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“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” – Corinthians 13:11
Last night, I visited the BBC News website for the first time in a week. Imagine my surprise on learning that, while I was busy hanging out with strippers and watching 80s boy-band stars in Vegas, I missed the entire federal government almost being shut down.
That insulation from reality is both a problem and a selling-point for this town: what doesn’t happen in Vegas stays outside Vegas.
And so it was with some interest that, during my news catch-up, I spotted the headline on PBS’s Idea Lab: “Why Are Newsrooms Resistant to Creating Newsgames?“ In a well-argued post, Chris O’Brien outlines various reasons why news organisations should explore ways to include elements of videogaming into their reporting.
“The majority of people in the United States play videogames of some kind: console, browsers, on their mobile phones. If you don’t play a single game, you are part of a shrinking minority. And many of these forms of games, particularly social, mobile, and casual games have now expanded deeply into mainstream audiences of all ages.
And far from being just trivial or simply fun distractions, these games offer benefits that ought to appeal to any newsroom. The best games create deep engagement, they are intensely social, and in some cases, they show a path to new ways to think about making money from digital content. Any of those items ought to resonate with publishers.”
Indeed so. In fact, I can’t disagree with a single word that O’Brien says: the majority of adults do play games, and repeated studies show that a large proportion of people are turned off by straight news reporting and are turned on by game mechanics in all their forms. Companies like Zynga and Rovio have made billions from social games: there’s gold in tham thar villes.
And yet, for all that I agree with O’Brien’s arguments, I couldn’t help buy answer his rhetorical headline thus:
BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING IS A GAME.
Maybe I’m getting old. Certainly I’m an old media journalism snob. But the fact is, when faced with the fact that an increasing number of people can’t process news without a game element, my instinct is to reply… well… fuck ‘em.
It was ever thus: a world divided into those with the mental capacity and attention span required to read and digest the day’s news, and to understand the importance of doing so — and the perpetual children: the proud morons who say things like “I’m not interested in politics” (despite being mortgaged to the hilt) or ask “why should I care about stuff happening in countries thousands of miles away?” (despite those being the countries that own all the debt). You can tell those people by their drool, their bumper stickers — and, oftentimes, their chronic addition to videogames, used as a way to escape the harsh reality of the world.
Increasingly, though, everyone is a gamer; if not through traditional videogames then through the increasing “gamification” (ugh) of real life. It’s no longer enough to enjoy a meal with friends: unless we check in (and maybe – gasp! – become Mayor!) the experience is hollow and meaningless. Every soda we drink, or cereal box we open, or wrap of cocaine we score is emblazoned with its own QR code allowing us to unlock points or win some unrelated thing; otherwise, why choose that brand? There is almost no area of life – finance, taxation, education, health that remains un-gamified. And now, apparently, it’s news’ turn. Because, let’s be honest, unless I can pull the trigger and take Gaddafi out myself, who gives a shit?
Of course, on that last point at least, I’m exaggerating. O’Brien isn’t suggesting that all news should be gamified — just that reporters shouldn’t be afraid to make it part of their arsenal. Likewise people aren’t socialising with friends, or rearranging their finances, or learning new languages just to earn points: the game element is merely a fun way to encourage them to do those things more frequently, or to guide their choices towards certain brands or venues.
The popularity of gaming – and the time spent doing it – continues to increase (the average young person racks up 10,000 hours of gaming by the age of 21). Meanwhile, you only have to look at the success of the Daily Show, or Fox News, or Michael Moore to realise that audiences increasingly prefer to get their news from sources which sugar the bitter pill of reality with entertainment. With news organisations struggling to attract and retain audiences who would rather spend their days planting virtual crops than doing… well.. almost anything else – the slope between “gamification is a useful add-on” to “if it’s not a game, people won’t engage with it and we’ll all go out of business” is a slippery one.
At the top of that slope is a grown-up world where we’re smart enough to realise that certain decisions (to stay informed, to look after our health, to monitor our finances) should be made because they’re important, not because they’re fun. And at the bottom of the slope lies a dystopian future where every aspect of our lives – from the food we eat, to the relationships we form, to the information we process – is driven by the childish question: is it fun? A world where, like drooling, gurgling Peter Pans we never have to grow up.
How far we slide down that slope will, of course, depend entirely on humanity’s capacity to choose the pursuit of information for its own sake over the childish imperative to always chase fun and prizes.
If you run into me on the streets of Las Vegas in the next few days, you’ll understand if I look a little freaked out. | <urn:uuid:67e14d61-2f19-422c-853c-d3f63cee68b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/10/gamification-isnt-a-word/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949986 | 1,334 | 1.59375 | 2 |
December 6th, 2012
From fake Avastin to contaminated generic Lipitor, every month Americans are becoming more aware about the dangers of lethal products they might be unlucky enough to take. With attentive regulators and competent companies, most incidents of dangerous drugs in US pass without significant harm, but when tainted steroid injections were recently distributed to thousands of patients, 36 died and over 500 suffered painful conditions.
The tragedy for those Americans harmed is multiplied at least a thousand fold in the carnage wreaked in developing countries. Perhaps 100,000 people die every year from dangerous medicines and by most estimates the situation is deteriorating. To put it simply we are losing the global fight against bad medicines.
Efforts are being made by law enforcement officials. Eighty-two million doses of counterfeit drugs in Africa were seized by numerous national authorities, comprising about $40 million worth of antimalarials, antibiotics, cough medicines, contraceptive pills, and fertility treatments.
Why Substandard Drugs Are Even Worse Than Counterfeits
The problem is that such crackdowns tend to focus on counterfeit drugs, deliberately falsified by criminal networks. Such efforts are obviously warranted, but probably a much greater public health threat, as the tainted steroid injections demonstrated, is substandard drugs that are the result of shoddy manufacturing and handling – or perhaps worse, deliberate corner-cutting.
In poor countries, an astonishing number of bad drugs reach patients through legitimate supply chains and even donor programs underwritten by U.S. and European taxpayers. Substandard drugs tend to have a suboptimal — but non-zero — dose of active pharmaceutical ingredient. Such low-dose products do not effectively treat individual patients, yet they are more likely to rapidly increase population-level resistance than fake drugs with no real ingredients. Resistance can even be spread to effective drugs, undermining entire product categories. As a result substandards may well be worse than deliberately counterfeited drugs containing no active ingredient.
Donor governments and U.N. agencies do take measures to ensure the quality of medicine they procure. Most governments or multilateral donors, for example, will only purchase for aid programs medicines that have been approved by a stringent regulatory authority — such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or its European equivalent — or by the World Health Organization (WHO). But this isn’t enough to safeguard patients against poor quality drugs.
As I’ve demonstrated through previous research, off-the-shelf drugs made by Chinese and, to a lesser extent, Indian manufacturers tend to perform inconsistently on quality tests. In one study, more than 15 percent of the Chinese drugs we collected that were approved by the WHO failed to include adequate amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredient.
Our latest paper, in Malaria World Journal, reinforces these findings. Over 97 per cent of products made by manufacturers approved by the WHO had the correct active pharmaceutical ingredient. Among manufacturers not approved by the WHO, the percentage drops to about 87 per cent.
Worse still, some of the drugs we tested had been bought through Western donor programs, funded by taxpayers, and steered through aid programs to African markets. Some of these drugs may have degraded through bad storage, but many were just badly manufactured, perhaps to cut corners to lower costs and increase profits. After all, once a manufacturer has obtained quality certification, it is relatively easy to sell the drug at a lower quality in countries with weak regulations.
The President’s Malaria Initiative: An Example Worth Following
If a donor procures millions of treatments, even if only a few percent of those products fail – such as the three percent of WHO-certified drugs that failed our quality testing — it means that hundreds, maybe thousands of patients are treated with poor quality medicines. In our research of donors’ regulatory practices, we discovered that the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is the only donor program that effectively self-polices when it comes to drug quality. According to PMI, it “subjects every batch of every drug…procured with malaria funds to various analytical quality testing…” As a result it finds occasional poor quality products and has periodically returned products with quality issues to the manufacturer based on this testing.
That’s a sharp contrast with other governments and multilateral donors like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which outsources the job of assuring drug quality throughout the supply chain to the principal recipients of its grants. This is usually a government agency in the target country. This simply doesn’t do enough to ensure that only good quality medicines are being procured and distributed with Global Fund resources. It is unclear, for example, how often quality control testing is actually being performed by donors. It should be a priority for the incoming Executive Director of the Global Fund, Mark Dybul, to improve oversight of procured medicine quality.
Indeed, if we’re going to make progress, donors need to copy the PMI and conduct pre-shipment testing of every batch of drugs provided to poor countries. If the US Government’s flagship malaria program insists on such quality control measures, should not all donor agencies receiving taxpayer dollars do likewise? In our research we suggest implementing the following policy: Any manufacturer found with failing batches of drugs on more than three occasions in a year, will not be eligible for tendering in the following year.
The U.S. should also make pre-shipment batch testing and post-market surveillance a condition of all drug-related aid, especially for the Global Fund. While the 2013 budget for PMI is the same as in previous years, the Global Fund will see its budget increase, whereas on performance the reverse should be the case. Because the U.S. is the leading donor to the Global Fund by far, demanding better drug surveillance would send a clear message both to the organization’s new management and to other donor governments: it is time to take the global fight against substandard medicines seriously.
Email This Post Print This Post | <urn:uuid:e46f70b2-b71d-43da-8d3f-2facc015502f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2012/12/06/lethal-substandard-drugs-an-increasing-danger-in-emerging-markets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954249 | 1,228 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Burma abolishes media censorship
Explore This Story
YANGON, BURMA—Burma abolished direct censorship of the media Monday in the most dramatic move yet toward allowing freedom of expression in the long-repressed nation. But related laws and practices that may lead to self-censorship raise doubt about how much will change.
Under the new rules, journalists will no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication as they for almost half a century. However, the same harsh laws that have allowed Burma's rulers to jail, blacklist and control the media in the name of protecting national security remain unchanged and on the books.
For decades, this Southeast Asian nation's reporters had been regarded as among the most restricted in the world, subjected to routine state surveillance, phone taps and censorship so intense that independent papers could not publish on a daily basis.
President Thein Sein's reformist government has significantly relaxed media controls over the last year, though, allowing reporters to print material that would have been unthinkable during the era of absolute military rule — like photographs of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Information Ministry, which has long controlled what can be printed, made the announcement on its website Monday. The head of the ministry's Press Scrutiny and Registration Department, Tint Swe, also conveyed the news to a group of editors in the country's main city Yangon. The move had been expected for months but was repeatedly delayed as the government struggles to draft a new media law to overhaul the industry here.
Tint Swe previously said the censor board itself would be abolished when censorship ends. But Monday's announcement indicated the board will stay and retain the powers it has always had to suspend publications or revoking publishing licences if they deem publishing rules are violated.
Nyein Nyein Naing, an editor from the Seven Day News Journal who attended Monday's meeting, said journalists will still have to submit their articles to the censor board. But now, she said, they will be required to do so after publication, apparently to allow the government to determine whether any publishing laws are violated.
Those laws, in place since a military coup in 1962, include edicts prohibiting journalists from writing articles that could threaten peace and stability, oppose the constitution or insult ethnic groups. Critics say some laws are open to interpretation and give the government enormous power to go after its critics. They have been used repeatedly in recent years to jail members of the press.
Nyein Nyein Naing welcomed the government announcement, as did other journalists in Burma. But she added: “We have to be very cautious as (the state censor board) will keep monitoring us.”
It was not immediately clear to what degree continued government scrutiny could lead to self-censorship. Some topics remain highly sensitive, like corruption and alleged abuses committed by army officers during the previous ruling junta. Overzealous authorities could use the threat of prosecution to prevent articles from being published or exact harsh punishments for material they don't like.
Late last month, the censor board wielded some of that power by ordering the suspension of two weekly magazines — The Voice Weekly and Envoy — for speculating on a still-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle. Those punishments have since been lifted, and the two magazines are due to begin publishing again on Aug. 18.
Shawn Crispin, the Committee to Protect Journalist's Southeast Asia representative in Bangkok, said that “if the government is sincere in ending pre-publication censorship, it would represent a significant step forward for press freedom in Burma.” Burma is also called Myanmar.
However, if press laws are not reformed as well, “then all of these promises can be easily rolled back if they feel a free press threatens government security,” Crispin said.
Since last year, when the nation's long-entrenched military junta ceded power to a nominally civilian administration dominated by retired army officers, censorship has ended on subjects such as health, entertainment, fashion and sports. Media outlets publishing such topics — deemed less sensitive — were allowed to publish without submitting their work to state censors beforehand.
Monday's announcement means the rest — more than 140 newspapers and magazines focused on things like politics and religion — will have the same freedoms.
Tint Swe said, however, that independent papers were not yet allowed to publish on a daily basis, despite the change. But he added: “That is coming soon.”
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- Updated 'He is my person. My other half.' Widow mourns at Tim Bosma's funeral
- Updated Stephen Harper 'sorry, frustrated, angry' over secret payout to Mike Duffy | <urn:uuid:98441241-0e5f-4d9e-b570-614996bf8eaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2012/08/20/burma_abolishes_media_censorship.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962898 | 1,045 | 2.53125 | 3 |
To Dakota and Back: The Story of an Orphan Train Rider is more than a family saga about a boy sent by train from a Boston orphanage in the late 19th century to live with a family in the Dakota Territory and who returned to Massachusetts as a man.
The book, by Sister of St. Joseph Judith E. Kappenman, represents what she called
In 2000 she took a sabbatical and researched the book before assuming her current position as director of the Irish Cultural Center at Elms College in Chicopee.
She finished the book several years ago, but when she could not find a publisher or an agent, she set the project aside.
But with encouragement to resume the project, Kappenman revisited it, edited the manuscript and self-published it last month through www.Lulu.com
Billed as a biography of the author
Boston orphanages sent about 3,000 boys and girls to new homes between 1850 and 1920.
It was through the orphan train system that the largest children
Donahue was born in South Boston in 1877, and when he was four, his mother died of tuberculosis.
His father put him, his older brother Thomas and his sister, Mary, into the Home for Catholic Destitute Orphans in Boston.
When he was eight or nine, Donahue and Thomas, were put on the orphan train to the Dakota Territory where they lived and worked on separate farms until they turned 21.
Donahue, an avid reader, went on to work as a teacher and then became a businessman, selling real estate and insurance, and eventually buying a newspaper in Ethan, S.D., where he also served as Postmaster General.
The Dakota Territory became two states in 1889.
In 1904, Donahue married, and he and his wife, the former T. Elizabeth Craig, had what Kappenman called
They had a son and a daughter, the author
Terence Donahue convinced his sister and brother-in-law to move to Western Massachusetts in 1941, so Fred Kappenman, the author
Fred Kappenman was a farmer and it was hard to make a living for his family of six children in the dust bowl conditions of the Plain States at that time.
The following year in 1942 the author
John Donahue died in 1963. | <urn:uuid:1a2cfe78-daf2-40fa-ae77-177d3116776f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/07/author_keeps_promise_to_write.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98568 | 486 | 2.71875 | 3 |
In a previous post, I presented an informal set of criteria for evaluating effective interface designs: Context, Anticipation, Consistency, Transparency Clarity/Simplicity, Metaphor, Feedback, Control, and User-Focused.
Another consideration is Indication. Though closely related to Anticipation and Feedback, Indication is described by Jef Raskin in his book, the Humane Interface, as “highlighting the single object pointed to as the cursor is moved, without any other user action such as clicking.” I prefer a more general definition: indication lets people know when actions or information are available. An underlined hypertext link is a form of indication, as is an indication of the current state in an application. In Raskin’s definition, Indication is a form of Feedback. It provides a response to a change in cursor position (thereby reducing errors) and can be very useful in “cramped” situations where screen space is tight. In the broader definition, Indication is a form of Anticipation. It helps answer user questions before they need to be asked. Can I click on that interface element? What will happen if I do?
I mentioned that most of the design criteria I laid out previously were issues of communication. Indication is no different. According to Raskin: “Indication is necessary if an interface is designed in accord with the principle of visibility.” So once again we encounter the need for effective visual communication in interface design. | <urn:uuid:b196c192-2b0a-4d12-974b-0fb8379246d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943017 | 314 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Steven D. Jamar
sjamar at LAW.HOWARD.EDU
Fri Dec 8 13:22:55 PST 2000
Though I think Rick's point is well expressed, and I find I
agree with most of it, I also think we ought not so impoverish
our public places as to not include cultural icons from our
many roots. For this reason the "if dead religion, ok" line of
reasoning is more insidious than the simple display of many
mythic creatures - whether believed in today or not. To many
people all of the religious gods are mythic - and a great many
of the stories are as well - even while recognizing the
historical existence of many of the actors around whom the
myths have been built.
This whole thing of tolerance and acceptance and endorsement
gets messier the closer one looks at it.
It is in part for this reason that I think we need to allow for
a great deal more room for such things than it seems many are
willing to allow.
I see nothing wrong here. This level of endorsement or
anti-endorsement is less problematic than US currency
iconography and text and than the pledge of allegiance "under
And the constant call upon deities by politicians and so on.
How does one incorporate the concept of "chill out" into the
area of religious liberty?
Rick Duncan wrote:
> Alan raises some very interesting issues about the EC
> and "dead" religions (i.e. religions without modern
> adherents). I think he is right that it is unlikely
> that a community would be endorsing *favorably* a god
> that has few or no modern adherents.
> But in depicting the "god" as a myth--as dead or
> untrue-- isn't the community endorsing a particular
> religious view about that "god's" lack of deity. For
> example, could ,say, a predominantly Christian
> community paint a mural of a Hindu deity and label it
> a "mythical" figure? Of course, there are many Hindu
> believers in the world, but perhaps none in this
> particular community. Isn't this community endorsing a
> message of disbelief in a particular "god?"
> There may be no modern believers in Hecate, but can we
> know this for sure? If there is a single modern
> believer, isn't the community's decision to label her
> god a myth a serious endorsement of disbelief under
> the EC? Indeed, the smaller the minority the more
> serious the endorsement of disbelief in the gods of
> the minority.
> I think it is very problematic to say that the gods of
> a small minority religion are fair game to be
> officially marginalized as nonexistent or as mere
> Indeed, I think there is a similar kind of EC problem
> when a community secularizes a religious figure or
> concept. For example, a community that endorses a
> secularized vision of" XMAS" (Ho!Ho!Ho! Merry XMAS--Be
> sure to spend lots of money at local merchants) has,
> in my view, improperly approriated and altered a
> sacred event. The community is endorsing a message
> that Christmas is not about the birth of Jesus and the
> gift of salvation, but instead is about presents and
> shopping. In my view, this is as much an EC violation
> as is a nativity scene in the public square.
> --Rick Duncan
> --- "A.E. Brownstein" wrote:
> > At first glance, this issue appears to raise
> > an interesting anomaly
> > between the free exercise clause and the
> > establishment clause. Clearly,
> > there has to be a believer of a religion whose
> > religious practices are
> > being substantially burdened for there to be a free
> > exercise violation. But
> > people who claim Establishment Clause violations
> > typically do not belong to
> > the faith that is allegedly being promoted or
> > endorsed by government.
> > Indeed, people who reject all religious beliefs can
> > allege an Establishment
> > Clause violation.
> > But I think the existence of believers, as
> > Michael McConnell suggests, is
> > clearly relevant to whether there is an
> > Establishment Clause violation,
> > even if it isn't dispositive of the question. I
> > think this is true for most
> > interpretations of the Establishment Clause.
> > If no one, including the people who serve as
> > lawmakers and officials in
> > government, believes in the religion allegedly being
> > promoted, it is
> > difficult to contend that the state intended to
> > promote or endorse that
> > faith through the challenged artwork. Thus, to the
> > extent that government
> > purpose is relevant to an Establishment Clause
> > inquiry, the lack of
> > existence of believers seems relevant. Indeed, for
> > the few political
> > process model advocates left today, it might be
> > argued that the fact that a
> > religion has very few adherents in a community is
> > also relevant. The
> > government of a community that is overwhelmingly
> > Christian is unlikely to
> > commission a picture of Hecate for the purpose of
> > promoting or endorsing
> > some ancient faith.
> > The lack of adherents is also relevant in
> > evaluating the effects of
> > government action. If you believe, as I do, that the
> > endorsement test
> > primarily reflects equality values similar to those
> > protected by equal
> > protection doctrine, the focus of the analysis
> > should be on whether the
> > government's action favors "insider" faiths and
> > communicates a message of
> > subordinate status to "outsider" religions. But this
> > analysis clearly
> > presumes that faith communities exist that the
> > government is in some sense
> > ranking in a religious hierarchy. It's hard to argue
> > that the government is
> > identifying a non-existent faith community as having
> > favored "insider"
> > status. As Michael asks, how could anyone reasonably
> > perceive the
> > government to be endorsing a religion in such a
> > case?
> > Alan Brownstein
> > UC Davis
> Rick Duncan (conlawprof at yahoo.com)
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
Prof. Steven D. Jamar, Director LRW Program vox:
Howard University School of Law fax:
2900 Van Ness Street NW
mailto:sjamar at law.howard.edu
Washington, DC 20008
"Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore,
we are saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes
complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore,
we are saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be
accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love."
Reinhold Niebuhr, The Irony in American History (Scribners
More information about the Religionlaw | <urn:uuid:10294fa1-8840-426b-9a57-cba3732f9690> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/religionlaw/2000-December/001754.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923986 | 1,559 | 2 | 2 |
News in the last week has been saturated with reports from the UK on the discovery of horse meat in products labeled as beef. Sold through a complex series of wholesalers and middlemen, the meat ended up in frozen dinners and meat products.
Now, concern has spread across Europe about sources of meat and the products that contain it. According to a report out of Berlin, “DNA tests have revealed that beef tainted with horse meat has made it into supermarkets in 13 European Union nations. Store, schools, and hospitals are scrambling to remove some meat. And there are calls for tighter regulation of Europe’s complex food chain.” 1
While the precise origin of the alleged fraud is under investigation, the scandal spotlights the potential for the food supply to be contaminated with unexpected or unwanted substances.
London Reporters Clare Hutchison and Alice Baghdijian quoted David Black, a Consumer Intelligence spokesman as declaring, “(Brands) will have to put in place really stringent ways of checking what’s being delivered and what’s on the label is indeed what’s in there.”2
How can this be done? Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method of DNA testing in which a strand of DNA is amplified and replicated through a series of temperature cycles. PCR requires the use of a temperature stable DNA polymerase that replicates DNA through an enzymatic process that also requires DNA primers, deoxynucleoside triphosphates, and a suitable buffer solution. Gel electrophoresis is then used to determine whether the DNA strands match those of known size.
“DNA tests can determine what kind of animal meat is in your sandwich or frozen dinner,” states a report from DW, a German broadcaster. “The technology for it is already present in many laboratories.”3
In addition to identifying the DNA of food such as meat, milk, cheese, and yogurt, the PCR process is also used in the criminal justice system and paternity suits. Food testing using PCR technology is considered more accurate and faster than some other methods including traditional microbiological culture methods. | <urn:uuid:ed15face-3b38-4163-9f8c-fb1830b05758> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.coleparmer.com/2013/02/21/food-quality-are-you-eating-what-you-think-you-are-eating/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960221 | 438 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Chapter LXVIII.—Of the Withering of the Fig-Tree, and of the Question as to the Absence of Any Contradiction Between Matp. 160 thew and the Other Evangelists in the Accounts Given of that Incident, as Well as the Other Matters Related in Connection with It; And Very Specially as to the Consistency Between Matthew and Mark in the Matter of the Order of Narration.
130. Matthew continues thus: “And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were sore displeased, and said unto Him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise? And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and He lodged there. Now in the morning, as He returned into the city, He hungered. And when He saw a single 1139 fig-tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away! But Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree; but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” 1140
131. Mark also records this occurrence in due succession. 1141 He does not, however, follow the same order in his narrative. For first of all, the fact which is related by Matthew, namely, that Jesus went into the temple, and cast out those who sold and bought there, is not mentioned at that point by Mark. On the other hand, Mark tells us that He looked round about upon all things, and, when the eventide was now come, went out into Bethany with the twelve. Next he informs us that on another day, 1142 when they were coming from Bethany, He was hungry, and cursed the fig-tree, as Matthew also intimates. Then the said Mark subjoins the statement that He came into Jerusalem, and that, on going into the temple, He cast out those who sold and bought there, as if that incident took place not on the first day specified, but on a different day. 1143 But inasmuch as Matthew puts the connection in these terms, “And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany,” 1144 and tells us that it was when returning in the morning into the city that He cursed the tree, it is more reasonable to suppose that he, rather than Mark, has preserved the strict order of time so far as regards the incident of the expulsion of the sellers and buyers from the temple. For when he uses the phrase, “And He left them, and went out,” who can be understood by those parties whom He is thus said to have left, but those with whom He was previously speaking,—namely, the persons who were so sore displeased because the children cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David”? It follows, then, that Mark has omitted what took place on the first day, when He went into the temple; and in mentioning that He found nothing on the fig-tree but leaves, he has introduced what He called to mind only there, but what really occurred on the second day, as both evangelists testify. Then, further, his account bears that the astonishment which the disciples expressed at finding how the fig-tree had withered away, and the reply which the Lord made to them on the subject of faith, and the casting of the mountain into the sea, belonged not to this same second day on which He said to the tree, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever,” but to a third day. For in connection with the second day, the said Mark has recorded the incident of the casting of the sellers out of the temple, which he had omitted to notice as belonging to the first day. Accordingly, it is in connection with this second day that he tells us how Jesus went out of the city, when even was come, and how, when they passed by in the morning, the disciples saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots, and how Peter, calling to remembrance, said unto Him, “Master, behold the fig-tree which Thou cursedst is withered away.” 1145 Then, too, he informs us that He gave the answer relating to the power of faith. On the other hand, Matthew recounts these matters in a manner importing that they all took place on this second day; that is to say, both the word addressed to the tree, “Let no fruit grow on thee from henceforward for ever,” and the withering that ensued so speedily in the tree, and the reply which He made on the subject of the power of faith to His disciples when they observed that withering and marvelled at it. From this we are to understand that Mark, on his side, has recorded in connection with the second day what he had omitted to notice as occurring really on the first,—namely, the incident of the expulsion of the sellers and buyers from the temple. On the other hand, Matthew, after mentioning what was done on the second day,—namely, the cursing of the fig-tree as He was returning in the morning from Bethany into the city,—has omitted certain facts which Mark has inserted, namely, His coming into the city, and His going out of it in the evening, and the astonp. 161 ishment which the disciples expressed at finding the tree dried up as they passed by in the morning; and then to what had taken place on the second day, which was the day on which the tree was cursed, he has attached what really took place on the third day,—namely, the amazement of the disciples at seeing the trees withered condition, and the declaration which they heard from the Lord on the subject of the power of faith. 1146 These several facts Matthew has connected together in such a manner that, were we not compelled to turn our attention to the matter by Marks narrative, we should be unable to recognise either at what point or with regard to what circumstances the former writer has left anything unrecorded in his narrative. The case therefore stands thus: Matthew first presents the facts conveyed in these words, “And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and He lodged there. Now in the morning, as He returned into the city, He hungered; and when He saw a single fig-tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever; and presently the fig-tree withered away.” Then, omitting the other matters which belonged to that same day, he has immediately subjoined this statement, “And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is it withered away!” although it was on another day that they saw this sight, and on another day that they thus marvelled. But it is understood that the tree did not wither at the precise time when they saw it, but presently when it was cursed. For what they saw was not the tree in the process of drying up, but the tree already dried completely up; and thus they learned that it had withered away immediately on the Lords sentence.
Matt. xxi. 14-22.160:1141
Mark xi. 11-17.160:1144
Matt. xxi. 17.160:1145
Mark 11:20, 21.161:1146
[The explanation of Augustin is still accepted by many. But the order of Mark may be followed without any difficulty. The long discourses occurred on the third day, and the blasted condition of the fig-tree was first noticed on the morning of that day; these are the main points.—R.] | <urn:uuid:8b920b04-2f7c-4f76-b24c-59a7cebe2a1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/106/1060165.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982464 | 1,785 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Learn how to make chicken marinade with ZipSauce. Cooked by founder Michael Esshaki
Tags:How to Make ZipSauce Chicken,chicken,food,fry,grilling,marinade,sauce,stir,zip,zipsauce
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Michael Esshaki: Hello everyone, my name is Michael Esshaki, I am the founder and bottler of ZipSauce. Today, I am going to start off by making some zip sauce with chicken and zip sauces with marinade.
We are going to cut up some chicken into nice small strips. After we cut the chicken, we are going to put it right here inside this bowl, and cut up some green onions.
What we have to do here with the zip sauce is we are going to reduce it half and half; half zip sauce and half water. I have half water already in the bowl, mix it in with the zip sauce. We are going to put it in here as a marinade.
Also we are going to use some garlic with parsley in there. Little bit of that. Just a little pinch of black pepper. We are going to cut up a little fresh garlic, just a smidge here.
Put that in here. What we are going to do is mix it all together and let it marinate for about two to three hours, and we will be back when we are done cooking this and show you our final product. We will show you a little bit of the cooking process. You can grill it. You can also sauté it in the pan.
Ladies and gentlemen, zip sauce.
We are back with the chicken marinated in zip sauce, it’s been marinating for about an eight hour period. You are more than welcome to leave it for 24 hours or so before you cook the chicken. You will have no problem with it at all.
Actually, one of my favorite zip sauce dishes is with the steak, which is primarily used for -- what we have -- we use it for a whole bunch of other stuff, you can use it in stir fry. You can use it in seafood, which if you see the other videos, you will be able to tell that.
But what I want to do here now is I am going to bake it a few more time. While it's on the grill with just straight zip sauce. You know we marinate it, we broke it down half and half when we were marinating it, now if you want, you can just give it a little more flavor with using straight zip sauce out of the container. Doing it one more time. Then we are going to go ahead and show you this, but if you check some of our other videos out, you will be able to see that it is used for a number of things.
The stir fry is really, really good, if you just sauté it. You also could have sautéed this instead of grill it. It comes out just as delicious when its sautéed.
We serve with some carrots or you can eat it with bread, or put it on any type of sandwich or anything like that. There is your zip sauce with chicken marinade. | <urn:uuid:ae206dc7-7d20-4ca4-9ddb-7ba8f423a17a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://on.aol.com/video/how-to-make-zipsauce-chicken-6258984 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960331 | 677 | 1.5 | 2 |
Persuasions #12, 1990 Pages 134-138
Winning Essay, 1990 JASNA Literary Competition
Dangerous Words and Silent Lovers in Sense and Sensibility
INGER SIGRUN THOMSEN
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Of all Jane Austen’s novels, Sense and Sensibility expresses the greatest distrust of words and speech. As we read this novel we are encouraged to revise and refine our definitions of many words, notably of ‘sense’ and ‘sensibility.’ The conversations – and silences – between the lovers are particularly useful in understanding the meanings of these words and in finding to what extent each lover represents these qualities.
It is noteworthy that both of the ‘heroes’ of the novel – Colonel Brandon and Edward – are remarkably poor speakers. Colonel Brandon stammers when he tries to express his feelings and confesses himself to be a “very awkward narrator” (p. 204). His speech is punctuated with dashes and characterized by unfinished sentences. In Chapter 9 of Volume II, it takes the Colonel over one hundred words to hint at what he is trying to say to Elinor. He completes not a single sentence, but Elinor manages to understand him and promptly summarizes what he intended to say in 15 words. Edward, also, is “no orator” (p. 289), as he repeatedly admits and as all his friends acknowledge. The reader, therefore, cannot come to love the heroes of this novel through charming speeches. It is only if the reader learns to distrust the charms of free-flowing language that he or she can forgive – and perhaps even admire – those in the novel whose speech is constrained.
But Elinor cannot speak freely either. Through most of the book, Elinor is forced to have restraint enough for two – she is forced to cover up Marianne’s extremes. Her restrained speech is not due to inability or even reticence; Elinor simply has no one to whom she can talk. Her friendship with Colonel Brandon shows her ability to be a good confidante, but confidences proceed in only one direction. Colonel Brandon speaks with Elinor with the lack of reserve which would befit a sibling; he highlights what Elinor is missing – i.e., he shows the role that Marianne should and could fill.
Marianne’s words flow very freely, but not as freely as she would like to think. As Edward successfully parodies in Vol. I, Ch. 18, Marianne’s romantic vocabulary limits her. Edward playfully tells her that he does not subscribe to the same aesthetic rules and vocabulary:
I shall offend you by my ignorance and want of taste if we come to particulars. I shall call hills steep, which ought to be bold; surfaces strange and uncouth, which ought to be irregular and rugged; and distant objects out of sight, which ought to be indistinct through the soft medium of a hazy atmosphere, (p. 97)
Marianne, who is confident that her great sensibility lets her experience Nature more directly and express it more freely and spiritedly, shows herself to be quite the reverse. She is stubborn and fixed where she ought to be free; blind where she ought to perceive. The fixity of her romantic code of life keeps her from being open to experience and enables her to see only what fits into her pre-existing categories.
The power to speak, and to speak well, belongs primarily to the cold-hearted characters in Sense and Sensibility. The reader knows, from the second chapter of the novel, to beware of words because they can be abused by anyone who, like John or Fanny Dashwood, has a degree of sense without “the strong feelings of the rest of the family” (p. 5). They are remarkably adept at abusing the sense of the promise which John gave his father on his deathbed.
Willoughby also shows an ability to make words serve his own interests. Willoughby is an excellent actor; he adopts the language of those he would like to please – that is, those who can please him. Even in his first conversation with Marianne, he shows he can play the role she assigns him; he can appear to be what she wants to behold;
Their taste was strikingly alike …. if any difference appeared, any objection arose, it lasted no longer than till the force of her arguments and the brightness of her eyes could be displayed. He acquiesced in all her decisions, caught all her enthusiasm … (p. 47)
Willoughby copies Marianne’s vocabulary just as, at the end of the novel, he copies his wife’s letter and sends it to Marianne. By the end, he demonstrates that he has mastered so many people’s “languages” that he hardly knows how to express his own emotions:
When the first of [Marianne’s notes] reached me, … what I felt is – in the common phrase, not to be expressed; in a more simple one – perhaps too simple to raise any emotion – my feelings were very, very painful. – Every line, every word was – in the hackneyed metaphor which their dear writer, were she here, would forbid – a dagger to my heart. To know that Marianne was in town was – in the same language – a thunderbolt. – Thunderbolts and daggers! – what a reproof would she have given me! – her taste, her opinions – I believe they are better known to me than my own, – and I am sure they are dearer. (p. 325)
Before finishing each sentence, he deliberates about which effect he would like to achieve, and he shows the shortcomings of each “language” he speaks. But Willoughby has never learned to speak his ‘native tongue’ – that is, he has spent so much time conforming himself to others’ opinions that he neither knows nor cares to develop his own. In such a world, inhabited by Willoughbys, Fanny Dashwoods, and Lucy Steeles, where ‘success’ in selfish plans is united with the ability to manipulate language, silent and stammering lovers gain our confidence and affection.
Ability to observe keenly and judge appearances appropriately is essential for survival in such a community. Austen shows in all her novels that those characters who truly love also observe well. Love produces a keenness of perception, a sensibility inaccessible to those whose loves are merely narcissistic projections of themselves. Therefore, the ‘true lovers’ in all Jane Austen’s novels tend to watch their objects from afar rather than hang about them, chattering as the ‘false lovers’ do.
Colonel Brandon visits the Dashwoods in order to “look at Marianne and talk to Elinor” (p. 169). If his silence to Marianne leads us to believe that he loves Elinor more than Marianne, we are falling into the trap of trusting words over sight. Elinor herself is tempted to do the same thing:
[Colonel Brandon’s] open pleasure in meeting [Elinor] after an absence of only ten days, his readiness to converse with her … might very well justify Mrs. Jennings’ persuasion of his attachment …. But as it was, such a notion had scarcely ever entered [Elinor’s] head, except by Mrs. Jenning’s suggestion; and she could not help believing herself the nicest observer of the two; – she watched his eyes, while Mrs. Jennings thought only of his behaviour. (p. 305)
Colonel Brandon’s eyes show what his words cannot express – that his love for Marianne is neither selfish nor blind. Colonel Brandon, like Elinor, is “on every occasion mindful of the feelings of others” (p. 62). In contrast, the affection between Marianne and Willoughby leads them to withdraw from others and think only of themselves:
When he was present she had no eyes for any one else …. if dancing formed the amusement of the night, they were partners for half the time; and when obliged to separate for a couple of dances, were careful to stand together and scarcely spoke a word to any body else. (pp. 53-54)
Marianne’s affection leads her to something approaching madness; her “extreme sensibility” leads her first to illusions which do not correspond with reality (such as her certainty that the man approaching on horseback is Willoughby when it is in fact Edward) and eventually, to become blind to her surroundings and apathetic to the point of numbness (or “insensibility”) during their stay in London. Austen wants us to see that Marianne does not suffer from an excess of sensibility, but rather from the wrong kind. Marianne’s selfish sensibility paradoxically leads to the dulling of her senses, whereas the Colonel’s and Elinor’s more social sensibility enables them to perceive more of their surroundings.
Just as there is a perverse kind of sensibility, there is also a powerful and potentially destructive form of sense – the cunning which enables deception. The rampant deception within the novel is exemplified by the fact that not only one, but both of the initial heroes are secretly engaged. The most deceitful characters manipulate words to achieve their goals, as Lucy Steele, the most cunning of all the characters, does in her conversations with Elinor and in her letter to Edward. “The existence of this false ‘sense’ – the cunning which can abuse the sense of words – helps to make words unreliable in the novel. Austen shows that sense degenerates into cunning when it is not tempered by a social sensibility. John Dashwood and Lucy Steele both have sense but abuse it because they lack the strong feelings to direct them to consider the feelings of others.
