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Cameron Harris, who has had Type 1 diabetes since he was 8 years old, explains the ins and outs of using glucagon for blood sugar lows. Harris hosts a video podcast series called "In Range" on YouTube.
When Kerri Sparling was 7 years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Her family didn't know anyone with the disease, so they sent her to diabetes camp — "where every single camper had Type 1 diabetes," she says.
"That was my first sense of not only other people who had diabetes, but a true community," says Sparling.
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity cut a wheel scuff mark into a wind-formed ripple at the "Rocknest" site to give researchers a better opportunity to examine the particle-size distribution of the material forming the ripple.
The director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said last week that preliminary data showed the possibility that the agency's Mars Science Laboratory – the six-wheeled rover that landed on Mars in August — had found signs of carbon-containing molecules.
Originally published on Sun December 2, 2012 2:50 pm
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner took to the Sunday talk shows to push the Obama administration's plan to avert the "fiscal cliff," saying that while he was optimistic about a deal with Republicans, there would be no agreement without an increase in tax rates for the top 2 percent of income earners.
Originally published on Sun December 2, 2012 7:39 pm
In the name of equality, the French government has proposed doing away with homework in elementary and junior high school. French President Francois Hollande argues that homework penalizes children with difficult home situations, but even the people whom the proposal is supposed to help disagree. | <urn:uuid:6f862b2d-f413-4fc7-9d62-c55c7b9936a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvxu.org/term/news-npr?page=1002 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975175 | 354 | 1.851563 | 2 |
About five years ago, a good friend called me with wonderful news: She’d gotten a huge promotion at her job that gave her the six-figure salary she had always dreamed of. “I can buy that apartment now,” she gushed. “And I can finally take that trip to Italy!” “I’m so happy for you,” I replied. “And you finally can pay off those crazy credit card bills!” You see, this friend had always maintained a difficult relationship with her wallet, dating from our college days. She had thought of credit as free money, never truly calculating the real cost of the designer clothes and expensive meals she was charging. After graduation, reality hit hard, and she would spend the next decade struggling to pay her monthly bills, even while steadily climbing the ladder at a wellknown marketing firm.
With the new job, her spending spree continued. She used her signing bonus to pay for a luxurious trip to Capri for herself and her man. Then she bought an apartment in a new high-rise with sky-high prices to match. When the dust settled, the signing bonus was gone and her monthly bills were still at the very edge of what her salary could sustain.
Well, I’m sure you can imagine what happened next. The recession worsened and because she was the last hired at her new company, she was the first to be let go when it decided to downsize. Despite the prime location and “name” architect, my friend’s high-rise remained half empty, and the building owners slashed the prices on the remaining apartments to get them off the market. Of course, that meant that if my friend had to sell her place, it would be at a huge loss. To make matters more complex, she and her man decided to get married and had just found out that she was pregnant. It was a financial disaster, and the last thing they needed as they were starting a family.
Unfortunately, my girl’s story is far from unique. Our community has been disproportionately ravaged by the recession, and many of us have lost jobs, homes, savings accounts—and, sadly, the pride and confidence that go with being able to support our families. Yet, even though we all know people whose financial circumstances have been drastically altered, there are those among us who have not learned the lesson that the economic climate is teaching: There is a huge difference between money and wealth.
It frustrates me to see so many of us value the instant gratification of money when we should be seeking wealth and its long-term benefits. Money is a diamond-encrusted watch flashing on the wrist of someone who rents his home, leases her fresh-off-the-line car and has no savings. Wealth is the ability to contribute to your retirement fund, own a home with a monthly payment that you can comfortably afford, donate to charity and send your kids to the best schools possible to ensure their future success. Money is fun—but wealth is forever.
This issue is devoted to Black wealth, and to ensuring that we are empowered with the information and tools to make the best financial decisions possible. At the same time, I know we like nice things, so this issue is also full of fabulous indulgences for you to splurge on. We just want you to be smart about how you spend your money. Pay your bills, enroll your kids in brain-boosting activities, contribute to your retirement fund, shore up your emergency account—and then take that Caribbean vacation you’ve been dreaming about!
E-mail email@example.com or hit me up on Twitter @amydbarnett to tell me about your plans to develop wealth for your family. | <urn:uuid:80d409b2-dda9-4aaf-ba09-1d97f6b7030c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ebony.com/career-finance/personal-space-money-vs-wealthy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982568 | 775 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Clarity Vision Group
Eye Care Articles
Eye Exams for Children
Eye Exams for Children
As a parent, you may wonder whether your pre-schooler has a vision problem or when a first eye exam should be scheduled.
Eye exams for children are extremely important. Experts say 5 percent-10 percent of pre-schoolers and 25 percent of school-aged children have vision problems. Early identification of a child's vision problem is crucial because, if left untreated, some childhood vision problems can cause permanent vision loss.
When should kids have their eyes examined?
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months of age. Children then should receive additional eye exams at 3 years of age, and just before they enter kindergarten or the first grade at about age 5 or 6.
For school-aged children, the AOA recommends an eye exam every two years if no vision correction is required. Children who need eyeglasses or contact lenses should be examined annually or according to their eye doctor’s recommendations.
Early eye exams also are important because children need the following basic visual skills for learning:
- Near vision
- Distance vision
- Eye teaming (binocularity) skills
- Eye movement skills
- Focusing skills
- Peripheral awareness
- Eye/hand coordination
Because of the importance of good vision for learning, some states require an eye exam for all children entering school for the first time.
Scheduling your child’s eye exam
Your family doctor or pediatrician likely will be the first medical professional to examine your child's eyes. If eye problems are suspected during routine physical examinations, a referral might be made to an ophthalmologist or optometrist for further evaluation. Eye doctors have specific equipment and training to help them detect and diagnose potential vision problems.
When scheduling an eye exam, choose a time when your child is usually alert and happy. Specifics of how eye exams are conducted depend on your child's age, but an exam generally will involve a case history, vision testing, determination of whether eyeglasses are needed, testing of eye alignment, an eye health examination and a consultation with you regarding the findings.
After you’ve made the appointment, you may be sent a case history form by mail, or you may be given one when you check in at the doctor's office. The case history form will ask about your child's birth history (also called perinatal history), such as birth weight and whether or not the child was full-term. Your eye doctor also may ask whether complications occurred during the pregnancy or delivery. The form will also inquire about your child's medical history, including current medications and past or present allergies.
Be sure to tell your eye doctor if your child has a history of prematurity, has delayed motor development, engages in frequent eye rubbing, blinks excessively, fails to maintain eye contact, cannot seem to maintain a gaze (fixation) while looking at objects, has poor eye tracking skills or has failed a pediatrician or pre-school vision screening.
Your eye doctor will also want to know about previous ocular diagnoses and treatments involving your child, such as possible surgeries and glasses or contact lens wear. Be sure you inform your eye doctor if there is a family history of eye problems requiring vision correction, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness, misaligned eyes (strabismus) or amblyopia (“lazy eye”).
Eye testing for infants
It takes some time for a baby’s vision skills to develop. To assess whether your infant's eyes are developing normally, your eye doctor may use one or more of the following tests:
- Tests of pupil responses evaluate whether the eye's pupil opens and closes properly in the presence or absence of light.
- “Fixate and follow” testing determines whether your baby can fixate on an object (such as a light) and follow it as it moves. Infants should be able to perform this task quite well by the time they are 3 months old.
- Preferential looking involves using cards that are blank on one side with stripes on the other side to attract the gaze of an infant to the stripes. In this way, vision capabilities can be assessed.
Eye testing for pre-school children
Pre-school children can have their eyes thoroughly tested even if they don’t yet know the alphabet or are too young or too shy to answer the doctor’s questions. Some common eye tests used specifically for young children include:
- LEA Symbols for young children are similar to regular eye tests using charts with letters, except that special symbols in these tests include an apple, house, square and circle.
- Retinoscopy is a test that involves shining a light into the eye to observing how it reflects from the retina (the light-sensitive inner lining of the back of the eye). This test helps eye doctors determine the child's eyeglass prescription.
- Random Dot Stereopsis uses dot patterns to determine how well the two eyes work as a team.
Eye and vision problems that affect children
Besides looking for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism (refractive errors), your eye doctor will be examining your child’s eyes for signs of these eye and vision problems commonly found in young children:
- Amblyopia. Also commonly called “lazy eye,” this is decreased vision in one or both eyes despite the absence of any eye health problem or damage. Common causes of amblyopia include strabismus (see below) and a significant difference in the refractive errors of the two eyes. Treatment of amblyopia may include patching the dominant eye to strengthen the weaker eye.
- Strabismus. This is misalignment of the eyes, often caused by a congenital defect in the positioning or strength of muscles that are attached to the eye and which control eye positioning and movement. Left untreated, strabismus can cause amblyopia in the misaligned eye. Depending on its cause and severity, surgery may be required to treat strabismus.
- Convergence insufficiency. This is the inability to keep the eye comfortably aligned for reading and other near tasks. Convergence insufficiency can often be successfully treated with vision therapy, a specific program of eye exercises.
- Focusing problems. Children with focusing problems (also called accommodation problems) may have trouble changing focus from distance to near and back again (accommodative infacility) or have problems maintaining adequate focus for reading (accommodative insufficiency). These problems often can be successfully treated with vision therapy.
- Eye teaming problems. Many eye teaming (binocularity) problems are more subtle than strabismus. Deficiencies in eye teaming skills can cause problems with depth perception and coordination.
Vision and learning
Experts say that 80% of what your child learns in school is presented visually. Undetected vision problems can put them at a significant disadvantage. Be sure to schedule a complete eye exam for your child prior to the start of school.
Article ©2012 Access Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction other than for one-time personal use is strictly prohibited. | <urn:uuid:d925c548-362d-4d95-8889-4aed9351a2e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clarity-vision.com/articles/20120412-eyefinity-eyeexams-kids.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928974 | 1,509 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Assemble famous masterpieces with Skrambler, a jigsaw puzzle mindware for the iPad. Learn interesting facts about artists and their artwork while putting each piece in its place.
Unlike a traditional jigsaw puzzle, Skrambler is tailor-made for the iPad. Swap tile pieces to reveal the scrambled paintings of masters including Seurat, Van Eyck, Degas, Rembrandt, and da Vinci. Tiles and play area are visible at all times, making it easy to visualize the entire puzzle without the need for scrolling. Various tools are also provided to help put images together. The game’s Imaging Scope shows a portion of the painting, while its Jolt allows difficult tiles to be pushed into their correct slots. Both tools require energy for use; energy that is gained when correct tile placements are made.
A game designed specifically for quick play, its UI is streamlined with no long load screens. Progress is saved automatically when the game is quit so that play begins exactly were it was when left.
What’s New in the iPad Version
In addition to featuring gorgeous high resolution images, the iPad version 5 times the amount of pop-up facts for each painting. New images are also downloaded automatically as they are released. For a surprise, try shaking your iPad.
• Play a jigsaw puzzle tailored for the iPad screen
• Recreate the works in high-resolution of more than 30 famous artists
• Learn about each painting as you de-scramble it
• Manage your energy to complete the puzzles in the shortest time
• Stop playing at any time and continue where you left off
• Shake to scramble the images
• Automatically downloads new images as they are released
• More than 5 hours of play in the original paintings pack with more being added
Check out the link to the Neuronic Games web site below for more screen shots and gameplay video. | <urn:uuid:f091aba1-0d88-47d9-a43e-4d7dc2c53c22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slidetoplay.com/games/skrambler-x/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948701 | 390 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Ethics and Morality Training for the Media?
By: Randall H. Nunn
In response to the media publicity concerning the investigation of civilian deaths in Haditha, Iraq, United States military commanders have ordered “ethics training” for U.S. combat troops. The training would highlight “the importance of adhering to legal, moral and ethical standards on the battlefield.” Although we don’t yet know what the facts are, the mainstream media has seized this story and is using it, to the great glee of the far left in this country, to indict the entire U.S. war effort in Iraq. While our combat troops undergo this ethics training (which is already a standard part of their training), it might be a good idea if the mainstream media put its journalists and executives through “ethics training” to highlight the importance of adhering to legal, moral and ethical standards in their reporting, writing and broadcasting.
It is obvious by now to most Americans that the bulk of the mainstream media is quite far to the left politically and is hostile to the Bush administration and traditional American values. This hostility permeates everything the mainstream media reports and does, including its decisions as to how to “position” a story or write headlines so as to further the leftist agenda. The media bias is clear beyond dispute, yet the media cynically continues the propaganda campaign in its never-ending quest to force its audience to accept the views of the media elites.
In response to the mainstream media’s war on American culture and values, many Americans have turned to talk radio, the Internet and FOX News, with the result that network audience share is declining and mainstream media papers are losing subscribers. Nevertheless, the media’s elites remember how a minority was able to influence the course of the Viet Nam War and they bank on their ability to do the same thing again and grind down American support for the war in Iraq with their incessant
The mainstream media thinks that the Haditha incident is the tool it can use to demonstrate that the U.S. military effort in Iraq is wrong and that a pull-out is the only reasonable response. Senator Barbara Boxer has already joined the chorus, saying that U.S. troops should be out of Iraq within 6 months. Senator Boxer said that if we don’t get out of Iraq now, “we’re looking at another Viet Nam.” Senator Boxer and others like her, in concert with the mainstream media, think they can “create” public opinion on this issue by their steady stream of negative comments and damning portrayals of the U.S. military in Iraq. Fortunately, many Americans have “caught on” to the mainstream media’s agenda and its techniques and are not as quickly and easily swayed as in years past. The alternative media outlets are weakening the opinion molding power of the mainstream media little by little. The higher the audience share of talk radio, FOX News and the Internet sites, the stronger will be America’s resolve to complete the job in Iraq-not just to secure freedom for the Iraqi people but more importantly for the security of the United States. The key will be whether our elected officials have the courage to ignore the mainstream media.
So let’s have some seminars and training for the media where they can once again learn that American citizens are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Where they can learn that it is sometimes necessary to fight wars and that American interests have been well-protected over the years by those willing to face our enemies on a battlefield. Where they can learn that there is a difference between fact and opinion and that “shaping” the facts to fit an agenda is improper unless clearly labeled as commentary. Where they can learn that the press can be free and independent and still be obliged to be truthful and fair in its reporting. And where they can learn that support for their country, freedom and personal liberty is not diametrically opposed to membership in the media. Adherence to legal, moral and ethical standards ought to be far easier for those ensconced in the offices of the mainstream media than for a soldier on the battlefield. Yet today the soldier on the battlefield has my respect in far greater measure than those souls in the mainstream media who try to feed me a daily dose of propaganda.
Randall H. Nunn is a Staff Writer for The New Media Alliance. The New Media Alliance is a non-profit (501c3) national coalition of writers, journalists and grass-roots media outlets. Columns by this author can be read regularly on TheRealityCheck.org. | <urn:uuid:10576998-06ac-4939-9157-f93c270553a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelandofthefree.net/conservativeopinion/2006/06/04/ethics-and-morality-training-for-the-media/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950786 | 957 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Catholic Charities Community Services is deeply committed to enhancing and strengthening the independence, inclusion, and individuality of persons with disabilities as well as those who are living with HIV/AIDS.
We integrate service delivery, advocacy, and education to foster individual and community empowerment. In conjunction with those we serve, we promote the self worth of all individuals to live with dignity as people of God.
Catholic Charities has a long and rich history of service to those in greatest need in the United States. Catholic Charities Community Services is no exception.
|1917||The bishops of New York State establish the legal structure of Catholic Charities in the state.
|1975||A New York State Court agreement, The Willowbrook Decree, set about improving the placement of residents of state residential institutions for the disabled. Smaller homes, run by the state and private agencies, were established.
|1978||The US Bishops issue a Pastoral Statement concerning persons with disabilities.
|1979||Matthew H. Clark, the newly appointed bishop of Rochester, NY, identifies persons with disabilities as a group underserved in the Diocese of Rochester.
The precursor to Catholic Charities Community Services is established. The Catholic Charities Residential Program is established in the Diocese of Rochester with the opening of a group home for twelve persons with disabilities in Lyons, NY. It now has eleven certified residential sites housing 87 people and serves an additional 270+ living independently in the community. (2010)
|1992||The AIDS Services Program begins with the blessing of Bishop Clark who, in his letter, "The Lord Himself Has Taught Me to Have Compassion", told his flock to care for those in greatest need. AIDS Services begins with a residence for women with AIDS and has evolved into a program supporting 230 persons with HIV/AIDS disease and their families. (2010)
|1997||Catholic Charities Community Services, called Catholic Charities Community and Residential Services at the time, is asked by New York State to establish a program for persons living with traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic Brain Injury Services now serves 83 persons with brain injuries living independently in the community. (2010)
|2009||Catholic Charities Community Services begins offering support services under the New York State Department of Health Nursing Home Transition and Diversion Waiver to persons with disabilities who are seeking an alternative to nursing home living. It currently serves 9 people. (2010)
All services are provided to all people without regard to race, religion,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, ability, gender or ability to pay. | <urn:uuid:357da68e-c890-415e-821a-7a4fff6375ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cccsrochester.org/ourmission_history.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956383 | 519 | 1.757813 | 2 |
How to Ace the Interview
An interview can make or break your job application. It is essential to prepare thoroughly, including research and practice.
Before the Interview
Learn as much as you can about the organization and its industry, the job, the previous person who held that position, and the person or people who will be interviewing you. Although you may not necessarily use all this information in the interview, it will help inform your approach.
Also, practice how you will sell yourself in the interview. Don’t assume that your interviewer will have complete control – you, too, will have the opportunity to “spin” your experience and portray yourself in a positive way. Think of your “brand” message (an innovative manager who successfully shepherds through game-changing products) and examples from your work history that support it.
Make sure to know your weak points and how to package them in a positive way – typically, as a learning experience. Perhaps you made a big mistake, but that drove you to take a different approach for the future. Also be prepared to demonstrate how you have handled difficult situations in the past – break down your anecdote into problem, solution, and result.
Prepare some questions of your own, perhaps based on your reading about recent developments at the company. You’ll also want to know the key priorities for a person in this position – and if you get the job, keep those in mind so you can effectively manage upwards.
The day of the interview
- Dress appropriately
- Arrive on time, and preferably early
- Treat everyone (even the receptionist) courteously
- Be professional, but relaxed.
- Make sure to bring several copies of your resume in a hard-sided folder.
- Never criticize a former employer.
- Focus on your brand, and sell, sell, sell!
- Do not ask about salary, and try to avoid stating your preferred salary. It’s helpful to gather information, as on a salary-reporting website, on typical salaries for this role at this and other companies. If pressed, you can state a range, with the qualification that it would depend on the responsibilities of the job. Do not lie about your previous salary.
Don’t forget to follow up
Regardless of how you feel you performed on the interview, always follow up with a short note thanking your interviewer for their time. This can also be a good opportunity to follow up with an extra tidbit of information relevant to your conversation, or even fine-tune an unsatisfactory response to one of the questions from your interview.
E-mail is ubiquitous and easy, and preferred by many technology companies, but a conventional letter is more unusual in this day and age, and may help you stand out in certain sectors. Whichever method you choose, make sure to get the interviewer’s name right (asking for a business card during the interview is helpful).
Back to: MBA Career Tools | <urn:uuid:c7473ffa-a39d-48ea-8704-050fe8112e93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mbaprograms.org/mbacareer/interview.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951294 | 610 | 1.734375 | 2 |
By Lauren Tara LaCapra
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - As the titans of Wall Street banks gathered to network, gossip and consider the future of their beleaguered industry in Davos over the past week, one common worry emerged: who is going to take over when we leave?
Some of the most ambitious minds in finance are leaving the industry after years of losses, scandals, bad press - and perhaps most importantly new regulations that have curbed some previously free-wheeling ways.
The issue, executives say, is not pay, but how much scope there is to innovate and build businesses, which is why more bankers and traders are leaving the big Wall Street firms for Silicon Valley, joining private investment partnerships like hedge funds and private equity funds, or going into energy and other industries.
David Boehmner, head of financial services in the Americas for the recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles, said he hears this message from Wall Street employees looking to leave the industry.
"I get people saying, 'I'm bored and I need to do something about it - this isn't a challenge anymore,'" he said.
The problem is particularly acute for big banks such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc
"There is a massive talent drain in our business," said a senior Wall Street executive, who declined to be identified.
For some of Wall Street's harshest critics this is likely to be perceived as good news. Former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker and other experts have argued for years that innovation has little place in the financial sector, and having more conservative bankers and fewer heavy risk takers running Wall Street will reduce the chances of another blow-up like the financial crisis. It will also help to increase wealth generation in more important parts of the economy, such as manufacturing and software, they argue.
The financial implosion in 2008 was partly triggered by the best and the brightest on Wall Street engineering products that helped inflate a massive housing bubble, and then magnified the losses that resulted. The financial sector globally received trillions of dollars of government support during the worst of the crisis, and new regulations are designed to ensure that bailouts are not necessary in the future.
But many of the biggest global banks have gotten only bigger, making them potentially even more dangerous to the financial system. And having talented executives who understand complicated financial products and know how to control risks will become even more important, executives say.
"It will become more of a problem five or 10 years down the road, but ultimately someone is going to have to manage these beasts," the Wall Street executive said.
It isn't difficult to find examples of the exodus from big banks.
After nearly 15 years in finance - with stints at American International Group Inc
"Isn't it cool?" he asked as one of the lamps was placed on the bar of the posh Belvedere Hotel in Davos.
Piverger was well-paid in finance but said his career had left him wanting. His startup gives him the ability to "address business and societal and environmental imperatives from under one roof," he said.
Another example is the Twitter-linked tech startup Dataminr, which is staffed by ex-employees from Wall Street firms, including Mark Dimont, who left Morgan Stanley last year to head a business development team there.
Of course, there have been previous waves of departures to hedge funds as bankers and traders have sought to strike out on their own - or to make more money - but this time the departures appear to be broader in nature.
The departure of employees may force Wall Street to consider a wider range of people for positions. Heidrick & Struggles' Boehmner gave a presentation to a group of young professionals in Davos about his biggest challenge recruiting for big banks these days: getting executives to think creatively when filling positions.
In the presentation - called "Hiring an oddball" - Boehmner described how hard it is to get bank executives to hire creative and "quirky" leaders who do not "fit in" with the prototypical suited-up Wall Street mold, but who could help revolutionize the industry.
Instead, those quirky types are sought by Silicon Valley, and they may be happier there. Many prefer the laid back atmosphere, not to mention the challenges of building a business, and the promise of lucrative rewards at companies like Google
"Banks are not getting top-level talent out of universities anymore, so in 10 to 15 years, there could be a big problem when it comes to leadership at the senior level of these firms," Boehmner said. "They're seeing big gaps in talent."
Boehmner said he performed a search for a technology position at a major investment bank, calling on candidates from Silicon Valley who might be lured to New York with mega-paychecks. He was denied by everyone he approached, he said.
On the flip side, Heidrick & Struggles also did a search for a mobile-payments company on the West Coast that was looking for someone with financial expertise but offered just one-quarter of the pay. In that case, "we got tons of applicants," said Boehmner.
Jack Dunn, president and CEO of FTI Consulting, recalled a recent conversation with a friend's son who is about 35 years old and works at a major Wall Street bank.
Despite having a lucrative pay package and senior title, all the son talked about was finding an exit strategy, Dunn said.
"When I was young and didn't know any better, I would have thought it was a dream job," said Dunn, a former investment banker. "It's a problem because we're going to need someone to pick up the pieces, and a lot of the best people are leaving these firms."
(Editing by Dan Wilchins, Martin Howell and Maureen Bavdek) | <urn:uuid:929907de-5a87-490e-a7c4-90d4b7f44439> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://b93radio.com/news/articles/2013/jan/27/wall-street-executives-fret-about-talent-drain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971771 | 1,205 | 1.539063 | 2 |
ST. LOUIS, MO — About one hundreds of protesters are gathered in downtown St. Louis today outside of the Peabody Coal corporate headquarters. St. Louis locals were joined by Navajo residents from Black Mesa, Ariz., Appalachians from coal-burdened West Virginia, and supporters from across the United States to demand the cessation of strip mining and accountability for land and people. Navajo residents of Black Mesa, Don Yellowman and Fern Benally are demanding to speak with Peabody CEO Greg H. Boyce and have a letter detailing their concerns. (Read it here.) Protesters including representatives from Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, Radical Action for Mountain People’s Survival, Black Mesa Indigenous Support, Veterans for Peace, SEIU and other labor unions are refusing to leave until Peabody executives meet with them. Banners have been dropped from two nearby buildings reading, “Stop the War on Mother Earth. Peabody: Bad for St. Louis, Bad for the Planet” and “Peabody Kills.”
Peabody, the largest coal company in the U.S., operates massive strip mines on Black Mesa, Ariz., ancestral homelands of the Navajo people. Tens of thousands of Navajo families have been forcibly relocated in order to clear the land for Peabody’s strip mines; this constitutes the largest forced relocation of indigenous peoples in the U.S since the Trail of Tears. To this day, Navajo and Hopi people are engaged in resistance to the forced relocation and mining practices threaten the land and livelihood of future generations.
In nearly 45 years of operation, Peabody’s mines on Black Mesa have been the source of over 325 million tons of carbon dioxide discharged into the atmosphere#. The strip mines have damaged countless graves, sacred sites, and homes. 70 percent of a once-pristine desert aquifer has been drained for coal operations. The remaining groundwater is polluted, causing devastation to a once-flourishing ecosystem.
“The mine affects lots of ways of life. It’s destroying the places that have names. Everywhere you go here, every place has a name: names I learned from my grandparents, names that have existed for hundreds of years. A lot of those places and knowledge of those places and cultural values are being destroyed by the mine. It’s destroying our way of life,” says Gerold Blackrock, a resident of Black Mesa.
Peabody’s strip mines harm the health of communities wherever they operate, from Black Mesa to Appalachia. Appalachian miners’ hard-earned healthcare benefits and pensions are threatened by Peabody’s business practices. “Peabody and Arch dumped their obligations to retired miners into Patriot. This was a calculated decision to cheat people out of their pensions,” said retired United Mine Workers of America miner Terry Steele.
“Enabled by the City of St. Louis, Peabody’s corporate executives hide out in their downtown office building, removed from the destruction they cause in communities across the nation,” said Dan Cohn, St. Louis resident. In 2010, the Board of Aldermen, in conjunction with the St. Louis Development Corporation, gave Peabody a $61 million tax break, including $2 million that was designated for the St. Louis City Public Schools.
“Peabody’s everyday business contributed to this summer’s triple-digit heat waves and historic drought. St. Louis residents are here today to stand in solidarity with the other communities that Peabody impacts and demand that our city stops subsidizing the unjust relocation of indigenous people and climate change. We need our taxpayer development dollars to be invested in green jobs, not corporations who have no regard for human life,” Reggie Rounds, a MORE member, said.
MORE is currently collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would force the city of St. Louis to divest public money from fossil fuel corporations and switch over incentives to renewable energy and sustainability initiatives. The St. Louis Sustainable Energy ballot initiative has gained the support of numerous local social and environmental groups, small businesses, and 6th Ward Alderperson candidate Michelle Witthaus, who was present at today’s protest.
Today’s action is part of a growing movement for indigenous self-determination, and against exploitative business practices that destroy communities and land. | <urn:uuid:f3eebd92-01b6-4284-80e0-a6751e3110f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rampscampaign.org/navajo-appalachians-veterans-and-st-louis-residents-confront-peabody-coal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936786 | 908 | 2.296875 | 2 |
The similarities between the biggest Russian and U.S. oil producers end there. An enlarged Rosneft will employ more than 210,000 people, almost three times as many as Exxon. Rosneft’s oil and natural gas reserves will be 7 percent larger, while the traded value of Russia’s state-run oil company will be $292 billion less than Exxon.
Rosneft is now bigger than Exxon.
“Putin Is the New Global Shah of Oil”
y Marin Katusa via Casey Research,
Exxon Mobil is no longer the world’s number-one oil producer. As of yesterday, that title belongs to Putin Oil Corp – oh, whoops. I mean the title belongs to Rosneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil company.
Rosneft is buying TNK-BP, which is a vertically integrated oil company co-owned by British oil firm BP and a group of Russian billionaires known as AAR. One of the top-ten privately owned oil producers in the world, in 2010 TNK-BP churned out 1.74 million barrels of oil equivalent per day from its assets in Russia and Ukraine and processed almost half that amount through its refineries.
With TNK-BP in its hands, Rosneft will be in charge of more than 4 million barrels of oil production a day. And who is in charge of Rosneft? None other than Vladimir Putin, Russia’s resource-full president.
TNK-BP has been an economic dream, producing many billions in dividend payments for its owners – but it has been a relations nightmare. The partners have fought repeatedly. In 2008 Russian authorities arrested two British TNK-BP managers amid a dispute over strategy that forced then-CEO Bob Dudley (who now heads BP) to flee Russia – and that is just one of many partnership scandals.
The writing has been on the wall for TNK-BP since this time last year, when one of the AAR billionaires quit his role as CEO of the venture and declared that the relationship with BP had run its course. Since then speculation has raged over who might buy into the highly profitable venture.
Now we know: Rosneft is buying the whole thing, in a two-part deal. In the first part, Rosneft is acquiring BP’s 50% stake of the joint venture in exchange for cash and Rosneft stock worth $27 billion. The deal will give BP a 19.75% stake in Rosneft. In stage two, AAR would get $28 billion in cash for its half, though this deal is not yet finalized.
Finalized it will be, however, because the billionaires of AAR are now eager to sell, rather than remain in a joint venture with the powerful Russian oil company. Rosneft gained much of its current heft at the expense of another Russian oligarch whom Putin threw under the bus, and the billionaires of AAR know they could easily meet the same fate if they try to partner with Rosneft as equals. | <urn:uuid:3e027ea9-8c1f-4680-84e8-2bf18a4a674e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://investmentwatchblog.com/while-you-decide-who-to-vote-for-america-loses-its-hegemony-over-oil-to-russia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969159 | 631 | 1.671875 | 2 |
“So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine, with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age—the degradation of man by poverty, and the ruin of woman by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night—are not solved; so long as, in certain religions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless.” —Victor Hugo, Les Misérables Preface
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson (via girlwithoutwings)
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” —Oscar Wilde (via theprincessleah)
Natalie McDonald, who appears on page 159 of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, was a real person. She was a nine-year-old girl from Toronto, Canada, who was dying of leukaemia. She wrote to JK Rowling asking what was going to happen in the next Harry Potter book as she would not live long enough to read it. The kindly author emailed back, but Natalie had died a day earlier. In tribute, she became a first-year student at Hogwarts named by the Sorting Hat in Gryffindor - the house for the brave at heart - in the fourth book. | <urn:uuid:a6d8387d-224b-4ccb-a9dd-dfb99decfad2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eyesofns.tumblr.com/archive/2011/6?before_time=1308420273 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97321 | 377 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Mumbai: Coal India Ltd (CIL) has chalked out plans to multiply coal production in the country, involving investment of about Rs12,000 crore, to increase production, Chairman Sashi Kumar said.
He said coal demand in the country is projected to grow to around 620 million tonnes by 2011 and at current levels of production, there would be a coal shortage of 40 million tonnes. CIL expects to raise production to 530 million tonnes by then. About 40 million tonnes of coal is expected to come from captive mines while the remaining would come from Singereni Collieries.
Coal India, he said, has been investing around Rs2,800 to Rs3,000 crore every year to enhance production. He said CIL would produce 363 million tonnes of coal this year against 343 million tones produced last year.
The CIL chairman said the rehabilitation of the Jharia mine would result in a quantum jump in coking coal production soon. Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, a CIL subsidiary, has prepared a master plan for utilisation of prime coking coal reserves in Jharia, he said.
However, this would require rehabilitation in the Jharia belt involving shifting of four lakh people in the area, he added. | <urn:uuid:a3890867-c2ae-488a-961c-2fc244bf0759> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://domain-b.com/companies/companies_c/coal_india/20060923_production.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966083 | 255 | 1.632813 | 2 |
WebMD Health News
Louise Chang, MD
Oct. 20, 2008 -- A gut bacterium called F. prausnitzii may make a good probiotic treatment for Crohn's disease, French researchers report.
The scientists noticed that patients whose Crohn's disease recurred within six months of Crohn's disease surgery tended to be low on F. prausnitzii, compared to other patients.
Lab tests on cells showed that F. prausnitzii has anti-inflammatory effects, though it didn't kill bad bacteria. So the researchers went one step further, using F. prausnitzii to treat colitis in mice. Those mice lost less weight and had less inflammation than other mice with colitis that didn't get F. prausnitzii treatment.
Using F. prausnitzii as a probiotic "appears to be a promising strategy" for treating Crohn's disease, write the researchers, adding that more work is needed to develop the treatment and to identify which Crohn's patients are most likely to benefit from such treatment.
The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
SOURCES:Sokol, H. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Oct. 21,
2008; online early edition.News release, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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The Health News section does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information. | <urn:uuid:46ffdaa2-0186-4bca-ba44-5d368f5b112b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fox23news.com/webmd/crohnsdisease/story/Probiotic-May-Help-Treat-Crohns-Disease/CWbVTkZnlkeU8gI-_ma3mQ.cspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917239 | 325 | 2.53125 | 3 |
On Christmas Eve 2008 12-year-old Paul Yared started counting his days. Medical tests had revealed a vicious form of bone cancer that transformed the Lebanese boy's life in London from going to school and playing to dealing with chemotherapy and pain.
Three years ago, Anne Willis mentioned to the man she was dating that she didn't know about her fertility, since she had undergone cancer treatment as a teenager. His response --"Oh, so you don't know if you're going be able to have kids?" -- was off-putting.
About a year ago, I wrote a column for Tennis magazine about Ashley Hendrick, then a top high school player in Grand Rapids, Mich. In the summer of 2006, she struggled with her game because of a sharp pain in her leg. She figured it was the result of overplaying. In fact, she was suffering from osteosarcoma, a potentially fatal form of bone cancer.
An analysis of 14 studies shows children who attend day care or play groups decrease their risk of developing the most common type of childhood leukemia by 30 percent. The analysis bolsters the theory that children exposed to common infections early in life gain protection from the disease. The research was presented in April 2008 at the Causes and Prevention of Childhood Leukemia conference in London.
Under a huge tent just outside the medical unit at Camp Liberty, shielded from the blazing sun, soldiers watch and cheer as two men at a time get their heads shaved. Clumps of hair fall to the hot sand below.
Back when Tom Glavine's epithet was "struggling young prospect" rather than "future Hall of Famer," the Braves left-handed pitcher toed the rubber in a late spring-training start against Don Mattingly when the Yankees' slugger was in his prime. After Mattingly worked the count full, Glavine brashly challenged the perennial All-Star. | <urn:uuid:7dd408ab-901a-44c0-a4e0-4a797762fbe8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://topics.cnn.com/topics/pediatric_cancer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977279 | 391 | 1.960938 | 2 |
A run of gloomy news—more partisan disagreement on raising the debt ceiling, rising unemployment numbers and continued housing woes—drove the economy to the forefront of the media agenda last week.
As the recovery appeared to falter, the U.S. economy accounted for 19% of the newshole during the week of May 30-June 5, according to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. That represented the biggest week for economic coverage since April 11-17, when the narrowly averted government shutdown helped to make that subject the focus of 39% of the newshole.
The growing sense that the economic recovery has stalled invited the media to weigh the impact on President Obama, with analysts noting that his reelection prospects were not helped by last week’s news.
Read the full report The Economy Leads, but Politics Lurks on the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism Web site. | <urn:uuid:cfb1c4d9-e813-4a99-9533-59121538aafb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=85899360527 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967457 | 190 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Dancing Moose is not introducing a new concept with its Dual Language English/Spanish classroom, but it is certainly taking advantage of the momentum of quality programs around the country that are capitalizing on children’s enhanced creativity and analytical thinking of a dual language program.
Leading researchers in dual language programs, Virginia P. Collier and Wayne P. Thomas, have documented that children exposed to a second language learn at a more rapid rate. Bilingual researcher Ellen Bialystok of York University in Toronto stated that:
“Several studies have linked bilingualism to improved working memory, which is associated with reading and math skills.”
