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FORT PIERCE — Results of a necropsy from a humpback whale that died overnight Monday won't be known for several weeks, marine conservation officials said Tuesday.
The 28-foot-long juvenile whale beached in the shallows at the inlet and officials had to wait for the tide to rise to help in moving the animal to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, where construction equipment was used to pull it onto a beach, said Blair Mase, a federal marine mammal stranding coordinator.
"Something must have been wrong for it to come to shore," Mase said. "It was thin and in poor body condition."
Crews from the institute and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute conducted the necropsy outside, which isn't unusual when considering the mammal's size of 5,000 to 6,000 pounds, said Megan Stolen, research biologist with Hubbs Sea World Research Institute, a nonprofit arm of Sea World.
After the necropsy Tuesday, crews towed the carcass out to sea for disposal, Mase said.
Despite its weight, Stolen said the whale was "emaciated" and should have weighed double that amount.
"It was definitely a very sick whale," Stolen said. "Its stomach was virtually empty."
The whale at Fort Pierce Inlet was alive when fisherman Vince Randolph reported finding it. He and friends were flounder-gigging at 10:30 p.m. Monday in the area of Dynamite Point when they spotted something large sticking out of the water.
"We were freaking when we realized it was a whale and it was alive" in about 5 feet of water, Randolph said.
They alerted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official in a passing boat and wildlife officials were called in.
But the animal expired.
"It is not common to have a fresh specimen," Mase said. "We should be able to learn a lot from it."
In Florida, humpback whales that die usually are juveniles. Of the five humpback whales that have died along Florida's coastline in the past five years, four were juveniles, Mase said.
Humpback whales are an endangered species. During this time of year, humpback whales migrate south in the ocean off Florida. The whales are dark gray and have large white fins.
Staff writer Keona Gardner contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:722bb403-15c1-4f0f-bb06-4dfe1c13beed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/jan/24/dead-whale-reported-have-washed-fort-pierce-inlet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978765 | 490 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Cut a Rug and Cut the Fat
Remember how much fun you used to have on the dance floor? You probably didn't even think about how good it was for your heart, your lungs, your joints, your muscles, and your stress level—you were just out having fun.
Perhaps you still look forward to weddings and holidays to show everyone you've still got the moves. But why wait for the occasional social gathering? People of all ages are discovering the joys of dancing and signing up for classes or going to dance halls.
Waltzing to fitness
If you haven't been getting much exercise lately, dancing is a fun way to increase your activity level. Even if you have to rest frequently, dancing can help improve your health. Start with slower dances, like an easy waltz, and work your way up to the more vigorous moves of the mambo or the fancy footwork of country dancing.
The more you practice, the longer and more vigorously you'll be able to dance. Energetic dancing can give you all the benefits of aerobic exercise. It raises your heartbeat and increases your oxygen intake as you move the large muscles of your body. Dancing burns calories, helps strengthen your heart and bones, and tones your muscles. It can also help you maintain your balance and increase your strength, endurance, and flexibility. And the more time you spend dancing, the greater the effect on your health. Dancing energetically for half an hour is like cycling five miles in the same time period.
Dancing can also be a boon to your social life. Take a dance class or join a dance group. It will give you a chance to interact with new people, build friendships, and maybe even renew or start a romance.
What to do about two left feet
Are you afraid that when you dance you look more like a wooden soldier than Fred Astaire? If so, you may want to take a dance class. Taking a class can help build your confidence. You don't need a partner to take a class. Some dances are done solo. And some dance classes assign partners. Check the phone book or Internet for a dance instructor, or pick up a book or video on the type of dancing you are interested in. Many adult education centers and community centers also offer dance classes. Practice dancing with your significant other, or start a dancing club with friends.
Be sure to talk with your doctor before beginning any dancing or exercise program. | <urn:uuid:1d130bfe-c020-4a19-a058-757b4a46dc99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mission4health.com/Health-Library/Article.aspx?CT=1&C=1488 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949165 | 497 | 1.90625 | 2 |
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
What is the treatment for osteoarthritis?
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Aside from weight reduction and avoiding activities that exert excessive stress on the joint cartilage, there is no specific treatment to halt cartilage degeneration or to repair damaged cartilage in osteoarthritis. The goal of treatment in osteoarthritis is to reduce joint pain and inflammation while improving and maintaining joint function. Some patients with osteoarthritis have minimal or no pain and may not need treatment. Others may benefit from conservative measures such as rest, exercise, diet control with weight reduction, physical therapy and/or occupational therapy, and mechanical support devices, such as knee braces. These measures are particularly important when large, weight-bearing joints are involved, such as the hips or knees. In fact, even modest weight reduction can help to decrease symptoms of osteoarthritis of the large joints, such as the knees and hips. Medications are used to complement the physical measures described above. Medication may be used topically, taken orally, or injected into the joints to decrease joint inflammation and pain. When conservative measures fail to control pain and improve joint function, surgery can be considered.
Resting sore joints decreases stress on the joints and relieves pain and swelling. Patients are asked to simply decrease the intensity and/or frequency of the activities that consistently cause joint pain.
Exercise usually does not aggravate osteoarthritis when performed at levels that do not cause joint pain. Exercise is helpful for relief of symptoms of osteoarthritis in several ways, including strengthening the muscular support around the joints. It also prevents the joints from "freezing up" and improves and maintains joint mobility. Finally, it helps with weight reduction and promotes endurance. Applying local heat before and cold packs after exercise can help relieve pain and inflammation. Swimming is particularly well suited for patients with osteoarthritis because it allows patients to exercise with minimal impact stress to the joints. Other popular exercises include walking, stationary cycling, and light weight training.
Physical therapists can provide support devices, such as splints, canes, walkers, and braces. These devices can be helpful in reducing stress on the joints. Occupational therapists can assess the demands of daily activities and suggest additional devices that may help people at work or home. Finger splints can support individual joints of the fingers. Paraffin wax dips, warm water soaks, and nighttime cotton gloves can help ease hand symptoms. Spine symptoms can improve with a neck collar, lumbar corset, or a firm mattress, depending on what areas are involved.
In many patients with osteoarthritis, mild pain relievers such as aspirin and acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be sufficient treatment. Studies have shown that acetaminophen given in adequate doses can often be equally as effective as prescription anti-inflammatory medications in relieving pain in osteoarthritis of the knees. Since acetaminophen has fewer gastrointestinal side effects than NSAIDS (see below), especially among elderly people, acetaminophen is generally the preferred initial drug given to patients with osteoarthritis. Medicine to relax muscles in spasm might also be given temporarily. Pain-relieving creams applied to the skin over the joints can provide relief of minor arthritis pain. Examples include capsaicin (ArthriCare, Zostrix), salycin (Aspercreme), methyl salicylate (Ben-Gay, Icy Hot), and menthol (Flexall).
New topical treatments include an anti-inflammatory lotion, diclofenac (Voltaren Gel) and diclofenac patch (Flector Patch), which are used for the relief of the pain of osteoarthritis.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications that are used to reduce pain and inflammation in the joints. Examples of NSAIDs include aspirin (Ecotrin), ibuprofen (Motrin), nabumetone (Relafen), and naproxen (Naprosyn). It is sometimes possible to use NSAIDs temporarily and then discontinue them for periods of time without recurrent symptoms, thereby decreasing the risk of side effects.
The most common side effects of NSAIDs involve gastrointestinal distress, such as stomach upset, cramping diarrhea, ulcers, and even bleeding. The risk of these and other side effects increases in the elderly. Newer NSAIDs called COX-2 inhibitors have been designed that have less toxicity to the stomach and bowels. Because osteoarthritis symptoms vary and can be intermittent, these medicines might be given only when joint pains occur or prior to activities that have traditionally brought on symptoms.
Some studies, but not all, have suggested that alternative treatment with the food supplements glucosamine and chondroitin can relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness for some people with osteoarthritis. These supplements are available in pharmacies and health-food stores without a prescription, although there is no certainty about the purity of the products or the dose of the active ingredients because they are not monitored by the U.S. FDA. The National Institutes of Health studied glucosamine in the treatment of the pain of osteoarthritis. Their initial research demonstrated only a minor benefit in relieving pain for those with the most severe osteoarthritis, and in most patients, there was no benefit greater than that from placebo pills. Further studies, it is hoped, will clarify many issues regarding dosing, safety, and effectiveness of different formulations of glucosamine for osteoarthritis. Patients taking blood thinners should be careful when taking chondroitin as it can increase the blood thinning and cause excessive bleeding. Fish-oil supplements have been shown to have some anti-inflammatory properties, and increasing the dietary fish intake and/or taking fish-oil capsules (omega-3 capsules) can sometimes reduce the inflammation of arthritis.
While oral cortisone is generally not used in treating osteoarthritis, when injected directly into the inflamed joints, it can rapidly decrease pain and restore function. Since repetitive cortisone injections can be harmful to the tissues and bones, they are reserved for patients with more pronounced symptoms.
For persisting pain of severe osteoarthritis of the knee that does not respond to weight reduction, exercise, or medications, a series of injections of hyaluronic acid (Synvisc, Hyalgan, Orthovisc, Supartz, Euflexa) into the joint can sometimes be helpful, especially if surgery is not being considered. These products seem to work by temporarily restoring the thickness of the joint fluid, allowing better joint lubrication and impact capability, and perhaps by directly affecting pain receptors.
Surgery is generally reserved for those patients with osteoarthritis that is particularly severe and unresponsive to the conservative treatments. Arthroscopy, discussed above, can be helpful when cartilage tears are suspected. Osteotomy is a bone-removal procedure that can help realign some of the deformity in selected patients, usually those with certain forms of knee disease. In some cases, severely degenerated joints are best treated by fusion (arthrodesis) or replacement with an artificial joint (arthroplasty). Total hip and total knee replacements are now commonly performed in community hospitals throughout the United States. These can bring dramatic pain relief and improved function.
Reviewed by Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD on 11/18/2011
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Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:3fc3e122-7485-45b7-9f25-48c785dd3327> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicinenet.com/osteoarthritis/page5.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922668 | 1,883 | 2.078125 | 2 |
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What is ricin?
Ricin is a poison that can be made from waste left over from processing castor beans. It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or dissolved in water or weak acid.
Where is ricin found and how is it used?
Castor beans are processed throughout the world to make castor oil. Ricin has some medical uses, such as bone marrow transplants and cancer treatment (to kill cancer cells).
Ricin may have been used as a chemical warfare agent in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s. Reports also indicate that ricin has been found in Al Qaeda caves in Afghanistan.
How could people be exposed to ricin?
Unintentional exposure is highly unlikely. It would take a deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people. If that were done, people could be exposed by inhaling ricin mist or powder, or by eating food or drinking water that contains ricin. Ricin pellets, or ricin dissolved in a liquid, can also be injected into people's bodies. Ricin poisoning is not contagious–it cannot be spread from person to person through casual contact.
How would we know that people had been exposed?
A possible clue to an attack involving ricin inhalation would be that a number of people who had been close to each other suddenly developed fever, diarrhea, cough, and excess fluid in their lungs. These symptoms could be followed by severe breathing problems and possibly death.
There is no reliable test to confirm ricin exposure.
How does ricin hurt people?
Ricin works by getting inside the cells of a person's body and preventing the cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins, cells die, and eventually the whole body can shut down and die. Specific effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, swallowed, or injected.
What are the signs and symptoms of ricin exposure?
- Ingestion: Swallowing a significant amount of ricin results in bleeding of the stomach and intestines, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Eventually, the liver, spleen, and kidneys stop working, and death may occur.
- Inhalation: Coughing, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, nausea, and aching muscles occur within a few hours of inhaling significant amounts of ricin. Within the next few hours, the body's airways (such as the lungs) become severely inflamed, excess fluid builds up in the lungs, and breathing becomes even more difficult. Excess fluid in the lungs can be diagnosed by X-ray or by listening to the chest with a stethoscope.
- Injection: Injection of a lethal amount of ricin causes the muscles and lymph nodes near the injection site to die. Eventually, the liver, kidneys, and spleen stop working, and massive bleeding occurs in the stomach and intestines. Death results from multiple organ failure.
Death from ricin poisoning could occur within 36 to 48 hours of exposure, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or injection. Exposed people who live longer than 5 days without complications will probably survive.
What are the long-term health effects of ricin exposure?
Long-term effects are unknown. No study has been completed on the long-term effects in either animals or humans.
What should people do if they think they've been exposed?
If you believe you have been exposed to ricin, call 911 and wait for emergency help to come. You can also contact the New York City Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
How is ricin poisoning treated?
There is no antidote. Ricin exposure is treated with supportive medical care, such as helping the person breathe, giving intravenous fluids, and giving medications to treat swelling.
Is there anything specific that New Yorkers can do to prepare for a possible bioterrorism event?
The best way for a family to safe is to be as prepared as possible before any disaster strikes. Consistent with long-standing guidelines on disaster preparedness, families should plan to provide for all their necessities for a 3- to 4-day period, in the event that they have to remain inside their home for their safety. They also might consider putting together a family emergency plan, so that all family members (e.g., schoolchildren or homebound relatives) could be cared for in case the main caregivers are unable to return home at their usual times.
The New York City Health Department, along with other government agencies and health institutions, will do everything possible to protect the health of all persons who live, work, or are visiting in New York City. Were a biological release to occur in New York City, the public would be informed immediately through the news media of measures that could be taken to protect their health. If antibiotics or vaccines were recommended, instructions would be provided on where to receive these medications in emergency clinics that would be established by the City in multiple locations throughout the five boroughs.
What if my fears about bioterrorism are having a serious impact on my family and work life?
After the events of September 11th, 2001 it is reasonable for individuals to feel anxious about their personal safety. If your fear grows to the point that it stops you from doing things that you would normally do, it might be helpful to talk with a professional counselor. Your healthcare provider can make a referral, or you can call one of the following help lines:
|Call LIFENET or call 311 and ask for "LIFENET"|
|English LifeNet:||(800) 543-3638||(800) LIFENET|
|Spanish LifeNet:||(877) 298-3373||(877) AYUDESE|
|Chinese LifeNet:||(877) 990-8585|| |
|American Red Cross:||(212) 787-1000|| |
Last Updated: December 19, 2012 | <urn:uuid:fd2393dd-510c-4b9d-8d17-5e6133755146> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/diseases/bt_fact_ricin.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960252 | 1,252 | 3.125 | 3 |
The 2012 Gulf of Mexico red snapper recreational harvest season will close July 17 in state and federal waters; the last day of harvest is July 16.
This year's 46-day state season, which is the same as the 2012 federal recreational red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico, was set in May at a meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The season was extended at the end of June, because bad weather led to decreased fishing opportunities. The season started June 1.
Florida state waters in the Gulf extend from shore to nine nautical miles; federal waters extend beyond that line to 200 nautical miles.
More information about red snapper fishing is available online at MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on "Saltwater," "Recreational Regulations" and then "Gulf Red Snapper"). | <urn:uuid:6089bf9d-d7ff-4652-8484-171c3f7d2193> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/530860/Red-snapper-season-closes-July-17-in-Gulf-state--federal-waters.html?nav=5069 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965987 | 173 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Below is my current column in the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m posting it here to add some Mormon commentary.
The Birdsall family arrived in Utah and converted to Mormonism (the reverse of the usual order) when William, featured in this story, was just 6 years old; he was baptized as a child just as all his playmates were. Although there was a break in the early 20th century, when William’s father Isaac testified against the Church in the Senate hearings concerning Reed Smoot, there is every reason to believe the Birdsalls were sincere Mormons, fully accepted in the Mormon communities of Joseph and Monroe in Sevier County, at the time of this incident. All members of the family had received their patriarchal blessings, with William’s sister Cora serving as the patriarch’s scribe. The children attended the Sevier Stake Academy. The family was sealed in the Manti Temple in 1890. Cora served as a counselor in the ward Relief Society, leaving the land she was homesteading and moving into a rented room in town in order to be more accessible for serving, including nursing, the sisters of the ward.
Monroe, the setting for this story, was and is a Mormon agricultural village. All of the others named in this article were LDS, members of the same ward as the Birdsalls, although I can’t vouch for the activity level or religious sentiment of anyone in 1898. The woman on whose behalf, supposedly, the men committed the actions narrated here was a Mormon.
Yet for some reason unknown to me — pure hellishness? personal animosity? — these young Mormon men got drunk following a community theatrical performance and, egged on by one man, allowed themselves to commit a violent act and threaten the life of a member of their own ward, in the name of protecting the virtue or avenging the honor of a Mormon home. Nor were they alone — other men in the community, some too drunk to make it all the way to the Mortensen farm, followed at a distance, eager to watch the “fun.”
Four men stumbled drunkenly through the darkness, their path lit by flashes from a dark lantern. When they reached the Thomas Mortensen farm outside of Monroe, Utah, they paused to tie handkerchiefs across their faces, then loudly called for William Birdsall.
Birdsall, 23, stepped out of the barn where he had been finishing late chores. The masked men seized him and slipped a rope around his neck. As Birdsall struggled, they beat his face and threw him to the ground. Hearing the commotion, Sarah Ann Mortensen, 26, stepped onto her porch and screamed. One of the men, his voice slurred, told her to go back to her children “and be a true woman.” Then they pulled Birdsall to his feet and began running. He had no choice but to run as well lest he be choked by the rope around his neck.
Birdsall, born in Nebraska to a Quaker father and German mother, had been only 5 the summer his family joined friends for a tour of the West. Although the railroad had been completed years before, their group traveled leisurely by covered wagon. When they reached Utah, the Birdsalls wanted to call on a cousin before traveling on to California. By the time the Birdsalls found their cousin in Sevier County, it was too late to travel west that year.
The Birdsalls stayed in Utah, eventually converting to Mormonism and taking up a farm in Monroe. By 1898 they were well integrated into the community. One daughter married the Mormon presiding elder in nearby Marysvale. Another daughter served as a counselor in the Monroe Relief Society. And when Thomas Mortensen went to work in Nevada’s De La Mar mines, it was William Birdsall he asked to live in his barn, do his chores, and watch out for his wife and daughters.
For unknown reasons, however, some in the community disliked the young man. Monroe Town Marshal Lyman Collings, 37, was especially antagonistic, spreading gossip that Birdsall took liberties with Mrs. Mortensen, making her chop her own stove wood while he, Birdsall, took money sent by her husband to buy whisky and dance tickets.
On the evening of Feb. 25, 1898,some of Monroe’s men gathered at the saloon after a town social. As the drinking progressed, talk turned to Birdsall. Collings said someone should drive him out of town; when others agreed, Collings encouraged them to follow through with what may at first have been idle talk. Eventually Ben Hoopes, Ammon Hunt, Al Winn and Andrew Brown collected a rope and lantern from Hoopes’ barbershop, then headed toward the Mortensen farm.
Birdsall struggled to stay on his feet as he was jerked across fields and through a canal. When he stumbled, his attackers dragged him until he was choked nearly to unconsciousness, then pulled him upright and ran again, all the while cursing and telling him to leave Monroe or be hanged. Finally they released him, his neck raw and swollen, his eyes blackened. Birdsall headed over the mountain that night to find refuge with his sister in Marysvale.
Word of the “whitecapping” spread quickly, but no action was taken for weeks. Eventually, citizens who believed Birdsall was a moral, industrious young man prevailed upon law officers to investigate.
Hoopes, Hunt, Winn, Brown and one other were indicted for rioting and maintaining an unlawful assemblage, and they went to trial in May. The jury found the four men guilty, acquitting the fifth. Before passing sentence, Judge Homer McCarty lectured the men concerning their crime and for calling their wives to perjure themselves by providing false alibis. He called Collings “the real criminal,” and said he “should be wearing stripes in the penitentiary.” McCarty, who had known the defendants since childhood, imposed as severe a penalty as the law allowed: a$50 fine ($25 for Hoopes, who had not perjured his wife), but no jail time.
Birdsall, however, had had enough of Monroe, and never returned.
The sister to whom William ran for refuge was my great-grandmother. No hint of this story survives in family lore, though; every detail comes from newspapers and court records.
Almost nothing is known of William’s life after this point. One branch of the family claims that William was killed in a shootout with police near a Las Vegas hospital in 1923 or 1925, but absolutely no trace of such an incident can be found in Las Vegas records — at this point I don’t believe the tale, and report it only to say I don’t believe it, in case some family member finds this account. | <urn:uuid:34a21837-8e89-407a-86ff-c06551c547ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/01/an-act-of-mormon-on-mormon-violence-the-whitecapping-of-william-birdsall/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983953 | 1,420 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Released: July 27, 2010
Federal Funding and the American Community Survey
Data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey help guide the distribution of 29% of federal domestic assistance spending and 69% of federal grant spending, according to a new Brookings Institution report. In dollar figures, that was $416 billion in assistance spending and $389.2 billion in grant funding during the 2008 fiscal year.
The report explains how the ACS, a monthly household survey that replaced the once-a-decade census long form, guides the distribution of funds. It argues that the nation receives a substantial return from taxpayer investment in the ACS because of its function in equitable distribution of federal money. The report is accompanied by a slide presentation from a Capitol Hill briefing that summarizes its main points. The report web site also includes a table listing the federal programs whose funds are guided by the ACS data, and a list of funding received in each state as well as large counties and metropolitan areas.
In March, Brookings released a report documenting the range of federal programs whose funding distribution is guided by census data. | <urn:uuid:f23bf527-8661-40d5-ade4-0f03bbbcc8f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/07/27/federal-funding-and-the-american-community-survey/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953397 | 219 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Saudi Arabia: Travel ban against blogger for criticising religious police
On 6 December 2009, blogger and human rights defender, Mr Ra’if Badawi, was stopped at Jeddah airport and prevented from travelling to Beirut. No official explanation was given for the travel ban or its time limit; however, it is believed that it is related to charges brought against Ra’if Badawi in relation to a website he set up, in which he has criticized the religious police for violations of human rights.
Ra'if Badawi's travel ban follows an ongoing pattern of measures taken against him. Ra'if Badawi was originally detained by the Saudi Arabian prosecution service in March 2008, when he was kept in custody for one day and interrogated intensively over the course of the following two days about his writings on the internet, in which he used to detail abuses by the Saudi religious police and to question the predominant interpretation of Islam. Unknown persons have hacked Ra'if Badawi’s website on numerous occasions, and have published his phone numbers, work address, and a threat to his life on the hacked site. Prosecutors have not investigated the hackers or the death threats against Ra'if Badawi.
On 15 April 2008, Ra'if Badawi left Saudi Arabia. On 5 May 2008, the prosecution service in Jeddah charged Ra’if Badawi with “setting up an electronic site that insults Islam,” and referred the case to court, asking for a five-year prison sentence and a 3 million riyal (US$800,000) fine. Ra'if Badawi returned to Saudia Arabia on 20 December 2008, but in May 2009 Al-Hayyat daily newspaper reported that the bank accounts of Ra’if Badawi and his wife had been frozen. A month later, he was summoned by a high officer at the Public Intelligence Office (Mukhabarat) who promised to drop the case against him. However, to date his legal status has not changed. Ra'if Badawi is still prevented from travelling out of Saudi Arabia and his bank accounts are still frozen.
Front Line believes that Ra'if Badawi's ongoing travel ban and legal charges are directly related to his work in defence of human rights, particularly through his criticism of the religious police for violations of human rights. Front Line sees this as part of a pattern of ongoing harassment against Ra'if Badawi, and is concerned for his physical and psychological integrity.
Front Line urges the authorities in Saudi Arabia to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against and lift the travel ban on human rights defender Ra'if Badawi as it is believed that these measures have been taken against him solely on account of his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights;
2. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Ra'if Badawi as well as that of his family;
3. Ensure that all human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia are free to carry out their legitimate human rights work without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment. | <urn:uuid:9a77bff4-5ce4-44ea-a80f-5ad16301f18f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wluml.org/ar/node/5772 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979476 | 628 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The new interactive literacy resource that builds a love of reading and learning – online! BookFlix pairs classic fictional video storybooks from Weston Woods with nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic to reinforce reading skills and develop essential real-world knowledge and understanding.
TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love.
Are you using the Accelerated Reader program at your school? This web site provides the book level of over 100,000 books. Just type in the title of a book, topic, or author that you want to read, click go, and you will see the book level (BL) and the points (AR pts) for the book.
Craft Corner contains thousands of crafts for the home, as well as projects designed to keep young minds busy. Search crafts by keyword or browse by cost of materials, ties to holidays, time to complete, and more. | <urn:uuid:b0c27f3b-2483-4802-be54-0465755569f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tcpl.lib.in.us/kids/1156-online-resources?device=iphone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932398 | 194 | 2.140625 | 2 |
The following DCharts features are not supported. They will be studied in future research:
--extis given on the SCC command-line). The behavior of this Python code with actions and guards is the same as the simulation in SVM. If C++ is chosen instead, the actions and guards may also be included (with the same
--extparameter). The code must then be linked to a Python run-time library. In an execution, the binary code automatically loads the Python library, and executes the actions and evaluates the guards. With this, the behavior of the model is also preserved.
There are many other choices for the implementation of actions and guards. One possibility is to use languages that are independent of specific target-languages, such as action semantics and Modelica . Action semantics is not yet standardized. There is no mature library for it until now. Modelica is a powerful language capable of specifying non-causal equation sets. Actions ``a=b+c, d=a/2'' can thus be written as ``a=2*d, a-b-c=0''. The Modelica compiler symbolically and automatically determines the unknown variables and sorts the equations in an order in which all the equations can be solved sequentially. For example, suppose a and d are unknown before the actions are executed. Modelica changes the order of the equations and symbolically transforms them. As a result, a is solved with `` a=b+c'' first, and then d is solved with ``d=a/2''. Though, there is no non-commercial Modelica solver until now, its has a bright future as both an action language and a constraint language.
--extparameter must be explicitly given on the command-line to invoke SCC.
--extparameter must be explicitly given on the command-line to invoke SCC. Scheduling events in an execution requires extra threads. This limits the portability and predictability of the model. | <urn:uuid:8dec5934-e2ac-426d-881c-4fd022882022> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://msdl.cs.mcgill.ca/people/tfeng/thesis/node125.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932759 | 411 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Every year at Allendale Columbia School, the department heads and administrators write up “Year End Reports.” These reports are summaries of the school year and plans for the year to come. I have decided to use it as my next blog post. Feedback and questions are always appreciated!
We all need a sunset to fade into. The end!
Highlights from this year included creating a bi-weekly program, called Tech Tuesday, for AC faculty to share how they are using technology in their classrooms. I presented, with Beth Guzzetta, at the National Science Teachers Association Conference in Indianapolis, IN. We hosted two sessions, “iPads Apps in the Science Classroom” and “Hi-Tech, Low Cost Science Classroom.” I co-presented with Brian Meehan at Barcamp RIT about iPad 1:1 deployments. We also rolled out Google Apps for education accounts for all middle and upper school students with Gmail. The Middle School started a 1:1 iPad program this year. It proved to have a tremendous impact on the learning environment in the middle school. We hosted visits from Canandaigua Academy and Elmwood Franklin to check out our iPad program in action. We have an opportunity to be a resource for schools considering 1:1 iPad deployments. We have tremendous practical knowledge to share from a variety of perspectives – pedagogical, operational and management of devices. I also consulted with Red Jacket CSD BOCES about iPad implementation.
I coordinated with Rochester Institute of Technology to use a new web based platform called BookBag. We are helping RIT trial this tool in a K-12 school in hopes of securing a grant. It hasn’t been used outside of RIT until now. Diana Gleeson’s Bioethics class is currently using BookBag. I continued to oversee the Alsina Language Lab. Michael Murphy, from Sanako Labs, donated language teaching software and will continue to update AC with the latest versions.
I have continued to work with teachers to integrate social media, PLN’s (Personal Learning Networks), and LMS (Learning Management Systems) into their curriculum. The new Digital Art Lab created the perfect environment for Amy Bonner to develop an online course in graphic design, for upper school students, during the Spring semester. The class content was delivered using a LMS called Edmodo. Amy offered a blended learning environment with both her middle and upper school art classes. This approach combines web based technology to deliver content, evaluate student work, quiz and assess, collect assignments and communicate with students. She continues to use blogging and social media to communicate and share information about her classroom. Julie Thompson, has used Twitter for professional growth and as a review tool for her AP Biology class. She also blogs regularly about her classroom environment and as a reflective tool for her teaching.
We are in year two of using FA Web for online grade reporting. There continues to be issues with FA Web (browser compatibility). Resolution of issues takes a long time, sometimes months. I have been consulting with Blackbaud on the look and feel of their future releases of FA Web. I take part in discovery sessions online during regularly scheduled meetings. They seem to appreciate the input from someone who has been a classroom teacher and currently trains teachers on how to use their products.
I have continued to maintain a good relationship with Tequipment, our SMARTBoard installer and support specialists. It took 6 months to complete the installation of the new portable board in our music department, due to backorder of parts. I taught the Nursery and Pre-K students two mini lessons on the SMARTBoard in Kindergarten. We demoed a SMART Table in nursery/PreK for 30 days. The software is hard to use and the hardware wasn’t dependable.
Conferences and Visits
Attended NEIT, (NYSAIS Education & Information Technology) conference at Mohonk.
Attended NYSCATE (NYS Association for Computers and Technology in Education) conference in Rochester, NY
Attended T4 – Think Tank for Teachers & Technology at Elmwood Franklin in Buffalo and hosted a session on copyright images.
Attended ISTE Webinar an Independent Schools Special Interest Group for Online Learning.
Attended ISTE Remote Summer Workshops.
Attended the Reading Digital Symposium at RIT.
Attended Tedx Rochester
Attended Tedx Flour City, June 9, 2012
Visited Manlius Pebble Hill School in Syracuse, NY to learn about Blackbaud and technology integration.
Attended Cambridge Institute Webinar for An Overview of the Modern Chinese Education System.
Plans for Next Year
I am currently working with Cathy Beaton at RIT, and Beth Guzzetta on a grant for technology use in education. This grant, if awarded, would provide the following items to participating schools.; lab kits with all necessary materials and tools, iPads, and original YouTube instructional videos created by AC students.
Plans include developing a web based curriculum for faculty to continue training when they have time. I will expand Tech Tuesday to include workshops for hands-on training. I am sending out a survey to assess faculty requests for specific workshops. We are planning to install two new SMARTBoards next year. I would like to see web-based delivery of report cards to parents via NetClassroom. We continue to evaluate and assess the hardware, software, mobility, and usage of the current Alsina Lab. Beth Guzzetta and I have submitted proposals to present at NSTA in San Antonio, TX. I would also like to attend the NAIS National Conference in Philadelphia and serve on an visiting accreditation team. I would like to take a select group of teachers to attend the NYSCATE conference next school year.
This year I was given the opportunity with colleague Leah Danielsto plan and coordinate full school Spring Professional Day. Based on the reviews and suggestions from the professional day, I am confident that we could host another successful event.
- Ratings from 1 (horrible) – 5 (amazing), Average Ratings, Morning – 4, Afternoon – 4.12, Overall – 4.26
ISTE – International Society
NYSCATE – New York State Association for Computers and Technology in Education
NSTA – National Science Teachers Assocation | <urn:uuid:47eaaaec-df45-4d5b-9fc9-c19f3bb73d0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://teptech.wordpress.com/tag/allendale-columbia-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945617 | 1,307 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Disasters: Year In Review 2008Article Free Pass
January 23, Poland. A Spanish-built CASA transport plane carrying members of the Polish air force home from a conference on flight safety in Warsaw crashes near the town of Miroslawiec; all 20 aboard are killed.
February 21, Venezuela. A Santa Barbara Airlines ATR 42-300 turboprop crashes into a mountainside in Sierra La Culata National Park shortly after takeoff from Mérida; all 46 aboard are killed.
April 3, Suriname. A Blue Wings Airlines Antonov An-28 airliner crashes on its approach to the airport in Benzdorp; all 19 aboard lose their lives.
April 15, Democratic Republic of the Congo. An airliner taking off from the airport in Goma crashes into a busy market neighbourhood and bursts into flames; more than 40 people, most of them on the ground, are killed.
April 28, Black Sea. A Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter plummets into the Black Sea after its tail hits an offshore drilling platform; 19 of the 20 aboard die in the crash.
May 2, The Sudan. A Beechcraft 1900 airplane crashes near Rumbek, killing at least 23 people, including the southern Sudan’s minister of defense, Dominic Dim.
May 29, Panama. A helicopter carrying Chilean police officials from Colón to Panama City, where they had been attending a meeting of Latin American antiterrorism leaders, crashes on top of a building; at least 15 people, including the head of Chile’s national police force and at least 4 people on the ground, are killed.
June 10, Khartoum, The Sudan. A Sudanese airliner bursts into flames after landing; at least 30 of the 214 people aboard are incinerated.
August 20, Spain. An MD-82 airliner operated by the low-cost carrier Spanair and bound for the Canary Islands goes off the end of the runway at Madrid Barajas International Airport on takeoff and bursts into flames; at least 154 of those aboard perish.
August 24, Kyrgyzstan. A passenger jet bound for Iran crashes shortly after takeoff from Manas International Airport in Bishkek, killing at least 64 passengers; 22 survive.
September 1, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A small plane crashes into a mountainside during a thunderstorm; all 17 aboard, most of them aid workers, are feared dead.
September 14, Russia. While traveling from Moscow to Perm, a Boeing 737 passenger jet operated by an Aeroflot subsidiary crashes when preparing to land; all 88 aboard die.
October 8, Nepal. A Yeti Airlines Twin Otter airplane attempting to land at tiny Lukla Airport in the Himalayan Mountains catches its wheels on a security fence and crashes; 18 of the 19 people aboard, including 12 Germans and 2 Australians, are killed.
January 7, Inch’on, S.Kor. Fire breaks out at a newly built cold storage facility; some 40 people are believed to have lost their lives.
January 31, Istanbul. An explosion, likely caused by fireworks ignited by an earlier fire, destroys a building; at least 22 people die in the blast.
