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"If my opponent had his way, the millions of Floridians who rely on it would have had their Social Security tied up in the stock market this week... Millions would've watched as the market tumbled and their nest egg disappeared before their eyes. Millions of families would've been scrambling to figure out how to give their mothers and their fathers, their grandmothers and their grandfathers, the security retirement that every American deserves."
– Sen. Barack Obama, at a campaign stop Saturday, September 20, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Check out the facts after the jump!
Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain disagree over how to handle Social Security, and ensure its viability in the future. One major difference involves privatization. McCain supports allowing people to take some money they contribute toward Social Security and put it into "personal savings accounts." Obama believes such a move endangers retirement benefits.
On his Web site, McCain says he "supports supplementing the current Social Security system with personal accounts - but not as a substitute for addressing benefit promises that cannot be kept." The Web site does not specify how those accounts would operate. But McCain supported President Bush's plan in 2005 to allow some workers to place a limited amount of their payroll taxes into private accounts, which would have been invested in stock or bond funds.
That proposal - which never came to a vote - limited participation to people born in 1950 or later. None of today's recipients of Social Security retirement benefits is old enough to have participated. So, under the specific plan that McCain weighed in on, it is wrong to say that "the millions of Floridians who rely on" those benefits would have them tied to the stock market. Some younger people who chose to participate would have their future benefits affected.
It's also important to note that we can't know whether the private funds President Bush proposed may ultimately have benefited someone who chose to participate. And even with a prolonged stock downturn, it is incorrect to say that these nest eggs would "disappear," since the plan McCain supported would only allow for a portion of someone's Social Security contributions to go into
a personal savings account. And McCain himself describes the accounts he espouses as "supplementing" the current system - not replacing it.
With nearly 80 million Americans expected to become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits in the next two decades, the program presents a financial drain on a nation that is already trillions of dollars in debt. It is a critical and controversial issue - and prime election fodder, particularly in swing states like Florida, in which votes among older citizens could make a huge difference.
Verdict: False. There is no basis for Obama to claim that "the millions" who rely on those benefits would be affected, or that anyone's nest egg would have "disappeared." But McCain does support allowing some Social Security funds to enter the stock market in the future, while Obama does not. | <urn:uuid:745e4847-81b4-4c01-bc94-b923ac747e1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/21/fact-check-obamas-social-security-charge/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975424 | 594 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Choosing a Youth Baseball BatJan 14, 2002 (Updated Jun 13, 2002) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Sport and OutdoorThe Bottom Line "CU31? C405? Scandium? Do I need a degree in metallurgy to choose a Little League Baseball bat?"--NOT IF YOU READ THIS FIRST.
First, three words about bats:
Lighter Is Better!
Barry Bonds, who weighs 195 pounds, uses a 28 ounce bat! A light bat is easier to control, and, contrary to old-school thinking, you can hit a ball harder and farther with a light bat than with a heavy bat because you can swing a light bat much faster. As acceptance of this fact has grown in recent years, the overwhelming trend in both baseball and softball has been to lighter bats.
In case you need convincing, consider that NCAA and high school sports bodies have rules prohibiting baseball bats from being more than 3 ounces lighter in weight than the length of the bat in inches. This was done for safety reasons—it was thought that big, strong players swinging ultralight bats hit the ball so hard that infielders were at risk.
In Little League, however, light bats are not considered to be unsafe for defenders, because the players aren’t nearly as big and strong as their older counterparts. Even using an ultralight 19 ounce Little League bat, a typical 90 pound kid won’t be able to make up for the disparity in size and strength between himself and a college player. In fact, to have any chance of swinging with proper technique, most Little League players need an ultralight bat.
It’s a bad idea to get a bat that’s too heavy for your Little Leaguer with the thought that he or she will “grow into it.” Instead, your kid will learn bad habits trying to swing a bat that is too heavy. When in doubt about two bats, go with the lighter bat.
Little League bats must be 32” or less and have barrels no more than 2 ¼ in diameter. The bat must also be made of an approved material, but need not actually say “approved by Little League” on the bat. In practice, every major manufacturer uses approved materials.
LENGTH AND WEIGHT
Manufacturers typically print the bat’s length in inches on the barrel or the handle. They also print the weight, either in ounces, or as “- something.” The “-“ stands for weight in ounces less than length in inches. In other words, a 30 inch bat designated as “-10” weighs 20 ounces.
Weight: In general, buy a bat that is “-10” or lighter.
Length: The best way to get the right size bat is to take your kid with you and select a bat that is the longest bat he or she can swing hard without straining.
The table below probably covers 80% of the players in a given division, but, as they say, “your mileage may vary.” Some kids are bigger than others; some are strong for their size; some have already developed good technique. The best any article can give you is a rule of thumb.
Division (age).............Bat length, weight
Farm (7-8)..................26” or 27”, -10 or lighter
Jr. Minors (8-9)............27” to 29”, -10 or lighter
Sr. Minors (9-12)..........28” to 31”, -10 or lighter
Majors (10-12).............29” to 32”, -9 or lighter
Wood is out—has been for years. Wood bats are heavier, less durable, and have less “pop” than aluminum bats. Leave wood to the pros.
Most modern bats are made of aircraft-grade aluminum supplied by Alcoa or Kaiser. Variations in the alloy formula have resulted in stronger alloys, allowing the manufacturers to design bats with thinner shell walls, which in turn corresponds to lighter weight. All of these advanced alloys are known by trade names (usually a number), as well as brand names (sometimes the same grade will be marketed under a different brand name by different bat makers). The brand names are heavily hyped: you can be sure that if a bat is made of an advanced alloy, that fact will be trumpeted somewhere on the bat, usually in large bold letters. By the same token, you should beware of bats -11 or lighter that do not state the type of alloy used. They will probably be made of an alloy that is too weak to support the thinner wall required for the light weight.
Standard aircraft aluminum is designated in the trade as “7046.” Most budget bats are made of this grade. “7050” grade alloy includes a small amount of copper, and is about 33% stronger than 7046. About 12 years ago, Alcoa branded its 7050 grade “CU31” and began marketing it in Slo-Pitch bats as the first high performance alloy. The “CU” designation refers to the addition of copper to the alloy.
Alcoa’s “C405” is the next higher grade, supposedly about 10% stronger than CU31. C405 was introduced 8 or 9 years ago, quickly followed by C405 Plus and C405 Ultra, which are the same alloy manufactured under difference processes. The strength difference between C405 and C405 Ultra is only about 5%. C405 Ultra is, therefore, about 38% stronger than standard aircraft aluminum. “7075” is a new alloy by Kaiser that is claimed to be equal to or better than C405 Ultra.
Kaiser’s Sc500 Scandium, and Alcoa’s C500 and C555 represent the next level up. C500 and Sc500 Scandium are about 3-5% stronger than C405 Ultra, respectively. C555 is claimed to be about 7% stronger than C405 Ultra, or about 40% stronger than standard aircraft grade aluminum.
The current king of the hill is Sc777, made by Kaiser. While the other exotic alloys only offer incremental strength gains over CU31, Sc777, if the claims are true, represents a truly big leap: about 50% stronger than C405. This means that Sc777 is nearly twice as strong as standard aircraft aluminum.
WHY ALLOY GRADES MATTER (AND WHY THEY MAY NOT)
There’s a lot of hype out there about the various alloys. Here’s why alloy grade really matters. Manufacturers use advanced alloys in order to be able to make the walls of the barrel of the bat thin while still allowing the bat to be strong enough to resist denting. Thin walls equal light weight. Thin walls are also claimed to contribute to a “trampoline” effect, or rebound, when the bat strikes the ball. The rebound effect enhances power, and therefore, distance, given the same swing speed. Think of throwing a baseball against a wall made of superball material, then against a wall made of concrete.
Other than allowing for thinner walls, however, there is little power to be gained from the exotic alloys themselves. The various alloys have virtually the same specific gravity, so the walls of a –11 CU31 bat are likely to be the same thickness as those of a –11 Sc777 bat. There may be some difference in the trampoline effect, but it is negligible. (Anyway, it is possible that the ball might rebound better off the softer bat—that’s the whole idea of the trampoline effect!) Thus a –11 bat that is made of CU31 will probably hit a ball just as far as a –11 bat made of Sc777. Until, that is, the CU31 bat dents, in which case it won’t perform well any more and is even likely to be ruled illegal by an alert umpire (especially in All-Star play, where they check the bats before the game.) Denting can be a major problem in ultralight bats, especially if they are used in cold weather. The stronger the bat, the less prone it is to denting. Thus, what the exotic alloys do is allow a bat of a given wall thickness to be stronger, and therefore, more durable, given the same bat weight.
A good rule of thumb: stick to bats made of CU31 or 7050 alloy or better for –10 bats, at least C405 for –11 bats, and C500 or better for –12 bats. If your child is 11 or 12 and uncommonly large and strong, consider Sc777. If the bat is –9 or heavier (I do not recommend bats heavier than –9 in Little League), alloy grade is not that important.
OTHER DESIGN FEATURES
In addition to advanced alloys, manufacturers also tout special features or manufacturing processes that supposedly increase the durability of their high-performance bats. Easton C-Core and Z-Core bats have carbon fiber bonded to the inside of the barrel walls for increased strength and durability. Easton C-Core and Z-Core bats do have a reputation for durability; whether their durability derives from the carbon fiber is anyone’s guess. Worth puts out several bats that hype a “cryogenic” manufacturing process. Testing by B&N Softball, an independent tester of Slo-Pitch bats, has shown that “cryogenic” bats offer no strength advantage over non-cryogenic bats of the same alloy. (Admittedly, this testing is now 3 years old; perhaps Worth’s newest “cryogenic” bats do offer some advantage. Personally I doubt it.) Worth also makes bats that employ variable wall thickness. This supposedly allows stronger, thicker areas to be adjacent to thinner areas, somehow making it less likely that the bats will dent. Louisville Slugger “Air” bats and some Nike bats are filled with pressurized nitrogen to keep the bat from denting. Seems to me that this would affect, and maybe even compromise, the trampoline effect, but I don’t know of any testing on the subject.
The final development is “double-wall” bats. DeMarini, now owned by Wilson, pioneered the concept several years ago and immediately became one of the biggest names in Slo-Pitch. To my knowledge, double walls have not migrated to youth baseball bats yet, but it seems only a matter of time. Double walled bats have already appeared in Fastpitch bats by DeMarini/Wilson and Worth.
Double walled bats are a variation on the trampoline effect. The barrels of these bats consist of two ultra-thin walls spaced very closely together. The idea is for the inner wall to reinforce the outer wall, but only after the outer wall has bent inward upon impact with the ball, maximizing the “trampoline” effect. The bottom line here is performance vs. durability and cost. Independent testing of Slo-Pitch bats, again by B&N, has shown that double wall bats definitely give a performance edge, but they are expensive and tend to dent.
Not all bats with the same brand names are made of the same materials from year to year. Some manufacturers are not averse to establishing the reputation of a line of bats using a high grade material, then switching to a lower grade a year or two later. Easton’s Redline fastpitch bat was made of C500 in 2000, while the 2001 model was C405. Similarly, Easton’s popular Reflex youth bats, were originally made of C405 or C405 Ultra in a –10 weight. I recently saw a –11 Reflex bat that had no alloy description at all. Presumably, it was made of basic 7046.
Watch, too, for different bats with similar names. Worth “Copperhead” bats come in 3 flavors: Copperhead –12 (CU31, not recommended) Copperhead –11 (C-405, recommended) and Copperhead VT –12 (C405, not recommended). If you can still find them in the sale racks, in ’99 Worth made Copperhead bats of CU31, -10.
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE
Here is the experience of my kids and their teams over the last few years:
Rawlings Mac Attack, 7046 Alloy, -10, 28” Used by smaller members of my son’s Sr. Minors team for 1 year with no problems. The second year, the end cap blew out the third week of the season.
Easton Reflex, C405 Ultra, –10, 29” Used by my son and half his team in the Jr. Minors, then the next 3 years by the smaller members of his teams in Sr. Minors and Majors. No dents; everyone loved it.
Louisville Slugger TPX, CU31, -10, 30” Dented and eventually broke in 2 seasons of occasional use.
Louisville Slugger Omaha Gold. C405 Plus, -12, 30” Somehow made it through a season used by two smaller members of our Major division team. Use at your own risk.
Easton Redline, C500, -11, 30” Used by several team members for 2 years in the Majors and in All-Stars. No dents, probably the most popular bat on the team.
Worth Copperhead, CU31, -10, 30” Used extensively by average sized 10 and 11 year old players in Sr. Minors; held up over the course of a season.
Worth Copperhead, CU31, -10, 32” Used by two 12 year old power hitters in All-Star competition. Dented easily.
Louisville Slugger Air Attack 3, C405 Plus, -12.5, 32” Used by the bigger 12 year old members of the team last year in the Majors. No dents, big sweet spot. Didn’t let team members use it for batting practice, though.
Easton Connexion Zcore, Sc500, -9, 32” Used for a year by a 12 year old power hitter, including through a long All-Star summer. No dents. Most players didn’t like the balance, though.
Easton Zcore Titanium, Sc777, -12, 32” Easton had not released this bat in a Little League version the last year my son played Little League, but my 14 year-old daughter got ahold of one for Fastpitch and it performed wonderfully. (By the way, Fastpitch bats up to 32” are legal in Little League baseball! They have longer barrels than Little League bats and thus bigger sweet spots. The diameter and materials are identical. The only problem is getting your son to use a “girl’s” bat.)
SHOPPING FOR A BAT
You can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $200 (yes! $200 for a kid’s bat!) for a Little League bat, so it pays to shop around, including on the Internet. But before you buy, at least take your kid with you to try out a few sizes and weights.
As bats become more and more of a status item, like skis, manufacturers come out with new designs, or at least new paint jobs, every year. Sometimes you can find last year’s model for a lot less than the current model, and sometimes last year’s model will actually be better.
Another good way to save money is to buy a "cosmetic blem." Cosmetic blems usually have a slight mar in the paint, but are otherwise identical to a regular bat except for in price, which is typically ¼ to 1/3 lower. After the first batting practice, no one can tell the difference anyway, so why pay more?
Other Baseball Equipment reviews by alamedasims:
Worth 3DX: Powerful and Expensive
The Easton Triple 7: A Hot Bat (While It Lasts)
Wilson A2000 Baseball Glove: Still Worthy of Its Reputation?
Youth Baseball Glove Buyers' Guide
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Sizing Baseball Bat Info on Sizing Baseball Bat Answers, Results and Great Info! | <urn:uuid:c505a33b-591b-443b-a2ae-529e7320f240> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epinions.com/content_2470813828?sb=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94341 | 3,513 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Today is the 100th post of the Weekend Designer and the last one for this blog. It seems like a good place to stop as I believe I have made my point that everyone is a designer and that making your own pattern “isn’t rocket science”. Weekend Designer has been a fun project as I have discovered the world of blogging and explored desktop publishing. My aim with the subject matter is to show how to execute those creative ideas for your wardrobe and home through pattern drafting. Some of the drafting techniques used were traditional flat pattern methods, drafting by height, transfer grids, simple block designs, and sometimes no pattern at all. While the examples cited are not complex, I have been able to show that making your own patterns is not a talent that you are born with nor a blessed gift, but simply a learned skill. It is like learning a new language. The more you practice it, the more fluent you become. Pattern drafting will allow you to make your creative ideas into reality.
Fabrics, trims, buttons, and embellishments are among our favourite resources for expressing our creativity in fashion design. There is something particularly special and rewarding about designing and wearing your own creations or decorating your home interiors. Garments speak a language; they are an extension of yourself, expressing personality, aspirations, moods, and style. When you know you look great, it’s only natural to feel positive and confident about yourself. The same can be said of our home decor.
You do not have to be an expert to be your own designer. With simple pattern modifications and some common sense ( sometimes a bit of trial and error too), you can create your own design details. When combined with the ideal fabrications you can realize your own creative visions.
You’ve probably discovered many sources of inspiration from the Weekend Designer. Here are some design tips and advice to help you turn that inspiration into creativity.
- Be Disciplined – Pattern-making can be hard work and takes concentration. A defined work-space and a preplanned time frame are often helpful. Try to plan creative time every day, or whatever time is available to your lifestyle. Planning a time frame in a space where you can concentrate will help slow down your ideas so you can actually be productive with them. If you’re in a hurry or if the ideas come too fast, it’s difficult to convert them into a design.
- Be Prepared – Pattern-making is a skill. However to make that skill work to its best advantage, you need the proper tools and supplies. Take precise and accurate measurements. It does not matter whether amounts are in imperial or metric but be consistent with whichever you choose. The applied math is basic but if you cannot convert fractions then use a calculator as an aid. Get a long straight ruler (yardstick) to draw lines, a set square to make 90° and 45° angles, a French curve to draw curved lines and a tracing wheel. You are only as good as your tools you use. Get a good sewing reference book. The more you know about sewing construction, the more you can expand on your pattern-making.
- Set Goals – Channel your creativity by setting goals. Let your goals grow as you grow in your knowledge of pattern drafting. Perhaps your goal is to resolve a particular design challenge or to redesign a fashion detail and integrate it into your next design. Know that pattern drafting will eventually free you of “cookie-cutter” fashion and develop a personal made-to-measure style. One technique that I always use is to begin each project with a list of “what do I see”. This will set up your thinking as to how to proceed with your pattern-making.
- Value Mistakes – Believe it or not, mistakes can be beneficial. They cause us to search for a different and often better way. They facilitate experimentation with new materials, techniques, or styles. Mistakes or challenges are an important part of the design process because they provide unique opportunities for creativity. Always make a toile or muslin fitting to test your pattern before cutting into your fashion fabric. Don’t be disappointed if it does not ‘turn out ‘ on the first attempt as planned; that is what toiles are for. These mock-ups allow you to modify the end result, correct the pattern, and work out the sewing/assembly process.
- Temporarily Let Go – When you have a creative block or cannot find a resolution to a design problem, there comes a time when it may be more productive to stop working on the pattern drafting. Let it go; do something else. While you have consciously stopped thinking about the problem, your mind is still working on it. Sometime we get too close to see the answer; however when we step back there is room for clarity.
- Enjoy the Process – don’t forget the reason why you’re doing this. Is this your hobby, your career, your creative release, your personal time for indulgence? Even if your concentration is on the end product, don’t forget to have fun with the process of pattern drafting.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the readers of Weekend Designer for their interest, comments, compliments, and encouragement. Many of you have set up links to this blog and made referrals to it in your sewing groups. Thank you for your support. Imagine my surprise and delight when I made the Top 100 Blogs on WordPress; it was all your doing.
Thank you again.
Wishing you many a creative weekend. | <urn:uuid:7d3df449-100b-4c51-a105-de6a8def5386> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wkdesigner.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/thank-you-farewell/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947593 | 1,147 | 1.648438 | 2 |
These six online degree programs are built for busy adults.
Are you dreaming of earning a degree, but can't imagine how you'd make it to class between work and family commitments? Why not take class when it's convenient for you?
"Nowadays, it's totally possible to get an entire degree online, right from home," says Susan Kannel, the associate vice president of employer services for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, a nonprofit organization that promotes individual educational and professional development.
In fact, adults with full-time employment make up the majority of undergraduates enrolled in distance education degree programs, in which education is delivered over the Internet, according to the U.S. Department of Education's "Learning at a Distance" study, released in October 2011.
Whether you're seeking a new career or want to expand your opportunities, these six online degree programs can make it easier for you to turn your spare time into study time.
If the classes you need for a bachelor's in health care administration never seem to match up with your spare time, then it might be time to go back to school online.
Flexible support: Online programs provide the flexibility that working adults need to pursue a bachelor's in health care administration, whenever and wherever it's most convenient for them.
About the degree: In a bachelor's program for health services administration, students learn about overseeing a health care facility and the services it offers, according to the College Board, an educational organization that administers aptitude tests like the SAT. Courses cover a broad range of topics, such as health care law and policy, financial management and human resources, as well as medical subjects like epidemiology.
Related career: "Prospective medical and health services managers have a bachelor's degree in health administration," according to the U.S. Department of Labor. These managers may oversee an entire health care facility or a specific unit or department within it, and could be responsible for maintaining the quality and efficiency of services.
If you are a working adult seeking a master's in business administration, but can't make it to class on a regular basis, an online program could bring the coursework to you.
Flexible support: Depending on the school, self-paced online programs could allow busy adults to move through the coursework at their own pace, with more flexibility to complete lessons, tests, or papers.
About the degree: A master's in business administration program could teach students how to apply theories to real-world problems and make important decisions in a business environment, according to the Princeton Review. The program might provide instruction on topics such as finance, management, organizational behavior, or economics.
Related career: Earning a master's in business administration is one way you could prepare for a career as a human resources manager, which sometimes requires an MBA, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. While the duties vary by company and industry, general responsibilities include ensuring that staffing is in line with the organization's needs and goals, as well as coordinating with other executives in strategic planning for the organization.
Interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in education, but don't have time for classes or homework until the weekend? An online program could fit nicely into your schedule.
Flexible support: "A lot of online professors understand working adults don't start homework until the weekend," so they put out new assignments on Thursdays, Kannel says. Of course, not every program will be this flexible, so effective time management is very important.
About the degree: Students in education programs could learn about teaching methods, the psychology and technology associated with teaching, and practical skills such as managing a classroom and creating lesson plans, according to the College Board. They also may take courses to specialize in an area, such as special education or math.
Related career: A degree in this field could offer great preparation for a career as a teacher. In fact, a bachelor's degree in elementary education is required to begin teaching as a kindergarten or elementary school teacher, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It's also good to note that a state-issued certification or license is a must-have for public school teachers, while some states may also require teachers to major in a content area such as math or science.
Do you often use your spare time to chat with friends, post to Facebook, or Skype family members? Perhaps you should use that time - and passion - to instead pursue a bachelor's degree in communications.
Flexible support: As you know all too well, the lines of communication are always open on the Internet, which means you can go to school when it's right for you.
About the degree: A business communications degree explores the dynamics and various methods of communication, with courses like argumentation and debate, media analysis and criticism, and public relations writing, according to the College Board.
Related career: Public relations specialists handle the communications, and often promotions, for an organization. Interested? You would likely need a bachelor's degree to pursue this career, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which adds that communications is one of the specific areas of study employers prefer.
If you're interested in a finance degree and find that time is your most precious commodity, pursuing this bachelor's degree online might be the winning equation.
Flexible support: Without having to commute or hunt for parking, you can put your limited time to good use with an online degree program.
About the degree: A finance degree covers the various skills and knowledge required to be a financial decision maker - from controlling costs and budgeting to making smart investments, according to the College Board.
Related career: Ever think of pursuing a career as a financial analyst? Well, a bachelor's degree in finance or a related field is required for many financial analyst positions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. As a financial analyst, you might assess the performance of stocks and other investments, as well as track policies and trends that may affect future earnings, the Department of Labor reports.
Do you want to study computer science, despite having a hectic schedule that keeps you going well into the night? Good news: An online bachelor's degree program in computer science lets you attend classes at any hour of the day.
Flexible support: Thanks to shared servers and courses that may have worldwide attendance, online computer science students can log in around the clock to join discussions or ask questions of other students, Kannel says.
About the degree: A computer science degree could combine data-driven coursework like software engineering and data structures and algorithms, as well as discussions on the theory of formal languages and artificial intelligence, according to the College Board. Typical courses may include digital system design, mathematics for computer science, and computer system organization.
Related careers: A bachelor's in computer science is one common degree for network and computer systems administrators, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. As an administrator, you would keep a business or organization's computer system running properly and efficiently, from maintaining networks and upgrades to fixing server problems.
Next Article: Health Care Degrees That Could Pay You Back » | <urn:uuid:41a5fc33-0291-4c53-95cb-005949f56548> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://education.yahoo.net/articles/degrees_for_a_busy_life.htm?wid=1004&svkid=1LG0I | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961398 | 1,469 | 1.75 | 2 |
To be able to sustain the food production that has for the last few years rendered Rwanda food secure, government introduced a number of policies, some of them have come under scrutiny with suggestions that people were being ordered on how to use their land. The New Times' Felly Kimenyi interviewed Agriculture Minister
Dr Agnes Kalibata to expound on these claims and other issues concerning the agriculture sector. Below are the excerpts.
The New Times (TNT): You may begin by telling us the status of food security in the country...
AK: Since we started the crop intensification programme to increase food security we have not looked back.
We have met a few challenges here and there along the way, like irregular rains but these were not big enough to threaten our position. As we start a new season from season A into B, I see no major problem.
There were challenges in some areas in the beginning of the previous planting season because of the rains that came and then disappeared in some places but I should say everything is on track now.
TNT: Speaking about problems could you be specific and tell us which regions were affected?
AK: When we started the season rains were not so great, in some areas they came and disappeared along the way while in some areas they did not appear at all...here we can talk about areas like Kayonza and Kerehe districts which had problems getting started and some areas in the Southern Province.
But even with those problems, not all crops get affected, it is crops like maize that need a lot of rain at the beginning but for others like beans were not affected because they have a short growing period. I can actually say we had a good bean harvest-probably not as good as we may have wanted, even with the problems we encountered. We are way beyond food security we are working for excess for market.
We are looking at margins for selling for our farmers to see this as a profitable business.
So you will find that in most districts that I mentioned, the crop that was affected most is maize but beans are there.
TNT: Speaking about excess produce for markets, how readily available are the markets for the excess produce?
AK: We have a number of programmes in place to help farmers find market for their food like the commodity purchase programme by the Ministry of Trade which saw the setting up of the Rwanda Grains and Cereals Corporation, and we have the strategic reserve programme which also buys food from farmers and the Purchase for Progress (P4P) programme through which World Food Programme purchases food to supply to its areas of intervention.
We also have a lot of people in the private sector who have increasingly joined the processing industry especially maize processing which they export to neighbouring countries as flour.
We are actually exporting a lot of maize flour in neighbouring countries like Burundi, Congo...it is interesting that we do not export raw maize which is something to be proud of.
These are market opportunities to ensure market for the farmer's produce.
TNT: With all these programmes in place, are farmers getting the best deal, in terms of price for their produce?
AK: Actually Rwandan farmers are getting a very good deal. We have taken advantage of the current food crisis in the East African region. Since 2008 prices have been going up.
We had issues of climate change that affected regional countries like Kenya and Somalia. Besides these, we have countries that depend on us for food because of different situations. We are looking at countries like Congo, Burundi and we have a lot of food that we export to Sudan.
All these are markets for our farmers and this comes with a sense of competitiveness that translates into good prices.
This has in turn facilitated us to successfully push for the crop intensification programme simply because farmers have buyers for what they are producing.
So the key commodities that we produce like maize, beans, potatoes, cassava, all these have buyers.
And of course we have produce like bananas that we consume locally. I remember a few years ago we were importing them from neighbouring countries like Uganda but now all we consume is locally produced and all these are market opportunities.
TNT: Last year, when the Prime Minister visited Minimex, a major maize miller, it emerged that this factory was importing corns from Tanzania to process flour....
AK: I don't know if this is still the case but what I can say is that anybody who goes into this kind of business is required to have adequate storage facilities to ensure constant supply of raw materials all year around.
We have two seasons a year so if you want to continue processing during off-season, you may want to have enough storage facilities and these are some of the challenges our millers face. Some are forced to stop milling during off season which should never have been the case if they had enough storage.
Stopping to produce after some point does not necessarily mean that there was not enough produce the previous season, it is just that the produce was there but was bought off by others.
That is why, even as a country we have the national strategic reserves to turn to in case of shortage. I think Minimex has also identified the problem and are dealing with it to ensure that they purchase in abundance at harvest.
TNT: Crop intensification and land consolidation have been criticized by some misconceiving it to be robbing people of the ownership of their own land....
AK: Crop Intensification Programme has a number of pillars and one of them is land consolidation, which is supposed to work out of an understanding between different members of a given community and we work on the principle of cooperatives where groups of farmers sit and agree on what they are going to grow the next season.
This is matched with what we have as priority crops. As a country, we promote certain crops because of the value we see in them. So sometimes you find a mismatch between the crops we are trying to promote and what the farmers want...may be a certain farmer is not interested in land consolidation...but it is a public policy that has to be implemented.
We have spend a lot of time trying to explain to farmers and it has worked; showing them the benefits of say growing one commodity on a large scale as opposed to growing so many on a small scale.
Again you find places where local leaders have not probably explained better and this is when you find conflict, which also at times happens because of some overzealous local leaders who will just tell the farmer to put on their land a certain crop without a proper explanation which may lead to misconceptions.
We need a very solid way of explaining to farmers so that it becomes a change process as opposed to have a forced process, to ensure farmers can embrace these policies because of the good they see in them.
If we force them to embrace them, it will not be sustainable in the long run because they will only do it when you are there and when you leave they will go back to their old ways.
TNT: It is said that government is too much into farmers' management of their day-to-day affairs rather than concentrating on policy issues....
AK: Getting involved in what farmers do on a daily basis is part of our policy mainly for two reasons; one because we want to see change in how the farmers do business in terms of production and productivity and two, because we are determined to eradicate poverty from these farmers.
When you look at poverty numbers in our country... poverty levels are still high and a huge section of our population is dependent on agriculture.
If we concentrate, work with these people then we shall see change happening faster and that is the job I am paid to do-the difference between me and the farmer is the knowledge and exposure we have, which we have to use to lift them out of poverty.
TNT: There has been an issue of middlemen. Farmers complained a few years ago that they were ripping them off because of a disconnect between farmers and the market...
AK: With the immergence of all these bodies involved in commodity purchase, these problems have gradually been eradicated...these problems mainly happened because of lack of competition or even because farmers did not know any better.
They have now been organised into cooperatives and this has elevated their negotiating power...they negotiate directly with the people who want to buy their produce, if they are unhappy with the price today, they do not sell because they are assured of a better price from another buyer tomorrow.
It is different from when a farmer had one tonne than opposed to when they have 100 tonnes. Through cooperatives, they have the volumes to help them negotiate for a better deal.
The volumes also mean that one buyer would be interested in going to them instead of them going to the market, the market goes to them.
We also have other mechanisms like the minimum price set for every commodity, and the E-Soko system that allows farmers to know, using their telephones the prices elsewhere. So every farmer now has an idea of the price in the market.
TNT: There were concerns raised by REMA (Rwanda Environment Management Authority) on the environmental impact of using inorganic fertilisers, should Rwandans be concerned?
AK: I do not believe it is the belief of REMA but rather some people in the institution...even in my different interactions I have encountered people having different views concerning the use of organic or inorganic fertilizers.
Personally I have tried and failed to come across a scientific justification on the dangers associated with use of inorganic fertilisers, some time people go into these arguments on emotional basis while others go into it on a perspective of promoting organic fertilizers which is the fancy thing to do these days.
This is mainly because organic foods in the developed world is the appealing thing but we forget the principle that anything you do in excess will always have negative implications - including eating excessive food.
Inorganic fertilisers are perfectly ok to use for crop production...they are used everywhere else in the world, today in Rwanda we are using 30kgs of these fertilisers per hectare while in the developed world-where food security is even no longer an issue for discussion, they are using 100-140kgs on the same land.
So you can see, even as we try to optimise productivity for a country like Rwanda where yield per unit is extremely important, we are still very far from what we could do going by what other countries are doing.
These people in the developed world who use this amount of the fertilizers also care about their health.
What I can tell you is that these fertilisers are very fine. We are not introducing any new element in the soil; its phosphates, its calcium, nitrogen, potassium, and these are elements that are already in the soil.
If we were to use organic fertilizers as some people are proposing, for this area where you use 100kgs-by which we are far in Rwanda, you would need 10,000kgs of organic fertilisers to have the same yield.
We are actually not near from where we should be, my target is having at least 100kgs used if we are to comfortably feed our population and this is how we have managed to get where we are in as regards food security; it is not a miracle that happened.
100kgs has world over been approved as not being near any threat. We are not operating in a vacuum; we are operating in a world where studies and research and all sorts of things have been carried out.
So I do not think that the ministry of agriculture of Rwanda is interested in harming the country's land and its people.
TNT: You have given yourselves a target of having the country self-sustaining in as far as rice production is concerned by 2017. How far have you gone and what is being done to ensure quality is not compromised by the zeal to have mass production?
AK: In terms of rice production, what is needed is very straight forward-more irrigation means more land available for rice production. Today we are producing about 55,000 tonnes of milled rice-when you factor in our increasing population, you can put this production at two-thirds of what is needed to sustain ourselves.
So the more resources we put into marshland development, the better and we have dedicated a whole project to do that -the RSSP (Rural Sector Support Project)-is working to ensure that more marshlands are put into rice production.
This is paying off when you look at it in the regional context, our farmers are producing more than two times what farmers in the region are getting on the same land. Our farmers are responding to the fact that we do not have much land, meaning they have to optimally use what they have.
They also have good supply of water from the various irrigation schemes.
The combination of these factors - increasing land for rice production like the target we have of at least developing 2000 hectares every year for the next five years, and optimum production on the available land will see us there.
Concerning quality, we no longer have a problem, we have worked with the Ministry of Trade to address a number of issues concerning quality, especially the small mills that were being used by the farmers and these have since been replaced by modern processing units and I should say this issue of quality has been addressed.
You have probably seen Rice Mart stores across the country where well processed and packaged rice is being sold and that is purely Rwandan rice.
TNT: The private sector has been reluctant to venture into agriculture on a large scale...what do you think has been the cause?