In research conducted at Nanjing University in China, bilingual seven year-old children outperformed their monolingual peers on two working memory tests—one requiring them to recall and rearrange a series of numbers and the other to retrace a pattern of hops made my an animated frog on a computer screen.
Researchers say that the best way to become proficient in a second language is to start young and practice often (Scientific American Mind, July/August, 2011).
Preschool and kindergarten is an ideal time for children to begin to experience the advantages of dual language instruction.
We look forward to launching our new Dual Language Classroom at Dancing Moose this fall. | <urn:uuid:86620c02-dbaa-4bc5-91f6-e69e5e7b5c42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.mydancingmoose.com/tag/nanjing-university | 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 | 0.93772 | 266 | 3.265625 | 3 |
You are here
NTA labour market ad vague and misleading
A newspaper advertisement is headed “National Training Agency Labour Market Information.” Half of the ad is an extraction of three graphs from the Energy Chamber’s The Energy Blueprint Magazine. The other half is broken down as follows: the major job categories within the energy sector; energy sector training providers; job opportunities in T&T energy sector; percentage of vacancies per subsector (pie chart).
The NTA has provided us with information which does not really tell us anything much. The major job categories are vague and insufficient and can apply to other sectors in the economy. As a graduating student and a potential job-seeker, I have found that the pie chart is also very vague. What is the population? The “percentages of vacancies in each subsector” chart does not add any usable knowledge to job-seekers.
To make things worse, the ad told us about job opportunities in the sector. We would like to know where those vacancies occur. Are they at our level as graduating students and first-time job-seekers or are they at a higher level? In which companies do these jobs actually exist? We would really like to know since my colleagues and I have been writing to companies in the energy sector and have all had negative or no replies.
So the ad is of no use to many of us and we think that it is misleading. Is the NTA wasting taxpayers’ money by doing this? Can this money not be used to train us as OJTs? Are the NTA chairman and board party to this travesty?
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A team at the University of Edinburgh found,
"Either hypos lead to cognitive decline, or cognitive decline makes it more difficult for people to manage their diabetes, which in turn causes more hypos.Hypoglycaemia
"A third explanation could be that a third unidentified factor is causing both the hypos and the cognitive decline.
- Hypoglycaemia is caused by a lack of sugar (glucose) reaching the brain, which uses it as fuel.
- Symptoms can include sweating, fatigue, hunger, feeling dizzy, feeling weak, a higher heart rate than usual and blurred vision.
- More severe episodes can led to temporary loss of consciousness, convulsions and coma. | <urn:uuid:96934e3b-e91b-4a85-bcb7-871dbb85749a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2009/04/diabetes-linked-to-cognitive-decline.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940268 | 143 | 3.15625 | 3 |
A tukel is a high quality room with 2 large single beds (2m x 1m). There is a bathroom with shower. All rooms have under-floor heating by solar.
In the Simiens there is a mix of various peoples from three religions, Coptic christian, Muslim and Jewish.From a historical viewpoint, one of the most interesting places to visit is Deresge Maryam in Janamora district which is where King Tewodros II was crowned.
Gelada can be seen from Simien Lodge right the way up to Bwahit. There are currently about 2700 monkeys in the park and this number is fairly static. Although the predators have declined, increased farming in the park means that the gelada do not have the same grasslands and woodlands as previously. | <urn:uuid:b3c077b0-1395-47bd-b414-ca5f65666bb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.simiens.com/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957471 | 166 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Prepare for Frost
The last frost date is based on the average of past years, and for most of the upper south that date is May 10. Although April temperatures have been warmer than normal for much of the region this year, unexpected cold spells can't be ruled out, both before and after the frost date. Be prepared by having materials on hand to quickly cover plants, such as newspapers, cardboard boxes, old bed sheets, frost protection fabric, or other light cloth, as well as purchased plastic tents and so forth. Be sure to remove the covers in the morning.
Prune Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs
As soon as early-flowering trees and shrubs -- such as forsythia, crab apples, and lilacs -- bloom, prune to maintain size and shape. For shrubs, remove about a third of the oldest stems to ground level. This helps to encourage new, healthy growth. Cut out or break off the spent flower heads from rhododendrons and azaleas. For trees, remove any suckers that arise from the base of the plant. Weed around the plants, fertilize, water, and apply fresh mulch.
Plant Tender Bulbs
Dahlias, gladiolas, tuberous begonias, cannas, callas, caladiums, tuberoses, and elephant's ears are just some of the tender bulbs that bring color and form to the garden. If not already started indoors in pots, these can be planted directly into the garden when frost danger is past. Be sure to know the light and drainage conditions that are best for each one. Plant gladiolas at two-week intervals until the first of July to provide cut flowers throughout the summer.
Although late summer is the best time to make major lawn renovations, small areas, such as bare spots, can be repaired now. Use a hard-tined garden rake to loosen the soil surface and sow lawn seed evenly over the area, using a high-quality seed mixture that's best for the amount of light and use. Tamp the seed lightly with the rake and water. Keep the area moist by covering with a light mulch of straw or lawn clippings.
Don't Dig Wet Soil
Most gardeners strive to improve their soil, so don't mess with a good thing by working in the garden when the soil is too wet. Digging in soil that is too wet destroys the soil structure, which means it will turn into a brick when dry. To determine if your soil is workable, pick up a handful and squeeze it. Open your hand and poke the ball. If it stays as a ball, the soil is too wet to work. If the soil forms a ball that breaks apart easily when you apply light pressure, it is workable. | <urn:uuid:be8b33c4-f46e-41f8-8828-ae1b86836a1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/reminders/2099 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947343 | 576 | 2.6875 | 3 |
GAmnâ'tck!î killed a seal, skinned it, and threw the skin and meat to his wife to wash. While she was washing them in the sea she saw some killer whales coming landward. By and by the meat she was washing drifted out from her and she waded after it. She went out until the water reached her hips. Then she suddenly felt some one pull her and she disappeared under water. It was the killer-whale people who thus took her into their canoe.
After that GAmnâ'tck!î felt very badly and thought to himself, "How can I get my wife back? How can I look for her under the water?" He could not sleep all night, and early in the morning he thought, "I wonder if I couldn't raise this water so as to go under it." In the morning, therefore, before he had eaten he took his red and black paints, went down to the water, raised the edge of it just as if he were raising a blanket, and walked under. He walked on farther and farther. It was just like walking on land.
By and by he came to a village full of very pale people who went about with their heads down. He found out that they were the red cod people. He wanted to make friends of them, so, thinking that they looked very white, he painted them all red--men, women, and children. That is how these fishes got their color. After that he asked them if they had seen his wife, but they said that they had seen no one, so he went on. Presently he came to another village and asked the people there the same question to which he received the very same answer. Those were the halibut people. In each village they gave him something to eat.
After he had 'left the halibut people GAmnâ'tck!î traveled for several days before he came to another town. By and by, however, he perceived smoke far ahead of him, and, going toward it, he saw that it was from a fort. Inside of this fort was a large house which he immediately entered, but the people there did not seem to care to see strangers and would not talk to him. These were also very pale people, so to please them he took out his black paint and painted all of them with it. Then they felt well disposed toward him and were willing to talk. "Can you tell me what clan has my wife?" he said. At first they said that they did not know, but afterward one replied, "There is a strange woman in that town across there." Then this person pointed the village out, and GAmnâ'tck!î felt pleased to know where his wife was. The people he had come among were the sharks, and those whose village they showed him were the killer whales.
Then the shark chief said, "Every time we have had a fight we have beaten them." The shark people also said to him, "The killer-whale chief has a slave. Every morning the slave goes out after
water. Go to the creek and tell him what to do when he comes in. Tell him to bring the water in and hand it to the chief over the fire. As he does so he must drop it, and, while the house is full of steam, pick up your wife and run out with her. The chief has married her. Then come over here with her. They will run after you, but, if you can get away, come right across." The shark people had always been jealous of the killer whales because they had this woman.
While the shark people were telling him what to do, a strange, bony-looking person kept jumping up from behind the boxes. He wondered what made him act so queerly and began to feel uneasy about it, but, when the bony person saw him looking at him in a strange manner, he said, "Why! don't you know me. I am that halibut hook (nAxu) that the sharks once took away from you. My name is
Lgudjî' (the name of an island)."
Just after that the man started for the killer-whale town and sat down by the creek. When the slave came out after water, he asked him to help him, saying, "I hear that my wife is with this chief." "Yes," the slave answered, "if she were a man, they would have kept her for a slave like myself. Since she is a woman, the chief has married her, and she is living very well. I will help you as much as I can. She wants to return to you. Now watch and I will do what you tell me to do. I will spill this water on the fire."
After that he took GAmnâ'tck!î to the door and showed him where his wife sat. Then the slave walked in with the water while he stood outside watching. He watched his wife through a crack and saw that she appeared very much cast down. As soon as the fire was put out and the house filled with steam he ran in, seized his wife, and started off with her.
Then, when the slave thought that he had gotten a long distance away, he shouted, "Some one has taken the woman away." The chief looked around, and sure enough his wife was gone. Going outside, they saw that this man had almost reached the shark fort, and they saw him enter it.
As soon as he got there, the shark people began to dress themselves for war. They were noisy and acted as though they were very hungry, so that GAmnâ'tck!î became frightened. The halibut hook came to him, however, and told him not to be frightened, because the killer whales were coming over. All at once the fort began moving up and down. Whenever the killer whales tried to enter, the fort killed them by moving up and down and cutting off their heads. The slaughter was so great that the few survivors were frightened and went back. Two or three days later the killer whales came again with like result.
After this the shark people said to GAmnâ'tck!î, "You better not start out I right away. Stay here a while with us. They might be
lying in wait for you. Since we have fought for you so much, it is better that you should get to your home safely." GAmnâ'tck!î did so, and some time later they said, "Go straight along by the way you came, and you will find your way out easily." He did this and reached his home in safety.
215:a Evidently a version of the Tsimshian Story of Gunxnaxsîmgyêt. See story 4. | <urn:uuid:d442cc4a-6751-42a7-b03f-05535be78976> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/nw/tmt/tmt083.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.997145 | 1,414 | 2.5625 | 3 |
She had fairy gifts; for instance, she had a great red jewel, called “the Star,” and when she wore it red drops seemed to fall from it and vanished before they touched and stained her white breast—so white that people called her “the Daughter of the Swan.” She could speak in the very voice of any man or woman, so folk also named her Echo, and it was believed that she could neither grow old nor die, but would at last pass away to the Elysian plain and the world’s end, where life is easiest for men. No snow comes thither, nor great storm, nor any rain; but always the river of Ocean that rings round the whole earth sends forth the west wind to blow cool on the people of King Rhadamanthus of the fair hair. These were some of the stories that men told of fair Helen, but Ulysses was never sorry that he had not the fortune to marry her, so fond he was of her cousin, his wife, Penelope, who was very wise and good.
When Ulysses brought his wife home they lived, as the custom was, in the palace of his father, King Laertes, but Ulysses, with his own hands, built a chamber for Penelope and himself. There grew a great olive tree in the inner court of the palace, and its stem was as large as one of the tall carved pillars of the hall. Round about this tree Ulysses built the chamber, and finished it with close-set stones, and roofed it over, and made close-fastening doors. Then he cut off all the branches of the olive tree, and smoothed the trunk, and shaped it into the bed-post, and made the bedstead beautiful with inlaid work of gold and silver and ivory. There was no such bed in Greece, and no man could move it from its place, and this bed comes again into the story, at the very end.
Now time went by, and Ulysses and Penelope had one son called Telemachus; and Eurycleia, who had been his father’s nurse, took care of him. They were all very happy, and lived in peace in rocky Ithaca, and Ulysses looked after his lands, and flocks, and herds, and went hunting with his dog Argos, the swiftest of hounds.
This happy time did not last long, and Telemachus was still a baby, when war arose, so great and mighty and marvellous as had never been known in the world. Far across the sea that lies on the east of Greece, there dwelt the rich King Priam. His town was called Troy, or Ilios, and it stood on a hill near the seashore, where are the straits of Hellespont, between Europe and Asia; it was a great city surrounded by strong walls, and its ruins are still standing. The kings could make merchants who passed through the straits pay toll to them, and they had allies in Thrace, a part of Europe opposite Troy, and Priam was chief of all princes on his side of the sea, as Agamemnon was chief king in Greece. Priam had many beautiful things; he had a vine made of gold, with golden leaves and clusters, and he had the swiftest horses, and many strong and brave sons; the strongest and bravest was named Hector, and the youngest and most beautiful was named Paris. | <urn:uuid:4f603cc0-6c16-4270-a873-8c81a685efc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/1973/7.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992894 | 726 | 2.34375 | 2 |
There we go, that's better. Behold, Internet, the full glory that is/was the Ford Buckminster Fullerwagon.
If you'll recall, a 1952 dinner discussion of the awesomeness of station wagons between Fuller and the editors of Ford's showroom magazine, Ford Times, led to both the publication of the Ford Treasury of Station Wagon Living and a design project: Fuller and his students at MIT would come up with camping equipment for the Ford Ranch Wagon, the 2-door version of Ford's new, all-steel, non-woodie station wagon.
The results of the six-week exercise were published, it turns out, in the July 1953 edition of Ford Times. Which I tracked down and scanned and uploaded here, so that Edward N. Smith's photos of Fuller et al's work would not be lost to the ages.
Fuller's original idea was to invent a new kind of tent that used the car for weight and structural support. And to create a similarly fitted, modular kitchen/luggage unit that could slide in and out as needed.
The 25-ft, umbrella-like tent extended in Dymaxion House fashion, from a single mast on the rear roof. The tent's verticals were strong enough to hold the tent up while the car "left for short errands," though, a specific request from Ford.
My favorite part of this whole deal is the four bunk/cots suspended from the sides of the car. Two more sleeping spots opened up inside when the kitchen unit was extended. Somewhere in that kitchen unit, there was space for four suitcases, and a set of folding table & chairs, too.
I'd love to find out who at MIT worked with Fuller on this project. And frankly, I'd love to find that the Fullerwagon is still around somewhere, waiting for me to discover and rescue it. But I'm dubious. The Ranch Wagon itself was only a loaner from the Ford dealer in Cambridge. And on their own, none of the components gives off the aura of obvious historical importance or at least the aesthetic charm necessary to survive all these years. So this is probably it right here.
Photos by Edw. N. Smith from "They're Tents --Or Are They?," Ford Times July 1953 [daddytypes flickr]
Previously: WTD: The Ford Buckminster Fullerwagon | <urn:uuid:b498e958-dfbc-4b17-a8e0-b6d5fddf9403> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://daddytypes.com/2009/08/29/found_the_ford_buckminster_fullerwagon.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962029 | 492 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Arctic temperatures the warmest in 2,000 years; 2009 Arctic sea ice loss 3rd highest
It's time to take a bit of a break from coverage of the Atlantic hurricane season of 2009, and report on some important climate news. The past decade was the warmest decade in the Arctic for the past 2,000 years, according to a study called "Recent Warming Reverses Long-Term Arctic Cooling" published today in the journal Science. Furthermore, four of the five warmest decades in the past 2,000 years occurred between 1950 - 2000, despite the fact that summertime solar radiation in the Arctic has been steadily declining for the past 2,000 years. Previous efforts to reconstruct past climate in the Arctic extended back only 400 years, so the new study--which used lake sediments, glacier ice cores, and tree rings to look at past climate back to the time of Christ, decade by decade-- is a major new milestone in our understanding of the Arctic climate. The researchers found that Arctic temperatures steadily declined between 1 A.D. and 1900 A.D., as would be expected due to a 26,000-year cycle in Earth's orbit that brought less summer sunshine to the North Pole. Earth is now about 620,000 miles (1 million km) farther from the Sun in the Arctic summer than it was 2000 years ago. However, temperatures in the Arctic began to rise around the year 1900, and are now 1.4°C (2.5°F) warmer than they should be, based on the amount of sunlight that is currently falling in the Arctic in summer. "If it hadn't been for the increase in human-produced greenhouse gases, summer temperatures in the Arctic should have cooled gradually over the last century," Bette Otto-Bliesner, a co-author from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said in a statement.
The Arctic melt season of 2009
Arctic sea ice suffered another summer of significant melting in 2009, with August ice extent the third lowest on record, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. August ice extent was 19% below the 1979 - 2000 average, and only 2007 and 2008 saw more melting of Arctic sea ice. We've now had two straight years in the Arctic without a new record minimum in sea ice. However, this does not mean that the Arctic sea ice is recovering. The reduced melting in 2009 compared to 2007 and 2008 primarily resulted from a different atmospheric circulation pattern this summer. This pattern generated winds that transported ice toward the Siberian coast and discouraged export of ice out of the Arctic Ocean. The previous two summers, the prevailing wind pattern acted to transport more ice out of the Arctic through Fram Strait, along the east side of Greenland. At last December's meeting of the American Geophysical Union, the world's largest scientific conference on climate change, J.E. Kay of the National Center for Atmospheric Research showed that Arctic surface pressure in the summer of 2007 was the fourth highest since 1948, and cloud cover at Barrow, Alaska was the sixth lowest. This suggests that once every 10 - 20 years a "perfect storm" of weather conditions highly favorable for ice loss invades the Arctic. The last two times such conditions existed was 1977 and 1987, and it may be another ten or so years before weather conditions align properly to set a new record minimum.
The Northeast Passage opens
As a result of this summer's melting, the Northeast Passage, a notoriously ice-choked sea route along the northern Russia, is now clear of ice and open for navigation. Satellite analyses by the University of Illinois Polar Research Group and the National Snow and Ice Data Center show that the last remaining ice blockage along the north coast of Russia melted in late August, allowing navigation from Europe to Alaska in ice-free waters. Mariners have been attempting to sail the Northeast Passage since 1553, and it wasn't until the record-breaking Arctic sea-ice melt year of 2005 that the Northeast Passage opened for ice-free navigation for the first time in recorded history. The fabled Northwest Passage through the Arctic waters of Canada has remained closed this summer, however. An atmospheric pressure pattern set up in late July that created winds that pushed old, thick ice into several of the channels of the Northwest Passage. Recent research by Stephen Howell at the University of Waterloo in Canada shows that whether the Northwest Passage clears depends less on how much melt occurs, and more on whether multi-year sea ice is pushed into the channels. Counter-intuitively, as the ice cover thins, ice may flow more easily into the channels, preventing the Northwest Passage from regularly opening in coming decades, if the prevailing winds set up to blow ice into the channels of the Passage. The Northwest Passage opened for the first time in recorded history in 2007, and again in 2008. Mariners have been attempting to find a route through the Northwest Passage since 1497.
Figure 1. Sea ice extent on September 2, 2009, with the Northwest Passage (red line) and Northeast Passage (green line) shown. The Northeast Passage was open, but the Northwest Passage was blocked in three places. The orange line shows the median edge of sea ice extent for September 2 during the period 1979 - 2000, and this year's ice extent is about 19% below average. Image credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Commercial shipping begins in the Northeast Passage
This year's opening marks the fourth time in five years that the Northeast Passage has opened, and commercial shipping companies are taking note. Two German ships set off on August 21 on the first commercial voyage ever made through the Northeast Passage without the help of icebreakers. The Northeast Passage trims 4,500 miles off the 12,500 mile trip through the Suez Canal, yielding considerable savings in fuel. The voyage was not possible last year, because Russia had not yet worked out a permitting process. With Arctic sea ice expected to continue to decline in the coming decades, shipping traffic through the Northeast Passage will likely become commonplace most summers.
When was the Northeast Passage ice-free in the past?
People have been attempting to penetrate the ice-bound Northeast Passage since 1553, when British explorer Sir Hugh Willoughby attempted the passage with three ships and 62 men. The frozen bodies of Sir Hugh and his men were found a year later, after they failed to make it past the northern coast of Finland. British explorer Henry Hudson, who died in 1611 trying to find a route through Canada's fabled Northwest Passage, (and whom Canada's Hudson Bay and New York's Hudson River are named after), attempted to sail the Northeast Passage in 1607 and 1608, and failed. The Northeast Passage has remained closed to navigation, except via assist by icebreakers, from 1553 to 2005. The results published in Science today suggest that prior to 2005, the last previous opening was the period 5,000 - 7,000 years ago, when the Earth's orbital variations brought more sunlight to the Arctic in summer than at present. It is possible we'll know better soon. A new technique that examines organic compounds left behind in Arctic sediments by diatoms that live in sea ice give hope that a detailed record of sea ice extent extending back to the end of the Ice Age 12,000 years ago may be possible (Belt et al., 2007). The researchers are studying sediments along the Northwest Passage in hopes of being able to determine when the Passage was last open.
Belt, S.T., G. Masse, S.J. Rowland, M. Poulin, C. Michel, and B. LeBlanc, "A novel chemical fossil of palaeo sea ice: IP25", Organic Geochemistry, Volume 38, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 16-27.
Darrell S. Kaufman, David P. Schneider, Nicholas P. McKay, Caspar M. Ammann, Raymond S. Bradley, Keith R. Briffa, Gifford H. Miller, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, Jonathan T. Overpeck, Bo M. Vinther, and Arctic Lakes 2k Project Members, 2009, "Recent Warming Reverses Long-Term Arctic Cooling", Science 4 September 2009: 1236-1239.
Howell, S. E. L., C. R. Duguay, and T. Markus. 2009. Sea ice conditions and melt season duration variability within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: 1979.2008, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L10502, doi:10.1029/2009GL037681.
Tropical Weather Outlook
The remains of Tropical Storm Erika are bringing heavy rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands today, and this activity will spread to the Dominican Republic on Saturday. Radar-estimated rainfall shows up to three inches of rain has fallen in eastern Puerto Rico from the storm. Long range radar out of Puerto Rico shows no surface circulation or organization of the echoes, and redevelopment of Erika over the next three days is unlikely to occur due to high wind shear of 25 - 30 knots. By Monday or Tuesday, shear may drop enough to allow redevelopment, depending upon the location of Erika's remains. Redevelopment is more likely if Erika works its way northwestward into the Bahamas.
A large tropical wave with plenty of spin is located a few hundred miles southwest of the Cape Verdes Islands, off the coast of Africa. Heavy thunderstorm activity has increased slightly in this wave over the past day, and it has the potential to gradually develop into a tropical depression by early next week. NHC is giving this wave a low (less than 30% chance) of developing into a tropical depression by Sunday. The GFS model continues to predict development of this wave into a tropical depression early next week.
I'll have an update Saturday or Sunday, depending upon developments in the tropics. | <urn:uuid:b13b67a1-6ffe-403e-9546-9b348dfcd30a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1310&theprefset=BLOGCOMMENTS&theprefvalue=200 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94227 | 2,016 | 3.25 | 3 |
As my recent posts have indicated, there is a growing awareness in many states of the unreliability of blood-alcohol testing — and a growing willingness to shutdown testing statewide. Now this from Michigan…
DUI Blood Cases Could Face Scrutiny After Judge’s Ruling
Lansing, MI. May 11 – Blood tests in drunken-driving cases statewide will face more scrutiny, experts say, after a Mason County judge ruled that the state crime lab’s test results "are not reliable."
In a ruling signed Friday, 79th District Court Judge Peter Wadel refused to admit blood-alcohol results in a drunken-driving case. He said the crime lab – which conducts blood and other forensic tests in cases from around the state – does not report an error rate, or margin of error, along with blood-alcohol results.
Police routinely report a single number for blood-alcohol content in drunken-driving cases. But East Lansing attorney Mike Nichols, who is handling the case in Mason County – which includes the city of Ludington along Lake Michigan – said there are no absolutes in science.
"Everyone says a blood test is so accurate. Well, it’s not," Nichols said. "That’s what this judge has ruled."
Not including a range of possible results, Nichols said, ignores the uncertainties in the collection, handling, analysis and reporting process.
A blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent is the threshold in Michigan for being charged with drunken driving. But Nichols said when someone’s blood-alcohol is determined to be 0.10, for example, it could actually be higher – or lower – than 0.08.
The Mason County case is being watched by attorneys across Michigan and the country.
Washington-based attorney Ted Vosk, who consults with defense attorneys and prosecutors about the importance of calculating error rates, praised Wadel’s ruling.
If police and prosecutors don’t acknowledge scientific uncertainties, Vosk said, innocent people will be convicted and guilty people will go free.
"And we won’t know which are which," he said…
Is it possible that law enforcement and the courts will finally stop ignoring science in DUI cases?
(Thanks to John Kruzelock.) | <urn:uuid:3d9d4d63-0984-4ab0-ad33-be31daf5b3e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.duiblog.com/2011/05/22/blood-alcohol-testing-questioned-in-michigan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93385 | 469 | 1.9375 | 2 |
ANN ARBOR, Mich.--- Across history and cultures, religion increases trust within groups but also may increase conflict with other groups, according to an article in a special issue of Science.
"Moralizing gods, emerging over the last few millennia, have enabled large-scale cooperation and sociopolitical conquest even without war," says University of Michigan anthropologist Scott Atran, lead author of the article with Jeremy Ginges of the New School for Social Research.
"Sacred values sustain intractable conflicts like those between the Israelis and the Palestinians that defy rational, business-like negotiation. But they also provide surprising opportunities for resolution."
As evidence for their claim that religion increases trust within groups but may increase conflict with other groups, Atran and Ginges cite a number of studies among different populations. These include cross-cultural surveys and experiments in dozens of societies showing that people who participate most in collective religious rituals are more likely to cooperate with others, and that groups most intensely involved in conflict have the costliest and most physically demanding rituals to galvanize group solidarity in common defense and blind group members to exit strategies. Secular social contracts are more prone to defection, they argue. Their research also indicates that participation in collective religious ritual increases parochial altruism and, in relevant contexts, support for suicide attacks.
They also identify what they call the "backfire effect," which dooms many efforts to broker peace. In many studies that Atran and Ginges carried out with colleagues in Palestine, Israel, Iran, India, Indonesia and Afghanistan, they found that offers of money or other material incentives to compromise sacred values increased anger and opposition to a deal.
"In a 2010 study, Iranians who regarded Iran's right to a nuclear program as a sacred value more violently opposed sacrificing Iran's nuclear program for conflict-resolution deals involving substantial economic aid, or relaxation of sanctions, than the same deals without aid or sanctions," they write. "In a 2005 study in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian refugees who held their 'right of return' to former homes in Israel as a sacred value more violently opposed abandoning this right for a Palestinian state plus substantial economic aid than the same peace deal without aid."
This dynamic is behind the paradoxical reality that the world finds itself in today: "Modern multiculturalism and global exposure to multifarious values is increasingly challenged by fundamentalist movements to revive primary group loyalties through greater ritual commitments to ideological purity."
But Atran and Ginges also offer some insights that could help to solve conflicts fueled by religious conviction. Casting these conflicts as sacred initially blocks standard business-like negotiation tactics. But making strong symbolic gestures such as sincere apologies and demonstrations of respect for the other's values generates surprising flexibility, even among militants and political leaders, and may enable subsequent material negotiations, they point out.
"In an age where religious and sacred causes are resurgent, there is urgent need for joint scientific effort to understand them," they conclude. "In-depth ethnography, combined with cognitive and behavioral experiments among diverse societies (including those lacking a world religion), can help identify and isolate the moral imperatives for decisions on war or peace." | <urn:uuid:3dc6c58d-2348-44b2-a776-73eeed9fc9b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencecodex.com/religion_is_a_potent_force_for_cooperation_and_conflict_research_shows-91743 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937661 | 640 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Narrating History with Natives
In Seattle, native species return to parks.
By Clair Enlow
Courtesy Charles Anderson Architecture
Plants move. Just like the animals and the people they support, they "weep, leap, and creep," says landscape architect Charles Anderson, ASLA. "It's their nature."
That's one of the reasons Anderson, who has designed a series of landscapes using native plants in Seattle, questions the very idea of restorationfor historic landscapes or natural ones. The other reason has to do with the nature of creativity. Artful, ecologicalor boththe hand of the designer has been there. Like it or not, expression is part of the package.
…To read the entire article, subscribe to LAM!
| Annual Meeting
Product Profiles & Directory | <urn:uuid:9215a0ed-3425-443f-9b35-c057028b8853> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asla.org/lamag/lam04/july/ecology.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932979 | 163 | 2.109375 | 2 |
One of the major substances being influenced during chelation therapy is calcium, as this process causes it to be removed from metastatic deposits while at the same time encouraging recalcification of bone (see description of atherosclerosis in Chapter 4). If calcium happens to be inappropriately present in certain body tissues (in a layer of plaque in the lining of an artery, or in excessive amounts on the surface of a joint in arthritis), it is of benefit, in health terms, to remove this, and chelation therapy safely allows exactly this to be done.
The number of electrons in a calcium atom is 20. This has an inner 'shell', of 2 electrons, two complete shells of 8 electrons each, and an outer shell of 2 'spare', electrons, which are therefore free to attach to a suitable molecule or atom which may be in need of 2 electrons often called a 'complexing agent'). The symbol for the calcium cation, because of its two free electrons, is Ca++.
In chelation therapy the 'suitable molecule', or 'complexing agent', with which this can link is a compound called EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid). Together EDTA and a metallic cation form a stable complex which can then be excreted from the system. The stability of this bond is vital to success in chelation therapy, for if there is a weak linkage other reactions breaking the bond could take place should the compound come into contact with suitable chemicals.
A chelating reaction which produces equilibrium, a strong and stable ring structure between the metal ion (calcium is a weakish link, iron, lead and copper are far stronger) and the chelating agent (such as EDTA), is effective in achieving the safe removal of the ion from the body.
When you use a water softener you are chelating calcium (and other minerals) out of the water. When you use a detergent in washing clothes or dishes, this chelates with minerals in the 'dirt' allowing the now soluble compounds to be washed away by water.
The brief survey of the early history of EDTA (see Chapter 3) will help to explain its tortuous route towards medical respectability as a means of removing unwanted mineral/metal substances. Before we look at the fascinating background to chelation therapy, one more facet of the imbalance which can result from unpaired electrons is worth examination.
Radiation is often described as ionizing radiation. This is because, by definition, it is able to dislodge individual electrons out of atoms and molecules, leaving unpaired electrons behind. This is one way in which free radicals are created. Some such molecules, with unpaired electrons, are extremely dangerous and can have very damaging effects on body tissues. Bleach (hydrogen peroxide), for example, does its damage to tissue (just think what it does to hair) through free radical action, as a deluge of these reactive entities chaotically bounce around, creating local havoc by grabbing on to any accessible electrons with which they come in contact (in this case from the hair itself).
Radiation is an example of how free radicals may be produced in the body when such an outside force acts on its cells. Perhaps more surprisingly there is almost continuous production of free radicals by some of the defending cells of the body. These are used as a means of destroying invading micro-organisms or cancer cells.
Since this is a natural process which is going on all the time in the body, there must exist control mechanisms to prevent undesirable effects from free radicals on healthy body cells, and this is the case when we are in good health. | <urn:uuid:098ff6a7-423e-4e30-927d-ec343ddc8931> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/The_Chelation_Phenomenon_A_Natural_Biochemical_Process/1384/3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94746 | 747 | 3.328125 | 3 |
|Gwen Coleman Lester|
Gwen Coleman Lester
Specialties: Acrylic Paintings and Colored Pencil Drawings
Tribe: ChoctawFocusing on Native American subject matter, the majority of Gwen's artwork are illustrations of contemporary Choctaw culture. They include illustrations of family life, dances, and stickball games. Sometimes Choctaw language is included as a design element. Gwen also has a series of illustrations of traditional Choctaw legends. The colored pencil drawings are realistic and tightly rendered, while her acrylic paintings are more loose and painterly. She also works in pastel using Native American subject matter.
Gwen is interested in all things Choctaw. She and her husband, Rod, are learning the Choctaw language through Choctaw Nation's Community Class program. This will, no doubt, provide her with more subject matter for her paintings. Her paintings have won her many awards from the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Museum Board of Directors named her a Master Artist of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in November 2007.
Gwen received a degree in commercial art from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Gwen and her husband, Rod Lester, produce limited edition prints of her Choctaw art through their company Native Traditions Artworks.Click to visit the artist's website | <urn:uuid:a4a4f710-285c-4364-a788-a6f772ff9d07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://choctaw-art.com/bio.php?pg=dx3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947824 | 278 | 1.914063 | 2 |
David Chipperfield - Why does everyone hate modern architecture?
David Chipperfield was born in London in 1953. He studied at Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association. After graduating he worked at the practices of Douglas Stephen, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster. David Chipperfield Architects was established in 1984 and the practice currently has over 200 staff at its offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice has won numerous national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence, including the Stirling Prize 2007 and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture -- Mies van der Rohe Award 2011. David Chipperfield received the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 2011. David Chipperfield has taught and lectured worldwide. | <urn:uuid:6dc84c5b-6722-4018-9f9d-f8222a20f43f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.designfuturescouncil.org/videos/david-chipperfield-why-does-everyone-hate-modern-architecture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957634 | 153 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Internationl Jazz Day Celebration Begins
Kickoff for the April 30th inaugural International Jazz Day sponsored jointly by UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is the April 27th concert streamed live from Paris and featuring a stellar line-up of jazz luminaries as well as a full day of coordinated live performances, master classes and discussions. Participating artists include UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, Hugh Masekela, Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Benson, Marcus Miller, Barbara Hendricks and a host of other musical talents.
International Jazz Day itself will begin with a sunrise concert from Congo Square in New Orleans and end with a sunset concert at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York. Both concerts will be streamed live, the sunrise concert at 8am EDT, the sunset at 7:30pm EDT. Herbie Hancock is scheduled to appear at both and once again he will be joined by a galaxy of jazz stars from around the world—names like Terence Blanchard, Ellis Marsalis and Dianne Reeves in New Orleans, Candido, Robert Cray, Tony Bennett and Chaka Khan in New York. Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Quincy Jones are scheduled as co-hosts at the sunset concert.
Students and schools around the world have been invited to join in the festivities by playing the Hancock classic "Watermelon Man" along with Hancock at 8:15am EDT on the 30th. They are being asked to video their performances and upload them to youtube.com for posting on JazzDay.com. The site also offers a wide range of cultural and educational participation possibilities for individuals, groups and institutions.
International Jazz Day was proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference back in November of 2011 as a means of fostering multi-cultural dialogue and promoting peace through art. Jazz was viewed historically as an art form that not only encouraged freedom of expression but provided an atmosphere that encouraged tolerance, cooperation and mutual understanding. International Jazz Day was seen as an opportunity to both celebrate the unique musical genre, but raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and "mobilize the intellectual community, decision-makers, cultural entrepreneurs, cultural and educational institutions and the media to promote jazz-related values." | <urn:uuid:db8f6053-01ee-4bbe-8930-c9c157453986> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://technorati.com/entertainment/music/article/internationl-jazz-day-celebration-begins/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934928 | 449 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Nearly 70% of senior citizens will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives. What they do not realize is that Medicare and private health insurance do not pay for the majority of long-term care services that most people need. Long term care is defined as care that is necessary to assist an individual with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating and dressing, as well as medical issues from chronic or long term illnesses.
New York is one of just a few states in the country that provide a partnership of the public and private sectors to meet the increasing need for long term care solutions. The New York State Partnership for Long-Term Care is a partnership program that combines long-term care insurance and Medicaid Extended Coverage to help New Yorkers financially prepare for the possibility of needing nursing home care, home care or assisted living services. The program allows users to protect some, or all of their resources, depending on the insurance plan purchased, if their long-term care needs to extend beyond the period covered by their private partnership insurance policy.
Both individual and group Partnership plans are available in New York. Partnership long-term care insurance policies contain unique features and must be approved by the Insurance Department of New York. Some of these features include:
- Use of Medicaid Extended Coverage when the private policy benefits are exhausted – resulting in a lifetime of coverage for long-term care.
- Minimum standards for Partnership policies, such as a daily benefit of $241 for nursing homes, and $121 per day for home-based and community-based services;
- Independent review of benefits denied by an insurer; and
- Policy sales and use of services monitored by the Partnership to ensure that the program is meeting the needs of participants.
