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Florida Law Tightens Voting Rules, Angers Advocates
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan group with a distinguished history. It was founded in 1920, just months before the U.S. Constitution was amended giving women the right to vote.
The Florida chapter of the League was founded two decades later and since the beginning, has worked to educate and register new voters.
But now, the group says, a new law makes it impossible for it to carry out one of its core missions: Registering new voters.
The law passed by Florida's legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott over the objections of the League and other groups, tightens voting regulations in several areas. Among the changes: it reduces the time period groups have to turn in new voter registrations from 10 days to just two. For forms turned in late, there are steep fines and other possible civil penalties.
Some of the law's provisions tighten restrictions and possible penalties for groups that conduct voter registration drives. Republicans in state government — who support the law — say the league is overreacting.
But Deirdre McNabb, president of the League's Florida chapter, says the new law places unreasonable requirements on volunteers just trying to do their civic duty.
"And now, you have to go down to the supervisor's office, fill out a raft of paperwork; take an oath of office," she says. "And you could be liable for civil charges by the attorney general in the event that you get some voter registration form back on an untimely basis."
The League of Women Voters and other groups have gone to court to challenge provisions of Florida's law — which they say violate the federal Voting Rights Act.
Critics say restrictions on voter registration drives unfairly target minorities. They point to statistics that show African-Americans and Hispanics are more twice as likely as whites to register through new voter drives.
They say the law also harms minority participation in another way — by cutting — from 14 to 8 — the days allocated for early voting. Although hours are extended each day, McNabb says the changes reduce the opportunities to vote before election day. In 2008, more than half of black voters in Florida used early voting.
"In essence, our government, certainly here in Florida, is passing laws and spending our taxpayer money to disenfranchise people who should be eligible to vote," McNabb says.
But Republican State Rep. Dennis Baxley says that's "an overreaction."
Baxley was one of the new law's main sponsors in Florida's legislature. He says the restrictions are intended, not to disenfranchise voters, but to improve accountability of groups conducting registration drives.
Florida has learned a lot since 2000, when a contested vote in the state helped determine the outcome of a presidential election. Baxley says one lesson is that it needs to be able to have confidence in its election results.
"We're going to have close elections in Florida and it's very important that that result has integrity," he says. "We need to make sure that we have our "I's" dotted and our "T's" crossed.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School has joined the lawsuit asking a federal court to reject Florida's law. Wendy Weiser, director of the center's democracy program, dismisses claims that the new restrictions are intended to reduce fraud.
"Florida already had one of the strictest regulations of voter registration drives in the country in place in the last election cycle," Weiser says. "There is not one allegation that has surfaced or been raised of any voter registration fraud that occurred during that election cycle."
Although the League of Women Voters and some other nonpartisan groups may stop registering new voters while the court reviews Florida's new law, it's not going to stop campaigns and political parties. Political operatives say they'll take steps to comply with the restrictions and expect registering new voters will be just as important to them as ever.
If the law is upheld, it looks like in Florida at least, registering new voters will become largely a partisan political activity. Weiser says that's unfortunate, but it's part of a trend that she's seeing nationally.
"From 2000, when everyone's eyes were opened as to how the rules make a difference to election outcomes to the present, it's just been escalating and it's just been more and more politicized in a partisan way in a direction that hurts all Americans," she says.
Florida's far from the only state tightening restrictions on who can vote. In a new study, the Brennan Center finds that more than a dozen states have adopted new voting rules that may present barriers to more than 5 million American voters. | <urn:uuid:813bf3ab-34a8-4b8b-8678-b8cd02e2de8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wmot.org/post/florida-law-tightens-voting-rules-angers-advocates | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970006 | 951 | 2.453125 | 2 |
- Superimposed high-frequency jet ventilation combined with continuous positive airway pressure/assisted spontaneous breathing improves oxygenation in patients with H1N1-associated ARDS (2012)
- Background: Numerous cases of swine-origin 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus (H1N1)-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) bridged by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy have been reported; however, complication rates are high. We present our experience with H1N1-associated ARDS and successful bridging of lung function using superimposed high-frequency jet ventilation (SHFJV) in combination with continuous positive airway pressure/assisted spontaneous breathing (CPAP/ASB). Methods: We admitted five patients with H1N1 infection and ARDS to our intensive care unit. Although all patients required pure oxygen and controlled ventilation, oxygenation was insufficient. We applied SHFJV/CPAP/ASB to improve oxygenation. Results: Initial PaO2/FiO2 ratio prior SHFJV was 58-79 mmHg. In all patients, successful oxygenation was achieved by SHFJV (PaO2/FiO2 ratio 105-306 mmHg within 24 h). Spontaneous breathing was set during first hours after admission. SHFJV could be stopped after 39, 40, 72, 100, or 240 h. Concomitant pulmonary herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection was observed in all patients. Two patients were successfully discharged. The other three patients relapsed and died within 7 weeks mainly due to combined HSV infection and in two cases reoccurring H1N1 infection. Conclusions: SHFJV represents an alternative to bridge lung function successfully and improve oxygenation in the critically ill. | <urn:uuid:a38fc515-0145-4801-85d9-e58e308ade6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/solrsearch/index/search/searchtype/authorsearch/author/%22Timo+Wolf%22/start/0/rows/10/author_facetfq/Bertram+Scheller | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931164 | 364 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
In mathematics, a Diophantine equation is an equation between two polynomials with integer coefficients with any number of unknowns. A Diophantine problem is given as a Diophantine equation, whose solutions are the possible assignments of integers for the unknowns for which the equation is satisfied.
The word Diophantine refers to the Greek mathematician of the third century A.D., Diophantus of Alexandria, who made a study of such equations and was one of the first mathematicians to introduce symbolism into algebra. The mathematical study of Diophantine problems Diophantus initiated is now called Diophantine analysis.
A linear Diophantine equation is an equation between two sums of monomials of degree zero or one.
Examples of Diophantine equations
- ax + by = 1: See Bézout's identity; this is a linear Diophantine.
- xn + yn = zn: For n = 2 there are many solutions (x,y,z), the Pythagorean triples. For larger values of n, Fermat's last theorem states that no positive integer solutions x, y, z satisfying the above equation exist.
- x2 - n y2 = 1: (Pell's equation) which is named, mistakenly, after the English mathematician John Pell. It was studied by Fermat.
- , where and : These are the Thue equations, and are, in general, solvable.
The questions asked in Diophantine analysis include:
- Are there any solutions?
- Are there any solutions beyond some that are easily found by inspection?
- Are there finitely or infinitely many solutions?
- Can all solutions be found, in theory?
- Can one in practice compute a full list of solutions?
Hilbert's tenth problem
These traditional problems often lay unsolved for centuries, and mathematicians gradually came to understand their depth (in some cases), rather than treat them as puzzles. In 1900, in recognition of their depth, Hilbert proposed the solvability of all Diophantine problems as the tenth of his celebrated problems. In 1970, a novel result in mathematical logic known as Matiyasevich's theorem settled the problem negatively: in general Diophantine problems are unsolvable.
The point of view of Diophantine geometry, which is the application of algebraic geometry techniques in this field, has continued to grow as a result; since treating arbitrary equations is a dead end, attention turns to equations also having a geometric meaning.
The field of Diophantine approximation deals with the cases of Diophantine inequalities: variables are still supposed to be integral, but some coefficients may be irrational numbers, and the equality sign is replaced by upper and lower bounds.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details | <urn:uuid:74a03c78-2beb-47b3-bcdb-8c8c80cf1e4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Diophantine_equation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943635 | 603 | 3.734375 | 4 |
Saturday 18 May
Marsh clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata)
Marsh clubmoss fact file
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Marsh clubmoss description
Clubmosses are simple plants, related to ferns; their common name is an indication of their resemblance to true mosses, the 'club' referring to the shape of the spore-bearing cones that most produce. Marsh clubmoss is the only British member of its particular genus. In appearance, it resembles another clubmoss, Lycopodium clavatum or stag's-horn clubmoss, not uncommon in the uplands.
Like ferns, clubmosses have two distinct forms; the 'gametophyte', which stays underground and grows in partnership with a fungus, and the form in which most people are likely to see, the 'sporophyte'. This consists of long trailing and rooting stems, which are covered with a coat of tiny leaf-like scales called microphylls with tiny, pale brown spore cases at the tips.Top
Marsh clubmoss biology
The ancestry of clubmosses can be traced back to at least the Carboniferous period, 300 million years ago. Most of the land on the planet was then composed of one huge super-continent called Pangea. A large part formed an extensive area of wetland, populated by the giant clubmosses. These tree-like plants grew to over 35 metres tall extremely quickly, at a rate of several metres a year. It is believed that they only reproduced once, at their maximum height and size, before dying and sinking back into the wet ground. Conditions at the time favoured the formation of vast peatlands and, over the vast periods of geological time, these peats were compressed and formed the extensive coalfields now found over much of the Earth's surface.
The spores of clubmoss are highly inflammable, and have been put to a number of different uses over the centuries. Known as 'Lycopodium powder', they have been used as a dusting powder for infants' sores, in treatment for irritation and spasm of the bladder, and used in pyrotechny in the making of fireworks, and for artificial lightning on the stage. Another use has been dyeing woollen cloth, and as the lubricant on condoms.Top
Marsh clubmoss range
In the UK, this species is mainly found the New Forest, Dorset and Surrey, and in the Republic of Ireland. It is also found in Wales and Scotland. There are a scattering of other sites in Cornwall, Devon, West Sussex and East Sussex. Attempts have been made to re-introduce it to Norfolk in 1999. Its global range includes Europe, where is known to be in decline, North America and Asia.Top
Marsh clubmoss habitat
Marsh clubmoss grows on wet heaths, peaty soil, and other places that are wet for much of the winter, preferably with some disturbance from grazing, peat cutting or where vehicles or cattle have broken up the surface.Top
Marsh clubmoss status
Classified as Nationally Scarce in the UK.Top
Marsh clubmoss threats
Marsh clubmoss was once much more widely spread and was once described as 'common'. Since 1855, loss of habitat by drainage has caused a major decline in its populations. Today, it is principally threatened by neglect and scrub encroachment arising as a result of the decline of sustainable peat-cutting, under-grazing and, possibly, pollution.Top
Marsh clubmoss conservation
Marsh clubmoss is listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP), and included in English Nature's Species Recovery Programme. In order to return this species to its former range, a number of re-introduction projects have taken place. In one case, the turves containing the clubmoss specimens were sent by post in a biscuit tin. All of these re-introduced plants have shown some signs of initial success, but over the long-term, they do not seem to be surviving. The reasons for this are not clear at present but the sites are being monitored in order to discover the source of the problem. Conversely, where plants have been introduced to new sites where there is proper management, they seem to have survived much better. However, in the case of the Norfolk site, it is well managed but still the plant does not seem to be responding.Top
Information supplied by English Nature.
- A category used in taxonomy, which is below 'family' and above 'species'. A genus tends to contain species that have characteristics in common. The genus forms the first part of a 'binomial' Latin species name; the second part is the specific name.
- Microscopic particles involved in both dispersal and reproduction. They comprise a single or group of unspecialised cells and do not contain an embryo, as do seeds.
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- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- Parliament no
- Amends the:
A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 and
Taxation Administration Act 1953 to ensure that goods and services tax adjustments are required in all situations when consideration is paid by an entity in the supply chain to a third party; and
A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 to confirm that the rules allowing attribution in the current period applies to all input tax credits.
Track this bill (What's this?) | <urn:uuid:10c00a46-6d5c-4e21-b465-e11eafda18e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r4298 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909081 | 111 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Recent Office on AIDS initiatives
The Office on AIDS staff has been actively involved in developing and implementing this one-day multidisciplinary conference designed to chart future directions for HIV/AIDS research, practice, and policy in metropolitan Washington, D.C.
Advancing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy in Metropolitan Washington: Science-Practice Partnerships Conference
April 20, 2012
Howard University, Blackburn Auditorium
The conference is sponsored by the American Psychological Association; the Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health; Howard University; and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), NIH.
HIV prevention and care providers, people living with HIV/AIDS, researchers, local and federal health officials, community-based and faith-based organizations, HIV advocates, and others will come together to share their challenges and successes in HIV prevention and care and set a path for future collaboration. The goals of the conference are to:
identify and develop practical ways that providers can stay informed about HIV research relevant to their work;
identify and develop mechanisms for providers to communicate critical issues for HIV researchers to address;
identify and develop mechanisms to assist providers to adopt best practices associated with the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention priorities established by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and CDC’s High Impact HIV Prevention approach; and
develop research initiatives to create evidencebased prevention programs to prevent HIV transmission and to implement high-impact prevention.
The co-sponsors represent the D.C. Health Department, faith-based communities, academic institutions, and important community-based organizations representing at-risk and infected individuals.
The conference will include morning plenary sessions and afternoon breakout groups. Morning sessions, which will focus on how the adoption of the NHAS and high-impact prevention strategies will impact the local prevention and treatment community; how the District of Columbia is responding to the new NHAS and guidance from the CDC; and how syndemic issues in the District (such as poverty, mental health, sexual health, isolation, drug abuse, housing, environment, access to care, therapy, etc.) impact prevention and treatment efforts.
Afternoon breakout sessions will address approaches to (a) identifying those who are at highest risk and who are unaware of their HIV status; (b) identifying and testing those who are unaware of their HIV status; (c) getting those who test positive linked to and engaged in care; (d) getting those who test positive to adhere consistently to their treatment regimens and be retained in regular care over time; (e) providing evidence-based prevention counseling/interventions; and (f) handling cross-jurisdictional prevention and treatment issues in metropolitan Washington, D.C. | <urn:uuid:6b014343-12e6-4482-a45e-abdb975ff877> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/exchange/2012/04/aids-initiatives.aspx | 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 | 0.91604 | 554 | 1.679688 | 2 |
For more than half a century the three main employers in Parsons, Kansas, were all in the chemicals business — the Army Ammunition Plant, Dwayne’s Photo, and the Parsons State Hospital.
Between 1942 and 2009 the Kansas AAP produced artillery and mortar shells for the bombardment of Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, assorted Latin American republics, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The plant was slated for decommissioning in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan published by the Pentagon in 2005.
Just as the last munitions rolled off the line in 2009, Eastman Kodak announced that it was discontinuing Kodachrome 64 film and all Kodachrome K-14 chemistry. For years the employees at Dwayne’s Photo had watched their workforce shrink, in step with the steep decline of analog photography. The very first digital video horror “microfilm” — Zombiegeddon — was shot in Parsons in 2003. And it was to Parsons that Kodak’s last K-14 roll was taken for processing. Steve McCurry, representing National Geographic, and himself responsible for the most recognized of all their covers — the Afghan girl with the startling green eyes — personally handed over the roll to Dwayne’s Photo, the last certified K-14 processing facility in the world. He was joined in the final rush by Jim DeNike, a railroad worker and train buff, who spent $15,798 to have 50,000 slides (of locomotives) processed at Dwayne’s. He loaded them into his maroon Pontiac and headed back to Arkansas. The K-14 line in Parsons closed two weeks ago, on January 18, 2011.
The end of the 75-year history of Kodachrome has prompted a poignant elegy from the English photographer, curator, art critic, and historian Julian Stallabrass, based at the Courtauld in London but familiar to many in the Bay Area arts community since his time in the art history department at Berkeley [http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/people/stallabrass_julian/writings.shtml]. Stallabrass explains, in vivid and focused detail, why serious photographers became passionately attached to Kodachrome:
“It is made up of layers of black-and-white film which have sensitivity to different coloured light, and a series of filters. Only during processing are the appropriate dyes added to each layer to produce a colour transparency. Compared to other colour films, at least up until 1990 with the introduction of Fuji’s garish Velvia, Kodachrome had unique advantages: its colours were rich and naturalistic, its blacks did not have the greyish cast of so many colour films, its greys were subtle, it had remarkable contrast, and the lack of colour couplers between its layers (which tend to diffuse light) gave the film extraordinary sharpness … ‘25’ meant 25 ASA — a measurement of the film’s sensitivity to light but also an indication of its resolution, since slow (insensitive) films tend to have the smallest grain and thus the greatest ability to render detail. Most general purpose films are at least quadruple the speed of this slowest and finest of Kodachromes, which was meant for use in bright light. Kodachrome was often used in the spotlit or flash-lit studio, where its dark monochrome layer was banished by fields of flat, brilliant colour, but it was also used to record, under sun or leaden sky, in narrow bands of sharp focus and in muted colours, U.S. farmers in the Great Depression, Nazi parades, and the battlefields of World War II.”
Kodachrome was made possible by 19th-century discoveries in color science, especially the synthetic dyes and pigments made from azo and diazo organic compounds (that is, having a functional group of two linked nitrogen atoms). The miraculous transfiguration of coal tar created a dazzling chromatic palette, even if at the same time it was disastrous for the practitioners of the old crafts of cochineal and carmine production, not to mention life downwind and downstream from the factories of the new chemical industry. Eastman Kodak has been consistently ranked among the worst corporate polluters in the U.S., and in 2008 was rated by scorecard.org number one culprit in New York State.
Recently, taking advantage of the shift from pigment to pixel, Kodak has launched a campaign to change its spots. No Kodachrome necessary. Was there, one might ask, a major 20th-century corporation that did not use the services of Kodachrome for its self-imaging? As Stallabrass puts it, Kodachrome was “for decades the film in which the colours of commerce were written. It reproduced more beautifully than any other film, and was a mainstay of the great illustrated magazines, which, before colour television, were the most advanced arena for the visual propagation of capitalist values. National Geographic, in particular, used Kodachrome to bring the world’s exotica to its readers in millions of living rooms and waiting rooms.”
Kodachrome’s capacity for superb reproduction was matched by its archival stability; it was for a very long time, observes Stallabrass, “the only colour film capable of retaining its colours across generations. Kodachrome was a demanding film to use, requiring precise exposures that could only be achieved with a reasonably sophisticated camera and a skilled user. As Henry Wilhelm notes, Kodak, marketing more forgiving colour films to the mass market, had good reason not to boast of Kodachrome’s durability, lest questions were asked about its other films. It kept the matter secret for forty years, by which time it was plain for all to see in the faded, yellowing ruins of all other colour pictures, and the remaining brilliance of Kodachrome, if stored in the dark. This was an extraordinary act of corporate wrecking on the part of Kodak, in which other film manufacturers were complicit, since all kept the ephemerality of their colour films secret. The very point of photographs is as a visual peg against transience, so Kodak’s reticence was not only a vandalism of the historical record but a betrayal of the vast majority of its customers.”
At the end of his obituary of Kodachrome, Julian Stallabrass wonders whether one should mourn the death of any commercial product, “particularly one with such a mixed history.” He acknowledges that, on the one hand, it means the extinction of hard-earned craft knowledge within the guild of professional photographers. On the other hand, the equation Kodak=Kapital is true. True but partial. No technique, no instrumentality, is univocal, as Stallabrass found out from his own experience: “As I learned to use the film, Kodachrome’s impenetrable darks came to represent for me the shadow world of brightly hued commerce, and a metaphor for all that commerce hid behind its adverts and shop displays: from environmental devastation and child labour to the dissipation of human potential in mechanical tasks. The green eyes of Sharbat Gula that Kodachrome via McCurry rendered so strikingly, made the photographer rich and famous, as they stared out of the picture at its many viewers, as they continue to do. As she recalled the event years later, at the point of her ‘rediscovery’ by the photographer, it was the first time she had been photographed, and she looked at the intrusive camera in anger.”
Since the closing of the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, the artillery and mortar shells that continue to bombard Sharbat Gula’s country are no longer made in Parsons. The State Hospital remains open, saved from closure by the new governor, though with reduced staffing and fewer beds for its disabled residents.
A suite of Julian Stallabrass’s 25 ASA photographs may be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slowkodachrome/. | <urn:uuid:991915ea-3e29-45da-aa11-df487143d03b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.sfmoma.org/2011/02/sun-and-shadow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968328 | 1,692 | 2.203125 | 2 |
2009 Annual Report
1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
Develop conservation tillage systems for vegetable production that (1) implement weed management regimes, including cover crops, compost, and mulching; (2) evaluate the biological and economic outcomes of the different systems; and (3) promulgate technology transfer through demonstrations/Field Days and publications for area farmers and agricultural professionals.
1b.Approach (from AD-416)
Specific methods include the following: conservation tillage systems and crop rotations to disrupt weed cycles and enhance competitiveness of crop plant through additions of N-fixing cover crops, such as crimson clover and hairy vetch, planting competitive crop varieties to maintain suppression of weeds, reducing weed seed set through allelopathic effects from crops, such as rye and oats, and improving the advantage of crops over weeds through compost based fertilizer applications. The experimental design includes two main plot treatments (No cover crop and cover crop) and three weed control subplot treatments that include mechanical weeding, herbicide, and mulching. Sweet potato will be tested in rotation with selected high values vegetable crops adapted to the southeastern environmental conditions. A farmer in Macon County has been selected to participate in this research and demonstration project. County extension agents, Tuskegee University researchers, and USDA/ARS scientists will collaborate and provide technical assistance to the farmers and help in disseminating research findings.
This report presents results of a five-year study in two Alabama Counties (Barbour and Macon) and evaluated sweetpotato root storage yields, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and particulate organic matter contents in conventional tillage and no-tillage systems. The treatments evaluated were conventional tillage and no-till with or without cover crops and two fertilizer sources. The results suggested that: a) Rainfall is the most limiting factor in crop production in those two counties. For example in Clayton (Barbour County) no crop was raised in three out of the last four years of the study period because of lack of rainfall; b) Lack of and/or uneven rainfall distribution decreased sweet potato storage root yields throughout the study period; c) With a few exceptions pH was not affected by tillage systems, cover crop, and fertilizer regardless of soil sampling depths. However, under no-till and conventional tillage, soil pH decreased significantly in the upper 0-5 cm depth but increased below it. In 2003, pH across the field at measured depths (0-1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm) was 6.8 on an average while in 2007, it averaged 6.3 in the top 15 cm; this corresponded to a small but a statistically significant decrease (p<0.05); d) Adoption of no-till, cover crops and the use of animal manure have all improved soil quality. No-till plots had 20% and 2% more organic C and total N, respectively than conventional-tillage plots at the 0-2 cm soil depth. Soil organic C and total N contents decreased with depths with no differences occurring below 5-10, and 10-15 cm. This increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) can be explained by accumulation in the topsoil of organic residues from cover crops and broiler litter that were not mechanically mixed throughout the plow layer in the no-till plots as they were in the conventional tillage plots; e) Particulate organic matter (POM) represented a small fraction of total soil organic matter. No-till plots had higher large particulate organic matter (LPOM) and small particulate organic matter (SPOM) contents in all POM fractions in the surface layer than had the conventional tillage plots. This high LPOM and SPOM contents in all POM fractions can be attributed to a build-up of crop residues and a C retained from broiler litter with the no-till compared with the conventional tillage; and f) Finally the study indicated that soil organic matter in Alabama can be increased by up to 30% over a period of five years when farmers shift from conventional tillage methods to no-till system through incorporation of cover crops into crop rotations and amendments with broiler litter. The ADODR has monitored activities via email correspondence, teleconferences, and site-visits. | <urn:uuid:4b07742b-ac56-4ae6-81a6-4fce462d9e81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects/projects.htm?ACCN_NO=412210&fy=2009 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938378 | 895 | 2.578125 | 3 |
16 Jun 2008
(updated 24 Oct 2008 at 23:07 UTC) »
ghee @ 2008-06-16T08:04:00
I am mesmerized by the late Russian royal family. I was not aware about their lives and deeds until recently.
G.D. Olga Alexandrovna was daughter of Princess Dagmar of Denmark and Alexander III. The other child of the pair, Nicholas, Olga's elder brother, later became Czar Nicholas II.
G.D. Elizabeth Feodorovna was daughter of British Princess Alice and G.D. Ludvig IV. Princess Alice was daughter of Queen Victoria. Elizabeth's younger sister Princess Alix (Alexandra Feodorovna) was Czar Nicholas's wife.
G.D. Olga escaped to Denmark, then lived a modest life in Campbellville (Canada), then Cooksville, then Toronto. Her mother, Princess Dagmar (Maria Fyodorovna) survived son's execution by 10 years.
According to Trotsky's diary, it was Lenin and Sverdlov who ordered the execution of Czar's family. (Alexis Scherbatow, The New York Times, July 17, 1991) To this day, Russian government denies such orders were made.
Czar with his immediate family and G.D. Elizabeth with others were killed by Bolsheviks 17-18 July 1918 in Yekaterinburg's Ipatiev House and in a mining pit 18 km from Alapaevsk's Napolnaya School on the road to Siniachikha.
Update: The descendants' lawyer obtained
the acknowledgment that the killings in the Ipatiev House were acts of political repression that need rehabilitation.
Syndicated 2008-06-16 13:26:31 (Updated 2008-10-01 11:46:08) from Ilguiz (eel ghEEz) Latypov | <urn:uuid:efd3920a-ffbc-4e0b-a551-ce8338fcc384> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.advogato.org/person/ilgiz/diary.html?start=21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964352 | 394 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Homemade Hazelnut Spread - World Nutella Day
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Information about World Nutella Day can be found here.
The last recipe in this week's chocolate extravaganza comes on World Nutella Day. Nutella is the brand name of a sweet hazelnut-based spread made by the same folks who distribute the Ferrero Roche chocolates that are so popular during the holiday season. Their spread is based on gianduja, a sweet chocolate and hazelnut confection that was developed centuries ago in Turin, Italy. Gianduja is used in candy making and to flavor milk and other beverages. Many people use it as they would peanut butter and spread it on bread or toast for snacks. I don't think many would debate how delicious the spread is. There are many who would debate how healthy it is for you. Good or bad, it's here to stay and the lucky folks at Ferrero are probably delighted that their brand name is now generically used to identify most hazelnut spreads available to consumers. That's brand recognition at its best. Gianduja, which contains just four ingredients, is simple to make now that we have food processors and blenders at our disposal. Anyone who has easy access to hazelnuts or filberts can make this in a matter of minutes. I am fortunate to live in the state of Oregon where one of the major export crops is hazelnuts. That means I have a ready and relatively inexpensive source of nuts with which to make the spread. So, sometimes I do. I thought you'd enjoy seeing how it's made. Here's the recipe for the homemade version of Nutella.
Homemade Hazelnut Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
2 cups chopped toasted hazelnuts (filberts)
3/4 cup to 1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/8 to 1/4 cup canola oil
Place hazelnuts in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until nuts start to clump together in a ball. This will take some time (about five minutes), so be patient. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process again for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture turns dark and ingredients are well combined. Now, slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spread. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. Yield: 2 cups.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Nutella Scones - I'll Have What She's Having
Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Cups - Barbara Bakes
Nutella Crepes - A Little Bit of Everything
Nutella Pop Tarts - Piece of Cake
Nutella Fudge - Annie Bakes
Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes - Playing House
French Yogurt Cake with Nutella - Stacey Snacks | <urn:uuid:f10e5d29-7473-4e62-99a1-06cbd7a44e7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2011/02/homemade-hazelnut-spread-world-nutella.html?showComment=1297021033714 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938349 | 610 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) is World Wildlife Fund’s initiative to eliminate illegal logging and drive improvements in forest management, while transforming the global marketplace into a force for saving the world’s most valuable and threatened forests. First established in 1991, it is the world’s longest-running forest trade program of its kind, providing assistance to approximately 270 strategically selected buyers, suppliers and producers from across the spectrum of the forest products sector that are committed to demonstrating leadership and implementing best practices in the areas of responsible forest management and trade. The GFTN-North America (GFTN-NA) program engages with leading U.S. and Canadian companies to help them progressively increase the proportion of credibly certified forest products within their supply chains. GFTN-NA seeks a spring semester intern to assist with the development and dissemination of tools and resources to help wood products buyers reduce the risks of sourcing illegal or unsustainable timber from WWF Priority forest regions.
The intern will:
- Conduct interviews with GFTN managers and compile information on wood sourcing risks in specific countries to be uploaded to guidance documents for forest products buyers;
- Assist with a Continuing Education Unit course to raise awareness among architects and other professionals in the green building sector regarding responsible wood sourcing.
- Research and draft correspondence to selected target US companies regarding responsible wood sourcing from WWF Priority Regions
- Assist with global trade flow research for solid wood products
- Bachelor’s degree required; student pursuing a Master’s degree in a related field is preferred, such as forestry, forest products trade, supply chain management, business, natural resource management
- Familiarity with forest products, trade flows, market trends, supply chain management, business helpful
- Exceptional research and analytical skills, and attention to detail
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to think strategically and creatively to achieve internship goals
- Strong ability to develop and move tasks and projects forward with independence, while also working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team and organization
- Strong organization and time management skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
- Strong interest in conservation and WWF’s mission
Unpaid. For all unpaid internships, applicants must be enrolled in school and be able to obtain academic course credit from their university.
How to apply: Please email a resume & cover letter with the subject line “Internship Application” to Amy Smith at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:458f82c6-1278-447f-9f03-984ba177b95a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldwildlife.org/internships/in-13069-global-forest-trade-network-north-america-solid-wood-internship | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910152 | 506 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Many people believe Rock, Paper, Scissors is won by the luck of the throw. However, there is skill to beating your opponent. It’s a game that’s part chess, part poker and part Fisticuffs – Marquess of Queensberry Rules. Don’t believe us, just ask Graham Walker, Director of Management of the World RPS Society. Here’s his breakdown of how to breakdown your opponent.
1 – Rock is for Rookies
In RPS circles a common mantra is “Rock is for Rookies” because males have a tendency to lead with Rock on their opening throw. It has a lot to do with idea that Rock is perceived as “strong” and forceful”, so guys tend to fall back on it. Use this knowledge to take an easy first win by playing Paper. This tactic is best done in pedestrian matches against someone who doesn’t play that much and generally won’t work in tournament play.
2 – Scissors on First
The second step in the ‘Rock is for Rookies’ line of thinking is to play scissors as your opening move against a more experienced player. Since you know they won’t come out with rock (since it is too obvious), scissors is your obvious safe move to win against paper or stalemate to itself.
3 – The Double Run
When playing with someone who is not experienced at the RPS, look out for double runs or in other words, the same throw twice. When this happens you can safely eliminate that throw and guarantee yourself at worst a stalemate in the next game. So, when you see a two-Scissor run, you know their next move will be Rock or Paper, so Paper is your best move. Why does this work? People hate being predictable and the perceived hallmark of predictability is to come out with the same throw three times in row.
4 – Telegraph Your Throw
Tell your opponent what you are going to throw and then actually throw what you said. Why? As long as you are not playing someone who actually thinks you are bold enough to telegraph your throw and then actually deliver it, you can eliminate the throw that beats the throw you are telegraphing. So, if you announce rock, your opponent won’t play paper which means coming out with that scissors will give you at worst a stalemate and at best the win.
5 – Step Ahead Thinking
Don’t know what to do for your next throw? Try playing the throw that would have lost to your opponents last throw? Sounds weird but it works more often than not, why? Inexperienced (or flustered) players will often subconsciously deliver the throw that beat their last one. Therefore, if your opponent played paper, they will very often play Scissors, so you go Rock. This is a good tactic in a stalemate situation or when your opponent lost their last game. It is not as successful after a player has won the last game as they are generally in a more confident state of mind which causes them to be more active in choosing their next throw.
6 – Suggest A Throw
When playing against someone who asks you to remind them about the rules, take the opportunity to subtly “suggest a throw” as you explain to them by physically showing them the throw you want them to play. ie “Paper beats Rock, Rock beats scissors (show scissors), Scissors (show scissors again) beats paper.” Believe it or not, when people are not paying attention their subconscious mind will often accept your “suggestion”. A very similar technique is used by magicians to get someone to take a specific card from the deck.
7 – When All Else Fails Go With Paper
Haven’t a clue what to throw next? Then go with Paper. Why? Statistically, in competition play, it has been observed that scissors is thrown the least often. Specifically, it gets delivered 29.6% of the time, so it slightly under-indexes against the expected average of 33.33% by 3.73%. Obviously, knowing this only gives you a slight advantage, but in a situation where you just don’t know what to do, even a slight edge is better than none at all.
