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RIAA has gone after a number of people in recent years for illegally sharing music with others through file trading and downloads. Some of those cases have been successful
whereas others are being fought out
in the courts. But the organization is going a step further
in the most recent lawsuit filed against an individual.
The accused individual copied music from CDs which he had legally purchased on to his own personal computer; RIAA is alleging that to be a crime.
RIAA's hard-line position seems clear. Its Web site says: "If you make unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings, you're stealing. You're breaking the law and you could be held legally liable for thousands of dollars in damages.
They say that even a copy made on to your own computer is considered unauthorized. The Arizona man that theyve accused of this crime has refused to pay the RIAA fines and the issue is heading to litigation. | <urn:uuid:2a308fbb-02bd-40e2-bee3-95d82ec09487> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/RIAA-Says-You-Cant-Copy-Music-To-Your-Computer-90566 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97928 | 190 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Nearly three weeks after their self-proclaimed deadline, leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees completed a proposal for the next farm bill and presented it to the deficit reduction Super Committee. The deal is contingent on the Super Committee reaching an agreement by this Wednesday's deadline for action, which at this time looks unlikely. Should the Super Committee fail, the Agriculture Committees next year would have to write the bill and it would be open to amendments from anti-agriculture lawmakers.
Reports indicate that direct payments, Average Crop Revenue Election program, and the Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance program would be eliminated under the proposed commodity title while crop insurance would be expanded. Conservation programs would be reduced, a new dairy support program would be implemented replacing current dairy policy, and SNAP criteria could be changed.
Most Rural Development programs will continue unchanged, including the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, the Biobased Market Program and the Refinery Assistance Program, although blender pumps and feasibility studies were excluded from the Rural Energy for America Program.
The sugar program was continued, which drew fire from opponents. Larry Graham, Chairman of the Coalition for Sugar Reform and President of the National Confectioners Association, says the coalition is outraged by reports that the Agriculture Committees have recommended to the Joint Select Committee, extension of the current U.S. sugar policy.
"The Agriculture Committees' proposal extends a costly government-controlled subsidy program that serves to benefit Big Sugar and other agribusiness interests," Graham said. "As other agriculture commodities are being rethought and modified, the sugar program should be thoroughly reformed to lower consumer costs and provide relief for American small businesses who are being crushed by the current, overly intrusive government program."
Meanwhile, the cotton industry is pleased that a new crop insurance program for upland cotton was included in the proposal. The Stacked Income Protection Plan would address shallow revenue losses on an area-wide basis with producer premiums offset to the maximum extent possible using available cotton program spending authority.
National Cotton Council Chairman Charles Parker says STAX provides an income safety net by making available for purchase an affordable revenue-based crop insurance program consistent with crop insurance delivery and complementary of existing crop insurance programs. | <urn:uuid:9c5fc53a-45bf-4363-9758-9e563d6d88e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://farmprogress.com/story-farm-bill-proposal-delivered-super-committee-0-54980 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951507 | 441 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Click the animation below to learn more.
After giving birth the woman once again undergoes many changes. Hormonal levels normalize, tissues shrink, and bones and joints shift. Throughout the pregnancy and birthing process, the woman's body has undergone many stressful events and some type of recovery/rehabilitation to reach pre-pregnancy state should be sought. Failure to restore normal biomechanics and tissue health can result in future problems in health and with future pregnancies. Chiropractic adjustments quicken recovery time and assist the body in normalizing overall pelvic and spinal biomechanics.
Birth is generally a traumatic event for the baby. During the process, the body is "squeezed" through a relatively small opening compared to the size of the baby. This can result in serious injury which is not readily apparent, especially to the untrained eye. Chiropractic doctors can assess the spine for injuries which frequently occur during the birthing process. Immediate correction of vertebral subluxations and other abnormalities are necessary to prevent developmental problems for the child later in life.
A common complaint after birth is the excessive weight gained by the mother during pregnancy. While some women do not find it difficult to shed the extra pounds gained during pregnancy, this is generally not the case for most women. Beginning a weight loss and/or fitness program not only improves the mothers health and fitness levels, but also helps mothers deal with the increased energy and psychological demands of raising a family. Many chiropractors find weight loss and health programs an integral part of the treatment program.
It's important for the new mother to understand the significance breast milk has on their baby's health. A great number of studies have consistently shown babies fed breast milk (compared to formula) are significantly healthier with a much lower incidence of sickness from various infections and diseases.
Breast Feeding Reduces Infant Illnesses
A recent study has shown that breast feeding significantly reduces the occurrence of common infant illnesses such as respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, ear infections, and gastrointestinal disorders. In the 2 year study of 977 babies, a community program was implemented which urged women to breastfeed their infants rather than use baby formula. The program resulted in a significant increase in breastfed babies - 54.6%, up from 16.4%. During this time, the number of babies who developed pneumonia in the first year of life declined by 33% and the cases of gastroenteritis decreased by 15%.
According to researchers, their results suggest that "breast milk itself or the process of breast feeding provides protection against infant illnesses." The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies for at least one year, "and longer if mutually desired by the mother and child."
Breast milk is better for premature infants
Experts believe breast milk contains a number of immune-boosting compounds which "jump-start" the infants immune system and assist the infant in fighting off infections. In this study, researchers found that preterm infants fed breast milk developed significantly fewer infections. 212 preterm, very low birth weight infants (under 3 pounds) were fed either breast milk or formula. After adjusting for all other factors, researchers determined that infants fed breast milk decreased their odds of infection by 57% - a dramatic decrease. Also, many immune system agents normally found in breast milk are in higher concentrations in the breast milk of mothers who deliver prematurely compared with mothers who delivery at term.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has long advocated the use of breast milk as the primary food source of newborn, full-term infants. In 1997, this advisory was extended to cover premature infants.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, women should breast feed until at least 1 year of age and should not feed infants under 1 year cow's milk. Doing this can lead to a deficiency of iron. However, most baby formulas now contain added iron to prevent this from occurring.
Vitamin A (retinol) is available in liquid form and is also added to most baby formulas. Occasional supplementation in infants and children is recommended if deficiency is suspected. Research has shown a single dose of 100,000 IU (International Units) in children under 12 months of age and 200,000 IU in children over 12 months of age can reduce the risk of death from measles and, according to a study on Brazilian children, can help treat severe diarrhea.
Vitamin B is passed to the fetus and to the baby (via breast milk) by the mother. Thus, if the mother is deficient so to can the baby become deficient. In the case of mothers with vitamin B deficiencies (more common in vegetarians and vegans), supplementation may be necessary for mother and child.
Vitamin D is another vitamin in which there may be a deficiency. Generally, a deficiency is most common when the mother is a vegetarian and/or lacks adequate sun exposure. In both cases, supplementation of the mother and infant is recommended. Also, mothers who breastfeed may spend 15 minutes in the sunlight daily to increase their vitamin D levels.
In some infants and neonates, including those with certain malabsorption disorders, vitamin K deficiency may occur. This can lead to unexpected hemorrhagic disease (bleeding). Often, babies are give intramuscular vitamin K shots at birth to prevent this condition.
Zinc deficiencies can occur in infants whose mothers are deficient in zinc or if there exists a problem with zinc uptake from the mammary glands in the mother's breasts. Zinc deficiencies are also common in premature infants and children with malabsorption syndromes. Zinc deficiencies are generally not found in infants who breastfeed, assuming the mother is not deficient. Signs of deficiency include: | <urn:uuid:58962a83-aec3-460d-86ce-15d33d56fa63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lockhartchiropractic.com/index.php?p=11534 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949012 | 1,154 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion Welcomes Guest LecturerMarch 2, 2012
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaCom
Stephen V. Monsma, Ph.D., senior research fellow at the Paul B. Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College, will present "Do We Truly Believe in Pluralism and Diversity? Faith-Based Organizations' Religious Freedom Rights" at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, in Kayser Auditorium of the Baylor Hankamer School of Business, 1428 S. Fifth St.
The lecture, hosted by the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, will discuss why faith-based organizations providing health, education and social services to the community are facing growing legal pressure to secularize their practices. Monsma will argue why Catholic and evangelical Protestant world views protect religious freedom of faith-based organizations, hence pluralism and diversity, better than secular world views.
Monsma is a professor emeritus of political science at Pepperdine University and has been a member of the Michigan state Senate and House of Representatives. He has published several books, including "The Disappearing God Gap? Religion in the 2008 Election" and "The Challenge of Pluralism: Church and State in Five Democracies."
The lecture is free and open to the public.
About Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.
For more information visit the Institute for Studies of Religion.
by Carmen Galvan, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805 | <urn:uuid:bb0f173b-d522-4912-afb0-5c316d5695d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=110568 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926023 | 434 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Eileen Elgar 24 December 1971
- Contents: Tolkien writes about the death of Edith. He also writes that he thinks Pauline Baynes's Hobbit poster map is better than A Map of Middle-earth; he is glad Elgar liked the Narnia books, although he himself is not fond of them; and he discusses the naming of pets after Hobbits (commenting that Hilary has a dog which is called Bilbo when being good, and Baggins when being bad).
- Publication: Descriptions of the letter appeared in Sotheby's English Literature and English History 6-7 December 1984 and The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Chronology. An excerpt concerning Narnia was published in Mythlore 121/122.
"[Edith] was my Lúthien Tinúviel, with her river [sic? as transcribed, for "raven"] hair and fair face and bright starry eyes"
"I am glad that you have discovered Narnia. These stories are deservedly very popular; but since you ask if I like them I am afraid the answer is No. I do not like 'allegory', and least of all religious allegory of this kind. But that is a difference of taste which we both recognized and did not interfere with our friendship."
See also | <urn:uuid:0f41fcc6-35a9-476d-8a0b-edaef05b6d2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eileen_Elgar_24_December_1971 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971879 | 276 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Australia: Muslim groups support immigration changes
The Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network (AMCRAN), is a network of volunteers dedicated to preventing the erosion of civil rights of all Australians. It provides a Muslim perspective on matters relating to civil rights.
Ayishah Ansari, a Legal Convenor for AMCRAN, pointed out that "Australia has a significant Muslim population, which sympathises with the situation of refugee and asylum seekers that come to this country. As Muslims, we are interested in seeing that all people, Muslims and non-Muslims, are treated humanely. Australian Muslims are happy to see the end of policies that meant that people (including children) guilty of no crime could be locked up for up to three years."
She also pointed out that asylum seekers should not be treated as criminals. "As members of a faith which upholds ethical treatment of all people, the most important thing for us is that it shifts the onus of proof...rather than the Department of Immigration and Citizenship assuming that a person must be detained, the decision requires the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to prove that a person should be detained. This means a lot less people will be unnecessarily detained. We also appreciate that children, in particular, will no longer be detained." AMCRAN had also been aware of the stereotyping of Muslim migrants by the previous government through various high profile terrorism cases, and Ansari said that AMCRAN hoped the new government would put an end to the punishment mentality directed at migrants, and consider each on a case by case basis.
The potential erosion of stereotypes has also been welcomed by the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV). Heba Ibrahim from the ICV said that by "Allowing asylum seekers into the community in conjunction with the provision of essential services such as linking them to appropriate service providers and organisations is definitely a positive step to counter the effects of this [negative] stereotype." She said that coupled with the trauma of being dislocated from their home country with little hope of returning, mandatory detention had a huge psychological impact on asylum seekers, and that the abolition of the policy would have a positive effect on civil rights for Muslims and non-Muslims in Australia.
23 September 2008
Source: Amana Media Initiative | <urn:uuid:44a495aa-f840-41cf-8794-6a4937afa6ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wluml.org/zh-hans/node/4786 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968462 | 454 | 2.421875 | 2 |
- eurozone - financial crisis - Germany - Greece
German parliament approves new bailout for Greece
The German Parliament gave its overwhelming backing on Monday for a €130 billion rescue package to save Greece from bankruptcy. Chancellor Angela Merkel is now expected to ratify the second bailout at an EU summit in Brussels this week.
German lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Monday to endorse a second multi-billion euro lifeline for Greece after Chancellor Angela Merkel warned failure to act would run incalculable risks.
Deputies voted by 496 to 90, with five abstentions, to approve the eurozone deal to hand Athens another 130 billion euros ($175 billion) ahead of a key EU summit later this week to ratify the package.
"The risks of turning away from Greece now are incalculable," Merkel told the 591 lawmakers of the Bundestag lower house who had gathered for a special session to vote on the Greek package.
"No-one can assess what consequences would arise for the German economy, on Italy, Spain, the eurozone as a whole and finally for the whole world" of a Greek bankruptcy, she added.
But Merkel acknowledged that Greece faced a path ahead that was long and not without risk, adding: "That goes also for the success of the new programme. Nobody can give a 100-percent guarantee of success."
The Bundestag vote was not in doubt after two of the three opposition parties vowed to support it but it was done with some reluctance.
"It's not an easy decision," Gerda Hasselfeldt, of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, said, warning that solidarity was not "unlimited."
Despite the motion's approval, German scepticism about Greece remains.
"The Bundestag will in the foreseeable future be dealing with a third (rescue) package for Greece," said SPD member Peer Steinbrueck, a former finance minister, adding that to really stabilise Greece, strong growth was needed.
"Billions for Greeks. STOP!" the mass-circulation Bild headlined on its front page Monday.
A majority of Germans oppose giving more aid to Greece, a poll by the Emnid institute for Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed, with 62 percent saying the Bundestag should vote 'No' while 33 percent called for its approval.
Prior to the vote, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich had caused a stir by saying Greece should be given "incentives" to leave the eurozone so it could then better put its fiscal house in order.
While stressing he did not mean Greece should be kicked out of the 17-nation bloc, his comments to news weekly Der Spiegel fly in the face of the government's repeated wish for Greece to remain in the eurozone.
For Merkel, it was important on the domestic political front that she garnered enough support from within her own camp to pass the motion without the humiliation of having to rely on opposition votes.
Seventeen members of her centre-right coalition of CDU and Free Democrats defied her, with three abstentions, compared to the figures for 'rebels' in September and October votes of 15 and 14 respectively.
The latest package for Athens, hammered out by eurozone finance ministers last week, will come from the eurozone's current bailout fund, the EFSF, and does not require the stumping up of fresh funding.
Germany, Europe's biggest economy and effective paymaster, came under renewed pressure at a G20 weekend gathering in Mexico to agree a bolstering of the eurozone's defence funds, the EFSF and its successor, to 750 billion euros.
Berlin believes that with calmer market conditions and lower bond yields for Spain and Italy, the risk of debt crisis contagion is lower and the pressure to bolster the zone's defences has lessened.
"The government sees at present no necessity for a debate on the increase of the capacity" of the eurozone's bailout funds, Merkel told parliament.
But she said it would first be necessary to see the results of a Greek operation to write-down nearly a third of its debt before making a final decision on the issue.
Under the EU plan for Athens, Greece would receive up to 130 billion euros in direct loans by 2014 in return for tough new austerity measures and tighter EU-IMF oversight of its economy.
A private creditor bond writedown is worth another 107 billion euros. | <urn:uuid:9313612d-28fe-4a15-a998-ff2c2c5f6e62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.france24.com/en/20120227-greece-germany-approves-bailout-eurozone-crisis-merkel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957384 | 904 | 1.640625 | 2 |
“It can only truly be Texas red if it walks the thin line just this side of indigestibility: Damning the mouth that eats it and defying the stomach to digest it, the ingredients are hardly willing to lie in the same pot together.”
John Thorne, Simple Cooking
There are several legends and myths involving chili. Stewed meat with hot peppers, tomatoes and spices. They can be traced back all the way to 17th century. In fact several people claimed to have originated the dish.
According to one myth, a nun in Spain put herself in trances for days. One day when she awoke up from her trances, she wrote down a chili recipe calling for deer meat, hot chili peppers and tomatoes. She was known as the ghost “lady in blue” to the native Americans.
Inmates of Texas penitentiaries also claimed to have invented chili in the mid 1800s. The chili was so loved by the prisoners that after they have served their time and released from prison, they write back to ask for the recipe.
In the same century, chili was staple for the Texas cowboys and adventurers, traveling around Texas and on the trail to California and back. They carried with them chilis (meat, peppers and spices) in dried and brick form, which could easily be rehydrated in boiling water, simmered in the pot and enjoyed on the trail.
With all the legends and myths about this dish, one thing is for sure: chili originated in San Antonio, Texas, by the first Spanish settlers. Historians claim that the Spanish women cooked a spicy stew similar to what we know as chili today.
The first known attempt to can chili was in 1881 by William Gerard Tobin. Unfortunately, he died only days after his canning operation started.
Finally in 1921, a businessman, Lyman T. Davis of Corsicana, Texas, started canning chili, which he named after his pet wolf, thus the Wolf chili brand was born. One of the most popular brands of canned chilis. In fact, in our home, this is the only brand that my husband and son will eat. Other than the home made chilis that I make.
The original chili did not contain beans. For Texas chili purists, this is the only way they eat their chilis. Only beef and dried red chilis. No beans. But for some, and especially us, having kidney beans in chili is so much better.
And to maximize flavors, it is best to use dried chili pods, cooked and blended into a paste. Which then added during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Back in the day, priests were said to deliver sermons to their congregation warning them about eating chili. Because chili is considered a passion food that can ignite people’s desires in the bedroom. It is therefore considered soup by the devil. So people. Be warned. Or should i say be prepared.
Here’s what you need for this very flavorful chili.
12 large dried chili pods. the ones sold here are usually from New Mexico.
remove stems and seeds and cut them into pieces, using kitchen scissors.
beef stock. make sure it’s boiling hot.
add the cut up chili pods to the beef stock. cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
spoon chili pods into the blender, plus 1 cup beef stock. blend chilis until pureed into a wet paste.
Finely cubed beef and pork + olive oil and bacon drippings to brown them in.
heat a large pot and add 1 tbsp. bacon drippings and 2 tbsps. olive oil. brown the meat or should i say “saute” it until meat turns grayish in color. (see that liquid? you need to discard that later.)
remove meat from pot onto a large bowl or plate.
after discarding excess liquid from the pot. add the remaining olive oil and bacon drippings. saute onions and garlic until translucent.
add the meat back into the pot – to the sauteed onions and garlic.
stir a few minutes.
add these: crushed tomatoes, spices and beef stock to the sauteed onions and meat.
stir and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
add chili paste to the pot.
add kidney beans to the pot.
stir and simmer for another 30 minutes or until desired thickness.
Serve with either one of these : plain cornbread, Naan (Indian bread), French baguette, or artisan breads. Oh, don’t forget to top your bowl of chili with grated cheddar cheese and freshly chopped red onions, or sour cream, or all three.
Devil’s Stew aka Texas Chili:
12 large dried Santa Fe New Mexico chilis – medium to extra hot
4 cups boiling beef stock or 4 cups boiling water + 4 beef bouillon cubes
2 pounds beef (tender roast, round or shoulder) – chopped into ¼ inch cubes
1 pound top loin pork chop, boneless – chopped into ¼ inch cubes
4 large garlic cloves – peeled and minced
1 large red onion – finely diced
1 1/3 cup crushed tomatoes (canned)
1 TBSP. dried oregano
1 TBSP. ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper for additional heat – optional
½ tsp. ground hot pepper for even hotter chili
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. coarse sea salt (if needed)
3 cans (16 ounces each) dark kidney beans – drained
2 TBSPs. bacon drippings – divided
4 TBSPs. olive oil – divided
Cut the stems and remove the seeds of dried chilis. Cut chilis into 3 or 4 pieces. Add chilis into the boiling beef stock and simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes.
Spoon chilis into a blender plus 1 cup beef stock. Reserve the remaining beef stock. Blend chilis until pureed into a wet paste. Set aside.
Trim tough tendons off the steaks and chop into ½ inch cubes. Do the same with the pork.
Heat an 8 quart pot and add 1 tablespoons bacon drippings and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add cubed beef and pork to the heated oil. Stir constantly until meat turns grayish in color. This process will take about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot using a slotted spoon. Discard any liquid from the pot.
There’s usually too much liquid accumulating in the pot because meats are usually injected with water solution, by meat producers to make them weigh heavy. Therefore, this liquid needs to be discarded.
Add the remaining olive oil and bacon drippings. Sauté garlic and onions for about 3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add the meat back into the pot. Stir and saute for about five minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cumin, coriander, cayenne, hot pepper, and bayleaves. Stir to combine. Add the remaining beef stock.
Stir the mixture and simmer over low medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.
Add the chili paste. Stir. Add the drained kidney beans. Stir and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Just before turning off the heat… add freshly ground black pepper. Taste to see if coarse sea salt is needed.
Serve chili hot with either one of these: cornbread, Naan (Indian bread), French baguette, or any Artisan breads.
Note: Grated extra sharp cheddar cheese and finely diced red onions are excellent toppings on individual servings. Grated cheddar cheese and onions highly compliment the chili.
Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:
#1 – Dried chili pods gives chili a very aromatic and slightly sweet flavors. Cannot be substituted with powdered chili.
#2 – Using a combination of beef and pork gives chili great flavors and texture. Meat cooks faster by chopping them finely.
#3 – Kidney beans make this chili hearty. Do not use if you are a purist.
#4 – Eating chili with Naan bread makes it even more adventurous makes you want to go the heaven.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking! | <urn:uuid:67f3ea12-a4d9-4672-9eff-e2acabae5f86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bisayanqueen.wordpress.com/category/southern-tex-mex/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926389 | 1,752 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Metro Identifies Source of Track Circuit MalfunctionBetween Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn
Repairs to be Made this Weekend;Metro to Continue Eight-Car Trains During Afternoon Rush
Metro officials today identified the source of a track circuit problem on the Orange and Blue Line between the Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn Metrorail stations that has been causing delays over the past week.. Repairs will be made this weekend so that normal service will resume on Monday morning.
The problem was a defective 3,000-foot communications cable located between the Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn Metrorail stations, 135 feet under ground. Over the past week, Metro officials conducted a series of diagnostic tests checking all 17 track circuits between the two stations. The defective cable, located early this morning, was the primary reason that the track circuit failed on Tuesday, June 7, outside the Foggy Bottom Metrorail station. Since then, trains have been operating manually at reduced speed.
The track circuit problem caused delays between the two stations. At the same time, more significant delays were experienced by passengers traveling to the end of the line stations at Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and Franconia-Springfield.
Problems with a track circuit began June 7, just after 6 p.m. in the tunnel between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn. Computers ensure that trains maintain a certain distance between each other. But the distances weren’t being automatically maintained in a 1,000- foot section of track between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn because of the malfunction. As a precaution, trains have been operating manually ever since.
To ease delays on the line, Metro has been operating eight-car trains since Monday afternoon rush hour to ease Blue and Orange Line delays. Nine, 8-car trains have been operating every two-and-a-half minutes on the Orange Line during the afternoon peak.
News release issued on June 16, 2005. | <urn:uuid:93e50bab-ff61-473d-b9c9-2fe5b49cd667> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=3393 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960972 | 395 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Guest blog post by Steve Landefeld, Director of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Off the top of your head, it probably seems obvious that the economies of America’s major cities differ structurally and behaviorally from our nation’s nonmetropolitan and rural areas, right? You are correct, indeed! But the really interesting question is, What can you learn about this from the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis? BEA measures our regional economies in several ways, including GDP by State, GDP by Metropolitan Area, State Personal Income, Metropolitan Area Personal Income and County Personal Income (AKA: Local Area Personal Income).
To understand the differences between the big, metropolitan areas and the rural parts of the country, your best bet is to turn to BEA’s Local Area Personal Income which details earnings in all 3,143 counties in the U.S.
Technically speaking, nonmetropolitan counties are those that are not part of a metropolitan statistical area, or MSA, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Population in these counties is generally less than 50,000 people. There are 2,032 nonmetropolitan counties in the U.S., almost twice the number of metropolitan counties. Of course, not all nonmetropolitan areas are rural, nor are all rural areas excluded from official designated metropolitan areas. Another important consideration is commuting patterns, certainly plenty of Americans live in areas which may be rural, but drive into MSAs to work which intertwines these economies. (What, you thought we’d make it that easy?) | <urn:uuid:d2fa8e45-68b4-4472-a1b1-95e85a8c666d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commerce.gov/blog/category/609 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945265 | 324 | 3.125 | 3 |
Tallahassee, December 2, 2012
Two Tallahassee universities are now off an alternate list of 'The 25 Most Dangerous College Campuses.'
The website, Business Insider, listed Florida State University as the 25th and Florida A & M as the 4th most dangerous college campuses in the country.
The original rankings were complied using crime statistics from the FBI. They included crimes committed both on and off campus. The list includes universities with at least 10,000 students.
However, both universities are off the alternate list. The alternate list uses on-campus crime statistics complied through the Clery Act.
Under the alternate criteria, FSU drops to 45th and FAMU drops to 53rd.
Anne P. Glavin, President
Business Insider Article
November 27, 2012
A recent article published in Business Insider magazine that purported to rank the 25 most dangerous colleges in America presents a misleading and highly distorted picture of crime on campus, based on a flawed methodology.
Business Insider used a formula to rank the largest universities in the country, based on an average of FBI data from 2008 to 2011. Only colleges with an enrollment of 10,000 students or greater were included in the rankings, based on a combination of the violent crime and property crime ranks, which were weighted on a four (violent crimes) to one (property crimes) basis.
The data originated from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report (UCR).
However, the FBI cautions consumers not to rank institutions based on the UCR statistics. "Any comparisons of crime among different locales should take into consideration numerous other factors besides the areas' crime statistics. Therefore, the UCR Program does not provide rankings of localities by crime levels," the FBI states on its website.
The U.S. Department of Education requires institutions of higher education to file detailed crime statistics each year with the federal government. These statistics are available for the public to view.
IACLEA's member institutions are dedicated to protecting the 18 million students, as well as faculty, staff and the millions of visitors to our college campuses. The fact is that credible, longitudinal studies have proven that 18-24 year old students are less likely to be a victim of a violent crime on a college campus than in the general society. Articles like this do a disservice to students, parents and the officers and staff who work round the clock to provide a secure learning environment.
Statement from FAMU
“We are continuing to review this ranking and the data to determine how we landed in the top five. When you look at FAMU’s crime statistics in the FAMU Police Department’s Annual Report for the last three years, the incidents of crime at FAMU have declined in many areas. Consequently, we believe this ranking is misleading and paints an inaccurate picture of our campus environment. As a matter of fact, the FBI discourages anyone viewing the data from ranking institutions since there are multiple variables involved. The ranking in question also included crimes occurring outside of the campus, which are difficult or even impossible for us to control. We believe our Police Department and administration have done a stellar job in creating a safe and secure environment for our students and campus community.”
Sharon P. Saunders
Chief Communications Officer
Florida A&M University
WCTV got reaction from students and university police regarding a study that shows that both schools are in the top 25 when it comes to most dangerous campuses.
So how dangerous are the campuses of FAMU and FSU?
A business insider study shows FAMU is the fourth most dangerous college in America while Florida State University comes in at number 25.
Terrie Hookfin, stated: "The statistics come from somewhere, so I don't know; I'll have my eyes open to be more safe when I'm walking around."
Victoria Shamas also stated: "I know where to avoid, where to go, I think it's not that bad."
The schools were ranked by averaging FBI crime data per capita from 2008 to 2011, for schools with over 10,000 students.
The study combined violent crime rank with property crime rank.
David Perry, Chief FSU Police, stated: "The methodology definitely does not reflect the crime or what we would consider the dangerousness of our campus or any campus that's listed on that list."
And that's how most of the students on the FAMU and FSU campuses feel.
Jonathan Lubin, Florida State University Senior, stated: "My four years here I truly haven't seen any crime, we do have our FSU alerts which do alert us of crimes. They seem far and in between, I'm shocked to hear that we're 25th in the nation."
FSU school officials were not pleased with the study saying that it was inappropriate and misleading.
The study also shows there were nearly 90,000 crimes committed on and around college campuses last year. | <urn:uuid:6ad442bc-63ab-412d-bbc7-43ed06924305> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/FSU-FAMU-Among-Top-Most-Dangerous-Campuses-181305551.html?site=full | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958704 | 1,004 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Pittsburgh could have an early edge. [Darren Jobling, an owner and director of business development for Eutechnyx], said he hopes to tap talent coming out of Pittsburgh's renowned training grounds for video game design, the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh's video game arts program.
"Pittsburgh looks to be a great base," Jobling said. "We like the fact that there are great university links and that there's not a lot of competition there at this time."
Pittsburgh is a frontier innovation market. There is plenty of intellectual capital in the region, but that potential is relatively under-exploited. The local pessimists tend to overlook such developments, instead focusing on past losses such as the move of Lycos to Boston.
Pittsburgh is situated to become a center of the virtual economy. The foundation already exists, but I don't think anyone has recognized this innovation cluster theme. Before someone directs me to evidence to the contrary, let me clarify what I mean.
Between startups such as Etcetera Edutainment and the social networking of Pitt in Hollywood, you only have part of the economic development story. The freelancing hub at Guru and the unique disposition of Pittsburgh's Diaspora comprise an emerging labor mobility landscape that few regions can rival.
My blog is a visioning exercise for Pittsburgh's niche in the global economy. Pittsburgh is an important nexus in the world geography of talent. The battle is to figure out the best way to translate that position into regional economic benefit. The good news is that domestic talent demographics (hat tip to David Campbell) are beginning to swing in Pittsburgh's favor.
There is considerable disjuncture between the location of talent supply and talent demand. Talent demand is centered in areas with overheated real estate markets (see Richard Florida's description of the Spiky World geography). Substantial talent supply is coming from a number of places struggling to gain a foothold in the post-industrial economy while the most geographically mobile are relocating to residences that they find the most desirable (in terms of climate, schools, etc...).
That Eutechnyx is seriously considering Pittsburgh is testament to this emerging strategy to secure increasingly scarce talent. The abundant labor that local universities produce, along with the relatively inexpensive real estate, make Pittsburgh attractive. However, there is still a proximity problem (which is why the world continues to trend towards the spiky).
I contend that the Burgh Diaspora can solve this proximity problem. Capital exchanges are much easier among people who already have a common cultural experience and established lines of trust. Face-to-face interaction is less important, relieving the burden of high economic rents that result from the need to concentrate talent in the same place. | <urn:uuid:4430f59f-a316-4308-bf6f-a487e33d5183> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://burghdiaspora.blogspot.com/2007/10/video-game-diaspora.html?m=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941437 | 562 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The National Aerospace and Space Administration (NASA) declared on Tuesday that Mars could support life. The basis of NASA was an analysis of rock samples that the Curiosity crew drilled from the red planet.
The analysis found evidence of water and basic elements that small organisms could thrive on.
"We have found a habitable environment that is so benign and supportive of life that probably if this water was around and you had been on the planet, you would have been able to drink it," AP quoted John Grotzinger, the chief scientist of the California Institute of Technology.
Curiosity used its robotic arms to drill into a fine-grained, veiny rock to get powder samples which were tested by the crew on its onboard laboratories.
While previous NASA missions discovered evidence that the red planet was more tropical billions of years ago, the belief is that Mars is now a frigid desert often hit by radiation.
The analysis specifically found sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous and simple carbon which are essential chemical ingredients for life. It also found clay and sulfate minerals which are indicators that the rock was formed in a watery environment.
Curiosity landed near the Mars equator in August 2012 as part of its two-year mission.
Interest in Mars has spiked following the Curiosity landing that an American billionaire is organising a 501-day journey to Mars in 2018 using a space vehicle covered with hydrated human feces to serve as protection against radiation. | <urn:uuid:00ef0258-9221-4c0f-948f-7d1da6889380> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/445424/20130313/nasa-mars-rock-test-shows-red-planet.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977612 | 292 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Real Estate Listings
MLS Home Search
Metro Atlanta: 27,137 Listings
Druid Hills Real Estate
Listings identified with the FMLS IDX logo come from FMLS, are held by brokerage firms other than the owner of this website and the listing brokerage is identified in any listing details. Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. © 2013 First Multiple Listing Service, Inc.
About Druid Hills
Historic Druid Hills is an oasis in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its park-like setting, wooded lots, and graceful curving roads are in sharp contrast to the automobile sprawl found in the suburbs to the east and north. Recognized as an historic district by the National Park Service, this neighborhood is one of the finest examples of urban planning in the Southeast.