By understanding and planning for long-term care, many people can retain their independence and allow their family to continue with a lifestyle that is not hampered by a family member’s long-term care needs. Normally, long-term care expenses result in many people turning to Medicaid for assistance, which requires that assets are sold or transferred in a certain manner for eligibility. Long-term care services in the Medicaid Extended Coverage program are obtained without a spend down of all or part of your assets, depending on your policy choice.
The New York State Partnership for Long-Term Care aims to create long-term care insurance products to encourage people to self-insure, provide better protection against impoverishment, and reduce long-term care costs for the Medicaid program. Consult with an estate planning attorney to determine how this program can fit into your estate plan.
The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. | <urn:uuid:b7281df5-c537-4e30-811a-5c174e2b31b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mrobinsonlaw.com/blog/medicaid/partnership-long-term-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959337 | 549 | 1.84375 | 2 |
A top math and science student, fifteen-year-old Jack Andraka swept the 2012 Intel ISEF with his pancreatic cancer screening test. His project involved countless hours in the lab, a determined search for a mentor, and loads of perseverance.Last Spring, Jack Andraka, a 9th-grade student at North County High School in Glen Burnie, MD, took top honors at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), winning the Gordon E. Moore award for his development of a screening test that can detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages. With stories about Jack appearing in publications and media ranging from Forbes and MAKE to ABC's World News with Diane Sawyer and his own TED Talent Search talk, it may seem like Jack went from ordinary student to science superstar overnight. In reality, the science-studded path that led him to a sweeping win at last year's Intel ISEF is one Jack has been charting for several years.
In a pre-judging interview at Intel ISEF, Jack referred to the competition as the "Olympics of science fairs." With boy-next-door charm, he said, "it's just amazing to be here, even if I don't get a prize." A hundred thousand dollars in prize money and a game-changing breakthrough in cancer detection later, Jack remains astoundingly down to earth.
A First Fair
Jack began his science fair history with an environmental science project in the sixth grade. "It was on retrofitting low-head dams for safety," says Jack. "Basically there are these dams that allow water to flow over the top of the dam, and they create these dangerous hydraulic conditions that kill many people every year. I found a way to retrofit them to get rid of the dangerous hydraulic conditions," he explains, noting that he later presented the project at the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge 2011 and the USA Science and Engineering Festival. That first science fair experience triggered what Jack refers to as his 'winning streak' and launched him onto the science fair scene. With wins at multiple science fairs, including all three years at his middle school, Jack has tackled a range of increasingly sophisticated science challenges with his yearly science fair projects.
His Intel ISEF science success last year straddles fields of medicine, biochemistry, and nanotechnology, but Jack's interest in science and math is broad ranging and is something his close-knit family shares. "Science pretty much runs in the Andraka family," says Jack. Both of his parents are in scientific fields, his brother was a two-time competitor at Intel ISEF, and many of his other family members, including aunts, uncles, and his grandfather, are involved in science. It was a friend, not a family member, however, that inspired Jack's winning science project last year.
A Personal Connection
When a close family friend died of pancreatic cancer, Jack says he was devastated. As he dealt with the loss, he focused his science acumen on learning as much as he could about the disease. "As I dug deeper into pancreatic cancer, I found that there is really no practical way to detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages," explains Jack. The lack of methods for early detection causes many cases to be diagnosed late, which leads to correspondingly low survival rates. As he assessed the statistics, Jack realized that the timing of detection is part of a widespread medical problem in need of a solution—a solution he might be able to help find. As he finished up his final year of middle school, Jack started down an ambitious path for a rising high school scientist—the development of a reliable early detection method for pancreatic cancer.
Less than a year later, Jack exhibited his project, first at the school fair, then at a string of fairs, including the regional fair, I-SWEEP, and the 2012 Intel ISEF. In a nutshell, what Jack developed is an inexpensive, paper-based dip test that can detect pre-pancreatic cancer. It is a test that, on some level, resembles the kinds of familiar testing strips used by diabetics and home pregnancy tests.
"Essentially what I have created is a paper sensor that can detect a wide array of diseases that have reliable biomarkers," explains Jack. "The sensor works by detecting this one cancer biomarker that is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, as well as in ovarian and lung cancer, called mesothelin." Jack's quest for a strip-based sensor led him to nanotechnology and the use of carbon nanotubes. "Single-walled carbon nanotubes are atom-thick tubes of carbon that have fantastic properties. In my case, I was using the fact that the distance between neighboring nanotubes in a network highly impacts how electricity is transported in the network." Within the network, Jack explains, a capture molecule that binds only with mesothelin forms a larger molecule, which pushes apart neighboring nanotubes and alters the electrical properties.By measuring the electrical properties, Jack's test can detect pancreatic cancer, possibly even before the cancer becomes invasive.
For a student with no previous experience doing medical research, creating, testing, and troubleshooting a pancreatic screening solution was a major undertaking. As he surveyed areas of scientific interest in previous projects, Jack had explored some biochemistry, including "using bioluminescent bacteria to detect water pollution," and some nanotechnology, including comparing "the effects of nanoparticles versus bulk particles on aquatic organisms." But he admits that he started down the path of pancreatic cancer research knowing next to nothing about cancer and armed with only high-school biology and a fascination with nanotubes. In what may be typical "Jack Andraka style," Jack took the project step by step, starting with extensive research. "Basically, I started by doing tons of research on pancreatic cancer, its biomarkers, how it is currently detected, carbon nanotubes, etc."
Luckily, Jack's previous science projects had given him a solid foundation in lab techniques and procedures, as well as in patience, meticulous attention to detail, and strategies for troubleshooting an experimental procedure.
In Search of a Lab
With the sophisticated project Jack was undertaking, access to a research lab was a necessity. After months of preliminary research, he needed to get into a lab environment to take his project and idea to the next step. When you are fifteen, the road to finding a mentor and lab access, however, isn't always easy. According to Jack, after doing his research and writing up a complete procedure for the project he had planned, he made a list of researchers at local universities and institutions, including Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "I compiled a list of about 200 researchers who were working on early diagnosis or pancreatic cancer and sent emails to every single one of them with my procedure, materials list, budget, and timeline attached," says Jack. "After introducing myself and giving them my resume and previous experience, I asked if I could conduct my experiment in their lab, and, if they couldn't help me, if they knew someone who could."
Jack received 199 rejections. One contact, however, pointed him in the direction of Dr. Anirban Maitra, Professor of Pathology and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University's Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center. Disheartened by the grim results of his email campaign, Jack says he sent a "plaintive" email to Dr. Maitra who agreed to meet with him. He had his foot in the door, but acceptance to the lab wasn't automatic. Jack first had to prove his mettle to Dr. Maitra and his colleagues. "He finally accepted me into his lab after an intense question session composed of him, another professor, and several post-doctorates grilling me about the specifics of my project." All of Jack's research and preparation paid off. He fielded the questions and landed the mentorship and lab access he needed to move the project forward.
Finally able to put his project in motion, Jack worked through the fall. As his mom, Jane Andraka, recounts, once he got permission to use the lab, he was there every chance he could get. "Every day after school, every weekend, every day over Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were spent in the lab," says Jane.
The Road to Intel ISEF
The school science fair was just around the corner when Jack's test turned up conclusive results and he knew it worked. "It was a very tight timeline that I had," he recalls, "however, I was insanely excited when it worked, and I was jumping off the walls because of that!" With his initial results in hand, Jack began his preparations for the science fair. After winning the fair, he and eight of his classmates advanced to the regional fair where they would compete for the two spots to move on to Intel ISEF in Pittsburgh. Having consulted Science Buddies' Project Display Board resources in his early science fair years, Jack knows the importance of a strong, well-organized display board and spent the two months between his school fair and the regional fair "refining" his presentation style and display. The time passed quickly, and as he set up his board at the regional fair, he remembers being anxious. "I looked around, and there was some pretty stiff competition," says Jack, who won a grand prize and advanced to Intel ISEF.
Even with a spot at Intel ISEF secured, Jack didn't sit home and wait idly for Intel ISEF. Immediately before the Intel ISEF, he participated in the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project (I-SWEEEP), an event he says gave him extra practice for Intel ISEF. "I was ecstatic when I won a gold medal there and brought home lots of goodies including a massive Canadian flag, a hat from Azerbaijan, and scarves from India and Nigeria." He also presented his research alongside graduate and post-doctoral students at the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT) symposium.
Despite the string of successes, Jack was pragmatic about his chances as he headed to Pittsburgh for his first Intel ISEF. He is, after all, a math whiz. "When I first looked at all of the projects at ISEF, I was like 'Well only one-third will get an award, so I have no chance of getting an award.'" But during the exhibition hours, Jack says approximately seventy judges visited his board, including judges from other categories like environmental management, mathematics, and physics. He was "blown away" by the interest in his project, but he kept a damper on his excitement—until he won six special awards at the special awards ceremony. "I was like freaking out," says Jack. "All I had wanted was one prize."
That evening ceremony was only the beginning of a tidal wave of recognition for his project. "When I got first place in category, I ran up and was laughing, crying, and screaming with my friend who also got first place.When Best in Category rolled around, I was like 'Pssh, no chance of me winning that,' so I freaked out about that and was jumping around and hugging everyone. When I won the Gordon E. Moore Award, I was flabbergasted. I mean, I didn't think I had a chance at a prize, and here I won the grand award! I would have run much faster and ran all around the stage if the camera crew hadn't told me to slow down. I honestly still cannot believe I won the award."
A Top Science Teen
Competing in a top science fair often requires many hours and many months working in a lab, analyzing data, or doing research. Students like Jack who are dedicated to a particular subject or interest have to work extra hard to balance the time they spend on science projects with the regular rigors of high school and teenage life. For Jack, the key is being selective and being careful not to over-extend himself. "I balance my time by not joining thousands of clubs and activities that I don't feel passionate about. I've limited myself to three main activities: math competition, whitewater kayaking, and, of course, science fair," says Jack. "This way my time is not bogged down with a bunch of commitments that I'm not passionate about."
Depending on the school, many advanced science students find themselves without science peers, a reality that underlies many of the stories in Science Fair Season: Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch . . . and What It Takes to Win, a collection of profiles of top science students. Jack admits that he isn't surrounded by high school science enthusiasts. "At my school the majority of the students are not even interested in science much less scientific research," he says. Luckily, Jack has met peers at various competitions and camps and has created a network of friends he catches up with online and looks forward to seeing at competitions and reconnects with during summer camps like MathPath (which he attended regularly until this past summer when he was accepted to Idea Math).
As a kid, he was star struck by past winners of Intel ISEF and the Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), even collecting and memorizing STS "photo cards," much like other kids collect baseball cards, recalls his mom. Jack, too, remembers being mesmerized by the winners and the idea of following in their footsteps. Today, he is one of those winners, and while his peers at North County High keep him grounded, he's also happy to have a solid group of like-minded friends. "I get my 'science fair fix' from talking with my friends from math and science competitions via Skype or Facebook," says Jack.
When asked who inspires him, Jack cites Sir Andrew Wiles, the mathematician famous for proving Fermat's Last Theorem. "He decided [when] he was a kid that he would prove Fermat's Last Theorem," explains Jack, "and after more than 30 years he did, showing that persistence mixed with some luck and intelligence always will help you achieve your dreams." While Jack's science and math career is just getting underway, his interpretation of the value of an almost whimsical combination of chance and applied knowledge seems right on track for this top student. Indeed, it's a formula and perspective that may have already helped him as he navigated the ups and downs of recent projects.
High school for the Gordon E. Moore winner goes on. Even after winning last spring, Jack had to finish up the school year. "After winning at Intel ISEF, Jack was fortunate to have so many opportunities that the whole family was just overwhelmed," admits his mom. "First though, he had to finish the school year and take AP tests!" Once he wrapped things up at school, Jane says the family hired a patent lawyer, and Jack continued doing pilot studies. Even as negotiations with lawyers and companies interested in his research continue, Jack will be starting his sophomore year this September.
Winning Intel ISEF comes with both added responsibility and new levels of access to the scientific community. "I am going to use this award to catapult me into doing more scientific research," says Jack, who will be participating in fundraisers and conferences in coming months to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research. He also hopes to use his experience to help advance science education in his community. In the spirit of giving back, he is starting a science fair club at an inner-city school to encourage more students to explore science.
Using Science Buddies as a resource, Jack hopes to inspire and excite students who may have no science experience or little exposure to hands-on science and who might otherwise not undertake a science fair project. "I plan on helping them come up with an idea and then developing it into a science fair project," says Jack. "I think Science Buddies is the best resource in the world, and whenever I meet a teacher, I always recommend it to her/him to share with their class," says Jack, who used Science Buddies' Project Display Board resource when working on his first science projects. As a top competitor, Jack also used and benefited from Science Buddies' Advanced Project Guide materials and tips on how to succeed at the science fair.
Jack believes Science Buddies will be an important resource for his club because "Science Buddies makes science understandable." In addition to helping students choose projects, Jack hopes to expose students to other areas of science. "I will help to teach them some advanced science materials and about some lesser-known fields in middle school such as materials science and research mathematics," he explains. "I am extremely excited!"
Even with everything else going on, Jack is already planning his next project. "I do plan on doing another science fair project, probably in the medical field, but I'm keeping that a surprise for next year." | <urn:uuid:0cf79e81-644d-4302-84a1-d822c8afb42d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/2012/08/high-school-scientist-develops-cancer-screening-test.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982305 | 3,476 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The Euro Debt Crisis and Economic Theory
Throughout the last year, European debt problems have been cited as a threat to both the euro and to the American economy, among other entities. While many correct assertions have been made concerning the potential impact of a European debt implosion, there have also been many ill-conceived ones. It is often faulty economic theory that leads to faulty conclusions. This article revisits economic theory — from a free-market perspective — as it relates to the current European monetary challenges.
Decline of the Euro?
The cause of the European debt crisis, in its simplest form, was overspending by (mainly southern) European governments during the last decade, and especially after the 2008 financial crisis. The ECB (European Central Bank) enabled artificially low risk premiums on interest rates of government debt belonging to the so-called PIIGS countries (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain). And these artificially low rates facilitated and encouraged the overspending.
The recognition that overspending had occurred was brought about by reduced economic growth and the subsequent reduced tax revenues, which were less than the amount needed for both expenditures and dept payments. For more insights into the development of the crisis, see Philipp Bagus's articles, "The Bailout of Greece and the End of the Euro," and "The Irish Subjugation."
One of the first concerns voiced at the start of the debt crisis — a concern that was acted upon by foreign-exchange traders — was that if PIIGS governments defaulted on their debts, the euro would decline in value. But this is an illogical assumption: in and of itself, the euro would rise, not fall, in the face of government default.
First, it must be understood that, in the case of default, there are two possible monetary scenarios: (1) monetary deflation due to a decrease in the money supply, in the case that no government intervention takes place; and (2) monetary inflation of the money supply in the case that it does. Each will be explained in turn below.
If one or more governments defaulted, northern European banks, which were large-scale investors in government debt, would have massive loan and capital losses. The result of these losses would be banks going out of business, calling in outstanding loans, or both, thereby reversing the money multiplier process and causing a decline in the money supply. The falling money supply — deflation — would make the euro more, not less, valuable.
However, a more realistic threat to the euro is that some governments might shed it and return to their own domestic currency. Fed up with the (prudent) restraint of money creation imposed upon them by the ECB, indebted governments might want to be able to print their way out of their trouble. But even if one or more countries walked away from the euro in favor of their own currencies, the euro could still be protected by the ECB.
This is because the ECB could exchange a particular country's old, previous currency for the euro, thereby adjusting the euro money supply so that the volume of euros in the remaining countries remained the same. This operation would not alter the quantity of money in the economy; it would simply swap one type of money for another, keeping the overall purchasing power constant. (I don't know the exact process by which this would be done, but a switch from the original currency to the euro took place in 2002, so a switch away from the euro back to the original currency could certainly take place again.)
Even if the money supply was affected, the central bank could engage in various "sterilization" measures to control the excess supply of money, including tightening the access of banks at the discount window, adjusting reserve requirements or the placement of government deposits, engaging in open-market operations, and using a foreign-exchange swap facility. Each of these tools, however, can have undesired consequences.
But, in lieu of individual governments opting to return to printing their way out of trouble, the ECB itself has decided to take on the job, and it will continue to do so (this is the second case from above). Why? Because European governments will not allow themselves to face the political consequences of a banking collapse and the subsequent economic problems that a debt deflation would bring about. Instead, they will, as all politicians do, delay the day of reckoning and let future politicians deal with the much larger economic crisis that will face them as a result of merely putting a band-aid on the current problems. Politicians save their current seats by letting taxpayers and future politicians suffer larger problems down the road.
Perhaps it was in fact the vision of future inflation and declining currency that foreign-exchange traders had in mind as they knocked down the value of the euro last spring.
Apologists for printing money and increasing taxes and debt — to the tune of more than a trillion dollars — on the (northern) European taxpayer in order to prevent bank losses call these moves "saving the euro." But few people ask, Why is the euro worth paying such a price?
With the higher prices and lower standards of living that "saving the euro" entails, all Europeans — except bankers and politicians — would be better off shedding the euro and returning to a "less expensive" currency. At the least, individual countries should decide if they want to force their own citizens to suffer the consequences of printing money and overborrowing. Under the current scenario, German and French citizens (mostly) have to pay on behalf of the profligate Portuguese, Irish, Italians, Greeks, and Spanish.
The usual hope of government officials, if they can manage to sidestep default, is to grow their way out of their national debt. But this notion, too, is misconceived. The talk of growing out of debt is based on the facts that (1) national debt is usually looked at as a percentage of GDP; and (2) the lower the debt-to-GDP ratio (and GDP's corresponding level of tax revenues), the easier it will be for the government to finance the debt. Based on these facts, governments know that if GDP rises while debt remains the same or grows more slowly, the lower the debt-to-GDP ratio will be and the better shape the government will be in.
But how can it can it be that a growing economy — defined as the production of more goods and services — helps reduce government debt? How does the existence of more physical goods help the government pay back those who lent to it? Basically, it doesn't.
An increase in (even "real") GDP does not represent the amount by which physical goods are increased: GDP is primarily a function of inflation and rises only with monetary expansion. Physical production cannot be measured in terms of money, because money's value is not static, even after adjusting for CPI increases.
Therefore, what's really happening when the government has an economy "grow its way out of debt" is that the government is printing more money and pushing up final-goods prices (i.e., GDP) by having the central bank purchase government debt and expand bank credit — and in turn permitting the money supply to rise and the currency to fall. GDP rises; debt as a percentage of GDP falls.
This printing of money allows the government to (1) have the central bank monetize its debt; (2) redistribute purchasing power to the government from savers; and (3) reduce the value of the debt, which is largely in fixed dollar amounts. In other words, it reduces its debt burden by having the citizens pay it instead.
The Effect on the United States
The Europeans are not the only ones worried about how the debt crisis will affect their economies; so too are Americans. Some arguments for how Europe's problems will affect the United States are correct, while others are not. This section will assess some of the more common expectations of economic cause and effect related to this matter.
Dennis P. Lockhart, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, in a speech last year espoused much of the consensus view on how the euro crisis could affect America's growth. He cited three primary factors.
The first is that, due to weak growth, European demand for American exports could fall. This is a true statement, but the overall effect of a "trade shock" would be minimal, if not altogether positive. This is because if Americans will ship fewer goods to Europe, they will have more goods at home, making domestic prices lower. Plus, if demand weakens in Europe, and especially if it is diminished by way of a falling money supply and falling prices, all else being equal, things will cost less in Europe. This would allow Americans to buy more lower-priced goods, thus helping their economic state.
The second euro-crisis transmission effect cited by Lockhart is related to the first: that safe haven currency flows from the euro to the dollar could raise the value of the dollar and hurt export competitiveness. Here again, exporters might be harmed, but importers, including all consumers, would gain. Besides, economic growth does not come from shipping more goods out of the country; it comes from having more goods inside the country. A growing amount of physical goods, not a rising GDP number, is the essence of economic growth.
Additionally, capital flows to the United States stemming from risk aversion in Europe would be temporary. And the currency-induced changes in goods prices between countries resulting from the capital flows would likely set in motion a self-correcting mechanism whereby those engaged in international trade would readjust currency values so that they were in line with relative purchasing-power parity between the two regions.
Lockhart's third explanation of how Europe's debt woes could affect the US economy is that of a financial-system shock transmitted through the banking system or through retreat from sovereign debt. This is a possibility only under certain scenarios.
As far as banking issues are concerned, because Europe's banking system and money supply is separate from our own, financial problems in the EU would mostly be self-contained. The possible risks, however, depend on the extent to which American financial firms hold European sovereign debt or shares in European banks that might go bust. Large losses on these investments could indeed conceivably cause capital losses and bankruptcies in the United States, thus weakening the financial system.
Fortunately for us, US banks have little exposure. For example, last spring, at the start of the crisis, Bank of America had $1.3 billion of investments in Greece, and $731 million in Portugal. JPMorgan Chase had under $2.1 billion in the two countries. These are small amounts relative to their total investment portfolios. Small and medium-sized banks likely have no exposure at all.
There is also concern about American financial companies — in the case of European government defaults — being on the hook to pay out more in credit-default-swap insurance claims than they can afford. This too, in fact, depending on the scale, could be a significant threat to the financial system and money supply in the United States.
As far as a possible retreat by investors from American sovereign debt, the effects would likely be beneficial. With less capital going into government coffers and more into private-sector investments, the economy would only benefit. However, with a decrease in funding, the government would have to quickly implement austerity measures.
True, with waning demand for government bonds, US interest rates would rise. But a move back toward the "natural rate" — as opposed to an artificially low rate — is probably needed to (1) restore balance in the loan markets (i.e., balance between investments in capital goods versus consumer goods industries); and (2) slow the pace of money creation. Such an interest rate rise might lower stock prices, but stock prices are not related to the real economy.
Representing another view of how the US economy could suffer under European debt problems, economist Ed Yardeni points out that a stronger dollar would harm corporate profits. He states that "with European products cheaper than US products, consumers in the US and other parts of the world might buy from Europe rather than the United States. And Americans will be more eager to buy less-expensive imports."
This would of course be true if the dollar exchange rate rose and stayed at an elevated level while relative consumer prices between the two countries stayed the same. But any sustained rise in the dollar would be based upon the euro falling. And the euro would fall, not as a result of debt default and monetary deflation (the first of the two monetary cases mentioned at the start of the article), as people seem to believe, but as a result of monetary expansion and inflation brought about by the ECB's quest to save the banks (the second monetary case).
In this scenario, a rising dollar would mostly be reflecting the change in expected purchasing power between the two regions based on changes in expected inflation rates. Therefore, in real terms, relative consumer prices — and thus trade flows and profits — would remain the same.
By contrast, as mentioned previously, a European debt default that resulted in bank losses, monetary contraction, and subsequent falling prices — as opposed to monetary expansion and rising prices — would cause the euro to rise, not to fall.
Though there are indeed some possible threats to the US economy resulting from a European debt crisis, the odds are small that harmful transmission effects would result. If such adverse effects did take place, the odds are even smaller that the damage would be great. But these possible future events can be seen clearly only through the lens of solid, free-market economic theory.
Here I am merely presenting the other side of the same coin. The fact is that trying to forecast what changes in trade and incomes from trade would take place can be a messy undertaking, because there are many possible specific conditions under which exchange rates and goods prices could change between countries, and therefore many possible reactions, and therefore effects, that could take place as a result. To be precise, we would have to know exactly what the economic factors were that would take place (i.e., inflation vs. deflation; relative-price-induced changes in exchange rates or temporary-capital-flow-induced changes; specific policies governments instituted as a result of changing economic conditions, etc.).
Even considering that many companies doing business in Europe hedge their currency exposure. | <urn:uuid:aeb2ce5b-8d27-4c56-af31-b0347b480298> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mises.org/daily/4995/The-Euro-Debt-Crisis-and-Economic-Theory | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961644 | 2,935 | 2.84375 | 3 |
To link to this article, copy this persistent link:
(Nov 02, 2007) On October 11, 2007, the Federation Council (legislature) of Russia passed a law that introduced a two-tier higher education system. As of 2009, the existing five-year university education system will be replaced by a "four plus two" system – four years for a bachelor's degree and two for a masters, although specialist degrees will continue to involve five years of study, which will preclude the holders of specialist degrees from obtaining the masters degree. The list of the specialties that require continuous five-year education will be issued and periodically updated by the government. In proposing this law, the government stated that the move will push Russian higher educational institutions to modernize and adopt study programs in accordance with Western standards. In 2003, Russia joined the "Bologna process" in an attempt to make its education more compatible with that of Europe. It is expected that only ten percent of current educational institutions will retain graduate programs. (Marina Lemutkina, Na Dvukh Urovniakh [On Two Tiers], GAZETA.RU, Oct. 12, 2007.)
- Author: Peter Roudik More by this author
- Topic: Education More on this topic
- Jurisdiction: Russian Federation More about this jurisdiction
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Last updated: 11/02/2007 | <urn:uuid:0dbaf655-b1f9-4918-a148-b357b0af593c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp0_l20540147_text | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909087 | 383 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Born in Louisiana to William
Christopher and Ellen Douglas Friley, Charles E. Friley attended Sam Houston
Teachers College (1905) and Baylor University (1905-1907) and received his B.S.
(1912) from Texas A & M University and an M.S. (1923) from Columbia University.
Dr. Friley was awarded several honorary degrees throughout his career and
received an honorary doctorate (1958) from Iowa State University.
After three years of teaching in the public schools in Louisiana and Texas, Dr.
Friley served as Registrar (1912-1924) at Texas A & M and as Dean of the School
of Arts and Science (1924-1932). In 1932, Dr. Friley was appointed Dean of the
Division of Science at Iowa State College (University) and was named
Vice-President of the College in 1935. He succeeded Dr. Raymond M. Hughes as
president of Iowa State in 1936 after serving as interim for five months. He
retired in 1953.
His 17-year term was the longest of Iowa State's first 11 presidents, and
spanned higher education's most turbulent era, from the closing phase of the
Depression through World War II and into the post-war "educational revolution."
It was an administration characterized by emergency efforts, the most notable
among them Iowa State's participation in the Manhattan (atomic research)
project. Friley was directly responsible for Iowa State's establishment of the
nation's first educationally-owned and operated television station.
He was a Mason and a Fellow of the Iowa Academy of Science and was a member of
numerous organizations and societies, including the National Council of
Presbyterian Men, Iowa State Fair Board, Iowa Geological Survey, Sigma Alpha
Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Mu Alpha.
He was married three times. In 1913, he married his first wife, Nina Lynn Wood,
who died in 1918. They had two sons Charles Edwin, Jr. and William Alva. Dr.
Friley married his second wife, Vera Foreman in 1921, and she died in 1947. They
had one daughter, Frances Foreman (Kuyper). In 1951 he married Magdalen Ranney.
Charles E. Friley passed away in 1958. | <urn:uuid:605acb20-f8a6-4aec-9935-5d5aaeeed631> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.public.iastate.edu/~isu150/history/friley.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975031 | 487 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The State Library is home to the History and art of the Book collection showcasing and preserving rare and fine books reflecting the art, craft, history and impact of the printed book.
This collection is heavily accessed by bibliophiles and includes antiquities, early examples of printed books from the 1400s, limited edition Australian art books, works illustrating the development of English colour printing during the 19th century, a representative collection of English and American private presses, examples of fine book production and designer bookbindings, works exhibiting examples of typography, paper-making, marbling, book making technologies and books about bookmaking.
On 16-18 September the liBrisFair will be held in the State Library’s Studio on level 1. Fine, beautiful and rare books, prints, maps, photographs, manuscripts and ephemera on a range of subjects including history, literature, art, natural history, sport, military, and Queensland History will be offered for sale by 16 antiquarian booksellers from around Australia.
We look forward to seeing you among the treasures in the Studio next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Enquiries: (07) 38430556 or (07) 3229 3278.
Librarian – John Oxley Library | <urn:uuid:6ff46197-804d-412c-b58c-60a1a8e0de82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2011/09/09/brisbane-antiquarian-book-fair-at-state-library/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919352 | 255 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Smartphone App Helps Troops, Vets Manage Stress
From a Department of Veterans Affairs News Release
WASHINGTON, April 19, 2011 Veterans dealing with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can turn to their smartphones for help any time with the “PTSD Coach” application created by the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments.
“This is about giving veterans and service members the help they earned when and where they need it,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. “We hope they, their families and friends download this free app. Understanding PTSD and those who live with it is too important to ignore.”
PTSD Coach lets users track their symptoms, links them with local sources of support, provides accurate information and helpful individualized strategies for managing symptoms, officials said. The app is now available for download from the iTunes Store and will be available for Android devices by the end of the spring.
“This application acknowledges the frequency with which our warriors and veterans use technology and allows them to get help when and where they feel most comfortable,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
PTSD Coach is primarily designed to enhance services for individuals who are already receiving mental health care, though it is helpful for those considering entering mental health care and those who just want to learn more about post-traumatic stress, officials said.
“This is a great service we are providing to veterans, service members, their families and friends, but it should not be seen as a replacement for traditional therapy,” said Dr. Robert Petzel, VA’s undersecretary for health. “Veterans should utilize all of the benefits they have earned with their service, and one of the best things about this app is it will get veterans connected to the places that are out there to provide help.”
The application is one of the first in a series of jointly designed resources by the VA National Center for PTSD and the Defense Department's National Center for Telehealth and Technology to help service members, veterans, their families and friends manage their readjustment challenges and get anonymous assistance, officials said. | <urn:uuid:3392da0d-ba90-415c-9e42-6fee4940acfc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=63611 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96079 | 447 | 1.75 | 2 |
Meet your new Treasury Sec - Jack Lew (Updated)Submitted by Ian56 on Wed, 01/09/2013 - 15:58
Jack Lew was named chief operating officer of Citigroup's Alternative Investments unit, a proprietary trading group. The unit he oversaw invested in a hedge fund "that bet on the housing market to collapse." Source Wikipedia
He didn't do a very good job.
Citi paid Lew $1.1 million for his year at Alternative Investments, according to an ethics disclosure report filed in January 2009. He was also eligible for an undisclosed bonus. Lew did not immediately return a call for comment.
His unit, though, lost as much as billions of dollars in 2008 as its bets turned sour. In the first quarter of 2008 alone the unit lost $509 million; the company stopped publicly disclosing the unit's individual numbers soon thereafter, but the part of the company that absorbed Alternative Investments lost $20.1 billion in 2008, according to the bank's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Citigroup, the nation's third-largest bank, received $45 billion in TARP bailout funds that year.
Source Business Insider
He is also a member of the Brookings Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations. Just great.
Jack Lew doesn't believe that de-regulation led to the financial collapse!!!!!!!
The repeal of Glass-Steagal in 1999 and Clinton's return deal with the big banks to lend more to sub prime borrowers was the start of the real acceleration of the whole mess.
Clinton's pressured for more sub prime lending early in his Presidency.
Glass-Steagal needs to be put back to stop taxpayers being on the hook when the speculative big banks hit their next financial crisis in the near future.
The big banks need to be broken up.
There are no plans to so.
They are just pussy-footing around the big banks with meaningless legislation like Dodd-Frank for public consumption. | <urn:uuid:6b9b6903-7a5d-44f8-84d6-76d3c5915f0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailypaul.com/269330/meet-your-new-treasury-sec-jack-lew?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95825 | 400 | 1.570313 | 2 |
If all continues to go well, this year should mark GM's first full-year profit since 2004. From 2005 to 2009, the company lost $88 billion before filing for bankruptcy last year, Business Insider reported. Since 2008, the company has received bailout money from governments worldwide.
So now that stocks are up, are GM and its employees in the clear? Surge Desk takes a look at the bailout by the numbers.
$12 billion: The amount of money General Motors requested in a loan plan submitted to U.S. Treasury Department on Dec. 2, 2008, according to CNN. Ten days later, GM submitted an updated version of the plan requesting $22.5 billion in funding.
$50 billion: The amount of total bailout money GM has received from American taxpayers since 2008, according to CBS News.
$7.4 billion: The amount of money, including interest and dividends, the government has recovered from GM thus far, according to The New York Times.
$34: The initial public offering for GM shares this afternoon. Forbes predicted the IPO would be "likely to wind up as the largest initial public offering in history Wednesday and for the U.S. Treasury."
$23.1 billion: The amount of money raised by the IPO, according to The New York Times.
1.6, 1.7 and 1.8 percent: The percentage rise today in the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite, respectively.
1.4 million: The number of jobs saved by the government bailout of General Motors, Chrysler and other car companies, according to the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"Several years": The amount of time GM CEO Dan Akerson said it would take for the company to pay back taxpayers.
$12,200: The cost, per car, of the GM bailout to taxpayers, according to a report by the National Taxpayer's Union.
3.8: The number of retired workers or dependents for every active worker at GM, according to the Heritage Foundation. In comparison, there are two dependents at Chrysler and 1.6 at Ford. This means GM dependents face a higher burden than those at other companies.
$2,000: The cost of features that American companies need to cut from their cars to compete with foreign companies, according to Mitt Romney's estimate in 2008. | <urn:uuid:7423c804-3ba9-4696-97d3-bb1da3e506ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aolnews.com/2010/11/18/gm-is-back-on-the-board-but-how-much-did-it-cost/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946543 | 491 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Education Ministers commit to HIV&AIDS prevention The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is one of Africa's most influential inter-governmental organizations. It originally seeked to promote regional development through economic and diplomatic cooperation among its member states. The organization was created when representatives of 15 countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo—signed the Treaty of Lagos on May 28, 1975. Cape Verde joined ECOWAS in 1978 as its 16th member. Although it formally withdrew from the organisation in 2002, Mauritania remains a strong partner in the process of accelerating the education sector response to HIV&AIDS.
Conscious of the role education can play in sub-regional integration and development processes, ECOWAS political leaders have initiated consultations with partners. The first meeting of Education Ministers held on 24 and 25 September 2002 in Dakar, led to an evaluation of education systems and policies and the identification of obstacles pertaining to the achievement of education objectives.
For the first time in ECOWAS history, a protocol on education was adopted as well as a draft plan of action to be annexed to the protocol including education and HIV&AIDS. The study on these areas will generate priority sub-regional projects to be executed in partnership by Member States.
The second conference held in Accra in January 9 and 10, 2004 on "Education and sub-regional integration: our commitments and perspectives" saw the reinforcement of Member States’ mobilisation toward the achievement of Education goals in harmony with the NEPAD. Ministers also examined and approved regional programmes including the "Sub-regional programme to support the fight against HIV&AIDS in the education sector". | <urn:uuid:19d7a41b-9663-4d55-935a-58a18b657202> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schoolsandhealth.org/sites/westafrica/Pages/PoliticalCommitment.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9506 | 379 | 2.71875 | 3 |
U.S. News Rankings
|Ranking score and category|
Vassar College is a private institution that was founded in 1861. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,386, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,000 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Vassar College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 10. Its tuition and fees are $46,270 (2012-13).
Vassar is located Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in the scenic Hudson Valley, 75 miles north of New York City. At Vassar, students can get involved with more than 100 student organizations on campus, including the Vassar Night Owls, one of the nation’s oldest continuing all-female a cappella groups. Vassar does not have fraternities or sororities. The Vassar Brewers compete in NCAA Division III varsity sports in the Liberty League. The Vassar Quidditch team, known as the Butterbeer Brewers, competes against other colleges in the sport from the Harry Potter novels. Vassar is a residential college, and freshmen are required to live on campus. The school guarantees housing for all four years, and 98 percent of students live in the nine residence halls and apartments.
Vassar College is one of the first of the Seven Sisters, a group of historically women’s colleges in the northeast including Mount Holyoke, Wellesley, Smith, Radcliffe (now part of Harvard), Bryn Mawr, and Barnard. In 1969, Vassar became the first of the Seven Sisters colleges to open its doors to men. The Maria Mitchell Observatory and the Main Building, which once housed the entire college, are registered as National Historic Landmarks. The Miscellany News, the college newspaper, was founded in 1866 and is one of the oldest college newspapers in the country. Notable alumni include computer pioneer Grace Hopper, poet Elizabeth Bishop, actress Meryl Streep, actress Lisa Kudrow, and writer-director Noah Baumbach.
|School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):|
Intellectual inquiry at Vassar is characterized by an unusual degree of flexibility. The college does not have a core curriculum and students can declare a major by concentrating in a department, an interdepartmental program, a multidisciplinary program, or an individually tailored field of study in the Independent Program. This intellectual freedom produces original thinkers and has shaped the very essence of Vassar's academic life.