March 15, Near Tirana, Alb. A series of strong explosions at a munitions depot kills 26 people and injures more than 300.
March 26, Xinjiang province, China. As authorities attempt to destroy illegal fireworks outside the city of Turpan, an unplanned explosion occurs; 22 people are reported killed.
April 7, Uganda. A fire in a dormitory for a girls’ elementary school outside Kampala kills 19 schoolgirls and 2 adults; the cause is unclear, and reports indicate that the doors may have been locked from the outside.
April 26, Casablanca, Mor. A four-story mattress factory goes up in flames; at least 55 people succumb.
May 15, Nigeria. A fuel pipeline in a village near Lagos is ruptured by road construction equipment, causing much of the area to be engulfed in flames; some 100 people are killed.
August 1, Balcilar, Tur. A gas explosion causes the collapse of a three-story girls’ dormitory; at least 17 students are crushed to death.
August 26, Guangxi autonomous region, China. A series of explosions in the Guangxi Guangwei Chemical Co. factory that last for seven hours leave at least 20 workers dead in Yizhou.
August 28, Limani, Cameroon. After an oil tanker overturns, residents rush to salvage the leaking gasoline, but a spark from a passing bus causes an explosion and fire; dozens of people, including passengers on the bus, are incinerated.
September 20, Guangdong province, China. In Shenzhen ignited fireworks cause a fire in a nightclub that leaves at least 43 people dead.
October 23, Rajasthan state, India. A powerful explosion demolishes an illegal fireworks factory in the village of Deeg; at least 26 people lose their lives.
December 24, Yevpatoria, Ukraine. An explosion destroys an apartment building, and at least 19 people are killed; it is thought that oxygen tanks stored in the basement may have been the cause.
What made you want to look up "Disasters: Year In Review 2008"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:aa70ba7c-317a-468b-8148-a57b1bb997f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1492809/Disasters-Year-In-Review-2008 | 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 | 0.938189 | 1,098 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Qur'ân, part II (Sacred Books of the East volume 9), Palmer edition ; at sacred-texts.com
IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.
Those who misbelieve and turn folk from God's way, He will make their works go wrong. But those who believe and do right and believe in what is revealed to Mohammed,--and it is the truth from their Lord,--He will cover for them their offences and set right their mind.
That is because those who misbelieve follow falsehood, and those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does God set forth for men their parables.
And when ye meet those who misbelieve--then striking off heads until ye have massacred them, and bind fast the bonds!
Then either a free grant (of liberty) or a ransom until the war shall have laid down its bur-dens. That!--but if God please He would conquer them--but (it is) that He may try some of you by the others. And those who are slain in God's cause, their works shall not go wrong; He will guide them and set right their mind; and will make them enter into Paradise which He has told them of.
O ye who believe! if ye help God, He will help you, and will make firm your footsteps.
But as for those who misbelieve--confound them! and He will make their works go wrong.
That is because they were averse from what God has revealed; but their works shall be void!
Have they not journeyed through the land and
seen how was the end of those before them? God destroyed them; and for the misbelievers is the like thereof.
That is because God is the patron of those who believe, and because the misbelievers have no patron.
Verily, God causes those who believe and do right to enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow; but those who misbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as the cattle eat; but the fire is the resort for them!
How many a city, stronger than thy city which has driven thee out, have we destroyed, and there was none to help them!
Is he who rests upon a manifest sign from his Lord like him, the evil of whose works is made seemly to him, and who follow their lusts?
The similitude of Paradise which is promised to the pious,--in it are rivers of water without corruption, and rivers of milk, the taste whereof changes not, and rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of honey clarified; and there shall they have all kinds of fruit and forgiveness from their Lord! (Is that) like him who dwells in the fire for aye? and who are given to drink boiling water that shall rend their bowels asunder?
Some of them there are who listen to thee, until when they go forth from thee they say to those who have been given the knowledge 1, 'What is this which he says now?' These are those on whose hearts God has set a stamp and who follow their lusts.
But those who are guided, He guides them the more, and gives them the due of their piety.
Do they wait for aught but the Hour, that it should come to them suddenly? The conditions thereof have come already; how, when it has come on them, can they have their reminder?
Know thou that there is no god but God; and ask pardon for thy sin and for the believers, men and women; for God knows your return and your resort!
Those who misbelieve say, 'Why has not a sûrah been revealed?' but when a decisive sûrah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, thou mayest see those in whose heart is sickness 1 looking towards thee with the look of one fainting in death. Preferable for them were obedience and a reasonable speech! But when the matter is determined on, then if they believed God it were better for them.
Would ye perhaps, if ye had turned back, have done evil in the land and severed the bonds of kinship?
It is these whom God has cursed, and has made them deaf, and has blinded their eyesight! Do they not peruse the Qur’ân? or are there locks upon their hearts?
Verily, those who turn their backs after the guidance that has been manifested to them--Satan induces them, but (God) lets them go on for a time!
That is for that they say to those who are averse from what God has revealed, 'We will obey you in
part of the affair!' but God knows their secrets! How will it be when the angels 1 take their souls, smiting their faces and their backs?
This is because they follow what angers God and are averse from His goodwill; and their works are void.
Do those in whose hearts is sickness reckon that God will not bring their malice forth?
But did we please we would show thee them, and thou shouldst know them by their cognisances. But thou shalt know them by their distorting their speech, and God knows their works!
But we will try you until we know those among you who fight strenuously and the patient; and we will try the reports concerning you.
Verily, those who misbelieve and turn folks off God's path, and break with the Apostle after the guidance that has been manifested to them, cannot harm God at all, and their works shall be void!
O ye who believe! obey God, and obey the Apostle; and make not your works vain.
Verily, those who misbelieve and turn folks off God's path, and then die misbelievers, God will not pardon them.
Then faint not, nor cry for peace while ye have the upper hand; for God is with you and will not cheat you of your works!
The life of this world is but a play and a sport; but if ye believe and fear God, He will give you your hire.
He does not ask you for (all) your property; if
[paragraph continues] He were to ask you for it and to press you, ye would be niggardly, and he would bring your malice out.
Here are ye called upon to expend in God's cause, and among you are some who are niggardly; and he who is niggardly is but niggardly against his own soul: but God is rich and ye are poor, and if ye turn your backs He will substitute another people in your stead, then they will not be like you.
230:1 To the more learned amongst the prophet's companions, such as Ibn ‘Abbâs.
231:1 See Introduction, p. lxiii.
232:1 Munkir and Nakîr; see Introduction, p. lxix. | <urn:uuid:a83f8fa5-03e4-42e0-9a17-e8a2ce467c51> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sacred-texts.com/isl/sbe09/047.htm | 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 | 0.975125 | 1,444 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Tale Told By A Lunatic
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Sehen Sie sich die aktuell angebotenen Bücher zu 'Tale Told By A Lunatic' an.
Bainbridge, Beryl: THE BIRTHDAY BOYS (fiction) New York Da Capo Press 1994
ISBN: 0-7867-0071-8 As New Condition
In this stunning new novel, award-winning author Beryl Bainbridge offers a brilliantly fictionalized account of the doomed Antarctic expedition led by Captain Scott in 1912. At once hair-raising and beautiful, here is an astonishing tale of misguided courage and human endurance. The Birthday Boys of the title are Scott and four members of his team, each of whom narrates a section of the book. As the story progresses the reader discovers that these men may not be reliable reporters. Their cocky optimism is both ghastly and dangerous. Brought up to despise professional expertise, their enterprise is lunatic, amateur and gentlemanly. Beryl Bainbridge makes it hauntingly clear: the men are fatally doomed in their bravery, the very stuff of heroes. Captain Scott's poignant trek becomes, in this remarkable novel, an historical event which prefigures the terrible new world dawning in Europe. It was an inept rehearsal for the carnage of the first world war, the ultimate challenge for the arrogant generals who shared Scott's skewed notion of courage that led men qualmlessly into harm's way. Subtle, poetic and unforgettable, The Birthday Boys is impossible to read without experiencing that magical shiver up the spine which is caused when great writing touches the soul. Publishers Weekly Bainbridge, the idiosyncratic English author whose best-known books here are probably The Bottle Factory Outing and The Dressmaker , has never gained the American audience she deserves. The fact that this gripping, moving and hair-raisingly readable novel has taken three years to achieve publication here--and then only by a courageous and enterprising smaller publisher--suggests that Americans are still slightly wary of her. Readers should abandon such caution immediately, for this is by far her best book to date: a riveting account told in shifting first-person narratives by the key members of the doomed Antarctic expedition led by Captain Scott in 1912. It has been written about often before, and memorably filmed, but Bainbridge's cunningly fictionalized account leaves others standing. She takes on, in turn, the voices of burly, roistering Welsh Petty Officer Taff Evans; sweet-natured, scholarly, all-forgiving Dr. Edward (Uncle Bill) Wilson; Captain Robert Falcon Scott himself, a memorably complex man with a strong gift for command overlying deep inner fears and anxieties; Lieut. Henry (Birdie) Bowers, an endlessly energetic, curious, squat adventurer who has roved the world's perilous places alone; and aloof, sardonic, aristocratic Capt. Lawrence (Titus) Oates, a rich man beginning to realize his essential humanity in the months before his death. Every Englishman knows the agonizing end of their story, only hinted at in the book by a schoolgirl's map of their final death march back from the South Pole after being beaten there by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. A whole lost era of fantastic courage, determination, idealism, curiosity, boyish foolishness and class mores is brought brilliantly and touchingly back by Bainbridge's penetrating psychological acumen and her superb scene and action painting. The beauty and horror of the desolate landscapes, the painful limits of human endurance and bravery, are unforgettably caught in prose that is as swift, cool and clear as ice melt. A masterly achievement, not to be missed by anyone who cherishes a strong, meaningful story beautifully told. (Apr.) Library Journal The story of Capt. Robert Scott's second expedition is narrated by Scott himself and the four men who perished along with him in the frigid weather and miserable conditions of Antarctica. Beginning with their June 1910 departure from Cardiff on the Terra Nova , and ending with the terrible journey by sled back to the ship in March 1912, the five men consecutively recount their journey through an emotional as well as physical landscape, from pride in the idea of taking part in the expedition, to excitement over the beauty of the terrain and the scientific discoveries they've made, to sick disappointment at learn Hardcover 6 x 9"
[SW: Scott, Robert Falcon, 1868-1912 -- Fiction, British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition, (1910-1913) -- Fiction, Discoveries in geography -- Fiction, British -- Antarctica -- Fiction, Antarctica -- Fiction, South Pole -- Fiction, Explorers -- Fiction, Bio] | <urn:uuid:00b88c0a-25b7-4c22-abe4-0cba7e2bf59e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.zvab.com/angebote/tale-told-by-a-lunatic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923173 | 1,005 | 1.609375 | 2 |
These are tough times for Scientology, the deceptively presented and authoritarian-run religious corporation founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954 and led the past quarter century by the reclusive David Miscavige.
For more than a decade, the Internet has proliferated with websites created by former members and other critics that reveal disturbing church practices and once-secret teachings.
Another setback came in 2006 when actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise became a laughingstock for his anti-psychiatry rant against Matt Lauer, and leaps off Oprah Winfrey's couch.
The strange behavior led the creators of "South Park" and others to disparage the highly litigious and combative organization in a public way few dared before, cracking a hole in what many consider to be Scientology's menacing facade.
Recent years have also seen an unprecedented number of departures -- and revelations -- by Scientology officials.
Now, the latest blow has arrived on bookshelves -- "Inside Scientology: The Story of American's Most Secretive Religion."
Janet Reitman, whose research began with a 2007 article in Rolling Stone, has crafted a scrupulously written and ultimately devastating portrait of Scientology. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, so it has the distribution clout of a major publisher.
Reitman takes the reader from Hubbard's Nebraska childhood and adventurous younger years to the origins of Scientology, including the financial benefits he thought could be reaped by creating a religion, to his last years as a recluse.
She also uses ex-members to inform readers about the inner sanctums of Scientology's off-limits international home base in Gilman Hot Springs, Calif.
Reitman explores several of the structures and policies Hubbard put into place. They include:
* Emphasis on earning money. Through expensive courses and materials, "auditing," a form of counseling done to followers and prospective converts by members without recognized accreditation, and expected contributions to spinoff organizations, it can cost individuals hundreds of thousands of dollars to climb "the Bridge to Freedom."
* Anti-psychiatry zealotry. Archaic characterizations date back to the bitter rejection Hubbard, a successful pulp fiction writer, faced after writing the self-help "Dianetics" in 1950, his "mental science" precursor to Scientology.
* Security and surveillance. This includes a quasi-prison system, detailed dossiers and strong-armed pressuring of members, and an aggressive stance against critics backed by an army of high-priced attorneys.
* Practice of "disconnection." Members are pressured to sever ties with loved ones critical of Scientology, including spouses, parents and children.
* Sea Organization. These core members are required to sign billion-year service contracts, often as children, work long hours for little pay and are often raised by the church after parents sign away guardianship rights.
Reitman begins by examining the intriguing founder who, with considerable charisma, was drawn to fantasy and adventure -- and sometimes self-promotion that involved exaggeration and lying.
Hubbard's military record during World War II is one such area. He would later claim that while hospitalized he healed himself of ulcers, blindness and a crippled condition despite no evidence appearing in his medical records.
(The naval record sent to The News by the church showed medals and commendations not issued in World War II, the U.S. Navy confirmed.)
Hubbard's abandonment of wives and children, and his paranoia in later years gave way in 1986 to Miscavige. Reitman chronicles Miscavige's ascension to power by purging perceived rivals, his penchant for cruelly humiliating underlings, including beatings, and an intolerance for criticism.
In the book's most chilling account, Reitman tells the story of Scientologist Lisa McPherson. After suffering a mental breakdown, she was checked out of a Florida hospital by several Scientologists and transferred to a Scientology-owned hotel, where she died 17 days later without adequate medical care.
Just as gripping is the story of Stefan and Tanja Castle, a young couple who worked in Scientology's international home base. Stefan's complaint to Miscavige's wife about not getting enough free time to see his wife landed him in the Rehabilitation Project Force for four years doing menial labor, Scientology's equivalent of a prison camp.
Tanja, one of a number of Miscavige's attractive female assistants, divorced Stefan after succumbing to pressure from Scientology leaders. Their reconnection despite the base's stringent security provides the book's greatest intrigue.
The story of Scientology's Operation Snow White, the largest case of domestic espionage in U.S. history, is recounted. Led by Mary Sue Hubbard, Hubbard's wife, members infiltrated, burglarized and wiretapped government agencies, including the IRS and FBI.
Two years after investigative reporter Richard Behar wrote the 1991 Time cover story on Scientology, "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power," (and in a sidebar, revealed the church had hired six private investigators to rummage through his life), the U.S. government restored the church's tax-exempt status it lost in 1967. The action, which succeeded in allowing Scientology to shield its financial activities and give it various legal protections, came after members launched some 2,200 lawsuits against the IRS and private investigators were hired to look into the private lives of agency officials.
Reitman reports that Miscavige promised IRS officials the harassment would stop if its tax-exempt status was granted.
Hubbard's dream of recruiting Hollywood stars to popularize Scientology, and the elaborate steps taken to rope in Cruise, its biggest prize, also reveal interesting details.
Reitman reports that Cruise drifted away from Scientology after he reached the third of eight "OT" levels Scientists aspire to, and learned of Hubbard's belief in traumatized, extraterrestrial souls that cling to people and can only be removed by auditing.
Cruise reportedly reacted in disbelief, furious that this was the secret he'd waited years to have revealed.
Now, instead of having to pay a fortune to learn about Xenu, "xenu" can be found in a matter of seconds -- with commentary -- on the Internet.
The spreading of online information about Scientology may be its biggest challenge. Elvis Presley, though, didn't need to read up about Scientology on the Internet to form an opinion.
Presley was dating Peggy Lipton of "Mod Squad" fame, Reitman reports, when she brought him to a Scientology center in Los Angeles.
"F--- those people! All they want is my money," Presley reportedly said. Though Lipton stayed in the group for a number of years, Presley, Reitman quoted a friend as saying, "stayed away from Scientology like it was a cobra."
Mark Sommer is a News reporter. He wrote a four-part investigative series about the Church of Scientology of Buffalo in 2006. | <urn:uuid:20ffa929-6f58-4748-915b-c9940df148e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110731/LIFE10/307319916/1058 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957294 | 1,426 | 1.828125 | 2 |
This infographic has been updated.
Cyndi Lauper was on to something.
The ‘80s icon sang about “true colors shining through.”
According to Lauper, you mustn’t be afraid to let them show.
Turns out, brands can learn from Lauper. Studies have shown that a brand’s colors can influence 60 to 80 percent of customer’s buying decisions. And the most popular colors among top brands are blue (33 percent), red (29 percent), black or gray scale (28 percent), and yellow or gold (13 percent).
What do those colors say to customers? This infographic from Column Five Media
(via Daily Infographic | <urn:uuid:5da95450-08b4-4dd5-a5fd-fd8623cd0ce7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/12075.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902055 | 146 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Government Museum, Chennai
|Government Museum, Chennai|
|Location||Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India|
|Public transit access||Chennai Egmore (Suburban)|
Government Museum, established in 1851, is located in Egmore, Chennai. Known as the Madras Museum, the museum is the second oldest museum in India, the first being the Indian Museum at Kolkata, started in 1814. It is also one of the largest museums in South Asia. It is particularly rich in archaeological and numismatic collections. It has the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe. Many of the buildings within the Museum campus are over 100 years old. Among them, the colossal Museum Theatre is one of the most impressive. The National Art Gallery is also present in the museum premises. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, it houses rare works of artists such a Raja Ravi Varma.
The museum is located in what is known as the Pantheon complex, or "public assembly rooms." It is located on the Pantheon Road in Egmore. The road on which the museum is located too takes its name from the complex.
In August 1778, the governor of Madras granted 43 acres for an estate to a civil servant, who, subsequently in 1793, assigned the grounds to a committee of 24 which then regulated the public amusements in the city. In 1821, the committee sold the main house and central garden space to E. S. Moorat, an Armenian merchant who, in turn, sold it back to the government in 1830. The government first used the buildings and the grounds as the collector's "Cutcherry" and later for the "Central Museum." The museum was originally established in a building on College Road in Nungambakkam in the year 1851 and was shifted to the present site in 1854.
Many additions to the original building were constructed between 1864 and 1890. The core of the old museum building includes the only surviving remnants of the Pantheon, identified from the broad steps leading into it when viewed from the north. Amongst the additions is the Connemara Public Library, built with stained glass windows, ornate woodwork and elaborate stucco decorations, formally opened in 1896 and named after its progenitor. The building was built by Namberumal Chetty and was designed by Henry Irwin, with the interiors resembling those of Bank of Madras (SBI). The design included a huge reading room with a wooden ceiling between two curved rows of stained glass, supported by ornate pillars and arches embellished with sculpted acanthus leaves. It was supplemented with teakwood furniture, marbled floor, and decorative windows. All of these were restored in 2004-2007. The building now houses the Old Collection (pre-1930), which is used for reference purpose only.
Both the museum and the library benefited greatly from the effects of the Madras Literary Society, the Oriental Manuscripts Library and the Records Office. The museum houses a 19th-century theatre, with the "pit" meant for those who can afford more and seating for the rest of the audience in tiered-seats arranged in a semi-circle around the pit. Restoration to mark the 150th anniversary of the museum replaced 25 fans with air-conditioning.
The museum's collections had its origin from a gift of a collection of 1,100 geological specimens by the Madras Literary Society to the Government in 1851. The museum, the first government-sponsored one in the country, opened the same year on the first floor of the College of Fort St. George, adjacent to the Literary Society in Nungambakkam, with an exhibit of nearly 20,000 freely gifted specimens ranging from rocks to books. These gifts were in response to a public invitation that did not have a cut-off date. When the mounting collection of geological specimens threatened the stability of this first floor, the museum's first officer-in-charge, Surgeon Edward Balfour, who was then president of the Literary Society and serving the museum in an honorary capacity, suggested moving to a new building, which was materialised in 1854 with the move to the Pantheon. A library and a reading room were provided for the public in 1859. In 1864, an upper storey was added to the Pantheon in sympathetic style, giving the museum more elbow room. The library got a new block, now known as the centenary exhibition hall of the museum after restoration, in the northwest corner of the Pantheon in 1876, with a lecture hall. By 1896, there had been built new buildings for the museum (where the anthropological and arms galleries are presently located), the Connemara Library and the museum theatre.
The museum grounds also housed the first zoo of Madras in 1855, which was also established by Balfour. A year later, it had over 300 animals, including mammals, birds and reptiles. The zoo was later made a separate institution and was shifted to the People's Park in 1863 where it remained, not growing very much, till it was moved to its present location at Vandalur in 1985.
An official website for the museum was launched on 25 October 2001 after the government sanctioned 0.5 million in 2000-2001.
List of superintendents/directors/commissioners
|1||Surgeon E. Balfour||First officer in charge||1851–1859|
|2||Captain J. Mitchell||Superintendent||1859–1872|
|3||Surgeon G. Bidie||Superintendent||1872–1884|
|5||J. R. Henderson||Superintendent||1908–1919|
|6||F. H. Gravely||Superintendent||1920–1940|
|8||S. T. Satyamurthi||Superintendent||1961–1978|
|12||T. R. Ramasamy||Director||1993|
|16||S. Rangamani||Principal commissioner||1997–1999|
|18||M. A. Siddique||Director||2004–2006|
|19||R. Kannan||Special commissioner and commissioner of museums||2006–2007|
|20||Sitharam Gurumurthi||Principal commissioner (additional charge)||2007|
|21||Shanthini Kapoor||Principal secretary/Commissioner of museums||2007–2008|
|22||T. S. Sridhar||Principal secretary/Commissioner of museums||2008–2011|
|23||S. S. Jawahar||Commissioner of museums||2011|
The museum complex
The museum complex consisting of six buildings and 46 galleries covers an area of around 16.25 acres (66,000 m²) of land. The objects displayed in the museum cover a variety of artifacts and objects covering diverse fields including archeology, numismatics, zoology, natural history, sculptures, palm-leaf manuscripts and Amravati paintings.
Located close to the main museum entrance gates on Pantheon Road, the museum theatre is a rare specimen of the Italianate style of architecture, inspired by Classical architecture and developed in 1802 at Britain by John Nash. However, the theatre was built by the British in the late 19th century when this style was no longer popular in England. The structure has a high plinth and is accessed through a tall flight of stairs. It is primarily a semicircular structure with a rectangular wing at the rear. The latter wing now houses some of the galleries of the museum. The main hall is accessed through a verandah with a row of columns linked by semicircular arches. The walls and columns are embellished with floral and geometric designs.
The huge main hall was initially designed for staging theatrical performances. It has around 600 seats and a commodious stage and the actors' dressing rooms adjoin this stage.
During the British era, the theatre was mainly used for staging English plays preferred by the British elite of the city. Now, the museum has been using the theatre for its own cultural and academic programs such as art workshops, lectures and conferences. It also rents the hall for various cultural performances, mainly dramas. The hall has witnessed several plays including those of Shakespeare.
Since August 2004, the museum is also a designated "Manuscript Conservation Centre" (MCC) under the National Mission for Manuscripts established in 2003. The museum has taken preventive care of about 19,007 manuscripts and given curative conservation treatment to about 7,402 manuscripts.
The museum for children in the complex houses several static exhibits such as galleries of dolls adorned with costumes of various nations and civilisations and also exhibits pertaining to science, transportation, and technology.
As of 2013, the children's museum is visited by 1,000 people a day, and the number of visitors increases during weekends.
The future
An air-conditioned 3D theatre, the first of its kind facility in a state museum, is under construction at the children's museum in the museum complex at a cost of 4 million. Equipments are to be provided by the National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata. The theatre will screen science-oriented films. It screen a 20-minute long film and will play five shows a day. The project is expected to be completed by April 2013. There are also plans to upgrade the 3D treatre to a 5D one.
See also
- Connemara Public Library
- List of Tamil Nadu Government Estates, Complexes, Buildings and Structures
- Heritage structures in Chennai
- Suresh, S. (21 May 2011). "Times Property Section". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times Group). p. 2.
- J.Jeyaraj, George. "Indo Saracenic Architecture in Chennai". CMDA. Retrieved 7-6-2012.
- "heritage buildings". CMDA. Retrieved 7-6-2012.
- "Museum, Library and Theatre". Madras Musings XX (3). 16-31 May 2010. Retrieved 1-Jul-2012.
- "Manuscript Conservation Centres". National Mission for Manuscripts. Retrieved 1-Jul-2012.
- Lakshmi, K. (19 February 2013). "Coming up: 3D theatre at govt. museum". The Hindu (Chennai: The Hindu). Retrieved 22-Feb-2013.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Government Museum, Chennai| | <urn:uuid:cc9ec918-879b-4c6d-8e36-97fd1530398a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Museum,_Chennai | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941877 | 2,195 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Proper 19 • Isaiah 50:4–10 • September 16, 2012
By Travis J. Scholl
Allow me a roundabout way to this text from Isaiah. Because I find today’s epistle lesson (James 3:1–12) to be a deeply incriminating word, especially to the preacher who, as Frederick Buechner so evocatively describes him,
pulls the little cord that turns on the lectern light and deals out his note cards like a riverboat gambler. The stakes have never been higher. Two minutes from now he may have lost his listeners completely to their own thoughts, but at this minute he has them in the palm of his hand. The silence in the shabby church is deafening because everybody is listening to it. Everybody is listening including himself.
After and into that echoing silence, the preacher speaks. Yet, even before the first word, James warns us that “the tongue is a fire” (Jas 3:6). The word of James, a prophet as much as Isaiah is, incriminates me because if I think about all the fires my tongue may have ignited in between my last sermon and this one, the ruins may be too hard to bear.
Enter the third Servant Song of Isaiah: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher” (v. 4). And what does the tongue of a teacher do? “…that I may sustain the weary with a word.” Indeed, this is the hope of every preacher: to sustain the weary with a word. Or, as the old homiletical cliché would have it: to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
But what if the preacher is the weary one? Then, one of the other homiletical clichés still applies: the sermon must preach to me before it preaches to anyone else. Indeed, if what I preach doesn’t strike me to the core of my own being, how can I expect it to do the same in anyone who hears it?
Of course, the beauty of it, especially for the weary preacher, is that this work is never ours anyway. The Spirit of God gives the gift, in both the speaking and the hearing. The Spirit is the one that “wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught” (v. 4). Always.
And despite however highly we might think of our own vocations, we are not Isaiah’s “teacher” either. The third Servant Song famously doesn’t mention the word “servant,” but we should know by now that we don’t need to see the title to know who it is. The rose still smells as sweet.
I can think of innumerable times in the Gospels when Jesus’s teaching word sustained the weary. One of my personal favorites is the sermon that began with the words “Do not worry about your life ……” (Mt 6:25–34; Lk 12:22–32). Its word about flowers and birds has sustained me through too much weariness from the time I was young when my mother first showed it to me.
It is the constant reminder to me that, as the late singer-songwriter Rich Mullins sang it, “He will watch over you and he will watch over me / So we can dress like flowers and eat like birds.”
The beauty of preaching this text from Isaiah is that, perhaps, it is an opening for you to share the word from Christ that has meant the most to you, either over the years or even just yesterday. Which words from “the tongue of [the] teacher” still strike you to the core of your being?
Of course, we get a good word from Isaiah’s “teacher” in today’s Gospel (Mk 9:14–29), especially apropos in light of how Christ’s word enters into conflict with the words of other fiery tongues (Mk 9:14–16; cf. Is 50:7–8).
I love the incredulity in Jesus’s voice in verse 23: “If you can?!” But then comes the sustaining word, rippling like cool, clean water: “All things are possible for one who believes.”
Perhaps it goes without saying, but I’ll say it away: this same Jesus Christ who heals and restores the young boy, who preaches about flowers and birds, who does not hide his face from spitting (Is 50:6), and, yes, who is lifted up and able to stand over the grave of his own death by his Lord God, is the same one who gives us the honor and the privilege to pull that little cord on the pulpit light and speak a word—his word—into the silence. And we speak it among the people he has called and who have given us the humble honor of a call to speak to the weariness we all feel. And this same Christ gives us both the tongue to speak and the ears to hear. By his Spirit. As a gift. Always.
In response, our first words should be the words we pray to this same Lord God before we can even begin: “I believe. Help my unbelief.”
Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale (New York: Harper and Row, 1977), 23. | <urn:uuid:a33f54a2-6923-47f6-8318-eb650b9f963e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://concordiatheology.org/2012/09/proper-19-%E2%80%A2-isaiah-504-10-%E2%80%A2-september-16-2012/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964724 | 1,149 | 2.109375 | 2 |
You may have been practicing meditation regularly but have you noticed that at times when you sit to meditate, your mind seems to take a holiday to a world of thoughts? Learning how to meditate is the first step but do you want to move up the ladder and learn more ways of getting a deeper experience? Following a few tips can help you in this direction.
#1 Bring a smile to another face
How do you feel when you help someone? Happy, satisfied? Do you also feel a burst of positive energy, like something expanding in you? Do you know why? This is because when you do service and bring a smile to someone’s face, good vibrations and blessings come to you.
“When I do service, I am directly benefited with a sense of satisfaction which makes me happy and peaceful. When I am both peaceful and happy, I am guaranteed to have a deep meditation,” shares Shilpy Madan.
#2 Experience the sound of silence!
Imagine yourself standing on a terrace early morning, looking up the grand red sky, completely mesmerized by the beauty of the rising sun. Do you feel deep silence and oneness with the beauty - the beauty that takes you beyond words? Your mind is so calm and settled. Have you ever wondered why?
In silence, there are fewer thoughts and your mind settles down.
Most of the time when we chatter, our mind also keeps chattering. Our senses are busy collecting information and bombarding us with so many thoughts and impressions.
Silence complements meditation. When you are silent, your mind slows down and you slip into meditation more easily.
An easy way to experience silence and meditation together is the Art of Living Part-2 program that happens every weekend at the International Center of the Art of Living in Bangalore.
“Sometimes I feel stuck in an endless trail of thoughts. Keeping silence gradually reduces this bombardment of thoughts and I experience much deeper meditation,” shares Hitanshi Sachdev.
#3 Pamper your body with some yoga twists
Have you observed that some days you feel very restless during your meditation and are unable to go deeper?
This is because long working hours bring stiffness to the body and aches due to this stiffness make you restless. Doing some yoga asanas frees you from this stiffness and releases restlessness. With this, your mind settles down and allows you to have a deeper experience in meditation.
#4 Keep a watch over your food
Think about the days you have meditated after having oily, fried, non-vegetarian food, and the days you meditated after having light and healthy food. Do you feel a difference in your meditation? This is because your food has a direct impact on the state of your mind.
As a meditator, an ideal diet should include grains, green vegetables, fresh fruits, salads, soups, etc. – essentially foods that are light and easy to digest and high in ‘prana’.
#5 Sing to yourself
Have you noticed how different types of music trigger different emotions in you?
We are made up of 90% or more space, so sound has a very profound effect on us. Singing in satsangs purifies emotions and you feel a sense of expansion in you. The ‘little mind’ that chatters incessantly is silenced and when you meditate, you have a deeper experience.
#6 Book your daily meditation time
Keeping a discipline and honoring the practice are keys to having a deeper experience in meditation. So book your meditation time everyday and experience the magic of going deeper.
“Earlier, I used to meditate at different times of the day. Since a past few months, I meditate everyday before lunch and I observed that I have a better and deeper meditation by meditating at the same time,” shares Divya Sachdev.
Inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
By Divya Sachdev, based on inputs by Priyadarshini Hariram, a Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Teacher. | <urn:uuid:17bafcf4-c751-4257-9b23-bfac5d304444> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artofliving.org/meditation/meditation-for-you/tips-to-go-deeper-into-meditation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945771 | 840 | 1.898438 | 2 |
The number of arrangements of 2n+2 different objects taken n at a time is to the number of arrangments of 2n different objects taken n at a time as 14:5. Find the value of n.
If 2nPn = 8.(2n-1)P(n-1), find the value of n
the P refers to the formula in permutations and combinations that is nPr = n!/(n-r)!
i dont understand how to solve these questions. some help is greatly appreciated. thankyou =D | <urn:uuid:9c8d0e41-19b1-40cd-ad4a-fb0a547160b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathhelpforum.com/discrete-math/95354-pleasehelp-permutations-combinations.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936537 | 114 | 2.796875 | 3 |
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Tail defense is all well and good, but I'm sure their main defense was
it's mouth. Just look at it's beak. The premaxilla and predentary had
serrated edges, they had strong jaws, and some had a very wide beak.
The only ones that had to worry about getting eaten were the small and
indajent (sic), Old. Some were as big as T.rex itself, so I doubt they
had anything to worry about. | <urn:uuid:69b18c7d-b845-404b-a1f6-4b1f0c0bdd97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dml.cmnh.org/1997May/msg00283.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983602 | 128 | 2.234375 | 2 |
On May 17, Ed Felton, Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission, announced that Twitter would begin supporting Do Not Track. Twitter is partnering with Mozilla to give users the ability to opt out of being tracked in any way through Twitter. Twitter will enable the Do Not Track tool in the Mozilla Firefox browser that allows people to request that websites do not track their behavior and information through cookies.
While all major browsers include a Do Not Track tool, websites are not currently required to comply with Do Not Track requests. Twitter has now joined other websites that have committed to honor these requests. Supporters include the Digital Advertising Alliance and prominent websites like Yahoo, Google, and AOL. However, there are still many popular websites, like Facebook, that do not honor these requests.