A misguided sensibility is also capable of defeating sense. Marianne’s selfish sensibility deadens her senses. As the scene when she mistakes Edward for Willoughby in Vol. I, Chap. 16 shows, Marianne’s sensibility leads her to believe contrary to rational sense and contrary to the evidence of her senses. In a strikingly similar scene, Elinor’s different sensibility takes her in another direction. When she expects Colonel Brandon,
a man on horseback drew her eyes to the window. He stopt at their gate. It was a gentleman, it was Colonel Brandon himself …. But – it was not Colonel Brandon – neither his air – nor his height. Were it possible, she should say it must be Edward. She looked again. He had just dismounted; – she could not be mistaken; – it was Edward. (p. 358)
Fancy, when handmaiden to the proper kind of sensibility, becomes a token of love. Elinor’s sensibility does not contradict her sense, but in this instance it anticipates it. Her sensibility leads her to distinguish Edward before her unaided sense of vision could have.
The title of Sense and Sensibility does not, as many have thought, describe an opposition, where each abstract noun represents one sister. Each sister is endowed with an element of each quality. By the end Elinor indulges in fancy, becomes speechless, and “almost ran out of the room, and as soon as the door was closed, burst into tears of joy” (p. 360), while Marianne learns some sobering lessons about the kind of sensibility which does not insult natural sense. The novel shows us that extremes are deadening, and that neither quality can exist without the other. Austen leads us to an understanding of an appropriate mean by showing us the negative effects of the extremes.
No character has everything in this novel. Beauty, virtue, wealth, talent are, like eloquence, distributed among the characters. Characters are interdependent, learn from one another, just as sense and sensibility are interdependent. Each needs the other in order to be fulfilled.
The strict opposition or dualism of the title is only true from Marianne’s early perspective. Only in Marianne’s and Mrs. Dashwood’s romantic vocabulary is there a battle between sense and sensibility: “common sense, common care, common prudence, were all sunk in Mrs. Dashwood’s romantic delicacy” (p. 85). The isolation of these words from one another is parallel to personal seclusion. Marianne’s attempts at isolation, as shown by her “solitary rambles” and her unwillingness to confide in or be comforted by Elinor, lead her to folly, illness, and almost death.
A primary lesson of the novel is the importance of understanding oneself in relation to a whole community. The best kind of sensibility is that which forms a community. The surest sign of this sensibility is keen observation of others’ feelings rather than elaborate professions or even the ability to read poetry with expression. It is therefore important that the ‘true lovers’ in Austen’s novels watch their loved ones from afar rather than stay by their sides to ask their opinions about books and music. Where a suitor conversing and exchanging ideas with the object of his admiration is self-conscious about presentation and pleasing, the suitor who watches is turned outward. Truly seeing is sympathizing; and by observing the loved one interacting with others, one learns more about the community to which the loved one belongs.
“General incivility” is not the essence of the love which is formed out of the proper balance of sense and sensibility. In fact, a love which is not blind is the surest way of combining sensibility and sense for the benefit of the whole community.
Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, ed. R.W. Chapman, 3rd ed. (London: Oxford University Press, 1933). | <urn:uuid:532c75b7-b3b8-4760-9551-7776e254e983> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number12/thomsen.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970586 | 2,939 | 2.625 | 3 |
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Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World: Summary of a Workshop
Coherent and realistic planning from research to operations is needed, and
Successful Earth-observation activities require high-level involvement and support (e.g., ministerial-level).
Lautenbacher concluded his remarks by observing that rising costs, economic priorities, technological and scientific needs, and expanding benefits combine to make collaboration both necessary and appealing.
Vincent Sabathier (Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS) also contributed to the opening session by discussing the efforts of CSIS to address the policy aspects of space activities at the global level. Space activities are increasingly globalized, he noted, adding that the rapid expansion of space activities in Asia, including competition relating to the Moon, is particularly striking. Looking ahead, Sabathier made reference to the growing role of the private sector and stressed the need to pursue sustainable space programs. The establishment of the Group on Earth Observations in 2003 and the subsequent efforts to create a Global Earth Observing System of Systems are important steps in this regard, he added.
The second keynote presentation, delivered by Roger Launius (National Air and Space Museum) reviewed the history of and lessons learned from governmental space cooperation and competition during and after the Cold War.3 During the Cold War, the United States pursued cooperation to advance its national interest, enhance the image of the United States, develop closer relations with other countries, and reinforce the perception of U.S. openness. In carrying out these objectives, NASA structured cooperation on a project-by-project basis and sought to ensure that the projects pursued were scientifically valid, mutually beneficial, and that they involved no exchange of funds.4 NASA has concluded more than 2,000 agreements with other nations for various international space ventures during the past 50 years—almost always as the senior partner. In the post-Cold War era, however, NASA’s role in collaborative projects has gradually changed. U.S. pre-eminence in space has begun to decline as U.S. commitment to maintain pre-eminence has waned and as other countries have developed sophisticated space capabilities. The U.S. commitment to large-scale international ventures has also diminished, in part as a result of International Traffic in Arms Regulations constraints and in part because of U.S. preferences to go it alone. As a result, the United States today is not automatically viewed as the partner of choice.
In his remarks Launius observed that the International Space Station program, begun by NASA in 1984, will be remembered not so much for its science and technological achievements (though these may be significant) but because it brought together engineers, scientists, managers, and technicians from various backgrounds and cultures who successfully worked together to achieve common goals. There may be opportunities to pursue similar initiatives in the future, he added.5
The “no exchange of funds” policy is not inviolate, however; for example, NASA has made considerable payments to the Russians in the course of the International Space Station cooperation.
Workshop participants also heard a dinner presentation by Roald Sagdeev (University of Maryland) titled “Real World Implications for International Cooperation,” in which he provided personal reflections on the history of Soviet-U.S. space cooperation. | <urn:uuid:14807ee3-7b03-4a7a-b695-603f502681b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12694&page=8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947766 | 719 | 2.765625 | 3 |
News and Announcements
Become a Computing Resource Management Expert this Fall
Today’s library operations and services depend on available computing technologies. Being able to understand and manage computing resources is a very important and marketable skill set for library and information professionals.
By teaching basic skills of computer system administration and web information services setup, LIS 7430: Computing Resource Management - CRN 16463 helps students understand today’s computing needs and services in the context of libraries and similar organizations. In particular, through class projects, the course will help the students get in touch with their local library (potential employer) and understand their local library’s computing services.
For more information about the course, please contact the instructor, Dr. Zhang (email@example.com), who has had extensive library IT experience. | <urn:uuid:8fa02cc3-5261-45f0-8b6b-e613fcc0945c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://slis.wayne.edu/news.php?id=9509 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916518 | 169 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Richfield High School Celebrates Black History Month!
In honor of Black History Month, Richfield High school is hosting over 100 parents and community members on Monday, February, 14th. This date is an important day to recognize as it's National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID). NAAPID was founded in 1995 by Joseph Dulin, former educator out of Ann Arbor, MI. In response to the growing academic achievement gap, Dulin founded this day as a national call to action to get more parents of African American children involved in their child's education. On Monday, February 14, from 8:30AM-11:30AM, Richfield High school is hosting parents and community members for a celebration breakfast, a tour of the school, and a culminating performance in the school auditorium. The performance consists of Black student leaders speaking on various issues pertinent to the Black community, HBCU steppers, traditional African drums and dancers, and community singers.
Join us! RSVP to 612-798-6116 | <urn:uuid:328af72d-1204-457e-ba3e-316e779f8c2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://richfield.patch.com/announcements/richfield-high-school-celebrates-black-history-month | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964308 | 213 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Oregon logs solid geothermal grades
By Andy Giegerich
Sustainable Business Oregon editor
The AltaRock project in Central Oregon is one of several state projects to draw kudos from the Geothermal Energy Association.
A national geothermal group says Oregon has become one of the industry’s hotspots.
The Washington, D.C-based Geothermal Energy Association cited Oregon’s 18 geothermal ongoing and planned projects as well as the state’s efforts to build the industry as proof that Oregon is serious about developing the emerging energy form.
The group issued its annual report Tuesday morning.
“A strong (renewable portfolio standard) has incentivized Oregon to develop a significant amount of geothermal projects,” the Association wrote. “The state has established that large utilities — those with 3 percent or more of the state’s load — must ensure that 20 percent of the electricity sold to retail customers is renewable by 2020.”
The Geothermal group found that installed geothermal capacity grew in the U.S. by 5 percent last year. Seven new projects came online nationally last year.
Oregon is one of eight states with operating geothermal plants.
The group cited AltaRock Energy Inc.’s Newberry project in Deschutes County as a good example of an “enhanced geothermal system.” While the project is still in the testing and research phase, Altarock has uncovered several geothermal zones at the site.
The company intends to eventually build a “utility-scale” power plant at the site.
Oregon ranks behind California, Nevada and Utah in terms of geothermal projects operating or under construction.
Seven new geothermal projects became operational in 2012. Some 175 geothermal projects are underway in the United States.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below. | <urn:uuid:1f177b90-9ab2-44a0-bf85-f1e056fd01c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2013/02/oregon-logs-solid-geothermal-grades.html?iana=ind_green | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930284 | 426 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Ashton, SD Real Estate
According to census data in the year 2000 there were 67 housing units in Ashton.
This represents a 22.1% decline from 86 in 1990.
Of those housing units, none were located in either urbanized areas or urban clusters, and 67 were located in what is classified as a rural area.
Homeownership rate in Ashton is about 86.7%.
Ashton's vacancy rate, including seasonal lodging, is about 10.4%.
Average household size is 2.43 people.
The majority of houses, apartments or condos in Ashton were built after 1939.
|Housing Units by Size|
|Five Bedrooms or more||6%|
Owned Homes, Apartments and Condos
|Average Household Size||2.56|
|Median year structure was built||1940|
|Median Value of occupied units||$14,600|
|Median Price asked for vacant units||$9,999|
Rented Homes, Apartments and Condos
|Average Household Size||1.63|
|Median year structure was built||1939|
|Median Monthly Rent asked for vacant units||$175|
Owners Finance Status
|Second Mortgage & Equity Loan||0%|
|Home Equity Loan||0%|
|Median part of Monthly Household Income dedicated to covering home ownership costs||14.8%| | <urn:uuid:7d7de725-17fb-48c2-a961-3d77eb8f806a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.idcide.com/realestate/sd/ashton.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946482 | 296 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today after House Democratic leaders held a conference call with economic experts, many of whom met with the congressional leaders on October 13. The House passed an economic recovery and job creation package in September, but it was blocked by Republicans in the Senate and opposed by the President.
“Our Main Street Recovery initiative will address the economic crisis in the short-term and the long-term, creating good-paying jobs here at home and making us more competitive in the 21st century global economy. We must create millions of green jobs pursuing energy independence, educate a skilled work force to make American innovation the engine for economic growth, and build a high-tech infrastructure that brings the power of renewable energy and broadband to every small business and home in America.
“As we pursue the priorities of a vibrant new economy, the best way to restore the confidence of both consumers and investors is to pair this vision with fiscal discipline, which will prevent future generations' prosperity from being undermined.
“Since the House passed an economic recovery and job creation plan on September 26, conditions have worsened both in the U.S. and in the global economy. Leading economists told us again today that we must pass an economic recovery package soon to give another boost to the economy, create jobs, and lessen the length and severity of a recession. If we don't, the economy will only get worse.
“After Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced last week his support for economic recovery legislation, I spoke with President Bush and we agreed to strive to find bipartisan agreement on an economic recovery package. Now we must find what is both fiscally responsible and politically possible, and the House-passed legislation is a strong starting point, which the Senate could pass next month and send to the President.
“The New Direction Congress will continue to ensure that the rescue of our financial system protects the interests of American taxpayers, as we work in a bipartisan way to take the next steps to help Main Street America recover.”
The House passed an economic recovery and job creation package on September 26. The legislation creates and saves jobs by rebuilding our nation's infrastructure for long-term economic growth, extends unemployment benefits, expands food assistance to ensure American families who are struggling have access to nutritious meals, and helps states struggling with budget shortfalls meet the health care and education needs of millions of Americans. | <urn:uuid:4eba2322-4756-4bda-9fe9-600cf3bf78de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.democraticleader.gov/news/press/pelosi-congress-will-work-bipartisan-way-help-main-street-recover-downturn-economy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94051 | 492 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Public meetings will be held throughout the Edwards Region next week to inform and take public comment on proposed increases in Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) pumping fees.
The EARIP plan to preserve Edwards Aquifer spring flows has been three years in the making and deserves to be funded at levels adequate to insure success.
What is at stake here is fair and rational allocation of water from the Edwards Aquifer. Since the Endangered Species Act is the only tool that the Federal government gives us to deal with these issues, the critters will continue to assume a starring role in these discussions. The crux of the issues addressed by the EARIP, however, is whether municipal and industrial pumping should be allowed to draw down the aquifer below levels required to maintain spring flows. To do so could result in reduction of in-stream flows needed to maintain the balance of fresh and saline water in the bays and estuaries, as well as the need for hundreds of folks on Edwards wells to drill deeper, loss of heritage trees, and perhaps other unanticipated consequences.
The EARIP process has forced all stakeholders to realize that we need to conserve and diversify our water resources. The plan promotes conservation measures for all utilities and private well owners throughout the region that will result in thousands of acre feet staying in the aquifer rather than being wasted through outdated water use practices and leaky distribution systems. Funds generated by the increased management fees would be used to implement, among other things, region wide water conservation programs, additional measures to protect water quality and – most importantly – enlarging San Antonio’s capacity to capture water during wet years in the SAWS Aquifer Storage and Recovery project.
Please note that increased fees will not affect agricultural users as their fees are capped by State Law. Nor would the fees apply to well owners who pump water strictly for domestic and livestock use, as these pumpers are exempt. The increase in management fees would principally be passed on to the large municipal utilities that pump from the Edwards.
GEAA staff has researched water rates and have concluded that SAWS, Bexar Met, and New Braunfels Utilities, when compared to other US cities of comparable size, definitely have room to charge more for water, especially if increased fees are structured so as to distribute the price increases to discourage excess consumption. For SAWS, specifically, we found that when compared to rates for similar cities in the US, SAWS water rates are extremely low. To see the full study, click here.
For more information and a schedule of the hearings, click here. | <urn:uuid:a2498cb6-f21f-4d9d-b082-1b6d2b80fa39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.mysanantonio.com/annalisapeace/2011/07/come-out-to-speak-for-spring-flows/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960349 | 524 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Education for All
Education for All (EFA) is a global movement launched in 1990 and led by UNESCO that aims to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults. At the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000, measurable EFA goals were identified, and Viet Nam was among the 164 governments that committed to their achievement by 2015. In the same year, Viet Nam joined the 189 nations who pledged to half extreme poverty by 2015 through achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Following its commitments, Viet Nam developed an EFA action plan for 2003-2015, a framework that sets targets and guides cooperation among Government, international organizations, bilateral donors and NGOs toward achieving EFA. As a low-income country, Viet Nam was eligible for assistance from the Education for All Fast-track Initiative (EFA FTI), which matches national education strategies such as Viet Nam's EFA action plan with donor’s efforts to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education by 2015.
As the coordinating agency for the EFA-FTI process in Viet Nam, in 2010 UNESCO led a review and update of the country’s EFA action plan. In addition, the UNESCO Bangkok Office provided technical support to undertake financial analysis and costing of the EFA Action Plan, based on recommendations for FTI resource allocation to different sub-sectors.
The EFA Action Plan update resulted in the following recommendations: i) ensure that the most disadvantaged have access to at least one year of quality pre-school education, ii) strengthen Vietnamese through Mother Tongue and Inclusive Education and iii) improve the EFA Quality Assurance mechanisms through enhanced capacities of local education managers. UNESCO continues to assist international education development partners and MOET institutions to implement all EFA-FTI supported activities that aim to achieve EFA by 2015. | <urn:uuid:13f3426f-bdee-4c67-8433-f45cdd743ac9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unesco.org/new/en/hanoi/education/education-for-all/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93276 | 374 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Social Conflict Costly for Korea
As two Koreas talk, US tracks the North's ship
Payment for land is vital to both labor and capital, as Korea shows. We trim, blend, and append three 2009 articles on Korea from: (1) ChinaView, Jun 19; (2) Reuters, Jun 19, by Jack Kim; and (3) Korea Times, Jun 24, by Kim Tae-gyu.
by ChinaView, by Jack Kim, and by Kim Tae-gyu
S Korea, DPRK wrap up latest talks over joint venture
The third round of talks since the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak regime between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK)'s delegation concluded.
It was held in Kaesong (in the North), where 106 South Korean companies operate with some 40,000 DPRK workers, making a variety of products, from electronics and watches to shoes and utensils.
Earlier, DPRK asked South Korea to quadruple monthly wages for workers from $70-$80 to $300, as well as raise land rent to $500 million, a 31-times increase from the current $16 million. That rent is one of the few sources of hard cash for the destitute communist state.
Following previous talks on April 21 and June 11, the two sides met after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called Pyongyang's demands "unacceptable" in a summit with US President Barack Obama earlier this week. The DPRK strongly denounced the comment.
The delegation from the South focused on the South Korean worker who has been detained in the DPRK since late March and proposed a joint survey of foreign industrial parks.
The DPRK did not provide any information on the detained worker but said they intended to lift the traffic curfew in the industrial park which slows the movement of materials and workers.
Both sides agreed meet again July 2.
Two Koreas talk, US tracks ship
The US Navy was tracking a North Korean ship, the first shadowing under the UN sanctions adopted after Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test May 25 that put it closer to having a working atomic bomb.
The sanctions bar Pyongyang from trading in weapons, including missile parts and nuclear material. "North Korea will endlessly try to export arms. (That) is a very profitable business compared to other goods," said Cho Myung-chul of South's Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.
North Korea warned it could fire another intercontinental ballistic missile, toward Hawaii, in defiance of UN resolutions. That could be part of efforts to consolidate leader Kim Jong-il's power in preparation for succession in Asia's only communist dynasty.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he had redeployed anti-missile assets in the Pacific region, including advanced radar and other defensive systems that might succeed in bringing down medium-range ballistic missiles.
North Korea in April fired what it said was a rocket to put a satellite in orbit, but regional powers said the launch was actually a disguised test of the long-range Taepodong-2 missile, designed to fly as far as US territory. The rocket flew about 3,000 km (1,860 miles), well short of the 7,000 km needed to take it to Hawaii.
Social Conflict Costly for Korea
In social conflicts, South Korea ranks fourth worst among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI) claims social conflicts cost Korea up to $250 billion a year in GDP. Many analysts said the figure is too high, nearly 20-25% of GDP, but they agreed the cost is quite high.
``For 27 OECD nations, the average is 0.44,'' SERI researcher June Park said. Only three states, Turkey, Poland, and Slovakia, chalked up worse figures than Korea’s 0.71.
European countries, especially those in Scandinavia, scored best: Denmark led with 0.24, followed by Sweden with 0.25, and Finland with 0.28. France and Britain were in the middle at 0.38.
Japan's figure was 0.42 while that of the United States was 0.44, the average.
Park said the causes of Korea's severe social throes are political feuds, militant trade unions and ``rent-seeking'' activities of government officials. Reducing the index to the average means the nation's GDP per capita would jump from last year's $18,602 to about $24,000.
Communications consultant Michael Breen asked ``opinion leaders to articulate goodness of individualism, civic rights and responsibilities, the free market, and the rule of law. It is also important to replace the idea that democracy means rule by public sentiment with the notion of representative democracy.”
An American asset manager working here said, “Frequent social disputes are one of main reasons behind the ‘Korea Discount’ along with North Korea's threat.”
JJS: Sounds like a job for geonomics. Places that have recovered rents and spread land ownership enjoyed less crime and less militancy. Korea has taxed land somewhat and even has a small Georgist (geonomic) movement, so don’t count out the best basic idea for progress!
Jeffery J. Smith runs the Forum on Geonomics.
The latest record-setting data point to continued slowing
Economic ills need economic cures
Have courage -- young men can undergo transformation
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Page One Page Two Archive Discussion Room Letters What's Geoism? | <urn:uuid:a66347c2-eb69-4b0f-abd0-182058918546> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.progress.org/2009/nkorea.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946089 | 1,168 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Is Asia a Choice for Careers in Innovation?
We live in a world with growing number of choices. The next generation are dreaming bigger, living faster, and aiming higher for what they want in life. Careers in innovation, or innovation careers, are a means to realize these aspirations. Innovation has been described as the creative use of various forms of knowledge when responding to the societal needs and market-articulated demands. This leads to the question: “Is Asia the place to pursue an innovative career?” The answer lies in the changing landscape of scientific research, innovation and enterprise opportunities.
Over the years it has been recognised that innovation is critical to driving growth in developed as well as emerging economies. Now the world total R&D investments exceed a trillion dollars. Since 2000s, several emerging nations, primarily in Asia, have been investing in scientific research and innovation, thereby increasing respective innovation capabilities and capacities. The recent announcement by an Australian billionaire to build the iconic Titanic II with the Nanjing-based CSC Jinling Shipyard is no surprise. Asia has become a test bed for creative and innovative ideas, as can be evidenced from the implementation of various technically advanced and challenging projects. In other words, the risk appetite of Asia has grown over the years. Access to local as well as international resources and expertise, which facilitate innovation and entrepreneurial activities, is more prominent in Asia now than ever before.
“Asia is expanding the university sector with the goal of enhancing the age cohort participation rate from 20% to 40%.”
Enablers and Influencers
Of course, the changes, which have led to Asia’s transformation into a stronghold for innovation careers, are not merely incidental. A wide range of factors and outside forces has played a part in triggering this metamorphosis. What are the key enablers and influencers that have made Asia the place of choice for innovation careers? Firstly, Asia is home to major ancient civilizations of the world, who contributed to the earlier inventions of humankind such as the compass, gun powder, paper making and printing, seismographs, silk and embroidery, immunology, and cosmic knowledge. In other words, Asian culture is conducive to innovations. Innovation, you could say, is buried in Asia’s soil.
The second reason is globalization. Aided by growing personal affluence, affordable air prices and easy connectivity, large numbers of Asians have travelled to all corners of the world. They have experienced the best practices in other parts of the world. The widespread penetration of modern social media which includes mobile phones, internet, and television and radio programs delivered in respective native languages has enabled vast populations of Asia to learn and appreciate advanced practices of developed nations. Through increasing connectivity, Asians have learned to think internationally and learn globally. Literacy levels are growing and education rates are ever increasing. As Asian nations pursue the goal of mass higher education, increased proportion of talented, motivated, and hardworking youth are exposed to higher learning compared to the earlier generations. Asia is expanding the university sector with the goal of enhancing the age cohort participation rate from 20% to 40%. Asian countries are also nurturing diverse higher learning institutions such as research-intensive universities, teaching universities & colleges, and technology and industry oriented universities & colleges. Such diverse human capital is essential for sustaining the value chain of innovation. This is contributing to the growing capacity and capabilities for innovation in Asia.
Asia also now wields a growing amount of economic muscle, giving it freedom to innovate and shape the future. Emerging nations, majority of which are in Asia, are now responsible for 40% of the high technology manufacturing output of the world. And 25% of total manufacturing of the world is high-technology manufacturing.
Asia’s current share of global GDP is nearly 50%. In the coming decades this share is projected to go up to 75%, and, by 2016 China is projected to surpass USA in terms of purchasing power parity GDP. Assisted by growing wealth and necessities imposed by national challenges, Asian nations are taking the risks and becoming pioneering test beds for innovative solutions. This creates a virtuous cycle of implementation of innovative solutions and resources to support research and innovation, and thereby develop new innovations. Many green field projects in Asia are adopting more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly standards in the construction of new buildings and cities, power generation plants and manufacturing industries. Given the economic and market sizes of certain Asian nations, they are likely to set new benchmarks which will influence the success of future innovations.
“In year 2012, the R&D investments of Asia surpassed the investments by USA and European countries.”
In recent years, the level of investment in research and innovation expressed in % of gross domestic product (GDP) by Japan, Singapore and South Korea are comparable to those by USA, Germany, UK, France, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. China embraced innovation to ensure sustainability of its economic growth, and ramping up the investments in research and innovation and upgrading various institutions. India as well as several ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries are also investing to encourage innovation in various sectors of respective economies. In year 2012, the R&D investments of Asia surpassed the investments by USA and European countries. One of the outcomes is the increased number of peer reviewed scientific publications coming out of Asia compared to any other region of the world
Asian countries also realised the importance of research-intensive universities and their close interactions with the innovation hubs or science & technology parks in building the nation’s capability and capacity for innovation and in growing high value add industries. Access to scientific literature via high speed Internet and digital media has hastened the process of absorption of new knowledge in Asia thereby contributing to enhanced innovation opportunities. Research community of Asia is well connected to the peers in advanced countries and rest of the world. Such openness and broader access to knowledge are important enablers of Asia’s strong participation in research and innovation endeavours.
Multinational companies have further expanded and deepened their design and innovation operations in Asia to leverage on the local talent, innovation supportive policies and market opportunities thereby reducing the cost of productization and accelerating pace of innovation in Asia. Companies are practicing open innovation strategies as it is possible now to hire anywhere, source investments anywhere, design anywhere, build everywhere and market anywhere. Open sourcing and integrative practices of multi-national companies are also key enablers of Asia’s growing presence in the global research and innovation landscape.
Helmut Traitler, Vice President for Innovation Partnerships at Nestle aptly summarised the potential of open innovation; to achieve its growth objective a company must extend its internal capabilities to establish a large number of strategic partnering relationships. It must embrace open innovation and work aggressively with strategic partners to co-create significant new market and product opportunities.. It must extend its reach by tapping into the technologies and expertise of more than a million researchers around the world.
20th Century saw the migration of critical mass of talented scientists and innovators of Western Europe and rest of the world to USA, which benefited it immensely. Economic slowdown in USA and Western Europe and growing opportunities in Asia are drawing talents. Asia is poised to benefit from the returning talents who are educated and trained in world’s best universities in USA and Europe, and continue to maintain strong ties with their alma maters and contacts. This provides a unique opportunity i.e. Asia and Western World can partner strategically in the generation of new knowledge and innovative solutions to common societal challenges such as clean water, energy, and environment, affordable healthcare and security.
However, many challenges still face Asia as the hub of innovation. Higher education budgets of almost all countries in Asia are under strain owing to a) growing demand for higher education, b) increased cost of operating a university and c) lower graduation rates of students. Elected public office bearers may be pressured to give priority to education programs over the research and innovation programs. Such moves will affect the innovation capabilities and capacities of Asia. Pursuit of mass higher education created the need for diversified system in which the private higher education sector is flourishing. This is shifting the cost of education to parents and students. Except for a few countries in Asia, the growing private sector is absorbing the demand for higher education. Compared to public universities, the private higher education institutions are flexible in partnering with businesses creatively in niche areas to provide better learning and innovation opportunities. However the demand absorbing private higher education institutions suffer from the perception that they lack academic rigor. Such perceptions may provide hindrance in accelerating the innovation capacity of Asia.
As respective economies grow, many Asian countries are facing the problem of a widening gap between high income and low income families. The feeling of inequality may affect the confidence of public and thereby policy makers’ strong support for research and innovation.
While nations pursue competitive advantage, the managers of public research funds tread the slippery path of restrictive policies which affect the exchange of knowledge, collaborations and partnerships, and speed and smooth functioning of full value chain of innovation. Over the years the absolute sums invested by countries for facilitating innovation has grown to be substantial amounts. As the bulk of the public research funds are generated from taxes, there will be a growing tendency for greater accountability. This often leads to cumbersome and time-intensive procedures and approval processes, and short-term goals driving the agenda. A fine balance is needed for effective management of R&D and yielding desired results over a long period.
Despite the number of challenges Asia faces, there are many ways of overcoming the obstacles that hinder the advancement of innovation. A few leading Asian nations, namely Japan, South Korea and Singapore, are investing in R&D in the range of 3% to 3.5% of GDP. The R&D investments of several Asian nations are far below these desired levels. Further efforts are needed by the policy makers as well as the businesses to enhance innovation capacity and capabilities. The bulk of the R&D investments in Asia is coming from the public funds. Businesses need to be encouraged and incentivized to increase their investments and participation in innovation. 1/3 and 2/3 rule may be worth aiming for in Asia too, i.e., 1/3 of total R&D investments in a country coming the public funds while 2/3 portion coming from the private sector. There is on-going, passionate debate on the wise use of limited public funds for supporting research. Scientific research endeavours have been broadly categorised into a) basic research or curiosity driven intellectual pursuits to generate new knowledge for the sake of knowledge; b) user inspired or applied research; c) research work to support policies, and d) developmental work in support of enterprise. There is no general consensus on what proportion of public funds to be invested in a specific category. Some feel that small nations and developing nations cannot afford basic research and they are better off focusing on other categories of research and innovation while large nations and developed nations are expected to support all categories of research endeavours. As the specific context of each nation is different from others it is helpful for the Asian nations to follow 1/3 and 2/3 general rule in apportioning public research funds – 1/3 of total public R&D investments to facilitate basic research while 2/3 portion to support other categories of research and innovation.
Over the years university research has become a key source of innovation for businesses. According to various global ranking of universities, Asia’s research-intensive universities are still far behind the leading research-intensive universities in academic super power nations such as USA, UK, and Germany. Asian countries need to invest more and engage respective universities in the overall chain of innovation. Private higher education institutions can be more flexible in partnering with businesses creatively and train human capital in niche areas particularly suited for the value chain of innovation. Hence policies should be fine-tuned to maximise the potential of private higher education institutions. Value chain of innovation requires human capital trained differently. Hence higher education sector needs to diversify with critical mass of research-intensive & world- class; industry oriented and teaching focused universities.
However, increasing investments in scientific research and innovation alone will not guarantee success. Pioneer of mobile phones, Nokia spent $40 billion on research and development over the past decade – nearly four times what Apple spent in the same period. Despite higher R&D spending (nearly 30% of total R&D spending of mobile phone industry) Nokia fell behind in the market share to competitors Apple and Samsung due to fragmented research efforts, internal rivalries, politics, and its disconnection from the operations, which brought the phones to the market, and pursuit of wrong strategies. Research in Motion Limited, the promoter of Blackberry, is also struggling to adapt to the market shifts. Impact of innovations is realised when coherent and consistent strategies are executed well.
“Opportunities for innovation careers in Asia are not uniform. The value chain of innovation should be further enhanced by internationalization, strategic partnerships, appropriate funding support, and fine tuning of national and organizational policies and systems.”
Singapore leads Asia in Global Innovation Index put together by Alcatel-Lucent, Booz & Company, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the World Intellectual Property Organization. This is an outcome of various proactive schemes and coordinated efforts to facilitate innovation in Singapore. For example a sum of S$360 million has been allocated for the period 2008-2012 to fund initiatives under the National Framework for Innovation and Enterprise (NFIE). Initiatives were aimed at Establishing Support for Academic Entrepreneurship in Universities; Creating Enterprise Support Structures; Enhancing Technology Transfer, and Supporting Innovation Policy Studies.
Internationalization of higher learning, research and innovation is the way forward for accelerating innovation and to leverage on other resources. One form of internationalization is at home by bringing in global expertise. Other forms of internationalization is taking the local expertise to abroad and exposing them to different ecosystems. Both forms of internationalization can be realised through strategic partnerships.
Universities around the world more or less modelled their intellectual property (IP) rules and guidelines based on typical practices of US universities. The universities own the intellectual property generated by its researchers, and university technology licensing office (TLO) manages the IP. On average only about two percent of university-generated IP are exploited commercially. There are several valid reasons for such low performance. It is perhaps worth considering certain aspects for more effective outcomes; a) recognize that inventors know the invention better than opaque IP managers, b) inventors own the IP, c) inventors be given support to make right decision in protecting and exploiting respective IPs with suitable businesses, and d) countries and universities to adopt proactive policies to facilitate test bedding of their inventors IPs while leveraging on benefits from successful exploitation of IPs.
Open access publishing is gaining momentum with major public research funding organizations in USA, with the UK and Europe pushing for it. Asian countries are yet to make clear moves on open access publishing. Open access publishing is set to accelerate the process of knowledge dissemination and further widen the fabric of innovation worldwide.
This is an opportune time to promote close interactions among various national research funding organizations. Since societal challenges such as clean water, energy & environment, digital security, and affordable healthcare & food are common to most nations, it also worthwhile to consider establishing a Global Research Foundation to accelerate the innovations by drawing on expertise distributed globally for ensuring sustained well-being of humans.
The generations born in 1950s, 60s, and 70s felt that they could not find suitable opportunities in Asia to pursue their interest in innovation career and contribute to the respective societies. This is no longer the case for future generations living in Asia. Asia is becoming a stronghold for innovation careers along with its resurgence in economic, political, and cultural arenas. This transformation happened on the backdrop of growing enrolments in higher education, increasing investments in scientific research & innovation, and innovation supportive policy measures by several Asian countries. Research and Development (R&D) and product customization centres of multinational corporations (MNCs) sited in emerging nations are also instrumental in this transformation.
Innovation is critical to driving growth in developed as well as emerging economies. Opportunities for innovation careers in Asia are not uniform. The value chain of innovation should be further enhanced by internationalization, strategic partnerships, appropriate funding support, and fine tuning of national and organizational policies and systems.
* ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Author thanks AJIP Journal of Innovation and Policy for the permission to reproduce the original article published in 2012 issue 1.2: 133-148; DOI: http//dx.doi.org/10.7545/ajip.2012.1.2.133 with appropriate changes.
About the Author
Professor Seeram Ramakrishna is the Chairman of Global Collaboratory for Study of Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He served the global community as the Vice-President of International Federation of Engineering Educator Societies and Founding Chair, Global Engineering Deans Council. He is a speaker on global trends and is the author of The Changing Face of Innovation. He served the National University of Singapore as University Vice-President (Research Strategy); Dean of Engineering; and Director of NUS Enterprise among other roles. Professor Seeram Ramakrishna received PhD degree in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK and general management training from the Harvard University, USA. He is an elected international fellow of major engineering societies and academies in Singapore, ASEAN, India, UK and USA. | <urn:uuid:25ce44c1-9420-46ca-82ea-075587584f95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/?p=7771 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937658 | 3,578 | 1.992188 | 2 |
What happens if you start 32 metronomes at different times on a stable surface? Not much. They'll tick-tock out of sync until the cows come home. But what happens when you start the same 32 metronomes on an unfixed surface? You get to witness a nifty (and mesmerizing) example of coupled oscillations. Watch and learn.
Courtesy Victor van WerkhoovenWhat are the most popular PIN numbers people use? What are the least? How can you best ensure that your PIN is something crooks would have a lesser chance of figuring out? This is a pretty neat report that talks about what works, and what doesn't, when selecting a personal identification number to use with some financial or electronic devices. You'd be surprised how often people commonly make mistakes that lead to easy uncovering of their PINs.
Vi Hart and Khan Academy, both amazing online resources for mathematical inspiration and intuition, have decided to combine their efforts. Here is their official announcement:
Courtesy JGordonThe human body is more or less the density of water: 1000 kg per cubic meter. (I tend to sink, so I'm probably a little denser, but I think we're close enough here.)
I weigh about 150 pounds, or 68 kg (2.2 pounds per kilogram).
1000kg / 1m^3 = 68kg / ?m^3
? = .068
So the volume of my body is about 0.068 cubic meters.
Each cubic meter equals about 35.3146667 cubic feet.
.068 x 35.315 = 2.401
So the volume of my body is about 2.401 cubic feet
My file drawer is 1 foot wide by 9 inches high (or .75 feet) by 2 feet and 2 inches deep (or 2.167 feet)
1 x .75 x 2.167 = 1.62525
So the volume of my desk drawer is 1.62525 cubic feet
1.62525 < 2.401
So the answer is NO. If you were to blend me up in a giant food processor, and then pour me into my file drawer, I would literally be overflowing.
That's sort of a relief.
Then again, it depends on how much denser I am than water. Maybe I would fit.
Courtesy jimmowatt "101010 (base two (binary)) equals 42 (base ten). Oddly enough, this is evenly divisible by the number of days in a week (7 (lucky)); and equally oddly, is also evenly divisible by the number 6 (which is generally designated as being unlucky). Both a Ying and Yang situation seem to be incorporated into this date." HubPages.com
10 (base ten) = 1010 (base two)
(base ten): 10 x 10 = 100
(base two): 10 x 10 = 100
In Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the
"Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything" was 42.
Courtesy Theresa Thompson
Winston Churchill once quipped, "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others." Though said tongue-in-cheek, a recent article in New Scientist shows that, mathematically at least, Winnie was on to something.
Every election has winners and losers. Different countries have different systems for determining the winners, and dealing with the losers. And, it turns out, each of those systems has mathematical quirks which prevent the results from perfectly matching the will of the people.
In 1963, American economist Kenneth Arrow considered all these quirks and tried to describe the perfect voting system. He then proved that it was mathematically impossible. (Of course, this assumes the system he described really is perfect--I'm not so sure.)
It seems to me, though, that the problem isn't with democracy, but rather with representative democracy. The people of Minnesota elect only one governor, only one senator (at a time). And there's no way one person is going to perfectly reflect public opinion--be 53% in favor of issue A and 61% opposed to issue B. And even if they were, they still have to make a series of yes-or-no decisions, and be either 100% for 100% against any given bill.
The only way to have a perfect democracy is to have everybody vote on every issue, a system that would be far too cumbersome to work. Churchill was right: democracy is messy, but it's the best thing we've got.
Courtesy Ian Hampton
There's been a lot of news lately about "unintended acceleration" -- cars suddenly gaining high speed and drivers unable to stop them. Some observers question whether the problem lies with the car or with the driver. But whatever the cause, unintended acceleration is a deadly danger to the driving public.
Or is it?
Popular Mechanics crunched the numbers. They found unintended acceleration causes 3.2 deaths per year. This compares to:
If you find your car accelerating, slam on the brakes, throw it into neutral, and steer to the side of the road. But don't waste time worrying about it. Instead, you should spend your effort avoiding bad weather, distractions, and above all not driving under the influence.