In fact, the encouragement of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies has distinguished Vassar academics at least as far back as the early 1900s -- when the college began offering interdepartmental courses -- and the wide-ranging exchange of ideas has steadily inspired an array of new courses, programs, and resources. Vassar now boasts a dozen multidisciplinary and interdepartmental programs ranging from Latin American and Latino/a Studies to Environmental Studies and Cognitive Science, the latter for which Vassar was the first college or university to offer a bachelor's degree (1982). The college's oldest such program, Africana Studies, celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2009, and Media Studies became the newest of these programs in 2004.
As a result, Vassar's curriculum is broader, richer, and more varied than ever, now offering students a choice among 29 departments, 6 interdisciplinary programs, 12 multidisciplinary programs, 49 majors, and over 1,000 courses.
|School type||private, coed college|
When applying to Vassar College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 15. The application fee at Vassar College is $65. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 22.5 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
|Fall 2011 acceptance rate||22.5%|
|Application deadline||January 1|
|SAT/ACT scores must be received by||February 15|
The student-faculty ratio at Vassar College is 8:1, and the school has 67.7 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Vassar College include: Social Sciences; Visual and Performing Arts; English Language and Literature/Letters; Psychology; and Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 96.5 percent.
Vassar College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,386, with a gender distribution of 43.6 percent male students and 56.4 percent female students. At this school, 95.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 5.0 percent of students live off campus. Vassar College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
|Student gender distribution|
|Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity|
|Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority|
|Collegiate athletic association||NCAA III|
Campus Info & Services
Vassar College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Vassar College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Vassar College, 33 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Vassar College.
|Students who have cars on campus||33%|
|Health insurance offered||Yes|
|Students required to own/lease a computer||No|
Paying for School
At Vassar College, 66.7 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $38,285.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
|Tuition and fees||$46,270 (2012-13)|
|Room and board||$10,800 (2012-13)|
|Financial aid statistics|
* Overview details based on 2011 data | <urn:uuid:ee74b213-aff8-4e35-bcce-e93db57597dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/vassar-college-2895 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934251 | 1,377 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Salem Witchcraft Trials
The Convicted and Executed: 19 Victims Who Did Not Survive
When hysteria mixed with family rivalries fomented the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692-93, more than 200 people were accused unjustly of practicing witchcraft. Eventually, the colonial government acknowledged that the trials were a mistake, and compensated the families of those convicted. But that vindication came too late for the 19 defendants who were executed. A 20th, Giles Corey, was pressed to death when he refused to plead. As many as 13 others died in prison. Below are brief biographies of the executed.
An older woman, Bishop had a reputation for gossiping and promiscuity, but when it came to witchcraft, she insisted to her judicial accusers that “I have no familiarity with the devil.” Nevertheless, Bishop was the first convicted witch hanged on what later became known as Gallows Hill.
After her first marriage to an indentured servant left her deep in debt, Good married a laborer who worked in exchange for food and lodging, and the two eked out a meager existence in Salem Village. She was among the first suspects identified by the female children when they were questioned by magistrates in February 1692. Good protested her innocence, but officials insisted upon questioning her young daughter, and the child’s timid answers were construed as proof of Good’s guilt. Good was pregnant at the time of her conviction, and officials stayed her execution until she could give birth. The infant died in prison, and in July 1692, Good herself was hanged. Defiant to the end, Good’s final words were a warning to her tormentors: “If you take my life away, God will give you blood to drink!”
The Ipswich woman was a kind soul who tenderly took care of her husband John How, who was blind. Nevertheless, something about her aroused others’ ire. Neighbors accused her of causing both their cows and their young daughter to die after they quarreled with her, and when she sought to become a member of a local church congregation, neighbors and kin opposed her. They subsequently experienced a spate of injured animals and other bad luck, which they interpreted as supernatural acts of revenge. In court, her own brother-in-law, Captain John How, accused her of killing his sow and inflicting upon him a painful numbness in his hand that made it impossible for him to work. She was also accused of sending her spectral form to attack a young girl and attempt to drag her into Salem pond. “God knows, I am innocent of anything of this nature,” she testified. But even though other witnesses vouched for her character, she was convicted and executed.
A widow in her late sixties, Martin was the wife of a blacksmith and the mother of eight. In the 1670s, she previously was accused of witchcraft and infanticide, but her husband had successfully countered the charges by suing her accusers for slander. By 1692, however, he had died, and when 15 of her neighbors accused her of bewitching them or causing their farm animals to die, she had to confront the charges alone. Some historians have speculated that the accusations against Martin were linked to an inheritance dispute in which she was involved. Deeply religious, she comforted herself by reading “her worn old Bible” in jail as she awaited execution.
An elderly woman in ill health and a respected member of the church, Nurse was among the second wave of suspects accused by the children. In her initial court hearing, Nurse protested her innocence, but when her youthful accusers cried out in fake pain and performed contortions to suggest that they were being tormented by her, prosecutors took her impassive reaction as a sign of guilt. She was bound over for trial and executed.
As a young woman, Wildes was considered glamorous and forward, and rumor had it that she had once engaged in illicit sex. The accusations of witchcraft against her actually began decades before the Salem witch trials, when she married a widower, John Wildes, which raised the ire of his first wife’s family. The sister of Wildes’ first wife, Mary Reddington, accused Sarah Wildes of bewitching her, prompting John Wildes to threaten a slander suit unless she stopped. When one of Sarah Wildes’ new stepchildren, Jonathan Wildes, began to behave strangely, some took it for demonic possession, and the suspicions against Sarah Wildes continued to simmer. In 1692, things finally boiled over. Wildes’ son Ephraim was a local constable in Topsfield, and protested her innocence when she was arrested by his superior, Marshal George Herrick. One witness fingered her as being part of a coven of specters who whispered at the foot of a dying child’s bed, while others accused her of telekinetically sabotaging their ox cart after they borrowed her plow without her permission. Yet another testified that after quarreling with Wildes, she felt an apparently spectral cat walk across her in the middle of the night. Bizarre as the case against her was, Wildes was convicted and executed.
Rev. George Burrough
The only Puritan minister to be indicted and executed in the witch trials, Burrough was accused by Andover and Salem Village residents of being a ringleader and priest of the devil in the witch coven. Part of the evidence against Burrough was his exceptional physical strength, which was viewed as a sign of satanic assistance. Puritan inquisitor Rev. Cotton Mather, who suspected Burrough of being a Baptist and deviating from Puritan practices, attended his trial and urged the jury to convict him, which it did. When Burrough was on the ladder to the scaffold, he gave an impassioned speech protesting his innocence, and concluded by reciting the Lord’s Prayer—which, supposedly, witches were unable to do. His conspicuous religious fervency prompted some of the onlookers to shed tears and wonder if a terrible mistake had been made.
This victim of the witch hunt is best remembered, perhaps, for being denounced by one of the inquisitors, Rev. Cotton Mather, as a “rampant hag.” The daughter of one of the founding families of Andover, MA, Carrier was married to a servant and the mother of four children. She was an independent, strong-willed person who didn’t like to defer to those who imagined themselves as her betters, and their dislike may have led to her becoming a target of the accusations. Carrier was fearless enough to denounce her youthful accusers. “It is a shameful thing that you should mind these folks that are out of their wits,” she admonished the court. Unfortunately, that didn’t save her from execution.
George Jacobs, Sr.
A twice-married father of three in his early seventies, Jacobs was accused by one of his servants, Sarah Churchill, and by his own granddaughter, Margaret. Both of them had been fingered as witches and may have been trying to save their necks by implicating others. Others, however, soon came forward to join them, including women who claimed that Jacobs’ spectral projection had beaten them with a walking stick. But the most damning evidence, in the minds of his inquisitors, was a slight protuberance on his right shoulder that they believed to be the “witch’s teat” that the devil gave to those who’d made a covenant with him. Jacobs offered an unusual defense, arguing that although he was innocent, the devil may have taken his form to commit mischief. The court, however, decided that such shape-shifting could only have occurred with his consent, and he was condemned to death and executed.
After inheriting a substantial fortune from his father, Proctor went on to become a successful farmer, entrepreneur, and tavern keeper. Unfortunately for him, he made the mistake of criticizing the young girls who were accusing witches, saying that if they were to be believed, “we should all be devils and witches quickly,” and recommended that they be whipped or even hung for their lies. After being falsely accused by their servant Mary Warren, Proctor and his wife were arrested in 1692. The sheriff went to their house and seized their goods and provisions, and sold off his cattle, leaving the Proctors’ children without a means of support. Proctor petitioned the court to move his trial to Boston, or at the very least, to change the magistrates, because the locals “have already undone us in our estates, and that will not serve their turns without our innocent blood.” It was to no avail. Proctor was convicted and executed in August 1692. His wife was spared because she was pregnant.
Another respected church member who was among the second wave of suspects accused by the children. She was hanged in September 1692.
Some historians’ accounts alternately spell her name as Easty or Eastey. The sister of fellow defendant Rebecca Nurse, Esty insisted in court that “I am clear of this sin” and that she had prayed against the devil “all my days.” Her demeanor was so convincing that even her questioner, magistrate John Hawthorne, was moved to turn to Esty’s accusers and ask, “Are you certain this is the woman?” They responded by writhing and screaming in feigned demonic possession, but nevertheless, Esty was released from jail. In the days that followed, however, one of her accusers appeared to fall ill, and two of the others claimed that they had seen Esty’s specter tormenting her. Esty was arrested once again, and this time she was convicted and hanged.
The twice-widowed mother of six, who worked as a midwife and nurse, inherited property from her second husband. In male-dominated colonial New England society, a self-sufficient professional woman was contrary to what was perceived as the rightful order of things, and that may have made her a target for witchcraft allegations. The testimony of witnesses—including a girl who claimed Pudeator had tortured her by impaling a voodoo doll, and another who accused her of shape-shifting into a bird—was augmented by a constable’s discovery of “curious containers of various ointments” in her home. (The latter, apparently, were either foot oil or grease that Pudeator used to make soap.) Despite her protestations of innocence, she was condemned to death and hanged.
Born in Boston, Wardell was a carpenter who followed his brother Benjamin to Salem to build houses. He was one of the few, and perhaps the only, defendant who actually had dabbled in magic, when he occasionally amused his neighbors by playing at telling their fortunes, a practice that was outlawed as black magic by the Puritans. Nevertheless, Wardell’s bigger crime may have been marrying a younger widow, Sarah Hawkes, in 1673. Her sizable inheritance—combined with his carpentry work—made the couple conspicuously affluent in a society where petty resentments and envy often blossomed into suspicions that someone had satanic assistance. After his arrest in 1692, Wardell—perhaps in an effort to save himself—conceded that he had agreed to a contract with the devil, who had promised to make him wealthy, and even confessed to evil deeds that he hadn’t been accused of. He later tried to recant, but it was too late. In September 1692, he was hanged.
The wife of John Parker of Salem, she was arrested in May 1692 after being accused by the same servant who fingered John Proctor and his wife. Accused of “sundry acts of witchcraft, she was tried in September 1692, and convicted and hanged shortly afterward.
A wealthy widow from Andover, she apparently was unrelated to Alice Parker but was related to one of the other suspects, Frances Hutchins. Parker and her daughter Sarah were arrested and accused of witchcraft as well. When she entered the courtroom at her trial in September 1692, several of the young female accusers fell into writhing spells, even before her name was announced. Once witness testified that she had seen Mary Parker’s spirit, perched high on a beam above the court, at one of the hearings in Salem. Parker was convicted and hanged shortly afterward.
Willard, a sheriff’s officer who lived in Salem, was ordered to bring in several of the accused. He declined, apparently out of a belief that they were innocent. As a result, he was himself accused. After initially escaping arrest in Salem by fleeing to Nashawag, about 40 miles away, he was taken into custody and put on trial in August 1692. The girls who claimed to have been afflicted by witchcraft testified that a spectral being that they called “the shining man” had materialized and prevented Willard’s specter from cutting one of their throats. Willard was found guilty and hanged shortly afterward.
Also known as Wilmet Reed, she was the only Marblehead resident to be condemned for witchcraft. Known locally as “Mammy,” Redd was an eccentric with a volatile temper, and liked to argue with her neighbors. Among other crimes, she was accused of sending her spectral doppelganger to Salem to torment one of the young girls who instigated the witch hunt. She was arrested, brought to Salem for trial, and then hanged in September 1692, in the final wave of executions.
Born in England in 1615, Scott moved to New England with her parents at a young age and married a struggling tenant farmer, Benjamin Scott. The couple had seven children, only three of whom lived to adulthood. After her husband died in 1670, Scott lived off his meager savings until they were exhausted. In her old age, she was forced to beg for support from her neighbors and passersby to survive, which made her a target of resentment and probably led to her arrest. At Scott’s trial, witnesses testified that she had visited them in spectral form and choked and pinched them. She was found guilty and hanged in September 1692, in the final wave of executions.
Hour-long special "Salem: Unmasking the Devil" premieres Thursday, November 10 at 9P et/pt as part of National Geographic Channel's Expedition Week.
Thank you, National Geographic. This site is credible and accurate and I know that I can trust the information that I find on it. Thank you for providing a source where I can be sure that the information I find is true and that I can relay whatever information I find on it without worrying that something that I said was inaccurate. Sincerely, and appreciative reader | <urn:uuid:58b2c6e8-9daa-482d-a807-bd5cdf4247d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/expedition-week/articles/salem-witchcraft-trials/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990507 | 3,084 | 3.1875 | 3 |
This artwork is about waiting. About the fatal identity of the one who waits for a promised (or hoped for) sign, waiting for a proof of feelings, hoping for silent communication, without reciprocity. Truths are confused with fantasies and wishes. The delay of the other is analyzed and at the same time the one who waits is brainstorming, having a mixture of unimportant and substantial thoughts.
The accompanying text (see below) explains the artwork – a girl waiting all day long in front of her door for someone to come – her waiting symbolizes and dramatizes more trivial scenes of waiting, eg. refreshing your inbox, waiting for someone to log in to a chat room or instant messenger, waiting for a phone call, waiting for someone in a cafe…
Her eyes are fixed on the floor. She knows that he’ll be coming any second now, so she doesn’t move. She remains seated on her knees in front of the door. Her eyes scrutinize every detail of the door:
The paint is beginning to flake off here. What’s that little scratch? I suppose it’s from that day I was hurriedly leaving for Paris and bumped against the door with the suitcase. Why was I in a hurry? Certainly the usual: I must have waited to get ready until the very last moment and almost missed the train again – how typical of me. Why isn’t he coming? What time is it now? A wall clock, that’s what I need. Hm… I think I shall have to clean the skirting boards sometime, I never bother to do it and it’s so dusty. What an occupation, cleaning skirting boards… Perhaps I’ll do it tomorrow. I have some kind of appointment tomorrow; I don’t quite remember what it is. I must have written it down in the calendar, let me check.
But she does not leave her place to check the calendar. She changes her pose and squats on her haunches.
I had planned to show him my new artwork today. Do you think he is going to read the text I placed in the background? Nobody ever reads these texts: they must all think they’re visual effects. But it’s better that way, I don’t like everybody to read my texts, they won’t understand them anyway. But I’d love HIM to read this text. And what if he doesn’t like it? What if he doesn’t realize I wrote it for him, about him? What if he realizes it’s about him and starts acting distant again? What if he doesn’t believe me? What if he says I’m exaggerating? He thinks “despair”, “anxiety”, “abandonment” are words too strong to utter – oh, he just has no idea. This tile has a broken corner, I never noticed it before. Come on, where are you? Why aren’t you coming?
Her knees are aching and her feet are cold and numb. The floor is cold and it’s getting dark, but she just doesn’t want to get up. She doesn’t want to turn on the light; she doesn’t want to stretch her legs. She denies it to herself! She doesn’t want to run the risk of missing the moment he comes in. What if the door opens while she is missing from her designated waiting place? What if he comes in and she’s not there? That kind of disaster always happens in a fraction of a second! No, she has to sit there and wait, without doing anything. So she won’t miss the moment he comes into the room, so he can see her there waiting. Anyway, she knows he’ll be coming any second now. He HAS to come. Her wish is so strong and sincere that it must come true. Perhaps the fact that she remains seated in exactly the same place for hours on end will force him to come. There must be a way to make him feel her desire and force him to come more quickly. She tries to concentrate on her thoughts, to send him the message that she is waiting for him. If at this very moment the door opens and he sees her, he is going to know that she has been waiting for him. That’s why she won’t abandon her position.
I didn’t even get to comb my hair and dress up today. I came here directly from my bed. That’s another sign of my love: I’m sure he’s going to notice and appreciate it. I didn’t even take a look at my e-mails. What if he sent me an e-mail? No, he never writes on Saturdays. What if he wrote today? Have I eaten today? I don’t remember. It’s OK, we’ll eat together. Do you think he’s going to sense I am in angry with him because of his delay? How would I show it? Am I angry? Why can’t I be angry with him? Why do I forget everything the moment he appears? Anyway, if he comes today, he will sleep here and we’ll wake up together. Maybe tomorrow I should call my brother, haven’t talked to him in a week. This CD is really awesome; I can’t understand why he gets annoyed if I play it again and again. This track, this verse, no, the next one, wait, was it this one or the next one? This is it! He left last Monday while this verse was playing. He said: “May see you this weekend”, then closed the door and went out. I listened to his footsteps on the stairs. Imagine if he came in right now, while exactly the same verse was playing – what an illusion! What if he forgot that he promised to meet me today? Didn’t he promise? Of course he did. What time could it be now? I want to think of him but somehow I can’t concentrate on thinking of him. What might HE be thinking of right now? He must be in a bar with friends, he’s sure to have gone out, it’s Saturday night.
Suddenly she realizes that if she concentrates on her thoughts, the message should travel to his ears, he will then sense her despair, feel that she needs him and come. The sound of his keys opening the door, his scent suddenly overwhelming the air, the image of him walking into the room and telling her “I sensed that you needed me, so I came” – she would give everything to experience this. The image passes vividly through her mind, rewind, replay, repeat. Now she lets her eyes play over several objects lying on the floor around her: a pair of shoes, a small piece of paper with a phone number, an umbrella. Her eyes fix on every object and mechanically scan it:
I bought this umbrella six years ago, in Salzburg, that day when the rain just wouldn’t stop, they only had this green one, now I’m left with an ugly, green umbrella. Is there a way I can think “strongly”, so he can hear me? Let me try right now. I won’t let any other unimportant thoughts confuse me, I will think strongly of his eyes, no I will visualize that I am talking to him – now I am talking to him: hey love, listen, I need you, please come, it’s very important, because I really missed you and I can’t stand your absence any more. What else could I say? What if he doesn’t hear me? What if he’s working today and he cannot come? Someone’s on the stairs, I can hear steps. That’s him, oh god that’s him! I recognize him! Is that him? No those are women’s steps. Damn! She is talking on the phone. Oh well, some people are having fun today. They have the right to have fun. I hope someone finally got the light bulb changed in the stairwell. He told me I should call him if I wanted to see him. I could just have picked up the phone and invited him. He’d come as always, wouldn’t he? But I don’t want it that way. That’s not enough. I want him to sense that I am thinking of him and to come on his own. I need you, please come. Isn’t that a good enough reason: what do I have to do to convince you?
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Harold Kushner is Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel in the Boston suburb of Natick, Massachusetts. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Columbia University. He has six honorary doctorates, has studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and has taught at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Kushner was the editor of the magazine Conservative Judaism for four years. In 1995, he was honored by The Christophers, a nonprofit organization devoted to spreading messages of hope and understanding, as one of the 50 people who have made the world a better place in the last 50 years. In 1999, the national organization Religion in American Life paid tribute to him as their clergyman of the year.
Harold Kushner is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, an international bestseller first published in 1981. This volume has been translated into 14 languages and was recently selected by members of the Book of the Month Club as one of the 10 most influential books of recent years. He has also written When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough, which was awarded the Christopher Medal for its contribution to the exaltation of the human spirit.
Having spent thirty years as a rabbi serving a congregation, Harold Kushner knows how to bring the Scriptures alive in many fresh ways. His books offer rousing interpretations of Genesis, Ecclesiastes and the Psalms. His emphasis on God's forgiveness leads to another emphasis on the acceptance of our own and others' flaws. Kushner also demonstrates a knack for guiding us through suffering and loss with advice that is both wise and reassuring. As a meaning maker, this author is very gifted. One of our personal favorites is his suggestion that we see ourselves as supporting actors in other people's movies, not being in the spotlight, but doing things that shape and drive the plot forward. | <urn:uuid:c09e124f-c892-41d7-9172-d6e4d2c65e1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/teachers/teachers.php?id=113 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98058 | 383 | 1.898438 | 2 |
(Dec. 30, 2005)
People who want to know more about healthful eating and food preparation can enroll in the Food Literacy Partners training program that begins Jan. 21.
This free program teaches participants how to determine if they are eating healthfully and at are a healthy weight; dietary approaches to preventing high blood pressure, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis; food safety; healthful and fast food preparation; healthful food shopping; and achieving healthy weight in children.
The 20-hour program meets at the ViQuest Center at 2610 Stantonsburg Road for three Saturdays: Jan. 21 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Jan. 28 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Feb. 4 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A supermarket tour is optional. While the program is free, graduates are encouraged to provide 20 hours of community service educating others about healthful eating, such as at Pitt County schools, at church and service club health fairs and at the Pitt County farmers market.
The Food Literacy Partners program is supported by the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, the Pitt Memorial Hospital Foundation, the ViQuest Center and Pitt Partners for Health. More than 200 people have completed the program since it began in 2000.
Space is limited. For more information or to register call Rebecca Rawl at (252) 744-1388 or e-mail her at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:97e92529-56a8-44f9-836b-ac88b00370d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/dhs/newsStory.cfm?ID=974 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934451 | 314 | 2.234375 | 2 |
In praise of judicious consumption of beer.
In response to the commonly negative press on beer in Canada the author has compiled a number of data to illustrate the positive side of beer consumption. Judicious consumption is taken to be one litre per day and many of the nutrients provided by this amount are compared to the nutritional requirements of a 45 year old male Canadian weighing about 80 kg. The beer can provide about half the daily requirements of magnesium, niacin and folic acid, 20 to 30% of the requirements for chloride riboflavin and pyridoxine. It is worth noting that this amount of beer supplies about 15% of the daily calorie intake for a fairly heavy man. Other areas where beer appears to have a positive effect are in many social situations, especially geriatric hospital patients, and, in general, consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol is associated with a longer life expectancy than either heavy drinking or total abstinence.
Keywords: beer constituent consumption nsutrition | <urn:uuid:6f8702eb-6364-4a0f-8aac-30a09e987f12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mbaa.com/publications/tq/tqPastIssues/1985/Abstracts/tq85ab04.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924899 | 199 | 2.8125 | 3 |
The Class of 2012 at once again turned in excellent performances on the ACT college entrance exam, according to a report presented at the New Trier Township High School District 203 school board July 16.
“When 83 percent of the class is in the top 26 percent of the country, that’s an incredible statistic,” said Paul Sally, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Challenges of High ACT Scores
It’s also a statistic that brings its own challenges to , which has campuses in and
“We have to make sure kids feel like they are successful and achieving in the midst of a high-achieving community,” Sally said.
Among the Class of 2012, 999 students took the ACT and received an average best score of 27.9. The students’ average score on the last test they took was 27.4; that’s the number ACT uses for its analyses, Sally said.
The district learned a lot from the pattern of students taking multiple tests.
“What’s the best time to take your first ACT and what’s the optimal number of times to take the ACT?” Sally said. “We can safely say that taking the ACT a second time is going to be helpful. It’s much harder when we see three and four and five (tests). … You learn a lot from taking the first test.”
Most of the Class of 2012 took the ACT three or fewer times. Every student takes it at least once in April of junior year as part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam.
Non-AP Students Performed Well, too
Areas of the report that Sally highlighted were the high scores of students who did not take Advanced Placement classes in English and math.
Sally said the school’s curriculum helps students exceed expectations on the ACT.
Nearly 60 percent of New Trier students exceeded the range of ACT scores published by ACT. The expected range of ACT scores is based on the PLAN test, a pre-ACT that is given in October of sophomore year.
“When you look at the kids who do not take an AP class in English and math, the scores are incredibly high,” he said. “It just speaks to the rigor of the curriculum that we have.”
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Want to follow similar articles in Wilmette and Kenilworth? Sign up for Wilmette-Kenilworth Patch's newsletter. | <urn:uuid:8e4c8bc2-7586-47b4-ab4d-e9caf00b815a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wilmette.patch.com/groups/schools/p/new-trier-students-ace-act-again | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964878 | 538 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Exhibition: Mondrian – Nicholson: In Parallel, The Courtauld Gallery, London, until May 20 2012
© The estate of Arthur Jackson Hepworth
An untold story of a remarkable friendship and a creative relationship between two artists in the 20th century has been re-explored in a two-room show nearly 80 years on since the work was first shown.
From the mid-1930s, Piet Mondrian and Ben Nicholson were increasingly paired as leading exponents of what became known as “geometric abstraction” due to the similarities the artists had created in their work.
Nicholson first met Mondrian in his Paris studio flat in the Spring of 1934, and the friendship between them culminated from then on:
“His studio…was an astonishing room”, Nicholson recalled. “He had stuck up on the walls different sized squares painted with primary red, blue and yellow…the feeling in his studio must have been very like the feeling in one of those hermits’ caves where lions used to go to have thorns taken out of their paws.”
© National Portrait Gallery, London
When they met, Nicholson was a rising star of modern British art and Mondrian, 20 years his senior, was already recognised as a leading artist of his generation.
In 1938, with World War II appearing imminent, Nicholson sent an invitation to Mondrian to leave Paris and stay in London with him, where they then lived together for two years.
Nicholson was already exploring abstraction before he met Mondrian, but he found powerful confirmation of his artistic convictions through the Dutchman’s example.
Several of the works displayed in the Courtauld were originally shown together in pioneering exhibitions and publications and, after nearly 80 years, they have found themselves once again “in parallel” to each other.
The story of this creative relationship starts with pieces made before they came together in abstract. The first Nicholson piece, Six Circles (1933) shows his first steps in exploring this niche.
His rough carvings into the brown wood are so unlike the clean-cut, well thought out white reliefs in the exhibition, and it is through this that we can see throughout the display how much more an influence Mondrian was to his work after the two met.
Mondrian had already found his place in abstraction, but he became more explorative in his painting, making greater use of expanses of white space in combination with small but intensive areas of vibrant colour in his Combination pieces.
Nicholson worked like an agent for Mondrian during his time in London, finding collectors in England to sell his work to. The first English buyer was Nicholson’s first wife, Winifred, who purchased Composition with Double Line and Yellow in 1935.
He also helped arrange for Mondrian’s work to be exhibited in England, with three paintings being included in the seminal Abstract and Concrete exhibition, organised by Nicolete Gray in 1936, where the artist’s works were shown side by side.
The longer the Dutch artist lived in London, the more his love for the city grew. He even went as far as to say that the size and character of London was having a liberating effect on his work:
“I’ve noticed that the change has had a good influence on my work,” he admitted. “The artistic situation doesn’t differ greatly here from that in Paris. But one is even more ‘free’ – London is big.”
Throughout In Parallel, the use of black and white accentuates the similarities between the two artists’ creations.
Nicholson does not paint the black onto his work. Instead, by carving different depths into a single piece of wood, he creates shadows, whereas Mondrian explores the thickness in his painted lines.
Also on display is a more personal look into the artists’ friendship through some of their letters, photographs and other items of importance in their lives at that time.
The story ends perfectly – and somewhat solemnly – with two 1940 pieces. Both artists had moved out of London and were living on separate continents by then.
Two Forms (Nicholson) and Composition Number III White-Yellow (Mondrian) would be the last time the artists work would be in parallel to each other (Nicholson took a new direction in his work and Mondrian died two years after making this piece).
Although made on different continents, the creative relationship between them was still visible.
- Open 10am-6pm. Admission £6/£4.50 (free for under-18s, students and on Monday 10am-2pm). Book online. | <urn:uuid:fd2ceead-bf1a-40f8-acee-40beaa769e3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/art377266 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983246 | 965 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Corporation specializes in electronics
, and is based in Tokyo
. Sony was founded Akio Morita under the name of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). It changed its name to Sony Inc
. in 1958.
In 1960 Sony branched off to America and Switzerland. Sony became the first Japanese company to offer shares on a United States stock market. Sony now has affiliates in North/Central/South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.
Being a leading producer of videocassette recorders, CD equipment, television systems, telephones, and computers, Sony has a large share in today's electronics market. The Walkman headset stereo system, which was introduced in 1970, was a big hit. The Sony Betamax was the first video tape recorder, but Beta was soon replaced by VHS, marketed by RCA. Later product successes include the Discman (portable CD player), and a video game console known as Playstation.
Sony is one of the first companies to produce electronics that combine modern design and reliable functionality.
Sony also has a recording studio for music artists. | <urn:uuid:b2b18ad5-a8d0-4367-8dda-81bc28e526a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://everything2.com/title/Sony | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967125 | 241 | 2.0625 | 2 |
USCIS Press Releases - 2003
Current Year | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
On September 15, 2003, the Department of Homeland Security's United States
Citizenship and United States Immigration Services (USCIS)
will handle United States immigration services and benefits, including citizenship,
applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant applications, asylum,
and refugee services.
United States immigration enforcement functions are now under the Department's Border
and Transportation Security Directorate, and is now known as United States Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE). RI not affiliated.
- 104 Year-old Immigrant Fulfills His Dream of Becoming a U.S. Citizen, 12/18/03
- Aguilar to Lead Office of Citizenship, 9/15/03
The information contained in this web page is intended strictly to be used for information purposes and to educate the public in a general manner. The information contained in this page should not be considered legal advice, legal consultation, expressed or implied representation or a formal or an informal retention of this office. To create a formal attorney-client relationship a retainer must be signed and a fee must be paid to this office. Our response to any of your questions, comments, concerns etc. does not establish an attorney-client relationship. By responding to your questions we do not consider ourselves your attorneys. The response to your questions is strictly informational in nature and should not be considered or used as legal advice in any manner. The information contained on this site is general information on immigration laws and issues. The general information that is included in this web page will not cover the various exceptions and loopholes that are prevalent in the Immigration laws. We hope that our web page will educate you and hopefully enhance your understanding of Immigration laws. | <urn:uuid:2d02203e-946b-4730-8e43-3836f8c66ada> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globallawcenters.com/uscismemos2003.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921195 | 369 | 1.742188 | 2 |
NEW YORK — A Japanese woman discovered what is likely the most detailed maze ever created in some forgotten boxes in her home, according to Geek.com.
The woman, who broadcast her discovery via twitter, found a maze so detailed it looks like it must have been drawn by a computer, the article stated.
According to the article, however, the maze was drawn entirely by hand, by the founder’s father, over the course of seven years.
Given its intricacy, the train of thought is that the creator must be a drawing specialist, but the man is a janitor in the athletics department of a university, the article noted.
It is unclear whether the maze can be solved, and the creator has never made it all the way through himself, the article added.
Click here to read the article in its entirety. | <urn:uuid:8b69e751-fa86-458f-bbab-5b034c148aa5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cmmonline.com/articles/print/230345-janitor-drew-maze-for-seven-years | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977531 | 171 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Climate Change, Climate Sceptics and Open Data
With the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen starting on Monday, it is of vital important that there is consensus on the scientific evidence about climate change, in order to inform debates about the best course of action for the international community. Sharing the same basic picture about the climate, global warming and the impact of human sources of carbon dioxide (regardless of the details of this picture, regardless of differences in opinion about the most appropriate course of action in reponse to it) is surely a critical prerequisite to effective and fruitful negotiations.
The recent illegally obtained emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (so-called ‘Climategate’) and the subsequent accusations of secrecy and malpractice from climate change sceptics have provoked debate in the media about the openness and availability of datasets related to climate change.
Partly in response to accusations of secrecy and falsification of key datasets from sceptics, the UK Met Office announced today they will be publishing new climate datasets. Earlier the Telegraph reported:
> Sceptics alleged that emails stolen from the Climatic Research Unit at the university show scientists were willing to manipulate data to show global warming.
> They also complain that the raw data for the climate models was not made available to the public.
> To try to restore public confidence the Met Office is talking to other meteorological organisations around the world about recreating the model using the same raw data but more modern computers.
> The whole process will also use any new information and be more open to the public.
This evening, the BBC reported:
> Meanwhile, the Met Office said it would publish all the data from weather stations worldwide, which it said proved climate change was caused by humans.
> Its database is a main source of analysis for the IPCC.
> It has written to 188 countries for permission to publish the material, dating back 160 years from more than 1,000 weather stations.
As UEA said in an announcement from the end of November, over 95% of the CRU climate data is already available and permission to publish the remaining data will have to be sought from each of the relevant National Meteorological Services (NMSs) around the world on a case by case basis. Professor Davies of UEA, suggests there are partly commercial reasons for this:
> We are grateful for the necessary support of the Met Office in requesting the permissions for releasing the information but understand that responses may take several months and that some countries may refuse permission due to the economic value of the data.
An editorial piece in Nature from a couple of days ago suggests:
> Researchers are barred from publicly releasing meteorological data from many countries owing to contractual restrictions. Moreover, in countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom, the national meteorological services will provide data sets only when researchers specifically request them, and only after a significant delay. The lack of standard formats can also make it hard to compare and integrate data from different sources. Every aspect of this situation needs to change: if the current episode does not spur meteorological services to improve researchers’ ease of access, governments should force them to do so.
Mike Hulme of UEA and Jerome Ravetz of Oxford Univeristy argue in a recent BBC article that climate scientists will have to become better at engaging the public in their research:
> While there will always be a unique function for expert scientific reviewers to play in authenticating knowledge, this need not exclude other interested and motivated citizens from being active.
> These demands for more openness in science are intensified by the embedding of the internet and Web 2.0 media as central features of many people’s social exchanges.
In particular they suggest that scientists should respond to demands that:
- To be validated, knowledge must also be subject to the scrutiny of an extended community of citizens who have legitimate stakes in the significance of what is being claimed
- And to be empowered for use in public deliberation and policy-making, knowledge must be fully exposed to the proliferating new communication media by which such extended peer scrutiny takes place.
Roger Pielke, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, argues in a recent interview in the Washington Post that:
> More openness, more transparency, more diversity, and more attention to the social construction of expertise is needed.
While it is important to remember, as Cameron Neylon notes, that proper interpretation of climate change data requires significant background knowledge and a thorough grounding in relevant scientific literature and tools, nevertheless it is clear that there is an increasing demand from interested non-expert non-scientists to access and reuse climate data. The Times recently published two pieces analysing and refuting a climate change sceptic’s interpretation of the publicly available HADCRU data. Another blogger points out that public environmental datasets allow non-expert members of the public to explore the evidence and draw different conclusions about climate change – and argues that the peer review process will act as a quality filter for their research.
In response to the demand for data, Real Climate (who were also hacked, and who provide two excellent posts on the CRU hack and background context) have published a very useful list of public climate datasets as well as a blog post asking the climate science community for further suggestions.
- What environmental data is out there, and how open is it?
It also aimed to document relevant legislation and policy relevant to environmental data in different jurisdictions.
We have started to go through available public sources of climate data, looking at:
Whether datasets are open as in the Open Knowledge Definition – i.e. whether they explicitly say that they can be used by anyone, for any purpose, without restriction (except perhaps attribution, integrity or sharealike requirements).
- Whether or not there are facilities to download raw data in bulk – i.e. whether they easily allow users to directly download all the data in open, machine readable formats.
Environmental data is an excellent case of where sharing is the key to scaling. Research institutions must share data with each other in order to build up as detailed a picture as possible, incorporating as much evidence as possible from around the world. As much of this research is publicly funded, and due to increasing public interest, there are now strong arguments for extending this sharing from sharing between research institutions to sharing to the public.
