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It seems every month I describe a certificate I have received as the most important one for my research or the most interesting one. The death certificate of Ann GEERING certainly fits into both categories, as it has given me critical evidence about my GEERINGs.
This has been the only certificate I have ordered this month, not because of the price increase, but because I wasn’t really sure which, if any, I would need next.
I mentioned the discovery of an Ann GEERING in Lewes, Sussex in the 1841 census in a previous post. This lead me to wonder whether she was my 5x great-grandmother, the wife of James GEERING, who I had previously thought had died much earlier.
The certificate provides enough evidence for me to safely say that Ann was my 5x great-grandmother. Ann GEERING died on the 2nd May 1844 in Lewes, Sussex. The cause of death seems rather unusual to me, paralysis was the official cause, but there is no suggestion as to how this paralysis came about or whether it had been a long term medical condition.
The death was registered by Eliza GEERING of St Johns, Lewes who was present at the death. Eliza is probably my 4x great-grandmother, wife of Richard GEERING. Ann had been living with Richard and Eliza (and their children) in 1841.
The really important piece of information was her occupation, she is described as “Wife of James Geering Chemist”. I have no doubt that this is James GEERING (my 5x great-grandfather) from Hailsham, Sussex. This fact provides me with the link between the GEERINGs in Hailsham and Lewes that I have been looking for.
Now I also have an age at death for Ann, from which I can calculate an approximate year of birth, which I had previously not known. Unfortunately it also raises the question that troubled me in my previous post, why were James and Ann seemingly living apart, and were buried in separate towns? Answers on a postcard please… | <urn:uuid:66563d6a-fdae-4a4b-9c19-c2c8fdfbe47d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wanderinggenealogist.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/death-certificate-of-ann-geering-2/?like=1&_wpnonce=b93d0ca0fa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990929 | 441 | 1.578125 | 2 |
|| An end to silence: Child sex abuse victims speaking out
by Jerome Elam
The Washington Times - Communities
WASHINGTON , November 26, 2011—The world of college sports had been thrown off balance by recent allegations of sexual abuse against Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach at Penn State University. Sandusky is accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with young boys he met through the “Second Mile” charity he founded in 1977, and using the athletic facilities at Penn State as a haven for his abusive actions.
Since the release of the grand jury report on November 4 of this year, a growing list of victims have come forward to speak of their abuse by Sandusky. The most recent accusations have come from one of his own grandchildren.
Allegations of sexual abuse first rocked the Catholic Church beginning in 2002 and the reverberations from this scandal placed a crack in the wall of silence that has imprisoned victims for many years. Accusations have recently surfaced against Bernie Fine an assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University and a Citadel summer camp counselor.
The Penn State scandal has begun the demolition of the wall of silence surrounding pedophilia, and like the liberation of East Germany, those victims of childhood sexual abuse now have a fighting chance to find justice for stolen childhoods and vandalized dreams.
As victims of childhood molestation boys face significant and unique barriers in reporting what they intuitively know is inappropriate behavior. Approximately 1,460 children died in 2005 due to child abuse or neglect. Seventy-nine percent of these children were under the age of 4 years old.
Statistically one in eight males are a victim of abuse and a child has to tell seven adults of suspected abuse before he or she is taken seriously. The male ego is conditioned by society with an aversion to weakness, and the crime of molestation incites a lifelong hemorrhage of self esteem that can become fatal if not treated. Rates of suicide among male victims of childhood sexual abuse are 14 times higher than the norm and they are 38 times more likely to die from a drug overdose.
Male victims are also prone to more aggressive behavior than female victims. A male victim is 53% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile compared to others and 38% more likely to be arrested for violent crime as an adult. Victims face a lifetime battle with depression, anger, addiction and possibly suicide and the cost to society is the loss of a productive individual who could have changed the world if it were not for their victimization. Society also bears the cost of providing Mental Health Services and incarceration for those who resort to crime.
I have a unique perspective on this issue because as a boy of three years old I became a victim of sexual abuse that lasted nine years. I was victimized by a family member who was not a blood relative as happens in many cases of abuse. Born to a teenage mother who lacked the maturity to adequately care for a child I became unwanted baggage that attracted anger at the burden I imposed. Married at seventeen and divorced at twenty my mother banned my biological father from contact after his physical abuse of her.
Forced to move with Grandparents who cultivated a culture of dysfuctionality while my mother often disappeared for days at a time. I was left at the mercy of my Grandfather whose angry outbursts left me scarred from beatings that drew blood at every instance. My mother spent her life in a dysfuctional haze stumbling through a succession of failed relationships and marriages that invited the abuse I suffered into my life.
I have battled the wounds inflicted by my mothers irresponsibility my entire life and struggled with depression. More well known male survivors of childhood sexual abuse include James Dean, Carlos Santana, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Connolly, John Peel and Massachusetts senator Scott Brown.
Pedophiles are masters of disguise and span social class and ethnicity. They are pillars of the community and use that position as a shield from public scrutiny. On the average those convicted of sexually abusing a child serve less than a year of jail time and 32% to 46% serve no jail time at all.
The world of dysfunction is their hunting grounds and they manipulate their victims with kindness and caring forming an bond absent in the child's life. Emotional blackmail is the most effective tool in the Pedophile's arsenal. They target and isolate a child of dysfunction and shower them with the affection that their lives have been severely lacking. Once their victim has been sufficiently conditioned the Pedophile begins a series of inappropriate touching or other behavior that escalates. A fragile sense of self worth is exploited to coerce the child into participation and silence.
Jerry Sandusky is alleged to have used the charity he founded in 1977, “The Second Mile Foundation,” as a dysfucntional shopping mart for victims. Allegations were leveled against him in 1998 by an 11 year old boy who said Sandusky had inappropriate contact with him in the shower of Penn State's athletic facility. An investigation by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and University Police evaporated with Sandusky promising not to do it again.
The hard fact is unless there are credible adult witnesses who are willing to testify or video evidence the prosecution of a pedophile is like ice skating uphill. The brave few who speak out find themselves further victimized by the persona of the pedophile, cultivated to disguise their true nature. Supporters flock to their defense vouching for their unimpeachable character.
A thief prefers stealth over discovery and the act of stealing someone's innocence is done with skill unrivaled by any criminal. Victims and their supporters are subjected to immense pressure to retreat to a world of invisible suffering and that has to become unacceptable in a society based on each voice being heard. Sheer numbers can sometimes overcome the obstacles to reports of abuse being taken seriously as in the case of those abused by Priests.
However, the process of giving testimony reopens deep wounds and throws victims into a tailspin when they are forced to relive such a traumatic event. In playing the “Devil's Advocate” I am sure there are accusations that can be unfounded but that is why we need a credible and unbiased investigation of abuse claims by an organization with no ties to the alleged perpetrator that has credibility with survivor networks, Mental Health Professionals and Law Enforcement.
Another important issue is that of the abused becoming the abuser. It is the typical defense strategy of any pedophile who faces imminent prosecution. Jerry Sandusky's lawyers probably already have this story in place for use at trial. The bottom line is that you cannot justify the monstrosity of abuse by repeating it.
Jewish victims of the Holocaust did not round Nazi's up and subject them to the horrors they experienced. They transformed their horror into something constructive and allowed their persecutors to be tried by a War Crimes Tribunal. The majority of sexual abuse survivors find the notion of victimizing a child so offensive they would rather die than repeat the same violence done to them.
So trying to win sympathy after you have stolen someone's childhood away and doomed them to endure a personal hell their entire life by saying you were abused is like putting a fire out with gasoline.
I am no longer embarrassed by the fact that I was molested as a child, though for a long time I was. I was ashamed that I allowed it to happen to me because in my own mind I didn't process how vulnerable I was as a child, until I had my own children. Having them has been the single most healing experience of my life and with the help of a gifted therapist I have learned to accept happiness into my life.
However, there are many languishing in the adverse effects of victimization by predators exploiting their dysfunctional circumstances. Alone and suffering due a lack of health care coverage or trapped in an over medicated haze by a system that prays at the altar of the drug companies many choose suicide as an end to their pain.
To effect change the voice of the abused is only effective when buttressed by those who support and care for them and it is only through their voice that things will change. There has been a groundswell of support since the revelations of abuse in the Catholic Church and organizations such as Male Survivor and RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network are bringing those who have been sexually abused together.
Victims of childhood molestation now have a model for change in the way society sees them. Starting with the revelations of abuse by priests in the Catholic Church and progressing to the allegations against Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky victims have the chance to incite their own “Arab spring.”
The tide is now rising in States like California where Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego has introduced new legislation. It would require coaches at higher learning institutions both public and private to have the same legal responsibilities as doctors and therapists in reporting instances of abuse. It would also increase penalties fir those who “willfully fail” to report abuse.
The states of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey have seen a significant increase in reports of child abuse since the allegations against Sandusky became public.
It is only by the courage of sheer numbers that the system can be changed permanently and what we are seeing now is a gathering crowd in the Tahrir Square of humanity's conscience and a rising voice for change.
1.) Martinez, Michael and CNN Wire Staff. Judge bars disclosure of alleged victim's identity in Sandusky case CNN.com 23 November 2011. 23 November 2011
2.) Associated Press. “Sandusky lawyer says 1 new abuse claim is because of family turmoil, another a copycat” Washington Post.com.23 November 2011. 23 November 2011
3.) Bolton F.,Morris, L and MacEachron,A. “Males at risk: The other side of sexual abuse.” Newbury Park, CA:Sage,1989.
4.) Finklehor,D, “Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Childhood sexual abuse” The Future of Children Vol 4 No 2 Summer/Fall 1994.
5.) O'Hanlon Ryan “James Dean Among Victims of Sexual Abuse”
The Good Men Project. 7 April 2011. Web 23 November 2011.
6.) Morven Fyfe and Peter Saunders. Survivors' Stories United Kingdom: 11th Commandment Publishing 2007.
7.) U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. (2005). Summary Child Maltreatment 2002
8.) Boyles, Salynn. “Do Sexually Abused Kids Become Abusers?” WebMD Health News 6 February 2003. 23 November 2011
9.) Lagos, Marisa. “Penn State scandal prompts California bills” San Francisco Chronicle 23 November 2011. 23 November 2011
10.) Dahl,Julia. “Rise in child abuse reports in Pa., N.Y., N.J. amid Penn State scandal” CBS News.com. 23 November 2011. 23 November 2011
11.) “Suicide and fatal drug overdose in child sexual abuse victims: a historical cohort study” Med J Aust 2010 Feb 15;192(4):184-7 Margaret C Cutajar, Paul E Mullen, James R P Ogloff, Stuart D Thomas, David L Wells and Josie Spataro Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. MJA 2010; 192 (4): 184-187
Jerome Elam is a reader contributor to the Communities @WashingtonTimes.com As a citizen contributor, he is fully responsible for his content which does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Communities or the parent banner, The Washington Times. | <urn:uuid:72d36699-b3b5-4a98-93d8-b1c9f6f8b570> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://naasca.org/2012-Articles/010212-AnEndToSilence-JeromeElam.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95887 | 2,385 | 1.75 | 2 |
Test reports relating to the use of new media in schools
Before purchasing, installing and operating new hardware, software or peripheral devices in schools it is important to determine whether they are suitable in educational contexts as well as compatible with the existing IT structure in order to avoid a bad investment.
Thus, fraLine advises Frankfurt schools prior to procurement.
On this site, we provide test results related to the compatibility and runnability of selected educational or learning software as well as educational remote and administration software.
Our systematic tests are run on computers that technically comply with the latest standards in schools.
On this site, schools receive information on whether the software they are planning to use will run without problems or which future investments (e.g. purchase and installation of new operating systems) will be necessary for their intended purposes.
Our systematic comparison of alternative software and hardware solutions also provides a good orientation guide when it comes to choosing products that exactly match the schools´ requirements.
If you cannot find answers to your questions on this site, our hotline staff will be pleased to help you. You can reach us during weekdays from 9.00 to 16.00 and on Fridays until 14.00 under the following number 069/1533-2000.
|Educational and Learning Software
|Here, we have put together some extensive guidance related to educational and learning software available on the Internet.
Only in German: Report by Kirsten Lauer, 2005 [PDF, 70 kB]
Remote and Administration Solutions and Hardware Protection Cards
|Software for Schools or Easy Learning and Administration -
Remote Administration Software in the Classroom
In 2004 one of our interns tested software facilitating administrative work in the classroom and containing additional features that match educational requirements. Software that was tested: "InIS Smile 4.0.320" by Ramcke Daten Technik and "NetSupportSchool 7.5" by NetSupport specializing in monitoring und admin tools. In the area of Windows/User Administration the products "LANiS" by HeLP und "WebAdmin for School" by Streambase were tested.
Only in German: Report by Thomas Németh, 2004 [PDF, 200 kB], in German
|Hardware Protection Cards
In fall 2002 the municipal education authority invited several providers of hardware protection devices to present their products. Please find more detailed information on hardware protection cards (which, among other things, provide the possibility to reset PCs into their original condition after restart) in our FAQ.
The following hardware protection cards have been examined more closely by our employees:
The definition of common standards has several advantages:
|Comparison of Alternative Solutions for Internet-/Screen-Blockage (Situational Internet Access) in School Computer Labs
You would like to control the Internet access of computers in a school computer lab according to need? What options do you have?
Results of this comparison can be found in our FAQ.
|Imaging vs. Cloning
Advantages and disadvantages of cloning (installing identical software configurations on several computers) with the help of "Dr. Kaiser" Cloning or Imaging Software.
Only in German: Report by Niels Orlopp, 2005 [PDF, 37,7 kB], in German. | <urn:uuid:67135dae-7971-494c-93ac-56add17c3c2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fraline.de/index.php/en/publications/test-reports | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921423 | 661 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Michael Mazourek has had an interest in growing plants since he was a toddler. Today he is the newly designated Calvin Noyes Keeney Professor of Plant Breeding. He has created some unique fruits and vegetables, like the Farmer’s Daughter melon. He is also the proud creator of black and white cucumbers, reports Physorg.com.
Among recent releases from his lab: the Habanada pepper, a mild habanero that still packs a powerful flavor punch; the Farmer’s Daughter melon, which tastes a little like pear and slips off the vine when ripe; and the black-spined white Salt and Pepper cucumber, which has garnered awards for its unexpectedly sweet flavor.
Current projects under way include purple snap peas and miniaturized vegetables with vivid colors, stripes and polka dots that he hopes will charm children and serve as “delicious, cleverly disguised vitamins.”
Mazourek says there is a growing market for unusual vegetables. One of his biggest advocates is celebrity-chef Dan Barber, who introduces diners at his famous Blue Hill restaurant to Cornell creations like curled snap peas and Honeynut squash. Barber’s input has also informed Mazourek’s research, as he uses the chef’s suggestions to create new varieties.
Beyond the funky flavors and colors, Mazourek’s vegetables have practical purposes: nutritional content, disease and pest resistance, and suitability for organic and regional growing conditions.
“We’re interested in the whole package — something that provides quality for the consumer and performs well for the farmer, with the minimal environmental impact,” Mazourek said. “In organic farming, in particular, you have fewer crutches. It is largely up to the plant to be able to succeed on its own.”
Photo by Kristian Høgsberg | <urn:uuid:7ec60db4-0752-4180-83be-55b799cc7df2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2012/09/22/the-inventor-of-fruits-and-vegetables/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943743 | 391 | 2.53125 | 3 |
There are 1 item(s) tagged with the keyword "WIndow".
- Displaying: 1 - 1 of 1
- 1. Configure GIT server on windows server 2008
We are using SVN since long time as version control system for our local development and quite happy with it as well until I come across GIT. GIT get lots of popularity in last couple of years but never get chance to look into this Although we were hosted some of our open source project/code on github.com and pretty easy to use and impressed with forking ability. After getting use to with GIT it was time to implementation, we do not want to move our code to github.com or other same kind of website rather create Git server on our local environment only and on windows server. | <urn:uuid:f4670a87-f667-477d-a866-93551a3281d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://isummation.com/blog/day-15-coldfusion-10-and-cfc-enhacement/tag/WIndow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945617 | 162 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Give War a Chance
Could we have won Vietnam?
Sep 30, 2002, Vol. 8, No. 03 • By CHRISTOPHER LYNCH
The Myth of Inevitable U.S. Defeat in Vietnam
Steel My Soldiers' Hearts
Real Lessons of the Vietnam War
THE WORD "tragedy" is perhaps the most frequently intoned about the Vietnam War, and usually what is intended by it is a sense that American involvement in the war was a mistake and American defeat was inevitable. That kind of proposition, however, is like a gauntlet thrown down to historians, and an interesting turn has begun to take place in recent years as more and more historians start to suggest the exact opposite of the conventional understanding of Vietnam--namely, that the war was just and necessary, and that an American victory was entirely possible.
So, for instance, C. Dale Walton, in "The Myth of Inevitable U.S. Defeat in Vietnam," catalogues the errors that led to the fall of Saigon in 1975, persuasively--if inelegantly--arguing that they could have been avoided. Walton maintains that Vietnam "has consistently been the most strategically misappraised of all U.S. conflicts." His work shows the path by which the experts' "tendency to view operational difficulties . . . as insurmountable barriers to U.S. victory" and their corresponding "reluctance to acknowledge that the United States had compensating advantages" have led us into moral as well as strategic confusion.
Walton rightly resists the temptation to pin American failure on a single problem--political, cultural, or military. But he turns that point around to make it a stinging indictment: "There were numerous roads to victory, but . . . Washington chose none of them." Victory, according to Walton, was attainable by means ranging from a slightly modified version of the limited-war strategy actually adopted to a full-blown invasion of the North. Properly aware of the limits of counterfactual arguments, Walton offers considerable evidence that his preferred alternatives (the hot pursuit of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces into their Cambodian and Laotian sanctuaries and the effective coordination of the bombing campaigns in the North with the ground war in the South) were genuine possibilities at the time. A fear of Chinese intervention prevented leaders from availing themselves of either option.
The high point of "The Myth of Inevitable U.S. Defeat in Vietnam" is its analysis of how an independent and sustainable South Vietnam could have been attained relatively early by an intelligent prosecution of the ground war. Walton shows that the American commander, General William Westmoreland, was dealt a bad hand and then played it poorly. Washington refused him sufficient troops for simultaneously defeating both the enemy's main forces and their small, widely dispersed guerrilla cells. Westmoreland chose to put all his eggs in the search-and-destroy basket, first in the hopes of repeating early successes in major engagements, then in order to "attrit" an enemy constantly replenished by the North. Walton argues that Westmoreland should have instead cut his army's disproportionately long logistical tail and aggressively trained the South Vietnamese army in order to tap into its vast manpower; at the same time, he should have built up successful counterinsurgency programs. By so doing, the United States could have fought well in the big war and the small war, destroying "main force units" while "pacifying" rural areas.
MEANWHILE, for another recent author--Colonel David H. Hackworth--Vietnam was all about beating the guerrillas at their own game. "Steel My Soldiers' Hearts," Hackworth's account of his third tour in Vietnam, is as riveting and profane as Walton's strategic analysis is sober and clinical. The book chronicles Hackworth's four-month transformation of a demoralized, ragtag battalion fighting in the Mekong Delta into a staggeringly effective force. Hackworth seems a combination of General Patton, Mel Gibson's stolid Colonel Moore in "We Were Soldiers," and "M*A*S*H"'s gung-ho and slightly demented CIA officer, Colonel Flagg. But Hackworth's self-promotion and occasional recklessness can be forgiven in light of his well-attested tactical brilliance, devotion to his men, and ability to inspire by "leading from up front"--not to mention his (and his co-author and wife's) narrative gifts. | <urn:uuid:0e596e65-1200-4afa-97d0-fa2a657a3797> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Protected/Articles/000/000/001/681flxvu.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968511 | 926 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Program Office: Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Programs
CFDA Number: 84.364
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants
This program helps LEAs improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access
to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists.
Districts may use funds for the following activities:
- Purchase up-to-date school library media resources, including books;
- Acquire and use advanced technology that is integrated into the curricula to develop and enhance
the information literacy, information retrieval, and critical-thinking skills of students;
- Facilitate Internet links and other resource-sharing networks;
- Provide professional development for school library media specialists of PK-3 students and provide activities that foster increased collaboration among library specialists, teachers, and administrators of PK-12 students; and
- Provide students with access to school libraries during nonschool hours, weekends, and summer vacations. | <urn:uuid:a0fa2e68-fd6d-4473-b183-8a251b8315bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.ed.gov/programs/lsl/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916204 | 206 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Fiction and Non-fiction Writing Contests: The Catskills and the Holocaust.
These two contests are part of a book project, Summer Haven: How the Catskills Experienced the Holocaust, edited by Dr. Holli Levitsky, Professor of English and Director of Jewish Studies at Loyola Marymount University, and Dr. Phil Brown, Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies at Brown University, which will provide a locus for literature exploring the experience of the Holocaust in the Catskills.
The contest is sponsored by the Catskills Institute, Jewish Book Council, the “1939” Club, the Sigi Ziering Institute at American Jewish University, Brown University Judaic Studies Program, the Jewish Studies Program at Loyola Marymount University, the Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Symposium, AskAbigail.com, and the Four Seasons Lodge film group.
Submissions are due July 1, 2012. The contest will be judged by a panel of eminent writers in the field of Jewish literature and scholarship. On Sept.1, the judges’ decision will be announced. The winners will receive $500 and up to $500 in travel costs to present the winning entries at the Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Symposium in Miami, Florida November 11-13, 2012. The winning entries will also be published in the Levitsky and Brown book.
"Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort"
"Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort" a documentary about the Catskills experience by Caroline Laskow and Ian Rosenberg will have its world premiere as the Closing Night film of the New York Jewish Film Festival on January 26, 2012. Tickets for the screenings have already sold out, but you can find out more about the film at their Facebook page, on their website, and watch the trailer on youtube.
Laskow and Rosenberg also were recently invited to write an Op-Ed on "Why the Catskills Experience Matters" for NYC public television's website MetroFocus.
Catskill Musical Memories show
The Yiddish Artists & Friends-Actors Club presents “Catskill Musical Memories: A Yiddish Klezmer Musical Comedy Salute to ‘The Mountains’ ” Starring Joanne Engel with Special Guest Emcee Fyvush Finkel. Accompanied by the Howard Leshaw Klezmer Orchestra.
Monday June 20 9 pm Sutton Place Synagogue, 225 E. 51 St. New York City. All tickets $25. For information and group sales, call Ruth Harris 516-569-1678 or email email@example.com.
Great new website for Sha-wan-ga Lodge
The Dan family, past owners of Sha-wan-ga Lodge, have a wonderful website with hundreds of images, providing a look at the many facets of hotel life. Materials go back to the 1920s and all the way till the hotel stopped operating in the 1980s. http://shawanga.com/shawanga/
Welcome to Our New Site
Welcome to the new Catskills Institute website. We are very grateful to Brown University for its wonderful support through the Scholarly Technology Group and the Center for Digital Scholarship. Elli Mylonas, Ann Caldwell, Robin Ness, and Kerri Hicks spent countless hours developing this new archive and its website. Thousands of items from the Catskills Institute Archives have been scanned in at high resolution, and accompanying metadata provides much useful background information. You can now search for all sort of materials by hotel or bungalow colony name, by type of object (e.g. menu, postcard, stationery), or by thumbnail. We are proud to now feature a whole section devoted to the beautiful postcard artistry of Alfred Landis. The bulletin board has an automatic posting mechanism for your queries. Please spend some time and enjoy this new archive/website that preserves the glorious legacy of the Jewish Catskills.
Catskills Bungalow Heritage Museum
Meeting on Sunday, June 13th. 11 AM, Mountaindale Firehouse, 136 Main Street, Mountaindale, NY 12763
We invite all interested individuals to attend a meeting to discuss the creation of a Catskills Bungalow Heritage Museum. The purpose of the proposed museum is the preservation of the heritage and history of bungalow colonies in the Catskills. The meeting will discuss the following topics:
- Physical acquisition and restoration of at least 3 original period bungalows.
- Presentation of furniture, objects, photographs and ephemera from era.
- Preservation of the history of tenants and tourists of the bungalow colonies
- Collection of oral histories of former owners and service businesses for the bungalow colonies.
Contact: Raymon Elozua - firstname.lastname@example.org - 212-60-1239
Ian Rosenberg & Carol Laskow's documentary about Kutsher's Country Club, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, is in post-production. They are still seeking photos and videos. For more information, see their site.
Growing Up At Grossinger's (March, 2008)
Funny Boys (March, 2008)
A new book by Warren Adler (Random Hearts, The War of the Roses) on Catskills' gangsters.
Middletown Railroad Day (July, 2008)
Sunday, July 27, 2008, 10am-5pm at the Middletown Senior Center (62-70 West Main St., Middletown, NY. For more info, click here
New essay on Catskills food by noted travel and food writer Janet Forman
Catskills on Film (Oct. 2007)
On October 24th, 2007 at 7:00 pm, the Museum of Jewish Heritage is sponsoring Catskills on Film, a panel moderated by Phil Brown that will explore the depiction of the Catskills through cinema.
Documentary On Holocaust Survivor Bungalow Colony
Donna Schatz recently completed a documentary on a bungalow colony of Holocaust survivors in Ellenville. It was briefly reviewed in the February issue of Hadassah Magazine and has just been accepted for screening at the 5th JEWISH EYE - WORLD JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL in Ashkelon, Israel. For more information on the project, visit their website at www.99geigerroad.com.
Andrew Jacobs (dir.) and Matt Lavine (prod) are also working on a documentary about the same colony. We showed rushes from this at 2007 conference, and heard wonderful presentations by Jacobs and Four Seasons residents Carl Potok & Susan Ostrovitz. For more information, see www.fourseasonsmovie.org.
Ian Rosenberg & Carol Laskow are working on a documentary about Kutsher's Country Club, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.Their goal is to preserve on film this special place, which has outlasted so many other Catskills institutions, and to tell the story of its history and survival.; Please take note that they will generously donate materials to the Catskills Institute once they are finished, so your contributions get double credit. If you have Kutsher's related photos, home movies or memorabilia that you're willing to share, please contact them at email@example.com.
Catskills Documentary In Progress
Joan Micklin Silver & Raphael Silver are working on a documentary tentatively titled "To the Mountains". They spoke at our recent conference on this excellent work-in-progress. We encourage people to assist them. Please take note that they will generously donate materials to the Catskills Institute once they are finished, so your contributions get double credit. In particular they are interested in memorabilia, photos, and especially home movies -- visual materials dealing with the Catskills past and present. Email them at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Special Project: Attention Women Hotel Owners
If you are a woman who owned a Catskills resort in the 1950s and 1960s, Rachel Kranson is eager to hear from you. Ms Kranson (PhD candidate, NYU) is working on a project documenting the experiences of female hotel owners. If you have any information, please contact email@example.com
Bungalow Colony Stories Wanted
Documentary filmmakers are seeking charismatic individuals to talk on film about the following subjects:
- Women's weekday experiences at the bungalow colony and summer affairs of the heart
- Bungalow colony entertainers
- We are also seeking home movies and print photography of the Catskills and Bungalow Colony life.
- Roni Lieberman & Debra Kaplan Graci1973@aol.com
Catskills Films, LLC is seeking home movies and photos.
"When Comedy went to School: Those Catskills Comics" is a documentary focusing on the heyday of Catskills Comedy. We are looking for home movies and photos taken in the Catskills from 1930s-1970s with special emphasis on comics, social staff, dining rooms, hotel owners/mgmt. Please contact Michael Engel at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:c1111633-0e7a-4bd8-b7fe-978992c5f92b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brown.edu/Research/Catskills_Institute/bulletinBoard.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915391 | 1,923 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Ed. note: Above the Law has teamed up with Law Shucks, which has done excellent work translating all of the layoff news into user-friendly charts and graphs: the Layoff Tracker.
Unemployment rose again last month, climbing higher in 43 states, which is particularly surprising when compared to the 36 states that reported improved numbers in November. Once again, it might have been worse, but for the curious ways in which the unemployment rate is calculated:
In another nationwide trend, long-suffering states like California and Michigan saw their jobless rates stabilize even as they continued to bleed jobs. That’s because thousands of frustrated workers gave up hunting for work and dropped out of the labor force, which means they aren’t included in the unemployment rate.
Contrary to common sense, the unemployment rate isn’t calculated based on the total number of people who don’t have jobs, so people becoming so frustrated they quit looking actually improves the number (even though they’re certainly telling their friends they’re unemployed because, you know, they don’t have jobs).
Overall, 85,000 jobs were lost in December (compared to a 4,000 job increase in November) – but 600,000 people left the labor force in the same period. So the numbers are even worse than the record levels they’re currently reaching. For example, New York’s unemployment rate is nine percent, a 26-year high, and New Jersey’s 10.1% is a 33-year high.
The trend isn’t looking much better lately, either. First-time jobless claims rose 36,000 to 482,000 last week, once again surprising economists, who had a consensus estimate of a slight decrease (although this week’s numbers might be slightly off due to estimating necessary as a result of the Martin Luther King holiday). That marks the first time the four-week rolling average has increased in 19 weeks.
But that’s the big picture. After the jump, the goings on in the legal sector. | <urn:uuid:7bc54dbb-fd97-420b-8932-da3e7ec14954> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abovethelaw.com/author/law-shucks/page/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959207 | 433 | 1.882813 | 2 |
29-Nov-2000 -- We had finished our task. The seismometer had been located, dug out of the snow, and serviced. There were still two hours remaining until the Twin Otter would return and fly us back to our field camp at Siple Dome. With the air temperature at –10°C (14°F) and a slight breeze blowing, walking around was one way to keep warm. I grabbed a GPS unit and set off to find 80S, 135W. I located the spot about 50 meters from the towers that support the wind generators and solar panels. This was probably the loneliest place I’ve ever visited. Other than the four of us, there probably wasn’t another living creature for 300 kilometers in any direction.
Coordinator's note: This visit is marked incomplete due to the lack of pictures without visitors or visitors' equipment in the shots. The visit was made without knowledge of the DCP. | <urn:uuid:f36ac8e9-e36d-44ac-8506-54a651780a78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://confluence.org/confluence.php?visitid=7886 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971989 | 196 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Several years ago, when everyone blithely assumed there were at least 100,000 human genes, Jurgen Drews, the former head of global research for Hoffmann-La Roche, tallied the number of molecular entities targeted by the full armamentarium of drugs that were then on the market. The result was a paltry 482, a far cry from the potential total number of targets, which Drews estimated then at somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000.
Earlier this year, Catherine Burgess and Jim Golden, bioinformatics researchers at CuraGen Corp., revisited Drews' calculations. They concluded that he had actually overestimated the number of existing drug targets. Speaking at the recent IBC Drug Discovery and Technology conference in Boston, Golden reported that, after accounting for ill-defined, redundant, or non-genome-encoded targets, the true number of discrete targets was in fact just 272.
But there was an even bigger surprise in store. Burgess and Golden went on to evaluate the
|If it takes the better part of two decades of intense study to begin to fathom the function of a handful of genes encoded in less than 10,000 bases of HIV DNA, how long will it take to crack the human genome, which is merely 300,000 times larger?
current arsenal of commercially available drugs through the Pharmaprojects database, and proceeded to total the number of drug targets circa 2002. The number had grown — by one. It is stark evidence of the stagnant state of the pharmaceutical industry's pipeline, although, as venture capitalist Steve Burrill has noted, there are several hundred biotechnology-related products working their way through Phase II or Phase III clinical trials, at least some of which, one would assume, have a chance of being approved.
Though the number of discrete drug targets has not grown appreciably over the past few years, the good news (of sorts) is that the total number of human genes has shrunk — most estimates suggest about 30,000 genes — providing the flattering illusion that a greater slice of the human genome is being targeted than was previously believed. Mining the genome is now big business for a host of biopharma companies, including Human Genome Sciences, Incyte Genomics, Celera Genomics, and many others. "The race just started with the completion of the human genome," says Golden, who likes to draw parallels between the genome cartographers of today and the intrepid Portuguese naval explorers of 500 years ago.
The New Cartography
CuraGen's exhaustive survey of the human sequence predicts a total of about 58,000 genes — considerably higher than today's general consensus. "The number of genes is interesting," says Golden, "but as a business, it's how many genes can you do something about."
Burgess' group has identified more than 8,000 potential "druggable" targets, which fall into three categories: 4,990 are potential small-molecule targets, 2,329 are antibody targets, and 794 are targets for protein therapeutics. Discounting gene products that are either patented or in the public domain, they found 2,666 available small-molecule targets, 1,037 potential antibody targets, and 346 protein therapeutic candidates. Of this group, CuraGen has already filed patent applications on around 3,000 pharmaceutically tractable targets, or 75 percent of the available targets it has identified, spending about $500,000 per month in the process, according to Chief Information Officer John Murphy. Of course, the ultimate success of CuraGen's strategy will be judged not in the number of "druggable" candidates submitted to the patent office, but years from now, when we know whether the patents have been approved and survived the inevitable legal challenges.
Doubtless numerous other firms are conducting similar surveys of the druggable genome. In last month's Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, for example, Pfizer Inc. researchers Andrew Hopkins and Colin Groom reported that existing drugs target 399 nonredundant molecular targets that are members of just 130 protein families. Extrapolating from this figure, and analyzing the full panoply of genes in the human genome, Hopkins and Groom predict the existence of precisely 3,051 small-molecule drug targets, significantly less than CuraGen's estimate of closer to 5,000, although the Pfizer figure is based on experimental ligand-binding studies and is thus expected to be lower.
Sequence to Function
As interesting as these calculations are, predicting protein function from gene sequence computationally remains an excruciatingly imprecise science. To the delight of old-guard biochemists everywhere, understanding gene function from raw sequence still requires lashings of good old-fashioned "wet lab" experimentation — and buckets of perseverance.
Take the miniscule genome of HIV — the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine recently established the function of a key HIV gene called Vif (virion infectivity factor), revealing a promising new therapeutic target in the process. Good news indeed, but if it takes the better part of two decades of intense study to begin to fathom the function of a handful of genes encoded in less than 10,000 bases of HIV DNA, how long will it take to crack the human genome, which is merely 300,000 times larger?
To be sure, researchers continue to make great strides in unraveling the molecular pathogenesis of genetic diseases. But even when the molecular culprits are finally nailed down, devising an effective therapy will usually take years, perhaps decades. Cures for cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease are still distant dreams, even though the genes responsible have been known for 10 years or more. Then there is still the time required for clinical testing of promising drug candidates.
Despite these hurdles, CuraGen's Golden is in no doubt that deciphering the druggable genome sequence will ultimately restock the therapeutic pipeline. "This is the season for optimism," he insists. "Bioinformatics is the key — it's not just sequence comparison, it is the essence of drug discovery." Time will tell ...
Kevin Davies, Ph.D. | <urn:uuid:e11c42c6-a87a-41ce-baff-081048cefa05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bio-itworld.com/archive/100902/firstbase.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943289 | 1,284 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Going abruptly into a starry night
It is ignorance we blink from, dark, unhoused;
There is a gaze of animal delight
Before the human vision. Then, aroused
To nebulous danger, we may look for easy stars,
Orion and the Dipper; but they are not ours,
These learned fields. Dark and ignorant,
Unable to see here what our forebears saw,
We keep some fear of random firmament
Vestigial in us. And we think, Ah,
If I had lived then, when these stories were made up, I
Could have found more likely pictures in haphazard sky.
But this is not so. Indeed, we have proved fools
When it comes to myths and images. A few
Old bestiaries, pantheons and tools
Translated to the heavens years ago—
Scales and hunter, goat and horologe—are all
That save us when, time and again, our systems fall.
And what would we do, given a fresh sky
And our dearth of image? Our fears, our few beliefs
Do not have shapes. They are like that astral way
We have called milky, vague stars and star-reefs
That were shapeless even to the fecund eye of myth—
Surely these are no forms to start a zodiac with.
To keep the sky free of luxurious shapes
Is an occupation for most of us, the mind
Free of luxurious thoughts. If we choose to escape,
What venial constellations will unwind
Around a point of light, and then cannot be found
Another night or by another man or from other ground.
As for me, I would find faces there,
Or perhaps one face I have long taken for guide;
Far-fetched, maybe, like Cygnus, but as fair,
And a constellation anyone could read
Once it was pointed out; an enlightenment of night,
The way the pronoun you will turn dark verses bright.
|Reprinted from Effort at Speech: New and Selected Poems by William Meredith, published by Triquarterly Books/Northwestern University Press in 1997. Copyright (c) 1997 by William Meredith. All rights reserved; used by permission of Northwestern University Press and the author.| | <urn:uuid:dd8c077b-7af2-4baa-bab7-9e786c0dcf82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.poets.org/m/dsp_poem.php?prmMID=19281 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94203 | 484 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The book club in Albany is currently reading the 5000 Year Leap. The book is a simple read about the founders of this country and the principles that they considered when writing our founding documents.
After reading the book, it is clear that this country has abandoned many of those principles. Currently we are on a fast track, not to return to the original intention of the founders, but to distance ourselves even farther from that intention.
How can we get back to the garden? A new effort is being entertained by the states. Resolutions are being passed to return the power to the respective states and limit the size of the federal government, States’ Rights.
Georgia Senate Resolution 632 passed, “affirming states’ rights based on Jeffersonian principles; and for other purposes.” Nine states have passed similar resolutions and twenty-five others have resolutions calling for states’ rights pending.
A few states have taken the measure a step further. Montana has passed a bill (HB 246) that would allow guns and ammunition that are produced in the state and remain in the state to be regulated by the state, not the federal government. The bill will become law on October 10, 2009 and is suspected to be challenged by the Supreme Court shortly after. Texas is considering similar legislation.
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the Constitution states that the federal government has the power, “…to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;” Because the federal government gets its power from the states according to the Tenth Amendment, the government has no power to regulate intrastate commerce. This should prove to be a fascinating court case when the law is challenged.
There is talk about calling for a Constitutional Convention to repeal or alter Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 which gives the federal government the power to collect taxes. It is believed that such a Constitutional Convention, or even the threat of one, will help to curtail the spending spree that the federal government is currently enjoying.
All of this talk of States’ Rights is fascinating, but I have to wonder if these resolutions are just words on paper. Since the War Between the States, the states have surrendered more and more of their power to the central government until state boundaries have become little more than historical lines on a map. Are these resolutions too little too late or are they the beginning of something big? Time will tell. | <urn:uuid:d4d0d0ff-94d2-4df2-a929-904e422f4e78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://swgapolitics.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/constitutionally-speaking/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961233 | 496 | 2 | 2 |
Journal of technology management & innovation
On-line version ISSN 0718-2724
JUGEND, Daniel and DA SILVA, Sérgio Luis. Integration in New Product Development: Case Study in a Large Brazilian High-Technology Company. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation [online]. 2012, vol.7, n.1, pp. 52-63. ISSN 0718-2724. http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242012000100004.
Proficiency in management activities undertaken in product development processes is regarded as a key competitive advantage for companies, particularly for high-tech industrial firms, which benefit from the important competitiveness factor of launching products with a differentiated technological content. This paper’s objective was to identify, through case study, practices for integration between the roles of R & D with others involved in product development in a large Brazilian company of industrial automation. The results suggest some management practices to improve the integration in new products development, such as the use of employees from marketing with knowledge and experience previously gained from R & D activities and uses the heavyweight product manager to solve synchronization problems between product and technology development.
Keywords : Integration; technology management; new product development; brazilian high-technology company. | <urn:uuid:40d53f77-e7a2-441c-8c83-3e14ce1246a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0718-27242012000100004&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910994 | 264 | 1.804688 | 2 |
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Here are a selection of personal stories that readers have shared with us. The stories cover a huge range of experiences from different people living with HIV in the last 21 years. You may find that people talk about issues which you are unlikely to encounter now, but which have nevertheless been experiences of people who are living with HIV today.
They are honest accounts that give a sense of the journey that people start on when they are diagnosed with HIV - the highs and lows. They also testify to the huge advances in science and treatment.
They’re not meant to be examples of what you should do, they just give an idea of how people have coped with the realities of day-to-day life with HIV. | <urn:uuid:deeedde9-c547-4c58-b1cf-a14b65f57919> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://namlife.org/cms1260571.aspx?cat=1060 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962377 | 272 | 2.0625 | 2 |
DOES BRANDING MAKE CLIENTS?
