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Mental health medications are the primary treatment for many disorders. They are also used in conjunction with talk therapies. Different medications are used for different disorders, but some medications can be used to treat problems other than those listed here.
- Antidepressant Medications
Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to treat depression. Evidence suggests that antidepressants save lives, but they should be used cautiously in children and adolescents.
- Antipsychotic medications
These medications are the main treatment for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
- Anxiety medications
Anxiety medications are often helpful in treating anxiety, but they are usually not the primary treatment. Talk therapy or other cognitive or behavioral therapies can also be helpful.
- Bipolar Disorder Medications
Several different medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. These drugs can help stabilize moods in patients with manic depression. | <urn:uuid:11ef7f03-b1cc-4a6b-a414-74563feccf68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mentalhealth.about.com/od/psychopharmacology/a/medindex.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915209 | 170 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Canine diarrhea can be perfectly explained as a symptom caused due to the problem that is already affecting the body. Canine diarrhea can not be regarded as a diseases in itself because in most cases only its symptoms occurs and are cured within a time span of twenty four hours. No doubt it is the responsibility of the dog owner to take care of the dog’s health but it is not possible to keep an eye on the dog’s activities. There are several reasons why a dog suffers from canine diarrhea. The causes of canine diarrhea will be discussed in detail in this write up. Keeping an eye on the dog’s activities all the time is not possible but there are other measures which you can undertake for ensuring dog’s good health.
Before discussing such measures let us first ponder over the causes which triggers canine diarrhea in canines. Dog diarrhea is caused due to the following reasons:
1 Among the most common causes of dog diarrhea eating bad or contagious food is on the top. Over eating of table food and major diet changes trigger dog diarrhea. Therefore you make sure your dog does not consume anything which can trigger such conditions in it.
2. Any sort of infection is also potent of causing dogs diarrhea. Infections from round worms, hookworms are also extremely potent if diarrhea. Roundworms being the intestinal parasites are very common among puppy diarrhea. Hookworms unlike roundworms can affect any age of canine.
3. Parvovirus is a virus which affects dogs of small age. This virus severely damages the intestinal linings thereby hampering the process of absorption of nutrients and liquid material. Severe cases of dehydration, Stools with blood and stale breath smell are some more problems faced due to parvovirus.
4. Among other causes, distemper is the most serious one. In this virus starts spreading throughout the respiratory tract and starts affecting the brain. It is thus regarded as highly contagious. Only rare cases survive when affected by this disease. Dog Diarrhea is one of the symptoms of distemper. It spreads fast and leads to death in most cases.
5. Giardia is the next reason on our list. It is a parasite of the intestine and causes diarrhea. Contaminated water, soil, food are its sources. When a dog is attacked by this parasite the only symptom it shows is diarrhea. In same cases it is very mild but in most cases it is severe.
So, these are the five major causes of dog diarrhea treatments. For protecting your dog from these 5 fatal causes make sure it eats fresh food, clean water and does not wander around here and there in dingy surroundings. These are some of the very general and important measures that a canine owner must function for ensuring their pets does not suffer, and if so seek out a dog diarrhea treatment option with your veterinarian..
Dog diarrhea can be fatal at times hence if it persists for over twenty four hours take your dog or cat to the doctor for treatment.
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Provider of high quality oatmeal dog shampoo, dog dandruff shampoo, itch relief for dogs, dog itch remedy, allergy relief for dogs, vitamins for dogs, and arthritis supplements for dogs | <urn:uuid:138cae56-843c-4563-bb28-2f38157ce7d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.evolutionsupply.com/Causes_of_Dry_and_Flaky_Skin_in_Dogs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94709 | 667 | 2.75 | 3 |
Invasive Weed Management
Weeds are spreading on BLM lands at an estimated rate of 12 percent per year, or 144,000 acres per year. Approximately 1.2 million of the 15 million acres of BLM administered lands in Oregon and Washington are infested with noxious weeds.
One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of weeds across public lands. These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities. If not eradicated or controlled, noxious weeds will continue to jeopardize the health of the public lands and to constrain the myriad activities that occur on public lands.
The BLM works with State, Federal and local parters to reduce the spread of invasive species, with an emphasis on early detection of and rapid response to new invasions in order to reduce the need for larger and more expensive treatments.
Invasive plants (or weeds) are non-native aggressive plants with the potential to cause significant damage to native ecosystems and/or cause significant economic losses.
Noxious weeds are a subset of invasive plants that are county, state, or federally listed as injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or any public or private property
Of the 121 listed noxious weed species, some of the most prevalent include: yellow starthistle, Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, quackgrass, field bindweed, Canada thistle, perennial pepperweed, medusahead rye, St. Johnswort, diffuse knapweed, poison hemlock, English ivy, Scotch thistle, and tansy ragwort.
Noxious weeds and invasive plants enter Oregon and Washington in shipping containers, on vehicles, packing materials, clothing, with other plants or soil, or are brought in intentionally as ornamentals or to accomplish some management objective. They are spread and move great distances by such things as off-road and other vehicles, on camping and other recreational equipment, on pack stock and livestock, in hay and other feed crops, on construction equipment, on the wind, on animals including within feces, and as intentionally moved ornamental plants or inadvertently within the soil of such plants.
One of the most important elements of the BLM's integrated vegetation management approach is raising internal and external awareness of the threats of invasive and unwanted vegetation and promoting prevention actions. The BLM places a management emphasis on preventing the establishment of noxious weeds into weed-free areas. This early detection and rapid response approach involves training employees to identify noxious weeds and to report new infestations so they can be addressed as quickly as possible.
Annually, the BLM treats approximately 2,500 acres of noxious weeds using mechanical methods (chainsaws, chaining, blading, disking, mowing), 2,000 acres using manual removal (hand pulling), 1,500 acres using biocontrol methods (release of insects, pathogens, or other organisms to feed upon, parasitize, or otherwise interfere with a targeted weed species), 2,800 acres using directed livestock (grazing goats) and 12,000 to 14,000 acres using herbicides.
The BLM works closely with private landowners, County Weed Boards, watershed councils, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Cooperative Weed Management Areas, State agencies and other Federal agencies in an effort to increase weed prevention and treatment effectiveness.
Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon Record of Decision
The Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon Final Environmental Impact Statement was released on July 30, 2010. The selected alternative (a slightly modified version of Alternative 4) in the Final EIS would add ten of the BLM nationally-approved herbicides west of the Cascades and thirteen herbicides east of the Cascades to the four approved herbicides already in use in those areas. The proposed action would expand herbicide use beyond noxious weed treatments to include: the treatment of all invasive plants; the control of pests and diseases; the control of native vegetation in rights-of-way, administrative sites, and recreation sites; and the treatment of vegetation to achieve habitat goals specified in interagency Conservation Strategies for Federally-listed and other Special Status species. A Record of Decision was issued on October 1, 2010. For more information please visit the Vegetation Treatments website.
Help Slow the Spread of Noxious and Invasive Weeds!
There are many things an individual can do to help prevent the introduction and spread of noxious weeds. First and foremost, become familiar with the noxious weeds in your area and treat them to prevent their spread. Wash your vehicles and equipment before venturing into new areas to prevent tracking weeds into new areas. Report weed sitings on BLM administered lands to the local BLM weed coordinator.
Oregon Invasive Species Online Hotline
Garden Smart Guide
Silent Invasion Quick Guide
Cooperative Weed Management Areas in Oregon
Oregon Department of Agriculture Noxious Weed Page
Washington State Department of Agriculture Plants/Insects - Noxious Weeds
Oregon Department of Agriculture Weed-mapper Link Page
Weedmapper - for Oregon only
Center for Invasive Species Management | <urn:uuid:52271013-533c-4083-9bb5-b85720c29156> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/weeds/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913224 | 1,065 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Patti Grace Smith Rockets On
And find the translation in the text of FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Patti Grace Smith's talk, Space Means Business, which she delivered at the Washington Space Business Roundtable last month (Dec. 6, 2007).
Patti's resignation from FAA/AST (which Clark Lindsey first reported on HobbySpace on Monday) is official, and here, also via Clark, is the announcement, including a statement by Patti.
As we all know, Patti has worked in the commercial space arena at the Department of Transportation since 1994. (Ah, remember the ol' OCST?) Under her leadership at FAA/AST, the office's ground breaking work served both the public and nascent space transportation industry and launched private space regulation into the new century. We imagine Patti in the room the first time a federal government official uttered the phrase "commercial space" without smirking (in fact, she may have been the government official who uttered it). Today, her office and work serve as a model for private spaceflight regulators worldwide.
Here are some thoughts Patti shared in her talk last month at WSBR:
When I spoke at the Space Business Roundtable in 1999, Space Adventures Ltd was only a year old.
In 1999 Bigelow Aerospace was founded. So was XCOR. At that time, there was no Armadillo, no Blue Origin, no SpaceX or Virgin Galactic.
The X Prize had not been won.
The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 obviously had not been written. The FAA was not yet the agency in charge of private human spaceflight.
There were no regulations for experimental permits governing the testing of suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles. There were no regulations governing crew and passengers on suborbital flights. Between 1999 and today there have been nearly 200 expendable launch vehicle launch attempts.
As the result of a steady and durable momentum … matched to a growing awareness of opportunities in space … all those things are now realities.
Spaceflight is changing. The wide circle of activity is expanding. Future vehicles will not all have “Property of the U.S. Government” stamped on them … whether they fly from the States … or from states overseas.
The fact is there is a private industry out there building the next epoch of transportation.
There are no parallels. Nothing compares. The new civilian spaceflight business is altogether different from predecessor carriers.
The genus might be familiar, perhaps the species, too. But this is the first time they’ve appeared together. In Latin … Volatus per inane homo privatus. “Spaceflight. Human. Private.”
Whatever space has been up until today, it is an emerging business now....
In an e-mail today, Patti told me, "My plan is to stay connected to space in some new capacity. I am very excited about exploring that and seeing where it takes me. I am fully committed to this industry and have much still to contribute."
Splendid. For now, we say best of luck to Patti! We look forward to news of her next, no doubt bold, steps. Meanwhile, we thank her for years of support and leadership in launching the new era of commercial space.
Now more than ever -- as Patti says -- space means business. | <urn:uuid:21b3e8f0-3b6a-4a05-af9d-becaead0c953> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spacelawprobe.blogspot.com/2008/01/patti-grace-smith-rockets-on.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958216 | 684 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Talk about playing the wrong hole.
43-year-old Mark Mihal is lucky to be alive after he was swallowed up by a sinkhole, that sent him plummeting 18 feet deep into the earth.
The bizarre incident happened Friday while the mortgage broker was out golfing with a few buddies at the Annbriar Golf Course in Waterloo, just south east of St. Louis.
One minute, Mark was walking on the fairway at the 14th hole preparing for his partner’s next shot then — boom. He disappeared, literally swallowed up by the earth.
His quick-thinking buddies soon realized what happened and called for help. The terrifying ordeal was documented with photos later posted on Mihal’s website, golfmanna.com.
After 20 minutes, rescuers managed to tie a rope around the trapped golfer and pull him to safety. Mark who suffered a dislocated shoulder, was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated.
Sinkholes have been making headlines in recent weeks. Just last month a massive sinkhole swallowed up a home in Florida, killing the homeowner. A few days later, another sinkhole opened up just a few miles away, causing panic across the Floridian community. | <urn:uuid:995c7d72-0a3f-4f2f-8e09-1efa7b1b88bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pix11.com/2013/03/12/golfer-dodges-death-after-getting-swallowed-by-18-foot-deep-sinkhole/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973858 | 255 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Good Grief: Healing from the Pain of Loss
We have all faced loss: the death of a friend, relative or pet; the end of a relationship; the loss of a job, dream, or limb. These losses provoke grief, an emotion that is part of a normal, healthy healing process. Restraining grief can be harmful; addressing it heals.
Many people misunderstand grief. They think crying or showing emotional pain is a sign of weakness. They try to deny grief, but feeling the pain helps the person to cope with the loss and return to normal ways of living.
Responses to grief involve all aspects of one’s life: emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and mental. Everyone experiences grief differently and to varying degrees. Common responses to grief include:
- Disbelief: Seeing and feeling the loss can be painful, so you may try to protect yourself by denying it. You may feel numb, going into a kind of emotional shock.
- Anger: You may be angry at yourself for not preventing the loss or even angry at the person who died for deserting you. You may blame someone else for not protecting you or your loved ones. You may feel hurt or frustrated with the situation, because you cannot change it.
- Guilt: You may blame yourself because you feel you may not have done the right thing. Unresolved conflicts or feelings you never expressed can make you feel guilty.
- Sadness: Deep sorrow and a sense of loss may cause uncontrollable tears.
- Anxiety: You may feel anxious or panicked. You may feel unable to face the future or to deal with new or frightening situations. You may even think that you’re going crazy.
- Depression: You may feel isolated, helpless, and hopeless. You may pull away from your friends and family and feel as if no one can help you.
- Relief: If you’ve been expecting the loss for some time, you may feel relieved when it finally happens.
- Dreams: Dreaming about the loss may either comfort or upset you, or even both. Dreams may signal an emotional conflict you should try to resolve.
- Physical symptoms: You may have trouble sleeping or breathing. Your eating patterns or appetite may change. You may sigh a lot, lack energy, or be restless. You may develop a cold or minor infection, or suffer a more serious illness.
The tasks of mourning
Knowing what to expect after loss can make it easier to cope or to help someone else. Grief and the "tasks of mourning" are normal stages we move through while grieving.
Don’t try to rush through or avoid any part of grieving. Mourning is a complicated process. It takes a lot of time to adjust to the changes that result from loss.
- Accepting that loss is real is often difficult. Sometimes you can’t grasp that it won’t be restored. You may pretend the loss is not important. You may even believe you can gain back the lost person or thing. However, day by day, week by week, month by month, the absence confronts you, and the loss becomes more and more real. Accepting the full reality of the loss takes time.
- Feeling the pain follows accepting the loss. Trying to avoid pain is natural, but only prolongs the process. You may try to cut off your feelings, to keep yourself too busy to feel or think, or to dwell only on pleasant memories. The pain will eventually appear in another form, such as depression or illness. Feeling the pain may be the hardest part of grieving, so receiving help and support from others is essential. Remember, pain is a necessary part of healing.
- Releasing the pain through crying helps relieve the sorrow and pain of loss. Laughter works too: it can release tension caused by fear and anger. Releasing pain or anger — either alone or with a friend or counselor — can also help. Whatever you’re feeling, express it. Don’t hold it in.
- Adjusting to the environment can take a long time. Loss changes your social and/or physical situation. You may feel helpless, pull away from others, not face or do what is needed, or not build coping skills. A period of accepting help and care from others can help you adjust to a new situation and give you time to gather your internal resources. You can develop the skills and goals needed to meet new challenges.
- Releasing the attachment means letting go of the emotional energy attached to what was lost. At first, you may feel disloyal. You may think this lessens the meaning of the past. To grow through grief, you can pay attention to these feelings and know they are normal; over time, as you practice letting them go, they will naturally pass. It may help to talk with a friend or counselor about the difficulties of saying a final goodbye. It is also important, and healthy, to treasure memories and feelings that help to maintain a connection to your loved one.
- Forming new attachments may help heal the wound of loss. You may build new links to people, activities, or commitments. Don’t rush: if you don’t deal with your grief first, you may stunt the healing. It’s not unusual to fear new attachments because of the risk of feeling loss again. It’s not uncommon to have doubts about being able to find meaning in new activities or relationships. But new attachments — either strengthening old ties or starting new ones — help restore and maintain your emotional and physical health.
- Moving through grief: When you’ve experienced these steps, is grieving over? Not necessarily, but you can think about your loss without feeling the same strong pain. The loss still is part of your experience but you can live more fully in the present. Your fond memories of what was lost, as well as your growth as an individual that comes from the grieving process, can help enrich your life.
Other hints for coping with loss
- Take time to write or draw your thoughts and feelings in a journal. This can help relieve pressures and provide a sense of healing.
- Talk out your thoughts and emotions regularly with a trusted friend, support person/group, or professional counselor.
- Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, and get some exercise every day.
- If faith is a part of your life, express it in ways that are meaningful to you.
- Create a ritual, a memorial, as a special way to honor your loved one and remember the special relationship you had.
Almost everyone needs help dealing with grief. Support groups and friends who are good listeners can help in all the stages of grief. In addition, counselors can provide a different outlook and help you to express your feelings. Inexpensive or free help is available at many mental health centers, churches, synagogues, hospitals, clinics, and employee assistance programs. In Madison, UHS’s Counseling and Consultation Services offers both individual and group counseling for UW–Madison students.
Helping someone else grieve
If someone close to you is grieving, you can help.
- Listen without judging or trying to change them. Let them know they’re not alone. Accept. Encourage them to talk about their feelings.
- Show empathy. Try to understand what they are feeling. It’s OK to say that you care and that you are uncertain about how to help and what to say.
- Stay connected. Grieving takes a long time, and support is needed throughout the process.
- If appropriate, share information about grief and the tasks of mourning.
Also see: When Someone You Love Has Died | <urn:uuid:70ebb9e6-fdd7-45ee-a6f3-abf8907bbdc4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/services/counseling/topics/good-grief.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938759 | 1,588 | 2.890625 | 3 |
A team led by fertility expert Dr. Shevah Friedler at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center studied 186 women aged 25 to 40 over 10 months, all of whom were undergoing embryo transfer treatment. While half were simply given the treatment and nothing else, the other group was entertained by a clown for up to 15 minutes as they recuperated in bed after the treatment.
The results? 33 of the women who ‘clowned’ around became pregnant, compared to only 18 women in the control group. For the 60,000 American women who undergo IVF treamtent annually, the message is: don’t worry, be happy.
For Friedler, the project was synthesis of his two passions – theater and medicine.
“I’m trained as both a doctor and a mime,” Friedler told ISRAEL21c with a chuckle. “After I finished medical school, I attended the Jacques Lecoq School of Mime and Theater in Paris. I wanted to be a professional in both fields. I had dabbled in mime her, but I guess I was good enough to receive a scholarship from the French government, and I studied there for two years.”
For the last two years, Friedler has been in charge of the clown therapy project at Assaf Harofeh, a program that began in 2000. His resident funnyman is Shlomi Algosi, a clown by profession, who took a course on clown therapy in 1994.
Based on an American program (popularized by the film Patch Adams), the goal is to speed patients’ recovery by making them laugh. Professionals from New York’s Big Apple circus spent time in Israel teaching Algosi and other participants not just how to be a clown, but how to relate to and tune in to the patients’ feelings.
For Algosi, that wasn’t too difficult. He decided to enter the field after recalling how lonely and afraid he was as a child he was hospitalized for months after contracting polio. Since launching the Assaf Harofe program, Algosi and Friedler have provided entertainment and hope for hundreds of young patients, and have trained other medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, how to do likewise.
“We’ve mostly treated children, but we’ve also worked with some adults – in the dialysis unit,” said Algosi.
Despite the proven successes that clown therapy has had on children, neither Friedler nor Algosi had ever attempted using it on a patient involved in a complex procedure such as IVF. But according to Friedler, the intersection of the two was inevitable.
“It combines my capacities for theater and mime with my background as a physician. It was only natural that I found a way to make use of clowning within my specialty field – treating infertility patients,” he said.
It was a natural match for other reasons as well, he explained.
“Characteristically, IVF patients are under a lot of stress. It’s quite obvious – but not enough research has been done in the field – that there’s a connection between health and humor. People use humor naturally – if we’re in a dangerous or stressful situation,” said Friedler.
So he and Algosi set out to develop a program with the goal of seeing if humor could reduce the stress and anxiety of the IVF treatment, particularly after the embryo had been transferred to the woman’s womb. Their challenge was to adopt what was essentially a children’s program for adults.
“We had to devise a different concept for this – with children, we used red-nosed clowns,” explained Algosi. “But for IVF patients, a clown can remind them of children – the reason they’re here in the first place. We had to be more sensitive.
“We tried to come up with an image that provides service – a waiter, an entertainer… in the end, we chose to use a chef,” he told ISRAEL21c. “We then devised an act, consisting of some sketches, some magic and a few bits of slapstick. All together about 10-15 minutes.”
Instead of the red nose, Algosi wears a striped vest.
“He comes in to the patient lying in bed, and asks ‘did you order steak flambé or chocolate mousse?’ Now this is a public hospital with public hospital food, so this ironic juxtaposition breaks the ice,” said Friedler. “The response from the women was wonderful.”
But even with a positive reaction, Friedler was unprepared for the results. In fact, the increased birth rate was not even part of the study.
“Frankly, what we expected to find was a difference in psychological characteristics among the patients undergoing the therapy and those not,” said Friedler. “Together with the Gertner Institute at Tel Hashomer Medical Center, we designed a very nice questionnaire that the patients filled out.”
The researchers did find a big difference in the psychological characteristics between the patients who underwent the clown therapy and those that didn’t. But they also found something that they never expected. The conception rate for the women who were entertained by the clown jumped from 20 to 35 percent.
“We were very surprised by the results. And frankly, I can’t explain it,” said Friedler.
Hepresented the findings before the Israel Fertility Association meeting in May and submitted an abstract to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) that met this month in Geneva, resulting in a high profile response from colleagues and the media.
“We’re planning on attending the American Society for Fertility conference in October. And we’re continuing the project with the aim of enrolling 120 women in each arm of the program,” said Friedler.
For Algosi, that’s not a problem, as he finds himself motivated by both the performance and the results.
“Each time I perform, it’s like starting from scratch,” he said.
“My wife jokes to me that she didn’t know she had married someone with magical powers that can help bring children into the world, ” said the father of two. “But that’s really what we’ve succeeded in doing.” | <urn:uuid:81d9a8f8-66d6-4af6-a93d-812237fe1f5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israel21c.org/health/israeli-clown-therapy-boosts-fertility-treatment-birthrate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970289 | 1,372 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Seniors who suffer from chronic health conditions like high blood pressure or heart disease often develop a host of other, seemingly unrelated health problems, including cognitive impairment like memory loss and dementia, according to a new study based on data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics.
For the study, the researchers analyzed the medical records of hundreds of thousands of seniors residing in assisted-living facilities and found that most had at least one chronic health condition. What was more alarming, however, was that many had overlapping ailments. While high blood pressure and heart disease were most common, nearly half of the assisted-living residents showed signs of dementia.
“These findings suggest a vulnerable population with a high burden of functional and cognitive impairment,” the authors of the study report wrote.
Many studies have suggested a link between vascular disease and dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s, said Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, a professor for psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University’s Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS). Therefore it may not be possible to treat dementia without treating vascular problems, he added.
But that may be easier said than done. “We don’t universally do a great job of how we treat conditions that overlap, for example Alzheimer’s and high blood pressure,” said Dr. Cythia M. Boyd, an associate professor of geriatric medicine at the John Hopkins University Center on Aging and Health, to the New York Times. “Much of the way we practice medicine is looking at disease by disease. We aren’t doing enough thinking about how to add them together and really integrate care.”
What makes things more complicated is that most doctors are not sufficiently trained in preventing or reducing lifestyle-related illnesses – not in the general public and certainly not in older patients – other than through medicating. For instance, the importance of nutrition as a part of preventive care is rarely ever mentioned in medical schools. The approximate time devoted to nutrition science over the first two years of medical education is six hours, which is clearly inadequate, according to the National Academy of Sciences. The same goes for other health-promoting measures such as exercise, especially for the aging population.
Yet many studies have provided compelling evidence that diet and exercise play a significant role for physical and mental health at any time in life but increasingly so as we age.
For example, a more recent study from Britain concluded that the so-called “Western diet,” which typically includes fried, sweet and processed foods, red meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products, increases the risk of chronic diseases, which in turn can adversely affect both physical and mental health in later years. Eating a Western diet makes it less likely to have an ideal aging process, says Dr. Tasnime Akbaraly, a researcher at the University College of London and lead author of the study report. Conversely, making dietary improvements can yield multiple benefits in this regard.
There is also further evidence that exercise can give a boost to the aging brain. Scientists at the University of British Columbia found that older women who suffered from mild cognitive impairment could improve their memory through weight training and brisk walking.
The connections between physical and mental decline may not yet be completely understood, but it seems clear that chronic diseases play a major role in the process. While these are widespread, the encouraging news is that many, if not all, are preventable by healthier lifestyle choices.
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a registered dietitian, newspaper columnist, blogger and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog and at amazon.com. For more articles on nutrition, health and lifestyle, visit her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (www.timigustafson.com). | <urn:uuid:eabda9cd-5d60-40a9-aa36-c78dea00f767> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/timigustafsonrd/tag/seniors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960137 | 806 | 2.875 | 3 |
& Tornado Alley
Distribution of Annual Changes
in Global Average Temperatures
The accepted record of average global temperatures is given below:
The temperature plotted on the vertical axis is the deviation of each year's average temperature in degrees Celsius from the average temperature for the period. This is called the temperature anomaly. The average temperature for the period is 14°C. (The use of average annual temperatures tends to muckup the statistical analysis but it is necessary to work with such averages at least for the preliminary analysis.)
A perplexing aspect of the global temperature data is that there is no measure of accuracy associated with each datum. Surely the earlier years with their fewer weather stations and less accurate instruments have less accurate values than the later years. However systematic but constant bias in the measurements is not really an issue. The concern is not with the level of the temperature but with the change in the level of the temperature. Systematic bias as long as it does not change will not affect the changes in temperature. Thus the improper placement of a measuring station results in a bias but as long as it does not change it is unimportant. But any changes in the number and/or locations of measuring stations could create the appearance of a spurious trend. Thus the shutting down of hundreds of high latitude weather stations by Russia in the 1990's for budgetary reasons would be cause for concern about any appearance of trends in the temperature data.
There do appear to be trends. From 1855 to about 1870 there is an upward trend, then from 1870 to 1910 a downward trend. Without any obvious explanation from 1910 there is an upward trend that continues until about 1945. After 1945 the the trend is downward until about 1975. Since 1975 the trend has been upward. As the climatologist Patrick J. Michaels has pointed out the slopes of the trends from 1910 to 1945 and from 1975 onward are about the same. Moreover the slopes of the downward trends from 1870 to 1910 and from 1945 to 1975 are also about the same. The initial upward trend from 1855 to 1870 could be perceived as having the about the same slope as the two later upward trends.
Since variables which are the cumulative sums of random disturbances appear to have trends even when the random disturbances have an expected value of zero it is unwise and unsound to extrapolate any apparent trends for such variables. The temperature of the Earth's surface is thermodynamically the cumulative sum of the net heat inflow to it. The question is whether or not the net heat inflow is a random (stochastic) variable. This can be judged by looking at the changes in temperature from year to year. These changes are shown below.
The data viewed in this form do not show any obvious trends. A regression line for a trend in the changes is barely perceptible because it is so close to the horizontal axis. The t-ratio (regression coefficient divided by its standard deviation) for the regression slope is a miniscule 0.01, definitely not significantly different from zero at the 95 percent level of confidence.
Another way of examining the temperature change data is to construct a frequency distribution (histogram). Here the temperature changes are grouped into temperature change intervals of 0.05°C width.
The average temperature change is 0.0055°C per year and that is equivalent to 0.55°C per century. The t-ratio for that change is 0.53 and not significantly different from zero at the 95 percent level of confidence. It is notable that the distribution looks more or less like a normal distribution. This is as would be expected from the Central Limit Theorem which says that some quantity which is the sum of a large number of independent random influences will have a frequency distribution which is closer to a normal distribution the larger the number of independent influences. This lends credence to the notion that the year-to-year temperature changes are stochastic (random).
The normal distribution is a stable distribution, meaning that if variable x and y have normal distributions then x+y will have a normal distribution. The normal distribution is not the only stable distribution. There is a whole family of stable distributions characterized by a set of four parameters. The stable distributions are identified in terms of the parameters of their characteristic functions.
The above frequency distribution is converted into an estimate of the probability distribution by dividing the frequency by the total number of observations. The values for the intervals are assumed concentrated at the midpoints of the intervals. The value of the characteristic function for a frequency ω is computed by the following procedure. The justification of this procedure is given in Characteristic Function.
Compiling the values of ln(-x(ω)) for several values of ω gives
The plot ln(-x(ω)) versus ln(ω) from the above data is shown below.
For a normal distribution ν is equal to the standard deviation. For other stable distributions the standard deviation is infinite. The parameter ν is a dispersion index for the distribution. The standard deviation computed from the sample of global temperature changes is 0.122, but if the sample is from a distribution which does not have a finite distribution then the sample standard deviation will not have an expected value. It will be essentially a random number.
Subtracting the first equation from the second and dividing by the coefficient of β gives β=0.305479499. Then
The value of δ gives the expected value for the distribution. The value of δ=0.003120611 is the average temperature increase per year. This is 0.31°C per century.
The following histogram is based upon a sample of 2000 observations of a random variable which has a stable distribution characterized by the values of the parameters shown. Each time the image is refreshed a new sample of 2000 observations is drawn.
Below is a display that shows what temperature would look like when the changes in temperature from one period to the next is a random value with a stable distribution similar to that found for the actual global temperature changes. A sample of 200 random increments is chosen and the cumulative sum computed. The values are scaled so as to fit the maximum value within the display area. Each time the screen is refreshed a new sample of 200 random values is drawn.
Note that the series almost always appears to be following a trend. However since the value of δ is 0 there is in reality no long term term.
Although the distribution of annual changes in global average temperatures is close to a normal distribution it differs from a normal distribution in two essential ways. First it is skewed to the right. Second, because of this skewness it does not have a finite standard deviation and thus any sample estimates of the standard deviation of annual changes is meaningless. The expected increase in average global temperature from the analysis is 0.31°C per century. This is of the same order of magnitude of other empirical estimates of the trend in average global temperature.
HOME PAGE OF Thayer Watkins | <urn:uuid:df605d2c-7877-44aa-8fcf-3fa9f9a14798> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/globaltemp8.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9214 | 1,418 | 3.71875 | 4 |
[r6rs-discuss] unicode (re comment #134)
cowan at ccil.org
Sun Dec 17 00:46:38 EST 2006
Thomas Lord scripsit:
> Noncharacter code points are explicitly described as suitable
> for internal use.
So they are, and R5.91RS explicitly permits them. Noncharacter code
points are not the same as surrogate code points, which are *not*
explicitly described as suitable (and are not suitable) for internal use.
Specifically, allowing the representation of surrogate code points
means that UTF-16 cannot be used as an internal representation at all
(it cannot distinguish between two consecutive surrogate code points
and a non-BMP character) and means that UTF-8 and UTF-32 cannot be used
directly either, but only in the form of non-standard variants.
> For every natural number (integers greater than or equal to 0)
> there exists a distinct CHAR value. The set of all such
> values are called "simple characters".
Whatever for? There does not exist a countable infinity of simple
characters to represent, Galactic Empire or no. The number is
*always* going to be finite, by the nature of graphical representations:
if there were a countable infinity of characters, there would be for
each character infinitely many that are essentially indistinguishable
from it, since each character can be represented as a pixel grid of
I omit the rest, since it depends on this original and useless notion.
"But I am the real Strider, fortunately," John Cowan
he said, looking down at them with his face cowan at ccil.org
softened by a sudden smile. "I am Aragorn son http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
of Arathorn, and if by life or death I can
save you, I will." --LotR Book I Chapter 10
More information about the r6rs-discuss | <urn:uuid:f5a7eb09-d8eb-47f9-a031-e87bcdc6fce5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lists.r6rs.org/pipermail/r6rs-discuss/2006-December/001275.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919523 | 423 | 1.710938 | 2 |
An F-16 Fighting Falcon from Luke Air Force Base that broke the sound barrier was the cause of the loud noise that rattled windows and nerves in the Tucson area Wednesday night.
At about 7:45 p.m., "the 425th Fighter Squadron from Luke was flying F-16 training missions in the Sells area," according to a statement released Thursday by the base near Phoenix.
The statement said the base confirmed an aircraft "went supersonic just northwest of Kitt Peak," which is southwest of Tucson.
It also said, "The altitude at which the aircraft broke the sound barrier was legal for supersonic flight in the area."
"We train pilots every day. We fly many sorties every day," said Staff Sgt. Chris Hatch of Luke's 56th Fighter Wing.
The F-16s in the Wednesday night mission were using flight paths and corridors around the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range in southwest Arizona, Hatch said.
At least two and possibly up to six F-16s were involved in the mission, Hatch said.
Reports of the window-rattling boom flooded social media sites, and hundreds of calls came in to the Tucson-area 911 dispatchers shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office didn't report any calls from concerned residents. But the Pima County Sheriff's Department heard from people living west of Campbell Avenue and as far north as the Pinal County line and as far south as Green Valley, said Deputy Tom Peine, a sheriff's spokesman.
The Tucson Police Department contacted Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson International Airport and the National Guard Wednesday night, said department spokesman Sgt. Chris Widmer, "but they didn't know the cause of the noise."
What is a sonic boom?
When an airplane travels through the air, it produces sound waves. If the plane travels slower than the speed of sound (about 700 mph), sound waves propagate ahead of the plane. If the plane flies faster than the speed of sound, it produces a sonic boom.
The boom is the "wake" of the plane's sound waves. All of the sound waves that would have normally propagated ahead of the plane are combined so at first one hears nothing, then hears the boom.
• Primary function: Multirole fighter.
• Contractor: Lockheed Martin Corp.
• Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches.
• Length: 49 feet, 5 inches.
• Weight: 19,700 pounds without fuel.
• Fuel capacity: 7,000 pounds internal; typical capacity, 12,000 pounds with two external tanks.
• Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude).
