
Copyright © 2010 The Global Game. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:bb76b904-8997-4bee-a7db-c7b5c405660c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/2006/04/at-home-and-away-with-march-migrants-seek-space-on-foreign-field/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921937 | 1,984 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Homeopathic Materia Medica by Nash
(kali-br)I do not know much about this remedy from a homeopathic standpoint. It first gained a reputation with the old school profession for its sleep-producing qualities and its power over epileptic seizures. As usual, it was pushed for these things until they found it was a dangerous remedy in the large doses which they had to use to produce the desired effect.
They discovered that it produced sleep, not by increasing the blood in the brain to stupefaction, like OPIUM, but by decreasing the amount of blood, thus resembling more nearly natural sleep. Then they exclaimed, Eureka! But, alas! too great and long-continued ANOSMIA resulted in lack of nutriment to the brain tissue, and as a consequence there developed depression, melancholia, insanity and signs of brain softening until Hammond, its chief advocate, admitted that it put more patients into the insane asylum than any other remedy.
Well, for what can we safely use the remedy? For the symptoms arising from cases simulating the effects of KALI BROMATUM, just as we do any other homosopathic remedy. I do not understand the remedy well enough to give characteristic indications for its homeopathic uses. There is one symptom which I think is valuable as a "guiding symptom," viz.: "fidgety hands." The patient must be working or playing with them continually; even the sleeplessness is somewhat relieved by moving the fingers over the bed clothes; or he plays with his watch chain or the head of his cane, anything to work off this excess of nervousness. ZINCUM has "fidgety feet," and PHOSPHORUS a general fidgetiness or uneasiness; can't sit
still, but changes position continually; not like RHUS TOXICODENDRON, because he is relieved of pain by moving, but because he is simply NERVOUS. The homeopathic uses of KALI BROMATUM ought to be better understood. | <urn:uuid:ad4f287c-2ff3-4378-b4ee-94d5ff60e56d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vithoulkas.com/en/books-study/online-materia-medica/3443-kali-bromatum.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965855 | 425 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Do your kids like dressing up? Both my girls love to wear different outfits when they’re playing or even when we’re heading out and about on errands or to the park. Wearing the right clothes, whether it’s a crown, swirling ballet skirt or builders hard hat seems to complete their play and let them really be the character they’re pretending to be.
What I’ve noticed though is that the items and props don’t have to be exactly right or anything fancy and certainly not any expensive store-bought costumes. The secret to the very best dress up costumes lies in the child’s imagination. If they feel the costume is right, then it’s perfect!
As well as being a whole lot of fun, dressing up really helps children develop important skills. They get to try out different roles and ideas and learn about how people act in different situations. What would batman do when the phone rings? How would a fairy handle the washing up? Dress up games also help children build relationships with the other kids they’re playing with and try out all sorts of language as they negotiate the game. And you never know how pretend play when you’re little will influence their future selves. Maybe the kiddo in the space helmet really will grow up to be an astronaut!
Having a box of dress up props on hand means your children can dip in and create costumes when imagination strikes. The costumes don’t have to be complex or expensive, and if the children are able to make or put together their own items, even better.
Top ten super simple dress up ideas
Here are ten super simple dress up ideas that are packed with fun and creativity.
- You could make use of what you have and are about to throw away. Newspapers or rolls of paper can make great costumes or try some wrapping paper gowns.
- Go with some story book inspiration and become a Paper Bag Princess.
- Super heros can try this super simple super hero cape which you can make in minutes, using fabric glue if you don’t want to sew.
- Try a marvellous hat, which your kids can make from whatever you have in the craft box.
- Go regal and make yourself a crown.
- A cardboard box makes a great robot.
- Sometimes just a prop is needed to spark the imagination ~ such as this easy flower bouquet for a bride.
- Paper plates are great starting points for masks such as a panda or a tiger.
- Dive into the craft box and create a bird mask.
- Combine some soda bottles and some tin foil to make some super rocket blasters.
I think keeping costumes simple lets kids imaginations go wild.
What do your kids love to use to dress up?
The Quirky Mommas love dress up time! Here are some more great costume ideas: | <urn:uuid:5b668f25-9f4e-42a7-88bf-2023c343c5c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/14169/simple-dress-up-ideas | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923094 | 603 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Most young children are excited about doing a creative activity, while others rush through a project or are quick to complain, “I can’t draw.” The child that doodles while listening to directions instead of attentively keeping eye contact frustrates many a teacher. Some adults might struggle to understand their child’s quirky obsession with wearing matching clothing at all times. This actually has more to do with the brain than one might think. A young child’s brain is simply letting its dominant side take over, and not blending with the other in order to reach its full potential.
The Brain and Creativity
The brain is divided into two hemispheres – the right and left. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, with the left side dominant over the right. The right side of the brain is in charge of creative, social, visual skills and intuition. The left sides takes over with sequencing, language, math, and rational thoughts. Deep within the brain lies the visual cortex, which is stimulated through viewing and creating visual arts. Semir Zeki writes that, “visual arts contributes to our understanding of the visual brain because it explores and reveals the brain’s perceptual capabilities.”
With most kids more comfortable using their right hand, they begin their journey as left- brain dominant not tapping into their right-brain potential. Celeste Carneiro finds that if we spent more time stimulating the right side of the brain we would “search out the integration of the two hemispheres, balancing the use of our potentials.” This is something that many adults forget, as they are left-brain dominant themselves, potentially causing a lack of creative stimulation for budding children.
Right Brain or Left Brain
To understand which side of the brain is dominant in a child, adults can observe how the child responds to various situations. Diane Connell, Ed.D, finds children who prefer to work alone, and find researching and analyzing facts interesting are left-brain dominant. Children who are right-brain dominant enjoy art projects and hands on activities over writing papers and doing research.
Along with the right side of the brain having a significant role in creativity, the Neuro Psychiatry Reviews finds the “frontal lobe to be the part of the cortex that is most important for creativity, being critical for divergent thinking,” and that the ways family and friends encourage the development of the frontal lobe encourages independent and divergent thinking. Divergent thinking stimulates kids to look at things differently, use creative thought processes for decision-making, and motivates them to ask lots and lots of questions.
Encouraging the Whole Brain and Creativity
So, how to encourage right-brain thinking in children? Betty Edwards, an art teacher known for her book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, developed ways to encourage others to tap into their hidden creativity and stop the “I can’t draw” stigma. Through various exercises, Edward’s desire was to help others train their brains to draw in different ways.