What is Branding -- Really?
Because of my recent writing and speaking, I seem to find myself increasingly fighting the battle of branding –a concept I not only disagree with, but in many cases, disapprove of. Moreover, although many of the leaders in our field agree with my position on branding, many of my arguments seem to be with people I wholeheartedly respect, and cherish as friends and colleagues.
All this, despite my having written and spoken extensively about my position on it. Let me, then, try to make my case one more time.
While marketing professional services as we know it today began with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona in 1977 – 31 years ago – and while the concept of branding in professional services marketing came into vogue, oh, maybe a decade or so ago, and branding as a concept in product marketing is many decades old, I begin to wonder why it took about 20 years for law and accounting firm marketers decide to use it.
Branding, in product marketing, goes back to at least the beginning of the last century. It started out simply. People liked a product, used it or bought it often, remembered its name. They learned to trust it, and particularly its consistent promise of quality. Eventually, their loyalty to the product of that name – the brand – gave it distinctive marketing advantage, and then something called brand loyalty.
The term “brand” probably came from the distinctive mark that cattle owners burned onto the rump of their cattle, so they could identify a cow as their own. It was an identify mark of an owner.
Today, branding in product marketing has come to mean not just product identification and name recognition, but a loyalty to a particular branded product. It distinguishes Coca-Cola from equally good colas not so widely known, and no Coke aficionado is going to waste a buck on an unknown cola drink. More significantly, Coke lovers know that the next bottle of Coke is going to be exactly the same as the last – which gives heft to the branding concept for product marketers.
And so how did the branding concept find its way into professional services marketing? Is “branding” a law or accounting firm the same as branding a product? Can building name recognition and reputation for a professional firm be the same as branding a product?
My answer to these questions are...
I believe that the concept of branding entered the legal and accounting professions as a marketing ploy – a device to both glamorize and exalt a marketing process, in the eyes of accountants and lawyers who are now, 30 years after Bates, just beginning to understand and accept frank marketing. There is also, I believe, the basic reality that the disconnect between marketers and professionals is often reinforced by the reality that when professionals don’t understand marketing as marketers do, they are vulnerable to catch phrases, fad words, and jargon – all of which implies, but doesn’t enlighten. It may seem crass to say this, but there’s a touch of snake oil involved when marketers use misdirection to sell our services. I do not mean to imply that we are snake oil salespeople, but that there are those among us who sell more promise than reality – and too often more than we can deliver. That the branding concept is now becoming the currency of professional services marketing by honest and otherwise realistic marketers is a product of word evolution – of semantics -- not of reality. In other words, if you use the jargon, you don’t have to deal with the reality. It’s a form of flim-flam. This is a process I’ve seen in other contexts for many years.
· Is “branding” a law or accounting firm the same as branding a product? No, it is not, for the simple reason that if a brand assures consistency in a product, such a consistency in professional services rarely exists. It’s true that you may expect more consistent quality of client service from some firms and not from others, and I believe that this is a quality that can be found in a very few firms and in some individual lawyers and accountants, but not often. Consistently brilliant litigators sometimes lose. Few accounting and audit regulations are without legitimate challenge. But there is far too much vulnerability and variety in professional practice to build a perfect and consistent reputation for service or quality in most cases.
A possible exception is an individual lawyer or accountant with a singular reputation for performance, integrity, or even wisdom. But is that a true brand, or simply reputation, high profile, or name recognition?
A firm may have superstars in one area of legal or accounting practice, but not in all. Today, knowledgeable clients will hire a superstar in a particular practice area from one firm, and a superstar from another practice area from another firm. We now deal, remember, with increasingly sophisticated clients.
At the same time, there is vulnerability in branding professional services. A batch of a favorite brand of your favorite toothpaste may go bad, but not likely or often. But the multifarious nature of law and accounting increase the probability of inconsistency. There is the fact, as well, that there may be a thousand people behind the manufacture of your favorite brand of toothpaste, but the interface between those people and the consumer is a tube of toothpaste. The interface between a law or accounting firm and the client is the individual lawyer or accountant in charge of the account. Thus, you have a firm that came as close to brand as did Arthur Anderson go under, with its client, on the weakness of a few partners. Thus you have famous lawyers lose cases for failure of somebody in the firm to file papers on a timely basis. In true branding, there is little room for vulnerability.
· Can building name recognition and reputation for a professional firm be the same as branding a product? In one major context, no. Through an effective marketing campaign, people can be persuaded to buy a product they hadn’t tried before. That’s why branding for a product is so successful. But if I have a matrimonial practice, and do a brilliant job of marketing, can I persuade you, as a happily married person, to get a divorce? I doubt it.
The role of product marketing is to sell a product. If you advertise your lollipops for sale, you can almost immediately measure success by the number of lollipops you sell. But ultimately, and with very rare exceptions that have more to do with the nature of the professional services than with any concept of branding, the best professional services marketing can do is to lead to you choose one firm over another when you need a lawyer or an accountant.
True, at that point name recognition and reputation help, but to a lesser degree than many marketers would lead us to believe. Witness, for example, the puerile and often ridiculous advertising done by many law firms. But when does anybody hire a lawyer or an accountant from an ad, or even a direct mail letter, without interviewing the lawyer or accountant – no matter the size of the firm? Does branding sell in professional services? No. Does the marketing process that travels under the name of branding sell? No. But what does?
When a professional services marketer tries to sell his or her service, and uses the term branding, what’s actually being offered? Under the best of circumstances, all the tools of marketing put together may enhance the reputation and name recognition that serve as a context for selling. But ultimately, the client is brought on board by a process of practice development that uses that name recognition and reputation as a context for practice development – which includes selling. Selling, remember, has been anathema to professionals for decades, and is now just coming into its own, as competition heats up.
I ask again – what were the practices offered before the term branding came into vogue? Actually, a great many processes – too many, in fact, to be reduced to a single term like branding. Certainly, processes that more helpfully described the marketing process.
The reality is that marketing professional services is not simple. It’s a complex process that draws from traditional marketing, tempered by the disparate points of view and traditions of both marketing and professional practice, and fettered by unique ethical considerations. Add to this the multifarious aspects of both accounting and law, thus relegating a marketing practice to jargon or flashy semantics is at best simplistic, at least deceptive, in that it can try to fool people who might not know better into thinking that it’s more than it is.
And this is the basis of my argument against the use of not only branding, but any other jargon that may come into vogue as a shortcut for traditional, well-tried and proven marketing methods.
This is not, to me, simply a semantic issue. Branding is a word. Why object to using a word? Because when that word is misleading, simplistic, a misdirection that implies more than it can deliver, I find it counterproductive in pursuit of an important goal that’s often enough difficult to achieve.
In the final analysis, then, I’m more suspicious of the need for a concept like branding than I am for branding itself. In the many years of doing this stuff, I’ve seen marketing when it works and marketing when it fails. I’ve seen a growth in marketing sophistication by both the marketers and the professionals, and I’ve seen ignorance on both sides. But even without the jargon and the fad words and the clichés, marketing works best when it’s done well, carefully, enthusiastically, and imaginatively. I’ve seen it, and I’ve done it, without ever using the fad words.
The tools and mechanics of marketing – including those under the rubric of branding – create a climate that supports practice development. They rarely, of themselves, produce clients. If any marketing effort, of itself and without the aid of a professional to close the deal, does produce a client, it’s serendipity – and you can’t build a practice on serendipity.
It is important to remember, then, that the objective of any aspect of any marketing program is to build a practice – to paraphrase Peter Drucker – to create a client. With jargon and buzz words and clichés masquerading as the mechanics of marketing, you get distraction from marketing’s real purpose. But you don’t get clients. The prospect still has to be sold.
The question, then, is can anyone point to a client that branding alone has produced? | <urn:uuid:5944541b-7afe-403a-8094-d865560c0ca7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marcusletter.com/Branding%20redux.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964138 | 2,214 | 1.617188 | 2 |
AUERBACH, MEIR B. ISAAC:
Talmudist and chief rabbi of the Ashkenazim in Jerusalem; born Feb. 10, 1815, at Dobria near Kalish, Russian Poland; died May 8, 1878, at Jerusalem. He was rabbi at Kalish when, in 1860, actuated by his love for the Holy Land, he removed to Jerusalem, where he organized the congregation and yeshibah Ohel Jacob, and subsequently became chief rabbi of the Ashkenazim. He also organized an independent board of Sheḥiṭah for the Ashkenazim. This action was opposed by the "ḥakam bashi," David Ḥazan, and his Sephardic congregation, who controlled the Sheḥiṭah. They were upheld by the Mussulmans, who favored the Jewish mode of killing animals, which corresponded with their religious belief and custom, and who would not eat meat slaughtered by Christians or by Ashkenazic Jews, the latter not being recognized by them as sons of Abraham. This greatly hampered the undertaking of the Ashkenazim, as none but Christians would buy the surplus of the Sheḥiṭah, and, being excluded from the Mussulmans' trade, the Ashkenazim found the Sheḥiṭah quite expensive. Auerbach appealed to the ḥakam bashi to intercede on behalf of the Ashkenazim, and requested him to obtain from the Turkish government the recognition of the Ashkenazic Jews as sons of Abraham. The ḥakam bashi hesitated, and Auerbach threatened him with excommunication for refusing to perform his plain duty and to do justice to the Ashkenazim. At last in 1864 the ḥakam bashi was not only obliged to remove his objection, but actually compelled to establish the fact before the Ottoman authorities that as regards their religion there was no difference between the Sephardim and Ashkenazim.
Auerbach and Rabbi Samuel Salant in 1866 organized the Central Committee known as the "Wa'ad ha-Kelali" in Jerusalem, as an agency for the distribution of funds from the charity-boxes all over the world for the Ashkenazic poor in Palestine, the income from which from the United States alone amounts to about $20,000 per annum. In 1875, on the occasion of the visit of Sir Moses Montefiore to the Holy Land, Auerbach protested in an open letter addressed to Montefiore (in Hebrew and English, London, 1875) against the charges of unfair manipulation of the gifts sent to the poor in Palestine.
Auerbach is the author of "Imre Binah" (Words of Understanding), novellæ on Oraḥ Ḥayyim and Yoreh De'ah, and responsa on Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, Jerusalem, 1871-76; of annotations to his father's "Dibre Ḥayyim," and to Loeb Guenzburg's "Ture Eben." He left many manuscripts on Talmudical subjects, which are still unpublished. Auerbach was known as a great pilpulist.
A "bet ha-midrash" has been founded in Jerusalem to perpetuate Auerbach's memory.
- J. Schwartz, Tebuot ha-Areẓ, ed. Luncz, pp. 500, 501;
- A. Amshewitz, Moshe we-Yerushalayim, pp. 81-96, Warsaw, 1879;
- M. N. Auerbach, Zekut Abot, Jerusalem, 1895, Introduction;
- Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums, 1878, p. 363. | <urn:uuid:0b9cd9d6-1034-4e37-8d38-673e7ef03a54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2123-auerbach-meir-b-isaac | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966502 | 808 | 2.734375 | 3 |
In a record from the Children's home Corenthal details the intake of Evan, a controversial patient, also referred to as HABIT. A Second record details the intake of Vincent to the facility, and refers to both Evan and Vincent as having come from a "town of ash," presumed to be Centralia, PA. The details of how Jeffrey and Stephanie came to the Fairmount Children's Home have not been revealed.
The first reference to the name "Mining Town Four" is found in a letter from Corenthal, where it was revealed that Dr. Corenthal and his wife Maryann had adopted the four children and were raising them. In the same letter he refers to the last of the children as having "succumbed." The details of what that meant was unclear until one of the articles in the Microfilm Collection (retrieved during the video One step forward, two steps back) revealed that the children had died in the same timeframe mentioned here. Also in the microfilm was an account of Dr. Corenthal getting into a fight with some locals while “looking into the history of [his] children’s former lives." He told the police that "The locals simply didn’t want anything to do with me.”
Beyond sharing names, the relationship between The Mining Town Four and the cast of EMH is unclear at this point, though it is clear that there is a connection. This connection is part of the basis of the Iteration Theory. | <urn:uuid:7fc74070-0f89-4320-9598-51f0bae107c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://everymanhybrid.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mining_Town_Four | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984608 | 307 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Addressing the Challenges of Web Data Transport
Venkata N. Padmanabhan
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science University of California at Berkeley September 1998
In just a few years since its inception, the World Wide Web has grown to be the most dominant application in the Internet. In large measure, this rapid growth is due to the Web's convenient point-and-click interface and its appealing graphical content. Since Web browsing is an interactive activity, minimizing user-perceived latency is an important goal. However, layering Web data transport on top of the TCP protocol poses several challenges to achieving this goal.
First, the transmission of a Web page from a server to a client involves the transfer of multiple distinct components, each in itself of some value to the user. To minimize user-perceived latency, it is desirable to transfer the components concurrently. TCP provides an ordered byte-stream abstraction with no mechanism to demarcate sub-streams. If a separate TCP connection is used for each component, as with HTTP/1.0, uncoordinated competition among the connections could exacerbate congestion, packet loss, unfairness, and latency.
Second, Web data transfers happen in relatively short bursts, with intervening idle periods. It is difficult to utilize bandwidth effectively during a short burst because discovering how much bandwidth is available requires time. Latency suffers as a consequence.
To address these problems, we first developed a new connection abstraction for HTTP, called persistent-connection HTTP (P-HTTP). The key ideas are to share a persistent TCP connection for multiple Web page components and to pipeline the transfers of these components to reduce latency. These ideas, developed by us in 1994, have been adopted by the HTTP/1.1 protocol. The main drawback of P-HTTP, though, is that the persistent TCP connection imposes a linear ordering on the Web page components, which are inherently independent.
This drawback of P-HTTP led us to develop a comprehensive solution, which has two components. The first component, TCP session, decouples TCP's ordered byte-stream service abstraction from its congestion control and loss recovery mechanisms. It integrates the latter mechanisms across the set of concurrent connections between a pair of hosts, thereby combining the flexibility of separate connections with the performance efficiency of a shared connection. This integration decreases download time by up to a factor of ten compared to HTTP/1.0 layered on standard TCP. TCP session does not alter TCP's messaging semantics, so deployment only involves local changes at the sender.
The second component of our solution, TCP fast start, improves bandwidth utilization for short transfers by reusing information about the network conditions cached in the recent past. To avoid adverse effects in case the cached information is stale, TCP fast start exploits priority dropping at routers, and augments TCP's loss recovery mechanisms to quickly detect and abort a failed fast start attempt.
In addition to the two challenges we have discussed, a third challenge arises from the increasing deployment of asymmetric access networks. Although Web browsing has asymmetric bandwidth requirements, bandwidth asymmetry could adversely impact Web download performance due to a disruption in the flow of acknowledgement feedback that is critical to sustaining good TCP throughput. To avoid performance degradation, we have developed end-host and router-based techniques, that both reduce disruption in the feedback and reduce TCP's dependence on such feedback. In certain situations, these techniques help decrease download time by a factor of fifteen.
This thesis includes mathematical and trace-based analysis, simulation, implementation and performance evaluation. In addition to the algorithms that we have designed and software that we have developed, our contributions include a set of paradigms for advancing the state-of-the-art in Internet transport protocols. These paradigms include the use of shared state and/or persistent state, and the exploitation of differentiated services mechanisms in routers. You can download the entire thesis or the individual chapters: Prelude(Abstract, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, etc.)
2. Background and Related Work
4. Analysis of HTTP Performance
5. Persistent-Connection HTTP
6. TCP Session
7. TCP Session: Advanced Issues
8. TCP Fast Start
9. Asymmetric Access Networks
10. Conclusions and Future Work
A. Performance Analysis Tools
B. Implementation of TCP Session
New TCP algorithms, including TCP Session, TCP Fast Start, and algorithms for asymmetric networks | <urn:uuid:527b1324-811d-4a51-9c8a-6d119dbc80a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/padmanab/phd-thesis.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903158 | 888 | 2.171875 | 2 |
gulf of mexico oil spill
The House of Representatives succumbed to the pressure of the oil and gas industry yesterday.
The CLEAR Act was intended to improve oil spill response and worker safety, provide funding for ocean conservation and more, but it took a turn for the worse when an amendment offered by Rep. Charlie Melancon, (D-LA) passed.
The amendment overturns President Obama’s deepwater drilling moratorium as long as certain standards are met.
A hundred days after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, it appears that BP has finally succeeded in controlling the blowout that spewed millions of gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.
Yet to paraphrase Winston Churchill, this is just the end of the beginning. The creatures that live in, and the people that depend on the Gulf of Mexico will be affected by the oil spill for years, and we are just starting to comprehend the scope of this tragedy.
That’s why I am pleased to announce that Oceana is launching an ambitious, eight-week scientific expedition in the Gulf of Mexico. We will assess the effects of the oil spill on the marine environment, and we will trumpet the message that ocean oil drilling is too dangerous to be allowed to wreck any more of our oceans and our beaches.
This expedition team, led by Oceana’s Chief Scientist Mike Hirshfield and Oceana’s vice president for Europe, Xavier Pastor, will also include research by Dr. Jeff Short, Oceana’s Pacific science director and one of the world’s leading experts on Exxon Valdez and the effects of oil spills from his years as a government scientist at NOAA. The crew also includes scientists, divers and underwater photographers from our U.S., Chile and Spain offices, as well as academic scientists.
Working from the Latitude, a 167-foot ship capable of sailing in shallow and deep waters, the crew will test for underwater oil and study important seafloor habitats as well as the migratory marine life affected by the spill. This includes endangered sea turtles as well as the rare whale shark.
We are fortunate to have supporters who believe in Oceana’s targeted, science-based work and make this kind of original research possible. The facts uncovered by our on-the-water team will be critical in the fight to end dangerous offshore drilling.
You can give today to help us support the critical work of the expedition. Please help us protect the oceans today!
When the expedition launches in early August, we will post frequent updates on Oceana.org, and I’ll be sure to share the most exciting developments with you.
Andy Sharpless is the CEO of Oceana.
NOAA restoration officer Sean Meehan deploys pompoms attached to a chain in Barataria Bay last week. He'll return in 24 hours to see if the pompoms have picked up any oil. I took this video while taking photographs at the same time, so be glad I have it pointed in mostly the right direction.
The Gulf oil disaster reminds me of that old Donald Rumsfeld chestnut, the one about known-knowns and known-unknowns. With a massive, ongoing gushing oil spill, and an enormous ecosystem at risk, we're in the realm of the "known unknown" – we know that there is a huge amount of oil moving through the Gulf, but no one’s quite sure exactly where it is or where it’s going.
A group of federal agencies, including NOAA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service are trying to push us into the "known known" category with teams sent out on what are essentially reconnaissance missions. Two months into the oil disaster, they’re still grappling to understand the impacts on shorelines, turtles, mammals and more.
Last Thursday, for the first time, NOAA allowed a small group of ocean conservation activists to shadow a crew working on discovering the location and severity of subsurface oil. I joined our senior campaign director, Jackie Savitz, along with scientists and campaigners from Ocean Conservancy and the Gulf Restoration Network in a couple of skiffs that tailed the NOAA crew for a few hours on the water just east of Grand Isle, La.
Before we embarked, NOAA restoration specialist Sean Meehan gave us the rundown as we stood on the dock in Jean Lafitte, about 25 miles south of New Orleans. A jovial guy, Meehan is an experienced marine researcher, but even he acknowledged the unique difficulty of locating subsurface oil.
TED conferences “bring together the world's leading thinkers and doers for a series of talks, presentations and performances.” So it was only a matter of time until TED tackled the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Topics will include: mitigation of the spill and the impending cleanup efforts; energy alternatives; policy and economics; and new technology that can help us build a self-reliant culture.
The presenters will include the following experts:
In his address to the nation last week, President Obama almost got it right.
He described his vision for America’s clean energy future, which includes wind, solar, and other renewable sources, in addition to energy efficiency.
But his vague entreaties for progress on this most crucial of issues left out vital specifics and he stopped frustratingly short of saying what is on the minds of so many of us in the wake of the tragic and seemingly endless disaster in the Gulf: it is time for a ban on offshore drilling.
When he introduced the creation of a commission to investigate the causes of the Deepwater Drilling Disaster, the president displayed the same stale mindset that has plagued so many before him: that through improved technology we can make safe what is inherently an unsafe, dirty, and dangerous practice.
We don’t need to improve offshore drilling: We need to ban it.
I thought it was prescient when Oceana board member Ted Danson testified before Congress early last year about the dangers of offshore drilling. Now, in the midst of the biggest oil disaster in U.S. history, Ted has become one of the most visible critics of the oil industry and its false promises, most recently with an appearance on Larry King Live last week.
Ted's ocean activism goes farther back than the oil disaster, of course. I dug up a newspaper story about Ted's first appearance before Congress in April 1991. Still at the height of Cheers fame, Ted is introduced thusly:
"Gone was the carefully blown-dried hair, the red Corvette and the babe-seeking wandering eye of the country's most famous bartender: Cheer's [sic] star Ted Danson wanted to be taken seriously when he told Congress that President Bush's Energy Policy basically stinks."
The article, written with some skepticism about a Hollywood star's place in the halls of Congress, quoted Rep. Wayne Allard, who compared the amount of oil spilled into the oceans to "the teaspoon or so of gas that dribbles down the side of cars at the gas pump. 'Is that an unacceptable risk?' Allard asked."
Nearly twenty years later, it's not hard to tell who was vindicated by history, even if it's a bitter victory. As Ted said then about our energy policy: "It ain't working, guys. Something's got to change."
To view a PDF of the entire newspaper page, including a vintage photo of Paul and Linda McCartney debuting her frozen-foods line, click here.
Nearly six weeks after the Deepwater Horizon exploded, the first truly gutwrenching photos of oiled birds have arrived. Here at Oceana, we've been thinking about the oil spill constantly - and yet it's amazing that one image can be so heartbreaking.
Update Friday afternoon: The New York Times' Lens blog has a nice column about the meaning of these first, intimate images of animals in distress. And the AP photo editor who published the images has this hopeful thing to say about the fate of the birds pictured: "I'm told that the birds that were still alive — mostly pelicans and up to 40 of them — were taken to a bird cleaning facility in Ft. Jackson and are being cared for."
Meanwhile, we've surpassed 75,000 signatures on our petition to end offshore drilling. Please add your name to the list if you haven't already.
For more photos, visit Boston.com.
The most familiar victims of the oil spill are the ones with faces: birds, sea turtles, dolphins, whales.
But as the New York Times reports today, there are at least three extensive deep-sea coral reefs lying directly beneath the oil slick in the gulf. And coral reefs can’t swim or fly away from the plumes of partly dispersed oil spreading in the deep sea.
Both oil and dispersants are toxic to corals and have been found to impede the ability of corals to grow and reproduce, and the effects are amplified when they are mixed, which may be the case with these plumes.
It’s unknown exactly how sensitive deep-sea corals are to oil and dispersants, though as Oceana’s Pacific science director Jeffrey Short told the Times, “It might be locally catastrophic, particularly if there’s an oxygen-depleted mass that develops.”
Yesterday Oceana Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist Mike Hirshfield testified about the costs of offshore drilling before the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Here’s an excerpt of his testimony:
“Mr. Chairman, I wish you didn’t have to hold this hearing. For years, the oil industry has told us all that offshore drilling was safe. They repeatedly downplayed the risks and oversold the benefits. They tried to convince us that catastrophes like the Deepwater Drilling Disaster could never happen. I could easily fill my time with embarrassing industry quotes (like these.) I will spare you that.
We now hear calls for action to ensure that “this will never happen again.” We all wish that could be the case. But let’s be honest, we know another offshore oil drilling disaster will happen, caused by another unexpected combination of technological failure and human error. The industry is asking us to play a game of environmental roulette, and they are taking aim at a long list of targets. Will we see oil foul the beaches of the Atlantic seaboard next? The Pacific? The Arctic? | <urn:uuid:de68e211-6fd6-47f2-a014-a679fc5efb46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oceana.org/en/category/blog-free-tags/gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954302 | 2,175 | 2.25 | 2 |
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The production of balsamic vinegar is a lengthy process. Like wine, it must be aged and fermented over time. It involves years of alcoholic fermenting, transferring from one container to the next and repeated adaptations and adjustments to produce the end result.
In Italy, 12 years minimum fermentation is required to label a product as “traditional” balsamic vinegar though the fermentation process can last up to 25 years. When done correctly and with care, the manufacturing process of balsamic vinegar produces a product that is unique and useful in a variety of culinary applications.
Balsamic vinegar uses grapes, traditionally white grapes, which are boiled down in a special process until the result is 30% of the original volume. This concentrated juice is the “must,” which will then be stored to begin fermentation.
The must is placed in large storage tanks or wood barrels for fermentation. Yeast is added or allowed to grow spontaneously to convert sugar into alcohol. Enzyme activity does much of the initial work. Either an acetobacter or strong wine vinegar is added for acidity. The acetobacter eats the alcohol, converting it into vinegar.
A series of barrels in decreasing sizes is called the “batteria.” The must, once properly fermented, is poured into the largest barrel at somewhere near 70% capacity. This ensures sufficient air for continued oxidation. 15% to 30% of the liquid will evaporate each year, shrinking the contents of the barrel. At the end of the year, the contents of a barrel are transferred to the next size down until several years later when the last barrel is ready to be poured out as balsamic vinegar.
As the water continues to evaporate from the product, the vinegar mellows, developing a strong sweet aroma. Usually, this process is performed in the heat of the summer, to increase microbial activity.
In Modena and Reggio, Italy, balsamic vinegar is manufactured in the ideal conditions of extreme fluctuations of temperature with hot summers and cool winters. Periodically, the manufacturers will make adjustments to the acidity or sugar levels for the best results. It is perhaps no surprise that with the difficulty and amount of time required to produce traditional balsamic vinegar, bottles can cost from $150 to $400 in U.S. dollars.
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click here to log in | <urn:uuid:75fbbefe-8d16-4ea9-ab67-6b58e9c159c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pastacheese.com/blog/cat/olive-oils-and-balsamic-vinegar/post/balsamic_process | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933819 | 500 | 2.84375 | 3 |
One Secret That Stops Hackers: Girlfriends
The majority of hackers "age out" of hacking as they get older and find girlfriends, families, and other responsibilities. Why not invest in educating young hackers sooner, instead of locking them up later?
Want to put a stop to hacking? The solution is simple: Get hackers girlfriends.
To be sure, that prescription is tongue-in-cheek, but it speaks to a hacking truth: Based on arrests of alleged Anonymous, LulzSec, TeamPoison, and other hacktivist group participants--not to mention many cyber-crime gangs--it's the rare participant who's over the age of 25--or even 19.
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Clearly, the early 20s are an inflection point in most hackers' lives, when they transition from engaging in criminal activity to becoming law-abiding citizens. Accordingly, might outreach programs, perhaps involving older ex-hackers, help keep them out of jail? They might even steer would-be hackers into lucrative professions that put their skills to better use, such as penetration testing.
[ Megaupload founder says he'll come to the U.S. in exchange for a fair trial and access to his assets. Read more at Megaupload's Kim Dotcom Offers To Extradite Himself. ]
The question of whether outreach programs would be effective requires working backwards, starting with the reason hackers--who are overwhelmingly male--stop hacking. That's typically because they get girlfriends, jobs, children, or other responsibilities. "We see a lot of adolescent hackers just 'aging out,' and there are relatively few who remain life-course persistent," says cyberpsychology expert Grainne Kirwan, a lecturer in psychology at Ireland's Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, in a phone interview.
While conducting research for her criminology Ph.D., Kirwan interviewed about 20 hackers and found that the majority stopped hacking due to their changing life circumstances. "The chances are by the time they turn 18 or 19 they'll age out, and if they haven't stopped then, by the time they get married, settle down, and have kids, they won't have time to do this type of behavior anyway," she explains. "As they get older, their moral development gets better, and they don't have the ability to commit crimes anyway."
Kirwan said the aging-out phenomenon isn't limited to young hackers. "What we know from general criminology research is that offenders age out, and that they tend to age out when they start to settle down, find a significant other, and [other] factors that will reduce the likelihood of their wanting to offend," she says.
The prevalence of minors who hack hasn't gone unnoticed in law enforcement circles. Speaking earlier this year at the RSA conference in San Francisco, Eric Strom, unit chief for the Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit Cyber Division at the FBI, said the bureau believes that in general, hacktivist groups are run by a small number of people who combine "technical knowhow and the ability to impress upon younger people" the desire to launch certain types of attacks. But, he said, "the challenges of going after the larger group [of participants] is that most of them are minors."
How should law enforcement address that, especially when those kids' parents likely think their son is upstairs doing his homework, not launching a low orbit ion cannon distributed denial-of-service (DDos) attack?
To answer that question, it helps to know why hackers hack. In fact, most hackers--who are older minors or young adults--"are desperately trying to assert their own independence, and believe they can make a change in the world that their parents can't," says Kirwan. "They kind of forget that it's their parents' generation who invented hacking."
Many kids involved in hacking view their activities as a benign form of protest, when the laws--as currently written--can criminalize some types of related behavior. "They are sitting at their computer and saying, 'I'm not committing a crime,' because it doesn't feel like committing a crime," explains Kirwan.
The FBI's Strom said the bureau tries to draw a clear line between online protests and online attacks. "Certainly if they're just complaining about something, they have every right to do that--and we don't have any problem with that," said Strom. But if they hack into a system or go after someone in law enforcement and their family, that's a different story.
Also, there can be seeming inconsistencies between what's legal in the real world as opposed to online. "In the western world, we generally… encourage political activism, even when it might have a negative effect on business," said Grady Summers, vice president of Mandiant, speaking at this year's RSA conference. For example, workers can picket their place of business over poor working conditions, and people can protest in front of foreign embassies or set up Occupy Wall Street camps that may impact local businesses. But by comparison, "the digital equivalent of that--a DDoS attack that takes a site offline for a few hours--is clearly criminal," he said.
Should the laws pertaining to DDoS attacks, when launched for protest purposes, be changed? Regardless of wrong or right, in today's "must-be-seen-as-tough-on-crime" political arena, it's unlikely that related laws or jail times would ever be curtailed. Furthermore, do we really have a full enough understanding of exactly why people hack?
"What do we really know about hackers engaged in bad stuff? Do we have a proper, accurate, working taxonomy of people involved in cyber-criminal activity, cyber espionage, cyber warfare, and so on?" said Darkmarket author Misha Glenny, speaking at this year's RSA conference. "Who are the masterminds behind the attacks? Are they suave social engineers, are they highly skilled hackers, or are they psychopathic characters who combine both attacks?"
Another question concerns whether many hackers might also have Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism characterized by having difficulties with social interaction, and often also an affinity for obsessive or repetitive routines. Kirwan says a connection between hacking and Asperger's has been noted anecdotally because "it's a facet of some of the most publicized cases." For example, both the lawyers for NASA hacker Gary McKinnon and accused LulzSec member Ryan Cleary have said their clients have the disorder.
The Asperger's theory would handily explain why many kids hack, as well as why they're so good at it. "People who have Asperger's syndrome are less likely to find full-time employment or to settle down with a family," says Kirwan. "Another trait for people with Asperger's is they will find out everything they know about something they like." But she cautions against trying to reduce the cause of hacking to just a developmental disorder. "I certainly don't want to do a tarring with one brush," she says.
Keeping the potential Asperger's connection in mind, if most hackers do simply age out, could prevention programs be put in place to help deter minors before that happens? For example, why not turn to older, more mature ex-hackers to educate younger hackers about the risks, or to try and help them put their talents to a legal—and, given the state of the information security job market, likely quite remunerative--use? "Putting the two together seems like it would reduce the crime, but the next step is to test that and see if that's what really happens," says Kirwan.
Unfortunately--at least where Kirwan's hacking studies are concerned--hacking interviews and research conducted for her Ph.D. have given way to the responsibilities of a full teaching load. "It would be fantastic if I could buy out a bunch of my time and work on a project like this," she says. "But we'd need the funding to do that, and at the moment, that funding doesn't seem to be around."
So here's to a show of hands from businesses and government agencies that don't want to get taken down by hacktivists: Rather than locking up hackers after the fact, who wants to fund better hacking research and practical hacking-prevention campaigns?
Editor's note: corrected spelling of low-orbit ion cannon.
Black Hat USA Las Vegas, the premiere conference on information security, features four days of deep technical training followed by two days of presentations from speakers discussing their latest research around a broad range of security topics. At Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, July 21-26. Register today. | <urn:uuid:ebbd1ef0-b684-4475-8484-c4141d49824f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.informationweek.com/security/management/one-secret-that-stops-hackers-girlfriend/240003767?cid=SBX_iwk_related_commentary_Vulnerabilities_and_threats_security&itc=SBX_iwk_related_commentary_Vulnerabilities_and_threats_security | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967198 | 1,844 | 1.625 | 2 |
hen completed, this will be one of the most important buildings of the early 21st century. It is significant in stature, in design, in its politics, its symbolism, and for the reason it was built.
The Freedom Tower, or One World Trade Center, is the replacement for what was once New York's World Trade Center. In September, 2001 terrorists destroyed several of the Center's buildings, including the massive 110 -story twin towers. The stated reason for this action was to protest the United States' support of the nation of Israel and its people. The terrorist attack only served to solidify the bond between the U.S. and Israel, and caused wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and the toppling of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Thousands died when the twin tower fell, and millions were emotionally and psychologically scarred.
The Freedom Tower is more than a real estate project. It is rehabilitation for those hurt by the terrorists and a way to heal the scar on a nation. Part of the healing process is new growth, which this tower represents. But it has been a painful process. The early designs were ridiculed. When the first cohesive plan came out of the pack it, too, found slews of detractors. New Yorkers are notoriously cranky people and they took aim at the design. Most had forgotten, or were too young to remember, that the original twin towers were also the subject of much vitriol for their design and expense. It was only after those towers were taken away that the city realized it had grown to love its pair of white albatrosses. But detractors stalled the project for more than a year, adopted celebrity real estate mogul Donald Trump as their mouthpiece, and embarrassed the city and the nation by allowing the United Arab Emirates to begin work on what would become the world's tallest tower while New Yorkers were busy sticking their thumbs in each other's eyes.
The current design is much less flashy than the previous one. It is something like a large sloping block with the corners carved off, so it appears that the entire building twists as it gets higher. The building's faces will be huge triangles that taper toward the top and the bottom. At the center of the building, they will form an octagon. The skyscraper is symmetrical. Asymmetry was something in the last design that set a lot of people off. Some people also don't appreciate the spire at the top. They forget that the Twin Towers had a spire, too, and the mast is necessary for communications transmitters.
The new Freedom Tower will pay homage to the twin towers in several ways. The base of the Freedom Tower will be 200 feet square -- the same dimensions as the original towers. The observation deck will be at 1,362 feet: the height of World Trade Center Tower Two. The glass parapet will be at 1,368 feet: the height of World Trade Center Tower One.
That square base is a safety measure, not just an engineering method. Though it will be clad in glass prisms, the 186-foot-tall base will be a windowless concrete wall, intended to absorb and deflect the blast from car or truck bombs. The glass prisms will be coated with plastic like automobile safety glass to help absorb the impact. It is hoped that the prisms will refract light into color and make the monolithic security measure an eye-pleasing curiosity. The Twin Towers were targeted by Islamic terrorist truck bombs twice, once successfully in 1993, before they were destroyed by terrorists in jets in 2001. The corners of the base will taper inward, with small reflecting pools at ground level.
The Freedom tower is just one of several buildings that will be erected to compose the new World Trade Center. The design is officially known as "Memory Foundations" because it leaves room for several memorials in the 16-acre complex. One of those memorials is the slurry wall, more commonly known as "the bathtub." This structure was the basement of the World Trade Center and served to hold back the Hudson River to keep it from flooding the complex. It was here that the remains of thousands of dead were found, and hundreds more who were never found. People will be able to walk down a ramp from ground level all the way down to bedrock along the edge of this wall -- the last original remaining piece of the twin towers.
Designed by: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Maximum height: 1,776 feet / 541 meters
Maximum width: 200
Maximum length: 200
Location: One World Trade Center
City: New York
State: New York
**Sculptor Kenneth Snelson is working on the spire at the top of the building.
**The glass prisms at the base will each be 13-feet tall.
**The base of the tower will be 186-feet tall.
**The base of the tower will be 200-feet by 200-feet.
**The top of the tower will be 145-feet by 145-feet.
**The shaft of the tower will be 1,182 feet tall.
**The main structure will be topped by a 408-foot-tall mast containing antennae. The base of the mast will be surrounded by a 145-foot wide ring containing more equipment.
**The trees surrounding the Freedom Tower will be sweetgum trees.
**The corner cutaways are each 186 feet tall. The Twin Towers also had chamfered corners.
**The building tapers inward at an angle of 3.8 degrees. The chamfers taper outward at the same angle, resulting in a 16-foot overhang. | <urn:uuid:a11cb069-6163-454a-a3fe-0bbbd0f3d2ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/TextOnlyBuildingDetail.php?BuildingName=Freedom%20Tower%20(New%20York)&LocationCity=New%20York&LocationState=New%20York&LocationNation=United%20States | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965913 | 1,156 | 2.515625 | 3 |
This has been bothering me for some time, as in the OED Symbols guide there is no asterisk entry under Quotations (there is one in Etymologies but it’s clearly not relevant). Here’s an example, in the earliest OED cite for the phrase ‘pink elephant’.
1901 Washington Post 8 June 6/4 We extended to him [sc. an alcoholic] the helping hand, of course, but he shrank away, mistaking this for a *pink elephant.
I finally emailed OED and here’s the reply from Margot Charlton.
The purpose of the asterisk is to indicate the first use we have found of the phrase in question. It is used in combination sections, where quotations run on from one expression to the next, and is intended to help the reader home in on successive combinations. | <urn:uuid:08bf810a-7a78-48e8-99f9-9fdbcb159ff5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/forums/viewthread/978/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933837 | 184 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Fort Wayne, Ind. (www.incnow.tv) - Fewer homes are on the market. In Northeast Indiana and that means housing prices are rising.
According to the Upstate Alliance of Realtors home prices are up 8.5 percent over the past year. The study released by Update Monday also shows a drop in the number of homes on the market over the past year.
The president for the realtors group, Adam Smith, says fewer people are putting their homes up for sale. Instead they're taking advantage of refinancing with lower interest rates, and that's making what is available cost more. This is a trend Smith says is continuing.
"A lot of the sellers start to list the first of March, is when we see a lot of sellers say, ok now I'm going to get on the market, get ready. We just haven't seen that inventory come out, so as a buyer there's less choices. I guess as a seller they are going a little bit quicker because of the less choices,” said Adam Smith, President, Upstate Alliance of Realtors.
The study shows the most popular price bracket is the $100,000-$200,000 range. But in the past year sales of homes priced above $300,000 have increased more than any other price range.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "Your2Cents” comment.
© Copyright 2013 A Granite Broadcasting Station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:17abf402-cc3f-4c4c-b3e9-9fbbb868b199> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Home-Prices-Rise-Fewer-Homes-for-Sale-198842601.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962223 | 319 | 1.578125 | 2 |
How does foreign policy shape nature conservation in Africa? Political ecologist Dr. Jennifer Jones takes up that issue during the Environmental Studies Department Colloquium, Friday, February 3, at 11:30 a.m. in AUNE’s Community Room.
Her topic, “Invasion of the NGOs: Nature, Territory and Identity in Tanzania,” will look at who stands to benefit from “conservation and development” schemes in Tanzania, home of the Serengeti National Park and the Maasai people. She will also address the role of BiNGOs (big international nongovernmental organizations), foreign direct investment and development agencies in local decision making.
Jones is the program director for the International Honors Program on Beyond Globalization: Reclaiming Nature, Culture and Justice and is adjunct faculty at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. As a political ecologist, her interests include nature conservation policy, local livelihoods, animal rights and food justice. She served as a visiting professor of environmental studies at Williams College and spent five years in South Africa researching the impacts of protected areas on local communities. | <urn:uuid:b8109fb8-f8df-42df-a694-467eecdd2025> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antiochne.edu/aunenews/foreign-policy-and-conservation-in-africa-who-benefits/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937327 | 234 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Knock, Knock. Who's There? MPD
District residents, police and District Council members last night debated the merits of MPD's controversial Safe Homes initiative, in which officers will offer to search homes for guns with the permission of the property owners.
