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Judge Argibay: “The government gets hold of lots of things that don’t belong to it”
Carmen Argibay, Judge of the Supreme Court, criticized on Wednesday that “the central government get hold of things that doesn’t belong to it”, and she said that Argentina has a very “strong tendency to centralization and Unitarism”.
“If we can’t overcome that, we’ll never be a seriously federal country,” said the judge over a speech at the Buenos Aires Legislature, where she also criticized the magistrates who refuse to follow legal procedures in order to avoid losing their valuables.
Argibay considers that there’s “no political will” to make justice have its full autonomy.
The magistrate called for a debate on the events that “prevent the execution of federalism every day”. She cited as examples the “warlords” and that “the central government get hold of lots of things that don’t belong to it”.
Argibay lectured on “Federalism, City and Justice” during the “XIX Scientific Conference of the Judiciary” that were held today in the Buenos Aires Legislature.
The judge also supported a fully autonomous Justice in the City of Buenos Aires. | <urn:uuid:ed1ab0eb-2fd5-419f-9add-bf65b3c49fcd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m24digital.com/en/2009/10/30/judge-argibay-the-government-gets-hold-of-lots-of-things-that-dont-belong-to-it/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957733 | 286 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The heavens is often used to express powers of governments while the earth is the populations under them.
For example, long after the heavens and earth were literally established, God uses the same phrase in establishing Israel:
And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens
and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people. ’” (Isaiah 51:16, ESV)
Note: This was not clear to me at all until noticing it yesterday argued in depth in a sermon from John Owen entitled THE SHAKING AND TRANSLATING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. (Owens Works, Volume 8, See page 254)
So the earthquake, disturbing the populace, and the loss of heavenly bodies for their usual public power on display, naturally means and overthrow of government powers under the wrath of God. Of course, erroneously through superstition, pagans would more or less also equate such disturbances to an overthrow of their gods, as these powers were at times associated with the gods directly in Emperor worship or indirectly under their favour.
Although God often works in secret, an overhaul of the entire world in which everyone in a given society lives, implied by such commotion a full public recognition of God's wrath. It is meant to rise above the everyday manifestation of Gods anger against sin and implies a long awaiting magnificent disturbance of all who are secure in their power and commotion among people watching in dismay. Furthermore as powers are usually meant to provide order and blessings from God, the darkness covering these happy lights clearly spells his disfavor and withdrawal of a happy countenance towards the earth.
Regarding why the end of the ages takes the image one step further and describes the moon as turning into blood is curious. It seems as a minimum to indicate a more final and extreme vengeance upon those powers that oppose the Messiah, so that their very light is not just toppled but they are made into blood as they perish absolutely.
It might be taking the image to far, but as the Moon is the light to speak of better things to come during the Day, the loss of the Sun mirrors the loss of gospel light, and the loss of Moon in higher abstraction indicates the loss of the light of the Law. In other words government powers actually exist in support of providing gospel and law, even without having any such intention. If we allow this more abstract image to hover over the obvious more certain image, we can say the Sun does not turn into blood but the moon, because the final judgment will actually be the Law taking vengeance on the sins of the world, while the gospel is no longer offered, for the age of repentance is no more. | <urn:uuid:b31eb13b-6063-46ec-9030-821f69e4a500> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/2929/how-are-we-to-interpret-the-moon-turning-into-blood-in-joel-231-and-rev-612?answertab=oldest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962252 | 557 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Interested in some good Fall reading? Check out this book from Norman Geisler: If God, Why Evil?
Probably the number one reason people say they have a hard time believing in God is the evil and suffering we see in the world. Where was God on 9/11? Why did God even allow the possibility of evil and suffering? So much of the evil we see seems totally pointless. How does the Christian worldview make sense of this?
Most of my knowledge on this subject comes from what I learned from Clay Jones and William Lane Craig. Still, Norman Geisler’s When Skeptics Ask was one of my first introductions to this issue. What peaked my curiosity about his new book was the subtitle: “A New Way to Think About the Question.” So what’s new about this treatment of the issue?
If you haven’t read much by Norman Geisler, you might find his ideas on whether or not we are living in the best of all possible worlds adds something new to the discussion. If you’re interested in how Molinists like William Lane Craig and Alvin Plantinga reconcile the providence of God with human free will, you’ll like this. If you have no idea what I just said, that’s OK. Pick this book up. You’ll be glad you did!
For me, the most interesting part of this book was actually the appendix, especially his discussion of animal death before Adam. I recently began getting questions about this while presenting my talk, “Why Does God Allows Suffering?” at churches. I wish this section was more in-depth. It’s interesting how your view on the age of the earth plays into your understanding of this issue.
The appendix also includes arguments for the existence of God as well as his critique of New York Times bestseller, The Shack. That seemed kind of odd to find back there, but you can consider it a free bonus!
“If God, Why Evil?” is short (173 pages), clear and direct. It’s easy to read and includes helpful syllogisms and illustrations. Lee Strobel calls it “classic Geisler.” And it totally is. Look inside the book on Amazon.com | <urn:uuid:6ce39b1c-70f6-4a92-8e54-e1ac8656f531> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.apologeticalliance.com/blog/2012/08/27/if-god-why-evil-by-norman-geisler-book-review/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952699 | 476 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Global economic uncertainty is hurting Asian economic growth but the long-term outlook for logistics providers is still bright, according to Brendan Canavan, the recently appointed president of UPS Asia Pacific.
He said that although current weakness in U.S. and European markets was hitting UPS’ “bread and butter” export customers in Asia, many customers were seeking out new markets and creating fresh logistics demand.
“Intra-Asia trade is currently experiencing strong near-term growth prospects and we are seeing Asian exporters, particularly in the high-tech industry, building stronger business relationships with their neighbours and intensifying trade within Asia to capture this growth,” he said.
Intra-Asia growth will continue to surge, driven by the willingness of governments to embrace free trade agreements and the development of new low-cost emerging markets such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.
“The intra-Asia shipping market is promising, driven by increasing consumption, manufacturing, and a relatively better macroeconomic scenario,” he said. “The intra-Asia containerized trade segment has seen average growth rates of approximately 6.4 percent between 2009 to date, in comparison to a sub 5 percent growth rate for other trade corridors.”
“In terms of actual cargo volume, the share of the intra-Asia region has increased from 19 percent to 21 percent within 2008 to 2012,” he said. “This would indicate a strong demand that may eventually necessitate greater capacity.”
China remains critical to the company’s performance in Asia. Canavan said that although China’s trade growth numbers had fallen this year and manufacturing had slowed, there was no comparison to 2009, when imports shrank by almost 30 percent.
“The market is handling the current economic conditions better than in 2009,” he said. “Export orders have declined which is a sign of weakening global demand with several European nations in recession and the U.S. economy slowing.”
“The slower growth figure also suggests the cyclical growth in China is normalizing and that market is undergoing a significant shift from its low-cost-manufacturing roots to a maturing market driven by a self-trading and intra-Asian economy,” he said. “But while China’s GDP growth slowed in the last quarter at over 7%, it is still significantly higher than the estimated approximate global GDP growth of 3%.”
Canavan expects lower demand to further pressurize ocean freight rates on Asia-Europe lanes. “With market indicators pointing toward flat volume growth, I think carriers will be under a lot of pressure to reduce rates,” he said.
In the long-term there remain “vast opportunities” for the logistics industry in China, not least because of strong government support for infrastructure construction, a growing middle class, rising domestic consumption and “the gradual move of China’s businesses up the value chain,” which will necessitate more sophisticated and integrated logistics solutions.
“We’re seeing a growing shift in consumption in China with a growing urban population that includes an increasingly affluent middle class,” he said “Retail sales and e-commerce spending are still expected to grow, reaching RMB 2 trillion by 2015.
“While trading patterns may evolve, UPS still remains in a good position to help support these consumers as they trade globally or within the region,” Canavan said.
Contact Mike King at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:43727d58-34c7-44a2-a523-266a58ad5ba2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.joc.com/air-cargo/express-cargo/new-ups-asia-pacific-head-says-asian-prospects-still-positive_20120806.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953276 | 730 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Seeing you here, gathered in such great numbers from all parts of the world, fills my heart with joy. I think of the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord loves you and calls you his friends (cf. Jn 15:15). He goes out to meet you and he wants to accompany you on your journey, to open the door to a life of fulfilment and to give you a share in his own closeness to the Father. For our part, we have come to know the immensity of his love and we want to respond generously to his love by sharing with others the joy we have received. Certainly, there are many people today who feel attracted by the figure of Christ and want to know him better. They realize that he is the answer to so many of our deepest concerns. But who is he really? How can someone who lived on this earth so long ago have anything in common with me today?
The Gospel we have just heard (cf. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two different ways of knowing Christ. The first is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion. When Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, the disciples answer: “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets”. In other words, Christ is seen as yet another religious figure, like those who came before him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with what is the first confession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Faith is more than just empirical or historical facts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ’s person in all its depth.
Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of human reasoning, but rather a gift of God: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life. Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?” is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his regard. Faith in Christ and discipleship are strictly interconnected. And, since faith involves following the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their encounter with the Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of faith.
Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: “Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who has given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me”.
Jesus’ responds to Peter’s confession by speaking of the Church: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”. What do these words mean? Jesus builds the Church on the rock of the faith of Peter, who confesses that Christ is God. The Church, then, is not simply a human institution, like any other. Rather, she is closely joined to God. Christ himself speaks of her as “his” Church. Christ cannot be separated from the Church any more than the head can be separated from the body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). The Church does not draw her life from herself, but from the Lord.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Dear young people!
It is a moving experience each year on Palm Sunday as we go up the mountain with Jesus, towards the Temple, accompanying him on his ascent. On this day, throughout the world and across the centuries, young people and people of every age acclaim him, crying out: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
But what are we really doing when we join this procession as part of the throng which went up with Jesus to Jerusalem and hailed him as King of Israel? Is this anything more than a ritual, a quaint custom? Does it have anything to do with the reality of our life and our world? To answer this, we must first be clear about what Jesus himself wished to do and actually did. After Peter’s confession of faith in Caesarea Philippi, in the northernmost part of the Holy Land, Jesus set out as a pilgrim towards Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. He was journeying towards the Temple in the Holy City, towards that place which for Israel ensured in a particular way God’s closeness to his people. He was making his way towards the common feast of Passover, the memorial of Israel’s liberation from Egypt and the sign of its hope of definitive liberation. He knew that what awaited him was a new Passover and that he himself would take the place of the sacrificial lambs by offering himself on the cross. He knew that in the mysterious gifts of bread and wine he would give himself for ever to his own, and that he would open to them the door to a new path of liberation, to fellowship with the living God. He was making his way to the heights of the Cross, to the moment of self-giving love. The ultimate goal of his pilgrimage was the heights of God himself; to those heights he wanted to lift every human being.
Our procession is meant, then, to be an image of something deeper, to reflect the fact that, together with Jesus, we are setting out on pilgrimage along the high road that leads to the living God. This is the ascent that matters. This is the journey which Jesus invites us to make.
The Fathers of the Church maintained that human beings stand at the point of intersection between two gravitational fields. First, there is the force of gravity which pulls us down – towards selfishness, falsehood and evil; the gravity which diminishes us and distances us from the heights of God. On the other hand there is the gravitational force of God’s love: the fact that we are loved by God and respond in love attracts us upwards. Man finds himself betwixt this twofold gravitational force; everything depends on our escaping the gravitational field of evil and becoming free to be attracted completely by the gravitational force of God, which makes us authentic, elevates us and grants us true freedom. Psalm 24, which the Church proposes as the “song of ascent” ...indicates some concrete elements which are part of our ascent and without which we cannot be lifted upwards: clean hands, a pure heart, the rejection of falsehood, the quest for God’s face. The great achievements of technology are liberating and contribute to the progress of mankind only if they are joined to these attitudes ...All these means of “ascent” are effective only if we humbly acknowledge that we need to be lifted up; if we abandon the pride of wanting to become God. We need the humility of a faith which seeks the face of God and trusts in the truth of his love.
We are on pilgrimage with the Lord to the heights. We are striving for pure hearts and clean hands, we are seeking truth, we are seeking the face of God .
“Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (Part III)
5. Sustained by the faith of the Church, in order to be witnesses
Jesus said to Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29). He was thinking of the path the Church was to follow, based on the faith of eyewitnesses: the Apostles. Thus we come to see that our personal faith in Christ, which comes into being through dialogue with him, is bound to the faith of the Church. We do not believe as isolated individuals, but rather, through Baptism, we are members of this great family; it is the faith professed by the Church which reinforces our personal faith. The Creed that we proclaim at Sunday Mass protects us from the danger of believing in a God other than the one revealed by Christ.
In the history of the Church, the saints and the martyrs have always drawn from the glorious Cross of Christ the strength to be faithful to God even to the point of offering their own lives. In faith they found the strength to overcome their weaknesses and to prevail over every adversity. Christ is not a treasure meant for us alone; he is the most precious treasure we have, one that is meant to be shared with others. In our age of globalization, be witnesses of Christian hope all over the world. How many people long to receive this hope! ...If you believe, and if you are able to live out your faith and bear witness to it every day, you will become a means of helping other young people like yourselves to find the meaning and joy of life, which is born of an encounter with Christ!
6. On the way to World Youth Day in Madrid
Dear friends, once again I invite you to attend World Youth Day in Madrid. I await each of you with great joy. Jesus Christ wishes to make you firm in faith through the Church. The decision to believe in Jesus Christ and to follow him is not an easy one. It is hindered by our personal failures and by the many voices that point us towards easier paths. Do not be discouraged. Rather, look for the support of the Christian community, the support of the Church! Throughout this year, carefully prepare for the meeting in Madrid with the bishops, priests and youth leaders in your dioceses, parish communities, associations and movements. The quality of our meeting will depend above all on our spiritual preparation, our prayer, our common hearing of the word of God and our mutual support.
Dear young people, the Church depends on you! She needs your lively faith, your creative charity and the energy of your hope. Your presence renews, rejuvenates and gives new energy to the Church. That is why World Youth Days are a grace, not only for you, but for the entire People of God. The Church in Spain is actively preparing to welcome you and to share this joyful experience of faith with you. May the Virgin Mary accompany you along this path of preparation. At the message of the angel, she received God’s word with faith. It was in faith that she consented to what God was accomplishing in her. By proclaiming her “fiat”, her “yes”, she received the gift of immense charity which led her to give herself entirely to God. May she intercede for each one of you so that, in the coming World Youth Day you may grow in faith and love. I assure you of a paternal remembrance in my prayers and I give you my heartfelt blessing.
For the Twenty-Sixth World Youth Day (2011)
3. Firm in the faith
You are “planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). The Letter from which these words are taken was written by Saint Paul in order to respond to a specific need of the Christians in the city of Colossae. ...Our own cultural context, dear young people, is not unlike that of the ancient Colossians. Indeed, there is a strong current of secularist thought that aims to make God marginal in the lives of people and society by proposing and attempting to create a “paradise” without him. Yet experience tells us that a world without God becomes a “hell”: filled with selfishness, broken families, hatred between individuals and nations, and a great deficit of love, joy and hope. ...We firmly believe that Jesus Christ offered himself on the Cross in order to give us his love. In his passion, he bore our sufferings, took upon himself our sins, obtained forgiveness for us and reconciled us with God the Father, opening for us the way to eternal life. Dear friends, the Cross often frightens us because it seems to be a denial of life. In fact, the opposite is true! It is God’s “yes” to mankind, the supreme expression of his love and the source from which eternal life flows. Indeed, it is from Jesus’ heart, pierced on the Cross, that this divine life streamed forth, ever accessible to those who raise their eyes towards the Crucified One. ... Embrace the Cross of Jesus, the sign of God’s love, as the source of new life. Apart from Jesus Christ risen from the dead, there can be no salvation! He alone can free the world from evil and bring about the growth of the Kingdom of justice, peace and love to which we all aspire.
4. Believing in Jesus Christ without having seen him
In the Gospel we find a description of the Apostle Thomas’s experience of faith when he accepted the mystery of the Cross ... That Easter evening when the Lord appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not present. When he was told that Jesus was alive and had shown himself, Thomas stated: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25). We too want to be able to see Jesus, to speak with him and to feel his presence even more powerfully. ... There are so many images of Jesus in circulation which, while claiming to be scientific, detract from his greatness and the uniqueness of his person. ...Jesus himself, when he appeared again to his disciples a week later, said to Thomas: “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe” (Jn 20:27). We too can have tangible contact with Jesus and put our hand, so to speak, upon the signs of his Passion, the signs of his love. It is in the sacraments that he draws particularly near to us and gives himself to us. ...Enter into a personal dialogue with Jesus Christ and cultivate it in faith. Get to know him better by reading the Gospels and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Converse with him in prayer, and place your trust in him. He will never betray that trust! “Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). Thus you will acquire a mature and solid faith, ...You will come to know God and to live authentically in union with him, like the Apostle Thomas who showed his firm faith in Jesus in the words: “My Lord and my God!”. | <urn:uuid:d1ef0b86-8e4c-47c6-aeea-252232565778> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stjmod.com/7/archives/08-2011/1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976206 | 3,254 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Maps & reports
The wealth of data that your BirdTrack records provide gives us various insights into bird distributions and movements throughout Britain and Ireland. Reports have been grouped as described below; click on the heading to view the reports (or use the main menu options directly).
One of the most interesting analyses that can be done with BirdTrack records is to determine the reporting rate of different species throughout the year. This is based on the proportion of complete lists (i.e. those where the observer has recorded all species present) that record a given species. For example, if 10 BirdTrack lists in March have been entered as complete and Wheatear has been recorded on 3 of them then its reporting rate is 30%. If in April we have 20 complete lists and Wheatear has been recorded on 10 of them then its reporting rate is 50%. With a sufficiently large sample this would imply that Wheatears have become commoner in April. Hence reporting rate calculations can give us a good picture of the timing and strength of bird migration throughout the year.
This menu option shows reporting rate graphs, with a comparison against previous years, as well as details of migrant arrivals and departures.
Similarly we can use reporting rate calculations within smaller regions - often bird movements can be localised and may not follow the same pattern as the national picture.
This menu option shows the same information as above but for individual geographic regions.
This option provides general analyses of the use of BirdTrack, both in terms of the number of submissions and geographical spread. Reports can be viewed nationally, or for individual regions.
It is quick and easy to find out which birds can be found in your area, at a local nature reserve, or for somewhere you are planning to visit. Display a species checklist for a location, either selected from a list of nature reserves, from any point on a map, or from a postcode or grid reference. You can view records from all year round, individual months, or breeding or wintering seasons.
The information presented in Maps & Reports is liable to change, as observers can amend their records at any time. In addition, although we believe all data are entered by observers in good faith, County Bird Recorders, Bird Club records committees and the BirdTrack Organiser do check and validate the records on a continual basis, and correct any errors that are identified. This process takes time and may cause subsequent changes to the information displayed in Maps & Reports on a particular day.
All the Maps & Reports pages are subject to copyright so please email copyright [at] bto [dot] org to request permission if you wish to reproduce any of the graphs, maps or tables.
We encourage the use of BirdTrack raw data for research, conservation and educational purposes and will often be able to supply more detailed and complete information than is available on the website on request.
Data obtained directly from this website may not be used for commercial, research or any other funded work without formal written permission from the BTO.
Information from the BirdTrack website should be cited as follows:
BTO/RSPB/BirdWatch Ireland/SOC/WOS 20xx. BirdTrack. Available at: www.birdtrack.net (accessed Month 20xx). | <urn:uuid:053c4419-f38c-425e-aeae-ea632a354468> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gardenbirdwatch.org/volunteer-surveys/birdtrack/maps-reports | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934405 | 660 | 2.765625 | 3 |
One of the most powerful/dangerous commands in linux is the “rm” command. It removes the file from the filesystem and whilst with some media formats it is possible to recover an rm’d file in ext3 it is almost impossible to get that file back (without a hexdumper and lots of time on your hands to manually re-link the file).
After doing a bit of work the other day but before my nightly backup had run I went into the directory I had been coding in and decided to get rid of the backup files that had been created. The backup files were like the normal files except they had a tilda attached, ie, filename.txt~, so to delete all the backup files in one go I quickly typed in:
Except that’s not what I typed. I missed the tilde off the end and wiped all the files from that directory. Oops. Nightly backup not yet run. Major Oops. After chuckling that I do make backups a priority and I tell people to make backups a priority I hadn’t done it myself. Too late.
I did get the files back because, thankfully, my data store is an SDHC card formatted to vfat (windows) so only the FAT entry had been deleted – more on that in my next post.
But that left me wondering. I rarely need all the power of rm – whenever I’m using it from the commandline I could think of virtually no circumstances where I would prefer to unlink the file altogether rather than just move it to the trash. As I looked around the net I noticed lots of suggestions from people to replace rm altogether or to create an alias for rm that does something else, but the problem with that is that lots of programs rely on rm being the way it is and taking specific arguments, etc. To change it just for me would probably break the system or applications that I have installed or could install at any time.
The solution I settled on was to stop using rm from the commandline altogether and learn to use an alias I created called “trash” whenever I wanted to delete a file from the commandline. All you need to do to use it is to open your ~/.bashrc file and put the following line in it somewhere (at the end works just fine):
alias trash="mv -t ~/.local/share/Trash/files --backup=t --verbose"
Obviously if your trash is in a different location you need to change the location above – what I’ve written above is correct for Ubuntu. Now when you “trash” a file it will go into your trash bin and is therefore retreivable rather than being deleted forever.
Such a simple script doesn’t work perfectly of course and if you delete a huge file on a removable local device you’ll notice that it will move the file to the trash bin on another device and that will take some time. What I could do with now is to know the name of the trash folder on the device on which the file is located and send it there. | <urn:uuid:024346a1-ef0e-4ce6-9fe7-e46f1ddd6ecc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.matt-helps.com/trash-rather-than-rm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971027 | 641 | 1.726563 | 2 |
There’s a saying that can vaguely be summarized as this- “Any publicity is good publicity”. When the first Dan Brown book to be filmed The Da Vinci Code was going to be released, there were protests from Christian groups calling it blasphemy. Aside from that, there were poor reviews all over the place (the movie holds a 24% rating at Rotten Tomatoes); the movie, however, did fairly well its opening release weekend. The reason was publicity, and all the Christian protesters were really doing was helping give this film more publicity. Christian boycotts don’t work much; what they do is spark curiosity in the people who hear their message, which in turn may make the person participate in the very thing the Christian boycotts are against. Let's face it, even the protesters may indulge in the very thing they claim to be against (I remember one Christian telling me he went to see the Da Vinci Code because he wanted to know what lies the adversity was spewing this time).
Sometimes, what these people protest against baffles us. They boycott things that can be so minuscule, so small, it matters to nobody but them. Take this christian webpage, for example, which makes it its mission to denounce rock music. Yes, this includes Christian Rock and secular Rock. In regards to Christians replying to the allegations that Christian Rock is evil, one of the site masters had this to say:
In an effort to return to the immediate topic at hand, Paul Turner gives us a list of three signs that indicate we may be about to make an erroneous decision.
- You're going to do it because everybody else is doing it.
- If you're doing it based on emotions.
- If you're doing it to make somebody happy.
Although these are directed at Christians who are considering boycotting, I'd say these are good rules to adopt generally. Along with these suggestions, look out for these people:
- The Over-Zealous Regulator: I remember a pious usher once telling a congregant that he should shave his face because his beard wasn't very attractive. I must admit, it was eccentric and unkempt, but this was who he was. I myself have been prone to keeping my face unkempt every once in a while (albeit out of laziness). To this day, the man with the unkempt beard was probably one of the most humble persons I have met; I certainly preferred his company over any of those self-righteous men spewing venom from the pews.
- The Conspiracy Theorist: Satan's influence can be seen in any and all news. I remember my church being up in arms over Planet X. Perhaps if you're prone to believing something so ludicrous as religion, you leave yourself open for all types of nonsense.
- The Theological "Thumper": This one I found amusing. These sorts of people are the ones who go about fitting every aspect and event in life into some bible verse or obscure teaching- and according to the author, these people end up leaving the faith altogether.
I'd like to add one more thing on that list. Beware of those who think for themselves instead of dogmatically following the words of some preacher or "holy book". Question everything, and question what motives these "leaders" may have. | <urn:uuid:96ea0e0f-5efc-4ef5-ad28-f4d7f844523a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bisforbarnstorming.blogspot.com/2009/08/ccsg-chapter-7-boycotts-and-extremes_14.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97511 | 685 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Have you ever been the victim of a crime? Has your house been robbed? Your car broken into? Your purse snatched on a crowded subway train? If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you stand a good chance of falling prey to petty crimes such as theft or vandalism.
As we age, our chance of becoming a crime victim decreases greatly. However, our fear of being victimized tends to increase, feeding off a lifetime of experience as well as physical problems that may leave us less able to defend ourselves. While seniors have become more vigilant in protecting themselves against physical crimes, they still overlook the greatest criminal activity threatening them—con games and fraud.
“What is a scam? It’s somebody trying to get your money or something valuable from you,” says Chicago Police Officer Ron Rufo, Ph.D. “Greed enters into a lot of scams, when people are out to defraud you or mislead you by their actions and words.”
A 17-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, Officer Rufo has seen thousands of criminals and their victims. He tours the city as a crime prevention speaker through the CPD’s Preventative Programs section. In May, he brought his years of experience and expertise to Weiss, educating the dozen community members present during a lecture on con games and what to watch out for.
Officer Rufo talked about a few common cons, including home repair fraud, telemarketing hoaxes and bank examiner scams. He listed a few tip-offs to watch out for:
- Dealings in cash only—this allows the person proposing the plan or investment opportunity to get away with your money quickly, easily and without a trace.
- A “secret” plan—the person says they can’t divulge details, leaving you in the dark. Of course, there are no details because there is no plan.
- Get rich quick—the opportunity enables you to get something for nothing. Nothing is exactly what you’ll get.
- Act immediately—this requirement does not give you adequate time to consider and research the proposal. “If it’s a good deal today, it will be a good deal tomorrow,” Officer Rufo says.
- Fear tactics—be wary if the person threatens your safety or well-being in any way. He may not harm you, but he will rip you off.
- Leftover materials—the person may offer you a great deal on goods or services they have in excess. What he isn’t telling you: If the materials exist at all, they were either stolen or defective.
Officer Rufo ended his presentation with some practical advice pertinent to people of any age:
“Watch out for the nice guy because he’s going to act like a friend of yours,” says Officer Rufo. “Whatever you like to do, he’s going to be the best at it. He’s going to start mirroring you to befriend you. And remember—if the plan appears too good to be true, it probably is.” | <urn:uuid:d406d824-c9bb-4cd9-b17b-9e0a0193f0da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.weisshospital.com/news-classes-and-events/blog_article/11-06-03/Games_People_Play_Protect_Yourself.aspx?BlogTagID=b8b677c2-dc88-4f7f-a5f1-55efa5571026 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960152 | 654 | 1.914063 | 2 |
The Secaucus Town Council meeting was evacuated Tuesday for a bomb scare after a resident apparently left behind an unattended bag (see sidebar).
But before the mayhem, the council discussed a number of critical issues.
The mayor and Town Council officially swore in members of the Affordable Housing Board and talked about reducing the town’s debt.
Making the board official
“We had a whole issue with our Affordable Housing Board (AHB) that has been straightened out now,” said Mayor Michael Gonnelli during the meeting. Basically, the newly-composed AHB is the governing body’s attempt to reestablish a local agency to monitor compliance with the state’s affordable housing laws.
Previously, the town’s land use ordinance stated that the Secaucus Leased Housing Corporation (LHC), an independent, non-profit private entity created in 1975, monitored whether developers comply with state law requiring them to provide housing for low and moderate-income families. The members of the LHC and the AHB were exactly the same. The AHB managed the fees developers paid toward affordable housing and developed programs. The two agencies worked in partnership to renovate old units and create affordable housing.
“We had a whole issue with our Affordable Housing Board (AHB) that has been straightened out now.” – Michael Gonnelli
In March, the mayor and council officially re-established a separate Affordable Housing Board in compliance with the state Fair Housing Act to transfer power over compliance with the affordable housing laws from the Leased Housing Corporation to the board.
The LHC continues to purchase old buildings to rehabilitate them and create affordable housing as well as provide ongoing maintenance.
The current AHB members and two new members – former mayor Richard Steffens and local teacher’s union president and guidance counselor Joan Cali – were sworn in at the start of the meeting.
William Carr, Margaret Cutola, Carmen Ross, Charles Voorhees, and Steffens will serve as regular members while Carleen Perricone and Cali will serve as alternate members.
Town debt decreasing
Councilman Robert Costantino gave a financial report on the town’s debt given “all the talk about the national debt.” He reported that the municipal debt has decreased on average by $2 million a year since 2009 when the debt was at $45.6 million.
This year the debt has been reduced to $41.7 million.
“We are trying to keep a handle on that, trying to be fiscally responsible,” said Costantino. He said the state statutes allow for a debt that is 3.5 percent of the total valuation of the property of the town, which is about $5 billion. The town’s debt is .82 percent of the total valuation.
“You’ve heard us talk on many occasion about going after old money,” said Gonnelli. He noted that the municipality is collecting $600,000 a year in special assessments that go directly to paying off the debt.
- A new position that has yet to be filled is now open on the Housing Authority after George Broemmer’s recent resignation.
- The council announced that of the 46 homeowners surveyed on whether to keep the Fifth Street Gate open during lunchtime eight homeowners favored keeping it open and 38 homeowners want it closed at all times unless there is an emergency. Truck traffic has caused complaints.
-The town has extended residential parking to Franklin and Poplar Streets, Fisher, Myrtle, and Arch Avenues.
-The Xchange development has donated $135,000 to provide a new radio system and 60 new radios to improve radio communications in their area for the Fire Department.
-The municipality will seek bids for Crosswalk Safety Upgrades at various intersections on Front Street and Centre Avenue, which is being paid for by a Community Development Block Grant of $165,000.
-The municipality is seeking applicants for the position of municipal prosecutor. Nicholas Mayer was hired as a part-time alternate court officer. Erika Pascale was hired as bilingual assistant violations clerk-typist.
-Meadowlands Hospital, which took over ambulance service for the town in September, reportedly had an average response time of 5 minutes and 4 seconds in the recent time period.
Awards and Presentations
The mayor and council presented Senior Director of IBX Operations Michael Poleshuk and Director of Facilities Operations Anthony Sclafani, from the local data company Equinox, with a Serving the Community Award for donating an infrared camera to the fire department.
The mayor and Town Council presented local company Concentra with a Community Service Award for their contributions to the municipality.
Meeting evacuated after man apparently leaves behind bag
The Secaucus Town Council meeting was evacuated Tuesday evening for a bomb scare after a resident apparently left behind an unattended bag.
The council meeting was near its end, during the citizens’ remarks portion, when Secaucus police officers asked everyone in the room to leave the building. Chief Dennis Corcoran said it appeared that someone who was a little disturbed had come to the council meeting. His behavior in leaving the council meeting abruptly, and leaving a bag behind, had caused alarm.
Several residents said that they saw the man leave and enter the room a few times and that at one point he left behind a bag. A fire official noticed the behavior and called the police.
The police had the building evacuated and called the Hudson County Sheriff’s K-9 unit. Wilbert Negron from the K-9 unit said that the dog sniffed the area and nothing suspicious was found.
The man was held in Secaucus on a warrant for his arrest from Bayonne, officials said. The man was also expected to undergo a psychological examination, officials said.
The meeting did not resume after the building was safe to reenter. Mayor Michael Gonnelli said that the man in question recently moved to town and had been emailing him asking for help because he had no food. Gonnelli said that the municipality has been delivering food to his home and arranged for him to receive meals through the Meals on Wheels program.
Adriana Rambay Fernández may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:7cdc4266-401a-46a9-85cb-6ef2a0d1e772> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hudsonreporter.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Suspicious+package+prompts+Town+Council+evacuation-Also+discussed+at+meeting-+Affordable+housing-+reducing+debt-%20&id=20166455 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970078 | 1,305 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The Solisten Programme is based on the Tomatis Method. The TOMATIS Method was developed by Alfred TOMATIS (1920-2001), a French Ear Nose and Throat physician. He devoted a considerable part of his career to studying the relationship between the ear and the voice, and by extension, between listening and communication. His discoveries were validated at the physiology laboratory of the Sorbonne and were presented to the Academy of Sciences and Academy of Medicine in Paris in 1957 and 1960.
The papers he presented defined the “TOMATIS laws”, stated as follows:
• The voice contains only what the ear hears;
• If you change hearing, the voice is immediately and unconsciously modified;
• It is possible to durably transform phonation by sustaining auditory stimulation for aspecific given time (law of remanence).
The TOMATIS Method is based on a number of concepts about how the human being develops, processes information, communicates with self and others and, finally, learns. In the course of his research Dr. TOMATIS developed a training process that enablesthe individual to regain skills of analysis, concentration and communication. Indeed,thanks to a set of pedagogical tools, our method simultaneously works on three corefunctions of the ear, namely hearing, balance and energy.Taking into account the fundamental role of sensory influence in human function, the TOMATIS Method facilitates:
• Language and communication;
• Learning processes;
• Personal and behavioral development;
• Work on the body, posture and voice; and,
• Learning foreign languages.
WHAT IS THE TOMATIS METHOD
A TEACHING PROCESS FOR LISTENING
Listening is the ability to use one’s hearing voluntarily and attentively for the purpose of learning and communicating. Listening is therefore a high-level cognitivefunction that implies the ability to manage emotions. It is more than passive reception of sound that depends on a functioning auditory system. When the mental interpretation of the sensory information transmitted by the ear is misinterpreted, listening is disrupted. In this case we speak of distorted listening. This distortion is related to a dysfunction or weakening of the two muscles of the middle ear, their role being to ensure the harmonious transmission of sound to the inner ear and brain. When the sensory message is distorted, the brain protects itself by triggering mechanisms that confuse listening.
DEVICE TO STIMULATE AND RE-EDUCATE
The pedagogical tool of the TOMATIS Method is a device called the Electronic Ear. The Electronic Ear exercises the muscles of the middle ear to restore the middle ear’s ability to activate listening mechanisms that the brain has in place. In addition, the Electronic Ear focuses the brain’s attention on the auditory message.Progressively, the ear learns or re-learns to listen. Literally, we say the ear “startslistening”.An electronic gate makes it possible to alternate between two ways ofperceiving the same auditory message.
In concrete and very simplified terms, the Electronic Ear triggers the stapedial reflex. This reflex causes the contraction of the auditory muscles. It is activated by the sudden switch from a low frequency signal that requiresno effort of adaptation or accommodation from the ear, to a high frequency signal that requires a major effort of accommodation from the ear. This back-and-forth movement between tension and relaxation in the muscles of the ear is rendered possible due to the electronic gate, a device capable of alternating between two states of perception for the same auditory message. This activity can be compared to a gymnastic exercise, which, through repeated use and progressivemobilization of the ear, optimizes the transmission of the message to the brain. The auditory message is transmitted to the brain through air and bone conduction in special headphones that are equipped with earphones and a vibrator. The Electronic Ear is designed to be able to program a delay between the sound transmitted via air and the sound transmitted via bone. Because of this delay, called precession, the brain analyzes the message twice. After sustained auditory stimulation, the brain naturally takes over the function of anticipation performed by the machine. The Electronic Ear has many other features designed to utilize technological innovationsand respond to the latest scientific research.
WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION OF THE TOMATIS METHOD
Ninety percent (90%) of the sensory messages that stimulate our brain, including movement and touch, involve the ear! The ear thus acts as a sensory integration system. The corrective action of the TOMATIS Method acts simultaneously on the three core functions of the ear: balance, energy and hearing.
THE BALANCE FUNCTION
Balance depends on the vestibule, the part of the inner ear that informs the brain of the slightest body movement. The ear is therefore involved in controlling posture and maintaining balance. Through its action on the vestibule, the TOMATIS Method allows the body to regain verticality by repositioning the skeleton. Indeed, under the sustained effect of listening sessions, the consistency of the messages sent to the brain via the vestibule of both the right and left ears is harmonized. As a result, motor responses are noticeably less chaotic, and become more fluid and better organized. One can easily understand the beneficial effect on motor disorders. Moreover, the vestibule plays a fundamental role in integrating the rhythms of both music and language due to its intricate network of connections to the brain.
THE ENERGY FUNCTION
The human ear ensures a function of “cortical energizing”. The ear needs to be stimulated to energize the brain and the body. Sound is necessary for our personal fulfillment. The richer music is in high frequency harmonics, the more efficient its effect. Sounds that are rich in high frequency harmonics stimulate a vast neural network, called the “reticular formation”, which controls the overall activity level of the brain. That’s why we mainly use Mozart violin concertos, with well-known beneficial effects. We also use Gregorian chant whose particular rhythm has a proven soothing effect.
THE AUDITORY FUNCTION
When hearing is disturbed, this creates not only problems of discrimination, spatialization and auditory lateralization, but also a loss of the ability to isolate an auditory message from surrounding noise. In this situation, the subject findsherself exposed to a mass of information that she receives with varying degrees ofdistortion. Understanding messages then require substantial efforts, causing errors, ever increasing fatigue, irritability and, finally withdrawal. Then the environment is experienced as problematic. In these circumstances attention and memory suffer.
WHO WILL TOMATIS METHOD HELP?
Because the ear is a sensory integration system, it plays an efficient role in many areas.
One of the important factors in the development of learning disabilities is a lack of awareness of the appropriate articulatory or physical gesture. This entails a disturbance of short-term memory, a prerequisite for a normal learning process. As a result, the fields of application directly concern learning processes at school:
Other fields of application related to oral language development are grouped under the term of dysphasia. Others again concern the programming and acquisition of learned gestures related to dyspraxia.
Attention is the ability to select and maintain an awareness in an external event or a thought. Attention can be divided into two components:
- the intensity component of attention
This corresponds to a general state of awareness and alertness that enables the nervous system to be receptive to any form of information reaching it. The action of our method on this component of attention refers to what is called the “energizationfunction” or “dynamogenic function” of the ear. It concerns children or adults who cannot concentrate for sufficiently long periods on a task to be done, even if this task requires little intellectual effort and is routine or familiar in nature (e.g., a revision or recopying exercise).
- the selective component of attention
This refers to the ability to focus on certain aspects of a situation, while inhibiting those that are deemed irrelevant. It is the ability to resist distraction and to discriminate information at the same time that is relevant. The action of our method for this kind of attention is directed at people who are prone to distraction, and who suffer from frequent lapses in attention that include confusion in understanding. A particular modality of selective attention is the ability to divide attention between multiple sources of information or tasks at one time. The insufficient ability to exercise this kind of attention, which requires a major cognitive effort, may be a source of difficulty or suffering for the child in a school situation.
While the importance of exercise for the upkeep of the body is easily understood, we do not always realize that exercise is also important to sustain our brain. It is by stimulating the brain through sensory messages that the brain energizes and relaxesus. As the ear is the main channel for the transmission of sensory messages from the human body, it plays a key role in human function. This stimulation may be impaired when the brain triggers a mechanism of inhibition or protection. This mechanism may occur following an isolated traumatic event called emotional shock. The brain also tends to progressively protect itself when the external environment is perceived as aggressive. This may be true of people facing a reorganization of their routine, increased responsibilities, the loss of familiar references, and social pressure as examples. The motivations for doing a course of TOMATIS training in the context of personal development are therefore varied and cover numerous expressions of “angst” that may be encountered in modern life. Themost commonly cited reasons are stress, fatigue, overwork, anxiety, and loss of confidence.