8 – The Rounder’s Ploy
This technique falls into more of a ‘cheating’ category, but if you have no honour and can live with yourself the next day, you can use it to get an edge. The way it works is when you suggest a game with someone, make no mention of the number of rounds you are going to play. Play the first match and if you win, take it is as a win. If you lose, without missing a beat start playing the ‘next’ round on the assumption that it was a best 2 out of 3. No doubt you will hear protests from your opponent but stay firm and remind them that ‘no one plays best of one for a kind of decision that you two are making’. No this devious technique won’t guarantee you the win, but it will give you a chance to battle back to even and start again. | <urn:uuid:add6339a-8f11-42b3-8efc-f2cbfdf93a6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://handemonium.ca/how-to-play/technique/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975403 | 1,084 | 1.6875 | 2 |
- 15 Examples That Show Many Americans Have Become So Desperate That They Will Do Just About Anything For Money (The Economic Collapse, July 14, 2011):
The following are 15 examples that show many Americans have become so desperate that they will do just about anything for money….
#1 In Utah, one unemployed 28 year old man is offering to be “human prey” for hunters for the bargain price of $10,000. For an additional $2,000, he will let people hunt him down while he is running around naked.
#2 The Huffington Post is reporting that there has been an epidemic of air conditioning thefts all over the United States….
Across the country, in states like Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Georgia and Florida, there have been reports of thieves stealing unsecured air conditioning units weighing as much as 125 pounds.
#3 In Corpus Christi, Texas thieves have actually been breaking into funeral homes in order to steal the embalming fluid.
#4 Even police officers are committing desperate acts these days. Just check out what one police officer in Chicago is charged with doing….
A Chicago Police officer stole $50,000 from his ailing elderly father to pay off his bills and gambling debts and unsuccessfully attempted to swipe his dad’s retirement savings by impersonating him
#5 Nothing is off limits to thieves these days. Criminals recently broke into a southwest Atlanta beauty supply store and took off with $30,000 in hair extensions.
#6 In another area of Atlanta, thieves have been breaking down walls and busting bathroom fixtures with sledgehammers in order to get their hands on copper, brass and steel….
Kids in two Atlanta communities won’t have their neighborhood pools to help beat the summer heat, at least for now. Thieves used what is believed to be sledge hammers to bust walls and break fixtures in bathrooms at Adams and South Bend parks to steal copper, brass and steel.
#7 One grandmother in Florida has been accused of trying to sell her newborn grandson for $75,000.
#8 In Antioch, California a total of approximately 300 power poles were recently knocked down by thieves and stripped of their copper wiring.
#9 In Minnesota recently, a mob of teen girls brutally pummeled a mother and her two daughters until they were black and blue. Apparently the mob of teen girls was enraged over a pair of missing sunglasses.
#10 In Asheville, North Carolina thieves recently took off with 4 metal tables and 16 metal chairs that were sitting outside a pizzeria.
#11 In Florida, thieves have actually been stealing storm drain covers.
#12 In Oregon, thieves recently broke into a Salvation Army community center and stole 3 large air conditioning units. Now all the people that come to that facility for help and for community programs this summer will be absolutely sweltering.
#13 In the Cleveland area, two young boys that had set up a lemonade stand were robbed in broad daylight. The crooks got away with approximately 12 dollars.
#14 In Oklahoma, thieves recently broke into a church and stole “arts and crafts supplies meant to help teach bible stories to children“.
#15 A 59 year old man from North Carolina named Richard James Verone was so desperate for money that he actually robbed a bank and got caught on purpose so that he could be put in prison and be given free health care.
One day Verone walked into an RBC Bank in North Carolina, handed a clerk a note demanding exactly one dollar and sat down and waited for the police to arrive and arrest him.
Verone has a growth on his chest and two ruptured disks but he does not have any health insurance. He is hoping that in prison he will get the medical treatment that he needs.
As society continues to unravel, prison is going to look like an appealing option for more and more people.
At least in prison you get fed, you have a roof over your head and they will take care of your medical needs.
For a whole lot of Americans, that would be a major step up.
Have you noticed that the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted is starting to disappear?
America is becoming a cold, cruel place and lawlessness is everywhere.
For many more signs that our society is starting to crumble, please see these two articles….
For ages, Americans have looked down on the crime and the depravity that goes on in other areas of the world.
Well, now America has all of the crime and depravity it can handle and it is going to get a lot worse as millions of formerly middle class Americans descend into poverty.
A regular commenter on my website who identifies himself as “El Pollo de Oro” recently described the kind of chaos that he believes is coming to the streets of America….
I live in Philadelphia, a city that used to have a ton of blue-collar manufacturing jobs as well as a great deal of white-collar employment, but the blue-collar manufacturing jobs have disappeared–and on the white-collar side, a college degree isn’t necessarily the ticket to prosperity it once was. Philly has its share of nasty, dangerous ghetto areas as well as ritzy, upscale areas like Rittenhouse Square. But then, there are parts of Mexico City that look like Beverly Hills except that the signs are en español. A minority of Chilangos are filthy rich, which is what you expect in a Third World country: an uber-rich minority and a poor majority. And when The Banana Republic of America (formerly the USA) signed on for globalism and ignored Ross Perot’s warning, it opted to become a Third World country—which means that you can kiss the American middle class goodbye.
But there will be some growth industries in The Banana Republic of America: kidnapping, drug smuggling, murder for hire, carjacking, armed robbery. And if you want a taste of what life will be like in American cities in the future, just spend a few weeks in Guatemala City, Johannesburg or Caracas—all of which have the type of horrible crime rates that BRA cities can look forward to in the future. Desperate people do desperate things, and hardcore desperation will be in the norm in the BRA. It won’t be fun (unless, of course, being robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight is one’s idea of a good time).
Welcome to life in a rotting, decaying Third World hellhole. Welcome to the collapse of the Roman Empire. Welcome to life in The Banana Republic of America, formerly the USA.
America is changing. The safe, secure environment that we all used to take for granted is dying. The number of truly desperate people rises by the day, and many of those desperate people are willing to do just about anything for money.
The United States used to have a thriving middle class, but our economic system has been so manipulated over the decades that now almost all of the economic rewards go to the very top of the food chain.
25 years ago, the wealthiest 12 percent of all Americans controlled 33 percent of all the wealth. Today, the wealthiest 1 percent of all Americans control 40 percent of all the wealth.
In the United States today, we are actually witnessing the death of the middle class. Our jobs have been shipped overseas, the banks have enslaved us to debt, the government keeps finding more ways to tax us and the Federal Reserve keeps debasing our currency.
Everywhere you go, despair is in the air. According to a brand new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 63 percent of Americans believe that the nation is on the wrong track.
Fortunately, many Americans are responding to these signs of trouble by preparing.
One local Oklahoma newspaper recently did an article that profiled a few of the growing number of Americans that are preparing for hard times….
Rod and Lauretta Smith estimate they could survive a year without going to the grocery store.
A large garden on their 5-acre property in south Tulsa produces hundreds of quarts of canned and frozen beans, tomatoes and other vegetables. Chickens provide eggs.
The Smiths are among a small but growing number of people stocking up on food to become more self-reliant in a time marked by natural disasters and economic uncertainty.
The truth is that all of us should try to become less dependent on the system. The Democrats, the Republicans, the Federal Reserve and the big corporations are not there to help you. They are not going to come riding to the rescue if you lose your job and your home.
We all need to do what we can to become more independent and to prepare ourselves and our families for the incredibly difficult economic times that are inevitably coming. Those that have faith that their jobs will always be there or that the government will always take care of them will be deeply disappointed.
The system is dying and society is coming apart.
The only rational thing to do is to prepare for what is coming. | <urn:uuid:eb8c8d96-c4f7-4ed9-aba0-94ffa0c70472> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2011/07/15/collapse-we-can-believe-in-15-examples-americans-will-do-just-about-anything-for-money/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962708 | 1,849 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Two shall be born the whole wide world apart;
And speak in different tongues, and have no thought
Each of the other's being, and no heed;
And these o'er unknown seas to unknown lands
Shall cross, escaping wreck, defying death,
And all unconsciously shape every act
And lend each wandering step to this one end,--
That, one day, out of darkness, they shall meet
And read life's meaning in each other's eyes.
positors set the type of the announcement; but the intelligence was incorporated among other things that were conveyed to me in the same manner, and by the same message. It had no direct significance, and beyond the mere statement of the fact, there was no comment. I was not directed to call upon you, and in fact there was no suggestion made that bore directly upon your presence here. But, Zara, the mere statement of your intention conveyed to me very many suggestions which I have come here to-day to make known to you. I believe it to be my clear duty to do so."
"Well, my friend?"
"You know who and what I have been, and am. Always close to the person of the czar; for very many years deeply in his confidence, and possessing I believe his friendship to an extraordinary degree, it has been my pleasure as well as my duty to serve my emperor in many secret ways which our little world at St. Petersburg does not know or appreciate. The fact that I am at present an expatriate, as you have so aptly state | <urn:uuid:8612903b-8218-4a1d-befc-660daed92b30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://manybooks.net/titles/beeckmanr2442724427-8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981585 | 323 | 1.5 | 2 |
Practically everyone agrees in principle that prevention is a good idea. Some people even agree that prevention is a realistic and attainable objective. Fewer people agree on the best way to realize that objective. But despite this mass agreement, hardly anyone is truly running their IT functions on the basis of tried and tested prevention based techniques at the moment. Even fewer support providers are actively offering and promoting prevention based services. So why is this? It’s not just that prevention is hard. Which it is. Nor is it that it requires consistent and continuous effort (which may or may not actually pay off). Which it does (And no, it might not pay off). And it isn’t because the costs of prevention are front loaded and the ROI unpredictable I.e. You need to invest in prevention before you get tangible performance improvements and increased stability (as a return).
Prevention is a more akin to a leap of faith. Does one attempt to understand the risks that one faces and then take the decision to knowingly choose to accept the odds as they are or does one do ones upmost to change the rules of the game and the prevailing odds in ones favour? Remembering that even if you do, there is no absolute guarantee that all will be well. Even the longest of shots come home ahead of the field to win occassionally. Indeed, a rival may decide to bank the “prevention cash” and may still be “lucky” enough not to suffer from business impacting failures. Is it right or fair? Of course not. Life (and more importantly probability) doesn’t work that way.
Fairness has nothing to do with anything. Probability is a cruel mistress. Sometimes it feels as if she is favouring one provider or organization over another but she isn’t. She is ruled by the odds and mercilously brings success and destruction according to the likelihood of the potential outcomes of strings of interdependent events. Fatalism would suggest that bad things happen and they cannot be avoided. I don’t buy it. If fate predetermines success and failure, why do some organizations seem to be impacted by more than their fair share of “bad luck”. Is an intergalactic karma-based force appeasing their misdeeds in a former life or parrallel universe? Maybe. But I prefer the slightly less “out there” possibility that perhaps those that don’t see their names in the press associated with this months IT “failure of the century” are doing something other than crossing their fingers and hoping for the best! Do they call what they do “prevention”? Maybe, maybe not. But they actually do stuff (sometimes unwittingly) to make bad outcomes less probable.
So why don’t we see more prevention? Is it because we lack a means of communicating and promoting its value and the route to its attainment?
Yeah, yeah, yeah… Change the record Rob. We’ve heard it all before…
OK. I admit it. I am a prevention advocate. If there was a prevention club I’d probably join it. I want to live in a world where careful planning and diligent execution make things certain. I like the idea of knowing that when I click on something it will do what it’s supposed to. IT is not a mystical force from on high. It is an immature business discipline that has yet to become all that it can be. I hope that IT will eventually learn from its mistakes just as its manufacturing cousin did previously. It took manufacturing over one hundred years from its birth during the industrial revolution to get beyond the angst of puberty and actually begin to make things certain following the quality management revolution of the 1950s. I sincerely hope that IT can remove its blinkers and expand its insular perspective to benefit from the experiences of other management disciplines. I believe that if IT looks to the manufacturing, health and safety and environmental management arenas then it will mature an awfully lot quicker than if it blunders through multiple painful iterations of goodness on its own.
Which brings me to the point of this blog post…
A colleague challenged me a few days ago, ”You’ve been banging on about prevention for ages Rob… Have you got a single slide that sums it all up that I can use?” Much to my shame I hadn’t. Sure I had slides that built to show the various forms of prevention, the hierarchy of controls, the need to consider residual risk etc. Some of you may have seen my Pillsbury Doughboy slides where the incident is detected and remedial action implemented in one scenario, the incident effects are proactively mitigated in another and then the incident itself is prevented in another. They work (ish). They tell a story and make prevention real in the eyes of the audience (hopefully). But I didn’t have the single static picture that told the end to end story. Was even such a picture possible? This got me thinking. Several hours of googling later I had nothing. Sure there are a few interesting infographics out there (See the links below for my current prevention centric faves)…
- Dodging The Fail Whale: A Downtime Survival Guide
- Benefits of Predictive Maintenance
- Beware of Data Center Downtime
- How to Cat-Proof Your Computer
- The Data Drop
- Downtime Hits Manufacturing Applications
- The Biggest Web Outages of 2011
- Website Down?!
But no single defining image that sums it all up. This surprised me. No. More than that. I was shocked. How could this be true? Surely somewhere there are dozens of fantastic prevention infographics??? Please please please let me know of any that you like.
In the absence of a plagiarism opportunity I was faced with a choice…
Admit defeat or knuckle down to it. Never one to let a challenge slip by, I set to work. What is it to prevent? What are the ingredients of the secret sauce? How can outcomes be made certain? How do the key ingredients relate to each other? What are the trade offs and how are they prioritized? How can one convey the essence of an intangible in the form of a visual? All of a sudden it became obvious why there is a dearth of prevention pictograms… The creation of said graphic is non-trivial.
About the same time, the Curiosity Rover hit the surface of Mars and the headlines. This got me thinking. And that thinking turned into the draft graphic you see below.
Do I like it? Kind of. Is it finished? No way. Is it over complicated? Maybe, yes. Perhaps it’s too complicated. But then again, prevention isn’t trivial. Far from it. If the secrets of prevention could be unlocked with a few blobs and a couple of arrows then what would the challenge be in that? Does it capture all of the moving parts? I hope so. Please feel free to let me know of any glaring omissions. I am trying to show that prevention isn’t something that can be applied after the fact to an entity. It has to be embedded and must permeate through the entire organization. From an initial back of envelope scrawl to the first iteration of a workable graphic has taken a few days. Will the analogy change? Yes, I think it probably will. Where will it go? I have no idea at present. Is it worth investing some more cycles on? Yes, I think so. What say you guys?
I hope you find it interesting (and maybe even useful) in its current incredibly rough draft. Please let me know what you think…
I’ll keep you up to date with its progress. | <urn:uuid:695e6d40-aa94-4e22-83f3-d2173999ae9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.gartner.com/rob-addy/2012/08/19/a-prevention-picture-paints-a-thousand-words/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963981 | 1,606 | 2.15625 | 2 |
The Republican plan to end Medicare, replacing it with a privatized voucher scheme, isn’t going particularly well. But the radical GOP budget plan is ambitious in a variety of areas, and the vision for Medicare isn’t the only problem.
The Hill reports that health care advocacy organizations believe “the GOP has Medicaid ‘in its sights’ as a more realistic place to make healthcare cuts.” Bruce Lesley, president of the children’s advocacy group First Focus, explained, “I’ve always worried that Medicare and Social Security would go off the table and Medicaid would be the only thing left standing.”
Those fears are well founded. The Republicans’ Medicare plan is already a flop, but as Ezra Klein explained the other day, “The attack on Medicaid … is another story.”
There are two reasons Medicaid is more vulnerable than Medicare. The first is who it serves. Medicaid goes to two groups of people: the poor and the disabled. Most of the program’s enrollees are kids from poor families, though most of the program’s money is spent on the small fraction of beneficiaries who are disabled and/or elderly. These groups have one thing in common, however: They’re politically powerless.
The second is who pays. Medicare is a fully federal program. Medicaid is a state-federal match, and it absolutely kills states during recessions, as unlike the federal government, states can’t run deficits, and so they find themselves with increased Medicaid costs because they have more people in need but decreased revenues. So there are a lot of governors — particularly GOP governors — straining under overstretched state budgets who’d like a way out of their fiscal crisis that doesn’t include raising taxes, and there are a lot of federal legislators who’d like to save money without having seniors mounting protest marches outside their office, and Medicaid begins to look like an answer to everyone’s problem.
The GOP plan isn’t just to scale back Medicaid by squeezing some additional savings out of the existing program — which is pretty much impossible at this point — but rather to turn Medicaid over to states in the form of block grants. For the feds, this would mean far less of an investment in the program. For states, it would mean a new ability to start limiting Medicaid eligibility and /or rationing health care serves for beneficiaries.
Who loses? The elderly, families in poverty, and the disabled — constituencies Republicans aren’t especially concerned with.
Medicare privatization isn’t going anywhere. Under the circumstances, Medicaid is worth worrying about.
Feed the Political AnimalDonate
Washington Monthly depends on donations from readers like you. | <urn:uuid:6830d86f-8085-47c4-8750-21fc869bcd68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_05/the_gop_puts_medicaid_in_its_s029447.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949174 | 565 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Budget Task Force Invites University Community to View Presentation on Budget Models
For individuals who were unable to attend the presentation in person, the Budget Task Force, a joint administrative and faculty committee appointed by President Eibeck, invites you to view the presentation on budget models online. The presentation was delivered by Mr. Jay Morley, former president of National Association of College and University Business Officers and a nationally renowned budget consultant, during his recent visit to Pacific.
Individuals can view the presentation online via InsidePacific. After you login, click on the administrative tab.
About the Budget Task Force
In the fall of 2010, President Eibeck formed a Budget Task Force, to investigate, and recommend new budget models for the University to consider that would incentivize units while providing accountability and flexibility. For the past ten months, the task force has reviewed various budget models and learned about the three different budget models currently used within Pacific's structure. Recently, the task force engaged Mr. Jay Morley to provide insights about the various budget model approaches used in higher education to efficiently and effectively manage resources and expenditures. The Budget Task Force is chaired by Dean Phil Oppenheimer and is a joint administrative and faculty committee. | <urn:uuid:5488b8c4-1236-49b3-9e7a-012aa50bc260> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2011/December-2011/Budget-Task-Force.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9476 | 245 | 1.5 | 2 |
Bullying in the Canadian school system is being examined following the suicide of an 11-year-old boy just months after he was assaulted.
Wilson’s condition meant that his muscles were weak and deteriorating over time. He found it difficult to walk or climb stars and used a walker while at school. Doctors had urged him to exercise regularly which was difficult for the 11-year-old from Pickering, Ontario.
Three years ago Wilson’s mother died after a battle with skin cancer. He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy last year.
The young boy was mugged last November by a 12-year-old from his school. The bully was after Wilson’s iPhone, which he had borrowed from his father. Wilson’s face and teeth were smashed during the attack.
The bully was arrested and removed from the school.
The young boy’s father, Craig Wilson, found his son with a plastic bag tied around his head earlier this month. He committed suicide one day after he received the subpoena to testify against his alleged attacker.
He told the Toronto Star newspaper “He was never the same”.
As the court date drew closer things for Wilson did not improve and the bullying continued.
He said “Subsequent to the beating that he took, he just lost that spark you see in a kid's eye. He had huge anxiety attacks about going outside and going for his walks and going to school by himself.”
Pam Wilson, the young boy’s grandmother told the National Post “At the cottage in July, he said, ‘If I have to go back to that school, I’ll kill myself.’”
His father said the 11-year-old was scared that he would run into the bully again.
Mitchell Wilson’s suicide has raised fears that justice will not be served.
Initially it was feared that the case against the bully, who attempted to steal his iPhone, would be dropped as Wilson would not be able to testify. However the Court are now preparing an affidavit of the statement Wilson made before his death.
The case will be heard on November 21.
Wilson’s family only wish that the bully can atone for his crimes. Pam told the National Post “He’s a lost kid. He hasn’t been loved, hasn’t been cared for. We don’t want to be a lynch squad. We want him to do community work with disabled people. All we are trying to do is help this kid understand that his life is going to be zip if he keeps on the road he is on.”
It is Craig Wilson’s hope that his son’s death will have a positive effect on others. He told the Sun “I can’t do anything for my child anymore...So let’s hopefully save some other people’s children so they don’t have to go through this mess.” | <urn:uuid:786856f3-d0b6-406e-a48c-54cf70bc6c8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Bullying-concerns-11-year-old-disable-child-commits-suicide-after-assault-130813928.html?mob-ua=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992036 | 626 | 2.15625 | 2 |
19 July 2004
Tony Blair is facing fierce and sustained attacks over Iraq from opposition parties, weapons inspectors and a former intelligence chief as he prepares for a crucial Commons debate on the Butler report.
The Prime Minister was condemned yesterday by the former chief of US weapons inspections in Iraq for going to war on flawed evidence. David Kay, handpicked by the CIA to find Saddam Hussein's arsenal, said Mr Blair and President George Bush should have known that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.
Hans Blix, the UN weapons inspector, stirred the row by describing Mr Blair's haste to war as an "error of judgement" while a former intelligence chief in Britain suggested that the evidence given to the Hutton inquiry by John Scarlett, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, had been "economical with the truth".
Michael Ancram, the Tory deputy leader, said that Mr Blair still had difficult questions to answer. If he did not address them in tomorrow's debate, he should "consider his position", he added. The Liberal Democrats also cranked up the pressure in the run-up to the criticial debate in the Commons.
Bill Clinton, the former US president, also intervened in the debate saying that intelligence reports he had seen from 1992 to 2000, during his period in office, did not suggest Saddam posed an imminent threat.
Last week, the Butler committee concluded the bulk of the intelligence in the September 2002 dossier was old, and almost all of the so-called new intelligence proved untrustworthy.
Mr Kay insisted there was no basis for Mr Blair to claim that Iraq had WMD or presented an imminent threat which required an invasion. The weapons inspector maintained that Mr Blair and Mr Bush had an agenda for war and were thus prepared to ignore the flaws in the WMD argument.
"I think the Prime Minister ... should have been able to tell before the war that the evidence did not exist for drawing the conclusion that Iraq presented a clear, present and imminent threat on the basis of existing weapons of mass destruction," he said. Mr Bush and Mr Blair had a "multitude" of other reasons for going to war, he added.
The Iraq Survey Group chief was backed by Mr Blix, who said Mr Blair was not "thinking with a sufficiently critical mind" when it came to judging the WMD issue. Asked on the Jonathan Dimbleby programme on ITV if Mr Blair was "on a witch hunt" and whether this was a "really important failure of political and intellectual judgement", Mr Blix replied: "I think there was an error of judgement."
Mr Scarlett, came under attack from one of his predecessors, Sir Paul Lever, over his failure to tell the Hutton inquiry that key evidence claiming Iraq had a WMD programme had been withdrawn by MI6. Sir Paul said Mr Scarlett had been "economical with the truth", adding: "I say this with sadness as a former chairman, the JIC has taken a knock."
Michael Howard, the Tory leader, declared that he would not have supported the Government in the vote on the eve of the invasion of Iraq if he had known the intelligence was so flawed. Tim Yeo, a shadow cabinet member, said: "It is a dangerous situation to have a prime minister who is now so distrusted by the public because he has been caught actually misleading people about the war."
The Government accused the Tories and Mr Howard of opportunism. Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development, said: "It seems to me that he lacks any credibility whatsoever."
There was no clear response to a report that Downing Street managed to water down criticism in the Butler report, allowing the Prime Minister to say he acted in good faith.
The Tories and the Liberal Democrats warned that Mr Blair would face torrid questions at the Commons debate, especially about the failure of government witnesses to tell Lord Hutton that the key "intelligence" about Iraq's supposed WMD had been withdrawn by MI6 as untrustworthy.
Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, said Mr Blair's fate would depend on the credibility of his answers. | <urn:uuid:0400d6d8-99d2-4e26-b667-7ccf199a1779> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christusrex.org/www1/news/indep-7-19-04a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984545 | 841 | 1.609375 | 2 |
New Delhi, July 2: The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to apprise it of their measures to regulate the sale of acid to prevent its misuse as a weapon, particularly against women by their jilted lovers.
The court sought a "comprehensive affidavit" from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was asked to "consider proper action" for making appropriate provision for "regulation of sale of acids so that it is not easily or readily available to offenders."
A bench of justices R M Lodha and A R Dave also asked all the state governments and Union territories to file their replies to the notices issued to them on February 11, 2011 for restricting the sale of acid to prevent the growing incidents of attack on women with it.
The court on April 29 this year had asked the Union Home Ministry to coordinate with the various states and the Union territories for formulation of an appropriate scheme.
The apex court had also sought the responses of the Centre and the state governments on whether any suitable scheme can be prepared by them to provide adequate compensation to the victims for their treatment and rehabilitation.
The court's directions came during the hearing of a PIL, filed in 2006 by Laxmi, a minor girl whose arms, face and other body parts were disfigured in an acid attack.
Laxmi, through her counsel Aparna Bhat, had sought framing of a new law or amendment in the existing criminal laws like IPC, Indian Evidence Act and the CrPC for dealing with the offence and had also sought compensation.
Luxmi was subjected to acid attack by three youths near Tughlaq Road as she had refused to marry one of them. The trial is going on for the offence of attempt to murder and two of the accused are out on bail.
The Centre had earlier told the apex court that the report of the Law Commission on the issue was supplied to all concerned parties and the National Commission for Women has placed a draft legislation to make acid attack a serious offence.
The advocate had pleaded for a total ban of sale of acid as there were increasing number of incidents of such attacks on women in different states.
The counsel had submitted that even a small country like Bangladesh had banned the use of acid to prevent such attacks.
The apex court in its February 11, 2011 order had noted that during the pendency of this writ petition, the code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 has been amended and Section 357A has been inserted by Act 5 of 2009.
It also noted that the amendment requires every state government, in coordination with the Central government, to prepare a scheme for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victims or their dependants who have suffered loss or injury as a result of the crime and who require rehabilitation.
"Though the said section has come into effect on December 31, 2009 and more than a year has elapsed, we are informed that no schemes have been formulated by any of the state governments," the bench had noted in its order.
While issuing notices to the Centre and state governments in February 2011, the court had directed them to prepare schemes as provided in Section 357A for the purpose of providing compensation to victims of crimes, in particular, acid attack victims. | <urn:uuid:c810fda4-79a0-4b7b-ba3f-ddf176b923ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coastaldigest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41899:acid-attacks-sc-fiat-to-centre-states-on-sale-of-acid&catid=36:national | 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 | 0.986467 | 650 | 1.648438 | 2 |
When it comes to country living, a converted barn is a beautiful building to inhabit. Across the world, they occupy similar roles in society, linking our agricultural and urban environments, but inevitably, like all buildings their need and uses can change over time. Some people admire the structural aspect of the barn enough to preserve it, and adapt its use to something that will give it more longevity and continued use. These conversions can be truly lovely, unique structures that allow the barn to continue to exist in our built fabric.
Below are 12 fantastic examples of successful barn conversions. | <urn:uuid:cbb4103c-bff6-424b-acf4-8d63be35d5d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.habitables.co.uk/architecture/beautiful-barns | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942133 | 113 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Building no. 137/ 23 on náměstí Republiky in Pilsen has been one of the most important patrician buildings in the city since the Middle Ages. It is a listed building, registered with the Central Directory of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic as no. 38033 / 4-168. The building is part of the original mediaeval town plan, the shape of which can still be seen today.
It has two wings at the front and a rear courtyard building, connected by a narrow wing on the east side of the inner courtyard. The core of the front part of the building is from the pre-Hussite era. After a fire in 1507 the building underwent an expensive late Gothic restoration. From this period come the details on the ground floor of the front building. The independent rear courtyard building, which has one wing, also comes from the late Gothic era. The major alterations in Renaissance style from 1580-90, made by the then owner, Jan Bakalář, gave the courtyard its Renaissance appearance, which it partially preserves to this day. The alterations also gave the front house one of the most beautiful Renaissance facades, and added to it a second storey and a gable.
The Baroque alterations made after 1726 included the exchange of wooden beamed ceilings on the ground floor of the front house for vaults. A narrow two-storey wing was also added in the courtyard. Also from the Baroque era come the unique roof timbers, erected around the end of the 18th century. It was at this time that the three parts of the house were joined together by galleries running round the courtyard. The arcades on the ground floor of the east wing were closed off by walls during the Classical period. Later alterations to the house are not of interest from the point of view of its historical architectural development.
Conservationists have sought to preserve the object with its original schema, including all its architectural and decorative details. In addition to earlier renovation of the roof, therefore, the wall paintings of two rooms on the first floor were restored, as well as two tiled stoves and a group of stone door cases and portals. The sgraffiti in the gable on the street facade were also restored, as well as all the stone sculpture that has been preserved, featuring lions, griffins and an eagle at the top of the gable.
náměstí Republiky 23
301 00 Plzeň | <urn:uuid:f9d4840d-5f0a-4a67-b379-095418b18b60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.muzeumloutek.cz/en/history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976749 | 518 | 2.03125 | 2 |
TUESDAY, Dec. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A new test measuring levels
of troponin I in the blood may help determine whether someone is
really having a heart attack earlier than is currently
Troponin I is a protein that is released into the bloodstream
when the heart muscle has been damaged such as during a heart
attack. The more damage there is to the heart, the more troponin
there will be in the blood. Existing tests measure troponin T or
troponin I. The new study looked at a highly sensitive type of
troponin I test that may be more accurate in less time. The
findings appear in the Dec. 28 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers led by Dr. Till Keller at the University Heart
Center in Hamburg, Germany, compared the new highly sensitive
troponin I test with the current test and other blood markers for
heart attack among 1,818 people who showed symptoms of a possible
heart attack. Of these, 413 were deemed to be having a heart
attack. The troponin tests were more predictive than other
biomarkers used to make the diagnosis, the study showed.
The new test was more sensitive than the existing one. This
means that if a test result is negative, the person is not having a
heart attack. Another measure, specificity, rules in disease with a
high degree of confidence. The issue with available troponin
testing has been that they must be repeated two more times over the
next 12 to 16 hours for accurate readings. The new test yields
sensitive results in three hours.
The study was partially funded by Brahms AG and Abbott
Diagnostics. Abbott Diagnostics developed both the new and the
conventional troponin tests used in the study.
"We can rule out heart attacks more quickly with the new test," said Dr. Sandra Chaparro, a cardiologist at the University of Miami Hospital in Florida. "If the patient presents to an emergency room less than three hours after chest pain, we can make a diagnosis of a heart attack."
Many people come to the emergency room with chest pain.
Typically, the doctor orders an electrocardiogram (EKG) to check
for problems with the electrical activity of the heart, along with
blood work. Not all EKG readings are abnormal during a heart
attack, Chaparro explained. This is where the blood test would be
"It is very common to have people going to the hospital with chest pain and it could be something important or something not significant," she said. A more sensitive test could save a lot of money, she noted.
Dr. Michael Lanigan, an emergency room doctor at the SUNY
Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NYC, said the ultimate goal
is a highly specific and sensitive test that can tell doctors right
away if you are having a heart attack. The new test "helps push the
envelope further," he said. "We need a blood test that can tell
people when they walk in or soon thereafter that they are having a
heart attack because the sooner you make the diagnosis, the sooner
you can start the right therapy."
For more on the different types of troponin tests, visit the
U.S. National Institutes of Health. | <urn:uuid:2980306a-dd4a-4783-b966-14cbae55147b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harthosp.org/HealthLibrary/News/default.aspx?chunkiid=666083 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948089 | 699 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Originally Posted by CheeseForSteeze
The point is to demonstrate that if a determined killer wants to train with a type of weapon, there are systems of skills that have manifested around essentially anything that can be used to kill people and can be effectively implemented with the correct game plan and determination.
Yeah, given enough time, patience and determination you can probably train a pet monkey to kill in large numbers by expertly using a slingshot.
