text stringlengths 213 24.6k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1
value | url stringlengths 14 499 | file_path stringlengths 138 138 | language stringclasses 1
value | language_score float64 0.9 1 | token_count int64 51 4.1k | score float64 1.5 5.06 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, 11/10|
With the slogan “you press the button, we do the rest,” George Eastman put the first simple camera into the hands of a world of consumers in 1888. In so doing, he made a cumbersome and complicated process easy to use and accessible to nearly everyone.
Since that time, the Eastman Kodak Company has led the way with an abundance of new products and processes to make photography simpler, more useful and more enjoyable. In fact, today’s Kodak is known not only for photography, but also for images used in a variety of leisure, commercial, entertainment and scientific applications. Its reach increasingly involves the use of technology to combine images and information–creating the potential to profoundly change how people and businesses communicate.
Just as Eastman had a goal to make photography “as convenient as the pencil,” Kodak continues to expand the ways images touch people’s daily lives. The company ranks as a premier multinational corporation, with a brand recognized in virtually every country around the world. | <urn:uuid:bdffe5cd-d6d2-46cc-a57e-c7c462c985e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crunchbase.com/company/eastman-kodak | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922526 | 223 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Anderson Directs 'The Meeting' July 18
SALISBURY, MD---If the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had met for a talk, what would these prominent—but very different—civil rights leaders have found to say to each other?
That is the premise of Jeff Stetson’s one-act play The Meeting, staged as a special performance at Salisbury University 4 p.m. Sunday, July 18, in the Black Box Theatre in Fulton Hall. Dr. Victoria Hutchinson, Department of Theatre and Dance chair, introduces the performance. A question-and-answer session follows, led by Dr. James King of the English Department. Proceeds benefit the department.
Directed by Thomas E. Anderson, assistant professor of theatre, the work is set in 1965, one day after the bombing of Malcom X’s home. Working with the New Salisbury Players, Anderson also takes the play to Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest art festival, August 6-30. This will be Anderson’s third appearance at the festival as director or technical director in seven years.
“I feel privileged to represent Salisbury University at this honored festival,” he said. “I think it will provide a great learning opportunity for all involved. The Fringe is a life changing event.”
The script, adapted for PBS and the American Playhouse, has garnered honors including an Emmy, a Louis B. Mayer Award and eight NAACP Theatre awards. It has been produced throughout Asia, Europe, South Africa, the Virgin Islands, Canada and the United States.
The Los Angeles Sentinel calls The Meeting “the perfect play.” The New York Post describes it as “an unforgettable evening of drama.” The Chicago Tribune has praised it as “eloquent and engaging,” while The New York Times lauds its insight into the lives of the lead characters: “The scenes in which these two men reveal the shared pain behind their very different philosophies of the racial struggle is compelling."
Admission to the SU performance is $15, $12 for seniors age 62 and up, SU alumni with benefit card, non-SU students with ID and current Gull Card holders.
Advance tickets are available through the Department of Theatre and Dance Web site, www.salisbury.edu/theatreanddance, or through the SU Box Office, Fulton Hall Room 100, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. The theatre opens 30 minutes prior to curtain.
For more information call 410-548-5588 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu. | <urn:uuid:3f20e484-637e-474d-918a-b53bb601895c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?ID=4240 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942945 | 563 | 1.507813 | 2 |
COURTESY rafael vinoly architects
Its four Doric chimneys bounding a sombre, elegant brick quadrant, the enormous Battersea Power Station is a beloved industrial relic on the London skyline. Disused for over 25 years, the building passed into cultural history when it appeared on Pink Floyd’s album cover Animals in 1979, replete with giant pig suspended between the two front chimneys. Its notoriety is about to get another chapter, however, as Londoners seethe over a newly-released masterplan by Rafael Viñoly.
The features of Viñoly’s scheme are dizzying: landscaping of the 38-acre site that incorporates a six-acre riverside park, a pier restaurant and continuation of the westward Thames river walk, and a separate water feature. The station will, for the first time in 25 years, regain its original function, generating power from a biofuelled heat-and-power plant underground. The restoration will accommodate a luxury hotel, an Energy Museum, housing, public gardens, and a riverside balcony above two floors of vital retail space; the station itself is flanked by residential development, including affordable housing. Ambitious as this may sound, it is dwarfed by commercial property on a former brownfield to the south. That campus of office buildings and gardens, comprising 2.5 million square feet of office space, more housing, and a transport link extending the London Underground system—is enclosed in an extraordinary transparent “ecodome,” the largest and most advanced sustainable development in the U.K. Crowning this re-imagining of the Fullerdome will be a transparent ventilation chimney that rises to 984 feet, symbolizing the city’s commitment to sustainability.
The principle behind this giant greenhouse is simple. At a recent public lecture, Viñoly explained, “it’s like a giant oven.” The transparent ETFE material and interior geometry of the ecodome use solar power to create a convection flow of air released through the massive chimney, resulting in a controlled, naturally ventilated environment. The outcome is a projected reduction in energy demand for air conditioning from the enclosed buildings by up to 67 percent, and an estimated annual saving of 16,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
However, it is the design’s visual analogy to science fiction, rather than its basis in science, that has drawn gasps. Ex-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects George Ferguson deemed the scheme “a menace to London”; critic and ex-director of the Architecture Foundation Rowan Moore bristled with indignation in an article titled “A Towering Affront to Common Sense,” in which he calls the scheme “spectacularly, riotously, extravagantly nuts.”
Viñoly is swift to counter opposition concerning the form of the ecodome as evidence of ignorance or denial of the green technology employed. “We experimented with two chimneys, shorter chimneys, thinner chimneys; this is what works, that’s why it is the way it is,” he maintains. The developers opine that climate change has not been adequately addressed by their industry and on this, London’s largest single development site, they certainly make no bones about bringing that most seductive of credentials to the forefront of their agenda.
With planning permissions yet to be granted, the developers would be right to be wary. London’s newly appointed Conservative mayor Boris Johnson and his crony, councillor Sir Simon Milton, are notoriously unsympathetic toward any affront to London’s skyline. Mulling it over could take up to three years—jeopardizing both the estimated completion date of 2020 and the disintegrating old power plant. London’s architectural sophistication has made enormous strides in the last decade, but this may be a step too far. | <urn:uuid:fd770cec-c448-49fb-a96e-aa92bf9d5ae4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=2291 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929905 | 808 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Michigan bans texting while driving; but when will technology take over to keep us safe?
“If you could basically be in a taxi where there is no taxi driver and the car is driving itself, there’s no reason why you couldn’t get work done or text,” said Sterian, an engineering professor at Grand Valley State University. “It’s a little futuristic, but I think the concept is sound.”
Stanford University’s engineering department is testing robot cars that could solve the growing texting crisis, but experts say they won’t be sold in the consumer market for at least another decade.
“There’s no technological roadblocks to it. There’s mostly political, economic and cultural roadblocks,” Sterian said. “I think Americans like to be in control, and they love their cars. I’m not sure they want to give up the driving wheel.”
Until then, technology experts are pointing to several alternatives that could supplement a law by reducing the risk of the deadly practice.
There ought to be a law
2004: Washington, D.C., enacts first texting law.
• Iowa and Kentucky also passed texting laws this year, but drivers in those states won’t be ticketed until 2011.
• Most texting laws are enacted several months after they are passed. The numbers above are based on when the laws are enacted, not passed.
• Four states, including Michigan, passed texting laws in April 2010.
• Unless an accident is caused, most states — including Michigan — penalize texting drivers with fines between $100 and $500. In Alaska, “intexticated” drivers can be arrested and spend one year in jail for texting while driving, even if they do not cause an accident.
Most programs in this growing industry are designed to help parents and employers block a phone’s texting, e-mailing, Web browsing and calling features. AT&T’s TXTBlocker identifies safe zones where a phone is off limits, and safe numbers — such as parents or emergency contacts — drivers are always allowed to contact.
“Laws are very important, but we also know the laws aren’t going to completely solve the problem,” spokesman Brian Baucom said. “TXTBlocker removes the danger of texting while driving from the equation. If a teenager or an employee knows that it’s installed, their habits are going to change for the better.”
The big argument against text-blocking software is it can’t differentiate between the driver and passenger, so many text messages are unnecessarily blocked. TXTBlocker, however, allows an administrator to manually remove the blocking service for passengers.
Car manufacturers could also install Radio Frequency Identification tags — the same system that is employed by libraries and retail stores to beep if someone leaves without paying — inside the driver’s seat, according to GVSU engineering professor Hugh Jack. The tags would detect and disable any phone that is being used by someone in that seat, while ignoring all other phones.
But this solution is also in the distant future, because there are no phones that recognize RFID signals, he said.
Aside from disabling texting, steps could be taken to make the dangerous practice a little less risky. Most Smartphones now have access to programs that will translate voice notes into text messages, and read incoming texts aloud to the driver.
Experts say the best bet is to avoid texting altogether, but this feature would allow drivers to spend more time with their eyes on the road and reduce the risk.
“It’s probably safer, but it’s not as safe as just not doing it,” said Ben Rapin, GVSU’s Web manager. “You’re still dedicating attention to the message you’re trying to dictate. You’re putting a lot of focus into how to say the words and making sure the phone understands you.”
Many people complain existing voice programs don’t work well, particularly when interpreting strong accents.
“I hate to have to go back and erase it because it picks the wrong word for me,” Verizon sales representative Jason Meadows said. “I always do fall back to that physical keyboard, because that’s what I’m used to doing.”
But as voice features become more popular, companies will invest more money perfecting the technology, GVSU technology professor Jonathan Engelsma said.
He said Google’s Nexus One already employs a “beautiful” voice program.
“It’s getting better and better,” he said. “I live in Hudsonville, so I could say, ’Pizza in Hudsonville, Mich.’ It’s like ’bam.’ It pulls it up.”
But until cars are operated by computers, “error-prone” drivers would do well to avoid all distracting habits, Sterian said.
“I agree with the legislation: as long as humans are in control of cars they really shouldn’t be doing anything else than driving,” he said. “There is a technological fix to it. Cars should be able to drive themselves.”
Some cars already do drive themselves in certain situations. Toyota’s Lexus LS460 automatically parallel parks itself. And other vehicles have blindspot sensors that take over if a driver accidentally veers into another lane, as well as breaks that kick in to avoid fender-benders.
Stanford is testing several advanced models, named “Shelly,” “Stanley,” and “Junior,” according to spokesman David Orenstein. Shelly, the school’s latest innovation, compares to ABS or cruise control, while the later two follow the path of robot cars.
“The ultimate extension of projects like these could be a car that does all of its own driving to the point where you can just sit there reading a newspaper or text messaging or browsing your iPad,” Orenstein added. “All of these things would make for a safer car in the future.”
Eventually, this technology could do much more to improve road safety than simply eliminating the risk of texting drivers.
“I think it will cut down (on the number of accidents), just because of the inattentiveness,” GVSU engineering professor John Farris said. “The computer will not get distracted.”
These vehicles are still in the testing stages, however, and won’t enter the market for a while, Orenstein said.
At this point, “it’s not really the kind of car you would send to get your kid at soccer practice,” he added.
But even after the technology is ready, manufacturers would still have to wait for society to adjust to the idea.
“How many people are going to feel safe riding in a 60 mile an hour bullet that could veer off and run into things?” Rapin asked. “I think people are a long ways off from trusting their vehicles.”
E-mail the author of this story: firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:2f6bb942-1d52-4f86-bd21-1f70b407725b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/05/michigan_bans_texting_while_dr.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953073 | 1,536 | 2.546875 | 3 |
All the Knowledge in the World
August 15, 2010
It has been said that when Harry Truman was twelve years old, he and a friend decided to read all the books in the local public library. The fact that they thought it was possible is rather endearing. Imagine what he would think of libraries today! The actual, physical books in libraries are only a fraction of what knowledge is available worldwide. The advent of the internet has expanded our world beyond our wildest imaginations.
I began thinking about how would we classify all the knowledge in the world. Rather than filing everything alphabetically, which could become extremely cumbersome, numbers can be used to infinity (and beyond, courtesy of Buzz Lightyear). Numbers also transcend language barriers. Combine both numbers and the alphabet, and you have the Dewey Decimal System.
In 1876, Melvil Dewey's classifications consisted of thirty six pages. In the 21st century, the twenty second edition was printed in 2003 and consisted of four volumes. The print edition is updated every seven years. Internet versions of the print editions are updated quarterly. Whew! With the explosion of knowledge in all areas of life, it isn't easy to keep up, even in a very general way. But.....isn't it fun to try?
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to use the comment section below or visit us at Riverside. We are always glad to help and love learning, just like Harry did. | <urn:uuid:041a55bf-f89b-41e4-ab6e-dead0d2e0e9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mymcpl.org/blog/all-knowledge-world | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95508 | 300 | 2.8125 | 3 |
SI-2A (12/1/04 version)
|1 "Chapter 3, Rosgen Stream-Classification System/Channel Assessment and Validation Procedures" in the following pdf http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/wqg/sri/stream_rest_guidebook/sr_guidebook.pdf|
Once the indicator data below has been collected, it can be used to direct management or corrective actions. Measuring stream morphology generally means measuring the channel shape and form, while determining management or rehabilitation options typically requires comparing "as is" conditions to target conditions.
Indicators of Sustainable Stream Channels
While channel morphology strongly influences the integrity of stream resources, not all aspects of channel morphology are equally important. The following are hierarchical indicators for characteristics of stream morphology. The indicators are in order of importance for evaluating the physical condition of streams, their existing condition, and/or proposed modifications and restoration.
Vertically stable streams are in a dynamic equilibrium, with a balance between bed material transport and supply. Vertical instability can be either degradation (down-cutting) or aggradation (filling up).
Degradation is by far the most common vertical instability threat to Ohio streams. It is caused by increased bed load transport, the result of increasing runoff (i.e. urbanization), shortening stream length, and restricting floodplains. When a watershed is "hardened" by impervious surfaces such as asphalt and rooftops, or when dams trap bed load material, the reduced bed load supply causes down-cutting. Down-cutting can jeopardize infrastructure such as buried utility lines, and bridge abutments.
If more bed material is washed away than is supplied, incision results, which lead to channels becoming entrenched having less access to floodplains, and less interaction with riparian areas. Entrenched channels are characterized by low stream quality and long-term instability.
Even high quality streams will continue to decline and their desired characteristics diminished if they are not vertically stable. Vertical stability is a necessary element for every other desired characteristic of channel morphology.
A variety of approaches exist for evaluating vertical stability. They range from very sophisticated sediment transport models, to bed material threshold of motion criteria, to simple subjective observation. Sediment transport models are appropriate where existing conditions are already vertically unstable and the consequence of failure severe. Subjective observation is appropriate in vertically stable channels where the existing conditions can be improved upon. For example, vertical stability need not be a concern in low energy streams, where drainage ditches (straight and entrenched) can gain floodplain and stream length.
The most significant aspect of morphology for the long-term quality of a stream is floodplain form. Vertical stability is the first objective primarily because down-cutting of the channel bed causes a relative change in the form and function of the floodplain.
The vast majority of natural streams have extensive floodplains that are saturated or inundated several times a year. This is characteristic of streams with slopes less then 2%. The average stream slope in Ohio is 0.3%. The stability of steeper streams is also dependent on appropriate floodplain widths, generally narrower with increasing slope.
When floodplains are extensive, low and frequently wet streams have a tremendous ability to assimilate pollutants. Also, they are more resilient, more resistant to watershed impacts and pollutant loads.
Furthermore, while channels have a capacity to recover over time, the natural formation of new floodplain is the aspect of stream evolution that takes the most time, and causes impacts downstream. When encroachment occurs, prospects of floodplain recovery diminish. Likewise, without human intervention, lower energy channels do not easily recover active floodplains.
The quality of floodplain form is first an issue of elevation; and second, an issue of width. Ideally, floodplain elevation is at and below the "bankfull stage" and allows the ground surface to become saturated or inundated several times a year. Floodplain elevation is quantified as ratios of the relative height of the floodplain to the channel depth, frequency of inundation, or relative depth of a particular recurrence interval flow.
Defining adequate floodplain width is justifiably nebulous. One potential target condition is pre-disturbance conditions. Another is the width of the meander pattern past, present or projected. For most streams it is simply a matter of the more the better. However, floodplain immediately adjacent to the channel is most critical with diminishing importance with increasing distance. Because floodplain width comes at a cost, and frequently conflicts with other land uses, a delineation of ranges of floodplain width is provided.
The adequacy of floodplain (for streams that naturally have floodplain) is defined for four ranges by the following three descriptive reference points. Floodplain width dimensions defined here are in multiples of the bankfull channel width and refer to the width that is saturated or inundated by bankfull flow. It is generally the width of flow just above the bankfull stage.
Three times the bankfull width is the bare minimum. Below this threshold streams are characterized by poor quality, lateral instability, degraded habitat and minimal or negative watershed benefit.
Five times the bankfull width is frequently associated with fairly good streams. Clear ecological benefits are associated with floodplains of this width. Flood hydraulics and sediment transport exhibit a break at about this floodplain width, with bedload transport increasing at a faster rate below this point. Lastly, common meander pattern beltwidths start to become restricted below this floodplain width.
Ten times the bankfull width and greater is typical of the highest quality streams, pristine conditions and streams that provide considerable downstream benefit by their assimilative capacity and hydrologic effect.
A number of indications and arguments point to 10 times the channel width as a general threshold below which stream quality is limited. High quality E-4 stream types naturally have very wide floodplains (57 times the channel width is the average of Rosgen's Classification references, Rosgen, 1994). Below this threshold, the floodplain width appears to begin limiting stream quality, changing the hydraulics and interactions between the channel and floodplain (Ward, 2000).
The effects are gradual until the floodplain is reduced to a width somewhere around 5 times the channel width. Below this point, floodplain width becomes a significant limiting factor until the lowest threshold is reached somewhere around 3 times the channel width. Below this one cannot reliably expect a floodplain to exist, benefits are not realized and the reach becomes a source of problems locally and downstream.
The form of the bankfull channel is its cross sectional dimension, meander pattern and bed form. While channel form is commonly emphasized in design, its relative importance follows vertical stability and floodplain form.
A number of channel form assessment and design approaches have been developed. Using all available approaches may be appropriate for intensive restoration of particularly high quality, large or unstable streams. For less critical projects and lower quality vertically stable streams more generic channel design may be adequate. Some projects may even involve only floodplain construction with no work done to the bankfull channel.
Commonly used sources of assessment and design information include:
For an example of a watershed specific regional curve click here (hyperlink to OU project). | <urn:uuid:d57e3dc6-6a96-4e6d-83ed-6feea412bb7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wwwapp.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/nps/NPSMP/SI/sicomponentsmorph.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921707 | 1,489 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Study Skills Necessary to Produce an Academic Opinion
An academic opinion is the conclusion you come to when you have evaluated all the evidence you were given in a lecture or read about or researched. It doesn’t come ‘off the top of your head’. You reason and support your conclusion by evidence.
However, coming to a reasoned conclusion doesn’t mean having to support or choose one claim rather than another. You can have an open opinion, recognizing merits and faults in more than one argument or equally, feel that none of the solutions really addresses a particular problem.
From the 1940s to the present, there’s been a relatively and comparatively high number of teenage pregnancies in the UK and US. Strategies to reduce the number of pregnancies, such as sex education, repression of sex and sex education, access to contraception and abortion at different periods, have all been tried and produced similar negative results. The number of births continues to rise.
In June 2008 (BBC 1. Breakfast news), 17 girls aged 16 and under from one school in Massachusetts were all found to be pregnant, raising suspicions of a pregnancy pact and that there may be – in this case – strong social factors influencing young pregnant girls.
Having an academic opinion can also mean that you believe, for example that:
Some evidence is more relevant, more clear, more tangible than other evidence.
Some evidence is only useful in a supporting role.
All the appropriate research has not yet been carried out.
The most useful evidence is not available.
If you can suggest different methods, different questions to ask, different groups of people to research (in age, gender, age, occupation, location), different places and times, at the end of an essay or presentation or seminar, this is where your academic opinion counts most. Your conclusion is the outcome, the culmination of your reflection, analysis and evaluation of what you’ve read, been taught or prepared as assessed work.
Just a few lines of suggestion at the end of the conclusion of an essay indicates that the process of learning how to handle information has taken place. It should be there. Too often people have done all the hard work, but don’t put their reasoned suggestion, the outcome of their academic opinion, at the end of an essay as they would when speaking.
That’s where the marker looks first, before they read anything else, to see what’s been learned. Make a good impression in your conclusion, and the rest is relatively easy. | <urn:uuid:db7e6855-0bbe-4dd6-b539-cce5b431a408> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/study-skills-necessary-to-produce-an-academic-opin.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960605 | 516 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Wall Street Journal Reported today the extensive Pilot Shortage about to hit the aviation industry. Already, the Pacific Rim and Asia have been training pilots in a furious attempt to keep their Airlines staffed. Most of the training is here in The United States because it is still less expensive to train here than overseas and the real world aviation theater is here too with all kinds of weather and traffic.
Several factors are driving this shortage and here they are. The government in a knee jerk reaction to a plane crash mandated that pilots who fly in the right seat or as co-pilot needs to have 1500 hours which is the required time for an ATP rating. I have some airline contacts that have said they have many co-pilots with thousands of hours flying 737-767-757-MD88 that have no ATP. Many have not even taken the ATP written! I was amazed by that but there are a lot of pilots that are now looking to get their ATP.
These hours are very expensive and hard to come by when 100LL aircraft fuel is about $6.00 a gallon and a lowly C-172 burns around 10 gallons an hour. A Sirrus and high performance aircraft will burn closer to 14 GPH and up. Then when you advance into a twin Seneca or Seminole you can almost double those numbers.
Cost. The expense of getting the flying time and training is horrendous due to the above. I remember feeling exuberant when I was able to buy avgas in Tucumcari and paid $1.33 a gallon in 1992 on a cross country flight. The cost to get an ATP now will take much longer and the ab-intro training will certainly more.
Pay. Pilots starting out in the aviation industry qualify for food stamps, welfare, section 8 subsidized housing and would be better off living at home with mom and dad until they were a couple years into the game or even in the left seat. A majority of these guys and gals have some kind of degree and many select to work in another avocation where they can stay home each night and and can afford to have a place to live and dump the airline life.
It is an odd situation. Many or most commuter airlines are represented by ALPA. These commuter pilots fly more routs, more crumby hours, closer to the ground, in dicey weather and into smaller airports and are paid a fraction of what the major pilots are paid. The commuter pilot is abused and the unions seems fine with that. I am amazed that these pilots flying similar and in many cases better and more complex equipment than legacy airline equipment but are treated like dirt.
I will say that the equipment side is clearly good although most commuter airplanes are ramped up executive jets.
I feel that there will need to be a compromise somewhere. Boeing had orders for over 900 737-800s and others on the books with no end in sight so flight crews are going to be needed like crazy.
If you have a wish to fly get busy now.
Posted by suntango at 8:12 PM
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
What is a pilot without his A2 Flight Jacket! This leather replica of the renown US Army Air Force is of a smooth leather with cuffed wrist and waist bands. This beautiful Bomber Jacket is emblazoned with an Aviators Wings on the inside patch and the US Flag at your back. The style and wear of these Bomber Jackets are truly timeless.
- Men's Air Force A-2 Flight Leather Bomber Jacket
Price: $149.99 - $179.99
- Leather Jackets that were originally issued were of Horse Hide and had a different texture. A bit stiffer, but the idea behind the A2 Leather Bomber jacket was to cut the wind from the open cockpit planes that came into military service in the 1930s. Several different hides were used from Horse, Cow, and Goat Skin. The differences between Horse and Cow hides were few but Goat Skins are a bit more supple.
The original Mil. Spec. The U.S. Army Air Forces listed the A-2 as "Jacket, Flying, Type A-2," with Spec. No. 94-3040. It also describes the jacket materials as, "seal brown horsehide Leather, knitted wristlets and waistband." Sizes were from 32 through 54.
Another needed tool in the cockpit to stay organized is the iPad2. Download all your charts and do away with all those bulky charts. You can plan a flight,check the weather, and file your flight plan from this single tool. You just need to load up the proper software.
Garmin, ForeFlight, and WingX are software suppliers offering chart and other services.
Posted by suntango at 5:08 PM
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
FEDEX is hiring, Alaska, ASA, Eagle, and many others are opening the pipeline. Although the commuters are and have been the stepping stone to the majors, many of these pilots are opting for the Asian Pacific ring to fly. It isn't the skies over the USA but the pay can be very lucrative.
Don't limit your imagination and options. Look at other locals for flying opportunities but you have to start. Do it, do it now. Start learning how to fly. To get your pilots license you still need 40 hours flying time. 20 dual and 20 solo. I did it over 33 years ago and so can you. It took me a couple years but determination drove me through it.
My suggestion is to talk to an airline flight department and find out exactly what they are looking for and set your sights there. You will be much more successful if you have a plan.
Boeing stated today that there has been a lot of pilot sniping, where airlines have been recruiting pilots from other airlines. Also, based upon aircraft orders and replacement data, there will be a need for almost 459,000 pilots over the next 30 years. This is due to retirements, regulations, Asian Pacific expansion, and general International growth. That's a lot of pilots needed.
Posted by suntango at 7:24 PM
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
It was my job to quickly handle any anomaly that arose so we could meet our delivery deadlines. Sometimes I had to pull a backup airplane out of the hangar, swap planes, reroute, or pull and ship our freight or even call a charter to meet our hectic schedule. There was little room for error. We flew checks. Money. Cash and financial instruments of money in the hundreds of millions of dollars from points across the country.
Our piston airplanes were rolling through C-check inspections about every 90 days. That is 300 hours of flying. In a C-check, the airplane is pulled apart and looks like it will never fly again. But the mechanics replaced cracked cylinders, missing baffling, cleaned spark plugs, and inspected the wing box and other parts for cracks. Timed components like fuel systems, mags, prop governors and propellers were replaced or overhauled and returned to service. You learn a lot about pilots and airplanes in an environment like that.
This industry of flying checks sadly is gone. But it was a perfect environment for smart and enthusiastic pilots to learn the craft and they did. I worked in flight operations and although I am a pilot my flying was relegated to Part 91 ferrying planes in and out for inspections or maintenance because I was not a commercial pilot. So, I handled pilot communications, manifests, scheduling maintenance, and other duties like trying to keep my aviation brothers out of trouble. Sometimes this was hard because there were a few pilots that did not have the work ethic and dedication to the craft of flying. An important part of that craft is paperwork and it didn't take me long to find out who the slackers were simply by reviewing their manifests.
There is a lot to do in aviation. If you want to fly, start now. Obama will be out of office soon and the economy will begin to recover from this malaise. What is recovering right now is Corporate flying. Today I watched as several Corporate Jets departed Addison Airport. One was a LearJet. That reminded me of the early morning launch of that old Lear-24 and pilots that flew the late night arrival and early morning departure.
Corporate flying has many rewards. Most fly the best and better equipment than airlines. You have no specific schedule and spend downtime at some very cool Fixed Base Operators. I've been to dozens getting fuel, picking up or dropping off someone. It's a completely different environment than slogging in and out of Airline terminals. Often the pay and benefits are better than Regional's certainly and the flying is far less frenetic with fewer cycles of the landing gear.
Posted by suntango at 9:13 PM
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The original rout was from Dallas to Austin to San Antonio to Houston. Any city as long as it was one of these four was only $20 bucks one way. Southwest took off and never looked back. They used the exact same equipment to make training, maintenance, and logistics simple. 10 minute turn arounds were the norm. Things are a little different today since Southwest has acquired two other airlines.
In order to begin a climb to a cockpit similar to this one it all starts with the first flight. Start flying now.
Posted by suntango at 3:22 PM
Saturday, May 28, 2011
It isn't getting any cheaper and all indications are that a pilot shortage looms with new regulations.
One way to earn and learn is of course to teach. Learning from an operation like ATP you would likely be a candidate for an instructor position. Getting twin time is essential but just building time is required and PIC or Pilot In Command time is needed too.
PIC time is required because companies want pilot who have time learning and selecting their own decisions. This comes in the form of selecting best routs to avoid weather, carrying the proper weight which may mean leaving someone or something behind or selecting a better time or day to fly. The best outcome of each flight depends upon the decisions the PIC selects. Select the wrong decision and an overweight airplane can quickly become a sad statistic.
If you have an endearing dream to fly for a living, start now. There are ways to earn and learn. The stepping stones may be expensive but if you look around there are some ways to get into aviation without spending the family fortune.
During WW2 the German Airforce taught their pilots the basics in gliders. This was because they could haul several airplanes and instructors into the blue in the time it takes to instruct one pilot in a powered airplane. Learning good stick and rudder techniques was essential in airplanes of that day and even now. Gliders are one way of doing that.
The first thing to do is get a plan together. Getting the written's like the Private Pilot Exam out of the way is necessary to get your Private Pilot License. But, you have to start. So, get going!
Posted by suntango at 9:36 AM
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Citation Air, a Fractional Charter operation run by Cessna has recalled all their furloughed pilots. Not all returned. Of about 80 plus pilots there are still over 30 vacant pilot slots with Citation ratings. The Citation aircraft are from the Citation CJ-3, the Citation XLS, The Sovereign, and the Citation X. The X is fast big boy of the fleet.
Of the pilots not going back to work for Citation air we could easily assume some were hired by other carriers or decided that degree seems to be paying better somewhere else. But, the majority going back to work there says something.
Fractionals and charters are flying gangbusters. They are expanding and buying more equipment to handle the demand. This only means that they will need, "more pilots" Although most growth of air traffic will be in the Pacific Rim, the US has seen consistent growth in traffic and here's why. People still have to travel across the US for business, vacation, visits friends, relatives for various reasons.
Take a trip from North Texas where I live to Redding California. I've flown that in my Cessna Cardinal before but lets talk about driving that same distance instead. To drive that trip would take about 36 plus hours with little sleep, about 1800 miles @ say 25 mpg average would take about $280 bucks worth of fuel one way. I can get a flight with Southwest Airlines for $190 to $408 round trip!
So, aviation will always be in our future but do you want to be part of that future? As a pilot you will be needed. Aviation is still growing even in this economy. Fuel prices will come back down. Aviation will continue to expand so be ready for it.
I know that many flight students come from all over the world to learn to fly here in the US. The most prevalent reason is the cost. However, if you can learn to fly in our busy skies you can fly anywhere.
In Germany during WW2, Germany taught pilots to fly gliders first. This was because fuel was in short supply. But, in doing so they taught pilots that were very good indeed. They learned stick and rudder and energy management. Something few of us here in the US studied unless you ever watched Bob Hoover do his routine in an Aero Commander.
So, no matter where you live, there is aviation. To get started, go to an airport and talk to local pilots. Most pilots I know are happy to help their aviation brethren in some way.
Posted by suntango at 12:43 PM | <urn:uuid:6f9c85ec-1885-4906-9064-769293e5b71e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joepilotecourse.blogspot.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973846 | 2,817 | 1.765625 | 2 |
S.A. Bent, comp. Familiar Short Sayings of Great Men. 1887.
Duc dOrléans (Égalité)
[Louis Philippe Joseph, Duc dOrléans, surnamed Égalité; cousin of Louis XVI., and first prince of the blood; born at St. Cloud, 1747; served in the navy; elected to the States-General, 1789, and joined the Tiers État, being repulsed by the court, united himself with Danton, and voted for the kings death; imprisoned at Marseilles, 1793, and executed at Paris in November of that year.]
Notwithstanding the professions of democracy which the duke made,perhaps in revenge for cold treatment by the court party,his popularity waned, until, for no particular cause, he was arrested and carried to execution, the people hissing and cursing him on the way to the guillotine.
As the executioner was about to draw off the dukes boots, the latter coolly remarked, They will come off better after: let us have done (dépêchons-nous).CARLYLE: French Revolution, II. 7, 2. | <urn:uuid:a4210442-e565-48ec-b117-ae20664f1038> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bartleby.com/344/306.html | 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 | 0.921795 | 250 | 2.25 | 2 |
Singaporeís Changi Airport announced that it handled 4.4 million passenger movements in the month of June 2012, up 9.7 percent from last year.
The increase in demand for travel to and from the Middle East, (up 22 percent), South Asia (up 15 percent) and Northeast Asia (up 14 percent) has lead to the passengers increase.
For the first half of 2012, Guangzhou, New Delhi, Beijing, Frankfurt, and Taipei registered the strongest percentage growth, among sectors with at least a quarter of a million passengers during that period.
Cargo remained steady with 153,300 tonnes of airfreight shipped, a change of 0.1 percent on year, for the first six months, shipment volume dropped by 1.0 percent year on year.
Changi Airport has recently welcomed the commencement of airfreight services by Yangtze River Express, the new service will operate eight-weekly services on the A332F aircraft linking Shanghai Pudong to Singapore.
From the 01 July, 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, linking the lion city to more than 220 cities in 60 countries around the globe.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Travel demand sees Changiís numbers climbing
Source = e-Travel Blackboard: S.P
More Top Stories
More Airport News
- Amman Airport Hotel Chooses Pegasus Connect+ Premium Services
- Perth Airport welcomes direct service to Lombok
- New-look Auckland Airport website improves its form and function
- Myanmar Airport Gears Up For 20% Annual Growth
- Adelaide and Parafield Airports internationally recognised for managing carbon emissions | <urn:uuid:c9b457a4-fb9d-4551-a949-a544e0c5f485> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://etravelblackboard.com/article/133927/travel-demand-sees-changis-numbers-climbing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919714 | 331 | 1.515625 | 2 |
As a court reporter for 37 years Dee Doubet has been a silent witness to hundreds of skirmishes and full-fledged battles. But in her spare time she find herself in the throes of the liberation of Belgium from Axis grip, the jungles of the South Pacific, or the simple act of coming home after the Vietnam War. Doubet is just one member of the National Court Reports Association (NCRA) using her skills to record the stories of America's wartime veterans.
Created in 2000 as part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the Veteran's History Project is the largest oral history project in the nation. It holds more than 60,000 collections of audio- and video-taped interviews, photographs, letters, diaries and other personal documents from veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars.