All distortions of listening that are too firmly rooted include the loss of the innate desire to listen which in turn will lower the desire to communicate, whether out of resignation or from a lack of confidence resulting from the difficulty to communicate effectively.Communication difficulties come in various forms. For example, they can reveal themselves in an inability to not only receive the sounds around us without being afflictedby them: a car horn, the slamming of a door, the noisy environment of a restaurant, butalso accept some voices, such as that of a co-worker, a relative, a friend. This confusescommunication.Some people find themselves unable to use their voices as a real communicationtool, due to a lack of control over the various components of the rhythm of speech:intonation, inflection, volume. Lacking control, the voice will be perceived as aggressive,cold, or devoid of any power of expression by the person being addressed.
PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
These are early and severe disorders characterized by retardation and impaired development of social, cognitive and communication skills. The TOMATIS Method has proved its effectiveness in helping people who suffer from autism and associated disorders (e.g. Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett syndrome, etc.). Our method is one approach to help people with such disorders and often works well when integrated with other programs.
HOW DOES THE TOMATIS METHOD WORK?
All practitioners of the TOMATIS/Solisten Method undergo initial and continued training. Furthermore, they commit to upholding a code of conduct and ethics. Finally, they are supervised and assisted by experienced trainers. We draw your attention to the fact that only individuals certified by the companyTOMATIS Development SA are entitled to practice the TOMATIS/Solisten Method. We invite you to contact us in case of doubt or to visit our web directory.
THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT
This first contact, intrinsically linked to the practitioner’s occupation, serves to assess the subject’s problem through tests and questionnaires. This assessment is essential to determine whether a course of auditory stimulation should be advised or not. If the practitioner has received complementary training, he or she can do a listening test that identifies the subject’s listening potential and possible areas of dysfunction.
The program is determined following the evaluation and based on the presenting situation to be treated. Furthermore, depending on the practitioner’s level of Tomatistraining he or she has flexibility in the program choice. Thus, for practitioners who have done the 3-day training course, the SOLISTEN device is pre-programmed to ensure that the programming is appropriate and effective.
THE LISTENING SESSIONS
Like any muscle stimulation device, the results are meaningful and durable if the listening sessions are sustained, regular and spaced out with rest periods. They are therefore also subject to a structured methodology. Their duration and regularity are determined in relation to each client. Listening sessions can take place at home with the SOLISTEN device. A listening session lasts 2 hours. To use the SOLISTEN, we recommend two 15-day sessions of 2 hours per day with a break of 4 to 6 weeks between sessions.
THE END ASSESSMENT
At the end of the listening sessions, the TOMATIS/Solisten practitioner does a second assessment. This assessment evaluates the progress obtained and determines if additional sessions are advisable. The results obtained with the TOMATIS Method are durable. Often it is unnecessary to extend the sessions beyond the initial listening period. However, in certain situations, it may be necessary to extend a program. Or, following a new event such as an emotional shock or illness, it may be necessary to restart a TOMATIS/Solisten program.
WHAT RESULTS ARE OBTAINED WITH THE TOMATIS METHOD?
In addition to the positive results achieved with our clients and which have made our reputation, our method has also proven its effectiveness scientifically. The research continues to grow as the areas of application of the method are extended. Indeed, the acoustic sensory message plays a key role in the development of the individual and as a result connects to a broad range of disorders. The scientific partners with whom we work include several public bodies (ministries, research institutes, hospitals) as well as universities, specialized associations and foundations. Their involvement ensures the objectivity and reliability of the results presented for you in a non-exhaustive overview in the following tables.
AUDITORY INTEGRATION DISORDERS (LISTENING DISORDERS)
Study by the Ross Swain Center (California) TAPS subtests (Test of Auditory Perceptual Skills) Pre / Post (%). The Ross Swain Center studied the impact ofTOMATIS listening sessions on 41 people chosenfor their auditory integration problems. Theseproblems mainly affect their listening ability andcomprehension.After sustained TOMATIS listening sessions, resultsshow a strong increase in the ability to listen andcommunicate.
Du Plessis Study (University of Potchefstroon-South Africa) Pre / Post level anxiety Du Plessis studied the case of 29 studentsproneto anxiety. 10 students attended TOMATIS listeningsessions, 9 underwent conventional psychotherapyand 10 were selected to form the control group.The TOMATIS group showed a significant reductionin anxiety, while results were mixed for those whoreceived psychotherapy and nonexistent for the controlgroup.A second Du Plessis study showed that 14.3 monthsafter taking the program, the anxiety level hadcontinued to decline sharply for the TOMATIS groupwhile no change appeared in the control group.
Orthy Study (Foch Hospital, France) and Klopfenstein study (Hospital of Vesoul, France) Pre / Post (control group) Pre / Post (TOMATIS group).The Orthy study compared the anxiety of 683 pregnantwomen who received traditional childbirth preparationcare. Fifty-three (53) of them additionally took shortTOMATIS listening sessions.The results show a decrease in anxiety for women whoattended the TOMATIS listening sessions while for thecontrol group anxiety increased.Another study conducted by the Gynecology Departmentof the Hospital of Vesoul with 170 pregnant womenshowed a decrease in the duration of childbirth of 1hour 08 mins (from 3 hours 30 mins down to 2 hours 22 mins).
LEARNING AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS
Gilmor Meta-Analysis Field N Average progression (%).Gilmor’s meta-analysis is based on a study of 225 childrenwith learning and communication difficulties.This analysis shows that the TOMATIS listening sessionshave a significant impact in the following areas: language,cognitive and psychomotor development, social and personalbehavior.
Wilson Study (University Hospital of North Shore - Cornell University, New York) Test TOMATIS / Control (% Change). Wilson studied 26 children suffering from a languagedisorder. Eighteen (18) children received TOMATISlistening sessions and 8 were assigned to the controlgroup. The results show progress for the TOMATISgroup in the following areas: communication, opennessof hearing and ability to reproduce sound.
Study 1 and 2 Brickwall House Institute (East Sussex, England) Test TOMATIS / Control (% Change). Brickwallstudied 47 dyslexic children suffering froma delay in reading of 4/5 years. Twenty-four (24) ofthese children underwent TOMATIS listening sessions.The remaining 23 children were assigned to thecontrol group.The results show a significant difference in favor of theTOMATIS group, in reading ability and expression.
Study of the Nordiska TOMATIS Centre(Sweden)Areas Pre. (%) Post.(%) Diff. (%).The TOMATIS centre of Sweden evaluated theimpact of TOMATIS listening sessions on 56people.Significant progress was recorded in termsof attention and energy as well as on motorperformance and adaptability.
To find out more about the Solisten Programme, contact Carol Smit at Bella Vida Centre on (011) 463-4438 / | <urn:uuid:2da6fccf-97dd-4b34-8f8f-e01fc20b1cdc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellavidacentre.co.za/Solisten/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916982 | 3,667 | 3.125 | 3 |
Last Updated on Friday, 22 October 2010 06:26
LIR Training Workshop
This is a one day workshop targeted at personnel that manage IP addresses for LIRs. After attending this workshop will be able to better plan and manage IP allocations from AfriNIC.
- Understanding Internet Resources & How they are Managed
- Number Resource Policies in Africa
- How They are Developed
- How They Affect You and How to Get Involved.
- AfriNIC Database Basics
- Introduction to AfriNIC Database Objects
- Creating Objects in the AfriNIC Database
- Querying the AfriNIC Database
- Understanding and Using MyAfriNIC
- Creating Route Objects in the RIPE Database
- Managing LIR Initial Allocations
- Objects that Are Affected in AfriNIC Database
- Common Mistakes and Best Practices
- How to Plan for and Request Address Space
IPv6 Training Workshop
This is a two day hands-on workshop targeted at network engineers and systems administrators that already know how to build and run IPv4 networks. After attending this workshop, participants will be able to build fully routed IPv6 networks.
- IPv4 Exhaustion and the Case for IPv6.
- Why NAT is not a Sustainable Solution to the IPv4 Exhaustion Problem.
- IPv6 Addressing
- IPv6 Routing
- Transition Techniques
Africa Asia Forum on Networking Research
This is a forum of networking professionals, researchers and practitioners from both Africa and Asia. The AAF holds side events at all AfriNIC meetings around various new technologies of interest. This November, the AAF will be organising the following side events:
- CERT Workshops
The objective of this workshop is to train African instructors who can then teach workshops on how to set up and run effective CERTS. The CERT workshops are broken into two parts:
- CERT Instructor Workshop for technical staff.
- CERT Workshop for managers and policy makers.
The African Government Working Group (AfGWG) Event
The AfGWG was set up with the aim of strengthening the collaboration between AfriNIC and African Governments and Regulators in order to create a dynamic framework to address general internet governance challenges faced by region and specifically those related to Internet Number Resources. Objectives of the AfGWG is to:
- Enable AfriNIC to share the details of its operations to Ministers, Regulators and senior Governments officials.
- Explain the present ICANN set up with emphasis on the Regional Internet Registries [RIR]
- Allow AfriNIC to take stock of the concerns-actual and future- of governments regarding the management of critical internet resources.
- Initiate joint working sessions to enable governments to share their views regarding national internet issues.
- Explore the best way for interaction with governments for the benefits of policy makers in terms of Training
- Becoming associate members
- Regular exchange of views within a formal context
- Participation in AfriNIC’s annual activities
- Reflect together and map out common strategies for the continent to benefit from the development of the Internet as well as keeping infrastructure secure.
The first AfGWG round table was convened by AfriNIC in Mauritius in January 2010 and the event saw the participation of 35 representatives of Governments and Regulators from 11 countries. The second meeting in the sidelines of the AfriNIC's 12th Public Policy Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. This will be the third meeting.
The Law Enforcement Event
AfriNIC is setting up a Law Enforcement Agency Working (LEAGWG) with the aim of strengthening the collaboration between AfriNIC and African law enforcement agencies operating within and beyond the African Regions. This is to foster a dynamic framework that encourages greater cooperation on general Internet Governance challenges faced by region and specifically those related to Internet Number Resources. This working group will address amongst others the linkage between Law enforcement and Internet governance on fighting cyber-crime. The goal is to foster a greater understanding of AfriNIC and how LEAs can work within the AfriNIC and the RIR system to prevent crime and provide the public a safe and secure Internet.
The first LEAWG meeting is scheduled to take place during the 13th AfriNIC Public Policy Meeting to be held from 20 to 26 November 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. | <urn:uuid:b74ebeb1-766c-48f2-9bc4-b4d3b821303c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://meeting.afrinic.net/afrinic-13/index.php/the-meeting/side-events | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900735 | 911 | 1.875 | 2 |
In the privacy of our minds, we all talk to ourselves — an inner monologue that might seem rather pointless. As one scientific paper on self-talk asks: “What can we tell ourselves that we don’t already know?” But as that study and others go on to show, the act of giving ourselves mental messages can help us learn and perform at our best. Researchers have identified the most effective forms of self-talk, collected here — so that the next time you talk to yourself, you know exactly what you should say.
Self-talk isn’t just motivational messages like “You can do it!” or “Almost there,” although this internal cheering section can give us confidence. A review of more than two dozen studies, published last year in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, found that there’s another kind of mental message that is even more useful, called “instructional self-talk.”
Read the whole story: Forbes
Leave a comment below and continue the conversation. | <urn:uuid:182ec266-2829-4466-8477-1c7e41b2f387> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/talk-yourself-into-top-performance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943824 | 218 | 2.5625 | 3 |
High School Valedictorian Delivers Graduation Speech in Spanish: Bueno?
Fef 2012/06/14 20:01:27
Saul Tello Jr. , the Valedictorian at Orestimba High School in Newman, California, asked his principal if he could deliver his graduation speech in Spanish to honor his parents. Principal Jesse Ceja feared that denying Tello's request could violate First Amendment (Free Speech) guaranteed in the US Constitution. The public school allowed Tello to deliver his speech in español.
LatinaLista — The two quickest ways to set off a firestorm among anti-immigrant critics is to do one of two things: talk about amnesty or speak Spanish
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The Hoover Deal
AUGUST 08, 2011
Recently Rachel Maddow, on her MSNBC show, stated the all too often used fallacy that what made the Great Depression so great was Herbert Hoover’s do nothing, free market, approach to policy in the late 1920s. The historical inaccuracies of this claim, as Steven Horwitz points out in open letter to Maddow, are and have been easily debunked. One doesn’t even need to dig deep into revisionist history to see the error, as Hoover, himself and many of his contemporaries have provided plenty of source material for evidence to the contrary.
Just to quote Hoover, “We might have done nothing. That would have been utter ruin. Instead, we met the situation with proposals to private business and the Congress of the most gigantic program of economic defense and counter attack ever evolved in the history of the Republic.” In fact, many of the New Deal’s programs stem directly from Hoover’s efforts.
Despite the obvious evidence that Herbert Hoover was anything but free market, it is not difficult to see why the truth is often blurred. Hoover’s rhetoric, at least leading up to his presidency, was to move towards limiting the regulatory power of the federal bureaucracy, which is common among Republican presidential candidates.
FEE founder Leonard E. Read was an early supporter of Herbert Hoover. When Hoover was elected president, Read organized a large crowd (16 cars large, no small sum in the 1920s) of Californians to travel across the country to participate in the inauguration. And as today’s document is proof of, Read and Hoover occasionally corresponded and saw each other until Hoover’s death in 1964.
Is Read’s early support and subsequent friendship with Herbert Hoover evidence of Hoover’s free market leanings as a president? No, of course not. Read was, of course, an unyielding supporter of free markets, but he did not start out that way. He did not gain a classical liberal/libertarian perspective until he met William Mullendore in the mid-30s. In fact, in the beginning, Read believed in Roosevelt and the New Deal, albeit not completely. Soon, though, thanks to Mullendore, Read became one of the few lone voices of opposition to such policies, which as stated above, clearly have their roots in Hoover.
Once FEE got off the ground Read often sent many of the Foundation’s articles to Hoover, such as today’s document (though what article Read sent is sadly lost), but their correspondence tended to be very brief. There is a story, however, that Hoover once submitted an article for The Freeman, which Leonard Read rejected. Of course we can only speculate why but maybe because, just as his presidency illustrated, Herbert Hoover was not as free market as many like to claim. | <urn:uuid:0a2ae582-11a6-41ba-a742-dae9f8203aaf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fee.org/library/detail/the-hoover-deal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975292 | 588 | 2.5625 | 3 |
A new front opened Friday in efforts to reshape how the federal government implements President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul now that the Supreme Court has ruled to keep the law in place.
Employers, insurers, hospitals, drug makers and others are angling for an advantage as the government writes the regulations and sets the policies that will bring the law to life.
Hospital owners want the government to reduce the $155 billion in health-care payment cuts they agreed to during negotiations over the law. Makers of medical devices hope to roll back a 2.3% tax on their sales contained in the measure. Insurance companies want more leeway to charge older people higher rates than younger ones. Drug makers are aiming at a provision that could squeeze how much Medicare pays for medicine.
"Let's face it, this law is going to be amended and adjusted for years and years to come," said Rick Pollack, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, a lobbying group.
The White House gave lobbyists fresh hope that they can win changes to the law after President Obama said Thursday he wanted to improve the overhaul. Although the legislation Mr. Obama signed in 2010 spells out most aspects of the law, federal officials can materially change it depending on how they write regulations to implement each provision.
For instance, though parts of the law such as restrictions on how much insurance companies can vary premiums by age would have to be changed by Congress, others, such as the requirement that large employers offer coverage to workers or pay a penalty, could be tweaked by federal regulators.
Congressional Democrats also could team up with Republicans to amend specific parts of the law, as they did when they repealed a small-business paperwork requirement of the health law in 2011.
Timeline: The Health-Care Debate
Read a timeline of events surrounding President Barack Obama's health-care legislation, from the bill's path through Congress to the legal challenges.
Looking Back: Health Care in America
Read about past efforts to change how Americans receive and pay for health care.
Listen to audio excerpts and explore the transcripts of the health-law arguments at the Supreme Court.
Some hospital groups said Friday they will press Congress to peel back a portion of the $155 billion in payment cuts they agreed to. The Supreme Court made one change to the law, allowing states to opt out of expanding Medicaid to a broader swath of the poor without losing existing funding for the program. Hospitals say that will mean fewer people will be insured through Medicaid, and as a result they will absorb higher costs for unpaid medical bills.
"The bargain that was struck seems to be out the window," said Bruce Siegel, chief executive of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. He said the group will lobby to restore some payments meant to ease the burden for hospitals that provide a lot of uncompensated care.
Medical-device companies see a new opening to roll back their 2.3% tax after 37 House Democrats joined 233 Republicans to repeal it earlier this month.
Retail, hospitality and restaurant companies have asked the administration to delay until 2016 enforcement of a requirement that larger employers cover full-time workers or pay a penalty, giving them two more years to comply.
Representatives of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. said they will ask Congress to change a provision that requires insurers to restrict how they vary premiums based on age.
The fresh burst of lobbying underscores how few are waiting for the November elections to see whether the measure remains in place for good. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney this week reiterated that he would repeal the law if elected. But that would require that Republicans control both the House and Senate. Companies and many states say they must press ahead with the law regardless of that possibility.
The Obama administration has released few details about what changes the president would support, beyond saying he backs legislation that would allow states greater latitude to set up their own health overhaul programs as early as 2014.
"If they discover they have better ways of doing this in ways that suit the needs of their states, then the federal government is open to it," said Stephanie Cutter, deputy manager of the Obama campaign.
More on the Court
Read more about recent decisions and see details on the justices.
Congressional Republicans said they didn't believe the president would take up many of their ideas, but that they might be able to build on the recent push to repeal the medical-device tax. "There are some areas where I think there may be common ground" among members of Congress to tweak the law, said Rep. Tom Price (R., Ga.)
Employers and health-care companies already have won changes to the law by pushing for regulatory adjustments. More than 1,000 employers and union insurance plans won waivers from the administration that allow them to continue to cap how much in insurance benefits they pay out.
Insurance companies are making the biggest push to change how the law gets carried out. They are pressing regulators to give consumers only short windows of time to sign up for plans offered in new insurance exchanges set to open in 2014. They want consumers to face penalties if they sign up late as a way of prodding them to buy coverage. "The attention shifts to the workability," said Karen Ignagni, head of America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade association.
Under the law, insurers are restricted from charging older customers—who are considered more likely to get sick—more than three times the rate they charge younger ones. The industry wants to be able to charge premiums up to five times higher for older consumers, and plans a fresh public campaign arguing that if premiums are too expensive for younger, healthier people, they won't buy insurance.
Peeling back the medical-device tax is long shot given that Mr. Obama has said he would veto such a change. JC Scott, the top Washington lobbyist for medical-device industry group AdvaMed, said lawmakers could put the repeal in a broader bill addressing myriad expiring tax provisions after the election.
Drug makers are taking aim at a provision of the health law that could squeeze how much Medicare pays for medicines. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry's main lobby, is working to repeal an independent panel due to issue recommendations to Congress on ways to control Medicare spending.
The board might need to find $25 billion to $50 billion in Medicare cuts between 2015 and 2019 if Medicare spending doesn't stay within certain targets, estimates Richard Evans, an analyst at Sector & Sovereign Research.—Gerald F. Seib and Jonathan D. Rockoff contributed to this article. | <urn:uuid:3ce35816-f343-4206-8cbe-05a193b4ea23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304830704577497024284229362.html?mod=rss_Health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967196 | 1,349 | 1.664063 | 2 |
This tutorial is a detailed, step by step demonstration of my process in the making of a creature illustration. As a side note, this assignment was a Concept Art test for Cryptic Studios
. I did get the job, so in that respect, this piece was a success.
Step 0: Comps / Thumbnails
The first step in creating any image is the ideation process. This is the part I really have fun with. Since the assignment is a creature illustration, I create a set of creature thumbnails. Sketching small and staying loose allows the ideas and shapes to flow. I sketch about 20 mini thumbnails during this process (Fig.01 & Fig.02).
I use a combination of gray markers, from 20% gray to 70% gray, just to create shapes and show form and lighting. To line, I use a brush pen and a fine tipped felt pen.
Fig.03 shows the last group of creature sketches. I start by favoring a reptilian creature for this scene until I finally settle on the Minotaur creature on the bottom left.
Having decided on the creature's design, it's now time to design the scene. I sketch small, 2" to 3", thumbnails to establish the overall image. I try to stay very loose and sketch quickly and allow the ideas to flow. I sketch about 10 thumbnails for this image and the ones selected here are the strongest compositions. After some revision and feedback, I decide to develop the thumbnail on the lower left.
Step 1: Cleanup / Line Drawing
Now I have my creature and the scene sketched/planned out, I scan in the comp and begin to clean it up in Photoshop. I want the focus of the image to be the creature so I develop him first. My focus here is to have a clean, solid line drawing that will create a strong foundation for the rest of the image. This is a really important point; if the drawing is solid, then everything will fall into place and the rendering process will go very smoothly (Fig.04).
Step 2: Light and Shade
Now that I have a solid line drawing I begin to add light and shade (Fig.05). The steps are as follows:
- I paint a flat, 25% gray underneath the line art. The setting is at night, so the creature will be relatively dark.
- I create a multiply layer over the flat layer. I paint the shadows using a 50% gray and 25% gray (for core shadows)
I create an Overlay layer above the shadow layer. Using a 85% gray, I paint the lights and highlights. At this stage my focus is on good separation of lights and darks and good edges to make the forms turn. | <urn:uuid:6f7d0316-237c-461a-866a-cedba14808b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.3dtotal.com/index_tutorial_detailed.php?id=502 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918755 | 557 | 2.515625 | 3 |
BNL Physics Timeline
Current Research Areas
Brookhaven Soft Condensed Matter Physics
A subset of condensed matter, soft matter encompasses polymers, certain types of organic and biological matter, liquid crystals, and other self-assembled organic materials. These systems often have structural order that is intermediate between normal solids and liquids. The underlying physics and behavior of these materials is relevant to developing improved electronic displays, molecular electronics (tiny circuits based on single molecules), and novel biomaterials.
An example of this research is the study of “surface freezing,” the phenomenon by which the top molecular layer of a material—as thin as a single molecular layer—freezes at a temperature at which the underlying bulk remains liquid. This is a surprising result because in most materials, the opposite phenomenon, surface melting, is observed. Surface freezing occurs in wax-like materials called alkanes, which are composed of hydrocarbon molecules in simple linear chains. Alkanes are major components in oil, fuels, polymers, and lubricants. By shining x-rays at grazing angles on a puddle of alkanes, the crystalline structure of the surface-frozen, molecule-thick layer is readily distinguished from the underlying liquid. To date, the theoretical physical laws that underlie surface freezing are still unresolved.
One objective of the soft matter program at Brookhaven is to understand the behavior of ultra-thin organic films on solid and liquid surfaces. Liquid surfaces have properties that make them ideal substrates. Using x-rays to study films on a liquid mercury surface, for example, reveals that the molecules in the film typically progress with increasing coverage from a lying-down phase to a standing-up phase, often with an intermediate tilted phase. The specific type of organic molecule in the film affects the phase sequence and also how the film will crystallize. These specific structural and chemical details are important for understanding the electronic properties of thin films, an important step for developing applications in molecular electronics.
Last Modified: February 4, 2008 | <urn:uuid:6df91e8a-3aee-45e2-a119-cf6bcf08faa0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bnl.gov/physics/overview/softCondensed.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919402 | 408 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Foreign Economic Relations
Foreign economic relations have been shaped largely by chuch'e ideology and the development strategy of building a virtually autarkic economy. These factors have led to an inward-looking and import-substituting trade policy, which has resulted in a small scale of foreign trade and a chronic trade deficit. North Korea's main trade partners have been communist countries, principally the Soviet Union and China, and Japan has been a major trading partner since the 1960s.
Although still adhering to the basic principle of selfreliance , P'yongyang is flexible in its application whenever the economic need arises. After the Korean War, North Korea received a substantial amount of economic aid from communist countries for reconstructing its war-torn economy. In the early 1970s, the country accepted a massive infusion of advanced machinery and equipment from Western Europe and Japan in an effort to modernize its economy and to catch up with South Korea. By the late 1980s, P'yongyang had moved towards making exporting a priority in order to garner foreign exchange so as to be able to import advanced technologies needed for industrial growth and to pay for oil imports.
The most recent and important manifestation of a flexible and practical application of self-reliance--prompted by severe economic difficulties--is the gradual move toward an open-door policy. This policy shift, which involves North Korea's attitudes toward foreign trade, tourism, direct foreign investment, joint ventures, and economic cooperation with South Korea, has the potential to significantly change the country's foreign economic relations.
The importance of trading with Western developed countries was expounded by Kim Il Sung as early as 1975. The origin of the open-door policy, however, was Kim Il Sung's 1979 New Year's address, in which he mentioned the need to expand foreign trade rapidly in order to meet the requirements of an expanding economy. Kim publicly alluded to some serious problems impeding North Korean exports, exhorting the population to adhere to a reliability-first principle: improving product quality, strictly meeting delivery dates, and expanding harbor facilities and the number of cargo vessels. In his 1980 New Year's address, Kim repeated this theme and announced that foreign trade had increased 30 percent in 1979 over 1978. This speech marked the first time in a decade that trade statistics had been made public--even in this limited and relative form. Unexpectedly and uncharacteristically, North Korea joined the UNDP in 1979 and accepted US$8.85 million in technical assistance. This action was further evidence of a small opening to outside economic involvement.
The year 1984 was the benchmark in officially launching the open-door policy. The Supreme People's Assembly's policy statement, entitled "For Strengthening South-South Cooperation and External Economic Work and Further Developing Foreign Trade," stressed the need to expand economic relations with the developing world as well as to promote economic and technical cooperation with advanced industrial countries. The document also repeated the export bottlenecks listed by Kim in his 1979 and 1980 New Year's addresses. North Korea indicated its readiness to accept direct foreign investment by enacting a joint venture law in 1984. And, since 1986, the country has begun to encourage tourism by accepting some tour groups from the West.
The most far-reaching change in foreign economic relations occurred in 1988 when North Korea began to trade with South Korea. Inter-Korean trade has grown rapidly, and by 1993 the two Koreas expanded into joint ventures and other forms of economic cooperation. North Korea's readiness to open its economy to the West and to South Korea is, no doubt, prompted by its need to import sophisticated Western industrial equipment, plants, and up-to-date technologies in order to modernize and jump-start the economy, and to catch up with South Korea. Given its sizable foreign debt, sagging exports, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its largest trade partner, North Korea does not have much choice and recognizes the need to revise its trade laws so as to encourage foreign investment.
|Country Studies main page | North korea Country Studies main page | Celebrity| | <urn:uuid:f298b602-8da0-4404-87a0-eeb455994a47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://country-studies.com/north-korea/foreign-economic-relations.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961665 | 827 | 3.15625 | 3 |
|VIDEO: May 2011 - UNICEF correspondent Chris Niles reports on how lack of safe water is threatening one girl's dream for the future. Watch in RealPlayer|
Three times a week Tilalem and her mother Medhin fetch water from the closest source of water, a spring that flows down the mountain behind their village. It takes them more than an hour to walk there, leaving Tilalem – who has been helping her mother since she was nine – often too tired to attend school. Her grades are now slipping as a result.
There is little choice. “If we don’t get up early in the morning the water will get spoiled. People who live above here will wash in the water, polluting it,” explains Medhin. “When the sun is overbearing there are times when the spring dries up, then we are forced to use the rain-fed ponds. That water is not good.”
|© UNICEF video|
|Tilalem, 13, and mother Medhin collect water from a spring in Raya Azebo district of Tigray in northern Ethiopia. It's an arduous chore that involves walking long distances over rough terrain.|
Some days they have to wait hours to get their turn, as other women and girls fill up their containers. The return journey carrying 25 litres of water each on their backs across the mountainous terrain is an ordeal that they bear in silence.
“It is very heavy, it is water after all,” says Medhin. “The rope digs into our shoulders, it swells and gets sore. Because I don’t have a donkey, it is my daughter and me who must carry the water.”
Limited supply of safe water
In Raya Azebo, access to a safe water supply is only 49 per cent, according to the district water office. And the Government definition of access means that a year-round improved water source exists within 1.5 km of the home, so even people with access to safe water face a long walk.
|© UNICEF video|
|In Jalla village in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, Shefena Habte Hagos collects water from a deep water wall. Before her village got a UNICEF-supported deep water well, it was a struggle to keep her family clean and healthy.|
Raya Azebo also is a drought-prone district with limited sources of easily accessible water. “The most reliable year-round water sources in that district are deep wells. So providing access to a safe water supply often requires a significant amount of funding,” says UNICEF WASH Project Officer Leul Fisseha.
UNICEF, in partnership with the Regional Water Bureau, is working to improve access to safe water and sanitation. At the moment this means bringing in water by tanker but the aim is to install a deep well and water distribution system.
“Providing potable water to the most vulnerable, like the people in this district, has many tangible benefits,” said Mr. Fisseha. Bringing water near homes will give children more time to study and improve sanitation and hygiene, which will also result in fewer incidences of diarrhoeal diseases.
Shefena Habte Hagos lives in the village of Jalla in Raya Azebo where UNICEF has already supported the installation of a deep well water system, like the one needed in Ebo Village.
“When we went to fetch water in the place called Oda, we would spend the whole day there,” says Ms. Hagos. “It was so far away, we would have to spend the night there, and the children would go hungry. But now that the water point is close by, we fetch water in peace and we are able to give our children lunch and dinner – they no longer have to go to bed hungry.”
|© UNICEF video|
|Tilalem and her mother must spend hours every week collecting water from a great distance in the district of Raya Azebo, Ethiopia. Tilalem is falling behind in school because fetching water means skipping class.|
There has been a great deal of progress in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in Ethiopia during the past five years, much of it achieved through joint partnership programmes between the Government and organizations such as UNICEF.
Much still remains to be done, however. According to Government figures, about 30 million Ethiopians – out of a total population of 82 million – still lack access to basic sanitation and safe and reliable drinking water. Drought is exacerbating these issues.
Closing the gap
The Government of Ethiopia has laid out ambitious plans for water, sanitation and hygiene through its ‘Universal Access Plan’ which seeks to provide people with 98.5 per cent access to safe water and 100 per cent access to sanitation by 2015, which is over and above its Millennium Development Goal targets.
To do this, innovative, cost-effective and sector-wide approaches are needed. UNICEF is supporting the Government and its partners to accomplish this, including:
Clean water, healthy lives
Reaching these targets by 2015 could cost as much as $2.3 billion. Current levels of investment are only about a third of this. But as Ms. Hagos can attest, providing safe water is investing the future.
“The old water source was terrible quality, it had frogs living in it, and different types of worms,” she recalls. “Our children would frequently get stomach diseases. But now we drink clean water, and they don’t get sick.”
It also means her children are able to attend school regularly. The hope is that children like Tilalem will soon be able to as well. | <urn:uuid:4e3031dd-6968-46c5-936f-c920ea29a93e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ethiopia_59056.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96775 | 1,218 | 3 | 3 |
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Who Owns the Land of Palestine?’ tag.
On the eve of the decision to be made on Palestinian statehood, it is appropriate for Christians of all denominations to remind themselves of the real nature of the biblical mandate of God for the Jewish people with regards to the Land of Israel-Palestine.Please watch my video on the Biblical perspective of ownership of the land of Palestine and read the recent article by Stephen Sizer that he published on his blog.
God Bless Jews and Palestinians
Today the Palestinian Authority will submit a request to be recognised as a sovereign independent state with recognised borders. It has been a long time coming. Many will say, what matters is what God says not the UN and they will quote selective verses from the Hebrew Bible suggesting the promises God made to Abraham about the extent of the land is the exclusive inheritance of the Jewish people today. A simple reading of some key Hebrew passages shows this to be arrogant and presumptuous.
Contrary to popular assumption, the Scriptures repeatedly insist that the land belongs to God and that residence is always conditional. For example, God said to his people, “‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.” (Leviticus 25:23). In Ezekiel, it seems the Lord anticipated the reasoning of those who arrogantly claimed rights to the land because of the covenant originally made with Abraham.
“Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? You rely on your sword, you do detestable things… Should you then possess the land?’ … I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end.’ (Ezekiel 33:24-26,28-29)
The Hebrew scriptures insist, residence was open to all God’s people on the basis of faith not race. When the people of God returned from exile in Babylon, they were given these instructions:
“You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign LORD.” (Ezekiel 47:21-23)
Indeed, the writer to Hebrews explains that the land was never their ultimate desire or inheritance any way. The land was only ever intended as a temporary residence until the coming of Jesus Christ. Our shared eternal inheritance is heavenly not earthly.
“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God… All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth…. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own…. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one… These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:9-10; 13-16; 39-40)
The New Testament insists the promises God made to Abraham are fulfilled not in the Jewish people but in Jesus and those who acknowledge him.
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ… There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:16, 28-29)
So may God bless Israelis and Palestinians committed to justice, peacemaking and reconciliation and may his curse be upon those who resort to racism and violence to satisfy their greed and achieve their political aims.
Posted by Stephen Sizer at 10:59 | <urn:uuid:b8e3736c-9ab8-43db-b053-51294a688b8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://craignielsen.wordpress.com/tag/who-owns-the-land-of-palestine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976702 | 1,029 | 2.390625 | 2 |
This month the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added FYI, LOL, and OMG to their online edition. Previously (before now), OED had added IMHO, TMI, BFF, and others to the online dictionary.
These expressions are examples of initialisms, abbreviations that are made up of the first letters of a name or expression. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, here’s how the OED defines them:
- OMG – “Oh my God” (or sometimes “gosh,” “goodness,” etc.)
- LOL – “Laughing out loud”
- FYI – “For your information”
- IMHO – “In my humble opinion,” sometimes only IMO – “In my opinion”
- TMI – “Too much information”
- BFF – “Best friends forever”
When we pronounce (say) initialisms, we say the letters: for example, O-M-G or C-E-O (Chief Executive Officer, the top manager of a large company) or F-B-I (Federal Bureau of Investigation).
When we pronounce an initialism as a word, we call it an acronym. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) are familiar acronyms.
In making the announcement, the OED noted (mentioned something interesting or important) that the intention (goal or purpose) of an initialism is usually to signal (show or express) a very casual (informal) mood or feeling. They have become popular because they are short and easy to type in an e-mail, tweet, or text message. The OED says that these initialisms are used sometimes to parody the way people act and write online. Parody means to copy (repeat) someone or something in a way that makes people laugh. A good example of parody on television is Saturday Night Live, where the actors parody politicians and popular entertainers to make the audience laugh. Sometimes we call this “making fun of” someone or something.
During the process of approving these initialisms, the OED discovered (found) that all three of them have been used for many years, long before the beginning of the Internet. OMG was first used in 1917, during World War I, in a personal letter. FYI originated (began) in 1941, during World War II. And LOL started in 1960, but then it stood for (meant) “little old lady,” an elderly (older) woman!
This brings up an interesting point, one that may surprise you. The editors (people who decide what goes into a book) of a dictionary don’t determine (decide) the meanings of words. Rather, they report (describe) how the speakers and writers of a language use words. The editors’ job is, first, to collect examples of different word uses or meanings and, then, to decide whether or not a word meaning is used often enough to be included in the dictionary. So we could say that a dictionary is a collection of descriptions of how the words of a language are used.
If you are a more advanced reader, you might enjoy the story of how the OED started. It’s in a book with the curious (strange or unusual) title The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary.
~ Warren Ediger – English tutor and coach and creator of Successful English, where English learners find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.
Photo by emdot used under Creative Commons license. | <urn:uuid:07c4f194-5bdb-4358-925c-b435735d2a02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eslpod.com/eslpod_blog/2011/04/14/fyi-and-lol-in-oed-omg/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930828 | 787 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Bhisma-panchaka is a five-day period at the end of the month of Karttika (October-November), said to commemorate the last five days in the life of Bhisma, a key figure in the history of India. The Mahabharata and the Srimad-Bhagavatam describe Bhisma as a powerful warrior and commander-in-chief of the royal army who renounced his own claim to the throne of the world and instead remained celibate throughout his life.
Bhisma is also known as one of twelve mahajanas—authorities—in the science of devotional service to Krishna. In his youth, he received the benediction that he would only die when he wished to, and he spent his final few days giving spiritual and political instructions to King Yudhisthira while lying on a bed of arrows, mortally wounded, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
- In the Srimad-Bhagavatam: The Passing Away of Bhismadeva in the Presence of Lord Krishna
- a chapter of the Bhagavatam dedicated to Bhisma's teachings in his last days. | <urn:uuid:769bf966-843f-4a8d-a196-d9333cd6cb7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://krishna.com/event/end-bhisma-panchaka | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965904 | 247 | 3.65625 | 4 |
Virtual knot theory is an interesting generalization of knot theory in which ``virtual" crossings are allowed. See Kauffman's Virtual Knot Theory for an introduction. Greg Kuperberg gave a nice topological interpretation of virtual knots in this paper. One reason to be interested in virtual knots and links is that many knot and link invariants generalize to the virtual setting. For example, my naive understanding is that virtual knots are a more natural domain for Vassiliev invariants than knots are. My question is whether anyone knows of examples that demonstrate the utility of virtual knot theory? For example, are there any interesting theorems outside of virtual knot theory that can be most easily proven using virtual knot theory? The papers I have seen seem to pursue VKT for its own sake, but my sense is that such a natural area must be of much wider use.
Added: I just ran across a paper by Rourke that explains a geometric interpretation of "welded links" which are like virtual links but an additional move is allowed. This is a beautiful little paper which explains how welded knot theory corresponds to a theory of certain embedded tori in $\mathbb R^4$. It's really amazing how the Reidemeister moves, both virtual and classical, correspond to isotopies of what Rourke calls toric links. This is a part of Bar-Natan's program mentioned by Theo Johnson-Freyd and Daniel Moskovich below. Dror calls the toric links "flying rings". | <urn:uuid:ed46363f-8c07-476c-a341-d9435c612a2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathoverflow.net/questions/47899?sort=newest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926624 | 307 | 1.71875 | 2 |
NEW YORK, July 21, 2011 — The crucial participation of NGOs and other civil society organizations in Japan's disaster relief was the theme of an Asia Society public forum that featured firsthand accounts of the relief efforts following the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake that struck northeastern Japan last March.
Participants included Kazuaki Kubo, Director General of the Japan Foundation New York; Irene Hirano, President, US-Japan council; Noboru Hayase, Chief Executive Officer, Osaka Voluntary Action Center (OV AC); Fukiko Ishii, President, Sakura-Net; and Tae Namba, Director, President’s Office, Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA). The event was moderated by Tatsuaki Kobayashi of the Japan Foundation, New York.
Ishii emphasized the necessity of civil society action, maintaining that such assistance is crucial in cases where government response has been particularly lacking.
Since the March 11 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunamis devastated coastal regions in Japan, Hayase said through interpreters, 358 organizations and 500,000 volunteers have provided assistance in the region. Disaster victims have recieved $3.7 billion USD in direct contributions, and $325 million USD have been contributed to non-profits and disaster volunteer centers operating in the disaster-stricken areas.
Namba said that doctors and other medical personnel working through AMDA had been providing free care up to April 20. Starting June 1, the patients have been handed over to local doctors and hospitals operating under Japan’s National Health Insurance system as part of the return to normalcy.
