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Integrating linear and VOD processes yields benefits.
Recently, a lot of time and energy has been invested in squeezing the complexity out of the television playout chain. A key initiative has been the ongoing development of integrated playout systems, also known as IT-based playout or channel-in-a-box systems, which have now advanced to the point where they can handle virtually the entire playout process. Even complex television playout, with rich graphics, multilingual audio and a combination of live and pre-prepared content, can be readily delivered by these systems, as they have offered ever greater functional integration spanning automation, switching, signal processing and graphics.
With this substantial streamlining of the “back end” driven by integrated playout systems, the focus of engineers is starting to shift to upstream processes, where there are now greater productivity gains to be realized. Indeed, the “front end” processes of content reception and preparation now represent some of the biggest challenges facing broadcasters, and they are consuming an increasing proportion of the resources in a typical facility. (See Figure 1.)
There are a couple of key factors that have driven up the level of complexity involved in content preparation, and the associated time and costs involved. These are the fast growth in the number of file formats handled at a typical playout facility and the almost exponential growth in nonlinear content delivery. Both of these challenges are crying out for greater simplification and automation to better contain the problems, and fortunately there is a new generation of tools and processes that can address this situation and make these processes more manageable and scalable.
Growth in file formats
The growth in file-based content reception has been swift, and now more than 90 percent of incoming content arrives as files at a typical multichannel facility, with more than 50 different formats to manage, spanning multiple codec formats and file wrapper formats. All these files need to be ingested, checked and normalized to match the house style, and it's a big job to ensure there are no missing or misplaced metadata.
Traditionally, much of the signal processing in the playout chain has been performed in real time during live playout, using signal processing modules to prevent typical problems, such as aspect ratio errors, excessive loudness and audio track issues. However, this process involves tangible risk because the process is live and some problems, such as loudness control, can be challenging to manage using real-time processing alone. Real-time signal processing is also difficult to monitor and scale effectively because of the complexity and live nature of the processing.
This has led to a requirement to simplify and remove risk from the process by moving content normalization to the front end using off-line, file-based processing and monitoring for content preparation. With tight integration to the playout automation system, this approach to normalization can simplify workflows significantly and reduce the manning requirements for QC, while also improving the QoS through fewer errors.
A key factor in achieving effective automated, file-based processing and workflows is adapting the automated normalization process to suit the origin of the content. For instance, with known content, such as internally produced or network content that has been standardized, there is often no need for manual evaluation of the content ahead of file-based processing. In this case, new files can be sent straight to the processing grid for automated review and rules-based conversion to address any errors, such as excessive loudness. (See Figure 2.)
In contrast, wild files from file delivery services, which typically arrive in an unknown format, must be quickly and manually assessed to determine the requirement for optimal file-based normalization using a rapid file assessment tool. This involves quickly reviewing key parameters like the format, audio tracks and loudness to determine the processing required to bring the file into house format, and then automatically transferring this requirement to the processing grid.
By using a combination of fully automated and semi-automated workflows, the normalization can be performed faster than real time with significantly lower operating costs, and any errors can be spotted and addressed before they go on-air.
VOD content preparation
The other major content preparation problem for many playout facilities, namely VOD content generation, is typically an even bigger concern than the large volume of file formats entering a facility. The need to deliver content to the ever increasing range of VOD, catch-up and OTT services is stretching broadcasters and service providers, who often do not have the budget to increase manning to address the problem. Unfortunately, this is making the production of services like catch-up or just-aired VOD a costly drain on resources.
The low efficiency of on-demand content generation is typically due to the fact that nonlinear content has a separate workflow from traditional linear television. Many broadcasters have operated their playout and new media operations independently, with the latter being responsible for generating all on-demand content. This approach worked just fine some years back when there were only a few media platforms. However, the volume of on-demand content has grown dramatically, with the upsurge of new formats, including cable and satellite VOD distribution, owned and syndicated Web delivery, mobile device services, and download to own/rent (DTO/DTR) media portals.
Many broadcasters have embraced this VOD growth wholeheartedly, with their TV-Everywhere style initiatives. These have sought to retain viewers and maintain revenues by allowing their audiences to watch their favorite programs through their preferred medium at a time that best suits them. Unfortunately, the net result of all this growth in VOD content is a serious overloading of broadcasters' existing on-demand content generation processes. The complexity of VOD generation has also increased, with many broadcasters needing to offer their content in multiple languages, and add elements like captions and subtitles, while also controlling audio loudness, adding AFD and inserting SCTE triggers, etc. All these factors have contributed to the demands of content generation, and have resulted in some convoluted, overly manual workflows.
The workload of VOD content generation is also exacerbated by the fact that the revenue streams from many new platforms are typically low, although some broadcasters are able to claim advertising credit for catch-up content to bolster their income on linear TV services. In fact, we are seeing this as a key driver for a VOD capability that is intrinsically linked to the playout schedule. However, catch-up VOD requires many different versions of content to be generated quickly to earn viewership credits for nonlinear content.
For instance, the Nielsen C3 format, which is viewed within three days of the original broadcast, is presented with the same commercials as the original broadcast. The C7 format, for delivery four to seven days after the original broadcast, allows for the substitution of advertising to create additional revenues, and premium VOD will play without advertising or markers for targeted advertisements.
Branding in the VOD and catch-up TV world is another major challenge, and it's as important to audience retention as branding on a traditional linear playout channel. However, VOD content is obviously not consumed in a linear fashion, and hence the traditional “up-next” promos just aren't relevant. There needs to be a new and highly flexible in-show promo strategy to generate new types of graphics, such as, “See new episode every Thursday.” Traditionally, these promo graphics elements have been packaged manually on NLE systems, which introduce additional latency and costs to the VOD operations.
Furthermore, since most program content is the same across versions, the transcoding systems used to encode VOD files typically end up spending the majority of their time reprocessing the same content. Again, this introduces additional, unnecessary latency and cost. Unsurprisingly, the net result of all this complexity has been many broadcasters publishing nonlinear content with minimal or zero branding.
In this situation, using automated VOD preparation and crossplatform branding are the only viable solutions to these critical problems. This demands a new type of VOD content preparation system, with exceptional integration of linear and on-demand content preparation to speed production and minimize costs. The same assets, workflow and scheduling processes need to be shared across VOD and linear television operations. (See Figure 3.) With full schedule awareness, this type of system can offer significant performance improvements over traditional transcoding systems by avoiding unnecessary processing of the same content across different VOD versions.
There's also a need for integrated support for Nielsen watermarking, closed captions, AFD and V-Chip metadata, as well as rich channel branding. Additionally, there also needs to be full integration with program management and traffic systems (with support for BXF). This wider integration enables sources for VOD generation to be automatically fetched from generic storage, video servers, NLE systems, archiving systems, content delivery systems, data or videotapes, as well as from live video sources.
By using the latest generation of VOD generation with these capabilities, broadcasters can meet their delivery commitments without hiring a new team of operators, while also ensuring all content maximizes crosspromotion opportunities.
In summation, the big front end problems facing broadcasters and playout facilities can now be tamed with automated content preparation. The net effect is that playout can be better scaled and costs better controlled; it's where facilities must go to stay competitive.
Stephane Blondin is senior product manager at Miranda Technologies. | <urn:uuid:c5a4a80c-6d1b-4de0-8e2a-a9d0d5145550> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://broadcastengineering.com/automation/automating_content_preparation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945847 | 1,930 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Annual Report 200102/01/2002
- 1. Introduction
- 2.1 Priorities of Inspections Performed in 2001
- 2.2 Overall Surveys of Results of Control
- 2.3 Results of Controls of the Microbiological Requirements
- 2.4 Results of Analyses for Contaminants
- 2.5 Controls of Labelling and Quality
- 2.6 Thematic and Extraordinary Inspections
- 2.6.1 Inspections focusing on food safety
- 2.6.2 Inspections focused on adulterations
- 2.6.3 Complex and other inspections
- 2.7 Inspections in production
- 2.8 Inspections in trade network
- 2.9 Suggestions
- 2.10 Penalties
- 3 Laboratory Activities
- 4 Certification Activities
- 5 Internal Information System
- 6 Personnel Training
- 7 Activities in the Field of Legislation
- 8 Cooperation with Other Authorities and Institutions
- 9 International Relations
- 10 Public Relations
- 11 Conclusion
- 12 Abbreviations and Explanations
This field of activities includes inspections carried out the retail establishments and wholesale warehouses.
The system of inspections performed in the retail establishments underwent a great change in 2001. The change consisted mainly in the systematic inspections carried out in hypermarkets of the big shopping chains that have their premises all over the territory of the CR. The main reason for such an organisation of the inspections was the fact that the big shopping chains had lately become (in terms of the quantity of food sold) the most important retail establishments selling food in the Czech Republic.
Inspections in smaller shops as well as sampling for the laboratory analyses were performed on the basis of a plan of inspections compiled in the individual Regional Inspectorates.
The high number of inspections in the retail establishments was also performed on the basis of complaints and suggestions of consumers. In most cases when CAFIA carried out an inspection on the basis of a complainant notification, the compliance with other requirements was inspected, too, in addition to the subject of a complaint itself.
From the perspective of the requirements laid down in the legal regulations, inspections carried out in the retail establishments focused on the observance of selling hygiene, on equipment of the shops in dependence on the food assortment offered, and on respecting the minimum-use-dates and minimum durability dates, adequacy of labelling, packing and shipping documents delivered with the goods, etc. Within the scope of the warehousing conditions control, the inspectors focused on the compliance with the temperature regimes set for the storage of refrigerated and frozen food, as well as on other foodstuffs with fixed temperatures in terms of their putting into circulation.
With respect to control of the individual food commodities, inspections in the retail establishments focused mostly on fresh fruit and vegetables, meat products, dairy products, wine, liquors, bakery products, pastries and cold meals.
Inspections carried out in wholesale warehouses focused especially on the imported food and on additional examinations of nonconforming food samples identified in the retail establishments. | <urn:uuid:25355115-4324-40cf-ac76-01fcfb32a576> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.szpi.gov.cz/en/docDetail.aspx?docid=1004739&docType=ART&nid=11463&chnum=12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942268 | 625 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Little prospective rocket scientists and Martian wannabes roamed the halls of the University of Houston on Saturday, flaunting both their intellect and out-of-this world style.
More than 600 students from nearly three dozen elementary and middle schools tackled the mission of designing and constructing a rover mock-up on a $25 budget at the 11th annual Mars Rover Model Celebration and Exhibition.
"This is all recycled," bragged Troy Grabert, 9, as he showed off his model. The New Caney ISD student scavenged for metal and spare tools to construct the rover, enlisting some minor assistance from teammate Tristan Lawniczak's electrician father.
Sporting white lab coats and thick-rimmed glasses, the boys from Aiken Elementary's fourth-grade class proudly explained their project to the judges and kindly thanked everyone for visiting their booth.
"We have invisible shields that develop special weapons, too," touted Lawniczak, 10, after a volunteer judge asked what would happen in an emergency.
Students were judged on both their rover and the explanation of it, organizers said.
"We have kids from third to eighth grade … and what they do is learn about Mars and come up with their own mission they would like to accomplish," said event co-coordinator Rebecca Forrest. "We emphasize students choosing their own mission and category because they will be most excited while learning about a project they have chosen for themselves."
"But helping the scientists is our main mission," added Whitaker.
Forrest, an instructional associate professor in the physics department at UH, said the goal of the outreach program is to encourage students to take an interest in science and technology career fields, which are facing looming shortages of qualified U.S. workers.
It seems to be working. "Right now, I kind of want to be a scientist," Eddins said. "It's all really cool." | <urn:uuid:aa11224a-35be-4de0-b252-1eb34a156ef9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seattlepi.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Mars-rover-event-stirs-scientific-fires-at-UH-4226078.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975053 | 391 | 2.53125 | 3 |
widget wrote:...Every time you copy a file it degrades slightly. After a while they are bad....
That's new to me - and I thought I've seen it all
I'm not arguing about separate / and /home directories, but I like to clarify some stuff:
1. The /home/user directory is there to hold user files, individual settings (in hidden files so you won't see them usually), in short the data files of the user - documents, music, video, you name it. A Linux distro/release may come and go, but the user files should stay. This is why they should be in a different partition (or drive).
2. The Linux operating system is installed to / (root) and some sub-folders (/boot, /bin, /sbin, /usr, /etc, and more), but not to /home... Only user-specific settings are stored in the /home/user... folder.
Now let's have an example scenario and look at the difference between a single / (root) partition and / and /home partitions setup.
Scenario: You are a happy Linux Mint 14 user and everything runs smoothly. One day you learn about a new Linux Mint release - #15. If #14 is great, #15 looks even better. You decide to upgrade, but somehow things go wrong. Packages break, applications don't start, you try to fix it but make an even bigger mess of everything. In the end you're left with only one choice: reinstall the system.
A. You're the "simple is good" fellow and your entire Linux install resides on a single partition (or drive). And you got a simple plan to put to action:
1. Create a bootable LIVE media for Linux Mint 15 (the release you want to install);
2. Prepare an empty harddrive or partition to hold all your /home data (you got spare disk under your bed just for that purpose);
3. Boot up the LIVE media and mount your /home/user folder;
4. Attach the spare harddrive and mount it (if it's a USB drive it's mounting automatically);
5. Copy your entire /home directory to your spare harddrive - since you got plenty of music and stuff you have a cup of coffee or two while the drives spin);
6. Time to install the new Linux Mint release: wipe the partition/disk clean and install the new release;
7. After a reboot into the new Linux installation, you copy the /home... folder on your spare harddisk back to your PC, hoping that your old config files work the same way as they did before. Alternatively, you could selectively only copy those files back to /home/user... that aren't there. (Note: The Linux installation process also creates a few hidden files and folders in the /home/user directory, so you need to decide if you want to use the new config files/directories or overwrite them with the config files/directories you just backed up. If you just copy the backed-up /home folder to /, replacing the new /home directory, all new config files and directories will be gone.)
8. After a few more cups of coffee everything is in place and you can reboot. With a little luck, your plan works. Oh, what about all the applications you had installed on your old system?
9. You got a great memory and quickly select and install the missing apps. All is fine and you only spent the better part of a day having a quality time with Linux.
B. You're the complicated girl/guy and went through great pain to have separate / and /home partitions. To make things even more complicated, you "backed" up your software selection in your /home/user folder. After reading all the advice you can get, you venture on to mission impossible:
1. Pick up (or prepare) a bootable installation media;
2. Boot up the Linux Mint 15 installer and follow the instructions;
3. Mount (but don't format) your old /home partition and let the installer do it's magic;
4. Reboot and open your software selection and let Linux install the missing packages.
Please don't take offense with the character descriptions - it's in good humor. I was an A guy until I ran into exactly this situation. | <urn:uuid:6d92e656-326e-4927-970a-b6c97b0866be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?p=658182 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924737 | 906 | 2.046875 | 2 |
10 June 2011>
Have you ever discovered holes in your favourite clothes in the wardrobe, caused by nibbling moths? Ever spotted an invading creepy-crawlie and wondered if it was likely to cause any damage to your home?
Join us at the Winding House on Saturday 18th June at 2pm, for a talk on "Pesky Pests - or Bugs in Bargoed!" and find out how to spot pests lurking in your home - and how to deal with them!
This entertaining talk will be given by Bob Childs, ex-Keeper of Large Objects at Amgueddfa Cymru/ National Museum Wales and Advisor to the National Trust, and will take a lighthearted look at the creatures that can cause the most damage to household items – and how to avoid them!
Admission to the talk is FREE but booking is essential. Call us on 01443 822 666 or email firstname.lastname@example.org to book your place now.
The Winding House – the museum for Caerphilly County Borough.
- Return to News | <urn:uuid:8ac9e3b6-1762-42ad-89fb-3f6da7d82466> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/application.aspx?s=Be1HHt9Zwb8l7vp+REJI5E3NQ5p/du7TibZIDMc7G7a+jW0IdQ96bBNhd2jVv7wRQOpHux9pfGo= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945478 | 228 | 2.234375 | 2 |
The US presidential election is just weeks away, and there is no shortage of polls and collected indicators — in the US and around the world — being used to predict the outcome. Polling aggregation website FiveThirtyEight has made a science of forecasting the US presidential election results, and the New York Times has visualized its election 2012 forecast data, including historical context, to show how state allegiances to the Democratic and Republican parties have shifted.
The interactive visualization shows each candidate’s forecasted position based on either the size of the lead or the number of predicted electoral votes, along with the historical shifts through past elections. Data points running down the left side can be highlighted in the visualization as well. In the screenshot below, the visualization shows the forecasted electoral votes, with the added highlight of the historical and predicted allegiance of Ohio, the state that has voted for the winner in every election since 1964. | <urn:uuid:7a879881-6784-487c-b43a-88b03254ecf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://strata.oreilly.com/2012/10/visualization-of-the-week-forecasting-the-us-presidential-election.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942638 | 182 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Self-esteem is the measure of ‘worth’ or ‘value’ we have of ourselves. Self-esteem is fundamentally based on feeling… that is, how we feel about ourselves. This feeling is conveyed in how we experience and express ourselves through our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.
Positive self-esteem can come from external sources: through achievement, success, or status; through receiving praise or compliments from others; or in being listened to, being understood, and being shown regard by others (and thereby, being shown acceptance and importance by others).
Positive self-esteem can also come from an internal source, through a robust and healthy sense of self (comprising well-developed self-knowledge, self-awareness, and self-understanding; a high capacity for self-expression; capacities for emotional regulation and self-reflection; and a strong sense of self-acceptance).
Both internal and external sources are relevant, but it is the balance between these two that is important.
Typically, someone with low self-esteem (i.e., feelings of low-worth) will be low on the internal source of self-esteem (involving negative feelings about him or herself). They will then depend on, and/or be more vulnerable to, external sources of self-esteem. They will seek ‘success’ (often materially), and will be achievement-driven. They may have a strong need to please others. They will be sensitive to criticism and to others opinions of them.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can help to identify and change cognitive distortions, as individuals with low self-esteem will typically think negatively about themselves, and will put themselves down through self-criticism (particularly when they do something ‘wrong’).
However, given that self-esteem is very much ‘feeling’ based, it is my view that psychodynamic psychotherapy is a more pertinent and useful approach (and might ideally follow a course of CBT) for achieving more fundamental and substantial improvement with self-esteem.
Our sense of self (our internal source of self-esteem) develops very early in our childhood. We have emotional needs that we require to be responded to in certain ways for normal emotional development to proceed. If our emotional needs are responded to empathically, with acceptance and understanding (attunement)… this evokes “a positive emotional tone, a state of well-being” (Meares, 1993, p. 59)… and provides an experience of worthiness, and of one’s experience being of value (Meares, 2000, pp. 68-70).
But if our needs are not responded to empathically, if they are ignored, dismissed, or if our parent’s/caregiver’s needs are impinged onto us (misattunement), then a negative emotional tone is evoked… we experience an undervaluing or devaluing of our experience… we feel of little or no importance, of low worth… we can even feel shame (Meares, 2000, pp. 71-73).
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is about working through these early negative experiences and the difficult painful feelings (particularly about, and of, oneself), whilst concurrently building a robust and positive sense of oneself. The therapist endeavours to establish and maintain the much needed and required empathic and accepting relationship, whereupon the client experiences his or her emotional experience being understood and valued. See psychodynamic psychotherapy for more detail.
Meares, R. (1993). The metaphor of play: Disruption and restoration in the borderline experience. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Inc.
Meares, R. (2000). Intimacy and alienation. Memory, trauma and personal being. London: Routledge. | <urn:uuid:af333c73-028c-40a6-aabe-f0a3f1a3b928> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.garyvaughan.com.au/self-esteem/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932196 | 783 | 3.546875 | 4 |
370.792.1 - Preventive Medical Treatment
OPR: Admin/Office of Personnel
1. United States and Possessions.
(1) Preventive medication is authorized for the following diseases:
(a) Tick fever (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever).
(b) Typhoid fever.
(d) Poison oak, poison ivy, or poison sumac.
(e) Infectious hepatitis (when contagion is at work site).
(f) Mumps (when contagion is at work site).
(g) Polio (for employees working in or with polluted water).
(2) Exceptions may be approved by the Bureau Personnel Officer upon request by the employee's supervisor through Division channels.
(3) The tuberculosis detection skin test may be authorized when contagion is at work site or when recommended by the Public Health Service.
B. Procedure for Obtaining Preventive Medical Treatment or Supplies.
(1) Preventive medical treatment will be obtained, if possible, from the United States Public Health Service Hospitals and Clinics. If these facilities are not available, treatment may be obtained from private medical sources. Request for treatment is made by the employee and approved by the supervisory official on Form 9-1339, Request for Official Payment for Inoculations or Preventive Treatment, Including Medicines (Figure 1).
(a) When a Public Health Service facility is used, the original of the completed Form 9-1339 is given to the servicing Public Health office at the time medical treatment or supplies are received, and a copy is forwarded to the Office of Financial Management.
(b) When a private medical source is used, a completed copy of Form 9-1339 and the invoice for the services received are forwarded to the Office of Financial Management for payment.
(2) Preventive medicines may be purchased in bulk by an office for dispensing to employees or directly by an employee provided the medicine can be taken orally and a prescription is not required.
(a) A request for approval to purchase preventive medicine must be made by memorandum through Division channels and the Bureau Personnel Officer to the Medical Director, Department of the Interior. The memorandum must include the purpose, type, brand name, and manufacturer of the medicine, and the number of employees who will use the medicine. Upon receipt of approval by the Medical Director, the Division will forward a copy of the approval with Form DI-1, Requisition, to the Office of Procurement and Contracts.
(b) Where the medicines are dispensed to employees by the office which made the purchase, each employee submits an approved Form 9-1339 (Figure 1) to the dispensing office. The form is retained by the dispensing office for two purposes:
(i) Accountability of medicine dispensed.
(ii) Basis for billing other USGS offices for medicines dispensed.
(3) First aid or snake bite kits may be obtained through the regular requisitioning or purchasing procedure for use in areas where hazardous conditions exist.
2. Outside United States and Possessions.
A. General. USGS employees working or officially travelling in foreign areas are inoculated before leaving the United States or its possessions. The type of inoculation depends upon the areas of travel.
B. Procedure for Obtaining Inoculations or Medical Supplies.
(1) Inoculations are obtained, if possible, from the United States Public Health Service Hospitals and Clinics. No charge is made for this service. If these facilities are not available, the employee will, if possible, secure the inoculations at USGS expense from other Government facilities. If no Federal facilities are available, the inoculations may be obtained at USGS expense from private medical sources. Each employee receives Form PHS-731, International Certificate of Vaccination, which is a record of all inoculations given and must be signed by the vaccinating physician. The employee must keep the form available for inspection by authorized officials and for recording any future inoculations. Certificates for smallpox, cholera, and yellow fever inoculations must be authenticated by a stamp approved by the health administration of the country where the inoculation is given. In the United States, any one of the following authentications is acceptable:
(a) The stamp or seal of the State or local health department for the area in which the vaccinating physician practices.
(b) The stamp or yellow fever vaccination centers designated by the Public Health Service.
(c) The stamp of the Department of Defense.
(d) The stamp approved by the Public Health Service and assigned to physicians employed in medical services of corporations or private clinics.
(e) The impression seal of the Public Health Service.
(2) Preventive medicines and first aid or snake bite kits may be purchased directly by the employee and reimbursement claimed on SF 1012, Travel Voucher, subject to adequate justification of the purchase explained on SF 1012. | <urn:uuid:faaec8c3-990d-44de-a797-64d2c6a5579c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/370-600/370-7921.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927892 | 1,021 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Mr. Sawdust Presents "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw"
The Way It Was! The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the DeWalt Saw
A lot of things had to happen before there could be a Radial-Arm Saw of any kind.
Think about this: From the time of Noah and his ark to the hey-day of Duncan Phyfe, methods of sawing wood knew little change or improvement. Of course, I have no idea how Noah undertook his unbelievable task -- but since the time of the Egyptians, and through century after century thereafter, the story has changed very little: Straight, toothed blades, moving in-and-out or up-and-down, were powered by man until the 15th Century, by water to the 18th Century, and by steam in the 19th Century.
Then, in one fell swoop, all kinds of good (and not so good) things began to happen -- all because a quiet little lady, hidden away in a monastic Massachusetts community, had a great idea and did something about it.
Sister Tabitha Babbitt of the Harvard Shakers invented the circular saw blade. The year was 1810. With all due credit and admiration for the good Sister, her incredibly good thinking was well nigh miraculous. | <urn:uuid:ba558f41-2fa5-40ae-ae14-31787d523bc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mrsawdust.com/samples.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971207 | 273 | 2.71875 | 3 |
(REUTERS) — Seeking one last term, Republican U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch is facing what may prove to be the toughest re-election of his 36-year tenure in Thursday’s Utah Republican caucus against two popular younger Tea Party-backed candidates.
Conservative and heavily Republican Utah last elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate more than four decades ago, so the Republican nominee is usually considered the presumptive winner of the general election in November.
For a senior stalwart of the Republican mainstream like Hatch, the ranking Republican on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, the Senate seat has long been regarded as his to lose. He was first elected in 1976 and turns 78 next week. | <urn:uuid:0d3434e0-414e-40a0-8a83-7e9f7b1e1455> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/orrin-hatch-threatened-by-tea-party-challenge/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968836 | 144 | 1.5625 | 2 |
The Wisconsin Legislature now forbids citizens to photograph, film or audio record public Senate or Assembly hearings. Lawmakers decided to exempt themselves from the state's open meetings law, which says:
Whenever a governmental body holds a meeting in open session, the body shall make a reasonable effort to accommodate any person desiring to record, film or photograph the meeting.The Appleton Post Crescent isn't pleased:
Can you think of any place in the world where you aren’t allowed to sit quietly and check your email on a smartphone, browse the Web on your iPad or even read the newspaper?
We can: Wisconsin’s Senate and Assembly galleries.
You be the judge. Their new rules say visitors can’t use any electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops; can’t have newspapers or books; can’t photograph anything; and can’t display signs...
Wisconsin residents must be allowed to record their government’s proceedings. What if a senator falls asleep at his desk and a voter wants proof? What if a representative makes a speech that’s so inflammatory, a voter thinks others should know about it?Then there's this (thanks to blue cheddar):
At present, when the Governor signs a bill, the Secretary of State has 10 days to publish the new law, which then goes into effect.
The Governor wants to change the rule so that new laws go into effect the day after he signs them, published or not.You wonder what they're afraid of. Oh wait... | <urn:uuid:00d90ddc-a54f-489a-86d4-951fcf078328> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/01/wisc-lawmakers-crack-down-on-citizens.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928212 | 314 | 1.5 | 2 |
Posted on Friday, October 02, 2009
Award-winning cooking instructor comes to HWS to serve up the many flavors of Jewish life around the world
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, author, food columnist, chef and award-winning cooking instructor Tina Wasserman brings her expertise to the Hobart and William Smith Colleges campus for a talk titled "A Culinary Exploration of the History and Lore of Jewish Cooking in the Diaspora."
Specializing in contemporary kosher cuisine and trained in nutrition and education, Wasserman holds degrees from Syracuse University and New York University and is a popular food educator in her own cooking school and as a scholar-in-residence in communities across North America. In 1994, she was elected to Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international culinary society that honors women in the food and beverage industry. She is one of only four Dames in the country honored as an expert in Jewish cooking and culinary history. She has been the food columnist for Reform Judaism magazine since 2003. Her writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and she has appeared on live radio and television and featured on Good Morning America. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, HWS Trustee Dr. Richard L. Wasserman '70, and is the proud mother of two grown children.
Wasserman is also the author of, "Entrée to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora," copies of which will be available for sale and signing at the talk, as well as a tasting from the cookbook.
According to the publisher's notes on the book, "What we eat says so much about who we are and from where we come. Do you like your matzah brie sweet or savory? Is your chicken soup matzah ball or mulligatawny? Does your menu feature a cheese torta or a tofu salad? Wherever Jews have settled, they have adapted local tastes and ingredients to meet the needs of Shabbat and kashrut, creating a rich and diverse menu of flavors and styles, all still Jewish. In Entrée to Judaism, Tina Wasserman leads a culinary journey around the world and across the ages, from Spain to India, from Russia to Tunisia, sharing the histories and recipes of the great Diaspora communities and the many wonderful ways they have told their stories through food."
Wasserman's talk-sponsored by the Abbe Center for Jewish Life, Hillel, Religious Studies and Religious Life-will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Demarest Hall, room 14. It is free and open to the public. All are encouraged to attend. | <urn:uuid:7696b51b-4f05-486f-8aa9-9fc8af6fe064> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hws.edu/dailyupdate/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=12433 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961459 | 547 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Talks and Events | Drop-in Sessions
Throughout the February half-term (14, 17-21 & 29 February) members of the Museum’s Education team and local artists will be available to give one-to-one advice to students preparing for art exams. We can help you research your theme by giving you access to the wealth of ideas and inspiration in the work of other artists. We offer starting points, gallery tours, practical studio support and advice on how to make the most of our on-line resources.
Based in the informal atmosphere of our studio this service is free and available on a drop-in basis.
For more information telephone 01223 332904 or visit the Education Section on www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Supported by The Eridge Trust
Sat 14 February 2009 | 10:00 to 16:30 | <urn:uuid:310095aa-7b82-414f-8123-fb94791b6560> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/whatson/events/article.html?1662 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913028 | 177 | 1.65625 | 2 |
November 22, 2009
"Police Struggle to Navigate New Gang Landscape"
The article in the New York Times discusses the unintended consequences of the battle on gangs in Chicago. Stepped up enforcement has picked off the leaders of some gangs, leading to fragmented leadership that may generate violence itself:
Ernest Brown, an assistant deputy superintendent and the city’s organized crime chief, said, “Our strategies are coming to fruition.” He noted that aggravated battery with a handgun, a common crime among gang members, is down 20 percent this year in Englewood, one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
Gang experts outside the Chicago police force see the data differently. Many view the lack of improvement as evidence of gang chaos on the streets.
“Now there’s no structure,” said Michael Cronin, a retired anti-gang officer. “This corner is one faction of the Gangster Disciples, the next corner another. They’re not paying homage to no general.”
November 22, 2009 | Permalink | <urn:uuid:f8270727-02ec-4c97-b8eb-820714336b53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/crimprof_blog/2009/11/police-struggle-to-navigate-new-gang-landscape.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924458 | 224 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Welcome to the first entry in our very special series “The Modern Art of Gene Deitch.” Over the next few weeks, we’ll be presenting some of the rarest and most obscure modern shorts by animation legend Gene Deitch. To kick off the series, we’re starting with what is arguably his rarest film: Howdy Doody and His Magic Hat. It is a film that Deitch spent over half a century attempting to track down and it was discovered only last December following this post on Cartoon Brew. The film marks his first directorial effort at United Productions of America (UPA), the modernist animation studio that defined the look of mid-century cartoon animation.
We’re going to hand the floor over to Gene now and and let him tell everybody the story of how this film came to be. If you have any questions or comments for Gene, please share them in the comments.