AK: There are a number of reasons but then you cannot say that the private sector has entirely been on the peripheries, they have been on board but at may be a much lower scale that where we want them to be.
As for large scale investments, there are a number of factors that have discouraged the private sector to come on board, one being the fact that agriculture is being seen as a risky venture.
The risk factor is being removed like the introduction of insurance in agriculture and a number of facilities in place to boost investment in agriculture and we are seeing the perception gradually changing.
We have also introduced public-private partnerships in agriculture. Sometimes it is not easy to have people change perception so you have to guide them in the process, through such partnerships because when you look at the reason you find minimal participation of the private sector in this sector is not because they lack the capacity to invest, but the knowledge on how worthwhile and profitable this investment is.
TNT: The impact of the quarantine imposed on animals in the Eastern Province due to foot-and-mouth disease has continued to hurt people in the area....
AK: The reason this problem prevailed for longer than foreseen-we have not had a quarantine before that went on for more than one month-is that the cows that had this disease were inside the Gabiro Military Barracks area and we told the owners that these cows should be contained and treated from there and immunised those outside the area.
The problem came when people continued moving with their cows in and out of Gabiro instead of enforcing the quarantine and this escalated the problem.
Now we have agreed with all parties concerned that we identify all the animals with signs of the disease and have them slaughtered to remove any concerns of affecting others, before the quarantine is lifted.
Otherwise we have a lot of farmers that were defaulting on the quarantine system which kept the disease spreading.
And this was not made easy by some local leaders who instead of enforcing the quarantine, decided to side with the farmers and this has hurt the farmers more in the end.
This is a pandemic problem you can not joke around with. But I think by the end of this week (last week) we shall have identified and removed all the cows that are affected and we shall give ourselves time to monitor the situation.
But we shall not lift the quarantine even if there is one animal that is sick. So it is hurting everybody but this level of indiscipline, not being able to respect such measures has come with consequences. | <urn:uuid:7996aea3-e1b8-4b68-9c8b-3fa4495f7ec8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allafrica.com/stories/201302180154.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976613 | 3,308 | 1.554688 | 2 |
We’ve talked about the benefits of setting and recording goals here, but few articles have explored the concept of goat setting actually directly affecting real outcomes out of your control.
This article from Mr Wang Says So takes a karmic look at things by arguing that when you continuously write out all your goals and aspirations the real world will help you achieve them.
What this might more likely result in is you noticing more opportunities when they present themselves, where you would normally miss them.
Through constant repetition by writing, you’re programming your unconscious mind to accept that your goals are possible, or likely, or realistic, or even already fulfilled. Then your unconscious mind will start bending reality to make your goals come true.
How to Write Down Your Goals – [MrWangSaysSo] | <urn:uuid:76f9862b-30d4-4f47-bef9-f2929c440c9f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/if-goal-setting-affected-reality.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941291 | 163 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Among the most intriguing research of our time is the effort to understand the process of aging, and perhaps to arrest or even reverse its effects.
Impressive progress is being made:
Genes that control the timing of organ formation during development also control timing of aging and death, and provide evidence of a biological timing mechanism for aging, Yale researchers report in the journal Science.
"Although there is a large variation in lifespan from species to species, there are genetic aspects to the processes of development and aging," said Frank Slack, associate professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and senior author of the paper. "We used the simple, but genetically well-studied, C. elegans worm and found genes that are directly involved in determination of lifespan. Humans have genes that are nearly identical."
A microRNA and the developmental-timing gene it controls, lin-4 and lin-14, affect patterns of cellular development at very specific stages. . .
According to Slack, [there is] strong evidence of an "intrinsic biological clock" that runs for aging as well as for normal organ development.
"This microRNA is conserved in humans leading to the enticing idea of being able to beneficially affect the results of aging including diseases of aging," said Slack. Work is under way to identify other microRNAs regulators and genes they target, to determine where they function and whether they behave the same way in mice, and to see if they are altered in human diseases of aging.
Genetic therapy holds great promise for treating several serious health problems, as well as possibly stopping natural deterioration altogether. However, the current state of the art can also cause problems, including cancer. Eventually, with the use of advanced nanotechnology, scientists may be able to directly edit the DNA of living cells in the body.
But even without that level of sophistication, massively parallel scanning -- made possible with tools built by molecular manufacturing (MM) -- may enable the sorting of cells modified outside the body. The ability to inject only non-cancerous cells would make some kinds of genetic therapy much safer. Microsurgical techniques could allow the implantation of modified cells directly into the target tissues.
Health improvement and life extension do not depend on MM, but it certainly will make them accessible to more people. Any treatment that can be automated can be applied to any number of people at low cost; such efficient research will speed the development of cures for complex problems such as aging.
What about the common objections to radical life extension?
If everyone were healthy and lived a long time, we'd overpopulate the earth.
Once infant mortality is minimized, birth rate contributes far more to population than lifespan, because children grow up to have children of their own. But as people get healthier, richer, and better educated, they have fewer kids. The birth rate is already below the replacement level in several rich countries.
Overpopulation is a centuries-old problem. Traditionally, it's been solved by infanticide, plague, and vicious war. MM will allow us to develop far more sustainable lifestyles and figure out better solutions for living in greater numbers on and beyond the Earth.
Life extension is immoral and we should resist it.
Smallpox vaccination, anesthesia, and blood transfusions also were said to be immoral. Today it's obvious that that's crazy. No one wants to be sick, and life extension is a natural result of health extension. Anyone who visits the doctor is working to improve their health and often trying to increase their lifespan as well.
Death is a natural part of life and it shouldn't be shunned.
Since when does natural equate with good? Tooth decay is natural -- should dentistry be outlawed? Polio is natural -- should we ban the Sabin vaccine? Cholera is natural -- should we allow epidemics to rage unchallenged?
It is an entirely human response to try to fix problems that are harming people -- including death. Some 150,000 people die globally every day. In the U.S., it's about 200,000 a month (6,500 a day). Given these numbers, it does seem rather odd that we aren't demanding a solution now. Perhaps one reason is that we live in a culture of death -- a culture that has convinced us that death is natural, good, and impossible to fight against, so we shouldn't even try.
But we should try, and as this book shows, some very smart people are currently engaged in finding the solutions. In the Bible, people were said to have lived for upwards of 900 years, and it would be nice to get back to that kind of run on life. As Rabbi Neil Gillman once said, "There is nothing redemptive about death. Death is incoherent. Death is absurd." | <urn:uuid:1b760f23-32fc-44c5-95f9-bc57c7f6d60e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/2005/12/aging_death_and.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967594 | 979 | 3.5 | 4 |
Attributes of a Winning Business Idea
Part of the Business Plans Kit For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Before you can have an effective business plan, you must have a great business idea. An effective business plan can help turn a good business idea for a company into a great one. Ask yourself these questions to evaluate your idea:
Is your business idea something you really want to spend time doing?
Do you have the resources, connections, skills, and experience to turn your business idea into a success story?
Can you explain your business idea in 25 words or less?
Does your business idea address or solve a real customer need, problem, or desire?
Will you offer something new or different than the competition?
Does your business idea take advantage of a new opportunity? Is your business idea the right one at the right time?
Will your business idea make money — and how fast? | <urn:uuid:e28c9ae0-eafd-491f-936d-7ccb55bd9bfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/attributes-of-a-winning-business-idea.navId-810584.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924062 | 181 | 1.75 | 2 |
Weather: click the symbols for more info
Whats the weather doing over the uk at the moment, click the map to visit the met office:
These images come from satellites which remain above a fixed point on the Earth (i.e. they are "geostationary"). The visible image record visible light from the sun reflected back to the satellite by cloud tops and land and sea surfaces. They are equivalent to a black and white photograph from space. They are better able to show low cloud than infrared images (low cloud is more reflective than the underlying land or sea surface). However, visible pictures can only be made during daylight hours.
Coast-lines and lines of latitude and longitude have been added to the images and they have been altered to polar stereographic projection.
The visible images are updated hourly between 0600 and 1900 UTC each day. | <urn:uuid:3fe1faa9-5274-4f8f-b4de-b26984cd6641> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.swatuk.com/37.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923276 | 176 | 3.171875 | 3 |
☛ François Truffaut at Work by Carole Le Berre, tr. from French by Bill Krohn, New York: Phaidon, 2005, flaps photograph (both front and back) by André Dino, December 1958. © MK2/André Dino.
This is a behind-the-scene photo depicting the shooting of the very last (and very famous) sequence of François Truffaut’s film Les 400 coups (The 400 Blows). It was shot by still photographer André Dino at Villers-sur-Mer (in Normandy) between December 16 and December 22 1958 (I got the date from Truffaut: A Biography by Antoine de Baecque and Serge Toubiana, tr. by Catherine Temerson, University of California Press, 2000, p. 132). The film premiere at the 12th Cannes Film Festival on May 4th where it won the Award for Best Director (see official site) and was released in France on June 3rd of the same year.
Below is another behind-the-scene photo shot by André Dino most likely during the same days of December 1958 (source of hi-res version). It shows François Truffaut (left) and Jean-Pierre Léaud (right) sitting in the same Citroen 2CV used for the final tracking shot on the beach. Léaud appears to be rolling a cigarette:
André Dino (IMDb) was a still photographer on many iconic French films of the same period. He worked on Claude Chabrol’s Le Beau Serge (1958), on Jacques Tati’s Mon Oncle (1958) and Play Time (1967). He also played a small role in some of them.
I was quite surprised to find a picture of him with Jacques Tati on the set of Mon Oncle (I couldn’t track back the original source: I believe it was first uploaded to the Internet on October 2006 by the blog If Charlie Parker Was A Gunslinger):
There isn’t much information about André Dino online. The first two photographs shown above belong to the Collection Cahiers du Cinéma but aren’t accessible online (see its Photothèque). Some more behind-the scene photographs shot by Dino during the production of The 400 Blows are also kept at the Cinémathèque Française (see Cine-Ressources.net).
Finally, I found the following image in Carole Le Berre’s book, on page 26. While he was still searching for the definitive title for his film, François Truffaut filled a small index card with various ideas. | <urn:uuid:d71aca54-d92f-4c75-a40f-dbe4a0b66c39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aphelis.net/behind-scene-photos-francois-truffauts-400-blows-les-400-coups-1959/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94039 | 557 | 1.601563 | 2 |
If the processor is not compatible, it means the motherboard is not validated for the power and thermal specifications of the processor. It also means that the BIOS has no explicit support for the stepping and frequency of the processor.
Since the motherboard and processor are not designed to work together, what you can expect is an unstable system at any time and you can expect it to fail sooner than expected and this can be caused by anything, such as a simple BIOS update on your board, or it can even just happen.
Instability issues cover basically everything: from data faults up to boot issues.
This automatically voids the warranty of both server board and processor since, the 3 year limited Warranty only covers manufacturing defects while, usage not in accordance with product instructions, misuse, neglect, alteration, repair, improper installation, improper testing is not covered:http://download.intel.com/support/processors/sb/english_3yr_warranty.pdf | <urn:uuid:83df85d1-3f03-485c-b06f-a9da621fae09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://communities.intel.com/message/154029 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930428 | 194 | 1.890625 | 2 |
There are many myths passed over back fences about native plants. Most of the good ones are true, most of the bad ones are being spread by people who do not know how to grow native plants, but loudly claim they do.
To put it all together in a beautiful landscape first sort the plant list by size, then put the lower plants in front and the higher plants in back. If your shade or water use varies much, you'll need to run the software for each section of the yard that is significantly different. In other words, the shade under an oak that you do not want to water will have a different plant list than the front walk, which is in full sun next to the lawn.
The dabblers occasionally play at gardening. Dabblers plant some 4" color, mow the lawn and in general do not give the yard a second thought for another month. Decorators plant by color, size, shape, patterns, etc. They think of their garden more often and are involved in it in a more personal way. Days of planning, little gardening, clean hands, piles of plans. Dabblers and decorators get along well and have garden conversations about common garden flowers and colors, as they avoid the actual work of gardening./p>Most garden clubs are made up of decorators. Many members of the landscape trade are decorators. Decorators will normally have much color, ornaments, trellises, weeds, ticky-tacky, etc. in their garden. Decorators often will make mistakes about dryland plants next to wetland plants, trees in front of windows, overwatering, etc.,
Cultivators and above have dirty fingers. Cultivators are the ranchers, farmers and the frustrated farmers. Cultivators are the folks that spend all weekend in their yard mowing, trimming, spraying, planting, tilling, etc. They are the 'Rambos' of the gardening world.
Cultivators often grow a larger garden than they can ever eat, or plant a 1 acre lawn so they can mow it. Cultivators often will become tired of the exertion each week, or learn enough to work smarter and become master gardeners. I'm not talking about the members of 'plant killers anonymous' that take a 40- hour class and become 'maestro' gardeners (40- hour brain surgeons; may they work on each others heads.) Master gardeners read all the best gardening books, visit botanic gardens around the world, buy a house for the garden, and generally live for their garden. Master gardeners often will be in their garden before breakfast, during lunch hour, and until dark. (Sometimes even after dark!) Generally, cultivators and master gardeners have very green thumbs and frustrate to no end the dabblers and decorators who cannot understand why they kill a fifth to one-half of their plants. Master gardeners stick the plant in the ground and it grows! Cultivators and master gardeners often have much in common and can spend hours talking about how to improve their skills. Interestingly, biologists and botanists can be at any level. I know of many biologists that have killed every plant they have ever planted. Some are so bad at gardening they can't even grow weeds. We're trying to pull biologists and gardeners together!?
Most of our customers are the Master Gardener types.
Last edited on 2013-02-12 07:31:13. | <urn:uuid:cb6291bc-a3e6-4330-89c1-c299506c3c31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/easyeasy.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965233 | 715 | 2.484375 | 2 |
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has ruled in favor of the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho’s negotiated roadless rule in a case that divided the conservation community in the state.
In short, the decision means the Idaho roadless rule will remain in place, no matter what happens to roadless rules enacted in other states. That’s good news for fish and wildlife because Idaho’s rule provides even greater protection for backcountry fish and wildlife habitat than the original 2001 rule put in place by the Clinton administration. TU and the SCP maintain that the Idaho rule, and the process that created it, should become the model for other western states that want to replace the 2001 rule with their own roadless rules.
“TU supported the roadless process in Idaho, and now, so have the federal courts,” said Scott Stouder, the SCP’s representative in Idaho.
Read more about the court case and Judge Winmill’s decision here. | <urn:uuid:fe895dea-9d9a-48e5-8284-0bf6e35a3815> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://troutunlimitedblog.com/federal-judge-upholds-idahos-roadless-rule/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942744 | 210 | 2.203125 | 2 |
A Quaker Lobby in the Public Interest
Who's Calling for Talks with Hamas?
In the wake of Israel's extra-judicial assassination of Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari and the escalation of violence in Gaza and Israel that followed, prominent voices in the United States, Israel and elsewhere have spoken out in support of dialogue with Hamas to end the violence. This latest escalation bears striking resemblance to Israel's "Operation Cast Lead" assault in 2008/2009, after which a number of U.S. and Israeli officials also spoke out in support of including Hamas in negotiations to work toward a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Below is a sampling of statements from prominent security officials, diplomats, and others from the U.S., Israel, and Europe noting the importance of engaging with Hamas over the last four years.
"Hamas is not about to disappear, Gaza is not about to disappear and the Palestinians are not about to disappear. Whoever thinks they can topple Hamas, well the Islamic Jihad will succeed it, and if we topple the Islamic Jihad then al-Qaeda will emerge and so on.
Eventually we will have no choice but to establish a line of communication with Hamas, be it direct or indirect. Hamas is the ruling power in Gaza, we’re Gaza’s neighbors and eventually we will have to reach an agreement or a settlement with them. Maybe eventually we’ll talk to them and make them realize that it’s in their interest to maintain a calm border, if not love us, if they want to remain in power.”
Noam Shalit, father of Gilad Shalit, 11/14/2012
A real leader is the person who will take real responsibility and demand civilian courage from himself to talk to Hamas in order to recreate life here. But our leaders are hiding behind tons of bombs cast from the sky by an advanced air force, armored and artillery forces, warships and infantry brigades, which are all comprised of civilians who are losing the ability to understand the meaning of civilness and of a vital life...You owe us the preliminary and most basic thing – talking to Hamas – if you wish to gain our trust. You have tried out all the weapons in the world. The only thing you haven’t really tried out is the simple, required dialogue. Now is your chance if you still wish to remain relevant in our eyes."
Avner Fainguelernt, an educator and filmmaker who lives in a Gaza-adjacent kibbutz, 11/19/2012
* Former prime minister Tony Blair
* Former Israeli defense officials including the former commander of Israeli troops in Gaza Brigadier General (res.) Shmuel Zakai and former head of the Mossad Ephraim Halevi
* Former Israeli Chief of Military Intelligence Ret. Major General Shlomo Gazit
* Former foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami
* British MP Mike Grapes
* Israeli journalist Nehemia Shtrasler
* Noam Shalit, father of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
* Senator John McCain in 2006
* Martin Indyk and Richard Hass from the Brookings Institution
* Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter
In addition, the majority of Israelis favor talks with Hamas and believe the blockade of Gaza has made Hamas stronger.
TONY BLAIR: "IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS YOU TALK TO EVERYBODY"
On January 31, 2009 in an interview with The Times of London, former Prime Minister Tony Blair called for talks with Hamas and easing the isolation of Gaza.
Excerpts from The Times:
Mr. Blair says that the strategy of “pushing Gaza aside” and trying to create a Palestinian state on the West Bank “was never going to work and will never work”. He hints in references to how peace was eventually achieved in Northern Ireland that the time may be approaching to talk to Hamas ... “My basic predisposition is that in a situation like this you talk to everybody.”
“Yes, we do need to show through the change we are making on the West Bank that the Palestinian state could be a reality. The trouble is that if you simply try to push Gaza to one side then eventually what happens is the situation becomes so serious that it erupts and you deliver into the hands of the mass the power to erupt at any point in time.”
Mr Blair then says that there is a distinction between the difficulty of negotiating with Hamas as part of a peace process if they would not accept one of the states in the two-state solution, and “talking to Hamas as the de facto power in Gaza”.
“I do think it is important that we find a way of bringing Hamas into this process, but it can only be done if Hamas are prepared to do it on the right terms.”
“We do have to find a way of making sure that the choice is put before Hamas and the people of Gaza in a clear, understandable, unambiguous way, for them to choose their future. You have to find a way of communicating that choice to them in their terms. Now exactly what way you choose at the moment, that is an open question.”
ISRAELI DEFENSE & SECURITY OFFICIALS: "NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE WITH HAMAS
In May 2008, former senior defense and security officials wrote a letter to top Israeli government officials calling for indirect negotiations with Hamas on a long-term cease-fire. The following month Egypt brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which began on June 19.
Among the signatories of the letter, which was made public on May 16, 2008, were:
* former Mossad head Ephraim Halevi
* former chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
* Brigadier General (res.) Shmuel Zakai, former commander of Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip
* Member of the Knesset Yossi Beilin (Meretz party, and one of the architects of the Oslo peace process between Israel and the Palestinians)
The letter stated:
"Recognizing that ending the Hamas regime in Gaza is not a realistic goal and that reinstating Fatah in the Gaza Strip by means of Israeli bayonets is not desirable ... non-public negotiations should take place with Hamas through Egypt or anyone else acceptable to both sides," they wrote.
The letter also states, "Hamas could prevent the shelf agreement Israel is seeking with the PLO by the end of 2008, by increasing violence from Gaza or actions in the West Bank, and a cease-fire could be the only way to prevent this from happening."
ISRAELI FORMER CHIEF OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE: PRECONDITIONS ARE "AN EXCUSE NOT TO NEGOTIATE"
The Forward reported in February 2007 that Retired Major General Shlomo Gazit, a former chief of military intelligence, called the three pre-conditions for dialogue with Hamas insisted upon by Israel and its Western allies 'ridiculous, or an excuse not to negotiate.'"
Gazit, as an analyst at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, said: “Only a country that suffers from an inferiority complex demands that everyone like it. We must negotiate on concrete problems — not on declarative issues. I am in favor of starting negotiations today, while the violence continues, and to sign an agreement which will go into effect when it stops. Why should Palestinians stop fighting against us until they know we are willing to make an agreement?”
“Why are we not negotiating with [Syrian President] Assad? Because we know the price and we aren’t willing to pay. The same goes for the Palestinians.”
ISRAELI FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER SHLOMO BEN-AMI: INCLUSION OF HAMAS IN PEACE PROCESS IS NECESSARY TO SAVE TWO STATE SOLUTION
In March 2008, former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami wrote in an op-ed in Lebanon's Daily Star that resurrecting a coalition government with Hamas is essential to rescuing the two-state solution.
"Israel must change its strategic objective in Gaza from toppling Hamas to rescuing the Annapolis process, and with it the last chance for a two-state solution. This requires not only a cease-fire with Hamas, but also a return to a Palestinian national unity government that alone can offer the peace process the vital legitimacy that it lacks today. Without the resurrection of the Mecca agreement, which put Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization in a coalition government, Hamas cannot expect to secure its control of Gaza and the PLO cannot deliver a peace settlement with Israel."
"The notion, dear to the architects of the Annapolis process, that peace can be achieved only when a wedge is driven between Palestinian "moderates" and "extremists" is a misconception. A Palestinian national-unity government would not impede a settlement for the simple reason that the moderates now negotiating with Israel must in any case strive for an agreement that the extremists could not label as a treacherous sell-out. Hence, the difference between the Palestinian positions in the current negotiations and those they may hold when a unity government is restored would only be very minor."
On April 10, 2006 The Jerusalem Post
featured a prior call from Shlomo Ben-Ami's for negotiations with Hamas: "Hamas is not al-Qaeda. It is an organization that has used terror in the service of well-defined national goals... You can argue the means are inadmissible, but the rationale is essentially nationalistic".
UK MP: "TIME TO TALK TO HAMAS"
In an op-ed in The Guardian, British MP Mike Grapes urges the Quartet to begin "inviting moderates from Hamas to the table". Mike Grapes is the Labour Co-operative MP for Ilford South and chairman of the foreign affairs select committee.
"The decision not to engage with Hamas after the Mecca agreement has proved to be counterproductive. Hamas is not a homogenous organisation. It is an Islamist movement that includes more pragmatic and more extreme elements. The current policy helped isolate the pragmatists. This must be reversed. Ways must be found to engage politically with more moderate elements to help move Hamas towards the three Quartet principles and become a true partner for peace in the Middle East. "
ISRAELI JOURNALIST: "NO ESCAPE BUT TO TALK TO HAMAS"
In March 2008, the Israeli journalist Nehemia Shtrasler wrote in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz "there is no escape but to talk to Hamas. We cannot choose our enemies."
"We could even alleviate the economic siege in an agreement that would prevent transferring weapons and explosives via the Rafah crossing. All this is attainable, and is many times preferable to continuing the bloodbath, which would only raise the walls of hatred and revenge higher.
Once we didn't want to talk to the PLO and Arafat. Then we humiliated Abbas and didn't want to give him any achievement during the disengagement. Now we don't want to talk to Hamas. So the struggle will continue - until a catastrophe occurs, on their side or ours. Only then will the leaders be forced to sit down and talk around the negotiating table."
FATHER OF GILAD SHALIT: "DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE"
In a May 2008 article by Newsweek, the father of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit expressed his support for direct negotiations with Hamas to free his son from more than two years of captivity.
"I really don't care much about the politics," says Noam Shalit. "My only interest is to resolve the issue of my son and bring him home. From my point of view, direct negotiations are the most effective. The two parties need to sit together. Hamas controls Gaza whether we like it or not."
SENATOR MCCAIN: WE SHOULD RESPECT DEMOCRACY AND DEAL WITH HAMAS
Journalist James Rubin from the Washington Post asked in January 2006: "Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?"
Senator McCain: "They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."
Since 2006, Senator McCain has changed his position and now advocates continued isolation of Hamas from the diplomatic process.
MARTIN INDYK & RICHARD HASS: DROP PRECONDITIONS WITH HAMAS
A report from the Brookings Institution recommends that the United States drop its doomed preconditions and engage Hamas in the political process. The December 2008 report "A Time for Diplomatic Renewal: Toward a New U.S. Strategy in the Middle East" was a collaboration between President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard N. Haass and Saban Center Director Martin Indyk .
Among its recommendations: The United States should support a Palestinian unity government so as to "diminish the Islamists' incentive to undermine negotiations." It should push for Hamas acceptance of the Arab Peace Initiative and drop preconditions that Hamas recognize Israel, renounce violence, and respect past agreements. It should insist on a full settlement freeze and quickly issue American ideas on final status to keep "the hope of a two-state solution alive."
CARTER: "NO WAY TO HAVE A PERMANENT PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITHOUT THE INCLUSION OF HAMAS"
On January 29, 2009, Former President Jimmy Carter gave an interview on Al Jazeera where he said, "Hamas has got to be involved before peace can be concluded."
According to the Al Jazeera report, Carter said reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, the faction led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, had been "objected to and obstructed by the US and Israel" and that there was "no way to have a permanent peace in the Middle East without the inclusion of Hamas".
ISRAELI PUBLIC: TALK TO HAMAS
According to a Haaretz poll from February 2008, the majority of Israelis support talks with Hamas.
64% of Israelis support direct talks with Hamas. Among those Israelis who identify as supporters of the Labor party, 72% favor negotiations. Almost half--48 percent--of supporters of the Likud party said they favor a face-to-face dialogue.
The majority of Israelis also believe that Israel's blockade on Gaza is making Hamas stronger. According to a poll released in June 2008 by the Israeli human rights groups Gisha and Physicians for Human Rights--Israel, 83% of Israelis believe the blockade has empowered Hamas.
The following excerpts were reported by The Jerusalem Post:
Sixty-eight percent said Israel's security had deteriorated since then. Sixty-two percent said Hamas had gotten much stronger over the last year.
Additionally, 53% of respondents said the closure's goals were political and not security-oriented. Just 32% said they believed the closure was intended to prevent the movement of goods and people that would threaten Israeli security. Ten percent believed the goal of the closure was to punish Gazans because of the Kassam rocket fire. Twenty-six percent said that the goal was to cause Gaza residents to change the Hamas regime, and 27% said the goal was to influence Hamas directly and cause it to change its policies. | <urn:uuid:4413e60a-84d2-497a-8e49-6353751d0a21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fcnl.org/issues/middle_east/key_officials_call_for_talks_with_hamas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957407 | 3,287 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Thomas Cusack Co. v. City of Chicago - 242 U.S. 526 (1917)
U.S. Supreme Court
Thomas Cusack Co. v. City of Chicago, 242 U.S. 526 (1917)
Thomas Cusack Co. v. City of Chicago
Argued December 20, 21, 1916
Decided January 15, 1917
242 U.S. 526
ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT
OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
The Fifth Amendment relates to national action only.
A city ordinance which has been upheld by the highest court of the state as valid under the state legislation is to be regarded by this Court as a law of the state, and is to be tested accordingly.
Such an ordinance, when dealing with a subject within the police power, must be upheld unless shown to be clearly unreasonable, arbitrary or discriminatory.
A city, exercising the police power, may prohibit the erection of billboards in residence districts in the interest of the safety, morality, health, and decency of the community.
Such a prohibition is not to be deemed unduly discriminatory because not including fences and other structures found less likely to become a source of public injury.
An ordinance prohibiting billboards is not invalidated by a provision which removes the prohibition as to any billboard the erection of which is first consented to by the owners of a majority of the frontage on both sides of the street in the block in which it is to be erected. Eubank v. Richmond, 226 U. S. 137, distinguished.
He who is not injured by the operation of a law or ordinance cannot be said to be deprived by it of either constitutional right or of property.
267 Ill. 344 affirmed.
The case is stated in the opinion.
MR. JUSTICE CLARKE delivered the opinion of the Court.
In this proceeding the plaintiff in error, a corporation engaged in "outdoor advertising," claims that § 707 of Article 23 of an ordinance of the City of Chicago, governing the erection and maintenance of billboards in that city, is unconstitutional.
This section is as follows:
"707. Frontage consents required. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect or construct any billboard or signboard in any block on any public street in which one-half of the buildings on both sides of the street are used exclusively for residence purposes without first obtaining the consent in writing of the owners or duly authorized agents of said owners owning a majority of the frontage of the property on both sides of the street in the block in which such billboard or signboard
is to be erected, constructed, or located. Such written consents shall be filed with the commissioner of buildings before a permit shall be issued for the erection, construction, or location of such billboard or signboard."
The plaintiff in error expressly concedes in this Court that it is within the police power of the City of Chicago to exercise within the city limits a reasonable regulation and control over the construction and maintenance of billboards and other similar structures. But it is contended that the section quoted is in terms "an arbitrary, unrestrained" exercise of power, which, if given effect, could be used without any regard "to the safety, health, morals, comfort, or welfare of the public," and that it therefore offends against the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
Obviously, claims made under the Fifth Amendment need not be considered, Livingston v. Moore, 7 Pet. 469, 32 U. S. 551; Lloyd v. Dollison, 194 U. S. 445, and there remains only the question whether the ordinance, if enforced, would work "a denial to the plaintiff in error of the equal protection of the laws" or would "deprive it of its property without due process of law."
The claimed infirmity in the ordinance consists in the requirement that, before any billboard or signboard of over twelve square feet in area may be erected in any block in which one half of the buildings are used exclusively for residence purposes, the owners of a majority of the frontage of the property on both sides of the street in such block shall consent in writing thereto. This, it is claimed, is not an exercise by the city of power to regulate or control the construction and maintenance of billboards, but is a delegation of legislative power to the owners of a majority of the frontage of the property in the block "to subject the use to be made of their property by the minority owners of property in such block to the whims and caprices of their neighbors."
The Supreme Court of the State of Illinois sustained the validity of the ordinance in an opinion (267 Ill. 344) which declares that the act of the legislature of that state, passed in 1912, Hurd's Stat. 1913, c. 24, par. 696, is a clear legislative declaration that the subject of billboard advertising shall be subject to municipal control.
It is settled for this Court by this decision that the ordinance assailed is within the scope of the power conferred on the City of Chicago by the legislature, that it is to be treated as proceeding from the lawmaking power of the state, and that therefore it is a valid ordinance unless the record shows it to be clearly unreasonable and arbitrary. Reinman v. Little Rock, 237 U. S. 171.
Upon the question of the reasonableness of the ordinance much evidence was introduced upon the trial of the case, from which the supreme court finds that fires had been started in the accumulation of combustible material which gathered about such billboards, that offensive and insanitary accumulations are habitually found about them, and that they afford a convenient concealment and shield for immoral practices, and for loiterers and criminals. As bearing upon the limitation of the requirement of the section to blocks "used exclusively for residence purposes," the Court finds that the trial court erroneously refused to allow testimony to be introduced tending to show that residence sections of the city did not have as full police or fire protection as other sections have, and that the streets of such sections are more frequented by unprotected women and children than, and are not so well lighted as, other sections of the city are, and that most of the crimes against women and children are offenses against their persons.
Neglecting the testimony which was excluded by the trial court, there remains sufficient to convincingly show the propriety of putting billboards, as distinguished from buildings and fences, in a class by themselves, St. Louis
Gunning Advertising Co. v. St. Louis, 235 Mo. 99, and to justify the prohibition against their erection in residence districts of a city in the interest of the safety, morality, health, and decency of the community.
The claim is palpably frivolous that the validity of the ordinance is impaired by the provision that such billboards may be erected in such districts as are described if the consent in writing is obtained of the owners of a majority of the frontage on both sides of the street in any block in which such billboard is to be erected. The plaintiff in error cannot be injured, but obviously may be benefited, by this provision, for, without it, the prohibition of the erection of such billboards in such residence sections is absolute. He who is not injured by the operation of a law or ordinance cannot be said to be deprived by it of either constitutional right or of property. Tyler v. Judges of Ct. of Registration, 179 U. S. 405; Plymouth Coal Co. v. Pennsylvania, 232 U. S. 531. To this we may add that such a reference to a neighborhood of the propriety of having carried on within it trades or occupations which are properly the subject of regulation in the exercise of the police power is not uncommon in laws which have been sustained against every possible claim of unconstitutionality, such as the right to maintain saloons, Swift v. People, 162 Ill. 534, and as to the location of garages, People v. Ericsson, 263 Ill. 368. Such treatment is plainly applicable to offensive structures.
The principles governing the exercise of the police power have received such frequent application and have been so elaborated upon in recent decisions of this Court, concluding with Armour & Co. v. North Dakota, 240 U. S. 510, 240 U. S. 514, that further discussion of them would not be profitable, especially in a case falling as clearly as this one does within their scope. We therefore content ourselves with saying that, while this Court has refrained from any attempt to define with precision the limits of the police
power, yet its disposition is to favor the validity of laws relating to matters completely within the territory of the state enacting them, and it so reluctantly disagrees with the local legislative authority, primarily the judge of the public welfare, especially when its action is approved by the highest court of the state whose people are directly concerned, that it will interfere with the action of such authority only when it is plain and palpable that it has no real or substantial relation to the public health, safety, morals, or to the general welfare. Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U. S. 11, 197 U. S. 30. And this, for the reasons stated, cannot be said of the ordinance which we have here.