Druid Hills' beauty and lush landscape are no accident. At the end of the 19th century Atlanta developer Joel Hurt's vision of a large tract of land saddling the Ponce de Leon corridor was largely responsible for this incredible development. To ensure that his vision maintained its abundant greenery, in 1892 he hired Frederick Law Olmsted, one of America's foremost landscape architects. This project, one of Olmsted's last, represents the final evolution of his thinking about the relationship between suburban and urban areas.
Olmsted's vision of majestic trees, roads that do not dominate the landscape but blend into the natural topography, and homes on large plots of land was a revolutionary departure from the city living of the time. Narrow lots and crowded homes would not be a part of this suburb. Olmsted's associates who gained their experience from Druid Hills later worked on Ansley Park, Morningside, Garden Hills, and Avondale Estates.
Druid Hills residents quickly realized that their suburb was definitely unique. By 1938, Druid Hills residents had formed a civic association to safeguard the integrity and heritage of the neighborhood. A drive through Druid Hills is testimony to their success. The architecture has been preserved; there are no cluster homes; the large, roomy lots have not been subdivided. Driving Miss Daisy put the neighborhood's charms on the national stage. While not all homes here are as grand as "Miss Daisy's," they all, in some way or another, help express the original vision of Druid Hills.
What area does Druid Hills take in? Depends on whom you ask! The National Park Service defines Druid Hills as being bounded by the Fulton County line on the west, Briarcliff Rd. to the northwest, just over the Emory Rd. line on the north and following the south side of Emory Rd. The boundary cuts south and juts east around the Fernbank Forest and Recreational Center, then cuts east and south along tracks of the Seaboard Coast Line. South it is bordered by North Ave. and the Atlanta City boundary.
The Druid Hills Civic Association considers its boundaries to be somewhat greater, being bounded by South Fork Peachtree Creek on the north (including Emory University) and parts of the eastern edge of Morningside and Virginia-Highland.
One major commercial district in this area is the small collections of shops and restaurants clustered around the entrance to Emory University. This area, known as Emory Village, caters to the university community, but is heavily patronized by residents of Druid Hills and beyond. There are excellent public schools for children in these neighborhoods, too.
The Sage Hill shopping center -- at the intersection of Clifton, Briarcliff, and Johnson Roads -- is a purely utilitarian strip center. The Zonolite Road Business District -- especially the Floataway Building -- is an incubator of niche cultural and business concerns. Here you'll find the Push-Push theater, The Floataway Cafe, and several edgy art galleries.
The major cultural attractions belong, clearly, to Emory University. Foremost among these is the Michael C. Carlos Museum, focusing on ancient art. Its building was designed by Michael Graves. The Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, Emory’s performance arts venue, occupies the corner at Clifton and N. Decatur. For decades, the performing arts at Emory had been hosted in the University's sanctuary at Glenn Memorial Church. But with the opening of the Cannon Chapel, used as a chamber concert hall and theater, and now the Schwartz Center, Emory is taking itself seriously as an institution of the arts.
Emory is also famous -- or notorious (depending on how you feel about using apes in medical research) -- for the Yerkes Primate Institute. You will find very little mention of it outside of researchers' resumes or publications, however, as they would like the general public to forget it's there. On a more positive note, however, the famous Winship Cancer Institute building is nearby.
But it is the parkland that Druid Hills started with and what we should end with. The Olmstead Linear Park (previously called the Ponce de Leon Linear Park) comprises, from Briarcliff Road on the west to the Seaboard railroad tracks on the east, Springdale Park, Virgilee Park, Brightwood Park, Shady Side Park, Dellwood Park, and Deepdene Park. You will find a wonderful bicycle/walking path through these parks, starting at Virgilee Park and ending at Dellwood Park. These small urban oases remain, and they confer a halo effect on the entire area.
Druid Hills Neighborhoods | <urn:uuid:a89bf0d4-7ca6-48d3-859b-cea24b51b2a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bestmetroatlantahomesearch.com/guide/Druid_Hills | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953999 | 1,135 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The UAE is still suffering from the Iranian occupation of its three islands, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Foreign Minister, has told a conference in Kazakhstan.
WAM, the state news agency, quoted him as calling the occupation of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa islands a threat to international stability, saying the UAE stood by the need for "international mediation or direct negotiation to reach a settlement". This could be through the UN or the International Court of Justice, or any similar organisation.
However, he said, Tehran has not shown no sign of willingness to solve the matters at an international level since it invaded the islands on the eve of the UAE's foundation in 1971.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, visited the Abu Musa in April, making a speech in which he asserted Iran's right to the islands.
The UAE instantly declared the visit provocative and called on Iran to engage in dialogue to solve the dispute.
Turning to other matters, Sheikh Abdullah said Asia was facing other "challenges from reaching its full potential in the international level".
The UAE was particularly concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the plight of the Palestinians.
He said the situation in Syria was worsening by the day, with refugees spilling into neighbouring countries. He said the UAE and other GCC countries were providing aid and money.
He added that the international community should not forget about the Palestinians. Although the situation might be calm for now, it could change at any time. | <urn:uuid:fa251b8d-b43a-4583-8a4d-5e845bd9f880> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-still-suffering-from-irans-occupation-of-islands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961057 | 305 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Klein Constantia wine estate
It is hard to explain just how deep agapanthus run in the veins of South African horticulturists. Their blood is blue.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
When I was little there was one kind of agapanthus (probably straight A. praecox) - big, pale blue, like the ones above - blooming over the December and January school holidays. So associated with South African summers that we called them Christmas flowers. Ooh, look, Mommy, Christmas flowers! The lagoon at Knysna ringed with them, beside the other ubiquitous holiday plant, hydrangea. Great pink and lilac mopheads gradually paling under the hot southern sun. Years that felt like lifetimes.
Agapanthus were the plants you forgot about. They bloomed, no matter what you did or didn't do to them. So they were planted en masse, beside highways and in parking lots and on sidewalks.
My mother's garden
Before the bust comes the bubble, right?
Enter the agapanthus borer, family unknown. That's right. It is nameless. So far.
It started with a bud, last December. The green wasting from it, the colour turning yellow, the sap drying up so that the plump point became soft. Soon, other buds began to droop. On closer inspection, a black hole in the bud or at its base. A bruise on the stem. Violence had occurred.
Snap it off and the hole extends into the long stem. Cut the stem open lengthwise and is revealed a striped caterpillar, entombed. Bud after bud succumbs.
It is hard to not to be filled with revulsion at a creature whose only purpose in life seems to be to destroy beauty. An army of one (by one, by...). The caterpillars are the offspring of a moth.
I started searching the web. Nothing. Except a discussion in June 2011 in a Cape Horticltural Society newsletter where Mike Picker, who wrote the book on insects (literally - The Field Guide to Insects of South Africa, published by Struik) writes:
“I have noticed it in my own garden as well, and as you have no doubt observed, it attacks both the buds, stems and rhizomes of Agapanthus. It is a moth larva, and it’s the first time I have seen it, so I suspect that it has just appeared/spread this year . It may represent a species from another part of SA, as many insects have moved southwards recently. I think it might turn out to be a real problem, although insects are very sensitive to short-term climate variations, and this summer was very unusual in that regard.I have done a quick scan on the net, and there appears to be nothing on them. I can't be certain of the family, although they are probably Noctuidae (same family as the Crinum borer, Brithys crinii).”
He then invites members to bag suspects and drop them in his mailbox!
But if you do have the borer, please take a picture of it (in focus!) and please write to Dr Picker, indicating your suburb, and evidence of the borer (description of affected plants, lack of flowers, rotting of central leaves and rhizome, and possible observation of the caterpillar). Include the date when it was noticed.
Send observations to : mike.picker (at) uct.ac.za
The signs of a borer attack are yellow and brown central leaves in an agapanthus clump, that pull away easily from the plant. The caterpillars generally enter the flower bud and eat their way downwards through the flower stem into the rhizome, partially destroying it. The result is a lack of flowers on most agapanthus. The caterpillars are found on and in rhizomes that are dug up, or in stems, and are cream with black spots.
And I, alarmist that I am, connector of crawling dots, photographed these disas on Table Mountain (where Agapanthus africanus occurs naturally) and suggested on iSpot that this may be evidence of the borer. Botanical firebrand Dr Tony Rebelo's response was dismissive (correctly so, if we're talking science): "Did you dissect the parasitized buds? What on earth makes you suspect Agapanthus Caterpillars?: Why not Arum Lily Borers or Fig Tree Borers? Get us a critter and we will try and identify it without prejudice or preconception. Something has to stop the world being covered sky high in Disa uniflora!!"
So the man has a sense of humour.
Disa bud, Table Mountain
Fine, all true. But as a non bona fide botanist I was not about to start picking Disa uniflora in the national park.
But circumstantially? It ain't no fig tree borer. Why would it be? And arums don't grow that high. Though it's a possibility. But agapanthus abound. And the modus operandi looks. just. the. same.
Maybe the disas will make people sit up and take notice. Because right now they think it's just some gardening ladies in the suburbs crying, Worm! I'm curious about when it will begin to affect growers and nurseries.
Once the caterpillar works its way down the stalk, having destroyed the bud and turned it into black mush, it heads for the crown of the plant at soil level, there to pupate, and begin again. So far, the only solutions are to remove it mechanically (meaning find and handpick it out), or to douse the crown of the plant in poison. Poison, being posion, kills everything in its path. Dead zone. Ferndale, a local nursery in Constantia recommends poison. They even have a designated poison person selling poisons, whose personality matches the product. I am not a fan.
So. In my mother's garden, the agapanthus are being inspected and cut down and divided. Some of them have been doused. Those big blue swathes are now empty brown patches.
The only upside, at the moment, is that this creates room for improvisation. Meaning: new plants.
When in doubt, shop.
*** If anyone is able to photograph this caterpillar, please do. Check your agapanthus. My image is not very helpful for ID purposes, and if you are able to send me a better one we can post it to iSpot so that the pros are able to observe it better. | <urn:uuid:a20bbaa0-e6f4-4fa0-990e-0ecfa182ba3a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/2012/02/agapanthus-borer.html?showComment=1330528740348 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951028 | 1,390 | 2.296875 | 2 |
An ab belt is a fitness device designed to strengthen and define the abdominal muscles and obliques. These belts work by using Electronic Muscle Stimulation, or EMS. EMS is a type of muscle stimulation that uses focused electrical currents to comfortably contract the muscles.
Ab belts emit electrical currents through specialized pads that are placed on specific areas of the stomach. Each time that the belt emits a current, the affected nerves will send signals to the surrounding nerves, which causes the muscles to contract. This works the entire stomach, instead of only focusing on the muscles directly touching the belt. It’s also important to understand that ab belts send out electrical currents in pulses. This means that the muscles are given a period of rest after each contraction. They are not forced to flex continually.
Is Electronic Muscle Stimulation Safe?
The idea of using electricity to strength the muscles may sound a little scary at first. Many people worry that using an ab belt will be painful or cause horrible side effects. Fortunately, both of these concerns are unwarranted. Ab belts are not painful or unsafe.
In fact, electronic muscle stimulation has been used since the early 1950’s. It was first used to help injured athletes increase their strength as they recovered. EMS is now used by athletes and physical therapists. Athletes use this technology to increase their strength, rehab their muscles during injury, increase endurance, and push their physical limits. Physical therapists use this technology to help patients work the muscles they can’t strengthen on their own.
It’s also worth noting that ab belts do not use strong electrical currents. The amount of electricity being used is very minute. The strength of the electrical current is also adjustable. If a user feels uncomfortable, they can reduce the power until their muscle contractions are at a comfortable level.
Possible Side Effects:
There are no known side effects of using an ab belt. The only side effect that users may have to worry about is muscle soreness. When a person begins using an ab belt, their muscles may feel a bit sore, just as they would after doing sit-ups or other abdominal exercises. This is simply a sign of the belt working. If a user’s muscles are overly sore after using the belt, they may want to decrease the intensity until their muscles have become stronger.
However, ab belts are not for everyone. Pregnant women, for example, should refrain from using an ab belt until six weeks after giving birth. After a Cesarean section, women should refrain from using their belt for three months. People suffering from diabetes, heart problems, and certain types of cancer should consult their physician before using an ab belt.
Other than in these specific cases, ab belts are completely safe. In fact, one popular product, The Flex Belt, has been approved by the FDA. The Flex Belt is specially designed to help both men and women strengthen, tone, and define their abdominal muscles. With regular use, this ab belt will help users define their waist and achieve the chiseled abs they’ve always wanted.
- Do Ab Belts Actually Work?
- Electronic Muscle Stimulation and Ab Belts :: Does it Work?
- Electric Ab Belt : Get 6 Pack Abs | <urn:uuid:f17f8175-86ab-4d1d-9371-ca32a554fb5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abbelthq.com/are-ab-belts-safe/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953846 | 659 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Welcome to Encore Piano Tuition at Churchill Park School
- Enjoy the convenience of in-school piano tuition from registered music teachers who are passionate about their teaching.
- Lessons are ‘one-on-one’ in Churchill Park’s purpose-built music teaching studio.
- Lessons include practical, theory and musicianship skills that are fun, positive and student centered.
- Lessons are scheduled at a mutually agreeable time between class teacher, parent and piano teacher.
- Students may come out of class, during lunchtime or before school. Lessons are rescheduled if there is a clash with school trips or special school events.
Why learn a musical instrument? – Apart from the sheer joy of making music, your child will boost brain power, grow in self-confidence, increase creativity, establish patience and determination, learn time-management skills, build concentration, improve memory and learning habits, develop social skills and be exposed to history and culture. The benefits of music lessons are endless……..
To register for lessons click here. | <urn:uuid:88da310d-54d2-408e-985f-594585282953> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://encorepiano.co.nz/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933688 | 213 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Ram Gopal Varma's controversial Bejawada might have received unfavourable response from the audience but it has definitely become a role model for Bollywood. Wonder what? Well, the warning messages during the smoking scenes in the movie have been appreciated by the health ministry for setting an example for other film industries and making the public aware about the ill-effects of smoking.
The movie has at least 10 smoking scenes and the makers of the film have displayed scrolling warnings in those sequences. When a South film can do it why not the Bollywood filmmakers, who have been opposing this very idea, follow the same, asks a health ministry official. However, this rule, which was notified by the I & B ministry on November 14, is yet to become a law and the decision is pending with the law ministry for the approval.
According to the rules, a warning saying that smoking is injurious to health and it can lead to cancer must be displayed at the bottom of the screen during the smoking scenes in films. The actors also should personally promote about the after effects of smoking cigarettes. The cigarette brands, which the stars smoke on-screen, must be blurred. Finally, a 30-second-clip that shows the ill-effects of smoking should be played in the middle of the film. | <urn:uuid:b276f80e-ba83-4db7-b599-1e760c1131f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://entertainment.oneindia.in/telugu/news/2011/bejawada-role-model-bollywood-071211.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974165 | 262 | 1.664063 | 2 |
In addition to the myriad technical challenges for Apple switching from x86 to ARM, there are a number of business reasons why this makes no sense.
Apple is fundamentally a system company at heart. From their inception, they have avoided designing chips and emphasized the overall product. Apple’s strength is identifying new markets, and creating products with a compelling user experience and buzz-factor that unlocks the consumer’s desire for new devices and services. Software and industrial engineering play a central role for Apple. They certainly have influenced the direction of their hardware partners (e.g. AltiVec, OpenCL), but chip design is not a core expertise. Early versions of the iPhone were designed by Apple in tandem with Samsung. With PA Semi and Intrinsity, Apple now has some chip expertise in-house. However, those teams have only been at Apple for around 3 years; so they are just beginning to tape out their first chips at Apple. There is relatively little evidence that their teams are prepared for a much larger and more complex project.
Trying to design an ARM microprocessor that matches the performance and efficiency of competing Intel or AMD products is very risky. Even a cutting edge foundry like IBM or Global Foundries is at a significant disadvantage compared to Intel’s 22nm tri-gate process. Assuming that Apple or a partner has the expertise to design such a chip, it is far from clear that their execution will be good enough. The downside risk is pretty substantial; a botched transition could tank sales of their notebooks for two years or more. If Apple’s new MacBooks are slower than the older x86 generation, it would be incredibly embarrassing and nearly impossible for Apple to justify a premium for their products.
Another business consideration is the rest of the ecosystem for notebooks, in particular the GPU. Apple relies on four companies for graphics – AMD, Imagination Technologies, Intel and Nvidia. Imagination is primarily focused on smartphones, tablets and embedded systems where power efficiency and battery life matters more than performance. Aiming for notebook level performance with an unproven CPU and unproven GPU at the same time is sheer madness, and Apple is unlikely to take such a risk. Intel and AMD would have no interest in supplying their graphics for an ARM-based SOC, nor do they have ARM drivers. That only leaves one option though. Nvidia is assuredly developing drivers for ARM and project Denver, and also has some in-house binary translation expertise. But moving to an Nvidia platform would effectively lock Apple into a single source – an arrangement they have tried to avoid for years. Even with x86, there are two options for microprocessors and three for graphics.
An added complication is that Apple would have to split their computer line, between ARM notebooks and x86 desktops (and servers). That would increase their validation and support costs to deal with different hardware and software. While a great deal of software is available electronically, the inevitable confusion and compatibility headaches for consumers would be significant.
The strongest argument for Apple sticking with x86 is that it meets their needs quite well. Intel and AMD are both focused on the notebook and desktop market, and actively pushing towards less power and more efficient products. Apple has good relationships with both companies, and can play them off against one another for their own benefit. Even today, they are mixing and matching Intel microprocessors with integrated graphics that can switch to AMD’s superior discrete GPUs for the best efficiency and performance. Both times that Apple migrated their older platform was lagging in performance (68K and PowerPC) and/or unable to compete in key products (e.g. no PowerPC notebooks). In each case, their business would have suffered substantially if they had not switched. With AMD and Intel hardware to choose from, there is no reason to believe that Apple’s systems are under threat. They have access to world class hardware for their entire product line, and history suggests that as long as that is true, they will stay with x86.
Discuss (91 comments) | <urn:uuid:8e93835c-7ec6-4137-89ba-0b020581c4f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realworldtech.com/apple-stays-x86/3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967004 | 822 | 2.21875 | 2 |
In Organizing Campaigns, Unions Fall Far Short of the Truth
Union campaigns calling for 'Dignity & Respect' are just rhetorical rallying points that are really non-negotiable
By Peter A. List, President & COO
As a former unionist committed to combating today's labor union offensives, I find it so extraordinarily disheartening when I hear employees blindly echoing the deception put forth by union organizers that unions give people 'dignity and respect' in their working lives. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it's easy to prove that there is nothing 'respectful' about going without a paycheck while striking, nor is there anything 'dignified' about yelling "scab" at someone who is taking your job, these are just by-products of organized labor's attempt to deceive America's working people as labor attempts to rebuild its ranks by using any means possible. However, to really understand this, one must understand the concepts involved with the terms 'dignity and respect' as well as the dynamics of labor-management negotiations.
Although union organizers will commonly use the 'dignity and respect' tactic when trying to seduce people into voting for union representation, the trick is probably one of the most viciously deceitful tactics used on employees. The reason, of course, is because nothing could be further from the truth. By paying a union its dues, a person does not automatically acquire "dignity" or "respect."
In fact, those terms have absolutely nothing to do with labor management negotiations. Under the National Labor Relations Act, it is the duty of the employer and the representative of its employees to bargain in good faith about "wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment." Nowhere in the law does it state that "dignity" and "respect" must also be negotiated. In fact, it would be difficult for any two people to define these two terms in even the same fashion.
The term "dignity" is defined in Webster's dictionary as "the quality of being worthy of esteem and honor; the degree of worth, repute, or honor; proper pride and self-respect…[italics added]." Similarly, the term "respect" is defined in Webster's dictionary as "to feel or show honor or esteem for; hold in high regard…"
By their nature, each of these terms can only be ascribed to an individual by another individual. For example, one may have "respect" for another person because of the quality of that person's character, his or her achievements, principles or morals. One would not, however, generally "respect" that person based solely upon his or her membership in an organization (be it a labor union or a political party). In other words, as the adage states, respect has to be earned, it can't be bought.
Likewise, the term "dignity" is something that is bestowed upon one individual by another and can also be maintained within their relationship between one another by their personal interaction. Again, the term does not apply to an individual based merely upon his or her membership in an organization.
So, how do unions get employees "dignity" and "respect" at their jobs? They don't. In fact, unions by their very nature, create a loss of individuality and independence and have the opposite effect on individuals. Instead of being treated as individuals, when people belong to a union, they are generally lumped together into a big, collective "melting pot," where the good is mixed with the bad.
High achievers–those who actually take pride in their work and have self-respect in how well they perform in their chosen jobs or professions and are actually the most deserving of the terms "dignity" and "respect"–get lumped together with the mediocre (those without higher standards). Then, the mediocre get lumped together with the lowest of the collective, or "bargaining unit." Consequently, the best and the brightest of the collective group lose their incentive, their drive to excel, and, eventually, their individuality and pride. Instead of attributes, unionized individuals beginning learning terms like: "it's not in my job description," or "it's management's fault." Instead of being given respect for their attributes, individuals become "just another number"–a part of "the herd," "the masses," or "the mob."
Unfortunately, with a union, the person who takes pride in his or her work and has earned the right to use the terms "dignity" and "respect"–the person who truly knows what those terms mean–gets lumped into the same "pot of stew" as the person who has no pride, dignity, or self-respect. Union organizers know this, but the tactic is, nevertheless, effective on those people who do not understand the concepts behind the terms, or who do not understand that "dignity" and "respect" are just not negotiable. | <urn:uuid:6d186fda-b89c-48bb-8dae-dd127ee9b5ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uskulture.com/OE_Unions_Fall_Short.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970281 | 1,029 | 2 | 2 |
Guest of Honor
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A guest of honor (GoH; British English: guest of honour) is a person who is invited to attend a convention, and is listed publicly on convention fliers and other materials. The GoH usually has their transportation and lodging costs picked up by the convention, and in turn agrees to participate in certain panels and/or events that are hosted by the convention. This often includes a lunch with pre-registered high-level sponsors.
Guests of Honor are often one (or more) of the following:
The more popular that a particular guest is, the bigger their "draw" is, in terms of getting people to attend the convention.
See also
|This stub about a term could be .| | <urn:uuid:cde07a57-d977-47d0-a682-b2c232250ffe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/GOH | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973944 | 193 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Gene Callahan has an odd post where he writes:
It might seem that the doctrine of divine omniscience means that God knows the future. Many have so interpreted it.
I think that is wrong. God can only know what can be known. But the future is just a name we use for what has not yet happened and it does not, in fact, exist. What does not exist cannot be known.
God is surprised every moment, just like we are.
What’s even odder is that in the comments, Gene has no problem with viewing God as standing outside of time.
Well, I don’t have too much to say except, “I disagree with Gene on this one.” His whole argument rests on the premise that the future is, in principle, unknowable. But that’s sort of the thing under dispute. I claim that the future is, in principle, knowable–after all, God knows it!
My personal metaphor is that God is an author who wrote His story–history–and we are each one character in this amazing narrative. It’s not merely that we are in a certain chapter of a serial novel, where that author kinda sorta knows where things are heading. No, I think the novel is already written, and yet it seems to be unfolding in “real time” to us, just like Luke Skywalker really doesn’t know what he’s going to face at Cloud City. But those events are certainly “knowable”; George Lucas knew them for a while, and now so do those of us who have seen The Empire Strikes Back. (This is analogous to people who die and go to heaven. I think they become joined with God in some fashion, and suddenly see the whole divine plan. Among other things, now it is blindingly obvious why it was not only necessary, but a good thing for Awful Events XYZ to occur, even though we mortals, with our unimaginably small subset of the relevant information, get furious with God for allowing them to happen.)
In closing, here are some Biblical passages to show that Gene’s interpretation cannot be squared with standard Judaism or Christianity. (That doesn’t mean he’s wrong, but just pointing out how unusual his stance is.)
Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Matthew 24:3 – 36 (with me editing out a lot):
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a] these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[b] and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it[d] is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,[e] but My Father only.”
And this final example is pretty crystal clear, from Mark 14: 27-30:
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’
28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
In that last example, not only does Jesus correctly predict what Peter will do in the near future–”correctly” of course if we are taking the Bible at face value in any way–but Jesus is giving one of many examples in the New Testament where He explains how He is fulfilling Old Testament prophesies.
I will stop here and let Gene speak for himself, because this obviously isn’t a matter of the weight of the evidence. In other words it’s not that Gene hasn’t come across passages in the Bible where the God of Moses or Jesus predict things that later come true. But, having given Gene the benefit of the doubt, I don’t know what else to do with his post. I cannot predict his response, that’s for sure… | <urn:uuid:b7f450a6-05e5-4314-ad4b-4cb98646fb29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://consultingbyrpm.com/blog/2012/08/yes-gene-god-knows-the-future.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965732 | 1,244 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Online elementary-level English literacy programme for young deaf adults using Indian Sign Language.
Masters thesis, University of Central Lancashire.
This study is focussed on an online English Learning Platform (ELP), which has been created to teach elementary-level English literacy to empower and equip young Deaf adults in India with a better knowledge of English grammar. The ELP has been conceptualised as a positive environment in which Deaf learners have full access to online instruction in sign language, and therefore can learn English independently, irrespective of time and place. The study uses a qualitative case study approach, and aims to identify the experiences and attitudes of 20 Deaf participants towards learning English online and the ways in which this learning affected their use of English. The research findings are based on a careful analysis of data collected from the ELP’s activity logs, and from a questionnaire and interviews conducted with the participants. The findings suggest that participants had broadly positive experiences towards learning English online and indicate ways in which the ELP could be improved further as an effective model for online distance learning.
Repository Staff Only: item control page | <urn:uuid:01e37750-7e9d-426e-8594-cca69da8657c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/1869/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934783 | 227 | 2.640625 | 3 |
When I watched Taken with my wife, I walked away believing those kinds of things did not happen very often. I thought it was just a movie. What I learned, and what my business students learned, is that human trafficking is the world's largest business for organized crime and only 1% of the girls who fall victim are saved.
In my last post, I explained that my BEMA syllabus was a clean sheet of paper for my students to craft a course full of their interests and ideas, with one exception. This project was the exception, and of course the students were excited to participate. Vicki Davis, a tremendous educator in Georgia, recommended human trafficking or human slavery as the focus for a collaborative project. I agreed, and was excited about the experience my students would have collaborating with students in Georgia to complete the project.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a meeting in Columbus about human trafficking. Sue Helmreich was kind enough to introduce me to various leaders, one being Sister Nancy. I shared a few ideas my students had come up with to raise money for the cause, and she directed me to Destiny Rescue. They are a perfect fit for what we are trying to accomplish. My students are currently writing the business plan for our social enterprise, which is to serve as a promotional arm for Destiny Rescue.
I set up a Skype with Peter Everett so he could explain to my students what Destiny Rescue does. My students and I were amazed. What their Rescue Program does is just like Taken. Some of the girls they have rescued from human trafficking were as young as six years old. So far they have rescued over a hundred girls, an amazing accomplishment if you can imagine the challenges of taking on the mafia and corrupt police in Southeast Asia. After they are rescued, they provide the girls with the counseling, care, and education they need to eventually care for themselves.
Within a few weeks we will announce how we are going to move forward with our Social Enterprise. What the students have in mind is brilliant, and is big. | <urn:uuid:ac5d3478-9ec5-42be-988c-7bdbc5ec2b2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://finedchat.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html?m=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983512 | 412 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Healing Horse Therapy Center in Loxahatchee Groves recently was in need of tender loving care but it was nothing a few coats of paint and some helping hands couldn't fix.
And that is exactly what happened when seven volunteers from the Florida District of FedEx Ground and Home Delivery division came out Jan. 26 to fix the center's paddocks and arena fences.
"Oh my gosh, I was so excited when I found out that the volunteers wanted to come out and paint the fences," center founder Maurette Hanson said. "The fences were so nasty looking and in need of paint."
Projects like this are common for FedEx since giving back to the community is one of the company's six pillars, said Lori LaVigne, FedEx Ground's senior manager for contract relations for North West States Territory.
It was LaVigne who first initiated the relationship between Horse Healing Therapy Center and the Florida District management FedEx Ground.
"I had volunteered in my area with organizations that provided hippotherapy," she said. "I heard about Healing Horse Therapy Center from a friend who lived in Loxahatchee. I thought that Brian [Berryhill, who is the senior manager for contract relations in the Florida District] and the other managers might be interested so I set up a meeting. I thought it would be a good way to open new doors to volunteer service projects."
The plan had been to volunteer just before the holidays, but because of the high amounts of rain South Florida experienced it didn't work. Instead the group returned after their busy peak season to lend a hand.
"Everyone really enjoyed themselves," said Berryhill, who also volunteered.
He said that the volunteers were a mix of management. For some, their interest in volunteering with Healing Horse Therapy Center had to do with the center's work with veterans.
"A lot of the managers had served in the military," he said. "The center's work with wounded veterans sparked their interest."
The volunteer group from FedEx plans to finish painting a couple fences and to build a much needed wheelchair ramp, Hanson said.
"A wheelchair accessible mounting block will be so helpful to the center," she said, adding that she appreciated the work the volunteers had already completed at the center.
"It so great to see a big corporation like FedEx to help a small nonprofit like us. They are not just helping us but [also] the community."
Healing Horse Therapy Center is a nonprofit and PATH International Member Center. Its mission is to provide onsite equine-assisted therapeutic and psychotherapeutic wellness programming to Combat Veterans and Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma, special needs persons, and all individuals needing a safe and nurturing environment to heal from mental and physical injuries, Hanson said. | <urn:uuid:e61854d9-c076-4166-9439-4e831b8f2646> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-01-29/news/fl-wf-facelift-0130-20130129_1_fedex-ground-volunteer-service-projects-fedex-employees | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979402 | 562 | 1.703125 | 2 |
- About ODC
- Agency ADA Coordinators
Long Term Care Alternatives & Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home
When planning ahead or making an unexpected decision, it helps to have as much information as possible. Choosing a nursing home or making other long term care decisions can have great emotional effect on you and your loved ones. Many times the person(s) making the decision are doing so for a loved one and not themselves. If at all possible, it is helpful to plan ahead, visit and compare alternatives and make good financial plans early. Planning ahead gives you and your family more control and can help make sure that your needs are met so you can get good quality care.
Depending on your needs and resources, you may have long-term care choices like community services, home care or assisted living. Before choosing a nursing home, check to see if one of these other choices may be better for you, or if they might help after a temporary nursing home stay. The checklist below will be a helpful tool in deciding on your nursing home.
Be aware that Medicare covers some skilled nursing and rehabilitative care, but generally does not cover custodial care (help with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing and using the bathroom). Most people who enter a nursing home begin by paying for their nursing home care out of their own pocket. Residents may pay for their nursing home stay using their personal resources, long-term care insurance, or with Medicaid if they are eligible. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with low incomes and limited resources. Medicaid pays for care for about seven out of every ten nursing home residents.
Helping Another Person Choose Long Term Care
Many people using this publication provide care and/or help make health care decisions for another person. Making changes in living arrangements is a difficult yet necessary decision many caregivers must help make. Your support can help make the change from living at home to living elsewhere easier for your loved one. Be their advocate by observing the care and living conditions and discussing concerns with the staff of facilities or immediate caregivers. Remember, it is important to include the person who needs long term care in making decisions whenever possible. Always keep their needs in mind.
Who Can Help Answer Questions
Area Agency on Aging (AoA)
AoA is a federal agency that can provide you with a list of the long-term care choices including community services. They can also help you locate nursing homes. Visit http://www.aoa.gov/ on the web.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS has free booklets about Medicare coverage and other health related topics. See page 62 for free booklets on Medicare and related topics. For information about the location and quality of nursing homes, look at http://www.medicare.gov/ on the web. Select “Nursing Home Compare.” Or, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). This is a 24-hour Helpline. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
The Eldercare Locator is a nationwide toll-free service to help older adults and their caregivers find local services for seniors. Go to http://www.eldercare.gov/ on the web. Or, call them at 1-800-677-1116 (weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time).