Courtesy gr8mattResearchers at the University fo Chicago have published a new report in PNAS that shows math anxiety in elementary school teachers (which are predominantly female) is passed on to the young girls in their classes. The research is reported on the Smithsonian's Surprising Science blog site.
Using a desktop computer, a scientist says he's calculated pi to almost 2.7 trillion digits! That's enough information to fill more than a thousand gigabytes (one terrabyte) of hard drive space, and would take more than 49,000 years of around-the-clock counting to count at one number per second. Could this mean more slices for everyone? Let's hope so. | <urn:uuid:eca30adc-9665-4358-8dee-510ebf4eee73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencebuzz.org/buzz_tags/math | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948252 | 1,224 | 2.40625 | 2 |
'Tis the season to find out where your family traditions come from – and how to incorporate some new ones.
Every family celebrates the holidays a little differently. Some light candles in the window; others wait for a costumed man bearing gifts in a sack. Between the annual mad rush to the mall, cookie baking and party preparations, have you ever stopped to think about why your family celebrates its special traditions during the winter holiday season? Or about how your forebears celebrated the holidays? You might be surprised what you can learn about your family history from the rituals and routines you carry on year after year. | <urn:uuid:114f74a5-3356-4b07-9b97-db09659e81b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.familytreemagazine.com/ArticlePrint/holiday-heritage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949565 | 123 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Lisa Says: We’ve already had so many hits about the agave post, I decided to do more research. After scrolling past the info from the agave manufacturers, I found this compelling article by John Kohler of www.living-foods.com. More to think about. Just this morning, Rex grabbed a leaf off our stevia bush on our way to walk with our “girls” (2 delightful border collies), and commented again on how wonderfully sweet it was. PLUS, you get all the antioxidant value, enzymes, etc. in the ‘raw’ leaf. Next, I’ll review stevia.
The Truth about Agave Syrup:
Not as Healthy as You May Think
by John Kohler
A relatively recent trend in raw food preparation is the use of agave syrup (also called agave nectar) as sweetener is called for in raw recipes. I am often asked about my views on this sweetener.
When I first switched to a raw food diet in 1995, agave syrup was unknown and was NOT USED IN RAW FOODS! I first learned about agave syrup back in 1999 or 2000 at a trade show for the health food industry, which I attend regularly to keep up with the latest in the health and nutrition field. I asked several questions, got some samples, and inquired on how the company processed the agave syrup. At that time, I learned that it was processed at roughly 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit11, so I certainly didn’t consider it a raw food by any means. Just like agave, some people consider maple syrup a raw food, but all maple syrup is heat-treated and is therefore not raw at all.
Unfortunately, there are no “raw labeling laws.” Anyone, anywhere, at any time can put “RAW” on their label and to them it can be supposedly raw since it is made from a “raw” material or simply not roasted. Just because it says “RAW” doesn’t necessarily mean that it was processed at a temperature under 118 degrees and still has all its enzymes, nutrients, and “life force” intact. For example, when you notice the difference between raw carob powder and roasted carob powder in the store, it is my understanding that the “raw” carob powder has been heated to about 250 degrees, whereas the “roasted” carob powder has been heated to about 450 degrees. The additional heat applied to the “roasted” carob powder causes the carob to “carmelize,” thus making it darker in appearance and different in taste as compared to the “raw” carob powder. Some stores sell “truly raw” carob powder, it has a more chalkier texture than supposedly “raw” carob powder. Jaffe Bros in Valley Center, California is a source of the “truly raw” carob powder. There are several raw food snack bars that say “RAW” but have ingredients such as cooked cocoa powder (that can’t be raw) and cashew nuts (most of which are not truly raw).
An except on how Agave is processed
…Agave plants are crushed, and the sap collected into tanks. The sap is then heated to about 140°F for about 36 hours not only to concentrate the liquid into a syrup, but to develop the sweetness. The main carbohydrates in the agave sap are complex forms of fructose called fructosans, one of which is inulin, a straight-chain fructose polymer about ten eight to 10 fructose sugar units long. In this state, the sap is not very sweet.
When the agave sap is heated, the complex fructosans are hydrolyzed, or broken into their constituent fructose units. The fructose-rich solution is then filtered to obtain the desired products that range from dark syrup with a characteristic vanilla aroma, to a light amber liquid with more neutral characteristics. Excerpt from: FoodProcessing.com
So agave needs to be hydrolyzed so that the complex fructosans are “broken down” into fructose units or it won’t be sweet!! Great now im eating hydrolyzed raw agave syrup!
Let’s suppose for arguments sake, and to give agave the benefit of the doubt, that even with “new” technology companies are somehow able to process agave syrup below 118 degrees so it could be considered actually “raw”. We still need to ask the question, is it good for us? Some foods, even if they truthfully are raw, may not actually be HEALTHY. Based on what I have learned about agave syrup, I believe it to be one of these foods.
My answer to the question, “Is agave nectar good for us?” would be “NO” based on my research. Here is a sample of my findings:
Agave Syrup is not a “whole” food. It is a fractionated and processed food. Manufacturers take the liquid portion of the agave plant and “boil” it down, thus concentrating the sugar to make it sweet. This is similar to how maple “sap” that comes directly from a tree is heated and concentrated to make maple “syrup.” Agave Syrup is missing many of the nutrients that the original plant had to begin with.
Agave Syrup was originally used to make tequila. When Agave Syrup ferments, it literally turns into tequila. The enzymatic activity therefore MUST be stopped so that the syrup will not turn into tequila in your cupboard. Raw or not, if there is no enzymatic activity, it is certainly not a “live” food. As Raw Foodists, we want the enzymes intact.
According to my research, there are three major producers of agave syrup. Some of these companies also have other divisions that make Tequila. For the most part, agave syrup is produced in the Guadalajara region in Mexico. There are those within the industry who I have spoken to at various trade shows who say that some of the agave syrup is “watered down” with corn syrup in Mexico before it is exported to the USA. Why is this done? Most likely because Agave Syrup is expensive, and corn syrup is cheap.
Agave Syrup is advertised as “low glycemic” and marketed towards diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. We have to consider why agave syrup is “low glycemic.” It is due to the unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small amount of glucose (10%). Nowhere in nature does this ratio of fructose to glucose occur naturally. One of the next closest foods that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high fructose corn syrup used in making soda(HFCS 55), which only contains 55% fructose. Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners:
A. Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism. This causes collagen and elastin being unable to form. Collagen and elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body together.1 A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability to control blood sugar levels.2
B. Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the liver. 3 Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the liver. This is similar to the livers of alcoholics.
C. “Pure” isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.4
D. Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions. It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors. Insulin receptors are the way glucose enters a cell to be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.5
E. Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant increase in uric acid. An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart diease.6
F. Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes. Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.7
G. Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects fed sucrose.8
H. Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage. Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose. These changes are thought to be markers for aging.9
I. Fructose can make you fat! It is metabolized by the liver and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar. Fructose also raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.10
Agave Syrup and other concentrated sweeteners are addictive, so you end up trading a cooked addiction (eating candy bars or cookies) for a “raw” addiction which is not much better. Eating concentrated sweeteners makes it harder to enjoy the sweet foods we should be eating – whole fresh fruit since they don’t seem as sweet by comparison.
Long-time raw foodist and Medical Doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. says that agave nectar raises blood sugar just like any other sugar. Dr. Cousens wrote a book, “There Is a Cure for Diabetes”.
Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose compared to sucrose and glucose. In addition, fruits contain vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients. Our bodies are designed to digest a complete “package” of nutrition that appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits. Could nature be wrong? For example, it’s always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather than juice them. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices.
Now that you have a better understanding about Agave Syrup, hopefully the companies selling “raw” agave won’t dupe you. They are out to make a buck, which in this case is unfortunately at the expense of your health. If you are making a “raw” recipe and it does require a concentrated sweetener, I have some recommendations for some better options to use instead of agave: (Listed in order of preference.)
1. Use ripe fresh fruits. Ripe fruits contain nutrients, fiber and water, a complete package, as nature intended. I find that ripe and organic fruits are usually sweetest.
2. Use fresh whole stevia leaves. Stevia is an herb that actually tastes sweet but contains no sugar. This herb can be very hard to find fresh, so I personally grow my own. If fresh leaves are not available, get the whole dried leaves or the whole leaf powder. Avoid the white stevia powder and the stevia liquid drops as they have been highly processed.
3. Use dried fruits. If you need a “syrup” consistency, just soak the dried fruits in some water and blend them up with the same soak water. Dates, figs, and prunes are some of the sweetest dried fruits that tend to work well in recipes. Try wet Barhi dates blended with a little water for an amazing maple syrup substitute. Please note: Since there are no raw labeling standards, some dried fruit may be dried at higher than 118 degrees, and thus, not really raw. If you want to ensure you are eating really raw dried fruit, it is best do dehydrate it yourself.
4. Raw Honey is a concentrated sweetener, and although not recommended, in my opinion it is better than agave syrup because it is a whole food and occurs naturally in nature. Of course, honey is not vegan and that may be a concern for some. I recommend purchasing local honey from a beekeeper.
Other “concentrated sweeteners” that are often seen in raw food recipes include:
1) Maple Syrup which is not raw and heat processed. If it is not organic, it may also contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals.
2) Sucanat or evaporated cane juice is pure dried sugar cane juice. Unfortunetly this is processed at a temperature above 118 degrees and therefore can’t be considered raw.
3) Yacon Syrup is a syrup from the root of the yacon plant in South America. It is once again, a concentrated sweetener processed at a temperature of up to 140 degrees farenheight.
The moral of this article: Eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables, they are always best. Always question processed and concentrated foods that are not found in nature, even if “raw”.
1. Fields, M, Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 1984, 175:530-537.
2. Klevay, Leslie, Acting Director of the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D.
3. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2002 Vol. 76, No. 5, 911-922.
4. Appleton, Nancy Ph.D., Fructose is No Answer For a Sweetener, http://www.mercola.com/2002/jan/5/fructose.htm.
5. H. Hallfrisch, et al.,The Effects of Fructose on Blood Lipid Levels, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37: 5, 1983, 740-748.
6. J. MacDonald, Anne Keyser, and Deborah Pacy, Some Effects, in Man, of Varying the Load of Glucose, Sucrose, Fructose, or Sorbitol on Various Metabolites in Blood, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 31 (August 1978)): 1305-1311.
7. Hallfrisch, Judith, Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fructose, FASEB Journal 4 (June 1990): 2652-2660.
8. A. E. Bergstra, A. G. Lemmens, and A. C. Beynens, Dietary Fructose vs. Glucose Stimulates Nephrocalcinogenesis in Female Rats, Journal of Nutrition 123, no. 7 (July 1993): 1320-1327.
9. Roger B. Mc Donald, Influence of Dietary Sucrose on Biological Aging, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62 (suppl), (1995): 284s-293s.
10. H. Hallfrisch, et al.,The Effects of Fructose on Blood Lipid Levels, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37: 5, 1983, 740-748.
11. Method of producing fructose syrup from agave plants.
About the author, John Kohler has been on the living and raw foods diet for nearly a decade; he turned to living foods for healing from a life threatening-illness (spinal meningitis) and has enjoyed dynamic health ever since. One of Johns goals is to educate the world about the power of living and raw foods. He is the founder and webmaster of the largest living and raw food website on the internet, www.living-foods.com, and www.rawfoodsupport.com. John is also the number one expert on raw foods appliances and gadgets in the world. He is widely sought out and regularly speaks and instructs at many raw food festivals and events. His area of expertise include recipe demos with 5-7 ingredients or less, young coconut recipes, traveling while raw, raw food appliances, successful transition to the raw foods diet, and the importance of a fresh organic whole foods diet. He believes that by using fresh, organic, and whole ingredients, that simple, healthy, and delicious recipes can be made with few ingredients and without the use of salt, oil, spices, refined sweeteners or chemical additives. He is known for his pragmatic approach to raw foods and has coached and helped thousands of people to incorporate more fresh raw fruits and vegetables into their diet. John is also available to individual raw food coaching. | <urn:uuid:aa35b198-1acf-4202-8738-43a80b30ac65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hungerforhealth.com/?tag=artificial-sweeteners | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938387 | 3,504 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Lithuania is the largest and most southerly of the three Baltic republics.
Not much more than a decade after it regained its independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, Lithuania was welcomed as a Nato member in late March 2004.
The move came just weeks before a second historic shift for the country in establishing its place in the Western family of nations as it joined the EU in May 2004. These developments would have been extremely hard to imagine in not-so-distant Soviet times.
Russia, anxious about the implications of the eastward advance of the EU and Nato to include the three Baltic republics, has a particular eye on Lithuania which has an important border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Vilnius, the capital, weathered a series of foreign occupations
The history of Lithuania has close ties with that of Poland, its neighbour to the southwest. By the end of the 18th century most of the country came under the Russian empire. German occupation in the first world war was followed by two decades of independence, although Vilnius was occupied by Poland for most of that time.
Following a pact between Stalin and Hitler, Soviet troops arrived in 1940. They were pushed out by the Nazis the following year but returned in 1944.
For the next half century of Soviet rule, Lithuanians relied on Catholic tradition and memories of independence to preserve their national identity, a skill mastered through centuries of foreign domination. Pagan traditions with roots stretching back centuries have been kept alive too.
Lithuania has embraced market reform since independence. In the run up to and period following EU entry the republic saw very strong economic growth. It applied to join the eurozone from January 2007 but was rejected because the inflation rate was too high.
Lithuania's boom years came to a sudden end in 2008, and after two decades of capitalism, the country became one of the biggest victims of the global economic crisis.
- Full name: Republic of Lithuania
- Population: 3.3 million (UN, 2011)
- Capital: Vilnius
- Area: 65,300 sq km (25,212 sq miles)
- Languages: Lithuanian (official), Russian, Polish, Belarusian
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 Lithuanian litas = 100 centas
- Main exports: Textiles, clothing, fertilisers, industrial machinery
- GNI per capita: US $11,390 (World Bank, 2010)
- Internet domain: .lt
- International dialling code: +370
President: Dalia Grybauskaite
Dalia Grybauskaite was voted in as Lithuania's first woman president with an emphatic election victory in May 2009.
Ms Grybauskaite cites Margaret Thatcher as an inspiration
She won 69% of the vote, against 11% for her closest rival, Algirdas Butkevicius of the opposition Social Democratic Party.
Previously the European Union budget commissioner, she stood as an independent, but with backing from the four-party centre-right coalition of Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius.
A former finance minister, Ms Grybauskaite's reputation for plain speaking helped win over an electorate nervous about the severe economic downturn that hit Lithuania in 2008.
She is sometimes dubbed the "Iron Lady", the nickname of former British PM Margaret Thatcher, a steely free-marketeer she describes as one of her political models.
Ms Grybauskaite has said that her decision to stand came after anger at the economic slump boiled over in a riot in front of the parliament building in Vilnius in January 2009.
She declared herself broadly in support of the governing centre-right's response to the crisis, but criticised some of its tax increases and called on some ministers to "correct mistakes of the past or go".
Born in 1956 in Vilnius - then still part of the Soviet Union - Ms Grybauskaite studied in the Russian city of Leningrad - today's St Petersburg.
A senior civil servant since Lithuania's independence in 1990, she served as finance minister from 2001 to 2004, when the country nominated her the European Commission after joining the EU that year.
Prime minister: Andrius Kubilius
Andrius Kubilius is leader of the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats group, and served once as prime minister in 1999-2000.
Mr Kubilius insists that Lithuania's economy has stabilised
He led this conservative alliance into the October 2008 elections, and beat the governing Social Democrats into second place.
His coalition government with three smaller centre-right parties won parliamentary approval in December. Together they hold 80 seats in Lithuania's 141-member parliament.
Mr Kubilius has said his priority is to tackle Lithuania's economic downturn.
A physicist by training, he entered parliament in 1992 after involvement in the pro-independence Sajudis movement. He joined the Homeland Union the following year.
Lithuania's private TV and radio stations compete with public networks run by Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT).
The media are free and operate independently of the state. There are no government-owned newspapers.
Nonetheless, the national broadcaster has sometimes encountered attempts by politicians to influence its editorial policy.
By June 2010 there were 2.1 million internet users (Internetworldstats). More than 670,000 Lithuanians use Facebook, a 2010 press report noted. | <urn:uuid:70c81fb8-9a80-45fc-a4b8-9eaf34b05bbe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1106095.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957848 | 1,137 | 3.359375 | 3 |
WINTER HAVEN — Legoland Florida officials hear one question more than any other from potential visitors.
What is Legoland?
More than just intricate models crafted from the popular plastic bricks, they assure questioners. Much more.
Think dozens of rides, shows and attractions, many of them hands on, some of them educational, and all of them geared toward 2- to 12-year-olds.
"This will be the ultimate family-friendly resort," said John Jakobsen, managing director of Legoland parks worldwide, who on Thursday unveiled video mockups of the park's coming attractions. "It's designed to put kids in control and take more than a day to see."
Spread over 150 acres that once were Cypress Gardens, Legoland Florida is slated to debut in October 2011, after a more than $200 million investment by a Danish toy giant and its majority-owned British partner Merlin Entertainments Group. A water park, hotels and possibly other attractions come later.
Construction is well under way, with more than 100 model artists at the four other Legolands in Europe and California stockpiling Lego dragons, castles and Bob the Builder figures. In about six months, on-site Lego building gets serious, and the park will ramp up hiring an operations staff of 1,000.
On Thursday, Legoland started selling tickets online priced similar to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Until Dec. 31, buyers can get a $10 discount on the daily $75 admission for adults, $65 for kids 3 through 12 and seniors 60 and up. There's also a $30 discount for the $129 adult annual pass, but not the $99 pass for kids.
Attraction highlights include a midget motorway where kids as young as 3 are awarded a personal driver's license, a build-your-own Lego robot lab, and a wide variety of tame amusement rides.
Of course, everything will be built from off-the-shelf Lego bricks — or look as if it is. And there will be scattered stores stocked with toys and videos from the vast Lego and Duplo arsenal. Anything left will be found in what's called the Big Store — the size of a small supermarket — at the exit gate.
The trademark centerpiece, Miniland, will be a 25 million Lego brick extravaganza that re-creates familiar sites from U.S. destinations, including Washington, Las Vegas, Manhattan and iconic spots around Florida — the Kennedy Space Center, Daytona Speedway, Bok Tower in Lake Wales and Mallory Square in Key West.
Two roller coasters and a few rides left from the old park will be rethemed, but park officials ensure the only thrills will be ones an entire family can share.
"We do pink knuckle rides, not white-knuckle rides," said Adrian Jones, park general manager.
Merlin Entertainments becomes the fifth owner trying to restore prosperity to an attraction taken off the beaten track by Walt Disney and the Interstate highway system. Three of the failures were steered by the biggest and most successful industry players.
Narrowing the appeal to families with young kids and seniors looking for passive experiences limits the audience.
But the formula has been successful enough at four other parks for Merlin to start building a sixth park in Malaysia, while a pint-size indoor Legoland in Chicago will be replicated in Dallas.
The original Cypress Gardens botanical gardens, widely regarded as the cornerstone of Florida's first theme park, are protected by a state conservation easement. The gardens will reopen intact, including the old Florida swimming pool featured in an Esther Williams movie.
Cypress Gardens' trademark southern belles in hoop skirts will be posing in the foliage, but designers have not decided how. Don't be surprised if they are built of Legos. | <urn:uuid:88300af7-acdf-45fe-931c-22a9c695b580> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/retail/legoland-florida-begins-campaign-to-win-over-potential-visitors/1129554 | 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 | 0.945371 | 780 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The News Desk is a collection of news, notes and breaking items affecting the Fredericksburg community.
Local writer brings fantasy world to life
By CATHY DYSON
The Free Lance-Star
Elanor Kindred has had the same medieval characters in her head since she was 8.
Guess it’s about time she published a book.
The Stafford County woman didn’t just write one fantasy about the Somadàrsath, immortals sworn to protect the mythical kingdom of Etheria.
She wrote a seven-part series called “The Seven Wars.” It’s but a portion of the works she wrote about the noble family and its dealings with griffins and centaurs, phoenixes and assorted other talking creatures.
There are 18 novels in all.
Likewise, Kindred didn’t just write about Lask, whose skin is fair as frost and eyes are the color of scarlet.
She created an entire civilization—with its own alphabet—along the lines of J.R.R. Tolkien and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
She learned the techniques of digital art so she could translate her doodles of dragons and swords into computer images.
She brought the image of Lask from her mind to a computer screen—and onto the cover of the first book, “The Immortal.”
It came out July 7, and the next one, “Bound by Blood,” débuts Oct. 7.
Starting Jan. 7, 2013, subsequent books will be released every six months, always on the seventh—a nod to the number in the series.
Kindred also created illustrations on her website for men, women and beasts.
And, she typeset every page, deciding where lines would break, how paragraphs would be indented and what style of big letter would start each chapter.
All along, the author has drawn inspiration from Lask, her main character and muse. He’s the one who first appeared in her dreams when she was a child.
“He said, ‘I have a story for you, do you want to write it?’ The next day, I started writing it, and here I am 14 years later,” Kindred said.
FROM STORIES TO NOVELS
As a self-published author, Kindred pays to have her books printed.
Part of the reason she does all the work herself is because, at 22, she doesn’t want to pay for what she can easily do herself.
But the bigger reason has to do with control. She couldn’t bear the thought of others making decisions about characters whose poster-size pictures grace the walls of her bedroom and studio.
“When I sat down and thought about the whole process, I thought I was going to barf,” said Kindred, who normally speaks as properly as someone who just stepped out of a medieval castle.
The tale of Lask and the people of Etheria started in short stories she first wrote at age 8, shortly after the dream.
As a young teen, she revised them into novellas, then made them into full-blown books at 14.
After two years of studying medieval literature at the University of Mary Washington, she went back to her novels and rewrote them.
Reading the works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and other literary giants helped her develop characters and style, but she never changed the basic premise.
“The core of the story has always been the same, it’s just that the characters have matured as I’ve matured,” she said.
Kindred still has her original short stories and rudimentary drawings, locked in a suitcase, never to see the light of day again.
CHARACTERS WITH VALUES
Kindred works at England Run Library, where she handles hundreds of books.
She’s even watched others check out her book. The Central Rappahannock Regional Library has 13 copies in various branches.
Kindred regularly tells people that her books are not like Harry Potter or other popular young-adult series.
“Everything is so saturated with vampires and werewolves and fallen angels,” Kindred said. “Dear God.”
Reviewers on Amazon.com said they liked her vivid imagery and were glad to read about characters who exalt “values and morals, kindness and decency,” said one reviewer. “There are far too few books like this in our society.”
Lynn Kern, the head of circulation at England Run, said Kindred’s cover illustration perfectly matched her description of Lask in words.
“That doesn’t usually happen,” she said. “She’s an excellent artist in addition to being such a good writer.”
Sometimes, Kern has read books and could care less what happened to characters beyond the final pages.
It’s a different story with “The Immortal.” She’s eager to find out what becomes of Lask and his cast of winged, scaled and human characters.
Kindred is happy to share details of her imagined kingdom. | <urn:uuid:3bc65bf5-cabd-4ed6-80f8-e47f7b57c6db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/09/30/local-writer-brings-fantasy-world-to-life/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961766 | 1,097 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Faith, Hope and Charity
Colonel J(ohn) T(heopholis) Boileau (architect)
Christ Church, Simla, India
Christ Church, with its neo-Gothic elements, was the first church to be built in Simla and the second in the whole of northern India. Its architect, Colonel J. T. Boileau, went out to India with the Bengal Engineers in December 1822. He worked for the PWD and never fought, attaining the rank of Colonel in 1855, and retiring as Hon. Major-General in 1857 ("Notes"). An astronomer and gifted architect, he had already designed St George's, the cantonment church in Agra, as well as several other important buildings there, and made repairs to historic structures in the area — including the Taj Mahal. Boileaugunj, a township of Shimla, is named after him and his brother, a fellow-engineer in the North-West Provinces (Kanwar 27).
Photograph, caption, and commentary by Jacqueline Banerjee
[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL.] | <urn:uuid:527074b5-ee4f-42e7-b514-ff16ca8cf58f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/gothicrevival/2c.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972719 | 263 | 2.734375 | 3 |
July 5, 2002 ST. LOUIS -- A Saint Louis University geologist has unearthed further evidence in his mounting case that shifting of the continents -- and perhaps life on Earth -- began much earlier than many scientists believe.
Tim Kusky, a professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences, has discovered the world's first large intact pieces of oceanic mantle from the planet's earliest period, the Archean. The nearly mile-long section of rock, which is billions of years old, may hold clues as to when life developed on the planet. The major finding was reported Monday in the July issue of GSA-Today -- the premier journal of the Geological Society of America.
Working with colleagues from Peking University, Kusky uncovered the rare find at a site near the Great Wall where last year the team discovered the planet's oldest complete section of oceanic crust. Reported in Science, their work recently was heralded by the Chinese government as one of the most significant scientific findings of 2001.
This latest discovery may prove even more remarkable. For years, scientists have longed to find large pieces of the planet's deep interiors. But until now, they've had to rely on only tiny fragments to study. Formed tens of kilometers below the ancient sea floor, this new discovery's massive mantle rocks are preserved in a highly faulted belt 100 kilometers long.
Unlike the sea floor samples Kusky found last year, the mantle rocks preserve 2.5 billion-year-old minerals that hold clues to the origin of plate tectonics. The minerals, including an unusual type of chromite deposit only known from deep ocean floor rocks appear to have been deformed at extremely high temperatures before they were completely crystallized by volcanic magma.
This shows that the mantle rocks were flowing away from the ridges on the oceanic floor, evidence that the continents began shifting more than 500 million years earlier than now widely believed.
Because the discovery shows that the plates were moving in that early period, these findings could have a more far-reaching effect on theories related to the development of life on the planet. Just when single-celled organisms evolved into more complex organisms has been contested for years. Because hot volcanic vents on the sea floor may have provided the nutrients and temperatures needed for life to flourish, Kusky said it's possible that life developed and diversified around these vents as the plates started stirring.
Kusky and Peking University's J.H. Li have initiated a series of studies on the section of ancient mantle and it's minerals aimed at understanding the conditions of the Earth 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is being funded by U.S. National Science Foundation, the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation, Saint Louis University and Peking University. The Chinese government also has dedicated a natural geologic park at the site of the discovery.
Saint Louis University is a leading Catholic, Jesuit, research institution ranked among the top 50 national, doctoral universities as a best value by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1818, the University strives to foster the intellectual and spiritual growth of its more than 11,000 students through a broad array of undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Saint Louis University.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:48bdab16-488b-4697-9ea2-3d99288f9733> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/07/020705091511.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949781 | 719 | 3.625 | 4 |
Tags: Search Engines
Written by: Bill Hartzer
As Seen On:
Mountain Eagle Web
Online Marketing Help
Search Engine Marketing Companies
Search Engine Optimization
Search Marketing Consultants
Website Marketing Blog
Ask.com Unveils Database of 300 Million Questions and Answers
Got a question? Well, according to Ask.com, they have the answer. Well, apparently they now have the answers to 300 million questions. Ask.com has unveiled a database of 300 million “Q&A pairs”.
Ask.com used their “proprietary core search technology” launched in the fall of 2008 and came up with 300 million Question and Answer pairs by crawling and indexing questions and answers from numerous and diversified sources across the internet. In other words, they aggregated all of the question and answer sites’ content into one large database. Ask.com gathered the data and then “applied its semantic search technology advancements in clustering, rephrasing, and answer relevance to filter out insignificant and less meaningful answer formats.”
I took a look today at this new database, asking a variety of questions. For example, I used their new question and answer database and asked, “what is search engine optimization?”.
The questions and answers are pretty clear to make out, indicated by a “Q” and an “A” image on the left side of the search results. I’m not exactly sure why some of the search results have additional link “See entire page >>”, and some of the search results don’t have that extra link. Seems kind of unnecessary, actually:
What’s interesting to note, though, that you would think that these questions and answers would be coming from true “question and answer” type of websites: which is not the case, however. It appears that Ask.com is also using content from other sites for this question and answer database. I don’t really have a huge problem with that, but it does appear that many of the results from answers are going to be inherently flawed or shall I say, “biased”. Ask.com’s question and answer database not only contains answers from Q & A sites like Yahoo! Answers and Wiki Answers, but the answers are coming from web pages that they have in their normal search database: like commercial websites. Commercial websites inherently are going to have a bias towards what they’re telling you, so I’m not at all convinced that they should really be included in a “question and answer” database. Take a look at this search result for the “what is search engine optimization” question:
Why should a web page from an “SEO Consultant” that is about “Why is Search Engine Optimization Important” show up in the search results for “what is search engine optimization?”. Wait. Maybe I just figured out the answer to how you can manipulate this Ask.com database: include page on your website that asks a question and then presents an answer.
But that’s not really that bad, after all. If you consider the fact that Google’s “define” feature also includes commercial websites in its results, but I believe those are actually manually reviewed and included only if a large glossary or dicitionary appears on your site. If you don’t know about the Google define: feature, on Google.com, you can use search for something like this and find definitions to terms or phrases:
define:search engine optimization
When you include the define: before your keyword phrase in a Google search, you’ll see search result that include definitions. That’s helpful. And, if you’re an SEO or website owner, you might be interested in the fact that putting a large glossary style list of definitions (a glossary, perhaps) on your site you have a chance of being manually reviewed and included in Google’s define feature, which really can bring some good traffic to your site.
But let’s get back to Ask.com’s new 300 million questions and answers. Should Ask.com be including commercial websites that only have one or two biased questions and answers on their site? Is that helpful for you? | <urn:uuid:98249827-e7b4-42ee-a5fe-ae32927fcacd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.billhartzer.com/pages/askcom-unveils-database-of-300-million-questions-and-answers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939595 | 905 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Dec. 4, 2008 With new drugs being reviewed by regulatory agencies and then released onto the market faster than ever before, patients' safety is being compromised, warns a study published on bmj.com.
Dr David Kao from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, argues that while drug regulatory bodies are under pressure to make new drugs available more quickly, there are concerns that the deadlines for approving drugs have shifted the focus away from safety.
Kao reviews trends in drug approval times in the United States, and suggests how drug marketing techniques could be used to improve the way new drugs are monitored.
Previous research has shown that drugs approved in the US during the two months before the mandated deadline were more likely to be withdrawn for safety reasons or to carry a warning.
Today's marketing techniques are so sophisticated, says Kao, that once a drug has been approved the products can be released on websites within 90 minutes. He cites the example of Merck's new treatment (sitagliptin) for hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar levels)—within 14 days of approval 188 million patients or 73% of the insured US population had been targeted by the marketing campaign.
The danger with so many people trying a new drug very quickly, argues Kao, is that it can expose large numbers of patients to unknown risks. When Merck's anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx (rofecoxib) was withdrawn from the market for safety reasons it had been available for five years and 20 million patients had been exposed to it.
Regulatory agencies have been criticised for their dependence on drug companies for funding. The agencies often collect fees from drug companies so that they can hire staff to review the drugs more quickly. The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products receives 75% of its funding in this way, 43% of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) budget is similarly derived, and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is completely funded by drug companies.
The author believes that the systems for reporting adverse drug reactions must be improved and suggests using the very same effective drug marketing techniques to do this. For example, laws in the US already compel TV adverts to instruct patients experiencing negative side effects to report their symptoms to the FDA. This could be expanded to include campaigns dedicated to drug safety monitoring.
Kao concludes by saying that the only drug monitoring system that will minimise unknown risks must involve all the key players in healthcare, including doctors, regulatory bodies, drug companies and patients.
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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:6a9c85b4-eaef-4ab0-8a51-5ae91202c418> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081202191317.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965999 | 536 | 2.578125 | 3 |
NURSING PROGRAM: Central Beats National Pass Rate | News
The students in the Iowa Central nursing program took the annual National Council of Licensure Exam (NCLEX) and produced some excellent results. In total, 141 students took the exam for the first time and 132 passed for a sparkling 93.6 percent pass rate.
“We are very proud of how our students performed,” said Iowa Central’s Dean of Health Sciences Trina Staton. “The students know that our classes are very rigorous for a reason. We want to get them ready for the nursing profession.”
Both the Practical Nursing (PN) and Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students took the exams. A total of 42 PN students took the exam and 41 passed for a 97.6 percent pass rate. Ninety-nine ADN students took the exam and 91 passed for a 91.9 percent pass rate.
Compared to the rest of the state and national averages, Iowa Central was again impressive. The PN pass rate average for students taking the exam in Iowa was 94.83 percent and the national average was 84.23 percent. The ADN average for Iowa was 90.24 percent and the national average was 90.34 percent. Iowa Central’s students outperformed both the state and national averages.
“I think the results show that our program is getting the students prepared very well,” said Staton.
The NCLEX is the exam that anyone entering the nursing field must pass before they can receive a license to work. The test is reviewed every three years and changed to meet the evolving technology of the field. The exams feature multiple choice questions in addition to audio and visual analysis and short answer questions. | <urn:uuid:ea05d7f4-dca2-488f-aa63-45d643ab843c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ftdodge.whotv.com/news/news/69042-nursing-program-central-beats-national-pass-rate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9691 | 360 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Imagine if there was a candidate for the presidency, the highest and most powerful office in the United States, and that he or she once held an official position in a religious order with which they were still very closely involved.
Imagine if that same candidate was raised to be one of the “elect,” with special obligations and a “divine” destiny to ensure that his religion saved America when its Constitution was “hanging by a thread.”
Imagine if this candidate for President belonged to a religion which long argued that black people were judged by God to be “cowards” who were not worthy of true “salvation.” Consequently, black people were destined for servitude and second class citizenship relative to white folks, even in the afterlife.
Finally, imagine if this same religion held such beliefs until 1978—not a century ago, or two hundred years ago—but less than 40 years in the recent past.
We have such a candidate today. His name is Mitt Romney.
Pluralism and tolerance are wonderful values for a society to embrace. Although the United States has been far from perfect in this regard, a belief that our differences can also be a source of strength is part of our national creed.
However, an embrace of diversity and pluralism should not prevent us from asking hard questions about which values ought to be encouraged, and if there are some beliefs and habits that are actually antithetical to our democratic project.
As the American people decide upon their next president in the months and days leading up to November’s election, these questions are made even more important.
Americans do not usually like talking publicly about religion and politics because both are understood by many people to be private matters. However, this anxiety should not stop us from asking basic questions when a concern arises that a candidate’s religion may complicate their loyalty to the Constitution, or make it either impossible or difficult for them to treat all Americans equally regardless of race, creed, or color.
We may look back and shake our heads at the following examples now, but at the time the following concerns were treated (however problematically) as fair and reasonable. Most famously, during the early 1960s then candidate John F. Kennedy had to answer questions about his loyalty to the Catholic Church and the Pope--and if these obligations would interfere with the responsibilities and obligations that come with being President of the
United States of America.
In 2008, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was almost derailed by his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright because the American people were not familiar with Black Liberation Theology and the prophetic, social justice message which is common to many African American churches. As such, President Obama had to answer some difficult questions about how Reverend Wright’s “radical” message impacted his personal politics and values.
I am not suggesting that Mitt Romney, a Mormon, should be questioned more harshly than other presidential candidates about his religious values. My concern is more basic: Mitt Romney has not been asked any direct questions about how his “deeply held” Mormon faith, a religion that was openly racist for much of its approximately 150 year existence, impacted his attitudes towards people of color.
Why raise these questions now? I believe in a strong wall between Church and State; I also believe that matters of faith should be private and not public. Since the Republican primaries, public concerns about Mitt Romney, his Mormon faith, and its long history of racism hung in the air, but they were not yet immediate and pressing.
This changed last Friday when Mitt Romney openly embraced Birtherism, and its racist baggage, during a speech in
During the last few months, Romney has also suggested that Barack Obama is lazy, a thief, an angry hateful black man, and is an alien Other who does not understand American values. These are centuries-old and ugly stereotypes about black Americans.
Mitt Romney’s willingness to play in the muck of white racism in order to defeat Barack Obama, the country’s first black president, transforms what were “merely” important questions about Mormonism and racism, into critical and immediate ones.
It is true that the Mormon Church has made some progress in addressing its long history of racism. However, people of color who are Mormons still report that an undercurrent of prejudice and racism exists within the religion.
It is also important to note that Mitt Romney’s father supported the Black Freedom Struggle and civil rights for African-Americans. By comparison, Mitt Romney’s only substantive comment on Mormonism’s history of racism was that he was happy when the restrictions on blacks holding the priesthood were removed.
We should not forget that when faced with a choice, Mitt Romney, who was thirty-one years old in 1978, did not work to overturn his faith’s racist policies; nor did Romney repudiate his religion’s white supremacist norms. At best, he was relieved when the elders of his faith tried to walk away from Mormonism’s racist ways. At worst, Mitt Romney gave tacit consent and support for prejudice and bigotry towards people of color.
I am not sure if Mitt Romney is an active, belligerent racist, or if he simply is a product of a particularly narrow upbringing and worldview which sees people of color as “less than,” and embraces white privilege as an organizing principle.
Romney’s race-baiting against President Obama may also be a function of a very limited and myopic set of life experiences that Justin Frank insightfully described in a recent essay on Salon.com.
Describing Mitt Romney he wrote:
“He is anxious about revealing who he is and about interacting with people he doesn’t know. He appears to have much less experience than Obama in interacting with people from all walks of life. Basically, he is uncomfortable except within his own family and in the presence of those who share his wealthy background and Mormon faith.”
This is a devastating analysis for a man who would be asked to lead all Americans—many of whom are nothing like him.