The plaintiff in error relies chiefly upon Eubank v. Richmond, 226 U. S. 137. A sufficient distinction between the ordinance there considered and the one at bar is plain. The former left the establishment of the building line untouched until the lot owners should act, and then made the street committee the mere automatic register of that action, and gave to it the effect of law. The ordinance in the case at bar absolutely prohibits the erection of any billboards in the blocks designated, but permits this prohibition to be modified with the consent of the persons who are to be most affected by such modification. The one ordinance permits two-thirds of the lot owners to impose restrictions upon the other property in the block, while the other permits one-half of the lot owners to remove a restriction from the other property owners. This is not a delegation of legislative power, but is, as we have seen, a familiar provision affecting the enforcement of laws and ordinances.
It results that the judgment of the Supreme Court of Illinois will be
MR. JUSTICE McKENNA dissents. | <urn:uuid:0a303560-e82d-40c1-942b-6b6ae0e42173> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/242/526/case.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954048 | 2,126 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Hello, Cat You Need a Hat
by Rita Golden Gelman Illustrated by Eric Gurney
Reviewed by R.A. (age 6)
R.A. is a student in Mrs. Brayard's Kindergarten through 1st Grade Class
First, the mouse came to the cat and said, "Hello cat." When the mouse went to the cat he said, "You need a hat." The cat did not think he needed a hat. Another thing the mouse told the cat is that the cat's head is bare. Finally, the cat did not get a hat.
I loved this book very much because I loved when the mouse said, "You need a hat." This book reminds me when my mom tells me to get a hat. My other favorite part is when the cat says, "No, I don't want one." When I read this book, it makes me think about hats.
I will recommend this book to my cousins. They like to wear hats, so I think they will like reading this book. | <urn:uuid:780f31f0-9660-4160-bd62-9d2d88e2eea6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spaghettibookclub.org/review.php?review_id=7071 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974474 | 213 | 2.796875 | 3 |
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lecture being recorded by this service. | <urn:uuid:aaa86552-95a4-429a-ab89-f8d3f6506151> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usask.ca/its/services/e_learning/lecture-capture/terms-of-service/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926319 | 420 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Diana’s post about the found materials caterpillars reminded me that I didn’t yet share pictures from Thinking with Found Materials, a workshop for educators I lead in February.
In the workshop we discussed ways ways to collect, store, and offer found materials to encourage creative expression and support learning in the preschool through early elementary classroom and at home.
A great deal of the time was spent observing, discussing, organizing and creating in small groups. Each group imagined and constructed a neighborhood that became a part of the larger group’s Found Materials City.
The next session of Thinking with Found Materials is scheduled for August 3rd. Consider sending in your registration now – the last session filled with a wait list! Registration info is here . If that date doesn’t work for you, you could always get your own group of 10-16 educators and or parents together and pick your own date or be on the lookout for future sessions. You can learn about other Professional Development opportunities at The Carle here.
Here’s the essential info again:
Thinking with Found Materials (4 PDPs)
Friday, August 3, 1:00 – 5:00 pm,
$50 (Members $40) | <urn:uuid:6637b729-7624-4965-8efe-5f87526d3bf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carlemuseum.org/studioblog/?p=1372 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932284 | 253 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Khulumani's commitment to support its members as active citizens is visible in various spheres of our society. We list some of the recent activities here to show the important role Khulumani plays as a social movement in South Africa.
1. Khulumani received confirmation from the United Nations that our submission of a complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur on alleged Extrajudicial Killings at Marikana had opened the door for a confidential process between the UN and the South African government. Khulumani has learned some important background information on the Marikana Massacre from our contact with miners at Marikana who are the children of Khulumani members from the Eastern Cape.
On Tuesday, 11 September, 2012, Khulumani staff members attended the exhumation of the remains of Mr Nceba Snuma, one of the 'Mofolo Three', from a pauper's grave in Avalon Cemetery in Soweto.
Nceba was killed by a booby-trapped limpet mine. The booby-trapped limpet mines given to his two comrades, Caswell Khumalo and Richard Ngwenya, failed to detonate and they were allegedly abducted and murdered near Rustenburg where their bodies were thrown into a ditch and burned. It is still not known where their remains were buried.
Khulumani recently participated in seminars that were organised by the South African History Archive at Constitution Hill to mark the 10th anniversary of International Right to Know Day, 28 September. Two Khulumani staff members attended the Right to Know dialogue forum on September 26 and two Khulumani local group chairpersons attended the seminar for paralegals on September 27.
Context of Khulumani's Use of PAIA to Facilitate Social Change
Khulumani has been training its active citizen member groups in the use of PAIA to address local community problems with some important returns for member communities who have used this mechanism.
The annual national seminar of Students for Law and Social Justice took place over the Heritage Day long weekend and focused on Cross Examining our Constitutional Democracy: Does Your Vote Really Count?
Khulumani's National Director, Dr. Marjorie Jobson, was invited to speak on the possibilities of interaction between Chapter 9 institutions and civil society movements serving to strengthen South Africa. She highlighted the possibiltiies of Chapter 9 institutions providing alternative mechanisms for citizens to litigation for placing issues on the national agenda and of the possibilities of citizens working with Chapter 9 institutions for deepening the participatory and direct aspects of democratic practice.
Khulumani members are proud survivor victims of the gross human rights violations associated with one of the greatest struggles for justice that the world has known – the struggle to end racial domination and oppression in South Africa. They are bearers of a glorious history of participation and contribution to a cause greater than themselves.
Each Khulumani member can tell a story of the humble contribution they made to the struggle for liberation in South Africa. Most shared Mandela’s vision of “the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities#”. It was an ideal for which many lived and died in South Africa, including many loved ones of Khulumani members. It is their sacrifice that Khulumani remembers with somberness and gratitude today.
On Saturday, September 22, 2012, Khulumani Support Group will be participating in a large delegation that will be meeting with community members in and around the mining operations at Marikana in North West Province to discuss and take forward constructive actions to address the crises that are affecting poor communities in Marikana and across South Africa. These crises include crises in accessing food, basic health care and education for children.
For Khulumani, its participation is an expression of the continuing struggles of the organisation and its membership since its founding in 1995 by survivor victims of gross violations associated with the political struggle in the country.
Khulumani Western Cape has its office in Community House, Salt River and will join the planned 27 September 2012 celebration of 25 years of Resistance. Khulumani is proud to be associated with the organisations that share office premises at this historic centre.
Today Khulumani remembers the 35th Anniversary of the Death of Steve Biko whose thinking continues to inform and inspire struggles for social justice in the present. Khulumani youth have organised a participatory event this evening for the sharing of dialogue and poetry informed by the thinking of Steve Biko.
Nevill Alexander whose recent passing on 27 August 2012, we mourn, drew on Steve Biko's thinking himself. As Khulumani partner, Usche Merk from Medico International explains,
On Sunday, 9 September 2012, Khulumani's Australian partners are holding a film screening of Madagascar 3 as a fund-raiser for the Gogos and Mamas Group on the East Rand of Johannesburg.
A truly generative partnership has been growing between a group of Khulumani Gogos on the East Rand and a group of Australian Gogos and Mamas from Sydney, who meet regularly in support of a partnership that links both groups in a range of very interesting projects.
After a ten-year delay in enacting domestic legislation to criminalise torture in South Africa, the Draft Bill to Prevent and Combat Torture comes before the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development in Parliament today. Since the ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) by the South African government on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 1998, the state has failed to date to domesticate UNCAT with the result that torture has yet to be criminalised in South Africa. | <urn:uuid:7af5aebd-7d6b-466f-abf9-9cedfb501775> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.khulumani.net/khulumani/in-the-news/itemlist/user/739-khulumaninet.html?type=rss&start=70 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957746 | 1,158 | 1.851563 | 2 |
MEDIA RELEASE - ISSUED 6th JUNE 2001
Dry autumn in southern W.A.
The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that rainfall deficiencies have developed in southern Western Australia during autumn. Although totals were closer to average in May, they did not compensate for the very poor rains in March and April. For the past six months, deficiencies are now evident in some areas of western NSW and southern Queensland.
The first map below shows the regions around Albany and Esperance extending northwards to the Goldfields, have serious to severe deficiencies for the three-month period from March to May. Much of this area also experienced rainfall deficiencies during the 2000 growing season as well.
Over the six-month period from December to May, patches of rainfall deficiencies have developed in a line extending from the far northwest of New South Wales to the Queensland coastal region between Rockhampton and Bundaberg (see second map below).
The deficiency periods beginning in February and April 2000 (i.e. last year) will no longer be monitored.
Rainfall deficiency maps for standard periods (3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months) are updated monthly on the Bureau's web site, at http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/silo/rain_maps.cgi .
Note: The terms used to describe rainfall in these Drought Statements have the following meanings -
Well below average
- rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totals
For more information regarding this rainfall deficiencies statement, please contact the following climate meteorologists during normal business hours (EST) Monday to Friday:Grant Beard on (03) 9669 4527
Robert Fawcett on (03) 9669 4603 | <urn:uuid:a7b7b87a-d67b-4fde-a7d6-9a9867a33c35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/archive/2001.06.drought.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936564 | 356 | 2.25 | 2 |
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| Sevenways Cave |
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|Description ||The view when one descends from the ridge around the west side, and find the first obvious entrance to the cave.|
Seven Ways cave - so named because of 7+ entrances into it. Sited above and to the west of Thor's Cave, it is accessed by returning to the path just before the last descent to access Thor's Cave, and then heading up! Be careful - the drops come up unexpectedly, and there are some *big* drops. Also minor shafts and limestone fissures are not infrequent, so consider your route to avoid a smaller fall.
Human remains found here, but were not dated, finds go from probably Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon; excavated 1948-54.
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Megalithic Portal eGallery, images of megaliths and prehistoric sites worldwide, free to view. | <urn:uuid:9f006600-488c-4edb-8fdb-403140466afb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=a312&file=index&do=showpic&pid=22448 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909644 | 260 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Cornell's first graduating class included Civil War veterans from both the Union and the Confederacy. Nearly a half century later, all but one of the Cornellians who died in World War I served on the same side, with the armies of the United States, Great Britain, and France. While the passage above honors their memory, the list of casualties etched into the walls of the cloisters omitted Hans Wagner '12, a German who died for his homeland.
Entrances at either end of the passage lead to the Baker Tower residence halls. The nearby flagpole serves as a central meeting place, while the passageway becomes a musical venue for campus a capella groups staging free "arch sings" to promote upcoming concerts. Chalkings on the sidewalks announce meetings and events. | <urn:uuid:85e4b93a-9deb-439c-933d-9103449f94f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cornell.edu/tours/tidbit_template762d.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955466 | 157 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Pub. date: 2008 | Online Pub. Date: June 25, 2008 | DOI: 10.4135/9781412963978 | Print ISBN: 9781412909280 | Online ISBN: 9781412963978| Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.About this encyclopedia
Career Beliefs Inventory
John D. Krumboltz
The Career Beliefs Inventory (CBI) is a tool designed to help people identify career beliefs that may be preventing them from taking action to achieve their career goals. Many people hold beliefs that block their career progress. Maybe they believe that there is only one path to a successful career and that they have already missed one essential step on that path. Maybe they believe they must enter a certain occupation to win family approval. Maybe they believe that hard work is unnecessary until they have clear goals. These are just a few examples of beliefs that have caused troubles for other people and might possibly be interfering with their career progress. This inventory, ... | <urn:uuid:219b77bb-9c66-44b8-a7be-cc265a8f731d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://knowledge.sagepub.com/view/counseling/n482.xml?result=9&q= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956622 | 201 | 2.09375 | 2 |
| Added On August 22, 2011
Many Americans turn to over-the-counter pain relievers when plagued with dull aches, pains and headaches. One of the most popular pain reliever brands is the Johnson & Johnson product Motrin. Alarmingly, Motrin has been attributed to more than just the temporary alleviation of minor soreness and has been linked with a horrific disease known as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis- a disease that causes the inner layers of the skin to die from the inside out.
A Honduran plaintiff filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson in 2009 and the trial began last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. Extensive delays were caused as parties were conflicted over whether the pursuit of punitive damages is appropriate. According to court papers, the plaintiff suffered severe and chronic injuries from the disease which is a more severe version of the hotly-litigated Stevens Johnson Syndrome.
Lawyers for the plaintiff contend in their filings that the side effects of Motrin include substantial skin reactions in the form of blisters, rashes and burns causing the skin to actually separate from the body. Victims must be treated by experienced Burn Unit physicians and the condition is often fatal.
In this case, the plaintiff survived the disease despite claiming to have contracted the symptoms at age 15 and survived to the present day. The plaintiff was hospitalized for days, suffered internal organ defects and problems with vision.
As with most consumer lawsuits, the plaintiff alleges that Johnson & Johnson failed to meet its duty to warn consumers of the significant risk of the condition. In addition, the lawsuit centers around whether Johnson & Johnson misrepresented findings to the FDA and did not reveal the entire truth about the risk of Toxic Epidermal Necrolypsy and Stevens Johnson Syndrome.
These warnings are placed on Motrin packages in other countries but not in the United States. | <urn:uuid:38753e7d-c6f3-46be-bf6c-aa4127a187bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ledgerlaw.com/blog/product-liability-lawyer/massive-motrin-lawsuit-commences-in-los-angeles-superior-courtq/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962309 | 372 | 2.375 | 2 |
A Comprehensive Response to the Humanitarian Crisis in the former Yugoslavia
|Publisher||UN High Commissioner for Refugees|
|Publication Date||24 July 1992|
|Citation / Document Symbol||HCR/IMFY/1992/2|
|Cite as||UN High Commissioner for Refugees, A Comprehensive Response to the Humanitarian Crisis in the former Yugoslavia, 24 July 1992, HCR/IMFY/1992/2, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/438ec8aa2.html [accessed 20 May 2013]|
24 July 1992
1. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), designated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as the lead agency for humanitarian relief in the former Yugoslavia, is providing protection and assistance to 1.8 million refugees and displaced persons as well as some 850,000 persons affected by the ongoing conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the deployment of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), and in accordance with the United Nations peace-keeping plan, UNHCR has been entrusted with the design and implementation of a scheme to facilitate the voluntary return of the displaced to their homes in the United Nations Protected Areas (S/23592). UNHCR's activities are being undertaken jointly with UNICEF and WHO, in close cooperation with UNPROFOR, as well as with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Secretary-General and the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs have been kept closely informed of developments and have provided their full support to the humanitarian action.
2. Despite all efforts, the displacement has reached dramatic proportions, placing an enormous burden on receiving States and rapidly exhausting the resources available to meet the needs of refugees, displaced persons and civilians under siege. The population flow continues unabated amidst growing conflict and spreading tensions, and with little hope for early solutions in sight.
3. It is against this background of a large-scale and complicated refugee situation that the High Commissioner, following consultations with the Secretary-General and a number of Governments, and in close coordination with the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs, has convened an informal international meeting at the ministerial level, with the objective of launching an initiative, on the one hand to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the victims and receiving States and, on the other, to intensify the action in search of a lasting solution to the plight of the victims of the conflict. The pursuit of these dual objectives demands concerted and coherent action towards a comprehensive approach which serves to: i) enhance respect for human rights and humanitarian law; ii) strengthen efforts to prevent or contain displacement; iii) provide temporary refuge and material assistance for those in need of international protection; and iv) initiate action to create conditions, including for the socio-economic rehabilitation of affected areas, in order to encourage refugees and displaced persons to return home. These components are inter-linked. They must be pursued simultaneously, yet flexibly, taking into account the evolving nature of the situation and the emerging opportunities for solutions.
4. The effective implementation of a comprehensive approach requires the commitment and contribution of various parties, including the States emerging from the former Yugoslavia, the States which offer temporary protection to refugees, donor governments, international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the international community at large. Appropriate burden-sharing mechanisms, based on the notion of international solidarity and respect for human rights and humanitarian principles, must underlie such a comprehensive approach. The enormity of the humanitarian needs, as well as of efforts which must be launched eventually for reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia, also require enhanced cooperation and coordination among the various international agencies.
5. In promoting such an approach, it should be emphasized at the outset that the problem in the former Yugoslavia cannot be resolved by humanitarianism alone. However, a comprehensive humanitarian approach can help to create an impetus for decisive political action to end the conflict and address the underlying causes. The following paragraphs outline the elements which could form the basis for such an approach.
I. ELEMENTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
1. Respect for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
6. The situation in the former Yugoslavia has been characterized by widespread atrocities, disregard for humanitarian law and massive violations of human rights, particularly targeted against civilians on grounds of national, ethnic or religious origin. Some of the most preoccupying features include systematic expulsions, forcible relocations, assassinations and occupation or destruction of homes, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and parts of Croatia. International relief workers have also been subjected to attacks. The reaffirmation of basic human rights and humanitarian law principles must be an essential element of a comprehensive humanitarian approach, and demands for their respect should be pursued vigorously at the highest political levels. The commendable efforts of the ICRC to negotiate agreements respecting the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols must be supported. The States emerging from the former Yugoslavia should be strongly encouraged to develop legislation and build institutions for the protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities.
2. Preventive Protection
7. An important objective of humanitarian action in the former Yugoslavia has been, and should continue to be, to prevent and contain displacement, to the extent possible, by providing protection and assistance to victims of the conflict who might otherwise feel compelled to move. The continuation of hostilities, the growing atrocities and mounting tensions in a number of areas still free of conflict are obvious limitations to such preventive protection. Therefore preventive protection should not prejudice the right to seek asylum. On the other hand, while the results of a preventive strategy are difficult to assess for obvious reasons, such a strategy appears to have had some effect in containing the problem in the former Yugoslavia. Therefore, it is incumbent on the international community to pursue every opportunity for preventive action in order to reduce the factors which compel displacement and ease the way for early resolution of the problem.
8. Preventive protection, aimed both at areas where conflict has broken out and also where tensions are mounting, can be undertaken through such activities as monitoring of the treatment of ethnic minority groups, mediation between parties, exposure of the practice of forced relocation and other measures to improve respect for human rights and humanitarian law. Such action is being carried out by UNHCR in cooperation with other relevant organizations, but requires greater support and encouragement of the international community as well as the parties concerned, both politically and financially.
9. In this context, it is important to recognize that the presence of international organizations and NGOs for the purpose of providing relief can help to build confidence in fragile security situations. The international relief operation for the benefit of the affected population in Sarajevo and other areas is valuable not only as a measure of assistance, but also in terms of confidence-building and protection, by providing the possibility for monitoring of humanitarian treatment. International presence to provide relief to affected population should be increased to enhance preventive protection, in addition to addressing humanitarian needs.
3. Humanitarian Access
10. The provision of relief and monitoring of the safety and welfare of the individuals concerned is dependent on access to the population in need. While the airlift operation to Sarajevo has been successful in bringing a daily average of 200 metric tonnes of food and medical supplies to the besieged population, and while international organizations have been able to obtain access to some parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina under extremely precarious conditions and at great risk to the security of their staff, it should be noted that ongoing conflict has prevented access to other regions and cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite all efforts to negotiate with the parties concerned. The protection and assistance needs of the population in these places consequently remain unaddressed and are probably dire. If a sustained and general relief effort is to be undertaken, overland routes must be secured and expanded. To this end, humanitarian access at all times to those in need of protection and assistance, whether in conflict or non-conflict areas, must be upheld by all parties and the international community, as must respect for the freedom of movement of the individuals and their right to seek protection and assistance. Principles must be established to ensure respect for the safety of relief workers and staff of international humanitarian organizations as an important aspect of humanitarian access.
4. Special Humanitarian Needs
11. Concern has been voiced by a number of Governments, NGOs and others about the evacuation of critical medical cases, notably children from Bosnia and Herzegovina and, in particular, from Sarajevo. Criteria have been established, in close consultation with ICRC, UNICEF and WHO, to identify cases in a life-threatening condition for whom no treatment can be organized locally. The feasibility of medical evacuation is dependent on assurances of safe passage from the city to the airport. Where an evacuation is considered possible, it will be undertaken in close coordination with UNPROFOR, UNHCR and UNICEF. Given the limited resources and extremely precarious security conditions, utmost efforts should continue to be made to reduce the need for evacuation by providing adequate medical supplies and equipment for local treatment. Whatever action is taken, the overriding concern must be the best interest of the child and the maintenance of family unity.
5. Temporary Protection
12. Since the outbreak of the Yugoslav conflict, it has been the position of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that persons fleeing from the former Yugoslavia who are in need of international protection should be able to receive it on a temporary basis. By urging all Governments to provide such protection without discrimination, UNHCR has sought, firstly, to ensure the spirit of international solidarity and burden-sharing which underlies international action on behalf of refugees, secondly, to meet the humanitarian needs of the individuals concerned, and thirdly, to acknowledge the temporary, emergency nature of the need.
13. Because of the large numbers involved, UNHCR believes that it is not practical to use individual asylum procedures, although persons who have a valid claim under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees should not be precluded from applying for it, if they so wish. While the concept of temporary protection will require further elaboration in the light of national legislation and procedures, it should include, at a minimum, admission to the country where such protection is being sought, respect for the principle of non-refoulement and basic human rights (the elements of which are further outlined in Conclusion 22 (XXXII)) of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, and repatriation when conditions so allow in the country of origin. The determination of the duration of temporary protection will require an ongoing assessment of the situation in the country of origin on the basis of reliable and up-to-date information. Appropriate mechanisms should be established for the collection, analysis and dissemination of such information, and for consultations among concerned Governments and UNHCR.
6. Material Assistance
14. Most of the support to refugees and displaced persons has been provided so far by the Republics and peoples of the former Yugoslavia. Although very large numbers of refugees have been received with great generosity and hospitality by these and other neighbouring countries, their reception capacities have now been stretched to the limit, and they have appealed for international assistance. Urgent support must be extended to these countries to strengthen their ability to continue to meet the basic needs of the refugees.
15. The joint appeal launched by the Secretary-General on behalf of UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO in April 1992, was revised on 20 May 1992 from an initial amount of $24.3 million to $171 million. As of 22 July 1992, contributions amounted to $107 million for UNHCR, $7.3 million for UNICEF, and $0.5 million for WHO. As this appeal covers needs until March 1993 for 1 million persons living primarily in private accommodation, it should be underscored that it has been overtaken enormously by events. The number of those in need of humanitarian assistance has trebled in recent weeks to over 2.5 million and continues to grow. In addition to basic relief items for this larger number of persons, there will be increased costs for logistic support and additional activities by UNICEF and WHO in the health and social sectors. Arrangement for adequate shelter and fuel for heating must be made urgently before the onset of winter, including the rehabilitation of existing structures and construction of new accommodation. As the vast majority of the victims are families headed by women, specific assistance measures are envisaged by UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO to meet their special needs.
16. Recent surveys conducted by the Governments, UNHCR and specialized NGOs indicate that at least 315,000 displaced persons/ refugees will require new accommodation before the winter (200,000 in Croatia, 100,000 in Serbia and. 15,000 in Slovenia). This figure does not include the needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina where, due to the ongoing conflict, it has not been possible to ascertain the real situation. However it is estimated that, at a minimum, 200,000 persons could be present without proper shelter in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
17. Because of the dramatic daily increase in the number of refugees, recently some 10,000 per day, and the constantly evolving situation on the ground, it has not been possible as yet to indicate clearly the amount of funds which will be required. It is evident, however, that the magnitude of needs go far beyond the target of the May appeal as well as the capacity of UNHCR and a few agencies. It will require the massive mobilization of the entire United Nations humanitarian system and the international community at large. Therefore, in line with United Nations General Assembly resolution 46/182, a consolidated appeal, based on an urgent inter-agency assessment, should be launched to ensure that the displaced population and refugees are adequately sheltered and assisted. In the meantime, Governments are urged to make generous contributions to meet the shortfall against the existing budget as well as respond to the anticipated significant increases which will be reflected in the consolidated appeal.
7. Return and Rehabilitation
18. Temporary protection and international assistance can not be allowed to become protracted and most be linked clearly to the pursuit of lasting solutions. which, in turn, must respect the rights of the individuals concerned, including their right to return home in safety and dignity. To this end adequate confidence-building measures need to be taken by the Governments concerned. Within the framework of the plan approved by the Security Council, UNHCR has been asked by the Secretary-General to facilitate the return of displaced persons to areas protected by UNPROFOR. Return has taken place to some parts of Croatia. However, large numbers of the displaced and refugees are unable to return in the absence of adequate security conditions, measures to halt forcible relocations and assurances for the respect of their basic human rights. Additional disincentives for return include the deepening hostility towards persons of other national or ethnic origins, massive destruction of homes, occupation of abandoned houses, the presence of mines and the general disruption of economic activities essential to a normal life.
19. A realistic assessment of the rehabilitation and reconstruction needs is not currently possible, even in the United Nations Protected Areas, in view of continuing destruction and tensions. However, it is clear that the eventual large-scale return of refugees and displaced persons, following a political settlement, will require the mobilization of reintegration and rehabilitation assistance on a significant scale.
20. While intensive efforts at the political level must continue for a peaceful settlement to provide the necessary conditions for return, it is extremely important that every opportunity for persons to exercise their right to return should continue to be pursued. A mechanism should be developed for regular and reliable information exchange on conditions prevailing in the areas to which persons could return, dialogue, including through Tripartite Commissions involving the parties and UNHCR. to create conditions conducive to return, and promotion of guidelines and arrangements for return in keeping with internationally recognized safeguards.
II. MODALITIES FOR A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
1. Follow-up to the International Meeting
21. As the above paragraphs amply demonstrate, a coordinated, comprehensive approach to a rapidly evolving situation as in the former Yugoslavia must be developed in such a manner as to be flexible and responsive to new developments. Not all aspects of the approach can be achieved at the same time or at the same speed. Solutions, in particular, may need to be approached in phases, as opportunities emerge for a political settlement in specific parts of the former Yugoslavia. Therefore, a comprehensive approach should be accompanied by the creation of an international coordinating mechanism at the political and technical level which allows regular exchange of information, dialogue and consideration of options for concerted action in relation to prevention, protection and return, as well as for the mobilization of international assistance and support for humanitarian action. Such a coordinating mechanism should comprise a "core group" of States which are directly concerned with the problem, including both receiving States and donor governments, as well as interested organizations, and could be convened under the auspices of UNHCR.
2. Inter-agency Cooperation
22. Mobilization of international humanitarian assistance is, as mentioned in para. 17 above, an essential part of the comprehensive approach. Organizations inside and outside the United Nations system must now be mobilized since the magnitude and complexity of a programme of such dimensions clearly requires a major coordinated effort to address the immediate, medium, and longer-term assistance needs of the victims of the conflict. The coordination mechanism established by UNHCR as the lead agency with UNICEF, WHO, IOM, IFRC, and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), and the cooperation established with ICRC to meet the requirements of the relief operation, should be reinforced, both at the level of needs assessment and implementation arrangements. The identification of new or increased needs will require the participation of other agencies with relevant expertise. The Inter-agency Standing Committee established pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 46/182, under the auspices of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs, should be utilized to mobilize the enormous material and financial resources necessary for the short-term assistance, as well as the longer-term rehabilitation needs which may call for the involvement of lending and development-oriented agencies. The creation of a Task Force by ICVA of NGOs which are already engaged in activities or considering involvement in the Republics of former Yugoslavia is a welcome development which will augment the existing partnership between the various agencies and organizations. | <urn:uuid:8094db74-66fc-4780-81fe-f7f5a25072df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=publisher&publisher=UNHCR&type=&coi=BIH&docid=438ec8aa2&skip=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944294 | 3,716 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Tanzania is located in eastern Africa, south of the equator, Kenya and Uganda at the junction of the north, south and Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique to the west and Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo (DRC) is adjacent to the east near the Indian Ocean. 1412 km long coastline, land area of 945,000 square kilometers. Mining production [...]
Along with 48.83% arable land, India has significant sources of coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, diamonds, and limestone. According to the 2008 Ministry of Mines estimates: ‘India has stepped up its production to reach the second rank among the chromite producers of the world. Besides, India ranks 3rd in production [...]
South Africa Crusher and Grinding Mill Our Company: From design concept and manufacture to installation and commissioning, Beco provides the South Africa mining and quarry markets with a full range of crushers, feeders, screens and conveyors. Benco also specializes in crushing and grinding plants and screening plants and conveyor systems.
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Chile is rich in mineral resources and mineral sector is very important in Chile economic development. Many of Benco mining equipment has exported [...]
Mining Crusher is mainly used for ore crushing process in large-scale mining, generally refers to process the original ore from blasting mountains into the finished size to meet demand. With the development of mining crusher, it some extent improved understanding of the overall process of mining and has become the core of large mining equipment. [...] | <urn:uuid:d3c17a1c-0c39-454b-a363-149f1f82530a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.benconq.com/blog/2011/03 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943416 | 364 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Feb 24, 2013 Uncategorized Comments Off
Posted by admin
Welcome to HarmonicaJoe.com!
Many of you might have found your way here through my old harmonicasongs.net website. Since I am no longer selling harmonicas, I have decided to post everything over here. I will be updating more often and am working on some new blues harp programs that will be available as digital downloads. This is [...]
Here is a link to a cool website that has info on the late harmonica great Don Brooks. Mickey Raphael states that listening to and meeting Don was his influence to really get going playing the harmonica.
There is a fantastic show on HDNet TV that is a tribute to Ray Charles that features Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis, Nora Jones and Mickey Raphael.
Mickey has loads of solo time and makes the most of his space. He is playing Lee Oskar harps in various keys to fit the songs. The songs featured are [...]
I have written and erased this post a few times already. Everytime I start typing it comes out as a negative piece about how employers are draining the life out of the common worker by doing more with less people and blaming it on the economy. This has been on my mind since I read [...]
Here is Katie Couric Playing harmonica on Craig Ferguson’s show on December 7, 2010. She plays harmonica at the end of the clip.
Years ago when the only harmonica worth while for playing
blues was the venerable Hohner Marine Band. It sounded great
but leaked air around the wood comb which made them play inconsistantly.
There were some musicians that would soak their harps
in a glass of water and there are even some stories
of soaking them in whiskey! I’m sure most [...]
Here is a paragraph that pretty much sums up how fantastic a musical instrument the harmonica is. From the classic John Steinbeck novel The Grapes Of Wrath…
“A harmonica is easy to carry. Take it out of your hip pocket. Knock it against your palm to shake out the dirt and pocket fuzz and bits of [...]
The question I get asked the most is how to figure out what blues harp or harmonica to use when playing with a band. I have made a chart that takes all the guessing out of this. Don’t be the guy on the bandstand frantically testing out harmonicas trying to figure which is the correct [...] | <urn:uuid:591d47af-e16a-4f5b-b833-5f7541fde54a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harmonicajoe.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963134 | 508 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The risk of heart disease can increase as much as 48 percent and the risk of stroke by 15 percent when a person regularly doesn’t get a minimum of six hours of sleep, scientists from the U.K.’s University of Warwick recently revealed. The researchers found that chronic sleep shortages produce hormones and chemicals in the body that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Researchers studied 470,000 people from eight countries, including the U.S., U.K., Japan, and Sweden, and found that the demands of the modern workplace and family are taking a toll.
“The trend for late nights and early mornings is actually a ticking time bomb for our health,” researcher Francesco Cappuccio told the BBC. “So you need to act now to reduce your risk of developing these life-threatening conditions.”
The study suggests that sleep deprivation also contributes to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. | <urn:uuid:50714798-58c7-4535-af04-f5024f8f5180> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/sleep-your-way-to-better-heart-health/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951165 | 195 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Shahmanesh M, Patel V, Mabey D, Cowan F. Effectiveness of interventions for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in female sex workers in resource poor setting: a systematic review. Trop Med Int Health 2008 May;13(5):659-79.
To systematically review the evidence for the effectiveness of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention interventions among female sex workers (SWs) in resource-poor settings
Published and unpublished studies were identified by searching electronic databases, doing hand searches, and contacting experts. Databases and dates searched included Cochrane controlled trial register and Cochrane database of systematic reviews (1998-2006); Medline (1966-2006); Embase (1980-2006); and Web of Science (1984-2006). Medline and Embase were searched using the Key Mesh terms and text words (in italics): (Prostitution OR prostitut* OR sex work*') AND (HIV OR HIV infection OR HIV seroprevalence OR HIV OR sexually transmitted disease OR sexually transmitted infection). The text words were used to search the other databases. A key non-indexed journal "Research for Sex Work" and references of review articles and selected studies were hand searched. Web sites of agencies involved in HIV prevention (UNAIDS, Family Health International, and Population Council) and conference abstracts found through Gateway and National Library of Medicine were searched. First authors and experts in the field were contacted to obtain information on unpublished work, forthcoming manuscripts, and research in progress. Unpublished studies and studies published in non-English language journals were considered for inclusion. Inclusion criteria were any intervention that intended to prevent HIV and STIs through targeting female SWs in resource-poor settings, and which was evaluated in an experimental (RCT) or quasi-experimental (controlled but without randomly assigned control groups, or time-series) study. Studies were excluded if they targeted male and transsexual SWs, were conducted prior to the advent of HIV, were based in resource-rich industrial countries, focused on harm reduction for injection drug users (IDUs), did not describe the intervention adequately, or had less than 6 months of follow-up.