Encouraging kids brains to be more right-brain dependent can be as easy as doing some creative activities that don’t overwhelm or frustrate left-brain learners. Right-brain dominant kids might also need some assistance in getting excited about researching that essay or finding ways to organize their room. Just as Carneiro stated, finding ways to encourage the use of both sides of the brain creates a complete human, resulting in harmony and the use of its full potential. It is not a question of either/or – right brain or left brain.
Activities for Kids
Right- brain (ages 7 to 10)
- Find a picture in a magazine the child finds interesting. Use a ruler to section off a 3 by 3-inch part of the image and then cut away the rest.
- Encourage the child’s right-brain to take over and make creative decisions through recreating the small section of the picture. When children are not sure of what they are drawing Carneiro finds the left-brain is tricked into thinking the activity is not worth its time, and allows the right brain to take charge.
- Instead of using a pencil to sketch out the drawing first, offer the child oil pastels for drawing along with a 9 by 9-inch piece of drawing paper. Play music while he is working and offer him support in creating his artwork as needed.
Left- brain (ages 4 to 7)
- Use various colors of construction paper to create a cut paper pattern collage, which boosts fine-motor skills and and hand-eye coordination.
- Before beginning a creative project, Connell finds that spending time discussing the activity helps the child think about the big picture. Talk about what a pattern is with the child and how they can be quite simple or challenging to create. Having him work quietly also boosts his left-brain thinking.
- Offer the child scissors, rulers, pencils and erasers to use while creating his pattern collage appealing to his left-brain’s desire for order and linear creation.
Joining the two (ages 4 to 10)
- Provide the child with finger paint paper along with a variety of colors of finger paint. Play music while he explores the finger paint encouraging him to make lines and shapes along to the music.
- Once the finger paint is dry, the child can use a black marker to create a drawing over the finger paint. Encourage him to find shapes and lines to connect together in creating a realistic finished drawing. Allow the child to work in silence while he’s finishing his drawing.
- After the child has completed his artwork, discuss the finished piece giving his frontal lobe and visual cortex a boost.
No matter the age of the child, spend time looking at, discussing, and creating art. This will stimulate his frontal lobe, visual cortex, and help train his right and left-brain to work together.
By Sarah Lipoff. Sarah is an art educator and parent.
Read More → | <urn:uuid:be780779-49e0-4522-8e36-62e033b70457> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.funderstanding.com/tag/left-brain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943421 | 1,245 | 3.484375 | 3 |
When it launched, millions of us grabbed free Gmail addresses, and associated Calendar, Docs, Voice, and other apps followed. But personal domains are cheap, and claiming an @yourname.com address to use with Google Apps is easier than ever. Here's why you should.
Future-Proof Email Address that You Control
It's scary, but it's true: There's a possibility that Gmail might not always be the coolest email service in the world. For all we know of the future, there might be two hackers in a garage right now re-inventing the inbox. There might be some desktop software that merges the convenience of the cloud with killer OS integration. Or you might just decide some day that, heck, Yahoo has more of what you need, or that Google's reach across your data is too deep.
You should have an email address that's as portable as your cellphone number—meaning you can switch email providers without losing your current address. With your default @gmail.com address, that's not really an option. With your personal domain, it is.
Sure, if you're using a Gmail address, you can technically access your account from other clients through IMAP, auto-forward email, and otherwise stream your messages out. But if you ever decide on a new line of work, a different kind of username (sayonara, SpookyPrince15@gmail.com), or a new email service, you're better off having your own domain. Your options for forwarding and import are more robust when you control your own domain, and you never have to send one of those click-and-pray "Hey everyone I've ever emailed throughout time—my address has changed!" messages.
With Google Apps installed on your own domain, your data is still running through Google's own servers. But Google's pretty good about portability, and if it starts looking like they won't be down the road, you've got side door where you can step on out and maintain your identity elsewhere. The great part about using your own domain is that you're not tied to any one email service provider. You can pick up and move your domain to another email provider any time you want.
Professional Polish, Family Friendly
Maybe your Gmail address is a bit better than PookieLuv4Life@gmail.com. Gmail, too, holds a more proper imprimatur than AOL, Hotmail, or other eyebrow-raising domains. It still holds true that having an email account on your own server, with a name you can change at any time, makes good sense.
If you do freelance work on the side, it's easy to create another account (firstname.lastname@example.org), one that pipes into your main personal account (email@example.com). If you decide to help organize a fundraiser, it's a few minutes to create another account for that (firstname.lastname@example.org), one that doesn't give away your personal address to folks you'll only message once or twice. When your kids get to the age where they get web-savvy, you can set them up with an email address (email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.org) that you have ultimate control over. And for relatives with occasional tech troubles, you can throw them a lifeline and set them up on your server, too.
It's Not That Painful to Switch
The hardest part about getting your own domain name these days is finding a URL that isn't taken—and that's only hard if someone has already registered your exact name. Get a little creative, use a reliable but cheap name registrar, buy a little hosted space and set up the free Google Apps on that domain—some hosts do that automatically for you. And nearly every mobile platform where Google offers some kind of syncing, an Apps address works just fine.
Note: For a full walkthrough of switching from a Gmail account to Google Apps, read Whitson's detailed take on migrating your entire Google account to a new one.
When you've got a domain name and space, you'll find that nearly all of Google's services are available to Apps users. Not every single app, as commenter mawcs points out, but if you can live without History, Buzz, Google Storage, Health, Powermeter, and Profiles, or at least live without for the time being, you're on your way. Even if you have other Google-assisted domains to log into or control, there is an early version of multi-account sign-in available that covers the Apps basics.
In other words, it's possible to live out the entire Google experience—Mail, Calendars, Sync, Docs, even Voice—with your own domain name, rather than Google's Gmail.
That's just one editor's thoughts on Gmail, email, and data portability—and after writing it, he's pretty set on practicing what he's preaching himself. Share your own thoughts and decisions on migrating from Gmail to Apps—or why you won't—in the comments. | <urn:uuid:4e65df27-6398-4ac0-8661-11e485f79129> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5708219/why-you-should-use-google-apps-with-your-personal-domain-for-your-google-life?tag=opinion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934559 | 1,039 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Hello, here some updated info regarding transmitters
I have actually built 3 variants (they look all the same from outside
1. The first one is just as described above, powered with 5V from the USB
Distance to receiver module in my house: 50-75 meters (from outside of my house)
2. The second is as the first one but powered with 12V using a step-up regulator (5V->12V)
Distance to receiver module in my house: 100 meters (from outside of my house)
3. The third is the "monster". It uses another type of transmitter module (TX-SAWBOOST) from here http://www.soselectronic.com/?str=371&artnum=5732
It is also powered with the same step-up regulator (5V->12V). It can take up to 15V so if I change one resistor value in the step-up regulator circuit I could gain even more powerDistance to receiver module in my house: 200-250 meters (from outside of my house sitting inside my car!!!).