Furthermore, often access is not enough. Datasets need to be combined with other datasets, or reused in visual representations. Hence there are arguments for making data open as in the Open Knowledge Definition, which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute it for any purpose. This allow allows for innovation in the ways in which the data can be presented to the public by third parties, including not-for-profit organisations and companies – such as through the creation of new web services to allow the data to be explored.
There are currently 38 data sources listed, over half of which are fully open. However many datasets are still not explicitly legally open, and many of them have restrictions on how they can be reused. There are still plenty of datasets to add! We’ve been in touch with the folks at Real Climate, and they’ve been supportive of the project and encouraged us to reuse and build on their list of data sources.
In order to mark the occasion of the Copenhagen Conference, over the next few weeks we will be continuing to add publicly available climate data to CKAN. By better documenting existing open environmental data, we hope to make some small contribution to laying the groundwork for the shared picture about the state of our climate that we currently need. | <urn:uuid:459b740b-3509-40f0-93bd-d4a668ffdf01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.okfn.org/2009/12/05/climate-change-climate-sceptics-and-open-data/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938189 | 1,562 | 2.578125 | 3 |
The biggest colossal squid ever caught weighs over 1000 pounds and measures almost 30 feet long.
In February, 2007, a Sanford seafood company fishing vessel, the San Aspiring, caught a toothfish on a long line while fishing in the freezing Ross Sea of the Antarctic. When the crew brought the toothfish to the surface, they realized they’d also caught a colossal squid. The squid wouldn’t let go of the toothfish, so they decided to catch the squid, too.
After hauling the squid aboard, the crew froze it in a cubic meter of water and brought it to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Currently, Marine biologists at the museum are in the process of thawing the creature in order to learn more about the species.
Besides measuring the largest eyeballs ever seen (about the size of a beach ball), the team has measured the colossal squid’s lower beak at 40 centimeters across.
Since a 49 centimeter squid’s beak was previously found in the stomach of a sperm whale — and since the total squid size to beak size ratio is incremental, not linear — scientists believe there are still colossal squid in the ocean that are a great deal bigger.
The colossal squid may hold another record, too: first colossal squid to have its own blog. To keep up with the thawing process and read the latest findings, visit: Colossal Squid Te Papa’s Blog.
Read more Amazing, Orgasmic, and Fantastic Facts: Amasnic Fact Off Archive.
[tags]giant squid, New Zealand[/tags] | <urn:uuid:4994ab2b-f9d4-4c25-8d85-58dc00a4131a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2008/04/30/the-biggest-squid-ever-caught/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92898 | 333 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Eight lessons from a monastery
To watch the birth and death of beings
Is like look at the movements of a dance.
A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky.
Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.
Over the last two decades I have occasionally taken a week of silence to renew my spirit. A few years ago, I found out that there was a tradition in Thailand where some CEOs of major businesses and politicians would take a week or two of silent retreat as ordained Buddhist monks. This was to remind them to be humble in spirit and anchor themselves in sobriety. When I recently met Joy Sopitpongstorn who is a friend from Thailand, I asked her if it was possible for a "foreigner" to "ordain." Joy is a long time friend of mine who has attended my courses in India. After making some inquiries, Joy informed me that she had obtained permission for me to come on a "monk's journey" for two weeks.
So off I went to Thailand on June 26th .
The first part of my journey was to accustom me to "hardship". For this, I went to the Forest Monastery, Wat Sunandavanaram, under the guidance of a famous but austere abbot of Japanese origin known as the Venerable Arjarn Mitsuo. In this monastery I had to sleep on a wooden floor, wake up at 2:00 a.m. every morning to meditate with the other monks on the impermanence of life and my own physical death. We would do this until 4:30 am in the morning and then practice mindfulness meditation until about 6:30 am; after which we would go for "alms round." The monks walked barefoot over rough terrain through neighboring villages. Since I was not an ordained monk at this time, I was allowed to wear my sneakers and served as an assistant to the monks. The poor peasants from the villages would line up the streets and make food offerings to the monks. If their bowls filled up, I would empty them into a large bag that I carried so they could be "refilled."
It was wonderful to see the look of reverence on the faces of the villagers as they offered their alms to the monks who in turn, silently blessed them.
We would return from the alms round around 8:00 am after which, we would have our one and only meal for the day. We all shared the food that was offered to us and ate in silence with full mindful awareness.
The rest of the day was spent in meditation. In the evening we would meet with the Venerable Arjarn Mitsuo who would guide us further into mindful awareness of breath, feelings, emotions, and movement. We would sleep around 10:00 p.m. and then wake up again around 2:00 am for meditation on impermanence and death.
Conditions of this monastery were very basic, with no running water and some mosquitoes to contend with.
After a few days of this hardship, I moved to the Forest Monastery, Chiang Khong, where I was to be officially ordained.
Joy's brother, Jate, a young man of 36 years decided at the last moment that he would ordained with me. The second monastery under the guidance of the Venerable Abbott Arjarn Ekachai was more comfortable then the previous one in that we had running water.
The ordainment ceremony required us to memorize some of the teachings of Buddha and chant them in Pali. Pali is a Sanskrit derivative language and was indeed the language spoken at the time of the Buddha. Surprisingly, I did not find it difficult to memorize the verses that I was asked to recite for the ordainment.
The ordainment ceremony began at 6:00 a.m. in the morning at the Forest Monastery, Chiang Kong. About 1,000 villagers from 13 neighboring villages showed up to witness it.
After a lot of chanting and instructions by Venerable Arjarn Ekachai and another senior monk on the responsibilities of an ordained monk, including following the five precepts, understanding the Four Noble Truths, and the Eight-fold Path to Enlightenment, we also had to undergo a head shaving ceremony. I did not realize that the shaving would include my eyebrows. But by this time, I had let go of all attachments for the time being and decided to surrender to the whole process. My son Gotham was there to witness and film the ceremony as I and Jate went through the process.
After the head shaving ceremony, the villagers lined up one by one to tie threads around our wrists. This was symbolic and meant that the villagers and monks had embraced us as their family. This part of the ceremony took two hours and Jate and I sat crossed legged on the floor for it.
After the "thread ceremony", all the villagers were fed food that had been cooked by volunteers. All this took us to about noon, after which Jate and I mounted two elephants as part of a parade to the Buddhist Temple where the ordainment and wearing of the monks robes was to take place. The parade was very festive with drumming, and chanting, and the villagers were all dressed in colorful celebratory outfits.
We dismounted our elephants upon reaching the temple where the actual ordainment ceremony began. This lasted five hours with me and Jate reciting our Buddhist chants to prove that we had done our "homework."
Finally, we were asked to give up our clothes and exchange them for the monk's robes. As Jate and I walked out of the temple at about 5:30 p.m. in the evening with our begging bowls and in monk robes, all of the villagers prostrated themselves at our feet with reverence and made offerings and filled up our begging bowls. We were now ordained.
Back in the monastery the Venerable Arjarn Ekachai instructed us on our routine which was to be similar to the one at the previous monastery. Over the next week, we maintained silence and kept the routine as instructed.
My only challenge was walking bare foot through the villages. The country paths were at times rocky and at times full of bristles and thorns but we marched through it despite the pain.
The Venerable Arjarn Ekachai would meet with us in the afternoon and late evening where he would go over our practice of mindfulness.
Because there were no mirrors, we did not know what we looked like to ourselves. The others treated us with great respect and reverence and the villagers were very generous in the giving of alms, which mostly included rice, vegetables, fruit, boiled eggs, and sometimes even a bar of chocolate.
It was amazing to see to see the generosity and love and the reverence in the eyes of the peasants as they offered food to us. We ate once a day as in the previous monastery.
By and by, I started to feel that I was losing my sense of my previous identity. Physically, I was without hair on my scalp or my eyebrows. I walked barefoot. I wore the robe of monks. I practiced mindful awareness day and night, in addition to meditating on impermanence and on my own physical death.
The Venerable Arjarn Ekachai explained that being in this mindful state and shedding our previous identity allowed divine qualities to emerge. - loving kindness, compassion to all beings, happiness at the happiness of others and equanimity. Indeed I felt the truth of all this in my experience.
I realized that holding on to anything is really like holding on to your breath. You begin to feel suffocation. It was freeing to let go.
Before we went to the closing ceremony, we took our hair and packed it in palm leaves and went to the Mekong River, which runs between Thailand and Laos. We boarded a boat and went toward a shrine along the river banks where we offered our hair to the river and it floated away. This was symbolic of letting go of our habitual certainties and attachments and creating the space for new and better and more spiritual things in our lives. The hair, which is part of our body and came from the elements, was returned to the elements.
After a full week, Jate and I returned to Bangkok once again wearing our regular clothes. But, when I looked into the mirror, I could not recognize myself and burst out laughing.
What did I learn?
1. When we let go of our habitual certainties and the labels and definitions we and others have given ourselves, what emerges is a pure innocent, joyful, humble, creative, and free consciousness. It certainly is the experience of a more real, authentic self that lies beneath our social masks.
2. The monks themselves were the perfect embodiment of the elegance of simplicity, equanimity, compassion, kindness and joy.
3. The peasants and villagers were generous and giving and in my view, had more happiness then some of the wealthiest people in the world.
4.The awareness of impermanence makes every moment precious, and an opportunity for giving and receiving.
5. Compassion helps us go beyond the illusion of the separate self.
6. Life is a continuum of experiences that occur in an eternal now. When we are grounded in present moment awareness, there is an awakening of innocence, joy, and knowingness that is our essential nature.
7. Understanding and embracing impermanence and being aware of our own death makes every moment precious and reminds us of what is really important in our life so we can be happy and make others happy.
8. We create our own environment. The quiet dignity and serenity of the monks and the villagers who embraced us created an atmosphere of peace, joy, and a feeling of abundance that money cannot buy.
I am back now in New York City and settling to my routine of writing, public speaking, and consulting. What I bring back with me is a fresh and renewed awareness of how we can all be and how this transformation in us can help create a better world.
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The comments to this entry are closed. | <urn:uuid:b5a21ba6-c34f-404c-aa7f-bb9b6396e5be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/deepak_chopra/2010/07/a_monks_story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977828 | 2,188 | 1.5 | 2 |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Thousands commemorating the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday outside South Carolina’s capitol heard a message that wouldn’t have been out of place during the halcyon days of the civil rights movement a half-century ago: the need to protect all citizens’ right to vote.
A similar tone was struck at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where King preached from 1960 until his death. There and in South Carolina, speakers condemned the voter identification laws they said are meant to suppress black voter turnout.
For most of 13 years in South Carolina, the attention at the NAACP’s annual rally has been on the Confederate flag that still waves outside the Statehouse. But on Monday, the civil rights group shifted the focus to laws requiring voters to show photo identification before they can cast ballots, which the group and many other critics say is especially discriminatory toward African-Americans and the poor.
South Carolina’s new law was rejected last month by the U.S. Justice Department, but Gov. Nikki Haley vowed to fight the federal government in court. At least a half-dozen other states passed similar voter ID laws in 2011.
“This has been quite a faith-testing year. We have seen the greatest attack on voting rights since segregation,” said Benjamin Todd Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The shift in tactics was also noted by the keynote speaker, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Last month, Holder said the Justice Department was committed to fighting any laws that keep people from the ballot box. He told the crowd he was keenly aware he couldn’t have become the nation’s first African-American attorney general without the blood shed by King and other civil rights pioneers.
“The right to vote is not only the cornerstone of our governance, it is the lifeblood of our democracy. And no force has proved more powerful, or more integral to the success of the great American experiment, than efforts to expand the franchise,” Holder said. “Let me be very, very clear – the arc of American history has bent toward the inclusion, not the exclusion, of more of our fellow citizens in the electoral process. We must ensure that this continues.”
Texas’ new voter ID law is currently before the Justice Department, which reviews changes in voting laws in nine mostly Southern states because of their history of discriminatory voting practices. Other states that passed such laws in 2011 included Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Similar laws already were on the books in Georgia and Indiana, and they were approved by President George W. Bush’s Justice Department. Indiana’s law, passed in 2005, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008.
Critics have likened the laws to the poll taxes and tests used to prevent blacks from voting during the civil rights era. Supporters, many of whom are Republicans, say such laws are needed to prevent fraud.
“I signed a bill that would protect the integrity of our voting,” Haley said in a statement welcoming Holder to South Carolina.
At the Atlanta church where King once preached, the Rev. Raphael G. Warnock said some in America disrespect King’s legacy by “cutting off those for whom he died and the principles for which he fought.”
He called voter ID laws an affront to the memory of the civil rights leader.
“You cannot celebrate Dr. King on Monday, and undermine people’s ability to vote on Super Tuesday,” Warnock said.
The King Day rally in South Carolina took place in the shadow of Saturday’s Republican presidential primary. State NAACP President Lonnie Randolph said people should vote any time they can, but said his group is nonpartisan. He said officials wouldn’t encourage its members – a generally Democratic voting bloc – to disrupt the GOP’s process of choosing its nominee because “we don’t do the mean things.”
Jealous made one of the few references to the GOP field during Monday’s rally, saying he was tired of attacks on the movement, such as cuts to education funding.
“And I’m real tired of dealing with so-called leaders who talk out of one side of their mouth about celebrating the legacy of Dr. King and then do so much out the other side of their mouth to block everything the man stood, fought and died for,” Jealous said.
The King Day rally in South Carolina was first held in 2000 to call for the Confederate flag to come down off the capitol dome, and has continued after state leaders decided instead to place the flag on a 30-foot pole on the Statehouse lawn near a monument to Confederate soldiers.
The flag was mentioned Monday – North Carolina NAACP president the Rev. William Barber called it a “terrible, terroristic banner” – but it was not the focus.
The Confederate flag and voter ID laws are all examples of how blacks cannot stop fighting for civil rights, said 39-year-old Llewlyn Walters of Columbia, whose grandmother watched King speak and whose mother told him stories of the civil rights movement as he grew up.
“People’s hearts and minds change, but then they forget. The movement was great, but that one single generation couldn’t stop all the discrimination in this country any more than one single dose of antibiotic can fight a disease,” Walters said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama and his family commemorated the day by helping to build bookshelves in a local school’s library. The president said there was no better way to celebrate King’s life than to spend the day helping others.
Obama’s attorney general ended his speech on a positive note, saying Americans can’t forget the progress this nation has made. After all, the nation elected a black president just 40 years after King was assassinated.
“In the spirit of Dr. King, let us signal to the world that, in America today, the pursuit of a more perfect union lives on,” Holder said. “The march toward the Promised Land goes on, and the belief not merely that we shall overcome, but that, as a nation, we will all come together, continues to push us forward.” | <urn:uuid:2931cff9-811d-4978-a82a-38c9c014cc2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsone.com/1799735/sc-rally-marks-mlk-day-with-voting-rights-message/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96602 | 1,333 | 2.515625 | 3 |
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(NECN: Jack Thurston, Morrisville, Vt.) - At Power Play Sports in Morrisville, Vt., Caleb Magoon's price gun still spits out labels that end in $.99, but when he goes to the cash register, he has no pennies inside.
"We don't actively go out and get pennies in order to give people the appropriate change," Magoon said.
Starting this month, the sporting goods store is rounding its change to the nearest nickel. It does so in the customer's favor, Magoon said. If you're owed $1.63 from a cash purchase, for example, you will now actually get back $1.65, he explained.
"The most I could possibly lose on any transaction is four cents," Magoon added.
This is his way of suggesting the United States follow Canada's lead, and stop production of the coin. It actually costs the government nearly two and a half times more to produce the penny than it's worth, according to the U.S. Mint's website.
Rick Vanden Bergh, an associate professor at the University of Vermont's School of Business Administration, agreed that having the cent makes little sense. He told New England Cable News that all the time spent counting coins and making change is inefficient for retailers and customers alike, and is outdated, too.
"You can't buy anything with a penny," Vanden Bergh said. "The vast majority of what we do is electronic transactions, so you can still have electronic transactions to the penny."
Of course, lots of folks would never want to see the penny go away. They worry losing the one-cent piece would lead to a slight increase in consumer prices across the board. Others like having the coins because it's what they're used to, and some fear the potential impact on charities.
"We survive on the nickels and dimes and pennies," said Capt. Bill Thompson, the commander of the Salvation Army chapter that serves the Burlington, Vt. area.
Less change in our pockets could mean less in his kettles at Christmas, Thompson said. He told NECN the group would then be unable to do a lot of its outreach work. Plus, he has found children learn to count with the help of pennies.
"I think it has a lot more value than we give it," Thompson said of the penny.
Back at Power Play Sports, customers carrying credit cards and checks still pay every last cent. Caleb Magoon said cash users only make up about a tenth or a twelfth of his customers, so he predicts he won't lose much more than $25 a year in pennies.
"I'd say 85- to 90-percent of the transactions, it's not going to affect," Magoon said of his move. "But for cash transactions, it's just not going to make a huge difference either way, it's just going to save the U.S. Treasury a few dollars."
Magoon wonders if his experiment of rounding the change for cash users could have a small ripple effect. He predicted one day we'll see fewer Abe Lincoln profiles with our receipts.
"It's not really needed," he said. | <urn:uuid:a02178c2-67e0-4f8a-bf37-8c29583ce146> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.necn.com/09/10/12/Vt-store-ditches-the-penny/landing.html?blockID=770991&feedID=11106 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973717 | 694 | 1.726563 | 2 |
It's always exciting to find an animal track. After all, the creature who made it may be just around the corner. You can capture that moment of discovery by making a plaster cast of the print to bring home.
When you find an animal track, ask your kids to note all the details. Are there toes? If so, how many? Can you see claws? A webbed foot could be a duck, and cloven hooves might be a white-tailed deer.
Look for animal footprints in wooded areas and along fields and near water; the muddy or sandy banks of a lake or river are ideal. Once you find a track, form the poster board strip into a circle that's wide enough to encircle it like a collar. Secure the circle with paper clips and press it in the ground around the track.
Add water to the plaster in the bag, mixing it by squeezing the bag from time to time, until the plaster is the consistency of a smoothie. Pour the plaster into the mold so it is about 1/2 inch deep.
Let the plaster harden, about 10 to 20 minutes. Carefully pull up the cast and peel off the paper collar. Brush off any excess dirt. | <urn:uuid:aa7acd6b-f062-42bc-af75-39c794201bae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spoonful.com/crafts/making-tracks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938679 | 250 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Superintendent of Environmental Services and MMSD Commissioner
City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Milwaukee area faces some tough challenges when we get significant amounts of rain. Flooding has damaged homes, and rainwater has filled our sewer system to its capacity and beyond. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) has made big investments in major construction projects to reduce flooding and increase the quantity of water that it treats.
But there is another way local government is addressing the problems: planting trees.
Trees, of course, offer cooling shade in the summer and provide habitat for birds while they create an attractive natural setting in city neighborhoods. Less obvious is the dramatic benefits trees have on stormwater runoff reduction.
One tree can keep hundreds of gallons of stormwater from rushing into the sewers over a year. Multiply that benefit by the approximately 200,000 trees along Milwaukee’s streets and boulevards and you can quickly see that trees are a very significant factor in reducing flooding and increasing sewer system capacity.
How does a tree keep stormwater from rushing into the sewer system? In fact, there are several ways. The leaves and branches that make up the tree canopy slow the flow of rainwater and promote evaporation. The trees and their root systems absorb some of the rainwater. And trees promote healthier soil conditions, which increase the capacity of the ground to soak up more rain.
In recent years, urban planners have increased their appreciation of the role of trees in managing stormwater. Nowadays, when roadways are planned or redeveloped, trees are included in the design for their direct environmental benefits. That’s a change from years ago when trees were included solely for their aesthetic contributions.
What do trees mean to the taxpayers of this region? Well, if the stormwater benefits of trees were eliminated, MMSD would be forced to make huge investments in new facilities and MMSD would face significant additional costs for treating the stormwater. Fewer trees would bring higher bills for area residents.
Fortunately, our community is on track to increase the number of trees in our area. And people who live in Milwaukee can lend a hand. Trees planted on private property, perhaps right in your front yard, have the same benefits that we see from trees along the street. This spring would be a good time to consider planting a new tree for shade, cooling, beauty and, yes, even stormwater runoff reduction.
You can get more information on planting trees and their benefits by contacting the City of Milwaukee Forestry Division at (414) 286-3595. | <urn:uuid:e29d8cdc-0cc4-48a1-b339-682fdd3fcc92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cthompson@apwa.net/Resources/Reporter/Articles/2003/4/A-new-approach-to-reduce-flooding-and-sewer-overflows-trees | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960074 | 528 | 3.328125 | 3 |
The U.S. economy
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Exit from comment view mode. Click to hide this space NEW YORK – While the risk of a disorderly crisis in the eurozone is well recognized, a more sanguine view of the United States has prevailed. For the last three years, the consensus has been that the US economy was on the verge of a robust and self-sustaining recovery that would restore above-potential growth.
Matt Stoller is a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. You can follow him at http://www.twitter.com/matthewstoller . The big economic strategy for the next term of whoever is Presidenti is essentially, “turn those machines back on”. It’s fracking to replace cheap oil and a new real estate bubble in housing. Essentially, the idea is to turn America into more and more of a resource extraction economy , or a petro-state. If American politics seems more and more oligarchical, that’s because the American political system is beginning to reflect the Middle Eastern oil states its economic investment implies it should.
World’s Most Prestigious Financial Agency – Called the “Central Banks’ Central Bank” – Slams U.S. Economic PolicyThe “Central Banks’ Central Bank” Slams the Federal Reserve The central banks’ central bank, the Bank of International Settlements or “BIS” – which is the world’s most prestigious mainstream financial body – has slammed the policy of America’s economic leaders. This is especially dramatic given that the banks own the Federal Reserve, and that the Federal Reserve and other central banks – in turn – own BIS . In other words, BIS is criticizing one of its main owners. Economics professor Michael Hudson notes :
How many times have we heard that this was the worst recession since the Great Depression? That may be true—although the double-dip recession of the early 1980s was about comparable. Less publicized is that our current recovery pales in comparison with most other recoveries, including the one following the Great Depression. The Great Depression started with major economic contractions in 1930, '31, '32 and '33. In the three following years, the economy rebounded strongly with growth rates of 11%, 9% and 13%, respectively.
« Replacing Iran's oil production | Main | Current economic conditions » April 05, 2012 The Recovery According to Ed “We are not in a recession” Lazear In Tuesday’s WSJ , Edward Lazear argued that we are now experiencing the “Worst Economic Recovery in History” . Before dissecting this remarkable document, it would behoove the reader to recall that while he was Chair of George W.
By Simon Johnson The principle behind unemployment insurance is simple. Since the 1930s, employers – and in some states employees — have paid insurance premiums (in the form of payroll taxes, levied on wages) to the government.
Uwe E. Reinhardt is an economics professor at Princeton. He has some financial interests in the health care field. After wrestling for decades and in futility with the triple problems facing health care in the United States – unsustainable spending growth, lack of timely access to health care for millions of uninsured Americans and highly varied quality of care – any new proposal to address these problems is likely to be a recycled old idea.
Housing & Homeownership in America
The nation is still struggling with the effects of the most serious financial crisis and economic downturn since the Great Depression. But Wall Street seems all too ready to return to the same untenable business practices that brought it to its knees less than three years ago.And some in government who claim to be representing Main Street seem all too ready to help. Already we have heard rationalization of the subprime mortgage debacle and denigration of those of us who have advocated long-term, structural changes in the way we regulate the financial industry. Too many industry leaders, as well as some government officials, compare the crisis to a 100-year flood. “Who, us?”
The 2007/8 financial crisis
Cognitive Regulatory Capture
Washington DC appears to be readying itself for a repeat of the TARP, namely, the passage of unpopular legislation to appease the Market Gods (and transfer even more income from ordinary Americans to the Masters of the Universe). It isn’t yet clear whether this drama will be played out via generating bona fide financial market upheaval or mere threat-mongering (the Treasury market seems pretty confident that well-trained Congresscritters will fall into line). But unlike the TARP, which was a classic example of well-placed interests finding opportunity in the midst of upheaval, this reprise is a far more calculated affair.
« Supply Chains and the Future of Globalization in the Wake of the Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami | Main | Advice for the academic job market » December 08, 2011 Lost Decades , Illustrated When I discuss Lost Decades I always stress the fact that the “s” denotes the plural.
Michael interviewed on Guns N Butter with Bonnie Faulkner Listen here “When I was in Norway one of the Norwegian politicians sat next to me at a dinner and said, “You know, there’s one good thing that President Obama has done that we never anticipated in Europe. He’s shown the Europeans that we can never depend upon America again. There’s no president, no matter how good he sounds, no matter what he promises, we’re never again going to believe the patter talk of an American President. Mr.
By Sell on News, a macro equities analyst. Cross posted from MacroBusiness The Euro crisis appears to be developing into something similar to the 1980s Latin American debt crisis when the idea that, to quote Walter Wriston, who ran First National City/ Citibank from the 1960s into the 1980s it was assumed that: “countries don’t go out of business.” The Latin American leadership demonstrated that they, in effect, could, by defaulting.
20 July 2011, Financial Times In the 1990s, when European monetary union was a plan but not a reality, I would explain to students that the effect was to replace currency risk by credit risk. With exchange rates free to float, loose monetary and fiscal policies would lead sooner or later to a fall in the exchange rate. That expectation implied higher interest rates. Currency markets would limit the scope for bad economic policies. Monetary union meant sovereign governments could no longer print money.
Financial Sector Fraud
There are the bills a president signs sitting in the Oval Office and the bills that merit a Rose Garden ceremony. And then there are bills so momentous—or at least so critical to a president’s reelection prospects—that those around the commander in chief orchestrate a more elaborate ceremony. Such was the case with Dodd-Frank , the financial-reform package that President Obama signed into law last July against a backdrop of velvet curtains in a resplendent venue a few blocks from the White House.
The politics and economics of Austerity
debating the future of capitalism - perspectives...
a fiscal cliff? | <urn:uuid:e2d71ea8-3e3f-40da-bf2c-1e89d0711a83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pearltrees.com/t/history-political-economy/the-u-s-economy/id2567077 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942045 | 1,493 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Samsung in Australia has been quick to capitalize on the recent Maps embarrassment suffered by Apple when cops in the country warned motorists against using the Cupertino company’s software because of “potentially life-threatening” data inaccuracies.
As reported by Cnet, the Korean tech giant had a little dig at Apple in downtown Sydney this week, setting up a tent and other bits of camping equipment alongside a muddied off-road vehicle. A sign placed in front of it read, “Oops, should have gotten a Samsung Galaxy S III. Get navigation you can trust,” pointing out that the S3 comes pre-loaded with Navigon Australia sat nav software, usual price $60.
The humorous ad comes days after police in the south of the country told motorists to avoid using Apple Maps for trips to the small town of Mildura in Victoria as the software was erroneously placing it inside a national park, 43 miles (70 km) from its real location. A number of travelers using Maps had reportedly become lost and stranded in the scorching hot national park. Police went so far as to say it could lead to a “potentially life-threatening” situation.
Following widespread coverage in the media, Apple moved quickly to fix the Mildura error.
Apple’s latest Maps-related embarrassment likely had more than a few Android users – who can use Google’s map app on their device – chortling with delight, but they should perhaps take note. Police in Melbourne have just piped up to say Google’s software is also causing problems for motorists. According to an ABC News report on Wednesday, Google Maps has been directing traffic down a narrow one-way track close to the country’s famous Great Ocean Road – which means all traffic, including trucks, buses and tourist vehicles.
Sergeant Nick Buenen told ABC News the track wasn’t built for heavy vehicles and that the error is a “significant safety issue for tourists and locals.”
Speaking of Google Maps, the Mountain View company released an all-new Maps app for the iOS platform overnight after the old one was removed by Apple in September.
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To assess the association between early posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms and functional and quality-of-life outcomes among injured youth.
Prospective cohort study.
Combined pediatric-adult level I trauma center.
Randomly sampled adolescent injury survivors aged 12 to 18 years (N = 108) were recruited from surgical inpatient units.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptom levels in the days and weeks immediately following injury. We also collected relevant adolescent demographic, injury, and clinical characteristics.
Main Outcome Measure
Multiple domains of adolescent functional impairment were assessed with the 87-item Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-87) at 2, 5, and 12 months after injury.
The investigation attained greater than 80% adolescent follow-up at each assessment after injury. Mixed-model regression was used to assess the association between baseline levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms and subsequent functional outcomes longitudinally. High baseline PTSD symptom levels were associated with significant impairments in CHQ-87 Role/Social Behavioral, Role/Social Physical, Bodily Pain, General Behavior, Mental Health, and General Health Perceptions subscales. High baseline depressive symptoms were associated with significant impairments in CHQ-87 Physical Function, Role/Social Emotional, Bodily Pain, Mental Health, Self-esteem, and Family Cohesion subscales.
Early PTSD and depressive symptoms are associated with a broad spectrum of adolescent functional impairment during the year after physical injury. Coordinated investigative and policy efforts that refine mental health screening and intervention procedures have the potential to improve the functioning and well-being of injured youth treated in the acute care medical setting. | <urn:uuid:79354dea-34af-4148-843e-082febfe1e64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=379770 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924458 | 332 | 2.015625 | 2 |
View Full Version : Reformating hard drive/reinstalling windows
11-04-2000, 12:04 PM
I have shifted my attention to another computer now while I ponder my options on another one. I just installed a new operating system on it (WIN 98) and I want to wipe all of that out and reinstall.
I knew how to install WIN 98 on a system without an operating system, but I'm not sure if I go to DOS or and just reformat or if I need to use my boot disk. A possible complication is I am using a BACKPACKER external CD Rom as mine does not have one internally.
If someone would be able to "walk me through" this, I'd appreciate it. I wonder why I'm fooling with this when it's a beautiful, warm Saturday in Minneapolis!
11-05-2000, 02:34 AM
Is your CDROM recognized when you boot with the Win98 startup disk and select "start with CDROM support"? If so, all you will need to do is format the hard drive and reinstall Win98.
At the A:\> prompt, type format_c:_/s [Enter], with the underscores meaning to leave one space. Don't type them in the command. You will get a message saying something like "Warning. All data on non-removable disk c: will be deleted. Are you sure?" Type Y [Enter] and the format will proceed (you'll see the percentage completed counting up). When that's done, the hard drive will be formatted and empty - ready for your reinstall of Win98.
If you're CDROM is not recognized when you boot with the startup floppy, please let us know and we'll help you with that... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif
11-05-2000, 08:28 AM
My CD Rom is not recognized. I was thinking that was because it was an external Backpacker. I do have the disk with the drivers on it, though, if that is helpful.
I was unsure whether to format from the A prompt or the C so thanks for clarifying that.
I'll wait to "so the deed" until someone replies with some more help re: my special CD Rom situation. Or maybe I should scavange a CD Rom unit from a spare computer and try to install on this computer. Maybe that's more involved than I need to be right now.
Thanks for all your help.
11-05-2000, 12:58 PM
I can think of 2 ways to go from here, although your idea to install a scavenged internal CDROM is a good option.
Format the drive after booting from the startup disk, as above, which will make the hard drive bootable by itself. Boot to the C: drive, then install the DOS drivers for your CDROM. Once your CDROM is recognized you can proceed with the reinstall.
Don't do a complete format on the drive. Boot to DOS, Command Prompt Only, and be sure the CDROM drive is detected. If it is, make a new directory on the hard drive by typing md_win98 and then copy only the Win98 directory from the CD to it using this command: copy_d:\win98\*.*_c:\win98. Verify that the files copied over, then you can delete the C:\Windows directory by typing deltree_windows. Now change directory to c:\win98 and run setup from there.
If neither of these is the way you want to go, hopefully you'll get other suggestions from here... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif
[This message has been edited by Jerkymom (edited 11-05-2000).]
11-06-2000, 11:15 PM
I'm so excited! I just finished this project and my computer is running smoothly. I tried to install a CD Rom from another computer and it needed an interface card, I guess, so I couldn't get it to work. So, I just used my Backpacker and followed Kim's suggestion #1. Only difficulty I had was figuring out I had to install the Windows drivers for BP at some point. I had already installed the DOS version and then after a certain point my drive wasn't recognized. That only caused momentary panic.
Smooth computer now after my reformat and reinstall. Thanks, Kim, for walking me through it. I appreciate it a lot. I've taken a computer that was on the "junk heap" and restored it to one that functions and is a considerable upgrade from the one I am using.
Thanks to all who particpate in this forum. It's great!
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Browse through our Glossary!
A type of Italian cured sausage, originating in the Genoa region of Italy, that is most often made only of pork, but may also be a mix of pork and lesser amounts of beef, depending on the provider's recipe. The salami is typically seasoned with garlic, salt, sometimes peppercorns, and red wine before being dry cured or smoked cured. It is a sausage that is mildly spicy in flavor.
Ratings, Reviews & Comments
There currently aren't any reviews or comments for this term. Be the first! | <urn:uuid:84de6d48-9e7c-4949-9938-b0aebd6786e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--33984/genoa-salami.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970126 | 116 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Whiplash And Headaches
Whiplash is a common injury resulting from accidents, in particular being struck from behind while in a car. The flexing of the neck often leads to injury of the sternocleidomastoids (the large muscles down the front of the neck) and the longus colli (the muscle in front of the spine that turns and bends the head). Headaches, especially in the back of the head, are a common result of whiplash.
Since whiplash usually only causes damage to the soft tissues in the neck, most treatments are centered around reducing the inflammation and supporting the neck muscles during the healing process.
The treating healthcare provider may take X-rays or perform an MRI of the neck to check for other injuries or spinal problems. Headaches resulting from whiplash are usually treated by efforts to reduce the swelling in the neck using cold compression therapy and other conservative measures.
Range of motion exercises (as directed by a qualified physical therapist) can also be beneficial in treating headaches resulting from whiplash. Reducing the strain on the neck muscles is important in obtaining relief from headaches caused by whiplash. As the muscles relax, there will be less tension on the nerve endings in the cervical spine--and that helps reduce the pain.
Treating Whiplash and Headaches
Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ (BFST®) will promote blood flow to your upper back and neck to improve the health of your damaged soft tissue more completely and whisk away toxins faster than any other methods available.
Tortoise Shellz® Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™
After severe inflammation and swelling is reduced you can begin to treat your neck and back with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ (BFST®). BFST® increases the amount of blood that flows naturally to your muscle fibers to nourish your soft tissue which speeds healing.
When you rest your back and neck or stop moving around because it hurts, the natural blood flow to your muscles is reduced, limiting your body's ability to heal itself.
By treating your muscles with BFST® you can increase your body's blood supply to the muscle fibers and increase your body's natural healing power.
The Tortoise Shellz® is the tool you need to treat your neck and upper back because not only does it speeds healing, it relaxes all you muscles. With BFST®, tissues are safely and gently stimulated. Your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area, increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to injured tissue cells to promote healing and loosen the tissue. Our Tortoise Shellz® Upper Back Therapy Vest provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief and healing with no side effects.
In addition, the improved blood flow whisks away dead cells and toxins that have built up from your muscle strain, further reducing tightness and pain. When you stop moving your back due to pain, your muscles and other tissue can become weaker and dead cells and toxins in the area can cause further tissue deterioration - this can lead to atrophy (muscle weakness and/or deterioration). By clearing the area of toxins and increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients to your muscle and other tissue, the risk of atrophy is greatly reduced. Keeping your muscle tissue as healthy as possible throughout the healing process will allow you to improve muscle strength again once your pain has gone and your strain has healed.
Freezie Wrap® Cold Compression Therapy
To decrease pain, swelling and inflammation caused by whiplash doctor's recommend cold compression therapy. For an acute strain, cold compression therapy within the first 48 - 72 hours and after any restrain is important to limit the amount of damage done to your tissue. Cold compression therapy will relieve pain and swelling as needed and will reduce, or even eliminate, the need for NSAIDs and pain medications.
The Back/Hip Freezie Wrap® is the cold compression tool you need to treat your upper back pain in an effective and convenient way. It is so versatile it can be worn anywhere over your chest, back, or hip for treatment where you need it.