During a council hearing, several members warned that the initiative could violate residents' rights. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups also have raised concerns and have been informing residents about their rights.
Police had planned to start going door-to-door last month in high-crime neighborhoods, asking residents for permission to do the searches as part of a new amnesty program meant to get weapons off the streets. But they held off after civil liberties questions were raised. Police say they now plan to start the searches in June, and only if residents call to set up appointments.
Cheh, who just happens to also be a lawyer, said she wouldn't allow police to search her home.
Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said she hoped to dispel confusion about the program, which she said is part of a larger effort to reduce gun violence.
"Just one gun removed from the hands of a young person could mean fewer lives touched by tragedy," she said.
April 8, 2008; 3:55 PM ET
Categories: D.C. Council
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The comments to this entry are closed. | <urn:uuid:0c535302-c6ce-4e58-a1f5-23d0ce0d4a8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/04/home_gun_searches.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96885 | 305 | 1.5625 | 2 |
INDIANAPOLIS — “I’m ready to work” has been a mantra of newly minted Gov. Mike Pence since he hit the campaign trail. His first State of the State address did not deviate from that ideal, focusing hard on cutting taxes and creating jobs for Hoosiers young and old.
Pence has only been on the job for a week officially, but has gotten to work fulfilling his campaign promises, championing the fact that he has already proposed a jobs budget that is “honestly balanced, holds the line on spending, funds our priorities, builds our reserves, and lets hardworking Hoosiers keep more of what they earned.”
Pence reiterated his belief that government doesn’t create jobs, but that it needs to create the climate that increases more employment opportunities.
“Everything starts with fiscal discipline, the surest foundation of economic growth,” he said.
Pence said his budget proposal is a full percentage point less than inflation and lowers income taxes by 10 percent, allowing local Hoosiers to keep more of what they earn and spend it as they choose.
“Hoosiers work hard,” he offered. “They labor in a fragile economy. They save and invest in their families and businesses and family farms. Why wouldn’t we want them to keep more of what they earn?”
Pence’s proposal would make Indiana the lowest taxed state in the Midwest. He said that will lead to the hiring of new employees, the ability for budding small businesses to flourish, and for state residents to be more willing to put money back into the state’s economy by having more disposable income.
His other watermark issue last night and over the campaign trail has been about how the state increases educational opportunities.
“We proposed an increase in funding for schools each of the next two years,” Pence said, “with the second year based on school performance and an additional $6 million in teacher excellence grants to increase pay for our high-performing teachers.”
He also has been on the front lines of focusing on career, technical, and vocational education in high schools.
“We need greater collaboration between agencies, and I propose we create Regional Works Councils to work with businesses and educators across the state to develop regional, demand-driven curricula to bring high-paying career options to more Hoosiers in high school.”
Pence also took aim at the fact that 22 percent of children in Indiana grow up in poverty. He said he signed an executive order requiring certain state agencies to develop family impact statements that ensure any new rules and regulations they create do not unfairly handicap married, two-parent families.
“Given the undeniable relationship between childhood poverty and unmarried childbearing, Indiana should seek ways to encourage strong, healthy families for our kids, our communities, and our state,” he said.
He also harkened back to Ronald Reagan, speaking about the federal government not giving enough power to the states and said that in Indiana, that should not be the case.
“Hoosiers have found practical Indiana solutions to the challenges facing their communities,” Pence said. “We have one of the most innovative health care programs in the country. We have implemented education reforms that are a model of the nation. And we have built our roads on time and under budget. As your governor, I will never stop standing for the rights of Indiana’s people to run our schools, choose our health care, and produce our energy the Indiana way.”
State Sen. Pete Miller of Avon said he’s looking forward to working with Pence.
“I look forward to working with Governor Pence and legislators to craft a budget that focuses on spending on essential services like education and infrastructure,” Miller said. “We’ve established a tradition in Indiana of spending within our means, and I want to continue that tradition so we can grow our economy and create more jobs for Hoosiers across the state.”
Brownsburg Town Council President Dwayne Sawyer was recently named to the Central Indiana Regional Council of Elected Officials that come from 18 central Indiana communities. As such, he attended Pence’s State of the State address.
“Pence and his team, they’re smart people, say we need this much money to run the government, and if the people can keep more of their money, then we can re-invest,” Sawyer said. “Companies can invest to hire more people and that will stimulate job creation and get money in people’s pockets so they can spend more. People say that if you cut taxes, you’re cutting impact of the government. He has run the numbers in great deal and promoted (the balanced budget), and I applaud his efforts.” | <urn:uuid:dd07907f-d0bb-425a-a4f9-7027b608d23a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://flyergroup.com/local/x1303527417/State-of-the-State-address-focuses-on-jobs-education-less-taxation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969996 | 1,011 | 1.59375 | 2 |
- a dicot in the Asclepiadaceae family -
native perennial herb
Occasional on Swamp Trail and on the west paddock of the Alkali Meadow.
Milkweed is the host plant for the beautiful Monarch Butterflies.
see milkweed bug -below
Adults are 9/16 to 10/16 inch long, black, and colorfully marked with
reddish-orange on the head, sides of the pronotum (part of the thorax),
and the wing covers. They have a Y-shaped head marking and two wide crossing
orange bands across the wings. They are common on milkweed plants. Milkweed
bugs eat the seeds of the milkweed. Their red or red-orange color is a
warning to would-be predators that they are very bad tasting food. So they
have few enemies. Spiders do prey on them, however. | <urn:uuid:40280c62-68ce-4d61-a6b4-8a629e225472> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kaweahoaks.com/html/milkweed_mexican.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926618 | 188 | 3.390625 | 3 |
John Aplington.A publication of this nature exercises its most important function when it takes cognizance of the life and labors of those citizens who have risen to prominence and prosperity by their own well directed efforts and who have been of material value in furthering the advancement and development of the commonwealth. Judge Aplington is best known to the citizens of Morris county as a prominent member of the bar, to which he was admitted in 1879, where, in the practice of his profession, he has won honor and success. He is a native of Illinois, born in Polo, Ogle county, Nov. 16, 1854, a son of Maj. Zenan and Caroline (Nichols) Aplington. Major Aplington was born in Broome county, New York, Dec. 24, 1815, attended the public schools of Delhi, N. Y., and on reaching his majority went to Illinois, locating at Buffalo Grove, as one of the pioneer settlers of that section. During his business career he was successively a farmer, blacksmith, builder, merchant and real estate dealer. He donated the Illinois Central railway the right-of-way through his farm, secured the contract to build that portion of the road from Freeport to what is now Polo, and founded on his property the town which he named in honor of Marco Polo, the renowned traveler. In the panic of 1857 he experienced reverses, but eventually rose to affluence. From the time of its birth he was an ardent and active member of the Republican party, and in 1858 was elected a member of the state senate to represent the counties of Boone, Carroll, Ogle and Winnebago. In the legislature of 1860-61 he stood manfully for the Union and for Governor Yates in his determination to crush out disloyalty in Illinois. At the outbreak of the Civil war he raised an independent company of cavalry, every man of whom furnished his own horse and equipments. This company, of which he was chosen captain, entered the United States service on Sept. 13, 1861, and during the first year of its service he was promoted to be major for gallant and meritorious conduct on the field of battle. On May 8, 1862, in a skirmish preceding the battle of Corinth, Major Aplington met his deatha sacrifice to the Union cause. He kept an accurate diary of his military service, which is now a most valued possession of his son, Judge Aplington.
John Aplington attended the public schools of Polo, Ill., and was graduated from the high school. Subsequently he entered Union College of Law at Chicago, and was graduated in the class of 1879. He was admitted to the bar in June of that year at Springfield. In May, 1880, he located at Council Grove, Kan., the city in which his entire professional career has been passed. In his law practice Judge Aplington has gained prestige and success, having a representative clientage and having appeared in connection with important litigation. He is especially fortified in his wide and comprehensive knowledge of the science of jurisprudence, a man of strong character and individuality, and in argument logical and convincing. His political allegiance has been given to the Republican party and of its policies he has ever been a consistent and active supporter. He was elected city attorney of Council Grove in 1900; was reëlected in 19D1 and 1902; was elected probate judge of Morris county in 1896, and reëlected in 1898; was again honored by his party in 1906 by election to the same office, re-elected in 1908 and again in 1910, being the only incumbent of the office for three successive terms. He has filled the office with honor and dignity, and with satisfaction to the citizens of the county. In commercial affairs Judge Aplington has taken a somewhat active part. He is a firm believer in the safety of Kansas farm lands from an investment standpoint; is the owner of a highly improved farm of 640 acres one mile west of Council Grove, which farm he formerly operated; and he is an active factor in the real estate field.
On June 25, 1879, Judge Aplington married Kate, a daughter of the late Henry H. Smith, for many years superintendent of schools of Ottawa, Ill. Mrs. Aplington is a lady of broad culture and unusual literary attainments. She has been for many years a well known contributor to newspapers and magazines. Judge and Mrs. Aplington are members of the Presbyterian church, to which they have given generous support.Pages 1522-1524 from volume III, part 2 of Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. ... / with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence. Standard Pub. Co. Chicago : 1912. 3 v. in 4. : front., ill., ports.; 28 cm. Vols. I-II edited by Frank W. Blackmar. Transcribed December 2002 by Carolyn Ward. This volume is identified at the Kansas State Historical Society as microfilm LM195. It is a two-part volume 3.
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The KSGenWeb Project | <urn:uuid:6584453a-0712-4719-bc00-a8f784b592f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/a3/aplington_john.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979772 | 1,252 | 1.65625 | 2 |
They're questions well worth pondering, given that
Bread and Puppet Theater makes its way to Chapel Hill this week. By the time you read these words, one of the founding political protest theater groups of the 1960s--and one of a far smaller number still in existence today--will have performed their King's Story and Insurrection Mass with Funeral March for a Rotten Idea on the lawn in front of Carrboro's Weaver Street Market.
On Oct. 1-2 at 6 p.m., the group that inspired a generation of politically-oriented puppet groups--including our own Paperhand Puppet Intervention--will present their Victory Over Everything Circus in the Forest Theater adjacent to UNC.
As it happens, Maria Schumann, the daughter of Bread and Puppet's founder Peter Schumann, currently lives in the region and is completing her masters' degree in folklore at UNC. Though the Circus is clearly a response to the war in Iraq and its still-unfolding aftermath, Schumann notes, "the puppet circus is more fun than a lot of the other Bread and Puppet shows. It's political, but not in such a heavy way."
"It's clearly a family show," she says. "Kids tend to love the circuses, because they're visually very quick, and imaginative: with grasshoppers on bicycles, and all sorts of animals."
Colorfully costumed flora and fauna become metaphors in the Bread and Puppet world. The Tigers of Consumption will perform acrobatics, while the Zebras of Consumer Confidence "are trained to respond when their handlers call out the results of the stock market," Schumann notes.
Things descend into chaos as the Victory Over Everything band proclaims total victory. Thank heaven the equally metaphorical washerwomen and the garbagemen are there to clean things up and take out the trash when it does.
Schumann reflects on a childhood in radical theater in a small town in Vermont, before attempting to describe what keeps the theater going. "Peter is driven by the idea that he has to use his art to fight against the injustices in the world," she says, "and that our government in the U.S. in particular is responsible for many of them: the war in Iraq, environmental degradation."
"There's also the philosophy of making something out of nothing--using the garbage of our system to make puppets to fight against the system. We use cardboard and scraps of cloth not to strive for shiny, new, slick things, but to use what's available, the material around us--and to say that anybody can do it."
If the group follows tradition, they will also distribute handmade sourdough bread to members of the audience, bread which the company will bake on-site. Rumor also has it that Carrboro ArtsCenter is already looking into a return booking for the group next season.
Maybe she knows that proprietor Eula Mae Johnson's a little picky about her clientele. Or maybe she's anticipating a little bit of trouble after dark. Either way, playwright Dorothy Clark doesn't want to tell me where The Bird of Paradise Dew Drop Inn, this juke joint she's got going this weekend and next, actually is.
Clark helpfully adds that it's also doing business as The House of Blues, a fact that still doesn't get me in the door--or even tell me where to find it. "Some small, backstreet urban establishment," I ask, hopefully, "or perhaps some backroad country affair, straight out of the mind of Willie Little?" Clark isn't saying.
The live blues band sounds good: welcome guest Bobby Hinton on vocals and keys, with Aaron Mills on bass, and Warren Frazier on drums.
And the regulars sound interesting. There's Bernard, who's been telling Imogene for a year that he's going to marry her one of these days. Then there's Shirley, who's actually got Bernard's two kids--but not the double-ring ceremony to go with 'em. Ralph's a good guy who just comes in to unwind a little--can't sing, though. And as usual, the Blues Lady's in the corner: Nobody knows what's the deal with her.
Finally, Clark lets it slip, just before the disconnect. "PSI Theater, Durham Arts Council. The cover's $10. And the best-dressed for a juke joint gets to sit at Eula Mae's table the next time they stop in."
Before we close, hats off to Lauren Johnson and Greg Lewis, the majordomos of UNC's 24-Hour Play Festival. Each semester the pair manages to give student playwrights one sleepless night and directors, actors and technicians the following day in which to write from scratch, cast, memorize, direct, tech and then stage a set of brand-new one-act plays--in less than 24 hours. It's all for charity, and this time the capacity crowd at Hanes Art Auditorium on Sept. 20 anted up $800 for Orange County Rape Crisis Center.
For the most part, the fledgling bards stuck to sketch comedy, but Zachary Gresham got our attention with One Has to Stop Rowing to Read, a very promising seed script which began to explore how one young woman becomes entranced by an ultrafundamentalist--and how she breaks away. The characters and insight in this work clearly have more of a future than a 10-minute Saturday night sketch.
After watching the students have fun with this, and after witnessing the recent Play Slam at the ArtsCenter, I started thinking. The regional theater scene--regional playwrights in particular--have started experimenting, taking chances, and flexing a few impressive artistic muscles of late. I wondered what would happen if the larger, public group tried their hand at this. Any takers?
Finally, the North Carolina Dance Alliance holds their first annual gathering in recent years this weekend at Meredith College. Around-the-clock classes, seminars and concerts this weekend include the first full evening from Postcards Dance Project on Friday night, and a showcase of works from around the state Saturday. For more details, call 760-8015 or check the website:
Other notable openings:
All The King's Men Parts 1&2, Burning Coal, Kennedy Theater, BTI Center; Jackie O, Long Leaf Opera/NCCU Theater, Carolina Theatre; Sera Jay Tibetan Monastery Monks, ArtsCenter; NC Dance Alliance Annual Concert, Jones Auditorium, Meredith College; Sea Marks, Wordshed/Ghost&Spice, Swain Hall, UNC; Cabaret, University Theater (NC State), Stewart Theater; Blithe Spirit, Temple Theater, Sanford; The Lost Colony -- Student Edition, Regency Park; Anamalia Golden Rod Puppets, Sertoma Amphitheater, Cary
***1/2 The Faraway Nearby, Theatre in the Park--John Murrell's vivid poetry matches the strong images of Georgia O'Keeffe at times, as he documents the artist's physical decline and grudging, growing dependency on handyman Juan Hamilton in this heartbreaking play. D. Anthony Pender gives a fine grassroots-level performance as Hamilton, but the musical overarticulation in Erica Nashan's voice belongs strictly to a young, professional actor, not the aging genius we see, briefly, at the edge of darkness.
***1/2 Peep: Take It All Off, Dog & Pony Show--Maybe they should keep their vendetta against critical naysayers (your humble servant included): Things are looking up for this nuevo burlesque revue. Though still uneven in spots, this edition was considerably better acted, directed and scripted--just sharper and more creative overall--than the mediocrity we saw last October. The comic, slow-burn interplay between wisecracking burlesque battle-axes Miss Pixie and Mitzi LaRouge had two now robust characters with a shared past going at each other with relish, and this time the script of director Lissa Brennan (who also plays Miss Pixie) kept the audience laughing. Granted, this Peep stays on soapbox a bit too long, and the memorable physical comedy in Leigh Hall's domestic goddess character's strip tease contrasted with an earlier performer who never seemed comfortable making eye contact with the audience. But Flynt Burton and Sarah Erickson made amusing contributions, while Brennan's vividly, um, illustrated history of burlesque was educational, if a bit longwinded. Still, the fundamental question was never "Should burlesque be done?" It was, "Should it be done well?" Either way, this comes closer than earlier efforts. Sign us up for the next one.
* 1/2 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, NRACT--The cute-as-a-button Oompa Loompas looked as if they stepped straight out of the Sci-Fi Channel--props to the makeup and costumers. But this was a big show--and possibly one too big for the small North Raleigh community theater. The unwieldy stage pieces required repeated set changes that lasted longer than some scenes. Plus such extensive sets and costumes could easily have cheated the director of adequate time with actors to fully develop the characters during the production process. Still, we saw significant glimmers of hope from Brian Lord as Willy Wonka, Tom McKelvy as Grandpa Joe, and of course Matthew Gudlaugsson as Charlie. | <urn:uuid:205da2bb-36fe-4df7-95b5-8ba6cd4ca47b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/byron-woods/Content?oid=1190412 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944031 | 1,951 | 1.851563 | 2 |
You Bet Your Life
Groucho Marx knew the secret word was enjoyment.
From the Print Edition:
Groucho Marx, Spring 93
I'm probably the only man alive who can say he was weaned on Groucho Marx's cigar smoke.
Because my father was Groucho, I learned to appreciate the aroma of a good Havana cigar when I was still in a crib. I got my first whiff of cigar smoke when Groucho leaned over the crib railing one evening to kiss me good night. Between his thumb and forefinger was a long, smoldering stogie from which was wafting a large, bluish-white cloud of smoke. Seeing this, my mother bawled out father for not being more considerate of his only son. She felt the smoke would hurt my tender lungs. But of course it didn't. Like Bill Clinton, I did not inhale.
When I was seven, and old enough to sit at the dinner table with my parents, Groucho would turn to me when he was on his dessert and coffee course and say, "Trot upstairs to my humidor, Big Feet (he always called me Big Feet because he claimed my footsteps on the stairs outside his bedroom woke him up early in the morning), and bring me a Dunhill 410." In a large humidor in his upstairs study he kept a trove of the most expensive cigars money could buy--mostly Dunhills. There were light cigars for after lunch, and heavier, more pungent ones for after dinner. The latter were his favorites--especially the 410s. He also kept on hand a box of extra-sized cigars called Belindas. These, I believe, were the kind Winston Churchill smoked. They were long and fat and looked like a miniature Scud missile. These he kept for special occasions, to be given to important guests--cigar aficionados who'd appreciate them--or when he wanted to show off.
Even though I had no desire to start smoking when I was still in grammar school, the rich, fragrant aroma of a Havana cigar always whetted my olfactory senses as I opened the humidor, selected a 410 and carried it downstairs to my father at the dinner table. And I would watch with childish fascination as father clipped off the tip of the cigar with his mother-of-pearl cigar cutter, and then stuck it in his mouth and torched the large end of it with his silver cigarette lighter. As he took a deep, satisfying drag of his 410, and then exhaled a large cloud of smoke in my direction, it didn't seem possible to me that anyone could get so much enjoyment out of putting just smoke in his mouth and then blowing it out. At that age, I would have much preferred a chocolate cigar. But for Groucho, no dinner was complete without his 410, nor a day without at least two of them.
Of course, it hadn't always been that way with him, because he hadn't always been able to lead such a well-ordered existence.
Born in 1890 on the East Side of Manhattan, Julius Marx was the fourth of five sons born to my grandparents, Samuel and Minnie Marx. From the beginning (partially because his father was awkward as a tailor--nicknamed "misfit Sam"--and partially because Minnie had a paternally inherited love for show business) the Marx family lived off the inconsistent profits of the vaudeville stage.
Money was never plentiful. Even when Groucho and his brothers were in small-time vaudeville prior to The First World War, he was lucky to be able to afford an after-dinner cigar at all, much less an expensive Dunhill. As a matter of fact, with the tendency of many theater owners to run off with the weekly take without paying the actors, he was lucky sometimes to have the money to buy a dinner at a cheap Greek restaurant.
When he became a success in vaudeville and on Broadway's legitimate stage, he didn't have the time after dinner to enjoy a leisurely smoke. In order to make the curtain he usually had to gulp down his meal and rush right over to the theater and start putting on his makeup. When he first made it in big-time vaudeville, he wore an
ersatz mustache that had to be glued on under his nose very carefully before every performance. This took time. Once, however, Groucho lingered over his dinner coffee in the restaurant across the street from the theater too long. As a result he was too late getting to the theater to glue on the phony mustache. Instead, he grabbed a stick of black greasepaint from the dressing table and painted on a black mustache under his nose and heavy eyebrows over his eyes, then dashed out on the stage doing his inimitable crouched walk in a sketch called, "Fun in Hi Skule."
"To my amazement I found it didn't hurt my audience acceptance one bit," Groucho told me. "If anything the laughs were even bigger."
You must be logged in to post a comment. | <urn:uuid:df8bf32b-4fc6-4df1-92e9-28eb12de82ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/You-Bet-Your-Life_6020 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985955 | 1,059 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Austin L. Hughes
Above all, do not attempt to use science (I mean, the real sciences) as a defence against Christianity. They will positively encourage him to think about realities he can’t touch and see. There have been sad cases among the modern physicists. If he must dabble in science, keep him on economics and sociology; don’t let him get away from that invaluable “real life.” But the best of all is to let him read no science but to give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that everything he happens to have picked up in casual talk and reading is “the results of modern investigation.” Do remember you are there to fuddle him. From the way some of you young fiends talk, anyone would suppose it was our job to teach!
CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Austin L. Hughes at The New Atlantis has a first rate look at science and scientism:
An additional strength of the falsifiability criterion is that it makes possible a clear distinction between science properly speaking and the opinions of scientists on nonscientific subjects. We have seen in recent years a growing tendency to treat as “scientific” anything that scientists say or believe. The debates over stem cell research, for example, have often been described, both within the scientific community and in the mass media, as clashes between science and religion. It is true that many, but by no means all, of the most vocal defenders of embryonic stem cell research were scientists, and that many, but by no means all, of its most vocal opponents were religious. But in fact, there was little science being disputed: the central controversy was between two opposing views on a particular ethical dilemma, neither of which was inherently more scientific than the other. If we confine our definition of the scientific to the falsifiable, we clearly will not conclude that a particular ethical view is dictated by science just because it is the view of a substantial number of scientists. The same logic applies to the judgments of scientists on political, aesthetic, or other nonscientific issues. If a poll shows that a large majority of scientists prefers neutral colors in bathrooms, for example, it does not follow that this preference is “scientific.”
Popper’s falsifiability criterion and similar essentialist definitions of science highlight the distinct but vital roles of both science and philosophy. The definitions show the necessary role of philosophy in undergirding and justifying science — protecting it from its potential for excess and self-devolution by, among other things, proposing clear distinctions between legitimate scientific theories and pseudoscientific theories that masquerade as science.
By contrast to Popper, many thinkers have advanced understandings of philosophy and science that blur such distinctions, resulting in an inflated role for science and an ancillary one for philosophy. In part, philosophers have no one but themselves to blame for the low state to which their discipline has fallen — thanks especially to the logical positivist and analytic strain that has been dominant for about a century in the English-speaking world. Continue reading | <urn:uuid:8bc34923-84c2-4fe5-9646-e6252370828d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://the-american-catholic.com/tag/austin-l-hughes/ | 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 | 0.967761 | 633 | 1.710938 | 2 |
We recently finished up a section on area and volume using integrals and we were learning about what the anti-derivative is. My question is I am not sure if there is proof that the anti-derivative can give us the area or volume. I asked my teacher about this but there doesn't seem to be a concrete proof? I am just wondering how did Newton or what not come to learn that the anti-derivative, which I see as the pre-slope leads to the area and volume?
Right now I am a skeptic about the anti derivative. Can someone make me a believer? I need some proof. I am just not convinced. | <urn:uuid:7526ac03-d56c-4ec4-b321-43d8da18d5d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathhelpforum.com/calculus/213181-anti-derivatives-proof.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978267 | 138 | 2.1875 | 2 |
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December 15, 2009
Dec. 10 -- The computational science expertise of STFC Daresbury Laboratory is to play a key part in enabling global giant Unilever to research and develop innovative new products for their customers. STFC scientists will be using their world-class capabilities in modelling and simulation to develop new software tools that will speed up the development of new and more efficient products across Unilever's personal care range.
The research, with Unilever's R&D team at Port Sunlight will use the Laboratory's supercomputers to try to develop special software tools that can predict how the different ingredients will interact with each other. It is hoped that this work will make it possible for product modellers to run simulations in a more timely fashion and increase their understanding of how different ingredients can be mixed and processed efficiently. If successful, this breakthrough will enable Unilever to improve products for consumers using environmentally-friendly manufacturing methods.
The collaboration has been made possible by the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry (KCMC), a national centre of expertise that aims to drive industrial growth for the UK chemistry-using industries through the coordination, development and exploitation of leading edge materials chemistry research.
Unilever spokesperson Dominic Tildesley said: "Product formulation is at the heart of our business and we are delighted to be working with one of the best computational modelling centres in the world to innovate more quickly and efficiently for our consumers."
Dr Richard Blake, director of computational science and engineering at STFC Daresbury Laboratory added: "We are delighted to be working with Unilever. STFC Daresbury Laboratory is well-known for its world-class computational science expertise in modelling and simulation. The personal care products we all use every day, such as shampoo and toothpaste, are actually very high-tech and are made up of a number of complex, structured materials. The chemical industry is one of the UK's largest manufacturing sectors and it is vital for companies like Unilever to invest in research and development to be able to innovate and grow. We hope that the results of this research will pave the way for further advances in materials chemistry which will benefit consumers, the environment and the wider economy."
John Conti Ramsden, director of the KCMC said: "This project is a great illustration of the growing importance of modelling and simulation to product and process innovation in formulated products -- and how the combination of modelling, with advances in experimentation, will enable new possibilities for product design."
1. The research work will start immediately and last for approximately one year.
2. The supercomputers that will be used for the work with Unilever include the Laboratory's IBM Blue Gene Systems, IBM Cell Blade, Sun and SGI systems.
3. Unilever currently spends over €1bn a year on research and development across its food, personal and home care products.
4. The safety of current and future products is the highest priority for Unilever and Daresbury Laboratory. There are European Union regulations and laws in individual countries which outline what materials and chemicals are approved for use in manufacturing. Unilever also apply their own high corporate standards that require approval from their own safety specialists before they place any product on the market. The research work at Daresbury Laboratory will work within these boundaries.
About Unilever Port Sunlight, UK
Unilever R&D Port Sunlight is the major R&D centre for the company's home and personal care brands. Over 700 scientists work to combine understanding in areas such a material, physical, biological, and process sciences with the best consumer insight to give innovative products for the world's supermarket shelves. The global brands our scientists contribute to include Dove, Sunsilk, Lynx / Axe, Signal, Cif, Persil / Omo and Domestos. Each year this work results in over 100 patent filings and approximately 140 peer-reviewed papers and conference presentations. We achieve much of our success by working across a network of Unilever R&D centres. Scientists at R&D Port Sunlight work daily with Unilever colleagues around the world.
About the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry (KCMC)
The Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry is a virtual centre of expertise providing multi-disciplinary research and innovative knowledge transfer based on world class capabilities in applied materials chemistry. The center provides a single point of contact for companies of all sizes to access a substantial range of facilities and expertise in applied materials chemistry at four leading academic institutions at Bolton, Liverpool and Manchester Universities and the Science and Technology Facilities Council at Daresbury. It offers proactive help in the formulation and delivery of collaborative R&D projects; fast track project initiation with dedicated project scientists in our partner institutions; excellent project management and knowledge transfer expertise.
Initial funding of £8 million from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is matched by £7 million of academic commitment and resources by the academic partner institutions. This investment will provide the Northwest with an internationally renowned capability in materials chemistry and is set to leverage further industry and international grant income in excess of £15 million over the next five years.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is an independent, non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS). It is a science-driven organisation, making it possible for a broad range of scientists to do the highest quality research tackling some of the most fundamental scientific questions.
Large-scale, worldwide scientific initiatives rely on some cloud-based system to both coordinate efforts and manage computational efforts at peak times that cannot be contained within the combined in-house HPC resources. Last week at Google I/O, Brookhaven National Lab’s Sergey Panitkin discussed the role of the Google Compute Engine in providing computational support to ATLAS, a detector of high-energy particles at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The Xeon Phi coprocessor might be the new kid on the high performance block, but out of all first-rate kickers of the Intel tires, the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) got the first real jab with its new top ten Stampede system.We talk with the center's Karl Schultz about the challenges of programming for Phi--but more specifically, the optimization...
Although Horst Simon was named Deputy Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he maintains his strong ties to the scientific computing community as an editor of the TOP500 list and as an invited speaker at conferences.
May 16, 2013 |
When it comes to cloud, long distances mean unacceptably high latencies. Researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany examined those latency issues of doing CFD modeling in the cloud by utilizing a common CFD and its utilization in HPC instance types including both CPU and GPU cores of Amazon EC2.
May 15, 2013 |
Supercomputers at the Department of Energy’s National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) have worked on important computational problems such as collapse of the atomic state, the optimization of chemical catalysts, and now modeling popping bubbles.
May 10, 2013 |
Program provides cash awards up to $10,000 for the best open-source end-user applications deployed on 100G network.
May 09, 2013 |
The Japanese government has revealed its plans to best its previous K Computer efforts with what they hope will be the first exascale system...
May 08, 2013 |
For engineers looking to leverage high-performance computing, the accessibility of a cloud-based approach is a powerful draw, but there are costs that may not be readily apparent.
05/10/2013 | Cleversafe, Cray, DDN, NetApp, & Panasas | From Wall Street to Hollywood, drug discovery to homeland security, companies and organizations of all sizes and stripes are coming face to face with the challenges – and opportunities – afforded by Big Data. Before anyone can utilize these extraordinary data repositories, however, they must first harness and manage their data stores, and do so utilizing technologies that underscore affordability, security, and scalability.
04/15/2013 | Bull | “50% of HPC users say their largest jobs scale to 120 cores or less.” How about yours? Are your codes ready to take advantage of today’s and tomorrow’s ultra-parallel HPC systems? Download this White Paper by Analysts Intersect360 Research to see what Bull and Intel’s Center for Excellence in Parallel Programming can do for your codes.
In this demonstration of SGI DMF ZeroWatt disk solution, Dr. Eng Lim Goh, SGI CTO, discusses a function of SGI DMF software to reduce costs and power consumption in an exascale (Big Data) storage datacenter.
The Cray CS300-AC cluster supercomputer offers energy efficient, air-cooled design based on modular, industry-standard platforms featuring the latest processor and network technologies and a wide range of datacenter cooling requirements. | <urn:uuid:36832562-b6f2-42eb-b35c-48d57c7376f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2009-12-15/unilever_joins_forces_with_stfc_for_product_r_d.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919001 | 1,850 | 2.234375 | 2 |
On the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, environmental advocates aren't finished with their fight against fracking. A green coalition has banded together to halt hydraulic fracturing in California, armed with a whole bunch of lawyers and a whole bunch of money. Let's review the dirty details of this clean team's dream, and how it could drastically change the natural gas dialogue.
Yesterday, non-profit environmental law firm Earthjustice, along with the Sierra Club and three other groups, filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR). Earthjustice alleges that DOGGR has not practiced due diligence in its approval of oil and gas drilling activity and is in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act.
In the first years of the black gold rush, you could stick a shovel into places in Texas and oil would bubble out from the ground. Those days are long gone, though, and oil and gas companies must work harder and harder to find energy in Mother Earth's crevices. Offshore drilling, tar sands exploration, and hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") all came about because of rising energy demand in the face of diminishing supply.
In a sentence, fracking involves injecting pressurized fluid through rock fractures to push hard-to-reach gas up to the surface. The process has been around since the 1950s, but it has only recently taken off as the U.S. has turned to domestic natural gas production to curb its addiction to foreign oil.
Au naturel in California
Currently, the Sunshine State has about 1,500 natural gas wells producing just over 300 billion cubic feet of gas annually. That might seem like a lot, but considering the United States has almost 500,000 natural gas wells and produced 28.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2011, California accounts for just over 1% of the country's total output.
Although anti-fracking legislation hasn't received widespread support in California, Vermont became the first state to place an outright ban on fracking last week. The successful passage of this bill served as a wake-up call for drilling companies worldwide , and natural gas corporations are casting a wary eye toward state legislatures.
So what gas companies lose from this news? Let's examine three scenarios:
1. None. Critics of natural gas have been around as long as natural gas has, and this most recent lawsuit won't change anything. Even if an anti-fracking law were to pass, it'd take years to hammer out the details, and years more before companies were forced to shut down. With 1% of the country's production, California is a drop in the bucket.
2. Some. California has a history of environmental leadership, and this most recent lawsuit is the strongest and most supported yet. It'll take some time and political maneuvering, but this is the beginning of the end for fracking in the state. For a list of California's most exposed companies, check out the Western States Petroleum Association member list. These corporations account for 80% of all drilling in California and fracked approximately 628 oil wells in 2011. Among the list are Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX ) , Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO ) , BP (NYSE: BP ) , ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP ) , Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY ) , and HollyFrontier (NYSE: HFC ) .
3. Everyone. California accounts for around 13% of U.S. GDP and is the eighth largest economy in the world. When California says "jump," industries and governments listen. Since the 1960s, the state has been a leader in stricter auto emissions regulation, with the eventual result that automakers adapt their entire fleet to meet the state's standards. With Vermont already onboard, an anti-fracking ban in California would sweep the nation, putting fracking-centric corporations out of the business and rattling the energy sector as we know it.
So is fracking finished?
Will California choose Door No. 1, 2, or 3? Perhaps a better question is: Which door can California choose? The power of status quo should never be underestimated, and industry lobbyists will keep Door No. 1 wide open. Likewise, environmental lobbyists have their foot in Door No. 3, and they're not taking no for an answer, no matter what happens to this lawsuit.
At the end of the day, competition between these two factions creates a context of critical construction, demanding only the fiercest of defenses from each side. Shareholders have a role to play, too, as corporate transparency and accountability are an investor's most trusted tools. No matter what your opinion, keep informed and keep an open mind, and you just might find yourself picking the magic door before California even has a chance to choose its destiny.
For investors looking for a safer energy play, utilities offer built-in diversification with jaw-dropping dividends. Energy consumption will skyrocket over the next few decades, and long-term investors know that you want exposure to this space now. We've picked one incredible company that presents a rare "double-play" investment opportunity today. We're calling it The One Energy Stock You Must Own Before 2014, and you can uncover it today, totally free, in our premium research report. Click here to read more. | <urn:uuid:2491d4cd-8130-43df-b875-bcd59729947b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/10/17/is-fracking-finished.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956312 | 1,083 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Sustainability and Green Building
The purpose of green building is to design buildings and sites that will lessen their impact on the built environment and protect human health. This is done by:
- Using recourses, water and energy efficiently
- Providing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for improved employee productivity and health
- Minimizing waste and the breakdown of the immediate and surrounding environment
Adopting green building practices can enhance the building performance and provide positive social, economic and environmental benefits for the organization as well as the community in which the buildings reside.
UF TREEO offers training to help individuals earn various green building designations, such as the Green Building Fundamentals for the LEED Green Associate and the LEED BD&C Overview and Exam Prep courses, both these courses prepare students to sit for the LEED GA and LEED AP exams, where successfully passing those exams will earn them the LEED GA or LEED AP professional designation.
Likewise UF TREEO offers the Green Globes Professional Certificate course. This course prepares students to take the GGP exam and earn the GGP designation. UF TREEO offers the certifying exam upon completion of the second day of the training course. | <urn:uuid:c1ae7159-14e8-4c4d-9fd7-9fb732ae069e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treeo.ufl.edu/sustainability.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939759 | 246 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Schools: Best Practices \ Case Studies
07/28/2008 - How one school district is improving the grade of its security, starting with its largest high school.
Legal Report: Legal Issues
07/28/2008 - An Illinois appellate court has ruled that the parents of a child molested by her school bus driver can proceed with her lawsuit against the school. The school argued that it was not a common carrier and could not, therefore, be held liable for Green’s claims of negligent hiring, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. (Under state law common carriers are liable for the wrongdoing of employees regardless of whether that employee was acting within the scope of employment.) The court ruled that the school was not a common carrier but, because of the special nature of its relationship to students, it owed an even higher duty of care to the plaintiff’s daughter.
Marketplace: Best Practices \ Case Studies
05/28/2008 - Learn how one university developed a security master plan to help it meet the evolving needs of new facilities.
Daily Headline : IT Security
05/16/2008 - Eighty-six information security incidents have been reported on college and university networks in the first five-and-a-half months of 2008.
Intelligence: Homeland Security
04/29/2008 - The Department of Homeland Security has sponsored a program that teaches high school students how to deal with fires as well as the science behind them.
Daily Headline : School Security
04/16/2008 - Campuses have strengthened or created behavioral threat assessment teams to identify students who pose a risk to themselves or others in an effort to prevent bloodshed on campus.
Schools: School Security
03/24/2008 - Universities are using threat assessment teams to help identify at-risk students and keep them from harming themselves or others.Sidebar: Navigating Privacy Protections
Daily Headline : Contingency Planning \ Disaster Management
03/19/2008 - Representative Bob Etheridge (D-NC) has drafted legislation that explicitly states schools are eligible for homeland security block grants.
Daily Headline : Legislation
03/14/2008 - A law passed by the Oklahoma State House yesterday allows people with training to carry concealed weapons on college campuses.
Beyond Print: Crime
02/29/2008 - School crime rates are holding steady, a new report informs, after falling for more than a decade.
Daily Headline : Crime
02/20/2008 - Critics say gun law loopholes allow mentally ill people access to firearms.
Daily Headline : Research & Studies
02/19/2008 - Funds sought for study to secure open public environments.
Daily Headline : Physical Security
02/15/2008 - Yesterday's tragic shooting at Northern Illinois University again highlights the need for schools to have alert plans. | <urn:uuid:a0a47c77-f976-4819-8d04-69f04a6973ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.securitymanagement.com/site_map/term/94/all?page=8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93758 | 581 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Submission Number: 00055
Received: 1/10/2012 3:19:25 PM
Commenter: Andrew Eatchel
Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: Face Facts: A Forum on Facial Recognition Technology; Project No. P115406
Attachments: No Attachments
An iPhone app that uses FR may be easy to avoid by anyone not wishing to be tracked if notice is given prior to installation but the act of simply walking past a camera equipped billboard or sorting through music samples at a kiosk capable of covertly taking a snapshot of the customer should not automatically subject one to biometric data collection/analysis. Laws must be enacted to prevent commercial enterprises from acquiring and more particularly, storing biometric information without the specific permission of a subject. Governments must not be allowed to collect biometrics from individuals without their permission either.
Some important points need to be made:
1. Among the rights guaranteed by our founders are life, liberty and the pursuit of a peaceful existence free from biometric data collection and tracking. The right to privacy is unalienable and the need for such a right is self evident. Biometric data is the property of the individual to whom it belongs. It is NOT part of the public domain.
2. Despite claims to the contrary, biometric systems can an WILL be hacked and biometric data of all kinds are subject to theft which WILL ultimately lead to new forms of identity theft. Any biometric data collected WILL ultimately end up in some government database(s).
3. Giving notice of bio-data collection is not enough. To guarantee choice, application of FR or any other biometric data collection technologies such as retina scanners for instance must not be made in situations where the general public - have to be - in order to live life in a normal fashion and perform every-day functions (e.g., banking, shopping, using various forms of public transportation, participating in recreational activities, etc.) unless provision is made for the person to voluntarily activate the technology by some overt action and the person is able to obtain access to the basic goods and services necessary to carry on normal life functions WITHOUT the bio-data collection. There are NO situations in which choice is unnecessary. Period!
4. Development and deployment of biometric technologies must be subject to the strictest possible controls and such technologies should be implemented, only in a way that makes them exceptional in their use rather than the accepted norm! | <urn:uuid:c6980da7-f2aa-4bb0-a8e0-885863d0cc9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/facialrecognitiontechnology/00055.html | 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 | 0.903829 | 502 | 1.921875 | 2 |
The “open” radical perineal prostatectomy is the oldest “modern” surgical approach to removal of the prostate that is still in use today. It was first used in 1905 by a surgeon called Hugh Hampton Young (see right), who, like Patrick Walsh (the developer of the “anatomic” approach to radical retropubic prostatectomy) also taught and practiced medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
- The procedure is carried out in a hospital under general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia.