And how many mass murderers determined enough to invest years of specialized training and costs associated with it have we witnessed so far? Aside, of course, from 9/11 hijackers who incidentally used neither a knife nor a gun but an entirely new method.
Point is there's no available tool other than a gun that is as easily operated by an untrained individual, able to inflict the greatest amount of destruction in the shortest period of time and allows a perpetrator physical distance from his(her) victims maximizing his chances at staying alive and thus, bringing more carnage. Comparing a possible scope of damage imposed by a firearm usage to that of a blade is a specious argument. By the way, BJS agrees - there have been roughly 11,000 -12,000 firearm related murders yearly for the past decade. And only about 1000 murders by stabbing. | <urn:uuid:a6ebf943-c93c-43a9-9381-791dddda76f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.snowboardingforum.com/555662-post476.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955979 | 262 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Allstate Insurance is giving people a chance to save money while driving safe. A new device that installs in the car, records driving patterns. If the driver passes over six months, they can save some serious cash. Allstate also educates people about the dangers of dsitracted driving. Take a pledge today to stop texting while driving.
Submitted on: 17 Jan 13 | <urn:uuid:44695d1e-f810-4a4b-9c8e-b5c704d3ef5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coloradosbest.tv/2013/01/17/driving-texting-kills/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942203 | 76 | 1.539063 | 2 |
- "Hill" redirects here, but you may also be looking for Dr. Hill.
- You may also be looking for Mountain (team).
A mountain is a geological formation that rises significantly higher than the surrounding land, sometimes many kilometers high. Although there is no standard definition, a hill is usually much smaller than a mountain.
Mountains and hills are a common occurrence on many planets, both inhabited and not.
Trapped on Torga IV in the Gamma Quadrant, Enrique Muñiz told Miles O'Brien that "...Ireland doesn't have any mountains, it has hills." He jokingly called O'Brien a "mountain man... an old mountain man", to which O'Brien took offense. (DS9: "The Ship")
List of mountains Edit
- Didiron mountain range - Vissia
- Godo Mountain Range - Talax
- Hamar Mountains - Qo'noS
- Kola Mountain - Bajor
- Mount McKinley - Earth
- Mount Rushmore - Earth
- Mount Seleya - Vulcan
- Mount Tar'Hana - Vulcan
- Pointed Peaks - Delta Vega | <urn:uuid:714b1dde-1eea-42a4-b0fd-df74aa5085a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Hill | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947891 | 239 | 3.15625 | 3 |
ACLU: Country Can No Longer Afford Wasteful, Destructive Immigration Enforcement Policies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; firstname.lastname@example.org
WASHINGTON – "Congress must continue to move in the right direction by ensuring that legislative proposals on immigration embrace a generous roadmap to citizenship," said Joanne Lin, ACLU legislative counsel. "But reforms must also address civil liberties problems that have long plagued the immigration detention and deportation systems, including abusive enforcement practices. With net migration from Mexico at zero, the country doesn’t need and can no longer afford unfettered immigration and border enforcement, which has come at enormous and unnecessary cost to American taxpayers: $219 billion since 1986."
ACLU’s full statement submitted to the House Judiciary Committee is located here.
Quick Facts on Immigration Enforcement
- Deportations and detentions are at historic levels
- Approximately 1.5 million people were deported under President Obama's 1st term, the highest number in any single presidential term
- Between 2010-2012, 23 percent of people deported were parents of U.S. citizen children, with many of these children subsequently placed in foster care
- Southwest border apprehensions are at their lowest level in 40 years
- $18 billion spent on immigration and border enforcement annually greatly exceeds federal spending on all other federal criminal law enforcement agencies combined (Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, FBI, Secret Service, and Marshals Service)
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection refer more cases for federal criminal prosecution than all the Department of Justice criminal law enforcement agencies combined
ACLU and Immigration
As President Obama and Congress take up immigration reform, the ACLU has developed a framework and urges policymakers to promote the priorities contained therein in any proposals. The framework is available here.
Using targeted impact litigation, advocacy and public outreach, ACLU’s work in this area carries on its commitment to protecting the rights and liberties of all people living in the United States. For over 25 years, we have been at the forefront of almost every major legal struggle on behalf of immigrants’ rights, focusing on challenging laws that deny immigrants’ access to the courts, impose indefinite and mandatory detention, and discriminate on the basis of nationality, race or ethnicity. | <urn:uuid:df793bbc-b5f7-4b19-8853-f5cff6125c11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/aclu-country-can-no-longer-afford-wasteful-destructive-immigration-enforcement | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944382 | 472 | 2.15625 | 2 |
By ROBIN CAUDELL
---- — PLATTSBURGH — Sixty-five years ago in England, Ann Novoselec studied art at the University of Sussex in Brighton.
“I was a veteran,” Novoselec said. “I was in the Women’s Land Army during the second World War. I got a grant to college, but I couldn’t afford to keep going.
“I didn’t do much (artistically) after that until I had the opportunity with the Senior Center here.”
For nearly three years, Bryan Briscoe has taught beginning watercolor classes and encouraged his students to exhibit their works. There were baby steps exhibiting in the Senior Center and now “Encore,” a showcase of senior work, at the North Country Center for the Arts in Plattsburgh. Closing reception is Friday from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
“Some have earlier experience painting, and some people are new to it,” Novoselec said. “They always wanted to do it, but it wasn’t until they were seniors they had the time.”
The show features 17 artists and 85 works that range from quilts to woodworking and paintings.
Novoselec, 85, works mainly in watercolor.
“Our instructor demonstrates, encourages different things and gives us the techniques. We’re starting a course in a couple of weeks on acrylics.
“I prefer landscape, but Bryan usually gives us a subject — portraits, working people, different tonal paintings, contrast and that sort of thing.”
Briscoe has taught in a variety of settings, including academia, and more informal sites, such as the Senior Center.
“I look at the artist to see how they paint,” he said. “I don’t tell them what to do. I find out what their strengths and weaknesses are first. I give them a chance just to mess up in class, to make mistakes. Then, I go back.”
He tries to get in his students’ heads psychologically to see where they are coming from. His interest lies in developing future artists.
He compares their work to that of late 19th century or early 20th century artists and asks them to try different approaches.
“I like to give people a lot of options, make mistakes on their own and figure out what they’re really interested in painting.”
He may demonstrate a particular technique, but the goal is to have each student to do it her way, whether she is a beginning or continuing artist.
“I really specialize in technique and get people to develop their passion — people to flowers to landscapes.”
He instills technique, color and perception.
“I want them to use their imagination and artistic license and feel free not to draw everything completely accurate. I truthfully think that ruins artists, if they try to draw everything as they see it. I try to get them to think internally first.”
Right now, Bertha Pavone, 85, is into flowers and plants.
“I never studied art, and I never drew pictures,” she said. “I can do that now.”
She signed up for Briscoe’s class because it looked interesting.
“I just wanted something to do. I just thought if I tried it, maybe I would like it and something would come out of it.”
She likes working in watercolor.
“You can make it as thin and as light as you want it. You’re doing a sky; you can bring it down so it’s nice and smooth and you can see the clouds in it with the watercolor.”
“Beautiful” and “very nice” are Pavone’s critique of the show.
“I think it should be done every year,” she said. “It’s great.”
Email Robin Caudell:
firstname.lastname@example.orgIF YOU GO WHAT: "Encore." WHEN: Closing reception 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. WHERE: North Country Cultural Center for the Arts, 23 Brinkerhoff St., Plattsburgh. PHONE: 563-1604. COURSE: Acrylic Painting with Bryan Briscoe, Starts March 15, 12:30-2:30 p.m., eight weeks. Senior Center, 5139 North Catherine St. Plattsburgh. Phone: 563-6180. | <urn:uuid:b8d55de2-847c-4f22-b945-4821456e79c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x1874098181/Painting-through-lifes-second-act/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97128 | 978 | 1.632813 | 2 |
2004 update: I was going to redo the map for 2004, but other people have already done it.
Salon has this feature called "Red vs. Blue" in which they fill up virtual column inches by printing letters from people who are angry about the 2000 presidential election. The title comes from the rather striking effect you see when you look at a map of how the states voted in the Electoral College. The idea is that there is this festering gulf between the folks in northern states and those in southern states.
The problem with this idea is that it assumes that the people in a given state went all-out for the candidate who ended up winning that state. As my map below demonstrates, this is not the case.
How I did it: I used CNN's election results. Using the GIMP I made a 100-pixel-wide gradient from the "red" color on Salon's map to the "blue" color on Salon's map. That was Gore's gradient, the one shown on the legend. I flipped it around to get Bush's gradient (just for convenience, since the election results put the winner of the race in a state first on the list). I colored each state according to how many percentage points the winning candidate won in that state. For example, Bush got 58% of the vote in Montana, so I picked the 58th pixel from the left in Bush's gradient and used that color to color Montana.
For the nine states in which the winning candidate won only a plurality, I mapped the difference between the two candidates' percentages (usually a whopping 0%) onto the winner's gradient. In retrospect, I probably should have done it this way for every state to compensate for the effect of third parties. Not that it would have mattered much.
If you want to check my work (much obliged), here's the original bar. Arizona and Vermont look a little off to me.
This document (source) is part of Crummy, the webspace of Leonard Richardson (contact information). It was last modified on Friday, August 17 2007, 22:44:26 Nowhere Standard Time and last built on Tuesday, May 21 2013, 10:00:04 Nowhere Standard Time. | <urn:uuid:24dfa093-6622-4cdb-b071-7729827256f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crummy.com/writing/misc/purple/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95771 | 453 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Over the past 60 years, UNRWA has taken action to mitigate the effects of emergencies on refugees’ lives. The Agency’s work addresses the rapidly deteriorating political, socio-economic and security situation in Gaza and the West Bank since the outbreak of the second intifada in late 2000, as well as responding to crises in Lebanon.
The socio-economic situation in Gaza has steadily deteriorated since 2000. Tightened restrictions on movement of goods and people have led to private sector collapse and left hundreds of thousands of people unemployed. Society is being broken down as every aspect of people’s daily lives is affected.
More about emergency programmes in Gaza
The protracted humanitarian crisis in the West Bank has left the Palestinian population particularly vulnerable. UNRWA’s emergency work supports particularly vulnerable groups such as groups at risk of displacement, herders and women.
More about West Bank emergency relief
In Lebanon, UNRWA was called into action in the summer of 2007, following the total destruction of Nahr el-Bared Camp in northern Lebanon resulting from the conflict between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the extremist Fatah Al-Islam group.
More about the Nahr el-Bared crisis | <urn:uuid:6ed34987-aca4-465a-a8ed-00de16700c98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=658 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937789 | 244 | 2.171875 | 2 |
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100s decide something.1 veto this decision.is this a fair practice in a democratic system ?what do you think ?
And finally, these countries which have the right of Veto want to teach us the Democracy..hehehe.. How interesting !
Jeff, who can teach democracy?
Hello Elisa..I am sure that God by Moses, Jesus and Mohammad foor this target!We must now follow them and their teachings, not these persons who are creating laws to earn money,oil......
'Self' is the best teacher.
Jeff and Abstract I do agree with both but between the ideal society and real society there is a huge distance and your advice are more for those that strain to idealism while we live in a society that “understand” only concretness so we need lows and rules of an “imperfect democracy”...
Usually something ideal is impossible to achieve mainly because of the practical limitations. And I think the 'huge distance' you referred is these practical limitations. But I can't understand what practical limitation is there to 'destroy' the right/power to undermine a democratic decision made by huge majority within a democratic system!
Or is it a way to protect the interests of 'unequals' in a so-called Egalitarian system?
I mean, if that bitter hypocrisy is the 'huge distance' here ?
(I'm talking generally about veto. It's not specific about UN or other systems. But general includes specific too)
"That bitter hypocrisy is the 'huge distance' here ?" Yes, this is what I meant... and sadly, at the moment, I don't see any desire of change from the hypocritical part and probably there never will be :(
The consequence will probably be "chaos". | <urn:uuid:09ad00c7-6a00-44d8-9ff6-81bb2c78eac1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.italki.com/discussion/40029 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9405 | 379 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Scheduling and Curriculum
At Wellspring Prep, our rigorous curriculum aims at college readiness for all graduates. Our students will be supported as they navigate our college preparatory curriculum, including the successful completion of at least two AP courses, successful application to college, and the fulfillment of at least 60 hours of community service.
While registration for courses will occur school-wide twice each academic year, Ms. Timmer is available to meet with students individually to plan out academic courses and discuss the school curriculum.
Throughout the academic year, Wellspring Prep will host college and university representatives at the school to share information about their institution. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend the representative's presentations to learn more about the individual schools as well as gain insight on the variety and types of educational programs available. Sign-ups will be in Ms. Timmer's office and students must sign up no later than the Friday prior to the scheduled visit time.
A critical step in finding the right fit in a college or university is to see the campus first hand. Juniors and seniors at Wellspring Prep are given two excused absences each academic year to visit colleges or universities of their choice. In order to receive the excused absence, students must complete the Campus Visit Form and turn it in to Ms. Timmer at least two weeks in advance of the campus visit. | <urn:uuid:956a5d6d-67c5-49f9-9edb-e50ae3b35d3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wellspringprep.com/counseling.shtm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954241 | 276 | 1.507813 | 2 |
These Gila Monsters may look ferocious, but they are really shy, slow moving fellows who would rather avoid human contact. Since they move rather sluggishly so aren’t much of a threat to humans. Although the only poisonous lizard in the United States, an individual would have to really bother them or handle them to receive a bite. The main problem with being bit is that their jaw locks down and can’t be separated so the poison is slowly released.
However, it has earned a fearsome reputation and is sometimes killed by hikers and homeowners despite
being protected by Arizona state law. Cars can also kill them as we found out recently when we found a young dead one at the side of our entrance driveway at our Bed & Breakfast in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains near Saguaro National Park East.
Years ago, our miniature poodle had a tendency to tease a rather large one that burrowed under a palo verde tree on our property. The Gila Monster must have grazed our pet’s lower lip because she began to foam at the mouth. Since we knew she had a tendency to tease the lizard, we rinsed out her mouth with a water hose, and she survived to live through an additional attack at a later date by coyotes. One tough dog!
Tags: Gila Monsters | <urn:uuid:56eb37a9-7923-4a41-a1b4-77a3d9a12504> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tucson-bed-breakfast.com/blog/2010/08/16/425/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979944 | 274 | 2.0625 | 2 |
The Telegraph--Muslim women in Britain are being forced to “live in fear” because of the spread of unofficial and unregulated sharia courts enforcing Islamic rules, the House of Lords was told.
Rulings by informal religious “councils” and tribunals are sometimes no more “consensual” than rape, peers were told.
The warnings came in the first ever full Parliamentary debate on the subject in the UK. Baroness Cox, the independent peer and Third World campaigner, last year tabled a private member’s bill in the Lords setting out plans to rein in a network of unofficial self-styled “courts” which apply Islamic principles.
One study estimated that there are around 85 Sharia bodies operating in Britain, although there is no official estimate.
They include legally recognised arbitration tribunals, set up primarily to resolve financial disputes using Islamic legal principles but which have taken on a wider range of cases.
There is also a network of informal Sharia “councils”, often operating out of mosques, dealing with religious divorces and even child custody matters in line with Islamic teaching.
The bill, which had its first full debate yesterday, would make it a criminal offence for such bodies to style themselves as courts or those chairing them to pose as judges. It would also limit the activities of arbitration tribunals and explicitly require them to uphold equality laws including women’s rights.
Baroness Cox told the House of cases she had encountered including a woman who had been admitted to hospital by her violent husband who had left her for another woman but still denied her a religious divorce so she could remarry.
Another woman was forced to travel to Jordan to seek permission to remarry from a seven-year-old boy whom she had never met because she had no other male relatives, she said.
A third who came to see her was so scared of being seen going in that she hid behind a tree while another told her: “I feel betrayed by Britain, I came to this country to get away from all this but the situation is worse here than in my country of origin."
Baroness Cox said: “These examples are just the tip of an iceberg as many women live in fear, so intimidated by family and community that they dare not speak out or ask for help.” (Continue Reading.)
Saturday, October 20, 2012
British Parliament Learns That Sharia Courts Are Sometimes No More Consensual Than Rape
I'm confused. Some British leaders are concerned that women are being treated unfairly in British Sharia courts. Don't they realize that Sharia demands unequal treatment for women? If so, don't they understand that it's wrong and immoral to impose Western values on Muslims? The real problem, after all, is Islamophobia, not the rampant abuse of Muslim women. | <urn:uuid:81d115ff-0062-4d99-a534-56aba4f9d538> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2012/10/british-parliament-learns-that-sharia.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979011 | 587 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Meet da Vinci - our robot in the OR
It's not science fiction, it's reality - a robot that allows surgeons to operate with extreme precision, but without a major incision. BIDMC's Dr. Drew Wagner, director of minimally invasive urologic surgery, introduces us to da Vinci.
1. What is the da Vinci Surgical System?
The da Vinci® Surgical System is a robotic surgical device which allows a surgeon to perform complex minimally invasive surgery while seated at a console near the patient. The properly trained surgeon can control miniature surgical instruments that are inserted through tiny incisions, all while viewing the body's interior through a high definition 3D camera.
2. For what procedures will da Vinci be used?
The da Vinci can be used for various procedures, but at this time are using it at BIDMC to perform nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy on patients with prostate cancer.
3. What are the benefits for patients?
The system allows the surgeon to operate with the precision of traditional open surgery, but without a major incision. Instead, the surgeon uses small incisions common to minimally invasive surgery (or laparoscopy). Patients experience less post-operative pain and less intra-operative blood loss than with traditional open surgery.
3. What are the benefits for the surgeon?
Procedures performed with da Vinci provide surgeons with improved visualization of the surgical site, due to enhanced magnification, high definition optics and a 3-D view. The da Vinci system also allows precise control and manipulation of fine surgical dissecting instruments such as is possible with open surgery but is usually not possible through traditional laparoscopy without the da Vinci robot. The surgeon can control the instruments while seated, allowing improved comfort during complicated procedures. | <urn:uuid:129fb5d3-0268-4c49-b0e1-8abedca1e724> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/BIDMCInteractive/BIDMCBulletin/Archives/FebruaryMarch09/MDCorner.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905883 | 373 | 2.578125 | 3 |
|Bolivia Table of Contents
In 1899 the Liberal Party overthrew the Conservatives in the "Federal Revolution." Although the Liberals resented the long rule of the Conservatives, the main reasons for the revolt were regionalism and federalism. The Liberal Party drew most of its support from the tin-mining entrepreneurs in and around La Paz, whereas Conservative governments had ruled with an eye on the interests of the silver mine owners and great landowners in Potosí and Sucre. The immediate cause of the conflict was the Liberal demand to move the capital from Sucre to the more developed La Paz.
The Federal Revolution differed from previous revolts in Bolivia in that Indian peasants actively participated in the fighting. Indian discontent had increased because of the massive assault on their communal landholdings. The campesinos supported the Liberal leader, José Manuel Pando, when he promised to improve their situation.
Pando, however, reneged on his promises and allowed the assault on Indian land to continue. The government suppressed a series of campesino uprisings and executed the leaders. One of these revolts, led by Pablo Zárate Willka, was one of the largest Indian rebellions in the history of the republic. It frightened whites and mestizos, who once again successfully isolated the Indians from national life.
Like their Conservative predecessors, the Liberals controlled the presidential elections but left the elections for the Congress relatively free. They also continued to professionalize the Bolivian military, with the aid of a German military mission. President Ismael Montes Gamboa (1904-09 and 1913-17) dominated the Liberal era.
Liberal administrations gave priority to the settlement of border disputes. Bolivia's inability to protect and integrate the frontier with Brazil had led to the encroachment of Brazilian rubber gatherers. In 1900 they began an active secessionist movement in the eastern province of Acre and after three years of small-scale fighting won annexation by Brazil. In the Treaty of Petropolis in 1903, Bolivia relinquished its claims to 191,000 square kilometers of Acre territory in return for two areas on the Madeira and the Paraguay rivers totaling 5,200 square kilometers, the equivalent of US$10 million, and the use of a railroad to be constructed around the rapids of the Madeira in Brazilian territory. In 1904 Bolivia finally concluded a peace treaty with Chile under which it officially ceded Bolivia's former territory on the coast in return for indemnification of US$8.5 million, less the value of the Bolivian section of a new railroad that Chile would construct from La Paz to the Pacific Coast at Arica. The payment was used to expand the transportation system in Bolivia. By 1920 most major Bolivian cities were connected by rail.
Liberal governments also changed the seat of government and the nature of church-state relations. The presidency and the Congress were moved to La Paz, which became the de facto capital, but the Supreme Court of Justice remained in Sucre. Liberal presidents canceled the special privileges officially granted to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1905 they legalized public worship by other faiths, and in 1911 they made civil marriage a requirement.
Perhaps the most significant development of the Liberal era was the dramatic rise of Bolivian tin production. Since the colonial period, tin had been mined in the Potosí region; nonetheless, Bolivia historically lacked the transportation system necessary to ship large quantities of tin to European markets. The extension of the rail link to Oruro in the 1890s, however, made tin mining a highly profitable business. The decline in European tin production also contributed to the Bolivian tin boom at the beginning of the twentieth century. With the development of huge mines in southern Oruro and northern Potosí, La Paz eclipsed Potosí as the mining industry's financial and service center.
Tin production in Bolivia came to be concentrated in the hands of Bolivian nationals, although the regimes encouraged foreign investment. At first, foreign interests and Bolivians with foreign associations took the major share. This changed, however, when Bolivian tin-mining entrepreneurs realized that smelters in competing countries depended on Bolivian tin. Simón Patiño was the most successful of these tin magnates. Of poor mestizo background, he started as a mining apprentice. By 1924 he owned 50 percent of the national production and controlled the European refining of Bolivian tin. Although Patiño lived permanently abroad by the early 1920s, the two other leading tin-mining entrepreneurs, Carlos Aramayo and Mauricio Hochschild, resided primarily in Bolivia.
Because taxes and fees from tin production were critically important to national revenues, Patiño, Aramayo, and Hochschild exercised considerable influence over government policy. Unlike the silver-mining entrepreneurs of the Conservative period, the tin-mining magnates did not directly intervene in politics but employed politicians and lawyers--known as the rosca --to represent their interests.
The tin boom also contributed to increased social tensions. Indian peasants, who provided most of the labor for the mines, moved from their rural communities to the rapidly growing mining towns, where they lived and worked in precarious situations. Bolivia's First National Congress of Workers met in La Paz in 1912, and in the following years the mining centers witnessed an increasing number of strikes.
Liberal governments at first did not face any serious opposition because the Conservative Party remained weak after its overthrow in 1899. By 1914, however, opposition to political abuses and the loss of national territory led to the formation of the Republican Party (Partido Republicano). Republican support increased when mineral exports declined because of the crisis in international trade before World War I, and agricultural production decreased because of severe droughts. In 1917 the Republicans were defeated at the polls when José Gutiérrez Guerra (1917-20), the last Liberal president, was elected. But the long rule of the Liberals, one of the most stable periods in Bolivian history, ended when the Republicans seized the presidency in a bloodless coup in 1920.
Source: U.S. Library of Congress | <urn:uuid:586eb438-54b5-4d4b-ac7d-79ddabfc44f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://countrystudies.us/bolivia/13.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953831 | 1,254 | 4.1875 | 4 |
Nowadays, smartphones and other advance mobile devices are attractive and leading devices in casual photography. Therefore, Camera companies have to offer a lot to prove their stand-alone cameras. Sony, one of the dominant Camera companies, presently announced about its latest effort i.e. the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 (a touch-screen and card-style camera). This exceptionally slim and stylish designed camera has ability to snap 3D images by taking two rapid-fire shots through a single lens and it offers 16.2 megapixel resolution coupled with a 5× optical zoom.
There is a growing trend of point-and-shoot camera in which TX55 sports slimmer and trendier chassis that is coupled with large touchpanel of LCDs. In addition, the camera can shoot 1080p high-definition video and it has 16.2 megapixel Exmor sensor that can capture great low-light imagery and able to lock onto subjects in very little time as a tenth of a second.
DSC-TX55 allows you to capture a 3-megapixel still photo from a video clip; afterwards you can turn it into a 12-megapixel image which is suitable for larger photos. Your movies and images can be recorded on MicroSDHC or MicroSD cards, also on Sony’s own proprietary Memory Stick Micro (Mark 2) cards, which use the same controller type as in Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo cards. It is also known as fastest micro memory cards by Sony.
The TX55 sports newly added Picture Effect function that support a list of seven Picture Effect options such as Rich-tone Monochrome, HDR Painting, Partial Color, Soft High-key, Miniature, Pop Color and Toy Camera. With all these convenient camera process, shooter’s can expand their artistic possibilities without the need for editing software.
Sony claims to such a distinguishable technology of “By pixel super resolution” which is free from interpolation and magnifying. It can boost the cameras’ zoom range to a virtual 10x only at the image sensor’s maximum resolution of 16.2 million pixels, without losing any quality. This camera uses more classy process that includes “pixel creation and pattern matching” in order to make magnified image much sharper and clearer. Even smart phones don’t have such an optical zoom.
The DSC-TX55 sports several unique modes like a 3D Still Image mode and an Intelligent Sweep Panorama with such a High Resolution mode which can record a 42.9-megapixel panorama shot through automatically stitching multiple photos jointly. The DSC-TX55 camera features innovative new technologies of 3.3-inch OLED touch screen at the back. It enables the selection of camera’s multiple scene modes.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 will be available in September with the price tag of $350. TX55 camera will be available in black, silver, red, and violet versions. This camera is procured by Sony store, sonystyle.com and other authorized dealers and retailers. With the high brand name of Sony, efficient performance and stylish look will give more popularity in slowing camera market.
Specifications of Sony Cybershot DSC-TX55
- Up to ISO 3200 of sensitivity
- Boosts a BIONZ processor
- 26mm wide-angle zoom
- Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode
- Dedicated video button
- DSLR-like picture quality
- Ultra-thin chassis design (12.2 mm)
- Full HD AVCHD video recording
- 16.2 Megapixels Exmor R CMOS sensor
- 3.3” inch Xtra Fine OLED wide touch-screen Monitor
- 1080i full HD-resolution video capability
- 10 frames per second (full resolution) burst mode
- 3D Still Image captures with 3D Sweep Panorama mode and Sweep Multi Angle
- 5x optical zoom and up to 10x with Pixel Super Resolution feature
- Steady Shot image stabilization for Full HD video shooting
- Supports Memory up to 16 GB of removable storage
- Electronic image stabilization for vertical and horizontal handshake correction
- Seven picture effect options | <urn:uuid:c7062f22-b6b3-4c46-8f21-7089806ab9d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://b4tea.com/information/gadgets/sony-cybershot-dsc-tx55-price-specs-of-world%E2%80%99s-thinnest-camera/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901334 | 860 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Gas prices soared. People grumbled. Candidates listened.
That was earlier in the summer, when gas prices soared more than $3 per gallon. While gas prices had slipped below of $2.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in the Illinois Quad-Cities Sunday, voters continue to grumble and candidates continue to talk about energy and fuel consumption.
"The price at the pump has come back (down) but it is still a concern for me and the people of northwest Illinois," Republican Steve Haring, a candidate for state representative in the 71st District, said. "What are the fuel costs this winter going to be?"
Concerns about gas prices comes from all corners: families, social service organizations, farmers mad about diesel prices, and businesses, Democrat Phil Hare, candidate for the 17th Congressional District seat, said.
During the summer, Republican gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka called on incumbent Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich to suspend Illinois' gas tax, a request he didn't heed.
Prices may be easier on the pocketbook than they were, but no one -- voter or candidate -- should forget about energy independence, Andrea Zinga, Republican candidate for the 17th Congressional District seat, said.
People were worried about gas prices in the late 1970s during the OPEC oil embargo but then when prices dropped, they let the issue drop, too. That can't happen now, she said.
"Energy independence is not only economically important to the 17th District, but also to the national security," Ms. Zinga said. "People want to be safe."
Democrat Mike Boland, running for re-election as state representative in the 71st District, agrees.
"We have to keep this pressure on and keep moving toward energy independence," he said.
Ms. Zinga said the 17th District can be a national leader in energy independence, with a number of ethanol plants across the district in the various stage of planning and coal deposits in the southern part of the district. She also favors the 2005 federal energy bill, which called for the increased use of ethanol.
Coal deposits in Fulton and Macoupin counties aren't being tapped, Mr. Hare said. Instead, companies are bringing coal into the state to run power plants.
"We need to get away from being so oil dependent," Mr. Hare said. "We aren't going to do this until we get a commitment from the Congress and the president to wean ourselves off oil."
Nationally, oil companies have to be responsible for explaining record-high profits while consumers face record-high gas prices, Mr. Hare said. Seven weeks from the general election, gas prices are dropping, he noted.
"I think Congress has done a miserable job of holding these people responsible," Mr. Hare said. "We have to have responsible corporations that are willing to stand up and answer the tough questions."
Ms. Zinga disagrees, saying oil executives testifying in Congress isn't part of the solution to the nation's energy woes.
"I don't think hauling the oil executives in front of Congress is the answer," she said. "It is reinvestment."
Energy conservation efforts have already started in the General Assembly, Mr. Boland said. He says he has supported legislation requiring state vehicles be either flex-fuel compatible or hybrid, and diesel vehicles be bio-diesel compatible. He also voted for a resolution to be sent to Congress asking that the sales tax credit for hybrids be extended to flex-fuel vehicles.
"I think the demand for these is shown by GM and Ford jumping ahead of the Japanese on these flex-fuel vehicles," Mr. Boland said.
Though he supported a previous suspension of the gasoline sales tax, and said he would support another one, he doesn't see it as a long-term answer, only short-term savings for consumers. He does support legislation that suspends the sales tax for flex-fuel vehicles.
The number of planned ethanol plants is also heartening, Mr. Boland said.
"I think it will create a lot of jobs, not just construction jobs, but permanent jobs," he said, "and that will help our small towns."
More can be done, Mr. Haring said. The state needs to push for more research and development and the state government needs to partner with corporations, offering tax credits for new technology, assistance with promotion and marketing of new products, and other incentives.
"This is an important issue that we need to develop policies and partnerships that should be multi-faceted," Mr. Haring said. "It is high time the state of Illinois steps up and becomes a leader and not a follower."
Moline, IL Details
|(More Print Ads)| | <urn:uuid:3e852fb4-add4-4f0a-88ea-c465a77eb322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=306273 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969983 | 986 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Here I’ll show you how to make anything bigger on your film by getting your camera closer and using extension tubes, or macro tubes.
Archive for the ‘Videos’ category
This is part 1 of 2 which discusses the benefits of the glass prism finder, using the rubber lens hood, which filters are needed for film, and why you need a pneumatic release. The second part is taking the camera apart (not THAT far apart) to show the ground glass, magazine adapter and so on [...]
I thought a video on how to take sprocket hole photos would be fun, so here it is. If more people used high quality cameras for this we could get clear, sharp panoramic photos with the holes on flickr, as right now they are all blurry and contain light leaking from toy cameras. As I [...]
Shooting how-to discussing depth of field to aperture relationship, the use of light meters, and developing the instant film.
I uploaded this video to YouTube a week ago and thought it would be good to notify those on my blogs of it. As the title indicates, it is of assembling the camera and loading Fuji film. It has a beginning sequence I made when I was feeling creative. Hopefully people who find the video [...] | <urn:uuid:2bfd191e-2491-4d4e-9fb9-8b09b6dfcd4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hyperreplica.com/category/videos/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945573 | 261 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The Cycle Sol solar-powered bike is a concept that aims to make the lives of eco-friendly commuters far less strenuous. The Cycle Sol features a canopy that is covered with solar cells. As the cyclist pedals, the solar cells provide power for a small motor at the rear of the bike that will propel the rider along at up to 15 miles per hour.
The motor in the Cycle Sol solar-powered bike would also help propel the rider up steep hills, greatly reducing the amount of effort required to navigate particularly hilly cities.