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted living facilities. Call the Area Wide Aging Agency Senior Information Line at 1-800-211-2116 to ask for contact for your area. You may call Area Wide Aging Agency, Senior Information Line 1-800-211-2116 to ask for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The Ombudsman program helps residents of nursing homes solve problems by acting on their behalf. Ombudsmen visit nursing homes and speak with residents throughout the year to make sure residents' rights are protected. They are a very good source of general information about nursing homes and can work to solve problems with your nursing home care, including financial issues. They may be able to help you compare the nursing home's strengths and weaknesses. Ask them questions like how many complaints they have gotten about a nursing home, what kind of complaints they were, and if the problems were resolved.
Oklahoma State Department of Health
The agency can help you with questions or complaints about the quality of care or the quality of life in a nursing home. Contact the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Protective Health Services, at 1-800-522-0203 or (405) 271-6868. | <urn:uuid:c5dcd3f6-c061-4cb4-9a0b-7f85a911df03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ok.gov/odc/About_ODC/ODC_Publications/Housing_-_Long_Term_Care_Guide_to_Alternatives_&_Guide_to_Choosing_a_Nursing_Home.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936233 | 982 | 2.03125 | 2 |
When I was a new teacher I read a TON and watched every movie I could find about education and teaching. Lean on Me, Sister Act Two, Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver, To Sir With Love… if I could find it on VHS (And yes, I know how that dates me), I watched it. I even watched the silly one where Mark Harmon teaches summer school.
It may sound corny but these movies helped me realize that some very successful teachers, first had to get through their early years. I also really paid attention to how the “movie” teachers spoke to and treated the kids. Even the completely fictional movies helped… there is something to be said for observing charismatic personalities in action. Charisma is a fantastic management tool and Hollywood teachers are usually charismatic!
I also read… a LOT. Here are a few of the books I remember most vividly from my “early” years:
ALL of the William Glasser Books - The Quality School, The Quality School Teacher, Choice Theory in the Classroom etc. They are easy to read, and gave me great, practical direction for creating the climate, relationships and accountability that I wanted to establish with my students. I found Glasser’s model to be a great fit for my beliefs and style and they truly shaped my early practice. More importantly, they worked!
Several books by Torey Hayden about her experiences as a special ed teacher… the one that I remember the most clearly was called One Child. Torey worked in heartbreaking circumstances, and didn’t do everything “right”, but she also didn’t QUIT, and no matter how tough things got, she persisted. That made all the difference with her kids and left a lasting impression on me.
My Posse Don’t Do Homework by Luanne Johnson. The movie “Dangerous Minds” is based on this book, but the book is somuch better, and I read it years before the movie. I didn’t realize how much of an impact this one had on me until years later when the movie actually came out. My students saw it before I did and I didn’t know anything about it. After seeing it they all kept saying “Dangerous Minds” to me and smiling, shaking their heads and saying, you’ve got to see it, Miss.”
This made me pretty uncomfortable. I didn’t know anything about the movie or why my students were associating it with me. Let me assure you, I look NOTHING like Michelle Pfeifer.
When I finally went to see the movie, I was touched and pleased to see that they had picked up on and recognized that, like me, the main character was a strong proponent of the idea that “You always have a choice”. I didn’t realize until the final credits that the movie is based on the book I had read during my 1st year as a teacher.
There are also many, many excellent resources I’ve discovered more recently. They include:
Wake Up Calls by Doctor Eric Allenbaugh – Great for framing an accountable relationship with students/classes. I’ve had great success using this to create mini-lessons about what I expect from students, what they should expect from me and why. I’ve also passed it on countless times and always gotten terrific feedback from others who have tried it. Check out chapter 5 – “The Dirty Dozen” (12 Ways People Attempt to Escape Accountability) to help minimize excuse making in your classroom.
The Speed of Trust by Steven M. Covey – Trust matters. Building it is the most efficient way to maximize the efficiency and efficacy of a group. I found the concepts in this book really relevant to the struggles teachers experience related to classroom management; ie- “How can I teach/how can they learn when I spend the whole class “managing” behavior?” Relationship, mutual accountability and trust are powerful stuff, in businesses and in the classroom.
A New Project to Help Teachers Integrate Tech – Ed Tech Specialist Andy Cinek is providing terrific resources and support for teachers who want to learn to use technology to improve their practice. You can also follow him @andycinek
Tips for New Teachers via Steve Bossenberger
You may also find some of the other articles on this blog helpful. They include:
Start a Twitter account to use for professional development - I don’t recommend using your personal account. You’ll find loads and loads of resources and people to help you on Twitter. People have written a bunch of blog posts about how to use Twitter as a Professional Development resource and I will compile a few in another post shortly. In the mean time, you can follow me @thenewtag and check out my lists and people I follow.
I also recommend that you get started by following @Shellterrell , (Coordinates #edchat , a phenomenal resource and gateway to support; she’s also an amazing Blogger, Organizer, and Leader) @ktenkely (Terrific Blogger, Leader, Organizer), and @teachingwithsoul (She is incredibly helpful and supportive, blogs @ Teaching With Soul and created and moderates #ntchat , an online chat for new teachers every week!) These three tweet terrific resources and, will quickly lead you to other terrific resources and people to follow. Their tweets are a great place to start building your PLN.
You should, you MUST also follow @cybraryman1 on Twitter. Not only has he compiled an amazing “Education Catalogue” packed with resources for just about EVERYTHING, but he’s put together a New Teacher Page just for you!
Lastly, and most importantly, take advantage of every professional development experience and look for opportunities for peer-to-peer observation and collaboration. Coaching and mentoring are critical to improving professional practice and if we aren’t getting this from our supervisors, we can create it among our peers.
These activities will deliver enormous return on investment and result in stronger, more confident and effective staff teams. They should be guided and include some form of accountability to secure the greatest outcome. If anyone is interested, I can recommend some resources to get you started.
Please comment to share your favorite resources, ask questions, ASK FOR HELP, offer help, leave feedback or just say “Hi”.
Thanks for reading! | <urn:uuid:9f61964b-563c-4824-8f2b-5ae49133653b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thenewtag.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/resources-for-new-teachers-and-the-rest-of-us/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963481 | 1,352 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Proclamation 5554 -- Gaucher's Disease Awareness Week, 1986
the President of the
More than 20,000 Americans are afflicted with Gaucher's disease, the most common of a group of genetic disorders known as lipid storage disease. Because of a defective gene, people with this disease do not produce enough enzymes to break down fatty substances called lipids. The lipids accumulate in the body's cells. In victims of Gaucher's disease, the spleen and liver become enlarged, the abdomen distends, and bones erode. Some patients also develop mental retardation or dementia.
Gaucher's disease is hereditary. Children who inherit a defective gene from both parents develop the disease; children who inherit the gene from only one parent become carriers capable of passing the gene on to their own children. Gaucher's disease can afflict anyone, but it is particularly prevalent among people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
Until recently, there seemed little cause for optimism. But today, modern genetic engineering techniques are unraveling the mysteries of Gaucher's disease and other hereditary disorders. Scientists supported by the Federal government's National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke have identified the gene that is defective in Gaucher's disease and are now able to reproduce it in large enough quantities for study. It is also now possible for physicians to confirm a diagnosis of Gaucher's disease through simple blood and skin biopsy tests. Physicians can predict the severity of the disease in each patient, allowing those affected to make better informed health care plans for the future.
In addition, scientists have developed a method for replacing the enzyme that Gaucher's patients lack. Growing knowledge about genetic structure may someday enable scientists to transplant a normal gene into a patient's cells to replace the defective gene. But more remains to be learned before such procedures are perfected.
Voluntary agencies work side by side with government scientists in the effort to promote research on ways to treat and ultimately cure Gaucher's disease. In the work of these agencies, and that of the investigators they sponsor, lies the hope that we will one day conquer this genetic disorder.
To enhance public awareness of Gaucher's disease, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 352, has designated the week beginning October 19, 1986, as ``Gaucher's Disease Awareness Week'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of that week.
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the
with the Office of the Federal Register, ,
Note: The proclamation was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 20. | <urn:uuid:237897dd-7a4e-407f-b274-04e9c27fd0b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/101786d.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946465 | 561 | 2.90625 | 3 |
One day after Toronto's city council voted in favour of not only ending the three-year-old five-cent bag fee, it also approved a motion to ban plastic bags by 2013. Mayor Rob Ford took to the airwaves to call it the "dumbest thing council has done."
Who was expecting the city of Toronto to implement a ban on plastic bags? Mayor Rob Ford was just seeking to end the five-cent (six cents with the HST) bag fee, but certainly was not anticipating the motion.
During Wednesday’s city council meeting, Councillor David Shiner introduced a surprise motion to prohibit all retail stores in the city from distributing plastic bags. Councillors voted 27-17 in favour of the ban, including Councillors Gary Crawford, Josh Matlow, Denzil Minnan-Wong and Adam Vaughan.
Those who opposed Wednesday’s motion, such as Mayor Ford and Councillor Norm Kelly, expect the city to be sued over the plastic bag ban. Toronto now joins cities like San Francisco, Portland and Los Angeles in banning plastic bags.
Meanwhile, consumers will not have to pay the bag fee between July 1 and Dec. 31.
Ford spoke with radio host John Oakley on AM640 Thursday morning where he lambasted both the councillors who supported the motion and the people of Toronto for not participating in municipal politics.
When Oakley asked what happened, the mayor criticized Shiner and said he didn’t expect him to do it.
“I don’t know how he is going to explain to his constituents at election time that he banned all plastic bags, that’s going to be hard to explain,” stated Ford. “I feel sorry for him.”
“It’s the dumbest thing council has done and council has done some dumb things let me tell you,” said Ford, who noted that a body cannot ban plastic bags all of a sudden. He also believes the next municipal election campaign has begun already. “We have to get rid of some of these councillors.”
Ford reiterated his belief that the City is going to be sued by the likes of retailers, the plastic industry or grocery stores.
The mayor explained that he believes part of the blame should be placed on the people. Ford said he gets “frustrated” because constituents of this city “are just sitting back listening but they don’t pick up the phone, they don’t go down to City Hall, they don’t ask questions.”
Should the mayor have more clout on issues such as these? Ford said there should be a review of how much power a mayor should have instead of just one vote because he represents a city of more than three million rather than 50,000.
In order for the ban to be overturned, a councillor who voted against the motion has to get the support from 30 councillors to reopen the issue to garner another vote on the matter at hand, which Ford noted will be “a real challenge.”
“We’re turning the city around,” concluded Ford. “Call them for what they are, these NDPers are just used to the gravy train and the gravy train is over. So whenever they want to take a shot they can and if this is their way of taking a shot – banning plastic bags – it’s a pretty stupid shot.” | <urn:uuid:ba3bae33-1518-49d3-82ab-759e15d35f93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitaljournal.com/article/326217 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97186 | 713 | 1.625 | 2 |
NPR: Alan Turing turns 100
Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 12:17 pm
IRA FLATOW, HOST:
This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow. Your telephone is a computer, really. Your microwave, it's got a computer in it. Your television, it's got a computer there. Even, of course, your computer has a computer. Your iPhone, your cellphone. Everything - just about everything in electronics these days has a computer, and they all work the same way like a Turing machine. Decades before your PC, your Mac or your Commodore, Alan Turing was designing a machine which could calculate almost anything: a universal computer.
His machine made breaking the Nazi enigma code possible, saving millions of lives as it helped the Allies win World War II. But Turing wondered if a machine could calculate anything, could it calculate thought, and this idea gave birth to the field of artificial intelligence. But Alan Turing was gay, a taboo that led him to his arrest and chemical castration by the British government. He was found dead at the age of 41, ruled a suicide by the coroner.
Turing feared that his work would be forgotten and dismissed because, as he put it, Turing believes machines think, Turing lies with men, therefore machines do not think. Here with me to remember both a war hero and a scientist reviled in his time is David Leavitt, professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, author of the book "The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Origins of the Computer." Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY.
DAVID LEAVITT: Thank you.
FLATOW: Let's talk about his achievements. Tell us what made him most famous and his biggest achievements were.
LEAVITT: Well, it really depends on, I think, your own perspective. Turing really had four major achievements in my view. One was that he resolved a major problem in mathematical logic, the so-called decision problem. In order to do that, he invented a kind of hypothetical universal machine that was the avatar of the modern computer. He was responsible for the building and the design of the machine that broke the enigma code during World War II. And with some of his later papers, he really established the field of artificial intelligence.
So in some ways, the question what was his major achievement, it sort of depends on who you ask. I think for anyone to have done any of those things in a lifetime would have been extraordinary. To have done all four is mindboggling.
FLATOW: Yeah. What is a Turing machine?
LEAVITT: A Turing machine is a very simple hypothetical machine that is - initially, the idea of the Turing machine was that it would - was programmed to solve a particular algorithm. Turing then went on to prove that there could be what he called the universal machine that is to say a machine into which instructions could be fed by which that machine could resolve or solve or approach or try to solve any algorithm, an infinite number of algorithms. And he actually proved that such a machine could hypothetically exist. And so the Turing machine is that machine. It's that machine that can be turned into any other machine, and that was his huge breakthrough.
FLATOW: And there was also a test that he devised, was there not? About whether you could tell if somebody in a different room was a machine or a person.
LEAVITT: Yeah. This was one of Turing's most, I think, radical and interesting ideas. He posited that the way to determine whether a machine could think was whether that machine could convince a human being that it was thinking. And so he proposed this game, which he called the imitation game, which is actually now played annually at a sort of competition, where there'd be two human beings and a computer, and one of the human beings would be asking questions of the other human being and the computer. And based on the answers, he or she would have to decide which was the computer and which was the human being. If the computer could fool the interlocutor into thinking that it was human, then according to Turing, the machine could think.
FLATOW: Did he actually build the device that would fool people that way?
LEAVITT: He was kind of moving that way when he was in Manchester, when he was actually working on computers. Turing had a very, I think, restless imagination, and I think he was much more interested in the theoretical foundations of things. It seemed like whenever he was onto something, he would want to move to something else.
FLATOW: Yeah, yeah.
LEAVITT: So he was going on into biology toward the end of his life, into an entirely different area of inquiry.
FLATOW: 1-800-989-8255 is our number. Talking about the life and times of Alan Turing. And if you'd like to talk about it, we love to take your calls. You can also tweet us, @scifri, @-S-C-I-F-R-I, talking with David Leavitt, author of "The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Origins of the Computer." "The Man Who Knew Too Much," what are you getting at with that title?
LEAVITT: That was a - that's a pretty coy title, obviously. I was referring to the Hitchcock film, "The Man Who Knew Too Much." But I meant it in two ways. On the one hand, he knew too much for his own good. I mean, to possess that quantity of knowledge, I think, could be a sort of overwhelming experience for anyone.
He also knew too much in the sense that he was perceived by the British government in the years after World War II as a security risk because of the quantity of classified information that he had in his possession. And, therefore, he was really hounded by the British police who were concerned that because he was gay, he would - he could be easily blackmailed or seduced into going over to the East.
Remember, this was the sort of epoch of Guy Burgess. So his knowledge, as that little syllogism that you quoted implies, he really felt that his knowledge was going to somehow be his undoing and that his homosexuality was going to interfere with getting the word out about the - what he believed what and he discovered.
FLATOW: Mm-hmm. He never kept his homosexuality.
LEAVITT: He was very open about it, but I would not say that he was particularly - he didn't really advertise it. His attitude was that it was perfectly normal and not a big deal. And so he behaved as if everyone else felt the same way, which was obviously a big mistake at that time.
FLATOW: Tell us - talk a little bit about that, that it was a crime to be a homosexual at that point - that period and to act out in your homosexuality.
LEAVITT: Yeah. There was a law on the books that was colloquially known as the blackmailer's charter because it criminalized, quote/unquote, "acts of gross, indecency between adult men in public or private." And it was under this law that Oscar Wilde was arrested and sent to prison. The law was obviously a terrible law and it could be - it was applied very selectively.
Turing had been having an affair with a young man in Manchester whom he suspected of having robbed him. So he reported the robbery to the police, who turned around and arrested him under the auspices or under the terms of the blackmailer's charter. He was then given a choice between serving prison time or undergoing a, quote/unquote, "cure" for his homosexuality, which consisted of massive doses of estrogen and amounted to what we would now call chemical castration. Even after this period when the so-called treatments had ended, the police followed him everywhere and made it very, very difficult for him to have anything like a normal life.
FLATOW: And he was found dead at a young age, right?
FLATOW: He was found dead in his room with clues like a mystery novel. There was a half-eaten apple next to his bed, and the coroner ruled that it was a suicide.
LEAVITT: Yes. It was - I think it's most widely believed now and - there are three possibilities. One is that he committed suicide. One is that his death was accidental. And the third is that it was set up, that he was actually killed and that it was contrived to look like a suicide. That third, I think, has pretty much now been dismissed.
The suicide idea I think grabbed people's imagination because Turing loved the film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." And when he was at Cambridge, he would often quote from the evil queen's incantation, dip the apple in the brew. And so the idea that he'd committed suicide by eating an apple dipped in cyanide, you know, was incredibly terrifying, but also kind of, you know, created a - to led the whole mythology, including the myth that the apple and Apple computers was a reference to Turing.
It's really unclear. I don't think that an absolute answer can be given. However, my own feeling is that the argument that he died accidentally because he accidentally got cyanide on the apple that he went ahead and ate kind of reminds me of the old thing about Rose Mary Woods' argument when she was Nixon's secretary about how she erased the tapes.
FLATOW: Yeah, but - yeah.
LEAVITT: It seems kind of a - it seems at least as improbable as the suicide theory.
FLATOW: There are people who have said that the investigation of his death really was not carried out correctly, that the evidence was not looked at. And there have been people who have looked at the coroner's report in years since then and say that the evidence points to more of inhalation of the cyanide rather than ingestion by eating it.
LEAVITT: Yeah. You know, the science of sort of historical forensics is so fascinating, but it's also so frustrating. I also wrote a book about the mathematician Ramanujan, whose death was very mysterious. And then in subsequent years, people have proposed a lot of different theories.
I don't think there's a clear and absolute answer. It doesn't - the idea that he would commit suicide certainly does not seem improbable to me. He was prone to depression throughout his life. And while it's true that there were no warning signs, that he didn't leave a note, that he seemed to be doing fine, that's also true of a lot of people who commit suicide.
So I think we can't really reach an absolutely definitive conclusion. And in some ways, the argument that's going on now I think has as much to do with what people want Alan Turing to be, as with the question of who he actually was.
FLATOW: Mm-hmm. Let's see if I got a call in here. From Troy in Denver. Hi, Troy.
FLATOW: Hi there.
TROY: How are you doing?
TROY: Can you hear me?
FLATOW: Yes, go ahead.
TROY: Actually, I am just now leaving work and I couldn't believe you guys we're talking about Turing. I'm actually wearing a shirt right now that says, I failed the Turing test. We're (unintelligible) humor. But anyways, I'm calling because I actually didn't encounter Turing as a computer science major. I encountered him as a philosophy major, reading an argument called "The Chinese Room Argument," which hypothesizes a room in which you could put someone who only speaks English and then give them a book that has an infinite amount of responses to anything that could possibly be asked of the room, any instruction that could be given.
And the idea is you could give this guy Chinese - you could give this guy information in Chinese, and he could follow the instructions in the book and correct responses but have absolutely no idea what it was that he was actually doing. And in such a way, you could create a machine that could pass the Turing test without actually having to think, with no idea what it was doing.
FLATOW: Let me just remind everybody that this is SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR. What do you think of that?
LEAVITT: You know, it's an interesting argument, that's John Searle's quite famous paper. And I think it is certainly one that's very worthy of consideration. Turing anticipated that argument and his position was that, essentially, well, yes, you can say to this computer, if you don't know that you're thinking, then you're not thinking. If you're not aware that you're not thinking, then you're not thinking.
But Turing said, you could also say that to me. I could say that to you. I could say, I don't have proof that when you give me answers to questions, you're actually going through a thought process and not just copying Chinese characters. Give me that proof. And Turing's point was that that's impossible. From his point of view as a mathematician, someone trained in mathematical proofs on a sort of reductio ad absurdum basis, if something functions in a way that suggests it's true, then it is true. This was also a very anti-Christian argument and that kind of negated the idea of the soul so - but he did anticipate that argument. And in his paper, he does, in a sense, refute it in advance.
FLATOW: But why do people like our last caller, why do they have to stumble on Alan Turing? And they - he's not a well-known computer guru.
LEAVITT: He - I think his reputation was if not suppressed, then sort of conveniently forgotten for many years because of the scandalous nature of his - what happened to him in the last years of his life. It was considered unseemly, and people didn't really want to talk about it. Turing was also the opposite of a self-promoter. He was very shy. He was very awkward. He didn't have any skills of putting himself across. And so, therefore, he didn't do much to ensure that he would - that his reputation would survive. I think the third element was the fact that so much of the work he did was classified, and, therefore, people actually couldn't get access to the information.
And it wasn't until Andrew Hodges' wrote his biography and Martin Davis, a professor at Berkeley, began doing a lot of research on the history of computers that Turing's - the incredible importance of Turing's role really came to light.
FLATOW: So eventually, the British government did apologize for what they did but...
LEAVITT: Apologized but not - but did not pardon him retroactively. Gordon Brown issued an apology. Subsequently, there was a motion in the House of Lords to issue a posthumous pardon, which was refused within the House of Lords. It was voted down on the grounds that even if what Turing - the crime he was convicted of would not be considered a crime now, it was considered a crime then. And, therefore, he was guilty because he knew it was a crime at the time. This is, to me, an absolutely outlandish and shameful position for the British government to take.
FLATOW: Leave it to the politicians again. Thank you very much, David.
FLATOW: David Leavitt...
LEAVITT: You're welcome.
FLATOW: David Leavitt, author of "The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Origins of Computer." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:9581282f-e4b2-4196-90bf-b0e192bef770> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wvasfm.org/post/npr-alan-turing-turns-100 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990704 | 3,312 | 2.75 | 3 |
Tuesday 17th April marked the final session between two classes that have been working together for two years! The classes, one from Bunscoil Bheann Mhadagain and the other from Edenbrooke Primary School, began working with each other in 2010 as a primary six class. Since then they have been involved in our Twinning programme as both primary sixes and sevens, participated in a Super Twinning and many have been to both our annual Spring Jam and Jingle Ball tournaments.
In our final session we discussed flags and symbols that exist in Northern Ireland. All pupils shared their own experiences and gave their opinions on what the flags and symbols represented to them! It was a great way to finish a twinning programme and both classes came away having learnt something new.
It has been a great journey with these classes, but it doesn’t end there as many of the students will stay with the PeacePlayers programme by participating in our after schools Cross Community League (CCL). This is where the children are put on integrated teams for a five-week period, play in a league setting and participate in community relations discussions. We are currently in week three of CCL Junior Girls, so stay tuned for more information! | <urn:uuid:be38c7be-49ab-484a-9b14-5d20ca12e086> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.peaceplayersintl.org/2012/04/18/bunscoil-edenbrooke-two-years-on/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980539 | 249 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The coincidence of today’s publication of SAT’s results along with the teacher assessment has been said will create confusion with too much information being released at once.
Critics are accusing the Department for eduction (DfE) of reasoning an overload of information that could confuse. Frankly if my child was at a failing school I would prefer to quickly identity if my child’s performance was an indication their endeavours or how much it may have been influenced by poor teaching standards.
It may be a little late to correct the SAT’s results, but at least I would have potential answers on the overall educational standards to, hopefully, allow me to make adjustment before next term. Confusing maybe, but the potential answers are all there. The the coincidence of the two pieces of information should be very useful. | <urn:uuid:a7c27e65-56e8-4fe6-9083-301291055e82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/news/news/sats-and-teacher-assessment-could-try-harder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97875 | 168 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Artesia High School
Enrollment (2011)Total: 736
Student Economic Level (2011)In 2011, Artesia High School had 31% of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch programs. New Mexico had 67% of eligible students for free or reduced price lunch programs. Eligibility for the National School Lunch Program is based on family income levels.
Student Ethnicity (2011)
Artesia Public Schools District Spending
In 2011, Artesia High School had 17 students for every full-time equivalent teacher. The New Mexico average is 15 students per full-time equivalent teacher.Compare to other schools in Artesia Public Schools School District | <urn:uuid:652a5bca-4933-4d0a-9a43-62fcbbaed8ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/new-mexico/artesia/artesia-high-school/?page=students-and-teachers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950568 | 137 | 1.875 | 2 |
The familiar forest of white crosses memorializing troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan above the BART station will grow no larger, its keepers say.
Organizers of the Lafayette crosses memorial say they will stop adding the crosses, Stars of David and Islamic crescents because they're running out of space and the memorial is becoming increasingly difficult for the dozen or so core volunteers to maintain, said organizer Baika Pratt.
"It's definitely not that we're losing courage, it's just that it's not logistically possible to put any more in there," she said.
The volunteers will continue to repaint and repair the approximately 4,800 white markers dotting the hillside, and they will keep updating the sign that shows the number of troops killed in the two wars.
They are also looking into building a permanent memorial on the site, Pratt said, but must first get permission from property owner Louise Clark.
The display ignited debate soon after Jeff Heaton began setting crosses into the hill on Veterans Day 2006. The memorial attracted pro- and anti-war demonstrators and was vandalized several times. Opponents called it a political statement that insulted families of fallen soldiers. Supporters said it was a stark reminder of the cost of war.
But as the controversy over the wars has waned, so, too, has the furor over the crosses.
"We used to get a lot of people who (would) come by and shake their fist or yell obscenities,
"The feeling generally out there is that people accept it and appreciate it being there for its message and its inclusiveness."
Contact Jonathan Morales at 925-943-8048. Follow him at Twitter.com/sosaysjonathan. | <urn:uuid:6dfdb5b3-46bf-40b8-92b9-7036b31f996b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18671628 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970158 | 353 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Swaziland: Swaziland lashes ANC over reform pressure
Mbabane - Swaziland on Friday lashed out at the African National Congress, and the youth league in particular, over its pressure for democratic reforms in Africa's last absolute monarchy.
Government spokesperson Percy Simelane accused the ANC of forgetting the role played by Swaziland during the struggle against apartheid.
"We helped this ANC government during the struggle and today this is how they repay us?" Simelane said on national radio.
"The ANC-led government should not repay us the way that they are doing. We know them as our friends and neighbours. We share good cordial relationship with them, hence our disappointment with the utterances of their members in the alliance."
Swaziland is facing a crippling financial crisis that has left the government struggling to pay wages and keep public services running.
South Africa last year offered Swaziland a $368m bailout that comes with requirements for democratic reforms. Swaziland never signed.
The ANC's Youth League and labour unions have vocally supported pro-democracy protests in the last year. They have also called for a cultural boycott, urging South African singers not to perform in the kingdom.
The cultural boycott was initiated by Swaziland's banned opposition party Pudemo, and several prominent South African artists have cancelled concerts.
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Today is the first official Digital Archives Day. All day, archivists and conservators working in digital archives of all kinds will be sharing their work under the #DigitalArchivesDay hashtag, and blogging at dayofdigitalarchives.blogspot.com
I wanted to take a moment today to briefly talk about an innovation in digital imaging and computing that has become a frustation to many artists that have been experimenting with the web since the early years: Anti-aliasing. Put simply, anti-aliasing is a method of image processing that uses interpolation, to construct "new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points." This is a function of digital signal processing that has many many important applications, from helping typefaces look good on screen, to making images not look odd when scaled down. The use of anti-aliasing that we are talking about here though, is quite specific: the display of resized digital images and video in web browsers. To illustrate how anti-aliasing has affected an era of web content, we will look at Cory Arcangel's "Data Diaries."
Data Diaries on Turbulence.org
In 2002, when Arcangel created "Data Diaries," if one were set the size of an image or video embedded in a web page larger than it's actual size, the browser would use nearest neighbor interpolation to display the image. In other words – if one were to embed a 50 x 50 px image or video as 100 x 100 px, each pixel would appear to double in size. This default form of nearest neighbor interpolation was exploited to aesthetic ends by many early net artists, including Cory. When Cory made Data Diaries, he rendered the original videos at the dimension of 50 x 25 px - so tiny! He embedded these videos at dimensions of 500 x 266 px ... | <urn:uuid:d0219bfd-2486-4426-906f-4171e14e2829> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rhizome.org/editorial/tags/archives/?page=1 | 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 | 0.944712 | 378 | 3 | 3 |
A tantalizing mixture of biography, history, and science. The Invention of Clouds takes as its focus a specific scientific advance of the early nineteenth century, but it also addresses other issues of the day, such as culture, religion, aesthetics, literature etc. At the time such things weren't divided into separate disciplines, a mentality that is reflected by the book itself. It tells the story of a shy young Quaker, Luke Howard, and his pioneering work to define what had hitherto been random and unknowable structures - clouds. Howard was catapulted to fame in December 1802 when he named the clouds, a defining point in natural history and meteorology. His poetic names and groundbreaking work made him internationally famous. He became a cult figure for Romantics like Shelley and Goethe. His work is still the basis of modern meteorology, but he himself has been overlooked. In this book Hamblyn means to restore both him, his cultural context and the science he loved, to life. | <urn:uuid:0a6a9bc6-d906-43b2-bd59-2aaff4856392> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Invention-Clouds-Meteorologist-Language/dp/0330391941 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978686 | 197 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Mac: n 1 (abbr. of “Macintosh”) light waterproof jacket which can usually be squashed up into an impressively small size for packing away. Possibly derived from the name of the gentleman who worked out how to infuse rubber and cloth. Americans call the same sort of thing a “slicker.” 2 buddy: Are you alright Mac? The two meanings appear together in the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band’s song “Big Shot,” which features the lines: On the way home a punk stopped me: “You got a light, mac?” / I said “No, but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat.”
mad: adj crazy. Brits do not use the term “mad” to refer to people who are pissed off. Describing something as mad (a party, or a weekend away or something) generally means it was riotous fun.
manky: adj gross; disgusting. The word is derived from the French “manqué,” the past participle of “manquer” (to fail).
manual gearbox: n stick-shift transmission. The way God intended cars to be driven.
Marmite: n a sandwich spread based upon yeast extract. Similar to “Bovril,” which is made from beef extract. Australians have a very similar spread called “Vegemite,” which is a little less sharp in taste.
marrow: n squash. The vegetable.
mate: n good friend; buddy. It’s in very common use in the U.K. and doesn’t have any implication that you might want to mate with the person in question. It is derived from “shipmate.”
maths: n mathematics. How the Brits ended up with maths and the Americans ended up with “math,” I’ve no idea.
mean: adj cheap; tight; stingy with money. Brits do not use the word to mean “nasty.” So when a Brit talks about his auntie Enid being “mean,” he’s more likely to mean mean mean what a useful word this is that she’s sitting on a million pounds under her mattress rather than she tweaks his ears every time he goes to visit.
mental: adj insane; crazy: It was kind of romantic to start with, but as soon as I turned on the electric toothbrush he went mental.
mews: n a short, narrow (often cobbled) street. The word traditionally meant a stable that had been converted into a house, but is now only used to refer to the sort of street they would have been on. Mews houses in central London tend to afford some peace and quiet, and are therefore highly sought after and breathtakingly expensive.
miffed: adj pissed off: She was pretty quiet all evening and then got a bit miffed as soon as I suggested we pay half each. She started crying, saying she’d never wanted to go to a strip bar in the first place and asking for her purse back.
milometer: n odometer. The thing that tells you how far you’ve gone in the car. A fairly antiquated term.
mince: n ground beef.
mince pie: n a sweet pie, traditionally served at Christmas, containing suet and mixed fruit. Not mincemeat. Step away from the mincemeat. No mincemeat to see here. Traditionally they did contain mincemeat, as the easiest way to preserve meat was to mince it and then mix it with various fruits. Actually, that probably isn’t the easiest way at all. The easiest way is probably to bury it in salt. Anyway - the animals having been slaughtered prior to the onset of winter, the mince pies were enjoyed at Christmas because the “preserved” meat was by then pretty much ready to walk out the door by itself. But it was okay, because everyone was kinda drunk.
mind: v watch out for: Mind the gap; Mind your head whilst going down the stairs.
minge: 1 n lady’s front bottom. The etymology may be Romany. 2 n Pubic hair.
minger: adj. pron. “ming-er” someone breathtakingly unattractive: She looked okay when we were in the bar, but when I woke up the next morning it turned out she was a complete minger. On fire and put out with a shovel, that sort of thing.
mobile phone: n cell phone. Can’t think of anything witty. Tough shit. Move onto the next word. Get on with your life.
moggie: n alley-cat. Implies a cat marginally more streetwise than your average “kitty.” A cat which has graduated from the university of life, if you will.
moggy: n cat. Implies a cat marginally more streetwise than your average “kitty.” A cat which has graduated from the university of life, if you will.