Hayase, though grateful for civil society relief efforts that have been key to the recovery of affected regions, emphasized the need for long-term response.
"About 300 billion yen (about $3.7 billion) has been paid out, but since there are so many victims, each victim only receives about 400,000 yen (about $5,100), which is not enough to support the victims and their needs," said Hayase.
The earthquakes have affected the livelihood of locals; as many as 20,000 fishermen have been affected and 160,000 remain unemployed, with many who are employed only working short-term jobs in cleanup efforts. Only long-term economic support can help get their lives back on track in the long run.
"There are so many people who are living on the fisheries, but they lost their ships, they lost their seafields," said Kobayashi. "Nothing remains, but people are still struggling to survive."
"The nuclear issue a very serious issue, but at the same time, please buy Japanese food and Japanese products. It's completely okay, Japan is a very safe country and are really careful in exporting... if you buy something from the Tohoku area it would really help with the recovery."
The reports also contained glimpses of a heartwarming side of disaster relief efforts. Ishii held up a wind chime, explaining that it was made by younger evacuees to contribute to the relief efforts. Each featured an encouraging message; the one Ishii held read "Let's move together one step at a time."
In the closing remarks, Kobayashi reiterated that it is never too late to act; NPOs such as the Japan Center for International Exchange have set up ad-hoc funds dedicated to supporting long-term reconstruction activities.
Reported by Bryan Le | <urn:uuid:49f4c81f-a979-4682-8943-bc47b66a0b5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asiasociety.org/policy/social-issues/public-health/recovery-japan-voices-ground | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962653 | 702 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Thanks to Leslie Salley, who tweeted about this...apparently, in Memphis, a place very near and dear to my heart and my hometown :) , the city (public) schools are putting place graduation requirements which include taking a certain amount of online courses. (See HERE for the article, HERE for a blog post with info about online course requirements in others states as well).
Now keep in mind that this appears to be a fully online course of study (for these particular classes), NOT a "regular" class enhanced by online discussion on a Wikispace, or something like that.
My questions for this esteemed group (please respond in the comments!) ...
1) Has anyone had any experience with online courses in their schools? Would you be able to comment about your experiences, how it went, pros, cons, etc?
2) Do you think that this is something that would/could work in our day schools? Perhaps this could help cut tuition costs? Perhaps it could allow smaller schools to offer more courses, even if only one or two students are interested in a particular offering? How would you set it up to ensure that there is real learning going on, on par with what would take place in a 'real' classroom setting?
3) Finally, after asking the "would/could" question, here comes the "SHOULD" question: Should this be pursued in
our schools? Is there educational value in having a mixture of classroom and online courses? Or would you view the advent of online courses as, at best, a "b'dieved," a necessary evil that has to be tolerated in order to lower costs, etc.? | <urn:uuid:956246ef-f95c-4df1-825f-7e54c838b565> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jedchange.net/profiles/blogs/online-courses-as-a-graduation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96656 | 336 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Open Forum: ‘. . . Baby shoes, never used’
Posted: October 6, 2012
Ernest Hemingway once wrote a six-word “bio” that said. “For sale, baby shoes, never used.”
One wonders what circumstance, what sorrow and regret caused him to write this phrase. Yet in our country these six words could be repeated thousands of times a day. There are more than 3,400 abortions every day in the United States.
Abortion has robbed our nation of more than 50 million of its citizens over the past 39 years since the Supreme Court legalized abortion through its Roe v. Wade decision. Only God knows the full impact of so many tragic life-ending decisions. But make no mistake, there have been many negative consequences.
The medical and psychological results are well documented to include future infertility, increased risk of drug use, depression, and suicide, to name a few. Also our Social Security/Medicare system was not designed to have such a low worker/retiree ratio that we are experiencing today.
Abortion is a permanent solution to a temporary “problem,” that being an unintended pregnancy. It trades a lifetime of a person to avoid a few months’ inconvenience. There are many resources available today for women who find themselves in such a situation that it is not reasonable to use abortion as a way to “fix” this “problem.”
Adoption, financial assistance from the father and various agencies, and raising your own child are all viable options. A decision made in haste and usually under pressure from others is almost always not the best one. What appears easiest often turns out to be the hardest to deal with in the long run. Abortion is a hopeless act that obliterates a future hope.
Abortion was and is touted as a solution to so many of our society’s problems. But deception and lies were the foundation of this belief. From the number of maternal deaths from illegal abortions prior to the legalization of abortion to “It’s not a baby, it’s just a glob of tissue” argument, abortion has been couched in language — fetus, products of conception, choice — that hid the fact that a fully formed baby is being killed by abortion.
The young people of today have grown up with the belief that abortion is safe and legal, so it must be OK, many unaware that one-third of their generation were aborted.
The only way to change a viewpoint is to change a heart. And that, I believe, can only be accomplished through the power of prayer. You can have the opportunity of joining thousands across our nation this Sunday, from 2 to 3 p.m., in an hour of prayer for those facing abortion decisions and their babies. You can do this by joining LIFE CHAIN, a peaceful, prolife time of prayer with participants standing on sidewalks, holding signs and silently praying.
Winchester’s link in LIFE CHAIN will take place along Pleasant Valley Road, from Cork Street to Millwood Avenue. Signs will be distributed at the site.
Last year, 1,800 chains in 1,500 cities had a link. Please join us in praying for the most vulnerable in our society. Please come and pray like someone's life depends on it, because ultimately it does. Make a stand for LIFE!
Elizabeth Harrison is a resident of Frederick County. | <urn:uuid:8ee7d079-8df9-432a-86a4-8600eab81755> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.winchesterstar.com/articles/print_preview/open_forum_baby_shoes_never_used | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966766 | 707 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Airports Authority to vote on toll increase next month
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors will make a preliminary recommendation in June on rates for the next few years on the Dulles Toll Road. The toll revenues are being used to help fund the $5.8 billion Silver Line through Tysons Corner, Reston and Herndon to Dulles International Airport.
Authority staff and consultants are weighing several different tolling options.
One option would double the cost of a trip on the toll road to $4.50 next year and maintain that rate through at least 2015. This assumes the Metrorail project receives no additional funding from Virginia, which tentatively has pledged $150 million to buy down tolls.
Other options would offer a more gradual toll increase of $2.75 per trip in 2013, $3.50 in 2014 and $4.50 in 2015, or maintaining a flat $3.50 rate for the next three years. Both of these options would rely on the additional $150 million from the state.
The Airports Authority board’s Dulles Corridor Committee will decide at its June meeting which proposed rates to advertise to the public. Citizens will then have the opportunity to weigh in during public meetings tentatively scheduled for July and August.
Board member Robert Brown suggested the authority consider a dual track rate increase plan, so the board has options, depending on whether Virginia officials allocate the $150 million.
New Kingstowne Park master plan approved
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has approved a new master plan for Kingstowne Park in Alexandria.
The 75-acre park on Telegraph Road contains trails, natural areas and extensive stormwater ponds and wetlands. A dam failure in 2010 drained two of the ponds on the site.
The revised plan envisions a neighborhood preserve with a more extensive trail network, new stormwater management, wildlife habitat and opportunities for stewardship education.
The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is designing repairs to the existing failed dam and upgrading two of the ponds to serve as storm water management facilities.
Potomac named most endangered river
The group American Rivers has named the Potomac River the most endangered river in the U.S. American Rivers is lobbying against loosening of federal clean water regulations.
In addition to recreation, the river provides drinking water to about 5 million people in the region.
10 local companies on Fortune 500 list
ITT Exelis — which spun off from ITT Corporation in 2011 and established its headquarters in Tysons Corner — is the 10th Fairfax County company to crack Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 largest publicly-traded companies in the U.S. The 2012 list is in the May 21 edition of Fortune.
Fairfax County has more companies on the list than 34 states, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Fairfax also is in the top 10 counties with the most ranked headquarters.
Fortune based its rankings on annual revenue in 2011. The Fairfax-based companies are Freddie Mac (No. 25), General Dynamics (No. 92), Northrop Grumman (No. 104), Capital One (No. 148), CSC (No. 162), SAIC (No. 245), NII Holdings (No. 369 ), ITT Exelis (No. 422), Booz Allen Holding (No. 439) and Gannett, Inc. ( No. 465).
In addition, Exxon Mobil, which maintains its refining, retailing and marketing headquarters in Fairfax County, tops the 2012 list.
“Thirty years ago no Fortune 500 companies were based here, but now 2 percent of the largest companies in the nation are headquartered in one place — Fairfax County,” said Gerald L. Gordon president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. | <urn:uuid:8936c0a7-4f87-4613-a48a-ab074fb34a6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20120518/NEWS/705189810/1076/news&source=RSS&template=fairfaxTimes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942061 | 781 | 1.515625 | 2 |
We’ve said before in the past that the rise of the SSD as a replacement to the conventional mechanical drive is inevitable, but still some way off. Affordable SSDs might have the performance in the read stakes, but their poor JMicron drive controllers have so far proved disappointing when you look at write performance, and while Intel’s X25 series of SSDs are able to produce excellent read and write speeds their price is extremely prohibitive.
Capacities are also an obstacle for the humble SSD, and while they’re able to provide high performance across the entire drive (unlike a mechanical disk where performance drops off the closer the read/write heads get to the centre of the disk) the capacity of a high mechanical drive is many times that of an SSD, especially with the imminent arrival of 2TB drives!
However, the G.Skill Titan looks to go some way toward addressing both these issues. Packing in 256GB of MLC Flash storage it’s one of the largest SSDs publicly available and although it's based on the cheaper JMicron Controller, it employs some hardware trickery to offer significantly faster read and write times than the 128GB G.Skill SSD we looked at back in December.
Click to enlarge
While still using the same 2.5” black metal casing as the 128GB model, cracking the Titan open reveals an ingenious approach to improving performance without having to develop a completely new drive controller or architecture.
The 256GB of MLC memory is split between 32 separate 8GB Samsung “846” NAND flash modules, which have been double stacked on both sides of the PCB to save on space within the casing. These 32 modules are then evenly divided between the Titan’s dual JMF 602 drive controllers, which are in turn connected to a JMB390 SATA multiplier.
The result is reminiscent of a RAID0 array, with each drive controller connected to 128GB of MLC NAND flash and the two combining via the SATA multiplier to produce a 256GB SSD that’s much faster than a solitary 128GB drive. Unlike a RAID0 array though, data is not uniformly striped across the drive - entire files can be written to specific cells. While the result, just as with RAID, will unlikely double the drive’s performance, it should provide a significant improvement in both read and write speed, with G.Skill quoting peak performance of 200MB/s read and 160MB/s write.
Click to enlarge - the drive is equipped with two drive controllers in a RAID0 like array
However, the use of the same memory modules and drive controller as the previous G.Skill 128GB drive is a concern, with the key issue of micro stuttering, where the drive receives simply too many commands for it to function properly still a large concern. Whether the use of two drive controllers is able to alleviate the problem is something we’ll be looking at closely.
Price is, as always with SSDs, also a sticking point - the 256GB version of the Titan currently available in the USA for a whopping $499. While this is less than twice that of the 128GB model, which retails for $299, it’s still enough to buy no less than five Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB hard disk drives – enough to build a very meaty RAID5 array.
Can the Titan justify its price, and how will the use of dual drive controller chips affect performance? Let’s find out. | <urn:uuid:28510230-a688-48d4-a09e-90536a6e821e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/01/20/g-skill-titan-256gb-ssd-review/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943714 | 720 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Please note: This information was as current as we could make it on the date given above. But medical information is always changing, and some information given here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor.org, the AAFP patient education Web site.
Information from Your Family Doctor
Am Fam Physician. 2005 Feb 15;71(4):740.
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is an anxiety reaction. When a panic attack happens, the person suddenly feels very afraid or very nervous. Panic attacks can last from a few minutes to several hours. Many things can cause panic attacks, such as being in a crowded place. Sometimes these feelings seem to happen for no reason.
How can I tell if I’m having a panic attack?
You may be having a panic attack if you have four or more of the following symptoms:
Shortness of breath, or feeling like you can’t breathe
Trembling or shaking
Hot flushes or chills
Feeling like you are choking
Feeling dizzy or unsteady
Feeling that your body is not real
Numbness or tingling in part of your body
Fear of dying, fear of “going crazy,” or fear of losing control
Some of the symptoms of a panic attack also can be signs of a serious illness. You should visit your doctor to find out what is causing your symptoms.
How can my doctor help?
Your doctor can teach you ways to cope with panic attacks. He or she might want you to try deep breathing and relaxation exercises. Your doctor might give you medicine to keep you from having panic attacks. He or she also might want you to talk with a therapist. Talking with a therapist can help you learn how to recognize the things that can start a panic attack and avoid them, if possible.
Will I have another panic attack?
Many people who have one panic attack have another one. The feelings that come with panic attacks are very scary. But worrying about having these feelings can be enough to bring on another panic attack. Remember that you will not die from a panic attack, and you are not going crazy.
This handout is provided to you by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.
This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.
Copyright © 2005 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP. Contact email@example.com for copyright questions and/or permission requests. | <urn:uuid:dbad1946-0169-4453-b1a1-403f52f61e8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0215/p740.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943131 | 644 | 2.859375 | 3 |
President Barack Obama renominates former Ohio attorney general to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The President had given the job to Cordray on a temporary basis early last year, putting him at the head of the then-fledgling agency by making a recess appointment. That got him get around Senate Republicans' objections holding up the 2011 nominee.
The problem, senators said, was not Cordray specifically but, rather, the broad powers his agency would have. His agency, and the duties of its director, were created by Democratic lawmakers who wrote the Dodd-Frank banking-and-consumer-protection laws.
But Cordray's recess appointment expires at the end of 2013. Ohio Democrats speculated late last year that perhaps Cordray would leave a little earlier to prepare for a 2014 gubernatorial run. Other Ohio Democrats considering a challenge to incumbent Republican Gov. John Kasich include Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, current U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and former Rep. Betty Sutton.
Follow the Call & Post website, newspaper, Twitter and Facebook for updates. | <urn:uuid:dc89605f-7845-4591-893b-658cb5da5c09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.callandpost.com/index.php/news/world/3284-richard-cordary-back-in-thanks-to-president-obama | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963362 | 218 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Engineering is Everywhere
Saturday, February 16
You can celebrate National Engineers Week with TampaBay Engineers. We'll have hands-on activities to learn real-life engineering disciplines including civil, materials, electrical, chemical, mechanical, and more. You can talk with engineers and learn about their jobs, find out what engineers do for our community and how it affects you today and tomorrow. You'll be able to design and build prototypes using high-tech fabrication equipment. This event is great for all ages. | <urn:uuid:37197094-e782-4a9f-9e86-995814c11719> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmnf.org/community_announcements/15057 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966034 | 101 | 1.914063 | 2 |
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Lebanese Poet and Novelist
THE ESSENTIAL MISSION
Essential Patch is all about doing good, and although we enjoy supporting organizations through monetary and product donations, what we love most is being on the front lines and getting our hands dirty. Each year we will journey to visit with select partner organizations to learn first hand about their causes, volunteering our time, and making a substantial donation to an important project with track-able results.
With your help Essential Patch allocates a percentage of each product sold toward this large donation. In addition to the monetary donation, we will create short documentary style video clips highlighting the issue being addressed, with interviews from the experts as well as tales of our employees adventures every step of the way.
Through customer support of the Essential mission we hope to generate additional awareness for these worthy causes, provide much needed on the ground support, and do our little part to inspire a worldwide movement of giving and volunteerism.
The First Essential Mission: The Medicine Abuse Project
For our first Essential Mission, we’re allocating a percentage of each Essential Patch product sold towards The Medicine Abuse Project. Once we hit our $1000 goal we’ll donate it to this multi-year campaign which aims to prevent half a million teens from abusing medicine within the next 5 years. Thanks for joining Essential Patch by showing your support of The Medicine Abuse Project.
Take the pledge at http://medicineabuseproject.org
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW?
Used as prescribed or directed, medicines improve our lives. When misused and abused, the opposite is true, and the consequences of this behavior are devastating, particularly among teens.
Our society has become very familiar — and comfortable — with the common use of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines. As new medicines for alleviating symptoms come to market, they are heavily promoted with their images advertised in newspapers, magazines, on television and the internet, raising our understanding of the conditions they treat. As a result, teens have grown up associating medicine with solving problems — and have a heightened awareness of Rx and OTC medicines.
Teens also have easy access to medicine. Two-thirds (65 percent) of teens who report abuse of prescription medicine are getting them from friends, family and acquaintances.
While some teens abuse medicine to party and get high, many are using medicine to manage stress or regulate their lives. Some are abusing prescription stimulants to provide additional energy and increase their ability to focus when they’re studying or taking tests. Many teens are abusing pain relievers, tranquilizers and over-the-counter cough medicine to cope with academic, social or emotional stress.
Teens don’t see this behavior as risky. They see their parents taking medicine – and they believe that since medicine is created and tested in a scientific environment it is therefore safer to use than street drugs.
But there are real dangers to medicine abuse. Teens who abuse prescription medicines can experience dramatic increases in blood pressure and heart rate, organ damage, difficulty breathing, seizures, addiction and even death. Teens who abuse over-the-counter cough medicine can experience rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, diarrhea, seizures, panic, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, impaired physical coordination, coma and overdose. vi
Research conducted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org shows that parents are not communicating the risks of prescription medicine abuse to their children as often as they talk about street drugs. vii This is partly because some parents are unaware of the behavior (which wasn’t as prevalent when they were teenagers), and partly because those who are aware of teen medicine abuse tend to underestimate the risks, just as teens do.
Together, parents and grandparents, health care providers, community leaders and educators can all make a difference and end medicine abuse. Find out what you can do. | <urn:uuid:50d67eed-d334-4d2a-98f4-0dc13d5d173d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://essentialpatch.com/mission/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948693 | 831 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Broadcast fertilization of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) is a popular and low-cost fertilizer application method. A band application theoretically could further increase yield of row crops or reduce the optimum fertilization rate under some conditions. Concentrating these nutrients in bands could increase nutrient uptake in soils with unusually high capacity to fix P and K and when root growth is restricted by unfavorable soil conditions. Particularly with no-till or ridge-till management, deep banding also could increase nutrient uptake and yield compared with broadcast or banding with the planter when the soil surface layer becomes drier.
Previous research conducted in Iowa showed little advantage of banding P with the planter. Thus, Iowa fertilizer recommendations have focused on broadcast fertilization. Currently, starter (N-P-K) fertilization is recommended only under special conditions such as in cold and wet soils and with heavy residue cover (see Iowa State University Extension Publication PM 1688, General Guide for Crop Nutrient Recommendations in Iowa ). However, research in Minnesota during the early 1990s and farmers' observations suggested possible problems with broadcasting K for ridge-till corn that were not alleviated with starter fertilization. Also, K deficiency symptoms have been observed over the years in corn managed with various tillage systems, mainly when spring rainfall is below normal. The latter problem was especially evident in the 2000 growing season. See the June 26, 2000, ICM newsletter article Potassium Deficiency Symptoms in Corn .
Because of these observations, since 1994 more than 100 experiments were conducted at research farms and on producers' fields to study corn and soybean responses to the placement of granulated P and K fertilizers in no-till, ridge-till, and chisel-plow tillage systems. Broadcast and deep-banded fertilizers were applied in the fall. Deep bands, 30 inches apart, were coulter-knife injected 5 to 7 inches below the soil surface. The crops were planted directly above the tilled knife track, except when soybean was drilled. The planter bands were placed 2 inches to the side and 2 inches below the seeds (this placement was not evaluated for drilled soybean).
The P placement method seldom influenced grain yield for any crop or tillage. Figure 1 summarizes results for trials at the research farms that compared the three placements for no-till and chisel-plow tillage, and Fig. 2 shows data for producers' ridge-till fields. Data for trials in producers' no-till fields are not shown because only the broadcast and deep-banding methods were compared and results were similar. The banded P almost always increased corn early growth in no-till and ridge-till fields. The lack of yield difference between the placement methods was observed with application rates ranging from 28 to 120 lb P2O5/acre. Although a few fields tested very low in P, no field tested less than 7 ppm (Bray-1 test). Results of another study in a north central Iowa field testing very low in P (2 ppm) showed that at low P application rates (25 lb P2O5/acre) banding with the planter produces higher yields than broadcasting. At that site, however, only currently recommended broadcast rates or a combination of both placements achieved maximum yield and maintained soil-tests values in the optimum range.
Figure 1. Phosphorus placement and tillage effects on corn and soybean yields.
Figure 2. Effect of the phosphorus placement on yield of ridge-till corn and soybean.
Planting on top of a fall-applied coulter-knife pass without applying fertilizer never influenced the yield of soybean under any tillage and of corn under ridge-till or chisel-plow tillage. No-till corn yield was increased by approximately 2 to 3 bu/acre on average over the strict no-till check (Fig. 1). This coulter-knife effect was not observed when either low or high P rates were applied. This result, and the fact that the coulter-knife pass increased early plant P uptake markedly (data not shown), suggest a direct or indirect effect of the coulter-knife pass on soil P availability in no-till.
In contrast to results for P, deep K banding increased corn yield over the broadcast or planter-band placement. Figure 3 summarizes data for trials at the research farms and Fig. 4 data for ridge-till fields. The differences were smaller for soybean, and the two band placements often did not differ. The differences between the placements were similar for K rates ranging from 35 to 140 lb K2O/acre. Across all fields and years, the corn yield advantage of the deep banding over the other two placement methods was approximately 8 bu/acre for ridge-till; 4 to 5 bu/acre for no-till, including data from producers' fields not shown in Fig. 3; and approximately 2 bu/acre for the chisel-disk tillage. The corn response to deep band K usually was larger and more consistent for ridge-till fields than for the other tillage systems, and in many trials even high rates of broadcast K did not increase yield at all over the control. In no-till fields, the response to deep band K was consistent across fields but its magnitude varied markedly. The results clearly show that deep banding K reduces the yield gap between the chisel-plow and no-till systems (Fig. 3).
Figure 3. Potassium placement and tillage effects on corn and soybean yields.
Figure 4. Effect of the potassium placement on yield of ridge-till corn and soybean.
The response to deep-band K was explained by the deep-placed K because planting on top of the coulter-knife without K fertilization seldom increased yield over the check in the K trials (where P was uniformly applied at high rates). Comparisons of separate P and K applications with a P-K mixture in trials conducted on the producers' fields (data not shown) confirmed that the responses due to deep banding were due to the deep-banded K. Responses frequently were observed in high-testing soils and could not be solely explained by K stratification. It is likely that the responses were related to weather conditions, particularly soil moisture. Under normal conditions, corn grown with no-till or ridge-till draws a higher percentage of nutrients from the soil nearer the surface, because of the higher nutrient levels present. However, when surface soil layers become drier, root development in deeper portions of the soil profile increases. When this happens, the portion of the root system actively taking up nutrients can be below the zone of highest nutrient concentration.
Deep banding of K may provide distinct yield advantages by making K more available in ridge-till and no-till fields, even on soils that test optimum to high in K. Producers can deep-band P at the same time to increase early corn growth, which could be important in some conditions. A thorough economic analysis of these results was not completed at this time. Deep banding increases fertilizer application costs, but the magnitudes of the yield responses suggest that deep banding will be cost-effective in most ridge-till fields and in many no-till fields, but not in a chisel-plow system.
The likelihood of large responses to deep banding of K increases when late-spring or early summer rainfall is below normal. Although the results showed that only planting on top of a knife track after deep banding K markedly reduces the yield gap between the chisel-plow and no-till systems, responses indicated in Fig. 1 suggest that tillage itself may increase yield under some conditions. A previous article in this newsletter discusses some aspects of fall strip tillage for no-till (Tillage in 2001: Fall Strip-Tillage , August 21, 2000).
The economic benefit of deep banding can be increased in two ways. An ongoing on-farm project in no-till fields shows that a combination of fall strip tillage, anhydrous ammonia application, and deep banding of P and K produces higher yields and does not increase costs significantly compared with a separate broadcast P and K application. Also, deep banding the needed P and K once for the 2-year corn-soybean rotation will produce yield increases in both crops equivalent to application before each crop.
This article originally appeared on pages 166-168 of the IC-484(22) -- September 18, 2000 issue. | <urn:uuid:40b1c3fe-8d09-42f6-9a4e-dad58942bb6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/node/1541/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950872 | 1,775 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Video Games as Effective Educational Tools: A Teacher’s Story
March 25, 2010 53 Comments
Should you happen to cross paths with o DARKBLADE o while traversing the vast world of Xbox Live, you would more than likely find him waging war against the Covenant with a group of teenagers nearly half his age. Ask him why and he’d tell you he’s schooling them, although it wouldn’t be in the way you think.
Christian high school teacher by day and hardcore gamer by night, 37-year-old Martin VanWoudenberg has found a way to successfully integrate a childhood hobby into his grown up responsibilities. He currently teaches English, History, and Law, and has found a number of video games that serve as excellent educational aids to his lessons.
Sometimes the video game influence in his classroom is simple, such as when he uses slides of relevant game characters that fit the current theme. He finds himself calling upon Castle Crashers frequently during the medieval unit and scenes from the Total War series when they’re studying Napoleon.
Current titles are not the only games being utilized in his classroom though. In History for World War I for instance, Mr. V, as he’s known amongst his students, was once able to dig up an old machine and a compatible copy of Red Baron, an immensely successful flying simulation set on the Western Front of the same time period. There was one student in particular who had a knack for it so he was made the Baron. The other students then had to “go to war.” It made for lively, in-depth discussion afterwards, serving as a catalyst for conversation about the Red Baron, his life, and a plethora of topics relevant to that specific military conflict.
The subsequent World War II unit also provided a prime video game opportunity, this time for Call of Duty, a historic first-person shooter.
I assigned students to a nationality of German or Allied… since we don’t pick where we’re born. They did research on their side’s motivations, did propaganda posters, and found horror stories about what the other side did during the war. Then, with very basic training, they were dropped into a COD 2 match against each other, rotating out when killed and a new student took their place. Some were very good at this. Many were terrible, but that’s like real war. Depending on how often they “died”, and how the match went, students were assigned an outcome (dead, wounded, captured, etc). From here, they wrote war journals on their experience, both on before the action, and afterwards. How did they feel? How “fair” was it? There were high emotions in the room, including real shock, surprise, anger, etc. By the end, many really wanted to kill the enemy, despite being very upset at being assigned the Nazi side for example. It was an interesting study in how quickly we identify with comrades in arms and demonize the enemy.
Students are typically not surprised when a video game gets introduced in one of Mr. V’s lessons. After all, Halo and BioShock 2 posters adorn the walls while Hitman, Army of Two, and Gears of War action figures keep each other company on the shelves. There’s even a pair of Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles in the classroom. The gaming atmosphere fosters the video game discussion during the downtimes, which is evident by the regular meet-ups that occur during lunch hour.
I choose to not spend lunch times in the staff room most of the time, and my classroom is a regular meeting place for students that want to talk and debate gaming. There are students that are sometimes harder to connect with, or that might struggle in class at times. But, when we have a common love and common language, it makes everything else a lot easier too. Rapport has certainly been increased significantly, no question. And, it’s great talking with past students that I no longer teach. They still have a reason to pop in or chat with me in the halls about what I think about a certain game, or how far I got in another one. Having a way to keep those relationships is very important to me.
I taught in an inner-city school for a while, with kids in some tough situations. I had this one kid that just never talked to anyone, and who was really hard to reach. I noticed one day that he had a Mario sketch on one of his books, so I broached a conversation about Mario Galaxy vs the classic Mario. Then we debated Xbox vs Wii for the next few weeks. He left me a note one day with a Mario drawing and the words, “Viva la Revolution” (a nod to the Wii’s early name). Every time after that, when we passed in the hall or he came past the classroom, he’d pop in with a little fist pump and cry for the revolution. I’d come up with a retort, and off he’d go with a smile. It was a little thing, but he opened up with others as well, and I saw him become a far less withdrawn kid. It was evidence of the great power and common bond that you can have as gamers, no matter what the age.
While the male students respond quite well to the video game references, Martin has noticed an absence of the same reaction from his female students. The girls occasionally know who Mario and Princess Peach are, but none of them, to his knowledge, fill their evenings and weekends with any of the more hardcore shooters.
Parent reactions to the unconventional teaching techniques employed in his classroom often borderline on indifferent. Some students have said their parents roll their eyes when they tell them Mr. V plays video games, but most of the time they simply don’t seem to get it. There’s a general lack of interest in the subject and a lack of interest in learning about it. He continues to tread carefully and recognizes no real strong positive or negative parent reactions is a mixed blessing. Along with no issues comes no triumphs either.
Overall, Martin finds his use of video games as effective educational tools to be beneficial on numerous fronts.
There’s an experiential component that you can’t get with other medium. I’ve had students watch war movies and documentaries and be moved by them, but they never experienced the fear and panic of war until they faced far better opponents and heard the shouts of fellow students behind them, telling them to try harder. You need to debrief that sort of thing, but it’s very powerful. It puts them in the experience, and they invest in it a lot more than they might otherwise.
And, as a very simple and practical point, if students are watching the screen for game references and characters, they are likely paying attention to what I’m saying as well. I find classroom management issues are vastly reduced and attention far better.
He plays against his students on Live every once in a while, usually on Gears of War or Halo, but they have to earn that right. When they do, he reports that he typically performs decently, not devastating them but certainly holding his own. If they had to grade his performance after the fact, I’m guessing they would say he passed. And that goes for his unorthodox method of teaching too.
*While you can’t say for certain if you’d ace his class, you can certainly attempt to pass his recently created Hardcore Gamer’s IQ Test. Give it a whirl, if you dare! | <urn:uuid:d02b0813-4da1-4cab-b47f-6f4782a44faa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hawtymcbloggy.com/2010/03/25/video-games-as-effective-educational-tools-a-teachers-story/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981658 | 1,580 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The following is a copy of an article extracted from the Somerset & Wilts Journal of 28th August 1858, by Cecil Smith who lived at Gaer Hill from his birth in 1904 until his death in 2002. The old church stood on the site of the Old School House and was thatched. Although still marked on the OS map as a church, the building is now a private residence.
Consecration of the new Church 24th August 1858
On Tuesday last this little collection of cottages which bears the name of a village only by courtesy and which is known to most of our readers only by a report of an extensive fire unprecedented in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The occasion which drew together such an immense assemblage of people ( about 600 ) so the villagers thought them to be was no less than the consecration, by the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells of the New Church and Burial Ground with which they have just been blessed. Six miles to the south of Frome and just within the border of Somerset, stands which is henceforth to be known as the Church of St Michael, a building boasting of four stone walls with an abundance of freestone garniture, a steeple and an overwhelming mass of red tiles which can be seen from a great distance. With the latter material it is of the opinion of many that the church is overdone, but time will soften it down. The interior of the Church is neat and effective, containing as usual a font, a pulpit, a chancel and choristers seats, also a handsome stained glass window, representing Christ Blessing little children presented by Lady Bath. It is fitted with seats designed conveniently to seat 150 persons, as many probably as ever will be assembled in any one time.
Tuesday was looked forward to by the cottagers with eager anticipation and many preparations had been made. The parties who in every species of conveyance, from my “Lords Carriage” to a farm wagon, wended their way up the hill, passed under arches of evergreens inscribed “Welcome”, none the less real and hearty because the letters were askew and every post and gate was crowned with flowers and branches. At half past eleven the service commenced by a procession through the ground, comprising the Bishop, 24 of the neighbouring clergy and the lay clerks of Frome who had come over to assist the local choir in conducting the musical portion of the service.
On entering the Church the Bishop commenced by the solemn words of the 24th Psalm “The earth is the Lords,etc” which was recited as the procession advanced through the Church to the Chancel. The ordinary service of consecration was then gone through, the Bishop reading the principal portion, assisted by the Hon and Rev R Boyle, the Rev Mr Giles, the Rev Mr Meade and the choir who conducted the musical part of the service in a manner highly pleasing especially to the rustic villagers. The deeds conveying the title of the premises were read. The sermon (was) delivered by the Bishop was attentively listened to. His text was 2nd Chronicles, chapter 7 verse 12 “And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice”.
At the close of the service, the Communion was partaken of by the distinguished company present and the clergy among whom was recognised the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cork and Orrery and the Countess, the Rev. R Boyle, his lady and family and the Rev Messrs William of Horrington, Horner of Mells, Dr Griffith of Elm, Meade and Carick of Castle Cary, Brown of Witham Friary and Daniel, De Gex, Horton, Dove and Bradford of Frome. The Bishop and clergy then walked the Burial Ground from which a magnificent view is obtained in procession chanting psalms and the ceremony concluded by a hymn and the benediction.
In the afternoon 140 of the poor of the place sat down to a hearty dinner provided in a tent in a field adjoining by the liberality of the Rev. R Boyle and the day was spent in sports and pleasures.
We believe the cost of erection is £1300
Foundation Stone Laid October 1857 | <urn:uuid:f5d336b8-4f45-4190-972d-59cb61b0be03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://myancestors.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/gaer-hill-church-1858/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979926 | 888 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Introduction: This is where all the OnLine applications are brought together
in this training intreactive-facilitive manual. It was on the College campuses, operating under the field of " IVY's " protective
cloak of " academic freedoms " where visiting International Students / Scholars were / are able and at times most willing
to develop and participate in these events.
This and this alone, the protect cloak of " IVY, " caused International Student / Scholars to initiate several Fiestas
at several Universities and Colleges:
University of Buffalo, LA University, and was primarly initiated by The State University College at Buffalo.
The Operational Scope of Focus:
Solicit for on campus assests as per the areas convered in this WebSite ( web site
), This is based upon the elements you are looking for: Arts, Crafts, Dance Performance, Fashions, Food Tasting of International
Foods, various seminars, and models on InterCultural Communications.
Then depending on your budget the following:
The Mini National Fairs or Fiestas: Mini National Fairs of Fiestas: These
should be organized around four cultural blocks:
African, American ( both South and North ), Middle East, and Euroean: This facilitates --- in the oppen --- maket
attraction, and helps to discipline your group promoting thiese events. The should be separated by 4 week variables starting
in late September.
The International Cultural Fiestas: In he late Spring of each academic year there
exist an ethis of high expectations as many are going to graduate. Relationships which were formed will now have
to a back seat, and the various student governments who wer recently elected are focusing on budgetary allocations; thus this
is the prime campus spot.
Here you have these major four ultural departments functioning at night during this event.
Crafts and Art Display :
International Food Tasting:
Classes, and Fashions Shows [ during the afternoon ]:
This does not include seminars on InterCultural communications, and Heritage Focus on each assigned unit which should
be planned to occur in separate sessions each day of the pre - week before the final International Cultural Fiesta - usually
held on a Saturday after 8:30 PM [ end of Havdala ] . | <urn:uuid:c897845b-452d-425b-8628-d3142ae46000> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.quest2europe.com/id21.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934334 | 480 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The prototype of Urban Aeronautics' Panda ducted fan unmanned air vehicle has completed its first series of test flights. "The flights were successful and will be resumed soon," chief executive Dr Rafi Yoeli said on 21 May.
The Panda is a smaller version of the Israeli company's Mule UAV, which is designed for frontline forces resupply and medical evacuation missions. The Panda is powered by two electric motors, each driving 0.5m (1.6ft)-diameter rotors. The Panda is 1.5m long and 0.8m wide and has a maximum take-off weight of 22kg (48.5lb), including a useful payload of 1.5kg.
Test activities will resume after the UAV's flight-control computers have been updated following analysis of the initial flights.
Flight International - VIDEO: Urban Aeronautics Panda | <urn:uuid:0593a55e-a14b-4d7a-a405-5b708c9cdf74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/urban-aeronautics-panda-uav-makes-flight-debut-224050/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956717 | 182 | 2 | 2 |
Athletics is one of the best opportunities to teach and experience leadership. Athletic experiences such as conflict resolution, teamwork, overcoming adversity, sportsmanship, self confidence, and various other areas of traditional leadership are stressed on a daily basis. The student-athletes learn the importance of winning and losing with pride and grace. The athletic program is tied directly to the mission of the school and the physical education courses as the importance of lifelong physical fitness as well as health and nutrition are stressed daily in practices and games.
All of our athletic teams compete against other local independent schools and club teams to give them the opportunity to compete at the highest level on the athletic field. Gerstell student-athletes are privileged to practice and play in some of the area’s best facilities including the 70,000 square foot Paterakis Athletic Center and Gerstell Academy “Sportexe” Turf Stadium Complex. The athletic teams and PE classes have the distinct advantage of sport-specific weight and cardio training in the Paterakis Athletic Center Weight Room, which has the most advanced weight training equipment available. | <urn:uuid:a9376e3c-b02b-4e78-a7be-d1f9016aad1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gerstell.org/school/upperschool/physicaltraining/athletics.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954528 | 223 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Jaime Confer and Mark Cloud made their finding after asking 718 undergrads (324 men) to imagine their partners had been unfaithful and to predict whether, having received an apology, they'd continue the relationship. The participants were not recruited explicitly on the basis of being heterosexual, but were told the study would involve imagining themselves in a heterosexual relationship.
The difference between the men and women was robust - it remained in place regardless of how many instances of infidelity they were asked to imagine their partner had had, and regardless of the number of infidelity partners involved. The participants' own real life experiences of infidelity, as either the betrayer or betrayed, also made no difference to the main finding that men are less likely to persevere with a relationship after a female partner has a heterosexual affair, whereas women are less likely to continue a relationship after a male partner has a homosexual affair.
The new finding builds on another key sex difference that's emerged in jealousy research: that is, men tend to be more troubled by sexual infidelity whereas women tend to be more troubled by emotional infidelity. That difference, and the one uncovered in this new research, both make sense in terms of evolutionary theory whereby men are more concerned by the risk of sexual infidelity because they can never know for sure if a child is theirs. Women, by contrast, have no doubt that a child they give birth to is their own. Instead their anxiety is focused more on the the father's commitment.
In this evolutionary context, men are more troubled by a female partner going off with a man because of the risk that he may impregnate her. Women are more troubled by a male partner going off with a man because, in the researchers' words: 'homosexual affairs are more reflective of ensuing abandonment as they evince a more complete absence of emotional intimacy and satisfaction with one's partner.'
Confer, J., and Cloud, M. (2011). Sex differences in response to imagining a partner’s heterosexual or homosexual affair. Personality and Individual Differences, 50 (2), 129-134 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.09.007 | <urn:uuid:e3c47be7-3509-48b0-99c4-590ba0fc6fa8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/12/which-is-worse-your-partner-having.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971 | 444 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Mass murder nearly always carried out by men
It is perhaps society’s most perplexing gender gap.
Aside from the terrifying sameness of brutality and indiscriminate destruction, there is another common denominator in the mass shootings in Aurora, Oak Creek, Columbine, Fort Hood, Virginia Tech and Newtown. All of the shooters were male.
“It suggests there’s something about maleness. An aggrieved entitlement that’s unique to men,” said Hugo Schwyzer, a professor of history and gender studies at Pasadena City College, who has written frequently on the topic.
“Women do commit murder. There are women killing ex-lovers, killing rivals, killing small children. But they tend to kill people to whom they have a deep emotional tie,” Schwyzer said.
“This killing, in which the killing doesn’t matter, is male.”
As Mother Jones magazine noted in a recent review of 62 mass shootings in the U.S. it reviewed since 1982, only one involved a female.
That was in 2006, when a 44-year-old former California postal worker, Jennifer Sanmarco, killed a neighbor, six employees at her old mail processing plant and then herself. She used a semiautomatic handgun.