- Your surgeon will make the primary (curved) incision through your perineum (the area between your scrotum and your anus). He (or she) will carry out the operation through this incision.
- The operation will include the removal of the entire prostate and the associated seminal vesicles, but the perineal approach makes it impossible to remove any of the lymph nodes as an integral part of this procedure.
- After removal of the relevant organs, the surgeon will reconnect your urethra to your bladder so that urinary function is restored post-surgery.
- All patients will initially require a urinary catheter (a tube that runs up through your penis into your bladder).The primary reason for catheterization is not to manage continence; rather, it is to ensure healing of the connection between the bladder and the urethra in the proper anatomical position.
It should be made clear that the modern radical perineal prostatectomy (like the modern radical retropubic prostatectomy) allows for “nerve sparing” (preservation of the neurovascular bundles on both sides of the prostate) in order to permit recovery of erectile function post-surgery.
This operation tends to be slightly easier to perform than the radical retropublic procedure and may take between 60 minutes and 2 hours depending on things like prostate shape and size and other factors such as previous surgery (e.g., a transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP), as well as the skill of the surgeon.
There is normally a relatively brief period for recovery and observation in hospital (1-2 days) and then an extended recovery period of a week to 10 days at home.
For a detailed description of the modern radical perineal procedure, we refer the interested reader to the following source:
- A detailed description of this procedure by Korman and Harris is available on the eMedicine web site, complete with surgical imagery. This description was prepared for the education of other physicians and surgeons.
The procedure described by Korman and Harris includes the perineal version of “anatomic” nerve sparing. From the patient’s point of view, these technical details of the surgery are not of great significance. It is the outcome that is of importance.
Any patient who is believed to have early stage (localized) prostate cancer, i.e., prostate cancer that is confined within the prostate, is theoretically an appropriate candidate for open radical perineal prostatectomy. Such patients would normally have clinical stage T1N0M0 or T2N0M0 prostate cancer.
The Results You Can Reasonably Expect
Based on his series of 508 patients published in 2007, Harris has reported the following outcomes:
- Among patients with pathological stage T2N0M0 (comprising 64.2 percent of all prostate cancers shown to organ-confined post surgery), 96.3 percent had no indication of disease recurrence (PSA levels < 0.2 ng/mL) at follow-up ranging from 3 months to 8.5 years (mean 4 years).
- Among patients with pathological stage T3N0M0 with positive or negative surgical margins (comprising 30.1 percent of all prostate cancers believed to have extracapsular disease that did not extend to the seminal vesicles at the time of surgery), 69 percent had no indication of disease recurrence within the same time frame.
- Among patients with pathological stage T3N0M0 with positive seminal vesicles (comprising 4.9 percent of all prostate cancers at the time of surgery), only 24 percent had no indication of disease recurrence within the 3-month to 8.5-year follow up timeframe.
As in the case of radical retropubic prostatectomy, the message to the patient is that truly localized disease can be treated by open radical perineal prostatectomy with a high degree of confidence that all cancer will be removed if the cancer really is organ-confined at the start of surgery. However, again, until the operation is completed, the surgeon simply has no way to tell whether the tumor really is organ-confined.
A variety of tools, including the Partin tables, the Han tables, and the Kattan nomograms are available to help doctors and their patients project the likelihood of particular outcomes after radical perineal prostatectomy, based on pre-surgical data (the patient’s PSA, clinical stage, and biopsy-based Gleason score), post-surgical data (the patient’s pathological stage and pathology-based Gleason score), and other factors. These “prognostic tools” are discussed in detail elsewhere. (The fact that these tools were developed based on data from radical retropubic procedures as compared to radical perineal procedures appears to be unimportant.)
The Adverse Effects of Treatment
Like radical retropubic prostatectomy, radical perineal prostatectomy comes with a series of common (but usually manageable) short-term side effects, a risk for some significant and problematic long-term side effects, and some serious short-term risks, as follows:
The common, short-term side effects — Immediately following surgery almost every patient has two short-term problems. He has little to no control over his bladder, and he will have lost the ability to have an erection (even if he has the nerve-sparing procedure).
Assuming that the operation has been successfully carried out, and there are no unexpected complications, a high level of urinary control will start to return within weeks or a couple of months. (It is true that some men are continent immediately but they compose a decidedly small proportion of patients.)
Harris’s patients reported the following rates of return of continence (i.e., the patients stated that they no longer needed to use pads and were “dry”):
- 38 percent at 1 month
- 65 percent at 3 months
- 88 percent at 6 months
- 96 percent at 1 year.
However, nearly all men will find that they don’t have quite the same degree of urinary control as they may have had prior to their surgery. Even 5 or 10 years after surgery, some men may worry about minor leakage on sudden movement or when lifting a heavy weight. For most men this is a minor irritation as opposed to a serious problem.
Recovery of erectile function normally takes longer. The neurovascular bundles (even when preserved) are always affected to some degree by the surgical procedure. (You can think of this in terms of them being badly bruised by the procedure.) Some men find that they recover a degree of erectile function within a few weeks. For others it may take 18 months to 2 years. The overall likelihood of recovery of erectile function is dependent on many factors, not just on anatomical preservation of the neurovascular bundles. These factors including age, baseline function, obesity, smoking history, other illnesses (e.g., diabetes, depression, and fatigue), and more. Radical prostatectomy is not an operation designed to improve erectile performance for men! The use of products like sildenafil (Viagra/Pfizer) or taldalifil (Cialis/Lilly) can assist with both the return of erectile function and the quality of performance once function has returned.
Problems with bowel movements appear to be minor in men undergoing the perineal procedure.
Significant, longer-term problems — For a relatively small percentage of men (particularly in the hands of the most skilled and experienced surgical teams), long-term incontinence and perceived failure to achieve the return of erectile function may become major issues. And if both neurovascular bundles have to be removed, then normal erectile function is very rarely going to return (although it is known to happen). There are ways to address both of these problems, but they require the understanding and the cooperation of both partners. For many men, loss of erectile function can be emotionally and psychologically disturbing and, in combination with the diagnosis of cancer and other life stressors, can lead to clinical depression.
Similarly, some men may never regain a normal level of urinary continence; and we do not understand why this happens. Again, there are ways to manage such problems, sometimes requiring additional surgery or other interventions. However, as with loss of erectile function, loss of bladder control can lead to depression as a consequence of the loss of control over an important, normal function.
The third longer term issue that occurs with some frequency is a slowly (or sometimes rapidly) increasing difficulty with urination. Most commonly this is a result of what is known as a “bladder neck contracture.” When your urethra is reconnected to your bladder, there may be regrowth of tissue as the surgical join recovers. This may result in the new tissue gradually blocking the urethral passage, and making it difficult or impossible to urinate. Various surgical means are available to resolve this problem in the short term and the longer term. For the vast majority of men who experience this problem, it may be temporarily worrisome but is relatively easily solved.
The serious short-term risks — An open radical retropubic prostatectomy is a serious and invasive surgical procedure. As with all such procedures, there are risks related to anesthesia and the normal complications of surgery. In the past, death was considered to be a significant risk associated with this type of surgery. However, today, the number of deaths associated with radical prostatectomy has become vanishingly small except in the most unusual circumstances. (Please understand that it is never zero for any invasive surgical procedure.)
The risk of serious blood loss is much less of a problem with the perineal procedure than it is with the retropubic procedure. In his series of 508 patients, Harris reports transfusion in only 5 cases (1 percent), all occurring in the first 140 patients.
Patients should appreciate that this is not, nor is it intended to be, a complete list of every possible risk associated with open radical perineal prostatectomy. If you decide to work with a surgeon who intends to use this procedure, you should be sure to review these and other risks — infertility, infection, injury to other organs, pain, recurrence — with that surgeon prior to your operation, and you will certainly be asked to sign a relevant consent form prior to surgery. | <urn:uuid:fef5663e-7abb-447f-a109-a62265a5f975> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://prostatecancerinfolink.net/treatment/first-line-localized/surgery/open-radical-perineal-prostatectomy-rpp-for-treatment-of-early-stage-localized-prostate-cancer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947677 | 2,283 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Biting Temperatures Send Rodents Scrambling IndoorsNPMA Staff
Monday, January 11, 2010
By NPMA Staff
Across the country, bitter cold temperatures and winter force
more than just people indoors. Rodents such as mice, rats and
squirrels can pose significant risks to people and their
properties. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) offers
solutions for homeowners on how to keep rodents from coming indoors
during the winter season.
"Rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes in the United
States every winter," says Missy Henriksen, vice president of
public affairs for NPMA. "Not only can rodents cause serious and
costly property damage but the health risks associated with them
should be of serious concern to homeowners."
Bats and rodents can also pose real threats to the health of a
homeowner and his or her family. The accumulation of their feces
can spread bacteria and viruses. Once this accumulated mass becomes
dry, it can be hazardous to those who breathe it in.
Mice are capable of dropping up to 25,000 fecal pellets each
year, an estimated 70 times each day. Rodent droppings can trigger
allergies and spread disease including Hantavirus - causing
headaches, fever, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Rodents can
chew through wallboards, cardboard, wood and even electrical
wiring, increasing the risk of a house fire. Henriksen points out
that rats only need an entry point the size of a quarter to access
NPMA offers these important measures to prevent a rodent
infestation during the winter season:
- Inspect wires, insulation and walls for signs of an
- Store boxes and containers off the floor and organize items
often to prevent rodents from residing in undisturbed areas.
- Seal cracks and holes, including areas where utilities and
pipes enter the home.
- Keep tree branches, shrubbery and ground covering well trimmed
and away from the house.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and five
inches off the ground.
- If you find rodent feces, hear sounds of scurrying in the walls
or observe other signs, contact a licensed pest professional to
inspect and treat the pest problem. | <urn:uuid:75e7d196-53e0-465f-ba73-1d02f75e0405> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pestworld.org/news-and-views/pest-articles/articles/biting-temperatures-send-rodents-scrambling-indoors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917234 | 479 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Speech by the Minister of Justice, Ms. Anna-Maja Henriksson on the occasion of the publication of Finland's updated national action plan 1325
Your Excellencies, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is indeed very welcome that the new National Action Plan for implementing UN Resolution 1325 is now complete. I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all those having participated in the preparation of it and to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for drafting it.
As Minister of Justice, I am of course especially engaged in those elements of the Action Plan that emphasise the significance of respect for human rights and efforts that strive to prevent impunity as well as those that promote the realisation of criminal liability.
As we all know, several International agreements oblige States to take special measures to protect women and children from gender-based violence such as rapes, which unfortunately have become widely used as means of warfare. For example in the course of the armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, women and young girls were widely subjected to systematic rapes. After such widespread atrocities the situation is unbearable from the viewpoint of efforts to unify the society, if the culprits of systematic rapes are known but the police and the judicial system aren't taking effective measures to bring them to justice.
Finland will continue to stress the importance of respecting the Rule of Law during and after armed conflicts. We consider that effective investigation of war crimes and gross violations of human rights are among the biggest challenges in crisis management operations. We very well know that a bi part of these crimes are directed against civilians and especially against women and children.
In the aftermath of conflicts, after a society has collapsed, an international administration often has to begin the construction of the judicial system from the very beginning - in a situation where old laws have been used as tools for discrimination, or where certain groups, such as women, have been completely denied access to rights. This is not solely a question of criminal law. Also the legislation concerning for example inheritance, property rights, family law and work-related issues may be heavily discriminatory against women. In order to achieve permanent peace and progress in these areas, it is imperative that an impartial judicial system is constructed, the legislation developed, and that structures within the society are created where women are given equal opportunities to access their rights and to participate in decision-making.
Another aspect I want to emphasize which is a central part of the Action Plan is that Finnish crisis management personnel, both civilian and military, have a responsibility to protect human rights and in their own behaviour act so that they do not encourage human trafficking or other criminal activities. We are all too well aware of that if crisis management workers are not well aware of their duties and the circumstances in their areas of operation, they may intentionally or unintentionally act in a way that weakens the position of women and children.
In the Action Plan at hand, women are encouraged to participate in crisis management operations. The target level is 40 %, which I think is a good ambition. There are in fact relatively many women working in the judicial field in Finland and the level of expertise is high. This expertise has already been used in different civil crisis management missions. And I am proud to notice that within my own sector we already meet these requirements. More than one third of Finnish judges, prosecutors, judicial counsels and experts in prison service trained for civil crisis management missions have been female. This will most likely be the situation in the judicial field also in the future, but the biggest challenge is to get more female police officers and female military personnel to participate in crisis management missions.
We shall now take rapid measures to implement this second and updated National Action Plan at hand.
Finally, I would like to thank you all for participating in this event (and for the valuable and interesting discussion. | <urn:uuid:228e85d9-0d1b-4f98-9802-eac728e3a232> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://valtioneuvosto.fi/ajankohtaista/puheet/puhe/fi.jsp?toid=2236&c=0&moid=2239&oid=359402 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965088 | 771 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Roll-up window blinds have been a persistent target of recalls for years because of the risk that a child's neck can get entangled in the cords. This week, a recall was expanded to cover more than 500,000 additional sets of roman shades and blinds. The expanded recall came after a 22-month-old boy in Iowa was found hanging by his neck and later died.
Since 1990, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that nearly 250 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling on window cords.
Here are details of this week's major recalls:
DETAILS: Hanover Direct Inc., of Weehawken, N.J., agreed to recall roman shades and roller and roll-up blinds. This is an expansion of a previous recall from October 2009 of about 90,000 roman shades. Thousands more roman shades as well as roller and roll-up blinds are now being called back. Hanover is the parent company for Domestications, The Company Store, and Company Kids. The products were sold through the company nationwide from January 1996 through October 2009.
WHY: Strangulation can occur if a child's neck becomes entangled in the cords. With the roller blinds, a child can be strangled if his or her neck becomes entangled in the blind's continuous loop pull cord, if is not attached to the wall or floor with a tension device.
INCIDENTS: A 22-month-old boy in Cedar Falls, Iowa, became trapped in the pull cord of a roman shade in May. He was found hanging by his neck and was rescued by his father, but later died.
HOW MANY: 495,000 roman shades and some 28,500 roller and roll-up blinds.
FOR MORE: Call 800-453-1106 or visit
DETAILS: Rollerblade USA, of West Lebanon, N.H., is recalling Spark and Spitfire brand inline skates. The skates were manufactured in Thailand, Vietnam and China, and sold at sporting goods stores nationwide and on the Internet from September 2009 through July 2010.
WHY: The frame mounting bolts and wheel axle bolts can be loose on new skates. Loose wheels or frames on the skates can cause the rider to fall.
INCIDENTS: Rollerblade USA has received 31 reports of loose bolts, including one report of a fall resulting in minor injuries.
HOW MANY: About 29,000 pairs
FOR MORE: Call (800) 232-7655 or visit
DESK AND FLOOR LAMPS
DETAILS: Pottery Barn is recalling lamps manufactured in India and sold at the chain's stores, through the company's catalog and on its website from July 2009 through August 2010. Included in the recall are Pottery Barn's Clay Task Lamp, the Montgomery Task Lamp, and the Montgomery Floor Lamp. All have bronze-colored finishes.
WHY: A wire running through the lamps could be pinched or severed at the lamp's adjustable point.
INCIDENTS: The company has received one report of a woman getting a jolt.
HOW MANY: About 7,300.
FOR MORE: Call (877) 851-7890 or visit
DETAILS: Giant Bicycle Inc. is recalling its 2011 model Giant Anthem X 29er mountain bicycle. The bikes were manufactured in Taiwan and imported by Newbury Park, Calif.-based Giant. They were sold in small, medium and large sizes at bicycle dealers nationwide in August. | <urn:uuid:a6e4a18f-300c-4aac-bbb4-c4614fdc8104> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/12/recalls-this-week-blinds-skates-lamps-bikes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952313 | 725 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Effectiveness of α-lipoic acid in prevention of peripheral diabetic neuropathy
Nino Jikurauli, Ellen Giorgadze, Nino Svani, Vasil Chachibaia, Felix Bestavashvili, Tea Lominadze, Nia Chanturia & Anna Malazonia
Background: The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of α-lipoic acid for the reducing the risk of developing peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
Subjects and methods: We have studied 38 patients with type I and II diabetes, from age 28 to 35. The mean duration of disease was 9 years. Patients were divided in two groups. In group I were included 15 patients which got α-lipoic acid in order to prevent peripheral diabetic neuropathy in dosage 600 mg-50 ml a day i/v infusion during 3 weeks, then 600 mg a day per-os, during 2 months. The treatment was provided twice a year during the 2 year period. In group II were included 23 patients, who did not got α-lipoic acid. In both groups we studied HbAIC, fasting glucose, lipid profile, sensation screening tests; knee-jerk and tendon reflexes, subjective complaints were estimated by TSS scale.
In I group of the patients the mean value of HbAIC was 7.0%, fasting glucose 133 mg/dl (±20); total Chol. 208 (±30), Trig 198 (±15), HDL 76 (±10); LDL 112 (±12), vibration sensation was decreased in 4 and a temperature sensation in 2 patients. The tactile and pain sensation were preserved. Knee-jerk and tendon reflexes were not changed, subjective symptoms by TSS were 1.00;
In group II HbAIC was 7.2%, fasting glucose 138 mg/dl (±25); total Chol. 234 (±33); Trig 265 mg/dl; HDL 71 mg/dl; (±10); LDL 116 mg/dl, vibration sensation was decreased in 10, tactile sensation - in 2 and a temperature sensation in - 6 patients. The tactile and pain sensation were preserved. Knee-jerk and tendon reflexes were not changed, subjective symptoms by TSS was 1.33;
Conclusion: Administration of α-lipoic acid for the lowering the risk of developing of peripheral diabetic neuropathy is required. | <urn:uuid:244f02cf-065f-42db-a2f5-fe9fc0b12c16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0014/ea0014p41.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955794 | 498 | 1.640625 | 2 |
State should go for expansion of Medicaid
By the H-T editorial board
The Herald-Times (Bloomington, Ind.), Jan. 10, 2013
Gov.-elect Mike Pence should support an expansion of Medicaid in Indiana. And while he’s at it, he should name Dr. Rob Stone of Bloomington his chief adviser on medical and health care issues.
Stone’s background includes working 28 years as an emergency room physician and nearly that long as an outspoken advocate for making sure access to health care is within reach of as many people as possible. He’s not a big fan of much of the Affordable Care Act because it doesn’t go far enough for him. He is a fan of the Medicaid expansion, though, because it would provide about 363,000 uninsured Hoosiers a way to afford necessary health care.
Medicaid, don’t forget, is the health care safety net for people with disabilities, the poor and the elderly. The most important reason to expand it is that more individuals who really need help will get help.
But that’s not the only reason. This would be good for the state for a lot of reasons.
As Stone said in a presentation this week, “People live sicker and die younger without insurance.” On the flip side, people who are healthier and — well, alive — have a much better chance at being productive and contributing to society.
And, he estimated, one life would be saved for every 1,000 newly insured people. In other words, 363 Hoosiers a year would not die if 363,000 additional Hoosiers can gain access to health care.
Cost is a main reason opponents cite when encouraging state leaders not to expand Medicaid. It would be an expensive program to expand.
But, Stone points out, the return of federal funds to state money would be at least $11 to $1. And the state money, Stone says — estimated at $50 million to $150 million — could come from a $121 million cigarette tax currently earmarked for the Healthy Indiana Plan, as well as $48 million in a high risk insurance pool. Neither program would be needed with the expansion of Medicaid, meaning state funds would simply be transferred from one use to another.
Meanwhile, the Medicaid reimbursement money would go into the state’s economy through doctors, nurses, hospitals and other health care-related jobs.
One more reason popped up last week that should help the state decide to take this deal from the federal government. A federal judge ruled that Indiana has been “deliberately indifferent” to mentally ill inmates in state prisons. It seems likely the state will need to spend more than the $100 million it spent in 2012 on inmate health care in reaction to the ruling. Many of those mentally ill prisoners could be covered by Medicaid if the program is expanded, negating the need to spend more state money in that area.
Stone calls the opportunity to expand Medicaid so more people are treated and federal funds come to Indiana instead of going elsewhere as “a no-brainer” and as grabbing “low-hanging fruit.” We agree with him, and suggest Gov.-elect Pence and the Republican majority in the General Assembly listen to him, too.
PNHP note: See also Dr. Stone's opinion piece in the Jan. 3 edition of the Indianapolis Star on the issue of Medicaid expansion. | <urn:uuid:d6a14bf2-0626-4de1-88ba-ee41605d627f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pnhp.org/news/2013/january/state-should-go-for-expansion-of-medicaid | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959745 | 704 | 1.671875 | 2 |
it's funny that i title this post andy warhol and that i originally went just for that exhibit but i was most in love with the beauty and belief arabic exhibit. i am a big fan of modern art, but my passion is for the ancient. we went there first, i could spend all day sitting in that room. i even bought grant some arabic abc blocks. they have the numbers and animals as well, my child shall be a prodigy.
one of our favorites was this "figure within a figure" piece. there were two holes in the wall, the one to the right is long and when you look through it you see this:
then you move to the left and look inside the small square whole and it's transformed into this:
amazing. and i loved this, it's an islamic map of the world from the 18th century, with the holy city - Mecca right in the middle.
there were so many ancient texts from as early as the 9th century, their writing is just so beautiful and appealing. most were qur'an manuscript or long beautiful prayer scrolls.
there were gorgeous pieces of jewlrey, a helmet from the early 16th century, paintings and colorful tiles from homes. i'd love to visit this part of the world one day.
then we went to the andy warhol, takashi murakami exhibit...i'm not the biggest fan of takashi so there isn't much from him. but this was matt's favorite exhibit, he's a fan of the modern. it was pretty friggin cool.
the queen elizabeth II pieces:
the 10 marilyn monroes with my main sqeeze and his fro:
and one from the infamous campbell's soup series:
"campbell's soup cans and elizabeth taylor and marilyn monroe. that's america" -andy warhol
he has silver clouds drifting through his gallery, they are constantly refilled so "seemingly never age, deflate, or die"
then the last exhibit was called object of devotion, medieval english alabaster sculptures. this one hit me hard because i've been studying a lot on this time period for school. i was very proud to be able to name many of these pieces before looking at the cards. beautiful, religious, and ancient.
in order: agony in the garden, Christ carrying the cross, the crucifixion, and the deposition
i've recently learned about catherine of alexandria, who she was and the role she played. i had never even heard of her or the "mystical marriage" until a couple weeks ago while doing my homework. she doesn't play a part in our religion, but it's an interesting story. these are sculptures of both attempts to kill her, being tortured by the wheel and then they beheaded her, obviously succeeding.
it was a good night, i'm excited for the new exhibits to come. grant was fabulous up until mom started decided to cruise through the gift shop...which might be my favorite part. that gift shop is seriously unbelievable, i want everything. EVERYTHING. i said it twice. it's like an artists version of urban outfitters. meaning awesome. | <urn:uuid:1b07e6c5-396f-41f3-90a3-3128644f8cb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cestlasara.blogspot.com/2012/09/andy-warhol-some.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981787 | 672 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Stephen Harper says economic warning from green watchdog is “useful” advice
Mike De Souza, Postmedia NewsPublished: Tuesday, February 05, 2013
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a report from his government's environment watchdog warning that poor environmental protection threatens the Canadian economy is a "useful piece of advice" that will guide future decisions.
In his final report to the House of Commons before he leaves his job, Scott Vaughan, the federal commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, highlighted numerous weaknesses and confusion in federal efforts to protect water and monitor activities such as fracking and offshore oil and gas exploration. Vaughan said the government needed to ensure that companies were prepared to clean up multibillion-dollar environmental disasters.
"We know that there's a boom in natural resources in this country and I think what we need now, given the gaps, given the problems that we found, is a boom in environmental protection in this country as well, because we need these to move hand in hand," Vaughan said at a news conference.
Parliament’s environment watchdog, Scott Vaughan, questions the effectiveness of Environment Canada's methods of enforcement.
Michelle Cochrane/Postmedia NewsEmail to a friendPrinter friendly
Opposition parties said the Fall 2012 report, tabled Tuesday, showed the government was putting taxpayers at risk. But in response to questions from NDP leader Tom Mulcair and interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, Harper said Vaughan's report contained "a number of useful suggestions."
The report warned that existing rules limited the financial liability of energy companies responsible for causing disasters – a situation the government recently said it planned to address with new legislation, as reported by Postmedia News last week.
" ‘Polluter pay' is at the heart of this government's environmental philosophy," Harper said in the Commons.
"I think the government has already been clear that responsible resource development means that as we see the growth in resource development over the decades to come, there will have to be enhanced measures of environmental protection."
Vaughan's report recommended that government departments and agencies should develop emergency plans that identify what everyone is supposed to do in case of a disaster.
"It's not in the middle of an accident that (you should be) trying to figure out who has the jurisdiction and who has the role and the mandate," Vaughan said. "And we found confusion there."
Vaughan, who announced last month that he would be leaving his position two years ahead of schedule to accept a new job as head of a Manitoba-based environmental policy research organization, also used his final report to express concerns about recently adopted changes to the federal Fisheries Act in July 2012 that remove protection for some bodies of water.
He also suggested that changes to Canada's environmental assessment law, also adopted in July, weakened evaluations of exploratory offshore drilling, which led to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico causing more than $40 billion in damage.
But even with the existing policies, his report said, federal regulatory boards and departments were not ready to prevent or respond to multibillion-dollar offshore disasters or to adequately monitor increased oil tanker traffic anticipated on the west coast of British Columbia.
"We identified several shortcomings, including insufficient spill response tools across the federal government, inadequately tested capacity, poorly coordinated response plans, and out-of-date or missing agreements between the boards and supporting departments."
Vaughan reported that one regulatory body, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, had not completed reviews needed to ensure operators could adequately respond to a spill.
He also criticized Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada for failing to conduct required inspections and monitoring to ensure that mining and resource developers in the north were respecting conditions of project approvals.
Vaughan's report recognized some progress in federal efforts to meet an international commitment among G20 countries to reduce subsidies and incentives for oil, gas and coal industrial development, as part of efforts to promote clean energy and reduce the heat-trapping pollution that contributes to global warming. But he noted that the government was unable to estimate the total value of its financial support for the industry.
As well, he said, the federal government still couldn't identify potentially harmful substances used by companies in gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing of shale rock, also known as fracking, and its impacts on water quality.
Vaughan's report said Canada's economy is threatened by a failure to meet international obligations under a United Nations treaty to protect 10 per cent of its marine areas.
"Our audit showed that at the current rate of progress, it will take Canada many decades to establish a fully functioning MPA (Marine Protected Areas) network and achieve the target to conserve 10 per cent of marine areas," said Vaughan in the report, highlighting the economic value of food resources in coastal areas.
"As a consequence, Canada's marine biodiversity remains at risk. By extension, the prosperity of many coastal communities in Canada with marine-based economies also remains threatened."
Meantime, Vaughan said recently adopted changes to the Fisheries Act have caused "confusion" within the government about how to manage more than $120 million worth of financial guarantees provided by companies to ensure that their activities cause "no net loss" to water.
"In light of the transformative nature of the changes made, I am concerned that the government does not know which aspects, if any, of the former ‘no net loss' principle remain in effect, and whether compensation plans are required for new projects," he wrote in his report. "A practical consequence of this confusion is that the government does not know what will happen to the approximately $120 million in financial assurances it now holds under the conditions of the former legislation." | <urn:uuid:ecb19b10-ed10-480e-8be3-d141a1803503> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=7920249 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965794 | 1,166 | 1.726563 | 2 |
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John M. Conyers Ephemera
Manuscript & Rare Books Division
Indiana State Library
Finding Aid: Nikki Stoddard Schofield, December 2011
Locks of hair, braided and decorated by women, who wrote their names in pencil on the paper to which they are attached. The ribbons are blue, pink, purple, black, and one is green, shaped like a leaf. The arrangement of hair is intricate. Three are in circles without any braiding. The others are all arranged in tiny curls. The paper is lined, folded several times, and torn at the center. The blonde hair has the name Y. I. Bennett inside the circle. H. M. Garret is written inside the brown braided hair with blue ribbon. A. W. Bennett is in the light brown circle with black ribbon. M. E. Perry is inside the braided brown hair near the hole in the paper. This paper was presented to John Conyers on the day of his induction into Company G, 11th Regiment, on March 29, 1865.
One sheet of paper, 7” x 9”, with 14 locks of hair, braided and unbraided.
Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.
March 29, 1865 See Above
Size of Collection: 1 folder, 1 item
Collection Dates: 1865
Access : The collection is open for research use
Reproduction Rights: Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript and Rare Books Division, Indiana State Library.
Language: Materials are entirely in English
Alternate Formats: None | <urn:uuid:c7defa4d-32d7-48bc-ad42-9e1f1386852c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.in.gov/library/4585.htm | 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 | 0.917826 | 433 | 2.484375 | 2 |
From a little brother's cancer diagnoses to dealing with an arrest, these high school players are overcoming all kinds of obstacles.
Winamac football drawing strength from 6-year-old's leukemia battle
As senior right tackle Gavin Fulmer entered the state tournament, his little brother Cooper began his own battle -- with leukemia. The unexpected diagnosis came the week of the Winamac (Ind.) football team's senior night.
The 6-year-old's fight has brought an already close-knit football team even closer.
"They probably won't tell you this, but I think they care about each other now," said head coach Tim Roth.
Football players at East Lee face real-life obstacles
Most high school football players have enough to worry about with playoffs on the horizon. These East Lee County (Fla.) atheltes are facing additional roadblocks. Defensive back Skartz Pierre is just happy to be playing after missing his junior season due to an arrest.
As for his teammate Omaris Tolbert, he credits football with keeping him on the right path after his father was murdered in 2003.
Buckeye Central senior Kendra Schultz won't stop for diabetes
Buckeye Central (New Washington, Ohio) senior volleyball player Kendra Schultz's uniform is slightly different than her teammates'. Tucked inside is an insulin pump connected to a 24-inch tube.
Diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 7, Schultz doesn't take living an active, healthy lifestyle for granted; she is on constant alert.
Plane crash survivor from Indiana cleared for some drills
What may seem like a small step for most is a milestone for someone who has spent time in a drug-induced coma.
After surviving a plane crash that killed his father and stepmother, Indiana high school basketball standout Austin Hatch has been cleared to take part in team drills. | <urn:uuid:1fcfc5a3-1e41-4a0e-9e9c-cfb8d6c37665> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usatodayhss.com/news/article/winamac-strengthened-by-cooper-fulmer-battle-with-leukemia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97601 | 378 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Author: David J Clarke
“With the aim to continuously improve transparency and use of evaluation, UNICEF Evaluation Office manages the "Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System". Within this system, an external independent company reviews and rates all evaluation reports. Please ensure that you check the quality of this evaluation report, whether it is “Outstanding”, “Good”, “Almost Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” before using it. You will find the link to the quality rating below, labelled as ‘Part 3’ of the report.”
The programme design was based on UNICEF’s prior experience in the education sector in Myanmar. The core components of Early Childhood Development (ECD), Child Friendly Schools (CFS) and Life Skills Education (LSE) had all been part of UNICEF’s education programmes and had already been piloted and refined in the local context. Thus, in essence, it involved a scaling up of interventions that had already been developed and were familiar to the Ministry of Education.
CFS, which originated as a concept in the late 1990s, had already been adopted as a flagship strategy in the EFA National Action Plan 2003-2015 to improve access to the quality of basic education. LSE had been introduced through the Schools-Based Healthy Living and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education (SHAPE) project in 1998, which was focused on HIV prevention in both formal and non-formal education. SHAPE enabled the introduction of LSE as part of the core curriculum in primary education. The non-formal education component was adapted for the Extended and Continuous Education and Learning (EXCEL) project. Support for ECD had been initiated in 2000 in the areas of parenting programmes and pre-school education.
The main purpose of this evaluation of the UNICEF Education Programme in Myanmar 2006-2010 is to assess its performance in terms of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and suggest any needed modifications for further programming. The evaluation report attempts to identify key lessons learned and good practices documented through delivering the project interventions, as well as to suggest future directions that would contribute to the design and development of a second phase of multi-donor support from 2011.
The methods included a thorough document review of the UNICEF Education Programme. Based on this and the terms of reference, (See Annex 1), a conceptual framework was developed with accompanying methods involving qualitative research including for focus-group discussions and key informant interviews. A rapid situation analysis of the education sector was conducted to inform the review.
Meetings and focus group discussions were held in-country with key counterparts including UNICEF staff in Yangon and in the field; key counterparts and implementing partners (e.g. Ministry of Education and local NGOs) and various stakeholders involved in the programme (See Annex 2, for a list of persons consulted and Annex 3 for a bibliography). Discussions were held with donor representatives,
Field visits were made to a selected sample of target beneficiaries, to observe, and conduct interviews/in-depth interviews/focus group discussions with stakeholders at township and school levels (e.g. teachers, students, and members of parent teacher association). The visits were conducted in Mon State, Ayaryarwaddy and Yangon Divisions.
Findings and Conclusions:
Key findings of the evaluation
The findings in the evaluation are organized in terms of the following criteria: relevance; coverage; effectiveness; efficiency and sustainability. These issues are addressed in separate sections of the main report.
4.1 The design of the Education Programme was highly relevant to addressing the key issues in Basic Education
The main strengths are considered to be as follows. The programme:
• Was aligned with Government Policy on Basic Education and highly valued by MoE;
• Addressed key barriers to equity in ECD and primary education;
• Addressed the poor quality of primary education;
• Attempted to builds capacity in some key functional areas of the Ministry of Education e.g the EMIS; and
• Developed models of good practice which can be taken to scale (e.g. ECD, EXCEL).
4.2 The programme had a number of critically important design limitations which need to be addressed in any subsequent phase of support for education
These include the following:
• Inclusion of programmes targeted at 0-3 year olds. These are not normally part of an education sector policy framework or programme. While interventions have very robust child development justification, they must be considered as on outlier in the overall education programme strategy and more properly should be within a holistic mutli-sectoral response to supporting child development under the direction of the Ministry of Social Welfare;
• Implemented in a context without a comprehensive sector plan. The Education Sector lacks a clearly defined and costed 3 year-strategic plan which could have been developed with the participation of the MoE;
• Inadequate M&E arrangements. While there is strong importance given to M&E in the original proposal, there was a lack of a defined and consistent set of programme indicators which would be used to track progress and ensure accountability. Multiple steps were taken to address M&E during implementation. However, the arrangements put in place were too complex for UNICEF to manage and as a result a great deal of the data obtained was not analysed. There was an overreliance on a large-scale survey to measure changes in school practices without any triangulation using qualitative research methods.
• Lack of an exit strategy. There is no clear exit strategy to ensure that dependence on UNICEF provided school supplies does not emerge in schools and in poor households and communities.
4.3 The purpose of the programme and the 3 main outputs were achieved: however, sustainability is major issue.
• The programme increased equitable access to quality early childhood education and primary education with extended opportunities for all children, especially those in disadvantaged and hard to reach communities. This is reflected in improved ECE enrolment and primary school survival rates in targeted Townships;
• Some school improvements were achieved through Child Friendly Schools implementation;
• Access to non-formal education, including life-skills based continuing education (EXCEL) and non-formal primary education (NFPE) was increased. Models for both EXCEL and NFPE were developed.
4.4 The ECD programme achieved multiple positive impacts on both the demand and supply sides of early childhood education (ECE)
• Increased community awareness of and demand for ECE services;
• Increased participation in parental education;
• Increased participation rates in ECD/ECE. 125,000 children benefitted from ECD in 109 Townships;
• Increase in school-based ECE provision;
• Improved social and communication (life skills) and school readiness of children participating in the ECE programme;
• Increase in equity in ECE through the development and use of learning materials in minority languages, promotion of inclusive ECE and increased participation of children with disabilities;
• Increased participation of poor and disadvantaged children. It is estimated by UNICEF that 70% of children attending the ECD programme were from poor households;
• Capacity in delivering effective ECE has been strengthened, including though the setting of national Minimum Standards;
• Increased space for civil society participation through support for NGO implementation of ECD/ECE;
4.5 Delivery of quality and equitable ECD/ECE still faces important challenges
• Lack of clear MoE policy on ECE and ownership;
• ECD financing is dependent on community/household contributions;
• ECE coverage rates are still low, particularly of children in remote and disadvantaged rural areas. Much depends on NGO availability;
• Effective targeting of the most disadvantaged, vulnerable and at risk children;
• ECE teacher attrition rates are high; and
• Need for better disaggregated data on ECD (by gender/school/Township) for planning and M&E.
4.6 Programme support for primary education improved the school intake and survival rate in most schools
• Endline data showed that 62% of primary schools improved their survival rates, while 30% saw a decline. The survival rate went from 62% at baseline to 76% at endline;
• The Apparent Intake Rate (AIR) showed a significant improvement at endline (from 0.62 to 0.76)
4.7 There was no significant change in repletion rates.
• Most schools have an automatic promotion policy in Grades 1-3;
• Grade repetition is still being practised in some schools.
4.8 Capacity strengthening has taken place at Township and school levels in primary education, but needs to be more systematic and evidence-based
• Pilot programmes such as Language Enrichment Programme (LEP) and the Township Education Management Information System are promising developments but need to be rigorously evaluated before any scaling up is planned;
• In-service training has been delivered to in CFS; School Improvement Planning; Child Centred Approach (CCA);
• The quality of pre-service teacher training has been addressed only in the area of life skills education;
• Effective school management remains a challenge despite the introduction of school improvement planning, School Management Information System (SMIS) and CFS;
• No systematic capacity building needs assessment has been undertaken to improve the quality of basic education service delivery;
4.9 School environments have been improved, but many schools remain inadequate for effective teaching and learning
• School sanitation has improved through the construction of 600 latrines, the provision of potable water and resources to repair basic infrastructure (roofs in particular);
• New models of primary school construction have been piloted in Cyclone Nargis-affected areas. These schools can also function as cyclone shelters and offer a higher standard of classroom and school environment than is currently the provision in most schools;
• School infrastructure can be poor. Many schools only provide a single hall type of construction with no partitions in which all classes are taught simultaneously in the same classroom structure. This practice facilitates multi-grade teaching if teachers are absent or lacking, but is not conducive to supporting good quality teaching. Some classrooms are very dark;
• Regular school maintenance is a key issue;
• There are many multi-grade classes in rural schools. Multi-grade teaching needs to be strengthened through appropriate teacher training.
• There is a need for MoE to rethink how it provides funds for school infrastructure including the critical question of how much it contributes.
4.10 The provision of essential school supplies has supported greater equity in primary education service delivery, but targeting of additional support for the most disadvantaged children is still required
• Poverty is deeply entrenched and school levies are pervasive. The school supplies are not enough to relieve the total cost burden for poor families. It may amount to only 10%-20% of the burden that is reduced. The supplies need to be continued and possibly enhanced in terms of better targeting of exercise books and pencils to poor children;
• There is a need to explore the need for targeted school feeding and nutrition;
• Equity needs to be ensured between schools under the responsibility of the MoE and Monastic schools;
• Greater support is in the early years of learning required for speakers of languages other than Myanmar in literacy skills acquisition;
4.18 Programme interventions have had limited impact on the quality of teaching and learning
• Current interventions are having an effect on individual schools though only a limited impact on the system. Research is needed on why some schools are better able to adopt CFS principles than others;
• The wide variation between the performance of schools within a township indicates that there is a need to strengthen educational management particularly at township and school level to support the progressive adoption of CFS principles in the classroom;
• The construction of many schools in hallway arrangements militates against effective teaching and learning;
• No correlation was found between CFS interventions and learning achievement. This implies a revisiting of the CFS approach with a much stronger emphasis on school/teacher effectiveness;
• Many children experience learning difficulties at school. Mathematics and English are the subjects that were considered to be most difficult to teach and to learn. There is a need to explore how to improve teaching in learning in key subjects.
• CFS is too complex for some teachers and they find it difficult to apply it in practice. There are some large classes (40+). Classroom management is a challenge and noise levels can be high.