Source: Air Force fact sheet
Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at email@example.com or at 573-4191. On Twitter: AzDailyStarReporter | <urn:uuid:d962487e-4efb-4e33-ba98-d383810a07a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://azstarnet.com/news/local/991925d9-98ac-55da-8578-40b3ce10cc57.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949877 | 596 | 2.03125 | 2 |
There are 16 members of this class of 210-foot medium endurance cutter. The USCGC Reliance (WMEC-615), the first of class, was laid down at the Todd Shipyards, Seattle WA. and entered commissioned service in June of 1964. The next two cutters (WMEC-616 and WMEC-617) were also constructed at the Todd yards, while WMEC-618 was built at the Cristy Corporation yard, WMECs 619-620 and 628-630 were constructed at the Coast Guard yards in Baltimore, MD. and WMECs 621-627 were built at the American Shipbuilding Company yard. The last ship of the class, USCGC Alert (WMEC-630) was commissioned in August of 1969. Designed specifically to meet the needs of open ocean search and rescue work, the 210' cutters feature a high degree of crew habitability (all spaces with the exception of the engine room are air-conditioned) excellent visibility (the ship offers an unrestricted 360 degree view from the pilothouse) and exhaust gasses were routed out the stern to reduce smoke obscuration of the flight deck during flight operations. During initial construction the first 4 cutters of the class (WMEC 615-619) received an unusual CODAG (Combined Diesel and Gas) propulsion system. In this case power was supplied by two Cooper-Bessemer Corporation FVBM-12 turbocharged diesel engines and two Solar Aircraft Company gas turbines. The remaining nine cutters were equipped with only the Cooper-Bessemer diesels. Beginning in 1986 all sixteen cutters underwent a Major Maintenance Availability (MMA) overhaul which resulted in a standardization of the propulsion systems (all are equipped with two Alco 16V-251 diesel engines) a re-routing of the exhaust gas into a more conventional, though less problematic, vertical stack arrangement aft of the pilothouse, as well as upgrades and modifications to the ship's electronics (SPS-73 vice SPS-64(V)1 radar) and replacement of the original 3"/62 Mk 75 cannon with a 25mm Mk 38 Bushmaster cannon. Each MMA cost between 19-21 million per ship, (the original construction cost of each ship was $3.5 million) with the last MMA completed in August of 1997. Eleven cutters of this class are assigned to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, while three are assigned to the Pacific, where their primary missions are maritime law enforcement and search and rescue. Two Reliance cutters have been decommissioned; USCGCs Courageous (WMEC-622) and Durable (WMEC-628), both of which were decommissioned in September 2001.
The Reliance-class cutters are 210 feet long, have a beam of 34 feet, and draw 10.5 feet of water. Their displacement is 1,129 tons at full load and their compliment is 12 officers and 63 enlisted. They have a top speed of 18 knots, and a cruising speed of 14 knots. Their operational range at top speed is 2,700 miles while their maximum cruising range is 6,100 miles. While none is permanently assigned, each Reliance-class cutter is capable of embarking a single HH-65 Dolphin helicopter.
In addition to UHF/VHF communications, the Reliance-class cutters are equipped with a SCCS-210 multi-sensor shipboard command and control system and a single SPS-73 short-range I-band surface search and navigation radar.
Each Reliance-class cutter is armed with a single 25mm Mk 38 Bushmaster cannon. | <urn:uuid:ca4c3cbe-3b82-4aa8-b6a4-680f26b088f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tech.military.com/equipment/view/89162/reliance-class-medium-endurance-cutter.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957194 | 748 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Alternative energy is big business — and getting bigger. The industry includes hundreds of companies that make a piece of the continuously expanding jigsaw puzzle that is the alt energy space.
Rather than trying to pick winners and losers — which at this point is probably impossible — we’ve tried instead to identify the 25 companies we think will shape the alt energy industry for the next three to five years.
To make this determination, we’ve looked at a number of characteristics we think will play an important role in shaping the industry’s future. First, we chose companies we think are market leaders based on their market capitalization, revenues, and technology leadership.
Second, we tried to assess the longer-term opportunities a company has based on its current influence, the strength of its competitors, how much influence government policy will have on its success, and how likely it is and how quickly the company’s products can be implemented at a reasonable scale.
Third, we tried to assess a company’s access to capital. Some of the questions we asked were: Is it publicly traded or privately held, how strong is its balance sheet, and, perhaps most important, how much support can it expect from government?
Fourth, we looked at a company’s customers, their size, and their influence in their own industries. Finally, we tried to assess how high the barriers are to competitors entering the same sector. Likewise, how well can a company fight off competition that’s already in the sector?
Not every company has a top rating in each category, but the ones we’ve picked have a good many of them.
In addition to looking at the companies, we’ve also identified a few issues that are going to provide the context for alt energy companies in the years ahead. Perhaps the most important of these, from a commercial standpoint, is what policies China and the US will adopt. China plans to spend aggressively on its own domestic alt energy initiatives, and it is pouring enormous amounts of money into the coffers of several of the country’s manufacturers.
Other areas that bear watching are consumer acceptance for electric vehicles and plans for infrastructure investments in the electricity grid and in smart-grid technology.
There are dozens of companies developing products to tap into the solar PV market. The issues in that market come down to volume and cost compared with efficient conversion of sunlight into electricity. Thin-film technology has emerged as the cost leader, and, because it is somewhat easier to manufacture, the volume leader as well. Crystalline silicon technology has been more costly to produce, but the higher conversion rates have helped keep the costs reasonably comparable to thin-film cells.
The ‘holy grail’ of solar PV makers is cost parity with fossil fuel-generated electricity, like coal-burning power plants. The race to parity is the next great competition. The first company to cross the finish line will need to get a lot of help from the makers of all the equipment that goes into finishing and installing solar panels, of whatever technology. Solar PV makers need to ramp production, lower costs, and win big contracts for utility-scale projects.
1. First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) was until recently the volume leader in the solar PV industry. It’s thin-film products offer a significant price advantage over the mono- and multi-crystalline products offered by its competitors. From 2009 to 2010, First Solar reduced its cost by 14% to $0.76/watt. No other solar technology is even close. Combined with a market cap of around $12 billion, a solid European customer base (which could erode if government subsidies are cut substantially or eliminated), a solid balance sheet and its own installation pipeline, First Solar is in a very good position to prosper.
The company also has a joint venture in the works with a Chinese partner to build a 2,000 megawatt solar PV project in Inner Mongolia. First Solar’s contract for the deal is being challenged by some Chinese solar PV makers. If the company loses the deal it would be a big blow to its plans. However, losing the deal may not be the worst thing that could happen. That is because it would prevent First Solar from having to share its technology with the Chinese, which is a condition of the original contract award. Keeping the crown jewels in the vault may be worth more than the few billion that the Mongolian project will generate.
2. SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ:SPWR) currently boasts the highest conversion rate of sunlight to electricity of all the solar PV makers. The company’s components business accounted for 61% of all its revenues in 2009, up from 40% in 2007. The company’s components include solar panels and inverters. SunPower’s systems business declined from 60% in 2007 to 39% in 2009. To turn that back around, SunPower has acquired a downstream company with a good project pipeline. That acquisition should start the turn-around in 2010, and continue to improve in 2011.
SunPower’s international business accounted for 71% of its 2009 sales, and it has a strong position in Germany, which is expected to install about 6,700 megawatts of solar PV in 2010. One megawatt generates enough electricity to power 800 households for an entire year. SunPower, however, is not among the low-cost providers and must depend on its superior (for now) conversion rate to differentiate itself from its competitors. For SunPower to live up to its place on our Top 25, it needs to maintain its technological leadership and become more competitive on downstream projects. | <urn:uuid:f2066c80-073c-46d6-9c43-4bab90dd96c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://247wallst.com/2010/10/19/the-25-most-important-alternative-energy-companies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964066 | 1,158 | 2.140625 | 2 |
NDSU students selling bracelets to benefit friends killed in car crashFargo, ND (WDAY TV) - Some students at NDSU are selling bracelets to help the families of the 4 students who lost their lives in a car accident last month.
By: Danielle Miller, WDAY
Some students at NDSU are selling bracelets to help the families of the 4 students who lost their lives in a car accident last month.
These students are looking to sell 1,100 bracelets, and the people buying the bracelets aren't only paying the full amount, but more.
Jake Grossman - Creator: “We have got a lot of extra donations, one girl she said, she gave $100 bill and she got three bracelets.”
Jake Grossman and his classmate Morgan Lubben came up with the design.They also came up with the idea to split all profits made between the families of each girl for funeral cost.
This simple but meaningful design has the initials of each girl and the date the tragic accident took place. The four freshmen were heading home from the cities when their car lost control near Alexandria.
Jake Grossman: “They will always be remembered in our hearts, but it is to help alleviate the cost for the funerals, it was kind of a personal thing for me to, because I lost a classmate of mine in high school to a car accident, and it is really close to home.”
Each bracelet is being sold for three dollars, a small price to pay to help a family that has lost so much.
The students also designed T-shirts for purchase. | <urn:uuid:1a048a58-42c9-485c-9d7f-0e32d668c2cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/60373/publisher_ID/29/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975424 | 336 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Bipolar medication – comply with dedication to get the best results
Bipolar Disorder or maniac depression is a kind of mental illness which is typified by extreme mood swings, recurring depression episodes and episodes displaying mania. An estimated study shows that almost 4% of the people in US are afflicted by this disease. Although a 100% cure method has yet not surfaced, treatment for reducing symptoms and making the condition better is definitely available. Research and development is continuously ongoing in this field and a number of innovative bipolar medications are coming up in the medical world.
Lithium carbonate is a leader in offering treatment for bipolar disease. Belonging to the family of “mood stabilizers”, lithium is a proven product in controlling mood swings – both maniac episodes and depression events.
Anticonvulsants are often used to treat mood swings in patients as they have been found to have a positive effect on the temperament of the sufferer. Good examples of them are Lamtrigine or Topiramate.
Antidepressants can be used as bipolar medication but they need to be used with caution. The reason behind it is that, antidepressants, by nature, are stimulating, and if prescribed, they must be carefully monitored for correct dosage. Three types of antidepressants are used as bipolar medication – Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, Tricyclics and Lithium.
Talk therapy and psychotherapy have been very helpful as bipolar medication methods. Patients – both adults and children- have been seen to be successfully emerging as bettered individuals after taking psychotherapy sessions.
Identifying bipolar disease is the first crucial step in treating the disease. Watching out for symptoms and seeking expert help immediately can help to curb the intensity of the disease, if not cure it to some extent. One thing must be remembered and that is, once the doctor prescribes a medication, it is essential to comply with it and continue it with dedication. Bipolar disease affected patients are notoriously popular in non-complying with medication, thus calling for a relapse and resurge of the condition in no time.
Many patients discontinue with bipolar medication due to the following reasons –
a) Forgetting to take the right drug at the right time.
b) Taking wrong dose of medicines.
c) Discontinuing medicine when feeling better before the course is completed.
d) Difficulty in sustaining medication side-effects.
e) Weight gain.
Many patients withdraw from the treatment due to the fact that they cannot endure the side effects that often come along. A frank discussion with the GP can actually help in this regard. He can then minimize or modify the dose to help patients cope with side effects and emerge better and fitter. Non-compliance with the pattern of intake of medication is guaranteed to push back the patient into a state of relapse. This must be carefully avoided, no two medications must be mixed together and the full course is to be completed in order to arrest disabling symptoms from arriving again. A strong support group consisting of friends, family and relatives can ensure a successful administration of medication.
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The information provided on this website should not be construed as personal medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this site.
Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well being.
The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. This website is not responsible for errors or omissions. | <urn:uuid:6f87fca7-d220-42be-8447-154e1b5c20ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bipolartestnow.com/bipolar-medications/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938808 | 735 | 2.1875 | 2 |
In 1953, when Elvis Presley was an 18-year-old truck driver earning $35 a week, the American music scene was comfortably set in its ways. Country musicians picked guitars. R&B musicians jammed on saxophones and pianos. Gospel music stayed in churches. And performers' hips stayed in a nice straight line. Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby sang beloved popular standards. British star Frankie Vaughan performed his high stepping, song-and-dance routine in tails, bow tie, top hat, and cane. Then, personified in one teenager, a new form of music turned everything upside down.
One day in 1953, Presley walked into a Memphis studio and paid $4 to record his first two songs as a birthday present for his mother: My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin. The studio's owner, Sam Phillips, vaguely intrigued by something in the young truck driver's mien and voice, invited him to practice with some local musicians who used the studio as their home base.
A few months later Phillips' Sam Records released, fittingly enough given what Presley would do to synthesize country and blues influences into rock, a 45-rpm record with Presley's version of a blues song on one side -- That's All Right -- and a popular country tune on the other, Blue Moon of Kentucky. The youngster's ability to fuse a white country sound and a black blues sound struck everyone in Memphis and its environs as something totally unique. The record sold 20,000 copies in a few weeks, and Presley was invited to appear at the Grand Ole Opry. The King's career was launched.
With Phillips as his mentor in 1954 and 1955, Presley mixed his country, R&B, and gospel influences and continued to forge a new sound by applying traditionally country-music instrumentation -- defined by a heavy use of guitars -- to blues and R&B sounds by black artists. He wasn't the very first or the only one doing it, of course. But, in the mid-1950s, it was his charismatically sneering and sexually suggestive act that would click with teenagers the world over.
By 1956, Presley had changed everything. In that year alone, Presley y magically reinterpreted music that had been done by other musicians, including Heartbreak Hotel, Don't Be Cruel, Hound Dog, Blue Suede Shoes, and Love Me Tender. The appearance of Elvis "The Pelvis" on The Ed Sullivan Show, where CBS decided to show him just from the waist up, scandalized millions of parents all over the country, while enthralling their kids.
The conventional wisdom regarding Presley's singular role in popularizing rock 'n' roll is that he made black music palatable to a young white audience: Take some old blues records, mix with a nice profile, sideburns, a soulful voice, some pelvic gyrations, and, voila -- rock 'n' roll. But it wasn't that simple. "What he actually did was take 'black' music and 'white' music and transform them into this third thing, which ended up being rock," says Greg Drew, a New York City-based voice coach whose clients include Lenny Kravits, April Lavigne, and Corey Glover.
The story of Presley's meteoric rise and calamitous fall rivals any on the American cultural landscape. The first person to become what we know now as a rock star, he arguably still remains the biggest one of all time. While he didn't go on to sell as many total albums as the Beatles and several other artists, his American record sales earned the King 45 gold records, still a record.
And he remains astoundingly underrated for his ability to sing anything, anytime, anywhere. "No one sang so many different kinds of music as well as he sang them at such a high level for such a long time -- rock, gospel, country, standards," says Drew. "Can you imagine Bruce Springsteen or Bono or Michael Stipe winning a Grammy for singing gospel music?"
Presley was born in a two-room house in Tupelo, Miss., on Jan. 8, 1935. A twin brother, Jesse, died at birth, and Presley grew up as Gladys and Vernon Presley's only child. As a boy, Presley attended all-night gospel sings with Gladys, and soon enough, he and his parents formed a popular singing trio at church retreats, revivals, and county fairs.
His parents gave him his first guitar at age 11, and when the family moved to Memphis when Presley was 13, he began to frequent the black R&B acts on Memphis' club-lined Beale Street. It was the confluence of these influences that would later set Presley apart and what Presley's famous adviser and manager, Colonel Tom Parker, always encouraged him to mine for new material.
During his breakthrough year in 1956, critics savaged the young singer, particularly after his performance on Ed Sullivan. Jack Gould, The New York Times music critic at the time, acidly wrote the morning after the show: "Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. His one specialty is an accentuated movement of the body that heretofore has been previously identified with the repertoire of the blonde bombshells of the burlesque runway."
Other performers were just as puzzled at first at Presley's fanatical following, and some, like Jerry Lee Lewis, did their best to poke fun at the young Presley and even upstage him on variety shows and joint acts. But nothing could slow Presley down in the late 1950s, as hit records and movies -- his first flick, Love Me Tender, took just 18 days to shoot in late 1956 -- came one after the other. Presley made 33 films in all. Nothing, that is, except the U.S. Army, which he was drafted into in 1959. Presley, exploiting none of his fame or advantages, spent 18 low-profile months in West Germany.
When he was discharged in 1960, he emerged with a new girlfriend, Priscilla Beaulieu, a toned-down act singing ballads, and a desire to concentrate on movies. Though his new records did just as well as his pure rock albums, the emergence of the Beatles in a few years would soon make Presley seem old-fashioned.
Despite several legitimate comebacks and his ubiquitous presence in Hollywood films, Presley's best work was finished. In his later years, divorced from Priscilla Presley and obese, Presley barricaded himself from the public gaze in Citizen Kane-like isolation at Graceland, his Memphis mansion and present-day shrine for millions of Presley fans.
Even a few weeks before he died of apparent heart failure at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977 at Graceland, Presley was capable of singing at his very best. At an appearance on a CBS TV special, satiated with appetite suppressors, Presley alternated between mumbling the words to songs and belting out old classics. In the days following Presley's death, John Lennon, who always credited Presley with giving everyone else -- including the Beatles -- the chance to succeed, summed it up best: "The King is dead. Long live the King." | <urn:uuid:a93ec2d5-98a9-40f1-90e4-8bf9c45253c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beatlesnumber9.com/elvis.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976472 | 1,506 | 1.828125 | 2 |
- (written as Herd Immunity)The protection offered by vaccines is rarely 100 per cent. Any vaccine will be more effective at the population level if more people have been vaccinated because some diseases may be able to jump from a vaccinated person to a person who has not been vaccinated but is unlikely to jump from one vaccinated person to another who has been vaccinated. Empirically, when a particular percentage of a population is vaccinated, the spread of the disease is effectively stopped. This critical percentage varies according to the disease, the interactions between members of the population and the vaccine, but 90 per cent is not uncommon. This is herd immunity - the fact that others in the herd or population are vaccinated provides protection to all, whether or not vaccinated themselves. An obvious implication is that 100 per cent vaccination is not normally a technically necessary target that is necessary to obtain effective 100 per cent population protection. Of course, a cost-effective rate of vaccination will normally be even lower, depending on the social value of the marginal reduction in risk and the cost of increasing vaccination from a lower to a higher percentage of the population at risk. (It will be lower than the herd immunity level.) The marginal costs of increasing vaccination rates may rise quite sharply as one seeks to immunize groups who are reluctant (for a variety of reasons, including religious objections, fear of the needle, imaginary risks, lack of contact with health care services, ignorance, misinformation). | <urn:uuid:0a80c47c-c3ee-4657-85c1-4c41245bc373> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dictionarycentral.com/definition/herd-immunity.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944645 | 286 | 3.84375 | 4 |
People of Northwest Public Radio
Tue October 30, 2012
Can Mitt Romney Really Repeal Obamacare?
Originally published on Tue October 30, 2012 8:14 am
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
And let's move back to the presidential campaign. Mitt Romney has been criticized for being on many sides of many issues, but there's one where he's been pretty consistent: He wants to repeal the federal health care law. The question is: Can Romney actually keep that promise?
Here's NPR's Julie Rovner.
JULIE ROVNER, BYLINE: You can barely listen to Mitt Romney make a speech or give an interview without hearing some variation of this vow...
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
MITT ROMNEY: On day one of my administration, I'll direct the secretary of Health and Human Services to grant a waiver from Obamacare to all 50 states. And then I'll go about getting it repealed.
ROVNER: But there are two big questions in there. First of all, could a President Romney actually stop the health law in its tracks? And if he did try, what would happen?
First, it turns out that stopping the law may be harder than the law's opponents realize. For one thing, Romney can't just grant waivers letting states ignore the law.
TOM MILLER: There are waivers under the law, but not an across-the-board waiver.
ROVNER: That's Tom Miller, from the conservative American Enterprise Institute. For the record, Miller is an avid opponent of the health law. But he's also a veteran of Capitol Hill and knows what can and can't happen.
MILLER: You can try anything under the law. A federal court will usually step in and say, no, you've gone a little bit too far.
ROVNER: In this case, the part of the law that allows the president to grant states waivers doesn't actually kick in until 2017. Courts would likely block a lot of things Romney might try to do unilaterally, like simply cut off funding or tell his staff to stop enforcing it.
Bob Laszewski is a health industry consultant, and also not one of the law's big fans.
BOB LASZEWSKI: Sure, he can rewrite the regulations, for example, but fundamentally, he can't change the law.
ROVNER: And even rewriting regulations would take months, at best, which brings us to the repeal part of Governor Romney's promise. If Republicans gain control of Congress, they plan to use a fast-track procedure called budget reconciliation to repeal major chunks of the measure. That's because budget reconciliation can't be filibustered and needs only 51 Senate votes rather than the usual 60.
But there are a couple of problems with that, says Laszewski. One is even that's more time-consuming than many people realize.
LASZEWSKI: Budget reconciliation rules require them to have a budget resolution, and require them to be able to vote out the changes, and that timetable is going take him to at least mid-year.
ROVNER: Indeed, since 1980, Congress has passed 19 budget reconciliation bills. The one that moved fastest got signed into law May 28th, 2003. Meanwhile, the health law will still be in effect, and the clock will still be counting down. So even as Congress may be working to undo the law, he says, states will still face deadlines to put important features in place, like expanding their Medicaid programs.
LASZEWSKI: Every state legislature's got a decision to make about whether they bill the insurance exchange or not. Everyone has sort of treaded water until the election, and then we're go or no go. Well, if Romney's elected, it's like we don't know what's going to go or not. And it's just going to be one hell of a mess.
Laszewski, remember, has never been a supporter of the health law. And there's still another complication. It turns out that not all of the law can be undone using the budget process. So Congress could end up taking out all the budget-related items, like subsidies to help people buy insurance, while leaving intact things like the requirement for insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions. Since that would attract mostly sick people to sign up, it could make a huge mess of the private insurance markets, Laszewski says.
And we're playing with gasoline, here. This is one-sixth of the economy, and one-sixth of the economy is sitting on the ledge here wanting to know which way we're going to go.
ROVNER: Now, Tom Miller of the AEI agrees that key parts of the health care sector have been doing a lot of waiting around for the election, and that given the short timelines, chaos is likely next year, no matter who wins.
MILLER: If you implement it in its entirety, you'll also cause chaos in the market, would be my rejoinder. We're going to have chaos in either case.
ROVNER: But the law has already put a lot of changes in place. So taking it apart - particularly given the potential legal and legislative difficulties - will be no easy task.
Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:a28814d6-75f1-41a9-8994-f4753393bd2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nwpr.org/post/can-mitt-romney-really-repeal-obamacare | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964525 | 1,119 | 1.5 | 2 |
By Patricia Toquica, Americas Region Communications Manager
“Welcome. I’m Karla and this is my house,” says a 19-year-old girl from La Paz, Bolivia, as she ushers us into her home, a one-room rental house shared by seven family members. Karla’s house, located on a small lot, is surrounded by upscale homes, something quite common in Bolivia’s urban areas.
“When I was little, we had nothing,” says Karla, adding that she’s proud of what her family has been able to achieve in recent years. “My mother used to take me and my brothers and sisters to the ChildFund center, where they would feed us and play with us.” That’s how Karla and her siblings started participating in Early Childhood Development, after-school activities and youth leadership programs that ChildFund Bolivia offers in La Paz through its local partner Avance Comunitario.
“We would go there to study after school, and we would learn a lot that helped us improve our grades. We’d then write to our sponsors about this support, so that they could learn about our life and how their money was helping us,” explains Karla who is now a civil engineering student at a public university in La Paz.
She is the second of five children: the eldest sister is currently working on her thesis in computer science and soon will be graduating from the university. Karla’s younger brother also finished high school and is studying to become a sound technician; her younger sister, will graduate next year, and the youngest siblings are in junior high.
“We were able to go to university because through the center we built our self-esteem and leadership skills,” Karla explains. “I used to be very shy [when I was young], but when I saw the professionals and other youth leaders working at the project, I wanted to become a professional like them.”
Her father is an electrician and her mother, Albertina, works at home and on spare jobs cleaning houses or washing clothes. She volunteers at the Avance Comunitario Center, where she also has taken skills training classes.
“Their interest is to study and become professionals,” says Albertina, nodding at her children. “I could only make it until eighth grade, so we support them in every way we can. They are all good kids and know how it is to live in poverty. When they grow up, they will be professionals and entrepreneurs, and they’ll help others and give jobs for the ones in need.” | <urn:uuid:dad74592-18a8-4fa5-8d70-c880e4cdf57a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.childfund.org/2012/08/28/when-i-was-little-we-had-nothing/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=eb9f8a7f00 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982502 | 557 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Learn about Advanced Placement Chemistry, Gases 1, in this comprehensive video by bannanaiscool.
Read the full transcript »
Rob Lederer: To describe ideal gas behavior, we have to understand the kinetic molecular theory postulates in order to do that. Now, here is the first one. Individually, gas molecules are so small that they occupy very little space in the container volume that they are in, so much so, that we just say that their volume is zero, we kind of cheat. So, the volume of the container is the volume of the container and we don't have to worry about the size of the molecules that are involved. Okay, that's the first postulate. Second one would be that we believe that all molecules are moving about and colliding with each other in a random fashion constantly in motion and the pressure is actually determined by them, those molecules reacting or at least bumping into the container walls. Okay, that's the second. Now, the third one would be that, we take for granted although it's not true in all cases that a molecule does not have any type of attracting or repelling force with other molecules in the gas sample in order to treat them ideally, and then the last one, which is kind of obvious is that temperature is proportional to the average kinetic energy of the molecules. So, as the temperature goes up the molecules collide with more vigor and they also move faster. Speeds involve too because kinetic energy and speed have a relationship, don't they? Oh! Here it comes. EK=1/2 mv2. you know that from grade nine physics probably. Okay, did you also know? Probably not. That Ek=3/2 RT. Well that's true for gases where R here however, is not the usual 8.314 Kilopascal liters per Kelvin mole, but actually 8.314 joules per Kelvin more. It's got the same number, but it's just different unit. Now, so if these two both are equal to EK here then these two equal each other Na. What do I mean by that? Hey, listen. If we can calculate use this formula to calculate the about cutting in the mass of a gas molecule and its speed to calculate its EK. Well, if we multiply that by 6.02 two times 1023 will get how much energy is a way or is being exemplified by the collisions of one mole of those molecules. So, hey numbered to Avogadro that's how we write it, that's Avogadro's number and multiplied by 6.02 two time 1023 atoms or molecules per mole, right? So, take that down here that's what we get it here. Hey, I'm isolating for v2 here and so it get this, the three halfs divided one half gives me 3RT/mNa. Hey, mass is in kilograms because that's what it is up here in that EK formula to get your joules here, but joules is kilograms times, meters, squared, divided by second square, kilograms meters squared per second square. So this is kilogram here and that's per mole. When you multiply those two numbers together, you get kilograms per mole. That's pretty close to grams per mole, or it's pretty close to mole or mass it's a molar mass in kilograms per moles instead of grams per mole. Look at this that means then that this if I take the square route of each side, I get now -- because a lot of text books have replaced the V velocity with µ okay, but that just stands for route mean square velocity or the average speed of the molecules in a sample equals the square root of three times, R times the temperature divided by the molar mass. Hey that's pretty cool. So that means, if you know the molar mass of a gas and you know its temperature, you can calculate how fast the particles are going on average in that sample. That's very impressive. | <urn:uuid:f69d21c6-bcdb-4005-b162-351a18681aa9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthline.com/hlvideo-5min/learn-advanced-placement-chemistry-gases-1-111429767 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959088 | 823 | 4.125 | 4 |
Hymn 661 verse 4.
The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod.
Yet let us pray for but one thing—the marvelous peace of God.
Somehow I feel that we have not fully understood all that is involved, nor all that is possible through the experience of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Spirit of God is the same Spirit that formed light out of nothing, exploding reality into existence. The Spirit of God is what has guided and continues to guide all the planets, and the smallest atoms in their various courses. We Baptize and Confirm in the forms of our structured liturgies, and in such we lay hands on those who are claiming their faith as being sealed and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. And we lay hands on those who are sick, all with the belief that the Holy Spirit is working through us with healing grace. Yet, somehow, I keep feeling that our limited controlled settings and experiences are not fully reflective of this truly amazing phenomenon.
Perhaps it might be compared to looking at pictures of the beach and of the ocean, or even seeing it from the tops of hills and mountains, but not fully diving in, or sailing forth on the great power of her swells.
In the Gospel of John at the time of the resurrection, Jesus offered two things to those who first received the Holy Spirit. First, he said “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you”. And then secondly, “If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Receiving the peace, knowing that we are being sent, and then being aware of the deep importance of forgiveness are probably key elements into understanding or opening our lives more fully to the power of the Holy Spirit.
When God chose to come into the world in human form, in order to fulfill the fullness of unity and love with us, it was well beyond our language of religious experience. We rejected him because it was not in keeping with our religious understanding and framework. This was followed by the Spirit of God being infused into our very being, or perhaps ourselves being brought into the veins of God by the Holy Spirit alive in our lives. Our language and religion can help us to face that which is well beyond our comprehension, yet it also limits us because we need to control or “keep a lid on things”. If God has repeatedly defied the limits of our religious understandings in order to engage us more fully in a loving relationship, it is highly likely that God will continue with such disruption.
On Pentecost we wear red, we celebrate the birthday of the church, we read scripture in other languages and we sing about the power of the Holy Spirit. In light of this vast potential of experience, let us also prepare to know the peace of God, that is no peace, but strife sown in the sod, as a great hymn proclaims. And consciously open ourselves to forgive, even ourselves. Just as in the recovery from addiction, one needs to understand the peace that comes from no longer trying to control that which is uncontrollable, and to enter into a life of being forgiven and forgiving; a recovery that opens the door for a life nearly lost. The power that moves and enlightens all things does so daily, upon each and every ordinary object and element. The magnitude of the simplest of our moments is so rarely and fully known, and the possibility of new understandings and wonder never cease. | <urn:uuid:02001b40-16be-42eb-a0b9-836ea41e89a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.landofrest.blogspot.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970111 | 728 | 1.617188 | 2 |
TITLE: Theseus the King
GENRE: Mythological Fiction
Theseus encounters Perigune - daughter of Sinis the "Pine Bender."
A dichotomy of desire filled Perigune for she felt an attraction to Theseus but did not understand the emotion. All of her life, she had known only the embrace of trees. The scratch of the branch and the hardness of wood were the only touch she understood. But here in this youth - she felt an ardor of affection that tested her single known purpose.
Perigune was afraid of this youth and the unknown threat that he brought to her world. She wanted to scream at Theseus, to tell him to "run," or perhaps to run away with him. And yet, she was compelled to deceive, to draw him into a greater danger as she had done to so many others before. She lived in lies. Even her display of lust was untrue for she never had been with any man. She was like a flower that sends forth-sweet scent, but alone among living things, has no sense to smell; a syconium that beckons the mating wasp into a fatal trap.
The sound of two bells range out from the hill. Suddenly, Perigune was aware of a greater fear that she well knew. Perigune wrenched away from the grip of Theseus and started running up the hill. "Two bells," she shouted over her shoulder. "I can miss the animal act, but, I must be there for the rest of the show." | <urn:uuid:330a27d4-8d81-4123-8654-f44bdb4b0622> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.ca/2009/02/33-drop-needle-chapter-endings.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98865 | 316 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Special to The Examiner from the desk of Jefferson County Precinct 2 Commissioner Brent Weaver:
Mowing season is here and many times our county precinct mowers, which operate along the county roadways, are delayed by trash that has been dumped on the side of the roadway.
Jefferson County has received citizen complaints and observation by County employees that debris has been disposed of on the County Road right-of-way and/or ditch area adjacent along our county roads in the rural areas. Illegal dumping is a big problem in Jefferson County especially along our county roads in the rural areas such as Hildebrandt, Humble Camp, Stein Hagen, Labelle and several other roads. With increasing and growing population out in our rural areas many residents complain about the illegal dumping and we report it to law enforcement and environmental control.
Illegally dumped waste ranges from a bag of trash somebody throws in a county ditch or along the county roadway to hundreds of dumped tires, refrigerators, stoves, sofas and everything in between. But, big or small, illegal dumping creates health risks, lowers property values, blocks drainage and is a burden to the taxpayers for precinct crews to clean up. Another concern is the trash and debris that is dumped along our county roadway gets into the ditches and stops our drainage flow of water during rainfall and could cause flooding to nearby neighborhoods or homes and even roadways resulting in a traffic hazard.
Because proper drainage is essential to protect the homeowners property and the property of your neighbors during time of heavy rainfall, we are asking that you help us identify the person or persons responsible for this illegal dumping of debris so that the violators may be held responsible for removal.
If you can help us identify the responsible parties; please contact the Jefferson County Environmental Control at (409) 719-5910 or the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at (409) 835-8411. If you observe someone improperly disposing of debris in the county right of way and/or ditch area please make every effort to identify the responsible person(s) by providing a license plate or other description of person or vehicle and notify one of the above listed offices.
We want to do all we can to keep your property and our roadways as safe as possible from floodwaters. | <urn:uuid:40518508-010e-47ea-a931-3704cc51e067> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theexaminer.com/print/865?quicktabs_1=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94621 | 465 | 1.5625 | 2 |
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In this paper, we propose an atlas-based method for hippocampus-amygdala complex segmentation. An atlas is registered on all subjects and its transformation is calculated for each subject. This transformation is applied to the structural segmentation of the complex in atlas to construct an initial surface for the hippocampus-amygdala complex of each subject. A possibility approach is introduced for the segmentation process. Two different kinds of deformation based on edges and information obtained from tissue segmentation are used to find different parts of the complex. A new energy is defined to use tissue information. This energy is adopted to expand the model to embed dominant gray matter points in the volume and also withdraw from dominant white matter and CSF points. The initial shape is divided into several parts. In the normal direction of the center of each part, we construct a profile which search for the best point that maximizes this new energy. This algorithm is reliable for finding the overall shape of the complex. It overcomes the poor features of the complex such as weak edges and noise. The algorithm is examined on 5 different subjects and validated using two different validation methods.
Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record, 2004 IEEE (Volume:6 )
Date of Conference: 16-22 Oct. 2004 | <urn:uuid:5e202b39-4e74-4495-a6b7-f6f086ad2c33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=1466690&contentType=Conference+Publications | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929532 | 259 | 1.921875 | 2 |
By "css3 speech bubble", Jin means using a pseudo element on a container to add a little pointer arrow (triangle). Setting the container with an inline style is all well and good, but unfortunately there is no inline style for pseudo elements. There is a solution though! While we are setting the inline style for the container, we can set an inline style for border-color too. Even though the container actually has no border, we can rely on inheritance to pass that color down to the pseudo element, which is treated like a child element.
Read the full article | <urn:uuid:6dca3bac-1066-4c11-a3e2-7341589def14> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fwzone.net/go/19648/speech-bubble-arrows-that-inherit-parent-color/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904335 | 116 | 2.09375 | 2 |
The new Maine law I blogged about on Sunday is much worse than I thought based on my initial reading. If allowed to stand, it would constitute a sweeping age verification mandate introduced through the back door of “child protection.”
The law, which goes into effect in September, would extend the approach of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 by requiring “verifiable parental consent” before the collection of kids “personal information” about kids, not just those under 13, but also adolescents age 13-17. Unlike other state-level proposals in New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia and North Carolina, Maine’s “COPPA 2.0” law would also cover health information, but would only govern the collection and use of data for marketing purposes (while the FTC has interpreted COPPA to cover to essentially any capability for communicating personal information among users).