Consumers Union commends Twitter for their support of the Do Not Track tool. Ioana Rusu, Regulatory Counsel for Consumers Union, said, “This is an important move by one of the most visited sites on the Internet. As strong advocates for online privacy, we’re very pleased that Twitter is joining the ranks of those who honor consumers’ ‘Do Not Track’ choices. We also appreciate the FTC’s efforts to bring companies on board. When you surf the web, you should have more of a choice in whether third parties track you and collect information about you. This move by Twitter gets us closer to a permanent, persistent, one-stop-shop ‘Do Not Track’ tool.” | <urn:uuid:a5a8a8c9-88ae-4de4-92ba-cccf158ad4f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hearusnow.org/posts/1086-twitter-supports-do-not-track | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95197 | 306 | 1.90625 | 2 |
My double-sided painted tin sign (5'H) features a "Drink Coca-Cola" emblem. Why was this sign made and how old is it?
The policeman sign was a very popular warning device made for many suburban elementary-school crossings in the United States. Various American companies, such as Coca-Cola, sponsored these signs from the 1940s through the 1950s. The painted signs were made with a heavy cast-iron base to hold up in bad weather and prevent theft. These signs are highly popular with collectors.
Valued at: $750
*The estimates provided are preliminary only and subject to change based on firsthand inspection and further research. Appraisal prices refer to an item's fair market value, or what one might expect to pay for an object of similar age, size, color, and condition at auction. | <urn:uuid:9242e411-38d2-48c6-a731-0d3396ea8195> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.countryliving.com/antiques/appraisals/painted-tin-sign-0107 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978233 | 172 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Windows 8 will include its own built-in antivirus software. But if a user installs antivirus software from McAfee, Symantec, AVG, or any other vendor, Windows 8's own protection will turn itself off and defer entirely to the third-party product. Microsoft's software will spring to life only if there's no third-party malware protection at all or if the third-party software is installed but has no up-to-date signatures.
Representatives from McAfee spoke to Computerworld to explain the behavior. While this might seem like a concession from Microsoft to the third-party antivirus vendors, McAfee says it isn't. Rather, it's designed to keep Windows OEMs happy.
OEMs have long bundled third-party antivirus software with their systems, because they receive kickbacks from the antivirus vendors whenever users buy subscriptions to the software. Windows 8's built-in antivirus software threatened this revenue stream; if Windows offers to perform antivirus functionality all by itself, there's no reason to buy a subscription.
Windows 8 will warn users when their antivirus software is out-of-date and provide them information on how to renew their subscription. After 15 days of warnings, it will also offer to install Microsoft's own Windows Defender. This combines the anti-spyware properties of Windows Defender and the antivirus capabilities of Microsoft Security Essentials.
Our advice would be to blow away the bloatware and skip the trials. Head straight for Microsoft's software. It's not perfect—no antivirus software is—but it keeps a low profile and will protect against all the mainstream malware threats. | <urn:uuid:278009f8-eb05-4a60-b717-203b04d10b39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/06/windows-8s-built-in-antivirus-will-put-third-party-products-first/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907788 | 335 | 1.625 | 2 |
A “broadside” was defined by having all the guns on one side of the ship brought to bear at once. In order to bring the guns on the unengaged side to bear, the ship had somehow get to the other side of the attacked ship or, if able, run ahead of the opposing ship and turn about and run back down the same side it had attacked. Otherwise only about half of its guns could be used to fight another ship. The idea was to get close, fire several volleys and then smack into the other ships and engage in hand to hand battle.
Warships were rated by the number of guns they bore and a design balance had to be maintained between speed and the number of guns and their throw weight of projectiles. No matter how many guns, however, with the exception of bow chasers and perhaps some guns pointing astern (limited in both cases by the beam of the ship – a much narrower space then the length of the ship).
And, no matter the number of guns, maneuvering meant everything. Such maneuvering required substantial room for the ships to operate. Battles between large ships in narrow or restricted waters were rare and, almost by necessity, “passing” affairs because there was not simply not enough room to maneuver.This approach to aiming ship's guns by turning the ship essentially began with the first installation of cannon on ships and lasted for centuries.
Even with the addition of steam propulsion, ships continued to mount guns along their sides.
In fact, this approach lasted up until the American Civil War. During that war, the U.S. Navy learned that the innovative Confederate Navy was transforming the capture sloop USS Merrimac into an iron clad, the CSS Virginia.
Cladding a steam powered ship in iron was a terrific threat to the wooden hulled warships then dominating the U.S. Fleet. The Confederates were hopeful that their new ironclad wold help them break the Union blockade of Southern ports (see here).
The Union Navy began looking for a counter to the Rebel threat.
In doing so, it turned to a Swedish immigrant inventor, John Ericsson. Mr. Ericsson came up with a truly revolutionary design – creating a low free board (that the measure of the distance between the main deck of a ship and the surface of the water) ship that would be hard to batter with cannon fire. The tale is well told here.
Since the ship was steam powered with a screw, there were almost no masts or paddle wheels to interfere with the aiming of the guns. Ericsson's design was a ship that could engage and enemy ship from virtually any direction. This revolving turret was a great leap forward in war at sea.
Because the turret revolved, the cannon could be aimed by rotating the turret, regardless of the heading of the ship – Ericsson's vision made maneuvering the ship in tight confines like rivers and narrows possible.
Ericsson's creation became, of course, the Monitor, perhaps the most revolutionary ship after Fulton's Claremont and before the first real submarines.
Not surprisingly, the Navy initially rejected the revolutionary design but a competitor helped Ericsson out:
In September 1861, the Ironclad Board, which consisted of Captains Hiram Paulding, Joseph Smith and Charles Davis, recommended that two contracts be let. One went to Cornelius Bushnell of New Haven, Conn., for Galena, and the other to Merrick & Sons, Philadelphia, for New Ironsides. Both were conventional masted and sparred iron-plated broadside warships.Bushnell, vastly impressed with the plans, took them to Secretary of War Welles and to President Lincoln. With such intervention, the "cheese box on a raft" was built in Brooklyn, NY. In March 1862, Monitor was towed to Norfolk, Virginia, just in time for it to confront Virginia, which had also just been completed and had been successful in its first major foray:
Ericsson was disappointed and depressed. Then he received an unexpected visitor at his home on Franklin Street: Cornelius Bushnell. Bushnell was concerned because naval authorities doubted whether Galena would be able to carry the stipulated amount of 400 tons of armor on her topsides. Bushnell had been told to consult with Ericsson on the matter.
Ericsson happily received his guest, and advised him on the matter. As Bushnell prepared to leave, Ericsson asked if he was interested to see his own plans for a totally new type of low-draft ironclad warship. Ericsson showed him the latest version of the model of his ‘Cupola Vessel’ and copies of drawings for his proposal to President Lincoln.
The ship looked simple enough, a raft with a gun turret in the middle. Ericsson boasted that it was secure against the heaviest shot and designed for action in shallow coastal waters like Hampton Roads and Southern rivers. He explained that even in narrow passages it could operate its guns in battle, since only the turret needed to be turned.
At dawn on 9 March 1862, CSS Virginia prepared for renewed combat. The previous day, she had utterly defeated two big Federal warships, Congress and Cumberland, destroying both and killing more than 240 of their crewmen. Today, she expected to inflict a similar fate on the grounded steam frigate Minnesota and other enemy ships, probably freeing the lower Chesapeake Bay region of Union seapower and the land forces it supported. Virginia would thus contribute importantly to the Confederacy's military, and perhaps diplomatic, fortunes.
However, as they surveyed the opposite side of Hampton Roads, where the Minnesota and other potential victims awaited their fate, the Confederates realized that things were not going to be so simple. There, looking small and low near the lofty frigate, was a vessel that could only be USS Monitor, the Union Navy's own ironclad, which had arrived the previous evening after a perilous voyage from New York. Though her crew was exhausted and their ship untested, the Monitor was also preparing for action.
Undeterred, Virginia steamed out into Hampton Roads. Monitor positioned herself to protect the immobile Minnesota, and a general battle began. Both ships hammered away at each other with heavy cannon, and tried to run down and hopefully disable the other, but their iron-armored sides prevented vital damage. Virginia's smokestack was shot away, further reducing her already modest mobility, and Monitor's technological teething troubles hindered the effectiveness of her two eleven-inch guns, the Navy's most powerful weapons. Ammunition supply problems required her to temporarily pull away into shallower water, where the deep-drafted Virginia could not follow, but she always covered the Minnesota.
Soon after noon, Virginia gunners concentrated their fire on Monitor's pilothouse, a small iron blockhouse near her bow. A shell hit there blinded Lieutenant John L. Worden, the Union ship's Commanding Officer, forcing another withdrawal until he could be relieved at the conn. By the time she was ready to return to the fight, Virginia had turned away toward Norfolk.
The first battle between ironclad warships had ended in stalemate, a situation that lasted until Virginia's self-destruction two months later. However, the outcome of combat between armored equals, compared with the previous day's terrible mis-match, symbolized the triumph of industrial age warfare. The value of existing ships of the line and frigates was heavily discounted in popular and professional opinion. Ironclad construction programs, already underway in America and Europe, accelerated. The resulting armored warship competition would continue into the 1940s, some eight decades in the future.
The "cheese box" turret lead to improvements in naval guns and allowed development of naval gun that opened the range of warfare at sea from 100 yards to several miles.
The revolution began. | <urn:uuid:de2a39fb-acba-4f84-ba0a-b78a14b03b35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eaglespeak.us/2008/05/sunday-ship-history-aiming-ships-guns_25.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978352 | 1,598 | 4.25 | 4 |
This part of my rejoinder to the position that NCLB is not vital policy will concern itself with the lack of teeth in Title I and how teacher retention is not always based on salary, but on other factors found within a particular learning community.
Title I Funding – Putting Teeth in the Title
Part of the solution is supposed to be solved by Title I funding. While Title I funding is supposed to address these inequities in theory, what happens in practice is often quite different. Despite enormous growth in expenditures from its early days as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society”, and the astronomical growth of funding stipulated by 2001 NCLB legislation, in most urban districts a systematic bias is built into district allocation legislation. This bias supports disproportionate funding for schools in the more affluent neighborhoods (Roza, 2005). Title I funding is meant to equalize educational funding before state and local funds are brought into the mix of school budgets; these funds supplement, not supplant local funding. To this day this rationale remains the basis of Title I funding.
However, the “devil lies in the details”. Typically, schools are resourced at the central district office level by formulas based upon student enrollments. An example may call for a teacher for every 25 students and add an assistant principal for every 400 students. Additionally, schools may be able to add staffing on individual needs of schools. The number of staff, and staffing accounts for typically 80% of a schools budget, are then converted into dollars spent using average salaries for each type of staff. While this policy makes sense, it can inadvertently hurt schools within the same centralized system that have a needier population.
Another problem about this centralized system of resource allocation is in human personnel. Typically, teachers have choice regarding assignments, based upon seniority, and these choices are often part of collective bargaining negotiations. Typically, these teachers, who choose to leave, are more seasoned, better educated, better compensated, and are allowed to teach in schools with less need, than their less experienced; less well educated, and lower paid counterparts. These effects are felt greater in larger districts, typically found in inner-city schools, servicing poorer minority students.
This type of non-categorical allocation of resources has a devastating effect upon high-need schools, which in effect, nullify the legislative intent of Title I. This effect was shown (Roza, Hill, 2004) by comparing actual spending in five urban districts, Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Denver, Colorado. It was found that in all school districts, other than Dallas, affluent schools within the same district were funded significantly greater in real dollar value than poor schools within the same system. The reason for Dallas’ success in its equitable distribution is linked directly to its effective identifier system, in place since the late 1990’s, which tracks student achievement, teacher efficacy, as well as other factors outside the classroom on a longitudinal basis (Hanushek, Kain, Rivkin; 2004). These findings regarding inequitable distribution of resources are not limited to the cities that were investigated. Furthermore, districts are allowed to report their salary expenditures on a district wide level, and therefore they can mask the inequities that do exist within their own schools. The effective result is that money meant to go to schools in need, may not be going where they are most needed, and are authorized to go by Federal statute. The good schools get better, and can be showcased, while poor schools are continually allowed to lag behind.
A casual look into this problem of salary differential may yield a reply that revamping salary structure is the answer to the problem, but this may not be the case. New York City schools investment in professional development points to other underlying factors, which may be at play, with regard to retaining effective teachers, in hard to staff schools. Within New York’s Big Five (Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers) districts, teachers in general tend to earn more than the rest of New York State (Loeb, 2000), but they have less qualified teachers. Also, within the districts, the centralized nature allows for error in allocations, reflected by Roza’s (2004) research. In spite of large increases in Title I expenditures, and federal mandates concerning their distribution, school districts do not adequately finance and staff individual schools that possess the greatest need, and within these larger districts affluent schools are typically over financed.
It’s not ALL about the Benjamins
Other research (Hanushek, Rivkin, Kain; 2004) adds to the body of knowledge concerning factors regarding school staffing. In research that attempted to answer why teachers choose to work in certain schools over others, it was found that working conditions matter more than salary to most school teachers. By utilization of Dallas’ impressive data base, information, concerning teachers and students, is able to be measured using a fixed effect, longitudinal approach, which enables research a better opportunity to isolate competing variables. The four major areas that influence teachers to remain in a school are: (1) characteristics on the job, including salary and working conditions, (2) alternative job opportunities, (3) teacher’s own job preferences, (4) district personnel policies.
Strong factors in teacher retention are the opportunities that may exist in the private sector for an individual teacher. As an example, a math or science teacher typically has more options, which may be financially advantageous, than an English or elementary teacher. This study under review considered that factor by limiting the subjects under consideration to elementary teachers.
The major findings of this study were: (1) Teachers transfer from one school to another more often as a reaction to the characteristics of their students and perceived working conditions, more than in response solely to better pay in other schools. (2) Teaching lower achieving students is a strong factor in decisions to leave Texas public schools. (3) The ability of a school district to retain teachers eases as the teacher progresses within a particular school district. This is due in large part giving up higher salaries that come from experience within a school district. (4) To retain teachers in urban areas, by just salary adjustment, an average increase of 25% to 43% would be needed.
More to follow……. | <urn:uuid:4576ac8e-f009-49d7-9d1c-795bd6ef7ea6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://avoiceofreason.wordpress.com/2007/05/17/gop-debate-was-not-about-education-a-rejoinder-part-iv/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963456 | 1,300 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Shadows, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California, USA
It’s just a white wall.
And a black handrail.
In fact the handrail at the bottom of this photo is the only surface in this photograph that is not painted white. But there is very little of the photograph that looks white. And it is a color photograph.
I was impressed with how many shades of white to black are possible on a surface covered with white paint. I prefer color photography even though I respect the dedication and skill required for interesting black and white images. But I do not want to remove the reflected colors from the image.
This scene is inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The geometric shadows are from a skylight. The long shadows of the bolts add interesting patterns.
Regardless of what art is exhibited in the floors below, this upper stairway and the suspended walkway overhead provide a place to look at simple shapes and shadows. It is a place to take a break from the visual stimulation of the imagery on display. The varying intensity of the sunlight and passing clouds change the scene inside. Photo: 1/1000 s at f/5.6
Escalators, Waldo and His Mom, San Francisco, California, USA
The sparkling lights of Christmas shopping in downtown San Francisco.
When you live in a rural redwood forest setting, as we do, it is interesting to go shop in ‘The City’. We were in San Francisco visiting our younger daughter. It was a fun family day, but the clothes shopping part wasn’t enough to distract me from thinking about photographs. So while they shopped, I looked around for interesting views.
The red carpet at the lower left was six floors below me. This stack of escalators formed an interesting intersection of lines and arcs. The strands of blue lights add accent and depth.
This is certainly a different view than looking out my window into a redwood forest.
The woman two floors below me in the red striped top reminded me of the ‘Where’s Waldo’ puzzles. Perhaps she is not very easy to see in this small image. Photo: 1/30 s at f/2.4
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California, USA
Patterns, shapes, shadows, white, and the sky.
And the sun.
Everything in this photograph is white, except for the glimpse of sky and the sun filtered through the skylight. All of the surfaces inside this building are reflecting all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum equally. That is, everything has white paint on it. The brightness or whiteness is controlled by the amount of sun that falls on the surface, and our viewing angle.
Even though this is a pure ‘white’ surface, the shades range from almost pure black to bright white. Or, at least as white as the paint is.
I am starting to enjoy the buildings that house art displays almost as much as the art itself. This photograph is the view looking straight up through the skylight of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. There is an elevated walkway on the right.
I have a very limited knowledge of art museum architecture. But it has caught my interest. I think of the stairs inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art (not the outside stairs of Rocky fame); the escalators and clock of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris; the view across the pond of the metalic tree sculptures at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas; the polished redwood columns of the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, California (local plug); the entire Louvre; and on and on. I haven’t seen many of the famous art museums. But they are something to look forward to. Photo: 1/2000 s at f/6. | <urn:uuid:73c92cf6-66a1-4a93-8be9-d38faa77455e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.earthmapphoto.com/tag/san-francisco/ | 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 | 0.933069 | 792 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Photo: Think StockI love a good miracle-especially when it's the kind somebody took a picture of to prove it actually happened. A few days ago, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins found a way to help a paralyzed man use a robotic arm to hold his girlfriend's hand-just by thinking "I want to hold your hand." A chip in his brain directed the the high-tech limb to operate the way a real one does, by desire and mental direction. The man, Tim Hemmes, and his girlfriend had met after his motorcycle accident in 2004, Business Week reported. He had never been able touch her before.
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The pictures published in the San Francisco Chronicle-are astonishing, not just for the contrast of her human hand in his robotic one-but for the expression on her face.
While being interviewed Hemmes added, "I always tell people your legs are great ... but...your arms and fingers and hands do everything else. I have to get those back, I absolutely have to." He also said his goal is is to hug his 8-year-old daughter. "I'm going to do whatever it takes, as long as it takes, to do that again."
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Uh-oh, I thought. Because what if his beliefs don't come true? What if he doesn't get his real flesh-and-blood hands back, no matter how much faith he has in himself and technology? What do we do as humans when we put all our energy and time behind something that might not pan out? I had that horrible feeling I get sometimes when I watch my son try to do something impossible, like build a race car out of paper that will drive-only it was worse because this man's life was at stake.
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Which was the phrase that snapped back me out of my dark little mind cave. His life was at stake. I realized something, something I should have realized all along. Hemme's belief is not in the power of robotics or brain chips. His belief is in hope-and this is the quality that is defining is his life. For example, he could have done anything with that hand: scratched an itch, brushed back his hair, shook hands with the doctor. But he chose to reach out to someone he loved-and to show her how he felt.
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This book offers a distinctive treatment of Hayek's ideas, as a "research programme". It presents a detailed account of aspects of Hayek's intellectual development and of problems that arise within his work, and then offers some broad suggestions as to ways in which the programme initiated in his work might be developed further.
The book discusses how Popper and Lakatos's ideas about "research programmes" might be applied within political theory. There then follows a distinctive presentation of Hayek's intellectual development up to The Road to Serfdom, together with critical engagement with his later ideas. The discussion draws on a full range of his writings, makes use of some neglected earlier work on social theory and law, and also draws on archival material.
This book should appeal to anyone with an interest in Hayek's work, as well as to those with a concern for Twentieth Century intellectual history. | <urn:uuid:59248f2a-519c-46e9-a37d-89e8f775bb2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/html/moreinfo.asp?etailerid=0&isbn=9780203438343&ISO=US | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9694 | 180 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The presidential debate Tuesday between President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney added new life to the fierce debate over the Obama administration's mishandling of the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The Sept. 11 attack by more than two dozen heavily armed terrorists killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
The Obama administration initially insisted the attack was a spontaneous uprising by Muslims angry at an online video trailer about an anti-Islam film. That explanation persisted for more than a week, despite the fact that intelligence about the raid had indicated it was an al Qaeda-linked attack.
During the debate, Mr. Obama, with support from supposedly neutral moderator Candy Crowley, a CNN reporter, sought to defend the administration's misleading claims about the attack by insisting his Rose Garden comments a day after the Benghazi attack showed he had called the attack a "an act of terror."
"The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden, and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened, that this was an act of terror," Mr. Obama said in the debate.
A somewhat surprised Mr. Romney then asked Mr. Obama "is that what you're saying" that the attack was terrorism from the start?
"I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror," he said.
"Get the transcript," Mr. Obama said.
Ms. Crowley then said to Mr. Romney: "It... he did, in fact, sir."
But the transcript of the president's remarks Sept. 12 shows he did not refer to the Benghazi killings that occurred a day earlier as terrorism, only as "an attack" and "senseless violence." But Mr. Obama stopped short of saying terrorists had carried it out.
The only reference to terrorism came late in a prepared statement when he said that generally "no acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for."
In the following days, the president appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" and "The View" but declined, when asked, to say the attack was the result of terrorism.
Things got worse for the administration when Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, explicitly rejected terrorism as the cause, telling television interviewers Sept. 16 that the attack was a "spontaneous" reaction to the anti-Muslim video. She has since said she was given bad intelligence and was simply repeating what she had been told.
However, a U.S. intelligence official told Inside the Ring that the intelligence on the raid clearly pointed to al Qaeda from the earliest reports, based on highly classified intelligence showing clear links between the militia group blamed for the attack called Ansar al Sharia and al Qaeda.
"The American people don't like to be lied to," the official said.
The president and his administration have sought to tamp down criticism of the growing scandal, which is been dubbed "Benghazigate" on social media, by saying Mr. Obama took responsibility for the failures that have begun to threaten his re-election bid.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who traveled to Peru this week, also sought to minimize the roles played by Mr. Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden in the scandal. She said they would not know about the requests for more security in Libya, which the State Department turned down.
However, U.S. officials said the White House watch center receives copies of most significant cables from around the world and likely received information on U.S. security officials' requests for increased security in Libya.
Republicans were quick to pounce on what they have termed a major security and policy failure in Libya.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter T. King said on Tuesday the administration has a lot to explain.
"From the day this story broke back on Sept. 11, Sept. 12, they told misleading stories, confusing stories, contradictory stories," the New York Republican told CNN. "The reality is, what they said on the very first day, almost every word they said has been disproven."
Earlier, Sen. Lindsey Graham issued a harsh critique of the administration on CBS' "Face the Nation."
The South Carolina Republican said intelligence officials told him within 24 hours of the attack that the strike was a pre-planned act of terrorism and not spontaneous violence.
The administration is "trying to sell a narrative, quite frankly, that the Mideast, the wars are receding and al Qaeda's been dismantled, and to admit that our embassy was attacked by al Qaeda operatives ... undercuts that narrative," Mr. Graham said. "I think they have been misleading us, but it finally caught up with them."
China worried by Huawei report
China has denounced the recent report by the House Permanent Select Committee that concludes two Chinese telecommunications companies, Huawei Technologies and ZTE, pose threats to U.S. national security.
The Chinese see the report as undermining their efforts since at least 2008 to help the global telecom giants to gain a foothold in the lucrative U.S. telecommunications market. The government first blocked Huawei from a merger with 3Com in 2008 and in other ventures since.
Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang was quoted Oct. 9 as saying the report was "groundless" and "violated [the U.S.] free market principle." A Foreign Ministry spokesman also said Chinese telecom investment in the United States would be mutually beneficial and that the U.S. government should allow it.
To try and counteract the U.S. efforts to block Chinese high-tech firms, China announced it is setting up a new Foreign Ministry Department of International Economic Affairs office that an announcement Oct. 9 said would "safeguard" Chinese development interests and economic security.
The office will seek to address China's growing number of international business disputes.
The House report, based on classified and unclassified reports, concluded that "the United States should view with suspicion the continued penetration of the U.S. telecommunications market by Chinese telecommunications companies."
"The United States Intelligence Community must remain vigilant and focused on this threat," the report said.
The report also said the Treasury Department-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "must block acquisitions, takeovers, or mergers involving Huawei and ZTE given the threat to U.S. national security interests."
The report said legislation should be used to expand the authority of the Treasury Department committee to include the review of purchasing agreements of U.S. and foreign companies.
"U.S. government systems, particularly sensitive systems, should not include Huawei or ZTE equipment, including component parts," the report said, noting that government contractors should avoid ZTE or Huawei equipment.
Additionally, private U.S. companies also should consider long-term security risks of doing business with Huawei or ZTE.
The report noted that a former Huawei employee provided evidence to the committee that Huawei was linked to an elite cyberwarfare unit of China's People's Liberation Army.
It also warned that the Chinese government can use its access to Huawei and ZTE equipment installed on foreign computer networks to covertly conduct economic espionage or cyber-reconnaissance -- placing clandestine software inside foreign computers that can be activated for sabotage in a crisis or conflict.
French prepare for Mali op
The French military is quietly building up forces for an expected intervention in the North African nation of Mali.
According to U.S. officials, French forces are increasing military activity in the region called the Sahel, a band stretching across the continent that includes the Sahara desert.
The military activity includes preparations to reinforce French special forces in the region, deploy drones and plan for the use of French jet fighters to support ground-attack missions.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on television Tuesday that military intervention in the northern part of Mali "is a question of a few weeks, not several months."
France is concerned about al Qaeda's movement into the area through the group, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb. French jihadists operate in the northern part of the country where there was an attempted attack on a French embassy. Terrorist websites also have increased anti-France rhetoric in recent weeks.
The French military operation is expected to last a month and will likely be carried out with international support, including U.S. military backing in the form of intelligence and reconnaissance.
On Monday, European Union foreign minister approved urgent planning for a possible military mission. An EU statement said it "is determined to back Mali in reestablishing the rule of law and a democratic and fully sovereign government across its entire territory."
A statement called for planning for "a potential military mission ... to be pursued and deepened urgently."
A military coup in Mali's capital of Bamako in March ousted the president. The northern and eastern part of the country is not in the hands of militias linked to al Qaeda.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Bill Gertz is a national security columnist for The Washington Times and senior editor at The Washington Free Beacon (www.freebeacon.com). He has been with The Times since 1985.
He is the author of six books, four of them national best-sellers. His latest book, “The Failure Factory,” on government bureaucracy and national security, was published in September 2008.
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Although freshness has become somewhat of a fetish among modern cooks, the fact is that many of the world’s finest foods aren’t fresh at all—they’re cured, dried, smoked, or salted. Think of olives (ever tried one ripe?), ham, cheese, anchovies, caviar.
In their ancient cuisine, the Chinese have hundreds of such foods, which probably evolved from attempts to preserve them. No longer a mere substitute for the fresh, these foods develop incomparable flavor or texture when dried or cured. Dried scallops, for instance, are a luxury item sold for many times the price of the just-caught version. We love fresh shiitakes, but the very top grades, available in gift boxes in Chinese markets, are grown to be dried. And many foods-dozens of varieties of shrimp, fish, sea moss, jellyfish, and luxury items such as bird’s nest and shark’s fin—are harvested specifically for drying.
Over the past two decades, American cooks have readily adopted fresh Asian ingredients such as ginger, lemongrass, and bok choy; soy and chile sauces and sesame oil also can be found in the American pantry. Yet on my forays into Chinese markets I’ve found that non-Asians are still perplexed by dried ingredients. Here are 11 that you should get to know:
Dried Shrimp: If you’ve ordered pad Thai lately, you’ve probably eaten dried shrimp, which are usually ground and used as a seasoning to impart a subtle briny taste. They’re delicious ground (using a spice grinder with freshly roasted peanuts or dried chiles) and added to noodle dishes, salads, soups, and stir-fries. Make sure to buy the larger—and more expensive—shrimp (the tiny ones sometimes have a funky, unpleasant taste) and to select those that are bright pink or pink-orange (they brown and harden with age).
Dried Scallops: Lightly cured conpoy, as they are called in Chinese herbal stores, capture the essence of the sea just as good caviar does. Used in rich XO sauce, dried scallops add a remarkable depth of flavor to soups, rice, and noodle dishes. As with dried shrimp, the larger are superior to the smaller (bay scallops). The best can cost more than $40 a pound. To use, place three or four dried scallops in a small saucer, sprinkle with dry Sherry, and steam, covered, until soft enough to pull apart, 30 minutes to an hour. Save the liquid that accumulates and add it to the sauce or to soup.
Dried Black Mushrooms: The Japanese call them shiitake, the Chinese donggu. They are delicious when braised with rich meats such as short ribs and pork shoulder. Ancient Chinese herbals describe these “winter” mushrooms in terms of the fallen chestnut and oak trees on which they grow. The Japanese cultivate them on the shii, a type of oak. Available in the greatest variety at Chinese apothecaries, the best dried black mushrooms have thick, lightly spotted caps with deep fissures. For cooking, you can reconstitute them quickly by pouring just enough boiling water over them to cover. The mushrooms develop more flavor, though, if you use the slower method of soaking them in tepid water for six hours or overnight. Squeeze the excess moisture back into the soaking liquid (a savory stock that can later be added to the dish), then cut off the hard stems and slice the caps or leave whole.
Black Tree Fungus: Called mu-er by the Chinese (and known as tree ears or wood ears in English), this fungus may be neutral in taste but is soft and crinkly and gives a pleasantly light crunch to dishes like mu shu pork, hot-and-sour soup, even scrambled eggs. The very smallest, which look like tiny, gnarled black flakes, are best. To reconstitute, pour boiling water over to cover and let stand for 30 minutes. The mushrooms will swell considerably—three heaping tablespoons of dried, for example, will yield about a cup of soaked.
White Tree Fungus: Until I came across bai mu-er growing in an Australian rain forest, I’d only seen these pale-golden, spongelike mushrooms (they resemble bleached coral) in gift boxes in Chinese markets. They supply visual drama to a soup with clear broth, and the Chinese serve them in a syrup made with rock sugar as a kind of cold, sweet soup. Their flavor ranges from neutral to mild. Like their black cousins, these mushrooms are more a texture enhancer than anything else. Reconstitute them as you would black tree fungus, above.
Jellyfish: In restaurants specializing in Shanghainese and Taiwanese food, jellyfish shreds are often served as a sort of salad, with sesame oil dressing. Dim sum restaurants also offer this vitamin-rich protein, with its pleasant, clean crunch and hint of the sea, as part of a cold selection. As with dried shrimp, quality is important. The edible, warm-water variety has a large circular body top (”skin”) that becomes thinner and more desirable as the jellyfish grows older. Although it is available salted and dried in one-pound plastic packages, the best jellyfish is sold out of large crocks in markets specializing in Shanghainese goods. Unfold the pieces, cover with cold water, and soak for eight hours, changing the water twice. Before using, parboil about 15 seconds, then rinse under cold water before rolling the pieces up, one at a time, and slicing thinly.
Black Moss, a.k.a. Hair Vegetable: Called fat choy by the Cantonese, this moss, from the desert in northwestern China, looks like matted black hair when dried, and, when soaked, like something you’d see floating in a tidal flat. Its soft fibers provide texture, earthy taste (it absorbs the flavor of the dish it’s being cooked in), and a striking visual contrast when simmered in a light chicken sauce or served in soup or a stir-fried chicken dish. It’s sold in 1.3-ounce packages or in bulk. Soak black moss for 30 minutes or so in cold water before using. | <urn:uuid:a103409b-f3e4-45b4-953e-34312e7cc616> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2005/01/driedfoods | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940792 | 1,357 | 1.828125 | 2 |
When you move your child from a cot to a real bed it is a big milestone for
the child. They'll feel grown up and important and you may find that bedtime
suddenly becomes fun instead of a chore and your child wants to make their
into a kind of den or playroom instead of just a place for sleeping.
Maximise on the excitement of getting a proper bed by discussing what kind of
bed your child would like and allow them to have some say regarding the design
or style of the bed.
Theme beds are popular first beds, with designs in the shape of cars or cartoon
trains and camper vans. Little girls will love stylish four-poster beds with
romantically draped curtains, or princess carriages similar to Cinderella's.
Styling the bed in the shape of a favourite toy makes bedtime into an adventure
and the bed itself into somewhere the child wants to spend time.
Bunk beds are always fun for kids and bedsitter bunks that also incorporate a
desk and storage space with the bed raised up high are not only great space
savers but can also add a designer, structured elegance to an older child's
Traditional double bunk beds have the added advantage of separating into two
standard single beds when needed, making them versatile pieces of furniture that
will last for years.
Choosing a Mattress
Children need good mattresses to sleep on just as much as adults do. Getting an
orthopaedic mattress might be going a little far, but you should
still choose one that offers support to the lower back and spine.
Anti-allergy or anti-microbial qualities may be important if your child suffers
from allergies and you might also want to consider whether or not a waterproof
protective cover is needed. Small children sometimes have accidents during the
night long after they are dry during the day.
Child sized mattresses are available, although it's not necessary to start with
a child-sized one unless the child's room is too small to allow a full size bed
to fit comfortably. Buying a full sized bed and mattress will mean the bed lasts
longer and a good quality mattress will withstand exuberant bouncing that kids
like to put beds through from time to time.
Whatever kind of bed you choose to buy for your child, taking into account their
own tastes and preferences will help to make their bedrooms the places they wish
to spend time and will help prevent any bedtime routine disruptions that can
sometimes happen during times of change. Buying new sheets and pyjamas to go
with the new bed can also help make giving up the cot more exciting.
CLICK HERE To view our Kids beds Collection | <urn:uuid:bd011936-7169-406d-a992-513cfdcb73dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bedtrader.co.uk/What-Beds-Should-I-Buy-For-My-Children.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 | 0.937296 | 563 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Rubik's Ice Cube
Object: Mix up and put back to start
Difficulty: Level 8 - Demanding
Type: Rubik's Cube
Dimensions: 1 5/8 in x 1 5/8 in x 1 5/8 in / 4 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm
Packaging: Clam Shell
Rubik's Ice Cube® is the little brother of the world's best selling original, Rubik's Cube®... but with a chilling difference. Offering the same challenge at the Rubik's Mini Cube®, the Rubik's Ice Cube® has millions of combinations but only one solution. The objective is the same as its bigger brother... to turn each side in a combination of moves returning it to 6 solid colored sides.
Rubik's Ice Cube® offers the same geometric and logical skills building as its larger sibling. If you've already mastered Rubik's Cube®, the Ice Cube® uses the same principles. If you haven't mastered its big brother, Rubik's Ice Cube® is a great place to start learning the logical approach to its solution.