In June 1949 I left my dream job as Bobe Cannon’s Production Designer at UPA Burbank, to take up an offer to become a director at the Jam Handy Organization in Detroit. It was a risky career move, but it worked out, as I managed to prove myself enough in two years as a director at JHO to induce Steve Bosustow to fly to Detroit and make me an offer I couldn’t refuse: if I would go to New York as a member of the founding group of the planned UPA/Manhattan studio, in the temporary function as studio Production Designer, I would be in line to become a director within one year. Steve tried to explain to me that the condition was necessary because he had somehow committed the position of director to Abe Liss, but he regarded it as “temporary.” As things developed in New York, there was a great tension between Abe and Steve. I never found out what it was, but in a matter of months, Abe left UPA and I was in fact named Creative Director of the studio. I was not happy about the circumstances, as being so set-up, but I was of course delighted that my early Hollywood dreams of become a UPA director had come true. All this is just to emphasize how eager I was to prove myself, and I put everything I had into that goal.
I very soon won twice the New York Art Directors Club Gold Medal for my Steinberg Jell-O commercials, and soon had a chance to make my first UPA entertainment short. It was a custom production order from the Kagran Corporation, the owner of the hot daily NBC-TV show Howdy Doody. In 1953 we were commissioned to make a low-budget pilot film for a proposed Howdy Doody animation series.
The catch to this opportunity was that all of us bright young hotshot UPA stars absolutely hated the Howdy Doody show, and felt that the puppet itself was gross–a ten on a kitsch scale of one to ten. We determined to “improve” the Howdy Doody character to the level of our hallowed UPA design standard. After all, we were already the toast of New York animation, raking in the prizes and publicity. We simply couldn’t lower ourselves to something so crude, even if the client was paying us to do just that. So we just blithely went ahead with transforming Howdy Doody in our own image.
Unfortunately, this God-like endeavor went down in flames. Kagran paid for the film, but “Buffalo Bob” Smith, Howdy Doody’s Daddy, hated what we had wrought, and ordered the negative destroyed. Our little pride and joy experiment was never shown publicly, and was never properly listed on the International Motion Picture Database. In plain language, it simply did not exist.
A 16mm print did exist. I had managed to liberate it when I left UPA. The heavens still punished me when this “one and only existing print” vanished without a trace in an international shipment. I spent the next fifty years–a full half-century–in a fervid but fruitless effort to track down another print. Not that this little film was any kind of a marvel, but simply because it was the very first film to bear the screen credit, “Directed by Gene Deitch,” and thus personally important in my own history. Further, it was a pretty good example of early 1950s animation thinking. The actual film was animated in a very low-budget paper cutout technique with a few camera effects.
Above all, at this late date, I would like to recognize my great departed collaborators on this long ago effort: the budding genius animator, Duane Crowther; the brilliant and not nearly enough appreciated graphic designer, Cliff Roberts, who I had discovered in Detroit; Bill Bernal, my closest friend and collaborator to the end of his life, who co-authored the folk-based story with me; and the brilliant avant composer, Serge Hovey, who I never saw again. All of those great people are gone but are strongly in my memory. The only other survivor of the creative team that made this little film, aside from myself, is Ken Drake, who rode shotgun on our studio Acme animation camera. Ken and I are still in daily email contact. He too will have his memory shaken when he sees the film today!
No one else has ever seen it before. Now, whoever is interested will be able to view it and make whatever judgement as to its place in the animation history scheme. Now, fifty-seven years after it was made, a miracle has happened, and you can have your chance to judge whether this long search made sense. After all this time, due to the relentless efforts of Jerry Beck, never to allow an animation discovery to elude him, and because he is such a loyal fan, a reasonably well-preserved 35mm print has been located in the deepest and darkest archives of the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington. D.C. So that’s it. Does this film show anything ahead of its time, or should it be allowed to rest in peace? Take a look.
(Our thanks to Dave Gibson for his detective work at the Library of Congress, and Ondřej Muška for his restoration work on the print) | <urn:uuid:ecd1c6c7-94db-4e59-a830-da0553043dc9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cartoonbrew.com/brewtv/howdydoody-22435.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976694 | 1,322 | 1.523438 | 2 |
A bright future for plastics – robot ‘skin’, flexible laptops and electric posters
With market analysts predicting a ten fold increase in the value of the organic light emitting display industry, from £1.5 billion to £15.5 billion, by 2014, it is no wonder ...
that scientists and governments alike are keen to advance research into "plastic electronics".
July’s edition of Physics World includes an in-depth feature by three Israeli researchers, Marianna Khorzov and David Andelman, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at TelAvivUniversity, and Rafi Shikler, from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Ben Gurion University, about exciting developments in the field.
For a long time, plastic was thought of as an insulating material that could not conduct electricity, but ground-breaking research in the 1970s proved that some plastics could do so. Now, more than thirty years later some of the potential applications of these breakthrough materials – electronic billboards, flexible laptops, high-definition television screens only one centimetre thick – are coming to light.
Plastic-based transistors and organic light-emitting displays are set to shake the electronics market. Transistors, the fundamental building block in modern electronic devices, are traditionally made of silicon. Plastic-based transistors however are easier and cheaper to manufacture than their silicon equivalent. And because plastic is flexible, we could soon see ultrathin, flexible laptops, for example, that would be impossible to make from silicon.
Conventional light-emitting displays, used in televisions, iPods and digital watches, are rigid, expensive and complex to manufacture. Organic light-emitting displays, based on plastic electronics engineering, are easier to manufacture, more flexible and, as an added bonus, also consume less energy. This is why Sony, Samsung and Kodak are all devoting time and money to developing them.
Other exciting developments are likely to be in the field of bionics, including the development of materials sensitive but flexible enough to replicate skin, which could be used by robots in situations where a sense of touch is crucial.
The researchers write, “We expect that, for many applications, these materials will gradually replace silicon and metals, and they may even make possible entirely new technologies, particularly in the field of bionics, which seeks to link up technology with biological systems.”
The Institute of Physics.
Investigated and edited by:Dr.-Ing. Christoph Konetschny, Materials Consultant, Owner of Materialsgate
The investigation and editing of this document was performed with best care and attention. For the accuracy, validity, availability and applicability of the given information, we take no liability. Please discuss the suitability concerning your specific application with the experts of the named company or organization.
You want additional material or technology investigations concerning this subject?Materialsgate is leading in material consulting and material investigation.
Feel free to use our established consulting services | <urn:uuid:2fb56514-fc4d-4acc-8c6a-fe90aaa5ae98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.materialsgate.de/en/mnews/3310/A+bright+future+for+plastics-robot+%E2%80%98skin%E2%80%99+flexible+laptops+and+electric+posters.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934369 | 610 | 2.8125 | 3 |
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Your child had a procedure called mastoidectomy. This is the surgical removal of the mastoid bone, which can be felt behind the ear. Mastoidectomy is performed when the mastoid bone is infected or to remove growths from the middle ear. Here's what you need to know about home care.
Expect a small amount of drainage from the ear.
Don't be alarmed if the skin of your child’s outer ear is numb. This is a result of the surgery. The feeling should return within a few months.
Give your child medication exactly as directed.
Keep your child’s head slightly elevated for the first 24 hours after the child gets home.
Help your child to avoid anything that makes his or her ears pop.
Discourage your child from blowing his or her nose. Don’t allow your child to hold the nose closed.
Show your child how to sneeze with the mouth open.
Allow your child to shower as necessary, starting 3 days after surgery. A tub bath is allowed as long as your child doesn’t put his or her head in the water.
Keep the ear dry. You can place a cotton ball dabbed with a small amount of petroleum jelly in the outer ear to keep water out during a bath or shower.
Make sure your child avoids activities that involve heavy lifting and straining.
Get your doctor's permission before allowing your child to fly in a plane or swim.
Ask your doctor when your child may return to school.
Make follow-up appointments as directed by our staff. Your child’s ear has special packing material in it. Parts of this material may need to be removed at specific times.
Call the doctor right away if your child has any of the following:
Increased redness or swelling around the ear
Foul-smelling drainage from the ear or the incision
Double vision or blurred vision
Fever above 101.0°F (38.3°C) | <urn:uuid:7729ff70-32fd-4534-90f2-64549c2c759a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.einstein.edu/einsteinhealthtopic/?articleId=86420&articleTypeId=3&healthTopicid=-1&healthTopicName=HealthSheets | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958915 | 434 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Midwest Martial Arts - Children's Programs
MidWest Martial Arts children's programs have been widely recognized and referred by public and private school systems, pediatricians and day care providers. We have especially designed programs just for children.
- Rangers are the youngest, ranging in age from four to six years.
- Ninja Turtles run between the ages of six and eight.
- Juniors are for ages 8 and up.
Our goal is to teach our students to become Black Belts in life as well as Black Belts in martial arts by using the focus, discipline, respect, goal setting, and communication skills that we have effectively blended into our martialarts instruction.
"Midwest is an extention of our family. Our kids love their instructors and have gained skills they will use the rest of their lives." - Tonya M., Fairborn, OH
While developing coordination, balance and physical fitness our children's programs build confidence and character with structured recognition programs that give your child a sense of accomplishment.
Besides reinforcing your family values kids seem to find our classes just plain fun and enjoy the sense of pride and accomplishment they feel as they earn each new belt.
View Our Introductory Videos
We have created age-related 2 minute videos to view. These will assist you in understanding more about us.
- Our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Program is designed for young adults 15 years old and up. World Jiu-Jitsu United (WJJU) is an international initiative to bring committed Jiu-Jitsu and MMA practitioners together for common related interests. It is our goal to offer a comprehensive curriculum, coaching and services that reflect the modern day evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We offer complete class structure and format, class curriculum, safety protocols, rank evaluation, Instructor certification, local and traveling seminars, DVD/video training, MMA cross-training, fitness and more.
- The MDT Program is an exciting and proven self-defense program. Designed for adults, this program will teach self-defense techniques anyone can do, regardless of their age or physical ability.
"The best mental health remedy that I know." - Judy S., Yellow Springs, OH
Master Dewitt has trained with some of the best Martial Arts practitioners in the world. He has earned the rank of Master under Master Ernie Reyes Sr. and is affilated with Martial Legends such as Kyoshi Steve LaVallee, USA Black Belt Champions Frank Cucci LINXX Academy, a former Navy SEAL, and World Jiu-Jitsu United under Professor Gene Dunn.
Master Dewitt has combined all of his 31 years in the Martial Arts to come up with one of the most effective Self Defense Systems. Since each move is tailored to the individual student's physical abilities, Master Dewitt's system is designed to fit all people. Most importantly, the Midwest Defensive Training Program will provide you with peace-of-mind and confidence; knowing you can handle yourself in a tough situation.
Midwest's staff is dedicated to giving you our best, to bring out your best!
Copyright Midwest Martial Arts Academy | <urn:uuid:e96e2491-7f9c-46e3-b98d-348e814e1a80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mwmaa.com/programs.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951799 | 624 | 1.78125 | 2 |
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis
Today in Energy
Note: Data are preliminary and include all generators at plants >1MW in capacity, from the electric power, commercial, and industrial sectors. "Other renewables" includes hydroelectric, geothermal, landfill gas, and biomass generators. States are listed by postal code.
During the first half of 2012, 165 new electric power generators were added in 33 states, for a total of 8,098 megawatts (MW) of new capacity. Of the ten states with the highest levels of capacity additions, most of the new capacity uses natural gas or renewable energy sources. Capacity additions in these ten states total 6,500 MW, or 80% of the new capacity added nationally in the first six months of 2012.
Most of the new generators built over the past 15 years are powered by natural gas or wind. In 2012, the addition of natural gas and renewable generators comes at a time when natural gas and renewable generation are contributing increasing amounts to total generation across much of the United States. In particular, efficient combined-cycle natural gas generators are competitive with coal generators over a large swath of the country. And, in the first half of 2012, these combined-cycle generators were added in states that traditionally burn mostly coal (with the exception of Idaho, which has significant hydroelectric resources).
Only one coal-fired generator was brought online in the first half of 2012, an 800-MW unit at the Prairie State Energy Campus in Illinois. In its 2011 annual survey of power plant operators, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) received no new reports of planned coal-fired generators. Of the planned coal generators in EIA databases, 14 are reported in the construction phrase, with an additional 5 reporting a planned status but not yet under construction. However, only one of the 14 advanced from a pre-construction to an under-construction status between the 2010 and 2011 surveys.
More small generators were added than large generators: of the 165 generators added, 105 were under 25 MW. Many of these use renewable energy sources, most commonly solar and landfill gas; wind plants aggregate many individual turbines into one large "generator" for reporting purposes. So far, 2012 has also seen a significant number of new peaking generators, the combustion turbines and internal combustion engines that operate when electric demand is at its highest, which also tend to be on the small side. These technologies are usually fueled by natural gas or petroleum, but can also burn landfill gas (Michigan alone added 8 of these in the first half of 2012) or agricultural byproducts.
In Texas, which is facing a shortage of generating capacity reserves, 70% of the capacity added was in the industrial sector and not the electric power sector: the Formosa Plastics Corporation added two generators burning petroleum coke.
Note: 2011 and 2012 data are preliminary. Data include all generators at plants >1MW in capacity, from the electric power, commercial, and industrial sectors.
Solar has shown significant growth in the electric power sector over the past two years. From the beginning of 2010 to the end of June 2012, 1,308 MW of new utility-scale solar capacity has come online, more than tripling the 619 MW in place at the end of 2009. Despite this significant increase, these additions understate actual solar capacity gains. Unlike other energy sources, significant levels of solar capacity exist in smaller, non-utility-scale applications (e.g., rooftop solar photovoltaics). These appear in a separate EIA survey collecting data on net metering and distributed generation.
More capacity was added in the first half of 2012 than was retired. A total of 3,092 MW was retired, from 58 generators in 17 states. Over half of this was coal, and another 30% was petroleum-fired generators. Two recent Today in Energy articles address future coal generator retirements, both as reported by powerplant owners and operators, and as projected by EIA as part of a long-term forecast.
Detailed data on each generator addition and retirement are available in the Electric Power Monthly (in tables ES3 and ES4, respectively). These data represent responses to EIA's monthly update survey of existing electric generators. An annual survey will collect final data from all industry participants early next year. | <urn:uuid:12441bbc-cdf6-42cd-a133-2661fa87e549> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=7610 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942771 | 886 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Safety 1st’s Nature Next Bio-Plastic Infant to Toddler Bathtub ($11) is made with Bio-Plastic, a durable plastic developed from renewable plant resources like corn and tapioca, instead of fossil fuels, and incorporates bamboo (a renewable resource) and recycled plastic. This basic tub can be used with an infant or a toddler — when your child is older, turn them around in the tub to sit flat on the bottom. There are two accessory holders for shampoo and body wash and a shower hook to help dry and/or store the tub.
Other products from Safety 1st’s Nature Next line that we’ve reviewed include:
– Nancy, Queens, NY mom to budding comedian 3 ½ year old Ben and princess-in-training 1 ½ year old Allegra, loves finding stuff that makes her family’s life easier. | <urn:uuid:bce51ff2-f9e1-4eb2-b3de-712a91dafe03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://celebritybabies.people.com/2009/08/30/safety-1st-nature-next-bio-plastic-infant-to-toddler-bathtub/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926168 | 181 | 1.976563 | 2 |
This campus was established in 1975 at Fort Douglas Army Education Center. Columbia College-Salt Lake originally served the educational needs of military personnel at Fort Douglas and the Army National Guard Units in the area. After the base closed in 1989, the campus moved to a leased facility on 400 South Street in downtown Salt Lake City. To accommodate increasing enrollment numbers in 1997 the campus relocated to Decker Lake Drive. In order to improve accessibility and increase visibility, the campus moved again in June 2008 to its present location. Columbia College-Salt Lake is part of the college's Adult Higher Education network of 35 Nationwide Campuses across the country, including 18 on military bases.
The campus offers 10 degrees and 75 courses in five eight week sessions per year. Last year the campus served over 400 students and the campus has graduated more than 500 students since 2002. In 2000, the college started the Online Campus and today its 20 Online degrees are open to Salt Lake students. Last year, about 200 Salt Lake students took online classes, joining the total 21,000 Nationwide students.
Columbia College-Salt Lake is part of the college's extended network of more than 30 Nationwide Campuses across the country, including 18 on military bases.
Degree programs at the extended campuses vary. However, no matter which degree you pursue or which campus you attend, degree programs meet the same accreditation standards as degree programs from the main campus in Columbia, Mo., as well as meet requirements set by the respective state education departments.Columbia College was founded in 1851 in Columbia, Mo., as Christian Female College, the first women's college west of the Mississippi River to be chartered by state legislature. In 1970, the college was renamed Columbia College when it opened its doors to men and women. In 1973, the college began educating adult learners. Today, the college serves nearly 25,000 students nationwide each year.
Read more about Columbia College history. | <urn:uuid:16ee8920-515e-4f4f-82cd-7e076e30a7b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ccis.edu/nationwide/about/CampusHistory.asp?saltlake | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968136 | 386 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Many of the old, historic mansions on Miami Beach and elsewhere in Miami Dade County have been converted for commercial purposes. Some, such as Deering Estates and Vizcaya are now part museum, part event locations (upscale parties, weddings, etc), others such as Merrick house are simply museums, and others, like the current state of the Vercace Mansion are commercial. There are a number of insanely huge and opulent homes on Miami Beach and on the Islands, plus in a few other neighborhoods in the county that are still in use as single family homes. If I'm reading the listing correctly, it could remain in commercial use, but it is technically zoned as "single family". Personally, I'd love to see it turned into a public access museum like Vizcaya, since Miami isn't exactly known for preserving its history very well.
Sorry for the hijack! | <urn:uuid:32a00428-6948-4578-a35b-9ff13f50b06f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=125074.msg2910236 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969954 | 183 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Large and continuing reductions in southern Australian winter rainfall are shown to be associated with major shifts in the Southern Hemisphere circulation since the mid-1970s. In particular, these changes have been linked to a reduction in winter storm formation with the growth rate of the leading storm track modes affecting southern Australia being more than 30% lower during the last three decades compared to the period between 1949 and 1968. These effects have become more pronounced with time. In this paper, we focus on the changes in southern Australian winter rainfall and relate them to circulation changes that are directly associated with storm formation. We employ a useful diagnostic of storm development which is the vertical shear in the atmospheric winds, commonly known as baroclinic instability, and is encapsulated in the Phillips (1954) criterion. The relationship between changes in the Phillips criterion and changes in rainfall during the twentieth century is discussed. We also consider projected changes and trends in rainfall and baroclinic instability in SRES scenarios using results from CMIP3 models. We elucidate the roles of anthropogenic forcing and internal variability. Our results show that the impact of further increases in anthropogenic CO₂ concentrations can lead to further large reductions in baroclinic instability, with model trends during the 21st century similar to those simulated during the second half of the 20th century. Associated reductions in modelled southern Australian rainfall can be as much as twice those seen at the end of the 20th century.
|Keywords:||Australian Rainfall, Atmospheric Circulation, Climate Change, Climate Projections, Storm Formation, Anthropogenic Forcing, Internal Variability|
Senior Principal Research Scientist, Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Bureau of Meteorology Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Chief Research Scientist, Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Climate Adaptation Flagship and Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Senior Information Technology Officer, Centre for Australian Weather and Atmospheric Research, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Support Scientist, Centre for Australian Weather and Atmospheric Research, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
There are currently no reviews of this product.Write a Review | <urn:uuid:37ee387b-9167-45fc-959a-648cd46dd708> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ijc.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.185/prod.104 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92655 | 449 | 2.46875 | 2 |
|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2007
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 421-4153
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Small World Toys Recalls Children's Wooden Sound Puzzles with Knobs for Choking Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of product: "Sounds on the Farm" Puzzle and "Sounds on the Go" Puzzle
Units: About 78,500
Distributor: Small World Toys, of Culver City, Calif.
Hazard: The knobs on the recalled puzzle pieces can come off, posing a choking hazard to young children.
Incidents/Injuries: Small World Toys has received 42 reports of the knobs detaching from the puzzle pieces. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled involves two separate wooden-knobbed puzzles that make sounds. "Sounds on the Farm" and "Sounds on the Go" puzzles were sold under the Puzzibilities and Ryan's Room brands. The wooden puzzles have four pieces in farm animal or vehicle shapes that make animal or motor sounds when the pieces are lifted by their knobs from the puzzle boards. "Sounds on the Farm" or "Sounds on the Go" is printed on the top left of the puzzle boards. "©2003 Small World Toys®" and the number 24101 or 24102 are printed at the bottom of the puzzles boards.
Sold at: Puzzibilities puzzles were sold at toy stores and various retailers nationwide and by catalogs from June 2003 through February 2007. Ryan's Room puzzles were sold at Target Stores nationwide from January 2006 through February 2007. Both puzzles sold for about $16.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take this toy away from children and contact Small World Toys to obtain a free replacement toy.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Small World Toys at (800) 421-4153 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, visit www.smallworldtoys.com, or email the firm at firstname.lastname@example.org
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters. | <urn:uuid:7f12617a-4521-46b5-902e-94a88e83d32c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2007/Small-World-Toys-Recalls-Childrens-Wooden-Sound-Puzzles-with-Knobs-for-Choking-Hazard/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933852 | 813 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Remember when I first got to Kenya and was very safety conscious/slightly paranoid? Well, I’ve relaxed a little bit.
I walk around during the day by myself and I have started taking public buses and matatus (crazy little mini-vans/unofficial buses) home from my kiswahili class. My husband’s coworkers, who had the same severe safety warnings that we got before we arrived, are amazed. But it’s really no big deal.
Here’s why I feel comfortable taking public transportation despite the warnings:
- I only walk by myself during daylight and in busy, public areas.
- I dress casually and carry only my crappy cell phone and a few dollars.
- I ride the bus from one “nice” area to another. Some of my classmates take public transportation into the slum areas and have never had a problem. Right now, I’m not comfortable enough to do that.
- I ride on a busy route, and I always know where I am (I could walk if the bus broke down of if I didn’t feel safe.)
- I am never at the main bus/matatu station downtown (which has been a target for grenade attacks). Instead, I ride from one bus stop in the suburbs to another bus stop in the suburbs.
My husband still hasn’t taken public transportation here, so he has yet to experience the joys of rocking out to reggae while weaving in and out of traffic on the pot-holed roads of our neighborhood. I get to enjoy all that adventure for the low, low price of 30 cents a ride. | <urn:uuid:ef38f388-dee4-4059-899f-ee4d625d48fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onetrailingspouse.com/taking-public-transportation-in-nairobi-kenya/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963922 | 345 | 1.5 | 2 |
Nation Topics - Economic Policy
News and Features
It’s time to recognize limited liability for what it is: a subsidy for corporations paid by those hurt by malfeasance.
Congress should allow tax deductions for incentive pay schemes only if they distribute the rewards to the majority of workers.
Hotshot CEOs should be required to play by the same rules as small business owners, who have a personal stake in the companies they run.
Capitalism in any form compels us to be greedy, callous and petty. Instead of reinventing it, we should replace it.
It's too late for Obama to turn around the economy. But to win re-election, he better expose what Republican plans to cut spending will really do.
The concentration of wealth and power among a few mega-corporations threatens our political and economic freedoms.
Relying so heavily on GDP as a measure of economic health is like removing all of the gauges on a car’s dashboard except the speedometer.
How I wish that Ben Bernanke would get caught e-mailing photos of his underwear-clad groin.
The new consumer protection bureau’s mission is to make it easier for consumers to understand financial fine print. So why are bankers so scared?
What was Timothy Geithner thinking when he decided to give Goldman Sachs a $30 billion interest-free loan as part of an $80 billion secret float to favored banks?
- How America Became a Third World Country
- The Secret Donors Behind the Center for American Progress and Other Think Tanks
- Why Prosecuting Ariel Castro for Murder Won’t Prevent Violence Against Pregnant Women
- Rahm Emanuel's Zombie Pigs vs. Chicago's Angry Birds
- The First Couple’s Post-Racial Bootstraps Myth | <urn:uuid:b4e867ce-ab7e-48aa-8425-6d292baa6354> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenation.com/node/153/economic-policy?page=10%252C7 | 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 | 0.916148 | 370 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.We’re celebrating the First Amendment on the 1st of July by joining news organizations, artists, librarians, lawyers, educators and many others in supporting 1 for All, a national campaign to teach Americans about the source of these fundamental freedoms. From now through July 25, you can show your support for the First Amendment by submitting a 30-second video that demonstrates your freedom to speak, rock or assemble. The best videos will be featured on YouTube, on TV and at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
At a time when restrictions on speech are increasing around the globe, we think it’s essential to remind ourselves that we can’t take freedom of expression for granted. Get informed, get involved and stand up with us for the First on the 1st. | <urn:uuid:8ff70939-26f2-4726-ae2f-b42ba446e4d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html?m=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932803 | 217 | 1.984375 | 2 |
James C. Greenough, 1883-86
James C. Greenough was born in 1829, near the Amherst campus in Wendell, Massachusetts. He worked as a schoolteacher in Heath, Massachusetts, from 1854 until returning to the State Normal School at Westfield in 1856 to become assistant principal.
He left Westfield in 1871 to become principal of the Rhode Island Normal School, remaining at that post for 12 years.
In 1883, Greenough came to the Massachusetts Agricultural College to become president, serving for three years. During his tenure, he was noted for raising academic standards, extending the course of study, and guiding a transition from a small vocational college to a more comprehensive institution supporting agriculture and extension services. Greenough saw the construction of the college chapel and the establishment of the Experiment Station before finishing his term in 1886. | <urn:uuid:d014879c-0f79-4748-9d34-5e91c8569419> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.massachusetts.edu/presidents/greenough.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977779 | 176 | 1.960938 | 2 |
2006 #3 - What is Life?
WHAT IS LIFE?
In this issue of the Newsletter we will look at this most fundamental of all questions:How do we perceive life, and how deeply do we understand this energy that lies at the very heart of human existence? How we answer these questions affects how we think about the many issues that arise today:the beginning and ending of life, birth and death, the right to life, the right to a good death, when to sustain life, and when – or if – to terminate life.
These questions are no longer discussed only in the hushed tones of the physician’s office; they are now dealt with in the public square and everyone is invited to state their opinion. World Goodwill, however, does not take a specific position on many of these issues like abortion or euthanasia. But we do try to provide a deeper, esoteric perspective on the nature of life. More than ever there is a need to deepen our understanding of these issues so that the opinions of each of us are based on what we believe to be closer to the truth as it is revealed today. But all of these questions stem from the most basic question of all: What is Life?
To be honest, and given our present general level of consciousness, we human beings may never be able to understand this question with absolute truth. All we can do is try to bring together what some of the leading minds and traditional teachings have revealed about life down through the centuries. To advance our understanding about what life is, we would like to turn to the metaphysical teachings presented in the books of Alice Bailey. They offer a perspective beyond the generally accepted materialistic view that prevails today. These are not dogmatic assertions, but are offered as ideas for pondering. If they ring true to your intuition then let them enhance the depth and quality of your mind and your decision-making.
From a metaphysical perspective, then, what is Life? This view sees life as a distinct, all-pervasive electrical1 energy that interpenetrates and animates all forms – from the minute atom of substance to a human being to the planet as a whole. “Life is one and naught can ever take or touch that life”. Life, from this perspective, does not arise or originate from a particular form. It is given to form by God; it is the one Life that breathes into all forms. Even when forms such as human or animal forms are destroyed and die, life remains. Life exists quite apart from forms of any kind. Thus the energy of the one Life is the same life expressed through a diamond, a rose, an oak tree, a dog, a horse, a human being or a human soul, all are expressions of the creative activity of Life.
Perhaps another way to illustrate the one Life is through its relationship to the divine Trinity which can be expressed in many ways, such as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; or Spirit, Soul and Matter. Life in this case is described as “that fourth something which hovers behind all manifestation and behind all objects, all qualified expressions of divinity and which is hinted at in the Bhagavad Gita in the words: ‘Having pervaded this whole universe with a fragment of Myself, I remain’”(Esoteric Astrology, p. 592, emph. added).
When does Life begin?
There seems to be much uncertainty about the answer to this question. The prevailing opinion seems to be that as far as human life is concerned it begins at the moment of conception. And where consciousness is focused and identified at the dense physical level, life would seem to begin when the development of the human form begins.
But in view of the above metaphysical perspective, life—whether expressed in a human form or not—would have no beginning, or for that matter, no end either. Life is. It is always present and cannot be taken away. The energy of the one Life is present before conception—in the egg and in the sperm and in the very atoms that make up the molecules and cells. When the egg and the sperm join together, the life energy they carry is passed on in the process of cell formation, which, if allowed, will eventually grow into a human form, or the form of an animal or a plant, as the case may be. There is only the beginning of a new form.
It is important to understand the differentiation between the energy of life and the substance of the form. Life is a constant flow of electrical energy, while forms are temporary expressions through which life manifests at the dense physical level. So for example, when we use the term “human life”, we are describing a human form with a consciousness provided by the soul and both are animated by the energy of the one Life.
The Rights of Human Life.
The sanctity and rights given to a human life are of a particular value bestowed by human societies. But it is a value determined by a limited understanding of what a human being is. If life has no beginning or end, as posited by the metaphysical view, then does this affect the value given to life? To answer this question more fully we have to provide a more complete picture of thehuman being by including the factor of the soul and the part it plays in the creation of human life.
With all the discussion today about human life, the beginning and ending of life, and the purpose of life, there is little mention of the existence of the human soul and the direct part it plays in the life of a human being. Here again the metaphysical perspective is helpful. Without the inclusion of the soul, human life is incomplete. In fact, it is the very presence of the individualised soul that makes one human. Our humanness doesn’t arise out of the physical cells in the body. The soul, incarnating in the body, provides much of all human intelligence. The soul, it is said in the Bailey writings, takes possession of the fetus only during the fourth month of pregnancy, at the time of the “quickening”. Before then, the heart and the brain of the fetus are not sufficiently developed for life and consciousness to be anchored in the head and in the heart, respectively. The soul needs to wait for the “vehicle” to be made ready by the creative process before it can begin to think and act as a recognised human.
The soul stands as a mediating agent between God as Spirit and physical man or woman. It represents the middle position in the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Spirit, Soul and Matter. The soul endows a human being with the capacity for consciousness. From a metaphysical perspective that incorporates a belief in reincarnation, it is the soul that incarnates in a particular human form, lifetime after lifetime. It has a particular purpose to work out in line with the Plan of God in each life experience. The soul is essentially the individualised self that enters into the physical body at the time of birth and leaves the body at the moment of death. The body is simply the “vehicle” through which the soul expresses a certain quality of consciousness during its time in the physical world.
In view of this factor of the soul, how does this affect the question of when does life begin? Life as pure electrical energy, it seems, has no beginning or end, it is ever present. And the soul is the immortal being, immortal self, that provides continuity from life to life in a physical body. That being is you, who never really dies, who has “everlasting life”, and has experienced the transition of birth and of death many times. If this is the case, if this esoteric perspective provides some degree of truth, then wouldn’t this alter the way one thinks about the very controversial issues surrounding birth and death?