But the Maine law would go much further than these proposals or COPPA itself by banning transfer or use of such data in anything other than de-identified, aggregate form. Still I took some comfort in the fact that the Maine law, unlike COPPA or these other proposals, lacked the second of COPPA’s two prongs: (i) collection from kids and (ii) collection on sites that are directed at kids. It’s because of the second prong that COPPA applies not only when a site operator knows that it’s collecting information from kids (or merely allowing them to share information with other users), but also when the operator’s site is (like, say, Club Penguin) targeted to kids in terms of its subject matter, branding, interface, etc. Because I initially concluded that the Maine law would apply only to knowing collection, I supposed that it would be less likely to require age verification of all users, as other COPPA 2.0 proposals would—something that would be unlikely to survive a First Amendment challenge based on the harm to online anonymity.
But I was quite wrong. During the PFF Capitol Hill briefing Adam and I held on Monday, Jim Halpert, one of our panelists, noted that the bill imposed “strict liability.” When I re-read the law, two small provisions with enormous consequences jumped out at me. First, this section:
Unlawful collection. It is unlawful for a person to knowingly collect or receive health-related information or personal information for marketing purposes from a minor without first obtaining verifiable parental consent of that minor’s parent or legal guardian.
The knowledge requirement above pertains to whether the collection is done “knowingly,” not whether the operator “has actual knowledge that it is collecting personal information from a child” (COPPA’s language). It’s possible that the Maine legislature meant to require that operators know that they’re collecting information from kids, not merely that the collection is intentional and not inadvertent, but if so, they either didn’t read COPPA or don’t understand statutory drafting.
But even if operators could be held liable if they had actual knowledge that they were collecting personal or health information without parental consent, the other operative language of the bill has no knowledge requirement at all. Thus, if an operator truly had no idea it was collecting information from a kid—kids commonly lie about their age to gain access to age-restricted sites—the operator would still be strictly liable for transferring or using that data under the other operative provisions of the law:
Unlawful use. A person may not sell, offer for sale or otherwise transfer to another person health-related information or personal information about a minor if that information: A. Was unlawfully collected pursuant to subsection 1; B. Individually identifies the minor; or C. Will be used… for the purpose of marketing a product or service to that minor or promoting any course of action for the minor relating to a product.
Thus, the only way affected site operators (e.g., anyone who asks for user’s names as part of a profile and also uses personal information in marketing) could protect themselves under the law would be to age verify all users. Thus, the Maine law is, like other COPPA 2.0 proposals, simply an age verification mandate imposed on all adult users of sites with increasingly prevalent social networking functionality dressed up as a child protection measure. Again, unlike other COPPA 2.0 proposals, the Maine law would not apply to all sites that collect personal information for marketing purposes, but for those that do, it would have the same consequence as other COPPA 2.0 proposals. As we argue in our paper (p.24), COPPA 2.0 proposals in general are very likely to be struck down on the same grounds as the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), COPPA’s evil twin sister, which would have required age verification for all content deemed “harmful to minors” and which the courts have struck down as blatantly unconstitutional.
Although one might argue that the Maine law does less harm to speech because it applies only to sites that collect and use/transfer data for marketing purposes, while COPPA’s reach is far broader, the Dormant Commerce Clause argument against the law would also probably succeed: the law unduly burdens interstate commerce by imposing Maine’s standards on the rest of the country. Under the law’s strict liability regime, efforts to geo-target users in Maine (themselves a significant burden on website operators) would not protect out-of-state site operators from liability for collecting data from some users in Maine because geo-targeting is necessarily imperfect.
But wait; there’s more! Other COPPA 2.0 proposals would have this consequence because they would apply either to all social networking sites with a certain functionality (Illinois) or to collection of information through sites “directed at” adolescents (New Jersey), which could apply to sites used by large numbers of adults. But for most sites, such laws would only apply where the operator had “actual knowledge” that the user was a kid, thus recognizing (for those sites) that perfect age verification is impossible and that some kids will inevitably circumvent any age verification system imposed. By contrast, the Maine law would hold sites liable for “predatory marketing” for every collection, use, or transfer of a kid’s personal information whether or not the operator knew (or even had reason to know) that they were collecting information from kids at a rate of $10-20k for the first offense and $20k+ (with no upper bound at all) for each subsequent offense. Since offense here could mean each individual act of collection, and since large social networking websites have tens of millions of users, operators might theoretically be subject to fines in the hundreds of billions of dollars!
If this law survives constitutional challenge, I’ll eat the HTML in which this post is written! More likely, the legislature will back down at the first whiff of a legal challenge and go back to finding other, less obviously unconstitutional ways to impress their constituents with how much they care about “Protecting the Children” (or how little they care about free speech or know about how the Internet works). | <urn:uuid:c9768979-ca0e-46c8-952f-57134f880d39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techliberation.com/2009/07/28/maines-coppa-2-0-law-actually-an-indirect-age-verification-mandate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948733 | 1,503 | 1.75 | 2 |
Latest Flaw In Apache Allows Attacker To Access Internal Directories
Security researcher Prutha Parikh discovered yet another reverse proxy vulnerability with Apache. The vulnerability was discovered as she was trying to write the signature for the older CVE-2011-4317 vulnerability. According to the security researcher, an attacker can manage to access the internal network if the vulnerability is successful exploited.
How Does It Work?
An attacker can make use of a crafted http request to bypass the security mechanism and exploit a fully patched version of Apache. This allows the attacker to access the internal network if reverse proxy rules are not properly configured.
Proof Of Concept:
The security researcher has demonstrated a POC at Qualys website here. | <urn:uuid:8ff4f413-e3c0-4bcd-b22c-bc6a62da248f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.mile2.com/latest-flaw-in-apache-allows-attacker-to-access-internal-directories | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917662 | 144 | 1.851563 | 2 |
My friend James Jackson was in Cleveland, Ohio, last week and took a tour of the harbor. It turns out that there is a "Civil War-era" grain elevator located on the Cuyahoga River! (The approximate date "Civil War-era" comes from the taped commentary provided by the boat tour company, which gave no other information about the elevator, which is certainly one of the few 19th century wood elevators still standing, and may well be among the oldest surviving grain elevators in North America.)
As you can see, the entire structure -- even the marine tower -- is made out of wood.
Supported upon huge beams, the marine tower is stationary and built right up against the main house. The word "FLOUR" can be made out on the top of the structure.
From this view of the marine tower, it appears that the iron casing for the elevating leg is intact.
(All photos by Jim Jackson.) | <urn:uuid:8e1a943e-9188-4f82-a9cf-1847382da7e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://american-colossus.blogspot.com/2010_07_25_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973873 | 195 | 1.960938 | 2 |
In this third volume of his award-winning American Crisis series, James Gustave Speth makes his boldest and most ambitious contribution yet. He looks unsparingly at the sea of troubles in which the United States now finds itself, charts a course through the discouragement and despair commonly felt today, and envisions what he calls America the Possible, an attractive and plausible future that we can still realize.
Speth identifies a dozen features of the American political economy–the country’s basic operating system–where transformative change is essential, and he explains how system change can come to America.
As long as businesses are set up to focus exclusively on maximizing financial income for the few, our economy will be locked into endless growth and widening inequality. But now people are experimenting with new forms of ownership, which Marjorie Kelly calls generative: aimed at creating the conditions for life for many generations to come. These designs may hold the key to the deep transformation our civilization needs.
This comprehensive book guides one to substantially rethink aspects of the economic life. It opens doors for new perspectives, describes pitfalls and successes and gives practical small steps one can take in order to effect change and improve the human condition.
The future can exist only if humans understand how to commune with the natural world rather than exploit it, explains Thomas Berry. "Already the planet is so damaged and the future is so challenged by its rising human population that the terms of survival will be severe beyond anything we have known in the past."
Discover how the global financial plague is poised to return, and what can be done to stop it.
This is not your father's financial system. Jimmy Stewart, the trustworthy, honest banker in the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, is dead. And so is his small-town bank, Bailey Savings & Loan. Instead, we're watching It's a Horrible Mess with Wall Street (aka the Vegas Strip) playing ever larger craps with our economy and our tax dollars.
"One Report" refers to an emerging trend in business taking place throughout the world where companies are going beyond separate reports for financial and non-financial results and integrating both into a single integrated report. At the same time, they are also leveraging the internet to provide more detailed results to all of their stakeholders and for improving their level of dialogue and engagement with them. Providing best practice examples from companies around the world, One Report shows how integrated reporting adds tremendous value to the company and all of its stakeholders, including shareholders, and also ultimately contributes to a sustainable society.
Drawing on a lifetime of study and experience, Boulding develops a general theory of human social evolution by examining the patterns humans use to understand the universe and changes in these patterns over time. The most important of these patterns are those that deal with "know-how" and the transmission of "know-how" between generations via biogenetic processes and cultural processes which produce organizations and physical artifacts. Boulding contends that human social evolution can be understood as the evolution of human artifacts. | <urn:uuid:501ab60a-1b32-44ef-8329-7e8b961ed516> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.capitalinstitute.org/category/resources/book-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94422 | 618 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Minimalism is the design concept where you build interfaces using only the most important elements. These websites often come out looking very clean and intuitive for users. The style has been adopted in many different fashions and today influences much of the modern web.
I want to share a few design tips towards building minimalist user interfaces. A cluttered web design harbors resentment in the eyes of many visitors. Too much information overload and you’ll send people running away! But with just the right balance you can put together exceptional user interfaces which are easy to build and even easier to use.
Plan for Necessity
When designing a mockup for a web layout be sure to plan each element in advance. Make sure your website is utilizing each bit of space with important details. A clean interface will happily leave extra open white space if this is beneficial to the overall experience.
I suggest making a sketch first of all the components your website should contain. Ask yourself if each area is really vital to the overall design. Do you need a sidebar section on the homepage? Does this contain important links every visitor will need to access? There is no right or wrong answer as it varies between project.
But you should have a keen internal sense of what feels right and what feels wrong. When you can understand which page elements are necessary then it makes your job a whole lot easier. Each small page section should fit into the bigger picture like a puzzle piece.
Paint with Basic Colors
This isn’t a hard and fast rule to follow but it does help during the initial design phases. When you look over other similar clean web layouts you’ll notice many of them cater to a specific color scheme. Black, white, and grey are very commonly held together with 1 or 2 other primary colors.
When you can start designing or even wireframing on a simple color scheme it leaves more room to focus on content. There is always a chance later to change colors and append new styles. But focusing primarily on the clean interface will always bring out your most talented work.
Make Navigation Simple
Simplicity is another word I like to associate with clean design. Users on your website should feel like it has been baby-proofed for non-techies. All page text should be fairly large and easy to read from a great distance.
Even your navigation links should be very straightforward and easy to pick up just skimming the page. I lean towards using extra styles such as tabs, toolbars, dropdowns, and other fancy design methods. This can become one focal point on your page and it works brilliantly paired with a navigation scheme.
But alternatively you could employ minimalist ideas into website navigation. Links formed towards the top or bottom of the page naturally draw attention from wandering eyes. People are conditioned to expect a top and/or bottom navigation. Putting on any additional colors or textures is really just to please user aesthetics.
Clear Out Redundant Areas
You may find yourself looking over a design to pinpoint a few areas of duplicate content. In some situations like a sidebar or footer block this redundant setup is helpful. Users don’t always want to scroll towards the top just to access specific links.
But your page space is likely small and there isn’t room for so much content. Almost everything you are displaying should be unique, and oftentimes links to other web pages(blog posts, press releases, videos…). Filter out the redundant ideas and replace them with newer more useful ones. Your visitors will get much more out of the experience.
Match your Page Elements
Using the new CSS3 properties it’s so easy to create many of the difficult effects we all love. Box shadows and rounded corners are two of my favorites – but there are so many others to list. When you are styling default HTML elements like forms and buttons you should pay attention to consistency.
I like cleaner interfaces which keep the default styles in-tact. This isn’t to say I don’t enjoy a customized layout. However I find that between Windows/OSX/Linux there are many differences in browsers and rendering engines. Unless you can test your site everywhere the majority of your audience will appreciate a linear experience.
Plenty of options are available for web developers looking to customize these elements. Form input fields are a great example because it’s difficult getting a consistent design between text inputs, dropdowns, sliders, radio boxes, and textareas. Check out our article on streamlined CSS properties and how you can incorporate these into your design.
Hopefully these tips can get you thinking with a minimalists mindset. Designing a clean user interface is actually a lot more work than it appears to be. You have to put yourself in the user’s shoes and see your website from their eyes. It can take months of practice but the artistic direction is phenomenal. If you have similar ideas for designing clean minimalist websites let us know your thoughts in the post discussion area below.
Here's some other articles that you will definitely find useful. | <urn:uuid:6901af88-423b-40c5-853c-36b7bd2742de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://webdesignledger.com/tips/design-tips-for-a-cleaner-user-interface | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923968 | 1,031 | 1.953125 | 2 |
As we all play in an industry that is directly linked to the health of the locales that we enjoy it is only fitting that we do everything we can to ensure that our work does not add
to the burden already carried by the environment. In this light we have developed CORE to be as environmentally conscious as possible.
Every choice made in the design, development, material choice and our location are all dictated in some capacity by our desire to lessen our impact on the world around us. Kayaking is a entirely consumption based actiity but there are many ways that we as an industry can improve our footprint.
At CORE we have implemented an environmental policy that has resulted in the following benefits :
- prototype tooling all designed and cut in house to save transport and travel
- all injection mold tooling designed and cut locally to save shipping from off shore suppliers
- all input parts used in CORE Paddles is North American based / there is no off shore content in any product we manufacture
- all input materials used in CORE Paddles is North American sourced ( plastics, epoxy resins, glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc. )
- all materials in every CORE Paddle ( except composite blades ) are fully 100% recyclable
- all materials produced in trim operations are fully recovered and recycled
- Easton is fully ISO 14000 environmental certified for all production / everything manufactured by Easton is done so sustainably
- Easton's anodizing process is fully closed loop / the production water coming out of the plant is cleaner than that going in
- all injection molding is done at facilities within a 30 minute radius of our production plant / saving transport
In fact we are so dedicated to the above that we are the only paddle producer in the world to implement a green sale policy.
End of Life Material Recovery Program
Every CORE Paddle purchased comes with a 10% off coupon that can be used towards any CORE Product in the future. The only catch is that the original paddle must be returned to a CORE Dealer, Core Distributor or CORE Paddles Inc. at the end of it's useful life. We make a bombproof product but everything at some point wears out. We
want to make sure that the exhausted carcass of a CORE product does not end up in a landfill somewhere or gathering dust in a garage never to be used again.
Every paddle returned will be shipped back to CORE ( at our expense ) where it will be dissassembled and it's component pieces sent for recycling. Some of the materials will be recycled into new CORE products but most will go towards material recovery to be used in other industries.
This will be an open policy for anyone returning a CORE product for recycling. Just ask your retailer of choice to note the return towards the discount on any new CORE product. Beat the hell out of your paddle but rest assured that the end value will always be there. No catches. No fine print. Keep the discount for yourself or give it to a buddy. No conditions.
We can offer this policy because we designed the paddles from the start to be sustainable. Focusing on materials that not only better the performance of the end product but also allow us as a company to confidently offer a product that will last longer and have an even smaller long term impact when it's life is over.
To our competitors we offer a challenge to do similar.
President / Chief of Design
CORE Paddles Inc. | <urn:uuid:b6c1ec8a-fc0f-45aa-8afe-af2eabcde160> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.corepaddles.com/environment.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941475 | 720 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Jewish World Review March 11, 2002 / 27 Adar, 5762
". . . you then lick a stamp and put it on the envelope. . . ."
At which point the "Wait a minute!" cartoon dialogue balloon formed, along with the realization that I could not recall the last time I licked a stamp -- and that if even I, who become nostalgic for the old atmospheric pressure every time the barometer changes, have been weaned of stamp-licking, then it truly must be gone, gone, gone.
Yet the phrase remains. You lick a stamp just like you dial a phone. In other words, you say you do, but you don't.
It certainly seems that the stamps with their own adhesive on the backs -- the ones you don't have to touch with your tongue -- have just about completely taken over the U.S. mails. Yet one wouldn't want to guess about a matter this important, so I got in touch with the United States Postal Service in Washington, where the postal official who knows the most about lickable and non-lickable stamps -- his name is Don Smeraldi -- was only too happy to help me out.
The reason you can barely remember licking a stamp, Smeraldi said, is that there aren't that many stamps out there to lick -- the ones with the dry backs that required a close encounter with your mouth have just about vanished.
"It's happened really quickly," Smeraldi told me. "In 1995, just under 20 percent of postage stamps were self-adhesive."
(That's the term, by the way -- the stamps that stick onto an envelope without needing even a flick of your tongue are officially known as "self-adhesive." The old kind were called "gummed," or "water-activated," although everyone knew that the government wasn't talking about water, the government was talking about spit.)
Anyway . . . from the 20 percent share that self-adhesive stamps owned in 1995, the number leapt to over 60 percent in 1996, over 87 percent in 1999, and over 90 percent in 2000. That's about as dramatic as a shift in American habits gets -- yet you seldom hear about it.
This is because the only people who really talk much about stamps are stamp collectors, and they are also about the only people left who prefer the stamps you lick. This is because . . .
Oh, you really don't want to hear. Smeraldi told me the reasons, but they're pretty dreary. May we move on?
All right. There are around 40 billion U.S. postage stamps produced each year, so even 10 percent of that is a big roll of stamps that still need licking.
Don't assume, though, Smeraldi said, that just because 4 billion lickable stamps are produced each year, that is indicative of the number of people who still choose to lick them. Many businesses use machines that attach stamps from rolls to envelopes, and those machines wet the stamps mechanically, not with tongues -- that's where the lickable stamps are going.
But certainly there still must be a lot of people out there who simply prefer to touch stamps with their tongues -- right, Mr. Smeraldi? There must be quite a few lick-a-stamp fans. Correct?
"I haven't heard from any," he said. "And I'm the guy who would."
With all the complaints over the years about the Postal Service, you should probably give them credit for creating a stamp that sticks by itself, and that really works almost flawlessly. The self-adhesive stamps are also harder to tear accidentally, because they're not attached to each other the same way.
Here's an interesting fact for you before you regretfully move on to other parts of today's paper:
The material on the back of lickable stamps was officially considered a foodstuff by the U.S. government.
"Corn starch and dextrin," Smeraldi said.
And the taste? What was that officially called?
"It just tasted like stamps," Smeraldi said.
Actually, it's sort of amazing that lickable stamps lasted as long as they did. With as much distrust of the federal government as there is, think what the reaction would be today if the government were to release a universally used product, and ordered the public:
"You have to lick | <urn:uuid:de166080-55ff-4517-90db-d51f0bc2816e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jewishworldreview.com/bob/greene031102.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980723 | 911 | 1.53125 | 2 |
I am looking for experts on World History, Ancient to European Exploration, who would be willing to have 7th graders interview them on topics we have been working on over the year. These (skype or other web communication) will be recorded and used on our student created online textbook. [ http://dgh.wikispaces.com/ ]New Link
The students have taken the state standards and over the last five years have created their own "students history" of world history. They are 12, but some of the work is outstanding, other parts need help, but the process moves forward. The link below shows one example of the student made documentary by a 12 year old (written, directed and created by him). I think it will give an example of what we are doing. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsKSB-aT3ys&feature=player_embedded ]New Link
If you are interested in helping us out we are looking for people who would have a passion about the following: Ancient Rome and Greece enduring impacts, All topics in the Middle Ages--Feudalism, Religion, Economics, Magna Carta, Black Death, Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Mongols, and the Renaissance.
We would only need a Skype name and a good time between 8-3 to contact you for a 15-20 minutes discussion. Kids will send questions in advance and we do ask permission to post your interview for other student to hear in the years to come.
Please email me directly if you are interested
Thanks Garth Holman
email@example.com or Garth@teachersfortomorrow.net
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India's state-owned oil marketing companies announced a reduction in gasoline/petrol prices on Thursday.
Price of petrol was cut by 2.46 rupees per litre excluding state levies in the capital New Delhi, the Indian Oil Corporation said in a statement. The decrease in other states will vary depending upon the respective rates of State VAT / Sales Tax, the company said. The move is effective from June 28-29 midnight.
This is the second reduction in petrol prices after they were hiked by the steepest ever rate on May 23. The first price cut was on June 3.
Petrol prices were hiked by as much as 11 percent or 6.28 rupees per litre excluding taxes on May 23, the same day the Indian currency breached the crucial 56-mark against the U.S. dollar for the first time.
India deregulated gasoline prices since June 2010. The steep increase created an uproar across the country already reeling under the pressure of high inflation.
The Indian government has deferred hiking diesel and cooking gas prices, which are still under its control. The country's economy grew a less-than-expected 5.3 percent annually in the first quarter, the weakest pace in nine years, mainly due to the weak performance in manufacturing.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: email@example.com | <urn:uuid:14c1e674-9924-4b54-9032-fb98852ccc47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rttnews.com/1914093/india-cuts-gasoline-prices.aspx?type=in&SimRec=1&Node=B1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970432 | 277 | 1.515625 | 2 |
5 x 8 1/2
An iconic work of Western art, Fragonard’s L’escarpolette, or The Swing, is often reproduced and its famous foreground image of a young woman losing her slipper mid-swing is widely familiar. In Reckitt’s Blue, John Wilkinson explores that well-known scene in a sequence of poems that engages with the image of the flying slipper.
Though born out of visual encounters with art, the title poem of this book also examines artifacts that evoke a violent encounter, weaponry and domestic and ritual objects from the Jolika collection of Papua New Guinean materials in San Francisco's de Young Museum. It is here that Wilkinson’s concentrated lines evidence what the critic Simon Jarvis has called Wilkinson’s “unfree verse,” that reaches into new and unexpected territory in both style and theme. This combination of sensual beauty, intellectual ambition, and political acuity is like nothing else in contemporary English-language poetry. The ‘Tornada’ that separates and stitches together these sequences meditates on fire, clay and glaze, on violence and reflective stillness.
“John Wilkinson's taut, precise poems, in which lyric grace and ethical urgency move together but never comfortably mix, amount to one of the most significant bodies of work in contemporary poetry.”—Patrick McGuinness | <urn:uuid:47ae390b-aa2f-4794-9434-1e0ae0d1fc54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/R/bo14417242.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920503 | 284 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Sir Hans Sloane
A physician by trade, Sir Hans Sloane was also a collector of objects from around the world. By his death in 1753 he had collected over 71,000 objects. Sloane bequeathed his collection to the nation in his will and it became the founding collection of the British Museum.
Sloane the physician
Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753) was born in Killyleagh, Ireland in relatively modest circumstances. Inspired by a childhood interest in natural history, he studied medicine in London and France.
In 1689, Sloane set up a successful medical practice at his home in No. 3 Bloomsbury Place – coincidentally just along the street from the present Museum building. He had a number of wealthy and aristocratic patients, among them Queen Anne and Kings George I and II.
An innovative doctor, Sloane promoted inoculation against smallpox, the use of quinine (a treatment for malaria) and the health-giving properties of drinking chocolate mixed with milk.
He became President of the College of Physicians in 1719 and in 1727 succeeded Sir Isaac Newton as President of the Royal Society.
Sloane the collector
Sloane’s career as a collector really began in 1687 when, as personal physician, he accompanied the new Governor, the Duke of Albermarle, to Jamaica. He collected some 800 species of plants and other live specimens to bring back to London. An account of his travels was published in 1707 and 1725.
He absorbed complete collections made by others, among them William Charlton (Courten) (1642–1702) and James Petiver (d.1718). He also received objects from friends and patients. As a result his collection outgrew the house at No. 3 Bloomsbury Place and he purchased No. 4 as well.
Sloane’s house was visited by numerous people, among them was the composer Handel who is said to have outraged his host by placing a buttered muffin on one of his rare books.
In 1742 he moved with his collections to a manor house in Chelsea. His time there is still commemorated by such place names as Sloane Square and Hans Crescent.
Sloane died at the age of 93 in 1753 and was buried at Chelsea Old Church. By then, his collection amounted to more than 71,000 objects. Chiefly natural history specimens, the collection also included:
- 23,000 coins and medals
- 50,000 books, prints and manuscripts
- a herbarium (a collection of dried plants)
- 1,125 'things relating to the customs of ancient times'
Foundation of the British Museum
In his will, Sloane bequeathed the whole collection to King George II for the nation in return for payment of £20,000 to his heirs.
Parliament accepted the gift and on 7 June 1753 an Act of Parliament establishing the British Museum received the royal assent. Sloane’s collection became the foundation of the British Museum.
Arthur MacGregor (ed), Sir Hans Sloane: Collector, scientist, antiquary (London, 1994)
E St John Brooks, Sir Hans Sloane: The Great Collector and his Circle (London, 1954)
Gavin R de Beer, Sir Hans Sloane and the British Museum (London, 1953) | <urn:uuid:2a3a8dc1-0966-4a7e-9c6a-d7cdaf9db830> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/the_museums_story/sir_hans_sloane.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978769 | 717 | 3.015625 | 3 |
The folks at XMOS
, the creators of what they refer to as "Software Defined Silicon", have released a new package option for their G4 programmable device, the first member of the XS1-G4 family.
The new 144-pin BGA package option is designed for systems that require the smaller form factor (11 mm square). With a 0.8 mm ball pitch it is ideal for compact designs and simple PCB layout. For designs that require a full complement of 256 I/O pins a 512-pin BGA package is available.
Designed for fast development cycles and priced to meet production cost requirements, this new class of programmable chips is ideal for a wide range of electronics applications that require custom capabilities and differentiating features. Using an array of event-driven processors, reprogrammable chips from XMOS implement logic gates, control engines, and DSP functions. Designs for XMOS devices are created in the C language using design tools available in web-hosted and desktop versions.
To make it easy to evaluate and adopt XMOS technology, the folks at XMOS offer the $99 XC-1 development kit and free online design tools.
Typical applications for the XS1-G4 device include networked audio appliances such as AV receivers and IP Speakers, display and lighting control (LED tiles), and industrial automation.
Availability and pricing
The 144-pin G4 device is priced at $20.90 for samples (1-99 units) and $9.00 for 100K-250K quantities. The 512-pin G4 device is priced at $31.30 for samples and $13.50 for 100K-250K quantities. The 512-pin BGA is available immediately; the 144-pin option will be available in January.
For more information please visit the XMOS website at www.xmos.com. | <urn:uuid:39dafd5f-78cc-4a7b-9631-e9e00f4f9bc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-products/fpga-pld-products/4109470/XMOS-releases-new-XS1-G4-package-and-pricing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909763 | 394 | 1.703125 | 2 |
General Synod 07
A back and forth over the recent Canadian Anglican General Synod.
The Church voted that same sex blessings are not in conflict with the core doctrine of the Church (e.g. Incarnation, Trinity). That resolution passed by the narrowest of margins in the House of Bishops (passed with wider margin in House of Clergy and Laity---tricameral structure).
A second resolution that would have allowed for local option to perform same sex blessings however was defeated by 2 votes in the House of Bishops--it passed in the House of Clergy and Laity.
The man interviewed, Bishop Michael Ingham is the bishop of my diocese (New Westminster, Anglican Church of Canada). The interview is re-posted on a site hostile to Ingham and to those for same sex blessings (which is different than marriage). [Scroll down a bit to begin the interview section.]
But for those interested in the on-going controversy in the Anglican Church, this is a good piece to read.
This answer gives a good overview of both the conservative (non-blessing) and liberal (blessing) theological positions:
Seydlitz 77, Edmonton: There are no less than seven places in the Bible (both Old and New Testament) where homosexual behaviour is condemned. They are Leviticus 18:22; Deuteronomy 23:17; Romans 1:22-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; and Jude 1:7. How can you justify behaviour that your scriptures strongly condemn?
Bishop Ingham: You say “no less than seven verses” in the Bible condemn homosexual behaviour, which of course means that only seven verses (out of thousands in Scripture) do so.
Or do they?
We need to ask several questions here. What exactly is being condemned in these verses? In what context do these condemnations appear? And what authority should these texts have?
Whole libraries have been written on these questions, and space here is limited.
Briefly, the verses in the Hebrew Bible occur in the context of the Holiness Code — a series of regulations and prohibitions covering wide areas of ancient Jewish ritual. These include things like ritual bathing for women, the preparation of food, the observance of festivals and sacrifices etc.
Most of these rules and rituals are no longer observed by Christians. The onus of proof is on those who wish to retain a few selective prohibitions, not on those who no longer regard them as normative.
Secondly, the biblical assumption is that all people are heterosexual. Thus homosexual behaviour is seen as both a personal choice and an act against nature.
This is clearly what St. Paul means when he speaks of people “exchanging natural intercourse for unnatural” in Romans 1. To exchange something is an act of will.
These and other similar passages seem to refer to homosexual acts voluntarily undertaken by heterosexual people, and this is what is condemned.
There is no biblical condemnation of natural homosexuality, nor is any consideration given in Scripture to the question of permanent lifelong committed relationships between persons of the same sex.
Thirdly, what is clearly condemned in the Bible is every form of sexual exploitation and coercion — rape, sexual manipulation, prostitution, promiscuity, child abuse, and all manner of sexual deceit and domination. These are condemned in both their homosexual and heterosexual expressions.
And lastly, by far the greater witness of Scripture is toward love, justice and compassion — especially for the outcast and despised.
These texts outnumber the seven passages you mention by so great a margin that it is puzzling to see such focus on the few at the expense of the many. | <urn:uuid:e128863a-bfb3-4aa6-a1bc-246cae8d34aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://indistinctunion.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948664 | 765 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Autism is a spectrum disorder. Also known as ASD, autism is a developmental and bio-neurological disorder.
A child with autism has difficulties primarily with social interaction and spoken communication. No two children
with autism are alike. The signs and characteristics present themselves in varying permutations and combinations and can range from mild to severe.
The disorder is evident usually before the child is 30 months old, when age - appropriate social and communication skills, like making and sustaining eye contact, smiling in response to another person or responding when spoken to do not appear in time, or when the child has difficulties in relating to people, plays differently, or displays unusual responses to the environment.
There may be hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to any one or more of the following: light, sound, smell, taste, pressure, pain, temperature, light touch, vestibular (sense of balance) or proprioceptive sensations (subconscious awareness of body position). In other words the child would be under-reactive or over- reactive to stimulation in these areas.Few Examples:
- Suddenly closing eyes to light, which could be due to hyper-sensitivity to a particular light.
- Shutting ears to specific sounds or screaming. Hypersensitivity to the particular sound, which could be hurting to the ears.
- Smelling or tasting things that are inappropriate. The child could be hyposensitive to smell or taste.
- Recoiling from touch, screaming when hair or nails are cut.
- Hypersensitive to touch, feeling pain on the slightest touch.
Other signs include craving for or recoiling from movement, flapping hands, spinning around, uneven gross and fine motor skills, spinning objects, unusual attachment to certain objects.
Children with autism play differently. Their play is more stereotypic in nature (like arranging cars in a line). A marked feature of autism is the lack of pretend play.
Children with autism may prefer to be alone rather than in a group, withdraw from social contact, and appear to be living in a world of their own. They may smile or cry for no apparent reason. An inability to relate to other people and to respond appropriately to stimuli in the environment can also be observed. They may insist on sameness and routines, which seem to give comfort.
Behaviours like aggression, frustration, or withdrawal, which seem inappropriate, are often due to the children’s sensory integrative dysfunction, which they are unable to articulate and express through spoken communication. Sensory input is not integrated or organised appropriately in the brain. This produces varying degrees of problems in development, information - processing and behaviour.
Persons with autism have differing intellectual abilities. These abilities lie masked under a more obvious social communication disorder. When viewed through the lens of “Multiple Intelligences” the potential shows up. There may be evidence of musical, bodily-kinesthetic, visual–spatial, logical- mathematical or intra-personal intelligence.
Some children with autism may have mental retardation or learning disabilities.
Good observation and assessment results in charting the individual profile, which enables attention to be focused on both abilities and special needs, so that the child is enabled to function optimally.Aspergers syndrome
(at the high end of the ASD) can be identified when the child is intelligent, verbal but with marked difficulties in social communication, has a preoccupation with a particular area of interest, shows insistence on routines and has certain compulsive behaviors. | <urn:uuid:56d2ffbd-3de3-442c-a58f-662bfc5890f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://doctor.ndtv.com/topicdetails/ndtv/tid/92/Autism.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936705 | 714 | 4.15625 | 4 |
The need to live stream across multiple platforms is becoming a necessity with everyone having different preferences of web tools. At our company we are trying to reach as many people as possible for Tech Talks (short half hour sessions focused on a particular topic). In order to broaden our audience we decided we wanted to use YouTube without the burden of becoming a YouTube Partner.
The way to do this is to use Google+ Hangouts to stream live directly to YouTube. Below are the Google+ Hangouts and YouTube steps to stream live.
You must have a Google Plus and YouTube account. Both are free.
Perform the YouTube settings before moving to Google+ Hangouts.
Go to YouTube
Make sure you are logged in to your account and click on My channel on the left nav bar next to your profile icon.
Click the Channel Settings button at the top above your name and profile icon.
Choose the Tabs tab at the top of the grey box, then choose the Featured tab along the left side. In the center you will see five different layout choices, click Live Broadcaster. When you have made your choice of layout click Done Editing at the top in the blue section of the page.
Before your broadcast begins (in the countdown stage) your YouTube page will have a black video with the words Hangouts on it. Once you go live your video will show up.
Go to Google Hangouts
Click the red Start A Hangout button
Enter the name of your Hangout and check Enable Hangouts On Air (you can also add specific people, or circles from Google+ or by email). Click the blue Hangout button.
A box will pop up letting you know that it will show up on your Google+ stream and on your YouTube channel. Click Okay, got it if you wan to stream on your YouTube channel.
- If this is your first time using Google+ Hangouts and YouTube, you will be asked by YouTube Gadget for permission to use Google+ Hangouts. Click “Allow access”)
Your webcam will show up in Google+ Hangouts, here you choose the tab YouTube and you will get a box with some things to remember. Click OK.
If you wish to send someone the YouTube link or post it on other social media sites you will need to click on the Embed link and you will get the URL. You can also copy the HTML and embed it into a webpage or blog. You should do this before you start your broadcast, but you can certainly do it at any time during the broadcast.
Next, make sure you are still on the YouTube tab and click the red Start broadcast button.
Before your broadcast can begin a box will pop up alerting you that you will be broadcasting publicly. Click OK.
Once you click the OK button on the ‘Broadcast Publicly’ pop-up you will see the red button say Posting in and start to count down from 10. It will post to YouTube and Google+ Stream once the countdown is over. If you want to make sure everything is broadcasting correctly you should go to your YouTube channel.
When you are ready to end your broadcast you click the End broadcast button and a message will pop up stating your broadcast has been successfully terminated.