Twenty-eight studies were included in the review, 25 individual interventions and three structural interventions, of which 26 were published and two were unpublished. Of 6,788 articles and 1,318 abstracts (including duplicates) identified across databases, plus 22 studies found by hand searching, searching websites and conferences, and contacting experts, 272 were potentially relevant. Only 75 of these 1,272 studies were HIV or STI interventions in female SWs in resource-poor settings. Inclusion criteria reduced the number to the 28 studies: 25 were conducted with SWs; one with couples (transactional and non-transactional sex partners) visiting a motel; two of interventions with high-risk women associated with mines and truck stops. Four studies evaluated the effect on clients. Sixteen (57%) of the studies were in Africa and the remainder were in Asia (n=8) and Latin America (n=5). Eleven (39%) studies were in dedicated SW clinics; the remainder were conducted in brothels (n=7), communities (n=7), motels (n=1) or truck stops (n=1). Eleven studies (39%) were RCTs, three of which were cluster RCTs. Seventeen (61%) studies were quasi-experimental, including uncontrolled before-and-after studies (n=11), studies with a non-randomized control arm (n=3), or a combination of both types of study (n=3).
Study participants were limited to female SWs, defined as women who exchange sex for money or other gifts and commodities. The studies included a total of 49,807 participants: 27,445 female SWs; 1,779 clients; 37 brothel owners; 6,463 couples; 330 high-risk women; 1,668 community men, women, and miners; 1,536 miners; and 4,086 military conscripts.
Seven studies (25%) evaluated interventions to increase condom use. Four (14%) evaluated the efficacy of the vaginal microbicide nonoxinol-9 (N-9). Fourteen (50%) evaluated a combination of a behavioral intervention and STI treatment, six of which were able to separate out the effectiveness of adding the STI treatment component. Three (11%) structural interventions were multifaceted, with improved STI care and an enabling atmosphere for risk reduction, either through community mobilization or political or legal sanction.
Studies were included only if they reported at least one outcome measure that could be externally validated, such as biological outcomes (HIV incidence and/or STI incidence/prevalence), or measurable health outcomes (e.g., condom disposal, health service utilization). Twenty-six (93%) studies assessed changes in incident or prevalent HIV or STIs, of which 12 measured HIV incidence. Other outcomes were verifiable measures of condom use, such as provision, disposal, or use with simulated clients (n=4), and service utilization (n=2). Self-reported condom use measures were not included. The heterogeneity of the interventions precluded a formal meta-analysis with a single summary outcome measure.
Four broad categories of interventions were identified: behavioral interventions with condom promotion, addition of vaginal microbicide, addition of STI treatment, and structural interventions. The evidence suggested that behavioral interventions with condom promotion had some effectiveness, that vaginal microbicides were not effective or increased risk, that periodic STI screening did not show evidence of effectiveness, and that structural interventions (policy and legal changes) showed some evidence of effectiveness.
Risk reduction counseling coupled with condom promotion reduced HIV or STI risk or increased condom use in all of the five studies that tested this hypothesis. Only two were RCTs of the combined effect of behavioral intervention with condom promotion. Only one study that was not a random-cluster clinical trial found a reduction in incident HIV. Despite the methodological limitations of these studies, the consistency of the direction of change; the dose response; the association among participation in the intervention, self-reported condom use, and reduced infection rates; and biological plausibility suggest that this is an effective strategy. Two studies assessed female condom promotion and showed an increase in female condom uptake.
Four placebo-controlled RCTs of the vaginal microbicide N-9 showed either no effect or an increased risk of HIV.
Three RCTs tested different STI treatment strategies. The two studies with an HIV incidence outcome, one with presumptive periodic treatment (PPT) and the other with regular screening, found no effect, although follow-up was less than 50% in one study. The third RCT, which used PPT, showed a significant reduction in bacterial STIs. That study detected a sample size problem from declining rates in both treatment arms and lengthened the enrollment period accordingly. One quasi-experimental study suggested that increasing the interval between rounds of PPT may lessen its effect on STI prevalence.
Seven structural interventions were included from Thailand, India, and the Dominican Republic. These interventions involved government-supported condom programs, media campaigns, sanctions or cost-benefit for brothels, STI treatment, peer educators, and empowerment through collective bargaining, self-organization, legal advice, and other services. Thailand's 100% condom use program was a countrywide, multi-component intervention that sought to increase condom use, reduce the number of commercial sexual encounters, and improve provision for STI treatment. Although reductions in STIs were observed in men and new military recruits, it is impossible to disentangle the effect of the different components of the intervention from each other or from secular trends. The only controlled study among the seven was the Dominican Republic's comparison of a regional policy change with sanctions against brothels for not enforcing 100% condom use, with SW empowerment, improved STI care, and self-regulation of brothels. Brothels were more likely to adhere to 100% condom use in the policy change area.
Over half of the studies that followed SWs reported attrition rates as high as 75%, compromising the validity of the outcomes.
Given the small number of effective studies, the authors were unable to explore the relationship between phase of the epidemic and effectiveness of the intervention. Given the complexity and multifaceted nature of the interventions, indicators of exposure to the intervention would have assisted interpretation. Unfortunately, the indicators to measure exposure commonly reported, such as number of clinic visits or educational events attended, also are measures of adherence. In the absence of controls, finding an association between these measures of exposure and outcomes may be confounded by other factors associated with being an "adherent" participant in disease prevention. Few of the cluster-controlled trials accounted for intercluster correlation in either the power calculation or the analysis stage, possibly resulting in a greater measure of effect than if clustering had been considered.
The authors concluded that none of the RCTs showed an effect on HIV incidence. However, the observational data suggest some evidence for the effectiveness of risk reduction counseling, condom promotion, and regular access to improved STI management in SWs. The methodological challenges to conducting studies in such a clandestine and mobile group suggest that caution should be exercised when interpreting the results. There is no unequivocal evidence that intensive STI management in SWs has any additional benefit in HIV prevention. The lack of effect on HIV from the RCTs of STI treatment could be due to a loss of power from reductions of STI rates in both arms of the studies (type II error). Innovative STI delivery methods, such as vouchers, may improve coverage. There is some evidence that policy support for SW interventions as well as strategies that empower the women improve coverage, acceptability, and adherence to the intervention.
The authors conducted a comprehensive search of the international literature by searching databases, contacting authors, and searching the "gray literature." Using the QUOROM checklist for systematic reviews, this was a well-conducted and thorough systematic review. However, the authors did not describe the data abstraction process (e.g., whether data abstraction was conducted independently and in duplicate) nor the criteria and process used to assess validity. Heterogeneity of the studies did not allow the authors to conduct a meta-analysis nor to construct a funnel plot to assess publication bias, yet it is likely that there was such bias. Although some RCTs were unable to show an effect, almost all quasi-experimental studies reported statistically significant findings in favor of the intervention being tested. Even within the gray literature there is potential for selection bias, as interventions funded or sanctioned by the larger donors are more likely to be accessed through UNAIDS, FHI, or Population Council reports and best practice publications. As in all systematic reviews, despite extensive hand searching, there is still the possibility of indexing bias. The review was restricted to evaluated interventions that had externally validated outcome measures. This may have excluded less rigorously evaluated but nevertheless important and potentially effective interventions. A limitation of this systematic review is that only interventions that involved women who exchange sex for gifts or money could be included. This criterion means that potentially effective interventions with high-risk women, such as bar workers, who were not explicit about the transactional nature of their sexual behavior, were excluded.
This is the first systematic review of HIV and STI prevention interventions in female SWs in resource-poor countries. Two important position papers have sought to summarize key strategies for HIV prevention in SWs. One approached HIV as an occupational hazard, advocating harm reduction strategies such as empowering SWs to use condoms and removing structural barriers to safety.(1) The other examined strategies to provide STI treatment for SWs and concluded that using presumptive periodic treatment with single dose antibiotics, followed by regular algorithm-driven screening, was likely to be the most effective strategy.(2) The effectiveness of either approach for SWs has not been assessed systematically. A systematic review of STI prevention interventions not specifically targeting SWs found that just over half of 41 interventions identified were effective at reducing STIs.(3) Authors of a systematic review of structural facilitators and barriers to HIV prevention suggested addressing macro-social determinants of risk, such as economic policy, migration, gender inequality, and sex work legislation.(4)
Mathematical models indicate that targeting core groups such as SWs is an effective way to reduce HIV transmission, particularly in the early and accelerated phase of the epidemic. Given the scale of sex work, with incomes equivalent to 2-14% of Southeast Asia's gross domestic product, there is an urgent need to identify which interventions are effective in reducing HIV in SWs. Overall, the evidence to show a reduction in HIV transmission was largely lacking, although a number of observational studies found that combining sexual risk reduction, condom promotion, and improved access to STI treatment showed improvements in condom use and STI prevalence or incidence that should lead to reduced HIV transmission. Strong evidence that regular STI screening or periodic treatment of STIs confers additional protection against HIV was lacking. There is still uncertainty about what is the best STI treatment strategy for SWs and the efficacy of STI treatment in HIV prevention. It appears that structural interventions, policy change, or empowerment of SWs may reduce the prevalence of STIs and HIV, but what components of structural interventions work and the potential negative ramifications of targeting SWs (e.g., stigma, violence, driving sex work underground) are not known. In addition, there is limited data available on the wider public health benefits of targeting SWs. There is a need to explore the effectiveness of comprehensive HIV care packages for SWs, new microbicides, HSV-2 prophylaxis, and pre-exposure prophylaxis. Evaluations of interventions that reach community-based SWs who work outside brothel-based settings and "red-light" districts also are required.
- Rekart ML. Sex-work harm reduction. Lancet 2005;366:2123-34.
- Steen R, Dallabetta G. Sexually transmitted infection control with sex workers: regular screening and presumptive treatment augment efforts to reduce risk and vulnerability. Reprod Health Mat 2003;11:74-90.
- Manhart LE, Holmes KK. Randomized controlled trials of individual-level, population-level, and multilevel interventions for preventing sexually transmitted infections: what has worked? J Infect Dis 2005;191(Suppl. 1):S7-S24.
- Parker RG, Easton D, Klein CH. Structural barriers and facilitators in HIV prevention: a review of international research. AIDS 2000;14(Suppl. 1):S22-32. | <urn:uuid:61b07c2e-ce5a-41a2-8a6d-95df0cebc3a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite?page=jl-35-01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953473 | 3,022 | 1.75 | 2 |
...let's do some media comparisons.
In the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Chile, there are legitimate expectations that the U.S. media ought to cover what happens there with the same intensity they did following Haiti's earthquake.
Of course, we can hope that the American media do not again fail to equate lots of people with lots of quality reporting. As anecdotal evidence, my wife told me more than once that she appreciated the depth of reporting offered by the BBC, which had fewer reporters in Port-au-Prince in the days after the Haitian earthquake.
She was spot on -- too often, shallow reporting was evident in the American coverage. I saw too many reports designed merely to throw the same spotlight on a different "scene of horrible destruction." And the doctors-turned-journalists crossing the line between being medical and journalistic professionals disturbed me; I say this as politely as I can -- be one or the other in a time of crisis.
Granted, the distance from Haiti to the U.S. (1432 from Port-au-Prince to Washington) is shorter than from Chile to the U.S. (4992 miles from Santiago to Washington), and that might play a role in how many people and resources are devoted to the Chilean earthquake.
Moreover, the death toll in Chile will come nowhere near that of Haiti.
Nevertheless, the American media will send news crews to Santiago. We can hope those people don't make the same mistakes that were evident in Haiti. | <urn:uuid:0f9b2193-f7cc-4ee8-895d-680c743e2154> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ajmbroadcasteducator.blogspot.com/2010/02/over-next-couple-of-days.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974161 | 304 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Assessing Mental Capacity - Guidance
One of the conditions which must be satisfied for a will to be valid is that the person making it must be of sound mind. With an ageing population, cases involving disputes over a testator’s mental capacity are becoming more common – it is estimated that up to two million people in the UK suffer from some form of dementia or brain injury.
Case law developments in this area and legislation in the form of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 have led the Law Society and the British Medical Association to develop new guidelines to assist doctors and lawyers to assess mental capacity. It is a useful guide for anyone who has to care for or is responsible for someone whose mental capacity is in doubt.
The guide can be purchased from the Law Society or from a number of online booksellers although, at £39.95, you might prefer to wait until a copy finds its way to your local reference library. For free information see the Department of Health website.
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article. | <urn:uuid:d4a3bc79-3d28-4d1a-9228-9f916eedcce2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.johars.com/cms/catsection/assessing_mental_capacity_guidance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947483 | 246 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Types of Internships
What Are the Different Types of Internships?
When referring to types of internships, most can be categorized according to four basic dimensions:
Time of year. Internships tend to run the duration of an academic semester or quarter (although they can run longer), or over a summer or winter break. Therefore, based on the time of year, the basic types of internships are semester internships, quarterly internships, summer internships, fall internships, spring internships, and holiday or winter internships (i.e. over a winter break).
Industry. Internship programs are also classified by industry; this usually corresponds with the interns' majors. While there are obviously hundreds of possibilities, some of the most common include marketing internships, advertising internships, finance internships, entertainment industry internships, legal internships, technology internships, fashion internships, PR internships, and publishing internships.
Paid versus unpaid internships. There are legal ramifications—and blurred lines—regarding whether it is permissible to employ interns without pay (most depend on meeting the legal definition of "intern"). For now, however, it's sufficient to say that paid internships and unpaid internships are another method of classification.
Credit versus no-credit internships. For-credit internships and not-for-credit internships is another type of categorization, as it's a common misconception that internships are always in exchange for college or university credit.
In actuality, internships can be part of academic coursework; however, they can also be part of an individual's extracurricular plan to gain experience. When an internship is performed in exchange for college credit, the assigning of credit is strictly between the student and his or her school.
Location. Since internship programs are commonly posted online (and garner submissions from around the globe), internships are also referred to by the city in which they are located. Examples of location-classified internships are New York internships, Los Angeles internships, Washington DC internships, Chicago internships, and San Francisco internships, among many others. (Another option is "virtual" or offsite internships, learn more about those here.)
While there are various types of internships, all share one common denominator: The student strives to meet certain learning objectives. Such objectives are often formally reflected upon and evaluated by both the student and the internship supervisor. | <urn:uuid:214d8951-9a29-4b13-98fd-ddd30341be69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/types | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937055 | 499 | 2.25 | 2 |
|Rediff India Abroad Home | All the sections|
Olympics - Watchdog warns of risks to media
June 06, 2008 10:54 IST
Foreign journalists covering the Beijing [Images] Olympics [Images] must take care to avoid placing Chinese assistants and news sources at risk of arrest when covering sensitive topics, a US watchdog group said on Thursday.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also called on the International Olympic Committee to press China to honour promises of press freedom for the more than 21,500 foreign reporters covering the August 8-24 games -- a pledge it said authorities ignored during recent unrest in Tibet [Images].
"Past experience has shown that China tends to err on the side of heavy-handedness when it comes to media control and threats to the country's image as a unified nation," said the New York-based committee in a report.
"Reporters travelling to China should be aware of the risks to people they interview or hire, as well as the dangers they face themselves."
The report -- "Falling Short" -- said a 2001 pledge to impose no restrictions on foreign media, which helped Beijing win the right to host the 2008 Olympics, is not being upheld.
"Even at this late date, insist that the Chinese government fully meet its promises of press freedom for the 2008 Olympic Games," the committee advised the IOC.
The promised press freedoms in China -- which do not apply to domestic media and expire after the Olympics -- were widely ignored during political unrest in Tibet in March, when scores of journalists were turned away by authorities, it said.
The report said foreign reporters who run afoul of Chinese authorities faced "more inconvenience than hardship" and generally few long-term repercussions.
But ethnic Chinese and other Asian reporters had been treated harshly in some cases and Chinese translators or other helpers asked to work on sensitive topics could face trouble, it said.
"Reporters who ask Chinese hires to arrange meetings with activists or to organize a visit to an AIDS village must realize that they could be putting their Chinese colleagues at risk," it said.
"These assistants might not be punished until after the Games, when the world's attention has moved on."
The report listed as examples of sensitive topics problems associated with the Olympics, the Buddhist Tibet or Muslim Xinjiang regions, protests over social or environmental issues, HIV/AIDS patients, crackdowns on North Korean refugees and everything involving the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual group. | <urn:uuid:9b1b9019-4b46-40fe-a30f-7b420f62b30a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rediff.com/sports/2008/jun/06oly.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957319 | 496 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Teacher Training Programme
Theatre for a Change has trained a core team of Malawian trainers who will be posted to Teacher Training Colleges. Over the next four years, they will train 7,200 pre-service teachers be able to protect themselves, and the children they teach, from HIV infection. The teachers who we train will engage 72,000 children and young people in dynamic and exciting approaches to behaviour change and the promotion of girls' rights. The programme is funded by Medicor, The British Council, GTZ and ArtVenture
We are grateful for the support of all our funders, who are helping us have a signficant impact in the lives of the teachers, young people and vulnerable groups we work with.
We are working in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the National Aids Commission, GTZ and the British Council. | <urn:uuid:7aeb12ac-32f6-490a-9895-685aabf04976> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tfacafrica.com/What-we-do/TfaC-in-Malawi/Teacher-Training-Programme | 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 | 0.949312 | 174 | 1.734375 | 2 |
TODAY's financial editor Jean Chatzky explains that you can avoid overspending by thinking about what matters most in a product and shares tips for getting great deals this weekend.
Happy Frugal Friday! How far will you go to get that last smidge of toothpaste hiding in the tube? Or makeup lying tantalizingly out of reach of the applicator wand? If you only use the containers the way the manufacturers designed them, you could be throwing away a few days worth of product.
For instance, Consumer Reports found that 17-25% of a container's lotion is still inside a pump bottle after the pump action no longer works. With a little bit of craftiness, and a good pair of scissors, you can extend the life of your health and beauty supplies, and put off that run to the store by a few days.
How a cheapskate gets every ounce of deodorant from a stick of Speed Stick deodorant.
At the bottom of a stick of deodorant is a little curved well. When you turn the screw at the bottom, it pushes up the stick of deodorant. The bit of plastic form at the bottom uses some of the deodorant itself to hold up the rest of the stick. Eventually you get to a point where there's some gel left below the applicator lip. What you can do is place this register in the microwave for a few seconds, liquefy the gel, then pour it into a new stick of deodorant that you've screwed down as far as it will go. The gel will harden and you've just buffed up your deodorant supply by a couple of days.
Plastic bottles and squeeze tubes
How to get every last drop of product out of its plastic bottle.
After the bottle or squeeze tube is "done," after you've squeezed, ironed, and banged it as much as you can, carefully use scissors to cut the bottle or tube across the middle and you'll find a rich vein of product stashed inside. Score. Use, then store the remainder quickly so it doesn't dry out. There's several tactics, like tapping it out into a cleaned jar with a lid, sealing it in plastic wrap, or just drop it in a Ziplock bag. If there's still some clinging into the sides after you scrape it out, zap the container with a hair dryer for 30 seconds so it warms up and flows out more easily.
After the tube seems to stop dispensing, there's still a few uses left, it's just hiding. Stand the lip gloss vertically in a coffee cup of hot water for 30 minutes. The gloss will drip down and give you some extra applications.
Scoop up the extra bits hiding in the crevices of your eye cream pots with a cotton swab.
After the pump action is no longer bringing up lotion or cream, it's time to ditch that top. Swap out the pump with a regular lid or flip-top saved from another empty bottle (Oh yeah, by the way, you're going to start saving tops from other bottles now.) Turn the bottle upside down to let the material flow down. You can also add a tiny bit of water or apply heat to eke out those last drops.
Do you have any great ideas for Frugal Friday? Send us your tips! Or leave a comment below. | <urn:uuid:e1fb4e55-3b09-4732-a585-1b7518c699fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/11/02/14880510-squeeze-extra-life-out-of-your-health-and-beauty-products | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943671 | 702 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Casper the golden retriever was going to be put to sleep because he was born blind. However, thanks to the generosity of thousands of strangers, the puppy was able to get his cataracts removed and the dog has now been adopted, the Daily Mail
Destined to die at just 8 weeks old, Dogs Friends, an animal rescue
organization in the South West U.K., took him in. Charity Worker Sally Baker was so touched by the pooch that she decided to raise money for his surgery. After giving out about 5,000 leaflets throughout the town of Bristol, Baker told the news outlet that donations - some from childrens' allowances, others from seniors' pensions - came flowing in.
Although aiming to raise 2,000 pounds for the surgery, Baker, who adopted Casper, raised 7,000 in just a few weeks.
'We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people. Casper has touched everybody's hearts," she told the news outlet.
After getting Casper's cataracts replaced with clear lenses, Baker used the rest of the money to pay for the operations of other dogs at the shelter and will fund other treatments, the news source reports. | <urn:uuid:e190267d-d037-4096-8f69-b226204b0bd8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thehungersite.com/clickToGive/ars/article/Random-acts-of-kindness-gave-dog-new-life200 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980498 | 243 | 1.945313 | 2 |
A Sinner With A Heart for Frontier Missions
As we mark the 500th anniversary of the landing of Christopher Columbus in the new world, we find a great deal of controversy regarding whether he was a hero or a villain. He seems to have gotten caught up in the struggle between the Christian western culture which he sought to spread and the attempts of eastern philosophy to tear down anything Christian. The history of Columbus is being twisted and facts omitted in order to serve the purposes of the various interest groups participating in the debate.
Most Americans are unaware that some of the Pilgrims and Puritans came to the new world as missionaries to bring the gospel to the unreached. So also the story of Columbus taught in our schools has been warped to eliminate any understanding of the spiritual motivation that led him and others to risk everything for the sake of their mission.
I will not gloss over Columbus's mistakes, failures, and sins, of which there are many. But he was not the barbarous villain that some have portrayed him as. Much is said about his hunger for wealth being the motivation for his voyage. But the deep passion that drove Columbus forward through years of ridicule and rejection is not easily explained by such a simple answer. Much of the evidence of his true motivation has been ignored by people who cannot understand it and who do not want others to imitate it. Based on the following evidence, the motivation of his heart is clear.
His Driving Passion
After his third voyage Columbus wrote his Book of Prophecies to explain the biblical significance of what he had done. It had remained lost until 1892 and just last year it was translated into English. This book, as well as his journals, give us the true picture of the heart and passion that drove Christopher Columbus. What these writings reveal is a man with the heart of a frontier missionary called by God and led forth by the power of the Holy Spirit. In his own words Columbus writes:
"At this time I have seen and put in study to look into all the Scriptures which the Lord has opened to my understanding.
"It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures...
"I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous presence. For the execution of the journey to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied...
"The Lord made me a messenger of the new heavens and the new earth of which Isaiah speaks and St. John in the book of the Revelation. And He showed me the place where to find it...
"No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to His sovereign will, even though He gives advice. He lacks nothing that is in the power of men to give Him. Oh, what a gracious Lord, who desires that people should perform for Him those things for which He holds Himself responsible! Day and night, moment by moment, everyone should express their most devoted gratitude to Him."
Simply put, the primary thing that drove Columbus was the confident belief that God had called him and set him apart as a holy servant to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.
Author Kay Brigham, who translated Columbus's Book of Prophecies into English, says, "He believed that He was fulfilling Psalm 19:4, that the words of the Lord would go out to the uttermost parts of the world. He believed that he was the bearer of Christ to do this."
This was central to Columbus's view of himself. In his journal he would quote passages from Isaiah that meant so much to him:
"Listen to me O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name...I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" Isaiah 49:1, 6.
The writings of Marco Polo also had a bearing on the burden that Columbus carried. He had read where Polo recorded that the great Khan of China had asked for Christian missionaries and yet none had been sent. Columbus wanted to rectify this situation.
Columbus also felt driven to help usher in the second coming of Christ. He was a Biblical scholar who, 480 years before the initiation of the Perspectives class, took notice of the words of Matthew 24:14.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come."
He felt the call of God upon his life to fulfill this verse, but one thing stood in his way. The city to which Christ would return was, at that time, in the hands of the Muslims and therefore had to be liberated. Kay Brigham says, "He believed that his enterprise was for the purpose of rescuing Jerusalem. He wanted to find the mines of Solomon and the gold of Ophir mentioned in Scripture." It was his desire to personally fund a new crusade to liberate Jerusalem with the wealth he sought to gain from the Indies. Columbus wrote to Ferdinand and Isabella saying:
"For I maintained to your Highnesses that all profits from this enterprise should be devoted to the conquest of Jerusalem and your Highnesses smiled and said that such was your will, and that even without these gains, you had the same earnest desire."
We may criticize Columbus for his plans for a crusade, but such ideas were, like him, a product of the times in which he lived. In 1492, in order to obey their own faith, Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella waged a war with the muslim Moors and expelled them from the country. They also ordered all unconverted Jews to do the same. The crusades were only recent history for them. To Columbus, a crusade seemed to be the logical means of success. This kind of willful determination to bring about Christ's return through human effort would lead to other problems for Columbus in the new world--and for us today.
On August 3rd 1492, Columbus knelt on the dock in the pre-dawn light to receive holy communion. Moments later the Santa Maria weighed anchor, and set sail "in the name of Jesus." On August 9th they reached the Canary Islands where they stayed until September 8th when they set sail for the new world.
With each passing day they traveled further from land and fear tightened its grip on the hearts of the crew. By the time they had reached 30 days at sea the crew was ready to throw Columbus overboard and head back to Spain. Columbus got a concession of three more days before turning back. He hoped it would be enough. The next day they traveled an incredible 200 miles. On October 12th they sighted land. Columbus was the first ashore. The men kissed the white coral beach. Columbus then christened the island, San Salvador--Holy Savior-- and prayed:
"O Lord, Almighty and everlasting God, by Thy Holy Word Thou hast created the heaven, and the earth, and the sea; blessed and glorified be Thy Name, and praised be Thy Majesty, which hath deigned to use us, Thy humble servants, that Thy holy Name may be proclaimed in this second part of the earth."
Secular Americans do not talk quite like this--even to win an election. This is why Columbus is so misunderstood.
Shortly thereafter they met the first natives and Columbus records the following account.
"So that they might be well disposed towards us, for I knew that they were a people to be delivered and converted to our holy faith rather by love than by force, I gave to some red caps and to others glass beads, which they hung around their necks, and many other things. ... At this they were greatly pleased and became so entirely our friends that it was a wonder to see... I believe that they would easily be made Christians, for it seemed to me that they had no religion of their own. Our Lord willing, when I depart, I shall bring back six of them to your Highnesses, that they may learn to talk our language."
His heart seemed to be in the right place here with the focus on bringing them to faith in Christ through love. But then his other goal of finding gold to liberate Jerusalem crept in to smother his love for lost souls. He noticed some of the natives wearing gold ornaments. Columbus reports:
"From signs, I was able to understand that in the south there was a king who had large vessels of gold and possessed much of it. I endeavored to make them take me there, but later I saw that they had no desire to make the journey... So I resolved to go southwest, to search for gold and jewels."
Peter Marshall in his book, The Light and the Glory says, "On every island at which they stopped, Columbus had his men erect a large wooden cross, 'as a token of Jesus Christ our Lord and in honor of the Christian faith.' Almost always, they found the inhabitants peaceful, innocent and trusting, and the Admiral gave strict orders that they were not to be molested or maltreated in any way. He had determined that their own reputation, which was obviously preceding them through the islands, would be as favorable as possible."
At one point the Santa Maria ran aground and had to be offloaded. It was at this place that they discovered the quantities of gold that they had sought. Columbus felt God wanted him to place a settlement there which he named La Navidad, for the Nativity. Marshall reports:
"Thirty-nine men gladly volunteered to remain behind, and Columbus was confident that, upon his return in a year's time, through diligent trading with the Indians, they would have gained a whole barrelful of gold. Moreover, he counted on them discovering the mine which was supplying the gold, so that within three years the Sovereigns would have the finances to equip the greatest expedition of all: the crusade that would finally liberate the Holy Land. "
His Second Voyage
After his triumphal return to Spain, Columbus returned to the New World with a complement of 17 ships and 1,000 men. They arrived at La Navidad to find all the men left behind dead--some by each other's hand, most of them by tribes of Indians other than the ones they had befriended.
Marshall reports that, "No sooner had the Nina departed the year before, than the men had started indulging their lust with the Indian women. Nor were they satisfied with one each but took as many as they could get.
"No longer did they barter for gold. They simply seized it, doing violence to any Indians who protested. Quarrelling among themselves and killing one another, they had split into factions, and were thus easily ambushed and overrun. "
It was in this situation that Columbus found himself totally unable to meet the challenge of governing. He cannot be blamed for what others did in his absence but his failure to deal with the situation adequately upon his return has provided ample evidence for his critics to use against him.
No one questions his failure to govern the new world well, but his critics should also note that the Indians were not sinless members of a utopian society as has often been portrayed. On his second voyage Columbus found cannibalism of adults and children, human sacrifice, and idol worship.
We have seen that Columbus was a man with a mission to bring the knowledge of Christ to the ends of the earth as a frontier missionary. We have also seen that his lust for the finances to fund his mission led directly to the failures and sins for which he is criticized today. But Peter Marshall (The Light and the Glory) states well why we should honor Columbus in spite of his sins.
"Because Columbus had dedicated his life to serving Christ, God had given him an assignment that would test him to the limit, and indeed, much of the hardest testing had come before he set sail for the Indies. For the sake of Christ, Columbus had been willing to be taken for a fool--not once or twice, but over and over again for eight long years. And then, as the days at sea became weeks, and pressure mounted on him to turn back, he had remained obedient to his call and pressed on into the dim unknown, when perhaps not another ship captain on earth would have done so.
"Despite all his shortcomings, Columbus had time and again remained faithful to the point of death. He had poured himself out totally, holding nothing back. He had won the victory."
In addition to his commitment and courage, Columbus is worthy of honor and respect for his heroic mission and vision to bring the Gospel to the unreached peoples of his world. His biblical understanding of the conection between world evangelization and the second coming as given in Matthew 24:14 was centuries ahead of his time. His concept of achieving this through a new Crusade was obviously warped and unenlightened, but at least he had a heart for the glory of God and the completion of the task. It has only been in recent decades that many Christians have even noticed this verse or taken the frontiers seriously. If all the Christians of this world were to have the same kind of burden as Columbus, to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth, there would be little need for mission mobilization and this magazine, Mission Frontiers.
So, I applaud his vision to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth, while at the same time recognizing that he personally failed miserably to do so. His dependence on gold to accomplish his mission ended up devouring his passion for converting lost souls. Today we must beware of this same tendency to allow the quest for the resources to advance our mission to overshadow our mission itself.
Another problem Columbus had was that he was totally unprepared to accomplish the task of evangelizing the natives. Unfortunately, all of his good intentions were not enough. He was not trained in this and neither was his crew. It became clear upon Columbus's return on his second voyage that his crew had failed the cultural sensitivity test. Based on their behavior, one realizes that few such men were believers. One of his failures may have been the lack of careful screening of the crew to make sure they were all prepared to be missionaries. But considering the poor state of the Catholic church and of missions in general at the time, good people may have been hard to find. Certainly the lesson for us is that missionary candidates should be well educated and prepared for their mission and for whatever they encounter.
Columbus did succeed, however, in leading a movement of colonization in the new world that resulted in North America becoming a bastion of Christianity and the largest base for sending missionaries to the frontiers that the world has yet known. Out of tragedy God has brought great growth to His church all over the world.
In recent years, Latin America, where Columbus landed, has become an area of vibrant Christianity and a sending base for missionaries to the unreached peoples of the world. In spite of all the tragedy that resulted, the discovery of the new world, "was above all the triumph of Christianity," says Kay Brigham. I think Columbus would be pleased with this.
As we consider the legacy of Columbus and how to view this man, we are torn between his great vision and accomplishments on one hand and his great failures on the other, like many people in Scripture whom God called and used mightily.
It is clear that God worked in and through Columbus to see the gospel come to the lost sinners in the Americas. God worked through a sinner to see these people, some of whom were locked into idol worship, human sacrifice, and cannibalism, saved. The fact that Columbus sinned in the process should not keep us from honoring those things he did well. We cannot heap on Columbus the collective greed and sin of all the Europeans who followed him.
Marshall Jr., Peter and Manuel, David. The Light and The Glory. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1977.
Brigham, Kay. Transcription of Interview broadcast on the 700 Club, Virginia Beach Virginia: Christian Broadcasting Network, October 12, 1992. | <urn:uuid:0c5755ea-45c6-4013-bc7a-3ef8bcacb770> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/christopher-columbus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98577 | 3,436 | 2.15625 | 2 |
On September 11, 2001, two things became evident first to many of the Brooklyn, N.Y., clergy shortly after the hour-long dust cloud that formed from the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapse vanished, the former president of an interfaith group said.
First, members of the Brooklyn Heights Clergy Association realized they needed to help account for missing people for their loved ones. Secondly, they needed to facilitate prayer services as soon as possible, the Rev. Fred Wooden told The Christian Post.
Wooden, who is a Unitarian, was the president of the association and leader of the First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn at the time of the terrorist attacks on the United States. Unitarianism takes its name after the understanding of God as one person, rejecting the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity and belief that Jesus is fully man and God.
The former Brooklyn Heights Clergy Association president said the need for people to connect on that tragic day was evidenced by impromptu church services of several faiths and denominations held that night.
Currently serving as the reverend of a liberal, non-denominational church in Michigan, Wooden was recently interviewed by a local TV station in Grand Rapids about his recollection of the fateful day. He had lived and worked less than a mile from the World Trade Center and was able to witness much of the tragedy as it unfolded outside his living room window, he said.
“We made an enormous amount of phone calls to find out who was where. It turned out that because of the collapse of the towers that some of the telephone lines were not working and some of the cell phone towers were not available,” Wooden said. “We ended up being a switchboard. We took messages and passed them on to our families in Brooklyn. That was our first function: to find out what we could about the people in our churches.”
Wooden said the next order of business for himself and other faith leaders was to organize “impromptu worship services.”