"I come from a family of veterans, yet seldom heard my dad speak of his wartime adventures," said 56-year-old Doubet. "A week after he died I found an engraved bracelet commemorating his work as a sonar specialist. That bracelet spoke volumes about how he felt about his service, but no one recorded his story."
Not only has Doubet transcribed 10 audio tapes, but also personally conducted three interviews including Gene Danner, who was at the Battle of the Bulge.
"Gene's recollections were so detailed," Doubet said. "After the invasion of Belgium he and his troops went into villages and if they found an empty house they would move in for a while. One family caught them napping and the wife started yelling at him in Flemish for being on the bed with his boots on. In the end, she invited the soldiers to stay and gave them soup. The soldiers were so moved by her generosity they brought the family extra rations."
That court reporters would become so integral to the Veterans History Project makes sense, though all admit it was a bit of serendipity. Legislation to fund the project was introduced by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and soon hundreds of audiotapes were in hand. As luck would have it the congressman's wife, Tawni, was a court reporter. "Oral histories are great but they are hard for historians to use. We really needed them transcribed into the written word," recalled Bob Patrick, Veteran's History Project director. "Tawni pointed out that court reporters are good listeners, good note takers, and do transcription for a living."
NCRA Executive Director Mark Golden agreed. The organization challenged its 23,000 members (who must be able to capture 225 words per minute with 98 percent accuracy) to transcribe 1,000 taped "voices." They met that goal and are now well past 1,500 transcriptions, with almost 100 members now actually voluntarily conducting their own interviews.
Among them Karen Yates of Minden, Nev. After transcribing tapes of two soldiers, she interviewed one of her uncles. "He lied about his age to join the Army so he could fight in World War II and instead never saw action," she said. "But he traveled the world which was a real eye-opener."
Later she interviewed 85-year-old twins Ernie and Everett Stedman, while another court reporter simultaneously transcribed the interview. The World War II Army Air Corps tailgunners spoke of missions over Europe. "They had a completely different attitude of coming to the aid of their country. They took it as a personal war: making sure those folks don't come here and harm my family," said Yates, 55, who has also recorded and transcribed the recollections of three of her uncles. "I have a few more uncles to interview along with some of their buddies. A line is forming."
Court reporter Geri Halma of Newton, N.C., isn't shy in her pursuit of prospects. Often she approaches veterans for their tales after hearing them mention wartime experiences in depositions. Frederick G. Lampe told Halma of his days on a Navy destroyer in the South Pacific surviving typhoons and kamikaze attacks.
Gathering these recollections is a race against the clock. Halma, 64, spent two years compiling the tales of Leo C. "Pat" Williamson, who by age 25 was a decorated lieutenant colonel. "Pat died before we could finish, but he was an amazing man who fought his way across Tunisia, Morocco, Sicily, Normandy, and finally Germany. He helped his comrades escape being captured from a German platoon and later took back the position with only eight soldiers at his side," said Halma, who also interviewed Eldon Hunsberger. He flew 65 missions as a B-26 bomber pilot over Italy. "Eldon tried to re-up at 84, but they wouldn't take him. He says it's age discrimination," Halma chuckled.
With the project receiving 100 to 200 collections a week, the work may never end for the volunteer court reporters. Said Patrick, "Transcription doesn't come cheap ($50 to $100 per hour by most estimates), so this is invaluable to us." Almost 5,000 collections are entirely available in an online database searchable by name, gender, service, conflict or battles, or the public can visit the American Folklife Reading Room in Washington, D.C.
For Doubet, who hopes to next corner her brother-in-law, a Vietnam veteran living in Alaska, the Veterans History Project is a perfect match. "After all, this is what we do for a living: memorialize the spoken word."
Join for Just $16 A Year
- Discounts on travel and everyday savings
- Subscription to AARP The Magazine
- Free membership for your spouse or partner | <urn:uuid:107988db-7d9b-40a5-bc9d-e2cbe0351e1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aarp.org/giving-back/volunteering/info-11-2008/1000_voices.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980216 | 1,189 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Sewerage connections are likely to come under the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) scanner soon with more and more consumers failing to install sewerage treatment plants (STP) after the connections are given.
A collective of multi-level officials, including engineers, of the KWA have submitted a set of recommendations to the higher-ups on the issue, requesting a review of all such connections and for rules to be made stringent.
According to the officials, there is no record of the sewerage connections allotted so far and there is an urgent need for such a register. Further, they felt that permissions for connections for buildings with an expanse of 2,000 square metres or above, or complexes with facilities for 10 and above families, should be given by an executive engineer only.
The collective has called for the preparation of a list of connections which still has not installed STPs. Many have not installed treatment plants even years after they were given connections.
According to the recommendations from the engineers, notices should be served against those who had taken connections and failed to install STPs for 40,000 square feet and above during the period from October 18, 2007 to April 23, 2010 and for 2,000 sq.m. and above from April 23, 2010 onwards. The practice of allowing sewerage connections under the condition that the STP would be installed later had to be discontinued as well, the collective said.
While houses should be given the connection only after they were given house numbers, and door numbers in case of complexes, temporary connections should not be given to construction sites, the officials said, pointing out that construction debris and waste were being dumped in sewerage mains.
The officials’ collective has also said that all manholes should be recorded with proper numbers. The KWA top brass is expected to discuss and decide on the recommendations shortly. | <urn:uuid:2f6ded1a-41a3-49e9-8a4b-f9660c5b157a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/sewerage-connections-may-come-under-the-scanner-in-thiruvananthapuram/article4268166.ece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977426 | 377 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Why Unions Still Matter, an informative and enlightening presentation, developed by the Labor Education Program at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, in conjunction with the IATSE makes the case that strong unions are an essential component of a strong and stable economy.
IATSE members who have seen this presentation have given it great reviews, and say that it explains our history and invigorates workers to be more involved in their locals and in the Union movement.
Request a Road Show Stop
If you would like to host this presentation in your city, please contact Joel Youngerman at jhyoungerman [at] gmail.com to receive more details and to schedule a date. Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend! | <urn:uuid:52eecc98-d9c7-4414-8669-9d9f03bf98e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iatse-intl.org/member-education/road-show-schedule-and-request | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949441 | 146 | 1.789063 | 2 |
William F. Lyon
|Common Name||Scientific Name|
|European Hornet, Giant Hornet||Vespa crabro Linnaeus|
|German Hornet, Sand Hornet|
|Common Hornet, Brown Hornet|
The European hornet is the largest and only true hornet in Ohio. (The so-called baldfaced hornet is actually an aerial nesting yellowjacket.) Although beneficial since it feeds on live insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, flies and yellowjackets, the European hornet can fly at night and sting repeatedly in defense of its nest entrance. Sometimes it builds its nest too close to dwellings, hunts in human-use areas, becomes attracted to lights, strips bark from ornamental plants, eats tree fruits, and raids domestic honey bee hives.
European hornets are large, up to 1-1/4 inches long with the head and thorax (middle part) red-brown. The abdomen (rear part) is black with yellow markings. Sometimes they are confused with the baldfaced hornet, which has a black head, thorax and abdomen with white markings.
European hornets normally are a woodland species which builds its nests in hollow trees. Sometimes, nests are found in attics, hollow walls, bird houses, barns, and abandoned bee hives in unprotected places. Nests are covered with a thick, brown envelope (paper-like) composed of coarse, decayed wood fibers which are quite fragile. These nests may have more than one entrance. A mature colony will contain 1,500 to 3,000 cells in six to nine combs. The lower two to four combs contain queen cells. There usually are 200 to 400 workers during the peak population. The life cycle is similar to yellowjackets, with overwintering queens preparing nesting sites in the spring (usually in May). Queens make the nest and lay some eggs. At this time, as the first generation is growing, the queen cares for the larvae by hunting food and enlarging the nest. After larvae reach adulthood, they take over housekeeping, nest expansion, hunting, and caring for the new larvae. The queen lays eggs for the remainder of the year.
As the nest continues to grow in size and number of workers through the summer and early autumn, production of sexually active males and females begins to build up in July. Mating occurs and inseminated queens overwinter in protected places until next spring. After a heavy freeze in November, the nesting individuals die out.
During the summer, these hornets can fly at night and are often attracted to light. They sometimes fly into the beam of a flashlight (bumping into the cover glass) or appear at porch party lights, lantern lights at campsites, etc. Occasionally, some fly against windows, causing humans to believe they are trying to get inside to attack them. Workers girdle twigs and branches of numerous trees and shrubs including lilac, birch, ash, horse chestnut, dogwood, syringa, dahlia, rhododendron and boxwood. These plants are sometime killed. Much of girdling is done for sap collection, not fiber. Other homeowner complaints involve nesting too close to human-occupied structures; presence in picnic grounds and yards; eating ripe or near-ripe fruit such as apples, puncturing a hole and hollowing out the fruit; and raiding domestic honey bee hives. However, they are not as aggressive as yellowjacket wasps.
European hornets, when not in direct competition with humans for space and resources, are very beneficial by destroying harmful insect pests. Do not control these hornets unless necessary. They are primarily a forest species, having few contacts with humans and present a minimal stinging hazard.
The best control measure is to destroy the nest. Work in pairs, wear protective clothing (with bee veil if possible) to cover the body and do the treatment after dark when most hornets are inside the nest. Use a flashlight (red cellophane over lens) while the other person applies the pesticide. Nests may be difficult to locate and out of reach high into a tree or structure. There are literally hundreds of products labeled for wasp and hornet control. Use special wasp and hornet pressurized jet sprays containing synergized pyrethrins, resmethrin or carbamates and rapidly volatilizing organic solvents. Sprays are emitted in a long, narrow stream 15 to 20 feet. If the nest is hidden in a wall void, puff carbaryl (Sevin), pyrethrins (Drione), bendiocarb (Ficam) or deltamethrin (Delta Dust) powder or dust into the wall hole that is used as an entrance. Workers in time will carry the dust back to the queen, giving good kill. When hornet activity has ceased, remove and destroy the nest. If the nest is a considerable distance from the entrance, spraying the opening may have little immediate effect. Never plug the wall entrance after treatment as hornets may chew out another entrance into the house.
Poisoned meat baits, which may work well with some yellowjackets, are not effective against European hornets, which prey almost exclusively on live insects. For the occasional indoor hornet, simply collect with a vacuum cleaner or kill with a fly swatter.
Usually it is best to use the services of a licensed professional pest control operator who has the experience, equipment, training and pesticides to do the job correctly and efficiently.
This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Due to constantly changing labels and product registration, some of the recommendations given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any information in these recommendations disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be disregarded. No endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not mentioned. The author, The Ohio State University and Ohio State University Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868 | <urn:uuid:c18e5ae6-b794-4973-ad05-dd8c38c9688c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pestcontrolsydney.com.au/insects/European%20Hornet,%20HYG-2128-97.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934257 | 1,380 | 3.75 | 4 |
#ESRIUC Plenary: ArcGIS A Complete System
The ESRI UC 2010 Plenary was short on jaw-dropping announcements, but solid in message: ArcGIS is a complete system for GIS and you should use it!
The conference boasts its largest attendance ever, per Jack Dangermond, citing visitors from 6000 organizations from 134 countries. The rest of the early plenary included introductions, user submitted maps on the “regular topics” but peppered with newsworthy ones including the oil spill, earthquake and those addressing buzzwords like transparency, crowdsourcing and accountability.
Dangermond gave the Secretary General of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi the “Making a Difference Award.” Dagermond noted not only the Emirate’s use of GIS but also it dedication to serving others - those in Haiti, Africa and Afghanistan. He also acknowledged the U.N. The City of Frisco, TX won the President’s Award for its SAFER, public safety application. It includes 1700 live video cameras to let public safety personnel look inside buildings.
The theme of “opening the work to everyone” reflected geography’s history in exploration and how computational geography (the mathematical revolution) advanced it to new forms of exploration. That new exploration involves exploring current challenges: population, climate change, livable cities, etc. Now that GIS allows us to organize our information, the next step is sharing that information.
That sharing was illustrated by a demo by CitySourced which offers mobile and Web-based reporting of local issues (potholes, graffiti, etc.). Of note for me was one of the demoers comments that analysis was possible (“85% of graffiti reported was within a mile of the freeway”) and how that was new and exciting to the company, one steeped in social media, not geography. Also noteworthy: their use of the term “routing” to mean moving a complain to the correct department, not physically route a vehicle. (I noted CitySourced back in June since you could follow reports via Twitter.)
Dangermond introduced ArcGIS 10 as a complete system and shared some highlights (that were illustrated in the second half by John Caulkins and colleagues). He and Bernie Szukalski showed of the Community Basemaps program sourcing data from professional GIS providers (was once just called Community Maps), ArcGIS.com and ArcGIS Explorer Online.
In the “announcements” category were:
- new global imagery and elevation services and downloadable data coming in 2 months
- Social and Community analyst - akin to Business Analyst - coming
- certification program - coming early next year - will “enhance your reputation and status”
- virtual classroom - online delivery of teacher led classes - already occurring (ESRI blog post)
The second half of the plenary was a rundown of highlights of ArcGIS 10 as the complete system. Scott Morehouse and Clint Brown compare the vision for ArcGIS to how we use music now. That is: it’s everywhere and you access it with whatever device you have at hand (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, etc.)
We learned about productivity, field user, map automation using Python, the image server extension (massive, fast and accessible data), network analyst with new location/allocation tools, ArcLogistics Online, Business Analyst on iPhone, 3D GIS, time and space awareness.
For our response to this session, check out tomorrow’s podcast! | <urn:uuid:163673fd-e1c7-4fdb-8fad-398011c53865> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apb.directionsmag.com/entry/esriuc-plenary-arcgis-a-complete-system/162477 | 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 | 0.935422 | 741 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Statement by MDS in Support of the “Occupy Wall Street” Movement
FOR A HUMAN REVOLUTION
Notes on a Global Discussion of Goals of the Occupy Wall Street Movement
By Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS)
Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS) is a multi-generational organization and organizing project growing from the experiences of the 1960′s New Left, especially Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). It was originally conceived by SDS as a framework for continuing, life-long activism after student days. When SDS reestablished itself in 2006, MDS also resumed, inviting memberships and contributing to movement discussions, campaigns and actions.
We are in full solidarity with the Occupy Movement, beginning at Occupy Wall Street. Like “back in the day” only better, the movement has spread, like prairie fire, amplifying the people’s voice in almost 2,000 cities worldwide. MDS members participate wherever we are. We offer the following suggestions to join the on-going process of defining objectives and deliberating actions.
The focus in our name is “democracy,” as a means and as a social goal, essential for justice and freedom.
Our one demand is for a new world society based upon direct participatory democracy and the protection and expansion of human rights, being good stewards of our environments, ending wars, freeing ourselves from elite power, sharing the commons, etc. Other demands and reforms are rooted in and a way to this one central objective. Modern communications and computing technology now make such a society truly possible.
We first demand that modern communications and computing technology be accessible to all people. When the “communication commons” is freely available and communication made democratic, then the people will begin to be able to listen to each other and hear and speak, and power will begin to coalesce from the bottom up.
Occupy the Media is a next step from Wall Street! Breaking the stranglehold of corporate media is essential to achieving democracy. To press the “transition,” allowing the people’s voices to be heard, we urge movement activists to spread the demand that all television and radio stations, broadcast and cable, allocate a substantial prime time schedule for uncensored, and live broadcast of open town meetings, forums and teach-ins (like 3 hours a day.)
As we know, power concedes nothing without demand. To force elites to concede to demands, they have to see the power of the people in more than symbolic ways. We need new rank and file, worldwide coordinations of strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience, nonviolent civil resistance and the use of a diversity of tactics. Where direct action is made officially “illegal,” it is time for stepped up tactics the movements have learned over the years. The movement must be “ungovernable” and must resist co-optation.
Big Considerations and Big Ideas
The process whereby small entrepreneur capitalist enterprises, evolve, over time, into global monopolist, predatory corporations and financial manipulators, hand in glove with imperial militarized governments, is part of the normal operation of capitalism. The economic crises we face have their root causes in the very nature of the system as it has evolved. We cannot end the “corporate rule” of our world, without transcending the age and culture of capitalism, to create a new economy whose logic is meeting human needs, instead of profit above all.
Any movement for justice and equality in the United States must expose the original and on-going crimes and atrocities of the U.S. colonizing system against indigenous nations in the U.S. and world wide. We urge movement activists to integrate, into our philosophies, values that respect the rights of indigenous peoples, and integrate indigenous models in environmental, social, cultural, economic, and political designs.
More than a fair and progressive tax system for the future, we need a real accounting, a settling and setting to right the past era of bad practices, deregulations and rip-offs. A sort of global “Jubilee” is what the world needs, cancellation of impoverishing debts and re-calibration of the monetary system.
Given the massive changes in income distribution that have taken place in the U.S. since the 1970s, the proportion, and not merely the dollar amount of income going to the top 1% has nearly tripled from around 9% to about one quarter of the total, and is generally rising rapidly. These wealthy were perfectly well off in 1979 — but now their share of total income has increased by multiple trillions of dollars annually. This obscene change has been largely ignored by both major political parties in the U.S., even as cutbacks in public education and other essential services have spread like a cancer in both the U.S. and the European Union. As a modest measure, we insist that at least a trillion dollars a year in extra taxation be directed at the top 1% in the U.S., including subjecting their income above $500,000 to both Medicare and Social Security payments, together with a sharp increase (and not merely a few per cent, as is debated in the mainstream) in federal income tax rates on this high income level. A “Security Transaction Exchange Tax (STET)” could raise many more billions and discourage idle speculation; further taxes aimed at the top 1% should include a return of full force inheritance taxes on estates over several million dollars, and an annual wealth tax on concentrations of wealth above $10 million per person.
Finally, income in the form of capital gains made over less than one year or over the rate of inflation at high levels should be subject to high rates comparable to ordinary income. With such taxation, single-payer healthcare, Medicare, public education, eco-industrialization, adequate housing, infrastructure repair and much more could all be easily funded, with beneficial effects on the economy and employment. These revenues could be used for a “bailout of main street”, something voters for Obama in 2008 had a right to expect.
These sharp changes in the tax system, which should parallel those in other nations, are not the kind of fundamental restructuring of the economy needed for a truly just and thoroughly democratic society. However, together with cuts in military spending and the growing prison-industrial complex, such changes could help reverse the current disempowering and impoverishing fiscal trends throughout the advanced capitalist world.
Another urgent priority is the global environment, repeatedly referenced during the last U.S. presidential election as a ‘planet in peril’. This concern must be more than the lip service, accompanied by half-hearted measures, that it has, at best, been in the U.S. today. The world’s leading climatologists on global warming are being joined by a rising tide of popular recognition that current atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases are already too high — and that’s atmospheric levels and not just emissions.
The next phase of industrial development needs to be “eco-industrialization”, not only shifting to solar, wind, and hydrogen for energy, but restructuring what is produced and consumed and how. This could be furthered by taxes on pollution and scarce resources, and necessitates a massive public investment in a new technological foundation for modern society.
Corporations can be democratized. Governing bodies of corporations can be constituted with 60 percent control by their workers (for instance) and 40 percent control by the general community. Stockholders as community members need not have any privileged legal power in the governance of corporations.
Corporations through public charters can be redefined as public economic agencies of the people. As public agencies, corporations will respect fundamental rights of free speech, freedom of association (such as unions) and freedom of assembly and due process rights of the corporations’ workers. A corporation is not a person. No law should say otherwise.
The world movement to restore and reclaim the commons can be a shared reference point for political action. Establish use rights to replace private property enclosure rights in land. End foreclosures and evictions. Recognize safe shelter as a human right.
Free public education for all with lifelong learning. Abolish the student loan system and cancel all student loan debt. Give living stipends for full and part time study.
Healthcare is a universal human right. As such, the people of the world are entitled to free, universal public healthcare based on world citizenry, not based on income or geopolitics.
Put solar panels on every building. Shift investments and incentives from fossil fuels and nuclear to clean renewable sources.
Convene into extended session a citizen-initiated World Peace Meeting, seeking to bring to just conclusions the many wars still hot in the world, to address global disarmament and mutual security agreements, and to mark a world shift from the time of the war system of domination, hierarchy, patriarchy, impunity, violence, coercion, etc., to a new time and new social contract of the “peace system” emphasizing partnership, cooperation, generosity, caring, sharing, nonviolence and healing from the time of war.
Extend jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and amplify application of the Nuremberg Principles to all United Nations members. Bring Kissinger, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Obama and others to the Court for trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. End impunity. Begin accountability. Figure out terms of “truth and reconciliation,” and moral equivalents of revenge, so there can be “revolutions without executions.”
Transfer all nuclear weapons to the jurisdiction of the Security Council and International atomic energy agency for dismantling as part of the complete and total abolition of nuclear weapons and control of fissile material, worldwide.
De-militarize our world. Close or convert all military institutions. Give universal unconditional amnesty for war resisters. Halt U.S. imperialism and hegemony policies around the world and shift our global society to a peacetime economy, creating new jobs and right livelihood for previous war workers and veterans.
The United Nations Organization needs to be transformed to become more democratic, better representing the peoples of the world. Permanent member veto power in the Security Council should be abolished. A “People’s House,” paralleling General Assembly representation, can be based on direct election (with recall rights) by the populations. Numbers of representatives of each community can be proportional to the size of its population. We seek neither continuation of the era of the nation-states nor an era of a world state. Instead, we aim to achieve a world of freely associated communities.
Dare to Imagine, Together
We ourselves, in MDS, are struggling with how best to express what this system change is about. We hope everyone in this new movement will discuss, debate and share thinking about big ideas we all dare imagine. We want to engage this process.
We are recognizing the approaching 50th anniversary of the drafting of the Port Huron Statement in 1962. Then, we were one generation looking uncomfortably to the future we would inherit.
Now we are 3 or 4 generations, alive, active, conscious, able together better to understand the “sins of the fathers” that have passed down on us and, increasingly, what to do to fix it. We also have the beneficence of many generations of the struggle to strengthen us for a human revolution.
We invite all into a collective writing and meeting endeavor that we are calling “Port Huron plus 50.” This statement is the first public mention of the event. We are planning this event to happen in the spring of 2012.
What would be a “manifesto for now”? We call for the thinking and papers of the occupy movement to be collected and included in this project and those interested in working on this to be in touch.
We welcome feedback and response.
Solidarity and revolutionary love!!!
Post Office Box 7213, Ann Arbor MI 48107
Comments are closed. | <urn:uuid:bf5080aa-0441-4dea-8e17-934e9f31ab87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freenadler4.com/mds/?p=54 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9366 | 2,483 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Now, a women who is not permitted to go into the Temple, be out in society, or cook or clean for her family is bound to what?
I look at the laws of motherhood and interpret that passage as a special time the Lord has designated to set a woman and her new baby apart for bonding and postpartum recovery. By limiting her social and family responsibilities, the Lord is giving provision for her body to heal and the breastfeeding relationship to be established. Other women of the community were likely present to care for her, and the needs of her home. She was blessed to be totally free to focus her care and attention on the new baby, because she's not busy with household chores. In the words of the doula movement, I suspect the community was "Taking care of the mother so she could take care of the baby."
Thriving Is More Than The Specifics @ Rosmarinus Officinalis
We didn’t choose to cosleep because API recommends it, but because we valued her nighttime needs as much as her daytime needs, and having her with us allowed everyone in the family to sleep better. It didn’t interfere with our sex life, and it wasn’t a drain on our marriage. We know that children whose needs are met promptly and gently use that extra energy towards their emotional and mental growth. All three of us thrived, and she slowly moved to sleeping in her own bed when she showed signs that she was ready. We have an open-door policy and she still ends up with us most early mornings, but she has a healthy relationship with sleep in her own space and in ours. It goes back to being a safe place for her.
Finding Joy @ Simple Homeschool
Yes. I am a happy person. But sometimes I forget that joy and play are worthy of a spot on my “to do” list.
Sometimes I even behave as though work and joy are mutually exclusive.
But they’re not.
The God of the Mundane @ Internet Monk
The church is awash in the belief that the extraordinary acts of faith – missions, vocational ministry, street evangelism – are our marks of meaning and significance.
“Do something radical. Or crazy. Whatever you do, don’t be ordinary. Because, obviously, you cannot live a mundane life unto God.”
I wish I had looked in the eyes of homemakers and electricians, accountants and actuaries, farmers and physical therapists and told them differently.
Am I alone in worrying there is no God for the mundane? You know for those who, in the name of Jesus, are simply faithful spouses, honest in business, love their children well and enjoy the world they live in while waiting for the next — is there a God for them? | <urn:uuid:a3190335-c937-4a9b-95b5-2806721e1b42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hippiehousewife.blogspot.ca/2012/08/weekend-reading.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975543 | 578 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Buddhism, like the other religions of the world, faces the fact that abortion
may sometimes be the best decision and a truly moral choice. That does not
mean there is nothing troubling about abortion, but it means that Buddhists
may understand that reproductive decisions are part of the moral complexity
A thoughtful commentary on Buddhist views on abortion is provided by James
Hughes, PhD, who teaches Health Policy at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut,
and is Trinity's Associate Director of Institutional Research and Planning.
Dr. Hughes was a Buddhist monk. He is also the Executive Director of the Institute
for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and its affiliated World Transhumanist
Dr. Hughes writes,
in an essay on his website (scroll down), that there are varying views among
Buddhists, with Western Buddhists most likely to have an attitude of general
moral tolerance. He quotes author Margot Milliken:
Given the present political and social climate, we are in danger of losing
the legal right to choose abortion. While I do not believe abortion is something
that should be legislated against, I do feel it is an option that should not
be taken lightly. Even if it seems that the best choice is to terminate a
pregnancy, we must acknowledge we are ending a potential life. This seems
more honest than acting as if our “pro-choice” stance does not
involve taking life, even though we may assume that that life is not fully
realized, conscious or developed.
He also quotes from a pamphlet from the Japanese-American Buddhist Churches
It is the woman carrying the fetus, and no one else, who must in the end
make this most difficult decision and live with it for the rest of her life.
As Buddhists, we can only encourage her to make a decision that is both thoughtful
That many Buddhists are politically tolerant of abortion despite personal
reservations suggests their recognition that their discomfort with abortion
is not a fundamental moral objection, as with slavery or torture, but a personal
and emotional one.
For a fuller understanding of Dr. Hughes' perspective, please read his entire | <urn:uuid:c8be0386-607d-43d8-a513-54cd42c2776b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rcrc.org/perspectives/buddhism.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954527 | 445 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Business networking is all about entrepreneurs coming together through trust & mutual relationship to become living advertisements for one another. It is one of the most effectual ways for businessmen or startup founders to find investors, advisors as well as key executive candidates for enhanced business propositions. For most business people, networking is not just an important activity but also an essential skill for success. Using expert tactics to network profitably, executives can create a pool of contacts such as business associates, customers, suppliers & mentors who can assist them in running their business with ease. Business networking is a cost-effective technique of new business generation than advertising or public relations. But it demands more personal commitment, focus, method and keenness. However, just like social networking, there is a solid etiquette to be followed for this process.
The following is a list of dos and don’ts that will help you enhance your networking skills and broaden your reach:
• Join a local business group: It is a wise idea to begin this procedure by joining and then actively participating in a local business group. Business groups are spread across cities and are emerging swiftly while gaining popularity too. These are spots where you can meet people from similar or different backgrounds who can assist in your business growth. And vice-versa. Nevertheless, it is important to select the right groups that will enable you to get what you may be looking for. Some meetings are based on volunteering activities, learning and establishing contacts rather than striking business connections.
• Ask questions: Make sure to ask open-ended questions that make way for discussions and foster conversations. Feel free to make inquires to display that you are genuinely interested in them.
• Present yourself as a powerful resource: This is exceptionally crucial because when people know you as a strong resource, they remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, contacts, etc. Presenting yourself as well as your company is the key to gaining success in the networking space.
• Articulate: Even during casual meetings, ensure that you are expressive about what you may be seeking and in what ways others could help you gain it.
• Keep in touch: It is important to call or reach out to those who could benefit you. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, try to support them in whatever way possible and make it a point to get together to share ideas for the future.
• Show Appreciation: When a contact offers you a referral, make sure that you help him with some advice in exchange. Never miss the opportunity to thank him for his gesture. A card or cheery e-mail makes it obvious that you value the relationship. Bear in mind that business networking is not about surface smiles; it helps build long-lasting brand reputation and paves way for meaningful connections.
• Choose a networking group due to its size: Business networking can be conducted in a local business community or on a much larger scale. But remember to be on the hunt for quality contacts that can truly help you to reach out for fresh forays.
• Present your business card before a conversation: Get to know the person first, make proper acquaintance before presenting them your card.
• Offer unasked for opinions: Try not to put yourself in a potentially awkward situation by proffering unsolicited judgments. Offer opinions only when you’re asked and be as fair as you possibly can with them.
• Expect immediate results: Networking is not about using people; it's about creating communally advantageous relationships, where you can meet a wide variety of interesting people, help them and craft solid, enduring affiliations. A one-sided gain is never the purpose of business networking. If you approach networking from a "what's in it for me" standpoint; it comes across as improper. So, be patient. It takes a while before people are comfortable enough to offer you a referral.
• Forget to follow up: Lack of follow-up is the main reason for missed business opportunities. A simple follow up with an e-mail or a phone call can be incalculably rewarding. It permits you to keep the lines of communication open.
Online & in-person business networking
Indian businessmen are increasingly using social network as a platform to grow their circle of contacts and promote themselves too. These networking tools permit professionals to upsurge their group of business partners they rely on. Since businesses are expanding internationally, social network has made the task of keeping in touch with other contacts a lot easier. Specific e-commerce platforms and business partnering networks (like LinkedIn) has tremendously helped executives from across the globe. But for most Indian executives, face-to face meetings is still the perennial choice for networking. Perhaps, that is why the popularity of general and exclusive events will never peter out here.
For a professional, business networking should be part of his creed. Networking opportunities turn into business relationships all the time - you just need to be aware, identify and make use of them. | <urn:uuid:cd90afcf-f34b-4657-9bef-50273f5cdde7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessreviewindia.in/sectors/business-networking-tips-indian-executives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95829 | 1,003 | 1.75 | 2 |
White House Scorecard Ignores Higher Ed Model with Best Chance to Boost Degree Completion
By Excelsior Life News Staff—
The White House’s College Scorecard has generated substantial feedback from both higher education and student communities. Unveiled the day after President Obama’s State of the Union address, the initiative is in response to growing concerns over both access and affordability in American higher education.
Yet, while the scorecard is promising in concept, it is ill-suited to provide meaningful information on distance learning programs. Data used to produce the Scorecard comes from the Department of Education and the IPEDS (Integrated Postecondary Education Data System) reports submitted by colleges and universities across the nation. Many categories, especially the five “key points” used in the Scorecard, are based on "full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates," a definition that is geared toward campus-based schools.
More than 34 million Americans have some college but no degree, according to the Lumina Foundation. Many believe that to reach the Administration’s goal of 60 percent degree completion by 2020, America needs to find a way to help these working adults finish their degrees. Unfortunately, at institutions such as Excelsior College, an accredited nonprofit that focuses on meeting the needs of adult learners, students are neither full-time nor first-time. As a result, Excelsior is excluded from the Scorecard database, even as it represents a 21st century model for reaching the President’s goal.
Working adults must balance numerous family and work commitments and full-time studies are often not an option. Since its founding in 1971, Excelsior has enabled more than 148,000 students to utilize multiple pathways to degree completion. Students can pursue online courses, portfolio assessment or even credit by exam, which has been a hallmark of the Excelsior experience since its beginning. Its 38,000 currently enrolled students include more than one-third from historically-underrepresented minority groups. Nearly 40 percent are active-duty, reserve, or veterans.
In keeping with its founding philosophy of “what you know is more important than where or how you learned it” ®, Excelsior keeps degree costs down by accepting in transfer appropriate college-level credit students have earned from a variety of sources including other colleges and universities, evaluated programs offered by industry, the professions and the military, and college-level examination programs.
Under this model, in the 2011-12 academic year alone, Excelsior accepted 618,000 credits in transfer from 14,000 newly enrolled learners. If Excelsior had required students to take these credits over, based on that year’s tuition rate, they would have paid an additional of $219 million.
“This is an expense students, their families and benefactors – including federal and state sponsored grant and scholarship programs – did not have to pay for a second time” said Excelsior’s President Dr. John Ebersole. “Excelsior has turned these credits into ‘working assets’ for our students, removing a potentially significant barrier to degree completion.”
This multiple pathways approach is one of the reasons that the median debt for an Excelsior College student is substantially less than the national average.
While the White House’s Scorecard is a new effort toward transparency in higher education, Excelsior College has been a leader in this area for years. The Presidents’ Forum, an organization it formed back in 2004, engaged in the Transparency by Design project that resulted in a website where it and other similar colleges provided information to aid consumers in making an informed decision about pursing their degrees. Funding for this project has since run out but Excelsior carries it forward at its own website with a wealth of information not addressed by the President’s Scorecard. The College provides a net price calculator. It also serves up data on factors such as student learning outcomes and undergraduate student engagement, both of which are compared to national data.
Excelsior College Examinations (ECEs) offer proficiency examinations covering a diverse range of subjects, from nursing and business to economics, geology and history. For example, a student may register for a three-credit labor relations exam at a cost of $95 and independently study for the exam using a myriad of resources, from textbooks to Open Education Resources such as Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCS). The student can then prove their mastery of the subject through an ECE administered at any of the 4,500 secure Pearson VUE testing facilities. Credit earned will be recorded on an Excelsior College transcript which can be used toward their Excelsior degree or for transfer at hundreds of other colleges or universities.
“Truthfully, to find the model for the 21st century, we only need to look at Excelsior’s four decades of experience and success,” said Ebersole | <urn:uuid:27bdbc10-27b2-46ee-8f28-6ad624bd9093> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.excelsior.edu/web/news/college-news-assets/-/asset_publisher/5zSo/blog/white-house-scorecard-ignores-higher-ed-model-with-best-chance-to-boost-degree-completion?redirect=%2Fweb%2Fnews%2F12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956722 | 1,027 | 1.804688 | 2 |
TUESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- When a friend lets them
down, girls may take it harder than boys do, a new study
It included 267 fourth- and fifth-grade students in North
Carolina and Rhode Island who were shown 16 hypothetical stories in
which a friend had violated a core expectation of friendship, such
as belittling their worry over a sick pet or failing to do their
part on a joint school project.