NOTE: Once you have ended your broadcast the video will automatically upload to YouTube and be available on your channel. If you do not want it to stay on your channel you
MUST go in and delete it. | <urn:uuid:96598499-2471-4ea6-8cc3-b7e1b71aa4e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pivotallabs.com/tag/youtube/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904105 | 707 | 1.773438 | 2 |
The simple answer to (1) is: resolvconf sets itself up as the intermediary
between programs that supply this information (such as ifup and
ifdown, DHCP clients, the PPP daemon and local name servers) and
programs that use this information (such as DNS caches and resolver
That's from the package description. On desktops, it works in conjunction with NetworkManager to handle making and dropping connections smoothly.
So resolvconf, along with dnsmasq, are used in 12.04 to make the DNS info handling more reliable on the desktop version. So in some situations, it does make things better, but the whole situation lacks the documentation in the right place, esp. in the server world.
Despite loads of Googling, I haven't been able to ascertain what is recommended on a server installation.
As far as (2) goes, you're having the opposite problem from me. Dnsmasq works well with resolvconf on my machine and updates the /etc/resolv.conf file to contain 127.0.0.1 but has other problems because dnsmasq doesn't get the ISP name servers from dhclient on eth0 (this is a gateway) nor does it get the name servers I manually entered in the eth0 stanza in /etc/network/interfaces.
Why do you use dnsmasq? Are you also running a gateway with 2 nics? Or is it just a plain desktop? If so, resolvconf co-ordinates with network-manager | <urn:uuid:91ba7b60-9493-4cb0-8c46-2245820d31d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://askubuntu.com/questions/131881/why-did-i-have-to-remove-resolvconf-to-get-dnsmasq-to-work-again | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933014 | 327 | 2.140625 | 2 |
A treat for my fellow art historians and art lovers - Jackson Pollock’s first retrospective - “A Retrospective Show of the Paintings of Jackson Pollock” - was held at Bennington in 1952! The show was organized by critic Clement Greenberg, one of Pollock’s most fervent supporters. The above photo shows Pollock with one of his paintings in the Deane Carriage Barn.
~ Holly, ‘13
I was perusing the Class of 1956 50th Reunion book that is posted online and came across some memories of Bennington in the 1950s from Geralyn Winner Roden that I have to share:
“Things were different back then. Parents just dropped us off and vanished after unloading our meager belongings. There was only one hall phone for the entire floor. I recallBenningtonhad a policy that prevented freshmen rooming together. We had a grand piano in every house and played bridge after dinner most nights. Never have I had so many grand slams.
I remember walking on a very long wooded path up to Mr. Chabay’s house to take voice lessons. He informed me that my voice “must come from my diaphragm,” which alarmed my seventeen-year-old naïve brain. His wife often invited us there for a delicious Hungarian goulash dinner, which was a first for me.
I recall such wonderful instructors as Mr. Garceau (my counselor) who taught Political Science. He left later to join the Ford Foundation but his classes were delightful. And then there was Mr. Brockway for Government, and Mr. Woody’s Physiology class in the Barn, where on one occasion theDartmouthfootball team was invited to join us for a Davis & Geck movie of a live cataract operation. One by one the boys felt faint and left, while the braveBenningtongirls remained to the end.
I remember the beautiful Green leading down to a loosely constructedNew Englandstone wall where you could see the endless mountains; the boys from Williams trying to get dates on Saturday nights; the State Line Restaurant where you had to sit in the far side of the room in order to get served a drink at eighteen (this was inVermont).
First came Robert Frost. Of course he was wonderful, and then Dylan Thomas arrived with his Under Milk Wood readings. But best of all was Jackson Pollack, who came to teach us. What fun it was to splash and throw paint on the floor covered with huge rolls of brown construction paper. I thought it was odd that they all died very soon after visiting Bennington.” | <urn:uuid:7bc9a805-2720-49e7-97e5-0fac09521079> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://benningtonstudents.tumblr.com/tagged/Jackson-Pollock | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978525 | 547 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Abstract: Technology and law are increasingly used to undermine processes of abundance intrinsic to nature, agriculture and the information sector. A number of examples are reviewed here; the relationship between such counter-productive use of technology and law and corporate profit-seeking is revealed; the phenomenon of abundance is linked with the related concepts of scarcity and commons, and an approach is proposed that harnesses abundance for the human good.
Roberto Verzola is a convenor and member of the Philippine Greens. He is active in information, environmental and agriculture issues. He may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:beb459ac-73f5-4531-a574-8b649ceeda1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://copysouth.org/portal/pt-br/taxonomy/term/11 | 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 | 0.938341 | 125 | 1.703125 | 2 |
In January the President sidestepped Republican obstruction and made “recess appointments” to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This was because Senate Republicans were blocking all nominations, in order to keep these agencies from operating. Now that they are operating we can all see what it was Republicans were trying to prevent.
One example: In New York, a company named Renaissance Equity Holdings owns Flatbush Gardens, a 59-building, 2,500-unit complex. They have “locked out” 70 or so employees for refusing to take a 30% pay cut and for taking them to the NLRB for unfair bargaining. Renaissance was depending on the NLRB being unable to do anything about this thanks to the Republican effort to keep the agency from operating. So now is trying to keep the NLRB from enforcing the rules by contesting Obama’s recess appointments. Bloomberg: Obama Labor Board Recess Appointments Challenged in New York Lockout Trial,
The Flatbush porters and handymen, many of whom filled the courtroom gallery today, were frozen out of their jobs in November 2010 after they refused to accept an at least 30 percent pay cut. The Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ is seeking to have them returned to work at the higher wages they were making while the dispute is resolved.
The labor board filed the court case on Jan. 25 saying there was “reasonable cause to believe” that Renaissance engaged in unfair labor practices and the lockout should end.
The union said in court papers that Renaissance is trying to eliminate organized workers from the complex.
CFPB To Regulate Debt Collectors
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is going to regulate debt collectors. For more on this here is US News:CFPB Takes Aim at Debt Collectors, Credit Reporting Agencies,
“These are [firms] involved in the financial system who have not been traditionally regulated,” says Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, adding that while the Federal Trade Commission has historically handled regulating debt collectors and credit reporting agencies, it has had limited reach.
… The details of the new oversight are still murky, but it could allow the CFPB to go into theses business and examine their books and evaluate their practices. “They could do a compliance review, which was never really done before,” Rheingold says.
It could also mean the CFPB has the authority to set rules governing the practices of the industry. “It’s a very important announcement and something that we’ve needed for a very long time but didn’t really have because the FTC was hamstrung,” Rheingold says. “They didn’t have quite the same authority as the CFPB has.”
Why is this so important to regular people? Matt Stoller, writing at Naked Capitalism, explains, in One in Seven Americans Pursued by Debt Collectors,
…Ten years ago, one in fourteen American consumers were pursued by debt collectors. Today it’s one in seven.
The experience of debt collection can be chilling, as this 2007 ABC News report suggests.
Consumers around the country have taped threatening phone calls from collectors who have called in the middle of the night, used abusive language and have threatened to have people fired from work or thrown in jail. All of these tactics are illegal under federal law.
… There are now thousands of people legally jailed because they aren’t paying their bills, ie. debtor’s prisons have returned. Occasionally elites let it slip that this is not an accident, but is their goal – former Comptroller General David Walker has wistfully pined for debtor’s prisons overtly (on CNBC, no less).
… This is part of the new social contract. The sheer percentage of consumers with third party collections in pursuit is striking. Additionally, the uptrend through both Bush boom and Obama bust years of the percentage of people being tracked down by third party collection agencies suggests we live in a different country than we did just ten years ago.
By having a functioning CFPB maybe we can start to get these credit bureaus under control, helping people instead of helping prey on people.
So these agencies are operating, starting to do their jobs, protecting regular, working people. The big companies, union-busters, scammers and other 1%ers are screaming over how unfair this is. | <urn:uuid:88b8a645-4c76-494c-a6e5-6f1524b04905> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.ourfuture.org/20120302/What_Those_NLRB_And_CFPB_Recess_Appointments_Mean_To_You?q=blog-entry/2012030902/what-those-nlrb-and-cfpb-recess-appointments-mean-you | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972103 | 933 | 1.523438 | 2 |
- Historic Sites
Four Months On The Front Line
A former Marine recalls the grim defense of Guadalcanal in 1942
October/november 1985 | Volume 36, Issue 6
The attacks were over for a while, but the enemy continued to unload troops nightly on the west side of the Matanikau River, where the 5th Marines were dug in against the increasing pressure. We of the 1st returned to our battle stations on the upper Hu, to daily patrols, and to daily reports that more and more Japanese were assembling in the area. They arrived via a chain of fast destroyers that we called the Bougainville Express. As August ended, so did hopes for quick relief. We were grimly aware of the fact that the perimeter was incomplete, and we could only wonder where the next attack would come from. Aerial dogfights continued to be waged above us, and occasionally, low-flying Zeros swooped in over the sea to strafe our lines. One afternoon in early September we were hammered by a squadron of strange planes firing cannon from their noses. They were newly arrived P-39s, American planes designed for close-in infantry support. Another mistake.
While the Japanese regrouped, we waited. Tension from the endless vigil and dysentery from the meager diet were becoming endemic. Each dusk brought clouds of malarial mosquitoes. We had “jungle rot,” too, skin ulcers that appeared and reappeared on legs and armpits, which corpsmen swabbed with Gentian Violet. Everyone had crab lice. The men spent idle hours “reading their shirts” —picking lice out of the seams—in a futile attempt to get rid of them.
Morale was at its lowest, but it was holding and got a tremendous lift when the 7th Regiment arrived from Samoa, bringing our division to full strength for the first time. The Navy had sufficiently recovered from its shattering defeat off Savo Island to bring large stores of muchneeded supplies also.
The Ichiki Battalion threw its full strength against us and died to a man.
The struggle for Guadalcanal had become a high-stakes poker game. Japan had made the initial bet by seizing the island and building the airstrip. We had called and raised the bet when we captured it. The pot grew steadily as the two sides battled on land, on sea, and in the air to put more troops ashore to inflict heavy casualties on each other. Shortly after Columbus Day the United States raised the stakes again, bringing in Army troops for the first time. This was the Americal Division, a National Guard outfit made up mostly of big farm boys from Minnesota and the Dakotas.
On the night of October 13 orders came from regimental headquarters that C Company was to be pulled out of the line and placed in division reserve, bivouacked in the coconut grove midway between the beach and the airstrip. No explanation, of course, accompanied the orders. The company was reluctant, as infantrymen inevitably are, to leave a well-entrenched position and to camp, uncertain of purpose, in open terrain, after nightfall. The men grumbled as they dug their new foxholes and word circulated of a possible Japanese naval attack that night. Because we had been living almost entirely on rumors since our landing, I discounted this latest warning as cut from similar cloth.
The evening passed in near-total silence. I sat by a shallow drainage ditch and stared across the stretch of water called the Slot, in whose depths now lay the wrecks of so many warships that it had garnered a second name: Iron Bottom Bay. All at once the murmuring night exploded into ghastly daylight as the fourteen- and sixteen-inch guns of Japanese battleships opened up less than a thousand yards offshore. The concussion knocked me halfway over as I dived headlong for the puny cover of the ditch, where I lay shaking among fallen palm fronds. Salvo followed salvo as the enemy sought to end our poker game with a final deathblow to Henderson Field. Overhead the enormous shells roared like subway cars amid a screeching that sounded like a thousand bolts of cloth being torn at once. The earth heaved as short rounds landed near or among us. The ominous chant of “Corpsman! Corpsman!” sounded faintly through the hellish din. Time ceased to have meaning; the shelling would go on forever.
As I lay in the shallow ditch, I was startled to hear a calm voice, close by in the darkness, ask, “Say, bo, is that our artillery or theirs?” Stunned by such innocence, I realized that it must be a soldier from the newly arrived Americal Division who had wandered into the area. My teeth were chattering so fiercely that I could hardly answer him. But as a veteran Marine who had been on the Canal since the beginning, I was determined to conceal it. With a great effort I stopped shaking long enough to blurt out: “It’s theirs. Take cover and stay down.”
Just before dawn, when it seemed certain that the cannonade would last forever—or until we all were blown to bits—it stopped. The Japanese ships had departed. Now there was a great silence, broken only by the cries of the wounded. Tall columns of smoke could be seen rising from the airstrip. I walked along the edge of Henderson Field. Mangled shapes of planes lay scattered about; giant craters pocked the runway. Stretcher-bearers were still carrying the wounded to division hospital, which had, incredibly, escaped damage. Elsewhere the devastation seemed nearly complete. | <urn:uuid:8d1dbb66-aba6-4fae-be80-d0f8d01d3c12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanheritage.com/content/four-months-front-line?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982216 | 1,168 | 2.828125 | 3 |
MANILA, Philippines – Think of Filipinos who have astounded the world lately, and the first names that come to mind are likely to be Manny Pacquiao or Charice. The two definitely earned their Pinoy-pride accolades, but they aren’t the only ones who deserve it.
Meet Reinabelle Reyes, a 28-year-old astrophysicist who astounded scientists all over the world when she proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity on a cosmic scale. That was when she was only 26.
Einstein’s theories have been verified many times, but it took Reyes and her Princeton University collaborators to verify his Theory of General Relativity, beyond the confines of our solar system.
Led by Reyes, the research team made headlines back in 2010 when they showed how galaxies up to 3.5 billion light years away are clustered together in exactly the way General Relativity predicts. They came up with a new astronomical measurement, which indicates how galaxies are pulled together by gravity, just as Einstein theorized.
Her findings also support the existence of Dark Energy—a force greater than gravity once merely imagined by scientists. This is a big deal, because, even NASA tells us, pinning down the exact properties of Dark Energy is among the most significant problems facing science today. According to the NASA website, Dark Energy “is the deepest mystery in physics, and its resolution is likely to greatly advance our understanding of matter, space, and time.”
Reinabelle Reyes is among the scientists involved in unraveling this profound mystery.
Read the full story here via The Filipina who proved Einstein right by Nikka Santos of Rappler.com | <urn:uuid:1ad653b1-df6a-4602-b256-77dabde23eb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rojan88.wordpress.com/tag/filipina-scientist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95031 | 347 | 2.25 | 2 |
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Inder Singh Ghagga Excommunicated
By PUNEET SINGH LAMBA
The Sikh Times, Boston, Oct. 23, 2006
Photo: Inder Singh Ghagga
Photo: Kulbir Singh (second from extreme left) and Inder Singh Ghagga (extreme right)
Photo: Brawl triggered by Inder Singh Ghagga's speech at a gurdwara in Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Inder Singh Ghagga, a former professor of the Sikh Missionary College, Ludhiana, appears to have courted controversy with the publication of his recent book Sada Berra Eon Garkia (Misrepresentations in Sikhism), Patiala: Fateh Publications, 2005.
Inder's willingness to discuss the book appears to have fueled the controversy instead of bringing matters to an amicable conclusion.
As a result, The Tribune (Chandigarh) reported yesterday that Inder, along with several of his associates, has been excommunicated by Joginder Singh Vedanti, jathedar (chief) of the Akal Takht (the apex Sikh authority). The Akal Takht's action is highly reminiscent of Gurbakhsh Singh Kala Afghana's excommunication in 2003.
It appears that the controversy began to escalate after Inder's appearance at a gurdwara in Brampton, Ontario, where his speech was followed by harsh exchanges and perhaps some violence between Inder's supporters and other parties present at the gurdwara.
According to a video posted on YouTube.com by RaklaB on October 8, the violence was initiated by those who wished to silence Inder. Fists were thrown and turbans came off during the brawl that erupted during Inder's speech. The breaking point was apparently Inder's reference to Damdami Taksal's insistence, until very recently, that Jarnail Singh Bhinranwale did not die during Operation Bluestar in 1984 and was still alive.
Apparently, two weeks following the exchanges at the gurdwara, agreement was reached to discuss matters on September 27, 2006 at Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib, Brampton, Ontario (http://www.tapoban.org/).
Subsequently, another discussion was scheduled for October 1, 2006 at 9 a.m., apparently moderated by a neutral Sikh third party in the basement of a home. The discussion finally kicked off at 1 p.m. and lasted several hours. This discussion was video recorded. The following report is based on a viewing of the video recordings.
The format of the discussion was such that only two individuals were officially permitted to speak. The two were Inder himself and one Kulbir Singh, representing a group from Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib. Kulbir and many of his supporters were dressed in blue Akhand Kirtani Jatha (A.K.J.)-style turbans with the khandas (Khalsa emblems) attached on the front.
Inder started off by lamenting that although he had raised some four hundred points in his writings, minor critiques were being used to distract from the primary thrust of his book.
Guru Arjan's Martyrdom
The first issue raised was Inder's assertion that Guru Arjan must have lost consciousness during torture by the Mughals because, despite his substantial mental prowess, the Guru after all had a human body and all human bodies are naturally subject to pain. Inder clarified that he wasn't quoting any reference and that this was purely his own personal opinion.
Kulbir objected that a Sikh could scarcely be expected to seek support from the Guru during difficult times if the Guru himself was thought to be too weak to withstand torture.
Inder pointed out that a distinction ought to be made between the Guru and Akal Purakh (God). Kulbir seemed unable to draw the distinction.
Inder contended that if Guru Arjan had supernatural powers to resist torture he would have used those powers to change the minds of the Mughal rulers in order to prevent them from persecuting the Sikhs in the first place.
Further, Inder expressed objection to fantastic claims in Santokh Singh's hagiographical Suraj Parkash (1844) that Guru Angad's feet developed leprosy when Guru Nanak set his forehead at Guru Angad's feet upon appointing Angad as Guru. Inder explained that Suraj Parkash claims that this leprosy continued until the fifth Guru, Arjan, wiped Guru Nanak's son Sri Chand's feet with his beard.
Inder also objected to stories about people drinking the eighth Guru's charan-amrit (foot-wash) to cure chechak (small pox), especially given that Guru Harkrishan himself is said to have died of small pox.
Inder offered these examples to establish that his claim that Guru Angad must have lost consciousness during torture was no more blasphemous than well-accepted stories such as these suggesting that Guru Harkrishan himself died of small pox when Gurus were generally seen to be curing small pox.
Kulbir retorted, 'two wrongs don't make a right.'
Inder defended his right to cite his opinions without reference. He mentioned that Santokh Singh and many others also did not cite any references to support the views expressed in their writings.
After Kulbir repeatedly pressured Inder to remove from his book the reference regarding Guru Arjan's loss of consciousness during torture, Inder finally agreed to consider rewording the offending sentence.
Guru Nanak and Halal Meat
Next, Kulbir raised an objection to Inder's view that Guru Nanak could not have refused halal meat during his travels to Mecca. Inder argued that Guru Nanak would have had to follow Muslim norms and eaten out of shared utensils in order to join the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
On the topic of meat eating, Inder contended that it was foolishness to discuss the topic since the Guru Granth refers to both those who argue in favor and those who argue against as moorakh (foolish).
Kulbir arrived at the conclusion that Inder's wording portrayed Guru Nanak as a coward who had succumbed to Muslim pressure and eaten halal meat and that the wording ought to be modified. It seems Ghagga was pressured into agreeing.
After all of the above, the debate finally reached the main topic at hand, i.e. Kulbir's objection to Inder's inclusion of naam simran (the recitation of a specific mantra or phrase) in his list of deceitful activities currently prevalent in the Sikh Panth. The reference was to Inder's essay 'Naam Simran Ik Gorakh Dhandha' (Naam Simran, a Futile Enterprise).
Inder clarified that his critique of naam simran was directed at the prevalent practice of parroting certain phrases and sentences without understanding their meanings or taking the time to appreciate their import. He said that the Sikh Panth should have been at great heights by now if the thousands of unattended akhand paths (continuous recitations) had been beneficial.
Inder asked why the Gurus had bothered to write such a comprehensive Guru Granth if it were enough to do naam simran and merely recite a choice phrase.
Here Kulbir's request was more extreme, i.e. that the entire essay be withdrawn. Inder was willing only to modify the essay's title.
There was no agreement and the discussion began to go in circles. Kulbir claimed that many of Sikhism's ideas were common to other religions. He said that what truly distinguished Sikhism from other religions was naam simran, the very concept that Inder appeared to be critiquing.
The crux of most arguments appeared to be Kulbir's unwillingness to accept an alternate interpretation of the words and ideas contained in the Guru Granth. He insisted only one interpretation was valid.
Inder emphasised the need for vichaar (contemplation) rather than naam simran.
As things reached boiling point, Kulbir insisted that Inder's attack on naam simran was an attack on the very foundation of Sikhism. Inder took exception to Kulbir's suggestion that Inder's essay had provided Sikhism with a shoe-beating. To his credit, Kulbir instantly apologized.
Apparently, the two had agreed to use Sahib Singh's interpretations as standard. However, at one point there was some disagreement when Kulbir wanted to use an interpretation by Harbans Singh.
Finally, agreement was reached that Inder would acknowledge in his essay the Sikh Rahit Maryada's stipulation that a Sikh must perform naam simran as part of his/her daily regiment.
Next, there was discussion on karaamaat (magical powers). Inder suggested that no magical powers were required since the Gurus had taught Sikhs such bravery that allowed a handful to resist hundreds of thousands of Mughals at the fort of Chamkaur. This, Inder emphasised, was in contrast to how a handful of Mughals had previously invaded and occupied a land of millions.
Inder argued that if the Gurus had alternate magical powers they would have used them to prevent all negative occurrences such as the persecution of Sikhs by Mughals. Kulbir responded that the Gurus did not use their powers to prevent certain negative occurrences for reasons mere humans cannot fathom. Inder scoffed at the futility of discussing matters that had been acknowledged as unfathomable.
Kulbir argued that Sikhism was against individuals using magical powers to, for example, grant sons to women. He asserted, however, that it was okay to beckon magical powers of the sangat to secure the birth of a child. Inder asked why former S.G.P.C. President Gurcharan Singh Tohra had no children and why current Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti has no son despite the countless prayers offered by them and by others on their behalf.
At various stages during the discussion, while Kulbir seemed inclined to beat a dead horse, Inder seemed willing to acknowledge that perhaps it was best to disagree and move on.
Even though Kulbir had stated at the start of the discussion that there was to be no winner or loser, The Panthic Weekly report on October 11, 2006 was titled 'Inder Ghagga Loses Debates to Panthic Singhs in Toronto.' The report also fails to use Singh with Inder's name.
Overall, the discussion was refreshingly civil despite some very controversial topics. Apparently, Kulbir's supporters outnumbered Inder's supporters and broke the rule of five attendees from each side. Despite that, for the most part, the gathering honored the rule to allow only Inder and Kulbir to speak. Although voices were raised often and tempers flared occasionally, the situation was not allowed to get out of hand. Inder, Kulbir, the organizers and other attendees ought be congratulated accordingly. | <urn:uuid:96c1b6de-752c-4beb-ba8c-6abf7ad9bfeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sikhtimes.com/news_102306b.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978332 | 2,410 | 1.726563 | 2 |
There have been not one, not two, but three papers published in the last six months, the last one published last week, encompassing an impressive body of work around behavior change and weight loss, from the same research group led by Bonnie Spring, PhD, at Northwestern University.
There’s a lot of stuff in here – everything from financial incentives to the way you coach people about behavior change to the use of mobile devices. If you don’t read them all (or don’t read any of them all the way through), it’s highly likely that you’ll come to the wrong conclusion, in my opinion, so I’m going to break it down here:
1. The way you counsel people about behavior change makes a difference
This is actually the most important part of the first two papers linked here, not the up to $730 incentive (more on that later). What the authors studied was competing theories about how to talk to people. They looked at four different ways, which I’m going to summarize, because it’s important – these are things that are cost-free and don’t require any capital expenditure to deploy .
People coached with the winning theory had significantly higher changes in a calculated “Diet-Activity” score compared to others. If you break it down a little more, it looks like it was far more likely that they could eat more fruits and veggies, than that they could increase their physical activity, across all groups. The winning group, though, dramatically decreased sedentary leisure, almost by half, which persisted 20 weeks later.
2. Paying people is a background activity to the above
In the first two papers, people were paid $175 to go through 3 weeks of intervention and point incentives along the way up to 20 weeks of follow up, for a total of $730. It seems like this got them through to recording their information. I don’t think it’s the most important feature of the study, and as the authors point out, probably not a realistic approach moving forward.
3. The mobile technology itself doesn’t help in isolation
Notice, I keep saying “mobile technology” not “smartphone.” That’s because these studies used PalmPilots (!) to support entry of data and target feedback. All of the study participants in the behavior change theory study improved their diet-activity score. There was no control group there, the goal was just to compare the theoretical approaches. The first study relied on self report of food intake and physical activity, which the authors sought to keep accurate by deploying a “bogus pipeline” approach where they told people to submit their grocery receipts and accelerometer data that were actually not use
d – clever.
The second study, which is in the third paper linked to this post, was more focused on weight loss itself rather than behavior change, and in it, the authors planned at the start that the mobile technology would be part of intensive coaching for all study subjects – they didn’t even try to have the mobile device make this happen for people. And in fact, the mobile device by itself didn’t make it happen for people – the one group who were randomized to get the mobile device and didn’t go to class actually gained weight. They gained more weight than the control group who had no mobile device.
What did happen for people was weight loss when they (a) used the mobile device to track and get feedback AND (b) they went to classes, in person. That was the requirement – that both happen, and when it did, this group lost more weight initially, and kept it off – average of 6.38 pounds at 12 months. The people with the mobile devices that didn’t go to classes, gained about 5 pounds at 12 months, which is more than the people who went to classes by themselves, and more than people who didn’t do the classes or get mobile devices.
There’s another really important piece of information in all of this, which is that the people who were randomized into the study were selected after a two week trial of recording their information. About 35% of the people that went into this gate didn’t make it, so in the end, this was a study of people who can use mobile devices to record their information.
As I said, there’s a lot here
I’m looking at this from a population/social determinants perspective, and I would ask the question, “Should mobile devices or apps be deployed to the entire population to make weight loss happen compared to other approaches?” The answer for me would be “no.”
I think what the authors are demonstrating is the answer to this question, “Should mobile devices or apps be deployed to people who are motivated to use apps to lose weight and participate in intensive behavioral interventions?” to which the answer is more of a “yes.”
Also, “Should we get smarter in communicating with people, with technology and not, about their choices?” – answer is “yes.”
I think we still need to think about technology as an enabler at the right time / place , everyone is necessary, and the hard work of looking at the causes of the causes of poor health is not going to go away (see: Now Reading: Why a focus on lifestyle behavior change may not improve health: The Marmot Review | Ted Eytan, MD).
The reason I love technology and have been invested in it for so long (and will continue to be) is because of its role in facilitating communication and connecting people to people. The best.app.ever is the human brain, the most important innovation in health information technology is listening. Oh, and prevention is the new HIT.
I communicated with Dr. Spring before writing this post to help me understand what we can take away from this research, which is very important/timely/useful (and I of course invited her to Washington, DC to the Behavior Change Summit in 2013 – More info on that here: Behavior Change: What can we learn from other industries? – EXAMPLES | Ted Eytan, MD). I learned a ton here that I didn’t know before, which makes me happy that talented behavioral scientists are working in this area.
This post originally appeared on Ted Eytan's blog. | <urn:uuid:ea0bc044-f047-4ad1-a425-5d14abeb9b38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foodtechconnect.com/2012/12/20/does-mobile-technology-weight-loss-and-behavior-change/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973367 | 1,341 | 1.921875 | 2 |
This Saturday I'll be talking about urban wildlife gardening for kids over at the Anacostia Watershed Society. Hope you can join me... the weather is supposed to be blah so maybe we can have some fun dreaming of what it will be like when spring actually arrives for real!
Here's a brief description of the talk... for the location info scroll to the bottom of the page:
When you dreamt of being a parent, you imagined chasing butterflies through meadows and counting acorns in the woods with your kids. Now, in present day reality, you find yourself living on a city lot the size of a postage stamp and worry that your child with grow up with "nature deficit disorder."
Join me for some ideas about meeting these challenges, as well as a practical list of plants that can turn even a tiny space into an arena for experiencing the wonder of nature.
Inexperienced gardeners are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Urban Wildlife Gardening with Kids
Saturday, April 2
10 am -12 pm
Anacostia Watershed Society
4302 Baltimore Avenue, Bladensburg, MD 20710
RSVP: Please send an e-mail to: email@example.com if you plan to attend. | <urn:uuid:d751502a-3eb8-48fc-a558-f43c04973412> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whereyouareplanted.blogspot.com/2011/03/urban-wildlife-gardening-with-kids.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925323 | 259 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The Appling County Heritage Center invites everyone to attend its Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 24, at Mi Sombrero Restaurant in Baxley at 7:00 p.m. The Guest Speaker will be Norma Nunez-Cortes. The emphasis will be on the relatively new Hispanic Heritage here in Baxley.
Norma’s father was the first Mexican immigrant to settle in Appling County. Previously, Mexicans and other Hispanic workers traveled with the seasons. Mrs. Nunez was the first Mexican immigrant to purchase land in Appling County. Norma’s sister, Maria, who married James Cook, was the first Mexican to be married in Appling County. Norma was the first Mexican child to graduate from Appling County High School, and Norma’s niece, Gina Cook was the first person of Mexican descent to go to public school from Kindergarten through 12th grade here. County Farm Plant Company, Nunez Pine Straw, and other Hispanic enterprises are significant employers and taxpayers in Appling County. They have added much to our community. Please come help celebrate their successes.
Mi Sombrero Restaurant is located on Comas Street in Baxley. The Dutch-treat meal will feature a Mexican food sampler, or you may order from the menu. Please come attend the Annual Meeting. | <urn:uuid:f5c8b0ad-b408-4196-9516-9368029b2369> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baxleynewsbanner.com/archives/4199-Heritage-Center-invites-public-to-Annual-Meeting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974582 | 277 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Copyright Act gives authors of certain works (such as books, music, movies, etc.) the exclusive right to use those works. In other words—with one surprisingly large exception—nobody can use copyrighted works without permission of the author. The exception to the rule of exclusive right is fair use, a statutorily created exception which, in certain circumstances, allows anybody to use portions of a copyrighted work without permission and without having to compensate the author of the work.
The concept behind fair use is that it is reasonable to permit some limited use of copyrighted material to allow comment on, or criticism of, prior works. The determination of what is and is not a fair use requires a balancing of four factors. There is no objective, black and white test for fair use, and that leads to a substantial amount of litigation on the subject.
The four factors are as follows:
- “The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes” (11 U.S.C. § 107(1)): The critical element of this first factor is whether the new work is “transformative,” that is, whether the new work adds something new, with a new purpose or character, creating a new expression, meaning or message. For example, if one were to take a short clip of a movie and use it in a review of that movie, it would be transforming the use of the clip, using it to comment on or criticize the movie. But if you take somebody's painting and put an image of it on a t-shirt, that doesn't really transform the original use at all. The more transformative the new work, the more likely fair use applies.
- “The nature of the copyrighted work” (11 U.S.C. § 107(2)): It is more difficult to establish fair use of creative works than of informational or functional works. However, this factor has typically not been significant in fair use decisions and there have been many cases finding fair use of creative works.
- “The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole” (17 U.S.C. 107(3)): The user of the copyrighted work must use only so much of the work as is necessary. For example, a movie reviewer does not need to reproduce the entire movie to make his or her point. On the other hand, a parodist must use enough of the original work to make it clear what he or she is making fun of. Thus, the more of the copyrighted work that is used (especially when it is not necessary to use that amount), the less likely fair use will be found.
- “The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work” (17 U.S.C. 107(4)): The critical issue for the fourth factor is whether the new work has a tendency to supplant or substitute for the original work or its derivatives. In other words, if consumers are likely to buy the new work as a substitute for the copyrighted work, the use is likely not a fair use. The burden is on the defendant to bring forward evidence that potential markets will not be harmed. On the other hand, the fact that consumers buy less of the copyrighted work because the new work criticizes or ridicules it is not a factor that militates against fair use.
Courts do not tally these factors to see who has the most in his or her favor. Rather, each are weighed together, on a case by case basis with an eye towards the policy underlining copyright law.
There are several typical examples of potential fair use: documentaries (that use movie or music clips), criticism (such as a review) and parodies. In later articles, I will discuss how the principles of fair use apply to those specific areas. | <urn:uuid:8207d14e-7846-4167-91d8-ce7c90276e39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.insidecounsel.com/2012/06/07/4-factors-courts-consider-when-deciding-on-fair-us | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943263 | 804 | 2.875 | 3 |
Part of complete coverage on
'Mushroom garden' offers tunnel vision for a greener London
October 18, 2012 -- Updated 1219 GMT (2019 HKT)
An idea to create a mushroom garden in a disused rail tunnel beneath London's Oxford Street has won a competition inspired by New York's High Line -- the elevated park which utilizes old railroad line to create green public spaces. The vision for a mushroom farm combined with a pedestrian walkway came out on top of 170 entries proposing new green spaces for the UK capital.
'Pop Down' by Fletcher Priest Architects
The Lido Line by [Y/N] Studio
High, Low, Fast and Fluid Lines
Lea Valley Rain Farm
Green Lung Retrofit
The New River
London Parks Library
Suburban Kiss by Ireland Albrecht
- Proposal to build mushroom garden in disused tunnel wins "High Line for London" competition
- Idea suggests use of tunnel under Oxford Street and would double as a pedestrian walkway
- Competition inspired by New York's High Line with co-creators of the elevated park on the judging panel
(CNN) -- London's abandoned rail and tube lines have been put to many novel uses down the years functioning as bomb shelters, impromptu party venues and film sets for Hollywood movies.
But a new idea to create a mushroom garden in a tunnel beneath Oxford Street is perhaps one of the more unconventional attempts to breathe new life into the UK capital's forgotten subterranean murk.
"Pop Down" imagines a section of the defunct "Mail Rail" tunnel -- a narrow gauge railway used for transporting mail around London which closed in 2003 -- being repurposed as a mushroom farm and pedestrian walkway lit at street level by glass-fiber, mushroom-shaped sculptures.
Its creators, London-based Fletcher Priest Architects, say underground tunnels provide the ideal environment for an urban mushroom farm and could supply pop-up "Funghi" cafes at the tunnel's entrance and exit.
"The response to this competition shows how many ideas are just waiting to happen, on, over or under the streets of London
The idea was recently awarded the top prize in the "High Line for London" competition run by the UK's Landscape Institute in partnership with the Mayor of London and the Garden Museum.
The competition, which attracted 170 submissions, was inspired by New York's High Line -- a derelict section of elevated railroad which has been transformed into a park -- with co-founders Joshua David and Robert Hammond joining the judging panel.
"The response to this competition shows how many ideas are just waiting to happen, on, over or under the streets of London," Hammond said in a statement.