The Rights of the Unborn
Do these rights start at the moment of conception, or at the moment of birth, or sometime in between? This is a question that we cannot truthfully answer because the question of rights differ from society to society. There are no universal rights attached to a developing fetus.
What is universal, however, from the spiritual perspective, is the fact of the one soul and the creative process set in motion at the moment of conception. If unimpeded, these forces will play out automatically according to spiritual law and will usually result in a live human being. But the inherent right for that fetus to develop and come to birth is often the choice of the soul, and sometimes, we are told, if the “vehicle” is not developing according to the plans of the soul for that particular life, it may terminate the process and the fetus will be still-born. So the issue of “rights” from the point of view of the soul may not be so firmly fixed. It sees each individual life as a brief experience in a long series of lives and is more influenced in its decision by karma and the divine Plan than by rights. We might say that the soul is an agent of the divine evolutionary impulse, but each soul has the right of choice in determining when, where and how to incarnate in a human body.
There is a similar choice at what is called the end of life as well; another issue that needs more insight today. In the natural course of living, the moment of death may be the choice of the soul. The withdrawal can be slow or rapid. But whatever the timing, the results are the same even in the case of an accident or suicide or in war or by execution—the self, the soul is released from the hold of the physical form. It returns to its overshadowing source. That immortal self crosses into a greater measure of life. Death is but a transition from one state of consciousness to another.
How does this affect the strongly held belief in the sacredness of life? Isn’t this belief focused more on the sacredness of the body and the close identification we have with the outer personality? Yes, there is a sacredness to this personal expression of life. As an individualised creation of the soul, the personality existence has a certain plan and purpose related to the divine Will. This greater sacredness of God’s Will within Creation should enable us to expand our focus of thought to include this greater purpose. This view demands of us a far more inclusive identification with the underlying purposes of life.
One might ask here, in view of the widespread destruction of human, animal and vegetable forms by so called “acts of God”—hurricanes , tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, etc.—are these forms held in the same sacred esteem as we give to “human life”? The question is often heard, Why does God allow the death of so many people? The ultimate answer may be beyond our ability to understand. But, here again, from a metaphysical perspective, all forms within Creation are temporary and constantly evolving. With the cyclic actions of the soul, the human body may not be given the same degree of priority as we tend to give it. As we exist in time and space, this is the only personality life that we know; but not so to the soul. To the soul, if the physical body is terminated or dies “prematurely”, then that is not such a tragedy; it may simply mean an interruption in the plan the soul has for that particular life—a plan and purpose that can be continued in the next life, in another body.
All this may sound rather sterile, unloving and uncaring, given the way we value human life today with the strong, affectionate relationship we have with loved ones, born and unborn. But with the spiritual, metaphysical way of understanding human life—towards which human consciousness is evolving—we are challenged to grow into and express a new depth of life where the greater love of God prevails. It is a love that we must eventually know and serve.
As it stands today, birth, death and life itself seem to be imprisoned in a dense tomb. All existence seems to begin and end at the dense physical level. This view has created a situation in which a strong focus on the form has led to a total control of human thinking by the material forces—forces which tend only to separate and divide. This imprisoned view needs to be liberated, and the all-inclusive love of the soul is the liberating force. If human consciousness and identity can shift upward to align with the soul, then we will see that human beings are much more than just a physical body; they are creative agents through which the soul radiates divine glory.
1. The use of the term “electrical” here is much wider than the conventional physical sense. See for example Alice Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire Section 3; Lucis Publishing (1951).
In one sense, there is nothing more natural than human fertility, conception and childbirth. Yet nowadays, it is an area full of difficult choices about technological interventions, parental rights and duties, social norms, and the “needs” of the economy.
The World Goodwill newsletter is available in a wide range of European languages. For some time now, we have been contemplating the possibility of widening World Goodwill’s outreach, and it seemed to us that the most important region of the world where we could make this effort is the Middle East.
The 25th Annual Observance of The International Day of Peace (Peace Day) takes place on September 21st 2006. | <urn:uuid:661f0d8b-39d9-427a-9043-24e3b9df7a44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lucistrust.org/en/service_activities/world_goodwill/newsletter/recent_issues/2006_3_what_is_life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950525 | 2,783 | 2.140625 | 2 |
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Student Andrea Hernandez Expelled for Refusing to Wear Location Tracking RFID Badge
Andrea Hernandez is being expelled from John Jay High School in San Antonio, Texas on November 26th, for refusing to wear a RFID tracking ID badge, according to a letter sent by the school district to her parents, which has been made public.
The letter, sent on November 13, states that the Smart ID program is now in “full implementation” and requires all students to comply, reports Infowars.com.
The ID badge includes the photo and name of each student, a barcode linked to the student’s social security number and an RFID chip which pinpoints the location of the student, including after hours and when the student leaves campus.
Hernandez, backed by her family, says the policy violates her religious beliefs and infringes on her privacy.
Since Hernandez has refused to wear the badge, she will have to attend William Howard Taft High School, which is not currently involved in the ID plan.
Civil liberties lawyers at the Rutherford Institute told Infowars.com that they are going to file a temporary restraining order petition to prevent the school from kicking Hernandez out.
In response to public outcry and pressure from rights groups, John Jay High School has offered to remove the battery and chip, but wouldn’t budge on the ID.
The offer would also require the Hernandez family to end their public criticism and agree to support the policy, something Andrea’s father Steve Hernandez finds unacceptable.
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter | <urn:uuid:11844701-9f7c-46c5-8d98-1123424d93d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.opposingviews.com/i/technology/gadgets/student-andrea-hernandez-expelled-refusing-wear-location-tracking-rfid-badge | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937975 | 384 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Ever wondered how inhabitants of the Mediterranean get those beautiful, slim bodies?
According to registered dietitian and culinary expert Michelle Dudash , this May, the nonprofit Oldways celebrates National Mediterranean Diet Month to highlight the healthy eating style of this region, which is proven to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and even boost brainpower.
Dudash also approves of this plan as the foundation of a healthy weight management program to stick with for a lifetime.
The best part? It doesn't have to be hard to adjust to!
Check out Dudash's seven Mediterranean-inspired tips to get healthy and slim down.
1. Eat primarily plant-based foods.
Pile on fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Mediterranean diets typically include as many as nine servings per day of fruits and vegetables.
2. Get friendly with a fishmonger.
Seafood, another important component of the Mediterranean diet provides healthy fats that have been shown to lower triglyceride levels. Aim to include seafood at least twice a week while limiting red meat to a few times per month, or 12 to 16 ounces. Eggs, cheese, and yogurt may be relied on for protein regularly, but in more moderate amounts.
3. Lightly drizzle olive oil.
Olive oil serves up a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Incorporate olive oil by replacing half or all of the butter in recipes, pouring olive oil onto salads and cooked vegetables, and dipping bread into oil infused with herbs such as basil, rosemary, and thyme. Use extra virgin oil versus “light” varieties for higher amounts of health healthy polyphenols. While olive oil offers many benefits, 1 tablespoon packs in 120 calories, so keep portion size in consideration.
4. Eat with friends and family.
Enjoying a meal with others to maintain your emotional health and self-esteem may help to increase and maintain healthy eating habits. People in Mediterranean countries tend to eat their meals with family and friends making traditional mealtimes an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.
5. Enjoy a glass a wine.
It is unusual for a diet to promote alcohol use, but one 5-ounce glass of red wine is linked with positive health outcomes. Certain individuals should not consume alcohol, including those who are pregnant, have a history of liver failure, pancreatitis, or alcohol abuse.
6. Include herbs and spices.
Seasoning food with herbs and spices was added to the diet in 2008 for reasons of both health and taste. This is good news for dieters looking to spice things up and add flavor and zest into low calorie cuisine.
7. Sweets in small amounts.
A large wedge of watermelon or platter of freshly sliced fruit appears commonly on European tables for dessert, which is a wise choice. Smaller portions of gelato and sorbet can be enjoyed a few times a week.
Download a copy of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid here .
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Did You Hear?
An Oklahoma man found his damaged truck and was able to start its engine, which put a smile on his face in the aftermath of a devastating tornado.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will be visiting four Bashas’ stores leading up to Memorial Day weekend.
Jacqueline Simpson, 52, is suing the restaurant chain over a piece of glass she bit into while eating a chicken sandwich.
More Living Healthy
It just so happens that popcorn may be the perfect snack food, according to a researcher. | <urn:uuid:71645b60-8b41-40d2-9e78-3a3069b7763f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc15.com/dpp/lifestyle/wellness/slim-down-secrets%3A-mediterranean-inspired-tricks-to-get-healthy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943872 | 754 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Many of the most popular mobile apps for kids are collecting personal information and sharing it with advertising agencies or other third parties without telling the users or their parents, according to a report issued Monday by the Federal Trade Commission.
Some of those apps may be violating regulations that bar unfair or deceptive practices and require online services to obtain parents' permission before collecting identifying information from kids under 13, according to the FTC, which said it has launched investigations into an unspecified number of online services.
"These findings are troubling in a number of ways," said FTC associate director Jessica Rich, describing a survey by commission staff that found most apps don't disclose what data they collect from kids. "Parents should be able to learn what data an app collects, how it will be used and who collects it."
Rich said responsibility for clearer disclosure belongs to app developers, advertising agencies and the operators of major app stores, including Apple's (AAPL) iTunes store, Google's (GOOG) Play market and others.
The FTC is reviewing whether to expand its rules
In its survey, the FTC said it looked at 200 of the most popular games and other apps that are marketed for kids on each marketplace operated by Apple and Google. More than half the apps were found to transmit a variety of information to advertising networks, including the digital code that identifies the device on which the app is being used.
That could potentially allow the advertiser to develop a detailed profile of the device user's interests and habits, even without knowing the person's name, Rich said. She added that the information can be used to send kids highly personalized advertising messages.
Some of the apps also share precise information about the user's physical location and phone number, she said.
FTC officials declined to single out any apps by name or to say which apps may be under investigation for potential legal violations. "We think this is a systematic problem and it would be misleading to parents to name the apps we looked at," Rich said.
She also praised Apple and Google and other members of the online industry for taking some steps to improve disclosure of apps' privacy policies, while adding that her office believes the industry needs to do more.
One privacy watchdog group said the FTC report shows the need for broader rules and enforcement. The Center for Digital Democracy said in a statement: "This report reveals widespread disregard for children's privacy rules. In the rapidly growing children's mobile market, companies are seizing on new ways to target children."
The FTC has published tips for concerned parents on its website at www.onguardonline.gov/blog/6-timely-tips-using-apps-kids
Contact Brandon Bailey at 408-920-5022; follow him at Twitter.com/BrandonBailey | <urn:uuid:2d27e4d3-52c3-4967-b87e-005afc4bb50b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.willitsnews.com/business/ci_22163521/ftc-finds-popular-kids-apps-collect-data-without | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958465 | 559 | 2.125 | 2 |
Question: What will happen to me if I decide not to have any treatments for my breast cancer?
Answer: Well, the hope for women with early stage breast cancer is that by using surgery and radiation therapy and, where appropriate, chemotherapy and hormonal treatments, that we can help prevent the cancer from coming back. And each of those therapies has been studied in very well-controlled clinical studies and shown to be valuable for many women. So in terms of optimizing your chance of being alive five or ten years from now, we often encourage women to think about these very specific treatments.
Many of these treatments have side effects. Sometimes they are disfiguring; sometimes they make people fatigued or feel sick; sometimes they cause menopausal symptoms. And nobody likes the idea of getting medical treatment when they don't need it. So again, many of these decisions will be very individual and appropriate only for you and so you need to talk to your doctor.
Having said all that, there are compelling studies that show that most of these treatments help women live longer and so we often recommend them because we're trying to do everything we can to help you survive better. There's no guarantee that these treatments will prevent the cancer from coming back, but they represent the state of the art for medical knowledge right now and we do encourage them.
It's not really clear what happens if you do nothing for breast cancer. The best data we have for that goes back to the early 19th century when they didn't really have any effective treatments for breast cancer and many women at a hospital in London were followed. And if untreated, breast cancer universally becomes a fatal disease. It can happen over long periods of time, but if you don't have surgery and if you don't have other treatments, it doesn't go away on its own. That's why we recommend (to) people that they get appropriate medical treatment. We think we can do a lot better for women nowadays. | <urn:uuid:349f8211-1c6b-4073-9e9b-8e77fa73de6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Health/OnCallPlusTreatment/story?id=3643236 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976133 | 395 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Cooking with Colors
Southwestern graduate publishes cookbook that teaches kids how to make healthy meals
Gillian Graham has always been very aware of what it means to have healthy eating habits. From a young age, she knew that including colorful fruits, vegetables and other wholesome foods in her diet would work wonders.
Graham began educating kids about healthy eating when she was in high school, and she continued her efforts while she was at Southwestern by starting the Rainbow Foods Program for children in Taylor.
Now, the 2011 graduate has taken her efforts to a new level by publishing a cookbook that is available to everyone.
“After teaching Rainbow classes to students for several years both while I was in high school and at Southwestern, my time and resources did not allow me to reach as many students as I hoped,” said Graham, who graduated from Southwestern with a degree in English. “The cookbook is a way to provide nutrition curriculum to parents, students and to the children themselves, so that others besides myself can be teachers of the Rainbow concept of nutrition.
In her book, Graham breaks down this concept into three parts. The first tells kids to “find their colors,” encouraging them to go grocery shopping with their parents or guardians to select the ingredients they are going to use in the recipes. Next, they make the rainbow using the ingredients they’ve gathered for their meal. The book includes 32 recipes, ranging from drinks and dips such as watermelon juice and confetti cream cheese to snacks and meals such as veggie faces and turkey logs.
Finally, the book includes pictures that the kids can color in with markers or crayons, intended to be a kid-friendly way of remembering how the recipe was made.
Part of the innovation of Graham’s method is the fact that it teaches family nutrition starting with the kids. “Children are very open to learning and trying new things, so by focusing on children, I try to ingrain healthy habits at an early age that will stick with them as they grow up and become independent,” Graham said. “Adults can learn so much from children as well, so by targeting children and encouraging them to share what they learn with their families and friends, several generations can be reached.”
Graham sold the first copy of her book to a family friend who purchased it for her daughter, Madeleine, as a present for her fifth birthday. Ever since, Madeleine and her mother have been sending Graham pictures of their Rainbow meal creations. Graham has posted some of these to the cookbook’s Facebook page. Graham recently received a letter from another five-year old named Gwen. She and her father had made Monkey Milkshakes and Yogurt Parfaits from the book, and they sent Graham a picture of Gwen with her creations.
“It is extremely rewarding to receive feedback from children using my cookbook,” Graham said. “The kids are who the Rainbow Program is all about, so seeing them enjoy the recipes and activities is the most fulfilling part of my work.”
Graham’s book is available through AuthorHouse Publishing Company, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, and she has great hopes for its success. With each copy, she aims to solve the health issues that are so pervasive in America today, such as obesity. Graham also is attending medical school so she can better help in providing healthcare and teaching people about nutrition and preventative medicine.
Graham said another of her goals is to form a Rainbow product and activity line so that children, teachers and families can purchase materials such as placemats that will remind children to eat their colors. | <urn:uuid:b6b813ef-c537-487c-98ed-03d05424f200> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.southwestern.edu/live/news/5927-cooking-with-colors | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982628 | 757 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Before beginning treatment, your doctor may want to further evaluate your heart.
One test that may be recommended is an Echocardiogram, in which sound waves are used to
create an image of your heart, as it pumps.
The information from this and other tests will help you and you healthcare team decide on the
treatment that is best for you.
For some patients with atrial fibrillation, restoring the heart's natural rhythm is the goal of
treatment. For others, just controlling the heart rate is a safer and more effective goal.
For most patients with atrial fibrillation, preventing blood clots that could lead to a stroke is
To help achieve your goals, several treatment options may be recommended.
One option may be to take medications, of which there are several types that may be prescribed.
Antiarrhythmic medications may be given to restore the heart's natural rhythm. These include:
Flecainide, Sotalol, and Amiodarone.
Rate control medications help slow down the heart rate. Some examples of these medications
include: beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and Digoxin.
Anticoagulants are often prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke. The two most often prescribed anticoagulants are Warfarin, sometimes called Coumadin, and aspirin.
Another treatment option is electrical cardioversion. This is a procedure that can restore the
heart's natural rhythm.
Before having this procedure you'll be given a sedative to put you to sleep. An electrical shock is then delivered through the electrode pads, or paddles.
This single shock wipes out the disorganized electrical activity in your heart, restoring the natural rhythm.
Following electrical cardioversion, you may have a little chest discomfort, or some redness on
the chest temporarily; but overall, the procedure is very fast and safe.
Most patients are allowed to go home a few hours after the procedure is completed.
For some patients, a Catheter Ablation may be recommended. This procedure is not considered major surgery and is usually performed in an electrophysiology or heart catheterization lab.
Before beginning, doctors will start an IV. It will provide you with medication to help you relax
during the procedure. It may even put you to sleep.
An area usually near the upper leg will be numbed and a small incision will be made. Here, one or more catheters will be inserted into a vein, and guided into your heart.
To restore the heart's natural rhythm, the tissue conducting the abnormal impulses will be
A catheter is placed against it, and radiofrequency energy is sent through the catheter, ablating or destroying the tissue, and restoring the heart's natural rhythm.
In some cases, the best treatment may be to ablate the AV node. This does not cure atrial
fibrillation, but it does slow down the heart's rate, which reduces symptoms.
After this procedure you may recover in the hospital for a few hours, or even overnight.
A pacemaker helps speed up the heart when it beats too slowly. When the AV node is ablated, this device is implanted to help the heart maintain an effective rate.
A pacemaker may also be recommended for some patients taking medications that slow down the heart rate.
Another option, the MAZE Procedure, is an open-heart surgical procedure that can also help
restore the heart's natural rhythm. However, this procedure is usually only recommended for patients already undergoing open-heart surgery for another reason.
Don't get discouraged if one treatment option is unsuccessful. You may need to try several
before getting your condition under control. | <urn:uuid:6684e538-1d26-47cb-ba1e-aeb92b2b7090> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harthosp.org/heart/LearnAboutConditionsandProcedures/default.aspx?fontsize=2&chunkiid=488999 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9257 | 762 | 2.484375 | 2 |
[rspec-users] Role of stories vs specs
pergesu at gmail.com
Wed Nov 14 18:50:26 EST 2007
On Nov 13, 2007 4:00 PM, David Chelimsky <dchelimsky at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Nov 13, 2007 5:17 PM, Pat Maddox <pergesu at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Let's say in some banking software we have a transfer screen, and
> > there are three possible errors: insufficient funds, source account
> > frozen, target account frozen. Would you write a scenario for each of
> > the possible errors, and an example for each?
> Without even batting an eye!
> The scenario is going to reflect how things look from the outside. The
> example is going to be targeted right at the part of the system that
> is responsible for producing the correct error message.
When I gave that example I thought it sucked, because I would write a
story and example for each too. But I guess I can say it served as a
bit of a sanity check.
Anyway, a more gray-area example (imo) is Rails validations. We've
got a user registration page, and it requires the user to fill in
their name, email address, and a password.
Would you write a scenario where nothing is filled in? Where
everything but the name is filled in? And so on for each attribute.
How about combinations of missing stuff?
It seems to me like that story is on a VERY high level and all we
really care about is verifying that the plumbing works (so maybe I
need to think of this as a story for the UI domain instead of the
business domain?). If the user fills in everything, make sure there's
a new record. If they don't fill it in, make sure they're shown the
registration page again. It's cumbersome to try to cover every
possible scenario even though you "should."
Would you write a story at a lower level, which actually tries to save
the objects to the db and verifies that nothing changes? That
*definitely* duplicates what's going on in the model-level specs.
Hopefully this thread hasn't died...
More information about the rspec-users | <urn:uuid:47048c06-c68e-4fb0-b34b-d78a0af530b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rubyforge.org/pipermail/rspec-users/2007-November/004497.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922195 | 491 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Inventor and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil is a pioneer in artificial intelligence—the principal developer of the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, and the first text-to-speech synthesizer, among other breakthroughs. He is also a writer who explores the future of information technology and how it is changing our world.
Read the complete CFO Network report .
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Kurzweil and The Wall Street Journal's Alan Murray discussed advances in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and what it means to be human. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:
Levels of Understanding
MR. MURRAY: If I'm reading your book correctly, basically what you're telling us is not only do we understand the human mind, but we are well on our way to being able to replicate it and, frankly, do better.
MR. KURZWEIL: Right. We have 300 million pattern recognizers in our neocortex. At the low level, it's recognizing shapes and contours. The next higher level will say, "Aha. An actual apple is in my visual field." Another place says, "Well, someone just said the word 'apple.' "
If you go up another 30 levels, there's a pattern recognizer that says, "Oh, that was funny." "That's ironic." "She's pretty."
Now, you probably think those high-level pattern recognizers are much more complicated than the low-level ones. They're actually exactly the same. We are learning how these modules work, how they wire themselves. The technique that we have evolved in the field of artificial intelligence is mathematically equivalent to what the brain is doing.
MR. MURRAY: Many people think pattern recognition, metaphors and higher-level understanding are uniquely human. You make the argument in the book that the differences between that sort of biological thinking and machine calculating are not that different.
MR. KURZWEIL: Not at all. Take Watson, the Jeopardy-playing computer. Jeopardy involves metaphors and puns and similes and jokes and riddles. And you have to be knowledgeable in basically everything. Watson not only understands the convoluted language in the Jeopardy query, it got its knowledge by reading all of Wikipedia. The knowledge it had was not hand-coded in some special logic language by the scientists. It read natural-language documents.
And if you've read Wikipedia, you know it's ambiguous. Sometimes, I've got to read several other entries to resolve ambiguities. Watson did all that and got a higher score than the best two human players put together.
The success of something like Watson is a testament that we are making real progress in getting computers to do similar things to what the brain is doing.
MR. MURRAY: How long does it take before computers can basically do everything that the human brain does?
MR. KURZWEIL: Alan Turing in 1950 defined a way in which we can say that a computer is operating at human levels. You have a human judge interview a computer and a human—maybe several of each. If the judge can't tell which is which, we say the computers have passed the Turing test.
Every year, our Turing test is run by the Loebner Foundation, and the computers are getting better every year. If you just look at the rate at which they're getting better, the crossover is about 2029. My prediction all along has been that computers will be able to deal with a full range of human intelligence by 2029.
Don't Make Them Mad
MR. MURRAY: What is consciousness? And will computers have it?
MR. KURZWEIL:If you have a system that is as intelligent as a human and really is convincing in its emotional responses and can make us laugh and cry—and that's what I'm saying will happen by 2029—then my belief is, it is conscious. And it'll get mad at us if we don't believe it's conscious, and we wouldn't want that to happen because they'll be very smart.
MR. MURRAY: It will have emotions?
MR. KURZWEIL: Emotion is not some sort of sideshow; there's intelligence and then there's emotion. Emotion is all these high-level concepts. It's the most sophisticated thing we do. Being funny, being sexy, being loving, these are very complicated and intelligent behaviors. It's the cutting edge of human intelligence.
MR. MURRAY: Do technology and biology merge?
MR. KURZWEIL: Yes. One point we haven't covered is the reliable exponential trajectory of information technology. It's growing exponentially in price performance capacity, and it's shrinking exponentially in size.
This computer is thousands of times more powerful than the computer I used as a student, and it's 100,000 times smaller. In 25 years, it will be a billion times more powerful in price performance, a billion times more powerful per dollar, and 100,000 times smaller.
It'll be the size of a blood cell. They'll be going through our body and keeping us healthy from the inside.
Not as futuristic as it sounds. People have already been doing that in animal models. There are people walking around with computers attached to their brains, like Parkinson's patients, the latest generation of which allows you to download new software to the computer that's connected into your brain from outside the patient. Right now that requires surgery because it's pea-sized. But it will be blood-cell-size in 25 years, and we will be able to introduce it noninvasively.
MR. MURRAY: You have a profoundly optimistic view about all of this, that basically whether it's Alzheimer's disease or global warming, we will have the power to solve those problems.
MR. KURZWEIL: We have the power to solve those problems. But we're introducing new problems with the technology.
In fact, I've written more than almost anyone on the downsides of these emerging technologies. And a lot of the controversies around the dangers of biotech or nanotech or AI have come from what I've written about them. I am optimistic actually that we can avoid those dangers.
MR. MURRAY: What about life expectancy? Is there a limit?
MR. KURZWEIL: No. We're constantly pushing back life expectancy. Now it's going to go into high gear because of the inherent exponential progression of information technology. According to my models, within 15 years we'll be adding more than a year to your remaining life expectancy each year.
MR. MURRAY: So if you play the odds right, you never hit the endpoint.
MR. KURZWEIL: Right. If you can hang in there for another 15 years, we could get to that point.
What Is Human?
MR. MURRAY: What does it mean to be human in a post-2029 world?
MR. KURZWEIL: It's a slippery slope. But we've already gone down that slope. I've talked to people who have neural implants in their brain, for Parkinson's, and I've asked them, "Are you still human? Are you less human?"
Generally speaking, they say, "It's part of me." And they're very proud of it, because it restored their human functionality.
MR. MURRAY: Are there ethical questions here?
MR. KURZWEIL: There is a movement against modifying biology. You know, not only should we not modify a human, we shouldn't modify a tomato. But when it comes to actually putting computers in your body and brain, nobody protests.
We seem to relish merging with machines. We use them all the time. We created this technology to overcome our limitations. We couldn't remember things very well. So we created written language. | <urn:uuid:a6cccc10-477f-4aeb-a929-30854e85b581> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304782404577490533504354976.html?mod=WSJ_business_IndustryNews_DHC | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954676 | 1,653 | 2.640625 | 3 |
It is fitting that in this year, the 50th anniversary of FAO, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific acknowledges, by this publication, the unique and special role of the Yak whose natural environment is almost totally within this region.
The Yak is a relatively insignificant species in global terms, yet it is critical to the livelihood security of the herders in a rather difficult environment.
The Yak's ability to survive in harsh conditions and the peoples' ability to derive sustenance from it are classic examples of adaptation by both the animals and the human beings. The need to ensure the maintenance of domestic animal diversity, therefore, cannot be overstated.
The book is not a purely technical publication but tries, through the use of the scientific and other literature available, to provide a comprehensive document describing all aspects of the Yak and its husbandry. It is, however, unique in providing for the first time such a comprehensive document on the Yak in the English language. It will enable a wide audience to learn and appreciate the contribution the Yak makes both to human survival in an inhospitable environment and to biological diversity.
Assistant Director-General and
FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific | <urn:uuid:22acfbba-7cc5-48b5-8489-c27a2b51f1e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/AD347E/ad347e03.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927665 | 240 | 2.78125 | 3 |
There is plenty of anecdotal and actual evidence that anti-English racism exists in
It is not as if we English who live in
I had a low level dispute with someone in Port Seton, which is less than seven miles from where I have lived for the past six years. I was sitting down to enjoy my fish supper, along with other people, on the quayside, when the woman and her daughter on the next seat began feeding the seagulls. They starting swooping and it looked as though I was going to lose my lunch or get it pooped on. So I said, “Do you mind not doing that?” and explained why. Now, you could argue that she should have ignored me, or just told me to feck off. But no, she said, and I quote, “We live here”.
18 years is also the length of time one paper reported as the period of residence of Lucy Newman. You may recall the name. She was beaten up in
Our obvious and defining difference is our accent, but of course, it does not make us English. Scots who have lived South of the Border also have experienced racism if they have picked up an English accent. But accent is the most immediate and problematic, unless you are unfortunate enough (some would say “stupid” enough, to wear English nationalist emblems, or fly the flag of St George, or indeed give yourself away.
On my first ever visit to
Many of us now find we are reluctant to open our mouths in public. I don’t mean among the educated classes, I mean in public, among the hoi-polloi and the shopkeepers and low level council officials.
I personally have lost count of the racist comments and behaviour, from out and out undisguised hate to bland misunderstandings.
The most regular, and mild, and yet most irritating is “Are you on holiday?” Sounds mild enough, but ask that of a black person or a third generation Pakistani and you are on very thin ice.
There is a kind of politeness up here which is in some ways refreshing, but it is very thin; there always seems to be latent racism lurking under the veneer of cordiality.
Recently I thought I had broken the barrier and made some Scottish friends. It turns out that all of them are either English born, or half English or married to an English person. My business dealings are about 90% with English people who live here. I did not choose this state of affairs; I have been deliberately snubbed, told blatant lies and ignored because I was English. These days, if I am in a bar with my one Scots friend, whose mother is English, I get him to order the drinks.
I think that what is most depressing is the apathy with which racism is viewed here, and by that I mean all racism. It is so bad, that people casually throw out one liners about "pakis" without batting an eyelid. None of the major parties, the SNP included, are touching this issue with a bargepole.
I have the pleasure of representing a few Scottish musicians. Except that when I try to get posters put up in shops that carry dozens of such things, I have been told "no". I have tried to book venues and been told "no", and yet when my Scottish friends have called the same venue, they have been told, "yes". Either that or they nod and agree to put the posters up and then don't. You see, they think I am doing something "English". The worst was a tartan shop, when in my polite enquiry as to whether the shopkeeper would put up a poster he told me that he did not do that. And yet, there was already one in the window for a local session, and a week later there were four!
Those who come on holiday for a week and think Scotland is wonderful, well it is, but like anywhere, they are happy to take your money and smile, but if something goes wrong, they don't want to know, which is more or less what tourists get the world over. The trouble is, I am not a tourist, I live here! | <urn:uuid:caddf4ed-6d97-4354-ae79-c2e3b709a214> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/03/scottish-racism.html?showComment=1236197880000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984087 | 874 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Google is now warning its users when it appears they’re being targeted by government hackers. In a post Tuesday on its online security blog, Google explained that through analysis of hacking attacks and victims reports, it’s concluded a “subset of its users” are being subject to attacks tied to governments or state-sponsored groups. From Google:
If you see this warning it does not necessarily mean that your account has been hijacked. It just means that we believe you may be a target, of phishing or malware for example, and that you should take immediate steps to secure your account... These warnings are not being shown because Google’s internal systems have been compromised or because of a particular attack.
Google did not go into any further details on which governments might be behind any attacks or how, specifically, they know, noting that such information might help the “bad actors” responsible.
Possible bad actors: China, Iran, Russia, the United States, countless other governments interested in targeting dissidents at home or “enemies of the state” abroad. Many governments, too, at this point, have been the subject of some sort of hacker attack, including Canada, Egypt, France, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Zimbabwe, and many others. | <urn:uuid:5ca8030c-223c-4064-b691-5ded8f22165b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reason.com/blog/2012/06/07/we-believe-state-sponsored-attackers-may | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955598 | 270 | 2.1875 | 2 |
After crossing Lonavala, go towards Walvan and then ask for directions (no signage) to Nangargaon, Bhangarwadi and Lohgadwadi in that order. Lohagadwadi is at the base of the hill atop which is Lohagad.
Here you can park your vehicle and climb up a short distance of around 500 steps.
There are a couple of dhabas here too where you can get bottled drinking water, colas and packaged munchies or your hot refreshing cuppa chai.