Girls were just as likely as boys to say that they would seek
revenge against the friend, verbally attack the friend and threaten
to end the friendship, the Duke University researchers found.
Girls were also more bothered by the transgressions, felt more
anger and sadness, and were more likely to think the offense meant
their friend did not care about them or was trying to control
"Our finding that girls would be just as vengeful and aggressive toward their friends as the boys is particularly interesting because past research has consistently shown boys to react more negatively following minor conflicts with friends, such as an argument about which game to play next," study co-author Steven Asher, a professor in the psychology and neuroscience department, said in a Duke news release.
"It appears that friendship transgressions and conflicts of interest may push different buttons for boys and girls," he added.
The study was co-authored by Julie Paquette MacEvoy, a former
graduate student at Duke who is now assistant professor at Boston
College's Lynch School of Education, which helped conduct the
study. It was published online Nov. 22 in the journal
The NYU Child Study Center has more about
children and friends. | <urn:uuid:2295e06d-83f8-48cc-a6de-8e9e7e135b85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harthosp.org/HealthLibrary/News/default.aspx?chunkiid=664436 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980216 | 344 | 2.484375 | 2 |
The Allegory of the Cave – also known as the Analogy of the Cave, Plato’s Cave, or the Parable of the Cave – is an allegory used by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work ‘The Republic’ to illustrate “our nature in its education and want of education”.
All these years later, how perfectly the Cave describes the mechanism that has captured, deceived and diverted us from what is important and real about humanity. Real life has been arrested in our modern day; Instead, television and other forms of bread & circuses present to us imitations of life that we learn to take on as our role models and heroes.
Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are not constitutive of reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners.
The phrase ‘Look to the past to understand the future” is more than relevant today!! | <urn:uuid:513cc4d8-ae66-42ab-94e1-e3cec8a3d676> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jimmyprophet.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/platos-the-cave-how-man-is-controlled/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976585 | 286 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Chinese and Japanese language major programs were established at Georgetown University in 1949. The East Asian Languages and Cultures program today offers some of the most rigorous Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language training in the country. In addition to three-year sequences of structured intensive instruction, the department has a large number of electives taught in the language. Chinese and Japanese majors generally spend a semester or a year abroad at one of our partner institutions in Japan, China, or Taiwan, where they receive further intensive language instruction and benefit from immersion in the culture.
The East Asian Department is more than a language program. It aims to give students comprehensive exposure to the cultures of East Asia. The introductory course “East Asia: Texts and Contexts” introduces students to topics in the classical and contemporary literary traditions of East Asia through works in English translation. Other courses offered in English range across themes from classical Chinese prose to contemporary Japanese animated film. Chinese and Japanese majors cap their four years of study with a senior thesis, which provides the opportunity to apply their language skills and explore a topic of their choice in depth. | <urn:uuid:657dc6bb-d231-4855-a2eb-08c023758e74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ealac.georgetown.edu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950325 | 230 | 2 | 2 |
I know that "you and I" should be used when it's the subject of a sentence, and "you and me" when it's a complement. But I'm not sure about the following phrase:
We are very good pals, you and I.
It would seem to me that "you and I" is a subject here (so I should use "I" instead of "me"). Is that correct? | <urn:uuid:b61da0e0-1ed2-4bee-bbc7-09d598a05647> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/44702/is-you-and-i-the-subject-in-this-sentence | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984941 | 86 | 2.015625 | 2 |
International Law at uOttawa
International Law in the Nation's Capital
The uOttawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, is one of Canada's most prominent international law faculties. Located in the heart of Canada's capital city, the law school is at the geographic and intellectual centre of international law, as it is practiced in Canada. Operating in both official languages and minutes from Parliament and the Supreme Court of Canada, the law school is also near key federal government departments, such as Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Defence and Justice, as well as foreign embassies and international non-governmental organizations.
By positioning itself at the centre of international law teaching and research, the law school attracts a dynamic international law faculty, drawing on the rich academic, professional and governmental resources of the nation's capital and on visiting academics and practitioners from around the world. Thus, the law school’s international law instructors are professors, government lawyers, visiting international scholars and others with a rich level of practical and academic experience in the field. For these reasons, the law school offers a comprehensive catalogue of some 30 international law-related courses in English and French, supplemented by numerous established internships, research projects and moot court competitions. It now also offers a course concentration Option in International Law.
The law school is also proud to offer two joint degrees with an international focus: a joint M.A./J.D., focusing on international law and international relations, in partnership with the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University; and, joint J.D./LL.B. degrees offered in conjunction with American University, Washington D.C. and the Michigan State University, East Lansing Michigan. Students may also enrol in the Faculty of Law's National Program, providing the opportunity to study law in both the common law and civil law traditions, in either of Canada’s official languages. The University of Ottawa also has exchange programs with several other law schools with strengths in international law, both generally and through the North American Consortium on Legal Education.
The uOttawa Faculty of Law is also home to an internationally-respected Human Rights Research and Education Centre. Along with Carleton University, it is also a partner in the Centre for Trade Policy and Law. Students from across the country and around the world are attracted to the uOttawa Faculty of Law to pursue the study of international law. The International Law Students Association (Ottawa) is the largest issue-based student organization in the law school, complemented by student chapters of Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and Pro Bono Students Canada.
Why Study International Law?
International law is an increasingly important area of legal study and practice. The pressures of globalization have produced, on the one hand, new levels of international legal harmonization and interconnection, and, on the other, new tensions in international law and affairs. In this environment, the study of international law has become essential for those who will practice law in the 21st century.
The scope of international law has changed dramatically since the end of the Second World War. Since that time, there has been an explosion of international legal instruments dealing with matters as diverse as human rights, economic and social development, the environment and trade.
Globalization has enhanced the relevance of these international laws. It has also internationalized many issues once of only domestic concern, eroding some traditional barriers of state sovereignty. Canada’s laws themselves are increasingly a hybrid of purely domestic regulations and laws implementing international obligations.
Knowledge of international law allows students to respond effectively to these developments, and provides insight and skills beneficial in a wide variety of fora, both domestic and international. Reflecting its continued and growing importance, career opportunities involving the application of international law range from traditional legal practice through to work with international organizations and government policy-making.
For information on admission to the law faculty, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org or 613-562-5800 ext. 3270. For further information on the Option in International Law, please do not hesitate to contact Maxime Bourgeois, International Law Coordinator, by email at email@example.com or by telephone at 613-562-5800 ext. 3294. | <urn:uuid:9efe9b41-ee14-4fc9-932a-36bef34a55c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commonlaw.uottawa.ca/en/programs/international-law/international-law-at-uottawa.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939813 | 858 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Everyone ready? Good.
Question: You're a nurse at a major hospital. Your patient's white cell count (WBC) jumped from a horribly abnormal 44 yesterday to a frighteningly abnormal 79 this morning.
Do you call:
A. The hematologist treating the patient's bone marrow disorder.
B. The cardiologist following the patient's pacemaker.
C. The neurologist evaluating the patient's imbalance.
If you answered C, thank you for waking me up this morning. I greatly enjoyed your reasoning of "I called you because your name was the first one listed alphabetically." | <urn:uuid:aaf44f76-286f-4a9c-a404-5d824997a1f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://drgrumpyinthehouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/pop-quiz.html?showComment=1254076961894 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934215 | 124 | 2.046875 | 2 |
at Explore Talent
TV auditions are very similar
to Film and Theatre auditions. The main difference
is time. Television is always under a time constraint.
A script is written in a week, and that next week
it must be cast, in order to film the week after that.
A large part of television is guest cast and speaking
extras, since there are a limited amount of recurring
roles on television shows, episodic character casting
is what most TV auditions are for.
Casting directors understand
that sometimes when auditioning a TV role, the actors
may have had only a couple of days to review the lines.
Some don't. This is why, no matter how much time you
have to rehearse before an audition, KNOW YOUR CONTENT.
It is alright to read straight
from the pages during your audition, but if you have
memorized your lines, try to look up and show your
face to the casting director. Sometimes you will be
reading a scene with a casting assistant. Most of
the time, these assistants are not actors and may
have no energy. Just do your best and worry about
your delivery, not theirs.
When entering the room, slate
(introduce) yourself and the part you will be auditioning
for. If the casting assistant did not take your head
shot in the hall, someone will take it in the audition
room. Be brief in your introduction and wait for the
casting director to be ready. In most TV auditions,
the people you will be auditioning for will be the
casting director, an assistant, usually the executive
producer of the show, or the writer of that specific
episode, and maybe a camera person if they are rolling
tape. TV auditions always run tape so casting directors
can review auditions afterwards or show an actor to
the EP if he/she was not in the room. An EP puts a
lot of trust in the casting director because the EP
will not always be able to attend every audition due
to their other writing and producing responsibilities.
After your performance, thank
everyone in the room and exit quickly. Wait outside
for a couple of minutes incase the casting director
wants to see you again. Then sign out and leave quietly
and professionally. If you had a bad audition, do
not let it show to the other candidates. Always look
confident entering, leaving and during an audition.
The big difference with TV
auditions is not only the time to cast, but also the
time for an actor to prepare for a role. A casting
director may see your headshot and ask you to come
in the day of the audition. If this happens, stay
calm and know that the casting director is aware that
you have just received the content that day. Just
read the lines and do your best. You've obviously
been called in because they like you so prove that
you can adapt to any situation and blow them away
in the audition. | <urn:uuid:5a3b27dd-25fe-47ee-ab09-b2a652bd12b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.exploretalent.net/tv-audition.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952945 | 637 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Born in 1913 in Budapest. Deceased in 1954 in Thai Binh, Indochina.
Robert Capa is one of the most well known photojournalists of the twentieth century. Born Endre Ernö Friedmann in a family of Jewish tailors, he was forced to leave Hungary at the age of seventeen because of leftist student activities; he fled to Berlin, where he enrolled at the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik as a student of journalism. With no money, no profession, and little knowledge of German, he turned to the camera as a means of earning a living. In 1933, he moved to Paris, where he met Chim, Stein, and Taro. Quickly gaining a reputation for his photographs of the Spanish Civil War, his work was characterized as viscerally close to the action, as had rarely been seen before. In roll after roll of film in the so-called Mexican suitcase, one can see Capa move with his subjects, chasing the action, seeking to understand and experience events as his subjects do. In 1947, Robert Capa creates the Magnum Photos agency with Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and Chim (David Seymour).
Born in 1910 in Stuttgart. Deceased in 1937 in Brunete, Spain.
Gerda Taro was one of the first recognised women photojournalists. Born Gerta Pohorylle in Stuttgart (August 1, 1910–Brunete, Spain, July 26, 1937) and raised in Leipzig in a middle-class Jewish family, she fled to Paris in 1933. She soon met ‘André’ Friedmann and started photographing; in the spring of 1936, they reinvented themselves as Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. In August 1936, Taro and Capa arrived in Spain as freelancers to document the Republican cause for the French press. She became a pioneering photojournalist whose brief career consisted almost exclusively of dramatic photographs from the front lines of the Spanish Civil War. Her later style is similar to Capa’s, but it differs in her interest in formal compositions and a level of intensity in photographing morbid subjects. Taro worked alongside Capa and the two collaborated closely. While covering the crucial Battle of Brunete, she was struck by a tank and died. Taro was the first female photographer to be killed while reporting on war.
Born in 1911 in Warsaw. Deceased in 1956 in Suez.
Chim was born Dawid Szymin (Warsaw, November 20, 1911–Suez, November 10, 1956) into an intellectual family of publishers, of Yiddish and Hebrew books. In 1933, after studying graphic arts in Leipzig, he turned to photography to support himself while continuing his studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. Soon he was recognized for his strong photographs of political events of the Popular Front and became a regular contributor to the French Communist magazine Regards. Like Capa, he covered the entirety of the Spanish Civil War. But unlike Capa and Taro, who sought to photograph on the front lines, Chim’s great achievement is his focus on individuals outside of battle: from formal portraits of major figures to images of soldiers on the home front and peasants laboring in small towns. He was attuned to the complicated politics of the war and imbued his images with nuanced meaning. He is, with Robert Capa, one of the founding fathers of Magnum Photos agency, in 1947.
Musée Départemental Arles Antique
July 4th - September 18th
10:00 - 19:00
8 euros (The Mexican Suitcase only)
11 euros (museum + Mexican Suitcase) | <urn:uuid:b945dec9-1086-414e-9687-e5f34592314b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rencontres-arles.com/A11/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=ARL_3_VForm&FRM=Frame:ARL_19,_self:ARL_703&LANGSWI=1&LANG=English | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974187 | 769 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Throughout the 20th century, the great advances in molecular and cell biology were accomplished largely by studying the biochemical parts apart from their natural place within the whole organism. This approach, which has culminated in the sequencing of the human genome, has now led us back to the study of whole living beings.
As we enter the era of developmental biology, there will be many moral dilemmas; the current conflict over ESCs is just the first of a series of difficult controversies over the experimental use of emerging life that will require that we define with clarity and precision exactly the boundaries we seek to defend. Similar concerns were raised over the past century as we came to understand that human parts such as cell, tissues and organs are not themselves alive in a moral sense. Now, as we deepen our scientific inquiry into developmental biology, we may once again find a way forward by studying parts apart from their place within the living whole. This will be a more difficult challenge, however, both technically and conceptually; our natural intuitions identify the dynamics of developing systems with the moral meaning of living beings.
With the exploration of ANT we open a realm of intellectual dialogue and creative scientific investigation in the search for a solution to our current impasse over the procurement of ESCs. Such a solution must be grounded in deep ethical reflection and careful preliminary studies with animal cells. The incommensurate good of human life, and the corresponding danger of its instrumental use means that the highest levels of caution must prevail as we proceed forward with this project. We must initiate the cooperative dialogue that is essential to frame the moral principles that can at once defend human dignity and promote the fullest prospects for scientific progress and its medical applications. The constructive engagement of science and moral philosophy is a crucial component of this dialogue. The very preservation of our humanity may depend on it.
*Remarks by the President on Stem Cell Research. Office of the Press Secretary August 9, 2001.
In the account that follows I speak from the perspective of my own experience and not for the Council as a whole.
"Because the ANT product lacks essential properties of the fertilized embryo, it is not justified to call it an ‘embryo.’" Jaenisch, Rudolf. ‘Testimony of Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D., Hearing on’ An Alternative Method for Obtaining Embryonic Stem Cells', Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education', United States Senate Oct. 19, 2005.
Received December 13, 2005; accepted December 14, 2005.
Correspondence: William B. Hurlbut, M.D., Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, 371 Serra Mall, Room 345, Gilbert Hall, Stanford, CA 94305-5020; e-mail: [email protected] | <urn:uuid:a3b55a36-1f96-4a73-911d-3a6f6f7a3246> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biology-online.org/articles/framing_future_embryonic_stem/conclusion.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929512 | 582 | 2.359375 | 2 |
in 2001, Crescent Hill Nursery is a Watsonville, California-based
grower of rare and unusual plants. California offers a multitude
of different microclimates in which to garden, and our aim is
to fill these diverse niches with interesting plants from around
the world. Crescent Hill Nursery believes that California's
wide array of natural environments provide the ideal backdrop
for the use of interesting plants in the landscape. We thus
place a heavy emphasis on varieties new to the trade, and thrive
to introduce them to gardeners and landscapers alike. This is
paired with our already eclectic plant list of garden-tested
species, providing a palette of functional plants that stray
slightly (and sometimes widely) from the beaten path. From drought
tolerant California native and Mediterranean region specimens
to lushly tropical selections, it is our hope that everything
we offer brings excitement and enjoyment to all who participate
in the incredible world of plants.
of rare and unusual plants is best partnered with education
to ensure their successful incorporation into the landscape.
Crescent Hill is proud to offer an informed and intelligent
staff with first-hand experiential knowledge of how our plants
work in the ground. We also place a high value on customer participation
as we work together to chronicle the different soil types, moisture
regiments, sun aspects, nutrient needs, and faunal relationships
that our plants encounter in the greater California ecosystem.
This website serves as a regional compilation of our knowledge,
compared and contrasted with institutional horticultural wisdom
worldwide. As always, we appreciate any comments, suggestions,
and differing opinions as we constantly seek to hone and polish
this information into a blueprint for successful plantings.
Future updates will include detailed photos for each specimen
in our collection. Our focus on education is further illustrated
via our researched and descriptive plant label program, that
attempts to speak for us at retail locations throughout the
state. Our quasi-scholastic (and highly entertaining) gardening
events provide an additional resource for gardeners to create
the foundational base from which viable landscapes flow. A monthly
e-newsletter focuses on the "lighter side" of gardening, and
serves as an amusing forum for customer appreciation including
question/answer, links to our partners, and special offers.
are available here at the growing grounds in Watsonville, as
well as at the multitude of local markets listed on our calendar
page. Delivery is available for an additional freight charge.
A larger selection and more personalized help in the planning
process are always available here at the nursery. Tours of the
facility can be linked to environmental consultations, which
can save time, plants, and countless dollars in the landscaping
process. We also look forward to serving wholesale customers,
such as landscape professionals and retail nurseries. To receive
wholesale pricing and availability, please click
here to email us your resale number. We cordially welcome
you all to the Crescent Hill gardening family, and hope you
enjoy the tour of our website.
for your interest and support, | <urn:uuid:af964e9c-abc1-42d8-adc5-04ed5466be15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://crescenthillnursery.com/aboutus.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908922 | 651 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Commemorated on December 1st
St Philaret the Almsgiver of Constantinople
St Philaret, a native of Paphlagonia in Asia Minor, was a virtuous Christian layman who lived in lawful wedlock and raised a family. He was most renowned for his generosity to all in need. With the permission of God, in a short space of time he lost the greater part of his possessions to theft and other misfortunes and was left with nothing but his family, his home, and a little livestock. Yet he continued to give generously to the poor despite the faint-heartedness of his family, who reproached him for giving alms when they were in need themselves; and God, seeing his faith, restored his prosperity to him many times over. He foresaw the day of his death, and reposed in an odour of sanctity in Constantinople in 789 AD.
Dismissal Hymn of St Philaret (Third Tone)
From the inner wealth of a divine faith, you dealt your riches to the needy; and your works of compassion have glorified Christ, the Bestower of mercy, O Philaret; for your whole life was adorned with a love like His. Intercede for us, O Almsgiver, that He richly grant great mercy and compassion unto us, the poor.
Kontakion of the Prophet (Fourth Tone)
On this day You have appeared
Your pure heart, illumined by the Holy Spirit, was a sacred vessel of resplendent prophecy, for you saw things far off as close at hand. Hence we revere you, blest Nahum most glorious.
Kontakion of St Philaret (Plagal of Fourth Tone)
To you, the Champion Leader
In all temptations, you had Job's courageous manliness, and in your mercy you gave your riches to the poor, being truly a living fountain of almsgiving. By the holy way of life that you have shown to us, you also gladden all that cry to you with love: Rejoice, O Philaret, faithful servant of Christ our God. | <urn:uuid:fa55d211-8478-4dae-8816-4b30d1623973> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.greekorthodox.org.au/general/orthodoxchristianity/saints.php?saint_id=856 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977536 | 442 | 2.890625 | 3 |
From the News column of the September 2007 Perspectives
Changes to the AHA's Constitution
Editor's note: As readers will have noted from Executive Director Arnita Jones's essay, “Time for Change," the AHA's Council is proposing amendment of the Association's constitution to enable the AHA to meet its members' needs more effectively and efficiently. To facilitate debate about the proposed amendments, we are printing below the text of the constitution with the proposed amendments indicated by strike-throughs and blue text. The text will also be made available online. AHA members will be given an opportunity to debate the pros and cons of amending the constitution in a special web log created for this purpose.
Article I: Name
The name of this society shall be the American Historical Association.
Article II: Purpose
Its object shall be the promotion of historical studies through the encouragement of research, teaching, and publication; the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts; the dissemination of historical records and information; the broadening of historical knowledge among the general public; and the pursuit of kindred activities in the interest of history.
Article III: Membership
Membership in the Association shall be open to any person interested in history on the payment of one year's dues. Any member whose dues are in arrears shall be dropped from the roll. Members who have been so dropped may be reinstated at any time by the payment in advance of one year's dues. Only members in good standing shall have the right to vote or hold office in the Association.
Honorary members of the Association may be elected by the Council. The Council may elect honorary members of the Association, and such honorary members shall be exempt from payment of dues.
Article IV: Officers
Section 1: The elected officers shall be: the president, the president-elect, the immediate past-president, and three vice-presidents. The appointed officers shall be: the executive director,
the deputy executive director, the editor of the American Historical Review, and the controller, and such other officers as the Council considers necessary from time to time for the proper operation of the Association.
Section 2: The president shall be elected for a one-year term. It shall be his or her duty to preside at meetings of the Council and at the business meeting and to formulate policies and projects for presentation to the Council to fulfill the chartered obligations and purposes of the Association. After his or her term the president shall become the immediate past-president for a one-year term.
Section 3: The president-elect shall be elected for a one-year term. He or she shall be a member of the Council. If the office of president shall, through any cause, become vacant, the president-elect shall thereupon become president.
Each of tThe vice-presidents shall be elected for a staggered three-year terms. He or she Each shall serve as a member of the Council and as chair man of a Ddivision nal Committee of the Council (as described in Article VI). composed of one other member of the Council appointed annually by the president and three members each elected for staggered three-year terms. Division Committee composed of three other elected members of the Council. Section 5 . It shall be the duty of each vice-president, under the direction of the Council and with the assistance of the executive director, to formulate policies and projects for submission to the Council on behalf of his or her respective dDivision.
6 5: The executive director shall be the chief administrative officer of the Association. It shall be his or her duty, under the direction of the Council, to oversee the affairs of the Association, to have responsibility for the continuing operations of the Association, to supervise the work of its committees, to assist in the formulation of policies and projects for submission to the Council, to execute instructions of the Council, and to perform such other duties as the Council may direct. The Council may appoint a deputy executive director who shall serve under the provisions of Article IV, Section 7 (which limits an individual term of appointment to a maximum duration of five years), as deputy and principal assistant to the executive director in the conduct of the continuing operations of the Association. The deputy executive director shall assist in the supervision of its committees and support the divisions and the Council. (Approved by membership, November 1995, Confirmed by Council January 4, 1996.)
7 6: The appointed officers shall be designated by the Council for specified terms of office not to exceed five years and shall be eligible for reappointment. They shall receive such compensation as the Council may determine.
Article V: Council
Section 1: There shall be a Council constituted as follows:
(a) The president,
elected for a term of one yearthe president-elect, elected for a term of one yearpresident-elect, immediate past-president , and thethree vice-presidents, elected for staggered terms of three years.
(b) Nine members who have been elected to one of the
Ddivisions of the Council. Elected members, six in number, chosen by ballot in the manner provided in Article VIII. These members shall be elected for a term of three years, two to be elected each year, except in the case of elections to complete unexpired terms.
(c) The immediate past president, who shall serve for a one-year term.
(d)(c) The executive director, editor of the American Historical Review, deputy executive director and deputy executive director, servingand controller as anon-voting members.
Section 2: The Council shall conduct the business, manage the property, and care for the general interests of the Association. The Council shall fix the amount of dues and the date on which any change of dues becomes effective. It may appoint such committees as it deems necessary. The Council shall call an annual meeting of the Association at a place and time it deems appropriate. It shall report to the membership on its deliberations and actions through the publications of the Association and at the business meeting.
Section 3: To transact necessary business
in the interim between meetings of the Council, there shall be an Executive Committee composed of the president, the president-elect, immediate past-president, and three vice presidents. not more than three other voting members of the Council elected annually by the Council. The Executive Committee in the conduct of its business shall be subject always to the general direction of the Council. Section 4 : For the general management of the financial affairs of the Association, there shall be a Finance Committee composed of the president, the president-elect, and not more than three other voting members of the Council elected annually by the Council.
Article VI: Divisions
Section 1: The
re Council of the Association shall have three divisions: shall be a Research Division, a Teaching Division, and a Professional Division. of the Association, each with its appropriate vice-president and divisional committee. Each division shall act under the direction of the Council, and be comprised of a vice-president and three other members elected to that division.
Section 2: It shall be the duty of the Research Division,
under the direction of the Council, to help promote historical scholarship, to encourage the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, to ensure equal access to information, and to foster the dissemination of information about historical records and research.
Section 3: It shall be the duty of the Teaching Division,
under the direction of the Council, to collect and disseminate information about the training of teachers and about instructional techniques and materials, and to encourage excellence in the teaching of history in the schools, colleges, and universities.
Section 4: It shall be the duty of the Professional Division,
under the direction of the Council, to promote integrity, fairness, and civility in the practice of history, to collect and disseminate information about employment opportunities, and to help ensure equal opportunities for all historians, regardless of individual membership in the Association.
Article VII: Business Meeting
Section 1: The Council shall call a business meeting, open to all members of the Association in good standing, to convene at the time of the annual meeting.
Section 2: The business meeting
by a majority vote, may consider resolutions submitted by Council or by a petition signed by 1 percent of the membership, and deal with proposals of any kind concerning the affairs of the Association, receive reports of officers and committees, instruct officers and the Council, and exercise any powers not reserved to the Council, Nominating Committee, Board of Trustees, and elected or appointed officers of the Association.
Section 3: All measures adopted by the business meeting shall come before the Council for acceptance, nonconcurrence, or veto. If accepted by the Council, they shall be binding on the Association.
3 4: The Council may veto any measure adopted at the business meeting that it believes to be in violation of the Association's constitution, or the law, or financially or administratively infeasible. The Council shall publish an explanation for each such veto. All measures adopted by the business meeting shall come before the Council for acceptance, nonconcurrence, or veto. If accepted by the Council, they shall be binding on the Association. Section 4 : The Council may veto any measure adopted by the business meeting that it believes to be in violation of the Association's constitution or which, on advice of counsel, it judges to be in violation of law. The Council shall publish an explanation for each such veto.
Section 5: The Council may vote not to concur in any measure adopted by the business meeting. Within ninety days of such vote, the Council shall submit the measure to a vote of the entire membership with an opportunity for the proponents of the measure and the Council to set forth their respective positions.
of the Council meeting following the business meeting, the Council shall publish its opinion of each measure with which it does not concur and submit the measure to a mail ballot of the entire membership. If approved by a majority of the members in the mail ballot voting, the measure shall be binding on the Association. Section 6 : The Council may postpone implementation of any measure adopted by the business meeting or approved by mail ballot that in its judgment is financially or administratively unfeasible. The Council shall publish an explanation of each such decision and justify it at the subsequent business meeting.
Article VIII: Committees
Section 1: The Nominating Committee shall consist of nine members, each of whom shall serve a term of three years. Three shall be elected each year. The president shall fill by ad interim appointment any vacancy that may occur between annual meetings.
Section 1: There shall be a Nominating Committee consisting of nine members, three of whom shall be elected each year. In the event of a vacancy, the president shall appoint an interim member to serve until the next annual election.
(a) The Nominating Committee shall nominate annually a candidate for president, and two candidates for each of the following: president-elect, a vice-president, each position on the divisions, each position on the Nominating Committee and Committee on Committees, and any elected position that is vacant.
(b) Nominations may also be made to any of the foregoing positions by petition supported by the signature of not less than one hundred members of the Association in good standing indicating the position for which the petition is intended. Nominations by petition must be received by the chair of the Nominating Committee not less than sixty days prior to the distribution of ballots
three months prior to the annual meeting.
Section 2: There shall be a Finance Committee comprised of the president, president-elect, and not less than one additional member of the Council selected by the president. In addition, upon nomination by the president, the Council may appoint additional persons to the
fFinance Committee provided that at all times a majority of the committee is composed of elected Council members. The Finance Committee shall monitor the financial condition of the Association, supervise the performance of any financial advisors or consultants, and report periodically to the Council.
Section 3: There shall be a Committee on Committees consisting of five members. The president-elect shall serve as chair and four members shall
will be elected to staggered three-year terms. The committee shall nominate AHA members to serve on appointive committees of the Association, subject to approval by the Council.
Article IX: Elections
2: There Nominating Committee shall nominate, by shall be an annual mail ballot, election candidates for the offices of president, president-elect; a Division vice-president; and members of the Ddivisions al Committee, member of the, Nominating Committee, and elected member of the Committee on Committees; and the unexpired term of any elected position that is vacant. On the annual ballot the Nominating Committee shall, except as hereinafter provided, present one name for the office of president, two names for the office of president-elect, and two or more names for each office of vice-president which shall be prospectively vacant, and two or more names for each position on the Council, on the Nominating Committee, on the Committee on Committees, and on the Divisional Committees, where like prospective vacancies shall exist, and the names of any persons nominated by petition as specified in Section 3 of this Article. But the Council may, in its bylaws or by resolution, provide for additional nominations to be made by the Nominating Committee for any position where there is a vacancy through death or by resignation of a candidate. Section 3 : Nominations may also be made by petitions carrying in each case the signatures of one hundred or more members of the Association in good standing and indicating in each case the particular vacancy for which the nomination is intended. Nominations by petition must be in the hands of the chairman of the Nominating Committee at least three months before the annual meeting. In distributing the annual ballot by mail to the members of the Association, the Nominating Committee shall present and identify such candidates nominated by petition along with its own candidates, having first ascertained that all candidates have consented to stand for election.
4 2: The annual ballot shall be distributed mailed to the full membership of the Association at least six weeks before the annual meeting. No vote received after the due date specified on the ballot shall be valid. Election shall be by plurality of the votes cast for each vacancy. The votes shall be counted and checked in such manner as the Nominating Committee shall prescribe and shall then be sealed in a box and deposited in the headquarters of the Association, where they shall be kept for at least one year. The results of the election shall be announced at the business meeting and in the publications of the Association. In the case of a tie vote, the choice among the tied candidates shall be made by the business meeting a coin flip shall determine the winner.
Section 3: The Nominating Committee shall act as the supervisor of any election and all issues relating to any election shall be referred to it for final decision. The Nominating Committee shall keep all records of elections in a secure place for a period of not less than one year.
Article IX There shall be a Board of Trustees, five in number, consisting of a chairman and four other members, nominated by the Council and elected at the business meeting of the Association. Election shall be for a term of five years except in the case of an election to complete an unexpired term. The Board of Trustees, acting by a majority thereof, shall have the power, under the policy direction of the Council, to invest and reinvest the permanent funds of the Association with authority to employ such agents, investment counsel, and banks or trust companies as it may deem wise in carrying out its duties, and with further authority to delegate and transfer to any bank or trust company all its power to invest or reinvest. Neither the Board of Trustees nor any bank or trust company to whom it may so transfer its power shall be controlled in its discretion by any statute or other law applicable to fiduciaries, and the liabilities of the individual members of the board and of any such bank or trust company shall be limited to good faith and lack of actual or willful misconduct in the discharge of the duties resting on them. The Finance Committee of the Council shall meet at least once each year with the Board of Trustees of the Association to discuss investment policies and the financial needs of the Association.
Article X: Amendments
Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by: (1)
by the Council, (2) by petition to the Council of one hundred or more members in good standing, or (3) by resolution at an annual business meeting on a majority affirmative vote of twenty-five members in good standing. Any amendment shall be reported to the membership with arguments pro and con, if appropriate, and shall be included in the next annual vote for election of officers and committee members. Any amendment receiving a plurality of the votes cast in the election shall be considered adopted. An amendment so proposed shall be reported to the membership through an appropriate Association publication at least six weeks in advance of the subsequent earliest annual business meeting for which such notice is possible, and shall be placed on the agenda of that meeting for discussion and advisory vote. Thereafter, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the membership of the Association, accompanied by summary statements of the pro and con arguments thereon, for approval or rejection by mail ballot.
Article XI: Bylaws
The Council may adopt bylaws not inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution on any matter of concern to the Association.
Article XII: Interim Procedures
On the adoption of this constitution, the Council shall have the power to decide the details of the transition from the existing organization to that embodied in this document.
Copyright © American Historical AssociationLast Updated: October 18, 2007 4:52 PM | <urn:uuid:484c0f83-52c4-4a1f-aae1-5236ae5dbac9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/issues/2007/0709/0709aha2.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95192 | 3,631 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Rand Paul visits Israel, Jordan
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul met with Israel President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas before traveling to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah.
“Israel is our closest and most vital ally in the Middle East,” Paul told Netanyahu, according to a press release. “We respect and honor Israel’s right to defend itself whether it’s from Hamas’ missiles, or from the possibility of a nuclear armed Iran. Israel’s allies in the US are keenly aware that a safe and secure Israel contributes to a safe and secure America.”
This is Paul’s first trip to Israel. A new member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Paul is an outspoken opponent of foreign aid. Earlier in the week, he spoke to the Jeruselum Institute for Market Studies and called for a gradual reduction of foreign aid.
“It will harder to be a friend of Israel if we are out of money. It will be harder to defend Israel if we destroy our country in the process,” he told the Israeli think tank, according to the AP.
In Jordan, Paul told King Abdullah the United States “will continue to stand by our allies like Jordan” with the country and the two talked about the situation in neighboring Syria.
Read more about: Rand Paul | <urn:uuid:f0f819c2-5c1e-4ffe-afa4-d0d3300444c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2013/01/rand-paul-visits-israel-jordan-153859.html?ml=bp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906788 | 287 | 1.601563 | 2 |
- 21 min
Robert J. Hughes is an Australian-American art critic. He studied arts and architecture at Sydney University, during which time he made a name for himself within the Sydney “Push” – a progressive group of artists, writers, intellectuals and drinkers. Among the group were two other blazingly witty and incisive cultural observers: Germaine Greer and Clive James. Incredibly, Hughes was commissioned to write a history of Australian painting while an undergraduate and dropped out of university.
He left Australia for Britain in the early 1960’s, writing for such publications as the “Spectator”, the “Telegraph”, The Times of London” and the Observer, before landing the position of art critic for “Time” magazine in 1970.
Important books he has written include “The Shock of the New” (1981), “The Fatal Shore” (1987), “Culture of Complaint” (1993) and “American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America” (1997), which reviewed the history of American art since the Revolution.