• In some schools there is the persistent heavy use of choral repetition and whole class activities;
• Some teachers are resistant to change;
• Teachers are not used to doing lesson plans; they prefer to read the textbook.
• SIPs tend to be narrowly focus on infrastructure, water, fencing and furniture and less concerned with school effectiveness and the quality of education in the classroom.
4.12 Community participation in primary education remains limited in scope
• Improving school-community relationships as envisaged by CFS is a low priority for most schools;
4.13 Learning outcomes were improved but they remain very low in literacy and numeracy
• Improvements were made in many schools in Myanmar language learning and literacy skills acquisition;
• Attainment levels in primary level Myanmar language and mathematics are very low;
4.18 Support for Life Skills Education in primary education has been effective
• The LSE sub-project has had a national impact at primary level through curriculum development and teacher training.
• LSE seems to be liked by students. Students are benefiting from the primary school LSE curriculum in a number of ways. It helps increase knowledge and skills that are health-related; strengthens communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving; increases cooperative and interpersonal behaviours and reduces bullying. Knowledge acquired is shared with parents. Teachers have learned how to apply child-centred teaching methods, improved their knowledge on health issues and strengthened their own life skills;
4.18 Teacher education and support in life skills education needs further strengthening
• The main challenge is ensuring that teachers are skilled and motivated to teach the subject as intended;
• Some teachers do not follow the steps in the Teachers’ Guides. They may use more traditional teacher-centred methods instead. As a consequence students may not be able to practise the skills in the classroom. They lack the skills to use visual aids effectively. They have difficulty with sensitive topics such as SRH and sexuality. They may not give LSE a high priority, even though it is a core subject. In Education Colleges, the approach that is contained in the Teachers Guides is not used.
• There is no specific LSE teacher training manual or materials. There is a lack of a specialized department for life skills education. The Teacher Training Colleges are weak at sharing their experiences with others.
• There is a need for further investments in teacher education, supervision and support for LSE within a broader framework for support to improve the quality of teacher education.
4.16 The EXCEL programme is innovative and a very promising form of continuing education.
• EXCEL manages to reach and retain one of the hardest groups to reach: out of school adolescents.
• The effects of the programme on the lives of participating children are multiple. They include increases in knowledge, self-esteem, psycho-social skills and connectedness. The programme is a blend of Continuing Education (CE), LSE and social protection.
• There is strong demand for the programme to be lengthened in duration and strengthened in terms of CE and vocational training.
• Multiple community impacts are reported, including a strengthening of social capital at village level.
4.17 The EXCEL Programme needs further development to meet expressed needs of the target group
• Demand for EXCEL exceeds supply. There are many children out of school;
• The programme content needs to be broader and include more Continuing Education and links with local vocational training opportunities;
• Some children are hungry and would benefit from targeted nutrition interventions.
4.18 The programme outcomes provide a platform for policy dialogue and strong foundation for a second phase of support to ECE and Basic Education
• It is critically important that the results of this programme, strengths and limitations be discussed with senior MoE officials as well as key policy issues concerned with equity, quality and efficiency in the basic education sub-sector.
4.19 Sustainability is in very much in question
• There is some evidence of emerging dependence of UNICEF provided supplies. School staff and parents do not wish to lose the current provision.
The following strategic recommendations are made:
• Evaluate pilot interventions such as LEP and TEMIS as a matter of urgency. Develop a scaling up or revision strategy in line with the findings;
• Support MoE in developing a costed and detailed strategic plan for UBE/UPC 2012- 2015;
• Develop an exit strategy for existing support to CFS schools, especially in the field of supplies and focus more strongly on sustainability;
• Continue to strengthen existing interventions in to address equity and quality in primary Education. Undertake assessments to provide better understandings of equity, quality and capacity issues;
• Systematically review the approach to CFS implementation in the light of the endline findings;
• Undertake evidence-based policy dialogue with MoE on ECD (3-5) and NFE to develop a more comprehensive sector policy framework and review the findings of this evaluation;
• Focus more on strengthening primary school effectiveness and improving learning outcomes (especially literacy and numeracy skills);
• Take a strategic approach in partnership with JICA to strengthen the quality of primary teacher pre-service education;
• Investigate ways of improving targeted interventions in ECD and primary education to better cater for the needs of the poorest families;
• Consider making further developments to the EXCEL programme to increase duration and CE/vocational skills development; and
• Develop a detailed and technically sound M&E plan as part of the next phase proposal;
• Improve the effectiveness and inclusiveness of donor coordination mechanisms for any future programme phase of support.
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Light in darkness – this is the imagery that constantly recurs in Romeo and Juliet. "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright," Romeo says when he first sees Juliet. "It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" (1.5.1). Variations on this imagery are repeated again and again – images of Juliet as a sun rising in the darkness, of Juliet's eyes shining in the sky, images of Romeo's body cut out in little stars, of Romeo and Juliet's love as a bright furious lightning flash. At times, the image of a flash of light disappearing into the dusk seems to symbolize both the brilliant strength of Romeo and Juliet's love, as well as its transience. The imagery of light and darkness also picks up the play's emphasis on the contrasts between love and hate, passion and death. | <urn:uuid:04ebd017-50ef-4d79-938a-d526d472909b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shmoop.com/romeo-and-juliet/light-darkness-symbol.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952813 | 184 | 3.4375 | 3 |
My admiration for all the hard work and ingenuity!
Here in Michigan (and in most states I would think) the DNR would be all over this. Also FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) claims jurisdiction and requires that a hydro have a license even with the tiniest stream generated electricity if it is grid interconnected. These two entities would easily double the cost of the project even at this small scale. I would like to know how you avoided these burdens.
A lot of people have trouble conceptualizing the induction aspect of a motor/generator. An induction machine delivers the nameplate rated hp as a motor at the nameplate rated amount of slip below synchronous rpm and, in turn, will generate the rated equivalent electricity as a generator at the same amount of slip above synchronous rpm. An electric motor is not "synchronized" at start up - that is just the condition under which it delivers maximum torque because it is at maximum slip. The line sets the voltage, frequency and phase relation. The induction machine simply uses those properties to operate without need for complex controls, regulation and phasing.
...try again with the watts to horsies...as one horse is 746 watts...so a 15 horse motor would be around 10 KW....
Article says 3 of the 15 horse motors...so yes...about 20KW...if all goes well.
Then, to get the buy-back...I'm assuming the generator must be exactly 60 Hz...?
I've worked at a couple small (30-40) Mega-watt Bio-Mass plants...the on-line syncro is extremely important...and...I'd assume this set-up here in the article has at least a transfer switch of some kind...? That is one of the first things any hydro or PV set-up requires. Otherwise I would think you could end up with utility power running your motors and pumping the water backwards...but then, I could be wrong....
If I can get 20Kw from 2 gallons a minute falling from 2 feet, I can easily pump it back up again with little ornamental pool pump, which uses less than 250 watts, so I will have 20250 Watts to sell back to the utility.
I dont even need a stream !
The story was talking about 40 cu ft per second, dropping 10 feet, which is 18,000 gallons per minute, or equivalent to 90,000 gallons per minute dropping 2 feet as opposed to the 2 gallons in the opening paragraph.
I also read the article in the Automation Direct publication. and I found it fairly interesting. I can certainly imagine that there would be a whole lot of government people wanting to have control over exactly how it was done.
The method of using standard induction motors driven a bit faster than synchronous speed was quite interesting. I can understand needing to have some belts that could slip, as a means of allowing the motors to synchronise with the mains power, because otherwise it would not work. It is also probably the cheapest approach, although it may not be the most efficient. My choice would be to drive three phase alternators and then convert the power to the correct frequency using a switching cycloconverter. That is more costly, however. The advantages are that one single device could be controlled to deliver the desired amount of power, and the generator would not need to have the drive speed controlled so precisely. Besides that, I like alternators more.
One interesting thought is that one of the older mecanical meters could be driven backward quite simply, but the newer generation of smartmeters could easily be programmed to not run in reverse. In addition, It is certain that the power company could pull all kinds of tricks with the smartmeter programming.
One last comment is that it would be interesting to see a detailed description of both the mechanical and the electrical design of the system.
Jim, I agree. That's mind-boggling. But here in California, for decades PG&E fought solar power in homes tooth and nail. A once-famous local columnist, Herb Caen, once famously said "PG&E wants to put a switch on the sun." When PG&E finally had to give in, it then fought buy-back for many more years.
What part of free is so tough to get? I think it's actually about control, not about free.
Froese beware. The term "environmental impact" in the 21st century is NOT related to a technical assessment or common sense. "Environmental impact" is a legal and political term that is based on a maze of disjointed, over bearing, and convoluted laws, regulations, and policies writen by some clueless folks, supposedly with good intensions. The majority of the enforcers are egotistical morons who have a basic policy of 'deny/reject all applications unless unless forced to approve them".
To be clear-
1. We need to protect and care for our planet.
2. Some of the 'enforcers' are very competent and diligent.
3. We need a single set of intelligently integrated [and understandable] laws and regulations with a workable enforcement mechanism.
My favorite 'bonehead policy' relates to petroleum- [oops-way off topic]
Choice A-extract it from the earth in the US using the best companies, under the best supervision, using the best workers, creating the most domestic jobs, with the least chance of environmental damage.
Choice B-the current hypocritical, 'head in the sand' policy of exporting US dollars to pay countries who are not 'environment friendly' to extract petroleum, sometimes using marginally competent workers who 'do not spill much'. Petroleum is then placed into a leaky tanker that travels 1000s of miles to unload it in the US.
"It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission." Seriously, the environmental impact is minimal since the lake has been there for 100+ years, and there was already a spillway here. Regarding utility interconnection and net metering, our state (South Carolina) does not have rules and regulations for this yet and our local electrical co-op was actually quite helpful and generous in this regard. I'm quite certain that if we had to fulfill all the environmental, engineering, seismic, etc. regulations California has, this project would have been a "no go."
The main belt (from the turbine shaft to the secondary shaft) is toothed, but the belts to each individual motor/generator are ordinary v-belts. We have found that the slippage allows them to synchronize. On rare occasion, when starting starting a generator after other(s) have been running for sometime, it can be 180 degrees out and cause the breaker to trip, but most of the time they seem to sync up by themselves in a fraction of a second.
Froese, thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. You have done something I wish to do, although my application would be a pelton wheel system since I have fairly low flow but a 900 foot head.
It looks like you took the time to research the highest efficiency in belt power transmission- are all your drives toothed belting? The video is not clear--the main drive from the turbine looked like it might be a multiple v-belt setup but the motor drives certainly looked like toothed belt drives. Do the toothed belt drives on the motors allow for automatic synchronization of all three motors with each other? Did you have to play with the shaft orientation on each motor to get all three sinewaves from the motors to coincide?
Congratulations on your efforts! You can be justifiably proud of your accomplishment. And I probably will investigate Automation Direct as well!
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is | <urn:uuid:e7219b8c-b9ad-437c-b1c9-5325541502b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.designnews.com/messages.asp?piddl_msgthreadid=243300&piddl_msgid=501045 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950768 | 1,811 | 1.859375 | 2 |
(Dear Grammar Nazis, kindly excuse my intentional errors, for this post alone)
After writing about H for humor, I thought I would follow it up with another post of the same theme. So here it is, our very own language, customized to the needs of the Indian Soul, Inglish :Indian English.
Indians are a funny breed. Seriously funny I tell you. In the past two weeks I’ve watched more than 2 videos on how funny Indians are and how even more funny their English is. So I’ve compiled a list of certain phrases that are considered typically Indian. Not necessarily erroneous ones, just a different way of speaking.
Here you go,
Yes I’m sure(pronounced shhuvar).
What is this yaa?
I told you no?
Why are you keep on (oooon) Asking me this question?
You also got the same phone Ah? Me too yaa. Same to same.
Now I am Totally(Totttaly) Confused.
Yes huh? No huh? Why ya?
I just cannot able to take it anymore.
I cannot cope up with him.
You will itself speak like this means, what will others say?
If I say go means, you will go away ah?
Your(Yuvar) sweet name?
A B C D E F G H(etch)I J K el em en o peeee (elemenopeee)
Why are you silent? Tell tell.
It’s okay yaar. Tell.
Tell means tell.
What is there in this and all?
What did I do to you? Why are you doing this to me?
Why are you asingapadithifying me like this?(Chennaites, this one is for you :-))
Will you please stop mokkai-pottufying?
Please go away. Go da. Go.
Add little(pronounced littil) salt to it. That ‘littil” is always pronounced with a lot of emphasis on the tt.
All my sister-in-laws have come today.
Don’t add fastly. Add oil slowly(ssllooowly).
Hello, even I know this okay.
Don’t put too much scene ok.
If I get angry no, even I don’t know what I will do.
You came back from the movie so soon huh?
Finally, I’ll leave you with an incident that my friend told me.
When my friend was travelling to Bombay, he came across this conversation.
Flight Security : “Sir, your boarding pass please?”
Passenger: ”No pass. Full ticket I took. Here.”
A little later, the frequent flyers were headed to the Lounge for lunch. Our passenger thought it was for all. One airport staff stopped him and asked for his Frequent flyer card. Once he told he did not have any such card, he was told that he was not eligible for the lunch at the Lounge. The furious passenger had then said
“Here, take your boarding pass, I don’t want”
Seriously funny people no? tell me no? :-) | <urn:uuid:53a15708-995c-4c3e-9446-7a84f11c19ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ash-aqua-girl.blogspot.com/2013/03/abc-challenge-9-inglishindian-english.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955088 | 692 | 1.796875 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A missile shield test was a "smashing success," Pentagon officials said Friday, despite the failure of the test to put to rest concerns that the interceptor might not be able to differentiate between real missiles and decoys.
Eight of the United States' 13 missile defense tests have been deemed a success.
The ground-based interceptor missile, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, destroyed a long-range ballistic missile launched from Kodiak, Alaska, the Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency said.
But one key aspect of the test -- to see whether the system could tell the difference between a missile and a decoy aimed at confounding its "seek" systems -- failed because the decoy did not deploy.
Officials told CNN on Thursday that Friday's test would be the most realistic of 13 missile shield system tests conducted to date. Eight of the 13 tests have now been deemed a success by the Pentagon. Watch a Pentagon spokesman explain the Friday's problem »
This was the first test in which a crew at an alternate fire control center in Alaska remotely launched the interceptor missile from California.
The "initial indications," according to the Defense Department, are that all components of Friday's test performed as designed.
Critics have long complained that the tests are not realistic because they don't involve balloons or other simple decoys that, they argue, could easily fool the interceptor. Watch a report on the defense system »
In Friday's test, however, the target was a mock warhead and was supposed to be accompanied by "countermeasures similar to what Iran or North Korea could deploy," according to a missile defense agency official. The intention was for the interceptor's kill vehicle to distinguish the target from the decoys.
But the decoy that was supposed to deploy to test the system did not. The Pentagon blamed a 40-year-old target system.
"Countermeasures are very difficult to deploy. We have had trouble deploying them in the past," said Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O'Reilly, director for the Missile Defense Agency. But O'Reilly said that the interceptor did differentiate between the actual missile target and the upper stage of the missile it had detached from.
The test, which had been delayed several times, comes at a crucial time for the $100 billion system, as President-elect Barack Obama is about to take office.
Early in his campaign, Obama pledged to "cut investments in unproven missile defense systems." But he later said he would support missile defense systems if they work.
"The biggest threat to the United States is a terrorist getting their hands on nuclear weapons," Obama said in the September 26 presidential debate.
"And we are spending billions of dollars on missile defense. And I actually believe that we need missile defense, because of Iran and North Korea and the potential for them to obtain or to launch nuclear weapons."
Friday's test also showed the Pentagon that multiple sensor systems were able to network together and hone in on a single object, O'Reilly said.
"All those sensors working together, at any one time the system knew which sensor was reporting what and tracking it and gave the war fighter one presentation of a target," O'Reilly said soon after the test was finished. "That was one tremendous accomplishment for us."
Last month, the outgoing head of the Missile Defense Agency said that not only are U.S. missile defenses workable, they are up and running.
"Our testing has shown not only can we hit a bullet with a bullet, we can hit a spot on the bullet with a bullet. The technology has caught up," Lt. Gen. Trey Obering said.
CNN's Jamie McIntyre and Adam Levine contributed to this report
|Most Viewed||Most Emailed||Top Searches| | <urn:uuid:f0ecf4b3-70b6-4980-a116-0a45150ec9f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/05/us.missile.test/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972783 | 777 | 1.804688 | 2 |
By Jacob Gershman
We used to think of judges as stuffed-shirt, technophobes. But nowadays, when the robes come off, they’re tweeting and updating their profiles.
That’s a good thing — but judges shouldn’t get too cozy online, advises the American Bar Association.
Using social media “can be beneficial to judges to prevent them from being thought of as isolated or out of touch,” the ABA stated in code-of-conduct guidelines issued Thursday. But the association urged judges to think before “friending,” “liking,” or “following” someone.
“It is unlikely to raise an ethics issue for a judge if someone ‘likes’ or becomes a ‘fan’ of the judge,” the guidelines say. That said, “judges should be aware that clicking such buttons on others’ political campaign [social media] sites could be perceived as a violation of judicial ethics rules that prohibit judges from publicly endorsing or opposing another candidate for any public office.”
When does a Facebook friend become more than just a “friend” but a conflict of interest that needs to be disclosed? The boundaries are just as blurry. But basically, it’s a matter of perception.
“Because of the open and casual nature of [social media] communication, a judge will seldom have an affirmative duty to disclose a…connection,” states the ABA. “If that connection includes current and frequent communication, the judge must very carefully consider whether that connection must be disclosed.” | <urn:uuid:4233429c-b8c5-4d86-820e-90aa4faccac8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2013/02/22/judges-urged-to-think-before-liking/?mod=WSJBlog | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961654 | 341 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Just so you don’t think I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth … I have been at the 2011 Keck Geology Symposium for Undergraduate Research at Union College for the last 4 days. It was a busy, busy symposium with lots of talks and posters – all of undergraduate geology research of all flavors – along with a day long field trip to the Adirondacks (and I have the two bags full of fabulous garnet-bearing rocks to prove it – with one garnet the size of a tennis ball).
There was a lot of geology, but thought I’d mentioned two things that might interest the Eruptions crowd:
- Crater Lake: One of the Keck projects lead by Dr. Kelly McGregor (Macalester College) and Dr. Catherine Riihimaki (Drew Univ.) focussed on looking at lake sediment in the lakes of Glacier National Park in Montana. In Swiftcurrent Lake, the team found 50 cm of 7700 year old Mazama ash – yes, 50 cm! Now, both you get too excited, that 50 cm is a thickness amplified by all the ash in the drainage basin getting moved into the lake. Most estimates of ash fall in the Glacier region, which is almost 900 km from Crater Lake in Oregon, is somewhere around 5-10 cm. One cool finding is that the ash fall from Mazama might have dramatically changed the activity of diatoms in the lake thanks to the elements leached from the ash into the water – a type of volcano-life interaction at the microscopic scale that was new to me! The team also found a few other, older tephra layers in the sediment core. They haven’t matched them yet, but likely they belong to eruptions from Glacier Peak and possibly St. Helens or Newberry.
- Heart Mountain: Another project looked at strange things in Wyoming. Those of you familiar with Heart Mountain in Wyoming might be thinking “what is he talking about, Heart Mt. has nothing to do with volcanoes.” Heart Mountain is a big block of marble and other sediment that is sitting in a wide basin in northern Wyoming – it is what we call “highly allochthonous” – that is, it isn’t where it is supposed to be (about 100-200 km away to be specific). There is a lot of speculation about why Heart Mountain and other blocks of limestone and other sediment (from such famous units as the Madison, Sundance and Morrisson) got in the middle of the valley, from processes taking 10 million years to a matter of minutes. How would you move it in a matter of minutes? Volcanically, in a giant (and I mean giant) debris avalanche, possibly related to the Eocene Absaroka Volcanics, specifically volcano dubbed “Sunlight volcano” that is thought to be a giant andesite volcano. These volcanics are long since extinct, with the potential avalanche being ~49-50 million years old, but the debris avalanche itself looks to be 40 km by 10 km. There are also lahar deposits 100 km away from the location of the volcano that seem to be from the same time, so this might have been a very active and dramatic volcanic system.
All exciting research being done by undergraduates, mostly at small colleges like Denison. Fun times, that is for sure.
I’ll be back on our regular schedule sometime tomorrow!
Top left: Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Click here to see the original. | <urn:uuid:83c9918f-f59f-4560-bb48-a961aed9e611> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/tag/absarokas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953412 | 732 | 2.125 | 2 |
Canadian Student Loans
Many students apply for loans through the government to help pay for school. The benefit to taking out these kinds of loans is that they remain interest and payment-free while you are studying full-time.
To qualify for government student loans, you must be a full-time student (registered in 9 or more credit hours each semester) and a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Students who are registered in 6-8 credit hours may be eligible for a Part-Time Student Loan.
What to Expect
Your financial need will be assessed based on your personal income and financial situation, and possibly that of your parents (if you are classified as a “dependant”). Students won’t typically receive more than $11, 000.00 per year from their student loans, so it’s important to find additional financial sources to cover your tuition and living expenses. Visit www.canlearn.ca and use their “Student Financial Assistance Estimator” to calculate what you could be assessed for.
Once your loan has been processed, you will receive documents in the mail. It is very important to keep your address up to date with the student loan providers to ensure that you receive all communication they send you. Read all of the documents carefully and follow the directions accurately.
For more information about Canada Student Loans, visit www.canlearn.ca.
When to Apply
Applications are typically made available in early June for the upcoming school year and you can usually apply for a loan until 6 or 8 weeks before the end of your study period.
It is best to apply for student loans as soon as possible to ensure that your application is processed before school begins. It is recommended that you submit your loan application by July 15th for the Fall semester or full academic year and by November 1st for the Winter semester.
Please remember that if your loan has not been processed by Financial Registration, you must be prepared to pay at least 10% of your balance owing. For more information about this, please see our Financial Policies & Procedures.
How to Apply
Funding for your student loan is divided between the federal Canadian government (60%) and your provincial government (40%) and you must apply through your home province (links to the various provincial student loan sites are provided below for your convenience).
It is strongly recommended that you apply for your student loan using your province’s online system, if possible. Applications submitted online generally take 4– 6 weeks to process, whereas paper applications can take 8 weeks or more. If you prefer to apply with a paper application, you must order one from your home province.
BC Student Loans
Alberta Student Loans
Saskatchewan Student Loans
Manitoba Student Loans
Ontario Student Loans
New Brunswick Student Loans
Nova Scotia Student Loans
Newfoundland Student Loans
Prince Edward Island Student Loans
Yukon Student Loans
Nunavut Student Loans
Northwest Territories Student Loans
Please also see the Student Loan FAQs for more information. | <urn:uuid:e2f464b4-1380-4878-b133-7a5b03efdd62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbiabc.edu/page.aspx?pid=688 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95807 | 618 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Wrinch Memorial Hospital, a fully accredited, acute care facility has a unique and proud history in the Hazeltons. Operating under United Church Health Services and affiliated with Northern Health, Wrinch Memorial Hospital has a diversity of services under its roof, including:
- Doctors Clinic and 24-7 Emergency Room
- Pharmacy, Home and Community Care
- Lab, Ultrasound and X-ray services
- Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
- Complex Care
- Diabetes education
- Visiting specialists
The operational organization of the hospital includes nine complex care beds, one respite bed, ten acute care beds, and one provincially designated secure psychiatric observation room. As the largest employer in the area, Wrinch Memorial Hospital supports a team of 70 well-trained and dedicated staff that provide culturally sensitive and best practice health care to the communities.
Located in Northern British Columbia, 1163 km north of Vancouver and 259 km west of Prince Rupert, Wrinch Memorial Hospital serves numerous communities totaling a population of 7,000, including the District of New Hazelton, Village of Hazelton, South Hazelton, Two Mile, Kispiox Valley, Gitanmaax, Hagwilget, Glen Vowell, Kispiox, Gitwangak, Gitseguekla, and Gitanyow.
Teaching has a time-honored tradition at Hazelton. Medical and nursing students along with Family Practice Residents rotate regularly through the facility. Students have their own workspace, an up-to-date library on site, along with teaching files for topics such as radiology and dermatology.
Other Health and Community Care Services
Close collaboration exists between medical staff, hospital and the area’s three public health services - Public Health, Gitxsan Health, and Wet’suwet’en Health services, as well as home and community care, hospital auxiliary, hospice society, faith organizations and other community services such as Mental Health and Addictions and Community Health Representatives (CHR).
The Hazeltons (there are three - Hazelton, New Hazelton and South Hazelton) are located 290 km (180 miles) east of Prince Rupert and 60 km (45 miles) west of Smithers on the Yellowhead Highway 16. Hazelton, also known as ‘Old Hazelton’ is located on the banks of the Skeena River about 7 km off Highway 16. Adjacent to the town, where the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers meet, is the site of the world famous ‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum.
The District of New Hazelton is located in Northwest British Columbia and is situated between the Bulkley River and the stunning Roche De Boule Mountain Range. The area’s natural beauty and pristine wilderness has made New Hazelton a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.
‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum (‘Ksan) is located near the ancient village of Gitanmaax, at the confluence of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in the community of Hazelton, British Columbia. For centuries and possibly millennia, Gitx
san’s have maintained communities at important canyons and junctions on the Skeena River. This location was an important fishing site and transportation hub.
The entire area is becoming increasingly popular with outdoor enthusiasts; the rivers offer excellent fishing, canoeing and rafting, and on more solid ground, there is ample opportunity for hiking, camping, wildlife viewing and trail rides. | <urn:uuid:d7369efe-8910-401f-8aa6-162b02dadd0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://careers.northernhealth.ca/Communities/NorthwestRegion/Hazelton.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935667 | 718 | 1.515625 | 2 |
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3-Year-Old Lessons in Logic
May 7, 2009 - Betsy Bethel
The beauty of preschoolers is the logical way their minds work. They simply look at the world differently than we do. Here are three examples from the past few days.
The other day, Emma wanted yet another treat. Not just any treat, mind you. Chocolate. It's something she could eat all day long, regardless of the fact that it makes her hyper and grouchy.
For the nth time, Emma whined from the back seat, "I want a treat, Mommy! Pleeeeasssse, may I have a treat!"
For the nth time, I explained that she could not have another treat because she'd already had her quota.
She howled as if being pulled limb from limb.
"Emma," I said calmly, belying the exasperation I felt. "I would be a bad mommy if I gave you another treat."
Without missing a beat, she yelled at the top of her lungs:
"Be a bad mommy, pleeaaaease be a bad mommy! I want a bad mommy!!!"
— — —
Speaking of chocolate, we were walking through the dairy section at the store Wednesday morning, and Emma saw the chocolate milk. We NEVER buy chocolate milk, but she asked for it. I told her no, that if we want chocolate milk, we can make it ourselves at home.
A few minutes later, we passed a woman near the cheese. She was using an electric wheelchair, and she was black.
"Look, Mommy, that lady is chocolate! She made herself chocolate at home!"
— — —
Speaking of wheelchairs, when we were heading out to the store yesterday morning, Emma said her knee hurt. (Well, she said ankle, but she kept holding her knee.) As she limped out the door, she declared: "Mommy, I got an idea! I need a wheelchair!"
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Post a Comment | <urn:uuid:9a0964a6-3a94-4043-b874-95c60c9bd447> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ovparent.com/page/blogs.detail/display/149/3-Year-Old-Lessons-in-Logic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978893 | 431 | 2.953125 | 3 |
As a teenager I was able to visit DisneyWorld, and among the time I spent there I remember passing through the Epcot center and seeing their hydroponic gardens. They were amazing systems that displayed the potential for growing food without dirt. As a kid of course I thought this was something designed simply for use in spaceships, why else would you not have *dirt*? I learned how the workers needed to make sure the water had the correct nutrients for the plants, all that good soil would normally provide.
Fast forward several years and now we seen that there are great advancements in a highly sustainable micro-farming style called Aquaponics. Aquaponics is a merger of aquaculture and hydroponic systems to create a closed-loop environment for food growth. Starting with aquaculture itself, people have long proven that it is possible to farm fish. Given a tank and food you can raise large amounts of fish as a protein source very quickly. Of course you have to figure out how to feed these fish well, and then the waste created is toxic to the fish, so in a closed environment you have too cycle out large amounts of water to keep it clean, and oxygenated. While it does allow growing fish quickly and in high concentrations, it’s a lot of work keeping things balanced at healthy levels. What is amazing though is that very same waste contains exactly what plants need to grow. With only some small bacterial work it is exactly what those hydroponics workers were trying to feed to their plants.
So, people figured out that you could easily combine the two systems to create an extremely efficient method of gardening, even in areas that wouldn’t normally provide proper soil for gardening. And while you may see a bunch of water in a storage container, constantly cycled for the fish, it actually uses approximately 10% of the water necessary for normal in-soil gardening.
So what does this let you do? I think this video from Kijani Grows sums it up far better than anything else:
For more informaion about Aquaponics:
- Wiki it : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics
- Get a book on Aquaponics
- Check out more aquaponics videos on YouTube
- Get some Aquaponics parts online
- You can even buy an overpriced Premade Aquaponics system (Ok really, get the parts you need and build the rest, don’t buy the whole thing at that price!)
So if you’re a prepper and you’re trying to figure out how you can grow some fresh, organic food despite living in an urban area you should really take note. As in the video, with a few LED grow lights you can even grow year-round inside. | <urn:uuid:ba9580af-81ea-45f2-bf04-9e3ec79eb835> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utahpreppers.com/2012/11/aquaponic-gardening/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96924 | 576 | 3.015625 | 3 |
In general use the word myth has come to mean a misconception or even a lie. But that is not the real meaning of myth.
Unlike a lie or fiction, which is usually dreamed up for a specific purpose by one person, myth is the unconscious creation of a whole culture. So myth has a psychological truth within the culture where it originates.
Myths spring from shared language, culture, and environment. You won't find Coyote myths in Australia, for example, because they don't have coyotes there. But you will probably find myths about some other trickster figure.
Recently I was having a conversation with someone about Norse mythology and the god Thor. I mentioned a couple of myth-based fantasy series with vampires and werewolves that I had read in which Thor was the bad guy. In one the constant refrain was, "Everybody hates Thor," and it was funny.
Just when I said, "Of course, that was fiction," someone else at the table tuned in to the conversation.
"You're talking about vampires and werewolves and you have to tell us it's fiction?" She laughed.
At the time, I was too tired to explain, except to say that we had been talking about mythology. But it occurred to me later that the term myth is so widely misused now that she may not have understood what I meant.
Fiction can sometimes be profound, especially if it incorporates a deep understanding of myths and folklore, as some of the best authors do. It is not a lie; it is storytelling.
But myth has at least a metaphysical reality, such as in the spirit world, that most fiction does not even begin to approach. In other words, on a certain level myth is real in the culture where it originates, because it expresses the worldview and inner reality of a people.
To me these distinctions are important, because we have so few metaphysical terms in English, and there is so little basic understanding or common agreement on the meaning of the terms we do have, that if we misuse them, true communication on metaphysical topics is impossible.
So next time you read what seems like an outlandish myth of another time or place, consider these factors:
(1) Translation is never exact, and often it is completely misleading. Some concepts that exist in one language simply do not exist in another language.
(2) To understand a culture's myths, you need to know a lot about the culture itself, how the people lived and thought, what their environment was like, and so on. To truly understand their mythology you would usually also need to be fluent in their language as well.
So when reading the English translation of a myth, you may assume it is "just a story" that someone made up to amuse or control others. In fact, that myth probably developed and was passed down for hundreds (or thousands) of years because it expressed the worldview (the perceived reality) and met the psychological needs of the people it belonged to.
Shamans do their work in the spirit world using the imagery, including myths, of their culture. Some can work what we would consider miracles because of their absolute belief and immersion in the worldview that makes those miracles possible.
That is the power of myth, and we should respect it, as we should respect other cultures and their very different worldviews, whatever those worldviews may be. Their worldview is a product of their experience.
Ultimately to do shamanic work you will have to immerse yourself in the imagery of some animistic culture---or create your own, which is actually much harder to believe in. In either case, the myth and folklore of the traditional peoples in the place where you live can be a great help in tuning in to the inner truth of your environment.
Myths can be a valuable study for all of us, as long as we understand the truth of what they are and the fact that each myth represents a specific time, place, language, worldview and people, whom we may never (in our time and place) be able to fully understand.
Still the truths found in myths are important and interesting. Reading and studying myths is worthwhile. And a few---a very few---fiction writers who have immersed themselves in myth and folklore can add to our intuitive understanding of various myths.
That understanding can help us use imagery in shamanic work.
To meet and journey with other people in the Houston area who are interested in shamanism, join the Houston Shamanism Meetup group: http://www.meetup.com/HoustonShamanism. | <urn:uuid:900462bd-630a-4870-92dc-f03e5d96a5bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examiner.com/article/the-difference-between-myth-and-fiction-is-important-shamanic-work?cid=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974221 | 930 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Muskelkontrolle - Schmerzkontrolle
A very specific type of exercise has been devised which is proving to provide effective pain relief for chronic and recurrent back pain sufferers. The exercise approach focuses on retraining a precise co-contraction pattern of the deep trunk muscles, the transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus. The approach is based on the knowledge of how muscles provide stability for the spine in normal situations. It has been further developed according to research evidence which has demonstrated dysfunction in the deep trunk muscles in patients with back pain. The mechanism for pain relief with this specific exercise approach is believed to be through enhanced stability of the lumbar spine segments. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd. | <urn:uuid:ee06eda5-4a93-4573-b84c-6bcfd14f8921> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dierueckenschule.de/ruckenschule-fur-experten/studien-zur-thematik-ruckenschule/muskelkontrolle-schmerzkontrolle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928705 | 150 | 2 | 2 |
From a Boston Globe article on letter-writing among young adults:
Samuel Pearce, 20, a Brown University student from Milton, began writing letters to an African pen pal as a child and to a friend at summer camp when he was a teenager, and when his best friend went away to college he chose to stay in touch via snail mail. This experience inspired him to write letters with other friends as well.It is cool, and Pearce’s comments remind me that one of the great friendships of my life began by correspondence. You can read some excerpts from the letters of my friend Aldo Carrasco in this post. Believe me, it’s worth the time.
“It’s cool,” Pearce said. “If there’s someone I’ve been friends with but haven’t written letters to, often times, beginning writing letters with them reveals dimensions of them that I just hadn’t thought of before.”
When did you last write a letter? My last was in April, to my fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Schorr.
[Thanks to Music Clip of the Day for pointing me to the Globe article.] | <urn:uuid:c05ce694-33c3-48c2-924e-6a9b6ccbbd35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mleddy.blogspot.com/2011/08/young-adult-letters.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959115 | 245 | 1.5 | 2 |
On November 24, the Association of Suzuki Elders will host an exciting Elders and Environment Forum to encourage and empower others to address critical environmental concerns.
A dedicated group of Foundation volunteers, the Elders use their knowledge and experience to mentor younger generations and other elders on environmental issues. After hosting a similar forum in 2009, they continued to hear the question "What can I do?" from elders concerned about the state of the Earth.
"Start with what we eat," facilitated by Herb Barbolet, cofounder of Farm Folk/City Folk, and "Start with where we live," led by Amanda Pitre-Hayes of the City of Vancouver's Sustainability Group.
Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki's Queen of Green, will lead the discussion "Start with a story," and activist Jackie Larkin will guide a deep ecology discussion called "Start with our selves."
David Suzuki will give the closing presentation: "Start where we are—standing on elder ground."
Elders who cannot travel to Vancouver for the forum will be able to watch selected clips and talks online. See the Suzuki Elders' website, https://sites.google.com/site/eldersdsf, for more information and to register. | <urn:uuid:87519f1c-4251-4879-a6d0-11c9ac04d2f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/finding-solutions/2011/fall/suzuki-elders-forum-promises-inspiration-and-empowerment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93214 | 252 | 1.664063 | 2 |
By Uthayam Australia correspondent
(October 01, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) The situation in Sri Lanka has been hitting the world headlines ever since the defeat of the LTTE and the subsequent unification of the country. The bloody chapter in Sri Lankan history is over but much in the form of socio economic development remains to be done. Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDP) from the former regions held by the LTTE need to be rehabilitated. The Sri Lanka government has promised to do the same recently. Naturally, the Tamil Diaspora the world over including Australia wants to play a positive and helping role in this process.
To fulfill this several Australian Tamil organizations and some Tamil individuals were invited to a meeting recently at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra. The meeting was convened by Mr David Holly, the Assistant Secretary, South and West Asia Branch of the DFAT, for a forward-looking discussion between DFAT and AusAid, the foreign aid agency of Australia, and the members of prominent Tamil community representatives on the current situation in northern Sri Lanka and on the ways both sides can work together to create lasting peace in the region.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Stephen Smith made a surprise appearance at the meeting. Mr. Smith spent more than 45 minutes, explaining his government’s approach in handling the conflict in Sri Lanka, his government’s aid strategy and listened to the participants’ concerns, comments and suggestions...
The Minister updated the participants on the Australian government’s advocacy efforts and aid strategy. He stated that:
• He realises that this has been a terrible conflict in which members of the participants’ kith and kin also would have been affected.
• Sri Lanka having won the war still has to win the peace.
• Australia has expressed privately and publicly to the SLG the importance of the protection of civilians.
• Australia has emphasised to the SLG the necessity of free access to UNHCR, ICRC etc of the IDP camps.
• Australia from the beginning has realised that the SLG has announced a too ambitious plan in resettling the IDPs.
• Australia is repeatedly telling the SLG that there has to be political reconciliation and is strongly urging the SLG for the reconstruction of the war affected areas.
• Australia has made clear to SLG, how these will affect how international community will look at Sri Lanka.
• Australia announced releasing $2 M for resettlement of IDPs and will announce another $3 M in the evening in parliament. This will make $5 M for the running of the camps and $5 M for resettlement of the IDPs in this financial year alone which started in July in addition to the $24.5 M given in the last financial year.
• His government is conscious of the large Sri Lankan community, both Tamil and Sinhalese, settled in Australia.
• He has met both his counterpart Hon Rohitha Bogollagama and His Excellency President Mahintha Rajapaksa on several occasions and always talked about this conflict with them.
• Australia feels the immediate need to move the IDPs out of the camps as soon as possible.
• He will be going to Sri Lanka, early next year and will be putting Australia’s views directly to the SLG and will be seeing himself the situation in person.
• His government is working through its High commissioner Kathy Klugman in Colombo and other like minded leaders of countries such as UK, USA and EU to send strong messages to the Sri Lankan government.
• Either the Tokyo Co-chairs have to be reactivated or form another group of like minded countries to re-start political negotiations between the Tamils and the SLG.
Mr. Noel Nadesan, Editor ‘Uthayam’ presented a plan of development activities which could be undertaken by Australia along with India.
The plan includes vocational and technical education in areas such as: Nursing and health care, psychological counseling, auto mechanics etc.,computer related skills,baking, plumbing, welding and entertainment, hairdressing, tourism, university education, school education, agricultural activities, animal husbandry, fisheries, agro-industries, alternate power systems, support programs for skilled Sri Lankan expatriates to return for short periods and provide their services, health services and media.
The plan envisages that within the broad area identified for development assistance, specific projects can be developed in collaboration with the government and other institutions in Sri Lanka. An organizational structure and a trust fund are being established in Sri Lanka, specifically focused on the resettlement, rehabilitation, and development needs of the war-affected areas. This organization will be linked to Sri Lankan Diaspora organizations world-wide and will solicit funds from the Diaspora, international aid organizations and government aid programs.
-Sri Lanka Guardian
By Uthayam Australia correspondent | <urn:uuid:066751e7-5e77-47a1-af05-ec60ad3bd73b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/10/aust-tamils-urge-australia-to-help-idps.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956179 | 1,011 | 1.796875 | 2 |
America, the Eastern gurus tell us, is the land of self-hate. Maybe that goes back to the misfits who settled the new land. They were pushed out or made to feel less-than in their own homelands so, with nothing to lose, tried to build a life and find inner peace elsewhere. What they left us with in the inability to love ourselves.
