text stringlengths 213 24.6k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1
value | url stringlengths 14 499 | file_path stringlengths 138 138 | language stringclasses 1
value | language_score float64 0.9 1 | token_count int64 51 4.1k | score float64 1.5 5.06 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CLOTHING (WOMEN'S WAISTS)
Location of Buildings
New York city (sic) is the greatest center of the women's waist trade in the United States. The 228 shops inspected were on Manhattan Island, south of 35th street, (sic) in the most congested portion of the city. Ninety-one per cent of the establishments inspected were located in loft buildings, and of the 11,000 odd workers in those shops, one-half were employed above the sixth floor. This overwhelming proportion of loft shops is characteristic of all branches of the clothing trade in New York city (sic). The Asch fire disaster of last March threw a lurid light on the fearful risks to the workers involved in such a situation.
Condition of Work Places
It is remarkable that a very large percentage (62 per cent) of the waist shops inspected used artificial light in the daytime, while 60 per cent had no protection from glare - this, too, in a trade where proper lighting would seem to be a prime necessity for efficient, accurate work, to say nothing of the effect of such inadequate illumination on the eyes and health of the workers.
A larger percentage (28 per cent) of extremely dirty shops were found than in any other trade employing over 50 per cent of women workers, with the exception of the artificial flower and feather industry. Thirty per cent of the water closets were in a filthy condition and had no light or ventilation whatever.
Processes of Manufacture
The waist trade has had many vicissitudes of late years, owing to changes in the market, and many shops that formerly made only waists now make waists and dresses, either together or as supplementary trades. The processes do not differ greatly from the other branches of the clothing trade. Men are always employed to do the cutting of the materials, and a small proportion of men operators is found in some of the shops, particularly those making the cheaper grades of waists and dresses. Women are employed at the different branches of operating; such as lace running, tucking and machine button-holing, and also as finishers and hand button-hole makers. In making the cheaper grades of waists, the subdivision of processes is carried very far, and a waist may pass through the hands of a dozen workers before it is finished. This "section work" is nearly always piece-work and requires very little skill, speed being the prime necessity. The better grade of waists and dresses, however, cannot be made in this way, and one girl will make the whole garment, or a large part of it. Such workers are usually paid by the week, since greater skill and carefulness are required.
Dangerous and Unhealthy Elements in the Trade
In common with the other branches of the clothing trade, the dangers to the women workers are not inherent in the industry itself, but are due to the conditions under which manufacture is conducted. The hazards of death or injury from fire that must be daily assumed by the women worker in loft factories on Manhattan Island are terrific. But the overcrowding of work rooms, long periods of overtime, with irregular daily schedules, running from ten to fourteen hours, with consequent over-fatigue and exhaustion, the speeding up of both workers and machines, which keeps nerves and muscles in continued tension, are factors that from day to day seriously impair the health and vitality of the women workers. No amount of cleanliness and convenience in the work rooms can offset the injurious effects resulting from long, irregular working hours and nervous strain.
New York (State) Factory Investigating Commission, Preliminary Report of the Factory Investigating Commission, 1912, 3 vols. (Albany, New York: The Argus Company, printers, 1912), 1:277-278. | <urn:uuid:eddfd42f-9bf0-47ce-b0db-eb0908753209> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/primary/reports/NotesWomenEmployees.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969516 | 771 | 2.625 | 3 |
Safe Prescriber (SCRIPT)
University of Warwick, Aston University, University of Birmingham, NHS West Midlands
The SCRIPT project was developed to address the compelling need for improved knowledge and skills required for safe prescribing in F1 doctors. Developed in conjunction with three West Midlands Universities and NHS West Midlands, the SCRIPT projects delivers 38 e-learning modules, authored by clinicians and pharmacists from across the region. The modules blend interactive graphics, videos, assessments and case studies ranging from the principles of prescribing through to prescribing in special circumstances.
We are delighted to be working with the team at OCB Media, as it feels more like a collaborative partnership than a commercial relationship. Their professionalism, technical expertise and sound understanding of pedagogy makes OCB Media an ideal e-learning partner.David Davies Associate Professor University of Warwick
The primary challenge posed by the SCRIPT project was the sheer volume of material which needed to be included within the resource. Not only that, but the material had to written, edited and validated by a large community of contributors. Furthermore considerable thought had to been given to developing an interface which would allow a large resource to be easily navigated by the user. The last requirement was inclusion of functionality to centrally monitor and track performance of users, both on an individual and site basis.
In order to ensure that that the materials could be generated and produced as e-learning assets in the most efficient manner it was necessary to establish a novel pedagogical model at project initiation. This model provided a means of aligning modules according to type from which an authoring template was created, providing consistency throughout development.
This was invaluable in ensuring that a large and disparate group of clinical and academic collaborators could author effectively and to the project milestones.
Development of the delivery platform and associated interface focused on the implementation of a nested, dynamically updated navigation system. Thus the interface was designed to allow a user to move between any group, module, section or page from their current location within the resource, which was invaluable for users to continue using the resource as a reference tool beyond the initial training. The tracking and monitoring of users is reported through a linked and separate user management system, through which tutors at each site can view the progress of their users, as well as generating performance reports. | <urn:uuid:fa65391e-5073-48b9-a21e-80c1430e8a56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ocbmedia.com/our-work/universities-nhs/standard-computerised-revalidation-instrument-for-prescribing-and-therapeutics-script/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949563 | 463 | 1.59375 | 2 |
(Of course, if you are teaching a college-level intro econ class, I'd encourage you to give the book a look. It's mainstream in its content and approach; it has worked well in a lot of classrooms; students can get both e-versions and paper versions; it's available in micro and macro splits; and it's very competitively priced at $40 for the entire book and electronic access combined. For information on the book, click here.)
"To understand how economists view trade deficits and surpluses, consider a parable based on the story of Robinson Crusoe. Robinson, as you may remember from the classic novel by Daniel Defoe first published in 1719, was shipwrecked on a desert island. After living alone for some time, Robinson is joined by a second person, whom he names Friday. Think about the balance of trade in a two-person economy like that of Robinson and Friday.
Robinson and Friday trade goods and services with each other. Perhaps Robinson catches fish and trades them to Friday for coconuts. Or Friday weaves a hat out of tree fronds and trades it to Robinson for help in carrying water. For a period of time, each individual trade is self-contained and complete. Because each trade is voluntary, both Robinson and Friday must feel that they are receiving fair value for what they are giving. As a result, each person’s exports are always equal to his imports, and trade is always in balance between the two men. Neither person experiences either a trade deficit or a trade surplus.
However, one day Robinson approaches Friday with a proposition. Robinson wants to dig ditches for an irrigation system for his garden, but he knows that if he starts this project, he won’t have much time left to fish and gather coconuts to feed himself each day. He proposes that Friday supply him with a certain number of fish and coconuts for several months, and then after that time, he promises to repay Friday out of the extra produce that he will be able to grow in his irrigated garden. If Friday accepts this offer, then a trade imbalance comes into being. For several months, Friday will have a trade surplus: that is, he is exporting to Robinson more than he is importing. More precisely, he is giving Robinson fish and coconuts, and at least for the moment, he is receiving nothing in return. Conversely, Robinson will have a trade deficit, because he is importing more from Friday than he is exporting.
This parable raises several useful issues in thinking about what a trade deficit and
a trade surplus really mean in economic terms.
The first issue raised by this story of Robinson and Friday is: Is it better to have a trade surplus or a trade deficit? The answer, as in any voluntary market interaction, is that if both parties agree to the transaction, then they may both be better off. Over time, if Robinson’s irrigated garden is a success, it is certainly possible that both Robinson and Friday can benefit from this agreement.
A second issue raised by the parable is: What can go wrong? Robinson’s proposal to Friday introduces an element of uncertainty. Friday is in effect making a loan of fish and coconuts to Robinson, and Friday’s happiness with this arrangement will depend on whether that loan is repaid as planned, in full and on time. Perhaps Robinson spends several months loafing, and never builds the irrigation system. Or perhaps Robinson has been too optimistic about how much he will be able to grow with the new irrigation system, which instead turns out not to be very productive. Perhaps after building the irrigation system, Robinson decides that he doesn’t want to repay Friday as much as
previously agreed. Any of these developments will prompt a new round of negotiations between Friday and Robinson. Friday’s attitude toward these renegotiations is likely to be shaped by why the repayment failed. If Robinson worked very hard and the irrigation system just didn’t increase production as intended, Friday may have some sympathy. But if Robinson loafed, or if he just refuses to pay, Friday may become peeved. Whenever money is borrowed for an investment project and the project goes bad, a negotiation takes place between the borrower and the lender as to how much of the original loan will be repaid. Such negotiations are often full of accusations and anger.
A third issue raised by the parable of Robinson and Friday is that an intimate relationship exists between a trade deficit and international borrowing, and between a trade surplus and international lending. The size of Friday’s trade surplus is exactly how much he is lending to Robinson. The size of Robinson’s trade deficit is exactly how much he is borrowing from Friday. Indeed, to economists, a trade surplus literally means the same thing as an outflow of financial capital, and a trade deficit literally means the same thing as an inflow of financial capital." | <urn:uuid:3c0bff7d-23ac-4a4e-92ae-381d7253b630> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://conversableeconomist.blogspot.ca/2012/07/trade-imbalances-parable-for-teachers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972934 | 1,008 | 3 | 3 |
Japanese painting Muromachi period
Painting is one of the most popular forms of art in Japan. Japanese paintings, which were highly influenced by Chinese style of painting, are exquisite and at times can be very intricate. In the Muromachi period (1338-1573), Chinese paintings were introduced in Japan, owing to the influx of Chinese trade. Many Japanese noblemen started purchasing Chinese paintings to adorn their house and developed a liking for the Chinese style of painting. Due to this affinity for Chinese paintings, many Japanese painters adopted this style to create fine masterpieces that would appeal to Japanese taste.
The Japanese painters belonging to the Muromachi period reflected deep sense of space and each painting depicted a story. Later, landscape painting was developed in the Momoyama period (1573-1603); the paintings were usually produced on giant screens. During the Edo period (1603-1867), a different style of painting evolved where paintings had gold leaf backgrounds to create an effect similar to holy mosaics belonging to the Western Medieval period. Around the same time, the Ukiyo-e style emerged; it involved woodblock printing.
In the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japanese paintings came under the influence of western styles as well. Several painting schools were established in Japan and each school pursued a style of their choice. The term "Suibokuga" refers to paintings that utilized black ink for painting. It was inherited from China and bore the distinct mark of Zen Buddhism.
Kano Masanobu, along with his son Kano Motonobu (1476-1559), laid the foundation of the Kano painting school, which was started in protest against the Chinese black ink painting method. The Kano school made use of bright and vibrant colors and experimented with bold compositions that included large and flat areas. These paintings became a source of inspiration for the Ukiyo-e designs. The "nanga" painting style was highly prominent during the Bunka and Bunsai era.
Japanese paintings have managed to capture the hearts of many people mostly due to their sense of space and aesthetic beauty. Japanese artists utilized a wide range of mediums for their paintings. Some of the popular subjects of Japanese paintings include landscapes, women, famous places, and spectacular views. | <urn:uuid:212997c9-f719-441b-b035-bf5343384fc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tipart.blogspot.com/2010/02/japanese-paintings.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979259 | 473 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Enough endangered sockeye salmon are returning to central Idaho this year that some will be allowed to swim the final few hundred yards into Redfish Lake under their own power, something that hasn’t happened in two decades because of dismal spawning runs.
State biologists expect 1,400 to 1,500 sockeye will return to the Stanley region, up from last year’s 833.
With room for 1,000 fish at the state hatchery in Eagle, however, 400 to 500 will be counted, sampled for genetics – and then allowed to swim past the trap in Redfish Lake Creek and into the lake.
Biologists attribute this year’s spike to good ocean and river conditions, actions by dam operators to help young fish survive and the success of a sockeye hatchery program that was targeted for abandonment just four years ago.
Only three of the fish from Redfish Lake made their way back into Idaho in 2006. (AP) | <urn:uuid:7f084ab7-1530-4fdf-95a0-f511123a9257> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.koze950.com/2010/08/09/some-sockeye-will-swim-into-redfish-lake-under-own-power/ | 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 | 0.954094 | 194 | 2.53125 | 3 |
We've provided answers to a number of
commonly asked dental questions. If you have a question that is not
addressed here, please call us at (727) 797-8800. We look forward to
resolving all of your dental concerns.
While bad breath might be a symptom of some other disorder, it most
likely stems from dental decay and periodontitis. Periodontitis is a
disease affecting gums and bone that support the teeth, and it results
from inadequate tooth brushing and flossing. In this disease, the
irritated gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets between the
teeth and the gums. These pockets fill with bacteria which give off a
Patients with bad breath need a complete dental evaluation. If gum
disease and/or dental decay are diagnosed, it can be treated readily.
The patient will no longer have an infection in his or her mouth, and
he or she will no longer have the embarrassment of bad breath.
Q: Is there an easy way of repairing my chipped tooth?
A: Cosmetic bonding is an affordable, quick and painless way to repair many cosmetic flaws or injuries, including:
Gaps in teeth
Spots or stains
Dental bonding sculpts individual teeth without requiring removal of
any tooth structure. This technique bonds a composite material that
looks, acts and feels like the real thing, to an existing tooth. This
procedure usually doesn't require the use of an anesthetic; is
relatively quick to apply; gives an immediate result and is less
expensive than veneers.
A: Bleaching is a safe, effective and relatively easy means of
producing a whiter smile. We offer several options for whitening your
In-office bleaching- A bleaching solution is applied to your teeth
and is activated by heat and light. This in-office procedure typically
lasts 30 minutes to one hour and significantly whitens teeth after only
one visit. Although stubborn stains may require another visit, results
generally last for years and can be maximized with regular dental
At-home bleaching- During a visit to your dentist, you will
be given a whitening gel and fitted with a custom-made whitening tray.
Once you return home, you apply the gel to the tray and wear it for two
to three hours per day for two or three weeks.
Even with today's advanced whitening techniques, not everyone's teeth
will whiten with the same results. During the visit with your dentist,
your situation will be carefully evaluated and you will be advised
A: Porcelain veneers are often used for the same reasons as bonding; to
lighten stains, close gaps and even alter crooked or malformed teeth.
You can change the shape, color and length of your teeth using veneers.
They are thin, durable shells designed to cover the front of the tooth.
They are typically made of porcelain and are extremely durable, stain
resistant, natural-looking and easy to maintain.
Veneers are custom-fitted to your teeth by removing a small amount of
enamel and bonding the veneer to your teeth using a safe, high tech
polymer resin. You can expect veneers to stay bright and strong for
many years by performing good oral hygiene.
Q: Why do I need a crown instead of a bigger filling?
A: Teeth are often restored using silver or composite fillings.
However, when too much of a tooth's structure is removed to support a
filling, a crown or "cap" may be needed. A crown may be needed to:
Restore a tooth when it is unable to support a large filling
Protect a weak tooth from fracturing or restore fractured teeth
Cover badly shaped or discolored teeth
Cover dental implants
A crown essentially covers a tooth to restore it to its natural shape
and size. This permanent covering fits over your original tooth to
strengthen or improve the appearance of the tooth. Fitting a crown
generally requires at least two visits to the dentist's office.
Q: What do I do if my tooth is loose or knocked out?
A: Know the proper first aid for saving a loose or dislocated tooth. If
the tooth is loose, even extremely so, but is still attached in any
way, leave it in place; do not remove it. If it is out of its socket
completely and unattached, but still in the victim's mouth, it is best
to have the person hold it there, if possible, until a dentist can
attempt re-implantation. If it is out of the mouth, do not let it dry
out. Handle it as little as possible.
Do not attempt to disinfect the tooth, or scrub it, or remove any
tissue attached to it. If it is recovered from the ground or other
soiled area, rinse it off in lukewarm water. Preserve it in milk until
a dentist is available. If milk is not available, lukewarm water will
Time out of the socket is critical in the long-term success of
re-implantation. After 30 minutes, the success potential begins to
decline. However, re-implantation is still possible after several
hours, so the attempt can still be made even if the tooth has been out
for a long period.
A: More seniors today have retained their own teeth, avoiding the
trauma of removable dentures. Many are on medications creating dryness
of the mouth as a side effect. Without the natural benefit of saliva to
decrease bacterial action, we see an increase of cavities on the root
surfaces of these patients. Anyone on a medication causing a dry mouth
effect should be encouraged to see their dentist for regular dental
cleanings and topical fluoride rinses.
A: Gum disease, or more correctly called "periodontal disease", is a
bacterial infection in the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.
It is characterized by gum tissue that is red, puffy, and bleeds easily
when touched with a toothbrush, floss or dental instrument.
Advanced periodontal disease destroys the bone supporting the teeth,
causing eventual tooth loss. The treatment is more involved at these
stages, usually consisting of a special cleaning with anesthesia and
sometimes gum surgery. Periodontal disease can go on for years without
pain and without detection unless specific examination procedures are
performed. Effective prevention and treatment is available, but the
damage caused as the disease progresses is irreversible. Early
detection and treatment is critical to prevent tooth loss and
A: The loss of just a single tooth can set a course that can destroy an
entire mouth. Teeth will drift and tip into a space that is created by
missing teeth. When you lose a tooth, a dental implant may be needed to
replace the tooth root and crown. Dental implants are simply "anchors"
that permanently support replacement teeth. They are secure and durable
and can be cleaned and cared for much like your natural teeth.
The procedure requires a titanium root be fitted into your jaw to
replace the lost tooth's root. Once the implant is anchored into the
bone, the bone around the implant requires six weeks to six months of
healing. Once the bone has healed, a support post and replacement tooth
is anchored onto the implant.
A: When a tooth is missing, the resulting gap will allow nearby teeth
to tilt or drift from their normal position, and the teeth above the
gap will move downward. Aside from the obvious cosmetic problem, the
changed positions of these teeth can lead to severe bite problems
causing jaw pain and headaches.
Missing teeth should be replaced to keep other teeth in their normal
position. This can be done by means of a fixed bridge or a dental
implant. Both of these treatments offer a good functional and cosmetic
A: Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in
dental plaque damages the enamel of your teeth, leaving a hole or
cavity. Any part of a tooth can decay, from the roots below the gum line
to the chewing surface. If plaque bacteria reach and damage the pulp,
the tooth will likely die, because the pulp contains nerves and blood
vessels that supply the tooth. Tooth decay can occur due to a number of
issues, including poor brushing and flossing habits, diets rich in
sugar, the presence of risk factors such as smoking and lack of fluoride
in the water supply.
Q: What is Gingivitis?
A: Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to become red, swollen and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort at this stage. Gingivitis is caused by a build up of plaque (bacteria) along the gumline due to inadequate brushing and not flossing regularly. Gingivitis is easily treated by having your teeth professionally cleaned and maintaining thorough brushing and flossing at home. | <urn:uuid:8c4c6e54-7f04-4ceb-9bd6-540f70b5e92a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cdadental.com/index.php?p=258153 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927401 | 1,909 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Editor’s note: Peripheral nerve decompression for patients with diabetes and lower extremity neuropathy continues to be a hotly debated topic in podiatric medicine and other specialties. The driving force of evidence based medicine has looked critically upon this procedure while many respected surgeons in a variety of fields have found great clinical successes. Dr. Mowen reviews many of the debate topics and presents some helpful information and opinion in this column.
— Dr. Steinberg
It has long been recognized that patients with diabetes experience a higher rate of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) than those without diabetes.1,2 Anecdotally, most family doctors, endocrinologists and neurologists seem to agree that upper extremity entrapments are very common among patients with diabetes.
In my clinical experience, many of those same physicians do not recognize that patients with diabetes have a higher rate of lower extremity entrapments like tarsal tunnel syndrome. Lower extremity nerve pain and neuropathic symptoms are often too readily diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy and practitioners do not look for treatable entrapments.
It is theorized that sorbitol will build up in the peripheral nerves, causing an increase in the osmolar properties and subsequently swelled nerves. Nerves will then become entrapped in tight anatomical areas such as the carpal tunnel. Entrapments will cause a decrease in axoplasmic flow and a decrease in the microcirculation of the nerve.3
Accordingly, it seems sensible that this same process is also occurring in the lower extremity, perhaps even to a much greater degree due to the mechanical stress in the legs and feet. Often, the lower extremity has poorer circulation compared to the upper extremity. High-resolution ultrasound has shown the posterior tibial nerve to have a greater diameter in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in comparison to patients without diabetes.4
With swollen nerves, it seems only logical there will be more pressure on the nerves in tight anatomical locations. The tibial nerve and its branches are compressed in the tarsal tunnel and within the porta pedis. The common peroneal gets trapped at the fibular head under the fascia of peroneus longus and the deep peroneal nerve on the dorsum of the foot under the extensor digitorum brevis tendon. These multiple sites cause the “multiple crush” phenomenon and can lead to a symmetric polyneuropathy. The theory of triple or multiple compression has been the basis of triple decompression surgery to treat DPN.
Surgeons affiliated with Johns Hopkins University have been operating on DPN for almost 20 years. A. Lee Dellon, MD, the pioneer of this work, first published his results in 1992.5 However, Dellon’s work is still received skeptically by many within the medical community. The American Association of Neurology cannot recommend this procedure because there are not enough studies.6 Yet the American Association of Neurology has no problem having patients undergo carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel or radial sensory releases. The bottom line is many patients with diabetes and neuropathy probably have superimposed nerve entrapments in both the upper and lower extremity.
The surgery to decompress peripheral nerves is fairly easy as it involves only soft tissue releases. The most common procedure involves release of the common peroneal nerve at the fibular head, the deep peroneal on the dorsum of the foot, and the tibial nerve and its branches in the tarsal tunnel. Most patients are going to tolerate the procedure very well. Many will have improved sensation and decreased pain while they are still in the recovery room.
Although this procedure is fairly easy to perform, about 300 surgeons from all backgrounds are performing this “triple” decompression. It is strongly recommended that one should learn the procedure from someone trained at the Peripheral Nerve Institute at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. The institute also offers an intense workshop with cadaver surgery and observation of live procedures.
We see patients every day with various levels of neuropathy. In the past, we have been told it is a progressive disease that we can only treat by controlling the underlying cause and providing a battery of pain relievers (anticonvulsants, etc.).
No one disagrees on treating the underlying cause. However, with few exceptions, we have watched those patients go on a downward spiral. For 18 years now, I have been treating lower extremity complications in patients with diabetes and watch patients with neuropathy go from having a little numbness and tingling to developing ulcers, nasty infections, Charcot, amputations, etc. In 1999, there were 92,000 amputations directly linked to DPN in comparison to 54,000 in 1990.7 The cost alone of these complications is staggering. I wish I could go back and reevaluate those patients, and see how many had nerve entrapments that could have been treated before the problems became irreversible.
It is true there are not any very large, double-blinded studies on the surgical treatment of DPN. One interesting study in the Annals of Plastic Surgery in 2004 retrospectively looked at 50 patients who only underwent surgery on one limb. With an average follow up of 4.7 years, researchers found none of these limbs developed ulcers or were subject to amputations. The nonoperative limbs had 12 ulcers and three amputations, according to the study.8
Prudent surgeons will weigh many factors when deciding which patients are suitable surgical candidates. I am certainly not advocating surgery for every patient with neuropathy. However, I do advocate looking for entrapments that may be present and responsible for a patient’s diabetic neuropathy.
Check for Tinel’s sign on the posterior tibial nerve and/or the common peroneal. Researchers have found that if there is a positive Tinel’s sign, there is a 93 percent chance of an excellent outcome with surgery. Without a positive Tinel’s sign, the odds drop to about 50 percent.9 Sensory testing is still the most reliable diagnostic procedure in comparison to nerve conduction velocity (NCV).10 Obtaining EMG and/or MRI might also be necessary to rule out a more proximal lesion.
All physicians work within their own personal comfort zones. We should all know what is available to our patients and be willing to refer patients if their care falls outside of our comfort zone. I think a great number of patients suffering from neuropathy would benefit from an evaluation and treatment for multiple compression problems.
Dr. Mowen runs a lower extremity neuropathy clinic in Ventnor, NJ. He is board certified in podiatric orthopedics and primary podiatric medicine. He is an Associate Member of the Academy of Ambulatory Foot Surgeons and a Member of the Fellowship of Peripheral Nerve Surgeons.
1. Perkins B, Olaeye D, Bril V. Carpal tunnel syndrome in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. Diabetes Care 2(3), March 2002.
2. Tanaka S, Wild D, Seligman P, et al. The US prevalence of self-reported carpal tunnel syndrome: 1988 National Health Interview Survey Data: Am J Public Health.
3. Jakobsen J, Sidenius P. Decreased axonal transport of structural proteins in streptozocin diabetic rats. J Clin Invest 66:292, 1980.
4. Kincaid BR, Barrett SL. Use of high-resolution ultrasound in evaluation of the forefoot to differentiate forefoot nerve entrapments. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2005 95: 429-432.
5. Dellon AL. Treatment of symptoms of peripheral neuropathy by peripheral nerve decompression. Plast Reconstr Surg 1992; 89: 689-697.
6. Chaudhry V, Stevens JC, Kincaid J, So YT. Practice Advisory: Utility of surgical decompression for treatment of diabetic neuropathy (Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology). Neurology 2006;66:1805-1808.
7. Bloomgarden ZT. American Diabetes Association 60th Scientific sessions, 2002 The Diabetic Foot. Diabetes Care. 2001;24; 946-951.
8. Aszman O, Tassler P, Dellon AL. Changing the natural history of diabetic neuropathy. Incidence of ulcer/amputation in the contralateral limb of patients with unilateral nerve decompression. An Plast Surg 53(6), Dec 2004.
9. Dellon C, Dellon AL. Prognostic ability of Tinel sign in determining outcome for decompression surgery in diabetic and non-diabetic neuropathy. An Plast Surg 53(6), Dec 2004.
10. Siemionow M, Zielinski M, Sari A. Comparison of clinical evaluation and neurosensory testing in the early diagnosis of superimposed entrapment neuropathy in diabetic patients. An Plast Surg 57(1), July 2006. | <urn:uuid:727d8c84-cecd-45d5-92f6-df5c6488f126> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.podiatrytoday.com/print/308 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930282 | 1,881 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The North is the dark place.
It is not safe to be buried on the north side of the church and the North Door is the way of the Dead.
The north of England is untamed. It can be subdued but it cannot be tamed. Lancashire is the wild part of the untamed.
The Forest of Pendle used to be a hunting ground, but some say that the hill is the hunter – alive in its black-and-green coat cropped like an animal pelt.
The hill itself is low and massy, flat-topped, brooding, disappeared in mists, treacherous with bogs, run through with fast-flowing streams plunging into waterfalls crashing down into unknown pools. Underfoot is the black rock that is the spine of this place.
Sheep graze. Hares stand like question marks.
There are no landmarks for the traveller. Too early or too late the mist closes in. Only a fool or one who has dark business should cross Pendle at night.
Stand on the flat top of Pendle Hill and you can see everything of the county of Lancashire, and some say you can see other things too. This is a haunted place. The living and the dead come together on the hill.
You cannot walk here and feel you are alone.
Those who are born here are branded by Pendle. They share a common mark. There is still a tradition, or a superstition, that a girl-child born in Pendle Forest should be twice baptised; once in church and once in a black pool at the foot of the hill. The hill will know her then. She will be its trophy and its sacrifice. She must make her peace with her birthright, whatever that means.
Extract taken from The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson published by Hammer. | <urn:uuid:eb70c7bd-ff60-42c4-8782-c84f8fb44bf7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.welovethisbook.com/features/jeanette-wintersons-witches | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956867 | 382 | 2.328125 | 2 |
What is Reiki Nur Ilahi
Reiki is an ancient form of healing that came from Japan using your hands. If you want to learn this technique, you have to learn this from a Reiki master. You too can become a master and then go on further by learning Reiki Nur Ilahi which in English means “divine ray of enlightenment.”
Reiki Nur Ilahi is pronounced Noor ee-loa-hee. There are eight levels of these often referred to as Magam. This term means “state of divine accomplishment of your awareness” and those who are able to learn it can heal certain emotional, mental and physical illnesses as well as purify the soul and spirit.
Unlike the other forms or Reiki, it does not use any symbols. The only prerequisite is that the person should already be a reiki master. This will make it easier for him or her to move from one level to the next since you just have to do affirmation to continue up the ladder. This is because after you reach level 8, there are still other Reiki techniques that you can learn.
The main goal of Reiki Nur Ilahi is for the person to gain unity to both your self and God’s consciousness. There are not that many schools that teach this technique. In fact, there is not that information about it but if you hard enough, you will find out that there are experts who prefer to give this training online.
You will be emailed a detailed manual of the course, distant initiation so you don’t have to travel and once you pass through the course, you will be given a certificate of completion.
When you are looking for someone that will train you in Reiki Nur Ilahi, you should ask them from the beginning if this will allow you to teach others in the future or will you have to take another sessions and pay additional fees in order for this to work.
That person should be competent enough to teach everything you need to know and offer support in the future if this is needed since this healing technique is not just for yourself but for others who also need it.
After passing through the course and getting the certificate, it is best to practice Reiki Nur Ilahi with friends who are already into Reiki so they can be used as attunement models. Surely, you will know your success if they feel some improvements. But if you have no one to practice with, you can try doing this first perhaps on a stuffed animal or even a pillow.
Reiki has a deeper purpose because you don’t only heal yourself or others when it can also serve as a guide in your life. You just have to practice until you become confident because you don’t become a master overnight. You have to earn it just like when you first started out as a student who didn’t know much about it but now desires to learn the powers of Reiki Nur Ilahi.
One thing you have to remember about Reiki Nur Ilahi or any of the types is that you did not master it but rather you have been mastered by it. This is because you totally surrender yourself to something bigger and the long term benefits are endless.
Discover How you can become a Powerful Certified Usui Master/Teacher in as little as 24 Hours, Using the fast and Complete Training Program created by 2 of the most Highly Experienced Reiki Masters in the U.K. | <urn:uuid:bc91e440-a6b5-4b49-81be-53635e14a209> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reiki-emporium.com/reiki-philosophy/what-is-reiki-nur-ilahi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969991 | 711 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements are designed to meet the specific nutritional needs of both the mother and unborn child. During pregnancy, the body requires higher levels of key nutrients. In most prenatal multivitamins, levels of folic acid, calcium and iron are increased, while vitamin A is often found in lower levels. Folic acid is critical in the prevention of neural tube defects, and iron is required to support increased blood production during pregnancy and avoid anemia. Vitamin A is best supplemented in the form of beta-carotene, which converts to retinol (vitamin A) in the body, as studies have linked high doses of animal-source vitamin A to increased incidence of birth defects. Because iron can block calcium absorption, it may be best to supplement calcium separately.
In addition to prenatal multivitamins, pregnant and nursing mothers should consider additional supplements. DHA from algae or fish oil, for example, helps fetal retinal and brain development, and low levels of DHA contribute to post-partum depression. Vitamin D supports fetal growth, including nervous system and immune system development, and probtioics support the immune system, reduce vaginal infections, and reduce risk of allergies in the infant. | <urn:uuid:8bc6d2eb-217e-4d96-ae7d-3f8b50a53e37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deliciousliving.com/print/prenatal/prenatal-supplements-foundation-healthy-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92483 | 248 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Riley had the very excellent idea for people to post about building soft skills in class. Initially I wasn’t going to do this because I don’t think I’ve got a lot to offer in this area. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a one trick pony. I succumbed to peer pressure though, so here it is.
This may be the first post I've done about something I'm planning to do instead of something I've actually done. Thus, I have no idea how this is going to work in practice, but this is the first time I have a glimmer of hope in this area.
Here we go.
I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons. One of them, GI Joe, had these public service announcements at the end of every show and the tagline was "Knowing is half the battle." I learned valuable things like don't run away from home. The dirty secret of GI Joe is the other half of the battle, the doing, is usually the much harder part.
I have been critical before of people who tell their kids what to learn, but not how to learn. That doesn't just apply to academic skills, but non-academic skills as well. I teach 8th graders in a low-performing school with a high poverty and ELL rate. It’s not that my kids don’t want to be good students. It’s that they have no idea how to become one.1
My good students do certain things automatically. If you ask another student to describe a good student, eventually it will come out that this is just "how they are." What I've struggled with for years is to help students see that these behaviors are learned. They can become a part of everyone.
There are two things I’m synthesizing: Positive Deviants and Don’t Break the Chain.
Postive Deviants: I first came across this idea from Atul Gawande in the book Better. Subsequently, I’ve read a Fast Company article and a passage in Switch2.
The quick overview: Telling is not enough. If it was, I could pull off a Socratic seminar and my former college roommate could quit smoking. Positive deviants are those people who thrive in the same environment. Showing people positive deviants gives both a message that it's possible and a model to follow. Click on the Fast Company link and read the story or better yet buy the books. How do I know that examining positive deviants works? Check out all those blogs over there on the right side. My positive deviants. I can count on one hand the number of time I've taken and used something from a formal professional development workshop, but I'm ripping stuff off wholesale from my blogging friends.
Don't Break the Chain: This one comes courtesy of Lifehacker. The story is that Jerry Seinfeld needed to work on writing every day, so he put a big calendar up on his wall. From the article:
He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."
"Don't break the chain," he said again for emphasis.
The overview: Identify the positive deviants in class. Create a list of specific behaviors these students engage in. You don't need to make a spectacle of it. I took some pictures of my students from last year both as I'm lecturing and when they're working in groups or individually. For whatever reason, my students are always fine with being examples for next year's kids. This can also be a pure brain storming activity as well.