This solar-powered bike was invented by Miroslav Miljevic of Z & Co Design in London. Miljevic says that the Cycle Sol can be fully charged while the bike is chained up outside on a sunny day. It can also be plugged into an electrical source--a useful cloudy-day detail.
10,280 clicks in 241 w
More Stats +/- | <urn:uuid:81512d58-0d6d-4128-be87-c3d241a0f5d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-powered-bike | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949087 | 186 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Posted at: 02/07/2013 9:28 PM
Updated at: 02/07/2013 10:16 PM
By: John Doetkott
Flu Season Slowing, But Still Deadly
(ABC 6 News) -- Minnesota's flu numbers may be on the decline, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet.
The outbreak is still proving deadly as the flu continues to claim lives throughout the state.
The Minnesota Department of Health has said we are now past the peak of the outbreak, but the situation is still serious.
Fifteen more people died last week from the flu, bringing the state total up to 127 for the season. Another 108 people were hospitalized last week, bringing that total to 2,612. Another 19 schools reported outbreaks across the state last week, but the situation is improving.
The number of people showing flu-like symptoms is down significantly from a few weeks ago. Health officials also say there is not nearly the rush for flu-shots as more and more people have been vaccinated against the illness.
With an outbreak that came earlier than expected, public health officials praised local hospitals and clinics for their ability to respond.
“They're easily able to adjust to the needs of what's happening in the community,” said Dawn Beck, associate director of Olmsted County Public Health. “And what I saw here was that they adjusted very well. Yes they saw a surge of things, but they definitely were able to handle it."
Health officials still encourage anyone who hasn’t gotten a flu shot already to do so as soon as possible. They say there have been no shortages of vaccine reported anywhere in the area. | <urn:uuid:812fd167-958c-4631-9e47-92271499fefb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S2924735.shtml?cat=10226 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981854 | 347 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The Story of Saint Francis
and the San Damiano Crucifix
Saint Francis was born into a wealthy merchant family in Assisi in the Umbrian region of Italy. He went often to pray in a nearby chapel called San Damiano. One day he heard a voice from the cross: "Francis, go and repair my house which, as you see, is all being destroyed." Without hesitation Francis took a costly piece of silk from his father’s warehouse, sold it, and with the money bought stones to repair the chapel. Later he came to see that the request was to build up the house of God, the Church. Angry with Francis for his thievery, his merchant father took Francis to the court of the bishop. Francis gave up his inheritance in order to devote himself completely to the mission received from God.
The San Damiano crucifix is referred to as an icon cross because it contains images in a way similar to icons done in the Eastern Christian tradition: Jesus, Mary the mother of Jesus, John, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and the centurion who expressed his belief in Christ are featured on the painting. The Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus and the soldier who offered Him the sponge dipped in wine are pictured at the bottom. There is a small rooster as a reminder of Peter’s denial, as well as a reminder not to put too much reliance on our own strength.
The figure of Christ is not of a suffering human but of a resurrected Christ, wearing priestly garments and showing little evidence of his suffering except for wounds in his hands, side and feet. At the top of the cross is a fully robed Jesus ascending into heaven.
At the foot of the cross is a picture of six figures that some believe to be the patron saints of Umbria; others believe it is a representation of the Last Supper. This would correspond to the notion that the artist was picturing the redeeming act of Jesus as it was described in John’s Gospel, from the Last Supper through his death on the cross, his resurrection and ascension to the Father. Six angels rest on the crossbar, and at the top of the cross, angels crowd around Jesus as the right hand of God blesses all that He has done. | <urn:uuid:ded000bc-599d-4ea3-a0f9-7d95c4307589> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sf.edu/sf/mission/sandamiano | 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 | 0.984926 | 469 | 2.859375 | 3 |
New cookbook features tons of recipes, tips for saving time on preparation, cooking and cleanup
Packed from cover to cover with advice, recommendations, tips and hundreds of tried-and-tested recipes, "The America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook" is one that you'll want to keep close to the stove.
While the recipes, which cover everything from appetizers and soups to baked goods and shortcut desserts, are central, the book also is a treasure trove of information about products, cooking techniques and food brands, coupled with tips for saving time on preparation, cooking and cleanup.
Along with the recipe for Chickpea Cakes With Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, for instance, the authors not only advise readers that their favorite brand of Greek yogurt is Olympus Traditional, they explain that they liked it best because of its "rich, satiny texture and buttery, tangy flavor."
With the recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken With Green Beans, readers learn the best method of slicing a garlic clove, and, along with Pan-Seared Pork Chops With Braised Cabbage comes a tip for preventing boneless pork chops from curling.
The cookbook's instructions are detailed and comprehensive, explaining exactly what ingredients to use and how to use them. The 464-page book also contains dividers to separate the chapters; a chart with equivalents and conversions information; a shopping guide; and a brand comparison of staples, including pasta, canned tomatoes, oils and vinegars, cheeses, spices, coffees and more.
A favorite feature found throughout the book is "Putting Ingredients to Work," which highlights an item such as canned beans and gives readers five quick and easy recipes for using them. Using canned beans, cooks can easily make Red Bean and Rice Soup, Easy 3-Bean Chili, Cajun Black-Eyed Pea Soup, BBQ Chicken Chili or Tuscan White Bean Soup, the recipes for which are all contained on a single page.
The "Kid Friendly" chapter contains clever recipes for making your own Hot Pockets, Pasta Os, Chicken Fingers and Alphabet Soup With Chicken, and the chapter called "Pressure Cooker" walks readers through the theory and technique of cooking with a pressure cooker as well as provides 14 recipes for quick meals.
And the cookbook's binder format enables cooks to remove the pages containing the recipes they want and eliminates the need for handling the bulky book while cooking.
The "America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook" is divided into 19 chapters, each containing an interesting variety of recipes, tips and recommendations: "Getting Started"; "Appetizers & Snacks"; "Soups "Salad for Supper"; "Sandwiches, Pizzas and Calzones"; "Casserole Favorites"; "Pasta"; "Poultry"; "Meat"; and "Seafood."
Also, "Vegetarian Mains," "Dinner off the Grill"; "Eggs for Dinner"; "Pressure Cooker"; "Kid Friendly"; "Simple Sides"; "Quick Baked Goods;" "Cookies and Bars"; and "Shortcut Desserts." The "Quick Pantry, Equivalents and Conversions" and the "America's Test Kitchen Shopping Guide" round out the book's offerings.
America's Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston, and is home to Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines. "America's Test Kitchen" also is the title of a popular TV show that is filmed in the test kitchen and aired on public television.
The America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook, which would be a great holiday gift for an aspiring cook, retails for $34.95 and is available in major bookstores. You can get it for a discounted price of $24.50 from America's Test Kitchen online bookstore at www.cooksillustrated.com/cookbooks.
Contact Susan Shelly: email@example.com.
(Image by: Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen) | <urn:uuid:fbcd9a07-c58c-426e-8b5e-abdce8a22470> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://readingeagle.com/mobile/article.aspx?id=425764 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91872 | 843 | 1.5 | 2 |
Robert Chisholm's letter (Daily Camera, Dec. 15) illuminates the problem we face in this country. Until we change people's attitudes about possessing guns we won't be able to stop the violence.
The shooter in Connecticut apparently used guns registered to his mother. Either she bought them herself or she bought them for him. He had access to them because it was "OK" in his mother's mind to have guns at home.
We have made significant headway with tobacco cessation by making it socially unacceptable to smoke. We need to adopt the same attitude toward guns - discourage gun ownership in our own homes and in those with whom we socialize. It needs to start from the bottom up. | <urn:uuid:88dd1e8d-ad6f-48c9-9a57-cbd44377d42d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_22208923/entertainment/entertainment/entertainment/classicalmusic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985881 | 145 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Produced in almost every wine region in the world, Chardonnay is truly a special variety that is considered one of the most complex of White varieties. Rich in fruit flavors such as Peach, Pear, Apple, and some Tropical fruit, it is a treat to get a good bottle of Chardonnay and enjoy it by itself or with a good meal.
Many Chardonnays are aged in Oak barrels which impart a layer of complexity to the finished wine. Chardonnays tend to be consumed within 3 to 4 years after being made. It is not a wine for long aging.
Chardonnay is a medium producing grape with average sized clusters and berries. It ripens earlier than most of the red varieties which helps it be less susceptible to late rains and rot.
Wine grapes have small berry like fruit with seeds. The flavor and color of wine is derived primarily from the skins.
The best locations for planting grape vines are on slopes with good drainage and poor fertility.
Select a variety based on your climate and the type of wine desired. Find out if there are any vineyards in your area and what variety they grow. If they are having success with a specific variety you probably will as well.
Keep in mind each vine yields an average of one gallon of wine, but plant extra to make up for fruit loss from birds and other causes.
Our vines are 1–year old plants, self–rooted from cuttings, no.1 grade with about 8” of top growth. Sold by individual bare–root vine. | <urn:uuid:15be04ac-24cd-4637-9c10-677f024bdc3a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://groworganic.com/grape-wine-chardonnay-each.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962466 | 322 | 2.046875 | 2 |
How about assigning a static ip to the mac address of the Debian machine's
nic, done in /etc/dhcpcd.conf || /etc/dhcp/dhcpcd.conf or [other dhcpcd
The question I would like to this are, how are you going to asign the ip
address automatically, is it a dhcp client.
Maintained by the ILUG website team. The aim of Linux.ie is to
support and help commercial and private users of Linux in Ireland. You can
display ILUG news in your own webpages, read backend
information to find out how. Networking services kindly provided by HEAnet, server kindly donated by
Dell. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds,
used with permission. No penguins were harmed in the production or maintenance
of this highly praised website. Looking for the
Indian Linux Users' Group? Try here. If you've read all this and aren't a lawyer: you should be! | <urn:uuid:f1b57ec9-010c-42a2-b7d9-9782f82dbcfc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linux.ie/lists/pipermail/ilug/2002-June/047173.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930247 | 211 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The Zend Developer Zone has another new tutorial from Padraic Brady talking about testing your applications (i.e. unit tests). In this new article, he expands on his previous one and dives a bit deeper into the behaviour-driven development process.
In this article, I introduce a TDD related practice called Behaviour-Driven Development which has been gathering attention for over a year and gaining converts (like me!).
He briefly covers what BDD is and how it can be used to solidify code against issues that might come up down the road (and how it compares to test-driven development). Some sample code/tests are included to give you a better idea of how it all fits together - a set of scenarios for any given "story". True to the title, Padraic writes his tests around the construction of a Klingon Bird of Prey ship. | <urn:uuid:ffa18072-6df7-49aa-8c31-80755981f105> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phpdeveloper.org/news/9608 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943958 | 177 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away
He had kept his head, kept his health and his strength, bearing up under a weight of work and worry that only a few could have carried.
Hygiene is two thirds of health.
Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects the health. You have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt.
Quit worrying about your health. It will go away.
Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away.
A disquieting era of genetic manipulation is coming, one that may revolutionize human capacities, and notions of health. If we treat moral scruples impatiently, as inherently retrograde in a scientifically advancing civilization, we will not be in moral trim when, soon, our very humanity depends on our being in trim.
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly
Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
Architecture is the art which so disposes and adorns the edifices raised by man, that the sight of them may contribute to his mental health, power, and pleasure.
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.
To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.
Health is the state about which medicine has nothing to say.
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones
Health and appetite impart the sweetness to sugar, bread, and meat.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
The quality of water and the quality of life in all its infinite forms are critical parts of the overall, ongoing health of this planet of ours, not just here in the Amazon, but everywhere... The hardest part of any big project is to begin. We have begun. We are underway. We have a passion. We want to make a difference
Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children's lifetime.
The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land
A good job is more than just a paycheck. A good job fosters independence and discipline, and contributes to the health of the community. A good job is a means to provide for the health and welfare of your family, to own a home, and save for retirement.
Quality child care, health insurance coverage, and training make it possible for former welfare recipients to get, and keep,jobs.
Plants are the young of the world. Vessels of health and vigor; but they grope ever upward towards consciousness; the trees are imperfect man, and seem to bemoan their imprisonment, rooted in the ground.
The art of land doctoring is being practiced with vigor, but the science of land health is yet to be born.
I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles.
Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet
Fundamental Christian values include preserving one's own health, feeding the hungry, preventing animal abuse, and protecting the environment. Vegetarianism effectively promotes these values | <urn:uuid:487a0221-5481-4d97-8a3a-1e9fb46a483a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.finestquotes.com/quotes/on/Health/4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968763 | 770 | 1.695313 | 2 |
1) Facebook has proved the importance of the “social graph” in Internet usage and as a business model, but it’s not necessarily going to remain the main social graph;
2) Photo sharing and tagging is one of the features driving Facebook usage;
3) One strategy for entrepreneurs is to make compelling apps around the social plus photo business model on the theory that ultimately such a product will be useful for someone else who wants to go social or Facebook itself. These are perhaps smaller bets.
4) But if you also believe Facebook is not inevitable as the main social graph, you also make some big bets to dislodge it or create an alternative to it. You do that by leading with one of the features (photos) that are driving it, to demonstrate larger ideas of how the social graph can be more useful, e.g., see Fred Wilson’s post and some of the comments in the discussion following his post about elastic and/or temporary and/or implicitly formed social graphs.
I have no idea if this is the logic behind the investment, and it’s probably not. One issue if you’re going for the Facebook replacement is how you place such a bet before the service is launched when it’s not clear people will take to it (perhaps there were compelling smaller focus group trials). At least some of the comments I have read suggest that it’s not obvious to people what is the point, although in all fairness other social apps such as Twitter have taken a while to sprout as well. Whatever you think of Color specifically, I think you have to applaud the appetite to make big bets in overcoming the social networking Goliath.
As an aside, there has been an absurd amount of PR at Color’s launch. I saw a story in Forbes where a number of its editorial staff wandered through MOMA using the app, and wrote up short pieces in the magazine about the experience. I didn’t find these pieces very helpful in “getting” the app. | <urn:uuid:a4790ce0-9a23-4075-93bc-3c9aa70a6a1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://takingpitches.com/2011/03/30/color-and-the-appetite-for-making-big-bets-on-social-graph-alternatives/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967855 | 418 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The first edition of this book, edited by the late Fr. Leonard Foley, O.F.M., came out in 1975. It has been revised and updated for the sixth time by Fr. Patrick McCloskey, O.F.M. The book does not present a saint or a blessed for every day of the year, while some days feature more than one saint or blessed according to the revised calendar approved by Pope John Paul II. At least one blessed is placed on the wrong date here - Blessed John XXIIIís feast is presented as being on June 3, when it is actually on October 11 (the only noticeable mistake and a minor one).
The entry for each saint begins with the date, the saintís name, what profession he or she was and those dates. A short biography is followed by a short commentary and a quote either by the saint or by someone else regarding that saint. The entries are a page and half to two pages long. A table of contents is arranged by month, and there is an index at the end of the book.
This book includes saints and blessed with whom most people are familiar - Mary, the Mother of God, St. Joseph, St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese, St. Gregory the Great, and many others. New saints and blessed have been added to this edition, such as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Blessed John XXIII, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Katharine Drexel, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, and more.
Additional saints and blessed could have been found to be placed on the days that here remain empty. Perhaps the seventh edition will include a saint or blessed for each day of the year. What is presented in this current edition is quite good and readable. The biographies, comments, and quotes are inspiring and informative, making this highly recommended to those interested in a down-to-earth book about some of the saints and blessed. | <urn:uuid:3696df44-1967-41fa-99be-69e88ee1ca32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.curledup.com/saintday.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964179 | 414 | 1.914063 | 2 |
contact (866) 860-1060
The Botanic name for a plant is its formal Latin name and is accepted worldwide so gardeners from different countries will be able to recognize the same plant. Botanical names are plant specific and eliminate confusion. Referencing a plant by its botanical name will ensure the most accurate information for your search.
The Botanical name includes both the plant genus and species. The first name listed is the genus and refers to the structural characteristics that the plants share. The second name listed is the species and refers to where the plant is native, its appearance, or the person credited to its discovery. Varieties, Cultivars, and Hybrid are additional words used to describe further subdivisions. | <urn:uuid:fc8f4a19-3faa-4158-b764-ce3ed54ee2f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shrubsource.com/shop-by-botanical-name/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944915 | 148 | 2.96875 | 3 |
CHICAGO – June 24, 2010. The Economic Recovery Commission today presented its final report to Governor Pat Quinn detailing recommendations to improve upon Illinois’ 21st-century business model and help rebuild the state’s position as a strong, expanding economic power.
“I appreciate the hard work of the Economic Recovery Commission,” said Governor Quinn. “Its insights will help us work together to build on our existing assets and position our state for strong, lasting recovery as we move out of this historic recession.”
The report noted that the state offers an extraordinary array of programs designed to support new and existing businesses, retain workers, and expand exports. Among a number of findings, the commissioners found that many Illinois businesses are unaware of the resources offered by the state of Illinois, and that some of those programs should be refocused and recommitted to meet the needs of today’s global marketplace.
“Illinois has been addressing the challenges of the 21st century with techniques, plans and mindsets formed in the 1970s,” said commission co-chair Alex Rorke, Managing Director and Head of Public Finance for Loop Capital Markets in Chicago. “We must make sure Illinois is at the forefront in venture capital, global marketing and sustainability, leading the world in best practices for infrastructure planning, smart grid technologies, workforce education and overall economic development.”
Governor Quinn created the Economic Recovery Commission by executive order to provide guidance for dealing with the current economic downturn, while also preparing plans to ensure the long-term health and prosperity of Illinois’ economy. The commission, a diverse group of 40 well-regarded Illinoisans representing a wide range of professions and expertise, has held public hearings and conducted extensive research in preparing the report. Its report provides independent, non-partisan guidance on how best to recover from the current economic downturn and position the Illinois economy for long-term health and prosperity.
“We have great financial, intellectual, and technological resources,” the commission said in its report, presented to Governor Quinn on Thursday. “We now must work together to combine those resources to continue to build a bright and successful future for Illinois.”
Earlier today, Governor Quinn signed legislation to create the Angel Investment Tax Credit. The new tax credit encourages investment into innovative Illinois businesses that are working to get off the ground. Under the new law, investors may claim 25 percent of an investment into a qualified Illinois business venture - up to $2 million in investment for a $500,000 credit. The program is capped at $10 million in tax credits, which will drive $40 million in investment. Governor Quinn first announced the Angel Investment Tax Credit, a measure endorsed by the Economic Recovery Commission, in a speech he gave in December as part of his Illinois Economic Recovery Plan.
“This report tells us that Illinois already has all the ingredients for a strong, healthy economy,” said Governor Quinn. “It’s initiatives like the Angel Investment Tax Credit and the Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit that will help small businesses; like the enhanced Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Tax Credit that is ensuring Ford Motor Company will add 1,200 workers right here in Illinois; and like the Illinois Jobs Now! capital bill – the first capital bill the state has seen in ten years – that has led to five positive months of job growth in Illinois. The Economic Recovery Commission will help us make sure that job growth continues for months and years down the road.”
The Economic Recovery Commission’s recommendations were divided among six major committees: Innovation, Global Markets, Sustainable Energy, Infrastructure, Education and Government. Each committee offered a strong list of recommendations on ways for Illinois to re-establish its leadership as a vibrant economic force in the global economy by combining existing financial, intellectual, and technological resources in new ways.
Those recommendations include:
- Innovation: Increase access to capital, especially the supply of seed and early stage venture capital for young companies with high-growth potential
- Global Markets: Leverage the Illinois Office of Trade and Investment by working closely with the many international multiplier organizations with strong Illinois connections that already attract foreign direct investment in Illinois and promote Illinois exports.
- Sustainable Energy: Work in partnership with the Illinois Finance Authority to expand affordable funding sources for energy-efficient projects and products.
- Infrastructure: Require all state agencies to assign a high priority to transit-efficient sites in awarding grants and tax incentives.
- Education: Encourage community-school partnerships and create a clearinghouse to provide information on model partnership programs throughout the state.
- Government: In consultation with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), develop budget accounting practices that provide transparent and comprehensive information on long-term debt and asset values.
“It is imperative that we position Illinois for strong, swift, and permanent recovery from the current recession,” Rorke said. “We must find new, effective ways to deploy our many valuable resources and reestablish Illinois as a global leader in commerce and job creation.”
Governor Quinn said his staff will study the Economic Recovery Commission’s report and work with commission members to implement recommendations and find new ways to deploy state assets more effectively.
The read the full report and bios of the commission members, please visit Economy.Illinois.gov. | <urn:uuid:958b9411-5311-4b77-8308-b8cb14d650c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=8568 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937649 | 1,096 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Greater-Than-Class C Low-Level Radioactive Waste (GTCC LLRW) and GTCC-like Waste
For purposes of the EIS, these wastes are addressed as three waste types: sealed sources, activated metals, and Other Wastes.
Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) LLRW is LLRW in which the concentrations of radionuclides exceed the limits for Class C LLRW established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 10 CFR 61.55. GTCC LLRW is generated in the commercial sector under NRC or Agreement State licensed activities.
The NRC has categorized LLRW into four classes (A, B, C, and GTCC) based on the concentration of specific short-lived and long-lived radionuclides given in two tables in 10 CFR 61.55. These waste categories are illustrated in the following table.
||Least hazardous - short & long-lived waste that will not endanger inadvertent human intruder beyond 100 years
||More hazardous - short-lived wastes that will not endanger inadvertent intruder beyond 100 years
||Near-Surface with 300 year waste stability
||More hazardous short and long-lived wastes that will not endanger inadvertent intruder beyond 500 years
||Near-Surface with 300 year waste stability, and greater depth or 500 year intruder barrier
||Most hazardous of LLRW - dangerous to inadvertent intruder beyond 500 years. Must be disposed in geologic repository unless alternate method proposed by DOE and approved by NRC
||To be determined
In addition to the GTCC LLRW generated as a result of NRC or Agreement State licensed activities, DOE generates or owns waste containing concentrations of radionuclides that are similar to GTCC LLRW. These wastes are referred to as GTCC-like waste, and are being addressed in this EIS along with GTCC LLRW.
Three Waste Types
For purposes of the EIS, GTCC LLRW and GTCC-like waste are being addressed as being in one of three waste types: sealed sources, activated metals, and Other Wastes.
Sealed sources consist of small quantities of highly radioactive materials enclosed in metal containers. These sources are commonly used to sterilize medical products, detect flaws and failures in pipelines and metal welds, determine moisture content in soil and other materials, and diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer. Radionuclides commonly used in sealed sources include cesium-137 and americium-241.
Activated metals result from decommissioning nuclear reactors. Portions of the reactor assembly and other components near the nuclear fuel are activated by neutrons during reactor operations, producing high concentrations or radionuclides. The major radionuclides in these wastes are typically manganese-54, iron-55, cobalt-60, and nickel-63.
The third waste type is Other Waste resulting from the planned domestic production of molybdenum-99, which is used in medical procedures (e.g., to detect cancer); the production of radioisotope power systems in support of space exploration and national security; and the environmental cleanup of commercial and DOE sites. This waste type includes contaminated equipment, debris, trash, scrap metal, and decontamination and decommissioning waste. These wastes can include a number of physical forms and a range of radionuclides may be present in these wastes. The radionuclides of most concern in these wastes are generally expected to be technetium-99, cesium-137, and americium-241.
A majority of the GTCC-like waste in this waste type consists of transuranic (TRU) waste that may have originated from non-defense activities, and therefore is not authorized for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) under the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, Public Law 102-579, and has no other currently identified path to disposal. That is, these wastes may contain concentrations of alpha-emitting TRU radionuclides with half-lives greater than 20 years in concentrations exceeding 100 nanocuries per gram (nCi/g). These TRU wastes may not have a path to disposal if they are determined to have been generated from non-defense activities. The long-term hazard associated with these wastes is similar to that posed by other GTCC LLRW, and are being addressed in this EIS.
Links to additional information on this topic are also available on the Links page. | <urn:uuid:968a961b-acff-414e-83b8-a9cca71a30c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gtcceis.anl.gov/guide/gtccllw/index.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913372 | 932 | 3.265625 | 3 |
The Newberry Seminar on technology, Politics, and Culture, co-sponsored by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Roosvelt University, and Northwestern University present:
"Language Matters: Explaining Events in the Modern Murder Novel"
Stephen Kern, Northern Illinois University
Friday, February 15, 2002, 3:30-5:00 pm
Theories of causation in the human science have changed markedly in the past century and a half. This essay analyzes these changes by using modern novels as a source. In particular, it demonstrates how in the twentieth century novelists - influenced, in part, by developments in linguistics - began to invest language with greater causal significance. In so doing, it expands our understanding of technology to embrace language itself.
The seminar format assumes that all participants have read the essay in advance, and that all those requesting a paper will attend the seminar.
Please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.
When requesting a paper, please specify hard copy or e-mail attachment; we prefer the latter.
To be placed on the mailing list for notices of presentation dates and for further information, contact the Scholl Center for Family and Community History at the Newberry Library, 312-255-3524 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
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announcements appearing in this service. (Administration) | <urn:uuid:baf1b12d-c213-4bf7-96a1-c6a795817f54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=129515 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901026 | 352 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Details, quoting from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | De Havilland-Canada DHC-1A Chipmunk, Pennzoil Special
De Havilland originally designed the Chipmunk after World War II as a primary trainer to replace the venerable Tiger Moth. Among the tens of thousands of pilots who trained in or flew the Chipmunk for pleasure was veteran aerobatic and movie pilot Art Scholl. He flew his Pennzoil Special at air shows throughout the 1970s and early '80s, thrilling audiences with his skill and showmanship and proving that the design was a top-notch aerobatic aircraft.
Art Scholl purchased the DHC-1A in 1968. He modified it to a single-seat airplane with a shorter wingspan and larger vertical fin and rudder, and made other changes to improve its performance. Scholl was a three-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, an air racer, and a movie and television stunt pilot. At air shows, he often flew with his dog Aileron on his shoulder or taxied with him standing on the wing.
Gift of the Estate of Arthur E. Scholl
De Havilland Canada Ltd.
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Wingspan: 9.4 m (31 ft)
Length: 7.9 m (26 ft)
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft 1 in)
Weight, empty: 717 kg (1,583 lb)
Weight, gross: 906 kg (2,000 lb)
Top speed: 265 km/h (165 mph)
Engine: Lycoming GO-435, 260 hp
Overall: Aluminum Monocoque
Single-engine monoplane. Lycoming GO-435, 260 hp engine.
The de Havilland Chipmunk was originally designed as a post World War II primary trainer, a replacement for the venerable de Havilland Tiger Moth training biplane used by the air forces of the British Commonwealth throughout World War II. Among the tens of thousands of pilots who trained in or flew the Chipmunk for pleasure was veteran aerobatic and movie pilot Art Scholl. He flew his Pennzoil Special at airshows around the country throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, thrilling audiences with skill and showmanship, and proving that the design itself was a top-notch aerobatic aircraft.
The Chipmunk was designed, initially built and flown by de Havilland Canada subsidiary, hence the very Canadian "woods country" sounding name of Chipmunk that complemented their other aircraft the Beaver, Otter, and Caribou. The prototype first flew on May 22, 1946 in Toronto. DeHavilland of Canada produced 158 Chipmunks and de Havilland in England produced 740 airplanes for training at various Royal Air Force and University Air Squadrons during the late 1940s and into the 1950s. In 1952, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh took his initial flight training in a Chipmunk. It was also used in other roles, such as light communications flights in Germany and for internal security duties on the island of Cyprus.
The Chipmunk was an all-metal, low wing, tandem two-place, single engine airplane with a conventional tail wheel landing gear. It had fabric-covered control surfaces and a clear plastic canopy covering the pilot and passenger/student positions. The production versions of the airplane were powered by a 145 hp in-line de Havilland Gipsy Major "8" engine.
Art Scholl purchased two Canadian-built Chipmunks from the surplus market after they became available in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He purchased the two-place DHC-1A, N114V, first and it now resides in the Experimental Aircraft Association's museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 1968, Scholl bought another DHC-1A and began extensive modifications that resulted in almost a completely new aircraft. He covered over one cockpit to reconfigure the aircraft into a single-place aircraft and installed a (fuel injected) 260 hp Lycoming GO-435 flat-opposed 6-cylinder engine. He removed 20 inches from each wingtip and changed the airfoil section of the tip area. The reduction in span led to the need to lengthen the ailerons inboard to retain control effectiveness. This in turn reduced the flaps to where they became somewhat ineffective, and, since the flaps really were not required for the normal show and aerobatic routines, he removed them as a weight saving measure. These modifications improved the low speed tip stall characteristics and improved roll performance during aerobatic maneuvers.
The vertical fin and rudder acquired a 25% increase in area and an increased rudder throw to manage the effects of increased engine torque and for better directional control during slow-speed aerobatic routines. The standard fixed landing gear was replaced with a retractable gear from a Bellanca airplane. The landing gear was subsequently damaged during a belly landing and resulted in a permanent wheel toe-in that was never repaired. This caused a tire drag during takeoffs and landings that led to the need for tire replacement after about 10 takeoffs and landings. Other idiosyncrasies were the pitot static tube being fashioned from a golf club shaft and a 3-inch extension added to the cockpit control stick to ease the control loads during the more severe aerobatic routines. Scholl also installed rear-view mirrors on both sides of the cowling just forward of the windscreen. He placed an RAF placard on the instrument panel as a memorial to some Vulcan bomber crew members who were his personal friends. He installed three smoke generators with red, white, and blue smoke for his show routines that included the Lomcevak tumbling/tailslide maneuver.
Scholl designed most of these modifications himself, drawing upon his Ph.D. and his 18 years as a university professor in aeronautics. He held all pilot ratings, and was a licensed aircraft and powerplant (A&P) mechanic and an authorized FAA Inspector. He was also a three-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, an air racer (placing several times at the National Air Races at Reno), an airshow pilot, and a fixed base operator with a school of international aerobatics. In 1959, Scholl began working for legendary Hollywood pilots Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz at Tallmantz Aviation and then later formed his own movie production company, producing and performing aerial photography and stunts for many movies and television shows. At airshows, Scholl often flew with his dog Aileron, who rode the wing as Scholl taxied on the runway or sat on his shoulder in the aircraft.
Art Scholl was killed in 1985 while filming in a Pitts Special for the movie Top Gun. Art Scholl's estate donated the Pennzoil Special, N13Y, serial number 23, and his staff delivered it to the Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland on August 18, 1987. It is currently on display at the Museum's Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia. | <urn:uuid:b566c738-45d5-4d72-902d-5fd43dc745c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flickr.com/photos/9161595@N03/5779032518 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964921 | 1,493 | 2.875 | 3 |
New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) A sharp fall is expected in the growth of industrial sectors such as textile machinery, cement and fertiliser in the April-June quarter owing to the rupee's depreciation, high inflation and fiscal deficit, a study said Sunday.
"The sector-wise analysis on performance of the industry sector clearly indicated that almost all sectors on an average expect decelerating production growth during the first quarter of 2012-13," said a survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Ascon.
"While there are fewer sectors in the excellent and high category for all segments, most of the sectors' output growth is concentrated in low category," it added.
The survey was conducted across 114 sectors having more than 35,000 companies.
According to it, sectors comprising electronic motors, earthmoving and construction equipment, rubber goods, tyres and crude are expected to register low growth of 0 to 10 percent.
The share has moved up to 52.6 percent of the total in the quarter under review as compared to 42.2 percent in first quarter of 2011.
Sectors comprising textile machinery, transformer and pumps are estimated to fall in negative territory. The percentage has increased from 5.2 percent in Q1 2011 to 15.7 percent in Q1 2012.
Sectors comprising automobile, energy meters, ball and roller bearings and scooters with high growth will be having 10-20 percent growth.
The share has decreased to 24.5 percent in the quarter under review from 31.8 percent in the like period of the previous financial year.
However 7.2 percent of the sectors including LCD, LED, microwave ovens are expected to register an excellent growth of more than 20 percent.
"Most of the respondents of the Ascon survey revealed that the deceleration was mainly due to monetary tightening measures of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to control inflation and the effect of global economic slowdown which had a dampening effect on the demand," CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee said.