Lawyers represent an extreme example of self-hate. After all, it might just take that to endure all the sacrifice needed to get into a good law school, nail down a good job, and navigate the peril of an up-or-out system. When the work is taken away from them, they tend to get mighty busy blaming themselves. After I delivered a talk on career transition at the New York State Bar Association (Download NYSBAtalkinVITALSPEECHESOFDAY0, several jobless lawyers came up to me to confess how they had screwed up on the last job or their entire careers.
The reality is, at least we realize if we love ourselves, that life is always changing. Industries go through paradigm shifts. My old field of college teaching in the humanities did in the 1970s. Until I lost it all through self-hate in 2003 (Download Geezerguts), I carried the burden of that self-blame.
This Valentine's Day, let's start on the journey of self-love. Human beings that we are, yes we sure make mistakes. That's a given, not a sentence for extreme punishment. | <urn:uuid:5e8f0e97-16c5-4149-9850-7bfd7518e7ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lawandmore.typepad.com/law_and_more/2012/02/valentine-tale-lawyers-and-self-hate.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965494 | 316 | 1.828125 | 2 |
WASHINGTON — A mom whose four-year-old died after losing a battle to a brain tumor called Wednesday for tougher US regulation of chemicals suspected of being behind a rise in childhood cancers.
“There’s growing evidence linking toxic chemicals and carcinogens in the environment with childhood cancer,” Christine Brouwer told a telephone news conference as she described losing a child to cancer.
“I’ll most likely never know what caused my daughter’s cancer, but researchers are finding more and more links between the hazardous substances in our homes and workplaces and cancer and other diseases.”
Brouwer’s daughter Mira underwent several operations and endured painful and nauseating treatments to try to beat the cancer she was diagnosed with just before her second birthday, on January 27, 2004.
After several rounds of surgery and months of treatment, Mira’s cancer went into remission and she seemed to have won her fight against the ailment.
But it came back on her fourth birthday, killing her weeks later.
Her family questioned why the child was struck by such a serious illness so young, and Brouwer’s suspicions turned toward the chemicals found in cleaning fluids for the floors that babies crawl on, in the plastic of the bottles they drink from and in some of the foods they and their parents eat.
Boston University professor of environmental health Richard Clapp said the incidence of childhood cancer in the United States has grown about one percent a year for the past two decades.
“It’s clear that at least one component of the cause is environmental chemical exposure,” he said.
Epidemiologists have linked chlorinated solvents to childhood leukemia and other solvents to brain cancer in children, said Clapp, who served as director of the Massachusetts Cancer Registry for 10 years in the 1980s.
Pediatrician Sean Palfrey said doctors suspect chemicals and other environmental pollutants are behind a rise in everything from cancer to allergies to asthma in children.
“The problem with our current situation is that we are putting so many chemicals out into our environment, and our bodies have no idea how to detoxify them, don’t know how to prevent them being absorbed,” he said, calling for tougher US laws on chemicals.
Brouwer, Clapp and Palfrey were participating in a news conference organized by the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families advocacy group, which says the 35-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act does not cover the vast majority of chemicals in US consumer products and urgently needs an overhaul. | <urn:uuid:3ccfd173-268b-4987-bb04-80d78a59347c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/26/chemicals-rise-child-cancers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971324 | 533 | 2.5625 | 3 |
good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony
with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be that
good policy does not equally enjoin it? .
. .}"George Washington
in his Farewell Address
week's theme is George Washington. He was our country's first president
and a great man.. Here you will find ideas, links to activities, worksheets
and lots more.
is what the Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopdia tells us about him:
1st president of the U.S., commander in chief of the Continental Army in
the American Revolution, called the Father of his Country; b. Feb. 22,
1732 (Feb. 11, 1731, O.S.), Westmoreland co., Va., into a wealthy family.
He became a surveyor as a young man and was one of the principals of the
Ohio Company, whose purpose was the exploitation of Western lands. An officer
in the militia, he fought in the last of the French & Indian Wars and
was named (1755) commander in chief of the Virginia militia with the rank
of colonel. He resigned in 1759, married, and turned his attention to his
plantation, Mount Vernon. He was a delegate (1774-75) to the Continental
Congress, which named him commander of the Continental forces after the
outbreak of hostilities with the British. He assumed command (July 3, 1775)
in Cambridge, Mass., and succeeded in capturing Boston from the British
(Mar. 17, 1776). Unable to defend New York City he was forced to retreat
successively to Westchester co., New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. He developed
his military skill by trial and error as he went along. On Christmas night,
1776, with morale at its lowest ebb, he and his troops crossed the Delaware
R. and defeated the British at Trenton and Princeton, N.J. Less successful
in his attempts to defend Philadelphia at Brandywine and Germantown, he
spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge in great misery and deprivation.
But he emerged with increased powers from Congress and a well-trained,
totally loyal army. After the battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), his fortunes
improved and subsequent victories preceded the surrender of Gen. Cornwallis
on Oct. 19, 1781 Washington retired to Mount Vernon, but his dissatisfaction
with the new government led him back into public life. He presided over
the second FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION (1787), where his prestige
and reputation were incalculable in the adoption of the CONSTITUTION OF
THE UNITED STATES. He was chosen unanimously as the first president and
took office on Apr. 30, 1789. His efforts to remain aloof from partisan
politics were unsuccessful, and the influence of Alexander Hamilton moved
him increasingly toward conservatism. His second term, openly Federalist,
was bitterly criticized by the Jeffersonians. Sickened by the partisan
struggles, he refused a third term and retired for the last time to Mount
Vernon in 1797. He died two years later, universally regarded as the one
without whom the American Revolution and the new republic could not have
succeeded. His wife, Martha Washington, 1731-1802, was born Martha Dandridge
in New Kent co., Va. Her first husband, by whom she had two children, was
Daniel Parke Custis, who died in 1757, leaving her one of the wealthiest
women in Virginia. She and Washington had no children.
Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright© 1994. Columbia
University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V.
All rights reserved.
Arts,History) Read a book about George Washington.
Read to younger children and show pictures of him. Talk about who he was
and when he lived.
Arts) Have the children make their own memory
book of George
Washington. The link takes you to a wonderful page full of ideas for this
and a template
Art) Add him to the timeline.
History,Civics.Art) George Washington is honored
in many ways. Research some of these ways. Look up the Washington memorial.
Make a poster showing the things he is on.
is a good time to introduce quarters and the dollar bill to younger children.
Teach what these are worth. Make up word problems using them.
to count by 25 using quarters and hundreds using one dollar bills.How many
quarters in a dollar? How many pennies in a quarter?
pencil rubbings of George Washington by placing a piece of paper of the
coins and rubbing with a pencil or crayon.
the words to Yankee Doodle Dandy and sing it. If you play an instrument
learn to play it. Discuss what this song means.
(Language Arts,Civics, History)
is a leader? What makes a good leader? Make a list of qualities that you
think a good leader should have. Now read seevral of the books on Washington.
Make a list of the good qualities he had as a leader.
(Bible, Character) George
Washington was a man of God. In the book The Light and the Glory by Peter
Marshall this is brought out. How do you think this helped him? What happens
when we put God first in our lives. NOTE: The Light & the Glory has
an adult and children's version.
(Art, Civics, Government) Make
a campaign poster for Washington.
(Language Arts, Handwriting,Character,Bible)
up some of the things George Washington wrote in his copybook at 16. Do
they still apply today? Make you own copybook. Write down Bible verses
or good sayings.
(Art,Home Ec) Make
a tricorn hat -. Cut out 3 paper rectangles approximately 8" x 5". Draw
a curve line across the top of one. Cut it that out. Using this for a pattern
cut out the other 2 rectangles. Color them dark blue or brown with a yellow
strip along the curve. Tape the ends together to form a triangle.- Girls
could make a cap like Mrs. Washington would have worn. Cut out muslin circles
and sew a elastic strip around the circle, leaving an edge for a ruffle.
Martha Washington to your timeline. Find about her here: Martha
Washington at Grolier
a map mark Washington's birthplace as well as the places the variuos important
events took place. Mark the marches he was on and the path they took.
(History,Character, Art) Tell
the story of George and the Cherry Tree. Although this is probably a made
up story discuss honesting and telling the truth. Make cherry trees by
gluing twigs on construction paper to make trees. Paint green leaves on.
Let them dip their fingers in red paint to add cherries to the tree.
& Coloring Pages:
- Washington, George Worksheets (School Express)
first inaugural address.
D.A. A Picture Book of George Washington .
J.R. George Washington: A Biography .
Marcus. George Washington: Man & Monument .
I.M. and D'Aulaire, E.P. George Washington
Jeanette. Leader by Destiny: George Washington, Man & Patriot .
Lucille. George Washington: 1st President of the United States .
J.E. The First of Men: A Life of George Washington .
D.S. George Washington: A Biography, 7 vols. .
Aileen. My First Presidents' Day Book
J.N. Facts About the Presidents: A Compilation of Biographical and Historical
Information, 5th ed. .
Tom. George Washington
Milton. George Washington and the Birth of Our Nation
and Connie Roop, Buttons for General Washington
Augusta.-- George Washington: Young Leader
,Young George Washington: America's First President,
for you to check out:
basics facts and nice pictures here.
Plans on Colonial
America - American Revolution .
Line- America during the Age of Revolution, 1764-1775
from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.
George Washington a Christian? | <urn:uuid:a3444052-21f1-4935-b8e5-f23be982d3a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lessontutor.com/belm20.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915382 | 1,770 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Risk and coastal zone policy: example from the Netherlands
This article is recommended by the editorial team.
The Dutch coastal zone policy included probabilitic calculations to determine the height of a flood defence that has to protect the hinterland. In this articles a overview is given of the adaptation of the probabilistic calculations in Dutch coastal zone management. First the defenition of a risk and the risks in case of the Netherlands is further elaborated and after that a brief overview of the Coastal zone policy in the Netherlands is given.
Risk and probability are widely used in today's policies. It is also possible to adapt probabilistic design in coastal zone management. The risk of flooding poses a threat to present and future socio-economic activities. In this case risk can be defined as the probability of occurrence of an extreme event (storms, tsunamis) leading to erosion and flooding multiplied by the (socio-) economic damage caused by the storm event. The design water level of flood defences along the dutch coast are designed using the probabilistic approach. These levels are related to extreme storm surge water levels with a certain probability of occurrence. The level of the flood defence also on the value in the hinterland. Besides the design level, an probability of failure is taken into account.
Definitions of risk
Various definitions of risk exist which can be applied to different situations and which often involve a degree of subjectivity. Roughly, divisions can be made between individual, societal, economic, environmental and technical risks (Bickerstaff, 2004). All known definitions of risk however have one element in common: the distinction between reality and possibility (Renn, 1998). A definition of risk contains three components, viz. (1) an outcome that has an impact on what humans value, (2) the possibility of occurrence (uncertainty) of an event and (3) a formula to combine both elements (Renn, 1998). In other words, risk can be described by a mathematical function of the probability of an event and the consequences of that event (Jonkman et al. 2003). In many cases, risk is defined as the probability of occurrence of a disaster (natural or man-induced) times the economic damage as a result of the disaster. Often, a cost-benefit analysis is carried out to determine the ‘acceptable’ riskslevel (Vrijling et al., 1998). The optimal risk level in a purely economic sense is determined by implementing measures in such a way that the total sum of the costs of risk reducing measures and the expected damage is minimized (RWS, 2005).
Often, the terms risks and uncertainty are used in the same context. There is however a clear distinction between risk and uncertainty. The term risk can be applied to describe situations for which probabilities are available to describe the likelihood of various events or outcomes. If probabilities of various events or outcomes cannot be quantified however, or if the events themselves are unpredictable, the term uncertainty can be applied (Loucks & Van Beek, 2005).
Risk in the coastal zone
In most coastal zones around the world, the risk of flooding poses a threat to present and future socio-economic activities. In this case risk can be defined as the probability of occurrence of an extreme event (storms, tsunamis) leading to erosion and flooding multiplied by the (socio-) economic damage caused by the storm event. It is important to note that in this case the probability itself does not necessarily involve risk. If the area prone to the effects of extreme events is free from any socio-economic activities, risk will be reduced to zero.
Risk and probability of extreme storms in the Netherlands
Dunes and dikes protect parts of the Netherlands which are situated below sea-level (see figure 1). The design levels of these flood defence structures are related to extreme storm surge water levels (which are related to the frequency of occurrence of an extreme storm event) (Loucks & Van Beek, 2005)). Dunes and dikes along the Mainland coast (i.e. the provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland) (figure 1) should be able to withstand the effects of a storm which has a probability of occurrence of once per 10.000 years. This roughly corresponds to a storm surge level of + 5 m Dutch Ordnance Level (NAP), which varies slightly along the coast. These storm surge water levels are called base levels. The base level is the general standard used to determine the minimum requirements which should be met by the flood defences. The actual dimensions of the flood defences however, also depend on hinterland characteristics. If a flood defence structure protects an area with a large economic value the design level of the flood defence should be higher than the base level. For the less dense populated parts along the Dutch coast, i.e. the province of Zeeland and the Wadden Islands (see figure 1), the design level is based on the frequency of occurrence of an extreme storm event of respectively once per 4000 years and once per 2000 years.
Real estate landward of the sea defences are protected by law via the so-called Flood Defence Act (Wet op de Waterkering) (1996). Those who work and live seaward of the sea defences (in the ‘erosion zone’) do so at their own risk (RIKZ, 2002).
‘Soft’ sea defences: dunes
The former Technical Advisory Committee for Flood Defences (TAW, 1995) introduced a method to calculate dune erosion as a result of an extreme storm event and offered criteria to test safety provided by the dunes. If a storm event occurs which reaches the design level, complete safety against failure of the dunes should still be guaranteed (TAW, 1995). The concept of this method is illustrated in figure 2. After the occurrence of an extreme storm event which reaches base level, the part of the coastal profile above water level will be eroded and deposited under water. The erosion profile assumes a shape which is known in advance. The water level during storm surge determines the vertical position of the erosion profile, whereas the horizontal position is determined in such a way that erosion above base level equals deposition beneath water level.
TAW (1995) argued that the probability of failure of the sea defence should even be ten times lower (i.e. 10-5 along the Mainland coast), than the probability that the design level is reached (which has a probability of occurrence of 10-4 along the Mainland coast). The predefined probability of failure for an arbitrary dune enables calculation of the minimum dune dimensions needed.
From the dune erosion calculations, erosion lines or setback lines can be determined, which indicate how far erosion might reach landward due to the occurrence of an extreme event (see figure 3). These erosion lines are based on interpolation between different positions of R alongshore (see figure 2).
Coastal zone policy in the Netherlands
The primary concern of the Dutch government is to preserve the ‘rest strength’ of the dunes to provide safety against flooding (see figure 5). The rest strength can be defined as the minimum dune volume needed to withstand the design storm conditions (Mulder et al., 2006).
In order to stop the structural erosion of the Dutch coast and hence to provide a sustainable safety level of the dunes, Dutch government decided in 1990 to maintain the coastline at its 1990 position. Around this coastline some natural fluctuations were allowed. The ‘Dynamic Preservation’ policy (CPD 1, 1990) was adopted in which a ‘base coastline’ (BCL) was defined for each 250 m wide coastal section. This BCL relates the coastline position to the ten-year trends in sand volumes in the upper part of the coastal profile, i.e. between dune foot – which is located at around + 3 m Dutch Ordnance Level- and – 5 m Dutch Ordnance Level.
The risk of coastal flooding is expected to increase in the future, because the probability of occurrence of flooding and the socio-economic value in coastal zone are both expected to increase.
Without management interventions, the erosion lines will continue to shift in a landward direction due to the rise in sea level (see figure 2). In addition, in the Netherlands, relative sea level will also rise without climate change-related sea level rise. This is due to the postglacial subsidence of the North Sea basin. Furthermore, climate change may lead to more frequent and more intense storm conditions, which jeopardize dune safety. The effects in terms of socio-economic damage will increase as well, not only as a result of the increased probability of a storm event, but also due to ongoing demographic and socio-economic developments, which will also demand more and more space in the coastal zone. Therefore, it is of great importance to gain more insight in how different socio-economic activities can adapt to the long-term and large-scale natural coastal dynamics. In the Dynamic Preservation policy, large-scale and long-term morphological developments are neglected. Therefore, in 2000, Dutch government decided to adopt a more large-scale approach (CPD 3, 2000), wherein besides maintaining safety on longer temporal scales, spatial quality in the coastal zone has to preserved and -where possible- improved (RIKZ, 2002)). Coastal safety policy and safety measures should involve a time horizon of 200 years.
This long-term and large-scale approach was elucidated in NSS (NSS, 2004), in which the Coastal Foundation Zone concept was introduced, the Coastal Foundation Zone being defined as the area between the dunes and the – 20 m depth contour (figure 4). In this area, the sediment budget should be maintained. The primary method to maintain the sediment budget is by means of sand nourishments.
Preservation of the Coastal Foundation Zone (CFZ) at the largest scale, provides the boundary conditions for preservation of the BCL on smaller temporal and spatial scales. The BCL in turn, provides the boundary conditions for safety of the dunes, i.e. maintaining the rest strength. Therefore, preservation of the CFZ will provide long-term safety of the dune area. These three scale levels in coastal management practices are indicated in figure 5.
For all dunes along the Dutch coast erosion line positions for the next 50, 100, 150 and 200 years have been determined (RIKZ, 2002) (figure 3).
In addition to maintenance of the BCL, different measures can be taken to maintain a predefined dune safety level. These measures include planting of grasses and/or placement of sand fences to stabilize the dunes and even complete fixation or remodelling of dunes (Arens and Wiersma, 1994).
All sea defence structures in the Netherlands currently meet the safety standards. Sea defence structures which must be reinforced in the coming 200 years are called weak links. In these areas, a ‘reservation zone’ must be retained, to limit further socio-economic developments.
- ↑ Bickerstaff, K. (2004). Risk perception research: socio-cultural perspectives on the public experience of air pollution, Environment International, 30, 827-840
- ↑ Renn, O. (1998). The role of risk perception for risk management, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 59, 49-62
- ↑ Jonkman, S. N., van Gelder, P. H. A. J. M., Vrijling, J. K. (2003). An overview of quantitative risk measures for loss of life and economic damage, Journal of Hazardous Materials, A99, 1-30
- ↑ Vrijling, J.K., Van Hengel, W., Houben, R.J. (1998). Acceptable risk as a basis for design, Reliability Engineering and Systems Safety, 59, 141-150
- ↑ RWS (2005). Veiligheid Nederland in Kaart, Hoofdrapport onderzoek overstromingsrisico’s, of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 Loucks, D. P. and van Beek, E. (2005). Water Resources Systems Planning and Management An Introduction to Methods, Models and Applications, UNESCO and WL|Delft Hydraulics, ISBN 92-3-103998-9
- ↑ 7,0 7,1 CPD 3 (2000). Traditie, Trends en Toekomst, 3rd Coastal Policy Document, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, pp. 122
- ↑ 8,0 8,1 8,2 RIKZ (2002). Towards an Integrated Coastal Zone Policy, Policy agenda for the coast, Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management/RIKZ, pp. 48
- ↑ 9,0 9,1 9,2 TAW (1995). Basisrapport Zandige Kust, Behorende bij de Leidraad Zandige Kust, ISBN 90-36-93-704-3, pp. 507 TAW (2002). Leidraad Zandige Kust, ISBN 90-369-5541-6, pp. 224
- ↑ 10,0 10,1 10,2 Mulder, J.P.M., Nederbragt, G., Steetzel, H.J., van Koningsveld, M., Wang, Z.B. (2006). Different implementation scenarios for the large-scale coastal policy of the Netherlands, proceedings ICCE2006
- ↑ Taal, M. Mulder, J., Cleveringa, J., Dunsbergen, D. (2006). 15 years of coastal management in the Netherlands, Policy; Implementation and Knowledge Framework, Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management/RIKZ,
- ↑ CPD 1 (1990). Kustverdediging na 1990, 1st Coastal Policy Document, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, 65 p.
- ↑ NSS (2004). National Spatial Strategy; creating space for development. Interdepartementale Projectgroep Nota Ruimte, Ministeries van VROM, LNV, VenW en EZ, The Hague, The Netherlands
- Shore protection, coast protection and sea defence methods
- Types and background of coastal erosion
- Dune erosion
- Structural erosion
- Coastal Zone Management
- Flood risk analysis study at the German Bight Coast
Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article. | <urn:uuid:9206af5e-e279-4ad4-aa2f-e7d51b14b5f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Risk_and_coastal_zone_policy:_example_from_the_Netherlands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902216 | 3,019 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Set and Then Forget… (at least for a little while) As an aggressive entrepreneur, I was ready to conquer the world at a very young age. My plan was to out-work, out-innovate, and out-run my competition at all costs until I was financially free. I started a lawn mowing business… then a custom T-shirt business… [...]
“You see, in the real world, talent isn’t rewarded… production is. In other words, you don’t get paid for being able to solve problems… you get paid for actually solving them; which often takes time, effort, and “the grind.” That’s why you often see the less talented, but hard working, high school kid sneak up on the studs and become successful in life…”
A very wise man and once taught me that the key to marketing is not what you say, but how well you can transfer emotion to your audience.
Have you ever been a little frustrated with a co-worker and wrote an email to express your concerns; and instead of reading your calm, yet concerned tone, the co-worker read a little more attitude than you intended and snapped of an even more explosive email with three other co-workers and two supervisors CC’d?
Here’s one you may not have considered: Is it better to be a working stiff or a suit if you’re an entrepreneur who’d rather be working for himself than the man anyway?
Be careful when you read Kiyosaki, Robert Allen, or any of the army of gurus preaching that passive income will end all your troubles. The overall concept of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” is profound, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Don’t quit your day job yet.
Is Genius Types changing format? How much money do bulk candy vending machines make? How do you generate traffic and money by blogging?
My top 5 books of all time:
1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People -Steven R. Covey
2. Rich Dad Poor Dad -Robert Kiyosaki
3. Think and Grow Rich -Napoleon Hill
4. Drawing on the Right Side of The Brain -Betty Edwards
5. The 4-Hour Workweek -Timothy Ferris
I officially own the coolest toy ever invented… the iPhone. Ever since I got it two weeks ago, I can’t keep my hands off of it.
Which organizational system do you prefer? One in which each individual employee or member is considered equal, no matter how long they’ve been a member or what they bring to the table; or a system in which each employee or member earns their way up the organizational hierarchy based on seniority, contribution to the group, or the respect of their peers? | <urn:uuid:95dffc83-6994-4ab8-a418-9bbb6820369a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geniustypes.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954685 | 595 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Activists Crash Jordanian Border in Temple Mount Protest
Dozens of right-wing activists led by Meir Bartler jumped the fence near Qasr Al Yehud on Monday to protest Jordan's interference on the Temple Mount.
A large border patrol force was deployed to turn the activists away and prevent them from breaching the international boundary with Jordan.
Qasr Al Yehud is located south of the Allenby border crossing, east of Jericho. It is blocked off by a perimeter fence and restricted from civilian access due to its proximity to the border.
The activists subsequently barricaded themselves in a structure at Qasr Al Yehud that they renamed "Metzudat Ze'ev [Ze'ev Jabotinsky fortress]," after Likud party headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Bartler told Arutz Sheva "Jordan and its intervention is illegitimate, and yet they interfere in matters pertaining to the Temple Mount. We crossed the border in order to remind every Likudnik of Jabotinsky's words: 'There are two banks to the Jordan - and both are ours.'"
"The Likud must return to its Zionist roots," he explained.
The activists are protesting Jordan's warning that replacing the Mughrabi Bridge would result in a religious war in Jerusalem's Old City.
Israel's courts have ruled the structure, which was deemed unsafe, could be replaced by Israeli authorities – but there are concerns officials in Jerusalem will cave to Jordanian and Egyptian pressure and not replace the structure.
The closing of the bridge earlier Monday in the absence of a replacement effectively ends Jewish access to the Temple Mount.
David Ha'Ivri, a long-time activist for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount, lauded Bartler's actions. "The little king in Amman should learn to mind his own business," Ha'Ivri said. "Abdullah has become ungrateful to Israel and should know his place."
"The Temple Mount is the most important landmark for the people and State of Israel. We do not need his opinion on how to manage it," he added. | <urn:uuid:581b441b-68be-4959-8feb-37c3539c30b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150652 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969143 | 428 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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| contact : Marie Gilot | 6/12/2010 | | <urn:uuid:360fc340-3b96-4bdf-93e3-915979408de7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uclouvain.be/en-239938.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92752 | 310 | 1.632813 | 2 |
“Your right to swing your arm leaves off where my right not to have my nose struck begins.” - John B. Finch, 1882
If you follow religion news these days, you can’t help but be inundated with the current debate over what, exactly, “religious freedom” means, and what its limits are. The most popular manifestation concerns Catholic opposition to new contraception guidelines set forth by the Dept. of Health and Human Services (a topic I’ve covered before), but a large number of enterprising souls have taken this proverbial football and are running as far as they can with it. The most recent effort to “protect” religious freedom comes from a consortium of 66 Republican lawmakers who have written a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta asking for an investigation into “a series of steps signaling hostility towards religious freedom” by the Air Force.
The lawmakers outlined several instances where they had problems with Air Force policy, particularly a memo last year from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, which said that “chaplains, not commanders” should notify airmen about chaplains’ religious programs. The lawmakers wrote the memo was “suggesting that the mere mention of these programs is impermissible.” They also took issue with the suspension of a briefing that discussed Bible references, the changing of a Latin office motto that included God and removing Bibles from Air Force Inn checklists. They wrote the policy of “complete separation” between church and state is having a “chilling effect” down the chain of command.
An Air Force spokesperson responded by saying that “Airmen are free to exercise their Constitutional right to practice their religion—in a manner that is respectful of other individuals’ rights to follow their own belief systems.” Indeed, these instances the 66 Republican lawmakers are concerned about aren’t initiatives to limit religious freedom, but to instead avoid showing favoritism for any particular faith.
“The Air Force’s top officer has issued a stern reminder to leaders about religion and their jobs: Don’t proselytize or show favoritism toward a particular faith. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz sent a servicewide memo Sept. 1 cautioning leaders at all levels to balance the Constitution’s protection of religious freedom and the prohibition on government intrusion. “We have seen instances where well-meaning commanders and senior noncommissioned officers appeared to advance a particular religious view among their subordinates, calling into question their impartiality and objectivity. We can learn from these instances,” said Lt. Col. Sam Highley, Schwartz’s spokesman.”
We should also remember that these corrections aren’t happening in a vacuum, and were prompted by a culture of evangelical Christian takeover within the Air Force Academy, where blatant religious favoritism was in full and open display.
“…my son’s orientation became an opportunity for the academy to aggressively proselytize this next crop of cadets. Maj. Warren Watties led a group of 10 young, exclusively evangelical chaplains who stood shoulder to shoulder. He proudly stated that half of the cadets attended Bible studies on Monday nights in the dormitories and he hoped to increase this number from those in his audience who were about to join their ranks. This “invitation” was followed with hallelujahs and amens by the evangelical clergy. I later learned from Air Force Academy chaplain MeLinda Morton, a Lutheran who was forced to observe from the choir loft, that no priest, rabbi or mainline Protestant had been permitted to participate.”
This was a major scandal for the Air Force, which, like all government bodies, isn’t supposed to favor any particular faith, and to maintain separation between Church and State. They’ve since made major efforts to make their branch of the military a place where all faiths are respected, including the building of a Pagan/Nature Religions worship area at the Air Force Academy.
Sadly, these worthy efforts towards making the Air Force a place that respects all manifestations of faith is being framed as an attack on “religious freedom” by these lawmakers. For them, religious freedom means freedom for Christians to swing their theological “arms” without any regard to whose nose might be struck. When U.S. Representatives Diane Black of Tennessee, Randy Forbes of Virginia and Todd Akin of Missouri assert that “the combination of events mentioned above raises concerns that the Air Force is developing a culture that is hostile towards religion” what they mean is hostile toward unfettered Christian expression, and little else. I cannot imagine that any of the 66 lawmakers gave one thought as to what things were like for religious minorities before the recent shift in policy and tone. Religious freedom, for them, begins and ends with their conception of America as a “Judeo-Christian” nation that exists under a single, monotheistic, God.
As I’ve said before, to these Christians, government-enforced secularism isn’t a neutral ethos, but a method of attacking their faith and limiting their free expression. In the minds of these Christians “religious freedom” means, in this time of demographic dominance, the right to let the majority dictate the religious norms of a society. Any deviance from that, in limiting prayer in schools, or sectarian prayer at government meetings, is a persecution of their church. We are increasingly caught in Christianity’s own crisis over its role and purpose in a post-Christian pluralistic society, and the results aren’t always pretty. This crisis will only escalate as religious minorities continue to stand up for real equality, for their voices to be heard in the public square, and as litigation starts to reevaluate what the standards for inclusion are in government-backed religious initiatives.
Whatever valid concerns Catholics, Evangelicals, and other conservative Christians might have over religious freedom in the United States, they are continually tempered by their insistence on being the sole definer of where that concept begins and ends. No one is asking Buddhists, Pagans, Hindus, or practitioners of Native religions for their input, and in many cases the same Christian leaders and lawmakers who cry persecution are the very same who ignore our concerns, or are outright dismissive of non-Christian religious expressions.
“I don’t care what the naysayers say. This nation was founded as a Christian nation. The god of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. There is only one God. There is only one God, and his name is Jesus. I’m tired of people telling me that I can’t say those words. I’m tired of people telling us as Christians that we can’t voice our beliefs or we can’t no longer pray in public. Listen to me. If you don’t love America, and you don’t like the way we do things, I’ve got one thing to say, get out! [...] We don’t worship Buddha, we don’t worship Mohammed, we don’t worship Allah. We worship God. We worship God’s son Jesus Christ.”
To me, the Catholic Bishops and Evangelical leaders who claim to be baking the bread of freedom, produce only the taste of ashes in my mouth. Have we really forgotten that Christian Republican lawmakers as recently as 1999 tried to get the practice of Wicca banned from the military? That the Catholic Church, openly hostile to non-Christian faiths, has proposed a grand coalition of the dominant monotheisms to quash the rights of faiths and traditions who want to perform legal same-sex marriages? To my mind these are not the defenders of my religious freedom, to say the least.
If religious freedom as a concept is going to mean anything, if isn’t going to just be hollow rhetoric, then it needs to apply equally to everyone. That means creating a level playing field in the realm of government, it means not privileging the Christian majority simply because it’s a politically expedient thing to do. Sometimes it even means rolling back privileges that some have mistaken for “rights.” The problem is that far too many Christians in America have grown over fond of having no limits on their arm-swinging, and every judicial decision or law that tells them that certain noses are off-limits enrages them, and feeds into an ugly persecution complex (to the point where the majority assumes the mantle of the persecuted minority). Real religious freedom starts when groups stop twisting the concept to privilege themselves at the expense of others. | <urn:uuid:e6520d6a-07a9-459b-a96e-56cfdd5dce90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wildhunt.org/tag/air-force-academy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95786 | 1,796 | 1.789063 | 2 |
|Home | About | Donate/Volunteer | Contact | Jobs| Early Schizophrenia Screening Test||
July 08, 2006
Improving Baby Mental Health - New Program for Parents
Read more... Schizophrenia Causes, Risk Factors & Prevention · Schizophrenia Education · Schizophrenia, Poverty & Crime
Neuroscience and psychological research during the past few decades has shown that with the right parenting, children can be made to be much more resilient to stress, and thereby lower the risk of mental health problems. In other words, mentally healthy babies and children are much more likely to grow up into mentally healthy adults.
There is a new parent educational program that has been developed by some of the experts in child mental health with the goal of helping new parents become the best possible parents that they can be. This web site is more oriented towards trainers who would work with parents to educate them about how to help ensure the mental health of their children - but many of the documents and videos may also be used by the rest of us who want to learn about this area.
The educational program is called "Circle of Security" and we highly recommend it for any family where there has been a history of mental illness and where young babies or children are planned or are already in the family.
"Successful parenting is a principal key to the mental health of the next generation." John Bowlby, MD
The program describes itself as follows:
The Circle of Security Project integrates over fifty years of attachment research into a video-based intervention to strengthen parents' ability to observe and improve their caregiving capacity. The use of a clear differential diagnosis for each parent/child dyad [pair] allows the clinician to focus on precise personal strengths and diagnostically significant ("linchpin") struggles, rather than relying on a more traditional "one-size-fits-all" approach to intervention. Attachment theory, taught in this way, gives each parent an individualized parenting "road map," a clear pathway to providing a secure relationship for her/his child.
See the web site for on-line video, as well as good introductory reading materials, and a local seminars (in California and Australia) that they have started or will soon start. www.circleofsecurity.org
There is a good list of documents that can be downloaded on the site - including documents that are in Dutch, German, Hebrew, Russian and Spanish. Circle of Security - reading materials
There are also classes from another institute that focuses on healthy pregnancy and child development:
NCAST - Pregnancy Mental Health, Child Mental Health Classes (Seattle, Washington)
Additional Resources and Reading/Videos, etc.:
A Good Educational DVD you can purchase: Ten Things Every Child Needs For the Best Start In Life!
Academic Sources of related Information:
Additional Books we recommend on how to Maximize the Mental Health of your baby or young child (by well-known child development expert -- Dr. Berry Brazelton of Harvard University):
Posted by szadmin at July 8, 2006 05:19 PM
More Information on Schizophrenia Causes, Risk Factors & Prevention | <urn:uuid:d37e443a-b7bd-4dca-a356-693aef6d38cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/003624.html | 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 | 0.935008 | 643 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Whiteclay Alcohol Sales Dropped Again In 2012
by Associated Press
March 15, 2013 11:58 AM
Alcohol sales in the Nebraska-South Dakota border town of Whiteclay dropped for the second year in a row in 2012.
A year-end report by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission says the town's four beer stores saw a 10 percent decline in beer sales.
The stores sold the equivalent of nearly 3.9 million, 12-ounce cans of beer last year. In 2011, the stores sold the equivalent of nearly 4.3 million cans.
Whiteclay, a Nebraska town with roughly a dozen residents, is often blamed for alcoholism and other social problems on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned.
Sales in Whiteclay had previously been climbing, from the equivalent of 4.3 million cans in 2007 to 4.9 million in 2010. | <urn:uuid:ff393062-9b02-40a1-b2b5-bacd2a199143> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kdlt.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25132&Itemid=57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92477 | 185 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A new look
by Premshankar Kamble
This article is an abstract from my book titled God and Religion - A
'Scientific' and Objective Analysis, for which I have a U.S. Copyright. What
I have discussed in the book is not science, it is not religion, nor is it
'heavy' philosophy. It is plain and simple common sense. It is more of an
enquiry than an answer to what is God and religion. It is intended to be an eye
opener, to enable the reader to see what is not really well with the common
understanding of God and religion.
I believe that the concept of God and religion is grossly misunderstood. I am
convinced that I am able to see clearly what may not be evident to several
people in the world. I know that a great deal of wrong is being done in this
world because of this misunderstanding, which can immediately be corrected if we
all see what I can see.
What is God?
We all learned at school that the physical world consists of a three
dimensional space. An object occupies a unique position in this space. Similarly
there is a mental/spiritual space and at any given time, we occupy a unique
position in this space.
Just as an object in the physical space has a potential energy, I believe
that all of us humans are endowed with immense mental energy, which depends on
our position in the mental space. The potential energy of a body in physical
space depends on its position, which is measured in terms of the three axes,
namely x, y and z. Our mental/spiritual energy depends on the state of our mind,
which in turn depends on our feelings.
Just as x, y, z axes (distances in x, y and z directions) form the three
dimensions of the physical space, (Fig. 1.1) the mental space is a
multi-dimensional space where the axes are our various feelings like love, fear,
hope, faith, courage, etc. (Fig. 1.2 shows only 3 dimensions for simplicity).
Our position in the mental space can be defined by how much we measure on the
Just as the position of a body in the physical space determines its potential
energy, our position in the mental space (that is, how much we measure on the
various feelings axes) determines our mental state, which in turn determines our
mental energy at any given time. The probability of success for what we do
depends on our mental energy at the time when we do it.
Just as there are high potential energy points in the physical space, I
believe that there are very high energy zones in the mental space too. Attaining
God is nothing but reaching these high-energy zones in the mental space. These
are zones where the measure of confidence, love, faith, hope, etc. is extremely
high and you can be in an extremely powerful state of mind. This is where Buddha
reached, and so did Mahavir, Christ, Mohammed and Ram. We will refer to these
zones as 'Godly zones' (Fig. 2.2).
In the physical space (Fig. 2.1), if we have to move a body from point A to
point B, or from low energy to high energy, we know what force is required, and
at what angle j we need to apply that force. What made it possible is
mathematics. After the discovery of mathematics, man has mastered the laws of
the physical space and has come a long way from the days of the Ape Man.
However, we are still Ape Men so long as the mental space is concerned. We know
nothing about the laws of this space (Fig. 2.2). While the language of
mathematics describes the laws of physical space precisely, it fails miserably
in the mental space. What is required is possibly a new language, which I call
'mentomatics', which will explain the laws of mental space. Before mathematics
was devised, laws of physical space were as much a mystery as the laws of mental
space are today without mentomatics.
To reach the moon you have to fire your rocket at a specific angle with a
specific force. If you were to explain how to reach the moon without a
mathematical language, some of your followers would reach Mars, some would
crash-land on the moon, some would be lost in the space and some would not take
off at all. Only one in a million would reach the moon.
In the absence of a mentomatical language, some people have tried to explain
how to reach the high-energy zones of mental space, or to reach 'God'. It is no
wonder that only one in several millions like Buddha, Mohammed, Christ, Ram,
etc. could reach the destination and the rest of us were left groping.
Possibly in the olden days there were extremely learned rishis
(saints) who had mastered the art of reaching Godly zones. But they could not
explain this to the common man in the absence of Mentomatics. In order to
explain to the man in a language that he could understand in those days, they
created the concept of God. They gave 'God' a physical human shape because that
is all that common man understood then. Since the common man is far advanced
today and understands the basics of physical science, I am trying to explain to
you the concept of God with an analogy of physical science (though I know
today's physical science may not be able to explain it).
The concept of God was created by the rishis to help you to move
closer to the high-energy zone from wherever you are in the mental space.
So what is the concept of God? It is a method, in fact a form of
psychotherapy which helps you to get to a higher state of mind and to a higher
mental energy, and closer to the Godly zone in the mental space. And where is
God? Right within you. The high energy level that you can experience by reaching
the high-energy zone is latent within you.
How does this psychotherapeutic method work? It works by increasing your faith
in God, your love for God and raising your confidence and hope. So you move up
in the mental space closer to the high-energy zones. It is the faith in God that
works for you. When you wear a ring with special stones that are supposed to
bring good fortune to you, it is your faith in the miracle stone that helps you
and not the stone itself.
So the concept of God is the current best available method to reach the
high-energy zone. It may be slow, not very easy to follow, but it is the best
available method today. I believe that a time will come when mentomatics will be
developed, the laws of mental space will be explained and you would have a
mentomatical method to reach a high-energy state within minutes or seconds.
Sounds ridiculous? But then, TV, radio, pistol, aircraft and computers (which
are miracles of mathematical science) were unbelievable to an Ape Man too.
This essay continues below.
What is Religion?
Religion is nothing but a code of conduct -- social norms and norms related
to hygiene. Due to historic reasons, it was linked to the concept of God.
In the olden days, there was a wide gap between the learned and the common
man. The rishis were learned and wished the welfare of the common man.
They probably knew about disease, what caused it and how to prevent it. They
wished to create the norms of good social and hygienic behavior and ensure
compliance. The best way to ensure compliance was to tell the common man that
such behavior pleases God, or in other words, the religion says so. So most of
the religious beliefs and rituals have a very scientific base. But there are two
First, most of the rituals and rules have been distorted by touts and the
half-learned so-called saints. Secondly, the norms and rules were relevant in
those days, but may not be so critical today with the advancement of science,
particularly the science of hygiene and medicine. We re-engineer business
processes today, where we re-assess the relevance of the age-old business
processes with respect to the current tools and techniques available today (e.g.
computers and the Internet). Similarly, there is a serious need to 're-engineer'
religion. Conditions have changed, technology has changed, but we still believe
in the age old rituals without looking at it from a fresh perspective.