Have each student pick ONE of those actions to do. Distribute calendars to the students. Each day they complete their specific action, they get to mark a big X on their calendar. If they break the chain, they write down their streak, pick another goal (or the same one) and start over. There's no prize and it's not a competition with others.
By combining a specific, doable task with a very gentle motivator, daily actions become habits.
Details: The list of actions should be highly specific and observable. “Pay attention” is not going to work. You’ve got to dig and find out what those students are doing to pay attention. How can you tell a student is paying attention? They track the teacher. They sit up straight.
Good actions to choose can be academic “Raise my hand to ask a question.” “Bring a sharpened pencil to class” or non-academic “Pick up a piece of garbage from the ground” or "Have my things ready before the bell rings."
I can't stress this enough. It has to be something that's really specific. Either they did it or they didn't. If you get into, "Well I did it most of the time," or "I think I did it but I'm not sure," you're doomed. In the Vietnam example, switching from two big meals to four smaller meals is specific. Eating healthier foods is not.
You should also make sure this is something that needs to occur every single day. As a teacher, I'm really tempted to put stuff like, "Complete all the notes in class" but I don't ask them to take notes everyday. The chain part only works if it's everyday. You'll be surprised how motivating it is not to break the chain.
Time limits help. I hate folding laundry and if I set a goal of folding all my laundry every day, it's not going to happen. Folding laundry for ten minutes every day I can do.
Last, you'll need to make the calendar really visible. The chain is the reminder. You've got to set it up so they see it every day at the beginning of the period. My kids are sticking the calendars in the portfolios where they track their progress.
After a certain number of days (10? 15?), students pick another behavior and add on. So in order to continue their chain, not only do they need to raise their hand at least once a day, but they also need to bring a pencil each day.
Isn't this just behaviorism? Well...yeah, I guess. I've been critical of behaviorism in other places, but that doesn't mean I think it's all bad all the time. I just don't think it should be your guiding principal. I lean heavily on reflective discourse and you've certainly got to integrate that here. However, reflection without action doesn't lead to change. As the positive deviants example shows, knowing what to do isn't enough. If you're looking for another psych idea, self-efficacy is what's coming into play here. A student, who's been expelled from two schools and has a 0.33 GPA, knows they need to "work harder and start behaving." They just don't know where to start and probably don't even think that's possible. You give them something they can do, something that the best students do, and it starts to build. Something you do every day becomes a habit. Habits becomes attitudes and eventually it just becomes "how they are."
If you don't believe in the motivation of the chain give it a try. Get a big wall calendar, or go to dontbreakthechain.com, pick a goal, and start. I guarantee you once you get a few big red Xs going you'll want to continue. Then life will intervene and your chain will break.You'll be depressed for about 30 seconds and then you'll want to start the chain again.
I don't know how many times I've yelled at a kid and told them to Pay Attention, Work Harder, or Listen. I might as well be telling them to write their answers in French.
Start with one thing. Let them do it every day. Attitudes will follow actions.
1: This applies to everyone. I remember my first year listening to a presenter. He showed some writing samples that were tangential to his talk. I asked how he got his kids writing at such a high level. He replied, "Oh you just have to scaffold that really well." Thanks highly paid presenter. I just need to scaffold. Well that solves everything.
2: I have no idea how to reference a book in Kindle, but the Heath brothers call them “bright spots” instead of positive deviants. I don’t know why. The section on solutions-focused therapists is also relevant here, starting in what looks like Location 500 on my Kindle.
Postscript: I'm about halfway done with Switch and the entire book seems to be based around the idea of taking small actions to solve big problems.They would call the behavior list "scripting the critical moves." | <urn:uuid:f7e8e5d2-5617-429f-aa10-17637a62a3a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alwaysformative.blogspot.com/2010/07/virtual-conference-on-soft-skillsthe.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976159 | 1,882 | 2.3125 | 2 |
After the lack of journalistic vigor displayed during President Barack Obama’s magnificently ambiguous 2008 campaign, it’s comforting to see so many reporters clamoring for details about Mitt Romney’s policy proposals.
Romney, you see, has a tax plan — a vague plan that relies on the sound notion that tax cuts can generate economic growth and even, consequently, raise revenue. Many in the media disagree. But as Harvey Rosen, an economist at Princeton University, recently wrote, “under plausible assumptions, a proposal along the lines suggested by Governor Romney can both be revenue neutral and keep the net tax burden on high-income individuals about the same.”
The problem is that keeping the plan revenue-neutral on paper can be achieved only by closing tax loopholes. Which loopholes? We don’t know. Romney, as vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan explained, believes “the best way to do this is to show the framework, show the outlines of these plans and then to work with Congress to do this. That’s how you get things done.”
This might be solid political reasoning, but in reality, it’s not going to happen. And the problem isn’t that wealthy oil barons or special interest lobbyists love loopholes (they do); it’s because we do.
There are numerous arguments for closing loopholes or eliminating most “tax expenditures” and deductions. Liberals argue that under this system, the wealthy and corporations make out like bandits. Free-market advocates argue that loopholes can often distort the market by incentivizing the wrong kind of activity. Many argue that simplifying the tax code would save Americans tons of money and create a more equitable system. Others contend that these tax loopholes are “costing” — as if Washington had some divine claim to your money — the federal government about $1 trillion more a year.
But any tax expenditures, or loopholes, worth undoing already enjoy huge support from the electorate.
Will anyone really eliminate the 401(k) exemption, which allows us to park tax-free dollars in a retirement fund? Or how about that mortgage-interest tax deduction, which allows us to deduct interest from our taxes, or the capital gains exclusion, which allows us to keep any profit we make on our homes? What about the deduction for state and local taxes? How about charitable deductions?
Even completely counterproductive loopholes will be tough to eliminate. Take the preferential tax provisions offered to employer-sponsored health insurance. Because Obamacare didn’t bother to get rid of it or extend it to individuals, many Republicans believe eliminating it would only induce more employers to drop employees into those government-run fabricated “exchanges.”
It’s not that Obama doesn’t favor closing loopholes. He has, for instance, made the gutsy suggestion to eliminate “corporate jet” loopholes, from which we could fund government for a few hours. Because when the left says loopholes, it means any provision that helps big business or fat cat bankers — anything, in other words, that encourages investment. One of the most often cited of these loopholes is “carried interest,” which allows hedge fund managers and others at investment firms to pay capital gains tax rates rather than income tax rates.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan and a Democratic Congress eliminated dozens of loopholes cluttering up the tax code. They eliminated them across all income levels — something that seems undoable in Washington today. If closing loopholes is a tool for more wealth transfer and populist histrionics, then really there is no point.
Real reform on loopholes would need bipartisan agreement and a bit of courage from both sides. So please, don’t hold your breath. | <urn:uuid:34d2496a-00c6-4491-9f74-b261af232154> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.noozhawk.com/article/091312_david_harsanyi_no_one_closing_tax_loopholes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943734 | 765 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Jump to navigation
From the mid 1960s, a brazen band of Australian thieves ran riot in London for more than a decade, pulling off the most daring heists Scotland Yard had ever seen. They were tagged by the Press as the Kangaroo Gang.
The gang, led by the charismatic 'King' Arthur Delaney, targeted the plush emporia of Knightsbridge and the fine jewellers of Mayfair. But the King didn' t stop there, criss-crossing Europe to lay siege to the luxury retailers of Paris, Brussels, Rome and beyond.
The Kangaroo Gang operated at a time before closed-circuit television cameras. They elevated shoplifting to an art form practised without guns or violence. The King always found a way to simply 'disappear' with the loot.
More information about text formats | <urn:uuid:0fc2fb11-d7e3-46e5-81cb-4b0e312c7b76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.austcrimefiction.org/content/king-thieves?page=10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936685 | 171 | 1.835938 | 2 |
MWC - Android comes to life in Barcelona
- — 12 February, 2008 08:20
Google's Android software platform for mobile phones is coming to life in Barcelona, with a number of chip manufacturers showing it running on prototype or proof-of-concept phones at the Mobile World Congress on Monday.
Freescale, Marvell, NEC Electronics, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments all had Android on show. Most of them expect to see Android phones based on their chips on the market in the second half of this year.
The hardware ranged from bulky development boards with daughter cards sticking out at unlikely angles to more compact devices small enough to slip into your pocket. All were built around chips containing processor cores designed by Arm, a British fabless semiconductor company.
One of the most polished prototypes is on the Texas Instruments stand -- although TI representatives insisted that it's just an example of how a finished product could look, as the company only makes chips, leaving the development of phones to its customers. "We don't do plastic," one said.
TI actually had Android running on two different devices. One was based on its OMAP850, a single-chip device containing an application processor for Android and a baseband processor for controlling the phone's radio interface. The other contained TI's OMAP3430 multimedia application processor, capable of decoding high-definition television signals at a resolution of 720p. It requires a separate baseband processor, and is designed for high-end multimedia phones.
Developing software for a new phone typically takes 14 to 18 months, mobile Internet device product manager at TI, Ramesh Iyer, said. "Android cuts that dramatically. It's a disruptor," he said.
Google is shaking the market in other ways, Iyer said. "Android is a single stack. You don't have to go looking for third-party solutions. Suddenly, they have defragmented the whole Linux ecosystem into one building block," he said.
Android is entering an already crowded market for mobile phone software: To see how crowded, you only had to look at the NEC stand, where four prototypes containing its Medity2 processor were packed onto a narrow table. One was running Symbian OS, one Windows Mobile, one Android on top of Wind River Linux -- and the last was running the same Wind River Linux, but with a different application layer based on software from Trolltech and Esmertec.
NEC staff expressed surprise at the level of interest in Android, saying they expected more attention for the completed phones based on the Medity2 at the next table. Manufactured for NTT DoCoMo, those phones contained the version of Linux promoted by the LiMo Foundation.
The two systems are not necessarily in competition, though. With Android's focus on the application layer and Limo's work on the middleware, the underlying services needed to link applications to the Linux kernel, the two can be complementary, NEC staff said.
Marvell took the prize for the most secretive Android demonstrations, refusing to allow photographs and declining even to say on which of its communications processors the software was running. The company showed a compact handset running the Android interface with a bare minimum of applications, and a more complete installation playing video and browsing the Web on a bulky development board. Shrinking that down to a pocket-sized device will not take long, staff said. In fact, they had one ready -- just not loaded with the Android software.
Android's Linux roots are likely to encourage the development of a wave of new handset applications, said Marvell's marketing director Vish Deshmane.
"You will see a lot more software to run on devices from people who want to exploit the commonality with desktop systems. It's going to be a boon for the 3G world because more applications means more data traffic, so operators will be happy," he said.
Over at Freescale Semiconductor, staff showed Google Maps zooming in on the center of Barcelona on a development board built around Freescale's i.MX31 processor. This processor is not intended for mobile phones at all, and is more at home in GPS (Global Positioning System) terminals or media players such as Toshiba's Gigabit and Microsoft's Zune.
Qualcomm's demonstration of its 7201 combined baseband and application processor sparkled, but did not exploit the chip's full potential. The spinning globe of Android's Global Time application turned smoothly even without the assistance of the 3D graphics hardware acceleration, for which the drivers are not yet ready, said Rob Woodford.
Android phones based on the chip will go on sale in the second half of this year, Woodford said.
The Mobile World Congress runs through Thursday at the Fira de Barcelona showground. | <urn:uuid:d2465a72-a826-40e1-be97-4db9f8b86078> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/206211/mwc_-_android_comes_life_barcelona/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952034 | 973 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Gabriel Metsu: The Dutch Master You Don't Know
When it comes to Dutch painters, Rembrandt and Vermeer are the best known. But have you ever heard of Gabriel Metsu? Vermeer and Metsu were contemporaries, but Metsu was the star in the Golden Age of Dutch painting during the 17th century — and long afterward.
"Metsu was still the top boy in the 19th century," says David Jaffe of the National Gallery in London. "Vermeer is a very early 20th-century discovery."
In his day, Metsu was well-loved in Europe — but it's taken 400 years for his paintings to get much attention in this country. Now, the first Metsu retrospective in the U.S. has opened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
In 1664, Metsu painted one of his most important crowd pleasers, A Man Writing a Letter. The scribe is young, handsome, in black velvet, with long blonde curls. He's sitting in a sumptuous study, with a very expensive Persian tapestry spread out on the table where he writes.
Hung right beside him in the exhibit, bathed in Vermeerish light pouring in from a side-window, Metsu's A Woman Reading a Letter — the letter the handsome young blond was writing, no doubt. She has kicked off one shoe — a sexy little gold-encrusted mule. There's more gold on her long pink skirt, and her yellow top is trimmed with ermine, which is "the most expensive cloth you can wear," Jaffe explains. It "used to be a royal cloth. You can see the black flecks on her fur. She's accessorized to the hilt!"
Expensive clothing, all gorgeously painted with fabulous technique and meticulously rendered details. In his early works, Metsu created rustic or Biblical scenes in his small hometown of Leiden. Once he moved to Amsterdam in the 1650s, he depicted bustling market scenes, fancier folks and fripperies, in a successful attempt to meet the tastes of the city's booming, sophisticated art market.
Whatever the subject, Metsu tells a story on all his canvases — though it's not always clear what that story is. But his paintings depict real emotions, and real interactions between people: A weeping woman borrows money; a kitchen maid peels apples; a man smokes near a fire place; a woman cuddles a pale, sick child.
He was definitely a storyteller, says Arthur Wheelock, curator of the National Gallery's Metsu exhibit, "but giving us a beginning, middle and end to the story was not what he was after." He wanted you to ponder the painting. "I think these paintings were huge points of discussion in drawing rooms all through the Netherlands in the 17th century," Wheelock adds.
"He's a narrative painter, but he's not going to tell you the end of the movie," says Jaffe.
Neither did Metsu's contemporary, Vermeer, who was in many ways, even more mysterious. His exquisite Girl with a Pearl Earring — and his other women — are all caught in moments between moments. In Vermeer, their lives are on pause. Metsu's people are coming from somewhere and going to somewhere — but you just can't tell how it will turn out.
Metsu's painterly star faded in the 20th century, and Vermeer became the top Dutch boy. Vermeer, with his flattened backgrounds, muted colors and his distant gazers, looked more abstract to modern eyes. But the National Gallery show (in Washington, D.C., until late July) suggests that Gabriel Metsu's time may have come once again. Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. | <urn:uuid:696cdd3b-85a1-4a90-a01f-22ef6c1ee3dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://weku.fm/post/gabriel-metsu-dutch-master-you-dont-know | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978877 | 805 | 2.734375 | 3 |
From Researching Virtual Initiatives in Education
Partners situated in Malaysia
Malaysia in a nutshell
Malaysia is a federation that consists of thirteen states and three federal territories in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,355 sq mi). Malaysia borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.
The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government.
The population stands at over 27 million.
The country is separated into two regions — Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo — by the South China Sea. The country is located near the equator and experiences a tropical climate.
Malaysia's head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the government is headed by a Prime Minister. The government is closely modeled after the Westminster parliamentary system.
Malays form the majority of the population of Malaysia. There are sizable Chinese and Indian communities as well.
The Malay language is the official language.
Though the Islamic religion is government funded, the country is secular according to the constitution set following independence.
Malaysia is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and participates in many international organisations such as the United Nations. As a former British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is also a member of the Developing 8 Countries.
Malaysia education policy
Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education.
Malaysia education system
Most Malaysian children start schooling between the ages of three to six, in kindergarten. Most kindergartens are run privately, but there are a few government-run kindergartens.
Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. There are two major types of government-operated or government-assisted primary schools. The vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of teaching. Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit for the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR). A programme called First Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) was used to measure the ability of bright pupils, and to allow them to move from Year 3 to 5, skipping Year 4. However, this programme was abolished in 2001.
Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main medium of instruction. The only exceptions are the Mathematics and Science subjects as well as languages other than Malay, however this was only implemented in the year 2003, and before that all non-language subjects were taught in Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year, students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR). In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the former British Ordinary or 'O' Levels.
The oldest school in Malaysia is Penang Free School, also the oldest school in South East Asia.
Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types, namely National Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), National-Type Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan) which is also referred as Mission Schools, Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and MARA Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).
There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardised by the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, more commonly referred to by its Chinese name, Dong Zong 董总), however, unlike government schools, every independent school is free to make its own decisions. Studying in independent schools takes 6 years to complete, divided into Junior Level (3 years) and Senior Level (3 years). Students will sit for a standardised test conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit for the PMR and SPM as well.
Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit for the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels. Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an alternative to STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej matrikulasi in Malay) can enrol in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10% of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students while the rest are reserved for Bumiputra students.
In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. International schools offer students the opportunity to study the curriculum of another country. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country. International schools include: the Australian International School, Malaysia (Australian curriculum), The Alice Smith School (British Curriculum), elc International school (British Curriculum), The Garden International School (British Curriculum), Lodge International School (British Curriculum), The International School of Kuala Lumpur (International Baccalaureate and American Curriculum), The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese Curriculum), The Chinese Taipei School, Kuala Lumpur and The Chinese Taipei School, Penang (Taiwanese Curriculum), The International School of Penang (International Baccalaureate and British Curriculum), Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur (French Curriculum) amongst others.
Universities in Malaysia
Some of the public universities are:
Private universities are also gaining enough reputation for international quality education and many students from all over the world are attracted to these universities. These include:
In addition, four international reputable universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an "offshore campus" of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are:
Malaysian students abroad study mostly in the UK, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Japan and Middle East countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
Polytechnics in Malaysia
Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is SEGi College which partnered with University of Abertay Dundee.
Higher education reform
The Bologna Process
Administration and finance
Malaysia's HEIs in the information society
Towards the information society
Information society strategy
Virtual Campuses in HE
Interesting Virtual Campus Initiatives | <urn:uuid:57bf9e84-1f13-420a-be24-a74b3eef585f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://virtualcampuses.eu/index.php/Malaysia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941538 | 1,615 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Ephemeral, transient, fugitive -- a central theme in Kori Newkirk's Conceptual art resonates through various forms. Thirty-one photographs, beaded curtains, neon lights, murals, collages and video projections made since 1997 constitute his modest traveling survey at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. If the show feels somewhat thin, look again: The subject of dislocated estrangement makes it so.
The Bronx-born, L.A.-based artist is most closely identified with the beaded curtains, perhaps because of their eccentric materials -- long strands of synthetic hair strung with colored plastic beads. (The artist has cited Stevie Wonder and Venus Williams as inspirations, and he has described his work as "ghetto-fabulous Conceptualism.") "Jubilee" (1999) was the first, and in some respects it's an anomaly: brightly hued and nearly abstract rather than descriptive of leafy green landscapes and Tiepolo skies, like many of the others.
"Jubilee" is a lovely, smeary wall of yellow, orange and blue. A loose image forms, evoking a roaring conflagration -- flames against sky. L.A.'s 1992 uprising in the wake of the Rodney King beating trial was one motivation. The beaded curtain is the kind that might be hung across a doorway rather than against a wall, as the artist displays these Conceptual "paintings." The result suggests art as a veil of passage -- a trial by fire.
Newkirk's landscape curtains are less dramatic, although journeys are still implied. One curtain is a contemplative view through tall evergreens toward a patch of pale blue, another a dark glimpse into a forest clearing, a third a few spare trees silhouetted against clouds. In a fourth, just the dappled clouds themselves flicker into view. A symbolic narrative of personal enlightenment or transformation is subtle but inescapable, while a quiet tension between urban materials and bucolic subject suggests an escapist dream.
The work has a formal and theoretical relationship to art by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, whose nonfigurative beaded curtains used sparkly color to refer to sacred substances such as blood, water and light. Gonzalez-Torres, who died in 1996, not yet 40, established the formal language that much of Newkirk's work employs. For both, art is a mirage with a quiet political dimension, but it does not moralize.
Basketball is another frequent subject, prompted by the common but erroneous assumption that Newkirk, as a tall African American male, would be an avid fan or player. Despite the racial and gendered stereotyping, his alienation from the sport is poignant and provocative, especially in a charged pair of phallic photographs of basketballs lying still on an empty asphalt court.
Two sculptures of paired basketball hoops replace the nets with woven strands of hair, entangling them in a homoerotic web. In addition to Gonzalez-Torres' sexualized pairing of common objects, these works also recall David Hammons' decorated backboards and Lorna Simpson's photographic meditations on the semiotics of black hair.
Less successful is Newkirk's foray into contrasting themes of whiteness, which take such punning forms as snow and representations of great white sharks, but to scant effect. (A white neon cube of icicles is wryly titled "Maybury" apparently to skewer the all-white North Carolina town of TV-sitcom fame.) The puns are more resonant in "Void of Silence," a large photograph of a black hand with crossed fingers against a white background; crossed fingers simultaneously imply a fervent human hope and art's inevitable falsehood.
The most arresting works in the show, initiated by Pasadena's Fellows of Contemporary Art and organized by the Studio Museum in Harlem, are two recent short videos. In one, Newkirk walks an urban alley in the dark of night, dragging a pair of clattering intravenous stands entwined with lights. The ghostly neon processional casts the artist's isolation as the strange, even morbid journey of a monstrous phantom.
In the other video, he becomes an actual chimera, flitting through the grass in a park-like setting reminiscent of the landscapes in his beaded curtains while clad only in a silver thong, glitter spewing from his mouth. The frenetic, flash-cut editing makes this puckish parody of self-regard into a magical midsummer daydream.
Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union St., (626) 568-3665, through Sept. 14. Closed Monday and Tuesday. www.pmcaonline.org
Mexico, reflected in Pineda's silver | <urn:uuid:49940953-ba5e-4204-ad47-fb7ea3635e8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/05/entertainment/et-galleries5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942618 | 979 | 1.726563 | 2 |
5 Easy Ways to Save Money This Summer
School's out! (Yay!) But like most families right now, you're short on cash. (Boo!) Sure, times are tough all over, but that doesn't mean your kids' summer break has to be a bummer. Here are five easy-as-key-lime-pie ways to save money and enjoy some fun in the sun.
1. Brown-Bag It Whether you're heading to the beach, pool or park, an easy way to save money is to pack meals ahead of time and avoid the ice cream truck temptations and price-gouging snack shacks. Grab a cooler and stuff it full of sandwiches, healthy fruit and munchies. And don't forget the beverages! 2. Cook Outside As if you needed a reason to BBQ, dining alfresco actually saves you dinero. Air-conditioning accounts for nearly 70 percent of summer home-energy use. Plus, cooking inside creates excess heat in your home (and who needs THAT?). Cooking and eating outside can actually lower your electric and gas bills. 3. Get Local Passes Rather than paying full-price admission for local zoos, movie theaters and museums, invest in annual or summer passes. This way you can enjoy what these local attractions have to offer without rushing through it all in one day. Do your kids love animals? With a pass, you can see the polar bears and monkeys one day and focus on the birds and tigers another. 4. Find Lower Gas Prices The price of gas is on the rise again. If summertime for your family equals a road trip, save some money on fuel before you put the pedal to the metal. Websites like GasPriceWatch.com and GasBuddy.com post prices for thousands of stations across the country. Some GPS devices will even map out toll-free roads for you. (50 cents adds up every 10 miles!) 5. Go Camping Who needs a fancy hotel? Campgrounds are cheap. But you can do one even better: Set up a tent in your own backyard. Let your kids invite some friends for an outdoor sleepover. Roast marshmallows, tell scary ghost stories and count the stars.
So with a little creativity and planning, you can find all sorts of ways to have family fun in your backyard, without spending a cruise-boat full of dough! | <urn:uuid:43850bbf-780b-4d1f-baae-0bd4400f51b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parentsconnect.com/parents/family-finance/family-budget/easy-ways-to-save-this-summer.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922992 | 488 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Today’s good news: Roger Helmer is standing down as a Member of the European Parliament. He says its because he disagrees with nine-tenths of Tory policy, and his statements have become more and more shrill and reactionary over the years.
In the list-based election system used in the UK, it’s the next person on the East Midlands list for the Tories that gets the seat, and this is none other than Rupert Matthews, a man who seems to be even more barking than Helmer is.
You thought that was impossible? Try this for starters – the homepage of his website:
Click on the ‘Speaking’ page and you are presented with a series of topics on which Matthews can enlighten you, including:
Your Local Ghosts – What real ghosts are like – a talk adapted to your local area.
Medieval Women – How women led society in the world of chivalry.
Yeti! – Are the legendary man-apes of the world real?
The Biography of Father Christmas – A great seasonal favourite for December.
This is a man who compares the EU to the USSR on ConservativeHome, and – among the 150 books he claims to have authored – the summary of Can Britain leave the EU? A Warning from History states “We might yet see the panzers in Parliament Square”. The things he posts on Twitter are equally bizarre.
So much for the modern, presentable, compassionate Conservative Party!
[UPDATE - 1540] Andy Carling at New Europe has looked into Matthews’s ghost hunting exploits
NOTE: contrary to the impression given in this article, Roger Helmer stays as a MEP until the end of 2011. Rupert Matthews takes over after that. | <urn:uuid:6ab26e97-7ef8-41a8-8db6-ff7982fe9730> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jonworth.eu/tories-seem-to-have-found-someone-even-more-barking-than-roger-helmer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955787 | 358 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Judith S. Weis
Cornell University Press, $29.95
Did you know that there are species of crabs that spend their entire lives in freshwater? Or that there are air-breathing land crabs? Or that horseshoe crabs are not true crabs or even crustaceans? Or that the Japanese spider crab can weigh over 40 pounds and sport a leg span of 12 feet?
An alternate title for “Walking Sideways,” by Judith S. Weis, a professor of biology at Rutgers University, could have been “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Crabs (but Were Afraid to Ask).” This richly informative, illustrated tome may be the most comprehensive storehouse of information, outside of a laboratory, on all things crab. Ms. Weis has exhaustively researched the crustacean, and clearly has a fascination and affection that far surpasses most.
This interest dates, she wrote, to a childhood spent summering on Shelter Island. Her research has taken her to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts, and the defunct Ocean Sciences Laboratory in Montauk, as well as into the field — specifically, Louse Point in Springs.
As only about 1 percent of the deep sea has been explored, Ms. Weis wrote, new groups of crabs are still being discovered. Among these discoveries are “four new species of brightly colored freshwater crabs . . . found on the Philippine Island of Palawan” just this year. These newly discovered species, she wrote, “are already under threat from several mining projects.” In 2005, scientists found “a white eyeless crab with long hairy arms and legs living at over 7,000 feet of water near a vent in the South Pacific.” This specimen was found to be a member of a totally new family of anomurans (a group of decapod crustaceans).
Like most of the Earth’s flora and fauna, crabs are part of an interconnected and interdependent web of life. In the chapter titled “Habitats,” she wrote that, “When blue crabs were moved from a salt marsh, one of their major prey — periwinkle snails — flourished, multiplied, and ate up all of the cordgrass. Without the plants to bind sediment and protect wildlife, the salt marsh ecosystem disappeared and became a mud flat. This suggests that the loss of snail predators such as blue crabs may be an important factor contributing to the die-off of salt marshes in the southeastern United States.”
Another at-risk habitat, coral reefs, form part of a symbiotic relationship with crabs: “Trapeziid or guard crabs, such as Trapezius sp., only a half-inch wide, make their home in branching corals and remove sediment onto the coral,” Ms. Weis wrote. “When the researchers removed crabs from sections of the branching corals and allowed sediment to accumulate, most of the corals died within a month.”
There are crabs that live in the open ocean on floating material (the Sargassum or gulfweed crab) and others found on floating species such as sea turtles and jellyfish (the grapsid crab). Ms. Weis wrote about how different crabs are adapted for their particular environment, and takes the reader on an informative tour covering crabs’ evolution and classification, behaviors, unique adaptations, reproduction, and threats to their survival.
There are chapters devoted to form and function, reproduction and life cycle, behavior, ecology, fisheries, and the relationships between crabs and humans. There is even a chapter devoted to the myriad ways in which crabs are cooked and eaten.
While there exist “problem crabs” — invasive species and parasites — there are, sadly, far more “crab problems,” as detailed in Chapter 7. Toxic chemicals, pesticides, oil, industrial chemicals, marine debris and trash, and climate change, in addition to natural hazards such as disease, all threaten these fascinating creatures.
For those interested in these animals — as marine life, as pets, or as food — “Walking Sideways” spans the positive and negative phenomena surrounding and affecting the nearly 7,000 species of crabs.
Judith S. Weis is the author of “Do Fish Sleep?” She lives part time in Springs. | <urn:uuid:fcbea9eb-0956-4229-b85d-8493c7b35ac0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.easthamptonstar.com/?q=Books/20121127/Sidling-Crabs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944025 | 910 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Do not even think about divorcing until you watch the tapes of
Frank Pittman's keynote addresses at the Smart Marriages conferences,
"Teaching Men Marriage" and "What Are Men For, Anyway?" Order 752-006
and 753-006 from 800-241-7785.
DVD: $25.95. Or audio CD for $15.95. This below is NOT a transcript of
the keynote. It is a response written by Pittman to an article in the journal, Family Process.
Response to "The Death of 'Till Death Us Do Part': "Marriage in the 20th Century"
Frank S. Pittman, III, M.D.
Bill Pinsof has given us an articulate, beautifully documented examination of the
emergency state of modern marriage. From down here in the trenches I can assure
you it is as he describes it. Divorce, an emergency solution to desperate circumstances,
used to be an extreme action, reserved for emergencies. Suddenly it has become the norm.
Pinsof’s solution seems to be to declare divorce normal, to make marriage therapists
neutral about marriage, and to dedicate ourselves to removing the stigma from fathers
(and theoretically mothers) who run away from home, children, and adulthood in their
ever frantic search for the narcissistic fulfillment they consider happiness (which
fatherless men, raised by single mothers, tend to see in terms of seduction and
abandonment of every new women.)
Pinsof’s family of the future would involve single mothers, now declared "normal"
their fatherless children, also rechristened as "normal", all enjoying the benefits of no
longer needing men except as sperm donors, unless the guy wanted to hop on for a
temporary gig. We all know that neighborhood, and the theory of a world without men
(except every now and then) might set feminist hearts aflutter, but the reality is a disaster.
Scandinavians may have built a social system around government supplementation of
an increasingly fatherless world, but that hasn’t reduced their suicide rate. So far our
social efforts in "government as father" have not impressed.
Women may not need men anymore. Great. Children still do. But it may be even more
pressing that men need families, and wives, and relationships (like marriage for instance)
which are permanent, total and equal, and even, if people work at it over time, based on
love. I realize that some people would feel safer if marriage were less total, less permanent,
less equal, so they’d have an easier out. But the requirements of marriage are largely based
on the needs of children rather than the wants of those afraid of adulthood.
Pinsof’s proposal of neutrality toward divorce, marriage, and what happens to the children,
would, in my nightmare, leave a world of angry, overworked women, child-like disconnected
men, and depressed children with no concept how to become grownups. This could not be
much worse than what we have now, but it would surely further feminize poverty, redefine
childraising as women’s work, and undo the freedom women have achieved in recent
decades to raise children and pursue careers at the same time while expecting help from a
man, who is not just passing through, but is committed to the children as well. Men aren’t what
they could be, or even what they will be if we can train them better for marriage and childraising
rather than just for war, sports, making money and putting on a macho show. But they are some
help, and a lot safer to have around kids than the average stepfather or pass-through man of the night.
After 42 years of working with over 10,000 couples in various states of crisis, I can confirm
that divorce has already become increasingly popular and is now considered not just normal
but the expected and perhaps inevitable final chapter of marriage. Divorce is considered,
by the media, by the TV and newspaper advice giving "experts," and even by many of the
professional therapists, particularly the youngest and least experienced ones, to be the
treatment of choice for mild depression ("I’m just not happy,") for unpleasantness ("I felt
verbally abused") and for sexual attractions to passing strangers or casual friends ("I must
not be in love with my mate.") All baby boomers are sure they deserve an ideal partner and
when they discover they don’t have one they know they should be free at any moment to
dump this imperfect one, put the kids in storage, and go back to the perfect partner collection
for another try.
The situation is already outrageous and tragic enough without our trying to pretend this is
normal. I can assure you that the least significant impact of divorce is social stigma. These
children’s families and security are being ripped apart, and as nice as the concept of binuclear
families cooperating swimmingly is, it doesn’t happen much. Half the children of divorce haven’t
seen their fathers in the last year and they suffer.
At various times in our history---death in childbirth, death from Plague or in the trenches of WWI,
death from childhood infectious diseases or recently HIV, in some neighborhoods death or
dismemberment from gunshot wounds, have all been so common as to be the normal course
of life. Anything that causes this much unnecessary human suffering is not normal, however
popular. We can change things when we refuse to give up and call it "normal", "god’s will,"
"human nature" or, here, "primate nature". Witness the change in our attitude toward cigarette
Divorce is not a benign procedure. As the data has come in (Wallerstein and Hetherington measure
different things, and put a different face on it, but they find much the same thing) the casualty
rate, the percentage of kids who don’t achieve functional status is about 25%, several times
higher than all other causes put together. Most children of divorce survive but do not recover.
They get along well enough to function but not well enough to achieve success in relationships.
We can’t raise kids this way. What of the adults? Half the divorced partners remain miserable, half
have temporary relief. In general, though you would never know this from what’s on TV, married
people are not just healthier and wealthier but happier than divorced ones (and they get a lot more
and better sex.) Most divorced people remarry. The divorce rate for second marriages is higher
than for first. Divorce clearly doesn’t teach them what they failed to learn the first time around.