Average Customer Rating
Disclaimer: These reviews are written by our customers. Puzzle
Master makes every attempt to keep these posts informative and relevant. If
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On Saturday July 10th Max wrote,
This cube was great for the first few months and then it broke. Since i have put it back together, it has not been the same. In the middle of my solves the cube will just fall apart without even applying much pressure. That is why i have rated it 2 stars. I would recommend the LanLan 2x2 cube.
* Exchange rates shown are estimates only, and are based on current rates provided by the
Bank of Canada.
The rates charged to you by PayPal or your Credit Card company may vary slightly from
those shown above. | <urn:uuid:34635456-ba60-47f3-b780-cc48e261b5d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.puzzlemaster.ca/browse/games/tictactoe/877-rubik-s-ice-cube?image=6739 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942816 | 403 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Samford University will host a workshop on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) for K-12 teachers Saturday (OCT. 28), 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies building on campus.
PBL provides a structure for discovery that helps students internalize learning, leading to greater comprehension. The teaching technique organizes a curriculum around an engaging problem and creates a learning environment that promotes student thinking and deepens understanding.
Registration fee is $50. For information, phone Dr. Carol Dean at 726-2396 or email email@example.com.
The K-12 workshop coincides with an international PBL conference co-sponsored by Samford and The Pew Charitable Trusts in Birmingham Oct. 29-31. | <urn:uuid:4c5b05b5-7932-4e5c-bbe9-0bf7f923c60e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.samford.edu/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=21474842350 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906748 | 168 | 1.921875 | 2 |
As a teenage farmhand, Samuel Treon, of Red Cross, Northumberland County, drove this Ford Model T on errands and to church. Treon was one of many Americans whose first horseless carriage was the famous Model T, affectionately known as the "Tin Lizzie."Between 1908 and 1927 Henry Ford produced over fifteen million of his practical and affordable Model Ts. Ford's mass-production of the Model T forced many of Pennsylvania's early auto manufacturers who operated small shops out of business.
300 North St., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17120
State Museum of Pennsylvania | <urn:uuid:f0317012-cb14-4276-b60a-a772fda88e50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanheritage.com/category/collection-keywords/red-cross | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953759 | 121 | 2.5 | 2 |
- Apostle of Consecration to Mary
- Maksymilian Maria
- Massimiliano Maria Kolbe
- Maximilian Mary Kolbe
- Rajmund Kolbe
- Raymond Kolbe
Second of three sons born to a poor but pious Catholic family in Russian occupied Poland. His parents, both Franciscan lay tertiaries, worked at home as weavers. His father, Julius, later ran a religious book store, then enlisted in the army of Pilsudski, fought for Polish independence from Russia, and was hanged by the Russians as a traitor in 1914. His mother, Marianne Dabrowska, later became a Benedictine nun. His brother Alphonse became a priest.
Raymond was known as a mischievous child, sometimes considered wild, and a trial to his parents. However, in 1906 at Pabianice, at age twelve and around the time of his first Communion, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary that changed his life.
I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both. - Saint Maximilian
He entered the Franciscan junior seminary in Lwow, Poland in 1907 where he excelled in mathematics and physics. For a while he wanted to abandon the priesthood for the military, but eventually relented to the call to religious life, and on 4 September 1910 he became a novice in the Conventual Franciscan Order at age 16. He took the name Maximilian, made his first vows on 5 September 1911, his final vows on 1 November 1914.
Studied philosophy at the Jesuit Gregorian College in Rome from 1912 to 1915, and theology at the Franciscan Collegio Serafico in Rome from 1915 to 1919. On 16 October 1917, while still in seminary, he and six friends founded the Immaculata Movement (Militia Immaculatae, Crusade of Mary Immaculate) devoted to the conversion of sinners, opposition to freemasonry (which was extremely anti-Catholic at the time), spread of the Miraculous Medal (which they wore as their habit), and devotion to Our Lady and the path to Christ. Stricken with tuberculosis which nearly killed him, and left him in frail in health the rest of his life. Ordained on 28 April 1918 in Rome at age 24. Received his Doctor of Theology on 22 July 1922; his insights into Marian theology echo today through their influence on Vatican II.
Maximilian returned to Poland on 29 July 1919 to teach history in the Krakow seminary. He had to take a medical leave from 10 August 1920 to 28 April 1921 to be treated for tuberculosis at the hospital at Zakpane in the Tatra Mountains. In January 1922 he began publication of the magazine to fight religious apathy; by 1927 the magazine had a press run of 70,000 issues. He was forced to take another medical leave from 18 September 1926 to 13 April 1927, but the work continued. The friaries from which he had worked were not large enough for his work, and in 1927 Polish Prince Jan Drucko-Lubecki gave him land at Teresin near Warsaw. There he founded a new monastery of Niepokalanow, the City of the Immaculate which was consecrated on 8 December 1927. At its peak the had a press run of 750,000 copies a month. A junior seminary was started on the grounds in 1929. In 1935 the house began printing a daily Catholic newspaper, The Little Daily with a press run of 137,000 on work days, 225,000 on Sundays and holy days.
Not content with his work in Poland, Maximilian and four brothers left for Japan in 1930. Within a month of their arrival, penniless and knowing no Japanese, Maximilian was printing a Japanese version of the Knight; the magazine, Seibo no Kishi grew to a circulation of 65,000 by 1936. In 1931 he founded a monastery in Nagasaki, Japan comparable to Niepokalanow. It survived the war, including the nuclear bombing, and serves today as a center of Franciscan work in Japan.
Poor health forced him to curtail his missionary work and return to Poland in 1936. On 8 December 1938 the monastery started its own radio station. By 1939 the monastery housed a religious community of nearly 800 men, the largest in the world in its day, and was completely self-sufficient including medical facilities and a fire brigade staffed by the religious brothers.
Arrested with several of his brothers on 19 September 1939 following the Nazi invasion of Poland. Others at the monastery were briefly exiled, but the prisoners were released on 8 December 1939, and the men returned to their work. Back at Niepokalanow he continued his priestly ministry, The brothers housed 3,000 Polish refugees, two-thirds of whom were Jewish, and continued their publication work, including materials considered anti-Nazi. For this work the presses were shut down, the congregation suppressed, the brothers dispersed, and Maximilian was imprisoned in Pawiak prison, Warsaw, Poland on 17 February 1941.
On 28 May 1941 he was transferred to Auschwitz and branded as prisoner 16670. He was assigned to a special work group staffed by priests and supervised by especially vicious and abusive guards. His calm dedication to the faith brought him the worst jobs available, and more beatings than anyone else. At one point he was beaten, lashed, and left for dead. The prisoners managed to smuggle him into the camp hospital where he spent his recovery time hearing confessions. When he returned to the camp, Maximilian ministered to other prisoners, including conducting Mass and delivering communion using smuggled bread and wine.
In July 1941 there was an escape from the camp. Camp protocol, designed to make the prisoners guard each other, required that ten men be slaughtered in retribution for each escaped prisoner. Francis Gajowniczek, a married man with young children was chosen to die for the escape. Maximilian volunteered to take his place, and died as he had always wished – in service.
- 14 August 1941 by lethal carbonic acid injection after three weeks of starvation and dehydration at the Auschwitz, Poland death camp
- body burned in the ovens and ashes scattered
- 17 October 1971 by Pope Paul VI
- his beatification miracles include the July 1948 cure of intestinal tuberculosis of Angela Testoni, and August 1950 cure of calcification of the arteries/sclerosis of Francis Ranier
- against drug addiction
- drug addicts
- imprisoned people
- political prisoners
- pro-life movement
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
- Great Catholic Books Newsletter, by Father John A. Hardon, S.J.
- Katherine Rabenstein
- Militia of the Immaculata, by Rycerz Niepokalanej
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
- Priest Hero of a Death Camp, by Mary Craig
- Priest Hero of a Death Camp, by Mary Craig
- Rule of Life for Those Consecrated to the Immaculate Virgin, by Saint Maximilian Kolbe
- SaintCast: interview with Auschwitz survivor Tadeusz Raznikiewicz who saw the last days of Saint Maximilian
- Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, by Brother John Neumann, M.I.C.M., Tert.
Courage, my sons, Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes. - Saint Maximilian Kolbe
The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers. - Saint Maximilian Kolbe
For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more. - Saint Maximilian Kolbe
No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it. The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the hecatombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves? - Saint Maximilian Kolbe in the last issue of the
- “Saint Maximilian Kolbe“. Saints.SQPN.com. 12 April 2013. Web. 22 May 2013. <> | <urn:uuid:1b92afe7-0c86-49c2-a6f3-502c60fb6bb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-maximilian-kolbe/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975629 | 1,893 | 2.171875 | 2 |
There was a time when “universe” meant all there is. Everything. Yet, in recent years discoveries in physics and cosmology have led a number of scientists to conclude that our universe may be one among many. With crystal-clear prose and inspired use of analogy, Brian Greene shows how a range of different “multiverse” proposals emerges from theories developed to explain the most refined observations of both subatomic particles and the dark depths of space: a multiverse in which you have an infinite number of doppelgängers, each reading this sentence in a distant universe; a multiverse comprising a vast ocean of bubble universes, of which ours is but one; a multiverse that endlessly cycles through time, or one that might be hovering millimeters away yet remains invisible; another in which every possibility allowed by quantum physics is brought to life. Or, perhaps strangest of all, a multiverse made purely of mathematics.
Greene, one of our foremost physicists and science writers, takes us on a captivating exploration of these parallel worlds and reveals how much of reality’s true nature may be deeply hidden within them.
©2011 Brian Greene (P)2011 Random House Audio
I have read several physics books (including some written by Greene) so I have some background in the topic, but I am far from understanding it all. Greene does a very good job of making insanely complicated concepts (like multiple, folded, hidden dimensions) accessible to someone who doesn't have a Ph.D in math. He frequently uses real world analogies to bridge this gap, and even though the concepts are still daunting for a lay person, Greene makes them a little more accessible.
However, whatever his talents as a writer, Greene should leave it to professional readers to read his material. I found his voice and presentation very irritable, especially over the course of a long unabridged audio book. I almost stopped listening, it grated on me that much. Listen to a sample before downloading, and you may decide to read it instead of listening.
This book brought not just answers to questions developed in my own mind, but also to questions my mind would have never generated. On more than one occasion the words which Greene was narrating brought not only understanding but joy and happiness to my being. Physics and math have never brought me as much overwhelming emotion as they did with this book, if anything they have been personal struggles for me. Yet through simple language and easily visualized analogies I have had my perceptions of reality and consciousness changed and expanded. Should & have & will continue to recommend this book and most likely his others.
If you are considering this book, then odds are that you enjoy high-level science concepts translated to the educated lay listener. If that's the case: buy this book. Yes, there are points where the concepts are a bit byzantine and the lines between physics, cosmology, and metaphysics are a little blurry here, but those are aspects of the underlying science and not unique to this one book. I enjoyed it tremendously and will listen to it a second time. Narration is good.
This is not for those who know little of theoretical physics. I found it hard to follow and keep concentration on this book. It's theories are complex and profound and not easily translated to the layman. If you are looking for easy listening and translational material check out Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku.
I focus on fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, science, history, politics and read a lot. I try to review everything I read.
Hidden Reality looks, relatively even handedly, at many theories of alternate universes. Doing this is quite tricky as some of the theories are quite ???out there??? while others are tightly coupled to what we actually know about the universe. Using such an even hand tends to lump the almost wacky with the truly thought provoking. I prefer books that deeply analyze one or two theories to a survey of many at a high level, but if this book encourages readers to find out more, it will have been successful. Yet I worry that non-scientific readers will be overwhelmed with the myriad of conflicting theories. I really enjoyed Brian Greene???s narration. If you are really bothered by hearing anything close to a lisp, maybe you should listen to this book over and over until you get over it. The "lisp'' is so minor it did not bother me an iota. I found his speech charming and expressive of the joy and tantalizing mysteries of physics.
this guy is a good writer. he brings all that science channel and history channel stuff into theoretical models i can actually follow
I love learning about the universe and our place in it by listening to Audible.
I have yet to grow tired of Brian Greene's books. As with his other two books that I've read this is an exciting read. He amazes me with his great analogies and he never seems to repeat himself from his other books even when he talks about that the same subject matter. If you only have time to read one of his books, I would recommend this one. It takes you to the recently prevalent acceptance of possible explanations for the creation of our universe within a multi-universe. His books on science listens like a well written exciting science fiction novel. They are always fun listens. Soon as he publishes something else, I'll end up buying it. Can hardly wait for his next.
I guess this book about met my expectations. Even though at times it seems much like a text book, there really was not the depth and dry fact delivery I would hope to find in such a tome. I have recently read through a couple other universe reality books both scientific and philosophical and think that although this avoids the philosophical pursuits does use many of the same processes to prove a point.
Great read...though only if you are into deep astrophysical topics.
Brian is doing his best to explain String Theory and other vital concepts. But, he lapses into cosmic jargon and he lost me many times.
Where he is headed is amamzing, and he is brillant, but if the reader is new to cosmology, beware.
If you are always trying to find out why, than this is a multi read. Can be a bit "WTF", but re-read, and a better understanding comes. Always keep in mind, that nobody knows.
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If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action. | <urn:uuid:5f5b95dc-309e-45db-828d-b1673efe126c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=cat_12?asin=B004GVIRFO | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971677 | 1,350 | 2.046875 | 2 |
If you were faced with by far the biggest bill of your life, would you not want to be confident that there was a very good reason why you should pay it? That is why we need to know just how far we can trust the science behind the official view that the world is threatened with catastrophe by global warming – because the measures proposed by our politicians to avert this supposed disaster threaten to transform our way of life out of recognition and to land us with easily the biggest bill in history. (The Climate Change Act alone, says the Government, will cost us all £18 billion every year until 2050.)
Yet in recent months, as we know, the official science on which all this rests has taken quite a hammering. Confronted with all those scandals surrounding the “Climategate” emails and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the political and academic establishments have responded with a series of inquiries and statements designed to show that the methods used to construct the official scientific case are wholly sound. But as was illustrated last week by two very different reports, these efforts to hold the line are themselves so demonstrably flawed that they are in danger of backfiring, leaving the science more questionable than ever.
The first report centred directly on the IPCC itself. When several of the more alarmist claims in its most recent 2007 report were revealed to be wrong and without any scientific foundation, the official response, not least from the IPCC’s chairman, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, was to claim that everything in its report was “peer-reviewed”, having been confirmed by independent experts.
But a new study put this claim to the test. A team of 40 researchers from 12 countries, led by a Canadian analyst Donna Laframboise, checked out every one of the 18,531 scientific sources cited in the mammoth 2007 report. Astonishingly, they found that nearly a third of them – 5,587 – were not peer-reviewed at all, but came from newspaper articles, student theses, even propaganda leaflets and press releases put out by green activists and lobby groups.
In its own way even more damaging, however, was the report from a team led by Lord Oxburgh on the scientific integrity of the East Anglia Climatic Research Unit (CRU). Two sets of evidence have been used more than anything else to drive the worldwide scare over global warming. One is a series of graphs showing how temperatures have suddenly shot up in recent decades to levels historically unprecedented. The other is the official record of global surface temperatures. For both of these, the CRU and the key group of top British and American scientists involved in those Climategate emails have been crucially responsible.
Lord Oxburgh himself is linked to various commercial interests which make money from climate change, from wind farms to carbon trading. None of the panel he worked with on his report were climate “sceptics”; and one, Dr Kerry Emanuel, is an outspoken advocate of man-made global warming. Even so, it was surprising to see just how superficial their inquiry turned out to be, based on two brief visits to the CRU and on reading 11 scientific papers produced by the research unit in the past 24 years, chosen in consultation with the Royal Society (which is itself fanatical in promotion of warming orthodoxy).
The crown jewels of the IPCC’s case that the world faces catastrophic warming have been all those graphs based on tree rings which purport to show that temperatures have lately been soaring to levels never known before in history – thus eradicating all the evidence that the world was hotter than today during the Medieval Warm Period, long before any rise in CO2 levels. Best known of these graphs, of course, was Michael Mann’s “hockey stick”, comprehensively discredited by the expert Canadian statistician Stephen McIntyre and Professor Ross McKitrick. But the IPCC was able to defend its case with the aid of another set of “hockey sticks”, based on different tree rings, produced by Mann’s close allies at the CRU.
The most widely quoted of the Climategate emails was that from the CRU’s director, Philip Jones, saying that he had used “Mike’s Nature trick” to “hide the decline”. If there was anything in the CRU’s record which a proper inquiry should have addressed it was the story behind this email, because what it highlighted was the device used by the CRU to get round the fact that its tree-ring data hopelessly failed to show the result the warmist establishment wanted. When their Siberian tree rings showed temperatures in the late 20th century sharply dropping rather than rising, the “trick” used by Prof Jones and his colleague Dr Keith Briffa, copied from Mike Mann’s own “hockey stick”, was simply to delete the downward curve shown by the tree rings, replacing them with late 20th-century temperature data to show the dramatic warming they wanted.
The significance of this sleight of hand can scarcely be exaggerated. Why, in using this misleading graph, did the IPCC not explain the trick that had been played by its leading scientists? If tree rings were so inadequate in reflecting 20th-century temperatures, why should they be relied on to reflect temperatures in earlier centuries? Why, when fresh Siberian tree ring data came to light, making a nonsense of the CRU’s earlier temperature reconstructions, did the CRU simply ignore the new data?
Anyone who has followed the meticulous analysis of this curious story by Steve McIntyre on his Climate Audit website might well conclude that we are looking here at a complete travesty of proper scientific procedure, matched only by the bizarre methods used by Mann himself to construct his original hockey stick. Yet these are the men, Mann, Jones and Briffa, who acted as the “lead authors” of the key chapters of the IPCC’s 2001 and 2007 reports.
They quite shamelessly promoted the rewriting of history produced by themselves and a small group of colleagues – the so-called Hockey Team – which the IPCC in turn used as its main evidence to convince the politicians that the world faces unprecedented warming.
Yet scarcely a hint of this hugely important story is contained in the Oxburgh report, which simply glosses it over, hoping to appease critics by throwing in a few vaguely critical comments about how Jones and his team were a trifle “disorganised” in archiving their data. It ignores the utterly damning critiques of the CRU’s methodology produced by McIntyre and McKitrick. It does not even begin to question the way the CRU has compiled its global temperature record, relied on by the IPCC as the most authoritative of all the official data sources for surface temperatures.
Yet this in turn has given rise to all sorts of controversies, not least when Prof Jones last year admitted that much of his data had been “lost” (following his repeated refusals of applications to see it by McIntyre and others). More damaging still was the charge by senior Russian scientists that, in compiling its global record, CRU had cherry-picked the data supplied from Russia, suppressing that from most of the country while retaining the data from the vicinity of cities which, thanks to the “urban heat island” effect, showed a warming trend. So even the accuracy of CRU’s temperature record has been called seriously in doubt, although one would never have guessed it from Oxburgh.
As is reflected in so many political tragedies, from Macbeth to Watergate, it is often not the original dark act itself which leads to nemesis but the later attempts to “trammel up the consequence”. Nothing will do more to reinforce suspicion of the CRU’s conduct than the failure, first by those MPs, and now by the team led by Lord Oxburgh, to address properly the way in which it appears to have abused the principles of true science – a scandal which should be of concern not just to us here in Britain, who paid for it, but across the world.So many enquires so few real questions answered. Adding these two to the one by Pennsylvania University (by his peers) which exonerated Dr. Michael Mann it could be said that: Never in the course of human history have so many enquiries been needed to cover so many mistakes made by so few. Tom Sawyer would be proud. | <urn:uuid:0b799464-bd0c-4fdf-88bc-8794ff0c2f7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://climateobserver.blogspot.com/2010/04/climategate-enquiries-and-tom-sawyer.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976855 | 1,740 | 2.515625 | 3 |
By looking at the words of the early Mormons, one can see that even the first-hand participants in the "restoration" process can't answer the above questions.
BYU's religion department attempts to figure out when the Mormon priesthoods were restored. Make sure to notice the dates on some of the sources used. Also take note of the quotes from this list that were not used in this article.
Some thoughts and quotes on why discriminatory practices have been used to prevent certain people from obtaining Mormon priesthoods.
Several of those who have written about this topic have now been excommunicated even though what they have written is correct.
How did the Mormon power structure come in to being? How did it evolve in the early days of the church? Find out in this lenghty, well-documented treatment of the subject.
How has the Mormon power structure evolved since the largest body of the church moved to Utah? D. Michael Quinn documents and discusses modern changes and happenings within the upper quorums of the Mormon church.
Are feminism and Mormonism compatible? Some think so. Unfortunately, several of them have been excommunicated for voicing their opinions.
"I see the Declaration as proof of Priesthood Correlation's assumption of Relief Society autonomy."
Janice Allred writes about her confrontations with those who think they have authority over her by virtue of their sex.
Sterling comments on the efforts made to get blacks the Mormon priesthood.
A look at how people are to act in the church. Those in power know and set all the rules, but they aren't for public consumption. Everyone else is supposed to figure things out and fall in line.
Rigdon is largely responsible for the formation and organization of the early church power structure which has continued to a large degree to the current day. Find out about the man Utah Mormons have barely heard of.
Ezra Taft Benson doesn't mince words when it comes to who is in charge and who Mormons are to blindly follow.
In what appears to be closer to scripture than anything else produced by the church in the past few decades, males are commanded to be the breadwinner and females are commanded to have kids and raise them.
In an effort to preserve the priesthood currently being available to men only, neo-orthodox Mormon leaders have frowned on discussions of the early Mormon doctrine of a "Mother in Heaven". BYU professors have their jobs in jeopardy if they bring up the subject. | <urn:uuid:f9ab8527-7a67-4dcc-80a9-0754d90f6648> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds-mormon.com/priesthood.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976444 | 503 | 2.546875 | 3 |
By J. Bradford DeLong
The opinions expressed are his own.
Via a circuitous Internet chain – Paul Krugman of Princeton University quoting Mark Thoma of the University of Oregon reading the Journal of Economic Perspectives – I got a copy of an article written by Emmanuel Saez, whose office is 50 feet from mine, on the same corridor, and the Nobel laureate economist Peter Diamond. Saez and Diamond argue that the right marginal tax rate for North Atlantic societies to impose on their richest citizens is 70%.
It is an arresting assertion, given the tax-cut mania that has prevailed in these societies for the past 30 years, but Diamond and Saez’s logic is clear. The superrich command and control so many resources that they are effectively satiated: increasing or decreasing how much wealth they have has no effect on their happiness. So, no matter how large a weight we place on their happiness relative to the happiness of others – whether we regard them as praiseworthy captains of industry who merit their high positions, or as parasitic thieves – we simply cannot do anything to affect it by raising or lowering their tax rates.
The unavoidable implication of this argument is that when we calculate what the tax rate for the superrich will be, we should not consider the effect of changing their tax rate on their happiness, for we know that it is zero. Rather, the key question must be the effect of changing their tax rate on the well-being of the rest of us.
From this simple chain of logic follows the conclusion that we have a moral obligation to tax our superrich at the peak of the Laffer Curve: to tax them so heavily that we raise the most possible money from them – to the point beyond which their diversion of energy and enterprise into tax avoidance and sheltering would mean that any extra taxes would not raise but reduce revenue.
The utilitarian economic logic is clear. Yet more than half of us are likely to reject the conclusion reached by Diamond and Saez. We feel that there is something wrong with taxing our superrich until the pips squeak so much that further taxation reduces the number of pips. And we feel this for two reasons, both of them set out more than two centuries ago by Adam Smith – not in his most famous work, The Wealth of Nations, but in his far less discussed book The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
The first reason applies to the idle rich. According to Smith:
A stranger to human nature, who saw the indifference of men about the misery of their inferiors, and the regret and indignation which they feel for the misfortunes and sufferings of those above them, would be apt to imagine, that pain must be more agonizing, and the convulsions of death more terrible to persons of higher rank, than to those of meaner stations …
We feel this, Smith believes, because we naturally sympathize with others (if he were writing today, he would surely invoke “mirror neurons”). And the more pleasant our thoughts about individuals or groups are, the more we tend to sympathize with them. The fact that the lifestyles of the rich and famous “seem almost the abstract idea of a perfect and happy state” leads us to “pity…that anything should spoil and corrupt so agreeable a situation! We could even wish them immortal … ”
The second reason applies to the hard-working rich, the type of person who:
devotes himself forever to the pursuit of wealth and greatness…With the most unrelenting industry he labors night and day….serves those whom he hates, and is obsequious to those whom he despises….[I]n the last dregs of life, his body wasted with toil and diseases, his mind galled and ruffled by the memory of a thousand injuries and disappointments….he begins at last to find that wealth and greatness are mere trinkets of frivolous utility….Power and riches….keep off the summer shower, not the winter storm, but leave him always as much, and sometimes more exposed than before, to anxiety, to fear, and to sorrow; to diseases, to danger, and to death…
In short, on the one hand, we don’t wish to disrupt the perfect felicity of the lifestyles of the rich and famous; on the other hand, we don’t wish to add to the burdens of those who have spent their most precious possession – their time and energy – pursuing baubles. These two arguments are not consistent, but that does not matter. They both have a purchase on our thinking.
Unlike today’s public-finance economists, Smith understood that we are not rational utilitarian calculators. Indeed, that is why we have collectively done a very bad job so far in dealing with the enormous rise in inequality between the industrial middle class and the plutocratic superrich that we have witnessed in the last generation. | <urn:uuid:37538c97-8d6b-4463-bc35-0dd4eeab88b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/amplifications/tag/adam-smith/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959467 | 1,010 | 1.84375 | 2 |
School Library Journal – “Do you often question whether it’s OK to include portions of a book, film, or song in your classroom lesson? What about whether YouTube can be used as a teaching tool? Hopefully, librarians will have a clearer understanding of copyright law with the new guide The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education.”
I’ve been meaning to write a post about the importance of librarians understanding and not breaching copyright. This includes not downloading music (or anything for that matter) illegally via Livewire or BitTorrent.
Sure, copyright law can be annoying, but it’s the law and librarians should NOT be breaking the law. Especially copyright laws.
Does your iPod have illegal music on it? | <urn:uuid:976b70be-9e75-41d8-a702-70b15365ebfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.librarystuff.net/2008/11/13/a-copyright-guide-for-educators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926918 | 163 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Adhesions of the Iris of the Eye in Cats
Synechiae are adhesions between the iris and other structures in the eye. They are the result of inflammation in the iris and are particularly common with anterior uveitis (inflammation of the dark tissues of the eye) and trauma to the eye.
Synechiae can occur in both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn how this type of eye problem affects dogs, please visit this page in the petMD health library.
Symptoms and Types
Synechiae may be anterior or posterior.
- Anterior synechiae is defined as an adhesion between the iris and the cornea. The cornea is the transparent cover of the front of the eye.
- Posterior synechiae is the adherence of the iris to the capsule surrounding the lens of the eye.
Symptoms seen with synechiae include:
- Corneal lesions, such as ulcers
- Excessive tearing
- Variation in the color of the iris
- Opacity of the lens
- Decreased papillary reaction to light
- Cat fight injury
- Chronic infection
- Corneal ulcer
- Foreign body injury to the eye
- Hyphema (bleeding in the front part of the eye)
- Penetrating wounds to the eye
Diagnosis is based on an ophthalmic examination, which involves examining the structures of the eye. In addition, dyes may be used on the cornea to detect corneal injuries. Tonometry may be performed to measure the intraocular pressure (the pressure within the eyeball.)
In many cases, no treatment is necessary. If an underlying cause is diagnosed, it should be treated appropriately. In cases where glaucoma is present, laser surgery to repair the synechiae may be attempted.
A type of light device that transfers a bright beam; this is used for many medical purposes
Anything having to do with the eye or care of the eye
A medical condition in which the uvea becomes inflamed.
The colored layer around the pupil
A disorder that has resulted from intraocular pressure
Fibers that bond items together that would not normally be combined.
In veterinary terms, used to refer to the front of the body.
A property in which one item has the ability to stick or adhere to another.
Found inside the eye | <urn:uuid:7c057d3e-c5ff-4d92-aae4-ce7de9f68a7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.petmd.com/print/29063 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913705 | 507 | 3.15625 | 3 |
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Ottawa - Canada's Federal Court has overturned a contentious immigration ruling that granted refugee status to a white man from South Africa who claimed persecution from blacks in his home country.
Brandon Huntley had argued that whites were targeted by black criminals in South Africa and that the South African government did nothing to protect them. He claimed he was attacked seven times during attempted robberies and muggings.
A Canadian immigration board panel tribunal found Huntley's fears justified and gave him refugee status in August 2009.
South Africa had asked the Canadian government to appeal to the court.
Judge James Russell said this week that the decision was badly flawed and it was clear to him that Huntley came to Canada looking for a job, not to flee persecution.
When asked by the refugee panel why he came to Canada, Huntley said: “I came here to look for work because I can't find work in my country and it's easier finding work overseas.”
When the refugee decision came down, the South African government expressed outrage. The authorities called the decision itself “racist” and “ridiculous” and made diplomatic complaints.
Rusell said it was possible some white South Africans could make a case for persecution, but had doubts about Huntley.
“I have serious reservations about why this particular white South African came to Canada and, after a considerable delay, opted to claim refugee status.” - Sapa-AP | <urn:uuid:f34f2dce-ded2-449b-bec5-06d6e9597294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/brandon-huntley-loses-refugee-status-1.878200 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984519 | 305 | 1.75 | 2 |
Scoring in the Low-Key Hillclimbs is simple!
Riders are divided by division. For 2012 we have the following divisions:
There's big changes to the individual scoring for 2012.
First, each rider's time is adjusted by a factor determined from an analysis for series data from 1995 through 2011 (the last two years used coefficients through 2009). Women have their times multiplied by 82.9%, hybrid-electrics have their times multiplied by 172.1%, while men keep their time. Hybrid Electrics have gotten faster over the years, so the Hybrid Electric factor is higher; the women's factor was revised only +0.1%.
If there's a mixed tandem, the woman has her time adjusted while the man keeps his time unchanged. This adjusted time is not what is shown on results, it is maintained internally in the scoring code only for score determination. This was also new for 2011: in 2006 through 2009, riders on a mixed tandem received the lowest (rather than the mean) score of riders on the tandem. It's become clear over the years an average is fairer. Note this is just a temporary step: at the end of this process each rider on a tandem will get the same score. That's described in just a bit. This is also unchanged for 2012.
Now the change comes. In 2011, adjusted times were ranked and a median was taken. However, this tended to mean if more faster climbers showed up in a given week, everyone scored lower. If more slower riders showed up, then scores tended to be higher. So we still take the median time, but only as an initial estimate. After one week it's all we have, so we rank with median. But after week one, we use a "reference time" for each week which will generally deviate from the median time.
To get a median time, we take the geometric mean of ratings for riders in that week and multiply that by the geometric mean of selected rider effective times for the week multiplied by rider weights. To get the selected times, we omit any time with a special code: tandem, unicyclist, runner, mishap, or wrong turn. For the weights, the weight for each rider is a heuristic weight which goes from 0 if the rider does only one climb to 1 if the rider does an infinite number of climbs. The weight is based on the sum of the statistical weights of the climbs the rider does, and also on the number of climbs the rider does. This seems complicated, but the key thing is the goal is to get something close to the mean time for the climb if the riders showing for that climb were selected at random from riders participating in climbs throughout the series, paying more attention to riders who do more climbs because they have more data behind the estimate of how fast they are.
Then we need to calculate rider ratings. A rider's rating is based on how well he or she does, on average, compared to the reference times for the applicable weeks. It's another geometric mean, this time of the ratio of the rider's time to the reference time for each week. Weeks are weighted based on a heuristic weighting factor which gets closer to one the more riders, and the average statistical weight per rider, participating in the climb. With robust turn-out week-to-week, the statistical weights for weeks tend to be close to the limit of one.
The issue here is that the reference time for weeks, rider ratings, and statistical weights for weeks and riders are all interdependent. So this calculation is done iteratively until self-consistency is reached, typically in around 8 iterations.
That was a lot. But all that matters from this process is the set of reference times for weeks. These take the place of the "median time" used in years past. Once reference times are determined, we're back on familiar ground.
But then we do one more adjustment. In addition to a reference time for a week, we calculate an additional "slope factor". This describes how much times vary from one rider to another. Steeper climbs tend to spread riders out more, while climbs with descents tend to result in a closer fractional grouping of times. The slope factor adjusts for this. So if you finish 10% away from the medium time, on a climb with descents this might get adjusted to 12% away, while on a very challenging climb it might get adjusted to only 8% away. It seems complex, and it is, but the whole point is that points should reflect how well you did in a given week, without biasing the results towards certain weeks depending on turn-out or on steepness.
For each rider, the ratio of this reference time to their adjusted time multiplied by 100 is their score for the week. For mixed tandems, this will give each rider a different score, so these different scores are averaged. The result is assigned to each rider on the mixed tandem so they each score the same. As a result, a rider in a mixed tandem may appear out of place in the standings, with a time which is higher or lower than the time of other riders receiving a similar score.
At the end of the 8-week series, your overall score is calculated as the sum of your four best scores (during the series, or if climbs are canceled, it's half the climbs completed, rounded up): you get four throw-aways. These throwaways become available at weeks two, four, six, and eight, so after three weeks, for example, it's top two scores.
Those who've volunteered at least one week where volunteering caused them to not be able to climb, or who received volunteer credit for some non-Low-Key event (like a memorial ride), get to drop an extra score (assuming there's still at least one counting score, of course), and pro-rate their total score. For example, instead of four counting scores, they can count three, then multiply their total by 4/3. This basically counts their average counting score for that extra dropped score. Volunteer three times or more, and you can drop up to two scores (this was new for 2008).