It is at an elevation of 3,450 feet (1,052 m) and worth the climb for the panoramic views that one gets not only from the top but also from various points on the way.
Lohagad has a long history with several dynasties occupying it at different periods of time: Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Nizamshahis, Mughals and Marathas. Shivaji captured it in 1648 CE, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals in 1665 CE by the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji recaptured the fort in 1670 CE and used it for keeping his treasury.
Historical records show that in the later Peshwa period, Nana Phadnavis (1742-1800 AD) built several structures in the fort such as a big tank and a step-well.
Lohagad is a fairly large fort. This is one of the better preserved forts in the region, and many of
its distinctive medieval defence features can be seen during the serpentine winding ascent to the top.
On top of the fort, there is a Mahadev temple adjacent to which is a tank with steps descending
to the water. There is also a grave of a Muslim Pir.
On the western side, there is a long and narrow wall-like fortified spur called Vinchukata (Marathi for Scorpion's tail) because of its shape. It was used to keep a watch on enemies and activities in the nearby region.
From Mumbai, you can take a train to Lonavla. Malavli is the next station from Lonavla in the direction toward Pune. There are a number of local trains operating between Lonavla and Pune; you can take any of them. From Pune, you can take any of these locals.
From Malawli railway station, the fort is just 9 km away, and people walk all the way till the fort. Bhaja Caves is on the way to Lohagad if a small diversion is taken. This walk is a particular favorite of trekkers, especially in the monsoon. It is a simple and easy trek and the distance from Malawli station to Bhaje gaav takes about 20 min. Distance between Malavli and Lohagadwadi can be covered in around 2-2.5 hrs. | <urn:uuid:493c0ea6-be4e-42a7-bc3b-a5690ea0bb78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://magictravels.blogspot.com/2011/02/lohagad-iron-fort.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952131 | 629 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a U.S. federal law designed to address copyright concerns in the internet context. Among other provisions, the DMCA sets up a system for copyright owners to report infringements directly to the hosting platform that the infringement appears on. If a host or Internet Service Provider (ISP) receives a valid DMCA Takedown Notice and they act to remove the infringing content, they qualify for a safe harbor protecting them from liability for the actions of their users.
Sending DMCA Takedown Notices
Under the terms of the CC-BY-SA license, you retain the copyright to your contributions to Wikia. If someone is reusing the material without attribution, they might be in violation of that license and infringing your copyright. Only you or your designated agent can send a DMCA Takedown Notice in the event of infringement. Wikia is unable to send one for you or provide legal advice, but there are several online resources that explain the notice and takedown procedure requirements of the DMCA.
It's important to make sure you understand the implications of the sworn statements, and have taken exceptions like Fair Use into consideration before sending. There are legal and financial repercussions for filing fraudulent DMCA Takedown requests - this is not a tool to be used lightly.
Filing a DMCA Takedown request itself isn't hard to do, but it does require collecting important details - before you file a request, you need to know the following:
If you're under 18, you should have your parent or guardian file on your behalf.
You'll need to include direct links in your request to specific pieces of content - just providing the two sites' main pages isn't sufficient.
The Request should be sent to the Designated Agent of the ISP. You can generally locate the Designated Agent in the "Legal" or "Contact" sections of an ISP's website.
DMCA Notices to Wikia
As a host for user-generated content, Wikia is obligated to remove any infringing material that we receive notice of. If you feel that your copyright is currently being infringed on Wikia, please contact our designated agent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act:
Attn: Copyright Agent
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You may email the designated agent via firstname.lastname@example.org. Please include "Claim of copyright infringement" in the subject of your email. | <urn:uuid:2409351e-8845-41a1-a0d5-7683d2710a1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Help:DMCA_takedown_notice | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906066 | 487 | 2.171875 | 2 |
There are some major evolutionary jumps that seem to have occurred only once. Eukaryotic cells contain membrane-enclosed structures to perform different functions, and they comprise all forms of multicellular life on Earth. They arose from prokaryotes only once in four billion years, and no prokaryotic cells have been found that show intermediate levels of complexity.
Why only once? A recent "Hypothesis" paper in Nature posits that the answer lies in bioenergetics. The mitochondria that produce much of a eukaryotic cell's energy, which were once free living prokaryotes, and still carry their own genomes, now contain only genes essential for energy production. In order to get an equal dose of energy-producing genes, a prokaryote now has to make extra copies of its entire genome, a hurdle that keeps it from evolving a complex genome.
Power to the cells!
Everyone learns in elementary school (fifth grade, usually) that mitochondria are “the powerhouses of the cell.” Mitochondria use aerobic respiration to generate ATP, the form of energy that drives chemical reactions inside the cell, using glucose as the raw material. Specialized enzymes made only in the mitochondria sequentially oxidize the main products derived from glucose, pyruvate and NADH.
In the electron transport chain, electrons are transferred from NADH and FADH2 to O2 and the incremental release of energy is used to pump protons (H+) into the space between the mitochondria’s inner and outer membranes. The protons' potential energy is used to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi) in a pathway dubbed oxidative phosphorylation.
Mitochondria use the proton pumps to maintain a potential of 150-200mV across their membranes, for a field strength of almost 30 million volts per meter: the same amount as discharged by a lightning bolt. Since each individual mitochondrion expresses its own genes encoding proteins involved in this respiratory chain, each individual mitochondrion can respond to changes in membrane potential. This proximity of the genes regulating oxidative phophsorylation with bioenergetic membranes enhances respiratory rates and thereby ATP generation.
But mitochondria are derived from prokaryotes, which can also localize DNA to their bioenergetic membrane, and are also able to compartmentalize. So again, why haven't they evolved the complexity of eukaryotes? Nick Lane and William Martin suggest that mitochondria, and specifically mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), enabled an increase in the number of proteins a cell can express by four to six orders of magnitude.
Running the numbers: genomes vs. power
Protein synthesis uses about 75 percent of a cell’s energy; since mitochondria grant a eukaryotic cell 200,000 times more energy than a prokaryotic cell, they allow a eukaryotic cell to express 200,000 more genes. Another way to look at this is that eukaryotes are thus not under the stringent selective pressure that prokaryotes face—that to remove "extra" DNA.
The prokaryotes that evolved into mitochondria introduced roughly 3,000 new protein families, permitting the development of such complex processes as multicellularity, endomembrane trafficking, and even sexual reproduction. By removing the selective pressure to get rid of these genes, mitochondria also afforded eukaryotes the luxury of DNA that does not encode proteins, including regulatory elements, introns, and microRNAs. These also foster complexity.
The key is that the mitochondrial genome is small but highly specialized, maintaining only those genes required for oxidative phosphorylation. The remainder of the genome was taken up by the chromosomes of the host cell. Because prokaryotes lack anything like mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), they can't localize the production of the respiratory machinery to specific locations. (They do have small DNA plasmids, but none of these contain all the respiratory chain.) Instead, big bacteria have to copy their entire genome many times over.
The net result is that, even though eukaryotes have larger genomes, they carry far less DNA for a cell of their size than a prokaryote would. The giant bacterium Epulopiscium can have up to 200,000 copies of its 3.8 million-base (Mb) genome, saddling it with 760,000Mb of DNA; a similarly sized eukaryote with 10,000 copies of a mitochondrial genome must sustain only 6,000Mb of nuclear DNA; the mtDNA is practically a rounding error.
Eukaryotes thus have 104 times more power per Mb of DNA—more power per gene—than prokaryotes. This is what enabled them to develop complexity.
Room to grow a genome
By sequestering the essential metabolic genes into high copy number, ATP generating organelles and shunting the remaining genes into the nuclear chromosomes, mtDNA freed up room in eukaryotic genomes for new and larger genes and proteins. Eukaryotic proteins have more complex structures, with as many as five times as many protein folds as prokaryotic proteins. Although the opportunity for complexity evolved only once, it has veered in many directions since then, giving us animals, plants, fungi, and protists.
Like any conscientious scientists, Lane and Martin encourage us to try to disprove their hypothesis. The existence of a primitive eukaryote without mitochondria would disprove it (they note that all eukaryotes had mitochondria at some point, although some have lost them). Another problem for their model would be giant prokaryotes with either membrane associated plasmids devoted to generating bioenergy or with high respiratory rates but without lots of copies of their genome. A prokaryote with a haploid genome the size of a eukaryote’s would disprove it as well.
But until any of these are found, they maintain that the lack of prokaryote-to-eukaryote intermediates is due to a bioenergetic constraint on the size of the prokaryotic genome, and that endosymbiosis was the critical step that allowed complexity to develop in eukaryotes.
Listing image by NIH | <urn:uuid:bd77618e-5c72-4242-8b06-4bd7500c7c0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/science/2010/10/flipping-evolution-mitochondria-enabled-complexity-not-the-reverse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919674 | 1,304 | 3.765625 | 4 |
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have identified the three protein fragments that make gluten - the main protein in wheat, rye and barley - toxic to people with coeliac disease.
Their discovery opens the way for a new generation of diagnostics, treatments, prevention strategies and food tests for the millions of people worldwide with coeliac disease.
When people with coeliac disease eat products containing gluten their body's immune response is switched on and the lining of the small intestine is damaged, hampering their ability to absorb nutrients. The disease is currently treated by permanently removing gluten from the patient's diet.
Dr Bob Anderson, head of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute's coeliac disease research laboratory, said it had been 60 years since gluten was discovered to be the environmental cause of coeliac disease.
"In the years since, the holy grail in coeliac disease research has been to identify the toxic peptide components of gluten; and that's what we've done," Dr Anderson said.
The research, done in collaboration with Dr Jason Tye-Din, Dr James Dromey, Dr Stuart Mannering, Dr Jessica Stewart and Dr Tim Beissbarth from the institute as well as Professor Jamie Rossjohn at Monash University and Professor Jim McCluskey at the University of Melbourne, is published in today's issue of the international journal Science Translational Medicine.
The study was started by Professor Anderson nine years ago and has involved researchers in Australia and the UK as well as more than 200 coeliac disease patients.
The patients, recruited through the Coeliac Society of Victoria and the Coeliac Clinic at John Radcliffe Hospital, UK, ate bread, rye muffins or boiled barley. Six days later, blood samples were taken to measure the strength of the patients' immune responses to 2700 different gluten fragments. The responses identified 90 fragments as causing some level of immune reaction, but three gluten fragments (peptides) were revealed as being particularly toxic.
"These three components account for the majority of the immune response to gluten that is observed in people with coeliac disease," Dr Anderson said.
This knowledge has already been used by Melbourne-based biotech company, Nexpep Pty Ltd, to develop a 'peptide-based' immunotherapy that aims to desensitise people with coeliac disease to the toxic effects of gluten. Nexpep's Phase 1 trials of the therapy were completed in June and final results are expected in coming months.
The immunotherapy works by exposing people with coeliac disease to small amounts of the three toxic peptides and is based upon the same principles as desensitisation for allergies.
Dr Anderson said although coeliac disease could be managed with a gluten-free diet, compliance with the diet is often challenging and nearly half the people on the diet still have residual damage to their small intestine. "Consequently, the immunotherapy and three other drugs are under development to help people with coeliac disease."
Explore further: WHO: Scientific red tape mars efforts vs. virus | <urn:uuid:e7435fbd-f7db-4700-a703-870598e2707d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://phys.org/news198934741.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962623 | 634 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Dreams are the doorway to our true selves...
Dreams have always been a source of fascination for me. As diverse as they may be, they are the an activity that we consistently indulge in on a nightly basis from infancy to old age. Even when we can't quite remember them, their essences haunt our waking lives
"The dream world is indeed a natural by-product of the relationship between the inner self and the physical being. Not a reflection, therefore, but a by-product involving not only a chemical reaction but the transformation of energy from one state to another." ---Seth
"Almost every individual has had bizarre experiences with consciousness, and knows intuitively that their greater experience is not to physical reality. Most dreams are like animated postcards brought back form a journey that you have returned from and largely forgotten." ---Seth
You won't find any "dream dictionaries" on this page. The only person who can truly decipher a dream is the dreamer.
The first step in understanding your dreams is to start recording them. There are various methods for doing this, but the important thing is that you do it first thing in the morning.
Below are some tips that I find helpful with my dreams: | <urn:uuid:6c75d5f1-05e1-46ce-be13-a348eff13676> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sh1.webring.com/people/fd/debverhoeven/dreams.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961292 | 250 | 1.875 | 2 |
The Jefferson Proving Ground
(JPG) closed in 1995 and to this day many people would think
its closed and theres no one out there. The Air
National Guard (Air Force) active duty unit would beg to differ!
At the Jefferson Bombing Range, an air to ground bombing range
located inside the old proving ground, just outside of New Marion,
is a unit of 10 active duty soldiers who are considered Active
Guard Reserve (AGR). The unit is a Geographically Separated
Unit (GSU) because of its proximity to any military base. The
men and women who serve in the unit are mostly Hoosiers from
areas such as Milan, Madison and Shelbyville. Those stationed
at JPG will not get stationed elsewhere and most of them stay
at the Range until they are ready to retire.
The unit supports all branches of the military and all aircraft
types for training but mostly the Indiana Air National Guards
122nd Fighter Wings A-10 aircraft from Ft. Wayne.
The mission of the Range is to provide a training place for
pilots to get bombs and bullets on target. Aircraft fly over
the range to drop ordnance daily; but no fear, all ordnance
used at the Range is inert - non-explosive. They also facilitate
Close Air Support training for troops on the ground to practice
calling in air strikes, combat search and rescue exercises and
many other types of training. Units come from military bases
all around the country and even bases outside the country to
train at the Range.
The airspace for aircraft using the Jefferson Bombing Range
is from 24,000 feet down to the ground. Aircraft cannot operate
if there is less than three miles of visibility.
Atop the control tower targets not visible on the ground are
visible high above the 1,100 acres that make up the Jefferson
Bombing Range. The tower, new to the unit, allows them to monitor
weather conditions, and provide immediate feedback to the pilots
on the accuracy of their training tests through electronic scoring.
The unit is basically the few and forgotten except to those
units who use them and could not meet their training mission
without the men and women that make up the Jefferson Bombing
Range unit. Without the Range, seven of the Midwest fighter
units could not satisfy training requirements mandatory for
war readiness, which would result in their termination. Units
have participated in enforcing the no-fly zones
over Iraq and many participated in the war to free Iraq.
A typical workweek at Jefferson Range is Monday through Friday
7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it is also open one weekend a month to
support traditional guard and reserve units. The schedule sometimes
varies in the winter to accommodate night training requirements.
Typically, this occurs Tuesday through Thursday once a month.
These night operations run from approximately 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
According to the Jefferson Bombing Ranges informational
brochure, construction of the Jefferson Range began in October
1976 under the watchful eye of Captain Lawrence Williams. Originally,
a simple range configuration was used to include two strafe
pit targets and a bomb circle. The U.S. Army Jefferson Proving
Ground explosive demolition personnel assisted in clearing the
proposed target areas of unexploded ordnance (UXO) before a
small mountain of dirt was hauled in to buildup the target area
In April 1977, a flight of F-100s from the 122nd Fighter Wing
was the first flight flown over the newly established air-ground
gunnery range. One Range Control Officer and four enlisted personnel
were assigned to the range on opening day. In its first year
of operation the Range supported, 1,350 sorties. In recent years,
the Range has supported 1,800 different sorties. Jefferson Range
has expanded its missions to include: three strafe pit targets,
a conventional bomb circle and over 13 tactical targets supporting
precision guided munitions, laser, and night vision detection
training for fighter units from the surrounding states.
Other duties of the Air National Guard unit at the Jefferson
Range include taking care of the Big Oak National Wildlife Refuge.
Upon termination of the U.S. Armys mission at JPG the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Air National Guard signed
a Memorandum of Agreement.
The agreement governs the conduct of their services, operations
and activities at the Refuge. The Air National Guard is responsible
for: inspection and maintenance of 50 miles of the perimeter
chain link fence, mowing 500 acres of grass, grading 30 miles
of gravel roads, keeping Old Timbers Lodge watertight and pest
free, maintaining 17 miles of paved road surface and annual
inspection and maintenance of four historic stone-arch bridges.
The Air Guard spends approximately $300,000 a year satisfying
the obligation to the agreement and takes pride in satisfying
the needs of the Range and Refuge.
So yes, the Jefferson Proving Ground is closed, but the Jefferson
Bombing Range is up and running providing our military with
the best training possible. Hopefully, now the few and forgotten
can lose their forgotten title! | <urn:uuid:44f577a0-b93e-4e89-82a2-1ad62e1c9299> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ripleynews.com/2011/11-11-29_Air.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926776 | 1,086 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Green and orange makes sense
Tanya M. Olsen ‘94, Drawn to Earth, 2008
Building sustainability, right from the start
RIT established the Golisano Institute for Sustainability to be a global resource for education, research, technology transfer and outreach in sustainable manufacturing processes that will influence all aspects of product design and manufacturing. This groundbreaking initiative seeks to provide the next generation of engineers, policy makers and CEOs with comprehensive education and training in sustainability, while also promoting the development and implementation of new technologies that will increase both the environmental quality and economic efficiency of American industry.
“It is imperative that we accelerate strategies to promote a sustainable society and ensure future generations the opportunity to address their own needs,” says B. Thomas Golisano, founder and chairman of Paychex Inc., whose $10 million donation launched the Golisano Institute in fall 2007. “For that reason, it is my desire for this new initiative to produce the first generation of professionals with the vision and know-how to deliver on the promise of sustainability, and I am very proud to be associated with this exciting endeavor.”
The next step forward
The Golisano Institute grew out of more than a decade of work in RIT’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies (CIMS) focused on remanufacturing, lifecycle engineering and alternative energy development. Research projects conducted through the new institute are building on this expertise to incorporate sustainable design, pollution prevention and new energy technologies into all aspects of production, from design through product reuse, remanufacture or recycling.
In addition, the Golisano Institute will house one of the world’s first doctoral programs in sustainability, featuring educational and research opportunities integrating environmentally conscious product design and manufacturing, industrial ecology, technology and public policy, environmental science and management, and sustainable business practices. RIT anticipates admitting the first students in this fall.
“Here at the Golisano Institute, we are focusing on designing production systems that are completely closed loop with no waste product and a high level of material reuse,” notes Nabil Nasr, RIT’s assistant provost for academic affairs and director of the Golisano Institute. “In addition, our education programs will seek to provide our next generation with comprehensive knowledge and training in sustainable industrial development.”
Enhancing the development of sustainable industries
Currently, the Golisano Institute is partnering with numerous companies and government agencies in a wide variety of sectors with the goal of reducing environmental impact while also enhancing economic competitiveness.
For example, the institute is partnering with Delphi Corp. and the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the application of solid oxide fuel cells into the military’s stationary and mobile systems. Delphi and the Golisano Institute will collaborate on the lifecycle design and development of sustainable production technologies, which could greatly enhance efficiency and reduce fossil fuel use in military vehicles. The partnership, made possible through a $2.75 million grant secured by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, will also assist in accelerating commercialization of the technology, while increasing investment and technical capacity in the Rochester region.
“Rochester represents the nexus between research and manufacturing that is needed to make emerging technologies mainstream,” says Congresswoman Slaughter. “The potential for long-term economic development and job growth, which is enhanced by the work of RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability, is both exciting and necessary for Rochester’s future success.”
The Golisano Institute was also selected to host the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute as the result of a highly competitive grant process. The institute, a comprehensive, statewide research and technology center, assists small and large businesses in implementing processes that will reduce the environmental footprint and enhance economic development. It is funded through a multi-year grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with first-year funding of $3 million.
Work conducted will address industry needs and focus on applied research in clean technology development, design for remanufacture, and green product assessment. RIT will serve as the Pollution Prevention Institute’s lead university in collaboration with academic partners at the University of Buffalo, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Clarkson University as well as the state’s Regional Technology Development Centers.
“The Pollution Prevention Institute will provide a tangible return on investment to New York state through the successful implementation of pollution prevention strategies that will have an immediate impact on the environment and result in significant economic benefits for business and industry throughout the state,” notes Edwin Piñero, director of the Pollution Prevention Institute and a former federal environmental executive.
The educational and research efforts within the Golisano Institute will continue to grow, thanks to additional investment from several Fortune 500 companies and leading charitable foundations. The development of the doctoral program was supported by a $465,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation and a $400,000 gift from the Chester and Dorris Carlson Charitable Fund. In addition, the state of New York, thanks to the efforts of the Rochester area Senate and Assembly delegations, has provided $12 million in support of the construction of a facility that will house the institute’s research and educational programs. It is anticipated that planning and design on the building will begin this year, with initial construction slated for 2009.
In addition, Xerox Corp., which has a long-established relationships with RIT, is serving as founding partner of the Golisano Institute, committing $2 million to the development of its research and academic programs. The grant will also further the implementation of sustainable production and design at Xerox, which has been a leader in sustainable development for decades.
“The extraordinary response that we have received regarding the work being undertaken at the Golisano Institute is extremely gratifying,” says Nasr. “It illustrates the tremendous progress we have made in creating academic and research programs that have real value for society, while also showing the importance of sustainable development to academia, government and industry.” | <urn:uuid:acb81128-c2bb-44d5-b121-6b5a56fdaf1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rit.edu/news/umag/fall2008/18_features_green.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938685 | 1,251 | 2.359375 | 2 |
The Fiat Panda is not just a baby car, whatever the diminutive overall length of just 3650mm implies. The Panda has always been quite different in character from rivals similar in size and price. Others are called city cars or economy cars; the Panda is more of an ‘essential’ car, created for many who will use it as their only car. Fiat boss Olivier François sums it up as “the official car for doing whatever the hell you like”.
Fiat’s tradition of small car manufacture began in 1938 with the 500, known as the ‘Topolino’. Conceived by legendary engineer Dante Giacosa, it helped mobilise pre-war Italy. In the early 1950s, Giacosa designed the rear-engined 600 and then, in 1957, launched the classic Nuova 500, the tiny car that went on to capture the hearts of owners worldwide.
The 500 stayed in production until 1975, while various developments of the 600 followed (the 850 and its replacement, the 127). In 1980, the original Panda was born and, since then, the 1983 Uno and 1993 Punto have been big small-car successes.
The Panda is essential to Fiat in the sales sense, too. The company has averaged more than 200,000 Pandas a year for over 30 years. Production recently passed 6.5 million units, yet this new model is only the third generation. The outgoing Panda won the coveted Car of the Year award in 2004. Can this all-new model recapture those charms in a familiar-looking package? | <urn:uuid:ea870847-cb7f-4579-9fc5-51de15633314> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/fiat/panda | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970211 | 325 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Old rail line may get new life as recreational trail
by Associated Press
Published: November 15,2011
PITTSBORO — An abandoned rail line in Calhoun and Yalobusha counties may become the home for a recreational trail.
WTVA-TV reports Calhoun County supervisors approved a resolution Monday to create the Mississippi and Skuna Valley Rails to Trails Recreational District.
The county must sign a pact with Yalobusha County to make the project a reality.
Patriot Rail owns the abandoned line and has notified authorities the company will scrap the nearly 22-mile long railroad.
The company would turn over the property to the county.
The trail would be similar to the Tanglefoot Trail currently under construction from New Albany to Houston.
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Chronicle columnist Herb Caen coined the word "beatnik" on April 2, 1958, six months after the Soviets launched the Sputnik satellite into space.
"Look magazine, preparing a picture spread on S.F.'s beat generation (oh, no, not AGAIN!)," read an item in Caen's April 2 column, "hosted a party in a No. Beach house for 50 beatniks, and by the time word got around the sour grapevine, over 250 bearded cats and kits were on hand, slopping up Mike Cowles' free booze. They're only beat, y'know, when it comes to work."
Beatnik must have been spinning around in his subconscious, Caen says, "and it just came out. I fell into it. To my amazement, it caught on immediately. The Examiner had a headline the next day about a beatnik murder.
"I ran into (Jack) Kerouac that night at El Matador. He was mad. He said, 'You're putting us down and making us sound like jerks. I hate it. Stop using it.' And onward into the night."
Caen says he "made fun of the beats because they took themselves so seriously. (Allen) Ginsberg was all right. I had a drink with him one night at Vesuvio and we walked across the street to the Tosca. He was barefoot. The uptight Italian who owned the place kicked him out. 'But I'm Allen Ginsberg!' he shouted. The guy had never heard of him."
The beats had a laugh or two on Caen. A poster from the Co-Existence Bagel Shop, a beat hangout, announced: "We feature separate toilet facilities for HERB CAEN."
Caen laughs about the footnote to "beatnik" in Norman Mailer's "Advertisements for Myself": "A word coined by an idiot columnist in San Francisco." | <urn:uuid:abd4b5f8-cda0-421a-b780-d619c2aaaf4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/HOW-HERB-CAEN-NAMED-A-GENERATION-3018725.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972897 | 405 | 1.648438 | 2 |
October 16, 2012 -- Submitted by LLP Teacher, a teacher from Perth, Australia, who is affiliated with the site.
Learn to read and spell with Little Learners Planet! Little Learning Planet provides parents with free professional educational information, activities and resources as well as a members area containing day by day programs designed by a teacher to help children to learn to read and spell.
April 17, 2012 -- Submitted by Ryan Jones, a reader from Tuftonboro, New Hampshire, who is affiliated with the site.
Meet Alphie, the alphabet baby, who teaches children about words, letters, and object association through curious exploration on this simple, interactive online toy. All that is needed is a recent Flash player that is free to download and a child that likes to laugh. When a letter is pressed on the keyboard or clicked on the screen, a word appears with sound and short animation plays. Alphie discovers gravity on the letter A and attains enlightenment on the letter Z, while exercising, recycling and conserving water in between. There are many funny mishaps along the way too.
December 17, 2010 -- Submitted by AlexandraL, a reader from Los Angeles, CA, who is affiliated with the site.
ABCmouse.com provides parents and teachers with a safe, engaging online environment where young children can learn their “ABC’s” using a computer mouse, thus the name ABCmouse.com. The goal of this new and unique learning experience is to help children build a strong foundation for future academic success by providing engaging educational content that supplements and supports preschool, pre-k and kindergarten programs.
December 6, 2010 -- From Pgiannoulis, a parent, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who is affiliated with the site.
The Academy Kids – free eLearning videos offers enriched free educational videos based on the guidelines set forth by the Education Curriculum. The curriculum-based units are designed to ensure that your child understands the concepts and masters the necessary skills.
November 9, 2010 -- From Ned, a parent, from UK, who is affiliated with the site.
A free online games site designed mainly for preschool children, but I have found that older kids enjoy it too, and even some adults! Lots of fun, colourful characters, easy to play games, big, clear and simple images and things to be learned along the way.
October 24, 2010 -- From Patrick, a reader from Aarhus, Denmark, who is affiliated with the site.
The Alphabetimals are cartoon animals shaped like the letters of the alphabet to help kids learn their ABCs. On the site is a free interactive book with each character animated, and options to hear their animal sound and their name spoken. I also have a business partnership with Books for Africa, a U.S. organization that sends millions of books a year to African villages that don’t have access to school supplies. On my website I have three items for purchase – a coloring book PDF download, a wall poster, and t-shirts. Every time someone buys one of these gifts, the Alphabetimals will send one book on their behalf to the Botswana Book Project (one of the recipients of the Book for Africa project) which distributes book to villages around wildlife preservations in that country.
April 29, 2010 -- From Asad, age 17, from Pakistan, who is affiliated with the site.
Contains simple information on words.
March 30, 2010 -- From kidzpark, a reader, from India, who is affiliated with the site.
Kidzpark provides educational resource materials in the form of downloadable and printable format. All the worksheets are in pdf and can be downloaded and printed.
There are various categories of worksheets which makes it easy for navigation. Worksheets are found for maths, science, handwriting, number sequence, matching, phonics etc.
March 19, 2010 -- From Billy , a reader, from TN, USA, who is affiliated with the site.
Avens Corner is a fun and free online preschool game site that has very creative games designed specifically for children who are just learning to use a computer.
July 15, 2009 -- From John, a teacher from Canada, who is affiliated with the site.
Learn to write a sentence or a letter, journal even a poem. These interactive games are free and come with sound and interactivity. It’s like the teacher is there with you! | <urn:uuid:91d728f9-d253-49a7-826a-77b5f37a3f60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.surfnetkids.com/reader/reviews/abc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952318 | 917 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Philippine Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front reach historic peace agreement
The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), a Geneva-based independent mediation organisation assisting the peace process between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), commends the two Parties for reaching today an agreement aimed at ending decades of fighting in Mindanao, south of the Philippines. The conflict in Mindanao has by some estimates cost the lives of at least 120,000 people since the 1970s and displaced two million people. While the conflict stems from a separatist rebellion, it has generated internecine violence most recently in 2010, when a leading clan from the region slaughtered 58 persons including 34 journalists in one particularly deadly incident.
The HD Centre praises President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines and the Chairman of the MILF Al Haj Murad for their ‘courage and determination’. David Harland, the Executive Director of the HD Centre, said: ‘The Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have taken an historic step with this agreement. It ushers in a new chapter in the search for peace in the troubled region of Mindanao. This agreement creates for the first time a Ministerial form of Government in Mindanao, a Basic Law that will be developed and written by the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao, the graduated decommissioning of MILF forces and the gradual transfer of law enforcement of the Philippines from the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the local Police.’
The HD Centre also commends the two negotiators from each party, Marvic Leonen for the GPH and Mohagher Iqbal for the MILF, as well as the peace process facilitator, the Malaysian Government and its representative, Tengku Datu Bin Ghafar. David Gorman, who represented the HD Centre in assisting the peace process and was present at the talks for the last four years stated: ‘Marvic Leonen and Mohagher Iqbal demonstrated the critical combination of tenacity and creativity in finding common ground, yet never failed to represent their Principals’ interests. Furthermore, without the persistence and careful managing of the process by the Malaysian facilitator, we would never have an agreement’.
The HD Centre also recognizes the lead the GPH and MILF took in ensuring women participated in every aspect of the peace talks. Two out of five of the Government’s panel members were women as were all four members of its Secretariat. The MILF also had two women advisors.
The HD Centre supports the Bangsamoro and Filipinos as they work together to make this agreement a reality on the ground. ‘Peace does not only come with an agreement.’ David Gorman said. ‘The real test will come as the Parties seek to implement the agreement effectively, comprehensively and inclusively among all the Bangsamoro’.
The HD Centre is the ad-hoc Coordinator of an International Contact Group (ICG), which has been advising and supporting the parties in the talks with the Malaysian Government, since 2009. This ICG includes four states, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Kingdom as well as four international NGOs, the HD Centre, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and the Asia Foundation. | <urn:uuid:3cb056e6-98ff-4dbb-a76f-534f78b1b157> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/philippine-government-and-moro-islamic-liberation-front-reach-historic-peace | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946838 | 684 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Fly Fishing Lines
In spin fishing the weight of the lure being cast pulls the monofilament line off the reel. In fly fishing the weight of the fly line being cast carries the fly to the fish. The fly line you cast and the way you cast it creates the "presentation" of the fly. To catch fish you must present your fly in the water column the way the fish expect to see their foods. The right fly line makes that possible.