Runner-up in the competition was "The Lido Line" by [Y/N] Studio which proposes turning a section of the Regent's Canal running from Little Venice to Limehouse into a public swimming area.
Other entries were also highly commended including an idea for a floating park/farm/wetland near Canary Wharf called "Barge Walk" and "Bridge-It" which envisions building parks over, under and besides existing railway lines.
"During this Olympic summer it was clear that London's public spaces are coming alive as never before. There is now a popular appetite for making our outdoors more useable and more wonderful," Penelope Curtis, director of Tate Britain said in a statement.
Shortlisted submissions will be on show at the Garden Museum until October 21.
Part of complete coverage on
January 21, 2013 -- Updated 0230 GMT (1030 HKT)
Patricia Wu looks at efforts to combat food waste in Hong Kong.
January 14, 2013 -- Updated 0233 GMT (1033 HKT)
CNN's Pauline Chiou goes to Hong Kong's annual toy fair to find out about the growing market for eco-friendly toys.
December 31, 2012 -- Updated 0415 GMT (1215 HKT)
CNN's Liz Neisloss reports on a roof that is only a sample of the greening of Singapore's skyline.
December 19, 2012 -- Updated 0216 GMT (1016 HKT)
A dam project in Cambodia could destroy livelihoods and ecosystems, says Conservation International
December 18, 2012 -- Updated 0322 GMT (1122 HKT)
Shipping lines, port authorities and technology companies are taking the initiative to go green and reduce costs.
December 10, 2012 -- Updated 0206 GMT (1006 HKT)
Less than 20 miles from Singapore's skyscrapers is a completely different set of high-rise towers.
December 6, 2012 -- Updated 1104 GMT (1904 HKT)
The Pitcairn Islands might only have 55 human inhabitants, but the waters surrounding them are teeming with marine life.
December 3, 2012 -- Updated 0322 GMT (1122 HKT)
Biofuel made from sugar cane waste in Brazil could revolutionize the global energy industry.
November 26, 2012 -- Updated 0258 GMT (1058 HKT)
Many believe that fuel-cell cars will overtake electric vehicles in the near future.
November 19, 2012 -- Updated 0820 GMT (1620 HKT)
Modern and sustainable buildings in the UAE are taking cues from an ancient Arabic design tradition.
November 12, 2012 -- Updated 0409 GMT (1209 HKT)
One man's artistic vision is distracting divers from Cancun's threatened underwater ecosystem.
November 12, 2012 -- Updated 1746 GMT (0146 HKT)
Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, has been plagued by water hyacinth plants for over two decades.
Just how much are natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef worth in monetary terms?
Today's five most popular stories | <urn:uuid:117152db-d2f0-48d4-918c-b8e4e5043b08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/17/world/europe/mushroom-garden-underground-london/index.html?hpt=wo_bn3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936834 | 1,182 | 2.234375 | 2 |
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Discovery in Remote Mountains
By Smartmouse V. Brainey
MOLE MOUNTAIN, OUTER MOUSITANIA-Dr. Doris Diggersnout, the
acclaimed paleontologist, announced today the discovery of
the world's smallest dinosaur. Unearthed last week in the
uninhabited mountains of Outer Mousitania, the fossil creature
is about the size of a small mouse.
Dr. Diggersnout, herself a mouse of medium size, calls the
creature Mousosaurus. While rival scientists were out looking
for larger and larger dinosaurs, she has won the race to find
"Every time someone says they've found the world's largest
dinosaur," she said, "somebody else comes along
and finds a larger one. I decided to think small and beat
them all at their own game."
Mousosaurus has sharp triangular plates running down its
back and a single horn in the middle of its forehead. Otherwise,
it looks just like a rodent, with a long tail, big ears, and
The Mouse Island Museum of Natural History plans to exhibit
the Mousosaurus in a special room designed as a mouse-hole
like the one the creature lived in 39 million years ago. As
for Dr. Diggersnout, she plans to extend her Mousitania expedition
for another full year.
"We are still digging," says the noted scientist.
"In hopes of discovering prehistoric cheese."
Cheese Spill Disrupts Traffic-School Canceled
NEW MOUSE CITY-A vat overturned early today at the Gourmet
Cheese Company plant, sending a river of liquid cheese out
into Ratford Avenue and bringing traffic to a standstill.
The nearby George Mousington Elementary School became an island
in a lake of runny yellow stuff.
Young rodents on their way to school found the way blocked
by thousands of gallons of the gooey liquid. While they were
staring in amazement, a pupil identified as Billy De Ratte
pushed little Matthew Mousekin in. But instead of getting
stuck, the young mouse began splashing around and shouting
to his friends, "Come on in! The cheese is fine!"
Dozens of schoolrodents took the hint, dove in, and joined
him. Soon, a crowd gathered to watch the fun. When the school
principal, Mr. Goodrat, finally arrived and tried to restore
order, the unruly swimmers splashed him all over with the
Realizing that there was no danger and that the youngsters
were having a grand time, he declared school canceled for
Then, with a loud shout of "Wheee!" he made a perfect
swan dive into the cheese, a feat that was greeted by loud
cheers from youngsters and grown rodents alike.
EDIZIONI PIEMME ITALY | <urn:uuid:83564985-d853-47c1-9290-6df18a7ba521> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scholastic.com/titles/geronimostilton/archives/aug04/happenings.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935336 | 635 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Networks, whether superfast mobile broadband, Wi Fi or a combination of both, are helping to add pizzazz to new mobile products as the rapid evolution in smartphone and tablet design slows to a trickle.
The world's fastest smartphone, new "phablets" - sized between a phone and tablet - and small tablets optimised to watch video and run multiple applications on 4G mobile networks were making the biggest splash at the Mobile World Congress.
Networks are also enabling millions of other devices, from coffee makers to bicycles and cars to homes, to become "smart".
The American chipmaker Qualcomm, for instance, demonstrated a connected home in which a smartphone can be used to start a coffee maker and speakers burst into sound when you enter the room, thanks to the handset in your pocket.
Such innovations are made possible by AllJoyn, an open-source software framework compatible with mobile operating systems Android, Windows and iOs, that allows devices to speak to each other directly without needing a separate server.
"We are making the internet of everything a seamless blend of the physical and the digital world," said Brian Spencer, an engineer at Qualcomm Innovation Centre.
The US network operator AT&T, meanwhile, is adding your home and your car to your smartphone contacts.
Its Digital Life product allows a user to automate and monitor his or her home remotely, and it has replaced Verizon Communications as mobile partner for General Motors' OnStar connected car service.
Meanwhile, wearable devices are the next big thing to be connected, industry watchers say.
Google revealed on YouTube last week some of the features of Google Glass, a pair of glasses that allows users to see information and record video.
Apple, meanwhile, is experimenting with the design of a smart device similar to a wristwatch made with curved glass, according to a New York Times report.
In Barcelona, many of the wearables were designed to keep tabs on health problems.
A blood sugar monitor was being used by cyclists, with real-time data sent to a Sony Xperia smartphone on the handlebars. Readings can then be sent to doctors using a secure mobile connection.
It will be used by a team of diabetics riding between Brussels and Barcelona next month, said trip organiser Adam Denton.
Most new smartphones and tablets unveiled at the show, however, displayed no departure from the touch-screen format popularised by Apple and Samsung Electronics.
Device maker Huawei set itself apart by emphasising the connection speed of its flagship smartphone, the Ascend P2, while Japan's NEC took a fresh approach to smartphone form with a device offering screens back and front that can be unfolded to make a 5.6 inch-sized tablet.
Olaf Swantee, the chief executive of the British network operator EE, said faster networks were changing how people use their devices and how manufacturers were designing kit.
"Miniaturisation was the big thing a few years ago, but now, with customers able to do more on their screens than ever before, we're seeing device manufacturers maximise screen space, not minimise it," he said at the show. | <urn:uuid:c19bf800-d753-4bdc-81f7-39f1e82d2286> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenational.ae/business/telecoms/superfast-networks-add-spice-to-new-products-on-show-at-mobile-congress | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946783 | 635 | 2.03125 | 2 |
In further proof that the government is trying to spend it’s way out of the current financial crisis, the federal reserve chief – Ben Bernanke – signaled his support for a second round of fiscal stimulus’. The usual fear mongering lines of “dire consequences”, “grave doubts of our future” and “protracted slowdown” were used to justify his position. Given support for this type of proposal from the Democratic led congress and (probable) incoming democratic president, it is likely that the additional spending measures will get approved.
This stimulus package is to be targeted at infrastructure spending, aid to states, food stamps and jobless benefits. However, no specifics have been decided and it is up to congress to determine the structure of fiscal stimulus actions (the Fed is responsible for monetary policy). The only one that I agree could provide a real long term economic boost/return is infrastructure spending. But it could take years for that to take effect. Politically and for a short term boost, state aid and money in the hand of consumers is the most likely form of stimulus that will be provided. So expect to see a nice Christmas bonus from Uncle Sam, which you will be encouraged to spend at your nearest mall.
I am a supporter of fiscal stimulus to drive growth, but the government has got so many initiatives on hand with a seemingly myopic view that I question how many of these programs will actually work. For example an earlier direct to consumer $50 billion stimulus package, provided a lift to consumer spending of 0.4 percent in May, but dried up after that. Similarly the 2008 housing relief bill did not save the housing market or GSE’s – Freddie and Fannie. Despite being politically popular, both examples of fiscal action failed miserably. With the floodgates of government spending opened, it is likely that our financial chiefs and lawmakers will keep on coming back for more. We are essentially spending away our futures to save the political and financial backsides of those people who got us into this mess in the first place. We keep printing money and adding to our national deficit at such an alarming rate, that we are setting ourselves up for hyper-inflation in the years to come. Oh yes, we also have an impending recession to look forward to. | <urn:uuid:6191c3de-5c00-47f8-9893-403a87a8b8eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2008/10/here-comes-next-round-of-stimulus.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96467 | 469 | 1.570313 | 2 |
COTTONWOOD, Idaho — If not for the high chain-link fences topped with concertina wire, the guards and the multiple locks one must pass through to get anywhere, this might look like any ordinary home economics classroom.
A couple of gigantic clothes dryers tumble loudly in the prison's laundry, warming the room to a homey ambiance. Inmates, some perched at sewing machines, others spread-eagle over a long table cutting denim fabric into squares, put together pieces of several quilts that will soon be delivered far beyond these prison walls.
In the two years inmates at North Idaho Correctional Institution have been making quilts as part of a service learning project, about 75 have been distributed to St. Vincent de Paul, YWCA, Project Hope in Moscow and the Region II Juvenile Detention Center in Lewiston.
"We try to give enough to them each year that when a kid leaves he can take a quilt with him," said Emmett Wilson, a prison staff member who is in charge of the quilt project. "We can get rid of them as fast as we can get them made. So it's just to help people."
Two of the quilts designed with the mascots of University of Idaho and Boise State University are being raffled off to raise money for Project Compassion - an employee organization at the prison aimed at raising money to help out fellow employees in times of need. Tickets for the raffle cost $1 each, and Wilson said the drawing will take place Friday.
There is no colorful patchwork or fancy stitching on these quilts. All of them are made from recycled jeans, coats and other clothing used by the inmates or donated by the organizations the quilts help support.
The Best Western hotel in Moscow donated old white tablecloths the inmates will use for Christmas stockings and other projects.
And the quilts are unfilled. Wilson said there is no money for expensive batting.
But perhaps the greatest benefit of the project is in the way it helps these inmates - most of whom are being incarcerated for three to six months - gain a different perspective on themselves and what they want in life.
"It just gives you a sense of worth, doing something worthwhile," said 39-year-old Titus Smith of Lewiston. He is near completion of a term for felony injury to a child and intimidating a witness and is also the team leader of the other inmates for the quilt project.
"These quilts are going to help somebody," he said. "They're going to a good cause. They're going to be used by people who need them."
Smith said many of the inmates who work on the quilt project have no sewing background, but often possess other skills, such as drawing or design that can be utilized in the final product.
The team gets together to develop a theme for the quilts and then each member is assigned a task, which they work on throughout the day. Smith said there have been times he's worked 10 to 11 hours a day to finish a quilt for which there is an immediate demand.
In the meantime, as inmates cycle out of prison, new ones take their place and Smith helps train them for the project. Since he plans to be paroled soon, he is in the process of training other inmates to take his place.
"Prison diverts your life, it really does," Smith said. "This is a big timeout for me."
"I don't know if I'll be a sewer when I get out, but there's definitely something like a Zen to be had in running a sewing machine," he added. "It really helps the time go by."
Cole Berry, 33, of Nezperce, is one of the few inmates who have experience making quilts. It was something he did as a kid, he said, growing up in Nezperce and helping the ladies of St. John's Lutheran Church with their projects.
"It's relaxing. It's a stress reliever," Berry said "It's just brushing up on sewing I've been doing my whole life."
He is spending a term in prison for domestic battery and battery with intent to commit a serious felony. Prison, he said, is depressing, but being involved in a service project such as this one helps.
"It's just nice to be able to give back to the people that's here and show that there's more than just being in prison," Berry said. "We're actually doing something."
Christopher Whipple, 40, of Meridian, said each quilt takes 60 to 200 man hours to complete, depending on the intricacy of the design. He is spending a term for felony violation of a no-contact order.
"It's really a team effort," Whipple said.
The inmates know the quilts will be used by those who are less fortunate, so Whipple said they try to include inspirational themes like college logos ore religious symbols, or scripture that has resonated in their own hearts.
"So there's some thought and detail that goes into it and we're all pretty proud to be part of this. Not just working in the laundry but giving back," Whipple said. "It gives us a sense that we're still connected to everybody out there."
Wilson said the prison gladly accepts donations of fabric and other materials the inmates can use to continue making quilts. Anyone wishing more information about the project may contact him at (208) 962-3276.
Information from: Lewiston Tribune, http://www.lmtribune.com | <urn:uuid:30c2a094-3353-475d-9fd2-2cb96c2ac2a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gillettenewsrecord.com/stories/Quilts-blanket-prison-inmates-with-hope-,81632?category_id=4&content_class=1&sub_type=stories,maps | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975218 | 1,145 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Death of a $100,000 Race Car (Oct, 1949)
Death of a $100,000 Race Car
THE best driver and the fastest car didn’t win the 1949 Indianapolis race. They broke records, set a blistering pace never equalled. But they didn’t win.
Iron-nerved Dennis (Duke) Nalon and his 550-horse-power Novi Mobil Special, designed by Bud Winfield, should have won that race. We wish they had, because that was the combination Mechanix Illustrated boldly predicted, away back in our May issue, would cop the 500-mile classic. But the Duke didn’t win because, on the 24th lap, after shattering every Speedway record for 55 miles and pounding down the straightaways at 200 mph, his great car suddenly died of a broken axle.
The stricken Novi rocketed against the northeast wall, then burst into flames. Duke somehow kept the Novi upright, somehow managed to unhook his safety belt and plunge free of the flaming inferno that had been, seconds before, the “car nobody could beat.”
On these pages we present the dramatic picture story of that car’s death and the miraculous escape of the finest, gamest driver in the race-car business. • | <urn:uuid:bbc4a12e-fdf5-4858-a01f-07594b89f47b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.modernmechanix.com/death-of-a-100000-race-car/1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967189 | 268 | 1.765625 | 2 |
World Vision Distribution Teams Reach Out to Survivors in Superstorm Sandy's Aftermath
'You're the First People to Help Us'
Relief Teams Challenged by Gas Shortage, Heavy Snow but Still Distributing Food, Flood and Hygiene Kits
Contact: John Yeager, World Vision, 425-765-9845, email@example.com
NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- As millions recovering in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy are still without power, World Vision relief workers are hard at work distributing much needed relief supplies with more on the way. World Vision, an international Christian relief and development organization, has sent out distribution teams to regions across the eastern United States hard-hit by the storm.
"You're the first people to help us. Thank you," was the reaction from one storm survivor who got help today at a distribution set up by World Vision in Far Rockaway, New York. Hundreds of food kits were distributed along with blankets and flood cleanup kits. Each flood cleanup kit for example, contains a mop, two brooms, sponges, bleach, a scrub brush, a bucket and gloves. World Vision has ordered an additional 9,000 blankets now en route. More New York distributions are scheduled for the days ahead. World Vision staff is working through the weekend. Crews are challenged by the lack of gasoline.
In Appalachia, where power is still out at the World Vision Storehouse in Philippi, West Virginia, heavy snows still limit mobility. This is the fourth day that facility has been shut down but food kits and water are still being distributed by staff.
Cleanup is progressing at the South Bronx World Vision Storehouse, heavily damaged Monday when the nearby East River flooded its banks destroying relief supplies. Relief supplies from World Vision's Domestic Disaster Headquarters in North Texas and International Distribution Centers in Denver and Pittsburgh are arriving at a second, newly-opened disaster relief distribution center in the South Bronx. "We're mobilizing hundreds of partners to reach thousands of people immediately," says Rick Miltimore, World Vision's National Director of Resources and Relief.
World Vision US is using existing pre-positioned supplies to help as it restocks shelves. "In the last four days, World Vision has replenished blankets, tarps and cleanup kits," says Miltimore. "Donations are critical to replenish our supplies. We're going to help restore these communities," says Miltimore.
In Haiti, torrential rains from Hurricane Sandy hit the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 20 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, prompting widespread flooding, landslides and destruction of crops. More than 70 people died. World Vision has supplied tarpaulins, hygiene kits jerry-cans blankets, and sleeping mats to flood-affected Haitian families from pre-positioned supplies.
To help: www.worldvision.org/americanfamilies
John Yeager World Vision U.S. - Media Relations 425-765-9845 firstname.lastname@example.org
About World Vision: World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world's poor, regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org. | <urn:uuid:7b17dc5f-6a62-4a1e-92ac-7709e15c0307> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4818170813.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924593 | 695 | 1.578125 | 2 |
In economics 101 you learn that when you interfere with market forces, you disturb the delicate balance of the market. Rent price control creates shortages and diminishes the incentives to renovation apartments; the careful control of the number of medallion taxes and the prices they can charge creates imbalances where there are sometimes a slew of taxis and other times insufficient numbers.
It is not hard to reason that our creation of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, with their implied government guarantees, created an incentive to originate loans that were more risky than what the market would normally tolerate. The result was an increase in asset prices (more money chasing real estate) and an eventual collapse.
In a sense, we got what we designed. Our goal was lofty enough: to enable widespread home ownership. Nobody can argue with the social goal. But the price to pay is exactly what is happening here.
Our solution is to bail out all parties involved. The risk is that we are once again changing the incentive structures to the market-based system. If I know that I when I win I win and when I lose, I win, then I play a different game. We got the current disaster when the investment banks did not know that the federal government would bail them out. Imagine how they would play the game if the knew it was impossible to lose.
Only in cases where the social consequences are clearly undesirable should we impose regulation. Labor working conditions, environmental laws, are areas were regulation is desirable. But even there, it is better to use a market based approach. For example, polluting the environment has a societal cost and to do it, you should pay a high price that reflects your overall consumption of global resources. A market for carbon credits can work.
In addition, I like to pay along the way for my regulation versus all at once. While a minimum wage law certainly has economic consequences, but we can see them along the way. The implied guarantee of a the federal government on trillions of dollars of mortgage assets is exactly the type of ticking time bomb that creates increased volatility and occasional castotrophic collapses.
I agree that we should think very carefully before we use taxpayer money to bail out private companies from their bad decisions. | <urn:uuid:577add57-a13b-403c-90cb-e7cae9b57aeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.phanfare.com/2008/09/tinkering-with-market-forces-is-rarely-a-good-idea/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970455 | 446 | 2.390625 | 2 |
In May 1994, Artur Ekert visited Caltech to give a seminar about quantum cryptography. Near the end of the talk, Ekert revealed an exciting new development — just weeks earlier, Peter Shor had announced the discovery of an efficient quantum algorithm for finding the prime factors of large composite integers, a problem for which no efficient classical algorithm is known.
Perhaps I’ve embellished the memory over time, but I recall being awestruck by this news. I spent the next month at the Isaac Newton Institute attending a workshop about quantum black holes, and though it was a very good workshop and I had some great discussions, I spent most of my time there secretly trying to understand Shor’s paper, which Ekert had emailed to me. This took some effort, because I knew little about algorithms or computational complexity at that time (even less than I know now), but by the end of the workshop I felt I understood the ideas behind Shor’s algorithm pretty well. I did not yet realize that I was in the midst of a career transition from particle physics to quantum information science.
I had heard before about the idea of quantum computation, but had not been very interested. After Ekert’s disclosure I grasped why the subject is really exciting — with highly controllable quantum systems we should be able to perform surprising and useful tasks that would be impossible in a world governed by classical rather than quantum physics.
Quantum technology has advanced steadily in the 18 years since I heard Ekert’s seminar, but quantum computers that can factor large numbers by running Shor’s algorithm still seem far off. I think we’ll get there eventually, but perhaps it will take a few more decades. In a future post I may say more about why it’s taking so long. Today I would rather emphasize another way to exploit controllable quantum systems.
In parallel with the progress in building hardware for quantum computing, there have been marvelous achievements in controlling systems of ultracold atoms to explore collective phenomena in quantum many-body systems. Eventually, we should be able to use these tools to simulate quantum systems that are too hard to simulate classically, and so gain valuable insights into the behavior of highly correlated quantum matter. But when?
A recent paper by Martin Zwierlein’s group at MIT (arXiv version here) suggests that this may have already happened. They measure, as a function of temperature and chemical potential, the density of a gas of spin-1/2 fermionic Lithium 6 atoms with strong short-range interactions. They compare the measured equation of state to a calculation done using a method for summing perturbation theory (which I had not heard of before) called Bold Diagrammatic Monte Carlo (BDMC), finding excellent agreement. It’s not clear how to do so accurate a calculation using any other currently known technique.
The foundations of BDMC have not been firmly established, in particular because the method rests on unproven assumptions about the convergence of perturbation theory. By validating the method in their experiment, the authors seem to have extracted some nontrivial information about a strongly-coupled quantum many-body system which goes beyond what we know from existing analytic and computational methods. As they put it: “This presents the first — although long anticipated — compelling example of how ultracold atoms can guide new microscopic theories for strongly interacting quantum matter.”
In a recent talk, I proposed using the term “quantum supremacy” to describe super-classical tasks performed using controllable quantum systems. I’m not completely happy with this term, and would be glad if readers could suggest something better.
But more importantly: Is it reasonable to say that the Zwierlein group has achieved quantum supremacy? | <urn:uuid:7eb0819a-e1c8-432b-8507-3ef85437ce13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://quantumfrontiers.com/2012/07/22/supremacy-now/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956989 | 787 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Plantidote of the Day 2012-11-16
Cornus alba 'Gouchaulti'
Redtwig ossier, shrub dogwood
Plantidote pal NWLuna sent this incredible image and a second one, below the fold, that's equally amazing. Here's the story that goes with them:
Two fall colors in backlit leaves of Cornus alba 'Gouchaulti', a redtwig ossier or shrub dogwood. They are deciduous, have variegated green and yellow foliage with dark red stems and branches that offer color in winter. They can grow to 6 to 8 feet tall and wide, but can be kept much shorter by cutting back every year or two. This also keeps them looking better in winter, as the red color is much brighter in young branches and stems. Hardy to minus 30F.
These leaves are so beautiful, I couldn't decide which photo to use, so here's the second one:
Thank you, NWLuna!! This is something a lot of us would never see if you hadn't taken the time to shoot it and send it in. And it's beautifully shot. Much appreciated!
Readers, please send twig (firstname.lastname@example.org) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chantrelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the comments.
Click on the image for the full-size version. Click here to see the entire series. | <urn:uuid:38261976-1262-4a0c-937f-77d92cd945ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.correntewire.com/plantidote_of_the_day_2012_11_16 | 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 | 0.937995 | 473 | 1.734375 | 2 |
S. Austin Allibone, comp. Prose Quotations from Socrates to Macaulay. 1880.
If we engage into a large acquaintance and various familiarities, we set open our gates to the invaders of most of our time; we expose our life to a quotidian ague of frigid impertinencies which would make a wise man tremble to think of.
The covetous man is a downright servant, a man condemned to work in mines, which is the lowest and hardest condition of servitude; and, to increase his misery, a worker there for he knows not whom: He heapeth up riches, and knows not who shall enjoy them: it is only sure that he himself neither shall nor can enjoy them. He is an indigent, needy slave; he will hardly allow himself clothes and board-wages; he defrauds not only other men, but his own genius; he cheats himself for money. But the servile and miserable condition of this wretch is so apparent, that I leave it, as evident to every mans sight as well as judgment.
Upon the whole matter, I account a person who has a moderate mind and fortune, and lives in the conversation of two or three agreeable friends, with little commerce in the world besides, who is esteemed well enough by his few neighbours that know him, and is truly irreproachable by anybody; and so, after a healthful quiet life, before the great inconveniences of old age, goes more silently out of it than he came in (for I would not have him so much as cry in the exit): this innocent deceiver of the world, as Horace calls him, this muta persona, I take to have been more happy in his part, than the greatest actors that fill the stage with show and noise; nay, even than Augustus himself, who asked, with his last breath, whether he had not played his farce very well.
What can we imagine more proper for the ornaments of wit and learning in the story of Deucalion than in that of Noah? Why will not the actions of Samson afford as plentiful matter as the labours of Hercules? Why is not Jephthahs daughter as good a woman as Iphigenia? and the friendship of David and Jonathan more worthy celebration than that of Theseus and Pirithous? Does not the passage of Moses and the Israelites into the Holy Land yield incomparably more poetic variety than the voyages of Ulysses or Æneas? Are the obsolete, threadbare tales of Thebes and Troy half so stored with great, heroical, and supernatural actions (since verse will needs find or make such) as the wars of Joshua, of the Judges, of David, and divers others? Can all the transformations of the gods give such copious hints to flourish and expatiate upon as the true miracles of Christ, or of his prophets and apostles? What do I instance in these few particulars? All the books of the Bible are either already most admirable and exalted pieces of poesy, or are the best materials in the world for it. | <urn:uuid:b3333ef6-b772-4fd9-b945-90abb0db3f7e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bartleby.com/349/authors/54.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973311 | 641 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Max Everest-Phillips, Director of the Governance and Institutional Development Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
25 June 2012
Political will to translate development into real, co-ordinated action crucial for very small island states.
Development is a political process, and politics is central to successful public administration which involves processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate interests, exercise rights, meet obligations and mediate differences. Max Everest-Phillips, Director of the Governance and Institutional Development Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, said this at the opening of a two-day conference on Governance and Development in the Smallest of Small Island States in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, on 25 June 2012.
The event is aimed at examining the strengths and weaknesses of governance in the smallest island states of the Caribbean which are defined as having a population of less than half a million. This includes Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The goal is to explore practical solutions to improve governance to promote sustainable political stability and economic growth.
Mr Everest-Phillips stressed the importance of effective governance to facilitate favourable development outcomes and to support the process by which the legitimacy of the state can be strengthened. This, he said, can be done by improving the political-administrative interface, including the impact of the constitution and political process on political stability, consensus-building and sustainable national vision for development.
“Some small states enjoy social cohesion and the harmonious mediation of conflicting interests, while others suffer intense individual and group rivalries which fragment and paralyse the community and its governance institutions," explained Mr Everest-Phillips. “In public administration, smallness is often associated with many negative consequences such as over-extended personnel, limited capacities, shortage of management skills, and limited innovation and entrepreneurship. However, the potential advantages of very small island states can be overlooked. They can often be more responsive to change and more flexible in policy-making.”
Mr Everest-Phillips said effective public administration can be moulded to suit national concepts of good governance by creating a best fit rather than a best practice model in identifying practical solutions to issues and challenges of national development. Strengthening the supreme audit institutions and public accounts committees is one way to enhance public administration, he added. He stated that the role of the opposition in oversight is also vital in promoting good governance and accountability. | <urn:uuid:67a2eb63-aa03-497b-a768-dab37419a46c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/248126/250612publicadminsuccess.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944233 | 507 | 1.882813 | 2 |
The supply of homes for sale is still unusually tight as the spring buying season opens, helping sellers by turning up the heat on already-rising prices.
The number of homes listed for sale on real estate website Zillow was down almost 17% in late February vs. a year earlier. In some California markets, they were down more than 40%, Zillow data show.
The supply crunch is likely to last all year, says IHS Global Insight economist Patrick Newport. "We're still not building enough homes."
While the U.S. is creating about 1.1 million new households a year, housing starts in January came in at an 890,000 annual rate, the government says.
But as prices rise, more owners will be motivated to sell, easing supply shortages, economists say.
Home prices were up 7.3% in the fourth quarter from a year before, Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller data show. That was a much faster rise than most economists expected for 2012.
Nationwide, the supply of homes for sale - based on the pace of sales - fell in January to 4.2 months, the National Association of Realtors says. That's an almost eight-year low. A six-month to seven-month supply is considered balanced between buyers and sellers.
The availability of the most expensive homes in the markets Zillow tracks has tightened more than those at lower price levels.
Homes for sale in what Zillow defines as the top price tier in each market fell by almost 21% in February compared to a year ago. By comparison, the inventory of homes in the middle tier dropped 17% and those in the bottom tier fell 9%.
The price tiers vary by market, based on local prices.
Five California cities in Zillow's survey are among those seeing the biggest inventory drops, ranging from a 48% decline in Sacramento to a 36% falloff in Riverside. But other cities are also seeing significantly fewer listings. New York is down almost 19%, Dallas-Fort Worth, nearly 21%, and Orlando is off 27%.
Only five of 99 metros showed an increase in listings, led by El Paso, up 19%, and Albuquerque, up 8%. Little Rock, Fort Myers, Fla., and Youngstown, Ohio, also saw increases. | <urn:uuid:36747343-19a5-49cb-9fb6-bc5876302b54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtsp.com/rss/article/303557/14/Homes-for-sale-remain-in-low-supply | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969886 | 474 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The Potter County Education Council is offering a Blueprint Reading class at its Port Allegany location. This class is a must for anyone considering a career in Pipe Welding or any job that involves fabrication work. During this course, you will be introduced to the essential elements of blueprint reading, basic geometric dimensioning and tolerancing.
This course is being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 17 – 31, 2012 from
5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Cost is $210 per participant. For more information or to register for this course call (814) 545-1333 or check out our website at www.pottercountyedcouncil.org.
Telecommunications Technologies Certification: Connecting to the Future
The information explosion has caused the telecommunications industry to advance faster than any other field. Cabling technicians are needed now, and will be far into the future, as fiber optic cable is being laid across America. Eventually, it will run to every school, hospital, business and private residence.
Earn your industry-recognized C-Tech Telecommunications Technologies Certification by completing 110 hours of specialized training which includes: Telecommunications: Technology Systems; Network Cabling: Copper-Based Systems; and Network Cabling: Fiber Optic-Based Systems. Complete the course and receive a field toolkit to help you get started.
The Potter County Education Council plans to offer this course at its Port Allegany location once seven participants have registered. The cost is $3,995. If you are interested in this class, call (814) 545-1333.
The First Step: How to Start and Finance Your Business
This free seminar is presented by Clarion University’s Small Business Development Center and provides an overview of the steps necessary to start a business. Topics include: guidelines on how to finance your business; what to consider before starting a business; license and tax information; how and why to prepare a business plan; regulations governing a business; and other resources designed to help you plan and succeed in your new business.
This seminar is being held Tuesday, January 10, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Coudersport office of the Potter County Education Council. There is no cost but registration is required. Register online at web.clarion.edu/sbdc/training or call toll free (877) 292-1843. | <urn:uuid:16350e37-8bff-455e-8302-65143b50997c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://coudynews.com/upcoming-courses-offered-by-potter-county-education-council-14/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927779 | 496 | 1.75 | 2 |
Crew Wraps up Busy Week of Science and Robotics
Inside the International Space Station the six-member Expedition 34 crew is wrapping up a busy week of science research and ongoing maintenance.
Commander Kevin Ford powered up Robonaut 2 again Friday so ground controllers could verify the humanoid robot’s configuration for upcoming activities. He also “took out the trash” as he stowed old U.S. gear and trash inside the docked ISS Progress 48 resupply craft.
› Read more about Robonaut 2
Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield conducted some plumbing in the Columbus laboratory during the morning. He replaced a water on/off valve with assistance from both Ford and controllers in Germany’s Columbus Control Center. He later rotated a science rack inside Columbus requiring him to power down laptop computers then disconnect and reconnect cables to the rack.
Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn continued updating software on the Waste and Hygiene Compartment’s Urine Processor Assembly. He later prepared sensors he’ll wear for the Integrated Cardiovascular experiment that measures the shrinkage of a crew member’s heart in space, called cardiac atrophy.
› Integrated Cardiovascular
The trio of cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, Evgeny Tarelkin and Roman Romanenko, all Flight Engineers, worked throughout the station’s Russian segment.
Novitskiy and Tarelkin partnered up for the Matryoshka experiment which uses a mannequin outfitted with dosimeters to detect and measure radiation inside the station. The duo also began their morning on the Sprut-2 experiment which studies the liquid content of the human body in microgravity.
› Read more about Matryoshka
› Read more about SPRUT-2
Romanenko had a photography session with the Uragan experiment which observes natural and man-made effects of disasters on Earth. He then worked with Novitskiy to copy data gathered from the Identification experiment to a laptop computer. That experiment studies how crew members and ground support personnel interact during long-term missions.
› Read more about Uragan
› Read more about Identification
Overnight, the Robotic Refueling Mission continued. The Dextre robot had stowed away the multi-use tool that it had been using to simulate working on a satellite in orbit. As it was reaching into its tool belt to retrieve a tool that simulates removing a safety cap from a satellite, ground teams noticed a mechanical issue between Dextre’s arm and the adapter that allows it to grab onto its tools. The teams will work through the issue over the weekend and RRM activities are expected to continue on Tuesday as scheduled.
› Read more about RRM
› Listen to interview about this weeks’ RRM activities
› Watch video from Day 1 RRM activities | <urn:uuid:8a24ccdc-f073-4085-bd0a-c1fe1b7be907> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition34/e34_011813.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929365 | 590 | 2.109375 | 2 |
"Sparrows shoot over the white earth."
-Noah Eli Gordon
I forgot to write about September. The perfect outline of trees against the sky that folds itself into yellow. These green-going-to-yellow, writes Marvin Bell. There is yellow behind everything always. Always the tint of eternity. A field of white flowers before yellow. The grasses and mullein holding in the noise of creatures. Everything in September is stealth and fear, stealth and even the distant voice of a child is a disappearing act. The voice of someone cradling twilight. In September, a small bird flew under the grill of the car as I drove. Its death was a batter of bones, wings like shells.