“We prepared a service largely of prayers and of music as far as we were able to. We improvised everything,” he said. Two volunteers from the area offered to help lead the service, including a Jewish Rabbi firefighter chaplain and a rock musician singer.
“Appropriately, the singer sang ‘There Must Be a God Somewhere,’” Wooden said. “It really expressed our anxieties about whether or not the world was falling apart in a certain sense.”
“Our pews were filled with people we did not know as well as people we did,” he said. “During events like this people need something to do. They feel frustrated, frightened and confused when they are unable to act. Even the act of going to church is helpful. It means they are connecting up with people and sharing in the struggle of trying to understand what’s going on.”
Wooden said that in the days that followed he reached out to the Arab-American and Muslim community.
“One of the first things that made itself evident to us after the facts about it being a deliberately planned attack by Muslim radicals was that I, as the president of the clergy association, needed to make my way down to the Arab-American Family Center which was just south of us by a few blocks. I told them we needed to work together because people are going to be anxious and your community is going to be especially anxious,” he said.
“We organized a memorial service for all the religious communities to meet and to offer prayers of grief and hope. We had clergy who were Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish, and we prayed in Hebrew and Arabic and in English,” Wooden said. “What really surprised me was that more than 2,000 people came. It was a really important thing to do. It was important for people to be together.”
In regards to the current controversy about New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to exclude any prayers from clergy at ground zero in the upcoming 10th anniversary commemoration of the 9/11 attacks, Wooden said he had mixed feelings.
“Momentous events evoke in people their most basic beliefs and values and those frequently take religious form. Not having that part is a loss,” he said. “On the other hand, who’s to choose who should be participating?”
“The urge to speak and to pray and to use religious language is very honest and very real and I don’t blame anyone for wanting to do it. At the same time, if those words could be said without doing it on anyone else’s behalf … if (prayer leaders), would say for example, ‘let me pray in the words that I know, for the things that I believe,’ I could get behind that right away.”
“I’m not saying that the mayor is right or wrong, but I am alert to the complexity of what he had to do,” he added.
Wooden’s background as a Unitarian, includes the belief that the church community should “challenge individuals to craft their own spiritual journeys.” He told the CP that his denomination is often considered “marginal or borderline Christianity.” Although he said that he neither is opposed to or against formal Christianity, his church’s (Fountain Street Church) website does not mention Jesus on its “History and Faith” page.
Recently, evangelical leaders such as megachurch Pastor Rick Warren have shown opposition to Bloomberg’s decision. Warren will be leading a "Hope and Freedom" memorial and prayer event that will include collaboration with Lower Manhattan Community Church on the weekend of the anniversary. The church is two blocks from Ground Zero. | <urn:uuid:0e665009-a4dc-40b2-b776-939c24caab52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christianpost.com/news/9-11-interfaith-group-leader-recalls-urgent-need-for-prayer-54884/print.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985182 | 1,202 | 1.820313 | 2 |
10/3/2011 5:28 PM
With the Port’s participation in the Lower Willamette Group and the Portland Harbor Partnership, news about regional Superfund cleanups is always informative. This article on efforts to clean up a five-mile stretch of Seattle’s Duwamish River is a must-read. The Duwamish Superfund process is a few years ahead of where we are in Portland Harbor, but with similar challenges, including legacy contamination from World War II activities and many parties that are responsible for pollution but are no longer around or in business, leaving the cleanup to those groups still standing. Interesting to watch the progress up north as we move closer to the completion of a Portland Harbor draft feasibility study, which will provide the menu of options the Environmental Protection Agency will use to make cleanup decisions for the Willamette. | <urn:uuid:c4b0c622-87e8-43ac-b613-2a4114602355> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.portofportland.com/publications/PortCurrents/post/Early-Cleanup-of-Seattles-Duwamish-River-Moving-Ahead.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93282 | 174 | 1.671875 | 2 |
BA in Audio Production
Webster University is a pioneer in audio education by teaching the subject as it relates to all media while still emphasizing a hands-on approach. Students work with professional-grade equipment during their freshman year.
They produce music recordings, radio spots, run live sound for concerts, learn sound design and engineer audio for video and film throughout their time at Webster. Of equal importance they learn audio history and theory.
A portfolio review and internship are required for graduation. Many of these internships have resulted in employment. Recent opportunities include stints at major recording studios, sound reinforcement companies and radio stations across the country. International opportunities also are available.
The faculty are working professionals in the field as well as educators. They speak frankly about Audio Production as a career choice and available jobs in the industry. Students learn to work in a variety of fields in the industry.
Reflecting Webster's commitment to maintaining an international perspective, the program offers an emphasis in International Audio Production.
Webster University is an associate member of the Society of Professional Audio Recording Services and an educational member of the Audio Engineering Society. Webster's student section of the Audio Engineering Society is one of the most active and successful chapters worldwide.
Successful alumni with a degree in Audio Production include:
- Bruce Buechner, audio engineer for Snoop Dog, Ruben Studdard, Christina Milan, Lil Jon, Jamie Foxx and Mary J. Blige.
- Brian Barrrale, Los Angeles-based composer and arranger for “Aliens of the Deep,” “Heart of the Beholder,” and “Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch” | <urn:uuid:2802a03e-c897-4b46-ac48-1bd2bd608e5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://webster.edu/major/audio-production.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934106 | 345 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Friday, May 20, 2011
"Smalt"...an art phenomena
Ground glass used in paint pigments?--yep. Renaissance artists used ground cobalt containing glass to add vibrancy to their paintings. Smalt is "...a ground blue potassium glass containing cobalt used among the 15th and the 18th centuries. In Europe the use of smalt as an artist's pigment was widespread certainly as early as the late sixteenth century. Smalt was popular because of its low cost and its manufacture became a specialty of the Dutch and Flemish in the 17th century. Smalt is a very good dryer and was used for this purpose and also to give bulk to thick glazes containing lake pigments which are poor dryers." | <urn:uuid:c9ba7d71-663d-4747-bd8a-042cec800e7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://philosophyofscienceportal.blogspot.com/2011/05/smaltan-art-phenomena.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983565 | 152 | 2.71875 | 3 |
From cars to medicine, nanotubes may be miracle material
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
October 20, 2003, 4:00 AM PT
They are stronger than steel and as flexible as plastic, conduct energy better than almost any material ever discovered and can be made from unexotic raw materials such as methane gas.
Now the question is whether they can live up to their promise.
In a relatively short time, carbon nanotubes--thin tubes of carbon atoms that have unusual characteristics because of their unique structure--have emerged as a miracle material that could revolutionize a number of industries.
Single-walled nanotubes are expected to debut this year in polymers as a way to strengthen plastic parts in cars or get them to conduct electricity through normally nonconducive materials. Paint that can deflect radar is also anticipated in the not-too-distant future. Computer and TV manufacturers plan to use them to drastically reduce the cost of screens in an estimated two years.
"Any major industrial corporation that has an interest in advanced materials, from plastics companies to semiconductor companies, is buying from us," said Tom Pitstick, vice president of business development at Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc. (CNI), a Houston company founded by Rick Smalley, a 1996 Nobel Prize winner and Rice University professor.
Within a decade, nanotubes could replace silicon as the transistors inside processors and memory chips. Tubes could also be used to convey light through optical fibers and, further out, to deliver medicines to specific cells inside a body or even restructure the nation's power grid.
Mass production of nanotubes, however, remains a challenge. CNI plans to increase its manufacturing capacity to the point where the company can make 1,000 pounds of nanotubes a day by 2005. Right now, it can make only about a pound or two daily.
This cumbersome process makes the technology too costly for wide use. The going price on the company's Web site is $500 a gram.
Other researchers also say that silicon nanowires--solid microscopic strands of silicon--could prove to be easier for semiconductor makers to graft onto existing manufacturing processes.
"Silicon nanowires might be less perfect, but they may be easier to integrate into chips," said K.J. Cho, a professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University.
Reducing the dimensions
A carbon nanotube is essentially a sheet of carbon atoms--arranged in hexagons--that curls up into a tube. It comes in two basic varieties: a single-walled nanotube, which is a single coil of carbon hexagons; and a multiwalled version, wherein a single tube is encased in a wider tube, which itself is inside other tubes. Most of today's research is concentrated on single-walled tubes.
The tubes' properties are significant because of two factors: their size, which allows them to function as one-dimensional objects, and the intrinsic nature of carbon.
From a purely Euclidean perspective, physical objects on this planet, including nanotubes, all exist in three-dimensional space, which can be measured through X (horizontal), Y (vertical) and Z (depth) coordinates.
Scientists, however, assert that dimensions can become irrelevant. A film negative, for instance, functions more like a two-dimensional object. Negatives technically have height, measured by the Z coordinate, but it can't readily be used.
Because one-dimensional nanotubes have no height or width, they are the atomic equivalent of a bowling-ball return. As a result, electrons can travel ballistically on them--that is, barring obstacles or flaws in the material, electrons don't get scattered or lost.
"If you have a ballistic conductor, your charge can go completely unimpeded," said Joerg Appenzeller, a carbon nanotube researcher at IBM Research. "The electronic properties are outstanding."
Such confined dimensionality means that nanotubes can conduct heat better than any other material ever discovered, including diamonds, and could even be used to transfer energy in homes or between power stations. Tubes can also be used to carry light, enhancing or replacing optical fiber.
In chips, nanotubes could lead to transistors that switch off and on much faster than today's silicon variety.
Appenzeller said it is impractical to compare their performance to silicon transistors because researchers have only tested how single nanotubes work. Still, the early results are very promising, he noted, and the same basic transistor structure can be used.
"You just replace, ideally, hypothetically, the access device with a nanotube. The source, the drain, the architecture is the same," Appenzeller said. One-dimensional objects can be formed from other materials, such as boron nitride, but carbon has been studied the most so far.
While nearly everyone agrees that carbon won't likely appear in chips or fiber for several years, other products in the near term will likely take advantage of nanotubes' electrical properties.
Several companies are looking at ways to use nanotubes in TVs, liquid crystal display monitors and plasma screens for 2005. In traditional TV sets, electron guns shoot electrons at the screen, which must be 18 inches away. LCDs and plasma screens don't require electron guns, but the manufacturing process required to implant the glass with circuitry costs billions.
Nanotube monitors would be thinner than LCDs and far cheaper to make. The tubes can be mixed into a paste and printed onto glass. Hyperspecialized facilities wouldn't be needed.
"It is amazingly simple," Pitstick said. "You put nanotubes in ink and print them down."
The bonds that bind
Bonding is another key property that makes nanotubes attractive. Carbon atoms bond tightly to each other and gravitate toward the stable, hexagonal rings. Nanotubes "heal" themselves by shifting to replace atoms that get removed.
"Silicon is very finicky about defects," said David Tomanek, a professor of physics at Michigan State University. "We have concluded that carbon nanotubes are relatively defect-tolerant."
That has the potential to relieve huge headaches. Chipmaking facilities cost $3 billion today and will likely cost $6 billion by 2007. The lion's share of those funds goes toward equipment that's needed to draw circuits.
Self-assembling, correcting tubes eliminate the need for many of these machines. Most of the equipment required "is all pretty standard chemical industry stuff," Pitstick said.
Other applications benefit from bonding as well. Single-walled nanotubes, which are incredibly resilient to physical twisting or pulling, can be kinked to a 120-degree angle and bounce back to original form undamaged, said Hongjie Dai, an associate professor of chemistry at Stanford.
They can be long, too. Researchers have created defect-free nanotubes as long as four microns, which is 40 times the length of the average size of features on regular silicon chips. Some nanotubes with less-than-perfect ballistic features have been made as long as 120 microns.
Hypothetically, this could allow engineers to replace wires in airplanes with tubes, strengthening parts while reducing weight.
Carbon is also good for exploiting van der Waals forces, which cause different types of atoms to bond spontaneously. In experiments, researchers have noted that nanotubes will adhere to silicon posts that stick up from a wafer. As a result, they can be arranged in a useful array. Nantero, a start-up that had its beginnings at Harvard University, is aiming to exploit van der Waals forces to make a new type of memory chip.
"You get a wafer of tubes with a reasonable orientation," Dai said. "They really like to land on the post to enjoy the van der Waals contact."
To the drawing board
While the benefits seem infinite, researchers are quick to point out that such results have been limited so far because mass manufacturing has yet to take place.
Today, carbon nanotubes are made in two ways. The first, known as the laser ablation method, was pioneered by CNI and involves blasting graphite with a laser. The second, the modified gas method, involves spraying a hydrocarbon gas like methane or CO2 over a molten metal catalyst.
Removing impurities, such as metallic catalyst particles, is a challenge in both. IBM and others are experimenting with new fabrication techniques, such as building silicon-carbon crystals and then evaporating the silicon, but no one has an answer yet.
Another major problem lies in controlling something called "chirality," a measure of the arrangement of the hexagons on the surface of a tube. If the carbon hexagons run in parallel vertical lines on the surface of the tube, they will act like a metal and can't be used in electronics. If the rows of tubes are slightly swirled (think of the cardboard on a paper towel roll), they will act like semiconductors and can be used as transistors.
Unfortunately, the factors behind tube formation remain something of a mystery.
"You leave the world of classic physical mechanics, and you enter the world of quantum mechanics," Appenzeller said. "The graphene sheet is the same. That's why it is so difficult to predict the chirality." Graphene sheets are made up of carbon hexagons.
Smalley, Dai and others are hoping to control both of these characteristics through "selective catalysts." "If you can control the seed (catalyst) well, you should be able to control the nanotube," Dai said. "Over the years, we have found that the catalyst controls everything."
The next challenge is arranging the nanotubes in products. Placing tubes in exact locations in products such as chemical sensors or flat panels isn't a problem, because they are painted in. Chips, however, will require that individual nanotubes be placed between specific contacts.
Scientists hope to grow the nanotubes on a wafer. Researchers at Duke University and Stanford have shown that it is technically possible to grow and position tubes, but many hurdles still need to be cleared.Silicon strikes back
Silicon nanowires are made by siphoning molecules of SiH4 (a single silicon atom surrounded by four hydrogen atoms) through a gold particle, said Andre DeHon, a professor at the California Institute of Technology. The gold strips off the hydrogen atoms and allows the naked silicon atoms to form into a wire.
"Our goal is to build interesting-size memories out of these things," he said at the Hot Chips industry conference in August. "This is something that could come through in single-digit years--three to five years, if someone really wanted to push it."
As futuristic as it sounds, the technique was first described by researchers at Bell Labs in 1964.
Although nanowires may not exhibit the same electrical properties as nanotubes, silicon nanowires may be easier to grow on the wafer itself, DeHon added. Nonetheless, the process cannot be done overnight.
"It will be a number of years before we see a change," said Pat Gelsinger, chief technology officer at Intel, which is working with university researchers on both approaches. "It is preliminary to say it is either one."
Despite the challenges, researchers and companies are optimistic about nanotubes, buoyed by positive experimental results that are occurring at a fairly rapid pace.
"We have made enormous progress," Appenzeller said. "Everything is working out so far fine."
What makes researchers giddy about nanotubes? Here are some of their properties and how they could be used.
1 commentJoin the conversation! Add your comment | <urn:uuid:fdc0f954-c2c3-43fa-876b-6775cb945720> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/The-stuff-of-dreams/2009-1008_3-5091267.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95241 | 2,442 | 2.671875 | 3 |
|Product #: SPT704168EB_TQ|
Counting and Sequencing (Resource Book Only) eBookPreschool|Kindergarten
Please Note: This ebook is a digital download, NOT a physical product. After purchase, you will be provided a one time link to download ebooks to your computer. Orders paid by PayPal require up to 8 business hours to verify payment and release electronic media. For immediate downloads, payment with credit card is required.
This is where the learning begins! Counting and Sequencing introduces numbers 0 to 20 one at a time through pictures, rhymes, and stories, so children can master counting each number before moving on. The fun activities help children recognize and count numbers 0 to 20 while also developing their sequencing and critical thinking skills, early reading comprehension, and their ability to follow directions. The six titles in the Basic Beginnings series are an essential and fun resource designed to nurture engaged learning for every child. Each book features 64 pages of colorful activities, mazes, and pictures, as well as three mini books to color, cut out, and share!
Submit a review | <urn:uuid:ec43e47a-3a7c-41cb-8386-76bb5608a379> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schoodoodle.com/page_108509_1418/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926511 | 229 | 2.875 | 3 |
On Thu, 2005-06-09 at 20:10 +1000, telford@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: ... > Thus if anyone is going to design a communications language it > should be a robust and that means it can recover from problems > and can guarantee resynchronisation from an arbitrary seek. > XML doesn't live up to the promise of being a universal markup > language because it is too annoying an too brittle. Uhm. Sure. Heres a Gig of download, your 500K of usable detail can be found spread throughout it. Seriously, XML itself is no more brittle than your ascii file, its what you put in it that makes a specific xml environment brittle or not. Its just SGML after all - which is precisely what HTML is. The parser you are using sucks - sorry, but thats the root of your problem. > By the way, how DO I get perl to read such a file? > > Do I have to write my own parser? convert the (probably cp-1252) text into utf-8, then parse it. or set a encoding in the header, it looks like the perl bindings suck a certain amount. Rob -- GPG key available at: <http://www.robertcollins.net/keys.txt>.
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Windows HIPE Reporter
The Windows HIPE Reporter is a comprehensive and easy to use software tool, designed to generate reports on the data collected through W-HIPE. It has a large number of options including, for example, reporting on the demographic and morbidity profile of inpatient and day discharges. The versatility of the Windows HIPE software in generating reports, coupled with the uniqueness and quality of the HIPE dataset, means it is very relevant in many areas such as bed capacity management, discharge planning, length of stay analysis, chronic diseases management and estimating resource use and requirements. In addition, it assists in the areas of needs assessment and epidemiological studies on the patterns and distribution of disease. The software is capable of generating reports in a number of different formats allowing them to be viewed in most common word processing, spreadsheet and database applications.
The Windows HIPE Reporter is distributed as two different programs, one version for the hospitals and one version for other healthcare organisations. The hospital version can be found as part of the W-HIPE data entry software. The version for other healthcare organisations is called W-REP and operates on static datasets with the patient identification information removed. These datasets are provided by the ESRI and are updated annually. W-REP is also updated on an annual basis to conform with the output of the casemix model. When the casemix model output is combined with the output of the grouper software, the Reporter provides a unique insight into the management of hospital resources and the matching of costs with activity. | <urn:uuid:0d62b111-31fc-460b-8f23-3f6fff772c73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.casemix.ie/index.jsp?p=136&n=167 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927498 | 312 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Development Cooperation Handbook/Introduction
This Handbook is:
- a reference book for social communicators on the scopes and challenges of development cooperation;
- an instruction manual for development workers on managing the design, implementation and evaluation of development cooperation projects.
The knowledge resources and tools, prepared and shared by development cooperation actors, participating in the Vrinda Project are organised in a format that facilitates consultation and utilisation.
The Vrinda Project
The Vrinda Project is a knowledge sharing action: it creates a peer-to-peer cooperative environment where development actors share their experiences, expose their views and enable each other to better tackle development cooperation issues. The Vrinda Project builds on a previously implemented project called the "European Citizens working for the Global Development Agenda" (EUGAD) that received financial support from EuropeAid and was completed in June 2011.
The Kautilya Society, a non government organization, based in India, leads the team of experts that are developing the Vrinda Project (⇒ Kautilya Society for Intercultural Dialogue). All contributions coherent with the Wikimedia founding principles are welcome.
Development Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing
Knowledge sharing is an activity through which information, skills and expertise are exchanged among people or the members of a community or within an organization. Development actors recognize that knowledge constitutes an essential resource for development and that knowledge sharing is indispensable for networking and advocacy. Nevertheless, information sharing continues to be a major challenge since many organizations consider their know-how to be a personal strategic asset for keeping a competitive advantage in fund-raising activities.
This handbook, along with the linked audiovisual media, is:
- a testimony of the beauty and power of knowledge sharing,
- an action that contrasts the ideologies of the clash of civilizations,
- a meeting ground for different experiences of social responsibility,
- a workshop for the renewal of faith, hope and commitment.
The partners that help in collecting and distributing the resources of this handbook share a sense of "world citizenship", a positive-sum-game approach to inter-community relationships and a vision of our "Earth as a Common Home".
For those who accept this invitation, welcome on board!
Who is our audience
Since this is a knowledge sharing platform, the target of this handbook are the same ones who are asked to contribute, i.e. the international development cooperation actors.
But we have structured the work as to prioritize the use of the knowledge resources by the activists of small organizations, especially in the developing countries, who are increasingly asked to take a direct role in designing and managing development cooperation actions.
There is now a language gap between those who do the work on the ground and those who write and evaluate the projects. Most donors and sponsors ask for very elaborated documentation on all aspects of the project design and implementation methodology. This is a good thing, as it promotes professionalism and transparency. However this also tend to alienate from international cooperation many sincere and charismatic social workers, who very good in promoting inclusion of the poor and marginalized sections of society, but dislike the technicalities of “project management” and dislike the pedantry of the politically correct jargon. Some big international NGOs exploit this knowledge gap and they carve a niche for themselves acting as intermediators between those who provide the money for cooperation projects (the donors) and those who execute the projects (the local organizations). As local actors want to have a say in planning and evaluation, they need to learn the “project grammar” and the “project terminology”. Here is where we decided to step in. And with the contribution of "older" experts we want to open the way to the "inexpert" to take charge and become equal partners.
So we tried to reduce language technicalities and at the same time enable the audience to learn the specialized jargon that is used in grants applications and in progress reports.
Please write to our e-mail address if you'd like to send us your feedback, criticism, correction, suggestions etc. regarding this wikibook or share a resource or tool that can be linked to it.
Back to the ⇒Table of Content | <urn:uuid:04005a6c-6af3-435b-9bd6-d3cfb9ed2c68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Development_Cooperation_Handbook/Introduction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927658 | 851 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Posted by: learningaswego on 5/25/2012 2:54:37 PM
Rail transportation reduces our carbon footprint? Yah right.
How the hell does transporting a handful of people at a time, by mega-ton, diesel-powered and spewing trains "reduce carbon footprint"?
Sure, trains in densely populated urban areas, that (if) are regularly filled to the max with passengers MIGHT - might, reduce the carbon footprint.
But rural/remote trains with occasional and very small numbers of passengers? | <urn:uuid:29a96407-83a0-4b1d-aced-8c7f61dbe4d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sootoday.com/content/respond/report_response/index.asp?r=474243&c=42891&t=Concerned+Sault+citizens+join+ONTC+fight | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913497 | 109 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Spampig DnsblCheck takes the IP address of a mail server and looks it up in common blacklists and whitelists. The program tests against the major block lists from Spamhaus, SORBS, Spamcop, Barracuda, UCEProtect, and others. In addition to blacklists, it also checks against IP address and domain name whitelists and even checks PTR record integrity. The program returns results quickly, typically in less than a few seconds. If you don't get results quickly, it indicates you may have DNS problems and knowing this can also be useful. This application can be useful to spam fighters and email users who are struggling to find out why their messages are being blocked. | <urn:uuid:0fe722e7-7a7e-46ee-88df-8b5b5476fba2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freecode.com/tags/spam?page=1&with=12490&without= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964206 | 147 | 2.265625 | 2 |
DesMoinesRegister.com Ex-Pittsburgh mayor pushes for 'Destiny'When king's and their kingdom's covered the lands, the arts were able to flourish at the bequest of the throne. Court jesters, chamber music, salon musicians, and other cultural benefits thrived with a subsidy of the king. In turn, the kings, queens and people of the city enjoyed these cultural attractions.
A tax increase would help cultural attractions flourish and would keeps jobs filled with young Iowans, he says.
However, consider the outcome when "cultural attractions" are put on a scale and measured next to another important attraction, i.e., "freedom." There is no comparison.
People will choose to die for the cause of freedom. Freedom and liberty rock the will and the spirit all people everywhere.
Great culture can happen along with oppression. Culture can go hand in hand with taxes. As taxes increase, freedom declines. In turn, the people notice and vote with their feet. They leave.
Tom Murphy has nothing to offer the people of Iowa, or anywhere else. As government chooses to back the arts, cultural attractions and regional elitism, expect one-way tickets to despair.
The Yes to Destiny sales tax is a joke. Don't fall for it. Tom Murphy is nothing but a court jester for hire.
Tom Murphy knows nothing about what really moves American society -- freedom.
Back the arts all you want -- with private efforts, not government supported taxes.
We love the arts. We back the arts. Music runs through to the highest degree.
Pittsburgh has a ballet that plays to recorded music. The orchestra was all laid off. Now the Nutcracker is danced to CD. There are a couple of productions where there is an orchestra. The "cultural district" in Pittsburgh has been more interested in doing real estate deals than really working on the arts. When the government officials play cultural gatekeepers, the cultural gatekeepers have to fill the void and become policy makers. When governmental officials play developer and use their master plans to try to impact what should occur in the marketplace, then the developers are the one's who pull the strings for public policy, again filling the need.
Public officials need to focus on freedom, liberty, defending the constitution. Everyone has a role to play. Don't let the public officials stray into arts funding. It is wrong. And, it doesn't work.
Tonight they'll play a major league baseball game in a public ballpark. The Pirates play at PNC Park -- a venue built and owned by the public -- not the baseball team. And the fans are staging a walkout in the third inning. Everyone in the region is disgusted with the baseball team, its ownership, the amount that they 'invest' into the operations. The team is a joke in terms of competitiveness. The team is one of the most profitable ones in baseball. However, the fans are getting a giant rip-off.
Tom Murphy gave sugar-daddy deals to the sports teams in Pittsburgh. This was justified, in part, to keep people in the region. Well, it didn't work. More people are moving away. The population decline continues in its downward spiral.
People move to places without baseball teams, without cultural attractions, without taxes. People move to places where government officials have their priorities straight and worry about public matters -- not the elite, cultural and unimportant.
Iowa should tell Tom Murphy to exit. We did. His type isn't welcome here any longer.
Iowa should go listen to Ron Paul. He'll make mention of a few more pressing matters that need the attention of elected policy makers and stewards of public matters. | <urn:uuid:b03494a4-e973-4100-86dc-dee1f5a1c23d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2007/06/desmoinesregistercom-reports-on-tom.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966207 | 753 | 1.523438 | 2 |
This high quality line of color is produced at a uniform and economical price. Daler-Rowney Georgian Oil Colors are ideal for use with a knife or a brush, for a variety of effects. Every batch is matched for color and texture against exacting standards.
Color Swatch created using heavy application/medium application/50% tint and was applied on acrylic primed canvas (7 oz) material.
Arylide Yellow G is a variant of Hansa Yellow G (PY1). It is a transparent yellow with great brightness and tinting strength. Its drying time ranges from average to slow. Hansa Yellow pigments make more intense tints and cleaner secondaries than Cadmium Yellows, especially when mixed with other organic or modern colors like Phthalo Blue and Green. Because they are more transparent, they have great value as glazing colors.
Hansa Yellow G has good permanence and lightfastness, particularly in the lighter shades.
Hansa Yellow pigments have no significant acute hazards, though chronic hazards have not been well studied.
Hansa Yellows were first made in Germany just before World War I from a series of synthetic dyestuffs called Pigment Yellow. Hansa Yellow G, introduced in 1910, was the first of these products to be commercialized. Hansa Yellow G was the standard yellow for printing inks under late in the 20th century, when stronger diarylide yellows began to replace it. It is still used a great deal in packaging, and for air drying paints.
Hansa Yellow G
Fe2O3 • H2O
Yellow Ochre provides artists with earthtones from cream to brown. It has good hiding power, produces a quick drying paint, and can be safely mixed with other pigments. Its transparency varies widely from opaque shades to more transparent ones, which are valued for their use as glazes. If gypsum is present, Yellow Ochre is not suitable for frescoing. (See Brown Ochre, PY43.) PY42 is made from synthetic iron oxides. PY43 is made from natural iron oxide.
Yellow Ochre has excellent permanence because ochres are some of the most permanent pigments available.
Yellow Ochre is non-toxic unless it contains manganese.
Ochre comes from the Greek word ochros, meaning pale yellow. It was one of the first pigments to be used by human beings, and evidence of its use has been found at 300,000 year old sites in France and the former Czechoslovakia.
Chamois, Iron Yellow, Mars Orange, Mars Yellow, Minette, Ochre, Sil, Yellow Earth, Yellow Oxide. Varieties of Yellow Ochre include Brown Ochre, Flesh Ochre, Roman Ochre, Spruce Ochre, and Transparent Gold Ochre.
® Daler-Rowney is a registered trademark. | <urn:uuid:377d5227-e402-4ce8-b276-e54ec53391c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dickblick.com/items/00485-4663/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941071 | 620 | 2.5625 | 3 |
“It appears to be a blatant violation of two international resolutions,” said Kristina M Gjerde, a senior high seas adviser for the International Union for Conservation of Nature. “Even the placement of iron particles into the ocean, whether for carbon sequestration or fish replenishment, should not take place, unless it is assessed and found to be legitimate scientific research without commercial motivation. This does not appear to even have had the guise of legitimate scientific research.”
Cuntti di Tutti Cuntti, eh?
A controversial American businessman dumped around 100 tonnes of iron sulphate into the Pacific Ocean as part of a geoengineering scheme off the west coast of Canada in July, a Guardian investigation can reveal.
Lawyers, environmentalists and civil society groups are calling it a “blatant violation” of two international moratoria and the news is likely to spark outrage at a United Nations environmental summit taking place in India this week.
Satellite images appear to confirm the claim by Californian Russ George that the iron has spawned an artificial plankton bloom as large as 10,000 square kilometres. The intention is for the plankton to absorb carbon dioxide and then sink to the ocean bed – a geoengineering technique known as ocean fertilisation that he hopes will net lucrative carbon credits.
The thing is, we really would like to know whether iron fertilisation “works”. There have been very limited indeed studies of it. Those studies showing that it’s not quite the magic bullet that some (including myself) had thought it to be. Those studies showing that it’s more expensive than some (including myself) had thought.
But do note what is actually going on here. Only those “approved” are allowed to do the experiments. Which really isn’t the way to gain unbiased results now, is it? Nor is it really all that scientific. Reproducibility being at the heart of the discipline and that does rather require multiple experiments.
“If rogue geoengineer Russ George really has misled this indigenous community, and dumped iron into their waters, we hope to see swift legal response to his behavior and strong action taken to the heights of the Canadian and US governments,” said Silvia Ribeiro of the international technology watchdog ETC Group, which first discovered the existence of the scheme. “It is now more urgent than ever that governments unequivocally ban such open-air geoengineering experiments. They are a dangerous distraction providing governments and industry with an excuse to avoid reducing fossil fuel emissions.”
Well yes. But what if iron fertilisation actually works? In theory the cost of sucking a tonne of CO2 out of the atmosphere could cost from $.10 to $200. We’d really rather find out where in that range the cost is don’t you think?
What will be really amusing about how this plays out is that the more they talk up the damage the experiment has done then the more they’re talking up the effectiveness of the technique. A larger bloom means more CO2 sequestration after all….. | <urn:uuid:bf2d870d-2387-4adb-abee-52533de11f4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://timworstall.com/2012/10/16/its-illegal-to-do-scientific-experiments | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948358 | 639 | 2.484375 | 2 |
A new exhibition of fascinating jewellery objects has just opened at Galerie Rob Koudijs in Amsterdam.
Entitled 'Traces of Function', here's just a glimpse of the pieces on show until the end of February created by Swedish jewellery artist Tobias Alm.
"Tools and utensils usually don’t need instructions or a manual." says Ward Schrijver of Galerie Rob Koudijs.
"Their handling becomes second nature. Often a location for the hand is recognisable, the logic of buttons and handles is unmistakable. Tobias Alm was attracted to venture into the field of this sort of, often implicit, visual language."
Keen to see when doubt might set in, and when the obvious would give way to uncertainty, Alm makes necklaces and brooches with shapes that are suggestive, but elucidate little. Using unconventional combinations, connections and materials he willfully makes ambiguous images.
In an intriguing way jewellery balances between being a sculptural object and a commodity; fitting for the theme of this collection.
What happens when you look at something?
What if its function is not instantly clear, when purpose and beauty seem to be rivals?
There might come a moment when you decide that the object is a piece of jewellery... | <urn:uuid:8b2e1a2c-d5ce-48c9-bc38-78728c2bd2f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medesignmag.com/arts/3373/traces-of-function-by-tobias-alm- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932385 | 263 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Dick Clark, pioneer of rock 'n' roll, mourned
Dick Clark, who died of a massive heart attack on Wednesday in Santa Monica, was considered by many to be the person most responsible for the bonfire spread of rock 'n' roll across the country in the late 1950s through his show "American Bandstand."
"Bandstand" gave fans a way to hear and see rock's emerging idols in a way that radio and magazines could not. It made Clark a household name and gave him the foundation for a shrewdly pursued broadcasting career that made him wealthy, powerful and present in American television for more than half a century.
For three decades, he was the first and last voice many Americans heard each year with his New Year's Eve countdowns.
Michael Uslan, a Hollywood producer (“Constantine”) and former pop-culture studies professor at Indiana University, coauthored the 1981 book “Dick Clark's The First 25 Years of Rock & Roll.” In his view, the great achievement of “Bandstand” was collecting the dances and regional sounds of the country and presenting them to teens “on a silver platter that helped turn rock ‘n' roll into one national thing, as we think of today.”