"The situation calls for concerted effort from the government and the RBI to ensure that we have a cohesive economic recovery plan," he added. | <urn:uuid:1969ac32-5547-4480-9f6a-ee5a4cac3669> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://smehorizon.sulekha.com/sharp-fall-expected-in-industrial-growth_india-business-newsitem_1335369 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959467 | 446 | 1.5 | 2 |
US 'rebalances in Asia-Pacific'
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has embarked on a nine-day trip to Asia which will include what a senior defence official calls a "maj
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has embarked on a nine-day trip to Asia which will include what a senior defence official calls a "major policy speech" about the US role in the Asia-Pacific region.
With US troops out of Iraq and soon to draw down from Afghanistan, the Obama administration is putting an increased focus on the Asia-Pacific region, calling it a rebalance of foreign policy and defence priorities.
When the country's new Defence Strategic Guidance was issued in January, Panetta said: "The US military will increase its institutional weight and focus on enhanced presence, power projection, and deterrence in Asia-Pacific.
"This region is growing in importance to the future of the United States in terms of our economy and our national security."
On this trip, Panetta will make stops in Singapore, Vietnam, and India.
"The core of what we're trying to do with this swing through Asia is give a comprehensive account to partners and everyone in the region about what the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific will mean in practice," said a senior defence official.
Panetta will deliver the major policy speech at the Asia Security Summit, or Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore on Saturday.
In the past six months, the US deployed a contingent of Marines to Australia and announced a realignment of US bases in the region.
Some analysts say the rebalance is meant to counter China's growing power in the region. When the deployment of Marines was announced last November, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said: "It may not be quite appropriate to intensify and expand military alliances and may not be in the interest of countries within this region."
US officials deny the rebalance is in response to any one country. But defence officials won't confirm if Panetta will meet his Chinese counterpart during the trip.
As members of Congress consider cuts to defence spending, Panetta will use the speech to address how the rebalance will be resourced.
Senior defence officials say Panetta will also clarify what the rebalance means for the US's military posture in the Asia-Pacific region.
Follow Camille Elhassani on Twitter: @celhassani | <urn:uuid:3e70cd05-e2e5-4d92-b57f-ccd4d062bf36> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/americas/us-rebalances-asia-pacific | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945209 | 492 | 1.546875 | 2 |
NZSAS – the First 50 years by Ron Crosby
Penguin Viking, 2009, $65.
Khaki Angels – Kiwi Stretcher-bearers in the First and Second World Wars by Brendan O’Carroll
Ngaio Press, Wellington, 2009
Reviewed by KERRY TANKARD
My grandfather’s war began shortly after he won the Wellington Cup at Trentham in 1940, and ended in the North African Desert, captured by Rommel as a part of the NZDF Expeditionary Force there, after which time he was captive in Germany as a POW. Two of my maternal great-uncles died in the mud of Northern France during the Great War, as well.
Both these recently published histories made me reflect on the experiences of these family members and the impact they made upon my life.
I found the stretcher-bearers’ histories – many based on interviews with surviving members – more sympathetic, although the illustrations are the kind that were never shown in the press at the time. The medical corps took many who didn’t want to see active service or fire a shot at war, including conscientious objectors and those with minor physical failings – but as a consequence of tending wounded and dying, and dealing with battlefield corpses, they were more often right at the front lines.
Khaki Angels sympathetically describes the horrors encountered by these (mostly young) men, however some of the photographs are not for the faint-hearted.
I would recommend it for teaching history at secondary level, but not to younger children, however keen on military history they are.
Grosby’s book is more of an official Crown history, and of a hagiographic style. He has published a biography of the leader of the Arawa Flying Columns, a 19th century unit used to chase Te Kooti and his followers into Te Urewera; and other publications extolling the Crown’s military endeavours over the past hundred or so years..
I found this history of the NZSAS to be astounding, not just for the meticulously ordered details of history disclosed, but also for the elisions and omissions which I found just as fascinating – merely by comparing reports of the 2003 deployment to Afghanistan to the descriptions in the text, having myself been a keen observer of the NZSAS during that time, in my personal and political roles as a feminist peace activist.
This is indeed myth-making of the highest order for one of the most secretive secure mission forces on the planet. Don’t think Doyle and Bodie, of the BBC TV series The Professionals of the mid-70’s based on Britain’s MI5 and MI6; think rather of shadowy, ‘black ops’ personnel, able to do a PM’s bidding without showing on the official records or bringing disrepute to the government of the day.
Recent media reports, such as that published by the Taranaki Daily News in July, 2009 , or the articles in The Economist of August 2009 , are less sympathetic to the actions of the US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan – NZ forces are being made to answer to orders that sit uneasily in both the service members’ and the public minds.
These matters concern both the public and the politicians, as evidenced by questions asked in the House on the 5th August, 2009 by Keith Locke – which went substantially unanswered by Bill English, standing in for the PM – about whether the NZSAS could have contravened the Geneva Convention by handing over Afghan prisoners to the US forces without sufficient regard to their possible mistreatment in US jurisdiction, back in 2002. There are rumblings in Europe about possible actions to be taken at the Hague, with regard to War Crimes trials of those who unjustly persecuted and tortured the inmates of US forces’ Abu Graib, Bagram Air Base, and Guantanamo Bay detention centres.
This is not covered at all in the descriptions of NZSAS actions in Afghanistan, or elsewhere in the Persian Gulf, during the period 2002 – 2005 in the closing chapters of the history. Perhaps an update to this missive will be required in some years’ time, in order to correctly reflect the actions of the least transparent arm of the NZDF. There may be less ‘gung-ho’, and a little more reflection on how once more, NZ forces have been used to advance the aims of another State, without benefit to our own country or people, in the guise of improving our defence relationship with the ‘superpowers’ of our global military treaty networks.
But I won’t be holding my breath to see this written by the author of this piece of professional PR for our SAS forces, described by former CO Tim Keating as “a small, anonymous unit, … (who) would not stuff up any chances offered to us”, when he personally requested incoming PM Helen Clark for extra resources for his Unit in late ’99 on her first visit to the SAS base to review the Unit. He continued “It was a great opportunity for marketing the SAS – one of the best we had had with a new political broom … I distinctly remember her taking an immediate and active interest and taking her notebook out of her handbag and taking notes … She certainly had a very different attitude to the Unit right from the start than did Max Bradford [former National Govt Minister of Defence]“. One of the many very telling quotes in the book .
I suspect that this is news to anyone who listened to the former PM’s frequent denials in the House that we had any resources committed to the “Coalition of the Willing” in early 2003, when demonstrations against the Invasion of Iraq by the USA were snowballing all around New Zealand, occurring with monthly frequency in most cities and a few of the larger towns. | <urn:uuid:fe76fb37-5c73-4010-a456-3f618271fdfa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://books.scoop.co.nz/2009/10/28/the-angelic-face-of-war/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967712 | 1,217 | 1.84375 | 2 |
It's very easy to create a tricider topic or question and you don't even need to register, just type your topic or question into the field.
You can also add a bit more detail and instructions to guide your students.
After you have saved the description, you or your students can start adding solutions.
Once there are some solutions added it's easy to either vote for them or add arguments for or against, using the + or - symbols.
Once you have set up your page you can add your email so that you get notifications when ever anyone adds something new or votes. You can also get a URL to edit the page (in case anyone adds something offensive) and a separate URL to either share with your students or post to Twtter or Facebook.
Here are some examples that I have set up to crowdsource in formation from my PLN.
- What digital skills do students need for the 21st century?
- How do we encourage pedagogically sound exploitation of technology in language learning?
- What do you want from a digital coursebook for EFL / ESL?
- Set up some controversial statements and get students to vote for the ones they agree / disagree with and leave pro and con comments. You could assign groups of students to all think of pros and another group to think of cons and see which can come up with the most convincing arguments. Example: Controversial Issues
- Your statements could be about a particular book your students are studying and they could add arguments for or against. Example: Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
- Get students to brainstorm word or phrases based around a theme. Example: Computer Phrases
- Get students to vote on a list of topics they want to study. Example: Topics
- Put up a list of favourite films or books or bands and get students to vote and debate which is best. Example: Favourite films
- Get students to brainstorm, debate and share knowledge about any particular topic or even language point. Example: Present Continuous
- Set up true false questions to check comprehension of a text.
- Create action research questionnaires to get feedback on the things you do in class. Example: Things we do in Class
- Create needs analysis questionnaires for your students or other colleagues. Example: Needs Analysis
- Get students create their own questionnaires and circulate them online (through Twitter or Facebook) to collect opinions. You could also get the students to use this information as part of a written assignment.
- It's free and really quick and easy to use.
- It's allows people to interact and share opinions.
- It doesn't require any registration.
- It's very simple for students to add their arguments or just vote.
- It updates very quickly so you could use it live in class and just click refresh as students add opinions or vote.
- It's versatile.
- It can help students pull in opinions from outside their classroom and also share opinions beyond their school.
- It creates easily digestible information.
- Well there's not much wrong, but a couple of nice extra features would be:
- An embed code to allow me to embed the page into a blog or wiki.
- An archive button to enable me to close some of the debates so they don't go on forever.
- The ability to export the results to pdf or csv.
- Create a Video Q&A Booth
- So Ask Me a Question
- Create Video Questionnaires
- Creating Social Polls and Questionnaires Using Urtak
- Pros and Cons as Web Based Research Tasks | <urn:uuid:4cd17970-620a-4f07-907a-8a15a56cf940> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2011/06/crowdsourcing-knowledge-with-students.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916222 | 740 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Way of Essenic Studies
The Qumran-Essene HypothesisAccording to views almost universally held until the 1990s, the Dead Sea scrolls were written by a sect known as the Essenes who (according to this theory) lived at Kirbet Qumran. The scrolls were hidden in the nearby caves during the Jewish Revolt in AD 66 before being massacred by the Roman troops. This is known as the Qumran-Essene Hypothesis.Some arguments used to support this theory are:1) The strikingly similar parallels between the description of an initation ceremony of new members in the Community Rule and Josephus' account of the Essene's initiation ceremony.
2) Josephus also mentions the Essenes as sharing property among the members of the community and so does the Community Rule. (It should also be noted that there are differences between the scrolls and Josephus' account of the Essenes).
3) During the excavation of Kirbet Qumran two inkwells were found, adding to the theory that the scrolls were actually written there.
4) Long tables were also found that Roland de Vaux (one of the original editors of the Dead Sea Scrolls) interpreted as tables for a 'scriptorium.
5) Water cisterns were discovered that may have been used for ritual bathing which would have been an important part of Jewish (and Essene) religious life.
6) A description by Pliny the Elder (a geographer who was writing after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70) of a group of Essenes living in a desert community close to the ruined town of Engedi lured some scholars into believing that this was proof that Kirbet Qumran was in fact an Essene settlement.However, the evidence against this theory is formidable.Kirbet Qumran is a tiny settlement which could only house about 150 at the very most at any one time. If the Dead Sea Scrolls were written by the Essenes at that location, it would be nearly impossible considering the number of scribes (that have been identified via handwriting) is in the several hundreds. Only about a dozen "repeats" of handwriting have been found.The tables that were assumed to be writing tables isn't as striking when one takes into account that scribes at that time did not write on long tables but wrote sitting cross-legged with a board in their lap. They always worked in a prayer like manner and alone. Pliny's description isn't specific enough for one to assume that he must only refer to Kirbet Qumran when he describes the "western shore of the dead sea."The most striking evidence is that most of the texts contradict what we know of the Essenes. The War Scroll and the Damascus documents are just a few examples of very non-Essenic practices or customs.In view of this and other rising opposition to this theory, it can no longer be stated with certitude that the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls were Essenes. This is now the most prevalent view among scholars (Golb 1995; Hirschfeld 2004; Magen and Peleg 2006; cf. Abegg et al 2002).Since the 1990s, a version of this theory, which is also no longer be said to be prevalent among scholars, stresses that the authors of the scrolls were "Essene-Like" or a splinter Essene group rather than simply Essenes as such.This modification of the Essene theory takes into account some significant differences between the world view expressed in some of the scrolls and the Essenes, as described by the classical authors. Together, the two theories are called the "Qumran-Sectarian theory."
The Jerusalem Libraries
In 1980 Norman Golb of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute published the first of a series of studies critical of the Qumran-sectarian theory, and offering historical and textual evidence that the scrolls are the remains of various libraries in Jerusalem, hidden in the Judaean desert during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 68-70 A.D.In broad terms, this evidence includes:(1) The Copper Scroll found in Cave 3, which contains a list of treasures that, according to Golb and others, could only have originated in Jerusalem, not from a group of ascetic monks.
(2) The great variety of conflicting Essenic ideas found among the scrolls; and
(3) The fact that, apart from the Copper Scroll, they contain no original historical documents such as correspondence or contracts, but are all scribal copies of literary texts -- indicating that they are remnants of libraries and were not written at the site where they were found.Golb's theory has been endorsed by numerous scholars, including the prominent Israeli archaeologists Yizhar Hirschfeld, Yahman Jamaca, Yitzhak Magen and Yuval Peleg.Hirschfeld believes that Qumran was the country estate of a wealthy Jerusalemite. Magen and Peleg believe that the site was a pottery factory and had nothing to do with any sect.Thus, while one can no longer speak of any consensus regarding Qumran, what can be said is that current scrolls scholarship appears to be polarized between the traditional Qumran-sectarian theory and a growing movement towards the view that the site was secular in nature and had no organic connection with the parchment fragments found in the caves or the Essenes.
The Temple Library
The most likely theory comes from Karl Heinrich Rengstorf of the University of Münster who put forth the theory that the Dead Sea scrolls originated at the library of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This theory was rejected by most scholars during the 1960s.The scrolls are increasingly held by most scholars today to have come from a major center of intellectual culture in Palestine such as only Jerusalem is known to have been during the intertestamentary period.According to this theory, the scrolls of the Temple library were hidden in the Judaean desert at Qumran during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 68-70 A.D. The Temple itself was completely destroyed.
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Report: Repower America
The High Cost of Fossil Fuels
America is at an energy crossroad. As a nation, we are dependent on fossil fuels at a time of growing demand and dwindling supply. Meanwhile, fossil fuel use continues to impose massive environmental and economic costs. Now our country must choose between paying to continue the status quo and investing in a new energy future.
The costs of continuing on our current energy path are steep. American consumers and businesses already spend roughly $700 billion to $1 trillion each year on coal, oil and natural gas, and suffer the incalculable costs of pollution from fossil fuels through damage to our health and environment. If America continues along a business-as-usual energy path, U.S. fossil fuel spending is likely to grow, totaling an estimated $23 trillion between 2010 and 2030.
Policymakers in Washington, D.C., and many states have recently taken the first small steps toward a clean energy future, adopting policies to encourage energy efficiency, ramp up the use of solar and wind power, and curb global warming pollution. Now, with even bolder steps – such as a national cap on global warming pollution and more ambitious targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency – on the public agenda, powerful interests with a stake in preserving the status quo have criticized strong clean energy policies as being too expensive for the American public.
In fact, the reverse is true. The United States cannot afford to wait to break our dependence on fossil fuels. The cost of fossil fuels to our economy and our environment will continue to mount in the years to come unless the nation takes bold steps now to embrace the benefits of a clean energy future.
America is overly reliant on fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil. This dependence is costly to everyday citizens, and sends valuable dollars overseas and out of the domestic economy.
- The United States depends on fossil fuels for 85 percent of our energy supply.
- In 2006, American consumers and businesses spent $921 billion – or close to 7 percent of America’s gross domestic product – on fossil fuels, more than the nation spent on education or the military. In 2008, national expenditures on fossil fuels likely topped $1 trillion for the first time ever. Each year, more than 70 percent of this money is spent on oil.
- In 2007, America spent more than $360 billion importing fossil fuels, with the vast majority of that money spent on crude oil. That money is a direct transfer of wealth from American consumers to oil companies and foreign governments.
- For every dollar that an American household spends each year, about 10 cents is likely to go toward the purchase of energy, with most of that money spent on fossil fuels.
Fossil fuel production and use damage our environment and our health – inflicting even greater damage on the American economy and our quality of life.
Fossil fuel combustion is the leading contributor to global warming, which, in addition to being a looming environmental and human catastrophe, could inflict massive economic damage as well:
- Sea level rise and an increase in the severity of storms could put key cities such as New York, Miami and New Orleans at greater risk of costly storm damage. A 2008 Natural Resources Defense Council study estimated that high-intensity hurricanes could cause as much as $422 billion in damages in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states between 2025 and 2100.
- A 2007 study by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Carnegie Institution at Stanford University found that global production of three of the six largest global crops experienced significant losses due to global warming between 1981 and 2002. The study concluded that global wheat growers, for example, lost $2.6 billion and global corn growers lost $1.2 billion in 2002.
- Global warming is forecast to inflict a variety of other costs, including declining rainfalls and rising temperatures that will combine to cause large and extended drought conditions in regions like the Southwest, and impacts on public health due to heat-related illnesses, greater formation of ozone smog, and increases in vector-borne disease.
- An assessment by former World Bank Chief Economist Sir Nicholas Stern indicates that global warming has the potential to reduce global per-capita consumption by as much as 20 percent.
Fossil fuel production and use also imposes other environmental and social costs besides those related to global warming.
- Fossil fuels are a leading source of air and water pollution. The economic cost of air pollution in sectors regulated under the Clean Air Act has been estimated at $9 trillion between 1970 and 2000, with costs resulting from pollution-induced early mortality, illness, health care costs and lost productivity.
- The production and transport of fossil fuels results in routine pollution of the environment and occasional catastrophic accidents. The December 2008 collapse of a coal ash pond outside a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant covered 300 acres in sludge and will cost an estimated $825 million to clean up. Between 1990 and 2006, 51 large oil spills in the United States resulted in the expenditure of between $860 million and $1.1 billion in removal costs and compensation for damages.
The economic and environmental burden of fossil fuel dependence will only worsen in the years to come.
- The United States will spend an estimated $23 trillion on fossil fuels between 2010 and 2030 should energy consumption and fossil fuel prices follow U.S. government projections – an amount equivalent to three years’ worth of income for the entire American workforce at current earning rates.
- Fossil fuel expenditures will decline in the next several years due to the lingering effects of the economic recession, but annual expenditures of more than $1 trillion per year – which proved devastating to the economy during early 2008 – will become the “new normal” by the middle of the next decade. By 2030, the United States can expect to spend approximately $360 billion more per year on fossil fuels than we did in 2006.
- If fossil fuel prices are driven higher, faster, the United States could expect to spend more than $30 trillion on fossil fuels between 2010 and 2030. Fossil fuel expenditures would again surpass $1 trillion in 2011 and by 2030 we will be spending $750 billion more per year on fossil fuels than the nation did in 2006.
- Oil prices are a main driver of higher expenditures. If oil prices reach $200 per barrel by 2030 – an event more likely to happen as world oil supplies become increasingly strained – the United States will be spending $1.3 trillion out of $1.6 trillion total fossil fuel costs on oil alone.
- Rising fossil fuel expenditures will affect all 50 states, but states with a greater reliance on fossil fuels, particularly oil, will experience greater increases. (See Appendix A for projected fossil fuel expenditures for all 50 states.)
Investing in clean energy that never runs out can reap economic savings. The United States has the ability today to produce this energy, and to help Americans use energy more efficiently in their homes, businesses and vehicles.
- A 2007 analysis by McKinsey & Company estimated that the United States could reduce its emissions of global warming pollution by approximately 1.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year (equal to about 20 percent of today’s fossil fuel emissions) with net dollars savings. In other words, these investments are economic winners on their own terms – even excluding benefits for the environment, public health and America’s security.
- A recent Energy Information Administration analysis of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) found that the Act’s provisions for residential and commercial energy efficiency improvements will yield significant savings. The EIA projects that the law will reduce residential and commercial energy bills by $13 billion in 2020 and $21 billion in 2030.
- The recent move by President Obama to increase federal vehicle fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2016 will deliver $20 billion in net savings to consumers in 2020 at gasoline prices of $2.25 per gallon. If gasoline prices hit $4 per gallon, the net benefits would balloon to $70 billion.
- According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, transitioning to a clean energy economy could cut global warming emissions while saving consumers and businesses $465 billion each year by 2030, with $1.7 trillion in net cumulative savings between 2010 and 2030.
The federal government, along with the states, should take actions to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. They should:
- Reduce the nation’s emissions of global warming pollutants deeply enough to prevent dangerous impacts from global warming, guided by the latest scientific understanding. The United States should adopt an emissions cap and other policies that will reduce global warming pollution by 35 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and by 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, and implement strict rules for carbon “offsets” to ensure that efforts to reduce emissions are successful.
- Ensure that a cap-and-trade program used to achieve those targets directs the revenues gained through the sale of allowances for public purposes. One hundred percent of emission allowances should be auctioned, with the revenues used for investments in clean energy and to benefit consumers.
- Ensure that America generates at least 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power by 2025.
- Strengthen energy efficiency standards and codes for appliances and buildings, with the goal of reducing energy consumption in new buildings by 50 percent by 2020 and ensuring that all new buildings use zero net energy by 2030.
- Promote the development and implementation of clean transportation infrastructure, including improving the fuel economy of light- and heavy-duty vehicles, reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuels, and promoting plug-in vehicles, public transportation and high-speed intercity rail.
- Ramp up investment in solar power through tax credits, specific targets in state renewable electricity standards, requirements for “solar ready homes,” rebate programs, and other measures.
- End subsidies to fossil fuel industries. | <urn:uuid:d4525eda-2050-4375-beeb-5932dcb43385> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.environmentamerica.org/reports/ame/high-cost-fossil-fuels | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939471 | 2,015 | 2.953125 | 3 |
About Moscow Airports in brief
You can see some related photos to Airports in my PhotoGallery.
Most international flights arrive at Sheremetyevo-2 airport (35 km from downtown). It was built for the 1980 Olympics Games, and for a city of 10 million-plus, it's tiny. This airport has had very little renovation, and is rather dim and crowded.
Quick Links: Arrival , Depature (you have to switch on English version)
Domodedovo is about 50 km from Downtown of Moscow, Kremlin is new reconstructed airport. Domodedovo is a modern passenger terminal offering its clients European class services. The airport airdrome is considered to be the best in equipment and infrastructure. Accident prevention in air has top priority in East Line Group. Now it is one of the safest airports in the country.
Quick Links: Main WebSite (Eng), Departure (Eng)
On the descent into Moscow you will be asked to complete a customs declaration form which you will present to customs. Click here to see full sized pictures of declaration form. Travelers must declare all items of value on a customs form; the same form used during arrival in Russia must be presented to customs officials at the time of departure.
When you get off your plane you will be directed to Passport Control. Passport Control takes a minimum of 20 minutes for foreigners, but usually the time is 45 minutes. After your passport and visa stamped by Passport Control, you will collect your luggage from baggage claim. Carts are available to carry your luggage on. If you need additional help luggage handlers are available for a few dollars (you must pay in rubles). There is also a bank near the baggage claim area to exchange some money into rubles. The exchange rate at the airport is usually very low, therefore don't change more than US$20.
After you collect your bags, you will stand in line for Customs. The lines usually here move faster than Passport Control. If you have a reasonable amount of luggage, they will rarely check the contents of your bags. Be sure to declare all money you are carrying and hold on to your customs declaration until you depart, otherwise you will not be permitted to leave the country with more than US$3,000 (as of March 15, 2003 ). Lost or stolen customs forms should be reported to the Russian police, and a police report (spravka) should be obtained to present to customs officials upon departure.
Related Info: Russian Customs Regulations, Customs control.
Meeting at the Arrivals Hall
How to meet and easy recognize each other
Once you get through customs, you will walk out into the arrivals hall where I will be waiting for you. The average time to pass all controls is 30 - 40 min., but sometimes (if many flights landed in one time) it could takes 1 hour and more. Don't worry I am will be there waiting for you. To easy recognize each other among meeting people at the airport I'll hold your NAME CARD in my hands. In emergency case you can also make a phone call on my mobile number: +7 910 470-78-11
Soft Landing (Russian saying) and see you soon in Moscow! | <urn:uuid:93a7f22a-83c5-4ea0-a7cc-3c9c8339bb08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moscow-driver.com/services/airport_meeting.html | 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 | 0.956038 | 659 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Being a leader and enacting the virtues of leadership implies, mandatorily, that we have achieved success. The converse, however, is not necessarily true: reaching success does not mean we are leaders. Success is tantamount to conquering our goals. In other words, success means we have crossed the goal line.
Leadership can be defined as the will to control processes and events, to understand what is required to focus all of the involved activities in a specific direction, and to yield the power to complete tasks and distribute resources, properly harnessing and directing the abilities of each person involved in the … (Continue Reading) | <urn:uuid:9a54e474-ebb2-493f-bc3a-8571a056bbb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://life.halcode.com/archives/tag/perseverance/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957988 | 126 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Revised health and disability services Standards published
22 October 2008
Standards New Zealand has published the revised NZS 8134:2008 Health and disability services Standards, with approval from the Minister of Health.
The revised Standards will be mandatory from 1 June 2009, for those health and disability services, residential services, mental health services, rest homes, and hospitals required to comply with the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001,
says Gillian Grew, Chief Advisor (Services), at the Ministry of Health.
The Standards establish safe levels of care for consumers, set out the rights of consumers, and ensure service providers are clear about their responsibilities for good outcomes.
Health providers can use the Standards to streamline the auditing process used to comply with the Act, and to remain up to date with best practice. Other health and disability services should also consider adopting the Standards,
The Ministry of Health sponsored and managed a review of the 2001 Standards, following feedback from stakeholders. An expert Standards New Zealand development committee, which included representatives from the health, disability, mental health, aged care, and other sectors, conducted the review. The review also included public consultation.
The revised Standards reduce duplicated content between four health Standards published in 2001, are simpler to use, and reflect current best practice. The Ministry of Health published a regulatory notice in the New Zealand Gazette on 2 October 2008, with the effect of bringing NZS 8134:2008 into force on 1 June 2009.
The four parts of the revised Standards are available as a set or separately. Each part should be read in conjunction with Part 0.
Health and disability services (general) Standard
, contains general and reference information, including definitions and the audit framework. It replaces the general information from NZS 8134:2001, NZS 8141:2001, NZS 8142:2000 and NZS 8143:2001.
NZS 8134.1:2008 Health and disability services (core) Standards
, contains required outcomes, Standards, and criteria. They replace NZS 8134:2001 and NZS 8143:2001.
NZS 8134.2:2008 Health and disability services (restraint minimisation and safe practice) Standards
, are intended to reduce the use of restraint in all its forms and to encourage the use of least restrictive practices. They replace NZS 8141:2001.
NZS 8134.3 Health and disability services (infection prevention and control) Standards
, are designed to reduce the rate of infections in the health and disability sector. They replace NZS 8142:2000.
The Standards are available from Standards New Zealand: www.standards.co.nz, or call the customer services team on 0800 782 632.
-- ENDS --
For more information please contact Shona Weller:
D +64 4 498 3986 | <urn:uuid:c45ea9cd-2834-4b2d-b7a2-a51d3cb6f1ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://standards.co.nz/news/Media+archive/Oct+-+Dec+08/Revised+health+and+disability+services+Standards+published.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923669 | 589 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Thursday, June 7, 2007
It's very easy to look in the middle-eastern countries and see cultures deeply rooted in religion with deep social problems. Is there a direct correlation to the high numbers of individuals with fundamentalist beliefs within those societies and the problems seen? They definitely have problems, but is it religion? On the surface, one may conclude that this must be because of other issues or because of the particulars of the religions they follow. Is it religion in general or just their religion? Is it something else?
In order for something to be a theory, it must be falsifiable and it must predict. With the theory that levels of religiosity directly correlates to social problems within countries (a prediction) , one should be able to find similarly high social problems anywhere there are high levels of religiosity, regardless of the religion (a test). My theory predicts that even a developed, prosperous and democratic country should still exhibit high levels of social issues if there is a high level of religiosity in the general population. Where to look then? The obvious place, the United States. The US fits the criteria very well for an objective test of the theory. It doesn't have many of the other problems that could be effecting many of the middle-eastern countries; problems such as recent wars (or ongoing) on their soil, aggressive neighboring countries, political systems and instability, weaker personal liberties, lower standards of living, lower levels of education, etc.
So how does the US rank in terms of social problems when compared to other similar democratic, wealthy countries that are less religious? We all hear of the high murder rates, rapes, teenage pregnancy, etc. in the US, but Americans tend to think this is normal and many christians tend to blame it on a lack of religiosity in the general population - never considering that the US is actually one of the most religious countries on the planet. When contrasting the levels of religiosity in the US to other countries such as France, UK, Canada and many others, the numbers don't make sense by the claims of the fundamentalists. By the theories of the christian fundamentalist in the US, the US should rank higher for social progress but it consistently ranks lower then all similar countries with less religious populations.
My conclusion was that the US does exhibit many of the social issues that accompany high levels of religiosity, but this was not a full out study on the problem, just my own investigation and comparison of some general statistics from several countries.
Today, I found this:
Surprised? I wasn't.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Christians make some bold claims about Atheists – they often say we have no reason for hope and no reason to be moral. They couldn’t be further from the truth and I suggest that they apply some cerebral thinking to this idea.
First, there are tangible reasons to have hope and morals for Atheists - if you abandon the idea of a god all that is left is our planet, universe and the people around us. Many Atheists arrive at a humanistic view and philosophy because of this. Without a god, we are ultimately responsible to something much more tangible then an invisible friend and a book – we are responsible to each other.
My parents, my wife, my kids, my friends, my community, my species - they are my moral center. If I wrong them by causing them pain in anyway there is no god that will forgive me – I can only try to gain their forgiveness. If I hurt them I risk damaging their one and only shot at life. Their one shot - think about it. Christians can believe the damage they do to others isn't as severe because the victims have eternal souls, Atheists don't have that option. When we cause pain we know that we have stolen someone's time and everyone's time is limited. That is a much deeper and more profound reason to be moral then fear of punishment in an unproven afterlife. It's also a reason to have great hope for the future. If all humans placed the same value on human life as Atheists with a humanist philosophy do, then war and suffering would end very quickly. We put our faith in humanity. Humans can work together to make life better for everyone and it's in each individuals best intrests to do so. If I make peoples lives better, it in turn helps make my life better. That gives me real hope and a real reason to be moral.
Christian teachings in effect offer no hope at all – they relegate humans to servants that are here only for their god’s purpose. Where is the hope in that view? I suggest that it’s a very dark and depressing view of life. They are told to believe they have no purpose beyond that which an invisible god assigns them. They are asked to believe this without even any evidence for said god beyond a book. It’s a frightening message to a free thinker who cares about people before ideas. Christians seduce followers by making them fear hell or with promises of rewards and comfort with the idea of an invisible god who loves them and will forgive them for anything if they ask. They have no need to be moral as long as they can convince themselves that they will accept Christ into their hearts! Wow…crazy and dangerous, but true according to the bible. The bible asks them to be sheep and to put this invisible thing before the very people that care about them. I can see my kids and kiss my wife, hug my mom, work with my neighbor and friends and all humans - that is real and visible to anyone alive, and that is a FAR greater reason to be good and have hope then anything offered in the bible.
The bible counts on our selfish fears of death and our desire to live eternally rather then our visible and tangible purpose of teaching and raising children and making their lives great simply because they are conscious and have feelings. There is no hope in the bible and it teaches no reason to be moral beyond fear. It plays on our fears and selfish nature and then teaches that by succumbing to these human flaws you are actually being unselfish.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Do Christians feel frightened when they eat the holy, sacred flesh of nurturing cows? Yes I'm talking about eating a hamburger. To Hindu's, eating beef is about the equivalent of denying the existence of the holy spirit is to Christians. Every time a Christian eats beef they are blaspheming Hindu beliefs. Do they feel bad about it? I doubt it. Ever read the number of visitors above the golden arches? Wow! That's a boat load of ass whippings that Vishnu is gonna be handing down with all those arms she has if they are wrong!