Hughes’ 2002 documentary on the painter Francisco Goya, Goya: Crazy Like a Genius, was broadcast on the first night of the BBC’s domestic digital service, partly as a consequence of the high status Hughes’ documentaries have acquired with television audiences over the years.
Hughes published the first part of his memoirs, Things I Didn’t Know, in 2006. | <urn:uuid:8e190d16-bccd-4b73-9f65-4dd4d8bb2c38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.charlierose.com/guest/view/1917 | 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 | 0.947068 | 315 | 1.875 | 2 |
Remember poor Humpty, who sat on the wall?
Well, he toppled and tuppled and had a great fall.
“all the kings horses and all the kings men,
could not put poor humpty together again,”
No fasteners or duct tape, no buttons or glue,
no stitching, nor taping, nor welding would do.
And yet, in the kingdom of kingdoms there was
one who could fix eggs, and so often does.
He came to the rescue of poor Humpty the egg,
and picked up the pieces, of his shell, arms and legs.
He then winked at poor humpty, a comforting wink,
And fixed him up jiffy, lickety-split, in a blink.
Ole Humpty, just smiled, smiled grateful—enthralled,
and looked up to the top of that ominous wall.
Then looked back to the one who had made all things right.
He said nothing at all—just held Him so tight.
In all of the quiet, Ole Humpty Dumpty just thought:
how in all of the kingdom, and kingdoms to be,
in all of the lands and eternity,
and all of the persons, and persons to come,
in a world filled with persons, there was only One.
Only one person who knew what it takes,
to mend all the pieces and crackles and breaks.
There was just one person, who knew just the right thing,
That Person of persons was Jesus—the King.
It has been many years since the tale of that fall,
years that more eggs have fell from the wall.
And still they search out, this King of all kings,
Who mends broken pieces of eggs, hearts and things.
For no other person of persons will do,
who can take broken lives, and can make then like new.
Read more articles by Randy Chambers or search for articles on the same topic or others.
Read NEWEST ARTICLES by Christian authors
Read MOST READ ARTICLES by Christian authors
Read our most read and highly acclaimed CHALLENGE CONTEST ARTICLES
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. | <urn:uuid:2e44dbc9-0654-42c4-9c69-36d4184a5ce6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=16363 | 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 | 0.949538 | 520 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Before Hunting Laws
During the 19th century, many game animals were hunted nearly into extinction. The thundering herds of buffalo that once roamed the plains were reduced to about 800 head. The beaver was almost wiped out. Once plentiful otter, deer, and turkey had been reduced to a fraction of their original number. | <urn:uuid:6ac75fa3-9267-424b-a3d6-8e32e1408df7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hunter-ed.com/missouri/studyGuide/Before-Hunting-Laws/201025_700062545 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992444 | 66 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Demand for healthier building options drives the rediscovery of ceramic tile
(ARA) - If you've ever had new carpeting installed in your house and found yourself suffering from a nagging cough for days afterward, you've experienced the effect some home improvement materials can have on your health.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be a significant health concern, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of VOCs can be up to 10 times higher indoors than out, and building materials are among the sources of these noxious chemicals, the EPA says.
While VOCs and other home toxins can cause respiratory irritation in healthy people, they can be particularly troublesome to anyone who suffers from asthma or allergies. Many homeowners, striving to minimize the impact of their home improvement or new building projects on the environment and their health, are opting to use less toxic building materials.
One time-tested product at the heart of the healthy building trend is ceramic tile. In fact, the Healthy Building Network recommends ceramic tile as an alternative to widely used vinyl, one of the biggest generators of VOCs in home environments.
"Healthy design finds a natural partner in ceramic tile," says Patti Fasan, Tile of Spain ceramic tile consultant. "It's a hygienic, multi-use product that is eco-friendly, fire-resistant, slip-resistant and one of the strongest finish materials available."
The experts at Tile of Spain point to the healthful benefits of ceramic tile:
* Cleaner surfaces - Whether you use it on the bathroom floor or the wall of a master bedroom, ceramic tile is cleaner than other traditional surfaces. Because it's an inert material, ceramic tile won't harbor bacteria or other micro-organisms like mold or mildew. You can clean it with hot water; no chemicals or detergents are needed.
* VOC-free - Ceramic tile does not release any VOCs, the most prevalent type of indoor irritant.
* Allergy-friendly - Carpet can harbor dust, pet dander and other allergens. Ceramic tile does not, making it a more healthful alternative for people who suffer from allergies.
* Less places for dirt to hide - New, larger format tiles like Keraben's Transit Collection that are 33 inches by 97 inches, cover more surface area and require less mortar or grout, meaning there are fewer places for dirt and microbes to hide. You can also find grout with antimicrobial properties to help keep this area clean as well.
* Eco-friendly - If your health concerns extend to the environment as well, ceramic tile is an environmentally responsible building material. Clay, water and fire are the basic natural resources needed to create ceramic tile. And tile's durability ensures a longer life cycle, meaning less construction debris in landfills.
* Very versatile - It's now possible to achieve virtually any look with ceramic tile - even the appearance of natural wood. For example, the Contempora Collection by Saloni offers a range of wood-plan looks that create effects ranging from rustic chic to sleek contemporary. This versatility means you can use ceramic tile throughout the home, not just on the bathroom floor or kitchen backsplash.
With demand continuing to grow for more healthful building material alternatives, homeowners are rediscovering ceramic tile, and incorporating it into their home improvement and building projects in new ways. To learn more about ceramic tile, visit www.tileofspainusa.com. | <urn:uuid:a0bc0862-7c87-458a-9f78-46f56e367b38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.walb.com/story/15962020/demand-for-healthier-building-options-drives-the-rediscovery-of-ceramic-tile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929471 | 712 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Mo said she was quirky (edition 2012)
by James Kelman
References to this work on external resources.
Wikipedia in English
No descriptions found.
James Kelman tells the story of Helen - a sister, a mother, a daughter - a very ordinary young woman. Her boyfriend said she was quirky but it was more than that. Some things were important. You had to fight for them. Only Helen wasn't as strong as people thought.
(summary from another edition)
An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.
Is this you?
Become a LibraryThing Author. | <urn:uuid:149c5213-b883-4805-9089-099849fcf8b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.librarything.com/work/12353864/90005385 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978406 | 136 | 1.765625 | 2 |
amantadine Oral Warnings
amantadine Oral Uses
Amantadine is used to prevent or treat a certain type of flu (influenza A). If you have been infected with the flu, this medication may help make your symptoms less severe and shorten the time it will take you to get better. Taking amantadine if you have been or will be exposed to the flu may help to prevent you from getting the flu. This medication is an antiviral that is believed to work by stopping growth of the flu virus. This medication is not a vaccine. To increase the chance that you will not get the flu, it is important to get a flu shot once a year at the beginning of every flu season, if possible.
Based on the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, amantadine should not be used to treat or prevent influenza A because the current influenza A virus in the United States and Canada is resistant to this medication. For more details, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Amantadine is also used to treat Parkinson's disease, as well as side effects caused by drugs (e.g., drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms), chemicals, other medical conditions. In these cases, this medication may help to improve your range of motion and ability to exercise. For the treatment of these conditions, amantadine is believed to work by restoring the balance of natural chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain.How to use amantadine Oral
Take this medication by mouth with or without food, usually once or twice daily or as directed by your doctor. If you are taking this medication twice a day and have trouble sleeping after taking it, take the second dose several hours before bedtime.
If you are taking the syrup, measure the dose carefully with a medication spoon/cup.
Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. In children, the dosage is also based on body weight. Do not take more than prescribed by your doctor.
This medication works best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. Therefore, take this medication at evenly spaced intervals throughout the day and night.
If you are taking amantadine for a viral infection, begin taking it as soon as possible. Continue taking it until the full prescribed amount is finished, even if symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping the medication too early may result in a relapse of the infection.
In Parkinson's disease, the effects of the medication may not be noticed for several weeks. Do not suddenly stop taking the medication because symptoms or side effects may worsen. Your doctor may want to reduce your dose gradually. This medication may not work as well after it has been taken for several months. Tell your doctor if this medication stops working well.
amantadine Oral Side Effects
Blurred vision, nausea, stomach upset, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, constipation, nervousness, or trouble sleeping may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: shortness of breath, mental/mood changes (such as depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, compulsive behavior including urge to gamble), muscle stiffness, uncontrolled muscle movements, unusual sweating, fast heartbeat, unexplained fever, seizures.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
amantadine Oral Precautions
Before taking amantadine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to rimantadine; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: a certain type of eye disease (untreated closed-angle glaucoma).
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: swelling of arms/legs (peripheral edema), heart problems (e.g., congestive heart failure), blood pressure problems (e.g., dizziness when standing), kidney disease, liver disease, mental/mood conditions (e.g., depression, psychosis), seizures, a certain skin condition (eczematoid dermatitis).
This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy or cause blurred vision. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness or clear vision until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Avoid alcoholic beverages.
To minimize dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a seated or lying position.
If you are taking this medication for Parkinson's disease, be careful not to overdo physical activity as your condition improves because this may increase your risk of falls. Consult your doctor about a plan to gradually increase your physical activity as symptoms improve.
Kidney function declines as you grow older. This medication is removed by the kidneys. Therefore, elderly people may be at a greater risk for side effects while taking this drug.
This medication should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. There are rare reports of heart defects in newborns whose mothers took amantadine during pregnancy. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
amantadine Oral Interactions
Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
This drug should not be used with the following medication because a very serious interaction may occur: flu vaccine inhaled through the nose.
If you are currently using the medication listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting amantadine.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: anticholinergics (e.g., atropine), antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), certain psychiatric medicines (phenothiazines such as thioridazine), quinidine, quinine, stimulants (like caffeine and decongestants commonly found in cough-and-cold products), triamterene/hydrochlorothiazide, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.
amantadine Oral Overdose
If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include fast/irregular heartbeats, severe drowsiness, shortness of breath, change in the amount of urine, mental/mood changes (e.g., anxiety, aggression, confusion, hallucinations), seizures.NOTES:
Do not share this product with others.
People with Parkinson's disease may have an increased risk for developing skin cancer (melanoma). If you are taking this drug to treat Parkinson's disease, tell your doctor promptly if you notice a change in the appearance or size of moles or other unusual skin changes. Ask your doctor if you should have regular skin exams.MISSED DOSE:
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.STORAGE:
Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.
Information last revised March 2013. Copyright(c) 2013 First Databank, Inc. | <urn:uuid:b6d874c7-fe87-466e-a498-8bb8c0b10ab4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-750-Amantadine+Oral.aspx?drugid=750&drugname=Amantadine+Oral | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913203 | 1,956 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Medicina (Buenos Aires)
versión On-line ISSN 1669-9106
DI PIETRO, Silvana et al. Surveillance of foodborne diseases in the Province of Rio Negro, Argentina, 1993 - 2001. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2004, vol.64, n.2, pp. 120-124. ISSN 1669-9106.
A total of 39 outbreaks of foodborne diseases affecting 958 people in the province of Rio Negro, Argentina between 1993 and 2001 are described and evaluated. The main causal agents were identified involving food, sites of occurrence, risk factors and notification system used. Salmonella spp (38%), Trichinella spiralis (15%), Escherichia coli (13%) and Staphylococcus aureus (15%) were the most frequent agents present in outbreaks. Salmonella spp produced the largest number of cases (52%). Food involved were cooked meat (36%), cheese (10%), sandwiches (10%), deserts (10%) and ice cream (8%). Indeed, ice creams were involved in the largest number of cases and of people affected. In relation to the source of food, 41% of outbreaks were caused by homemade meals, 23% by catering or ice cream parlor, 13% in family parties, 8% in county fairs and 8% in hotel restaurants. In 28% of the outbreaks the etiological agent was identified exclusively by epidemiological analysis, in 64 % isolation of the agent was carried out, and in 8% of the cases, a final diagnosis could not be obtained. Validity of epidemiological studies in foodborne disease, the necessity of strengthening the notification system of outbreaks, and the importance of good practices in food handling are analyzed.
Palabras llave : Foodborne disease; Outbreaks; Surveillance. | <urn:uuid:8524ac71-562d-46ad-bc79-2201e37c62d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0025-76802004000200005&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930858 | 380 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Using a 10-year time horizon, the study put the cost of averting one HIV infection in high HIV prevalence areas between $150 and $900.
Published in the open access journal <i>PLoS Medicine</i>, it is based on findings in meetings convened by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2009/20090907_Male_circumcision_programmes.asp">UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) and the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA).
First-line treatment costs typically exceed $7,000 over a lifetime, and double that if second-line therapies are used, the report said.
With each circumcision procedure costing between $30 and $60, with neonatal circumcision costing only one-third that amount, "circumcising sexually active males of any age is likely to be cost saving," it stressed.
However, the new publication pointed out that male circumcision may have only a minimal impact on curbing HIV transmission among men who have sex with men.
Additionally, despite studies confirming that circumcision could decrease female-to-male HIV transmission by 60 per cent, the procedure does not directly protect women from the virus, the report said. | <urn:uuid:87dc3283-8bf5-4745-997a-c226026fb973> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsrageinternational.blogspot.com/2009/09/male-circumcision-cost-effective-means.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904744 | 292 | 3.109375 | 3 |
The Guardian, Dec. 6th 2010, p. 23
Tom Phillips reports on work by architects and urban planners in Rio as they battle to create a new blueprint for one of the most pressing questions facing an increasingly urban world: how to develop, transform and integrate sprawling and often crime ridden slums into the outside city? With the World Cup and Olympics on the horizon, the city authorities are currently engaged in two simultaneous programmes to improve life in the favelas: 'pioneering' pacification schemes in the slums and re-modelling the favelas as part of an urbanisation initiative called 'Moriar Carioca' (or 'Rio living').
The Guardian, Dec. 27th 2010, p. 11
The government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) which finances regeneration schemes for housing estates, has cut the budget, including the award to the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark, the largest in Europe and the venue of Tony Blair's first speech as prime minister, saving £1.9bn in all. | <urn:uuid:7f745069-45a4-455c-91a4-84d1fa4cd1f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bl.uk/welfarereform/issue138/comregov.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919477 | 215 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Materials Used in Bridges Construction
Bridge Construction Materials:
he traditional building materials for bridges are stones, timber and steel, and more recently reinforced and pre-stressed concrete. For special elements aluminum and its alloys and some types of plastics are used. These materials have different qualities of strength, workability, durability and resistance against corrosion. They differ also in their structure, texture and color or in the possibilities of surface treatment with differing texture and color. For bridges one should use that material which results in the best bridge regarding shape, technical quality, economics and compatibility with the environment.
The great old bridges of the Etruscans, the Romans, the Fratres Pontifices of the middle ages (since about 1100) and of later master builders were built with stone masonry. The arches and piers have lasted for thousands of years when hard stone was used and the foundations constructed on firm ground. With stone one can build bridges which are both beautiful, durable and of large span (up to 150 m).
Unfortunately, stone bridges have become very expensive. Over a long period, however, stone bridges, which are well designed and well built, might perhaps turn out be the cheapest, because they are long-lasting and need almost no maintenance over centuries unless attacked by extreme air pollution.
Stone is nowadays usually confined to the surfaces, the stones being preset or fixed as facing for abutments, piers or arches. Of course, sound weather-resisting stone must be chosen, and fundamental rock like granite, gneiss, porphyry, diabas or crystallized limestone are especially suitable. Caution is necessary with sandstones, as only siliceous sandstone is durable. The choice of colors of the stone is also relevant. Granite of a uniform grey color and sawn surface can look as dull as simple plain concrete. A harmonious mixture of different colors and slightly embossed surfaces can look very lively, even when the masonry areas are extensive. Surfaces can also be enlivened by bright or dark joint-filling. The sizes of the stone blocks and the roughness of their surfaces must be harmonized with the size of the structure, the abutments, the piers etc. Coarse embossing does not suit a small pier only 1 m thick and 5 m high, but large sized ashlars masonry is suitable for large arch bridges such as the Saalebrucke Jena or the Lahntalbrucke Limburg. Granite masonry was preferred for piers of bridges across the River Rhine, because it resists erosion by sandy water much better than the hardest concrete.
Concrete is a construction material used in almost all construction works. Having a dull grey color, usually concrete is not preferred in construction like bridges but some of concrete bridges have turned out to be beauties, if someone knows the art. Good concrete attains high compressive strength and resistance against most natural attacks though not against de-icing saltwater, or CO2 and SO2 in polluted air. However, its tensile strength is low, so is not preferred in areas of tensile stresses. For tensile reinforcement of concrete steel bars are embedded into it. Steel bars start functioning when concrete cracks i.e. when concrete can no longer resist further tensile stresses. The cracks remain harmless called “hair cracks", if bars are designed and place correctly. A second method of resisting tensile forces in concrete structures is by pre-stressing.
Amongst bridge materials steel has the highest and most favorable strength qualities, and it is therefore suitable for the most daring bridges with the longest spans. Normal building steel has compressive and tensile strengths of 370 N/mm2, about ten times the compressive strength of a medium concrete and a hundred times its tensile strength. A special merit of steel is its ductility due to which it deforms considerably before it breaks, because it begins to yield above a certain stress level. This yield strength is used as the first term in standard quality terms.
For bridges high strength steel is often preferred. The higher the strength, the smaller the proportional difference between the yield strength and the tensile strength, and this means that high strength steels are not as ductile as those with normal strength. Nor does fatigue strength rise in proportion to the tensile strength. It is therefore necessary to have a profound knowledge of the behavior of these special steels before using them. For building purposes, steel is fabricated in the form of plates (6 to 80mm thick) by means of rolling when red hot. For bearings and some other items, cast steel is used. For members under tension only, like ropes or cables, there are special steels, processed in different ways which allow us to build bold suspension or cable-stayed bridges.
The high strengths of steel allow small cross-sections of beams or girders and therefore a low dead load of the structure. It was thus possible to develop the light-weight "orthotropic plate" steel decks for roadways, which have now become common with an asphalt wearing course, 60 to 80 mm thick.
The pioneers of this orthotropic plate construction called it by the less mysterious and less scientific name "stiffened steel slabs". Plain steel plate, stiffened by cells or rlbs, forms the chord of both the transverse cross girders and the longitudinal main-girders. Simultaneously it acts as a wind girder. This bridge deck owes its successful application mainly to mechanized welding, which is now in general use and which has greatly influenced the design of steel bridges.
So plate girder construction now prevails, in which large thin steel plates must be stiffened against buckling. Previously, vertical stiffeners were placed by preference on the outer faces; longitudinal stiffeners were then arranged on the inside.
Today all stiffeners are placed on this inside so as to achieve a smooth outer surface allowing no accumulation of dust or dirt deposits that retain humidity and promote corrosion - the "Achilles heel" of steel structures. Modern steel girder bridges now hardly differ from pre-stressed concrete bridges in their external appearance - except perhaps in their color. This is perhaps regrettable, because stiffeners on the outside enliven the plate-faces, give scale and make the girder look less heavy. In addition to plate girders, trusses also take full advantage of the material properties of steel. Very delicate looking bridges can be built by joining slender steel sections together to form a truss. Again welding has improved the potential for good form, because hollow sections can be fabricated and joined without the use of big gusset plates. In this way smooth looking trusses arise without the "unrest" which occurs by joining two or four profiles of rolled section with lattice or plates. Steel must be protected against corrosion and this is usually done by applying a protective paint to the bare steel surface. Painting of normal steels is technically necessary and can be used for color design of the bridge.
The choice of colors is an important feature for achieving good appearance. There are steels which do not corrode in a normal environment (the stainless steels V2A and V4A to DIN 17440), but are so expensive that they are used only for components that are either particularly susceptible to the attacks of corrosion or that are very inaccessible.
From the USA came Tentor steel, alloyed with copper, its 'first corrosion layer being said to protect it against further corrosion. This protective rust has a warm sepia-toned color which looks fine in open country. This type of protection, however, does not last in polluted air and the corrosion continues. For steel bridges, good use should be made of the technical necessity of protecting the steel with paint to improve appearance and to achieve harmonious integration of the structure within the landscape.
Aluminum was occasionally used for bridges and the same form was used as for steel girders. Aluminum profiles are fabricated by the extrusion process which allows many varied hollow shapes to be formed, so that aluminum structures can be more elegant than those of steel. Aluminum profiles are popular for bridge parapets because they need no protective paint. | <urn:uuid:2cce894c-8c4e-4f4c-8a4f-ef0505ccfc47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aboutcivil.org/Materials%20used%20in%20bridges.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950161 | 1,683 | 3.203125 | 3 |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. There is no guarantee of strength, purity or safety of products, and effects may vary. You should always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy. Consult a healthcare provider immediately if you experience side effects.
Avoid with known allergy/hypersensitivity to vitamin D, any of its analogs and derivatives, or any component of the formulation.
Side Effects and Warnings
Vitamin D is generally well tolerated in recommended "adequate intake (AI)" doses.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report on November 30, 2010, recommending vitamin D upper intake levels (UL) of 3,000 IU for those less than nine years old and 4,000 IU for those over nine years old. According to the Institute of Medicine, recommended upper intake levels (ULs) of vitamin D are 1,000 IU for ages 0-6 months, 1,500 IU for ages 7-12 months, 2,500 IU for ages 1-3 years, 3,000 IU for ages 4-8 years, and 4,000 IU for those over age nine. A clinical review has suggested the use of 250 micrograms (10,000 IU) of vitamin D3 daily as the UL, based on the lack of observed toxicity in adult trials.
Excess vitamin D intake may increase the risk of falls or fractures. Other potential adverse effects include increased risk of urinary tract infections, decreased appetite, weight loss, an elevated international normalized ratio, hypercalcemia (increased calcium in the blood), hypercalciuria (increased calcium in the urine), hypervitaminosis D (high blood levels of vitamin D), elevated creatinine levels, gastrointestinal complaints, and increased cancer risk.
Vitamin D toxicity can result from regular excess intake of this vitamin and may lead to hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and excess bone loss. Individuals at particular risk include those with hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroids), kidney disease, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, or histoplasmosis (examples of immune disorders). Chronic hypercalcemia may lead to serious or even life-threatening complications and should be managed by a physician. Early symptoms of hypercalcemia may include nausea, vomiting, and anorexia (appetite or weight loss), followed by polyuria (excess urination), polydipsia (excess thirst), weakness, fatigue, somnolence, headache, dry mouth, a metallic taste, vertigo (dizziness), tinnitus (ear ringing), and ataxia (unsteadiness). Kidney function may become impaired, and metastatic calcifications (calcium deposition in organs throughout the body) may occur, particularly affecting the kidneys. Treatment involves stopping the intake of vitamin D or calcium and lowering the calcium levels under strict medical supervision, with frequent monitoring of calcium levels. Acidification of urine and corticosteroids may be necessary. To return vitamin D levels to normal, the supplement is discontinued.
One study found a greater likelihood of daytime sleepiness for patients given vitamin D analogs. Other adverse effects associated with topical vitamin D analogs include coronary and vascular calcification. Topical vitamin D analogs may be associated with contact dermatitis and skin irritation.
Vitamin D may lower blood sugar levels. Caution is advised in patients with diabetes or hypoglycemia and in those taking drugs, herbs, or supplements that affect blood sugar. Blood glucose levels may need to be monitored by a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist. Medication adjustments may be necessary.
Vitamin D may cause low blood pressure. Caution is advised in patients taking herbs or supplements that lower blood pressure.
Use cautiously in patients with liver disease, as vitamin D is metabolized in the liver.
Use cautiously in patients with hyperparathyroidism, as vitamin D may increase calcium levels.
Use cautiously in patients with kidney disease, as vitamin D may increase calcium levels and increase the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Use cautiously in patients with granulomatous disorders (a type of immune disorder), which are associated with calcium metabolism disorder. Theoretically, concurrent use of high amounts of vitamin D in these patients may increase the risk of hypercalcemia (increased calcium in the blood) and kidney stones.
Use cautiously in mothers who are receiving vitamin D supplements and are breastfeeding, as there may be an increased risk of urinary tract infection, particularly in the first three months.
Avoid in individuals with known allergy to vitamin D or with vitamin D hypersensitivity syndromes.
Avoid in patients with hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels), due to the potential for increased blood calcium levels.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Many pregnant women around the world have been found to be vitamin D deficient. The recommended adequate intake for pregnant women is the same as for nonpregnant adults. Most prenatal vitamins provide 400 IU daily of vitamin D as cholecalciferol. Some authors have suggested that requirements during pregnancy may be greater than these amounts, particularly in sun-deprived individuals, although this has not been clearly established. Risk factors for developing vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy include darker pigmentation, sunscreen use, clothing, latitude, seasons, obesity, race, ethnicity, and low intake of fortified vitamin D milk intake. Due to risks of vitamin D toxicity, any consideration of higher daily doses of vitamin D should be discussed with a physician. Vitamin D deficiency may increase complications in the mother and infant.
In mothers who are receiving vitamin D supplements and are breastfeeding, there may be an increased risk of urinary tract infection, particularly in the first three months.
Vitamin D is typically low in maternal milk, and to prevent deficiency and rickets in exclusively breastfed infants, supplementation may be necessary, starting within the first two months of life. Many lactating women have been found to be vitamin D deficient. | <urn:uuid:b83fcd10-b5b1-46a7-b03e-e3fea3af7678> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d/NS_patient-vitamind/DSECTION=safety | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916644 | 1,251 | 2.390625 | 2 |
World renowned speed coach Bill Begg shares his vast knowledge of skating every week in his "Ask Bill Begg!" column on the Inline Planet.
What's the Best Way to Clean Skate Bearings?
Hi, Bill: As a new skater, I am wondering about how to maintain my bearings? I have heard about several different methods. Which do you think is best? Thanks. - Keith in New York.
Hi, Keith: My favorite way of maintaining bearings is with an ultrasonic cleaner, like the ones used to clean jewelry.
Ultrasonic cleaners are inexpensive and work well with skate bearings.
I use lead-free petrol (gasoline) as the cleaning fluid. Some skaters prefer other fluids, like citrus cleaners. But I still haven’t found anything that works as well as petrol.
If you do use petrol, be careful. Keep it away from any source of flame or spark and avoid breathing the fumes. They’re toxic.
When we’re in New Zealand, we use lead-free petrol. In Europe, we use white petrol or white spirit.
Here are the basic instructions:
We always use bearings that are open on one side. That way we don’t have to remove one of the shields when we clean them.
If your bearings are particularly dirty — let’s say you have been skating in sandy or dusty conditions — rinse them with petrol or other cleaner before putting them in the ultrasonic cleaner.
Copyright © 2011 by Inline Planet | <urn:uuid:f3ac5cd4-5515-411b-b553-794921b25545> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inlineplanet.com/11/03/begg-cleaning-bearings.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923135 | 315 | 1.625 | 2 |
New York Times hedges: Do You Have Free Will? It’s The Only Choice. I don’t know what that means either.
It covers the usual gamut of philosophers (excluding Buddhists, go figure), psychologists and physicists, with the consensus being that it’s an illusion but we have to act like it isn’t.
They invoke the murderer example: can Bill be held responsible if there’s no free will?
But in another way it makes perfect sense to hold Bill fully accountable for murder. His judges pragmatically intuit that regardless of whether free will exists, our society depends on everyone’s believing it does. The benefits of this belief have been demonstrated in other research showing that when people doubt free will, they do worse at their jobs and are less honest.
Right there is where the whole article and most of the popular debate goes wrong. It wants Bill not to have free will, but the judge to retain free will. The double standard: how do we have the free will to judge or not judge him?
If he was fated to kill, we were fated to judge.
Certainly I can’t solve the question of free will, but I can point out something about the way which we debate this question. Particularly interesting to me is the way in which modern writers (e.g. NYT) attempt to derive moral law from the existence or absence of free will, i.e. since there’s no free will, he’s not morally responsible, when, in centuries past it was done the other way around: starting from God, and then later a universal morality, and deducing the existence of free will. We can say that way is silly today, but there’s nothing (i.e knowledge/information) today that makes one direction of the argument more valid than the other.
A typical mistake is to confuse rational free will with determinism. When you say it’s predetermined, are you saying also that the existence of the dolphin’s lung was predetermined?
What’s the purpose of a dolphin’s lung? “To breathe.” That’s what it does, but what was it designed to do? Was it designed? To say its purpose is to breathe is an evolutionary description, not an explanation. Nothing about that lung is necessary, not its design, not its function. If there’s no free will, based on the arguments of determinism, then there’s (for example) no evolution.
No related posts. | <urn:uuid:d0cdce2f-6e0f-4327-9e5f-fb7a3fc63c3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://partialobjects.com/2011/03/do-we-have-free-will/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949264 | 536 | 2.234375 | 2 |
|San Jacinto News-Times - Local News
Stories Added - November 2008
Copyright 2008 - Polk County Publishing Company
New course has Shepherd students excited
San Jacinto News- Times - November 2008
SHEPEHRD -- Shepherd High School’s Family and Consumer Sciences department is offering a new course this year, Food Production, Management and Services. The course is designed to meet the increasing interest in culinary arts and working in the restaurant and food service industry. Current statistics reveal that other than the government, the hospitality industry is our nation’s leading employment opportunity. More than 12 million people are employed in the restaurant industry. To insure that our students have every chance to become successful, Shepherd ISD is proud to prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow’s careers. The class is composed of 10 students who are working to meet the course expectations. Students are currently studying the nationally recognized ServSafe curriculum and will have the opportunity to receive a ServSafe certifi cate upon successful completion of the test. They will also have the opportunity to receive a Texas Food Handlers Permit. In addition, many “hands on” skills will be gained, giving students who complete the course work a defi nite edge over others who attempt to enter the food service industry. The curriculum for this program was designed by the Texas Restaurant Association in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency. The administration of Shepherd ISD is very supportive. A donation from the Shepherd Economic Development Council has helped to jump start the program. The donated funds were used to purchase supplies, uniforms and support membership in the youth leadership organization Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). The students and teachers greatly appreciate this support. Students from Shepherd High School are grateful for this new opportunity and look forward to many new opportunities through this program. The enrollment is expected to grow as others witness the excitement and success of the current students. | <urn:uuid:2daacdea-e772-44a3-a26f-27a1372de096> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.easttexasnews.com/Sanjac/News/Ind/November2008/story5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963491 | 389 | 1.648438 | 2 |
For today’s economic snapshot about the Barnett Shale, I also talked to Barry Smitherman, chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry.
North Dakota has been making lots of news lately, overtaking Alaska as the No. 2 oil producer in the nation behind Texas.
I asked Smitherman if North Dakota could ever become No. 1?
“I think we retain our leadership for some time to come,” Smitherman said.
He pointed out that oil production in Texas has roughly doubled in the past 7 years or so and he foresees a continuation of that trend.
“I think our numbers are going to increase dramatically,” he said.
In November, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,Texas produced about 2.1 million barrels a day and North Dakota produced about 730,000.
Over the weekend, The New York Times Magazine had an interesting story about the North Dakota oil boom, calling it “The Luckiest Place on Earth.” The story said the Bakken field near Williston contains some of the longest horizontal wells – three miles – in the world. | <urn:uuid:34090385-6db2-4838-8487-89a3c768ecfe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/tag/north-dakota/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957839 | 249 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Resource & Publications Library
Search all our resources using our advanced search toolSEARCH
The BHFNC Helpline is an excellent and free service available to all professionalsCONTACT
Receive the latest news on physical activity and health straight to your inboxJOIN NOW
Sports participation on the increase as London Games approach
The latest data on sports participation in the Active People Survey shows that for the first time more than 15 million people in England are playing sport once a week, every week.
The Active People Survey is Sport England’s main participation measure and is based on the percentage of adults (aged 16+) participating in at least 30 minutes of sport at moderate intensity at least once a week.
The latest figures show that 15.28 million people are playing sport at least once a week, 500,000 more than six months ago and 1.3 million more than in 2005/6 when London won the Olympic bid.
Twenty-one sports have shown a positive trend over the past six months, with particularly strong growth in the Olympic sports of cycling, football, athletics and hockey.
The results also show encouraging signs of recovery among a number of sports where participation had fallen in recent years. This includes sports such as such as rugby league, rugby union and golf which have had their funding reduced by Sport England, but have now made significant changes in their participation strategies.
For more information and detailed results visit the Sport England website.
- Publication Date:
- 26 June 2012 | <urn:uuid:bd7b123d-6ecc-49f3-ad79-61db6e77ba6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/homepage-latest-news-item/130/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941969 | 301 | 2.296875 | 2 |
We're told the price of gasoline is climbing due to the cost of oil and speculators, basically.
Does it seem to you if someone in a refinery sneezes, it's enough to drive up the cost? Anymore it doesn't take much.
For years I remember the price was stable enough it really didn't figure into a family's budget, but with the world as it is today, it's as mercurial as any stock. It's become a fact of life in the 21st century and people are again beginning to answer yes to polls that ask if you're driving less because of the cost.
If it's any consolation, our cousins in the UK are paying, on average, $9.85 per gallon! Ouch! One station is selling high octane for the equivalent of $11.52 per gallon. Imagine filling your RV there!
The UK has no sympathy for us, and one writer says our average of $4 will have to double before people decide to park their SUV's and buy something smaller.
Have you or are you considering such a move? Do you, like me, combine trips to save gas...or will it take $8 a gallon before you make changes? | <urn:uuid:8b6e97d9-4a94-4969-aac9-7975582dcf7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://warm1069.com/tom/blog/gas-prices?rate=Rbhz46uupp1Pv9p3n0Pc_pIj2OwdzTePir6hulOTNnc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97959 | 250 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Every wonder how the iPod became to be as popular as it is? Wired has an excellent article explaining how the iPod was created, and the problems involved with getting it out the door. For you iPod fans it's definitely worth checking out.
Ben Knauss is a former senior manager at PortalPlayer, the company Apple Computer approached to help develop an MP3 player that would eventually become the wildly popular iPod. Knauss shared his firsthand knowledge of the device's development, the glitches that almost killed it, and the extraordinary steps Apple took to keep the iPod a secret. Knauss, who acted as the primary liaison between Apple and PortalPlayer, quit the company in 2001. According to Knauss, the iPod originated with a business idea dreamed up by Tony Fadell, an independent contractor and hardware expert who'd helped develop handheld devices at General Magic and Philips.