“Dick Clark was a primary force in legitimizing rock ‘n' roll,” Uslan said. “He was able to use his unparalleled communication skills to present it in a way that it was palatable to parents and the establishment. Dick's philosophy was that it was like introducing someone to hot, spicy Mexican food. He would say, ‘Start them out with the mild stuff first and once they get a taste for it they'll jump in for the really hot stuff, the authentic stuff.'”
Clark would host “Bandstand” until 1989 and left the show just a few months before its cancellation. The show's impact had waned in the music video and MTV era but Clark, the show's signature name, endured in his role as the unofficial emcee of American broadcasting.
In 2004, Clark suffered a stroke and had been coping with the effects since. He had remained determined to appear on his New Year's Eve show, now hosted by Ryan Seacrest, who often cites Clark as the model for his own career.
Clark, 82, had entered St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica on Tuesday night for an outpatient procedure. He suffered a massive heart attack and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, according to a statement from his publicist Paul Shefrin.
Law enforcement sources said there are no signs of anything unusual and that a death certificate is expected to be signed by a doctor at the hospital with no further investigation.
-- Geoff Boucher and Andrew Blankstein
Photo: Dick Clark presiding over "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" in 1998. Credit: ABC | <urn:uuid:6bb34c19-d2d9-4102-8ed3-d12e46983cfe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/dick-clark-dead.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985153 | 602 | 1.859375 | 2 |
- Current Issue
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President Obama is winding up an important trip to East Asia this week. A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Clinton concluded a significant visit to Pakistan. Shortly before that, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an historic address to a joint session of Congress. A common thread runs through these three events: the American media’s coverage of each was a demonstration of its own utter cluelessness on questions of foreign relations and politics.
Tish Durkin touched on the issue in The Week:
To read the bulk of the U.S. press, Obama fell short on three counts: One, his contribution to China’s human-rights struggle was limited to one answer at a carefully staged student forum in Shanghai, where he extolled the American people’s right to Twitter, internet-surf, and diss him personally. (Naturally, that portion of the program was censored by Chinese news outlets — although a pretty full translation of it was easy to pull up the following day.) Two, he didn’t talk turkey to the Chinese leadership on anything because the U.S. has sold so much debt to China and needs to sell more. Three, he can’t close a deal. The day after Barack stepped foot on the Great Wall, China was the same repressive, polluting, trade-tilting outfit it was before.
The irony here is that, although the Chinese are the ones who get their information through the twin filters of propaganda and censorship, they are also the ones who seem to have a firmer grasp than Americans on what constitutes a realistic expectation. People in the street — at least those in the malls and market-stalls of Dalian, where I have been living — are giving Obama real credit. They give him credit for coming here in the first year of his first term. They give him credit for saying friendly things about the U.S.-China relationship (although they have serious doubts about whether his actions will prove so nice). They give him credit for holding his own umbrella in the rain, thereby emitting a humanity and a humility that they rarely see in their own, distant leaders…
Want to get the real low down on the visit? Better renew your subscription to Beijing Review. James Fallows, writing at The Atlantic, concurs and lands his own punches, “marvel[ing] at how badly the mainstream American press distorted the picture of what happened during Barack Obama’s just-ended tour of Asia.” And in an interview styled “Not for all the News in China,” former New York Times Shanghai bureau chief Howard French similarly laments the stupidity of the press coverage. It’s not just China, he adds; “There’s a growing reflex of instant punditry and reflexive reaction that works counter to more meaningful analysis. We’re in a state where we’re very often privileging the gut or the knee, as in knee-jerk, rather than thinking more meaningfully about things.”
I agree completely with these criticisms. What is the source of the problem? Closing foreign bureaus and withdrawing foreign reporters has a lot to do with it. There are ever fewer reporters available who actually understand (or care) about the on-the-ground conditions in the countries involved. The perspectives are therefore increasingly and intensely sociocentric. Now the coverage of foreign visits comes from the White House press corps, and the style of coverage almost perfectly matches that of a 24/7 political campaign. What’s “newsworthy”? Why, a “gaffe” by the President will always merit a headline. Of course, recent stories suggest that most of these reporters have no earthly idea of what a “gaffe” really looks like. What’s an “issue”? Why, that would be whatever emerged as an issue for the country in question in the last presidential election cycle.
The result is reporting on foreign relations issues that is a dullard’s replay of the last presidential campaign. The trivial is magnified beyond all significance, and the core issues are often simply missed. The coverage of the Obama trip to China was a textbook demonstration. As I explained earlier, the same is true for the Clinton visit to Pakistan, which drew heavy coverage on points that were consistently misunderstood by those who wrote about them.
Angela Merkel’s speech to Congress on November 3 was a significant event similarly misunderstood by the broadcast media. Merkel gave her country’s thanks for the role played by prior American administrations—particularly that of George H.W. Bush—in German reunification. But carefully wrapped in those compliments was also a bit of a brickbat. Where was that leadership over most of the last decade? You’ll have our support for efforts in Afghanistan, she pledged—and now assume the leadership role we expect of you on issues like global warming. Merkel’s voice is that of a new and much more conservative Europe that looks to America for a forward role and has been sorely disappointed. But how much of this message got through in the American media? None of it. Alas, our media was too much focused on the congressional elections in Plattsburgh, New York, to be bothered with such trivia.
More from Scott Horton:
No Comment — April 12, 2013, 11:11 am
A new report from Seton Hall University exposes government surveillance of attorney-client conversations
Rashid Khalidi on how the United States sustains the failure of the Israel-Palestine peace process
Alex Gibney on his documentary investigating the Roman Catholic Church’s handling of child sex-abuse cases
Lucas Mann on hope and change in a minor-league-baseball city
Minimum number of baboons forced to smoke crack in a 1989 study testing the efficacy of cigarettes as a drug delivery device:
A reduction in distrust toward atheists was documented among pious Canadians who are reminded of the Vancouver police.
A Missouri cinema apologized for hiring an actor dressed in body armor and carrying a fake rifle to appear at a screening of Iron Man 3.
Subscribe to the Weekly Review newsletter. Don’t worry, we won’t sell your email address!
Winner of the 2012 Olivier Rebbot Award for best photographic reporting from abroad in magazines or books | <urn:uuid:2b3578a2-adc4-41d5-b2fb-67c206676d19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harpers.org/blog/2009/11/how-the-american-press-mistook-china-for-a-fish/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964437 | 1,314 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Native American Authors
Throughout his upbringing in the Midwest, Chalfant found inspiration in both the generous people of rural America and the raw beauty of the untamed land. Bury My Heart at Redtree eloquently combines Chalfant's pride in his Osage Indian heritage with his passion for penning stories that capture the essence of life in America's heartland.
Patrick's first novel, When the Levee Breaks received
widespread critical acclaim. He currently resides in Tulsa with his wife, son, and two dogs.
Books by Patrick Chalfant:Chalfant, Patrick. Bury My Heart at Redtree
Hawk Publishing, 2005.
Chalfant, Patrick. When The Levee Breaks
Hawk Publishing, 2003.
Return to Native American Authors Home | <urn:uuid:5cf6fae7-3d46-4370-bef5-1b348e22c4fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A554 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901106 | 165 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The new Arizona factory, designated Fab 42, will be the most advanced, high-volume semiconductor manufacturing facility in the world. Construction of the new fab is expected to begin in the middle of this year and is expected to be completed in 2013.
“The investment positions our manufacturing network for future growth,” said Brian Krzanich, senior vice president and general manager, Manufacturing and Supply Chain. “This fab will begin operations on a process that will allow us to create transistors with a minimum feature size of 14 nanometers."
Building the new fab on the leading-edge 14-nanometer process enables Intel to manufacture more powerful and efficient computer chips. The nanometer specification refers to the minimum dimensions of transistor technology. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter or the size one ninety-thousandth the width of an average human hair.
“The products based on these leading-edge chips will give consumers unprecedented levels of performance and power efficiency across a range of computing devices from high-end servers to ultra-sleek portable devices,” said Krzanich
Fab 42 will be built as a 300mm factory, which refers to the size of the wafers that contain the computer chips.
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks | <urn:uuid:d3276295-a2ac-4206-ae69-db6088541931> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/02/intel-is-building-new-5-billion-plus.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904845 | 277 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Photos and VideosMore Photos and Videos
The school superintendents in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, Alberto Carvalho and Robert Runcie, both addressed the shooting that took place Friday at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school.
South Florida school officials, public figures and residents responded Friday following the shooting at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school that authorities said left more than two dozen people dead.
Following are some of their statements:
Sharon Glickman of the Broward Teachers Union:
“Our thoughts are with the teachers, support staff, parents and students of Sandy Hook Elementary School in wake of this morning’s tragic shooting. Today’s incident reminds us of how important our public schools are and how precious our fellow colleagues and students are to us no matter where they teach and learn. As school and community members, we must all work together to remain vigilant in making sure our schools remain safe havens against senseless violence so student achievement can continue unimpeded. Especially during this holiday season, our prayers go out to all of the victims and their families.”
Broward County Superintendent of Schools Robert Runcie:
“Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with the families of the Newtown, Connecticut community. The safety of our students is our highest priority. The district has safety measures in place to facilitate a safe teaching and learning environment. We continuously review our security protocols for our school campuses.”
Miami-Dade County Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho:
”A random act of violence is extremely difficult to prevent, particularly when it is perpetrated by an individual with mental illness. Preparedness and response protocols are key. Miami-Dade has a comprehensive Critical Incident Response plan that involves scenario enactment, lockdown and evacuation drills, as well as joint training exercises between school police and local police in our schools. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Newtown community after this unspeakable tragedy.”
Florida Senator Marco Rubio:
"My heart breaks for the victims and families impacted by the senseless act of violence today in Newtown, Connecticut. In a world that can at times be defined by its darkness, children are a reminder of what is good, cheerful and beautiful about life. An act of violence against these defenseless young people, as well as the faculty and staff who dedicate themselves daily to educating and caring for them, is a deed of unconscionable evil. I pray that God holds Newtown close tonight as all of her residents come to terms with this tragedy." | <urn:uuid:91710d5b-b4de-4503-8211-c736d6d0f653> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/South-Florida-School-and-Public-Officials-Respond-to-Connecticut-School-Shooting-183576181.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958875 | 515 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Nearly three-quarters of rural Americans receive slower Internet broadband speeds than that recommended by the FCC, and 90 percent can't transmit at the recommended rate either.
This is according to the Calix U.S. Rural Broadband Q1 2012 Report, a quarterly report issued by broadband provider Calix, now in its second release.
"The most common peak downstream broadband rate consumed by endpoints in rural America was between 1.5 Mbps to 3 Mbps in Q1 2012," the report noted. "During the quarter, 60% of rural broadband subscribers received a maximum downstream broadband speed of 3 Mbps or less – approximately one-eighth of the U.S. peak downstream average published by Akamai in its most recent published ”State of the Internet” report. In fact, 71% of rural subscribers received a downstream broadband speed that was slower than the target for the Connect America Fund (CAF) of 4 Mbps, and approximately 90% fell below the CAF upstream target of 1 Mbps. Upstream rates remained slow as well, with 95% receiving 1.5 Mbps or less," the report continued.
This is all happening, of course, while some states and corporations are actually attempting to restrict regions from setting up their own Internet services when they are not available from other providers.
This not only cuts rural Americans off from economic development opportunities, but as education increasingly is dependent on the Internet, cuts children off from state of the art education as well. In addition, as websites are increasingly growing with images, analytics, ads, and buttons -- with the average size of a single screen being 1 MB -- it becomes harder for rural users even to surf.
Ironically, one of the biggest uses rural Americans have for broadband Internet is video streaming, though this requires a minimum of 1 Mbps and realistically often requires more for satisfactory performance. According to the Calix report, 64% of downstream and 15% of upstream traffic is video streaming. Not surprisingly, this was more common in those rural broadband networks that were composed of fiber rather than copper; in copper networks, nearly 93% of endpoints generated less than 100 GB of downstream traffic a month, the report noted. | <urn:uuid:4bf31143-099a-4c66-818f-709841f68609> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://h30565.www3.hp.com/t5/Policy-Watch/Internet-Access-in-Rural-America-Stinks-Report-Says/ba-p/5432 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969249 | 441 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Welcome to ehealthforum,
Having brown discharge during early pregnancy is common and considered to be normal. Few women also have period like bleeding (lighter and shorter) at expected period time which is known as decidual bleeding. If bleeding/discharge is associated with cramps, backpain and bleeding with clots, then it is not normal and you should visit your gynecologist at the earliest to rule out chances of miscarriage. Take adequate rest. Drink plenty of water. Maintain healthy diet.
"Ask a Doctor" questions are answered by certified physicians and other medical professionals.
For more information about experts participating in the "Ask a Doctor" Network, please visit our
medical experts page.
You may also visit our First Trimester of Pregnancy , for moderated patient to patient support and information.
The information provided on eHealth Forum is designed to improve, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her own physician.
Personal consultation(s) with a qualified medical professional is the proper means for diagnosing any medical condition. | <urn:uuid:193657a0-79ae-4641-a071-ba7740f5d2cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ehealthforum.com/health/brown-blood-at-week-t284254-a1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942959 | 217 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Two ways to rotate a triangle 90° CW
Alvaro, a 7th grader, was working on transformations of a cap in his textbook. He was changing the x- and y-coordinates of the original shape to get the new shape. Then he made a triangle 1/5 the coordinates of the original triangle whose vertices were (0,5), (5,8), and (10,2)- see below. The resulting small triangle in the diagram had vertices (0,1), (1,1.6) and (2,0.4). Notice the small triangle's vertices were each on a line from the original vertices to the origin.
Then Don asked Alvaro to rotate the original triangle 90° clockwise. Don worked with Alvaro using a compass to draw arcs with radii from the origin to each vertex. Then using a protractor they made 90° angles and drew lines to intersect the arcs to get the new vertices. These resultant vertices of the rotated triangle were very close to (5,0), (8,- 5) and (2,- 10).
While Don and Alvaro did this, Ian, a 6th grader, was listening and proceeded to do the rotation with a matrix below:
Ian's matrix acts like the complex number - i. Ian has been working on the problem of transforming a dog, using the 81-2x2 matrices (formed with only 0's, 1's and -1's as discussed in Don's book "Changing Shapes With Matrices").
Great job guys!!
To order Don's materials | <urn:uuid:cb2fe0c3-3f40-448f-9d12-03277c5a03a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mathman.biz/html/rotate_a_triangle_90cw.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953933 | 333 | 4 | 4 |
You will need a long term savings plan to be able to achieve your long term goals in life. You can even take out a savings plan for a child. An ideal way to save for further education or a special birthday gift.
When you’ve decided to save, it makes sense that you take advantage of all the tax-efficient options available to you. LIC UK’s savings plans are designed to give you the advantage of long term savings to provide a lump sum at the end of the savings period. Your savings plan also includes life cover in the form of a guaranteed sum assured, to protect your savings goal in case of your unfortunate demise during the savings plan. So it protects your loved ones during the entire savings period.
LICI UK has a choice of traditional with profit plans and unit linked plans:
•Bonusbuilder Savings Plan
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From just £50 a month you can save up to a maximum of £300 a month and know that what you get back at the end of the term will be free from personal income and capital gains taxes. At the end of the savings period, the money is yours to spend how you wish.
For more information about these products, please click on the relevant product links. | <urn:uuid:83b4f272-e120-4439-af4b-cff2dcbfe955> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.liciuk.com/regular-savings/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917725 | 267 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The Ones Whose Stories You Want To Tell To The World
The photographs above are of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address in March 1865. John Wilkes Booth is in attendance, above Lincoln. Booth assassinated Lincoln in the next month, April 1865. Click on the images if you wish to view them larger or in more detail.
I often write about new ideas I discover, ideas I wish I’d known years ago.
Slave Owners vs. The Abolitionists
The concept of one man owning another man may seem ridiculous to modern man, but in the mid-19th century, during The American Civil War, the slave owners had the Bible on their side. There were more specific scriptures condoning and supporting slavery than there were specific scriptures against slave-owning.
For a “textualist” or “fundamentalist,” the Bible still clearly suggests slaves should accept their role as slaves and be subservient.
It took someone like Lincoln, who after the North (and the Abolitionists) won The Civil War, to concede this truth: the Bible, the authoritative text for the dominant religion in the US, supported the South’s position on slavery. Lincoln, after the war concluded, in his famous Second Inaugural Address said about the North and the South:
“Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully.”
What persuaded Lincoln to break from the Bible’s clear declarations that slavery was acceptable? Was Lincoln simply not a religious man? Was he not a true Christian? Was he just another politician pandering to changing popular sentiments? When faced with an ethical dilemma, what were his priorities? Between “being true to his religion” and “being considerate and kind,” which priority ultimately won in his analysis? Between “popularity,” “self-interest,” and “the common good,” what persuaded him?
John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, wrote in his diary, after he shot Lincoln, he expected popular opinion and history would agree with Booth and characterize him as a hero. Booth also thought God and the Bible were on his side. Booth thought the world would eventually be more interested in telling his story than Lincoln’s.
To Be Invested Is To Be At Risk
If you are invested in something, you are exposed to the risks associated with it. Don’t be fooled by the romantic notions of “being fully invested.” Only invest in the risks you wish to carry.
How Will You Know If The Person With Whom You Are Involved Is Someone To Pursue As A Significant Other?
Pursue someone who you’d like to tell the world about their story.
Pursue someone who you’ve known well for a long time, and after knowing them very well, you’d want the world to know more about them and how they spend their days.
If knowing them well, you are not proud of how they behave, then that’s a red flag – no matter how much you love them or feel emotionally attached to them.
And the same principle is true in the other direction. If you sense the person you’re with is not proud of you, that’s also a red flag. If they know you well, and don’t wish to tell others about you, that’s a sign of conflict. For example, if they don’t want to tell others you are their close friend or companion, then they probably are not proud of you.
You will probably do better with someone who wants to acknowledge you to their social world. If your significant other doesn’t want you to tell anyone you are their signficant other, that’s a red flag. If they want to portray to the world they are not involved with you, then they probably don’t want to tell the world your story.
As the saying goes, we are judged by the company we keep. This is because we tend to keep company with others we wish to be associated with.
I experienced some unexpected withdrawals this week. For the last several weeks, I’ve been listening to a book on tape while doing daily walks and chores. Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m surprised how often my brain wants to hear more of the story being told. It is not so much that I’m interested in the rest of the story. It is more: I miss the illusion of a conversation, and I miss the process of someone carefully communicating to me a well-thought-out narrative.
I’ve never liked when conversations (I’ve enjoyed being a part of) have ended. I never stop missing the conversations. If you don’t have a similar understanding of this kind of absence or vacuum, it might be analogous to someone saying to you, “You know that song you love? Well, you can never hear it again.” Or “You know that book or movie you love? You’ll never be able to see or read it again.” Many of us never stop looking for continuations of those “conversations” in our queue.
Feeling that absence, I continue to converse on this blog – for the few readers who, like me, fear that conversations may someday end, and for the few readers who, like me when I visit others’ blogs, feel a sadness when facing indefinite periods of silence.
May your conversations never end . . .
Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights I call it a draw”
~ from Fun.’s song “Some Nights,” one of the three most recent songs added to my iPod.
This blog began in 2006. If you enjoy these posts, and would like to read all of them in order, you can begin here. When you’re done reading one, click on the link to the next post in the lower right corner. | <urn:uuid:9c9596ea-79ac-43af-b096-ee8af5c76071> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sexualityinart.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/the-ones-whose-stories-you-want-to-tell-to-the-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966198 | 1,345 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Apple has quietly acquired Anobit, an Israeli flash memory design firm, costing the tech giant $500 million dollars, an acquisition which is its most expensive since Apple acquired Steve Jobs’s NeXT back in 1996. Apple used NeXT’s software developments to create the MAC OS X and, consequently, the iPhone OS. More importantly, the NeXT acquisition put Steve Jobs back in his role as Apple CEO. Anobit isn’t going to give us another Steve Jobs. It will, however, do the following five things…
Increase Battery Life
Both single-level and multi-level flash memory are efficient compared to DRAM storage which requires constant power. Anobit’s core speciality is increasing multi-level flash cell performance because multi-level has more storage density and is cheaper to manufacturer than its single-level flash counterpart. However, multi-level cells have very short life spans, which can only be increased by making the multi-level cells more reliable while using less battery life.
Increase Storage Capacity
Anobit specializes in Memory Signal Processing, which makes flash memory more reliable and efficient. The more “efficient” something is, the more oomph it can give you. Future iOS and MacBook Air devices will have more and more GB for storage and the pricing for that storage will go down. Seeing that ultra portable devices are already replacing PCs, it’s a safe bet that Apple’s $500 million buy will yield a fruitful investment.
Allow for Faster Access of Music and Video
The iPhone already accesses stored video and music quickly. Anobit will make sure that the media browsing experience is even more snappy.
Slim Down Products
Flash is a necessity in mobile electronics because mobile products such as the iPhone need as much storage in as little space as possible. Owning Anobit will allow Apple to further improve flash technology, allowing for slimmer and slimmer designs. Apple did not update the design of the iPhone 4S probably because it is working on flash technology that would allow for a reliable slim iPhone 5.
(Perhaps) Lower Prices
Apple already uses Anobit technology in the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air. Acquiring it means that it would have control over one of the most expensive pieces in its products: the flash storage. This acquisition allows Apple to maintain and perhaps lower prices on future iPhones, iPads, and laptops. Rather than paying Anobit a licensing fee for using its technology, it can keep its secrets all to itself and not have to share them with the onslaught of Android competition.
However, Apple may decide to keep prices as they are and simply maintain their already impressive profit margins. | <urn:uuid:67300f62-8441-48bc-8a2f-8625c3394316> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.inventhelp.com/Articles/Apple/Electronics/anobit%20-iphone-5-12591.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954265 | 552 | 1.796875 | 2 |
The holiday season is a busy time of year, but take care to not let it become a dangerous time. Guests, cooking, space heating, and decorations can add up to a dangerous situation in a home. Safe Electricity encourages you to protect your loved ones by decorating safely this season.
“In the chaos of holiday celebrations, it is easy to forget safety,” says Molly Hall, executive director of the Safe Electricity program. “Before the celebrations begin, take time to decorate safely.”
In the two months around the holidays approximately 14,000 people end up at hospitals for injuries related to holiday decorating, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safe Electricity has tips to help you and your guests avoid becoming part of this statistic:
- All electronic decorations and lights should be certified by a laboratory like UL, ETL, or CSA.
- Inspect cords and electrical equipment before using them. Cords should not be frayed, cracked, or brittle.
- Turn off or unplug lights before going to sleep. Power strips and timers can help you do this.
- Do not overload extension cords or outlets. Electric overloads can cause shocks and start fires.
- Never tack or nail through a strand of lights. Do not place cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.
- Outdoor decorations and lights should be plugged into outlets equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). GFCIs detect and prevent dangerous electrical situations where a shock may occur. GFCI protection is very important outdoors, where weather conditions can create shock hazards.
- Only use decorations and lights that are rated for outdoor use outside.
- Never throw holiday lights on trees near power poles.
- If you are using a ladder, stay 10 feet from overhead power lines at all times, in all directions.
- Never string more than three strands of lights together, unless packaging specifically says it is safe to do so. | <urn:uuid:f048467a-bdbb-448d-b408-be7ec1303296> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsdemocratleader.com/view/full_story/20903636/article-Decorate-safely-this-holiday-season | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901621 | 400 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Sue the drug company that made the vaccine your kid got--it obviously didn't work.
Had the author of this article done even cursory research before writing it, he would have found that Dr. Wakefield's research was NOT fraudulent, his partners in the study have since had their credentials restored, and the matter of Dr Wakefield's credentials is currently in the court system. Additionally, Wakefield's research results have, indeed, been duplicated, and more than once, including in a much larger study at Wake Forest University. There is actually a great deal of quality research that comes down in favor of not vaccinating. Our media just doesn't like to discuss it. Why? Let's see, why would a news organization largely funded by the companies that MAKE vaccines be reluctant to air reports that are less than favorable to them? (what percentage of TV ads are paid for by drug companies these days?)
The latest news: Merck is about to get busted in the civil courts because the mumps vaccine they've been selling for the past few decades (!) turns out to be far less effective than they've been claiming, but they fudged the test results. It's going through the civil courts because the FDA chose to ignore the whistleblower report.
Instead of just parroting the line you get from the drug-funded media and the drug-funded CDC and FDA, try actually checking out the research itself.
I barely know who Jenny McCarthy is, and care even less, as my husband and I checked into the research and made our decision before she hit the scene, choosing not to have our children used as guinea pigs. If you really DO want to learn something, rather than just repeating the uninformed opinions of others, the book "Vaccine Epidemic" is a good place to start. | <urn:uuid:4f7c3341-f1e4-4c46-bd96-c6bc889d3f3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesfreepress.com/users/heatherj/comments/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978586 | 372 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Made In Britain
by Gavin James Bower
I know I'm just an arty-lefty-ponce but I'm sure I wasn't the only person to wrinkle their nose when Kenneth Clarke talked about a 'feral underclass' in the wake of the riots and looting that appeared across the country this summer. I won't get into any kind of analysis of those events (we get on so well here talking about books, let's leave politics out of it) but Gavin James Bower has written, with the kind of prescience that novelists probably dream of, a novel that gives us direct access to the lives of three teenagers who are exactly the kind of person that Mr Clarke would like to put in a box and forget about.
I live on Every Street, in a town that's so common it might as well be called Every Town.
The town remains unnamed throughout this novel and that of course is the point. It could one of many towns in the north of England, the kind of place where old industrial buildings aren't turned into fancy flats but are left to fall into ruin. In this town we meet three teenagers, all on that frightening cusp of early adulthood; the period of exam cramming, raging hormones and dangerous experimenting with the world of the adult. Russell Crackle lives with his mother who suffers from depression, his father no longer living with them. As well as a curious surname Russell is saddled with another disadvantage amongst his bullying and brutish peers: intelligence. There is one glimmer of hope in the form of his cousin who lives in Leeds and where Russell might be able to realise his potential if only he can slip the bonds at home. His sections are addressed to a friend of his who commited suicide although we sense that Russell has always struggled to make real friendships with those around him and his sense of alienation is palpable when he considers their drug-taking, drinking and sexual exploits, 'When did enough stop being enough?'
Hayley is also living with a single parent, but it is her mother who is absent having died of cancer, her father combining work and care. Like many of her friends she dreams of being famous without any clear idea of what she'd like to be famous for. In her struggles to keep up with the bragging of other girls in the school she begins an ill-advised relationship with a teacher, something which threatens to distract her from those upcoming exams. She also has the hots for Charlie who could be said to be the novel's linchpin. Charlie still has both his parents at home but his father is drunken and abusive to both wife and son and his mother is understandably a shell of her former self. Charlie is the classic example of a kid far cleverer than he realises but who doesn't have the right outlet for that intelligence He also articulates the hopelessness felt by many children growing up in a society where the usual standards of work and reward seem to be leap-frogged by others.
...nobody from round 'ere ever amounts to owt, unless they become a Premiership footballer or win the lottery. I'm only OK at football and don't play the lottery - so basically I'm fucked.
It is from a Pakistani drug dealer that he gets respect and encouragement and Charlie becomes the acceptable (white) face of that operation amongst the non-Pakistani community. Will he manage to use that opportunity to build up the stash of cash he wants to give his mother to allow her escape or will he be another life absorbed into the violence of drug gang culture?
That theme of escape is very important. All three of the teenagers in this triangle have notions of escape from their circumstances, no one wants to remain trapped in this Every Town, and our teenage years are in themselves all about escape from childhood into adulthood (and sometimes even back again when things become too much). But there is another subtler way in which these children are trapped which whilst not a modern phenomenon certainly seems at odds with our concept of parental care today. Each of them is in some ways trapped by their parents and the demands they make for care from their own children when it should surely be the other way round. Russell is most obviously prevented from making his escape by the suicidal threats of his mother, Charlie by his duty to earn enough money to finance his mother's escape from domestic abuse and even Hayley is paralysed slightly by the remorse that comes from her mother's death and the impact that has on her widowed father. It is possible it seems in our attempts to make all roads open to our children to leave them with little choice to make at all.
Whilst reading this book I wondered what sort of classification it fell into, it seems to straddle some kind of line between YA and adult fiction. There are some fantastic observations about the lives of school children, the strict code of school coach seating arrangements being just one (hint: if you're anywhere near the front then you are very low in the food chain) but it's possible that some adult readers might find a want of complexity in the teenage narrators. I personally struggled to remain much more than an observer having experience a childhood so far removed from that described but that lead me to wonder whether this book might usefully straddle that invisible line between age groups, providing a useful insight into the worries and occupations of today's youth whilst also speaking directly to at least some of the very varied people who found themselves caught up in a wave of disaffection that could only find expression in broken windows and stolen merchandise. It is those that feel frustrated enough to take direct action like that who might most benefit from reading this novel, proving once again that art has the ability to speak to and influence young people in a way that politics never has. | <urn:uuid:11b24cc4-a85a-404c-9a98-fc9d52de06c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://justwilliamsluck.blogspot.com/2011/10/fuck-em.html?m=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984773 | 1,171 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Is Sexting Cheating? Read This Before You Hit Send
Filed by KOSU News in US News.
June 8, 2011
On Monday, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) announced he had tweeted to the world a lewd photo of himself he had meant to send to one woman privately.
For many, the reaction to Weiner’s lewd photo texts has been disgust and bewilderment. But the phenomenon is more common than you may think. Even the AARP has covered the trend, with the headline: “Sexting Not Just for Kids.”
“Absolutely,” says relationship coach Suzanne Blake. “Many married couples do this [with each other]. People are working different shifts, they’re traveling, they’re stressed, they don’t get to see each other a lot. So it’s a playful way of keeping connected.”
But of course, just about every good thing about the Internet seems to have a downside risk.
“What texting does is allow you to get this immediate validation, or fix,” says Eli Karam, a marriage therapist at the University of Louisville. “You send a picture, you get an immediate response, and you don’t have to deal with any face-to-face interaction.”
Thus, the ease and attraction of sexting with complete strangers.
Is It Cheating?
At his news conference, Weiner stressed that he’d had no physical relationship outside his marriage. So, is this cheating?
“I say a relationship is a relationship, whether you touch that person or not,” Karam says.
In fact, he says research shows this kind of virtual, or “emotional infidelity,” can be just as harmful as a physical fling.
Blake says it’s true that sexting may not feel as wrong as meeting someone in a hotel. She cites the experience of one female client:
“It happened several times where she’d been on a business trip, she met somebody, and then they exchanged sexting afterwards,” Blake says. “And she is married. I had to actually say to her, ‘Do you realize this is cheating?’ “
Even when committed couples are zinging photos back and forth, Blake offers words of caution. One client, a 55-year-old woman, was sexting happily with a boyfriend who traveled a lot, sending photos with messages like, “Missing seeing you.” Then the woman had a problem with her cellphone and took it to a store for help.
“When she tried to show the technician what was happening,” Blake says, “this body part showed up on her screen. It was very embarrassing to her!”
Blake’s advice, for ordinary sexters and high-profile politicians alike: delete, delete, delete. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio] | <urn:uuid:58f259bb-1c34-4102-8e75-8b3eddca1811> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kosu.org/2011/06/is-sexting-cheating-read-this-before-you-hit-send/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973236 | 629 | 1.734375 | 2 |
An handbook introduced by the Portuguese Ministry of Education to promote the education for citizenship by teaching entrepreneurship education to students. This is essentially guidelines and some practical examples to be used in the teaching of entrepreneurship.
SOURCE: Ministério da Educação – Direcção-Geral de Inovação e de Desenvolvimento Curricular
Course Programme and Guidelines for the High Schools Challenge underway by the Junior Achievements among the students to start an entrepreneurial venture while they are still at school so that they could boast the skills, knowledge, and tools crucial to start in the future their own business projects.
SOURCE: Junior Achievements (JA).
A Communication from the European Commission to the European Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions for the implementation of The Community Lisbon programme: teaching entrepreneurship to foster the entrepreneurial mindsets in Europe.
SOURCE: European Comission
Course Programme of an entrepreneurial camp called “Chasing the Dream”, promoted by the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute, for at risk students and a “train the trainer” program for teachers and non-profit youth leaders and it is specially focuses on entrepreneurship as a practical career option and as a method for asset building.
Moreover, there are some examples of activities promoted on the camp.
SOURCE: Delaware Financial Literacy Institute. | <urn:uuid:0ce5ddb9-1ae0-40a0-a979-b8a6a2aeff5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.startent.eu/component/k2/itemlist/tag/Entrepreneurship%20teaching?start=10&font-size=larger | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938611 | 279 | 2.765625 | 3 |
A small coastal national park, called the “place of much water” found just south of the Formosa Nature Reserve and east of Plettenberg bay. Tsitsikamma National Park is where the high forest canopy runs down the embankment to meet the rocky coast. Tsitsikamma National Park continues out to sea which protects the reef fish and other wildlife in the area.
This National Park is South Africa’s treat for those who would rather see marine wildlife like dolphins and porpoises playing in the waves that beat against this rocky coast. For bird lovers, this park is home to the beautiful African Black Oystercatcher and the Knysna Lourie. For the hiking enthusiast, the Otter Hiking Trail runs right along the coast from Groot River to the Storms River Mouth, a total of 42.5 km and should take 5 days and 4 nights to complete. An important note – book the trail cabins ahead of time and do this through SANParks.