The magazine apparently omitted an Oct. 30, 1985, shooting spree in which a mentally disturbed woman, Sylvia Seegrist, 25, killed two men and a 2-year-old, and wounded seven others during a rampage in a Springfield, Pa., mall.
The gender disparity is just as glaring when looking at homicides in general.
According to supplementary homicide reports for 1976 through 2005 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, males committed 88.8 percent of homicides during those years; women committed 11.2 percent. Continued...
Looking deeper, men committed 91.3 percent of gun homicides from 1976-2005; women committed 8.7 percent. Men were responsible for 93.5 percent of homicides with multiple victims; women were responsible for 6.5 percent.
More recently, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports for 2010 show that 6,276 men were arrested for murder and non-negligent manslaughter that year, compared to 751 women.
“There’s still a huge difference in the way we raise boys and girls,” said New Haven psychotherapist Linda Barone.
“Girls tend to define themselves in relation to each other. Boys often define themselves in competition with each other. Being a loner — that isn’t encouraged at all in women and girls.
“Women tend to turn their anger inward and blame themselves for things, traditionally. Boys are expected to have fist fights and to express anger physically,” Barone said.
Yet other scholars contend there’s also a biological factor in gender and violence.
Harvard University psychologist Steven Pinker, author of “The Better Angels of Our Nature,” said that in most primates and societies, gender differences regarding violence emerge as early as toddlerhood.
“Though the exact ratios vary, in every society it is the males more than the females who play-fight, bully, fight for real, carry weapons, enjoy violent entertainment, fantasize about killing, kill for real, rape, start wars, and fight in wars,” Pinker asserts in his book.
“Not only is the direction of the sex difference universal, but the first domino is almost certainly biological.”
Reached by email, Pinker said the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings were a tragic example of this gender difference. Continued...
“Most rampage killings such as that in Newtown may be even more male-biased because they are triggered by the kinds of motives that especially differentiate the genders — violence for dominance and revenge, which is largely a guy thing,” Pinker said.
Other research suggests a more complex picture of emotional expression between genders.
Tara Chaplin, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, recently was the lead author of a comprehensive analysis of every study on childhood and adolescent emotional expression in the past 30 years. The analysis gathered data from 166 studies, with 21,709 participants ranging in age from birth to 18.
The analysis yielded a nuanced set of results, with several surprises.
For example, while there were significant gender differences in processing emotion overall, those differences remained small, Chaplin said. Also, differences seemed to peak by age 12.
“There are a lot of assumptions in society about gender differences in emotional expression, but there’s been no comprehensive review until now,” Chaplin explained.
But here’s where it gets more complicated. Chaplin found that boys’ and girls’ expression of anger diverges depending on their surroundings.
At home, with loved ones, both genders feel freer to show anger. But around their peers, boys show their anger more than girls do.
Likewise, when they’re alone watching a movie or video, boys externalize their anger more than girls.
“We were really surprised by this, and we have no great explanation for it,” Chaplin said. “There should be no social pressure to show anger when you’re alone.” Continued...
Also, Chaplin was quick to point out that expressing anger is not necessarily a bad thing. In moderation, it builds persistence, assertiveness and independence.
“However, there may also be risks attendant with this tendency to express externalizing emotions in young boys,” Chaplin wrote in her paper.
“If anger is expressed at a high level and is expressed to the exclusion of emotions like fear or empathy, and certain stressors are present, there could be a risk for the development of conduct problems, such as aggressive behavior and disregard for rules of conduct.”
That’s where parents, educators, therapists and an enlightened public can help, experts said.
“A big part of this is about the way in which we deal with young men and anger. And rage. And pain,” said Schwyzer.
“Women are permitted public displays of emotion that men are not. We need to find ways for men to have healthy expressions of anger.”
Contact reporter Jim Shelton at 203-789-5664.
See inaccurate information in a story? Other feedback and/or ideas for us to consider? Tell us here.
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Guide to Religious Services
Note: All listings are paid advertisements.
Unity in the Foothills
102 Prospect Street, Torrington, Ct 06790
A Course in Miracles Tuesday evenings 7 p.m
Transformational Prayer Group Thursday 1:15 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.
Northfield Bible Church
10 Camp Hill Road, Northfield, CT 06778
Bible Doctrines Class: Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
Sunday Service at 10:00 a.m.
Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
Pot Luck Supper every 4th Friday of the Month at 6:15 p.m.
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
First Assembly of God
387 New Harwinton Road, Torrington, CT 06790
Sunday School for all ages 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service at 10:45 a.m.
Family Night Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Adult Bible Study Prayer Service: Saturday at 9:15 a.m.
Cable 5 Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3 p.m.
CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Founders Congregational Church
41 Birge Park Road, Harwinton, CT 06791
Sunday School and Services 10:00 a.m.
Bible Study: Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday at 10:00 a.m.
Center Congregational Church
155 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790
Sunday Services and Church School at 10:00 a.m.
Note: All listings are paid advertisements. | <urn:uuid:cf6096ab-7c94-4804-a880-8aef4e40dc35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://registercitizen.com/articles/2013/01/07/news/doc50ea2c89ce58f695006416.txt?viewmode=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930434 | 1,927 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Fighting Malaria in Uganda
A slide show from the front lines.
Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007, at 7:18 AM
Chang's photographs capture the tragic reality of the disease as well as aggressive new efforts to combat it. He visits clinics overrun with malaria victims, fields and factories where African farmers grow and process key ingredients for new malaria drugs, and a rural bed-net distribution program reaching mothers and children vulnerable to the mosquito bites that transmit the disease.
Click here to read a slide-show essay about efforts to fight malaria in Uganda.
Kyu-Young Lee writes on development issues and works with Malaria No More.
Chien-Chi Chang has been a photographer with Magnum Photos since 1995 and was awarded the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund for Humanistic Photography in 1999. | <urn:uuid:93a94018-05b5-4b70-99c5-8c9cb51170f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2007/04/fighting_malaria_in_uganda.single.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936029 | 165 | 1.984375 | 2 |
The president has relentlessly called for a more extensive—and expensive—federal role in education. Here’s just one example:
The human mind is our fundamental resource. A balanced Federal program must go well beyond incentives for investment in plant and equipment. It must include equally determined measures to invest in human beings—both in their basic education and training and in their more advanced preparation…. Without such measures, the Federal Government will not be carrying out its responsibilities for expanding the base of our economic… strength.
And if we spend all those new federal dollars on k-12 education, the president promised that “it will pay rich dividends in the years ahead.”
But here’s the strange part: in that same speech, the president made this seemingly ridiculous claim:
Our progress in education over the last generation has been substantial. We are educating a greater proportion of our youth to a higher degree of competency than any other country on earth.
It’s actually not so ridiculous when you learn that the president who said it was John F. Kennedy, in February of 1961. Back then, we really had been making educational progress.
Aside from the ill-fated National Defense Education Act of 1958, the federal government had made no attempt to improve k-12 academic achievement or attainment in the four decades before JFK… and yet, as he noted, American education did in fact improve during that period.
But within a couple of years of JFK’s assassination, Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now known as the No Child Left Behind Act. And in the four plus decades since, the feds have spent roughly $2 trillion trying to improve outcomes and attainment. Over that course of years, both graduation rates and academic achievement at the end of high school have been flat or declining.
Perhaps it could be argued that JFK couldn’t have known better. There was no history showing him what an expensive failure U.S. federal education spending would turn out to be. But the same cannot be said of President Obama, or of those in Congress who continue to tell the public, and presumably themselves, that fed ed. spending is a useful “investment.”
Today, we can look back at a half-century of failed federal education programs. We can think about how much better off the U.S. economy and our children would be if we hadn’t thrown $2 trillion at a calcified school monopoly that cannot spend money efficiently.
And reflecting on that history, perhaps we’ll find the wisdom not to repeat it. | <urn:uuid:19407a87-d8cf-4258-8009-e42bf0edb384> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cato.org/blog/tags/federal-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970087 | 529 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Pollution is responsible for 40% of deaths worldwide, according to a study, published in 2007, conducted by a Cornell research group.
The Top Ten list includes commonly discussed pollution problems like urban air pollution as well as more overlooked threats like car battery recycling. The problems included in the report have a significant impact on human health worldwide and result in death, persistent illness, and neurological impairment for millions of people, particularly children. Many of these deaths and related illnesses could be avoided with affordable and effective interventions.
Our goal with the 2008 report is to increase awareness of the severe toll that pollution takes on human health and inspire the international community to act. Remediation is both possible and cost-effective. Clean air, water and soil are human rights.” Richard Fuller, founder of Blacksmith Institute.
Blacksmith Institute’s World’s Worst Pollution Problems list is unranked and includes:
- Indoor air pollution: adverse air conditions in indoor spaces. An estimated 80% of households in China, India, and Sub Saharan Africa burn biomass fuels in improperly ventilated spaces for their cooking energy. IAP contributes to three million deaths annually and constitutes 4% of the global burden of disease.
- Urban air quality: adverse outdoor air conditions in urban areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 865,000 deaths per year worldwide can be directly attributed to outdoor air pollution. Leaded gasoline (in countries where it is still used) and the combustion of fossil fuels, especially coal and diesel fuel, play a major role in air pollution.
- Untreated sewage: untreated waste water. WHO estimates that 1.5 million preventable deaths per year result from unsafe water, inadequate sanitation or hygiene.
- Groundwater contamination: pollution of underground water sources as a result of human activity. Fresh drinking water makes up only 6% of the total water on Earth and only 0.3% is usable for drinking.
- Contaminated surface water: pollution of rivers or shallow dug wells mainly used for drinking and cooking. Almost 5 million deaths in the developing world annually are due to water related diseases, much of this being preventable with adequate supplies of safe water.
- Artisanal gold mining: small scale mining activities that use the most basic methods to extract and process minerals and metals. Mercury amalgamation, a by-product of artisanal and small-scale mining affects up to 15 million miners, including 4.5 million women and 600,000 children.
- Industrial mining activities: larger scale mining activities with excessive mineral wastes. Unless a major accident occurs, the effects are often chronic in nature3 and include irritation of eyes, throat, nose, skin; diseases of the digestive tract, respiratory system, blood circulation system, kidney, liver; a variety of cancers; nervous system damage; developmental problems; and birth defects.
- Metals smelting and other processing: extractive, industrial, and pollutant-emitting processes. Steel production alone accounts for 5-6% of worldwide, man-made CO2 emissions.
- Radioactive waste and uranium mining: pollution resulting from the improper management of uranium mine tailings and nuclear waste. Of the ten largest producers of uranium, seven are in areas where industrial safety standards do not always correspond to the best industrial practices: Kazakhstan, Russia, Niger, Namibia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and China. There is no ‘safe’ level of radiation exposure. High exposures can result in death within hours to days to weeks. Individuals exposed to non-lethal doses may experience changes in blood chemistry, nausea, fatigue, vomiting or genetic modifications.
- Used lead acid battery recycling: smelting of batteries used in cars, trucks and back-up power supplies. Blacksmith Institute estimates that over 12 million people are affected by lead contamination from processing of used lead acid batteries throughout the developing world.
Filed Under: Environment | <urn:uuid:f8a1b1ad-bb50-4dc9-8267-ef1388d1cc53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.4us2be.com/environment/the-top-ten-of-the-toxic-twenty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912617 | 796 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Harvard international relations scholar Stephen Walt has a very good piece over at Foreign Policy discussing the origins of bad ideas in policy formulation. Prof. Walt makes some very interesting points along the way, but his final reason for the persistence of bad ideas is somewhat problematic. Walt claims, “Perhaps the most obvious reason why foolish ideas persist is that someone has an interest in defending or promoting them….Self-interested actors who are deeply committed to a particular agenda can distort the marketplace of ideas.”
In the United States, this problem with self-interested individuals and groups interfering in the policy process appears to be getting worse, in good part because of the growing number of think tanks and “research” organizations linked to special interests.
As someone who has attained his formative experience in this field during an epically long tenure as an intern at one of the District of Columbia’s numerous think tanks, I take offense at Prof. Walt’s attempt to discredit my means of earning a meager income in a righteous crusade for intellectual purity.
Walt writes that “this problem with self-interested individuals and groups interfering in the policy process appears to be getting worse.” That sentence carries the quixotic and undemocratic assumption that there once existed another kind of policy-making process, one free of self-interested actors, where all participants honestly argued in service of the national interest, and that those halcyon days can be restored. But a marketplace of ideas without self-interested groups and actors would be one robbed of the lion’s share of intellectual capital. Self-interest is the engine of policy-making in democracy, not its enemy.
Walt thinks that either the public or the politicians that serve them are like judges, weighing contending views to arrive at wise policy; or like academics, studying ideas to arrive at preferences, which they simply enact. A more accurate description of policy-making comes from pluralism (pluralist scholars include David Truman, Edward Banfield, Charles Lindblom, James Q. Wilson, and Robert Dahl), which imagines a more intense, but less efficient, marketplace of ideas. The American government, pluralists tell us, is an arena for the competition of interest groups (ideological or economic), manifested in pressure groups and governmental agencies. Collective action theory explains that only these concentrated interests will be reliably motivated to compete in the marketplace of ideas. Those interests’ contention is our politics; its current outcome is policy. Presidents preside over this fray, but their control is far less than we generally imagine. They accept the status quo far more than they change it, and having accepted it, they sell that compromise as their own policy, using ideas to match it to the national interest.
Bad ideas then persist because they are useful weapons in policy-fights. Policy-makers are more like lawyers than judges, using arguments about how their preferred policies serve the national interest to win adherents. Walt cites the resurrection of domino theory to illustrate his argument, arguing as if its intellectual defeat would prevent the policies it justifies. Instead, if no one believed in the domino theory, hawks would simply employ another argument about why we should fight in Afghanistan, or wherever we are next.
The current debate over how much the ill-advised invasion of Iraq and President Bush’s so-called “Freedom Agenda” are contributing to recent events in the Arab world is just one example of intellectually defeated arguments being resurrected. Even if self-interested actors could be eliminated from policy discussion—a veritable impossibility—the “marketplace of ideas” would still remain muddled in impurity.
Despite this flaw in his argument, Prof. Walt’s piece is still well worth reading. | <urn:uuid:54738661-fb44-418a-8aa7-e123a1ff53e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hegemonicobsessions.com/?p=103 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953765 | 766 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Americans' attitudes on immigration are shifting
Father Jose Landaverde and Emma Lazano sit in front of the building which houses immigration court during a protest May 15, 2012 in Chicago, Ill.
Kai Ryssdal: The Romney campaign stopped in Orlando, Fla., today. Gov. Romney spoke to a group of Latino elected officials about immigration. President Obama takes his turn tomorrow.
The speeches come, of course, on the heels of the White House announcement last week. No more deportations of otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants who were brought here as children.
Frank Newport is the editor-in-chief of Gallup. We have him on each week for an Attitude Check, what Americans think about the news of the moment. Frank, good to have you back.
Frank Newport: Good to be with you.
Ryssdal: So what do we know about how Americans feel about the president's decision last week on immigration?
Newport: All the available evidence shows that a majority of Americans support the idea of not deporting these young people, if they meet those qualifications.
Ryssdal: Do Americans differ on how they regard the two facets of immigration -- by which I mean, stopping the flow of illegal immigrants versus finding a solution for those illegal immigrants already here?
Newport: Yeah, they sure do, and that's changed. Historically, we've given Americans the trade-off between the two, and always stopping the flow of immigrants coming in has been number one, but this year we found a flip. I think that's probably because the inflow of illegal immigrants has slowed down, so now all of a sudden, we find that, Kai, the majority of Americans saying the most important concern is dealing with illegal immigrants here in the country. Of course, that's part of what the Obama administration announcement last week dealt with.
Ryssdal: Right. This has become inevitably political. The president and Gov. Romney are giving --
Ryssdal: Yeah, I know. They are giving competing speeches today to a large Latino group. My question, though, is: Does it play politically? Is it, apart from the politics of it, a political issue -- if that makes any sense? Because you'd think that the president's going after the Latino vote with this, but my guess would be is he already polls pretty well with Latinos.
Newport: He does. I think a lot of the concern on the part of his campaign team is motivation and turnout. So the announcement kind of helps solidify him, at least they hope.
Ryssdal: To get the Latinos out to the ballot box, right?
Newport: That's absolutely right.
Ryssdal: Immigration as an issue for Americans overall is probably like, what, 997th or something?
Newport: 998. We recently said to the Obama voters: Why are you supporting him? And to Romney voters: Why are you supporting him? Immigration just doesn't show up at all. It's not an important issue overall, and some of our research shows even among Hispanics who are registered voters, immigration is actually no more important than a lot of the same economic concerns that affect everybody else.
Ryssdal: One more question, Frank, and it's a little bit out of left field: What do you know about how Americans feel about cussing?
Newport: We've asked almost every question under the sun since we started in 1935 here at Gallup, but to my knowledge, I'm not sure we've ever asked people whether or not they approve of cussing. I guess that's a fascinating question, and I have no idea.
Ryssdal: Frank Newport is the editor-in-chief at Gallup. If you want to know more about our partnership, we call it Attitude Check, by the way. Frank, we'll talk to you next week.
Newport: I'll look forward to it.
Ryssdal: I asked about the cussin', because this morning the Supreme Court overruled the Federal Communications Commission on a bunch of nudity and profanity cases. Not about the actual nudity and profanity, just that the FCC didn't do the paperwork right. | <urn:uuid:ce33a153-59a3-41f0-a25f-5a9c01226084> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/attitude-check/americans-attitudes-immigration-are-shifting | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968031 | 868 | 1.992188 | 2 |
George H. Mieding (4 May 1857 – 8 June 1934) was my great-grandfather. He worked at lumber yards all his life. He was obviously known for his tough hands. This article appeared in the Youngstown Vindicator (December 24, 1927).
The caption reads: “The toughest hands in Youngstown are claimed by Edward H. Mieding, 70, of 125 E. Ravenwood. Mieding has been working with lumber for 57 years. This year, Mieding estimates, he has handled 90,000 rough boards, but not one sliver penetrated the tough fiber of his hands.”
Not bad for 70 years old. Don’t you just love the smile! | <urn:uuid:cab46a32-d8d9-4436-850d-f9e7d2af403b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brennerfamilytree.org/wp/2010/02/stardust-stories-edward-tough-hands-mieding-geneapoppop.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989442 | 151 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Alabama doctors are warning about a mysterious illness that has affected 10 people in the state, killing two.More >>
Ironically, the holiday blues are a study topic for Dr. Paul Hard's Auburn University Montgomery students.
But Hard says the topic is all too real for some folks this season.
"Losing a loved one at the holidays is especially stressful," says Dr. Hard.
Hard says people who recently lost a loved one tend to feel that loss more as the seasons change and especially when the holidays arrive. But he admits small decisions make a difference.
"You have those special ornaments that may have been given between you and a loved one that have special significance. You may not want to put those on the tree. It's saving those for a time when you can cherish them and the hurt's not so raw."
While many people deal with depression, many more are most likely dealing with stress of what may be expected of them--from parties to their pocketbook.
"Give yourself permission to take a step back. We're not helping ourselves when we spend out past what we're capable of," adds Hard.
As tough economic times continue to linger, Hard suggests Christmas presents that require less cash--like handmade gifts.
"You can take some financial stress off and create a heritage at a time like this that is gonna have a legacy for you and your family that's going to go beyond something that's gonna need batteries."
Dr. Hard also says be choosy with what appointments you commit to---like parties for instance.
He says choose what you want to do and not what you feel expected to do.
He also says carve out time to spend with your kids in the kitchen. Simply baking Gingerbread cookies together can bring the nostalgia back to the holidays. | <urn:uuid:6dbe61c9-6828-45b4-89cd-2a4a0e242f14> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.waff.com/story/20320045/holiday-depression-hits-home-for-many | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961469 | 366 | 1.742188 | 2 |
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!
Mom may have been setting you up for success when she told you to "Stand up straight!" as a kid.
According to new research from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, people who have better posture are more likely to think and act in a powerful way, and take an in-charge role — whether they are a high-powered manager or a newbie intern.
Despite mom's reminders (and the occasional poking of a pencil eraser between our shoulder blades!) we know our posture could be much better. So we called Pilates intructor Marcia Polas, of polaspilates in Denver, CO, to find out how we can correct our stance.
If you have kyphosis (a hunched posture, commonly called "slouching")
Try: Prone arm raises
Lie on your belly with legs straight and inner thighs turned out. Place a ball or rolled up towel between your heels. Rest your forehead on a folded towel, and place a pillow or folded towel under your belly (a trick to help you engage your abs). Bend your arms 90 degrees so hands are in front on you, roughly in line with your shoulders. Squeeze the ball between your heels to engage your inner thighs, pelvic floor and butt. Exhale, feeling your belly engage and lift your arms and hands a few inches off the ground. Hold, then inhale and lower. Repeat 10 times. Throughout the exercise, focus on keeping a wide back, pressing your rib cage toward your elbows and resisting the urge to allow your shoulder blades to come together. When you've nailed this with perfect form, you can add a chest lift.
Keep reading for more posture fixes.
If you have lordosis (a "swayback," or inward curvature of a portion of your back)
Try: Pelvic tilts
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Exhale and curl your pubic bone toward your belly button. Imagine you're moving in each direction by engaging one vertebrae at a time. Inhale and hold this position for a few seconds. Exhale and, as slowly and controlled as possible, return to starting position. Repeat 10 times.
And a fantastic move for everyone . . .
Do it: Hundred's prep
Lie on your back. If you have lower back pain (often cause by an excessive curvature of the lower spine), place pillows or towels under your head. If you have more of an upper body "hunch," place a small rolled-up towel between your lower back and the floor. Bend your knees and squeeze a rolled up towel or ball between your inner thighs. Let your back widen against the floor, and place one hand on your low belly and the other on your bottom rib. On an exhale, very slowly lift your lower legs to a tabletop position. Inhale and exhale (each for five slow counts) in this position, then lower your legs with an exhale. Repeat 10 times, keeping your butt glued to the floor at all times and using the breath — coming deep into your belly — to make you feel like you are connecting your bottom rib to your hips.
Do you think your posture could be better?
More from Self: | <urn:uuid:08fc656f-8d1c-45b4-ae11-8d36374b5712> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fitsugar.com/3-Ways-Improve-Bad-Posture-14143668 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944611 | 697 | 1.867188 | 2 |
NEW YORK (AP) -- After two days of protests, the New York Post apologized Thursday for a cartoon that critics said linked President Barack Obama to a raging chimpanzee shot dead by police in Connecticut. But the newspaper also said its longtime antagonists exploited the image for revenge.
The qualified apology didn't mollify at least some of the cartoon's critics, who said they might continue protesting Friday.
The paper posted an editorial on its Web site Thursday evening saying the cartoon was meant to mock the federal economic stimulus bill, but "to those who were offended by the image, we apologize."
The piece was posted hours after 200 pickets chanting "Boycott the Post! Shut it down!" marched in front of the paper's office, saying the cartoon echoed racist stereotypes of blacks as monkeys.
The editorial said that "most certainly was not its intent," adding that some media and public figures who have long-standing differences with the paper saw the cartoon "as an opportunity for payback."
Calling them "opportunists," the editorial said: "To them, no apology is due."
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who helped lead the outcry over the cartoon, criticized what he called the paper's "conditional statement" of regret.
"Though we think it is the right thing for them to apologize to those they offended, they seem to want to want to blame the offense on those (who) raised the issue, rather than take responsibility for what they did," he said in a statement.
He said opponents had not canceled plans to picket Friday outside the paper, but they were discussing how to proceed.
The tabloid, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., is known for its feisty attitude, provocative headlines and conservative outlook -- a mix that has garnered hundreds of thousands of readers, but also spurts of criticism over the years.
The newspaper had stood by the cartoon, which its editor called "a clear parody" about the death of Travis, the chimp police killed Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner. Its editor-in-chief, Col Allan, had said the intent was to ridicule Washington's efforts to revive the economy.
The drawing by longtime Post cartoonist Sean Delonas, published Wednesday, shows a dead chimp and two police officers, one with a smoking gun. The caption reads, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
Obama signed his administration's economic stimulus plan on Tuesday.
The Post was picketed and deluged with angry calls Wednesday and Thursday, with some of Thursday's marchers carrying signs that said "Jail Billionaire N.Y. Post Owner Rupert Murdoch."
"We make them and we break them with our money, and we should shut it down," said protester Angela Brown, who carried a glossy photo of Obama.
Some protesters said the cartoon not only underscored racist tropes but even suggested that Obama should be shot.
"Since when can you call for the killing of the president of the United States?" demanded City Councilman Charles Barron.
The furor attracted the attention of Grammy-winning singer John Legend, who posted an open letter to the paper on his blog Thursday. If the insult wasn't intended, "it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots," he wrote. | <urn:uuid:02232420-7f1c-4c0f-8ea8-ee2fbeed0de2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/ny_post_apologizes_kind_of_for.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977217 | 685 | 1.515625 | 2 |
A shift towards a candidate-driven IT jobs market has driven industry salaries up by 5% over the past 12 months, according to sector recruitment specialists CV Screen.
A 25% year-on-year increase in vacancies between Q1 2010 and Q1 2011 was not matched by a corresponding increase in applications, pushing the average IT industry salary to £38,946.
CV Screen found that .NET, PHP and Java skills were especially in demand.
Recruiter Matthew Ivesen said that the rise in salaries could partly be attributed to the general recovery of the economy over the past 12 months.
"Employers are gaining confidence and their recruitment budgets have increased. We are now seeing employers looking to grow the size of their workforce and are having to offer more competitive salaries to secure the best talent," he said.
"We believe that rising inflation and the increased cost of living will push IT wages up further," he added. | <urn:uuid:9ac37d6a-2e17-449b-9cd7-1846dc96ec1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.microscope.co.uk/news/2240155434/IT-industry-salaries-rising-as-applicant-numbers-fall | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974667 | 190 | 1.5 | 2 |
Shadow of Night (Hardback)
|Format:||Hardback 592 pages|
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Usually despatched within 48 hours
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It began with A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. Historian Diana Bishop, descended from a line of powerful witches, and long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont have broken the laws dividing creatures. When Diana discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to Matthew. Now the fragile coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened. Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers...Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in this stunning, richly imagined, epic tale.
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Africa's first dedicated elephant underpass, in use near the slopes of Mt. Kenya.
Africa's first dedicated elephant underpass, in use near the slopes of Mt. Kenya. Jason Straziuso/AP
Now for a break from the big news of the day to take note of a small step forward for the future of elephants in Kenya.
Two distinct elephant populations near Mount Kenya have been united with the opening of Africa's first dedicated elephant underpass.
The elephants, who had been separated for years by human development, can now safely cross under a major regional highway.
The $250,000 underpass is a key element in the larger effort to create a corridor linking 2,000 elephants on Mount Kenya's highlands with 7,500 in the forests and plains below.
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy says that on January 1, 2011, an elephant known as "Tony" was the first to make use of the underpass. The group also says that the success of the corridor is important for the conservation of the animals and their habitat:
The long-term implications of the success of this corridor are massive in terms of re-establishing genetic connectivity between these two elephant populations, reducing the habitat pressure within Lewa, and being a key element on the application for inclusion as a World Heritage Site with Mt. Kenya. | <urn:uuid:e08615cf-1da1-4528-bb2b-ab5e5b715a77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/28/133302985/elephant-underpass-connects-cousins-in-kenya | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94369 | 275 | 2.78125 | 3 |
What is the most procrastinated, most reviled, and, unfortunately, the most required honey-do in America? The April 15 tax chore, of course. Unless you are packing some serious civil-disobedience cojones you pay the piper annually. Despite an aversion to performing the tax task, any opportunity to bitch about or debate the tax code is greatly anticipated. This is true whether you are rich or poor, black or white — everyone feels screwed by the tax man.
But all of the bellyaching may be uncalled for. According to a recent study produced by Andy Brack's Charleston-based think tank The Center for a Better South, this state has one of the most il-liberal tax systems in the country — meaning you pay less, and you get what you pay for.
Titled Doing Better: Progressive Tax Reform for the American South, the study, written by Sarah Beth Coffey, evaluates 11 policy ideas that would bring the Southern tax system into the 21st century. The Southern states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia — are given a report card to measure just how progressive their tax systems are based on the 11 suggestions. South Carolina brought up the rear, as we are wont to do, with only Louisiana behind us.
The study argues that the South's economy has undergone a dramatic transformation since the 1930s and '40s — South Carolina is no longer the textile mill to the world, having shifted from manufacturing to service industries. Incomes have also changed, growing along with the prices of goods. But the tax policies haven't adapted to these changes. To bring things up to date, the Center for a Better South recommends taxing internet sales and cutting back on tax breaks for those who can afford to pay — like corporations and the wealthy.
"This isn't about raising taxes. This is about balancing the tax burden, about making it fairer for everyone," says Andy Brack, president of the progressive think tank.
The study could not have been released at a more opportune time. Knowing the vote-rallying power of a good tax cut, politicians are among the most eager to engage in the tax debate. This is never more true than in an election year. Constituents have been bombarded with tax-centric news since the General Assembly convened in January. Sales tax, property tax, income tax, for roads, for schools, for public services — it has become a blur of numbers and percentages, half-cents and tax holidays.
In an attempt to provide some clarity to the tax debate, here are the 11 tax areas the Center sees as having room for improvement, and where South Carolina currently stands on them:
Broaden the Sales Tax Base
Translation: Get rid of tax holidays. It would be a heavy cross to bear — who doesn't love an excuse to shop with abandon? Even if you aren't really getting much of a deal, it feels like you are, and it is a holiday. Unfortunately, this holiday costs South Carolina an estimated $5.2 million a year.
Modernize Sales Tax for the New Economy
Translation: Tax more services. There are 168 possible services that can be taxed. In 2004, South Carolina only taxed 34. The Center for a Better South's study calls this the "Swiss cheese" approach to taxation. Some of the services that could be taxed, and aren't, include mini-storage, pet grooming, dating services, and golf lessons. A big disappointment for all you pack-rat, pet-owning, single golfers, but every little bit helps. In 2001, if South Carolina had taxed more services it would have generated an additional $669 million.
Raise Cigarette Taxes to Promote Public Health
Translation: Cancer sticks should cost more. South Carolina has the lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax at a measly seven cents a pack. In North Carolina — where they actually grow tobacco — you are charged 35 cents a pack, which is still well below the national average of 92 cents. Research indicates if the tax were raised, 30,600 smokers would quit and long-term health savings would total $1.1 billion.
Enact a State-Earned Income Tax Credit
Translation: Working-class families can rise above the poverty level because they would receive a tax break. The federal government already has a program, and in 2003, 414,707 South Carolinians were able to take advantage of this option, saving them $779 million. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia offer the same break on state taxes. South Carolina does not.
Modernize State Income Brackets
Translation: Tax brackets are based on incomes from the 1940s. It's time for an upgrade. Do you remember Steve Forbes and his crazy "flat tax?" That is basically what we've got for an income tax. It didn't get Forbes a presidential candidacy, and it doesn't work for South Carolinians either. South Carolina's top tax bracket is seven percent for $12,650 and above. So the working college student making $12,651 dollars a year will pay the same in state taxes as Thomas "Rhymin'" Ravenel and his brethren.
Account for Inflation
Translation: Get with the times, man. South Carolina is actually one of the few Southern states that does take inflation into account — gold star for us in this category.
Rethink Senior Tax Preferences
Translation: Taxes for seniors should be based on ability to pay instead of age. The baby boomer generation is getting older and represents a huge tax base. By 2030, 22 percent of South Carolina's population will be seniors — and that doesn't account for a continued influx of retirees to S.C.'s beautiful places. Currently this piggy bank of a demographic is given full exemptions for Social Security income, a private pension exemption, additional deductions, and property tax allowances.
Eliminate Corporate Tax Loopholes
Translation: Don't let big business weasel out of their civic duty to pay taxes. The estimated tax revenue lost in Southern states because of corporate tax loopholes is $72 million a year. The Center for a Better South suggests requiring corporations to include the profits of their subsidiaries in their income tax returns; this takes away their ability to hide profits.
Connect Property Taxes and Ability to Pay
Translation: This would establish an income limit, or other "circuit breaker" for determining what a person owes in property taxes. Property taxes have been a huge issue this year. The S.C. Senate subcommittee proposed a property tax circuit breaker during this year's debate on property reform, but the measure failed. Instead, the General Assembly passed a sales tax increase. Property tax is the tax most often complained about. To offer a little perspective, South Carolina's property taxes are extremely low compared to the national average, and if you have any concerns about the state of education in South Carolina, suck it up and pay the increased property tax. Future — literate — generations will thank you.
Translation: Make an annual list of all the special tax breaks the state allows and allow the Legislature and the voting public to review it every year. There are reasons South Carolina's tax structure is still operating like it is the 1940s. One of them is that no one bothers to review it for years at a time. Really, who would want to? Tax code is not the most stimulating reading, but this is our money we're messing with. We publish annual budgets. Why not tax expenditures? The list would make it clear where tax revenue is coming from — and where it isn't.
Review the Performance of Government
Translation: We end on a high note. In the last five years a volunteer review board has conducted a performance evaluation of South Carolina government in an effort to boost efficiency, save money, and improve customer service. New Mexico, having instituted a permanent and government-sponsored review system, will save more than $54 million as a result of their efforts.
To find out more about The Center for a Better South or about the "Doing Better" tax study, visit www.bettersouth.org. | <urn:uuid:605f26d1-1178-4ac5-b8ce-e50b21728f47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/feature-zwnj-better-taxes-better-south/Content?oid=1105757 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961832 | 1,679 | 1.875 | 2 |
The historical role of the Eurasian originated peoples in shaping todays world is well attested in historiography. Though there have been other people of such as Finno-Ugric, Mongolic and Iranic origin in the region (Inner Asia and Eastern Europe in narrower sense), a bulk of Eurasian settlers, or wanderers, were of Turkish stock throughout history. Besides their abundance, the very mobile life forced by the steppe conditions led Turks to be hyperactive not only in this vast region and its surroundings, but also in almost all parts of the Old World.
Following the old cultures of Inner Asia namely, Anav, Afanesevo, Tagar, Tashtyk, etc, there emerges the Saka/Scyth world. After the cloudy days of Sakas/Scyths, a well-known episode of Turk history began with Huns (Xiongnu) in the last quarter of the III. Century B.C. Long-lasting quarrels between Huns and the Chinese led to construction of the Chinese Wall at the beginning of the known period, which points to the great age of the tradition: Huns were in relations with the Chinese at least from the VII. Century B.C. on. Many scholars believe in a Turkish origin for the Chou dynasty (1027-256 B.C.) of China. After the Great Hun state in the East collapsed in the II. Century C.E., a great Hunnic mass moved west to establish the European Hun Empire in the IV. and V. Centuries, and another mass turned to the southwest and founded the White Hun (Chionite) state, which survived until the Göktürk conquest (556-557).
Although antique Mediterranean sources recorded some ethnonyms north of the Black Sea and the Caucasus that resemble or bring to mind the word Turk Göktürk Empire is known as the first political formation using Turk in its name. Based on Hunnic tradition, the Göktürk state marked a certain period in the world history between VI. And VIII. Centuries. This huge empire provided spread of the word Turk to all tribes speaking the same language from the Black Sea coasts to the borderlands of todays Manchuria, thus serving the rise of a preliminary national consciousness among Turks. The Göktürk state became also model for almost all later Turkish, and even Mongol states up to the modern times. What is more, rulers of many Turkish states, successors of the Göktürks, descended from the Ashina dynasty, founder and rulers of the Göktürk Empire.
The Socio-political structure and traditions of the steppe, created by the conditions of the geography provided very rapid rise of states, sometimes from a clan to a worldwide empire, but did not help them live long. Two main facts are determinant in this issue: That the country and all conquest lands were shared among members of the dynasty, and that state was indeed a tribal union. That is, if any tribe rebelled or successes, territorial integrity of the state was deeply depressed. And, massive secession of tribes means sudden collapse of huge empires. The Göktürk state also declined in such a way: Member tribes simultaneously rebelled and the Ashina dynasty lost all control.
The Göktürk state was succeeded by two important formations: In the east, todays Mongolia, Uygur Turks seized control over the region and tribes (744) and set up a great state in the north of China. In the west, south Siberia, Turkish tribes and other people were united around the Kimek tribe, and formed a khaganate. Later Kuman/Kipchaks originated within this structure. The Uygur khaganate was the latest great Turkish state in the east of Inner Asia. After a century, it faced the same fate as the Göktürks, and was destroyed by another Turkish tribe, the Kyrgyz, who could not set a successive state and, moreover, had to leave Mongolia as the latest Turkish group. Dispersed Uygurs migrated to what is today Eastern Turkestan, where they adopted sedentary life, as well as Buddhism as their new religion. This migration also gave birth to a brilliant Turkish sedentary civilization in the oases of Eastern Turkestan, based on mainly usage of paper and pen. With their literary capacity, Uygurs served later the Chingissid Turko-Mongol Empire, being backbone of its bureaucracy. The Uygurs literary production continued after they converted to Islam. That their country was on the Great Silk Road contributed also to their civilization rise.
After the Uygurs, Inner Asian Turks usually remained stateless, except newly rising Turko-Islamic states. In the west, the situation was divertive. After the Huns, who conquered most of Europe, and who caused the shapening of modern Europe by starting Wölkerwanderung, the Great Migration, Ogur-Bulgar Turks became lords of Eastern Europe. Todays Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Tatarstan and Chuvashia, as well as some component of ethno genesis of Karachay-Balkar Turks are their remnants. Bulgars Turks were in the course of time assimilated by crowded Slavic and Ugric communities, on which they ruled, or by other, mainly Kipchak Turks. Only Chuvashes are to be their direct grandsons.
Avars ruled on Central Europe between the years 558 and 895. They came from Central Asia by fleeing Göktürks, and are supposed to be part of Mongolic Juan-Juans, who dominated Inner Asia before Göktürks. But all traces they left us point to their Turkishness, and no Mongolic figure concerning them has yet been found. When the Ashina family lost power, the westernmost provinces of Göktürk empire turned to be Khazar state, which by the end of the X. century kept their state on the north and northwest of the Caspian Sea, being intermediary between civilizations and especially trade centers.
After the collapse of Göktürks, many Turkish tribes started to move to Europe. Pecheneks are the first in this wave. They came to Europe to escape Oguz pressure, who had been themselves suppressed by Kipchaks. These three Turkish groups came to Europe following each other, but failed in setting their states. After making Byzantium, Hungary and the Rus busy with their indefinite raid and plunders between IX. and XII. centuries, they dramatically ceased to exist. Some of them was assimilated among East European peoples, some joined to ethno genesis of other Turks like the Crimean Tatars, Nogays and Balkanic Ottoman Turks, and some kept their identity up to now being non-Muslim Turks, like the Gagauz, Karaims and Kirimchaks.