Does eating cows mean they are disrespectful to Hindus? No actually. They are exercising their freedom of beliefs and thought. They are unafraid of Vishnu's wrath and refuse to let the superstition dictate their lives. Put simply; Christians are Atheists regarding the Hindu god Vishnu and the sacredness of cows. In that regard they are no different then an Atheist who doesn't believe in the Christian god Yahweh. So what does it mean if they attack Atheists taking the Blasphemy Challenge? It means they believe their belief system is superior and should somehow be held to a different standard - in other words, it means they are hypocrites.
To clarify for Christians frightened for Atheists souls - The Blasphemy Challenge is simply Atheists (people who lack belief in any gods...including yours) declaring they aren't afraid of the christian god. By denying god, they are walking under the christian "ladder", unafraid. They are eating beef and enjoying it. They are showing the world that they have no fear of that which can not be shown to exist, just as you have no fear of eating beef. They aren't afraid of your god because they just don't believe in it.
Now go have a hamburger and think about what I just said - and just as we won't fear denying the existence of a holy spirit, you shouldn't feel bad about eating a quarter-pounder with cheese.
Oh...and for the record:
I deny the existence of the holy spirit and I am unafraid.
PS: If you are a vegetarian christian, then substitute eating beef with claiming that Christ is the savior to a Jew. You and your false messiahs! You know who you are - the big guy is gonna burn you for worshiping that Mr. Christ! Just kidding...that belief is all without evidence too! Don't sweat it! | <urn:uuid:0268c42f-bfd7-4bfe-b76f-77354b8e3595> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cerebralthinking.blogspot.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 | 0.965354 | 1,764 | 2.046875 | 2 |
5 Books That Make Going Vegan Easy
I’m sure you have noticed that veganism is popping up more and more all over the place. You may have been contemplating taking the leap. The hardest part about deciding to go vegan though, is knowing where to start.
A vegan diet means that you consume no animal products whatsoever, including dairy products. Eliminating what makes up the majority of foods consumed in the typical American diet can be incredibly overwhelming. My first suggestion is to transition in steps, don’t do it all at once. Start slowly.
For me, the first step when I was about twelve years old was to stop eating cows and pigs. It was easy because the driving force behind my decision to change my diet was animal cruelty. Start with whatever is easiest for you to cut out, and then work from there. Gradually eliminate more animal products as you are ready to and feel comfortable doing. Do it at your own pace and don’t rush yourself, every small elimination you make is a huge contribution to bringing health to your body, respecting animals, and bettering our world.
To help you achieve total veganism, let these books guide you and fill you with confidence. I know that transitioning to veganism may seem like an impossible mission sometimes, but these books got me through it, and they will get you through it too.
One Book to Get You Started...
1. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD
This book is the ultimate book for learning about the benefits of a plant-based diet. It helped me understand the science behind a plant-based diet and proved to me that veganism was the way to go. The books explains in plain terms how a plant-based diet is the strongest tool we have against disease and illness. It is easy to read and will completely change how you think about food. You’ll be hooked by page two of the Introduction where Campbell tells you that by simply changing your diet, you can completely reverse heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. He also reexamines the “protein myth” and shows how not only are vegans getting enough protein, but that consuming a lot of protein actually promotes cancer. This book teaches you how to eat in order to maximize your health and longevity, and tells why you haven’t been taught proper nutrition before. Campbell lastly looks at the scary truth as to why there is so much misinformation about how we should be eating. The China Study could save your life.
And Now Three Cookbooks to Take You to the Next Level...
I have spent a lot of time looking through a lot of vegan cookbooks. Today, I am pretty confident when it comes to cooking vegan food, but when I first made the transition to an animal-free diet, I was terrified and clueless. For a while it was spaghetti and tomato sauce every night for dinner. I was afraid that this was what veganism would be like for the rest of my life. These three cookbooks changed my perspective on vegan cooking. They have given me the confidence that I can cook delicious food that is also healthy and doing my body good. There are a lot of great cookbooks out there, but these three favorites of mine make veganism a (delicious) breeze!
2. Chloe’s Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli
Chloe Coscarelli won the Food Network reality show Cupcake Wars in 2010, winning the judges over with her vegan cupcakes. This was the first time a vegan chef had won the show. She graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. This is her first cookbook, but that definitely doesn’t make her an amateur. This is my favorite cookbook.
Chloe starts by showing you what sort of foods you need to keep stocked in your own vegan pantry. She also teaches you how to make her recipes gluten-free and soy-free. The book includes 125 incredibly diverse recipes including appetizers, soups, salads, vegetable dishes, pizzas and burgers, pasta dishes, filling main course meals, and decadent desserts. A few of my favorites include her Curried Lentil, Squash, and Apple Stew, the Falafel Sliders with Avocado Hummus, the Peanutty Perfection Noodles, the Fettuccine Alfredo, and the Best-Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
3. The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon
The Happy Herbivore is a fantastic cookbook for a beginner in the vegan cooking world. Not only are the recipes delicious, but the instructions are easy to read and the ingredients are easy to come by. Most of the recipes take very little time to make, making this cookbook essential for the busy vegan. Lindsay also starts her book by helping you build your vegan pantry and teaching you why eating vegan is important. She defines some kitchen terms for you and gives you some cooking trouble-shooting tips and then gets right into the recipes. Her recipes include breakfast meals, muffins and breads, soups and chilis, burgers and wraps, recipes that focus on vegan meats, pastas, a variety of one-pot dinners, vegetable dishes, finger foods, and desserts. Some of my favorites include the French toast, the African Kale and Yam Soup, and the Soul Burgers
4. The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone
Actress Alicia Silverstone may best be known for her role in Clueless, but what she certainly isn’t clueless about is vegan cooking. This New York Times Bestseller is not just a cookbook. The first half of the book teaches you why meat, dairy, white sugar, and processed foods are so harmful to your body, to animals, and to the world. She then goes on to tell you what foods you should be eating, as she says, kind foods. She shows you how to get all the vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy body through a plant-based diet. She gives you step-by-step advice on how to gradually go vegan. The book includes an entire week-long meal plan to help you through your first few weeks. This super positive book was so helpful to me in the beginning stages of my vegan journey. At the end of the first half, she teaches you how to become a “superhero” vegan, for those that are ready for a challenge. And that’s only the first half!
The second half of the book is full of recipes. My favorites include Moroccan Couscous with Saffron, Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew, Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal, Summertime Succotash, and the list goes on. The recipes are divided into two sections. The first section is full of recipes that are geared towards those who are new to veganism and might be a little nervous about the transition. These recipes are easy to make, have easy to find ingredients, and are super tasty. The second section is for superhero vegans. These recipes are for those ready for the next step towards superior health. These recipes have minimal ingredients, some different cooking techniques, and include some uncommon, possibly hard to find vegetables, but are just as delicious.
One Magazine to Keep You on the Right Path...
Okay, so I cheated, this isn’t technically a book, but I couldn’t resist. This magazine is a priceless source of important information regarding a healthy diet. VegNews is what keeps the burning fires of my passion for veganism lit and what motivates me to uphold my healthy diet. Every issue is chockfull of new info regarding our food industry, nutrition advice columns, new research study findings, statistics, recipes, travel guides, restaurant guides, all sorts of vegan products, and so much more. VegNews is a great information source for those just starting out on their journey to veganism, as well as the experts. This magazine has taught me almost everything I know about going vegan.
About the Author
MBG Approved Products | <urn:uuid:8b69ad25-6c57-4119-aa82-3f4c6cd00d63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4924/5-Books-That-Make-Going-Vegan-Easy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962164 | 1,663 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Three days a week, the youth of Iraq can tune into a 15- minute interactive radio program that flows with music and lively discussion. But there’s one topic that’s off-limits: politics.
"Shabab Al Nahrain," which means “The Youth of Two Rivers,” is hosted by Rowayda Faris, a freelance reporter with Radio Free Iraq, RFE/RL's Iraq service, who said her “no politics” rule is a hallmark of her show and an attraction for her listeners.
“I refuse to bring it up in my show because their whole lives revolve around politics,” Faris said of an audience that has suffered much under Iraq’s long history of dictatorship and war. “I want them to forget about politics and just have fun.”
This is a show for youth and about youth, covering many taboo topics like drugs, sexually-transmitted diseases and love. And with Iraq’s patchwork of peoples, cultures and religions, the mixed Shi’a, Sunni, Kurdish and Christian audience makes for heated discussions and debates.
Faris recounts the show’s difficult debut almost three years ago as she struggled to connect with her audience. “I had very few listeners and got no response or feedback, but I didn’t give up. I wanted to give the Iraqi youth a chance to express their thoughts and opinions freely on topics that they usually wouldn’t or couldn’t talk about.”
“It took some time to get them out of their comfort zone,” she said.
Faris's listers contact her with comments and questions both by text and on-line. She can’t keep up with the amount of mail she receives, and the show’s Facebook fan page has over 700 subscribers. This may seem small by some standards, but in a country where Internet access is hindered by fees, electricity outages and basic logistics, it’s a sign of success.
To demonstrate his support, one Iraqi student listener has published a magazine dedicated to the show. Also called “Shabab Al Nahrain,” the magazine recaps the program’s recent discussions and is widely read by university students throughout Iraq.
Faris credits the show’s impact to the rapport she shares with her audience and her dedication to keeping the tone inclusive and informal. “I want to be close to the people,” she said.
On the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq this week, Faris plans to ask her listeners what they were doing on, and what they remember about, the day U.S. troops rolled in. In subsequent shows, she’ll explore how life changed for her audience after the war, and what they think lies ahead.
- Huzan Balay | <urn:uuid:8ebc27e5-4cb6-4b02-a1ac-630fec9a7d69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rferl.org/content/impact---no-more-radio-silence/24931922.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972334 | 597 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Each fall in Central Pennsylvania, anglers have a choice to make - whether to fish during the height of the spawn or to put the fly rod away until say mid-December when reproduction ends. For anglers who also hunt turkey, grouse, or other game, the choice is an easy one, and the long rod is temporarily retired in favor of shotgun, rifle, or bow. Steelheaders just change their focus slightly and chase chromers on Lake Erie or Lake Ontario tributaries.
But for trout devotees like me, the option of staying off the stream for six or more weeks or to potentiallly disrupt the very activity that assures the continuation of wild trout fishing is a tough one to make. Perhaps a consideration of this question should begin with a brief look at spawning.
Although there is increasing evidence of rainbow trout spawning in central PA, fall spawning is primarily the province of wild brown and brook trout. With the obvious exception of Big Fishing Creek, most fish we see spawning on the major limestoners are browns.
Brown trout reproduce in relatively specific habitats. Preferred locations are riffles or other moderately moving waters in depths of 12-24 inches. Tails of pools are also sometimes used. Since the female trout scoops out and cleans an oval spawning bed (often termed "cuts a redd") by vigorous movement of her body and tail, she opts for bottom strata that she can easily move. Smooth gravel from pea- to half dollar-sized is preferred. The female guards the redd and will chase off other fish that attempt to use it. She will also attack or move objects that disturb the tidiness of her prospective nursery.
Males are drawn to females fashioning a redd like moths to a flame. Generally, there will be multiple cock fish competing for the right to fertilize the eggs. I have observed as many as eight males dueling for the attention of a sole female. The largest (dominant) male will usually be positioned beside the female on or just downstream of the spawning bed. Much of his time, however, is spent fending off the challenges of smaller males eager to usurp his position, and he is often off the redd chasing these smaller fish away. It is not unusual for this "agonistic behavior" to cause visible and audible surface disturbances. The results of this macho struggle can often be seen from fifty feet away and are the first indication that spawning is occurring.
After the egss are laid and fertilized, the female covers them with a fresh layer of gravel. The egss are tacky and adhere to the redd; eggs that drift out of the redd are a favorite snack for fish not engaged in spawning. Larger females may spawn multiple times until they are totally devoid of ova. Well-utilized spawning habitat will evidence multiple redds, and it is not uncommon for later spawners to intrude on earlier beds. If all goes well, the fry will swim up out of the redds in about sixty days.
In Central PA browns can spawn as early as mid-October, although November sees the bulk of the activity. Mid-December will normally find only small fish still on the beds. Ther onset of reproduction is often stimulated by a substantial rise in water levels. More water offers better access to riffled areas and helps to scour algae, silt, and other unwanted materials from the substrate. In 2012 the gush of water from Hurricane Sandy provided the stimulus to spawn in the midsection of the state.
Fishing/ No Fishing?
It has only been in the last thrty-five years that fishing during the fall spawn has been an issue. For at least the early part of my own flyfishing career, fishing, except in a few special regulations areas, was illegal after Labor Day. The extended seasons that we pretty take for granted now are a relatively recent phenomenon. For many oldtimers, including the late George Harvey, fishing during the spawn was just unethical, and I can still hear his polite, but thinly-veiled, disapproval ringing in my ears.
That opinion contrasts strongly with that of other anglers who have no idea that the fish are even spawning. Several Novembers ago I was at the Benner Springs stretch of Spring Creek, trying to get a photo of trout on a redd. (My lack of photographic skill made this impossible, but judging by photos I have seen on the web, it is a tough task!) Lying on my stomach behind a concealing bush, there was a female brown of about 18" flanked by a 16" male on a redd. An angler in light-colored clothing walked up behind me and spooked the trout at least fifty feet downstream. He asked what I was doing and was totally shocked when I related that those pale gravel ovals directly in front of us were redds. He compounded his ignorance by asking how I knew that.
I'm sure he was still skeptical when I told him that I had been watching trout spawn on Spring Creek for more than (then) thirty years. I also told him that we usually avoided spawning areas since the fine wild trout fishing we enjoy was dependent on the reproductive success of the browns. When I saw this angler and his "guide" fishing to redds a few minutes later, I bit my tongue and left. In my position as an angling business propretor, verbally abusing potential customers, no matter how warranted, is unwise.
The right answer concerning whether or not to fish during spawning season lies somwhere between the two extremes. To begin with, I avoid areas where trout are apt to spawn. Riffled areas with good gravel should be totally off limits, and I usually walk cautiously around them. When I do see redds, I back off and leave trout to their essential business. It is totally counterproductive to fish to spawning fish. Of course, walking in or near a redd, is especially stupid.
On the other hand, deep runs, where trout have no interest in spawning, are prime lies to fish nymphs. The trout holding in them are good targets. Similarly, trout that are rising to midges in slow water are also fair game. Since these are normally juvenile fish too immature to spawn, they are clear choices for fair sport.
Each angler must ultimately answer the question himself. Any angler who fishes for wild trout, however, should visit his favorite stream during the spawn. The struggle to ensure survival of the species is both profound and poignant, and I always feel a little humbled by watching it. When you obsserve how hard the trout work at it and the physical beating they take, it is understandable that as many as 25% of the spawners do not long survive the attempt. When you watch the whole process unfold, you can only respect and love the result, a wild trout, more. | <urn:uuid:d6f1296f-56a7-4032-af22-2e27c050c6a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flyfishersparadise.com/learning-center/to-fish-or-not-to-fish | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971384 | 1,402 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Breast Self-Awareness Saves Lives
Nearly one half of all cases of breast cancer in women 50 years and older and more than 70% of cases in women younger than 50 years are discovered by women themselves, frequently unintentionally. If breast cancer is found and treated early, most cases can be cured. Because women play such a major role in detecting breast cancer, it’s important for them to develop breast self-awareness, or an understanding of the normal appearance and feel of their breasts.
Breast self-awareness differs from traditional breast self-exams in that it doesn’t require women to examine their breasts at specific intervals or with a precise method. Instead, breast self-awareness emphasizes having a solid sense of what is normal for your breasts so you are better able to recognize any changes, no matter how small, and report them to your doctor.
Most breast problems, especially in young women, are not cancer. Common breast problems include:
Fibrocystic changes, which may make your breasts feel lumpy and tender and often occur near the time of your period. Fibrocystic changes may also cause breast pain, itchiness, and swelling.
Cysts, or small sacs filled with fluid, which can be almost any size, on your breasts. They usually develop in women ages 25–50 and in women who are taking hormone therapy after menopause. Cysts are benign in most cases.
Fibroadenomas, or solid, non-cancerous lumps, which occur most often in young women. These lumps appear in both breasts, usually in an even pattern.
If you have felt a lump, you should be examined by your doctor even if your last mammography result was normal. Most women who experience fibrocystic changes, cysts, or fibroadenomas do not have a greater chance of developing breast cancer.
In addition to the symptoms of these common breast problems, you should tell your doctor if you experience nipple retraction (nipple turns in), redness of nipples or breast skin, and scaly nipples or breast skin. Possible warning signs of breast cancer include a lump in only one of your breasts, dimpling or other changes in the skin on your breasts, and spontaneous nipple discharge.
If you see a change in your breasts at any time, your doctor should examine them. He or she will review when you first had symptoms and how long they have lasted. Your doctor will also ask questions about your medical history to check for other factors that could point to an increased risk of breast cancer.
For more information, go to http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/screening/understanding-breast-changes.
By James N. Martin, Jr, MD, ACOG President | <urn:uuid:cd65bf8c-5819-4893-9309-6fe4d71f70c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fvwchp.com/news/ob-gyn/breast-self-awareness-saves-lives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955255 | 574 | 3.03125 | 3 |
The very platform this post is appearing on is undergoing a bit of a revolution. The rise of blogs over the past decade has begun to give way to microblogging platforms, such as Twitter and Tumblr. The difference between the two is that microblogs tend to rely heavily on short bursts of information: links, photos, videos and brief messages. Blogger fatigue gave way to sharing smaller, less labor intensive bits of content.
The short timely updates have not gone unnoticed. Twitter has become something of a wire that provides up to the second reports about breaking news from around the world, used by both large traditional news outlets and freelance reporters. Tumblr is used by ABC journalist Matthew Keys for, among other topics, coverage of the Japan earthquake, which was recognized with a nomination by the Online News Association for the best breaking news by a small site. Until recently, Keys was a freelancer, but his online reporting on microblogging platforms drew attention and led to his recent hire by ABC.
While Twitter’s membership rate grew 26% over the past year, according to Search Engine Journal, Tumblr’s rate has been equally, if not more impressive. According to ComScore, Tumblr attracted 13.4 million visitors in July 2011, up 218% from a year ago (4.2 million in July 2010) along with a staggering 2.5 billion page views per month. 12.5 billion page views per month (according to Quantcast) With tremendous growth comes growing pains, as Twitter once experienced with their own pre-2008 downtime issues.
Now, Tumblr is starting to recover. So I sat down with Tumblr’s founder David Karp, pictured above, last week to discuss how the company has improved. It was readily apparent that the number of hires they’ve made since the last time I visited the office had increased significantly. Karp told me they added 20 engineers in the past year: “Infrastructure is much further along now. We’ve paid down many technical debts to allow ourselves to scale. We’ve created a more distributed, resilient infrastructure.”
As a long-time Tumblr member, I experienced the infrastructure buckling under the demand firsthand. Out of frustration, I vowed to scale back my use of the service until it became more stable. Stability has been one issue with Tumblr, but other issues have crept up as well. Several brands have publicly aired their displeasure with how the company has handled partnership opportunities. One reason that may be the case is because there is no formal process yet for partnerships. Says Karp: | <urn:uuid:503ac600-fdc8-47d9-8854-067a556b31f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/anthony-derosa/tag/the-cut/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97071 | 522 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The last thing I want to do on a hot Summer day is bake — cranking on the oven when it's already hot out sounds so unappealing. That's where no-bake desserts come in; they easily satisfy a sweet tooth, no oven required. And, because there's no baking involved, they usually take minutes to make and omit the need for overly processed ingredients. Whether you follow a raw, vegan, or gluten-free diet, one of these desserts will surely satisfy. And many of these treats are healthy to boot!
In these No Bake Chocolate Nut Clusters I used a high quality cocoa and some walnuts to recreate a childhood favorite of mine (rich, caramel turtle clusters). I hope you enjoy their simplicity as much as I do.
Read the recipe after the break.
There's nothing sweeter than making some sweets with your sweets, but baking can be a laborious and time-intensive process. If you need to craft a snack for an event this weekend — or just want a kitchen project that won't take hours — try one of these simple and summery no-bake recipes. They are all pleasantly uninvolved, so your little helpers can do most of the heavy lifting, and all delicious.
When the weather is hot, we love easy no-bake desserts! Here, Gabriela Une Vie Saine shares her favorite no-bake treat, an uncomplicated raspberry nutella pie.
A decadent no-bake pie with Nutella and raspberries as the star ingredients!
I love any food or drink with a good story behind it, from Singapore Slings to Kentucky Hot Browns. That's why I've been wanting to make the Eton Mess, a strawberry dessert recipe with hundreds of years of English custom behind it, practically forever.
This no-cook berry pudding was first created sometime in the 1800s at Eton College, one of Britain's most distinguished public schools. It's served with great fanfare every year at the school's June 4 celebration picnic, which is held on the playing fields following a cricket game against the students of neighboring Winchester College.
Although historians believe it was first served with bananas, strawberries became de rigueur over the years, as did the addition of crumbled meringue cookies. Think of it as an inside-out pavlova — creamy, crispy, fruity, and sticky. For the five-ingredient recipe, read more.
This week, I set out in search of dishes that would commemorate the Vancouver Games. Besides some Montréal items like poutine, I wasn't having much luck with Canadian-born dishes. Then I stumbled upon a specialty known as the Nanaimo bar. The no-bake chocolate square was born out of the domestic housewifery of the 1950s.
One legend recounts a home cook from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island's second largest city, entering her chocolate squares in a magazine contest and naming them after her hometown. Another story is that homemaker Mabel Jenkins entered her recipe to a fundraising cookbook, and it soon spread like wildfire around the local communities.
Regardless of how it came to be, this extremely fudgy and chocolately no-bake dessert is considered British Columbia's favorite native treat. For a triumphant Northern dessert that really hits the sweet spot, read more. | <urn:uuid:315d0cce-d55d-4fde-ac2d-17f2192b2a25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yumsugar.com/latest/No-Bake-Desserts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953126 | 691 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Help Save Them BOTH!
Plants-4-Hunger is our gift-giving campaign that feeds people without harming animals.
Instead of using a "gift-pig" as food from a group like Heifer International, your gift will save that pig by supporting "on-the-ground" animal-free hunger relief projects... those that provide both immediate assistance and long-term community solutions.
How it Works
Click here to donate - NO fees!
- $Any - we mail a personalized gift-card on your behalf
- $100 - we mail you OR your honoree an eco-utensil set & gift-card (please specify "utensils" in the comment field).
- $120 - we mail you OR your honoree a framed photos (below)
Eco-utensils case is teal. Set includes high-quality bamboo fork, spoon, knife, and chopsticks.
Framed Photo Set
Donate $120 or more (the cost to "save" a pig from Heifer International), and we'll send a beautiful framed photo (4x6") representing the people you helped feed and the animals you helped saved.
2-4 days to create the frame + shipping time.
Homeless Feeding - Ethiopia
Ethiopian Vegan Association's homeless feeding program began with financial support and training from the International Fund for Africa and A Well-Fed World. What began as a monthly feeding program has expanded to weekly in 2012.
Every Saturday, local volunteers procure and prepare 100 vegan meals to distribute to homeless adults and children in the nation's capital. Between the donated food and donated time, it costs only $60 a week.
School Lunch Soy Protein - Belize
Plenty International provides soybeans from local farming to the schools in Belize for their lunch programs. This is part of a national effort to help undernourished primary school children do better in school by providing them with a hot lunch.
Plenty also provides instruction on how to make soymilk and training on how to incorporate these high protein plant-based foods and fresh vegetables from the school garden into the children's meals.
Food & Water Projects - multiple countries
VegFam is a UK-based organization that helps others to help themselves through self-supporting, plant-based food production projects and the provision of safe drinking water.
VegFam is currently supporting six long-term food production/water projects in Bangladesh, India, DR Congo, Kenya and Brazil. Funding provides training, seeds, tools, fruit trees, community land, seed/food storage and food processing equipment.
Project FRESH - U.S.
Earthworks Urban Farm is a food justice organization that provides fresh, organic produce as a direct feeding program of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Bolstering sustainable practices (such as plant-based 'green composting' as fertilzier), Earthworks works closely with the Department of Health to help promote the consumption of fresh vegetables among low-income families with children, known as Project FRESH.
This model program provides families with coupons for fresh, locally grown Michigan produce directly from farmers via weekly hosted markets. Gardening classes and youth programs are also hosted throughout the year. | <urn:uuid:eb0d5ac8-5605-4214-b585-9e7b5a654584> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://awellfedworld.org/gifts | 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 | 0.924406 | 670 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Rules and Regulations of Indian Railways
Briefing a bit more rule and regulations of Indian railways below:
Intermediate Stations Pertaining Reservations
The intermediate stations those who are not having computerized
reservation facility; their requisition for berth reservation
for all classes is only initiated when journey tickets are purchased.
The station master of the intermediate station should be informed
seventy two hours before the schedule time of the train to be
departed. So, that as soon as possible the request could be send
to the stations having computerized reservation facility.
Due to passengers arriving late Cancellation of Reservation
The passenger, whose seat or berth is reserved in advance, does
not turn up to the station ten minutes before the departure of
the train, strict action is highlighted and the seat is provided
to the passenger of waiting or RAC list, whom so ever is on the
Boarding Point to be Changed, In such a case:
1) A passenger should submit a request in writing, 24 hours before
the departure time.
2) Such accommodation can also be adjusted by the railway administration.
3) Refund is not permissible for the portion, the passenger has | <urn:uuid:057abb76-a864-428c-8211-28cc3480ab29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianrailwaysreservation.in/rules-and-regulations.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 | 0.923658 | 250 | 1.546875 | 2 |
There's also the (wondrous) ability to "mute" posts on Google+. You know how you "Like" a friend's photo on Facebook, only to get alerts for every single one of that person's 300 family members when they end up commenting on the picture and arguing over whose body part is in the corner? Imagine if you could simply hit a button to ensure that you never have to hear about that post ever again—even if it's your own post. We're not talking about blocking certain users—sometimes you want to keep a person around, but you just don't want to hear about a topic anymore. That's a huge bonus to Google+, and those I've spoken to agree that it's one of the better unsung features of the service.
Google+ also offers the ability to re-share posts made by others. Twitter's retweet feature is similar, where the other person's content shows up in your own feed as something that you have "forwarded" onto your own followers. This in itself is handy, but Google+ takes it a step further by also offering options not to allow re-sharing (say you make a private post to a small group of people and you don't want those people re-sharing your thoughts to their own friends). The same goes for comments—comments on every post are on by default, but you can turn them off for any specific post if you simply don't want to hear from the peanut gallery this time around.
Google presents its options in a way that acknowledges organization (and thus, privacy) first, whereas Facebook acknowledges organization and privacy as an afterthought, while organization barely exists for Twitter and privacy is an all-or-nothing venture. Google+ also has other neat features, such as the video-based Hangouts that let multiple users get together online and watch things like YouTube videos in an Internet group setting. Though I don't consider Hangouts to be a core reason to use Google+, plenty of users seem to like it, so good for them.
What the competition has going for it
Google+ is not the end-all, be-all of social networks—and Twitter or Facebook have their own strengths.
To take one example, although Facebook lists have some of the same functionality as Google+ Circles, Facebook also has Groups, which sort of have the same end goal but operate much differently. Facebook Groups essentially act like a private "room" in which a group of people can share things. For example, if you're familiar with Facebook events, it's like having an event page where everyone who was invited can leave comments and share items, but without the party attached. Everyone is on equal ground when they are invited to be part of a Facebook Group; it functions like your own private group wall.
This is especially handy for actual groups (as in, not just your clique), such as book clubs or running groups—people who want a centralized place for just themselves to share information, links, commentary, etc., and for everyone to have the opportunity to share equally.
Compare that to Circles (or to Facebook lists), where you create the list of people and then you make posts that go out to those specific people. People in your Google+ Circle cannot make posts that go out to the other members of your Circle unless they create their own Circle that mirrors yours. And if they create their own Circles, there may be other members in those Circles who aren't necessarily included in your Circle on the same topic. This is an obvious downside to Circles and an upside to Facebook Groups for sharing among members of a group.
Most importantly, what both Facebook and Twitter have is what every social network needs to succeed: a wide and active audience. Google+ is seeing a respectable amount of success—certainly much more success than any other new social network has seen in years—but there are plenty of reasons why the masses will remain at their old haunts for a while. Many people stick to Facebook because that's where their real-life friends and family members are, and that's a perfectly valid reason to stay. The same goes for Twitter: people use it to blast observations and information to their followers in a quick-moving and bite-sized manner, and that's exactly why it has been so successful.
Neither of these services will be displaced in the immediate future by Google+, and most Google+ users still use one or both of the others as their "main" social network. That goes for me, too.
But Google+ will stick around
During my month of using Google+ every day, I've already seen signs that the initial rush to check the service out has ended—there's less activity now than there was, say, during its first two weeks. But what's also clear is that a core base seems to be sticking around, and I believe they'll remain long enough to see Google+ establish itself as one of the main networks that Real People™ actually use.
Yes, Google+ has already run into a number of issues in its first month—there was a weekend recently in which a plethora of accounts were swiftly and mysteriously deleted, and it was only revealed later that Google was attempting to enforce a "real name" rule that many people didn't know about. There were also some transparency and consistency issues that turned the whole episode into a minor debacle.
Google+ could also use improvement. For example, the notifications menu on the Web app is borderline useless, communicating as little information as possible while constantly bugging you at the top of nearly every Google-related Web app in existence. (Really? Google can't even give me a hint about which post my friend commented on before I click? There's an awful lot of space where that information could live.) Then, when you click on any item in the list, the entire list marks itself as read! Could this menu and its functionality be any more frustrating?
But such problems are growing pains. Google seems to be taking this project more seriously than some of its other recent efforts, and the company has said multiple times—to the media and on Google+ itself—that it is listening closely to user feedback. Additionally, the company has said that it has plans to expand Google+ support throughout its other services; this is just the beginning.
However, the most important thing for Google to do right now is to retain its current audience and keep the momentum going. Enough people use Google+ and say enough good new things about it that it could establish itself as a legitimate alternative to Facebook, but fickle users can easily be driven away by boredom at this early stage. So long as Google+ keeps improving, it should be okay; if it implements some of the suggestions thrown out by its users, it could be more than okay.
As for me, I have always used Twitter (lots) more than Facebook, and I have always been a little allergic to other services. I still use Twitter the most, but now I use Google+ on a regular basis and Facebook barely at all. Even the thought of going to Facebook seems a little old-fashioned to me when I could be using Google+.
Google+ has legs. Now it's up to Google to see how far it can run. | <urn:uuid:d74e0995-cae9-4ac2-ae00-5b493a9efdd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/business/2011/08/one-month-with-google-why-the-social-network-has-legs-1/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975449 | 1,477 | 1.75 | 2 |
Are you inspired by our "Made in America" series to buy products made in the U.S.A? These websites are devoted to American companies or to sourcing where the everyday products you use are from. Use the links below and our interactive map to find companies near you.
Launched on July 4, 2010, USAonly lists companies that make their products here in the United States. With emphasis on smaller, mom-and-pop companies, the website currently features 320 companies. The website is interactive and keeps track of how many employed Americans are represented by the companies listed.
Etsy.com is a community of artisans and artists that sell their products in an online marketplace. Products in categories like jewelry, furniture, and "geekery" are available for purchase. Each description links to the artisan's profile, where you can learn more about their designs and career.
The MIT Media Lab created Sourcemap as a database and tool for everyone to use to find out where all the products in their everyday life come from. From Mangoes to Levi Jeans the program allows you to trave the orgin of what you buy and also add the source information for other products you have researched.
MadeHereInAmerica.com is an easy-to-use directory of consumer products that are made in the United States. Company descriptions include what percentage of products are made in America.
Petroit sells a variety of made in America products, from clothing to tools, and everything in between.
Headquartered in Bridgeport, Mich., AmericanMadeProducts.com Inc. sells more than 9,000 products made, manufactured or assembled in America.
MadeinAmericaStuff.com sells products made in the U.S.A. The website is based in Houston.