One issue with this new scheme is scores for a given week are not final until the series is over. This is because the reference time for a week will change depending on how riders who participated in that week demonstrate their speed relative to other riders in following weeks. However, experiments have shown that the relative score between two weeks shouldn't change more than 1%. So if you're ahead of another rider by more than one point in the overall standings it is unlikely reevaluation of reference times will change that you are ahead of that rider. If you are ahead by 0.1 points, on the other hand, that lead is not secure until the end of the series.
And of course, it needs to be said that to get a score, you need to wear your helmet. Sorry, kids!
Another change to the scoring this year is how tandems are treated. Tandem riders are individually initially scored as if they were riding solo (with the exception that they don't contribute to the week's reference score). Thus, if they are both male or both female, they each get the same score. But if one is male and the other female, they get different scores due to the adjustment factor. To resolve this, the scores are then averaged, so the same score can be assigned to each rider. The result of this is that if a male-male tandem, a male-female tandem, and a female-female tandem each get the same time, the female-female tandem will get the highest score, the male-female the next highest, and the male-male the lowest score of the three. This is similar to last year.
What's new for 2012 is how tandems affect the overall rankings. Instead of mixing tandem and solo results, we'll have a separate ranking for just tandems, yielding a true tandem ranking. So for riders who always ride tandem, they will appear in the tandem ranking rather than in the male or female rankings. Riders need not always partner together: although tandem partners receive the same score (assuming neither fails to finish!) for a given week, riders may ride different weeks with different partners. So scores are assigned to individual riders, not directly to tandem pairs.
The tricky bit is if riders ride tandem some weeks and solo other weeks. In this case scores ridden solo will contribute to solo rankings, while weeks ridden tandem will contribute to tandem rankings. But when a rider rides a tandem, he or she receives a "ride credit" (RC) for other rankings (this is equivalent to volunteer credit). So for example one or two volunteer or ride credit weeks reduces the required number of participation weeks by one, while three or more volunteer or ride credit weeks reduces the number of required scores by two for overall rankings. This makes it easier for riders to take advantage of occasional tandem riding opportunities, or to use solo rides when a tandem partner is unavailable to contribute to maintaining a position in the tandem rankings.
Since tandem riders may ride different weeks with different partners, and tandem riders may have a different number of volunteer credits, tandem riders are listed and ranked individually in the overall rankings. However, in the individual week rankings, they are listed and ranked as a pair. So the second tandem is listed as second place for the week even though there would be more than one rider in the tandem ahead.
Team scores are calculated using the top three riders in each team for a given week. Overall team score is calculated using the same number of weeks as individual overall scores. Riders on the same tandem contribute individually to the team score for the week.
To not penalize teams' overall rankings for riders volunteering, any team rider who isn't able to ride in a week due to volunttering contributes their median score to the team's score for that week as applied to overall score. In contrast, a team's score and ranking for the week itself (not as applied to overall) includes only riders who rode that week's climb: volunteers don't contribute. This is because the week's standings represent performance only on that particular hill, without direct influence of performance of other climbs.
Change for 2011: in prior years, aggressive recruiting of riders from other teams could net the rider's scores for the whole year, starting week 1. No more! As of 2011 team changes begin only when the rider first signs in with the new team. If a rider changes teams during the year, the previous team keeps points the rider contributed during weeks he or she was on the team. For volunteer points, a volunteer who has not yet ridden scores points for those weeks for the team the rider first rides with, otherwise if a volunteer has already ridden, the points go to the team the rider last rode with, since we do not assign teams to volunteers who have not yet ridden.
Honestly the most improved rider standings always seemed more the result of random events than actual rider improvement during the year, so we're retiring this ranking for 2012.
The most improved from last year is calculated by comparing the difference of your median score from this year to your median score from last year, using scores from solo men's and women's divisions (new for 2011). So bad luck on one or two rides won't affect your result here, much. This classification will be limited to those who rode or volunteered in at least 3 climbs from both this year and the year prior.
This is a rider who generally scores most consistently during the series, given preference for riders who've done more climbs since it's harder to keep consistent over a larger number of climbs.
The score is based on the natural logarithm of the scores. Given a set of scores, we calculate the standard deviation of the population. But since riders doing fewer rides are more likely to get a low standard deviation by luck, we add in two standard errors of the estimate of the "true" standard deviation of the riders probability distribution for the log of the scores. I thus multiply this calculated standard deviation by 1 + ( 8 / [ N - 1 ] ), where N is the number or rides for the rider. Volunteer weeks and weeks riding a tandem are not included in the calculation, and the rider must have at least half as many times as there are weeks so far in the series (the formula is slightly changed from 2011 to 2012 to further acknowledge the increased difficulty of maintaining a tight score distrobution over more weeks).
There will be a special ranking for riders who have accumulated the most total climbing time during the series, acknowledging their superior demonstration of endurance
This is a "fun" ranking based on body masses optionally reported by riders (enter your body mass here). It is the maximum rate of climbing (VAM) for a rider in any week he/she participated multiplied by the grass altitude gained by a climb divided by the effective time (division-adjusted), reported in kg m / sec. This is closely correlated with average power, but it's grossly oversimplified, so don't take it too seriously. It's just a fun ranking to give the big guys a chance to put the little climbers in their place. Riders are ranked separately by division, although divisions are combined on the same table. Change during 2012: Now effective time, rather than raw time, is used.
The 100% club consists of riders who've climbed, or gotten volunteer credit for, every climb in the series. Either activity helps make the series a success. Thanks!!! | <urn:uuid:d67587a5-2296-4568-b784-2958f6971d30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2012/scoring/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96181 | 2,769 | 1.664063 | 2 |
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Tue May 01 19:42:01 BST 2012 by TwoZeroOZ
The placebo effects of homeopathy are well documented.
It's wrong to divide the categories of medicine into "natural" and "conventional". Conventional medicine is just medicine that has been scientifically tested and proven to work. Natural medicine is just medicine that some people think might work.
The only two categories are "proven" and "unproven". That's why there's so many "natural" remedies that make their way in to the conventional world of medicine; they just get proven. | <urn:uuid:5b97877c-985d-4e61-b1d8-53b4c15cd17c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newscientist.com/commenting/report?id=mg21428626.300-10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949123 | 120 | 1.78125 | 2 |
A new Reason-Rupe Poll of 1,200 adults on cell phones and landlines finds 76 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of their banks and just 15 percent view them unfavorably. In contrast, only 32 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the federal government and 62 percent view it unfavorably.
State governments are more popular than the federal government, but only half of all Americans view them positively. As you get closer to home, 58 percent of Americans have positive views of their local government and the same number look upon their local school district favorably.
The survey finds people feel a lot better about private businesses. For example, 88 percent of Americans have a positive view of their grocery store; 73 percent look favorably upon their cell phone maker; and 69 percent say they view their Internet service provider favorably.
For each of the following entities, please tell me if your impression is very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable. If you don’t know enough to give your feelings, just say so.
These results suggest several things about what Americans care about. First, Americans tend to hold higher opinions of private institutions than public institutions. Second, Americans tend to prefer firms that tailor products and services to them individually and have a presence locally in the community. Third, Americans tend to prefer institutions that allow them to choose between firms; for example, it’s quite easy to switch between grocery stores and banks, but it becomes more difficult to switch Internet service providers (as governments often divvy up company coverage by neighborhood). It is even more difficult, but possible, to switch your child’s school. One would have to move to switch local governments, would have to move even further to switch state governments. Finally, it is extraordinarily difficult to switch federal governments.
One could make the case that less competition among these latter firms results in them offering less attractive services and products. Nevertheless, further research is needed to more credibly assert the causes between favorability toward private and public institutions.
Find full Reason-Rupe Q4 2011 poll results, question wording, and methodology here.
The Reason-Rupe Q4 2011 poll collected a nationally representative sample of 1200 respondents, aged 18 and older from all 50 states and the District of Columbia using live telephone interviews from December 1-13. Interviews were conducted on both landline and mobile phones. The margin of sampling error for this poll is +/- 3 percent.
Follow Emily Ekins on Twitter @emilyekins | <urn:uuid:65b6023a-1a82-498b-ba84-fa4d7cc86545> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reason.com/poll/2011/12/21/american-favor-private-competitive-firms | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956359 | 511 | 2.078125 | 2 |
That is what Josef Ackermann the CEO of Deutsche Bank said in a Bloomberg article. This is perhaps one of the first CEO’s to be honest about the situation. Of course this story was not talked about anywhere else that I saw in the media. Even though stories about unemployment benefits were prominent on CNBC and the New York Times where the government is considering lengthening the emergency unemployment insurance benefits, which they should, by another 13 weeks.
While those stories are relevant and important, the mere fact that Germany’s largest lender admits that; “The crisis is not over,” Ackermann said. “When one looks at the developments of global economic growth, then it can be expected that starting in the second half of this year we slowly move into the positive territory. But we’re still moving on a low level.”
Deutsche Bank (DB) this week set aside 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) for risky loans in the second quarter. This is a seven-fold increase in provisions for risky loans and Mr. Ackermann also acknowledged that those banks which took government funds and which were “encouraged” to increase domestic lending may be in more danger of higher defaults than banks lending internationally.
If Germany’s largest lender, which has the capabilities to lend worldwide, is expecting more problems, sets aside more assets for defaults (as our banks did) and openly admits the crisis is not over-- then there are significant problems in the banking sector still. This is not a revelation to me, but it may be to some people who expect that a problem that took years to develop has subsided in just a few months.
I've got news for you: The problems are still there and the people paying for it are those collecting unemployment. Until those people are employed and can pay their mortgages, then the problem will persist. Especially since those people have more than likely relied on credit cards and home equity lines of credit along with other credit based lifelines. If they don’t have a job then those loans will blow up next, just like we've said would happen many times before. | <urn:uuid:86e5952d-0d28-468c-978d-2caacd7eb6b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://seekingalpha.com/article/153330-deutsche-bank-the-crisis-is-not-over | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974247 | 442 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Queen B's sweet scent of success
Burning the candle at both ends took on a whole new meaning for Cate Burton when she changed careers from corporate lawyer and marketing strategist to candle maker. Burton was searching for a calming hobby following a series of anxiety attacks when she discovered making beeswax candles. Eight years ago, this hobby became the Queen B business.
''Candle making started off as a hobby and I gave away the candles to friends and family but I soon got calls from friends of friends who wanted to buy them,'' Burton says.
''Before too long, my hobby became my business.'' All Queen B candles are made from 100 per cent Australian beeswax - no paraffin, soy or palm wax to be found. Burton chose beeswax for a number of reasons, including environmental. ''About 95 per cent of candles are made using paraffin, which is a petro-chemical that is toxic when burnt,'' she says. ''Beeswax is a natural product which is also a natural ioniser when burning.''
Every element of Burton's candles is Australian made, including the beeswax, the cotton wicks and the packaging. ''Because I am committed to supporting Australian producers I do pay a lot for the beeswax,'' she says.
''I could buy it 30 per cent cheaper from New Zealand but that would mean I'm supporting New Zealand beekeepers. The higher costs are reflected in the price but beeswax candles do burn longer than other types.'' [In addition to listing the cost of the candles, the Queen B website provides the cost per hour for the burn time.] Growth has averaged about 30 per cent a year every year. The average customer spends between $25 and $50 in store and more than $100 online.
One of the perceptions Burton has sought to address is that of beeswax candles as ''alternative'' or ''hippy''. ''While I am interested in, and passionate about, non-toxic products and the environment, I love beautiful things with a strong design aesthetic and believe you can have both.
''Last year I was approached by [restaurant] Vue de Monde on behalf of Dom Perignon to do a light sculpture epitomising the brand. I love that we created something truly unique and beautiful for one of the world's top luxury brands.''
One business challenge relates to the amount of administration. ''I receive about 150 to 200 emails every day and despite making my website information rich, I get many requests for information,'' Burton says. ''Answering them is very time-consuming.'' About 4 per cent of sales are made online and Burton says a lot of time is needed to service the website. ''There is a lot of added-on work with Pinterest, blogging, Facebook, and it just keeps adding on. My BAS also takes about 10 to 15 hours a month but this is OK as doing it myself means I know exactly where the business is at any time.''
Queen B also supplies to 100 retailers and about 20 per cent of sales are made via the shop, in Brookvale on Sydney's northern beaches. Most of the promotion is carried out via social media and through public relations, which Burton does herself.
She says Queen B survives because of the help of volunteers. In addition to herself, a full-time administration person and a part-time candle maker, about four volunteers come every week to help pack orders.
While the most popular products are the tealights and tapers, Burton says there is growing interest in candle-making kits and making beeswax candles for fund-raising.
''While we sell over 120,000 candles a year, that is a small fraction of candle sales in Australia, so there is enormous potential for growth,'' she says. ''We also sell overseas but the cost of shipping from Australia makes it extremely difficult to compete.''
Burton says she is researching opportunities overseas but intends to keep the concept of ''local'' to any new business she opens. ''So if I open in the US I will use only American beekeepers; the same for Europe.''
While Burton says she has very little spare time, she has no regrets about starting her business.
''I adore what I'm doing,'' she says. ''One minute I'm in the car off to meet one of my beekeepers and next I could be blogging about my company or working on accounts. I've never been happier.''
■ Cate Burton Queen B candles are available from queenb.com.au and smhshop.com. | <urn:uuid:dfad6142-561d-46e5-a2f4-1293dfc23824> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theage.com.au/small-business/smallbiz-marketing/queen-bs-sweet-scent-of-success-20130217-2el6b.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959687 | 933 | 1.5 | 2 |
The State Hermitage
informs about the publication of the photographs of 12 exhibits
that have been on the wanted list since summer, 2006
7 August 2009, the State Hermitage spread the information message:
The State Hermitage publishes photographs of 12 exhibits in addition to the earlier published photographs of the items that have been on the wanted list since summer, 2006. The photographs were given to the State Hermitage by the Pavlovsk Museum. The photographing was made in 1940s. We hope that the published photographs will help to identify the items stolen from the museum.
The State Hermitage is grateful to everyone who assisted in the search and retrieval of a number of items that were missing from the Department of the History of Russian Culture. | <urn:uuid:8cf01d3c-c595-476d-9850-fc9640d10565> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/11/2009/hm11_2_411.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962271 | 155 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The Atlantic wolffish’s distinguishing feature, from which it gets its common name, is its extensive teeth structure. Its dentition (teeth) distinguishes the Atlanitic wolffish from all the other members of the Anarhichadidae family. Both the lower and upper jaw are armed with four to six fang-like, strong conical teeth. Behind the conical teeth in the upper jaw, there are three rows of crushing teeth. The central row has four pairs of molars and the outer rows house blunted conical teeth. The lower jaw has two rows of molars behind the primary conical teeth. The wolffish’s throat is also scattered with serrated teeth.
The Atlantic wolffish are primarily stationary fish, rarely moving from their rocky home. They are benthic dwellers, living on the hard ocean floor, frequently seen in nooks and small caves. They like cold water, at depths of 76 to 120 meters (250 to 400 ft). They are usually found in waters of 34-37°F (1-2°C) and sometimes as low as 30°F (-1°C). Since they live in nearly freezing waters, in order to keep their blood moving smoothly, their blood contains a natural antifreeze. | <urn:uuid:6fec5fd0-d33c-4f5d-9157-248ed50a447b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sonyahehe.tumblr.com/tagged/Marine-Life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934137 | 271 | 3.78125 | 4 |
- Personal Development
- Entrepreneurial Toolkit
- The Store
What is the secret to achieving happiness? I believe the key is to not make happiness your goal at all.
More than 100 years before the Me Generation of the 1960s made pursuing happiness its focus, novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne warned of the danger of doing so. He observed, “Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it.”
I believe Hawthorne was right. I’ve known people who spent their entire lives chasing happiness. It’s lured them from job to job. It’s driven them to debt as they look for fulfillment. It’s taken them through multiple marriages.
If you believe Hawthorne was right, as I do, then what? What should we be making our goal in life? I want to make a case for living a useful life. That’s what I’m trying to do. To measure my progress, I look at four things.
1. The Relationships I Form
The older I get, the more important relationships have become to me. I am naturally a people person. I’m an extrovert, I enjoy my time with others, and most of the time people energize me. I know that not everyone is like that. But I think that even the most introverted person will acknowledge the importance of people. Our highest highs and lowest lows in life involve others.
People cannot live a truly useful life unless they give their best to their families. For many years my definition of success has been to have those closest to me love and respect me the most. That doesn’t mean I have to be perfect—which is good, because I can’t be. It means I try to be authentic and honest and loving to my wife, children and grandchildren.
I also highly value the relationships I build with my team. As a leader, I must do more than focus on getting things done with and through my team. It’s my responsibility to help the people who work with me to personally succeed, to grow to their potential and to have fun in the process.
2. The Decisions I Make
Few things in life are more important for determining the direction you go than the decisions you make. What are our lives but a culmination of all our choices?
The two main factors that come into play in my decision-making are values and discipline.
I decided early in life what my values were going to be. Those values basically define the direction I want my life to go. They also help me to know where I don’t want to go.
Having made those big decisions, I work to manage them on a daily basis, which requires discipline.
Discipline and decision-making complement one another. If I make the decisions without having the daily discipline, I have a plan without a payoff. If I have discipline but I haven’t made the important decisions, then I have regimentation without reward. But when I put the two together, I give myself great odds for success.
3. The Growth I Gain
When I started my career, I had vision and high aspirations. I thought hard work and the right attitude would be enough to help me accomplish my goals. But I soon discovered that the only way to achieve big goals was to grow to them.
The day I changed my focus from accomplishment to growth, it did two things for me. First, it put me on a path to ever-increasing potential. The more I grow, the greater my potential becomes. With each step of growth, I create capacity; I don’t use it up. Growth is one of the few areas in which the more you use, the more you get back.
Second, by making growth a life goal, I was setting a goal that I could always achieve, yet would never truly be completed. How is that possible? Because growth is not a destination; it’s a process.
While I’m on the subject of growth, I want the readers of SUCCESS to know that my next book is called The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential. It will be published in October, and I’ll tell you more about it as that time approaches.
4. The Value I Add
The final area I focus on in my effort to live a useful life is adding value to people. This has become the major focus of my life. Helping people has been important to me throughout my entire career, but now my career has become helping people. It’s the only way to make a lasting impact on this world.
The search for happiness is by nature a selfish pursuit. If my focus is on being happy, it’s all about me. And I may be tempted to ignore, exploit or use others to get what I want.
In contrast, adding value is by nature unselfish. It puts others first. It prompts me to pay more attention to what I can do for others instead of what I can do for myself. I don’t know about you, but I need that reminder not to focus on myself.
Will this change in focus lead to some uncomfortable experiences? Yes. Will it sometimes require me to make sacrifices? Yes. Will that sometimes make me feel less happy than the traditional definition of the word? Yes. But being connected to a cause greater than myself provides a more rewarding kind of happiness, a deeper level of happiness: contentment.
If you have been making the pursuit of happiness your focus, then I want to challenge and encourage you to reevaluate that goal. I believe that if you trade happiness for the four factors that help to make a useful life, you will go farther in life and learn to become content in the process. | <urn:uuid:7514e1c9-03a8-4b88-bb45-1130fecc1311> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.success.com/articles/1788-----john-c--maxwell--aim-high-for-a-joyful-life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971562 | 1,248 | 1.914063 | 2 |
I spent part of last weekend
digging out two-year-old birch clumps that didn't survive the conditions in our
backyard. It was disheartening, but I guess on the upside, a good learning
experience. The first lesson I learned: Wishful thinking isn't enough to grow
trees. My wife and I love birch clumps, but obviously they don't love our yard.
So if you want a shade tree to flourish, choose one that is sure to grow in
your soil and moisture conditions.
Thinking back on the planting and care of the birch clumps,
I wasn't sure I had followed all of my own advice. So before I planted the new
trees, I reread an article I wrote several years ago about how to plant a shade
tree. Here are the key points for success in planting a new shade tree—points
that I'm going to follow this time:
1) Don't plant the tree too
deep. At the base of the trunk, near the roots, is a spot where the trunk is
enlarged. This is called the trunk flare. Plant the tree so the top of the
trunk flare is above the soil level.
2) Slice encircling roots. If, after removing
the root ball from the pot or burlap ball, you see that the roots are wrapping
around the root ball, slice them vertically with a utility knife. This will help prevent the roots from
strangling the plant later.
3)Refill the hole with the
same soil you removed. Surrounding your tree with compost or enriched soil will
only encourage the roots to stay close to the tree.
4)Water frequently, but with
less water. Here's the formula. Measure the diameter of the trunk and multiply by 2 to
arrive at the number of gallons of water to use. Water every day with this
amount for the first two weeks. Then water every two or three days for the next
two months. After that, water once or twice a week for the next 12 to 18
months. Use less water and water less often if you have soil that drains poorly.
Overwatering is harmful too. A simple test is to simply stick your finger into
the soil near the tree. If it's saturated, don't water.
If you have clay soil, ask
your nursery for help. There are special planting and watering methods you
should follow to ensure successful shade tree planting in clay soil.
— Jeff Gorton, Associate
Of course, you don't have to
wait for a tree to grow to get backyard shade. For projects that will give you
backyard shade right away, check out these links:
How to Build a Pergola
How to Shade Your Deck or Patio
How to Build an Outdoor Living Room
ScreenName My Account (Log
Log in or
Get timely DIY projects for your home and yard,
plus a dream project for your wish list! | <urn:uuid:cbaa41b7-ce78-4a0d-8da9-26da7489caf6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://community.familyhandyman.com/tfh_group/b/diy_advice_blog/archive/2012/05/21/shade-tree.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944043 | 631 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Get It Growing: Landscapes require never-ending planning
Landscapes are dynamic creations that are always changing.
Plants grow larger. New plants are added along the way.
Other plants die. And even trees may be lost in storms. Over the years, a landscape can change radically from its original look.
How your family uses the landscape also changes over time. Kids grow up, so you no longer need a play area. As gardeners grow older, they often have to change a landscape to make it less labor-intensive.
It’s common to move into a house with an existing landscape. But what worked for the previous owners may not work well at all for your family. As a result, you may need to redesign or change the landscape to match your needs more closely.
Summer is a great time to study your landscape and develop plans for change. Spend the time refining your ideas, and you’ll be ready when our prime planting season for trees, shrubs and ground covers arrives in late October.
First, analyze your landscaping needs. Basically, this means sitting down with the family and deciding what the landscape must provide.
Once you’ve decided how you’d like to redesign your landscape, consult landscaping books to help refine your ideas and review gardening books written for our area to help select the right plants. Also, talk to knowledgeable people such as local gardeners, LSU AgCenter agents and garden center and nursery staff.
As you plan, consider the future maintenance of your new plantings. Select insect- and disease-resistant plants that are well-adapted to our area, and make sure they will not grow too large for the locations where you intend to plant them. Remember to choose landscape plants that will thrive in the growing conditions where they’ll be planted. Consider the amount of sun and drainage they will receive, for instance. Remember, flowerbeds are high-maintenance, so don’t overburden yourself.
If you need help developing a design for your yard, landscape professionals can be tremendously useful. If your budget is limited, professionals can help you set priorities and schedule your plan in phases. They also may be as familiar with building codes and deck and swimming pool construction as they are with horticulture and garden aesthetics.
Ask your friends, neighbors and colleagues for recommendations. Your best bet is to select an experienced, well-established firm with a history of completing projects similar to yours. Make sure the company or individual you’re dealing with is properly licensed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which is required by law.
A licensed landscape architect has a degree in landscape architecture and can sell you an original design whether they install it or not. Landscape horticulturists may help you develop a design, but only as part of a package that includes the plants and their installation. The primary benefit of using any of these experts is to draw on their knowledge, experience and creativity.
A well-landscaped home generally sells more quickly and at a higher price than a comparable home lacking a nice landscape. You may have seen television shows on improving curb appeal, and landscaping is a big part. One reason trees and shrubs add value to a home is that, unlike many purchases, over the years they appreciate in value as they grow larger and more beautiful.
Trees also add economic value to homes by helping to reduce heating and cooling costs. Trees work as nature’s air conditioner and heat pump, providing shade in the summer and sheltering your home from cold winds in the winter. Now, during summer heat, is a great time to decide where you need shade.
Landscaping also benefits the environment. A mature tree removes 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year and releases approximately 13 pounds of oxygen. Plants such as lawn grasses control water runoff – a major source of water pollution – slow erosion and allow water to be more readily absorbed into the soil. Trees, shrubs and flowers in the landscape also provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife.
It’s nice to add to the value of your property and help the environment, but the most important benefit of landscaping is the enjoyment it brings to outdoor living. So go ahead and indulge your love of gardening. It will pay off in many ways in the years to come.
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St. Charles Herald Guide is the complete local news in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.
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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02), along with...
After hearing that plenty of big trout were being caught on live shrimp at the end...
Parish President V.J. St. Pierre, along with eight other parish presidents and...
Six Destrehan High School students recently signed scholarship offers to play at...
The Pickets are hallowed ground in the Houma trout-fishing world. If you fish out...
The Hahnville Tigers and Desterehan Wildcats baseball teams were well represented...
We are a home decor/ interior design company. It's All About You Interiors offers many services such as, custom draperies and home remodeling as well as everything else for your home. While your here visit The Potting Shed Florist for all your floral nee
Burglars strike 7 Luling homes during daytime - 1840 views
Brazen burglars have broken into seven Luling homes in less than two weeks, making off with electronics and jewelry during the daytime heists. | <urn:uuid:8232455a-3a6e-49f1-aca5-6f7125935250> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heraldguide.com/details.php?id=7354 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954448 | 1,169 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Manuel Echeverria, the legal representative for Occidental who conducted the discussions with OISE employed a variety of pressure tactics to get the indigenous leaders to sign the agreement. According to Humberto Piaguaje, the President of OISE, Echeverria told them that "if we didn't permit the company, the government would take our land." When negotiations were dragging on, Piaguaje says that Echeverria told him that "if they continued to make the situation difficult, they would come with the military." When the agreement was finally signed, Major Hernan Altamirano of the Ecuadorian Army was present as a "witness of honor."
The agreement is part of a full court press being mounted by oil companies in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Although understood by the indigenous signatories to permit only seismic testing activities (the first stage of exploration during which swaths are cut through the jungle and explosions are set off), the agreement is so vague that it can be interpreted as giving Occidental carte blanche in the jungle. "The Siona-Secoya communities promise to authorize the right of way to Occidental work groups and their contractors to carry out their petroleum activities" reads one paragraph.
In a classic "trinkets and beads" tale, the only requirements of Occidental are to provide "five water pumps and their solar panels" and short-term contract employment opportunities to the communities "to the extent possible." Some monetary compensation was also agreed upon, but Occidental claimed this was contingent on oil reserves being found. "They told us that a farmer can't pay the rent on the land until he's harvested the corn," explained Piaguaje.
Almost immediately upon learning of the agreement, three of the communities in the OISE federation strongly criticized the negotiations, accusing the company of manipulating the leaders of the communities. The Siona, who share territory with the Secoya, have also expressed their disagreement. "The Seona people wish to express, in the strongest terms, our rejection of the document," William Criollo, president of Ecuador's national organization of Seona indigenous people (ONISE) wrote in a letter to OISE on July 26
Occidental Petroleum did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Piaguaje quotes are from conversations with Project Underground and Acción Ecológica
South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC)
P.O. Box 28703
Oakland CA, 94604
Phone: (510)834-4263 Fax: (510)834-4264
Office: 1714 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor, Oakland
Home Page: http://www.igc.apc.org/saiic/saiic.html
For more information about SAIIC, send an empty email message to: email@example.com | <urn:uuid:3e39204d-96b4-49fe-88e5-83c1df4fc9dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abyayala.nativeweb.org/ecuador/amazon/oil/oxy1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951528 | 605 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Preheating of turbine
The EFD Induction technician were rushed to the platform to heat and remove the turbine’s thrust collar, auxiliary gear and coupling hub from the turbine rotor.
Induction makes waves offshore
BP, Rolls-Royce, KCA DEUTAG — each a major international company with rigorous standards on worker safety, economic efficiency and environmental protection. And each a company that uses EFD Induction expertise in the demanding conditions of North Sea oil and gas fields.
Imagine the dilemma. You are about to carry out maintenance work on a Rolls-Royce gas generator located on a BP North Sea platform. Normally you’d use a gas torch/naked flame to heat and remove the various components — thrust collar, auxiliary gear, coupling hub — attached to the generator’s power turbine shaft. But there’s a problem. Since the generator is located in a designated hazard zone, the use of open flame means the platform’s production wells must be shut-in, and all hydrocarbon production must cease.
But for Adair Swan and his colleagues at Rolls-Royce, the dilemma was anything but imaginary. It was real.
Naturally, BP were anxious to find an alternative to gas open flames for turbine maintenance. It wasn’t long before their attention was drawn to EFD Induction. Paul Evans of EFD Induction UK recalls what happened next: “Well, this is North Sea oil and gas production; an industry that along with nuclear power is perhaps the most rigorously regulated and safety conscious in the entire UK. So our first task was to organise a workshop trial of our induction heating solution. Rolls-Royce and BP weren’t just going to fly our equipment out to a platform. To be even considered a viable option, we had to first satisfy these companies’ strict operational and safety requirements. But the trial went well, and Rolls-Royce and BP decided to go ahead with a further test — this time offshore.”
The offshore site chosen for the second trial was a redundant package of the Bruce Platform. Located 380 km northeast of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland, the Bruce Field is one of the largest gas/condensate (light oil) fields in production in the UK North Sea. Plans for the on-site were moving ahead when fate dramatically intervened. Jon Philpott, EFD Induction UK Offshore Application Manager explains: “Just before the planned offshore trial there was an unscheduled shutdown of a power turbine rotor on the Bruce Platform. Our equipment and an EFD Induction technician were rushed to the platform to heat and remove the turbine’s thrust collar, auxiliary gear and coupling hub from the turbine rotor. Once a new rotor was installed, induction heating was used to reassemble the components.”
The new standard
The emergency intervention by EFD Induction on the Bruce Platform was a great success from an operational and safety perspective. Indeed, according to Rolls-Royce, the use of EFD Induction’s repair capabilities “resulted in the work being completed early and production restored several days ahead of schedule.”
But the story doesn’t end there. Due to the proven success of the Bruce Platform project, induction heating has been adopted as the preferred method of removing/reassembling thrust collars, auxiliary gears and coupling hubs on almost all Rolls-Royce power turbines in operation in the North Sea. Other platform operators, too, are gradually phasing out costly and dangerous open flame methods in favour of induction heating.
For EFD Induction UK, the successful Bruce Platform project was a major breakthrough. Adds Evans: “Of course, it was great to help such well-known companies as BP and Rolls-Royce. It was a vindication of everything we’ve been saying about induction — its speed, mobility, controllability and safety. But it was also great to be nominated for a BP Helios Partnership Award.” The award referred to by Evans is a prestigious recognition by BP of external partners “delivering over and beyond what is expected contractually, demonstrating true team spirit.”
Coils to the rescue
Another North Sea success story involves KCA DEUTAG, a major onshore and offshore drilling and engineering contractor. The task was similar to the BP/Rolls-Royce challenge: to heat-treat equipment on a platform rig where the presence of gas pipes ruled out the use of naked flames. However, this time the equipment to be heat-treated consisted of three mud pumps located on the Magnus Platform.
KCA DEUTAG began by removing the pumps’ covers and chains in order to start removing the drive sprockets. The first two came away easily, but then… stuck! The remaining sprocket wouldn’t budge.
A heavy-duty strongback and pulling rods were made and sent to the platform. But even with a 200 ton pull there was still no progress! The on-site technicians then considered using a conventional heated element blanket. But that would have taken too long, and raised the temperature of the shaft and sprocket. It was time to call in EFD Induction.
After assessing the situation, EFD Induction designed and made customized coils for the inside and outside of the sprocket. The coils were put in place, the heat was turned on, the puller set at a lower torque, and presto! The sprocket came off without any problems. Two other customized EFD Induction coils were then used to remove and replace all the bearings. And the operation was completed safely and in record time. KCA DEUTAG have since used induction heating — and the specially made EFD Induction coils — for similar jobs on other North Sea platforms. | <urn:uuid:49a43d2e-8886-4a90-b3a8-c10d46ffeab7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.efd-induction.com/en/InductionNews/News/2005/NorthSea.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957257 | 1,196 | 2.90625 | 3 |
BWD’s training team initially established CHE in three villages in Korça province, south-east Albania, comprising about 1400 households with up to 7,000 people.
These villages are serving as ‘model’ communities as BWD expands its vision to roll the CHE programme out across Albania and into Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
BWD's vision for CHE began in Korça, south-east Albania in January 1999 with three Albanian believers from a church in the city, and a missionary from the USA.
In 2003, the organization was officially registered within Albania as the Medical Ambassadors Foundation, with the name of the ministry subsequently changing to Balkans Wholistic Development to better reflect the scope of its work.
Dr. Patriot Hoxhaj (executive director) and the BWD team are committed to CHE principles - a highly valuable and successful approach to community evangelism in rural Muslim populations.
Albania endured many years of closed and repressive Communist rule. In 1967, Albania became the first and only atheistic state when its leader declared, ‘Albania believes there is no God’, and all religious activities were strictly prohibited.
Most communities entered by BWD have no Christian believers. “In all areas we work, people are Muslim traditionally,” says Dr. Patriot.
“Usually we find people in poor communities with a lot of economic problems, poor infrastructure and hygiene, open sewer channels, health problems, and a lack of knowledge about God.”
Despite the problems facing communities, the Church has been born, and is just beginning to emerge from Western domination.
Separate women’s and men’s Bible studies started by BWD, have combined to form a church which opened in 2009. Meeting in a hired house, they are beginning to contribute and save towards calling a pastor, and have a vision for a church building incorporating a community centre.