Ancient Turks very active life meant an intensive interaction with those contacted, and this led to many influences and changes in the cultures of the both sides. But different Turks always had common peculiarities, outlines of which determined Turkish identity. This is thanks to their establishment of a unique civilization, which is mostly and unjustly called nomadic steppe civilization. Steppe conditions did not permit them to build masterpieces, but they developed a very rich folk culture, applied art, and especially worldview, comparable to the most advanced civilizations. State organization especially was at a high level among Turks and they taught many nations of the Old Continent about social and political institutionalization, which is an indicator of a high culture. We can find its reflections in many places and areas. Very scarce sources remaining from ancient times provide necessary proof about the material culture of ancient Turks, however, further archaeological research would help to discover the many unknowns of this civilization | <urn:uuid:7376d118-521a-471f-9645-e6ee1e8a5c2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.turkish-history.com/display.asp?c=6010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964336 | 1,606 | 3.515625 | 4 |
2. Background of the dance
3. History of the dance styles
4. Purpose of the dance
5. Classification of the dance
6. Dance decorations
7. Persons allowed to dance
Historically, dance played an important role in the life of
Indian people. It should be said that the earliest dance forms
originate to the antiquity. At the same time, dance has never
lost its significance to Indian people who were always interested
in dance and who made this a real form of art. In fact, Indian
culture is characterized by the richness and variety of forms
of expression but, at the same time, despite certain variations
the traditional Indian culture remains a solid and powerful
tool that unites the whole nation.
It should be pointed out that there exist various styles of
dance which may vary depending on the region or the origin.
Basically, Indian dance is performed on different occasion
but, nevertheless, it does not make Indian dance less expressive
or significant. In actuality, it is possible to speak about
dance in India as a part of cultural identity of Indian people
and as a form of communication between Indians which has gradually
evolved and transformed in the great art.
It is important to underline that Indian dance is so important
to Indians that they never abandon their historical traditions
of dance. No wonder that even in the modern world, when Indians
are dispersed throughout the world and when Indian communities
may be found in absolutely different parts of the world living
in different socio-cultural environment, Indian dance still
distinguishes Indian people from other communities of the
History of the dance styles
Speaking about the history of Indian dance, it is necessary
to point out that as any other form of art in India, dance
was closely related to the religious beliefs of Indian people
and actually is considered to be a kind of divine gift. It
should be said that the origin of Indian dance styles may
be traced back to the Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni about 400
BC. However, this was rather a theoretical representation
of Indian dance which had being existed for a long time before
their theoretical adaptation.
In actuality, it is possible to refer the origin of Indian
dance styles to the epochs as old as 2000-1500 BC. The first
development of dance styles is associated with the invasion
of India by Aryans who founded a prosperous civilization in
India and developed practically all forms of art, including
dance. At the same time, any form of art in India was traditionally
believed to be of a divine origin and dance was not an exception.
the first elaborate and eloquent references to art of dancing
are abound in the Rig Veda, containing sacred texts, which
was compiled about 1500 BC (Samson 1987). In such a way, it
is obvious that dance was one of the ancient forms of art
In Indian tradition, it is believed that dance was created
by Lord Brahma (the Creator) as the treatises on dance such
as Natya Shastra and Abhinaya Darpana read. In fact, the Natya
Shastra is the earliest Indian text in the history of performing
arts which is believed to be created by Gods as a form of
entertainment. It is worthy of note, the four traditional
Veda, containing sacred texts, were not accessible to all
castes and, thus certain categories of Indian population were
deprived of opportunity to get acquainted with them, while
the Natya Shastra was perceived as the fifth Veda accessible
to absolutely all people. According to Indian legends, it
was the gift of Gods and initially, the Natya Shastra and,
thus dance, was supposed to be destined to Gods only, but
later were presented to people.
Naturally, in the course of time, views on dance in India
evolved as well as dance styles themselves .This is why nowadays
it is possible to single out several classical dance forms,
including Bharatnatyam, Kuchi[pudi, Mohini Attam, Kathak,
Odissi and Manipuri. It is worthy of mention that dance styles
in India may vary depending on the region so that different
regions have their own unique dance styles, which, nonetheless,
basically meet Indian tradition of dance and Indian philosophy
Purpose of the dance
Taking into consideration the significance of dance to Indian
people, it seems to be quite natural that the dance serves
to different purposes in Indian culture. Obviously, the dance
is an ancient form of art and this is why, in the modern context,
it is possible to view the dance as a means of preservation
of the national culture and traditions. In other words, classical
dance forms of India may be viewed as a cultural heritage
of Indian people which underlines the uniqueness of Indian
people and Indian culture contributing to the development
of national and cultural identity of Indian people. To a significant
extent, it is due to the dance Indian people living in different
parts of the world feel that they belong to the same culture
and they are representatives of one and the same nation.
At the same time, the dance in India also serves to more practical
purposes. For instance, it is not a secret that Indian dances
are very informative and actually the dance for Indians is
more than dance or art, it is rather a form of communication
since with the help of gestures, movements, dressing, etc.
dancers can express their feelings, emotions, intentions,
etc. This is why the communicative purpose of Indian dance
Furthermore, it is necessary to remember about the traditional
purpose of dance that can be traced throughout the history
of its development, this is the performance. Unquestionably,
traditionally picturesque, emotional and highly informative
Indian dances always represented a great performance and served
as a means of entertainment of large audience that may be
compared to the modern concerts and, in this respect, Indian
dances may be viewed as similar to performance art in any
However, often the dance as a performance served to religious
purposes which emphasized the divine origin of dance. In this
respect, it is worthy of mention that the Shiva temple of
Chidambaram was sculpted with 108 Karanas (units of dance
in which gesture, step and attitude are coordinated in a harmonious
rhythmic movement) on the inner walls of the four gateways
leading to the temple (Bowers 1967). In suhc a way, it is
obvious that Indian dance was extremely important to the local
Naturally, despite its divine origin, Indian dance also served
to human purposes and often it was a perfect way to get socialized
or accepted by the community. In this respect, it should be
said that the participation in dance was traditionally a symbol
of the acceptance of an individual by the community since
it was a symbolic unification of the individual with his social
environment. Thus, the variety of purposes of Indian dance
made it extremely important part of social life of Indian
people and its significance is still relevant even nowadays.
Classification of the dance, decorations and participants
As Indian dance played an important social role, the fulfillment
of its basic purposes implied the existence of a variety of
dance forms and styles. Moreover, the huge territory inhabited
by Indian people contributed dramatically to the regional
diversification of dance forms and styles. This is why among
the variety of Indian dance forms it is possible to single
out eight classical dance form, which has already been mentioned
above. But the more general classification helps structure
Indian dance into three major groups.
First of all, these are religious dances which are performed
inside the sanctum of the temple. According to the rituals
these dance forms were classified as Agama Nartanam. This
was a spiritual dance form. Secondly, it is possible to single
out dances that fulfilled socio-political function and were
performed in royal courts to the accompaniment of classical
music and were traditionally called Carnatakam. Finally, it
is possible to speak about dances which fulfilled a kind of
universal or uniting the community function since the form
of dance known as Darbari Aatam appealed more to the commoners
and it educated them about their religion, their culture and
social life. These dances were performed outside the temple
precincts in the courtyard (Auntrose 2002).
However, in order to fully understand the diversity of Indian
dance forms, its essence and ambiance, it is necessary to
dwell upon the classical Indian dance forms. Primarily, it
should be said that practically all Indian classical dances
are spiritual. For instance, Kathakali, which literally means
story-play, is an elaborate dance depicting the victory of
truth over the falsehood. The particular feature of this form
of dance is the use of elaborate make-up and colorful costumes
which are used to emphasize that the characters are super-beings
from another world, and their make-up is easily recognizable
as godlike, heroic, or demonic. Another dance form is Mohimi
Attam. The theme of this dance is love and devotion to God,
who is usuall Vishnu or Krishna. The Mohini Attam dancer maintains
realistic make-up and a simple costume. Usually, the dancer
is attired in a beautiful white with gold borderKasavu saree
of Kerala, with the distinctive white jasmine flowers around
a French bun at the side of her head.
Bharata Natyam dance has been handed down through the centuries
by dance teachers and the temple dancers. In the sacred environment
of the temple these families developed and propagated their
heritage. In such a way, this dance was basically performed
by this limited group of people while the others were unable
to perform this dance.
Kuchipudi, another classical dance, is actually the dance
drama that still exists today and can be closely associated
with the Sanskrit theatrical tradition. During this dance,
the actors sing and dance, and the style is the blend of folk
and classical. Probably this is why the technique has greater
freedom and fluidity than other dance styles. Kuchipudi was
always performed as an offering to the temples.
Odissi dance form is based on the popular devotion to Lord
Krrishna and the verses of the Sanskrit play Geet Govinda
are used to depict love and devotion to God. The Odissi dancers
use their heads, bust and torso in soft flowing movements
to express specific mood and emotions. The form is curvaceous,
concentrating on the division of the body into three parts:
head, bust and torso. This is a soft, lyrical, classical dance
which depicts the ambiance of Orissa and the philosophy of
its most popular deity. This dance may be considered regional
and typical for the state of Orissa.
Kathak is a North Indian dance form which is inextricably
bound with classical Hindustani music and the rhythmic nimbleness
of the feet is accompanied by the table. Traditionally, the
dance was taken to Muslim courts and, consequently, it became
more entertaining and less religious in content. The emphasis
is traditionally made on the pure dance aspects and less on
expression and emotions. Finally, there is Manipuri, a dance
style based on circular movements. Specialists (Nayagam 1970)
estimate that in ancient texts it has been compared to the
movement of planets around the sun.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible
to conclude that Indian dance is an ancient form of art that
has developed throughout the history of Indian culture and
still represents a constituent part of Indian cultural heritage.
In actuality, there exist a variety of dance forms and style
but basically they preserved their religious origin and, as
a rule, Indian dance forms are characterized as highly spiritual.
At the same time, the purposes and functions of Indian dance
forms also vary substantially, though such a diversity of
purposes only underlines the uniqueness of Indian dance which
may characterized as highly informative form of performance
and art which may be used equally successful to communication,
entertainment, socialization of individuals, etc. In such
a way, Indian dance is the national symbol, the art that shapes
national identity of Indian people.
1. Auntrose, K., (2002) Classical Dances and costumes of India.
New York: Routledge.
2. Banerjee, Projesh (1983). Indian Ballet Dancing. New Jersey:
3. Bowers, Faubion (1967). The Dance in India. New York: AMS
4. Kilger, George (1993). Bharata Natyam in Cultural Perspective.
New Delhi: Manohar American Institute of Indian Studies.
5. Thacker, Chaula (1989). Introduction to Bharat Natyam.
Michigan: Nadanta, Inc.
6. Nayagam, X.S. Thani (1970). Tamil Culture and Civilization.
London: Asia Publishing House.
7. Samson, Leela (1987). Rhythm in Joy: Classical Indian Dance
Traditions. New Delhi: Lustre Press Pvt. Ltd. | <urn:uuid:9fbd5b33-7cba-4aab-a652-c86c5ebe47e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.essay-911.com/samples/Dance.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943019 | 2,816 | 3.59375 | 4 |
With the Cubs Off-Season slowing down a little, I thought this would be the right time to look further into the Cubs past, a trip down Cubstory if you will. The Cubs Faithful have been complaining over the last two seasons about the ineffectiveness of Dusty Baker. Most think Dusty has done a terrible job since 2003, but who has done a ‘good job’ in the minds of the Cubs Faithful? Jim Frey gave the Cubs the division crown in 1984, but did not make the World Series. Don Zimmer gave the Cubs the division crown in 1989, but again….no World Series. So what about a team of coaches that would rotate every two weeks….could they led the Cubs to the Promised Land? That sounds crazy, but in 1961 the Cubs tried it and that experiment became known as the ‘College of Coaches’. I attempted to do research on this subject, but nothing really exists on the Internet. Is this something the Cubs want to forget or is this something that no one knows much about? I borrowed a copy of Don Zimmer’s book, ‘Zim A Baseball Life’, this is a good book and a must read for every Cubs fan and he mentions his involvement with the College of Coaches.
In Zimmer’s book he explains his playing time with the Cubs and the fact he spoke his mind did not sit well with the front office of the Chicago Cubs. This is what Don Zimmer had to say about the College of Coaches.
According to Zimmer, the Cubs had 13 losing seasons, including eight in a row, since their last appearance in the World Series in 1945. The Wrigley family did not spend a lot of money on the team and on December 21, 1960 P.K. Wrigley announced the Cubs would not have one manager, but several in an experiment Wrigley called the ‘College of Coaches’. Wrigley decided on an experiment of a group of managers that would take turns running the team. “The theory was that while one of them was serving as a head coach, the others would devote their time to teaching the finer points of the game to the players.” The list of coaches included: Bobby Adams, “Rip” Collins, Vedie Himsl, Goldie Holt, Elvin Tappe, Fred Martin, Verlon Walker, Lou Klein and Harry Craft (the only one with Major League managerial experience). And according to Zimmer, “the idea was to educate us”.
According to Zimmer, “….to be sure the College of Coaches had everything covered, Wrigley and General Manager John Holland named me (Zimmer) the team captain. Himsl, who became the first head coach, made the announcement on Opening Day that the organization felt they needed a captain.” Zimmer said him being named captain was primarily because of the work he had done with Ron Santo and that “Wrigley felt the College of Coaches needed a veteran assistant on the field”. Zimmer said “to the surprise of no one except Mr. Wrigley, the college of coaches was unable to educate the Cubs into winners….the Cubs finished seventh again, losing 90 games, and about the only thing we learned was that seven heads are definitely no better than one.”
In the first year of the College of Coaches the managers rotated every two weeks. Each having a different managerial style and approach to the game. Zimmer said in his book, “….the College of Coaches was a joke and doomed to failure the moment it was created. The Cubs were even worse under it….but what can you expect when you have nine guys giving nine different pieces of advise?”
Zimmer mentioned the use of nine coaches and seven coaches and I could only find records of four of them ‘managing’ during the 1961 season. According to official records on Cubs.com, there were only six coaches that actually managed the team during the experiment.
‘This Old Cub’ also mentions the College of Coaches and Joe Mantegna (narrator) stated the College of Coaches “was a doomed experiment and the players did not know if they were to steal a base or swing for the fences”. According to Cubs.com, “The system was meant to be a blending of ideas from several individuals instead of the traditional one skipper and ended without success five years later when Leo Durocher took the helm.”
Here is a list of the College of Coaches with their records and seasons: Bob Kennedy (1963-1965, 182-198), Charlie Metro (1962, 43-69), Lou Klein (1961-1962 & 1965, 65-82), Elvin Tappe (1961-1962, 46-70), Harry Craft (1961, 7-9) and Vedie Himsl (1961, 10-21). On October 25, 1965, the Cubs named Leo Durocher manager and ended the College of Coaches experiment.
So when we (The Cubs Faithful) are complaining about Dusty Baker, let’s remember the ‘College of Coaches’, sure it was a different time in history….but history always has a way of repeating itself. | <urn:uuid:d1484950-3c1a-46f4-8769-1be6ed7b65a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2006/02/cubs_college.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982277 | 1,101 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Major Project 2012
In 2011, just over 35 percent of couples who married in 1986 had divorced before their silver wedding anniversary. ‘Together | Apart’ allows parents to understand the effects a family separation has on young adults through three case studies.
A typographic system is used as a means to portray the heightened emotion and level of stress different events within a family separation will cause. The higher on the stress scale an event is, the more warped the text becomes. This makes the text increasingly hard to read, and mimics the warping, changing and unpredictable nature of grief. This is also reflected in the process in which the
warped text was created. By distorting the text on the photocopier, not one result is the same. This means
that every page in the booklet is unique, which further emphasises the fact that everybody's reaction to grief is different. The project aims to open up the channels of communication between parents and children during
this distressing time.
Awarded membership into the International Society of Typographic Designers | <urn:uuid:57eea849-81f7-4cd4-bb3f-c8fcaa813d24> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.typographyserved.com/gallery/Together-Apart-Part-One/6079667 | 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 | 0.952673 | 216 | 2.671875 | 3 |
is the second tallest mountain in Japan, after Mount Fuji, and is known as "the Leader of the Southern Alps". It is included in the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. It is situated in the the city of Minami-Alps, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the Akaishi Mountains, which are known as the "Southern Alps" (南アルプス Minami-Alps).
Alpine plants grow abundantly, especially on the mountain's southeastern slope along the route to and along the and courses along on the mountain's northern side. Large clusters of plants can be seen from huts near the top. The species is endemic to this mountain.
There are three main access routes to the summit of Mount Kita. The first starts out in Hirogawara and follows the up through the . Another route leaves the river valley earlier and emerges from the forest at Shiraneoike-Kusasuberi. A third trail runs from Ryōmata at the trail head near to the summit of the mountain.
From the summit, a trail runs along the ridge via Nakashiranesan to Mount Aino, , Mount Nōtori, and continues further south. An alternate route, has been built, which connects the viewing platform at to the summit, via the head at . This approach is not very popular, except in winter, when the path gets greater use. Kitadake Buttress is a classic route for free climbing in Japan.
The main mountain huts in the vicinity of Mount Kita are the , the , the and the . | <urn:uuid:fa1b78b4-e2e1-4f28-96a9-4bd102e3b985> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Mount_Kita | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962832 | 328 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Cut Floridians’ firepower?by Opinion Staff
For all the debate over political speech and the shooting in Tucson, Ariz., the more serious policy question is about gun laws.
Jared L. Loughner, accused in the shooting, had a semi-automatic pistol with a clip that held 31 bullets. Such “large capacity” magazines — anything over 10 rounds — had been banned in 1994 by the federal law that also restricted the sale of assault weapons, though manufacturers had found loopholes. Congress allowed the ban to expire in 2004. Now, only states can restrict the size of magazines.
Given the power of the National Rifle Association in Florida, such a ban is unlikely. But a ban makes sense. There is no reason for anyone who is not a law enforcement officer to have a clip that holds 31 rounds. Private citizens who want to practice on the range can take 10-round clips and reload.
Obviously, there’s also the issue of why someone whom acquaintances correctly judged to be dangerous managed to buy a gun at all. But none of the alarms raised about Loughner got into the system. At this point, it seems that the dealer had no reason to deny the sale. Also obviously, a 10-round clip would have done considerable damage, too. But Loughner’s clip increased the potential lethality by 300 percent. And he wanted to insert a second magazine.
We believe that Florida should restrict large capacity magazines. What do you think? Take our poll. | <urn:uuid:6564e362-2c80-4a57-9f57-0f9975f8c4fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2011/01/10/cut-floridians%e2%80%99-firepower/?cp=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967787 | 310 | 1.820313 | 2 |
PORTLAND - Rose-Tu, an elephant at the Oregon Zoo, gave birth at 2:17 a.m. Friday to a girl. The calf weighed 300 pounds.
“The calf is beautiful, healthy, tall and very vigorous," said Oregon Zoo director Kim Smith, "As soon as she hit the ground — before she was even out of the amniotic sac — she was wiggling. And she’s vocalizing loudly."
It's too soon to determine when the calf and Rose-Tu can take visitors.
Watch: Meet Rose-Tu's new baby
“Rose should allow the calf to nurse regularly, sleep, play and generally act like a calf without trying to stop it and control its movements. Then we’ll determine whether she’s calm and comfortable with staff around," said Bob Lee, the zoo’s elephant curator. "And finally, we want to make sure the calf has had a chance to bond with the rest of the herd.”
The zoo will compile a list of names for the newborn calf and the public will have a chance to help choose, Smith said.
“Rose is doing considerably better this time around,” Smith said. “When Samudra was born, it was four days before she would even let him come near her, so we’re much farther along this time. We’re starting to see motherly behavior from Rose, and the calf is already nursing a bit. These are great signs that the mother-calf bond will be a strong one."
Wednesday night, Rose-Tu was showing tell-tale signs that the birth was coming.
"Animal-care staff reported that the Asian elephant, now in her 22nd month of pregnancy, is showing signs of discomfort, an event that usually indicates active labor will begin within 24 hours," Najarian said.
Active labor in Asian elephants usually lasts around 12 to 36 hours.
“Rose’s blood-progesterone level dropped noticeably a few days ago, and we’ve been watching her 24/7 since,” Lee said. “But these things happen according to their own schedule. Rose is still happily munching on hay and bamboo. We’re not too concerned about how much time it takes as long as Rose and her baby are safe and healthy."
He added that there are many risks associated with elephant births, so they will continue to monitor Rose-Tu and the baby very closely.
When Rose-Tu gave birth to Samudra in 2008, her labor lasted about 36 hours. She had never experienced a birth before and became very confused and agitated, which can happen with first-time mothers, according to Dr. Mitch Finnegan, the zoo's senior veterinarian. He said that in that case, keepers quickly intervened.
“That last birth easily took a year off my life,” Finnegan said. “I hope this one goes easier.”
Rose-Tu's fans can track all her updates on the zoo's baby elephant blog.
Rose-Tu was placed in isolation and under 24-hour watch earlier in the week. Zookeepers have been spending the night in cots near the huge elephant, watching and waiting.
Raw video: Rose Tu in 'maternity ward'
The Oregon Zoo has 50 years of experience in birthing and raising Asian Elephants, and a very high success rate to go along with it. Smith said they're excited for a healthy finish after 20-plus months.
Ultrasound video below: | <urn:uuid:6464b93a-e490-4ec6-aaa6-a784dbde5810> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.king5.com/news/pets-and-animals/Oregon-Zoo-elephant-has-300-pound-baby-girl-181561541.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971739 | 746 | 2.09375 | 2 |
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 19, 2012) - Coursera today announced that Berklee College of Music, Brown University, Columbia University, Emory University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, The Ohio State University, University of British Columbia, University of California, Irvine, University of Florida, University of London, University of Maryland, University of Melbourne, University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt University, and Wesleyan University have signed agreements with Coursera to bring courses online for free to expand education opportunities on university campuses and worldwide. With today's announcement, Coursera now hosts roughly 200 courses from 33 domestic and international universities and reaches over 1.3 million students across the globe.
Since its first course offerings six months ago, Coursera has accelerated toward its mission to educate millions worldwide, building meaningful community engagement systems, and establishing advanced technologies to support learning online. The 17 universities joining Coursera's platform today will expand the course roster, adding new and increasingly broad perspectives in the areas of music, medicine, humanities and more.
"Previously I was unable to attend traditional college classes," said Coursera student Laura Cushing. "Now the door to higher education is wide open and I can learn online in a global classroom of peers, in classes taught by professors at top universities. Thanks to Coursera, I am reaching an educational future I never thought possible. There are as many stories as there are students, but we all have one thing in common -- a love of learning that Coursera helps us realize."
Students have access to valuable experiences beyond lectures and on-campus activities through Coursera's extensive community engagement opportunities, which include in-person Meetups in over 600 cities around the world, thousands of community forums on Coursera, and professor and student-organized networking. Coursera is also offering university professors opportunities to share their knowledge with larger audiences, explore new teaching methods in the classroom, and gain valuable feedback on student activity and educational outcomes.
"At Vanderbilt, we have the luxury of teaching extraordinary students in small classes and of working in close collaboration with undergraduates, graduate students, and other faculty," said Jay Clayton, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of English, and Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University. "We will never give up that advantage -- it's what makes Vanderbilt distinctive -- but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look for innovative ways to use new media to enrich on-campus community. Coursera gives us something more: the opportunity to reach out to a global audience and stimulate fresh thinking, share cutting-edge ideas, and provide new knowledge to people who will never have the chance to come study at Vanderbilt in person."
"We set out to make education accessible to everyone around the world, and seeing our vision come to life has been an incredible experience," said Daphne Koller, Coursera co-founder. "With the addition of the exceptional, forward-thinking institutions coming on board today, we're proud to offer an even more diverse experience to our students."
"Over the coming months, we will continue to focus on bringing the best educational content and support systems to people around the world so that they can continue to enrich their lives through learning," said Andrew Ng, Coursera co-founder.
New courses will join current university offerings on Coursera over the coming months. For a full list of course offerings across disciplines and universities or to enroll in an upcoming course, visit Coursera.org.
Coursera is on a mission to change the world by educating millions of people by offering classes from top universities and professors online for free. Coursera's comprehensive education platform combines mastery-based learning principles with video lectures, interactive content and a global community of peers, offering students from around the world a unique online learning experience. Coursera has partnered with top-tier universities to provide courses across a broad range of disciplines, including medicine, literature, history and computer science, among others. Coursera is backed by leading venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and New Enterprise Associates. For more information, visit Coursera.org. | <urn:uuid:660e9c9d-7c0e-4bb5-9cac-78738b2c2332> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/berklee-college-music-brown-columbia-emory-hebrew-university-jerusalem-hong-kong-university-1703075.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942063 | 874 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Time to riot!
The Riot for Austerity came about this way. In 2007, after the release of the IPCC report, and a number of books drawing attention to climate change, a friend of mine and I were discussing our frustration that no political organization was considering any kind of emissions cuts that even resembled those necessary to limit the damage from climate change. In fact whenever we discussed the 90+% emissions cuts required to give us the best chance of a reasonable stable climate, the immediate reaction was "that's not going to happen!"
Stealing a great line from George Monbiot's wonderful book _Heat_, in which he laments "no one has ever rioted for austerity" Miranda Edel and I, both mothers of children who would be living for this world, wondered if it was really so inconceivable that people could change their lives. After all, our grandparents had done so during WWII - was it really so alien, so far away? Frustrated at lack of political responsiveness, we decided we wouldn't wait - we'd see if we could make the cuts in our own lives. Someone, we argued, had to model a way of life that was actually viable given the limits of our planet's resources and pollution absorption capacity. So, why not us?
We set two goals. First, we would spend a year trying to get our emissions down by 90% over the American average. Second, we'd use this as part of a larger public strategy to point out that it can be done - that we don't have to wait for political action - indeed, that we can't wait.
What we didn't expect was that the Riot would take on a life of its own - at its peak in 2008, several thousand people in 14 countries were rioting - and talking about it in a lively, sometimes contentious, often very funny discussion group. What was most astonishing about it was how much fun all of us were having getting our emissions and impact down.
Or maybe that isn't very surprising. The historian Timothy Breen has argued that during times of crisis, what he calls "rituals of non-consumption" arise in order to fill the gap created by the inability to consumer, for whatever reason. Those rituals - sharing recipes for homegrown teas during the American revolution, knitting socks for soldiers during WWI, etc... are as satisfying or more satisfying than the old rituals. People don't miss what they give up - provided, of course, that they can fill the gap with community.
In 2007, while it was frustrating that the people had to lead the political discourse, it seemed possible we might do something, however inadequate, about climate change. In that sense, it seems like a good time to re-start the Riot. As our government has less and less to do with what our kids and grandkids actually need from governments, as all of us face a world where we're losing control of the real essentials, it is more necessary than ever to build that way of life worth living, and more necessary than ever to not allow the political process to stand in the way of making change. The Riot was always political as well as personal (and y'all know I don't think they can be separated) - there is nothing more powerful than saying to governments - we don't need you to make change, we can do it ourselves. Strangely, that's when governments tend to get involved - when enough ordinary people start transforming the world for themselves.
To me, this isn't a rejection of the idea that there are some things governments do well - instead it is an affirmation that we can lead, rather than wait to be led. The Riot was set to point out - look, thousands of people can do what you have said is impossible, and we can do it without help. We can get to this point in our emissions production without waiting for the public transportation projects, for the renewable energy projects, for the subsidies for things that are worth having. How much more could we do with those things?
Moreover, there are practical reasons to join as well. As Dmitry Orlov points out, when the world is headed for a fall, and you have a choice of falling out of a fourth story window or a first story window, choosing the first-story window just plain makes sense. The lower we get our energy and resource consumption, the better prepared we are for our emergent future in which we are constrained by limits of climate, resources and wealth. If you recognize we cannot go on as we are, we must not wait for someone else to lead the way - it is time to make the changes that are needed ourselves.
If the only reasons were to change the world, make things better for your kids and grandkids and prepare yourself for the future, there'd probably be no reason to do it ;-). The real reason to riot is this - it is a heck of a lot of fun. There's an artistry in extracting the most from the least that offers a great deal of pleasure - the formal structures of the riot act, I think, like the framework of a sonnet or a the basic positions of dance, a discipline in which a new freedom and possibility emerges.
Ok, down to brass tacks. How does this work?
In its simplest terms, we're going to spend the next year asking "how low can you go?" Think of it as the energy limbo! The first step is to figure out what the average American uses. For this, I'm using EIA statistics whenever possible. Sometimes it is easy to figure out what the data are - other times it is more complicated. Sometimes the data is readily and accurately available in per-person numbers, sometimes you have to work with household numbers, which is more complex. Sometimes there is comparative consistency across regions, other times wide ranges, and it is hard to know how to evaluate.
One of the things that we found the first time is that there's a lot of debate and a lot of grey areas. How much does the energy you use at work count into your resources? Maybe you can affect that not at all - you don't have any control over how resources are used in your workplace. Maybe you can control it entirely - perhaps you work at home? How should we calculate renewable energy in your state - should it count as a 0 if you can afford to pay extra, even though there isn't enough renewable production to support everyone who might want to use it, even though the backups come from coal or diesel? What about wood heat? How do you could public transportation?
What about things that aren't easy to calculate, like food? Do we average things? Does doing well on some of the categories get you out of some of the others?
Other people noticed that things weren't necessarily fair. Was it fair to have to try and work around national averages when you live in a much hotter or colder place? Was it fair that single person households were at a disadvantage in some areas? Was it fair that larger households were at a disadvantage in others? City dwellers have public transport - should rural dwellers be held to the same standard? Rural dwellers can grow more food - that doesn't seem fair!
What we found in the year and more we struggled with these questions was that in fact, life isn't fair. I know that will be news to all of you ;-). Ultimately, you can do whatever you want - we set up the rules, but there's no one demanding any of us stick to them or interpret them one way. But I do know that I found the challenge of living on my energy budget to be most satisfying when I chose to calculate things in the way that seemed most in keeping with my principles. It was helpful to remember that this was a set of goals and ideals, and it isn't a race, it isn't a competition and there's no olympic energy-use cutting event. This is a collaborative project, one in which ideally we'll be proud of what we accomplish - that's what I care most about.
There are complicated questions - the answers aren't easy. Ultimately, at some point soon, we're going to have to just decide how to answer them, so that people don't get bogged down in the questions, but I do want your input. What do you think? How should we think about these things?
We're starting over from scratch, because almost all the material dedicated to the prior Riot has now disappeared from the internet entirely - we had, among other things, a cool calculator that allowed you to plug in numbers and find out where you stand without getting out a pen and paper, and a useful FAQ. These have gone missing, so we'll have to recreate them (note that "we" hint, hint ;-)).
I should say upfront that this is not a one person project - yes, I'm going to take the lead on writing and publicizing this, yes, if the buck has to stop somewhere, it will stop with me, but I NEED YOUR HELP!!! I need your help in a number of ways. I need someone to help us set up an energy calculator, and someone to volunteer to do the research for the FAQ in each category, for how to calculate grey areas and less clear options. I need a few people to volunteer to moderate the two groups I'm setting up for discussion of Riot issues, one on Yahoogroups, the other on facebook (we'll also be talking about it here on my blog, but that's not enough - people need to be able to raise their own problems and get answers). And I need y'all to publicize the riot on your own sites, to tweet and blog about it, to call up your local newspapers and publicize it. The first Riot got a surprising amount of attention - the second Riot could blow the roof off with your help.
So please, in comments, tell me what you want to contribute to this. Want to do the math on the transportation section? Ready to use your skills to set up a new calculator? Want to give the Riot a webpage and discussion group all its own so you don't have to use Facebook? Got an idea to share about cutting your usage? Want to have a meetup at your place for rioters in your area? Tell me! The part about this that is so much fun is the collaborative element!
Ok, let's focus on what we're talking about - the categories. There are still 7 of them.
1. Transportation Energy - here the average American uses 500 gallons of gas per person, per year. That makes it pretty easy to figure out - everyone gets 50 gallons per year. Then the questions begin to emerge. How do you calculate different public transport options? We really need someone to set up a calculator that covers diesel buses and hybrid buses, plane mileage, carpooling, and what have you.
2. Electricity - this is a big grey area as well. How do you calculate your share of your office's energy use? Is it fair that people who live in the far north like me don't consume as much electricity as folks who need a/c? Space cooling is the single largest use of electricity in the US, at 17%. How do you calculate hydro? What if it is environmentally damaging hydro power? Do peak and off-peak consumption matter? How do you count nuclear?
The average American uses 2,000 kwh per person *household* (not "per houseold" but "at home" as opposed to "at work and other places you go") use - total use is 4,000kwh annually. So that part is fairly easy - each person gets 200kwh per year. And the great thing is that this is the easiest part to calculate, since for most people on-grid, the utility company will be sending you an analysis of your usage every month.
3. Other fuels - mostly used for heating and cooking, but sometimes for other things as well. Natural gas, heating oil and propane are the major fuels, but these also include various forms of biomass (wood, pellets, corn, etc...). In some cases, this won't be a relevant category, if your home or apartment is all-electric, but most of us use some other heating fuel. Again, this is one of those places where a lot of grey areas emerge. Should wood be counted as carbon neutral all the time? Some of the time, depending on how it is harvested and used? How to calculate pellets or corn or biodiesel heating fuel? Which equivalencies do we want to use to allow people using heating oil to compare with those using biomass, natural gas or heating oil?
4. Water. Why include this? Well, because water resources use is a huge portion of the environmental picture. At 130 gallons *houseold* average (with an average household size of 2.6 people) that gives us 13 gallons per household per day.
Water is nice and clear in some areas, but almost no one actually made the 10% goal. I was almost tempted to take it off the list, but I think it is stands as a good goal, even if most of us don't achieve it. Water is going to be a huge source of stress in the coming century in many parts of the US. Our family actually uses about 35% of the American average, and I'm content there - but we also did go down for several months to the lower level and we know we could do it - and still live comfortably, although I admit, I missed the showers. Still with water capture and storage, and greywater usage, we weren't hurting. We live in a wet area, and I've become comfortable with this - maybe too comfortable - I'm looking forward to challenging ourselves again.
5. Garbage. Like water, there was a case to be made for leaving garbage out, but I do think it counts. Among other things, garbage is a significant source of methane emissions due to the inappropriate disposal of biodegradable material in landfills. Getting your garbage down really counts. The good news is that this is actually one of the areas where most households can do the most the fastest as well!
The average American household produces 40lbs of garbage per week - that gives you a limit of 4lbs per household.
6. Food. This is a hard one - there aren't any really good figures for figuring out how to lower the impact of your food, so we kind of made it up. Our calculation was that no more than 10% of your food should be from the mainstream industrial food system. Everything else should be either local low-input (organic isn't a very useful term most of the time because of the prevalence of industrial organic), or bulk purchased goods with minimal packaging, either organic or low-input, and fair trade if bought from the Global South.
There's a lot of grey here. For example, even though the local hydroponic tomato farm is near me, it sure as heck isn't low input - tomatoes from Florida would make more sense in March, and no tomatoes at all until tomato season still more sense. What do you do if you can't transport bulk goods? What do you do in a food desert? What if you are on WIC or food stamps? What if you can't afford these things? These are complicated questions - at the same time, every dollar we spend in the industrial food system constitutes an endorsement. Again, the fact that the goal is challenging, and perhaps impossible for some of us doesn't make it wrong.
Finally, category 7 is consumer goods. Multiple studies have found that every dollar we spend in the US results in an average of 1.6-2.kg of atmospheric carbon being produced in the process of manufacture, transport of goods, etc.... Not addressing the problem of consumption seems like missing the point. We know that Americans spend almost 1.5 trillion dollars a year on things that can only be viewed as non-essentials - luxury boats, marshmallow peeps, jewelry, Johnny Walker, lottery tickets...and those are just the things that the US commerce department feels comfortable acknowledging that *no one* needs - lots of other luxury items count as "necessary" because someone thinks they are. They don't include things like mansions (counting as housing) or $500 sneakers (clothing) or what have you. We spend almost 12% of our total household budgets on luxury items alone.
We also buy new when we could buy used 90% of the time. The average American spend 11,000 per year on items that don't include food, insurance, energy, housing and other necessities. Much of that money is in the form of debt. So everyone gets 1,100 dollars for consumer purchases - but used goods count as only 10% of their asking price, because keeping used items out of the waste stream is awesome! So if you can afford it, you can have you full 11K as long as you buy used. (Unfortunately, we are unable to supply you with the cash to do so as part of your membership in the Riot ;-)).
One important thing to know is that when numbers are for households, that the average American household size is 2.6 people, so you can get a rough estimate of the per-person usage by dividing by that. Different people have different takes on this - my family strove to meet the household averages even though we are more than double that size, other people chose to work with per-person averages.
What do you do if not everyone in your household wants to Riot? Well, you can try and persuade them, but honestly, maybe you'll have to work only on per-person consumption, and there may well be things that you can't control - if your spouse or parent wants the heat at 75 all winter or the a/c blasting, you may not be able to deal with those issues - or maybe not right away. Remember the power of benign example can do a lot.
This is a big challenge, and it would be easy to get overwhelmed. I got some criticism last time by seeing people say "wait a minute, don't we need to take baby steps?" I admit, this is a critique that annoys me - the problem is that babies only take baby steps for a very short time. Pretty soon they are off and running. Yes, at first you may need to take it slow - particularly if this is all new and overwhelming to you. At the same time, however, baby steps can become an excuse for not making real change. Sure, take your time getting started, but the goal is to move faster and faster, just like any one growing in confidence and strength.
If last time is any measure, you are going to have a lot of company to share strategies with, complain with, to compare notes and figure out with. No one can riot alone - but riots have a life of their own, they start as a little buzz, and end up making a noise no one can silence. We've seen it in the middle east - now it is time to start a Riot of our own!
Please, post suggestions for how to do the calculations and volunteer to take on roles in comments. Or email me at email@example.com, or at facebook. I've started the facebook group here under the "Riot for Austerity" name - drop me an email with your identity, and I'll add you!
Can't wait to get started! | <urn:uuid:f87a5d9a-5bdc-4a79-b032-026e9e7c8c0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.resilience.org/stories/2011-08-02/time-riot | 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 | 0.974023 | 3,998 | 1.570313 | 2 |
For those who may be new to the No Kill movement, below is an explanation of the No Kill Equation (NKE). The NKE is the only program proven to lead to No Kill success. It involves 11 simple steps, which, when implemented by a shelter, lead to increased live outcome rates and drastic drops in killing.
The NKE has been successfully applied in Reno, Nevada; Tompkins County, New York; Shelby County, Kentucky; Charlottesville, Virginia, and many other communities across the US.
The No Kill Equation works, period. But, it does take hard work, dedication, and a compassionate, innovative leader at the helm. A halfhearted attempt at the programs will NOT be effective. They must all be aggressively implemented in order to reap the lifesaving rewards.
I. Feral Cat TNR Program
Trap Neuter Release (TNR) programs are the only proven effective methods of reducing a feral cat population, and No Kill communities across the country have embraced these tactics as a method of drastically reducing shelter intake and saving lives.
II. High Volume, Low-Cost Spay/Neuter
Low or no-cost, high volume spay/neuter programs are a key component to reducing shelter intake, and become especially effective over time. Reducing intake allows for additional resources to be allocated to other shelter necessities.
III. Rescue Groups
Rescue groups are an invaluable element of the NKE. Any transfer of an animal to a rescue group reduces taxpayer cost for vet care and boarding (or euthanasia), in addition to freeing up a kennel for another animal. A transfer to a legitimate rescue should never be refused by a shelter.
IV. Foster Care
Foster care is an irreplaceable way to drastically expand shelter capacity. Volunteer foster parents provide boarding, food and care for animals, and serve as key advocates for the shelter’s mission. These programs also save the lives of neonatal kittens and other animals who cannot survive in a shelter environment.