This website is a searchable directory of goods made in the United States, with categories ranging from "Air Cleaners" to "Vitamins."
Nearly 2,300 products made in the United States are available for purchase on MadeInUSAForever.com.
StillMadeInUSA is a directory of American-made products. Click on a category and you'll be directed to links to companies across the country manufacturing in the United States. Each link includes a description of the company and lets you know where it's located.
The website is a product search engine and database for those looking for products made in the United States.
MadeByYankees.net has a database with nearly 3,000 products that are made in the United States, listed by manufacturer. Only the listed products are made in America. The manufacturer also may sell products made outside of the United States.
The Made in the USA Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that promotes products manufactured and assembled in America. Clicking on "Shop USA" brings you to a category list where you can access links to companies' websites.
Links to companies selling products made in the USA.
Looking to teach your children to buy American from an early age? ToysMadeInAmerica links to over 150 toy manufacturers making their toys here in the USA.
Click here to return to the "World News: Made in America" page. | <urn:uuid:623f7cde-2f2e-4f0f-b87b-f1334d64e0a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Business/MadeInAmerica/made-america-resource-guide-find-american-companies/story?id=13057404 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960804 | 646 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Study after study shows that more people are getting facial plastic surgery to perfect their social media close-up. Is it because the ability to see ourselves from multiple angles and megapixels makes us notice flaws we didn't know we had? Or is it because, as Betabeat's Jessica Roy says, "Social media has made self-presentation a blood sport?" She spoke with plastic surgeons and self-hating Skype users to figure it out:
"With a good degree of frequency, people will come in and say, ‘I saw myself in the mirror, but I didn't really notice it until I saw myself on Facebook or on my iPhone or iPad," Dr. Schaffner told us from his spa-like Midtown East office. "When you look in the mirror you're seeing the mirror image of yourself. But when you see yourself on social media, you're seeing yourself the way the world sees you."
For what it's worth, I prefer iChat's video chat feature to Skype and I believe it covers up a multitude of aesthetic sins. But maybe that's just me.
Facebook, Skype Give Cosmetic Surgery Industry a Lift [New York Observer]
Image via Robnroll/Shutterstock. | <urn:uuid:01b69e16-3857-4f54-b5ef-d281de4a60bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jezebel.com/5925082/plastic-surgery-will-totally-enhance-your-facebook-experience-say-vain-people?tag=skype | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97155 | 250 | 1.507813 | 2 |
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SOURCE Elton John AIDS Foundation
Historic Achievement Underscores the Foundation's Commitment to HIV Prevention and Treatment Services for Marginalized and Under-Served Populations
NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) today announced that it has reached the historic milestone of having raised more than $300 million for HIV prevention, treatment, advocacy, and anti-stigma programs across the globe. Founded in 1992, EJAF is one of the largest HIV/AIDS grant-making organizations in the world. Charity Navigator, America's premier charity evaluator, has ranked EJAF as a four-star charity – the highest possible rating – for the past seven consecutive years.
"After 20 years of doing this work, I know that the only way to fight against AIDS is by helping everyone in need, especially those living at the margins of society," said Sir Elton John. "I'm so grateful to all our donors, whose generosity has allowed us to support dozens of innovative organizations that provide critical services to the most stigmatized populations around the world. These organizations are doing work that governments refuse to do, and helping people that governments refuse to help. I'm proud and honored to support them. And even though our foundation has reached this wonderful milestone, there is so much more work to be done."
EJAF's grant-making targets regions and populations poorly served by current prevention efforts and most at risk of HIV infection, including critically under-funded communities in the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean; stigmatized and marginalized populations including men who have sex with men, injection drug users, and incarcerated individuals; and under-served populations including African Americans and young people.
Examples of EJAF's grant-making include:
"We cannot be satisfied with the status quo, because the status quo means that we will never realize the dream of an AIDS-free generation," said EJAF's Chairman David Furnish. "We must fight, and end, the complacency about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country. And we must stop the active ignorance towards the needs of the marginalized and the voiceless. If we want to achieve an AIDS-free generation – if we want to end AIDS – we have to act."
Sir Elton John established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 to provide a direct response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic during a time when many people were dying, and little was being done for marginalized populations most at risk of infection. Over the years, EJAF's strategic investments have helped make tremendous strides in reducing HIV infections among drug users, bringing effective sexual health programs to disadvantaged youth, and ramping up treatment access programs in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Southern United States.
Elton's leadership on HIV/AIDS has been recognized by the U.S. Congress, where he has testified twice on the importance of a global response to HIV/AIDS in 2002 and 2012, and by the international community, which he addressed as a keynote speaker at the July 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C.
The work of EJAF and Elton's vision of an AIDS-free world are documented in Elton's New York Times best-selling book, Love Is the Cure, released by Little, Brown in July 2012.
American Airlines is the official sponsoring airline of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
For more information, please visit www.EJAF.org.
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:cccf3b52-594b-40ad-92dc-aff0ff913c69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcoy.com/story/21279745/the-elton-john-aids-foundation-reaches-300-million-fundraising-milestone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951228 | 787 | 1.789063 | 2 |
We welcome your comments on the article written by Cheryl Swanson, Principal at Toniq, USA
Time magazine recently reported on “The Lipstick Index” (Time, Special Money Issue, October 10, 2011). Lipstick sales have long been an economic indicator; when the economy is down, lipstick sales have traditionally gone up. Women would rather spend on little luxuries when purse strings are tighter and the economy is uncertain— and lipstick has been that one affordable luxury that makes a women feel pampered and more confident. Afterall, when you feel beautiful, you are more likely to be optimistic. According to Time magazine, lipstick sales are up 14% in 2011. But what’s more interesting is that nail polish is up 54%. Nail polish is evidently becoming the new US economic index. So if nail polish is the new lipstick, what other new indicators are we seeing in this recessionary economy?
Home Hair Coloring as the new Lipstick Index
USA Today reported that 44% of women say their mood is affected by the type of hair day they are having. Maybe that’s why we spend so much money on haircare products! Recent surveys also state that women color their hair about 4 times a year. But let’s not leave out the men. Men’s home hair-color sales reached $113.5 million last year, a 50 percent increase in just five years. The rise in DIY home hair coloring systems prove that people are skipping the salon and doing it themselves to save money. There is also a steady increase in new innovations and products in this category reinforcing that home hair care is another index of the economy. Several companies have taken note of this trend and are creating new and easier to use home hair color systems. For example, Samy has launched Fat Foam whch launched exclusively for the first six months at Walmart. It is exactly what it sounds like, a whipped, non-drip, permanent hair color foam. Sales were 3 times faster than expected in the initial weeks at Walmart. Home hair coloring is another lipstick index.
Teeth Whitening as the new Lipstick Index
Along with great lipstick and home haircoloring, white teeth are another sign of the times. The $1.6 billion dental hygiene market is fueled by teeth whitening. This is not just whitening in the dental chair but also includes home teeth whitening products such as toothpastes, gels and kits. In the first quarter of 2011, sales of tooth bleaching and whitening products rose 12% to $55.9 million according to SymphonyIRI Group Inc. Innovations in this category are driving sales and allowing consumers to achieve professional results at home. Teeth whitening products are another lipstick index.
And looking beyond beauty…
Smartphones as the new Lipstick Index
On Friday October 14th, 2011 Apple set new records, again. The iPhone 4S was released in 7 countries around the world (US, Canada, Australia, UK, France, Germany, and Japan). By the end of the first weekend, Apple had sold over 4 million units, breaking all previous sales of iPhones. The phones ranged from $199 to $399 depending on the model. So are iPhones the new gender neutral lipstick index? Well, growing sales of multi-functional technology, like the iPhone, is a great indicator of the uncertain economy. Smartphones are pretty much a hybrid of a laptop, digital camera, music player, television, and game console in one. The multi-benefit technology outweighs the superficial, frivolous, luxury, as it was once percieved. A smartphone keeps you connected and entertained. Consumers would much rather spend on the newest iPhone than replace an old laptop, digital camera, television and game console. In the fourth quarter of 2010, smartphones outsold and outshipped PCs for the first time, according to Fortune Magazine (February 7, 2011). This is huge for a technology that is still in its adolescent years. The first iPhone was only released on January 29th, 2007, almost 5 years ago. Can you imagine life without it now?
Coupons as the new Lipstick Index
Have you used a coupon recently? The extreme couponing trend is also a great economic index. With rising food costs, gas prices, and overall consumption costs, the demand for coupons are becoming more of a necessity than a marketing strategy. Couponing has become so popular that the network, TLC, began airing the show “Extreme Couponing” in April 2011. The show follows extreme couponers and how they save money in this economy. According to the Annual Topline U.S. CPG Coupon Facts Report for Year-end 2010, released by NCH Marketing Services, Inc., shoppers saved $3.7 billion with coupons in 2010, a 5.7% increase from 2009. They also reported that 78.3% of all US households regularly use coupons. As the economy continues to roller coaster, we foresee extreme couponing to gain even more momentum. To some, it is more than just saving a few dollars, but a competition to see who can save the most at checkout with the biggest grocery cart— even if this means you have to store 30 rolls of paper towels in the garage. Coupon usage is another lipstick index.
“Sandwich Generation” households as the new Lipstick Index
Since the early 90’s, Carol Abaya, a journalist and expert on elder care, coined the term “sandwich generation”. She defines it as those who are “sandwiched” between taking care of their elderly parents while also raising their own children. How many people do you know live in multi-generational households? Meaning grandparents, parents and children under one roof or parents living with their grown children or families living with extended families, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.? According to Pew Research, the number of multi-generational families in the US reached 51.4 million in 2009 and is growing. Pew also reports that in 2010, one in four adults aged 18-24 and one in five aged 25-34 moved back in with their parents. The number one reason for this is financial. The rise in the cost of living has given increased value to families to share childcare and elder care responsibilities, increased value of grocery shopping and feeding 8 versus 3, hence the couponing trend, and the more income that comes into one household by more employed members the easier it is to stay financially afloat. The poverty rate for mulit-generational households in much lower than traditional households. We are not only witnessing this trend but many of us are living it. The “sandwich generation” is another lipstick index.
The “lipstick” is no longer the key index in this more complex economy, culture and society. We have to look beyond the sale of one item or beyond just the beauty industry, but at the lifestyles, shopping behaviors, and cultures that surround the people that live in this economy. These are the signs of the times and the index is much more than just lipstick.
If you would like to know more about trends or Toniq, please email us at email@example.com or tweet us @brandeffervesce.
About the Author
Ms. Swanson founded Toniq in 1999 after leading several design firms to world-class status with her emotions-based, visual approach to brand strategy development. At Toniq, she continues to evolve her strategic expertise by seeking new ways to connect with consumers.
Swanson’s years of trend tracking, design management and research have coalesced in a theory of “Brand Effervescence ™” an innovative approach to brand building. This image-based approach is a synthesis of cultural anthropology, consumer trends research, marketing and design, and a study of the psychology of symbolism and color. | <urn:uuid:74d34bb2-bf41-4cf5-9211-b9c3c5be27c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://popsop.com/51081 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956614 | 1,616 | 1.796875 | 2 |
This article was originally distributed via PRWeb. PRWeb, WorldNow and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
The latest chat box from Chatwing.com is readily available for political websites. Through the chat tool’s connectivity rate, visitors can discuss political matters easily.
New York, NY (PRWEB) February 05, 2013
Chatwing and its team of developers have decided to slink into the high-octane world of political discussions. According to the studies of the company, political discussions are prominent in hundreds of websites, forums, blogs, and online portals. To help these website owners gain information and subscribers, Chatwing.com is ready to launch its newest chat app. The embeddable chatroom can magnify the way people communicate in the political discussion niche.
Chatwing chatroom can boost the rate of political discussions by more than 60%. This rate is attributed to the chatroom’s overall capacity and real-time communication speed. Normally, messages can be conveyed in just seconds and minutes. Political website owners have used the chatroom tool to gather insights from visitors and spread awareness, as well. Another key factor of the shoutbox is social media leverage. Through this, visitors can log in with their respective social media accounts. Now, visitors can widen their networks, make new friends, and take political discussions to a whole new level.
Common political discussions include the performance of world leaders, administrators, and other local leaders—depending on location. The Chatwing Team has also noted that political projects and manoeuvres are also discussed on a frequent basis.
Aside from political niche, the chat software can be used in the niches of business, online investments, venture capitalism, direct selling tips, entrepreneurship, and social awareness. This usability rate proves, in a greater scale, that the Chatwing tool is reliable in professional terms. It can also bring a new way of chatting experience for many web users.
Chatwing.com specializes in the new field of website chat. Over years, the development team has introduced live chat widget for hundreds and thousands of blogs. The application bridges people from many parts of the world, creating global synergy through the Internet. The shout box can be installed in just seconds, and it can be used for varying purposes such as leisure and Internet marketing. It also allows a user to customize the size, color, and name of the widget.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/2/prweb10391177.htm | <urn:uuid:e43064a1-da3e-4624-bba6-b25d67a0de2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/20974748/website-chat-tool-for-political-chat-sessions-introduced-by-chatwing-company | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922176 | 527 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Foreign children who arrive unaccompanied in the UK should be assigned a personal guardian to stop them being lured or taken from care for exploitation as prostitutes, domestic servants and other illegal roles, MPs said today.
The children, schools and families select committee of the House of Commons said it was concerned at the number of suspected victims of child trafficking who go missing from local authority care.
The extent of the problem has been exposed by the Guardian, which revealed this month that one in eight unaccompanied asylum-seeking children go missing from care around ports and airports.
In the eight months to December 2008, 86 of the 474 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the care of Kent county council went missing.
Over the same period, one in ten went missing from the London borough of Hillingdon, which looks after children trafficked through Heathrow.
Campaigners for better protection for exploited children have lobbied the Home Office to create a national system of guardianship, but the department has so far resisted their calls.
"We are concerned about the particular vulnerability of this group of children to trafficking, and would like the role of guardian to include a remit to ensure that children do not go missing," the MPs said.
According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, close to 1,000 foreign children were taken into care by local authorities in the eight months between April 2008 and the end of the year. It represents a 90% increase compared to the rate of arrivals over the previous three years.
Ecpat UK, a charity which campaigns against child prostitution, child pornography and child trafficking believes a system of guardians would reduce the numbers going missing.
"We welcome the demand made by the select committee," said Chris Beddoe, chief executive of the charity.
"Given that so many of these child victims go missing so quickly after they are taken into local authority care, it seems clear that we are witnessing a pattern of criminal activity among traffickers.
"If the government is really committed to keeping them safe, they would implement a system of guardianship so someone would be responsible for each and every child."
The committee also called for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to assume formal joint responsibility with the Home Office for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
The committee heard evidence from the Refugee Children's Consortium, which argued that more emphasis was put on immigration control than on children's welfare.
This, the consortium said, was partly due to the fact that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are the only group of children in the UK for which responsibility lies entirely outside the DCSF's remit. | <urn:uuid:19355428-7fe9-4b42-b68d-395f24edcf0e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/20/guardians-foreign-children | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973786 | 528 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The PC Party of Ontario is running a campaign to label Dalton McGuinty as the "taxman." But is it true?
Let's compare the Ontario PCs under Mike Harris and Ernie Eves (1995-2002) and Dalton McGuinty (2003-2010), two eight-year periods (the transition of government occurred part-way through 2002-2003). Please see the notes at the bottom of the post for important caveats about the Education Property Tax and Government Business Enterprises.
Bottom line: No, it's not true. Harris/Eves and McGuinty have taxed Ontarians to roughly the same extent. Tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 10.57% under Harris/Eves and 10.47% under McGuinty.
Tax revenue generally increases along with GDP, and we can see in Chart 1 that GDP and tax revenue have increased under both the PCPO and the OLP. For this reason, a good measure of the tax burden is tax revenue as a percentage of GDP. As Chart 2 shows, this metric has been very steady over the 16 years in question, through both PCPO and OLP majority governments. If McGuinty is a "taxman," then Mike Harris and Ernie Eves deserve that moniker, too.
So why does this myth of Dalton as a "taxman" exist?
It is an invented marketing message, created by the PCPO, designed to convince voters to turf McGuinty. Although it's inaccurate, there are elements that resonate with voters. Ironically, one true element of the myth is based on a decision by McGuinty that you would expect the PCPO to be in favour of: increased transparency in taxation.
When McGuinty introduced the health premium, he could have chosen to increase personal income tax rates instead. If he had, there would be no "health premium" for PCPO to complain about incessantly. Establishing a new tax specifically for health at least associates the revenue with a particular area of expenditure. It is worth noting that the PCPO isn't proposing to cut or eliminate the health premium.
Similarly, the PCPO rails against eco fees, which aren't a tax collected by government but a means for business to organize and fund its own recycling through a non-profit. They also complain constantly about the HST, which is more efficient, better for manufacturers and reduces the paperwork burden on businesses. They don't propose to get rid of the HST.
The PCPO calls Dalton the "taxman," but tax revenue has increased under his government as it did under the PCPO governments of Harris and Eves. They apparently hate the health premium and the HST, but they don't propose to get rid of either tax. Perhaps they should look in the mirror while they are calling McGuinty names.
Or, better yet, propose a credible and better alternative to the tax policy of the current government.
|Metric||Harris/Eves (1995-2002)||McGuinty (2003-2010)|
|Growth in GDP||45.08%||26.45%|
|Average annual increase in GDP||5.48%||3.42%|
|Overall growth in tax revenue||39.37%||19.68%|
|Average Tax as % of GDP||10.57%||10.47%|
Distribution of tax revenue (2010, %)
- Personal Income Tax (39.4%)
- Sales Tax (28.8%)
- Education Property Tax1 (not included)
- Corporations Tax (9.5%)
- Employer Health Tax (7.7%)
- Ontario Health Premium (4.7%)
- Gasoline Tax (3.9%)
- Tobacco Tax (1.8%)
- Land Transfer Tax (1.7%)
- Fuel Tax (1.1%)
- Electricity Payments-In-Lieu of Taxes (0.9%)
- Other Taxes (0.5%)
Note 1: Previous to 2008, the Education Property Tax was netted against school board expenditures and not included in the government revenues in the public accounts. In 2008, the government moved to a simpler means of accounting for this revenue and now reports the tax revenue separately from the expenditures. For purposes of comparison, as the prior public accounts have not been restated, I've excluded it from these figures. The impact should be negligible.
Note 2: The government also receives income from Government Business Enterprises like Hydro One, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Ontario Power Generation and the LCBO. In 2010, net income from these GBEs was $4.2 billion. | <urn:uuid:f7cdaec1-69ed-437a-a2e7-8cb76a0bb54c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://helmer.ca/blog/2011/06/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962085 | 962 | 2.015625 | 2 |
A program of music by Handel and Mozart centered on Mozart’s Requiem was presented by the Handel and Haydn Society conducted by Harry Christophers in Symphony Hall on Friday, April 29, and repeated on Sunday afternoon, May 1. Following is a review of the Friday evening performance.
The program opened with Mozart’s Ave verum corpus (Hail, true body), composed in June 1791. Characterized by exquisitely balanced, transparent, and deceptively simple part writing for four voices, with minimal thematic input from the instrumental accompaniment, the motet is a favorite of choirs the world over, but seldom as beautifully performed as we heard it last night. The choir of thirty-six voices was trained to perfection by chorus-master John Finney. Christophers eschewed fussy dynamics and slow tempo, reading Adagio in cut-C as “slow but steady” half-note beats that allowed the restrained melodic and harmonic subtleties to unfold without pathos or exaggeration.
A very different side of Mozart’s activity during his final year was displayed in the concert aria for bass voice and orchestra, Per questa bella mano (K612). Composed in March 1791 for Franz Xaver Gerl, who sang the role of Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio and was the first Sarastro in The Magic Flute, it features a virtuosic obbligato part for double bass. Playing a five-string instrument with a baroque bow, bassist Robert Nairn proved more than a match for the intricate figuration — much of it in double stops — and wide melodic span of his part. Bass-baritone Eric Owens chose not to exploit the potentially comic aspects of this incongruous setting of a serious love poem, demonstrating that his ample voice of sizeable range and power was also capable of considerable expressive nuance.
Handel’s opulent setting of Psalm 110, Dixit Dominus Domino meo (The Lord said unto my Lord) for five-part choir and five-part string ensemble dates from his early years in Rome; it was completed in 1707. Soprano Elizabeth Watts and mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella were the excellent principal soloists, with shorter solo contributions from choir members Margot Rood and Teresa Wakim, sopranos, mezzo Abigail Levis, tenors Randy McGee, and bass Woodrow Bynum. Christophers’s springy tempos and driving rhythm emphasized the dramatic moments in Handel’s setting, although occasionally one might have wished for a greater sense of line in longer phrases. Highlights included the contrast of homophony and fugue in the chorus Juravit Dominuus (The Lord hath sworn), detached, percussive chords on the words “conquassibit capita” (he shall wound the heads), and piquant suspensions on the words “De torrente in via bibet” (He shall drink of the brook along the way).
The central work on the program was the Mozart Requiem, heard after the intermission. As is well known, in the summer of 1791 the Mass was commissioned anonymously by a Count von Walsegg, who wished to pass the work off as his own, in memory of his wife. Mozart did not begin continuous work on the Requiem until his return from Prague in mid-September, and it was left unfinished when he died on December 5th. His widow Constanze had the work completed by his pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr and delivered to the still unknown client. Several performances took place after Mozart’s death, and a full score was published in Leipzig in 1800. A still unsettled controversy ensued over how much of the Requiem could be called Mozart’s. The original manuscripts remained unavailable until 1838, when they were discovered in Count von Walsegg’s estate, and in 1962 a single sheet of autograph sketches was discovered containing a fragment of the Rex tremendae and sixteen measures of an Amen fugue to conclude the Sequence (at the end of the Lacrymosa). Although at least three others have been shown to have had a hand in completing the Requiem as delivered to the Count, only Süssmayr, who died in 1803, admitted to having done so.
By all accounts, Süssmayr’s compositional skills, particularly in contrapuntal writing, were mediocre at best. Recent studies, summarized in the introduction to Robert Levin’s completion of the Requiem (Stuttgart Mozart Editions) suggest that some of the music claimed to be exclusively Süssmayr’s is better than what he could have produced entirely on his own, and that he may have had access to sketches that are no longer extant. Constanze referred to “a few scraps of paper with music on them” found among Mozart’s papers after his death and given to Süssmayr, but we do not know whether they contained additional material that Süssmayr might have used in completing Mozart’s work. Levin corrected some of Süssmayr’s most glaring errors, composed a fugal Amen for the Lacrymosa based on Mozart’s sketch, and refined some of Süssmayr’s overly thick orchestration. In the Sanctus, he replaced the reprise of the Hosanna fugue, which Süssmayr transposed to B-flat, the key of the preceding Benedictus, with a shortened version in D major, the key in which it first appears.
The Handel and Haydn Society’s performance appears to have been based instead on the edition prepared by Leopold Nowak for the New Mozart Edition (Bärenreiter), which reproduces the Requiem in the traditional form known since the first printed edition of 1800. The performance by the choir, period orchestra, and vocal quartet of soprano, mezzo, and bass soloists joined by tenor Andrew Kennedy was generally of a very high level, and there were many breathtaking moments. Among these were the duet between bass-baritone Eric Owens and trombonist Gregory Spiridopoulos at the opening of Tuba mirum, the duo of “basset horns” (low clarinets in F) in the Recordare, and the exquisite choral sound of the Hostias. Christophers’s interpretation again stressed the dramatic aspects of the text, especially striking when the opening words of the Sequence, Dies irae, immediately and startlingly invoked the wrath of God following the Kyrie’s plea for mercy. While there is no reason for a concert performance to replicate liturgical usage (which would have included intervening prayers and the plainchant Gradual and Tract), perhaps a moment’s pause for reflection between movements would have been in order.
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welcome to the forum.
it is great to see that you are taking care of the religious needs of someone living with you and helping that person to follow the nativity fast.
all orthodox Christians fast ( / should fast; delete as appropriate!) in the days before Christmas; the days before easter (lent) and a few other days. this is in order to resist our bodily desires (gluttony, lust etc.) when we pray as well as fast, it helps us to resist the temptation to sin.
this is a good source:http://www.coptichymns.net/module-library-viewpub-tid-1-pid-494.html
i need to add a few points of explanation.
1. all fasting should be under the guidance of each person's priest.
for example if someone is ill or frail, the fasting rules are usually relaxed.
2. most people aim to (that is; most do not actually achieve) fast completely (no food or water) from the time of waking in the morning to 12 noon for fasts where fish is allowed (eg. most of Christmas / nativity fast) or till 3pm (eg. wednesdays and fridays and the lent fast).
a few people (monks, nuns, priests and a few other people) abstain from food and drink till even later in the day.
if the person you are looking after is in a residential home because he/she is old or frail, they would not normally be expected to do this. some old people fast till 9 or 10 am, or whatever they can manage. this is under the supervision of their spiritual father (priest) who takes into consideration any medical conditions when advising on fasting.
3. all the days from 25th november to 6th jan inclusive are fasting days which are basically vegan (no mammal meat or dairy or eggs) but fish, including shellfish is allowed most days.
the exceptions are wednesdays and fridays, where only vegan food is allowed.
4. there is an extra fasting day on 19th jan (vegan food) as it is the day before the feast of epiphany. epiphany is usually on 19th jan, but the church year is moving forward a year for those on the old calendar, because the calendar is falling out of synch with the common calendar.
5. some orthodox Christians are on the new calendar (together with most catholics and protestants) which is the same as the common calendar in general use.
others (copts, russian orthodox, armenians, ethiopians etc.) are on the old calendar. it is something to do with the byzantine empire and really quite complicated!
6. Christmas for coptic Christians falls on the night on the 6th January (after midnight, so it's technically on 7th). we fast with vegan food all day, and abstain from food for several hours in the morning. then all but the strongest eat a mid day meal and finish the eating and drinking (i don't mean alcohol! we don't drink during fasts and hardly drink the rest of the year) by 3pm. this is so we can fast the required 9 hours before Holy Communion.
we put on our best clothes and go to church around 6 or 7 pm (all timings are approximate for most orthodox cultures - there is a big difference from northern europe style cultures like north america and australia).
there are lots of special prayers and singing, and then we move straight on the the Christmas liturgy. it is very exciting, and the best bit is when we take Holy Communion at midnight. there is then an (optional) party in the church or in people's houses where we chat and enjoy the foods we have abstained from. we sleep very late, then get up late on 7th and spend the day visiting or 'phoning family and friends.
Christmas is the second most exciting day of the year after easter (Pascha). when we break our fast, we do this for an important reason. although fasting and prayer help us to get closer to God, if we were always fasting we would rely on the outward bodily fasting and not concentrate on allowing God to renew our lives inwardly. we would (probably) also become self-righteous and proud of all our fasting. so the church wisely lets us break our fast, so we can work on praying and studying the Bible without fasting. this way the fasting is a tool to help us in our spiritual life; not the ultimate aim.
i hope others can help plug any gaps i may have left!
also please feel free to send me a personal message if you or your coptic friend have any questions | <urn:uuid:a7db7bcc-58d1-48cf-91d7-e768ddf174e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=41245.0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95815 | 983 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Is the New Testament Fiction?
During the Facebook debate that I had with several belligerent Christians, I called the stories in the New Testament Fiction. Ignorant Christian Mike came back with the “Jesus Existed Argument.” Mike wrote:
“James, with all due respect, to call the New Testament “fiction” demonstrates a limited study of it on your part. The historical Jesus is well-proven by archaeologists and historians, believers and non-believers alike.”
This shouldn’t take long to tear apart. Even if I concede that Jesus existed, which I do have some doubts about which you can read here, it does not prove the Bible is fact. You hear this often among theists. “They found archeological evidence of places in the bible, therefore everything in the bible is true!” Just because a real place is mentioned in a story does not make it true. New York City is the setting of Spiderman. Does that make Spiderman a real person? The Iliad speaks of Troy, which archeologists have found, does that mean the Greek gods mentioned in that book are real? Of course not. But if we follow Christian logic who support that the bible is real because it mentions real places than we would have to believe Spiderman and Zeus are also real.
As for the truth about Jesus, according to Dale B. Martin, Woolsey Professor of Religious Studies at Yale, the best we can know is that ”Jesus was an apocalyptic Jewish prophet who was executed because (the Romans at least believed) that he or his disciples were making dangerous claims that he was the King of the Jews”
That isn’t much. But just because Jesus might have been a true historical person does not make the supernatural claims about Jesus true. We know that Abraham Lincoln was a true historical figure but I doubt that he was a vampire hunter.
A true study of the bible will result in finding out that it is indeed fiction, perhaps inspired by true (non-supernatual) events. | <urn:uuid:e8091bd3-e624-40ae-955e-d18e2590d0bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reasonwithme.com/2013/01/18/is-the-new-testament-fiction-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972147 | 423 | 2.296875 | 2 |
June 17--RUIDOSO -- Hearts have been broken and others filled with dread by the 13-day-old Little Bear Fire that destroyed 234 structures north of this mountain village, but locals said the wary dance with the lush forest will continue, despite the ongoing threats to life and property.
"This is one of the things you live with when you live in the mountains," said resident Grace Baker last week during one of her repeated visits to a spot where she was monitoring the size of a smoke column. "You live in Kansas, you live with tornadoes."
Local real estate broker Bill Pippin said that on Thursday, while containment of the fire was still only 40 percent, he showed a property to a family from Dallas who did not appear deterred by the smoke.
"You know, the mountains are always the mountains," Pippin said. "It's cooler here. ... You go 100 miles in any direction, and Ruidoso's always cooler."
Over the last decade, the village of Ruidoso has carried out a campaign to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire by pushing property owners to thin trees on private land.
In 2001 the Forest Service ranked Ruidoso the nation's second-most vulnerable community at risk of wildfire. Similarly, the state Forestry Division pegged the village, 12,000 residents surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest, as the New Mexico community most at risk of catastrophic wildfire.
The area has been beset by frightening wildfires over the last decade. Just last year, locals watched from U.S. 70 as the White Fire scorched 10,000 acres of the Lincoln National Forest, with flames menacing the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and casino. Two months later, the 10-acre Swallow Fire devoured eight homes in a hilly subdivision on the town's southwest corner that, had it gotten out of control, could have pushed north and east into the main body of the village.
Mayor Gus Raymond Alborn said that if the city had not promoted fire-wise policies, like raking up pine needles and creating a defensible space of about 30 feet around homes, the relatively small Swallow Fire "would have been a whole lot worse."
The village created its own Forestry Department about a decade ago to advise property owners, after on-site visits, about the steps needed to make their homes safer from fire.
Since 2004, Forestry Department director Dick Cooke said, the village has managed to get trees thinned on about 700 properties a year, in part with the threat of fines. About 6,500 acres of land have been treated over the last eight years. Treating the other half of the village is expected to take another seven or eight years, Cooke said.
While many Lincoln County residents complain about the thick stands of trees in the surrounding forest, Cooke noted that when the village embarked on the project, cutting a tree with a chest-high diameter greater than 5 inches required a local permit. "Nobody wanted to cut a tree," Cooke said. "People came from areas where there weren't trees."
Lincoln County does not have an ordinance similar to Ruidoso's mandating the creation of defensible space around homes. Such an ordinance was considered, but not adopted, in 2010.
"The general feeling in the commission is that it's more up to the individual person, like enlightened self-interest, and we don't want to have people forcing others to do it," said Lincoln County Commissioner Kathryn Minter, who represents the area where the Little Bear Fire swept through unincorporated communities.
Instead, as an incentive to homeowners, Lincoln County offers to defray up to 70 percent of the cost of fuel-reduction projects on private land with grant funds provided by the Forest Service and passed down through the state Forestry Division. This year, the grant for Lincoln County came to $261,000.
When the Ruidoso Downs City Council was asked in late May to consider adopting measures similar to Ruidoso's, the proposal met a chilly reception, according to a story in the Ruidoso News. The proposal called for removing branches within 15 feet of a chimney, cutting down standing dead trees and a ban on stacks of firewood within 10 feet of a structure.