(Click on the links to see details of the projects of this ministry partner)
NEW 426007 - Village School Building
426030 - 4WD for BWD
426050 - Vashtemi Church
(Click on the link to read the most recent prayer letter from this ministry partner)
Albania - Balkans Wholistic Development - April 2012 (PDF)
Albania - Balkans Wholistic Development - October 2011 (PDF)
Albania - Balkans Wholistic Development - March 2011 (PDF) | <urn:uuid:8a328792-e364-4fe6-b21f-846e6ee12afd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldshare.org.uk/where-we-work/eurasia/albania/balkans-wholistic-development/?vAction=fntUp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954551 | 510 | 1.601563 | 2 |
A common problem we all have to deal with is fixing memory leaks. In garbage collecting languages like Java we typically expect not to ever need to worry about memory management. However the limitations of how a garbage collector works means that we can still create leaks. Which defeats the advantage of a garbage collector.
How do leaks get formed?
The Java GC determines which objects to collect by looking for references to the object. If there is no references, then the object is no longer in use and can be safely destroyed without making the application unstable. If an object is now unused but still referenced, a leak occurs. Let's create a leak: | <urn:uuid:a603eda4-c69e-44a0-bc3d-ec2e74b03c2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://neverfear.org/blog/tag/jvm/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942316 | 128 | 3.125 | 3 |
How would you finish this sentence? Kaleigh, from HugStronger asked me this question and given the culture of eating in the U.S. it’s a really important one. We live in a society that conflates health with morality, size with success, and appearance with identity. This takes a toll on our feelings of self-worth and ability (or lack thereof) to measure up. Our food landscape is over-processed and over-abundant while the sub-text speaks to the virtue of self-denial. How utterly confusing. The line between clinical eating disorders and culturally accepted dieting and body hating continues to blur. Many people feel as if they are living in a food and body prison with no way out. In short, I will never be out of a job.
So this brings us back to what a healthy relationship with food looks like. Here’s my top 10:
1. Eating is often enjoyable- full of flavors and textures you truly love.
3. Eating requires some forethought and planning but food does not pre-occupy the majority of your thoughts.4. Eating is flexible in terms of timing and variety.
5. Eating does not result in feelings of guilt or shame.
6. Eating is motivated by internal cues of hunger and fullness most of the time.
7. When eating or thinking about eating you can feel relaxed and at ease.
8. Sometimes you eat food solely for the pleasure of eating, regardless of nutritional content.
9. Balanced, nutritious eating comes naturally because of your connection to how certain foods make you feel physically and the emotional tug of war is not present.10. Eating is viewed as a way to take good care of yourself.
These are my top 10. What would you add to the list?
Interested in reading more on this topic? Check out Ellyn Satter’s definition of “normal eating.” | <urn:uuid:31a62ae1-bcad-4884-ad2d-b002a685020f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marcird.com/_blog/blog/post/Top_10_Signs_You_Have_A_Healthy_Relationship_with_Food/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961707 | 399 | 2.078125 | 2 |
24 February 2009 15:46 [Source: ICB]
The development of sustainable biofuel options is progressing well. Who will come out the winners??xml:namespace>
ONCE SEEN as a promising alternative to gasoline, corn-based ethanol is being supplanted by a second generation of biofuels promising greater sustainability. Cellulosic materials, algae, pyrolysis and directed evolution are all contributing to these developments.
A combined pyrolysis/Fischer-Tropsch (FT) route to biofuels from cellulose is being demonstrated by French gas producer Air Liquide's subsidiary Lurgi at the science and engineering research institution Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe in ?xml:namespace>
The Lurgi process takes three steps to turn straw to automotive fuel. The first stage uses fast pyrolysis at around 500°C to convert thin-walled plants, such as straw, into an energy-rich slurry.
This slurry is then transported to a central refinery, where it is heated with steam to produce synthesis gas. In the final step, the synthesis gas is converted into fuels by the FT process.
Edmund Henrich, of theForschungszentrum Karlsruhe outlined the process in a presentation at the second European summer school on Renewable Motor Fuels, in 2007.
Henrich says that, on average, the cereal harvest for rural
"Taking the larger radius, the plant would convert around 200,000 tonnes/year," he says. "With a dry ligno-cellulose feed, the output is around 134,000 tonnes/year of a pyrolysis oil/char paste, a sludge or slurry with a density of 1,300kg/m³ and a higher heating value of 6 +/-1 kWh/kg."
Henrich says the output of the pyrolysis paste is about eight times greater than the straw bales and this can make it economical to transport for long distances. Henrich adds that the slurry can contain around 90% of the initial bioenergy and is easily stored in tanks and silos. Because the energy density is much greater than straw, it is economic to transport this by rail to a central refining facility, which can be up to 500km away.
Henrich says about half of the initial biomass energy can be converted into raw FT products, about 80% of the FT raw product energy may be converted into super-clean diesel and gasoline, and he suggests that a synfuel energy yield of 42% is a realistic upper value. Available present-day technology is near 30%. Synthesis pathways via methanol may be more efficient.
How sweet it is
Cellulosic to ethanol via enzymes and fermentation is an area where Swiss-based agricultural chemicals firm Syngenta has been active. The company has partnered with other industrial biotech firms, notably France-based Proteus and US-based Verenium (formerly Diversa), to develop technology.
Proteus and Syngenta announced in January that they will work together to develop novel, high-performing enzymes for next-generation biofuel production.
Both diversity screening and directed evolution methods are to be used for the discovery and the optimization of enzymes for the conversion of biomass into biofuels.
Proteus has a range of technologies and a source of new genes. It also has tools to generate new proteins that enable it to produce tailored enzymes, as well as a protein manufacturing platform to generate them.
Just over two years ago, Syngenta signed up Verenium to develop a range of novel enzymes to economically convert pretreated cellulosic biomass to mixed sugars.
This route to producing ethanol from cellulose is likely to be a long haul. Syngenta says that converting biomass to biofuels requires breakthrough developments in three areas: chemical preparation of the cellulosic biomass (pretreatment), conversion of pretreated cellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars by combinations of enzymes (saccharification), and the development of novel microorganisms to ferment the sugars to ethanol or other fuels (fermentation).
Dutch chemical giant DSM is using its longstanding expertise in industrial processes that use yeast and enzyme technologies to help develop routes to ethanol from cellulose.
"Our focus is on how to bring conversion technology into play, into second-generation, second-wave technology," says John Monks, business director bioproducts. He is not interested in making biofuels as such, but rather in the processes that make them possible.
DSM has partnered with Spain-based biofuels firm Abengoa, and the combination has won a grant from the US Department of Energy to look at ways of turning agricultural residues into biofuels. The firm's focus is wheat straw and corn stover. "Will it be the best feedstock? Who knows?" says Monks, "Whatever is chosen, there are many hurdles to be overcome in getting the fuel from the field. The challenge is in delivering technology, which enables cost-effective production. People have to be broad-minded about what's out and what's in."
Cost effective means biofuel from cellulose that can compete with oil at around $65/bbl. DSM's routes are currently "several orders of magnitude" above that price level, so there is plenty of room for development.
Wood's bioproducts business has pulled in yeast technology from Gist Brocades and a number of processes and ideas to develop yeasts that deliver enzymes capable of handling not only C6 sugars like glucose and fructose but also C5 saccharides produced by the decomposition of cellulose and lignin.
"Yeast classically consumes C6 sugars," says Monks. "Some of the work we're doing in the lab is to change the diet of yeast. Typically it turns its nose up at C5 sugars, and we're trying to persuade it to be more broadminded." This can be done through natural selection, protein engineering, or a combination of the two.
One concern about using field waste as a source of biomass is the effect of removing cellulose on soil structure and fertility. Monks says that research needs to be done to ensure that the right level of cellulose is left on fields to protect the soil below. This is especially important in areas like the US Midwest, where wind erosion can be a problem if soils become too dry and lack organic matter.
Algae, grown in freshwater lagoons or the sea, may be one answer. Algae can yield over half their biomass in oil, which can be converted to biodiesel. They also produce sugars that can be fermented to ethanol.
However, there is still some way to go before biofuels produced from algae can become a reality, says Dominique Duvauchelle, chairman and CEO of France-based industrial biotech company Eco-Solution. Duvauchelle puts the current best yield at around 25g/m2 for algae from open ponds. His company, like DSM, sees its niche as providing technology and tools to make biofuels.
Eco-Solutions started with a platform that enables it to stress a range of microbes from bacteria to yeast to algae, encouraging them to respond through accelerated evolution to the environments to which they are subjected.
According to a rule of thumb, bacteria will divide once an hour and algae once every day, says Duvauchelle. Eco-Solutions has a patented method for increasing this rate, so that algae placed in the reactor will mutate faster than naturally. After a short time a natural mutation in the algae will likely have developed to become the dominant form in the reactor, being the fittest for that environment.
Duvauchelle says this process can be repeated as necessary and combined with high throughput screening to rapidly develop algae that will have high yield and high growth rates.
Eco-Solutions has been working for three years to understand algal metabolism in an attempt to tackle algae's problems as a biofuel source.
"It is slow-growing and must be faster," says Duvauchelle. "There are some problems with contamination at the start of growth after the algae has been seeded in open ponds, and the amount of biomass required."
These problems go some way to explaining why the economics are still unclear. "We will need a 1ha (2.5 acre) pond to better define that," he says.
The firm is in discussion with two companies that are interested in CO2 mitigation, he says, and a trial may be possible by the end of 2010.
Duvauchelle believe that a combination of open ponds and glassware might offer the best economics. His current strategy sees algae started in glass and then added to the ponds. But it is important that the biofuel algae grow quickly to minimize the amount of contamination from competitive algae. "There are about 30,000 species of algae," he says. "100 are well known and between 15 and 20 are used for production." So there is plenty of scope for competition.
But the diversity of algae also means that there is scope to produce niche algae for different conditions. He says it is unlikely that there will be single algae that works well in the cold climates, the tropics, salt and fresh water.
All of these technologies could offer considerable range for producing biofuel from nonfood sources. The pyrolysis route looks to be the closest to commercialization, but is some way off. For companies looking to bet for the longer-term enzyme, fermentation and algal routes could still pay off though.
Corn-based ethanol still has a future, according to
One biofuel company, US-based Poet, claims to be making around 20,000 gals/year (75,700 liters/year) of ethanol using corn cobs as feedstock. Poet has a research center in South Dakota, and it is pursuing an integrated starch and cellulose to ethanol refinery model. The company is supported by DuPont and Novozymes.
Speaking in May 2006, DuPont executive vice president and chief innovation officer Thomas Connelly said: "We have worked over the last three years to develop a technology package that can efficiently break down the complex sugar matrix found in corn stover into ethanol from cellulose at a high yield. We are excited about the progress we have made and, while we still have to complete more research, we are ready to take the next steps to bring cellulosic ethanol to the market."
In 2004,Broin and Novozymes partnered in the development of a new enzyme for Broin's BPX technology, a patent-pending raw starch hydrolysis process that converts starch to sugar, which then ferments to ethanol without heat.
The innovative technology was taken to commercial-scale production after four years of research and development and eliminates the cooking process that has been part of ethanol production for hundreds of years.
The results included higher ethanol yields, increased nutrient quality and flowability in distillers dry grain soluble, reduction in plant emissions and reduced energy costs by up to 15%. During the development phase, Broin obtained from Novozymes a sample of acid fungal amylase enzyme that ultimately became specific to the process.
Simon Robinson is ICIS online editor and writes the Big Biofuels Blog. He takes a nonpartisan but skeptical view of the different technologies, companies and routes to biofuels.
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|Download the listing here >>| | <urn:uuid:f17f6213-e9d1-450f-83d4-01a283ed33b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.icis.com/Articles/2009/02/24/9195433/second-generation+biofuels+need+work.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948385 | 2,464 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Client(s): Boulder County Health Department
Service: Health Services Research and Evaluation
Technical Expertise: Women's Health
Americans increasingly desire smaller families, and women are shortening their childbearing years. As a result, Americans are spending more of their lives choosing to avoid pregnancy and in need of effective contraception (Stout, Shupe, & McLaughlin, 1998). However, the majority of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Unintended pregnancies are associated with increased social, emotional, and health stressors for those affected by or born of such pregnancies.
Due to changing demographics within Boulder County in recent years, as well as continued commitment to evidence-based public health interventions, BCPH identified the need for more current information on unintended pregnancy rates and related factors. In support of the need for new research, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provided funds to BCPH to conduct this research study. Within this context, BCPH contracted with JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. to explore general definitions and impressions of unintended pregnancy, factors associated with unintended pregnancy, and best practices for unintended pregnancy prevention.
The purpose and intent of the study was to advance the BCPH’s broader goal of reducing the rate if unintended pregnancy in the community. The key areas of interest to the BCPH included: the demographics and disparities of unintended pregnancy rates; perceptions of untended pregnancy; repercussions of unintended pregnancy, obstacles to and resources for prevention. This report was directed to local public health professionals; administrators of relevant health and social service programs, including those who are active in the fields of family planning, specifically, and reproductive health generally;
social services and child welfare; and policymakers at the state and local levels and any other community leaders in a position to act on the conclusions of the report.
The results of the assessment helped inform the reorganization of the BCPH in terms of more fully integrating sexual and reproductive health services. | <urn:uuid:803f7c28-3f65-4e77-91a2-daaab2410209> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jsi.com/JSIInternet/USHealth/project/display.cfm?ctid=na&cid=na&tid=40&id=3422 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944036 | 402 | 2.125 | 2 |
Young Naturalist Winners 2012
Can pumpkin waste clean polluted waters? What native species returned after the Arizona wildfires of last year? Are non-native fish endangering brook trout in Lake Champlain? These are some of the questions that 13 student scientists explored through the American Museum of Natural History’s 15th Annual Young Naturalist Awards, a nationwide science-based research competition for kids in grades 7 through 12 supported by Alcoa Foundation. | <urn:uuid:975d38e3-f7fb-4260-9353-7fb85b74bcc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amnh.org/about-us/press-center/2012-young-naturalist-winners | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915378 | 90 | 2.5 | 2 |
Prepare for the divine inspiration! The temples of Angkor are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion. The Cambodian god-kings of old each strove to better their ancestors in size, scale and symmetry, culminating in the world’s largest religious building – Angkor Wat, and one of the world’s weirdest – the Bayon. The hundreds of temples surviving today are but the sacred skeleton of the vast political, religious and social centre of an empire that stretched from Burma to Vietnam, a city that, at its zenith, boasted a population of one million when London was a scrawny town of 50,000. The houses, public buildings and palaces were constructed of wood – now long decayed – because the right to dwell in structures of brick or stone was reserved for the gods.
The temples of Angkor are the heart and soul of the Kingdom of Cambodia, a source of inspiration and national pride to all Khmers as they struggle to rebuild their lives after years of terror and trauma. Today, the temples are a point of pilgrimage for ails Cambodians, and no traveler to the region will want to miss their extravagant beauty.
- Stare in awe at the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat
Succumb to the enigmatic smiles of the 216 giant faces of the Bayon, Angkor’s strangest temple
Experience nature running riot at the mysterious ruin of Ta Prohm, the original Tomb Raider temple
Marvel at the exquisite carvings adorning the tiny temple of Banteay Srei, the finest seen at Angkor
Venture into the jungles of Cambodia to discover the River of a Thousand Lingas at Kbal Spean
THE POPULAR ROUTE
It is easy to spend as long as a week at Angkor, seeing the temples at a leisurely pace, returning to the principal attractions several times to see them at different times of day, and taking in newly emerging sites further a field. However, many travelers feel that four or five days is the ideal length of time to spend at Angkor. This is just about long enough to fit in all the highlights of the Angkor area, but even with only two days at your disposal you can pack in a lot (providing you make some early starts). One day at Angkor? Sacrilege! Don’t even consider it.
Day 1: Upon arrival in Siem Reap airport, you should shop around for accommodation. Then, starting visit to the world wonder of Angkor Wat. You first visit to South Gate of Angkor Thom, the famous Bayon, Baphoun. Continue to the Terrace of Temple, Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Complete the day with sunset watching from Phnom Bakheng Hill. Overnight in Siem Riep
Day 2: Today you continue to discover Angkor Wat. In the morning you will visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Visit to Pre Rup temple, East Mebon temple, and Neak Poan temple. In the afternoon you visit to Krovan temple, Royal Bath of Srah Srang and Banteay Kdei temples. Back to the hotel.
Day 3: You will take a short bus ride to Tonle Sap Lake. Board a motored boat and enjoy a cruise past a floating village. Visit to local schools in the floating village. Back to the town and enjoy free time to shop in local market. Transfer to Siem Reap International airport departure flight. Trip completes
WHEN TO VISIT
The best time to visit Angkor complex is any time. During the day, midday is one of the less crowded times at Angkor Wat, so if you’re looking to dodge the masses, consider this as an option.
Sunrise and sunset are both popular times and the tour buses descend on the site in swarms. With good reason – both times can be spectacular at the expansive temple. Few trees surround the area so the sun’s light progresses uninterrupted to the stones and the orange/yellow glow of the low sun gives additional life to the already impressive masonry.
CAMBODIA ADVENTURE VIDEO | <urn:uuid:9fd92f06-60b2-4b8e-aa01-24afbf82d89f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visitangkortemples.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909149 | 889 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the previous 6 months, by location of bullying and injury: 2005
1 Injury includes bruises or swelling; cuts, scratches, or scrapes; black eye
or bloody nose; teeth chipped or knocked out; broken bones or internal
injuries; knocked unconscious; or other injuries. Only students who reported
that their bullying incident constituted being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit
on were asked if they suffered injuries as a result of the incident.
NOTE: "At school" includes the school building, on school property, on a
school bus, or going to and from school. In 2005, the unit response rate for
this survey did not meet NCES statistical standards; therefore, interpret the
data with caution. For more information, please see appendix A. Population
size for students ages 12–18 is 25,811,000 in 2005. Location totals may sum
to more than 100 because students could have been bullied in more than
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School
Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2005. | <urn:uuid:ec85e807-0373-494f-9440-d611dc5ceaa4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/figures/fig_11_2.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945544 | 245 | 3.203125 | 3 |
The most common of the seven known types of viral hepatitis is Hepatitis A. As with other forms of hepatitis, such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, this infection leads to inflammation of the liver. However, with hepatitis A, the complications are rarely serious. This form of hepatitis can affect all age groups. Once infected, symptoms are noticed within two to six weeks of infection.
How Do You Get Hepatitis A?
The Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is found in the feces of infected people and is most common in many parts of the world where sanitation and sewage infrastructure is not up to Western standards. It only takes a miniscule amount of feces in the mouth of a person to infect them. Personal hygiene, such as careful hand washing, can be very effective in minimizing the risk of this virus being passed from one person to another. One of the most common ways for Hepatitis A to be passed is through contaminated food and water.
However, Hepatitis A is also classified as a sexually transmitted disease because it can be passed on sexually, particularly during activities such as anilingus (rimming or oral/anal sex). Washing the genital and anal areas prior to sex and the use of condoms or dental dams can help to prevent this risk.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A
Even if a person does not experience any symptoms, or has mild symptoms, their feces are still infectious to others. Symptoms of the infection appear as a flu-like illness with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There may be a loss of appetite and weight loss as well as jaundice, itchy skin and abdominal pain. Generally, the infection clears up in about two months but it may persist longer, or even recur after having gone away. Once a person has been infected with HAV, they will have a permanent immunity to it. There are rarely, if ever, complications from Hepatitis A infection and permanent damage to the liver is unlikely. In extreme cases, particularly with the elderly, the infection can require hospitalization or may even cause death, but this is rare.
Testing And Treatment For Hepatitis A
If there is a concern of Hepatitis A infection, then the doctor should be notified. The necessary tests will be run and treatment dispensed. A blood test is used to diagnose Hepatitis A and it will indicate that the person is either currently infected or was infected in the past. If it is current, a type of antibody will reveal that information and any people who have been recent contacts or sexual partners will need to be tested as well. If the person is not infected but is at risk for infection then immunization is recommended. Immunization is given in a series of injections and may be advised to use dietary precautions such as limiting alcohol and fatty foods that can increase liver inflammation. | <urn:uuid:b01cfb11-51eb-45ec-a3a7-017c0408a350> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.womens-health.co.uk/hepatitis-a-infection-and-treatment.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958462 | 584 | 3.640625 | 4 |
|Why should I
Earth Science Week
14–20 October 2012
Theme: “Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences”
Earth Science Week 2012 will boost awareness about the geosciences and the many exciting career and job opportunities in the field. Learn more at the official AGI Earth Science Week Web site.
- To engage students in discovering the Earth sciences.
- To remind people that Earth science is all around us.
- To encourage Earth stewardship through understanding.
- To motivate geoscientists to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about the Earth.
Earth Science Week, the second full week in October, is an annual celebration of the contribution geoscience makes to society. The resolution to establish Earth Science Week was initiated by the Association of American State Geologists and was read into the Congressional Record in July 1998 by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Read the message from President Clinton (2000) encouraging all Americans to participate in Earth Science Week activities.
GSA urges each of you to set aside at least one day during Earth Science Week to reach out to your community and promote the creation of a conscientious society committed to the responsible use of Earth and its resources. Write to your Elected Officials! GSA member participation in Earth Science Week activities will help implement GSA's goal to support geoscience in the service of society. | <urn:uuid:66ce33ac-b781-4c8b-86a4-1ba39014fc4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://geosociety.org/educate/earthweek.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937241 | 279 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Since September 2012 I work part-time for Metzelaar Praktijkgilde, a starting up school where craftsmanship is in the center of the educational concept. Students are coached and taught by a team of professional craftsman and educators. After an introduction period of six weeks students work together with professional craftsmen on paid jobs. While on the job, students find out what they're good at and what they need to learn.
For the six weeks introduction period, the assignment of designing and making of a "Led wall piece" works great because a lot of aspects of different crafts and skills are introduced on a novice level. In the same time, making a logo of your own design (or your favorite soccer team :-)) proves to be very rewarding and stimulating for the students.
For the instruction, I haven't used a powerpoint, worksheet or drawings. I used the real thing, a hands-on example in the form of my self made Boo wall piece. I find this much more efficient way of instruction than the text or picture based instruction.
Since the students made their own designs for the wall piece, a few extra's came along that I had not foreseen, but was very happy to include, such as the use of perspex, typography, using different colored led's, chiseling, etc.
We started with a very heterogeneous group of 11 students, aged from 17 to 31 with different levels of previous education.
General goals for this project are:
- First and foremost: Make students enthusiastic about Making and providing a successful start with their just-started education.
- Introducing different skills and materials to the students.
- Investigating the students' skills in various disciplines.
- Investigating the students' interests in different disciplines of craft.
- Introduction to the crafts woodworking, painting, eletronics, calligraphy
Introduction and training of skills:
- Introduction to the use of some tools: jigsaw, sander, chisel, router, soldering iron
- Dimensioning and technical drawing
- Transferring design on wood
- Use of colors
- Concepts of electrical circuit, current and voltage
- Concepts of electrical resistance, use of resistors to limit a current
Step 1: Tools, materials and costs
- Pencil and paper at least 60x60 cm
- Hand saw
- Router (optional)
- Sanding paper
- Soldering iron
- Lab power supply
Materials for one wall piece:
- MDF, two sheets of 60x60 cm
- Paint: acrylic and primer
- Perspex sheet 4-8mm thick (optional, size depending on the design)
- 10-15 leds. We used low-current 5mm red and green leds.
- 2 meters of 3M copper tape
- Brass rod, 6mm diam. (optional)
- White paint marker (used for calligraphy) | <urn:uuid:b0a558cb-f076-43f7-b138-5a2f3e9655f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Led-wall-piece-in-class/CARL4XMH8MTN7G5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923496 | 606 | 2.890625 | 3 |
|Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Lab, is the chief visionary for Second Life, an online 3D world that allows visitors to live their dreams virtually. For more information about Second Life, see "Life, Or Something Like It," page 54.
How would you describe Second Life?
It's an immersive 3D world owned by its users—a place where you can change everything, and create or experience anything you can imagine. Buy and sell land, build a real business, design cars, play games, go dancing—these are all possibilities.
Is it a game?
Second Life is more than a game. It's is a living, growing, digital world. And as participants add attractions—like theme parks or charity events—it will become more like another country you can visit with a computer. Yet, because its early pioneers often build virtual businesses that provide entertainment to others, it often feels like many games within a broader open platform or playground.
How did the idea originate?
I've been intrigued since an early age by the possibility of using networking and computers to create a special kind of space between people that captures our passion to communicate, express ourselves, and pursue our dreams.
Why hasn't this been done before?
Bandwidth and 3D capabilities haven't been sufficient for doing something compelling until now. I actually started the company in early 2000 figuring that it would take a few years to create the product and have it ready for today's enabling technologies.
Are you tapping into the desire people have to remake themselves?
Remaking one's identity is only the tip of the iceberg of what digital worlds can offer. We all share a tremendous passion to express ourselves and an inability in real life to do it as well as we would like. By creating an exceptionally plastic environment in which you can change everything from yourself to your home or your car or anything else in your environment, SL can be the closest thing to having someone else be able to see inside your head.
Why did you create a world where nonviolent behavior is rewarded?
SL is actually neutral with respect to violence, as opposed to most MMORPGs, which reward violent behavior as part of a heroic narrative. In SL, a strong sense of community is created during the process of building a new world, in engaging in the debate over what the future will look like. But there are many struggles in SL as well—over land or between neighbors, for example.
How is positive behavior encouraged?
We created forms of transparency like ratings and social networks that tend to encourage positive behavior, but I'd say these are emergent characteristics more than intentional design. I think we are seeing a trend in the real world as well toward higher levels of transparency, which will probably also result in better overall human behavior.
How popular has SL become?
We are still small relative to the big consumer MMORPGs, but SL has been growing at almost 30 percent per month since the beginning of the year. Moreover, our users made more than a quarter million transactions last month, buying and selling things from each other.
What are the demographics of players?
Among active users, about 64 percent are male and 36 percent are female. The average age is in the late 20s, but there is a wider age range among people participating in SL than in typical online games. And all types of people are represented, from college students to home business owners to stay-at-home moms to digital artists. Some 20 percent of users are international, and more than 30 countries are represented.
Do people redo what they've done in real life or try new experiences?
Both. There are lots of real-world businesses now being mirrored in SL, but they are much more exciting and rewarding to do because of the speed with which things happen in-world. For example, a clothing business might start and succeed or fail in days or weeks versus months or years in real life. Certainly, you can also use SL to become something you've never been. About half of the people create avatars that look a lot like they do, and the other half go in a completely new direction.
What technology makes the experience possible?
Streaming technology that delivers everything needed to render the world in real time over a broadband connection is the key to collaboratively creating and changing a rich visual environment.
My background is in streaming media (with RealNetworks), and we borrowed techniques for streaming audio and video at high compression rates to stream the geometry, images, and sounds of a 3D world. We are also using a server grid computing model with more than 200 Linux-based computers that is expanding rapidly as we add land.
How far will this concept go?
As the server computers get faster, it will be possible to put more objects in the world. Today, there are about one million user-created objects in SL. With 10 times the processing power, there could be 10 million objects. Within a few years, the visual quality and density of objects should be pretty close to a real-world environment. However, from an economic and emotional standpoint, I'd say it's already pretty real. For example, people are making a real-world living selling virtual things.
What are some of the potential benefits?
SL is a fascinating tool for evaluating social systems. We've had college classes spend time in SL looking at sociological issues as part of their studies in game design, urban planning, architecture, and digital media. Some of the private islands that we sell will be test beds for folks who want to play with social rules. For example, we have one organization that has purchased a large private island to test whether this type of environment would be effective for corporate communication.
Could it be used for evaluating policy issues?
We've already experienced this in our own in-world policies. When our users felt the economic system was impeding their ability to enlarge and expand their projects, they had a tax revolt, and we were able to see the results of that. This sort of scenario could be useful for examining the effects of real-world governmental policies, as well.
Are there dangers in living fantasy lives?
The early stages of online environments have simplified the world in a way that invites a dangerously simplified perspective—the idea that you can shoot your way out of any problem, for example. But as digital worlds offer capabilities beyond the real world, we will actually see the opposite—an ability to become better people by being there. A number of participants have told me that, in addition to simply being fun, SL has made them better or smarter. This is one of the things that inspires me about SL. | <urn:uuid:08c27bd5-3e1a-4d03-9c5f-f19e536952fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cgw.com/Print.aspx?Page=%2FPublications%2FCGW%2F2004%2FVolume-27-Issue-7-July-2004-%2FFantasy-World.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965135 | 1,359 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Today's Daily Tip
A few weeks ago, my seven-year-old son, Hayes, told me he was having trouble falling asleep. He said that he was having "many thoughts" at night and couldn't stop his mind from thinking. I told him about a breathing practice that I had taught his older brother, Calder, a few years earlier, and I suggested that Hayes could try it while lying in bed at night to help him relax and fall asleep. The practice was simple: a few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing followed by a few minutes of consciously and gently extending each exhalation.
"Maybe you'd like to try it?" I said to Hayes. "I think it was helpful for your brother sometimes, and maybe it will help you, too." Just then, Calder, who had been passing through the room, announced: "You're wrong, Mom." I held my breath, wondering if he'd tell Hayes that my advice wasn't going to work. "It doesn't help me sometimes," he said matter-of-factly. "It helps me all the time."
I was pleasantly stunned. I hadn't realized that Calder was still using the practice I had taught him three years earlier. As I knelt on the living room floor to teach Hayes the same practice, I was reminded that pPranayama, the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga outlined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, does not have to be complicated.
Pranayama, which literally means "to extend the vital life force," or prana, is an incredibly rich practice made up of many breathing techniques that vary in complexity from ones simple enough for a child to do to those appropriate only for advanced practitioners. While the best way to practice pranayama is under the guidance of an experienced teacher, there are simple techniques—such as gentle diaphragmatic breathing and comfortably lengthening the exhalation—that can be used at any time to transform not only your breath but also your state of mind.
In my work as a yoga therapist, I treat people struggling with a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, chronic pain, and even life-threatening illness. Time and time again, I've seen simple pranayama practices reduce stress and anxiety; promote restful sleep; ease pain; increase attention and focus; and, on a more subtle level, help people connect to a calm, quiet place within so that they experience greater clarity and well-being on every level.
In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali describes pranayama as a process by which you can break your unconscious breathing pattern and make the breath long, easeful, and smooth. Most people's unconscious breathing patterns are anything but easeful and smooth; they tend to be tense, shallow, and erratic. When we are afraid or hear bad news, we often gasp—inhaling and then holding the breath. These breathing patterns can activate the sympathetic nervous system (often referred to as the "fight or flight response").
One of the primary reasons that pranayama techniques that foster a long, smooth exhale (like the ones presented here) are so beneficial is because, when practiced correctly, they can support the parasympathetic nervous system and activate what is commonly known as the "relaxation response," reducing stress and its effects on your body and mind. As a result, your resilience in the face of challenge or adversity increases, and your mind becomes more focused and still.
A Quiet Mind
The eight limbs of yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutra are a path to help you reach a state of Yoga, or focused concentration. But this focused concentration is not the end goal. As Patanjali tells us, the result of reaching this state of attention is that you experience clearer perception and a greater connection with your true Self.
When you're connected with your true Self, it becomes easier to see what is not your true Self—your mind, body, thoughts, feelings, job, and essentially all of the changing circumstances around you. This discernment allows you to act from a place of the Self, and when you do that, you experience less suffering.
Pranayama is an important tool to get you to this state of more focused concentration, leading you to clearer perception, a greater connection with the Self, and ultimately a happier life. In Yoga Sutra 2.52, Patanjali writes, "As a result [of pranayama], the covering that blocks our own inner light is reduced." In other words, through the practice of pranayama, you can reduce all of the mental noise—the agitation, distractions, and self-doubt—that prevents you from connecting with your own inner light, your true Self. In this way, pranayama can have a profound effect on your life.
Though practice of pranayama is safest and most effective when guided by an experienced teacher who knows your needs and capabilities, there are several simple techniques you can try at home as long as you're in good health and you don't push beyond your capacity.
The three breathing practices that follow—relaxed, diaphragmatic breathing; Sitali (or Sitkari) Pranayama; and gentle "extended exhale" breathing—are a good introduction to pranayama. Each supports the parasympathetic nervous system, quiets the mind, and helps to bring about a state of more focused attention. As you continue to practice these techniques over time, you may start to notice when you are unintentionally holding your breath or breathing shallowly. You also may begin to associate patterns of the breath with your moods or states of mind. This self awareness is the first step toward using the practices of pranayama to help shift your patterns and, through regular practice, create positive change in your life.
Try each practice daily for a week and observe how it affects your body, breath, and mind in order to figure out which is best for you. You can do them at just about any time of day, though preferably not immediately following a large meal.
Basic Breath Awareness
This gentle introduction to diaphragmatic breathing teaches you how to breathe more fully and consciously.
Benefits: Quiets and calms the entire nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety and improving self-awareness.
Try it: At least once a day, at any time.
How to: Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor about hip-distance apart. Place a palm on your abdomen and breathe comfortably for a few moments, noticing the quality of your breath. Does the breath feel tense? strained? uneven? shallow? Simply observe the breath without any judgment. Then gradually begin to make your breathing as relaxed and smooth as possible, introducing a slight pause after each inbreath and outbreath.
Once the breath feels relaxed and comfortable, notice the movement of the body. As you inhale, the abdomen naturally expands; as you exhale, feel the slight contraction of the abdomen. In a gentle way, try to actively expand the abdomen on the inhale and contract the abdomen on the exhale to support the natural movement of the diaphragm and experience the pleasure of giving yourself a full, relaxed breath. Continue the practice for 6 to 12 breaths.
The Cooling Breath
Sitali Pranayama is often translated as "the cooling breath" because the act of drawing the air across the tongue and into the mouth is said to have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system. To practice Sitali, you need to be able to curl the sides of your tongue inward so that it looks like a straw. The ability to curl the tongue is a genetic trait. If you can't, try an alternative technique called Sitkari Pranayama, which offers the same effects.