"Tony's idea was to take an MP3 player, build a Napster music sale service to complement it, and build a company around it," Knauss said. "Tony had the business idea." Knauss said Fadell left Philips and set himself up as an independent contractor to shop the idea around. Knauss said Fadell approached several companies and was turned away by all of them, except for Apple. Apple hired Fadell in early 2001 and assigned him a team of about 30 people -- "a typical industrial design team," Knauss said, including designers, programmers and hardware engineers. He's currently the senior director of iPod & Special Projects Group at Apple.
News source: Wired.com | <urn:uuid:9395fb59-88ad-4d27-b729-ff4e72638d74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.neowin.net/news/inside-look-at-birth-of-the-ipod | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982086 | 326 | 2.0625 | 2 |
- Plan Your Visit
- What's Here
- About NEAM
- 58th Bomb Wing
- Support Us!
Western Electric Nike Ajax Missle
The Nike Ajax, SAM-A-7, was the world's first operational surface-to-air guided missile system. Its origins lay in the immediate post-war time, when the U.S. Army realized that guided missiles were the only way to provide air-defense against future fast high-flying bombers and were designed to replace anti-aircraft artillery.
They were deployed in 100 sites around 19 cities and vital defense areas. There were several sites in Connecticut closest being East Windsor, Manchester and Avon/Simsbury.
Western Electric became prime contractor for the Nike missile system, and Douglas as primary subcontractor was responsible for the missile airframe. The Nike Ajax was superceded by the Nike Hercules and Nike Zeus missiles. | <urn:uuid:aba0413e-68c6-4144-beac-e43ed99454cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.neam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965798 | 184 | 2.4375 | 2 |
What’s at stake: The role of aggregate or ad-hoc models for policy discussions in an age where journal papers in macro theory are always microfounded DSGE was brought to the forefront more than 2 years ago by Paul Krugman’s provocative essay `How Did Economists Get It So Wrong?’ (see here for a review). Since then, an interesting discussion – in the sense that it is not a discussion between those who do not understand the language of modern macroeconomics and those who do – has been going in the blogosphere on the importance of microfoundations for macroeconomic analysis. In a previous post, we outlined recent extensions of the basic IS-LM framework and pointed to a specific strand (modeling financial frictions into New Keynesian models) of a burgeoning literature: models with heterogeneous agents. We use the flurry of debate this week on the blogosphere to provide more background on these heterogeneous agents models and on other alternative approaches to the representative agent framework (behavioral macro models and agent based models).
Microfounded and some other useful aggregate models
Mark Thoma points out that the reason that many of us looked backward for a model to help us understand the present crisis is that none of the current models were capable of explaining what we were going through. The New Keynesians model was built to capture "ordinary" business cycles driven by price sluggishness of the sort that can be captured by the Calvo model of price rigidity. But the standard versions of this model do not explain how financial collapse of the type we just witnessed come about, hence they have little to say about what to do about them.
Simon Wren-Lewis argues that some aggregate models contain critical features that can be derived from a number of different microfoundations. In that situation, it is natural to want to work with these aggregate models. We could even say that they are more useful, because they have a generality that would be missing if we focused on one particular microfoundation. Suppose there is not just one, but perhaps a variety of particular worlds which would lead to this set of aggregate macro relationships. Furthermore, suppose that more than one of these particular worlds was a reasonable representation of reality. In these circumstances, it would seem sensible to go straight to the aggregate model, and ignore microfoundations
In a follow-up post Simon Wren-Lewis argues that the microfoundations purist view is a mistake because it confuses ‘currently has no clear microfoundations’ with ‘cannot ever be microfounded’. Developing new microfounded macro models is hard. It is hard because these models need to be internally consistent. If we think that, say, consumption in the real world shows more inertia than in the baseline intertemporal model, we cannot just add some lags into the aggregate consumption function. Instead we need to think about what microeconomic phenomena might generate that inertia. We need to rework all relevant optimization problems adding in this new ingredient. Many other aggregate relationships besides the consumption function could change as a result. When we do this, we might find that although our new idea does the trick for consumption, it leads to implausible behavior elsewhere, and so we need to go back to the drawing board. It is very important to do all this, but it takes time. So using aggregate (or useful, or ad hoc) models should be respected if there is empirical evidence supporting the ad hoc aggregate relationship, and if the implications of that relationship could be important. In these circumstances, it would be a mistake for academic analysis to have to wait for the microfoundations work to be done.
The Lucas Critique and the Representative Agent framework
Noahpinion points that the Phillips Curve is the famous example of why aggregate relationships might not be useful without understanding the microfoundations. That doesn't make aggregate-only models useless, but it should make people cautious about using them. The usual answer is that "microfoundations make models immune to the Lucas Critique." The idea is that the rules of individual behavior don't change when policy changes, so basing our models purely on the rules of individual behavior will allow us to predict the effects of government policies. Actually, it’s not clear this really works. For example, most microfounded models rely on utility functions with constant parameters - these are the "tastes" that Bob Lucas and other founders of modern macro believed to be fundamental and unchanging. But I'd be willing to bet that different macro policies can change people's risk aversion. If that's the case, then using microfoundations doesn't really answer the Lucas Critique.
The use of representative agents in macroeconomics has something to do with the recent soul searching among macroeconomists and the critique against the profession.
In a review of Michael Woodford's major and very influential monetary theory textbook (Interest and Prices), Kevin Hoover argued that if Keynesians were stigmatized for dealing only in aggregates, the representative-agent is nothing else but an aggregate in microeconomic drag. He recalls that most important – but widely neglected – results of general equilibrium theory in the 1950s and 1960s shown that the representative-agent’s utility function cannot be thought of as ranking the outcomes of policy in a manner that deeply reflects those of individual agents.
AlphaSources provides some useful background about the origins of the Representative Agent. It first appeared in the context of Alfred Marshall’s Principles of Economics in the form of the representative firm and Marshall originally conjured this entity in the context of constructing a supply curve for the industry. After a devastating critique by, among others, John Maynard Keynes and Lionel Robbins the idea of the representative agent was put to rest in the first part of the 20th century. According to Hartley (1996) the first use of representative agents in a post Marshall perspective has its origins in the period in which neo-classical economics was reaching its zenith. Concretely, Lucas and Rapping (1970) is cited as the first contribution using a representative agent detailing the theory of intertemporal labor supply which is a core assumption of most real business cycle models (see D. Romer, 2006, ch. 4).
Microfoundations or "Microfoundations"
Paul Krugman argues that when making comparisons between economics and physical science we should keep in mind that what we call “microfoundations” are not like physical laws. Heck, they’re not even true. Maximizing consumers are just a metaphor, possibly useful in making sense of behavior, but possibly not. The metaphors we use for microfoundations have no claim to be regarded as representing a higher order of truth than the ad hoc aggregate metaphors we use in IS-LM or whatever. Noahpinion argues that macroeconomists to have basically done one of two things: either A) gone right on using aggregate models, while writing down some "microfoundations" to please journal editors, or B) drawn policy recommendations directly from incorrect models of individual behavior.
Kevin Grier, professor at the University of Oklahoma, points that we don't even have very good micro foundations for money! We just put it in the utility function or arbitrarily assume a "cash in advance" constraint. Amazingly though, Central Banks in the Western world have spent a lot of money and economist-hours trying to construct DSGE models that are actually useful for forecasting. This effort has largely led to the de facto abandonment of micro-foundations. In the quest to make the models "work" we often either choose whatever micro-foundation that gives the best forecast regardless of micro evidence about whether or not it is accurate, or we just add ad hoc, non-micro-founded "frictions" to create more inertia. Or we just add more and more "shocks" to the model and say things like, "much of the variation in X is caused by shocks to the markup".
Robert Waldmann points that there is a tension between the two pillars of Modern Macroeconomic Methodology: Milton Friedman's methodology of positive economics and the Lucas critique. A nickel version of Friedman’s methodology of positive economics start with models can be useful even if they are not true (even if they are false by definition). This is universally agreed. This implies that we shouldn't treat models as hypotheses to be tested, so we are not necessarily interested in every testable implication of the model. Instead we should care about the implications of the model for the variables, which matter to us.
Beyond the RA framework: Models with heterogeneous agents
Douglas Clement reviews for the Minneapolis Fed a flourishing literature where researchers explore the promise of economic models that allow for human variation. Including different tastes or characteristics in models have led to a reformulation of many previous results derived with simple representative agents. While standard models tend to find small impact of recessions, heterogeneous agents highlight distributive effects and thus point out much larger overall effects on unemployment and wealth. The consequences of inflation have also be revised: expected inflation has a negative impact on the poor because they hold more of their wealth in cash than do the rich, but, on the other hand, it creates large losses for older, wealthy households because they hold more bonds than others. Deflation could have the opposite consequences.
Simon Wren-Lewis points to a couple interesting questions raised by the role of microfoundations in macroeconomics: Can the microfoundations approach embrace all kinds of heterogeneity, or will such models lose their attractiveness in their complexity? Does sticking with simple, representative agent macro impart some kind of bias? Does a microfoundations approach discourage investigation of the more ‘difficult’ but more important issues? Might both these questions suggest a link between too simple a micro based view and a failure to understand what was going on before the financial crash? Are alternatives to microfoundations modeling methodologically coherent? Is empirical evidence ever going to be strong and clear enough to trump internal consistency?
Jonathan Heathcote, Kjetil Storesletten and Gianluca Violante have, for example, applied these heterogeneous models to investigate the impact of rising wages inequality on labor supply and consumption. Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Stefanie Stantcheva have also Included heterogeneous agents in normative models of taxation leading to a reconsideration of important results in that field.
Beyond the RA framework: The agent based approach to macroeconomics
Doyne Farmer at Santa Fe has become one of the leading proponents of the agent based model approach to macroeconomics. An agent-based model is a computerized simulation of a number of decision-makers (agents) and institutions, which interact through prescribed rules. Contrary to standard dynamic economic models, these models do not rely on the assumption that the economy will move towards a predetermined equilibrium state and they do not assume an a priori form of rationality. Behaviors are modeled according to what is observed: researchers thus need a tremendous amount of data in order to identify robust patterns. The models allow for non-equilibrium states and non-linearities: thus they can generate easily non-market clearing phenomena and endogenous crisis.
In an article in Nature in 2009, Farmer and Foley claimed that these models could include financial interactions in a much more complex and realistic way than usual models. Farmer and his team are now developing an agent-based model of the housing market to mimic the current financial crisis. The team collects data on actual people to calibrate a rich model with millions of interacting agents. This is what they call a bottom-up approach to macroeconomics: see here from a more detailed presentation of that approach by INET.
In order to convince most economists, agent based models need to show that the mechanisms modeled in the complex interactions are nevertheless still clear and intuitive and all but a new black box. Richard Serlin points, in particular, that aggregation is a huge challenge for microfounded models, since complex systems often have chaotic properties.
Beyond the RA framework: IKE and Behavioral Macro
Kevin Hoover has recently written what he calls "an Econ 1 (Principles) version of the Imperfect Knowledge Economics" (IKE) developed by Roman Frydman and Michael D. Goldberg which aims to provide an alternative to the representative agent utility. The IKE sees investors as adopting various strategies for forming expectations of future prices. These strategies are not unique, so that there is a distribution of strategies and investors may alter their strategies from time to time. Roman Frydman and Michael D. Goldberg have especially applied their new approach to asset pricing and financial markets. They complain that current models are only “economics of magical thinking”. Behavioral economics has shown that market participants do not act like conventional economists would predict “rational individuals” to act. But according to Frydman and Goldberg it would be also wrong to interpret these empirical findings to mean that many market participants are irrational, prone to emotion, or ignore economic fundamentals for other reasons. People can be rational in different ways depending on the context and information available to them.
Roger Guesnerie has a rather similar view: developing new approaches to rationality and expectations is the promising way that economics should follow in order to build macroeconomics models in the post crisis era.
Paul De Grauwe recently wrote a textbook on Behavioral Macroeconomics. Contrary to mainstream top-down models in which agents are capable of understanding the whole picture and use this superior information to determine their optimal plans, the models used in this book are bottom-up models in which all agents experience cognitive limitations. As a result, these agents are only capable of understanding and using small bits of information. Agents use simple rules of behavior. These models are not devoid of rationality. Agents in these models behave rationally in that they are willing to learn from their mistakes. Importantly, these models produce a radically different macroeconomic dynamics than RA models. | <urn:uuid:a30bc6b3-0b63-419f-be61-32630833d3a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bruegel.org/nc/blog/detail/article/700-microfoundations-in-macroeconomics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941295 | 2,841 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The College of Osteopathic Medicine makes extensive use of simulated learning methods for all students during the first two years of medical school. This helps prepare students for the clinical experience of clerkships while on rotation during the third and fourth years.
Iowa Simulation Center
This state-of-the-art facility – encompassing the Surgery Skills Lab, Simulation Laboratory and Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory – allows students to hone their diagnostic and clinical skills and patient care abilities using medical mannequins, cutting-edge technology and trained simulated patients, all with the supervision, guidance and feedback of outstanding faculty and experienced medical professionals.
The Surgery Skills Lab includes simulation model labs, a computer technology lab and a simulation operating room lab with a digital over head camera, laparoscopic equipment and station monitors for viewing and recording procedures.
The basic surgical skills course, taken in the second year, emphasizes the fundamentals of basic aseptic technique theory and applications of clinical practice. Under the direction of surgical residents, surgical nurses and surgical teaching assistants, students are introduced to suturing, knot-tying, surgical instrumentation, donning surgical gown and gloves, dissection, intravenous insertion practices and other clinical/surgical procedures and equipment.
The goal of this program is to provide students with a strong foundation in clinical/surgical skills prior to clinical rotation practice. As a result of this educational experience, students are prepared and confident to meet the challenges of performing and practicing skills during clinical rotations in their third and fourth years.
A group of human medical simulators help students learn to care for more critically ill “patients.” These life-like mannequins have heart, lung and bowel sounds which can be programmed to be normal or abnormal. Students can draw “blood” from the simulators, start IVs, catheterize, defibrillate, intubate and perform chest compressions. The obstetrical mannequin also can deliver babies that are in good health or those that require resuscitation.
Harvey, the cardiac simulator, is designed to reproduce abnormal heart sounds to teach students what murmurs, clicks, rubs, etc sound like. The sounds are used in conjunction with lectures on physiology and anatomy to help students learn what causes these abnormal heart sounds to appear. By using Harvey, the students learn how to perform an appropriate cardiac exam, which valves are affected with certain diseases and how to recognize common abnormal heart sounds.
The Standardized Performance Assessment Lab (SPAL), is a simulated clinical setting that allows students to develop and refine their communication skills by working with standardized patients who are trained to portray actual medical cases. Students gain valuable feedback on their diagnostic and communication skills by reviewing videotapes of their performance with simulated patients before seeing actual patients. Learn more about SPAL.
To aid in learning clinical reasoning, students have access to computerized patient management through a library of cases called Diagnostic Reasoning (DXR). DxR provides a computer-based case history; students then work their way through a patient’s history and physical, order appropriate labs and x-rays and use all the information to formulate a diagnosis. A faculty member guides the students through the case studies.
All of these resources supplement and help with the regular teaching methods of lecture, small group activities and teaching laboratories during your first two years as an osteopathic medicine student. | <urn:uuid:03ab1ce3-8611-4c6a-a616-69450b08b590> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmu.edu/do/program-strengths/simulation-teaching-tools/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935493 | 688 | 2.640625 | 3 |
In the Senior years, Knightsbridge School emphasises creative yet critical thinking and developing independent learning skills. The Senior School curriculum prepares students for their future education with an increasing number of specialist subject teachers.
Our boys and girls move on to a range of London day and country boarding schools as happy, well-rounded individuals. Girls and boys follow a broad, balanced curriculum including English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science, French and a second Modern Foreign Language of choice, Latin, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Information Communication Technology, Art, Performing Arts, PE & Games and PSCHE (Personal, Social, Citizenship and Health Education).
S6, S7, S8 (10 - 13 year olds): The School ensures that parents are able to make informed decisions about the most appropriate next schools for their child. Boys and girls can take 11+ entrance examinations whilst in S6 and transfer at the end of the year to a Secondary School. Boys and girls also cover the Common Entrance syllabus in preparation for transfer to Public Schools at 13+. | <urn:uuid:26a544f6-62cd-46ea-a097-39de0850c2b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.knightsbridgeschool.com/senior-school/curriculum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925421 | 214 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Posted by John Dalziel on Friday, January 7, 2011,
Video by Mobile Future: http://mobilefuture.org.
2010 was the year mobile connected the world. With stunning statistics,
facts, and visual cues, this video takes a tour of key consumer and
technology mobile trends across an eventful year. Some highlights of the
Massive increase in apps downloaded:
- FIVE BILLION apps downloaded - up from 300 million in 2009
Whopping expansion of location-based services
- FIVE MILLION Foursquare users -- up from 200,000 u...
Posted by John Dalziel on Tuesday, October 20, 2009,
If you consider yourself a mobile application lover, chances are you will like Appboy.
Appboy is a place where many people, interested in mobile
applications, get together in order to benefit from a social
'environment'. Those who want to raise awareness about any innovative
application they are developing are able to do that and get feedback
from others in the community.
I'm an eLearning Adviser specializing in stimulating and supporting innovation in learning via eBooks, eMagazines, blogs (including audio versions), online TV, interactive resources, forums, workshops, conferences and face2face consultations. Evaluating and becoming familiar with sustainable and new technologies allows me to respond to the needs of learning providers from a position of experience rather than 'hearsay'. Supported learning providers, in the northwest of England (UK), can contact me for FREE consultations. Based at Lancaster University I work for the JISC Regional Support Centre - Northwest. | <urn:uuid:57edf885-8195-444d-8641-831c215661e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acljohn.com/mlearning/tag/social | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91456 | 329 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Tadd - what does Tadd surname mean?
This uncommon and intriguing name has two possible interpretations; firstly, it may be of Anglo-Saxon origin, and an example of that interesting group of early European surnames that were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. These nicknames were given in the first instance with reference to a variety of personal characteristics, and frequently alluding to some fancied resemblance to an animal`s or bird`s appearance or disposition. In the case of the surname Tad(d), the derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century `tadige, tada, tadde`, toad, sometimes used also for `frog`, and in Middle English `tadde, tode`; the nickname was perhaps for someone with prominent eyes or a very deep voice. The second possible origin of the surname is from a medieval given name, `Tedd`, thought to be a short form of an Olde English or Norman personal name with the Old Germanic `theudo`, people, race, as its first element, such as Theobald, `people-bold`. The first recording of the surname, below, is from this source. Examples of the name from Church Registers include: the christening of Catharine, daughter of Nicholas Tadd, on March 8th 1589, at Boughton under Blean, Kent; the marriage of Edward Tadd and An Saffe in Trowbridtge, Wiltshire, on December 19th 1644; and the marriage of John Tadd and Joanna Stevens on May 7th 1677, at Allhallows, London Wall, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Tedde, which was dated 1327, recorded at Fillongley, Warwickshire, during the reign of King Edward 11, known as `Edward of Caernafon`, 1307 - 1327. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to `develop` often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Get the Tadd surname meaning widget for your website!
Select and copy the text below in your website's code. | <urn:uuid:3e04bd35-c08e-4b53-8c85-10181a06ddfb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mysurna.me/surname.php?s=Tadd | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959369 | 472 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Reading Richard Goering’s blog about the Cadence-Imec collaboration on 3D-IC design for test architecture—How Imec and Cadence “Wrapped Up” 3D-IC Test—gave me a strong sense of déjà vu all over again. (Never pass up a chance to quote the great Yogi Berra.) Goering’s blog entry discusses the difficulties of testing pre-bonded die and post-bonded 3D assemblies and the use of the IEEE 1500 standard to overcome these difficulties. Here’s what Goering writes about pre-bond testing:
“[Brion] Keller [senior architect at Cadence] noted that pre-bond testing is difficult for any die that is not intended to be the bottom die in a stack. Such dies only connect to the dies above or below through TSVs (where the TSVs touch down on micro-bumps on the neighboring die), and the resulting pins and micro-bumps are too small for current probe technology to handle.”
Here’s what Goering wrote about testing post-bonded 3D IC assemblies:
“During post-bond testing, the only contact you have with the package is through the package pins, and to access those you have to go through the bottom die.”
These factors are driving the quest to develop early standards for 3D IC die and assembly testing. All of this—especially the problems with probe access—seemed very, very familiar to me so I used Google to quickly find an editorial that I wrote and published in EDN back in early 1996, more than 15 years ago, when the IEEE 1149.1 test standard was still being adopted for board-level assemblies to combat the probe-access problems associated with surface-mount technology:
Design for test—or else. . .
Recently, I moderated an all-day design-for-test (DFT) seminar sponsored by Asset Intertech, National Semiconductor, and Synopsys. Odds are, you weren’t there. What follows are my opening remarks from the seminar, for your thoughtful consideration. If you have not looked at DFT methods in a while, this is a good time to do so. Design teams must use DFT methods, or they will quickly fall behind in today’s competitive markets.
“November 1995 marked the 10th anniversary of the development of boundary-scan standards. Back in 1985, Alcatel started the test-bus study group that became JTAG, or the Joint Test Action Group. Philips quickly took over the JTAG bandwagon and started driving it. JTAG hooked up with the IEEE’s P1149 serial-test-standard working group and the combined efforts eventually resulted in the 1149.1 standard.
“Surface-mount technology, with its fine component lead pitches and reduced pc-board geometries, has accelerated the problems of testability. Here’s what I wrote about testability in my Decade 90 series published seven years ago in EDN:
‘Many design engineers’ and managers’ attitudes about product testability seem to have frozen during an earlier era in electronics, when a technician could troubleshoot almost any problem in 20 minutes with a scope and a little savvy. For products designed without the design-for-testability philosophy, today’s most advanced in-circuit ATE testers can do no more than automate the time-honored tradition of sticking a test probe into a failing test node to find the problem. But as electronic systems grow in complexity, this approach grows less and less effective and increasingly costly.’
“In an epoch of world-shattering upheavals in electronic technology, it’s amazing how slowly some things change. Here’s what EDN’s test-and-measurement editor Dan Strassberg wrote about boundary-scan testing in his cover story published in October 1993:
‘As boards become increasingly dense, nodal-access problems of the kind once thought to be unique to multichip modules are affecting more and more boards. Boundary-scan testing is about the only game in town for overcoming these problems. But, like nearly every new technology, its acceptance has been hindered by a poorly developed infrastructure and, possibly, by a bit too much early optimism from partisans.’
“Our mission today is to convince you that much of that missing infrastructure is now developed, in the form of silicon, EDA tools, and test systems. You can and you should now be designing your products for testing.”
Like I said, it’s déjà vu all over again. | <urn:uuid:595295ca-35f6-4e0d-842b-3b07c1a43b3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eda360insider.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/dft-for-3d-ic-it%E2%80%99s-deja-vu-all-over-again/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938808 | 986 | 1.75 | 2 |
Most Americans agree that it’s time to fix a system that’s been broken for way too long,
My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington.
If your not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job.- Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr.
I was elected by the people of Australia as Prime Minister of Australia. I was elected to ...- Kevin Rudd
I remember growing up thinking that astronauts and their job was the coolest thing you cou...- David McDowell Brown
Writers are not here to conform. We are here to challenge. We're not here to be comfortabl...- Jeanette Winterson
Well, I would never admit to copying Karl Rove's play book, but there's no doubt that what...- David Plouffe
No party has a monopoly on wisdom. No democracy works without compromise. But when Governor Romney and his allies in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy – well, you do the math. I refuse to go along with that. And as long as I’m President, I never will.
|Birth:||4th August, 1961|
Barack Obama is a multiracial American politician, though he refers to himself as African-American. He is a 44th President of the United States. He served as Democratic state senator in Illinois, and then as US Senator from that state, before being elected President in 2008.
His father was an economics student from Nairobi, his mother a white American anthropology student when they married. They divorced when Obama was young, and his father returned to Kenya. Obama was raised by his mother until about age 10, when his maternal grandmother in Honolulu took him in. He graduated with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was the first African-American to become Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Law Review. Obama practiced civil rights law, representing victims of housing and employment discrimination and working on voting rights legislation. He worked as a community organizer in a poor Chicago neighborhood. He has spoken against NAFTA and racial profiling, and for universal health care. From the start, he opposed war in Iraq.
His campaign for Senate received an enormous boost when his opponent, Republican Jack Ryan, withdrew amid embarrassing allegations in his divorce from Star Trek actress Jeri Ryan, that during their marriage he had tried to lure her to attend sex clubs in France. Obama received another boost when he was invited to address the 2004 Democratic Party convention in prime time. In the 2008 general election, Obama became the first African-American elected to the office of President of the United States, defeating Senator John McCain from Arizona by a wide margin.
Quote of the day
Our mission is to motivate, boost self confiedence and inspire people to Love life, live life and surf life with words. | <urn:uuid:b18f3065-eaa7-4519-852a-81597b75dca4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.quoteswave.com/text-quotes/75641 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982738 | 595 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Winning Gold Canada's Incredible 2002 Olympic Victory in Women's Hockey (Paperback)
|Author: Lorna Shultz Nicholson|
|They''d lost the last 8 games they''d played against Team USA. To Stand a chance at Olympic Gold, they just needed to believe.|
From the Publisher:
The 2002 Winter Olympics were hosted by Salt Lake City, Utah. Just four years previous, Women's Hockey had become an official Olympic sport, at Nagano, Japan. There, the Canadian team had been favoured to win the gold. They were the World Championship winners, after all. Yet, in a disappointing final game, Team Canada lost to the USA and ended up with silver. Now, heading into the 2002 Winter Games, they're on a losing streak. What would it take for our women to bring home the gold? | <urn:uuid:598d1348-7faf-4b4e-ad52-770695862015> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rakuten.com/prod/winning-gold/216023960.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971938 | 173 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Do you know the amazing health benefits of avocados? Avocados are extremely nutritious and can greatly benefit your health. In the past some have been concerned about avocados containing too much fat. However, this is a misconception, as the fat avocados do contain is the good kind. Not only that but we need fat from our diet. Fat is one of the primary macronutrients our bodies need for bodily functions. Also, there is the misconception that fat makes you fat, which is simply not true.
So here are some great facts about the benefits of avocados and why you should include them in your diet!
What are Avocados?
Avocados, a type of fruit, grow from trees that belonging to the family Lauraceae. Avocados are native to Central and South America. Avocados are grown in most tropical and subtropical areas, including Florida, California, Mexico, Brazil, and Columbia. Avocados mature on the tree and ripen off of the tree. Avocados can ripen in a few days when stored at room temperature. Avocados are firm and a medium green color, as they ripen the avocado becomes softer and darker in color.
Health Benefits of Avocados and Avocados Nutrition:
The health benefits of avocados are well known due to the 25 vitamins and minerals they contain. Avocados contain vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, iron, magnesium, folic acid, copper, fiber, protein, and potassium. Avocados also contain phytonutrients. Avocados contain 18 essential amino acids which can be used to form a complete protein. For this reason, avocados are often an integral part of vegetarian, vegan or raw food diets.
Avocados consist of approximately 20% fat. The majority of the fat contained in avocados is monounsaturated fat. Avocados also contain a small amount of polyunsaturated and saturated fat. The fat in avocados is the healthy kind of fat that our bodies need for growth and to perform bodily functions.
10 Benefits of Avocados in Your Diet:
1. Heart Healthy Benefits –Avocados vitamins and minerals help maintain homocystine levels. The monounsaturated fat and glutathione also benefit for a healthy heart. Avocados also support the blood vessels. Additionally, heart health benefits from oleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are present in avocados.
2. Boosts the Immune System- The glutathione in avocados aids in boosting the immune systems and benefits the nervous system. The carotenoids present in avocados has been found to enhance the functioning of the immune system and benefit the reproductive system.
3. Avocados are Anti-Inflammatory- The phytonutrients, polyphenols and flavonoids, present in avocados reduce inflammation.
4. Lowers Cholesterol Levels – Avocados contain beta-sitosterol which studies have shown is effective at lowering LDL cholesterol levels and increasing HDL levels.
5. Benefit Blood Pressure – Avocados contain more potassium then bananas. The potassium aids in controlling blood pressure levels.
6. Cancer Protecting Properties- Those who consume type of fat found in avocados have been found to have a reduced risk of cancer. Studies have also shown that avocados can aid in fighting prostate cancer.
7. Increases Absorption of Nutrients-Avocados increase nutrient absorption. Studies have shown that when subjects ate meals containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of beta carotene and lycopene.
8. Contains Antioxidants –Avocados are rich in antioxidants and aid in fighting oxidative stress. The glutathione is a strong antioxidant which fights free radicals.
9. Prevent Diabetes and Regulate Blood Sugar- Avocados have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes. The monounsaturated fats help regulate blood sugar and can reverse insulin resistance.
10. Benefit Eye Health- The high amount of carotenoid lutein in avocados aids in protecting against cataracts and macular degeneration.
These are just some of the benefits of avocados. Not only are avocados beneficial when consumed, they are also often used topically to benefit skin and hair.
How to Get the most Benefits of Avocados:
Avocados are most beneficial when they are ripe . Over-ripe avocados will be darker in color, almost a dark brown or black color. When you peel a just right avocado it should be a nice bright green color. If there are any dark brown spots when peeled, it is too ripe. It is best to buy the avocados un-ripen and you can allow them to ripen in your home at room temperature. To make them ripen faster you can store them in a bag with apples or bananas. To stall the process of ripening you can store the avocado in your refrigerator. | <urn:uuid:cafaa307-bff2-4800-a797-42c43553d2b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthextremist.com/benefits-of-avocados-health-benefits-of-avocados-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903012 | 1,047 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Government IT tends to be large, expensive, and fraught with risk. The scale of waste that arises from failure makes these projects a healthy target for politicians seeking to gain political advantage against rivals. As a result, politicians sometimes attempt to use failed government projects to their own political advantage.
The latest case occurs in Australia where John-Paul Langbroe, leader of the Queensland opposition, calls for changing government leaders over an apparent failure. From his website:
Revelations the Crime and Misconduct Commission has been called on to investigate the handling of a whole-of-government computer server project raises further questions about the Ministerâs performance, the LNP said today.
âHow many reviews and investigations need to occur before [Minister for Public Works] Robert Schwarten admits these projects have veered off course while he is at the wheel.
âWeâve seen changes in this departmentâs direction, changes to deadlines and changes in management â itâs time we see a change of Minister.â
Apparently, Langbroe’s comments were in response to a new investigation into the Foundation Infrastructure Project, a major IT transformation initiative started in 2008. According to ZDNet Australia, which broke the story, anonymous comments sparked the investigation:
CITEC, the Queensland Government’s primary technology provider, will hand over two reviews into its information and communication technology consolidation (ICTC) program to the Crime and Misconduct commission following anonymous allegations made about the program.
An anonymous email sent to the department made allegations regarding CITEC’s Foundation Infrastructure Project (FIP) in mid-April, according to a statement from CITEC. The anonymous complainant made allegations of procurement, infrastructure, datacentre and funding issues, but according to CITEC, there were no solid leads to go on.
At this point we do not know whether the project is suffering waste or abuse; unsubstantiated allegations are not proof of failure. Nonetheless, this case highlights the scope, scale, and importance of IT failures.
(Cross-posted @ IT Project Failures Blog RSS | ZDNet) | <urn:uuid:0b89dc82-ad79-4def-9f28-4ec5c20c0e8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enterpriseirregulars.com/20751/politicizing-it-failure-in-australia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933935 | 434 | 1.867188 | 2 |
In Australian copyright law, a new fair dealing exception for the purposes of parody or satire was recently introduced into the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Perhaps unhelpfully “parody” and “satire” are given no definition in the Act.
More helpfully, thanks to an imaginative cartoonist and a miffed copyright holder, the law may soon be tested. But first let's look at the law.
In an excellent Arts Law article1 Sally McCausland points out that Attorney General Phillip Ruddock’s parliamentary speech states the changes help “protect free speech for cartoonists and comics”. McCausland notes we can take cues from US copyright law decisions. They broadly define parody as using a work to criticise the work itself (eg a comedy skit using parts of a movie scene to comment on how bad the movie is).
As it happens, we may soon see if that last example is really satire under Australian law. Crikey recently revealed that political cartoonist Bill Leak’s repeated depictions of the Australian politician Kevin Rudd as comic-book favourite Tintin (as depicted, right) earned him threats of copyright infringement from Tintin’s copyright owners. The cartoonist has reportedly refused to give undertakings to cease using the character in future cartoons and intends on relying on the new fair dealing exception in his defence if action is commenced. We’ll come back to Tintin later.
If you’re considering using someone’s copyrighted work for the purposes of parody or satire, test your legal exposure with the questions below. They cover fair dealing for the purpose of parody or satire, moral rights and other copyright considerations as well as defamation law and trade marks law.
- Does your use fit within ordinary dictionary meanings for parody or satire? How do the legal definitions and intent of the laws discussed above apply?
- Is the use you’re making “fair”? Think about the purpose and character of the use. A famous US copyright and "fair use" exception case involved a rap song by 2 Live Crew - Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, 510 U.S. 569 (1994). They produced "Pretty Woman", a song that took some of the music and lyrics from the Roy Orbison song “Oh, Pretty Woman”2. They also sampled the bass riff. The US Supreme court ruled the character of the use was parody, stating “It is this joinder of reference and ridicule that marks off the author's choice of parody from the other types of comment and criticism that traditionally have had a claim to fair use protection as transformative works.”
- What is the nature and substantiality of the material you are copying? Again the Pretty Woman case is enlightening, where the relevant question was stated as whether the parody "has appropriated a greater amount of the original work than is necessary to 'recall or conjure up' the object of the [parody]."3 Further, Australian courts examined the issue of substantiality in copyright law in The Panel case4, which would have most likely turned out very differently with the new exception.
- What’s the likely market impact of your parody or satire? In particular will it adversely affect the original work?
- Is the use overly humiliating, derogatory or inappropriate, so as to breach the author’s moral right of integrity?