Social scientists are predicting that the
will be a “majority minority” country by the year 2040. Is Mitt Romney, a man
who was raised in a faith tradition which until 1978 held that people of color
were inferior to whites, comfortable with leading such a diverse country? Does
Mitt Romney’s willful and flagrant use of white racial anxiety, and an updated
version of the Southern Strategy to win over white voters, signal that he is a
racist? Is Romney’s race-baiting enabled by his faith?
Ultimately, Mitt Romney has—in what can be described in the most generous terms—an inconsistent relationship to the truth. He has also refused to answer basic questions about his taxes, business relationship with Bain Capital, as well as other matters.
In all, Romney has proven himself to be a well-practiced dissembler. Consequently, we can not be sure if Mitt Romney will honestly answer any queries posed to him about racism and the Mormon faith. Nevertheless, Mitt Romney should still be asked these questions: the American people, all of us, across the color line, deserve some honest answers. | <urn:uuid:c8e906c1-fee6-49ad-8bc3-06b57478a1bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/2012/08/because-mitt-romney-is-now-race-baiting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975032 | 1,486 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Online life after death: questions to ask now about online accounts
Attorney offers tips to prepare
Social media have become an integral part of just about everyone’s lives, but what happens to your accounts when you die?
As of October, about 1 billion people were active on Facebook.
That does not include social sites like Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and more.
Dannon Collett said she keeps a wax-sealed envelope with all of her login information and passwords to her online accounts in a strongbox, along with instructions for her family.
“We've gone over my living trusts and my will, and you know, they know about the sealed envelope, because I had a scare, a liver scare, a few months ago and so I really got everything tightened up," said Collett.
Attorney Richard Ploss, who specializes in trusts and estates, said making a list of your digital assets is a good first step and that one more clients than ever are asking about.
However, no matter what steps are taken, Ploss said, the right of someone else to go into your online accounts is left up to the terms that you agreed to when you signed up.
"First of all, you have to look at the contract you've signed. Some places just say, ‘That's it, you’re dead. There's nothing anybody can do with it, period.’ Usually, people don't look at this because they want to get online and they really don't care what's going on with it," said Ploss.
So in the end, what happens to your online life depends on the website.
Facebook said it will honor requests from close family members to memorialize or deactivate a deceased person’s page, but specific requirements must be met.
Google said it will not provide access to the private information in a deceased person’s account to a family member unless there is a court order.
Even then, Google will not provide the password.
Ploss said there are some web services that will act like a virtual safety deposit box for your online life.
"There are online providers who will provide services to people, who can basically store their passwords, store their media accounts and designate beneficiaries on them," said Ploss.
Collett said her plan is to make sure that her online is digitally secure, since it is so much a part of who she is.
"Everyone I know and communicate with, acquaintances, friends, old friends, is online, in my Facebook,” said Collette.
Ploss said if you are serious about protecting your online life after you die, put the information in a will.
Right now there are no laws in Maine that deal with this issue, but New Hampshire is considering legislation that would give the executor of someone’s estate control over the social media accounts.
Copyright 2013 by WMTW.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:290f1212-dba9-41e1-8d46-fec10cdcbcd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmtw.com/news/maine/Online-life-after-death-questions-to-ask-now-about-online-accounts/-/8792012/18327316/-/view/print/-/wvd0ht/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967178 | 617 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Early childhood trauma is certainly a cause for concern. Dr. Rajita Sinha, director of the Yale Stress Center, told me last year that stressful experiences can effectively rewire the brain to respond to hardship by becoming more sensitized to stress. That is, the child becomes hard-wired to react much more strongly than someone who did not experience a lot of turmoil. As a result, the child may go on to have a permanently elevated level of stress, with its adverse implications for physical and psychological health.
But challenging situations, even one as dramatic as the one little Jonah Bennett experienced, do not necessarily lead to lifelong issues. Sinha observed that it's stress that is sustained, uncontrollable and overwhelming that is damaging.
"It is hard to be resilient that often," said Gaensbauer, who also has not examined Jonah Bennett.
But even then, protective factors like social and family support, education and optimism and emotional self-regulation can provide a safety net for children.
Both Shu and Gaensbauer observe that most children can work through and overcome a single traumatic episode without any obvious long-term effects, given supportive parenting and caretaking.
"How secure is the child's relationship with his caregivers?" Shu asked. If he's had good relationships and solid attachments, that will make him more able to deal with traumatic situations like this. On the other hand, if he's had a lot of stress in his life already, it may make it harder.
What's really important is how Jonah's family is dealing with the incident.
Shu says that if the family is calm and reassuring, the child will be comforted by that. If they are stressed out and expressing their anxieties, particularly within the toddler's earshot, he is likely to respond by becoming stressed as well.
After traumatic incidents, Gaensbauer always recommends that caregivers look out for subtle signs that children may be adversely affected: "Things like increased clinginess, bed-wetting or separation anxiety. He may need to be closer to his parents. He may have trouble sleeping, may be more hyper. Noises may make him fearful."
The child may even hit others, cautions Gaensbauer. And in such an instance, it's important that parents do not react punitively or generalize in terms of their child being more aggressive. "What he's doing is imitating and reenacting what he experienced, in an attempt to understand it." | <urn:uuid:45225b87-e323-4dc1-8607-41f2af23e810> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.koco.com/entertainment/Will-slapped-child-have-lasting-effects/-/9843712/18989370/-/item/1/-/7xtiub/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977518 | 503 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Will the EPA Bring More Change?
The EPA has no doubt had an impact on many window and door companies over the years. Manufacturers, certainly, have had to comply with EPA regulations. Now, new lead abatement requirements are set to go in effect next year for those working on homes built prior to 1978. EPA says companies involved in replacing windows and doors and other remodeling work will have to workers trained and certified on how to reduce hazards associated with lead paint.
The most recent news is that management of the Energy Star windows, doors and skylights program will move from DOE to EPA. I've already heard concerns expressed that EPA is likely to be more aggressive in selecting qualification criteria. On the other hand, I've heard many in the industry say over the years that Energy Star should be a two-tiered system, with one level set for "good" energy efficient products and a higher level set to reward ultra-high performance. With the shift to EPA, apparently Energy Star may introduce such a change.
So what do you think about the shift to EPA? That's our poll question of the week, and as usual, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the issue. Email me and let me know what you think may be good and/or bad for the industry, for consumers, for the country, etc. | <urn:uuid:b533fd63-f39d-4147-ab60-3fd161ce9138> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windowanddoor.com/article/codes-standards/will-epa-bring-more-change | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968849 | 273 | 1.796875 | 2 |
NOTES from the UNDERGROUND No. 201 | October 7, 2009
To take a full measure of a writer’s life, work, character, I relish the possibility and surprise of looking beyond the book, the style, the body of work he or she is most noted for.
Yes, Faulkner IS Sanctuary, The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying… (Hemingway IS The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea; Tolstoy IS War and Peace, etc.) but could there be something else that might prove revealing?
I see within most serious writers both ‘the dancer’ and ‘the walker”–or the pedestrian. The dancer, in Faulkner’s case, is exemplified in the passage I quoted from his story “The Bear” in the previous entry (#200), Part I.
The dancer is where the art lies, where discovery lives, where everything comes together, words and ideas in a swirl…there is form, rhythm, movement…there is meaning and beauty and immense satisfaction. It’s the magic act, right before the writer’s eyes. He can hardly believe his own words—coming from where? He is in that zone again, where time has no meaning, the day disappears.
The ‘walker’ is more careful, deliberate, perhaps a little unsure of his steps … casting an eye before, around, glimpsing back at times. Leisurely. He checks his watch. Moves in a straight line. Time may be of the essence, but there is no hurry. He’s fairly certain where he is headed, that he will accomplish what he set out to do. He slows to examine a plant, stops to turn over stone, pick up a stick, check a bird in a tree…all the while proceeding toward his destination, almost within sight. Just ahead.
Here’s Faulkner, in that ‘pedestrian’ mode. Faulkner on Camus… Hemingway…Melville.
Great stuff. Insightful.
CAMUS said that the only true function of man, born into an absurd world, is to live, be aware of one’s life, one’s revolt, one’s freedom. He said that if the only solution to the human dilemma is death, then we are on the wrong road. The right track is the one that leads to life, to the sunlight. One cannot unceasingly suffer from the cold.
So he did revolt. He did refuse to suffer from the unceasing cold. He did refuse to follow a track which led only to death. The track he followed was the only possible one which could not lead only to death. The track he followed led into the sunlight in being that one devoted to making with our frail powers and our absurd material, something which had not existed in life until we made it.
He said, ‘I do not like to believe that death opens upon another life. To me, it is a door that shuts.’ That is, he tried to believe that. But he failed. Despite himself, as all artists are, he spent that life searching himself and demanding of himself answers which only God could know; when he became the Nobel laureate of his year, I wired him ‘On salut l’ame qui constamment se cherche et se demande’; why did he not quit then, if he did not want to believe in God?
At the very instant he struck the tree, he was still searching and demanding of himself; I do not believe that in that bright instant he found them. I do not believe they are to be found. I believe they are only to be searched for, constantly, always by some fragile member of the human absurdity. Of which there are never many, but always somewhere at least one, and one will always be enough.
People will say He was too young; he did not have time to finish. But it is not How long, it is not How much; it is, simply What. When the door shut for him, he had already written on this side of it that which every artist who also carries through life with him that one same foreknowledge and hatred of death, is hoping to do: I was here. He was doing that, and perhaps in that bright second he even knew he had succeeded. What more could he want?
[from: ESSAYS SPEECHES & PUBIC LETTERS by William Faulkner, edited by James B. Meriwether, Random House, 1965. Originally published in Transatlantic Review, Spring 1961; the text printed here has been taken from Faulkner's typescript.]
The Old Man and the Sea
BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY
His BEST. Time may show it to be the best single piece of any of us, I mean his and my contemporaries. This time, he discovered God, a Creator. Until now, his men and women had made themselves, shaped themselves out of their own clay; their victories and defeats were at the hands of each other, just to prove to themselves or one another how tough they could be. But this time, he wrote about pity: about something somewhere that made them all: the old man who had to catch the fish and then lose it, the fish that had to be caught and then lost, the sharks which had to rob the old man of his fish; made them all and loved them all and pitied them all. It’s all right. Praise God that whatever made and loves and pities Hemingway and me kept him from touching it any further.
[from: ESSAYS, SPEECHES & PUBLIC LETTERS…Originally published in Shenandoah, III (Autumn 1952)]
TO THE BOOK EDITOR OF THE Chicago Tribune*
It is a difficult question. I can name offhand several books which I should like to have written, if only for the privilege of rewriting parts of them. But I dare say there are any number of angels in heaven today (particularly recent American arrivals) who look down upon the world and muse with a little regret on how much neater they would have done the job than the Lord, in the fine heat of His creative fury, did.
I think that the book which I put down with the unqualified thought “I wish I had written that” is Moby Dick. The Greek-like simplicity of it: a man of forceful character driven by his sombre nature and his bleak heritage, bent on his own destruction and dragging his immediate world down with him with a despotic and utter disregard of them as individuals; the fine point to which the various natures caught (and passive as though with a foreknowledge of unalterable doom) in the fatality of his blind course are swept—a sort of Golgotha of the heart become immutable as bronze in the sonority of its plunging ruin; all against the grave and tragic rhythm of the earth in its most timeless phase: the sea. And the symbol of their doom: a White Whale. There’s a death for a man, now; none of your patient pasturage for little grazing beasts you can’t even see with the naked eye. There’s magic in the very word. A White Whale. White is a grand word, like a crash of massed trumpets; and leviathan himself has a kind of placid blundering majesty in his name. And then put them together!!! A death for Achilles, and the divine maidens of Patmos to mourn him, to harp white-handed sorrow on their golden hair.
And yet, when I remember Moll Flanders and all her teeming and rich fecundity like a market-place where all that had survived up to that time must bide and pass; or when I recall When We Were Very Young, I can wish without any effort at all that I had thought of that before Mr. Milne did.
* Faulkner was one of a number of authors asked what book they would most like to have written.
[from: ESSAYS, SPEECHES & PUBLIC LETTERS…Originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, July 16,1927]
- William Faulkner on the Web site maintained by the University of Mississippi
- Teaching Faulkner site maintained by the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University
- The Faulkner Journal site maintained by the University of Central Florida
- William Faulkner at the Mississippi Writers Page
- The Paris Review Interview (1956)
- Nobel Prize in Literature Acceptance Speech (text and audio)
- (Audio) William Faulkner reads the 1949 Nobel Prize acceptance speech and excerpts from As I Lay Dying, The Old Man and A Fable.
- William Faulkner biography, quotes, multimedia, & teacher resources | <urn:uuid:e50572d0-07df-4416-b77b-cc41a88ed376> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/norbert-blei-minding-faulkner-part-2-writer-at-work/?like=1&_wpnonce=469fbe03a0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973583 | 1,867 | 1.789063 | 2 |
collegestudent22, I suggest you read Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference by Cordelia Fine, published in 2010. It addresses your arguments very well and very directly.
The experiment from the lab of Simon Baron-Cohen that HungryHobo describes is only one study, with a fairly small sample size, and not everyone is at all convinced that the experiment was properly blind. The experimenter (one person), who shook the mobile or showed their face, was probably not sufficiently blind to the gender of the baby. They did this in the babies' room, with all of the normal gender cues that very possibly influenced the experimenter's shaking of the mobile and smiling. Also, the babies were shown these things in turn instead of at the very same time, which has an effect on how interested a baby is in something. For this experiment to be the basis of any large, important assumptions about gender, it needs to be done a bunch more times, with slight methodological differences, larger sample sizes, and better blinding. It is possible that infants have different attention preferences depending on gender (but, if I remember correctly, toddler's appear not to, so that's more than a bit weird), but this experiment isn't enough to convince me of that.
I don't know about the specific studies that collegestudent22 linked, but these sorts of studies were also summarized and discussed in Delusions of Gender. How do we know what type of toys are "boy" toys and what types are "girl" toys? How are cars and guns "boy" toys? Clearly, cars and guns, being technological inventions, are social constructions. The idea, existence, and category are social. The things that toy cars do -- wheels roll nicely on the ground as you push with you hand, roll down a slope -- are not the things that adults do with real cars -- drive them from inside, fiddle with the mechanics, revel in the industrial design beauty of the exterior (okay, you can this last with toys, do, but does anyone think this is why cars are boy toys?) are not the same things kids get out of toys. As your link says, previous studies haven't found consistent differences in gender play. Why did this one find differences? How big were the differences? I'd need to read the actual experiment (and a bunch of the other studies) to know if it is convincing or not, and I'm not going to do that right now.
The chimp study is interesting, especially how this stick-play is entirely cultural. The (human socially acculturated) scientists said they'd thought that the girls were carrying the sticks more often, and look, they found that they were right! What's the sample size? Are their gender differences in play in any other chimp groups? How is stick carrying related to moving vs. facial attention in infants? In other words, what's the biological basis across this studies, and is it consistent? At what age do chimp adolescents start to undergo puberty? At what age were these chimps doing stick carrying?
I'm not actually interested in discussing these questions in this thread (or, probably, on this board), because this is the detail and the nitty gritty where I figure out if I'm convinced about science articles. Often, I am not, and, often future research shows where the flaw was in an older study and, especially, the interpretation of that study.
Delusions of Gender has a great section about computer science professionals and the culture of being a nerd. Who is expected to do CS? Nerds. What gender are nerds? Male. In the united states, there is this large cultural expectation that CS is a personality instead of a career, that CS folks are expected to be obsessed with CS and not have many other interests (expect a few other specifically nerdy things), and are expected to spend enormous amounts of time on their job. In other cultures, where even the male CS professionals treat it as a career instead of a cultural identity and obsession, men and women have much much more equal presence in the field.
Engineering preferences might very well be working the same way. Girls are socially expected to be well rounded, to think about a social life in addition to a career or single obsession. Our self-stated preferences are shaped and altered by the society around us (there are lots of good, interesting studies about this), including by whether we check a gender box before we take a career preference test. You can find different gender preferences about getting into the same fields, depending on whether you describe them with words and names for skill sets associated with men or with women (despite the fact that the tasks of the profession are the same no matter which gender associations you put in the description). | <urn:uuid:752f2eec-5f9c-432a-b881-28cf258187dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?p=2601363 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970498 | 984 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Revelations : Visions, Prophecy and Politics in the Book of Revelationby: Elaine Pagels
IT IS ALMOST AXIOMATIC in modern culture that the Bible can serve political ends. Fundamentalists see it as the warrant for anti-abortion and anti-gay policies, among other things. Some secularists also invoke it: political Zionists like Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, grounded the new State of Israel in a secular reading of the Bible, and the American civil rights movement, at least in the rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr., kept it at the center of its appeals. Other secularists, appalled by what they see as the equivalent of superstition masquerading as reason, nonetheless cannot deny the power the book carries in political discourse.
This tradition of mining the Bible for political lessons goes back at least to the 17th century when philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) grounded their theories, at least in part, on critical readings of the Bible. Spinoza, for example, held that the Jews were preeminently a political people and that the Bible’s only worth was as a political document. Once the Jews lost their state, Spinoza suggested, the Bible ceased to have any immediate political relevance. In Hobbes’s political philosophy, the sovereign becomes the hermeneut-in-chief, since only the sovereign can determine what in the Bible is true.
What kind of politics does the Bible teach? The answer, says Michael Walzer in his elegant little book, In God’s Shadow, is: “not very much.” Walzer, a distinguished political theorist, has been exploring biblical and postbiblical Jewish sources for some decades. His book, Exodus and Revolution, was justly hailed as a study both of how the Bible’s exodus tradition has resonated in Western culture and of what it meant in its original setting. He has also been the lead editor of a terrific, multivolume collection of Jewish sources on politics, The Jewish Political Tradition. His latest book is the capstone of these explorations, but its counterintuitive argument may surprise many readers. Against Spinoza, but with no less of a secular orientation, Walzer holds that the Hebrew Bible speaks from a moral or religious point of view, but not from the standpoint of politics. In stark contrast to the central role of politics in Greek philosophy, God as the author of Israel’s history leaves very little room for independent political decisions.
This argument is grounded in certain assumptions about what constitutes politics. Walzer assumes that politics are waged in the realm of the secular. In what is a modern move, he argues that politics ought to involve the mobilization of people to defend their interests or reform society. No such movements can be found in the Bible, nor do any biblical actors try to agitate for them. To be sure, the Israelite kings represent human interests and may therefore be said to defend secular politics against divine law (in fact, Walzer strikingly claims that this Machiavellian principle was first stated in the Bible!), but the Bible is not written from the kings’ point of view, and the so-called Deuteronomic histories (the books of Samuel and Kings) criticize the kings only for religious or moral failings, not for political actions. While much of this seems convincing, it appears to me that at times Walzer allows the Greek definition of politics to dominate perhaps too greatly what politics meant in the very different culture of ancient Israel. So, for example, one would not expect mass politics — itself anachronistic for premodern times — in a monarchic system like the Bible. There is no real biblical analogy to the demos of the Greek polis since the children of Israel never function like a body of citizens.
Much of Walzer’s argument centers on the prophets, who are often taken by modern-day progressives to authorize a politics of social justice. But Walzer points out that the prophets never call on people to act politically in the service of reform; their radicalism is profoundly apolitical in that they never try to mobilize the people against injustice. In fact, the first real political mobilization in Jewish history was not from the time of the Bible, but much later, in the Second Temple period when the Hasmonean family of priests sparked a military uprising against the Jerusalem priesthood and the Seleucid Empire.
The curious apolitical quality of the prophets owes something of its origins to the revelation at Sinai. The law codes said to have been revealed there make the Israelites responsible for their most vulnerable neighbors: the widow, the orphan and the foreigner. Yet, they are never made politically responsible for the social order as such. Israelite law is given by God, rather than legislated by human beings, and this belief system creates a built-in tension between divine and human interests. The human is represented in biblical history by the kings, the divine by the prophets.
In international politics, says Walzer, the prophets’ message is as apolitical as it is in domestic politics. They have given up the idea of Israel as a political agent, viewing the nation rather as the victim of other nations’ agency. In fact, the prophets hold that the nations that oppress Israel — Assyrians, Babylonians — also lack agency, since their actions are dictated by God. In this innovative theology, God now acts through other nations in order to punish Israel rather than acting through Israel itself. The prophets, therefore, demanded an entirely passive foreign policy, because nothing Israel might do could affect its fate once it sinned against God.
The late wisdom literature in the Bible moves even further away from the political. Here, the focus is on the individual who must turn away from evil rather than confront it politically. While Job protests his fate, he does not protest the death of his children, a symbol, Walzer seems to say, of the Book of Job’s profoundly apolitical character. Indeed, Job may not even be an Israelite, so that there is no communal context for political action.
Many have argued that biblical messianism lays the groundwork for social revolution, but Walzer claims that prophetic messianism does not presume mobilization of the masses: the Bible contains nothing like the Italian socialist hymn Avanti popolo. The Bible entertains two views of the messianic age: it will either be a restoration of the kingdom of David or of God’s kingdom. In neither case will this transformation come about because of political action: the prophets condemn things as they are, but they do not tell us to change them, much less how to change them.
As a political activist as well as a theorist, Walzer leaves little to recuperate from the Bible. In an intriguing penultimate chapter, he notes that the “elders” who are mentioned sporadically throughout the text might well have been the vehicles of secular politics, but almost no coherent trace has been left of their activity. Walzer understands that his sober reading of the Bible’s politics goes against the grain of how generations have understood its import. Something in the prophetic teachings has surely spoken to political visionaries of differing stripes, even if he is right that such readings do not pay heed to the literal meaning of the text.
This is the subject of Elaine Pagels’s Revelations, a discussion of the powerful influence of biblical messianism and prophecy on the literature of apocalypse, a literature that originated in the 2nd century BCE and culminated in the New Testament’s Book of Revelation. Pagels’s book is both a history of how the Book of Revelation was received and understood in the early Church and a discussion of the other, noncanonical works of Christian “revelation” found in 1945, in the Nag Hammadi treasure-trove in Egypt. Pagels demonstrates convincingly that the Book of Revelation, in its images and symbols, was grounded in the end-time visions of the biblical prophets and Second-Temple apocalyptic literature. She argues that its author, John of Patmos, was a Jewish Christian who responded to the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE with a message of divine vengeance against Rome, in the image of the Beast. But John was equally exercised by what he thought to be the desecration of Judaism by the Gentile Christians who followed the teachings of Paul. He opposed the mixed marriages and consumption of sacrificial meat that Paul allowed. When he spoke of the “synagogue of Satan,” he meant not Jews, but rather Gentiles who violate Jewish law while claiming to be Jews.
John wrote from within Judaism, but in the next two and half centuries, leaders of the nascent Church increasingly deployed the book as a weapon against internal enemies within Christianity. Iraenus, the 2nd-century heresiologist, was the first to identify the Beast as the Antichrist (a figure Pagels mistakenly thinks to have originally been of Jewish origin), but he also identified this enemy as Christian heretics, rather than an external figure. The 4th-century Church Father Athanasius embraced this idea in his quest to define Christian orthodoxy against heretical movements. For Athanasius, Christian doctrine evolved from condemnation of bad action, as the Book of Revelation would have it, to condemnation of bad belief. Athanasius established the canon of the New Testament and included Revelation, in part because it was useful in combating heresies, but also because Revelation concludes with a warning not to add to or subtract from its text, a principle that Athanasius wished to apply to the New Testament as a whole.
Pagels’s career was initially devoted to the study of the heretical library of Nag Hammadi, and she achieved great renown for her earlier book, The Gnostic Gospels. In an abbreviated conclusion to the present book, she contrasts the Book of Revelation with the secret teachings of the Nag Hammadi monks. Where Revelation spoke of the binary opposition of the saved and the damned, the other “revelations,” censored by Athanasius, embraced a more universalist vision. Perhaps anachronistically, Pagels sees these early Christian heresies as more relevant to our contemporary “interconnected world” than is the Book of Revelation. From the perspective of this conclusion, it would appear that Pagels would prefer a Christianity based on its ancient heresies rather than on what became its orthodoxy.
Yet, it is Revelation that persists in dominating evangelical Christian politics today, just as it played a powerful role throughout the Middle Ages. The long history of this New Testament book lies beyond Pagels’ purview (Norman Cohn’s The Pursuit of the Millennium remains the indispensable text for this purpose), but even in antiquity, Revelation shaped the way Christians thought of politics. Although it might appear to be an entirely apolitical book — much in the way that Walzer writes of the Hebrew Bible, it recommends no political platform and seems content to let the divine plan work itself out through plagues, wars and the other horsemen of the apocalypse — it is in fact hyperattuned to politics: it sees in historical events the very signs of the coming eschaton. This is a point that Pagels misses by adopting an overly constrained definition of apocalyptic literature as only revealing secret divine mysteries through dreams and other visions. Such visions — including the psychedelic fantasies of the author of Revelation — are of course primarily directed at such mysteries, but they are also linked to specific events and persons. For example, as Pagels points out, the Beast in Revelation probably refers to the Emperor Nero. Because apocalyptic texts speak in coded symbols, whose decoding is itself the sign that the end-times have come, these symbols can be made to refer to any contemporary context. It is for this reason that Revelation could be resurrected in virtually every generation of Christian history and could even be secularized in the form of the Nazi 1000-year Reich.
Thus, paradoxically, the literature that stems from groups who consciously exile themselves from politics is often the most acutely political. If this argument is true, then the arc that Walzer has drawn from early to late biblical writings, which he describes as increasingly personal and apolitical, is reversed with the emergence of apocalypticism. And since the granddaddy of apocalyptic literature is the biblical book of Daniel (which Walzer does not discuss), then the Hebrew Bible itself ends up in a kind of eschatological politics.
Both of these studies under review offer us perceptive readings of ancient books in their original contexts. Yet, these fine scholars also hint how reading them historically might challenge the uses to which they are put today. Walzer implicitly warns against harnessing the Bible to contemporary political programs, because to do so would do violence to the apolitical nature of the text itself. And Pagels suggests that using Revelation as the warrant for dividing the world into saints and sinners is as dangerous today as it was 2000 years ago. Such are the cautionary tales the historical study of scripture may furnish for the world of politics. | <urn:uuid:a2565f0a-d6a1-4c1e-b189-b01cd81e4027> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=1379&fulltext=1&media= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957353 | 2,706 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Author to speak about college affordability
SYCAMORE – Sycamore High School will host Lynn O’Shaughnessy, author of “The College Solution: Looking for the Right School at the Right Price,” at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 in the school’s auditorium.
O’Shaughnessy will discuss various methods to choosing an affordable college and finding financial aid. Parents are encouraged to attend.
Representatives from local schools, including Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College, also will be available to meet with parents at the event.
If you have any technical difficulties, either with your username and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:8cc46ee9-9b52-4139-b269-0db2d70f3645> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2013/01/22/author-to-speak-about-college-affordability/apdue22/?list-comments=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926448 | 159 | 1.585938 | 2 |
LONG BEACH, Calif. — NASA's 23-year-old Hubble Space Telescope is still going strong, and agency officials said Tuesday they plan to operate it until its instruments finally give out, potentially for another six years at least.
After its final overhaul in 2009, the Hubble telescope was expected to last until at least 2015. Now, NASA officials say they are committed to keeping the iconic space observatory going as long as possible.
"Hubble will continue to operate as long as its systems are running well," Paul Hertz, director of the Astrophysics Division in NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said here at the 221st meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Hubble, like other long-running NASA missions such as the Spitzer Space Telescope, will be reviewed every two years to ensure that the mission is continuing to provide science worth the cost of operating it, Hertz added.
In fact, Hubble supporters hope it will continue to run even after its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is launched — an event planned for 2018.
"We are not planning to arbitrarily end the operation of Hubble when JWST is launched," Hertz said during a NASA Town Hall Meeting at the AAS conference. "It may be great if we get at least one year of overlap between JWST and Hubble." [Building the James Webb Space Telescope (Photos)]
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in April 1990, and has since been upgraded five times by astronauts in orbit. Its last space shuttle servicing mission in May 2009 left the scope with two new instruments, including a wide-field camera and a high-precision spectrograph to spread out light into its constituent wavelengths.
The space telescope is named after the late astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953), who proved that the universe is expanding.
"It's working better than ever, 23 years in," Dan Coe, an astronomer working with Hubble at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., told Space.com. "We're still pushing the frontier."
Coe agreed that overlap time with both Hubble and James Webb operating simultaneously would be ideal. Such a plan would allow the observatories to work on complementary projects and provide crosschecks between the two telescopes' measurements.
How long Hubble can run also depends on NASA's budget, which, like funding for all federal agencies, is uncertain given the economic challenges in the United States.
"It all comes down to money," Coe said.
Funding the development of the James Webb Space Telescope is currently taking up almost half of NASA's total budget of $1.3 billion for astrophysics in 2013, Hertz said.
Space news from NBCNews.com
Teen's space mission fueled by social media
- Buzz Aldrin's vision for journey to Mars
- Giant black hole may be cooking up meals
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- Teen's space mission fueled by social media
The observatory has an estimated price tag of $8.7 billion, and will cost about $628 million in 2013 alone.
In contrast, Hubble will cost about $98 million in 2013.
- Celestial Photos: Hubble Space Telescope's Latest Cosmic Views
- Hubble Telescope’s Hidden Treasures Revealed | Video
- Most Amazing Hubble Discoveries
© 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com. | <urn:uuid:5ef8910d-72cc-4fea-aa0a-5e7603c5a50c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50409963/ns/technology_and_science-space/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943259 | 699 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Photos and VideosMore Photos and Videos
A pile of rags under the bridge marks the spot where a homeless woman gave birth to a baby boy. A passerby saw what was happening and called for help.
The story sounds like a tale from the Great Depression. A homeless woman gives birth to a baby under a bridge in tough economic times then disappears.
But the birth happened during the waning of Great Recession, around 6:45 p.m. Monday under the Soscol Bridge between First and Third streets in downtown Napa.
April Johnson was alone when her son was born but another homeless person notified a passerby that a homeless woman had just given birth. The Napa Fire Department responded and took Johnson and her son to Queen of the Valley Medical Center. Johnson has not been seen since.
The happy ending is that Napa city and county residents are donating items and money for the baby to social services agencies. So many items have poured in, another group has joined the collection effort.
As of Friday, the baby was still at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, said John Pearson, treasurer of the Foster Kids Fund that is accepting the donations. The organization stepped in to help handle donations because so many people were offering gifts, the firefighters association couldn't handle all of them.
Under California's Safe Surrender Baby Law allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially surrender an infant three days old or younger to any hospital emergency room. Both the parent and baby receive an identification bracelet.
There will be no prosecution as long as the baby has not been abused or neglected. The baby will receive treatment and will be placed in an adoptive home.
The law also allows a 14-day cooling off period starting the day the child was surrendered. During this time, the person who surrendered the child can return and reclaim it.
"We don't know where the mom is," Pearson said. "This is a little out of the ordinary," he said.
The last time a mother surrendered an infant in Napa was about four years ago at a fire station, Perez said.
People wishing to donate items for the baby may send them to Foster Kids Fund, P.O. Box 5211, Napa, Ca. 94581. | <urn:uuid:39101593-d0af-41b4-84c8-034a542198b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Donations-Pour-in-for-Napa-Bridge-Baby--91061204.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961106 | 461 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Chris Hughes, Entrepreneur
b. November 26, 1983
“Social media is an online extension of the conversations at the dinner table.”
Chris Hughes is an entrepreneur and a co-founder of Facebook. He is the publisher and editor in chief of The New Republic, a leading public policy magazine.
Hughes grew up in North Carolina, the only son of a teacher and a salesman. He attended Phillips Academy on an academic scholarship before enrolling at Harvard University.
Hughes, along with college roommates Mark Zuckerburg, Eduardo Saverin and Dustin Moskovitz, founded Facebook. Beginning as a social networking site for Harvard students, Facebook became a global phenomenon connecting more than 900-million users.
In 2007, Hughes left Facebook to work on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. As the coordinator for online organizing, he developed My.BarackObama.com, which enabled supporters to create local events, set personal fund-raising goals and join campaign groups. Hughes mobilized millions of young voters and raised more than $30 million.
In 2009, Fast Company dubbed him “The Kid Who Made Obama President.” Hughes’s successful strategy, which utilized social media as an effective campaign tool, revolutionized modern politics.
In 2010, Hughes founded Jumo, a nonprofit social networking organization. It has connected millions of activists to organizations working to improve communities worldwide.
Hughes has served as a member of the United Nations AIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention. In 2011, he announced his engagement to Sean Eldridge, senior advisor for Freedom to Marry. Both powerful advocates for marriage equality, they have donated more than $1 million to support same-sex marriage.
In 2012, Hughes purchased The New Republic and legally married Eldridge.
Filed under: People | <urn:uuid:9b12612e-47dd-44e3-9733-522031546167> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/10/lgbt-history-month-profile-facebook-co-founder-chris-hughes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934415 | 369 | 1.75 | 2 |
The academies of the EU member states joined forces to establish the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) in 2001. EASAC prepares statements, detailed reports and scientific publications for a general audience about issues relevant to society relating to energy, environment and biosciences for the EU institutions.
Topics are suggested by the academies themselves or are assigned to EASAC by European institutions like the European Commission and European Parliament. Statements over the past three years have focused on a range of issues including synthetic biology, concentrated solar energy, biodiversity and ecosystem services, the effects of climate change on infectious diseases, and the groundwater situation in southern Europe. For more information about EASAC, visit www.easac.eu.
Federal Minister Annette Schavan with Leopoldina President Prof. Jörg Hacker and former Leopoldina President and former EASAC President Prof. Volker ter Meulen at EASAC’s tenth anniversary celebrations in November 2011. Photo by Felix Kindermann / Leopoldina
In 2010 EASAC moved its head office from the British Royal Society to the Leopoldina. Since then, the Leopoldina has provided substantial support for many EASAC activities. Members of the Leopoldina are represented in its three steering panels (advisory committees for energy, environment and biosciences) as well as in all of EASAC’s working groups. Attended by members of the EU national academies EASAC events often take place at the Leopoldina. At EASAC’s tenth anniversary celebration on 7 November 2011, Federal Minister Annette Schavan gave an official speech in the Palace of the Academies in Brussels.
The EASAC office is responsible for organising and setting up the meeting agendas for all of EASAC’s committees, advisory and working groups. The office also works closely with IAP, the global network of science academies, whose European affiliation is performed by EASAC. The office also works with EU politicians and in this regard is supported by an EASAC office in Brussels, which is hosted by the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium.
Senior Officer International Relations, Executive Director, EASAC Secretariat
|Phone||0345 - 47 239 - 831|
|Fax||0345 - 47 239 - 839| | <urn:uuid:f6c66b05-a392-4bdb-a893-6b7b90b93026> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leopoldina.org/en/international-issues/easac/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929953 | 491 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Using energy efficiently and keeping costs down is especially important when you’re on a limited income. SCE&G supports programs sponsored by local energy offices (e.g. Office of Economic Opportunity) throughout South Carolina to help customers that need extra help in managing their energy costs.
Since the program began in 1983, more than 5,800 homes have been weatherized, which included caulking, weather-stripping, painting, insulating and replacing windows and doors to make them more weather tight.
To be eligible, families must meet the federal government standards of a low-income household. The criteria changes yearly. Contact your local community action agency to apply. | <urn:uuid:d843cc47-88b9-4632-89cd-ad21782eed2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sceg.com/en/residential-services/customer-service-center/assistance-programs/weatherization/default.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951115 | 135 | 1.578125 | 2 |
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It’s nearly impossible to think of packaging without of its effects on the environment. Environmentalism has played a large role for several decades and continues to produce new things.
In celebration of Earth Day Valley Box Company partnered with The San Diego River Park Foundation to plant trees native to the Peutz Creek Preserve. Planting trees within the San Diego River watershed will encourage a healthier ecosystem and provide wildfire restoration efforts. During this event, volunteers from the two agencies work together to plant and water Coast Live Oak Trees.
Valley Box is proud to support Sports Boosters 2012 San Diego Baseball Guide, enriching the lives of student athletes. The Sports Boosters mission is simple "to help High Schools throughout the country significantly supplement their athletic/activities budgets".
The term “sustainability” is heard throughout businesses everywhere these days. It's a concept that embraces both environmental and bottom-line business concerns. For product packagers, sustainability means reconciling what can be conflicting goals: minimizing whatever negative impacts their packaging may have on the environment while adequately protecting products during shipping and handling.
Sustainable forest management is about nurturing the long-term health of the forest ecosystem while providing present and future generations with environmental, economic, and social opportunities. Thinning is one approach to managing a forest sustainably.
Valley Box Company Inc featured on the World's Greatest TV series as the World's Greatest Industrial Packaging company.
Next week Valley Box Company is being featured on
Reusable Packaged Wood Container (R-PWC) Two Person Disassembly.
© 2013 Valley Box Company. All Rights Reserved. Visit our Flickr Album | <urn:uuid:499d14a6-9690-4465-ae9b-c9b054105d0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.valleybox.com/blog/?Tag=News | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916959 | 339 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Foster Care Horrors?
To the editor:
Between 1991 and 1995, when family preservation allegedly dominated child welfare in New York, total child-abuse deaths in the city fell from 60 to 29. In Illinois, where authorities did exactly what Saffran suggests and drove family preservation almost to extinction, the foster care population soared, forcing children to sleep in hideous shelter conditions where vulnerable younger children mixed with streetwise teens. Deaths in foster care hit a record high, and total child-abuse deaths went up for two years in a row. In New York, since the city vowed to curb family preservation, foster care placements have gone up 30 percent. At least a thousand children, as reported by the New York Times, have been forced to sleep in offices.
None of this made it into Saffran's article. Indeed, his lone statistic is the most misleading in all of child welfare: that about half of child-abuse deaths involve children previously known to the system. This statistic is meaningless. If, for example, a hypothetical community returns 10,000 children to their own homes and one dies, while another child, unknown to authorities, also dies, that means 50 percent of the child-abuse deaths in that community were known to the system. But it also means 9,999 children returned home safely.