I wished the last days of summer were a paradise. Their sound was the sound of kadosh, kadosh, kadosh.
Liz pulled tomatoes from a vine and they were garnet and carnel orbs in my hands. They were as perfect as fire.
There was a heron standing in a lake off Highway 66. It rose like a clean shadow, tall and gray from the water that had a surface bending yellow and silver in late afternoon sun. It was warming itself beneath the corn-colored sky, waiting for night, oblivious to the highway that hushes all wings and wonders. | <urn:uuid:8464e23c-91a3-489e-ba37-5eb35fd0469f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pinewoodasylum.com/2007_11_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973432 | 270 | 1.664063 | 2 |
- adj. Alternative form of unminable.
“The Carbon Sequestration Atlas reflects some of the regional differences; for example, not all of the regional partnerships identified unmineable coal seams as potential CO2 reservoirs.”
“Table 1 indicates a lower and upper range for sequestration potential in deep saline formations and for unmineable coal seams, but only a single estimate for oil and gas fields.”
“Also, many unmineable coal seams in the United States are located near electricity-generating facilities, which could reduce the distance and cost of transporting CO2 from large point sources to storage sites.”
“DOE indicates that unmineable coal seams in the United States, however, have more potential capacity than oil and gas fields for storing CO2.”
“According to IPCC, unmineable coal seams have the smallest potential capacity for storing CO2 globally compared to oil and gas fields or deep saline formations.”
“The discrepancy could represent the relatively abundant U.S. coal reserves compared to other regions in the world, or it might also indicate the level of uncertainty in estimating the CO2 storage capacity in unmineable coal seams.”
“Three main types of geological formations are being considered for carbon sequestration: (1) depleted oil and gas reservoirs, (2) deep saline reservoirs, and (3) unmineable coal seams.”
“She then told him what Harvey Knuckle had mined from unmineable juvenile records.”
“Geologic storage is focused on five types of formations: depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline formations, unmineable coal seams, oil - and gas-rich organic shales, and basalts.”
‘unmineable’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
Looking for tweets for unmineable. | <urn:uuid:525bcf40-7220-4f9b-a3a0-4f827f107b05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/unmineable | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932146 | 392 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Baphomet and the Knights Templar
Baphomet first became known when the Knights Templar were tried for blasphemy, homosexuality, and devil worship by the Inquisition in the 13th century. According to confessions given by members, Baphomet was an idol that either took the form of a large head or a cat. Based on the various testimonies of the Templars, no precise description of Baphomet came to light. It is even possible that Baphomet never existed at all for the Knights, or that multiple idols might have been involved.
Baphomet and Eliphas Lévi
Baphomet gained new fame with the 19th century mystic Eliphas Lévi, who drew the now infamous image that is often taken for the modern Christian version of Satan. However, Lévi did not believe that Baphomet was in any way equal to this Devil, saying this icon "cannot be confounded with fabulous images of Satan." Futher, he says "But the adorers of [Baphomet] do not consider...that it is a representation of the devil; on the contrary, for them it is that of the god Pan, the god of our modern schools of philosophy...the god of the primitive Gnostic schools" (Levi, 1995, p. 308).
According to Levi, Baphomet was symbolic of what he called the Great Magical Agent, which can be defined as the universal life-force. This Astral Light is also the force that adepts use in magical operations. Common analogies are the Hindu Kundalini and the First Matter of alchemy.
In Transcendal Magic, Lévi explains the symbolism of his famous drawing:
"Moreover, the sign of occultism is made with both hands, pointing upward to the white moon of Chesed, and downward to the black moon of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect concord between mercy and justice. One of the arms is feminine and other masculine, as in the Androgyne of Khunrath, whose attributes we have combined with those of our goat, since they are one and the same symbol. The torch of intelligence burning between the horns is the magical light of universal equilibrium; it is also the type of soul exalted above matter, as the flame cleaves to the torch. The monstrous head of the animal expresses horror of sin, for which the mateial agent, alone responsible, must alone and for ever bear the penalty, because the soul is impassible in its nature and can suffer only by materialising. The caduceus, which replaces the generative organ, represents eternal life; the scale-covered belly tyifies water; the circle above it is the atmosphere; the feathers still higher up signify the volatile; lastly, humanity is depicted by the two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences" (Levi, 1995, p. 309).
The Gnostic Creed
Baphomet is listed within the Gnostic Creed of the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (the eccesiastical arm of Ordo Templi Orientis, Inc.). The relevant article of the Creed is as follows: "And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name Baphomet."
Crowley said that Baphomet was representitive of the Babe in the Egg, or the original being, which was bisexual, and symbolized "arcane perfection" (Crowley 1997). He further says of Baphomet, "this Goat is called also Strength, and standeth at the Meridian at the Sunrise of Spring, and it is his Nature to leap upon the Mountains. So therefore is he a symbol of true Magick" (Crowley 1995).
In The Book of Lies (1913), the 33rd chapter is entitled "Baphomet." It puports to transmit Templar Grand Master Jacques DeMolay's description of God under the figure of the double-headed eagle used as a symbol of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. It also alludes to "the GOD that is ass-headed," leaving it unclear whether Baphomet is to be identified with either, neither or both the eagle and the ass-headed figures.
In the Book of Thoth, Crowley identifies Baphomet with the Tarot card "The Devil" and attributes him to the Greek god Pan, the All-Begetter. In this context, Baphomet represents the "creative energy in its most material form...the divine madness of Spring" where he is exalted in the manifested, material world—a supreme appreciator of existance and the power of creation.
The name Baphomet was taken by Aleister Crowley when he became the Outer Head of the Order (or OHO) for OTO.
[ Go Back ]
Encyclopedia of Thelema
Copyright © by The Book of THOTH - The complete guide to the Tarot, Magick and the Occult - (1064 reads) | <urn:uuid:8fadf8ac-2a6a-4446-a314-b9aadf0f5ada> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thothweb.com/encyclopedia-32.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94806 | 1,029 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Assumptions, Aims, and Recommendationsof the Secondary Strand, 1989
- The arts of language (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) are inextricably related to thinking.
- Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are social and interactive processes.
- Learning is the process of actively constructing meaning from experience, including encounters with many kinds of print and nonprint texts.
- Others-parents, teachers, and peers-help learners construct meanings by serving as supportive models, providing frames and materials for inquiry, helping create and modify hypotheses, and confirming the worth of the venture.
- All students possess a rich fund of prior knowledge, based on unique linguistic, cultural, socioeconomic, and experiential backgrounds.
- Acknowledging and appreciating diversity is necessary to a democratic society.
- To empower students
- as lifelong learners whose command of language is exemplary and who gain pleasure and fulfillment from reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- as active inquirers, experimenters, and problem solvers who are able to use the arts of language as means of gaining insight into and reflecting on their own and others' lives.
- as productive citizens who use language to take charge of their own lives and to communicate effectively with others.
- as theorizers about their own language and learning, able to read, write, and reflect on texts from multiple perspectives.
- To empower teachers
- as active learners who serve as coaches, mentors, and collaborative creators of learning experiences rather than as dispensers of information.
- as decision makers in every aspect of schooling.
- To foster the integration of the arts of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the curriculum.
Students and learning are at the center of any discussion of what English studies should be or how English should be taught. At the most general level, secondary schools aim to help children develop into competent, knowledgeable, and self-confident language users. Such students learn about language; they learn how to listen, speak, read, and write; and they learn why language and literacy are central to their lives.
The following recommendations for curriculum, teaching practices, and institutional support guide teachers, administrators, teacher educators, policy makers, and others who strive to build exemplary secondary school language arts programs.
- Assure that the English curriculum is flexible enough to adapt to important outside influences and events and to relate to the ways language is used throughout the curriculum.
- Emphasize both content and process in the curriculum. The English curriculum is concerned both with what students need to know and with what they are able to do. Process is taught in a holistic way, stressing skills as part of an overall process, not in isolation or as ends in themselves. In a similar fashion, the content of the language arts curriculum does not focus on particular facts, lists of literary works or characters, rote definitions of literary terms, or isolated language or literacy facts. Rather, content gives meaning to English instruction by providing an idea-oriented curriculum.
- Study a variety of complete works of literature, as well as a wide variety of other texts, such as student writing, television, advertising, video, specialty magazines, film, and technical reports.
- Invite students to read deeply in our diverse literary tradition, including writing by men and women of many racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.
- Teach higher-level thinking in conjunction with the regular English curriculum, not in isolation.
- Define the normal teaching load for teachers of English as four classes of twenty students.
- Group classes heterogeneously in order to provide equitable educational opportunities for all.
- Provide multiple opportunities for students to work together, serving as readers and consulting editors as well as writers, and allowing teachers to act as facilitators.
- Promote writing by providing opportunities for students to write for a wide variety of purposes and audiences and by making available a wide variety of writing materials and media.
- Treat problems of usage in terms of the social implications of particular choices rather than as forms that are correct or incorrect.
- Provide multiple opportunities for students to use the arts of language rather than to memorize rules about them.
- Provide sufficient equipment and supplies, including duplicating facilities, media equipment, word processing and writing labs, and sufficient books.
- Provide increased paraprofessional help to reduce teachers' clerical duties, thus freeing teachers to make more student and community contact.
- Restructure the allotment of school time to allow for increased time for teachers to plan and prepare for classes, to have student-teacher or parent-teacher conferences, and to form instructional teams to plan special courses for students.
- Provide fully staffed writing labs with a minimum of ten word processors, typewriters, and other writing resources.
- Provide funds for updating library technology.
- Eliminate classroom interruptions and reduce clerical and other nonteaching duties which interfere with learning.
- Provide money and released time for teachers to attend professional meetings, conferences, conventions, and district-sponsored workshops.
- Develop student support systems, especially for disaffected and unsuccessful students.
- Provide alternative provisions for students who learn best in nontraditional modes and settings.
- Support new teacher-generated and teacher-directed assessment devices which test reading, writing, and higher thinking skills rather than rote knowledge.
For more detailed information about the English Coalition, see The English Coalition Conference: Democracy through Language, edited by Richard Lloyd-Jones and Andrea A. Lunsford (Urbana, IL.: National Council of Teachers of English and Modern Language Association, 1989).
Compiled by George B. Shea Jr., on behalf of the English Coalition Conference/Secondary Strand: Gwendolyn Alexander, Wayne C. Booth, Craig Bowman, Nancy Broz, Candy Carter, Jane Christensen, Robert Denham, Janet Emig, Jeffrey Golub, Larry Johannessen, Thomas Jones, Richard Lloyd-Jones, Nancy McHugh, Peggy Swoger, Joseph Tsujimoto, and Brooke Workman.
This position statement may be printed, copied, and disseminated without permission from NCTE. | <urn:uuid:5bdaa767-b6b0-48b7-8e0f-2d93031f9fe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/englishcoalitionsec | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934066 | 1,263 | 3.78125 | 4 |
'Red Tails' offers stirring action, but stick figures
The true story of the Tuskegee Airmen is far better than this cartoonish movie.
The story of the Tuskegee Airmen - the African American pilots of World War II fame - is a great one, full of heroism in the air and on the ground. The irony of battling fascism overseas and then returning to racism at home - not to mention the prejudice they experienced in the military - was not lost on these men, who proved their mettle on countless aerial combat missions, even while many inside the Pentagon doubted their skills.
Red Tails, which begins with a damning epigram from a 1925 War College study ("blacks are inferior to whites in every way"), sets out to honor these heroes, and does so - but in ways that reduce their achievements to the stuff of cartoons.
A long-borning George Lucas project (he's been trying to get studio backing for more than 20 years), Red Tails, like Star Wars, is full of vintage war movie tropes: the reckless flyboys, the hard-drinking squadron captain, the evil nemeses and their deadly fighting machines. . . . And when the Tuskegee crew, based in Italy, finally gets the chance to fly new snub-nosed P-51 Mustangs - replacing their old winged jalopies, patched together with tape and gum - they take to the skies, and take down the smug Aryans in their Messerschmitts.
The dogfighting sequences, full of crisscrossing, bullets-blazing action, are rendered with digital precision - they're exhilarating. The camera zooms in on the pilots - guys with nicknames like "Smoky" and "Lightning," and "Easy" - then cuts away to crisp CG shots of planes arching up into the clouds, diving down on Nazi supply trains and warships.
"How do you like that, Mr. Hitler!" exclaims one of the pilots after blowing up a German boat.
It's not just the combat dialogue that's simplistic - and jingoistic (the word Lucas himself used when he was on Jon Stewart's show last week). Red Tails addresses segregation within the ranks of the U.S. Army Air Corps with similar one-dimensionality. The first time the squadron is assigned to escort a bombing run, the (white) pilots of the bombers take a look at the dark-skinned faces in the fighter cockpits alongside and essentially resign themselves to doom.
After the Tuskegee squad completes its run, protecting the bombers and shooting down Nazis, the same pilot says something golly-geeish like "hope we see those guys again!" And then, back on the ground, they invite the black airmen for a drink - in the whites-only officers club. Presto change-o, centuries of racism vanquished.
But Lucas, along with his director, Anthony Hemingway, and their writers, wanted it this way. Red Tails is an action movie first, full of head-spinning video game-like aerial acrobatics and artillery fire, and a history lesson second. That's why the characters are fictional composites of Tuskegee Airmen: There's Joe "Lightning" Little (David Oyelowo), who falls for a lovely Italian girl (Daniela Ruah) he first sees on a fly-over; there's Marty "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker), the squadron leader who's been dousing his nerves in whiskey; there's Ray "Junior" Gannon (Tristan Wilds), the wide-eyed kid of the bunch; and there are Maj. Stance (Cuba Gooding Jr.), who can't give a mission brief without sticking a pipe in his face, and Col. Bullard (Terrence Howard), who is back in D.C., combating the bigots among the brass (Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston is the worst offender).
There isn't a real, flesh-and-blood figure in the bunch. Everything about Red Tails - the breaking down of racial barriers, the military achievements, the courage and sacrifice - is diminished in the process. | <urn:uuid:5538a12f-9936-472d-b5ef-214f882b21f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/movies/20120120__Red_Tails__offers_stirring_action__but_stick_figures.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938798 | 869 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Did you ever wonder who created the trash can icon on your computer? It came from a designer working on the first Macintosh.
The year was 1981. No one really knew what a computer should look like and what it should do. Steve Jobs told the team developing the first Macintosh that it had to be “friendly.” One designer said, “To be honest, we didn’t know what it meant for a computer to be ‘friendly’ until Steve told us.”
Friendly meant everything from the shape and size of the computer to rounding the corners on rectangles on the screen. When his programmer said rounded corners were impossible, Jobs said it had to be done. Pointing to billboards, tabletops, car windows, a No Parking sign, he said, ”Rectangles with rounded corners are everywhere.” The next day, Jobs had his rectangles with rounded corners.
It is legend that Jobs was passionate about fonts because of the calligraphy class he audited at Reed after dropping out. But the story about font names is great. When Jobs learned that his designer had named them Merion, Ardmore, Rosemont, the stops on Philadelphia’s suburban commuter rail line, he complained that those places were unknown. “They ought to be world-class cities.” And so, the Mac’s first fonts became Venice, Geneva, New York, Toronto.
The calculator story is also wonderful. Returning day after day, he kept saying, too dark a background, then the lines are too thick, and then the buttons are too big. As a joke, the designer responded with, “The Steve Jobs Roll Your Own Calculator Construction Set.” Jobs played around with it and created the initial standard design for the Mac’s calculator.
Isaacson concludes the Mac story with a signing ceremony. Saying, “Real artists sign their work,” Jobs asked each of the project’s participants, 46 people including himself, to sign a piece of drafting paper so that an engraving of the signatures could be inside every Macintosh.
Perhaps the best commercial ever made, Apple’s 1984 introduced the Macintosh to the world at the Super Bowl. Here is is.
Our Bottom Line: The first Macintosh displays the reality of Joseph Schumpeter’s creative destruction. From one innovation to the next, Steve Jobs replaced existing technology with new devices. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and interchangeable musket parts Henry Ford’s moving assembly line and Ray Kroc’s vision for McDonald’s, also display the impact of entrepreneurs.
My Steve Jobs stories and quotes are from the Walter Isaacson bio that I am still reading and loving. I also took a look at Insanely Great by Steven Levy. Moving beyond, Malcolm Gladwell explained in The New Yorker that Steve Jobs’s greatness came from being a “tweaker.” | <urn:uuid:aa332c2c-0ca4-4634-99f7-457e3d0e41d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.econlife.com/tag/best-super-bowl-commercial/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955583 | 609 | 2.9375 | 3 |
The Buddha points to two mental qualities as the underlying safeguards of morality, thus as the protectors of both the individual and society as a whole. These two qualities are called in Pali hiri and ottappa. Hiri is an innate sense of shame over moral transgression; ottappa is moral dread, fear of the results of wrongdoing. The Buddha calls these two states the bright guardians of the world (sukka lokapala). He gives them this designation because as long as these two states prevail in people's hearts the moral standards of the world remain intact, while when their influence wanes the human world falls into unabashed promiscuity and violence, becoming almost indistinguishable from the animal realm (Itiv. 42).
While moral shame and fear of wrongdoing are united in the common task of protecting the mind from moral defilement, they differ in their individual characteristics and modes of operation. Hiri, the sense of shame, has an internal reference; it is rooted in self-respect and induces us to shrink from wrongdoing out of a feeling of personal honor. Ottappa, fear of wrongdoing, has an external orientation. It is the voice of conscience that warns us of the dire consequences of moral transgression: blame and punishment by others, the painful kammic results of evil deeds, the impediment to our desire for liberation from suffering. Acariya Buddhaghosa illustrates the difference between the two with the simile of an iron rod smeared with excrement at one end and heated to a glow at the other end: hiri is like one's disgust at grabbing the rod in the place where it is smeared with excrement, ottappa is like one's fear of grabbing it in the place where it is red hot.
In the present-day world, with its secularization of all values, such notions as shame and fear of wrong are bound to appear antiquated, relics from a puritanical past when superstition and dogma manacled our rights to uninhibited self-expression. Yet the Buddha's stress on the importance of hiri and ottappa was based on a deep insight into the different potentialities of human nature. He saw that the path to deliverance is a struggle against the current, and that if we are to unfold the mind's capacities for wisdom, purity and peace, then we need to keep the powderkeg of the defilements under the watchful eyes of diligent sentinels. | <urn:uuid:6e72168f-fdae-4979-91e7-38ec684a1945> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?9815-Self-moralizing-in-Zen&p=79457&viewfull=1 | 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 | 0.945617 | 503 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Surprise! The nation's wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, and their primary trade association and Republican leaders in Congress are all opposing an FCC proposal that would put free wireless broadband in the hands of consumers.
A little-noted July 25 deadline for comments is looming at the Federal
Communications Commission. At stake is a plan by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that
would combine two spectrum blocks for auction and require the winning licensee
to offer free broadband service to 50 percent of the United
States within four years and 95 percent of
the country within 10 years.
plan, the winning bidder would build an advertising-supported network that
would filter out pornography on the free-access part of the network. In
addition, the FCC wants to impose an open access requirement on the spectrum,
allowing any device or software to plug into the network.
"I think the business model that we should be advocating is trying to
take into account some kind of a lifeline broadband service for consumers,"
Martin told a House committee June 10. "I think that is important and I
continue to believe that that is an important policy."
The nation's wireless carriers do not. T-Mobile, in particular, claims the
new network would create interference in its planned 3G service that would run
next door to the FCC's proposed network. AT&T and Verizon have also opposed
the auction plan, as have the CTIA, the carriers' principal trade association,
and several Republican members of Congress.
"The commission cannot responsibly reach a decision on the proposal ... without
gathering empirical data concerning the interference risks that have been
identified," T-Mobile said in a filing with the FCC. T-Mobile spent $4.2
billion in the 2006 AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) auction held by the FCC.
The CTIA claims the FCC is not dealing in good faith with companies like
"How can the FCC expect investors and the carriers they fund to show up
at future auctions and fully utilize their spectrum if they have no confidence
that the FCC is an honest broker?" the CTIA said in a June 25 letter to
the FCC. "Now the FCC is planning to pull the rug out from under those
same licensees by developing new rules that will cause harmful interference to
Republican Reps. Joe Barton of Texas
and Cliff Stearns of Florida have
also opposed the plan.
"Placing these conditions would result in the commission choosing
winners and losers, as well as denying taxpayers the added revenue the spectrum
would likely fetch if auctioned without the conditions," the
two lawmakers wrote June 25.(PDF) Barton and Stearns also said the proposed
auction is shaped to fit the "business model [of] a single party."
In 2005, a Silicon Valley startup known as M2Z
Networks proposed building a free network in the 2155-2175MHz band. The catch,
though, was M2Z didn't want to bid on the spectrum. Instead, M2Z proposed that the
FCC lease the spectrum to the company in return for 5 percent of the gross
receipts. The FCC said no: Auctions only, please.
In April, Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Chris Cannon
(R-Utah) introduced legislation that would require the FCC to auction fallow
spectrum (like the 2155-2180MHz band, for instance) to provide free broadband
for 95 percent of the country within 10 years. The catch? Eshoo and Cannon want
the spectrum to be used as a "family-friendly" network. | <urn:uuid:050b358e-12b4-41c9-9d6c-2efdfaf926ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/No-Free-Wireless-Broadband-for-You-Wireless-Carriers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954736 | 760 | 1.5625 | 2 |
On GPL Compliance, Android Tablets Get an 'F'
"The big question is whether or not the community wants to make bad business with foreign developers and manufacturers that are really just too lazy/ignorant to realize what they are doing," said Slashdot blogger Eldavojohn. "Of course, nobody gets away with that defense when a business comes knocking about a license violation, but holding your users' feet to the fire never turns out well."
There seems to be no stopping the current avalanche of Android tablets -- just look through the CES announcements for a not-so-small sampling -- and that's undoubtedly a good thing for Linux.
A shadow was recently cast upon that otherwise sunny landscape, however, in the form of a report examining said tablets' GPL compliance.
"The GPL requires that vendors either provide the source code to the GPL components with the device, or alternatively to provide a written offer to provide the source code upon request," explained Red Hat employee and Linux kernel developer Matthew Garrett in an introduction to his analysis of today's Android tablets. "Distributing devices without adhering to the copyright license of the associated software is copyright infringement, and doing so commercially is a criminal act in many countries."
So how do today's tablets fare when it comes to the GPL? Let's just say there are an awful lot of "No's" on Garrett's list.
Overall, the tablets range "from 'utter failure' to 'pretty good,'" Garrett wrote recently in a blog post describing his results. The "vast majority," however, "are shipping without any source being made available, and that includes devices from well-known vendors. It's pretty much a given from the ones you've never heard of."
In other words, the scales are tipping heavily toward the "utter failure" end, it seems. And that's not a good thing.
"Take take take," wrote gilesjuk on Slashdot, where a lively discussion of the problem soon ensued. "That sums up most Android vendors, they develop their own GUIs and improvements and don't give much or anything back to the project. Hardly in the spirit of open source is it?"
'Very Illegal, Like Stealing Code'
Indeed, "even though I have not contributed one line of code, I'm still affected by it as a software developer," opined obarel. "I earn my living by writing software for my company. I do not use GPL because I know it's illegal not to publish the code, and my company cannot afford to publish our code, due to competition.
"This means that my company invests time and money (which directly affects my livelihood due to competition) into software development, while other, larger companies just take GPL'ed code and use it without fear (and without any intention to release their code)," obarel continued. "So they have an unfair advantage over my company. It's unfair, because what they do is illegal.... very illegal, like stealing code from a competitor."
Other opinions in the Linux blogosphere were just as strong, so Linux Girl knew it was time to learn more.
'A Serious Problem'
"From a user's perspective, it is not an immediate issue; from a developer's or legal perspective, it has the potential to be a massive issue," Slashdot blogger Eldavojohn told Linux Girl. "If the developers haven't taken the time to carefully package their code apart from the Android software (or if this is impossible by virtue of their 'improvements') then you're talking about a serious problem, an example of which can be found here."
In such cases, "I think litigation should be considered if the company fails to comply, as we need to treat the GPL with the same respect that we treat copyright with," Eldavojohn added. "The GPL is a license just like the license for Windows 7 -- it's just as serious a violation to not comply with that as it is to download a cracked version of Windows."
For devices using unmodified Android, "I think etiquette needs to be established with their users, because there's different levels of compliance, all seemingly in use in some way today," Eldavojohn said.
Both GBP v2 and v3 stipulate that even if a company did not modify the code, it should acquire the source of the GPL software version and release it to customers with its own product, Eldavojohn pointed out.
"The big question is whether or not the community wants to make bad business with foreign developers and manufacturers that are really just too lazy/ignorant to realize what they are doing," he concluded. "Of course, nobody gets away with that defense when a business comes knocking about a license violation, but holding your users' feet to the fire never turns out well."
'Compliance Follows Eventually'
Blogger Robert Pogson saw less urgency.
"This is as much a concern as the Tivo situation," Pogson began.
"To the extent that OEMs are distributing Android as issued by Google, it may be internally documented that Google or kernel.org has the source on-line; to the extent that OEMs modify GPLed stuff, they should publish the source code," Pogson asserted. "It is not clear to me that GPL is being violated with the information available."
In short, "I doubt this is much of an urgent concern," he concluded. "Experience has been that compliance follows eventually. It's just not the first priority for many -- they are rushing things to market and the source code is probably in flux until a few weeks before release."
Ultimately, "the mobile environment could benefit by the use of distros and packaging technology that could provide updates and access to source code in the same process," Pogson added.
Alternatively: "I suspect that the only way to solve the problem will be for Google to offer a standard set of files that handset makers must include somewhere on their website," Montreal consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack suggested.
'Google Is No Friend of FOSS'
Slashdot blogger hairyfeet, however, wasn't so sure Google will be part of the solution.
"Notice how Google ONLY USED GPL V2 software?" he began. "Why is that? One word: TiVo. GPL V2 allows you to 'TiVo' a device, making GPL completely useless. This is a BIG LOSS for the folks that support GPL."
Google, in other words, is "NO friend of FOSS; it is NO DIFFERENT than any other multinational," hairyfeet opined. "Sure they donate some code, but if they turn around and TiVo the most significant chance FOSS has had to gain traction, what is the point?
"Now Google will keep all those embedded apps and kernel firmly GPL V2," he predicted. "Google has more than enough cash to simply update the GPL V2 version, allowing them and their buds to keep TiVoing anything they please."
That, in fact, "is why RMS created GPL V3, and as much as I hate to agree with that man I gotta go with him," hairyfeet concluded. "This is a good lesson to FOSSies: There is NO major multinational corporation that is your friend! If it comes down to your freedom or their profits, YOU WILL LOSE."
'GPL Compatible' Stickers
Barbara Hudson, a blogger on Slashdot who goes by "Tom" on the site, could see a silver lining.
"This sounds like yet another 'good news, bad news' joke," Hudson began. "First, the good news: There are plenty of linux tablets hitting the market. Now the bad news: Many of them are not compliant with the GPL."
The "great" news, however, is that "GPL compliance seems to be a quick and dirty way to weed out the tablets that aren't worth looking at from a quality standpoint," Hudson told Linux Girl. "I would have to say that the GPL, like the Internet, routes around damage."
Next, "all it takes is for manufacturers who ARE compliant to start putting 'GPL compatible' stickers on their packaging," she suggested. "Even someone who doesn't know what the GPL is will start equating the GPL with 'a better quality product.'
"Never underestimate the power of a sticker," Hudson concluded. "Look at all the laptops that were sold because of a 'Vista compatible' sticker." | <urn:uuid:f0ae1489-3f66-48b2-9439-c3f2d3477186> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/71612.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966198 | 1,750 | 1.648438 | 2 |
FH gears up for upcoming International Women’s Day!
Women of all ages make up one of the most vulnerable populations in the world. They face violence, discrimination, lack of basic rights, lack of education and more.
As women living in America, it’s important to remember and support our sisters around the globe as they struggle. It’s also important to celebrate these women as they become educated, inspired, and empowered to escape the chains of poverty.
At Food for the Hungry (FH) we invite you to join us in celebrating and supporting women across the world on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2013.
Q: How can you help us recognize women on this day?
A: You are already helping us. Every day. And we are truly grateful for all that you have done. With your generous support, FH has been able to help women overcome poverty through our Women of Action program.
Women of Action equips women, mothers and business leaders to reach their God-given potential through savings and learning groups. These groups meet regularly to learn about livelihood, savings, stewardship, legal rights, parenting and health.
One such woman who has faced and overcome the obstacles of living in a male-dominated society is Jahanara, from Dhunot, Bangladesh. Jahanara is the president of her neighborhood savings group. With help and training from FH staff, she is organizing a group of 20 women to learn and work together to save money and improve their lives.
She is making great strides in her community as a female leader and is a positive role model to younger women in the village.
Not only is Jahanara an inspiration as an empowered woman, but she fully embraces her femininity and teaches others to live as a beautiful daughter of Christ. Despite the living conditions in her poverty-stricken community, Jahanara unveils beauty in her home by placing bright red collars on her goats and planting a flower garden in her courtyard.
What a remarkable woman!
We love sharing stories about women like Jahanara, who deserve a worldwide celebration, but at the same time, there is still much work to be done. We must not forget those who are still struggling.
So we ask for your continued support and action as International Women’s Day approaches.
How you can get involved:
- Join and participate in the FH International Women’s Day 5K held in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday March 10, 2013. Register using the form below.
- Host your own 5K in support of women around the globe. Click here to find out how.
- You can help FH continue its work through our Women of Action program by giving a donation.
Register for the Walk | <urn:uuid:6756ebcd-4614-4285-a4f4-7968ed213833> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fh.org/walk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960593 | 569 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Getting Started - Part 4: Attendance
Attendance can be logged individually or by number present. An example of individual attendance is: Bod and Sally were here but Jane was not. An example of attendance by number present is: four people were here and 1 was not. You choose how attendance will be collect by meeting.
You can collect attendance two different ways.
Using the RFID Card Reader and Application
- Make sure you have installed the reader software & drivers.
- On the right sidebar menu, click the "Launch Attendance Reader" button. This will download and launch the client application that connects to the RFID reader.
- Connect the RFID Reader to your computer. The client application should now say "Reader Connected".
- Choose the meeting for which you wish to collect attendance from the drop down (Screenshot). Click the "Set Meeting" button. You can take attendance for multiple meetings at once. Repeat this step for all meeting you wish to collect attendance for.
- If you make a mistake, You can click the "Clear Meetings" button and reenter your meetings.
- Once you have set you meeting(s), choose "Lock in Session" from the "File" menu; this will prevent someone from accidentally clearing or adding meetings. This can also be accomplished by the key combination CTRL + l.
- You can unlock the session by choosing "Unlock Session" from the "File" menu, or by pressing CTRL + u.
- You are ready to take attendance! Member only have to wave their cards over the reader in order to be logged as present. Their name will be displayed as a confirmation. On the Macintosh operating system, the name will also be spoken; this can be disabled from the "File" menu.
Manuel Entry Online
- Navigate to the "Utilities" section of the online SimpleChurchCRM application.
- Choose "Add Session".
- Choose the meeting for which you are entering attendance - you should see a table of members belonging to that session appear, if the meeting type is "individual"; otherwise a box labeled "Number Present" will appear.
- Choose the date for the session by clicking in the date box and selecting the day from the popup calendar.
- Enter the number present, or go through the list of people in the meeting; check the radio button in the column corresponding to each person's presence or absence. If a person is absent but accounted for - you know where they are, they aren't "missing" - choose the radio button in the unexcused column, and choose the reason for the absence from the drop down.
- Click "Save".
- There are 2 types of visitors that can be added to a session: 1. Those that are already stored in SimpleChurchCRM as and 2. those that are not. Anyone stored in SimpleChurchCRM can be added to any session as a visitor. If someone is not stored as an individual in SimpleChurchCRM, he/she can be added as a visitor and later converted to a regular individual.
- To add a visitor to a session, Click "Add Visitor".
- Then, search for the visitor by using part/all of their first and/or last name(s). If there is no match, click "Add an individual not in the list".
- Enter their first and last names into the popup and click, "Save". The visitor has been added to the session, and he/she will now be able to be chosen in future sessions. Their name with have "(Visitor)" next to it wherever it appears.
- You can now add additional visitors. Individuals that have been added to the system who are not visitors will not have "(Visitor)" next to their names.
Note the presence of regular individuals and a visitor. | <urn:uuid:d9183d5e-5f4b-4a72-97b8-a54a3e6ac378> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://simplechurchcrm.com/book/export/html/7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906415 | 788 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Is your child interested in fish or aquariums? Encourage his or her curiosity with fish-related activities both online and off…
Create a crafty fish aquarium
Toddlers or young children who like crafts will enjoy making a paper-plate aquarium, a berry box aquarium or papier mache fish.
Read about fish
Reading books and stories about fish will help kids learn more about these aquatic animals. See the top fish books for kids ranging from 2 to 12.
Play pretend fish owner online
Learn how to feed guppies and play Fish Tycoon with these free online games. The Monterey Bay Aquarium also has an activities page with coloring pages and games.
Play Pocket Fish
If you have an iPhone, let your child play Pocket Fish, a free game where you collect fish and sea animals.
Watch virtual fish aquariums
See video clips of fish aquariums online. Watch an aquarium of fish on with natural sound and see other videos accompanied by music, including a variety of aquarium fish, a 10-gallon tank with goldfish, and a larger tank with tiger barbs and tetras.
See live aquariums
Don’t forget to visit the live fish at your local Pet Supermarket. Our associates will be happy to identify different species and speak to your child about fish.
Buy a small aquarium
Small aquariums and aquarium kits are sized for desktops and small rooms. A small tank of fish will offer enduring entertainment and can add a soothing backdrop to any room. Just remember that the smaller the aquarium, the more maintenance is needed for good water quality. | <urn:uuid:073b80f7-659f-4daf-a275-0a76243f34bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.petsupermarket.com/?p=826 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909228 | 327 | 2.875 | 3 |
Japan In Crisis
Japanese Celebrate The Dead Amid A Town's Ruins
The Japanese seaside town of Rikuzentakata is home to a tiny temple called Kongoji. It's perched on a hillside and is one of the few structures still intact after last month's earthquake and tsunami.
Rikuzentakata was so flattened that it's hard to imagine life continuing here at all. Surveying the whole city, you can see maybe 10 buildings that are still standing. And yet, on a recent day, the sound of drums came from the hillside temple.
Celebrations to honor the dead might be commonplace in the United States, but in Japan they are unusual. Especially now, with the country in self-preservation and conservation mode.