Cold Compression Therapy works by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the injured area and reducing swelling that can block blood vessels. This is important because once blood vessels are blocked or damaged, they can no longer carry oxygenated blood through your muscle and tissue cells begin to break-down. Without cold compression therapy cellular break-down and tissue damage continues as the cells do not get the oxygen they need to survive. By limiting the amount of damage done to your tissue, you also limit the amount of healing that needs to occur. This is a very important step to heal your muscle strain faster and with less pain!
The deep cooling effect provided by the Freezie Wrap® slows cell metabolism thereby reducing cellular break-down and tissue damage. Furthermore, because the cold wraps gently numb the nerves, the wraps also reduce pain!
The Freezie Wrap® uses a supercharged cooling gel pack, that chills in the fridge, not in the freezer like ice or other freezer packs, giving you deep cold therapy without the risk of 'cold burns' or cryoburn.
With these easy-to-use, home therapies, cold compression and BFST®, you will notice significantly reduced pain and an incredible improvement in your back and neck pain. The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results!
Please be aware that this information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider before starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. | <urn:uuid:552f95c2-66e8-4896-9d6d-909db97c1b02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mendmeshop.com/back/whiplash-and-headaches.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936112 | 1,186 | 2.515625 | 3 |
In "Decision Time," Editor Brian Lovett will share a scenario from his 20-plus years hunting turkeys. Each hinges on a critical decision. Post what choice you would have made, and then see how things actually turned out.
The Shining Path
If you’re like me, you check the weather every morning in spring. Ever see one of those big low-pressure systems come up from the Gulf of Mexico and hover over the Southeast, sucking all that Gulf moisture along with it? I was there, friend.
Well, more specifically, I was in L.A. (Lower Alabama) when one of those babies dropped several inches of rain one night. And because our cabin had a metal roof, I had plenty of time to lie awake and fret about what to do the next morning.
The rain and wind were supposed to continue most of the day, so I doubted we’d hear much roost gobbling. I wondered if a handy pine tree near a field edge — this was before pop-up blinds became prevalent — would offer some cover and the chance at a decent hunt. However, a buddy had seen two longbeards in some big timber the previous day, and he was anxious to get on them.
Hmm. If we didn’t hear the timber gobblers at daybreak, we could always slip into a field-edge setup, but we might risk spooking turkeys in the open. If we started at the field, we could always chase any gobbling we heard elsewhere, even though that scenario seemed unlikely.
I figured we had to pick one plan and stick with it — even if failure seemed almost guaranteed.
What would you have done? Post your decision below.
Click here for Lovett's decision.
Click here to get the ultimate venison processing guide! | <urn:uuid:376d86fb-4438-4e73-8145-39ed70bc7c1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.turkeyandturkeyhunting.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=5369&p=47720 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979456 | 376 | 1.59375 | 2 |
American Ginseng: Information
American Ginseng is an herbaceous perennial in the ivy family that is commonly used in herbal medicine. It is native to eastern North America, though it also cultivated beyond its range in places such as China.
Like Chinese ginseng and Korean ginseng, American ginseng contains ginsenosides as the major biologically active constituents.
American Ginseng's Health Benefits
Unlike Asian Ginsengs, American Ginseng is not used for energizing or invigorating properties, but instead is used to aid in recuperation and replenishment of vital resources and energy. It is often used following an illness or long periods of overwork and/or poor sleep. Other uses of American Ginseng include helping to regulate blood sugar and supporting the immune system.
Using American Ginseng
Use American Ginseng supplements according to manufacturer’s directions or your doctor's advice.
Side-effects and cautions: | <urn:uuid:12ceee6e-9f3c-4ce5-b05f-a39eeb24d11b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allstarhealth.com/lj_c/american_ginseng.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934154 | 193 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Much of our company’s work is for restaurant clients, mostly national chains that you all know; McDonald’s, Applebee’s, Carino’s etc… so they all had well known names long before we started working for them. But as our fair city is growing and new restaurants are opening up, there seems to be an epidemic of new eateries with truly awful names. Having started my own small business more than 12 years ago and since then helping others create names for their businesses, I feel that I have some expertise when it comes to creating a memorable name.
But this skill seems foreign to many new business owners. And it seems they are unwilling to seek help. With that in mind, this post is a plea to those who are thinking of opening a new business; please think twice before the signs are made!
The owner of Pappadox, a well known drinking establishment here in Sioux Falls recently opened a second establishment, calling it The Other Place. While Pappadox may get misspelled occasionally, it is at least memorable, which is more than I can say for The Other Place. And in an interview with the Argus Leader, the owner said of how he came up with the name, “People are always saying we should have went to the other place.” So the moniker is based on poor grammar. Nice.
Another team of budding restaurateurs opened “212° The Boiling Point” in Brandon a few years ago. Know what, I know the significance of 212 degrees without adding “the boiling point.” If they had stopped at “212°” it would have been a clever name, but like a joke, if you feel you have to explain it, you know it isn’t good. Now the same folks have opened kRav’N. Not just a mixed up spelling of a word (no, that would be too simple), they felt the need to throw in some odd caps, just to confuse the subject.
Other examples; the venerable drinkery Smoe’s sold their liquor license to The Other Place and became Old Skoolz. Perfect for people who didn’t finish—and thus can’t spell—school. The Lie’brary was named after a bad old joke, while it’s sister pub The 18thAmendment was named after the legislation that banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. If I didn’t know better I would think that was an alcohol-free establishment. Perhaps a better name would have been The 21st Amendment, which repealed prohibition.
An old favorite downtown location on Phillips Avenue has seen many names on the door from Sanchez Taquitos to The Fat Duck to Café 334; all fine restaurants in their own way. Now the location holds Bros Brasserie Americano. It’s a nice restaurant, run by two really accomplished chefs, but in the short time it’s been open, I’ve heard it called Brother’s, Brassieres and “that place where Kristina’s used to be.” But most of those who get it right don’t know what a brasserie is or what kind of food to expect there. Sorry guys, I love your pork sandwich, but the name leaves something to be desired.
If someone would just ask before the menu is printed and the sign is on the building, there are a lot of really smart marketing minds in Sioux Falls who would help you come up with a good solid name. Who knows, we might even be willing to trade our services for food and drinks. What do you think? | <urn:uuid:da470a26-d396-461d-b0b6-9498a5eeb290> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adwerks.com/blog/tag/restaurant/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972295 | 759 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Events convened on Wednesday, 3 April 2002
Sustainable Development: Key Issues and Actions Strategies
Listen to Yasmin von Schirnding's presentation
Listen to Evan's presentation
Ricardo Uauy, WHO/FAO Diet/Nutrition Guidelines, emphasized that diet is the major determinant of an individual's development and quality of life, and thus of national development. He stressed that sustainable development will require a change in the patterns of consumption and production of food, which are presently based on the primacy of meat. He said this shift will require awareness-raising that could be best accomplished through cross-sectoral civil society partnerships.
Listen to Uauy's presentation
Derek Yach, WHO, outlined several threats and
opportunities that globalization presents for health. He noted the global
debate between those who support norms and standards to protect health
from the effects of globalization, and those who prefer the use of
voluntary measures and market forces. He stated that complex partnerships
between civil society, the UN system and governments would be required to
enforce such protection.
Participants then heard reports on: the Meeting of Health Ministers held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in January 2002; the Health and Environment Ministers of the Americas meetings held in Ottawa in March 2002; and the upcoming Stakeholder Action for Our Common Future Forum to be held at the WSSD.
Gender perspectives in sustainable development
Presented by UNDESA/Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) and the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
Irene Dankelman, WEDO, reflected that since UNCED, the profile of women's priorities has risen significantly on the political agenda, although few governments have integrated gender perspectives into policies. She noted that the Women’s Caucus is now fighting not only to get a separate section on gender into the Chairman’s paper, but also to integrate gender perspectives into the entire document.
Minu Hemmati, Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future, discussed Type II outcomes, noting concerns that they could be dominated by corporations or used to deflect responsibility from governments, but suggested women's involvement therein would add quality and credibility and provide a useful resource for addressing inequality.
Jennifer Francis, Gender and Water Alliance, stressed the need to: increase women's participation in water resources management; incorporate gender perspectives in all policies and programmes and in all sectors; disaggregate all data according to sex and social indicators; institutionalize gender perspectives in all organizations; and build women's technical and scientific capacity.
Amy Hindman, UNEP, discussed how taking advantage of globalization and privatization can facilitate gender mainstreaming. Citing the privatization of energy in Africa as an example, she highlighted the benefits of packaging energy as an input to income generation, and said gender mainstreaming in this context is enabling men and women to access energy while also taking advantage of opportunities to alleviate poverty.
Empty Oceans, Empty Nets
Presented by the Wildlife Conservation Society
Dawn Martin, Oceana, introduced the screening, stressing that protecting the oceans and ensuring adequate food supplies for all nations is a responsibility of the international community.
Ellen Pikitch, Wildlife Conservation Society, emphasized that marine fisheries are in serious decline due to overfishing, wasteful bycatch and destructive fishing practices. She expressed hope that the film would spark action to address this crisis facing the world's oceans.
Empty Oceans, Empty Nets portrays the rapid depletion of fish from the oceans and demonstrates how entire populations of fish are becoming commercially extinct. It highlights major threats to marine fisheries, including: growing demand for seafood; changes in technology that have increased the harvesting capacity of fishing vessels, such as sonar detection of schools of fish; destructive fishing practices, such as the use of bottom trawlers, long-lines, driftnets, and dynamite and cyanide; bycatch; and marine pollution.
The film outlines means to address this problem, including: closing certain areas to long-lining and other destructive fishing practices; setting catch limits or assigning individual fishing quotas; issuing limited permits to fisheries; restricting the amount and types of fishing gear allowed in a fishery; using more selective fishing methods to minimize by catch; educating merchants, chefs and consumers; and implementing standards to certify well-managed fisheries.
New financing mechanisms for sustainable development
Presented by UNEP in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the German Federal Ministry for Development Corporation
Participants discussed new mechanisms of private financing for sustainable development.
Hanns Michael Hölz, Deutsche Bank AG, described the activities of the UNEP Financial Initiatives, and presented the Deutsche Bank AG Microcredit Fund, which transfers private investment funds to national banks in developing countries in order to build business infrastructure in rural areas, combining local knowledge and NGO support with Western funding and expertise.
Bernard Jamet, consultant, presented Energy
Services Companies (ESCOs) as tools to support energy-saving investments
in developing countries by offering energy saving services, including
arranging financing for energy-saving projects. ESCOs guarantee energy
savings, which end up paying for ESCOs' upfront financing costs,
investments and profit. He stressed the need to broaden the scope of
innovative financing for energy efficiency.
Sustainable development governance: Retrieving the multilateral system
Presented by the Third World Network and International NGO Task Group on Legal and Institutional Matters
William Pace, International NGO Task Group on Legal and Institutional Matters, introduced legal and organizational questions for sustainable development, including how to harmonize the relevant conventions, organizations and processes.
Hanne Gro Haugland, Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development, outlined major problems facing international environmental governance, including lack of political will, fragmentation of responsibility for environmental issues, fragmentation of financial mechanisms, and lack of financial resources.
Saradha Ramaswamy Iyer, Third World Network, said the CSD lacks sufficient resources to bring the three pillars of sustainable development together. She highlighted the need for corporate accountability with monitoring and enforcement and for a level playing field in partnerships between industry and other stakeholders, and underscored the importance of procedures to resolve conflicts between sustainable development and WTO guidelines.
Discussion: Participants discussed several issues, including: the importance of legal means in supporting sustainable development; the need to integrate environmental, economic and human rights laws into a body of sustainable development law; and integration of sustainable development principles into WTO rules.
Sustainable agriculture in Africa
Presented by the World Bank and African Governments
Listen to Johnson's presentation
Kevin Cleaver, World
Bank, discussed the Bank's forthcoming updated strategy for rural
development. He highlighted an increased focus on rural peoples'
organizations, community-driven development, and capacity building, and
noted new risk management instruments and a renewed commitment to trade
liberalization in developed countries.
Bongiwe Njobe, an
Africa expert, discussed challenges and successes in initiatives underway.
She stressed the need to revisit agricultural policies to access untapped
potential in biodiversity, human capital and the potential range of
African products, and highlighted positive responses to New Partnership
for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the Forum for Agricultural Research
in Africa (FARA).
World Bank, said the Bank's framework for action in sustainable
agriculture should be country- and region-driven, rather than based on
funder priorities, and highlighted NEPAD as an organization through which
African priorities could be identified to this end.
Discussion: Participants discussed, inter alia: the effects of climate variability and change; urban migration and the lack of human capacity for farming; the importance of domestic and regional trade promotion; food security issues; storage and transport infrastructure; land tenure reform; and food safety and sanitation.
Governance for sustainable development: Answers to complexity
Presented by UNESCO and Management of Social Transformation Programme (MOST)
Thandabantu Nhlapo, South Africa, described his country's efforts to make sustainable development a central value in governance, and to address issues of democratic participation, monitoring and enforcement, accountability, and HIV/AIDS.
Nazli Choucri, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted the need for mechanisms to represent individual voices in sustainable development governance, and stressed the importance of knowledge and knowledge networks, highlighting the example of the multilingual internet-based Global Network for Sustainable Development.
Jaime Preciado Coronado, University of Guadalajara, discussed the Monterrey Accord that emerged from the International Conference on Financing for Development, which he said reflects the difference between neo-institutional and democratic citizenship approaches to governance and sustainable development. He stated that the institutional reforms foreseen by the Accord do not meet civil society demands.
Adil Najam, Boston
University, listed key challenges for global sustainable development
governance: understanding sustainable development; improving the efficacy
and efficiency of international regimes, including by providing UN
agencies with the resources sufficient to fulfil their mandates; and
representing the voices of all actors.
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) on the Side is a special publication
of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in
cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Editor
of ENB on the Side is Kira Schmidt
|� 2002, IISD. All rights reserved.| | <urn:uuid:c546818c-526d-42b6-8c01-70ec4a201dcb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iisd.ca/2002/pc3/enbots/April03.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909415 | 1,941 | 2.15625 | 2 |
RE: LMC Clustering Travis Cornwell 19.Jan.09 05:57 AM a Web browser Deployment 6.1.2All platforms
LMC itself provides load balancing capabilities with its clustering. It does not provide "true" high availability clustering. In the event a subordinate node goes down, the cluster will no longer route traffic to that secondary node. In the event the primary node goes down, the cluster can promote one of the subordinate node to become the primary node.
However, this is still not "true" high-availability software. For high-availability, something like HACMP (for AIX), or, Heartbeat (for Linux) would be required. Windows 2003 I know has a range of products / solutions as well. "True" high-availability would be able to monitor the system independent of the software. Meaning, let say an Ethernet cable goes bad on your LMC system, well, LMC itself will not "failover" ... it will attempt to gracefully recover and perhaps give some informative log messages, but it will not "failover". High-availability software would in this instance.
For the load-balancing capabilities, the primary node acts as an entry point, and passes all traffic to subordinate nodes for processing. For the return path of the network traffic, it can be accomplished in one of two ways. All traffic can be rerouted back through the "primary", or, you can select to have "response determined by MNC". For the primary:
LMC Client --> Primary LMC Server --> Subordinate LMC Server --> Primary LMC Server --> LMC Client
Note that the subordinate node does all of the processing / work for that LMC client. If there are multiple subordinate nodes, an algorithm is utilized to distribute the workload. For the "response determined by MNC":
LMC Client --> Primary LMC Server --> Subordinate LMC Server --> LMC Client
This allows direct communicate between the subordinate nodes and the LMC client, reduces the amount of traffic between the primary and subordinate nodes. The entry-point remains the same, but the exit-point differs. If firewall rules will allow this, and, if it can be configured correctly on a test system, I would recommend this form of clustering.
Ultimately, depending on the number of users and system uptime requirements, you may wish to utilize high-availability AND LMC clustering. The high-availability would be utilized on the primary LMC server only, as if the entry-point goes down, won't necessarily matter if the subordinate nodes are still up and running. Given the assumption of a remote database and LDAP server, if the active "primary" node failsover to the standby "primary" node, the failover can read the remote databases and LDAP servers and continue business as usual. End-users will not be disconnected, and likely will only experience minimal "lag" through their VPN Tunnels. The clustering would still be used to distribute traffic workload, and in the event of a failover, if the high-availability is configured properly, would know communication would go back to the standby primary node.
All of this would likely make an excellent Technote. I'll likely write one up in the near future. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.
IBM L2 Support, Lotus Mobile Connect
The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of IBM. | <urn:uuid:963cb8c9-9106-439c-83ce-429a07bf09bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/mcforum.nsf/DateAllWithExcerptweb/f5bfc6367103efc285257543003c39ec?OpenDocument | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907189 | 719 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Visitors listen to the whispers of the pioneers as they tell Idaho's story through displays of historical artifacts at ... More
Idaho State Historical Museum
Visitors listen to the whispers of the pioneers as they tell Idaho's story through displays of historical artifacts at this museum. The Idaho State Historical Museum includes stories of prehistoric, Native American, Basque and Chinese cultures. Visitors also learn about the old frontier days and pioneer settlements. The museum offers many hours of exploration. Visitors can combine a trip here with a visit to the Pioneer Village , the Julia Davis Park or Zoo Boise , which are all located nearby. Opening times vary based on season. Check the website for more details.
The hands on activities that most meuseums do not provide is a wonderful way to learn about how life was in the prarie days.
The diversity of the things in the meuseum like the toys of the prarie children to the flowers found by lewis and clark this is an absolutely wonderful experience. i would definetly recomend this to any one who was looking for a fun day and something interesting to do.
Arching dramatically over the Boise River, this picturesque bridge displays colorful ceramic panels. The concrete arch is a sturdy memorial
to the Oregon Trail pioneers that crossed the Boise River close to where the bridge stands. Built by the ...
This tree filled avenue is home to some of Boise's first houses done in a graceful late 1800s architecture. Located
near downtown Boise, these elegant mansions were the first in the United States to be geothermally heated. Stroll the ...
Idaho's largest cathedral stretches across an entire city block and has ceilings that soar up to 50 feet, but its
size does not detract from its simple elegance. Warm, rich tones light the interior and intricate paintings climb the ...
*Terms & Conditions: Savings calculation is based on Flight + Hotel vacation package bookings for a 3 month period for 2 adults with a 2+ night length of stay compared to price of the same components if booked separately during same period. Savings will vary based on origin/destination, length of trip, travel dates and selected travel supplier(s). Savings not available on all packages. | <urn:uuid:e7813ae3-955b-4c6f-a757-0655b6c16539> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2823774-idaho_state_historical_museum_boise-i | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937581 | 450 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Pit bulls - taking the rap for irresponsible owners?
Pit bulls. Somehow, these dogs have got themselves a very shady reputation, and, for those that do not own the breed, the bad rep they have got for themselves is going to be hard to shake.
There have been a number of high profile news stories where pit bulls have attacked people, and when a certain breed is making the news in such a negative way, it doesn’t take long for mud to stick and for people to start asking for a ban on the breed. The Free Press has been receiving letters from pit bull owners saying they have witnessed no aggression from their pets, following a letter from someone who had their dog attacked by a pit bull in Elkford.
Pit bull owners argue that it is not the breed of dog that is at fault, rather the breed of owner. Any neglected dog is going to misbehave. Any dog that is taught to be aggressive (or not taught to be passive) will be aggressive. Every breed will have a few “bad apples,” but it just happens that pit bulls are a very common breed, so there will obviously be more rotten ones. Plus, kilo for kilo, Pit Bulls have the advantage over Chihuahuas. An attack by an angry Pomeranian is unlikely to make the front page.
The real solution here is not to blame the entire breed, but rather each dog that is a problem, regardless of breed.
Dog owners should be held responsible for their animal’s behaviour.
If incompetent and irresponsible dog owners are the target of legislation, the number of poorly bred and reared dogs would decrease, resulting in better breed stability and elimination of vicious animals.
The manner in which you raise your dog ultimately determines what kind of dog you will have.
Dog owners must realize the key role that socialization and training play in the development of the temperament of their dogs. If, after socialization and training, your dog still doesn’t particularly care for other dogs, then don’t put him in a situation where he could get into trouble. Be a responsible owner. | <urn:uuid:4648da02-0312-4114-a345-9048e0c7c6a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/191298701.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973737 | 439 | 1.960938 | 2 |
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FIGURE 4.3 Range of total cations (TZ+) in streams and rivers as a function of basin size. (A) Distribution observed for small monolithologic watersheds from France and other regions, worldwide (Meybeck, 1986, 1987). (B) Distribution for major world rivers (Meybeck, 1979); 1 = Amazon, 2 = Ob + Yenissei, 3 = Lena + Kolyma + Indigirka, 4 = Zaire, 5 = Amur, 6 = Parana, 7 = White Nile, 8 = Mississippi, 9 = Chiang Jiang, 10 = Mackenzie, 11 = Volga, 12 = Zambezi, 13 = Murray, 14 = Texas, 15 = rivers in Spain and Portugal, 16 = North West Territories, 17 = Rio Negro (Brazil). (C) Range for the global watersheds of the four oceans. (D) World mean.
rivers, for the arctic and subarctic Mackenzie river watershed (data from Reeder et al., 1972), for the Lower and Central Amazon basin (Stallard, 1980), for the Andean tributaries of the Amazon (Stallard, 1980), and for the rivers of Japan and Thailand (Kobayashi, 1959, 1960). A global distribution is also considered based on 50 major world rivers (distribution weighted by water discharge, data from Meybeck, 1979). Three distributions for small streams are given: (1) a set of 250 monolithologic pristine French Streams located 20 to 600 km from the coastline (Meybeck, 1986); (2) a set of 75 monolithologic streams (Miscellaneous Streams) from various literature sources (chosen to be representative of global rock types) and grossly corrected for oceanic aerosol influence; (3) a set of pristine streams, the Temperate Stream Model, derived from set 1 after systematic correction of atmospheric inputs and selected as representative of the global distribution of rock types (Meybeck, 1987). The distribution of some ions and silica is given for these small, medium, and large rivers on Figure 4.4 and Table 4.3.
The K+ distribution (Figure 4.4A) can be considered as unimodal and log-normal. Potassium originates mainly from a few aluminosilicate minerals that weather at comparable rates. For the Temperate Stream Modal, K+ is much lower, due to an overcorrection of atmospheric inputs. Other distributions are similar, median values are within a factor of two and distributions are parallel, except for Thailand rivers for unknown reasons. The sample of major rivers is similar to the French Streams and Miscellaneous Streams, which indicates that the data used are still largely unaffected by pollution.
The dissolved silica pattern (Figure 4.4B) is similar to that of K+, which confirms a common origin. A major discrepancy is noted for the Mackenzie tributaries for which the SiO2 level is about half that in other regions and has a significant drop in the lower decile value. This is most probably due to the SiO2 uptake in numerous lakes of this basin, whereas K+ is not used by freshwater plants. As a result, the K-/SiO2 ratio of medians is 0.36 in the Mackenzie, compared to 0.04 to 0.07 for other pristine waters (Meybeck, 1987).
Bicarbonate distribution (Figure 4.4C) is usually bimodal. The first mode corresponds to the soil and atmospheric CO2 used in the weathering of noncarbonate rock (Garrels and Mackenzie, 1971), the second to the weathering of carbonate rocks, in which only 50 percent originate from calcite or dolomite. Concentrations related to the second mode are generally 5 to 10 times greater than those of the first one. In large basins where carbonate rocks are absent, as in Central and Lower Amazonia, the distribution is unimodal. In sedimentary regions, the HCO3- distribution shows an upper limit near 6 meq/l that corresponds to the CaCO3 saturation.
Sodium distribution (Figure 4.4D) is also complex, due to a triple source: weathering of aluminosilicate mineral, weathering of rock salt, and inputs of oceanic aerosols. The Central and Lower Amazon tributaries have an unimodal Na+ distribution reflecting the first source only. The influence of oceanic aerosols is well illustrated by Japanese rivers; the minimum Na+ values are much higher than those of the Amazon tributaries. Rock salt dissolution leads to the very high values, from 0.5 to 10 meq/l, noted for the Mackenzie tributaries, Andean rivers, French Streams, and Miscellaneous Streams.
The percentiles values of distributions are presented on Table 4.3A for small streams (French streams and literature | <urn:uuid:9fb56a4e-6fee-4f83-9038-8c18b63a699a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1992&page=66 | 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 | 0.901463 | 1,061 | 3.125 | 3 |
Maggie Galliers was awarded a CBE in 2009 for services to further education (FE). Her track record makes her a natural choice to head up the body that both represents colleges that aims to be a ‘go-to’ destination for advice and support.
With public investment in FE set to decline further in the coming years, Maggie says that technology is going to be the route by which colleges can develop innovative approaches to teaching, learning, leadership and management.
She said: “Much of my work will centre on four key themes: promoting FE colleges; acting as a spokesperson for them; influencing policy and debating the issues; and being a support for institutions.
“My role will be dictated by what colleges require from me. It is my personal ambition to help colleges navigate the huge changes that are upon them and then move forward, taking control of their own destinies. I want to help colleges articulate a clear vision for the next five years.”
Maggie is a firm believer that education is about bringing people ‘to the point of autonomy’. She said: “ICT plays a crucial role in equipping young people with the skills and knowledge they need to make good choices in life and work, and in helping them to be more in control.”
And, she says, this is one of the key areas in which technology can support colleges of the future to grow and become more cost-effective. Through technology, colleges can respond to student demands for blended learning and e-learning, including ensuring students can access learning when it suits them, and making learning in the classroom more inclusive, engaging and interesting.
Already, higher education colleges are making great strides in this area, both to help students learn more effectively, and to develop some of the broader skills they will need for life and work.
Leicester College, under Maggie’s leadership, has created an app for the student handbook. And, she says, “We have also prioritised having a very accessible website so students and prospective learners can quickly and easily find what they need to know.”
Beyond teaching and learning, Maggie believes that ICT will enable colleges to increase efficiency in administrative systems and processes, and to improve the collection and use of data – for example, by harnessing the knowledge held within the college community, such as policies and procedures, and making sure it is readily accessible to everyone who needs it.
She wants the tougher times to be a spur to get colleges to dig deep into talent reserves and make FE’s industry-standard resources and technology pay dividends:
“Through ICT we can take the heavy lifting out of our financial and data systems and offer online enrolment for part-time learners. The college sector is often excellent at data management – for example our integrated database helps us examine class sizes, success rates and resource utilisation, and to make sensible decisions. We have done a lot of systems analysis to make sure that different systems can talk to each other, and this has allowed us to streamline processes, and bring about cost efficiencies.
“There is definitely scope to join up thinking among the design specialists, such as engineers and fashion designers, within our colleges as part of a more effective e-strategy.”
And in this, Maggie believes JISC is a key strategic partner: “JISC provides the opportunity for college ICT staff to interact directly with well-informed specialists and get the advice they need to make appropriate choices about ICT.
“The sector needs a gateway for sharing good practice to help us all move forward and grow. Integrating systems and testing new technologies are key right now. For example, many colleges are asking the question: ‘Should we engage with cloud technology?’ It is important to know what innovations like this are, and to liaise with leaders at the cutting edge. JISC helps us to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of a certain technology and show how it could impact on our particular institution.”
Maggie Galliers has been Principal of Leicester College since July 2002. Before that, she was Principal of Henley College, Coventry for five years, having previously held a wide variety of management positions in FE and taught in all sectors of education from primary onwards.
At nearby Loughborough College, lecturers on the BTEC National Diploma in Sport course have been using podcasts to enliven the sports psychology sessions that students were finding dull.
Programme lead Danny Lee says he turned to iTunes for examples of popular podcasts, and developed ones for the course that were made livelier through imaginative use of music, a daily joke* and other apparently random but entertaining additions.
So the podcasts quickly became a valued aid to learning and they proved a particular hit with students with prolonged absences, who could keep on track with their work via the podcasts.
*A typical joke:
“We call my Granddad ‘Spiderman’. It’s not that he can climb walls – he just can’t get out of the bath.”
Ashton Sixth Form College had a good standard of dance teaching which utilised CDs and DVDs to enhance instruction. The problem with these resources was that either they were just held in one place, or they had to be copied. Using iPods, flip cameras and learners’ own devices alongside the College’s VLE has enabled access to these resources on an anywhere, anytime basis. In doing so they have also improved the learners’ self evaluation skills and ability.
Read the Ashton Sixth Form College: How technology can enhance dance case study. | <urn:uuid:7a514177-113e-48c1-905d-ec5a6e63d679> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jisc.ac.uk/inform/inform34/FutureProofing.html?dm_i=QHI%2CV2ZQ%2C62X900%2C2K7IN%2C1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96749 | 1,160 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Are you dragging yourself to work and back home? Have you lost the zip and enthusiasm you had in the past? Come find out some of the reasons why.
Emily Ballance, a licensed professional counselor and certified professional speaker, will present a seminar entitled “Managing Stress and Preventing Burnout” from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Nov. 29, at Richmond Community College’s Cole Auditorium, 1042 W. Hamlet Ave., Hamlet.
The seminar, sponsored by the Small Business Center at RCC, is open to the public. Cost is $5 and covers a light lunch. To register, email firstname.lastname@example.org or call Deborah Hardison, SBC Director, at 910-410-1687.
“Stress is a part of our lives,” Ballance said. “And if we choose to deny it, the consequences can be devastating to our health, work, families and relationships.”
This seminar is about identifying the causes of stress, recognizing early warning signs, and making a plan to reduce stress by making healthy lifestyle changes.
“Sometimes people tell me they don’t know where to start,” Balance said. “In this presentation, I’ll share a list of 25 suggestions, so participants can start with one of those if they’d like to. Making some changes are easy and others are a bit more complicated. But it’s amazing what you can do if you just take small steps.
“Recently, I was talking with a woman who told me that four months ago, she made a decision to get more exercise,” Ballance said. “She and three other women at work agreed to walk for 45 minutes during their lunch hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They left Tuesday and Thursday open to socialize with other people or run errands. The woman told me how much better she felt on so many levels — she has more energy, she lost some weight and has really connected with her walking partners. That’s how it works. Often one positive change will lead to other positive changes.”
“If you want make a plan to address the stress in your life, please join us,” Ballance said. “There’s no time like the present. And yes, we’ll be talking about holiday stress, too.”
Ballance speaks on business related topics at Small Business Centers throughout the North Carolina Community College System. She also presents keynotes on positive humor and workshops on stress management, generations, communication, leadership, customer service and wellness at conferences, events and meetings across the country. She was recently awarded the Certified Speaking Professional designation, the highest earned designation awarded by the National Speakers Association. | <urn:uuid:412ba8c7-0e6f-4a6c-b85a-a7d0cdea8024> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://yourdailyjournal.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Business+seminar+to+focus+on+job+stress%20&id=20943364 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954156 | 582 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The past year offered an interesting mix of positive and negative news as investors around the world eagerly anticipated signs of economic recovery and financial stabilization. While most financial markets logged positive returns for a second straight year, investors had to endure a host of troubling news and pessimistic market predictions. Even eight months into the year, the S&P 500 Index was down 5.9%. But diversified, long-term investors were rewarded with attractive market returns, as the S&P 500 closed the year up 15.06%, with 10.76% of the gain coming in the fourth quarter. (Returns are in US dollars throughout this report.)
Stocks performed well in the US and most developed countries, and across size and value risk factors, despite ongoing concerns over a possible double-dip recession, rising government indebtedness, and inflation. Thirty-seven out of forty-five countries tracked by MSCI achieved positive returns in both local currency and US dollar terms.
Fixed income returns were positive, thwarting assertions that bond prices were in dangerous “bubble” territory. Despite continued weakness in residential housing and commercial property, real estate securities around the world outperformed the broad equity market. Diversification across the size and value risk dimensions proved rewarding in both US and non-US markets, particularly among small company stocks.
As shown in the US Stock Market Performance chart, the broad US stock market logged strong performance, returning 16.93% for the calendar year. The chart features some of the year’s most highly publicized events. These events are not offered as an explanation of market performance, but simply to illustrate that long-term investors faced a major challenge to stay disciplined in a volatile news environment. Although investors must deal with uncertainty in all markets, 2010 may have presented a more intense challenge as markets watched for signs of economic recovery from the global financial crisis.
The World Stock Market Performance chart offers a snapshot of global stock market performance, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index. Actual headlines from publications around the world are featured. Again, these headlines are just a sample of many events during the year.
Throughout the year, investors could find a host of reasons to avoid stocks and wait for more positive news before returning to the market. As these select headlines suggest, determining the right time to invest is a difficult task since the market anticipates news and quickly factors in new information.
The Year in Review
Themes in 2010
In retrospect, it was a good year for globally diversified investors. But if investors had shaped their market expectations and decisions according to economic news, they likely would not have expected positive returns. The following are a few dominant themes during the year.
Mixed Economic Signals
Although investors in the US and Europe awaited signs of a rebound, economic news was mixed, with some measures showing gradual improvement and others offering evidence that the economy remains vulnerable. Favorable news included moderate economic expansion in the US, Euro zone, and Australia, as well as rising factory orders and manufacturing activity, rebounding auto sales and automaker profits, slowing growth in US bankruptcies, declining home foreclosures, and an improving financial services sector. In late Q3, US corporate cash levels reached $1.9 trillion, which, as a percentage of total corporate assets, is the highest since 1959. In late Q4, initial claims for unemployment fell to the lowest level in two years.
Negative news included continuing high jobless rates in theUSand other developed markets.USunemployment began the year at 9.7%, dipped to 9.5% in July, but climbed to 9.8% in November. Personal bankruptcies in theUSincreased 9%, reaching their highest level since 2005. Also, bank failures in 2010 were the worst since 1992, during the savings and loan crisis.
Housing and Real Estate
The global property decline that helped trigger the 2008 financial crisis began to ease in 2010. Home prices improved in theUKbut remained weak in theUS, with monthly sales of new homes falling at one point to the lowest level since tracking was initiated in 1963. Foreclosures increased dramatically in the first half of 2010 before improving in Q4. However, 2010 proved to be another successful year for REITs, despite recurring predictions of a brewing commercial real estate collapse that would trigger a financial crisis.
Quantitative Easing and Fiscal Stimulus
Governments and central banks took additional actions to stimulate economies and shore up financial markets. The most direct support came as central banks supported government bond markets in theUSandEurope. The Federal Reserve’s November announcement of a second round of quantitative easing (known as “QE2”) sparked concern that additional monetary stimulus would stoke inflation and debase the dollar. According to some, the actions helped lift stocks and corporate bond markets. In December, the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts and a 2% reduction in Social Security payroll taxes in 2011 improved economic expectations.
Sovereign Debt Worries
During the year, the weakening finances of some European states,including Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain,and Belgium, raised concern that the financial crisis had moved from private-sector banks to public-sector balance sheets. These concerns led to the downgrading of certain government debt and widening of bond yield spreads. The Euro zone countries and International Monetary Fund responded with loans that were conditional on some sovereign borrowers taking drastic austerity measures.
Inflation vs. Deflation
Despite moderate inflation in most economies during 2010, economists warned that continued government budget deficits and monetary expansion would drive up prices. Conversely, the US central bank was concerned that inflation was so low that the economy might slip into a deflationary cycle. In fact, potential deflation was one of the main reasons the Fed implemented QE2 and pumped $600 billion into the banking system. By year end, the Fed indicated that the deflation threat was easing.
Higher Commodity Prices
Commodities climbed during 2010, with many sectors reaching price levels not seen in decades. Copper prices, which are considered a bellwether of economic activity, rose 33%, and oil gained 15% to finish 2010 over $91 a barrel. Agricultural commodities, a traditionally volatile sector, saw even more extreme price swings. Concern about a weakening dollar drove up precious metals, with gold exceeding $1,400 per ounce and silver up 81% for the year.
In the wake of the financial crisis, investors who have become more risk averse or accepted the tenets of a “new normal” in the economy and markets chose to remain in fixed income assets. Bond funds in the USreceived a massive net inflow of money in the past two years, suggesting that many investors who fled stocks may have missed out on much of the rebound in equities. Throughout most of 2010, investment flows were leaving the USstock market and moving to emerging markets. In December, flows turned sharply positive in the US, with an estimated $22 billion directed to US stock funds.