Maybe it's not legal anywhere but I did it just for testing purposes
The antennas are also from AUREL and they provide the virtual ground plane with the kit
I connect a receiver (as described before) and a transmitter to separate USB ports on the computer. I tried having a common USB hub for them but it only worked fine in my fastest computer (Quad processor) running Vista. In my old "HomeAutomation" PC running XP, I had to use dedicated ports. I do not know why it didn't work with the common USB hub
In the following posts I will show detailed pictures and a schematic of the step-up circuit I used
As I understand it this will control the nexa devices, replacing the tellstick
Yes, and if you have other types and matching pronto codes, those as well
How is it compared to it regarding range and so on?
Much better reach | <urn:uuid:3f4b0e0c-43b0-4fd0-9f1c-b72a5b47ded6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eventghost.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13753 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949606 | 412 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Nine years into peace, following more than a decade of civil war which destroyed much of its infrastructure, Liberia became a prime example of an almost entirely wireless telecommunications market. Four GSM mobile operators are competing for customers – LoneStar (majority owned by South Africa’s MTN), Comium, Cellcom and LiberCell.
Internet services are available from a number of wireless ISPs and the mobile networks using GPRS, EDGE and WiMAX technology. The high cost and limited bandwidth of existing satellite connections means that most service offerings are still expensive and below broadband speed. Dramatic improvements can be expected from the recent landing of the first ever international fibre optic submarine cable in the country.
In the mobile sector, competition has led to some of the lowest call prices in Africa despite the expensive operating environment due to the lack of basic infrastructure in the country. The harmonisation of the disorderly licensing and spectrum allocation regime inherited from previous governments has proven difficult. However, market penetration has caught up with other markets in the region in recent years.
An attempt at privatising the dysfunctional fixed network operator, the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (now Libtelco) failed in 2005. Since then, efforts to resuscitate the previously neglected incumbent have continued successfully with a wireless 3G system based on CDMA EV-DO technology enabling it to enter the mobile market as a fifth player and to provide wireless broadband services. There are also plans for a national fibre backbone network. These assets would create an attractive opportunity to a strategic investor in a likely renewed privatisation in the near future.
- Almost 9% annual GDP growth despite weak local currency;
- New international fibre access has not yet led to cheap broadband services;
- 3G mobile broadband services being rolled out;
- Mobile network shut down for failing to pay licence fees.
Estimated market penetration rates in Liberia’s telecoms sector – end-2013
(Source: BuddeComm based on various sources)
For detailed information, table of contents and pricing see: Liberia – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband
We invite your comments: Please click here to commentTagged in: Africa, Broadband, Liberia, Mobile, Telecoms | <urn:uuid:438742c8-b1c1-41f5-ade3-3d6f60c9ec91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buddeblog.com.au/frompaulsdesk/broadband-still-expensive-in-liberia-despite-new-international-fibre/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931712 | 443 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Spanish emissions of carbon dioxide have grown by more than 40% in 2004 with respect to 1990. This is not compatible with the EU allocation of Kyoto-mandated CO2 reduction, even taking into account that Spanish emissions are allowed to rise by 15% in 2010. The reasons for this situation stem from a combination of economic growth and an inefficient energy domain, coupled with a total absence of climate change policies. In this paper, we use a static general equilibrium model to assess the effects of a sudden and intense (ie, with a limited time to carry out significant abatement) CO2 reduction by the Spanish economy. Our results show that the costs of immediate and medium-size reductions are not significant in the short run and could lead to the attaining of the EU agreed emissions level for Spain. However, delaying such action means that the degree of Spanish CO2 emission reduction is much higher and that economic costs are far more important. | <urn:uuid:783cc46a-c010-48c1-9827-ea13093dc5ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/wpawuwpot/0412001.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955387 | 187 | 1.9375 | 2 |
I have a 10 gallon divided betta tank and in one half there is an anubias with 2 flowers growing. I just got back from a 2 week trip and let someone else care for my fish but this morning I noticed it. It is a white fuzzy coat of something covering the center of the flower. If you know what and anubias flower looks like this may make more sense. But its just on the little middle part. I don't think this happened with the other flower that bloomed but I could have missed it. The fuzz is actually really fuzzy. Its not a little coat it looks like a bunny tail or something because its so fuzzy. Im wondering if this is just a part of the plants natural growth.. or something that would be harmful to my fish? | <urn:uuid:09725871-4e02-4189-b6ea-59fe0d0dfdb9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=110509 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975645 | 158 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Al Jazeera's Arabic language channel reports that Gaddafi's forces violently attacked protestors in the Libyan cities of Misurata and Az-Zawiyah this morning. Eyewitnesses say that Gaddafi's troops were armed with machine guns and that dozens of people were injured and killed.
Reporters from Dubai TV stationed at the Egyptian-Libyan border state that Egyptian workers are pouring across the Salum border crossing. Thousands of buses wait on the Egyptian side of the border to transport people returning from Libya. Of the 1.5 million Egyptians residing and working in Libya, nearly 20,000 have returned to Egypt in the past few days with haunting stories of the atrocities they witnessed in Libya.
In Yemen, BBC Arabic reports that President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered security forces to protect protestors and prevent confrontations between pro- and anti-government demonstrators. This came after two people were killed and eleven were injured in clashes that erupted two days ago near Sana'a University.
Protests also persist in Bahrain, where demonstrators have filled Pearl Roundabout to mark the one-week anniversary of "Bloody Thursday." The tens of thousands who continue to protest in Pearl Square say they will not withdraw before their goals of constitutional and political reform are met.
New TV reports that in Beirut, many Lebanese youths were disappointed at the poor attendance at an anti-Libyan regime rally organized on Facebook. While many expressed enthusiasm for the rally, only a small number of people attended. A Lebanese Gaddafi impersonator provided extra flair to the protest.