Selecting the right fly line will help you get to where the fish are. Your local fly shop is the best place to get advice on fly lines, especially in choosing the right line for your fishing needs. Nothing "sinks" a fishing trip faster than arriving with the wrong fly lines for the fishing situations.
Shape and construction: These determine how the line delivers the fly. In fly fishing you want to deliver the fly where and how the fish expect to see their food. So, you must choose the fly line that is designed with the proper length, weight, taper, color, specific gravity and coating for the fishing you want to do.
Length and Weight: A fly line's weight is distributed throughout its length - from 90 to 105 feet or more - but its weight designation (1- through 15-weight) is determined by the weight of the front 30 feet of the fly line. Fly line weights range from a 1-weight to a 15-weight.
Tapers: The way fly lines shoot, turn over a heavy fly, present a small fly delicately, or cast efficiently at long or short distances is through the taper design. The fly line's taper (its outside dimension) is designed by varying the thickness of the line coating. Notice the way a fly line is described - tip, front taper, belly, rear taper, head and running line. All these elements can be varied to change the casting performance of the line. Fly lines are broken into five design categories: the seldom-used level (L), the highly popular weight-forward (WF), double-taper (DT), shooting-taper (ST), and specialty tapers. The fly lines you will use the most are weight-forward, double-taper and specialty.
Color: Some fishermen prefer a brightly colored fly line so they can see where their line is in the air and on the water. It helps them in casting and in knowing where their fly is at all times. Others prefer fly lines that blend in with whatever background they are fishing. Fish see colors, they reason, so why spook them with colors they are not used to seeing? You must decide what color fly line works best for you.
Coating: Fly lines float because they are designed by the manufacturer with tiny air bubbles in the line surface. If instead the manufacturer adds lead or tungsten to the fly line's coating, the line will sink.
Fly lines are constructed of a core, a taper design, and a coating (usually polyvinylchloride). These basic elements are varied to make form follow function. In other words, by changing the core, coating or tapers, the manufacturer can make fly lines that perform best under any fishing situation.
Since more than 90 percent of a fish's feeding occurs beneath the surface, you need fly lines that get your fly down, sometimes slowly and at other times very fast.
Full-sinking fly lines are best suited to fishing in still waters. They are designed to get flies down to the level where the fish are feeding. So you need to match the sink rate of the fly line to the fishing conditions.
Fly lines that sink uniformly (evenly) or head first are the best lines to use for fishing still waters (lakes and ponds), because they provide better strike detection. Some sinking fly lines tend to belly in the middle because they do not sink uniformly. The belly creates a sensory disconnect between the fisherman and the fish, so the fisherman fails to detect the strikes before the fish can reject the fly. The uniform-sinking fly lines provide a straight-line connection to the fly, allowing you to detect a high percentage of strikes and catch more fish.
Sinking-tips are sinking portions of fly line (usually 8 to 15 feet) connected to the front of floating lines. They are excellent for shallow and deep nymphing, for mending fly line to create a drag-free float, and for turning over and sinking very large streamers in river-bank and pool fishing.
To sum things up:
If you see a line marked "Trout," "Bass," "Bonefish," "Big Game" or the like, you know that it is designed for that species. Fly line designations are indicated on the side of the manufacturer's packages as in these examples: "WF8F" means weight-forward, 8-weight, floating; or "Wet Tip V 13'" means sinking-tip, very fast sinking, 13-foot tip). Then the length of the fly line is given: 90ft./30 yd./27.4m. Each tells you something important about the function of the fly line.
Fly lines should be washed in mild soap and water and wiped dry or cleaned with a line cleaner after use, because they accumulate dirt and algae on their surface, making casting difficult and floating fly lines sink.
After cleaning, allow the fly line to dry in the shade (ultraviolet light from the sun destroys the chemicals in a line), or wipe the fly line dry and dress it with lubricant provided by the manufacturer or with Armor-All. Some newer fly lines require less dressing because they have lubricants in the line coating that gradually weep toward the surface.
When you are not fishing the fly line, detach the fly and wind the line onto the reel until your next trip. Long storage on a reel can create reel-coils in the fly line, but to remove the coils you just need to stretch or cast the line.
At the end of the season clean your fly lines thoroughly and wind them back onto their original line spools.
Always keep your fly lines stored out of direct sunlight. The sun's ultraviolet rays and high heat (a hot car trunk, for example) can cause the coating chemicals on the fly line to deteriorate quickly. With proper care your fly lines should last from three to five years under normal use.
©2013 RBFF. All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:4694daf4-8d75-4e9e-ab60-e1fab824428f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.takemefishing.org/fishing/fly-fishing/fly-fishing-gear/fly-line/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938282 | 1,321 | 2.46875 | 2 |
- CONTINUING ED
- PUBLIC PROGRAMS
- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Otis College of Art and Design is a non-profit (501(c)3 institution founded in 1918 by General Harrison Gray Otis, the founder and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, who bequeathed his L.A. home to the city for "the advancement of the arts." The Colllege offers BFA and MFA degrees accreditated by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Otis is a member of the Association of Colleges of Art and Design. For almost eighty years, Otis remained at its downtown location. In 1997, the College moved to the Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Campus on the West side. From Spanish-Moorish mansion to seven-story cube, Otis has evolved. Designed by architect Eliot Noyes for IBM, the 115,000 square-foot Ahmanson Hall was renovated in 1997, using the concept of an artist's loft or a working studio rather than that of a traditional classroom. Ahmanson Hall's open plan encourages communication among the departments, as well as between students and faculty members.
The 40,000 square foot horizontal Galef Fine Arts Center, designed by Frederick Fisher Architects, opened in 2001. Its complex geometry and corrugated metal forms contrast with the "punchcard" vocabulary of Ahmanson Hall. Together, these buildings comprise the Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Campus. Fashion Design occupies one floor of the California Market Center in downtown L.A.; Graduate Fine Arts studios are in the nearby art community of Culver City, and Graduate Public Practice is at the 18th St Arts Center in Santa Monica.
Links related to Otis' history:
Nine Decades of Fine Art
Alumni Interviews (Legacy Project)
Publications (PDFs) on Otis' history:
Otis Story (1975) covers 1918-1970
1918-2008 illustrated timeline
THE Magazine article on Otis' first 90 years
OMAG Volume 1: Nine Decades of Fine Art | <urn:uuid:9c0a8afa-dd98-49d4-96d2-80c9b7cafbdb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cmadoo@otis.edu/about/history_mission/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923511 | 446 | 1.75 | 2 |
Botanically, bulbs are buds, commonly subterranean, producing roots from their undersides, and consisting of layers of fleshy rudimentary leaves, called scales, attached to abbreviated stems. There is considerable uncertainty in the minds of many gardeners as to the difference between bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers, for their function is the same—to tide the plant over a period of adverse conditions, such as summer droughts and winter cold. All have common factors: food storage; rapid growth under suitable conditions; and the same life-cycle, in that during growth and flowering, next year's flower is formed in miniature, the foliage soon reaching maturity and dying away, as do the roots in most cases when the whole plant enters a period of rest.
A true bulb, such as that of a tulip, hyacinth or narcissus, is a bud surrounded by fleshy or scaly leaves, arising from a flat disc of 'basal plate'. In `tunicated' bulbs the fleshy leaves are rolled close together, as in the tulip. In 'imbricated' bulbs the bulb leaves are thick and overlapping, as in the lily.
The determination of whether or not a
particular plant is a bulb depends upon the structure of the storage organ. If the botanical definition of the bulb i s strictly accepted, many plants that gardeners ordinarily consider bulbs, such as crocuses, calla lilies, cannas and dahlias, must be eliminated. These and many other plants not technically true bulbs have bulb-like organs that function in the same way as bulbs but are not structurally scaly buds. They include rounded or flattish, solid, swollen stem bases called corms as in gladioli, crocuses; elongated thickened stems called rhizomes as in cannas, calla lilies, lily-ofthe-valley; thickened terminal portions of stems called tubers as in anemones, begonias, caladiums ; and swollen tuber-like roots as in dahlias.
Nearly all bulbs produce offsets sooner or later, and these, except for rarities, give sufficient stock for the ordinary gardener. All that needs to be done is to dig up the clumps, separate the bulbs, sort out the small ones and replant them, treating them like mature bulbs until they reach the flowering stage. Rhizomes and tuberous roots may be treated in the same way, so each eye will produce another plant if care is taken of it. The exceptions are erythroniums, which rarely produce offsets, and cyclamen, which never do, and therefore can only be increased from seeds.
This leads to a consideration of raising bulbs from seed. Except for the most enthusiastic of amateurs, this should be left to the specialist. Where seed is produced, it is easy to obtain a supply, but the seed of many bulbs does not come true. That is the seedlings raised have characteristics which differ from their parents. There is also the question of cross fertilization to take into account, and, of course, raising bulbs from seed is a lengthy undertaking, often a risky one as well. However, with these provisos it may be said that raising lilies from seed is an interesting process.
Corms replace themselves annually. After having thrown up their leaves and flowers, each corm shrivels away and a new corm, sometimes several, forms while the leaves and flowers of the old one are growing.
Without bulbs all gardens would be the poorer the whole year round, but particularly in autumn, spring and summer Bulbs are so popular because they yield such big rewards for so little in terms of money and care. Bulbs make it possible to have a continuous succession of color outdoors and indoors throughout the year. Bulbs will flourish in virtually any kind of well-drained soil. Bulbs will thrive in almost every conceivable position or situation in the garden, in sun or partial shade. Bulbs offer infinite variety in color, form and texture. When in bloom they vary from an inch or two in height to several feet and the characteristics of their foliage are as diverse as their flowers. The flowers of most bulbs last well when cut and are ideal for flower arrangements. Gardening with bulbs requires a minimum of work. Bulbs are easy to cultivate, giving a high percentage of successful results even for the beginner. Bulbs are not only inexpensive but are easily obtainable.
Always purchase good-size, healthy bulbs from a reputable dealer. Early ordering is vital to ensure the best selection. Plant immediately the bulbs arrive and if this is inconvenient open the bags for ventilation and keep the bulbs in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant them. Plant in well-drained soil. The vast majority of bulbs will do well in any soil provided it is well drained. It is advisable, however, to treat heavy soils with applications of peat or well-rotted leaf mold.
The planting period for bulbs will depend upon their flowering season. The planting period for spring-flowering bulbs extends from September 1 to December 15 in Northern Hemisphere, but daffodils should be planted before the end of
October. Autumn-flowering bulbs (crocus and colchicum) should be planted in August. Most summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in March and April, although some, such as lilies, should be planted in November and December. Stem-rooting lilies can also be successfully set out in early spring.
Plant bulbs at the right depth. Although there are exceptions, bulbs are generally set with their tops about three times the diameter of the bulb below ground; small bulbs deeper proportionately. Usually it is the pointed end of the bulb which should be uppermost, but some tubers are planted horizontally. Some bulbs, such as anemones, give no indication which end is up, but there are usually signs of previous stem or root sources. Spring-flowering bulbs such as hyacinths, daffodils and tulips are planted 16cm (6in) deep and most spring-flowering small or miscellaneous bulbs are planted 8-10cm (3-4in) deep. Variation in depth depends upon the height of the stem and on the type of soil—the longer the stem and the lighter the soil, the deeper the planting.
No general guidance can be given on spacing of bulbs, for this may range from 2.5cm (1 in) to 0.6m (2ft) apart, depending upon the size of the plant, its flower and foliage. Bulbs planted in groups or clusters produce the best effects, and if flowers are wanted for indoor decoration extra bulbs should be planted in the vegetable garden or special cutting garden.
Bulbs can be grown virtually anywhere in the garden. There is a place in every garden for some kinds of bulbs in beds, borders, edges, shrubberies, rock gardens, orchards, woodlands, lawns, on walls, between paving stones, in tubs or window-boxes. Many bulbs can be naturalized, that is, planted in informal groups or drifts and left to increase naturally. This is often done in rough grass or woodland, The grass should be left uncut until the bulb foliage has died down naturally, usually in June.
Most bulbs do not require full sun but can be planted in partial shade. Indeed, partial shade makes for longer lasting blooms. Flowers should be removed when petals fade and the foliage should not be cut off, but should be allowed to die down naturally, permitting the bulb to replace energy and flower the following season. Most spring-flowering bulbs (the exceptions are lilies, anemones and ranunculuses which require winter protection) should be lifted. Lift bulbs carefully only after the foliage has died down and store them in a cool, frost-free and well-ventilated place until it is time to replant them again. Generally, if bulbs are doing well, natural increase will make lifting of the clumps and separation of the bulbs necessary every few years. Be careful when separating clumps of bulbs not to damage them. Bulbs should always be handled carefully to avoid physical injury.
The most commonly grown bulb flowers in our gardens are narcissi, tulips and hyacinths, with lilies, snowdrops, grape hyacinths and several others also represented in the list.
Daffodil is merely the common name for narcissus, of which there are more than 10,000 named varieties, with some 500 in normal commercial cultivation.
With the exception of one or two kinds, such as tazettas, narcissi are hardy, tolerant and adaptable plants. They will grow in almost any situation except heavy shade or in badly-drained soil. In open ground they flower from February to the end of May. Normally most varieties remain in flower for three to four weeks and if they are picked in bud for cut flowers they will last in water for ten days or more.
Narcissi will flourish in beds and borders, naturalized in meadows, open woodlands, lawns, orchards or under scattered trees, among shrubs, in tubs and window boxes. The smaller kinds do well in rock gardens and many varieties are suitable for forcing.
Out of doors daffodils will flourish in any well-drained soil although N. bulbocodium prefers sandy soil and N. cyclamineus peaty soil. The best sites are in sun or light shade with shelter from sweeping winds. Plant the bulbs as early in the autumn as they can be obtained Robust kinds that have large bulbs should be planted 13-16cm (5-6in) deep, less vigorous kinds with smaller bulbs 8-l0cm (3-4in) deep, and tiny species 8cm (3in) deep. Space vigorous growers 16-23cm (6-9in) apart, moderately vigorous growers 10-13cm (4-5in) apart, and small species 6-l0cm (2-4in) apart. In naturalized plantings these distances are varied considerably and it is best to scatter the bulbs at random, in groups or drifts, planting them exactly where they fall.
For planting bulbs out of doors, especially in turf, special planting tools are available. Some of these are long-handled tools, shod with a circularmetal cutter which is forced into the soil. When the tool is lifted a core of turf and soil is removed intact. A bulb is then placed in the hole and the core of turf replaced over it and firmed with the foot. To enable the cutter to be driven easily into hard turf the tool is fitted with a foot bar. There are versions of this tool with short handles, without the foot bar. Otherwise, when planting in soil or in the rock garden it is always advisable to do so with a trowel, never with a dibber. If a dibber is used an air pocket may be left below the bulb, into which the roots will not grow, thus preventing proper development. If the soil is dry, water thoroughly after planting.
Where winters are severe, protect bulbs which are not planted in grass with a covering of leaves or other suitable material. Feed established plantings in early autumn and early spring, using a complete fertilizer in spring and a slower-acting organic fertilizer in the autumn Water copiously during dry spells when the foliage is above ground. Never remove the foliage until it has died down naturally. When plantings become crowded so that the bloom deteriorates in quantity and quality, lift, separate and replant the bulbs as soon as the foliage has died down.
Tulips are equally numerous, with several thousand named varieties and some 800 in commercial cultivation. They differ more than narcissi and are divided into 23 main groups of classes, of interest mainly to the specialist.
Some tulips flower early (in mid-April, some in mid-season (late April),
and others bloom late, in May. The color range is from white to almost black, from softest pink to deepest purple; there are broken colors, self-colors, striped, streaked, shaded and tinged. Some have oval flowers, some are shaped like turbans, and others are square at the base. Some tulips resemble paeonies, others have lily-like flowers. There are tulips with fringed or curled petals and others with pointed petals. A number produce several flowers on a stem. Some have tiny flowers, while others produce blooms up to 38cm (15in) in diameter. Heights range from a few cm to nearly m (3ft).
Cultivation Bulbs can be planted out of doors between mid-September and mid-December. Species or botanical tulips should be planted 10cm (4in) deep and about 13cm (5in) apart with the exception of T. fosteriana, which should be planted 13-16cm (5-6in) deep and some 16cm (6in) apart, like all divisions of garden tulips. Good drainage is essential; they will thrive in virtually any well-drained soil, but in light sandy soils the bulbs should be planted a little deeper than normal. Tulips can be interplanted with roses or with annuals or with other bulbs flowering at the same time, taking into account the differing heights of other plants when interplanting. Species tulips do best in sunny positions, but garden tulips can be planted in sun or in partial shade. Early-flowering garden tulips planted in sheltered sunny spots will come into flower sooner, or if late-flowering tulips are planted in partial shade, they will last longer.
Apart from kaufmanniana tulips which are naturalized, all tulips should be lifted every year when the foliage has turned completely yellow and begun to die off. The old flower stems should be cut off a little above the newly formed bulbs at the end of June or early July. They should, under no circumstances, be left on the bulb in storage trays. If the bulbs must be cleared from the ground before the foliage begins to die, to make way for other bedding plants, they may be lifted and heeled into a shallow trench in a spare corner until the leaves yellow. The lifted bulbs should be kept out of sunlight, cleaned and stored in a cool, airy, frost-free place until planting time comes round again. Indoor cultivation is the same procedure as narcissus, but forced tulip bulbs are not really worth keeping for later outdoor planting.
There are far fewer hyacinths than tulips or daffodils, but because of their beauty and their perfume they continue to be firm favorites for the garden.
Cultivation Bedding hyacinths are best planted in late October about 10cm (4in) deep in well-drained soil and in a sunny position. Space the bulbs about 20cm (8in) apart for maximum color effect. Bone meal forked into the soil
before planting at the rate of 112g (4oz) to the sq m (sq yd) will ensure good heads of flower in April.
Watering, feeding, mulching It is essential for all bulbs to have plenty of moisture when growing actively, but excess water during the dormant period is harmful. Like all plants, bulbs respond to fertile soil, but manures and fertilizers must be used carefully. Well-rotted manure improves soil structure and provides nutrients for all plants and may be used to advantage with bulbs as long as there is a protective layer of soil between the bulbs and the manure. Fresh manure should never be used. Slow-acting fertilizers other than manure are particularly recommended for feeding bulbs. Bonemeal is one of the best and 3kg (61b) to a 11sq m (100 sq ft) is not too heavy an annual application.
Mulches are useful in the summer to help the soil to retain moisture and peat is excellent for this purpose. Mulches intended for protective winter covering should be applied to the surface of the ground after the ground has frozen and should be removed after bulb growth is under way in the spring.
Weeds, pests, diseases Areas planted with bulbs should be kept as free of weeds as possible and the surface soil
1. Should be loosened from time to time.
2. Injured or infected foliage should be removed and burned.
Diseases can be avoided by buying only healthy, top quality bulbs, and few gardeners who do this are troubled by diseases.
The major pests are slugs and snails and fortunately these can be controlled by modern slug killers. In dealing with any diseases or pests, proper diagnosis is important before resorting to drastic measures. Should a disease appear among a planting, lift the healthy bulbs, disinfect them, and move them to an area not previously used for growing bulbs of the same kind. This will usually save them from infection. | <urn:uuid:9f842753-93c0-4e87-9670-5619b1ffc0cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.backyardgardener.com/gardening/GrowingBulbs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94832 | 3,523 | 3.640625 | 4 |
Oral cancer on the rise in the US
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., USA: New research conducted on behalf of the Oral Cancer Foundation has found that many Americans are unaware of the fact that the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is the fastest-growing risk factor for oral cancer. The data supports the current consensus that awareness of oral cancer and early discovery measures is low, and that most Americans do not recognize that the profile of the oral cancer patient has evolved from heavy smokers and drinkers to anyone who is sexually active.
According to the OCF, approximately 40,000 Americans will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2012. This is the fifth consecutive year in which there has been an increase in the incidence rate of the dangerous disease. Oral cancer is often caught in the late stages, when the five-year survival rate is less than 50 percent. When diagnosed in the early stages of development, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate.
The results of the national survey, conducted by market research consultancy Kelton among a representative sample of 1,024 Americans aged 18 and over, indicated that more than four in five Americans know that smoking (83 percent) and chewing tobacco (83 percent) are risk factors. However, the survey also revealed that they remain in the dark about other potential causes of oral cancer, including alcohol consumption and HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection.
The survey showed that women tend to be slightly more aware of the risk factors of oral cancer than men. Forty percent of women and 33 percent of men correctly recognize alcohol consumption as a risk factor for oral cancer, but less than 30 percent of both sexes realize that a sexually transmitted virus is a causative factor for the disease.
“Oral cancer takes the life of one person an hour and for those who do survive, it can be severely disfiguring and debilitating,” said Brian Hill, founder and executive director of the OCF and a stage-four oral cancer survivor. “It’s one of the few types of cancer that hasn’t experienced a significant decline in fatalities over the past several decades. To reverse this trend, we need to create awareness that virtually everyone over the age of 18 is potentially at risk and hence in need of an opportunistic annual oral cancer screening.”
According to Hill, because people are not aware of the risk factors, they do not take a proactive approach to screening and early detection of oral cancer, which has a high survival rate if diagnosed early.
OCF is currently organizing an extensive effort to promote Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April and to encourage dental and medical practices throughout the U.S. and Canada to offer free oral cancer screenings during the month. Several companies and organizations are co-sponsoring OCF’s efforts, including LED Dental, manufacturer of the VELscope Vx oral cancer screening system. The OCF survey was funded in part by the company.
A summary of the recently released survey, “Americans’ appreciation for their mouth overshadowed by their lack of awareness of oral cancer”, is available at www.oralcancer.org/study. The survey document includes detailed information about specific risk factors, as well as a summary of the survey results. The breakout report, which includes the survey questions and detailed answers, is also available on the same webpage. | <urn:uuid:176f185b-27ae-4229-b4f9-77b2ec997664> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.periodontistbeverlyhills.com/periodontist-dentist-news/?p=1729 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963146 | 690 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Many historians suggest that an increase in spectator violence coincides with the commercialization of sports. Anthropologists agree that in societies where games were not for profit, they were enjoyed as celebrations of physical skill without competitiveness or violence between players or spectators (Berger, 1990). However, when people gained power or financially from the sporting events, spectator violence increased (Berger, 1990). Public spectacles and games were part of the Roman Empire. Each emperor had an amphitheater and the size of the crowd reflected the emperor's wealth or power. The emperor through crowd excitement could influence spectator violence to such an extent that gladiators could be killed or freed depending on the crowd's effect on the emperor (Robinson, 1998). The emperor encouraged the Roman working class, "to forget their own suffering, by seeing others suffer," while the senators, and emperor would benefit financially from gambling profits (Robinson, 1998).
With the commercialization of sports, owners' profits increased with alcohol sales. Beer drinking has been an integral part of sports since the late 1870's. Chris van der Alie noticed that his saloon did well when St. Louis Brown Stockings were in town. As a result, he decided to... [continues]
Cite This Essay
(1999, 10). Fan Violence: Who's to Blame?. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 10, 1999, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fan-Violence-Whos-Blame-16466.html
"Fan Violence: Who's to Blame?" StudyMode.com. 10 1999. 10 1999 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fan-Violence-Whos-Blame-16466.html>.
"Fan Violence: Who's to Blame?." StudyMode.com. 10, 1999. Accessed 10, 1999. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fan-Violence-Whos-Blame-16466.html. | <urn:uuid:9231d4d3-48a9-43be-ab1d-fc59d9d02ba8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fan-Violence-Whos-Blame-16466.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924061 | 415 | 3.0625 | 3 |
8,786,049 Americans Collecting Disability, A New Record
(CNSNews.com) – The Social Security Administration has released new data revealing that 8,786,049 American workers are collecting federal disability insurance payments in September. That sets yet another record for the number of Americans on disability.
The 8,786,049 workers taking federal disability in September is a net increase of 18,108 from the 8,767,941 workers who took federal disability in August.
Over the past 45 years, the number of American workers taking federal disability payments has increased four-fold relative to the number actually working.
In August 1967, 74,767,000 Americans were working (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) and 1,152,861 were taking federal disability insurance (according to the Social Security Administration). That means that at that time there were about 65 Americans working for each worker collecting disability.
In August 2012, 142,101,000 Americans were working and 8,767,941 were on disability–meaning there were only 16.2 people working for each person collecting disability.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a record 88,921,000 Americans were “not in the labor force” in August. These were Americans who were at least 16 years old, who were not in the military or in an institution such as a prison or a nursing home, and who did not have a job and had not actively sought one in the last four weeks.
Also in August, according to the BLS, only 63.5 percent of the civilian population (those over 16, who were not in the military or in an institution) participated in the labor force. That was the lowest level of labor force participation in 31 years. To participate in the labor force a person must either have a job or at least be actively trying to find one. | <urn:uuid:45865c10-9a50-4d2e-af3e-d68ce69f9870> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.readingthescore.com/8786049-americans-collecting-disability-record/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983787 | 389 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Events are separated into major and flavour events. Although they are scripted exactly the same way, the convention is to place minor events, such as cultural personalities, in the flavour event files, whereas major events go in the major event files. This is just a convention; the event files can be called anything as long as they are included in db\events.txt (whose name is also a convention - it is just included in all of the scenario .EUG files). Random events are added in special files.
For more about event scripting see the Exhaustive Bible of Event Scripting.
Including events in a scenario
The events can be put in any text file as long as they get linked to the scenario. The standard convension for this is to add a list of the event files to events.txt, and then include this file in the scenario.
Define an event list
The file events.txt in the db folder contains a list event files. The syntax is:
event = "db\events\major_tib.txt" event = "db\events\major_ann.txt" event = "db\events\major_ayu.txt" event = "db\events\major_dai.txt" event = "db\events\major_pom.txt" ...
Each line defines the location of a file. You can also add your own event files:
event = "edit\my_events_eng.txt"
The above will look for my_events_eng.txt in the edit sub-folder in your EU2 program folder.
Include the event list
To get the events in the list defined in events.txt loaded in your scenario you must include the list in the scenario definition. If you look at a scenario definition, e.g. 'The Age of Exploration.eug' you will find, at the end:
include = "scenarios\1492.inc" include = "db\events.txt"
The first line is a link to the scenario file 1492.inc, while the last line is a link to the event list.
You can edit the existing event list, make your own list of additional files or even define the event files directly into the scenario:
include = "scenarios\1492.inc" event = "edit\my_events_eng.txt" event = "edit\my_events_fra.txt"
The above will add the event files my_events_eng.txt and my_events_fra.txt to the event files listed in events.txt.
Europa Universalis and Europa Universalis II are registred
trademarks of Paradox Entertainment. | <urn:uuid:5401f02a-53cd-46f5-a0f1-e52d6ff900d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://home.broadpark.no/~havmoe/EU/scenario_event.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904767 | 566 | 2.4375 | 2 |
A Tale of Two Houses
When Ulrich Fleischmann approached architect Maki Kuwayama, of Unit A Architecture in Stuttgart, Germany, to design a home and office space, he was looking for a deal. Fleischmann wanted two houses for the price of one.
His needs as half of the advertising agency Fleischmann & Kirsch meant much of his time was spent in front of a computer and could be done from a home office. Ever the demanding client, Fleischmann and company needed a solution that was both flexible and open for the working and private areas, but could also serve as a forum for entertaining clients and casual meetings.
Kuwayama, with fellow architect Joachim Käppeler, decided the best approach was to create an adaptable design that could be divided into two separate “houses” (as they became known). The office house can be shuttered from the living/private portion by closing a movable wall system, with an upstairs bedroom and bathroom where clients can stay overnight. | <urn:uuid:237dabde-a559-43f0-95ed-f3ff10b02ec4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dwell.com/design-101/article/tale-two-houses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980138 | 212 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Filed underIndependent Schools
At Gilman, boys at all ages participate in community service projects, collecting non-perishable food items for the Donald Bentley Food Pantry and toys and clothing to benefit Echo House, making peanut butter sandwiches for the homeless, shooting basket in Hoops for Heart, reading books to raise money for tsunami victims, supporting the annual American Red Cross Blood Drive, or participating myriad other activities throughout the school year. In the Upper School, each student must complete a minimum of 50 successive hours of consistent involvement in one community service project outside of Gilman as a requirement for graduation.
Donald Bentley Food Pantry
Throughout the course of each academic year, Gilman conducts various food drives to support the Donald Bentley Food Pantry, with major efforts at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Lower School has adopted the Donald Bentley Food Pantry as an ongoing community service project. The Bentley Pantry, founded by friend A.J. Julius ’91 and mother Ellen Bentley, memorializes alumnus Donald Bentley ’88, who was murdered in Baltimore.
St. Ignatius Loyola Academy
In reaching to the community beyond campus, Gilman teachers lend professional support to their colleagues in other schools. In one instance, Upper School history teacher Peter Julius spent the 2000-2001 academic year teaching at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy.
The mission of St. Ignatius mirrors that of Gilman: the North Calvert Street school strives to provide “holistic — academic, social and spiritual — middle school education to Baltimore boys from modest backgrounds, boys who otherwise would not access such an education” tuition-free. St. Ignatius boys often attend Gilman’s Upper School.
One of Gilman’s oldest community service projects, Green Grass, as its name implies, brings children from one of Baltimore’s toughest inner-city neighborhoods to play on Gilman’s green grass.
Coordinated by Anton Vishio, Green Grass pairs Gilman students with youngsters from Echo House Multi-Service Center, located in southwest Baltimore. Echo House services include job placements, a food pantry, and an after school program.
With their Gilman partners, the children enjoy many sports and activities that Gilman students take for granted as everyday occurrences.
Studies have shown that low-income children, no matter what their ability, experience greater learning loss over the course of the summer than their higher income peers when they do not engage in educational activities. Since 1977, Gilman School has worked to combat this problem.
The Baltimore Independent School Learning Camp, coordinated by Jane Bartlett, Lower School admissions assistant, brings 16 talented children entering each of the third, fourth, and fifth grades from Barclay, Roland Park, Edgecombe Circle, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary Schools for a four-week summer enrichment program at no cost to their families. Learning Camp presents an ongoing interdisciplinary curriculum, and many studies focus around the camp’s theme – “Baltimore: A Maritime Community.” Reading, math, computer, and foreign language are taught daily, and art, music, science, geography, and creative writing are taught at least once a week. The children have swimming lessons each week and play outside daily. Much of the program’s strength and success is that most children attend for three consecutive years. | <urn:uuid:34bde18f-fb0e-4c89-852b-1ad4eff81143> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/10/19/gilman-embraces-community-service/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944856 | 691 | 2.21875 | 2 |
WWII and the Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was fought between U.S. and Japanese forces in what is today known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For both sides it was one of the most politically and militarily significant battles fought during WWII. The massive operation involved thousands of troops from all branches of the U.S. military and hundreds of vehicles, vessels and weapons. Loss of life was tremendous for both sides with accounts indicating the loss of 3,426 of 67,451 U.S. troops and 29,500 of 31,629 Japanese troops. U.S. capture of Saipan brought land-based, long-range B-29 bombers within range of Japan. An intensive strategic bombing campaign, culminating in the first use of the atomic bomb brought an end to the war without an invasion of Japan.