2010 Investment Overview
After a slow start and a tough second quarter, most markets in the world ended the year with positive results. The US market indices accounted for most of the top performance, with the Russell 2000 Growth Index delivering a 29.09% return for the year. US small cap and small value also were among the top performers. (All returns are in US dollars.)
Most developed markets around the world logged positive returns, with thirty-seven of the forty-five countries that MSCI tracks gaining ground in both local currency and US dollar terms. Scandinavia and Asia had particularly high returns. Overall, the MSCI World ex USA index gained 9%, and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index gained 19% for the year.
In the last few months of the year, the highest returns were generally experienced by countries whose economies are dominated by oil and commodity exports—for example, Canada, Norway, Russia, and South Africa. Other emerging markets, such as Thailand, Philippines, Chile, and Peru had strong returns. China, despite its continued high profile and news of economic growth, was one of the lowest-performing emerging markets.
The US dollar lost ground against the Canadian dollar and most Pacific Rim currencies, which helped dollar-denominated equity returns from those countries. The US dollar gained against the euro and British pound.
Along the market capitalization dimension, small caps outperformed large caps by substantial margins in the US, developed, and emerging markets. Value stocks underperformed growth stocks across all market capitalization segments in the US and had more mixed results in international developed and emerging markets.
Fixed income performed generally well, especially for investors who took term and credit risk, with long-term, high-yield bonds returning more than 20%. Real estate securities had excellent returns, performing comparably to the equity asset classes.
Following a slow start in the year, equity markets around the world began to climb in mid-February and ended the first quarter in the black. The broad US market gained about 6% in the quarter, with all asset classes delivering solid gains. (All returns are in US dollars.) The developed markets benchmark MSCI World ex US Index was up 6.4% in March and finished the quarter with a return of 1.3%. Emerging markets outperformed the developed markets, up 8.1% in March and 2.4% for the quarter. Some of the larger markets, such as Brazil, China, and Taiwan, had negative returns. As in the case of developed markets, there was much dispersion in the performance of different emerging markets and asset classes. However, both developed and emerging underperformed the US, partially due to the stronger US dollar, which was up 6% against the pound and the euro, hurting the dollar-denominated returns of developed market equities. Fixed income securities had positive returns. Longer-term securities tended to have better performance than short-term ones.
Major news in the developed markets was related to the fiscal crisis in Greece and the resulting worry about the mechanics of a bailout and its impact on the euro. As a result, the worst equity market returns were in Europe, where stocks slipped in Greece, Portugal, and Spain—the countries most at risk of sovereign default.
After four consecutive quarters of strong performance, the US equity market saw a sharp reversal in May and June, ending the second quarter with large negative returns. The broad US market lost over 11%, with most asset classes delivering double-digit negative returns. Both developed and emerging markets performed poorly. The MSCI World ex US Index was down 13.6% for the quarter, with most of the damage coming in May, when the index fell 11%. Emerging markets outperformed developed markets for the second quarter in a row, down 8.4%. The US dollar gained ground against most major currencies, especially the euro and the Australian dollar, and against major emerging market currencies. This strong performance hurt dollar-denominated returns of developed and emerging market equities. Fixed income securities had good returns due to a flight to safety triggered by the sovereign debt problems in Europe and weak economic data around the globe. Intermediate government securities and inflation-protected securities did particularly well.
The sovereign debt crisis in Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland continued to affect European banks. Officials in Hungary hinted at a default, and Spain’s credit was downgraded. Widespread announcements of austerity measures and budget cuts across Europe caused some observers to lower growth expectations. Other major events were the April explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, which cast a negative spotlight on BP and raised concerns of a major environmental calamity, and the bewildering “flash crash” in May, which saw the Dow plummet over 1,000 points in the course of a few frantic minutes.
The US equity market rallied strongly in the third quarter, with the broad US market gaining over 11% and most asset classes delivering double-digit returns. With the exception of Q2 and Q3 of 2009, non-US markets had their best quarter since 2003. Although both developed and emerging markets did well, emerging markets once again had the strongest performance. Looking at benchmark returns, strong performance in July and September led the MSCI Emerging Markets benchmark to a quarterly return of 18%. By comparison, the benchmark MSCI World ex US Index was up 16%.
The US dollar lost ground against most major currencies in developed and emerging market countries, which greatly helped the dollar-denominated equity returns. Fixed income securities had good returns. Declining long-term rates rewarded investors who were exposed to term risk. Intermediate government securities and inflation-protected securities did particularly well.
International news focused on central banks around the world intervening to curtail rising currencies, with the focus on Japan and China.
The equity markets had a strong finish for the year, with the broad US market gaining over 11%. US asset classes again delivered double-digit returns. Most of the world’s stock markets continued with the gains experienced in the third quarter, albeit at more moderate pace. The MSCI World ex US Index and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index both had returns of over 7%. Returns were especially good in Canada and Japan, which returned over 12%. Emerging markets had slightly higher performance than developed markets. The US dollar lost ground against the Canadian dollar and most Pacific Rim currencies, which greatly helped the dollar-denominated equity returns from those countries. However, the US dollar gained against the euro and British pound.
Value stocks underperformed growth stocks across all market capitalization segments in the US and in other developed markets. In emerging markets, value stocks outperformed growth stocks for the quarter. Small cap value stocks outperformed small cap growth stocks, while large cap value stocks underperformed large cap growth stocks. Along the market capitalization dimension, small caps outperformed large caps in the US and developed markets by substantial margins. In emerging markets, small caps narrowly beat large caps.
Fixed income securities had generally poor returns in the fourth quarter. Rising long-term rates hurt investors who were exposed to term risk. However, high-yield bonds did particularly well, rewarding investors who took extensive credit risk. Notwithstanding the continued weakness in the commercial and residential real estate markets, real estate securities had excellent returns, performing comparably to the equity asset classes.
Notable events included the mid-term election results in the US, which resulted in an anticipated shift in the political landscape. There was additional anxiety over sovereign debt, with the Irish system accepting an €85 billion bailout from the Euro zone. Finally, the implementation of quantitative easing (QE2) by the US central bank contributed to a weakening dollar across most major world currencies, with the exception of the euro, which continued to struggle.
__________________________________________________________________________Russell data copyright © Russell Investment Group 1995-2011, all rights reserved. Dow Jones data provided by Dow Jones Indexes. MSCI data copyright MSCI 2011, all rights reserved. S&P data provided by Standard & Poor’s Index Services Group. The Merrill Lynch Indices are used with permission; copyright 2011 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated; all rights reserved. Citigroup bond indices copyright 2011 by Citigroup. Barclays Capital data provided by Barclays Bank PLC. Indices are not available for direct investment; their performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell securities. The information presented above was prepared by Dimensional Fund Advisors, a non-affiliated third party. Diversification neither assures a profit nor guarantees against loss in a declining market. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions. This article is distributed for informational purposes, and it is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, products or services. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the Dimensional funds carefully before investing. For this and other information about the Dimensional funds, please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Prospectuses are available by calling Dimensional Fund Advisors collect at (512) 306-7400 or at www.dimensional.com. Dimensional funds are distributed by DFA Securities LLC. | <urn:uuid:aaf82724-2090-4cad-b11d-d784eef861dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goldmedalwaters.com/stock-market-2010/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956968 | 3,369 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Ansel Adams Fortune Magazine Images
Series of 135 contact prints and 217 negatives of the greater Los Angeles area, taken by Ansel Adams for the March 1941 issue of Fortune Magazine. The images were personally donated to LAPL by Adams in the 1960s. All images are available on the Library's Photo Database.
Edward Weston WPA Images
Series of nine 8x10 matted black and white prints of of objects and landscapes in Central California. The photos were part of the Public Works of Art Project and given to LAPL on June 21, 1934. An additional five 8x10 prints come from the Library's extensive Works Progress Administration (WPA) collection.
Paul Slaughter 1984 Summer Olympics Images
Series of 36 over-sized color prints documenting the XXIII Olympiad, held in Los Angeles in the Summer of 1984. Paul Slaughter was the Chief Photographer for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee. His photos appeared in the Official Final Report of the XXIII Olympiad, and were exhibited at City Hall in September 1985. | <urn:uuid:8f7ba574-c907-412f-a7c4-f3a5dbca4b46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lapl.org/branches/central-library/departments/rare-books/photographs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937237 | 212 | 1.734375 | 2 |
AWARD GUIDE (pdf)
financial aid award,
Parents' Most Frequently Asked Questions
What is expected family contribution (EFC)?
The FAFSA collects household and student financial information and determines a dollar amount called the EFC that is used to determine federal student aid eligibility. The formula used to calculate the EFC is established by law and measures a family’s comparative financial strength on the basis of income, assets, and family size.
If I am divorced, what information should my student report on the FAFSA?
All parental information should be correct as of the date the FAFSA is completed and signed.
When parents are divorced or separated:
- The student should answer the parental information questions about the parent they lived with more during the past 12 months.
- If the student did not live with one parent more than the other, the answers should be about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months.
- If the parent for whom the student should provide information is remarried as of the FAFSA filing date, the answers must include stepparent information, including income and assets.
Tip: Read Who is considered a parent?, which is part of the FAFSA directions.
Can I talk to your office about my student’s financial aid?
Federal law protects the privacy of student education records. For students 18 or older, the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office must have written permission from the student to release any information about their financial aid file. When parent contact is necessary, we have a downloadable form called Authorization to Release Information. When submitted by the student, the form allows our staff to speak directly to a parent about their student's financial aid file. This procedure assures compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Are there tax benefits related to my student’s education?
There may be tax benefits for educational expenses that could help you. See IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education for specific tax benefits. Also view the Education Tax Benefits guide prepared by Finaid, a public service Web site that provides comprehensive financial aid information.
Can parents take out federal loans for their student’s education?
PLUS Loans (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) are federal direct Stafford loans that help parent borrowers pay college expenses for dependent students. Parents may borrow up to the cost of education, minus any other aid received by the student, including Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.
Are there scholarships my student can apply for?
CSU, Chico Scholarships
Chico State provides scholarship awards to eligible students, and students are encouraged to apply. To be considered for a CSU, Chico Scholarship, students apply online through the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office Web site. The online application is available from October 1 through December 15 each year, for all university scholarships to be awarded for the next academic year.
Many students and their families are not aware of the breadth of private scholarships funded from a variety of non-university sources, including community organizations, local and national foundations, state and federal government agencies, and private donors. Students may research these sources in a variety of ways: bulletin boards on campus, books on scholarships available in all libraries, and private scholarship databases available on the Internet. Our Web site gives hints on how to best use these scholarship sites, as well as tips on avoiding scholarship scams.
How else can parents help?
It’s hard for students who are living away from home for the first time to know how to manage their funds wisely. Making their money last for a semester is a new challenge, regardless if the source of their funds is largely financial aid or family assistance. See our Web section on Money Matters for some hints on how you can help them. | <urn:uuid:ce00e224-6515-44ed-9c38-fd0e290a36b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csuchico.edu/fa/parents/faq.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944774 | 774 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Singaporeans liked the concept of Daylight Saving so much that in 1982 they moved to it permanently.
Not so. See the article Why is Singapore in the 'Wrong' Time Zone? for a better explanation.
like using vi to look at a config file you have no intention of editing
For that we use view of course.
I got the Programmers at Work book recently (picked it up in a second hand book sale). After reading the articles I looked up a few Wikipedia entries. John Page is not there at all. And PFS:FILE is mentioned only in passing in an entry on pfs:Write [sic] - in which Page is entirely absent.
I always thought XV was shut down for being the shareware everyone had but nobody ever paid for.
Hey! I paid for it!
The total charge was $25.00 plus $0.00 tax.
Contact: John Bradley
Anyone know how the measure this stuff?
Short term (human lifetime) by using GPS, VLBI and measurements of seismic activity.
Long term (earth lifetime) by using magnetic stripe lineations on the seafloor, hot-spot tracks (eg, the Hawaiian volcano chain) and other geologic indicators.
... And nothing of any importance was lost.
Really? Just have a look at some of these posts.
True, I suppose
... and the places where earthquakes occur are deep in the earth and not amenable to direct observation. Earthquake prediction, in the sense of saying when any specific event will occur, is a very hard problem.
Simply make the filesystem mark deleted files as "hide from directory listing, and really delete only if you need the space". Then add a couple of syscalls to examine these "recyclable" files and restore them to normal status.
Netware has a Salvage utility that relies on a filesystem with those attributes. It used to be called the Netware File System (yes, NFS). More recent versions are now called Novell Storage Services. Ported to SuSe now according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novell_Storage_Services/
time as they are being aquired by Rackable Systems for $25M.
The Rackable press release is here.
Announced on April 1, but not a joke (according to the SGI rep who gave me a call this morning)."
Swath bathymetry is how the high resolution mapping is done. | <urn:uuid:9857129f-6701-4374-ba83-69d12193a343> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://slashdot.org/~terremoto/tags/!os | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939374 | 513 | 2.375 | 2 |
The following is an excerpt from Dr. Don Colbert’s book The Bible Cure for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain.
The Bible instructs us to be wise in our eating habits: “Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). The way you eat, drink and care for the body that God gave you can bring glory to Him for this wonderful gift.
Chances are that you if are struggling with obesity, you may have been waging a war with it all of your life. By now, you realize that you need more than a good dieting program. You need power to enforce it. You need the strength it takes to change a lifetime of poor eating habits and the discipline to stay with it. This Bible Cure pathway to wholeness does not only provide the information necessary for a healthier, trimmer body, it also provides insight into an endless source of power to insure success. Stop limiting yourself to you own strength. The Bible reveals a better way:
“I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” (Phil. 4:13).
Gaining new power in your battle against obesity must begin with gaining fresh understanding of the causes for obesity.
Why We Eat Too Much
Being overweight has many causes. Some are biological. You might be predisposed to obesity through genetics and body metabolism. Some of the causes are psychological.
You also may be emotionally dependent on food for comfort during times of stress, crisis, happiness, loneliness and a host of other emotions.
If overeating has an emotional component in your life, you probably grew up hearing statements like the following:
- “Eat something; it will make you feel better.”
- “Clean your plate, or you can’t leave the table.’
- “If you’re good, you will get dessert.”
- “If you don’t eat everything, you will be impolite to the host or hostess.”
- If you stop crying, I’ll give you ice cream.”
The list of unhealthy child motivations can be endless. But whether the causes of your weight problem are genetic or psychological, you are not bound to your past. Today is a new day, filed with fresh hope for an entirely new way of thinking and living. Begin considering what lifestyle factors might be contributing to your situation.
A Sedentary Lifestyle
Another cause of obesity is the increasingly sedentary lifestyle in our society. In an agricultural or industrial culture, hard work gives people plenty of exercise during the day. In our corporate, technological culture, we sit more at desks and in meetings. What about you?
Sugar and Your Body
Contrary to popular opinion, eating fat does not necessarily make you fat. It’s actually the way that your body stores fat that makes you gain weight. Overconsumption of carbohydrates and sugars stimulates your body’s production of insulin—which is the body’s fat storage hormone. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels when they are too high. However, it also causes the body to store fat.
For example, when you eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as breads, pasta, potatoes, corn and rice, the carbohydrate is changed into blood sugar, and in the presence of insulin it is then converted into blood fat by the liver. The fast in the blood is then stored away in fat cells.
Easier On Than Off
If you consume a lot of starch and sugar on a frequent basis, your insulin levels will remain high. If insulin levels remain high, your fat is then locked into your fat cells. This makes it very easy to gain weight. Elevated insulin levels prevent the body from burning stored body fat for energy. Most obese patients cannot break out of this vicious cycle because they are constantly craving starchy, sugary foods throughout the day, which keeps the insulin levels elevated and presents the body from burning these stored fats.
The average person can store about 300-400 grams of carbohydrates in the muscles and about 90 grams in the liver. The stored carbohydrates are actually a stored form of glucose called glycogen. However, once the body storehouses are filled in the liver and muscles, any excess carbohydrates are then converted into fat and stored in fatty tissues.
Exercise may not help if you don’t eat right. If you eat carbohydrates throughout the day, since the glycogen levels in your body are filled, all the excess carbohydrates will be converted to fat. The high insulin levels also tell the body not to release any of its stored fat. Therefore, you can work out for hours at a gym and still not lose fat because you are eating high amounts of carbohydrates and sugar throughout the day. You body will store any excess carbohydrates as fat and not release any fat that is already stored.
Don Colbert, M.D., is board-certified in family practice and in anti-aging medicine. He also has received extensive training in nutritional and preventive medicine, and he has helped millions of people discover the joy of living in divine health. | <urn:uuid:22c65122-6dc3-45d5-b13b-2b2bc1e21592> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.charismamag.com/life/health/16624-understanding-obesity-takes-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94176 | 1,073 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Programmers write the code that tells computers what to do. System code tells a computer how to interact with its hardware; applications code tells a computer how to accomplish a specific task, such as word processing or spreadsheet calculating. Systems programmers must be familiar with hardware specifications, design, memory management, and structure, while applications programmers must know standard user interface protocols, data structure, program architecture, and response speed. Most programmers specialize in one of the two areas.
At the start of projects, applications programmers meet with the designers, artists, and financiers in order to understand the expected scope and capabilities of the intended final product. Next, they map out a strategy for the program, finding the most potentially difficult features and working out ways to avoid troublesome patches. Programmers present different methods to the producer of the project, who chooses one direction. Then the programmer writes the code. The final stages of the project are marked by intense, isolated coding and extensive error-checking and testing for quality control. The programmer is expected to address all issues that arise during this testing. Systems programmers may be hired on a Monday, handed the technical specifications to a piece of hardware, then told to write an interface, or a patch, or some small, discrete project that takes only a few hours. Then on Tuesday, they might be moved to a different project, working on code inherited from previous projects. Systems programmers must prove themselves technically fluent: “If you can’t code, get off the keyboard and make room for someone who can,” wrote one. Both arenas accommodate a wide range of work styles, but communication skills, technical expertise and the ability to work with others are important in general.
Programmers work together respectfully; they help each other when they want to. But there are no significant professional organizations which might turn this group of people into a community. The best features of this profession are the creative outlet it provides for curious and technical minds, the pay, which can skyrocket if a product you coded is a major success, and the continuing education. A few programmers we surveyed indicated that an aesthetic sensibility emerges at the highest levels of the profession, saying that “Reading good code is like reading a well-written book. You’re left with wonder and admiration for the person who wrote it.”
Academic requirements are gaining in importance for entry-level positions in the field of programming. Coursework should include basic and advanced programming, some technical computer science courses, and some logic or systems architecture classes. The complexity of what first-time programmers are asked to code is growing, as is the variety of applications, such as compatibility to the Internet and the ability to translate into a marketable CD-ROM. Long hours and a variety of programming languages--PERL, FORTRAN, COBOL, C, C++--can make the initial programmer’s life a whirlwind of numbers, terms and variables, so those who are not comfortable working in many modes at once may find it difficult to complete tasks. The programmer must remain detail-oriented in this maelstrom of acronyms. For mobility within the field, programmers should concentrate on developing a portfolio of working programs that show competence, style, and ability.
A number of programmers take on additional duties to become systems architects, software producers, or technical writers. Others take their programming expertise to a related profession, such as graphic designer or animator. Those who go into government work can become computer security consultants, encryption specialists, or federal agents specializing in computer science. A few who enter the business world become Management Information Systems Specialists (MISSs) who analyze, improve, and maintain corporate information systems for (usually) large, multinational corporations. | <urn:uuid:eff2bbd6-05fa-4261-a9c9-6da4b19a9e5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=43 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936954 | 755 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Relationship breakdown is tough and even more so in uncertain economic times. The breakdown of a relationship creates a range of issues and difficulties for parents and children that can be hard to tackle and resolve.
Uncertain economic times make it harder for parents to craft financial settlements as there is less available capital and income to share, jobs are under threat and living costs continue to rise. The family finances, which previously ran one household, now have to be stretched to run two households and this can place families under considerable pressure at an already difficult time and this can often create a significant drop in overall standards of living.
Parents’ financial worries can also impact on arrangements for the care and upbringing of their children. It can make it harder for parents to communicate and adjust to life as separated parents and make it difficult for them to agree residence, contact and other parenting arrangements for their children. For example overnight staying contact can become contentious if the separated parent’s new accommodation is at distance from the family home or is small and less child friendly due to financial constraints. These financial worries are often compounded by other concerns and pressures, which can make it difficult for parents to effectively parent their children and this can cause parenting disputes to arise.
Parenting disputes can become entrenched and difficult to resolve, as they are often emotionally charged and hard fought. Wider issues and concerns can also become entangled in the dispute, which can make it even harder to reach an agreement. For example, a deep seated lack of trust between parents, strong and unresolved feelings of anger, grief and shock and concerns over the introduction of a new partner.
Recent statistics show that increasing numbers of UK families (whether together or separated) are facing serious issues of conflict, which can (and do) bring famililes to tipping point. A significant proportion of these experience financial and emotional conflict, through job threats and loss, falling earnings, rising fuel and food costs, expensive childcare and the high cost of accommodation. It is therefore unsurprising that increasing numbers of relationships between parents are breaking down and parenting disputes arise.
Click on the following links if you would like more information about the legal issues surrounding a parenting dispute or financial provision for a child. If you would like to discuss your situation in more detail or you need further help please email firstname.lastname@example.org or call +44 (0)207 222 1244. | <urn:uuid:ed8b489c-23bc-49c9-b8ae-6e43d95f70d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.porterdodsonfertility.com/tag/child-contact-law/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963588 | 485 | 1.875 | 2 |
UPDATE: Since the crisis continues, Ooma has now extended this offer and all Ooma customers will have free calling to Japan until Mar. 25 at 4PM Pacific
Ooma provides clear communications 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But getting clear communications perhaps is never more important than during a crisis. Ooma realizes this in light of the most recent devastation in Japan, and is helping its users trying to reach those who may have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami.
Ooma is offering free international calls to Japan on its service until Friday, March 18, at 4 p.m.
Company officials said they want users to know about and use the free service and has posted announcements via Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter.
In the Facebook announcement, Ooma says that the company “wants to help” users connect “with friends and loved ones” through free calling to Japan.
Many people from all over the world are trying to call Japan to check on the well-being of relatives, friends and co-workers. The death toll is mounting, and many people have been reported missing as a result of the massive earthquake and tsunami. The estimated damage could exceed tens of billions of dollars.
Given the interest in contacting Japan, “all international lines to Japan are very congested right now, but keep trying,” Ooma advised.
TMCnet reports that traditional phone service in Japan was seriously impacted in much of Japan. In addition, mobile carriers in Japan were limiting voice calls on Japanese networks. NTT DoCoMo limited up to 80 percent of the voice calls in Tokyo and elsewhere in the nation, The Telegraph reported. Softbank (News - Alert) and Au were also impacted by the earthquake, according to the Telegraph.
Whether it is during an emergency or for the more routine calling times, Ooma offers HD Voice, a component of Ooma’s PureVoice HD technology. It features twice the fidelity of standard phone calls, according to a report on TMCnet. That provides a richer, more natural sounding conversation between Ooma users, the company said.
Ooma customers have been able to make HD calls from home since October 2010. In January 2011, Ooma started offering HD support on the Ooma mobile app. This allows the service to be available on varied mobile devices.
Ed Silverstein is a TMCnet contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Tammy Wolf | <urn:uuid:4c2ccc08-e36e-4b20-a749-c94758ebebe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://technews.tmcnet.com/channels/hd-voice/articles/154129-hd-voice-ooma-offering-free-calling-japan.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968099 | 510 | 1.695313 | 2 |
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A permanent counter is a machine counter installed to count continuously during the period of installation. The installation is usually planned to last several years; thus, wire loops are installed in the pavement to detect bicycles.
Bicycle counts have been monitored in one permanent counter location in Eugene by the Oregon State Highway Division. This information was used for determining monthly variations in bicycle volumes. A number of permanent recorder stations for bicycle paths, similar to the permanent recorder stations used for cars, should be installed and operated by the City. The information will be useful for improved determinations of usage variation and accident rates.
BIKEWAY USAGE VARIATION
Annual, monthly, and daily bikeway facility usage variations have been investigated.
Bicycle volume counts are used to determine changes in the number of bicycle users from year to year. Prior to this project, various bicycle counting projects had been conducted, particularly near the University area. Typically, these counts have been conducted for random short intervals with no efforts made to expand the data to a 24-hour count. The usefulness of such counts is limited. In 1971, several 5-hour bicycle counts were taken at intersections near the University during the first week in August awhile summer school was in session). The results of these counts were expressed as the number of bicycles entering the intersection per hour. In the first week of August 1978, the 1971 counts were repeated with 8-hour counts that included the time period during which the 1971 5-hour counts were taken. A 76% average increase was measured for the intersections over the seven-year period. The results of the two sets of bicycle counts are given below:
The 1978 data collected throughout Eugene will be useful for improving the measurement of annual changes of bicycle ridership. It is recommended that the City conduct annual bicycle volume counts in specific locations throughout the City, to establish accurate annual variation statistics. This information will be a useful supplement to "permanent recorder station" information when the City installs such equipment.
The monthly variation of bicycle usage provides a measure of the effects of seasonal variations on bicycle ridership. Because of the considerable daily variation in bicycle usage, which is discussed in the following section, it is not appropriate to measure monthly variations using a one-day sample for each month. "Permanent recorder" measurements of bicycle volumes provide volume information for each day of the month, as well as each month of the year. Average daily bicycle traffic can be established for each month.
The Oregon State Highway Division installed and monitored a permanent recorder on the North Bank Bicycle Trail, west of the Ferry Street Bridge. The recorder was installed on September 26, 1974, and removed from service on July 5, 1977. The average daily bicycle traffic for each month during which the counter was operative are plotted below.
[Note: the lighter numbers in the left column
and the lines extending from them were drawn in
pencil in in the copy furnished to me -- Web editor]
larger scan of this image
|The heavy dark line describes the seasonal variations of the
bicycle volumes. Bicycle ridership nearly tripled from the winter months to the summer
months. Bicycle ridership is lowest in December and January, and increases gradually
through March and April, until it peaks out in July or August. The bicycle ridership
steadily increases to a peak in the longer days of the summer months, and then gradually
decreases steadily until December.
There was a significant number of bicycle riders at all times during the year. There is a permanent counter station located along the river trail, which is parallel to both the Willamette River and Interstate 105, and connects the Valley River Center and the Ferry Street Bridge. The Greenway Bike Bridge was not installed during the period in which the volume data were collected; thus, it can be reasonably projected that the majority of the trips on this route were recreational and shopping trips. Commuting or school trips are not likely to have made up a large portion of the trips. There is evidence that the seasonal variations for school or work commuting will be different from recreation and shopping trips. The Citizen Survey conducted as part of this project determined that 91% of the commuting bicycle drivers use their bicycles in the rain. A Campus Bicycle Survey, independently conducted in 1976, determined that 78% of the bicycle drivers rode to campus in bad weather.
It is apparent that the effects of seasonal variations for different trip purposes will be different. The results described in Figure II-1 are representative for shopping and recreational trips. Further data should be collected along other bicycle paths to establish the effects of seasonal variations on bicycle ridership in other parts of Eugene.
Seven-day motor vehicle traffic measurements are used to establish the pattern of traffic movement variation on different days of the week. To determine the variation of bicycle usage on different days of the week, several weekly machine counts were taken and analyzed along bikeways in Eugene. Figure II-2 on the following page, records the data from bicycle counts from three route locations.
larger scan of this image
|Unlike motor vehicles, the daily variation of bicycle usage does not occur regularly
on specific days of the week. High and low bicycle counts were observed to occur
throughout the week. The Tuesday and Thursday dip in volumes noted above, would suggest
that classes were on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule. Significant numbers were
noted on each day of the week; however, a usage pattern was not apparent.
BICYCLE ACCIDENT RATES
The number of accidents on a particular route is not an adequate measure of the relative safety of that facility, because the usage of each facility varies considerably. For the 1978 data collected, usage of different facilities varied between 2 bicycles per day and 2,665 bicycles per day. For this project, the accident rate of occurrence is defined as the number of accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year. This measure has been used to compare the relative safety of all bicycle facilities in the project area.
To determine bicycle miles driven on a facility, both the length of the facility and the average number of users on the facility must be known. Accident rates determined for this study are based on single measurements taken in August and September 1978. Future measurements for specific locations and permanent counter station measurements will help to refine the accident rate determinations. The methods used for accident rate determinations and the results for Eugene facilities, are described in the next chapter of this report.
A reconnaissance survey of all Eugene bicycle facilities was conducted during the initial phase of the project. All bicycle facilities were ridden to observe how the bicycle facilities and traffic control devices affect the safe and efficient movement of bicycle, motor vehicle, and pedestrian traffic.
In addition to the Reconnaissance Survey, each of the routes or paths were ridden to locate hazards and evaluate ridability. Specific bicycle facility improvements and recommendations for general improvements of the bikeway system are covered in Chapter VI. With the exception of the sidewalk routes along arterial streets, the routes were generally found to be well designed, in good condition, and pleasant to ride.
Data from manual counts, machine counts, and permanent counter counts show that bicycle traffic increased an average of 75 percent from 1971 to 1978, that bicycle traffic is highest during the summer months and lowest during the winter months, and that there is no definite pattern in daily variations of traffic as there is for motor vehicles.
FIGURE II-3, BICYCLE VOLUME MAP
Larger scan (bicycle counts legible)
|The 1978 count data, expanded to uniform 24-hour counts, are shown on the Bicycle
Campus Bicycle Survey conducted by Bruce Walker, SEARCH Instructor, University of Oregon | <urn:uuid:131d9b00-026a-499f-bdd0-35589d111820> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bikexprt.com/research/eugene/2-1chapter2.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964984 | 1,584 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Would you like some free money? As you would expect, almost everyone would answer yes to that question. However, there are many working people that are passing up on the opportunity to get extra money by taking advantage of some option employee benefits.
Many employers offer some type of retirement plan to their employees and many of those offer some type of employer matching contribution. The matching contribution can vary depending on the type of employer and plan, but a typical arrangement is the employer will contribute a percentage of your compensation to the plan based on your own individual contribution. In other words, to get the matching contribution from your employer you have to contribute some of your own money into the plan. If you don’t contribute, the employer doesn’t either. Basically, this is free money, you put some money into savings and your employer matches it. On top of that, employee contributions reduce your taxable income, providing tax savings. In addition, depending on your household income, you could also be eligible for the Savers Credit, further reducing your income tax.
Sounds like a great deal doesn’t it? Yet, many workers fail to participate in their plan at work. The most used excuse is “I can’t afford it.” However, we’ve shown in previous posts how implanting a budget can uncover extra money in your household finances. This is a great way to use some of those extra funds and get some free money. Once you have investigated your retirement plan options at work, have a discussion with your tax preparer about the additional tax benefits and how much you should contribute to get the maximum matching contribution from your employer. Enjoy the free money!
Next time we’ll discuss another employee benefit that will put more money in your pocket. | <urn:uuid:29f5b716-a427-4983-8529-2f0c1d813a8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uticaod.com/blogs/finance/x2041825686/Free-Money | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965945 | 361 | 1.921875 | 2 |
If you don't have private insurance, dentists are less likely to see children with oral emergencies, Reuters reports. Credit: Getty Images Sorry, kiddo. You'll just have to deal with that excruciating tooth pain you're feeling. See, ...Dentist offices contacted almost always made emergency appointments for kids covered by private insurance.
Watch a video on how to help kids maintain dental hygiene.Brush your teeth -- it's the law! Credit: Getty Everybody sing along: "I am a little toothbrush, and you put me in your mouth. And if you do not use ...Kids had allegedly not seen a dentist in more than two years.
Open wide, little one! Credit: Getty
It may seem painfully obvious, but a new study shows preventative dental care for kids and regular brushing can reduce the risk of cavities.What makes this study out of the University of North ...Researchers say you're never too young for dental hygiene.
Poor families suffer from a lack of good dental care. Credit: paigewatkins, FlickrWhen a 12-year-old Maryland boy died from an untreated tooth infection two years ago, it started a bigger discussion about the need to provide dental care to ...
It seems like we just got the ear infections all under control and started to enjoy a respite from the constant doctor visits and pharmacy bills. But nobody told me that I'd need to start saving to pay the dentist! My son Christian, age 9, has had to ... | <urn:uuid:db505720-4c4b-4e55-a38b-92bf5cdef992> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parentdish.com/tag/dentist/ | 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 | 0.966885 | 305 | 2.125 | 2 |
The Life of Tibetan Nomads: Summer Pasture on Independent Lens May 10
Filmmakers Lynn True, Nelson Walker, and Tsering Perlo offer audiences a rare glimpse into the life of a Tibetan family whose lives are not so different from their ancestors’ four thousand years ago in a remarkable film, Summer Pasture. Living in Zachukha in eastern Tibet, thirty-year-old Locho, his twenty-seven-year-old wife Yama, and their infant daughter are nomads in the most remote county in Sinchuan Province, China.
Largely dependent on their animals (yaks and horses), the couple moves each season to fresh pastures, living in a yurt in near-barren countryside. There are two other families in a compound that includes Locho’s brother and Yama’s two sisters. The men share herding duties and handle business matters, such as going into town to sell yak hair and caterpillar fungus and purchasing food and clothing. Yama tells us that housework is much more demanding than herding and that the women do most of the work, statements borne out by her nonstop activities while Locho plays dominoes, anoints his face with pimple medication, and has time to play with the baby. Besides childcare, cooking, and housekeeping, Yama milks yaks, makes cheese and butter, and gathers dung for the family fire.
As alien as this lifestyle may seem to Westerners, Locho and Yama share some of the same concerns that most of us have, such as their daughter’s future and education, the rising cost of living, and the weakening of their community as many nomads leave for the city. In addition to sharing their daily lives, Locho and Yama also discuss their past, their courtship, and their marriage. Despite the hardship they face, they appreciate their nomadic life and values
Summer Pasture is a fascinating look at a culture so different from ours that we can’t help but wonder what Locho and Yama would think if they were to see a documentary about a year in our lives with all the things we take for granted—running water, electricity, motor transport—and all the things we have and do that aren’t necessary to our existence. Summer Pasture premieres on Independent Lens (PBS) on Thursday, May 10, 2012, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern (check local listings). | <urn:uuid:1f8a22c8-4966-4287-8ed8-4cd81d797f67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/the-life-of-tibetan-nomads-summer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968502 | 509 | 2.0625 | 2 |
PANCAP News-in the caribbean
Inaugural Caribbean Conference on Domestic Violence and Gender Equality to be held in Trinidad and Tobago
- Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 February 2013 22:36
- Published on Tuesday, 19 February 2013 12:57
- Hits: 304
Regional and international professionals, experts and activists will gather in Scarborough, Tobago next month to seek solutions to domestic violence and gender issues as the Global Center for Behavioural Health (GCBH) hosts its Inaugural Caribbean Conference on Domestic Violence and Gender Equality.
GCBH is a non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC and Scarborough Tobago, which works in collaboration with the global health community to promote quality and equity in healthcare worldwide. GCBH aims to move its partners towards excellence by providing research, capacity building, and other technical services, as well as opportunities for scholarship and community service globally.
Conference Chair and GCBH President, Dr. Donna Baird, noted that “according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, every one of the Caribbean islands has a sexual violence rate that is higher than the world average.” Dr. Baird said that governments should adopt zero-tolerance for this behavior; and that women and girls need to stop being ashamed or afraid to speak up about the abuses they face on a daily basis.
Violence against women and girls continues to be a global epidemic that kills, tortures, and maims – physically, psychologically, sexually and economically. Gender-based violence is still one of the most ignored crimes in the Caribbean region and it remains one of the most pervasive of human rights violations, which denies women and girls: equality, dignified services, societal worth, security and fundamental freedoms.
A number of high-level industry professionals committed to ending gender-based violence and bringing gender equality to the Caribbean and around the world, have been confirmed to present at the conference including:
• Dr. Edward Greene, UN Caribbean Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS
• Almas Jiwani, President, UN Women Canada
• Dr. Giovanni di Cola, Deputy Director, International Labour Organization (Caribbean)
• Calypso Rose
The conference seeks to engage advocates and professionals from domestic violence, health care and social service and policy makers in critical dialogues that will enable them to use in-depth information to impact their work in terms of practice, research, and policy. The conference also seeks to advances gender equality and empowerment of women, leading to positive outcomes for all in the Caribbean–including men and boys.