Dennis Saffran responds:
Homeless Advocates To Earth
To the editor:
As anyone knows who has attempted to "outreach" to a homeless person, or visited a soup kitchen, or simply spoken to a homeless person on the streets, most homeless people (unlike Heavy, one person Ms. Mac Donald mentions) are happy for the contact. Not that homeless individuals will always quickly move off the streets. If you have lostor never hadfamily, belongings, and housing and have found a way to survive day-to-day, you are unlikely to risk the little stability you have by trusting a total stranger who invites you to a shelter, when shelters haven't had sterling reputations in the past.
Homeless people, like everyone else, are likely to resist change unless they trust that the change will be safe. The isolation they face makes even the smallest step seem an impossible risk. Each person is unique, and services must therefore start where the client is, not where you or I might think the client ought to be. Outreach will fail if we don't proceed at the client's pace.
It's true that homeless services, including outreach, may seem time consuming, but time is vital to their success. Ms. Mac Donald says that homeless advocates use expensive service strategies to keep themselves in jobs and to lash out against capitalism. Nothing could be further from the truth. As homeless-service providers, our goal always remains to put ourselves out of business.
To the editor:
Across the country, cities and business groups are attempting to "sweep" homeless people off their streets by pressing for and enforcing laws that make it a crime to sleep, lie, or even sit in public places. But in cities pursuing such policies, there are more homeless people than even emergency resources to help them, based on the cities' own estimates. New York City estimates that there are up to 81,000 homeless, but only 27,000 placements for them. Punishing homeless people for living in public places when they have no alternative is cruel, irrational, and ultimately, futile.
In the Times Square area, the BID is trying a more constructive approach: it has hired social workers to conduct outreach, opened a seven-bed shelter, and established links to refer people to existing permanent-housing programs. A report on the project, cited by Ms. Mac Donald, notes that in the first year of outreach, few had used the shelter beds and only two had been placed in housing. But in a postscriptnot mentioned by Ms. Mac Donaldthe report says that two months later, the shelter was constantly full and four more people had been placed in housing. As of today, the BID reports that a total of 12 have been placed in housing and that the shelter has generally been full over the past four months.
Rather than discussing constructive solutions to homelessness, Ms. Mac Donald's article focuses on ad hominem attacks, incorrect information, and false accusations. This approach does not help to advance informed debate or efforts to respond to a human issue that is critically important for us all.
Heather Mac Donald responds:
But let's say Ms. Foscarinis is right. She finds it significant that, to date, the Times Square BID has placed 12 people in housing. That is fewer than five a year, at a cost of $172,916 a personmerely for placement, mind you, not for the housing itself. Anyway, it would cost over $14 billion to place all of New York's alleged 81,000 homeless, and it would take 16,200 years. Ms. Foscarinis undoubtedly finds that reasonable, but most taxpayers would not.
After years of telling the public that the homeless are just like you and me, the advocates now stress that they are incredibly different. Ms. Wackstein's gingerly approach to taming the homelessplace sandwhich on basket, retreat, watch if the homeless person moves to accept it, and repeatsurely strikes common sense as bizarre. If the homeless are so incapable of accepting needed help, why do advocates like Ms. Foscarinis think we should let them colonize public streets? A sane homelessness policy would begin by replacing the term "homeless" with addict, alcoholic, psychotic, hobo, or bum. The category "homeless" is a purely political construct, created to rebuke and plague an allegedly heartless nation.
Public School Lessons
To the editor:
But where Mr. Stern and I part company is in his judgment that P.S. 87, which he names "the very best the school system can do," is just not good enough.
Mr. Stern bolsters his critique with snide comments on the methods we use at P.S. 87methods that have withstood time and standardized tests. Those of us old enough to remember the bad old days of desks lined up in rows, facing a teacher who stood all day at the blackboard while we silently copied down her chalk marks, recognize how much easier that earlier method of teaching was. The fact that P.S. 87 students scored in the highest category in the standardized writing skills assessment test last year underscores the validity of our approach.
Can we do better? Of course. To balance a classroom filled with richness and creativity with a learning environment that adheres to basic standards and imparts important skills is quite a challenge. Over the last few years we have had staff retreats, task forces, and standards development teams to focus on the importance of these tasks.
If Mr. Stern finds himself frustrated with the city's bureaucracy and politics and the difficulties of dealing with the Board of Education, I can understand. If the fact that the children of minority families in this city are not getting a fair deal upsets him, I applaud his attention to their plight. But if he claims that his children (who, by the way, went on to attend a gifted middle-school program and the elite Stuyvesant High Schoolnot a bad record for former P.S. 87 boys), or any children, got less than an excellent education here at P.S. 87, I question his vision as a reporter. And if he truly felt that in ten years this school was not meeting his children's needs, then I question his observation as a parent. That's an awfully slow learning curve.
To the editor:
Many times my colleagues and I have paid a price for not adapting to the Teachers College philosophy. Now our school hires new teachers only from Teachers College. More traditional teachers are pressured by peers and administration to conform; the joke runs that some of us wait until the principal is out of the building to teach skillsso we won't get caught being "traditional." Meanwhile, in my class even the brightest students have difficulty composing a literate piece of writinglet alone doing mathwith any proficiency. How can a program supposedly so wonderful be creating so many kids lagging behind?
Name withheld on request
Sol Stern responds:
Alas, I am merely a parent who entrusted my children to Mr. Plaut and his fellow professional educators, and a taxpayer who pays their salaries. As such, I expected a little more in the way of accountability than Mr. Plaut's assurances that his teachers "have had staff retreats, task forces, and standards development teams." What I observedas a parentis that P.S. 87 doesn't even have a curriculum and, therefore, cannot enforce the "basic standards" Mr. Plaut says he favors. He is a decent, hard-working administrator, caught in an excellence-squelching system. If he and his colleagues were willing to work with parents to change that system, and if, during the past 10 years, there was even the semblance of an open debate at P.S. 87 about the merits of progressive education, I would be less disillusioned with the public schools in general, and P.S. 87 in particular. And then Mr. Plaut wouldn't have to complain about my "slow learning curve."
To the editor:
Even a modest familiarity with Columbia's undergraduate program, the Core Curriculum, belies that charge. At nearly 80 years old, Columbia has the oldest continuously operating Western civilization program in the country; clearly, the university has maintained its commitment to that program in all political climates.
It would be better not to read too much into a disagreement about aesthetics.
David Garrard Lowe responds: | <urn:uuid:b3e3151b-53d7-43a3-9527-b8ad026d2225> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.city-journal.org/html/8_1_letters.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966809 | 1,995 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Synthetic materials may have seemed revolutionary at the time of their discovery, but sacrificing the global wool industry for their mass-produced novelty would be a tragedy.
In recent years wool producers have come under ever increasing pressure, with the price of wool plummeting to the point where it costs more to produce than is earned through sales, and consequently sheep numbers declining across strong wool producing nations including Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
A continuation of this trend would be disastrous, not just for the individuals and communities deprived of their livelihoods, but for the landscapes defined by their bucolic charm and, perhaps most importantly of all, the simple fact that wool is far more healthy for humans and the environment than many of its substitutes.
In regards to the ‘S’ word on everybody’s lips these days (sustainability), wool is pretty hard to beat – grown by sheep every year to protect themselves from the elements it is by very definition renewable, and in many parts of the world a process within ecosystems that long predate humanity. It is also entirely biodegradable, allowing it to re-integrate into the biosphere at the end of it’s life-cycle.
Coupled with it’s qualities of offering higher UV protection than most synthetics or cotton, being a natural fire retardant (remember the wool blanket fire extinguisher?), highly water absorbent and therefore breathable, and naturally non-allergenic, this makes the humble sheep hair something of a super fiber. This last point is tied to wool’s inherent ability to trap pollution particles, making wool carpets a highly salutary feature in any home.
For all the above reasons (and, we must confess, a strong affection for all things merino), we here at habitusiving are firm advocates of wool, and are proud to feature products from companies committed to it’s use. These include New Cavalier Bremworth, Designer Rugs, Cadrys, Tsar, Sustainable Living Fabrics, Velieris, Armadillo, Munk, SvenskaKJ, and Metropol.
To see a selection of wool rugs from these companies see Habitus Loves… Wool Rugs
Long live the golden fleece! | <urn:uuid:fda7d918-a0ad-4947-896e-d46ad521c048> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.habitusliving.com/connect/golden-fleece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939409 | 467 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Safety and Efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autistic Spectrum Disorders
University of California, San Francisco
Basic & Clinical
Recent surveys have found that most families treat their affected children with one or more forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in an effort to improve outcomes. To date, studies that rigorously evaluate the scientific evidence for safety and efficacy have been published for only four CAM therapies for ASD, and there is no readily accessible source of information to inform families about the potential risks and benefits of over 50 reported CAM therapies used in this disorder. This project will determine and report on the safety and efficacy of CAM therapies in three ways. First, a survey will be conducted of parental perceptions of efficacy, cost, and time devoted to each intervention. Second, systematic literature reviews will evaluate all prior published evidence for each CAM therapy and make the information available on an open-access website to families and providers. Third, pilot studies will be initiated to more clearly determine the potential mechanism of action of the most promising CAM therapies. What this means for people with autism: Any CAM treatment scientifically proven beneficial can immediately be adopted to help those with ASD. Likewise, when therapies are found to be ineffective, families and providers can direct their time and financial resources toward other treatments. | <urn:uuid:3f5c8eb2-c968-4b60-847f-39b66770725a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.autismspeaks.org/biomedical-pharmacological-intervention/grants/safety-and-efficacy-complementary-and-alternative-med | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926804 | 258 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Believe it or not residents at Broadmeade Senior Living are in an aerobics class but this one isn't for the body. It’s for the brain.
Chuck Warnke says, "It's a cognitive stimulation exercise program that works on stimulating the brain. Normal healthy aging brains need to have stimulation to be as sharp as they were." Once a week the group comes together with Chuck, their Speech Pathologist who developed the program, to do puzzles, and memory and word games, most of them timed, to challenge their brains to think in a new way.
Chuck says, “Really what it does is all the different parts of the cognitive processing comes from different parts of the brain and really you want to increase blood flow to those parts of the brain." The exercises help mainly the seniors short term memory. Helping them to remember things like taking their medicine and helping their word recall, according to Chuck.
The students in the class say they've really noticed a difference. Juen Gee, Brain Aerobics Student says, “To me I'm remembering things better and the short term memory is the first to go and my short term memory has improved." Another aerobics student, Adele Free says, “Maybe it is that i have more confidence in what I'm going to say when I speak to others."
Chuck says exercising the brain is just as vital to a senior's health as regular physical exercise and the two together can lead to a longer more fulfilling life. The students have also found the class is fun. They enjoy taking the tests and have found great camaraderie with their classmates.
"It’s not how many you get right or how many you get wrong it’s the fact that you're doing things to help our brain. You're with your friends and if you make a mistake we all laugh at our mistakes," according to Juen Gee. | <urn:uuid:0c92e409-83f6-4d21-9759-809afdfdff69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ksee24.com/features/central-valley-today/Brain-Aerobics-Can-Help-Memory--184063081.html?vid=a | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976115 | 394 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Westinghouse A commission staff member has faulted the design of the AP1000 reactor ‘s circular shield structure, a thin steel shell with air space around it that would carry off excess heat.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is moving toward approval of the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor and its strikingly different containment design, which has far fewer pumps and valves plus a safety system that relies mostly on foolproof forces, like water flowing downhill or heat rising. But complaints over the design persist.
In a notice on Feb. 24 in the Federal Register, the commission invited public comment on its intention to approve the design; the comment period runs until May 10.
The notice quickly drew comment from Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts. In a letter sent on Tuesday to the chairman of the regulatory commission, Gregory Jaczko, Mr. Markey asked that the commission hold off until it has resolved a dispute with one of its staff members, John S. Ma, a senior structural engineer, over whether a shield building in the new design could withstand an earthquake or the impact of an airplane crash.
“Taxpayer dollars should not be spent on reactors that could be at risk of suffering a catastrophic core meltdown in the event of an aircraft strike or a major earthquake,’’ Mr. Markey wrote.
Bill Alkofer for The New York Times A concrete mix in sculptures on the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis is designed to scrub staining pollutants from the air.
In my Science Times article today on concrete, I write about efforts to reduce the material’s carbon footprint in two ways — by replacing some of the cement in a concrete mix with industrial wastes like coal ash or blast-furnace slag, which have little or no carbon cost, and by developing new cements and other concrete ingredients that can permanently sequester carbon dioxide.
But there are other ways in which some companies in the concrete industry are trying to make their products more environmentally responsible. Recycled concrete is being used as a replacement for crushed stone in some concrete applications. A Montana company is experimenting with using mine tailings — which blot the Western landscape, creating runoff problems and other environmental woes — in their recipe for precast concrete blocks.
Other companies are adding different materials to the concrete mix, everything from carbon fiber to plastic foams. That reduces the amount of concrete in a given volume, reducing the carbon cost. | <urn:uuid:c68ac004-1c2a-4754-b6f6-445e3078e9e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/concrete/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935338 | 491 | 2.546875 | 3 |
George Garanian, 1934-2010On January 11, Russian jazz icon George Garanian – a musician who nourished jazz as part of Soviet culture – suffered a fatal heart attack while on tour with his popular big band. He was 75. A productive career spanning more than half a century has ensured that Garanian, a highly renowned saxophonist, composer and arranger, will be fondly remembered.
Son of an engineer and a teacher, Garanian was interested in music from a young age. His first encounter with the alto saxophone came in his early twenties as a student at the Moscow Technical Institute: After being asked to take a friend’s horn to the repair shop, he found himself unable to give it back.
Kirill Moshkov, editor of jazz.ru
, Russia’s leading jazz magazine and web portal, is unequivocal about Garanian’s significance. In the same way the immortal melody of the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five” is instantly recognizable to so many Americans, Garanian’s whimsical, lithe alto tone was cherished by the Soviet population as it featured in soundtracks to several classic films.
“The same thing happens all over the world,” writes Moshkov on his blog. “The people moving music forward are unknown to the masses; they only know songs like “Take Five” and never the names of the musicians playing. Soviet jazz was like that too.”
While Garanian’s early career may have suffered from this typical affliction – a man known by sound yet not by name – he would soon rise to prominence. As a youngster, he played in the foremost ensembles of the era, including those of Oleg Lundstrom and Yury Saulsky – with whom he won a silver medal at the 1957 World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow. Saulsky went on to hail his former protégé as “without doubt, one of the most important personas in contemporary Russian jazz.”
In the 1970s, Garanian began working with the Soviet state record company, Melodiya, leading a cult band of the same name which sold millions. He also became heavily involved in film composition as conductor of the State Cinematic Orchestra. At this time, he completed his greatest educational achievement, a textbook on orchestration that is still widely used.
Garanian’s fame peaked in 1993, when he became a National Artist of the Russian Federation – the first jazz musician to receive this prestigious title. It was a fitting accolade for a tireless worker who traveled the world in the name of Russian jazz, as well as helping firmly establish it as part of domestic popular culture.
Singer Lev Leshenko, a fellow National Artist, met Garanian working on radio projects in the 70s. “He was a man of sparkling humor and literally encyclopedic knowledge, who had a new understanding and a new musical aesthetic,” he said in a television interview with Channel 5. “As a young boy coming to the radio, I absorbed it all.”
Garanian, who grew up in a Russian-Armenian family, will be remembered for modest humility and a peaceful outlook. The nation got to know his personality not only through music, but from his own TV and radio shows, which he used to spread the jazz vision.
As one of the first Russian musicians to gain serious attention from the Western world – U.S. critic John Hammond described his talent as “phenomenal” – George Garanian played a pivotal role in the development of jazz in his country. Through turbulent times, with the music variously regarded as high culture or a dangerous poison from America, he led the way, both on stage and off, and has left a stellar legacy for future generations.Published @ Russia Beyond The Headlines, 22/10/09 – click here for original. | <urn:uuid:d5f1db12-8d98-4501-97b5-f0d493708490> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tigblog.org/group/ukyouthreps/archive/01_2010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975683 | 820 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents|
| Standard Number:||1910.1200; 1910.1200(b)(6)(iv); 1910.1200(f)(2)(i) ; 1910.1200(g)(7)(iii)|
July 31, 2008
Mr. Sean Youmans
Dakota Craft, Inc.
P.O. Box 2488
Rapid City, SD 57709
Dear Mr. Youmans:
This is in response to your letter of April 3, 2008 to U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Your letter was forwarded to OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs for response. Your letter requests an interpretation of OSHA's Hazard Communication standard (HCS), 29 CFR 1910.1200. You specifically ask for information regarding OSHA's requirements for labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS) as they relate to distributors of lumber. A paraphrased description of your business operation, your questions and our responses are below.
You indicate that your company has three truss and wall manufacturing plants, three installation crews and one builder supply facility. Your inquiries relate to the building supply facility only, as you indicated that you have no questions regarding requirements of the HCS as they apply to your manufacturing and construction operations. You provided clarification to a member of my staff regarding the physical logistics of your operations. You indicated that the building supply division of your business is physically separate from the manufacturing and installation portions of your business, and the building supply division conducts retail distribution operations from a different establishment location.
Question 1: Our understanding of 19 CFR 1910.1200(g)(7)(iii) is that as a retail distributor who also has commercial accounts, we are only obligated to supply a material safety data sheet upon the request of our customer. Does OSHA agree with our understanding of that provision of the standard?
Response 1: Yes, 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(7)(iii) states "Retail distributors selling hazardous chemicals to employers having a commercial account shall provide a material safety data sheet to such employers upon request, and shall post a sign or otherwise inform them that a material safety data sheet is available." Assuming that the building supply division is engaged in retail trade but also has commercial accounts, that portion of the business has to notify their commercial customers of the availability of MSDSs and to provide them upon request.
Question 2: Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(b)(6)(iv) lumber is required to be labeled in accordance with the standard where it has been treated with a hazardous chemical and/or if it may be sawed or cut as part of its downstream use. Is that a correct statement?
Response 2: Yes, that is a correct understanding of the requirements for labeling solid wood. Under the HCS, solid wood is exempt from coverage unless it has been treated with a hazardous chemical or in those situations where it may be cut or sawed in its downstream use. If the wood has been treated with a hazardous chemical, then each shipment of the wood must be labeled with the hazards related to that chemical. But where only the physical form of the wood will be changed by the downstream user (by sawing or cutting), and where the wood has not been treated with a hazardous chemical, only the initial shipment is required to be labeled. In that circumstance, subsequent shipments need only be labeled if the information on the label needs updating (29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(2)(i)).
Question 3: As it is the responsibility of the lumber processor to maintain labels and MSDSs, does the retail distributor also have a responsibility to maintain these documents to ensure that the information is passed down to their commercial/retail customer? Our processor/supplier has been sending us unlabeled shipments of wood.
Response 3: Under the provisions of the HCS, your supplier is only required to label the first shipment of an individual type of wood it sends to you. If this wood product is treated with a hazardous chemical, then each subsequent shipment (as opposed to only the initial shipment) would have to be labeled in accordance with the HCS. A retail distributor with commercial accounts is responsible for providing hazard information to their own customers.
Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. We hope you find this information helpful. OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of the requirements discussed. Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. To keep appraised of such developments, you can consult OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov.
Richard E. Fairfax, Director
Directorate of Enforcement Programs
Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents| | <urn:uuid:341389f9-a721-47be-bde7-3753540cb97e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=27400 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938414 | 1,007 | 1.5 | 2 |
An interesting internet article recently about saving money on grocery bills reported that the average family (of 2.5) in America spends at least $537 a month on food (including eating out). What the article didn’t say was that the statistics reported (for October 2008) are almost two years old, and mostly irrelevant in 2010.
I suspect the per-week expenditure numbers are much higher in these challenging economic times, especially since everyday pricing is still high in some supermarket chains and it is hard to be successful at saving money on grocery bills. When I can find a similar-quality head of romaine lettuce in a mom-and-pop store for half the price of a major supermarket’s “sale,” guess where I’m going to shop.
However, frugal living advocates did have some good advice about saving money on grocery bills. (Their suggestions did not take into account that some ready-made prepared meals are less costly than buying all the ingredients to prepare the same meal.)
Here are 8 ways to begin saving money on grocery bills:
1. Reduce meat consumption (usually the highest expense on the register receipt). Make 3 vegetarian meals a week instead of one.
2. Eat fresh and non-processed. The closer a food is to its original state, the cheaper it is, and the better it is for you since extra salt and chemical preservatives are not added.
3. Use coupons from online sources (instead of subscribing to the newspaper).
4. Stockpile paper goods, cleaning supplies, canned goods, soda, cereal, and toiletries when they are on sale (many drugstores offer attractive pricing to induce traffic).
5. Form or join a local buying club to purchase group-desired grocery items by the case at wholesale prices.
6. Learn to cook and make meals that don’t involve convenience foods such as frozen meals or boxed “helpers.” (Homemade meals are generally higher in nutrition as well as being less costly per serving.)
7. Buy what’s on sale or in season and plan meals accordingly.
8. Skip a week of shopping and use what you already have in the freezer and pantry.
Until our general economic situation begins to turn around, being frugal and saving money on grocery bills is the smart thing to do. Our grandmothers knew how to do it; so can we. And, no doubt we’ll create some memorable meals for the family cookbook and recipe card box. | <urn:uuid:54c3418e-190c-4726-82b6-fb19d59d0bcc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cookbookpeople.com/blog/2010/08/31/frugal-living-saving-money-on-grocery-bills/?lang=sl | 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 | 0.955096 | 520 | 2.09375 | 2 |
As more health club operators look to small group training for specific populations to increase ancillary revenue, one program that some operators are implementing is Pilates for breast cancer survivors.
Joseph Camp, a master Pilates instructor at Pilates Athletic Center in Los Altos, CA, discovered the power of Pilates for this group after his studio partnered with Stanford Hospital for a three-year program. The hospital paid the center a discounted rate of $25 per person per twice-a-week session for breast cancer patients and survivors. He had four people come in twice per week. Even though he made just $200 per week on the program, he says that through the Pilates classes, his students improved emotionally, physically and cognitively, and they showed an increased level of energy.
Research studies support Camp’s findings. In one study by the University of Missouri-Columbia, researchers found that the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks for breast cancer survivors, who often are fearful of exercising after having a mastectomy because they have a limited range of motion, fatigue and a shattered self image. As such, they may find traditional group exercise classes and gym workouts too intimidating, causing them to curtail their exercise routine altogether.
Not doing the proper stretching and arm movements, however, can lead to a host of problems, including frozen shoulder, a painful condition that limits range of motion and causes stiffness. In addition, survivors can develop lymphedema, which is swelling that can cause their arm to double in size, become heavy, inflict severe pain and lead to loss of function.
These side effects, however, can be completely prevented or minimized through a proper combination of exercise and stretching, says Andrea Bruno, president and founder of the Cancer Exercise Training Institute, which aims to bridge the gap between the hospital and fitness center by teaching fitness and medical professionals how to properly work with patients and survivors through a 16-hour, $369 certification course. Bruno launched the program in 1996 after her mother developed frozen shoulder after breast cancer surgery and had to endure months of painful physical therapy.
“It’s needless suffering,” Bruno says. “To some degree, there is negligence on the part of the doctors because they’re not recommending exercise as a part of recovery.”
Often, doctors are so focused on eradicating cancer and saving women’s lives that they do not think about how to return a patient to a high level of fitness after surgery, says Dawn-Marie Ickes, a licensed physical therapist, Pilates instructor and owner of Evolve Integrated Wellness and Physical Therapy centers in Orange County, CA. Then six months later, the breast cancer survivors find that their back hurts, they have scar tissue and they cannot sit up straight due to postural deviations. If they had begun a flexibility and movement regimen earlier, however, they would be on a faster road to recovery.
To help women post-surgery, Ickes offers two classes, Big or Small: Save Them All and BC Embody for Life. At one time, breast cancer survivors comprised 10 percent of her patient load, but now they make up 60 percent because she has gotten more physician referrals. Ickes says that through Pilates, her clients have experienced less back, neck and shoulder pain after surgery.
Although Pilates can help survivors minimize pain and rebuild physical strength, it also can help participants to become more resilient emotionally by sharing their experiences with others, says Niece Pecenka, a Pilates instructor at Gainey Village Health Club and Spa, Scottsdale, AZ. In Pecenka’s restorative Pilates class, the women often create long-lasting friendships and start to feel less like a patient and more like a person, she says.
Gainey Village charges $25 per session and opens the classes to members and nonmembers with a cap of six participants per class. Some insurance companies cover the cost of the classes. Participants must complete a series of private sessions before signing up for the six- to 12-week program. During the class, Pecenka focuses on what the students can do rather than what they cannot do.
“It can be exhausting to always be reminded not to lift your arms over your head, nor do any heavy lifting, twisting or inversions,” Pecenka says. “In our program, we lead the participants in a way that is positive.”
Pecenka is one of three instructors in Arizona certified by the Pink Ribbon program, which is a post-operative exercise program for breast cancer survivors.
Before club operators introduce programming for this group, they must ensure that their Pilates instructors are well trained to work with this special population and are able to individually assess the participants’ postural deviations and range of motion, Bruno says. Pilates instructors often start their clientele in private sessions before moving them into a small group apparatus class.
Fully equipped Pilates studios often have all the equipment needed to train breast cancer survivors. Pecenka trains her clients using reformers or towers, and Ickes starts survivors on the trapeze table.
Connie Borho, a Peak Pilates teacher trainer and owner of Balance Pilates and Yoga Centers, Bradenton, FL, uses an instep barrel system, which builds range of motion into the arms and shoulders, she says.
“Pilates equipment can adapt to a survivor’s needs, immediately post-operative, post-rehab, post-reconstruction, and for continued strengthening as time goes on,” Borho says.
Not all fitness equipment, however, is safe for breast cancer survivors, Borho says. Fitness professionals should avoid using equipment that incorporates gravity or additional weight with breast cancer patients and survivors.
Free weights and weight machines can pull the client’s body out of safe alignment and into an unsupportive range of motion, Borho says.
By using the proper equipment and becoming well trained, Pilates instructors can help clients regain their physical, emotional and mental strength, Pecenka says.
“I truly believe that movement heals,” she says. “The Pilates apparatus is extremely beneficial when it comes to restoring the body back to health. The benefits and possibilities are endless.”
For details about how to create an exercise program for breast cancer survivors, read this article by Andrea Bruno. | <urn:uuid:3e9f41a8-020f-49a7-b7f7-fe860c621515> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/breast-cancer-survivors-rebuild-strength-with-pilates-20121001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95165 | 1,319 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Heart Rate Monitors and Training Zones
Have you ever noticed that everyone who runs these days seems to be wearing a heart rate monitor? Everyone, it seems, is keen on knowing how fast their heart is beating during exercise.
It’s not just a passing fad; using a heart rate monitor and knowing your heart rate training zones is an important component of physical fitness.
How a Heart Rate Monitor Can Help You Burn More Fat
Depending upon your goals, you should be working in a particular heart rate zone when you exercise in order for that exercise to be most effective. For example, you work in one heart rate training zone to burn fat and another to improve your cardiovascular system.
A heart rate monitor helps you ensure that you’re working in the right training zone during your entire workout by keeping track of your heart rate. Many heart rate monitors can even be programmed to let you know that you need to slow down or pick up the pace in order to stay in your training zone.
Using a heart rate monitor takes the guesswork out of your aerobic workout. If you’re running, for example, your heart rate monitor can easily tell when you you’re in a warm up training zone, and when you’ve moved to the fat burning zone. If you want to ensure that you’re burning fat for at least 20 minutes per day, you can easily ensure that you stay in that zone for the proper length of time by using a heart rate monitor.
The Heart Rate Training Zones
Following are the heart rate training zones you should be shooting for in your workouts. You can determine your heart rate training zone by considering you’re your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and your Resting Heart Rate (RHR).
The Recovery Zone - 60% to 70% of MHR
Training in the recovery zone develops endurance and aerobic ability. You burn fat, and your muscles re-energize with glycogen.
The Aerobic Zone - 70% to 80% of MHR
This is the best training for developing your cardiovascular system, because you improve your body’s capacity for transporting oxygen to muscles and for removing carbon dioxide from them. You burn less fat, but you train your heart.
The Anaerobic Zone - 80% to 90% of MHR
The Red Line Zone 90% to 100% of MHR
Training here helps you develop speed, but it can only be done for a short period of time. Run your high intensity intervals at this level. Following these guidelines, you can set your target heart rates for each of your workouts. Then, use your heart rate monitor to help you ensure that you’re getting the perfect workout every time. | <urn:uuid:c5cd0ddf-f9e1-4ec8-89aa-548f9689d463> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.24hrfitness.co.uk/fitness%20tips/2010/heart-rate-monitors-and-training-zones.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917433 | 560 | 2.703125 | 3 |
from lectures by Rudolf Steiner
Wholly Sense Organ
In this first extract taken from Steiner’s lectures at Torquay (often referred to as The Kingdom of Childhood) one of the most important observations of the child from birth to age seven is presented. This is the perception that the whole being of the child is a great “sense organ.” The adult is able to shut out the sense impressions of the eye and ear; in some manner ward off, choose and discriminate among the bombardment of stimuli. But the infant and young child is so delicately sensitive to the surrounding environment that the sense impressions work right into the very physiology of its being. An understanding of this primary phenomenon should lead the teacher toward a conscientiousness in how one speaks, the mood of soul that one lives in daily and consequently projects into the world, the environment provided for the growing child, the effects of media, in short, all that comprises the influx of sense impressions that the child will drink in as the very forces that will build its bodily constitution.
Two points of clarification can be made in advance: First is the insight that during the child’s first seven years, a second delicate refined “body” or organism is growing concurrently with the child’s physical body, and this second “body” will find it’s correlative birth at some point near the age of seven which is often signaled by the change of teeth at that age. Rudolf Steiner calls this the “life body”, the “body of formative forces” or the “etheric body”. These formative forces are not only the well-spring of health throughout life and the bearer of memory, but are also the sculptors of the child’s very physiology, from the structures and connections made within the brain to the very functioning of the organs and bodily systems.
Second is the analogy of the eye as the way a child is wholly a sense organ, that the child before the age of seven is “wholly an eye.” Yet Dr. Steiner also describes this same phenomenon from the point of view of the ear, and one might say the child is “wholly an ear.” Most parents observe that the infant who is learning to crawl about is prone to put nearly everything he finds right into his mouth—one has the distinct impression when observing such behavior that the infant is wholly a tongue or a tasting organ.
…the child’s development undergoes a radical change with the loss of his first teeth. For in truth, what we call heredity or inherited characteristics are only directly active during the first epoch [first seven years] of life. It is however the case that during the first seven years a second life organism is gradually built up in the physical body, which is fashioned after the model of the inherited organism. This second organism is, we may say, completed at the changing of the teeth. [typically during the sixth year] If the individual who comes down out of the spiritual pre-earthly world is weak, then this second life organism is similar to the inherited one. If the individual is strong, then we see how in the period between the change of teeth and puberty, from seven years till about fourteen, a kind of victory is gradually accomplished over the inherited characteristics. Children become quite different and they even change in their outward bodily form.
It is especially interesting to follow the qualities of soul which now reveal themselves in this second life epoch. [the ages of 7 to 14] In the first epoch, before the change of teeth, we may describe the child as being wholly “sense-organ”. You must take this quite literally: wholly sense-organ.
Take for example the human eye or ear. What is the characteristic of such a sense-organ? The characteristic thing is that the sense-organ is acutely sensitive to the impressions of the outer world. And if you observe the eye you can certainly see what kind of process takes place. The child during the first seven years is really completely and wholly an eye. Now consider only this thought: in the eye a picture is formed, an inverted picture, of every external object. This is what ordinary physics teaches everyone. That which is outside in the world is to be found within the eye as a picture. Physics stops here, but this picture-forming process is really only the beginning of what one should know concerning the eye; it is the most external physical fact.
But if the physicist would look upon this picture with a finer sense of observation, then he would see that it determines the course of the circulation of the blood in the choroid [the middle layer of the three layers of the derma of the eye]. The whole choroid is conditioned in its blood circulation by the nature of this picture within the eye. The whole eye adjusts itself according to these things. These are the finer processes that are not taken into consideration by our ordinary physics. But the child during the first seven years is really an eye. If something takes place in the child’s environment, let us say, to take an extreme example, a fit of temper when someone becomes furiously angry, then the whole child will have a picture within him of this outburst of rage. The etheric body makes a picture of it. From it something passes over into the entire circulation of the blood and the metabolic system, something which is related to this outburst of anger.
This is so in the first seven years, and according to this the organism adjusts itself. Naturally these are not crude happenings, they are delicate processes. But if a child grows up in the proximity of an angry father or a hot-tempered teacher, then the vascular system, the blood vessels, will follow the line of the anger. The results of this implanted tendency in the early years will then remain through the whole of the rest of life. These are the things that matter most for the young child. What you say to him, what you teach him, does not yet make any impression, except in so far as he imitates what you say. But it is what you are that matters; if you are good this goodness will appear in your gestures, and if you are evil or bad-tempered this also will appear in your gestures—in short, everything that you do yourself passes over into the child and pursues its way within him. This is the essential point. The child is wholly sense-organ, and reacts to all the impressions aroused in him by the people around him. Therefore the essential thing is not to imagine that the child can learn what is good or bad, that he can learn this or that, but to know that everything that is done in his presence is transformed in his childish organism into spirit, soul and body. Health for the whole of life depends on how one conducts oneself in the presence of the child. The inclinations which he develops depend on how one behaves in his presence.
…if we were simply to have the children there in the Kindergarten and so conduct ourselves that they could imitate us, if we were to do all kinds of things that the children could copy out of their own inner impulse of soul, as they have been accustomed to do in the pre-earthly existence, then indeed the children would become like ourselves, but it is for us to see that we are worthy of this imitation. This is what you must pay attention to during the first seven years of life and not what you express outwardly in words as a moral idea.
If you make a surly face so that the child gets the impression you are a grumpy person, this harms him for the rest of his life. This is why it is so important, especially for little children, that as a teacher, one should enter very thoroughly into the observation of a human being and human life. What kind of school plan you make is neither here nor there; what matters is what sort of a person you are. In our day it is easy enough to think out a curriculum, because everyone in our age is now so clever. I am not saying this ironically; in our day people really are clever. Whenever a few people get together and decide that this or that must be done in education, something clever always comes out of it. I have never known a stupid educational program; they are always very clever. But it is not a question of having programs of this kind. What matters is that we should have people in the school who can work in the way I have indicated. We must develop this way of thinking, for an immense amount depends upon it, especially for that age or life epoch of the child in which he is really entirely sense-organ.
Now when the change of teeth is complete the child is no longer a sense-organ in the same degree as previously. This already diminishes between the third and fourth year, but before then the child has quite special peculiarities of which one generally knows nothing whatever. When you eat something sweet or sour you perceive it on the tongue and palate, but when the child drinks milk he feels the taste of milk through his whole body for he is also an organ of sense with regard to taste. He tastes with his whole body; there are many remarkable instances of this.
Children take their cue from the grown-ups and therefore at fifteen, sixteen or twenty they are, nowadays, already blasé and have lost their freshness, but there are still children to be found who in their early years are wholly sense-organ, though life is not easy for such. I knew for example a small boy who on being given something to eat that he knew he would enjoy, approached the delectable object not only with those organs with which one generally approaches food, but he steered towards it with his hands and feet; he was in fact wholly an organ of taste…
Lecture: Torquay August 13,1924 | <urn:uuid:e6a63885-0416-4e86-839f-e14685cd5313> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.live-education.com/Curriculum/SampleLesson?lesson=83 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973432 | 2,033 | 2.953125 | 3 |
People say stamp collecting is actually a form of art. And it is referred to as philately. It is also said collection of several different types of coins is certainly an art as well. And it is referred to as numismatics. For the reason that men and women continue to feel that comic books are only meant for young children and that comics collecting is merely suited to for the younger age-group. These people are in fact drastically wrong - almost everyone will be happy to download comics and read them on ebook reader. If collecting nearly anything is regarded as a form of art, then so is comics collecting and it truly is high time people today acknowledge it and even extend Comic series Collecting the proper value that this art is worthy of. Art cannot be categorized. There isn't a superior form of art and similarly not worse form of art.
Merely because several men and women focus on a certain art form and are usually boisterous enough to boast about it in a loud manner, that specific art form doesn't happen to become bigger than all the other not to mention for no reason can it earn a place on a higher pedestal. There exists only true art and whenever an artist is true to an art he would have opted for, whether it be collecting stamps or perhaps Comics Collection, he's going to do full justice to it. Comics Collection is not a 'child's' play. It will take the very same degree of proficiency, interest, effort along with creativity for being proficient at Comics Collection like it needs for being great at just about any hobby, or perhaps form of art and also collection of stuff.
Comic books aren't only for little kids just what many a comic series have proved again and again. They can indeed be on a simialr level as Booker Prize winning novels nevertheless as you have unfavorable sides of almost everything in this world, so there are excellent comic books together with less than ideal comic series. Like, Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson's masterwork was published in countless papers across the globe for several years. Numerous comic book lovers couldn't help but feel that it was actually one of the most impressive comic strips to have come out in newspapers in a number of years and therefore the majority of them got on to Calvin and Hobbes Comics Collecting.
Students essay writing
Students must complete their essay writing in order to complete their course work. There are two types of students when it comes to writing essays. Some of the students, but a little like writing, and they are easy to find and write their assignments. There is another type of students who go for an essay on-line services. Those runner essay help there are various reasons for this. Some of the students use the essay writing online because they lack the writing skills, and others simply because they do not have time to do their own writing. | <urn:uuid:941100a1-f2a4-4653-9e5c-6e1404cfc1ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buzzcomix.net?id=heymelby | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980779 | 577 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Somewhere between 4 and 5.5 million people in the UK live in fuel poverty – defined broadly as a situation where a household spends more than 10% of its income on fuel costs. Will existing fuel poverty policies reduce this number and, if not, what are the alternatives?