What stops us from taking a fresh look at religious rules and rituals? Here
lies the catch. We saw that 'faith' was a very important component for this
psychotherapeutic method to be effective. You must believe in the concept of God
and religion to benefit from it. The more faith you have in the method, the more
it will work for you, and the less you will question the system.
This method, however slow, may work for individuals. But has it worked for
the world as a whole? I believe it has not. There is a serious and disastrous
It is possible that Buddha, Mohammed and Christ reached the same high-energy
zones. They all tried to explain how they reached there. May be all of them
followed the same path. They told us that there is one destination and one path.
But in the absence of a precise mentomatical language, we understood them
differently and created several religions. The most disastrous side effect of
this psychotherapeutic method was that multiple religions sprang up and so did
religious conflicts. I understand that today there are more deaths due to
religious conflicts than due to all natural calamities put together.
So clearly the method has not worked overall. And clearly, there is a need to
look for a better method.
If man had closed his eyes and said that walking is the only way to move from
one place to another, he would never have invented the cars. If he had said that
moving along land is the only way, he would not have invented airplanes.
Similarly we can probably find a way to reach the Godly zones, a way that
will be several times faster than today's methods of religion.
I seriously believe that it will happen. For all we know, one of you readers
may be the one who may discover mentomatics. My book suggests what could be the
first step towards discovering mentomatics.
You have read about barbarians who lived on earth years ago who killed one
another for food. Several years from now, people will say, "Once upon a time,
there lived barbarians on this earth who believed that there were many Gods and
they killed their fellow beings in the name of religion."
Copyright © by Premshankar Kamble
Originally posted: 2004-NOV-02
Latest update: 2004-NOV-02
Author: Premshankar Kamble | <urn:uuid:8e649e41-5728-4afa-b142-7ae06797ca18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://religioustolerance.org/kamble01.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957517 | 2,367 | 2.15625 | 2 |
For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Grindal's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.
For sermon-prep help, I frequently look at hymns, paintings, novels, poems, etc. Also Bach cantatas. Meinen Jesus laĂź ich nicht, written for the first Sunday after Epiphany, has intrigued me with its interpretation of Luke 2:41-52.
As I was reading through and listening to the cantata on Youtube—I recommend the Nicolaus Harnoncourt performance—I whiled away some time looking at the text of the chorale that Bach uses as the beginning and ending of the cantata. I remembered that the hymn (in English, “I shall not let my Jesus go”) is one of those anagram hymns that so interested the writers of the Baroque age—and that leave us somewhat baffled or at least unimpressed, partly because we are romantics and think such structures inhibit creativity rather than spur it on.
The first line of the hymn is repeated as the last line of each stanza; the first word of the five stanzas make up the phrase Meinen Jesus laß ich nicht; and the first letters in each line of the sixth stanza are the first letters of the title of the patron of the writer. While it is arcane, I got to wondering if there was any worth in writing such a hymn today—and whether or not the deep form within the hymn helps make it any richer or more powerful to the unassuming singer.
Does form communicate without our even knowing it? Or does it just delight us when we figure it out? I find it difficult to say, but we do believe in the Incarnation. The shape and form of something should make a difference of some kind. We cannot learn without having some kind of structure to what we are learning, and then storing it so we can remember it later.
To store and recollect content we need images, stories and memorably shaped sentences. The preacher would do well to find such shapes and structures as he or she puts the sermon for the week into some kind of memorable, sensible shape.
Music perhaps is a better way to understand this than poetry is. One can hear in Bach’s cantata the thrumming of some anxiety in the bass parts of “Furcht und Schrecken” (“Fear and terror”). Music communicates such structures as part of its art. Someone once said he loved listening to music with an audience because without knowing it they were sitting there doing the math.
Is it possible for the writer of a hymn text to think the same way as a musician and use these same kinds of repetitions and hidden forms to communicate something in the text? Preachers have the musicality of their language. Repetition, which is a musical impulse, can create meanings in the listener too deep to be understood, yet apprehended in some way or another physically.
Much of our preaching and Christian communication seems too dominated by the notion that a sermon is merely information, or a message. If that is all, send an email. But the sermon is a saving event to which people should long to come and hear because something deeper than their intellect or emotions is being engaged.
The dean of American hymn writers and composers, Alice Parker, gave a speech at the latest Hymn Society meeting in Winnipeg. She considered how much of the body is involved in singing a word, and how much better it is when the word sounds right in its context. And how bad it sounds when words in a hymn say something you agree with but sound awful together or unnatural in their stresses.
Structure is something we need to work to do in all our communications, including preaching. | <urn:uuid:1df68236-6440-4ef6-9768-651166c46e52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2012-12/musical-preaching | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953739 | 849 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Kenya and the Ubiquitous Cell Phone
One of the first technological things I noticed about Kenya is the wide-spread use of cell phones. Just about everyone has a cell phone.
Monday we went to deliver a wheelchair to an 8 year old boy named Samuel who has spina bifida. He lives with his mother, Mimi, and his 4 year old sister Evalyn in an 8” x 8” one room house made of wood, cardboard, and newspaper. We could see the sunlight coming through gaps between the walls and the metal roof. The father of these two precious children is no longer around, and I imagine it must be very difficult for this young mother to support herself and her children. They don’t even have electricity. Yet, she had a cell phone. She even called us today to thank us again for the wheelchair and let us know how well Samuel was adjusting to it.
They don’t use monthly plans like we do in the US. Instead they buy credits for as little as 20 shillings (about 70 cents US) which gives them a small number of calls and text messages. Just because someone has a cell phone doesn’t mean they have any credits.
Our friends Joe and Molly Bail use their cell phone all the time. They are constantly talking with Daniel and Victor who work with them to coordinate visits to the various places they do ministry – the hospital, the landfill, churches, and the homes of the people they are helping. They also get lots of calls from people in need, asking for food, for help with health issues, and so forth.
I chatted last night with Victor, who is a Kenyan and serves in ministry with Joe and Molly, about his cell phone. He talked about how cell phones have made a huge impact on society in Kenya. Very few people have landlines in Kenya, especially in rural areas. Cell phones enable people to coordinate business and apply for jobs. Victor is able to keep in touch with 7 brothers and sisters and his mother who lives in a village about 350 km away.
Cell phones are also used to transfer money in Kenya, sort of an electronic Western Union. A person can go into their local cell phone office and put money on their phone. Then they can transfer that money to another cell phone customer. That person can then go into their local cell phone office and get the money. This is huge because so many people are in such need, and one person who has a job is able to help others (particularly family) who don’t regardless of how far away they live.
In ministry, cell phones are absolutely critical because serving others is all about coordinating – coordinating those in need with the people and resources that can help them. It’s possible to do that without cell phones, but so many more people are able to be served and shown the love of God with them. | <urn:uuid:66df439d-d7a0-4f23-adf6-ef77a0f7aa66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.ourchurch.com/2009/07/16/kenya-and-the-ubiquitous-cell-phone/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979218 | 594 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Yoshihiro Ikeuchi in Kyoto, May 15, 1933; the son of film director
Married actress Nobuko Miyamoto, two children.
Amateur boxer and commercial designer; became film actor, 1960 (sometimes
billed as Ichizo Itami); subsequently worked as a stage actor, TV actor
and director, TV chat-show host, author, translator, and chef; also edited
magazine on psychoanalysis; began directing films at age 50, 1984; earned
international acclaim with
1986; stabbed gangland-style in his home, allegedly in retaliation for
his depiction of Japanese mobsters in
Mimbo No Onna (Minbo, or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion/The
Gangster's Moll/The Anti-Extortion Woman)
Committed suicide by leaping from the roof of the Tokyo condominium in
which he resided and worked, 20 December 1997.
Films as Director and Scriptwriter:
Ososhiki ( The Funeral )
Tampopo ( Dandelion )
Marusa no onna ( A Taxing Woman )
Marusa no onna II ( A Taxing Woman Returns )
A-Ge-Man ( A-Ge-Man—Tales of a Golden Geisha ) (+ pr)
Minbo No Onna ( Minbo, Or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion ; The Gangster's Moll ; The Anti-Extortion Woman )
Daibyonin ( The Last Dance ; The Seriously Ill ); Shizukana seikatsu (A Quiet Life)
Supa no onna ( Supermarket Woman )
Marutai no onna
Films as Actor:
Kirai Kirai Kirai ( Dislike ) (Edagawa); Nise Daigakusei ( The Phoney University Student ) (Masamura); Ototo ( Her Brother ) (Ichikawa)
Kuroi junin no onna ( The Ten Dark Women ) (Ichikawa)
55 Days at Peking (Ray)
Lord Jim (Brooks)
Otoko no kao wa rirekisho ( A Man's Face Is His History ) (Kato)
Nihon Shunka ko ( A Treatise on Japanese Bawdy Songs ) (Oshima)
Imoto ( My Sister, My Love ) (Fujita)
Wagahai wa nwko dearu ( I Am a Cat ) (Ichikawa)
Kusa Meikyu ( Labyrinth in the Field ) (Terayama); Yugure made ( Until Dusk ) (Kuroki)
Sasameyuki ( The Makioka Sisters ) (Ichikawa); Kazoku gemu ( The Family Game ) (Morita)
Setouchi shonen yakyu dan ( MacArthur's Children ) (Shinoda)
Suito homu ( Sweet Home ) (Kurosawa)
By ITAMI: books—
Yoroppa taikutsu nikki (Diary of Boring Days in Europe) , Tokyo, 1965.
Onnatachi yo! (Listen, Women) .
Nippon sekenbanashi taikei (Panorama of Japanese Gossips). The Funeral Diary , 1985.
Enjoy French Cooking with Me , 1987.
By ITAMI: articles—
Interview in Cinéma (Paris), June 1985.
Interview with B. Meares, in Cinema Papers (Melbourne), July 1985.
Interview with Tony Rayns, in Monthly Film Bulletin (London), April 1988.
Interview with Alan Stanbrook, in Films and Filming (London), April 1988.
Interview in Films and Filming (London), April 1988.
Interview with L. Tanner, in Films in Review (New York), May 1988.
"Death & Taxes," an interview with Jeff Sipe, in Sight and Sound (London), Summer 1989.
On ITAMI: articles—
Canby, Vincent, "What's So Funny about Japan?" in New York Times , 18 June 1989.
Sipe, Jeffrey, "Death and Taxes: A Profile of Juzo Itami," in Sight and Sound (London), Summer 1989.
Efron, Sonni, "Japanese Director Juzo Itami Recovering after Gang-land-Style Stabbing at Home," in Los Angeles Times , 26 May 1992.
Sterngold, James, "A Director Boasts of His Scars, and Says He Is Right about Japan's Mob," in New York Times , 30 August 1992.
"Five Arrested in Slashing of Tokyo Film Maker," in New York Times , 4 December 1992.
Kuzue, Suzuki, "Juzo Itami, director extraordinaire," in Japan Quarterly (Tokyo), July/September 1993.
Friedland, Jonathan, "Director Uses Films to Question Authority," in Far Eastern Economic Review (Hong Kong), 21 October 1993.
Obituary, in Washington Post , 22 December 1997.
Obituary, in New York Times, 22 December 1997.
Obituary, in Film-Dienst (Cologne), 20 January 1998.
Obituary, in Séquences (Haute-Ville), March-April 1998.
* * *
It is probable that Juzo Itami's films convey meanings to Japanese audiences that are not readily accessible to Westerners: they are pervasively concerned with rituals, customs, and practices that go back through centuries, and their interaction with contemporary economic and socio-political actualities. On the other hand, Itami is clearly aware of international cinematic practice, and his films seem made partly with an international audience in mind. Offered here is a westerner's assessment of the films: incomplete, but nonetheless valid.
A Westerner, then, would situate Itami somewhere between Buñuel and Almodóvar, The Funeral leaning toward the former, Tampopo toward the latter (the two Taxing Woman movies, though not at all inconsistent with these in tone and attitude, stand apart from them because of their general irreverence and skepticism). Itami has not achieved the extraordinary distinction of Buñuel at his best (but neither did Buñuel until he was very old, and then in only a very few films). On the other hand, if Tampopo , in its comic-erotic audacities and its seemingly free and inconsequential handling of narrative, evokes a heterosexual Almodóvar, the comparison works very much in Itami's favour, underlining his greater maturity, discipline, and powers of self-criticism: casual divertissement as it may seem, Tampopo manifests a security of taste, tone, and attitude to which Almodóvar, with his apparently uncritical faith in the sanctity of his own impulses, cannot yet lay claim.
The Funeral can be at once "placed" and done justice to by being juxtaposed with, on the one hand, Buñuel's late films, and, on the other, Altman's A Wedding. Superficially, it has far more in common with the latter: a satirical view of ritualized social performances and their emptiness, exposing the manifold hypocrisies they generate. Yet the complexity of attitude—the disturbing fusion of critical rigour and emotional generosity—is closer to Buñuel. A Wedding , among the worst films of one of the most uneven of directors, is more complicated than complex, its proliferation of characters and incident encompassed by Altman's contempt for all of it and his desire to assert his superiority: the simplicity and unpleasantness of the attitude precludes any possibility of genuine disturbance.
A Funeral analyses the traditional elaborate rites in documentary detail and precision, while simultaneously undercutting the reverence they are supposed to express with a pervasive sense of absurdity: the old man whose death necessitates all this ceremony, expenditure, and hypocrisy was an unlovable egoist for whom no one felt any particular affection or respect while he was alive. Yet Itami, unlike Altman, never presents his characters as merely stupid, and shows no inclination to demonstrate his superiority to them. If the tone is never not satirical, it is also never only satirical. One might single out as an example the disturbing interplay of conflicting responses generated by the scene where the son-in-law has sex in the bushes with his mistress while his wife (the dead man's daughter), fully aware of what is going on, quietly distracts herself on a swing. The juxtaposition of the seduction (treated as broad comedy) and the wife's sense of troubled hurt, which takes place in the context of death that encloses the whole action, creates a complex effect capped by the abrupt appearance of Chishu Ryu as the officiating priest, and the accumulated resonances he brings with him from so many Ozu movies. If this is not exactly the tone of Viridiana , we are at least not far from that of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie , though the comparison brings with it the reflection that Itami's film has no equivalent for the three "insert narratives" of the Buñuel and the dimension of radical pain and disturbance they introduce.
A Taxing Woman and A Taxing Woman's Return represent a remarkably successful attempt to appropriate a popular genre (criminal investigation) for purposes of radical social criticism. For the westerner, at least, they relate interestingly to the recent wave of feminist detective fiction centered on female investigators, of which Sara Paretsky's series of novels remains the most impressive example. There is a crucial difference between Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski and the heroine of Itami's movies: the former is a "private eye," a lone operator, the latter the leader of a government-employed team. Yet the parallel is strong: in both cases the woman becomes committed not simply to the solution of a specific "case" but to the exposure of the corruption and inherent criminality of the patriarchal-capitalist power structure. The radicalism has its limitations. The fact that the "taxing woman" (Itami's wife Nobuko Miyamoto) works for the government prohibits—for all the force of her personal crusade against corporate corruption—the raising of a key question: To what ends are taxes actually used within a capitalist state? The films attack the corruption but are unable to challenge the system that produces it. Itami's commitment to feminism is also somewhat dubious: one suspects that it is more an incidental offshoot of his desire to work with his extremely talented wife (a brilliant comedienne who commands rapid and subtle shifts of tone) rather than being rooted in any firm theoretical basis.
Despite these limitations, the films (together with their wide and international commercial success) are, like Paretsky's novels, sufficient proof that popular genres can be used to dramatize radical positions, and for once the sequel actually improves on the original: tougher, darker, with an altogether bleaker ending, its powerful and disturbing rigour was doubtless made possible by the success of its more lightweight predecessor.
As Itami's career progressed, his films did not lose their bite. AGe-Man (A-Ge-Man—Tales of a Golden Geisha) is a discerning examination of conventional male-female associations, depicted via the perceptions of a modern-era geisha. Minbo no onna (Minbo, or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion/The Gangster's Moll/The Anti-Extortion Woman) , a rapier-witted satire of Japanese organized crime, follows a gritty lawyer who takes on a blackmailing band of yakuza. Several days after the Japanese premiere of Minbo no onna , Itami was severely injured when his neck and face were slashed, allegedly by members of the yakuza. The incident served as sobering proof that Itami's brand of controversial, radical filmmaking, however high-spirited, can indeed be a dangerous business.
This tragedy, however, did not alter his cinematic style. In the aftermath of the stabbing, Itami commenced pondering the insincere, impersonal manner in which hospital patients in Japan are treated. The result was Daibyonin (The Last Dance/The Seriously Ill) , a black comedy about a second-rate film director who is diagnosed with cancer.
Itami lampooned consumerism in Supa no onna (Supermarket Woman), in which supermarkets compete to lure customers. In Marutai no onna (Woman of the Police Protection Program), he told the story of an actress who finds herself in the title program after witnessing a killing and being threatened by the perpetrators, members of a religious cult. Itami stated that the concept of Marutai no onna evolved from his attack by the yakuza.
One of Itami's late-career films is a departure from the tone of his other work: Shizukana seikatsu (A Quiet Life), based on the novel by Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe which spotlights the writer's concerns about his disabled son. Primarily, though, Itami's films maintained their satiric edge. While they are universal in that their lampoonery extends beyond cultural boundaries, they specifically ridicule the hypocrisies of contemporary Japanese society.
In late 1997, Itami learned that Flash , a weekly magazine, was about to print an allegation that the filmmaker—who still was married to Nobuko Miyamoto—had an affair with an unidentified 26-year-old woman. Two days before the magazine was to hit newsstands, Itami committed suicide. In a note explaining his action, he vociferously denied the relationship, declaring, "My death is the only way to prove my innocence."
—Robin Wood —Updated by Rob Edelman | <urn:uuid:895bf668-d793-4584-bd47-b87762a8a61d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.filmreference.com/Directors-Ha-Ji/Itami-Juzo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936287 | 2,865 | 1.695313 | 2 |
kcrady, Azdgari, and Irish, when you refer to a pill being metabolised, or chicken nuggets or photosynthesis you have living things, humans and plants, making living things, so it confirms the law “all life is from life”.
The point we were making is that there is no difference between "living matter" and "non-living matter" from the perspective of the matter itself. "Living matter" is simply matter participating in a set of self-perpetuating chemical reactions. Since life is a process of chemistry, there is nothing that forbids its simplest form from self-organizing under the proper conditions. This does not require an intelligent person any more than snowflakes require tiny snowflake faeries fashioning each one with little chisels.
Even if abiogenesis is wildly improbable, given the size and age of even the visible Cosmos (not to mention whatever might exist outside of our light-cone), there are worlds enough, and time. No matter how improbable it might be, it is far more probable, by many orders of magnitude, than the incredibly intricate assembly of component parts necessary to form any sort of thinking, designing person. Persons just seem
easy because we look at Universe through person-colored glasses.
Azdgari, life is special because it always comes from life.
You haven't come close to demonstrating the "always" part of your claim. All you've got so far is that scientists have not replicated abiogenesis in a lab--yet
. To make your absolutist claim stick, you have to be able to prove that they can't ever
replicate abiogenesis, because abiogenesis is physically impossible,
like perpetual motion machines.
Is your creator "life?"
If yes, and "life always comes from life," then what life did "he" come from? And where did that
life come from? If you want to say, "No, he was always there, he's eternal," then you have an example of life (presumably the very biggest, specialest, life-y-est life form there is) that does not come from life, and your claim that "life always comes from life" fails.
If no--i.e., "he" is something Other, a different category of being than "life" as we know it (i.e., he does not have a metabolism, doesn't reproduce, isn't composed of matter/energy, exists "outside of space and time," etc.)--then once again, we have an example of life coming from non-life, and your claim fails.
Since even your own model does not support the claim that "life always comes from life," we have no reason to accept that claim. Since a self-replicating molecule is so much simpler and more parsimonious than any hypothesis involving intelligent persons, it has the status of a default explanation.
But the big question is the first living cell appearing 3.2 billion or so years ago, there was no other living thing around, so it had to come alive all by itself, this has never been observed anywhere, not even in a lab.
Likewise for Invisible Magic Persons of any sort (gods, devils, djinn, nature-spirits, etc., etc.). Likewise, for Magic itself. In fact, every single thing we have ever come to understand about reality has turned out to be: Not Magic. Thunderstorms can happen without requiring the existence of a Zeus or Thor. Microorganisms and viruses are sufficient to explain disease without demon-possession or malign spells cast by the little old lady down the street. And so on.
There was a time when virtually everything, from the movement of the celestial bodies to weather to fertility to victory or defeat in battle, was thought to be caused by one Invisible Magic Person or another. Then we developed the tools to start making a systematic effort to understand how reality works. IMP-based explanations for things were supplanted by natural explanations for things over and over and over again, in an unbroken string of scientific discoveries, for 400 years. Based on this track record, we have every reason to expect that abiogenesis will also turn out to have a natural explanation, especially since we already have some of the puzzle pieces.
Can you refer me to the lab report on the self assembling proteins, I’d like to read it, thanks.
Respond to the Wikipedia article on abiogenesis you've already been given with enough technical mastery to indicate that you're operating on a par with the professionals in the field, then
we'll start looking up published papers and "lab reports." BTW, can you provide any published papers or lab reports about cells (or anything else) being created by magic
? Please include the relevant equations showing how the magical being(s) work, and how whatever they're made of interacts with matter/energy and time. I'd like to read it, thanks.
And sorry about my references to the creator as a single male god, (ie “he”) that’s just habit, which comes from years of research, but I don’t want to force my opinions on people.
You are trying to persuade us that your views are correct, aren't you? Assuming that your "years of research" is not equivalent to "I learned it in Sunday School and believed it ever since," you can presumably demonstrate that there's only one god, that it's male, and that it is specifically (your understanding of) the Christian god. Since no other theologian has been able to accomplish this feat,
you should at the very least expect to be hailed as the greatest theologian in the history of Christendom, even if you don't win a Nobel Prize.
In reality the key question isn’t how we define the creator, the question is, does science indicate that one is required for us and the universe to exist.
There you go again--just assuming that "the creator" is going to be a singular entity. Most major design projects (e.g. a new airliner, rocket, city, car, computer operating system, whatever) are the result of teamwork, we have no reason to assume a single creator even if we had evidence for creation. If a proposed creator is modeled as a semantic-thinking, language-using person, then it makes more sense to assume it is a member of a civilization, than to suppose that it modified itself to have a capacity for language and invented a language for itself when, in its original state, it would not have the concept of "other person" much less any actual examples to talk to.
As to the question of whether science requires creators to explain the existence of the Cosmos or us, the answer, according to the community of trained, qualified, and practicing scientists, is "no." If you know so much more than them, and your ideas are better validated than theirs, where's your trophy case full of Nobel Prizes? Once again: any personal being is far, far, faaaaaaaaaaaaar
more complicated than a self-replicating molecule
or early cell. If we have to pick one or the other as more likely to "just happen," the molecule or cell wins hands down.
I’d like to see that list of gaps in the theory of evolution, maybe we all should have a combined effort at it, with our combined brain power we should come up with a fairly comprehensive one.
I note your complete disinterest in the vast tracts of understanding that the theory of evolution has filled in
, and the literal mountains of evidence in its favor.
Irish, why don’t I kill myself? good point and most christians don’t even realise what I’m about to say, but the only reason, and I mean ONLY reason God doesn’t whisk them up to heaven when they ask Jesus to save them is because he wants them here to help others get saved too, if they were all whisked away there’d be no one to spread the word.
So, your proposed creator can design and create more than a hundred billion galaxies and innumerable -illions of worlds, but he can't advertise himself to the population of one little planet without humans
to do it for him? Really? Isn't Yahweh supposed to have myriads of angels at his command? "Angel" comes from a Greek word meaning "messenger." What does he have messengers for, if not to "spread the word?" | <urn:uuid:c0c936b7-f2f2-402e-bb14-1ced302e8be3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/forums/index.php/topic,20836.msg462271.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965047 | 1,766 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Ohio changes lethal injection procedures after execution delay incident Joshua Pantesco at 2:42 PM ET
[JURIST] Terry Collins [official profile], director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction [official website] has set forth several changes in Ohio's lethal injection protocol in a report [PDF text] and letter [PDF text] addressed to Ohio Governor Bob Taft made public Wednesday. The changes were prompted by the problematic May execution of Joseph Clark [CantonRep report, registration required], where the execution was delayed for an hour-and-a-half when staff struggled to find a vein to administer the lethal injection cocktail, and the one they did use collapsed before injection.
The report recommended easing "artificial self-imposed time barriers" on execution team members, finding two intravenous sites before the execution begins, reviewing the medical file prior to execution and observing the inmate well before the scheduled execution. AP has more. The Columbus Dispatch has local coverage.
Paper Chase is JURIST's real-time legal news service, powered by a team of 30 law student reporters and editors led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. As an educational service, Paper Chase is dedicated to presenting important legal news and materials rapidly, objectively and intelligibly in an accessible, ad-free format. | <urn:uuid:afd862ff-1e26-4980-8bda-f461a29cf393> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jurist.org/paperchase/2006/06/ohio-changes-lethal-injection.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939486 | 271 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Aboriginal Photographers in Orbost, Victoria
Nov 24, 2011
More than 15 years ago, Aboriginal photographer Wayne Quilliam began a 3 year roadtrip to Aboriginal communities across the country. His first stop was Bairnsdale/Orbost in Gippsland where he began teaching photography to the local mob. This week Wayne returned to Orbost and worked with community members, some who had completed his first workshop. Seeing old mates like Buzzy Hewitt who attended my first course was fantastic, I hope to conduct this type of workshop in other communities.
G’Day USA is thrilled to partner with A.Professor Wayne Quilliam, one of Australia’s most respected Indigenous photographers/artist/curators and cultural advisers for the 10th Anniversary G’Day USA Black Tie Gala in Los Angeles on January 12th. He will join Elle McPherson, John Travolta and Paul Hogan on this night of nights as his extraordinary imagery of Australia provides a vivid and evocative visual foundation at the celebrated event.
Quilliam’s stunning and provocative work has been recognized throughout Australia and internationally. His award winning career includes the coveted Indigenous Artist of the Year, Business of the Year and numerous photographic and art awards. Wayne is the winner of the Human Rights Media Award a prestigious Walkley Award and nominated as a Master of Photography by National Geographic.
He has created and curated over 130 exhibitions throughout the world and been published in more than 1000 magazines, books and newspapers. Wayne is currently a National Ambassador for the Year of Literacy, National Centre of Indigenous Excellence and Reconciliation Australia. He will also open a new exhibition in New York on the 18th of January at the Australian Embassy.
Perpetually fascinated by his culture and the sense of inclusion and belonging Wayne continuously strives to unifying subject and audience through his artwork. “I describe my art as ‘Ideas people belong to’, each and every artwork has a different persona which encourage people to belong to a concept, belong to the creation stories, and belong to our culture, a culture of morphosis”. “The opportunity to again showcase my work to United States is an honour. The G’Day LA visuals are centred on my landscape artwork, the beauty of our nature and the land we nurture. The New York show will be a combination of three different styles of work Nudes, Culture and Earth”.
Aboriginal photographic artist Wayne Quilliam will feature as one of the twelve artists selected to feature on Stip Billboards 'The Long and Short of it' | <urn:uuid:53400cae-815b-4161-ac11-24a05d772a1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.waynequilliamphotography.com.au/news/27/57/Aboriginal-Photographers-in-Orbost-Victoria.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961233 | 540 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Canada is nearly ready for Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's bundle of joy as a new bill governing royal succession rules passed in Canada's House of Commons on Monday with no debate.
Any newborn would eventually become Canada's monarch and head of state, taking on the so-called Maple Crown, but a male heir would no longer jump the queue over older sisters.
The bill must now be passed in the Canadian Senate, which is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
The proposed law was not without controversy, but not for the reasons one might think.
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore said in parliament that the main goal of the proposed law is to modernize the monarchy, adding that a constitutional amendment was not necessary.
Some commentators and constitutional experts in Canada have argued otherwise, writing in editorials that even though it is widely accepted, the proposed law does constitute a constitutional amendment. Attempting to amend the constitution would inadvertently aggravate an open wound in Canada, which is still at constitutional odds with its French-speaking province of Quebec.
But Moore argued that no constitutional amendment is needed and that Canadian provinces do not have to be individually consulted.
"Provinces have been free over a year to signal their opposition to ending this barrier to Catholics being part of the Crown and ending the idea that if Will and Kate's first child is a girl, that she shouldn't be able to ascend to the throne. The idea that ending that practice is opposed by any provinces has not been signaled by any of Canada's provinces," Moore said in a press briefing on Friday.
Bill C-53, as it is known in parliament, provides for changes to the laws governing succession to the throne by 'the governments of Her Majesty's Realms.'
There was no debate and little fanfare as the motion passed Monday. The proposed new law won swift approval in a matter of minutes.
The proposed changes follow an agreement hammered out last fall among Commonwealth countries ending the centuries-old tradition that gave precedence to male heirs and forbade royal heirs from marrying Catholics. | <urn:uuid:12ec636d-ecba-45e4-b060-210bb3fd2e02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Canada-revamping-royal-succession-rules/-/1719418/18408448/-/18jan7z/-/index.html | 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 | 0.969946 | 415 | 1.992188 | 2 |
The Tempest was a DHARMA Initiative station that produced, stored, and distributed a deadly toxic gas. Its location was about a day's walk north of the survivors' beach camp on the western coast. It was used by the Hostiles during the Purge to annihilate the DHARMA Initiative on the Island. It was since disabled by Daniel and Charlotte.
Very little is known about the history of the Tempest, although it was built by the DHARMA Initiative some time between the early 1970s and 1977. ("Namaste") As the station's only apparent purpose appeared to be the manufacture and study of deadly gasses, it may be that the station was constructed in response to the escalating tensions between DHARMA and the Hostiles. ("The Other Woman") Kate described the station to the other survivors as a "poison gas factory." ("Ji Yeon")
Juliet treats Goodwin's arm.
The ongoing feud with the DHARMA Initiative reached a critical point when the Hostiles seized control of the Tempest and initiated the Purge. The release of toxic gas on an Island-wide scale killed over 40 members of the DHARMA Initiative. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
Later, Goodwin was assigned to the Tempest and was treated by Juliet for a burn he sustained while working there. Goodwin claimed the station was a power plant, but Juliet recognized the injury as a chemical burn. While picnicking and swimming on a secluded beach, Goodwin confessed that with a flip of the wrong switch at the Tempest station, he could kill every "man, woman, and child" on the Island. ("The Other Woman")
Season 4 (Days 91-100)
Daniel Faraday and Charlotte Lewis, two scientists from the Kahana, abruptly left the beach camp heading for the Tempest without explanation. Jack and Juliet followed - and it ultimately became clear that the scientists' purpose was to neutralize the toxic gas at the station. Charlotte claimed that they did this to prevent Ben from using the gas to kill everyone on the Island. It seems likely that they were ordered to do this by Charles Widmore as one of their first steps on arriving on the Island. ("The Other Woman")
Juliet approaching the Tempest's doors. ("The Other Woman")
The Tempest consisted of two levels: an upper level, featuring an entrance and main corridor leading to a catwalk; and the lower level chamber, containing the computer systems that controlled the station and several large metal tank like containers. Overall, the station appeared to be cleaner and in a better state of repair than other DHARMA stations.
The Tempest's interior.
Entrance and corridor
The exterior of the Tempest appeared to be a large bunker-like structure set into the side of a mountain. A large blast door emblazoned with the station logo served as the main entrance - leading into a central corridor. The corridor was long and dark with flickering lights. Speakers were placed at intervals along the walls. The corridor opened onto a catwalk that overlooked the facility's lower level.
There were two computer systems on the lower level of the station. One system's monitor displayed an interactive process flow diagram with a pressure warning, while the other appeared to control various parts of the chemical process, allowing an operator to issue commands to change the temperature, open and shut valves and vents, etc.
The warning on the computer.
The latter computer also displayed the names of chemicals, such as thionyl chloride, O-ethyl 2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonite, triethyl phosphite, arsenic trichloride, benzilic acid, and N,N-diisopropyl-2-aminoethane thiol. Some of these are precursors to the nerve agent VX. VX was banned by the UN in 1993, but would have still been accessible to the DHARMA Initiative in the 1970s.
Triethyl phosphite can be reacted in the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction (with methyl iodide) to yield diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP). This can then be reacted with thionyl chloride to yield methylphosphonic dichloride. This chemical is only two steps away from Sarin or Soman, two other nerve gases, differing from each other only by their alcohol groups. O-ethyl 2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonite is used in binary reactions to produce VX. This binary reaction was developed in the 1980s.
Benzilic acid is used to the production of 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ), an incapacitating agent. BZ's mechanism of toxicity is essentially the opposite of the nerve agents. Arsenic trichloride is used in the production of Lewisite, a world war 1 era blister agent.
The purpose of the station appeared to be the production of many different chemical weapons agents including Sarin, Soman, VX, BZ, and Lewisite. Goodwin may have been working with Lewisite at the time he sustained his chemical burn, as this agent in particular is known for causing severe chemical burns.
The computers seemed to each be different makes and models: one appeared to be a newer computer, while the other was an old Apple II similar to the computer found in the Swan.
- The first computer screen repeated the following text:
>:set valve 21B = close
>:set valve 21B = off
>:set vent C = open
>:master caution reset
>:set n-p/hgd tank cooling = MAX
>:set valve BC22 = open
>:set valve BC (something)
- In the end, the code was the same to last "set valve BC22 = open", but it ended with
>:set valve BC22 = open
>:master caution reset
|Picture||Name||Episode||Reason for Visit|
|Goodwin||"The Other Woman"||Worked there, and at one point received a chemical burn while stationed there.|
|Daniel||"The Other Woman"||Went to The Tempest with Charlotte. Donned hazmat suits to protect themselves from the gas, and disabled the gas when confronted by Juliet.|
|Charlotte||"The Other Woman"||Went to The Tempest with Daniel. Donned hazmat suits to protect themselves from the gas, and disabled the gas when confronted by Juliet.|
|Juliet||"The Other Woman"||Followed Daniel and Charlotte to stop them, under orders delivered by Harper.|
|Jack||"The Other Woman"||Followed Daniel and Charlotte to stop them.|
|Kate||"The Other Woman"||Followed Daniel and Charlotte to stop them.|
- Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof confirmed on the March 10, 2008 Official Lost Podcast that the Tempest was on the blast door map. They also confirmed it was a chemical weapons facility and was what the Hostiles used to gas the DHARMA Initiative in the Purge.
- The computer keyboards in this station were a modern design, at the very least an IBM/PC AT Enhanced model keyboard, having both arrow keys and a number pad. This style was first released in 1987, demonstrating that the equipment in this station was newer than the other stations that have been shown.
- "TEMPEST" is a US government codename for the concealment of compromising emanations in part through the use of Faraday cages to contain the electromagnetic radiation of entire buildings.
- When Jin visited the Flame station in 1977, the phrase "Tempest station" was barely visible on the computer monitors behind Radzinsky as he was getting up.
Miranda viewing the ship
- The Tempest is a play written by William Shakespeare, that tells the story of the sorcerer Prospero and his daughter Miranda, who are stranded on a mysterious desert island that has mystical properties. Prospero raises a storm, or tempest, which causes a passing ship containing his enemies to run aground. Using magic, spirits and a man-beast creature named Caliban, he separates and manipulate the survivors of the wreck for his own purposes. The play ends with Prospero restored to his former glory.
- Forbidden Planet is a classic sci-fi film based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. Its storyline features many similar themes to Lost: a mysterious location, geographic isolation, immense power sources, ancient civilizations, hidden underground facilities, an invisible monster, a stranded crew of explorers, lost scientific expeditions, and deadly psychic powers.
Metaphorically, the Monster was just the great unknown threat, the imminent danger around the corner that potentially haunts us all… Some thought of it as a monster of the id, much like in Forbidden Planet-- that maybe it appeared differently to everyone who saw it. The most tangible thought, as explained later by Rousseau, was that it functioned as a security system set up by the Island’s creators/early residents... For Locke, clearly, the Monster was the "soul" of the Island that was responsible for his "miracle."
- The Tempest DHARMA logo was a huge wave which is symbolic of a catastrophic event, much like the Biblical story of the great flood. (The Other Woman-Enhanced)
- Cooper Battery, a World War II coastal defense gun battery at Kualoa Ranch on Oahu, served as the entrance to the Tempest station.
- The location used for the Tempest interior was actually an abandoned dairy factory.
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Tempest/Theories
- What was DHARMA planning to do with the toxic gas?
- How was the gas released during the Purge?
- What work are they doing at the station? | <urn:uuid:8b62e826-55c1-4ea7-8aff-abdecdd9d3b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Tempest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957992 | 2,012 | 2.125 | 2 |
Twenty-one charmingly rendered scenes accompany Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", which he read to delight audiences of his time. Among the illustrations are ready-to-color vignettes of Marley's ghost confronting a terrified Scrooge, Christmas dinner with the Cratchit household, the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, and many more. A perfect stocking stuffer for the holiday season, this entertaining and fun-to-color book will captivate youngsters - and colorists of all ages - throughout the year. Paperback, 48 pages.
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China to Allow ‘Protest Lite’
Posted on Jul 23, 2008
Taking cues from past Olympic protests and the U.S.‘s notoriously ironic “free speech zones,” the Chinese government has declared its openness to dissidents criticizing the state—so long as dissent is contained in one of three areas, does not threaten vague notions of national unity, and is submitted five days beforehand to the local security bureau.
The New York Times:
Beijing will permit public protests inside three designated city parks during next month’s Olympic Games, but demonstrators must first obtain permits from local police and also abide by Chinese laws that usually make it nearly impossible to legally picket over politically charged issues, the authorities announced Wednesday.
The arrangement marks a break from normal practice in China’s authoritarian political system and seems loosely modeled on the protest zones created at previous Olympic Games and at many recent international political gatherings that attract large numbers of protesters.
But it remained unclear whether international advocacy groups on issues like Tibet, Darfur and broader human rights would be able to secure the bureaucratic approvals needed to use the protest zones and whether they would be arrested if they held demonstrations elsewhere in Beijing.
AP photo / Ng Han Guan
Police watch members of a press freedom group protesting outside the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee headquarters last August. China’s authoritarian government has a history of keeping dissent on a short leash. | <urn:uuid:5ca17912-0ad3-4942-8115-a3dfaab2544c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/print/20080723_china_to_allow_protest_lite/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936354 | 288 | 2 | 2 |
- Last Updated: 11:44 AM, September 18, 2010
- Posted: 1:57 AM, September 18, 2010
A twister blew in Brooklyn -- and Queens.
The monster storm that tore a 14-mile path of destruction through the Big Apple Thursday spawned a pair of tornadoes and a massive burst of straight-line winds that topped out at 125 mph, meteorologists confirmed last night.
About 1,000 trees were uprooted by the vicious weather system that left battered residents in large swaths of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island struggling yesterday to clean streets littered with crushed cars, building debris and fallen tree limbs.
A team of investigators from the National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado rated at EF0, or the weakest on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, sliced a two-mile path through Park Slope with 80 mph winds beginning at 5:33 p.m.
About 10 minutes later, a more powerful tornado with 100 mph winds cut a swath of destruction four miles long through parts of Flushing, Bayside and Forest Hills, Queens. That storm felled a massive tree that crushed a Pennsylvania woman on the Grand Central Parkway as she sat in her car on the side of the road in Forest Hills hoping to wait out the worst.
The strongest event was a rare "macroburst" -- intense downdrafts wider than 2½ miles -- that lashed Forest Hills and Middle Village, with 125 mph winds at 5:40 p.m. The howling gusts left a path of devastation five miles wide and eight miles long.
"We were extremely fortunate that there were no more fatalities and extremely fortunate that there were no serious injuries," said Gary Conte, a spokesman for the National Weather Service, which looked at computer data, interviewed witnesses and had investigators fly over the city yesterday to make its tornado determination.
As of last night, Con Ed still had 15,621 customers without power in Queens while 186 had no power on Staten Island. To help people preserve frozen food, the utility distributed dry ice at Cunningham Park in Queens last night.
The storm left backyard furniture tossed in the air and decks ripped apart in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
At New York Methodist Hospital, windows on four floors were violently thrown open -- flooding floors and patients' rooms with rain.
"The water rushed in like a fire hose. It was crazy," said a nurse, adding that medical supplies were "flying all over the place."