- Is it reasonable in the circumstances to attribute the work forming the basis of your parody or satire to its original author? Just as importantly, make sure you don’t falsely attribute the work. These are both moral rights of original authors. It is best to err on the side of caution, giving credit (attribution) can reduce legal exposure.
- Is any element of the original work a protectible trade mark? This will affect you if you are using that element also as a trade mark.
- Is the use defamatory? Famously, Australian architect Harry Seidler sued Fairfax over a cartoon by Patrick Cook that depicted one of Seidler's buildings in a bad light. The court decided the cartoon was a joke and readers would not seriously consider it a statement of fact.
- Can you get permission from the original's owner? This can be difficult, if not downright impossible when it comes to sending someone up. 2 Live Crew had requested a licence to "Oh, Pretty Woman". The refusal letter stated: "I am aware of the success enjoyed by `The 2 Live Crews', but I must inform you that we cannot permit the use of a parody of `Oh, Pretty Woman."
Final word on Tintin
Back to Tintin, because the Australian satire exception is untested it’s largely unclear exactly how the law will be applied. However, given the much publicised political intentions of the legislation and accepted definitions of satire, Lightbulb would advise Tintin’s copyright owners that it is more than likely their chances of success against the cartoonist are looking rather Bleak.
UPDATE 4 June 2007
Tintin's copyright owners must have read this article! They have reportedly conceded they cannot stop Leak using Tintin for purposes of satire and have dropped their demands that he do so. They are now only demanding that no Leak cartoons featuring Tintin be sold.
1 Sally McCausland, New Room to Lampoon: The new fair dealing exception for parody or satire, ART+law, p1 March 2007.
2 United States Supreme Court in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. (1994)
4 TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd & Ors v Network Ten Pty Ltd FCA 108
|< Prev||Next >| | <urn:uuid:58ca0c8c-8f1e-47f1-93e4-dabb2c0765c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dilanchian.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=290:fair-dealing-for-satire-but-tintins-not-laughing&catid=23:ip&Itemid=114 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943723 | 1,182 | 2.078125 | 2 |
The overall economy in Minot has continued to boom in recent years and 2012 was no exception.
Jordan Pederson shows us how the sales tax has increased over the past year --- and the unemployment rate has taken a dip in North Dakota.
There is no question that Minot has been enjoying a boom economy.
Taxable Sales and Purchases for the second quarter of Minot are up about 1.1 million dollars.
The 2011 second quarter taxable sales and purchases were approximately 3.24 million dollars compared to this year's 4.34 million dollars.
The increase can be attributed to Minot's brisk business and the increased number of visitors to the area.
(Wendy Howe, Executive Director, Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau) "People that are new to the area, that are in the western part of the state, that are in our area that are shopping and coming in and taking in events and leaving dollars here in the community."
But these visitors aren't coming from just the west.
(Wendy Howe, Executive Director, Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau) "The economy is booming not only from the new people that are residing in the area but definitely the Canadians that are back shopping in Minot."
Regardless of where people are traveling from.. they are having an economic impact on Minot.
(Wendy Howe, Executive Director, Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau) "Those visitors are also impacting the residents of Minot by being able to bring down the property tax a little bit, by being able to give some dollars into economic development that brings more businesses to Minot and also the infrastructure."
Lodging Tax has definitely seen a bump as well.
The year to date lodging tax rate is up 1.25 million dollars from October of 2011 to October of this year.
And unemployment rates for Minot have decreased in the last year as well.
In September 2011 Minot's unemployment rate was at a 2.9 percent.
It has dropped .7 percent to a minuscule 2.2 percent compared to the U.S. unemployment rate that sits at 7.6 percent.
So although Minot is more crowded these days, these visitors are helping the Minot community thrive.
(Wendy Howe, Executive Director, Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau) "Those visitors that spend dollars have a tremendous economic impact that drives the community because those dollars trickle down into all businesses."
Jordan Pederson, KX News.
Ward County's unemployment rate has also decreased --- in 2011 it was at 2.9 percent and in 2012 --- 2.4 percent. | <urn:uuid:706e9c10-e7eb-4e09-a8bb-2e46876518b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kxnet.com/story/20715727/minot-economy-booming | 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 | 0.970617 | 537 | 1.859375 | 2 |
A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.
From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.
Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.
January 15, 2013: The Start of the Maryland General Assembly
The 433rd legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly opened on January 9, and with it, several environmental issues that will shape the future of life in Maryland are being debated.
Issues like shark finning, plastic consumption, hydraulic fracturing and wind energy affect the people of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed every day, and the quality of life in our state going forward.
Our government affairs team will be hard at work in Annapolis this year to advocate on behalf of these environmental initiatives.
Want to stay up to date on National Aquarium’s legislative efforts? CLICK HERE to sign up for e-mail updates!
*Editor’s note: The audio and script for this week’s A Blue View incorrectly referred to 2013′s legislative session as the 429th. It is the 433rd. | <urn:uuid:9602b9d4-812e-4c86-a668-0f6a07d911fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nationalaquarium.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/a-blue-view-the-environment-up-close-at-the-2013-maryland-general-assembly/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925158 | 274 | 1.921875 | 2 |
“How far should city leaders go in the name of equality and justice? Judging by the Philadelphia School District’s reported efforts to give a contract to a minority-owned firm, it seems district leaders believe in giving minorities business by any means necessary.”
This is an excerpt from my commentary in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, “False goals for city schools”. Please click here to read the entire article. You can respond or provide feedback by clicking on the comment button below.
Thanks for reading. | <urn:uuid:b0d61dda-fc50-49ca-9a17-ee51ad3cc7a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chalkandtalk.wordpress.com/2010/12/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927088 | 110 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Added: 12 months ago
Brooklynís Gowanus canal is one of Americaís most polluted waterways. More than a century of unfettered industrial abuse was followed by decades of bungled attempts to clean it up. It is significantly cleaner than it was 30 years ago but itís contaminated waters hold the evidence of itís history.
To look into the Gowanus canal is to gaze into the eyes of a corpse. It is murky and clouded over but if you look closely you can see life and light reflected in the mercury, feces and coal tar that drift in the canal like malevolent clouds. This uncomfortable cohabitation is the foundation of a photographic study of the strangely beautiful horror that the canal hosts. This is not a story about the canalís death and rebirth. I am not interested in making this a documentary about the Gowanus canal but rather a documentation of the evidence of industrial crimes that took place there over 150 years. | <urn:uuid:ce48454b-284c-4239-ab0d-fa00aaef2436> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.celesteprize.com/artwork/ido:132853/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949941 | 189 | 2.1875 | 2 |
“We want to make sure that your clients know that about you, that you bring your best to the table, and that is what you are going to do if they need insurance,” said Jessica Marroquin as she took notes.
It was advice for which some firms charge high hourly rates. Guillen didn't pay a penny.
True Integrity Insurance Services is one of four small local businesses benefiting from a new collaboration between Woodbury University's MBA program and the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. In its inaugural cycle, students enrolled in a summer entrepreneurship class have been matched with local businesses to function as full-service consultants.
They conduct market research, develop business plans and design advertising and marketing strategies, among other things. The students' work will be summarized, packaged and delivered to their clients next month, and potentially used to secure bank loans and drive revenue.
“There are so many businesses right now that are in need of what these students can do for them,” said Paul Sabolic, a long-time Woodbury adjunct professor who helped get the initiative off the ground.
Modeled after similar programs at USC and Pepperdine University, it immediately generated strong interest within the local business community, Sabolic said. The program serves to build relationships while also giving students invaluable experience.
“We can sit there and talk about financials and breaking even, but here they are now getting to, and calculating, it for a business,” Sabolic said. “We can talk about creating a fake business plan, but we have two of the companies now doing real business plans.”
Chamber President Gary Olson noted that the program builds on a long-standing relationship with Woodbury University. The plan is to continue it into future semesters.
“We are very pleased with the response received from our members who have expressed a very strong desire to participate,” Olson said.
As Guillen likes to put it, she started True Integrity Insurance Services three years ago with “four bare walls and two paper clips.” She described the student consultants' knowledge and time as a “huge gift.”
“We've been able to build our clientele from scratch,” Guillen said. “But we are at that crossroads where we need to take the next step, which is the pivotal step to move forward. Yet we don't have the finances to be able to take this gigantic step.”
Her student consultants noted that she will be able to use her soon-to-be-completed business plan to secure a loan or attract clients. And the work experience they have gained is payment in and of itself, they said.
“It is real-life experience that we take with us in our future careers,” Marroquin said.
Follow Megan O'Neil on Twitter | <urn:uuid:28ea49af-14e1-4f17-82bc-ce556ad9360c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.burbankleader.com/the818now/tn-818-0727-woodbury-university-extends-pricey-lifeline-to-business-owners-for-free,0,2000182.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9737 | 593 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Idaho food stamp program helps people who are of low income or disabled to be able to buy food that they may be in danger of not being able to afford. Food stamps are a government benefit to help prevent hunger and starvation in the state of Idaho. To meet the food stamp qualifications in Idaho, you will have a disabled person or a person that has low income. You also must apply for food stamps at a local state location.
The first thing you will need is an Idaho food stamp application form. Start the food stamp application process by visiting the Idaho web site and printing the food stamp application form at:
Either mail or bring your food stamp application form to a local Idaho DHS or food stamp office. The application will be accepted the day it is turned in and quickly looked over to see if you need emergency food stamps. If not, you will most likely be given a date to come in for an interview. Be sure that you are very accurate on the food stamp application so that you will get the maximum food stamp benefits, and will make the interview go quickly.
Here is a web site that will help you find a local Idaho food stamp office.
When the application gets approval, and the interview is completed, you will either be immediately given food stamps or they will be mailed to you. Be sure to make a small purchase immediately of something you would normally buy. This is to verify that the Idaho food stamps are working correctly as they should be. If you run into any problems at all, be sure to contact an Idaho DHS or food stamp office. If you can get a business card of the DHS agent that you had an interview with, keep their number on hand if you have any problem using your food stamps or any technical difficulties using them. | <urn:uuid:ac36ac27-feea-4f8f-b056-c1e411045950> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.livingpress.com/articles/governmentbenefits/foodstamps/Idaho/Idaho.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951758 | 355 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Years ago I co-owned an automotive business. During the 14 years that I was in this business, I made sure to make the business very "women friendly". The lobby had comfortable chairs, there were current women`s magazines, there were plenty of plants and greenery, the place smelled and looked neat and clean. There was a T. V. and a fish tank. I also had a small table with 4 chairs, a huge box of crayons and big pile of coloring books for their children to amuse themselves. The lobby was a safe environment for the children. The LADIES room was to always be neat, clean, and SAFE and this is a big deal in iteslf.
In addition to this, the mechanics were instructed to speak only to the service managers, who in turn were the representatives of the shop. They were to be neatly dressed in their blue jeans and sports shirt and were NEVER to "speak down" to anyone especially women! (We all know its not just women who may not know about cars....!) None of the guys were working on commission, so therefore, there were no high sales pressures to our customers. When people`s cars were going to take a while to repair, we would drive the customers where they needed to be, and picked them up when the cars were finished.
Seat covers, steering wheel covers and paper floor mats were always used to protect the interiors and each car that came into the place, left cleaner than when it arrived. Customers were the lifeblood of the business and they were treated as such. Word of mouth can make or break a business, and this one was one heck of a success! I do agree, make a place comfortable for women, and you can guarantee more business for yourself. Women tend to tell their friends, family, co-workers and so on about places to go, or stay away from...take it from me, I know, I was the WOMAN who ran the place! | <urn:uuid:3c45c841-1c82-4bca-ba96-b0a4038cd8ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.startupnation.com/Business-idea-for-anyone-who-wants-it/topic/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.994436 | 405 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Back in 2006, I made some predictions about where mobile learning might be heading, including the use of augmented reality or “Heads Up” data displays to provide information on a learner’s environment and allow learning “in situ,”. Augmented reality has recently really taken off during 2009, with a number of apps on various GPS-enabled mobile phones (notably the iPhone) providing information layered over a camera view of the world; one example of this is the Layar application.
I also predicted the use of image recognition that would effectively enable “visual searches” of objects and images in the real world (and indeed, I reiterated this belief in a comment just yesterday on Stephen Downes’ blog). Want to know more information on that bridge over there? No worries! Just point your camera at it, and image recognition will provide some suggestions on appropriate websites to look at.
When I blogged that idea, however, I’m not sure I expected this technology to actually become available quite so fast. Today, Google announced a new beta application they’ve coined “Google Goggles“. And guess what? Their concept illustrations even features a bridge as the subject of their illustrated example – even if it is an American one rather than an Australian one.
The official Google site for the project (which is still in development) provides a number of ways Goggles can be used to accomplish a “visual search”, including landmarks, books, contact information, artwork, places, logos, and even wine labels (which I anticipate could go much further, to cover product packaging more broadly).
So why is this a significant development for m-learning? Because this innovation will enable learners to “explore” the physical world without assuming any prior knowledge. If you know absolutely nothing about an object, Goggles will provide you with a start. Here’s an example: you’re studying industrial design, and you happen to spot a rather nicely-designed chair. However, there’s no information on the chair about who designed it. How do you find out some information about the chair, which you’d like to note as an influence in your own designs? A textual search is useless, but a visual search would allow you to take a photo of the chair and let Google’s servers offer some suggestions about who might have manufactured, designed, or sold it. Ditto unusual insects, species of tree, graphic designs, sculptures, or whatever you might happen to by interested in learning.
Just watch this space. I think Google Goggles is going to rock m-learning…
(via Mobility Site) | <urn:uuid:c2ac0242-7f4a-4271-97f3-369487f90bf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mlearning.wordpress.com/category/mobile-5/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942118 | 552 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Jeff Meldrum wants to search for Bigfoot by using a remote-controlled blimp. Because when you're looking for a mythical creature famous for eluding all who search for it, a giant, buzzing, looming balloon is clearly the way to go. Meldrum, a tenured Idaho State University anthropologist who established his career studying primate foot anatomy before shifting his focus to monsters, expects he'll have to raise $300,000 to get the project airborne. He's trying (and so far failing) to get funding from private sources. (No surprise that his home institution wants nothing to do with the endeavor.) That's a lot of money and effort for what will undoubtedly turn out to be a collection of blurry photographs that look like Instagram snapshots from a visit to the Pacific Northwest woods.
I loved reading breathless tales of encounters with the Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, Jersey Devil, Bigfoot and other cryptids as a child, but those stories have never been supported by anything more substantial than an out-of-focus snapshot or embellished campfire story. And in the case of North America's legendary nonhuman ape, the picture historians and sociologists have pieced together is that Bigfoot and other shaggy humanoids are cultural inventions that we have repeatedly conjured so that there's always something wild and mysterious in the woods. Stories about Bigfoot began to proliferate after expeditions in the Himalayas in the 1950s reported ambiguous Yeti footprints - none of which have been convincingly attributed to a Gigantopithecus descendant or other prehistoric hominid holdover. Sasquatch fans have since done a bit of retconning by claiming Native American stories and dubious historical encounters as part of their mythology, but the trail is clear. Bigfoot is not a monster but a meme.
This hasn't swayed the cryptozoological faithful. They are convinced that monstrous beings must be out there, just out of reach. If you browse the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization website, for example, you'll find more excuses than hard evidence. Despite the ubiquity of smartphone cameras and the accessibility of camera traps, there are no clear photographs of the mythical ape. The site asserts that sightings are fleeting because Sasquatches are smart enough to avoid unwanted pictures, and photographers are often overcome by the "initial confusion and/or fear during their sighting." As for the lack of a body or bones: "No serious work has ever been done to look for remains of surviving wood apes in areas where they are rumored to reside," the BFRO website says, and blithely states that "No one should expect remains of such an elusive species to be found, collected and identified without some effort." Even for Sasquatch advocates, seeking the remains of their beloved legend is just too much work.
If Sasquatches were real, there would be ways to detect the creature's existence. For one thing, there would be a fossil record of large apes moving into North America, probably from Pleistocene Asia. But fossil nonhuman apes have never been found in North America (the sole candidate turned out to be a misidentified peccary tooth.) Field biologists study elusive living species by using camera traps, analyzing genetic data from scat, and following footprints. There should be a wealth of compelling evidence from such sources - but all we have are an abundance of purported sightings. Given the number that Sasquatch clubs busy themselves with, I should be able to look out my window each morning and see Sasquatch families raiding my trash cans for leftovers. Bigfoot aficionados protest that they have found tracks, hair, and other evidence. But photos of mangy black bears and footage that would make even the director of Cloverfield nauseous from all the shaking show nothing more than a lack of rational skepticism.
For all the time that Bigfoot hunters spend in the woods and swapping stories, and considering their bluster at not being taken seriously, they seem to show no interest in approaching their subjects scientifically. Maybe Sasquatch hunters and other cryptid seekers don't want to try legitimate, field-tested methods for tracking the objects of their fascination. Better to try unconventional, unsound methods like blimps - which keeps the possibility of mystery alive.
Bigfoot is hardly the only faith-based monster. Young-Earth creationists launch trips to the Congo in search of living nonavian dinosaurs and collect far-fetched accounts of living pterosaurs from around the world. If you've decided to ignore the entirety of science in preference for a 6,000-year-old Earth where Tyrannosaurus was created on the same day as Adam and Eve, I suppose the concept of an Apatosaurus crashing through the forests of the Congo Basin doesn't seem so fanciful. And who could forget sea serpents? Even though many sightings of marine monsters were undoubtedly inspired by giant squid, seals, and other familiar creatures, amateur naturalists and ardent cryptozoologists claim that scaly, serpentine monsters still scull through the deep.
Not all monster sightings are hoaxes or hokum. In some cases, people are hearing or seeing something in the water, the night sky, or the woods. A faithful monster hunter is likely to interpret the snap of a twig or a strange aquatic shape as supporting evidence. It's pareidolia, a wilderness Rorschach test.
One of my favorite creatures in the monster pantheon is Cadborosaurus. The monster got a lot of play in the books I picked up as a kid because there was a clear photo, even if the photo depicted nothing more than a partially-digested mess extracted from a sperm whale's belly and slapped onto the dock of British Columbia's Naden Harbor Whaling Station in 1937. The gooey string appears to be a creature with a horse-like head, sinuous body, and ragged tail flukes.
The carcass was most likely a decomposing shark. As the "Montauk Monster," "San Diego Diablo," and similar cases have shown, raccoon and opossum carcasses can be easily mistaken for aberrant creatures. Decomposition makes fools of us all.
Nevertheless, some cryptid advocates say there truly was a sea serpent writhing off the coast of British Columbia, partly inspired by an anecdote from fisherman William Hagelund's 1987 memoir "Whalers No More." He claimed to have briefly captured a little sea serpent near De Courcy Island in 1968. Cryptozoologists Edward Bousfield and Paul LeBlond later used the account to claim Hagelund had captured a baby Cadborosaurus, yet, as zoologists Michael Woodley, Darren Naish, and Cameron McCormick recently demonstrated by comparing the characteristics Hagelund recorded to known animals, the description of the critter more closely matches an ordinary pipefish than any reptile or mystery monster.
There almost certainly are large, yet-unknown marine animals awaiting discovery. They just aren't sea serpents. In another paper, Woodley, Naish, and Hugh Shanahan pointed out that several charismatic aquatic animals were described relatively recently, including the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) in 1983 and the lesser beaked whale (Mesoplodon peruvianus) in 1991. Earlier this month, zoologist Kirsten Thompson and colleagues reported on two carcasses of the spade-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon traversii), a species named in 1872 but known only from skeletal fragments until now. Using such recent finds and a statistical analysis of the record of discovery, Woodley, Naish and Shanahan argued that there may even be some unknown seal or sea lion species out there.
If it were done right, cryptozoology would be indistinguishable from zoology. Observations and the scant available data would be questioned, compared, and tested in the search for the unknown - lost worlds and mythical monsters need not apply.
At least the sea allows large creatures ample room to hide. Terrestrial habitats are becoming more closed-in each day. There is no country for Bigfoot. And while cryptid advocates' field trips may ultimately be more science-ish than scientific, the persistence of these hunters helps undermine the case that Bigfoot exists.
In 2010, University of Queensland scientists Diana Fisher and Simon Blomberg suggested that extinction is not as easy to detect as zoologists had thought. In a dataset of 187 mammals once presumed to be extinct, about a third were rediscovered later. The amount of time researchers spent looking for missing species made a big difference. One or two searches aren't likely to find a rare species that still persists, the researchers found, but three to six searches tend to suffice.
Beyond 11 searches, the likelihood that a mammal species exists drops off dramatically. Zoologists have repeatedly searched for the Yangtze River dolphin and the Tasmanian tiger without success, and given the trends Fisher and Blomberg described, we can be sadly confident that these mammals are extinct. Now consider the number of expeditions - by amateurs and professionals alike - for Bigfoot. With so many people carrying out so many searches across the country, someone would have found definitive evidence by now.
Entomologist Jeff Lozier and colleagues went one better with a 2009 study that used Sasquatches to critique a kind of ecological analysis called niche modeling. Its premise is that observations of organisms in particular environments can predict other habitats where that same organism will be found or might move to in the face of human-driven climate change. Lozier and co-authors took details of 551 supposed Bigfoot sightings recorded by the BFRO and, based on where the events occurred, predicted that Sasquatches should be a common presence from southern California through most of Washington state. Perhaps unsurprisingly, "observed" and potential Sasquatch haunts were all in black bear habitat, the ursids likely accounting for many sightings of something shaggy tromping through the forest.
There has never been a better time for biological explorers. Last year, biologist Camilo Mora and co-authors estimated that there may be as many as 8.7 million eukaryotic species on the planet, and the vast majority of those - 86 percent of species on land and 91 percent of species in the seas - have not yet been described. The estimate is based on imperfect knowledge, of course, and hinges on philosophical debates about what a species is, but still underscores a salient point that we know relatively little about our neighbors on this planet. But this doesn't make Bigfoot, Cadborosaurus, or any of their ilk more plausible. If anything, it makes such ballyhooed cryptids unnecessary. There is an amazing array of life living next to us, under us, upon us, and in us, most of it never seen before, yet some prefer to blunder in the dark after phantasms of human fear and imagination. There are discoveries to be made and mysteries to be solved, but not of lake serpents and preternaturally hard-to-photograph ape-men. Every time a Sasquatch fanatic or cryptozoologically-minded creationist wanders into the forest, they are only confirming the nonexistence of their quarry.
Switek is the author of "My Beloved Brontosaurus" and "Written in Stone." | <urn:uuid:f641bccc-1ebc-426e-af75-f77c6c82586a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x1951904559/Slate-Its-time-to-put-a-lid-on-the-bigfoot-research | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95173 | 2,313 | 2.421875 | 2 |
The autoharp is a folk instrument that, like the dulcimer and the lute, has been largely superseded by other stringed instruments such as the guitar and the various fiddles. Autoharps can play a very limited number of chords and are primarily useful (if you are forced to play one) as accompaniment to voices or other more versatile instruments. I keep a really old one a friend gave me as a conversation piece and as something to do when I'm bored.
Au"to*harp (?), n. [Auto- +
A zitherlike musical instrument, provided with
dampers which, when depressed, deaden some strings, leaving free
others that form a chord.
© Webster 1913.
Log in or register
to write something here or to contact authors. | <urn:uuid:2cf52a40-097a-4466-9a42-0e5a259de989> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://everything2.com/title/autoharp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948785 | 171 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Zacarias Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison after one last outburst of venom for the United States and the justice system that spared him from a death sentence.
At issue are the feelings of the people called to serve in the trial of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, who is charged in the 1998 attacks on two United States Embassies in East Africa.September 25, 2010, Saturday
David Raskin is widely expected to be the lead prosecutor in the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.January 13, 2010, Wednesday
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld the conviction of the only person who has been tried in a United States court on charges of involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks. Zacarias Moussaoui, 41, pleaded guilty in 2005 to charges that he helped plan the attacks, and he received a life sentence. Mr. Moussaoui argued on appeal that the court had restricted his choice of lawyers and that he had been deprived of classified information before entering the plea. The United States Court of Appeals ...January 05, 2010, Tuesday
The nation has always had the tools it needs to bring to trial those accused of organizing the terrorist attacks on 9/11 — legally and without jeopardizing secrets or shredding the Constitution.September 13, 2009, Sunday
Across the country, particularly in Oregon, lawyers who represent suspects in terrorism-related investigations fear their clients are being secretly monitored by the U.S. government.April 28, 2008, Monday
The government is fighting off challenges in several major terrorism cases and a raft of prisoners’ legal claims that it may have destroyed evidence.March 28, 2008, Friday
Zacarias Moussaoui is asking to be allowed to withdraw his plea that he is guilty of plotting to commit mass murder, saying his right to counsel was violated.February 26, 2008, Tuesday
Court documents made public on Wednesday appeared to contradict the agency, which said that the tapes of harsh interrogations were destroyed at a time when they had no relevance to any court proceeding.February 07, 2008, Thursday
The two senators who honored flight instructors for alerting the authorities to Zacarias Moussaoui before the Sept. 11 attacks are asking why the men were left off a $5 million government reward given to another tipster. Clarence Prevost, 69, received the payout on Thursday, when he was honored in a private ceremony as part of the State Department's Rewards for Justice program. But Tim Nelson and Hugh Sims, two of Mr. Prevost's former colleagues at the Pan Am International Flight Academy outsi...January 26, 2008, Saturday
The Bush administration paid a $5 million reward to a former Minnesota flight instructor who provided the authorities with information that led to the arrest and conviction of Zacarias Moussaoui in the Sept. 11 attacks. The reward is the first to an American related to the attacks, the officials said. The State Department, citing security concerns, would not identify the recipient. Several people who worked at the flight school Mr. Moussaoui attended in August 2001 are known to have alerted th...January 25, 2008, Friday
SEARCH 258 Articles:
Some wonder whether the Zacarias Moussaoui trial has shed as much light his role as it has on the missteps made by law enforcement agencies. The Times's Neil A. Lewis reports.
The Times's Neil A. Lewis discusses Zacarias Moussaoui's sentencing trial, where the jury heard the recording from Flight 93's cockpit voice recorder.
- Well: Can Statins Cut the Benefits of Exercise?
- Gin, Tonic and a Dash of Restraint
- Unexcited? There May Be a Pill for That
- Mark Bittman: Why I'm Not a Vegan
- My Story: For an Auschwitz Survivor, His Son’s Graduation Spelled Freedom
- The Pour: Refreshing New Sangrias to Chase Away Bad Memories
- Some of My Best Friends Are Germs
- Op-Ed Columnist: What Our Words Tell Us
- Letter: Invitation to a Dialogue: Benefits of Talk Therapy
- Op-Ed Columnist: Tell Me How This Ends
Rss Feeds On Zacarias Moussaoui
Subscribe to an RSS feed on this topic. What is RSS? | <urn:uuid:f8c8c4ca-eb1e-464b-b493-21a2100ba70a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/m/zacarias_moussaoui/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959643 | 888 | 1.59375 | 2 |
2188 Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta
(Hufnagel, 1766)Wingspan 35-40 mm.
Exceptionally variable throughout its range, this species varies from relatively plain dark forms to well-marked buff and orange individuals. In the darker forms especially, there is usually a distinctive paler fringe to the forewing.
It flies from March to May, and can be found at sallow blossom as well as at light.
Occupying a range of habitats, it is common over most of Britain.
The larvae feed on a number of trees and shrubs, but especially oak (Quercus). | <urn:uuid:5f626cec-25f5-4e2f-81d1-be79353a9829> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1979 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950722 | 135 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Most probably expect for their things to be safe when they fly, but after recent thefts by airport employees, travelers might want to think twice.
Flyers need to get ready for the holidays, because it is going to be a busy season.
The airlines are reporting that nearly all flights will be flying at full capacity. That means a lot of people and a lot of luggage.
While people expect their things to be safe when they fly, one airport worker was just busted this week for stealing from checked baggage at JFK airport.
Many are now wondering what they can do to keep their things safe when they fly the skies.
Authorities said the screener was leaving the airport with what he thought were passengers' iPads and laptops.
But they were bad iPads, planted by police with a GPS on them.
Channel 4 crime and safety analyst Ken Jefferson said even though this happened in New York, it's something we need to be on the look out for at any airport.
Research shows that between May 2003 to December 2011, 381 TSA agents were terminated for theft.
In just the last year, the FAA received reports of missing items from 206 people.
In this latest case, authorities caught the screener with two iPads, a 17-inch MacBook Pro and possibly another laptop in his bag.
They even found another stolen Apple laptop at his house.
Politicians have been asking for agents to be held accountable. Some are calling for stings to be done nationwide.
But in the meantime, Jefferson says there are things people can do to protect themselves.
"What travelers need to be aware of is if you don't have to pack it or check it underneath the plane, carry it with you," Jefferson said. "If it's something light like a laptop or an iPad or something like that, those are the most popular items that are being stolen." | <urn:uuid:eaab43d2-5ea5-4f6f-a481-263ebba03a91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news4jax.com/morning-show/National-warning-issued-on-TSA-thefts/-/1875838/17675244/-/14c1ha5z/-/index.html | 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 | 0.984237 | 382 | 1.507813 | 2 |
By Darlene Endy
Grocery stores, women's magazines and government websites tout the "plate method" of portion control, in which we are advised to fill half our plates with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with grains/starches and one quarter with a protein food. It is meant to help us fill up on foods that are less calorie dense, as well as increase our intake of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
But what if you aren't eating from a plate? Many Americans eat one-dish meals, such as casseroles or sandwiches. How can you use the "plate method" to keep our portions balanced? The answer is to apply the same proportions of 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 to whatever you are eating. For example, if you are making a beef soup, simply adjust the amounts of ingredients to reflect these proportions. Half of the ingredients should be vegetables, like carrots and tomatoes, one quarter should be grains like barley or whole grain pasta, and one quarter should be lean beef. Sandwiches can reflect this proportion as well. Consider the wrap: filled with less meat and more baby spinach, tomatoes, green peppers or cucumbers, it is closer to the goal. Add a piece of fruit and/or lowfat milk if you are still hungry, instead of chips.
A breakfast that follows the plate method will keep you full longer in the day, possibly preventing snacking before lunch. Try one hard-boiled egg and 1 cup lowfat milk (1/4 protein) with 1 cup chopped bananas and strawberries (1/2 fruits or vegetables), and 3/4 cup cereal like cornflakes or Cheerios (1/4 grain). You can substitute 6 oz. lowfat yogurt for the milk and 1/4 cup lowfat granola for the cereal to keep the same proportions.
If you still can't imagine how to apply the "plate method" to what you are eating, try this simple method. Eat 1/3 to 1/2 of the main entree, and add a large salad. So if Mom's lasagna is on the table, fill up on a fruit or vegetable salad first, and eat a smaller portion of the lasagna after. This allows you to keep enjoying your favorite foods in moderation without unintentionally eating more calories than you need.
Darlene Endy is a registered dietitian in Manlius. Reach her at 692-4887. | <urn:uuid:4ae064bb-650f-4967-b10d-cf71cabe6c65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.syracuse.com/cny/2011/05/nutrition_notes_the_plate_method_helps_control_portions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928218 | 505 | 2.671875 | 3 |
In MLK Days past, I have shared a famous quote that outlines Martin Luther King, Jr.’s love of jazz, a passage that has been something of a mantra for me ever since I first came across it in 2009.
Today, I’ve linked to it again but also want to share another, perhaps less-well-known quotation that ought to resonate with what jazz can mean for our continued struggle against racism in the United States and around the world.
I first got hip to this quote via the prolific and oftentimes hilarious antiracist advocate John Randolph, aka Jay Smooth. Here’s his video of ten OTHER things MLK said:
That first bit about creativity caught my ear, so I went to find the larger quotation that gave rise to that unforgettable phrase “creatively maladjusted.” Here it is one place where it cropped up:
This hour in history needs a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists. Our planet teeters on the brink of annihilation; dangerous passions of pride, hatred, and selfishness are enthroned in our lives; and men do reverence before false gods of nationalism and materialism. The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.
What were Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelnious Monk, and on and on and on, if not exemplars of creative maladjustment? It’s no wonder (to me at least) that Dr. King entrusted the project of human salvation in this “nonconforming minority.” I hear the fruits of this project in the work of so many jazz musicians today: a deep respect and understanding for this lineage coupled with an unflappable will to sound out that tradition in the 21st century. Today, I think, is a good day to take stock of that. | <urn:uuid:3276c785-86c2-4370-a12f-48f9ef60bde9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lubricity.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/martin-luther-kings-jazz-dream/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943294 | 407 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Standing Male Figure (Sigiti)
This figure was created to commemorate an ancestor chief, although it does not represent the deceased in a literal way. Such figures are kept by the current chief to symbolize the historical precedent on which his authority is based and the perpetuation of the clan.
- Culture: Hemba
- Medium: Carved, stained lightwood, incised, polished, woven reed
- Place Made: Kongolo region, Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dates: late 19th century
- Dimensions: 17 3/4 x 8 x 8 in. (45.1 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm) (show scale)
- Collections:Arts of Africa
- Museum Location: This item is on view in South Gallery, 1st Floor
- Accession Number: 68.32
- Credit Line: Gift of the Florence and Carl L. Selden Foundation
- Rights Statement: Creative Commons-BY
- Caption: Hemba. Standing Male Figure (Sigiti), late 19th century. Carved, stained lightwood, incised, polished, woven reed, 17 3/4 x 8 x 8 in. (45.1 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Florence and Carl L. Selden Foundation, 68.32. Creative Commons-BY
- Catalogue Description: Carved lightwood male figure. Elaborate dark-stained 3-element headdress at back. Two side projections and a flat incised center. Pointed and deeply incised beard along chin. Oval face with eyes and eyebrows a sries of ovals, straight tappering nose, thin pursed lips, neck straight cylindrical. Upper torso with crudely finished hands and fingers at stomach centered by navel. Muscles of chest and arms indicated, flexed knees and prominent penis hidden beneath reed skirt. Flat web-like feet (toes represented) a part of the thick circular base. Under surfaces unpolished, high polish on head and upper torso. CONDITION: Good: Small cracks throughout. One large gapping crack at back from headdress to base, some native repairs. Small chip at tip of nose.