NBN also reports on Muammar al-Gaddafi, describing his madness as "laughable and tragic." The Libyan dictator depicted himself as a Greek god and said that he is the one who created Libya and will also be the one to save it. The report includes an interview in which Gaddafi gives his own unique definition of democracy. | <urn:uuid:85e69335-a530-47b0-b5e7-43623aab7df9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linktv.org/blogs/keyword/salum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973451 | 373 | 1.601563 | 2 |
LONG BEACH - Margo Martinez says the volunteers at the AIDS Food Store of Long Beach were "given a gift" to help individuals with HIV or AIDS.
For 27 years, the AIDS Food Store, which is located at Christ Chapel of Long Beach, has operated a free weekly or bi-monthly food distribution. Participants do not have to be members of the church; the only requirement is to have an HIV diagnosis.
And for 27 years, Martinez, 75, has volunteered at the food store and now serves as the interim director.
The food store started in 1985, at the dawn of the AIDS epidemic. It was a time when many churches - and large parts of the American public - shunned, ostracized and cast vitriol at gay men with AIDS.
"Some people in the neighborhood didn't want us doing the food store," Martinez said. "They didn't want to see people here. They would walk across the street to avoid people waiting in line at the church."
But the church didn't yield to the animosity.
"It was a gift we were given to take care of these men. We were called to take care of our brothers who needed taking care of," said Martinez. "God provided for us to do this. We weren't afraid. The job had to be done. We never turned anyone away."
The food store started when food baskets were distributed to seven members of the church who had AIDS and were too sick to work and couldn't support themselves, Martinez said.
"People got very sick back then. There weren't any meds to keep them going. They couldn't work. They didn't have any money. It was a trying time," she said.
"We thought it would get better, but things got worse. We lost so many people. It was a sad and difficult time. It was horrible."
The church first started a weekly food distribution serving about 125 people a week.
Apart from donations from non-church-goers, the congregation helped stock the food shelves, Martinez said.
"People came with a Bible in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other hand," she said.
The demand from the community was so large that in 1992 the food store received its own 501 C-3 nonprofit status.
About six years ago, the food store became bimonthly, serving about 80 people a week.
Even though the demand has dropped, the food store will continue, said Greg Thompson, head pastor at Christ Chapel.
"As long people are living with HIV and AIDS in our community, we will be here to do the food store," Thompson said.
Martinez joined the church in 1983.
"I was a wild woman. I spent time in the bars and dated a lot," she said.
"I was married twice, but it didn't work out. I never understood why until I started dating a woman."
A friend eventually persuaded her to attend Christ Chapel, which was then located on South Street in North Long Beach in a converted garage at the pastor's home.
Even though the church was small in size, it embraced Martinez with a large, warm heart, she said.
"People were friendly and welcoming," Martinez said. "It felt good. It felt right."
But it took a while before Martinez became a member of the congregation, she said.
"I was an alcoholic," Martinez said. "My Saturday nights conflicted with my Sunday mornings.
"But my relationship with God became more important than my relationship with alcohol."
Thompson said Martinez is "the face of Christ Chapel."
"Our church works primarily with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, who many times feel alienated or isolated from the church because of vitriol things people have said," he said. "But she goes out of her way to make them feel welcome.
"She's the mother everyone wishes they had." | <urn:uuid:73776993-cbd4-451c-bd0e-f7f884c7b686> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_22206726/long-beach-gay-friendly-church-makes-sure-hiv?source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.99257 | 804 | 1.890625 | 2 |
This is a high quality book of the original classic edition. It was previously published by other bona fide publishers, and is now, finally, back in
This is a freshly published edition of this culturally important work, which is now, at last, again available to you.
Enjoy this classic work.
These few paragraphs distill the contents and gives you a short overview and insight of this work and the authors style:
Method: Mix and sift dry
ingredients in a bowl; chop butter in with a knife; beat egg, to which add one-half cup milk; add all slowly to dry ingredients to make a soft dough
that can be handled; add more milk, if necessary; toss lightly on floured board and pat to one-half inch thickness; cut with round cutter, patting piece
of butter in center; fold in center, so that opposite edges meet; put in buttered baking sheet; wet top with milk and bake in quick oven ten to fifteen
...One-fourth pound of either boiled or fried ham; chop it fine, mix with the yolks of two eggs well beaten; one tablespoonful butter, enough
cream or milk to make it soft, a little pepper; stir this over the fire until it thickens, dip toast into hot salted water for just an instant, spread
with melted butter, then turn over the ham mixture.
...Put into a saucepan some butter and some drippings, or a little suet, and let it fry out, using
enough only to cover the bottom of the saucepan; when the grease is hot, turn in the pieces of meat and let them cook until well browned on all sides;
watch and turn them as soon as browned, then draw the meat to one side of the pan and add a tablespoonful of flour; let the flour brown, and add a
cupful of stock or water, and stir it until it comes to a boiling point; then add a teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful pepper, one-half
teaspoonful kitchen bouquet, one carrot cut into blocks, and one teaspoonful onion; cover the saucepan, and let it simmer, not boil, for an hour.
three tablespoonfuls butter, add four tablespoonfuls flour, and gradually one cup scalded milk with one-half cup macaroni rolled fine; when well
thickened, pour into yolks of four eggs, beaten until thick, and lemon color, and mix with two tablespoonfuls sugar; cool, add one-fourth teaspoonful
Crown almond extract and cut and fold in the whites of four eggs, beaten till stiff and dry.
...Two cups sugar, six eggs, leaving out the whites of
three, one cup boiling water, two and one-half cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder in the flour; beat the yolks a little, add the sugar and beat
fifteen minutes; add the three beaten whites and the cup of boiling water just before the flour; flavor with a teaspoonful lemon extract and bake in
three layers, putting between them icing made by adding to the three whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth six dessert-spoonfuls pulverized sugar to
each egg, and lemon to flavor. | <urn:uuid:d53d5b9b-7d55-424b-aac8-37be5e18f79e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://emereo.net/index.php/cook-books/the-community-cook-book-by-anonymous-the-original-classic-edition.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908909 | 683 | 2.375 | 2 |
For the first stage of your involvement, sign up to be a Crew Member! Read on to learn why...
What do we receive from our child's involvement in a organization like Girls With Wings, Inc? Parents introduce their children to a group of highly motivated individuals with strong backgrounds in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Aviation professionals rely on self-study and discipline to receive and maintain their licenses, through good health and law-abiding lifestyles. In taking flying lessons - the next step - girls have an opportunity to booster! A girl who can be "Pilot in Command" of an airplane learns to apply the lessons in the cockpit to real life. Please have a look around, and if necessary, go to the sitemap page so that you can see all that is available on the GWW website.