I’ve heard many explanations for why these last two generations of people in Western society
(the baby boomers, etc.) did such a lousy job with marriage in the wake of the sexual revolution
and the celebration of escape from having to grow up. Just look at the movies from that era
to understand how powerful the message that happiness would come from running away from
home. Pinsof includes some of the better explanations, but surely the best is that society
encouraged divorce as the shortcut to happiness and therapists became neutral about marriage,
some of them actually believing the heartless and outrageous myth that "the kids are resilient,
they’ll be just fine." Well, they won’t. The belief that kids don’t need parents is based on the
idea that children are the real adults, sent by the devil (ROSEMARY’S BABY 1968, THE EXORCIST
1973, THE OMEN 1976) to keep grownups from running out to find and embrace happiness,
while adults are delicate children who will surely be miserable if they don’t get their heart’s desire.
I’ve also heard various explanations of why the divorce orgy slowed down in 1980. That one is
easy, anybody who looked up could see that divorce as the secret of happiness did not work
for the grownups and sure didn’t work for the children.
Many forces have merged to destroy the human family. Just as patriarchal men have run away
from home if they couldn’t be the boss, there has been a strong feminist push to declare men
to be unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, in the lives of women and children. Actually,
abuse and incest by fathers is fairly uncommon, while abuse and incest from stepfathers and
passing boyfriends is alarmingly high. As Hamlet told us, the man who sleeps with the Queen
is not, thereby, the King nor the father of the Prince. Fathers are not just interchangeable men
in a child’s life. And unless the value of fathers is understood and appreciated, it is going to be
hard to make the human family and human civilization much different from the family and civilization
of our cousins the chimpanzees.
Rather than normalizing divorce, let us see this blip in the history of marriage as a warning of what
happens when the world fails to support the family, or especially fails to understand the function
of men in families and the function of families for men. Fathers certainly don’t have to be boss,
but children need them on their parenting team.
We have to understand what divorce is about. Despite all the research about marriages failing
if couples complain, criticize, stonewall or show contempt, I don’t know any couples who don’t
do such things some (or most) of the time. But I have rarely seen an established first marriage
end in divorce without someone being unfaithful. (Our researchers fail to ask about infidelity,
since they tell me it is so nearly universal, it couldn’t possibly be relevant.) Affairs occur in good
marriages and bad, and wreck either.
Helen Fisher, in ANATOMY OF LOVE, gives a fascinating neurochemical explanation of how
infidelity causes divorce: infidelity is exciting, causing an excessive production (in men and
women) of testosterone and amphetamine like neurotransmitters, at the expense of comfort
seeking and nesting hormones like oxytocin or happiness and contentment producing hormones
like serotonin. People in affairs are nuts, dependent, desperate, miserable and paranoid, unable
to relax around their familiar mates. They are not necessarily unhappy with their marriage before
the affair, but they are afterwards. Adulterers can’t reestablish intimacy as long as they harbor a
secret or fear their partner’s anger and rage. (See the recent movie UNFAITHFUL for a picture of
what a thoughtless, motiveless affair can do to a serene and cozy marriage.)
The skills, including fidelity and honesty, that make marriage work are easily teachable, just as the
skills that make sex work are easily teachable. But no one will bother if therapists are busy being
neutral and the media are touting the joys of divorce
To me, looking up from my caseload of the betrayers and betrayed, the divorced and divorcing,
the children of divorce and the survivors of the last generation of divorces, this is a societal
emergency. Normalizing divorce, even further than it has already been normalized, is a cruelty joke.
Back to Before You Divorce
Back to Articles Page | <urn:uuid:f89b46aa-2139-46c7-a387-668f98ba8198> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smartmarriages.com/pittman.response.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948728 | 2,405 | 1.8125 | 2 |
|Notes for John Barrington (b SHUTE) Lord Barrington|
|In 1720 made Viscount Barrington of Ardglass in Co Down, Ireland in 7 George I.|
He was also the heir of John Wildman of Becket, Shrivenham, Berks.
His son Daines (CP: antiquary, lawyer and naturalist) was FRS.
July 2009, TFPL: I am not convinced now that he was adopted by Francis Barrington, much as he was made heir of same. He is reported as being adopted by John Wildman, though adoption in those days was an informal process.
|In 1716 a private Act of Parliament was passed to give effect to the name and arms clause in Francis Barrington’s will:|
1716 (3 Geo.1).
c. 8 John Barrington, alias Shute: change of surname to Barrington, pursuant to the settlement of Francis Barrington, deceased.
Thereafter he bore precisely the arms of Barrington and further assumed the quarterings of Barrington. I am not sure he had a right to assume the quarterings.
Lionel West, a descendant of his, had found various ancient monuments to this John Barrington showing these arms and a few quarterings, principally Poole and Clarence.
April 2010, TFPL: His sixth youngest son was Shute Barrington, bishop of Durham and was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford. In the refectory are three items for Shute:
(a) His portrait,
(b) His painted arms, behind the high table
(c) His arms on stained glass in one of the windows.
The second of these is incorrectly tinctured with a field of Or, though the third is indeed the ancient Barrington arms.
|Last Modified 18 Apr 2010||Created 9 Dec 2011 By Tim Powys-Lybbe| | <urn:uuid:d4ab1320-7029-4efd-ae5c-385aedb596f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tim.ukpub.net/pl_tree/ps06/ps06_439.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958389 | 401 | 2.3125 | 2 |
For Immediate Release, November 12, 2009
||Adam Keats, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 845-2509
Mati Waiya, Wishtoyo Foundation, (805) 794-1248
Jan de Leeuw, TriCounty Watchdogs, (661) 245-1725
Brent Newell, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, (661) 586-3724
New Groups Join Fight to Save Tejon Ranch
Suit Filed to Stop Luxury Sprawl Megadevelopment
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.— A coalition of endangered species advocates, Native Americans, environmental justice advocates, and local residents filed suit today to overturn Kern County’s approval of the controversial Tejon Mountain Village resort development on Tejon Ranch, California. The growing opposition is drawn together by concern for the California condor, the sacred sites of the Chumash people, air quality degredation, and decreased quality of life for current residents if the sprawl complex is built.
The development of luxury homes, golf courses, and hotels would destroy critical habitat of the iconic and severely endangered California condor and would potentially derail the most expensive species-recovery effort ever attempted. The project would add significant air pollutants and greenhouse gases to an area that already suffers from the worst air pollution in the country. It would rely entirely on water unsustainably imported from the State Water Project, and is sited on top of two of the largest earthquake faults in the country – as well as in an area known for catastrophic and deadly wildfires.
The suit was filed under the California Environmental Quality Act in Kern County Superior Court in Bakersfield by the Center for Biological Diversity, Wishtoyo Foundation, TriCounty Watchdogs, and the Center on Race, Poverty, & the Environment. Final environmental-review documents were approved by the Kern County Board of Supervisors on October 5, 2009.
“All of California will suffer if this project gets built – more water will be stolen, the bird that graces our quarter will be doomed, our air will get dirtier, and thousands of people will be placed in harm’s way because of earthquakes and wildfires that will inevitably follow – all so Wall Street can make another quick buck,” said Adam Keats, director of the Urban Wildlands Program at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Tejon Ranch Company is heavily invested in by Third Avenue Real Estate Investments (TAREX), a firm that specializes in speculative real estate in environmentally sensitive areas (TAREX is a primary owner of St. Joe in Florida, another hotly contested and destructive development project).
Tejon Ranch, including the area Tejon Mountain Village is planned for, was historically occupied by three different Native American tribes whose land was stolen by the original owner of Tejon Ranch. The condor is one of the most important spiritual symbols to the region’s Native Americans.
“Tejon Mountain Village threatens Chumash village sites and sacred places, which is devastating to Chumash people,” said Mati Waiya, Chumash ceremonial elder and executive director of the Wishtoyo Foundation and its Ventura Coastkeeper Program. “It also threatens our sacred and cultural relationship with the California condor that is depicted in our ancient cave paintings and told in our stories, which have been passed down from generation to generation for more than 10,000 years. It is important that we as Chumash people protect our sacred grounds and our ancestors’ burial sites, and continue our elders’ work from the early ’80s to help bring back the California condor population, from 22 left in the wild to a still-scarce population of more than 140. The cultural impact of this proposed development and the accompanying proposed desecration of Chumash cultural resources and our sacred California condor is, once again, a demonstration of greed and disregard for Native American people and cultures.”
The project, located in the rugged Tehachapi Mountains along the “Grapevine” pass of Interstate 5, would add tremendously to the already overburdened highway – the only road off the mountain in either direction.
“This highway is already maxed out with thousands of cars and trucks – it can’t handle a project of this scale, which would more than double the population of the area,” said Jan de Leeuw of the TriCounty Watchdogs, a local citizen group based in nearby Frazier Park. “If this project goes forward, we’re looking at a traffic nightmare getting even worse, with sprawl development filling in everything from Los Angeles to Bakersfield.”
“Tejon Mountain Village straddles the two worst-performing air districts in the country,” said Brent Newell of the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. “Thousands of car trips going in and out of this resort – which we all know will include daily commuters, given its proximity to Los Angeles – will further dirty the air and increase pollution-related health problems of the people who live here.”
Preserving Tejon Ranch as a new national or state park would protect a bounty of native plant and animal communities, cultural and historic features, and scenic vistas. See http://www.savetejonranch.org. | <urn:uuid:d76ff105-a692-4cca-9286-24858255e7d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/tejon-ranch-11-12-2009.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927086 | 1,105 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Teaching the Phonemic Code in Reading Instruction
Effective Multisensory Activities
to Directly Build Automatic Knowledge of the Complete Phonemic Code
(Direct Print=Sound Knowledge)
Free Activities for Teachers and Parents
to Help Students Achieve Reading Success
Skill targeted/reading objective:
The objective is for the student to acquire automatic and direct knowledge of print=sound relationship of the complete phonemic code. Students need to learn and repeatedly practice the direct print=sound code so they automatically and effortlessly convert print to sound. In addition, phonemic awareness is directly linked to print in these many of these activities. See the article The Building Blocks of Written English: The Phonemic Code Explained for additional information.
Key points/elements for effective instruction:
1) Explicitly teach the direct print=sound relationship. The student must look at the printed letter(s) and say the correct sound.
Examples: student looks and points at m while saying the sound /m/
student looks and points at sh while saying the sound /sh/
Remember to use direct print to sound instruction. Avoid using indirect instruction methods such as picture=sound (picture of train = /t/) or printed letter = object (letter ‘d’= dinosaur). See the article Why Children Often Fail to Learn with Indirect Methods for details explaining why indirect methods of phonics instruction often does not work with children.
2) Introduce and teach sounds systematically. Use a pre-planned organized system sequenced simple to complex.
3) Explicitly teach the complete phonemic code. Start with the basic code but also directly teach the complete code including digraphs, vowel combinations, r-controlled vowels and other complexities.
4) Teach correct pronunciation. Remember this is the sound not letter name! (example t = /t/ not letter name /tee/)
5) The printed code needs to be phonetically accurate. Base printed code instruction on single phonemes. Avoid word families and blended consonants that are not phonetically accurate.
6) Directly link phonemic awareness to the printed letters. Include phonemic awareness development as part of the print=sound instruction.
7) Practice, practice, practice! Practice until automatic. Have students practice print=sound knowledge in isolation with a variety of direct instruction activities until this knowledge is automatic. After automatic knowledge is acquired, the sound no longer needs to be practiced in isolation.
Direct “print=sound” instruction & practice:
Introduce phonemic code systematically. Directly teach new sounds by showing the print and saying the correct sound. Teachers can use large posterboards, overhead or whiteboard/chalkboard for classroom introduction. For practice, show the student the printed letter(s), they say the sound when looking at the print. This direct practice can occur with straightforward instruction (printed index cards, posterboards, overhead, whiteboard) or can be conducted with a wide variety of ‘fun’ games. The only requirements are to directly link correct print to the sound(s), have the student look at the printed letter(s) when saying the sound, and to have the student practice until the sound is automatic. These simple direct print to sound activities link and apply visual (look at the printed letter(s)), oral (say the sound), and auditory (hear the sound) processes to develop necessary print=sound knowledge.
In a classroom situation, the phonics phones are an effective tool for enhancing the print=sound instruction. The phonics phones focus the student on listening to the sound and help establish the essential phonologic processing link. For more information see the article Phonics Phones Explained.
Specific examples of classroom application:
“Say the Sounds”: This activity can be performed with individual students, with small groups and with classrooms of students. To introduce a sound, the teacher selects and holds up a specific printed sound on a large posterboard or points to the printed sound on an overhead or chalkboard. The teacher demonstrates the correct sound. The students look at the print and repeatedly say the sound correctly into the phones. Sounds can be practices as a group with the teacher pointing to printed letters on an overhead, chalkboard/whiteboard, or large cards. The teacher points to a letter(s) and the students say the sound into their phones.
“Practice Sounds”: After sounds are introduced the students need to practice sounds until they become automatic. The students can go through their individual stack of sounds (index cards) and practice saying the sound into their phones, the teacher can walk around the class listening to individual children and make needed corrections. (5 min/day of direct practice on sounds). When the student has acquired automatic knowledge of a sound, rotate these ‘automatic’ sounds out of the practice stack and replace with new sounds until knowledge of the entire code is automatic.
“Sound Superstars”: This is just another version of direct print=sound practice. After group practice, you can play a few minutes of this game to find the ‘sound superstar(s) for the day. The game rule is they remain quiet until you point at them to say the sound. Hold up one of the previously introduced printed sounds. Point to individual students and they say the sound to be the ‘superstar’. You can also add practice quickly with individual students when they file out for recess or line up for lunch. You flash a card and they give you the sound.
“Sound Bingo”, “Stack the Sounds”, “Fishing for Sounds”, “Herding Sound Horses”, “Catching Sound Butterflies” and Other FUN GAMES: For younger students, this direct print = sound instruction and practice can be conducted with a variety of fun sound games including ‘sound bingo’, ‘stack the sound’, ‘fishing for sounds’, ‘herding sound horses’ & ‘catching sound butterflies’. See the article Fun Games to Help Your Child Learn the Phonemic Code for specific descriptions of these fun activities. Some games such as ‘sound bingo’ would be effective as a classroom activity. Others are effective in smaller groups (ideal for centers!). These ‘sound games’ also make excellent homework activities. For example, send home a baggie with paper ‘sound fish’ for the child to play ‘fish for sounds’. Young children love these ‘games’.
Drill with Sound Cards: For older students, straightforward drill of print to sound is more appropriate. Index cards are ideal for individual practice. The student can practice their stack of sounds (index cards) into their phonics phones. Overheads, whiteboards or large poster board sized cards work for class or group presentation and practice.
Direct sound to print practice: Have the student listen to a sound and then identify/point to the appropriate printed representation. In this way the student practices the phonemic code in reverse, sound to print. These sound to print activities can be conducted with many of the phonemic awareness activities listed in the article Activities to Directly Develop Phonemic Awareness Many variations of sound to print activities exist. Sound tiles or index cards can be used to conduct these activities. These activities directly build phonemic awareness, link phonemic awareness to print and also build automatic knowledge of the printed code. Plus they can be fun. These sound identification activities only require the child to point at the letter when they hear the sound so can be used for children who have not yet learned to print.
Write & Say the Sounds: In this highly effective activity, the student prints the letter(s) while saying the correct sound. This simple multisensory method is highly effective in helping students learn the ‘printed letter=sound’ relationship. The act of printing the letter when saying the sound directly links the kinetic motion of forming the letter, visual image of the completed letter, oral process of saying the sound, and auditory process of hearing the correct sound. As a result, the act of printing the letter(s) while saying the correct sound is one of the most effective tools for developing automatic print=sound knowledge. Sound writing can be conducted as a class, group or individually. The students can write using paper/pencil. Older students who print proficiently can use personal whiteboards.
A few points to consider with ‘sound writing’ activities include:
-Use standard manuscript print.
-Correct formation is important.
-Tracer letters are a fantastic tool for younger students who are learning to print. It is better to have a student trace correctly than to ‘write’ letters incorrectly on their own. The tracer letters help children learn correct formation!
-In classroom situations, the teacher can use pre-printed sheets of tracer letters that coordinate with the sounds being learned/practiced.
-At the beginning level, the sound practice can be conducted in conjunction with handwriting instruction. Have the child say the sound as they print the letter.
-Sound writing (print/say sound) is a useful tool for older students. Since the handwriting itself is typically not a learning process, older students can quickly print/say their sounds. (Remind the students, the objective is gaining direct print=sound knowledge so they must SAY the sound as they print… It is not writing practice!).
Sound writing is a highly effective multisensory activity for developing direct print=sound knowledge. If a student does not automatically know a sound, have them repeatedly print the letter(s) as they say the sound. Not only is ’sound writing’ highly effective, it is extremely efficient from time and cost standpoints.
This article was written by Miscese Gagen a mother with a passion for teaching children to read proficiently by using effective methods. She is also a successful reading tutor and author of the reading instructional programs Right Track Reading Lessons and Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons. The purpose of this article is to empower parents and teachers with information on teaching children how to read. We CAN improve reading proficiency, one student at a time! More information is located at www.righttrackreading.com ~ Copyright 2008 Miscese R. Gagen | <urn:uuid:8e6b3bdb-987e-4198-b81e-6c8ea508e6ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.righttrackreading.com/phonemiccodeactivities.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921174 | 2,126 | 3.828125 | 4 |
- Aviation Consumer Protection
- How Can We Help You?
- What's New
- About Us
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel - May 13, 2009
The Department of Transportation is amending its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) rules to apply to foreign carriers. The final rule also adds new provisions concerning passengers who use medical oxygen and passengers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The rule also reorganizes and updates the entire ACAA rule. The Department will respond to some matters raised in this rulemaking by issuing a subsequent supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking. | <urn:uuid:246ca652-92f6-4371-b3e5-124c4547a108> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/nondiscrimination-basis-disability-air-travel-may-13-2009 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930072 | 126 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Never Before Seen: Two Supermassive Black Holes in Same Galaxy
The Chandra image of NGC 6240, a butterfly-shaped galaxy that is the product of the collision of two smaller galaxies, revealed that the central region of the galaxy (inset) contains not one, but two active giant black holes.
Previous X-ray observatories had shown that the central region was an X-ray source, but astronomers did not know what was producing the X-rays. Radio, infrared, and optical observations had detected two bright nuclei, but their exact nature also remained a mystery.
Chandra was able to show that the X-rays were coming from the two nuclei, and determine their X-ray spectra. These cosmic fingerprints revealed features that are characteristic of supermassive black holes - an excess of high-energy photons from gas swirling around a black hole, and X-rays from fluorescing iron atoms in gas near black holes.
Over the course of the next few hundred million years, the two supermassive black holes, which are about 3000 light years apart, will drift toward one another and merge to form one larger supermassive black hole. This detection of a binary black hole supports the idea that black holes grow to enormous masses in the centers of galaxies by merging with other black holes.
NGC 6240 is a prime example of a "starburst" galaxy in which stars are forming, evolving, and exploding at an exceptionally rapid rate due to a relatively recent merger (30 million years ago). Heat generated by this activity created the extensive multimillion degree Celsius gas seen in this image.
Note on Cosmic Look-Back Time: The finite speed of light means that we must always be out of date, no matter how hard we strive to keep up with the times. Thus, the seemingly simple question - what is happening right now on the Sun? - cannot be answered by an observer on Earth, because it takes light 8 minutes to reach Earth from the Sun. For distant galaxies, the light travel times are even longer, so our information about the galaxy NGC 6240, which is 400 million light years away, is 400 million years out of date! One consolation is that if astronomers on NGC 6240 are observing our Milky Way galaxy, they are likewise 400 million years behind the times - our times, that is. As Albert Einstein said, "The past, present and future are only illusions, even if stubborn ones." more | <urn:uuid:cabfdf7d-801e-4c31-9334-f9219410d3ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/0192/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943718 | 497 | 4.125 | 4 |
Campaign For Tomorrow’s Workforce:
Goals, Vision, Principles
The Campaign for Tomorrow’s Workforce (CTW) is a coalition of organizations and leaders committed to envisioning, championing, and building a system to solve the crisis of “disconnected” young adults aged 16 to 24 who are not in school nor engaged in work.
Young people represent an important part of our City’s present and future. Yet close to 1 in 5 young adults are currently out of school and out of work. These young people – notably young men of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds – are at high risk of becoming permanently disengaged from the labor market, threatening their ability to break out of the cycle of poverty. And every New Yorker has a stake in the struggle; when our young lack the skills that local industries need and are unable to support themselves, the cost is borne by all of us.
But a great opportunity is hidden within this civic crisis. In the coming decades, the combination of industry growth and an aging workforce will produce sizeable new openings in the labor market. Young adults with the skills to compete for these jobs will be well positioned to seize this opportunity, obtain employment, and contribute to their families and the larger economy – to become “tomorrow’s workforce”. We cannot afford to waste their energy, talent, and potential.
For this to happen, developing a solution must be a top priority for all of us. This document represents a vision for how New York City can begin to take on this challenge.
To advance public policy, legislative, and programmatic solutions, transform existing policies, and urge for the increased investment needed to build and sustain a coordinated, high-quality, at-scale system of programs and services to prepare “disconnected” young adults ages 16-24, to succeed in the future workforce.
What Do We Want For Our Young People?
In New York City approximately 170,000 to 200,000 young adults aged 16 to 24 are not in school, nor working. About half of these young people do not have a high school diploma or equivalent, and almost all of them have insufficient skills and little or no work experience. But they are not beyond hope. With the right set of supports, opportunities, and services, disconnected youth can transform their lives and reset their life trajectories. Given some help, motivation, training, and time, these young adults can complete high school or a GED, enter a training program, have an internship or stipended first job, and embark on to college or a career.
The following are important elements that favor a successful transition to adulthood:
- A high school diploma or GED
- The ability to earn a wage and support themselves and their families
- The opportunity to enroll in post-secondary education or vocational training programs
- Positive workforce experiences, with accompanying “hard” and “soft” skills developed through training and work
- Personal connections and supportive services to enable individuals to overcome the life barriers they may face.
An effective system must ensure that young people have viable opportunities to achieve all of the above.
The Right Service for Every Youth at the Right Time
Young adults who have exited the education system unprepared for the workforce vary widely in their levels of work readiness and academic achievement. Some may have acquired perilously few high school credits while others may have already achieved a diploma. Young people in both groups can be equally far away from even a basic grasp of the workplace skills and norms required to hold down a job (see sidebar).
The system we need must meet the needs of each young adult at their own stage of readiness – regardless of how many years of school they have completed or how ready they are for the world of work. For some, that means reconnection to the education system, which now offers promising new opportunities through the Department of Education’s Multiple Pathways to Graduation and Alternative Schools and Programs (District 79) offices, though these too must be scaled up to meet the demand for these services.
For others, particularly those young people with too few skills and too little time for high school completion, current services are scarce, thinly funded, and often disconnected in their own right. Turning this around – building the right combination of effective programs with the resources, capacity, and interconnections required to dramatically change young people’s lives – is the “invention challenge” that stands before us.
We have strong examples of programs that are striving to work with young adults toward these goals, but these programs have limited capacity and are few and far between. Still, they can serve as models from which to build a system that must be solidly grounded in the best principles and practices of youth development and have the ability to embrace young people where they are and take them to where they need to go.
Program and System Characteristics
A system of programs and services that effectively meets the needs of young adults must include the following elements:
Use of Effective Practices
- High standards of quality. All aspects of program and system design, financing, implementation and evaluation support the highest standards of quality and continuous improvement.
- Educational and workforce services offered within a strong youth development framework. Organizations that have the capacity to help young adults improve both their employability and their life skills are poised to have more powerful impacts on the people they serve. This includes, most importantly, a purposeful focus on the strengths and talents that each young person brings to the table.
- Sustained, supportive one-on-one relationships between youth and adults that underpin service delivery. Programs must offer effective programs to help young people build relationships that support them to stay on track, develop personal goals and aspirations, address barriers, and manage family responsibilities. Program environments that are small in size are more conducive to the development of supportive staff-participant relationships.
Capacity and Scale
- Sufficient resources to both expand service slots and raise the quality of staff, training, curriculum and program development, and evaluation. The system must get both bigger and better if we are to truly address this challenge.
Linking to Careers
- Full engagement with the demand side of the workforce equation. Both by looking to currently disconnected young adults as potential workers and by informing what services and training opportunities should be available, employers can offer tremendous value to programs and service providers. Young people need to be prepared to meet the real challenges of the future jobs they will hold.
Partnership and Coordination
- Partnerships among community organizations, business, government, schools, and colleges – and with youth participants and their families. All parties involved must agree upon and work toward a shared set of outcomes. Strong institutional relationships can address critical capacity issues within each institution, melding educational and workforce expertise with youth development and counseling know-how. We must create a cohesive, comprehensive, and user-friendly system of services in each neighborhood. | <urn:uuid:77284a6d-1e49-4230-ad5d-b13bf1c48c48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.campaignfortomorrowsworkforce.org/about-us/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95704 | 1,415 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Obama Administration has shown a contempt for the rule of law time after time since entering the White House. From engaging in an unconstitutional and unauthorized war
in Libya to illegally funneling guns
to criminal cartels in Central America, from authorizing the assassination
of American citizens to issuing health care law waivers
, from using drone strikes against individuals in nations we are not at war with to expanding the Bush-era CIA extraordinary rendition programs, President Obama and his Administration continue to only accept a type of law that changes its mode with the mood of his White House. This is a far cry from Candidate Obama's opining in 2007 that there can be "no more ignoring the law when it's convenient. That is not who we are...We will again set an example for the world that the law is not subject to the whims of stubborn rulers."
Political convenience, not respect for the rule of law, is what the whims of this White House embrace. This week, the White House announced that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will begin issuing waivers
to the ill-conceived and poorly-implemented No Child Left Behind law that would exempt states from certain provisions of the boondoggle. No Child Left Behind is a horrible, horrible law that needs to be scrapped, I do not deny that; but it is the law
. Citing the inability of Congress to efficiently edit NCLB and emphasizing "how loud the outcry is for us to do something now", the White House decided to act unilaterally
to exempt states from a part of the law foolishly mandating that schools who do not have 100% of their students proficient in state assessments by 2014 be declared to be "failing" institutions.
Convenience and outcry trump legality and separation of powers. This president has time and time again exercised unilateral authority in exerting power and excusing himself from law. Outside of some futile whining, Congress continues to do nothing about it. Peevish schoolboys! They need to grow a backbone and begin reinforcing the rule of law. They need to stop throwing tantrums and then begrudgingly accepting the encroachments on power by the Executive Branch. Separations of power only work if the various branches of government are willing to stand up for themselves.
"No law can force a Congress to stand up to the president. No law can give Congress a backbone if it refuses to stand up as the co-equal branch the Constitution made it."
Then-Senator Barack Obama said that in 2007. Grow a backbone, Congress. Stay on him
for the illegal and foolish war in Libya; subpoena his Attorney General for this disgustingly stupid disaster with Operation Fast and Furious; hold the President in contempt for unilaterally suspending parts of the law. Stop griping for a few weeks and then moving on to other issues. If the legislature does not stand up to the executive, we might as well declare that branch of government useless and accept Woodrow Wilson's dream of the unimpeded administrative leviathan. Rein in the President. | <urn:uuid:960325a1-8c1e-4ec9-8e29-f069c675302c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nlt.ashbrook.org/2011/08/congress-must-enforce-the-rule-of-law.php | 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 | 0.945353 | 613 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Hadrian’s wall on PhotoPeach. Who was Hadrian and why did he build such a long wall?
Monthly Archives: November 2011
Great fire of london on PhotoPeach. How do the pictures make you feel?
Take a look inside a Greek Theatre.
Can you get three bits of information from this video? I bet you can.
Watch the clip.
Write down 5 facts about the Greek Gods
Which 3D shapes do you know? Do you know how many faces, edges and vertices each one has?
Readathon Day in Class 9 on PhotoPeach. Look carefully at the photographs. Can you work out which Roald Dahl books we were reading during Readathon?
We have counted up and sent off our vouchers for this year. Once again, a huge thank you to everybody who has been collecting – we had 21,762 vouchers this year! This will allow us to buy a new greenhouse, all the shelving for inside, a raised bed for Nursery and lots of other equipment for us to use in the garden…
We look forward to sharing our new things and all the fun we have had with you at our next Groundforce Day in 2012. | <urn:uuid:a7f18640-f6c5-4a08-9c2f-56a7bd626d0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bradfordschools.net/blog/nessfield/2011/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953036 | 249 | 2.578125 | 3 |
General manager reporting closes the accountability loop
Successful reporting is essential to maintaining a positive board-management relationship. A sound process—one that includes the creation of meaningful metrics—is a powerful tool that closes the accountability loop and demonstrates organizational accomplishment. Having these two components in place builds alignment, engagement, and commitment to the accomplishment of the co-op’s long-term goals.
A board’s work includes two streams. One looks inward, to ensure accountability of the management on behalf of the member-owners. The other looks outward and forward, to understand relevant issues and trends in the community and the co-op’s place in relation to them. The first stream is very metric based. An effective board creates clear, written expectations for the general manager (GM) in the form of policies, and then, based on these pre-established expectations, uses a cycle of regular reporting to ensure that those expectations have been met.
If the board is using the Policy Governance model, that cycle consists of reports on executive limitations, which proscribe unacceptable operational means, and an annual report on the co-op’s ends, which prescribes long-term organizational results. The GM’s creation of meaningful metrics in relation to this reporting process is necessary for closing this accountability loop. Relevant data presented in a clear way, contextualized information that shows long-term trends, and operational definitions with a reasonable interpretation or rationale go a long way in creating a reporting process that works.
Michael Healy of the CDS Consulting Co-op, as part of the Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) GM Report Support project, has showcased a number of helpful reporting strategies in a series of online, recorded workshops, complete with examples of CBLD policy template reports. He discusses in greater detail a number of the points that follow. (The sample reports and the online recorded workshops are all available online in the CBLD library.
As in any system of communication, it is important that reports present information in a way that is clear and easily understood. To this end, using pictures and graphs to present complex data or long-term trends is extremely helpful. Source material, such as financial statements or staff surveys, should be included as attachments to the report, rather than compiled and submitted as the report itself. This allows the board to immediately recognize relevant information, while also giving directors reference access to the supporting documentation and source material. Finally, it is helpful to include a statement in the report introduction that explains to the directors what they can expect to find, whether it is compliance with all the policies being monitored, a noncompliance situation, or any other point on which their attention should be particularly focused. A simple statement such as, "I report compliance with all parts of this policy except policy B.1.2," for example, helps ensure that directors know to pay close attention to that section.
Effective reporting doesn’t just present data, of course, but also provides context for the information, making it relevant and meaningful to the board. Data about the co-op’s solvency, for example, is often presented as the total liabilities divided by the total equity (a debt-to-equity ratio). In isolation this number means very little, but taken as a series of data points over an extended period of time, the trend line of these numbers tells a meaningful and important story. An expansion project, for example, may have greatly increased the co-op’s debt but, slowly and over time, also increased the co-op’s equity.
The board’s vision should never be narrowly limited to the present, instead being expansive enough to include the present, the co-op’s history, and future momentum. Directors need to understand not just the co-op’s immediate position, but also its relevant trends over time. Such perspective is often difficult to achieve on a board, especially for directors who are newly elected. Showing the relevant data over an extended period, as in the above example, helps create this understanding. In a recent CBLD online recorded workshop on monitoring financial conditions, Clem Nilan of the City Market/Onion River Co-op in Burlington, Vt., said, "We plotted our data out over the course of three years . . . It helps the board to focus on the health of the co-op over a long period of time, rather than just on the here and now."
Definitions and interpretations
It is common for co-ops that use this type of reporting process to include in reports reasonably formulated operational definitions and interpretations of board policies. These two concepts work together to help a board appreciate and understand the data being presented and the claim of compliance or noncompliance with the policy. Operational definitions are the hard measurements or benchmarks the GM has chosen to use to demonstrate compliance or noncompliance; they are declarations by the GM of tangible, measurable results. Interpretations articulate the GM’s reasoning or rationale for choosing a particular measurement.
A GM can begin by formulating either an operational definition or an interpretation but should understand their difference, and separating them can help immensely with the report writing process. With these concepts separated and highlighted in the report, the data itself becomes simply the piece of information that shows compliance or non-compliance with the policy.
A simple example of this from an executive limitations report would be:
Policy: The GM will not allow solvency, or the relationship of debt to member-owners’ equity, to be insufficient.
Interpretation: The debt-to-equity ratio (total liabilities divided by total equity) is a commonly used measure of solvency. The CoCoFiSt benchmark for jeopardy is a debt-to-equity ratio above 3.0.
Operational definition: Our actual debt-to-Equity ratio must be below 3.0 to demonstrate compliance.
For another example, imagine a co-op’s ends policy stating that because of the co-op, there will be "a community educated about health, nutrition, and cooperatives." A reasonable interpretation could describe a membership and customer base that perceives the co-op as a source of useful, expert information on nutrition and the value of co-ops in our society. This is the reasoning that supports the operational definition. That operational definition would then describe tangible methods to measure this condition—such as an increase in the level of attendance for educational events at the co-op, over a baseline amount established in a previous year, and favorable average results on a customer survey question, again as compared to a previously established baseline result. The actual data would then follow.