Propellor of a H8K Kawanishi "Emily" Japanese Seaplane
This project ivolved the identification and documentation of selected submerged archaeological remains of the Battle of Saipan for the creation of an underwater heritage trail. A combination of archival research and systematic archaeological survey and mapping was conducted for each site. This project and trail encouraged local involvement in the preservation of submerged sites through consultation, training and volunteer opportunities. The end result provides economic benefits to the community and a sustainable program for interpreting and preserving WWII heritage.
The heritage trail includes 12 U.S. and Japanese vehicles, aircraft, and shipwrecks. The sites range from snorkel depths of 2m to 10m of water and are interpreted for both divers and non-divers. Underwater waterproof guides for each site were produced. These guides include a site plan, photographs, brief histories of the wrecks, GPS locations and information on how to access the sites. Four thematic color posters were also developed and include detailed histories of the wrecks as well as information about the importance of conservation and preservation of these heritage resources. To dowload the posters and guides, please click here. To see a short presentation on the project development, click here. For more information contact: Dr. Jennifer McKinnon, Project Manager
This project was made possible by a National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program Grant. This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior. | <urn:uuid:7d1c318b-3846-40cf-a5a1-38caf89b6e88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/archaeology/research-profile/current-projects/abpp/abpp_home.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943917 | 513 | 3.8125 | 4 |
My first dessert post! Sooner or later I knew I’d have to share one of my favorite sweet treats and why not start with chocolate chips? I don’t know many kids or adults that would pass up a chocolate chip cookie. The tantalizing aroma of vanilla and chocolate swirling in the air when the cookies are being baked can easily take one’s breath away.
If you’ve never made home-made chocolate chips, you may be wondering what ingredients are in these cookies other than chocolate chips. I believe the traditional recipe combines flour, baking powder, eggs, fat (butter, oil or margarine), brown sugar, white sugar with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Nowadays, the variation of recipes include different types of chocolate (chips, bars, white chocolate, or cocoa powder), flour (whole wheat, almond flour), and additional ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit, and/or oatmeal.
chocolate. Just about any kind of baking chocolate can be used whether it be chocolate chips or chocolate bars. Some of my favorite brands are Valrhona Manjari (French), Scharffen Berger (made in San Francisco), Callebaut, and Ghirardelli (made in San Francisco). I use Ghirardelli the most because it’s the least expensive out of the bunch. For special occasions like birthdays, I like to kick it up a notch by using the high-end chocolates.
sugar. I like to use a combination of granulated sugar (white sugar) and palm sugar or coconut palm sugar. Palm sugar is a coarse brown sugar tapped from date palms and palmyra palms. It’s less sweet than granulated sugar and a rich caramel taste with butterscotch undertones.
Palm sugar is sold at Asian or Indian markets, natural food markets, or online. Just make sure it is “pure” palm or coconut sugar and not blended with other sugars. It’s often sold in solid blocks or liquid. It may be light-colored or dark, soft and gooey, or hard. As a product of the cottage industry, these characteristics vary greatly from batch to batch, but it should easily crumble when squeezed.
storage. Cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months if properly stored in an airtight container or plastic bag. In the freezer, the dough should be good for up to a year. I prefer to bake cookies after the dough has ample time to rest in the refrigerator (about 24-48 hours). I find that the flavors become richer and the sugars more caramel and nutty. Another advantage of leaving dough in the frig, it becomes easier to handle and less sticky.
Fresh baked cookies are like meat, they need a little time to rest properly before you devour them | <urn:uuid:b2c5c547-84f1-4bf9-bace-a53e80a1dd48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lindasyummies.com/category/dessert/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910243 | 584 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Heroin use is on the increase in Waterloo Region and that trend could be blamed for an alarming number of overdoses resulting in at least six deaths in the last six weeks.
Medical officials are documenting an increase in overdose cases, many in which they suspect heroin was involved.
Although toxicology reports have yet to confirm a definite link between the overdoses and heroin, police aren’t wasting any time in sounding the alarm.
Media alerts were issued Thursday to spread warnings about the fatal risks of the drug.
“We’re trying to get the word out that it’s in the community, people are using it and there are risks associated with it,” stated Olaf Heinzel, public affairs co-ordinator with Waterloo Regional Police.
Local medical officials and police are emphasizing that the chances of overdose and death are high when using heroin, as potency levels are inconsistent. Risks also increase when using heroin in conjuction with other drugs.
Signs of overdose include slow or erratic breathing; ceased breathing; snoring or gurgling; blue or purple lips and fingernails; dilated pupils; limp body and seizures.
People are urged to call 911 if they see anyone exhibiting any of these signs.
The warnings come on the heels of a recent indepth drug investigation that resulted in 22 charges of possession of heroin and possession of heroin for the purpose of trafficking.
During the month of August, members of the South Crime Management Team and the Strategic and Tactical Service Drug Branch launched an investigation into the illegal drug trade, focusing on the sale and use of heroin.
The investigation resulted in the execution of search warrants at two homes in Cambridge and the arrests of eight people. Police seized 31.35 grams of heroin, an amount of marijuana, as well as $1,520 in cash.
Heinzel couldn’t comment on whether any of the overdose deaths were linked to the drug busts. But police are asking for the public’s help to combat the fatal trend by reporting any illegal drug activity in their neighbourhoods.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Drug Branch at 519-653-7700, ext. 8612 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
For additional information about heroin or other drugs, visit the Waterloo Region Pollice website at http://goo.gl/f4TMF. | <urn:uuid:c2cc26f9-383e-4626-902d-c35c8d13e5cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news/local/article/1491365--overdoses-prompt-warnings | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939145 | 489 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act, 2000 (Act No.13 of 2000)
a)a)Meetings of the Council must be held at such times and places as the Council may determine.
b)b)However, the first meeting must be held at such time and place as the chairperson determines.
a)a)The chairperson may at any time convene a special meeting of the Council, which must be held at such time and place as the chairperson determines.
b)b)If at toast two councillors request a special meeting in writing, the chairperson must convene such a meeting within seven days after receiving the request.
c)c)If the chairperson fails to convene a special meeting within seven days after receiving the request, the councillors concerned may convene a special meeting.
3)3)The quorum for any meeting of the Council is a majority of the councillors in office at the time.
a)a)Subject to subsection (3), a decision of the Council is taken by resolution agreed to by the majority of councillors at any meeting of the Council.
b)b)In the event of an equality of votes regarding any matter the chairperson has a casting vote in addition to his or her deliberative vote. | <urn:uuid:ffbaedac-5ec3-4f8e-855b-c995d71d6384> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acts.co.za/independent-communications-authority-of-south-africa-act-2000/11_meetings_of_council.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933407 | 262 | 1.65625 | 2 |
In reporting on the deployment of C Company, First Battalion of the 181st Infantry Regiment to Iraq this month, the Boston Globe stated:
The historic unit, which Paul Revere led against British forces on Lexington Green and in Concord in 1775,...Similar remarks were aired by WBZ on TV and WBUR on radio.
But Paul Revere (shown here around 1800) didn’t lead any troops on Lexington Green. He was busy moving a trunk of papers that John Hancock had left behind. Revere never reached Concord at all that night. And he held no military rank or command in April 1775.
Furthermore, Revere’s military experience came in the artillery, not the (light) infantry. First he was a lieutenant under Col. Richard Gridley in 1756, not seeing much action. In 1779 he became commander of the Massachusetts militia artillery regiment (succeeding Col. Thomas Crafts), and led that force during a calamitous attempt to take the British-held fort on the Penobscot River.
Revere’s role in the Battle of Lexington and Concord should be extremely easy to check. It’s not one of the forgotten details of the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, the misinformation about Revere seems to have come from the Massachusetts National Guard itself. A December 2006 press release downloadable here stated:
The 181st Infantry (Light) is one of the five oldest units in the U.S. military, tracing its lineage back to 1632. It was formed in 1636 as part of the Massachusetts Militia. The unit fought during the King Phillips War, repulsing various raids by Native Americans. In 1775, Paul Revere led the regiment against British forces on Lexington Green and in Concord.We can see a public-relations stretch for historical significance in how this paragraph contradicts itself. If the 181st Infantry (Light)’s first predecessor “was formed in 1636,” then it could not go “back to 1632.” Or, if we decide that a 1632 precursor to the legislated Massachusetts militia counts, then why not trace the lineage back even earlier to England? The answer is, of course, that the “lineage” of military units is a bureaucratic fiction that selects historical facts to construct an inspiring heritage. An extra four years is a little more inspiring, but roots in another country are not. The name of Paul Revere resonates more now than that of the actual commander at Lexington, Capt. John Parker.
There’s no practical harm in such historical inaccuracy, of course. But when soldiers and other people are being put in danger, the government and the news media should get the facts right. | <urn:uuid:298b2f57-6172-4bf7-9c08-c3213f181476> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://boston1775.blogspot.com/2007/07/paul-revere-and-181st-infantry-regiment.html?showComment=1247781594297 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953523 | 559 | 2.984375 | 3 |
CONNECT | from the New Zealand Herald
by Peter Griffin
Mobile phone operators are set to claim a larger share of the broadband market in the next couple of years, but one factor may hold these services back – a lack of radio spectrum to deliver them over the air.
Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson estimates the current European mobile operators will have run out of radio spectrum by 2010. That makes the looming auctions of 2.5GHZ (gigahertz) spectrum across
The mobile industry sees the radio spectrum as crucial to maintaining the flat-rate charging model that has emerged in
Halen met with Government officials this week, urging them to ensure December’s state auction for 2.5Ghz (gigahertz) radio spectrum be structured to make it attractive for mobile operators to obtain spectrum.
“It’s an extremely important band for providing mobile services and it’s critical for the introduction of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology which will come to market in 2009,” he said.
By 2009, Ericsson claims that LTE, an evolution of the system currently used by Vodafone and other many other operators, will offer download speeds of up to 100Mbps. That is sufficient for most voice and data services, bar high-definition TV which is better delivered via satellite, ground broadcast or fixed-line connections.
Communications minister David Cunliffe last week revealed a December auction would see two blocks of spectrum put up for sale, in the 2.3Ghz and 2.5GHz bands.
“The new auction can allow for up to six nationwide users and a generous managed park of at least 30 MHz and potentially up to or exceeding 50 MHz. This will ensure plenty of space for smaller and regional providers, including those with a focus on delivering services to Maori,” Cunliffe said.
Both bands are suitable for the provision of wireless broadband services based on the WiMax service and operators CallPlus and Woosh have expressed interest in obtaining spectrum to develop national networks.
But Halen believes CallPlus and Woosh are unlikely to ever offer mass-market services based on WiMax.
“They have an uphill struggle. They’re smaller and they have spectrum in the higher bands which makes it more difficult to penetrate buildings and build coverage.”
But the biggest problem they face, says Halen is also inherent in the CDMA technology
Telecom is now about to replace – a lack of global scale.
That means higher technology development costs, less choice in handsets and an inability to match the mobile operators on pricing plans.
“Generally mobile operators aren’t at all interested in WiMax,” said Halen.
“Their enthusiasm has diminished considerably in the last half year.”
While Halen believes WiMaz services can be delivered using the 2.3GHz spectrum, bidding for the 2.5Ghz block between established mobile operators and fledgling WiMax start-ups is likely to be fierce.
Ironically Ericsson, which built Telecom’s now-decommissioned 025 mobile network, may be left out of local mobile developments for some time to come.
As the Herald reported last week, Telecom is understood to be finalizing a $300 – $400 million deal with its existing outsourcing partner Alcatel Lucent to build a new network based on the same GSM/UMTS standards commonly used around the world.
Ericsson had begun building TelstraClear’s Tauranga-based “Unplugged” network before the project was last month canceled and the network dismantled.
Aspiring new entrant, New Zealand Communications is using Chinese vendor Huawei to build its mobile network and Nokia is well entrenched in the Vodafone camp.
But Halen’s message seems relatively non-partisan and advocates mobile operators in general having the first bite at 2.5GHz spectrum.
“Our suggestion is that when you do the [radio frequency] band allocation, make sure they have access to technologies that are available with huge scale advantage,” said Halen.
The Government will release a discussion paper by August which will outline the technicalities of how it expects to carve up spectrum in the auction. Ultimately, said Halen, broadband was being viewed as essential infrastructure in most countries, hence the growing interest in partial or full government funding of broadband networks.
“It’s like electricity or water. It’s essential everyone in the country gets access to it,” he said.
“That’s the way it will go around the world, including
RUNNING OUT OF SPECTRUM
- Mobile operators are running out of radio spectrum making the 2.5GHz (gigahertz) spectrum auctions happening around the world crucial to expanding their services.
- The Government will auction two lots of spectrum in December, which will likely see mobile operators and new WiMax players competing for licences.
- Mobile broadband is increasingly seen as an alternative to fixed line services as its reliable data speeds increase. | <urn:uuid:714dd095-62fb-464a-9e84-21315e7ad242> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sciblogs.co.nz/griffins-gadgets/2007/06/07/mobile-vs-wimax-for-2-5ghz-spectrum-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931171 | 1,055 | 2.046875 | 2 |
In 1945, Columbia University physics professor Isidor Rabi suggested that a clock could be made from a technique he developed in the 1930s called atomic beam magnetic resonance. By 1949, the National Bureau of Standards (NBS, now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST) announced the world’s first atomic clock using the ammonia molecule as the source of vibrations, and by 1952 it announced the first atomic clock using cesium atoms as the vibration source, NBS-1.
In 1955, the National Physical Laboratory in England built the first cesium-beam clock used as a calibration source. Over the next decade, more advanced forms of the clocks were created. In 1967, the 13th General Conference on Weights and Measures defined the SI second on the basis of vibrations of the cesium atom; the world’s time keeping system no longer had an astronomical basis at that point! NBS-4, the world’s most stable cesium clock, was completed in 1968, and was used into the 1990s as part of the NIST time system.
The atomic clock, which used the oscillations of cesium-133 atoms to tell time, was invented. This clock had an error ratio of 1 second for every 1.4 million years. The atomic clock keeps time via the emanating frequencies of an atom. Even though these timepieces are more precise due to newer technology, they still rely on the basis of a mechanical movement, which functions via power being applied to the mechanism. Recently, in 1999, scientists developed the cesium fountain atomic clock, which is off by only one second every 20 million years. This clock is the most accurate in the world.
Many gadget catalogs and high-tech stores sell "radio-controlled" clocks and wrist watches that are able to receive these radio signals. These clocks and watches truly are synchronizing themselves with the atomic clock in Colorado. This feature is made possible by a radio system set up and operated by NIST -- the National Institute of Standards and Technology, located in Fort Collins, Colorado. NIST operates radio station WWVB, which is the station that transmits the time codes.
WWVB is a very interesting radio station. It has high transmitter power (50,000 watts), a very efficient antenna and an extremely low frequency (60,000 Hz). For comparison, a typical AM radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 1,000,000 Hz. The combination of high power and low frequency gives the radio waves from WWVB a lot of bounce, and this single station can therefore cover all of the continental United States plus much of Canada and Central America as well
The time codes are sent from WWVB using one of the simplest systems possible, and at a very low data rate of one bit per second (for comparison, a typical modem transmits over the phone lines at tens of thousands of bits per second -- imagine receiving a web page at one bit per second!). The 60,000 Hz signal is always transmitted, but every second it is significantly reduced in power for a period of 0.2, 0.5 or 0.8 seconds:
·0.2 seconds of reduced power means a binary zero
·0.5 seconds of reduced power is a binary one.
·0.8 seconds of reduced power is a separator.
The time code is sent in BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) and indicates minutes, hours, day of the year and year, along with information about daylight savings time and leap years. The time is transmitted using 53 bits and 7 separators, and therefore takes 60 seconds to transmit.
A clock or watch can contain an extremely small and relatively simple antenna and receiver to decode the information in the signal and set the clock's time accurately. All that you have to do is set the time zone, and the clock can display a very accurate time. The only thing more accurate that you can carry around easily is a GPS receiver, which derives atomic clock accuracy in real time from the atomic clocks in orbiting GPS satellites. | <urn:uuid:d3e013c6-c3c6-4c21-aaf9-0702bb2b93ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.grandfatherclocksplus.com/cgi-bin/shop/atomic_radioclocks.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948205 | 830 | 3.84375 | 4 |
As a result of the NHS's review of paediatric heart surgery provision across the country, the Children's Heart Surgery Unit at the Yorkshire Heart Centre in Leeds is at risk.
The unit provides specialist surgery and care to children from all over Yorkshire and the Humber, Lincolnshire and North Derbyshire. If it closed, hundreds of children who require life-saving surgery each year would have to travel long distances, possibly hundreds of miles, to another facility. This could put their lives in greater jeopardy.
It would also cause severe distress for the patients and their families, and would see the end of a great team of specialist surgeons and experienced nurses, who have worked so hard to provide unrivalled service and care.
We believe that the closure of this unit will affect not only the hundreds of families who rely on it each year, but everyone in the region who believes Yorkshire should retain its essential healthcare services.
The Childrens Heart Surgery Unit MUST remain open.
If you agree, please sign this petition and visit the CHSF website (http://www.chsf.org.uk) to find out how you can also write to your MP to oppose these plans.
We, the undersigned, agree with the content of this petition, and fully support the aim, in trying to prevent the closure of the Chilrdren's Heart Surgery Unit in the Yorkshire Heart Centre at Leeds General Infirmary.
If everything looks correct, click sign now. Your signature will not be added until you click the button below. | <urn:uuid:d07ed2c6-92b0-4429-9251-733dc1f4d34b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepetitionsite.com/6/help-to-save-ward-10-childrens-cardiac-lgi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94388 | 311 | 1.671875 | 2 |
“I’m looking into the potential of Web 2.0 / mashups / Second Life / … for our museum’s Web site. What do others think about this?“
This, in various guises, is a question which surfaces from time to time on the MCG JISCMail list – and I’m sure the question will be raised in other sectors.
A common response seems to be “We believe in complying with Web accessibility guidelines and we won’t let ourselves be distracted by use of technologies for this own sake.“
But what if this actually means “We can’t be bothered trying anything new“, “We don’t understand any of this new stuff, but we feel uncomfortable admitting this” or “We’ve just deployed an expensive new CMS which doesn’t provide such functionality, so I feel threatened by any suggestions that we’ve missed out on an important alternative service.
It would be difficult to make such suggestions on a mailing list, especially as such a response would seem to avoid the accessibility issue. But what if many of the new technologies can be demonstrated to enhance accessibility? What if the Web Accessibility Initiative’s new draft version of their guidelines recognises this and removes some the outdated guidelines. And what if a holistic approach to accessibility can be taken which can help museums to engage with new audiences?
I pointed out the flaws in WAI’s model and the WCAG 1.0 guidelines and described how the WCAG 2.0 draft guidelines have been updated to remove some of the flaws in the original version of the guidelines and to embrace many new approaches provided by Web 2.0 technologies.
I also pointed out that, as I’ve described previously, the limitations of WAI’s approach had been admitted by Michael Cooper in his paper at the W4A 2007 conference.
And finally I argued that museums should take a holistic approach to accessibility, which covers the range of services provided by an organisation rather than focussing on individual services. Michael Twidale, who gave a talk on Second Life at the conference, provided a great example of this approach when he described how a paraplegic user, who may not be able to walk or control a computer could, with the help or a carer, be able to fly in an immersive environment such as Second Life. This example, taken from a book on Second Life, provided a great example of how Second Life may be empowering for some, and why simplistic approaches to Web accessibility, based on a hard-line interpretation of accessibility guidelines, can do more harm than good.
There seemed to be general agreement at the conference that this is an approach which would appear to be of particular relevance to the museums’ community. And it embraces many of the ideas which were described by other speakers at the conference, which are summarised in blog postings about the conference written by Mike Ellis and Seb Chan.
We do need to move on in our thinking about accessibility – and, I feel, we should stop using dated views on accessibility guidelines as an excuse for failing to engage with innovation. | <urn:uuid:5b8f0c7d-604b-4fa6-99d6-98dd2be7016f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2007/06/25/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954703 | 653 | 1.5 | 2 |
By Maureen Hayden, CNHI News Service
That girl was Marvella Hern, who'd been a straight-A student, class president and national speech champion in high school when she was denied admission to the college of her choice in 1951. The rejection letter from the University of Virginia was terse: "Women need not apply."
Bayh married that girl and has told her story again and again to explain how he became known as the father of Title IX – the 1972 federal law that forbids gender discrimination at schools that get federal aid and changed the male-dominated culture of American sports.
As the retired Indiana senator recounts it now, Marvella convinced him it was foolish to waste the brainpower of half the population by denying women access to equal opportunity in educational institutions.
Championed by Bayh in the Senate and Hawaii's Patsy Mink and Oregon's Edith Green in the House, Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon 40 years ago on June 23, 1972.
What started out as a means to compel equal access to education - especially in medical and law schools - also opened arenas of sport to girls and women in ways Bayh never imagined. There are nearly 10 times as many female players in intercollegiate athletics as there were in 1972; the number of girls in high school sports has jumped nearly 1,000 percent.
Bayh thinks those numbers would have pleased Marvella, who died of cancer in 1979. They also make him think of his father, who coached four sports at Indiana State University and told his son, back in the 1930s, that “little girls need strong bodies to carry strong minds around in, just like little boys do.”
Much has been written about the cultural war over Title IX as schools at all levels across the nation wrestled with how to enforce it. It has been embraced and resisted, even litigated and challenged all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. A 1984 decision involving tiny Grove City College, a private Pennsylvania school, and the 1988 Civil Rights Restoration Act extended the law’s reach to indirect federal aid such as student loans and grants.
Thus Title IX remains true today to its original intent, and even those who find fault with how its policy of equality falls short when put into practice still praise it.
In two generations, it has changed the look of sports. Before Title IX, 1 in 27 high school girls played organized sports. Now it's close to 2 in 5.
The number of women playing intercollegiate sports has risen more than 600 percent since the law's inception, from less than 30,000 to more than 186,000. (That’s still less than the nearly 250,000 NCAA male athletes.)
Title IX's impact on numbers off the field is evident, as well. In 1972, seven percent of the law degrees and nine percent of the medical degrees went to women; now nearly half those degrees are earned by women.
Bayh, who grew up on a farm in rural Indiana raising hogs, chickens and cattle, favors another barometer: Before the law was passed, less than 10 percent of the students in veterinary medicine schools were women. Today it's nearly 80 percent.
Judith Sweet, who pushed for better compliance with the law when she served as president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the 1990s, worries there's a downside to that progress. Sweet cites a recent email from a female student-athlete who said her teammates didn't know the law even existed.
It doesn't bother Bayh quite as much to know there's a generation of athletes who take Title IX, and his role in its passage, for granted. "Maybe that's the way it should be," Bayh said. "Equal rights should be a given."
Passage of Title IX was relatively easy. Equal access to education seemed less radical, Bayh said, than a companion cause he was championing at the time: a constitutional change to force gender equity through the Equal Rights Amendment.
Still, it took three years to get the regulations to enforce Title IX into final print, and signed into law by President Gerald Ford in 1975. And, in the meantime, the NCAA unleashed a massive lobbying effort to squash it. The organization's executive director, Walter Byers, warned his member schools of "impending doom around the corner" for popular male college sports if the law was enforced.
Bayh still remembers the visit he got in his Washington, D.C., office from two titans of college sports: University of Alabama football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and University of Notre Dame Athletic Director Edward "Moose" Krause.
Bayh didn't buy it. Nor did Ford, a former University of Michigan football player who got a similar message from the athletic director at his alma mater.
Title IX backers also had to rebuff influential Texas Senator John Tower, who wanted to amend Title IX to exempt football and men's basketball – the revenue gold at most big schools.
"It was a knock-down, drag-out fight," Bayh said. | <urn:uuid:a2ae1d93-04d9-4de6-9922-80f333de3446> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dailyiowegian.com/news/x1047721224/Law-banning-sex-bias-struck-a-national-sports-nerve/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983648 | 1,054 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Flowcharts demonstrate the sequence of activities, processes, events, operations, or organization of a complex procedure or an interrelated system of components. Flowcharts are useful to depict study protocol or interventions (Example F14), to demonstrate participant recruitment and follow-up such as in a randomized controlled trial (CONSORT)8 (Example F15, and Figure 1 in 20.0, Study Design and Statistics), or to show inclusions and exclusions of samples in other types of studies, such as in meta-analyses of observational studies (MOOSE),9 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (QUOROM),10 and studies of diagnostic accuracy (STARD).11
Decision trees are analytical tools used in cost-effectiveness and decision analyses.12 The decision tree displays the logical and temporal sequence in clinical decision making and usually progresses from left to right (Example F16). A decision node is a point in the decision tree at which several alternatives can be selected and, by convention, is designated by a square. A chance node (probability node) is a point in the decision tree at which several events, determined by chance, may occur and, by convention, is designated by a circle (see Figure 2 in 20.0, Study Design and Statistics).
Algorithms contain branched pathways to permit the application of carefully defined criteria in the task of identification or classification,13 such as to aid in clinical diagnosis or treatment decisions. Standard box shapes are used to indicate various steps in the algorithm. For example, an oval begins the algorithm with the question to be answered or topic to be addressed. A diamond or hexagon shape indicates a decision box, which has at least 2 arrows leading to different paths in the algorithm. A rectangle or square indicates an action or decision box. Algorithms use arrows to guide readers through the process, and yes and no are marked directly on the pathways (Example F17).
Pedigrees illustrate familial relationships and are often used in the study and description of inherited disorders. Standard symbols are used to indicate each person’s sex, vital status (living or dead), and whether he or she has the condition or genetic component in question, if known. Lines drawn horizontally and vertically between symbols convey relationships, with the earliest generation at the top of the figure (Example F18) (see also 15.6.6, Nomenclature, Genetics, Pedigrees). If the sex of each person is not relevant to the discussion and there may be a concern about identifiability/confidentiality, diamonds or another sex-neutral symbol can be substituted for the standard circles and squares (see also 5.8.3, Ethical and Legal Considerations, Protecting Research Participants' and Patients' Rights in Scientific Publications, Rights in Published Reports of Genetic Studies). | <urn:uuid:18f6eb66-fd2d-4d64-b4b5-328db2ead245> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amamanualofstyle.com/view/10.1093/jama/9780195176339.001.0001/med-9780195176339-div2-106?rskey=QIfzxW&result=1&q= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907306 | 576 | 3.34375 | 3 |
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Purpose: The Bible exposition on Acts 15:1-5 Making Important Decisions (part 2 of 7) helps us see the first part of rightly handling difficult decisions between believers - one has to detect the problem. This issue of the need for circumcision is a signficant one that would have longstanding implications.
What God did through this council is amazing. It is perhaps the clearest sign of the Spirit’s work. How do we know? Just think how most people handle tense issues.
They become divisive in heart and/or separate physically. Before the separation, tremendous pressure builds up. Hatred arises with words like venom, hoping to cause their victim great damage. Sometimes things like these might even happen in the church. If one has seen such things in the past, then he will be quite cautious in taking up a role in a church again.
Be careful, though. The greatest time of danger is when everything is going well. You are off guard.
In this case, Paul and Barnabas just came back from the first missionary journey. People in all parts of the world (really just Cyprus and modern-day Turkey) were coming to know the Lord. Even their church, Antioch, was becoming a big hub for the advance of God’s kingdom.
This whole situation happened at a time when people thought nothing could go wrong. Be careful. Always be careful but especially when one are doing well and one’s self-confidence and pride tend to swell.
Every significant advance in the kingdom of God will be challenged! Opening the door to the Gentiles was a significant surprise and the devil was not taking a back seat.
Notice that this meeting started with general discussion and debate, followed by relevant testimony and experience and ends up with analysis of the scriptures. A bit more simpler, they detected, discussed and resolved the problem.
“And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.
4 And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses” (Acts 15:1-5).
The greatest threat to the church is ignorance. Being so self-absorbed that one does not even spot the enemy’s attack. Drop a lobster in boiling water, and one sees a lot of resistance. But start cooking them in cold water and slowly bring the pot to a boil and one will not observe any resistance whatsoever.
In this particular case we find some leaders visiting the Antioch church and telling the believers that they needed to be circumcised according to the custom of Moses or they could not be saved. Paul and Barnabas debated with them and observed that they needed to get a joint understanding of this whole issue or the church would soon become just another Jewish synagogue with slightly different teachings.
Circumcision came prior to the law at Abraham’s time but was part of the Old Covenant and identifying oneself with God’s people. Many Jews thought that if they were circumcised, then they were God’s child. This mindset is very similar to those who depend upon baptism in the church.
There are some who like to speak of a utopian society where everything will go well with the good church because of the Spirit of God is mightily moving among them. Remember, that though the church might go through golden periods, difficulty and conflict are common. Jesus faced persecution and challenges and so did the early church as the Book of Acts repeatedly testifies.
We should remember that the very growth of the church in Antioch Syria began because the believers had to leave their homes and land. If there is no opposition, perhaps the church should be more alarmed. In the end Paul and Barnabas headed south to seek Jerusalem’s church leaders on this contentious matter.
Notice the joy in Paul and Barnabas as they went through Phoenicia and Samaria, the lands between Antioch in Syria and Jerusalem. They might have been plagued by those bringing in false teaching, but it did not stop them in announcing the great work of God. They told everyone the great things happening on their first missionary journey and even what was happening in Antioch. Many Jews and Gentiles were coming to know the Lord. What a great time.
Before moving on, we should observe that the problem is twice identified twice in this section. In verse 1 and 5 there were those, including those from the Pharisees, who had believed in Jesus, and yet were teaching contrary teachings. They taught that the Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and directed them to observe the Law of Moses.
The real issue had to do with salvation, though it could look like a simple clash of cultures. This will be discussed further as we trace how they approached the whole issue. How should the nonJewish believers interact with the Jewish believers? The Jews kept the Law, that is, the many laws taught in the Book of Moses (first five books of the Bible).The Gentiles perhaps did not even know anything about the laws. They would go to the same church, though. They would eat the Lord’s supper together.
Something deeper was at stake, however. Remember in verse 1 that they said unless they are circumcised they cannot be saved. So the whole issue moves from a cultural one to a critical salvation issue. What about all those Gentiles who believed in Jesus?Are they really believers? Or put in our own context, are we who are not Jews but believe in Jesus really saved?
Although this issue does come up once and a while now with various cults and Christian groups, we are thankful that they had their discussion back then. From their understanding, we know better how to understand our salvation. Let us see how they approached this whole matter.
In our society which disdains absolutes, we should remember that truth is true because it is a real representation of what is. It is not dependent upon what one feels or wants but on its reflection of what has really happened. They could debate and search out the truth because there was truth.
Many churches are following the empty philosophies of the world by not prioritizing truth and allowing them to revel in their own thinkings and feelings. This is idolatry. We appreciate, in this case, both groups believed in God’s Word and wanted to be consistent with it.
Don’t get caught unaware. There are many good apologetic books out there. Never underestimate the power of the scriptures. Having a Bible is a luxury. In it we can see what God prioritized for us to know. You want to know about the beginning or the end of the world as we know it, the Bible will tell you. You want to know how to have a better marriage. The Bible has the answer.