Girls: How can I become a Girl With Wings? You can become a Crew Member to enjoy all the advantages of membership. You can apply for the GWW Scholarship to fund flight training. You can play games and download coloring pages. Your picture can be posted to the Future Girls With Wings photo page! You can ask to have a current GWW as a mentor. You can email our Role Models to get advice and insight from current Girls With Wings. What opportunities are there for Girls With Wings? As a woman active in aviation: You can become a Crew Member to show your support for the GWW mission. You can post your bio to inspire future Girls With Wings. You can become active on the Facebook pages and interact with other current and future Girls With Wings.
You can volunteer to become a GWW volunteer and respond to individual requests for mentorship and advice, etc.
What can anyone do to promote the GWW mission?
Help us to spread the word about what it is we do.
We have volunteers who are Flight and Ground instructors - even Master Certified Flight Instructors!, Military pilots, CRJ Pilots, F16 Pilots, Aviation Mechanics, Air Traffic Controllers, Student and Private Pilots, Dispatchers, Glider Pilots, etc...
People who are very knowledgeable regarding all general aviation questions; Commercial, instrument, multi ratings, and also people who are knowledgeable regarding military opportunities and entry procedures... ...who are offering to... Give talks about military aviation, tours of a fighter squadron, free introductory airplane rides, free flight instruction... Speak about women in the military; talk at a school's career day, give tours of an aerospace technology classroom, provide mentoring, information on scholarships... ...the sky is the limit! | <urn:uuid:8bdc842c-d642-464c-ba8f-5140a734d233> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://webmaster@girlswithwings.com/onboard.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939072 | 521 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A New Era in Higher Education
For years, students have had two basic options in higher education: take courses at a residential college or major university or choose to take online classes. The former traditionally presents challenges of increasing cost and geography while the latter is lacking the dialectical interactions that enrich the residential college experience.
But now, there is a third choice, which brings together the best of both systems:
The Mythgard Institute.
Listen In: President Olsen’s Vision for Mythgard (YouTube)
A New Center of Study
The Mythgard Institute is dedicated to making a rigorous, dynamic, and interactive educational experience possible for students around the world through the latest online course tools.
Mythgard offers challenging, engaging classes, taught by world-class teachers and leading scholars. The Institute encourages collaboration and intense discussion and works to foster an environment of critical thinking.
We believe in studying what we love, and sharing it with all those who wish to learn.
We aspire to be an organization that will support and facilitate teaching and research in Tolkien studies, fantasy literature, and related fields into the twenty-first century.
Visit Academics to review our current and upcoming courses – and discover new opportunities for studying the authors and works you love.
The Idea Behind Mythgard
When Corey Olsen began podcasting as the Tolkien Professor, he discovered a fantastic new world opening before him at the crossroads of technology and academia, where distance has no bearing on learning and connection. Watch his talk “Down the Hobbit Hole: Finding Connection in Online Learning” from TEDxChesterRiver. | <urn:uuid:760e7857-92d9-4436-8ee0-dca448875b8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mythgard.org/about/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914071 | 324 | 2.234375 | 2 |
According to data from the Georgia Department of Labor:
During the month of November 770 people filed initial unemployment claims, down from 1,255 in November 2008, a 38.6 annual decrease.
However, the county did see a 8.1 percent increase from October to November of this year.
Statewide, 72,298 laid-off workers filed initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits in November, a decrease of 2,182 from November 2008.
“This is an improvement of less than three percent in the number of layoffs from the same months last year, when we were in the midst of a severe economic meltdown,” said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. “America’s big financial institutions and Wall Street appear to have stabilized; unfortunately, Georgia’s job market is showing little improvement.”
The number of claims in Georgia increased 2.4 percent from October of this year.
State unemployment claims were from workers in many sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction and administrative and support services.
According to DOL data, Georgia workers draw unemployment benefits for an average of nearly 15 weeks.
Additional reporting by Lydia Senn. | <urn:uuid:13f763e8-45a4-4b1b-a6a7-ee8b637ca7e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.calhountimes.com/view/full_story/5141840/article-Annual-Gordon-unemployment-claims-down--monthly-claims-up | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962311 | 244 | 1.984375 | 2 |
A lot of people are overjoyed but also a little scared when they first find out they are pregnant. Having some anxiety is natural, but you need to remember to keep your cool. It helps to try to learn as much as you can. The more you learn about pregnancy the easier time you can have during your pregnancy. So, take note of all these tips to try and make your pregnancy as easy as possible.
Have your significant other make healthy changes in their life as well. As you make all these big changes in your eating habits and activities, having someone to lean on will be a big advantage. If you do it together, it will help you both keep on track with these changes.
When you are pregnant, and you have to travel, avoid places where medical care is not close by. It is important that you are near a doctor during all stages of your pregnancy, just in case any complications were to arise. Also, make sure you have a phone with you at all times when you travel.
Put your birth plan in writing and share it with your doctor before you go into labor. Having your plan in writing helps you focus on the type of delivery you want and helps your doctor understand what you want. Even though unexpected events can result in changes, having your plan documented gives you peace of mind before going into labor.
If you are working on your nursery, be sure to avoid fumes and smells that may be associated with wallpaper or paint. While the risk of problems to your baby may be small, don’t take the chance, just keep the windows open or avoid working with paint and wallpaper at all.
Try not drive alone during the later stages of your pregnancy, just in case you were to go into labor. Being alone in your car when you water breaks can mean you will be yourself when you deliver. This could cause your baby to be born improperly and can cause health problems for you.
Talk to your baby. Studies have shown that babies do react to touch from ten weeks in the pregnancy. At later stages they can react to light, your voice as well as other sounds. This will bond you and your baby for life, and while they won’t remember any of this, it will definitely help.
Use a birth ball during pregnancy to stay fit. You can sit on the ball instead of the sofa to strengthen your muscles. It will help you keep your posture straight which will help in preventing the aches and pains that come from bad posture. You can also use it after pregnancy as well to get back into the swing of things.
Effects of Drinking during Pregnancy: Avoid alcohol when trying to conceive or if you are already pregnant. Alcohol can cause you and your baby to have serious health problems. When trying to conceive, alcohol decreases sperm count and makes getting pregnant more difficult. Even drinks like wine are unhealthy for pregnant women or those trying to conceive.