All of this effort ties directly to management’s ability to demonstrate they are accountable to the board’s pre-established expectations and, ultimately, that the board and the co-op are accountable to the membership. With a solid reporting process in place, there is the potential to show organizational accomplishment, not only within the board–management communication stream but also to the member-owners and the general community.
Telling the story
As organizations that are both values-driven and member-driven, it’s imperative that cooperatives succeed both in accomplishing their stated ends and in successfully telling the story of the difference they’re making in their member-owners’ lives and in the larger community. Many presenters at this year’s CCMA conference (see the July–August issue of CG) emphasized the importance of telling a compelling story of why, as cooperatives, we are different, why we matter. Telling a compelling story is supported by a successful reporting process: the board sets organizational expectations, and the management innovatively works to achieve these transformational ends, then reports back to the board. The ongoing data collection and contextualization of that data required by this process puts the GM in a great position to frame the value the co-op provides to the member-owners. The process provides management, board, and member-owners a common language about how delivery of the co-op mission is fulfilled. Data points that are noted in a co-op’s ends report, and the story told by that data, can be used as powerful information in the co-op’s annual report to the membership.
For example, the 2009–2010 annual report from the People’s Food Co-op in Portland, Ore., included the following metrics from their Ends report: the amount of new and total owner equity over the past few years, the amount of donations made to local nonprofits, and the number of low-interest loans made to community and cooperative businesses. They related this data to one of their ends, "thriving cooperative and local economies," and framed it by using the introductory statement, "2009 was a landmark year in our work to cultivate a thriving cooperative and local economy"—thus beginning a potentially compelling narrative about the difference they are making in the local community, supported by and on behalf of the member-owners.
By using effective reporting systems to tell the co-op’s story of organizational accomplishment and completing the accountability loop, co-ops are able to build alignment, engagement, and commitment to the shared vision of the board, GM, and member-owner community. In a recent panel discussion on Ends reports, I asked a number of managers from co-ops across the country these questions: "How does your Ends report add value to the organization? Do you use the Ends report and related processes in ways other than providing them to your board?"
Tim Bartlett of the Lexington Co-op in Buffalo, N.Y., said, "It gives us a lot of data that we didn’t used to have, and what we measure shapes our organization," and "It gives us a large number of exciting measurements to show our owners in our Annual Report." Clem Nilan of Onion River/City Market in Burlington, Vt., noted that the Ends reporting creates "a mindfulness in the organization . . . The decisions that you’re making on a day-to-day basis and the thinking that you’re doing are in the framework of what the ends are. It creates a culture where everybody is thinking along the same lines, and I think that’s incredibly important." ■ | <urn:uuid:010e775a-49bd-4b15-820f-47abd44f272b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop/articles/2010-10-15/meaningful-metrics | 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 | 0.953864 | 2,118 | 1.820313 | 2 |
I have attended the same seminary graduation every year for three decades, and every year the same thing happens: After the graduating students are in their places, the faculty enters. There is a roar of applause and acclaim from the soon-to-be graduates. It goes on for several minutes, often until the president, whose entrance has gone unnoticed, urges everyone to be quiet and sit down.
Take Action on This Issue
This spontaneous ovation signals a fact of seminary life: For students, the faculty is the school. The designated leaders -- the president and senior administrators -- are, in most cases, part of the barely noticed backdrop against which the drama of teaching, learning, and leadership development is played out. There are exceptions, of course. In seminaries that stand in liturgical traditions, the president might preside at worship on a regular basis, and the model of community life owes something to a monastic chapter with a prominent dean. And a small number of presidents are so widely known outside the school, as speakers and writers, that they have major impact on their schools' students as well as a broad public.
In research conducted by Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education, however, presidents and other senior leaders are rarely mentioned when students are interviewed about the features of seminary life that shape them and set their vocational direction. Their models for leadership are faculty members, pastors in field settings, and well-known figures in their denomination or religious circle.
If students are oblivious to their schools' administrators, does it make any difference whether these persons have gifts for leadership? Is administration merely a functional matter, reducible to management and technical skill? A recent Auburn study of seminary presidents and their teams, "Leadership that Works," suggests that seminary presidents and senior leaders can have profound impact as leaders on the church and world, even if the students in their schools are only dimly aware of them. In fact, unless they bring leadership qualities to their roles, presidents and their associates are unlikely to succeed in creating stable, durable institutions that are adaptable and open to the future. The leadership of a president and senior team reaches well beyond the seminary walls through relationships with faculty, board members, and friends of the school.
The most effective chief executives, often in partnership with an able academic dean, teach the faculty dimensions of leadership that they may not have learned in graduate school -- how to think institutionally, and how to work together as a body rather than as brilliant individual contributors to the work of the school. In order to play this role, leaders must first earn the faculty’s respect by proving themselves trustworthy: They exercise good judgment, listen carefully, and uphold the faculty’s legitimate prerogatives; they do not play favorites, bully, or lie. Mutual respect does not necessarily mean complete agreement. In fact, the most skillful presidents often demonstrate what it means to think and act institutionally when their sense of what the school needs and the faculty’s views come into conflict. Sometimes a compromise is reached; occasionally, presidents have to overrule the faculty. Whatever the outcome, over time the faculty may become aware of dimensions of the school's situation that had not figured in their decision-making before.
The best presidents also model, in their work with their teams and with the faculty itself, collegial styles of leadership that can infect the whole school. Here is what one faculty member told our research team about one such president and administrative team:
I think that for me a key piece of leadership is to be able to draw the gifts from within the group that you're serving and I think all of those that are in leadership right now are quite good at that. They’re good at allowing people to do things and not sort of squeezing the life out of the place but rather letting it grow and develop ... they’re people that can mentor. They have their own gifts and they’re happy to use them ... but they really let people do their jobs well.
In the very best situations, faculty members who work productively and well with each other and the administration may carry that collegial spirit into their teaching and provide a model for students by their patterns of shared leadership. Students take those models with them into the church and the world -- effective leadership is passed on by example.
Seminary leaders also directly model leadership in the church and world. The majority may not become famous as writers or leaders of their religious movement, but they interact with their boards, graduates, and a wide network of friends for the school, thousands of persons who learn from their example as they teach the public about the seminary and the values it embodies. Here is a board member's description of components of the president's leadership:
She's the leader, but she doesn’t have to do it all. She has the strength of character to be firm in the school's mission. What centers the president is her deep faith, her confidence in God’s providence ... She does what she thinks is right, without fear, but with a sense of humility. She can and does say no.
Humility. Steadiness. Discipline. A commitment to doing the right thing. Faith in God's leading and help. The ablest seminary presidents have these qualities and the ability to demonstrate this model of leadership, which works not only in seminaries, but also in churches and in any organization that seeks human flourishing and the welfare of all.
Barbara G. Wheeler, director of the Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education, was president of Auburn Seminary for 30 years. You can find a link to the "Leadership that Works" report at www.auburnseminary.org/CSTE. | <urn:uuid:acce1d22-2f40-4ac2-9229-219d00363a2e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sojo.net/magazine/2011/09/why-seminary-leadership-matters | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977526 | 1,173 | 1.71875 | 2 |
When winter rolls around, it can feel as if someone hit the dimmer switch on your happiness. Dreary days and scant natural light can be murder on your motivation and alter your circadian rhythm, leaving you short on the mood-boosting hormone serotonin.
In fact, some 15 million people (three-fourths of them women) suffer from a depressive condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which can have symptoms like low energy, carb cravings, weight gain, and dwindling sex drive. SAD's severity can vary from totally manageable to life-disrupting, says Michael Terman, Ph.D., director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center. (To see where you might fall on the SAD scale, visit the Center for Environmental Therapeutics website, cet.org.) Here's how to keep up your summer spirit when the sun disappears.
Into the Light
If you spend the majority of your days indoors, consider investing in a light box packed with superbright white fluorescent bulbs; it can elevate your serotonin levels and reset your internal clock to a spring/summer schedule, says Terman. Position the gadget above your line of sight, angled downward toward your head, and flip it on each morning for about 30 minutes while you eat breakfast or check your e-mail. Although you don't need a prescription, it's best to have a powwow with a mental health doctor before buying a light box--she can make sure you get the correct-intensity bulbs (generally, 10,000 lux) that properly filter out harmful UV rays.
You may be able to talk your way to feeling better. A University of Vermont study found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that helps you change negative thought patterns, helps relieve depressive symptoms in just a few months. CBT focuses on specific mood-lifting solutions--scheduling ski trips, sticking to a weekly mani-pedi plan--that counteract an "it's too crappy out to do anything" attitude. Seem too simple? Get this: Only 7 percent of CBT patients suffered a recurrence of SAD the next winter, compared with 37 percent of those who used light therapy alone.
Negative Air, Positive Vibe
Finally, a reason to bust out your sixth-grade science. Negative ions--remember those atoms that have an extra negatively charged particle?--may be key in fighting depression. Turns out, the ions are most prevalent in outdoor summer air; in winter, a dearth can send your mood downhill. But a Columbia University study found that the use of an electrical ionizer machine (a long name for a small black box) combats SAD by mimicking summer air. Bonus: It's totally hassle-free. You just set a timer to switch the box on 90 minutes before your alarm clock buzzes, then click it off once you're up.
More from Women's Health: | <urn:uuid:84d217d7-9bc9-420a-9f2f-2d98dca301a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFlu/beat-winter-blues/story?id=17848071 | 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 | 0.910623 | 609 | 2.046875 | 2 |
On Feb. 19 The Journal Gazette published an editorial expressing concern about Senate Bill 560 – a bill aimed at expanding natural gas service to rural areas, providing an energy discount to large customers seeking to expand in Indiana and making changes to improve and update the utility regulatory process.
Specifically, the editorial takes issue with a provision that allows natural gas and electric utilities to seek timely recovery of costs associated with improving or replacing aging infrastructure needed to distribute natural gas or electricity to customers. Unfortunately, the editorial ignores the extensive oversight the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission retains when it comes to utility rates and charges.
Here is how the bill would work: A utility could propose a seven-year infrastructure plan to improve or replace transmission, distribution and storage facilities. The IURC would conduct a public review, and affected parties would have the opportunity to comment on the plan and lodge objections to it.
If, after hearing from all sides, the IURC determines the plan is reasonable and approves it, the utility would go back to the IURC up to twice a year and petition to recover its costs through a regulatory tool called a tracker. This is another stage of detailed review by the IURC and interested parties. If the IURC finds the costs are unreasonable or unnecessary, it can reject them.
The Journal Gazette calls trackers a deregulatory move, which is not true. As is the case with any tracker, a utility could not recover a penny under SB 560 without explicit prior IURC review and approval. In fact, this proposed legislation provides the IURC with increased ability to review a utilitys infrastructure plans prior to implementation – a review that typically does not occur under traditional rate case processes.
SB 560 requires a utility to submit to a rate case within seven years. The lack of such a provision in previous tracker legislation has been the major objection of consumer groups and large industrial customers. Importantly, its inclusion in SB 560 prompted some opponents – including some major industrial customers – to withdraw their objection to the bill.
SB 560 will also help Hoosiers who need access to low-cost natural gas. The bill contains an important economic development tool to encourage businesses to expand and grow. It also provides an orderly process for utility infrastructure investment without compromising IURC authority to protect customers from unnecessary or unreasonable utility rates and charges.
Indianas energy costs have risen as a result of our historic reliance on coal-fired electric generation colliding head on with what many of us believe is excessive and unnecessary environmental overreach by the Obama administration. Indianas utilities have been forced to spend more than $5 billion to comply with these regulations – costs that are passed directly on to consumers. SB 560 cannot eliminate these federal mandates, but it can help many Hoosiers by giving them greater access to low-cost natural gas. | <urn:uuid:c509cd41-775e-4567-ba8e-743b2a6c63b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://journalgazette.net/article/20130226/EDIT05/302269949/1144 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940774 | 569 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Central Australia's first date farm is one of seven sites being considered for heritage listing in the Northern Territory.
Chairman of the Heritage Council is Dr Brian Reid says the Mecca Date Farm, located just south of Hevitree Hap, was founded by the de Fontenay's in 1951 and features 13 different species.
"It's considered significant because of its rich history and its physical features.
"It was prominent in the growing horticulture of date palms in Australia."
Also featured on the list is Annie Lock's stockyard and camp, located about 70 kilometres south of Tennant Creek.
Lock was a missionary who arrived in Central Australia in March 1927. She provided health care, food and education for Aboriginal people in the area with no Government support.
Dr Reid says she was unique because she non-denominational.
"She was pretty much a loner who begged, borrowed and stole rations and supplies for the local people.
"The current owners have indicated to us that they're interested in the place being looked after and preserved because of the stories associated with it."
If the sites are successfully heritage listed they'll be protected from demolition proposals and the owners will be able to access funding for ongoing maintenance.
Dr Reid says all applications are now open to submissions from the public until December 4.
More details are available at the NT Department of Lands. Planning and Environment website. | <urn:uuid:4a91e1c9-e834-4a1e-82a6-c20ca82a47fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/rural/nt/content/201211/s3627489.htm?site=alicesprings | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978071 | 288 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The Spirit of America was the first design to take
advantage of a change in rules that allowed for a
3-wheeled design. Using an ex-military General Electric
J47 turbojet engine taken from a F-86 Sabre, the “Spirit” further
evolved the “streamliner” approach taken
by its predecessors, although it was far narrower.
Wind cheating it may have been, but the design was
not without problems, and in testing at the Bonneville
Salt Flats in 1962 the designers quickly discovered
the inherent handling problems would need to be addressed
before any serious attempt on the world land speed
record could be made.
After adding a stabilizer and
allowing the front wheel to “steer”,
all was ready for an attempt on September 5, 1963. Craig Breedlove opened
the Spirit up, and in doing so became the first man to exceed 400 miles per hour
But as was the tradition of the land speed record, there were plenty
of others trying to make the title their own. Tom Green would be the first to
succeed a little over a year later (October 1964), then the title was taken by
Undeterred, Breedlove returned to the Bonneville Salt Flats and pushed
the “Spirit” to
over 500 mph (800 km/h), setting it at 526.277 mph (846.961 km/h) on October
15, a record that stood for almost two weeks.
At the end of his second run, the “Spirit” lost
its parachute brakes, skidded for five miles (8 km), through a row of telephone
poles and crashed into a pond at around 200 mph (300 km/h). Miraculously Breedlove
was uninjured, however the crash would see him enter the Guinness Book of Records,
he taking out the title of producing the worlds longest ever skid marks.
A new “Spirit” was
built over 1964-65 to attempt to wrest the title back from Arfons. The “Spirit
of America – Sonic 1” now boasted
a 4 wheel design affording better stability, and in-turn this allowing the use
of the much higher rated GE J79 engine borrowed from a F-4 Phantom jet fighter
(the same engine as used in Arfons’ “Green Monster”).
his new machine, Breedlove set the record at 600.601 mph (966.574 km/h) on November
15, 1965, a record that stood until 1970.
After a lengthy break from world records
Breedlove began work on a new “Spirit” in
1992, eventually named the “Spirit of America Formula Shell LSRV”.
The engine was the same as that used in the second “Spirit”, a GE
J79, but was modified to burn unleaded gasoline (generating a maximum thrust
of 22,650 lbf /100.8 kN).
The first run of the vehicle in October 28, 1996 in
the Black Rock Desert, Nevada ended in a crash at around 675 mph (1,000 km/h).
Another attempt would be made in 1997, however the Spirit would sustain major
engine damage on an early run, and Breedlove would be forced to watch the British
ThrustSSC exceed a whopping 750 mph (1200 km/h).
Breedlove firmly believed his
new re-engined “Spirit” capable of over 800 mph (1,200 km/h), however
the record books have it reaching a top speed of 676 mph (1088 km/h). | <urn:uuid:534f3010-536a-4f59-8c34-079ee2cf8187> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ucapusa.com/world_land_speed_record_34.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94691 | 782 | 2.203125 | 2 |
President Michael D. Higgins visited Fighting Words today. He was here for the launch of a new stamp from An Post to celebrate Dublin Unesco City of
Literature, and for the launch of our 3rd annual Fighting Words/Irish Times special supplement of new writing by young writers.
We are delighted to offer a workshop as part of the Dublin Writers Festival!
Come to Fighting Words to develop your skills and learn how to plan, storyboard, write and illustrate your Graphic Fiction stories with the help and advice of our experienced tutors.
Once again on board the Cinemobile, which was parked at Carndonagh Community School in Co. Donegal, the team worked with classes from local primary and secondary schools. The students produced some fantastic work and had a ball!
“Written language is once more the supreme mode of communication, of conversation, of reference, of record and of learning... Language is safe and well in the hands of these young writers.” John Banville – Introduction | <urn:uuid:0a375e25-f33e-4ed5-a9cc-be9b53b3c2f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fightingwords.ie/news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955972 | 204 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Recalls: April 2011 Archives
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in conjunction with the firm Arm's Reach of Oxnard, California, has recalled 76,000 Infant Bed-Side Sleepers due to the threat of entrapment, falls and suffocation.
Ten (10) reports have been received by Arm's Reach and the CPSC of infants falling into the loose fabric at the bottom of the sleeper from the raised mattress or becoming trapped between the mattress edge and the side of the bed-side sleeper, also known as a "co-sleeper." No injuries have been reported thus far.
The so-called Bed-Side Sleepers were manufactured in China between 1997 and 2001 and were sold at Burlington Coat Factory outlets, Babies R Us, and other retail stores throughout the U.S. from September 1997 until December 2001 for approximately $160. The Original and Universal models are involved in the recall and their model numbers can be found on the products "legs":
Original Models: 8108, 8133, 8111, 8112 & 8119
Universal Model: 8311
As with most CPSC recalls, consumers should stop using the Bed-Side Sleeper immediately and contact the company, Arm's Reach, by calling (800) 954-9353 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.armsreach.com The CPSC cautions all consumers that it is illegal to sell recalled items. A photograph of the bed-side sleeper can be viewed by going to http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11187.html?tab=recalls
Infantino Recalls Toy Trucks Due to Choking Hazard!
Infantino (you may remember Infantino as the importers of some other recalled baby products), in conjunction with the CPSC, has recalled more than 41,000 "Troy, The Activity Truck" toys sold in the U.S. and Canada, manufactured in and imported from China. Infantino received 28 reports of plastic beads detaching from the activity trucks, including two reports of young children gagging on the plastic beads. The toy truck is
blue, red, and yellow with plastic star, circle, and heart beads attached to the bead runs on the back of the truck and has a face on the front. The name, Infantino, is printed on the front of the truck.
The toys were sold from September 2009 through February 2011 for $15, at Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Meier, T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, and other retail stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Consumers are advised to "take the toy away from children and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement toy"! (Childsafetyblog wonders if you want one!) But if you do, call: (888) 808-3111 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at http://service.infantino.com | <urn:uuid:c8c9ac39-97d3-4a3c-9297-eea7b6db4322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.childsafetyblog.org/recalls/2011/04/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955195 | 651 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Debate on the future of Beijing's air quality has continued amid the capital's return to normalcy after its hosting of the recent Olympics and Paralympics - with construction resuming, factories restarting operations and all cars allowed once again on the roads.
Beijing return to normalcy with construction resuming, factories restarting operations and all cars allowed once again on the roads after its hosting of the recent Olympics and Paralympics. [file photo]
"We feel that the Olympics is the best thing that could have happened to air quality in the sense that it has put air quality fair and smack on the agenda," said Cornie Huizenga, executive director of the Manila-based Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities, a network of governments, private sector and nongovernmental groups.
Drastic restrictions on private car use had taken half of Beijing's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads and shuttered polluting factories. Dust-spewing construction in the capital had also been halted.
The period gave Beijing's 17 million residents a chance to experience clear summer skies, as the city recorded its lowest pollution levels for the month of August in 10 years.
The cleaner air also sparked public debate over whether to extend some measures, especially the traffic restrictions that kept cars off the road on alternating days, depending on whether their license plates ended in odd or even numbers.
Beijing said earlier this month restrictions on government-owned vehicles, which make up 10 percent of the city's 3 million-plus total, will continue for the time being. For drivers, the crunch will begin today, the first workday with all cars allowed back on the road.
Authorities have made no public announcements about resuming the controls on private cars but are encouraging citizens to discuss the option. Lively, vigorous debate has played out on Internet forums, radio stations and newspapers in recent weeks.
Generally, private car owners were reportedly more likely to oppose more restrictions on vehicles, while non-car owners were more likely to approve.
One newspaper editorial contended the odd/even restrictions are unlikely to succeed.
"People who have some brains should know the result of long-term restrictions. The family that owns one car will have two, while poor people will still be stuck in traffic on buses," Gao Sai wrote in the Guangming Daily.
The public back-and-forth discussion is valuable in highlighting Beijing's problems with traffic , said Deborah Seligsohn, director of the China climate program for the US-based World Resources Institute.
"This debate about the odd/even rule is really a debate about who has the right of the road. There's only a certain amount of road space out there," she said. | <urn:uuid:03c474ff-6698-4770-ae7a-ce12c3b18e98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-09/22/content_7045082.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966299 | 554 | 1.796875 | 2 |
To answer the question directly:
The important point in the 4th item is "this one life": meaning - we shouldn't be looking to some reward/punishment in some promised afterlife (or: staus in reincarnation, for some religions) to justify or rationalise our actions in this life. Rather, we should do things because they are reasonable/ethical things to do, and because we enjoy them in this life. Essentially "No, Mr. Pascal, we do not agree with your conclusion to your wager/gambit". A brilliant example of this is the archbishop of Canterbury, 1965:
a nuclear war would involve nothing more than the transition of many millions of people into the love of God, only a few years before they were going to find it anyway
To the Humanist this is abhorrent. The destruction of everything is not to be celebrated, and no effort should be spared in denying such a horrific end from occurring. Sadly there genuinely are people (of all religions) who actively seek to bring about their own traditional "end of days" scenario. I've seen enough people, even here, excited by "won't it be great" and "isn't it good that it will be soon" to be very concerned about that eagerness spilling over into... manufacted world death.
The third is tricky - this may also include those who practice things that your beliefs don't agree with. Now, many Christians are great with this. But sadly many others aren't (I could point to things like Westboro Baptist Church). I don't believe for one moment that this is a single brush to tar all with: but - it is real and exists all too commonly.
(rephrased) Another issue with human value is the slightly thorny issue of "total depravity", which might be expressed that people are universally wicked, and that only by following the stated path (which path. exactly varies between sections) can people earn redemption. Whether this is faith/acts/both/etc I won't ponder; however, this conflicts with the Humanist position of emphasing first the value and worth of all. The positive, rather than the negative.
Flimzy notes the flaw in the second; putting God at the centre vs putting humanity at the centre.
The first comes down to how you interpret "rational". In the context used, it is meaning "non-supernatural". This isn't me saying "all YEC are idiots!" (which I have been accused of implying before): it is simply saying that - given something we don't yet know, assuming a supernatural origin is not the rational (meaning: based on scientific-method, deductive logic, etc) / natural thing to do. You are, of course, welcome to do so, and many have looked at ways to satisfy themselves that this is reasonable. I would argue that in the context used, supernatural beliefs (without evidence etc) are the opposite of the way that line means "rational". I think this is neatly summarised by I tweet I once saw:
Dear Religion, Pics or it didn't happen. Love, Science.
Actually, a big point here is the "h". If you mean small-h humanism, then yes: there are various Christian humanist movements. If you mean, as I was referring to, big-H Humanism, then that is referring to secular Humanism, which explicitly does not give any special meaning to religious beliefs. In particular, it (wiki) applies:
specifically rejecting supernatural and religious dogma as a basis of morality and decision-making.
I honestly haven't ever considered whether one can be Humanist and Christian at the same time; I don't really think so; Humanism respects the believer and fully defends the right to believe - but doesn't give credence to the supernatural beliefs themselves. Which is typically exactly how Christianity feels about virtually every other belief, so we're not in hugely different places there (I say "virtually", because it gets a bit wooly re Islam and Judaesm and the OT).
Perhaps the bigger issue is: how do you look to find explanations for the unknown? If you look the the Bible (creation, Noah, Babel, resurrected messiah, etc) then that is fundamentally at odds with Humansim, which looks strictly to ... er... (picks words carefully) "research that looks only to strongly verifiable evidence" rather than "tenacious tales, of uncertain, unverifiable, faith-based, belief".
That said: one could well be a Christian who is pro-secular in terms of public policy (and in fact, a MORI survey in the UK indeed showed that the majority of UK citizens who identified as Christian feel this way - of course, it also showed that the majority of the same set of self-identified Christians were actually non-religious cultural Christians).
Re compatibility: if your decision making doesn't make (emph) any (/emph) consideration of your religious beliefs, then I would propose you aren't actively applying Christianity in your daily life. In many ways Christianity is pretty easy-going in terms of daily life (contrast the strictness of Judaism or Islam, for example) - so this distinction is quite subtle.
I should also emphasise that that list is not "mine" - it is, as I believe I mentioned at the time. I'm sure the actual list is searchable - IIRC it was a response to a Christian membership-card. What I think the list does show is that Humanism does focus on ethics, fairness/equality, and the value of the person. This is not unreasonable.
Perhaps the acid test is simple (the following is mine - quoted only for emphasis):
Your chosen supernatural-inspired religious text states (without reasons), categorically, clearly and without room for confusion, that activity X is Wrong with a big W. do you:
- accept this, and actively seek out to undo all X
- accept this, and not participate in X
- accept this, but (if you happen to like X) do X anyway, knowing that it conflicts, but that "in balance" you're OK; maybe feel a bit guilty and embarrassed, secretive, maybe depressed, as a result; alternatively and equally - deny yourself X and feel repressed
- ignore this, and participate, or not (as you choose) in X, since the text is of no importance
- ignoring the supernatural aspect, look to understand X, and where this may have come from; is there an underlying reason that avoiding X benefits society? Or perhaps benefited society at that time? Is this a hangover of an early culture, with the culture biases of the time? Is there a valid and fair reason to deny X now (again, supernatural aside)? If we assume human origin, was there perhaps political/personal gain behind this law? (Important:) If there is no logical argument to deny X, then actively seek to challenge those that enforce X on purely supernatural grounds, even when X has (by history) been absorbed into law (human law can, after all, be changed - it takes time, though)
The first three would seem to be compatible with Christianity (orthodox to liberal, in order); the fourth seems rather hedonistic on the surface; the fifth is the Humanist position. It certainly doesn't use "God" as a definition of morality (or, if you prefer, "ethics" - although it is primarily religion that distinguishes the two terms). | <urn:uuid:778d45b8-ff06-41ce-968c-65136f3abd81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/6135/is-it-possible-to-be-both-a-humanist-and-a-christian | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963901 | 1,544 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Download this article now for $30.00.
Drinking-Driving as a Component of Problem Driving and Problem Behavior in Young Adults
Jean T. Shope, C. Raymond Bingham
Objective: This study replicated and extended a conceptual model of drinking-driving and its relationship to other problem behavior to determine (1) if the model characterized the problem driving and problem behavior of young adults from the general population and (2) if the model applied to women as well as to men. Method: Telephone survey data (measures of drinking-driving, drug-driving, risky driving, problem drinking, drug use and delinquent behavior) collected from young adults (N = 4,230, 53% female) were used in structural equation modeling. Two models were developed—one for problem driving and one for problem behavior—each testing the structural associations among latent variables and testing them as latent indicators of common second-order latent variables. Results: The results supported the hypothesis that drinking-driving (along with problem drinking, drug use and delinquent behavior) is an indicator of problem behavior in the general population sample. Also, drinking-driving, drug-driving and risky driving were demonstrated to be indicators of a common construct: problem driving. The models fit the data equally well for both young men and young women, and a crossvalidation conducted on an independent sample confirmed the results. Conclusions: The results provide empirical support for the inclusion of drinking-driving and problem driving in an extended model of Problem Behavior Theory. Drinking-driving, drug-driving and risky driving all relate to a common construct: problem driving. These results have important implications for research and for interventions to treat or prevent drinking-driving, especially among young adults. (J. Stud. Alcohol 63: 24-33, 2002) | <urn:uuid:ad4991d1-c53e-43ba-b8ac-aa0a1ad3ca9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jsad.com/jsad/article/DrinkingDriving_as_a_Component_of_Problem_Driving_and_Problem_Behavior_in_/1315.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934796 | 361 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Family Feud is one of those game shows that everyone knows. It's been around for decades and has become an icon of American television history, forever associated with dueling families and its catch-phrase, "Survey Says!"
The Feud debuted in 1976, one of many great game shows created by Goodson-Todman. The original host was Richard Dawson, an actor and comedian who was at the time best known for his work on the TV show Hogan's Heroes, as well as numerous appearances on the panel of Match Game.
Since its beginnings with Richard Dawson at the helm, Feud has seen several different hosts, cancellation, revivals, and a move to syndication. The show is resilient with a loyal following of fans, and continues to bring new fans on board with each season it's on the air.
Family Feud Format
One of the great things about Family Feud is that, though there have been tweaks and game changes over the years, the game itself is almost the same as it was back in the 1970s. You could flip on the show today and recognize it instantly, even if it's been decades since the last time you watched.
Teams are made up of family members, related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Two families play against each other in every game, with teams made up of five family members each.
The answers to the questions on Family Feud are unique in that they aren't factual "answers" at all. Instead they are based on the answers provided by a 100-person survey panel. Contestants are challenged to come up with the most popular answers to each question, which are placed on the game board and revealed as teams provide them.
Of course, since the answers are provided by surveys, this is where the line, "Survey Says!" comes from.
Playing the Main Game
The main game starts off with one family member from each team coming to the podium and facing off on the first question. The contestant who buzzes in first gets to provide the first answer. If that answer is the number one survey response, his or her family gets control of the question. If not, the opposing contestant gets to try and provide a higher-ranking response to earn control for his or her family.
The team who wins control of the question then provides more responses, one at a time. They are not permitted to consult with one another during this part of the game. If a given answer is not one of the most popular, the family gets a strike. If the team can guess all of the most popular answers on the board before getting three strikes, they win the round.
If a team does end up with three strikes, control of the round goes to the opposing family. That team then has one chance to come up with one of the remaining responses on the board to win the round - if they fail, the other team gets the points.
Generally speaking, four main rounds are played in each game. If there is time, two more rounds can be played but these are sudden death "lightning rounds."
The Fast Money Round
The team with the most points at the end of the main game moves on to the Fast Money round. Two family members play this round. One family member stays with the host while the other disappears backstage. The first contestant is given 20 seconds to answer five survey questions, which are scored by how many people gave that same response in the survey.
After the first player's scores are revealed and tallied, they are covered up and the second family member comes out to play. The questions are the same but this time the player gets 25 seconds to complete the round, and if an answer is repeated the contestant hears a buzzer and is asked to give another response. If the combined scores of both team mebers is over 200, the family wins the grand prize. As of the 2010-2011 season, the prize is $20,000.
The point values assigned to each answer come from the number of people who responded with that answer in the survey. Only the most popular answers make it to the game board, so the points don't always add up to 100.
The current format of the game assigns single point values to the first two rounds, with points doubled in the third and tripled in the fourth round.
Family Feud Hosts
Each host of Family Feud has brought his own style to the show, though some have been better received than others. So far, the Feud hosts have included:
- Richard Dawson - 1976 to 1985, 1994 to 1995
- Ray Combs - 1988 to 1994
- Louie Anderson - 1999 to 2002
- Richard Karn - 2002 to 2006
- John O'Hurley - 2006 to 2010
- Steve Harvey - 2010 to present
Special Episodes and Guests
Feud lends itself well to special themed episodes and celebrity guests. There have been various celebrity tournaments throughout the years, including themed games in which the stars of television shows play against each other. There have also been competitions between sports teams and stars, students, divorced couples, musicians, and even game show hosts. Seasonal shows, such as the always-anticipated Halloween episode, are also popular.
In 2008, NBC aired a prime time Celebrity Family Feud series hosted by Al Roker. All celebrity families appearing on the show donated their winnings to charity.
Future of the Show
Family Feud is showing no signs of slowing down, even after being on the air for so many years. The show recently moved its studio or Orlando, Florida, taking advantage of a steady stream of tourists at Universal Studios to provide fresh audience members. The new location and addition of Steve Harvey as host have brought Feud improved ratings for the 2010/11 season.
To learn more about Family Feud, visit the official website at FamilyFeud.com. | <urn:uuid:1c892adf-2064-4d5a-9cc7-4b14a78a46c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gameshows.about.com/od/showprofiles/a/Family-Feud-A-Brief-History-Of-The-Game.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976422 | 1,199 | 1.90625 | 2 |
It’s not rare to see many people today that are being curious of the bee pollen benefits that so many experts claim to be true. These people would like to know if there any risks involved when taking the bees pollen supplements or products that are based in this ingredient like the bee propolis. They are right to be concerned and they are making the right choice – to look and search for information about the honeybee pollen ingredient and examine its positive aspects and negative (if there are any).
Apparently, scientists found the bees pollen to be helpful for a big number of diseases, skin problems and more. The organic bee pollen can be used to help people who have low blood pressure and high blood pressure too. Not only that, but the honeybee pollen as we know it is great for our blood, even if don’t suffer from high or low blood pressure.
In fact, some people might be surprised to hear that consuming the bees pollen can help to increase the general amount of red blood cells and as well as the extremely important white blood cells. This, in turn, has many positive effects over our body, including the improved efficiency of our immune system that can help us deal better with various diseases. Are you thinking of getting the pollen bee supplements or vitamins like bee propolis now? If not, you are welcomed to keep reading.