- Record Completeness: Best (85%) | <urn:uuid:e8008fe7-cd56-4483-ab13-74415b470dd2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4802/Standing_Male_Figure_Sigiti/image/120015/image | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903154 | 477 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Organic almonds and organic pumpkin seeds are separately dry roasted to perfection. After cooling the almonds and pumpkin seeds are mixed with raw organic sunflower seeds, naturally sweet sun-dried organic Thompson raisins, Dried Wild Blueberries, and Dried Cranberries. They are packed in protective, convenient, re-sealable pouches. No salt is added.
EDEN dried wild blueberries and cranberries are grown on organic family farms in Quebec, Canada. The blueberries and cranberries are hand harvested, sorted, cleaned, flash frozen, infused with organic apple juice concentrate, slowly low heat dried, and then coated very lightly with a mist of organic sunflower oil to keep the berries from clumping. EDEN Organic Wild Berry Mix contains no added refined sugars, refined oils, or sulfites.
Most other roasted nuts and seeds are highly salted with harsh refined salt, many are oil roasted in inferior quality, highly refined oil. Most commercial dried fruit is treated with toxic sulfites and infused with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
EDEN Organic Wild Berry Mix is cholesterol free and very low sodium, with no salt added. Although the nuts and seeds contain some fat, it is mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The mix is a good source of dietary fiber and protein, and rich in magnesium.
There are many health benefits associated with eating nuts and seeds according to several recent studies. Researchers at Tufts University in Boston found that most of the nutrients in almonds and their skin, when eaten together, may offer a significantly higher amount of protection than when the skin and meat of the almond are not consumed together. Studies at the University of California, Davis confirmed this and suggest that there are antioxidant compounds in the almond skin in addition to naturally occurring vitamins that may provide positive health benefits when eaten with the meat of the almond. At Kings College in London research showed that we may actually be getting less fat from almonds than was previously thought. According to the study, the cell wall of the almond may play an important role in the way the body absorbs the fat of the almond, since chewing almonds breaks down the cell wall, but at the same time leaves some of the almond intact. Dr. Karen Lapsley, senior nutritionist for the Almond Board of California says, "This is exciting new research. Because some of the almond remained intact not all of the fat was released for digestion. This suggests that almonds may be a lower calorie food than suspected because not all of the calories from fat are absorbed."
The USDA recently rated 'wild' blueberries #1 in antioxidant activity, and found that the high phenolic content in cranberries delivers a potent antioxidant punch, rating it one of the highest out of 20 common fruits rated. To determine the antioxidant activity of various foods, the USDA uses a system referred to as Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). By testing the ability of foods and other compounds to subdue oxygen free radicals the USDA was able to determine each compound's antioxidant capability. The ORAC value of wild blueberries is 2,400 and cranberries is 1,750.
EDEN Organic Wild Berry Mix is a delicious, healthy and versatile snack that can be used to make your own homemade granola, granola bars, on cereals, and in making popcorn balls and caramel corn treats. | <urn:uuid:3dcc8d73-9f92-4fd5-a62b-4e9113b682c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_details.php?cPath=75_76&products_id=112030&eID=krmj76rcruqpd29oseo8ka40l5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946543 | 682 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The bird population counted by North West Nature Conservationists
6 Aug 2010
Nature Conservationists from the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development (DACERD) recently joined scores of local farmers, non-governmental organisations, bird clubs, some schools and conservation agencies during the national counting of all the large terrestrial birds for the half yearly Coordinated Avifaunal Road counts project (CAR) which ended last week.
In the North West province, the terrestrial birds’ counting was carried out by the DACERD’s conservationist and the North West Parks and Tourism Board at the Wolwespruit Nature Reserve.
As Ms Thumeka Ntloko, Director for Biodiversity Management and Conservation explains, CAR count is a birds’ counting exercise taking place along the quieter public roads in farming areas on the last Saturday of January and July each year.
She says people taking part in this project, which began in 1993, count birds such as cranes, bustards, storks and secretary birds that can be seen on farmlands from the road. Participants drove slowly, stopped every 2km and got out of their vehicles to scan around in all directions with their binoculars.
Nedick Mageza Bila, a departmental conservationist who was part of the bird counting exercise says the objective of this activity was to determined whether their population was stable, increasing or decreasing, and also found out more about their use of farmland habitants.
According to the CAR count project coordinator, Donella Young from the University of Cape Town, many of those species are threatened by habitat loss and pesticides and they are particularly vulnerable to collisions with power-lines owing to their size and limited ability to manoeuvre.
More than 20 species are monitored by CAR, of which 14 appear in the South African Red Data Book as Critically Endangered, Vulnerable or Near-Threatened. More than 750 people take part every six months and count along about 340 routes. The CAR coordinators are grateful for the voluntary contribution and commitment by those concerned CAR participants and organisers such as the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development.
All the information about this year’s CAR count occurred in North West can be accessed through the North West Parks and Tourism Board office or the Biodiversity Scientific Support sub-directorate office at the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development.
Mr Nedick Bila
Tel: 018 389 5201
Issued by: North West Agriculture, Conservation,Environment and Rural Development
6 Aug 2010
[ Top ] | <urn:uuid:e3e5f4f7-f735-493d-adea-e5265900eb6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.info.gov.za/speech/DynamicAction?pageid=461&tid=14603 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951194 | 534 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Tulips, daffodils, hyacinth—all, harbingers of spring. And why not? They’re pretty enough. And they have a charming familiarity that makes them a classic choice for gardeners looking to set the stage for a springtime show. Perhaps you’re the dramatic type, looking for something exotic to excite your landscape. If so, give not-so-ordinary bulbs a try. They’re as easy to plant and maintain as their more commonplace cousins, but fit the bill when it comes to expressing a green thumb’s inner wild child.
Lucky for the renegade gardener, you don’t have to look far to find these special bulbs. That’s because the market has done an excellent job reacting to consumer demand for the delightfully unusual. Purchasing anything from Bulgarian ornamental onion to Grecian windflower is a snap with all the various mail-order catalogs and online storefronts at our fingertips today.
But with temperatures plummeting and the holidays just around the corner, planting is probably the last thing on most people’s minds. If you garden in the North, however, it’s literally “last call” when it comes to planting spring-blooming bulbs. That’s because, to put on one heck of an early season display, spring-blooming “hardy” bulbs must experience a cool, dormant period—about 12 to 16 weeks—to bloom. A good rule of thumb for northern gardeners is to plant bulbs six weeks before the ground freezes.
Southern gardeners, on the other hand, can plant hardy bulbs in early January after they’ve been chilled by artificial means, such as in a refrigerator crisper (take note, however, that gasses from ripening fruit can damage the bulbs). Or gardeners in these milder areas can look for bulbs bred to adapt to their short, temperate winters.
Here are some other basics that are good to know before you plant any bulb:
Plant bulbs pointy end up. While it may seem simple enough, planting bulbs upside down is an easy mistake. The pointed end is where the stem originates, while the root end is generally flatter and looks like the base of an onion. While a lucky few may break through the soil surface and bloom, more often than not, the plant wastes oodles of energy doing so, resulting in a lackluster display.
Plant at the appropriate depth. Large bulbs like tulips and daffodils should be planted about 6 and 8 inches deep, respectively. Plant crocus, hyacinth, and like smaller bulbs 3 to 5 inches deep. As for spacing, a good rule of thumb is to set bulbs three to four times their diameter apart. Be sure to give them a good soaking after planting!
Mulch. A couple inches of mulch, such as evergreen boughs, straw, or marsh hay, reduces the risk of early sprouting and other weather-related complications. Just be sure to wait until the ground freezes before applying.
Leave on fading foliage. Although it may look unattractive, it’s important to keep the leaves on the plants until they brown or at least 6 weeks have passed since they bloomed. The leaves direct energy to the bulb, essentially feeding it, which is why you’re able to enjoy blooms year after year.
Plant in groups. While individual bulb blooms are beautiful unto themselves, there are ways to up the ante when it comes to impact. Best planted in groups of three or more, a mass of bulbs concentrates colors and creates a focal point that’s hard to ignore. The same can be said when bulbs are used as a ground cover, planted in border beds, or displayed as a “bouquet” in planters.
If planting a variety of bulbs, be sure to plant low-growing bulbs in front of taller varieties, especially if they bloom around the same time.
6 “Out-of-the-Box” Bulbs to Plant Today!
1. Allium (Allium)
‘Silver Spring’ has tiny white blossoms with pink-purple centers; ‘Fireworks’ has a distinct form that earns its namesake.
2. Grecian windflower (Anemone blanda)
Try ‘Mixed’ for daisy-like flowers in a variety of colors like blue, pink, and white.
3. Checkered lily (Fritillaria meleagris)
‘Saturnus’ boast reddish purple flowers, while ‘Charon’ has deep purple blooms.
4. Indian hyacinth (Camassia)
Plant ‘Blue Melody’ for impressive spikes of dark violet-blue flowers and variegated foliage.
5. Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)
Ranging in colors from scarlet red to yellow, its nodding, bell-shaped flowers rest beneath a “crowns” of stiff green leaves.
6. Species tulips (Tulipa)
Known for their uniqueness and ability to naturalize well, species tulips are the wild cousin of the hybrid variety. Try ‘Rockgarden Mixed Colors’ for an assortment of brightly colored blooms on short stems.
Also check out how to save bulbs. | <urn:uuid:95dbb7ff-3318-45ce-8823-ec5919133baf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/11/28/health-and-family/country-gentleman-gardening/daffodils.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925383 | 1,134 | 2.40625 | 2 |
If the goal is to make you a better coder, aim for languages that actually try to be different. Java, C++ and C are all closely related.
True, one is primarily a procedural language, one tries really hard to pretend to be OOP, and one is a mix of at least 4 different paradigms, but they're all imperative languages, they all share a lot of syntax, and basically, they're all part of the same family of languages.
Learning C isn't going to teach you anything dramatically new. It might teach you a bit about memory layout and such, but you can learn that in many other ways, and it's just not very relevant to a Java programmer.
On the other hand, the language is relatively easy to pick up, and widely used for a lot of Linux software, so if you want to contribute to any of those, learning C is a good idea. It just won't make you a much better Java programmer.
As for C++, calling it a "nightmare behemoth of a language" probably isn't far from the truth. It is big and complex and full of wierd pitfalls and traps for the unwary beginner.
but it also has some redeeming qualities. For one thing, it is one of the only languages to support the generic programming paradigm, and that allows you to express many advanced concepts very concisely, and with a high degree of flexibility and code reuse.
It's a language that'll probably both make you hate C++ for being such an overengineered mess, and all other languages for missing C++ features that'd have made your code so much simpler.
Again, learning C++ won't make a huge difference to you as a Java programmer, except that it'll reveal a number of shortcomings in Java that you weren't aware of until now.
Learning either language is good, but what's better is learning something different.
Learn SML or Scheme or Haskell. Or Ruby, Python or Smalltalk. How about Erlang or Occam? Or Prolog.
Learn something that isn't either Java's sibling or ancestor, something that is designed from scratch to have nothing in common with Java. Learn a functional language like SML, or a dynamically typed one like Python, or one that radically changes how you deal with concurrency, like Erlang. | <urn:uuid:e1b9adc6-68e2-427e-b19e-7ead04d282c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3538477/c-for-java-programmer/3538490 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963955 | 483 | 2.421875 | 2 |
This guide will help you upload and run a CGI script on your website. Ideal if you have your own website and starting to think about running some CGI Scripts but not sure where to start.
Before we start I have made a few assumptions about you and your computer we need to check out first. You will need to have your own website and have been uploading files to using FTP software onto it.
» Why do I need CGI scripts anyway?
» Download the test script and open it
» Finding the Path To Perl
» Finding your cgi-bin on the web server
» Upload the script to your website
» CHMOD script and file
» Running your scripts
» Common CGI script errors
» Difference between Path and URL
» Where to get help and find more scripts
Why do I need CGI scripts anyway?
CGI stands for 'Common Gateway Interface' and quite simply is a way of taking information from one location (like your website) and putting it into another (like your email) with some rules and tasks along the way.
A visitor arrives at your website puts some data into a form and the hits the submit button, the CGI Script will take that data and do what you have requested with it and then send the visitor where you want them to go.
The CGI script will be using Perl on your webserver. The CGI Script sends the requests to the Perl Software that does all the work.
So, your webpage has a request like a form or counter, it sends the data or request to your CGI Script that will use Perl Software to follow the instructions in the CGI Script.
Back to Top
Download the test script and open
Now download our test.zip file in WinZip format to your computer, unzip the script and put the file somewhere you can find it.
So you now have a file called test.cgi do not ever open this file using any software other than NotePad, to be sure that is NotePad not WordPad or Word and most definitely not FrontPage. On some UNIX servers your script must be in UNIX format, download a text editor like NOTEPAD++ and then save the script in UNIX format.
If you did accidentally open the file in something other than NotePad please delete the file and unzip it again.
What is the big issue with how you open the files? CGI scripts contain formatting that is invisible to you and me but necessary to run the script. Open it in the wrong software even if you don't change anything will cause the script to stop working.
Now using NotePad open the script, click [file] then [open] change the [files of types] to [all files] find and open the script.
» Download tester.zip
Back to Top
Finding the Path To
Now you need to change the first line of your script to find the Path to Perl, this is the software on your webserver that the script will be sending the information to.
Your hosting company will tell you what the Path To Perl is, the most common are listed below if you have UNIX hosting.
If you have Windows hosting then things can get a little tricky, most CGI scripts have been written for UNIX servers. Almost all web hosting is on a UNIX server. On many Windows hosting servers you don't need the Path To Perl at all and you can remove that line of the script, if you do find you need it then it will look something like this c:\perl\bin\perl.exe again your host will let you know what it is.
Okay, so you have changed the first line of the script and saved the file.
Back to Top
cgi-bin on the web server
Using your FTP software connect to your website and now we can decide where to transfer the script to.
On most web hosting they will provide you with a cgi-bin to put your CGI Scripts into. On many servers you can not run a CGI script anywhere else but this location.
Each server is set-up in a different way and no two hosting packages are the same. Most however use a format that is similar.
You will find that your hosting is probably going to be one of three types.
1) You will have one directory called httpdocs or something like this for your web files and folders and another directory called cgi-bin for your scripts. In this type of hosting you normally must put all the CGI Scripts in the cgi-bin and cannot run scripts anywhere else. You also may not be allowed to put HTML files in the cgi-bin as it is not a public directory.
2) Or you have one directory with all the web folders and a cgi-bin directory in this folder, in this case you will be expected to run the CGI Scripts in the cgi-bin but may have permission to run them in other locations. You can normally see a HTML file in the cgi-bin with this example.
3) Finally you may just have a folder and nothing in it, in this type of hosting you can normally run the scripts anywhere you like and all folders are viewable using your browser.
However you hosting could be any combination of the examples used so check with your hosting company where you can put the CGI Scripts, if they don't have a help page or instructions for CGI Scripts ask them.
If you have a cgi-bin then this is where you need to transfer the CGI Scripts to, if you don't have one then to make life easier create a directory called cgi-bin on your server. It's worth checking with your hosting company on how they have set-up the rights to use CGI.
Back to Top
Upload the script to your website
Your FTP software will have three ways to upload files ASCII, BINARY or AUTO. A good FTP software will know that you use ASCII mode to transfer any file that is .cgi or .pl
Always transfer the CGI Script using ASCII mode, check the settings of your FTP software to ensure this is how you are uploading the file.
Now transfer the script using ASCII mode in the same way you did your other files for your website.
Back to Top
script and file
CHMOD stands for 'Cold and Hot My Orange Dog' well actually it doesn't but like most computer talk it's irrelevant anyway.
CHMOD let's you change or modify the permissions that a file has. So that's as clear as mud then! Why has a file got a permission in the first place, and why do you need to change it?
Each file on the internet and your computer has 'permissions' set with it. Some files are 'read only' some files have permission to change other files. You don't want to let a file on your website change or delete other files unless you control the files they are changing or deleting.
As default all the files have a CHMOD of 644 letting anybody read the file. You now need to change your script to CHMOD 755 this will give permission to the script to run on your server and change other files.
On some servers where the cgi-bin is in a non-public location (so you can't type in the URL to see the files) you may need to CHMOD 777. You host can tell you if your server needs 755 or 777. As a general rule if you put a HTML file in the cgi-bin and you can see it, then you need 755.
With most FTP software you can simply right click on the file or push a CHMOD button and then select 755.
So, now CHMOD the test.cgi script 755. You should also check the cgi-bin is also CHMOD 755.
Back to Top
Now just type in the URL to the script and if everything has worked you will see the script running. This will tell you that you have got everything right and will show you the full Path to that directory and the URL.
If it did not work then explore the common errors below to find out what went wrong.
Back to Top
CGI script errors
So it's not working then? In 99% of the time it's something very simple and easy to fix. Quick check list, make sure you did all of the following....
1) You only used NotePad to open the script
2) Have you got the Path To Perl right? Check with the hosting company
3) You know you can run CGI scripts from the location you put it in
4) The script was transferred using FTP and ASCII mode
5) The script and directory has CHMOD 755
Okay, let's look at some of the most common error and see how they are caused and what to do to fix them.
Error 404 File can not be found
The URL address you put in your browser is wrong. Check the web site address and the folder name, finally the script name. Remember this is case SenEsitIve. An occasional, if rare error, is if you have created a cgi-bin of your own in your web space however the server may ignore this and use it's own cgi-bin you have not got access to.
Error 500 Internal Server Error
The Path to Perl or CHMOD of your file or directory may be wrong. Try CHMOD all the files and directory again. Your server may not like the CHMOD setting ask you host what you should be using. Check you did not open the script with anything other than notepad. Check your log to find out more. Also try putting the code below directly after your Path to Perl this will stop and report the script error in more detail.
use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);
Error Premature end of script headers
The CHMOD of your file or directory may be wrong. Try CHMOD all the files and directory again. Check you did not open the script with anything other than notepad.
Error The script just opens so I can see the code
Some servers do not like .pl try changing it to .cgi and some servers don't like .cgi so try .pl Remember to CHMOD the file again!
Error I keep uploading the file but get the same error
Some servers and FTP software can keep a copy of the file before the edit you have made, so delete the file on your server, disconnect from the internet, and restart your computer.
Back to Top
between Path and URL
Hopefully you got the script running okay and you can now see the test.cgi script results. This information is telling you the Path to the files in that directory and the URL of the files. Also the version of Perl running on your server.
First the Path To Perl is correct. You will need to change the first line of every script you run to the setting you used in this test script.
The path is like the path on your PC to a file, this is an example of a path on my PC C:\My Documents\pathtoperl.co.uk\cgi-bin\ and that is how the path would look on a windows computer, on a UNIX (most internet servers) it would look like this: /home/vhosts/youraccount/cgi-bin/file.txt
Now you know the path to the test.cgi script you can work out the path to other files. On many CGI Scripts you are required to input the Path to files on your server.
Next is more obvious the URL this is the location on the internet of the script. Again on many servers you are requested to input the URL.
Back to Top
to get help and find more scripts
If you need more help with CGI Perl scripts the internet is full of places to find scripts and documentation. A good place to start is the CGI Resource Index or HotScripts where you can find both scripts and help files. If all this CGI has inspired you to try writing some of your own then make a start at CGI 101.
» CGI Resource Index
» Hot Scripts
» Java Script from Internet.com
» CGI 101
Back to Top | <urn:uuid:009fc509-0d18-4104-b47e-4c475b588974> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ezscripting.com/guide/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923338 | 2,516 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Mother’s Day is almost upon us, with blog posts, newspaper articles and TV spots highlighting all the sweet, sensitive and supportive things mothers do. Yes your mom IS all those wonderful things. But did you realize what else your mom has done for you? That she has taught by example how to successfully manage your small business’ financials?
No? Then hold onto those flowers (yes she’ll appreciate them), and discover another side to moms everywhere.
The top 5 finance lessons you learned from your mother.
Mom’s Finance Lesson #1 – The Grocery List
In my mind’s eye I can still see the carefully crafted, thoroughly researched shopping list my mom would bring to the grocery store. My sisters and I knew if we didn’t write our request on the list we wouldn’t get it. Of course the item might still be struck from the list, but woe unto the one who tries to request an item after arriving at the grocery store.
Sounds suspiciously like a budget doesn’t it? In my former life as a Chief Financial Officer I used essentially the same process in creating and managing the company’s budget. As a parent now myself I realize my mom was trying to avoid spur of the moment splurges and constant nagging. For any size business budgets keep us focused on our needs, dampening the urge to buy something just because it’s new and shiny.
Mom’s Finance Lesson #2 – Managing the Checkbook
When I was a kid (yes dirt had been invented by then, and the Model-T was old news), credit cards were not the norm. I’m sure they existed, but as an expensive, emergency only measure. That meant you had to have actual cash, or a positive balance in your checking account, to buy things or pay bills. Mom had to plan ahead and be sure there would be enough money to do the grocery shopping, pay the milkman, and buy new shoes for school.
Most small businesses, particularly start-ups, operate on a cash basis. In these economic times it can be difficult to obtain business credit. That means cash is king, and you need to be sure you have enough cash on hand when bills come due. Follow mom’s example in planning out your expenses versus expected revenue to keep your running smoothly.
Mom’s Finance Lesson #3 – Paying the Bills On Time, Every Time
Recently I heard someone quote Albert Einstein discussing the three ways you teach a child. The first is by example. The second is by example. The third is by example.
Not only did my mother tell me that bills must be paid, she did so. There were times my family would pass on extras to ensure that outstanding bills were met. This was not done grudgingly, but as a matter of course. If a person or company delivers a product or service then they deserved to be paid.
Nothing will kill your reputation faster than paying late, trying to get a bill reduced for an unjustified reason, or simply not paying. If a legitimate reason arises, contact the company immediately and work out a payment plan. It’s not just your credit at risk here. Who would want to refer business to a company that shirks their fiscal responsibilities? Not me!
Mom’s Finance Lesson #4 – Asking Why
“Mom I need these jeans.”
“Because they’re cool. All my friends have them.”
“What’s wrong with the jeans you have?”
“But mom I need THESE jeans.”
“No you don’t need them. You want them. The answer is no.”
Wanting isn’t needing. My mom always knew how to cut through the whitewashing and determine if I really needed something. Businesses could do well to have this same internal discussion before investing time, energy or money into an idea.
Mom’s Finance Lesson #5 – Resistance to the World’s Best Salesperson
Who’s harder to refuse, an acquaintance pitching the latest widget, or your adorable 3 year old whose bottom lip is quivering? Saying no repeatedly, for inexplicable reasons (to the 3 year old anyway) is a core part of a mother’s job description. This requires developing a thick skin combined with the ability to stick to what you know is best, even when those around you get upset. Be a mom to the “demands” of your business.
What other finance lessons did you learn from your mother? Sound off below, shout-out’s to your mom are encouraged (you’d be surprised how many are online these days).
Read more of Nicole Fende’s writing on pbSmart Essentials: Better Than Cloning: Automation That Grows Small Business Profit | <urn:uuid:e9bdddf1-e876-4d0d-9639-6635e86654e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/marketing-plan/moms-top-5-finance-lessons/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959836 | 1,028 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Research Explains Blood Pressure Benefits Of Vegetables
October 26, 2009 by Personal Liberty News Desk
It is widely known that consumption of vegetables has numerous health benefits, and a new study has found a link that may explain why they also appear to contribute to lower blood pressure.
Scientists from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago have discovered that a specific amino acid called glutamic acid may be responsible for this effect. They have suggested that increasing its intake may therefore contribute to better cardiovascular health.
The research team reviewed data from the International Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure involving 4,680 participants aged between 40-59 and living in rural and urban areas of China, Japan, the U.S. and the UK.
Their results suggested that boosting the consumption of protein-rich vegetables by 4.72 percent resulted in a 1.5 to 3 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 1 to 1.6 mm Hg reduction in diastolic pressure.
Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, professor emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Feinberg School, explains that scientists believe reducing average systolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg could lower stroke death rates by 6 percent and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease by 4 percent.
For people suffering from high blood pressure there is also a range of nutritional supplements they can add to their diet to boost their cardiovascular health. | <urn:uuid:23a829d5-4a5f-4a29-807d-bc5cc4626527> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://personalliberty.com/2009/10/26/research-explains-blood-pressure-benefits-of-vegetables-19416188/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=a832ba55c5 | 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 | 0.949264 | 298 | 2.5 | 2 |
Why Being Selfish is the Best Way to Get Ahead in Your Career
Who cares the most about your career: you or your boss?
Who cares whether you’re getting paid fairly: you or Human Resources?
Who cares whether you’re learning new skills that will guarantee job security in three years: you or a career counselor?
Welcome to You Enterprises. Sure, your boss, HR and career advisors play critical roles in your work life, but they aren’t the driving force of your career. They expect you to take control of your own professional life, and you should see things that way, too.
Being a team player is great and an important skill in the workplace. But for a few key issues, forget everyone else—you’ve got to be selfish if you want to see changes. That because at the end of the day, no one’s going to look out for you the way you look out for yourself.
Here are the three things you need to be the most selfish about:
1. The work you do on a daily basis
How often have you done a job that wasn’t part of your job description? Were you performing that job for more than a few months? Did that help or hurt your long-term career? In most cases, this “different” job hurt your chances of getting a promotion in your core job, because you were spending your time doing something else that another manager requested.
Pitching in is necessary, but sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself and say NO. Be nice, but give a good reason why you can’t do it.
Managers are always trying to create the best team possible, even if it’s not in the long-term interests of their team members. In other words, their job is to do what’s best for them or best for their team—and that’s not necessarily what’s best for you.
A lot of this has to do with personal branding. If you are known for doing X and you are doing Y, then you’ve got a serious issue to address.
2. How much you get paid
When was the last time someone from Human Resources came up to you and said, “You know, Jenny, I think you are being underpaid. Come to my office tomorrow morning and let’s talk about how we can adjust your pay accordingly.”
If that has happened to you, great for you. But if you’re like the most of us, it probably has not happened.
Unless you take an active role in how much you get paid, you will always be paid less than everyone else.
Often, HR or your boss will state that compensation is only discussed during your annual review. It’s a common tactic that is used over and over by employers. Yes, it’s true that there is a standard time to discuss compensation, but this does not mean it’s the only time to discuss compensation.
The stronger your case, and the more the company needs you, the easier it becomes to get a pay bump before the annual review. It’s up to you to push your case and timeline.
3. Who you work for
Depending on the size of the company you work for, sometimes you have a choice of manager. The problem is that nobody ever tells you that you have a choice—and being part of a bad group or having a bad manager could seriously hurt your career long-term.
Your manager will probably never tell you that a lateral move to another manager is a possibility for you. That could be because he needs you in his group, or because—as is so often the case—he has no idea he’s a terrible manager.
Thinking about requesting a transfer? Could be a great move, especially if you like the company you’re working for. The best time to ask to switch groups is when a big project of yours has ended or is near completion. The easiest way for a switch is to find the group you want to work for and approach its manager. In the meantime, check out how you deal with a horrible boss.
Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work. Be Brazen! | <urn:uuid:dba02d7a-1d45-4ee3-8ec8-ed4f2558b953> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2013/01/17/why-being-selfish-is-the-best-way-to-get-ahead-in-your-career/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967558 | 915 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Power supply units(PSU) are an essential component of any computer: in essence, PSUs provide all the power necessary to your computer by converting AC to low-voltage DC power. Sadly, however, many people do not realize its vast importance to the performance and durability of a computer.
Combining a shoddy PSU with an expensive computer can cause a variety of problems, such as a power surge damaging expensive computer parts, or crashes and reboots caused by the power level’s failure to support the system. Therefore, selecting the right PSU is essential to having a great personally built computer.
In general, when you are selecting which power supply is best for your needs, there are three main things to think about: 1) a power supply that fits your computer, 2) supplies the correct amount of power, and 3) possesses the correct connectors for your computer’s components.
A Size and Shape that Fits
Power supplies come in a variety of different sizes and shapes called “form factors.” The form factors of the computer case and power supply should match up. If they don’t, the power supply won’t fit.
In general, there are two main types of form factors for computer cases: the ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) and BTX (Balanced Technology Extended). The mid-size ATX is the most common size of computer case and will fit most power supplies. But be careful, because there is a full ATX which houses a much larger motherboard, and will be enormous compared to a mid-ATX sized power supply.
An Appropriate Amount of Power
The next step in determining the correct power supply is to figure out the appropriate amount of power your computer needs. According to Buildyourown-computer.com, power supplies have two different wattages to pay attention to: true wattage and max wattage. “Max wattage shows the maximum power that particular unit can supply and it is almost never reached during every day use. True wattage shows the actual wattage which the PSU will supply most of the time.”
Thus, it is more important to know the true wattage of the computer over the max wattage.
Furthermore, the amount of power a computer needs is based on the internal components and how much power they use. Computers will use and need more power if they house high-end graphics cards, powerful processors/motherboards, and multiple disk drives.
As a rule of thumb, its always better to buy a power supply with 50W-100W over the recommended power needed, so you can always expand your computer’s capabilities later. You never want to buy a power supply and then later realize it won’t suit the future additions you might add on. This PSU calculator is a good guide to determine how much power you’ll need.
The Correct Connectors
Another important factor in selecting a suitable power supply is to choose a power supply with the proper number and types of connectors. There are different molex and SATA connectors. Motherboards, processors, and PCI expansion cords all come with various types of connectors, so be sure all those parts line up with the power supply you choose. You can go the route of obtaining adapters, but remember not to have too many cords or adapters in your computer, which can impede the air flow within the computer tower and thus overheat your power supply.
Other Things to Think About
Finally, there are a few other important things to think about when selecting the right power supply. I’ll only briefly mention these here:
- Energy efficiency
- Cooling fan – type, as well as how much noise it makes
- Brand name CPUs vs. generic power supplies | <urn:uuid:168b5df8-637a-47a6-b8d0-93c7a5cf3f70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.eio.com/2012/06/06/how-to-choose-the-right-power-supply-for-your-personal-computer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943503 | 768 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Marek Kukula, the public astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich and Wigtown festival writer in residence Pippa Goldschmidt, used to work together as astronomers, although Goldschmidt is now a full-time writer. The two of them have appeared at Wigtown Book Festival this year, as part of Dark Skies events, which celebrate the famously clear, unpolluted skies around Dumfries and Galloway.
How did you get into astronomy?
Pippa: I was interested in physics and maths at school but we never did any astronomy. Then I went to university and we did it as part of my physics degree. I went on to do a PhD in astronomy. It’s often the route astronomers take as you have to have that physics background.
Marek: I remember a trip when I was about 13 or 14, my parents took me to Jodrell Bank Astrophysics centre in Cheshire, to see the telescope. I remember seeing finding out that they were trying to understand the universe and thinking, ‘That’s what I want to do’.
You have now moved on from astronomy and into writing, Pippa, how do the stars inform your work?
P: It was only six or seven years ago that I realised I could draw on my own background. I got very interested in exploring how fiction works with science. I wanted to use fiction to look at the nuts and bolts of what scientists and astronomers do each day. It’s more haphazard and human that you’re lead to believe.
Do the arts inform your work as an astronomer Marek?
M: You have to be creative as a scientist. We have to take information and make it into a picture that makes sense. I’ve always loved literature, poetry and music and I think those help to inform my work as a scientist. There’s no point in being a scientist unless you are in awe of the beauty of the universe.
Is there anything about space that terrifies you?
P: When you’re doing research you lose the sense of vastness of space. It’s only since I stopped that, that I thought, ‘we’re clinging to the surface of a scrap of a planet’. But one of the interesting things is that we’re capable of understanding that, which takes away any fear.
M: The spans of time involved are a bit disconcerting. We talk very glibly about 13.7 billion years since the big bang, but I can’t visualise that expanse of time. It is immense. We have only been around as a species, never mind as a civilisation, a tiny fraction of that
Who are your favourite astronomical figures from history?
P: Hubble was an amazing man, he was the first astronomer to realise that galaxies were all moving away from each other and that was the first crucial evidence that showed the universe was expanding. Everyone, even Einstein, had thought until then that the universe was static.
M: One of my astronomy heroines is Hypatia of Alexandria who lived in the fourth century AD. We don’t know much about her as none of her work survived but she taught at the library of Alexandria. She was renowned as being a mathematician and astronomer. It was really unusual for that time that a woman was able to teach aristocratic men. She must have been very special, although she got involved in politics and was torn apart by a Christian mob.
Do you have a favourite constellation?
M: Orion is really interesting. There’s so much going on in it. The big red star on the shoulder is Betelgeuse. It’s a very old star and it could explode as a supernova at any moment or it may be a million years. Below Orion’s belt there is an amazing region in which new stars are forming and by studying this we get an insight into our own solar system.
P: I like Andromeda which is a triangle in the northern sky. It is one of the first galaxies to be detected at radio wavelengths. It is also going to crash into Earth in a few billion years so if you look at the Andromeda galaxy and you can see our future.
For other Wigtown coverage by the Telegraph, see our Wigtown Book Festival page | <urn:uuid:f377454b-4c0d-4801-95ad-458b227b2e0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/wigtown-book-festival/9581477/Wigtown-Book-Festival-2012-QandA-with-Marek-Kukula-and-Pippa-Goldschmidt.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981071 | 907 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The unions include: The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association . All three unions, which together represent approximately 9,000 employees in this bargaining round, began negotiations with the railroads’ bargaining representative, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), in January 2010.
“We’re pleased that these three unions, like the five before them, have ratified their agreements, which implement the balanced terms recommended by the Presidential Emergency Board after carefully weighing the parties’ positions,” said A. Kenneth Gradia, chairman of the NCCC, which represents more than 30 railroads, including Class I railroads BNSF, CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.
Freight railroads now have ratified agreements with 10 of the 13 unions in national bargaining, representing nearly 100,000 employees. Two other unions have reached tentative agreements that are still in the ratification process. The only union without a settlement, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), has agreed with the railroads to extend the “cooling off” period until Feb. 8, 2012, eliminating the immediate threat of a national rail strike. | <urn:uuid:40e9c08d-a2cd-48e1-8d2b-5ae0c5359168> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/freight/class-i/three-more-unions-ratify-freight-railroad-agreements.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936171 | 277 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Robinson was driving his Winton automobile along the dirt road that is today's Holt Boulevard on Sept. 7, 1903, when he was pulled over by the city's constable.