Be safe while riding in the car. As always, wear a seatbelt when you are in a vehicle. Place the shoulder strap over the clavicle and the lap portion under your abdomen. Never put the lap portion over you abdomen. Sit in the back seat or slide your seat back so you are as far from the airbag as possible.
To help you sleep better while you are pregnant, plan your fluid intake around your smaller bladder capacity. Make sure you get enough water to drink during the day, but slow down after dinner and stop entirely before bedtime. This will help reduce the need to get up during the night to use the restroom.
If you have just discovered that you are pregnant, you will have to decide when to tell others. This decision is very personal and will be different for each person. One person will tell everybody on earth before her pregnancy test even turns positive. Another woman may be superstitious, and prefer to wait until she feels her pregnancy is far enough along that she doesn’t feel any problems will arise. Do what feels right to you.
You can learn a great deal during your pregnancy to prepare for the birth of your child by reading about the birth experiences of others. Reading the stories that others share, and watching videos that they have posted online can give you valuable information about the wonders of birth, as well as the challenges.
Do not use any vaginal cleaning products when you are pregnant. Using these products can cause your baby to develop health issues. If you find that you have an odor you should consult with your doctor as this could be a sign of a urinary tract infection.
While you are pregnant you are going to get a lot of advice. Take the advice sweetly with a smile and a thank you. Even the most irritating people with tons of advice just need to be smiled at and thanked. Remember, it is your body and you need to follow your own instinct as well as the advice of your medical practitioner, not the advice everyone else gives you!
Talk to your unborn child every day. Studies have shown that a baby has the ability to respond to your touch at around ten weeks of pregnancy. A few weeks after that, your child will be able to hear your voice and even react to light. Talking to the baby helps improve your bond with each other.
Finding Bliss During Pregnancy
With all of the tips you just read and learned about you should start to feel a bit of that anxiety of pregnancy relieved. There’s no point in learning something if you aren’t going to use it. So, make sure you try your best to have as positive of a mindset as possible; as this will help you to apply the pregnancy advice with enthusiasm. | <urn:uuid:a070f7bf-f541-447f-b93f-0a62752aed47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bestpregnancysites.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974087 | 1,145 | 1.859375 | 2 |
What is Asset ProtectionThere are two areas to focus on when it comes to asset protection: -
Sound asset protection does not encourage nor necessitate illegal acts; the law itself recognizes asset protection as indicated by numerous provisions that define permitted and prohibited strategies. In addition, asset protection does not involve hiding assets, defrauding creditors, or evading taxes.
Another view of asset protection is that it should involve the reduction of your visible ownership of your assets to a minimum while increasing your control over your assets to a maximum.
Straight Estate Planning – Estate planning is simply the process of structuring your assets so that they are disposed of in accordance with your wishes after your death. Estate planning usually cannot be separated from asset protection because well-protected assets will outlive their owner.
In summary, Forestworks with our clients within the framework of legality to protect their assets against all unforeseen circumstances. | <urn:uuid:698f81b4-1f57-46ab-bb5e-a3bdada1e873> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forest.com/private_client/what_is_asset_protection/what_is_asset_protection.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926591 | 180 | 1.796875 | 2 |
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Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
Studies examine practices of HMO primary care physicians
A well-established group model health maintenance organization (HMO) typically serves hundreds of patients and includes several facilities staffed by primary care physicians (PCPs) who often refer patients to the same specialists. Two recent studies show that the PCPs working in HMOs—family practitioners (FPs), general internal medicine physicians (GIMs), and subspecialist internal medicine doctors (SIMs)—provide similar quality of care and differ little in their use of health resources. These studies, which are summarized here, were supported by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (HS08269) and led by Joe Selby, M.D., of the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Northern California.
Grumbach, K., Selby, J.V., Schmittdiel, J.A., and Quesenberry Jr., C.P. (June 1999). Health Services Research, 34(2), pp. 485-502. "Quality of primary care practice in a large HMO according to physician specialty."
There are few differences in the quality of primary care delivered by FPs, GIMs, and SIMs, according to this study. Patients were remarkably similar in their ratings of quality of primary care and satisfaction. They rated GIMS higher than FPs on coordination (adjusted mean scores of 68 vs. 58.4) and slightly higher on accessibility and prevention. They rated GIMs more highly than SIMs on comprehensiveness (adjusted mean scores of 76.4 vs. 73.8). There were no significant differences between specialty groups on a variety of measures of patient satisfaction.
In some settings, practice organization may have more influence than physician specialty on the delivery of primary care, conclude the researchers. In 1995, they surveyed 10,608 patients who visited 60 FPs, 245 GIMs, and 55 SIMs at 13 facilities in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California.
Overall, physicians scored much higher on procedurally oriented prevention services, such as flu shots and breast exams, than on health promotion counseling. On average, patients recalled discussing only about half of "lifestyle" health promotion items, such as diet and exercise, with their PCPs. Patients recalled discussing even fewer items of a more social nature, such as their emotional health and sexuality.
Selby, J.V., Grumbach, K., Quesenberry Jr., C.P., and others (June 1999). Health Services Research, 34(2), pp. 503-518. "Differences in resource use and costs of primary care in a large HMO according to physician specialty."
SIMs typically use more medical resources than GIMs and FPs. However, when these primary care physicians practice in the same HMO, these specialty differences are small, concludes this study. It may be that within the same HMO medical group, uniform incentives and a common "culture" reduce or eliminate primary care practice differences, explain the researchers.
They compared the use of resources and costs of health care services provided by these three physician specialties to a group of adult primary care patients in 13 HMO facilities of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Northern California in 1995 and 1996. The researchers found that hospitalization rates and inpatient days did not differ between patients of FPs and GIMs after adjusting for patient case mix. Patients of SIMs had 33 percent higher hospitalization rates and 23 more hospital days than patients of GIMs. However, there were no differences in outpatient visits for the three types of primary care physicians. Patients of FPs made slightly fewer primary care visits on average than patients of GIMs and 14 percent fewer visits than patients of SIMs. However, patients of FPs made about 19 percent more urgent care visits than did patients of GIMS. Thus, modest savings from a lower use of four specialty areas (dermatology, psychiatry, gynecology, and orthopedics) by patients of FPs were offset by the more frequent use of urgent care and of other specialty care. However, there was little difference in overall health resource use and total costs among the HMO physicians.