V. Comprehensive Pet Adoptions
You CAN adopt your way out of killing, but it takes hard work and innovation. There are 17 million families looking for pets each year, and three to four million killed in shelters. There are more than enough homes for our nation’s homeless pets, but shelters must compete with outside sources of animals – they must offer promotions, adoption specials and implement effective marketing programs to get pets out the door.
VI. Pet Retention
Many of the reasons people surrender their animals are preventable, but shelters must work with the public to help them retain their animals. Through offering advice and assistance to those in need, shelters can reduce intake and keep families together.
VII. Medical and Behavior Rehabilitation
A key part of any shelter’s responsibility is to insure the health & well being of its inhabitants. Animals must be treated for medical conditions and rehabilitated for behavioral issues. This step includes the implementation of proper cleaning, vaccination, evaluation and other protocols.
VIII. Public Relations/Community Involvement
Community support is key to No Kill success. By increasing public exposure for the shelter, the community will get involved, which means more donations, more volunteers, more adoptions and more lifesaving success.
No Kill efforts cannot succeed without volunteers. They expand the shelter’s operational efforts without necessitating additional expense. They are invaluable, and the backbone of any successful shelter.
X. Proactive Redemptions
In Washoe County, Nevada, almost 65% of intake are returned to their owners, demonstrating the high percentage of animals that need only be redeemed. Actively working towards RTO efforts can drastically reduce shelter intake and kill rates.
XI. A Compassionate Director
The number one most important factor in reaching a No Kill community is effective leadership. Unless a shelter’s leader is progressive, compassionate and hard-working, other efforts are likely to fail. The leader dictates the policies & procedures of the organization, and if a leader makes a decision to stop the killing – it will stop. | <urn:uuid:084da560-e24c-46a2-ab79-83be504f1131> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thenokillnationblog.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934481 | 834 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and other melons are heat-loving plants that won’t tolerate frost or cold. They need warm soil to thrive. It usually takes 75 to 85 days of summer-like weather for melons to mature, but their exquisite flavor makes the wait worthwhile.
Gardeners in northern areas usually need to start their melon seeds indoors, putting 3 to 4 week old plants into the garden 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. In southern areas, melons can be sown directly into the garden as soon as the soil has warmed up.
Melons are also a little fussy about watering. They need moderate, consistent watering from germination until the fruit achieves the size of a tennis ball; then preferably no water at all until harvest.
Many gardeners mulch their melon plants with a sheet of plastic to increase the soil temperature and keep the developing fruit from resting on the soil where it could rot.
When growing melons in raised beds, trellising is a good way to save space. There are a few bush melons, but most are vining types. If you grow your melons up a trellis, use strips of fabric or plastic mesh netting to support the developing fruit and prevent it from coming off the vine before it is ripe.
Towards the end of the growing season, pinch off any small melons so the larger melons will ripen and sweeten up. Each type of melon is a little different in the way it lets you know it is ripe: some slip off, some need a little tug or a twist. Some change color, others don’t. Check the seed packet or plant label for clues to ripeness for the variety you are growing. | <urn:uuid:b9bd0ccd-2321-405a-8f5f-5f89b5b148a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aabf_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-Gardeners-Site/Sites-Gardeners-Library/default/v1354038035701/Articles/kgp/assets/melons.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930679 | 365 | 3.234375 | 3 |
The greatest peril to the life of faith is not skepticism, or secularism, or intellectual doubt or the confusion of options. My gravest worry is precisely what you are looking at right now: the wired screen. We are wired, constantly. For decades I could drive to another city alone, but now if I forget my cell I feel panicky; regularly I check email, and Facebook, receive and send texts… but never ask what it all means for how my brain is being reshaped, or how society is shifting inexorably in – well, in what direction?
I went to Brazil and left lots of contact options for people staying here – but why? “I’ve got to be reachable!” God must sigh, and say “Indeed, you’ve got to be reachable” – but if we are constantly peppered with titillating little Facebook posts or texts or emails or blogs or YouTubes or Netflixes (Netflices?), I suspect we flat out aren’t reachable by God. We can’t be with one another: we sit at dinner with a friend but reach for the screen in our pockets… If we can’t be with each other, how can we be with God?
Mandatory reading for any person who is wired, for any person who wants to connect with God, for anyone who harbors a sneaky suspicion we may be rambling rapidly downhill and out of control, is Williams Powers’s Hamlet’s Blackberry. Oddly I read this while I was reading Margaret Atwood’s ominous novel, Handmaid’s Tale, which imagines a society where selfhood is repressed, where freedom is no more… and it occurred to me that Powers is right in his analysis of all we are losing in our technologically-dominated way of life, unexamined, ever more wired and “reachable” – and hence unreachable by all that really matters.
Powers, like me, loves technology, and understands its many benefits; I’m in close contact with lots of people, and can find information quickly. But who are we becoming as a civilization? Powers’s analysis is accessible, funny, and profound. Free time is consumed by relating to dozens, maybe thousands of people via the screens we possess. But the price? “The more connected we are, the more we depend on the world outside ourselves to tell us how to think and live… We don’t turn inward.” What we lose is – depth.
Depth is what makes life fulfilling, and meaningful, but we become increasingly superficial. Home once was a safe haven, a refuge from the busy, frantic world – but now home is even more frantic, for at home we are never alone, and we are never just with our family or friends. We vanish into texts or Facebook, and do not sit and reflect, reminisce, or simply be with one another.
The costs in the workplace are estimated into tens of billions of dollars, as employees flit from email to email, lose focus, and frankly use work time answering personal emails and texts, and surfing sites. The greatest cost is to our sense of self. Powers suggests that our only philosophy now is “It’s good to be connected, it is bad to be disconnected.” “Out there” trumps “in here” every time, and most sadly, our sense of worth is now hinged to whether we receive communications – or not. “The digital medium is a source of constant confirmation that, yes, you do exist and you do matter. However, the external validation provided by incoming messages… is not as trustworthy or stable as the kind that comes from inside. We are forced to go back and ask, ‘Who’s read my post? Who’s paying attention to me now?’”
Powers calls this “needy outwardness,” a far cry from our ancestors’ ability to be alone, to enjoy solitude, to reflect, to become wise, to love, to be present to those with whom we really are present, and who ultimately matter. Do we prefer screens to real people? How might we be people of faith or goodness in such a wired world where we have to “check Facebook,” or can be interrupted by a mere phone vibration?
Powers rifles through history to excavate some ancient wisdom, from Socrates taking a walk outside the city walls (our need for some space, some distance, some down time away), to Seneca’s counsel that we find seclusion even in a crowd, from the advent or printing with Gutenberg and the virtues of private rumination, to Shakespeare’s feelings about little erasable tablets that were all the rage (and the virtues nowadays of jotting down our own thoughts instead of merely absorbing those of others). The chapter on Thoreau is stellar: Thoreau went into the woods to avoid “quiet desperation” in a world that just discovered the telegraph and train. He noted how “we become tools of our tools,” and the way that “when our inward life fails, we go more constantly to the post office” – to look hopefully for a telegraph message! How prophetic of our digital age! Thoreau wrote, by Walden pond, “The man who goes desperately back to the post office over and over to check for a telegraph message is a man who hasn’t heard from himself in a long while.”
Hamlet’s Blackberry includes some simple suggestions: observe an Internet Sabbath, an unconnected day each week. If you are with someone and they reach for their iPhone, simply say “Would you put it aside? I want to be with you.” Work with your hands out of doors; write – on paper, with a pen; cook, commit to two disconnected hours daily, go out and look up at the stars. Trust yourself; go deeply into yourself, or a great book – or the beautiful silence of the world.
I would say read a Bible, close your eyes and pray. The question God asks is, Are you reachable? By being perpetually reachable, we are unreachable – at least by what genuinely matters. The alternative is to wind up like the sorry citizens of Gilead in Handmaid’s Tale, our freedom and joy sacrificed on the altar of a thoughtless conformity to the digital wave. | <urn:uuid:4a3e43e7-bb59-47c2-a9a7-61823abce2fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://revjameshowell.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94864 | 1,356 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau can reclaim culturally significant Tlingit clan hats from museums in the Lower 48 with the help of a new federal grant.
The National Park Service awarded the institute a $71,000 grant to document and establish ownership of Southeast Alaska clan hats held by museums outside of the state. The institute is kicking in another $20,775 in funds and in-kind donations to pay for the cost of the project.
The grant was awarded under the 1990 Native American Graves, Protection and Repatriation Act. The act mandates that federal money be made available to tribes and museums so tribes can reclaim objects. It also required museums to inventory Native American objects and contact tribes.
The objects got out of the hands of tribes after either being sold, dug up from graves or stolen, said Kathy Miller, an ethnologist at the institute. The institute is a Native nonprofit that administers educational and cultural programs for Sealaska, the regional Native corporation.
Miller, who wrote her master's degree thesis on the repatriation act, expects some clans will want the hats, while others will turn them away because they've been out of possession for so long.
"It's kind of bittersweet," she said. "There is joy in seeing these objects that you only heard songs about. But then it also reminds them of the historical situation they're in - that their objects were taken away from them."
These missing hats have prevented clans from holding certain ceremonies that require the regalia, she said.
"Clan hats are critical or essential for our ceremonies," Sealaska Institute President Rosita Worl said. "They represent the clans. Our clan leaders, clan members bring them out in our ceremonies, and they represent a very tangible tie to our ancestors."
The institute is targeting three museums suspected of having Tlingit clan hats, Miller said. The Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., has more than 20 hats. The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology in Berkeley, Calif., potentially has 37 hats, helmets, and headdresses from Southeast, Miller said. The Oakland Museum in Oakland, Calif., has an undetermined number of hats. More than 100 hats could be reclaimed over time, she said.
The institute determines tribal ownership of objects based on museum records and their history. Tlingit hats are "very distinctive," Miller said.
The hats, which can auction for $20,000 to $80,000 apiece, are either woven out of tree root or carved from wood. They can be ornamented with sea otter or sea lion whiskers, ermine and abalone shell.
The institute will photograph and videotape the hats and show them to elders for review next year.
Once the institute decides which hats to reclaim, it sends a notice to a museum that eventually reaches the National Park Service. After validating claims, the Park Service publishes the in the Federal Register for 30 days.
Other tribes can file a counterclaim to the objects during that time. If no counterclaims are made, the institute acquires the hats, Miller said.
Tara Sidor can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org
Juneau Empire ©2013. All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:64fe3265-0d7a-4319-827e-e2ba0323140f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://juneauempire.com/stories/070704/sta_sealaska.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950249 | 677 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Early treatment enhances patient safety
Fairfax, VA A study published today in the August edition of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery reports that wavefront technology, a new way of measuring how vision is distorted by irregularities in the eye, offers a widely accepted means for corroborating cataract patients' vision complaints, which may lead to earlier treatment with attendant enhanced patient safety and less loss of quality of life.
The study, Higher-Order Aberrations of Lenticular Opacities, by N. Sachdev, S. Ormonde, T. Sherwin, and C. McGhee, found that different types of cataracts produced identifiable and repeatable results using wavefront diagnostic equipment. These results could explain the significant visual symptoms in patients with early cataracts that the most commonly used vision test does not demonstrate. The study was performed at the Departments of Ophthalmology at the University of Auckland and the Auckland Public Hospital in New Zealand.
The significance of this study is that it shows wavefront testing can be used to accurately measure the visual errors that show up as glare and other problems that cataract patients experience. This will give insurance companies a reliable and widely accepted means of testing for the effects of cataracts on patients' vision and for making reliable determinations of the medical need for a cataract operation. Its impact on patient welfare is that it can reduce the number of patients who are unable to receive early treatment because alternative testing means are inadequate or not widely accepted.
Cataracts and their treatment
Cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, and cataract surgery is among the most common surgical procedures in people over 65 years of age in the United States. Last year, 2,775,000 procedures were performed in the U.S. (one procedure = one eye). A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear, natural crystalline lens of the eye. As cataracts increase in size and density, they reduce the amount of light passing through the lens, which results in blindness if not treated. In the U.S., Medicare, the federal government's health insurance program for the elderly, paid for 1.733 million procedures in 2002, according to the most recent data. Modern cataract treatment surgically removes the damaged lens and replaces it with an artificial one.
Because cataracts tend to grow gradually, one of the most important treatment issues is determining when they degrade vision to the point that the patient is at an increased risk of falls or accidents, or that their quality of life has been significantly undermined. (An August 2002, study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that cataract patients who had surgery to treat the condition had 50 percent fewer car accidents than those patients who did not.)
Medicare and most insurance programs will pay the cost of cataract removal once a patient's vision has deteriorated to 20/50 or less when reading the standard (Snellen) eye chart, which was developed about 100 years ago. By contrast, states typically require at least 20/40 vision for driving without glasses.
Cataract patients often complain of glare, double vision, a shift in colors, and other problems. "There have been innumerable articles and textbook chapters noting that the Snellen test does not document the visual deficits experienced by cataract patients," said Samuel Masket, MD, chair of the Eye Surgery Education Council. While some insurance companies will cover the cost of cataract surgery based on additional testing, there is no widely accepted test that can corroborate patient's vision complaints.
"Patients are often in the position of having to curtail night driving because cataracts have made it dangerous or they have to cut back participation in other activities that enrich their lives, but they can't seek treatment because insurance testing criteria exclude them from coverage until their vision degrades to a point that is measurable by an outdated test," Masket said.
Source: Eurekalert & othersLast reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
-- Oscar Wilde | <urn:uuid:c8d0c094-9042-4522-afca-5f4250836c20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://psychcentral.com/news/archives/2004-08/asoc-ndt072804.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954652 | 871 | 2.390625 | 2 |
"An Arizona Centennial Legacy Project"
The Historical Society’s purposes are: “To enhance the appreciation of the military history of Arizona and the contributions of the Militia of Arizona and the Arizona National Guard to the State of Arizona and to the Nation…” (Bylaws, Article I, Section 1). To accomplish its purposes, the Historical Society shall strive: “…to discover and memorialize the history of the Military of Arizona, the Arizona National Guard, and the general military history of Arizona, and to establish and maintain a museum on land leased, owned, or otherwise controlled by the Society.” (Id.). The policy statement states that the Historical Society is “…to portray events, persons, and other historical information relating to…the military service of Arizonans in wars and other military actions in Arizona and around the world”.
On September 30, 2006, the Arizona Military Museum celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The museum building is a significant part of Arizona's military history. The raw adobe building was constructed in 1936 as a Depression-era public works project. It served as a National
Located at Papago Park Military Reservation
To schedule special group tours: | <urn:uuid:8070365e-e6d0-4b99-90d0-a960b2e34a31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.azdema.gov/museum/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913262 | 248 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Many people with a WordPress website wonder what to do when they see the notice in the WordPress admin prompting them to upgrade to the latest version.
Upgrading WordPress yourself can be as simple as clicking a button, but things can go wrong. Many people take it for granted that all WordPress websites should use the latest version. There is some risk involved, so it’s worth considering why it’s worth bothering – and what you can do to minimize the risks.
The latest major release of WordPress was version 3.3, released in December 2011. As well as the new features for WordPress developers, there are loads of improvements to benefit the average blogger or website owner:
My favourite new feature is the hover menus in the WordPress admin navigation, which give you single click access to any screen. It sounds simple, but it’s a big improvement that rather than having to click – for example – pages, THEN wait for the page to load, THEN clicking ‘Add New’, NOW you can hover over pages and immediately click ‘Add New’ in the flyout menu. As a WordPress designer, this has already saved me a huge amount of time and it will help you too.
It’s easier than ever before to upload images and other media via the single upload button in the WordPress toolbar. The drag and drop media uploader allows you to drag and drop files directly from your computer into the WordPress admin, rather than having to browse to the file’s location.
Whenever you add a new feature, a pointer tip appears providing useful information on how to use the feature.
Touch support has been improved for those using iPads or other tablets to manage their WordPress website.
Version control has been improved for larger companies with multiple users editing the same pages and posts – the improved co-editing support locks posts who are being edited by someone else.
Website security is constantly evolving. Hackers are constantly working to discover and exploit loopholes, and the WordPress developers are continuously working to close them. The latest version will usually have a number of important security fixes to protect your website. The responsible thing to do is to update to the latest version and protect your WordPress website.
Upgrading WordPress should be as easy as clicking a button, but things aren’t always that simple. Things can sometimes go wrong – for example, the new version might not be compatible with your website theme or some of the plugins. The worst case scenario is that upgrading WordPress could actually break your website.
Problems are most likely to occur if:
Your website is particularly complex or has a lot of plugins installed
You haven’t updated for a whole and are running a particularly old version of WordPress, your website theme or any of the plugins
If any of this applies to your website then it might be worth getting a professional WordPress designer to upgrade WordPress for you. This is less likely to be necessary for simpler sites.
Upgrading WordPress will affect all files and folders included in the main installation, including all the core files that run WordPress and the plugins that come pre-packaged with it. If you have made any customizations to these files then your changes will be lost.
It’s not best practice to modify the core WordPress installation anyway, so if you have done this then I suggest that you find an alternative way to achieve what you’re trying to do. If you don’t know how then any good WordPress designer can help you with this.
Follow the instructions in the WordPress Codex to upgrade WordPress with minimal risk. This includes instructions on backing up your WordPress website before upgrading, so you have something to roll back to if anything goes wrong.
I would add a further precaution to make things extra-safe. As well as backing up your site, create a separate test site – this is basically a duplicate of your live site that you can test any changes on (i.e. upgrading WordPress) before applying the same changes to the live site. Although backing up is a good backup option (excuse the pun), restoring your WordPress site to a backed up version is a hassle so it’s best not to let things go wrong in the first place. Upgrading WordPress on a test site first is the way to do this – as with any other major changes you make to your site at any point.
I’d also recommend checking that each of your plugins is compatible with the new version. You can do this by finding the plugin in the WordPress Plugin Directory and checking the compatibility box in the right hand column.
Another tip is to wait a week or so until after a new version is released before applying the upgrade to your website. This gives the WordPress plugin developers and theme designers a chance to test their work with the new version and to release a new version if needed, which you can upgrade to at the same time. Don’t leave it too long, though, as running on an old version of WordPress is too much of a security risk.
If you update WordPress and the worst does happen then there are some things you can do:
If you backed up your site then you can roll back to the previous version. If you didn’t, don’t panic! Your WordPress web host is likely to have made regular backups of your site. Although there may be a charge for this service, they should be able to roll the site back to a previous version from before you made the upgrade. This will get your website working again, but you will still need to work out how to upgrade to the latest version without breaking it again.
You can try to identify the problem yourself by deactivating all the plugins and reactivating them one by one. If the problem re-occurs after activating a particular plugin then try deleting it and replacing it with something else.
If you can’t get to the bottom of the problem then you could ask a WordPress designer to get everything working properly again.
You may ask whether it’s worth the hassle, and I would say yes. Any upgrade carries a risk, but this is more than outweighed by the benefits.
Most WordPress designers offer a WordPress upgrade service and can do it for you, including full testing to make sure everything still works properly – this may be worth considering for complex sites with lots of plugins or custom features.
And if you do it yourself, follow the tips above in most cases, your upgrade will be successful.
Katie Keith is Account Director at Barn2 Media, one of the UK’s leading WordPress web design studios. Barn2 Media specialise in providing web design and development services using the award-winning WordPress platform. Katie is the first point of contact for Barn2 Media’s clients. She specialises in helping small and medium companies to get the most out of WordPress and the web. | <urn:uuid:068d7719-4098-4c1b-9656-79f5de5dbb25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordpattern.org/wordpress-update-should-you-click-the-button | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926863 | 1,400 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Two brothers, William and Theobaldner Ludwig, formed the Ludwig Company with a single product, a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the time. Building merchandise in a rented barn on the south side of Chicago, the Ludwig brothers next developed a hydraulic action timpani and, in 1916, invented a spring mechanism—the basis for the current Balanced Action Pedal Timpani. Production then expanded into other types of drums and banjo-type instruments, especially brass snare drums and wooden drums.
From 1925-1930, Ludwig made two models of ukulele-banjo, each being prized by players of the instrument to this day. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the company merged with the C.G. Conn Company. William F. Ludwig left the company in 1936, opening his own company, the W.F.L. Drum Company, in 1937. The first product of W.F.L. was the Speed King pedal, a product later manufactured by Ludwig and continuing production to this date. In 1955, the Ludwig division was purchased back from Conn and renamed the Ludwig Drum Company. In 1973, William F. Ludwig, Sr. died, and was succeeded by his son, William F. Ludwig Bradfield, Jr. Read More> | <urn:uuid:8deb180d-3b51-4913-a449-c3878ce1f99e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ludwig,Pedal-Included-No.gc | 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 | 0.963815 | 268 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Food and Feeding
The WIC Food Package: Better Food, Better Health
When WIC first began, the nutritional issues facing many Americans were different from what they are now. Today, we need less fat and more fiber, less refined grains and more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables and more variety in what we eat.
WIC's monthly food package was updated in 2009 to address these needs and to improve the health outcomes of WIC families. WIC food items are lower in fat, higher in fiber and more culturally appropriate. Our goal is to help families meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Healthy People 2020 Objectives, and follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for infant nutrition. | <urn:uuid:820b6e15-cf80-4020-87ab-ef8861589202> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://healthvermont.org/wic/food-feeding/wic-foods/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954379 | 146 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Jehovah's Witnesses have long been known for their rejection of blood and blood-component transfusion, even when it is necessary to save life. In a remarkable change in policy, the Witnesses’ governing body announced in the June 15, 2000 issue of its official church publication The Watchtower, that members may now accept "fractions of any of the primary components" of blood. (Italics added) Previously, Witnesses who accepted a transfusion of blood fractions other than those found in plasma faced possible expulsion and enforced shunning by church members.
This change in policy was particularly timely for one man. According to a September 24, 2000 article in the Sacramento Bee, a patient was recently transfused with Hemopure®, a highly purified oxygen-carrying hemoglobin solution made from fractionated bovine (cow) blood and manufactured by Biopure Corporation.
Dorsey Griffith, a medical writer for the Bee, states that Gregory Brown, a representative from the Jehovah's Witnesses Hospital Liaison Committee, approved the use of the oxygen-carrying solution that was transfused into the patient, Jose Orduño. The article notes: “When Orduño woke up from his drug-induced slumber, about a month after the ordeal began, Angelica was there …His sister told him about the accident and how he almost died, and about the drug made from cow blood that had saved his life.”
That approval of the use of hemoglobin marks a notable change in the Watchtower Society’s policy is readily seen from its own published statements:
“Is it wrong to sustain life by administering a transfusion of blood or plasma or red cells or others of the component parts of the blood? Yes!...The prohibition includes "any blood at all." (Leviticus 3:17) - Blood, Medicine and the Law of God, 1961, pp. 13, 14As recently as 1998 two officials from the Watchtower Society’s “Hospital Information Services” wrote that Jehovah's Witnesses “do not accept hemoglobin which is a major part of red blood cells.... Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept a blood substitute which uses hemoglobin taken from a human or animal source." Bailey R, Ariga T. The view of Jehovah's Witnesses on blood substitutes. Artif Cells Blood Substit Immobil Biotechnol 1998;26:571-576.
“…various tonics and tablets sold by druggists show on their labels that they contain blood fractions such as hemoglobin. So it is necessary for one to be alert… if they are to keep themselves ‘without spot from the world.’—Jas. 1:27.” The Watchtower, 9/15/61, p. 557.
“Early in man’s history, our Creator ruled that humans should not eat blood. (Genesis 9:3, 4) He stated that blood represents life, which is a gift from him. Blood removed from a creature could be used only in sacrifice, such as on the altar. Otherwise, blood from a creature was to be poured on the ground, in a sense giving it back to God ...It would be right, of course, to avoid products that listed things such as blood, blood plasma, plasma, globin (or globulin) protein, or hemoglobin (or globin) iron.” The Watchtower, 10/15/92 - Questions From Readers. (Italics added)
The policy on hemoglobin and other blood fractions was changed in the June 15, 2000 issue of The Watchtower. This latest change may in fact cause further confusion for many Witnesses since products like Hemopure® are derived from large quantities of stored animal blood. Numerous witnesses have questioned the logic of such an internally inconsistent dogma. Some believe that the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is simply changing its long-standing doctrine gradually to avoid legal problems anticipated with an overt change to a policy that has resulted in so many deaths over the years.
Hemopure® is currently being evaluated for human use in a pivotal, multinational Phase III clinical trial. Biopure expects to complete this trial and file Biologic License Applications (BLA’s) in the United States, European Union and Canada in 2001 for perioperative use in elective surgeries. The company has already applied for marketing approval of Hemopure® in South Africa with a proposed product indication to eliminate or reduce red blood cell transfusions in elective surgeries. Biopure is also investigating the product's use in trauma, to oxygenate hypoxic tumors, and in conditions where tissue oxygenation may be beneficial but blood is not normally transfused.
The “compassionate use” program makes Hemopure® available where a life-threatening situation exists and compatible red blood cell transfusion is 1) not available, 2) not effective, or 3) not acceptable to the patient. Requests for “compassionate use” availability of Hemopure® may come from the family or doctor of the patient; thereafter the patient, the patient’s medical institution, and Biopure must approve the request, which is then forwarded along with details of the case for final approval by the FDA. Approval is made on a case-by-case basis, and in those cases where it has been approved, it has been made available within a few days. Requests for information regarding “compassionate use” approval of Hemopure® should be directed to Jan Anderson, R.N., of Biopure. Her telephone number is 617-234-6827. For further information see the Biopure website at: http://www.biopure.com.
A.J.W.R.B. welcomes the recent developments but will continue to work for further revisions in the Watchtower Society’s blood policy. We believe that Jehovah’s Witnesses should have a free choice in their medical treatment without controls or sanctions from the Watchtower Society that could separate them from their religious community or Jehovah’s Witness family members and friends.
© 2012 Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood | <urn:uuid:44c951ad-f783-4bae-b629-26562f51ea91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ajwrb.org/articles/articles/hemopure_approval.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943779 | 1,281 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Southern Greenland—warm and ice free!
Figure 1. Greenland showing ice thickness above sea level with major ice core locations.20
Evolutionary scientists have recently discovered evidence that southern Greenland was much warmer and ice-free during an interglacial between one of their dozens of glacial periods.1,2 According to the uniformitarian ice age paradigm, Greenland first developed an ice sheet around 2.5 Ma (million years) ago; at the same time the ice sheets supposedly developed on North America and Scandinavia. However, opinion on the timing of the Greenland Ice Sheet is changing. Some scientists believe the Greenland Ice Sheet developed 7 Ma ago,3 while even more recent research claims it was 30–38 Ma ago,4 or even as old as 44 Ma ago!5 These new results are based on the finding of what are believed to be ice-rafted debris in deep-sea cores in the northern North Atlantic.
A warm, ice-free southern Greenland
The basis of the claim of an ice-free southern Greenland comes from the basal silty ice of the 2 km thick southern Greenland Dye 3 core.6 (Figure 1 shows the location of the Dye 3 core on the Greenland Ice Sheet.) The Danish researchers discovered the DNA of a wide variety of plants and insects in the silty ice in the bottom of the core. They were able to positively identify DNA from alder, spruce, pine and yew, and DNA from yarrow, birch, chickweed, fescue, rush, plantain, saxifrage, snowberry and aspen, which could not be independently identified by different laboratories. They also collected DNA from beetles, flies, spiders, butterflies and moths. As a control on whether they could really measure DNA from the foot of a glacier, they successfully identified the DNA from all the plants recently overrun by a glacier on Ellesmere Island, northeastern Canada. They apparently also found DNA in the basal layers of the GRIP core drilled 3 km deep in central Greenland (figure 1), but they were unable to analyze it.
These plants and insects are indicative of warm temperatures, much warmer than is current for southern Greenland. The average July temperature must have exceeded 10°C, and winter temperatures never fell below –17°C, which is the coldest temperature that yew trees can survive.7 Furthermore, with little or no ice on Greenland, the land elevation may have been about 1 km above sea level due to isostatic compensation,8 making such relatively warm temperatures even more anomalous, since higher terrain is cooler than lower terrain.
Which interglacial was ice-free?
Figure 2. The oxygen isotope ratio to bedrock down the Dye 3, Greenland, ice core. Notice the coarser change of scale below 1,500 m that results in less amplitude to the oxygen isotope ratios in the deeper layer. The top 1,700 m corresponds to the post-Ice Age ice, while the bottom 300 m represents the compressed Ice Age ice and a warmer period before glaciation near the bottom.21,22
The researchers had to determine which interglacial the DNA came from. They reasoned that the DNA had to originate from the last time southern Greenland was ice-free, because older DNA from previous ice-free interglacials would vanish with the establishment of a new ice-free ecosystem. The basal ice is mixed up, as it is in all basal sections of ice cores. So, glaciologists commonly claim that the basal several metres of dirt and ice can be very old. The researchers used four dating techniques, giving results between 450,000 and 800,000 years. According to the astronomical hypothesis ice ages should repeat every 100,000 years and should have been doing so for the past 900,000 years.9 So these dates would place the last melting of southern Greenland to sometime between the 4th and the 8th interglacial before the current interglacial, the Holocene.
The researchers admitted that there are many assumptions and uncertainties behind their conclusions and they cannot rule out the last interglacial as the ice-free time. Their results are contrary to what most researchers had previously concluded—that ice in southern Greenland had melted during the last interglacial.10–12 That would put the age of the DNA between 115,000 to 130,000 years.13 This interglacial was claimed to be 5°C warmer, with a sea level about 4–6 m higher than today. So, a substantial part of the Greenland Ice Sheet, as well as part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, had to melt during the previous interglacial. Hence, many glaciologists have concluded that southern Greenland and probably most of northern Greenland was ice free in the previous interglacial. So, it is likely that these new dates are greatly exaggerated within the uniformitarian paradigm.
Global warming implication
It is interesting that the researchers relate their results to the current global warming.14 They reason that if the last warm interglacial never melted the ice in southern Greenland, then the current global warming, which so far has been only 0.7°C since 1880, will not melt much of Greenland. Andrew Curry states:
‘If southern Greenland remained ice-covered during the last interglacial period, it could mean global warming would have to get much worse before it completely melts away the Greenland ice sheet.’13
This of course depends upon whether the uniformitarian paradigm is correct, and whether the new, but admittedly flawed, dates are accepted.
So much for the evolutionary, uniformitarian interpretation of the data. From a creationist point of view, I would interpret the evidence as showing that Greenland was ice-free for a while after the Flood. Previously I have argued:
‘Since the oxygen isotope ratio at the bottom of the Camp Century core, as well as other Greenland cores … , indicates warmer temperatures, it is possible that snow did not accumulate right away [after the Flood] on Greenland. Being surrounded by quite warm water at the beginning of the Ice Age, glaciation of Antarctica and Greenland likely started in the mountains right after the Flood. It would take some time for the ice sheets to develop over the lowlands.’15
Their results are contrary to what most researchers had previously concluded—that ice in southern Greenland had melted during the last interglacial.
This delay in glaciation would be even longer in southern Greenland, allowing early post-Flood colonization of plants and insects. Furthermore, such warm water at high latitudes surrounding Greenland would keep temperatures much warmer in winter than expected, thus accounting for Yew trees that cannot tolerate temperatures lower than –17°C. It is doubtful whether any uniformitarian scenario can account for such relatively warm winter temperatures during an interglacial in southern Greenland. Greenland truly was green at one time.
The straightforward reading of the Dye 3 ice core supports the creationist interpretation. Figure 2 shows the oxygen isotope profile as being generally proportional to temperature down the length of the Dye 3 ice core. The top 1,700 m, 85% of the ice, represents post-Ice Age ice. The Ice Age portion of the core is represented by the bottom compressed 300 m of ice with a low oxygen isotope ratio. The very bottom of the core at bedrock shows high oxygen isotope ratios. This would represent a warm period, which is where the DNA was found, before the cold period. Notice that there is only one cold period, corresponding to just one ice age after a relatively warm period. This same situation applies to all the deep Greenland ice cores.
In regard to the claim that the ice age cycle of glacials and interglacials started 2.5 Ma ago, Peter Klevberg, Rick Bandy and I analyzed one of those claimed glacial tills dated about 2.5 Ma just east of Glacier and Waterton National Parks in the northwest United States and Canada, respectively.16 The uniformitarian researchers had determined, by relying on a paleosol analysis, that there were about seven glacial till layers alternating with interglacial debris. We determined that the deposits were most likely a huge debris flow deposit that spread eastward from the Parks. We also concluded that the paleosol interpretation was based on questionable assumptions.17,18
Implications for ‘old’ DNA
I would interpret the evidence as showing that Greenland was ice-free for a while after the Flood.
Willersley et al.1 based their conclusions on finding the DNA of the organisms within organic matter in the silty ice. It is claimed that this DNA is the oldest intact DNA ever found.19 What about all the previous claims for ancient DNA found in many organisms, some dated as being millions of years old, clear back to the time of the dinosaurs? All this apparently has been dismissed; scientists have simply assumed such claims are due to contamination since DNA is destroyed within 100,000 years.13 Contamination is probably a rubber-stamp excuse, but I can believe that DNA would be destroyed within 100,000 years, and probably much sooner. But now the new results from Greenland are being hailed as a new record for the survival of DNA! Here we go again; contamination exists as and when required!
Of course, all that ancient DNA (provided there is no contamination) really is not that old. It originated only about 4,500 years ago, either during the Flood or the early post-Flood period.
- Willerslev, E. et al., Ancient biomolecules from deep ice cores reveal a forested southern Greenland, Science 317:111–114, 2007. Return to text.
- Curry, A., Ancient DNA’s intrepid explorer, Science 317:36–37, 2007. Return to text.
- Larsen, H.C., Saunders, AD, Clift, P.D., Beget, J., Wei, W., Spezzaferri, S. and OPD Leg 152 Scientific Party, Seven million years of glaciation in Greenland, Science 264:952–955, 1994. Return to text.
- Eldrett, J.S., Harding, I.C., Wilson, P.A., Butler, E. and Roberts, A.P., Continental ice in Greenland during the Eocene and Oligocene, Nature 446:176–179, 2007. Return to text.
- Tripati, A.K. et al., Evidence for glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere back to 44 Ma from ice-rafted debris in the Greenland Sea, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 265:112–122, 2008. Return to text.
- Dansgaard, W., Clausen, H.B., Gundestrup, N., Hammer, C.U., Johnsen, S.F., Kristinsdottir, P.M. and Reeh, N., A new Greenland deep ice core, Science 218:1273–1277, 1982. Return to text.
- Willerslev et al., ref. 1, p. 113. Return to text.
- Oard, M.J., The Frozen Record: Examining the Ice Core History of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets, Institute for Creation Research, Dallas, TX, p. 10, 2005. Return to text.
- Oard, M.J., Astronomical troubles for the astronomical hypothesis of ice ages, Journal of Creation 21(3):19–23, 2007. Return to text.
- Koerner, R.M. and Fisher, D.A., Ice-core evidence for widespread Arctic glacier retreat in the Last Interglacial and the early Holocene, Annals of Glaciology 35:19–24, 2002. Return to text.
- Overpeck, J.T., Otto-Bliesner, B.L., Miller, G.H., Muhs, D.R., Alley, R.B. and Kiehl, J.T., Paleoclimatic evidence for future ice-sheet instability and rapid sea-level rise, Science 311:1747–1750, 2006. Return to text.
- Otto-Bliesner, B.L., Marshall, S.J., Overpeck, J.T., Miller, G.H., Hu, A. and CAPE Interglacial Project members, Simulating Arctic climate warmth and icefield retreat in the Last Interglacial, Science 311:1751–1753, 2006. Return to text.
- Curry, ref. 2, p. 37. Return to text.
- Oard, M.J., Global warming—examine the issue carefully, Answers 1(2):24–26, 2006. Return to text.
- Oard, ref. 8, p. 47. Return to text.
- Klevberg, P. and Oard, M.J., Drifting interpretations of the Kennedy gravel, Creation Research Society Quarterly 41(4):289–315, 2005. Return to text.
- Klevberg, P., Bandy, R. and Oard, M.J., Investigation of several alleged paleosols in the Northern Rocky Mountains—Part I: background and methods, Creation Research Society Quarterly 44(1):4–25, 2007. Return to text.
- Klevberg, P., Bandy, R. and Oard, M.J., Investigation of several alleged paleosols in the Northern Rocky Mountains—Part II: additional data and analysis, Creation Research Society Quarterly 44(2):94–106, 2007. Return to text.
- Anonymous, Oldest DNA ever recovered suggests earth was warmer, 5 July 2007, <www.physorg.com/news102864888.html>. Return to text.
- Oard, ref. 8, figure 1.1, p. 3. Return to text.
- Oard, ref. 8, figure 2.6, p. 23. Return to text.
- Vardiman, L., Climates Before and After the Genesis Flood: Numerical Models and Their Implications, Institute for Creation Research, Dallas, TX, p. 57, 2001. Return to text. | <urn:uuid:d1775aef-8566-49f7-b9f6-29e2686eaf52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://creation.com/southern-greenland-was-ice-free | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927916 | 2,921 | 4.375 | 4 |
A range of atmospheric research projects are conducted at Davis station. These include investigating climate and the characteristics of the Antarctic atmosphere using the LIDAR (light detection and ranging) instrument.
Marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, crustaceans and molluscs are used to study the impact of environmental change and pollution on Antarctic marine ecosystems.
New research on the Amery Ice Shelf aims to provide a comprehensive study of the mass balance of the ice shelf. This will allow us to understand the current stability of the ice shelf and its likely response to changes in the ocean. | <urn:uuid:e7db9a5f-63f0-45a8-83c5-153a7d6cdcbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/science | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903493 | 121 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Seth Godin and I have a lot in common. Since Seth Godin is known by many as a front-runner thought leader, a revolutionary business guru and a many-times best-selling author, my premise might seem to be a bit presumptuous. But hear me out.
Although his latest book, The Icarus Deception, has sat on my pile of “must reads” since December, I finally made the plunge (pun intended) into its pages. The title refers to the popular myth that we learned in school: Icarus was the son of Daedalus, who, in order to help the two of them escape from the Labyrinth, fashioned wings from feathers and wax. As we learned the story, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high or the sun would melt the wings. Icarus, caught up in the ecstasy of flying, however, did just that, falling to his death in the sea. The part of the myth that we were not told (or at least that wasn’t stressed) was that Daedelus also warned Icarus not to fly too low, which would cause his wings to get wet and likewise be ruined. The interpretation of the myth has, for centuries, thus, focused mainly on the idea to not fly too high, to put a lid on your potential, to play it safe.
FLYING TOO LOW
Godin says that flying too low, however, is of greater danger than flying too high, as it (Read more…)
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In August of 1949, Jackson Pollock was profiled in Life magazine as possibly “the greatest living painter in the United States.” This definitively helped cement Pollock’s reputation, but the truth was, he was actually nervous about this success. He was always afraid that he would be “found out,” as he was not very skilled or educated in classical painting techniques, especially drawing. Studies, by the way, have since shown this is the very same fear many executives admit to having: that they are only at the top temporarily, until their inadequacies are “found out.”
Interestingly, however, Pollock’s own weakness in the more traditional, classical arena moved him toward being a renowned leader in a brand new art movement called “abstract expressionism.” This style was devoid of recognizable content and instead used color, line and shape to express the spontaneous assertion of the individual artist; no recognizable landscapes or vases of flowers here! Pollock’s weak spot forced him to (Read more…)
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Organizations. Schools. Leaves. They all change.