Robinson was accused of exceeding the posted speed limit of 6 miles per hour, making him one of Ontario's first speeders.
We've all grown up with the automobile, so it's hard to imagine a time when 6 mph was speeding.
The automobile, and the roads to drive them, have been some of catalysts to the growth of the Inland Valley. For good or bad, cars have made suburbia possible.
When that first automobile actually chugged into the Inland Valley is subject to lots of debate.
The Automobile Club of Southern California did a survey in 1929 on that subject and reported that at least 50 people maintained they drove the first car in Ontario.
In December 1903, a Pomona Progress reporter got a ride with A.W. Wedderburn in what was said to be the first car in Pomona.
It was supposed to be able to run for five hours on five gallons of gas at a top speed of 15 mph.
Bernice Bedford Conley, who wrote a local history feature for the Ontario Daily Report three decades ago, said two Ontario men built their own automobiles just before the turn of the century. Fred Stamm and Charles Lampkin each assembled a car in a shop
With the first auto parts store still years away, they were forced to put together vehicles pretty much from scratch. The hubs came from an old street car axle while Lampkin fabricated a carburetor from pieces of metal.
Typical of the "can-do" attitude of the times, Lampkin and his wife were driving in Lamanda Park near Pasadena when a nut came loose in the transmission, stopping them in their tracks. Undaunted, he took the transmission apart and reassembled it along the side of the road, and then resumed his trip.
According to records in the Model Colony Room of the Ontario Library, the first automobile purchased in San Bernardino County was a 1902 Cadillac, with an engine number of 13.
For $3,250 (which in current dollars is a lot more than the cost of a Cadillac today), George D. Haven, a Cucamonga land speculator and the man for whom Haven Avenue is named, had his new car delivered to Los Angeles and driven out here.
Haven's car was a 1-cylinder, 9-horsepower vehicle that could reach 18 mph on a straight, and probably downhill, road. The car carried four passengers, had no top or windshield, and probably offered neither a cup-holder nor a GPS navigator.
Naturally, the introduction of often-loud, smoky autos caused problems for the existing source of propulsion at the time: horses.
A Pomona ice wagon pulled by horses in 1905 was startled by a passing car and got loose from its driver. The wagon was toppled at Holt and San Antonio avenues, while the upset horses eventually made their way back to their barn.
Two years earlier, the Pomona Progress reported an automobile spooked a team of horses plowing a nearby field, sending the farmer flying off his rig.
"People are beginning to think that some law should be enacted regulating the use and speed of these vehicles on the public road," wrote the paper on March 11, 1903. "... It seems to be considered a great joke with some chauffeurs to run at great speed and not slack up in the least when horses were frightened."
And what happened to that speed-demon Mr. Robinson?
Justice was swift in those days. He was immediately taken by Constable Silas F. Glass to the courtroom of Judge O.E. Hardy and charged with speeding.
Two witnesses said they were sure Robinson was not going over 3 mph on Holt (then known as A Street), but then again they were his passengers.
The key witness against him was watching a building being put up when he saw Robinson's car. The witness said Robinson's vehicle may have been going as fast as 20 mph.
Guilty, ruled the judge. Ten dollars lighter, Robinson continued on his way, presumably at 6 mph or less.
Joe Blackstock writes on Inland Valley history. He can be reached at 909-483-9382, email at email@example.com or Twitter at @JoeBlackstock | <urn:uuid:aaf7aa98-5f08-46de-a52d-6b092662e610> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_20935158/before-car-was-king-there-were-challenges-drivers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981761 | 913 | 2.4375 | 2 |
More adults than kids get cancer, it's true. That's why governments and foundations fund more research for adult cancers—and we're all for finding cures for adults. But look closer:
Average # of years of life lost to cancer:15
Average age at cancer diagnosis:67
Average # of years of life lost to cancer:71
Average age at cancer diagnosis:6
Curing childhood cancer is the equivalent of curing breast cancer in terms of productive life years saved.
–Dr. Eugenie Kleinerman, head of the division of pediatrics at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Grow up, marry, and have children of their own
Create something beautiful the world has never seen
Or even discover a cure for cancer
About 60% of all funding for drug development in adult cancers comes from pharmaceutical companies. For kids? Almost none, because childhood cancer drugs are not profitable. Look even closer:
You may see bald children on the fundraising appeals of private foundations, but if you’re particular about how your donation is used, look carefully. Many cancer organizations fund:
We’re glad—these are all important! But if you’re giving to support cancer research (specifically for kids), look closely to see how much of your donation will do that. It may be less than 5%.
At the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, we do one thing, and we do it well:
We fund childhood cancer research.
Yes, we’re proud of what we do for kids fighting cancer. But there’s a big gap between the need for funding and the money available.
At St. Baldrick’s alone, of the $33 million needed to fund every grant application that received an excellent score in June 2012, only $23* million was available and granted.
*Total granted in calendar year 2012: $25 million.
That’s a lot of great research not yet funded.
With your help, next year we can do it! | <urn:uuid:be5ba013-6e41-4dca-8fa4-9df7a352486f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stbaldricks.org/filling-the-funding-gap | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922287 | 428 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Routes to victory
Obama: The Democratic candidate's poll lead in several of the states George Bush won in 2004 gives him greater opportunities to reach this figure. A win in Virginia, where polls close at midnight GMT, would suggest Obama is on course for victory in some previously Republican states. A win in two of the big three swing states of past election cycles – Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania – would all but guarantee him the White House.
McCain: The Republican candidate's route to the Oval Office is much narrower. Among the states Bush won in 2004, at least six are leaning towards Obama and several others are toss-ups. In addition to the safe Republican states, McCain's most likely victory will come if he can hold Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri, and take Pennsylvania or some combination of New Hampshire, Iowa, New Mexico and Colorado.
Regardless of when one candidate reaches the magic 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, the night contains enough subplots and intrigues to keep insomniac politicos occupied late into the night.
Polls close in Kentucky and Indiana.
Kentucky is sure to hand McCain its eight electoral votes, but Obama has surged in the polls in Indiana (11 electoral votes) and threatens to be the first Democrat to win the state since Lyndon Johnson's landslide defeat of Barry Goldwater in 1964. If Obama can overcome Indiana's deep-seated conservatism, it indicates that economic concerns have outweighed cultural ones and Obama can expect a landslide victory.
Florida (27 electoral votes) was the site of the 2000 voting-counting fiasco in which the supreme court gave the state – and therefore the election – to Bush. It is a must-win for McCain but last-minute legal tussles and discrepancies in the voter rolls may delay results.
McCain remains popular among Florida's military voters and the culturally conservative north of the state. Obama did not campaign here in the Democratic primary race, but nevertheless pulled ahead of McCain in mid-September when the US economy began tanking in earnest.
Georgia (15 electoral votes) is a usually staunch Republican state but threatened by Obama in this election. Propelled by unprecedented enthusiasm among the state's black voters, Obama has pulled within striking distance. An Obama victory here would upend 40 years of conventional thinking about race in southern politics. Virginia (13 electoral votes), another state once part of the slave-owning confederacy, has not backed a Democrat since 1964, but demographic changes, especially in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, have given Obama an advantage.
South Carolina (eight electoral votes) is safe for McCain and Vermont (three electoral votes) will back Obama. New Hampshire voters have a long-held fondness for McCain – he won the state's Republican primary in 2000 and this year – but Obama made a surge in the polls mid-September and is likely to capture the state's four electoral votes.
If Obama wins Ohio (20 electoral votes) he has the election, but even if he takes only North Carolina (15 electoral votes), McCain's options are seriously limited. Both are toss-up states where Obama maintained a slight lead in polling going into election day. West Virginia (five electoral votes) will go to McCain.
(One hurdle to a decisive result: Ohio has been the scene of bitter partisan legal wrangling over the voting process. If election officials, Democrats and Republicans can agree who is eligible to vote, where voting machines should be allocated, and which votes should be counted, expect a smooth night.
If the campaigns call out the lawyers, we may not see decisive results from Ohio tonight.)
Polls close in 18 states (plus Washington, DC) awarding a total of 205 electoral votes.
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC will likely go to Obama, giving him 113 electoral votes.
Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas should give McCain their combined 81 electoral votes.
Missouri could go either way. Bush won the state twice – but so did Bill Clinton. If Obama wins the state's 11 electoral votes, he can start popping champagne corks.
Arkansas will send its six electoral votes to McCain. Clinton's home state voted for him twice but Democratic candidates since then - Al Gore, John Kerry and now Obama - have been a poor fit with the state's rural and socially conservative mould.
Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin should go to Obama, handing him 55 electoral votes. Colorado and New Mexico are leaning towards Obama, and he could pick up these two from the Republicans, for an additional 14 votes. Wyoming and Louisiana should give McCain another 12, although Obama has made late polling gains in Louisiana (nine electoral votes), which has one of the largest African American populations in the country.
Last week polls showed Obama gaining swiftly in Arizona, McCain's home state. If Obama takes Arizona's 10 electoral votes, McCain may want to leave politics for good. (The scenario occurred in 2000, when Gore lost Tennessee to Bush.)
Idaho, Montana and Utah will send McCain 12 more electoral votes. Iowa should vote for Obama, giving him seven electoral votes. Obama could also take Nevada from the Republicans, for five more electoral votes. North Dakota (three electoral votes) has not voted for a Democrat since 1964, but if Obama is having a very good night he may take this too.
Polls close in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
If you're still up at this hour, you may watch the states above send their combined 77 votes for Obama, possibly putting him over the 270 needed to win the election.
Polls close in Alaska.
How it works
Television stations and the Associated Press, America's leading news agency, are under tremendous pressure to call the results early. They base their predictions on incoming vote tallies, divining the results from precinct-by-precinct results, plus exit polling, and identifying trends where possible. The model works in states where one candidate wins by a sizeable margin, but in close races news organisations must wait until most of the precinct totals are in. Sometimes this can take a while.
News junkies will be watching to see which news network calls the election first. The television networks face a dilemma – they want to declare a winner early but have memories of the disputed Florida vote of 2000 and are fearful of calling it wrong. No editor or news executive wants a replay of the 1948 election, which ended with Harry Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune that bore the banner headline "Dewey Defeats Truman". | <urn:uuid:ba9c97b7-357a-4985-a06e-09852e457aa3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/04/us-president-election-guide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943957 | 1,362 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Helen Boaden, the director of BBC News, informed senior managers about the cuts last Friday, with most of the job losses likely to come in reporting staff. The cuts represent a 20% saving to the total BBC News Budget of £450m.
The exact number of journalists at risk has not yet been disclosed, but some estimates place the figure as high as 1,500. More details are expected to be revealed this week.
Under the BBC's new licence fee deal agreed last October, the previously separate BBC World Service will be integrated into BBC News from 2014.
Job losses are expected to affect regional and domestic news reporters, but international correspondents are likely to be most at risk due to the World Service integration.
However, a source told The Guardian: "It should be remembered these are just proposals. They have not yet been taken to the BBC Trust and anything could happen.
"There may not be a viable argument that, just because a World Service person is somewhere, they can automatically step into a BBC News role."
In a statement issued last week, a BBC News spokesman said: "We are not going to get drawn into a running commentary, no decisions have been taken and therefore these claims remain speculation.
"Any decisions coming out of the process would be subject to approval by the BBC Trust."
Other cost-saving proposals thought to be under consideration include the launch of a "slimmed-down" BBC News channel to trim the network's £46m-a-year budget.
The corporation is also thought to want to make the BBC Parliament channel "more cost-effective and accessible", as well as earn more revenue from selling BBC News output to overseas broadcasters.
In January, BBC World Service announced plans to cut up to 650 jobs as it comes to terms with a reduction to its Foreign Office grant, along with the impending funding switch to the BBC. | <urn:uuid:940777d2-cc58-4757-838f-a53f148a96a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a324546/bbc-news-cuts-risk-hundreds-of-jobs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962089 | 386 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Words and Pictures
This is a course with writing at its center and the other arts, mainly but not exclusively visual, around it. It should let you see what you can put together that has been kept apart. We will read and look at all kinds of things—children’s books, mysteries, poetry, short stories, fairy tales, graphic novels, performance pieces—and think about the ways in which people have used writing and other arts to speak to each other. In conference work, people in these classes have combined text and pictures involving cartoons, quilts, T-shirts, texts with music behind them, and so on. There will be weekly assignments that specify what emotional territory you are in but not what you make of it. This semester course has less elaborate conference work than the yearlong course. | <urn:uuid:5c160308-acb2-46ed-85c2-a5c33da81a19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mobile.slc.edu/catalogue/creative-and-performing-arts/writing/courses/2012-2013/primary/words--pictures.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973217 | 164 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Any full-scale defence of human enhancement technologies first needs to clear away a lot of misunderstandings. Here's an attempt to do so.
As a species, we have reached a point in our history where we've developed sophisticated, and increasingly powerful, forms of technological intervention in the functioning of our own bodies. Existing possibilities include not only the array of modern techniques for combating disability and disease, but also cosmetic surgery, performance-enhancing or consciousness-altering drugs, the contraceptive pill, and genetically-based methods for the sex selection of children. That list is obviously not exhaustive, and nor does it represent an end point of human inventiveness: for example, there is the much-discussed prospect that we might develop radical new reproductive technologies, such as the asexual creation of embryos through somatic cell nuclear transfer (i.e. reproductive cloning).
Future technologies may go much further than anything available today in enabling transformation, and even the redesign, of human minds and bodies. It may, for example, become possible to make extensive, purposeful modifications to our DNA, our body tissues, or our overall morphology. We may be able to change our organic functioning, including that of our complex neurophysiology — with its associated, or supervenient, mental states. Alternatively, we may be able to merge our bodies with advanced cybernetic devices. One way or another, it may become possible to use direct means of technological intervention to produce far-reaching alterations in the physical and cognitive capacities of human beings.
Among the more dramatic possibilities are extension of the maximum human life span, reconfigurations of the human body structure in an effort to obtain greater functional efficiency, and the reshaping of psychological dispositions to help achieve individual or social goals. Enthusiasts for such technological innovations might want to enhance their own athletic, perceptual, or cognitive capacities — or perhaps those of their children — to a point beyond any historical level of human functioning. Indeed, some might want to obtain entirely new abilities for themselves or their children: abilities, perhaps, that we can imagine from the outside, while the inner experience of having may be something we cannot truly imagine. In this last respect, the creators of science fiction movies sometimes make an effort on our behalf. Though no one has established what it is like to be a bat, Hollywood special effects can at least offer an impressionistic representation of what it might be like to have, say, a batlike echolocation sense — as in Daredevil (2003).
All of this might move us to speculate about a future in which humanity changes in countless ways—perhaps taking many forms as time unfolds. In the extreme, as described by Edward O. Wilson in his book Consilience, Homo sapiens might be superseded by a self-designing, self-directed, bafflingly varied form of life: Homo proteus.
The existing and imagined technologies sketched above raise issues for morality, and for the development of public policy and the law. Should we really be doing all this — or any of it? What technologies should stand morally condemned, perhaps even in advance of their development? Which should be prohibited, or in some way regulated, by law? Or should we relax and allow it all to happen, or even take steps to encourage it? These questions are already with us, in a relatively small way, as we consider the contraceptive pill, pre-implantation embryonic sex selection, the use by atheletes of steroids and other banned substances, and the ongoing debate about various possible uses for somatic call nuclear transfer. The questions will become even more urgent as more technological possibilities open up, especially if these introduce effective methods to increase human capacities, whether within or beyond the current species-normal range.
Might the embrace of such technologies prove disastrous? Might it cause the loss of something deeply valued about being human? Might it lead to diminished individual autonomy, increased economic and social inequality, or group conflict? As one example of these concerns, Mehlman and Botkin have lamented that unequal access to enhancement technologies could "threaten the fundamental principles upon which Western democratic societies are based." They conclude their book, Access to the Genome, with a note of warning: "We are raftsmen approaching a social and evolutionary maelstrom. Whether we will emerge safely will depend on how well prepared we are, not to mention a great deal of luck."
When I commenced my study of human enhancement technologies, I expected to develop a forthright defence of the present and imagined technologies that I have in mind, and have attempted to evoke in these opening paragraphs. That is, I expected to be able to reject criticisms of these technologies quite unequivocally. However, it now appears to me that some of the fears that have been expressed cannot simply be dismissed out of hand as irrational or unreasonable. Public policy will need to grapple with these legitimate fears, whether by the enactment of legal prohibitions or by other means. At the same time, I remain convinced that we should view the technological prospects with at least a guarded optimism. Even if we resist the changes that are underway, and those to come — resist some of them, or all — it might be with a degree of regret and a hope that the need for resistance will be only temporary.
While my work expresses some hostility to legal prohibitions, and some other forms of government intervention, I do not rely on arguments of a vulgar kind. In any event, they are not based on any vulgar sort of moral subjectivism or cultural relativism. This merits some elaboration, because I actually do reject objectivism as a meta-ethical position (if objectivism is the idea that there are moral propositions which are objectively and inescapably true). I also reject absolutism (if this is the idea of an absolute standard by which all moral claims can be measured). It is worthwhile, then, making clear at the outset, that the following argument from relativity is one that I do not rely upon. It is adapted from an article by Heidi Hurd, who correctly repudiates it:
Argument from relativity
P1. Moral truth is relative to individual moral beliefs.
C1. (Therefore) all people's individual moral beliefs are (equally) worthy of respect.
P2.(C1.) All people's individual moral beliefs are (equally) worthy of respect.
C. (Therefore) the state should respect all people's individual moral beliefs by allowing them the liberty to act on their beliefs.
The difficulty with this argument from relativity is that the sub-argument is simply a non sequitur. If my individual moral belief is that tolerating others' beliefs and practices is morally wrong, then I will not have a subjective basis to give respect to those others' individual beliefs (or their practices). The argument to this point does not establish that any belief is worthy of respect by some mid-air, neutral standard (as Bernard Williams might put it). After all, no individual moral belief is true from that perspective, but only from the perspective of the person who holds it. Viewed from the mid-air position, all individual moral beliefs are unworthy of any particular respect (or, it seems, any particular disrespect). On consideration then, it appears that I may on my own individual moral beliefs, whatever they are, without making any mistake in doing so — and even if these include the belief that the beliefs of others ought to be treated with contempt. From my viewpoint, that will be true, which is surely what matters when I choose how to act.
If it could be established that individual moral beliefs are all (objectively and equally) worthy of respect, an interesting question might arise. How should we handle the obvious paradox that some systems of belief consider beliefs, and accompanying practices, from other systems to be contemptible? However, I do not need to reach that point of the argument. What has been said so far should establish Hurd's important claim. The argument from relativity, with its idea that moral truth is relative to individual beliefs, leaves it open to those individuals who control the apparatus of the state to act in accordance with their moral truth — and that might be something quite intolerant. The argument could actually license unlimited intervention by the state in the lives of others.
Something very similar obtains if the standard is not the beliefs of individuals, but those of a cultural group: if those in power belong to such a group, they have a licence to impose its beliefs on others. Such vulgar approaches, then, can actually vindicate totalitarianism. It does not follow that this must be the case with any subjectivist or relativist theory of morality, no matter how sophisticated, but arguments based on forms of moral subjectivism or relativism need to be handled with great care.
I also wish to establish at the outset that none of my reasoning in this study is based on libertarian foundations, if this refers to political philosophies developed by the likes of Ayn Rand or Robert Nozick. Actually, I am somewhat resigned to having my views classified as "libertarian", but it is a label that I find unhelpful and even irritating. If I accept it, as perhaps I must, it is only with suitable qualifications and an explanation. Most importantly, the account developed herein does not rely on anything like the near-absolute individual rights that underpin canonically libertarian positions, such as that elaborated by Nozick in his formidable contribution to political philosophy, Anarchy, State, and Utopia. Nozick makes some powerful criticisms of John Rawls's theory of distributive justice, and his work contains useful materials to draw on to criticise other liberal egalitarian theories. I am happy to help myself to all this, and I am particularly impressed by Nozick's observation that something which is deserved need not be deserved all the way down. Indeed, as I shall argue in the full study, similar observations can be made in response to other philosophical questions, such as whether we possess free will or autonomy "all the way down", whether certain situations or outcomes can be described accurately as "bad all the way down", and even whether we can ever be rational "all the way down" - and so on. However, I am not at all attracted to Nozick's overall theory of justice, with its emphasis on property rights, its severely limited role for government, and its repudiation of mandatory economic redistributions to those in need.
While I defend individual liberty, and treat government interference with suspicion, I do not believe for a moment that there are any such things as Nozick-style libertarian rights. Indeed, my entire approach is as corrosive of claims about the existence of those rights as it is of other grand normative claims that can be found in the work of moral and political philosophers. While avoiding vulgar forms of subjectivism and relativism, I will develop a rather sceptical approach to all such claims, very much in the tradition of J.L. Mackie and other meta-ethical error theorists. Although I owe some explanation of the word "good", I do believe that there are good reasons for governments to pursue ambitious programmes to redistribute wealth, provide publicly-funded education, healthcare, and other valuable services, and, in particular, to attempt to reduce the global burden of misery and disease. Our existing moral norms - those actually followed within Western societies — appear to me to demand too little of us in addressing that global burden, and I am impatient with the snail's pace of action by the international community. This is scarcely a political position that could be extracted from the pages of Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
With all that said, I must now emphasise that my study of human enhancement technologies has left my basic position intact, if not altogether unchanged. This still strikes me as an area of moralistic overreach. My general view is that morality is an institution invented by human beings, and one that ultimately exists to serve our interests, and particularly to help us avert outcomes that most of us will recognise as "bad". Not only does the institution of morality exist to serve us — not the other way around — it is something that we can improve. Perhaps it should be more demanding in some ways, and less so in others. My approach will be to subject the claims of moralists — professional or amateur — to searching sceptical scrutiny, because I believe that I am working in an area where the moral ideas in use are typically too demanding. Thus, my project involves a counterattack on much existing moral discourse: it will be a case, here, of the enhancer strikes back. Rather than work within some established system of moral or political philosophy — whether it be preference utilitarianism, some kind of neo-Kantian or neo-Aristotelian ethics, Nozick-style libertarianism, or some sort of liberal or communitarian theory — I will cast doubt on all those theories.
In their place, I will ask us to consider carefully what we most deeply value and fear, and I'll suggest that the answers to that question will provide us with a more rationally defensible approach to moral judgment and public policy. If the answers are vague or indeterminate, in some way, or if they are not unanimous, that will, itself, need to be taken into account. As for unanimity, one of the things that I believe we (all) should be sceptical about is, actually, the propriety of using the word "we". In many cases, use of this word may be harmless; but in others, slipping into its use may erase a vast range of individual differences in interests and values.
In my view, morality is an important, virtually inevitable, and in many ways desirable institution. We — it will be awkward if I always avoid that word — might well say that some kind of morality can be "justified". However, any such justification is likely to be of a non-epistemic kind, e.g. we cannot provide epistemic justification for any moral claims that assert the existence of objectively prescriptive properties and facts, but the widespread institution of morality might still have a point and a place in human lives. The question, then, is "What point and place?", and then there is the further question of whether understanding these will justify rejection, regulation, or general acceptance of the controversial technologies with which this study is concerned.
With no more ado, then, it's time to get a clearer idea of what is at stake when we consider the range of new and imagined technologies - stay tuned for more. | <urn:uuid:63960786-4d8b-483c-afe3-f4e4cfc3ea68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://metamagician3000.blogspot.com/2007/04/prolegomema-to-defence-of-human.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947599 | 2,963 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Some years ago on a trip to the U.K., I walked through the historic Holy Trinity Church on Clapham Common in South London. This Anglican parish was the home church to William Wilberforce, the abolitionist parliamentarian who wrote Britain's anti-slave-trade legislation. Wilberforce and a group of Christian fellow parliamentarians and lay people known as "the Saints" were behind many social reforms that swept England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The current vicar was very proud to show me around. On the wall were pictures of these typically English-looking gentlemen who helped to turn their country upside down.
Finally, the vicar pointed to an old, well-worn table. "This is the table upon which William Wilberforce wrote the antislavery act," he said proudly. "We now use this table every Sunday for communion." I was struck—here, in dramatic liturgical symbol, the secular and the sacred are brought together with powerful historical force. How did we ever separate them? What became of religion that believed its duty was to change its society on behalf of justice?
William Wilberforce and his group of friends profoundly changed the political and social climate of their time. Wilberforce was a convert of the religious revivals that transformed 18th-century England. His life and his vocation as a Member of Parliament were profoundly changed by his newfound faith; Wilberforce became a force for moral politics. His mentor, John Newton, who worked in the slave trade before he became a minister, became well known for writing the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace." Later, he used his influence as a religious leader to lead the battle against slavery. In the light of his efforts, we can read his immortal words "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me" not merely as a testimony of private guilt and piety, but also of turning away from the sin of trafficking in human flesh. His conversion produced a social and political transformation as well as a personal one.
The same became true of Wilberforce, who first heard Newton speak when he was young but regarded his real conversion as confirmed following a series of conversations in 1785-86. At the conclusion of their conversations, Newton said: "The Lord has raised you up for the good of the church and the good of the nation." Two years later Wilberforce introduced his first anti–slave- trade motion into Parliament. It was defeated, and would be defeated nine more times until it passed in 1807. It was a historic and moral victory, but Wilberforce wouldn't be satisfied until slavery was abolished altogether. A new Wilberforce biography notes, "probably the last letter" John Wesley ever wrote encouraged Wilberforce: "Oh, be not weary in well-doing. Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might." Wilberforce continued working tirelessly toward that goal, year after year. Finally, in 1833, the House of Commons passed a bill abolishing slavery, and Wilberforce died three days later, his work finally done.
SIMILARLY, in 19th-century America, religious revivalism was linked directly with the abolition of slavery and movements of social reform. Christians helped lead the abolitionist struggle, efforts to end child labor, projects to aid working people and establish unions, and the battle to obtain voting rights for women. Here were evangelical Christians fighting for social causes, an activity that evangelicals have not been associated with in more recent times. Nineteenth-century U.S. evangelist Charles Finney didn't shy away from identifying the gospel with the antislavery cause. He was a revivalist and also an abolitionist. For him, the two went together.
Wilberforce's life is a testament to the power of conversion and the persistence of faith. I have often said that I am a 19th-century American evangelical born in the wrong century. But now, a new generation of evangelical students and pastors is coming of age. Their concerns are the slavery of poverty, sex trafficking, the environment, human rights, genocide in Darfur, and the ethics of war and peace. Whether they know it or not, they are really 19th-century American evangelicals (or 18th-century British evangelicals) for the 21st century.
Recently, I was preaching at an evangelical Christian college in the American Midwest. I called for a new generation of Martin Luther Kings and William Wilberforces. Afterward, two young women were waiting to talk to me at the end of a long line of students. When they finally got their turn to speak, they looked me straight in the eye and said, "We are going to be the next Martin Luther King Jr. and William Wilberforce, and we just wanted to tell you that." I told them I was glad to meet them now before they became famous! But they were serious, and so was I. The history from earlier centuries can inform a new generation of Christians in the struggle about how to reunite faith and social justice for our time. I know two young Christian women who will be eager to read it.
An important new movie is about to be released, Amazing Grace: The Story of William Wilberforce. Sojourners previewed the film for the first time in the U.S. at our September 2006 conference in Pasadena, California. I was impressed and moved by the Wilberforce saga and believe America will be too. Along with the film a new campaign is arising called "Amazing Change" which is focused on modern- day slavery—that's right, modern slavery. In his book Not For Sale, which will accompany the Wilberforce film, David Batstone writes:
Many people bristle to hear the word slave used to describe the modern practice of exploitation. ... Indeed, more slaves are in bondage today than were bartered in four centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. Nowhere has its impact been felt more brutally than on children in the underdeveloped nations. Slaveholders prey on the defenseless, and children so easily become vulnerable. The U.N. report Ten Million Children Exploited for Domestic Labor ... indicates that children remain in servitude for long stretches of time because no one identifies their enslavement.
We preview the book in this issue. Read it and get involved. A new generation of abolitionists, perhaps, is about to be born.
Jim Wallis is editor-in-chief of Sojourners. | <urn:uuid:bfb2c45d-7ed2-4de4-bf35-4fa2915bf70e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sojo.net/magazine/2007/03/revival-justice | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981798 | 1,332 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement upon news of the passing of Dorothy I. Height.
"Dorothy Height was instrumental in the civil rights movement with her insistent voice for racial justice and gender equality in America. Known among many as the 'glue' that held the civil rights leaders together; she fought tireless for more than six decades for a better more just country. She liked to say, 'If the times aren't ripe, you have to ripen the times.' Her words and her actions made a positive difference in my life and all Americans.
"A powerful activist and advocate, Height was president of the National Council of Negro Women for more than 40 years. In 1994, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, and in 2004 she received the Congressional Gold Medal - the highest honor Congress can bestow. Dorothy Height will forever stand among our nation's great heroes, leaving behind a legacy of justice, equality and hope." | <urn:uuid:676d19ff-fb86-424c-8979-2272b0c388aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://afro.com/sections/local/md_government/story.htm?id=1816 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965313 | 223 | 2.328125 | 2 |
How to Draw Fall Fashions
5 of 5
Try the layered look for women with a knee-length dress paired with a sweater coat, knee-high socks, and boots.
Sketch a full length female pose in three-quarter view. The Peter Pan collar takes two steps. First draw a curved line at the neckline, and then draw two half circles below it, meeting up at the center front of the collar. For the rest of the sweater coat, follow along the sides of the body and draw the hem right over the knees.
Draw the coat buttoned at the first two buttons and open the rest of the way down. Start a center front line at the center of the collar and keep it as one line until below the breasts. Split the center front line into two lines that go down to the hem, spreading out more the farther down they go. Add two horizontal lines near the bottom of the coat’s opening.
The lower line is the back hem of the coat. The higher line is the bottom of the model’s dress. Add buttons to one side of the coat and fringe on the coat’s hem.
Finish the coat by drawing sleeves that end a little below the elbow. Add the model’s legs, paying attention to where the thighs show in relation to the hems. Instead of ending the boots at the ankle, end them around the middle of the calf and add knee-high socks with ribbing at the top. | <urn:uuid:91110ff5-257c-4c82-9ee2-86c73e5924dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-draw-fall-fashions.pageCd-storyboard,pageNum-5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915794 | 306 | 1.851563 | 2 |
According to USDA reports, commercial sweet corn production for the fresh market in 2009 surpassed a record $835.8 million in value and over 28.4 million cwt in volume. That same year, commercial sweet corn for processing (frozen and canned) was valued at a record $335.6 million and totaled a record 3.2 million tons. Both the volume of sweet corn for freezing and for canning increased. (NASS 2010)
New genetic lines of sweet corn have improved consistency, taste and shelf life. Because of these genetic improvements, sweet corn consumption continued to increase, peaking at 29 pounds per person in 1996. By 2009, however, per person consumption of sweet corn averaged 25.5 pounds per year. Of that amount, Americans ate 9.0 pounds of fresh sweet corn per person. Fresh sweet corn consumption now exceeds the level of frozen corn consumption (8.8 pounds per person) and of canned corn consumption (7.6 pounds per person). (ERS 2010)
Sweet corn, a genetic mutation of field corn, was reportedly first grown in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s. The first commercial variety was introduced there in 1779. The natural mutation causes the kernel to store more sugars than field corn. To capture the sweetness, sweet corn is harvested before it matures, while the sugar content is still high.
As alluded to previously, sweet corn is produced for three distinct markets: fresh, frozen and canned. Like other dual-use (fresh and processed) vegetables, the fresh market accounts for the majority of total sweet corn crop value. However, sweet corn is the second-leading processing crop, following tomatoes. The value of sweet corn for freezing continued to rise, reaching $191.6 million, while the value of sweet corn for canning decreased from 2008, falling to $144.0 million.
According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture (2009), sweet corn is harvested on over 28,000 farms and in all 50 states. Coastal states dominate the commercial fresh sweet corn market. During 2009, Florida remained the leading producer of fresh sweet corn. From Winter 2007 through Winter 2009, Florida’s average national market share for sweet corn was 67 percent (ERS 2010). California, Georgia and Washington were also leading producers of fresh sweet corn. Compared to the previous year, production of fresh sweet corn rose in California and Washington while production declined in Florida and Georgia.
The production of sweet corn for processing is heavily concentrated in the upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. Since 2004, the value of Minnesota’s sweet corn crop for canning and freezing ($97.6 million) has surpassed the value of Washington’s ($92.4 million) and Wisconsin’s ($62.3 million) sweet corn crop (NASS 2010). In 2009 sweet corn output was record high in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Both states experienced record sweet corn yields per acre (8.0 and 7.8 tons, respectively), but Washington’s average yield (10.4 tons) was still higher than either state’s average yield.
In terms of production, the United States has dominated the world sweet corn, or green maize, market since at least the 1960s. In 2004, Mexico became the second largest producer of sweet corn, a position it still holds today. Other countries who are leading producers of sweet corn include (in order): Nigeria, France and Hungary. (ERS 2008)
The supersweet varieties introduced and refined over the past 25 years have improved the quality of both fresh and processed products. These three major varieties are normal sugar, sugar-enhanced and supersweet. The sweeter flavored sugar-enhanced varieties have been responsible for most of the growth in sweet corn consumption. Supersweet varieties offer a longer shelf life, extending the marketing window and allowing retailers to deliver a quality product to customers nearly year round.
To maximize freshness, contracts are generally offered through a variety of brokers and processed at local facilities. To maximize capacity, most processing plants will process a portion of their annual production under their own branded label products and also package and process for other wholesale marketers under private label agreements. Rapid consolidation and mergers make ownership of these plants a very fluid industry, but Seneca Foods is now one of the major frozen vegetable (corn) processing companies with ten facilities in the Minnesota and Wisconsin area.
Fresh sweet corn production is typically sold in daily spot markets and is highly subject to supply and demand variability, while canned and frozen corn is normally grown under a contracted price. | <urn:uuid:acbcaf32-615b-4ad3-ba68-c1f9e5385d9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://agweek.areavoices.com/2010/07/30/sweet-corn-profile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929788 | 921 | 2.890625 | 3 |