Benefits: Can improve focus; reduce agitation, anger, and anxiety; and pacify excess heat in the system.
Try it: Twice a day, or as needed during stressful times. Sitali and Sitkari Pranayama are particularly supportive when you're feeling drowsy in the morning or during an afternoon slump when you need to improve your focus.
How to: Sitali Pranayama: Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor, with your shoulders relaxed and your spine naturally erect. Slightly lower the chin, curl the tongue lengthwise, and project it out of the mouth to a comfortable distance. Inhale gently through the "straw" formed by your curled tongue as you slowly lift your chin toward the ceiling, lifting only as far as the neck is comfortable. At the end of the inhalation, with your chin comfortably raised, retract the tongue and close the mouth. Exhale slowly through the nostrils as you gently lower your chin back to a neutral position. Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
Sitkari Pranayama: Open the mouth slightly with your tongue just behind the teeth. Inhale slowly through the space between the upper and lower teeth, letting the air wash over your tongue as you raise your chin toward the ceiling. At the end of the inhalation, close the mouth and exhale through the nostrils as you slowly lower your chin back to neutral. Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
The Long Exhale
This 1:2 breathing practice, which involves gradually increasing your exhalation until it is twice the length of your inhalation, relaxes the nervous system.
Benefits: Can reduce insomnia, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.
Try it: Before bedtime to help support sleep, in the middle of the night when you're struggling with insomnia, or at any time of the day to calm stress or anxiety. (In general, it's best to avoid practicing 1:2 breathing first thing in the morning unless you're experiencing anxiety. The relaxing effects of the practice tend to make it more difficult to get up and go on with your day.)
How to: Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place a palm on the abdomen and take a few relaxed breaths, feeling the abdomen expand on the inhalation and gently contract on the exhalation. With your palm on your abdomen, mentally count the length of each inhalation and exhalation for several more breaths. If the inhalation is longer than the exhalation, you can begin to make them the same length over the next few breaths.
Once your inhalation and exhalation are equal, gradually increase the length of your exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds by gently contracting the abdomen. As long as the breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to gradually increase the exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds once every few breaths. Make sure you experience no strain as the exhalation increases and keep going until your exhalation is up to twice the length of the inhalation, but not beyond. For example, if your inhalation is comfortably 4 seconds, do not increase the length of your exhalation to more than 8 seconds.
Keep in mind that even an exhalation that is only slightly longer than the inhalation can induce a calming effect, so take care that you don't push yourself beyond your capacity. (If you do, you'll likely activate the sympathetic nervous system, or stress response, and feel agitated rather than calm.)
If your breath feels uncomfortable or short, or if you're gasping on the next inhalation, back off to a ratio that is more comfortable for 8 to 12 breaths. Then finish your practice with 6 to 8 natural, relaxed breaths.
Kate Holcombe is the founder and president of the nonprofit Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco. | <urn:uuid:27cabaee-5a9b-4501-a3e6-ebe242f14ef4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2844 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960923 | 2,433 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Many times players are taught the importance of serve and volley, especially in doubles. However, many times the student will literally serve and race at all cost to contact the next shot as a volley, (hitting it before it bounces). As a youth, you might be able to do this; however, as you get older it will become futile.
To correct this, serve and move into the mid-court with the goal of making a mid-court shot. Of course, this shot could be a volley, but many times it will be a half-volley, an overhead, a bounce kill-shot or a bounce smash, etc.
Do not place the emphasis on racing in to hit a volley. Instead, place the emphasis on accelerating until just before your opponent contacts the ball. At this point, quit running, slow down or down-shift. Now, accept the next mid-court a one of a myriad of shots, (half-volley, kill-shot, overhead, bounce smash, etc.). Typically, the mid-court shot will not outright win the point. Make the mid-court shot to transition closer to the net to gain a better, offensive position to win the point.
You may often have the attitude when hitting your second serve that you are trying to start the point and not trying to serve an ace; this is the same attitude you should have when making a mid-court shot.
Remember, attack, but the first shot coming in is not always going to be an easy volley.
Good luck on the courts! | <urn:uuid:66c23245-4892-433c-a683-f3c56a52d947> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tennisserver.com/Mills-tip/Mills-tip_10_11.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953685 | 317 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Great news! You can ditch your diet for good and still hit your happy weight. Science has finally proven what you've probably suspected for years—that following a restrictive food plan can make you more likely to overeat. Researchers at the University of Toronto tempted a group of women who were cutting their calorie intake with a plate of cookies and then put the same treats in front of women who weren't trying to lose. Not only did the dieters dig in, but they ate 66 percent more goodies than their nondieting peers. "Women end up feeling so deprived on weight loss plans that they break down and binge," says Tracy Tylka, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Ohio State University at Marion. We at SELF have a better way to slim down: nine simple lifestyle switches that will help you shrink your waist effortlessly!
Lose weight without dieting
Savor a good laugh
Consider this license to be a couch potato: Cracking up at Kenneth on 30 Rock can help you trim down. Watching a funny show caused adults to experience a 20 percent jump in heart rate and resting metabolism in a study at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "Laughing uses up a lot of energy because it engages a variety of muscle groups, including your abs," study author Mac Buchowski, Ph.D., says. The metabolic boost that comes from chuckling for 15 minutes a day could add up to 14,600 more calories burned per year. Watch funny movies and sitcoms, read irreverent blogs and chitchat with pals and coworkers to fit in your 15 minutes and laugh off the pounds for good. | <urn:uuid:c3db015e-4440-49ee-b561-c04ff4ce4cf9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2010/05/lose-weight-without-dieting-slideshow?slide=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955105 | 329 | 1.804688 | 2 |
1960's – North Canton Residents initiate a movement for an organization to preserve the heritage of their city. They were interested in maintaining the ties to the previous name of New Berlin.
1961 -- Census designated North Canton a city and spurred an interest in creating an organization to protect its history.
-- North Canton Public Library created a “Book Committee” in an effort to find someone to write a history of North Canton. None had been written or published to that point.
1972 -- Ruth Harpold Basner, a community resident, forms a “Heritage Committee” to respond to the Library request. By May the “Heritage Committee” had expanded to a team of 7. Included were Basner, John and Penny Baxter, Joy Cox, and Libby Williams.
In order to formalize the organization, the Committee enlisted the law firm of Eberly, Lesh, Zielasko, and Casner to file the Articles of Incorporation with the Ohio Secretary of State. Establishing The North Canton Heritage Society, Inc., a nonprofit corporation
John W. Baxter was the first duly elected President of the Society.
October 1, 1972
The North Canton Heritage Society opened its doors for business at its first location 815 North Main Street. The office was equipped, and a new home finally existed for pictures, memorabilia, and relics of our local community.
Its first major accomplishment was the Society’s publication of The North Canton Heritage Volume 1, 1805 – 1940, written by Ruth Harpold Basner.
1977 – By formal resolution, the North Canton City Council donated the City Hall Archives (1913 – 1940) to the Heritage Society.
1978 – The following year, the Society’s Board of Trustees, the governing body of the organization, formally revised the Code of Regulations. The policies and structure of the Society were updated, and the Executive Director position was established to perform the necessary administrative functions, and to serve as the curator of donations.
1982 – The Board of Trustees approved a job description for the Executive Director.
1989 – Code of Regulations was revised, the Board was reorganized, and the Society continued its course toward its own perpetuation. Under the leadership of Board President, David McDaniel, and Executive Director, Dale Kitzmiller, the Society was stabilized. Local residents affirmed their belief in the importance of the organization through a large increase in membership.
1990's – NCHS approved a revised mission statement, and refocused on its purpose and goals. The Board acknowledged the importance of maintaining the store of materials donated over the years in an accessible, museum-like environment. An educational and outreach program emphasized cooperation with the North Canton City schools.
The Society has overseen the production of a documentary video, North Canton, Ohio: A Proud Past – A Promising Future, and the publication of North Canton: A Place in Time, a pictorial history book of our community by Paul Kieffer and Rebecca Link Hall.
Our current location at 200 Charlotte Street NW provides adequate storage space for our growing number of items and artifacts. We look forward to continuing our service to the North Canton community. | <urn:uuid:acbe637d-e88f-4f6d-8209-14e2d81956f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northcantonheritage.org/history.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942922 | 664 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Baker Perkins has launched a new wirecut machine for cookie production that increases output by laying down biscuits in a nest-like pattern.
Cookies are traditionally deposited in straight lines before cooking but the new Angled World Wirecut lays them down at an angle to create a nest shape.
Space between cookies is reduced and so that the number of cookies per square metre of oven band can be increased. Baker Perkins claims that output can therefore be boosted by between 15 and 25 per cent.
The tilting of the rows is achieved by mounting the wirecut machine at an angle to the oven band. Baker Perkins said geometric analysis shows that a wirecut machine set at a 30° angle to the band gives the optimum layout for maximum production.
Typical productivity comparisons show that with the new machine 24 rather than 21 cookies can fit across a metre-wide band when the biscuits are 1½-inches in diameter. And, for 3-inch diameter cookies the number across a band can increase from 11 to 13 pieces.
Higher cookie numbers help manufacturers achieve output increases without the cost, complexity and disruption of extending the oven. Baker Perkins said Angled World Wirecut can be installed rapidly into an existing line.
The UK-based company said the machine is the latest addition to the World Wirecut range and shares all of the design features of the other models.
The filler block and die combination, which shapes dough into balls, can be removed rapidly and easily via a clamshell head, reducing the time required for both cleaning and changeover. Baker Perkins said operation is easy, with a choice of controls from simple pushbuttons to full recipe control.
Intelligent design features ensure optimum hygiene levels, even to allergen standards, added the company. Typical cleaning time is 15 minutes.
However, the new Angled World Wirecut is currently only available at the medium output level of 200 cuts per minute. | <urn:uuid:0edc2651-618c-4072-8d88-5219a66f930b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.confectionerynews.com/Sectors/Biscuits/Wirecut-machine-uses-nest-shape-to-increase-cookie-output | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906977 | 387 | 1.820313 | 2 |
|Roman aqueduct, Segovia, Spain.|
Designing, building and maintaining the water systems that sustained the whole empire was the work of a particular group of experts – the aquarii. To be an aquarius at the height of Rome's power would have been the equivalent today of, say, being a NASA rocket scientist.
Thinking of Aquarius as an engineer opens up the meaning of this sign. Aquarius is an air sign, and that means it's about relationships. You could simplify it like this: Gemini is about friendship, Libra is about partnership, and Aquarius is about community.
In Babylon and Mesopotamia, where our astrology is supposed to have originated, it was the creation of complex irrigation systems that allowed the cities to flourish. Water engineering brought civilisation.
|How Aquarian, |
right down to the
Aquarius is organised. As an air sign, it's mental. It's about having a plan. Imagine getting all that water to all those people. You need a strategic overview to do that. One of the most remarkable features of (Aquarius Rising) Barack Obama's political campaigns has been the way he created new channels for ordinary people's donations to pour into the Democrat coffers, just like water into those Roman cisterns. Aquarian power is the power of the community organiser. And Aquarius is a fixed sign. These things are built to last.
So one function of Aquarius is to show us that people can live together harmoniously. Aquarii bring civilisation. | <urn:uuid:bf1f64dd-5f03-4a61-9443-0440616bc5b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oxford-astrologer.blogspot.com/2013/01/aquarius-engineer-civlisation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956984 | 320 | 2.515625 | 3 |
200 are too fat to leave front door
They cost NHS £16m a year
AT LEAST 200 Britons are too fat to leave their homes.
Many of the 35st-plus patients are bed-ridden and need four daily visits from healthcare assistants.
Medication on top of that takes the cost to £80,000 a year each — leaving the NHS with a £16million care bill.
But the real figure is more than likely much higher as the recorded 200 includes only those patients the NHS has kept tabs on.
An unknown number are supported by the social care system rather than the clinics and hospitals who record weight data.
Last night Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “The number of super-obese people who are housebound is in the hundreds. They are hidden in the care system and no one knows exactly how many there are. It really is a tragedy.”
The problem was highlighted last week when Britain’s fattest teenager Georgia Davis — who needed treatment related to her 63st weight — had to be taken to hospital in a huge operation involving 40 emergency workers. Her home in Abedere, South Wales, had to be partially demolished to free her.
Yesterday The Sun told how it took 17 firefighters eight hours to slide 40st Russell Parkin, 41, down stairs in a bowl-shaped “sledge” after he fell ill in New Eltham, South East London, on Saturday.
And in October 2009 we told how 70st Paul Mason — then the world’s fattest man — was costing taxpayers an annual £100,000. Paul, from Ipswich, Suffolk, went on to lose 40st in a year following a £30,000 NHS gastric bypass op. In the past two years, health trusts have revealed that they have had to send some obese patients to zoos for body scans. And Yorkshire NHS has spent £10million on super-sized ambulances and stretchers.
Half of all Britons are now classed as obese or overweight, with obesity and its related illnesses costing the NHS more than £4billion a year.
A spokesman said: “We all need to work together to tackle this.”
Last night a pal of Georgia — said to be stable in hospital — said she had been winning her battle to slim down until she became stressed out by illnesses affecting her parents.
Jade Tarrant, 19, said: “She came to live with me because she wanted a break. But she missed her mum and stepdad. It was the strain of caring for her parents which made her eat. It’s her way of coping.”
By SHAW SOMERS, Obesity Surgeon
TOO many health authorities treat morbid obesity as the patient’s own fault — but we really need a proper, co-ordinated approach to deal with this problem.
Surgery can save money in the long run, as losing weight cures a lot of other associated health problems too.
But up to a third of our children are overweight and so education is the key.
There also has to be more recognition that we need investment in tackling obesity, or in four to five years we will all be paying the price.
Cranes replace pallbearers
BRITAIN’S obesity epidemic is putting a huge strain on the nation’s undertakers, cemeteries and crematoriums.
Some have had to build coffins the size of wardrobes and use industrial equipment to bury giant clients.
In one case, 52st John Jeffrey was lowered by a mechanical digger into a grave that took FIVE days to prepare in Taunton, Somerset.
Christopher McGarva, said at 65st to be Britain’s heaviest man, was towed to the cemetery on a trailer pulled by a Land Rover. A JCB lowered him into the grave. Natasha Bradshaw, deputy president of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, says these are not isolated incidents.
She said: “I’ve heard of lifting cranes being used and lorries having to carry coffins. The most difficult thing is when the family are expecting the coffin to be lifted by funeral directors, but it’s so heavy that a trolley has to wheel it into the crematorium.
“You want to be dignified, but some coffins are so heavy that six men can’t lift them.”
One South West London crematorium is spending £2million on three super-sized cremators which are 42in wide instead of the standard 28.
Local authorities nationwide have already spent thousands on similarly large cremators.
Some charge extra for burying larger coffins, which often require double plots.
Mark Morris of coffin-makers JC Atkinson confirmed a size increase. He said: “Over the last five years we’ve seen a lot of extra-large coffins.” | <urn:uuid:554b6641-f849-419a-b763-485636ad07a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/health/4345640/200-are-too-fat-to-leave-front-door.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966182 | 1,031 | 1.710938 | 2 |
I have nothing against vegetarians and vegans either. One of my friends who will not eat any meat protein, milk, eggs, fish, got a terrible skin condition.
Now she was eating like you are suppose too, grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables. She seem to be doing everything right. However she got so bad they had to put her on lots of vitamins to clear her up and it took a long time. The Doctor wanted her to a least eat fish and she would not.
She ate as much organic as she could. Don't know what happened but her body was just not recovering the nutrients it needed from her diet. Resulting in poor tissue growth.
I like Dr Mercola and I think you are right we only need a little meat. Some animal products in our diets go a long way.
If you ever get a chance read the book The Body Electric by Robert O. Becker, M.D. and Gary Selden.
It discusses the frequency of the foods we eat and what effect is has on the body. Very interesting.
| current weight: 200.0 | <urn:uuid:6cd7d92e-5ada-4de9-82c4-eabfccb7a76c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_messageboard_thread.asp?board=0x32586x31694205 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985452 | 228 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Saving minutes, saving lives:
The Centura Health Heart Attack Network
As part of the Centura Heart Network, Centura Health delivers life-saving intervention and surgeries to more than 2,000 patients across Colorado every year - nearly as many as the state's other two hospital systems combined.
Exceeding National Standards
The Centura Health Heart Attack Network dedicates the resources to link all of our facilities and programs to save lives through detection, education, intervention and rehabilitation. The most comprehensive, state-of-the-art interventional technologies combine with the expertise of EMS and first responders, board-certified cardiologists, physicians, nurses and clinical professionals across the state to result in network-wide performance standards that exceed national standards in every respect.
- Through a partnership with the American Heart Association, consumers can also receive vital CPR and AED training at no cost through the Saving Lives Initiative.
- Every Centura Health catheterization lab gives care faster than the national standard for heart attack intervention in less than 90 minutes (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), including several programs that average times nearly 50 percent below benchmarks.
- Several Centura Health facilities rank in the top one percent of the hospitals in the country in rapidity of heart attack care.
- Nation-leading heart attack/STEMI care, from first medical contact to reperfusion, resulting in care delivery at the top one percent in national American College of Cardiology databases.
- Superior cardiovascular surgical capabilities and outcomes consistently earn consecutive five-star ratings from health care rating organizations such as HealthGrades.
- Systems, resources and expertise, combined with Flight For Life® Colorado, Colorado's largest critical care transport system, and CenturaConnect one-call number, to expedite patient transfer statewide and quickly serve patients and referring physicians. | <urn:uuid:29c8ad68-d79e-4a0a-b18b-d2fb01b8551f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.centura.org/heart-attack-network | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90347 | 371 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Museum staffers are busy outfitting our new shuttle middeck for spaceflight. No, not the actual crew compartment of Discovery, now on display at the Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. This middeck is a reproduction recently installed in the Moving Beyond Earth gallery at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
The middeck is an immersive feature that brings “living and working in space” to life. Visitors are invited into the middeck to see and feel for themselves the room that shuttle crews occupied during much of their time in orbit. Without the benefit of weightlessness to permit use of the overhead volume, it is easy, and surprising, to see what close quarters a seven-person crew shared.
The Museum is actively engaged in acquiring from NASA a variety of crew equipment—hundreds of small artifacts—typically used on shuttle missions. We are displaying many of these items in the middeck lockers where they would be stowed during flight. Visitors are welcome to open the lockers to see what is inside, safely installed behind glass. The contents range from ordinary (toothpaste and toothbrush) to extraordinary (gold and silver commemorative coins) flown-in-space items.
To date, lockers have been loaded with some of the normal “stuff” of life in space—food, a portable computer and microcassette recorder, a digital camera and lenses. Still to come: clothing, personal hygiene supplies, in-flight maintenance tools, experiment equipment, checklists, more cameras, and some shuttle housekeeping supplies. Some lockers ask tempting questions to encourage opening: What movie star is on board? (Buzz Lightyear!) Is soda fizzy in space? (Check out the modified Coke and Pepsi cans tried on the shuttle.) What’s for dinner? (Can you identify these processed foods?)
Besides the lockers, a reproduction shuttle toilet is perched just where it should be in orbit but can be wheeled out for a demonstration. Coming soon, we will add a sleep restraint, exercise cycle, and galley in their appropriate locations and other paraphernalia from shuttle missions, including the IMAX camera.
Apart from the pleasure of outfitting the middeck to give visitors insight into life in orbit, staff have paid careful attention to the actual middeck layout and sought to match locker locations to a real shuttle mission. We have selected items that suggest the full range of crew activities in orbit. Each item chosen for display undergoes an incoming inspection and condition report by our conservators, careful documentation and temporary storage by our collections managers, measurement and trial layout by the combined curatorial-exhibit design-collections care team, design and fabrication of a custom-mount to display it properly and securely without damage, and finally transport and installation into the designated locker. At the same time the artifacts are moving through this process, the exhibit team is drafting, designing, fit-checking, revising, and producing the labels that appear on or inside the locker doors. The team for the middeck project alone numbers about 20 people.
The Space Shuttle era has come to an end with the retirement of the orbiters, but the practical realities of living and working in space will be accessible for some time through the Moving Beyond Earth exhibition and especially the shuttle middeck. The next time you visit the Museum in Washington, DC, stop by and explore the middeck, all packed up for spaceflight. You may find some surprises there.
Valerie Neal is a curator in the Space History Division of the National Air and Space Museum. She is space shuttle curator and co-lead curator for the Moving Beyond Earth exhibition. | <urn:uuid:600b94bb-ff55-488f-bc53-6831f665d0fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/packing-for-spaceflight/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926139 | 770 | 1.914063 | 2 |
The ruin and hardship inflicted by a natural disaster can reveal truths that political propaganda tends to obscure. When Hurricane Sandy destroyed swaths of the Northeast, darkened our largest city and plunged a huge section of the nation into crisis, the anti-government ideology of the Tea Party Republicans — and of its panderers like Mitt Romney — was exposed as pretense and nonsense.
Suddenly responsible for saving their communities and their people, politicians of every stripe reached out for help from the big Washington government and the liberal Democratic president many of them had previously reviled. They were duly impressed by his alert, active and concerned response.
None of this should have surprised us. What we learned from Sandy is the same lesson that Katrina ought to have taught us years ago: The right-wing disdain for government can imperil your health, your family’s safety and your nation’s security.
Yet we clearly needed to learn it all again — and the events of the past few days have been starkly instructive.
At the center of the storm’s aftermath stood New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, different in political outlook but united in their commitment to provide relief to their communities and in their own need for assistance from the federal government. None of these men is an anti-government ideologue. Surrounded by suffering and wreckage, they looked to Washington because no other power could begin to cope with the boggling problems they confront, both immediately and as they contemplate reconstruction.
The partisan divisions of a national election shouldn’t matter at such a moment, as Christie observed impatiently when a Fox News anchor suggested that he provide a photo opportunity for Romney in the disaster area. What rightly mattered to the New Jersey governor was President Barack Obama’s focused and intelligent presence — and he didn’t hesitate to praise the Democrat whose leadership he has questioned so often since the Republican convention in August.
Now the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the military services and all the other powers of government are mobilizing, as they have done so many times before, to bring relief and rebuilding to devastated communities. Having struck the nation’s media and financial center, this storm is more visible than many previous disasters, but the principle always remains the same: America is one nation that lifts up those in pain and in need together.
This catastrophe is different, too, because it occurred during the final days of a presidential election — creating a tricky situation for Romney or any other challenger, to be sure. But after years of encouraging anti-government extremism in order to win his party’s nomination, the Republican candidate finds himself in even greater difficulty.
While the president canceled his campaign schedule and flew northward to join the relief effort, Romney struggled for relevance. Presumably with the best intentions, he tried to transform an Ohio rally into a charitable gathering, where his campaign would collect canned food and bottled water for hurricane victims. But then his campaign workers were caught purchasing cases of food and water at a local Walmart, evidently planning to stage fake giving if necessary.
As he played his role in this flummery, Romney repeatedly refused to answer questions from reporters about his vow to dismantle FEMA as a cost-cutting measure. It would be “immoral” to spend money on federal disaster relief, as he told a debate audience in 2011, when the government is running a substantial deficit. And it is true that the budget and tax policies promoted by Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, would require such significant cuts in domestic spending as to decimate disaster relief.
Disbanding FEMA and discarding its skilled personnel apparently would be fine with Romney, who said “absolutely” when asked by CNN’s John King whether he would consign disaster relief to the states rather than the federal government. For that matter he would go still further, the former Massachusetts governor said; best of all would be to let the private sector assume FEMA’s responsibilities.
Nobody asked Romney how a privatized FEMA would function, but it is interesting to imagine the private-equity version of disaster management — and how that entity might squeeze profit from tragedy. Under present circumstances, the Romney campaign denies any plan to abolish FEMA, but who really knows?
In this awful moment, Christie, Cuomo, Bloomberg — and every other official watching them — must have realized that should cataclysm strike their city or state, they have a reliable partner in President Obama. The Romney Republicans inspire no such confidence. | <urn:uuid:fd54c7ca-b592-4144-8bce-22f26440cf18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.noozhawk.com/article/110212_joe_conason_superstorm_blows_away_political_pretense/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972683 | 922 | 1.8125 | 2 |
“A drinker with a writing problem,” Behan billed himself. And Dublin’s great playwright did both with two fists. Setting up his typewriter in his favorite pub, McDaid’s, a pint of plain and a bottle of Jameson at his side, he banged out brutal, funny plays about prisoners and patriots, such as The Quare Fellow and The Hostage. It wasn’t long before this bear of a man’s fame spread beyond Ireland: he was the toast of Broadway in 1961, and his plastered appearances on The Jack Paar Show are the stuff of legend.
Anyone who has ever seen Guided by Voices in concert knows the on-stage antics of “Uncle Bob.” Last time I saw the band, Pollard was sucking down beer after beer from song one, and by the latter stages of the set he was pulling lustily off a vodka bottle. By show’s end he was slurring so badly you could barely understand his words. But it was a glorious noise. Some more-abstemious rock critics have wrung their hands, offering armchair psychoanalysis. “He’s running from something, trying to black out the insecurity and stage fright and god knows what else. It’s like he thinks it’s the brew that turns him into a superhero rock star,” wrote one. Bullshit.
“Anybody can be a non-drunk. It takes a special talent to be a drunk. It takes endurance. Endurance is more important than truth.” Despite his copious appetites, despite reaching for the bottle immediately following a near-fatal bleeding ulcer suffered at age 35, despite the havoc drink wreaked on his craggy face and prodigious gut (a girlfriend once vomited after having sex with him), Bukowski had endurance as well as talent. After decades of near-constant booze, beer, and wine, the “poet laureate of skid row” lived to the ripe old age of 74.
The quintessence of the functioning alcoholic. But he didn’t just function: he kicked Nazi ass! As he was winning World War II, Churchill drank steadily from morning to bedtime. He would regularly start the day with a scotch and soda or two, or sometimes a whole bottle of wine. He kept it rolling through lunch. Dinner was more of the same. One American official described an evening with the great man: “A varied and noble procession of wines with which I could not keep pace — Champagne, port, brandy, Cointreau: Winston drank a good deal of all, and ended with two glasses of whiskey and soda.”
The author of Lucky Jim and The Old Devils was also the author of On Drink, How’s Your Glass, and Everyday Drinking. He “wrote about booze to salvage something from all the hours he devoted to it,” his son Martin later wrote in his own memoir, Experience. Those days and nights were spent fiddling with “the heated wine glass, the chilled cream poured over the back of a spoon, the mint leaves and the cucumber juice, the strips of orange peel, the rims of salt, the squeezers and the strainers.” Alas, the prolificacy and quality of Amis’s writing diminished as the intake increased and the drunken stumbles got worse. | <urn:uuid:8c23a1c8-b8f0-44b9-abbb-9f1236614f60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thephoenix.com/Boston/life/6691-set-em-up-knock-em-back/?rel=inf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973476 | 717 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Book Thief Chapter 2 Summary
Beside the Railway Line
- Death is having a flashback.
- It sees the color white all around, as if the world is covered in snow.
- Death says that it isn't a mean or angry force. Death isn't a cause; it's a "result" (2.3).
- A person has died.
- Death sees "two guards" (2.7), a woman, her daughter, and a "corpse" (2.10).
- The two guards are arguing. One wants to leave the mother, the daughter, and the body there in the snow by the railroad tracks.
- The other wants to continue on with them to the next stop. He wins.
- Death is fascinated by the scene and sticks around to watch.
- About half an hour later, Death leaves the train, carrying the dead boy's soul.
- Then Death sees a hungry, shivering girl.
- That little girl is "the book thief" (2.25), and the tears she's been crying have turned to ice. | <urn:uuid:308e120d-34a6-47f2-a291-cf51b425b941> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shmoop.com/book-thief/chapter-2-summary.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954657 | 230 | 2.4375 | 2 |
PHILADELPHIA - Customers battling the heat broke a record for peak power usage in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
PJM Interconnection says the record was set at 5 p.m. Thursday as customers used 158,450 megawatts of power. Each megawatt power about 1,000 homes.
The previous record for peak demand was set on Aug. 2, 2006.
PJM says its supplies held up to the demand from 58 million customers.
Temperatures remained high Friday in much of the region, exceeding 100 degrees in some areas.
PJM serves customers in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. | <urn:uuid:cf7634d2-0419-42b2-852d-89fbb238742b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=321765 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916179 | 158 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Central Australia bursting with renewable gold
A new study shows central Australia could become a major renewable energy exporter to Asia and major Australian cities.
The former chair of the Climate Impact Group at the CSIRO, Dr Barrie Pittock, says the region holds an abundance of solar and geothermal resources.
He says the cost to harness the energy would be similar to the National Broadband Network, but would create local employment.
"Eventually if we were generating so much electricity, we could start exporting it by undersea cable to Indonesia. There would be a huge market up there.
"But I think in the near future we're just talking about getting it to the west Australian grid or the east Australian grid." | <urn:uuid:4aab29e5-9a5a-4fdc-8b38-20db0575d7fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201202/s3421358.htm?source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956525 | 145 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Court Outreach Program
The jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, includes 23 counties
and is the largest geographic district in the state. It extends over a part of northeastern California that is larger than the combined area of Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In order to increase the public’s awareness of the intermediate appellate courts, and to educate students and residents living far away from the Court’s Sacramento courthouse, the Court Outreach Program was instituted in April 2000.
The Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District launched the Appellate Mediation Program in October 2006 to speed case resolution and to reduce costs to the litigants and the court. Modeled after programs in the First and Fourth Appellate Districts, this program also provides facilities for mediation conferences and offers support staff to assist mediators and the parties. | <urn:uuid:825706fa-6133-4d60-98c9-ed92e0643e17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.courts.ca.gov/1256.htm/2976.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945159 | 181 | 1.835938 | 2 |
>"The arts, the visual arts in this case, are a unique career choice. One
>is educated in many ways to achieve a unique perspective and understanding
>of the world to be expressed in unique and personal ways --sometimes even
>to the point of making a cult of novelty-- and then thrown into something
>called the marketplace where, in order to earn a living, they must conform
>to market demands. I can't think of another career where one is educated
>to be divergent and creative and then most frequently expected to perform
>in a convergent and work-for-hire environment."
You can't? Really? I sure can. The large drive in Callifornia (and I expect
many other states) to bring in divergent, creative thinking in all areas
included in the "core" subjects has been a force pushed by educational
reforms and the state in the past ten years. This becomes amusing...for
lack of a better word...when the state then tells you your students and
school will be rated on how well you pass the SAT9 state testing where all
you have to do is spit back the uncreative answers to a formula question.
Guess what? Someday soon the arts will be tested like this as well. Then
we'll be up there with the core subjects but we'll also be required to
teach art differently in order to...pass the test. Talk about "opening a
can of worms"!
I'm specifically thinking at this point about a core subject like math.
Although there's this giant push to do creative problem solving and
thinking in different modes to arrive at an answer (i.e. Renaissance math),
the problem is there's little time to waste (?) because so much material
HAS to be covered in order to pass the classroom test as well as the state
testing. Here lies the problem of creativity vs the formula. The kids HAVE
to know all the material before they can "go on". There's no creative
thinking to the test...you either know the answer or you don't. Testing
doesn't care if you're a creative whiz who might one day discover new
formulas, it just wants to know you can regurgatate the right answer.
So...you see...the core subjects have the same problem as we. They have to
be prepared to accept the hiring/buying community just like we do and, at
the same time, try to teach divergent thinking. It's just that their hands
are tied more than ours and the requirements more stringent. We can be as
creative as we want but if we want to make $$$, we have to bend to the
buying public as well.
Another point I'd like to make, IMHO creativity has to be seen as personal
just for the simple fact it is CREATIVITY. What you might think is
creative, I might not consider creative but run-of-the-mill...and vice
versa. It's because we're two diff. indivduals with diff. tastes and diff.
educational experiences and all the baggage that ensues. When looking at an
artwork, what we CAN probably agree on is the level of technique, skill and
use of P&E's and even that can be iffy. We won't make the difference,
though. The person with the most $$$ will decide and hopefully THAT person
who buys will have some knowledge of the same level of judgement that we
agree on. We need to teach these skills in order for the $$$ person to make
Again...in my humble opinion...creativity is difficult at best to teach. I
can provide opportunities and talk about it, but how do I actually "do" it
with my kids without inflicting my own personal agenda? I CAN teach them
the best way, or what I think is the best way, to hold a brush, see
relationships, show balance, discuss others' techniques. To me its a
question without an answer.
Sooooo...the question that was asked..."What wrong with art education?"
will, I think, become MORE of a question if/when we become more
core-accepted and tested. Brings on a whole new bag of bones, doesn't it?
Bunki Kramer - Los Cerros Middle School
968 Blemer Rd., Danville, California 94526 | <urn:uuid:20948781-341e-45c1-bf29-82bd0cb48943> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.getty.edu/education/teacherartexchange/archive/Jul99/0410.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957326 | 933 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Your smile is the first thing someone notices about you. People form their first impressions based on the appearance of your smile. There was a time when, unless you made allot of money or were born with perfect teeth, you had to live with your smile. Today, a wide range of cosmetic procedures is available to the average citizen, at a cost they can afford. If you have a gummy smile, uneven gum line or elongated teeth, cosmetic periodontal surgery is for you.
Cosmetic periodontal surgery sculpts the gum line so that it is even and in proportion to the amount of exposed tooth versus gum. This procedure removes the excess gum and exposes more of the tooth crown. If your gums have receded, and your teeth appear overly long, then soft tissue grafts can extend the gum line to create an aesthetic balance. The grafts also reduce the gum pockets that are prone to future periodontal disease.