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Proceed to Next Article | <urn:uuid:9209ee85-f871-4e73-a353-58c1b08fa7ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archive.ahrq.gov/research/sep99/999ra12.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959144 | 967 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Stem Cell Technology: mesenchymal stem cells, clonal heterogeneity, cell signaling, aging and regenerative therapies
My research is in the area of stem cell technology with the goal of improving human health through advances in regenerative medicine. Currently, my research focuses on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These are highly robust cells with broad differentiation potential that regulate the immune response and migrate to injured tissue, among other therapeutic properties. As such, these adult stem cells have potential application to treat a wide range of disorders including arthritis, heart attack and cancer. The scope of my research projects ranges from fundamental discovery at the cellular and molecular levels to computational analysis that resolves complex interactions among cells and signaling pathways. With both approaches, our objective is to gain unique insight into the mechanisms by which stem cells interact with their surroundings and to employ this knowledge to develop novel regenerative therapies. This research is inherently interdisciplinary and provides opportunities to collaborate with stem cell biologists and clinicians.
Below, I summarized recent accomplishments that my research group has made in the area of stem cell technology. We have made several important contributions to cytokine regulation of migration, clonal heterogeneity in potency and proliferation potential of MSCs. References are provided for representative articles on these topics.
Fig. 1. Ribbon structure of MIF. L. Leng
and R. Bucala, Cell Research 16,
The efficacy of stem cell therapies is dependent on the ability of stem cells to migrate to injured tissue. Our study was innovative in providing the first report of a protein inhibitor of MSC migration: macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF, Fig. 1). Moreover, this was the first report of the effects of MIF and its antagonist on the function of any type of stem cell or progenitor. Stem cells may encounter MIF during times of injury and stress and, thus, MIF may be relevant to a variety of MSC therapies. The anti-inflammatory agent ISO-1, a small-molecule MIF antagonist, restored MSC migration for all donors to levels found in the absence of MIF in serum-free medium and increased migration to conditioned medium by ≥3-fold in all cases. An activating CD74 antibody was employed to examine the effect of the CD74 MIF receptor on MSC motility. CD74 activation inhibits in a dose-dependent manner up to 90% of in vitro MSC migration, indicating that MIF may act on MSCs, at least in part, through CD74. MIF and ISO-1 may have utility to control MSC migration to and retention in injured tissue.
Representative article: Barrilleaux, Phinney, Fischer-Valuck, Russell, Wang, Prockop and O’Connor. Small-molecule antagonist of macrophage migration inhibitory factor enhances migratory response of mesenchymal stem cells to bronchial epithelial cells. Tissue Eng Part A, 15: 2335-46 (2009).
Heterogeneity in Potency
MSCs are a heterogeneous mixture of cell populations at different stages of lineage commitment. Donor variation in the composition of MSC populations in culture has a significant impact on the efficacy of MSC therapies. An obstacle to quantify this heterogeneity is the absence of an immunophenotype of cell-surface markers that specifies the differentiation potential (or potency) of MSCs. We circumvented this obstacle by developing a unique high-capacity assay based on functional differentiation (Fig. 2A). The assay utilizes a 96-well format to (1) generate clones by limiting dilution, (2) differentiate matched clonal colonies to quantify trilineage potential to exhibit adipo-, chondro- and osteogenesis as a measure potency, and (3) cryopreserve clones of known potency. When the assay was applied to MSCs from two donors with comparable colony-forming efficiencies (55-62%), all 8 possible categories of trilineage potential were observed (Fig. 2B). This assay has enabled us to elucidate regenerative properties of MSCs as a function of their potency and to identify novel cell-surface markers of MSC potency.
Representative article: Russell, Phinney, Lacey, Barrilleaux, Meyertholen and O'Connor. In vitro high-capacity assay to quantify the clonal heterogeneity in trilineage potential of mesenchymal stem cells reveals a complex hierarchy of lineage commitment. Stem Cells, 28: 788-98 (2010).[Among Top 50 Downloaded Articles in Stem Cells for March 2010]
Fig. 2. High-capacity assay to quantify MSC potency: (A) overview of the assay, and
(B) heterogeneity in potency of 96 MSC clones from two donors. MSCs exhibit
osteo (O), adipo (A) and/or chondrogenesis (C).
Fig. 3.Colony-forming efficiency of MSC clones
as a function of potency. Nomenclature:
See legend to Figure 2. Median (line, n = 5 clones).
*P<0.01 vs. OAC clones.
Ex vivo proliferation to produce sufficient quantities of MSCs is essential for most therapeutic applications of these stem cells. Clonal analysis of distinct MSC populations with the high-capacity assay described in the previous section resolved the relationship between proliferation potential of MSCs and their potency. Tripotent MSC clones are highly proliferative in terms of their colony-forming efficiency and capacity for ex vivo expansion. Bipotent osteo-adipogenic and osteo-chondrogenic clones have similar proliferation potentials. Lineage-committed, unipotent clones are slow-growing, senescent and, to a lesser extent, apoptotic. Our results are germane to the ex vivo expansion of MSCs for clinical applications; use of colony-forming efficiency to monitor the content of multipotent cells in MSC therapies and predict their efficacy; enrichment of multipotent MSCs; and preparation of MSC therapies to treat the elderly and non-union bone fractures, when accumulation of senescent MSCs in bone is likely.
Representative article: Russell, Lacey, Gilliam, Tucker, Phinney and O'Connor. Clonal analysis of proliferation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells as a function of potency. Biotechnol Bioeng, 108: 2716-26 (2011). [FEATURED ARTICLE]
300 Lindy Boggs Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 504-865-5772 ph, 504-865-6744 fax firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:b147a82d-cad9-45fa-a260-be8a81d30cb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tulane.edu/sse/cbe/faculty/oconnor/research.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90494 | 1,389 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Colorado Counties Along Interstate With Major Ski Resorts Experiencing Higher HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rates
April 5, 2005
Colorado counties along the Interstate 70 corridor west of Denver, which includes some of the nation's most popular ski resorts, have some of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in rural areas of the state, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reports. About 10% of the 14,515 HIV-positive people living in Colorado in 2004 live in four counties -- Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Summit -- along the corridor, and the number of HIV/AIDS cases increased in all four counties from 2001 to 2004, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "It's about the resort communities, and people from other countries and other states coming in to party and play," Jeff Basinger -- resource coordinator for the Western Colorado AIDS Project, which serves 22 western Colorado counties -- said. Beth Dillon, STD/HIV section chief for the state health department, said that many of the ski communities "function like large cities" when they are "in season" but the number of HIV-positive people in the areas remains low. For example, 51 of the nearly 24,000 Summit County residents were HIV-positive in 2004. Health care workers in the region say they see more HIV-positive women and injection drug users than state averages. Basinger said health workers are beginning to tailor their HIV/AIDS education programs to women and injection drug users, as well as Hispanics because of the large number of Hispanic service workers in ski communities, according to the Rocky Mountain News (Florio, Denver Rocky Mountain News, 4/4).