After conduction various experiments testing the bee pollen health benefits scientists have discovered that the honeybee pollen helps to get the cholesterol levels in our blood to a more healthy and normal amount. Triglycerides as well as cholesterol levels were found to be significantly lower after the intake of pollen bee supplements or combined with food; the results are quite the same.
Moreover, it was found in those experiments that there was less bad cholesterol in the blood stream and a bigger amount of good cholesterol which is excellent for the health of the human body. A lower amount of bad cholesterol along with high amounts of good cholesterol will significantly lower the risk of a heart attack, as well as other diseases and problems that result from a high level of bad cholesterol.
What about the connection between bee pollen health benefits and cancer? Well, according to leading scientists that presented the results of their experiments with seek animals that were given honeybee pollen, the magical ingredient does seem to have positive effects on the animals’ health. Among the group of animals that were fed with the bees pollen there were less incidents of cancer tumors compared to the animals that were given the pollen bee.
The experiment on its own doesn’t prove that the same effect would appear with human consumption, but along with other studies about bee pollen products like the bee propolis, we can assume that the ingredient can contribute greatly to our health, energy and general lifestyle. So I am not afraid to take a moderate amount of this honeybee pollen and I really can feel a positive influence over my life and health. | <urn:uuid:2c43185a-89ac-4c37-a9ff-4b6974a0634c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beepollenbenefits.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970759 | 585 | 2.203125 | 2 |
"Purple scissors,” she said as she shopped last week at Target in Tyler with her mother, Kaycie, and 3-year-old sister, Kyndal.
Ms. Honzell, 36, a stay-at-home mom, said she looked for the sales and took advantage of coupons during her back-to-school shopping.
With list in hand, she showed Kamyn the options and let her pick her favorites.
With the start of school just around the corner, supplies fill the shelves at area stores.
Sales aim to help parents get the most out of every dollar.
But for some, cost is balanced with preference, and when it comes to supplies children can be particular.
With five children, four of them school-aged, Tyler mother Kelly Favre, 42, has a lot of supplies to buy.
“I have to start early because obviously it can be a budget buster,” she said while taking a break from Target shopping. “We get a list from our school. I do shop the ads so that we can get the most of our money.”
She expects to spend as much as $200 for her four school-aged kids.
Although she lets her children choose their backpack, for other supplies, she selects the ones that are on sale. She said she and her kids have become experts of sorts throughout the years.
“You learn what the really good pencils are, the best eraser,” she said. “It's little things that you thought would never be in your repertoire of knowledge that you become experts in. It's really funny.”
Kate Lohmuller with Target's communications department said the staples are back in bold colors and a range of new styles for easy customization.
“Neon color combinations, glitter and peace signs can be found on everything from sneakers and apparel to notebooks and pencil cases,” she said.
At the elementary age, backpacks with glitter, dinosaurs and flowers are new and trendy for students, Ms. Lohmuller said. The animal theme also made its way to lunch boxes.
Licensed products with personalities or characters continue to be a hit among the elementary students.
For high school students, patterned backpacks in camouflage, plaid, ombré and animal prints are a hot trend, as are peace signs on backpacks, Ms. Lohmuller said.
“Target's team works year-round, identifying and forecasting emerging trends to bring innovative and on-trend product to guests each season,” she wrote in the email. “We continue to evolve our products and solutions for the back-to-school/college season by listening to students and parents and understanding their needs and wants.”
At OfficeMax, retailers are touting school supplies featuring video game characters, superheroes, animal prints and jewels.
“This year's back-to-school supplies were designed and selected for today's style-centric student with trendy, affordable supplies that are a win-win for children and parents alike,” Michael Lewis, executive vice president and president of retail at OfficeMax, said, according to a news release.
The store will offer 25-cent, 50-cent and $1 value deals on some supplies such as markers, composition books, glue, and scissors. OfficeMax also partnered with Old Navy to provide certain savings to customers.
“Our customers have come to expect our extensive assortment of unique school supplies for children of all ages and appreciate our focus on maintaining an extensive selection year-round to meet their needs and budget,” Lewis said. | <urn:uuid:09e0e01b-6709-4740-9a3f-11fe1c4aed91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20120806/NEWS01/120809851/0/OPINION01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971344 | 757 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Monday, September 20, 2004 - 01:00 PM
We should be focusing on educating the American public about learning to take care of themselves. That means healthy diets, vitamins, supplements, and a progressive approach to alternative health care.
Read more email response
I'm having a hard time relating this discussion to my real-life experience. A lot of uninsured people are not low-income as we usually think about it, they're middle-class people who are losing their retiree benefits or who have gone from employee-status to free-lance status and have lost their benefits in the process. How do either "plans" really address these issues?
In other industries like utilities, customer interactions and billing practices are highly standardized andd regulated. For every doctor's office there is at least one person (usually more) trying to get bills paid and dealing with inept billing companies. While the focus is on building a faster train, no one has considered that the tracks need to be updated as well. There is simply too much waste in the system... and it's a big opportunity to create jobs and improve service!
I wonder if the idea of high-deductable policies is flawed because such a high percentage of health care costs are generated by a small percentage of very sick people. If high deductable policies must cover those patients, then the money saved on routine healthcare paid out of pocket by the insured wouldn't be enough to seriously reduce costs to the insurer.
If today’s show said anything to me – I’m in for 30 days of agita. Lambrew and Wilensky have as much grip on our state of national health as the Mets do when it comes to evaluating talent.
While the Bush plan costs less, of what value is his plan if it does not provide health care for many of those who need it? A typical Bush plan, big talk but no real results. | <urn:uuid:a7e92c15-c7bc-4029-b772-26891eeedffd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/blogs/scrapbook/2004/sep/20/healthcare-feedback/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972439 | 389 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Cyclovia Tucson logo
A five mile loop in central Tucson will be blocked off Sunday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a first-time “walking, cycling and healthy street activities” event entitled Cyclovia (pronounced see-clo-via) Tucson. People are encouraged to walk, jog, skate, bicycle — all in non-motorized fashion along this route and participate in various family fun activities along the way. What a great way to safely enjoy leisure time and recreation, walk your dog, get your kids on their bikes or skates, all for more physical activity. Refer to website: cycloviatucson.org.
Cyclovia is a Spanish word meaning “temporary closure of a network of streets to cars, and open the streets to the people who bike, walk, skate and participate in fun, free activities.”
“One of the first and largest cyclovias in the world is held in Bogotá, Columbia. Every Sunday and holiday, every week of the year, the city closes down over 70 miles of roadways to cars and let people bike, walk, talk, exercise, picnic, sunbathe, etc.”
See map below for the Tucson route from E. Seneca Street (at 4th Avenue), south to Mountain Ave & then Highland Ave. to the UA Mall (University Blvd.) then west back to 4th Avenue, and either north and south along that avenue.
The Greater Arizona Bicycling Association (GABA) Bike Swap (see www.bikegaba.org) will be ongoing at the same day on 4th Avenue (6 a.m. to 1 p.m.), which is a fantastic place to find bicycle parts, equipment, clothing, etc.
The activities along this 5 mile loop (which correspond with the map below):
1. YMCA Healthy Kids Day at Mansfield Park, 2000 North 4th Avenue
2. Tucson-Pima Bicycle Advisory Committee at Catalina Park, Along 4th Avenue between 1st and 2nd Street
3. Main Gate Square – University of Arizona, Along University Boulevard between 4th Avenue and Park Avenue
4. University of Arizona Mall- Along University Boulevard on the U of A campus east of Park Avenue (this area is already blocked off from cars on weekdays from Cherry Ave. to west of Old Main).
5. Bike Swap Meet, Along 4th Avenue between 9th Street and 6th Street
6. Tucson Bike Beautiful
7. Starr Skates’ Pop-Up Skate Park
2010 Cyclovia Tucson map
Leave your motorized vehicles at home, get your family & friends together and walk/jog/skate/bike over to Cyclovia Tucson! | <urn:uuid:c8d1dbf1-e5da-4674-9af8-82a36f5b0fa1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/tag/greater-arizona-bicycling-association/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936517 | 579 | 1.5 | 2 |
For those looking to find a job, unsure of where to begin to look, local job fairs provide a great opportunity to match employers with perspective employees. Many local job fairs not only provide a common place for employers to meet with perspective candidates, but also have materials and people to coach people through writing a resume, the interview process etc. Local job fairs, events where a wide array of local employers set up booths and often provide on-the-spot interviews, can potentially take save a lot time. Further many either just entering the job market or those finding themselves recently back in it, can locate helpful resources at local job fairs. A final advantage is that local job fairs may often be specialized toward particular fields and employers, or catered toward a particular demographic, making the job search experience a little easier. The first advantage of local job fairs is the resources provided that can be crucial in landing that desired job or not. Often local job fairs will provide people who can help those in the job market either update or begin writing their resume. Having a well constructed resume is one of the most vital components in landing a job, and having a professional help in the process can be a great added value. The other main component in landing a job is often the interview, and local job fairs will often have resources and people available to coach job seekers through acing this process as well. Local job fairs often take place in convention centers, hotels, or other large meeting places where a sizable group of employers can setup. Prospective employers will often have booths or tables where information about the company that is hiring is available to job seekers. This arrangement conveniently allows job seekers to walk around a room and not only meet with an array of employers, but also gain information about employers as well. Many employers will conduct interviews at local job fairs, or at the very least be willing to set one up. This allows job seekers to gain an initial rapport and establish some background acquaintance with an employer, rather than just applying anonymously on-line or by other means. | <urn:uuid:7222509e-ae77-4dd8-a9af-593472907360> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pointcom.com/WI/La-Crosse/business-search/Job%20Fairs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958498 | 417 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The U.S. House on Thursday voted on a transportation bill that would, among other things, open a small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling as well as more of Alaska’s offshore waters.
It passed 237 to 187.
U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., worked to the get bill through the House Resources Committee. They were helped by a group of Alaska state lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Chenault and Rep. Reggie Joule, who made a trip to D.C. to lobby for the bill.
The bill must still must make it through the Senate, which, if history is any guide, is a daunting proposition.
This was the 12th time Young has been able to get a bill that would open at least part of ANWR passed by the House. The only one that made it through the Senate died on President Bill Clinton's desk.
Still, he called it a “momentous day.”
U.S. Sen. Mark Begich thinks that this time the drilling in ANWR has a better shot -- maybe not tomorrow, but soon. New technology allows drillers to have a smaller footprint than ever before, and, because he's a Democrat, Begich believes he has a better shot of talking fellow Democrats into supporting drilling. "Sen. Begich believes by showing others how Alaska can do energy development responsibly, we will slowly build the case for development in ANWR," he said through his spokesperson.
Worldwide events may play into the debate, too. Because of tensions in Iran, a cold snap in Europe and good news on the U.S. economic front, oil prices are rising.
Brent crude, which is used to price foreign oil imported by U.S. refineries, rose $1.08 to $120.01 in London. Alaska North Slope crude closed at $120.30 on Wednesday, and will likely continue to rise. As it does so, consumers will pay more at the pump.
What happens if this year's measure fails, as so many others have? Young, at least, will keep plugging away. "I'm not only eternally optimistic; if you don't keep trying you're never going to get anything done," Young told Alaska Dispatch last week.
Contact Amanda Coyne at Amanda(at)alaskadispatch.com | <urn:uuid:dc107150-6e1b-4e8d-8498-ed2525a7dd02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/even-dozen-young-backed-anwr-bill-passes-us-house-12th-time | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976785 | 501 | 1.507813 | 2 |
From the Pasture to the Plate, We Drive the Herd to You!
An efficient and prosperous animal agriculture has historically been the mark of an advanced nation, and Panem is the world’s leader in livestock production. District 10 supplies the livestock that produces stronger, healthier Panem citizens.
Cattle and dairy cows, goats, pigs, sheep, waterfowl and poultry are all part of District 10’s livestock family, providing Panem’s meat, eggs, milk, and dairy products. Additionally, many livestock farmers specialize in breeding, developing new and superior hybrid breeds to increase the quantity and quality of milk, meat, and eggs.
But District 10 doesn’t only provide food to Panem. You might be surprised at all the essential products that originate here. The hides and hair of some animals are used for furniture, shoes, clothing, handbags, rugs, blankets, and brushes. Hooves and horns are used for buttons, combs, glue, and knives. Duck and goose feathers are used for pillows and insulated clothing. Eggs are used in paint and medical vaccines. Some livestock organs are used for medicines. The waste from D10 animals is used as fertilizer. Even bees are raised for their honey in District 10.
Production goes hand in hand with farming in D10. State-of-the-art packing plants process and package the meat and food that nourishes the people of Panem. These high-tech facilities also yield a variety of by-products. These by-products are shipped to other districts who, in turn, create the range of goods Panem uses every day.
Livestock farming has been part of District 10’s heritage for an age. This region provides the healthy foundation on which our nation is raised. District 10, from the pasture to the plate, we drive the herd to you!
Top Image by Henry Schulte. Bottom Image by Lane Johnson | <urn:uuid:f2ca0273-f7f3-4d0d-a2f0-add49a9cd17f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.panempropaganda.com/district-10/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937097 | 400 | 2.859375 | 3 |
U.S. minority population tops 100 million
Hispanics are largest and fastest growing ethnic population, census reports
ATLANTA - The number of people in the United States from ethnic or racial minorities has risen to more than 100 million, or around one third of the population, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report on Thursday.
The minorities figure stood at 100.7 million, up from 98.3 million a year earlier. Within that, the Hispanic population was the fastest growing at a rate of 3.4 percent between July 2005 and July 2006.
Hispanics were also the largest minority group, accounting for 44.3 million people on July 1, 2006, or 14.8 percent of the overall U.S. population which, according to census data released in October 2006, stood at more than 300 million.
The United States prides itself as a country built on successive waves of immigration, with the Statue of Liberty in New York a powerful symbol of the welcome to immigrants. But the country remains divided over the subject.
President Bush supports a comprehensive approach to immigration reform but an attempt to pass legislation failed last year.
Struggle over legislation
Members of a bipartisan group of senators are pushing to reach agreement on immigration reform that would offer some illegal immigrants a chance to become citizens.
Lawmakers have been struggling to come up with a formula providing tougher border and workplace enforcement while addressing the status of some 11 million illegal immigrants who live and work in the shadows.
“About one in three U.S. residents is a minority,” said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon.
“There are more minorities in this country today than there were people in the United States in 1910. In fact, the minority population in the U.S. is larger than the total population of all but 11 countries (on the planet).”
The black population grew 1.3 percent in the year from July 2005 and reached 40.2 million in 2006, the census said, while the number of native Hawaiians and members of other Pacific islander groups reached 1 million.
Asians were the second fastest-growing minority group at a rate of 3.2 percent, with their numbers standing at 14.9 million.
The population of non-Hispanic whites who indicated no other race grew 0.3 percent during the one-year period.
New York state had the largest black population with 3.5 million people, followed by Florida at 3 million and Texas at 2.9 million. The median age of African Americans was 30.1 years, lower than the 36.4 for the whole population.
Four states and the District of Columbia now have more minorities than members of the majority white population.
Hawaii has a population that was 75 percent minority in 2006. The District of Columbia stood at 68 percent, with New Mexico at 57 percent, California at 57 percent and Texas at 52.
mmmmmmmmmmm, ethnic babes!!! | <urn:uuid:f0fd9b23-2263-4b13-a16d-5ea8b0efdb56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/index.php?topic=62236.msg1347938 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9612 | 606 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Literally. Ok, not really. Oil doesn’t evaporate, so this is pretty darn impossible. This will all be explained in “Oil Spill: 101.” Although nothing would surprise us at this point.
What’s more likely is that the streets of Louisiana could use a good cleaning, is all.
If it weren’t so environmentally depressing, it might register on the cool-o-meter. It’s like acid rain, only higher octane! Think of it this way: money is pouring from the Louisiana sky.
Can we sell it back to BP?
[YouTube; h/t to steve] | <urn:uuid:f796d40f-ec8b-440e-a306-d15add06270b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/bayou/2010/06/page/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906691 | 139 | 1.625 | 2 |
The President and the military are busy reading up on Algeria’s 1950′s revolt against the French. This very thoughtful blog entry at Paco Pond examines the differences and similarities between these two conflicts and concludes with this haunting question:
But there’s one final consideration, something that truly troubled me about Horne’s book. That is the fate of the harkis, the Arabs who sided with the French. There were many thousands of them, and at the exodus of the French, they were slaughtered. The FLN were always vicious—and their viciousness was reciprocated, to be sure, by the French, but the FLN were brutal and unforgiving and murderous with those who had opposed them. No reeducation camps, as in Vietnam. Harkis had their throats slit, were disembowled, mutilated, left to die within earshot of French troops, who by terms of the disengagement agreement would not intervene to save their lives. The French were incredibly callous in their attitude toward their erstwhile allies. We can contrast that with the American effort to evacuate the leadership of South Vietnam. What will become of the translators, the drivers, the Iraqi collaborators with the American occupation? George Packer, in The New Republic, has argued that we should save everyone we can. But I’m afraid we will not follow his suggestion. Our collaborators will have to make their separate peace, if they can, with Al Qaeda or the Mehdi Army. I doubt we will accept them into this country. And the world will see the truth, to our shame, that to us, to this day, Muslim lives are expendable.
Now that we’ve unleashed Hell on the Iraqies I hear more and more of the Republican architects of this war saying that’s what’s going on is the Iraqi’s own fault. That sounds like the beginning of a rationalization for leaving the people who helped us behind to the same fate as the friends of the French in Algeria.
It would be the second time a Bush enabled the slaughter of innocents in Iraq. | <urn:uuid:b40b18a9-b871-454d-9c38-b9ed5df00142> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lincolndemocrat.com/?m=200701 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980703 | 436 | 1.734375 | 2 |
I practice something called diaphragmatic breathing.
Tips for diaphragmatic breathing that helps with managing adrenaline.
Try practicing these every day, and as a part of preparing for each shot.
First, place one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen. This will help you know that you are breathing with your abdomen and not your chest.
Slowly exhale through your nose by pressing your diaphragm(belly) down. A three or four count should be good. If the hand on your chest moves, you are not using your diaphragm.
Slowly relax your diaphragm and breath in through your nose. This will draw air into your lungs. The hand on your chest shouldn't move. Use a three or four count on your inhale.
Once your abdomen is relaxed, give your self and three could before you repeat the process and exhale again. Repeat it 10 times or so for daily practice. When you are hunting, start it as soon as you get that rush
That is basically it. That method does a lot to manage adrenaline rushes. It may feel odd at first and you may also feel that you are not getting enough oxygen. More than likely you breath using your chest. By practicing this regularly, you will learn to breath normally via your diaphragm. Though on normal breathing you will inhale by enlarging your stomach instead of pressing down. It can work wonders for day to day stress management. | <urn:uuid:c897fc3a-bdce-4474-98f4-8078daa8cc52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=83906 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95752 | 304 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Fall calving brings more bull sales
Calving season comes around twice a year at the Spickler Ranch near Glenfield, N.D. They calve 450 cows from March 15 to May 15 and 150 cows from Aug. 10 to Oct. 10.
While that may sound like double the work, brothers Justin and Nathan Spickler say spring- and fall-calving herds offer several advantages.
“The primary reason we added a fall-calving herd was to increase our marketing opportunities for selling seedstock bulls,” Justin says.
• North Dakota producers add fall calving of cows to their ranch.
• Calving is easier in the fall, but the weather can affect rebreeding.
• Their older bulls are in demand at their production sale.
They hold an annual bull sale at the ranch on the first Monday in May, offering about 100 yearling bulls. “We were concerned about selling more yearling bulls, so as we expanded our cow-herd size in 2003, adding a fall-calving herd allowed us to also have older bulls to sell.”
Today, in addition to about 120 yearling bulls, the Spicklers offer 40 coming 2-year-old bulls at their sale. Those older bulls have brought in new customers. “The 20-month-old bulls are really sought after and often top our sale,” Justin says.
Spreads out workload
Splitting the calving season makes the workload more manageable for the Spickler brothers, who are partners in their operation with their spouses.
“Calving about 450 cows in the spring is about as much as our facilities can handle,” Justin says.Fall calving is not as labor-intensive as spring calving. “We check the herd twice a day in the fall,” he says.
They have to AI cows and wean calves twice a year, but they enjoy working with the cattle, so they don’t count that as a disadvantage.With two herds, they are also able to use herd sires twice — in the spring and the fall.
Justin says there are a couple of factors to consider with a fall herd.
One is nutrition. “When we calve from August to early October, we try to have the cows graze as long as possible into the fall, but this is when the nutrient quality of the range can be fairly low, and the cows are at peak lactation.”
They supplement the fall-calving cows about 30 days prior to breeding in November. They feed alfalfa hay or processing byproducts, such as distillers grains, to boost protein and energy.
“We try to keep the supplementing economical, but we think it is important because it helps with breed-back,” Justin says.
Another factor is the weather. If the temperature drops suddenly, and there’s a wind chill, cows may stop cycling until they’ve had time to adjust to the cold, even if they were synchronized.
Despite those factors, Justin says it’s been profitable to split the calving season. They’ll consider adding more fall-calving cows in the future.
Gordon writes from Whitewood, S.D.
This article published in the September, 2010 edition of DAKOTA FARMER.
All rights reserved. Copyright Farm Progress Cos. 2010. | <urn:uuid:8ea44e21-1c18-4cd6-be90-1cfbc72b6b2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://farmprogress.com/indiana-prairie-farmer/library.aspx/fall-calving-brings-more-bull-sales-73/75/473 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966065 | 710 | 1.5625 | 2 |
News Release 502
Faulty alarm results in Lebanon wastewater overflowVolume 37-502 (For Immediate Release)
Contact: Larry Archer
JEFFERSON CITY, MO., DEC. 28, 2009 – A faulty alarm in a basin resulted in the release of an estimated 18,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater and sludge Thursday morning from municipal wastewater treatment facility in Lebanon, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reported today.
Employees were cleaning filters in the plant when the high-water-level alarm in the basin that catches the wastewater from that process malfunctioned, allowing the partially treated wastewater and sludge to escape the plant into an unnamed tributary of Dry Auglaize Creek and eventually into the creek itself.
The overflow began at approximately 5 a.m. and continued until shortly after 8 a.m. The city reported the incident shortly before noon to the Department of Natural Resources’ Southwest Regional Office in Springfield, which dispatched an inspector to the site to determine the extent of environmental damage to the creek.
The department considers discharges of untreated or partially treated sewage from sanitary sewer collection systems to be significant threats to public health and the environment. Such discharges can contaminate lakes and streams, causing serious water quality problems.
Sanitary sewer overflows, known also as SSOs, can be caused by mechanical failure, obstructions in sewer lines, infiltration of rainwater and snow melt into aging systems or undersized systems that cannot compensation for sudden increases in wastewater.
Communities across Missouri produce millions of gallons of wastewater that must be properly transported and treated before being released to waterways. However, some communities are facing challenges in accomplishing this.
In order to protect public health and the environment, the department requires communities to take appropriate action to eliminate their sanitary sewer overflow issues. To do this, communities should develop a system to track information about such incidents, including the date, time, location and size of the overflow, weather data, who notified them, when they notified the department and the measures taken to respond. The community can then use this data to aid in developing a plan to inspect the collection system, and plan and finance system upgrades.
For more information on sanitary sewer overflows or other water quality issues, contact the Department of Natural Resources’ Water Protection Program at 573-751-1300 or 800-361-4827 or visit the department website at dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp.
To report an environmental emergency, including sewage overflows, please contact the DNR spill line at 573-634-2436. For more information contact the department at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443, or visit the department's Web page at dnr.mo.gov. | <urn:uuid:9b819b1e-653d-4241-bf67-9fe3423aad49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dnr.mo.gov/newsrel/2009/nr09_502.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928657 | 565 | 2.03125 | 2 |
|by Adam Hawkins • March 1, 2005|
Wabash students, faculty and community members strolled through the Fine Arts Gallery Monday night – perhaps shocked, maybe provoked or embarrassed, but probably not indifferent.
Catherine Johnson-Roehr from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University visited Wabash to mark the opening of an exhibit of selections from the Kinsey Institute art collection. The art collection started with Alfred Kinsey’s research in human sexual behavior and includes artifacts, photographs, paintings, and other trinkets acquired or donated during his research.
Johnson-Roehr, the curator of art at the Kinsey Institute, prefaced the art by giving brief background on Kinsey’s specific research. She continued her presentation by showing slides of a variety of the pieces now held at the institute.
The art collection itself, which holds more than 100,000 photographs, sculptures, and rare trinkets depicting sexuality, started during Kinsey’s travels around the world while he was collecting data for his research.
The fame of his studies and the royalties he made from his book enabled Kinsey to travel and broaden his research by employing his masterfully created questionnaire to subjects from various cultures, Johnson-Roehr said. Kinsey’s research has spawned an entire new world of academia that now studies the sexual patterns of all living creatures, and carries the findings to other realms of science.
Kinsey, who was a professor of biology and entomology at Indiana University, began polling students in 1938 to study human sexual behavior. Despite outrage around the country due to the taboo subject, Kinsey’s research gained world fame when he published his findings in two best-selling volumes entitled Sexual Behavior of the Human Male and Sexual Behavior of the Human Female.
As he traveled the world, individuals interested in his work began to offer him photographs, trinkets, and other works of art connected with human sexuality. As a result, the Institute for Sex Research started collecting the items, and later developed an entire department devoted to the art collection.
The Kinsey art exhibit at Wabash is the product of over a year of discussion and preparation. The pieces on display now are divided into two categories. One section of the exhibit houses historical depictions of human sexuality through photographs, erotic comic books, and even old movie posters. The other half of the exhibit displays work from contemporary artists with several oil-on-canvas pieces and a few sculptures.
From traditional and commercially produced photographs to abstract modernism, the Kinsey Institute’s collection offers a unique opportunity for Wabash students to examine the representations of sexuality in the history of global culture. Students from a class taught by Prof. Elizabeth Lee, have each picked a piece from the exhibit to analyze. They will give presentations later in the semester on their findings.
The exhibit will remain open until Saturday, April 2. Special hours for the exhibit are Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
Hawkins is a staff member of The Bachelor, Wabash College's student newspaper. Photos by Bachelor's Jeff Sostak
At top: Johnson-Roehr talks with art professor Elizabeth Lee
At lower left: Wabash students look at one of the paintings from the exhibit | <urn:uuid:b29dd728-9f4a-45ed-8c4f-1dffce33e810> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wabash.edu/news/displaystory.cfm?news_ID=2286 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962765 | 672 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Iran's long-range missile test
on Monday, following revelations of a covert nuclear program
, further raises the specter of confrontation. Should the U.S. emphasize
diplomatic moves such as economic sanctions, or is the threat of military force the last best option? Few seem optimistic
that sanctions alone will work: Russia and China, big trade partners
with Iran, still appear unmoved. On the question of how to engage with Iran, pundits suggest everything from permitting the development of nuclear power, to toppling Ahmadinejad, to effecting a surprising workaround on sanctions with Saudi Arabia.
- Allow Non-Weaponized Nuclear Enrichment Roger Cohen argued that
sanctions "won't work" and would only worsen hostilities "The
enrichment program has attained sacred status as a symbol of
Iranian independence — comparable to oil’s nationalization in the
1950s," he wrote. "You don’t bring down a quasi-holy symbol — nuclear
power — by cutting
off gasoline sales." And besides, "sanctions feed the persecution
which the Iranian regime thrives." The US, then, should "Settle the
complex to contain the program" and allow a closely-monitored,
non-weaponized nuclear program. "I believe monitored enrichment on
Iranian soil in the name of what
Obama called Iran's 'right to peaceful nuclear power' remains a
possible basis for an agreement that blocks weaponization."
- Accept War Now, Before it's Nuclear Eliot A. Cohen in the Wall Street Journal
anticipated that war with Iran is now inevitable and that the only real
option is to "actively seek the overthrow of the Islamic Republic"
before it secures nukes and makes that war much deadlier. "A large
sanctions effort against Iran has been underway for some time.
It has not worked to curb Tehran's nuclear appetite, and it will not,"
Cohen wrote. "Pressure, be it gentle or severe, will not erase that
The choices are now what they ever were: an American or an Israeli
strike, which would probably cause a substantial war, or living in a
world with Iranian nuclear weapons, which may also result in war,
perhaps nuclear, over a longer period of time."
- Use Nuclear Issue to Address Other Problems Ray Takeyh noted
in the Washington Post that Iran's regime, weakened internally and
embarrassed within the region after its disastrous elections,
desperately needs to be legitimized. This may be an opening for
American interests. "Ironically, Tehran has come to Washington's
rescue," Takeyh wrote, suggesting that talks over Iranian nukes could
be an opportunity to finally address its sponsorship of global
terrorism and abuse of its citizens. "If Iran is truly interested in
escaping its pariah status, then it will swallow the bitter pill of
such discussions," he wrote, noting that the US successfully executed
similar talks with the nuclear-rich Soviet Union during the 1975
- Want Sanctions? Turn to Saudi Arabia Roger Stern and Bernard Haykel advocated
in the UAE National for partnering with Saudi Arabia, a powerful force
in the region that already wants to limit Iranian influence. The
authors pointed out that Saudi Arabia recently helped to oust
Hezbollah, Iran's political proxy, from Lebanese leadership. The Saudi
oil industry, they argued, could tame Iran in a way that Western
sanctions never could. "Saudi Arabia could force a drastic reduction of
Iran’s revenue by
producing some or all of its four million barrels a day of spare
capacity," the wrote. "Iran's Opec production quota violations have
historic highs, so there is a strong precedent for such a Saudi
production increase." Saudi Arabia made a move in the mid-1980s, when
its manipulation of the oil market helped plunge the Soviet Union into
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments
or send an email to the author at
mfisher at theatlantic dot com.
You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire. | <urn:uuid:f16854d7-6226-4ed8-9b8a-028c7cd51752> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2009/09/how-the-u-s-should-engage-with-iran/26868/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939846 | 851 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Hollywood Boulevard is a palm-lined re-creation of Tinseltown's main drag during Los Angeles's Golden Age. Most service facilities are here, interspersed with eateries and shops. Merchandise includes Disney trademark items, Hollywood and movie-related souvenirs, and one-of-a-kind collectibles obtained from studio auctions and estate sales.
Hollywood characters and roving performers entertain on the boulevard, and daily parades and other happenings pass this way.
In 1989, Michael Eisner proclaimed that Walt Disney World's third park would be dedicated to Hollywood "not a place on a map, but a state of mind" and "a Hollywood that never was – and always will be."
Inspired by early filmmakers who used Los Angeles as the background for their movies, Disney's Imagineers use real building facades and billboards to tell the story of the mythical Hollywood of our collective consciousness. For the architecture, the Imagineers apply a design trick called "shrink and edit" that takes a real building for inspiration and then changes the scale, color or detail to support the story. Hollywood Boulevard is filled with such examples.
You adventure starts at the park entrance as you pass through a reproduction of the Streamline Moderne Pan-Pacific Auditorium, Hollywood's primary convention center from 1935 to 1972. The entry plaza is at the intersection of Hollywood and Prospect Avenue. The central building is the Crossroad building (1936), which is a tribute to an early Los Angeles mini-mall. It is topped by a five-foot Mickey Mouse, with one of Mickey's ear's functioning as a lightning rod.
To the left of the park entrance is Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind shop, an example of the California Bungalow and inspired by the true story of the Janes House, in which a homeowner on Hollywood Boulevard held out against commercial development and a shopping mall just built around him. Other buildings include an electric substation (1907) from Culver City that is now a performance space, the Blaine Building (1926), a J.J. Newberry (1928), a bank on Wilshire Boulevard (1929), the Chapman Market (1929), Max Factor Building (1931), Owl Drug Store (1933), the Darkroom (1938), and many, many others. A highlight is The Hollywood Brown Derby (1929), which is a treasure inside and out.
The two billboards at the entrance establish the architectural timeframe for Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards as well as Echo Lake (1923-1945). The Hollywoodland billboard refers to a subdivision that opened in 1923, the same the year Walt Disney moved to Hollywood. Adjacent is a billboard for the 1945 Hollywood Canteen, a Hollywood oasis for soldiers fighting in World War II. | <urn:uuid:2543bbbd-6d82-4d57-a2f8-039969c34159> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://touringplans.com/hollywood-studios/lands/hollywood-boulevard | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918315 | 583 | 1.875 | 2 |
The best information we have collected here at the Press over the years is that the coldest day in recent history was Dec. 23, 1990, when the recorded temperature dipped to 12 degrees.
A day earlier, on Dec. 22, 1990, it was 14 degrees, and it remained very cold into January.
In earlier years, 15 degrees was recorded in January 1930 and in December 1913.
When the temperatures headed below 20 degrees, water pipes exposed to the cold began burst, and home owners with citrus trees found that their oranges, lemons and grapefruit had suffered frost damage.
Although it’s been cold in the past week or so, fortunately temperatures haven’t dipped to those levels.
And while the cold weather, especially in the morning, has put a chill into our lifestyles, orchardists in the Tracy area are happy to see so many “chill days” — usually considered below 40 degrees. The almond and walnut trees need the cold weather to go dormant and get ready to spring back to life in the next month or so.
Bud and Beefalo
An obituary in last week’s edition told of the death of D.C. “Bud” Basolo, who died Dec. 7 at the age of 89.
Bud had to be one of the most unusual people to populate our area. He was all energy, excitement and optimism.
After establishing himself as a wholesale meat dealer, especially successful in importing lamb into the U.S. from Australia and New Zealand, he hosted a bus trip to San Francisco each year for Tracy High Future Farmers.