Mole grip: n 1 one of those fiendishly complicated wrench-type devices which can have its tension adjusted by means of a screw on the handle end. Americans know them better as “vise grips,” but it’s probably safe to say that if you don’t know what I’m talking about on either score then you are not going to live life at a great deficit. 2 popular sexual position. This is a joke.
molly-coddled: adj overly looked-after. Spoiled in a sort of possessive way: He seemed very nice to start with but I think he’s been rather molly-coddled by his mother.
momentarily: adj for a moment. Not to be confused with the U.S. definition, “in a moment.” I was alerted to this by a Brit who heard a station announcement in Chicago that his train would be “stopping momentarily at platform 6” and was unsure as to whether he was supposed to take a running leap to get into it before it left.
moose: n unattractive woman. Most often heard in post-drinking assessments: Yeah, was a great night - we all got completely pissed and Bob ended up snogging a complete moose!
moreish: adj provoking of further consumption. I once wrote that you’d never find this word in a dictionary, but I had to change when someone pointed out to me that it was in the OED. I hate you all. It means something (usually food) which leads you to want more - Jaffa Cakes, Jelly Babies or dry roasted peanuts would be some good personal examples. It’s rather light-hearted; you wouldn’t go around describing heroin as moreish, whether it is or not.
motor: n automobile. Derived from the time when all cars were known as “motor-cars.”
motorway: n freeway.
mug: n gullible person: He’s such a mug, he just took the entire story and believed every word of it!
multi-storey car park: n commercial car parking garage with, well, many floors. Americans call the same building a “parking ramp,” “parking structure” or “parking deck,” depending upon where they are in the country.
mum: n mom. Brits do also use the word in the American sense of “quiet” (as in “keep mum about that”) though maybe not as much in everyday speech as Americans. They’d probably say “schtum” instead.
munter: n deeply unattractive woman. Pretty much equivalent to “dog” or “pig.”
muppet: n dimwit: You’ve left the handbrake off, you muppet. | <urn:uuid:bf63362c-030b-4882-a106-adb9213280a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://septicscompanion.com/showletter.php?letter=m | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969403 | 1,706 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Bacterial Blotch Disease
COMMON NAMES: Bacterial blotch, Brown blotch, Bacterial spot
THE PATHOGEN: P. fluorescens biotype G
OUTDATED NAMES: Pseudomonas tolaasii, Phytomonas tolassi, Bacterium tolaasi
Bacterial blotch may be endemic on mushroom farms, damaging mushroom quality and posing a potential yield loss. Presence of the disease is probable if the surfaces of the mushrooms do not dry following watering, irrespective of the season.
Pseudomonas fluorescens biotype G , the pathogen, causes the formation of lesions on mushroom tissue that are pale yellow initially, but which later become a golden yellow or rich chocolate brown. This discoloration is superficial, no more than 2 to 3 mm deep, and the underlying mushroom tissue may appear to be water soaked and grey or yellow-grey. Blotches usually appear when the mushrooms are in the early button stage, but can appear on mushrooms of any age - even on harvested refrigerated mushrooms or mushrooms over-wrapped with a watertight film.
If moisture conditions favor the disease, the spots enlarge and coalesce, sometimes covering the entire mushroom cap (Figure 1). Mushroom stems can also be blemished similarly.
Typically, spotting is observed at or near the edge of mushroom caps - at the contact points between two mushroom caps, at crevices in clusters of mushrooms, or wherever mushroom caps remain wet for a period of 4 to 6 hours or longer after water has been applied. If very dry conditions occur after blotch has developed, infected caps may crack radially as the mushroom expands.
Casing and air-borne dust are the primary means of introducing the blotch pathogen into a mushroom house. The bacterial pathogen is probably present in most casing material, even after pasteurization. Occurrence of disease is associated with the size of the bacterial population on the mushroom cap (pileus), rather than on the population in the casing, which explains why a prolonged wet period on the cap precedes disease occurrence. Once the disease occurs, blotch-causing bacteria are spread by splash-dispersal during watering, upon tools used by pickers and trashers, and by mushroom flies and nematodes. Recent observations suggest compost with a moisture content of less than 62 percent at spawning preconditions mushrooms to blotch infection.
Bacterial blotch can develop on the outer surface of a mushroom - on cap or stem or both - at any stage of mushroom growth or development. Bacteria splashed onto a mushroom surface will reproduce in moist conditions, such as occur when water condenses or remains on the mushroom surface for a number of hours. Condensation forms when saturated (with water vapor) air is present and warmer than the cap surface. The cap surface is cooler than the surrounding air when water transpires from the mushroom due to active mushroom growth; transpiration produces a cool surface. Slight fluctuations - a few degrees - in air temperature during cropping can cause the air to vascillate between the saturation point and not being saturated, even though the absolute water vapor content remains constant. Warm air holds more water vapor than cool air, so as the air temperature increases the air becomes less saturated with water vapor; the inverse is also true. With Bacterial blotch disease being so strongly influenced by environmental and surface-moisture conditions, disease control requires inhibiting the pathogens' reproduction on the mushroom surface. Air will dry the mushroom surfaces if it can hold the additional moisture coming from transpiration. If air is cooled to a temperature lower than desired and then reheated a few degrees, it can hold more moisture and mushroom surfaces will dry. This heating operation is accomplished by circulating hot water (110' to 120°F) through perimeter heating pipes found in many growing rooms. In a forced-air ventilation system, the air must pass through a heating coil after it has been cooled, so the cooling coils may need a bit more capacity than might be expected. This system of drying is energy intensive, but essential when drying is needed. Adding sodium hypochlorite at 150 ppm chlorine to water used in irrigating the crop will control blotch, providing the mushrooms can be kept dry. But if the mushroom stays wet, chlorine has little effect since the bacterial population reproduces at a rate that neutralizes the effect of the oxidizing agent. This helps explain why sodium hypochlorite seems to be very effective at times, while at other times it appears to have no effect at all. | <urn:uuid:5fb06239-d5fe-45da-b094-144abe21a649> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://extension.psu.edu/plants/vegetable-fruit/mushrooms/fact-sheets/diseases/bacterial-blotch-disease | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930705 | 936 | 3.53125 | 4 |
By Gabriel Torres on October 17, 2004
Quite often it can be interesting to back up PC's BIOS, particularly before a BIOS upgrade, as you may recover BIOS old contents in case something goes wrong in the process, and your PC will operate correctly again.
What happens actually is that there are viruses - the best known is the CIH (also known as Chernobyl or Spacefiller) - that are capable to erase BIOS content from PC and the machine will be inoperative, i.e., it will not be able to boot again. With that we won't be able to load the operating system and we can't even reprogram BIOS in order it starts to operate again.
To backup your BIOS, you will need to run the BIOS upgrade software to read BIOS contents to a file. First you will need to know your BIOS company, which can be AMI, Award or Phoenix. Just pay attention to what appears on your computer screen just after you turn it on; the BIOS manufacturer name will be shortly displayed (see an example in Figure 1).
Figure 1: Example of a computer with BIOS from Award.
For AMI BIOS, click here to download the software. For Award or Phoenix BIOS, click here to download the software (Phoenix has bought Award, so you have to use Phoenix software on Award BIOS); this link will open a list with many versions of this software, try the latest one.
You need to unzip the downloaded file and copy the uncompressed file to a bootable floppy disk (formated with Format a:/s). You will need to boot from this floppy, since the BIOS upgrading program does not run under Windows (you may also need to change boot sequence on setup to allow booting from the floppy disk).
Some motherboard manufacturers have their own BIOS upgrade software, usually Windows-based. In this case, you can use the motherboard manufacturer software instead of the AMI, Award or Phoenix software. But you will need to know your motherboard manufacturer and go to its download section on the internet (you can find out your motherboard manufacturer using softwares like Everest, Hwinfo and Sandra, all available at our downloads section; in our website you will also find a complete list of motherboards manufacturers and their websites).
Just perform the BIOS upgrade procedure and tell the programming software to write your current BIOS to a file. The exact option to do that depends on the software version used and if you are using the BIOS manufacturer software or the "special" motherboard manufacturer software. Below we show the most commom procedures for AMI, Award and Phoenix BIOS using the original BIOS manufacturer software, but as we said, it can be slightly different depending on the software version. You should write the BIOS backup file to a floppy disk.
AMI Bios software is interactive, which means you don't need any fancy command to backup your BIOS. Just tell the software, using its menus, to save the BIOS contents to a file.
awdflash a:backup.bin /sy /pn
To recover your BIOS in the event of a virus attack or a bad BIOS upgrade, follow the instructions available on our tutorial on how to recover motherboards killed by the CIH virus. We also recommend reading our tutorial on BIOS upgrade.
Since the procedure to recover erased or corrupted BIOS involves the removal of the BIOS chip with the computer turned on, many motherboards manufacturers launched motherboards equipped with two BIOS chips: a main BIOS and a backup BIOS. Therefore if the main BIOS is erased - either accidentally by means of an unsuccessful BIOS upgrade or intentionally by a virus - you can turn on the machine using the backup BIOS and recover the contents of the main BIOS without the need of any fancy procedure to reprogram it. You can find motherboards from Gigabyte, Albatron and Chaintech with this feature.
Figure 2: Detail of a motherboard from Gigabyte with the Dual BIOS feature.
For the motherboards that are not equipped with two BIOS, an interesting solution was created by IOSS. It is the BIOS RD-1 backup system, that adds a second BIOS chip to your motherboard. RD-1 is installed in place of the original motherboard BIOS and the original BIOS is installed in an existing socket in RD-1. In RD-1 there is a switch to swap the backup BIOS content with the main BIOS content. Though installation is not so simple for beginners - as it involves the removal of circuits in motherboard - it is needed only once. For more information about this product refer to http://www.ioss.com.tw/eg/index.html.
Originally at http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/BIOS-Backup/41 | <urn:uuid:8f7a826c-0be6-4e90-ae2a-466b727facb7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/BIOS-Backup/41 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928478 | 958 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Extreme Breast Cancer Prevention: Should At-Risk Women Have Both Breasts Removed?
11,763 people voted
Some young women with a family history of breast cancer, such as 24 year old Allyn Rose (a Miss American contestant), plan to take the most extreme step to preventing breast cancer by having a double mastectomy, even before being diagnosed with breast cancer. (A double mastectomy is a surgery that removes both breasts.)
What are your thoughts about preventative double mastectomies? Are they a smart cancer prevention decision or are there better options out there?
You can read more in the Huffington Post article here: Extreme Breast Cancer Prevention: Should At-Risk Women Have Both Breasts Removed?
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Check the "Don't ask again" box below and you won't have to confirm the next time you send invitations | <urn:uuid:722870cd-3c8e-4ecb-8966-d2c1fec0582e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.causes.com/actions/1724650-extreme-breast-cancer-prevention-should-at-risk-women-have-both-breasts-removed?ctm=recommended_activities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920094 | 214 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Zimbabwe presidential run-off date set
Friday, May 16, 2008
The date was announced in a government-run gazette, saying: "It is hereby notified that the Zimbabwe electoral commission with the approval of the minister of justice made the following notice: a poll shall be taken on Friday, June 27, 2008, for the purpose of electing a person to the office of president."
Although Mr. Tsvangirai says taking the poll on June 27 is illegal, the government has issued an emergency law, George Chiweshe, chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission claiming that "some of the resources were depleted during the first election, so we need more time to prepare for the runoff." However Mr. Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is worried that Mugabe, whose rule Tsvangirai called a "dictatorship" when speaking earlier in Belfast, will use the time to intimidate voters.
In the first round the MDC won 47.9% of votes against the incumbent Zanu-PF's 43.2%. President Mugabe, Zanu-PF's leader, has told his central committee today that the first round was "disastrous" and that "as leaders we all share the blame, from the national level to that of branch chairman."
Both leaders have fired criticisms at each other's parties, Mugabe saying the MDC and its supporters are "playing a very dangerous game" and are waging war in rural constituencies, Tsvangirai telling the BBC that "the people who have taken over are the military."
- "Commission sets Zimbabwe runoff for June" — , May 16, 2008
- "Zimbabwe names date for run-off" — , May 16, 2008
- "Mugabe acknowledges election disaster as run-off date set" — , May 16, 2008
- "Tsvangirai vows to end Zim 'darkness'" — , May 16, 2008
- "Tsvangirai to run in second round" — , May 10, 2008 | <urn:uuid:1a29580a-a7fd-4acf-91df-5f9293cd0dd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Zimbabwe_presidential_run-off_date_set | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972003 | 428 | 1.640625 | 2 |
This volume updates and combines two National Academy Press bestsellers--Prudent Practices for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories and Prudent Practices for Disposal of Chemicals from Laboratories--which have served for more than a decade as leading sources of chemical safety guidelines for the laboratory.
Developed by experts from academia and industry, with specialties in such areas as chemical sciences, pollution prevention, and laboratory safety, Prudent Practices for Safety in Laboratories provides step-by-step planning procedures for handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals. The volume explores the current culture of laboratory safety and provides an updated guide to federal regulations. Organized around a recommended workflow protocol for experiments, the book offers prudent practices designed to promote safety and it includes practical information on assessing hazards, managing chemicals, disposing of wastes, and more.
Prudent Practices for Safety in Laboratories is essential reading for people working with laboratory chemicals: research chemists, technicians, safety officers, chemistry educators, and students. | <urn:uuid:bec7b585-22b4-436b-b920-5721a20765d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4911 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91793 | 202 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a skin infection caused by the double-stranded DNA virus of the family Poxviridae that typically presents as flesh-colored asymptomatic umbilicated papules. Plantar MC is uncommon. We describe a 23-year-old man who presented with multiple plantar MC. We also summarize the epidemiologic features of the 34 previously reported patients with plantar MC and discuss the clinical characteristics, differential diagnosis, and treatment of plantar MC. The patients were immunocompetent and the median age at diagnosis was 21 years. Although the plantar MC were asymptomatic in some individuals, a common presenting symptom was pain while walking. Patients had 1 lesion (23/35), 2 lesions (5/35), 3 lesions (4/35), or more than 5 lesions (3/35). Giant MC (≥1 cm in diameter) was observed in more than 75% (a minimum of 27/35) of patients. At the initial patient evaluation, plantar verruca often was suspected; subsequently, light and/or electron microscopy of the plantar lesion confirmed the diagnosis of plantar MC. Removal or destruction of the lesion resulted in definitive treatment of the plantar MC. | <urn:uuid:03d8d597-0f78-443d-b3a5-26edd32ac324> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cutis.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=10085 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945364 | 262 | 1.804688 | 2 |
On January 9, 1856, William Wilkinson deeded a plot of ground 104 feet square to be used as a family burial ground. Mr. Wilkinson deeded the land to John B. Duncan, James Berdan and Isaac R. Bennet as members of the county court, to be held in trust forever for the use of Mary Fearneyhough, Ann Elliott, Ellen Sharpe, William Wilkinson, James Wilkinson and Francis Wilkinson and their descendants. Recorded at the Morgan County Court House on January 28, 1856, there is good reason to believe the deed mistakenly refers to the burial ground as being in the Northwest quarter of the Southwest quarter of Section 3 in Township 14N and Range 11W. Close reading of the deed and description of the measurements leads to the conclusion that William Wilkinson actually intended the deed to read 1/4 acre in a square form in the northwest quarter of the southeast (not southwest) quarter of Section 3. When Mrs. Florence Hutchison and Miss Elizabeth Hardy visited the site on June 17, 1976, they found the area is now under cultivation, with no trace of the cemetery remaining. The site is exactly two miles directly east of Lynnville, in western Morgan County. In earlier times another family cemetery was located 1/2 mile south of Wilkinson Cemetery. Believed to have been Middleton Cemetery, it was located at the southwest corner of two rural roads. The bodies formerly interred in Middletown Cemetery were long ago moved to Jacksonville's Diamond Grove Cemetery. Legal description of Middleton Cemetery was in the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 10 in Township 14N Range 11W. | <urn:uuid:9c04bdcf-93e4-47f7-86d4-018940734867> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilmaga/morgan/cemetery/wilkinson.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97017 | 327 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
At trial, an explanation to a judge by a party or the party's attorney as to how a proposed line of questioning, or a certain item of physical evidence, would be relevant to its case and admissible under the rules of evidence. Offers of proof arise when a party begins a line of questioning that the other side objects to as calling for irrelevant or inadmissible information. If the judge thinks that the questions might lead to proper evidence, the questioner will be give a chance to show how the expected answers will be both relevant and admissible. This explanation is usually presented out of the jurys hearing, but it does become part of the trial record.
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:20 pm | <urn:uuid:9fbf69ce-6c6f-418a-a6da-3b58e1ea50d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/offer_of_proof?quicktabs_3=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932365 | 172 | 3.40625 | 3 |
I use rechargeable batteries in all my appliances. Who wants to throw away battery after battery? I use NiMH rechargeable batteries in our wall clocks, my wireless keyboard, our digital cameras, and any other battery powered electronics. I find it strange that disposable batteries are still so popular and have the widest selection, while the rechargeable selection is limited, and it’s difficult to find rechargeable C and D batteries and chargers in many stores. I figured everyone would like to save money and the hassle of buying new batteries all the time. You use a rechargeable battery for years whereas you use a disposable battery only once. So over the years (and with millions of other people doing the same), using disposable batteries equals a LOT of batteries in the landfill.
Ni-Cads or nickel cadmium provide adequate energy however; the disposal is more hazardous to the environment because of toxic metals. The best rechargeable batteries are (NiMH) or nickel metal hydride. They perform well and are less toxic to the environment. Rechargeable NIMH are actually better than Alkaline disposables for high drain applications such as in digital cameras, as they last much longer on a single charge and don’t have to be discarded after a single use.
Rechargeable batteries will save money: According to Real Goods, throwaway batteries cost $0.10 per hour to operate, if you figure in energy and replacement costs. In contrast, rechargeable batteries cost only $0.001 per hour. Real Goods recommends nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeables, which contain no toxic metals, unlike rechargeable alkalines, and offer almost twice the capacity per cell compared to nicad rechargeables.
Go one step further to encourage the green energy future and buy a solar battery charger. Except — I have yet to find a good one that stops charging when the batteries are full, or switches to a trickle charge. I don’t want to accidently overcharge my batteries. Anyone know of any?
Here a good (plug-in) universal charger and conditioner that I use for several battery types: Visit GreenBatteries.com
This site also sells rechargeable batteries if there are sizes you are having a hard time finding.
A couple other tips:
Keep charged batteries charged while storing: NiMH and Nicad batteries start to lose power when stored for only a few days at room temperature. But they will retain a 90% charge for several months if you keep them in the freezer after they are fully charged. Store your charged NiMH cells in the freezer or refrigerator and keep them in tightly sealed bags so they stay dry. Let them return to room temperature before using them.
NiMH Rechargeable Battery Disposal: NiMH batteries are 100% recyclable and use no toxic materials (lead, cadmium, or lithium), making them the only rechargeable battery that can be legally disposed of in a landfill. However — it is still recommended to recycled them – check out this website for battery recycling in your area: hhttp://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.php
I’ve pulled an excerpt of what is recommended when buying rechargeable batteries and their chargers.
Rechargeable Batteries: What to Do, in Brief
If you want to cut to the chase and keep it simple, then do these three things:
1. Buy a battery charger that has these five features (In order of importance.):
(a) Charges NiMH batteries, or better still, charges both NiMH batteries and NiCd batteries. Almost all chargers sold today charge NiMH batteries, but check to make sure, especially if you are buying a used charger. All chargers designed to charge NiMH batteries are perfectly compatible with the new LSD NiMH batteries, described in the introduction.
(b) Has an optional discharge cycle, more commonly called a reconditioning cycle. For reasons why, see #3 below.
(c) Switches to a trickle charge or shuts off or automatically after the batteries are charged. This prevents you from over cooking your batteries and dramatically shortening their life.
(d) Charges each battery individually. Many chargers only charge batteries in pairs. That works OK if you use batteries only in pairs. But wall clocks and some remote controls use only one battery. Some flashlights use one, three, or five batteries. Additionally, you will find in time that supposedly identical rechargeable batteries differ slightly in their capacity. Allowing each battery to recondition and recharge individually assures that each battery will last as long as it can. More importantly, if a rechargeable battery goes bad, and if your charger charges each battery individually, it can tell you precisely which battery is the bad one.
(e) Automatically switches from recondition mode to recharge mode, without requiring you to go to the charger to flip a switch half-way through the process. This is a tremendous convenience. Without this feature you will find yourself either repeatedly going to the charger to see when you can start the charging process, or you will forget to switch to the charging process and not have charged batteries when you want them. Worse still, you may get frustrated by the reconditioning cycle, stop reconditioning your batteries, and thus shorten the life of your batteries. | <urn:uuid:164f1fbb-9478-4c4d-abee-aa93f44249b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ijdesign.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/using-rechargeable-batteries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929408 | 1,109 | 2.234375 | 2 |
The United Confederate Veterans Association was established in 1889 as a benevolent, historical, social and literary association. It was active from 1889 to the mid 1940’s. It’s mission was to “unite in a general federation all associations of Confederate Veterans, soldiers and sailors, now in existence or hereafter to be formed; to gather authentic data for an impartial history of the War between the States; to preserve relics or mementos of the same; to cherish the ties of friendship that should exist among men who have shared common dangers, common sufferings and privations; to care for the disabled and extend a helping hand to the needy; to protect the widows and orphans and to make and preserve a record of the services of every member and as far as possible of those of our comrades who have preceded us in eternity.”
Leon Jastremski, a member of the Association of the Army of Northern Virginia (AANVA), Louisiana Division, claimed to have suggested to E.D. Wilett, President of that association, the idea that led to the organization of the United Confederated Veterans Association (UCV). Planning began with conversations among E.D. Wilett, Fred S. Washington and Fred Ober and other members of the AANVA. They were joined by J.A. Chalaron and D.E. Given of the Association of the Army of Tennessee (AAT), and in February 1889, AANVA joined with the AAT and Confederate States’ Cavalry in formally endorsing a plan for a general meeting of Confederate Veterans. More than 500 of the 1,885 UCV local camps previously existed independently or as members of other societies. The total membership in the UCV may have approached 160,000 or 25 percent of the southern soldiers who survived the Civil War.
A group of Confederate Veterans from Colusa gathered together and organized Camp Pap Price, Post #1360, named after Confederate General Sterling Price. The post was organized on August 6, 1901 and Major John B. Moore was elected as the first Post Commander. They met at the Odd Fellows Building, 141 – 5th Street. The last Confederate Veteran to pass away was Captain John Lowery Jackson, Company A, 1st Battery, Missouri State Guard, on May 11, 1940, thus closing out the UCV in Colusa County.
John Brown Moore – Post Commander
Michael R. Blevins – Senior Vice – Commander
William M. Craig – Junior Vice – Commander
William T. Beville – Adjutant
John T. Harrington – Quartermaster
Dr. William Henry Belton – Surgeon
John L. Jackson – Chaplain
Luthor Hoy – Officer of the Day
Colusa Confederate Veterans receiving the Southern Cross of Honor from the Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy, San Francisco, California on November 3, 1901.
“The Fine Print”
Copyright © 1996- by The CAGenWeb Administrative Team. All materials, images, sounds and data contained herein are not to be copied or downloaded for purposes of duplication, distribution, or publishing without the express written permission of The CAGenWeb Administrative Team.
This web page is maintained on behalf of the California portion of The USGenWeb Project and is paid for by supporters. Although believed to be correct as presented, if you have corrections, changes, additions, or find that any links provided on this page are not functioning properly, please contact the webmaster for prompt attention to the matter. | <urn:uuid:fbb33d48-8a30-484b-b52c-bf4a265903c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cagenweb.com/colusa/military_history_and_genealogy/united_conf_vets.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942316 | 719 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Practice makes perfect!
Kids can’t learn Algebra or learn to read in one day, so why would they learn how to handle bullying in one day?
Are you a teacher? Are you a parent?
I bet most of you have heard one child say this to another, “You are so annoying!”
Those words are mean, negative and hurtful.
- Teaching kids what to do in a bullying situation is not an easy task.
- Teaching kids what to do in age-appropriate conflict is not an easy task.
The goal in my daily work is to teach kids and teens what to do and say in a situation that is mean, negative or bullying. In order to do that, we must provide the opportunity to allow kids to role play and act out situations they are continuously exposed to. In my experience, a successful way to teach kids how to have good character is to use real life situations that kids are exposed to on a daily basis.
So how do schools tackle this idea of teaching kids how to have good character? How do you do it with your students or your own children?
How do schools typically teach character education? In my travels around the U.S. and Canada, it seems that school districts address character and behavior at the elementary school level and sometimes in 6th or 7th grade. Typically, once students reach the upper grades of middle school and high school, academic requirements leave little or no time to practice character education. So, I am asking for your help!
Many middle schools and high schools reach out to speakers who will present to students in large groups, in the auditorium. Does this work? Does it solve the problem? Does it create a school with a friendly atmosphere and open arms to newcomers? Does it create a safe school or a positive school climate?
In my experience, exposing students to a presentation in an auditorium or showing them a movie is not a solution. I believe a presentation, assembly or movie can be an introduction to the problem…see, most kids don’t even see their negative words and actions as a problem. Most teens see nothing wrong with calling someone annoying, especially if in fact THEY ARE ANNOYING!
One-time presentations or speakers who tell sad stories of suicides do not teach kids how to solve the problems of mean, negative and bullying behavior they may be exposed to on a daily basis. This single form of anti-bullying education, will not teach your students how to create a positive school climate, however, in combination with a curriculum and small group instruction, a presentation can be good for:
- building awareness of mean, negative, hurtful behaviors in their surroundings-both online and off line
- communicating our expectations of their behavior
- laying out the consequences.
If your school district is searching for 21st Century Character Education, you must move away from the theory that kids learn by being lectured to. These methods of education do not give your students a “solution” for ending bullying or mean, negative hurtful behavior in your school environment.
If our schools and society want teens to be able to handle conflict and stand up for what they know is right, we have to teach them exact words and actions they can use when they find themselves in a sticky situation. In my experience, kids are able “do the right thing” when they have had plenty of practice saying it and hearing it. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition …
Generation Text Online’s posters are a tool you can give your students. These posters help students to envision themselves in a real life, age appropriate situation and help them to respond in a way that is nice, supportive and positive. Our posters, hung in multiple places in your school are just one tool for your students’ tool box!
But we need your help!! Generation Text Online would like your feedback!
One answer or one response is not going to be right for every student. Different kids feel comfortable with different words. Some words or actions may be more natural than others. A student’s response may differ depending on “who” they are saying it to.
Please comment on this blog to let me know what you would teach a student to say when hearing these words. Before you collaborate with us, remember two things about the mission of Generation Text Online.
- No response should be mean, negative or hurtful.
- Our curriculum teaches kids to stand up for the victim, not the bully. We want to teach the friend or bystander what to say to the victim, or person who is the recipient of these words.
The goal of this blog post is to continue to offer parents and educators the opportunity to understand what goes on in the on-line lives of children in this generation. It allows you to consider alternate viewpoints and reflect upon your own approach to raising your child. By no means are my thoughts and reflections the ONLY way to address these concerns. | <urn:uuid:770f305b-5772-43d9-8aaa-bacfa78208fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scarsdale.patch.com/groups/jill-browns-blog/p/bp--teaching-21st-century-kids-how-to-respond-to-bulldeb1d1eef3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952974 | 1,021 | 3.640625 | 4 |
JB discusses tips and ideas on dealing with problems and issues.
Today’s Daily Questions
- What is the best way to learn when something happens?
- Why is identifying the core issue critical?
- What does the relevance of time have to do with dealing with it?
What makes believing so hard?
I want to put my answers to one of today's daily questions out there and share. Regarding what I'm doing this weekend to move me forward. I will be traveling for work and will have some down time. In those free hours I plan to start putting ideas for generating my own income on paper. I've dreamed of it for years...and clearly now is the time for me to give it a go (on the side). I have these desires for a reason. Now its time to see why.
We are so used to not believing.
I agree with fear. I also think a big part is not knowing where to begin, and not beling clear on the end result. If you don't know really what you want and the scope, and you don't have a place to begin, and you fear it because its so big, so daunting, so daring, so risky and on and on. You can control the scope and the process, though - so get through that and then be fearless!
Fear - We're a society of instant results and people want to see the quick fix without the investment of time and energy. The fear lies in wasted time and effort and that will hamstring many dreams from becoming reality.
The conditioning that we've gotten in the past combined with the conditioning that we get every day.
Evidence and fear..... What I mean is it is rare that you remember the successes unless they are larger than life but we can point to failure all around us without hesitation. I know fear is just False Evidence Appearing Real but in our moments of weakness it is hard to decipher the evidence to decide if it is false or real. | <urn:uuid:b5604e02-566e-45f9-9a60-428dac029322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.morningcoach.com/dashboard/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960621 | 402 | 1.804688 | 2 |
I recently came across an intriguingly thoughtful article entitled “Dark Social: We Have the Whole History of the Web Wrong” on the Atlantic. It may stimulate some critical reflections regarding how researchers should study the implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) may influence the way people share and connect with others. The main idea of the article is simple:…read more →
I’ve been waiting for reports using the data from 2010 General Social Survey (GSS) for a while now, given that GSS has implemented experiments on the name generator question in their 2010 survey. Sociologists in Univ. of Iowa just released their fin best price cialis dings online at here, indicating that the decrease in the network size found in 2004…read more →
A Pew report on Facebook users’ writing proposal canada pharmacy online behaviors, by Keith Hampton and his colleagues. Why most Facebook users get more than they give. The PDF is here.
This is a super interesting work by Facebook Data Team: Rethinking Information Diversity in Networks. Some of the figures in their post nicely depict how individuals conceptualize their personal networks.
A nice article in Scientific American titled Digital Divide and Social Media: Connectivity Doesn’t End the Digital Divide, Skills Do. I usa pharmacy could not find any better way to say this. This claim is exactly one of my research interests. More pressing question is to explore the equifax credit score substance of skills in this rapidly changing digital environment….read more →
Stefan Wuchty and Brian Uzzi at Northwestern have published online cash advance a rigorous paper suggesting that besides volume and reciprocal exchange, response time can help identify different types of ties in one’s social networks. The Wall Street Journal coverage is here: E-Mail Separates Friends from Acquaintances. The Science Now coverage is here: E-mail Reveals Your Closest Friends. The original…read more → | <urn:uuid:92a79c62-ddad-4361-8ef4-ed6240165869> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yulipatrickhsieh.org/category/related-research/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900148 | 397 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Serving New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Eight Tribal Nations.
EPA Response to September 11
The US Environmental Protection Agency played a key role in the nation’s response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. To protect public safety and health, EPA coordinated with multiple levels and branches of government to respond comprehensively to the initial emergency situation and the resulting environmental isaster. EPA led or participated in essential response activities including:
- the monitoring of air, water and dust for potential environmental hazards;
- the vacuuming of debris and dust from streets and other outdoor spaces in Lower Manhattan;
- the manual disposal of hazardous waste from the WTC site;
- the creation of an online database to report monitoring results to the public and press;
- setting up wash stations and providing protective equipment for recovery workers;
- and the development of cleaning and testing programs for indoor residences in Lower Manhattan.
Because many of EPA’s day-to-day activities at ground zero were completed long ago, much of the information and data available to the public is now outdated or archived.