But a recent ceremony in Rikuzentakata featured men dressed in colorful robes reenacting a dragon-like god blessing local rice cakes and sake. It's a ritual normally reserved for a harvest-time offering to the gods. But organizers say this performance was a requiem: 15 people died and eight are still missing from the neighborhood at the foot of this hill.
The offering was followed by a long, silent prayer. Then a troupe of young men wearing wooden masks performed an acrobatic, traditional dance.
Older residents in the audience wept, moved by the idea that they were not just carrying on — but carrying on age-old traditions.
'I Can't Tell Whether I'm Happy Or Sad'
Volunteers from around the country brought their bounty. Residents feasted on stews, grilled fish and fried noodles. They grew cherry-faced, knocking back plenty of beer and sake from a famous local company that the ocean washed away.
There are those who are critical of anything that looks or smells like a party when the country is still in mourning. Particularly anything reminiscent of a cherry blossom festival, which typically involves drinking to excess. And the novelty of ceremony — juxtaposed with total desolation — drew Japanese television crews and newspaper reporters.
Indeed, survivors like Takeko Kono say they didn't know how to feel.
"I can't tell whether I'm happy or sad to be here," she said. "My house is right there. Right there. I lost my daughter, so I came here looking for photos. But I didn't find anything. I just found these old bills."
Naoshi Sato is the muse behind this event. The 77-year-old Sato lives on the waterlogged second floor of his house. He had mentioned holding an event to honor the dead, and that made its way onto the Internet.
Sato himself looks tired and soiled. But he still likes to crack dry, off-color jokes. He tells those gathered he loves them like his grandchildren ... or wives ... or lovers.
Every day, they have to move ahead, he says. One small step every day, patiently and steadily.
Sato is a logger. The tsunami washed away his chain saw, and the next day he ordered a new one. After all, he says, there are more than 500 houses in his neighborhood that need to be rebuilt. Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. | <urn:uuid:dd3280d5-5de9-4fae-b71f-e24d80497386> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.weku.fm/post/japanese-celebrate-dead-amid-towns-ruins | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974085 | 672 | 2.5 | 2 |
Iraq-bound 3rd Infantry ready to share
- By Frank Tiboni
- Nov 21, 2004
When soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division arrive in Iraq later this month, they will be equipped with a new battlefield communications system that will drastically improve how they send and receive warfighting information.
Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated to Army officials that they need a system that provides communications for soldiers when they fight out of sight of one another. The new Joint Network Transport Capability (JNTC) relies on IP, satellites and commercial products to provide more mobile communications and greater access to logistics and intelligence data.
"The Army has a new networking
capability that will help transform deploying units," said Lt. Gen. Steve Boutelle, the service's chief information officer. "The Army is building an IP, net-centric force."
The new Joint Network Node powers JNTC. The node consists of vehicles and shipping containers equipped with systems that provide voice over IP, dynamic IP, videoconferencing and access to the military's classified and unclassified networks for commanders at their headquarters and soldiers operating in smaller units, said Boutelle, who spoke earlier this month at the Milcom 2004 conference in Monterey, Calif., sponsored by AFCEA International.
General Dynamics officials developed and fielded the node. They delivered the first system in August so troops from the 3rd Infantry Division, which fought in Iraq with Marine Corps and British forces last year, could train with it before returning to Iraq.
JNTC also includes the Combat Service Support-Satellite Communications system. It consists of a very small-aperture terminal satellite dish, a ruggedized notebook computer and supporting equipment that comes in four transit cases. It allows logisticians and medical personnel to order and track supplies and use text messaging and videoconferencing.
Army officials learned from experiences in Iraq they must improve the ordering and tracking of supplies in combat. Before the military conflict, orders for spare parts from combat units averaged 15,000 to 20,000 per day, but after U.S. and coalition forces attacked, orders for spares went down to almost zero and stayed there for 30 days, said Lt. Gen. Claude Christianson, the Army's deputy chief of staff for logistics.
"It makes no sense that when you're in the middle of a war, driving your way to Baghdad over this very, very complex battlefield that you wouldn't have any requirements for spare parts," Christianson said. He added that Army officials will solve the problem by putting logisticians and medical personnel on a network as part of the Connecting the Logistician program.
Officials at iDirect Technologies developed and fielded the system, including 40 to 3rd Infantry troops for use in Iraq. They plan to field 200 more in the coming months, and that could increase to more than 1,000 during the next 18 months. | <urn:uuid:3871e112-4bd2-421a-af47-1b9a8c18eb13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fcw.com/Articles/2004/11/21/Iraqbound-3rd-Infantry-ready-to-share.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957671 | 591 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Most Active Stories
Hosts, Reporters and Producers
Wed October 17, 2012
Longtime UNC President Friday Memorialized
More than a thousand people gathered today in Memorial Hall on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill to remember Bill Friday. The longtime UNC system president and TV show host died last week at the age of 92.
At precisely 10 o’clock this morning, on UNC system campuses across the state, bells tolled for Bill Friday. They rang 17 times, one for every campus in the system he helped build. A few moments after the bells at South Building in Chapel Hill fell silent, current UNC system president Tom Ross spoke to mourners gathered in Memorial Hall, and tried to put Friday’s career and life in perspective. He started at the beginning.
Tom Ross: "On May 8, 1957, in his inaugural address, president Friday said these words: 'It is with you, the people of North Carolina, that I have entered into solemn compact today. It is to you that I have pledged my mind, my heart, my hands, and my strength.'"
For 30 years Bill Friday did just that, growing the University system from 3 campuses to 17. He also hosted a popular show on UNC TV from 1971 until this year. And he did it all with an understated, personal style that was incredibly effective. Former Governor Jim Hunt.
Jim Hunt: "You see the secret of Bill Friday wasn’t just what he did. He did a lot. It’s what he got us to do.
Friday used those powers of persuasion on students, faculty, chancellors, business leaders, and, especially, those in state government."
Hunt: "The legislators would see him often. And they would know what he was coming for. And they would give it gladly."
It didn’t hurt that the Friday was a former Mayor’s son from Dallas, North Carolina, or that he attended Wake Forest, NC State, and UNC Chapel Hill. Or that he had a down-home sense of humor. C.D. Spangler was a protégé and Friday’s successor as president of the UNC system. He recalled that Friday wasn’t keen on the thought of using his full-name on the office stationary.
Spangler: "And he said do you know what the C in my name stands for? And I said no, I know it’s William C Friday. He said the C stands for Clyde. Every mule in western North Carolina is named Clyde.
When he retired as the UNC system president 26 years ago, Friday stayed involved in those causes he felt most strongly about. They included the corrupting influence of college sports and the affordability of higher education. TV personality Charlie Rose says Friday’s legacy will endure."
Charlie Rose: "It is this university that is his monument. He grabbed it, even though it had been started in 1793, and he took it in the second half of the 20th century and he crafted it into one of the finest state universities this nation has ever seen."
After the memorial, more than a few mourners made the short walk here, to the old Chapel Hill cemetery on UNC’s campus. Bill Friday was buried in a plot next to his daughter, Betsy, in a private ceremony yesterday. This is a perfect spot for Friday to rest. It’s in Chapel Hill, just a short walk from where he lived and worked for nearly 70 years. But it’s also just a few feet away from students walking to class, or performing in the dramatic arts, practicing football and playing soccer and basketball, or studying in classrooms or in the library. In other words, it’s a vibrant and forward-thinking college campus, and Bill Friday is right in the middle of all of it… where he always wanted to be. | <urn:uuid:d0aacf56-9907-4bc9-93dd-ae2f2f9abeea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wunc.org/post/longtime-unc-president-friday-memorialized | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978193 | 802 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Christ Our Example
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).- 1 Peter 2:21–23
As we have been discussing for the past several weeks, the proper response to suffering is a predominant theme of 1 Peter. Already Peter has spoken of our response in general terms, calling us to rejoice in our sufferings because by them our faith is tested and purified (1:6–7). He has also told us to lead honorable lives among non-believers (2:12), telling us that one specific way we can do this is to endure unjust suffering, refusing to repay such mistreatment with evil (vv. 18–20).
In today’s passage, Peter once again discusses suffering in general terms. In verse 21, we are told that Christians have been “called” to suffer. Our suffering is not the result of an impersonal force like fate or chance. Rather, it is a vocation laid upon us by the Father.
Left to ourselves we would not patiently endure suffering for doing what is right. We are prone to retaliate and treat others as poorly as we have been treated. Fewer tasks are harder to accomplish than to treat those who mistreat us as we would like to be treated (Matt. 7:12). However, we have not been left to ourselves. We have been given the Holy Spirit to enable us to endure suffering. We have been given the Word of God, which reminds us that suffering is not for nothing but that it is used by God for His sovereign purpose.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the life of Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that not only is suffering a call for us, it was also a call for our Lord. He is our example of how to cope with suffering. All of His sufferings were unjust, yet He patiently endured them. He did not retaliate in kind but rather entrusted Himself to the one Judge who will perfectly repay all injustice (1 Peter 2:22–23).
Unlike Jesus, our suffering will redeem no one. However, like Jesus, our suffering serves God’s plan. Therefore we must embrace His call to suffer and turn only to Him in our hour of need. On this point, John Calvin teaches, “nothing seems more unworthy and therefore less tolerable, than undeservedly to suffer; but when we turn our eyes to the Son of God, this bitterness is mitigated; for who would refuse to follow him going before us?”
Jesus is our example as we suffer when doing good. Like Him, we must not retaliate in kind, but we must entrust ourselves to the care of our Father knowing that He will justly repay all those who have treated His children unjustly. Take some time today to reflect on those times when you have suffered for doing good. If you have retaliated for such mistreatment, go and make amends if possible. Ask the Lord to enable you to entrust yourself wholly to His care.
Passages for Further Study
Matt. 5:38–42; 16:24–25
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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: From Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul. All rights reserved. Website: www.ligonier.org | Phone: 1-800-435-4343 | <urn:uuid:dcf7d0bc-d045-4983-b32a-e11e713e09ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/christ-our-example/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958541 | 798 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Helmets And Mouthguards May Not Ward Off Concussions
Although helmets and mouthguards help ward off serious head and craniofacial injuries, there is not enough adequate evidence to support they prevent concussions.
Paradoxically, an overly confident trust in safety equipment encourages athletes (players) to take more audacious risks, based on the Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport, published in the Prevention and Health Protection (IPHP) issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The latest version of the Consensus Statement, which is backed by the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the International Equestrian Federation, and the International Rugby Board, was drawn up after a two day meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, in November last year.
Researchers were invited to present their latest findings on concussive brain injuries, which have the potential to cause long term neurological damage if not dealt with appropriately.
The panel agreed mouthguards and helmets have a role in minimizing injuries and are to be recommended but emphasizes there is no good clinical evidence that available protective equipment will prevent a concussion.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, a violent vehicular collision, or any activity that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. Visible signs of a concussion or a brain injury may not be immediately visible the way scratches and bruises alert one to harm.
There are many ways to get a concussion. Some common ways include fights, falls, playground injuries, car crashes, and bike accidents. Concussions can also happen while participating in any sport or activity such as football, boxing, rugby, hockey, horse riding, soccer, and skiing. Given the risk of permanent problems, it is important to seek immediate medical attention if a concussion is suspected.
The brain, the epicenter of the nervous system, is a soft three pound organ suspended in cerebrospinal fluid, which acts as a cushion between the organ and the hard interior of the skull. If the head is jarred or hit with enough force, the brain can jostle about, causing potentially serious injuries to the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures.
Damage to the cerebral cortex can result in a coma, a state of unconsciousness lasting more than six hours in which a person fails to normally respond to painful stimuli, light, or sound. While comatose, the victim lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A comatose state can be persistent or permanent depending upon the degree of injury. A concussion can precede a coma.
Some obvious symptoms of a concussion include passing out or forgetting what transpired leading up to and immediately before the injury. With rest, most people fully recover from a concussion within a few hours to a few weeks. Symptoms can be mild to severe, lasting for hours to months. Failure to remember details, fuzzy thinking, an inability to concentrate, headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light or noise, and balance problems may suggest a possible concussion following a seemingly traumatic head injury.
In rare cases concussions cause more serious problems. Repeated concussions, as acquired from sustaining continuous blows in boxing or football, or a severe concussion may require surgery or lead to long-lasting problems with mobility, cognition, and communication. Concussive injuries to the brain can lead to an early onset of dementia.
Proper identification and prompt treatment of concussive symptoms is essential, and prevention is equally important.
[Image via Shutterstock] | <urn:uuid:92721829-6708-4624-8696-0200cbc2d1cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inquisitr.com/567753/helmets-and-mouthguards-may-not-ward-off-concussions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934415 | 718 | 3.421875 | 3 |
This last weekend we learned a little more about Trustworthy.
Trustworthy often is interpreted as telling the truth and being able to be trusted in a truthful kind of way.
Trustworthy is extended in ourselves also in trusting each other not only being truthful, but physically too.
We learned to trust each other on belay this weekend, literally putting your safety in the hands of another. We learned to trust our knots and gear. We snapped a caribiner on a rope and onto our harness and walked off a cliff. That takes trust. You have got to be able to trust the folks that set up the climbing area. Did they hook everything up right?
So trustworthy does not stop at telling the truth. It extends to our inner trust of others and of things we use.
There are people in our lives that will never have the level of trust that our Scouts learned this weekend, and they will be better for it forever.
Have a Great Scouting Day! | <urn:uuid:6494b811-6bb1-40d2-a398-406b4906640e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thescoutmasterminute.net/2008/07/29/trustworthy/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=1ba466d084 | 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 | 0.96284 | 198 | 1.882813 | 2 |
The TaqMan® MicroRNA (miRNA) Assays from Applied Biosystems were developed to detect and quantitatively measure mature miRNA levels in less than four hours from start to finish. There are two-steps: 1) Reverse transcription and 2) Real-Time PCR. The assay requires the use of as little as 1 nanogram of total RNA. Small RNA isolation is not necessary as the assays are designed to only detect the mature miRNA species.
The Reverse transcription step involves the use of a pre-designed looped RT primer to generate first-strand cDNA. This process takes approximately 65 minutes. Once the cDNA is generated, real-time PCR is performed on the samples (approximately two hours). This step utilizes a pre-designed TaqMan miRNA probe, as well as pre-designed forward and reverse primers. The TaqMan probe contains: the FAM reporter dye linked to the 5’ end, a minor groove binder (MGB) to increase the melting temperature of the probe without increasing the length (this is critical since miRNAs are only 22nts and thus probes must be short), and a non-fluorescent quencher (NFQ) at the 3’ end of the probe. Thus, an intact probe containing an NFQ will not fluoresce. During the PCR reaction, the TaqMan probe binds to a sequence in between the forward and reverse primers. During extension the annealed TaqMan probe is displaced and cleaved due to the 5’ end nuclease activity of the polymerase. Cleavage of the reporter dye results in its separation from the NFQ and thus leads to fluorescence. The 3’ end of the probe is blocked, thus the TaqMan probe is not extended during PCR. The fluorescence intensity is measured during each cycle of PCR by the real-time PCR instrument.
I have been using this product quite frequently (weekly) over the last couple of years. The assay is particularly great when samples are limiting, as it requires very little total RNA (1 nanogram) as compared to Northerns and microRNA microarrays, which require microgram amounts. The other benefits of this product are that the assays are extremely sensitive (I have successfully detected down to a few copies of a particular miRNA), rapid (only 3-4 hours as compared to a Northern, which can take several days), reliable (results are consistent), and are very easy to use (no optimization or primer design, just follow the protocol). Additionally, standard Trizol isolated total RNA for these assays can be used. Some of the drawbacks: the reagents are on the expensive side (as compared to doing a Northern), and since the primers are custom made only the canonical mature miRNA sequence can be detected. Thus, the high-specificity of a TaqMan probe may be a double-edged sword, especially if the mature miRNA undergoes editing, as has been reported for some miRNAs. Therefore, another method for detection of a particular miRNA may be necessary to confirm results.
TaqMan® MicroRNA Assays From Applied Biosystems
Extemely sensitive, rapid analysis, easy to use.
Expensive, pre-designed primers.
The Bottom Line
A great reagent for quickly detecting and quantitatively measuring miRNAs, especially when RNA is limiting. | <urn:uuid:7e86abbc-a213-49dd-aed5-a9e4de2d998e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biocompare.com/Product-Reviews/41109-TaqMan-MicroRNA-Assays-From-Applied-Biosystems/?catid=22782 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944642 | 703 | 2.078125 | 2 |
SEASON OF SHARING
Few resources for South County homeless
Published: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Showers available for the homeless are scarce in south Sarasota County and some people have taken to washing their clothes in the sinks of the Venice train depot.
Near Englewood, North Port and Venice, homeless people and service providers say there is a desperate need for the basics — laundry machines, a meal, payphones and showers — to help a growing number of those in extreme poverty survive and find work.
“There's no place,” said David Andrle, who has lived around Venice for the past three months. He receives unemployment checks that allow him to rent a motel room for two or three days a week.
On the days he can't pay, he takes shelter and washes up where he can.
Center of Hope, a Venice church working “in the trenches” to help the homeless, and the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, an organization that studied the needs of homeless in Sarasota and Manatee counties, agree: their top priority for south Sarasota County is a one-stop center.
The problem, as always, is funding.
For the homeless, there is “a lot in north county compared to next to nothing in south county,” County Commissioner Carolyn Mason said. She said the area also needs a shelter but for now the one-stop center is the “low hanging fruit.”
Mason worked with the Suncoast Partnership last year as they created a 10-year plan to prevent and, they hope, end homelessness in the area. When the organization presented the project, which includes a one-stop center somewhere in the south earlier this year, the commissioners asked them to come back with a more detailed business plan.
Adam Tebrugge, chairman of the organization, said he hopes to have that plan in front of the commission sometime in 2013.
Service providers say the homeless population in south Sarasota County keeps growing.
On Saturdays, people take the bus to the stop near Center of Hope. Bicycles and beat-up vehicles fill the parking lot in front of the church.
On average, the couple who run the center say 120 people come for a hot meal every weekend. They can pick up clothes from the piles of donated items in the back room, and a bag of food too. The center gives out roughly 350 bags each week.
Pastor Lynette McCleland and Jim McCleland, who run the Center of Hope, say they are overwhelmed with the community's needs.
When they first moved from Illinois to Venice more than a decade ago, Lynette McCleland said she did not see the impoverished population she was used to serving.
“It looked very neat and very packaged and I grieved,” she said. “What we didn't know was there was people in our backyard, in the woods. And when we opened the soup kitchen, they came.”
The McClelands also are filling out paperwork and looking for grants and donations for a one-stop center to serve the homeless.
Lynette McCleland wants to expand the office they have in a strip mall on Venice Avenue, where they now provide bus passes, food stamps and counseling.
Seated in a back meeting room-cum-storage space, surrounded by sleeping bags and toys for the holidays, McCleland explained her plan to buy the adjoining offices and the building next door, where their church is situated.
One of the grant writers she has worked with, Lee Martin, helped create the one-stop center in Bradenton, which many homeless advocates point to as a success story. That center used local, state and federal grants to get started, Martin said.
A one-stop center in Venice could offer similar services, including a daily hot meal, laundry, showers, a small clinic and employment services, Martin said.
The downpayment to purchase the building they are currently operating social services out of would be about $300,000, Jim McCleland said. If they bought the adjoining offices and church, the total cost would be $2.2 million, he said.
Tebrugge recently visited the Center of Hope and said more community conversations are needed about the location, facilities and a business plan of a one-stop center.
“That's definitely where a lot of the energy is coming from right now, and their preliminary plans seem realistic to me. But I can't sit here and say right now, ‘Yeah that's what's going to happen,' ” Tebrugge said. “I am hopeful that perhaps it is.”
Beside Center of Hope, a few churches provide food pantries and occasional hot meals. North Port Social Services and the Salvation Army connect people on the verge of homelessness with help.
But for people living on the streets, there is not much, said Cindy Mattson, case manager at the Salvation Army in North Port, which also has a food bank.
She often refers people seeking showers or shelter to Fort Myers or Sarasota. There also is a shelter in Port Charlotte, which she says is usually full.
Limited funding for such projects is a factor in the scarcity of them, Mattson said.
“I think its easier to ignore it,” she said.
The city of Venice does not provide or partner with any social services for the homeless, city spokeswoman Pam Johnson said. The city leaves the social work aspects of government to the county.
While Venice would generally support the concept of a one-stop center, the city likely would be hard-pressed to contribute financially because of its tight budget, she said.
“We probably don't have many people in the city who are homeless,” Johnson said. “What I'm saying is, when people who are in the city end up homeless, they usually move to another state or another part of the county.”
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:8345c089-ecb3-40b7-bba0-d3ef2a005927> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130103/ARTICLE/130109882/2081/NEWS?Title=Few-resources-for-South-County-homeless | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970663 | 1,302 | 1.695313 | 2 |
As a cultural studies scholar, Jeremy Gilbert was sharpening his daggers for Melvyn Bragg well before his BBC programme on ‘culture’ aired. Here is why, and how, it unexpectedly lived up to a momentous task – well, up until the ‘80s.
We cultural studies scholars tend to think we own ‘culture’ as an object of academic inquiry (even while we’re used to hearing everyone else talk about it). So when I heard that Melvyn Bragg was to present a 5-part Radio Four documentary, The Value of Culture (listen here), I was seething and smouldering with anticipatory annoyance long before the programme aired, broadcast daily during the first week of January. Unlike the set of programmes using the same format (on the theme of ‘the written world’), which Bragg presented at the same time last year, this one was not branded as an extension of his weekly In Our Time programme, although to all intents and purposes it was. In Our Time is a highly regarded broadcasting institution with an elegant and effective format, bringing together three academics for live discussion of some issue in the history of ideas over 45 minutes, with Bragg chairing the discussion and driving it on. Membership of an Oxbridge college isn’t a necessary qualification for guests, who generally are world class authorities in their fields - but it seems to help.
My relationship to In Our Time is pretty much the same as my relationship to the London Review of Books - although, as an academic at a decidedly unprestigious university, every episode (or issue) that features no contributor from outside Oxbridge or the Ivy League serves to fuel my own prejudices and ressentiment, I can never fault the selections on an individual basis, and the sheer quality of the output always keeps me coming back for more. When it was announced, some weeks before broadcast, that Bragg’s theme for this mini-series would be the idea of ‘culture’, my expectations were certainly coloured by those prejudices. I work in the field of cultural studies, a discipline which has done more than any other in recent decades to focus attention on ‘culture’ in all its aspects across the English-speaking humanities and social sciences, and which is widely credited with having transformed and reconfigured those disciplines in the process, which yet remains almost completely unrepresented in British elite universities, despite the fact that its key founding figure - Raymond Williams - was based at Cambridge for decades. (see OurKingdom's series drawing on Williams' idea of the Long Revolution). I fully expected that my whole field would be entirely ignored by the cloistered mandarins of Radio 4.
That first episode did little to change my mood, although it didn’t actually reinforce it either, and the fact that the first person mentioned in the whole series was Raymond Williams should have given me a clue as to what was coming. Beginning with an exploration of the debate initiated in the 19th century by Matthew Arnold, and his strong claims for the socio-political value of promoting a knowledge of ‘the best that has been thought and said’ and a general appreciation of ‘sweetness and light’, the programme set the historical scene effectively. A longer series with a less resolutely Anglophone focus might have mentioned Renaissance humanism, Giambattista Vico, Herder, Dilthey, and the entire German tradition of kulturkritik, but this wasn’t that programme and couldn’t be. A figure who was discussed in some detail was the great English socialist critic John Ruskin, for whom a certain kind of aestheticism was entirely compatible with a radical egalitarianism. There was no substantial discussion of his arguably more radical and prescient contemporary, William Morris, but I had to admit that, given the constraints of the format, I didn’t have much to complain about. Disappointing – I had looked forward to the righteous anger with which I would respond, if only in private.
The second episode was where my assumptions really started to look embarrassing. As I’ve mentioned, we cultural studies scholars tend to act as if we own the concept of culture, although of course we know we don’t. We nicked it from the anthropologists; or rather, the founders of our discipline, Williams and Richard Hoggart, both literary critics by training, who borrowed it from the anthropologists so as to use it in the internal war against their elitist enemies in the English departments (the expansive anthropological idea of ‘culture’ as ‘a whole way of life’ proving to be a devastating weapon against Leavis’ claim to be able to define what counted as ‘culture’ rather than mere ‘civilisation’). This episode of the programme detailed the parallel evolution of anthropology in the UK and the US with admirable clarity and rigour, in particular putting into context the emergence of cultural relativism as the central paradigm of the discipline in the 20th century. Once again, the focus was resolutely Anglophone, so Lévis-Strauss, for example, wasn’t discussed at all, any more than was the general role played by French structuralism in popularising - in both anthropology and cultural studies - the idea of ‘culture’ as the specifically meaningful and symbolic dimension of human behaviour (an idea which partially displaced the vaguer notion of culture as ‘everything that humans do’ and which has itself been more recently challenged by the observation that various aspects of what humans do - from music to romance to diet - cannot be adequately conceptualised only in terms of the production of ‘meanings’). Still, the account of the key conceptual debates and their current status was as complete as could be hoped, concluding with a convincing survey of the impact of Clifford Geertz’s work on culture as a site of meaning production and the dangers of Geertz’s implicit essentialism (not a charge that I think stands up to examination, but one worth exploring nonetheless), while the vintage footage of Margaret Meade discussing the implicit political argument of Coming of Age in Samoa was worth listening to the entire series for.
The third programme discussed (yawn) the ‘two culture’ debate, deriving from CP Snow’s famous claim in the 1950s that humanities scholars, who had undue influence on politics and broader culture, were still (as Arnold certainly had been) contemptuous of science and scientific education. Rather like the debate about the distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, I really think this whole discussion now has the status which Williams would have called ‘residual’: it’s left-over from an earlier historical moment, although it seems to make sense to some people because it sort of resonates with their particular experience in some way. The days when the political class and the rest of the establishment were bound together by a common disdain for both popular culture and any form of practical, scientific or mathematical knowledge are surely behind us now, even if pockets of such attitudes remain. And yet, even here, the programme ultimately did justice to what I would consider the correct view, by giving considerable scope to the argument that Snow, his perspective limited to that of the Senior Common Room, was essentially reporting the prejudices of that same mid-century elite against whom Hoggart and Williams were preparing their devastatingly successful assault, and that even at the time these foibles had little relevance to the actual attitudes of the wider political class, never mind the wider population.
Still, most of this was fairly tangential to my own professional concerns. The next episode, on ‘mass culture’, was the one I had been waiting for, allowing my righteous indignation to simmer in the certain knowledge that my friends, mentors and icons were bound to be neglected, trivialised or misrepresented. It was the evening before that Anthony Barnett had emailed me, asking if I’d write a response to the series for openDemocracy. I smiled grimly as I accepted his invitation, despite a very pressing book deadline - my devastating critique would not be made only to my partner, our cat, and our children (aged 4 and 2) after all, but would have an international audience and would be read and re-read for as long as google searches could be made.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Almost all of my pre-emptive rage turned out to have been wasted. In fact, a large part of the programme was devoted to the emergence and development of cultural studies in the '60s and '70s, its complex political attitude to ‘culture’ and its study being rendered as intelligible as could ever be hoped by a short programme aimed at a large audience. Angela McRobbie’s articulate and persuasive explanations confirmed her position as the effective spokesperson for British cultural studies today. In fact, to be honest, this section of the programme amounted to frankly the best explication of where cultural studies had come from and what it was about for an entirely non-specialist audience that I’ve ever heard or read. Oh well.
Of course, nothing was said at all about the development of the discipline after the 1980s, and in particular its very complex and multifarious attitudes to consumer culture, which prompted me to wonder what interested listeners might learn if they were to make the obvious next step in pursuit of this topic, and consult wikipedia on ‘Cultural studies’. There I found, a fair, if not brilliantly-written account of the situation, which cited, amongst a few other sources...me. I was beginning to feel frustratingly like a mainstream member of the culture, well-served by a set of benevolent and well-managed institutions.
Perhaps the final straw was finding that I basically agreed with Roger Scruton on the question of ‘high’ vs ‘low’ culture: his point being not so much that we should defend a particular canon of ‘high’ culture, as that there is a case to be made for critical and informed discrimination within any genre of creative work. I’m not sure if I could persuade him that this attitude could even be brought to bear on the appreciation of house music (Joe Claussell, not David Guetta), but it sounded like it would be worth a go. More importantly, Scruton’s concession that the Beatles produced some timeless music surely proved that the whole ‘high’ vs ‘low’ debate is now just over: nobody today believes that entire genres can be either defended or dismissed in toto, while only fanatical neoliberals actually believe that all preferences are of equal value.
The final episode took the form of a public debate, recorded in Newcastle on the general question of the ‘value’ of ‘culture’ and in particular the question of what kind of culture could be funded. A woman from the Institute of Ideas did try to make the case that somehow everything everyone else thinks on both the Left and Right is rubbish. (This is the position which IoI representatives always take, which is why they make no sense, and succeed only in caricaturing themselves.) But the debate remained good-natured even while Chritopher Frayling dominated it, defending an essentially Williamsian egalitarianism with admirable precision.
So there we have it. Nothing to rant about: an excellent piece of programming which covered an important debate as comprehensively as it could have done. I will say a few words in a moment about the topics that it didn’t cover (much), but first I think it really is worth pausing to reflect that this, after all, is what the BBC is for, and that it’s very difficult to think of anywhere else in our existing cultural landscape where it could also happen. Where else do crucial ideas and issues like this get a thorough airing for a general public?
Of course, one answer is ‘on sites like this one’. Web publications like openDemocracy, a new generation of bloggers and new-wave publishers such as Zero books, have become the key sites for some kind of engagement between a radical intelligentsia and an interested public. But the latter, in these times of cultural fragmentation, is clearly quite narrow and self-selecting, and so these new media players don’t yet have the capacity or the position to be a defining influence. Which means they can be ignored. To take an example that relates to the BBC: openDemocracy’s ‘OurBeeb’ project was launched in 2012 with the aim of engaging with the BBC’s choice of a new Director General as a matter of public interest. It was, as its editors rightly claimed, entirely vindicated by the disasters that followed. But no notice was taken, and when one of its contributors got on the Today show she was rubbished. The left press, from the New Statesman through the Guardian to the London Review of Books, no longer plays the mediating role for a wider public than that it once did; and it also ignored ‘OurBeeb’. The Guardian made a breakthrough with the Hacking Scandal and humiliated Murdoch’s BSkyB takoeover, an immense achievement. But the frustration of the ‘Hacked Off’ campaign indicates the gates are slamming shut to protect the dominant order. This means that it is only, ultimately, programmes like In our Time and Laurie Taylor’s Thinking Allowed (which seems to have adopted almost exactly the role - that of telling a wider public what sociologists are doing - that New Society once had) and specials such as The Value of Culture which remain to fill this gap between intellectuals and the public in our cultural life, a gap which un-subsidised institutions almost certainly cannot fill any longer. Perhaps also, as Claire Enders argues, this role has now been abandoned by television and left to radio. It remains important to recognise when, indeed, it is fulfilled.
Okay, enough gushing. What did The Value of Culture leave out? Well, there was precious little discussion, including in the final debate, of what must surely be the great question facing our society today: to what extent are we happy to accept a culture which is entirely dominated, not just by commercial logics, but by the logic of capital accumulation? I’ve discussed this matter on this site before, in particular with reference to the music industry, so there is no need to dwell on it further here. It’s a simple question really, and it’s been persistent since at least the days when both Matthew Arnold and his contemporary, Karl Marx, saw what the fiercely unregulated capitalism of Victorian Britain was doing to people and their way of life: do we want people who only want to make money (not just some money, not just enough money to live in luxury and produce their art, but absolutely unimaginable, effectively unlimited amounts of money) to run every single bit of our lives, or don’t we? And if we don’t, what are we going to do about it? The fact that so little public protest has followed the appointment of Peter Bazalgette, former creative guru of Endemol, the people who brought us Big Brother, as chair of the Arts Council, rather suggests that the answer so far is ‘not much’.
Of course, the whole point about the anthropological - and cultural studies - definition of ‘culture’ as ‘a whole way of life’ is that the arts are not all, or even most, of what our cultural life is about, and it is clear that the theme of trying to protect our culture - including our schools, our hospitals, our workplaces, our cityscapes and parks - from the predations of capitalism is an animating theme of both the recent protest movements and of ‘Blue Labour’ (as OuKingdom explores in its Blue Labour series). Still, it would be nice to hear someone in a position of leadership have the guts to say what everyone from me to Roger Scruton surely knows: that Big Brother was part of a process of hideous degradation of our public culture - disseminating a corrosive set of cynical, paranoid, meaninglessly competitive, pathologically individualist values which nobody outside the City or the Soho media circuit believes to be a viable basis for a healthy culture - and that the man who was responsible for it should not have been put in charge of the Arts Council. But of course, it wouldn’t be for Radio Four to be making this kind of statement.
Simply by allowing a programme of this nature to exist, however, it continues to remind us of the possibility - and necessity - of a culture which is not simply driven by the logics of profit and celebrity: and for that we should be grateful. | <urn:uuid:6f15578a-d62a-4630-99ab-6e79ee9eeb5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.friends.ca/news-item/10974 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971758 | 3,499 | 2.046875 | 2 |
A biodiesel initiative that moved forward this legislative session in Minnesota passed May 15, but not to the levels most farmers, and certainly one legislator, wanted to see.
Rep. Al Juhnke said the gutted biodiesel fuel promotion bill that was pushed through the Minnesota House of Representatives was another victory for corporate interests at the expense of the family farmers.
"(Opponents) listened to lobbyists and corporate interests instead of the interest of farmers," Juhnke said. "As a result, there's nothing left in the biodiesel bill but a minor requirement that state vehicles use biodiesel and a study. This bill could have been a shot in the arm for rural Minnesota. Now it's more like a punch in the gut."
The original language in the bill required statewide use of 2 percent biodiesel blends beginning in 2002 and 5 percent blends beginning in 2005. However, by the time the bill reached the floor of the House, it had been significantly altered to require biodiesel use in state-owned vehicles only, along with a study to be done by 2004.
Rep. Juhnke supported an effort to restore the bill's original language, but that attempt failed on a 57-74 vote after a two-hour debate on the House floor. A second proposal, to require dyed diesel fuel used in farm equipment to contain a 2 percent blend, was also rejected. A final effort, to insert a 2 percent blending requirement effective in 2003, also failed.
Juhnke said opponents to the biodiesel bill used the same types of claims during the debate over ethanol use --unsupported allegations about engine damage and cost increases. "Those charges have been proven false in regard to ethanol and they'll be proven untrue on biodiesel as well.