He then began raising buffaloes in Wyoming, and this led to a measure of fame when he successfully crossed buffalo and beef cattle to produce the Basolo Hybrid Beefalo.
Beefalo meat was said to be leaner, and thus a healthy alternative to beef.
I can recall going out to Bud’s ranch on Durham Ferry Road, where he had people from all over the world come to see the Beefalo and to consider buying sperm. There were skeptics who said the cross had been tried before and had failed.
Bud initially proved the skeptics wrong in the first cross-breeding, but the Beefalo cross-breeding project stalled when the second generation of hybrids failed to breed. And that ended the Basolo Beefalo Hybrid project with a number of “I told you so” comments by critics.
Bud and his wife, Georgia, continued bringing people to the Basolo ranch, however. The visitors, like the Basolos, were owners of Newfoundland dogs that were trained to rescue people in the water. They performed countless rescues in the Basolo pool.
Through the ups and downs, the Basolos were always gracious hosts at their ranch.
The death of Stan Davis has prompted some people around Tracy to ask if something, a park or other facility, should be named for him.
After all, they said, and I agree, Stan was so instrumental, in his quiet yet determined way, in establishing basic safety-net programs — including McHenry House and Interfaith Ministries — in our town that he deserves some lasting recognition.
Yokut villages and a lake
Jeff Pribyl, the Tracy native and San Francisco architect who has dug deeply into the history of the Tracy area before there was a town called Tracy, attracted a good-sized crowd to the Lolly Hansen Center on Wednesday night, Jan. 16, for his talk.
A couple of things Jeff said really registered with me.
One was that the string of Yokut native American settlements along the rivers and sloughs north of Tracy was one of the greatest concentrations of indigenous people in North America.
The other bit of information that struck me was that when the Spanish explorers arrived here in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, they found a good-sized lake extending south from what is now Old River.
Jeff estimates the lake, which the Spaniards called Laguna del Blanca, went as far south as where the old Holly Sugar factory was later located.
• Sam Matthews, Tracy Press publisher emeritus, can be reached at 830-4234 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:2e4d2960-a7cd-4eb9-81f3-82b2070e4fb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tracypress.com/view/full_story/21443572/article-Tracing-Tracy-Territory--Frosty-mornings-far-from-chilliest-weather?instance=news | 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 | 0.97837 | 879 | 2.03125 | 2 |
He's the pinata that keeps on giving. Reihan explains:
Paleocons, of course, despise Lincoln as a centralist tyrant. Liberals lionize him as one of their own: a partisan of human freedom, a strong state, and democracy. Quirkycons ("reformocons" seems self-serving) look to his strange mix of strong statism, Whiggish pefectionist moralism, the cult of self-reliance, and democratic triumphalism.
Leaving aside the now obviously endless niche-ification of being conservative, the thing that always tied Lincoln's 'strange mix' together and made it coherent was his unflinching Christianity. Though that too could be read as somewhat strange, its tracings in his political acts and, of course, political speeches show Lincoln's theology of Christian suffering as the saving unity by which he endured the great smiting of the Civil War and hoped humbly to call the rest of the American nation to endure. These are some of the most praiseworthy things I have to say about Lincoln, and by saying them, faithful readers might already know, I in no way intend to obscure the fact of US history that Lincoln resolved to bring that smiting and suffering upon large portions of Americans who exercised, through their elected representatives, their sovereign right to remain in the American nation but depart the American nation-state. (For the record, I can agree that the Deep South was a bit hasty, but the behavior of the Upper South -- particularly those states that had just voted for Bell's Constitutional Union ticket -- have got to be read in a much different light, seceding as they did when it became clear that they would have to invade their neighbors and, in all likelihood, become a battleground anyway, if any intellectual honesty is to be retained.)
So it is with a sideways grin that I found, in the Claremont Review, published from out there in Lincoln Country, this undazzled discussion of Lincoln and suffering from friend of these pages Bill McClay:
As Ernest Renan and other theorists of nationalism have insisted, the nation is constituted in large measure by the shared memories of sufferings and sacrifices past, sufferings and sacrifices that make the present generation willing to endure sufferings and sacrifices of its own—not only to keep what it has, but to keep faith with those who have come before. The role of memory is crucial; that is to say, the role of history. Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, with its invocation of the "mystic chords of memory," or the Gettysburg Address, with its gesture toward the "honored dead" as a source of inspiration and a spirit of rededication, are paradigmatic examples of such uses of the memory of suffering. We are willing to sacrifice in part because we see that the sacrifices of those who came before us have been honored, and we too wish to be honored, as they are. But what if those who came before us cease to be honored—what then?
McClay doesn't address the Christian aspect head-on, but, as I really don't think it's in controversy, I'll move to the more controversial claim, which is that Lincoln's religion was not just commingled rhetorically in his politics or even, as in the case of Obama, playing 'every role' in his approach to politics but was in fact only a portion of a larger and a truly political creed. Listen:
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
With the Framers as the fathers and the new world as the mother, then, the American nation was duly conceived -- in an act of conception, of not blood but seed and soil, as 'paleocon' as you can get in the mystic-nationality department. [See Ronald Garet, "Creation and Commitment: Lincoln, Thomas, and the Declaration of Independence." 65 Southern California Law Review 1477 (1992).] Funny then that Lincoln's chords of memory did not hum as far back as 1775, or indeed prior, during the many years when, as Tocqueville was memorious enough to know, the long tradition of ordered liberty began as a local undertaking that rose slowly upward from pilgrim township to sovereign state. This of course ruins the central premise of Lincoln's paleoconservative nationalism -- the holy moment of the immaculate American conception.
But by the time of his Second Inaugural -- roughly a month before he was killed -- Lincoln's theology of suffering emerged most fully in the connection between the most terribly ancient and most terribly fresh memory:
It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
The holy American founding could only survive in a new, rededicated birth of freedom in the knowledge that, despite the reckoning wherein neither the prayers of North nor South were answered, the sins of war borne by all did not break or desecrate the bonds of the nation but it fact purified them by a sacred transformation into repentance by a national resignation to just, if incomprehensible, suffering at the hands of God. Lincoln's devastated piety was quite literally the cross he bore -- the taking on of national sin which only he, as President, invader, conqueror, and Commander-in-Chief, could take on. Even before he was martyred, Lincoln was, and knew he was, the American Christ, and in so being he consecrated a political creed which included, but transcended, and, most strikingly, perfected America's philosemitic Christian creed. For only by the power of the state could the great sin and flaw of slavery be purged in blood.
* * *
Lincoln was not the only political theorist to have the strange fortune of being a suffering sovereign and accepting that role as proper and sacred. One fascinating study as yet unwritten would compare, in the tradition of Western political philosophy, those whose new political sciences created political creeds through the idealized vehicle of the suffering sovereign -- the earthly cognate of Christ as suffering servant -- with those who saw political creeds as needless because the purpose of politics was to reveal and institutionalize the needlessness of human suffering.
Here -- in a degree of contrast with, say, Strauss -- we would find the great divide between Machiavelli, whose prince was perhaps the first of the suffering sovereigns, and Hobbes, whose Leviathan created the conditions for commodious living while enjoying them himself (or themselves). But Hobbes was too complex a thinker to conceive of even his own perfect politics as triumphing on earth over the suffering of the soul. At least a third of Leviathan entirely concerns religion, specifically philosemitic Christianity, and his psychology of fevered action and withdrawn brooding patterns closely onto the Augustinian conception of the soul. Hobbes presented a world, not altogether different from Lincoln's, in which God spoke at the beginning and would speak again at the end, and the interim belonged to a hopeful, fragile, fallen humanity with recourse only to its poor powers to sojourn with dignity in a providential home never entirely ours.
Given this theology or psychology, the open question for politics is what role the sovereign is thus to play. The concentration of leadership, power, authority, and capacity becomes in significant part a concentration of suffering; so Machiavelli's prince must throw his whole life into governance, into constant preparation for war, eternal vigilance, and the existentially superhuman balancing act of being good without always seeming good and sometimes while doing bad -- all while citizens partake of glory and sacrifice without becoming consumed in the great, servile enterprise of statecraft, the centralized and unitary node of suffering in which all bucks, cosmic and earthly, stop here.
There are other models, of course, seeking for example to decentralize suffering and then distract us from it in the profitable business of satisfying particular interests. The main point is that the analytical concept of the suffering sovereign permits us to read the intellectual history of Western political thought in a new light that reveals enduring insights. Applied to Lincoln, it shows us a man both more paleoconservative than both anti-Lincoln and pro-Lincoln Americans might like to admit -- for different sets of reasons. Paleocons will see a figure more sympathetic than they would wish; freedom-loving progressive traditionalists will see the founder of a political creed that, for all its sweeping transcendence of religion, is inextricable from American particularism, addresses suffering with humiliated repentance rather than audacious hope, and cannot, by pen or sword, be converted successfully into the world's Fourth Great Religion. | <urn:uuid:6cc6aa94-6c07-4147-ad01-050e027ac525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pomoco.typepad.com/postmodern_conservative/2007/10/abraham-lincoln.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967508 | 2,065 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Gun control is a difficult, hotly debated and volatile topic that seems to evoke explosive responses from both sides. And with the recent Senate vote (April 18) rejecting effective background checks for firearms, I am not surprised that the issue is still in the foreground of people’s thoughts. There is a great article by Richard Eskow, where he says, “But is that an inalienable right [freedom to buy a gun on a whim with no checks], like the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? And, if so, what happens when those rights are in conflict?”
This is a valid question. One that is handled brilliantly by the British show The Thin Blue Line in the clip at the end of this article. Is delaying a person’s ability to get a gun quickly an infringement on their rights? Possibly. But even if it is, what is more important; the rights of one individual or the rights of the many people who make up a community? To me the answer is simple. However, lets take a step back and go through a series of steps.
The first step involves actually reading the Second Amendment. It states, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This specifically states “a regulated militia”. We no longer have these as such, so therefore it no longer applies. Today we have the police force to protect each community, so in essence they are the militia – with the exception that officers are now trained.
The very important second step to take into consideration is when this Amendment was written. This was adopted, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights, on December 15, 1791. This is vital because we had just been at war with England for eight long, hard years (ending 1783) and we did not have a well-established army. It was a time when farmers, shopkeepers, bakers – anybody who was able-bodied- was asked to pick up a gun and fight for our freedom. In fact, our first army – the Continental Army – was quickly thrown together on June 14, 1775 for the purpose of fighting the British in the Revolutionary War, and was made up mainly of former British Army personnel and colonial militias.
But what happened to the Continental Army after the Revolutionary War? It was disbanded. The government did not want a standing army. The troops were given land certificates and dismissed. This left state militias to hold down the fort. The only exception to this was a regiment to guard the Western Frontier and one battery of artillery to guard the arsenal at West Point. Then, with the conflicts with the Native Americans, another army was formed in 1791 – the Legion of the United States – but again the decision was made to disband just five years later. Once again, the government did not want a standing army. So the solution was a “well regulated militia” of ordinary citizens.
The third step is to acknowledge that there is no peaceful reason to want a gun. Its sole purpose and design is to inflict pain, and preferably, death. No one was more aware of this than Mrs. Sarah Winchester, wife of the gun magnate and creator of the Winchester Rifle, William Winchester. She was essentially driven mad by the death and destruction her husband’s invention caused. As a widow, she felt the only way she could appease the angry spirits of those who had died at the hands of his rifles was to build continuously. Her mansion in Northern California was under construction 24 hours a day from 1884 until her death on September 5, 1922. She made staircases that went to the ceiling and doors that led to nowhere in order to confuse the spirits. Prior to the 1906 earthquake the house stood seven stories high. Now it is only four. The house is now an attraction.
The fourth step is to look at countries that already have gun control laws in place. Have they been successful? Harvard School of Public Health has been able to show, using data from 26 developed countries, that wherever you find more guns, you find a higher rate of homicides. And in America with more than 300 million civilian firearms in circulation we have a murder rate that is roughly 15 times more than other wealthy countries.
Australia was one of the first to install gun reform laws that included the banning of assault weapons and shotguns, tightened licensing, and offered buyback programs after a 1996 rampage by a lone gunman that left 35 people dead. John Howard, the prime minister at the time even said, “We do not want the American disease imported into Australia.” So what are the hard-core statistics from these tough reforms? According to the American Journal of Law and Economics in a 2010 report, firearm homicides dropped 59 percent between 1995 and 2006. And according to further Harvard research, in the 18 years before the 1996 laws, there were 13 gun massacres (more than four deaths equals a massacre) resulting in 102 deaths, and zero since.
Great Britain also developed a ban on all private ownership of automatic weapons and virtually all handguns after a gunman killed 16 children and a teacher in Scotland, also in 1996. These new laws give Britain some of the toughest gun laws in the world. They, too, have shown a decline in homicides involving guns.
The mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 was a shock to many. Yet the country is still divided about gun regulations. In the 98 days since that disaster there have been 2,244 people that have lost their lives due to firearms. The Huffington Post has been keeping track and mapping these shootings.
With all the evidence at hand, I feel it is in all of our best interest to institute similar laws. Although many people feel that their freedom will be impinged with the institution of gun laws, I ask them to watch the following video. In this video, David Pakman discusses the correlation between gun ownership and freedom by using the latest data from the Small Arms Survey and the Freedom House Index. | <urn:uuid:ef8205df-a17a-4164-9e7d-364ce8442f3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allthingsdemocrat.com/page/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977981 | 1,238 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Courtyard and Cloister
- Description: View of the courtyard and cloister. Because the monastery was built on the grounds of a plant nursery, many tropical plants can be seen throughout the courtyard and monastery gardens such as the Hawaiian good luck plant pictured and palm tree pictured here.
- Keywords: courtyard, Ancient Spanish Monastery, St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church, cloister, monastery, tree, plant, Hawaiian good luck plant, palm tree
- TIFF File: A high resolution TIFF of Courtyard and Cloister (28.9 Mb) is available for download. This is a very large file suitable for printing. For most on-screen purposes, you should use the image displayed on this page instead of this TIFF.
- Source: Florida Center for Instructional Technology, Exploring Florida: Social Studies Resources
for Students and Teachers (Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, 2009)
- County: Miami-Dade
- Date of Photo: 7/31/2007
- Photographer: Roy Winkelman | <urn:uuid:c7cfe9d9-19e1-4bc8-b1c7-9a0e0fe40be5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/flassets/content/6600/fa6691/fa6691.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900792 | 216 | 2.109375 | 2 |
I’ve talked about dermoid ovarian cyst pictures before, but it seems that many people can’t get enough! Whether it’s the idea of seeing pictures of ovarian cysts with hair and teeth, or just the thought of some alien growing inside of us, there’s just an insatiable amount of curiosity on this subject. So I tried to see what else I could find…
This particular illustration came from an older book on the subject. The description is as follows:
Fig. 67. – Teeth from Ovarian Dermoid (From Coplin after Roberts).
An irregular branching piece of bone contained in a dermoid cyst of the ovary, in which are implanted well-formed teeth: 1, 1, Bony mass; 2, a tooth resembling a canine of the first dentition; 3, 3, 3, teeth resembling molars.
This next one is a little bit scary:
You can really see the developed teeth in it! This picture is from PathConsultDDX.
Finally, a post about pictures of ovarian cysts with hair and teeth would not be complete without a picture of one with hair in it. So without further ado…
This lovely hairball is from EndoGyn Wiki.
If you think your cyst is a little more complicated, complex ovarian cyst pictures can help you understand it. There are a lot of different types of complex ovarian cysts. Let’s look at pictures of a few of them.
I prefer ultrasounds in general, as that is what the doctor is more likely to show you.
This type of cyst is called a multiloculated ovarian cyst. It looks like a lot of bubbles close together. When a cyst looks like this, it is more likely to be cancerous. One extra detail doctors look for is the presence of papillary extensions – these look like fingers coming out. When these are present, the cyst has a higher likelihood of being cancerous.
These two photos show a before and after ultrasound of a complex cyst. You can see in the first one that the cyst was filled with fluid. When a cyst is partially filled with fluid, has a wall, or partially solid, it’s defined as complex. In this case, you can see that it resolved on its own without medical intervention.
Photos from Institute for Advanced Medical Education, Journal of Korean Medical Science,
Ever wonder what a ruptured ovarian cyst looks like? Well, here’s a picture:
You can see how it is deflated, without a bunch of fluid inside. Here is a diagram of an unruptured cyst, just to compare them…
You can see how unruptured cysts look like a large bag hanging off the ovary. Now, it doesn’t always hang like this. Also, most cysts dissolve before getting this large. A cyst like this would be at risk for rupturing.
What does a ruptured cyst feel like? INTENSE PAIN. It will feel like you can’t even move, the pain will be so sharp. It will generally be on just one side of the abdomen, and nothing you do will cause it to abate. If you know you have an ovarian cyst and you suddenly experience intense pain (like 9-10 on a scale of 1-10), go to your doctor. It’s important to rule out a twisted cyst or internal bleeding.
Once a cyst has burst, the ultrasound will show fluid in your abdomen. The ultrasound will look something like this:
Diagram from MayoClinic Health Library. Ruptured cyst photo from Ed Uthman via Flickr. Ultrasound from UltrasoundImages.com | <urn:uuid:911d6e5f-f811-4509-84c5-84bfb41059e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ovariancystpictures.com/category/ovarian-cyst-pictures/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943368 | 787 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Being an inaugural guest’s post, I hope that, while not up to the usual standards of this blog, the following content is not too far short either. By way of introduction: I am involved in the same reading group as N Pepperell, and have been invited to write some notes on several of the texts we cover. Our reading so far has aimed at doing a potted history of 20th century linguistics, and our path has arrived at Chomsky’s “Language and Mind”.
My apologies in advance for what might seem a naive and anachronistic take – none of our group are linguists by training, and therefore we have stumbling through what is no doubt a fragmentary and selected course. And I apologise for the prolixity of this, an inaugural guest’s post… In any case, what Chomsky presents in this 1968 version of his account of language is roughly as follows: there are 6 lectures, split into 2 groups of 3. The first group of 3 were based on lectures delivered at Berkeley in ’67; the second group were delivered to different audiences at different times. In this light, the didactic purpose of the book becomes clear in moving through it: Chomksy is presenting, to different audiences, in more or less technical detail, 3 distinct ideas.
Firstly, he presents in a number of guises the idea of universal grammar – where grammar is a set of rules which determine the matching of a given sound to a given meaning. Meanings belong, according to the universal grammar thesis, to a deep semantic structure; sounds belong to a surface phonological structure; and what connects the two are syntactic rules.
Secondly, he presents the related but not, in my view, essential idea that such a system is both required by all human languages, and acquired too quickly by human individuals to be accounted for by a range of cultural, social or environmental stimuli. Instead, using the Poverty of the Stimulus argument commented upon elsewhere in this blog, this system must be innate.
Thirdly, the “innateness” thesis connects his, that is to say Chomsky’s view, with a broad, important but largely forgotten tradition of rationalism (long since eclipsed by the rise of empiricism in general, and behavioralism in particular, in the human sciences).
At this stage I want to comment about one aspect of Chomsky’s argument: that semantic deep structures exist prior to their transformation into phonological surface structures. At least in his account here, it seems that every sentence – even assuming for now that in a normative account, sentences can be taken for meaning “informational statements” – must exist in some ready-made semantic form before it can go through some transformational process. However this account seems to me to miss a key aspect of language production – that most sentences develop in time. While a well-formed sentence may be reverse-engineered into into its constituent parts – into noun phrases, verb phrases and so on – it seems unlikely to me that this is how such sentences are always generated in the first place. Such analysis misses the essential fact of language utterances – that they exhibit a linearity, insofar as the start of a sentence is always before the end of the sentence. The following is a tentative stab at how I think this argument could unfold:
When I make a sentence, I can proceed in a number of ways. I can start with some logical proposition I wish to convey, then determine which is the best form for the conveyance (moulding some semantic content into phonetic or othographic form via syntactic transformations, in the Chomskyan way). But this is only one of a number of ways I can proceed. I can start with a particular phrase (“Notwithstanding Chomsky’s insightful analysis…”), then proceed with what may seem a logical extension (“… I disagree with his theory of the innateness of language”). I can also recant: “… well, actually, I agree with his analysis”). I can also forget where I ‘was’, or simply allow my semantic content to remain, perhaps wistfully, unexpressed: “…”. I can perform a number of acts, but none of those acts are irrevocably determined by some original semantic content which remains intact throughout the duration of the act. Even the original phase (“Notwithstanding Chomsky’s insightful analysis…”) does not establish a determinate meaning for the sentence in which it is found – my subsequent words can serve to undercut – with sarcasm or irony; to frame – by quoting or paraphrasing; to emphasise, castigate, or perform a number of acts which alter the meaning of an existing phrase or sentence. Chomsky’s examples always assume that a speaker who has considered what she or he wants to say before saying it, and remains committed to the saying of it at least until the saying is said – but of course there are many examples, mundane and famous, which run counter to this.
It might seem that this sort of criticism echoes those of pragmatists generally, and Searle in particular. However what is striking to me is not that sentences can do things other than make statements of fact, but rather that even when making a statement of fact, I can alter the meaning of the statement significantly at any time during its utterance. This is trivially true, in that I can always proceed as teenagers do when they append “…not!” at the end of sentence. So the point would be that it is empirically contingent for any given well-formed sentence as to whether its meaning had been determined entirely in advance of its utterance – and therefore could have undergone the sorts of sentence-wide syntactic transformations (active to passive, and so on) that Chomsky proposes. On the other hand, it seems equally plausible that for a number of sentences the syntactic form is prior to the semantic content – as in question-and-answers routines, where the answer’s syntax mirrors that of the question (“who saw Bill” – “John saw Bill” versus “who was Bill seen by?” – “Bill was seen by John“). Of particular importance in this regard is that it is possible for me to be committed to the syntax of a sentence I am about to make, before I know what I am going to say. How could I then, consciously or otherwise, apply rules to get to a known syntactic construction (for instance, a passive construction) from some as-yet unknown semantic meaning?
This is not to say, at the level of a phrase, and indeed for many sentences, there may not be processes at work transforming meaning into sound the way Chomsky describes – indeed this may even be the normative case. However it seems to me that there are many other ways sentences can be formed, and these show that a more complex relationship exists between the semantic, syntactic and phonological parts of a sentence than what Chomsky – circa 1968 – will allow.
Quite possibly, later Chomsky or other more recent accounts resolve this problem in some way – if indeed it is a problem. Meanwhile, we are now moving on to How to do Things with Words… | <urn:uuid:c6e950de-e2bf-4417-8095-016f6f73d75b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://roughtheory.org/2006/10/30/chomskys-language-and-mind/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963224 | 1,506 | 2.296875 | 2 |
All of us with nothing at stake always seem inclined to think Maritime Union would be a good thing. Most acknowledge it is highly unlikely to happen. Fun to see it back on the agenda, however.
Historical analogies? Actually, maritime union was not a serious proposition in 1864 either. None of the Maritime legislatures were at all serious about it when they sent delegates to the conference in Charlottetown.
Worst reason to stay separate? Last night some expert pointed out that PEI, as a province, is entitled to four seats in Parliament. No longer a province, it might have one -- Big Loss! Yeah, but it's not as if those four actually do anything for the Island. If the Island elects Tories, they support the Tory line. If it elects Liberals, they support the Liberal line. A couple of extra tally sticks to throw in ain't really influence.
What to call the new province? The National Post suggests "Nova Brunsward," which is another reason it ain't going to go anywhere. But obviously the name should be The United Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The three places really exist, and merging their governments would not change that, so why try to erase their names? The U.P. -- I could go for that. | <urn:uuid:c7e56a65-ca15-4e9e-a7a3-a060980f2865> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://christophermoorehistory.blogspot.com/2012/12/maritime-union.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972306 | 272 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Bureau graduate and
5 July 2011
As climate change moves to centre-stage on the world's radar, more young people are coming to see meteorology as a compelling career choice – offering as many personal rewards as it does professional achievements.
From monitoring weather in the remotest reaches of the Outback, to preparing urgent cyclone and flood warnings, or contributing to global knowledge on long-term climate patterns, a career with the Bureau of Meteorology offers some of the most inspiring and indispensable work in the scientific world.
While universities are offering more options to study meteorology and the atmospheric sciences, the Bureau provides a unique opportunity for undergraduates to 'fast-track' their careers through three 10-month graduate and trainee programs. These Melbourne-based programs offer hands-on training with the cutting-edge facilities and an ideal path to a career with a world-class scientific agency.
With a strong emphasis on practical analysis, the Graduate Meteorology program covers the key skills required to analyse the atmosphere and oceans, interpret satellite and radar data, and provide weather-related forecasts, warnings and information. Graduates receive a nationally accredited Graduate Diploma, qualifying them to work as weather forecasters, and opening windows to specialise in severe weather, tropical meteorology, aviation and climatology.
Budding technicians will learn the inner workings of the most sophisticated meteorological equipment, from automated weather stations to cloud and visibility sensors, radar systems, weather balloons and state-of-the-art data communications systems. Armed with the electronic theory and the skills to manage these instruments, graduates can go on to support vital projects across Australia, the Antarctic and overseas.
This intensive program covers the practical skills needed to become a proficient weather observer, ranging from the use of complex instrumentation to the analysis and presentation of surface and atmospheric weather data, and the administration of data networks and field stations. With 60 offices across Australia, the Bureau is well placed to provide postings to enthusiastic observers looking for rich and rewarding careers.
Our graduate and trainee programs commence in January and February. Applications for the Electronics program open on 14 July and those for the Weather Observer program opens on 28 July. Applications for the 2012 Graduate Meteorology program have now closed. | <urn:uuid:88dffa78-de65-4a7e-aeed-df93123d1a9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bom.gov.au/social/2011/07/graduate-trainee-programs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927494 | 453 | 2.15625 | 2 |
The NIH Director
NIH Director's Response to Stem Cell Injunction
August 26, 2010
"Human embryonic stem cell research holds great promise for the development of treatments for people threatened by potentially curable diseases. The recent court ruling that halted the federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research could cause irreparable damage and delay potential breakthroughs to improve care for people living with serious diseases and conditions such as spinal cord injury, diabetes, or Parkinson’s disease. The injunction threatens to stop progress in one of the most encouraging areas of biomedical research, just as scientists are gaining momentum—and squander the investment we have already made. The possibility of using these cells to replace those that have been damaged by disease or injury is one of the most breathtaking advances we can envision. Human embryonic stem cells also represent a powerful new approach to the early stages of screening for new drugs, and may hold the secrets to creating entirely new, targeted clinical therapies. We must move forward—without delay—to sustain this field of research that provides so much hope for thousands of patients and their families."
Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., Director, National Institutes of Health | <urn:uuid:98d3bb6d-0c56-4342-a019-e5a23a72e8af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nih.gov/about/director/08262010statement_stemcellinjunction.htm | 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 | 0.934318 | 240 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Learn how colonial children were clothed.
Pudding caps and skeleton suits had a place in the child's wardrobe.
An Eighteenth-Century Paper Doll
See how a girl gets ready for her day in the 1700s.
by Phyllis Putman | <urn:uuid:a3367e99-6672-4504-83ad-ad194add76b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.history.org/history/clothing/children/index.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910827 | 54 | 2.171875 | 2 |
my lovely gf is coming home for xmas soon and she has a 29gal fw tank. she has multiple kinds of fish. she normaly gets one of those pyramids for when she goes away for a few days however this time she will be coming home for 2 weeks. she doesnt know what to do about her fish. what do you suggest?
What kind of fish does she have? Do you know what kind if filter?
I am never fond of those vacation feeders. Most fish can last several weeks without feeding. Before she leaves, feed the fish heavy (probably several feedings during the day), wait awhile, then clean the filter, perform a WC and lite gravel cleaning (not to disturb gravel). Then enjoy the vacation. I prefer those automatic feeders. Just set it to feed about a week after she has gone.
Can she have someone come in to feed them every few days? If the tank is large enough, the vacation feeder shouldn't spoil the water. I don't know about leaving them for a couple weeks without food -- would they not start picking on each other?
They shouldn't pick on each other, unless she has predatory fish and the other tankmates are small. What kind of fish does she have?
She can have someone come in once a week. Aside from feeding, perform a water change, but after awhile of the feeding.
Don't allow the person access to the full container, they may feed too much. It's best to use one of those 1-Day 4 Compartment Pill Reminder and place enough fish food in each container for each feeding. This way, they won't be able to overfeed if given the whole fish food container.
If she has a timer for the lights, set the timer to only go on about 4 hours a day, so the fish sleep or rest most of the day.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:02 AM.|
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2 | <urn:uuid:65ed9ff5-891f-4946-ad56-120c66a49af3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/printthread.php?t=1848 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96719 | 448 | 1.875 | 2 |
Bibliography, Footnotes, and Endnotes
As mentioned earlier, you will need a works cited list (often called a bibliography) at the end of your paper. This will list all the books, articles, Web sites, interviews, and other sources you referenced or quoted throughout your paper. You should start making this list before you even complete an outline; sometimes, you may even want to start making the list before you come up with a thesis. As soon as you find a work you think you'll use, write down all the bibliographical information. This should be done in the documentation style format you'll be using for your paper, such as the MLA style. You can always remove a source from your list if you find that it isn't needed, but going back to gather the information is a nuisance.
There will be times when you will not want to remove those unused items, however. Frequently, papers will be required to have a bibliography that lists books on the subject for further research. These lists will never be complete for normal student research papers or dissertations. An exhaustive bibliography of all works on almost any subject takes many, many pages. In fact, books that are nothing but bibliographies have been published.
Bibliographies published as books or articles without any associated paper are generally annotated, and often students are asked to annotate their own works cited lists. To annotate, you simply add a sentence or two after the publication information for the work's entry. These sentences will discuss the thoughts presented in the work and perhaps mention how useful the work is as a whole.
Footnotes and endnotes are a touchy subject. Some professors don't like them. Some documentation styles require that you use footnotes or endnotes to refer to the cited work. Using footnote citation is popular with some people who claim that the internal citation method used by the MLA is distracting. They want the information available if they want to investigate the idea further, but they don't want their reading pace interrupted by a parenthetical reference to an author and page number.
In general, there are two reasons to use a footnote or endnote:
To cite a work. This should always be used if the documentation style requires it, and never used if your documentation style asks for internal citation.
To provide information interesting or relevant to your paper's discussion, but still tangential. These should be kept to a minimum, and as mentioned earlier, some evaluators may not like them, in which case they should be eliminated entirely.
There aren't many instances where the information you would put into a footnote can't be worked into the regular text of your argument.
With modern word-processing software, endnotes and footnotes are very easy to create. Generally, it's a matter of opening a menu and choosing whether you want a footnote or an endnote. Most software will keep track of the numbering of your notes and will automatically adjust them if you delete or add a note. | <urn:uuid:9c036028-594f-4013-b495-7d2146feaaf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netplaces.com/improve-your-writing/academic-writing-research-papers-masters-theses-and-dissertations/bibliography-footnotes-and-endnotes.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943062 | 611 | 3.421875 | 3 |
Message from the DeanWelcome to the Robert B. Trull School of Sciences and Mathematics.
To anyone other than a mathematician, a fractal is simply a beautiful piece of art, or perhaps a repeated pattern in nature such as a nautilus shell or a sunflower. A mathematician, however, knows that this repeated math set is defined with much more complexity. Yes, a complex set may produce a beautiful picture, but a close inspection of the pattern finds that it is built on a reliable, repeated sequence. This is a metaphor for the School of Sciences and Mathematics. There is innovation and creativity that is producing beautiful work from our students, but that innovation and creativity is built on a solid pattern of good teaching.
At the School of Sciences and Mathematics, you will find a dedicated group of inspiring and innovative faculty who love to work with students. You will find staff committed to student success. And you will find upper-level students who actively seek out freshmen to counsel and guide, serving as mentors. Our students engage in challenging coursework in the classroom and meaningful, real-world experience outside the classroom. They provide community service by mentoring in the schools and organizing charity events. They work hard and they play hard. Come visit us and see what it means to learn science and math by heart.
Dr. Diana Comuzzie | <urn:uuid:74898c86-19f5-468c-801a-14f86b7a7051> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schreiner.edu/academics/trull/dean-message.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96593 | 270 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Patron Saint of Scouting
In Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell referred
to the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian Legend and to St. George
who was their Patron Saint. He then went on:
"He is also the Patron Saint of Scouts everywhere. Therefore all Scouts should know his story. St. George was typical of what a Scout should be.
When he was faced by a difficulty or danger, however great it appeared, even in the shape of a dragon - he did not avoid it or fear it but went at it with all the power he could ... That is exactly the way a Scout should face a difficulty or danger no matter how great or how terrifying it may appear. He should go at it boldly and confidently, using every power that he can to try and overcome it, and the probability is that he will succeed.
St. George's Day is April 23, and on that day, Scouts remind themselves of their Promise and Scout Law. Not that a Scout ever forgets either but, on St. George's Day, he makes a special point of thinking about them. Remember this when April 23 comes round again."
So, the Sunday nearest to St. George's Day has become an annual occasion for Canadian Scouts to hold ceremonies when they reaffirm their Promise and acknowledge the Scout Law in a national act of dedication.
St. George in History and in Legend
It is thought that St. George came from Cappadocia in Asia Minor and lived at the time of the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, AD 245 to 313, and became a high ranking cavalry officer in the Army of Rome. He refused to carry out Diocletian's orders for Christian persecution and, in consequence, suffered torture and death himself.