U.S. Teenagers View Oral Sex as Less Risky Than Intercourse, Say Oral Sex Not Really Sex, Survey Shows
This article was provided by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. It is a part of the publication Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report. Visit the Kaiser Family Foundation's website to find out more about their activities, publications and services. | <urn:uuid:a51da084-1a50-4624-bcfc-ce05075f7d87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thebody.com/content/art9572.html?nxtprv | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939023 | 407 | 1.976563 | 2 |
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ESPRESSO COFFEE IS NOT STOPPED BY THE CRISIS
Coffee producers have long made a very important contribution to Italian food exports. After many years of double-digit export growth, 2009 has still witnessed considerable stability in this market, with an increase of 0.26% in the year’s results. In the words of Luca Solari, the slowdown is “principally due to the super-Euro and the global crisis”. Solari is President of the Italian Coffee Committee which brings together coffee-roasters under the leadership of AIIPA, the Italian Association of Food Product Industries. Other members include AIT, the Italian Coffee-roasters Association; the Green Coffee Federation, which unites the importers of raw coffee, an essential part of the production chain; the coffee association of the Port of Genoa and the coffee association of the Port of Trieste. So, despite the slackening in the market, the figures attest to the good health of a sector which has not paid for the economic crisis in terms of huge losses.
The world of Italian coffee-roasters is composed of five large companies, 20 medium-sized concerns and about 700 small to medium firms. Their flagship business, steering them through the economic crisis, has been the market for espresso. As Solari explained, this is “a product which, some years ago, was regarded with diffidence by foreign consumers, in view of the relatively high cost in relation to quantity, while cappuccino had a better market”. However, the quality of Italian espresso, which has continued to be refined over the years, has determined the enormous success of this product. “A success facilitated”, added the President of the Italian Coffee Committee, “by the parallel achievements of Italian coffee machines for preparation, both those used in bars and automatic dispensers; not to mention home coffee-makers”. Thus the espresso has made its mark in many overseas markets, also in virtue of its capacity to embody not simply a drink but also a real object of ritual. As Solari pointed out, “From this point of view, the opening up of the Asian markets has been an important factor, for there the espresso has been elevated to a status symbol, embedding it in the customs of daily life”.
The Middle and Far East represent the emerging markets for the export of Italian coffee, while the classic outlets remain the Euro zone, the United States and Canada. The products of Italian roasters enjoy an important reputation all over the world and are also the object of many attempts at imitation. For this reason, the associations representing the sector, with the Italian Coffee Committee at their head, are working hard to defend the identity of their national product, putting pressure on Italian and European Community institutions to find solutions which safeguard the specificity of the product: that is to say, all coffee which, after import, is roasted, blended and put on sale in Italy.
In addition, the Italian Coffee Committee is fighting to have the ports of Genoa and Savona recognized as “delivery points” by the Arabica coffee exchange in New York. If this happens, it would add even further prestige to the ever more important role that Italy is assuming in the world coffee market, not just in terms of export but also as an importer of raw materials. | <urn:uuid:042256aa-d58d-4183-a9eb-6962605cf567> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.italtrade.com/countries/asia/vietnam/focus/19435.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96078 | 731 | 1.8125 | 2 |
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“I have always been interested in the idea of making this inanimate object think rationally,” he said. “In fact, while it’s extremely hard to make a computer think like a human, one can make it follow the rules of rational thinking and be successful at it, which to me that is just an absolutely amazing thing.”
When William Moncrief ’68 and his wife Nancy announced their plans to open a bed and breakfast at the Jersey Shore, no one was particularly shocked. Sure, it was a big change from their 9-to-5 careers in Washington, DC, but Bill’s family and friends already knew he was a man of many talents: Navy pilot, technology management expert—why not add innkeeper to the list?
Conducting Robots is research-based, multidisciplinary course taught by four faculty members from Computer Science, Interactive Multimedia, Mechanical Engineering, and Music. The course allows students from each discipline to construct artificial systems capable of conducting an orchestra and visualizing feedback. In essence, the students create a robotic “maestro” that mimics the arm movements and facial expressions of a human conductor at work. The course was originally created with the support of a grant from the National Science Foundation. | <urn:uuid:55e9aeac-4e59-4ed1-9a9e-0e635b60c917> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://science.pages.tcnj.edu/2012/03/21/exemplary-faculty/faculty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966061 | 278 | 2.4375 | 2 |
KOBE – Asbestos released from a Kubota Corp. plant caused the death of a man who worked nearby, the Kobe District Court said in ordering the machinery maker to pay ¥32 million in damages to his family.
The man, Kojiro Yamauchi, worked some 200 meters from the plant in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, until 1975. He died of mesothelioma, a form of cancer associated especially with exposure to asbestos, in 1996, at the age of 80.
Presiding Judge Yoshihiro Konishi said Tuesday it was evident Yamauchi’s death was connected to the asbestos released from the plant. This is the first time Kubota has been held responsible for the death of a resident near the plant due to asbestos.
Relatives of Yamauchi and a woman who also died of the disease sued Kubota and the government for about ¥79 million in damages in total. In Tuesday’s ruling, the judge said the government was not obliged to pay damages because it is impossible to determine whether failing to draw up legislation to prevent the spread of asbestos in 1975 was illegal. The judge did not award damages to the family of the woman, who lived about 1 km from the Kubota plant. The plaintiffs plan to appeal the case.
In Yamauchi’s case, the judge noted the company had failed to keep its asbestos on the plant’s premises. Based on research into the distance from an asbestos source and the risk of developing mesothelioma, the judge concluded the carcinogen that entered Yamauchi’s workplace caused his disease. | <urn:uuid:63a0dff8-d380-4758-a29b-5dd0c97b905a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/08/09/news/kubota-to-pay-32-million-redress/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977427 | 334 | 1.921875 | 2 |