Outdoor Monitoring Data
For data collected via sampling of outdoor air, please visit the World Trade Center Environmental Contaminant Database , hosted by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Residential Dust Cleanup Program
In April 2002, the Mayor of New York City asked that EPA address potential effects of WTC dust on residences in lower Manhattan. EPA developed and implemented a comprehensive program, with broad interagency input at federal, state and local levels, to ensure that lower Manhattan residents were protected from potential exposures to WTC-related dust and debris.
The WTC dust cleanup and testing program allowed residents living south of Canal Street in lower Manhattan to have their homes professionally cleaned and tested or just tested free of charge. Read the Final Report [PDF 2.5M, 217pp] from that program.
In addition, EPA conducted three supporting projects:
- A Contaminants of Potential Concern Report [PDF 453K, 112pp] established health-based benchmarks for contaminants in support of cleanup efforts.
- A Confirmation Cleaning Building Study [PDF 13.4M, 507pp] evaluated the effectiveness of various cleaning techniques on WTC-related dust.
- A Background Study [PDF 2.1M, 144pp] provided data on contaminants in indoor air and settled dust in residences north of 78th Street in Manhattan.
Lower Manhattan Test and Clean Program
EPA concluded its Lower Manhattan Test and Clean Program in 2008. The voluntary program was offered to residents and building owners concerned about potential residual contamination in buildings impacted by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. Read the Final Report [PDF 528K, 38pp] from that program.
Demolition and Deconstruction Activities
A number of buildings in the immediate vicinity of the World Trade Center were damaged on September 11. The majority have been repaired, cleaned and re-occupied. EPA led the efforts of federal, state and city agencies to ensure that the buildings were demolished or deconstructed in a manner that protected the health of people who live and work in the area. Work continues at the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street. | <urn:uuid:8ada2f4f-ccd0-441f-815b-2bd5498d3482> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epa.gov/wtc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933595 | 665 | 2.921875 | 3 |
North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens serves youth who opt out of traditional schooling. Learning is Natural. School is Optional.
Learning is Natural. School is Optional.
North Star provides ANY family an inspiring alternative to middle or high school. This means we provide thousands of dollars in fee reductions to families all over the Pioneer Valley. This year we have provided over $50,000 in fee reductions.
North Star is founded on the principle that traditional schooling is not the only path to a happy and successful future. We help kids to THRIVE RIGHT NOW.
"Given how my son's misery in private school has strained our relationship, I knew we needed a change... Who knew such an amazing place existed, that accepts kids for who they are at that moment? North Star saved my family." - Jodi, alum parent
"I did well in public school, but I felt suffocated by the lack of freedom to be intellectually curious. For the past four years I have concentrated on one-on-one tutorials, in which I explore subjects of my own choosing, with guidance from incredibly supportive staff members. North Star has given me the freedom to be myself." - Laura, current member
"The best part of North Star is that at age sixteen, I am already comfortable in a college classroom." - Marco, current member
"Taking responsibility for my own learning at an early age was invaluable for my personal and professional development. I am so grateful to North Star for empowering me to have the life I enjoy today." -Dan, alum member
Read more on our website: | <urn:uuid:e04f16b0-132b-401d-ac47-972d9410680f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://valleygives.razoo.com/story/Learning-Alternatives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954707 | 323 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Arlington, Va. – Marymount University’s women’s basketball team raised $400 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during its annual Tip-Off Tournament on November 16-17.
The Saints were inspired by the story of Keeley Imel, the sister of a high school classmate of Marymount senior Katelyn Fischer at Seton Keough High School in Baltimore, Md. After battling brain cancer for five years, Keeley passed away on April 1, 2012.
Keeley went through numerous chemotherapy and radiation treatments and was in remission for two years before the cancer returned her senior year in high school. She made it her mission in life to give back to the place that saved her life and where she spent a good amount of her time.
“Most people don’t know that none of the families that go to St. Jude have to pay any bills,” Fischer said. “The hospital thrives on the generous donations of others. I knew the Tip-Off Tournament would be a great way to get people from the community involved.”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay.
More information on St. Jude can be found online at www.stjude.org, www.facebook.com/stjude and www.twitter.com/stjude. | <urn:uuid:7f093a6e-fd81-4470-8bf3-773adf60da5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marymount.edu/newsEvents/newsDetails.aspx?Channel=%2FChannels%2FSite+Wide+Content&WorkflowItemID=cc1a2ce0-1437-4da3-a72d-013b3bce6a33 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954598 | 348 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Think of a number and follow my instructions. Tell me your answer,
and I'll tell you what you started with! Can you explain how I
A job needs three men but in fact six people do it. When it is
finished they are all paid the same. How much was paid in total,
and much does each man get if the money is shared as Fred suggests?
The well known Fibonacci sequence is 1 ,1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21....
How many Fibonacci sequences can you find containing the number 196
as one of the terms?
The number 27 is special because it is three times the sum of its digits 27 = 3 (2 + 7). Find some two digit numbers that are SEVEN times the sum of their digits (seven-up numbers)?
A car's milometer reads 4631 miles and the trip meter has 173.3 on
it. How many more miles must the car travel before the two numbers
contain the same digits in the same order?
Triangle ABC is isosceles while triangle DEF is equilateral. Find
one angle in terms of the other two.
If: A + C = A; F x D = F; B - G = G; A + H = E; B / H = G; E - G =
F and A-H represent the numbers from 0 to 7 Find the values of A,
B, C, D, E, F and H.
An AP rectangle is one whose area is numerically equal to its perimeter. If you are given the length of a side can you always find an AP rectangle with one side the given length?
What are the missing numbers in the pyramids?
Two brothers were left some money, amounting to an exact number of
pounds, to divide between them. DEE undertook the division. "But
your heap is larger than mine!" cried DUM...
Water freezes at 0°Celsius (32°Fahrenheit) and boils at
100°C (212°Fahrenheit). Is there a temperature at which
Celsius and Fahrenheit readings are the same? | <urn:uuid:ba86adb6-b002-4eda-8237-cfa7c4169d43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nrich.maths.org/public/leg.php?code=51&cl=2&cldcmpid=7162 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932877 | 450 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Discovery is the British National Archives’ new catalog, which provides a more integrated and functional way to explore the collections. It has been designed to host, search and display the many different databases and datasets being held at the National Archives.
There’s a newly updated version of Discovery available. It is much improved. The new version includes an enhanced search results page and displays the covering dates, references and former references of records searched.
As with any new system there were bugs and issues that have been fixed with the update. You can find out ore by clicking frequently asked questions and there’s also a new blog in development.
Discovery was created in response to user feedback. You can tell them what you think by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org.
Click on British National Archives launch of their new and improved website Discovery to read my original article about the launch of Discovery. | <urn:uuid:ebe91f3e-d397-4a1b-bc54-920ad11faea6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spittalstreet.com/?p=6127 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958324 | 188 | 1.78125 | 2 |
NuStart Signs DOE Agreement in Support of Advanced Nuclear Plants
NUSTART NEWS RELEASE — Washington — NuStart Energy Development LLC, the consortium of nine nuclear power companies operating 58 percent of the nation’s nuclear power plants and two reactor vendors, has signed a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to demonstrate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing process and to complete the designs for the first advanced nuclear power reactors in the U.S. in 30 years.
“America needs nuclear power because it is safe, clean and domestic energy. This Agreement is the next step on the road to a new generation of nuclear energy plants,” said Marilyn Kray, president of NuStart and a vice president of Exelon.
The agreement authorizes the NuStart consortium to participate in a 50-50 cost sharing program with the government to complete the detailed engineering work for two advanced reactor technologies — the Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 Reactor and the General Electric Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor.
NuStart will select two potential nuclear plant sites by October of this year, one for each design.
“We need the energy price stability and fuel diversity that new nuclear plants can provide,” Ms. Kray said. “Our quality of life and that of our children depend on a new generation of nuclear power that does not emit greenhouse gases or other air pollutants.”
The design analyses will be integrated with the characteristics of the selected sites to develop comprehensive applications for a Combined Operating License to be submitted to the NRC. Submittal of the applications is expected in 2008.
After a comprehensive review by the NRC, the two construction and operating licenses could be issued as early as 2010. At that time, the construction and operating licenses could be transferred to a NuStart member company or group of companies who decide to build the new nuclear plant designs.
A decision to build would be based on several factors late this decade, including power market conditions and projections in the area of the proposed plant, competing fuel prices, the regulatory environment at the time, the status of permanent used fuel storage and the ability of nuclear operating companies to obtain financing from Wall Street without adversely affecting their financial credit ratings.
Since construction is expected to take four years, the first new nuclear plants would not begin operation until 2014.
The generic, first-of-a-kind activities to be completed through NuStart will address some of the uncertainties associated with a nuclear investment, and will significantly reduce the time to market for a new nuclear plant. These activities will position the nuclear industry to respond to the anticipated need for more nuclear generation.
The agreement was signed under the DOE’s Nuclear Power 2010 program, designed to encourage new nuclear plant investment. The current cost of the NuStart project is $520 million with the NuStart consortium and the DOE each paying $260 million.
Members of NuStart Energy consortium are:
- Constellation Energy, Baltimore
- Duke Energy, Charlotte
- EDF International North America, Washington, D.C., the U.S. subsidiary of the large French electric utility
- Entergy Nuclear, Jackson, Miss.
- Exelon Generation, Philadelphia
- Florida Power & Light Company, Juno Beach, Fla.
- Progress Energy, Raleigh, N.C.
- Southern Company, Atlanta
- Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tenn.
- GE Energy, Atlanta
- Westinghouse Electric Co., Pittsburgh | <urn:uuid:08ca3f33-0f26-4208-8226-9a600581beeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nustartenergy.com/DisplayArticle.aspx?ID=20050509-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918912 | 713 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Haryana clears 10 pct reservation for 'economically backward classes'
- Spot-fixing: Chandila was in touch with four sets of bookies, says Delhi Police
- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives, to hold talks with PM on boundary, water issues
- IPL 2013: Delhi Daredevils crash to defeat, finish last
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The Haryana government on Wednesday approved the proposal for providing 10 per cent reservation to "economically backward classes" in general category, as recommended by the Haryana Backward Classes Commission.
The Council of Ministers, which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today, accepted the recommendations of Cabinet Sub Committee.
The Council of Ministers had constituted the Sub Committee on December 12 last year to consider the recommendations of the Backward Classes Commission and to suggest specific programmes for economic uplift of the community.
The Sub Committee was headed by state Finance Minister H S Chatha on the issue of reservation in government jobs for economically backward persons in general category.
Later, addressing a meeting the chief minister said the reservation for economically backward classes would be "vertical and not horizontal".
The Cabinet Sub-Committee is also of the opinion that those, who claim benefit of reservation under other categories, will not be entitled to claim benefit of reservation under this category.
The Haryana Backward Classes Commission had submitted its report on January 22.
As per this criteria, 'Family' for the purposes of the applicant seeking reservation as 'economically backward' is defined as Head of Family and his or her spouse; unmarried sons or unmarried daughters; applicant and his or her spouse; dependant parents or dependent children; unmarried dependant brothers or unmarried dependant sisters; and any other person dependant on head of the family or applicant.
An official release detailing the reservation said Rs 2.50 lakh per annum shall be gross income of the family that is income from all sources including agriculture income.
It was observed that in 2011-12, Haryana's per-capita income was Rs 1,09,227 or say Rs 1, 10,000. Multiplied by a factor of 2, it comes to Rs 2.20 lakh. By adding for inflationary and other pressures, this amount be taken to be Rs 2.50 lakh.
- Former Ranji player among 3 more held
- Rajasthan Royals to file FIR against tainted trio
- If found guilty, BCCI to ask ICC to erase Sreesanth records
- Top cops among 42 named in death of blast accused
- PM takes tough line on incursion issue
- Security forces blame Maoists, villagers say CoBRA man was killed in ‘friendly fire’ | <urn:uuid:47bde2c5-0ca4-4d5c-a7a1-515d803f602c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianexpress.com/news/haryana-clears-10-pct-reservation-for-economically-backward-classes/1063734/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942265 | 597 | 1.578125 | 2 |
January 26, 2012 —
UPPER DELAWARE REGION — The Common Waters Fund, a forest-to-faucet initiative facilitated by a partnership of regional stakeholders, completed three funding rounds in its first year of operation, distributing over $575,000 to 90 private forest owners in Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Sullivan counties in New York, and Sussex County in New Jersey. Together these landowners represent nearly 40,000 acres of high priority forestland.
The fund, which is coordinated by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, owes its success in part to leveraging the expertise of its local partners. “The program itself and the application procedures are simple,” said Susan Beecher, area coordinator of the fund. “We’re working with area conservation districts and foresters who are familiar with the local landscapes and resources. Together, we mapped priority forest areas in the Upper Delaware, identified best management practices for forest stewardship and created a funding mechanism for private forest landowners.”
The program was created to direct funds into the areas of the Delaware watershed that are most important for clean water and steady stream flows. Most lands here are privately owned and threatened by development, so a key strategy is to provide incentives to landowners to keep their forests intact and healthy. The fund accepts applications on a quarterly basis. The next deadline is February 1.
“Healthy forests act as natural filters for rainfall, and help mitigate flooding and erosion,” Beecher said.
That’s good news for the 16.2 million people who depend on the Delaware for drinking water supplies, agriculture, food production, generation of electricity, industrial uses, recreational facilities such as ski slopes and golf courses, and recreational activities including fishing and white-water canoeing and kayaking. These uses contribute some $25 billion annually to the local economy. The Delaware’s fresh water also keeps salt water out of the wells in downstream cities like Philadelphia, Camden, and Trenton and numerous New Jersey suburbs.
The fund also works with regional land trusts to permanently protect forests. “We have over a dozen conservation easement applications and are excited to provide funds to help landowners and land trusts defray the legal expenses of placing a conservation easement on their property,” said fund director Stephanie Pendergrass.
Initial grant funding was received from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. The Common Waters Fund is seeking additional support from foundations, corporations and organizations across the Delaware Basin, especially those whose businesses rely on clean and abundant water supplies. Visit www.commonwatersfund.org or call Pendergrass at 202/797-6530. | <urn:uuid:a7dcac92-c712-43b0-85d9-1719dcf36fdc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.riverreporter.com/print/content/16/2012/01/24/common-waters-looks-capitalize-success | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948271 | 549 | 2.25 | 2 |
On the Way to a European Super State?
Greece continues to star in the headlines because the financial crisis is reaching a boil visually as Molotov cocktails explode in Athens and anarchists break into a hospital where one of their wounded comrades was in police custody. The city is in the grip of a general strike to protest the current austerity measures.
Representatives of the IMF and the EU are flocking to Athens to impose yet more austerity measures in a desperate attempt to plug the financial dike.
The Cassandras are increasing in stridency and volume and have become mainstream.
The Wall Street Journal features a column claiming that the Euro at its current level of 1.44 to the dollar is overpriced given the financial storms on the way, while another headline spoke of financial panic. The Economist is using the "D" word denial to describe the European financial establishment. Forbes basically stated that the choice was either a Greek default or Greece leaving the Eurozone.
Jonathan Weil in Bloomberg summed up the situation as follows: There’s a point in almost every financial crisis when pretty much anything anybody says about it can take on a ring of truth, because the leaders responsible for dealing with the disaster have squandered their credibility.
There are other telltale signs. The hints coming from Germany that Greece should be ejected from the Eurozone have become clear statements. The Finnish parliament is delaying approval of the Portuguese bailout and Commissioner Ollie Rehn is warning Greece not to contemplate a debt restructuring that would have disastrous consequences for Greece and the Eurozone. Angela Merkel warns against easing repayment terms for Greece and Ireland and is awaiting the report from the IMF before deciding on further steps for Greece.
Christine LaGarde, the French finance minister, is saying that the EU is going to have keep funding an insolvent Greece as the alternatives are worse. This however will not be accepted by the taxpayers in the richer countries who will balk at paying nor by citizens in the recipient countries who will refuse to live in permanent austerity.
Eventually someone always comes up with a theory that this is not madness but a calculated policy. This is what Anatole Kaletsky has done in the (British) Times. He claims that Brussels is using the bailouts essentially as a full dress rehearsal to acclimate public opinion within the Eurozone that control of national tax, spending and social policies will move from the nation state to centralized control.
When the European Common Market, the forerunner to the EU, was formed in 1955, the federalists predicted that once a particular area was removed from national control other areas would inexorably follow as part of a spillover effect. The ultimate destination will be a European super state. | <urn:uuid:818386cb-6a4f-4453-8800-a7faef899392> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144105 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955125 | 549 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Benchmarking: Understanding building performance
Conducting an energy performance comparison, known as benchmarking, can boost energy efficiency and lower building operating costs.
By Aliza Skolnik, LEED AP, GGP, Environmental Systems Design Inc., Chicago
Imagine trying to get directions without knowing the starting address. Or assembling a competitive sports team without holding tryouts to rank and compare athletes. Or even attempting to lose weight without stepping on a scale to figure out how much you weigh now. You end up lost, unaware of how your competition is doing, and oblivious to how to achieve your goal. To get to where you want to go, you have to know where you are now. Benchmarking a building’s energy performance is placing your building on the map.
As energy prices increase and building operating costs climb, property managers and owners are seeking out sustainable options—not only to lower their environmental impact, but also to improve their bottom line and gain a competitive edge over their peers. City and state governments are addressing the vast amount of energy consumed by the building sector by requiring benchmarking and disclosure of energy performance. This seems to be a growing trend as there are several legislative bodies that have similar mandates on the table.
Recently, however, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced its Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) results will not be released due to cheaper survey methodology yielding statistically invalid data. This database has been used for the past decade to benchmark facilities against their peers. In addition, the EIA’s immediate future survey work has been suspended due to budget cuts. It is unclear how this will affect legislation and other institutions, such as the green rating certifications; however, regardless of the immediate effects of this particular methodology, it remains imperative to understand the energy performance of buildings.
In response to these pressures and mandates, firms are taking broad snapshots of their building portfolio to help decide how to decrease costs and where to get the biggest bang for their buck. This can be an overwhelming task, prompting questions such as, “Where do I start?” and “How do I begin this process?” Numerous methods can be successfully executed to reduce building energy consumption, such as MEP upgrades, energy audits, and recommissioning or retrocommissioning efforts. However, these strategies cannot be implemented blindly; it is imperative to benchmark first in order to understand how each building is currently performing relative to others with similar operating characteristics.
Benchmarking involves measuring and rating a building by comparing it to a standard. Some owners and managers collect energy data for their entire portfolio of buildings, calculate the energy use intensity (EUI), which is energy consumed per square foot, and then choose a baseline as the year with the highest consumption. This methodology is simple—providing a quick, yet not as robust analysis of energy performance. Another approach involves constructing two energy models: one to present a baseline building, most often modeled after ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Appendix G, and another one to represent the actual building parameters and operation, calibrated to actual consumption bills. This analysis can be very informative, though time-consuming, and therefore probably not realistic to perform on a large portfolio-wide level.
One of the most widely used energy benchmarking systems in the United States is Energy Star Portfolio Manager, a free Web-based tool maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Users input basic building parameters, such as space type, square footage, hours of operation, number of occupants, and number of personal computers (PCs), as well as 12 months of total energy data. This information is normalized to weather conditions and run through an algorithm that compares the input building to one with similar operating characteristics from the CBECS database. The program calculates a rating of 1 to 100 based on the building source EUI; source energy accounts for both the raw fuels and the energy products from the raw fuels consumed. This score represents the percentile performance above other comparable buildings. For example, a score of 67 means the building is performing better than 67% of all similar buildings nationwide. A rating of 50 is average, and 75 earns the building an Energy Star certification label for that year. This system compares all buildings on one scale and allows for tracking throughout the lifetime of the facility.
Placing buildings in an easily understood comparative metric puts this EUI statistic in perspective. Understanding the implications of the score and aligning this with the building marketing strategies will drive the basis for developing a target score. Is the goal to reduce spending by decreasing annual operating costs by 10%? Is the objective to increase leased tenant space by achieving Energy Star or another green certification? Are you aiming to gain a competitive edge over similar commercial buildings in your region? Benchmarking a facility or achieving a high rating may not only provide avenues for cost savings and certifications opportunities, but may be a necessity to comply with city or state legislation.
Policies that mandate the use of a benchmarking tool to rate and disclose the score for commercial facilities are currently being written and implemented throughout the world. New York City’s Local Law 84 in the Greener Greater Building Plan is an excellent example. A study by New York City revealed that buildings are responsible for 75% of the city’s total annual carbon emissions. Of these buildings, 85% are expected to still exist in 2030. This information, coupled with expensive retail energy prices, drove the effort for an energy efficiency policy. The law mandates annual energy and water benchmark reports for city buildings that are more than 10,000 sq ft, as well as for privately owned buildings that are more than 50,000 sq ft. It requires the use of Energy Star Portfolio Manager and the disclosure of the score.
Several other U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and Washington, D.C., have already adopted similar legislation (see Figure 3). Of these, New York and San Francisco are coupled with a plan of action to reduce energy consumption for commercial buildings. Methods such as ASHRAE Energy Audits or retrocommissioning are included as mandatory efforts on a timed cycle.
The policies in place do not require achieving a specific score; however, some legislation mandates audits for buildings with low ratings, such as Washington’s Efficiency First bill, law SB 5854. For public buildings greater than 10,000 sq ft with an Energy Star score less than 50, a preliminary Energy Audit is required.
All of the current legislation relies on Energy Star. Due to the release of information explaining no results of the 2007 CBECS survey will be published and no 2011 survey will be administered, Energy Star will be based on 2003 data for the foreseeable future. This leaves cities in a possible conundrum if funding isn’t restored. However, there are alternatives on the horizon. The National Institute of Building Sciences is establishing a High-Performance Building Data Collection Initiative to determine a methodology for collecting and disseminating energy and building attribute data. Also, on Feb. 10, 2011, ASTM E2797-11 Standard Practice for Building Energy Performance Assessment for a Building Involved in a Real Estate Transaction was released. The standard aims to standardize collection, compilation, and analysis of building energy use and cost data.
Internationally, countries such as Australia, Russia, and Singapore have implemented policies to help regulate benchmarking and energy efficiency transparency. In the European Union (EU), the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) mandates that an energy performance certificate is provided to the owner or by the owner to the prospective buyer or tenant when buildings are constructed, sold, or rented out. Countries within the EU can develop their own systems for benchmarking buildings for the energy certificate. In Italy, for example, the buildings are given a score from A+ to G based on their EUI. EPBD has raised the awareness and importance of energy efficiency but has been a challenge for many of the member states to implement. In May 2010, EPBD was recast in hopes to simplify the language and process, increase the scope, strengthen quality control of the certificates, and promote low/zero-carbon buildings. As in all institutions, each benchmarking procedure or tool is different and has various nuances.
Energy Star Portfolio Manager is among the most popular benchmarking tools and is cited most often in U.S. legislation, and therefore this article will take the time to explore the specifics of benchmarking using this method. Even though the lack of updated CBECS data could halt future revisions of Portfolio Manager, current legislation mandates its use. Following is a review of frequently asked benchmarking questions that can help building owners avoid incorrect data entry or user confusion.
Your facility is not compared to other buildings that are using Energy Star Portfolio Manager as a basis for their ratings. The Energy Star score is based on an algorithm that compares your facility inputs to other buildings in the CBECS database that have similar regional location and operating characteristics. CBECS is a national sample survey conducted every four years to collect data on commercial buildings in the U.S., namely their energy-related characteristics and energy consumption. The last survey was completed in 2007, but data will not be released due to invalid results and the 2011 survey will not be conducted because funding has been cut. Therefore, Energy Star is currently using CBECS data from 2003 and will be for the foreseeable future. If funding is restored, as buildings increase in energy efficiency, however, it would be expected that the database of facilities would increase in energy efficiency and create a stricter benchmark comparison. An Energy Star rating is only valid for the 12 months of energy data being analyzed; therefore, facility owners are encouraged to maintain, track, and update the parameters and energy data.
One of the common factors that contribute to incorrect ratings is a misunderstanding of the definition of “weekly operating hours.” Energy Star defines it as the “number of hours per week that a building (or space within a building) is occupied by at least 75% of the tenant employees, and is therefore considered to be operational.” This does not include HVAC warm-up or cool-down hours or the time that 10% of the occupants remain after typical hours. This also means that the weekly operating hours should be set to zero for vacant spaces, because no occupants are present even though the space may be supplied with conditioned air.
Energy Star has several classifying space types such as office, bank, school, retail, hotel, data center, and so on. The EPA has recently further defined data centers, characterizing them as “spaces specifically designed and equipped to meet the needs of high density computing equipment such as server racks, used for data storage and processing… When a data center is located within a larger building, it will usually have its own power and cooling systems. The data center space is intended for sophisticated computing and server functions; it should not be used to represent a server closet or computer training area.” For spaces that do not qualify as data centers but are still considered server rooms that run 24/7 and have separate cooling, the space should be entered as “office space” with 168 operating hours per week, zero number of occupants, and the number of PCs equal to the number of servers. This is one exception to the weekly operating hours rule described above. For spaces that are more similar to IT closets or server rooms that lack separate cooling systems, the space is considered a supporting function and the square footage should be aggregated with the total office space.
Energy Star recently provided a module for more detailed data center inputs. Several commercial facilities with high-density computing areas encountered difficulties in accurately representing their facility. The changes allow the user to input IT energy metering configuration as well as the energy consumption for the IT energy, defined as “the total amount of energy required by server racks, storage silos, and other IT equipment in the data center.” This designation does not include HVAC equipment needed to cool the space or lighting needed to illuminate the space. Energy Star requires the output of any UPS to be submetered. Most UPSs connected to IT equipment have the capability to provide peak kilowatt consumption but do not have the immediate capability to provide kilowatt-hour consumption data. The UPS will need to be retrofitted or a submeter will need to be installed to capture the kilowatt-hour consumption for just the IT equipment. The EPA will make the IT energy a mandatory requirement for data center space types beginning June 15, 2012. Consequently, buildings must have their IT Energy submetered as early as June 15, 2011, for applications submitted in June 2012 (because 12 months of energy data is required).
Energy Star is meant to be a straightforward but accurate way to benchmark a facility. The easiest way to model a commercial facility in Portfolio Manager is to aggregate all of the tenants and supporting functions into one office-space-type input. If there are tenants that are generally present for 10 hours or more per week outside the typical occupied hours of the facility, those tenants should be separated out to better represent their occupied hours.
There are two ways this issue is currently being addressed: laws mandating tenants to disclose data, and utility programs reporting combined base building and tenant usage. An increasing number of utility providers are supplying their customers with aggregate monthly energy data without the individual tenant breakdown, therefore avoiding tenant disclosure issues and streamlining and simplifying the energy data collection and input. Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), a northern Illinois energy delivery company, developed a Web-based tool called Whole Building Energy Usage. This tool allows the user to first confirm the tenants and accounts present on-site, and then view one aggregate number each month for the base building and tenant usage combined.
One of the newest changes in Energy Star concerns the way the EPA is awarding the year in which you are labeled. Previously, a facility was awarded an Energy Star label based on the period ending date, or the last date of the 12 months of energy information under consideration. The application was good for 120 days from that period ending date. If a facility had 12 months of data from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2010, and submitted an application in February 2011, the certification would be for 2010. Energy Star is now awarding certification labels based on the date the application is approved.
You’ve put your building on the map. You have a starting point. But where do you want to go and how do you plan to get there? The benchmarking analysis creates a fork in the road—meeting and surpassing the target versus falling short of the objectives. In either case, the facility owner or manager is, at a minimum, aware of how the building performs relative to similar buildings. If the facility already meets its target, that doesn’t mean there is no work to do. Energy Star ratings and other benchmarking scores are only valid for the 12 months being analyzed. With nationwide energy and disclosure policies, stricter energy standards and codes, numerous available green certification labels, and a competitive commercial market, a facility can quickly lag behind its rivals. To remain sustainable, the facility and owner must be environmentally friendly, economically profitable, and socially equitable.
A simple first step to maintaining a competitive edge is to regularly update a building’s benchmark and consciously monitor the usage trends and score. Performing this exercise once won’t get the results you are looking for. Continuously updating the benchmarking analysis is simple and inexpensive. It can save time and energy if action is taken when monitored values slide outside expected ranges.
The building energy performance field is evolving in response to market demands. If a building is rated as less efficient compared to its peers, it can negatively affect financial performance and competitive market presence, possibly raising red flags to lenders or other financers. In addition, there is a growing public concern for verification of energy savings and true performance. Local, state, and federal policies address some of this concern by mandating not only energy benchmarking, but also the public disclosure of the results. Not only are policies using benchmarking to drive energy reductions, but so are some green certification systems, which many building owners and managers use as a marketing tool. The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Existing Building Operations and Maintenance Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite 2 requires the use of Energy Star to benchmark the facility and achieve a score of at least 69 to qualify for a potential certification. Green Building Initiative’s (GBI) Green Globes and the Building Owner’s and Manager’s BOMA 360 program also use Energy Star to document points awarded for energy performance. It is unclear how the lack of future data will affect these rating systems; however, it is clear the benchmarking is a critical path and the driving force behind energy reduction, tracking, and performance disclosure.
As more owners properly benchmark their facility and begin to “place their buildings on the map,” establish a target, develop a roadmap, and monitor progress, we are collectively working toward reducing the environmental impact of buildings.
Skolnik is an associate with Environmental Systems Design, where she is responsible for green rating system consulting, energy auditing, commissioning, energy modeling, and Energy Star certification. Her expertise is in benchmarking and energy analysis for building portfolios. She is a 2011 40 Under 40 winner.
- Local Laws of the City of New York for the Year 2009, No. 84, Article 309
- Climate Pollution Reduction—Energy Efficiency, Senate Bill 5854, Chapter 423, Laws of 2009
- Official Journal of the European Communities, Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings, Article 7
- Energy Star Portfolio Manager Online Help
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Click here to visit the Case Study Database and upload your case study. | <urn:uuid:5733963d-20ec-49e3-b71c-4a5dfc4a7bae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.controleng.com/single-article/benchmarking-understanding-building-performance/e01ea5b0e96f98a26b3c0c2582ac4490.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944217 | 3,792 | 2.703125 | 3 |
The one-size-fits-all program from FEMA doesn't work for Minot.
That was the leading cause for the full City Council to unanimously reject the Advisory Base Flood Elevation at a special meeting this afternoon.
The A-B-F-E would have been the starting point to expedite a new flood plain for the river valley in Minot.
It would have made Minot eligible for tens of millions of dollars for flood mitigation buyouts of homes that had four feet of water and were more than 50 percent damaged by the 2011 flood.
Those properties are shown in red on this abatement map.
However none of those homes could fall within the flood protection footprint that's being proposed.
It would also usher in new strict building codes in the valley and greatly expand the flood plain bringing with it higher flood insurance premiums and lower home values.
Alderman Dave Lehner said this is only delaying the inevitable to give home owners more time to rebuild before changes in the valley are mandated by FEMA.
(David Lehner, Minot Alderman) FEMA in its infinite wisdom will probably put this in the next two to three to five years. I would hope this would be a wake-up call to all those houses that are neighbors of ours that haven't been touched or are very slow at getting going that these people should probably do something pretty darn soon because once this does go into affect, the new building codes have to be changed and it will change how you have to build or can build houses additions or anything in the flood plain."
Lehner said it's uncertain how a new flood plain will affect the State Fair Grounds.
Part of those grounds will likely be in the new flood plain down the road.
The vote today is also a wake-up call for city leaders.
(Blake Krabseth, Minot Alderman ) "We've got three to five years to fight to make sure we save and preserve our community the way it was at the time of 2011 flood. Because it's obvious the rules and regulations that come with some of the federal money don't take into account the communities. They like to do one size fits all, and their programs don't necessarily fit the needs of our community.>
Many of the homes listed on the abatement map are spread throughout the valley.
If the city had moved forward with the voluntary acquisition using mitigation money it would have left hundreds of vacant lots in neighbors that the city would have been obligated to maintain at the cost of taxpayers. | <urn:uuid:87dd67c7-0c06-472c-9901-311304151177> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kxnet.com/story/20377042/flood-plain-change-voted-down | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976794 | 516 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Ten years ago the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board came to the conclusion that the four lower Snake Dams in Washington needed to be breached to save Idaho’s salmon, protect Idaho’s water and save taxpayers money.