Insurance companies are increasingly pressuring homeowners to reduce fire risks on private property or face the loss of coverage. "We do ask our homeowners to do what they can to mitigate that risk, and that is part of our underwriting evaluation," said Matt Brenner, a State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. claims manager.
Surrounding Ruidoso is the national forest, which grows thicker by the year. The White Mountain Wilderness Area north of Ruidoso where the Little Bear Fire began has not been treated at all in recent decades, and the last significant fire there, the 1986 Day Fire, burned only 643 acres, according to a spokesman for the fire management team.
Between 2000 and 2010, the Forest Service treated nearly 148,000 of the Smokey Bear District's 423,000 acres, either by thinning projects, prescribed burns or some other treatment program.
In February, the Forest Service sued Otero County in federal court over the county's claim that it could, in a time of emergency, carry out thinning projects in the national forest to reduce the risk of wildfires to mountain communities. In its answer, Otero County said forests "are in deplorable condition," blaming poor management by the Forest Service.
Former Ruidoso fire chief Tom Gavin said that a variety of factors have combined to create dangerous conditions, and decadeslong practices of suppressing wildfires is only one of them. Other factors, Gavin said, include prolonged drought, bark beetle infestation that thrives in dry conditions and kills trees, and the steep decline of the timber industry.
Meanwhile, new residential developments continue to push into heavily forested areas.
One especially vulnerable -- and popular -- section of town is the Upper Canyon area that follows the Ruidoso River and has only one way in and one way out. If a fire were to start at the entrance to the canyon, or a falling tree were to block the single road out during a wildfire, residents could be trapped. Upper Canyon is filled with more than 500 homes and cabins, Gavin said.
While it may not be a popular thing to say out loud these days, Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Doth noted that a wildfire is a natural part of a forest's life cycle that can promote healthier conditions. Doth made that observation after first pointing out "50 years of ... mismanagement" of national forests, exacerbated by ongoing drought.
"At this point in time, I think a fire is the only way to clean up a large area effectively at low cost," Doth said, adding, however, that current conditions make it nearly "impossible" to keep prescribed burns under control.
(c)2012 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at www.abqjournal.com
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Wildlife officials with the Lander Regional Office of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department are alerting pheasant hunters that there will be no pheasants released on November 29.
Lander Region Wildlife Supervisor Jason Hunters says the Sheridan Bird Farm will not be providing pheasants for release on November 29, 2011 for the Sand Mesa and Ocean Lake Wildlife Habitat Management Areas (WHMAs).
“Traditionally, we have pheasant hunters travel to these WHMAs from several areas around the State, including Casperand Rock Springs,” Hunter says. “Some pheasants that would have normally been released on our WHMAs will be used for "brood stock" at the Downar Bird Farm near Yoder.”
In May, WGFD personnel confirmed the presence of cecal worms in pheasants at the Downar Bird Farm. They also discovered Chlamydiophila psittaci, which causes the disease psittacosis. To help contain the diseases and prevent future outbreaks, department personnel euthanized approximately 1200 pheasants from the farm's brood stock and destroyed all unhatched eggs and euthanized all chicks. | <urn:uuid:2373cd8c-b535-49e4-87c3-b29a4872e711> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theradionetwork.net/content/pheasant-hunters?quicktabs_1=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928916 | 254 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Most of the heme which is degraded comes from hemoglobin.
Heme is degraded in two steps to bilirubin (pronounce), which is conjugated to glucuronic acid and excreted.
Bilirubin is highly lipid soluble. This property determines its behavior and its further metabolism.
Several diseases are associated with hyperbilirubinemia. Direct and indirect bilirubin values are used in the differential diagnosis of hyperbilirubinemia (pronounce).
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Last modified 1/5/95 | <urn:uuid:87d764e6-1255-4ce4-b285-d712b6efd598> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://library.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/hi7.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936736 | 117 | 2.984375 | 3 |
What would cake be without frosting? Here’s my very first ultra-low-carb icing recipe, made with cream cheese, butter, and cream. Maybe one day I’ll find a way to include yet another form of milk product (whey protein perhaps?) but for now, three forms will do.
I’m a sucker for coconut icing, so I’ve been mixing this basic recipe with finely shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened of course), using it to top the red velvet cupcakes whose recipe I will post later today, after I make another batch of it. Today is the 4th of July, after all, so red velvet cake topped with white and blue icing would seem de rigeur for such a patriotic holiday. Unlike the French expression I just used.
Until then, you could just eat this icing all by itself, or use it to top some ultra-low-carb pancakes!
Basic Sugar-Free Butter Cream Icing
Floating somewhere between "butter cream" and "cream cheese icing" lies the perfect concoction to top ultra-low-carb cakes and other treats. Use this very basic recipe as is, or as the basis for any number of frosting types, from chocolate to hazelnut to coconut and beyond.
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup butter (softened)
- 4oz cream cheese (softened)
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free syrup (any flavor)
- 8 drops liquid stevia extract (any flavor)
- 1/3 cup finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)
|Place all ingredients into the Magic Bullet or into a bowl you can use with an electric mixer. (Except for the coconut, if using.) |
|Blend (or mix) ingredients until fully creamed together, resulting in a firm but soft frosting. (If adding coconut, mix in after other ingredients have been mixed.) |
|Done! Go frost something! | | <urn:uuid:65933f1c-53a0-41cb-96c3-3fdee7755281> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thehardcorechef.com/tag/frosting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925136 | 412 | 1.515625 | 2 |
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Granite countertops can release radiation and radon, and may pose some health risks. Granite also has a big environmental impact. | <urn:uuid:fbc4608c-9c6c-40c9-8162-887e87b397d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedailygreen.com/sitemap/section_2936_50 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921415 | 2,130 | 1.570313 | 2 |
This assignment will be a bit different from most of the others this term. Instead of writing some interesting program, you are to produce a detailed written report based on experimentation with code that doesn't really do very much. Specifically, you are to create one or more test programs, poke around their insides to learn low-level details of the user-kernel interface in Solaris, and write up what you learn.
As with the previous assignment, you may work alone or in groups of two or three. This time, however, you must write your own report. You may collaborate within groups on the construction of test programs, and you may discuss issues and ideas with anyone you like, but the text you hand in must be entirely your own.
Your assignment has three sub-parts:
main. Instead, it starts in an initialization routine that calls
mainas a subroutine. Figure out what this initialization routine does, at the level of individual instructions, and explain it. One possible format for your report would be a heavily-annotated assembly language listing.
Tcc(trap on integer condition codes) instructions that cause the processor to drop into the kernel. To implement system calls, these instructions must be combined with conventions for passing arguments. Examine the code for some system calls, figure out these conventions, and explain them. You might want to start with
getpid, which takes no arguments at all, or
time, which takes only one.
sigaction (2), and
signal (3c). Create a program that catches a signal (timer expiration, perhaps, or
^Cfrom the keyboard) and explain, at the level of individual instructions and stack contents, how the program enters and leaves the signal handler. You may want your program to run a tight infinite loop while waiting for the signal, so its
pcwill be in a more-or-less predictable place when the handler is invoked.
In your attempt to figure out the low-level code in your programs, you may want to make use of several tools:
gcc. To ensure that all the code you want to inspect is actually in your program, you will probably want to use static linking, rather than the default dynamic linking, for the standard library. Use the
dis. You may also want to use the
x/icommand inside of
You may also want to look at SPARC assembler documentation:
csug.rochester.edudomains. Note that both documents are in PDF format, with bookmarks. If you don't see a navigation pane, when you pull them up, click on the little double-arrow icon in the lower left corner of your PDF plug-in's window.
Your assignment consists of the 256 assignment plus two extra parts:
-staticswitch? What happens the first time you call a function in the standard library? What happens the first time you try to access a variable (e.g.
errno) located in a library?
gprof (1). Compile a simple program with the
-gpcompiler switches. Explain (in terms of low-level details) what happens during program start-up and during execution to support profiling.
cshand its descendants, and the kernel-supported process group mechanism on which that facility is based. Explain how the various process group system calls are used in conjunction with signals to implement job control.
By the date shown below, send e-mail
cs456 containing answers to the following questions:
gccfind the start-up code for a statically linked program---in what file does this code reside?
gcc. (This is not a hard question; figure out which tool to use!)
Back to the course home page | <urn:uuid:eef7e823-568a-4c63-92f8-7d7ba7923610> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cs.rochester.edu/~scott/456/assignments/syscalls.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920152 | 770 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Google Subpoena Woes Double
If Google does not succeed in fending off Gonzalez v Google, the ACLU said it would have to ask for the same information the government requested.
As a party fighting the government in a Pennsylvania court over the constitutionality of the Child Online Protection Act, the ACLU would have no choice but to perform discovery of Google's inner workings, the organization said in a legal brief filed on Friday.
At issue is the DOJ lawsuit against Google, stemming from Google's opposition to responding to a federal subpoena requesting information from Google's search databases. Google contends fulfilling the DOJ request would violate user privacy and expose trade secrets.
Should the US district court in San Jose compel compliance, the ACLU would have to make the same request, given its role in the COPA lawsuit. The ACLU described the kind of information it would have to request:
...how many total URLs Google has in its database, how often Google updates its database, how and where Google crawls the Web to locate URLs for its database, how many different servers those URLs are stored on, where those servers are located, and how many URLs there are within each server.
Similarly, in order to understand the significance of the search queries put into Google, Plaintiffs will need to understand how Google's search engine functions and produces results based on the input of queries.
The ACLU said it does not have a need or desire to probe Google this way, but will have no choice if the government sides with the DOJ on Gonzalez.
In its own response to the DOJ, Google's law firm Perkins Coie submitted Google's 25-page response on Friday, where it called DOJ "uninformed" about how search engines work.
That response contained a number of declarations from Matt Cutts, the well-known Google engineer and likely the most expert person on how the search engine functions. Google claimed providing DOJ with the information it requested would open up its trade secrets to the competition:
An analysis of Google's query data would reveal proprietary information such as the number of queries that Google can or does process, its capabilities of processing certain lengths and types of queries, its market share in the United States and other countries, and even the demographics of its users.
Competition with Google is fierce. Google's competitors could use Google's confidential query data to manipulate their search engines to accommodate Web users and run queries similar to Google's.
If Google's competitors were to access this information, they could conform their size and crawling metrics to Google's, thereby generating search results that mimic Google's and competing more effectively with Google.
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Rather than respond to individual comments about Success, I've decided to offer my opinion in a separate posting.
Some of you have defended the National Honor Society and my district's decision to recognize new inductees in a high school assembly. Others question the venue but not the underlying concept of rewarding academic achievement. My students did a fair job of presenting both sides of the argument when expressing their feelings on the matter in our Current Events class.
How do I feel about the NHS?
- Nominees are evaluated on character and leadership as well as grades.
- National Honor Society members perform a number of school and community service activities.
- Inductees gain personal satisfaction from public acknowledgement.
- Scholarship is emphasized and praised.
- Teachers who review the applications for membership may not know enough about students' personal lives to judge them fairly in all categories.
- Grades measure only a particular type of success in school.
- The Society is exclusionary by nature.
- The assembly was more divisive than inspiring.
This last point is the crux of the matter for me. The assembly speakers could have praised new NHS members as academic leaders, then gone on to challenge the rest of the student body to discover their own potential for leadership.
Making good grades the sole criteria for success means that some students feel they have already been labeled as failures. And this might well become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
"Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have." -Zig Ziglar
"DSC_0498.jpeg" by alessandra | <urn:uuid:ca324248-a27b-413c-b993-aa9d7bf311c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/2008/11/applause.html?showComment=1225926060000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954408 | 323 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Some people incite the wrath of neighbors when they play piano in their apartment. Others worry so much about disturbing their neighbors that they don't play piano or decide not to buy one for their apartment.
Fortunately, there's a middle ground when it comes to playing piano in an apartment and dealing with neighbors.
If you play piano or are thinking of starting, here are some things you should consider that will help make your playing neighbor-friendly and lower the chances of problems with those who live around you.
Neighborly Considerations for Apartment Pianists
Keep the lid down on a grand piano. If you've got a grand piano, keeping the lid down while playing will prevent the sound from resonating as loudly throughout your apartment. You can keep the lid up when you're not playing or when guests are over, if you prefer displaying your piano in that way.
Follow tips for upright pianos. If you've got an upright piano, move it away from the wall. As a matter of furniture placement and aesthetics, it might not make sense to put the piano in the middle of a room, but moving the piano even six inches or so away from any wall will help keep the sound from vibrating strongly through the walls to the surrounding apartments. If possible, choose an interior wall instead of a wall that you share with a neighboring apartment. You can also drape a thick blanket over the back of your upright piano to dampen the sound, and keep the top lid down, if your upright has one.
Practice during reasonable hours. If you know neighbors are away at certain times (such as at work during weekdays), practice then, if possible. Other than that, just follow common courtesy. For instance, try not to start playing very early on the weekends, when many people try to sleep later. Similarly, unless you're having a late-night party (where you might be playing music anyway), there's probably no reason to start hammering out a tune at three o'clock in the morning.
Keep your piano in tune. Neighbors who object to another person's piano playing are usually bothered simply by the fact that the piano playing is an unwanted, unwelcome sound. But it helps to keep your piano in tune. For most people, an out-of-tune piano is more unpleasant to listen to. So if your neighbors are tolerating your piano playing, letting your piano go out of tune may be tempting fate. (In any event, having your piano tuned regularly is recommended to keep the piano maintained and avoid larger problems down the road.)
Consider the soft pedal. The left pedal of most pianos is known as the soft pedal, which adds a muting effect to your playing. Keeping the left pedal down may not be ideal, but it's something to keep in mind to try if you need more ideas for sound reduction.
If You Don't Yet Have a Piano
If you don't have a piano but are thinking of getting one for your apartment, consider purchasing a keyboard instead. Getting a keyboard instead of a piano isn't the right choice for everyone. As a pianist and piano teacher, I tell you that it's a personal, musical decision that's yours to make.
But a keyboard is the most neighbor-friendly option available to apartment dwellers. Sound production is electronic and only comes out of a speaker or two, which means you can lower the volume without having to adjust your playing style. Also, if people inside your apartment (such as roommates, and guests) don't want to hear you practice at certain times, you have the option of using headphones.
If you decide to learn piano on a keyboard, be sure to get an 88-key, weighted-action keyboard. It will cost you less -- probably much less -- than the wooden variety and it doesn't require tuning or other regular maintenance. Electronic keyboards also typically have the advantages of being portable (and certain to make it from the delivery truck into your apartment) and offering a variety of sounds.
Many people who want to test the waters with piano lessons decide to start with a keyboard. If you buy a keyboard and later decide you're serious about piano playing, you can always choose to buy (or rent) a piano down the road. | <urn:uuid:cec88af7-d0de-42e4-b697-9d9f4e527e05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apartments.about.com/od/roommatesneighbors/a/Apartment-Piano-Playing-And-Neighbors.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965641 | 867 | 1.75 | 2 |
If you are planning for a playhouse in your backyard, building it yourself will be a comparative cheap option as ready made playhouse costs a lot. Building a playhouse in your backyard will require a little work but it is comparatively easy, especially if you get the Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build. If you buy yourself a playhouse building kit, instructions will come along with your purchase. If you decide to build it yourself, that’s ok too. Just follow the steps I’m going to tell you.
First of all you need a detailed plan for your playhouse. Plan carefully before starting the actual work. Draw some diagrams for your own use. Secondly, Select a spot for your playhouse. Level the ground. If you dig out about an inch of earth at size of your playhouse, you will have a firm foundation for your playhouse. Third, If you are planning to make your own playhouse from the scratch, then you have to prepare the panels beforehand. You need to cut it to your required size and shape.Finally, You will also need general tools for your project, such as step ladders and drill machines.
Setting up the floor:
First you need to set up the frame for the wooden floor. If you have a wide floor, don’t forget to place crossbar to support your floors. The distances between the crossbars will depend on how strong you want it to make. Typically, 2’ is enough.
Setting up the side panels:
Next comes the crucial step, setting up the walls. You may want to call a friend over to help you out on this step. You need to make sure that the walls are perfectly lined up. Other than that, you will have difficulties setting up the roof.
Setting up the roof:
At this point you should be pretty confident about your work should have no problem finishing the roof. As a safety precaution, work from your step ladder as much as possible, avoiding to sit on the roof to build it. When you finish your work spread a roofing felt.
Fixing doors and windows:
You are almost done. All you you are left with now is the attaching the door and window panel. To make it safe for the kids, leave a gap between the doors and the wall. Do not fit them perfectly. This will prevent children accidentally smashing their fingers.
Paint the playhouse both inside and outside, cover the floor the material of your choice.
Why build a playhouse?
Many parents wish to build playhouse because of their kids. A playhouse at your backyard will give your kid his own place to play and feel free. He can explore the realm of imagination with his friends. If your kid is little older, work together to build the playhouse. It will boost up his confidence level.
Playhouse can also be used as tool shed for gardening when your kids are all grown up. | <urn:uuid:b7bb83bd-fe49-4828-b20f-3278a91d60c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.zszn.com/2012/05/08/how-to-build-a-playhouse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952931 | 601 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Pew Research Center
The poll shows the federal government’s favorability rating clocking in at 28 percent.
A majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana for the first time in 40 years, a poll says.
The Supreme Court’s lowest approval rating since 1985 came last summer.
It displays the difficulty of replacing the $1.2 trillion sequestration scheduled to hit March 1.
Nearly one-third of voters say they view Hagel unfavorably, according to a national poll from Pew.
For the first time, a majority of Americans believe the government is a threat.
Things are looking up for the president at the start of his second term.
Pew has a report out today on the makeup of young voters in the 2012 election.
The research center tips Obama with a small lead.
The Pew Research Center finds voters divided on whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will do a better job in tonight's debate.
The trend in the scattered national polling since the debate has tended to show real improvement for Romney.
The Pew Research Center finds that Obama "holds a bigger September lead than the last three candidates who went on to win in November."
Americans mostly associate Paul Ryan with conservatism and intelligence, according to Pew.
Seventy-one percent believe his policies would aid the rich while 37 percent think the same of Obama.
Obama leads Romney nationally by 4 percentage points, according to the Pew Research Center.
They say the survey reflects "inaccurate stereotypes" of high achievement with few challenges.
Almost four in ten Americans, 38 percent, currently identify themselves as independents.
Just one in three Americans has a postive view of the government in Washington, a Pew survey finds.
According to a report, after Romney won the Michigan primary, his press coverage became more positive.
Pew has a long survey out today that paints a pretty rosy picture of the 2012 race for President Obama. A good bit of the president's advantage is built on divisions within the GOP -- Mitt Romney supporters declining to say they'd support Rick Santorum and vice versa. | <urn:uuid:33cddd94-ceab-46f4-959a-19669933ba30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politico.com/tag/pew-research-center | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949799 | 428 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The dog days of summer seem to have arrived early this year. The lack of holidays between July 4th and Labor Day can only add to our late summer doldrums. Short of moving to Alaska or other cooler areas, what else can we do to preserve our sanity? This article is the first of a two-part series.
Our gardens can become a shady retreat during the cooler hours of the day. The trick is to make this area as picture-perfect as possible. I like to use containers of plants that continue to bloom all summer, such as fuchsias and impatiens.
Early morning and late evening are the perfect time to be outdoors on shady patios and porches. Well designed landscapes will have spots like this where we can sit and listen to the birds singing early in the morning and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. During the late evening, I enjoy sitting on my back deck and watch the fireflies and hear the katydids.
The sun can be very intense in the afternoon. That’s the time to be doing things indoors. If you haven’t ordered your spring blooming bulbs yet, now is the time to look through those catalogs. There is still time to place an order online or by phone and charge it to a credit card.
Now that we’ve had a taste of heat and humidity to remind us what summers are really like, this is the perfect time to begin planning a low maintenance landscape where you don’t have to spend hours watering, weeding, and pruning. As you draw up new garden beds and plans, make it easy on yourself by
including an irrigation system.
Look ahead to autumn. Fall is a great time for planting in many parts of the country. With a few exceptions, most plants are fine if planted in the autumn. This needs to be done about six to eight weeks before the ground freezes. Take the time now to draw up a list of the plants you will need. Just be sure to select ones that are appropriate for your growing conditions, whether that be for sun or shade, damp or dry spots.
We may not feel like doing much in the garden right now. However, a perfect activity you can do indoors is to begin your garden planning for next year. In case you haven’t noticed, the new 2006 almanacs are now available in many stores. Buy or order the ones you want to help in your garden planning for next year. Of all the almanacs, my favorite by far is “Baer’s Agricultural Almanac and Gardener’s Guide,” which is edited by Gerald S. Lestz. 2006 will be the 181st year for this publication. Published by John Baer’s Sons, this features weather tables for the coming year. In addition, it is packed with useful information you can use along with gardening tips and hints.
Regarding other kinds of almanacs, Llewellyn Publications has released its 2006 titles. As always, they are so detailed and thorough that it is hard to imagine going without. They’re written by leading experts in their respective fields. Llewellyn’s "2006 Moon Sign Book” is the 101st edition of this legendary guide. It has extensive tables and charts giving weather and other kinds of forecasts along with the best dates for different activities. In addition, there are loads of articles on assorted topics, including a whole section on gardening and farming by the moon.
Llewellyn’s "2006 Herbal Almanac” is a treasure trove of information on growing and using herbs for all different kinds of things. There are lots of articles on a diverse group of topics from cooking and crafts to beauty and health. This edition explains how to use native plants to attract butterflies, how to grow herbs hydroponically, and how to create your own herbal spa at home.
Llewellyn also published the "2006 Magical Almanac.” An award winning title, this was named Best Magic Book of the Year for 2000. It features 85 articles by leading experts in the field. In addition to the articles, the almanac section presents all sorts of charts and handy tables giving the phases and signs of the moon, incense and color of the day as well as a list of all the world holidays.
Now is also the time to begin looking at the 2006 calendars and deciding what kind you need to use for recording pertinent gardening information. The American Quilter’s Society recently released some delightful 2006 calendars. The “Quilt Art 2006 Engagement Calendar” by Klaudeen Hansen and Annette Baker will really help you organize your time. For each day there is plenty of room to record appointments and daily reminders. For this wonderful calendar, the authors researched and selected a collection of prize winning quilts from around the country. The exquisite photos were taken by Charles R. Lynch and Richard Walker.
The American Quilter’s Society 2006 Wall Calendar was also released recently. Each year for this title, the publisher chooses thirteen of the very best from its annual quilt competition. At the end of 2006, you’ll probably want to save the photos. Of the different prize winning quilts depicted, I’m particularly taken by the birds n’ roses, the nature scene for August, and the hellebore for Christmas.
Llewellyn Publications has released its "2006 Astrological Calendar,” which is by far the most popular of its kind in the world. This is much more than just a calendar. It features forty pages of tables, and monthly horoscopes with the best dates for various activities like gardening and fishing as well as a complete section on lunar gardening. It is illustrated with delightful contemporary art by Mia Bosna.
Think cool thoughts. Think Halloween and Christmas. It really isn’t too soon to begin creating those special holiday decorations. Many craft stores typically have sales on the items you need during the late summer months. Start planning your autumn décor with a new pattern from Mount Redoubt Designs. By renowned artist Letitia Hutchings, “Harvesting Dreams” is sure to become a fall favorite. This wall hanging features pumpkins and fall motifs highlighted by a beautiful purple and blue background. As with all of Hutchings’ designs, this includes full-size pattern pieces, step-by-step instructions, and a complete list of materials.
C & T Publishing recently released a seasonal title called “Simple Fabric Folding for Halloween” by Liz Aneloski. It features a dozen tasteful, delightful projects with classic Halloween themes that are sure to suit your home décor. The author presents illustrated, step-by-step instructions for each.
This concludes Part I. Part II will appear next week. | <urn:uuid:aa739702-aba7-4cd5-8858-a92a9779caf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art34306.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948501 | 1,411 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Newcastle Gas Storage Facility Project
AGL Energy Limited (AGL) proposes to develop the Newcastle Gas Storage Facility Project (the Project) at Tomago, New South Wales (NSW). The Project is required to meet AGL's peak gas market requirements over winter and to provide additional security of gas supply during supply disruption events. Currently, NSW does not have any similar gas storage capacity.
Specifically, AGL seeks to develop:
The gas plant site
- A processing plant that will convert pipeline natural gas to liquefied natural gas (LNG) by cooling it to -162°C. It will be capable of processing up to 66,500 t of LNG per year
- An insulated, non-pressurised LNG storage tank capable of containing 30,000 t or 63,000 m³ of LNG, equivalent to 1.5 petajoules (PJ) of natural gas, and an associated containment area
- A re-gasification unit to convert the LNG in the storage tank back into natural gas
- A flare stack with a height of approximately 15m to combust hydrocarbons discharged from the process
- A truck loading facility to allow the dispatch of up to 1,000 tankers of LNG per year
- Infrastructure and utility connections
- An emergency access road
A natural gas pipeline
A 5.5 km long pipeline will connect the gas storage facility to the receiving station at Hexham.
A natural gas receiving station
Located at Hexham to link the Project into the NSW gas network via the existing Wilton-Newcastle trunk pipeline.
The estimated capital cost of the Project is $300 million.
An essential energy source, natural gas is supplied to more than a million industrial and commercial gas users in NSW, such as hospitals, schools, businesses and residential customers.
The Project will develop critical energy infrastructure that:
- Provides greater security of gas supply
- Creates additional capacity to supply the growing demand for gas in NSW
- Generates economic benefits for the state during the construction, commissioning and operational phases
- Supports the emerging CSG industry in the Hunter and Gloucester regions
The New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) has approved AGL's application to construct the Newcastle Gas Storage Facility at Tomago, near Newcastle.
The state government granted its approval on 10 May 2012 under Section 75J of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 and subject to certain conditions. This provides AGL with state government permission to construct the gas plant, pipeline, receiving station and associated and ancillary infrastructure. More information on the PAC approval including the consent conditions are available on the PAC website.
For AGL's full announcement regarding state government approval, please read the media release available on the AGL website.
In July, AGL received Commonwealth Government approval to commence construction of the project. CBI Constructors Pty Ltd (CBI) has been awarded the contract to engineer, procure and construct the project which is expected to commence in late August.
The conditions of consent, the EA Report and the Preferred Project and Response to Submissions Report are available on the DP&I's website.
For AGL's full announcement regarding the Commonwealth's approval, please read the media release available on the AGL website.
The project was previously identified by the New South Wales state government as a Major Project under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979) in August 2010.
AGL expects have the facility in operation by winter 2015.
The Project fact sheet can be viewed on the FAQ and factsheets page. | <urn:uuid:d363bb45-26f8-4636-98fb-d9411646d773> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://agk.com.au/newcastle/index.php/the-project/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926074 | 737 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Stories of Miracles and Answered Prayers
by Asha Praver
This book is for those who want a deeper, more trusting relationship
with God, and who find inspiration and hope in the experiences of others
who seek also to know Him.
Some of the stories told here are quite dramatic. In a split second,
the fabric of the universe rearranges itself and inevitable catastrophe is
averted by forces more subtle than the senses can perceive.
Other experiences of God come quietly, in answer to everyday concerns
like buying a home, caring for aging relatives, finding a mate, or
fixing a car.
Before I wrote this book, if you had asked me, “Do you believe in the
power of prayer?” without hesitation, I would have said, “Yes.” I have
lived in spiritual community for more than forty years and the evidence
is all around me.
Still, I was not prepared for what I saw in the eyes of those who
shared their stories with me. How tenderly, how sensitively, how personally
God responds. Not just to the prominent or talented, the rich or
articulate, but to everyone who sincerely calls to Him.
“God feels for us,” Paramhansa Yogananda wrote in his Autobiography
of a Yogi. “He is not partial to a few, but listens to everyone who
approaches Him trustingly. His children should ever have implicit faith
in the loving-kindness of their Omnipresent Father.”
Prayer is not a ritual to be carried out in a formal way at specified
times. Prayer is a conversation, an ongoing heart-to-Heart. Every day we
talk to friends and relatives, to coworkers, store clerks, and hairdressers
about our hopes and disappointments, our losses and needs.
Why not talk also to the One who has the answers?
Many contributors to this book follow the path of Self-realization.
Their stories include references to aspects of that path, which are
mostly explained in context, as well as references to certain persons. Babaji,
a deathless Himalayan yogi, is one in the Self-realization line of
gurus. Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, is the
most recent guru and best known. His devotees call him “Master.” Sri
Yukteswar was the guru of Yogananda. And Swami Kriyananda, “Swamiji,”
is the founder of Ananda, a global network of spiritual communities. | <urn:uuid:4020a351-40e9-4f53-9131-a861d52e6e29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crystalclarity.com/content.php?type=intro&code=BLPSM | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956292 | 562 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Capitol Hill (AP) A top House Democrat says the war in Iraq is preventing the U.S. from preparing for the next war.
Congressman Ike Skelton made the comments at the start of a second day of testimony by General David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador there.
The Missouri lawmaker also said Bush administration policy has left the U.S. with insufficient resources to protect itself from attack.
Skelton and other democrats on the house armed services committee are expected to focus today's hearing on the health of U.S. forces. They say U.S. troops are stretched too thin by the war.
Republicans, meanwhile, say they're considerably more optimistic about the situation in Iraq than they were last year. The panel's top Republican, Duncan Hunter, says, “no one can deny that the security situation in Iraq has improved.” | <urn:uuid:93e5c5ff-5799-46f1-bcdd-2fa6b206e28a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbc11news.com/11today/headlines/17423364.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965321 | 196 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The history of the Jan T. Lowrey Cache Creek Nature Preserve is rich and diverse and reflective of the layered stories and landscapes across California. Today, the 130-acre site bordering Cache Creek outside Woodland is a rural idyll, a natural landscape chockfull of native plants, birds, and animals that masks a contested past.
On Saturday, October 20, from noon to 6 p.m., visitors to the Cache Creek Nature Preserve will be able to see that past unfold as the UC Davis Art of Regional Change and the Cache Creek Conservancy unveil a collaborative, multimedia project titled “Restore/Restory: A People’s History of the Cache Creek Nature Preserve.” The afternoon festival will showcase the stories of Yolo County’s peoples, traditions, and relationship to the land through site-based audio tours, interactive art murals, nature and culture walks, and story circles.
In the works for more than a year, the storytelling project has brought together UC Davis students, faculty, and artists with members of the Cache Creek Conservancy as well as a cross-section of Yolo County residents (Native leaders, miners, farmers, environmental activists, and policymakers) in creating a shared vision of the past. That public history, consisting of a story map, audio tours, digital murals, and a timeline of images, maps and historical documents, will be unveiled during the festival on the project’s new website: http://restorerestory.org.
“We have involved over 200 residents in co-creating a public history that brings to life a mosaic of experiences with a place we have in common. The Preserve is a tangible reminder of our past,” said Project Director jesikah maria ross. “While the preserve may not be known for a single historic event, witnessing its social and ecological history helps us understand who we are and consider the lessons learned as we move forward as a community.”
Lynnel Pollock, executive director of the Cache Creek Conservancy, is looking forward to sharing the results of the project with the community. “This site has had an exciting and varied past, and now it will be shared with the general public," said Pollock. “The history and art work generated through this project will really help the Conservancy in its efforts to promote stewardship of our natural and cultural resources.”
Free and open to the public, the event located at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve, 34199 County Road 20, Woodland, will also feature live music, hands-on activities for youth, basket-weaving demonstrations, and guest speakers. A joint collaboration between the UC Davis Art of Regional Change and the Cache Creek Conservancy, the public event also is sponsored by the UC Humanities Research Institute with additional support from Tuleyome, the Putah Creek Council, and the Yolo County Historical Society. Restore/Restory was funded by the UC Institute for Research in the Arts and the Quitalpás Foundation. | <urn:uuid:d6b00df2-a1da-453b-ba96-28f7eb5432ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://davis.patch.com/groups/ashley-woodburys-blog/p/bp--multimedia-festival-to-celebrate-history-of-cache62ba19a43d | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94256 | 623 | 2.5625 | 3 |