Two new reports prepared by the IPPR and NEA for JRF call into question the effectiveness of existing fuel poverty and raise concerns over the impact of environmental policies on low income households. The research suggests the Government is failing to take advantage of key opportunities to help fuel poor households by making their homes more energy efficient. Of course there are suggestions that the fuel poverty measure I referred to earlier needs to be changed, but Professor John Hills' interim report confirms that the problem is significant, whatever the definition.
Although governments may lack the power to influence global energy markets and are inhibited from interfering in the domestic market of the 'Big 6' energy companies, more can be done. A real difference to fuel poverty can be made by improving the energy efficiency of the homes of the fuel poor.
The average family household fuel bill per year is around £1,300. This figure rises to over £2,000 for families in poorly insulated homes who want to achieve the same level of warmth. Unfortunately, while good insulation can have a massive impact on the cost of heating homes, many people on low incomes who have to choose between 'heating or eating' may see the prospect of installing costly upfront insulation as unrealistic.
Worse still, with the ending of the Warm Front programme next year there will be no state-funded, grant-aided energy efficiency programmes. All energy efficiency initiatives will be funded through energy bills.
Ironically, this additional cost (and the numerous other climate change-related levies geared towards promoting low carbon energy production) will have a regressive impact that penalises low income households.
Even the proposed new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is not going to be a dedicated fuel poverty programme. Amazingly, ECO funding will actually be diverted to better off households living in 'hard to treat' properties that are too costly to be funded through the Green Deal.
What alternative policies are available?
The IPPR and NEA reports call for:
This really does seem like a no brainer – the pensioners most in need of help with their bill should also be given help to reduce their bills.
There is no doubt that reducing or eliminating fuel poverty would significantly reduce the 27,000 'excess winter deaths' in the UK. This figure is far higher than other countries with colder climates and is a stark indicator of the lack of support afforded to the most vulnerable in our society. So, while the Hills Review team continue to grapple with the definition of fuel poverty, once again there is an urgent need to help low income families reduce their fuel bills this winter. | <urn:uuid:dc44cb70-50c4-4d6c-91df-09da8499f929> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/2011/10/fuel-poverty-what-can-we-do | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951207 | 583 | 3.046875 | 3 |
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram1 in a vision:2 "Do not be afraid,3 Abram. I am your shield,a4 your very great reward.b5"
But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD,6 what can you give me since I remain childless7 and the one who will inheritc my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?8"
And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant9 in my household10 will be my heir."
Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.11"
He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars12--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."136
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.147
He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out15 of Ur of the Chaldeans16 to give you this land to take possession of it."178
But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD,18 how can I know19 that I will gain possession of it?"209
So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer,21 a goat and a ram, each three years old,22 along with a dove and a young pigeon.23"
Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;24 the birds, however, he did not cut in half.2511
Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,26 but Abram drove them away.
As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,27 and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved28 and mistreated four hundred years.2914
But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out30 with great possessions.3115
You, however, will go to your fathers32 in peace and be buried at a good old age.3316
In the fourth generation34 your descendants will come back here,35 for the sin of the Amorites36 has not yet reached its full measure."
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch37 appeared and passed between the pieces.3818
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram39 and said, "To your descendants I give this land,40 from the riverd of Egypt41 to the great river, the Euphrates42--
the land of the Kenites,43 Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
Hittites,44 Perizzites,45 Rephaites,4621
Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."47 | <urn:uuid:40335769-0337-4fde-9ce0-8bc8d4895ec3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biblestudytools.com/genesis/passage.aspx?q=genesis+15:1-21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950871 | 625 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Book Sydney’s Aboriginal Past. Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records. (2nd edition – soft cover)
Sydney's Aboriginal Past: book cover
Martin Pueschel © Val Attenbrow
John Heaviside Clark (del.); M. Dubourg (sculpt), © Val Attenbrow
Citation: Attenbrow, V.J.. 2010. Sydney’s Aboriginal Past. Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records. (2nd edition – soft cover). UNSW Press: Sydney. 264 pp.Abstract:
When the British First Fleet arrived in 1788, Sydney was home to numerous Aboriginal communities who had been living there for thousands of years. Within a year, well over half the local population had succumbed to smallpox and, as the British colony expanded, loss of country and acts of aggression made their traditional way of life impossible.
Sydney’s Aboriginal Past: Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records is a fascinating insight into Aboriginal life in Sydney before colonisation in 1788 and during the first thirty years of white settlement. Drawing on the historical, archaeological and environmental records, Val Attenbrow reveals the diversity of Aboriginal life in the Sydney region describing the different groups and how they lived; the resources available; the foods they ate and their means of obtaining them; their tools, weapons and equipment, and how they were made; where they camped; their shelters, clothing and personal adornment; their beliefs, ceremonial life and rituals; as well as their designs and images.
Sydney’s Aboriginal Past also contains an extensive ‘Sites-to-visit supplement’ with information on how and where to find some of the places where archaeological evidence of Sydney’s Aboriginal past can be seen.
This second edition incorporates new findings and thoughts by archaeologists, historians, linguists, geologists and geomorphologists. They include the results of: archaeological excavations including additional radiocarbon ages for pre-colonial Aboriginal sites; analyses of stone artefacts and faunal remains; and residue and use-wear studies. In addition, there are new opinions on the chronological changes in stone tool assemblages; and the age of rock art. | <urn:uuid:f0ad1d84-16bd-4f0e-b702-59f667293d77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://web1.australianmuseum.net.au/publication/Sydneys-Aboriginal-Past-Investigating-the-Archaeological-and-Historical-Records-2nd-edition-soft-cover/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937164 | 460 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Extension Educator, Local Food Systems and Small Farms
Extension Educator, Horticulture
August 26, 2008
It may seem an odd time of year to be reading about rust on turfgrasses, but Logan County has had an outbreak this past two weeks. Turf rusts generally appear in cooler temperatures and we recently experienced a week of cool days with low humidity and very cool nights. The result was a nice crop of rust in the lawn.
All turfgrasses can be infected with rust fungi, but Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and zoysiagrass tend to be most susceptible. Early symptoms of rust diseases include light yellow flecks on leaves and stems, giving the lawn a yellow cast. The leaf tissue ruptures at these yellow spots, and spores of the fungus are produced. The pustules may be yellow, orange, brown, or red. The spores rub off very easily on hands, shoes, clothing, and animals. Often, the disease goes unnoticed until you mow the lawn and see that your white shoes are covered with a dusty coating of rust-colored spores.
Severely infected turf appears thin and tinted yellow, red, or brown, depending on the fungus and time of year. The turf becomes weakened, unsightly, and more susceptible to injury from environmental stress and other disease pathogens. Grasses growing slowly under stressful environmental conditions (such as big swings in temperature and moisture) are most susceptible to rust, particularly when water, fertility, and soil compaction are inadequate for good growth. There are also varieties with resistance and susceptibility to rust.
Management measures should target stress areas. Leaf wetness is required for infection, so it is important to water early in the day so the turf can dry before night. Water turf infrequently, but to a depth of 6 inches or more at each watering. Avoid frequent, light sprinklings. Fertilize to keep the grass growing about 1 inch per week in summer and early fall droughts. Use balanced fertilizer and do not apply excessive nitrogen. As the grass grows, it pushes rust-infected leaves outward, making it easy to mow and remove infected blades. It may be helpful to catch these clippings and remove them from the area. Mow regularly to remove infected leaf tips, but avoid mowing below the recommended height for the particular turf species. Prune surrounding trees and shrubs to improve light penetration and air circulation around densely shaded areas.If the lawn is badly infected or the combination of rust and other stress produces a poor lawn and forces a renovation, it is ideally done in late August or early September. Use a blend of turf cultivars with resistance to rust, but beware that what was once resistant may no longer be. The rust fungi keep evolving and eventually defeat the old-line resistance. Preventive fungicides are available, but they offer only a temporary solution. The fungicide treatments tend to be costly and time consuming. Daconil is the most common fungicide used on turf, but following the management practices will produce better long-term results. To offer a ray of hope, diseases must have ideal conditions to develop. Just wait for a major weather change and the rust will go away. At least for a while.
August 18, 2008
We have discussed the timing of grub control treatments in past columns. As a reminder, the date would have been early August for annual white grubs. We are now approaching treatment for grubs coming from the Japanese beetles. Knowing when to treat grubs is one thing, and knowing what product to use is another.
Many grub control treatments are combined with fertilizer products, and this is the appropriate time to apply a fall fertilizer treatment. It seems each year provides more "stand alone" treatment options as well. Diazinon used to be the product of choice for many homeowners, but the cancellation of home horticulture uses of the product created confusion in selecting a product. The other wild card was the use of diazinon helped eliminate mole problems (by driving them to the neighbor's yard) since the product killed grubs and reduced earthworm populations. Many of the products currently used do not affect earthworm populations, and on the whole that is a good thing since earthworms greatly benefit lawns. There are now some "soft baits" available for mole control that are effective.
Current recommended products include halofenozide (Mach 2), Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Cruiser), imidacloprid (Merit), and trichlorfon (Dylox). Many of the chemicals have other brand names in addition to the ones listed in parenthesis. It is also recommended to drench treated areas with a half inch of water within 30 minutes of application, and this is especially important with liquid applications. Application just ahead of a rain is usually best. Granular applications buy a few days of time, but still need to be watered into the root zone where grubs are active. The products with Merit will take three weeks or so to activate. Some reputable sources also list carbaryl (Sevin) granules as an option for grubs from green June bugs and Japanese beetles. Carbaryl does reduce earthworm populations to some degree.
In good growing seasons, it normally takes at least 10 grubs per square foot of lawn area to justify treatment. In less favorable seasons, this number can be reduced to six to eight grubs per square foot. As your gasoline bill for the lawn mower can attest, this has been a good growing season to date.
Consider many factors when selecting a product. These would include combination with fertilizer, effectiveness, species controlled, cost, and the effect on the environment. The Cruiser product is actually a nematode, and would be the most environmentally safe. It also costs about $55 to treat about 3000 square foot of lawn. The other organic product sometimes mentioned for control of the Japanese beetle grubs is milky spore. This product is a bacteria which takes several years to become very effective and can cost around $35 for 2500 square foot of lawn. You can't apply any other controls with milky spore since you need high populations of grubs to increase the bacteria populations to high levels and provide transmission between grubs.
Good luck as you decide your attack plans against grubs. The choices are many, and the attainment of the "perfect" lawn is a goal many strive for. Remember, you can live with some grubs. However, too many can be devastating to a lawn. With Japanese beetle populations at very high levels in many areas, odds are great there will be grubs to battle.
August 14, 2008
If you have been following a foundation spray program all year, keep it up. If you haven't been, it is probably time to start. The foundation spray program is your first line of defense against nuisance pests in the house. It cuts down on crickets, millipedes, spiders, ants, and many others that find their way inside.
To accomplish a foundation spray, you would select a material such as permethrin or bifenthrin to begin with. Then spray the foundation and the adjacent foot or two of soil or plant material with the spray mixture. Both these products are cleared on most types of plants. Foundation treatments should be applied every 7-15 days depending on the temperatures. The materials break down quicker in hot weather.
Foundation treatments won't prevent everything from getting in the house, and they certainly won't kill things already in the house. For insects already in the house, you have a few options. The first is mechanical control. This is fancy language for something like a flyswatter, shoe, vacuum cleaner, flypaper, or glue boards. The next is chemical control. This basically means aerosol cans inside the house. The most common ones are for flying insects or ants, although many of the flying insect killers now have permethrin in them and can last quite a while.
August 14, 2008
It has been a banner year for diseases in many plants. The lawns are starting to show some of the diseases as well. Conditions have been ideal for many of the fungi that cause up problems. Humidity makes an ideal environment for many diseases, but there are some that like drier conditions. Dollar spot, brown spot, and rust have been noted in area lawns.
There are treatments available for diseases in home lawns, but they can be rather expensive and time consuming. Treatments would be applied on a 7-14 day basis throughout the season. It isn't recommended for homeowners to treat diseases in the lawn. The recommendation is let nature take its course, and then do some reseeding if needed.The disease needs a susceptible host, the right environment, and time to cause us problems. If you do some reseeding, use a newer variety with good disease resistance. This attacks the susceptible host part. Also, keep your turf growing well to prevent weakened grass plants from being more susceptible. The diseases will only be present during certain weather, and as the weather changes the diseases will go away.
August 14, 2008
We are still experiencing a large number of beetles in the garden. This includes not only the Japanese beetles, but also the recently emerged Western corn rootworm beetles. These small black and yellow striped beetles are of concern around cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins since they can carry a wilt virus.
It is a good idea to treat your vining crops with Sevin, permethrin, or bifenthrin on a weekly basis. It is important concentrate on the new runners to help prevent damage from squash vine borers.The numbers of Japanese beetles seem to be declining somewhat. Of course there are still plenty in many areas, but the population should continue to decline until the last of them are finished off by frost. As favored food sources are consumed, less likely plants may be attacked. This may mean a recheck of things around the landscape. I've recently seen them on marigolds, and seen some limited feeding on red maples. These plants are in the less preferred categories.
August 6, 2008
The time of year has arrived to put that final push on to prepare your lawn for the upcoming winter months. What you do now will have a big impact on how your lawn will look next spring. The timing of many of the treatments will begin in about a week, so now you'll have plenty of time to make your list and complete your shopping.
Keep mowing when the grass or weeds dictate mowing. The rule of thumb is to remove no more than a third of the leaf blade at any one time. This means that if your desired mowing height is 2 inches, you should be mowing when the grass gets 3 inches tall. No summer slump this year, due to all the rain. It figures that we mow every three days all summer long when gas is hovering around the $4 mark.
I have had some grub samples brought into the office this week. This means that the grubs are active. Grub problems are normally found first along walks, driveways, or patios. The insecticide must get to where the grubs are, so make sure to water the liquid formulations in as soon as they are applied. The two widely available products are GrubX (halofenozide) and Merit (imidacloprid). Remember the active grubs now are from the June bug, and we'll want to wait another two to three weeks on trying to apply grub treatments for the Japanese beetle grub. Carbaryl (Sevin) granules are an option for Japanese beetle grubs, but don't work on the other species.
Yellow grass tops are visible in many areas. This tends to happen in very wet years when nitrogen is taken from the root area, and trees and shrubs grab available nutrients. In the past, treatments haven't had much effect in the current growing season. Next year you won't see the same problem.
Fall seeding of grass should be done between August 15 and September 10. This is a tried and true date, but the end of the world won't come about if you are a week later. The goal is to give the seed enough time to germinate and become established before bad weather arrives. Seed at the rate of 4 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet on bare spots, or half that rate on overseedings.
If you have a compacted yard, or have a deep thatch layer, these seeding dates also define ideal times to dethatch or aerate. Thatch layers should not be over 1/2 inch deep for optimum growing conditions. When aerating, make sure you use a core type aerator.
Fall fertilization is also a good practice. If you haven't fertilized in the last month, consider applying a fertilizer treatment around September 1. Use about 8 pounds of 13‑13‑13 fertilizer per
1000 square feet of lawn. Try to avoid the high nitrogen fertilizers this late in the year. It's hard enough to keep up with the mowing as it is, and nitrogen promotes top growth. The even analysis fertilizers will also promote root growth, which is what we want going into the late fall and winter.
Crabgrass and other annuals grass weeds can be seen about everywhere. They will die with the first frost, so treatment is not available or recommended in the fall. Make a note of where these grasses are, and an overseeding to thicken up the grasses you want there may help crowd out the annuals. Preventative treatments may also be applied in the spring (around April 1 depending on soil temperatures) to kill the germinating seeds.
Last, but not least, is broadleaf weed control. Fall is a particularly good time to treat problem perennial weeds since they are sending food down to the roots to overwinter. A spray
about the 3rd or 4th week of September (making sure to use the appropriate product) can do a world of good on the perennial weeds. Remember to be very careful with herbicides around perennial plants since they are also getting ready to overwinter. Also, waiting this late in the season reduces drift potential for the neighbor's garden. Dicamba is particularly prone to vapor drifting, for up to two weeks, with hot, sunny conditions. It's hard to get a good weather forecast for two weeks, let alone the week we are in.
August 1, 2008
With the predominant grub rapidly switching to the larval stage of the Japanese beetle, it's best to hold off grub treatments for at least a couple of weeks. The idea is to get all the eggs hatched before your application.
The eggs of the Japanese beetle and green June bug usually aren't hatched until three or four weeks after the June bug eggs. This would push treatment time to the end of August, rather than the beginning. More on grub treatment will follow in a few weeks.
August 1, 2008
This is Logan County Fair week. We'll be hard to reach because of the various 4-H Shows. If you really need to speak with someone in the office, you may always call the office at 732-8289. You may have to leave a message on the answering machine, but we'll get back to you as we are able.
August 1, 2008
With the numbers of aphids increasing in gardens, on trees, and in fields, that brings us to a couple of predators that we are familiar with. One is the Asian lady beetle, and the other is the syrphid fly. Both of these increase populations greatly when their food source, in this case aphids, increases.
We are all familiar with the Asian lady beetle. It is actually a beneficial insect since it eats aphids. It is also a nuisance pest when it gets all over the side of your house, or flies around your light over the kitchen table. The vacuum cleaner is the best control in the house, and think twice about treating them outside since they are helping you keep from having black, sticky lawn furniture.
Syrphid fly is a generic name given to an entire group of flies. There are some differences in appearance and color, but the yellow and black color is the major one in our area. The other names for syrphid flies are hover flies or flower flies. They tend to hover around your arms and face when you have been perspiring, and land to lap up the sweat. They are also commonly found on flowers, hence the flower fly name, and do a good job of pollinating.
Syrphid flies are actually beneficial insects. They help pollinate, larvae feed on dead organic matter, and the larvae are predators of aphids. They cannot sting, but their mouthparts can usually be felt when lapping up sweat from sensitive areas. You may feel a slight pinch.
August 1, 2008
People are beginning to complain about leaking sap coming from trees. Actually this has been going on for a week or so. What happens is a fine mist of sap coats things beneath a tree. This is actually called "honeydew," which is a secretion of sucking insects such as aphids. What makes matters worse is a fungus begins growing in the honeydew, making it turn black.
There are two ways to deal with the problem. The first way is to spray the entire tree with a product, such as malathion, to kill the insects. The second way is to move anything portable from under the tree. If you opt for the first option, you need to make sure you can spray the entire tree. The kind of weather predicted will increase aphid numbers at a very great rate.
The end effect on the tree isn't all that great as long as adequate moisture is available. This means a shot of water when it stays dry for a week or more. We'll also be coming up on lawn fertilization time in about a month, so that fertilizer will help the trees as well. | <urn:uuid:8fb6b147-76a3-4a84-8189-9729692458a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lms/eb107/200808.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960101 | 3,718 | 3.328125 | 3 |
November 14, 2012
I cannot say enough about the Friends of Middletown Robotics Organization and the Robotics Team 1370. When my son decided to join the team his sophomore year of high school, I had no idea what kind of positive impact this organization would have on his life! We were so impressed with the team and the mentors providing an environment that was hands on learning and fun! The volunteers of this organization provide the leadership and dedication that is over the top! I have worked with people in the past (getting paid of course) that do not work anywhere near as hard as these volunteers!! Their love of engineering and guidance brought my son back his junior year. He gained more experience and knowledge by working closely with the organization and attending competitions! His passion grew for engineering, he enjoyed every aspect of being on the team and was building long lasting relationships with some great people! Not only did he join his senior year, but was named President of the Robotics Team! The guidance these volunteers provided assisted my son in choosing his major for college, Biomedical Engineering. I am truly in debt to this organization for helping my son with his direction in lfe!!
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When was your last experience with this nonprofit? | <urn:uuid:63400795-3d1b-4703-8f8e-dc63ab477148> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://greatnonprofits.org/users/profile/184369 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984956 | 279 | 1.515625 | 2 |
There is concern over the shore-bird population here in southeastern North Carolina. Tallies from this year show that nesting numbers for certain birds have declined by as much as thirteen percent since 2004. A spokesman from the local Audubon Society attributed the decline to habitat loss which he said comes from over-development of beach areas. He also said trash from people building on vacant lots also attracts predators like foxes, raccoons and opossums. He said people aren't entirely to blame. But some species might soon be endangered if these trends continue.
- Video Central
- About WWAY | <urn:uuid:1f3a8700-b245-42d6-8f79-3d4ad1f237e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wwaytv3.com/nesting_numbers_drop_for_some_shore_birds/01/2008 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957634 | 120 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Can there be courage without hope, freedom without wisdom, fear without tyranny?
Are not courage and hope inversely related? The less hope, the greater the need for courage. But a surfeit of courage can be foolhardy. Soldiers are trained to have courage and leave the hoping to others. Yet, they hope, in spite of themselves, in spite of training and propaganda. They hope to survive and escape injury. They hope for home. Their courage diminishes as their hopes rise. They will take fewer risks as home comes closer.
Those who go on suicide missions have no hope of a better life. Blinding hatred has taken over their wills. Perhaps they hope for a heaven with 72 virgins. Or the Mormon Tabernacle choir singing on drifting clouds. Can there be courage without reason? Armies are commanded on that basis.
“Hope against hope,” people say. But, it’s meaningless. They are saying: Have hope, even when you don’t.
No one would say, “Courage against courage.” What would that mean? Not that one should have courage even when one doesn’t. It would, rather, describe a battle: courage contending with courage.
Hope is illusory, courage is solid. Hope recedes and fades; courage advances, stands its ground — or lives to fight another day. Hope rules the faint-hearted. Hope is the panderer’s word. With courage, the faint-hearted disappear.
Marx called religious “hope” the “opiate of the people.” It consistently failed them, diverted them from their true purposes, their unity and strength. He never spoke against animus or anima — the animating spirit: the true self behind the socialized mask; the self that moves towards entelechy or actualization. The self that needs courage to transform itself and the world.
If I lose hope, I lose something I never possessed. Did I hope for a better life? Only because I never possessed that life. It simply reveals unhappiness with my present circumstances. If I lose courage, I lose the staff of my existence:
Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff — they comfort me.
Is it a prayer for hope or for courage? Here is the yearning of hope — hope in a Deity to protect and comfort in the face of Death and danger. But, with hope, we are in the realm of the Shadow. Courage is the rod and staff that vanquishes evil, confronts the Shadow, reassures the bearer.
This is the intimate Deity of Martin Buber’s I and Thou. What is this Thou but another I? Recognition of the Divine within and without. The divine in the connection. Not a hope in some Dante-esque Paradisio. But the courage to risk the connection. If we sail the kite up towards lightning, will the key take the charge? Do we risk life and limb to stand ground in the storm? Have we the courage to prove a point?
How to instill courage, how to breed it? Hope is confetti — politicians love to spread it. “Let’s change things,” they say, merely altering the vocabulary of hope. “Look at my experience,” they say, and, peering carefully, we see a landscape of broken hopes and scattered dreams. Hope diminishes the will. If I have hope of improvement, I can sit back and wait till it’s bequeathed to me. Hope is trusting, courage challenging. Politicians, preachers, generals, and corporate “leaders” all try to instill hope. The last thing they want is courage in the ranks. Courage assesses and acts accordingly; hope accedes. Courage commands itself; hope genuflects.
Can there be courage without reason? The blind courage of hatred, yes. Even the blind courage of love — the father or mother showing insuperable strength to save their endangered child. But the courage of the reasonable man or woman is the highest courage and the highest reason. This, too, is understood by generals and politicians, et. al. And it is that courage they fear.
The sine qua non of hope is fear. The sine qua non of courage is tyranny. In some eupeptic utopias, I need not fear, for all my hopes are realized. But in those same strange brave new worlds, I will need a plethora of courage because “all my hopes are realized”! Without courage, the mask predominates, imagination sinks into the slough of despond.
The great artists have always understood the need for courage: courage to pursue their goals, visions, entelechy. Pissarro persists into his 70s, despite poverty, failure, abuse, abandonment. He stops hoping; but he does not surrender animus. Renoir thrusts his claw-like arthritic hand at the canvas. He can never recapture the lithe forms of his 40th year, the insouciance and color-play of Two Sisters. No matter, he has the courage to imagine seraphic, dreamy visions. Beethoven cannot hear. But he “hears” well enough to set the Chorale triumphantly before the skeptical world.
In a world where we need not fear, we need not hope. Our fear of tomorrow, keeps our noses to the grindstone of hope. Our fear that preposterous “leaders” will destroy the earth and all that it inhabits, keeps us hoping that political processes that have long failed us and all the faithful, will somehow transform. I stand with the brave few when I perceive that the only transformation possible is one like Bottom’s: the donkey’s ears and snout revealed.
Can we abolish the sine qua non of courage, tyranny? Not so long as we are mortal, for the tyranny of death will have suasion. Even Jefferson — uncourageous in his personal life — understood: “I have sworn eternal vigilance against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” We cannot eliminate the Tyrannos of Time — that first progenitor who ate, even, the gods.
The view I see from my 5th floor apartment is changing even as I write; the traffic flowing inexorably into evening, into a gas-choked future of uncertainty, deprivation, new and old threats to the balance of power, to the equilibrium of the heart. I have no hope that the many honking their horns have answers to alleviate their fears. I can only try my best to cultivate courage to face the maelstrom: to listen carefully, to search for signs, to weed out the extraneous, to distill fools’ gold from real. | <urn:uuid:353d911c-02f5-4554-8b34-de6e9d96e938> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/hope-courage-fear-and-tyranny/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940834 | 1,448 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Rutgers University has been my intellectual home for the last 8 years. Recently, one of our freshman, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. He took his own life after his roommate and another student posted a video of him engaging in sexual activity with another student on the internet. This horribly sad and disturbing event sparked an emotional reaction on our campus, as well as discussion of how to protect students from this kind of infringement on their privacy, bullying, and also from themselves, when they feel overwhelmed by mistreatment.
In the wake of Tyler Clementi’s death, I asked my freshman what they think are the important lessons to learn from this. Most of the answers were along the lines of: “we have not come as far as we think we have.” My students referred many times to the need to increase awareness of prejudice. Clementi’s suicide was clearly the act of a troubled young man, but students certainly recognize that perhaps the greatest factor here was that the video of Clementi depicted him having sex with another man. Though Rutgers tries to be inclusionary and strives toward creating an egalitarian environment, this event does, in fact, remind us that being gay is still considered wrong and at the very least “weird” or “fascinating” by more people than many of us care to imagine. Those of us who are sociologically-minded are well aware of this, but what is striking about my students’ comments is that, to many of them, it seemed surprising to find out that homophobia is real and has real consequences. Of course there were certainly students in my classroom who have felt the horrible emotional toll of being subject to this kind of hate. The new realization that homophobia and bullying related to it are such problems likely does reflect, in some ways, just how far we have come – it was so striking to my young students that not everyone is accepting and tolerant. On the other hand, it points out that living in a place where exclusionary attitudes and practices do not abound, where we are not surrounded by prejudice and conservative sentiment about sexuality, can be dangerous. In fact, this little part of the world where we live, work and go to school, is not at all representative of the attitudes of society at large and makes people susceptible to forgetting that our tiny corner of the world is not the norm. While it’s true that progress has been made, one lesson for these students who live in one of the most liberal parts of the country is that their little island is not at all representative.
To me, the starkest realization came from the complete lack of mention of technology in these discussions. It seemed clear to me that one of the central issues here was that the internet was used as a tool to taunt a student, embarrass him, violate his privacy, and ultimately push him to feel the consequences so greatly that he took his own life. This seemed a clear indication to me that the use of technology has become so ubiquitous that it almost seemed to my students to be irrelevant to the conversation. In fact, when I brought up the role of technology in Clementi’s suicide and asked for feedback on this issue, I found myself starting out at a room of blank faces. The quotidian nature of internet usage, of posting things online, is something new but already taken for granted. In particular, Clementi’s death has me wondering about the effect of technology on the way we treat one another. In her article in Sociology Compass, “The Sociology of the Future: Tracing Stories of Technology and Time,” Cynthia Selin suggests an important role for sociologists in studying the relationship between technology and the future. Selin focuses mostly on nanotechnology and its important role in shaping the future, but her general message is one that pushed me to reflect on what happened at Rutgers. Selin begins her piece with the following:
“Scholarly attention to the development of new technologies and to exploring the sociological tools and methods we have for grasping their emergence is exceedingly important not only for the dual nature of technology as blessing and curse, but also because our technological reach into the future is growing. Our ability to produce technologies that have a lasting impact on social systems seems to be growing given the biological, chemical, and material technologies of late. Nanotechnology is one such novel technology area that is regularly promised to radically alter what it means to be human, our systems of production, and our environmental landscapes” (1878).
Has not the ability to post videos, personal profiles and generally to interact online not already altered what it means to be human, and, if those technologies are so involved in our humanity, might they not also have the ability to take away that humanity? I don’t mean to suggest that the internet is evil or that we should all stop using technology, but that, if technology is part of what provides us our humanity today, then we must be extremely careful about what it can also take away (or even how it can be used maliciously to take away other people’s humanity). The internet breaks down barriers and allows people to be more open, to spread important messages, to have political and personal power to create change for the betterment of society. However, the internet also allows people to say things they wouldn’t normally say, to do things they would not otherwise and to be more removed from the consequences of what they say and do. These kids would not have been able to have the same impact on Tyler Clementi’s life, had they not had internet access. And would they have even tried? The fact that not a single one of my forty four students mentioned this as a factor shows us just how important it is to point out to them, and to adults as well. The consequences of technology are powerful and some are not reversible – the video of Tyler Clementi’s sexual encounter has been removed from the web, but he took his own life and nothing can reverse that. | <urn:uuid:2a2a9123-b9e4-4d24-a413-e69b33b67ad1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thesocietypages.org/sociologylens/tag/bullying/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978748 | 1,234 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Today (March 8) is International Women’s Day. As we celebrate this day, we recognize women around the world who are leading their families and communities as they pursue a full and meaningful life.
Read these inspiring stories about women who have been helped through CFCA and are returning that help:
She should have been one of the 60-plus percent of Guatemalan youth who drop out of school by the sixth grade.
But Maria Cristina is unique. This is even more significant given that she is a woman and a member of the indigenous population in Guatemala.
With the support of other mothers in the program, Farida gradually recovered her self-esteem. She†learned to sew and tailor clothing through a class at the CFCA resource center.
Farida now gives back to her community. She adopted an orphaned street child, cared for him and enabled him to attend school. She runs a sewing business and is building a home for her family.
In 2009, eight of the women officially formed a new mothers group. They called themselves ìCreaciones la BendiciÛn,î or ìBlessed Creations.î
The women borrowed $1,800 for one year from CFCA to purchase fabric and an industrial sewing machine. They have sewed more than 11,000 T-shirts for Walk2gether, CFCA President Bob Hentzen’s 8,000-mile trek through Latin America. | <urn:uuid:f61fd2c9-57d7-49f4-8c7e-7cc58f7d73fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/03/08/a-cfca-tribute-to-international-womens-day/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=8b2dcf09a6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968546 | 302 | 2.203125 | 2 |
A New Kind of Ozone Layer
Every now and then in this job, you come across a technology that really grabs you. I'm not talking iPhone from Apple , or a new Google gPhone , or even a new microcessor from Intel.
Nope. In much the same way a recent post about a new kind of flexible solar panel caught so much of your attention (and yes, we're still awaiting the IPO from Nanosolar), this technology from a Fremont, California start-up called Purfresh is also worth following.
At a time when the recent Salmonella outbreak practically destroyed the nation's tomato industry, we visited tomato distributor Kirby Tanimura in Southern California, and he's so sure of the safety of 60 million pounds he ships, that eats them right off the conveyor belt. And he does so because of the unique ozone technology he uses to sanitize the place.
"We pride ourselves on having safe food," he says. "Ozone will kill eColi, Salmonella, and Listeria."
The Purfresh technology is spreading through the food industry faster than the contaminants it's trying to destroy. Big chains like TGIFridays, In 'n Out, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Sunkist, Procter & Gamble are all relying on it now, and with Salmonella and e.Coli outbreaks, the technology is becoming a marketing tool.
Purfresh uses simple oxygen and electricity to kill mold, bacteria and viruses before consumers get a chance to eat them and get sick.
"About 30 percent of everything shipped is somehow adversely affected by microbial decay or contamination in transit. We basically stop that," says David Cope, Purfresh CEO.
Purfresh does that by spraying the fruits, vegetables and drinks with Ozone. Micro-organisms are instantly destroyed when they come in contact with this stuff, and then the ozone reverts back to simple oxygen when the process is finished.
"Ozone is actually nature's perfect disinfectant," says Cope.
Perfect, because it's chemical and taste free... and it leaves no residuals on the food.
Purfresh has also come up with a way to monitor thousands of containers remotely, detecting spoilage while the food is in transit, and then able to spray the food with low dosages of Ozone along the way to keep food fresher and safe when it arrives at its destination.
The company has also come up with a spray for fruits and vegetables to protect them from damaging sun rays, a kind of food sunscreen that can dramatically reduce the crops farmers lose to sun damage every year.
These are all innovations protecting consumers and the food companies selling to them, in a global food industry worth $7.5 trillion. And that makes Purfresh a company worth watching.
Questions? Comments? TechCheck@cnbc.com | <urn:uuid:7de37568-7b94-4eef-8f2c-8045a332a5be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnbc.com/id/25561580 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948522 | 587 | 2.4375 | 2 |
XIT Marks the Spot
Travel time from:
Austin – 10 hours
Brownsville – 15 hours
Dallas – 7.55 hours
Houston – 11.5 hours
San Antonio – 10 hours
Lubbock – 3.5 hours
El Paso – 8 hours
Brave the cold to discover cowboy history and a legendary ranch at the top of Texas.
By Mike Cox
Dalhart’s just about as far north in Texas as you can get. Folks in the rest of the state don’t hear much about it unless they happen to pay particularly close attention to TV weather forecasts.
“Up in Dalhart,” some meteorologist will invariably note, “the high was only 19 degrees and the overnight low will get down to around 7 with a wind chill factor of minus 7.” Numbers will vary, but for most of the winter, the mercury won’t be very high in Dalhart.
Residents in Dallam and Hartley counties (Dalhart straddles the boundary between the two political subdivisions) take the weather in stride and see “downstaters” as a bunch of babies for grousing about Panhandle weather. The remedy is easy enough: If you don’t like the cold, and the ice and snow that often accompany it, don’t go to Dalhart in the winter. If you do, pack warm clothes.
The XIT Reunion’s rodeo has been a Panhandle tradition for decades.
Of course, in the spring or summer, when much of the rest of the state is sweltering in heat and high humidity, Dalhart is often nice and dry and pleasantly cool in the evenings. Sometimes blankets at night are in order.
No matter the time of the year, Dalhart makes for an interesting and enjoyable travel destination, even if it takes a good part of your three days in the field just getting there and back. When I figuratively saddled up and drifted north for the High Plains, it was February, Dalhart’s second-coldest month. Fortunately, I timed my trip just right and arrived between cold fronts to weather that was downright temperate.
What attracted me to Dalhart was its history, but the area is also a popular destination for birders, hikers and rodeo fans.
To understand Dalhart’s history, all you really have to know about are two X’s.
The first X is the XIT, once the largest spread in the world. Encompassing 3 million acres, 30 miles wide and stretching nearly 200 miles from Hockley County on the south all the way to the Oklahoma border on the north, the ranch covered parts of 10 High Plains counties, including present-day Dalhart. The state conveyed that huge chunk of land in 1882 to a group of Chicago investors to pay for construction of a new capitol in Austin. By the numbers, during its peak years of operation, with eight divisions enclosed by 6,000 miles of barbed-wire fence, the XIT ran 150,000 head of cattle and watered 1,000 horses with 325 windmills. In addition, the owners kept 150 cowboys on the payroll. In the early 1900s, the owners started breaking up the ranch and selling real estate to developers or individuals.
The second X represents the meeting of two railroads in 1901, when the Rock Island Line crossed the existing trackage of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway on former XIT land in Dallam County. W.J. Blair and a partner developed a town that became Dalhart, the name a composite of the two counties it crossed. In the same vein, the town’s main drag is Denrock Avenue, named for the two railroad lines that created the town.
Arriving late in the evening, I opted for the comforts of a new motel room over sleeping cowboy-like under the stars. Besides that, I much prefer my morning coffee coming from an electric pot rather than boiled over a cow-chip cook fire, which is the way the old XIT waddies did it back when this country was nothing but grassland crisscrossed by barbed wire.
My first stop in the morning was the XIT Ranch Museum. I’ve been to a lot of museums in Texas, and this is one of the best, especially for one operated privately. Opened at its present location in 1975, and now curated by Nicky Olson, it covers 15,000 square feet and does a thorough job of telling the XIT story with vintage photos, enlarged newspaper stories and artifacts such as branding irons and saddles.
The Empty Saddle Monument honors XIT cowhands.
Located not far from the museum at the U.S. Highway 87 underpass is a work of public art called the Empty Saddle Monument. Unveiled on Aug. 5, 1940, “in memory of the departed riders of our plains,” the monument commemorates the former cowhands of the XIT. Designed by local artist Bobby Dycke, the first version was destroyed when an out-of-control vehicle crashed into it in 1966. The monument was rebuilt, only to be struck by another vehicle in 1974. The current version has survived without incident since then.
For lunch on my first day in town I had a chicken-fried steak at Martha’s Home Cooking. The popular café is owned by Martha Adee, who definitely wasn’t at home cooking when I dropped in. She was back in the kitchen, overseeing the preparation of the noon meals her cook was rustling up.
The steaks are hand-breaded with Martha’s own seasoning mixture, and the meat comes only from Texas cattle. In addition to standard menu items, she also sells homemade jam. After finishing off my steak and visiting with Martha, I sampled a piece of her coconut cream pie, the café’s best-selling dessert. Martha’s other specialty is what she calls her breakfast sandwich, a grilled cheese-and-egg sandwich with bacon, ham or sausage.