That position was controversial then and of course, remains controversial now. It did get a lot of attention and since then, dozens of newspapers followed suit, including the New York Times, saying breaching the dams was necessary to save Snake River salmon and steelhead.
But most people forget that while I and Susan Whaley were researching the issue for the editorial board in 1997, the Seattle Times did its own, similar investigation. It concluded at the time that breaching the dams in its state was not likely to garner the necessary support.
Lance Dickie, a columnist for the Puget Sound newspaper, did the research in 1997 along with Ross Anderson for its editorial board, which did not get much attention outside of Washington. Dickie wrote Nov. 30 that salmon advocates still have not made their case. Read his column.
Dickie’s read on the politics is spot on. The Seattle Times is the largest paper in the state where the dams are, after all. Both of its Democratic U.S. Senators oppose breaching.
They’re liberals and many of the people in Washington that support breaching go door-to-door, make get-out-the-vote phone calls and give money to them despite their position. Most environmentalists in Washington live in the Puget Sound and it is Puget Sound salmon they care about most, certainly not Idaho’s fish. That’s why salmon advocates thought they had to make the case recently that the future of the Puget Sound’s orcas, or killer whales, was tied to the future of Columbia and Snake River salmon .
The wide majority of fisheries biologists, including Washington State’s own, say breaching may be the only way to recover Snake River salmon and steelhead especially with the added effected of climate change. But the only sovereigns with the clout to carry the argument at the moment are the Indian tribes, which have a spiritual, cultural and economic tie to the fish.
They may decide this week what Dickie, Anderson and the Seattle Times editorial board decided in 1997, that breaching the four dams is “an improbable option.” | <urn:uuid:884be586-ac3f-4c7d-ab9c-8064a1105106> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2007/12/06/rockybarker/seattle_times_writer_sticks_to_his_salmon_and_dams_story_10_years_later | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959408 | 482 | 1.992188 | 2 |
The Name of the Game
Waves are only one kind of the shapes we can fit. In time domain we only have waves. In frequency domain the variety of shapes is higher. Peaks can be well approximated with Lorentzian curves, but in rare cases an anomalous spike can be better fitted with a Gaussian curve or a combination of the two kinds. Weighted FIDs generates all kinds of shapes, presumably. Another familiar profile is the dispersion Lorentzian curve, which also has its own math expression. In theory anything can be fitted by an HIGH degree polynomial, but in practice that is only appropriate for the baseline.
Fitting the experiment to a model is a general procedure that goes well outside the world of NMR. In our little world it is commonly called "deconvolution". Is it the same outside? While this is a word with a gentle sound, and I like using single words instead of long expressions, I think that the name is not appropriate, also because deconvolution has its own meaning and math expression. When you add a line broadening factor to a noisy 13-C spectrum, you are actually convoluting the existing peaks with a Lorentzian shape. If the line broadening factor is negative, you perform, de facto, a deconvolution. My readers are able to find all the good reasons to explain why we call deconvolution what should be actually called line-fitting and weighting what should be called (de-)convolution, and I don't argue. I also dislike the sound of the word "fit". In the following I will freely use both terms. You know what I mean.
This is one of the funniest things in NMR processing, for two reasons: first, it frees the spectrum from noise; second, it is not trivial, therefore achieving a good fit is always a cause of joy and satisfaction. In practice it only lasts a few seconds and the victory is almost certain; it's a video-game with a little less fun and much less stress. I am aware that deconvolution can be performed by the computer in an unattended way, yet I tend to believe that success requires strategy, experience, tactic, patience, luck, self-esteem and ingenuity (all in minimal doses).
The computer measures the goodness of the fit by the residual quadratic error; the user relies both on this value and on the similarity of the two plots (the spectrum and the model). There is nothing sacred in neither measure. They are only two details and I look to the whole picture. The numbers you get by line-fitting are always to be compared to other numbers. For example, you want to compare the concentrations of a metabolite in different samples. You can judge by yourself if the variations make sense, but you can also compare your concentrations with the literature values, or the values found by another analytical technique, or the values found fitting a different peak of the same molecule, etc...
There is the statistic-kind of analysis, the so-called error analysis. I agree that some games can be boring, but statistic is way too dull! (The dullest discipline I have ever come in contact with). If it only yielded meaningful numbers, I would happily tolerate it. When I have found or calculated those confidence ranges, I have seldom found them worthy of any confidence. Probably the theory of error analysis doesn't apply to NMR (the single points aren't independent observations, the errors aren't distributed normally, etc...) or, more simply, I couldn't find anybody willing to teach applied statistic to me.
I am going disclose my secret strategies tomorrow. Before closing the post, I want to pass the concept that deconvolution is not a better method than integration in all circumstances. While accurate integration already has its requirement (complete relaxation between scans, flat baseline), deconvolution also requires good magnetic homogeneity, and elevate digitization. Integration is affected by noise in a limited way (and when the noise is much higher than the signal there's no method that works). The advantages of deconvolution are that you can measure the ares of overlapping peaks, but also the frequencies and the linewidths.picture taken from www.inmr.net | <urn:uuid:b812e1c2-a685-4f6e-8825-a984b3663dca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nmr-software.blogspot.com/2008/06/name-of-game.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947911 | 870 | 2.15625 | 2 |
CenterLink, the national organization for LGBT community centers, and the Movement Advancement Project have released a new report detailing the strength, health and challenges of LGBT centers across the nation.
The report is an interesting look into center operations, structures, revenue, budgeting and more. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t include any data from North Carolina’s two centers. The Lesbian & Gay Community Center of Charlotte and the LGBT Center of Raleigh didn’t participate. Columbia’s Harriet Hancock Community Center, however, did participate in the survey. | <urn:uuid:de6b2945-6beb-4d2c-aa49-103653a78a3a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goqnotes.com/8495/new-report-sheds-light-on-lgbt-center-operations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924395 | 113 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Ghriskey expects corporate bonds to benefit from stronger U.S. economic growth, which would boost corporate fortunes. "We like corporates but are cautious about long-term corporate bonds because they carry more interest-rate risk. We're concentrating on intermediates," he says.
Legend Financial Advisors prefers high-yield bond funds over investment-grade funds because of the yield advantage, Holtzman says. With default rates so low for the low-rated companies that issue high-yield bonds, "You're not taking a lot of credit risk."
But he notes that junk bonds correlate very closely with stocks. So if equities fall, junk bonds likely will, too. And while default rates are very low now, "If economic growth stays slow, there could be default/credit troubles ahead for lower credit-quality companies," Sjoblom says. "You can't have much better fundamentals than now. Investors should keep that in mind."
Municipal bonds are free of federal taxes -- state taxes, too, if you live in the state of issuance. So munis are particularly appealing to people in high tax brackets. Investors anticipating tax increases next year have played a big role in the strong rally for munis recently, Ghriskey says.
"But we don't think it's wise to pay for that currently, especially when we see improvement in the domestic economy and interest rate risk on all bonds," Ghriskey says.
Sjoblom says that while those investing in bonds are piling into munis now, "Investors have been doing a poor job of timing moves in and out of the market," Sjoblom says. "There is no way that returns can continue like this with yields so low."
Several cities have declared bankruptcy over the past few years, adding an element of risk to the market. But most experts say the risk is manageable and that a wave of additional bankruptcies isn't coming.
A number of foreign markets offer higher yields and better principal protection than the U.S., Ghriskey says. Many investors are looking to emerging markets such as China and Brazil. Fund managers investing in foreign bonds there point to stronger economic growth than in the developed world and prudent fiscal and monetary policy, Sjoblom says. "But keep in mind that yields already are low in higher quality markets."
Be careful when investing in eurozone bonds, especially in the southern nations, as their economies are struggling.
Also check to see if the fund invests in local currency or dollar-denominated bonds. If it's local currency bonds and the fund doesn't hedge its currency exposure, you will be at risk of a loss if the currency of a bond in the fund falls against the dollar. As a shareholder, that will help you when the currency rises against the dollar but hurt you when it falls.
Given all the crosscurrents in the bond market now, you may want to invest in funds that, together, include all these sectors. All the uncertainty "shows how difficult it is to call the market and the need for a diversified portfolio, even with yields as low as they are today," Sjoblom says. | <urn:uuid:73f499e1-2492-4049-bae8-355c479b4a2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bankrate.com/finance/investing/bond-investing-todays-low-return-world-2.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962775 | 645 | 1.640625 | 2 |
A LGOC B-type bus, converted into an ambulance, being used to move wounded soldiers away from the front line during the First World War. Several men can be seen on the upper deck; note that the sides of this deck, and windows of the lower deck, have been boarded up. A large group of soldiers are standing in the snow in the middle distance, probably waiting for more ambulances to arrive.
Photographed by Underwood & Underwood, 1914-1918
Image no: 3954-3
Inventory no: 1998/87139 | <urn:uuid:82bc3d64-25cc-458c-a8d1-180373f1906d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=np0uGipBfzz&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=1998/87139&IXsummary=themes/theme_top&IXtoptheme=Wartime&_IXFIRST_=30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933195 | 115 | 1.773438 | 2 |
|Banks of India
|American Express Bank, India|
With its headquarters located in New York, U.S., American Express company is a global financial services provider, also known as “AmEx” in short. American Express had been established in the year 1850, and is well known all around the world for its dedicated Credit Card, Traveller’s Cheque and Charge Card services.
American Express had been named 14th most valuable brand in the world by Interbrand and BusinessWeek in the year 2007, and its total worth was estimated to be around USD 20.87 Billion at that time. After a Federal Reserve System approval granted on the 10th of November 2008 owing to the financial crisis, American Express converted to a bank holding company which led it to receive government help.
Fortune ranked American Express as the 62nd best place in the U.S. to work for in the year 2008, which was the top position among the bank card companies in the list.
On 18th of September 2007, Standard Chartered Bank announced to acquire American Express Bank Ltd., a commercial banking division of the American Express company. The acquisition was announced to take place against a sum of around US$ 1.1 Billion, and the deal is currently seeking regulatory approval as of April 2009.
Presence in India
American Express Bank is actively present in the Indian market too, with its offices located in Gurgaon (Haryana) and Mathura Road, New Delhi. In India, the services being offered by the American Express Bank primarily fall under two basic categories: Personal and Business.
Products and Services
In the Personal services category, American Express Bank offers a range of Credit Card and Charge Card options, Financial Advisory services and Travel related services comprising of Traveller’s cheques and Business Travel. The Traveller’s cheques offered by American Express Bank are available in 6 international currencies including US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Euro, Pound Sterling and Japanese Yen. These cheques can be redeemed at American Express Travel offices located in many prominent cities of India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai etc.
Under the Business category, American Express Bank provides an array of attractive services to the business customers, which include Trade and Forex solutions along with Financial Advisory Services, diversified Credit Card, Charge Card and purchasing solutions and Corporate Card Management Tools. The bank also offers Merchant services to the business clients who want to accept Credit Card or Debit Card payments from their customers.
|Americal Express Bank, India
1 A Hamilton House,
Connaught Place, New Delhi –110001
New Delhi - 110001| | <urn:uuid:a53bc24b-dac3-40d5-beaa-6ef16286b5f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiavision.com/business_banksdata-American%20Express%20Bank,%20India.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960512 | 545 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Here is the relevant text from the speech she gave in 2001, and which speech has been used as "evidence" that she's a racist, or as the Hindenberg of Gasbag referred to her "a reverse racist."
The entire speech is here.
When you read this speech, you come away with the knowledge that this woman is highly intelligent, thoughtful, wise, empathetic, and would make a great Supreme Court Justice.
"In our private conversations, Judge Cedarbaum has pointed out to me that seminal decisions in race and sex discrimination cases have come from Supreme Courts composed exclusively of white males. I agree that this is significant but I also choose to emphasize that the people who argued those cases before the Supreme Court which changed the legal landscape ultimately were largely people of color and women. I recall that Justice Thurgood Marshall, Judge Connie Baker Motley, the first black woman appointed to the federal bench, and others of the NAACP argued Brown v. Board of Education. Similarly, Justice Ginsburg, with other women attorneys, was instrumental in advocating and convincing the Court that equality of work required equality in terms and conditions of employment.
Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, a possibility I abhor less or discount less than my colleague Judge Cedarbaum, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. Justice O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am not so sure Justice O'Connor is the author of that line since Professor Resnik attributes that line to Supreme Court Justice Coyle. I am also not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.
Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society.
Until 1972, no Supreme Court case ever upheld the claim of a woman in a gender discrimination case. I, like Professor Carter, believe that we should not be so myopic as to believe that others of different experiences or backgrounds are incapable of understanding the values and needs of people from a different group. Many are so capable. As Judge Cedarbaum pointed out to me, nine white men on the Supreme Court in the past have done so on many occasions and on many issues including Brown.
However, to understand takes time and effort, something that not all people are willing to give. For others, their experiences limit their ability to understand the experiences of others. Other simply do not care. Hence, one must accept the proposition that a difference there will be by the presence of women and people of color on the bench. Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see. My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage.
I also hope that by raising the question today of what difference having more Latinos and Latinas on the bench will make will start your own evaluation. For people of color and women lawyers, what does and should being an ethnic minority mean in your lawyering? For men lawyers, what areas in your experiences and attitudes do you need to work on to make you capable of reaching those great moments of enlightenment which other men in different circumstances have been able to reach. For all of us, how do change the facts that in every task force study of gender and race bias in the courts, women and people of color, lawyers and judges alike, report in significantly higher percentages than white men that their gender and race has shaped their careers, from hiring, retention to promotion and that a statistically significant number of women and minority lawyers and judges, both alike, have experienced bias in the courtroom?
Each day on the bench I learn something new about the judicial process and about being a professional Latina woman in a world that sometimes looks at me with suspicion. I am reminded each day that I render decisions that affect people concretely and that I owe them constant and complete vigilance in checking my assumptions, presumptions and perspectives and ensuring that to the extent that my limited abilities and capabilities permit me, that I reevaluate them and change as circumstances and cases before me requires. I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences but I accept my limitations. I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt, as the Supreme Court suggests, continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies and prejudices are appropriate.
There is always a danger embedded in relative morality, but since judging is a series of choices that we must make, that I am forced to make, I hope that I can make them by informing myself on the questions I must not avoid asking and continuously pondering. We, I mean all of us in this room, must continue individually and in voices united in organizations that have supported this conference, to think about these questions and to figure out how we go about creating the opportunity for there to be more women and people of color on the bench so we can finally have statistically significant numbers to measure the differences we will and are making.
I am delighted to have been here tonight and extend once again my deepest gratitude to all of you for listening and letting me share my reflections on being a Latina voice on the bench. Thank you." | <urn:uuid:fd5f24aa-76ef-4e5c-88e5-5d8294df1983> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://progressiveerupts.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-judge-sotomayor-actually-said.html?showComment=1244036281204 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969874 | 1,164 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Born in the lab
In early summer of 1965, a University of Florida assistant coach sat down with a team of university physicians and asked them to determine why so many of his players were being affected by heat and heat related illnesses.
The researchers - Dr. Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shires, Dr. H. James Free and Dr. Alejandro de Quesada - soon discovered two key factors that were causing the Gator players to 'wilt': the fluids and electrolytes the players lost through sweat were not being replaced, and the large amounts of carbohydrates the players' bodies used for energy were not being replenished.
The researchers then took their findings into the lab, and scientifically formulated a new, precisely balanced carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that would adequately replace the key components lost by Gator players through sweating and exercise. They called their concoction 'Gatorade'.
Proven on the field
Soon after the researchers introduced their Gatorade formula to the team, the Gators began winning... outlasting a number of heavily favored opponents in the withering heat and finishing the season at 7-4.
The team's success progressed even more during the 1966 season, with the Gators finishing at 9–2 and winning the Orange Bowl for the first time ever in the history of the school. Word about Gatorade began to spread outside of the state of Florida, and both the University of Richmond and Miami of Ohio, began ordering batches of Gatorade for their football teams. Orders from other college football programs across the country soon followed, as playing without Gatorade on your sidelines began to be likened to playing with just ten men on the field.
Today, Gatorade can be found on the sidelines of more than 70 Division I colleges as the official sports drink of their men's and women's intercollegiate sports.
From the Orange Bowl to the Super Bowl
In the summer of 1969, Coach Ray Graves of the Florida Gators suggested to the Kansas City Chiefs that they use Gatorade to combat the staggering effects of a blistering Missouri sun during training camp. The Chiefs were so impressed with the "Gator coach's aid" that they kept it on their sidelines throughout the entire season… which concluded with a stunning victory over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
In the years that followed, more and more NFL teams began placing Gatorade on the sidelines of their games and practices, and in 1983, Gatorade became the official sports drink of the NFL-a title it holds to this day.
Furthering the science of victory
Two decades after Dr. Cade and his team worked diligently to develop the optimum hydration formula that would become Gatorade, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute was founded in Barrington, Illinois, to conduct scientific research in the areas of exercise science, hydration, and sport nutrition. Three years later, the lab would be expanded to provide advanced testing for athletes and new Gatorade products and flavors and develop education materials for sports health professionals around the world. Gatorade is now also the official sports drink of the NBA, AVP, and PGA, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and numerous other elite and professional organizations and teams.
Hydration at 180 mph
In 2001, after determining that professional race car drivers were not staying adequately hydrated throughout the course of their races, Gatorade and GSSI begin working with auto racing organizations to develop a hydration tool that could withstand 130-degree temperatures and keep drivers hydrated safely throughout the course of a race. The result of their research was the development of GIDS, the Gatorade In-Car Drinking System, which is now considered an essential piece of racing equipment.
Rising to new challenges
After years of careful research by the staff at GSSI into the needs of athletes engaged in high-demand training and competition, Gatorade launched the Gatorade Performance Series, an elite line of sports nutrition products, in 2001. These products include Gatorade Energy Drink, Gatorade Energy Bar, and the Gatorade Nutrition Shake.
Four years later, after studying endurance athletes, GSSI developed the Gatorade Endurance Formula. Featuring a higher concentration of sodium-the key electrolyte found in Original Thirst Quencher-and four other electrolytes lost in sweat, Gatorade Endurance Formula is quickly becoming a mainstay on race courses the world over.
Today & tomorrow
Gatorade and GSSI continue to search for and study new and innovative ways to help athletes improve performance by facilitating proper hydration and nutrition. From the lab testing of athletes, to new flavor and delivery system development, to the publication and distribution of scientific research, the Gatorade Company and the GSSI perpetually strive to advance their collective mission of enabling athletes to always perform at their peak. | <urn:uuid:d9c8e22f-cefe-42b0-a6a6-7a32f5c458b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gatorade.com/?ATCLID=205703982&SPID=94496&DB_OEM_ID=27300 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966802 | 996 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Over the course of 40 years, what used to be the working committee of a loosely-affiliated community of research centres has become the Helmholtz Association. Formed in 1958 as a "working committee for administrative and operational affairs in German reactor control stations", the initial focus was on the exchange of experience related to operational and safety issues, but soon the focus was expanded to include topics that still concern the large research centres today. These involve questions of strategic orientation, training, remuneration and patent management, all of which are of great importance for the advancement of excellent research and its practical and commercial application. Today, seventeen national research centres contribute to solving the major challenges facing society, science and industry today with strategically focused and programme-oriented cutting-edge research in the six core fields of Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, Aeronautics, Space and Transport.
More on the history of the Helmholtz Association | <urn:uuid:c77149e9-75ec-42f0-9d7c-fe35beed5c46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.helmholtz.de/en/about_us/history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951319 | 192 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Treating Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Worldwide, the burden of sexually transmitted infections in women is more than five times that in men (Sciarra, 2009). Multiple observational studies have found an association between STIs and HIV (Venkatesh et al., 2011b; Cohen and Eron, 2011; Mavedzenge et al., 2010b; Weber et al., 2010). A recent study found that the odds of acquiring HIV were 2.4 times higher in women with prior cervical HPV infection after adjustment for both behavioral and biologic risk factors (Averbach et al., 2010).
However, the evidence that treating STIs can reduce the spread of HIV to women has been generally disappointing (Padian et al., 2010; Celum et al., 2010). A Cochrane review from 2011 noted: "We failed to confirm the hypothesis that STI control is an effective HIV prevention strategy" (Ng et al., 2011: 2). The only study to show an impact on HIV incidence from STI treatment has been the Mwanza trial in Tanzania. A combination of improved STI treatment services was shown to reduce HIV incidence in an environment characterized by an emerging HIV epidemic (low and slowly rising prevalence), where STI treatment services are poor, and where STIs are highly prevalent (Grosskurth et al., 1995). The other eight trials of STI treatment have shown no effect on HIV acquisition (Padian et al., 2010).
One hypothesis for why improved STI treatment services reduced HIV incidence in Mwanza but not elsewhere was that "... the Mwanza trial was implemented in an earlier phase HIV epidemic than was the case for the five [trials that showed no results]..., all of which were conducted in late-phase, generalized epidemics when genital herpes had largely replaced curable etiologies of genital ulcers, while rates of other curable STIs had fallen substantially in the general population" (Padian et al., 2010: 629). Treating STIs as a way to reduce HIV transmission begs the question: "is the juice worth the squeeze?" (Cohen and Eron, 2011: 410) that is, is treating STIs too far removed as a strategy for HIV prevention given that there are more direct prevention methods available? Given the recent study showing that antiretroviral therapy can reduce HIV transmission (Cohen et al., 2011b), it may not, indeed, be worth the squeeze. However, "notwithstanding, the inconsistent findings from these randomized controlled trials, the significant reproductive health challenge posed by the high burden of curable STIs needs to be addressed in any HIV prevention effort" (Abdool Karim et al., 2010a: S122). From a policy perspective, treatment of curable STIs is an essential part of primary health care. In addition, STI clinical services offer important entry points for provision of HIV prevention services (Hayes et al., 2010b).
Using STI services as a point of access to reach women at high risk of acquiring HIV is important both to offer HIV testing and counseling and as a gateway to HIV treatment and care (WHO et al., 2011b). These services "contribute to the achievement of universal access to HIV prevention by promoting condom use, behavioral change and the empowerment of vulnerable populations" (Chersich and Rees, 2008: S35). "Even if in the end it is found that STDs have only a limited impact on HIV transmission, we cannot afford to miss the potentially cost-effective chance of controlling HIV through their treatment. Additionally, STDs are important diseases, which by themselves cause major morbidity and reduced fertility, demanding control" (Rottingen et al., 2001: 594).
Treatment of sexually transmitted infections is also critically important for women living with HIV. STIs in those who are HIV-positive may be associated with faster disease progression and may contribute to greater HIV transmission and thus is treating STIs is an important component of meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of women living with HIV. [See Meeting the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Women Living With HIVand Preventing, Detecting and Treating Critical Co-Infections] | <urn:uuid:2b63263e-2fc4-44e6-8d61-ae362e50f82b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whatworksforwomen.org/chapters/5/sections/7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942014 | 863 | 2.734375 | 3 |
From an Old French name of Germanic (Frankish) origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is derived from heri, hari ‘army’ + berht ‘bright, famous’. An Old English form, Herebeorht, existed in England before the Conquest, but was superseded by the Norman form, which gave rise to an important surname. The family in question were earls of Pembroke in the 16th and 17th centuries; they included the poet George Herbert. By the end of the Middle Ages Herbert was little used, although it remained a favourite with some families, notably the Saint Quintins of East Yorkshire. Its greater frequency in Britain from the 19th century onwards is due partly to the trend for the revival of medieval names of Germanic origin and partly to the trend for the transferred use of surnames. | <urn:uuid:386105c2-67e3-4644-b7b5-017b3ba124ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://names.whitepages.com/Herbert/Cummins | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97377 | 180 | 3.109375 | 3 |
What preschoolers like to play
dramatic play – preschoolers use games like dress-ups to act out scenarios that are confusing or scary
messy play (with paints, water or in the sandpit) – this is also a great outlet for expressing emotions
physical play – clambering over playground equipment teaches a lot about coordination, balance and how far physical abilities can be pushed.
- simple board games – these give preschoolers the chance to learn about taking turns, following the rules, counting and being a gracious loser
songs, books, riddles and silly rhymes – these are great fun to share as your preschooler’s sense of humour comes to life. They’ll also extend your child’s vocabulary and understanding of words.
Play with others
By four, your child will be much more interested in playing with other children and making up games together. Even though you’ll notice improvements in sharing and taking turns, your child will still need your support and encouragement.
At five, children are much more aware of their place in the world and are keen to fit in. Your child will be eager to follow the rules at home and at preschool or school.
Most preschoolers understand that other people have feelings too, and will show sympathy towards them. As much as your child might seem clever and accomplished, home is still the centre of your child’s world. Your young child relies on the love and support of parents and carers to develop emotionally, physically and academically.
Ideas for playing with your preschooler
- Give your child a cardboard box. Children can create just about anything from a boxand their imagination – a play house, a boat, a car. A small table turned on its side with a blanket or sheet draped over can be dad’s house, a pirate’s cave or the local shop. Why not check your local supermarket for spare boxes if you don’t have any?
- Put together a box of old clothes, cast-off shoes, old football jumpers, boots and handbags, high-heeled shoes and other odds and ends. This is great fun for your preschooler to rummage through at any time. A homemade eye patch transforms your child into a pirate. A towel makes a caped crusader. Dress-ups will help your child express emotions and act out imaginary things.
- Introduce new challenges. By four and five, your child might want to try new activities like bike-riding and board games.
- Talk with your child while you’re cooking dinner or doing the shopping. Let your child help by measuring, stirring or helping think up a list for the shops.
- Other ideas for things to play with:
- play dough – suggest your child roll it into little balls and put it on toothpicks (great for developing fine motor skills)
- a homemade sand pit
- plastic containers or any household boxes with lids, and plastic eating utensils
- kitchen pots and pans (with smooth edges)
- Duplo (large Lego)
- simple puzzles and jigsaws
- coloured blocks. | <urn:uuid:0d3cd792-bd18-4ecd-aa97-d8395f3b24ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/play_and_preschoolers.html/context/237 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95021 | 651 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Joe L. Allbritton made his fortune in media and banking, including ownership of eight television stations, the Washington Star Newspaper, and Riggs Bank. He also played a significant role in the founding of George Mason School of Law.
Allbritton was a board member of the International School of Law (ILS), which became GMUSL when it merged with the university in 1979. In the mid 1970s, the Kann’s Department Store in Arlington became available for purchase when the business closed. Allbritton signed a personal promissory note to secure a $3 million dollar loan to purchase the building and adjoining 14 acres.
Here is a 1979 photo of then law school Dean Ralph N. Norvell standing in front of the first law school building:
George Mason University , “George Mason University School of Law Dean, Ralph N. Norvell in front of the School of Law building ,” A History of George Mason University, accessed December 13, 2012, http://ahistoryofmason.gmu.edu/items/show/192. | <urn:uuid:3954dbc8-8f59-43f2-bdc5-ae877edcdc0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.law.gmu.edu/library/2012/12/13/early-gmusl-supporter-joe-allbritton-has-died-at-age-87/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965338 | 220 | 1.828125 | 2 |
After I read the last Microsoft earning release where they posted a +billion dollar loss in their web business, I took a look at their losses for the past 10 years and the picture was not pretty, so I asked a couple of my students to join me on a project. Hypothesis: ad funded web is a non sustainable macro economy (yet). When you put together all the money invested for the past 10 years by Angel Investors, Friends and Family, Private Equity firms, Venture Capital firms and Fortune 500 firms and you compare that with the online advertising revenues for the past 10 years, the equation doesn't seem to be balanced at all. There is no doubt that consumers benefit from all the innovation, but it is a non sustainable macro economic model and it just gets worse with the explosive growth of mobile devices.
We love Cinderella stories, so we look at Google, Facebook, Yahoo! and YouTube and we forget about the thousands ad funded start-ups or Fortune 500 ventures that did not make it and where venture capital funds faced the harsh reality of failed enterprises.
In some cases, building the audience was not the problem. The first 50,000 users are a given in most cases, but monetizing small audiences through advertising is a challenge. It does not work well online as it did not work well for the classic magazines that are closing doors every day, even when some offer premium quality content. It's maybe no coincidence that 7 out of 10 new startups I meet with are focused on paid business models. 50,000 customers monetized at $2.99 each is interesting. 50,000 users monetized at $5 eCPM does not work very well.
The display ad model worked for a successful minority, but most of the learning does not translate to mobile where the average screen size is +90% smaller and where users are moving away from the browsing experience and into apps. Mobile Internet access will be larger than PC based web access by 2013-2015 (Morgan Stanley, eMarketer, Nielsen). Nielsen reported that by Aug 2011, among Android based mobile users, 1/3 of their time was spent browsing, 2/3 using apps. Among iPhone users, apps usage (measure in minutes per user) surpassed internet access in June 2011.
I meditated on this after I read the post from @PaulCarr and discussed with Investors in Seattle and Menlo Park if it was possible that content did not fail (as Paul describes) but maybe the format failed. I offered the thought that microtransaction based content, consumed through apps is next. See Paul's comments here: The "High Quality Web Content" Failed?
By 2009 the gap between the free and paid web was already evident, with 40% of the PC based internet being ad funded (5% paid digital content) versus 54% of the mobile web being paid digital content versus 5% ad funded. (Morgan Stanley/eMarketer/IDC)
So my prediction is that web 3.0 is the paid web. Starbucks convinced people to pay $4 for a cup of coffee that costs $0.05 at home, Apple trained people to pay $0.99 for something that was free. Mobile devices, cloud computing, "appification" of OS, "appification" of the web experience and change in user behavior toward micro payments paved the way for the hybrid web, where micro transactions will play a disruptive role.
If you are a CMO which one is the best monetization model for your product? Are you on top of the market dynamics on mobile and micro transaction trends? Can you help your company reach out profitability faster? As Jay Conrad Levinson says in his book "Guerrilla Marketing", profit is the only measurement of marketing success. Are you driving profits or are you dealing with the ad funded web mirage crashing with the mobile reality? | <urn:uuid:df8f3738-f4d0-4d30-b231-2d5e43ed0464> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ljsalazar.com/2011/08/ad-funded-web-mirage.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958363 | 781 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The appeal of organic fruit and vegetables has probably never been as high as it currently is right now. The idea of plants being covered in chemicals or in some cases being genetically modified is something that people are turning against. You can easily play your part at your own home with growing your own tomato plants using organic tomato seeds.
Growing them right from seeds is the only way that you can be absolutely sure no chemicals have been used at any point in the process. If you buy plants that have already been started for you then you do not know if chemicals were used to help them germinate.
Actually getting the tomato seeds to germinate is quite simple and it does not involve any special tricks or tips. All you need to do is to keep the soil they are in moist without soaking them, make sure they have a constant and good natural light source and also make sure they get heat. You may be lucky enough to have a greenhouse and if you do then it could be a good idea to cover the seeds at night to be sure that they can survive any drops in temperature. However if you live in a warm location then you can disregard this part.
Instead of using chemical feed with your tomato plants you can get special organic material which you can add to the soil therefore giving your seeds and then your plants some extra natural nutrients which can only be beneficial to them.
Buying organic tomato seeds can cost you more than normal tomato seeds but apart from that you do not have too many additional costs when compared to normal tomatoes. You can of course spend more with organic feed and special organic soil however you can get by without them. The soil issue can also be avoided if you live in a place where the tomatoes can be planted right into the ground.
It takes around seven weeks to get from planting the seeds to the plants getting to a point where you can move them onto bigger containers or into the ground. It is more beneficial for the plants to be allowed to grow at their own rate rather than to try and speed the process up by hitting them with too much heat. You can actually make the overall plant a bit weaker if you try and force it on like this.
So you can see that growing organic tomato seeds is not too different to normal tomato seeds. It only involves a few subtle changes as you need the same care and the same amount of time to get them to germinate. If you wish to have organic tomato plants then growing from seeds is the only way you can be sure that they are completely organic right through their life.