If you are unhappy with your smile, give us a call to discuss your options. After all, you only have one chance to make a first impression. | <urn:uuid:d6f69e80-859f-4e95-9b80-36b91e5cf350> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dentist-lieberman.com/cosmetic-periodontal-surgery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957068 | 222 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Turn Spotlight on Climate in Debates
from Wildlife Promise
Last night at the presidential debate, the moderator did not allow an undecided voter with concerns about climate change to ask a question–despite carbon pollution being central to the lengthy exchange between the candidates during the debate on which fossil fuel and renewable energy sources they support and an important issue to undecided voters.
In fact, in the post-debate coverage the moderator, Candy Crowley said “I had that question for all of you climate change people,” but that she wanted go “go with the economy” –completely missing the point that shifting to renewable energy and building energy efficient technology is critical to creating jobs and revitalizing our economy. At the same time, the impacts of climate change are causing widespread damages in the U.S. and globally.
The avoidance of climate change by the media and the candidates must end before voters go to the polls on Election Day.
Urgent Threat to Polar Bears
New satellite data just revealed that polar bears’ Arctic ice melted to a new record low this summer–retreating from areas at the edge of the Arctic Ocean where polar bears most need the ice to hunt for seals–and leaving many of the bears desperate for food.
Every summer, a portion of Arctic ice melts and then forms again in the fall, but the ice is melting earlier and melting more now than any other time on record. In fact, the area of Arctic ice that melted this summer was an incredible 49% above the average from 1979 to 2000. The additional ice that melted is an area nearly double the size of Alaska.
In the face of the urgent threat polar bears, we must ensure that voters hear whether candidates running for Congress or the Presidency support using more clean energy and setting strong limits on carbon pollution to address climate.
Presidential Candidates Must Address Climate Change
In 2009–when strong legislation to fight climate change passed the U.S. House and had the backing of President Obama–the only thing stopping us were a few pro-Big Polluter members of the U.S. Senate. Making climate change a part of this year’s election issues is critical to being able to address global warming.
Polls are showing that undecided voters–who the candidates want to sway–care deeply about climate change. Make sure climate change is once again in the national spotlight, so that voters can find out which candidates plan to fight climate change before they cast their ballot.
We have an opportunity in these next few weeks to get climate change back in the national spotlight before Election Day by urging Bob Schieffer, the moderator of the final presidential debate, to ask the candidates their positions on addressing climate change. | <urn:uuid:07f7a886-a1a8-45bb-a3b2-bce57f96e619> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.nwf.org/2012/10/turn-up-the-spotlight-on-climate-for-polar-bears/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951322 | 548 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Vietnam Wall Turns 30 as Officials Plan Education Center
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial groundbreaking here today, officials of the memorial's fund announced the development of an education center to inform younger generations about the war's history.
Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey speaks to an audience about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and its soon-to-be built education center during a March 26, 2012, event kicking off a year-long observance of the memorial’s 30th anniversary. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a Vietnam veteran and chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund advisory board, said the center also will showcase a "Wall of Faces" of the lives lost during the war, just as the wall bears their names.
"The wall is not just for the [millions] of us who served, but also for the 300,000 or more who were wounded, the 58,000 who were killed, and all the pain that brought along with it [for] dads, mothers, brothers, friends," McCaffrey said. "It's an extraordinary achievement."
And the crux of the education center, he said, will be to connect service members' stories, families and experiences to the wall.
"It will also connect the other veterans from our other wars from the Revolutionary War all the way up to the unbelievable heroism and sacrifice of our service members who are still fighting in Afghanistan," he said.
"The Wall" is one of the most visited memorials in the nation's capital, added retired Army Brig. Gen. George Price, who also was an early supporter of the memorial and served in Vietnam.
Price said the American public owes knowledge of the Vietnam War to today’s children.
"We owe this center to our youngsters to bridge the gap between then and now," he said. "We need to make sure they understand that mistakes were made, good things were achieved, and most importantly, they must understand the sacrifices of service to the most important country in the world, the United States of America."
To preserve the legacy of the fallen, the center will offer exhibits such as:
-- "Telling Their Stories," to showcase military service taken from excerpts of letters and memories;
-- “The Wall of Faces," digital images of the more than 58,000 service members who are memorialized on the wall;
-- “The Legacy of Service," comprising images of service members who served in all the nation's wars through Iraq and Afghanistan; and
-- “The Artifacts Collection," which is expected to exhibit more than 120,000 personal items left at the wall by families and visitors.
The center also will provide other educational resources for information on the fallen, officials said.
The education center's groundbreaking is expected to take place sometime this year, amid other celebrations to take place all year along the National Mall to commemorate the memorial's 30 years, Memorial Fund officials said. | <urn:uuid:e0f9ab93-c463-46ce-a3dc-d49ff4169671> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=67697 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962948 | 651 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Sativex showed positive results in Phase II placebo-controlled trial in treating pain due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is the commonest form of inflammatory arthritis and afflicts up to 3% of the population of Western countries. In this 56 patient study, statistically significant improvements in favour of Sativex were found for pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, and DAS28 scores. The DAS28 is the present gold standard inflammation activity measure and this result suggests an effect on the progression of the disease itself.
Ninety per cent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop lower urinary tract symptoms after 10 years of disease activity. A Phase II trial with 135 patients with advanced MS who were experiencing bladder dysfunction demonstrated a significant effect with the use of Sativex. It achieved statistically significant improvements in a range of bladder symptoms, including nocturia (p=0.01), daytime frequency (p=0.044), frequency per 24 hours (p=0.001), and bladder symptom severity (p=0.001). A significant effect was also seen in the patient’s global impression of change (p=0.005). There was also a strong trend in favour of Sativex in urgency (p=0.07). The findings of this study are supported by a previous open-label pilot study with 21 people suffering from MS, Sativex produced sustained improvement in urinary symptoms, in particular urinary urgency and incontinence, with significant improvements in symptom specific quality of life scores. Participants reported improvements in pain, spasticity and quality of life and unpleasant side effects were uncommon.
Under a programme sponsored by the Government of Catalonia in Spain, Sativex was prescribed to patients with the following therapeutic concerns:
- Neuropathic pain due to MS, Spaciticity due to MS
- Neuropathic pain due to different medical conditions (other than MS),
- Anorexia-cachexia syndrome due to cancer or AIDS, and
- Nausea and secondary vomiting due to chemotherapy treatment.
The study was restricted to patients who were unable to respond to, or unable to tolerate, currently available treatments and whose medical condition and quality of life were considered to be poor. The published results showed that half of the patients who received Sativex responded well by reporting improvement of their symptoms. Patients with MS reported an improvement of their pain and/or their spasticity. Patients with neuropathic pain from other causes also experienced improvement of their pain. The majority of patients with anorexia – cachexia syndrome showed improved appetite and patients undergoing chemotherapy reported an improvement of their nausea and vomiting.
Sativex has also been trialed in two pilot Phase II trials in post-operative pain which have shown encouraging results. | <urn:uuid:6bf5005e-9447-4300-ad0c-66a364f7ad15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gwpharma.com/other-targets.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957385 | 563 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Study Finds Public Relatively Unconcerned About Nanotechnology Risks
A new study finds that the general public thinks getting a suntan poses a greater public health risk than nanotechnology or other nanoparticle applications. The study, from North Carolina State University, compared survey respondents’ perceived risk of nanoparticles with 23 other public-health risks.
The study is the first to compare the public’s perception of the risks associated with nanoparticles to other environmental and health safety risks. Researchers found that nanoparticles are perceived as being a relatively low risk.
“For example, 19 of the other public-health risks were perceived as more hazardous, including suntanning and drinking alcohol,” says Dr. Andrew Binder, an assistant professor of communication at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the study. “The only things viewed as less risky were cell-phone use, blood transfusions, commercial air travel and medical X-rays.”
In fact, 60 percent of respondents felt that nanoparticles posed either no health risk or only a slight health risk.
In the study, researchers asked a nationally representative panel of 307 people a battery of questions about how risky they believe nanoparticles are compared to 23 other public health risks – such as obesity, smoking, using cell phones and nuclear energy.
Policy implications of these findings could be substantial given the concerns expressed by proponents and opponents of nanotechnology that the public is wary of its environmental health and safety dangers. “The findings suggest just the opposite,” says Dr. David Berube, professor of communication at NC State and lead author of the study. “While it remains unclear whether nanoparticles are safe, they are not a major concern among the general public.”
The paper, “Comparing nanoparticle risk perceptions to other known EHS risks,” is forthcoming from the Journal of Nanoparticle Research. The paper was co-authored by Berube and Binder; Jordan Frith and Christopher Cummings, Ph.D. students at NC State; and Dr. Robert Oldendick of the University of South Carolina. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
NC State’s Department of Communication is part of the university’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
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- View All | <urn:uuid:4e1f57f3-6a70-417d-aa6e-bc372640d32a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nano.org.uk/news/1371/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931671 | 650 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Born in Forfar, Neill was the son of a Scottish village headmaster. Dissatisfied with the inflexible Victorian school system, Neill agreed with Freud that emotional development in children should take precedence over intellectual demands. He founded Summerhill, an experimental school, in Suffolk in 1927. The essential quality of Summerhill was, according to Neill, freedom and self-government for children and staff. This did not lead to anarchy and empty classrooms and it was seen as proof of the experiment's success that creativity was encouraged rather than conventional academic goals. McWhirter was herself a pupil at Summerhill. | <urn:uuid:44b02e6c-1471-4308-8f3f-dfea635e36b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/scottish-artists-a-z/M/3309/artist_name/Ishbel%20McWhirter/record_id/2779 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970934 | 125 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Updated: January 21, 2013 12:01 AM EST
NC students see sculptures, learn letter-writingBy STEPHANIE CREECH
The Wilson Times
Sarif King stared intently as the various parts of Steve Gerberich's kinetic sculpture moved.
His eyes moving from piece to piece, Sarif pressed his foot down gently on the pedal. For those few moments, Sarif wasn't paying attention to what his Hearne Elementary School classmates were doing around him. He was fascinated and lost in thought.
It was the first time Sarif, 11, had ever visited an art gallery.
Sarif and his fellow fifth graders were invited to Barton College to view the work of artists Fred Burton, a painter from Tennessee, and Steve Gerberich, a kinetic sculptor from New York.
The idea behind the visit was to improve their visual literacy by teaching them how to read an art gallery and introduce them to the lost art of letter writing. The event was part of the ongoing partnership between the two schools.
In addition to Gerberich's sculptures that twirl and whirl when human power is applied, the students got to see 25 years worth of decorated and painted envelopes created and mailed by Burton.
The children went on a scavenger hunt looking for different information found in the gallery. They learned how to find the artist's name, how to find the name of a particular piece of art. how to find the postmark on an envelope and how to find clues and symbols that might reveal the intended meaning behind a piece of art.
Sarif points to how Gerberich used items you wouldn't ordinarily think of to create the piece focused on shoe making.
"All you have to do is think," Sarif said. "Use your mind, use your imagination."
In addition to learning about the gallery, the children decorated envelopes and wrote letters that will be mailed for them. The children arrived prepared with the address of the person who will receive their decorated envelope and letter. The children cut out snowflakes and wrote their letters on them.
Eleven-year-old Rebecca Rodriguez cut out random pictures of people and glued them on her envelope. She said the pictures remind her that you can be whatever you want to be and go wherever you want to go.
At the other end of the classroom, Kinnie Benton is cutting out the letters of his name from a magazine. He's found and cut out a quote about singing, "Those who wish to sing always find a song," it reads.
Kinnie glues the words to his envelope then picks up his scissors and starts cutting a piece of horizontally-striped paper. Within minutes, the shape of a man emerges - his arms and legs waving as if dancing.
Kinnie glues the figure to his envelope.
His efforts catch the attention of the Barton College instructors and students walking around the room. Akeem James comes over for a look.
James, 23, is a junior at Barton. He's studying art education and hopes to teach children art one day.
Right now, he's learning what it's like to work with children through Barton's partnership with Hearne. The children know James. And he knows them and their school. James attended Hearne Elementary when he was their age. His memories of the school are quite vivid. Barry Page, current director of the Wilson Arts Council, was his principal.
James said it's great to see how creative the children are and for them to have the chance with a project like this to do something different.
"I love Barton being here," James said of the proximity of the two schools and of the children's ability to visit Barton's art gallery, "and having something here in the city they can come to and show up and be a part of these things. It gives them something else to do."
Information from: The Wilson Daily Times, http://www.wilsondaily.com
|NC students see sculptures, learn letter-writing " data-url="http://www.goerie.com/article/20131301210504" data-count="horizontal" data-via="goerie">Tweet| | <urn:uuid:a44f887c-36b1-41b4-9c8e-2e62e8e4c35c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130121/APN/1301210504 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976719 | 862 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The Museum continues a longstanding holiday tradition with the presentation of its Christmas tree, a favorite of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. A vivid eighteenth-century Neapolitan Nativity scene—embellished with a profuse array of diminutive, lifelike attendant figures and silk-robed angels hovering above—adorns the candlelit spruce. Recorded music and lighting ceremonies add to the enjoyment of the holiday display.
The annual Christmas display is the result of the generosity, enthusiasm, and dedication of the late Loretta Hines Howard, who began collecting crèche figures in 1925 and soon after conceived the idea of combining the Roman Catholic custom of elaborate Nativity scenes with the tradition of decorated Christmas trees that had developed among the largely Protestant people of northern Europe. This unusual combination first was presented to the public in 1957, when the Metropolitan Museum initially exhibited Mrs. Howard's collection. More than two hundred eighteenth-century Neapolitan crèche figures were given to the Museum by Loretta Hines Howard starting in 1964, and they have been displayed each holiday season for nearly forty years. Linn Howard, Mrs. Howard's daughter, worked with her mother for many years on the annual installation. Since her mother's death in 1982, she has continued to create new settings for the Museum's ensemble and additional figures that she has been lending to the collection. In keeping with family tradition, Linn Howard's daughter, artist Andrea Selby Rossi, now joins her mother each year in creating the display. | <urn:uuid:3626d04b-e9a6-47b4-9919-489e68601572> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artslant.com/ny/events/show/239614-christmas-tree-and-neapolitan-baroque-crche?tab=EVENT | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949568 | 306 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Joined: May 2002
This thread is devoted to the Argument from Ignorance and what happens to various sciences if it were allowed the same free reign that IDists give the Argument from Ignorance in biology.
BTW, since the Steves have no serious scientific doubt that natural selection was the major mechanism behind the origin of the bacterial flagellum, have them drop me an e-mail providing some of this evidence. The evidence must be immense, given there is no serious doubt. Oddly enough, it seems to be secret evidence. SShhh.
Similarly, because the origin of the rings of Saturn is still unknown except for some general models and scraps of data, we should have "serious doubt" that current physical theory can account for it.
Any schmoe in any field can go dig up something unexplained (or only generally explained, as in the cases of both the flagellum and the rings of Saturn) in any field, that is old enough or otherwise "distant" enough to make evidence hard to come by. None of this justifies "serious doubt" in a well-established theory, especially for problems that are routinely brought up and solved within the field ("complex adaptive structure #1241" in biology, evolutionary theory has already explained a number of complex adaptive structures so what difference does one more make?).
On Mike Gene's logic these mysterious, highly symmetrical structures should put mainstream geology into "serious doubt":
...and these should put mainstream anthropology/archeology into doubt:
The "Bahgdad Battery" -- apparently a 2200 year old battery.
And yes, both of these puzzles have been invoked in support of radical theories like, oh I don't know, alien intervention in the history of life.
I guess we should be teaching this "serious doubt" about mainstream science in school earth sciences and history classes also, just to be fair.
Post your favorite mysteries here!! | <urn:uuid:11acd9a0-79fc-48ce-aa6f-df7cc2df0288> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?s=50aab73b4b330bb0;act=ST;f=9;t=702;st=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934089 | 397 | 2.203125 | 2 |
May 25, 2013 | 04:42 AM (BD Time)
25 May, 2013 Saturday
Keep asthma in control
According to the Global Asthma Report 2011, published by The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC): Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children and also affects millions of adults. The burden of asthma has been growing over the past 30 years, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where a large majority of asthma patients are treated only on an emergency basis - when they arrive at a health care facility with an acute attack of asthma. Part of the problem is that quality-assured asthma inhalers, that are essential to well-managed asthma, are either not available or are prohibitively expensive. Another barrier is that the health services lack the strategy, systems and trained staff for providing good asthma care. The Union urges the international community and countries to make sources of funding rapidly available, so that access to quality-assured essential asthma medicines and asthma care can be scaled up and improve the patients' quality of life, significantly reducing costs for patients and health systems.
The most common symptoms of asthma are cough and breathlessness which are aggravated by exposure to trigger allergens. The bronchi of an asthmatic patient are hyper sensitive. Any contact with a trigger allergen results in their inflammation (producing cough) and spasm (producing breathlessness). Apart from genetic factors, different external factors can trigger asthma-inhaled allergens (pollen, dust mites, animal fur, mould, cigarette smoke, cooking fumes, vehicle exhaust,) and some miscellaneous ones (emotional stress, certain foods, acidity or reflux problem, obesity, changing weather).
The question is how to overcome these obstacles. According to Professor Dr Surya Kant, Head of the Pulmonary Medicine Department, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU), "We have primary, secondary and tertiary prevention methods at our disposal. If one of the parents has asthma then there are 25% chances of the child having it too. If both parents are asthmatic then this increases to 50%. So, primary prevention must begin when the child is in the womb. If the mother is asthmatic then she should become more cautious about her asthma and more regular with the inhaler. Her environment should be clean and not harbour dust mites hidden in carpets, soft toys, cobwebs. The house in which she is living should not be painted/ white washed during that period; else an asthma attack is sure to follow. Smoking by or before a pregnant lady is a crime. Efforts should be made for a normal institutional delivery. A recent study says that caesarean children are more likely to get asthma as compared to those delivered normally, irrespective of the mother being asthmatic or not, perhaps because the vaginal fluids create immunity in the baby's body, providing protection from many diseases, including asthma."
"Secondary prevention is done so that asthma does not manifest itself in the child. According to Ayurveda (although no scientific study has been done) a child may be given tulsi (basil) leaves and honey -both are anti-allergic-till the age of 12. The child should be kept away from fast food, cold drinks, and avoid extremes of temperature. If there is nasal allergy it should be treated properly, as it may later change to bronchial asthma."
However if a person does become asthmatic then it is not the end of a normal life. Tertiary prevention lies in controlling the possible allergen factors, as well as controlling stress, obesity, acidity, stomach disorders, and taking proper medication. The focus of asthma management has shifted from severity based management to control based management. If one uses corticosteroid inhalers (controllers) regularly, and bronchodilators (relievers) in case of an emergency, then asthma can be managed well without any cause for worry. However Christophe Perrin, Coordinator, Asthma Drug Facility, The Union, fears that, "Some patients prefer to get oral treatment as a way to reject the diagnosis of asthma which scares them. For these patients, using inhalers would mean to face the fact that they are asthmatics. When prescribing inhalers instead of tablets, doctors need also to pay an extra-effort to educate their patients to use them properly."
Dr Surya Kant also advocates jal neti or nasal wash as an added part of treatment. This helps in cleaning the nose and washing off the allergens which may be there. Take lukewarm water to which a pinch of salt is added in a spigot (container with a tube). Let the water enter one nostril through the pipe, and come out of the other nostril. Deep breathing exercises have been found to reduce the severity of attacks in some cases.
A spirometer and peak flow meter are used to diagnose as well as monitor chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders like asthma. A spirometer measures the total volume of air that is inhaled or exhaled while a peak flow meter measures the rate at which air is expelled from the lungs. Dr Surya Kant advises that every asthma patient should possess the portable peak flow meter (which costs only Rs 300) to measure the lung function every day. As the patient blows air into it, a marker slides up a scale to indicate how much air was exhaled. A reading in the green zone means the peak flow is over 80% and the airways are open. Any reading in the yellow zone means that the peak flow is between 50% and 80% and there is risk for a flare-up. A reading in the red zone means that the peak flow is less than 50% and immediate medication is needed. So this lung thermometer is used to forecast and hence manage asthma attacks in advance.
58 years old Anil Gupta (name changed), an insurance agent, has been living with asthma for the past 30 years since 1980. He remembers that, "In 1980 my cold became chronic and eventually turned into asthma. The doctor gave me an inhaler and some tablets to eat. But there was very little relief. Then I met another doctor in 1990, who really helped me manage the disease. He changed my inhaler. Now the frequency of my asthma attacks has reduced considerably, and I lead a normal life. I have to take certain precautions and protect myself from cold, prevent stress and eat a proper diet. But the inhaler is my friend in need. I do not use any tobacco products. My 36 years old son also has this problem of asthma since the last 10 years. But it is under control, and he uses the inhalers as and when needed."
Dr Karen Bissell, Deputy Coordinator, Asthma Drug Facility, and Deputy Director, Operational Research, at The Union, rightly feels that, "People with asthma should adhere to the medication their doctor has advised and should take corticosteroids regularly as per doctor's advice, and should also avoid triggers of asthma. Cigarette smoke, tobacco smoke and other forms of inhaling tobacco smoke has increased in many countries and that may be the reason for asthma rise in low income countries. People should stay away from cigarette smoke and ideally there should be no body in the family smoking in the vicinity." (CNS)
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Other titles in the National Geographic's Greatest Photographs series:
In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraitsby National Geographic
Synopses & Reviews
In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits tells the story of portrait photography through the eyes — and words — of five accomplished National Geographic photographers. The book showcases images never-before-seen alongside award-winning favorites. New and fascinating text reveals photographers' individual experiences photographing people and their evaluation of NG portraits produced during each decade — from the late-19th century until today.
In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits opens with a beautiful and surprising look at National Geographic's contribution to the knowledge of the world's peoples through photography. Five chapters follow, each spanning approximately two decades and covering an era in world history and photographic style. The chapters are: Before 1930 (Exploring the power of photography), 1930s-1940s (The Great Depression and World War II), 1950s-1960s (Bright colors and perky smiles), 1970s-1980s (Back to realism), 1990s-Present (Everything is relative). Each of these chapters is a portrait of the world.
"The prickly political implications of portrait photography are perhaps at their most evident in this hefty (seven pounds) and gorgeously glossy compilation of work by National Geographic photographers. As the frank essays by such photographers as Sam Abell, Jodie Jobb and William Albert Allard beginning each chapter reveal, behind the unthreatening National Geographic cameras lenses, often less-than-admirable mechanisms were at work. Stuart Franklin writes of the editorial pressure on photographers to provide 'pictures of pretty girls' to the point where 'hundreds of bare-breasted women, all from poorer countries, were published at a time of booming subscription rates.' Editor Bendavid-Val writes of National Geographic's propensity for avoiding controversial issues at home in the United States; turmoil has been less thorny to document in faraway places. 'The emotional distance was easy to maintain in an age when communication was cumbersome and long-distance travel was uncommon.' Still, a photograph of thieves' severed heads on a billboard in China, or even the photograph 'Afghan Girl,' published in 1985 and arguably National Geographic's most well-known photograph, pierce through this self-imposed emotional shield. Beyond the isolationism and voyeurism is something oddly moving about this collection of 280-plus portraits: it forms a giant mosaic of American identity, a self-portrait composed of how we look at others." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Following the best-selling Through The Lens, In Focus tells the story of portrait photography through the eyes — and words — of five accomplished National Geographic photographers. Showcases never before seen images alongside award winning favourites.
In this sequel to the"New York Times" bestseller "Through the Lens," "National Geographic" showcases the world's peoples in stunning photographs. A beautiful collection of more than 280 imagesQnever-before-seen alongside award-winning favoritesQculled from the magazine's extensive archives, this volume presents a powerful retrospective of portrait photography through the eyes and words of five accomplished photographers. 0-7922-7363-X $30.00 / Pocket Books
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Other books you might like | <urn:uuid:ac4f076b-621e-4029-879a-06709105ef31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780792273639-5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921414 | 736 | 2.109375 | 2 |
I've been researching PMC clay for a couple of weeks now and intend to take a course after Christmas. I do a lot of research before I commit to spending time on something.
My problem is that I have quite detailed ideas of what I want to achieve. I've knocked up a few 3D renders of varying complexity. I realise it's going to take some time to get to a point where I can reproduce my designs.
The questions I do have at the moment is regarding how clean can you get a geometric shape? Can you get sharp edges? If so are the achieved when the clay is still plyable or when it's dried do you have to machine it? Or do you have to fire it and work the silver?
I have modelling lathes, milling machines and drilling rigs etc... I'm assuming at the moment that I would have to wait until the clay is airdried and then start to machine it, the other option would be to press into moulds produced by making wooden prototypes but that sounds more like casting. Casting looks like a bit of a nightmare.
I've been struggling to find an example which demonstrates what I would like to achieve. | <urn:uuid:8a14e609-77af-4991-9b6a-5a1fbfab368e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1204&p=17498 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972692 | 240 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Region of the east Po-Lowlands, it's the natural link between the north and the centre of Italy. It's
possible to lead back, its name, to the way Emilia, the roman road artery realized by consul Mark Emilio Lepido in the
second century b.C., that it connected, then like today, the cities of Piacenza and of Rimini that
is the Adriatic Sea with the Po-Lowlands. The term Romagna was added in 1947, it indicates the south-east field of the
region. It is an hospitable region that offers many places to discover: who is fond of movement and nature, can go on
horseback thanks the ippovie between Parma and Piacenza, or can walk on foot along the paths of Sestola and Lizzano.
Fun and culture for adult and for children too, thanks to the Park "Le Navi" at Cattolica, it is possible to know the
history of the earth, from the big bang to the birth life, till the formation of the Mediterranean sea, and
continue with Italy in miniature at Rimini and with Mirabilandia, the wonderful fun-fair in Ravenna. | <urn:uuid:49199ca8-8977-4368-8655-18a549ad8617> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linktour.it/en/Italy_Tourism/Region.asp?Reg=Emilia%20Romagna | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946319 | 256 | 2.28125 | 2 |
“I want to make a movie about zombies,” my 10-year-old Spencer announces while I’m making dinner.
My two sons have been making short documentaries about their daily lives with our digital camera. I’ve encouraged them because they’re learning about the filmmaking and storytelling. Spencer’s idea for a full-on science fiction movie, however, is new. “Daddy can be the zombie. He can dress in rags, and we can make his eyes glow and kind of float out in front of him.”
“Hmmm,” I mumble, neither encouraging nor discouraging. As I dip the chicken breasts in breadcrumbs, I wonder how we would make Daddy into a zombie, not to mention how we would create floating, glowing eyeballs. I see costume making and several retakes of special effects. Moreover, I see Daddy and Mommy editing the epic long into the night, after the children have lost interest and fallen asleep. There is part of me that would indulge them in this. But it is the middle of the week, and there simply isn’t the time.
I don’t want Spencer to lose the muse, however. “What about making it into a radio play?” I suggest. I figure this way we wouldn’t have to create any special effects or elaborate sets; we would simply have to write the story and read it into a microphone. As a matter of fact, “we” don’t have to do much at all. The children could do most of it themselves.
After I go online and dig up some quick examples, Spencer and his six-year-old brother, Murphy, are excited about digging in. They’re particularly thrilled about making sound effects, especially after their father shows them how twisting a plastic bottle can sound like crushing bones. (I think he retrieves this little trick from his boyhood days.)
The kids quickly withdraw to their bedroom to write their script and I get enough time to finish the chicken. Half an hour later, they return with a script scrawled on notebook paper. When they read through it, the story is quite clear. I simply have to point out if a few people are speaking, they need to identify who each person is before they speak. Then their dad and I help them brainstorm the sound effects.
There are no crushing bones in the piece, so the plastic bottle won’t be needed. But we do have to create the sound of a body falling to the floor and one character screaming. Spencer also insists on strumming his ukulele (which he has never learned to play properly) to provide background music.
We set the kids up in front of our computer to read into the microphone. Since Spencer is doing most of the narration and strumming, Murphy falls on the couch to create the sound of the falling body and runs into the bathroom to give a bloodcurdling scream from a distance. (I think Murphy particularly enjoys the scream because he would normally be taken to task for the earsplitting noise under other circumstances.) After several takes and some quick alterations to the script, we’re all happy with their radio play.
Because we have recorded it into the computer, we send it to the grandparents who declare it a masterpiece. Drunk with praise, the boys plan even more complex spooky radio plays in the future.
What monsters have we wrought?
Make It Happen
Before you hit the “record” button, here’s a list of things to do first:
- Familiarize your children with radio plays. You can go online and easily find several examples. I recommend checking out the sites before showing them to your kids because I found several that were too adult.
- Point out that in radio plays it’s all about the sound. Since we can’t see anything, everything must be conveyed by dialogue or sound effects.
- Don’t forget to start with “Who, What, and Where” just like you would with any other story.
- Tell your children to write the script without thinking too much about the sound effects. It doesn’t have to be very long. It simply has to have a beginning, middle, and end. If it’s spooky, you probably want to end with something scary.
- Once you’re happy with the script, decide which sound effects you want to add. Look around your house for things that make sound, like a change jar rattling or a clock ticking.
- Set up your recording device and run rehearsals with sound effects. We actually recorded the rehearsals in case the kids got it right early on.
- Don’t be too much of a stickler. If you’re bent on perfection, the kids might poop out and lose interest.
- When you’re happy with your recording, consider copying it to a DVD or sending as an MP3. Family and friends will love it. | <urn:uuid:0d3860e6-e78e-4ad2-9724-fd0e15862d3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/families/at-home/now-playing/spooky-radio-play.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959899 | 1,050 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Government achieves 13.8% reduction in carbon emissions
Over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been avoided across 3,000 buildings – from Whitehall headquarters to Jobcentre Plus Offices, HM Courts and Driving Test Centres – occupied by over 300,000 civil servants. An estimated £13 million has been saved on energy bills.
David Cameron welcomed the achievement and promised further reductions:
“A 13.8% cut in emissions in just one year is a great result and the civil service should be very proud of this achievement. But to be the greenest government ever we need to do more to stamp out energy waste in Whitehall, and make it easier for people and business to use energy more efficiently. That’s why I’m committing the Government to go further by reducing emissions by 25% by 2015.”
The Cabinet Office has published a short film and a report on how Government achieved the target:
The new commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2014/15 covers a broader range of departments’ and their arms length bodies’ buildings, and includes emissions from business related transport. It is part of the wider Greening Government Commitments on greenhouse gases, waste, water and sustainable procurement.
Managing to reduce
The Government’s report on the achievement of the 10% target argues that it demonstrates what can be achieved by organisations that manage buildings more efficiently, make the best use of green technologies and mobilise staff to take simple actions to reduce their carbon footprint.
In addition to behaviour change, a range of measures were implemented to reduce energy use, all contributing to the carbon reduction:
- Facilities management
Improving controls over energy consumption, using building management systems to target excessive consumption, aligning operating temperatures for general office space and server rooms with best practice, shutting down buildings effectively over periods of low demand, etc);
- Investing in energy efficient equipment
Including voltage optimisation kit (which matches the electricity supply to that which is actually needed by appliances), boiler upgrades, variable speed drives, software upgrades to building management systems and energy efficient lighting;
- “Greening ICT” measures
Including activating settings to power down desktops when not in use, installing thin client (where computer processing is done centrally) and installing lower-energy monitors;
- Estate rationalisation
Efforts to concentrate accommodation in more energy-efficient buildings and reducing the m2 of office space per staff member;
- Staff behaviour change
Covering behaviour in lighting use, electrical appliances, kitchens, IT, and lift use;
- On-site renewables
A small proportion of the 10% carbon reduction was delivered through the installation of new on-site renewables such as biomass boilers and solar panels.
The report offers lessons from the year on the important prerequisites for any successful carbon reduction programme:
- Establish the mandate, and demonstrate strong senior leadership throughout the project;
- Put in place clear governance structures and strong central control; provide dedicated programme management;
- Don’t micromanage but instead be flexible; adapt to local circumstances;
- Ensure that data is accurate, timely and transparent;
- Plan ahead and communicate effectively;
- Ensure there is sufficient funding;
- Engage staff; think about incentives to behaviour change;
- Build in opportunities to monitor and evaluate outcomes.
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All comments are moderated: we will not publish irrelevant or inappropriate comments. Please note that we require your email to validate your message and will not publish it or use it for any other purpose. | <urn:uuid:15cbff90-ad30-4f85-a206-b78fdc219433> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/07/government-achieves-reduction-in-carbon-emissions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913099 | 743 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Christen WG, et al. Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and risk of cataract in women: a prospective study. Arch Ophthalmol. Jan 2008;126(1):102-109.
To determine the effects of dietary carotenoids on cataract formation in women, this prospective observational study was undertaken with 35,551 female participants for 10 years. Cataract formation and visual acuity were the primary outcome measures. Reduced risk of cataract formation (18%) was associated with increased dietary lutein/zeaxanthin intake. Randomized, clinical trials of lutein/zeaxanthin in both men and women are necessary to determine if lutein supplementation may also reduce cataract risk.
Ros MM, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Kampman E, et al. Plasma carotenoids and vitamin C concentrations and risk of urothelial cell carcinoma in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Oct;96(4):902-10.
This study invovled 856 patients with newly diagnosed urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) who were were matched with 856 cohort members by sex, age at baseline, study center, date and time of blood collection, and fasting status. Plasma carotenoids including alpha and beta carotenes, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin were measured by using reverse-phase HPLC. The plasma vitamin C was measured by a colorimetric assay. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated by using conditional logistic regression with adjustment for smoking status, duration, and intensity. Researchers report that the risk of UCC decreased with greater concentrations of plasma carotenoids (IRR for the highest compared with the lowest quartile: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.93; P-trend = 0.04). Plasma lutein was inversely associated with risk of nonaggressive UCC (IRR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.98; P-trend = 0.05). Plasma beta-carotene was also inversely associated with aggressive UCC (IRR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.88; P-trend = 0.02), but no association was observed between plasma vitamin C and risk of UCC.
Plasma lutein and beta-carotene may reduce the risk of UCC. | <urn:uuid:1f531191-640e-4ab8-9182-410651730109> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/lutein | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945566 | 542 | 1.867188 | 2 |