- Birding (African Black Oystercatcher)
- Abseiling & climbing
- Mountain biking
- Tractor-trailer rides
- 4×4 trails
- Tree top tours
- Kloofing – more details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloofing
- Marine wildlife like dolphins, porpoises and reef fish
- Rocky beaches
There are two rest camps in the park.
- Storms River Mouth Rest C amp – A fully serviced rest camp with cleaning every day. Fuel is available at this rest camp as is a restaurant.
- Nature’s Valley Rest Camp – A very rustic camp with few facilities to speak of though electricity and hot water are available.
The Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park is easily accessible from the N2 highway running along South Africa’s coast – about 600 km from Cape Town and 200km from Port Elizabeth. The park gates are open between 6am and 10pm with camp security from 6pm to 7am, and all day visitors need to have left the park by 21:30. | <urn:uuid:1c90265e-7731-422c-8106-825a4a8bbc24> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.safariguideafrica.com/tsitsikamma-national-park-south-africa.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919304 | 442 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Business week recently did an article about how transporting animals is a pretty lucrative freight business for some major airlines such as Lufthansa, Emirates, and Air France / KLM. Lufthansa alone transported over 110 million creatures last year though the number is a bit deceiving when you take into account the tons of worms and tropical fish included in that number.
Lufthansa even has an animal lounge spawning 3750 square meters that includes the latest in comforts for your animals such as slip proof flooring and a roof to keep the animals dry. No word on if there is unlimited alfalfa or upscale birdseed included with your stay. I assume Animal Planet would be playing on the overhead monitors.
Sample cost of flying a horse from Frankfurt to New York runs about $6,000 and you probably don’t even earn any Miles and More miles for the horse. Lufthansa also cautions, “Please also ensure that you arrive at the airport with your animal in plenty of time before departure. In Frankfurt you should be at check-in at least one hour before departure.” I wonder if you’re allowed to ride your horse to the terminal or perhaps walk alongside your pancake tortoise to check in.
They don’t only specialize in horses, but other animals such as rhinos, hippos, penguins, dogs and pigs.
The next time you’re enjoying yourself at a lounge in Frankfurt, just remember that there are some furry friends that are having an equally enjoyable time at the animal lounge and some parakeets are probably enjoying priority boarding.
Thanks to reader Sice for the tip
Posted Apr 30 2012 11:54PM
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "X" button in the top right corner of each comment to report abuse. Read more | <urn:uuid:c5e7482c-33aa-43de-860a-138d8062afa1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/flights/boardingarea/post/2012/04/MilesQuest---The-Animal-Lounge/684395/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942786 | 407 | 1.578125 | 2 |
In the recent years, the investment opportunities for non resident Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIO) have increased hugely in India. As the era of protectionism fades away, the government is actively wooing foreign capital.
The rules and regulations have been simplified to a great extent to help in the NRI investment. In the meantime, the economy is predicted to grow at a healthy rate. As a result, NRI and PIO are also showing a growing interest in investing in the Indian economy.
Want to invest/trade in INDIA?
Open a FREE “ALL-IN-1 Investment Account” : www.NriCapital.com
The major investment opportunities
Before you learn about the many different investment opportunities for the NRI in India, you should know that this investment can enter the economy via either of the two routes. One is the automatic route where you can directly invest in the company. The other is the government route where you will require prior government approval.
The various investment opportunities are as follows:
- For the NRI who is looking for high returns, attention should be concentrated on the huge number of central and state sponsored projects in key infrastructural sectors like education, healthcare and construction.
- In general NRI investment is made through three major sectors. These include bank accounts, investment in immovable properties and investment in securities and debts.
- There are many types of bank accounts. The regulations vary according to the repatriation of the interest income. These different types are NRE account, NRO account, NRNR account and FCNR account.
- Debts and securities provide the largest and most lucrative investment opportunities in India for the NRI. However, you should be aware that these are liable to market risks.
- The securities in which the NRI can invest through the automatic route include agriculture, mining, alcohol brewing, power, industrial explosives, hazardous chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, transport, insurance, industrial parks, non banking financial institutions etc. You do not need the approval of the RBI to invest in these securities. In some cases, the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) may be required. These include sectors like tea, infrastructural companies except telecom, publication of newspaper and periodicals, courier service and single brand product retailing.
- If you are looking for investment opportunities with repatriation benefits, you will have to invest in mutual funds, term deposits and bonds for at least three years.
- A NRI can invest in proprietary and partnership firms in India, but the income will not be repatriated outside the country.
- NRI can directly invest in real estate in India except if you are buying agricultural lands or plantations. Investments in housing schemes and commercial properties are free.
- There are certain prescribed sectors where foreign investments as well as the NRI investments are prohibited. These include retail, atomic energy, chit funds, nidhi companies, lottery and gambling establishments, tobacco products and other sectors which are not opened to private sector investment.
Points to remember regarding NRI investment in India
Now that you know the investment opportunities that are available to the NRI in India, you have to bear in mind certain technicalities regarding such investments:
- Foreign and NRI investment is regulated in accordance with the FDI policy, 2010 and FEMA, 1999.
- NRI as well as a person of foreign origin, except Pakistan can now invest in the many different prescribed sectors of Indian economy.
- The investment is made through equity shares, convertible preference shares and convertible debentures. All these have to be carried out in accordance to the FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) guidelines.
- Repatriation issue varies in each sector and commodity. You have to understand the norms regarding the particular commodity that you choose. | <urn:uuid:ee028a17-5fb2-467f-99d3-7bf0ca522f9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nriinvestindia.com/blog/best-and-top-investment-options-and-opportunities-in-india/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946151 | 785 | 1.648438 | 2 |
'Just' and 'only' carry a similar meaning, and while my feel for language usually helps me decide which one to use, there are times when I'm at a loss.
From my understanding, 'just' is used as a softener, to add flexibility and politeness. 'Only', on the other hand, is a relatively sharp exclusion. 'Just' also has a wider range of meanings, for instance to denote time.
While this sounds simple enough, it can get messy in practical usage. The sentence that made me stumble was "Not only airports are part of the target customer group, but also other large infrastructures".
Would the meaning of this sentence change when using 'just' instead? The way I see it, there is no difference in this case, except 'just' would make it sound a tad more colloquial. | <urn:uuid:38f23716-750e-4f03-b115-72b1b327af94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/72182/difference-between-just-and-only | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949066 | 177 | 1.953125 | 2 |
An Experiment in Collaborative Visualization
The folks at the Global Water Experiment came to us recently with a data set collected through the citizen science efforts of students around the world. Organized by UNESCO and IUPAC as a central activity of the International Year of Chemistry, the Global Water Experiment has involved over 75,000 students in 80 countries collecting water quality samples in their neighborhoods and reporting the measurements back to the Experiment’s website. In keeping with the crowd-sourced origin of this data, we’ve devised a new project: the Visualization Sprint.
The Sprint is an experiment in collaborative data visualization: we challenge our community of creators and coders to work together to visualize the GWE data. The field of data visualization already benefits greatly from open source work, code sharing, debate over technique, and lively design critique. The Visualization Sprint is a new way to promote all of these things. Starting from an initial sketch, created by Jan Willem Tulp using d3.js, anyone is invited to fork the code, change or add to it, and then post it back to the sprint. The idea is that participants will contribute many small modifications — changing a color scheme, adding a key, adjusting the scale — to reach a finished piece collaboratively. However, extensive rewrites or even new “alpha” versions are also welcomed.
With enough participation, this could result in both an awesome visualization and an archived crash course in how to get from a data set to that awesome final product (or products) through many sketches and iterations. This water sample data suggests geographic mapping, so maybe we’ll focus on how best to map multi-dimensional data, or maybe we’ll go in an entirely different direction. Besides the contributions of coders, anyone can participate by voting on what changes work or don’t work and by joining the discussion in the comments.
In order to have a goal in mind, we ask the community to arrive at a finished visualization by World Water Day (March 22), which will then be presented by us and our partners. All participants will get credit on the final visualization(s).
And just to add a little incentive, we’ve teamed up with Eyeo again to offer one pass to this year’s sold-out Eyeo Festival. The winner will be picked at random from everyone who contributes code to the sprint (no bonus for multiple contributions). So head over to the main Sprint page to explore the versions, vote for which contributions you think work, and fork the code. | <urn:uuid:1811f3ba-1953-4698-94e8-a191441ec1bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visualizing.org/stories/experiment-collaborative-visualization | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928973 | 523 | 2.109375 | 2 |
What is sugar in urine?
Sugar (glucose) is usually present in the urine at very low levels or not at all. Abnormally high amounts of sugar in the urine, known as glycosuria, are usually the result of high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar usually occurs in diabetes, especially when untreated.
Normally, when blood is filtered in the kidneys, some sugar remains in the fluid that will later become urine. If the level of blood sugar is low, as is normally the case, the body can reabsorb the sugar from this fluid before it leaves the kidney to be excreted as urine. When the blood sugar is high, there is too much sugar in the fluid leaving the kidney to be reabsorbed, so some sugar passes into the urine.
Sugar in the urine can be detected in the laboratory or is easy to detect at home with a urine dipstick test. Because sugar in the urine is associated with high blood sugar and diabetes, it is important to consult a physician if you suspect you have sugar in your urine. Sugar in the urine is often accompanied by other symptoms of diabetes, including fatigue, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst or hunger, and frequent urination.
Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you have sugar in the urine along with more serious symptoms, including the inability to think clearly.
Seek prompt medical care if your sugar in the urine is persistent or causes you concern.
What other symptoms might occur with sugar in urine?
Sugar in the urine may occur with a variety of other symptoms, most commonly those associated with diabetes.... Read more about sugar in urine symptoms | <urn:uuid:2463cad3-9a6e-4f93-9b2f-88ed57c490af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.localhealth.com/article/sugar-in-urine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962708 | 338 | 2.84375 | 3 |
The bloggers over at the Practical Environmentalist just bought a non-green building in Dallas for their business, Clean Air Gardening. The 13,000 sf building was built in the 1960s and they have a budget of about $50,000 to make it green. We’re talking LEED, Energy Star, etc., you name it, they want to go green in an economically pragmatic way. I figure we can tap the wisdom of the crowds and find a way to help them out, citizen wisdom style. Feel free to drop your ideas into the comments here, or go over to PE directly and leave a comment. Also, if you’re a Dallas business and want to get involved helping them do their thing, make sure to let them know.
Already, PE seems to have this situation under control. I like that they are signing up with Green Mountain Energy, using low-VOCs inside (good for indoor air quality), replacing old toilets with more water-efficient ones, adding a rainwater cistern to avoid using new water for landscaping, and replacing the door with a more energy-efficient set up. Here are a few additional suggestions I have:
- Consider a commercial-grade energy audit to determine where you may be losing air or energy. Use that information to seal up cracks and fix stuff as needed (which will allow you to rely less on the dated HVAC system).
- Like you say, go with the Commercial Solatube lighting, if possible. The more natural light, the better. Why pay for light when the sun gives it away for free?
- For the interior design, use low-VOC carpets tiles and adaptable workstations/furniture from a company like Haworth (big-time commitment to recycled and sustainable products). Haworth has a strong Dallas presence.
- Before making the investment in solar, try using a thermal energy storage product (like the ones offered by Dallas-based Trinity Thermal) that captures cheaper energy during off-peak times for use during more expensive peak periods. This can contribute to LEED certification and has good $$ benefits.
- If you’re renovating the exterior, continue using a light color to reflect heat from the building. Also, landscape in ways to shade the hottest parts of the building. You guys are experts here, but natural landscaping will help with water conservation, too.
That’s what I have so far, but I’m sure there are Dallas experts out there waiting to get your business and showcase their products. Good luck! | <urn:uuid:b8527f93-5628-45fe-b695-fdb80f268606> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jetsongreen.com/tag/weblogs/page/11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937003 | 529 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Monday, July 16, 2007
Mexico’s So-called “Popular
By Barnard R. Thompson
The Earlier Years
The Popular Revolutionary Army (known by the initials EPR in
Spanish), one of Mexico’s shadowy guerrilla movements that has been around for more than a decade, has been heard from
anew. This time with violent acts perpetrated against the state, namely the early
July bombings of natural gas pipelines in the central states of Guanajuato and Querétaro, and then through what has become
a somewhat usual communiqué message.
Yet this time the extremists’
message was heard far and wide, at home and abroad, both due to the bombings themselves, and with the resulting media coverage
of not just the destruction but too the collateral sociopolitical, economic, industrial and image damage. Plus other rebel activities, or self-proclaimed and publicity seeking leaders, did not dwarf the news (scant
as it was at first) about the EPR cell or cells that claimed responsibility for these latest acts.
As well, the explosions
turned out to be too big of a bang to cover-up or write-off as accidents.
During the 1960s a number
of radical and student movements, including a score or more of armed groups, came out of their theretofore shells. And the world got news of student and political unrest in Mexico when things came to a head on the eve
of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Events that led to the tragic October
massacre at Tlatelolco and the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, when the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) government gave
the order to open fire on mostly student demonstrators.
But the ironhandedness of the government,
and its ruthless use of the military, did not quell the leftist and revolutionary movements, and in 1973 a dozen of the organizations
joined together in the 23 of September Communist League. An urban guerrilla movement
set on fighting the state, the Liga Comunista 23 de Septiembre went on to commit numerous violent acts against the PRI-government
in the name of the popular classes.
They were no match for the government however,
as Mexico’s “Dirty War” ensued. A period from the late 1960s
to the early 1980s, with large-scale deaths, detentions and disappearances of antigovernment protesters, individuals and groups.
Subsequent to 1982 there was a period of
relative calm from armed groups and extremists, as the country tried to cope with the economic ruin and turmoil José López
Portillo had left at the end of his 1976-1982 presidency. But there was still
a festering discontent.
The somewhat dormant radicals were still
there, although a good number merged into mainstream politics as they aged. This
too because Mexico enacted a number of political reforms, and the country’s political parties — with the possible
exception of the PRI — went through makeovers and mergers.
Many of the hardcore leftists and radicals
who stayed out in the cold, along with 14 organized groups, joined with the PROCUP, the Clandestine Revolutionary Workers
Party-Union of the People, a guerrilla organization that had actually been first formed in the 1960s. But there was still no real unity, that was until the EPR, the Popular Revolutionary Army, surfaced in the early 1990s.
And the EPR, even with its
cell structure, finally brought coordination to the armed insurgent groups movement in Mexico.
This even after internal frictions rose, and some sympathizers splintered into the Revolutionary Army of the Insurgent
People (ERPI) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People (FARP), or joined the still active EPR affiliate Party of the
It should be mentioned that
while the EPR apparently wanted to join forces, in covert operations at least, with the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), soi-disant Subcomandante
Marcos apparently did not want to share the limelight with anyone. Seemingly
no formal bonds were formed as the EZLN leapt onto center stage with their 1994 uprising.
In the late 1990s, according
to Mexican government intelligence reports, the EPR and its fellow travelers were actively involved in kidnapping, especially
to get money to buy weapons and to finance guerrilla activities. Some reports
claim they received as much as US$50 million in ransom payments, which is a plausible amount when you consider that they went
after high profile, influential and wealthy targets.
This observer remembers
the 1994 kidnapping of banker Alfredo Harp Helú, and the reported payment of US$30 million for his release. Money that supposedly went to the EPR, however a sizable amount of that money was later found in the hands
of operators of a Mexican shipyard, a facility that was owned by another of Mexico’s wealthy and influential family
One in a series.
Barnard Thompson, editor of MexiData.info, has spent nearly 50 years in Mexico and Latin America, providing multinational clients with actionable intelligence;
country and political risk reporting and analysis; and business, lobbying, and problem resolution services. He can be reached via e-mail at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:68620aaf-888e-4fe6-bb9a-225d1c706484> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mexidata.info/id1448.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961677 | 1,113 | 2.171875 | 2 |
George Gordon was born in Scotland in 1819 and came to California in 1849. In 1850, he built Howison's Pier, one of the earliest
wharves in San Francisco. In 1852, he bought land in San Francisco and laid out South Park. In 1857, he founded the San Francisco
and Pacific Sugar Refinery and operated it until his death. He made efforts to introduce beet sugar making into California
conducting research in Europe on the subject. Gordon died May 22, 1869. | <urn:uuid:e144b0bc-4de0-4a98-ab7b-958ca49b70e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oac4.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf767nb1qm/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977171 | 105 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Meyer: “Tourism has become a source of income for the country”
Buenos Aires, September 2, 2012
Argentina is the country with the highest number of tourists from South America, particularly the Mercosur.
Minister of Tourism, Enrique Meyer, said that “the impact of the sector in terms of employment generation, boosting regional economies in various scales and foreign exchange earnings are now undisputed in the national economy.”
Meyer noted also that tourism is “the third of foreign exchange earnings to the country” and said that to boost the area’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner launched on Tuesday this week, the International Marketing Plan for Tourism Connect-AR 2012-2015.
“Argentina is the country with the greatest hits of South America, and a major change due to the global crisis, and the growth of our neighbors and brothers in Mercosur,” said the president, to lead the ceremony at Government House with Minister Meyer. | <urn:uuid:d6854d56-d73e-422c-afd9-dca45602d61d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m24digital.com/en/2012/09/02/meyer-tourism-has-become-a-source-of-income-for-the-country/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916625 | 212 | 1.578125 | 2 |
By DAMIAN PALETTA and JEFFREY SPARSHOTT
WASHINGTON—The U.S. government ran a $1.089 trillion budget deficit in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a smaller gap than the year before but still stubbornly high and likely to fuel further debate over tax and spending policies.
The deficit was roughly 7.0% of the country's 2012 gross domestic product, a measure of the total output of goods and services, the Treasury Department said Friday. That is the lowest share since President Barack Obama took office, but still one of the largest since World War II.
The 2012 budget gap was down from the 2011 deficit of $1.297 trillion, or 8.7% of GDP. The deficit peaked in 2009 at $1.413 trillion, or 10.1% of GDP.
The deficit declined last year due to growing tax revenue and falling spending. Federal spending fell for several reasons, including the expiration of temporarily higher Medicaid payments, a decline in unemployment benefits and reduced military spending. Still, government spending as a share of the economy hit 22.7% in 2012. That is lower than in 2009, 2010 and 2011, but higher than any other year since 1985.
The government's deficit—essentially the gap between how much money it spends and how much it brings in through taxes and other revenue—has become an important issue in the presidential election
Tax revenue fell sharply during the financial crisis and recession while spending jumped, both because government officials launched programs to boost the economy and because of safety-net programs that kicked in when unemployment got worse. Democrats and Republicans have clashed for years over how to reduce the deficit, leading to finger-pointing on the campaign trail.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said Mr. Obama broke a promise made in February 2009, when he vowed to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term.
"Americans deserve a president who understands that reining in our country's out-of-control spending is not only an economic imperative—it's a moral imperative—and who will end the era of big government ushered in by President Obama," said Andrea Saul, a spokeswoman for the Romney campaign.
Mr. Obama has called on congressional Republicans to help pass his proposals to rein in the deficit, including tax increases on upper-income Americans.
"The President has put forward a balanced proposal to further strengthen the economy and reduce the country's future deficits," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said. "It is time for Congress to act on these necessary steps that will help create sustainable economic growth for years to come."
Running big annual deficits means the government must borrow money to fund its operations, adding to the country's debt. Total government debt on Thursday hit $16.119 trillion, just shy of the statutory borrowing limit of $16.394 trillion.
The government is expected to hit this limit, known as the debt ceiling, in late December. This year Treasury officials are expected to implement emergency measures to buy the government more time to avoid missing payments until Congress can reach an agreement to raise the ceiling.
Economists say the sluggish economy has had a direct impact on the deficit, both constraining tax revenue and fueling government spending in safety-net programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and unemployment insurance. The extension of Bush-era tax cuts, a temporary two-year payroll tax break, and a number of tax breaks for businesses also have kept revenue levels low.
The large deficits of recent years are due to "a combination of spending and tax policy, the recession and its effect on revenues, and inaction by policy makers to proactively address the problem," said Phil Swagel, an economics professor at the University of Maryland, who was a senior official in the Bush administration's Treasury Department. | <urn:uuid:e5ed1770-cac3-44e7-995f-6afab82d8124> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443749204578052790015338944.html?mod=WSJ_article_ExecutiveM.B.A.Headlines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967923 | 773 | 2.125 | 2 |
Webspecial: Rebecca MacKinnon
In her ongoing struggle to democratize the Internet Rebecca MacKinnon has earned her stripes. As a former CNN Bureau Chief and current director of Global Voices, she has undertaken various efforts to lift the worlds Internet users from virtual serfdom to citizenship. In this interview, MacKinnon talks to us about the importance of citizen media, internet surveillance in China and Russia and the implications of new laws that may restrict Internet freedom.
Rebecca MacKinnon is at the forefront of the struggle for a free and democratic Internet. A former CNN Beijing and Tokyo Bureau Chief, MacKinnon is now co-founder of Global Voices, a community of bloggers and translators whose official mission is to "aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online - shining light on places and people other media often ignore." In the meantime the website has grown to include a large list of bloggers from all over the world. She is a Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, where she conducting research, writing and advocacy on global Internet policy, free expression, and the impact of digital technologies on human rights. She also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Global Network Initiative.
'We are citizens of these digital spaces, not just users. If you just think of yourself as a user, you are no better than a medieval serf.'
The future of the Internet
In her book Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom (2012), MacKinnon looks at the big questions surrounding the future of the Internet. As we are becoming increasingly dependent on it for different aspects of our lives, she argues for a democratization of cyberspace. We need to think about the roles of companies, governments and citizens in regulating and controlling the Internet.
In the following interview, MacKinnon talks to us about the importance of citizen media, internet surveillance, the accountability of private companies and democracy, amongst other things.
Interview with Rebecca MacKinnon Part 2/5:
Internet surveillance in China and Russia
Interview with Rebecca MacKinnon Part 3/5:
Democratizing cyberspace and the implications of SOPA
Interview with Rebecca MacKinnon Part 5/5:
Towards a free Internet, from serfdom to citizenship | <urn:uuid:8119bcd6-229e-449d-b571-b6a725661141> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tegenlicht.vpro.nl/nieuws/2012/april/Webspecial-Rebecca-MacKinnon.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92361 | 474 | 1.632813 | 2 |
This documentary portrays the front-line street workers who serve the needy under the umbrella of the Salvation Army. One of the world's largest social agencies, the Army is a religious institution that serves the practical needs of people first, believing that religion is of no use to anyone who is hungry, homeless and hopeless.
Join filmmaker Rosemary House as she peers into the hearts and minds of people on both sides of the street – those who help and those who need help. Shot in Toronto at Christmastime, the film chronicles the small hopes and tiny victories of life lived below the poverty line and the daily rewards for those who work to serve others.
From the playlist : 10 great films from the last decade that you may not have seen | <urn:uuid:e5fb0516-1164-4f30-9a7a-9d73df20e426> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nfb.ca/film/salvation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961988 | 149 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Shy children will read to retired racing greyhounds instead of teachers as part of a new literacy project at UK schools.
Young pupils who are reluctant to read in front of their classmates will be encouraged to practice in front of dogs selected by the Retired Greyhound Trust.
The idea - which will also help children with learning difficulties - has been welcomed by the The National Literacy Trust, the National Autistic Society and educational psychologists.
READ - Reading Education Assistance Dogs - is a big success in America where there are now 1,400 dogs visiting schools.
One of the first dogs to take part in the UK will be retired greyhound Batman and owner Kelly Bakewell, who make their debut at Oakway Infant School in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, on Friday.
Scotts listens intently
Another, Scotts, is booked to visit a string of schools in the coming months with owner Tony Nevett.
The project is aimed at children aged between four and seven at both mainstream and special needs schools.
Nevett, who has worked with the Retired Greyhound Trust, for several years, said: "Many children find it a struggle to read and it really knocks their confidence if they stumble over words in front of their mates.
"The idea of reading to dogs is that they donít answer back and they donít give you a hard time if you donít get it right first time." ...
Not a new story but I hadn't come across this before. | <urn:uuid:432e83f7-a334-4c82-986e-c9f53e50d2db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.conservativeunderground.com/forum505/showthread.php?49011-Shy-Children-Read-To-Greyhounds-At-School | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963737 | 313 | 2.375 | 2 |
Is the Green-Building Market Recession-Proof?
Over the last decade, the green building industry has risen on the tide of a culture-wide trend toward sustainability, and many in the architecture profession believe it will continue to prosper even as the U.S. falls deeper into a recession. “I think there’s a very compelling argument that the economic environment we’re going into right now will only enhance the value of doing green,” says Guy Geier, FAIA, senior partner of FXFOWLE.
Based on what you have seen and read about this project, how would you grade it? Use the stars below to indicate your assessment, five stars being the highest rating.
A Turner Construction Company Survey conducted in November seems to confirm his hunch: Seventy-five percent of more than 750 real estate executives surveyed said the credit crunch would not make them any less likely to construct green buildings in the future. Moreover, a 2009 report by McGraw-Hill Construction found that the green-building market “seems to be somewhat insulated” from the construction slump. Reasons cited for the market’s stability include increased awareness that green buildings are often cheaper to operate, and governmental policies that promote or even mandate eco-friendly features.
Still, while the green-building movement may not be slowed by the recession, many say it will need to adapt to the new economic reality. Rick Fedrizzi, president of the U.S. Green Building Council, recently stated: “Over and over again, Americans are saying the same thing: the key to a prosperous future is sustainability.” But if the movement is to capitalize on public interest in sustainability, it will need to focus on the kinds of work most likely to attract investment from clients and from the federal government.
Jason Hartke, the USGBC’s director of advocacy and public policy, believes that the movement has much to offer President Barack Obama, who has made it clear that sustainability is central to his agenda. “Proposals around green building can be extremely attractive,” he says, “because green building is at the nexus of creating jobs, saving energy, and saving money”—three priorities for the Obama administration. The USGBC is advocating specific efforts that include greening federal facilities and weatherizing low-income homes. “Every million dollars invested in weatherization creates 52 jobs,” says Hartke. Many think the President’s recently enacted $787 billion economic stimulus plan will deliver a boost to the green-building industry, particularly in regards to infrastructure and building-modernization projects.
A focus on retrofitting, rather than new construction, is likely to be one way in which the recession affects the green-building movement. Sally Wilson, global director of environmental strategy at CB Richard Ellis, thinks there will be few opportunities to do “sexy work” in the U.S. in the coming years. Instead, she says, “the architectural community needs to quickly change gears into the existing-building side of things.”
The recession may also alter the kinds of green features and methods architects choose to employ. While strategies like natural ventilation should not be affected, high-cost features like photovoltaics may become less common, according to Robert Forest, a partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects. His firm designed Masdar Headquarters, a zero-carbon facility planned for Abu Dhabi. “I think aggressive sustainable design strategies will be scrutinized in terms of their lifecycle cost savings,” says Forest, who predicts there will be fewer “demonstration projects” as a result.
In fact, architects may find that the recession makes promoting green building based on lifecycle cost analyses much harder to do. Peter Morris, a principal of the international cost consulting firm Davis Langdon, says the economic downturn is revealing a flaw in those analyses—that many of them made projections based solely on data from the past few years, data that turns out to have been anomalous. Falling gas and oil prices will cast doubt on such forecasts, he notes. “By our overenthusiastic embracing of not so rigorously done lifecycle analyses,” he says, “we may have turned ourselves into Alan Greenspans of the green movement.” He hopes that the recession will foster lifecycle cost analyses that take into account the high degree of uncertainty involved in making projections.
Fluctuating energy prices and uncertainty about the economy¹s future notwithstanding, there is a general feeling among industry professionals that the recession will prove more beneficial than harmful to the green-building movement. Sustainability expert Robin Guenther, a principal of Perkins + Will, thinks initiatives such as the 2030 Challenge, which advocates for carbon neutrality in all new buildings by the year 2030, will continue to gain steam and drive innovation in green materials and construction. Certainly her firm, a 2030 Challenge signatory, isn’t backing down on its commitment. “People who build in this economy will demand building green because they’ll be more forward thinking,” she says. “I think our moment has arrived.”
Get Architectural Record digital with free bonus content not found in the magazine!
Order back issuesócomplete your library! | <urn:uuid:5f8452be-9334-4fd4-a294-cd21238e510f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/090304green.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956491 | 1,091 | 2.09375 | 2 |
This little goby fish saves its host coral by keeping toxic algae
When coral are threatened by encroaching toxic algae, they do not have the luxury of running from their enemy. That is not to say these stationary creatures are defenseless, though. Acropora coral has evolved to emit a chemical call for help, and within minutes, a goby fish will show up on the scene, ready to nibble off the algae. Researchers recently discovered this underwater partnership in the waters near Fiji. They say this symbiotic relationship is the first known example of a species chemically signaling another in order to remove a competitor species.
The fish’s response time is short because the goby fish are never far away from the coral. Nestled in the crevices of the reef, protected from predators, goby fish feast on a smörgåsbord of local fares: coral mucus, algae and zooplankton. In return, the goby is available for minor coral maintenance issues like mowing the toxic algae lawn. This task is pretty simple for the fish—one species of goby observed in this study ate the stuff and another just trimmed it off—and important for the coral.
For a tenant-landlord-style relationship, this one’s pretty amicable.
Image credit: Danielle Dixson, Georgia Institute of Technology | <urn:uuid:ec30d3f6-719f-4811-a728-3c764be03e81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/11/10/coral-call-for-help-and-fish-swim-to-the-rescue/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918675 | 279 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Mah Tovu, Mishkan Tefilah, p. 193.
Rabbi Edwin Goldberg
The liturgical opening of the morning worship service is traditionally identified with Mah Tovu, a text that begins with a citation from Numbers 24:5, where Balaam the prophet-for-hire blesses the “tents” of the children of Jacob. Balaam also blesses the “Mishkan” of the people of Israel. The word “Mishkan” is not only part of our new prayer book’s title; it also refers to the desert sacred space where God’s presence would be made manifest within the people. The traditional text of Mah Tovu goes on to speak of entering God’s house with humility. Texts from Psalms play a large role in these words.
On the left side of the two-page spread in Mishkan T’filah (p. 193 in the Shabbat Morning Service I), we are given an alternative reading. It is short enough to cite in full:
May the One whose spirit is with us in every righteous deed,
be with all who work for the good of humanity
and bear the burdens of others,
and who give bread to the hungry,
who clothe the naked,
and take the friendless into their homes.
May the work of their hands endure,
and may the seed they sow bring abundant harvest.
How does this prayer differ than the traditional text? The traditional Mah Tovu presents the worshipper as humble supplicant, bowing low and hoping for God’s deliverance. The new reading reflects a perspective of strength rather than humility. Instead of beseeching God out of a place of relative worthlessness, we recognize that we have the potential to perform many mitzvot and thereby improve the world. We ask for God’s help in efforts already begun. We are far from helpless supplicants. In these words, we are more like able partners of God.
The inclusion of this prayer on the “left side” of the two-page spread is no accident. Its words reflect a “non-traditional” theology. Instead of a straight hierarchy in which God is “on high” and we are “down low” -- so to speak – we get what might be called a “theology of human adequacy” (see p. ix of the Introduction to Mishkan T’filah). In other words, we celebrate our “partnership” with God, albeit an unequal one, and focus on what we can achieve.
The great thing about Mishkan T’filah is that such different theologies can exist literally on the same page. The careful reader/worshipper can find many ways to think about God and ourselves in the pages of our new siddur, even if the emphasis on ethical action and social justice is particularly strong, as it is in our alternative prayer for Mah Tovu.
In short, Mah Tovu reminds us that we have goodness inside of us. The theology of our alternative reading celebrates that goodness.
Rabbi Edwin Goldberg is the Rabbi of Temple Judea of Coral Gables and a member of the Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living. | <urn:uuid:03dfbb41-3a0b-43f1-ae18-6f7de6d27cbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tmt.urj.net/archives/4jewishethics/061208.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93107 | 700 | 1.875 | 2 |
The ‘Meera Sky Garden House’ by Guz Architects is located on the island of Sentosa adjacent to Singapore. The large multi layered four storey house tries its best to interact with gardens and greenery at all levels.
It’s designed with a central void large volumes which maximizes cross ventilation and reduces dependence on mechanical air conditioning. With a lot of other fancy functions to reduce reliance on artificial lightning and energy consumption, the best feature are the gardens on each level, which provide shade and reduce overheating in Singapore’s tropical climate to enhance life quality. The large areas of grass absorb much less heat than conventional roofing materials, resulting in less thermal storage in the building itself, thus reduce the required use of cooling systems. Like this you can sit in your lovely green environment and have stunning views over the garden to the sea and sky.
All images © Patrick Bingham-Hall | Via: OpenBuildings | <urn:uuid:0b50cd79-a77a-4894-be63-4ef622ee724b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ignant.de/2012/11/09/meera-sky-garden-house/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929445 | 191 | 1.804688 | 2 |
§ 7. Mr. HOPE SIMPSON
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India how many Moplah prisoners have been transported to the Andaman Islands, and are now detained there; whether they are treated as ordinary criminals; and whe5her any Moplah women and children are resident in the penal settlement?