Lake Rita Blanca attracts waterfowl in winter.
Back in Old Paint, I drove out to Lake Rita Blanca on the edge of town. On a weekday, I had the place pretty much to myself — just me and a lake full of ducks and geese. Especially in the fall and winter, this 150-acre lake draws thousands of ducks and geese following the central flyway from farther north in the U.S., where it’s really cold, even compared with Dalhart.
The lake dates to 1938 when the Depression-era Works Progress Administration began building an earthen dam across Rita Blanca Creek, a tributary of the Canadian River. The dam was completed in 1941, and while a flood damaged it later that year, it was repaired and has stood firm ever since. While a small lake by downstate standards, on the High Plains, it is an oasis that attracts wildlife and people.
Operated for a time by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a state park, the lake and surrounding 1,668 acres have been overseen by the City of Dalhart since 2002. With a $97,500 grant from TPWD matched in kind by labor and equipment furnished by the city, the park has a recently improved 8.2-mile system of walking or riding trails. Campsites also are available.
North of Dalhart is the Rita Blanca National Grassland, an area taking in 77,463 acres across the upper third of the county. On designated tracts, visitors can hike, bird watch, ride horses, ride ATVs and hunt. The area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. You can find picnic tables near Texline at Thompson Grove.
While Dalhart can no longer claim the biggest ranch in the world, it does have the biggest cheese producer in Texas, the Hilmar Cheese Company. Opened in 2007, the California-based company employees some 330 people at its Dalhart plant and buys milk from 30 dairies. Though most of the cheese is sold wholesale in 40-pound and 640-pound blocks, the locally made cheese can be purchased at the United Supermarket in Dalhart.
Hungry for more than cheese, I had a brisket plate that night at Hodie’s BBQ, owned by Richard and Sheila Gallegos. Frankly, having access to so much good barbecue in Central Texas, I didn’t have high expectations. When I think brisket, the Panhandle does not normally come to mind. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and cowboy-sized portions.
The restored La Rita Performing Arts Theater is Dalhart’s showplace.
Dalhart’s showplace is the La Rita Performing Arts Theater. Built in the 1920s during the era of the grand movie house and remodeled in 1942, the La Rita eventually went the way of other smaller town theaters and shut down in the 1970s.
But in 1989, a group called Dalhart Community Theater took over the building and restored it to its once-elegant self. In the process, it added professional-quality stage lighting and a powerful sound system. With seating for 224, the La Rita has a year-round schedule of both amateur and professional performances.
Dalhart’s biggest month for visitors is August. That’s when the town comes close to doubling in population during the annual XIT Reunion, an event this cow town has hosted since 1937.
The most-honored guest at that first gathering was 83-year-old Ab Blocker, who had come up from Bigwells in South Texas. As a trail driver for his brother, who had a ranch in Tom Green County, Blocker brought the first herd of cattle to the XIT in 1885. Not only did he deliver the ranch’s first cattle, he gave the ranch its famous brand.
At the time, the ranch had no brand. After figuring on the matter for a while, Blocker drew “XIT” in the dirt with his boot heel. That configuration could be burned with a straight iron, and if done carefully, could not be altered by rustlers. (That XIT stood for “Ten in Texas,” since the ranch sprawled over parts of 10 counties, has since been written off as legend.)
The reunion starts on the first Thursday of August each year and continues through Saturday. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association puts on a world-class rodeo every evening. And as soon as the rodeo ends and everyone gets the dust washed off, there’s a dance each evening.
For those who don’t feel like rattling their hocks on the dance floor, there’s a Western melodrama at the La Rita Theater each night of the reunion. Last year a packed house enjoyed The Villain Wore a Dirty Shirt or Always Wash Your Long Johns ’Cause It Makes a Lotta Cents, but there’s a new cornpone play each season.
While you have to buy tickets for the rodeo, the dances and the melodrama, count on some kind of free food from 4 to 6 p.m. at what’s fittingly called BBQ Park, just south of the rodeo grounds. Thursday offers free watermelon, Friday’s fare is free pork chops, and on Saturday, it’s free barbecue. A tradition since 1937, the Saturday event has become the world’s largest free barbecue. Each year, an estimated 20,000 folks tie on the feedbag for brisket, beans, breads, pickles and a traditional dessert of homemade applesauce.
As the years passed, the number of reunion attendees who had ridden for the brand began to wane, though the popularity of the event remained high. Of the original reunion organizers, Cordia Sloan Duke, widow of former longtime XIT manager Robert Duke, lived the longest. Late in her life, she collaborated with historian Joe B. Frantz on Six Thousand Miles of Fence, a book about the XIT published in 1961. Five years later, she died in Dalhart, where she had lived since her husband’s death in 1933. The last old XIT hand, Ira L. Taylor, died in an Amarillo nursing home in 1999 at 103.
See more stories on TP&W magazine's Travel page | <urn:uuid:71b55c61-e5dd-4aa6-8f41-7cf0e5e54537> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2012/jul/threedays_dalhart/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96205 | 2,591 | 1.570313 | 2 |
With the fading out of The Tango Center sometime this summer, there's been lots of talk about the past, present and future of social partner dancing, especially as it applies to downtown Eugene.
From 1900 to about 1960, between 10% and 50% of the city's population attended partner dances every weekend in downtown Eugene.
But there's a problem in the comparison ... partner dancing was not only the major form of social dance, it was the major point of live music at the time. Even rock-and-roll was originally played for partner dancing, and the styling solo moves you'd show your partner eventually became the solo-dancers-in-a-crowd system that took over the dance scene worldwide.
The problem now is obvious, often in the same facility. Like a dozen now defunct downtown venues, the WOW Hall, in its current building, held regular, never-preempted social dances. These would not conflict with live music, because live music was intended for dancers. But today, in the same venue, dancers can't have regular partner dances at the WOW Hall ... they get kicked out because they are a vast minority in the social and music scene.
In some sense, The Tango Center tries to overcome this problem, by nurturing live music for dancers. It tries to do this in an educational setting, so classes before the dances can act as social lubricant for the dance, and raise the level of people's dancing.
After the summer, how might partner dance look downtown? Well, a few venues will hold some dances now and then, but perhaps the dancers themselves may start to explore music that was not meant for dancing. A Mood Area 52 or a Taarka concert will have a few Tango-blues-fusion couples hanging around in the corners. I'd say they're getting the most out of the concert ... so maybe this will catch on. But some venues will have to give them space to do their own thing on a regular basis, so they have enough group coherence to take on these experiments. | <urn:uuid:29adc9d0-d190-4382-b233-9070dbb640cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://downtowneugene.blogspot.com/2009/03/downtown-music-dance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978934 | 421 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Leg Breaks and Italian Greyhounds
One of the first things you will likely hear of when researching the Italian Greyhound breed is about their propensity towards broken legs. It is a natural concern when you have a small refined and dainty dog, which moves very fast, and has long thin legs. IGs are also born instilled with the knowledge and strong belief that they can fly. Add that into the mix, along with a dash of total fearlessness (otherwise more commonly known as a lack of common sense) when it comes to heights, and you have what seems to be the perfect recipe for a dog on crutches.
I have some thoughts and experience to share on leg breaks, what causes them, and how they can be prevented. Now, I by no means claim to be an expert on the matter, but I will say that with over eight years of experience and involvement with this breed, and NOT ONE broken IG leg in any of my dogs, there must be something behind what I say. I believe the propensity towards legs breaks can be broken down into four basic areas: Genetics, Nutrition, Condition & Common Sense. I'll cover each of these below in detail.
First though, I will touch on a common misconception: Size. I am frequently approached by people who have the impression that a smaller IG is more likely to fracture a leg than a larger IG. When asked why, the response I get is "because their legs are thinner". Back to basic physics 101 here, but I will say that size of the dog does not play a role in the likelihood of a leg to break. Size is relative. The thickness of a dog's legs will be relative to the body size and weight of the dog. It comes down to a matter of proportion. An 8lb 13" IG will have thinner legs than say a 16lb 18" IG. BUT, the smaller dog has less weight and mass coming down on those smaller legs than does the larger dog. Proportionately, the amount of weight, and therefore strain, being put on the bones of each dog will be comparative.
Age as well is an important factor in breaks as a young pup's bones are soft and more easily broken. They will harden with age as the pup fully matures. For the purpose of this article though, I will look at what I believe are the four main areas behind leg breaks without taking age into special consideration.
There can be a genetic predisposition toward broken legs in some lines, and in some "types" of IGs. Certain bloodlines will show a pattern of more common fractures through them, and I do believe that genetics and breeding can have an initial impact on the likelihood that a pup will have a fracture during its life. Certain types of IGs, especially those with poor bone density, brittle bone types, or long spindly thin "toothpick legs", are more likely to fracture as well. Yes, IGs have long thin legs, but if you have seen a dog like this, the best way to describe them is that their legs look out of proportion to their bodies - just too thin and lacking substance or bone. These type of dogs again, are more prone to leg breaks as they lack the proper bone to support their body in the first place.
Nutrition is key. We'll start right from the beginning here. A puppy who's dam does not receive proper nutrition during her pregnancy, and while nursing her litter, is going to give a pup's bones a poor start on life from the get go. A growing puppy that does not receive the properly balanced diet and nutrition needed to develop strong healthy bones as he grows is going to mature with a higher chance of breaking one of those bones during his life. An adult dog that does not receive proper nutrition will not be able to maintain their bones in strong, healthy, and ideal condition. Hate to break it to you, but try to save a couple bucks per bag by feeding WalMart brand "OlRoy" dog food, and you're just setting yourself up for a couple thousand dollar vet bill. Take a pup that has a healthy, well fed dam and a great start, feed him quality food as he grows, supplement as needed, and keep him on a healthy balanced diet rich in the nutrients his body needs as an adult ... and you have just done wonders to improve your chances of never having a problem with his legs!
Right behind Nutrition, Physical Condition is what I believe to be one of the leading causes of broken legs in Italian Greyhounds. These dogs look delicate, they appear fragile, they appeal to our natural tenancy to coddle and protect them. I will tell you, coddling your IG is one of the worst things you can do for him. Being overprotective will only hurt him in the long run. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying to be careless with them either, but don't go to the extreme of being overprotective and limiting your dog's exercise and physical activity.
If you allow your IG to become overweight, keep in mind that every added pound on that lean frame translates into additional pressure and strain on their legs that are not designed to cope with the extra weight. Keep your dog fit and trim. Not only for his legs, but for his overall health as well. Recent studies have shown that fit and trim dogs live an average of 2 years longer than dogs allowed to become obese. I know I'd love the opportunity for an extra two years with every one of my blessings.
Keep your dog in good physical condition. This is an active breed. They are bred to run . . . Let Them. Allowing your IG plenty of opportunity to run, and play, and roughhouse, and climb, and exercise will only help. Your IG will build muscles and strengthen tendons in those legs. He will develop a strong and conditioned support system to be there behind those bones: Let a dog like that land in a stressful situation that suddenly puts a large amount of strain on his legs, and he has developed the muscles and tendons to provide support to his leg bones in that situation. Now take a similar dog that has been confined, crated, kenneled, and only provided with a limited amount of exercise, and put that dog in the same position of a harsh landing that puts a large amount of strain on his legs: This dog has no muscle tone to provide support, he has weak tendons from lack of use, all that stress and pressure is put directly on his leg bones ... and you end up with a fracture.
Physical Condition is one of the main things you can do for your IG to keep from having leg breaks. While other influences already mentioned will come into play as well, I would say from my experience that Condition is the biggest key factor in breaks.
Now this should be self-explanitory, but unfortunately it comes down to explaining what I call that "not-so-common common-sense".
This one is easy. In one sentence: Do Not Put Your IG Anywhere He Can Not Get On His Own.
Do not put your pup up on the couch, or lift him into the bed, until he is old enough to be able to get up there himself. As a general rule of thumb, once he can get up, he will be able to get down just fine. If you have to help him up there, you're asking for a problem when he flies/falls off. Do not turn your back - for even a second - if you lift your IG to a countertop to groom, or to the sink for a bath. Remember, they believe they can fly. A split second is all it takes for a brave and fearless little IG to launch during your moment of distraction or inattention. A split second is all it takes for you to put your IG in a situation to break a leg. Common Sense is simple, a little bit goes a long way for prevention.
Now even if you do everything right, accidents can happen. A bit of strain in the wrong place, at the right angle, at the wrong time ... a split second and that is all it takes for any breed of dog to suffer a fracture. But by keeping these four key points in mind, and applying them to your IG, you can reduce your likelihood of ending up with an IG in a cast. There is no reason you can't live a life with IGs, enjoy this wonderful breed, and never have to deal with a broken leg at all!
Genetics, Nutrition, Condition & Common Sense.
Personal Experience & Observations:
As I mentioned earlier, I have been involved with Italian Greyhounds for over 8 years now. My IGs are spoiled, yes, but they are not coddled. They have their own fenced off acre for a playground, full of logs, and tree stumps, things to jump on, leap off, and climb over. They run my 5 acre pasture with me and chase rabbits on a regular basis. They play with my Mastiffs, and roughhouse with the cats. I have never had an IG break a leg. Most IG breeders would watch my dogs play and cringe. I don't worry. I give them every opportunity to develop the muscle structure to provide a healthy support system to those little legs, and I've never had a single problem. I start my pups off right -from the very beginning- and I give this same advice to every new home I place a puppy in.
I constantly hear from people inquiring about the breed "but they must be so fragile - every show I go to I see at least one IG being cared for with a broken leg". Now doesn't that tie right in... Consider your average show dog: He lives a well cared for kenneled life. He has good breeding, gets proper nutrition, comes out of his kennel run for scheduled training, and spends the weekends in a crate or exercise pen waiting his turn to be paraded around the show ring. Heaven forbid that dog is allowed to roughhouse, play, climb and jump ... he might hurt himself and damage his show career. Far better to keep him safely confined (coddled) in a restricted manner than take the risk. My response is to send them to attend an agility or lure coursing event - where the IGs are active dogs, athletes in top condition, and see how many broken legs they (don't) see there in comparison.
About the Author:
This article was written by Laura Essenmacher, of About Time Italian Greyhounds.
Copying, Posting, or Reproduction is allowed as long as article is copied and presented in full, unedited, full credit line remains intact, and this line is included.
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About Time Rescue About Time Acres About Time Web Design About Time Cane Corso | <urn:uuid:f66598ff-66ef-4d9d-b1c4-8b61bcdfad16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abouttimeigs.com/InfoLegBreaks.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972228 | 2,417 | 1.757813 | 2 |
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If you have important information on your crashed hard disk that needs to be restored? Are you unsure of how to recover deleted / lost hard drive data? This article provides you the information you need to learn how to recover files from hard drive. Well, recovering your hard work will require figuring out the best data recovery tool. Data Recovery Software family has easy to use applications that can retrieve files from an unbootable hard drive. The software also supports retrieval of deleted or lost files from non-bootable hard drives and restore data efficiently. This software also allows you to undelete photos from SD card and restore all the lost or deleted pictures with ease. | <urn:uuid:133b52df-1132-4f1d-bf06-76debf72589e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.recoverfiles.org/tag/recover-from-recycle-bin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944469 | 207 | 2.265625 | 2 |
After the Nazi seizure of power, Dietl took command of the 3rd Mountain Division. In April 1940, Dietl was assigned the task of capturing Narvik in northern Norway, the most difficult part of the German invasion of Norway and Denmark. Dietl's troops occupied Narvik, but a few days later Allied forces began the reconquest of the area. Allied superiority forced Dietl to withdraw, but he continued resistance even when Hitler was willing to accept surrender.
Shortly before a likely German defeat at Narvik, the Allies recalled their troops from Norway to France because of the German offensive there. Nazi propaganda made Dietl a hero. In July 1940, Hitler awarded him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. On 29 June 1941—one week after the beginning of Operation barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union—Dietl's division launched an attack toward Murmansk. Dietl's task was to cut the railway connecting the Murmansk harbor with the interior of the Soviet Union, but this effort failed.
In June 1942, Dietl was promoted to colonel general and received command of the 20th Mountain Army in Finland. On 23 June 1944, after visiting with Hitler, Dietl died when his airplane crashed near Hochwedel (Austria). Hitler delivered the funeral oration for one of his most devoted followers within the Wehrmacht.
Kaltenegger, Roland. Generaloberst Dietl: Der Held von Narvik. Munich: Universitas, 1990.; Ziemke, Earl. The German Northern Theater of Operations, 1940–1945. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960. | <urn:uuid:ed5f9597-6e68-4816-94cc-9a947745dd75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.historyandtheheadlines.abc-clio.com/ContentPages/ContentPage.aspx?entryId=1145258¤tSection=1130224&productid=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960913 | 337 | 3.4375 | 3 |
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Who Are Market Makers?: Summary
Who Are Market Makers?
Many option traders and stock traders ask, who is buying from me when I am selling and who is selling to me when I am buying? What happens when nobody wants to buy a stock or stock option which I am selling? In a normal, liquid market, there are usually someone queuing to sell a stock or stock option when you are buying and someone queuing to buy when you are selling. However, there are times when nobody is queuing to sell when you are buyng and times when nobody is queuing to buy when you are selling, so, how is it that you are still able to buy or sell your stocks or stock options smoothly? This is where Market Makers come in.
A "Market Maker" can be an individual or representatives of a firm whose function is to aid in the making of a market in an options exchange, by making bids and offers for his account in the absence of public buy or sell orders in order to ensure market transactions are as smooth and continuous as possible. When an option trader places an order to buy a stock option which nobody is queuing to sell, market makers sell that stock option to that option trader from their own portfolio or reserve of that particular stock option. When an option trader places an order to sell a stock option which nobody is queuing to buy, market makers buy that stock option from that option trader and adds it to their own portfolio and reserve. In doing so, market orders are continuously moving, eradicating sudden surges and ditches due to buying and selling imbalance.
You'll most often hear about market makers in the context of the NASDAQ or other "over the counter" (OTC) markets. In contrast to the "Specialist" system that the NYSE employs, NASDAQ has no individuals through which a stock's transaction must pass. Instead, all transactions pass from one market maker to another. In the market maker system, market makers compete with one another to buy or sell stocks & options to investors by displaying quotes and are obligated to buy and sell at their displayed bids and offers. An investor may be dealing with several market makers at once if that investor is placing a very large order which cannot be filled by the inventory of one market maker. An option trader may also deal directly with individual, specific market makers through Level II Quotes.
In reality, Market Makers make up the actual "market". When a stock or option trader places an order with a broker, that broker fills that order by buying or selling with the Market Makers.
Another way of understanding what Market Makers do is that Market Makers are like the book makers in Las Vegas who set the odds and then accomodate individual gamblers who select which side of the bet they want. A Market Maker supplies a bid and ask price and then let the public decide whether to buy or sell at those prices. As an options trader, Market Makers are master position traders who aims to establish and profit from every low risk and risk free opportunities.
Advantage Of The Market Maker System
In NYSE, there is one official employee of the exchange to act as market maker for each security. In the Market Maker System, many market makers are assigned to every security. As every Market Maker effectively acts as a "Specialist" like in NYSE, there are effectively many specialists for each stock. This creates a decentralised market place where liquidity and volatility varies. This improves overall liquity and makes market manipulation much more difficult.
What Happens If There Are No Market Makers?
Market makers have given option traders quite a negative impression as people who buys at very low prices and sells at very high prices just when an option trader is desperate to buy or sell a position. Let's see what happens when we remove market makers from the markets.
XYZ stock is an extremely bullish stock who has just announced fantastic earnings. You want to buy XYZ stocks but investors who are already holding XYZ stocks are not selling. In order to attract a seller, you begin to bid higher and higher for XYZ stock until at last, a seller is moved to selling the stock. This price could already be extremely high.
Consider again a sudden bad news released from XYZ company, creating a rush to sell XYZ stocks. You are queing to sell but nobody is buying. In order to attract a buyer, you start to push the price lower and lower until at last, the price bottoms out worthless.
As we have seen, in an imbalanced buying and selling situation, market makers play an extremely important role of creating liquidity for prices in between in order to eradicate huge gap ups and downs and to ensure a liquid market for all.
How Does Market Makers Make A Profit?
Market Makers are not paid commissions to buy and sell stock options, so how do they make a profit? Well, most institutional market makers simply earns a salary from the marker maker firm that they represent. Market Maker firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, commit their own capital to maintain an inventory of stocks and options and represent customer orders. On the trading floor, Market Makers make money by maintaining a difference between the price he would buy and the price he would sell a particular stock or stock option. This difference in price is known as the Bid-Ask Spread. A bid-ask spread ensures that if an order to buy and an order to sell arrives simulataneously, the Market Maker makes the difference in Bid-Ask Spread as profit.
Example : XYZ May30Call option has a bid price of $1.10 and an ask price of $1.30. Market Maker John recieves simulataneously an order to buy and an order to sell. Market Maker John buys that May30Call option from the seller for $1.10 and then sells that same May30Call option to the buyer for $1.30, thus making $0.20 in profit completely risk-free.
However, when a Market Maker is not confident that a stock or stock option can be so quickly bought and sold, due to the fact that there are only very few option traders or stock traders trading that security, then there is a risk that a stock or stock option which that Market Maker buys can only be sold when the market price is lower than the prevailing price, therefore resulting in a loss. In order to protect against such a risk, Market Makers, widen the bid-ask spread so that the transaction remains risk free to him over a larger price range.
Conversely, when Market Makers are selling highly active option contracts, they frequently raise the price of the option through increasing the implied volatility of that particular option contract. That results in the Volatility Smile or Volatility Skew.
Apart from market making, market makers also make profits from options arbitrage. An arbitrage opportunity presents itself when a severe deviation from Put Call Parity occurs leading to options pricing discrepancies which can be locked in completely risk-free using options trading strategies such as the Box Spread and the Conversion & Reversal Arbitrage. As any possible profits from arbitrage is extremely low, only Market Makers who need not pay a broker commission can actually make any money out of it.
How Does Market Makers Protect From Risk?
As you can see by now, Market Makers are like you and me, buying and selling stocks and stock options. Doesn't that expose them to certain directional risks? Yes, even though market makers endeavour to be able to buy and sell simultaneously in order to benefit risk-free from bid-ask spread, such ideal situation rarely exist in stocks or stock options which are not extremely liquid. Most of the time, Market Makers end up owning stocks or stock options and that exposed them to directional risk.
Example : Market Maker John buys XYZ May30Call option from a seller for $0.80. If XYZ stock falls before Market Maker John manages to find a buyer for it, Market Maker John stands to lose money as the call option decreases in price.
Market Makers protect themselves from directional risks through "Hedging" and flexible use of synthetic positions. A Market Maker hedges his inventory through buying or selling additional stocks or stock options in order to achieve a position whereby stocks and options falls as much as the other rises in order to maintain the overall value of the account. This is what we call a "Delta-Neutral" position. A Market Maker's positioning strategy, especially in making markets for stock options, is extremely complex and requires to the second calculation and execution. It is because of this complexity in balancing all kinds of risks that some new Market Makers actually lose money to the market despite all the privileges of being a Market Maker.
Risks That Market Makers Face
Market Makers for stock options trading faces 6 forms of risks which, in fact, all option traders face :
1. Directional Risk / Delta Risk
Directional or Delta risk is the risk that a stock option price will turn against the market maker as the underlying stock value changes. A Market Maker consistent attempts to hedge this risk by going "Delta-Neutral".
2. Gamma Risk
Gamma risk is the risk that the delta value of a stock option may change over time. This consistently threatens to tip a Market Maker's sensitive Delta-Neutral position to become of positive or negative delta, thereby exposing a Market Maker to directional risk. Gamma risk can be overcome by taking Gamma Neutral Positions.
3. Volatility Risk
An increase in implied volatility in the market increases the extrinsic value of stock options while a decrease in implied volatility decreases the extrinsic value of stock options due. This is known as the Vega risk. Market Makers who hold an inventory of stock options could sustain a loss if implied volatility decreases.
4. Time Decay Risk
Time Decay or Theta risk is when stock option premium reduces as expiration date draws nearer even if the underlying stock does not move. A Market Maker with an inventory of long stock options can sustain a loss over time even if the underlying stock does not move.
5. Interest Rate Risk
Stock options, especially long term ones, are affected slightly by changes in interest rates. This change, although insignificant to most option traders, is significant to Market Makers who hold very large inventory of stock options. This risk is represented by the Options Rho.
6. Dividend Risk
Dividends declared reduces call option value as holder of the call option do not recieve the dividends. Such risks are usually hedged by Market Makers by buying the underlying stock ahead of it's dividend declaration. The dividends recieved then hedge against the decline in call option value.
Unlike independant option traders, Market Makers cannot sell off their inventory of stock options simply because they know these stock options are going to go down in value due to any of the above risks, that is why hedging is such an important skill to Market Makers.
How Does One Become A Market Maker?
One can only become a Market Maker by joining one of the Market Maker firms like Goldman Sachs or through a clearing agency or brokerage firm which is a member of NASDAQ. Most firms provide on the job training and requires applicants to have at least the following criteria :
1. A Bachelor's Degree
2. Excellent numeracy and analytical skills.
Most market maker firms also have entry examinations in order to ensure that applicants have the required numeracy and analytical skills. In fact, being a market maker requires a lot more than just being good with numbers as it also requires extraordinary mental strength to be a market maker.
Another way of becoming a Market Maker is by owning a trading pit in NASDAQ or LSE itself... something that is out of reach for most individuals.
Market Maker Questions
:: Who Is Bidding & Who Is Asking
:: Can I Sell Options For More Than What Market Makers Are Bidding? | <urn:uuid:c140a85e-8445-413c-89f8-435f8b29b388> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.optiontradingpedia.com/market_makers.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942571 | 2,485 | 1.953125 | 2 |
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Record Type: Review ID: 5
Intimate Nature: The Bond Between Women and Animals.
Hogan, Linda, Metzger, Deena, & Peterson, Brenda. (Eds.).
|This is a beautiful book, a book to make you weep because it is so in line with the sacredness of Earth and all forms of life. The emphasis is on righting the relationship of humans to animals, wild and tame. It is written by women, who ache because "humans have lost their more intimate relationships with animals as peers, teachers, and kindred allies. For centuries now, male priests, doctors, and scientists have declared animals as a territory to be approached with objectivity and detachment. And in these last centuries we have become increasingly separated from animals and the natural world. We’ve been taught to see them as creatures who have no soul, no capacity for pain, emotion, intelligence, or worth. In Claude Bernard’s Physiology, he states that "A man of science no longer hears the cry of animals, the blood that flows...he sees only his idea" (p. xii). Today, with the advent of the Gaia hypothesis and the concept of a living earth, including matter, which the editors point out is a resurrected form of ancient and tribal knowledge, as well as the Deep Ecology and animal rights movements have begun to right the balance that has been tipped so one-sidedly by medicine, science, and even Western philosophy and religion. The editors point out that women have played a leading role in bringing about these transformations, perhaps because women’s approach to relationship differs from that of men. They note: "What women have brought into the equation is a respect for feeling and empathy as tools to create intimate bonds of connection....Historically we have been identified with animals" (p. xiii). The basic philosophy underlying this book is one that is often an aftereffect of an exceptional human experience: "Because we share with [animals] the same life force, to know the animal other as worthy, alive, and even as a beloved peer is to be truly in relationship with the powerful forces of creation itself. To acknowledge and even cherish the intelligence in other forms of life is to sustain our own futures. To honor intimacy across the seeming boundaries of species is to return the sacred to the world. We are all the same world inside different skins, and with different intelligences" (p. xiv). The editors point out that "this is a book of changing stories, ongoing transformation and creation, by women who are struggling to protect and look after the world. It reports the changing story of our lives in this time of history as well as those of our sister creatures" (p. xv). In a sense many of these accounts are of exceptional human experiences, projects of transcendence, and even EHE autobiographies. We consider interspecies communication and intimate encounters with animals of any species exceptional experiences that present the experiencer with the opportunity to extend his or her boundaries into new areas of human being that are in line with our greater nature. And as the editors themselves say, "the women in this anthology are describing a new creation, the creation of emotional and physical bridges, lifelines between species, that take us to new ways of being human in our shared worlds" (p. xv). There are six marvelous sections: First People; Deep Science; Living in the Field; Borderlines: The Domesticated Wild; Relationships: Learning From Animals; Come Into Animal Presence: Testimonies; and Restoration: Bringing Back the Animals. There are 71 descriptions by contributors of 75 accounts that will bring tears of both joy and sorrow. It is difficult to see how anyone could read these stories and not come away from the book with Rilke’s ringing words shouting from within and without: "You must change your life." This book underlines the fact that the nature you change will be that of life itself.|
|Publisher Information:||Santa Monica, CA: Ballantine, 1998. viii + 455p. 6 illus; 37 refs.|
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BWB REMEMBERS THE BOOKS OF OUR CHILDHOOD (3 OF 3)
The third and final part in our Children’s Book Week series on the books that BWB employees remember from their childhood. Don’t forget...
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Sal Giunta was just a regular kid from Iowa when he enlisted in the army to figure out what to do with his life. He never thought that a few tours of duty later, he would be the first living person since the Vietnam War to be awarded the esteemed Medal of Honor.
First stationed in Italy and then deployed into Afghanistan, Giunta had a firsthand perspective of the ground war and its daily difficulties--some quotidian in nature, some anything but. He and around 150 of his company were stationed in the dangerous Korengal Valley in 2007, where some of the most intense fighting in the war had taken place. Giunta called it, "basically hell on earth."
Late one night in October of 2007, Giunta's company embarked on a sting operation into the Taliban's forces. They were ambushed on a rugged mountain path by twenty insurgents. Giunta sprang into action and with little regard for his own safety, he withstood enemy fire to administer medical aid to his wounded fellow soldiers--even rescuing one soldier who was being carried away by the insurgents--until his squad reached safety.
For the unrivaled bravery and selflessness of his actions, Giunta was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. In this fascinating and riveting memoir, he depicts the realities of war, as well as the moment-by-moment details of the event that earned him the nation's highest distinction.
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© Better World Books (BetterWorldBooks.com) | <urn:uuid:f45c0972-855c-4803-920a-5f3c61dba0e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9781442355859-id-9781442355859.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964284 | 489 | 1.59375 | 2 |
They indicate as of 8 years, but totally it is included/understood and handled from the 7 years.
He learns to play the chess of another way! In this original adventure of chess he guides himself the students smoothly, are young or adult, by the game of kings. How move the pieces? What means drowned? To what opposition is called? What is that of mate in stairs? Of clear and expressive form many doubts are clarified those more and about the chess, framed in the history of Prince Fritz, who is replacing his father during the vacations. From very ugly and thoughtless form, just then the duel of chess against Black King arises... and ay! the small Fritz does not have nor idea of how he gambles... However, with the aid of King Pintojo, and animated by its brave Bianca premium and the rate of culvert I read Ready, the small Fritz it accepts the challenge and it learns to play the chess amusing themselves, crossing different stations from game and training in the Gymnasium of Neurons. In the end not only it knows the rules the game of kings but also will have found out the tracks and way tricks it is possible to be faced Black King or preparation, able to demonstrate what it has learned.
One remembers how learned to play the chess? Perhaps it was of the typical, classic way: with the grandfathers like profe that never lost the patience? Or in the club of chess, one of those short courses given by a somewhat rare but simultaneously likeable uncle? Perhaps he was a self-taught one, that learned with the aid of a pocket book? Now ChessBase and the famous German publishing house Terzio, specialized in software for children, finishes publishing an interactive program of education to learn and to train chess.
The small Fritz is an original adventure of chess that guides its "apprentices smoothly", are young or adult, he matched of kings, living interactive situations and applying to the Didactics more efficient entertaining and than he has: learning playing. In fact, history and the games are so funny that until which already knows the chess they will enjoy a pile this CD-ROM.
Prince Fritz has hardly taken possession from the position to replace his father, King Blanco, who has left to spend days of vacations next to the sea with his wife, and already begins the mess:
Evil King Negro takes advantage the situation immediately and challenges the boy to face him in a chess duel. But... the small Fritz does not have nor idea of how he gambles! Ay! However, animated by his brave Bianca premium, that has great initiative, it accepts the challenge. It would lack more: one is to defend the honor of the real house!
And thus history starts up. Fritz and Bianca go to the sand where the duel is going to take place. Over its way they trip over King Pintojo, who is an old friend of the family. Naturally, this gentleman cheers and kindly he is arranged to help the children to prepare itself to the duel. By means of a collection of games with sonorous names, as "the Taking apart of Toilets "or "the Skirmish of Pawns", teaches to them how it gambles each one of the pieces. And all this without using a chessboard. That is to say, that the nascent ones at those moments not even will realize of which in fact it is to play the chess.
After these games of heating, the children will put themselves to train in the Gymnasium of Neurons to acquire knowledge. There the rate of culvert has its dominions I read Ready, an old and experienced trainer of chess under whose baton they will begin to practice how it is possible to be won to the adversary in the board. Interesting questions like, EP will treat, What is that of mate in stairs? What means drowned? And tables? To what opposition is called? The same didactic way is followed and it is to give explanations very original and simultaneously easy to understand and to remember. And thus the hour arrives to train aplicadamente in the virtual board, teaching all the necessary one to deepen in the game of the chess, that is to say, not only the rules and as the pieces move, but also the tactical advantages that each of them lodges. Why it would serve to know how moves the tower if soon it were not known how to give mate to the adversary with her?
There is a data base of training for each one of the sections with many positions different to be able to practice the plays in the corresponding situations. All this always under the kind company and monitoring of the untiring trainer I read Ready, who identifies the errors and explains since each thing must become. The degree of difficulty of the exercises is increasing little by little and it will be learned step by step. One is to play to play the chess. When one has practiced sufficiently a subject is received a Cup
Whoever to verify how it goes to him in the training can raise the scale of brains so that the trainer I read Ready weighs the "neurons to him" that take developed. Once realised all the tests in the rooms of slight, average and heavy weights, the great moment arrives: the duel in the sand against unpleasant King Negro begins! Now it is necessary to be kind and to concentrate itself to be able well to give him it last to this so dangerous opponent... Here or one will be if one has managed to become a "small strategist" or in a "great tactical one". And, with something of luck and much manna, already can come out windy in the defense of the honor of the white real house!
A pile of chess diversion: and from the beginning endless.
After the duel with King Negro diversion of the chess finishes to the adventure but not it. At any time it can return to face King Pintojo or to challenge King Negro to play con again or also I read Ready, according to its tastes and the force that wishes in its adversary. Who wishes to continue also training will be able to do it. There are about 500 exercises that will be recreated dynamically in each section. Certainly some fan to the chess until can see itself attemped beat the record in the games, EP, to be best "romperretretes" for all time or to fill the pockets to him of dinerillo to Mrs. Punyo Closed in his full tower of spiders.
Next to all this, the small Fritz allows him to accede to the room of children of the chess servant of ChessBase www.playchess.com to throw games and to play matches by means of Internet. In him he can face other fans worldwide, can chatear, watch games or take part in short courses from training Many friendly by means of the chess will become! The small Fritz not only will offer an incomparable initiation to the game of the 64 squares but also he will abrirá the doors to them to the great fascinating world of the chess.
And for the most professional chess players the small Fritz not only will be an entertained CD but also an optimal opportunity to get passionate to the more friendly his by their liking. An original gift for children, godsons, nephews, friendly will be everything... To even occur a tribute to one same one: we think that it will not defraud to him and that finally will find a form funny to learn to play the chess.
- Design of screens and programming: Renate Wünschl y Thomas Polajnar GbR
- Illustrations: Jörg Hilbert
- Programming unit Fritz: Mathias Feist (ChessBase GmbH)
- Format: CD-Rom
- Presentation: Box DVD
- Creation: ChessBase GmbH 2002
- ISBN: 978-3-932992-54-4
- EAN-13: 9783932992544
- Languages: Spanish version
Minimun PC System Requirements:
- Pentium II 233 processor or equivalent, 233 MB
- 32 MB RAM (16 MB free memory)
- 16-bit soundblaster compatible sound card
- 16 speed CD-ROM drive
- Graphics card: resolution 800x600 pixels (16-bit colour)
- Windows 95 / 98 / ME / XP / VISTA
- Not running on Japanese, Korean and Chinese Windows Systems. | <urn:uuid:1dcfcaac-07b9-48b4-9b67-d5ddaf914a9f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reinoajedrez.com/tienda/small-fritz-learn-play-chess-p-378.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958396 | 1,723 | 2.078125 | 2 |
• Type: Puddle Duck
• Peak breeding activity: February and early March in the south and mid-March to mid-April in the northern areas.
• Incubation period: 25-35 days
• Clutch Size: 9 to 14
No bird is more colorful than the male wood duck. His crested head is an iridescent green with bold white facial markings; the breast is red with white spots; the sides are striped with gold; and his back is a metallic blue or purple. The base of his relatively short bill and his eyes are bright red. The gray female can be identified by her crested head and white eye-ring. In flight the long square tail and downward pointing bill are distinguishing features. In the late summer molt (during which ducks cannot fly) the males acquire an eclipse plumage, which is similar to the females'.
Habitat and Habits
As their name implies, wood ducks prefer mature riparian corridors along streams, quiet backwaters of lakes and ponds bordered by large trees, and secluded wooded swamps as the habitats for raising the young. They fly through thick timber with speed and ease and often feed on acorn, berries, and grapes on the forest floors. The flocks of this species are usually small. In the air, their wings make a rustling, swishing sound. Drakes call hoo-w-ett, often in flight. The hens have a cr-r-ek when frightened.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
The wood duck's habit of nesting in cavities enables it to breed in areas lacking suitable ground cover. Most nests are adjacent to or over water. The first broods normally appear during the first half of May. The young leave the nest soon after hatching, jumping from the nesting cavity to the ground. However, they are not capable of flight until they are eight or nine weeks of age. | <urn:uuid:cd5e3682-105a-4ac7-9c9f-ed05cb6bb9a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ohiodnr.gov/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/woodduck/tabid/6794/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961181 | 396 | 3.203125 | 3 |
The shipyard employs around 100 people and is run by Wong's father and brother. Workers are busy spray-painting a house-boat and crafting the interior of a three-storey, 86-foot yacht that will be delivered to a Hong Kong businessman by the end of the year.