I was reminded of this concept when I sat in the church in Arlington, Virginia last month at my nephew’s wedding. While many people in the pews saw Nick only as the upstanding 28-year old young man that he is now, I also saw the sweet toddler with tousled auburn curls and ready smile. And I wondered, “How did it happen? How did this change occur, seemingly when nobody was looking?”
There’s an interesting push and pull when it comes to change. On the one hand, the majority of people do not like change. It makes them feel insecure, unsettled and even a bit anxious. On the other hand, change has held fascination for us through the ages. For many centuries, people have been thinking about, talking about and experiencing change. Back in the Italian Renaissance (16th century), Michelangelo, a Master at changing a piece of marble into a pulsing, nearly human figure, greatly admired this musing of the great philosopher from ancient Greece, Heraclitus, “One cannot step twice in the same river.” One cannot step twice in the same river because (Read more…)
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Is there anything sweeter than the softness of a newborn’s precious little feet? When my sons, Gavin and Collin, were born we went from planting tiny kisses on that soft new skin to playing a game called “Pee Yew!!” We’d take a giant whiff of their pint-sized feet, scrunch up our faces and shout “Pee Yewwwww” in the most exaggerated manner. The result? Peels of laughter from the boys with squeals to “Do it again, do it again.” Well, this was all fine and dandy until one day when Gavin, getting a little older, suddenly screamed, “Mommy, NO, NO . . . S-T-O-P!” I asked, “Why?” With great alarm, he replied, “’Cause you smelled all the Pee Yew out!” I chuckled and assured him not to worry: there was plenty of Pee Yew left where that came from.
Over the many years that I’ve been speaking to and working with organizations about Mastery and Excellence, I’ve realized that many people believe in the Pee Yew Syndrome when it comes to creativity. They regard it as a finite commodity: “Yep, I used to be creative when I was a kid, but then I used it all up.” Granted, they might not consciously realize that’s how they think about it, but, nevertheless, they do. In fact, a somewhat shocking number of people have said with conviction, (Read more…)
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HAVE YOU FLIPPED YOUR TIRE TODAY?
For Ryan Lochte, it was flipping over humongous tractor tires. It was dragging heavy chains. It was hurling beer kegs (and, no he didn’t chug them first!) backwards. Granted, these are not the usual activities one would engage in to train for competitive swimming (after all, they’re not even in the water). However, these were the components that Lochte added to his training for the 2012 Olympics in order to gain the competitive edge that could help him win. He was willing to do “whatever it takes” (legally, of course) to help him achieve his goals, even if those activities were grueling and actually somewhat painful. And he was willing to step outside of the training norm of his own sport; in reality, tire flipping and chain dragging would fit more readily in the realm of weight lifting or Greco-Roman wrestling.
When it got right down to it, Ryan Lochte was willing to think more creatively about his Olympic preparation and to step outside of his comfort zone to ensure that he would do his very best on all levels. He was willing to cross boundaries and see what ideas he could borrow outside of the water to strengthen himself within the water. This is one of the smartest Mastery strategies that successful people, and leaders adopt: to look beyond your own field or discipline and see what you can take and learn from other ones . . . and then apply it to your own for improved results.
ARTISTS DO IT
Artists often do exactly this. London artist, Isaac Julien, said, “I seek (inspiration) from all sorts of sources. I’m always on the lookout – I observe people in the street; I watch films, I read, I think about the conversations that I have. I consider the gestures people use, or the colors they’re wearing. . . . I also enjoy talking to people who aren’t involved in art. For my recent work, I’ve had a lot of conversations with people involved in digital technologies. It’s useful to get perspective on what you do by talking to all sorts of different people.”
Like Ryan Lochte and Isaac Julien, in order for you to “train” for your own Masterpiece results, think about:
• Where can I look outside of my usual realm for new ideas and different ways to do things?
• What other waters can I explore?
• What can I do to “go the extra mile,” i.e., what could be my tire flipping or chain dragging?
Whether Ryan Lochte wins each race or not isn’t the point. The bottom line is that he knows that he looked everywhere he could and did everything he could to be as prepared as possible. That’s what Mastery is all about.
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ARE YOU BEARLY GETTING BY?
After leaving home bright and early on June 22, 2012, my husband, Richard, was thrilled to set off for a solo camping trip (I was headed to a mountain cabin overnight with nine women friends) in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. The drive up and across the Continental Divide was beautiful and he was delighted to be one of the first arrivals, getting the “pick-of-the-litter” campsite, nestled right up next to the dense pine forest with more prime-real-estate privacy than the other sites. As he’d hoped, the day was decidedly restorative and after cooking a lovely dinner of lamb shanks and some good red wine, he retired to our new two-day-old tent for a good night’s sleep.
Which he got. Until 2:00 a.m.
Suddenly and quite rudely, he was awakened by a (Read more…)
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HOW’S YOUR BASAL GANGLIA THESE DAYS?
No, I’m not referring to a new spicy Middle Eastern recipe or the latest group dance done at summer weddings. What I AM referring to, however, has to do with your habits. Yes, your habits. And my habits. And everyone else’s.
“Basal ganglia” is rolling around in my head right now because it is discussed in a new book I’m reading that has kicked up a lot of buzz as of late: “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” by New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg. This focus on habit is in perfect alignment with my lifelong study of Mastery: in order to do our very best both personally and professionally, it’s necessary to continually examine our habits and understand what prompts and perpetuates them. That allows us to see which habits are serving us well (e.g., reading recreationally on a regular basis) and which habits we’d be better off without (e.g., armed with a giant-sized spoon, digging straight into the ice cream carton whenever nobody’s looking [not that I’ve ever done that!]).
. . . Now back to your “basal ganglia.” The B.G. is actually (Read more…)
Posted in Business Growth, Creativity and Innovation, Education, Entrepreneurship, Excellence & Success, Father's Day, Habits, Healthcare, Human Potential, Leadership, Mastery, Peak Performance, Perfect, Personal development, Success, Teachers | 1 Comment »
Peyton Manning: A Bronco
The Denver area where I live is all agog over the very recent signing of Peyton Manning to the Denver Broncos. I am not a huge football fan (much to the chagrin of my football-phile family), but even I have been caught up in all of the excitement and hoopla around Peyton’s coming to Denver. I still can’t quite reconcile what professional athletes make compared to teachers or social workers, but that’s another issue. However, setting that aside for a moment, I have to say I was quite impressed with Manning’s approach when he flew to Denver to cement his contract. After the press conference and the answering of numerous questions, it was clear that our new quarterback was eager to do one thing: (Read more…)
Posted in Business Growth, Excellence & Success, Human Potential, Leadership, Mastery, Peak Performance, Perfect, Personal development, Sports, Success | No Comments »
4 Tips To Keep Your Passion Alive in Work & Life!
Periodically Ask Yourself:
1. What made me fall in love with ___________ in the first place?
Make a list and actively appreciate those things.
2. What is something new I can fall in love with now?
A new hobby or skill set, a friendship, an organization, an interest?
3. What can I eliminate that might be blocking my passion?
Unresolved problems, negative people or forces, long-term upsets, low-value time-suckers, lack of organizational or leadership skills?
4. What most excites me in life?
Oprah Winfrey said “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
Give yourself permission to explore your passions; the more alive you allow your passions to be in your life and your work, the more rewarding your experience will be!
Posted in Business Growth, Creativity and Innovation, Education, Entrepreneurship, Excellence & Success, Graduation, Healthcare, Human Potential, Leadership, Mastery, Mother's Day, Movie, Peak Performance, Perfect, Personal development, Success, Teachers | No Comments »
January is an inspiring month: crisp, refreshing . . . a seductive blank canvas, just waiting for you to paint your vision for the year. A blank canvas is full of hope and possibilities. A blank canvas invites you to stand up and decide what kind of year you are going to paint. Will it be one full of choices you make that lead you down a different path from the previous year? And perhaps down an even better one? Will this be the year you decide to paint with your most brilliant colors, a year where living in black and white simply won’t do?
We’re almost halfway through January, but it’s still not too late! Envision filling your blank canvas with your most spectacular colors this year. Envision a year filled with one masterpiece after another. Record the steps you will take to accomplish this and then pick up your brush and begin.
Be the Master of your Life!
Posted in Business Growth, Education, Entrepreneurship, Excellence & Success, Healthcare, Human Potential, Leadership | No Comments » | <urn:uuid:39515f0f-1618-42f5-afe6-fb00cf9a382e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nancynoonanspeaks.com/blog/category/leadership/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96052 | 3,165 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Dr. Ro Kinzler ©AMNH
Dr. Ro Kinzler is the Director of the National Center for Science, Literacy, Education, and Technology at the American Museum of Natural History. Ro currently leads the National Center's efforts to create an online database of Museum resources for use in both formal and informal educational settings. She is also the Research Associate in the Division of Physical Sciences, and the Earth scientist on the development team for the Museum's Science Bulletins group. The Science Bulletins are high definition installations in three of the Museum's exhibit halls. Prior to joining the National Center, Ro was a Research Scientist in the Museum's department of Earth and Planetary Sciences where she studied igneous petrology (the origin of igneous rocks). "I've been to a few very exciting places in my research, like down in the ALVIN deepwater submersible, exploring mid-ocean ridges," recalls Ro, "but nothing compares to the first time I went to Hawaii in 1993." That's when she got up close and personal with lava.
"My husband and I met up with two friends from graduate school who worked at the volcano observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii. Laura and Kevin gave us vests and hard hats so that we looked official," recalls Ro. "Kilauea was actively erupting at the time, and because our friends worked for the Geological Survey, they took us across the lines where tourists couldn't go. Lava was flowing on the ground, and we had our rock hammers and we were scooping the lava up, we were melting coins in it, we were quenching it in water--it was phenomenal!" This was soon after Ro had finished her Ph.D., which involved years in a laboratory studying how magmas form and travel within the Earth, so it was wonderful for her to be able to play with the molten rock.
Lava love kicked in for Ro right out of high school. At first, like many kids interested in science, she thought she wanted to be a marine biologist. But when chemistry and physics came along, "I found those more intriguing because of the laws and logic involved." Ro headed off to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) knowing that she wanted to be an Earth scientist. She declared a major as a freshman, which enabled her to get a lot of requirements out of the way quickly and also to get involved in research early on.
"M.I.T. had a highly regarded program called UROP, Undergraduates Research Opportunity Program," explains Ro. "I took petrology as a sophomore and liked my professor, Dr. Tim Grove, so I asked if I could do a UROP in his lab. He had all these furnaces where they melted rocks, basically simulated conditions deep in the Earth, and it was really fascinating. But at the same time he was a pretty good field geologist. I loved that combination of laboratory work, where you establish good, hard, scientific relationships between different variables, and then going out into the field and make observations and trying to apply the laws you got from the laboratory to understand what had actually happened."
Ro ended up working in Dr. Grove's lab from 1981 to 1991, doing both her master's and her doctorate with him. It worked out extraordinarily well. "My adviser at M.I.T. said, 'Well, you know, if you do stay here, you'll work on generation of magmas at mid-ocean ridges. It's really exciting, it's a field that's going to grow, you'll probably be able to go down in the ALVIN if you want to...' It was a bit of a sales pitch. And he was absolutely right. I did stay, the field really did explode, our work was really well positioned in that field, and I did get to go down in the ALVIN."
Dr. Kinzler on top of Glass Mountain in California. Ro searches for a large boulder of obsidian for exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History. ©AMNH
What's it like in one of the world's deepest submersibles, the ALVIN? As you might imagine, cold, crowded, and very exciting. Ro actually went on two deep-sea cruises during her graduate years, to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 1986 and then to the East Pacific Rise in 1988. "In 1986 I was a total neophyte," she recalls cheerfully. "I knew I wanted to work on mid-ocean ridge volcanic processes and magma generation, but I didn't know anything about it." M.I.T. has a joint graduate program with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and one of the areas within the program focuses on geology and geophysics related to the ocean basins. "Marine field geologists either go down in the submersibles to make observations and collect rock samples with the submersible's mechanical arm, which is very sophisticated and high-end, or they go out in a ship using remote technologies like deep-towed cameras to make observations. In the latter example, geologists drop a bucket over the side and drag it on the ocean floor to collect rock samples, which is much more common," she explains. The young graduate student was invited along on a six-week research cruise, though "not necessarily to go down in the ALVIN," she qualifies. "They said, 'You can come, and you can do the grunt work.'"
Graduate students were sometimes rewarded with the opportunity to dive in the ALVIN, and Ro got to go down twice. Her second dive went deep into the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which comes to the surface in Iceland but goes down as deep as 4,000 to 5,000 meters in other parts of the world. About the size of the interior of a Volkswagen Beetle, the sphere at the center of the ALVIN submersible is filled with electronics. There are three portholes, one for the pilot and one for each observer, who each sit on a foam pad on the floor. An average dive takes six to eight hours. No seats, no heat, no toilet.
" It's actually a lot of work to do a dive," says Ro. "On the Atlantic, it can take a couple of hours to get down. The pilot's driving and the two scientists are waiting. Then you get close to the bottom and everything comes alive. The lights go on, you get your film and your cameras ready, and once the dive starts, it's constant observation. You're looking out the portholes, talking into a hand-held recorder the whole time, constantly taking bearings, taking pictures all the time, minding the tapes in the external video, making sure the film in the external cameras is changed ... And it's very cold." This dive went into the rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, all the way down to 4,500 meters--as deep as ALVIN is rated to descend--"and then we flew slowly up the wall, observing the rocks as we went, and every now and then directing the pilot to collect a sample," she explains. Ro was fortunate to get that opportunity. Yet the 1988 research cruise in the East Pacific Rise was much more meaningful because by then her research was in full swing. "I was specifically interested in the place we were going, and in the rocks that we were collecting. I actually did four dives then and felt much more a part of the show."
Trudging around Cinder
Butte, part of the Callahan Lava Flow at Medicine Lake Volcano, California, Ro examines the volcanic cinders that make up the cone, looking for volcanic bombs. ©AMNH
In 1991 Ro finished her Ph.D. and took a two-year postdoctoral position in research at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, which is Columbia University's research facility in Earth Science. "I loved it," she says. "My doctorate focused on how melted rock is generated in the Earth's mantle beneath mid-ocean ridges. That just happened to be a hot topic, and people at Lamont who were well known in the field were thinking about it from a lot of different angles. It was an exciting time."
At Lamont Ro met Dr. Ed Mathez, then chair of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at the American Museum of Natural History, who suggested she apply for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Museum. She had just written a proposal with a geophysicist at Lamont to continue looking at how magmas are generated, and it received funding. So she combined the two programs and for the next two years spent half her time at Lamont and half at the Museum.
In 1995, when the two years were up, Ro started working full-time at the Museum. At the same time the decision was made to create a new permanent exhibition: the Hall of Planet Earth. "Working on a hall or an exhibition doesn't appeal to everybody," she points out, "especially if what you really care about is research. But the idea of educating the public through an exhibition really grabbed me. It was education in a way I'd never thought of. "
After maternity leave for the birth of her first child, Carl, Ro came back into a position that was half education (working on the hall) and half research. The research was on the solubility of chlorine in melted rock (or magma), a project with significant scientific and economic implications. But over the next three years her work on the hall became more and more consuming. Ro's contribution was funded by the newly founded National Center, whose mission is to increase science literacy by bringing the resources of the Museum outside the walls of the building and into the wider world. The new hall opened in spring 1999, shortly before the birth of Ro's daughter, Olivia.
"I was very excited to do the Hall of Planet Earth, and I was really interested in learning more and more about education," says Ro. The National Center's approach is to pair an educational producer with a scientist in order to create a body of products related to that scientist's discipline. Ro liked the setup because she felt comfortable being a scientist while learning about the education and production aspects of National Center projects.
Ro feels that the biggest challenge is "communicating that science is something real people do. A scientist basically is somebody who goes to work and thinks about how to solve a problem. It's a combination of making that process accessible without oversimplifying it, and at the same time showing that it's not a dead field. Science in textbooks generally comes across as a done deal when in fact it's a continuing endeavor," she says. "There's always an edge to what we know. Our biggest goal is to communicate what's happening at the edge, because that's where the real science is happening. " | <urn:uuid:cac060dc-f4b7-49ff-a9b3-dbc6d8e8e948> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amnh.org/learn/welcomecenter/profiles/rkinzler.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98123 | 2,241 | 2.234375 | 2 |
'No-Pay' Policy for HAIs Does Not Reduce Infections
A Harvard study raises questions about whether paying for performance—or penalizing hospitals for poor performance—improves quality of care.
The researchers examined whether the federal policy that took effect Oct. 1, 2008 prohibiting reimbursement for acute care services necessitated by hospital-acquired bloodstream or urinary tract infections provoked those infection rates to decline.
It did not, the researchers concluded in an article published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
"It surprised us a little bit," says Ashish Jha, one of the authors and the Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management. "I had hoped that by taking away the extra payments that hospitals used to get for (taking care of patients with) hospital-acquired infections, we would focus hospitals more on getting rid of these infections."
In fact, a variety of incentive programs to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections and central line blood stream infections had been coming down independently prior to Oct. 1, 2008, the authors acknowledge, perhaps in anticipation of Medicare's penalty provisions, set forth in a section of the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act.
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- HFMA: Revenue Cycle, Reimbursements Share the Spotlight | <urn:uuid:fd5390c3-0b36-4973-9fed-69e89ebc44e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/PHY-285323/NoPay-Policy-for-HAIs-Does-Not-Reduce-Infections | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915663 | 349 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Police in central China are denying that a woman set herself on fire earlier this month to protest Chinese rule in Tibet, saying instead she was murdered by her husband who later set the body on fire.
Tuesday's Communist Party-controlled Global Times quoted a police official in Aba, in Sichuan province, as saying the husband, Dolma Kyab, strangled his wife, following a fight about his alcohol addiction.
The official says the man burned her gasoline-drenched body a day later, adding he was "certain the case was not a protest against Chinese policy," as earlier reported by several international news outlets and Tibetan exile groups.
Both the Britain-based Free Tibet and the U.S.-based International Campaign for Tibet quoted local sources as saying Kunchoek Wangmo set herself on fire on March 13, in what appeared to be the latest in an intensifying wave of politically motivated self-immolation protests.
Both organizations said the husband had been arrested, as the Global Times confirmed. But they said he was only arrested after refusing to blame his wife's self-immolation on family problems.
In an interview with VOA, Free Tibet Media Officer Alistair Currie said he is "very skeptical" of the Chinese report, noting that Beijing regularly tries to dismiss the political motivation for self-immolations.
"The Chinese state has had a propaganda approach in the past few months of trying to denigrate those who self-immolate. We've heard about people who self-immolate being drunk, we've heard about them having various personal problems, none of which there is any independent evidence to support," says Currie. "So the natural and appropriate response to this is very deep skepticism -- this fits with a pattern of how China has responded recently to these events," he said.
Currie says Free Tibet is confident in the information it receives regarding self-immolations, but that it will "seek further corroboration and further information" from sources inside Tibet.
Bhuchung Tsering, a spokesman for the International Campaign for Tibet, said the Chinese government needs to look at what is really happening in Tibet rather than spread stories based on its political needs.
More than 100 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 to protest Beijing's policy in their homeland. China denies it is repressing Tibetans and says the suicide protests are acts of terrorism.
In the past few months, the Chinese government has employed intensified tactics to discourage the protests, detaining and jailing people it says have incited the unrest. It has also harshly cracked down on those spreading information about the protests.
On Tuesday, state media said a court in Qinghai province sentenced three men to four to six years in jail for "state subversion", after they "spread text and images" related to Tibetan independence.
Beijing contends that Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has incited the self-immolations to promote Tibetan separatism. The Dalai Lama, who calls for greater autonomy for Tibet, says he has done nothing to encourage the suicide protests. | <urn:uuid:6c8c66bd-cec6-44f3-afe9-e5da26fae311> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.voanews.com/content/china-denies-selfimmolation-says-husband-murdered-wife-burnt-body/1624186.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976627 | 631 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Precocious puberty in girls
It can be very difficult when a young girl hits puberty early. Especially when all her classmates, and indeed she, still seem just like little girls. If your daughter starts puberty early, she will need a lot of help, guidance and support from you. As well as dealing with a changing body, she will face further difficulties such as dealing with the reaction of her friends, peers and even adults. The best way to do this is be informed.
What is precocious puberty?
Puberty is described as precocious or early, when breasts develop in a girl before eight years old or periods start before nine.
Why does precocious puberty happen?
Puberty begins when the sex hormones start to be produced by the body, usually around 11 years old in girls. When puberty is precocious these hormones are produced earlier. In most cases, especially with girls, there is no sinister or underlying reason why puberty begins early. In some rare cases, there can be serious problems in the brain, such as infection, a head injury or tumours, that are causing the symptoms. For this reason alone, it's important to get your daughter examined by your GP. If you think your daughter is going through puberty early visiting your doctor can be also be a good idea simply to diagnose that is what is actually happening and also to get some support and possible treatment.
What is happening to her body?
Going through puberty early means that she'll develop earlier (her breasts and pubic hair will grow) and she'll start her periods earlier. Most likely she'll also have a growth spurt and appear to be head and shoulders above her classmates, while she's tall now, it's probable that she'll stop growing earlier. Many girls who start puberty earlier end up being shorter adults.
What is happening to her mind?
Mental development is not associated with puberty. So while your daughter may be developing the body of a woman, she'll still have the mind of a child. Although she may seem older, it's probably due to the way she looks. Some girls may start behaving like a moody teen due to the production of the puberty hormones.
How can I help her?
When a girl goes through puberty early, she will need a lot of support and a lot of guidance.
- Puberty is a difficult time for anyone and it can be even more so when it happens early.
- It's likely that she'll be scared and unsure of what her body is doing, after all she still only has the mind of a child.
- Make sure you explain exactly what is happening and why it's happening.
- Explain to your daughter that everyone will eventually go through the same changes, they will just go through it a little later.
As she will probably look different – taller and with developed breasts – she most likely feel like the 'odd one out'
Girls who go through puberty early often feel self-conscious and embarrassed about their bodies. It doesn't help that a lot of girls who go through puberty early are teased. In fact, teasing can be the worst part of precocious puberty. To help your daughter, make sure you do things that boost her self-esteem.
- Focus on her good points and the things she can do well.
- Always compliment on how she looks.
- Make sure that you listen to her concerns and help her develop ways to cope with any teasing, you may need to take action with her teacher or school if there is serious bullying.
- It's not just children who can be hurtful with their comments, so try and protect your daughter from comments from other adults.
- Remember, although your daughter may look grown up she's still a child inside.
- Don't overburden her and expect too much from her.
- Allow her to be a child despite her appearance.
Offering guidance and support
It's also important to support and listen to your child, but don't make too much of it. It may be hard for you to see your little girl turning into a woman so young, but it will make it worse for her if she sees you upset by it. Remember in a few short years, her peers will have caught up and this time will have passed.
Read more about puberty, girls and menstruation:
- What are the first signs of puberty?
- The myths of puberty
- Help your daughter become confident about her body
- Girls and boys
- How to talk to your daughter about periods
- Menstruation - the facts and figures
- Puberty and mood
- Coping with period pain
- Preparing your daughter for puberty
- Sex education and contraception
- Tackling teen acne
- Puberty for girls
- Stages of puberty
- Early menstruation
Last revised: Tuesday, 26 July 2011
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
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- What's the fuss about parabens? | <urn:uuid:05ecba1a-abcb-40e9-b9a0-b4009fd37f84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kidspot.com.au/familyhealth/Development-School-Precocious-puberty-in-girls+6007+215+article.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968223 | 1,138 | 2.921875 | 3 |
News tagged with world health organisation
Resistance to antibiotics is a 'catastrophic' global threat and should be ranked alongside terrorism as one of the biggest risks Britain faces, the government's chief medical officer said Monday.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mar 11, 2013 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0
A decade ago, a highly contagious and deadly new illness sent people worldwide scrambling to cancel flights and holidays as schools closed and sales of surgical masks spiked.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mar 09, 2013 | 2 / 5 (1) | 6
AIDS experts cautioned Monday against hype of a cure after doctors in the United States suppressed HIV in a child born with the virus by administering a potent drug cocktail shortly after birth. ...
HIV & AIDS Mar 04, 2013 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0
(Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Reading could be crucial in the fight to stop the spread of killer viruses such as HIV and avian flu.
Medical research Mar 04, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
Giving inmates drug substitution treatment, needles and condoms are key ways to help curb addiction and HIV infection in European jails, experts say, calling on authorities to change their approach to prison health care.
HIV & AIDS Mar 01, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
A 35-year-old man has become Cambodia's eighth bird flu fatality this year, prompting concern about the spread of the virus in the country, a health official said Tuesday,
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Feb 26, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
Exposure to higher levels of fine particulates—the airborne pollution that is an emerging problem in many Asian cities—causes a sharp rise in deaths from heart attacks, a study published on Wednesday ...
Health Feb 20, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
A rebel-held area of Syria has been hit by an outbreak of typhoid after power cuts hit water supplies and forced the population to turn to the Euphrates River, the UN's health agency warned Tuesday.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Feb 19, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
Scientists suspect chemicals which disrupt the hormone system are linked to early breast development, poor semen quality, low birthweight in babies and other problems, but more research is needed, UN agencies ...
Health Feb 19, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
The World Health Organisation on Saturday urged countries to be vigilant over the spread of a potentially fatal SARS-like virus after a new case in Britain brought the global number to 12.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Feb 17, 2013 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0
In order to cut premature death rates, the world's politicians need to focus on "simple measures" like anti-tobacco policies, cutting salt levels in food, and improving access to affordable heart disease ...
Addiction Feb 13, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
The camera zooms in on a stubble-bearded hunk dragging on a cigarette and blowing out a thick cloud of smoke with what seems to be great satisfaction.
Addiction Feb 11, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
A fisherman has died of swine flu in the Western Sahara region, where 11 others have been tested H1N1 positive, the Moroccan health ministry said on Sunday.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Feb 11, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
China reported two human cases of bird flu in the southwestern city of Guiyang on Sunday, with both patients in a critical condition, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Feb 10, 2013 | not rated yet | 0
Less than half of all countries in the world have functioning plans to prevent cancer and provide treatment and care to cancer patients, the World Health Organisation lamented Friday.
Cancer Feb 01, 2013 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0 | <urn:uuid:eda52273-d30e-4070-af4a-8febe868efb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medicalxpress.com/tags/world+health+organisation/page4.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938118 | 823 | 2.34375 | 2 |
New Second Edition. Authoritative yet easy to read, this book covers the latest advances in sheep and goat medicine, including treatment, surgery, theriogenology, herd health, and nutrition. Full-color photographs and clear instructions describe common procedures and techniques such as restraint for examination, administration of drugs, blood collection, and grooming; often accompanied by explanatory diagrams and charts. With diseases, surgeries, and treatments organized by body system, information is easy to find. New to this edition are chapters on parasite control, nutritional requirements, and performing a necropsy. Hardback, 620 pages. An excellent book and worth the money. | <urn:uuid:c698cf7b-ab43-44dd-abd8-78f969a5fb04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.caprinesupply.com/products/books/health-books/sheep-and-goat-medicine-br-edited-by-d-g-pugh.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931622 | 127 | 1.757813 | 2 |
April 16, 2009 is National Health Care Decisions Day
All adults can benefit from thinking about what their healthcare choices would be if they are unable to speak for themselves. These decisions can be written in an advance directive so that others know what they are. Advance directives come in two main forms:
• A “healthcare power of attorney” (or “proxy” or “agent” or “surrogate”) documents the person you select to be your voice for your healthcare decisions if you cannot speak for yourself.
• A “living will” documents what kinds of medical treatments you would or would not want at the end of life.
National Healthcare Decisions Day is an initiative to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare through conversations and the completion of advance directives. The NHDD initiative also is working with providers and facilities to ensure that individual wishes are respected, whatever they may be. Organizations and individuals interested in participating in or learning more about National Healthcare Decisions Day can do so on the NHDD Web site, which contains free outreach tools, a listing of national, state and community participants, and information about advance care planning.
Additional resources are available on the ABA Commission on Law and Aging Web Site.
Additional resources on advance planning and end-of-life legal issues can be found at ABA Law Info: Your Gateway to Information on Legal Topics that Affect Your Life.
Information about Utah’s law and advance healthcare directive form and instructions are available on the Web Site of the Utah State Courts. | <urn:uuid:b32a58f0-fa3e-4419-924d-cf5a530242e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2009/04/april_16_2009_is_national_heal.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936529 | 321 | 2.3125 | 2 |
of the Past
Fallout of Empire's Balkans Policies
over a decade, the Empire and its
vassals have gradually imposed themselves into the lives and
lands of people in the Balkans, almost always to those peoples'
detriment. In the process, they have torn down many pillars
of civilization, law and common decency, all in the name of
help, human rights and humanitarianism. Whether they did so
as actual masters of malice, or mere
fools who thought they could use the power of Tolkien's metaphorical
Ring for good,
now hardly seems to matter. For all power exacts a price,
and absolute power most
Dutch government collapsed
this Tuesday, following the publication of a report that analyzed
the role of Dutch troops in one of the most controversial
episodes of the Bosnian War. A government-established commission
concluded, after a five-year investigation, that the tragedy
of Srebrenica was not so cut-and-dry as is still widely
believed in the West. The resulting outrage compelled
the government to resign, and on Wednesday, the Army
Chief of Staff resigned as well.
are many interesting things about the 7000-page report. Apparently,
it says that there has been no evidence of
Slobodan Milosevic's involvement with Srebrenica, corroborating
what Milosevic has said to the Hague Inquisition. Nor does
it blame Radovan Karadzic, wartime leader of the Bosnian Serb
Republic. Another largely under-reported point was the activity
of Bosnian Muslim troops in the supposedly demilitarized enclave.
Judging by the outrage of defenders of Official Truth, the
report could even be casting some unwelcome light on the accepted
assertion that some 8000 Muslim civilians were killed in cold
blood, which the Hague Inquisition has already declared a
so happens that the Dutch have been one of Empire's most eager
vassals in the Balkans interventions, especially the NATO
attack on Serbia. As General Michael Short told the US Congress
in October 1999, they were "small
dogs [who wanted to] have a seat at the table." Unfortunately,
the bitter experience of Bosnia is unlikely to urge Empire's
lapdogs to re-think the policy of blind obedience.
actions (or lack thereof) in Srebrenica are just the tip of
the Bosnia iceberg, though. For years, the Serbs clamored
about the substantial presence of Muslim radicals in Bosnia.
Since they were considered demons, though, hardly anyone was
inclined to listen – even when the said radicals tried to
blow up the Pope (see
April 11-12) in 1997. Now, however, Bosnia's NATO occupiers
are "finding" Islamic terrorists everywhere.
Three former Muslim intelligence officials were even indicted by the new government
over their involvement with Iranian terrorist operations in
Bosnia during 1995/96.
even the most popular US military newspaper
writes about Osama Bin Laden's ties with the Bosnian mujahedin,
and the threat which this represents to the US military. The
same article says the US turned a blind eye (and nothing more?)
when Iran sent weapons, money and men to Bosnian Muslims and
Croats during the war, while possible violations of the arms
embargo to the region were discussed by none other than the
infamous General Wesley K. Clark, the "hero" of Kosovo.
think the Imperial air force bombed Serbian TV
for saying much less!
is Bosnia the only Imperial intervention causing major tremors
in the fabric of world sanity. Claiming to be under
heavy US pressure, Serbia's ruling hydra approved
a bill last week regulating the extradition of Serbian
and Yugoslav (while it still exists)
citizens to the Hague Inquisition,
based on its indictments for "war crimes" in Kosovo. The full
text of the bill was published in Belgrade daily Glas Javnosti
Serbian), just before it was voted into law.
are many problems with the ICTY Cooperation Act. It is unconstitutional,
it gives undeserved legitimacy to the Hague Inquisition, and
it is just plain atrocious as to the degree of power it gives
to the Inquisitors inside Serbia. Such powers most closely
resemble those demanded
by Austria-Hungary in 1914, in one of the classical examples
of Imperial blowback*. Yet according to this
Empire's eager servants, even
that is not submissive enough.
response, the former minister of Internal Affairs shocked
the nation by committing public
suicide in front of the Parliament. Former Army Chief
of Staff, however, said surrender was his "duty"
and "legal obligation." The Djindjic regime wholeheartedly
agreed, and promised to extradite all those currently wanted
by the Inquisition before May 1.
groveling of a nominally sovereign country before an emphatically
illegal and illegitimate institution
set up by the Empire should be deplorable at any time. However,
too many took comfort in the fact that the Inquisition was
mostly after Serbs, and that its scope was limited to the
territory of former Yugoslavia. This past week, all of that
April 10, the International
Criminal Court came into being – a global version of the
Hague Inquisition set to demolish sovereignty and nationhood
on behalf of prosecuting war crimes, genocide, war and other
"human rights" violations. Though the Empire has not ratified
the Rome Treaty that established the court, and there is no
way the ICC can force the Empire to submit as its Hague progenitor
(with NATO's and Empire's help) did to the Serbs, the ICC
nonetheless claims the right to put anyone, anywhere, on an
the Hague "tribunal" has been a tool firmly under Empire's
control, its heir claims to
be more independent-minded, and that is seen as alarming.
Yet few have actually grasped the connection between the ICC
and the ICTY. If the ICC is a world conspiracy against a naïve US
government, what about its model? The only "axis of evil"
involved in its creation was between Madeleine Albright and
Bill Clinton, and his successor George II isn't exactly keen
to abolish this abomination.
likely, the Empire will seek to co-opt the ICC and use it
for further conquests, smearing enemies with "indictments"
for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity while
passing its own as "collateral damage". The ICC needs to get
money from somewhere, and it's well-known who has most of
it. And whoever has the gold, makes the rules.
well-intentioned people will no doubt applaud the establishment
of the ICC, hoping perhaps to see Imperial leaders in the
dock at some time in the future. Among them would probably
be those who still believe that the ICTY could become a fair
court by indicting leaders of other Balkan statelets, or even
NATO. None of them really understand that neither of those
options is possible, not in today's world. ICC's mandate sounds
much like the mission of Sauron's Ring (with apologies to
Tolkien): one court to rule them all, one court to find them,
one court to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
the ICC runs completely counter to the basic principle of
international affairs, one that has been around for over 350 years:
sovereignty of nation-states. Though hardly perfect, it is
the only system around, with no clear-cut alternatives save
worldwide libertarian anarchy. What the Empire did to that
system in the Balkans through NATO and the ICTY, the ICC is
poised to do on the world scale. In the ensuing vacuum, the
only alternatives would be Imperial hegemony. Perhaps that
is why Washington has said very little about the ICC over
the past week.
began as a weapon of political warfare in the Balkans has
morphed into a worldwide leviathan with unprecedented power
to destroy: the proverbial "rough beast" of Yeats'
poem, "its hour come at last."
now, only one man stands fighting against the Inquisition
and all that it represents. He may have very personal and
selfish reasons for doing so, or he may not. It hardly matters.
Though faced with prosecution "witnesses" who regularly commit
perjury, have no idea what they are talking about, and even
ridicule the very existence
of Empire as nonsensical, Slobodan Milosevic is still
to surrender to the Inquisition. In doing so, whether
he wants it or not, he is actually defending liberty – a declared
American value that the American Empire has done its best
Oh yes. Then again, irony seems to be what the Balkans is
NOTE: Austria-Hungary thought to use the assassination
of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at the hands of a disgruntled
Bosnian Serb as a pretext for invading Serbia. The invasion,
however, prompted a chain of events that led to World War
One and the eventual destruction of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
It also ended Europe's golden age, ruined the German and Russian
Empires, caused the rise of the American Empire, brought to
power Communism in Russia, and spawned Nazism and Fascism. | <urn:uuid:0210011b-1b07-4539-9c1c-5460bedcb67d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antiwar.com/malic/m041802.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949084 | 1,986 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Music and leadership (part 2)
published by Luc Galoppin, on 31/01/2010
How can we un-learn management science and get back to the common-sense of teamwork? Switch-off all the rules, check-lists and scorecards we have been spoon-fed in our management education? A scenario for disaster you may think? Quite the opposite as I witnessed yesterday.
Dull libraries on leadership, knowledge management and communication came to action right in front of me. It all happened as the musicians performed their scores at the rehearsal of the prestigious B’rock ensemble.
In this rehearsal B’rock gathered for the forthcoming ‘Adieu to the pleasures’ performance. Nothing spectacular about this rehearsal you may think, except from a management point-of-view.
As a management consultant I spend most of my time between shopfloor, project cockpit and boardroom. When you travel that path long enough you will find that management speak and lengthy checklists melt down to their essence. For example: ‘always remember the 3 C’s: communication, communication, communication‘. Damned if you do – damned if you don’t.
I was curious to find out how the musicians were going to pull it off, given their limited time, budget and different nationalities involved (sounds like a real project, doesn’t it?). Almost immediately I was struck by their effortless communication. So I took my camera and captured what the 3 C’s look like from a B’rock perspective. Have a look…
This is the first part of any teamwork of musicians – be it a rehearsal or a real concert. They tune their instruments and make sure everyone is on the same wavelength BEFORE they start playing. Have a look at the video below. These musicians are saying: hey this is my bottom line – what is yours?
In management speak: they are setting up a service level agreement (SLA). And they do it BEFORE they start to play. There is a lesson in there: an SLA is negotiated upfront to create a common understanding about services, priorities and responsibilities.
Tuning is not a quick-fix for a troubled relationship in the middle of the play: the relationship is tuned upfront. And yes: that makes an awkward and unusual sound.
Once the instruments are tuned, the ensemble is ready to kick off. For the first time they play the scores that each musician has carefully prepared at home. For the first time they hear how they sound within the group. Have a look at the fragment below to see how that works.
You will note that the ‘project leader’ behind the harpsichord defines the context and shapes the meaning of the piece they are performing (at 00′:30″). Although every musician knows the scores and plays outstanding as an individual, they now feed-back to one another how they can make teamwork happen (as of 01′:30″). Note that during the break one of the musicians revealed to me that the most important instrument during a rehearsal is actually a musician’s pencil!
There you are: outstanding performers rely on each other in order to adapt their scores for the benefit of team performance. In this setting it would be absurd if they didn’t. Yet, where I come from I see most of the good performers touting their horn so loud that the team performance suffers.
The musician later added: ‘you feel when it’s your turn to say something‘. And that’s exactly what it felt like: this was no feedback as we know it; what I witnessed was feed-forward. Not as a task or an obligation, but rather as a game bringing the performance forward.
This is when the communication rubber meets the road. After individual preparation, tuning of the instruments and adapting the scores for team performance it is time to give it a go. I invite you to look at the below fragment twice: once with the sound on and once with the sound off.
There are two things that you can see clearer when the sound is off. First, the musicians don’t stop communicating when they perform. Continuously they look up from their scores to exchange cues. Second, as a result of this exchange you can actually see the resonance among the musicians.
Although they are all playing their individual score you can see that they are in resonance. One of the musicians saw this resonance as a growing process as he reported: ‘during the intense days of rehearsing you kind of grow into the performance’.
Preparation, tuning, adaptation and continuous exchange of cues results in good performance. The moral of this story isn’t hard to fetch – but it may be hard to swallow for those of us who have their MBA education tattooed all over. This rehearsal reframes the question: why does management education exist? None of these musicians has ever studied, examined or attended a course in communication, teamwork or feedback.