He was canonized in AD 494, Pope Gelasius proclaiming him one of those "whose names are justly revered among men but whose acts are known only to God."
The legend of St. George, which is an allegory illustrating the triumph of good over evil, tells how he rode into the city of Silene in what is now Libya, to find the people terrorized by a dragon which was fed daily with one of the citizens. The next victim was to be Cleolinda, daughter of the King, but St. George rode out, slew the dragon and freed the people from their oppressor.
Thus, whether in the context of history or legend, to Baden-Powell, St. George epitomized the qualities of selflessness and both moral and physical courage which he saw as being among the aims of Scouting. | <urn:uuid:25de2973-dd51-43ab-ad71-74bce4784d9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://my.tbaytel.net/scouts/councilinfo/st_george.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976264 | 537 | 3.125 | 3 |
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, foreign policy journal editor Mackubin Thomas Owens argued against repealing a ban on gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military by claiming it would "undermine the nonsexual bonding essential to unit cohesion"; Family Research Council senior fellow Peter Sprigg made a similar claim during the February 2 broadcast of MSNBC's Hardball. But those claims are heavily undermined by the fact that other countries allow gay men and lesbians to serve in the military and have not experienced issues with "cohesion."
Loading the player ...
In a Journal op-ed, Owens claims repealing DADT law would "undermine" "unit cohesion"
From Owens' February 3 Wall Street Journal op-ed:
The congressional findings supporting the 1993 law (section 654 of title 10, United States Code) reflect the common-sense observation that military organizations exist to win wars. To maximize the chances of battlefield success, military organizations must overcome the paralyzing effects of fear on the individual soldier and what the famous Prussian war theorist Carl von Clausewitz called "friction" and the "fog of uncertainty."
This they do by means of an ethos that stresses discipline, morale, good order and unit cohesion. Anything that threatens the nonsexual bonding that lies at the heart of unit cohesion adversely affects morale, disciple and good order, generating friction and undermining this ethos. Congress at the time and many today, including members of the military and members of Congress from both parties, believe that service by open homosexuals poses such a threat.
Accordingly, the military stresses such martial virtues as courage, both physical and moral, a sense of honor and duty, discipline, a professional code of conduct, and loyalty. It places a premium on such factors as unit cohesion and morale. The glue of the military ethos is what the Greeks called philia -- friendship, comradeship or brotherly love. Philia, the bond among disparate individuals who have nothing in common but facing death and misery together, is the source of the unit cohesion that most research has shown to be critical to battlefield success.
Philia depends on fairness and the absence of favoritism. Favoritism and double standards are deadly to philia and its associated phenomena -- cohesion, morale and discipline -- are absolutely critical to the success of a military organization.
The presence of open homosexuals in the close confines of ships or military units opens the possibility that eros -- which unlike philia is sexual, and therefore individual and exclusive -- will be unleashed into the environment. Eros manifests itself as sexual competition, protectiveness and favoritism, all of which undermine the nonsexual bonding essential to unit cohesion, good order, discipline and morale.
FRC's Sprigg: "[T]he presence of homosexuals in the military is incompatible with good order, morale, discipline, and unit cohesion." On the February 2 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Sprigg -- who once said he would "prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States" -- claimed that "the presence of homosexuals in the military is incompatible with good order, morale, discipline, and unit cohesion. That's exactly what Congress found in 1993. And that's what the law states." Aubrey Sarvis of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network replied that "there is no data, there is no evidence, there is no study whatsoever that you can point to, to support that outrageous statement."
Experts say claims that "don't ask, don't tell" preserves "unit cohesion" are not supported by studies or experience
Award-winning Joint Force Quarterly essay: Unit cohesion argument "not supported by any scientific studies." In an essay published in the fourth quarter 2009 issue of Joint Force Quarterly -- which is "published for the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, by the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University" -- Col. Om Prakash wrote of "don't ask, don't tell": "[T]he stated premise of the law -- to protect unit cohesion and combat effectiveness -- is not supported by any scientific studies." The essay won the 2009 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition.
At least 25 nations -- including many U.S. allies -- allow military service by openly gay people. According to the Palm Center, as of June 2009, 25 nations allowed military service by openly gay people, including North America Treaty Organization member countries Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
None of the 104 experts interviewed for studies believed decisions to lift gay bans in U.K., Canada, Israel, or Australia undermined cohesion. In a 2003 article for Parameters, the U.S. Army War College Quarterly, Aaron Belkin, a University of California at Santa Barbara professor who specializes in sexuality and the military, wrote that the university's Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military had conducted studies of the impact of the decisions to lift bans on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military in the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, and Australia, and found: "Not a single one of the 104 experts interviewed believed that the Australian, Canadian, Israeli, or British decisions to lift their gay bans undermined military performance, readiness, or cohesion, led to increased difficulties in recruiting or retention, or increased the rate of HIV infection among the troops." According to Belkin: "To prepare the case studies, every identifiable pro-gay and anti-gay expert on the policy change in each country was interviewed, including officers and enlisted personnel, ministry representatives, academics, veterans, politicians, and nongovernmental observers. During each interview, experts were asked to recommend additional contacts, all of whom were contacted."
GAO: Other countries say allowing gays to serve openly "has not created problems in the military." In a June 1993 report to Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) studied four countries that allow gay men and lesbians to serve in the military -- Canada, Israel, Germany, and Sweden -- and found that military officials said "the presence of homosexuals has not created problems in the military because homosexuality is not an issue in the military or in society at large." It also found that "[m]ilitary officials from each country said that, on the basis of their experience, the inclusion of homosexuals in their militaries has not adversely affected unit readiness, effectiveness, cohesion, or morale." GAO wrote that it chose those four countries to study because they "generally reflect Western cultural values yet still provide a range of ethnic diversity" and have similarly sized militaries. | <urn:uuid:14631329-9ec7-4d86-bea7-02633d414b3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mediamatters.org/research/2010/02/03/conservatives-attack-on-dadt-repeal-affecting-u/159972 | 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 | 0.943576 | 1,348 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Pet therapy classes set for Feb. 7 at PetSmart
Dog owners participate in a recent pet therapy class at PetSmart.
MSHA Communications Manager, Communications & Marketing
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Pet therapy is a great way to help patients take their minds off their illnesses or injuries, and soon, area dog owners will have a chance to participate in this program.
Mountain States Health Alliance, in partnership with PetSmart, will offer Pet Therapy training classes starting Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. Classes will meet weekly for six weeks at PetSmart in Johnson City.
This program will prepare dogs for testing for Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dogs International certification. These certifications are required to volunteer as a pet therapy team for MSHA.
Dogs must be one year old to test. A current vaccination record is required, and participants must register to attend.
“We see this as just one of the ways we can provide comfort and support for our patients,” said Lisa James, RNBC, Patient-Centered Care education coordinator for Mountain States Health Alliance. The Pet Therapy program is part of MSHA’s Patient-Centered Care department.
“Recent studies have shown that a person holding or petting an animal will have a decrease in blood pressure, a release of strain and tension, and may be drawn out from loneliness and depression. The decrease in anxiety is wonderful. These dogs help take the patient’s mind off their illness,” James said.
Tuition for the class is $109. For more information, call Lisa James, RNBC, at 423-431-1678 or email@example.com; Van Cooper at 423-431-6681 or firstname.lastname@example.org; or Fran Hutchins at 423-282-5568.
About Mountain States Health Alliance
Mountain States Health Alliance, a not-for-profit health care organization based in Johnson City, Tenn., operates a family of hospitals serving a 29-county, four-state region (Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Southeastern Kentucky and Western North Carolina). MSHA offers a large tertiary hospital, several community hospitals, two critical access hospitals, rehabilitation, a children’s hospital, a behavioral health hospital, home care and hospice services as well as a comprehensive medical management corporation. Its 13,500 team members, associated physicians and volunteers are committed to its mission of bringing loving care to health care. For more information, visit www.msha.com.
Photo cutline: Dog owners participate in a recent pet therapy class at PetSmart. | <urn:uuid:6a5db392-aca4-47dc-afa9-ca36c43d0e39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.msha.com/Articles/pet_therapy_classes_set_for_feb_7_at_petsmart.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907181 | 543 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Recent selections from around the web that, we think, would have caught Peter Drucker’s eye:
1. Why We Lie: We tend to think of people as being cheaters or straight arrows. But chances are, you’re a little of both, explains Dan Ariely in The Wall Street Journal. Indeed, most folks view themselves as being basically honest, but they cheat—just a little: “Although it is obviously important to pay attention to flagrant misbehaviors, it is probably even more important to discourage the small and more ubiquitous forms of dishonesty—the misbehavior that affects all of us, as both perpetrators and victims.”
2. Who in Your Company Can Say “Yes” to Innovation, Without Permission?: It’s tempting for people at the top to relegate the job of conceiving innovative ideas to lower-level employees, say Vijay Govindarajan and Mark Sebell on the HBR Blog, especially because innovation often means failure. But that’s counterproductive. “Big innovation requires the active engagement of an executive sponsor,” they write, “someone who can provide the needed resources and protect a fledgling project from getting killed by naysayers.”
3. Cataloguing the Rats in JPMorgan Chase’s Granary: Bouncing off the remark by Charlie Munger that Wall Street traders “have all the social utility of a bunch of rats admitted to a granary,” Steve Denning writes in Forbes that there’s a deeper story to the trades-gone-wrong made by Bruno Iksil at JPMorgan Chase. The real problem is that firms have made their sole purpose that of maximizing shareholder value. “It is time to eliminate this pervasive nonsense from business thinking,” Denning asserts, “and re-devote the energies of business to what Peter Drucker recognized in 1973 as ‘the only valid purpose of a firm,’ namely, creating customers.”
4. The Dx Comment of the Week: In response to our post “This Post Is Really Innovative,” in which we asked what sort of things merited the description of being “innovative,” reader Horst Lehrheuer offered this:
Even though I agreed with Peter Drucker’s simple definition of innovation, ‘the task of giving human and material resources new and greater wealth-producing capacity,’ throughout most of my life, today, in the sixth decade of my life, I would rather open the definition of innovation up to: Innovation is the act of giving human and material resources new and greater wellbeing-producing capacity. Wellbeing for me just doesn’t only include financial wellbeing (i.e. wealth) but it also includes social and environmental wellbeing, as well as human health. | <urn:uuid:b2f05931-1a58-4796-92ba-10716f74590a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedx.druckerinstitute.com/2012/05/what-peter-drucker-would-be-reading-4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944787 | 592 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Justin DeVoe was recently featured in a Star-Ledger story as the "tattoo-covered teacher" making literature cool for students at Newark Leadership Academy, an alternative high school funded by the Facebook money.
In response, we received a letter from a reader questioning whether any teacher with prominent body art could be a good role model for students. It's quite true, as Herbert Glickman wrote, that visible body markings aren't a great entree to the professional world.
But that's no reason to refuse this teacher any Facebook money. Presumably, DeVoe was hired at this experimental high school because he's good at connecting with students who failed in a more traditional setting. And if he's demonstrated success, that far outweighs his quirky look.
After all, body art is just one of many factors that will be weighed for a job applicant – and its import depends on the particular position being filled and the talents of the person interviewing. Immature, unprofessional college students in blue jeans and hoodies have been known to do rather well at multi-billion dollar technology companies, as anyone who's seen the Facebook movie knows.
Our hope is that students don't follow his example, though. That kind of tattoo coverage could limit a kid's career options 10-years down the road. DeVoe has found his niche, but others might not. So please, kids, listen to DeVoe's teachings. But steer clear of his fashion sense. | <urn:uuid:0f595cad-d8b6-4f02-8a30-cb054637c4df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2011/09/tattoo-covered_teacher_in_newa.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979754 | 296 | 1.648438 | 2 |
LIBERTY—Liberty High will be hosting a blood drive this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. sponsored by the Liberty High School JROTC and the Blood Connection.
School officials are asking the community to get involved.
“We’re trying to reach out to the adults in the community to come out and give blood,” said Major Ben Ivey. “You can call the office and sign up for a time, or you can walk in.”
Anyone 16 years or older can give blood, but 16-year olds must have a permission slip filled out by a parent or guardian. Donors must weigh at least 100 pounds.
The drive will take place in the auxiliary gym at the high school.
“We usually do two drives, but we are trying to do three this year,” said Ivey. “It’s just to help save lives. For some time there has been a blood shortage at the blood bank. We never know when we may need it ourselves. We’re just trying to help the community out and we’re trying to save lives. One pint of blood could save up to three lives.”
Ivey says functions like this one help the members of JROTC learn valuable life lessons.
“It helps the JROTC to be involved in making a difference in other people’s lives,” said Ivey. “This is one of the many things that we do, but we do this to help them realize how important it is to help other people.”
Ivey says he would encourage everyone in the community to give a little bit of their Thursday up for a worthy cause.
“Once you do it, it makes you feel good,” said Ivey. “One hour of your time to give one pint of blood might help save up to three lives.”
For more information, call 864-397-2633. | <urn:uuid:9bb66bc2-010d-4c99-8da7-0cc9a3a7e6fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pickenssentinel.com/view/full_story/20101632/article-Liberty-High-hosting-a-blood-drive-this-Thursday?instance=popular | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960825 | 417 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Generally, coverage of alternative treatments is limited and differs depending on your state and insurer. However, most insurance plans and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) do offer coverage for services from a
chiropractor, and virtually all cover osteopathic physician services. Additionally, some mind-body techniques have found their way into the insurability mainstream (eg,
What Therapies Are Considered Unconventional?
Known as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), these therapies can be used in conjunction with or in the place of conventional medicine. The main commonality among these therapies is that they are not considered part of conventional Western medicine; indeed, many are imported from Asia, Europe, or elsewhere. However, the line between CAM and conventional medicine is not always clear. The complete list of CAM therapies is quite lengthy, but some examples can be found in the article Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine: What's What?.
Who Is Using CAM?
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Heath, more than one-third of US adults use some form of CAM.
History of CAM Coverage in the US
For as long as there’s been medicine, patients have had numerous healing alternatives from which to choose. Many of the most popular CAM therapies have been around for centuries (eg, homeopathy) if not millennia (eg,
). In the past 15 or 20 years, however, CAM has enjoyed a resurgence of interest among US consumers, a trend that has not escaped the attention of insurers. What accounts for CAM’s renewed popularity? Some of the many factors include:
- The internet offers access to health information on general and alternative therapies, empowering consumers to seek out and embrace novel approaches to healing and wellness.
- Ever-increasing cultural diversity has influenced the demand for a variety of healing practices among immigrant populations.
- Escalating costs and decreasing patient satisfaction have encouraged many Americans to explore alternatives to what they perceive as an inefficient health care system that does not meet their standards for quality care.
When surveys discovered the number of Americans using CAM who were willing to pay out-of-pocket for services, insurers felt some pressure to include at least some of these treatments in their plans. This was despite the fact that scientific evidence did not uniformly support their effectiveness (and still does not for some types of treatment).
Choose Your Insurer—If Not Your State—Carefully: Some Are More CAM-friendly Than Others
Coverage of CAM is largely determined on a state-by-state basis, but certain plans are more flexible than others, so don’t be shy about inquiring into your options.
As mentioned, most plans cover
osteopathic manipulation. This is because chiropractic is the third largest medical profession in the country after regular MDs and dentists, having licensure in all states. Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs) have legal standing identical to MDs in all states, as well. Acupuncture has gained licensure in many states as of late, a good example of how consumer interest can influence state regulators. Beyond these more pervasive CAM practices, some plans also cover treatments such as massage,
biofeedback, and even medical
hypnosis. One popular area of CAM that is almost never covered by insurance is dietary and herbal supplements.
When considering CAM treatment, it is important to compare the amount of your deductible to the cost of the treatment. In addition, most insurers only pay for a limited number of visits, which is usually far fewer that the number recommended for complete treatment. If you know you will be using CAM services in the future, one option is to purchase a "policy rider," which is extra insurance that covers CAM treatments. These are available from a number of reputable insurance companies.
Health Spending Accounts and CAM
Health Spending Accounts, also known as HSAs, are savings accounts specifically set aside to pay for healthcare services that are often offered outside traditional health insurance plans. And you
permitted to pay for most CAM treatments with most HSA funds. Although you are spending your own money from these accounts, the money you put in is tax deductible, which can mean great savings. For more information on the types of HSA accounts available, see
Health Spending Accounts: A Compliment to Regular Insurance. | <urn:uuid:ad6b68da-b7e6-4c82-8cf4-949adba2b0db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/HolisticHealth/HealthcareCenter.aspx?ChunkID=134146 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95877 | 892 | 2.375 | 2 |
Saturday April 26 2008
And so our ongoing project to learn about evidence through nonsense enters its sixth improbable year. This week, the assembled celebrity community and vitamin pill industry will walk us through the pitfalls of reading through a systematic review and meta-analysis from the Cochrane Collaboration, an international not for profit organisation set up 15 years ago to create transparent, systematic, unbiased reviews of the medical literature on everything from drugs, through surgery, to community interventions. Last week Cochrane produced a comprehensive, gold standard review, looking at 67 trials describing the experiences of 230,000 people, which showed that antioxidant vitamin pills do not reduce deaths, and in fact may increase your chance of dying. [Summary here, full document here, plain language summary on page 2].
In the Health Food Manufacturers Association press release, both Gloria Hunniford and Sir Cliff Richard issued their own definitive refutations. Carole Caplin explained: “It must be obvious to everyone who hasn’t got a vested interest in supplements that this review is absolute rubbish, it contains fundamental flaws.” In a press release issued on behalf of the food supplement industry. Criticising an academic collaboration which does not accept any corporate funding.
So what were these flaws? The entire pill community were worried by the way that trials were selected for inclusion in the group analysis. Dr Rajendra Sharma, ex-head of the Harley Street-ish Hale Clinic – a man who advertises his use of a “bioresonance” machine called the Quantum Xrroid Consciousness Interface to diagnose his patients – explained science to the nation on More4 News. “The writers of this study started with 16,000 studies, and we’re asking the question why did it go down to 68, clearly there’s a bias that we’re not yet quite sure about.”
Let the mystery be revealed. The answer to his question can be found in figure 1 on page 156 of the Cochrane report (which of course he read). Of the 16,111 studies which the Cochrane authors found – by using various search terms in various databases – 12,703 were duplicates, 983 were in children and so not applicable to this review’s predescribed remit, and so on.
Carole Caplin picks up the ball. “With nearly 750 studies to choose from, why did the researchers manage to focus on just 67? That’s less than nine per cent of the total number of clinical trials on antioxidants available.” Well, Carole. Many of those trials were excluded simply because they were not the type of trials being looked at in the study – in accordance with the standard protocol for Cochrane reviews – but 400 trials were excluded because there were no deaths in them. This Cochrane review was a study of deaths, comparing deaths on antioxidant pills to deaths on placebo pills. You need deaths to be reported to put a trial in such an analysis.
These deathless trials were mostly small and brief, representing only 40,000 people in total (page 5, kids). But in any case, as a precaution, the Cochrane authors did a re-analysis of their 230,000 people data, adding in hypothetical fake data, for the 40,000 people, with one death in each of the vitamin and placebo groups: it made no difference. Carole may have skipped that part of the 191 page Cochrane report which she read in full and understood [it's on page 7].
“This isn’t even a new study,” continues Caplin: “it’s simply a re-hash of old work which was widely criticised in 2007 for its inaccuracies.” Interesting point, Carole. This was indeed a reworking of an earlier review published in the journal JAMA, but updated, and in the format required by Cochrane, resulting in a report about 10 times longer than the original journal article. I should hope it did incorporate criticisms from previous work in the same area: this is the whole point of publishing papers, and opening them to informed criticism.
A key question with all research is how to apply it in practice. Are the interventions in the study comparable to the decisions in your real life? “The analysis largely focused on extraordinarily and atypically high doses of antioxidant vitamins,” explained David Adams of the HFMA: “Supplement users would have some trouble trying to replicate this kind of daily intake.”
Well, not that much trouble. I went to Holland and Barrett. In the Cochrane review, the mean dose of betacarotene was 18mg: H&B sell 100 capsules of 15mg betacarotene for £7.49. So practically identical, then. The mean dose of vitamin E was 570 IU: H&B sell 100 capsules of 1000IU – twice that dose – for £19.99. Perhaps David Adams thought nobody would check.
But my favourite insight comes from the actress Jenny Seagrove, and it is a valid one. “I’m not going to be bullied by this dismal research paper – I am 100% confident that the vitamins and mineral supplements I use are safe and effective and I will continue to use them when I choose.” This is the key move. Do you put evidence into practice? Yes: not as an automaton, but at your discretion, taking into account not just the best possible evidence, but also the individuals’ preferences. That is the core of evidence based practice, so munch away, Jenny, and good luck to you. But the publics’ understanding of evidence is far more important than your vitamin pills, so show a little consideration.
· Please send your examples of bad science to email@example.com
Mostly in the text above, but because they’re important…
Here is the silly HFMA press release:
Here is the Cochrane review:
Here is the definitive early document on the nature of evidence based practice:
And here is a video of Sir Cliff Richard. I think I was just slightly sick in the back of my throat.
In many ways what I found most striking were the similarities between the dissembling of the $60bn food supplement pill industry in this case, and the well established strategy of “manufacturing doubt”, first seen in the tobacco lobby’s war with epidemiology over 40 years ago.
The history of this corporate strategy is very well covered in David Michaels’ new book, Doubt is Their Product: How Industry’s Assault on Science Threatens Your Health, on which there is an excellent essay here.
The sabotage of science is now a routine part of American politics. The same corporate strategy of bombarding the courts and regulatory agencies with a barrage of dubious scientific information has been tried on innumerable occasions — and it has nearly always worked, at least for a time. Tobacco. Asbestos. Lead. Vinyl chloride. Chromium. Formaldehyde. Arsenic. Atrazine. Benzene. Beryllium. Mercury. Vioxx. And on and on. In battles over regulating these and many other dangerous substances, money has bought science, and then science — or, more precisely, artificially exaggerated uncertainty about scientific findings — has greatly delayed action to protect public and worker safety. And in many cases, people have died.
Tobacco companies perfected the ruse, which was later copycatted by other polluting or health-endangering industries. One tobacco executive was even dumb enough to write it down in 1969. “Doubt is our product,” reads the infamous memo, “since it is the best means of competing with the ‘body of fact’ that exists in the minds of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.” | <urn:uuid:d2bc371e-c4ca-4f4e-b610-a29a75ed7ec1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.badscience.net/2008/04/cliff-richard-gloria-hunniford-carole-caplin-the-60bn-food-supplement-industry-and-the-quantum-xrroid-dude-refute-a-cochrane-meta-analysis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954617 | 1,626 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Children of Foreign-Born Parents
The foreign-born population in the United States has increased substantially since the 1970s, largely due to immigration from Asia and Latin America. In 2008, 22.0 percent of children in the United States had at least one foreign-born parent. Of all children, 18.6 percent were U.S.-born with a foreign-born parent or parents, and 3.4 percent were themselves foreign- born. Most children (73.9 percent) were native-born with native-born parents.
Children’s poverty status varies with their nativity. In 2008, foreign-born children with foreign-born parents were most likely to live in poverty, with 30.1 percent living in households with incomes below 100 percent of the U.S. Census Bureau’s poverty threshold ($22, 025 for a family of four in 2008). Another 27.8 percent of these children lived in households with family incomes of 100–199 percent of the poverty threshold. Native-born children with native parents were the least likely to experience poverty, with 15.9 percent living in households with incomes below 100 percent of the poverty threshold, and another 18.7 percent living in households with incomes of 100–199 percent of the poverty threshold.
A number of other sociodemographic factors vary by the nativity of children and their parents. For instance, native-born children with native parents were most likely to have health insurance in 2008 (92.2 percent), while foreign-born children with foreign-born parents were least likely (68.7 percent). Almost 85 percent of native-born children with foreign-born parents had health insurance in 2008 (data not shown). | <urn:uuid:e5f20ee5-96b2-41be-a1c3-95b6832817a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa10/popchar/pages/103cfbp.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976956 | 346 | 2.875 | 3 |
Adoption has been around, in one form or another, for a very long time; to get a sense of how long, please see the Bible. As a result of its stigmatized, secretive history during much of the 20th Century, however (so stigmatized and secretive, in fact, that parents often didn't tell their own children that they were adopted), there is a lack of understanding to this day about the parties to adoption and the nature of their relationships. And the repercussions of this lingering lack of knowledge are considerable -- from inaccurate, corrosive stereotypes about the women who place their children for adoption; to uninformed, undermining attitudes about adoptive families; to obsolete laws and policies that treat adopted individuals as second-class citizens; to genuine surprise among most people when they learn about adoption's current realities.
I hear that surprise regularly in the voices of the teachers, doctors, mental health professionals, journalists and others with whom I routinely interact as head of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national research and policy organization. "Are you sure birthmothers don't want to just forget about the baby they put up for adoption and move on?" Yes, very sure. "I'm sorry that you, as an adoptive parent, couldn't have any real children." You should see my kids sometime; they look real. And: "It can't be true that most states' laws impede adult adoptees from getting their own medical information, can it?" Shocking maybe, but true as true can be.
All of which brings me to a just-published report from the Adoption Institute, the core of which is a new survey of adoption agencies nationwide and which is entitled "Openness in Adoption: From Secrecy and Stigma to Knowledge and Connections." It shows just how far we have progressed -- and how profoundly families have changed -- since the stigmatized, shame-filled, clandestine days when it was considered good practice to keep nearly all adoptions of infants in this country "closed," meaning the children's new families and their families of origin knew virtually nothing about each other and never had communication of any kind.
Leaping forward to today's very-different world, here are some highlights of the Institute's report:
• Only 5% of agency infant adoptions start out as "closed" and most (55%) are "open," which means the birth and adoptive families know each other and usually plan ongoing contact. (The remaining 40% are in the middle, with information exchanged through intermediaries.)
• Equally telling is the finding that 95% of agencies now offer open adoptions; remember, not very long ago in our history, that number was zero.
• In the vast majority of cases, the expectant mother considering adoption for her baby meets the prospective adoptive parents and chooses her child's new family.
• Adoptive parents, like most participants in open adoptions, report positive experiences; more openness is also associated with greater satisfaction with the adoption process.
• Women who have placed their infants for adoption - and then have continuing contact with their children - report less grief, regret and worry, as well as more peace of mind.
• The primary beneficiaries of openness are the adopted persons, as children and later in life, because of access to birth relatives, as well as to their own family and medical histories.
So, what does it all mean?
At the ground level, for the adults and children directly involved, it means we're moving into an era in which the definition of "extended family" is being expanded to something along the lines of an in-law model -- except it's the children, rather than the spouses, who bring their relatives into the new family.
It also means the practitioners who place babies for adoption need to better understand the sometimes-challenging road ahead so they can impart their knowledge to the involved parties, who themselves need to learn how best to navigate their complex new relationships. (The Adoption Institute is creating a curriculum for professionals and parents to help them do just that.)
Not all adoptions are "open," of course, and most contemporary adoptions are not of infants; the majority are of older children from foster care in the U.S. and some involve boys and girls from orphanages abroad. One size does not fit all; no single type of family formation -- by adoption or biology or step-parenting or guardianship or fostering -- is right for everybody; and, while adoption has improved markedly in many ways in the last several decades, we've still got lots of work to do.
Even so, the knowledge we now have tells us that modern infant adoption increasingly involves informed consent, mutual respect and the genuine best interests of children to a degree that simply hadn't existed before. And it tells us -- in the really big picture -- that adoption as a social institution continues to do what it has done for a very long time: open our minds and alter our collective views about what constitutes a family, and that's very good news for the growing gamut of family constellations in our country today.
The woman celebrating Thanksgiving with your next-door neighbors is the mother who brought her son to this earth -- and then placed him with his new parents. Don't be surprised, be delighted.
Follow Adam Pertman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@AdamPertman | <urn:uuid:de9bd759-2d29-421c-ae9e-81288fed297b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-pertman/new-realities-in-the-exte_b_1382513.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968238 | 1,099 | 2.09375 | 2 |
University of Tromsø
970 422 528
Master of Laws in Law of the Sea
This programme offers unique opportunities to undertake advanced studies and individual research in a dynamic field of law in a professional and socially enriching environment.
The oceans cover over 70 percent of the surface of the Earth. It is vital for communication, military and strategic uses and for its living and non-living natural resources. In recent years, there has been increasing importance on the marine biodiversity. The LL.M. programme aims to broaden the traditional approach to the Law of the Sea from jurisdictional issues to also include substantial law such as conservation and sustainable use of biological resources and protection of biodiversity and the environment.
Although the programme of study has a clear global profile, it will also have a distinct Arctic dimension. Much of the Arctic consists of marine areas. Global climate change will increasingly subject these areas to various uses such as navigation, oil and gas exploitation, fisheries and research. The Arctic regions provide unique opportunities for studying both global and regional legal approaches to protect and preserve the marine environment.
The research community in Tromsø is a world leader in marine Arctic issues, including natural sciences, history, political science and law. In addition to the University of Tromsø, the Norwegian Polar Institute is situated in Tromsø.
The objective of the LL.M. programme is to introduce the students to such perspectives enabling them to improve their ability to understand the function of the law and learn to interpret it.
The students will be active participants in the programme, in discussions with the lecturers and fellow students and in developing papers. Legal experts from different institutions, including intergovernmental organisations, international tribunals, academics and practitioners, will be invited to lecture. The programme will also include excursions to relevant institutions.
The programme is intensive: Three semesters in a calendar year, starting in early September.
The autumn semester consists of two introductory courses on the Law of the Sea and the politics of the Law of the Sea.
The spring semester focuses on more specific topics on the Arctic and biodiversity and concludes with the individual student research project. The students select their own topic for the project, which is to be completed during the summer.
The programme of study shall provide students with an in-depth insight in the Law of the Sea. Comprehensive education on theoretical aspects of the field shall provide the students with the ability to undertake independent analyses of various legal questions and sources.
Students with an LL.M. degree in Law of the Sea will be attractive for many types of employers both nationally and internationally. This may include diplomatic services, governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, universities and industry.
Want more information?
Tel.: +47 77 64 65 03
Tel.: +47 77 64 69 52 | <urn:uuid:aa67ba8a-460e-4e44-a6ec-5899dfbb6115> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.uit.no/ansatte/organisasjon/artikkel?p_document_id=174547&p_dimension_id=88177&p_menu=65794 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916001 | 569 | 1.804688 | 2 |
In August of 2009, NPSTC chartered the Assessment of Future Spectrum and Technology (AFST) Working Group to identify public safety communications requirements for the 10-year period, from 2012 to 2022, and assess the impact on technology and radio spectrum. The Public Safety Communications Assessment, 2012-2022: Technology, Operations, & Spectrum Roadmap
provides an overview of public safety communications and emergency operations as they exist now and as they are envisioned to be in the future. This report is a follow up to the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee’s (PSWAC) Final Report
of September 11, 1996. The PSWAC was established on June 25, 1995, by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to evaluate the wireless communications needs of local, tribal, state, and federal public safety agencies through the year 2010, identify problems, and recommend possible solutions. NPSTC submits this report and recommendations for improved public safety communications for the consideration of the Commission.
The NPSTC Working Group issued a nationwide questionnaire that collected capability shortfalls across the full range of public safety communications needs. From a series of operational focus group sessions held across the United States, law enforcement, fire/rescue, EMS, and other emergency services personnel were able to provide invaluable insight into their daily operations regarding spectrum needs and broadband data. This information was coupled with a nationwide assessment tool sent out to thousands of public safety agencies across the country. The technologies needed to meet public safety's operational requirements were developed from the above information. Technical information was fed into an internationally accepted spectrum model from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to calculate the spectrum needs of first responders.
One of the most urgent operational issues raised in this report relates to how existing public safety mission critical voice communications may be transitioned to the emerging broadband technology. It was very clear that public safety communications managers are extremely concerned over how their executive officers and elected officials will view funding and upgrades of their existing Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems based on a belief that broadband systems may replace the existing LMR infrastructure in the next few years. This report concluded that while there is a technological potential for mission critical voice to be managed over a broadband network, much work remains to be done to determine if this is the correct long-term solution for public safety communications. As a result, narrowband and broadband spectrum allocations must continue to be made available to public safety agencies. The Public Safety Communications Roadmap is a valuable document, based on extensive research, with many of its recommendations taken directly from public safety first responders. More work remains as the nationwide public safety broadband network is built and technology continues to evolve. The Public Safety Communications Roadmap will prove to be a valuable resource as public safety communications continues to evolve. | <urn:uuid:c5ef9bd6-cfea-4ce3-a30d-24c6c93821cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://npstc.org/pswac.jsp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947952 | 569 | 1.984375 | 2 |
People in Fulton County, Georgia
Cost of Living,
The 2012 Fulton County, GA, population is 920,581. There are 1,748 people per square mile (population density).
Family in Fulton County, GA
The median age is 34.2. The US median is 37.3. 34.92% of people in Fulton County, GA, are married. 11.55% are divorced.
The average household size is 2.36 people. 30.46% of people are married, with children. 19.34% have children, but are single.
Race in Fulton County, GA
44.50% of people are white, 44.06% are black, 5.60% are asian, 0.25% are native american, and 5.59% claim 'Other'.
7.88% of the people in Fulton County, GA, claim hispanic ethnicity (meaning 92.12% are non-hispanic).