§ Mr. RICHARDS
In July last there were in all 1,235 Moplahs in the Andamans—all in Port Blair. Seventy-two were in the cellular jail, 12 in the adolescent gang, 40 agriculturists and self-supporters, and the rest in convict barracks. There were no special arrangements for segrating Moplahs from association with other convicts. They were treated like others, except that the initial period of cellular confinement was frequently shortened. The Government are willing to settle any who desire to stay, with or without their families; with this object agricultural and other tickets are issued freely, and the families of all who ask for them are sent to the islands at Government expense. Up to July, one family—a wife and four children—had been settled, and the settlement of three more was expected shortly. | <urn:uuid:1b02ae21-4533-4df6-a9a0-ff695a8c222d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1924/feb/18/moplah-rebellion-prisoners | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983604 | 247 | 1.898438 | 2 |
There is no equivalency between pedophilia and homosexuality
by, 09-09-2011 at 01:36 AM (778 Views)
"It's a myth we can't treat them," says Dr Lea Studer, a psychiatrist and director of the Phoenix Program, an inhospital treatment program for sex offenders at the Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. "It's absolutely not true."
Michael Seto, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, agrees. But he cautions that pedophiles can't be cured. "We're moving toward the idea that this is a stable sexual preference," he says. "It's not something that goes away — this is true of them for the rest of their lives."
Can pedophiles' urges be tamed? Gulf of opinion between MDs, public baying for blood, By Gillian Woodford
Again, the difference between pedophilia and homosexuality is that one is an attraction to a prepubescent child and the other is sexual attraction to someone of the same sex. Two very different things. As such, they should not be lumped in together. Period.
There is a gradual cultural shift under way in Americans' views toward gay individuals and gay rights. While public attitudes haven't moved consistently in gays' and lesbians' favor every year, the general trend is clearly in that direction. This year, the shift is apparent in a record-high level of the public seeing gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable. Meanwhile, support for legalizing gay marriage, and for the legality of gay and lesbian relations more generally, is near record highs.
Americans' Acceptance of Gay Relations Crosses 50% Threshold
So much for your "ethics of society" argument. | <urn:uuid:78700b71-bab9-4e0d-aa12-3b3765411f0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theapricity.com/forum/entry.php?291-There-is-no-equivalency-between-pedophilia-and-homosexuality | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948818 | 356 | 1.75 | 2 |
Humbert spends a lot of time talking about love, particularly when describing his feelings for Lolita. Is it even possible that he loves her? The fact that he is our narrator and controls all of the images we see makes it difficult to know if he is using love as some sort of perverse excuse for his behavior. Understanding his feelings is also complicated by the fact that he is writing the book in retrospect – reflecting and recording his story many years after the events have occurred. Part of our challenge as the reader is to try to understand the nature of his "love" for Lolita and try not to be wooed by him ourselves. Humbert prides himself on his skill in seduction and his efforts definitely extend to the reader as well. In his essay, "The Last Lover: Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita," Lionel Trilling once insisted, "Lolita is about love. Perhaps I shall be better understood if I put the statement in this form: Lolita is not about sex, but about love." Is there any way to see this novel as an American love story?
Humbert uses the idea of love to appeal to the romantic interests of his reader, believing that it will make his actions seem less disturbing.
Lolita's love of Quilty is one of the more inexplicable relationships of the novel. | <urn:uuid:9ba47f8b-beaf-45e8-803d-745163cedaba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shmoop.com/lolita/love-theme.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985035 | 273 | 2.015625 | 2 |
IBM has developed a new method designed to increase the security of consumer products, medical devices, defense systems and digital media by injecting encryption capabilities into the heart of the machines.
The set of encryption called SecureBlue was unveiled on Monday and is aimed at increasing the level of data security on portable computers, cell phones and other gadgets.
SecureBlue differentiates from other encoded datas that can be integrated in specialized softwares or chips, in that it is performed by the computer's central processing unit (CPU) and it can be integrated into any processor, regardless of its manufacturer.
IBM is not the first to seek to integrate encryption into a computer's CPU. Intel's upcoming "LaGrande" technology essentially does that, though it requires interaction with a separate chip, known as a trusted platform module.
According to IBM researchers, their integrated encryption to will skip that step.
However, IBM's encryption engine is not a module that can be simply plugged into existing chips. SecureBlue needs to be woven into a processor and mixed in with other transistors.
For the moment, SecureBlue can only be integrated into devices that hire IBM's custom engineering unit.
The project includes chips for medical and defense systems and video game consoles made by Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony.
IBM researchers claim SecureBlue already has made its way into one of their customer's devices, but refused to disclose the identity saying their client had demanded anonymity. | <urn:uuid:afc4e56d-68d1-46d8-b724-76d4806598ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=16756 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961075 | 292 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Rounded tails, including rounded pins, squash tails, diamonds and similar variants lack the hard point of say any sort of swallow or fish tail, and thus are less likely to catch an edge when rotating. It is not exactly about fast versus less fast. In fact, speed is often the most confused aspects of a board. Loose feels fast, but is not necessarily actually moving faster.
Swallows and fish tails have more surface area, thus more area for energy to exert upon, simple physics. Additionally the cut out area provides an increased release, thus they are considered to have a feeling of being looser. However, the points of deeply cut swallows are thought to work very much like an additional fin, providing stability and direction, and is exactly why you see them so much on twin fin boards.
'fang tail'; 'toad tail'; 'stealth swallow' or stealth tail, are all variants of roughly slamming a squash or diamond tail into a swallow tail. They probably owe their origins to the bat-tail quad craze of the late 1990s. It is in a way of trying to capitalize on both design aspects or capitalized on pivot points, release areas and overall larger surface area. We started employing them back in the comp 1 days and carried it over and refined it through the elevation, hazen and pro. the elevation design with a step deck and built in kicktail, necessitated a much wider center diamond tail, coupled with the more classic swallowtail outline towards the rail. So with a wider center area, the swallow portions towards the rail get smaller, generally speaking. Toad style tails further decrease the 'swallow' portion of the tail to the point to which they are nothing but little bumps or hips or sharp like a fang or triangle. | <urn:uuid:e89a8ba5-29ba-446b-85f4-9770d7a8c526> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=794374&goto=nextoldest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95738 | 361 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Q. What kind of health care can you get?
A. There are two types of health care. If you are unemployed, then you have to pay for health care. If you have a job, your employer/ company will pay for the health care. But if you do not have a job, you will not get health care unless you pay.
Q. Is there any health care that is available to everyone?
A. Poor people are able to get health care if they cannot pay for it. But it only applies to one person. The companies do not pay for the whole family.
Q. What type of health care do you have?
A. I have the type of health care that you have to pay for.
Q. How much do you have to pay for your health care?
A. For one year, I pay about 320,000 Vietnamese Dong. This is equivalent to about $20 dollars.
Q. What does your health care program cover?
A. This covers trips to the doctor, medications, and everything else. But now there is a new law that says that you have to pay 20% of the bill. Before, you did not have to pay any of it.
Q. Are there many different programs?
A. Not really, but kids under 6 get free health care.
Q. What was it like before this type of health care?
A. Before, there were no imported medications. All the medicines were made in Vietnam and they were of worse quality. | <urn:uuid:f6957fd1-1226-4dc9-b970-71275beefcdd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/01296/michelle8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98303 | 313 | 1.835938 | 2 |
For you confused souls (like myself at first), what follows should shed some light on this dilemma and identify which one of the two types of WordPress suits your needs better.
For starters, WordPress is a good open source blog publishing application that is powered by a general-purpose scripting language and a relational database management system, PHP and MySQL. In english, a great central location to publish & store content so your audience can follow what’s going on in your world.
There are two forms of WordPress: First, the self hosted WordPress.org which requires your own hosting package to operate, and the free WordPress.com which does not require any hosting on your part. Both offer a powerful content management system which allows users to build websites and blogs, yet there are some distinct advantages and disadvantages to each platform.
Here’s the breakdown…
- The primary advantage of using WordPress.com is it’s cost– FREE! And it’s running on multiple, maybe hundreds, of servers which gives you peace of mind that your website will be up and running with minimal downtime.
- This option is also very easy to setup and does not require extreme technical knowledge. Just pick a theme, select some widgets, add your content and start publishing.
- Because of its simplicity & ease of operation, these blogs are not fully customizable, but do have a lot of themes to choose from. If you want the ability to edit CSS, you would need to upgrade to a self-hosted wordpress.org blog.
- If you are looking to monetize your blog by selling ads, you are not going to make money here as you’re not allowed to sell ads. You may even have to put up with unwanted wordpress ads showing up that could potentially be detrimental to the integrity of your website.
- You need to provide your own web hosting, meaning it may require you to pay a small amount to acquire a hosting site. If it’s not a good one, your site can potentially go down if there’s a huge spike in traffic. Check out HostGator for reliable hosting.
- Using this form requires technical knowledge such as FTP to transfer files, minor HTML & CSS, etc. If that last sentence makes your head spin, you are probably better off starting with wordpress.com OR let the professionals at BluRose do all the dirty work for you.
- Offers a complete control and flexibility of content, meaning you can upload themes, edit themes that exist, plugins, advertising and most of all maintain the integrity of your company brand.
- LAST & MOST IMPORTANT – Search Engine Optimization! You want your content to generate traffic to your domain, not to the wordpress.com domain. Blogs are extremely effective tools for generating traffic & building a solid foundation of search optimized content. If you have a business or think your blog may be valuable in the future, don’t even think about wordpress.com. Get yourself a wordpress.org blog and you’ll thank yourself (or us!) later.
Depending on your objective and long-term goals, you should select something that will specifically suit your needs, objectives, knowledge, budget and commitment. | <urn:uuid:60561bf9-984b-4ab5-a2aa-f22fc5888ac4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blurosemedia.com/tag/paid-vs-free/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921365 | 663 | 1.804688 | 2 |
“Connecting Visitors with Inspired Staff: Training Front-line Staff and Volunteers” will be on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, from 1:30-5 p.m. (not Saturday)
As history professionals, we believe that our sites are special places. Helping visitors
find a connection to these places is at the core of what we do—and is essential for our
long-term sustainability. Every year, visitor research and learning theory provide us with
more information about what the public wants from their visits to museums and historic
sites. Yet we often fail to translate this data into meaningful training that enables our
frontline staff to create excellent experiences for our guests. Instead, guided tours and
interpretive programs often take the form of mini lectures on the topics that interest
the front-line interpretive staff or docents. “Connecting Visitors with Inspired Staff:
Training Front-line Staff and Volunteers” will give participants an opportunity to hone
their training skills. The workshop will provide concrete ways to teach front-line staff
and volunteers to improve their active listening skills, their storytelling abilities, their
adaptability, etc. Through presentations and hands-on activities, the session will
explore how to train paid and unpaid interpretive staff to lead high-quality, pedagogically
sound tours and programs that put the needs and interests of the visitors first.
Participants will consider how to ensure that programs encourage critical thinking, social
interaction, and. . .fun.
Session panelists are Mary Ann Ruelas, of the Education and Outreach Division at the
Arizona Historical Society; Rebecca Martin, the volunteer and tour coordinator at the
National Archives in Washington, DC; and Trina Nelson Thomas, the senior director of
public programs at the Indiana Historical Society.
This program will follow the morning workshop “Connecting Visitors with Inspired
Staff: “Hiring Front-Line Staff and Volunteers,” and the material in the afternoon session
will build on content of the morning session. However, participants are welcome to
attend one without the other.
When registering for the AASLH Annual Meeting, look for the workshop under the
Saturday offerings–but remember that you’ll be attending on Wednesday afternoon. And there are even more workshops that will interest to historic sites. | <urn:uuid:65e5793f-d080-4965-ab5c-591c9dd47d8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://engagingplaces.net/2012/09/24/schedule-change-for-%C2%BD-day-workshop-at-aaslh-annual-meeting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908768 | 483 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Matrices and Forms I
Yesterday, we defined a Hermitian matrix to be the matrix-theoretic analogue of a self-adjoint transformation. So why should we separate out the two concepts? Well, it turns out that there are more things we can do with a matrix than represent a linear transformation. In fact, we can use matrices to represent forms, as follows.
Let’s start with either a bilinear or a sesquilinear form on the vector space . Let’s also pick an arbitrary basis of . I want to emphasize that this basis is arbitrary, since recently we’ve been accustomed to automatically picking orthonormal bases. But notice that I’m not assuming that our form is even an inner product to begin with.
Now we can define a matrix . This completely specifies the form, by either bilinearity or sesquilinearity. And properties of such forms are reflected in their matrices.
For example, suppose that is a conjugate-symmetric sesquilinear form. That is, . Then we look at the matrix and find
so is a Hermitian matrix!
Now the secret here is that the matrix of a form secretly is the matrix of a linear transformation. It’s the transformation that takes us from to by acting on one slot of the form, and written in terms of the basis and its dual. Let me be a little more explicit.
When we feed a basis vector into our form , we get a linear functional . We want to write that out in terms of the dual basis as a linear combination
So how do we read off these coefficients? Stick another basis vector into the form!
which is just the same matrix as we found before. | <urn:uuid:9499e838-b4da-4b2e-b5b6-82832dc48405> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unapologetic.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/matrices-and-forms-i/?like=1&_wpnonce=ab93ff8ff3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938396 | 371 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Grim exploration of the author’s wretched childhood and consequent lifelong relationship with food.
Moore (Never Eat Your Heart Out, 1996) had it rough as a girl. Abandoned by her father at age three-and-a-half, she was left to the mercy of a vicious, violent mother and a possibly sociopathic grandmother. These loveless formative years had a lasting impact: “I hate myself. I have almost always hated myself.” After this introduction and a long consideration of her heavy, adult body and its impact on her life, Moore begins piecing together her past. Prominently featured are the parents who quickly divorced, resulting in long stretches of loneliness for Moore in Oklahoma and New York City. Self-pity might seem all but unavoidable in discussing such circumstances, but the tone here, rather than confessional or exculpatory, has the ring of the analytical. As the author relates the trials she endured—just how fat she was, how her clothing fit, how she started each school year scanning the schoolroom for a classmate heavier than she—the episodes come together to make up a work that could be an anthropological study of the habits of obese children, or a psychological study of the effect of lovelessness on a child’s development. Moore is matter-of-fact in describing childhood beatings; nor does she spare herself, confessing childhood misdeeds that included entering the homes of adults she admired and repeatedly raiding their pantries. Her greatest and most constant love is, of course, food. Here, she offers pages of unctuous descriptions of the texture of a cheeseburger, the composition of a dinner party menu, or the southern-fried feasts she imagines her father devouring as a young man.
Moore warns the reader not to expect a triumphant ending, and she’s true to her word, though her book is strongly written and starkly compelling to the end. | <urn:uuid:1657410e-6535-41d5-b016-126ad5b06152> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/judith-moore/fat-girl/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961261 | 403 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Some measure of justice may finally be coming for 10 disabled children fraudulently adopted and horribly abused by Judith Leekin of Port St. Lucie.
According to The New York Times, lawyers for the children have proposed a $68 million settlement in a civil rights lawsuit against New York City and three contract adoption agencies that had placed the children in Leekin's custody.
Leekin apparently used four aliases to adopt the children, severely disabled with conditions including autism and mental retardation. She allegedly used some of the $1.68 million in payments to care for the children to pay for her Hawthorne Circle home in Port St. Lucie and another home in Sanford. Rather than caring for the children, Leekin caged them, restrained them with plastic ties, beat them, failed to feed them properly or give them medical care, and kept most of them out of school.
Her ability to adopt the children to support her lavish lifestyle represented a monumental failure of the adoption system in New York, which at the time did not cross-check names and addresses, verify references, require fingerprinting or Social Security numbers.
Leekin, 66, moved from New York to Port St. Lucie about 1998 but continued to receive payments for the care of the children, who are now mostly in their 20s, until her scheme was uncovered by Port St. Lucie police in 2007. That July, an 18-year-old girl who had lived in the Leekin home told authorities that her adoptive mother had abandoned her in St. Petersburg. As police investigated, they discovered the other children and disabled adults in her care and documents pointing to the adoption fraud.
The children and adults were turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Leekin has been called a serial criminal who was able to avoid detection by keeping her adopted children and adults away from public view. She allegedly recognized the loopholes in the system and used them to her advantage. A federal judge in New York who sentenced her to 11 years in prison in 2008 on fraud charges described the woman as "diabolical." A judge in St. Lucie County who sentenced her to 20 years in prison in 2009 for abuse of children and disabled adults described her as "reprehensible."
If an agreement is reached on the proposed financial settlement in New York City, 10 of the adopted children will be able to pay for the care they need and specialized services that they have long been unable to receive. For them, there is some potential for a brighter future.
The same cannot be said for the 11th disabled child adopted in New York by Leekin. That 10-year-old boy, described as autistic and suffering from Down syndrome and sickle cell anemia, disappeared from her Port St. Lucie home about 1999. He has never been found and is presumed to be dead.
According to The New York Times, a lawyer for the children argued in August that the lawsuit be settled and payments made due to the "fragile, unstable and precious" condition of the victims. He cited three of the male adoptees between 19 and 24, saying one is on round-the-clock suicide watch, another fathered a child out of wedlock and is homeless, and a third had been arrested for alleged domestic violence against his older brother.
There is an Internet website called "People you will meet in hell." Judith Leekin is prominently featured. That seems about right. | <urn:uuid:0fa7c7ee-1ba2-4095-b8fb-2bf1c49d55e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/49828 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980417 | 707 | 1.53125 | 2 |
8 to 12 Months
No doubt, by the second half of baby's first year, she will repeatedly drop things from her high chair -- a spoon, her bottle, or her sippy cup -- and squeal with delight when you fetch the objects...again and again.
What Babies Learn: This exasperating game actually helps reinforce the concepts of object permanence and cause and effect -- when your baby sends her sippy cup on a nosedive, it doesn't disappear but bounces and rolls across the kitchen floor. It also teaches her about gravity -- what goes up must come down -- and helps her realize that she can make an impact on her environment and get your attention. Bonus!
Game Plan: Save your sanity by giving your baby objects she can drop that won't make a mess, such as a rubber ball, plastic spoon, or paper cup. To add to the fun, be sure to say "Where did it go? There it is!" It can make mealtime a longer affair, but it will probably be less annoying now that you know your child's getting something out of it. If you're game, give her opportunities to drop things throughout the day, such as toy keys off the dining room table. | <urn:uuid:a891f8aa-3347-41d3-9b57-66f8e057c6f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parents.com/baby/development/intellectual/the-benefits-of-playtime-for-babies/?page=8 | 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 | 0.963383 | 249 | 2.3125 | 2 |
August 31, 2010
Where did Poked go?
The column is still around, but this blog is now dormant. We're keeping it around for your browsing pleasure.
Posts about Poked can now be found on my technology blog, The Digital Dish. Poked columns on social media and netiquette are mixed in with local tech news and gadget reviews, but you can always go to the Poked category on the blog to single out the columns.
And of course, you can read them in the print Tech Tuesday section or at MiamiHerald.com.
August 24, 2010
Netiquette of using Facebook Places
Even if you never use Facebook's geo-tagging feature, be aware: thanks to a new Facebook feature, your "friends'' can now post a map of where you are without your permission.
Not comfortable with having the world know where you are at a given moment? Don't panic. A change of privacy settings can block geo-tagging.
But first, you need to know how it works. The newly released feature, called Facebook Places, uses your cellphone's GPS to let you ``check in'' to a nearby establishment and broadcast where you are to your Facebook connections. (In order to ``check in,'' the person doing the tagging must be using Facebook on a cellphone, but anyone can see the information.)
For example, at work I can ``check in'' to The Miami Herald. My profile then says I'm at The Herald, and it shows a map and description of the company, along with other friends who have been here.
Your friends can also do this on your behalf. Facebook Places lets you ``Tag Friends With You'' -- so I can go in and mark off a ton of co-workers (even ones who are not actually in the building), and it shows up on all their profiles as being here.
But ... it's a big netiquette ``no'' to assume others want their location posted to Facebook (or any other social networking site.) If you're out with friends and want to tag them, you need to first ask if no one minds. Even though Facebook's new feature can be turned off, you can't assume everyone is savvy enough to have done that.
If you are queasy about having your whereabouts telegraphed, it's easy to block people from tagging you.
In Facebook, click Account on the far right, and go to Privacy Settings. In the area under Sharing on Facebook, click the link at the bottom of the list that says Customize Settings. There you can see settings related to Facebook Places, including disabling friends from checking in on your behalf.
If your tweens or teens use Facebook, be aware that they can now use their phone to broadcast exactly when and where they are, which can be dangerous if they don't use privacy settings. There's even a way to create a ``check in'' for your home -- something I strongly discourage, no matter what your age.
Despite these warnings, the service has some fun benefits. The instant I walk in, I can quickly let my friends know of a great band playing at a restaurant I'm at, or a store with a sale going on.
If this location feature sounds familiar, that's because it's not new. Third-party applications like Foursquare and Gowalla have been posting this type of information on Facebook for awhile now -- but now that it's a feature built into the Facebook application and mobile website, expect people to use this more frequently.
Big news should be shared personally, not on Facebook
Some news just shouldn't be seen first on Facebook.
Your mom got engaged. Your daughter is moving to another state. Your niece is pregnant.
When I come across stories of people discovering huge news about close family members and friends on Facebook, it shocks me. You might think those examples must be unique cases of someone with poor manners, or an estranged relationship. But they aren't.
I asked my social networks about this topic and some shared eye-opening examples of best friends and close family breaking news -- mostly involving moving and engagement -- in a status message instead of picking up a phone.
To those who are guilty of doing this, your argument could be that Facebook is designed to find out what your friends are up to, and the tool makes it a convenient way to spread news about life changes in a time-crunched world.
I agree that Facebook is a fantastic tool for announcing news to your friends. And I've learned about friends getting engaged or having a baby on there -- but it's never someone who is exceptionally close to me.
Your best friends, parents, siblings and other close relatives should not be treated the same as the other 500 acquaintances on your social network. Posting that news on a status message tells them they are no different than anyone else.
A Twitter user shared a story with me about finding out about her best friend's engagement from a blog post. She said the friendship fell apart after the hurt feelings.
Technology can make us lazy in our communication skills, especially for those hooked on updating Facebook frequently. That said, it's sad for a friendship to be demolished because of a mindless faux pas. If it happened to me, I'd be very hurt, but I'd also let that person know that I would rather not learn about big news that way.
The majority of our time online is spent on social networks. According to Nielsen, social networks take up 22.7 percent of the time spent online, compared to 15.8 percent last year.
Because of that, you can't assume everyone treats social media the same way you do. Many of the examples I heard came from parents of 20-something-year-olds. Younger people have grown up using Facebook and texting as primary communication tools. But we shouldn't let it be the primary tool in every circumstance.
I've also seen drama unfold over news that isn't as big as marriage. One out-of-town user was hit with comments like, ``Why didn't you tell me you were back in Miami?'' after posting a status message about having lunch nearby. Needless to say, it's an awkward moment that could have been avoided with a quick text message to close friends -- or privacy settings to block unwanted people from knowing.
July 27, 2010
Social Media has evolved. Have you?
In the world of social media, two years seems like a century.
When Bridget and I started writing this column in October 2008, Twitter was just becoming well-known, Foursquare wasn't, and we were hoping to prevent bosses from friending their subordinates on Facebook.
Well, two out of three isn't bad.
I've been thinking over the past two years of Poked quite a bit this week, since it's my last week working for The Miami Herald. I'm moving to a new job at Chicago Public Radio - and it's made me think quite a bit about how life has changed online.
While I've become more laid-back about letting people into, for example, my Facebook world, it's still only for people I've met in real-life. And all the conversations about Facebook and privacy have confirmed long-held opinions I have about being cautious about anything I put into writing.
A new "Digital Future'' study released last week paints a similar contradictory picture of life online: While the percentage of Americans using the Internet are at an all-time high, the amount of people who say they find information online reliable or trustworthy is at an all-time low. When the information is on a social networking site, even heavy users have a low opinion of the information's reliability and accuracy.
USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism has been publishing its Digital Future study annually since 2000. The school noted that during that time, as Internet use had grown and become more mainstream, it would seem logical that people's attitudes about it would also stabilize.
"Yet beginning with our first Digital Future Study in 2000, and in every year since, we have found extraordinary levels of shifting views, new and evolving attitudes about technology, adoption of new media, and casting off of old methods as part of involvement -- or not being involved -- in the online experience,'' the Center for Digital Future's Director, Jeffrey Cole, said in a statement about the study. (Cole was traveling out of the country when I wrote the column for the paper, so we weren't able to communicate in person.)
In the Digital Future study, more than half of the people surveyed said the Internet was important or very important to maintaining social relationships.
For me, maintaining relationships online will be even more important, when I move - but one constant for me will remain: using the digital world to keep these relationships going, whether they were made online through Twitter or maintained through Facebook.
July 19, 2010
How to avoid your ex online
Breakups are rough. Especially in the age of social media, which require a whole extra level of separation. Enter Blockyourex.com, which makes the whole process much easier:
Thanks to @Skydiver for pointing this one out!
Posting photos of the kids comes with its own netiquette
Technology has made it easier than ever for parents to document and share every cute kid moment on Facebook.
But that doesn't mean every moment should be shared.
I don't have a child, but
I've heard of parents going through a few awkward situations when it
comes to posting photos of children. So I spoke to several parents who
are active on social networks, and there seems to be a few key issues
everyone agrees on.
• Keep the bathtub and potty
training photos to yourself and the grandparents. Naked photos are too
personal to share on Facebook. If you depend on Facebook as the main way
to share photos with family, then use privacy settings to limit access
just to a select few family members.
• Take caution when posting a photo of kids that aren't your own. I've come across a few parents that don't want their children on Facebook at all, so be sure to ask a parent if it's OK to post the pic on Facebook before doing so.
And if you are one of those parents who is
worried about what is shared on Facebook, kindly let your friends and
family know ahead of time to avoid an awkward situation later.
• Out of respect for safety, don't tag a child's full name on Facebook. Some parents told me they never put their own kid's real names online. Some just use an initial when mentioning a child in a status message or in a photo.
• If you make your photos public to people outside of immediate family, avoid revealing where the child goes to school. If the child wears a uniform, be sure to crop out the uniform logo in the picture. It's a good way to keep safe from predators. (It's also a policy that the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami sends home to parents.)
• Since most teenagers think their parent is embarrassing, a few parents of tweens and teens gave me some advice on how to avoid being annoying online. Some ask their kid if they can post a photo to Facebook before doing so. Others will post regardless, but let their teen do the tagging.
It used to be that mom and dad got out the dusty photo album to show off baby pictures. Now, a whole generation of kids are growing up in an age where the world sees their baby photos before they can talk. So for those that can't wait to show every adorable moment, just ask yourself, ``Would I be embarrassed if this was posted about me?''
As momblogger Karen Ziemkowski posted on her Twitter account, ``your kid is a person, not a pet.'' She keeps in mind that anything she posts will be around when her son grows up.
So that naked photo of your kid covered in poop . . . yeah, not something that should be shared with the world.
July 02, 2010
World Cup and Social Media, part II
Ok, so we all know the World Cup has crashed Twitter, with the fail whale appearing with even greater frequency than bad calls by World Cup refs.
But how's Facebook managing it all?
The New York Times has a nifty graphic today detailing which players are getting the most mentions on Facebook every day:
Is this journalism that will change the world? No, but that doesn't stop me from loving it any less. I think it's perfect for the Friday before a holiday weekend.
June 29, 2010
Think your work Blackberry is private?
Today's Poked column was inspired by a coworker, who came to me with a query I suspect is fairly common, about privacy and our work phones. It made me think that many folks have spent quite a bit of time complaining about Facebook and its privacy issues, but it also made me wonder if they've taken the time to look at another privacy issue: what's being monitored on our work equipment like Blackberries.
It also made me realize that I haven't really read our company's IT policy? It's 13 pages long, single-spaced. If I had read past the first few paragraphs, I would have come across a very clearly stated policy -- on page two -- that details how I have absolutely no "reasonable expectation'' of privacy or confidentiality when I'm using company equipment like a desktop computer or Blackberry, even if I'm using my personal e-mail account.
I wonder if Sgt. Quon of the Ontario, Calif., police department read his company policy before he signed it. His was fairly similar to mine. Still, Quon argued that when the police department read personal text messages he sent from his company-issued pager, they were violating his constitutional right against unreasonable search.
Quon took the case to the Supreme Court, which ruled against him.
The court took care to say that it was a narrow decision, cautioning that it should not be used to establish "far-reaching premises that define the existence, and extent, of privacy expectations of employees using employer-provided communication devices.''
Journalists, like many professionals, practically live on their Blackberries. (Well, not me -- but I do live on my Droid, although I own it.) They have their work e-mail accounts, but also personal e-mail, Facebook and instant messaging, at least, installed on their smartphones.
I've always been skeptical about anything I do on a work computer or device. But I'm just one camp, says employment lawyer Chris Parlo. Parlo, who is based in New York with Morgan Lewis, says there's a whole other group of people out there, like my co-worker, and like Quon, who have different expectations of privacy.
Parlo thinks the Supreme Court decision has put companies and workers on notice.
Employers need to make sure they have policies that are well-known, clear and broad, so it captures all devices, situations and scenarios in which this might be an issue.
Workers need to have a reality check, too, he says. "I think the average worker has to understand that they're not free to do whatever they want, and should pay careful attention to what the employer has told them about what restrictions of personal use are on workplace devices.''
Have you read your company's IT policy? Did it made you switch from one camp to the other?
June 10, 2010
World Cup edition
Bridget's fairly indifferent to the World Cup (she describes herself as someone who "watches the last game") but this is one of my favorite times of the (every four) years! Our friends over at the newly launched Pitch to the Rhino have put together this cool guide of each team's social media presence:
And, if you want to follow the game in real-time on Twitter, they've just launched a new web site fully dedicated to the beautiful game. Wired has all the details.
June 08, 2010
Five guidelines to avoid looking like a dweeb on Foursquare, Gowalla
With any new social media tool comes new social media user gaffes.
Though each functions a little differently, the idea is much the same, a high-techy personalized version of "Carmen Sandiego." When you arrive at a location, you use the mobile phone applications to "check in," letting the world know: "Hey, look where I am!'' Some marketers are using these oversharing games to their advantage and offering discounts to frequent visitors. (Starbucks does this, and I included a screen grab of their reward here as an example.)
You can also friend your favorite users to see where they are. And you can post your check-in announcements on Facebook and Twitter.
So why do this? Well, you can collect points and awards with the more you do, and compare them with other users. For example, you'll get a School Night award badge on Foursquare if you checked into a place after 3 a.m. on a school night. Or you can get a Lucha Libre pin on Gowalla after checking in at 10 Mexican food spots. (For now, at least, the points won't get you anything more than recognition.)
That said, if you want to get into the game, I recommended you play nice and follow these five basic guidelines to avoid looking like a twit:
1. We know you go to work every day, and you're awesome for doing so. But please spare the world and avoid publishing these mundane check-ins announcements to your Facebook and Twitter feeds. You can get the Foursquare or Gowalla points even if you don't share it with Facebook and Twitter. It adds pointless noise to your profile feeds.
2. You can also spare the world from announcing on Facebook and Twitter every time you visit some fast food drive-through or grocery mart. Unless there's something special going on at the time, you look pretty lame bragging to the world that you're picking up some milk or getting a Crunchwrap Supreme.
3. It's a bad idea to create a check-in location for your home or your friend's home. Sure, it's a cheap way to get more points. But it lets everyone in the neighborhood see what user lives there. (And when that user isn't home.) If you regret making a check-in for your home, contact the support team to remove it for you.
4. When you're one of the first users in an area, sometimes you have to create the profile of the place. Please, for the sake of being a good community player, take the time to spell the place correctly and use proper punctuation. I've seen way too many instances where names are spelled wrong, so people create doubles and clutter the space.
5. Speaking of clutter, don't create check-in locations for every room of your building. A church near my home even has a check-in for every men's and women's bathroom. Aside from the gross oversharing, it crowds out other places that are near me. If my app doesn't show the CVS near me because you would rather let the world know you are mayor of the bathroom, I think it's time to put down the phone. | <urn:uuid:621442e0-d4d9-4ac7-a04c-1647050c5023> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://miamiherald.typepad.com/poked/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963707 | 3,975 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Almost all Iraqis speak and understand their official language, Arabic. Arabic, a Semitic language, was introduced by the Arab conquerors and has three different forms: classic, modern standard, and voice. Classical Arabic, the best known scientists, is the written language of the Koran. Modern Standard Arabic, which is almost the same structure in all Arabic speaking countries, is taught in schools for reading and writing. The spoken language is Arabic Iraq, and is very similar to that spoken in Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Jordan. Those who go to school to learn Modern Standard Arabic, and many who do not attend school are probably the least understood. The main differences between the modern standard Arabic and Iraqi, changes in the verb, and an overall simplicity of the grammar of spoken Arabic.
Iraqi Beautiful Girls Photos
Iraq, embraces and celebrates the achievements of the past in the pre-Islamic times. What is now Iraq was once the cradle of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia and the culture of Sumer, where the writing and the wheel was invented. In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Muslim Abbasid caliph presided over what was then one of the richest civilizations in the world.Iraq beautiful girls photos brought to you by beautiful girls photo network. Iraq girls are cute nice and attractive. your beloved Iraq girls photos looked young. Iraq girls picture gallery is free to use as wallpaper screensaver. non-model uncommon young girls.
Basra Investment Commission has announced a new investment opportunity for the establishment of power in the Hartha area. The new plant will have a capacity of 100 megawatts. Companies interested in this opportunity should contact Basra Investment Commission. Unemployment in Iraq has reached one million, according to a report of AKnews. Dara Hasan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, told the agency: “We are working on a plan to bring down unemployment. There are 13 new laws ready to be issued, which will protect employees and stabilized.
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