Learn more about organic seeds
. Stop by Dale Denton's site where you can find information and organic tomato seeds
for your home vegetable and fruit garden.
organic seeds, organic tomato seeds, heirloom seeds, heirloom tomato, seeds, organic, plant, gardening | <urn:uuid:b3e68b41-a990-423c-a2a4-020a87c273d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ubscure.com/Art/136213/108/Using-A-Variety-Of-Organic-Tomato-Seeds.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969571 | 572 | 2.59375 | 3 |
To link to this article, copy this persistent link:
(Aug 22, 2012) On August 15, 2012, the King of Bahrain issued a Royal Decree containing Law 38-2012, which amends Law 27-2002 concerning the establishment of the Constitutional Court.
Law 38-2012 covers the structure of the Court and the duration of its terms of office. It declares that the Court shall consist of a chief justice, a deputy chief, and five other justices. Concerning the length of service of the Court's members, the law notes that each member of the Court will be appointed by the King for a five-year term. It also provides that a Court member's term may be renewed only once. (King of Bahrain Issues a Decree Amending Some Provisions of Law on Constitutional Court [in Arabic], AKHBAR AL YOUM (Aug. 15, 2012).)
The new amendment specifically covers articles 2, 3, and 7 of Law 27-2002. In addition to the aforementioned provisions, the revised article 7 specifies that in the absence of the chief justice, the deputy chief will serve as his replacement. Previously, any member of the Court could serve as a substitute. (Law 27-2002 [in Arabic], Sept.18, 2002, 2548 AL-JARIDAH AL RASMIYAH (Official Gazette) 24.)
- Author: George Sadek More by this author
- Topic: Courts More on this topic
- Jurisdiction: Bahrain More about this jurisdiction
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Last updated: 08/22/2012 | <urn:uuid:7a19fe3f-1dba-4e84-b4da-a7fc88c61a4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp3_l205403294_text | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91439 | 418 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Volcker: Fed Plan an Illusion, Won't Boost Economy
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker says the U.S. central bank's plan to buy hundreds of billions of dollars in government bonds probably won't do much to boost the economic recovery.
The Fed announced Wednesday that it would purchase $600 billion in Treasurys, aiming to lower long-term interest rates in an effort to spur spending and ultimately lower the U.S. unemployment rate, currently at 9.6 percent. The move comes on the heels of previous purchases of $1.7 trillion in mortgage and Treasury bonds.
Volcker told a business audience in Seoul that the Fed's bond plan is obviously an attempt to spur the U.S. economy but "is not the kind of action that's likely to change the general picture that I've described as slow and labored recovery over a period of time." | <urn:uuid:c42ba1c7-089b-4a45-ad47-a4d7f5eb9a81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/volcker-fed-plan-an-illusion/469911 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957977 | 181 | 1.757813 | 2 |
RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks, and there are different types -- or levels -- of RAID which perform different functions and serve vastly different purposes. This article will cover the most common RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, and multiple arrays.
Also known as "striping," RAID 0 was designed to increase hard drive performance at the expense of fault tolerance. Hard drives of equal size and speed are combined in capacity and efficiency, decreasing hard drive read and write access times and improving overall performance. However, if one drive in the array should fail, all data would be lost.
In a RAID 0 array, data is written in 64k chunks to each drive, one after another. For example, if you have 3 hard disks in a RAID 0 array, the sequence for writing to them would go 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, and so on. This reduces the overall strain on each single drive, which lengthens their lifespan and allows for high throughput speeds because multiple drives can be accessed simultaneously.
RAID 0 is usually used in desktop and workstation machines that require fast disk access time or large contiguous storage space.
Advantages: provides the best disk read/write access out of all the levels of RAID. Also reduces the strain on each individual hard drive.
Disadvantages: No error correction or fault-tolerance.
Also known as disk "mirroring" or "duplexing." Two hard disks of similar size and speed are required. Whatever is written to the first hard disk is simultaneously copied onto the second, so in essence you have two hard disks with the same data. The purpose of RAID 1 is twofold: it increases read times in multi-user systems because data can be read from either drive. It also is a failsafe against drive failure; if one drive should fail, the other will continue to operate normally.
RAID 1 is not as fast as RAID 0 in terms of write speeds because of all of the replication traffic generated -- it has to write the same data to two drives at once.
There is a small difference between mirroring and duplexing. Mirroring uses two disks on one controller using one cable. In this case, if the drive controller goes bad, the system goes down. Duplexing uses two disks on two controllers using two separate cables. If a controller fails, the system just switches over to the second hard disk and keeps on going. RAID 1 is often used to provide fault tolerance in entry level servers that aren't equipped for the more expensive and power-hungry RAID 5.
Advantages: provides fault tolerance and increased read times.
Disadvantages: slower write times than RAID0.
Also known as disk striping with parity. RAID 5 takes the concept of RAID 0 and adds fault tolerance. RAID 5 requires at least 3 hard disks to function. Data is written to each disk in the same fashion as RAID 0, but parity data for each drive is stored separately on other drives. In the event of a hard disk failure, a replacement drive can be added and the contents rebuilt from the parity data stored on the other drives. RAID 5 is often used in high-end servers that store mission-critical data. It's essentially one step below a dedicated storage cluster.
Advantages: more reliable fault tolerance than RAID 0 and RAID 1.
Disadvantages: more expensive, requires more disks and a more advanced RAID controller. Not quite as fast as RAID 0.
Multi Level RAID
You can also set up a RAID array that has multiple levels. This form of RAID is very expensive and is mostly found in large enterprise networks storing mass amounts of crucial data. A specialized RAID controller or external RAID device is normally required.
The most common implementations of this concept are RAID 10, 0+1, and 50. They are what they sound like: RAID 10 is a mirror of two striped arrays; 0+1 is a stripe of two mirrored arrays; and 50 is a stripe of multiple RAID 5 arrays. Several hard disks and a high-end RAID controller are required to form most of these arrays.
Advantages: fast read and write access with redundancy.
Disadvantages: expensive, requires at least four disks and a specialized controller card.
Different forms of RAID
RAID comes in two different forms: hardware level and software level. Hardware RAID is more expensive because it requires an advanced RAID controller such as those made by Promise, Highpoint, LSI Logic, and Adaptec. Hardware RAID controllers can also be built into the motherboard or housed in a separate, self-contained unit connected externally via a SCSI or network cable.
To administer your RAID array, you will invoke a specific keystroke during the system boot sequence -- usually a message appears briefly, telling you what key to press. This will lead to the RAID BIOS setup utility. Some companies also bundle a Windows-based application that allows you to administer your array through the operating system, where you can add, delete and modify an array.
The following are required for hardware RAID:
- A RAID controller corresponding with your hard disk type (ATA, SATA, or SCSI) or a network storage device. The controller can be a PCI or PCIe card, or an integrated solution built into the motherboard. Be careful! Many of the RAID controllers built into motherboards are not hardware RAID controllers; they are merely fancy drive controllers that facilitate software RAID arrays.
- Minimum amount of hard disks for the type of RAID array you want to build.
- A supported operating system. These include Windows NT/2000/XP Professional/2003, GNU/Linux, Free/Open/NetBSD, and Solaris, although there are many other OSes that could work. Make sure the OS you choose has a driver for the RAID controller.
RAID with software
Software level RAID is less expensive but not as fast as hardware level and is generally used as a less expensive alternative to its hardware-controlled counterpart. To administer a software array in Windows 2000 Server, go to the Control Panel, then open up Administrative Tools, then Computer Management, then Disk Management. In the lower right pane, right-click on the hard drives you wish to use in the RAID array and then click on Convert To Dynamic Disk in the popup menu. From there you can set up your array with relative ease.
For GNU/Linux and other Unix-like OSes, the answers on how to set up software RAID vary depending on what version and distribution you're using. More than likely you'll end up using the Device Mapper; a brief readme document on
dmraid can be found here.
What you will need for software level RAID:
- An operating system that supports software RAID (GNU/Linux; Free/Open/NetBSD; Windows 2000/2003 Server, Advanced Server, or Datacenter Server; and Solaris) and software to set up and manage the arrays.
- Minimum amount of hard disks for the type of array you want to set up.
JBOD and Disk Spanning
A lot of people talk about JBOD and disk spanning as being considered forms of RAID. This is not really true; JBOD stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks and its purpose is to combine multiple hard disks into one. It does not provide redundancy, and therefore is not technically a level of RAID. However, JBOD is useful if you have an application that requires mass amounts of contiguous hard disk space and you don't have a large drive to use. This should only be used as a band-aid fix though, as several drives combined leads to increased chances of failure.
Disk spanning differs slightly from JBOD. With disk spanning you can actually administer the disk array, whereas with JBOD you just set it up and go. With disk spanning you can extend existing partitions onto other empty partitions or hard disks to gain extra contiguous disk space. This should also only be used as a band-aid fix because, like JBOD, disk spanning provides no redundancy whatsoever. If one drive in a JBOD or disk span array goes down, its data is lost.
A JBOD or spanned array requires a RAID or hard drive controller that supports these modes, and the hard drives to form the array. Setup is done through the controller's BIOS.
Is it right for you?
RAID is useful for providing expanded hard drive capabilities in desktop, workstation, and server machines. Most home users will only be considering RAID 0 or 1 because that is the usual limit of the integrated RAID chip on their motherboards, not to mention the fact that other RAID modes cost a lot of money in disks.
RAID 0 can be useful to people playing online games, doing video editing, or any other operation that can benefit from faster read/write times. Most budget-minded business users in search of fault tolerance can rely on the redundancy of RAID 1. The other modes and options aren't generally practical for desktop use and it's unlikely that you'll see any advantage to using them. | <urn:uuid:23bda343-7852-4e55-8e7e-2ccad2785e20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hardwareinreview.com/guides/raid_demystified.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931041 | 1,862 | 3.625 | 4 |
Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada Dept. of Transportation since 2007, is the new American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials president. She is the first woman to head the standards-setting group in its 96 years. NDOT has 1,700 employees, a $700-million budget and 5,400 highway miles to oversee. Nevada currently is undertaking its largest-ever project, a $246.5-million design-build widening of Interstate 15 in Las Vegas.
ENR: What do you hope to accomplish as president?
Martinovich: AASHTO presidents had focused on everything from safety to climate, but without secure funding individual focus areas are stalled. My focus is getting multiyear, flexible transportation funding enacted as a new authorization bill or as a continuing resolution for three more years of planning, design and construction. Transportation investment is a non-partisan effort that is the economy’s backbone and benefits end users for years.
How will the downturn continue to impact AASHTO and its members?
States face challenges in knowing what types of projects can be funded and when. Transportation departments are going through staff cuts and furloughs as well as early retirement of senior employees. Despite the uncertainty, they will still take care of business. But there may be more roadway congestion and less maintenance as a result of financial constraints.
Are shrinking state budgets altering what projects move forward?
Most state transportation agencies are looking at different strategies for maintenance. Higher-volume roads will get more attention, while lesser-traveled ones will receive surface treatments to lengthen their life cycle as opposed to new pavement. There may be tension between local and state partners competing for funds, but this could result in better coordination to maximize budgets.
Does the outcome of the midterm elections bode well for AASHTO into 2011?
President Obama has always been supportive of transportation. He continues to focus on more investment in his speeches. With the elections over, there can now be [a] priority on enacting a stable, long-term transportation bill. A good infrastructure system is vital for U.S. competitiveness in the global economy.
Is AASHTO pushing for greater use of alternative procurement methods to build roads during the recession?
Yes, AASHTO and many states are moving in that direction. No single method works better than another; they are each useful, depending on the project. States are learning from each other, together with the Federal Highway Administration. The goal is delivering quality projects quickly, safely and within budget, regardless of the procurement method. It simply gives us more tools to work with.
As AASHTO ’ s first female president, what does your tenure mean for women in the profession?
I think I am a role model. There are more women transportation-department CEOs nationwide, which is exciting since we bring a different perspective. | <urn:uuid:1006e6eb-3972-46b4-b667-3d8b0d6669f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://enr.construction.com/people/interviews/2010/1117-susanmartinovich.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951932 | 587 | 1.726563 | 2 |
[dateline] Sunday / Paris 15th. Decr. 1782
I intended to have wrote largely by this Opportunity, but have been confined ever since last Sunday night to my Bed and Chamber, with a most violent Cold, a kind of Punishment for Pride and Curiosity. I was last Sunday at Versailles, the day was extremely cold and foggy, much was to be seen, and but little time for the purpose. I drove about without Hat and with thin Shoes all day long, gave up dinner to 'till 6. o Clock in the Evening to gratify Curiosity. After seeing the Court and every thing else worthy Notice, I returned to dinner at the Tavern, and from thence to Paris, sick. I had taken Cold the Evening before at the Italien Comedy, by waiting a long time in a draft of Air for the Carriage, but notwithstanding I must needs go to Versailles next day and increase it. So much for Curiosity and Pride. I hope however to go abroad again in a day or two, for 8. or 9. days punishment for a slight Sin of a day is proportion enough. I never knew what a Cold or a Cough was before.
You will hear by this Opportunity, that the Preliminaries of a Peace between America and England are signed.1
This is a great Event and an important Step towards Peace. It has been announced by the King of G. Britain in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament.2
Thus the Language of “unlimited Submission, America at my Feet
,” is changed into the more manly Phrases of the United States, free, sovereign and independent.
Your Counterpart (I dont say your better half) has written You several ways,3
advising You not to venture out in the Spring. He has explained the Reasons, which induced him to alter his Plan.
Duty and Respects where due. My Love to Miss N[abb]y. I would write to her, if I was able. To Masters Charley and Thommy.
[salute] With an invariable Respect, I have the Honor to be Madam &c. | <urn:uuid:e3643b1c-fa31-4417-882a-d4387f9d7391> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masshist.org/publications/apde/portia.php?id=AFC05d030 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972117 | 448 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Research is underway to develop biotech versions of traditional African crops even as major crops such as corn are being adopted on the continent, according to the executive director of AfricaBio, a stakeholders association.
Nutrient enhancement and desirable traits such as drought resistance are being developed, along with resistance to insect pests and weed killers, Dr. Nompumelelo Obokoh told a session at the BIO International Convention here Monday.
“Improvement projects are underway in at least seven countries,” Dr. Obokoh said. Crops under development include cassava, sweet potato, bananas, cowpeas, rice and sorghum, she said.
READ MORE »
Major companies in agricultural technology have joined forces with the leaders of the principal industrialized countries to focus on sub-Saharan Africa in a bid to improve agricultural productivity, fight poverty, and feed a growing population in a sustainable way.
“We commit to launch a New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition to accelerate the flow of private capital to African agriculture, take to scale new technologies and other innovations that can increase sustainable agricultural productivity, and reduce the risk borne by vulnerable economies and communities,” the Group of Eight major industrial nations said after their conference at Camp David. The private sector pledged $3 billion to the effort, the U.S. State Department said. READ MORE »
As the latest indication of increasing global support for science-based agricultural solutions, a landmark declaration by governments from 24 African countries officially endorsed the use of biotechnology to help Africa address food security and poverty.
This year, policymakers and scientists from several African countries, including Ghana and Kenya, have made strides in agricultural biotechnology through local research and hunger-fighting initiatives. However, the significant endorsement made through a joint statement signed by all delegates at the 2nd Annual Dialogue of Ministers of Agriculture, Science and Technology was one of the strongest demonstrations to date of broad support across Africa.
READ MORE »
Calestous Juma, professor of the practice of international development at Harvard—and “one of the most innovative thinkers on how to harness new technologies for economic development”—believes genetically modified (GM) crops are a necessary agricultural solution to help address the challenges of climate change and population growth, a Council on Foreign Relations blog states.
“It doesn’t make sense to reduce the size of the toolbox when the challenges are expanding,” Dr. Juma said in an interview with Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. He predicts in 2012 “there will be more GM crops grown in developing countries than in developed countries.” READ MORE »
Bill Gates encourages adoption of ag biotech to address world hunger
In his annual letter, Bill Gates discussed agricultural biotech solutions for alleviating global hunger and poverty.
Mr. Gates said, “We can help poor farmers sustainably increase their productivity so they can feed themselves and their families. But that will only happen if we prioritize agricultural innovation.” Read more
Biotech bananas in Kenya contribute to Africa’s growing agribusiness sector
According to an article featured in Bloomberg, Kenya continues to make strides in agricultural biotechnology through local research of genetically modified (GM) bananas grown at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.
The article reported, “The quest to build a better banana is…an iconic subplot in the worldwide push for corporate sustainability. Global agribusiness has its own ideas for how Africa can help feed an anticipated 2050 global population of 9 billion people.” Read more | <urn:uuid:689c47e0-7689-4f4e-b456-22f2b60516c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whybiotech.com/index.php?tag=africa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917513 | 733 | 2.453125 | 2 |
If you cook sausages in the oven the problem is to ensure even cooking given that one side of the sausage will be exposed to heat from the baking tray whilst the other surfaces are heated solely by the oven.
We have all had to rescue sausages which were charred at the bottom due to the uneven cooking process or had to try and remove sausages stuck to the baking tray, which usually involves leaving large amounts of sausage behind.
One answer is to regularly turn the sausages but who has time to do that?
Instead I propose using an automatic sausage turner.
This is a small spit into which each sausage is inserted. At each end of the metal skewer holding the sausage, supported at the extremes by simple A-frame mountings, there is a metal fan. This fan is painted dark on one side, light on the other and made up of bimetallic strips, this means that as the metal heats the fan turns and as the fan turns so does the skewer. This means that the sausage rotates automatically. It also means that the fat released by the sausage drains away from the cooking banger.
The skewer can be replaced by prongs for larger or odd shaped sausages. | <urn:uuid:6c2b5691-48a6-41fb-9446-709445114cdd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lostconsciousness.com/2013/02/25/inventions-the-sausage-turner/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972142 | 252 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Bald Eagle Recovery and Protection Status
When America adopted the bird as its national symbol in 1782, as many as 100,000
nesting Bald Eagles lived in the lower 48 United States (excluding Alaska and
Canada). By 1963, only 417 nesting pairs were found in the lower 48. The mass
shooting of eagles, use of pesticides on crops, destruction of habitat, and
contamination of waterways and food sources by a wide range of poisons and
pollutants all played roles in diminishing their numbers. For many years the use of the insecticide DDT caused thinning of eagle egg shells, which often broke during incubation. (Note: Besides crops, DDT was sprayed in a variety of habitats, including in buildings.) DDT was banned from use in the U.S. in 1972.
Following passage of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), the Bald Eagle
was listed as Endangered in the lower 48 states, except in Michigan, Minnesota,
Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, where it was designated as Threatened. In
1995, the Bald Eagle was down-listed to Threatened in all 48 lower States.
The bald eagle was delisted from its Threatened status on June 28, 2007 in
the lower 48 states. Its primary legal protection was transferred from the
Endangered Species Act to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA),
which also applies to Alaska. "Disturbance" of bald and golden eagles
already been prohibited under the BGEPA. However, since "disturb" had
been defined in this Act, it is being defined to protect both eagle species
and their habitats. The new definition is:
"Disturb means to agitate or bother a bald or golden eagle to the degree
that causes, or is likely to cause, based on the best scientific information
available. (1) injury to an eagle, (2) a decrease in its productivity, by
substantially interfering with its normal breeding, feeding, or sheltering
behavior, or (3) or nest abandonment, by substantially interfering with its
normal breeding, feeding, or sheltering behavior."
Further guidance was also finalized on June 28, 2007 for eagle management
and for preventing negative impacts that could violate the Eagle Act. See
the "National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines" at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/BaldEagle/NationalBaldEagleManagementGuidelines.pdf.
Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as
active private, state and federal restoration efforts, have brought back the
U.S.A.'s Bald Eagle population from the edge of extinction. There are approximately 12,000 pairs of bald eagles nesting in the lower 48 states in 2009. Over 40,000 individual
Bald Eagles reside in Alaska.
Although Bald Eagles have made an encouraging comeback throughout the U.S.A.,
they continue to be harassed, injured and killed by guns, traps, power lines,
windmills, poisons, contaminants and destruction of habitat. Bald Eagles
normally breed and forage on land areas that are adjacent to large bodies of
water that are relatively free from human intrusion. These same shorelines
are also prime targets for recreation and development by people.
Public awareness about their plight, strict enforcement of protective laws,
preservation of their habitat, and support for environmental conservation programs
can assure a healthy and secure future for the U.S.A.'s majestic and symbolic
Updated March 1, 2009 | <urn:uuid:c07ef2e2-9dc7-42db-908b-60f70ed81474> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pop.eagles.org/programs/bald-eagle-recovery/recovery-and-protection-status.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941376 | 740 | 3.578125 | 4 |
de Kooning: A Retrospective at MoMAJuxtapoz // Wednesday, 19 Oct 2011
Willem de Kooning was one of the great abstract painters of the twentieth century. The MoMA in New York currently has an all encompassing retrospective of his work from its very early stages through to the end of his career with the exhibition taking up the entire sixth floor.
From the MoMA:
"This is the first major museum exhibition devoted to the full scope of the career of Willem de Kooning, widely considered to be among the most important and prolific artists of the 20th century. The exhibition, which will only be seen at MoMA, presents an unparalleled opportunity to study the artist’s development over nearly seven decades, beginning with his early academic works, made in Holland before he moved to the United States in 1926, and concluding with his final, sparely abstract paintings of the late 1980s. Bringing together nearly 200 works from public and private collections, the exhibition will occupy the Museum’s entire sixth-floor gallery space, totaling approximately 17,000 square feet.
Representing nearly every type of work de Kooning made, in both technique and subject matter, this retrospective includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints. Among these are the artist’s most famous, landmark paintings—among them Pink Angels (1945), Excavation (1950), and the celebrated third Woman series (1950–53)—plus in-depth presentations of all his most important series, ranging from his figurative paintings of the early 1940s to the breakthrough black-and-white compositions of 1948–49, and from the urban abstractions of the mid 1950s to the artist’s return to figuration in the 1960s, and the large gestural abstractions of the following decade. Also included is de Kooning’s famous yet largely unseen theatrical backdrop, the 17-foot-square Labyrinth (1946)."
See more at the exhibition page. | <urn:uuid:51685851-78d2-494d-bc8d-19a635ac9816> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.juxtapoz.com/current/de-kooning-a-retrospective-at-moma | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956795 | 409 | 2.0625 | 2 |
How do windmills work? What is it like to have tea with a Tibetan family? How do you say ‘thank you’ in Chinese? What does a baroque chamber music concert sound like? What can you buy in an Egyptian souk? Who were the Russian Czars? When you travel with Viking, every destination is made more fascinating and enjoyable with a wealth of included guided tours, informative lectures, interesting demonstrations and entertaining performances. It is a combination that enables you to transcend just seeing a place and instead discover a sense of place—a discovery that is enriching and enlightening.
When it comes to showing you the world, Viking has an unrivaled depth of knowledge and expertise. Carefully crafted itineraries and daily shore excursions feature must-see highlights and delightful surprises. Expertly guided tours bring you closer to the art, architecture, history and people of the world’s greatest cities. And of course you can trust that every little detail has been taken care of, including transportation, reservations and entry fees.
Sometimes when you travel, you want to dig a little deeper. You want more answers, more stories and information, for a more rewarding experience. Viking’s Culture CurriculumSM spans all manner of engaging activities that bring history and culture to life, and life to every experience.
Watch a glassblower from Wertheim. Listen to a concert of Austrian classics. Learn how to make Rüdesheimer coffee. Discuss French impressionism. Watch traditional dancers from Cambodia, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Portugal or Nubia. Hear an eyewitness account of the Czech Republic’s Velvet Revolution. Artists, performers, historical eyewitnesses and professors from eminent institutions such as the Smithsonian all contribute to a fascinating and entertaining program that gives you true insight into the places you visit.
And when night falls, the stars come out. Members of the Peking Opera perform for your pleasure. The Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe dazzles with their dexterity. Musicians from Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre leave you spellbound. And on the river, the moon rises, telling you that though the day has passed, the memory will last forever. | <urn:uuid:e1dafb2a-1c43-4af4-b0cc-c4385a6ebaba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/about/vikingexperience.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913314 | 448 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Outsoles borrowed from the NIKE special forces boot (SFB), vectran fabric from the Mars Excursion Rover airbags, and detailing from Apollo Lunar Overshoes. These premium athletic shoes thrive in the rugged terrain of the simulated Mars Yard in Pasadena, CA - as well as stealthily creeping the mission-funding hallways of headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Late one night in August 1997, 54-year-old inventor Lenn Rockford Hann placed two bottles of Gatorade near Concourse F of Chicago O’Hare International Airport, unlaced his sneakers, removed his socks, then dodged curious maintenance workers for two hours while running 13.1 miles on the walkways. His pace surprised him. He was convinced the springy, resilient surface was almost perfect. “My legs felt amazing,” says Hann, a marathoner. “I’ve been chasing a shoe that feels that good ever since.”
For years, Hann had been designing a running shoe that he hoped would give him an edge. After his airport run (in the days of lighter security, naturally), he knew he was on to something, and he became obsessed with O’Hare’s movable sidewalks. Finding a walkway in the midst of repair on a subsequent jog, he jumped into the pit to look at its clockworks. There he found rollers on each side, with nothing holding people up in the middle but the belt’s tension. The next day, Hann called the belt company, Dunlop Conveyor Belting, and learned they were adjusted to 2,500 foot-pounds of force to create the right balance.
Athletic brands spend millions every year trying to build a better sneaker that will propel them to the front of the $6.3 billion running shoe business, one of the biggest and most visible areas of sporting goods, with 11 percent growth in 2011, according to industry analyst SportsOneSource. Nearly all sneakers have a sole that looks like lasagna, composed of layers of rubber, foam, and plastic. The fluffy foam is made from ethylene-vinyl acetate, or EVA, which has its critics: EVA adds weight to shoes, and lab tests show it requires more energy per stride. Running shoe companies have long sought an EVA substitute that absorbs shock but also returns more energy. “Consumers like the cushioned feeling associated with a conventional running shoe,” says Darren Stefanyshyn, a University of Calgary researcher and former chairperson of the Footwear Biomechanics Group. “If you could provide that without using foam, you’d have a winner.”
It took him eleven years, but Hann finally converted his airport research into a breakthrough sneaker patented in 2008, a shoe with an entirely different system to cushion and propel the foot. It quickly attracted the attention of fast-growing athletic brand Under Armour, which spent two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop it as the prospective centerpiece of the company’s first line of footwear. Hann’s shoe was scheduled to launch early this year and was poised to rock the footwear industry, but it never quite made it to market.
Hann is a former software engineer with glasses, short brown hair, a high domed forehead, and ears that stick out like antennae. He is talkative, relentlessly upbeat, and consistently attired in marathon T-shirts. His Volkswagen bears the license plate TNASHS, for “tenacious.”
In the years following his midnight airport jog, Hann licensed several inventions—an electronic cat toy among them—that brought him modest income, but the shoe was always his favorite project. He tried many materials before landing on carbon fiber, an ultra-strong substance that holds its shape after years of pounding. He engineered carbon fiber shock absorbers into his shoe to give it cushioning and stability in one mechanism. A hinge in the forefoot provided flexibility.
Three days before the 2002 Chicago Marathon, Hann bought industrial carbon fiber fabric and baked it in his kitchen. Once the fumes dissipated, he cannibalized the uppers of a pair of New Balance 763 running shoes for his prototypes. As he hacked off layers of EVA foam from the sneakers with a table saw, his hand slipped and the blade cut deeply into his thumb, embedding bits of blue foam into the wound. Hann rushed to the emergency room, then assembled the shoes the next day.
Hann believes his prototype was responsible for shaving 17 minutes off his record in the marathon. He immediately made more. A member of his pace group wore them, reporting her legs felt “full of energy.” Kris Hartner, owner of Naperville Running in Naperville, Ill., delivered a tougher critique: “pretty good,” he said, but “a bit slappy.” The transitions between midstance and toe-off were “rough.” A shard of carbon fiber came loose, slicing Hartner’s calf.
All the same, Hartner, who has a master’s in biomechanics, took Hann’s concept seriously. When New Balance owner Jim Davis visited the shop, Hartner said he should check out Hann’s shoes. Hann met with New Balance and secured an investor, who contributed $300,000. Hann and the investor made prototypes in Korea, paid an attorney to patent the shoe, and hired an exercise laboratory to test it. The facility found that runners in Hann’s prototypes consumed an average of 2.2 percent less oxygen. That may not sound like a lot, but it pointed to a significant reduction in energy when running long distances.
When it came time to talk price with New Balance, Hann set his offer sky-high. He says he meant it as a starting point, but company executives closed discussions. Hartner remains a supporter of the shoe, but says Hann blew the negotiation. “He would be way better off with an agent to represent him,” says Hartner. “He’s the inventor-scientist guy, you know it from movies. But in real life they sometimes end up shooting themselves in the foot, and it’s hard to watch. They’re not as good at the people thing.”
Six years later, it appeared Hann might be back in business. Kip Fulks, chief operating officer of Under Armour, learned about Hann’s shoe after the inventor completed a small, exploratory project with the company. Fulks wanted to launch a major sneaker development, and in 2009 he invited Hann to the company’s Baltimore headquarters to negotiate. Since its inception in 1996, Under Armour has come out of nowhere with innovative products like its HeatGear compression shirt to stalk Nike and Adidas. The shirt is a nylon garment that hugs the body, and it has largely replaced heavy cotton tees for athletes. But Nike’s annual revenue is around $20 billion vs. Under Armour’s $1 billion, and to truly challenge its competitors, Under Armour needs footwear. (The company hastily designed trainers in 2009, but the attempt impressed neither consumers nor investors.)
The negotiations between Hann and Under Armour were never smooth, but they seemed headed in the right direction. On one side of the table sat Fulks and his designers. On the other was Hann, his investor, and his attorney. First they hammered out an option agreement, a sort of preamble to a longer-term licensing deal. Hann asked for a monthly option fee, basically an advance on future royalties. After some haggling, Fulks agreed to $8,000 per month, to be shared with Hann’s investor and attorney.
Next, Fulks and Hann locked horns over the range for future royalties. Hann asked for 3 percent to 6 percent, a rate more akin to a tech product than footwear. Fulks pulled the pair back to 1 percent to 4 percent. (Aerospace engineer M. Frank Rudy, who sold “Air” to Nike, was awarded a royalty of around a single percentage point when he originally made the deal, according to a source familiar with the contract. Nike would not comment on how much Rudy earned.)
Finally, on Mar. 24, the two signed the option, agreeing to the 1 percent to 4 percent range, with an exact percentage to be determined later. It was a huge step. To celebrate, an Under Armour design manager invited Hann to a nearby bar; they drank beers into the night while talking footwear tech. Hann proudly showed off the blue foam embedded in his thumb. They toasted the new shoe. “At that point, I suddenly realized that more people had gone to the moon than had ever licensed running footwear,” he recalls. “We were almost there. I was in heaven.”
That year, Hann was an electrical storm of activity, calling the company almost daily with ideas. Under Armour made six rounds of “prototype tooling,” the aluminum molds for model shoes, and performed extensive testing with favorable results. The project was getting close to “final tooling”—when expensive steel molds are struck in all sizes, men’s and women’s. Then, in summer 2010, Fulks announced that it was time to settle on a licensing agreement. To Hann, this seemed like a formality. He suggested leaving it to the attorneys. Then he waited.
After a four-week silence, Hann couldn’t take it and called a former Under Armour employee for insight. “It’s a delaying tactic,” guessed the acquaintance. “This is their way of introducing sharp elbows.”
Three weeks later, Hann traveled to Portland, Ore., for a hastily scheduled meeting with Adidas. Executives there were encouraging, but they didn’t want a bidding war with Under Armour. That very afternoon, Under Armour sent an apologetic e-mail with the much-anticipated licensing agreement. (Hann doesn’t know whether this was somehow triggered by the Adidas trip.) It included a royalty rate of 1.5 percent for the first stage of sales, and 1 percent thereafter. Through his attorney, Hann countered with 5.75 percent and 4.25 percent. Hann’s lawyer says Under Armour took the soaring rates like a jab in the eye; Under Armour would not comment on the specifics of the negotiations.