We're looking for comments about Fulton. Express your opinion | <urn:uuid:e94f67ff-0142-4aa6-938f-931be8f80a47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bestplaces.net/people/county/georgia/fulton | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93984 | 210 | 1.875 | 2 |
Given its role in all essential processes of life, today RNA can be considered as the most versatile regulatory factor in cellular metabolism. RNA molecules are involved in gene expression at all levels in Pro- and Eukaryotes, including chromatin remodelling (epigenetics), transcription, RNA stability, translation and post-translational events. RNA molecules can act as environmental sensors, whereby signalling is used to modulate gene expression. RNAs have been shown to modulate the activity of enzymes and other regulatory proteins, and are involved in protein-transport. Moreover, they are functional parts of macromolecular machines like ribosomes and spliceosomes. In most cases, RNAs require proteins, termed RNA chaperones, to attain a functional conformation.
The aim of this research program, which was launched in 2001, is to study how
- proteins govern RNA structure and function,
- mediate the interaction between nucleic acids, and
- how they catalyze RNA maturation and turnover.
The SFB activities can be roughly subdivided into 3 thematic areas,
- RNA chaperones and RNA folding,
- non-coding RNAs, and
- RNA maturation. | <urn:uuid:f43f2851-a764-4836-9717-0e0bae7f9ae2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.univie.ac.at/sfbrna/index.php?mid=1&smid=2&1_section=1&1_id=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935194 | 249 | 3.109375 | 3 |
XML can be a very handy, but I agree it's often used as a hammer for a screw: It works, but the result is messy. I found XML very usable for having a standard for document exchanging in b2b applications for example. With XSLT you can easily translate it to inhouse formats, and the documents can be easily validated against schema's and dtd's defining the document structure. IMHO, XML is a step forward after EDI, IDOC and all that.
XML for config files are handy too, but it's not the right tool for data storage or exchanging data which does not need something like schema validation or possible transformation to other formats. XML is then just a whole lot of overhead. I mean whoever thought that describing every instance of a field by tags is a clever idea if you want to store lots of data?!
And JDBC for XML files? I mean, really...
Furthermore, even though webservices are easy to create with JBuilder and Visual Studio, they're often just overkill for what they're used for.
I also think the 'readable for humans' argument for XML is usually just silly: The XML documents are most of the time not *meant* to be read by humans.
If XML is 'shite' then just spray it on the land so that the crops grow better and stay away from the smell.
In first place I wanted to do it with xml, because most of our customers won't be able (or willing) to install a proper database. However, if the tests run well I'll happyly switch over to HSQLDB.
We came across those problems as well. Like 'hey, we use SQL Server and dont want another db to maintain'. Solution: Silently install a db together with your app and just don't tell them there's one hidden somewhere. | <urn:uuid:4b6ae308-92a9-4f18-8c2d-bbef3dd3920b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.java-gaming.org/index.php?topic=3261.msg30548 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949606 | 383 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Ahead of His Time
Vic Power starred after trade from Yankees
Throughout Black History Month in February, the Hall of Fame celebrates the lives of African Americans who made historic contributions to the National Pastime.
The debate as to who the first black player to suit up for the fabled New York Yankees was newsworthy in the early 1950s. Jackie Robinson had broken the modern “color barrier” when he made his big league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, but the Bronx Bombers, a team in the midst of five straight World Series titles (1949-53), had not yet integrated its roster.
“The Yankees have never been adverse to having a Negro player,” said Yankees general manager and future Hall of Famer George Weiss at the time. “Our attitude has been that when a Negro comes along who can play good enough baseball to win a place on the Yankees we will be glad to have him, but not just for exploitation.
“The first Negro to appear in a Yankee uniform must be worth waiting for.”
The time finally seemed right when flashy first baseman/outfielder Vic Power, a native of Puerto Rico, batted a league-best .349 with 16 home runs, 93 RBI and 115 runs scored for the 1953 Kansas City Blues, a minor league affiliate in the American Association of the Yankees. In fact, in October 1953, the Yankees added a pair of dark-skinned players from Kansas City, Power and Elston Howard, to the big league roster with the expectation that the following year, in Spring Training, they would be the first members of their race to wear a Yankees big league uniform.
While Howard would eventually become the Yankees first black player in 1955 and enjoy a productive 14-year big league career, Power was sent to the Philadelphia Athletics as part of an 11-player trade on Dec. 16, 1953.
“I’ll have a better chance to make the grade with the Athletics,” said the 26-year-old Power after the trade was announced. “I have read where the Athletics say nobody has a position assured. That suits me. That’s why I believe the change favors me.”
Power did get an opportunity with the Athletics, eventually going on to play 12 big league seasons for five different franchises, collect seven consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1958-64) for his stellar defensive play at first base, and earn All-Star Game selections in four seasons.
Celebrate Black History Month with the Museum’s Pastime’s Pride features. Subjects include Buck O’Neil, Elston Howard, Rachel Robinson, the Evolution of Night Baseball, Welday Walker, Herb Washington, Connie Morgan, Bill White, Sam Lacy, Octavius Catto, Willie Horton, Bob Watson, Pumpsie Green, Charlie Grant, William Matthews, Don Newcombe, Vic Power, Emmett Ashford and Hank Thompson.
Bill Francis is a library associate at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | <urn:uuid:9ce95c10-d6cf-4406-bb14-98c444f69d94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://baseballhall.org/news/personality/ahead-his-time-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955003 | 624 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Use this wormer for the treatment and control of mature gastrointestinal nematode infections in goats, including Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia (Teladorsagia) circumcinta, and Trichostrongylus axei. FDA-tested and approved for goats. Feed at the rate of one (1) pound per hundred (100) pounds of body weight. Can be fed as sole ration, mixed with 1-2 parts of complete feed, or as a top dressing. No milk discard is required following use in dairy goats. Do not treat goats within thirty (30) days of slaughter. Also, do not mix in feed containing bentonite. Active Drug ingredient: Morantel Tartrate at 880g/ton. Dewormer pellet is also available in 6 and 50 lb. bags. The shipping fee for this item depends on the shipping zone you live in. Your correct shipping charge will appear when you check out. Feeding Instructions: For goats you are milking, one day a month, feed half their regular ration plus the recommended amount of Positive Pellet Dewormer. Return to regular feed the next day. Do this for three months. You may skip a month and then do another three-month cycle. Continue through the year. For all nonmilking goats, once a month on the day you use the Positive Pellet Dewormer, withhold all other feed. The next day return to regular feed. Do this for three months in a row, break for a month, and continue the deworming cycle, through the year. It's vital that goats have adequate water when you are using Positive Pellet Goat Dewormer. | <urn:uuid:396d9c1e-74ca-4180-bd09-3e124867113b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.caprinesupply.com/products/health/worms-and-other-critters/pellet-goat-wormer-50-lb-bag.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903222 | 347 | 1.5 | 2 |
It seems that Deniz is raising a slightly uncomfortable question of whether some circularity is built into mathematical foundations. A similar common-sense circularity is what might be called the "paradox of the dictionary": since all words are defined in terms of other words, either dictionaries are hopelessly circular, or some words need to be left undefined in order to break out of the impasse.
As it happens, I am preparing an article for eventual exportation to the nLab which at the outset deals with precisely this question. In the present draft, I have this passage:
Logical foundations avoids this paradox ultimately by being concrete. We may put it this way: logic at the primary level consists of instructions for dealing with formal linguistic items, but the concrete actions for executing those instructions (electrons moving through logic gates, a person unconsciously making an inference in response to a situation) are not themselves linguistic items, not of the language. They are nevertheless as precise as one could wish.
We emphasize this point because in our descriptions below, we obviously must use language to describe logic, and some of this language will look just like the formal mathematics that logic is supposed to be prior to. Nevertheless, the apparent circularity should be considered spurious: it is assumed that the programmer who reads an instruction such as "concatenate a list of lists into a master list" does not need to have mathematical language to formalize this, but will be able to translate this directly into actions performed in the real world. However, at the same time, the mathematically literate reader may like having a mathematical meta-layer in which to understand the instructions. The presence of this meta-level should not be a source of confusion, leading one to think we are pulling a circular "fast one".
In other words, to break out of the circularity, it is enough to observe that computers can be programmed to recognize certain strings as well-formed terms or formulas (of a given axiomatic theory), and how to recognize inferences as valid. It's not as if there needs to be some background theory, or the prior existence of a completed or actual infinity of all expressions which might come up, sitting inside the computer. The computer is programmed to handle finite parts of the theory correctly, and the same applies to human users of a theory (although we say "taught", not "programmed"). | <urn:uuid:6ff1f30a-07ca-4596-b069-ca9cb6aa94d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathoverflow.net/questions/47399?sort=newest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947826 | 487 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Is all Belarusian opposition nationalistic and anti-Russian?
Published: 14 May 2011
The Belarusian opposition is not more nationalistic than most of the population. Nearly all politicians use both Belarusian and Russian, and the majority of opposition groups support balanced relations with both Russia and the West.
Opposition parties in Belarus represent the whole political spectrum – from pro-Russian former communists to pro-Western liberals. There are also several pro-government parties, including communists and liberal democrats. However, they do not have a clear ideology and almost never take a position contrary to that supported by Lukashenka at any given moment. | <urn:uuid:09812b85-acaa-4d9c-8c34-71c000392f56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://belarusdigest.com/myth/all-belarusian-opposition-nationalistic-and-anti-russian%C2%A0-2095 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963462 | 129 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Prison officials receive annual funding for nationwide prison construction and site exploration
News Editor | email@example.com
Update May 19, 3:31p.m.
STANDISH —Federal Bureau of Prison officials have confirmed that they have not received funding, specifically, for their environmental impact study for the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility to determine if the prison could be expanded for federal use.
Richard Cohn, chief of the capacity planning and site selection branch of the Federal Bureau of Prisons said the bureau has received annual funding, approved by congress for operations, like the environmental impact study that is planned at Standish Max.
“The bureau receives funding for new construction and site exploration every year,” Cohn said. “We are still planning our environmental impact study in Standish.
According to Standish City Manager Mike Moran, Congressman Dan Benishek, R-Iron Mountain, called to inform him about funding that has become available to perform the environmental impact study.
Kyle Bonini, spokesman for Benishek, said the congressman informed him that it was too soon to make any announcements about the situation.
“The Congressman is very interested in this project and its potential to create jobs in the area,” Bonini said. “That is why he wants to be as helpful as possible to move this project forward in an expeditious manner.”
Bonini said Benishek will be meeting with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Tuesday, May 24 to discuss the matter.
Bridgette Lyles, site specialist of the capacity planning and site selection branch of the Federal Bureau of Prisons said the processes of selecting a contractor for the environmental impact study around Standish Max is beginning.
“We are moving forward with the procurement planning process to select a contractor to perform the environmental impact study,” she said.
Lyles said once a contractor is selected, the environmental impact study would take between 12 and 18 months to complete. She added that the study might begin late this summer.
Lyles said contractors for environmental impact studies are typically hired on a national basis by the General Services Administrations, which aid federal agencies.
“Contractors hired, typically, hire local subcontractors to aid them with the study,” she said. “Subcontractors can perform some of the technical services and geotechnical investigations of the area.”
Cohn said in August 2010, that an environmental impact study will show the effect of Standish Max becoming a federal prison will have on the community and the surrounding area.
“Now there already an existing location here, but because the facility is semi-surrounded by wetlands in the west and because the facility is 20 years old, and we wish to expand, we are required to complete an environmental impact study,” he said.
If the Bureau were to purchase the prison, they would need to expand. Chon told the Arenac County Independent in August that a high security federal prison will house 960 inmates. While it was operating, Standish Max could hold around 600 inmates.
“There is a need for us to construct a minimum security camp outside the secure perimeter of the institution,” he said. “There also has been talk by our agency, should we acquire the property, of putting in an additional housing unit.”
Moran said the beginning of the study is a big step toward the reopening of Standish Max.
“There are still a lot of hurdles to go but this is a positive step.” | <urn:uuid:44d2605f-ce21-4a1d-bd98-149530834c02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arenacindependent.com/stories/Prison-officials-receive-annual-funding-for-nationwide-prison-construction-and-site-exploration,88780?category_id=1&list_type=most_commented&town_id=8&sub_type=stories,photos | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962022 | 739 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Shape cream cheese mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in soft, light rye or dark pumpernickel bread crumbs.
How to Chop Fresh Leafy Herbs
To easily chop fresh leafy herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, basil, mint and sage, pick the leaves from the stems and place on a cutting board. Using a chef's knife and holding the tip end down, cut back and forth across the herbs. Be sure that your knife is sharp - a dull knife will bruise the leaves. Use the herbs as soon as possible after chopping. | <urn:uuid:07514e0f-5d23-4f30-9480-71b589fc14ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/Recipe-All-Ratings.aspx?recipe_id=52005&ct=1&pg=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927721 | 118 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Essential Oils Links for Bug Repellent products
Lemon Eucalyptus Facts
From the CDC
Oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-menthane 3,8-diol (PMD)], a plant based repellent, is also registered with
EPA. In two recent scientific publications, when oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the US it
provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
Due to concern over mosquitoes carrying West Nile
Virus, the CDC has made several new entries on their list of recommended repellents. Previously their only recommendation
was any repellent containing the ingredient DEET. Now the CDC recommends picaridin, which is a chemical, or oil of lemon eucalyptus,
but says that DEET is still on the list of recommended repellents.
picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus have been available as repellents in other parts of the world, they have had a difficult
time getting a foothold in the U.S. due to the prevalence of DEET. Now, though, many may start using picaridin or lemon eucalyptus
oil, which lack the unpleasant odor of DEET.
Catnip Oil From CNN
getting West Nile Virus, encephalitis, or some other nasty disease spread by mosquitoes? You may some day find relief in oil
that can be extracted from catnip.
New research presented at the
meeting of the American Chemical Society indicates nepetalactone (pron. nep-PEET-all-ACT-tone), the oil in catnip that gives
it a distinctive minty odor, is a highly effective mosquito repellent.
research was conducted by Chris Peterson and Joel Coats at Iowa State University. The scientists put 20 mosquitoes in a two-foot-long
tube -- half of which was treated with the catnip oil.
After 10 minutes,
only 20 percent of the mosquitoes (about four of them) remained on the treated side. In a similar test with DEET, the popular
mosquito repellent, 40-45 percent of the mosquitoes remained on the treated side.
From Iowa State University
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University researchers have begun testing
catnip oil as a possible repellent against mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Virus.
Joel Coats, an Iowa State entomologist,
began investigating the idea of using catnip oil as a mosquito repellent five years ago with Chris Peterson, a former graduate
student. The researchers found that catnip oil repels mosquitoes significantly better than the compound used in most commercial
bug repellents. Nepetalactone, the primary active ingredient in catnip oil, was recently patented by ISU.
are developing some concern about traditional bug sprays. They seem to be looking for alternatives and believe that natural
alternatives may be safer," Coats said.
Gretchen Schultz, an Iowa State entomology graduate student, is now
working with Coats to test nepetalactone's effectiveness against the mosquito species that carries West Nile Virus. The
virus can cause fatal encephalitis in humans and horses, and can kill certain domestic and wild birds.
also are conducting tests to compare the repellency of catnip oil to DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide), the compound used in many
commercial repellents. In laboratory tests, the nepetalactone repelled more mosquitoes at lower concentrations. When tested
on cockroaches, the repellency of catnip oil didn't last as long as the DEET. Schultz and Coats are currently testing
the repellency time of catnip oil against mosquitoes.
"We've begun testing on the species of mosquito
that transmits West Nile Virus," Coats said. "We also are studying how long catnip oil will protect against mosquitoes.
That seems to be the big issue at this time."
Catnip is primarily known for its stimulating effect on cats,
although some people use the leaves in tea, as a meat tenderizer and as a folk treatment for fevers, colds, cramps and migraines.
The catnip plant is a perennial herb in the mint family and grows wild in most parts of the United States.
warns that pure catnip oil is too strong to put directly on skin. The doses tested in his laboratory only contain one to five
percent of the essential oil. No human testing is planned at Iowa State. | <urn:uuid:dbfbf82e-abd2-48d8-a59c-e500f31f971f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hawkmoonsoaps.com/bug_repelling_soap.html | 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 | 0.944406 | 977 | 2.4375 | 2 |
IMF Executive Board Concludes 2010 Article IV Consultation with ChilePublic Information Notice (PIN) No. 10/136
September 29, 2010
Public Information Notices (PINs) form part of the IMF's efforts to promote transparency of the IMF's views and analysis of economic developments and policies. With the consent of the country (or countries) concerned, PINs are issued after Executive Board discussions of Article IV consultations with member countries, of its surveillance of developments at the regional level, of post-program monitoring, and of ex post assessments of member countries with longer-term program engagements. PINs are also issued after Executive Board discussions of general policy matters, unless otherwise decided by the Executive Board in a particular case. The staff report (use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this pdf file) for the 2010 Article IV Consultation with Chile is also available.
On September 13, 2010 the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Chile.1
Chile’s economy has withstood successfully two consecutive large negative shocks—the global financial crisis and the February 2010 earthquake. Its resilience has been underpinned by substantial macroeconomic easing, a well-capitalized banking system, and absence of imbalances in the private sector. Strong growth has resumed since the second half of 2009, and the earthquake caused only a temporary disruption in economic activity. The unemployment rate has declined and annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation increased to 2.2 percent in July.
The financial system has weathered the crisis well and the cyclical deterioration of credit quality has been moderate. Non-performing loans remain relatively low at 3 percent of all loans. Banks are well capitalized and have a relatively stable domestic funding base. Financing conditions have eased since the second half of 2010 and credit growth has resumed. As liquidity conditions normalized, the central bank has unwound unconventional policy measures implemented during the crisis. The temporary short-term bank liquidity facility was terminated in mid-June 2010, and the policy rate has been raised to 2 percent by August.
Large fiscal savings accumulated over the past decade allowed the authorities to put in place a substantial fiscal stimulus in 2009, followed by an ambitious earthquake reconstruction program, while preserving trust in the soundness of public finances. The overall fiscal balance shifted to a deficit of 4.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009. The structural fiscal deficit is expected to remain high in 2010 due to reconstruction spending. Nonetheless, fiscal credibility remains strong. Moody’s raised Chile’s government debt rating to Aa3 in June, and the recent turbulence in Europe has had little impact on risk premia.
Looking ahead, the economic recovery is expected to continue. GDP is expected to grow by 5 percent in 2010, accelerating to 6 percent in 2011. Large scale private and public reconstruction spending should continue to boost growth. At the same time, net exports are likely to weaken further, as some of the domestic demand growth spills over to imports. CPI inflation is expected to exceed the 3-percent target by the end of 2010, before coming down gradually in 2011, as the effect of interest rate increases filters through.
Executive Board Assessment
Executive Directors commended the authorities’ skillful responses to the global financial crisis and to the devastating earthquake of last February, capitalizing on Chile’s robust policy framework. As a result, the economy is back on track for a sustainable recovery. Directors viewed the authorities’ decision to accommodate relief and reconstruction spending through a combination of tax and expenditure measures, and some debt issuance, as timely and prudent. Looking ahead, the government’s commitment to firm expenditure restraint starting in 2011 will anchor expectations, help reduce the risk of overheating and limit appreciation pressures.
Directors supported the authorities’ target of lowering the structural deficit of the central government to 1 percent of GDP by 2014. Returning to a zero structural balance over a longer horizon would be desirable. Directors also encouraged the government to renew its commitment to fully recapitalize the central bank.
Directors welcomed the government’s decision to review the fiscal rule. While Chile’s fiscal rule has served the country well in the last decade, it could be made even more effective by making it more transparent; introducing an explicit escape clause and features to limit spending procyclicality; and complementing it with an explicit medium-term policy framework that extends beyond the government’s term. Directors encouraged the government to outline a clear timetable for adopting any revisions to the rule, once the fiscal rule commission has issued its final report.
Directors supported the gradual tightening of the monetary policy currently underway. They recognized the risk that widening interest rate and growth differentials with major advanced economies could result in a surge in capital inflows, and agreed with the central bank’s approach to let exchange rate flexibility be the first line of defense. In addition, macroprudential measures could be useful to protect domestic balance sheets and prevent excessive growth in credit.
Directors noted that Chile’s financial sector is sound and has weathered the crisis well. They welcomed the authorities’ intentions to enhance the supervision of the financial sector, including the planned move towards consolidated supervision of financial conglomerates. They recommended continued strengthening of the prudential framework by adopting a functional approach to regulation and supervision; formalizing cooperation arrangements among the supervisory agencies; and strengthening cross-border coordination with international counterparts.
Directors supported the government’s initiatives to reduce the cost of doing business by facilitating the entry of new firms, making credit more accessible to small and medium enterprises, and reforming the corporate bankruptcy procedures. Increasing labor market efficiency should be another key objective. | <urn:uuid:e2aa8754-1288-43fd-b4db-f6450dedb447> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2010/pn10136.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940727 | 1,162 | 1.617188 | 2 |
|- FLSA Hours Worked Advisor|
An employee who is required to remain on his or her employers premises or so close thereto that he or she cannot use the time effectively for his or her own purposes is working while on-call.
Whether hours spent on-call is hours worked is a question of fact to be decided on a case-by-case basis. All on-call time is not hours worked.
On-call situations vary. Some employees are required to remain on the employer's premises or at a location controlled by the employer. One example is a hospital employee who must stay at the hospital in an on-call room. While on-call, the employee is able to sleep, eat, watch television, read a book, etc. but is not allowed to leave the hospital. Other employees are able to leave their employer's premises, but are required to stay within so many minutes or so many miles of the facility and be accessible by telephone or by pager. An example of this type of employee is an apartment maintenance worker who has to carry a pager while on call and must remain within a specified number of miles of the apartment complex.
Is your employee required to remain on your premises while he or she is on-call? | <urn:uuid:855b6bc5-03e1-43d8-934d-f2e8f029b112> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/hoursworked/screenER80.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973285 | 256 | 1.820313 | 2 |
'Sushibot' Makes 300 Sushi Rolls Per Hour
Japanese gadget makes mass-produced sushi, at the speed of 1 roll per 12 seconds
What would Jiro Ono say about the newest craze in sushi? We can only imagine his horror, but we're still intrigued by the sushi mass-producer. From the Suzumo producer, "SushiBot" literally clumps together rice to make the perfect rice pallet for nigri sushi and makes a roll from scratch — rice, seaweed, and fish — in 12 seconds. That's 300 rolls per hour.
Sound crazy? Wired assures that it's just a part of a growing trend in sushi; while gourmet sushi chefs like Ono (the subject of Jiro Dreams of Sushi) will most likely pass on the machine, joints like supermarkets, sporting venues, schools, and hospitals are likely to get one. And companies like Robotic Sushi are already making similar products, as franchises look to create standardized sushi rolls. The real question is, will these machines replace the traditional sushi maker? Wired points out the advantages, including no tired muscles after a long day of sushi-making. But interestingly, the machine still needs a human touch to complete the roll; people place the fish on top of the rice beds — so maybe it's not quite the robotic food delivery machine (or Tacocopter) we hoped for.
In short, Suzomo states its aim is to "to precisely recreate the handmade taste and technique used by an experienced sushi chef." We have a hard time believing a machine can truly replace the personal touch of a sushi chef — but it is cool to watch. Check out the machine in action below. | <urn:uuid:0c7c2d0a-67a5-4a69-87b0-6ca92044f009> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedailymeal.com/sushibot-makes-300-sushi-rolls-hour | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93668 | 346 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Law of Three
Gurdjieff's Law of Three states that each phenomenon, from the cosmic to the sub-atomic, springs from the interaction of three forces: the first, or Holy Affirming, being active; the second, or Holy Denying, passive; and the third, or Holy Reconciling, neutralizing.
The forces are active, passive and neutralizing only with respect to the phenomenon at hand. Thus one and the same force may play very different roles in different phenomena and no phenomenon is isolated. The Law of Three deals with the single occurrence, but no single occurrence occurs that is not part of some process. The Law of Seven deals with how a process moves through distinct stages in time.
The formulation 'The higher blends with the lower in order to actualise the middle' , is clear in the following: the sperm merges with the ovum to create the embryo or alternatively the sexual drive is inhibited, giving rise to sublimation' or complex', a teacher relates with a pupil ensuring transmission, etc.
In other examples, the third force is a catalyst or arbiter which determines the outcome of the encounter of the active and passive forces. For example flour and water become bread only when bonded by fire, plaintiff and defendant have their case resolved only through a judge, the soul in potential asserts itself over the body through the application of the Work.
The human mind is geared towards thinking in terms of a single force or at most two and does not have a natural ability of discerning the three forces at work in any given situation. Rigid 'formatory' or 'mechanical' thinking tends to only see yes and no or true and false or good and bad. Introducing the notion of third force as a representative of context or consciousness can broaden the mental process. Still, we may not give fixed meanings to the three forces.
The Buddhist notion of the middle path may be seen as a special application of the Law of Three: For example, the extremes of asceticism and gluttony can be reconciled to right action by the Dharma, thus moving on from the body-centricity implicit in the original tension between deprivation and indulgence. The mode of thinking in terms of 'neither this, nor that' has an implicit openness for the concept of third force, whatever the context may be. | <urn:uuid:696ac380-9fad-4adf-8b6a-17805b7046e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cassiopedia.org/glossary/Law_of_Three | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933339 | 479 | 2.375 | 2 |
Martin Guitar Design Workshop
Nazareth, PA - The Martin Guitar Design Workshop is a five-day course sponsored by C. F. Martin & Co. and held annually at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Now in its seventh year, this unique program provides an opportunity for students to express their creativity in guitar building.
The first day of class began with a Martin factory tour followed by a personal tour of the Martin Guitar Museum by Chris Martin. The students then enjoyed lunch with Martin employees and the visiting Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum members. After lunch the students returned to the college to begin drawing their designs.
Upon arrival at the college, the students were met by Tim Teel, Director of Instrument Design at Martin, and Dale Unger, master builder and owner of American Archtop Guitars. Matt Artinger, a local builder/designer and Martin collaborator, was also in attendance and offered his unique insight into the state of contemporary guitar design.
The theme for this year's project was the 175th Anniversary of C. F. Martin & Co. and individual creativity was emphasized. Designs had to be cut out of high-density modeling foam, then sanded and carved by hand. Each student had a total of five days to design, build and present their foam guitars for judging. Design, quality and presentation were used as selection criteria by the esteemed panel of judges from Martin Guitar.
All participating students received a Martin Backpacker, and three prize guitars were awarded in the following categories:
The Grand Prize winner was Dick Wolters, and he received a one-of-a-kind Martin 16-Series guitar.
The Participants' Choice Award went to Greg Davenport, whose guitar design was selected by his fellow students. The award was a Martin DX-175 guitar.
The Instructor's Choice Award went to Steve Wehr, his guitar design selected by Dale Unger and Tim Teel. The award was a Martin LX-175 guitar.
The course will be offered next year August 3 through 7, 2009. | <urn:uuid:dd8df219-d93a-45b8-bc5f-82cde02975dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.martinguitar.com/1833-shop/ordering-information/18-main-site/press-release-archive/92-martin-guitar-design-workshop9.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981586 | 416 | 1.546875 | 2 |
species is now extinct in Belgium since a few decades. Formerly
occuring in very small numbers in the province of Luxembourg.
larva lives on Coronilla varia and Astralagus glycyphyllos.
The larva is attended by
different species of ants and hibernates. Pupates between vegetation.
adults fly usually in two generations a year; from mid May
till June, and from late June till July.
Meuse, Stenay, 19 May 2007.
male - view underside (Photo © Chris Steeman) | <urn:uuid:81608040-3943-45fb-8eab-d9f1e145d282> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://webh01.ua.ac.be/vve/Checklists/Lepidoptera/Lycaenidae/Pargyrognomon.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906263 | 118 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Ellen Meyers is extra careful when driving near the original Orange Line busway and its soon-to-open extension.
A red light camera near the Pierce College station recently caught her husband committing a minor traffic violation, and the couple is still working to pay off the more than $400 fine.
"If you're not johnny-on-the- spot, you're going to get those tickets," said Meyers, 58, a resident of Reseda.
"If you don't know you've moved up a few inches and snared the line - boom, they pop you with the camera."
The cameras are among several tools thatthe Metropolitan Transportation Authority is counting on to ensure the safety of its drivers and passengers, as well as motorists and pedestrians navigating the streets and sidewalks around the busway, which opens a north-south extension next weekend.
When the original 14-mile Orange Line from North Hollywood to Warner Center opened in 2005, a dozen accidents were reported just in that first year, the most serious crashes caused by motorists running red lights.
That tally is now 81 accidents over the past seven years, but Gary Spivack, transportation manager for Metro's West San Fernando Valley Division, said crashes are happening less frequently than before. So far this year, only one accident has been reported.
With the 4-mile Orange Line extension from Canoga Park to Chatsworth opening Saturday, Metro is using an array of devices to ensure safety, including traffic lights, red lights embedded in the road asphalt, flashing lights that indicate a bus is coming and red light arrows that warn against making a right turn on red onto the busway.
"We have to a strike a balance to get the right amount of signage that gives the public the clear indication of where they should and should not be on the intersection," Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said.
"If you have too little, you get complaints that people don't have enough guidance," he said. "If you have too much, they complain it's confusing."
Metro provided safety training at K-12 schools within a 1.5-mile radius of the extension, as well as at nearby public libraries, senior centers, recreation centers and community centers.
It also distributed more than 10,000 safety notices to homes and businesses throughout the area, and worked with other agencies to have traffic officers present while the line was being tested.
Hitesh Patel, project manager for the extension, said the work is still continuing.
"We're looking at ways to improve safety
Patel is particularly concerned about buses colliding with motorists who run a red light or who turn right on red at a busway crossing and end up in the path of the bus.
He also urges people using the pedestrian walkway and the bike path, both located alongside the busway, to observe the rules. They should never get on the busway, or jaywalk across it.
Bart Reed, executive director of The Transit Coalition, noted no accidents have been reported since the buses began trial runs weeks ago. He believes motorists know how to act around the extension because they have lived with the original Orange Line for seven years now.
"People are used to it, so I think we're in good shape," he said.
Canoga Park resident Earl Hill, 53, said the traffic lights and signage are clear to him but might be confusing to someone not paying attention.
"A lot of people are so used to doing things a certain way that they're not registering the changes," he said. "The public just has to get used to the newness of it."
He's "excited" about the Orange Line extension but feels the busway is causing traffic jams at intersections.
"The worst is Saticoy and Canoga - it used to take me two minutes to drive through that intersection, but now it takes me 17-18 minutes," Hill said.
"Other than that, I love it." | <urn:uuid:e8aab6bc-04fb-4327-8433-bac8b31bf61e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_20929020/mta-stresses-safety-measures-opening-orange-line-extension | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974496 | 814 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Bounty Reveals Dirty Secrets Hiding in Dishcloths
DuraTowel Bounty’s Revolutionary New Paper Towel is Clinically Proven to Leave Surfaces Three Times Cleaner* than Used Dishcloths Which Spread Millions of Germs
Public Company Information:
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bounty is proud to introduce its latest innovation, DuraTowel, a cloth-like paper towel designed to replace germy dishcloths for a cleaner way to clean. The result of the brand perfecting paper products for more than 47 years, DuraTowel leaves surfaces three times cleaner* than a used dishcloth which can redeposit millions of germs after a single day’s use across the surfaces families come in contact with throughout the day.
Thick and strong, even when wet, a single sheet of Bounty DuraTowel is durable enough to tackle tough jobs like cleaning countertops, sinks and even small appliances. Thanks to its fiber-rich design, Bounty DuraTowel offers consumers a cloth-like experience without compromising on clean.
“Believe it or not, you may think your family’s kitchen is clean after you wipe up with a dishcloth, but surfaces may not be as spotless as they look because your dishcloth is actually hiding a dirty little secret,” said Gregg Weaver, Procter & Gamble research and development engineer for Bounty. “In P&G lab demonstrations, black lights reveal that even after rinsing, used dishcloths can still harbor germs and drag them around. Switching to Bounty DuraTowel means you can feel good about cleaning up knowing you’re using a cleaner alternative than a used dishcloth.”
Health and hygiene experts agree that paper towels are the best bet for preventing the cross contamination of kitchen surfaces, particularly when it comes to reducing the bacteria left behind from raw foods, meat and more.
“To use a paper towel and then to throw it away is a very smart thing to do, especially on any surface in your kitchen where you’ve been preparing food,” said Dr. Elizabeth Scott, founder and co-director of the Simmons Center for Hygiene and Community Settings at Simmons College in Boston. “Dishcloths should be left at the sink for washing only and should be kept away from all other surfaces to cut down on the potential for cross contamination.”
In order to bring the benefits of Bounty DuraTowel to the masses, the brand is introducing its new product with marketing efforts including TV spots and more as well as launching DuraTowel to the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago, March 2-5. A first for the brand and company, the Show is the world’s premier housewares marketplace and is the ideal venue to launch the revolutionary paper towel.
Bounty DuraTowel retails for $3.19 and is available at food and grocery as well as mass retailers nationwide. More information on DuraTowel as well as the entire Bounty product family can be found at www.bountytowels.com.
*1 tsp. spaghetti sauce, 10 mls. coffee, 1/8 tsp. creamer on laminate countertop
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves approximately 4.6 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, Ambi Pur®, SK-II®, and Vicks®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 75 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands. | <urn:uuid:fcc37270-020a-455b-bd36-b557a7719373> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/bounty-reveals-dirty-secrets-hiding-dishcloths | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934484 | 855 | 1.796875 | 2 |