The devastation turned a block of 162nd Street in Flushing into "a war zone," said Vincent Turriago, 54, whose home sale had to be canceled after a tree smashed the roof.
The H.B. Chevrolet dealership in Forest Hills reported between 16 and 20 cars ruined as windows imploded.
"We were hiding under the desk," said owner Milan Suga.
Staten Island's North Shore was the borough's hardest-hit section, with downed trees and power lines littering roadways.
Additional reporting by David Seifman, Shari Logan, Erin Calabrese, Len Maniace and Perry Chiaramonte | <urn:uuid:097753c6-a009-4136-b80c-beb38136f391> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/whirlwind_tour_was_tornado_OFuKd4AlnoBjD40zcGoryM | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959084 | 635 | 1.632813 | 2 |
<jargon> A graph showing some measure of the cost of performing some action against the number of times it has been performed. The term probably entered engineering via the aircraft industry in the 1930s, where it was used to describe plots showing the cost of making some particular design of aeroplane against the number of units made.
The term is also used in psychology to mean a graph showing some measure of something learned against the number of trials. The psychology graphs normally slope upward whereas the manufacturing ones normally slope downward but they are both usually steep to start with and then level out.
Marketroids often misuse the term to mean the amount of time it takes to learn to use something ("reduce the learning curve") or the ease of learning it ("easy learning curve"). The phrase "steep learning curve" is sometimes used incorrectly to mean "hard to learn" whereas of course it implies rapid learning.
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Nearby terms: LEAP « leapfrog attack « leap second « learning curve » leased line » least fixed point » least recently used | <urn:uuid:e972a0ed-0f5b-4168-873b-8fcfa2c9f920> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://foldoc.org/learning+curve | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937702 | 222 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Synthesis, characterization and electronic properties of electrospun PZT and carbon nanofibers
One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures are the smallest dimension structures for efficient transport of electrons and optical excitations, and can be used as building blocks in bottom-up assembly in diverse applications in nano-electronics and photonics. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and carbon nanofibers are two typical and challenging examples of 1D nanostructure. However, the former has not been synthesized and the later has been synthesized only in a limited number of costly ways. They were synthesized using recently “rediscovered” electrostatic generation, i.e. electrospinning, technique, combined with metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) and vacuum heat treatment techniques, and characterized using x-ray diffraction, Raman microspectrometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy dispersion spectrometer, Auger electron spectroscope, and scanning probe microscope (SPM). It was found that both of the synthesized PZT and carbon fibers have diameters on the order of 100 nm. Furthermore, carbon nanofibers have d002 = 0.371 nm, stack size Lc = 1.651 nm and in-plane graphitic crystallite size La between 1.5 and 2.6 nm. ^ Piezoresponse imaging technique was transplanted to visualize polarization domains within PZT fibers. It was revealed that the grain size is around 1 μm, and domain sizes range from 100 to 500 nm. To validate the experimental effort, the electrostatic interaction between the SPM tip and the fiber was simulated using finite element method. It was found that the cone shape of the tip controls the electric field immediately below the tip and that the field is more concentrated in PZT fibers than in thin film. ^ Then electron transport properties of carbon nanofibers were investigated. Conductivity of a synthesized carbon nanofiber was measured between 1.9K and 300K exposed to zero magnetic fields, and in the presence of a magnetic field between −9 and 9T at room temperature, 10, 3.5 and 1.9K, respectively. It was found that the positive magnetoresistance at room temperature has a parabolic relation with the magnetic field, from which carrier mobility μ H = (4.25 ± 0.01) × 10−3m2 /Vs and concentration n = (2.02 ± 0.04) × 1025 m−3 were obtained. ^ The fiber manifested large negative magnetoresistance at low temperature, with the maximum (−75%) found at 1.9K and 9T. Temperature and magnetic field dependence of the magnetoresistance was explained and modeled using the 2D weak localization effect. GB,T =G∞+e2 ph 32Y1 2+ B2B -Y 12+ B1B - 12Y1 2+B 3B Temperature dependence of the zero magnetic field conductivity was modeled using a modified simple two-band model with temperature dependent mobility, and a correction predicted by 2D weak localization model. sT=s 0+c1lnT+cTT u+Tu cln1+exp E0 2kT ^
Engineering, Electronics and Electrical
"Synthesis, characterization and electronic properties of electrospun PZT and carbon nanofibers"
(January 1, 2003).
Dissertations available from ProQuest. | <urn:uuid:21c8a4f6-2ee1-49ed-b027-f48084a91566> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI3109230/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922263 | 733 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Hosni Mubarak launched his counter-revolution today, sending waves of armed thugs to do battle with pro-democracy demonstrators in Cairo and other cities. The attacks, reportedly involving plainclothes police and vigilantes as well as pro-regime citizens, appeared to be carefully co-ordinated and timed. And the army, which only days earlier had sworn to protect "legitimate" rights of protesters, stood back and watched as the blood flowed.
This ugly turn of events should come as no surprise. What is unusual is that the regime tolerated such levels of unrest for nearly a week.
Mubarak was never quite a dictator in the Saddam Hussein or Robert Mugabe mould. His rule was more akin to the semi-enlightened despotism of an 18th-century European monarch. But at bottom, it always depended on coercion and force. Today, the pretence of reasonableness was torn away. His dark side showed for all to see.
Mubarak's speech to the nation on Tuesday night was widely misinterpreted. The president was, by turns, angry, defiant and unrepentant. He offered no apologies, proposed no new initiatives, gave no promise that his son Gamal would not succeed him, and instead lectured Egyptians on the importance of order and stability (which he alone could assure).
He appeared not to have learned anything from the past week. And his one "concession" – that he would not seek re-election – was no concession at all. After all, he had never said he would.
This was not the performance of a defeated man. Mubarak may be down but he's not out. And judging by today's events in Tahrir Square, he and the military-dominated clique around him clearly feel they have done enough, for now, to get the Americans off their backs, flex their still considerable muscle, and reclaim the streets for the regime. All the talk about reform and elections and negotiations can wait, whatever Barack Obama says.
Today's immediate message to the people from an unvanquished, still vicious regime: it's over – go home, or else.
There's a good to middling chance the counter-revolution strategy will work, given time. "Imagine yourself as Hosni Mubarak, master of Egypt for nearly 30 years. You're old, unwell, detested and addicted to power," wrote Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens.
"You could have orchestrated a graceful exit by promising to preside over free and fair presidential elections later this year – elections in which the Mubarak name would not be on the ballot. Instead you gambled that you could ride out the protests and hold on. It's a pretty good gamble ..."
Reasons for believing Mubarak can not only survive the next eight months but also exert decisive, possibly fatally obstructive influence over Egypt's new direction are plentiful. As matters stand now, the regime is unreconstructed, the opposition is split, and the Americans are undecided. Despite his insistence on a swift, orderly transition, Obama has not withdrawn his personal support. In Brussels today, the EU also declined to demand Mubarak's immediate resignation. David Cameron said reforms must be implemented faster.
All of them got a dusty brush-off. In an official statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry, still led by an old Mubarak crony, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, rejected US and European calls for the transition to start now. Calls from "foreign parties" were "aimed to incite the internal situation," it said. In other words: get lost.
Mubarak and his close confidant and deputy, Omar Suleiman, have more cards to play as they foment a backlash and seek to regain control. As in the past, they can play on Israeli and American fears of an Islamist takeover. They can point out just how disastrous it might be if a new government tore up Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.
The opposition leader, Mohamed ElBaradei can easily be portrayed as untrustworthy. In fact, such a campaign is already under way. The Americans, for example, suspected him of pro-Iranian bias when he headed the UN's nuclear watchdog – and believe, too, that he is far too cosy with Turkey's neo-Islamist leaders.
As he tries to reassert his primacy, Mubarak can rely on the conservative Arab states of the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Algeria, and on any number of African governments that have no wish to encourage popular revolution. Even old enemy Iran is privately ambivalent on this score.
He can offer negotiations to the opposition and hope to gain advantage from their refusal, so far, to participate. And if all this fails, the regime can always let loose its thugs and hooligans, just to emphasise that without state-imposed order, only chaos, not democracy, reigns.
Mubarak's counter-revolution is still a long shot. Too much has changed in Egypt for it ever to go back the way things were. But today saw the beginning of a new stage in a complex internal struggle whose ultimate outcome remains deeply uncertain. | <urn:uuid:9dfac786-1963-4c60-bb61-11ae3be24808> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/02/egypt-protests-mubarak | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972769 | 1,047 | 1.75 | 2 |
Developer Junioris a show on Butterscotch.com aimed at the younger set and is all about helping kids make the most out of the technology in their everyday lives. It’s about writing programs, creating media, playing games, and having fun with technology. (It’s also a dream come true for me – I always thought I’d be a great host for a kid’s show.)
There’s another episode coming up, in which Junior and I walk through the process of making a movie using Live Movie Maker. Watch for it!
Robots competing at the finals of the FIRST Robotics Greater Toronto Regional Competition
The FIRST Robotics Greater Toronto Regional Competition took place last Friday and Saturday, and I had the opportunity to catch the finals on Saturday afternoon. The organizers invited me as representative of Microsoft Canada and were kind enough to give me a VIP pass, which gave me access to places that the regular audience couldn’t go, including right up to the edge of the playing field and “the pit”, where competitors tuned up their robots prior to the competition.
The “Where’s Waldo?” team takes their robot onto the field for a match.
FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, and like the Segway, it’s the creation of inventor Dean Kamen. Its purposes are:
To inspire high school students to go into engineering and technology studies
To promote a philosophy of collaboration and teamwork among techies
To encourage a sense of gracious professionalism, fair play and helping each other out even during intense competition
Crescent School’s robot.
While on the surface FIRST would seem to be about building robots, Kamen says that what it’s really about is getting young people interested in engineering in a fun and interesting way.
The Robots and the Game
All robots in the FIRST Robotics competition are built from a standard “kit” of parts and must fall within a set of specifications – no taller than 6 feet, a “footprint” of no more than 3 feet by 2 feet and a weight limit of around 120 pounds. Here’s one of the robots from the competition:
The game played by the robots changes each year. This year’s game, called Lunacy, is inspired by this year being the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to the moon. The video below explains the rules of the game:
The robots’ wheels, shown below, are made of a material that offers only a little traction when used on regolith. The combination of the wheels and regolith simulate the low-traction conditions of driving a vehicle in lunar conditions — on fine moon dust in one sixth of Earth’s gravity:
One of the technical hurdles that the students had to overcome was dealing with the traction problems that come with piloting a robot with these wheels running on regolith. Some teams wrote traction control code that would detect if any wheel was spinning faster than the others (meaning that it was slipping) and then compensate for it.
Robots score points by shooting balls – called “moon rocks”, and “super cells”, each worth a different number of points – into trailers pulled by the opposing team’s robots. Here’s what the moon rocks look like:
Robots can start with an initial payload of 7 moon rocks, and if their designers see fit, they can be designed to collect stray moon rocks on the playing field. In the photo below, taken just before a match, the robot is pre-loaded with moon rocks to dump into another robot’s trailer. Note the intake on its front end for collecting stray moon rocks:
Here’s a photo of a student attaching a trailer to a robot: Each trailer has a pink and green marker on top; it’s a target that allows robots equipped with cameras to locate it during the first 15 seconds of the game, when they must operate in “autonomous mode” (that is, under their own control, rather than remote control by a human operator).
After the first 15 seconds, the robots switch from autonomous mode to human remote control. Each team has a standard remote control transmitter to which they can attach control devices of their own choosing. Some teams favoured joysticks and a basic setup:
…while others preferred controllers for modern-day gaming consoles (and even dressing up the standard transmitter in the shell of an XBox 360):
This may have been an engineering and technology event, but it had the atmosphere and energy of a pep rally. The stands were packed with fans:
and there were team mascots, some with more expensive costumes:
and some more economical costumes:
It wasn’t just the fans who dressed up. Many teams had their own uniforms, such as the Theory 6 team, pictured below:
as did the all-girls Where’s Waldo? team – both they and their fans dressed up like Waldo from the Where’s Waldo? series of books:
and one team took its costume cues from the world of professional wrestling:
There’s a buzz that you can feel at certain conferences and gatherings of smart people who are passionate about what they do. I’ve felt it at gatherings like DemoCamp, PDC, RubyFringe and HacklabTO, and I definitely felt it at FIRST. The students there worked for months on a task that most adults would find daunting: building six-foot robots weighing around 120 pounds capable of running both autonomously and under human control.
In spite of being a competition with ambitious participants, there was also an air of good sportsmanship and bonhomie on the part of both the contestants and the officials, which was evident from the big things like the multi-team handshake ceremony…
…to the way the teams interacted when they were side by side at their robots’ controls…
…and even to the way the mascots cooperated to entertain the audience during the breaks between matches:
I had a blast watching the competition and found myself cheering as the robots (and the student pilots) pulled some pretty impressive moods. The experience was even better, thanks to the VIP pass that the local FIRST people gave me, which let me get right up to the edge of the playing field to see the action up close and into the pit where I could talk to the participating.
The students were a bright, ambitious and enthusiastic bunch. When they heard I was from Microsoft, they started peppering me with questions:
“Is it true that I can write XBox games and sell them online?” (Yes.)
“How do you get a job at Microsoft?” (Hard work and networking.)
“Should I learn Visual Basic or C#?” (It depends.)
“Can you hook me up with a free copy of Gears of War 2?” (Sorry, but if I give you one, I’m going to have to everybody here one.)
I told them about the DreamSpark for High Schools program, and they got really excited. This is exactly the sort of crowd I’d love to give free copies of Visual Studio and other tools to: smart, passionate people who get excited about building things.
My congratulations to the students at the FIRST Robotics Competition, and my thanks to the organizers for inviting me! | <urn:uuid:d9fd5c02-fbdb-47a8-a0c6-3bb52c571116> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalnerdy.com/tag/kids/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962039 | 1,541 | 2.390625 | 2 |
- Victim Assistance
- Consumer Protection
- Media Center
- Topical Index
In the recent past, Wisconsin has been in the media spotlight due to several high-profile mass tragedies such as the Sikh Temple shootings in Oak Creek, the domestic violence homicides at the Azana Spa in Brookfield, and the arson/homicides in Argyle. In each of these senseless tragedies, the media were there to report on the crimes and their aftermath.
The media serve an important and necessary role in our society by providing information to the public, acting as a check on our government and playing a fundamental role in our democracy. When the media timely and sensitively report about crime, it can be especially helpful during emergencies when the public needs to be aware of a particular situation. In addition, when the press covers crimes that are emerging such as Internet crimes against children, human trafficking and heroin abuse, it helps to educate the public on very real and serious dangers.
The recent high-profile cases have brought out both the best and the worst in our news media. Although some may prefer to criticize when reporters act irresponsibly, I prefer to acknowledge the media who cover the news in a way that is professional, informative, and sensitive to the rights of crime victims. I would therefore like to say “thank you” to those in the press who acted responsibly, thoughtfully, and respectfully while reporting on these cases and treated victims with dignity, sensitivity, and respect for their privacy. More specifically, I would like to thank those journalists who did not try to hunt down the victims and witnesses of the Azana murders within the sanctuary of their homes before their wounds, physical and emotional, had begun to heal. I would like to thank those members of the media who did not report on the whereabouts of law enforcement vehicles when they were attempting to locate a shooter because it might tip off the very person who was being sought. I would like to thank the journalists who did not demand information of emergency workers, victim service providers, hospital personnel, and law enforcement at times when their duty, first and foremost, was to attend to the crisis at hand.
Unfortunately, some representatives of the press -- in their zeal for a story -- confront crime victims with questions while they are still suffering, invade victims' privacy, publish and air photos and video of victims who are injured and in pain, and disclose personal facts that can only re-traumatize victims.
The media excel at telling stories, and participation in those stories by crime victims -- when they are ready and willing to cooperate -- can offer valuable perspective. When members of the press take the time to humanize victims and understand their resilience, hope, and pain, the information that they impart to the public is accurate and fair. When the opposite occurs and the media sensationalize a tragedy or fail to take into account the very real human suffering that has occurred, it is a disservice to all of us.
The Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services in conjunction with the Wisconsin Crime Victims Council has developed a webpage to assist victims of crime and the media in their interactions with each other. Information at the site includes “A Guide for Journalists Who Report on Crime and Crime Victims” by Justice Solutions. This guide contains information about how to accurately cover stories of victimization while remaining sensitive to victims' and survivors' concerns and needs. The webpage can be found at the following link: | <urn:uuid:ab11f638-6069-4886-a894-f5f07106194e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.doj.wi.gov/media-center/2012-ag-columns/message-thanks-covering-crime-victims-sensitivity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96798 | 693 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Want to keep the Gen Y'ers in your office happy? Make sure that you embrace sustainability in a very public way. A new report from Johnson Controls tells us that 18- to 25 year-olds want evidence that their employers are going beyond the minimum levels of environmental compliance by embracing all things green on an everyday basis. According to Greenbiz, the OXYGENZ report surveyed 3,011 18- to 25-year-olds in the United States, U.K., Germany, India, and China, along with nearly 1,300 26- to 35-year-olds and almost 400 36- to 45-year-olds.
Among the findings of the 60 page report: 70.3% of respondents want to have recycling bins, 47.4% want water saving devices, 52.7% want standby devices on all electrical equipment, 71.6% want to share printers in the office, and 47% want solar panels on site. | <urn:uuid:14a6b9a5-2d0e-418d-aea9-8a411890e4c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fastcompany.com/1649921/gen-y-wants-sustainability-front-and-center-their-sleek-modern-workplaces | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961079 | 194 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Summary: July 1, 2000: European Union Priorities for the 55th United Nations General Assembly.
The following issues are central to EU action at the U.N. in the second half of 2000.
CONFLICT PREVENTION, PEACE-KEEPING AND PEACE BUILDING
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
DISARMAMENT AND NON PROLIFERATION
ERADICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
FOLLOW-UP TO UN MAJOR CONFERENCES
MILLENNIUM SUMMIT Top
The EU warmly welcomes the GA decision to designate its 55th session as the "Millennium Assembly of the UN" and attaches great political importance to the holding of the Millennium Summit as an unprecedented gathering of Heads of State and Government which will address the main challenges facing the World community and the role of the UN in the 21st century.
The Union expects a forward-looking, action-orientated outcome encapsulated in a political document, based on the ideas outlined in the Secretary-General's report and containing basic principles and practical measures, that will stimulate further debates during the Millennium Assembly and beyond.
The 55th GA, the Millennium Assembly, should give priority to the follow-up of the Summit.
The EU continues to support the strengthening and revitalization of the Organization, including its principal organs, as one of its priorities and is committed to work towards a more efficient and effective UN.
HUMAN RIGHTS Top
The promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in full conformity with their universal, indivisible and interdependent character are at the center of the EU's policies and a founding principle of the Union as well as our commitment to democracy and rule of law. The EU remains committed to co-operating with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN human rights mechanisms, Special Rapporteurs and Representatives as well as Treaty bodies. The EU will reinforce its efforts towards achieving the UNSG's goal that the rights of all women, men and children be "at the heart of every aspect of UN work".
The EU will participate fully in the work of the Third Committee, either through the presentation of EU specific initiatives or the EU follow-up of third country initiatives and initiatives from individual EU Members States.
In a broader context, the EU will actively contribute to the preparation of the world conference against racism, in particular through its participation in the European Regional Conference against racism (Strasbourg, 11-13 October 2000), in the framework of the Council of Europe. The same active contribution will be devoted to the preparation of the UNGA Special Session for Children in 2001. In this context, the EU will encourage the signing of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
CONFLICT PREVENTION, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACE BUILDING Top
The EU will continue to play a leading role in UN-mandated operations. It is also an essential actor in humanitarian operations and emergency situations. Recognizing the primary responsibility of the UNSC for the maintenance of international peace and security, the EU will strengthen its cooperation with the UN and other international organizations in the promotion of stability, conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and post-conflict rehabilitation, taking account also of the importance of economic and social development. The EU is establishing crisis response and management capabilities in both the military and the civilian fields to be used in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter.
The EU will seek to enhance international cooperation against terrorism and will participate actively in the negotiations to this end.
The EU is firmly committed to building a secure, prosperous and democratic Balkan region as an essential element of a Europe whole, free and at peace. Therefore the EU plays a leading role in the stabilization and development of the region.
The EU has devised the Stabilization and Association Process to bring the countries of the region closer to European structures. Moreover European countries and institutions provide the vast majority of resources pledged to the reconstruction of the region through bilateral programmes, the SAA process and within the framework of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe.
The EU is determined to support democracy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) as the absence of democracy in Serbia remains a main obstacle to stability in the Balkans. In Kosovo the EU is committed to full implementation of UN SCR 1244 and strongly supports the efforts made by UNMIK to that end. Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU actively supports the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in order to draw that country closer to the European family.
The EU is equally committed to support efforts in favor of the prevention and resolution of conflicts in Africa, in close cooperation with the UN, the OAU and other sub-regional organizations. The EU and its Member States will continue to facilitate African capacity and means of action in the field of conflict prevention and resolution, in particular through support for the OAU and subregional organizations and initiatives. The EU supports efforts to deal with illicit trade in minerals and other resources that directly fuel conflict. The EU will continue to participate fully in the work of the GA regarding the Middle East and East Timor to which it attaches great political importance. The EU will in particular work to reflect in GA resolutions the progress on the Middle East Peace Process. The EU considers the status quo in Cyprus to be unacceptable and supports the Secretary General's efforts for a negotiated, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement consistent with the relevant UNSC resolutions. The EU reaffirms its commitment to the stability and prosperity of the Mediterranean region.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT Top
The EU continues to support strongly the International Criminal Court and an early entry into force of the Rome Statute. The EU urges all States to ratify the Statute and will continue to participate actively in the work of the Preparatory Commission. The Union looks forward to setting out further procedures and activities during UNGA 55.
DISARMAMENT AND NON PROLIFERATION Top
The Union will actively continue to support international efforts in the field of disarmament, arms control, with a special focus on small arms and light weapons. Furthermore, the EU attaches great importance to the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery vehicles. In this sense, the EU will participate actively in the preparatory process of the UN Conference on the Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its aspects, which will take place during the summer of 2001, with the objective of obtaining a positive and enforceable plan of action to combat the destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons.
Similarly, the EU will continue to support the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction, and in this context will continue its activities towards achieving a total ban on anti-personnel landmines worldwide. The EU will also support strengthening of the Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons, which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects.
The Union will also support the early conclusion of a protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the adoption of such a protocol by a Special Conference before the 2001 Conference of the States Party.
UN FINANCES Top
The EU remains fully committed to putting UN finances on a sound, sustainable and equitable basis, and therefore looks forward to securing a comprehensive reform of both the Regular and Peacekeeping scales in line with its long-standing position on this matter. The EU reaffirms its attachment to the principle of "capacity to pay" as the basis for UN member states' contributions.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Top
The EU attaches great importance to the work carried out by the UN Funds and Programmes. The EU is strongly committed to cooperating with the UN in supporting developing countries' efforts to achieve the agreed international targets for development and poverty reduction. For the progressive integration of developing countries into the world economy, with special emphasis on the needs of LDCs, the Union considers essential the creation of an enabling environment through the enhancement of relevant conditions such as good governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights. The EU attaches the utmost importance to the preparation of the third UN Conference on LDCs, which it will be proud to host in 2001.
In the framework of poverty eradication efforts, the EU emphasizes the central importance of the reduction of hunger and malnutrition and, in particular, of the halving of the number of undernourished people before 2015 and the improvement of living conditions of rural populations.
The EU considers the Financing for Development process as an opportunity to work towards a better mobilization of national and international resources and better policy coherence and a more effective cooperation between all development actors, in particular all governments, the UN and the Bretton Woods Institutions, other international organizations, private sector and civil society at large in order to meet the international development targets emanating from the UN conferences in the 1990s, with a view to achieving poverty eradication in the context of sustainable development.
ERADICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES Top
The EU places high priority on coordinated efforts and international partnerships against infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, a key issue for development and security in the developing world, in particular in Africa. In this context, it fully supports the action of UN/AIDS and its cosponsoring organizations. This issue was one of priorities of the Africa-Europe Summit (Cairo, 3-4 April 2000) and reinforced in the last EU/US Summit (Lisbon, 4 June 2000), specifically in the EU/US Summit Declaration on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis in Africa.
In the EU's view, environment should remain a UN agenda priority. The EU shares the concern for environmental sustainability in the Millennium report of the Secretary-General and supports the call to ratify the Kyoto protocol, so that it may enter into force by 2002.
The EU attaches great importance to the preparatory process of Rio + 10, which will represent the first comprehensive global meeting on sustainable development in the XXI century. The EU supports the idea that the Rio+10 summit be held in a developing country, attended at the highest possible level, with the participation of all stakeholders, and that it should be a forward-looking and action-oriented summit to inject a new spirit of cooperation and urgency into the pursuit of sustainable development. Experiences gained from the preparations for Habitat II, preceding Rio + 5, should be taken into account in the preparatory process of Rio + 10. The EU stresses the importance of the implementation and output of the UN Conferences on Environment and Development (UNCBD, UNFCCC, UNCCD, Agenda 21, Rio Principles). In this regard, the EU welcomes the outcome of the first Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the adoption of the Malmoe Declaration.
The EU considers the Special Session of the UNGA in June 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the Habitat Agenda as an important occasion for substantial discussions on follow-up to the Habitat II conference.
FOLLOW-UP TO UN MAJOR CONFERENCES Top
The EU places high priority on ensuring that the outcome of major UN Conferences and Summits in the General Assembly, in particular in the fields of social development and the advancement of women and the reduction of poverty in its various forms, is appropriately reflected in the work of the 55th UNGA.
The EU attaches great importance to the value added to UN conference follow-up processes by improved coherence and coordination between them. The review and appraisal processes should be made more rational and manageable, whilst the political impact of any follow-up event should become more visible and target-oriented. | <urn:uuid:e2e33743-13b3-46b2-b349-00486edba5ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/articleslist_s29_en.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919158 | 2,439 | 2.421875 | 2 |
By Kevin Wright©2012
Are you watching live pictures from Mars? Not so very long ago, much of our own planet with its many strange and wonderful life forms was virtually unknown. That was before fingertip access to the Internet from almost anywhere was even imagined. It was also a time before we could invite wildlife into our homes with the flick of a television channel and relatively cheap air travel had not yet brought far-off destinations so much closer to our doorstep. In those days, eager eyes instead peered into zoo cages and natural history museum dioramas to goggle at wild beasts and exotic beauty, momentarily transporting onlookers to a tropical rain forest or arctic tundra.
And remember books? How readers once thrilled to action-packed, dramatically illustrated adventure stories, where the elemental forces of nature stormily and metaphorically contested? Well, for the first third of the twentieth century, a quiet (and some say shy) man from Oradell, New Jersey, was our eye on the world of nature. In an illustrious career spanning thirty years, Charles Livingston Bull sketched and painted his way into most American households on the covers and pages of best-selling books and magazines. His soft brush vivified danger at every anxious turn of the wilderness trail or soothed complacency with comforting scenes of the flora and fauna that companion suburban life. In the tradition of Japanese masters of pen-and-ink wash, he seemed to capture the very spirit of the wild creatures who inhabited his canvases. As an admiring Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Bull is the only man who can put legs on four sides of an animal and make it look natural.”
The story of Charles Livingston Bull begins in the rural hamlet of West Walworth, New York, on the outskirts of Rochester, where he was born on May 25, 1874, the son of fruit agent Johnson Cornelius Bull and his wife, Harriet Amelia Warner. His father was a Civil War veteran, who had enlisted with Company D, 186th Regiment of New York Infantry, in August 1864, shortly before his eighteenth birthday, and thereby collected a hefty bounty of $1,000 from his hometown of Rutland, New York. Johnson C. Bull fought in the decisive siege of Petersburg, Virginia, and was discharged in June 1865, soon after General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse. The following year, J. C. Bull married Harriet Amelia Warner and tried his hand at farming along the Erie Canal in Macedon, Wayne County, New York. According to a census of the Town of Colden in Erie County, compiled on June 15, 1875, Johnson and Hattie Bull resided in a plank house with their infant sons, Schuyler and Charles. A farm laborer named Darius Kellogg, his wife Anna, and their infant daughter, domiciled under the same roof.
Johnson and Harriet Bull eventually had four sons, neatly spaced two years apart, starting with Schuyler Warner, born in 1872; followed by Charles Livingston, born in 1874; Harrison Wilbur, born in 1876; and Carleton Clifton, born in 1878. Johnson Bull was listed as a produce seller, residing at 13 Conkey Avenue, Rochester, New York, in 1876. He worked as a salesman in Theodore Aldrich’s fruit and produce market at 116 State Street in 1880, becoming a partner in the firm of Theodore F. Aldrich & Company the following year. He moved his family to 87 South Union Avenue in 1880, where, at the tender age of four years, Charles supposedly first displayed an uncanny talent for drawing backyard wildlife. In 1882, his father parted company with Aldrich, opening his own wholesale fruit and pickle market at 144 East Main Street, selling “Oysters, foreign fruits, Nuts, Canned Goods, Oranges, Lemons, Sweet Potatoes, etc.” Two years later, in 1884, Johnson C. Bull worked at Francis Alexander’s retail grocery at 201 Monroe Avenue, taking over the business at this address in 1885-86.
Johnson C. Bull reportedly frowned on art as an unprofitable career and his artistically gifted son, Charles, was apprenticed at twelve years of age to Professor Henry Augustus Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, where he learned to prepare skins and to mount taxidermic specimens. He reportedly started out with the smelly job of scraping fat from animal skins, earning $3 a week. If so, Charles likely witnessed Ward’s preservation and mounting of P. T. Barnum & Bailey’s famous circus elephant, Jumbo, who died in a collision with a locomotive in 1885.
Coming Soon: Part II, Henry Ward’s Natural Science Establishment
Ask yourself—Just how valuable are the lessons of history? If you enjoyed this article, then please consider joining the Bergen County Historical Society, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) volunteer organization, founded in 1902. We are dedicated to preserving important evidence of the past and promoting historical literacy through interesting programs and publications.
We don't receive public operating support or grants the way other groups do, but rely entirely upon private donations, membership dues and volunteer contributions of time and talent. We are presently trying to raise $350,000 to construct a first-rate historical museum building and library for Bergen County on the Society’s property at Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ 07661. For further information or membership application, visit: http://www.bergencountyhistory.org | <urn:uuid:582b866f-38b2-41f5-9bca-7034cbbcbc9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fairlawn-saddlebrook.patch.com/blog_posts/a-brush-with-the-wild-the-life-and-art-of-charles-livingston-bull-part-i | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955134 | 1,164 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Change In Zoning Laws Allows Backyard Pods for Seniors
Governor McDonnell is expected to sign legislation next week that will supersede local zoning laws to allow a small, temporary, medical cottage in backyards to care for aging parents. Charles Fishburne reports.
One of the most significant pieces of legislation passed by this year’s General Assembly has so far gone relatively unnoticed. And next week, Governor McDonnell is expected to sign this legislation that could potentially change the way older people are cared for in the final years of their lives and in the process, make room for what some are calling “Granny Pods,” in backyards across Virginia.
Dupin: It’s 284 square feet and it would be what we call a medical environment. It is what you would think of as a state-of-the-art hospital room or a nursing home room that is transportable and you would be able to put it on a homeowner’s property. And it would have an umbilical relationship with the primary residence, much like an RV would if you had a camper or something like that.
The Reverend Kenneth Dupin is the inventor, CEO, and driving force behind the concept and the company, that seeks to keep aging relatives close to home in their final years.
Dupin: It is no way an indictment against nursing homes. They do very well with what they are asked to do.
But he says, as he made his rounds as a minister, he was appalled at the way this country seemed to deal with its aging population.
Dupin: Virtually no other culture in the world does this. In every other culture you get more value as you age, you have more prestige, you’re more esteemed. Where, in the United States we are a culture that worships youth, from my perspective, and, proportionately as you age that becomes a challenge to the culture and to everyone around us.
But a tidal wave of baby boomers may force us to redefine how we treat our older population, which is set to double in the next ten years. There aren’t enough facilities to handle it, nor is there enough money to pay for it.
Dupin: When you talk about family-managed care, as opposed to insurance- or federally-funded care, a family can take care of a loved for probably half the money that an institution can, and it seems so much more desirable to us when we think about, you know, and this is truly not an indictment again nursing homes, but something between 15 and 17 percent of all of the people ina nursing home have less than one visit a year.
Dupin’s MEDcottage addresses both real costs and human costs, and he quickly found friends at the General Assembly to pass legislation to make it possible.
Dupin: The access that we had to the people that eventually made the decision was unbelievable. Especially, when you consider the fact that we did not make a single campaign contribution. And many of these delegates and senators went home to local municipalities that were, obviously, some that were opposed to it.
He suspects there will be legal challenges ahead. The law is unprecedented. But he says, so is the challenge.
Dupin: It’s funny, in that everybody believes that they are going to die in their sleep some night in their bed -- you know, after Thanksgiving dinner at their children’s house at 90 years old. That’s honestly how we think.
Dupin says part of the problem is we don’t think, until it’s too late. The MEDcottage would require a permanent foundation, hookups, and a lease that could run $2,000 a month. It would have sophisticated monitoring equipment onboard that could be read at the main house. Whatever additional care is needed would be up to the family. But Dupin believes it could be an affordable and attractive option.
Dupin: This is an idea whose time has come.
Next week, Governor McDonnell is expected to sign the legislation into law, and sometime in June, a prototype of Ken Dupin’s MEDcottage will be unveiled. More information is available online at MEDcottage.com.
Charles Fishburne, WCVE News. | <urn:uuid:94d03e73-ad94-415a-b345-860ed896bb4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ideastations.org/radio/archive/2010-05-06-change-in-zoning-laws-allows-backyard-pods-for-seniors?quicktabs_radiostorytabs=description | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977692 | 896 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Max Morath was born on October 1, 1926 in Colorodo Springs, Colorado. Though himself born after
ragtime's decline, Max learned to play it from his mother who had been a professional ragtime
pianist. He was a radio and TV-actor, writer, announcer and general entertainer before he
devoted his career to ragtime. It was while playing the period music for off-fashioned
melodramas in the West that he became fascinated by it, and soon began playing it in cabarets,
as well as re searching every facet that he could find.
A producer for National Educational Television caught Max Morath, proposed that he turn his knowledge of the time into a series. "The Ragtime Era" show (1960) dealt with the development of the music of the period, and critics across the USA gave wholehearted approval. The success of "The Ragtime Era" led to another NET series, "Turn of the Century", in which Morath turned toward the social history of the time, as reflected through its music. His first live appearance in New York at the famed Blue Angel was followed a year later by a stint at the historic Village Vanguard. In 1969 he set up the "Max Morath at the turn of the Century" show at the Jan Hus Playhouse in New York City. Again, the critics were impressed with his seemingly offhand, colloquial approach to history. The success led to a tour in theatres and colleges across the USA.
By composing beautiful rags; by writing and performing in memorable television series; by dispensing the classic syncopation and singing the raggy songs in night clubs, theatres and colleges; by his numberless TV guest appearances (Today, Tonight, Bell Telephone Hour, etc.) and his perennial star guesting with Arthur Godfrey on radio; by editing and publishing choice folios of ragtime old and new (e.g. "100 Ragtime Classics") and recording it (for Epic, RCA, Vanguard and Omega) both solo and with ragtime groups of his own (for example Max Morath's "Original Rag Quartet" together with Jim Tyler, banjo, Al Morris, guitar and Bill Turner, bass) - Max has recommended himself as the ambassador for ragtime! Rudi Blesh has called him a "one-man ragtime army"!
Surely, by now, almost everyone in America has seen or heard the colourful Gay "Nineties entertainer of the gray derby, belt-back jacket, and sleeve garters, of the Edwardian vest and the ever-present "seegar", in his congenial role of "Ragtime Professor". | <urn:uuid:de8edd4a-be68-4731-a1a4-4091aa20b59d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ragtime.nu/morath.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977497 | 550 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Published in Medical Devices and Surgical Technology Week, December 5th, 2004
According to recent research from the United States, "Using a dynamic hydrology model, we simulated land surface wetness conditions at 42 sites in 28 counties in southcentral Florida from 1990 to 1998 and compared these simulations with the incidence of human cases of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) within these counties.
"Within counties, drought four months prior and wetting one-half month prior were significantly associated with human cases of SLE."
"Simulated land surface wetness conditions resolved transmission loci in both space and time," J....
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Students sustainably planting trees at Tech
BLACKSBURG — A group of about 30 Virginia Tech and Blacksburg community members came together Tuesday afternoon to plant about 15 trees on Tech’s campus.
The 2012 Sustainability Week Tree Planting event had been postponed from the week before due to inclement weather.
The tree-planting group gathered behind War Memorial Gym on campus to begin digging holes, planting trees and mulching the entire area.
Students planted native birch and Hawthorne trees donated by the forestry and horticulture departments, as well as American elms and an oak tree.
Participants were led by students and school faculty members as each tree was planted. Tools for the project, including shovels and gloves, were provided by the VT Engage “Hokie Hands” trailer.
Campus landscape architect Matt Gart said the team was working with a sloped-site that had been difficult to mow and created a lot of stormwater runoff. The project, Gart added, would help decrease that runoff, add tree canopy to campus and convert the site into forest space.
“Grounds has a lot on their plate maintaining the campus,” Gart said. “New initiatives like this are often difficult at times, but to have students out here to spread mulch and plant trees is a big contribution.”
Brad Dyche, a senior majoring in conservation and recreation, said he wanted to be a part of the tree planting because he felt it was his responsibility to not only harvest trees sustainably, but to sustainably plant them, as well.
“I consider myself responsible for maintaining good stewardship towards the land and also making sure for every tree I cut, I plant a new one in its place,” Dyche said. “It’s very important to me to keep it around for all to enjoy.”
The trees, Dyche said, help give students a new outlook when they’re having a bad day and help bring a “warm” feeling to fight off the regular drudgery of academics and studying all day.
“When you have trees to look at, school tends to be a little more enjoyable in my opinion,” Dyche said.
A.J. Lang, a graduate forest operations student, had a different approach as to why he participated.
“I’m out here because I enjoy the physical labor associated with planting the trees,” Lang said. “It gets me away from my desk, and it obviously has an importance with planting trees for the community, and green spaces are essential.”
Two students, sophomores John Yu and Nathan Chung, were passing by the site when they decided they wanted to help.
“We saw the trees and people planting them and thought it was a good way to give back to the community,” Yu, a business major, said.
“This really reduces our carbon footprint.”
For more information and the history of Sustainability Week in Blacksburg, visit http://www.facilities.vt.edu/sustainability/sustain_week.asp.
The Roanoke Times | 381-8627
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No comments yet. | <urn:uuid:a445bba2-6290-471e-9699-3caad99af83a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.roanoke.com/theburgs/features/2012/09/27/students-sustainably-planting-trees-at-tech/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976775 | 685 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Operations and Supply Chain Management (formerly Decision Sciences)
The business world is constantly grappling with questions like "How much product should we make, and when?” and “How many employees do we need, and how do we lay out a room to fit them?” Operations managers are therefore valued members of any business team.
In both manufacturing and service industries, operations specialists work to find the best, most efficient way to structure a supply chain, from retail companies and manufacturers to airlines, hospitals, restaurants, social services agencies and even universities.
What You Study
The Operations Management courses are offered by the Operations and Supply Chain Management Department with a curriculum (PDF link; scroll down for OSCM information) to prepare you on the fundamental concepts and practical analytical tools that help managers make better operational decisions, including statistics and computer technology.
Coursework will enable students to understand, analyze and improve all types of processes in order to improve organizational competitiveness in terms of cost, quality, flexibility, delivery, innovation and/or service.
How We Support Your Learning
Students in Operations Management are assigned to an Operations and Supply Chain Management faculty member as their major advisor—these are deeply experienced professionals well versed in today’s operations world, and in what students need to do to excel at it. Many students also gain experience by networking with Twin Cities professionals through internships and the activities of the Supply Chain and Operations Club. | <urn:uuid:7bf777ae-6fda-419f-a166-966aaa72933a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stthomas.edu/business/degrees/undergraduate/academics/ba/operations.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950438 | 291 | 2.0625 | 2 |