For the next three months, Under Armour refused a face-to-face meeting but did make concessions, raising its percentage and throwing in a monthly advance. Hann held out for higher numbers. He fielded interest from a new set of investors and became more wary of Under Armour. “I feel like the mouse dancing with the bear,” he said. “No matter how careful the bear is, the mouse better watch out.” In late October 2010, Kevin Haley, senior vice-president of innovation, took over the project from Fulks. Haley offered to put the licensing negotiation on hold and renew the option agreement at $15,000 per month. The implication was that this would allow them to work together like old times.
Hann rebuffed the offer, believing Under Armour was bluffing and it was a way of avoiding a licensing agreement. In early December 2010, Under Armour’s attorney delivered the news: The company decided to move in a different direction. Hann’s work with the company was over.
Last month, Under Armour introduced its Charge RC running shoe. It features a strip of carbon fiber along the bottom, not for cushioning but to enhance the ride and response. “It’s a different use of carbon fiber than what we were exploring,” says Haley. “But I think it shows that Under Armour takes an open approach to innovation—we test a lot of technologies and make a lot of different prototypes before arriving at what comes to market.”
Unlike Hann’s prototype, the Charge RC fits the current trend of minimal running shoes; it weighs under 10 ounces and has a sole close to the ground. Hann’s shoe weighs more and sits higher. Asked why Under Armour didn’t go with Hann’s shoe, Haley says: “We go down the path of evaluating new technologies with more people than other companies, so we’re going to encounter more situations where it doesn’t work out for us as a commercial product.”
For Under Armour, making a shoe with such an unprecedented technology would have been a challenge to source, manufacture, test, and market. Could Under Armour have managed those logistics given another few months of exploratory development? We’ll never know; Hann’s over-the-top royalty demands denied it that opportunity.
Hann accepts that he had a role in the falling-out. “I know I screwed up,” he says. “But despite my bumbling efforts, the technology deserves to be out there.” In the last few months, he has continued pitching his sneaker. He says he now has a promising new partner, and is also in talks with a medical device company about an electronic invention for hospitals. He has not hired an agent.
Curious about Hann’s supershoe, I took a few turns around his cul-de-sac in the upscale suburb of Wheaton, Ill., with a test pair. I was surprised to see lots of EVA. Hann argues that some foam is needed to hold the carbon fiber in place, but that it doesn’t cushion the shoe. The sneakers didn’t exactly feel like they were injected with gravity-defying Flubber, but there was something different about them. Even though they weren’t especially light, they felt light—like floating on little trampolines. | <urn:uuid:2c18d380-2b12-476b-ae60-e545f31649b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://itwonlast.tumblr.com/tagged/SHOES | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974224 | 2,873 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Lee, Changmin URN etd-07232004-161457 Title Effect of various dissolved species on anaerobic iron corrosion Degree Master of Science Department Environmental Engineering Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Edwards, Marc A. Committee Chair Dietrich, Andrea M. Committee Member Vikesland, Peter J. Committee Member Keywords
- Anaerobic corrosion
- Phosphorus species
- Hydrogen evolution
Date of Defense 2004-07-14 Availability restricted AbstractIron corrosion is an extremely complicated process because numerous factors such as pH, DO, temperature, inhibitor, and other various constituents in water can exert a controlling influence. The economic importance of problems that are caused by corrosion has been recognized. Therefore, the necessity of better understanding corrosion phenomenon is apparent.
The effect of phosphorus, especially in oxidation states different than phosphate (+V) (e.g., PO3-3, PO2-3 and PH3 gas), on anaerobic iron corrosion was examined. Tests were conducted at pH 3, 7, and 10- 11 in a solution of 10-3 M NaCl. There was not a significant catalytic effect of phosphorus species on anaerobic iron corrosion. Higher levels of PH3 did markedly increase H2 evolution, consistent with observations of other researchers, but it is possibly due to oxidation of PH3 by iron surfaces with production of H2.
Various constituents were also tested for iron corrosion in anaerobic solution [Al3+ (soluble), Al(OH)3, Cu2+, Si(OH)4, Boron, NOM, and sulfide] at pH pH 3, 7, and 10-11. None of these appeared to inhibit corrosion compared to a control. At pH 7, soluble Al3+ and Cu2+ in solution led to much higher production of H2 relative to a control. Phosphorus species had little impact on iron corrosion rates in the presence of sulfides (198 mg/L as S2-). In much of the research, recovery of H2 in the headspace was much lower than was predicated based on classic equations. This implies that some other, and as yet unappreciated, reactions are occurring in this system. However, in other instances the recovery of hydrogen was consistent with classical theory. Future work should examine the circumstances in which agreements and disagreements with classic theory occur.
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access EffectofVariousDissolvedSpeciesonAnaerobicIronCorrosion.pdf 678.52 Kb 00:03:08 00:01:36 00:01:24 00:00:42 00:00:03indicates that a file or directory is accessible from the Virginia Tech campus network only.
If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA. | <urn:uuid:6c636160-57c6-42e5-8ffd-ae64eea0af4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07232004-161457/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932864 | 615 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The papers Einstein wrote in 1905 covered a broad swath—special relativity, electrodynamics, Brownian motion, light quanta. Churned out in less than a year, these ideas had lasting impact: scientists today still devote their lives to evaluating Einstein´s work on gravity, space and time. Einstein isn´t the only scientist, however, to pull off such compacted productivity. Newton, Galileo and others had their own superproductive 12-month stretches—but as far as we can tell, no post-Einstein scientist has managed one. Why? Read on.
Galileo Galilei: 1609-1610 | <urn:uuid:01a6f50f-dd9b-4836-8ecb-33f8c6689379> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popsci.com/node?page=1512&ebNewBandWidth__www_popsci_com%3D2428%253A1357328251069%3Bexpires%3DSat%2C_4_Jan_2014_19%3A37%3A31_UTC%3B_path%3D/%3B_domain%3D_www_popsci_com= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956744 | 129 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Today’s WASDE report released by USDA is predicting record corn production at 13.5 billion bushels, up 1.1 billion from 2010-2011. Prices are also at record highs at $5.50-6.50/bu. Soybean production is expected to be down 44 million bushels from 2010-2011. Prices, however, are up in a range from $12 to $14 bu./acre, compared to a 2010-2011 price of $11.40.
Corn production for 2011-2012 is projected at a record 13.5 billion bushels, up 1.1 billion from 2010-2011 as a 4.0-million-acre increase in intended plantings and a recovery from last year’s weather-reduced yields boost expected output. The 2011-2012 corn yield is projected at 158.7 bu./acre, 3 bu. below the 1990-2010 trend reflecting the slow pace of planting progress through early May. The 2011-2012 yield is expected to be the third-highest on record. Corn supplies for 2011-2012 are projected at 14.3 billion bushels. This is below the 2009-2010 record of 14.8 billion bushels, but up 75 million from 2010-2011, as a 5-million-bushel increase in 2010-2011 imports and a 50-million-bushel reduction in 2010-2011 exports boost current year carryout this month.
Total U.S. corn use for 2011-2012 is projected down 1% from 2010-2011. Corn use for ethanol is projected up 50 million bushels reflecting slow expected growth in gasoline consumption and continued export demand for ethanol in the coming year. Domestic corn feed and residual use is projected 50 million bushels lower than in 2010-2011 reflecting increased availability of feed byproducts from ethanol production and lower expected residual use as compared with the current year. U.S. corn exports for 2011-2012 are projected down 100 million bushels from 2010-2011 with larger foreign corn supplies. U.S. corn ending stocks for 2011-2012 are projected at 900 million bushels, up 170 million from the current year projection. Stocks remain historically tight with stocks-to-use projected at 6.7% compared with the current year projection of 5.4%. The season-average farm price is projected at a record $5.50-6.50/bu. compared with the 2010-2011 forecast of $5.10-5.40.
Global coarse grain production for 2011-2012 is projected at a record 1,146.8 million tons, up 6% from 2010-2011. A 52.4-million-ton increase in global corn output to 867.7 million tons accounts for 84% of the year-to-year increase in coarse grain production. Foreign corn production is projected up 25.5 million tons with the largest increases expected in Argentina, China, Russia, Mexico and Ukraine. Global 2011-2012 production is raised for barley, oats, and rye, mostly reflecting a recovery in production in Russia. World production for all three crops remains below recent highs as more attractive returns for corn and oilseeds limit area expansion in these traditional coarse grains. Global corn exports are projected higher for 2011-2012 with increases for Argentina, Russia and Ukraine more than offsetting reductions for the U.S., Canada and Brazil. Global corn consumption is projected at a record 860.8 million tons, up 22.2 million from 2010-2011, with nearly all of the increase in foreign markets. World corn ending stocks for 2011-2012 are projected at 129.1 million tons, up 7.0 million from 2010-2011.
U.S. oilseed production for 2011-2012 is projected at 99.0 million tons, down 1% from 2010-2011. Reduced soybean production accounts for most of the decline, but sunflowerseed, canola and peanut production are all projected below last year’s crops. Soybean production is projected at 3.285 billion bushels, down 44 million from the 2010 crop mostly due to lower harvested area. Soybean yields are projected at a trend level of 43.4 bu./acre, down 0.1 bu. from 2010. Soybean supplies are projected at 3.47 billion bushels, down less than 1% from 2010-2011 as larger beginning stocks partly offset lower production. Soybean ending stocks for 2010-2011 are projected at 170 million bushels, up 30 million from last month due to reduced exports.
Soybean crush for 2011-2012 is projected at 1.655 billion bushels, up fractionally from 2010-2011 as a lower extraction rate offsets reduced total soybean meal demand. Lower soybean meal export demand projected for 2011-2012 is only partly offset by a small increase in domestic soybean meal use, leaving total soybean meal use down 1% from 2010-2011. Domestic soybean oil consumption is projected to increase 7% mostly due to biodiesel production gains. Soybean oil used for biodiesel production is projected at 3.5 billion pounds, up 1 billion from 2010-2011 reflecting a higher biodiesel use mandate.
With lower 2011-2012 U.S. soybean supplies and higher South American soybean supplies on hand this fall, U.S. soybean exports are projected at 1.54 billion bushels, slightly below the 2010-2011 level despite a projected increase in global import demand led by China. Ending stocks for 2011-2012 are projected at 160 million bushels, down 10 million from 2010-2011, leaving the stocks-to-use ratio at 4.8%.
The U.S. season-average soybean price for 2011-2012 is projected at $12-14/bu. compared with $11.40 in 2010-2011. Soybean meal prices are forecast at $350-380/short ton, compared with $350 for 2010-2011. Soybean oil prices are projected at 56-60¢/lb. compared with 53.5¢ for 2010-2011.
Global oilseed production for 2011-2012 is projected at a record 459.2 million tons, up 2.2% from 2010-2011. Global soybean production is projected to increase less than 1% to 263.3 million tons. The Argentina crop is projected at 53 million tons, up 3.5 million from 2010-2011 crop based on a higher harvested area and yields. The Brazil soybean crop is projected at 72.5 million tons, down 0.5 million from the projected record 2010-2011 crop. A 3% increase in harvested area is more than offset by a return to trend yields. China soybean production is projected at 14.8 million tons, down 0.4 million from 2010-2011 due to lower area and yields. Higher rapeseed production for Canada, Australia, China and Ukraine more than offsets lower production for EU-27. For sunflowerseed, production gains for Russia, Ukraine and EU-27 more than offset reduced production in Argentina. Led by gains in global oilseed production, 2011-2012 oilseed supplies are up 2.4% from 2010-2011. With global crush projected to increase 3.5%, global oilseed stocks are projected to decline 1.5 million tons to 72.2 million.
Global protein meal consumption is projected to increase 3.6% in 2011-2012. Protein meal consumption is projected to increase 7.8% in China, accounting for 54% of global protein consumption gains. Global soybean exports are projected at 98.7 million tons, up 2.8% from 2010-2011. China soybean imports are projected at 58 million tons, up 3.5 million from 2010-2011. Global vegetable oil consumption is projected to increase 3.5% in 2011-2012, led by increases for China, India. | <urn:uuid:ab67ac17-6c11-4e96-a895-3a0dc351cb25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/print/corn/record-corn-production-prices-2011-2012-soybean-production-down-prices?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917896 | 1,608 | 1.882813 | 2 |
I went to B-School about 10 years ago. I remember the good times, the parties, the camaraderie. I also remember the long hours in the library, working on team projects with other keen classmates, and the sense of accomplishment at graduation.
However, 10 years later, Business School missed out on a lot in terms of teaching me the skills needed to succeed in my career and life.
Here are the ten biggest lies of B-School you should protect yourself against:
1. You will be rich. My experience (and from talking to others) is that it will take you 2 or 3 times as long as you think it will take to succeed after Business School. So take it easy running up your student loans and credit card debts expecting you’re going to be a rock star later.
2. You are smarter than people without an MBA. You were smart enough to get in to Business School. That doesn’t mean you are smarter than other people without an MBA. Stay humble.
3. There’s always a right answer. B-School students are usually very analytical and achievement-oriented. They like to think there’s always a “best” answer. There’s not. The perfect answer is always the enemy of the good enough one. You make decisions you can with the best information available. Life and business today doesn’t let you count how many angels can fit on the head of a pin.
4. If you’ve made it this far (to B-School), you’re destined to succeed. In my B-School, there were always amazingly talented executives coming in to give talks on business and life. They’d always compliment us on what a great school we attended and why we had our future by the tail. It made us all feel invincible — destined to succeed once we set out on our various career paths. It doesn’t work that way. I know B-School classmates who’ve failed miserably, under-achieved, gotten divorced, gotten severely depressed, etc. B-School is a great educational opportunity in life, but you still have to go out there and succeed. Nothing is given to you as a birthright.
5. You know how to “fix” the first few companies you join after school. You’ve probably worked at companies were people who’ve been there for 2 decades roll their eyes telling you about the new hotshot MBA who just started and is now telling everyone how to do their jobs. It’s so clear to him, yet others find it deeply offensive that he would think he knows how the company works when they’ve spent countless years there and are still trying to figure it out. All hotshot MBAs should wear tape over their mouths for the first 3 months on the job and not be allowed to “fix” anything.
6. Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) will always tell you what a company is worth. MBAs love DCF. They think the true answer to what a company is worth is always a DCF away. Just crank it out on a spreadsheet or whiteboard, show the boss, and move on to the next problem. Unless you’re going to be a sell-side analyst, you’ll never do a DCF after B-School. And even the sell-side analysts get their underlings to do them. And no one reading your reports will read them anyway.
7. The “soft” courses (leadership and people management) are least important. I remember talking to the professors from the Management Department at my school who had to teach the courses on leadership and people management. They used to lament that the MBAs never paid attention to them in class. Yet, the Executive MBAs (usually in their 40s or 50s) always told them that these courses were the most important of all the B-School classes they took. You learn after B-School that the perfect answer or strategy means nothing if you can’t get people around you to buy in to it and help you achieve it. To do that, you need to motivate them, listen to them, connect with them, and support them when they need it.
8. You are going to be more creative and entrepreneurial after Business School than before. In my experience, B-School makes you less creative, the longer you’re in it. They teach courses on entrepreneurship but it’s kind of an oxymoron the idea of the analysis paralysis B-School Students being entrepreneurial. You will learn a lot of tools and frameworks in B-School, but you won’t learn how to start a company. You just need to start a company.
9. Your peers will give you lots of tips and insights that will help you succeed in your career. In my experience, the majority of B-School students are lemmings. They don’t know what they want to do afterwards, so they just do what their peers say they should do (maybe that’s why they applied to B-School in the first place). Ten years ago, everyone at my school wanted to be a dot com entrepreneur. That didn’t work out so well and most students later went back to being investment bankers or management consultants. Your peers don’t know what you want to do with your career. You need to start listening to that voice inside your head.
10. The Ivy League MBAs will be even more successful. An Ivy League credential will be a big plus for you on your resume – no question. However, you have to realize that if you’re getting an Ivy League MBA, you’re probably 10x more susceptible to the previous 9 lies than other MBAs. Don’t let yourself be the next Jeff Skilling, the smart Harvard MBA, who worked at McKinsey and then went to Enron and drove the company off a cliff. He had a golden resume – and where did it get him?
If you treat B-School like an amazing educational experience, chances are you’ll get a lot out of it. Just keep your attitude and sense of entitlement in check.As Casey Kasam used to say, “Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.” | <urn:uuid:3334136a-c6f1-42ba-8f79-60271062c8ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/08/10/the-ten-biggest-lies-of-b-school/?commentId=comment_blogAndPostId/blog/comment/1399-1258-281 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966675 | 1,317 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Curtis Emerson LeMay (1906–1990) was a four-star general in the United States Air Force during and after World War II. He was in charge of the strategic bombing of Japan by the B-29 in 1945, including the fire bombing of Tokyo and the atomic bombs. Although originally opposed to the use of the bombs, he agreed that they hastened the end of the war and saved millions of Japanese and American lives.
He was the conservative vice presidential running mate of George C. Wallace in 1968, seeking the election on an independent party ticket.
LeMay, a ROTC graduate of Ohio State University, was commissioned in the Army Air Corps in 1930. A versatile flier and consummate organizer, he rose rapidly during World War II. Promoted to major general in 1943, he commanded the 305th Bomber Group and 20th Bomber Command in Europe, which used the B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers against Germany. Shifted to China to fight Japan in 1944, he discovered China was a poor base for the B-29. He moved his bombers in the 21st Bomber Command to the Marianas in 1945 and, as lieutenant general, became commanding general of the 20th Air Force at Guam.
LeMay always sought innovative engineering solutions to tactical problems. In Europe he had his bombers abandon the usual zigzag pattern of flight to avoid flak so they could have more accurate runs, and in the Pacific he removed the guns from the bombers, and flew over Japan at low altitudes, in order to carry heavier payloads.
LeMay opposed dropping the atomic bombs because he believed more firebomb raids would secure a surrender. He followed orders and dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
LeMay rose through the ranks of the Air Force, which became independent of the Army in 1947. He took command of the Strategic Air Command in 1957, and was promoted to the top job as USAF Chief of Staff in 1961, a position he held until his retirement in 1965.
At the beginning of the Cold War, LeMay managed the Berlin Airlift in 1948. Subsequently he took over the fledgling Strategic Air Command and for ten years he built it into the professional, disciplined, and powerful organization that kept the peace for thirty-five years after he left it.
Unexpectedly named the vice presidential running mate for independent candidate George Wallace in 1968, LeMay proved a mediocre campaigner. He called for using all available firepower, including nuclear weapons, to force North Vietnam to end the war quickly. He said that the United States was capable of "bombing Vietnam back into the stone age" and that the North Vietnamese should be aware of such power. LeMay felt any settlement in the Far East should protect free governments from communist takeovers. He quit politics after the race.
- Coffey, Thomas M. Iron Eagle: The Times and Life of General Curtis LeMay, (1986) the best biography.
- LeMay, Curtis. Mission with LeMay My Story with McKinlay Kantor (1965), autobiography
- Kozak, Warren. LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay (2009), from a conservative perspective excerpt and text search
- Tillman, Barrett. LeMay (Great Generals) (2009) excerpt and text search, good popular biography | <urn:uuid:d8a04d87-4aa1-419d-8fe0-cd9436fef8a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://conservapedia.com/Curtis_LeMay | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958548 | 677 | 2.921875 | 3 |
New York, 31 May 2011 - Secretary-General's message on World No Tobacco DayThis year's observance of World No Tobacco Day falls in the midst of preparations for September's United Nations high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases. By controlling tobacco, we can go a long way towards addressing many of these chronic ailments, including cancer and heart disease.
The use of tobacco, which is highly addictive, killed approximately 100 million people in the twentieth century, and unless we act, it could kill up to a billion in this century.
The greatest tool in our arsenal is the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Since it was opened for signature in 2003, more than 170 countries have become Parties, making it one of the most rapidly embraced treaties in United Nations history.
From reducing demand through higher prices and taxes to restricting advertising and sponsorship, from warnings on packages to prohibitions against sales to minors, countries are using the treaty's provisions to protect their citizens. They are sending a clear message that tobacco use makes us poorer – in health and economic terms.
The treaty's comprehensive defence against industry tactics includes measures to reduce the illicit trade in tobacco products, address issues of liability, support economically viable alternative crops and protect public health policies from undue pressure.
The Framework Convention is clearly working to safeguard health in all countries that have adopted and enforced it. Yet, as the reports from States Parties show, we have a long way to go. I urge all Parties to fully meet their obligations under the treaty, and I call on the few countries that have not yet become Parties to do so. Together, we can halt the tobacco epidemic and the many problems it brings.
On this World No Tobacco Day, let us push for progress that will cut tobacco-related deaths and enliven the battle against other non-communicable diseases, helping to create a healthier world for all.
Statements on 31 May 2011
- Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 31 May 2011 - Secretary-General's message to the Caribbean Regional Seminar on Implementation of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism [delivered by Ms. Laura Vaccari, Chief of the Decolonization Unit, Department of Political Affairs]
- New York, 31 May 2011 - Secretary-General's Remarks to the Conference on Promoting the Global Instruments of Non-proliferation and Disarmament: The United Nations and the Nuclear Challenge [As delivered]
- New York, 31 May 2011 - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Yemen
- New York, 31 May 2011 - Secretary-General's message to special event on "Forging Closer Links Between Africa and the Diaspora" on the Occasion of Africa Day 2011, organized by the Office of the Permanent Observer of the African Union [delivered by Mr. B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs] | <urn:uuid:9fcbec40-146d-4e4e-aa80-065389822922> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.un.org/sg/statements/?nid=5308 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921275 | 600 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Let's say we have a fictional operating system in the user mode. Whenever an interrupt or a trap occurs, the os would switch to the Kernel mode jumping to the address determined from the interrupt vector. A malicious user could take advantage of the loophole by executing a malicious program in the kernel mode.
Why is it dangerous ? What could have the user possibly done to achieve this and what kind of remedy would you suggest for the loop hole ? | <urn:uuid:88694e44-fe61-407c-a9f7-7693bd15d3bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14548840/dangerous-interrupts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958696 | 88 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Galileo's revolutionary scientific work brought him into conflict with the authorities of his time, but earned him an honoured place in the history books. He swept away old notions of the universe by observing the skies through a telescope and confirming that the Earth and planets travel round
Other titles in the series:
Alexander the Great
Eric the Red
Hans Christian Andersen
There is no Table of Contents available at this time.
There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.
Jacqueline Mitton is a member of the International Astronomical Union and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. | <urn:uuid:d6889059-290a-4660-b21b-e68fe758e11f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oupcanada.com/catalog/9780199119660.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911852 | 122 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Researchers around the world are opening their minds to the possibility that the phenomenon of anti-gravity is not just science fiction.
Most respected physicists still scoff at the idea that experimental equipment can reduce gravity, but several groups have been working on it independently and are coming to the same conclusion: it might just be true.
On Monday, reports re-emerged that Boeing, the American aircraft manufacturer, is interested in exploring the possibility of building an anti-gravity device. The news, first revealed in New Scientist magazine in January 2002, centres around Russian scientist, Evgeny Podkletnov. In 1992 he claimed to be the first person to witness the reduction of gravity above a spinning superconducting disc.
Podkletnov, a specialist in superconductors, says he stumbled on the effect whilst performing a routine test on a large superconductor in his laboratory at the Tampere University of Technology, Finland.
High speed spin
Podkletnov met New Scientist in late 2001 to outline the experiment, in which a large yttrium-barium-copper-oxide (YBCo) superconducting disc was suspended in nitrogen vapour and cooled to around 233 °C. The disk was levitated in a magnetic field and finally spun at speeds of up to 5000 revolutions per minute by means of an alternating electric current.
He claimed that objects placed above the disc lost around one per cent of their weight. But so far no one has managed to successfully repeat his experiment.
However, several high-profile organisations have taken an active interest in his work. NASA has paid Superconductive Components of Columbus, Ohio, $600,000 to reproduce the apparatus Podkeltnov used in his experiment. There have been delays, but NASA's Ron Koczor told New Scientist: "We expect to be ready to test the device in late September 2002."
British defence contractor, BAe Systems, is also interested in the work and set up Project Greenglow to explore the subject. Other groups in Japan, France and Canada are also rumoured to be working on the subject though they have so far kept their identities secret.
The most intriguing aspect of the affair is that Ning Li, then at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, says she independently predicted Podkletnov's observation in 1989.
Li's theory predicts that if a time-varying magnetic field were applied to a superconductor, charged and deformed lattice ions within the superconductor could absorb enormous amounts of energy. This would cause the lattice ions to spin rapidly about their equilibrium positions and create a minuscule gravitational field.
Li claimed that if these charged, rotating, lattice ions were aligned with each other by a strong magnetic field, the resulting change in local gravity would be measurable.
Early in 2002, Raymond Chiao, a respected physicist at the University of California at Berkley, put forward his own theory relating gravity and superconductors. He predicted that bombarding a superconductor with electromagnetic waves would produce gravitational radiation and is now attempting to prove his theory by experimentation.
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Thu Jan 17 18:15:54 GMT 2008 by Paul
Hi, the principle of anti gravity is a simple one and I believe I know how to create such a device, but without all the rigmarole talked about in what I just read.
If there is anyone out there who has a few million dollars lying around, and wishes to know how to achieve anti gravity, without ANY `machinery` as such, I may entertain telling what I know!
You will be amazed at how staggeringly simple a process it is!
I am thinking of advertising this, on a `highest bidder` set-up! Please contact me if you wish to talk about such things.
Wed Jan 30 04:10:18 GMT 2008 by Don
Have you had any luck finding an interested party for your antigravity device? Where can I go if I have a working protype?
Mon Sep 15 19:32:08 BST 2008 by Xylem
Please atleast give a clue of how that can be possible, or atleast give the principle that your work rilies on.
Gravity Reducing "shield"
Sat Jun 28 18:56:17 BST 2008 by Seamus O'toole
My working prototype consists of an ordinary vacuum cleaner (Electrolux) on its reverse setting. I then place a ping pong ball in the air stream. It floats and occasionally spins as well. (Though certainly not as fast as Podkletnov's ceramic disk!) When I hold a penny over the hovering ball, it seems to be lighter.
I've replicated this dozens of times in my own home, usually during a party. Does anyone know of an investor interested in backing my further experiments?
Gravity Reducing "shield"
Sat Sep 27 06:17:26 BST 2008 by Craig Kubiak
Is it true as an object spins it gets lighter, I have seen a video of a man spin an cone sape objest on a pice of paper than he lifted it up while the object was spinning and than removed the paper while the cone shped object hovered in the air. Let me know
Gravity Reducing "shield"
Wed Jun 17 23:19:04 BST 2009 by frank
that is caused by the air flow speeding up when traveling around the round object and the weight reduction is caused by the upward air flow
Natural Gravity Utilization
Sun Dec 07 00:37:50 GMT 2008 by Larry Robinson
As with wind and solar power, gravitational forces in nature should be looked at to harness for use. There is the danger in producing similar but man made gravitional forces that could cause harm to biological entities which have evolved and grown in the gravitational forces around them. Artifical gravitation or anti-gravitation should take cause and effect into consideration.
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support. | <urn:uuid:02910fb1-b743-4022-a7e6-e9276ba52c43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2611 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949221 | 1,356 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Posing as a doctor is not only illegal in all fifty United States but has become a danger in some States. The easiest case in point is New York State law section 6512 which is nearly verbatim the statutes arranged in other States. First the definition of practice of medicine:
The practice of the profession of medicine is defined as diagnosing, treating, operating or prescribing for any human disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition.
And then the actual law that prohibit
s falsely practicing medicine:
1. Anyone not authorized to practice under this title who practices or offers to practice or holds himself out as being able to practice in any profession in which a license is a prerequisite to the practice of the acts, or who practices any profession as an exempt person during the time when his professional license is suspended, revoked or annulled, or who aids or abets an unlicensed person to practice a profession, or who fraudulently sells, files, furnishes, obtains, or who attempts fraudulently to sell, file, furnish or obtain any diploma, license, record or permit purporting to authorize the practice of a profession, shall be guilty of a class E felony.
Federal codes also touch on the issue with regards to requirements to practice medicine thus creating situations where aliens (Martian or otherwise) may be qualified to practice medicine in the U.S. but not possess the proper credentials. The U.S. Code, Sec. 1182 Inadmissible aliens, grandfathered in physicians prior to January 9th, 1978.
An alien who is a graduate of a medical school not accredited by a body or bodies approved for the purpose by the Secretary of Education (regardless of whether such school of medicine is in the United States) and who is coming to the United States principally to perform services as a member of the medical profession is inadmissible, unless the alien (i) has passed parts I and II of the National Board of Medical Examiners Examination (or an equivalent examination as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) and (ii) is competent in oral and written English.
Problems arise in courts, however, regarding the application of said law when it is unclear as to which portions of the medical process require licensure. In the Indiana case Elizabeth Stryczek vs. The Methodist Hospitals Inc., the courts upheld that communication of x-ray results was not a job that requires licensure though the act of reading the x-rays and forming an opinion did require the license as such. Many States have faced similar cases. Administrative duties also, according to the D.C. Court of Appeals, fall outside the realm of positions requiring licensure of a physician. In Morris v. District of Columbia Board of Medicine the appeals court declared the Vice President and Medical Director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capitol Area is not required to be a licensed physician to retain this administrative position (D.C. Ct. App. Oct. 9, 1997).
Further problems arise as doctors, and facsimiles thereof, give medical advice via the Internet. This practice violates first and foremost the State statutes regarding State licensing for medical practice in said State. Furthermore, it is unknown as to whether the person giving the advice is licensed in medicine in the “patient’s” State or even licensed at all.
Overall each of the States in the Union, inclusive of the District of Columbia, have statutes of similarity regarding practicing medicine without a license. This issue continues to take new shapes and forms and will require further State involvement to recognize each of these 21st century issues. Federal involvement currently does not impose many thoughts into this matter but may need to find their way into the stream to properly control the outflow of dangerous medical practices.
And yes… the bee is guilty of practicing medicine without a license in all fifty States.
Al Westcott’s letter of complaint to the New York Board of Health
Brian Monnich’s essay: Bringing Order to Cybermedicine: Applying the Corporate Practice of Medical Doctrine to Tame the Wild Wild Web
Elizabeth Stryczek vs. The Methodist Hospitals Inc. case summary
New York and Indiana State codes and statutes
8 USC Sec. 1182
Morris v. District of Columbia Board of Medicine, D.C. Ct. App. Oct. 9, 1997 | <urn:uuid:3ad8001b-9073-4083-bb99-9de25e2da371> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://everything2.com/title/Posing+as+a+doctor+is+illegal+in+all+fifty+states | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945425 | 898 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Four out of five people are worried about the cost of healthcare and many are postponing or cancelling treatment as a result. One in three are delaying healthcare for at least six months because they cannot afford it.
The research from Health365.com suggests a depth of concern many now have because of the costs associated with accessing healthcare treatment, coupled with widespread confusion as to what they will need to pay. The survey of 1000 adults revealed ignorance as to which procedures and treatments were charged under the NHS; a third did not know they had to pay for a dental check-up and almost a half incorrectly thought eye tests were free.
Women were far more likely to be aware of the charges associated with certain treatments, but they were also more prone to worrying about the cost of healthcare and cancelling treatments as a result. 81 per cent admitting to worrying, while nearly half who cancelled or postponed treatment did so for a minimum of six months, as opposed to just 38 per cent of men.
The research also suggests that worry about healthcare costs is most widespread among the under 45s, with 83 per cent of 25-45s confessing to concern, compared to just over half of the over 65s.Those of pensionable age were also less likely to cancel treatments. Only 30 per cent of the over 65s had cancelled or postponed treatment due to the cost, as opposed to more than three quarters of 25 to 34-year-olds.
Paul Shires of Health365.com says: “Worry about the financial implications of accessing healthcare is widespread and endemic among the British population. Many are delaying and even cancelling treatment because they are concerned about the cost. This is not only worrying from a financial perspective, but could arguably have a detrimental effect on the health of the nation.”
Health cash plans: News update: 26 October 2010 | <urn:uuid:fba467bf-a2fc-4ec0-9d9b-731000417fd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/news/october-2010/people-delaying-healthcare-treatment-33076/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987009 | 374 | 2.171875 | 2 |