Let us remember that no matter how big the problems are that the church face, don’t forget to shine. Don’t get burdened down with your problems. They will be resolved in time. Every day is an opportunity to praise God and share His great acts with others.
Next -> 2. Discuss the Problem (15:6-12) - Peter, Paul, Barnabas
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Acts_01:1-11 Bible Study Questions
Acts 1:6-11 The Kingdom Plan and Purpose | Video podcast
Acts 2:14-40 Be Saved! | Video podcast
Acts 6-7 Motivation | Acts 6:5-8 | Acts 6:9-15 | Act 6-7 Video podcast
Acts 7 Affirming motivation
Acts_7 Stephen's Defense
Acts_8.2-25 Persecution & Evangelism
Acts_8.14-24 Simon & Gnosticism
Acts_8.25-40 Ethiopean Eunuch
Acts_9:1-22 Saul the Terrorist
Acts_8-9 Perspectives on Conversion
Acts_10:1-48: Intersecting in Time: Vision #1
Acts_10:9-16 Vision #2 Peter
Acts_10:17-48 The Meeting that Changed History
Acts_10:34-44 The Christian Historical Message
Acts_13-14 Paul's First Missionary Journey
Acts 13: 1-3 A Model for our Church
Leadership - Diversity - God-seeking - Mission-minded
Acts_13:1-3 Sending Out Missionary Church
Acts_13:4-12 Power Encounter in Cyprus
Acts_13:13-50 Gospel Message in Antioch
Acts_13:51-14:28 Other Missionary Stops
Acts 20:28-30 Detecting Error in the Church
Acts 21:4 Discerning God's will | <urn:uuid:39eaaf7f-897f-4ecf-8882-590f0e640136> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/NT/Acts/Acts_15/Acts_15_01-5_Make.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967714 | 2,008 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Zimbabwe’s Vice President John Nkomo has died at the age of 79, State Radio said.
VP John Nkomo died in a Harare hospital early Thursday after a long illness, the radio said.
A former opponent of Mr. Mugabe, Mr. Nkomo joined a unity government formed in 1987 at the end of an armed rebellion in the western Matabeleland province by fighters loyal to his party who opposed Mr. Mugabe’s domination of the first black government after independence from Britain in 1980.
Mr. Nkomo a former teacher began his political activism against colonial rule in 1958. In recent years, he wasn’t seen as a political heavyweight with influence over Mr. Mugabe. | <urn:uuid:ed354ddc-025d-4e66-ba61-a78a9b5aea74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ugandapicks.com/2013/01/zimbabwes-vice-president-john-nkomo-dead-72394.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975062 | 152 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Partly Cloudy and Breezy
A Few Clouds
West Bend N/A
Fair and Breezy
Fond du Lac N/A
MUKWONAGO -- A second grade class at Clarendon Avenue Elementary in Mukwonago got a lesson from a classmate on Juvenile Arthritis.
Victoria Anderson has been living with the disease for the last two years. She was diagnosed when she was six.
"No matter how much it hurts, i just keep going," said Victoria.
But sometimes she needs some help and that's why she wanted to let her fellow classmates know about what she's going through.
She has weekly infusions and her mom, Brenda, has to get her up three hours before school to put on ice packs and heating pads and give Victoria her steroids.
"This is normal for her now," said Brenda.
Juvenile Arthritis affects 300,000 kids nationwide and that's why the Arthritis Foundation is so important to families like the Andersons.
"For people who are just finding out or just diagnosed with arthritis we're a great place for research, learning more about the disease, connecting them with other people who have arthritis," said Hayley Wolf, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the Arthritis Foundation's Upper Midwest Region. "We help them find ways to get involved in the community."
One of those things is the Arthritis Walk. It's coming up on May 19 at University Lake School in Hartland and Victoria has been chosen the honoree for it.
"She has so much energy and she's such a great example of what you're life can be like with arthritis," said Wolf. "You don't have to let it take you down."
"She wants to share about her disease with other kids and hope that they won't go through what she goes through and hope to educate them," said Brenda.
And Victoria says she feels like she has. After her presentation and question/answer session at school, she thinks her classmates may understand what she's going through and be able to help her more when she needs it.
Victoria plans on helping more people by supporting the Arthritis Foundation and the upcoming Arthritis Walk.'
"I feel good because I know that we're raising enough money for arthritis and someday we might find a cure," said Victoria.
For information on the Arthritis Foundation and the Arthritis Walk, log onto www.arthritis.org or call 800-333-1380. | <urn:uuid:38c86985-6582-4e84-961c-012b40c1100e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbs58.com/features/making-milwaukee-great/Arthritis-Foundation-150618585.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967267 | 508 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Dalat city. In 1999, Mr. Tran Dinh Lanh - Director of water supplying company of Lamdong province had an idea to build a 3 - hectare garden in Golden stream waterworks for his workers relaxing after working days. After that, because there were a lot of compliments for his garden, he decided to build an ecological tourist site. The design was made by Mr. Nguyen Huu Thanh and Le Van Khai, architects of Southern Building and Architecture Company.
The first day of 2005 lunar year, Golden Valley was officially opened for visiting. Nowadays, because the roads to this site are in good condition, this makes the number of tourists coming more and more.
The first thing tourists will see when visiting Golden Valley is its very big iron gate; then, a lot of pine trees along its internal roads. It is a famous tourist site with plenty of bonsai islands, rare ornamental plants and exceptional plants that we cannot find in other flower gardens of Dalat.
The Valley has unique ideas of arrangements:
* The artificial waterfall flowing from the four sacred animal rock gardens (Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix). At the end of the waterfall, we can see a rice-hulling mill that we often see in Viet Bac, Tay Bac. In the far distance, we can see the bamboo bridge, the familiar image of the South of Vietnam.
* A big statue of a genie sowing seeds.
* A recreation area, Thai Cuc, and a lake, Luong Nghi. The stones arranged on the path with the arrangement of ancient people.
A sword-shaped rock with the words: "way of ideas" in accordance to the style of calligraphy, reminding the first ideas of establishing the valley.
- Add: Dan Kia, Lac Duong district, Lamdong province.
- Tell: 0633. 834.578
Source: By Golden Valley tourist site management board | <urn:uuid:b4eba6de-14b1-4d8c-bee8-4bf3d12b8e7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lamdong.gov.vn/en-US/tourist/Famous-Landscape/Pages/Golden-Valley.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938235 | 404 | 1.992188 | 2 |
I’d argue that the first genuinely successful adaptation of comic book superheroes outside the comics medium wasn’t in live-action film or on television, but instead in the Superman animated shorts of Fleischer Studios. Created in Max and Dave Fleischer’s Miami studio during the early days of World War II, Superman was a relatively high-budget concept for the time and employed a stylish Art Deco look that stands up to this day. We’ve known for a while that Superman and Clark Kent were voiced by radio personality Bud Collyer, but my friends over at Cartoon Brew uncovered something I never seen before: Visually, Superman was modeled after on a muscular young man named Karol Krauser, who would go on to become a fairly popular pro wrestler in the 1950s and ’60s as part of a tag team called the Mad Russians.
Wrestling and comics … when will the connections ever stop? Or should they?
via Robot 6
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In England and Wales, official records of births, deaths and
marriages began on 1 July 1837, and Civil Partnership records from
5 December 2005. Separate systems operate for Scotland and Northern
The country is divided into registration districts. Each has its
own Superintendent Registrar, who is responsible for the original
registers belonging to the district. They contain the records of
births, marriages and deaths from 1 July 1837.
If you know the area where the event took place, you need to
apply to the Superintendent Registrar of that district. The
Superintendent Registrar will give you a certified copy of that
entry from his/her records. There is a charge for this service (see
Kent County Council (KCC) has a certificate centre at the
Mansion House in Tunbridge Wells which
holds all the completed registers for Kent and Bexley since 1
July 1837 and can supply a certified copy of any Kent and
Bexley birth, death or marriage entry from any register within
its custody or a Kent civil partnership registration from the
government online database.
Registers of births, deaths and marriages are either:
- Incomplete - still being used by a Registrar or
- Complete - stored in the Kent County Council
Certificate Centre in Tunbridge Wells.
(Please note: Kent does not include the Medway Towns (Chatham,
Gillingham, Rochester and Strood) or the London Boroughs
of Bromley and Greenwich who hold their own records for
births, deaths and marriages going back to 1 July 1837, and Civil
Partnerships from 5 December 2005.)
Find out how to apply for
What about births, deaths and marriages before 1837?
Events that happened before 1 July 1837 may have been recorded
in church baptismal, marriage and burial registers, which are kept
by the local county Archivist. Early census returns can sometimes
prove useful sources of information. Staff at the Kent
History and Library Centre in Maidstone will be able to
advise you on this.
A number of websites are offering certificates at inflated
prices and the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory
Services (LACORS) has issued the following press release.
LACORS today warned consumers against purchasing expensive
copies of birth, death and marriage certificates via the
A number of websites are offering users the chance to purchase
copies of certificates with prices ranging from £19 to £60.
However, contacting the council's Registration Service where the
event was registered will only cost you the statutory fee.
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald OBE says: "There is no reason why
people should be paying extra for this service. Obtaining a copy of
a birth, marriage or death certificate is relatively
straightforward going through a local authority. Not only is it
easier but also much cheaper and I would encourage people not to
waste their money". | <urn:uuid:47bbbf59-0473-4815-a87b-6e6f4ec7c737> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kent.gov.uk/community_and_living/births,_deaths_and_ceremonies/local_offices__other_services/certificates.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936075 | 612 | 2.5 | 2 |
Pop-Culture | Posted by Brittney E on 12/7/2012
Is Microsoft Paying More Attention To Female Gamers?
In an interview the week before the release of Halo 4, Bonnie Ross, from Microsoft’s 343 Industries, and Kiki Wolfkill, Halo 4’s executive producer, boldly announced that Xbox Live would be implementing a lifetime ban for “players who are found to be making sexist or discriminatory comments against others.” The blogosphere lit up with claims that Halo 4 on Xbox Live would be “banning sexism,” but what does this really mean?
The fact that two industry leaders behind a popular game like Halo 4 are women is quite impressive. It is also important to have them calling out sexism in gaming as “behavior that is offensive and completely unacceptable.” The question is, do their words have any real impact? At it turns out, their seemingly groundbreaking announcement does not reflect any actual modification of the current Xbox Live policy. The code of conduct has not been changed and reads as follows:
Don’t create a gamertag, profile content, Avatar action, Avatar content, or in-game content that other users may be offended by. This includes, without limitation, anything related to or suggestive of: profane words/phrases, topics or content of a sexual nature, hate speech (including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or religious slurs), illegal drugs/controlled substances, or illegal activities.
As you can see, the code of conduct includes no new language or new provisions specifically addressing sexist comments. Since the interview, a Microsoft representative has said that the company is not changing their Xbox Live policy for Halo 4, adding that Microsoft does not support any form of bigotry.
So, to summarize, Xbox Live is not placing a lifetime ban on players who use sexist comments, and Ross and Wolfkill’s announcement does not mean that Microsoft will be initiating any special measures to stop sexism on Xbox Live.
The few days of excitement over the possibility of Microsoft taking steps to actively fight sexism raises important questions: Should sexism be fought in online gaming forums? With women now making up a large and growing percentage of gamers, is this an issue that needs to be pursued, or should online gaming outlets stay out of the situation?
In their interview, Ross and Wolfkill placed more of the responsibility for ending sexism in gaming on the developers. As the number of women in the gaming world grows, it will be interesting to see how companies like Microsoft handle the issue of sexism.
Originally Posted on Modern Media Mix | <urn:uuid:e64726a8-7c92-4e3a-aabf-593b332131c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thefbomb.org/2012/12/is-microsoft-paying-more-attention-to-female-gamers/ | 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 | 0.935827 | 531 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Details: This poster is a picture of Albert Einstein sitting in a chair and writing something on a note pad while he holds a smoking pipe with the other hand. On the left is a list of advice on different life subject matters such as aging, relationships, problems, competition, etc. The bottom of the poster says The Wisdom of Einstein.
Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time. His many contributions to physics include the special and general theories of relativity, the founding of relativistic cosmology, the photon theory and wave-particle duality, and the quantum theory of atomic motion in solids. Einstein is best known for his theories of special relativity and general relativity. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. He is often regarded as the father of modern physics. | <urn:uuid:5dede55a-8f43-4e55-925e-2b4add667ae0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.posterrevolution.com/poster.cfm/albert-einstein-words-of-wisdom-photo-poster-print-24x36 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969816 | 181 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Global health: prospects and challenges beyond the Millennium Development Goals.
This presentation will use results from a series of analyses related to the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study to highlight global and regional transitions in major global health risk factors and consider the consequences for the health of populations worldwide
Majid Ezzati, Chair in Global Environmental Health, Imperial College London
Majid Ezzati is the Chair in Global Environmental Health at Imperial College London. Dr. Ezzati's research interests are centred around understanding the determinants of, and risk factors for, health and disease at the population level, especially as they change through technological innovation and technology management. His research focuses on the exposure to and health effects of environmental, behavioural, nutritional, and metabolic risk factors and their interventions. His research group has conducted field research in Kenya, Ghana, and The Gambia. He led the World Health Organization’s collaborative project on risk factors (titled “the Comparative Risk Assessment Project”) which appeared in the World Health Report 2002: Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life and is currently leading the Comparative Risk Assessment component of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2005 Study and the Global Burden of Metabolic Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases.
Coach House, Green College | <urn:uuid:2ab2577e-f02a-4767-a059-7a1cbb577083> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spph.ubc.ca/?p2=modules/hce/events/view.jsp&id=334 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917069 | 273 | 1.984375 | 2 |
by John Galt
June 10, 2012 13:50 ET
The news from Ireland and the idea that the PIIGS will find nirvana with each bailout and an automatic path to recovery continues to be destroyed by actual real statistics and the harsh reality of the severity of the Great Depression of 2008. A report from Deutsche Bank quoted in this morning’s Irish Independent states that there are 289,451 empty homes plus an additional 15,000 vacation homes across this small nation. When taking average population growth, the year 2055 appears to be the target year for when the “glut” in housing will balance with population growth. The map below from this article illustrates the severity of the problem:
The map shows this horrific proportion of coastal vacancies where the red indicates 25% levels or higher vacancies and provide a visual indication as to just how severe the housing crisis really is. This one portion of the story tells the tale of demographics and economic depression Ireland will continue to endure:
The report says that if current population trends are sustained, housing oversupply will take 43 years to clear (this excludes holiday homes from unoccupied houses in the calculations). If holiday dwellings are included in calculations, the oversupply will take 57 years to clear.
However, the 2011 population growth figures were well below the levels seen over the previous decade. But such is the scale of vacant property that even at pre-crisis, boom-year population growth levels it would take almost 10 years to clear the backlog. And this is before taking into account developments which may subsequently be completed, and houses which are still being built — 10,480 in total in 2011.
Our vacancy rate of 15 per cent is almost five times greater than in the UK. The average vacancy rate in England is 3.2 per cent, with 719,000 empty homes out of 22.8m.
“Barring a sudden and sizeable recovery in Irish net migration, or a politically controversial policy of demolishing large volumes of excess housing stock, housing oversupply will remain a feature for many years, possibly decades, to come,” says Deutsche.
In other words, the Irish are facing the almost exact same dilemma the United States is facing yet we managed to punt the problem down the road by injecting massive amounts of fiat funny money into the failing system while the Irish are held hostage to a treaty which will keep their real estate industry and thus a large portion of the population trapped in a financial prison. The U.S. has failed to recognize the problem while the voters in Ireland are under the misguided belief that Brussels and Berlin will work with London to solve their real estate nightmare. Unfortunately for all parties involved, a catastrophic economic collapse and reset is the only possible solution to the problem and forestalling the day of reckoning will only make matters worse.
To read the entire article by Nick Webb, click on the link below: | <urn:uuid:50d62cbf-51cd-4a77-80ee-478a7a71800c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://johngaltfla.com/wordpress/lv/2012/06/10/43-years-to-fill-all-the-empty-homes-in-ireland/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939345 | 590 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Traveling Salesman: Brute Force
March 12, 2010
The traveling salesman problem is classic: Find the minimum-length tour that visits each city on a map exactly once, returning to the origin. It is an important problem in practice; consider, for instance, that the cities are soldering points on a large circuit board, each of which must be visited by a soldering robot. It is also an important problem in mathematics, and is known to be in NP, meaning that optimal solutions for non-trivial problems are impossible. Nonetheless, there exist heuristic algorithms that do a good job at minimizing the tour length.
We will examine the traveling salesman problem in an occasional series of exercise, beginning with today’s exercise that looks at the brute-force solution of examining all possible tours. The algorithm is simple: First, select a tour at random, then determine all possible permutations of the tour. Second, determine the length of each tour. Third, report the tour with minimum length as the solution.
Your task is to write a program that solves the traveling salesman problem using the brute-force algorithm. When you are finished, you are welcome to read or run a suggested solution, or to post your own solution or discuss the exercise in the comments below.
Pages: 1 2 | <urn:uuid:418a7a01-ccf7-48b4-9282-be31ac7cd128> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://programmingpraxis.com/2010/03/12/traveling-salesman-brute-force/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=f5309b4960 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919662 | 266 | 2.6875 | 3 |
The GOES-13 satellite passed over a low pressure area designated as "System 97L" earlier today and captured a visible image of the low in the eastern Caribbean Sea. System 97L appears in a good place for development into a tropical depression in the next day or two.
The National Hurricane Center currently gives the low pressure area known as System 97L an "80 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours." The low pressure area is located just north of the Virgin Islands near 19.0 North latitude and 65.3 West longitude. The visible image from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-13 showed a tight center of circulation with clouds, showers and thunderstorms extending mostly north, east and south of the center.
The visible image also shows another area of low pressure in the central Atlantic Ocean, trailing to the east of System 97L. Forecasters are giving this low a "near zero percent" chance of developing in the next 48 hours. That low is 950 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and is a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.
System 97L however, has a much greater chance because upper level winds are waning and are forecast to continue weakening. That will enable System 97L to develop further. System 97L is moving northwestward near 5 to 10 mph, and is expected to be another big rainmaker in the region. Locally heavy rainfall from System 97L is possible over the next couple of days in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.
GOES-13 is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and images are created by NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Md.
Explore further: Professor argues Earth's mantle affects long-term sea-level rise estimates | <urn:uuid:450b7a0b-46cf-4c36-8a53-546ccd970503> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://phys.org/news205517399.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930431 | 382 | 2.875 | 3 |
The NCAA finals might be over but Marquette students are preparing for their own set of finals. With papers, readings, constant studying and late nights in Raynor Memorial Library coming soon, students will be doing all they can to pass their finals and classes with flying colors. For some, that includes taking stimulants, or “performance enhancers” to study.
Typically prescribed for attention-deficit and learning disorders, stimulants like Adderall, Concerta and Ritalin are increasingly becoming the tool of choice for students looking to meet deadlines and get the best grades possible.
“I only take it when I really need to get something done, maybe the day before a paper,” said a male freshman student in the College of Business Administration, who agreed to speak to The Warrior on the condition of anonymity.
The student said this semester was the first he tried “performance enhancers” to help him study, and said he buys whatever types of stimulant pills he can from students who have prescriptions.
He said although he mainly uses the drug to study, he occasionally uses it recreationally as well.
“I know people who are way more into it than I am. I have done it recreationally, to party too, but not all the time,” he said.
While the student said he usually buys one pill at a time, around high-stress times of the year, like midterms or finals, the demand for pills goes up—and so do prices.
“Normally the price (for a pill) is about three or four dollars, but around midterms or finals, they’ll jack up the price and it’ll be about eight.” Despite price increases around peak test times, the student said he considers the transaction a good deal.
“It’s really pretty cheap,” he said. “If I can crank out a whole night of homework for four, six, or eight bucks, it’s totally worth it for me.” The student said he has taken one or more stimulant pills seven times this semester and estimates he has spent more than 50 dollars on the drugs.
While the student said the use of performance enhancers is widespread at Marquette, he doesn’t consider the abuse of drugs like Adderall, Ritalin or Concerta academically dishonest.
“No one is talking about it, but it seems anybody can get a prescription,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a problem; academically dishonest, no. If people want it, they can get it.”
Stimulants used by students to study such as Adderall are in the amphetamines family, while others such as Concerta, and Ritalin are in the ethylphenidate family. Both groups are known for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adderall is typically prescribed to children and adults who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is seen as a stimulant for the brain by controlling impulses and regulating behavior and attention. It influences the availability of neurotransmitters in the brain, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Classified by the FDA as a Schedule II drug due to its high potential for abuse and severe psychological or physical dependency, it is still currently accepted for medical use. The Schedule II drug category consists of opium, cocaine, methadone, amphetamines, and methamphetamines.
Abuse among students who do have a prescription for drugs like Adderall and Concerta does exist, and often involves a student manipulating the prescription in order to deal to those without one. One underclassman male student in the College of Communication who requested anonymity said he routinely re-fills his Concerta prescription for his Dyslexia and ADHD so he can sell his pills non-prescribed students.
“I don’t think of it as a big deal,” he said. “People know I have the resources to get it.” The student said he often checks up with customers to see how well the stimulant worked and has between ten and fifteen freshman friends and clients. Students who approach him for pills often have “the voice in their head that tells them to get something done, ‘or else,’’ he said. “(They think) this medicine can help me get it all done.”
He said he has also seen some purchase Concerta because “they like how they feel when they’re on it” especially when taken at parties.
Although “performance enhancers” like Concerta do not improve intelligence, the student said it does, “enhance your drive to get it all done.”
During times where he has taken the pill to study, he has experienced a loss of appetite, is unsociable, very focused and quiet. He advises students who buy from him to take the drug to study and while they are taking the test as well.
“It’s an association thing,” he said. Studying with stimulants does occur at Marquette and continues to be a growing trend with college students across the country.The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in an April 2009 report found of the 28,027 full-time college students between the ages of 18 and 22 surveyed they were twice as likely to use the amphetamine drug Adderall without prescription as those who had not been in college at all or were only part-time students. In 2008, the study found that full-time college students who had used Adderall non medically “were almost three times more likely to use marijuana, eight times more likely to use cocaine, eight times more likely to use tranquilizers non medically, and five times more likely to use pain relievers non medically.”
Although many students do not think using of stimulants to study is illegal, if students are caught, there are legal penalties.
“We get involved when it comes to finding people in possession of a controlled substance without a prescription,” said Officer Richard Lopez of the Milwaukee Police Department. According to Lopez, arrests and criminal charges for possession are the big things when it comes to non-prescribed drugs. According to Wisconsin state laws, those convicted of simple possession can receive a sentence under state law of drug treatment rather than jail time, and probation may be available to first-time offenders for more serious offenses. In addition, for Wisconsin, possessors can be fined between $1000 and $10,000, with the average jail time being between six months to three and a half years. There is also a mandatory driver’s license suspension for a minimum of six months and a maximum of five years for all drug offenses.
In addition to legal ramifications of abusing the pills, there are also some severe health ones as well. The FDA finds that non-prescribed, illegal use of Adderall can result in “rapid heartbeat palpitations, increased blood pressure, restlessness, insomnia, seizures, depression, headache and stroke,” with long term affects including liver problems and addiction. Students, who use Adderall without a prescription, may need to take central nervous system depressants such as pain relievers or tranquilizers to counteract the stimulant effects of Adderall.
Prolonged levels of a high attention span that occur when stimulants are taken repeatedly can
result in a ‘speed crash’. A speed crash, in medical terms follows the high level of energy originally felt, and leaves the person feeling nauseous, irritable, depressed or extremely exhausted. The FDA has found that those who take the drug for actual medical purposes have fewer side effects.
In addition, the NSDUH, found that nearly 90 percent of non-presciption full-time college students who used Adderall in the past month were also binge alcohol users.
More than half were heavy alcohol users. A 23-year- old female graduate student at Marquette who also agreed to speak to The Warrior on the condition of anonymity, said many students in her program also use performance enhancing drugs like Adderall. While she said she does not use the drug, the students she knows who take it do not have a prescription.. Usually using it the night before an exam, students who use them tell her their ability to study and retain information is increased.
“A normal person can study for five hours and absorb a certain amount of material, but if you’re on Adderall and study those same five hours, it’s the most intense five hours of your life…it just gives you that edge, that intense ability to concentrate for more extended periods of time.”
With academic programs where students are ranked creating a particularly competitive situation many students feel the need to do whatever they need to do to get the best grades possible to get the highest rank.
“It’s not that people are proud of it, they just do what they need to do to get the grade,” said the student.
by Marissa Evans and Katelyn Ferral
marissa [email protected]
Popularity: 15% [?] | <urn:uuid:d8ea3eb3-9be9-4701-9827-27502c5450f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thewarrior.org/2010/04/28/students-use-stimulants-to-get-the-grade/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968712 | 1,925 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Recently my daughter started to hit another girl with whom she is currently sharing her nanny. My daughter is 2 years and 2 months now, the other child is 1 year 3 months. The nanny was our daughters ...
From talking to other parents, it seems like most boys (children?) go through an early stage of hitting at around 1. I have a 14-month old (2nd) son who occasionally hits me in the face, and ...
My 2 year old son has outbursts of anger when he cannot get his own way, he seems to lose control of himself and will scream, hit and even sometimes bite the person that is stopping him from doing ...
My son is two years old now. Somehow he likes fighting. His mornings start with hitting and biting. I know for him it's a game and he enjoys it. Also, sometimes he becomes angry and throws whatever is ...
Possible Duplicate: How do you discourage a toddler from hitting people? Out of the blue my 16 month old son has started hitting his sister (4 year old) and other kids when he is frustrated ... | <urn:uuid:a640fac6-3cab-4307-bb23-bb02a4a147b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/hitting?sort=votes&pagesize=15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98423 | 226 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Tibetan Yoga of Movement introduces the method of Yantra Yoga, a traditional Tibetan form that is one of the oldest recorded systems of yoga in the world. Derived from an eighth century Tibetan Buddhist text, Yantra Yoga includes many of the same positions found in Hatha Yoga but in Yantra Yoga they are applied differently. The Yantra Yoga system encompasses 108 sets of movements (yantras) and several types of breathing to be learned at one's own pace. Each yantra is a sequence of seven phases of movement connected with seven phases of breathing. With the subtle practice of uniting breathing and movement, Yantra Yoga is an essential practice for yoga practitioners and anyone seeking authentic balance, harmony, and understanding of our true nature.
Since the eighth century, this yoga teaching has been passed down from teacher to student in an unbroken lineage. Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, the current lineage holder began transmitting Yantra Yoga in the West in the 1970s. Presenting detailed instructions accompanied by over 400 instructional photos, the book describes the sequence of movements, methods of breathing, and the concrete health benefits of the practice.
Table of Contents: What is Yantra Yoga?; The Uniqueness of Yantra Yoga; Advice for Practice; Warm-ups; The Nine Purification Breathings; The Five Exercises for Loosening the Joints; The Eight Movements to Purify the Prana; The Five Exercises to Control the Channels; The Five Main Groups of Yantras: The First Group; The Second Group; The Third Group; The Fourth Group; The Fifth Group; The Vajra Wave to Eliminate Obstacles
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu|Fabio Andrico
About Chogyal Namkhai Norbu
Born in Eastern Tibet in 1938, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is an internationally known Dzogchen Buddhist teacher and author. The direct descendant of the first Dzogchen Tibetan master of Tibet, Norbu spent his childhood receiving many teachings from masters of various traditions. In the 1960s he was invited to teach in Italy. During his career he wrote many books on Tibetan culture and Dzogchen Buddhism. He is the founder of two nonprofit organizations including the Shang Shung Institute for Tibetan Studies, which is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture.
About Fabio Andrico
Born and raised in Italy, Fabio Andrico is an internationally recognized expert in the unique tradition of Tibetan yoga known as yantra yoga. Currently a hatha and yantra yoga instructor and teacher trainer, he studied directly under Tibetan scholar and Dzogchen master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
• "Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is one of the greatest Tibetan meditation masters and scholars teaching in the West."--Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within and Awakening the Buddhist Heart, and the founder of the Dzogchen Foundation in Massachusetts
Tibetan Yoga of Movement by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu and Fabio Andrico, with Paula Barry and Naomi Zeitz | <urn:uuid:393b27ad-d172-416c-93c0-0a86060e4c21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.randomhouse.com/book/221149/tibetan-yoga-of-movement-by-chogyal-namkhai-norbu-and-fabio-andrico/9781583945568/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926885 | 652 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Released 13 July 2004The atmosphere of Mars is a dynamic system. Water-ice clouds, fog, and hazes can make imaging the surface from space difficult. Dust storms can grow from local disturbances to global sizes, through which imaging is impossible. Seasonal temperature changes are the usual drivers in cloud and dust storm development and growth.
Eons of atmospheric dust storm activity has left its mark on the surface of Mars. Dust carried aloft by the wind has settled out on every available surface; sand dunes have been created and moved by centuries of wind; and the effect of continual sand-blasting has modified many regions of Mars, creating yardangs and other unusual surface forms.
Today's two large windstreaks are good examples of the scour-and-deposit type of windstreak discussed in yesterday's image (see PIA06457). The wind has played a greater part in modifying the surface seen in this image than just producing windstreaks. Tomorrow we'll start looking at the powerful erosive force of the winds on Mars.
Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -13.1, Longitude 222.2 East (137.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.
Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | <urn:uuid:861bb78c-f24d-486d-ba6b-1114e87b9b5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06458 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925786 | 458 | 3.453125 | 3 |
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The medium used by indoor wireless LANs is a shared, scarce resource. Hence, efficient use of this medium is important, which in turn requires an efficient MAC protocol. Moreover, next generation wireless LANs will have to support data rates from 10 to 100 Mbits/s. At these data rates, turnaround times in half-duplex radios are a large overhead. This makes the current wireless standards inefficient. However, busy-tone solutions can get around this problem. In spite of their better performance, the busy-tone protocols are not widely used because of the hardware cost, i.e., the requirement of two transceivers-one each for the data and feedback channel. A novel wireless transceiver architecture which mitigates this hardware cost by overlaying the data channel and the feedback channel in the same frequency band is designed. It is shown that this transceiver can be built with current technology. Based on this wireless transceiver, a new MAC protocol called wireless collision detect (WCD) is proposed. This protocol uses a carrier detect signal to decrease the collision probability and receiver initiated feedback to handle hidden nodes. We derive a mathematical expression for the throughput of the protocol. The simulation results match the analysis. At 100 Mbits/s, WCD achieves 77% efficiency with 192 byte packets. For this scenario, the throughput of the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol and RI-BTMA is 3% and 52%, respectively.
Date of Publication: Sept. 2000 | <urn:uuid:b340210f-54b7-4734-8a0b-9eff0bbf98a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=872960&contentType=Journals+%26+Magazines | 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 | 0.908941 | 302 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Activities: Cool Coin Trick
Say, "Abbra Coin-dabra!" and make some magic!
- Illusionist:Your kid
- A coin:Penny, quarter, dime—anything will work.