About the Global Center for Behavioural Health
The Global Center for Behavioural Health (GCBH) is a non-governmental organization which works in collaboration with the global health community to promote quality and equity in healthcare worldwide. GCBH aims to move our partners towards excellence by providing research, capacity building, and other technical services. We also provide opportunities for scholarship and community service globally. For more information visit www.gcbhonline.org. | <urn:uuid:a1c0b204-ff7f-49fc-af6d-9d60b36a8729> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pancap.org/en/caribbean-news/1382-inaugural-caribbean-conference-on-domestic-violence-and-gender-equality-to-be-held-in-trinidad-and-tobago.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934632 | 624 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Scenes of Madness
A Psychiatrist at the Theatre
Foreword by Sue Jennings
Published November 23rd 1995 by Routledge – 224 pages
Derek Russell Davis argues that mental health professionals working in a hospital or clinic setting can learn much from playwrights about the psychological processes in mental illness. Looking at such diverse characters as Orestes, Hamlet, Lear, Ophelia, Peer Gynt, Oswald Alving and Blanche Dubois, Dr Davis shows how madness in plays is put into the context of the crucial experiences in an individual's history and current relationships, and demonstrates that these stories can be a new and exciting source of insight into mental illness.
1: Introduction. 2: Lessons at the theatre. 3: Models of madness. 4: The stories plays tell. 5: Reality and illusion. 6: Family feuds. 7: Breaking free from the past. 8: Recoveries. 9: Conclusions. Notes and sources. Index. | <urn:uuid:4c3cfbff-ac77-41de-9453-8c9eb4dbc227> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.psypress.com/books/details/9780415131735/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915588 | 197 | 2.5 | 2 |
|Action Against Child Labour (ILO, 2000, 356 p.)|
|5. Strategies to address child slavery|
|5.2 INTERNATIONAL ACTION AGAINST CHILD SLAVERY|
In 1926, the League of Nations adopted the Slavery Convention for the prevention and suppression of the slave trade and abolition of slavery. Slavery is defined as "the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised" (Article 1). In 1956, a Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery applied in particular to debt bondage and serfdom. It defines debt bondage as "the status or condition arising from a pledge by a debtor of his personal services or those of a person under his control as security for a debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied towards the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined" (Article 1 (a)). It also calls for the abolition of any institution or practice "whereby a child or young person under the age of 18 years is delivered by either or both of his natural parents or by his guardian to another person, whether for reward or not, with a view to the exploitation of the child or young person or of his labour" (Article 1(d)).
The Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery (1956) was inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, which proclaimed that "no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms". The International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, adopted in 1966, echoes the assertion of the same rights. It states that "no one shall be held in slavery; slavery and the slave trade in all their forms shall be prohibited...", "no one shall be held in servitude"; and "no one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour".
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, contains specific provisions against various forms of child exploitation. Article 32 of the Convention provides for the protection of the child from economic exploitation and from performing any work which is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Article 34 requires the State to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, and to take appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures. Article 35 imposes a similar obligation on the State concerning abduction, sale or trafficking in children. Article 36 provides for the protection of the child from all forms of exploitation prejudicial to any aspect of the child's welfare.
Box 5.9. International efforts to end child slavery
· International legal instruments of the ILO and the United Nations provide the legal framework for the abolition of all forms of child slavery and practices similar to slavery.
· International organizations cooperate to tackle the problem. For example, in 1992, the ILO, in collaboration with the United Nations Centre for Human Rights, organized the Asian Regional Seminar on Children in Bondage in Pakistan.
· The ILO Committee of Experts raises the issue of bonded labour - including child bondage - every year, and keeps the issue alive on the agenda of governments.
· The ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) places a high priority on child bondage and supports action programmes to combat the practice in different countries.
· The United Nations Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, set up in 1974, reviews the reports and testimonies of NGOs on child bondage every year.
· International NGOs increasingly accord special attention to child labour and mobilize public opinion. Anti-Slavery International acts as coordinator for the NGO subgroup on child labour with the Committee on the Rights of the Child. | <urn:uuid:cecbb4a1-cf84-4d4c-9bff-a7ffeb33532f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0edudev--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-help---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-10&cl=CL1.1&d=HASH86b5d8ae9a519c5caa9b76.7.3.3&x=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907626 | 794 | 3.71875 | 4 |
DVORAK: String Quintets Opp. 1 and 97 (Ladislav Kyselak/ Václav Zamazal/ Vlach Quartet Prague) (Naxos: 8.553376)
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Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904)
String Quintets Op.1 and Op.97
Antonín Dvorák was born in 1841, the son of a butcher and innkeeper in the village of Nelahozeves, near the Bohemian town of Kralupy, some forty miles north of Prague. It was natura1 that he should at first have been expected to follow the family trade, as the eldest son. His musical abilities, however, soon became apparent and were encouraged by his father, who in later years abandoned his origina1 trade, to earn something of a living as a zither player. After primary schooling he was sent to lodge with an uncle in Zlonice and was there able to acquire the necessary knowledge of German. and improve his abilities as a musician. hitherto acquired at home in the village band and in church. Further study of German and of music at Kamenice, a town in northern Bohemia, led to his admission in 1857 to the Prague Organ School. where he studied for the following two years.
On leaving the Organ School, Dvorák earned his living as a viola-player in a band under the direction of Karel Komzak, an ensemble that was to form the nucleus of the Czech Provisional Theatre Orchestra, established in 1862. Four years later Smetana was appointed conductor at the theatre, where his operas The Brandenburgers in Bohemia and The Bartered Bride had already been performed. It was not until 1871 that Dvorák resigned from the orchestra, devoting himself more fully to composition, as his music began to attract favourable local attention. In 1873 he married a singer from the chorus of the theatre and in 1874 became organist of the church of St Adalbert. During this period he continued to support himself by private teaching, while busy on a series of compositions that gradually became known to a wider circle.
Further recognition came to Dvorák in 1874, when his application for an Austrian government award brought his music to the attention of the critic Eduard Hanslick in Vienna and subsequently to that of Brahms, a later member of the examining committee. The granting of this award for five consecutive years was of material assistance. It was through this contact that, impressed by Dvorák's Morovion Duets entered for the award of 1877, Brahms was able to arrange for their publication by Simrock, who commissioned a further work, Slavonic Dances, for piano duet. The success of these publications introduced Dvorák's music to a much wider public, for which it held some exotic appeal. As his reputation grew, there were visits to Germany and to England, where he was always received with greater enthusiasm than might initially have been accorded a Czech composer in Vienna.
In 1883 Dvorák had rejected a tempting proposal that he should write a German opera for Vienna. At home he continued to contribute to Czech operatic repertoire, an important element in re-establishing national musical identity. The invitation to take up a position in New York was another matter. In 1891 he had become professor of composition at Prague Conservatory and in the summer of the same year he was invited to become director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York. With the backing of Jeanette Thurber and her husband, this institution was intended to foster American music, hitherto dominated by musicians from Europe or largely trained there. Whatever the ultimate success or failure of the venture, Dvorák's contribution was seen as that of providing a blue-print for American national music, following the example of Czech national music, which owed so much to him. The musical results of Dvorák's time in America must lie chiefly in his own music, notably in his Symphony 'From the New World', his American Quartet and American Quintet and his Violin Sonatina, works that rely strongly on the European tradition that he had inherited. while making use of melodies and rhythms that might be associated in one way or another with America. By 1895 Dvorák was home for good, resuming work at the Prague Conservatory, of which he became director in 1901. His final works included a series of symphonic poems and two more operas, to add to the nine he had already composed. He died in Prague in 1904.
Dvorák wrote his first surviving piece of chamber music, the String Quintet in A minor, Opus 1, in the summer of 1861. There is more of Schubert than of Bohemia about a work that, nevertheless, is a sure sign of future mastery and a significant achievement in itself. The quintet, scored like Mozart's with two violas, was given its first public performance seventeen years after the composer's death and was first published in 1943. The first movement starts with a slow introduction that has an element of lilting melancholy about it. The first violin announces the first subject of the Allegro and there is an inventive transition to the C major second subject, with its smooth opening phrase answered staccato. Other elements appear before the end of the exposition, which is not repeated. The development leads naturally to a varied recapitulation, with the transition between first and second subject now elaborated, and the principal theme is echoed in the coda. The slow movement allows the first viola to present the F major principal theme, accompanied by the dotted rhythms of the second viola and cello, which take an even more Schubertian character when the violins take up the melody. The central section of the movement introduces new material and develops the main theme, before it returns in its original key, played by the two violins. The final Allegro con brio starts with a call to attention in its strong opening motif. gently answered before question and answer are repeated and dialogue continues. This melts imperceptibly into a happier C major and then a rhythm of greater urgency. The development of the material leads to the return of the main theme, the opening motif of which has proved of continuing importance, and a final recapitulation.
The String Quintet in E flat major, Opus 97, is a very different work. During his time in America Dvorák had been able to spend summer holidays away from New York, staying with members of the Czech community at Spillville, in Iowa. The summer of 1893 brought the composition of the so-called American Quartet, written at Spillville in the space of fifteen days and completed on 23rd June. Three days later he started the American Quintet, completing it on 1st August. It had its first public performance in New York the following January.
Whatever influences Dvorák may have drawn from America, as a composer he remained thoroughly Bohemian. The quintet, scored like the earlier work with two violas, at first allows the second viola an augmented version of what is to be the principal theme, entrusted subsequently to the first violin. This pentatonic material is developed, set against dotted rhythm accompanying figuration, which provides a forward impetus. The secondary theme is also pentatonic in contour and this exposition is repeated, before the central development and the return of the thematic material, now modified. Whether suggested by the rhythmic drum beat of Iroquois Indians, as some have suggested, or not, the second viola opens the B major Scherzo with a repeated rhythmic formula, over which the first violin proposes a lively dance theme. To this the centra1 B minor trio section offers a contrast, with its melody for the first viola. If contemporary critics in New York sensed America in the first two movements of the quintet and the last one, no such claim could be made for the Larghetto, a theme and five variations. T | <urn:uuid:b1d516d1-9737-42ef-844d-f5bbefa9e14c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://naxosdirect.co.uk/items/dvorak-string-quintets-opp.-1-and-97-ladislav-kyselak-v%c3%a1clav-zamazal-vlach-quartet-prague-naxos-8.553376-145084 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980593 | 1,678 | 1.648438 | 2 |
In the heady days of the late 1960s, there were filmgoers who would attend screenings of Disney's Fantasia or Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey for the particular purpose of enjoying those films in the company of their favorite drug, to be ingested at Just the Right Moment so as to reach the height of its effects concurrently with, say, a corps of dancing mushrooms or astronaut Dave Bowman's encounter with whatever it is he has his encounter with. The film was thus more than a film, it was a Trip.
My advice is: Don't do drugs, kids.
More pageant or oratorio than true opera, Akhnaten (1984) was the third of the trilogy of biographical theater pieces composed by Glass during that period, following Einstein on the Beach and Satyagraha (re Gandhi). Akhnaten was composed at roughly the same period as the film score for Koyaanisqatsi and with that score marks the full arrival of the composer's mature style, and Glass's full embrace of writing for full orchestra rather than the small keyboard-based ensembles of his earlier, more purely "minimalist" work. While Akhnaten has been performed by several companies in the U.S., Long Beach Opera's production marks its long overdue West Coast premiere.
Akhnaten is concerned with the fleeting 17-year reign of the pharaoh of that name, and with his ultimately failed attempt to adopt a new, monotheistic brand of religion. In a series of scenes, we are shown the funeral of Akhnaten's father Amenhotep III, Akhnaten's coronation, his institution of religious reform, his fall at the hands of a sort of Egyptian counter-reformation, and the reduction of his great city to a handful of dust. In the company of his mother and of his wife, Nefertiti, Akhnaten is last seen making his own way to the afterlife of memory. The action proceeds largely through a series of tableaux, and the vocal heavy lifting frequently falls more to the chorus than to the principal soloists.
More so than most operas, Akhnaten could potentially succeed purely at the level of sound, with no visual or dramatic content at all. The score is filled with Glass's trademark moiré pattern of shifting chords and arpeggios—the string section contains no violins, and the rhythmic stucture is punctuated by low brass—and easily produces a receptive quasi-hypnotic state. Most of the text, derived from period sources such as stelae, tomb inscriptions, and The Egyptian Book of the Dead, is sung in ancient languages that to a contemporary listener become simply another element of the pattern of pure sound, into which we can ease ourselves and become lost.
Long Beach Opera, its famously straitened budgets notwithstanding, has elected to hypnotize the eyes as fully as the ears. The tangible scenic elements are minimal: shifting ramps, cardboard boxes, a balloon-basket of sorts in which Akhnaten ascends while delivering his grand "Hymn to the Aten." Those elements and the performers are, however, awash in a series of elaborate interactive video projections created, largely in real time, by Frieder Weiss. Weiss has devised a system of cameras, processing power and projection to take the physical action on stage as his input and to return it as patterns and particles whose movements and changes respond directly to that action. They shimmer, they ooze, they spark, they bubble, they overwhelm and absorb.
In a more plot- or character-driven piece, all this zippy visual ornament would only distract, but it works—and occasionally amazes—as an environment for the ideas and abstractions at the heart of Akhnaten. On stage, the soloists and chorus are supplemented with dancers of the Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, whose bodies and stark poses provide much of the fodder for Weiss's video manipulations.
Even more so than in last season's Nixon in China, the Chorus fulfills its central vocal role with both power and finesse, especially in the opening funeral sequence and in the Act III overthrow of Akhnaten's regime. The solo parts are often entwined within the choruses, limiting the opportunity for those singers to stand out. The major truly solo roles are those of Akhnaten himself, written for countertenor, his wife Nefertiti (mezzo/contralto) and, to a lesser degree, his mother Tye (soprano). These are "characters" in only the most general sense, and Glass does not call for the sort of human drama that is so often a specialty at Long Beach Opera. In a largely ensemble-based work, Peabody Southwell shines in particular in the role of Nefertiti. Her splendidly burnished tone and seamless connection with the orchestra continue to impress and I hope, as I have said I do most every time she has sung here, to be hearing much more and soon.
Direction and design of this production is credited to LBO conductor and artistic director Andreas Mitisek, though I suspect he would freely share that credit with Frieder Weiss and Nannette Brodie, given the importance of their contributions to the whole. As conductor, Mitisek leads his orchestra in a persuasive accounting of Glass's complex score. From my position toward the front of the house, the orchestral sound was full and satisfying, conveying urgency or sublimity as needed.
Long Beach Opera has pressed its resources toward their limits in this production, and it must be acknowledged that, here and there, some seams did show the strain. The sound system occasionally produced an inexplicable random popping at stage right. Set changes between scenes were neither as quick nor as quiet as could be wished. Jochen Kowalski's Akhnaten was bedeviled by pitch issues in his duets, but he seemed to come through when it most counted in the "Hymn." The decision to perform the opera in two acts rather than three made the third feel unnecessarily truncated. (As an audience member, I would not have objected to a Wagner-length presentation of Akhnaten with no intermission at all, but I suspect that is more than we should reasonably demand of the hard-working performers.) None of these issues was a sufficient distraction to undercut the total impression of the Long Beach Akhnaten, which is that of a hitherto hidden marvel brought stunningly into the light.
The Long Beach Press-Telegram interviewed Frieder Weiss on his video technique. Weiss acknowledges that standing in the blaze of his projections is not the most pleasant experience for the performers.
At intermission during Saturday night's premier, I quipped: "With all the exotic video tech on display . . . we may have to rename it iKhnaten."
Photos: by Keith Ian Polakoff, by kind permission of Long Beach Opera. | <urn:uuid:807fdcd6-b1f7-46b0-9719-f5ee98713646> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.afoolintheforest.com/2011/03/akhnaten.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970365 | 1,434 | 1.5 | 2 |
|The Transformational Perspective: An Emerging Worldview - Page 3|
Page 3 of 8
Recurring Phases in Western History
Historian Richard Sellin has suggested that our Western preoccupation with the linear development of human civilization is, in fact, a misconception, and that the zeitgeist, the spirit of the times embodied within the intellectual trends and moral values characteristic of any age or epoch, has tended to express itself in cycles that repeat themselves every several thousand years (5).
From my perspective as an anthropologist, the Neolithic Period could be considered as the first of these cycles, a long one that began with the closure of the last ice age and the end of hunting-gathering as the predominant lifeway. This cycle lasted for perhaps four thousand years and was defined by animal and plant domestication and by the establishment of settled communities. Spiritual awareness during this period was animist, a view that affirms everything, both animate and inanimate, to be invested with its own personal supernatural essence or soul. For the cultures of the Neolithic, everything in Nature was ensouled and the religious practitioner was the shaman.
This cycle came to an end with the emergence of the first city-states in the Middle East, and it was among them that a new religion took form—polytheism, a stratified, hierarchical view of the supernatural world that reflected an entirely new perception of ourselves.
The cycle that followed lasted about three thousand years and included such cultures as the Sumerians and the Akkadians, the Babylonians and the Persians, the Assyrians and the Egyptians, the Mycenaeans, the classical Greeks and the Romans among others. All of these cultures expressed polytheistic religions featuring various high gods and goddesses situated above and beyond Nature—a new perspective that resulted in the creation of the first organized hierarchical religions run by full-time priesthoods. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, this second cycle came to an end, and as before, a new religion emerged: monotheism.
This new belief system, originating in the deserts of the Middle East, could really be considered a form of polytheism with an omnipotent creator deity variously known as YHWH, Jehovah, Allah or simply GOD as the divine CEO, the heavenly father, king or president on top of the supernatural stack, with all the reified saints and prophets, angels and demons ranked below it. Monotheism’s three major expressions —Judaism, Christianity, and Islam— have been the dominant religions in the Western world for our current two-thousand-year cycle.
Sellin has proposed that our cycle began with a comparatively long Theocratic Phase in which society relied heavily on religious doctrine and truth was determined by divine direction from the father God operating through a bureaucratized and politically motivated priesthood. Any informed overview of Western History reveals that such has indeed been the case from the emergence of Christianity at the end of the Roman Era until the Renaissance, a period that lasted roughly fourteen hundred years. The spirit of the times changed considerably at this point. The rise of science, as well as the infrastructure of the current corporate world-state through the guilds, initiated the second stage of our cycle, a Secular Phase, in which an expansion of our geographical and intellectual horizons, as well as economic power, occurred on an unprecedented scale. In response, truth was redefined within a new mythology—science--and religion was generally discredited. This relatively shorter phase, dominated by rationalism, has lasted for about three hundred years.
The current spiritual reawakening suggests that it has now drawn to a close. With the dawning of the age of Aquarius, Sellin asserts that we are moving into the third and final stage of our two-thousand-year cycle, a Spiritual Phase, in which science and spirituality are being synthesized and integrated in an attempt to transcend both previous stages. The plethora of recent conferences that have featured mystics and scientists, shamans and quantum physicists as plenary speakers are a testament to this impulse.
It is also significant that this revitalizing impulse appears to be associated with the appearance of a new spiritual complex, emerging much in the same manner that Christianity took form at the end of the last cycle. | <urn:uuid:1433d0e5-81a2-44b4-8c86-22a47f0895a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nowopolis.com/featured-articles/163-the-transformational-perspective-an-emerging-worldview?start=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963011 | 876 | 2.359375 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today applauded Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) for his introduction of the Medicare Patient Access to Technology Act of 1999, which is designed to make sure seniors can get life-saving medicines when they need them.
"One of the key provisions of Sen. Hatch's bill would correct an unanticipated consequence of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997," said BIO President Carl B. Feldbaum.
"Following passage of the act, the Health Care FinancingAdministration (HCFA) devised a proposed Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) system to bundle payments in hospital outpatient departments. The APC system proposed is seriously flawed and if implemented, would severely under-reimburse innovative biotech products used in the hospital outpatient setting.
"This not only would limit seniors' access to drugs they already receive, but also would undermine investment in the development of new medicines," Feldbaum added.
"Sen. Hatch's legislation protects seniors' access to categories ofessential medicines most likely to be hurt by HCFA's proposed APC system."
To underscore some of the problems for patients associatedwith HCFA's proposed reimbursement scheme, Feldbaum noted the regulations actually could create incentives for hospitals to use drugs in a less efficient manner and substitute the least expensive treatments for the most effective ones.
"We look forward to working with Sen. Hatch and othersupporters on this critical legislation," Feldbaum said.
BIO represents more than 830 biotechnology companies,academic institutions and state biotech centers in 47 states and 26 nations. Its members are involved in the research and development of health care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotech products. | <urn:uuid:47d08219-b6b3-42d4-952c-69cb9579ee1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bio.org/media/press-release/bio-supports-sen-hatchs-legislation-protecting-patient-access-biotech-medicines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940578 | 347 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Leon Leyson's "The Boy On the Wooden Box" will be published by Atheneum on Aug. 27, the publisher announced Monday. According to Atheneum, the book will provide an "unprecedented perspective" on Schindler, the industrialist credited with helping to save more than 1,000 Jews during World War II. His story was immortalized in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning "Schindler's List."
Leyson, meanwhile, became a popular speaker who traveled nationwide to tell his story of life under the Nazis. He was 13 when Schindler rescued him from a Polish ghetto. He settled in California after the war and died at age 83 in January, the day after Atheneum received his manuscript. | <urn:uuid:0819ba13-1f1c-49b7-bd02-ca1318c4f6cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.denverpost.com/perspective/ci_22712788/holocaust-survivor-saved-by-schindler-writes-book | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98238 | 148 | 2.5 | 2 |
Dirty. Malodorous. Wet. Dark.
That’s how a recent report described the DeKalb Animal Services and Enforcement (DASE) center, located behind the county jail and adjacent to the county incinerator.
In its report, the county’s animal control task force, formed to find ways to improve the quality of life for animals and reduce the number of euthanizations, stated that the DASE “languishes from the county’s lack of and articulated vision, allocation of resources and sustainable plan.”
The task force stated that DeKalb County “must work to successfully prevent animal cruelty, reduce the number of homeless animals entering the shelter, increase pet adoptions and seek to eliminate euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals, protect the public health from animal-borne disease and keep the public safe from dangerous animals,” according to the report, officially presented to the Board of Commissioners on March 20.
To address the concerns of the animal task force, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis unveiled a plan to immediately upgrade the facilities’ HVAC system, solicit proposals for outsourcing the division’s functions and institute standardized fees for adoptions.
Ellis also presented three possible locations for a replacement facility for the animal shelter.
Of the task force’s several recommendations for improving the county’s animal services division, the group said the most important recommendation is to change and codify the mission of the animal services division.
According to the task force, headed by Susan Neugent, the goal of DASE should be “to protect and preserve the lives of all animals in the care of DeKalb County while securing adoptive placement or rescue for all savable animals, to maintain a safe an d humane community for animals and people alike, to vigorously enforce the county’s animal laws, and to prevent animal neglect and cruelty.”
The task force also wants the county to “make wholesale improvements to the existing facility…and begin plans for a new facility in a market-sensitive location.”
Currently, DASE is housed in a 22,000-square-foot building constructed in 1989. Of that space, approximately 14,000 square feet is used to hold animals. The center also has 2,500 square feet of temporary facilities.
“While the administrative areas can be described as an embarrassment at the very least, the kennel areas, especially the areas housing dogs, are an abomination,” the report states.
The task force said the building “has reached obsolescence and cannot sustain its current mission.”
The group has proposed that the county acquire a 31,000-square-foot facility on at least four acres of land with an improved kennel area, space for educational opportunities, an outdoor exercise area and a pet adoption mall.
In addition to acquiring a new facility, the task force said the county should recruit a successful leader experienced in lifesaving and shelter management; consider outsourcing; change the county code to strengthen efforts to combat animal cruelty and support the new lifesaving mission of DASE; and establish on ongoing oversight committee. | <urn:uuid:53fc11da-43ec-4ccf-8a66-1f648954b3e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.championnewspaper.com/news/articles/1531animal-task-force-releases-report-ceo-takes-action-1531.html?comment_id=4999 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933713 | 652 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Fri April 27, 2012
Dilemma For European Banks: Clean Books Or Lend?
Originally published on Fri April 27, 2012 8:35 am
The walls of the Clock Shop in downtown Frankfurt, Germany, are lined with timepieces of every kind, from cuckoo clocks to digital watches. It's a testament to the store's 55-year history as a functioning business.
One of the things that has remained constant for much of that time is the store's relationship with its bank, owner Basia Szlomowicz says.
"They know us," she says. For years, the bank, which she doesn't want to name, has extended credit to her family when they needed it. But in the wake of the financial crisis, small businesses like hers have had a tougher time getting credit.
"Now you have fixed [credit]. This is the amount, not more," Szlomowicz says. "If you need more, you have to ask."
In Europe, businesses of every size tend to rely much more heavily on banks to operate, especially compared with U.S. companies, says Nicolas Veron, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based research institute Bruegel. He says U.S. companies have a much broader array of credit choices available to them.
Since European businesses are so dependent on banks, restoring Europe's feeble economy will depend to a great extent on whether its troubled banking sector can recover.
A Bank Health Assessment
Just as in the U.S., many large European financial institutions came through the financial crisis saddled with bad debt, such as Greek bonds and subprime mortgage bonds. In a few cases, such as the French-Belgian bank Dexia, governments had to come to the rescue by taking them over.
That happened in the U.S., too, says Yalman Onaran, author of the book Zombie Banks: How Broken Banks and Debtor Nations Are Crippling the Global Economy. The situation was different in Europe, though, he says.
"In Europe, there are so many examples in so many countries, and the repercussions of their 'zombies' is also problematic for our banking system, too," Onaran says. "I mean, our banks lend to their banks."
Veron says the banking system has been fragile since October 2008 "and has never got back to normal."
The condition of the European banks varies enormously. Still, assessing the condition of banks can be a murky task. Many hold assets that remain difficult to value. Regulations and accounting rules vary by country. Moreover, many European banks aren't traded on the stock market and may not release financial data.
Meanwhile, the sovereign debt crisis has cut a swath through the industry. Many banks had loaded up on government bonds, and when those bonds lost value, they found themselves in a precarious position. Investors were scared off, making it tougher for the banks to raise the short-term funds they need to operate.
The European Central Bank had to ride to the rescue with short-term injections of capital. The moves helped avert a crisis, and credit conditions have largely improved, says ECB Vice President Vitor Constancio.
However, the ECB's moves can't reverse the fortunes of a bank that is truly insolvent — and they weren't meant to, he says.
Now the industry is facing a new problem. Last October, regulators demanded that banks shore up their balance sheets by adding a total of 115 billion euros to their loan reserves by June, part of a renewed push to restore the industry's credibility.
It's not clear where the banks will get the money, though. The International Monetary Fund warned last week that the banks could cut back on lending in an effort to improve their capital levels. With the continent on the verge of a recession, IMF officials say, that is exactly the wrong thing to do. The IMF warned that a credit slowdown would hit already-troubled countries like Italy and Spain the hardest.
"They're afraid of a massive process of bank deleveraging, banks shrinking their balance sheets and not lending and not taking risks, and this is bad for the economy," Veron says.
For all the banks' troubles, they also have one big thing in their favor, says Gregory Turnbull-Schwartz, an investment manager at Kames Capital. In the end, governments won't let them fail, he says.
"They do have a problem, and it's something that, for a bank analyst, is kind of concerning. However, I do think government support, despite the rhetoric, is still there," Turnbull-Schwartz says. "I don't think we're at the stage where governments in the U.K. and Europe, or even in the United States for that matter, are going to stand by and let one of the large banks go under."
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Last week the International Monetary Fund sent out a warning about Europe's banks. The IMF said efforts to clean up the bank's balance sheets could actually end up hurting the economy, which is already on the verge of a recession. The warning comes at a time when the health of the banks is generating a lot of concern, and efforts to help them have had mixed results.
NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.
JIM ZARROLI, BYLINE: The walls inside Basia Szlomowicz's Clock Shop in downtown Frankfurt are lined with timepieces of every kind - from digital watches to cuckoo clocks. She's turned off most of them so she can hear her customers, though the occasional chime fills the air.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHIMES)
ZARROLI: Szlomowicz's family has run this store for 55 years. Like a lot of business owners, she's seen revenues fall lately.
BASIA SZLOMOWICZ: You see a lot of people don't have work, so they're afraid to spend money because they don't know what tomorrow going to be.
ZARROLI: Her problems are made worse because credit has been tightened. Szlomowicz's family has used the same bank for years.
SZLOMOWICZ: They know us, we pay back, and then we need some little bit more money and it was like this. But now you have fix. This is the amount, not more.
ZARROLI: In the United States, small businesses raise money by going to credit unions or getting an SBA loan, or even using their credit cards. Bigger businesses go to private equity or venture capital firms, or they sell stock. There are lots of ways to raise money. But in Europe, businesses depend heavily on big banks.
Nicolas Veron of the research institute Breughel says that's one of the reasons the financial crisis hit Europe so hard. Veron says yes, American banks had problems and credit dried up for a while.
NICOLAS VERON: But the financial system didn't stop operating during that process, while in Europe when banks are hit and don't function normally, basically the whole financial system becomes dysfunctional.
ZARROLI: That means reviving Europe's economy will depend heavily on how its banks are doing. And it underscores the banks' dilemma. Europe needs them to keep lending, but they're also under pressure to do clean the toxic debt off their balance sheets in a way that will make lending harder.
Yalman Onaran, author of the book "Zombie Banks," says the financial crisis left the world with a lot of troubled banks that have been kept alive with the help of governments and central banks.
YALMAN ONARAN: But in Europe, there are so many examples in so many countries, and of course, the repercussions of their zombies is also problematic for our banking system, too. I mean, our banks lend to their banks, too.
ZARROLI: Many of the most troubled banks, like the French-Belgian Dexia, lost money in subprime mortgages and Greek bonds. Others have suffered liquidity problems. As Europe's troubles mounted, investors fled and banks couldn't raise the funds they needed to operate. The European Central Bank had to rescue them with short-term loans of more than a trillion euros.
VERON: The banking system has been basically in a state of systemic fragility since, at least, October 2008 and has never got back to normal.
ZARROLI: Last October, the troubles multiplied. European regulators ordered big banks to shore up their balance sheets by adding 115 billion euros to their loan reserves by June. It's not clear how they'll raise the money. The IMF is worried they'll do so by cutting back on lending, Veron says.
VERON: They're afraid of a massive process of bank deleveraging, so banks shrinking their balance sheets and not lending and not taking your risk, and this is bad for the economy.
ZARROLI: The IMF warned that a credit slowdown would hit already troubled countries such Italy and Spain the hardest.
Regulators have tried to reassure investors about the banks' health. They forced the biggest banks to undergo stress tests, which they passed with flying colors. But the tests aren't always seen as very reliable. The last time around, regulators gave a clean bill of health to Dexia, just a few weeks before it imploded.
Jim Zarroli, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:84757bad-9d2b-468d-9e52-31c92c46ea58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kwit.org/post/dilemma-european-banks-clean-books-or-lend | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971348 | 1,960 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Did you know that roses are bisexual? Most
plants are like this - they're hermaphrodites. With such
an arrangement, one wonders what prevents plants from fertilising
themselves. In fact, ubiquitin-mediated protein breakdown is
involved: the plant recognises and rejects its own pollen! The
exact mechanism is not yet fully clear, but enzyme E3 has been
found and when a proteasome inhibitor has been added, the rejection
has been noticeably impaired. | <urn:uuid:972a6c30-ea45-4b96-a71d-ccd784fb060c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2004/illpres/6_self_pollination.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945006 | 104 | 2.53125 | 3 |
CANDL stands for Creativity and Leadership. A First-Year Seminar class offered to the class of 2014 at Allegheny College in the fall of 2010, it focuses on developing their writing and public presentation skills. Through the exploration of ideas such as negotiation, dealing with work relationships, management theory, and self-erected blocks to creativity students aim to learn the skills needed in pursuing personal goals.
This is where we started -- readings about taking an active role in our education. It evolved organically, and some neat things have come out of it.
Whack on the Side of the Head
A text illustrating habits that people develop that inhibit creative expression.
During the process of reading WOTSOTH, everyone will contribute a journal on one of the ten roadblocks (found on page 23). There will be one short journal per chapter for the ten chapters. The journals will be a reflection on when you have noticed one of these roadblocks in your own life, how you plan to over come it, or how you have viewed someone else struggle with this roadblock. At the end of the unit we will ask for examples of journals for each of the ten major roadblocks and discuss them with the class. (Each of the roadblocks has a corresponding chapter in the text)
During class we will do some brainteaser/icebreakers that are designed to make one think more creatively. Some of these activities will include excerpts from the book that the group has found beneficial, icebreakers and other improv ideas.
- One: The Right Answer
- Two: That's not Logical
- Three: Follow the Rules
- Four: Be Practical
- Five: Play is Frivolous
- Six: That's not My Area
- Seven: Don't be Foolish
- Eight: Avoid Ambiguity
- Nine: To Err is Wrong
- Ten: I'm not Creative
The No-Asshole Rule
A text about dealing with colleagues who continually impede your forward progress by their negativity.
The Starfish and The Spider
A text that discusses management theory.
Getting to Yes
A text focusing on a specific method for the process of negotiation.
(Paige, Maddy, Sharat, Sarah, Alexis, Thom)
- Day 1: Preview
- Barbie vs. Ken * divide groups * explain backgrounds * explain situation * come to compromise - PowerPoint and Discussion HOMEWORK: Read Chapter 1: beginning section, "Arguing over positions produces unwise agreements," and "There is an alternative." Read Chapter 2: beginning section, "Negotiators are people first," Every negociator has two kinds of interests," "Perception," and "Communication."
- Day 2: Yes vs. No
- "Yes Man" / "No Man" scenes * show movie scenes * discussion * relate to chapter 1 negotiators - Assign scenes to groups * begin writing scripts HOMEWORK: TBA
- Day 3: Middle Man
- Finish writing scripts - Present skits and discuss HOMEWORK: TBA
- Day 4: Speaker
- Speaker - Discussion HOMEWORK: TBA
- Day 5: Big Compromise Introduction
- Introduce single party goal activity - Divide into three groups * come to group agreement on list of issues HOMEWORK: write letter to Pennsylvania about changing legislation
- Day 6: Big Compromise Conclusion
- Come to class agreement on list of issues - Closing discussion
These four texts lay the foundation for a discussion, and activity-filled seminar. Students hope to emerge with a sense of courage, confidence, writing, and speaking skills to succeed in the academic, as well as working, world. | <urn:uuid:509e4a30-5310-4f3a-81f7-91752a4c679a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wiki.rockalypse.org/CANDL | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91543 | 759 | 2.484375 | 2 |
A window and a piece of cardboard is all you’ll need to take pictures of silver jewelry with brilliant, even tones.
Move a table as close to a window as you can.
Make sure that the top of the table is a higher than the window sill.
Tape a piece of tracing paper to the window. Sunny or cloudy skies, the paper will make light coming in to be even and soft. Hang the paper so it goes down below the table.
When using white paper as a background put something white underneath to avoid the table coming through making it look dark.
I used a 2’ x 2’ piece of foamcore to bounce back light from the window, you can use anything that stands upright without bending. A piece of cardboard covered with sheets of white paper will work great.
Light will reflect from the white card and from the white surface as well.
Silver is like a mirror, it shows whatever is around. The light and white paper will reflect on the metal making it look light and shiny.
Pendant, a courtesy of Roxy's Jewelry
If you pull the white card away from the window it will create a dark area that will also reflect on the jewelry.
Different tones of silver make a picture have more depth. You may like the way it looks, or you may not. If you prefer the silver to have even tones make sure that the card is flashed against the window.
However, if you do want your background to have a gradation of tones try replacing the white card with a black one. Blocking the light will create a shadow with a clear edge.
Then you can play placing your jewelry where the background shifts from light to dark to see what happens.
Every other week we post a new product photography tutorial showing how to take at home the pictures we create at the Via U! | <urn:uuid:58316e81-6419-47e0-a6e5-18ec4a8c62ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.viauphotography.com/blog/default.aspx?page=5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918798 | 381 | 1.703125 | 2 |