"I think all of us realize we need to start developing alternative sources of fuel. (The original bill) would have done that. It also would have laid the groundwork for a Minnesota-based biodiesel industry, creating a new market for soybean farmers and spurring new jobs and investment in Rural Minnesota." | <urn:uuid:f2d1c9a4-0475-4f34-8a1b-12ad74056540> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/minnesota-legislator-sounds-biodiesel-bill | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961519 | 420 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Thursday, 18 February 2010
There is an air of mystique surrounding the making of sourdough bread.
Any fool can knock together a simple loaf using bought yeast cultures but it takes a special type of fool to attempt catching and nurturing these teeny organisms then harnessing their unique power to create a loaf of bread.
Sourdough appeals due to its infinite variety: the special combination of flavours, textures and smells that results from the singular terroir of an area. As pretentious as that sounds its true – the airborne yeast cultures, the flour and the water are all unique. Sourdough bread made in Paris will be noticeably different to one made in San Francisco.
Previous efforts have invariably resulted in failure. Flat, puddle like breads that spread out over trays like an overly ripe cheese. Bitter tasting efforts with dense centres more suitable for constructing buildings than contributing to breakfast.
But, by Jove, I think I’ve cracked it.
After two days relentless study and nearly a month of stirring, waiting, mixing, kneading, waiting and baking here is a completely foolproof, day-by-day guide to making that most magical of breads.
This is undoubtedly slow food. But it’s certainly worth the effort.
Sourdough is made in three stages: first you create a starter dough. The starter dough is then used to make a sponge and the sponge used to make a loaf with a little held back as the next starter.
Beautifully and simply cyclical.
All you need to do is remember the following ratios:
That is to say, the starter should be half flour and half water. The sponge 60% flour and 40% water and the final loaf around 70% flour to 30% water.
Other than that the only ingredient is salt.
Salt performs two functions. Firstly it adds flavour to the bread but more importantly it inhibits the growth of bacteria which can quickly spoil a starter dough.
You’ll also need a largish jar with a lid.
Day One – mix together equal parts of white bread flour and water. Stir and pour into the jar. Leave the lid off for a few hours then loosely close it. Let it stand overnight in a warm place – between 16 and 18°C
Day Two – Pour off half the mixture and discard. Stir in equal parts flour and water, a little salt, close the lid and leave in the fridge. Why? Bacteria struggle to multiply at lower temperatures whereas yeasts flourish.
Day Three – repeat as day two but add some rye flour to the mix. Rye flour is high in natural yeast cultures. The mix should be bubbling away now and giving off a slightly acidic smell. This is good. If you fancy speeding up the process, leave the jar out of the fridge for a few hours to accelerate the fermentation.
Days Four, Five and Six – Repeat as above.
Day Seven – After a week your starter dough should be nicely fermented with a healthy ‘sour’ niff. It might even smell faintly boozy. Give it a stir then tip into a mixing bowl to make the sponge. Add flour and water to a ratio of 60:40 (go for about 180g flour – a mixture of white, wheat and rye if you wish – and 120g water) and a sprinkle of salt. Stir well and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place for 12-24 hours.
Day Eight – Pour half the sponge back into your (now clean) starter jar, stir in a 50:50 mix of flour and water and pop it back into the fridge. This only needs refreshing once every few days now.
Add flour and water in a ratio of roughly 70:30 (for a large loaf or two small ones you will probably need 420g flour and 180g water) and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and then turn out onto a floured surface. The dough should be quite wet. Knead and add more flour as necessary to create a dough that doesn’t stick to the surface but retains its lax and slouchy feel. Knead well for 15 minutes or so then return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to double in size. This could take anything up to three or four hours.
After the volume has doubled, turn the dough back out onto the floured surface, swiftly knock the air out of it and shape your loaf or loaves onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops liberally with flour and cover with a slightly damp tea towel. Leave to rise for another hour.
Preheat the oven to full whack and put a bowl of water on the bottom shelf. Slash the top of the loaf to allow the bread to rise properly in the oven (a phenomenon known as ‘oven spring’ as the gas bubbles inside the loaf quickly expand due to heat) and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 120°C and give it another 15-20 minutes. It’s ready when it sounds hollow when tapped on the base
For more 'loafing' around, why not potter over to Twitter? | <urn:uuid:d9a2e5a0-55ec-4f6b-8267-e0343325716e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://justcookit.blogspot.com/2010/02/sourdough-for-dummies.html?showComment=1266868262598 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934194 | 1,064 | 2.09375 | 2 |
cross-posted from Spacing Atlantic
HALIFAX - With the current studies exploring the potential of a third Halifax harbour crossing, and the recent announcement of the closure of pedestrian and bike lanes for a year and half during planned resurfacing of the Macdonald Bridge, I’ve been thinking about Halifax bridges a lot these days.
Urban planners and city officials have begun to explore the costs and logistics of creating a third bridge over, or under, the narrows between the South End CN Railyard in Halifax, and the Woodside area of Dartmouth. The price tag is an estimated $1.1 to $1.4 billion. According to the Harbour Bridges Commission, the need for a third harbour crossing is due to projected population growth, which, obviously, means more car traffic.
Steve Snider, general manager and CEO of the commission hopes that “more people will get out of their cars, but doubt[s] if all people are going to get out.”
The idea that increased population automatically means more cars is absurd, and the lack of any real attempt at trying to encourage active transportation is disheartening. HRM does not need another car-oriented connection into the peninsula. It represents a backward step in planning, while the rest of the world invests in pedestrian and transit oriented infrastructure at smaller, walkable scales. While the city investigates the possibility of a third crossing, they are also considering cutting funds to harbour ferry services and are continuing to let the Metro Transit system fallow and decay. Plans to widen Bayers road and build even more highway overpasses contribute to the trend of cars-first, people-never planning in HRM.
These issues have lead me to think about that old ramp to nowhere [pg. 6, PDF], up near the Mackay bridge, that extended out toward the water and into the sky, demolished in 2009. There’s surprisingly little written about it, but with a bit of research I learnt that this stumped-ramp was officially called Structure 9, and was originally built as part of the Cogswell Interchange series of planned highways but was never used.
I’m sad that Structure 9 was demolished in 2009, because it would have served as an apt symbol of the current guiding-philosophy of HRM planning. A ramp-to-nowhere, along with the Cogswell interchange, are pieces of highway infrastructure that spin users around and around, getting them nowhere fast.
This city must move away from car-oriented infrastructure. That billion dollars needed for a third harbour crossing could be directly reallocated to transit, alleviating the traffic on the existing bridges with more frequent and reliable bus service, and the funding of more ferry service. The planned closure of the pedestrian/bike lanes along the Macdonald bridge are further evidence of short-sited visions of mobility planning in the Municipality, and symbolic of the city’s official attitude toward active transportation.
Plus, HRM and provincial planners seem to be ignoring that Mi’kmaq legend: any attempt at a third harbour crossing will lead to its inevitable collapse (which can be read about in Paul Erikson’s book North End Halifax.) Let’s hope the city and province heed to the lessons of this prophesy, which in the 2012 context has taken on new meaning. May the plan of a third harbour crossing follow the predictions of the myth, and fall apart before it’s built. Let’s avoid the legend’s foretold disaster, and instead alleviate the capacity of the current bridges in a healthy, smart and people-oriented way.
Photo by Paul Coffin | <urn:uuid:347f60c8-80ea-4cb1-b91f-2f5b1819967c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theurbangeographer.wordpress.com/tag/bridge/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952954 | 753 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Draw Mail FREE
- App Store Info
DescriptionDraw mail is a wonderful application. You can not only write, but also draw email in it.
Have you ever felt that it's very boring to write a ordinary email which cannot show your personality? So why not add some art signatures drawn by yourself?
Have you ever felt that sometimes the words and sentences cannot express your feelings? Why not draw something in your email to show current mood and emotion?
If you want to introduce a very good restaurant to your friends by email, why not draw the route map in it?
All of your problem will be very easy to handle only if you use "Draw Mail".
"Draw Email" could make you draw your email.
- Using the system keyboard typing.
- Setting the font type, font color, font size.
- drawing with light glow effect.
- drawing with doodle effect.
- change the color of the mail background. | <urn:uuid:16c472b7-08b2-4027-ab45-8e761d399e72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.appspy.com/app/413091/draw-mail-free | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916523 | 196 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Date: April 23, 2009
Contact: Mark Jacobsen (406) 233-2831
BLM Hosts Archaeology Day
MILES CITY, Mont. --- The Bureau of Land Management Miles City Field Office is hosting Archaeology Day, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 24 at the Matthews Recreation Area located about nine miles northeast of Miles City on Valley Drive East.
The public is invited to attend. Activities will include flint knapping demonstrations, atlatl throwing and other cultural events.
In the event of inclement weather, the activity will be held at the BLM Miles City Field Office located at 111 Garryowen Road, in Miles City.
The occasion commemorates Montana’s Archaeology Month which is sponsored jointly by the Montana Archaeological Society, the Montana State Historical Preservation Office, the BLM and other federal agencies, as well as private cultural resource consulting firms.
For additional information, contact BLM Archaeologist Doug Melton at 233-2847. | <urn:uuid:6235bfbc-9c47-49d9-a70f-20ba100337fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/april/archday.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930431 | 212 | 1.835938 | 2 |
A thousand rubber duckies racing on Woods Pond on Saturday will have a big impact on the lives of Barrington school children.
That’s the message from the Barrington Education Foundation, which holds its annual Rubber Ducky Race fundraiser on Sept. 29 from 2 to 4 pm. The rubber duckies race at 3 pm sharp.
Each year the race and accompanying festival raise about $10,000 that goes into Barrington’s schools, said Carolyn Greeley, communications chair for the BEF. Tickets for each ducky are $10. You can buy 6 duckies for $50.
“The Rubber Ducky Race is probably the most visible and memorable of our fundraisers,” said Dara Iserson, co-president of BEF. “It’s a great way for us to engage with the community in a fun way, and try to get BEF’s message out to the public, all while supporting our schools.”
“BEF plays a critical role in our school system,” she said. “We are able to fund the types of programs that the school budget does not have room for. BEF selects grants that best fit with its vision that every public school student receives a world-class education, and is inspired, challenged, and guided to reach his or her greatest potential.”
“BEF endeavors to fund innovative initiatives that provide extraordinary learning experiences to as many students as possible,” adds Deanna Donnelly, the other co-president of BEF. “We really strive to provide valuable resources that take learning to the next level, but that might otherwise not be available.
“Each year, dozens of teachers submit grant proposals,” she said. “Each proposal reflects significant time, planning, and thoughtfulness. Applications are first approved by the principals, and the approved applicants are given the opportunity to present their proposal to a group of BEF board members. After a thorough review session, this group makes recommendations that are presented to the full BEF board.”
Ron Tarro, finance director for the Barrington schools, said: "Most taxpayers know that it's very challenging to do as many programs as we'd like to offer. Over the years, the BEF has been able to provide new, cutting edge technologies that we otherwise would not have been able to provide through the operating budget. The smart boards, steam engines for science at the middle school, the wind tunnel at the high school, the Sunrise Show…. There are a number of initiatives that we simply would not have been able to put in the system without the BEF."
Not every grant requires a huge financial investment, said Greeley. This past year, BEF awarded $375 for a cold frame for a gardening/science project at the middle school that could substantially extend the growing season so that the students can have a real, hands-on learning experience.
At the same time, a more sizable BEF grant of $10,000 was used to purchase laptops and a recharging cart for the high school library, which are also shared with all high school classrooms.
Other BEF grants have gone toward Vernier and Pasco Probeware for the chemistry and physics departments at the high school, an environmental science project based on nature trails at Hampden Meadows School, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) materials for the elementary school libraries.
BEF also purchased steam engines for the middle school science teachers to use for hands-on learning about energy.
Other grants were used to purchase a large capacity production kiln for ceramic students at the high school, three sets of virtual synthesizer software for an electronic music course, and software for an Audio Production course at the high school. Without this updated software, this new offering would not have been possible, Greeley said.
Architectural-grade building blocks also were purchased for the middle school social studies classes to help students learn about building styles from various civilizations throughout history. And BEF recently awarded a grant for fitness bicycles at the high school.
Teachers from all disciplines can apply for grants, said Greeley. Since its inception, she said, BEF has raised and funded more than $930,000 through 466 grant requests that benefitted every school in the district. | <urn:uuid:5ed97b4e-b07d-48d3-99f8-7ec6b130aa79> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://barrington.patch.com/articles/rubber-duckies-race-for-schools | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964167 | 888 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Politicking on fear leaves few ways out for politicians.
It’s very tempting for politicians to build up some political capital and say, ‘Yeah, you’re scared and I’m here to rescue you.’ But it really doesn’t work so well for thoughtful problem solving.”
With this comment, State Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, articulated a political strategy that Alabama politicians have perfected. Indeed, they are so good at it that they sometimes pay a price.
For years, the dominant strategy of Alabama politicians has been to exacerbate the fears of those they represent. Then, they have trouble reversing course.
Immigration is a case in point. Undocumented immigrants have been vilified by state politicians. They are stereotyped as drug dealers and felons, even though a much lower percentage commit felonies than do Alabama citizens. A classic example came from U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville.
“In Madison County, we’ve had more people killed or murdered by illegal aliens than we’ve lost in Iraq and Afghanistan combined,” Brooks said in 2011. He did not mention the Madison County death toll in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars at the time: two.
A single DUI in Madison County, allegedly caused by an undocumented immigrant, surpassed that number. Nor did he mention that Madison County citizens cause far more DUI deaths.
Nationally, the GOP recognizes immigration reform is necessary. After years of convincing their constituents that immigrants — especially Latinos — are a menacing threat, Alabama politicians cannot reverse course.
Politicians from Alabama also spent years ginning up fears of the federal deficit. No question, it’s a problem. It’s also a cyclical one; deficits always go up in times of war and recession and then recede. Deficit spending is a valuable tool in a depressed economy. The deficit is a concern that demands attention, but not an imminent threat.
Alabama politicians worked up a public panic over the deficit, but forgot that deficits can be attacked in two ways: by reducing expenditures and by increasing revenue.
Now they are in the awkward situation of arguing debt is the greatest peril the nation faces, except for the peril of closing tax loopholes for wealthy corporations. Their well-heeled contributors, attached to those loopholes, need them to cool it on the deficit rhetoric. It’s too late, because they invested too much into fear.
Gov. Robert Bentley used fear to build political capital by campaigning on the threat of federal programs, especially the Affordable Care Act. It is increasingly clear that Medicaid expansion under the act would not just save lives and benefit more than 300,000 of his constituents, but would boost the state’s economy. Many of his contributors recognize Medicaid expansion is essential to their own businesses and the state.
But Bentley’s effectiveness at portraying all aspects of the act as evil jammed him in a political corner.
As many Alabama politicians who succumbed to the temptation are discovering, it is easier to generate fear than to restore rationality. | <urn:uuid:5d9b3c6f-9779-4cfd-bfb0-6965ebe32ed2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesdaily.com/stories/Politicking-on-fear,203114 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95766 | 633 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Paying for College: Scholarships/Grants
By Veronikha Salazar
Education is a great investment. But one of the barriers Hispanic students face nowadays towards getting an education, besides their immigration status, is the cost. They can hardly afford to pay for college. Although, per my own experience, I know there are plenty of opportunities to get free money for college. Free money whether that is through the government or through private funding. It’s FREE! Your job is to do all you can to get it.
The key to get Free Money is time. You need time to search and find those financial aid opportunities i.e. FAFSA, scholarships, loans. You need time to work on those applications, and you need time to send them in. One of the stereotypes we, Hispanics, are well known for is ‘punctuality’ and so many times it’s true. We, as Hispanics, like to wait until the last minute for pretty much everything. We, sometimes, do not know how to manage our time and that can costs us money. So, let’s keep that in mind time when trying to find ways to pay for college. Below, you will find some tips when trying to get free money:
1) Keep in mind that your grades, SAT/ACT scores and your resume can all help you get that money or not. Many times, the higher the grades and/or scores the better!
2) Do NOT wait until your senior year to start looking for scholarships. If you are in 9th, 10th or 11th grade start looking for scholarships now. Most of the scholarships require an essay, what better way to practice than by writing one for a high school essay contest now, right? There are a few of those essay contest that target middle school and high school students. If you are a junior in high school that is (in my own humble opinion) the BEST time to start looking for scholarships. Most of the deadlines will be the fall or spring of your senior year.
3) Start talking to your high school counselor and also talk to the college counselor (the want you want to go to) about scholarships. They are, sometimes, the ones with more information about scholarships for residents of your specific school, county, city and state.
4) Besides all the information you can get from your counselors. Do some research on your own.
5) Start searching for scholarships locally. Find those local organizations (private or not, Hispanic driven/focused or not) and see whether you are eligible to apply for them or not. Think of those organizations you and your family may be affiliated with. And, do not get discouraged by the amount of the scholarships, they may be small amounts. But, though most of the local scholarships may not be ‘big’ ones, it is still free money you can get.
6) Search for Institutional Scholarships. Talk to the admissions and/ or financial aid counselor. Ask if the school where you want to go offer scholarships for students like you. Check their financial aid website (if they have one). See if there are scholarships for specific colleges, departments and majors (like the one you want to choose).
7) Search for State scholarships. Most states have a Department of Education office. Pretty much every state has a Scholarship program for its residents. Georgia has HOPE Scholarship, Arkansas has Academic Challenge Scholarship, Oklahoma has the Academic Scholarship Program and Florida has Bright Future Scholarship, just to name a few states. Do remember that most likely those scholarships will be granted to those students who will be attending a school in that specific state.
8) Search for National scholarships. Those most of these are merit based scholarships, there are quite a few offered to those who need financial assistance. Gates Millennium is one of them.
9) Find out if your parents’ employers offer scholarships for their children. Big companies sometimes do offer that type of help. Ask your parents to visit the company’s human resource office and find out for you.
10) If you (a high school student) is working for a company e.g. food chain, clothing store, food store, etc. Ask your manager about scholarships offered to students like you.
11) A great tool to use while searching for scholarships is FASTWEB, but also GOOGLE. Most of the scholarships I have found have been through Google. You can literally type in any word (try typing brand names of things you eat, wear, buy) next to the word Scholarship and the year we are in (you can also try the month the deadline may be in). You will be amazed the type of scholarships you will find. You can also use Facebook. Just type in Scholarships in the search box. One that I personally manage is www.facebook.com/Scholarships4Students
12) Don’t EVER pay to get information about scholarships. If a website or a person asks you for money to do so, then most likely that’s spam.
13) Remember that each scholarship has its own requirements, instructions to apply and/or criteria of eligibility e.g. GPA score, SAT/ACT score, essays, letters of recommendation, deadlines, majors, renewal and so forth.
14) Pay CLOSE attention and follow those application requirements, instructions and/or criteria.
15) Do NOT ever copy and paste essays. Questions are different and there are many ways to know when you have copied and pasted something. Make every essay for every scholarship UNIQUE! It will be worth the effort.
16) Make copies of everything you will send. If something happens to it, then you can send a copy right away and/or prove to the organization you did submit your application.
17) Do NOT wait until the application deadline to work on the application, finish the application and/or send the application to where it needs to be sent. You may regret it!
18) Give plenty of time to those who may be writing your recommendation letters. Give them a resume so they can add many more things about you to their letter.
19) If you can and it’s not stated in the application (do not call or email inquiries), follow up with the organization and/or school about your scholarship application status.
20) Do NOT wait until tomorrow to start searching for scholarships. Start TODAY. Money is free and all you need to do is FIND IT and GET IT!
If you have any questions or comments, please email me at email@example.com or call me at 912-344-2513. I would love to answer some of your questions! | <urn:uuid:27575c9e-2a01-441f-8b97-eb723fc734df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lavozlatinaonline.net/noticias-Paying-for-College--Scholarships-Grants-en-515.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952767 | 1,382 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Tom Leoni is well-known in the Western Martial Arts community as a researcher and translator of Renaissance Italian fencing texts. His The Art of Dueling (2005) brought the magnum opus of the famed 17th century sword-master, Salvatore Fabris to an English-language audience for the first time. Now out of print, used copies are eagerly sought, often commanding ridiculously high prices on Ebay or ABEBooks.
In 2010 and 2011 Tom expanded on his investigation into 17th c swordplay with Freelance’s Venetian Rapier and Ridolfo Capoferro’s The Art and Practice of Fencing, thereby making the complete “holy trinity” of Italian rapier available in clear, concise English. In 2010′s Complete Renaissance Swordsman: A guide to the use of all manner of weapons, Tom stepped further back in time, opening the doors to earliest surviving text of the Bolognese school of swordplay, which contained a vast curriculum of weapons.
But before joining Freelance, in 2009 Tom had self-published a modest little book – a translation of the earliest known work on Italian martial arts, the renowned il Fior di Battaglia (The Flower of Battle) by Fiore dei Liberi. This translation quickly became the seminal translation in the WMA community, and forms the basis of study in Robert Charrette’s Fiore dei Liberi’s Armizare: The chivalric martial arts system of il Fior di Battaglia. In the ensuing three years, Tom has substantially reanalyzed, revised and expanded his translation. We sat down with him at the SCA’s Pennsic War to ask him how a staunch student of the Italian rapier found himself suddenly immersed in a study of the two-handed sword, wrestling, pollaxe and mounted combat, and why creating a second edition became an obsession.
Q: You have been translating Italian martial arts manuscripts since 2005, but your focus has always been on the 16th and 17th centuries. How did a translation of Fiore dei Liberi’s “Flower of Battle” come about?
It was Scott Wilson (owner of Darkwood Armory) who initially commissioned the translation. As a serious Fiore student, he wanted to have a single, reliable and consistent translation of the Getty manuscript at a time when there were many fragments of translations available on the Web, some more dependable than others. So he came to me and promised me to make me a custom rapier if I would complete the translation by the 600th anniversary of what we consider to be the date of the treatise. I complied, my original translation came out in 2009, and the beautiful Darkwood custom rapier hangs proudly in my salle.
Q: Can you answer this question for the Historical European martial arts community once and for all: is il Fior di Battaglia written in literary Italian or dialect?
Actually, neither! The book is written in vernacular, which is somewhere between the literary language and the dialect. Think of it as the proper language spoken with a heavy regional accent and using a simplified vocabulary. In writing, the most telltale sign of vernacular is the spelling, which approximates on paper the way the author would have pronounced the language; in our Master’s case, his spelling was heavily influenced by what linguists call Lombardisms (for instance, z or ç for g or c, gh for c, d for t, etc.). But once you account for the several consonant shifts, a few vowel shifts and the frequent elimination of double consonants, you get a fairly standard Italian–although definitely not as polished as the literary language as far as grammar, vocabulary and style. For an example closer to home, imagine a Joe Pesci spelling words as he pronounces them in his thick New York accent (e.g., “the two yoots”) or a Jeff Foxworthy doing so in his signature Southern drawl (e.g., “less do us sum rasslin’”): the spelling is unorthodox, but the meaning is still clear. Had Fiore written in true dialect, the Italian would be virtually unrecognizable–for instance, he would have used terms not found in Italian, he would have contracted many words, while with others, he would have dropped the final vowel or even the final syllable. Besides, writing in dialect for a wide audience was not at all common in Fiore’s time–and indeed, throughout the history of Italian literature.
Q: One of the other things that your translations have become known for is capturing the voice of the original author, rather than using your own. How would you describe Fiore’s personality as an author?
I am glad that some think I convey the voice of the original authors. Translating is truly an art-form, and my goal is to keep getting better. Returning to grad-school–especially having to translate under the rigorous guidance of the head of the Classics department at Catholic University–has certainly given me more food for thought as far as translating. Fiore’s personality as an author is truly interesting–and I think unique in the history of Italian fencing. While most Masters speak in a single voice, Fiore writes in at least three personas: the meticulous teacher of the art he loves and has learned to describe so well; the lovable boisterous soldier in the tradition of Plautus’ miles gloriosus; and the self-deprecating, easy-going man who never lost his sense of humor despite the respect and the status he has earned, who calls himself “a poor old man” and “Fiore the student.” The Fiore who comes across from the pages of his treatise is someone I would have loved to know, train and share a drink with. After spending so much time with him, I think of Fiore as a friend, while even “my” Fabris I view more as a father figure, since he only spoke in one voice–the voice of absolute authority in his field.
Q: What led to creating a second edition?
Three things mainly. One, the desire to review the translation as a Fiore student, rather than merely a historical fencer with a linguistic background; two, the awareness that working from a high-resolution version of the original manuscript was preferable than working from a transcription; three, the desire to include biographical material, a contextual study on the judicial duel (which is one of my main areas of academic interest), the account of some of the duels fought by Fiore’s students, as well as a thorough bilingual glossary on the Master’s terminology. The result is something I’m quite pleased with, and besides the complementary material I have mentioned, I would rate this translation a good 25-30% better and more accurate than that of the first edition. Also, I was able to offer plenty of footnotes giving suggestions as to the practical aspect of Fiore’s plays, now that I have gone through most of the book several times sword-in-hand (so to speak).
Q: There’s a rumor that after spending this much time with the old Maestro, your rapier now has to compete with the longsword and abrazare in your heart. Is that true?
It is absolutely true. Rapier is like the violin, while the medieval arts are like playing guitar. Both instruments are sublime and capable of perfection, but the guitar gives you satisfaction sooner, comes in many more varieties and can have an air of cool nonchalance that the more exacting violin does not have. I view medieval martial arts in the same light. Thanks to Fiore, I am learning to wrestle, I am getting proficient at fighting unarmed against a dagger, I get to use a whole plethora of interesting weapons under a single, coherent system, and I even get to fight in armor. Fiore also inspired me to get back on a horse, something I used to love when I was younger but I had not done in years. Something else that attracts me to Fiore is the fact that there is a lot more still to discover about his world, which as a researcher is like a newly-found gold mine. This is not to say that my enthusiasm for the rapier has diminished; only, it is hard (I would say impossible) not to be seduced by the system of Fiore and the context in which his art was practiced.
Q: There are a few questions that come up when English speakers with a bit of Italian look at Fiore’s terminology. Why do you think he used “abrazare”, for example, rather than “lotta”? Or “colpo” rather than “taglio”? To those of us who didn’t grow up thinking in Italian, what is the lesson to be learned there?
The lesson is that as a late-medieval man, Fiore understood his categories! Lotta is the whole of wrestling, while abrazare is a part–namely, arm-wrestling (as Fiore gives away on Folio 45 R, when he says “a play of abrazare [means] a play of the arms”). Colpo is the whole, a generic term for blow, action or attack, while taglio is a part–namely, a cutting attack. In other cases, it must have been the tradition that affected terminology; for instance, the name or descriptive adjectives of some guards and some strikes are unique to Fiore (as far as we know today) and must have come from a Master-student lineage particular to his area or his instructors–e.g., Posta di Donna, Sottano, Colpo di Villano, Guardie Pulsative, etc. I am looking forward to discovering what further research will yield in this regard.
Q: Now that you’re Fiore’s student, and not just his mouthpiece to the Anglophone world, how do you think his work “measures up” to the works of the later Renaissance that you have spent so much time with?
It measures up excellently. His treatise is so clear and thorough, we don’t have an excuse for getting Fiore wrong. We may argue about such minutiae as how far off-line you need to step, or whether or not you need an additional pass when you deliver your riposte by fendente in the Peasant’s Strike or whether there is a left Finestra in longsword, but as far as the main ideas and principal motions, he leaves no room for speculation. This is also greatly aided by the late-medieval pedagogical model of illustrating most actions, as well as by there being four extant version of his treatise. I wish that at least one among the great 16th century Bolognese Masters had adopted Fiore’s pedagogical model–we would know a lot more about that style than we can at present, with their (largely) non-illustrated, discursive instruction. I would say that up until the 17th century, Fiore has written the most valuable Italian treatise for us historical martial artists–and even compared to more recent treatises, he more than holds his own.
Q: There seem to be a lot of “memes” about Fiore’s work, perhaps because no complete, vetted translations of his work are readily available to the larger community. If there are a few of these that you could put to rest right now, what would they be?
I am glad you asked! The most macroscopic meme of recent vintage is that Fiore somehow wrote in code, and that his text is cryptic and hard to understand. Quite to the contrary, Fiore wrote as an expert instructor, who needed very few well-tested words to describe what he wanted to convey. His goal was clarity, and he achieved that admirably, in my opinion. How much clearer, for instance, can you get than his description of the Peasant’s Strike?
Wait for the peasant to launch his cut with his sword. As you wait, stand in a narrow stance with your left foot forward. When he attacks, perform an off-line accrescimento with your left foot to the opponent’s right, followed by an oblique pass with your right foot, catching his cut with the middle of your sword. Let his sword glide to the ground, and immediately respond with a fendente to the head or arms …
Sure, the fact that every action is illustrated helps, but how many treatises can you name that spell out the footwork with such consistent precision–in virtually every action? How many can you tick off that tell you exactly where to put your hands and your body and in which direction to push or pull as you wrestle? How many that name and describe all the turns that your body, your feet and your sword can make? As you read Fiore, you really get the sense that he wants you to know, he wants you to get it. Which is why I said that you simply can’t get Fiore wrong–although performing his actions correctly and efficiently is of course a matter of arduous practice.
Then of course there is the meme initiated (or perpetuated) by the Victorians, namely, that Fiore wrote a treatise in which there is essentially no theory and no finesse, only brute force. A few hours of training are enough to disprove that: can you imagine wildly muscling your way through the first few plays of abrazare? Or trying to “win” a crossing by pressing hard against the opponent’s blade? But then, the Victorians’ goal was different from ours: theirs was to trace an evolutionary pedigree (documented or half-legendary) for their own style, while ours is to piece together the original arts on their own merit, understand them and perform them to the best of our ability.
Fiore dei Liberi’s Flower of Battle, 2nd Edition is available exclusively from Freelance Academy Press! But it direct, and receive an added bonus: an annotated translation by of the closely related Morgan Ms, correlated as a correspondence to the Getty Ms and red-lined to make it easy to spot the differences, additions or deletions of text. | <urn:uuid:4ef83cc1-918a-45e0-ae09-fbb1726d1721> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freelanceacademypress.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971967 | 3,018 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Gordon Bremner's Arsenal career was interrupted by the Second World War.
The Scottish inside forward joined from Cartha Athletic in March 1937 and cut his teeth in the Football Combination, where he scored 15 times in 43 appearances.
|Arsenal Career||1937 - 1946|
|Appearances||15 (15 starts, 0 as a sub)|
Bremner made a goalscoring debut against Leeds United in April 1938 and played once more in his first season.
He appeared more regularly in 1938/39 but remained on the fringes of George Allison's first team. Bremner still managed to add three more goals, including a winner against Chelsea at Highbury in February.
The inside forward made 22 appearances during wartime but transferred to Motherwell for £2,750 upon demobilisation from the Army.
Bremner also featured in 'The Arsenal Stadium Mystery', the 1939 murder mystery film set at Highbury. | <urn:uuid:ab717838-2d87-49d8-97cd-a8cb0f6f4057> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arsenal.com/history/profiles/76/gordon-bremner?ts=up | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962149 | 190 | 1.75 | 2 |
Sculpture by Gabriel Warren
Polar Probings: Sculpture by Gabriel Warren
October 13 – December 8, 2011
The Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery will present a number of works by artist Gabriel Warren October 13 through December 8, 2011. Warren’s works in this exhibit are layered with meanings and references to the condition of the planet and are based on his close observations of the behavior of ice in its many forms. The show will also include an outdoor sculpture installation adjacent to Cohen Memorial Hall, home of the Fine Arts Gallery. The opening reception for the show will take place on Thursday, October 13, at 5:00 p.m. in the gallery.
Often using natural ice formations as source material, Gabriel Warren creates sculptures that are, in the words of the artist, “intended to reflect the beauty of the natural sources from which they emerge…. They represent my attempts to triangulate an understanding of a single natural phenomenon: ice.” Warren also notes “although ice is not the only source in the natural world for my sculptural probings, it is the dominant one and has been so for decades. Ice exhibits mind-numbing variability and variety on a visual plane. From a scientific perspective, understanding its behavior is key to understanding many other components of our world.”
Warren received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, and has studied at the Tyler School of Art, Rome, Italy; Amherst College, Amherst, MA; the Phillips Academy, Andover, MA; and the Externat Notre Dame, Grenoble, France. Dividing his time between his studio and residence in Rhode Island and his summer home in a primitive cabin he built on a sea cliff in Nova Scotia, Warren travels frequently to Antarctica. In1999, he was the recipient of a National Science Foundation “Artists and Writers in Antarctica” grant. His art has been shown at the Peabody-Essex Museum, Salem, MA; Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI; Hunter College, New York, NY; and the Quay School of the Arts, Wanganui, New Zealand, among many other museums and galleries.
The Gabriel Warren exhibition is being presented in conjunction with this year’s campus-wide initiative on sustainability with support from the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities, the Department of English, the College of Arts and Science Dean’s Office, and the American Studies Program at Vanderbilt University. | <urn:uuid:58189888-03a6-4268-a5db-e1baa958521e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vanderbilt.edu/rpw_center/events/gabrielwarren.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963535 | 514 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Froggy Phonics Game
Grades K & up. Players use a phonics spinner and try to be the first to find a matching word on their lily pad game board. The first player to put down four of their froggies is the winner! Each board is double-sided for twice the phonics practice. Great for use in Classroom Centers, small groups, and at home to build and re-inforce reading skills. | <urn:uuid:402428f8-2b80-4674-bd12-233001fb0753> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kaplantoys.com/store/trans/productDetailForm.asp?CatID=23%7C%7C0&Page=1&Max=119&Seq=21.95&PID=62049 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964812 | 91 | 2.453125 | 2 |
ver, his competitor, John J. Hardin, was one of the foremost men of Illinois. It is true that Hardin was a Whig, and that by this time there was a pretty clear division between Whigs and Jackson men on offices as well as measures, so that the contest was a party as well as a personal affair; but from auctioneer's clerk to district attorney was a promotion hardly to be won in a year by a youth of qualities less than extraordinary.
The election was in February, 1835, and Douglas held the office the better part of two years. A justice of the supreme court had declared, on hearing of the legislature's choice, that the stripling could not fill the place because he was no lawyer and had no law books. Nevertheless, he was an efficient prosecutor. No record of his service is available, but there was a tradition in later years that not one of his indictments was quashed. Certainly, his work in the courts of the district increased his reputation and strengthened his hold on his own party. In the spring of 1836, | <urn:uuid:d194331c-6a72-4ebd-b446-ddd173f412e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://manybooks.net/titles/brownwg2757927579-8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.996943 | 220 | 2.0625 | 2 |