- A clear glass
- Construction paper:Two sheets of the same color.
- Invisible tape
- A pencil
- Handkerchief or dishcloth:Make sure you can't see through it.
- Before he shows off his magical powers, your kid needs to do some prep work. First, have him trace the opening of the glass onto a piece of construction paper and cut it out.
- Next get him to tape the paper circle to the bottom of the glass so when the glass is face down on the other piece of construction paper, the taped circle isn't noticeable.
- Show time! Get your kid to gather an audience. (You and the dog will do.)
- Have your kid place the glass upside down on the construction of paper and put the coin next to the glass on the paper.
- He'll then place the handkerchief over the glass ...
- ... as he does some fancy magical hand waving and "Abbra Coin-dabra"-ing to distract the audience.
- Meanwhile, he'll subtly slide the glass over the coin, thereby covering it and making it "disappear."
- When he lifts the handkerchief—presto!—the coin will be gone!
- Gasps of awe and admiration from the audience are sure to follow as your kid beams and imagines a future living in Vegas performing with Penn and Teller. Hey, at least you'll get plenty of time at the slots in your old age!
- Practice makes perfect. Have your kid practice his trick several times (or several dozen times, if you're trying to get dinner on the table) before he does it in front of an audience. He'll want to have it down pat before he shows anyone. | <urn:uuid:75dd5164-63fa-469b-bd71-a8ee6b2550b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parentsconnect.com/parenting-your-kids/activities/abbra_coin-dabra.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948515 | 408 | 2.609375 | 3 |
December 17, 2012
Ouabain, also known as g-strophanthin, occurs in the seeds of the African plant Strophanthus gratus, from which it was isolated by E. W. Schwartze and co-workers in 1929. It has steroid and saccharide components. Ouabain and other members of the cardenolide family present in leaves are toxic to predator insects. But many insects have developed resistance to cardenolides by mutating a single protein: ATPα. P. Amdolfatto and colleagues at Princeton University recently discovered the mechanism. Ouabain is used extensively in biomedical research and can be used intravenously to treat heart failure.
More about this molecule from CAS, the most authoritative and comprehensive source for chemical information. | <urn:uuid:ce7e5d39-b020-4550-8c3a-e30b46c21970> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=841&content_id=CNBP_031598&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=eadcd3e3-2dd3-42e4-8795-9367c66a33e8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960944 | 161 | 3.6875 | 4 |
‘Bystander CPR' helps save Mustang woman
MUSTANG — Scott Badgett felt restless.
He couldn't really say why, but the associate pastor gulped down his lunch at home and then got back to Chisholm Heights Baptist Church within 30 minutes.
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Q&A on bystander CPR
Q: How does bystander CPR help?
A: It can double or triple someone's chance of surviving cardiac arrest.
Q: What percentage of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR?
A: Less than one-third.
Q: How much does the chance of surviving cardiac arrest decline without immediate, effective bystander CPR?
A: Seven to 10 percent per minute.
Q: How should compressions be done?
A: Deep compressions that allow for full chest recoil should be provided at a rate of about 100 per minute, with minimal interruptions.
Q: Who should not receive hands-only CPR?
A: Hands-only CPR should not be used for infants or children, or for adults whose cardiac arrest is from respiratory causes, including drug overdose or near-drowning. Those victims would benefit most from chest compressions and breaths.
Q: How can I learn more?
A: Conventional CPR training is encouraged. EMSA offers free CPR classes. For more information, call 297-7096.
SOURCES: AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AND EMSA
In the church gym, church preschool coordinator Martha Rhodes took a lunch break with others who volunteered in the kitchen. They were kidding around, talking about being tired. As if to demonstrate how tired she really was, Rhodes slumped against a friend's shoulder. Everyone laughed at her antics.
But the laughter turned to gasps of terror.
When they realized she had knocked over her glass of iced tea, they knew she wasn't joking around.
Somebody had the presence of mind to call the main office, where Badgett heard the cry over the speaker phone.
“Call 911! It's Martha, and it's bad!”
Badgett heard enough.
“I just took off running to the gym,” he said.
“By the time I got there, you could see that Martha was white. Her lips were already blue.”
Rhodes' heart had stopped. Some people were scrambling around in fear, and someone had the 53-year-old Rhodes on her knees in the floor.
“Somebody help me lay her out flat!” Badgett yelled. Badgett would have a hand in saving someone that day. This time, it was physically instead of spiritually.
For the first time on a human, Badgett began “bystander CPR,” in which he did chest compressions. He learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a mannequin about three decades earlier and got a refresher course about a decade ago.
Hands-only chest compression, without breathing into the victim's mouth, is now recommended by the American Heart Association to help an adult who has suddenly collapsed.
“She was really nonresponsive the whole time,” Badgett said. “I'll be honest. I didn't have much hope at that time.”
He kept doing chest compressions until the Mustang Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services Authority paramedics arrived. EMSA paramedic Kimberly Maze said Rhodes wasn't breathing and had no pulse when they arrived. Probably the difference in Rhodes surviving was continuing the bystander CPR until paramedics were in place to take over, she said.
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- 8041Oklahoma tornadoes: Rams quarterback Sam Bradford leading aid effort | <urn:uuid:5d3e2bc2-65cf-40e6-bbf4-4ad751f5f531> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsok.com/article/3533173 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960067 | 894 | 1.882813 | 2 |
As we noted here, Senator John Cornyn is carrying on a discussion of energy policy on his web site this week. Yesterday, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin chipped in with a plea to open up ANWR for exploration and development. Some excerpts:
[T]he debate about energy policy is no longer theoretical or abstract. Our failure to enact an energy policy is having real consequences for every American in their daily lives and has begun to affect America’s place in the world. Alaska is ready, willing, and able to assist the nation in addressing our acute and expanding energy needs. Like many other states, we would like the opportunity to help.
Congressional approval of responsible petroleum development in the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) – the most promising unexplored petroleum province in North America – would be of incalculable benefit to my state and our nation.
As this is written, the Alaska Legislature is considering proposals to commercialize and transport the vast quantities of clean-burning natural gas that are located on the North Slope.
Already, 32 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves have been identified, and many trillions of additional cubic feet are thought to exist on the North Slope and in off shore areas of Alaska.
The Democrats, meanwhile, are busily trying to fool the American people into believing that they are doing something about high gasoline prices. Today they will bring to the floor of the House the “Drill Responsibly on Leased Land” act in order to convey the false impression that they, like a large majority of Americans, want to drill for oil and gas to meet the country’s energy needs.
In fact, the Dems’ cobbled-together statute won’t generate a single barrel of new oil production. It contains a series of provisions that add nothing to existing law or existing energy production capabilities. The “Drill” Act would re-enact the “use it or lose it” concept that is already the law, i.e., energy leases that are not exploited within a given period of time expire. It purports to “open up” land in Alaska for oil exploration. But the land in question is NPR-A, not ANWR:
NPR-A is already open to oil exploration and development. That isn’t happening, though, because the Corps of Engineers hasn’t been able to get a permit to build a pipeline, and the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations have tied up proposed projects in litigation. Moreover, NPR-A is a less desirable area for exploitation than ANWR. It has about the same amount of recoverable oil, but spread out over ten times the area as ANWR’s 1002. Both environmentally and economically, ANWR is a far superior place to recover oil, and it is close to the existing Alaska Pipeline. You can read about ANWR and NPR-A here.
So the Dems’ proposal is a fig-leaf will do nothing to increase domestic energy supplies. It is designed purely to fool voters. Republicans offered a series of amendments in committee that actually would have allowed increased energy production, but the Democrats voted them all down.
UPDATE: The Institute for Energy Research has produced this section-by-section analysis of the “DRILL” act:
Section 1: Bill Title
Ø The Act has been dubbed the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands – or DRILL – Act of 2008. However, nothing in its following sections will increase domestic energy production beyond what is already scheduled.
Section 2. Lease Sales in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska
Ø This section requires that lease sales be conducted once a year. This is something that is currently allowed, but not done because NPRA’s Indiana-sized area has no infrastructure. In addition, a history of dilatory lawsuits has made it an area of limited interest to energy producers. This section also seeks to expedite permits in the NPR-A, a positive step. However, it does nothing to tackle the biggest problem with developing new energy: dilatory protests and lawsuits. Any genuine effort must involve putting a stop to the legal blocking and tackling of groups opposed to American energy production. Incidentally, Congress should address this issue nationwide.
Section 3: Pipeline Construction in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska
Ø Pipelines in NPRA have been held up by appeals, protests and lawsuits, not energy producers.
Section 4: Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Project Facilitation
Ø This section authorizes the president to exercise authority he already has to facilitate something he is already facilitating. In short, this section achieves nothing.
Section 5: Project Labor Agreements
Ø A last minute bonus prize for organized labor, but creates no new energy whatsoever.
Section 6: Ban on Export of Alaskan Oil
Ø A nice talking point, but the United States does not export any Alaskan oil, and has not since 2000. California exports more petroleum products than Alaska.
Section 7: Issuance of New Leases
Ø This section was crafted using synonyms to restate existing laws, including:
· The Mineral Leasing Act (for onshore production), which stipulates that an oil company must have a producing well within 10 years or surrender the leases. Source: 30 U.S.C. 226(e)
· The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act: (for offshore production), which stipulates that an oil company must produce energy between 5 to 10 years (in the government’s discretion) or surrender the lease. Source: 43 U.S.C. 1337(b)
· Penalties in U.S. Code: The federal government can cancel a lease if a producer fails to live up to the terms of the lease, the law or federal regulations. Source: 30 USC 188(a) and (b) and 43 CFR 3108.3 (a) and (b).
Section 8: Fair Return on Production of Federal Oil and Gas Resources
Ø This section restates current law and practice. In fact, the government increased royalties on outer continental shelf leases by 50% last year, making it more expensive to produce energy in America.
To comment on this post go here. | <urn:uuid:45d50c8a-73d7-47dc-a414-d0943c639289> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2008/07/real-and-fake-energy-proposals.php?tsize=small | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951586 | 1,291 | 1.953125 | 2 |
How is creating green jobs is like banning tractors to create farm jobs?
Best option of all - generating electricity using bicycle generators. Pedaling ten hours a day on a stationary bike, each person can generate 1 kWh. Investing $1 million in bicycle generators and paying people the going rate for the energy they create, we could create 1,610 jobs.
There is another benefit: these are not part time jobs. These are full-time jobs for an entire year.
June 25, 2012
by Todd Myers
in National Center for Policy Analysis
Recently the "Political Economy Research Institute" at the University of Massachusetts released a graphic purporting to show "green" technologies create more jobs than traditional energy sources. The graphic, to the right, has been distributed widely by advocates of creating "green jobs." This is a common assertion from the environmental left.
As I note in my book Eco-Fads, this claim is made by many on the left.
One Seattle Times columnist wrote approvingly of a study that found spending on ‘green' projects "produced more ‘job hours' than tax cuts or traditional infrastructure spending." This, they claim, is... [continue via Web link] | <urn:uuid:61eea602-96f6-482c-84da-e60eb0be8160> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windaction.org/opinions/35336 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933342 | 246 | 2.359375 | 2 |
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Health Career Programs
Did you know...Experienced medical transcriptionists earn between $14 and $33 per hour depending on education, experience and certification status.
About Medical Transcription
Medical transcription is the process of accurately and rapidly converting medical data dictated by physicians and other medical personnel into a typed and printed document to be used as part of a patient's permanent medical record.
This data might include a patient's:
Transcribing medical records accurately is critical to a person's health because the information:
To perform their duties, medical transcriptionists should:
Medical transcriptionists have the flexibility to work in different environments such as:
Medical transcriptionists often advance into:
Career Opportunities and Salary Ranges
According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, the employment opportunities for medical transcriptionists are projected to grow by 11 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for medical transcription services will continue to be spurred by a growing and aging population. Older age groups receive proportionally greater numbers of medical tests, treatments and procedures that require documentation.
Contracting out transcription work overseas and advancements in speech recognition technology are not expected to significantly reduce the need for well-trained medical transcriptionists.
In 2010, the mean hourly wage for entry-level medical transcriptionists in Florida was $11.10 per hour. The average hourly wage for experienced medical transcriptionists in Central Florida was $16.48 per hour. Wages can vary based on education, experience, certification status and ability to produce high "line counts" of accurate transcription (Source: Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation's 2010 Labor Market Statistics).
The Occupational Outlook Handbook also notes that:
|Like us on Facebook||Follow us on Twitter||Watch us on YouTube||View our photos on Flickr||Subscribe to our RSS Feed| | <urn:uuid:f295ebfb-110c-40c4-8b5e-7a3b0c932b4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seminolestate.edu/medical-transcription/about.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924956 | 381 | 2.234375 | 2 |
It has seen action on several occasions, starting in 1990 during the riots in Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh
The Durga Vahini or Durga brigade appeared in the early 1990s at the height of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement: its objective was to band together Hindu nationalism’s female “youth.”
This organisation, like the Bajrang Dal, too, stresses defence — especially self-defence — of young Hindu women, including training in the use of firearms. It also continues the tradition started by the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, a women’s organisation founded in 1936 alongside the RSS, whose primary objective was to train Hindu women in self-defence techniques to enable them to resist Muslim aggressors.
The founding chairperson of the Durga Vahini is Sadhvi Rithambara, known for her provocative speeches against Muslims. The self-advertised mission of the group is ‘protection of Rashtra-Dharma and Sanskriti through… a renaissance in the Hindu society with Service, Security and Sanskars as its motto.’ It was set up by the Sangh Parivar as a “moral police” to specially take up issues related to obscenity, molestation and human trafficking “to protect the womenfolk.”
In a mission statement, the outfit says its members provide “a solid support to the Hindu society and culture by ending all types of insecurity, unrighteousness, immorality and inequality among Hindus and to launch our nation on to the path of progress; to create a Dharmic atmosphere and to re-establish Dharma by destroying all the wicked and crooked people like Durga Devi did in the ancient times”.
The Durga Vahini has seen action on several occasions, starting in 1990 during the riots in Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh: on that occasion, its activists organised a Bajrang Dal procession through the Muslim quarter of the city shouting provocative slogans that triggered the violence. Then in March 2002, Durga Vahini activists, wielding tridents and sporting saffron headbands, ransacked the Orissa Assembly, along with members of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal to protest against criticism of their members by some MLAs. In March 2004, six Durga Vahini members were arrested in Gwalior for blackening the face of Neetu Sapra, director of the play Kal Aaj Aur Kal. The VHP and the Bajrang Dal claimed that the play depicted Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman in an “indecent” way. | <urn:uuid:0cd641e2-0f1c-43e3-86e2-67247ce9f6ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/durga-vahini-the-moral-police/article4379616.ece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965508 | 551 | 2.3125 | 2 |
ND Delegation Calls On FEMA to Reconsider Individual Assistance DecisionSenators John Hoeven, Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg Friday called on U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to reconsider the agency's denial of Individual Assistance program service to residents of North Dakota affected by flooding this spring.
By: WDAZ Staff Report,
Senators John Hoeven, Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg Friday called on U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to reconsider the agency's denial of Individual Assistance program service to residents of North Dakota affected by flooding this spring.
The delegation sent a letter to both officials Friday in support of Governor Jack Dalrymple's request for a reevaluation of the decision.
Officials say the damage and dislocation caused by the flooding has been extensive, including more than 800 homes in the Bismarck-Mandan area that had to be evacuated, several hundred structures damaged in Devils Lake, and 10,000 residents evacuated from Minot.
The delegation says many residents are having significant expenses while forced out of their homes by the high water.
"Thousands of residents are already displaced, and they have every expectation that they will continue to be throughout the summer. They need help as soon as possible," the delegation said in a written statement.
The Assistance program can provide help to flood-affected residents by helping pay for temporary housing, repairs to homes and funding toward replacement of a home that has been destroyed.
On Thursday, FEMA administrator Fugate notified Dalrymple that the agency had denied the request, saying "the damage to the residences from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to warrant the implementation of Individual Assistance..."
"The human impact of this year's flooding should be readily apparent to the agency's 95 FEMA representatives on the ground throughout the state," the delegation said in a joint statement. "We strongly encourage Secretary Napolitano and Administrator Fugate to reevaluate this decision in light of additional evidence that the state will be providing and the visible hardship being endured by residents." | <urn:uuid:c67d8573-f1e2-4aa9-85d0-9695d09d3b81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/9139/publisher_ID/30/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953603 | 434 | 1.625 | 2 |
SEC Adopts Rule Under Dodd-Frank Act Defining “Family Offices”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C., June 22, 2011 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today approved a new rule to define “family offices” that are to be excluded from the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
The rulemaking stems from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
“Family offices” are entities established by wealthy families to manage their wealth and provide other services to family members, such as tax and estate planning services. Historically, family offices have not been required to register with the SEC under the Advisers Act because of an exemption provided to investment advisers with fewer than 15 clients.
The Dodd-Frank Act removed that exemption so the SEC can regulate hedge fund and other private fund advisers. However, Dodd-Frank also included a new provision requiring the SEC to define family offices in order to exempt them from regulation under the Advisers Act.
The new rule adopted by the SEC enables those managing their own family’s financial portfolios to determine whether their “family offices” can continue to be excluded from the Investment Advisers Act.
The rule is effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
# # #
Defining A Family Office
How are family offices impacted by the Dodd-Frank Act?
Family offices typically are considered to be investment advisers under the Advisers Act because of the investment advisory services that they provide. As such, they are subject to the registration requirements set forth in that Act. Historically, however, most family offices have been structured to take advantage of an exemption from registration for firms that advise less than fifteen clients and meet certain other conditions.
The Dodd-Frank Act repeals the 15-client exemption to enable the SEC to regulate hedge fund and other private fund advisers. But, the Dodd-Frank Act includes a new provision requiring the SEC to define family offices in order to exempt them from regulation under the Advisers Act.
Today, the Commission is considering adopting a final rule defining family offices that will be excluded from regulation under the Advisers Act.
Which family offices will be excluded from Advisers Act regulation under the rule?
Any company that:
- Provides investment advice only to “family clients,” as defined by the rule.
- Is wholly owned by family clients and is exclusively controlled by family members and/or family entities, as defined by the rule.
- Does not hold itself out to the public as an investment adviser.
Which family members and employees can the family office advise under the exclusion?
Family members. Family members include all lineal descendants (including by adoption, stepchildren, foster children, and, in some cases, by legal guardianship) of a common ancestor (who is no more than 10 generations removed from the youngest generation of family members), and such lineal descendants’ spouses or spousal equivalents.
Key employees. Key employees include:
Other family clients. Other family clients generally include:
- Executive officers, directors, trustees, general partners, or persons serving in a similar capacity for the family office or its affiliated family office.
- Any other employee of the family office or its affiliated family office (other than a clerical or secretarial employee) who, in connection with his or her regular duties, has participated in the investment activities of the family office or affiliated family office, or similar functions or duties for another company, for at least 12 months.
- Any non-profit or charitable organization funded exclusively by family clients.
- Any estate of a family member, former family member, key employee, or subject to certain conditions a former key employee.
- Certain family client trusts.
- Any company wholly-owned by and operated for the sole benefit of family clients.
When will family offices have to register with the Commission under the Advisers Act or with applicable state securities authorities if they do not meet the terms of the exclusion?
By March 30, 2012.
Will existing family office exemptive orders be rescinded?
No. Family offices that obtained exemptive orders from the Commission will be able to continue operating under their existing exemptive orders or they may operate under the new rule.
What if a family office will not meet the exclusion on March 30, 2012?
That family office will have to obtain a Commission exemptive order or register as an investment adviser.
The Dodd-Frank Act requires that the Commission not preclude certain family offices from meeting the new exclusion solely because they provide investment advice to certain clients (and provided that advice prior to January 1, 2010). The adopted rule incorporates this grandfathering provision. | <urn:uuid:2299d267-7315-4841-9063-78a105880cd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2011/2011-134.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959652 | 960 | 1.828125 | 2 |
By STEVE DOLLAR
Art Theater Guild and Japanese Underground Cinema, 1960–1986
Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St., (212) 708-9400
New York audiences have never seen most of the films included in this sprawling salute to one of the most radical movements in the history of movies. Over the course of a quarter century, the Art Theater Guild liberated Japan's most adventurous directors to push the limits of expression, funding productions too outrageous, too experimental and too politically subversive for the mainstream film industry. The series, which features more than 70 titles, includes a few touchstones (and accompanies a new museum exhibit, "Tokyo 1955-1970: A New Avant-Garde"). There are works by figures such as Nagisa Oshima ("The Man Who Left His Will on Film," "Death by Hanging"), Shohei Imamura ("A Man Vanishes") and Hiroshi Teshigahara ("Pitfall"), whose films are easily found on DVD. Likewise on display are some celebrated cult films that are no longer obscure, like Koji Wakamatsu's "The Ecstasy of the Angels" and Toshio Matsumoto's "Funeral Parade of Roses." But all that is topsoil.
"It was important to give New Yorkers a chance to see the least-known films," said Joshua Siegel, associate curator, who programmed the series with its originators, Go Hirasawa, of Meiji-Gakuin University and Roland Domenig of the University of Vienna. Much of the schedule is given over to rarities, such as Kazuhiko Hasegawa's 1972 "The Youth Killer," a true-crime saga harrowing in its display of vicious criminal acts and psychological collapse, and no less than eight separate programs of underground short films.
"Nationally, it was a radical expression of dissent against conformity, both politically and aesthetically," Mr. Siegel said of the movement. "It was an attempt to respond to both post-war social upheaval and political generational conflict, and to the so-called masters of Japanese cinema. While he hasn't been abandoned altogether, the specter of [director Yasujirō] Ozu hangs over quite a few of these films and is responded to in very interesting ways."
Beyond Japan's shores. the filmmakers were part of a global moment, as cinematic new waves changed the game across the hemispheres. Nonetheless, so much of the period's output is ripe for fresh appraisal—even 50 years later. One filmmaker who has enjoyed a surprising latter-day revival is Nobuhiko Obayashi. The congenial 74-year-old is best known in America as the man behind "Hausu," a 1977 film that achieved an obsessive cult following, culminating in its 2010 theatrical release in the United States. A warped psychedelic fairy tale, the film can certainly trace its wild roots to the experimental efforts of its author's youth. MoMA audiences can query Mr. Obayashi from Thursday through Saturday when the filmmaker introduces several programs devoted to his work.
"ATG showed us the path that allowed us to arrive at an era when 'filmmakers' could exist, where they could be given a complete guarantee of freedom to express their thoughts and intentions in their works, despite the restraints of a low budget," said Mr. Obayashi, in an email. The studio actually helped the director produce one of the later films in its existence, 1982's "Exchange Students," a variation on the Disney comedy "Freaky Friday" in which a teenage boy and girl switch bodies after a mysterious accident. Though it is perhaps a more conventional item in the MoMA series, the treatment offers both candid social insight and nonchalant nudity that would never have flown in, say, a John Hughes flick of the same period. For more insight into Mr. Obayashi's wild side, a Saturday screening explores avant-garde Super 8 films he made as a member of the "Group of Three." On Sunday, Anthology Film Archives will also present a collection of his experimental films.
"My way of doing things hasn't changed at all since the 1960s," Mr. Obayashi said. "The world seems to have come to accept 'an Obayashi film' the way it's made, I think!
'The Sheik and I'
308 Bedford Ave. (718) 782-3468
There's never a simple reaction to any film by Caveh Zahedi. The Brooklyn-based artist, whose diaristic efforts complicate the first-person documentary form with provocative behavioral gambits, isn't really successful unless his projects infuriate someone. Regardless of subject (a family excursion to Las Vegas; his sex life; an experiment with a hallucinogenic drug, et al.), the dramatic impetus of Mr. Zahedi's films is: How far will he go? Traveling to the United Arab Emirates to shoot "The Sheik and I" in 2011, commissioned by the Sharjah Biennial, the filmmaker went much farther than, apparently, he even knew. Invited to address the theme of subversion, he attempted to mock the reigning sheik, Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi III. The work was banned, and a legal exchange erupted amid talk of blasphemy. Suddenly, this send-up of Islamic and Middle Eastern stereotypes had political consequences. At once preposterous and profound, the film proposes elemental questions about freedom of speech and artistic ethics. Mr. Zahedi will address them at Friday and Saturday screenings.
The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival
289 Kent St., Brooklyn
Few science-fiction authors have sustained as lasting a fascination for generations of filmmakers as Philip K. Dick (1928-82), whose paranoid, dystopian stories were made into such movies as "Blade Runner," "Minority Report" and "Total Recall." This inaugural festival salutes the writer with variations on his own work—such as the opening-night feature, "Radio Free Albemuth," starring Alanis Morissette—and films made by kindred spirits. The lineup includes an international array of unheralded short films based on sci-fi themes (many screened at additional venues in Williamsburg, Dumbo and Manhattan) as well as revivals of genre-festival favorites like "Juan of the Dead" and "Sleep Dealer."
Spanish Cinema Now
Film Society of Lincoln Center
165 W. 65th St., (212) 875-5601
More than 20 features fill the screen at this annual survey of recent Spanish film. The roster also boasts a three-film sidebar tribute to Luis Buñuel, including 1933's "Land Without Bread," a tour of the impoverished, primitive terrain of Las Hurdes. Even then, Buñuel was a bit meta, adopting a sly tone that in some ways makes this the first "mockumentary." Elsewhere, the silent era is evoked in the opening-night selection, "Blancanieves," a new recasting of the Snow White legend, made in sublime black and white by director Pablo Berger. The stylish melodrama imagines the heroine of the Brothers Grimm tale as the daughter of a great bullfighter who comes into her own as a torera (in the company of a touring caravan of, yes, seven bullfighting dwarves). The spirited Carmen charms the horned beasts, but her evil stepmother (played with devilish relish by Ángela Molina) is a more formidable foe.
323 Sixth Ave., (212) 924-7771
Two sets of brothers explore the magic and mystery of New Orleans's French Quarter after dark in this lyrical and open-hearted ode to the dreams of youth and the undying eccentricities of this most stubbornly sui generis of cities. Behind the camera are Bill and Turner Ross, filmmakers for whom every new project is an immersive adventure. Ambling before the lens are William, Bryan and Kentrel Zanders, first seen at home in Algiers, La., preparing to take a ferry across the Mississippi River into the Crescent City. Circumstances contrive to keep the kids in the Big Easy until daybreak, and they wander into neon alleys, abuzz with bullhorns and burlesque, each containing a novel's worth of secrets. Through it all, 11-year-old William's stream-of-consciousness chatter animates their discoveries with a poetic and unfiltered imagination. It's as beautiful an evocation of American life as anyone has put on film this year. | <urn:uuid:e0ea07c9-0b24-4c81-a9d3-11d4e1ef12d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324640104578161534055181070.html?mod=ITP_newyork_4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952213 | 1,772 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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March 26, 2012, Jerusalem, New York - New photographic and video evidence made public today for the first time by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) indicates that controversial archeological excavations by the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) have continued this month on the ancient Mamilla cemetery in Jerusalem. The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) seeks to erect a “Museum of Tolerance – Center for Human Dignity” on the site. The new evidence strongly suggests that the site still contains archaeological artifacts and human remains, contrary to SWC claims that bedrock has been reached on all portions of the site.
“Incredibly, the SWC and Israeli authorities continue to desecrate this ancient cemetery, ostensibly in the name of tolerance. Not only does this dishonor the descendants of those buried in Mamilla, it also reinforces the second-class citizenship of all Palestinians. It is time that Israel and the SWC heed the calls of prominent religious figures, human rights advocates, eminent archeologists and people all over the world to end this sacrilege,” said CCR President Emeritus Michael Ratner, who co-signed a recent letter to the SWC opposing the construction.
In 2010, CCR filed petitions with several United Nations officials on behalf of descendants of individuals buried in the cemetery. The petition argues that the IAA and the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s highly secretive removal of thousands of human remains during excavations and infrastructure work on the site demonstrates a lack of respect for Palestinian cultural heritage and human rights and for the dignity of the deceased and their living ancestors.
The current excavations are being conducted under cover of a plastic tarp, in a pit which has been dug several meters below the floor of the construction site bordering the remaining part of the undisturbed cemetery. The IAA excavation pit is within a fenced enclosure in the south-west perimeter of the larger SWC construction site. The inner enclosure also features high voltage electricity supply for excavation equipment in the pit and portable toilet facilities for on-site workers, as evident in the photos and video.
On March 1, 2012, prior to these revelations, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Campaign to Preserve Mamilla Jerusalem Cemetery sent a personal letter to Rabbi Hier of the SWC urging him to stop construction of the Museum in a section of the ancient Mamilla cemetery. The letter suggested that alternative options be considered and requested a meeting with Rabbi Hier to discuss the issue. It was copied to the Board of the SWC and foundations that support its work and to the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, urging him to intervene to stop the controversial project. Neither Rabbi Hier nor Mayor Barkat have responded to the letter.
“This important historical, cultural and religious site has witnessed a terrible offense, which appears to be continuing as Israeli Antiquities Authority excavations persist. Rabbi Hier must realize the grave precedent he is setting by building in a historic Muslim cemetery, and agree to a different location in the interest of mutual respect and tolerance in the Holy Land,”said Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University and signatory to the letter to Hier.
The letter also details the range of opposition that the project has faced, including a public petition signed by nearly 10,000 individuals from around the world, Human Rights Council resolutions, a letter from 84 respected archaeologists decrying the archaeological practices employed on the site, a resolution by the Central Conference of American Rabbis opposing the project, and the opposition of numerous prominent Israeli scholars.
In appealing to Rabbi Hier’s conscience, the letter stated: “The interests of peace, justice and tolerance dictate that you gracefully withdraw from this contentious site…We invite you to display tolerance by supporting efforts to make the Mamilla cemetery into a monument for all of those buried there over many hundreds of years. We believe nothing would send a more powerful message than the Simon Wiesenthal Center…joining others in honoring the cultural and archeological importance of the cemetery to the history of the Holy City of Jerusalem.”
Photographs showing the IAA inner enclosure and excavation pit are attached; a video showing the same part of the site may be accessed at: http://blip.tv/center-for-constitutional-rights/excavation-at-mamilla-cemetary-6038052. The letter to Rabbi Hier is available here. The Petition, Addendum and other documents are available at www.mamillacampaign.org and http://www.ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/mamilla.
IAA excavation pit inside SWC construction site covered with plastic tarp, supplied with dedicated electrical current for operating heavy machinery and surrounded with warning tape.
IAA excavation pit inside SWC construction showing inner enclosure wall and portable toilets rented for use by IAA teams onsite.
The Campaign to Preserve Mamilla Jerusalem Cemetery was initiated by the petitioners, and is a wholly civil, volunteer initiative with no political coloring. All 60 individual petitioners are descendants of 15 of Jerusalem’s most prominent and longest established families and have no relation with previous individual or institutional claimants in Israeli courts. The petition was also supported by 16 human rights non-governmental organizations, based in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change. | <urn:uuid:615fa4d2-8af2-4c21-a0c0-8baeeeb013d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/new-evidence-shows-continued-excavations-mamilla-cemetery-site-amidst-appeals | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929425 | 1,265 | 1.601563 | 2 |