Think of what we said last week about barefoot running: your company is not broken by default – just like your feet are just fine the way they are. Once you go barefoot your body automatically adjusts. Effortless. In terms of management education B’rock musicians go barefoot. And they go a long way.
By the way …
This goes without saying that B’rock is a project-based organization (in management speak): the performance at hand determines the staffing, their level of commitment and … their leadership style.
In case you wonder how I got into that setting in the first place… well … together with B’rock and other top-notch musical ensembles we are discovering Arts-based Learning. I’m quite proud to be scouting learning methods and workshop possibilities in this exclusive and (until now) closed setting. A bizar experience … that’s why the initiative is called BizzArts.
Below you can see B’rock performing Vivaldi ‘for real’.
No doubt about it: Belgian finest Baroque can only be performed when excellence & passion are mixed with barefoot empowerment. And now you have a witness.
See also: Music and Leadership | <urn:uuid:11e61c47-499e-48c5-8d74-d164ecb0fbe7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hrmblogs.com/2010/01/31/music-and-leadership-part-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96033 | 1,284 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Mobile phone recycling
Turn your old mobile phones into cash
Most of us have old mobile phones lurking in the back of a drawer somewhere, but not so many realise that recycling an old mobile phone could earn you up to £200 depending on the model you own.
Mobile phone recycling is easy and as well as earning you some money, it's good for the environment too. Find out how to recycle your mobile and turn an old handset you no longer need into cash.
How does mobile phone recycling work?
Our mobile phone recycling service pays you money for your old mobile phone. You can look on our website to see how much we pay for your make and model, then when you send us your old mobile phone to recycle, we send you a cheque - it's as easy as that and you don't even have to pay for the postage!
You can recycle damaged or faulty old mobile phones and get some money for them too, plus we also recycle your old mobile phone accessories like chargers free of charge.
What happens to my old mobile phone after I recycle it?
The mobile phone industry moves fast - hundreds of thousands of old mobile phones are rendered obsolete every year as we upgrade to newer, better models with the latest features. However, old mobile phones aren't useless - mobile phone recycling companies buy people's old mobiles and either reuse or recycle them.
When the mobile phone recycling company gets your old mobile, it is either sent to be reused, refurbished, or it is taken apart and reprocessed so any useful parts and components can be salvaged and used again. This helps to cut the amount of waste going to landfill sites each year and reduces the environmental damage associated with making components for new mobile phones. | <urn:uuid:2fae558a-6cea-4195-8c32-03772b076926> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/mobile_phone_recycling/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941991 | 353 | 1.757813 | 2 |
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18 NIV)
Is there someone in your life who insists on poking you in the eye every time he sees you? The Bible doesn’t say you have to just let it keep happening. It does say that some people are toxic: “Their venom is like the venom of a snake …” (Psalm 58:4 NIV)
Having someone like that in your life can mess up your attitude. It can mess up your friendships. It can mess up your marriage.
People who are toxic are going to blame anyone but themselves — including you — for the problems in their lives. They may love to blame you for their pain, but you have to realize that it’s not about you. It’s about them.
When these chaotic people get around you, it starts to rub off, and you may start thinking, "Am I going crazy? I know they’re crazy, but am I crazy, too?”
No, you’re not crazy. Remember: It’s not about you.
The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Notice the two qualifiers in this verse. First, it says “if” it is possible, not “it is.” Second, it says “as far as it depends on you.”
I don’t know if you’ve learned this yet, but it’s not always possible to live at peace. There are some people who, no matter what you do, are still going to poke you in the eye. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. It has to do with their pain and their hurt.
You know what I love about the Bible? It always tells the truth about God, life, and human behavior. The Bible points out that it’s not always possible to live at peace with everybody. There are some people you just can’t get along with. There are some people who, no matter how nice you are to them, are still going to be mean to you.
God says you need to realize that it’s not about you. Then, you need to move on.
Talk About It
What does "as far as it depends on you" mean? How can you apply this qualifier to a specific struggle you have with someone in your life?
If you struggle, thinking you must be at peace with everyone, even those who poison your life, you may need to take a step of faith toward believing Romans 12:18. Ask God to help you.
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.
This devotional © 2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. | <urn:uuid:c98a3ea1-cc38-4592-9247-1cdf0fc22376> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=11265 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972528 | 690 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Connecticut College News
Professor featured in Artforum cover story05/6/2009
Art professor Barkley L. Hendricks was the subject of an eight-page cover story in the April edition of Artforum Magazine.
A painted portrait by art professor Barkley L. Hendricks graced the cover of the April edition of Artforum Magazine, and inside, Hendricks was the subject of an eight-page story and photo spread by noted art historian Huey Copeland. "By turns extravagant and direct, the portraits Barkley L. Hendricks has made of his African-American friends and neighbors since the late 1960s variously recall the indolent nudes of Philip Pearlstein and the deadpan chic of David Hockney," the article begins. "But in these canvases and in other works-such as his series of landscapes freighted with Barbizon-school scrupulousness-the artist has sought modes of representing that go beyond the pursuit of likeness, gesturing toward abstraction, anamorphosis and anachronism." Copeland says Hendricks portrays his subjects "not as protesters or victims or celebrities," but as "avatars of themselves who model a range of imaginary relations to dominant culture, from the merely dandyish to the queerly transgressive." A traveling exhibition of Hendricks´ work, "Birth of the Cool," was recently on display at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, where Hendricks was an artist-in-residence during the fall semester. The exhibition is also visiting the Santa Monica Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, Texas. | <urn:uuid:ca7db80c-b22c-4665-9f2e-10dd255e9142> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://conncoll.edu/news/news-archive/2009/professor-featured-in-artforum-cover-story.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970615 | 333 | 1.8125 | 2 |
WASHINGTON — Speaking at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation last week, Mark Grimaldi, president and CEO of Albany-based Equinox Chemicals, told lawmakers the importance of maintaining and updating federal manufacturing standards.
The hearing, chaired by Ben Quayle, R-Arizona, was held to examine the principles of effective standards development, the process by which the federal government, industry and other “stakeholders” promote those principles internationally, and the ways some U.S. trading partners use standards as technical barriers to trade, Quayle said in his opening statement.
“The role of standards is not widely appreciated,” Quayle said. “Standards enable cell phones from different carriers to communicate with each other. They allow microprocessors to operate in computers made by different manufactures. And standards ensure that electrical appliances can be used throughout the United States.”
Grimaldi, who also heads the newly acquired Adco Products division located in Albany, was invited to testify at the standards hearing because of his success in business as well as his knowledge and interest in the area of standards development, said Catherine Glover, Equinox executive vice president for global business.
“The vetting to allow his testimony was about three weeks,” Glover said. “In the end, (Grimaldi) fit the profile of small business success and experience the subcommittee was looking to hear from.”
“We have grown more than 300 percent in sales and 389 percent in employees in the last three years,” Grimaldi said in his testimony, “investing millions in infrastructure and facilities during a period when the rest of the industry was pulling back. It is our ability to compete both domestically and globally that in a very short time has allowed us to excel both in innovation and in manufacturing.”
In speaking to the subcommittee, Grimaldi said America leads the way globally by “setting the bar for existing standards, as well as in the development of new ones, as world markets, products and technologies evolve.”
Grimaldi said the key to remaining in that “pinnacle position” is to ensure that four basic principles in the standards process are maintained and developed: that standards be voluntary; led by the private sector rather than government; that they should be consensus-based; and finally that standards promote the U.S. standard setting system and standards set under that system domestically and abroad. | <urn:uuid:c3990cd4-2fa1-48ee-9714-9976a41c3d67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2012/mar/05/equinox-ceo-speaks-house-subcommittee/?opinion | 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 | 0.974871 | 506 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Erasmus: You cannot vote!
AEGEE-Europe supports the claim of Italian students and calls for a solution that solves the violation of the democratic rights of thousand of young citizens. We expect the decision of the Italian Council of Ministers to allow all Italians living abroad the possibility to participate in the elections to the Parliament. We are proud to see that the reaction of Italian Erasmus has been decisive to allow other Italians to exert their democratic rights.
Unless exceptional measures are taken, Italian Erasmus students, and all the young Italians involved in the Lifelong Learning Programme abroad such as the Leonardo interns, are going to be excluded from the elections to the Parliament that will take place on February 24-25th 2013. They cannot vote for correspondence in the Consulate because, according to the current law, in order to exercise their electoral rights abroad, Italian citizens must register at the Registry of the Italians abroad (AIRE) at the Consulate in the country where they have resided or are going to reside for at least 12 months. A period that does not apply for the most popular mobility programmes
Showing once more how wrong is the common belief that the young generation does not care about anything except themselves, the Ialian Erasmus have taken initiative and started claiming for their rights showing their indignation on facebook and social media. They have coordinated themselves even when being scattered all over Europe and they have gotten quite a lot of attention on the media, voicing their discontent and calling for a reasonable decision to be taken. A petition online has been launched, and the Leonardo interns and other Italians living abroad are signing up hoping to be included together with the Erasmus students in case a solution is reached.
All the frustration of these young people has been represented graphically in a very eloquent image: a piece of toilet paper where is written: here you are, this is what my vote is worth! One of the students wrote on facebook: “I am really astonished because democracy and active citizenship are among the specific objectives of Lifelong Learning Programme! So there is some contradiction on this situation”. Limiting the right to vote to those who can afford the money and time of a flight back home seems quite an unfair situation that needs to be solved. Erasmus students are supported in their request by UDU, the Italian Syndicate of Students.
Even the European Commission backs the students’ claim, which makes sense since they designated 2013 as the European Year of Citizens. According to a communication from the cabinet of the Commissioner on Education, Androula Vassiliou, “the EU supports the efforts of Italy for assuring that students within mobility programmes like Erasmus are not discriminated in their right to vote”, even though legislation regarding elections is part of the national competences.
Monti’s government has decided to do all that is in their hands to solve this problem. Today (Jan 22nd) the Italian Consiglio dei Ministri will meet and the topic is high on the agenda, with the Minister of Education pushing for a solution. Time is short, as elections are very close. When at the end of last year the government promulgated a law to allow researchers, military and professors abroad to vote in this elections, nobody thought of the students participating in mobility programmes. Now a special measure will have to be taken, and time is running out as the deadline for confirming the voting abroad expired last Sunday Jan 20th. According to the Italian Constitution, the measure will have to grant the right to vote to other Italians abroad in similar situation. As a back up plan, the possible reimbursement of the travel costs for the voting is not totally discarded yet.
As stated before, AEGEE-Europe supports the claim of Italian students and calls for a solution that solves the violation of the democratic rights of thousand of young citizens. We expect the decision of the Italian Council of Ministers to allow all Italians living abroad the possibility to participate in the elections for the Italian Parliament. We are proud to see that the reaction of Italian Erasmus has been decisive to allow other Italians to exert their democratic rights.
· The facebook page that started it all: https://www.facebook.com/studentiesclusidalvoto
· A video supporting the claim produced by ZERO: http://vimeo.com/57816233
· The online petition to be signed: http://goo.gl/m6LN6
AEGEE was born 27 years ago with the vision of creating a unified Europe, based on democracy and respect for human rights, bringing together students with different cultural backgrounds. Today, AEGEE is Europe’s largest interdisciplinary youth organisation: 40 countries, 200 cities, 13 000 friends. This network provides the ideal platform for young volunteers to work together on cross-border activities such as international conferences, seminars, exchanges, training courses and case study trips. In line with the challenges young people are currently facing in Europe, AEGEE’s work for the period of 2011-2014 is focused on three main areas: Youth Participation, Bridging Europe and Inclusion of Minorities.
If you would like more information about AEGEE, or Erasmus: You cannot vote!, please contact:
European Institutions and Communications Director of AEGEE-Europe
Phone: +32 2 246 0320
Mobile: +32 487 410 060 | <urn:uuid:595a8202-4338-4c74-93e4-07dcf70df9af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pr.euractiv.com/node/93034 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952932 | 1,101 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Case Study: The growing pains of a Wi-Fi pioneer
Voice on WLAN and public hotspots are over-rated, says IT manager.
While many companies still see office wireless LANs as a new thing, Inmarsat is onto its second generation, having first moved to WLAN in 1999. The company, which runs a global satellite network for companies running ships and aeroplanes, has changed its working practices thanks to WLAN, but the upgrade has involved a major change in technology.
Staff that won't stand still
"For most people, wireless has replaced wired," says Peter Smith, IT manager at Inmarsat. "The wired network is still there if people want it."
In the company's offices in City Road, London, staff move from place to place, so Inmarsat needed a network that could respond to that. "Inmarsat is an engineering company," he explains. "Projects are set up and work from one office; they could last for a week or six years. We wanted a solution that was inherently flexible."
In 1999, the company started replacing desktop systems with laptops and put in a wireless LAN system, based on Lucent's access points. This was before the Wi-Fi standards were complete but users picked it up enthusiastically. In meetings, action items are completed before people go back to their offices and get distracted, and users can set up workgroups wherever makes most sense. "Office moves and conferences have given us a return on investment," says Smith. "It maximises our use of the building and minimises the costs of moves."
The company now has 250 people on that network, many of whom roam between the office WLAN and their own wireless network at home. Mostly the applications they use are straightforward: Outlook email, the Web and software development, says Smith.
Time for a change
Predictably enough, Inmarsat eventually suffered the fate of the leading edge user. By the time everyone else was jumping onto the bandwagon, it was outgrowing its first system.
For various reasons, the first system was creaking by 2003.
- It had pre-standard cryptography, and didn't meet the Wi-Fi specifications, so it did not properly support Centrino.
- It suffered from interference with other 802.11b networks: there are now fourteen of them in neighbouring buildings, says Smith.
- It was heavy on administration
- The bandwidth could not be increased.
- The system had reached the maximum number of base stations it could support
Looking for a way to replace or extend its system, Inmarsat was approached by a service provider suggesting that it might like to create a public/private hotspot, sharing the costs and revenue, but the provider could not come up with a satisfactory deal.
Having had four years of satisfactory service from its Lucent kit, Inmarsat approached the current incarnation of the company. The original Lucent WLAN equipment has evolved and is now owned by Proxim, but that company did not have a strong enough switch and management story for Smith: "There were technical problems," he says.
The best approach in the end was to upgrade to a three-band 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN system, with Aruba the chosen supplier (see our review of Aruba). "Upgrading to tri-band was more complicated than a virgin installation," says Smith, although the promise of new features such as load-balancing and self-healing should lead to lower costs in the long run.
The company is running both networks side by side, with the Aruba system only operating on 802.11a's 5GHz band, until it is steady enough to shut off the Lucent kit and open up 802.11b/g on the Aruba.
No Voice on Wi-Fi
Data mobility in the office would have been pointless without voice mobility. A group of users moving to a different office for a new project would have been pointless if all their phone calls still went to their old desk phone.
So Inmarsat decided to have voice mobility - but went for DECT and not voice on WLAN, a decision which makes sense given the problems with voice on Wi-Fi.
Using DECT means that users have to carry two phones, since the industry is still looking for the holy grail that will combine the office phone extension with the cellphone. Smith cheerfully says that's not much of a problem. In the office, Inmarsat people simply turn off the mobile phone and have calls redirected to their office number, so calls to their mobile reach their DECT phone.
And no public hotspot use - or not much
"People could use public Wi-Fi, but tend not to," says Smith, airing his secpticism of another fashionable wireless idea. Inmarsat people don't tend to take laptops when travelling. They carry BlackBerries for email. "You can't justify a £1000 laptop for doing email," he says.
Since those devices can pick up email almost anywhere, and the company has a very good competitive deal for GPRS data public Wi-Fi is rarely needed. | <urn:uuid:fa064c8a-9b25-45dc-a4e8-c840d8a2b9f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://howto.techworld.com/mobile-wireless/755/case-study-the-growing-pains-of-a-wi-fi-pioneer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977974 | 1,069 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Italian voters snubbed the old guard and no clear winner emerged from the fray, even though a protest movement did capitalize on voters turning their backs on the ruling class. Now, could new elections be on the cards?
Italian newspapers, more or less, came to the same conclusion on the morning after the country's parliamentary election: "Italy is ungovernable."
Most TV channels ran non-stop analyses, panel discussions and interviews with politicians. Reporters and talk show hosts fairly flipped out when it became evident that Beppe Grillo's 5 Star Movement was to be Italy's strongest single party, with Pier Luigi Bersani's Social Democrats and Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition trailing behind.
In effect, Beppe Grillo can now block both in the senate, Italy's upper house of parliament, since neither the center-left nor the former Italian premier's conservative coalition have a workable majority. In a phone interview Monday night, comic-turned-political leader Grillo announced he would keep the established parties on tenterhooks, adding that coalitions with any of them were out of the question.
"In case of new elections, we will win a majority in parliament," a confident Grillo told La Stampa newspaper. The Grillinis, as Beppe Grillo's supporters are called, have reason to celebrate, says Lutz Klinkhammer of the German Historic Institute in Rome.
"Clearly, Grillo and his Five Star Movement are the winners of the election," Klinkhammer told Deutsche Welle. He practically skyrocketed to becoming the strongest party in the country, Klinkhammer added. "That is a sensation, if not a mini revolution."
The center-left alliance that won a narrow victory in the lower house of parliament, barely ahead of Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition, was flabbergasted.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, 87, is scheduled to hold talks with all party leaders to ascertain who has the best chances of forming a government. There is only a slim chance for a government led by Bersani, Klinkhammer says, adding a grand coalition is not feasible, either, as Bersani and Berlusconi are not likely to sit down at the same table.
A new technocratic government is much more likely, the Rome-based political scientist says; there would be a change in voting legislation and new elections maybe a year from now.
The strong showing by the Five Star Movement indicates that Italians want fundamental change, including an end to the economic crisis: "People expect an end to corruption and cronyism. In Beppe Grillo's words: Italians are fed up," Lutz Klinkhammer says.
A shock for Monti
A less stable, but nonetheless possible, solution is the formation of a Social Democratic minority government tolerated by Beppe Grillo in the senate. A similiar model exists in Sicily.
Prime Minister Mario Monti, whose tough austerity approach was clearly rejected by the electorate, was stunned. "Somehow, we have to deal with this new entity," he told a news conference, referring to Grillo's movement. Grillo is opposed to Monti's policies of austerity, budget consolidation and debt reduction - as is Berlusconi. Add the other euroskeptic parties to conclude that two out of three Italians disagree with European policies aimed at saving the euro.
Italians simply want an end to the recession and high unemployment in the country, Lutz Klinkhammer says. "The euro no longer plays a role in Italian domestic policies."
Do not interfere
The only one to worry about reaction across Europe and the financial markets is Mario Monti. On Tuesday (26.02.2013), a day after the election concluded, he met with his finance minister and the head of Italy's central bank to discuss the widening of the interest rate spread and what that means for the crisis in the eurozone.
"The election results will undoubtedly make the situation in the eurozone even more difficult. It might even strain the relationship between Rome and Berlin," says Vincenzo Scarpetta of the Open Europe think tank. Pursuing the reform course will be much more difficult now in the Italian government, the political analyst said. "Italy is certain to refuse stricter EU control."
A warning by European Parliament President Martin Schulz that Italy had produced what amounted to a difficult result for Europe fell flat in Rome. Italy, too, would like a stable government, the RAI state television presenter commented after reading the news item from Brussels: "But how?"
Its annual conference is a top event for German fraternities: not only a time to drink and be merry, but also to discuss the direction the assocations should take, and how to shake off their far-right reputation.
Germany’s Social Democratic Party has marked its 150 year anniversary in Leipzig. Four months ahead of federal elections, the party has paid tribute to its rich past.
Only one German film made it onto this year's official festival program in Cannes. But prepare to be disturbed by Katrin Gebbe's realistic portrait of religious conservatism. | <urn:uuid:f994e84a-3123-4de7-9df0-389332d51731> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dw.de/paralysis-grips-italy-after-inconclusive-vote/a-16630095 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95951 | 1,054 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Senator Martins Presents 'How a Bill Becomes a Law' at St. Mary's School
Senator Jack M. Martins has been visiting schools throughout the Seventh Senate District to present “How a Bill Becomes a Law,” a program his office started to engage elementary schools in the process of state government. Most recently, he visited the St. Mary's School in Manhasset to speak to fifth grade students about how a bill becomes a law.
Senator Martins told the students that it all starts with an idea and then involves building consensus through the legislature, which includes the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly. If the bill passes both houses, it is sent to the Governor, who can sign the bill into law or veto it.
Senator Martins ends the discussion by asking students for their ideas for bills. The program has been embraced by schools as an educational tool to get students thinking about public service.
“I want to thank the students of the St. Mary's School for having me. The discussion was a lot of fun and, hopefully, educational for them. As I tell all the students I meet with, public service always begins with the desire to make a difference,” Senator Martins said.
For more on Senator Martins’ “How a Bill Becomes a Law” program, visit his website at www.martins.nysenate.gov. | <urn:uuid:6406bce0-5be9-4606-95d8-7554b86e714c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-martins-presents-how-bill-becomes-law-st-marys-school | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975661 | 293 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Cheese, milk diet vital for smarter brain
New study shows that dairy products are good for your brain. We suspected it all along.
The study, involving US and Australian researchers, was based on 1,000 adults. It found those who regularly have dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt score better in tests of mental ability than people who never, or rarely, consume dairy products.
It follows another US study, involving 104 pensioners, where scientists found that older people with higher levels of beneficial fats in their blood had less brain shrinkage typical of the Alzheimer's disease, the International Dairy Journal reports. | <urn:uuid:76741ddb-050f-49ca-bba5-3fd7e873b7fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.culturecheesemag.com/news/dairy_is_good_for_your_brain | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969452 | 127 | 2.515625 | 3 |
- Posted March 5, 2013 by
Eastwood City, Philippines
This iReport is part of an assignment:
New Philippine Mobile Game Can Help Change the World
Filipino app developer AppLabs Digital Studios Inc. has recently launched a new product that will help raise worldwide awareness on the Philippines' endangered species and WWF's advocacies. Together with WWF-Philippines, the company developed a time-pressure puzzle game that has the potential to significantly protect and restore the Philippines’ marine ecosystem.
Dubbed EnviroPop, the puzzle game features characters inspired from some of the endangered species found here in the Philippines, as well as the toxic products threatening marine wildlife. The endangered species include whale sharks and sea turtles.
In the game, players must eliminate sea hazards by tapping and swiping away at least five toxins within a minute. The app educates, entertains, and encourages players to save the Philippines’ precious marine life and biodiversity. Through the application, players can encourage other eco-minded people to download the app as well as share personal high scores via Facebook.
EnviroPop also comes with a mini encyclopedia that features fun facts about the different endangered species in the game. Raising environmental awareness is one step to achieving WWF-Philippines’ goals.
To further help WWF-Philippines with their environment protection efforts, all proceeds from the sale of the app will fund the charitable group’s many environmental advocacies. For $0.99, staunch WWF-Philippines supporters not only get an addictive game filled with useful information about the Philippines’ marine resources. Players also help make a difference to the world at large.
Download EnviroPop at http://goo.gl/Qec9I. | <urn:uuid:009ca383-bf1a-45c5-bd32-6a094f249374> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-936733?ref=feeds/latest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911979 | 357 | 2.109375 | 2 |
The question will not go away: Do vaccines cause autism? Some 1 million to 1.5 million adults and children in the United States have received autism diagnoses, and there is no clear insight into its causes. What surprises many scientists is that their findings against a vaccine connection keep failing to quell the debate, giving the antivaccine movement the potential to become a genuine public-health problem.
In February the U.S. Court of Federal Claims attempted to provide some clarity, ruling that a widely used vaccine and a vaccine preservative, both targets of concern over the past decade, do not cause autism spectrum disorders. That decision put a stamp of approval on what multiple peer-reviewed studies have concluded for years: The MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine and the mercury additive thimerosal (which was removed from nearly all vaccines by 2001) are not responsible for the rise in autism diagnoses. “I think the tide clearly turned this year, and the court decision, more than anything else, was responsible,” says Paul Offit, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a vocal vaccine advocate. “It showed that good science does win in the end.”
Environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded to the ruling by comparing government-sponsored vaccine safety studies to cigarette research conducted by Big Tobacco. In the ruling’s wake, conspiracy theories and false claims continued to dominate some autism Internet forums, while television shows featured lengthy interviews with antivaccine stalwarts.
Fueling all this confusion is the complicated nature of autism, which encompasses a range of neurological disorders characterized by “social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Those symptoms usually appear at around 18 months of age, precisely when children receive many of their vaccinations.
In October Michael D. Kogan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and colleagues announced that about 1 of every 91 American children has a disorder on the autism spectrum. A 2008 study by the California Department of Public Health found that the number of children receiving services for autism in the state has risen steadily, despite a decrease to trace levels of mercury in their inoculations. Many experts attribute the growing prevalence to new diagnosis guidelines and increased awareness among doctors.
Meanwhile, the reluctance of some parents to immunize their children can lead to the return of vaccine-preventable diseases such as a measles, which broke out this past summer in Brooklyn, New York. According to Christopher Zimmerman, medical director of the New York City Health Department’s Bureau of Immunization, the virus spread quickly among children who were not fully vaccinated, including those whose parents put off the shots because of concern about the autism-vaccine link. “Measles can be a serious and life-threatening disease,” he says. “Parents are putting their children at risk by not vaccinating on time.” Across the United States, reported measles cases shot up from 43 in 2007 to 140 in 2008, and more than 90 percent of those reported in 2008 were among children who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
In the midst of the ongoing controversy, scientists have made notable progress in understanding autism. A May study in Nature found that 65 percent of autistic children share a set of mutations that may regulate genes known to influence communication among brain cells. Many scientists say that environmental exposures, perhaps even in the womb, may activate such genetic vulnerabilities. Over the past three years the NIH has spent about $100 million annually on autism research. One possible trigger it has studied exhaustively and dismissed: vaccines. “Exploring the broad question of vaccines and autism is not fruitful. The questions have been answered,” says University of Utah pediatrician Andrew Pavia, co-chairman of the vaccine-safety working group at HHS.
Pavia nevertheless believes it would be worth further investigating a link between vaccines and autism once specific biological pathways are identified. To that end, his committee recommends researching whether some children, including those who may be genetically predisposed to autism, are at higher risk following certain vaccinations but in numbers too small to have shown up in previously.
“There are some who suggest that scientists shouldn’t bring up vaccines and autism in the same breath, but I think we should keep an open mind until we understand the biology better,” Pavia says. Offit disagrees. The evidence has spoken, he argues, and pursuing additional research only wastes resources and gives false hope. “Parents are being horribly misled by leaving the door open,” he says.
One positive side effect of the media frenzy is that autism science is finally getting its due. In September the NIH committed nearly $100 million in additional funding from the stimulus package to studying autism. Scientists also hope to gain crucial insights into autism’s risk factors from several large new studies, including the federally funded Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation, which will enroll 1,200 mothers of autistic children at the start of a subsequent pregnancy and then track the newborn child’s first three years of development.
“This issue will not go away until there is a clear cause,” Offit says. “But the important story you never hear is that the research is evolving very quickly.” | <urn:uuid:5e204248-52d2-4bbf-8a2d-04d4a7d527ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jan-feb/01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966475 | 1,107 | 2.875 | 3 |
got on my knees and said, `Down With Fidel!' '' the
43-year-old Fariñas claimed in a telephone interview
from Cuba. ``They started kicking and beating me,
bruising my back, arm and head. They stopped when
they saw I would not lose my dignity and say things
I didn't feel.''
Fariñas was a victim of an old-time Cuban government
tactic that's back with a vengeance: ``acts of
repudiation'' - mob attacks by Castro supporters
against critics of the government, first used in
1980 during the Mariel boatlift, which brought more
than 125,000 refugees to South Florida. Dissidents
on the island say they have logged more than 50 such
attacks in the past six months alone.
While the government paints them as spontaneous acts
by committed socialists, Cuba-watchers say they are
part of a concerted campaign by the Cuban government
to quell opposition. Dissidents also have reported
evictions, detentions, random acts of violence, 40
arrests and some confrontations with semi-official
groups of tough men known as Rapid Response
flood of incidents against dissidents underscores a
tenuous time in Cuba, as the government openly
struggles to combat corruption and grapples with a
fragile economy and a rising number of migrants
headed to sea. Experts say it may also be a response
to an increase in dissidence. A December report by
the International Republican Institute recorded
1,805 acts of civil disobedience in 2004, up from
959 in 2002.
are seeing levels of oppression we haven't seen in
20 years in Cuba,'' said Caleb McCarry, the U.S.
State Department's Cuba transition coordinator.
``It's a clear indication that the dictatorship
fears the Cuban people.''
Ramón Colas, a former dissident who now lives in
Mississippi, said five independent libraries - where
Cubans can find books not approved by the government
- have been hit with acts of repudiation in two
October, the Roman Catholic Church denounced an
attack against one of its deacons, who was beaten up
on his way to church. And Juan Carlos González, a
dissident who is blind, said in September that he
had faced 15 acts of repudiation in a single month.
Dissidents said that although no one has been
killed, several people have been injured and some
have suffered broken bones.
``These are organized by the government. . . . You
can find the police cars three or four blocks
away,'' said dissident Carlos Rios, who claimed he
was beaten by a mob Aug. 27. ``They try to provoke
you into saying something like `Down with Fidel!' so
then they can lock you up in jail for six months.''
wave of attacks against government opponents began
July 14, when dissidents gathered to commemorate a
1994 disaster in which 37 would-be migrants trying
to flee Cuba aboard a tugboat died in a struggle
with other Cuban government boats. Hundreds of
counterprotesters disrupted the July event, and at
least a dozen dissidents were arrested.
weeks later, Castro mentioned the incident during
one of his speeches.
``The people, angrier than before over such
bold-faced acts of treason, intervened with
patriotic fervor and didn't allow a single mercenary
to move,'' he said. ``And this is what will happen
whenever traitors and mercenaries go a millimeter
beyond the point that our revolutionary people . . .
are willing to accept.''
rights activists say the speech gave a green
light to members of the Cuban Communist Party and
State Security to harass dissidents more than ever.
group of dissidents was going to meet, but we're not
going to allow that on Mondays, not Tuesdays or
Wednesdays,'' José Enrique Oliva, a Communist Party
delegate, told the EFE news service in October while
disrupting a meeting of the Progressive Rainbow
be sure, the increase in harassment pales in
comparison to the sweep against government opponents
that occurred in 2003. That year, Castro jailed 75
political activists and sentenced them to decades in
prison. Fourteen were later released for medical
Perhaps in response to the increased activity, the
government is now engaging in a publicity campaign
to smear its opponents. Government TV programs often
center around allegations that the dissidents are
mercenaries on the payroll of U.S. exile groups and
U.S. diplomats in Havana.
Cuban Interests Section in Washington and the
international media representatives at the Foreign
Ministry in Havana did not return calls seeking
``There is no country in the world where the
empire's mercenaries enjoy the privileges they do in
Cuba,'' Castro said in the July speech.
``The much publicized dissidence or alleged
opposition in Cuba does not exist except in the
overheated imagination of the Cuban-American mob and
White House and State Department bureaucrats,''
the tactic may be backfiring.
week after a Palm Sunday repudiation act against
about 30 members of Ladies in White - wives,
daughters and mothers of jailed political prisoners
- the number of women participating in the group's
weekly march more than doubled.
``They thought that would silence the opposition,''
group member Miriam Leiva said by phone from Havana.
``They thought nobody would find out, so we started
hitting the streets, and we haven't stopped.''
rights activists in Cuba say that although the
acts of repudiation are rising in number and
intensity, they also carry a bit of good news:
Neighbors who were once a staple of such attacks now
``These people were with the [Communist] party,''
said Ernesto Roque, an independent journalist, who
said he was pushed and shoved by a group of
government supporters recently. ``These are old,
retired communists. Finding a young person to
participate is difficult.
``It's a beautiful message: At least the youth, I'm
convinced, are not interested in this.''
Fariñas, the psychologist turned independent
journalist, said the dissidents nevertheless live
have been jailed three times and beaten,'' Fariñas
said. ``Sure, I'm afraid.''
COMING MONDAY: Many newly arrived dissidents,
virtually all of them children when Fidel Castro
rose to power, wonder how best to promote freedom in
their homeland from the outside. | <urn:uuid:1a49bce0-dea4-45ef-b271-5d714d492394> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sigloxxi.org/mob.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948419 | 1,385 | 1.867188 | 2 |
MANCHESTER RESEARCH STATION, Washington — On the banks of Puget Sound, federal marine biologist Colin Nash gives a tour of the aquaculture research he is conducting under the auspices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Department, or NOAA Fisheries. The tour doesn’t take long. Aside from a tank filled with lingcod, sleek coastal fish which Nash and his fellow researchers are trying to breed, there really isn’t that much to see.
But this research is buoying up a big dream: NOAA Fisheries is plotting a massive expansion of the U.S. fish-farming industry, a budding business which has already raised concerns among Indian tribes, health advocates and environmentalists. The agency, with strong backing from the Bush administration, wants to open up the 3.4 million square miles of federal waters — an area bigger than the entire continental U.S. — to businesses that would grow thousands of groundfish like lingcod, rockfish and halibut in huge, submerged net cages.
The agency has drafted a bill that would for the first time create a system for permitting aquaculture in federal waters. The goal is to expand the value of American aquaculture from $1 billion to $5 billion by 2025. Currently on the desk of top officials within the Department of Commerce, the legislation could be in the hands of lawmakers within the next several months, according to NOAA Fisheries officials.
Nash and other agency staffers see fish farms as a way to alleviate pressure on desperately stressed wild populations (HCN, 2/2/04). "Aquaculture could absolutely relieve the U.S. fishery and help the ocean," he says.
But the scene here at Manchester is telling: Although NOAA and its research program SeaGrant have numerous projects related to rearing and engineering ocean aquaculture, the research is still in its early stages. Even Nash acknowledges that the agency isn’t studying the cumulative ecological effects of its plans. "The program is still very much an embryo. Very few people are even working offshore," he says. "At this point, it’s mostly paperwork."
A growing number of critics say that, in the absence of extensive research, the agency’s proposed legislation is premature. With 70 percent of all marine species in a weakened state, they say, now is not the time to take more risks with the deep blue.
The silver dollar seasThe promise of aquaculture shimmers like a net filled with silver dollars. Chile, for example, produces $16 billion in aquaculture annually. The U.S. on the other hand, imports 77 percent of its seafood, creating an annual $7 billion trade deficit. New farms in the United States, say boosters, could secure American access to fish and offset the economic anemia of rural coastal communities, by creating an estimated 600,000 year-round jobs.
"We look at this as a real economic opportunity," says Linda Chaves, aquaculture coordinator for NOAA Fisheries. "If we are going to continue eating seafood at the rate we are today and if we want to benefit from the economics of this industry, then we are going to have to be involved." NOAA’s research arm, SeaGrant, has paid Ocean Spar Technologies, a Bainbridge Island, Washington-based company, to develop 25-by-15-meter UFO-shaped pens that can hold an estimated 150,000 pounds of fish. So far only used by one Hawaiian company in state waters, the nets are made of bulletproof-vest material, and suspended from huge floating poles called spars.
A bill introduced in Congress last year by David Vitter, R-La., would allow oil companies to avoid the cost of removing marine drilling platforms and to claim tax credits if their structures are used by aquaculture companies to anchor their pens.
Where’s the science?Critics claim that NOAA Fisheries, which is housed in the Commerce Department, is more concerned with economics than ecological protection.
Like salmon farms, which already dot the protected fjords and inlets of British Columbia and Washington state, open-ocean farms will discharge fish feed and fish feces into the ocean. Traditional net pens are vulnerable to tearing and could allow farmed fish to escape, and potentially spread disease and interbreed with wild populations.
"We don’t even know what diseases exist in wild populations of rockfish and we don’t know all the other important things about how these diseases may spread to other species," says Michael Kent, an Oregon State University fish pathologist. "If we don’t do more proactive research, there is the potential that we could spread new pathogens to wild fish."
Although the legislation has not been released to the public, agency officials say it would give NOAA authority to work out the details of environmental protection — a fact that makes critics nervous. On Dec. 23, 2003, a coalition of 13 environmental and fishing groups wrote a letter to NOAA Fisheries, asking the agency to provide an environmental impact statement prior to release of the legislation, as is required under the National Environmental Policy Act.
"We haven’t done (an environmental impact statement) at this point," says agency spokeswoman Susan Buchanan. "We think it’s premature. We plan to do one in the future."
That’s illegal and irresponsible, say critics.
"If Congress and the American people want aquaculture in the (federal waters), but they want it in a careful environmental way, that should be said in a very specific, very permanent way before permits are given," says Ellen Athas, a former ocean policy advisor to President Clinton who now works for the Ocean Conservancy. "We’ve built a history of sound environmental laws. We shouldn’t stop now."
The author writes from Portland, Oregon.
Linda Chaves aquaculture coordinator, NOAA Fisheries, 301-713-2379
Ellen Athas Ocean Conservancy, 202-857-1677 | <urn:uuid:1648ce36-575b-4d34-a068-009f546bf4ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hcn.org/issues/273/14706 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948598 | 1,244 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Quick Edit links give you quick and direct access to edit your posts after they've been published. You probably know the scenario well—you publish a long post, then start proofreading it on your blog. You find a mistake, so you go back to Blogger's Edit Posts page, locate the post and fix/republish it. You continue proofreading, find another mistake, and on and on. Quick Edit links take you directly to the post in Blogger, bypassing (most of) the process described previously.
Quick Edit links work their magic using cookies, so they only appear if you're signed in to your Google Account. Therefore, no one else sees them except you. To enable them, go to the Layout tab on your blog, and select “Edit” under the Blog post widget.
From there, check the box for "Show Quick Editing."
Here's what Quick Edit links look like:
(if they're acting funny for some reason, read on for some technical tidbits...)
- If you're using a classic template, you must have the
<$BlogMetaData$>tag in your template's
<head>section, and the
<$BlogItemControl$>tag wherever you want the Quick Edit links to appear. We suggest somewhere in your "Posted by" line.
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Berkeley launches ActivaMune immune support formula
BERKELEY, Calif. Berkeley BioSciences on Monday launched ActivaMune—an advanced immune support formula exclusively licensed from UC Berkeley.
ActivaMune is based on a discovery regarding the immune activating properties of Diindolylmethane, a naturally occurring compound found in Brassica vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts). This compound has been shown to modulate key immune enhancing cytokines, which are groups of proteins and peptides that are used in organisms as signaling compounds. These chemical signals are similar to hormones and neurotransmitters and are used to allow one cell to communicate with another.
DIM, at dietary supplemental dosages, is currently used as a treatment for recurring respiratory papillomatosis tumors (caused by the human papillomavirus), the company reported, and is in Phase III clinical trials for cervical dysplasia, which is also caused by HPV. Diindolylmethane is currently under investigation as a natural therapeutic for most viral infections, including HPV, influenza, hepatitis and HIV as well as antibiotic resistant bacteria.
As DIM has both immune modulating properties that fight cancer, as well as direct anti-cancer properties, it is also currently in clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute as a natural therapeutic for various forms of cancer.
Epidemiological studies have indicated that people who regularly consume Brassica vegetables have a significantly lower risk of cancer. Scientists believe that the three principal nutrients in Brassica vegetables responsible for these protective properties are: Diindolylmethane, sulforaphane and selenium. ActivaMune is the first dietary supplement in the market to deliver all three of these nutrients from Brassica vegetables in one capsule.
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