Wong, who is based in Hong Kong, says that China's cheaper labor costs are the main reason Accelera's vessels cost a third of those produced by the likes of Sunseeker and Azimut .
Skilled workers at the shipyard earn, on average, 6,000 yuan ($957) a month but Wong says it can be difficult to find staff with the right experience.
The 98-foot yacht costs around $5 million and takes up to 15 months to build, while the 86-foot model costs around $1.2 million.
The workers, some wearing only plastic sandals, deftly make their way along narrow, five-meter high concrete platforms that divide the slipways and cranes that keep the vessels steady while they're being built.
At the center of the shed, which is littered with building materials, is a red shrine where apples, tea and incense have been made as offerings to a folk god for construction workers.
When I first came across Accelera's yachts at a boat show in Hong Kong in May 2011, the vessels did not look out of place in the marina full of Italian and British-made yachts, but the interior smelt synthetic and compared poorly to the richly hued timber and buttery leather used by the European brands.
Wong says he has since employed Italian consultants to improve the yacht's design both inside and out. "We are focused on matching our customer's preference," he said.
He says that many of his clients use the boats for business and entertaining -- a karaoke den is a common request.
Ryan Swift, editor of Asia-Pacific Boating magazine, says that Chinese yacht builders are a "mixed bag" but some, such as Kingship's steel and aluminum hulled vessels, are beginning to gain recognition. | <urn:uuid:0d8d26e5-d40b-4880-978e-7f32b9907ac0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmur.com/news/money/China-superyachts-reflect-economic-shift/-/9857662/17019362/-/item/1/-/lbkicn/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977637 | 437 | 1.625 | 2 |
Fujinon HD Zoom Lenses Featured in Final 'Star Wars'
When "Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith" is released on May 19, audiences will see the first movie shot exclusively using Fujinon
E Series digital cinema-style lenses, which brought added production efficiencies to filmmaker George Lucas and his crew (a crew that already had a track record in digital cinematography in earlier "Star Wars" ventures, prior to this latest series-ending project).
This final of six Star Wars movies (which began 30 years ago when "digital" only used to refer to wrist watches or certain alarm clocks that flipped over those large numbers) used the Fujinon HAe3x5 (5-15 mm) and HAe10x10 (10-100mm) E Series zooms, along with its E Series prime lenses (with 9 fixed focal-length lenses on the set). For the first time, Fujinon lenses were used on the entire production, including principal live-action photography.
Earlier versions of Fujinon lenses were used primarily only for special effects on the 2002 "Star Wars" film--the first major live-action production shot entirely by digital methods. On that movie ("Attack of the Clones"), Fujinon lenses were used for motion control, miniatures, green-screen and pick-up shots. For the new "Sith" film now its its final post stage, the Lucas crew said they were able to reduced lens changes by more than 50 percent, which made the production more efficient.
Oh, and what's a Sith? Answer.com informs us that the Sith was a humanoid race enslaved by a group of warrior priests who followed the dark side of the Force and serve as evil counterparts to the Jedi. The dark Jedi became known as "Sith Lords" who often adopted names that were preceded by the name "Darth." But you probably already knew that. | <urn:uuid:f0b6451f-1279-423c-8baa-bcb1ca030c59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0110/fujinon-hd-zoom-lenses-featured-in-final-star-wars/191980 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968055 | 394 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Tennessee Bill Would Allow Prosecution For Death Of An Embryo
It’s passed the Tennessee Senate and House, but Governor Bill Haslam hasn’t said where he stands on the bill.
The bill (HB3517) marks the second change in two years to a law that since 1989 had it a crime to cause the death of a “viable fetus.” That was changed last year to eliminate the word “viable.”
Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet, the sponsor, said legislators have since learned that, under the scientific definition of a fetus, the term only applies when eight weeks or more has passed since conception. Adding “embryo” covers from the moment of conception. | <urn:uuid:1acc9b44-9393-4091-8292-41a3c0d0b5b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alan.com/2012/04/25/tennessee-bill-would-allow-prosecution-for-death-of-an-embryo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93494 | 157 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Walk and bike defensively and beware of ‘us’ drivers
Updated: June 6, 2012 3:39PM
Don’t trust us.
You could be very sorry if you do.
By “us,’’ I mean people who drive cars.
The weather is nice now. And nice weather brings out the joggers, the bike riders, the skateboarders, and adults and kids just out walking around.
Born out of concern for the environment, fueled by fuel prices and fanned by a desire for health and physical fitness, these nongas-guzzling ways of getting around are becoming more and more popular.
Little yellow signs are sprouting at many intersections warning drivers that state law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians. Police are cracking down on drivers who don’t yield. There are bicycle lanes on more and more streets. And newspapers, TV and the Internet are bursting with stories and tips on biking and walking.
Yes, bikers and walkers have it pretty good these days. Walking and biking are healthy and don’t damage the environment. Way cheaper than driving, too.
But let me add by way of reiteration — don’t trust us.
We’re drivers and we can’t be trusted.
State law may be on your side, bikers and walkers, but Newton’s law isn’t.
In a confrontation a 160-pound, crunchy-on-the-outside and squishy-on-the-inside biker or walker hasn’t a chance against a couple of thousand pounds of metal, glass and plastic.
And never forget that we drivers are sometimes angry and hostile and often distracted by talking on the phone, eating, drinking, dozing, texting, watching TV, surfing the Internet, reading, shaving, grooming, searching for good music, or in a big hurry.
Just because the little yellow sign in the crosswalk proclaims you to be in the right, don’t count on it.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that each year in the United States more than 800 bike riders are killed in collisions with motor vehicles.
It’s even worse for pedestrians. More than 4,000 pedestrians are killed each year by motor vehicles.
So, don’t just rely on your rights to protect you when you’re out biking or walking.
Rights won’t stop an SUV.
Be careful out there.
Walk and bike defensively.
Because you don’t know what we drivers will do. | <urn:uuid:68ed0837-8f99-4f38-85a7-41e02ab91db0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://westernsprings.suntimes.com/opinions/sassone/12971419-452/walk-and-bike-defensively-and-beware-of-us-drivers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924278 | 541 | 2.140625 | 2 |
November 30, 2011 EditionAlso in this issue...
Thoughts on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving has come and gone, the turkey has become leftovers, the pumpkin pie has been eaten down to the last crumb and even the cranberries have finally all disappeared. As a feast, Thanksgiving has no rival, it is the only American feast day where the whole purpose of the celebration began as an expression of gratefulness for the food and to those who had helped raise, gather and prepare it.
All those long years ago when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags feasted together, the celebration was certainly different than today's idea of a lavish spread.
The food was whatever game and fish they had caught that week, wild berries and nuts gathered from the woods and the grains and vegetables from the crops they had raised.
Cooking was limited to whatever methods could be used with a wood fire. There were no microwaves, no convection ovens, or gas ranges with variable temperatures. Yet they produced a magnificent meal.
That first Thanksgiving Day celebrated having enough food stored to get through the winter. The small group thanked God for the bounty they had and the Wampanoags for teaching them how to survive.
Though the food was certainly different than that of today's celebration, it was prepared with the same desire as today's cooks. It is a curious truth that once the plates are filled and the forks lifted, the absolute silence that falls across the table is the most sought after compliment. If the diner is too busy eating to talk, the meal is a success.
Thanksgiving has changed somewhat over the years. For many it is a celebration of family. Thanksgiving is the day for as many of the far-flung members as possible to gather around a table to celebrate the year that is fast approaching an end.
It is a time to celebrate the spiritual, as well as the material, and express our gratitude for what we have.
Eating together is historically an act of peace, friendship and loyalty. It is an old belief that once two people have broken bread together they can no longer be enemies. Whether or not that can really happen, it is a wonderful concept. Though it could lead to forced feeding.
To gather at the table and share a meal is one of our most treasured customs, one that many of us don't get to experience enough.
The dinner table for many families is the center of family time. It is where news is shared, manners are learned and the art of conversation can be taught.
Thanksgiving could well be a near perfect holiday. It is about being thankful, it is about sharing, it is about knowing that a body needs more than food for nourishment. It is most of all about knowing that once you have broken bread together you have expressed the willingness to be a part of the family. | <urn:uuid:2d7928c0-0f2c-4566-865c-7730963ca29a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thetd.com/freepages/2011-11-30/viewpoints/staffnotes.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98251 | 582 | 2.359375 | 2 |
by Ellen Hall
San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district is best known as the center of '60s hippie counterculture in the US.
Today, it's a lively neighborhood full of charm and many contrasts.
The area locals call the Haight covers a twenty-block stretch from Golden Gate Park to Market Street. It's divided into two portions, Upper and Lower.
The Upper Haight is trendier and more upscale, while the Lower Haight is somewhat grittier.
Though there is some debate, the main thoroughfare was probably named for Henry Haight, a local banker and philanthropist.
The Upper Haight was mostly dairy farms until the 1870s, when development began on Golden Gate Park.
Many wealthy Nob Hill residents built ornate Victorians near the park for their weekend homes. With the completion of local streetcar and cable car lines in the 1880s, the area became a thriving community.
Still others migrated here after the 1906 earthquake and fire, which left the Haight largely undamaged.
After World War II, the Haight fell into decline as city dwellers moved to the suburbs.
Summer of Love
In the 1960s, poets and writers from North Beach began moving to the Haight in search of cheap rent.
The dilapidated Victorians became home to a new subculture as the former beatniks discovered free love, rock music and psychedelic drugs.
The hippie movement, with the intersection of Haight and Ashbury as its epicenter, attracted anti-establishment types from around the world.
In January of 1967, tens of thousands gathered in Golden Gate Park for the Human Be-In, featuring counterculture icons Timothy Leary and Alan Ginsburg. The Be-In was a prelude to the Summer of Love, when as many as 100,000 young people flocked to the Haight.
During the '60s the Haight was home to popular musicians including the Grateful Dead (710 Ashbury), Janis Joplin (112 Lyon), and Jefferson Airplane (2400 Fulton). These San Francisco addresses are still popular pilgrimage sites for music fans.
Decline and Renewal
The Haight declined again after the hippie movement in San Francisco ended in the early 1970s.
Buyers returned to the area in the 1980s, attracted by what were then inexpensive Victorians. The Haight is now a mix of bohemian nostalgia and urban chic, with headshops, cafes, boutiques, and alternative bookstores lining the sidewalks.
A photo illustrated discussion of major Victorian house styles can be seen on my Historic San Francisco Victorian Homes page.
Buena Vista Park
Buena Vista Park is between the Upper and Lower Haight.
The first park in the city park systemestablished in 1867 as Hill Park and renamed Buena Vista in 1894Buena Vista has mature trees in a natural setting and offers sweeping views from downtown San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge.
You can even see the lighthouse on Point Bonita from Buena Vista Park though a pair of binoculars or telephoto lens is helpful.
A retaining wall was built here in the 1930s using slabs of marble recycled from cemeteries—some of the inscriptions can still be read.
Find iNeTours.com on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for updates, Photo-of-the-Day, more.
Website and all photos copyright © 2001–2013 Lee W. Nelson | <urn:uuid:532685d1-727e-4cf4-b77b-45aa0b534dab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/Haight_Ashbury.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949879 | 715 | 2.25 | 2 |
TALK ABOUT IT
DOCTORS WHO CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER NEED TO TALK SOONER ABOUT END OF LIFE ISSUES, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
Physicians who provide care for people with cancer need to introduce the subject of end of life care and preferences much earlier in treatment, and be more frank about when interventions such as chemotherapy are unlikely to be effective, the professional society ASCO, or American Society for Clinical Oncology, has stated in new guidelines. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, comments.
NELSON: When someone is diagnosed with cancer that is likely to contribute to the end of their life, the notion of these ASCO guidelines is that physicians should have clear and informative discussions with patients about treatment options and what the potential benefits of anticancer treatments are and potential benefits of other palliative treatments that don’t treat the cancer directly but improve quality of life and have discussions about the end of life. What’s the setting for which someone wants to live out the end of their life, and what should be the extent of care, and make sure that the patient’s preferences, informed preferences, are the ones that really drive the care plan. :35
At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.. | <urn:uuid:0a79246c-5e25-4f79-bd27-86871986c84e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hnf/hnf_7457.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936005 | 273 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Impact of AIDS
Act now to ensure an AIDS-free generation
Globally, children under 15 account for 1 in 7 global AIDS-related deaths and new global HIV infections, while a young person aged 15–24 gets infected with HIV every 15 seconds. In Malaysia, an average of 10 people tested HIV-positive daily in 2010. Of the 91,362 people infected in Malaysia, almost 30% occur in people below the age of 29. 1 in 4 new reported cases of HIV in 2010 were between the age of 13 and 29 years old.
Impact of AIDS on children
Parent’s illness and death causes extreme psychosocial distress – worsened by stigma and shame attached to HIV and AIDS.
With parents unable to work, and savings spent on care, children could be asked to take on adult responsibilities of caring for the sick and supporting the family.
Education and Schooling
The pressure of earning and caring for parents and siblings can lead children to attend school infrequently or totally withdraw from school. The pressure to abandon schooling intensifies when one or both parents die.
Malnutrition and Illness
Children, especially orphans are more likely to be malnourished or fall ill and less likely to get care that they need. Poverty is the root cause, but neglect and discrimination by adults in whose care they have been left are also important factors.
Loss of Inheritance
Orphans are regularly cheated out of their inheritance.
Fear and Isolation
Dispossessed orphans may be forced out to unfamiliar and hostile places.
Increased Risk to HIV Infection
Impoverished and without parents to educate and protect them, orphans and affected children face abuse and risk, including possible HIV infection. Many are forced into exploitative and dangerous work – including exchanging sex for money; food; protection; and shelter. | <urn:uuid:2745e653-ed08-4d7c-a8fa-7f9634995221> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/campaigns_uniteagainstaids-impacts-of-aids.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960158 | 374 | 3.5625 | 4 |
Kalodikiou lake belongs to the Municipality of Margariti. It is next to Kalodiki settlement, 100 m northwest of Morfi village. Kalodiki is the largest lake in Thesprotia prefecture. It extends over 35.000 m2 starting from Pirgi, settlement of Eleftherios, and reaching the administrative boarders of the Municipalities of Margariti and Parga. Its depth varies from 0.5 to 5 meters depending on the time of the year and it has a rich vegetation cover, large quantities of water, and many animal species such as beavers, ducks and swans nest there. It is also known as the lake of water lilies. It also communicates with Paleokastro swamp. It is part of the protected water biotopes in Greece and has unique ecological meaning as turf generation continues until now. | <urn:uuid:85ba26e0-41ad-4f34-9f11-b72023f244e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/nature/fauna/kalodikiou_lake | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960551 | 178 | 2.234375 | 2 |
We celebrate the Repeal of Prohibition today, December 5, because on this date in 1933, Pennsylvania and Utah ratified the 21st Amendment, providing enough votes to make the amendment law.
This is my dad’s Repeal Day story, but it didn’t happen on Repeal Day. It happened eight months earlier, on April 7, 1933. On that day it became legal to sell beer in many states, including Missouri, where he lived.
Dad grew up in what today is called the Wells/Goodfellow neighborhood of St. Louis, on Roosevelt Place. He was 13-years-old when these events occurred.
The Meyers family lived up near Goodfellow Blvd. Their youngest son was a couple years younger than me but we were friends and I spent a lot of time at their house. Mr. Meyers was the acknowledged best home brew maker in the neighborhood, if not the civilized world. He undoubtedly applied the same skill and attention to detail as he did in his job as a tool and die maker. His stuff was far superior to the stuff that we occasionally made in our basement. It was no more illegal for kids to drink heingemake (homebrew) than for adults, so we were allowed to join in the responsible and moderate use of the quaff.
At the Meyers' house, as was common, the beer was bottled in one-fifth gallon bottles and served in an aluminum bucket, from which all partook.
Frank Meyers' system was a seven day process that he would tend to right after work. He would come in the back door, put his lunch bucket on the sink, kiss his wife, then go to the basement for that day's part in the process. After FDR took office, an executive order was issued proclaiming that 3.2% beer was not intoxicating, therefore it did not fall under the restrictions in the 18th amendment. A date was set when this would take effect.
The building at the corner of Clara and Roosevelt (named for Teddy, I might add) was owned by Anheuser-Busch and had been a tavern. It was now Wesling's grocery. Gelhausen's Saloon across the street had never closed. Perhaps they served iced tea and soda pop during the great drought. The lease for Busch's building had a clause that if beer ever became legal again the lease could be terminated.
An agreement was reached and an addition was built onto the rear of the grocery and made into a tavern.
You may note that I refer to one establishment as a tavern and the other as a saloon. This is not accidental. Gelhausen's was a dark, bad place with men sitting around. I do not know why, when beer was again legal, that Grandma always had me go to Gelhausen's when she wanted a pitcher of beer. There was a side door at the rear and a separate tap for take-out. It cost a whole dime for a big pitcher of beer.
When "B" day was drawing near, Mr. Meyers finished up the current batch and then started dismantling and packing away his equipment. When the fateful day arrived, most of the men in the neighborhood congregated at Wesling's Tavern. The house was packed and everyone was having a riotous good time.
When Frank Meyers walked in a hush fell over the place and the crowd around the bar parted like the Red Sea to make room for the greatest. He walked up to the bar, Mr. Wesling drew a glass and set it in front of him. He took a sip, then another sip, then pushed the glass away and turned and walked out. It was not the same after that, it was quiet and half the customers left. Obviously, I was not there but my Uncle Russ was and told me about it.
Mr. Meyers went straight home, straight to the basement, unpacked his equipment and started a new batch. Mrs. Meyers kidded later that it was the first time in their forty years of marriage that he had come into the house and started working without kissing her first.
In fairness to Anheuser-Busch, I should add that they were limited to 3.2% alcohol while the Meyers brew ran close to the theoretical maximum for the fermentation process, around 12%. | <urn:uuid:cffe50d3-1554-4fc6-ac5d-86e15b5fe8dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-dads-repeal-day-story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991534 | 892 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Do the 46 human chromosomes form a single unbroken DNA helix? Or is it rather that a human's genome consists of 46 disconnected helices?
If it is the former, does the common numbering scheme for the chromosomes have any correlation to their actual ordering in the one large strand?
If is the latter, is there a convention on how the chromosomes are ordered in genomic datasets? Also, is there a clear understanding of how sister chromosomes "find" each other in Meiosis I?
Generally, during periods when Mitosis/Meiosis are not occurring, what's a good physical picture for how the chromosomes are physically arranged (e.g. a bowl of 46 spaghetti noodles, or maybe the sister chromosomes always stay close together, etc) | <urn:uuid:83e7ee9b-69b1-4661-86c7-a96f20822d57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/994/are-human-chromosomes-connected-or-separate-molecules/996 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936686 | 151 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Static build-up, web breaks and paper curl are all problems caused by dry air in the printing industry and are particularly prevalent during the winter months. By humidifying the atmosphere around printing presses, reel-stand areas and paper stores, problems like these can be dramatically reduced.
JS Humidifiers has been humidifying the printing industry for over 30 years and developed its JetSpray humidifier in the 80’s in direct association with the major sheet fed printers and Fleet Street newspapers.Download our Printing Humidification brochure herePrinting humidity issuesPaper is a natural material and is hygroscopic, which means that it is very susceptible to changes in relative humidity (RH). For optimum printing and paper storage conditions the humidity should be kept between 50-60%RH.Low humidity environments are typically created in cold periods, as heat generated by machinery and heaters dries the air. In the depths of winter, RH levels as low as 15-20%RH are not uncommon. In dry conditions, moisture is drawn from the exposed surfaces of stacks of paper and they shrink, but the centre of the paper still maintains its original moisture content. This causes "tight edges" and the paper begins to curl. As a result, the paper misfeeds and creasing occurs. Changes in humidity will cause the physical dimensions of the paper to change which results in mis-registration of colours in multi-pass jobs. Any change in the dimensions of the paper, however small, between runs of two or more colour processes and the colours will not line up.When the relative humidity drops below the electrostatic threshold of 40%RH, the build-up of static is enhanced. This results in sheets of paper sticking and misfeeding, not lying flat on each other or stacking properly as they emerge from the other end of the press.In the lay-down and reelstand areas of large scale web-based newspaper printers, the exposed edges of the reels dry. As the web runs at speed through the press, the dry edges are under tension compared with the centre. The slightest disruption of the edge will result in a 'web break', causing the paper to tear right across its width. Re-feeding through the press results in considerable down-time and production loss.
For printers a humidifier from JS can make a massive difference to your productivity and quality. With over 30 years experience in the printing industry, JS has the right solution for you.Agents & distributors in this industry wanted Worldwide. Click here for more information. | <urn:uuid:062bee92-fe84-4d29-a8ea-089f962a24de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jshumidifiers.com/printing-46-application/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923763 | 512 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Mumbai; February 06, 2013
Hon'ble Minister Shri. Jitin Prasada releases the 11th India Infrastructure Report: Private Sector in Education
February 6, 2013, New Delhi: IDFC’s annual publication, the India Infrastructure Report 2012: Private Sector in Education, was released by Shri. Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State, Human Resource Development, in New Delhi today. This report is the result of the IDFC Foundation’s collaborative approach towards providing a forum for free, frank and open exchange of views necessary to arrive at innovative and workable solutions across various infrastructure sectors that would find acceptance among various stakeholders. It is the outcome of the efforts of academics, researchers and experts, and is widely disseminated. Eleventh in the series, since 2001, the India Infrastructure Report 2012 continues to be a momentous collaboration aiming to provide pragmatic solutions to overcome challenges on various facets around the central theme in the infrastructure space.
Education is central to India’s growth and socio-economic development. An educated population not only drives economic growth but also has a positive impact on health and nutrition. India’s population has a large young age population, which implies a massive addition to working age population over the next couple of decades. This on the one hand gives India an enormous opportunity to reap the benefits of demographic dividend, but could also result in social disaster unless harnessed well. Sadly, the education sector in India today is galore of contradictions. It is a matter of grave concern that children are enrolled in schools, but are not learning. Parents are increasingly voting with their feet to seek private inputs – school and tuition – for their children. Children drop out from secondary school, and those that complete it have poor conceptual knowledge. Higher education is over-regulated and under-governed, keeping away serious private operators and reputed global institutes. Graduates from high school and college/university are not employable and nobody wants to pay for skill development. The India Infrastructure Report 2012 discusses challenges in the education sector — elementary, secondary, higher, and vocational — and explores strategies for constructive change and opportunities for the private sector. The report lays down several suggestions for improving the quality of education in an inclusive way, keeping the child and the youth at the centre of the process. The Report suggests major reforms in the education sector. The education policies and initiatives of government should move from being focussed on inputs and standardised norms, to becoming more outcome oriented. Additionally the higher education space should be allowed greater autonomy but with accountability. And high school and higher education should ensure employability of all graduates.
On the occasion, Dr. Rajiv Lall, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of IDFC said, “Considering the role of education in bringing about socio-economic transformation of a country, and given IDFC’s focus on nation building, this year for the first time in our India Infrastructure Report (IIR) series, we turn to social infrastructure — in particular the educational system. Today, raising the quality of education is the biggest challenge in our educational system.This IIR makes a plea for a radically different approach, which entails taking on board the lessons from various experiments and try to apply them in a systemic way. Also, there is an urgent need for non-traditional approaches to regulate these institutions.”
In addition to this, Ritu Anand, Group Head Policy and Chief Economist, said, “The state of education in the country is one of policy failure, wrongly-focused regulation and poor governance. The over-riding concern echoed throughout this Report is the abysmally poor quality of learning of the vast majority of students reflected at all levels of education. There is thus an urgent need to reform the pedagogy and curriculum in schools, teach children according to their learning abilities, and need more professionally trained and motivated teachers. The Report also provides suggestions on overcoming issues in assessment, creating an enabling environment and regulations, and financing issues.”
For further details, please contact:
Mr. Arun Raste
Tel: + 91 22 4222 2019 | <urn:uuid:89dc5027-9ee4-411d-997b-fbde8df140c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.idfc.com/media_room/press_releases40.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944345 | 842 | 1.90625 | 2 |
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Skin Care and Diseases
Death by pimple?
I heard that you can die from popping a pimple. Is that true and how likely is that to happen?
Deaths from popping pimples are mostly because the pimple was located on certain areas of the face, wherein if a bad infection results, it can easily spread to important blood vessels/sinuses that go to the brain and that could be really serious.
Best to not touch acne, especially with one's own fingers.
Elma D Baron, MD
Associate Professor of Dermatology
Director, Skin Study Center
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University | <urn:uuid:344c6f7e-de8f-4e2c-b6a7-afa94fa0e868> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/38851.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952666 | 172 | 2.15625 | 2 |
I contacted the CEO of Lightbox to share some thoughts about its layout algorithm and he told me this wasn't the only one they made. Here is the description of another interesting algorithm
How does it work?
The golden nugget in the whole equation being the square root of two! Anything with the aspect ratio of 1.41421 (square root of two) can be divided in half and produce two more with the same aspect ratio. And as this was close enough to 4:3 (or 3:4) we were able to crop the photos in the collage view to this aspect ratio without it being too noticeable. This way we could have an arbitrary list of landscape and portrait photos and still generate a suitable layout. -- Nilesh Patel
Let's take an example, we have an image where the height is 1 and width is square root of 2.
Let's split it in half horizontally and calculate the aspect ratio of both the new and old images.
They are both the same It means that you can split the image as many time as you want and you will always keep the same aspect ratio:
How much do you crop?
Let's say we have an image of 300 pixels in width, the image would be
300/(4/3) = 225px in height but instead is
300/sqrt(2) = 212.12px. It's a 12ish pixels difference, 6 pixels on each side. Let's look at how it looks in practice. The dark part is the full image and light one is the viewport.
If you want to be rigorous, you also have to remove few pixels of padding every time you split the image in half. But that's only another 2 or 3 pixels per split, that's still a pretty good approximation.
In order to keep images good looking, you have to set a minimum and maximum allowed size. Every time a split happens, the resulting image is half the size. Portrait and landscape images alternate at every split. This means that the next image with the same orientation is going to be a quarter of the previous image.
In practice, you can only have two sizes for each orientation or the images are either way too big or way too small. You end up with two different sizes for each orientation. This is good, each image must now only be labelled by "big" or "small" by the algorithm.
Another thing to keep in mind is that two images with a different orientation cannot have the same area. The closest setup you can have is one being two times bigger (or smaller) than the other one. The tricky thing is that this choice is not per image basis but global to the layout. At the beginning, you have to chose one orientation that is going to be twice as big as the other, this choice may not be easy to do.
Check out the Demo!
- Works with both landscape and portrait
- Can chose between two sizes for each orientation
- No holes
- Having to chose an orientation that is going to be twice as big as the other
- Ordering isn't really respected when there are many sizes and orientations
- Small cropping
- End of stream is tricky to implement | <urn:uuid:065f883c-a5df-454f-a84b-d3e06a102871> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.vjeux.com/2012/image/image-layout-algorithm-lightbox-android.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962166 | 659 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Most of the startups do a good job in figuring out the business they are in buy fail to align their “go to market” strategy with the business you are in.
Go to market strategy should be thought through with respect to target customers as well as competition/incumbent.
In layman terms –
1. If you are competing with current incumbents, make sure that you don’t vie for their current customers right off the bat. You will fail!
2. If your Customers and you have same go to market strategy for your business/revenue model, you are doomed to fail! For example – if you are making a branded consumer app that gives your end user something from your Customer but your Customer also has a branded consumer app, you will fail! You are better off offering your value as part of your Customer’s branded app. (note user is different from customer in this regard)
3. You cannot compete effectively against your incumbent with the same go to market strategy – ESP with limited resources, lack of brand recognition, pedigree, etc. Just the way you focus on underserved customer to disrupt, you should also focus on underserved market approaches. | <urn:uuid:a602c5a6-b6de-4148-bd9f-08183f737588> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.sistla.com/?p=458 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968922 | 245 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Teaching both academic and religious subjects, the academy operated under the direction of the Weber Stake Board of Education. (The David McKay pictured here is the father of future church president, David O. McKay.)
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The Weber State University 50th Anniversary Collection is made up of The Weber State University 50th Anniversary Collection is made up of a collection of photographs and oral history quotes that document the moving of Weber College from its original campus in downtown Ogden to its current home on Harrison Boulevard in 1954. The photographs document Weber College’s early days and the struggle to move to a new campus to accommodate the growing student population. | <urn:uuid:1e900e43-4556-4032-b349-6c958b27ac65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dc.weber.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/WSU/id/24/rec/4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927799 | 140 | 1.601563 | 2 |
In Houston, there have been many architects who have left their mark on the city. Perhaps the one most associated with Houston is John Staub, who designed some of the original houses in exclusive River Oaks. There were others, greats, like Philip Johnson whose soaring buildings certainly changed our landscape. Today, there is a new crop of younger talents who have risen up along with all the custom houses built, many on lots where the older ones have been torn down. One of my personal favorite of today’s residential architects is Kurt Aichler. So many of the houses I admire are ones he designed for clients – each is different, each unique. Over the years his reputation has grown along with his portfolio. Any house designed by him is always proudly identified as such in real estate brochures and on neighborhood tours. My own dream house was built by Aichler and every time I drive by it, I slow to a crawl and look at it longingly – as if one day it might truly be mine.
While Aichler has mostly designed custom houses for clients from the ground up – there are some that he tastefully and sensitively renovated. One of the houses shown here today is a true addition, made to a house built in the 1930s. The other house shows an addition to a house he originally designed. These two houses are vastly different – which certainly shows the range of the man. I hope you enjoy them!
Kurt Aichler House #1
An eagle-eyed Cote de Texas reader emailed me about a house that was just listed for sale in Houston: “Quick – go look, you are going to love it!” Of course I did – what is not to love about a charming cottage with cute as can be dormer windows? But really got my attention was that Kurt Aichler had designed its addition. Addition? What addition? All you can really see is how adorable the house is – a small cottage with a picket fence and a cobblestone walkway. Once the house had truly revealed itself, I was wondering if I could afford it and how fast could I move in? The facade is an illusion - Aichler left it untouched so that it would blend in with the neighborhood. His goal was certainly reached: from the front it is virtually impossible to see how large the addition is. It is also impossible to see from the street that this house was designed by Aichler.
The house for sale is located in one of Houston’s older and more beautiful neighborhoods, Southampton, the one area I would truly love to move to. House after house is just as charming as this. Unlike in my neighborhood, West University, many houses here have been restored instead of torn down. Even the newly built houses in Southampton are special – most avoid that cookie-cutter red brick faux Georgian style that plagues my area. But, without a doubt, what really makes this neighborhood special (besides all the towering oak trees and lush landscaping) is the alleys! Alleys mean there are no front loading garages overshadowing the houses. And alleys mean there are no driveways up and down the street. Instead, without all the excess concrete, Southamptons’ front yards meld into one another with large expanses of grass and flowerbeds. The current trend against alleys is certainly regrettable especially in areas where the lots are so tiny that all you see are garages on top of garages.
The Front Living Room.
Ready to go inside? To the left of the front door is the living area – are you drooling right now? I am, for sure. The white walls are highlighted by gray painted moldings. Newly installed doors on both sides of the fireplace lead to the side yard. A wonderful, worn antique rug in pinks and greens blends with the French settee which is covered in a pink and cream antique textile. A large canvas behind the sofa is in perfect proportion – almost as if it was painted to fill that space. I love this type of designing – where each piece was purchased because someone loved it – as opposed to because they needed it. Nothing here screams decorator or interior designer – instead it looks like the house is owned by someone who knows herself, her style, someone who doesn’t need any help with her house, someone who is probably as chic as her interiors!
The Formal Dining Room.
Across from the front living room is the dining room with its mixture of antique furniture. Simply hung linen curtains soften the look. A trendy Italian styled candlestick fixture lights the room, while a large armoire anchors it. Two different styles of chairs surround the stone topped table creating extra interest.
The Kitchen/Breakfast Room.
Once past the living room and dining room – you enter into the two story addition where the drama of the Aichler addition begins. Here, the flooring changes from wood planks to a wonderful herringbone pattern which has a very Belgian look to it. In the kitchen, thick countertops and no overhead cabinets sets the mood - saying this is no ordinary kitchen. Instead of being a utilitarian space, it almost looks as if it is an art gallery with all the paintings. I wonder if the owner is an artist? Notice the worn antique runner in the long galley area: using decorative items such as the rug and the lamp in a kitchen is a great way to warm up the space and humanize it. The bar stools are fabulous and add an industrial touch - all the different styles make the space eclectic and interesting.
The Breakfast Area.
Looking from the kitchen sink out towards the breakfast area and the side courtyard. Notice the wonderful wooden shelf holding all the dishes, glasses and cookbooks. Two antique chairs surround a small iron table. But, to be sure, it’s the huge steel door that steals the show here. How glorious it is!!!!! Of course there are no curtains here – the windows are a work of art! These steel beauties, along with the wood floor further the Belgian vibe that runs through this space.
Kitchen and Breakfast Room.
In this view of the kitchen – you can the wonderful farm sink – I just love these large sinks! And to the left – is the brick wall from the original house, left exposed. Through this opening – you can see into the front living room.
One last view of the kitchen/breakfast room – showing the opening that leads to the family room and music room beyond it.
Walking past the kitchen and breakfast room is a large family room. The space is furnished with comfy, cushy slipcovered furniture in linen along with an assortment of wood antique tables mixed with a contemporary glass coffee table. Another huge canvas provides the color. A pass through divides the family room from the music room on the other side of the wall. Seagrass completes the room – of course seagrass, this is Houston after all, the seagrass capitol of the world!
The view from the family room into the kitchen/breakfast room. A large barley twist console holds the TV.
The Music Room.
The music room, at the back of the house overlooks the rear of the property with its vine covered fence. I love the Spanish table surrounded by chairs and deftly accessorized with just an urn, a cactus, and an Italian candlestick. Again large steel windows add that something special here. The beautiful and graceful stairs leads to the bedrooms upstairs. The stairs – something so simple – yet there is something so perfect about these. What is it? I’m not sure, but they are definitely designed by someone who knows exactly what he is doing and is doing it expertly. Which is exactly why you would hire Kurt Aichler to design your home. Just wonderful!!!!!
The Master Bedroom/Bathroom
Upstairs, the master bedroom is furnished with more antiques and a slipcovered headboard with dreamy white linens. A vintage zebra skin adds an exotic touch, I love the brown tones in the zebra. This room is so romantic – I halfway expect Karen Blixen to waltz in! Again, this room has that undecorated look that is so hard to capture. Very few people can do this look “right” – and this homeowner has it in spades. Through the door you can see the bathroom with the vanity made from a piece of furniture, a Venetian mirror, and a vessel sink with wall mounted faucet. It looks like there is an antique rug in here too.
The Master Bedroom
I just love this room – the beige taffeta curtains, the oval religious portrait, the simple bed, the French antique nightstand with its aged mirror. Through the door – you can see the vintage tub that overlooks a window in the bathroom.
And finally, a view of the original house with the addition. It’s almost impossible to see the addition from the street – thus the house still fits in the neighborhood with all its small cottages. The cupola was taken off the original house and put here on top of the addition. The side yard is huge and there is definitely room for a pool – I wonder if the new owners will add one? Through the steel windows here – you can see the family room, then the kitchen/breakfast room and there appears to be another steel window where the brick house connects to the addition. The formal living room is seen in the brick house, where the window is. The three bedrooms are all upstairs.
Kurt Aichler House #2
Readers of Cote de Texas may remember that the house where The Fabulous Flea is located was also built by Kurt Aichler. The house was built first, and then a few years later, the adjoining lot was purchased and the fabulous showroom space to the right of the house was added along with a pool house. With the addition, Aichler gave the walled compound a country-like atmosphere in the middle of the city. This is one of my favorite Aichler properties – The Fabulous Flea house.
The Fabulous Flea antique business was moved into the Aichler addition – a large space divided into two rooms. The carriage door designed by Aichler is so charming, as is the awning that marks the proper entrance into the shop. The Fabulous Flea sells fabulous, of course! antiques mostly from France, procured on trips taken several times a year. To visit the Fabulous Flea, go HERE and make an appointment. Don’t be shy! They love appointments! And, if you don’t live in Houston – you can still shop there on the web site.
The addition to the Fab Flea house is divided into two areas, the studio with its soaring ceiling is on one side. OMG – it’s too beautiful for words in there!!!!
The left side is the “showroom.” I took these pictures a few months ago and that table with the scrolled base in now in my daughter’s room! I couldn’t resist it! I love that settee too with its scalloped top and bottom – just beautiful. Through the window you can see the main house. Between the Fab Flea addition and the main house is the swimming pool and pool house designed by Aichler. If you have never been to the Fab Flea – I really recommend going – if only just to see this space. I can’t think of many antique stores that are prettier.
The Fab Flea house and shop were featured in the newest issue of Antique Stores and Designers from which these pictures were taken. Here is the pool house – thick stucco arches lead into the open space where there is a large outdoor fireplace, a bar, and a kitchen. The Fab Flea Shop is set on an axis with the Pool House – all designed to perfection by Aichler.
On this side of the pool house is an outdoor kitchen, bar and dining table. Through the doorway is the Fab Flea shop. Is this Houston or Belgium? Hard to tell!
I took this picture of the pool house last year. The horns are wonderful above the fireplace. I love how Aichler designed the open windows above the niches holding firewood. Notice the play between the arched openings and the straight openings with the circular window topping it all.
The Living Room.
Inside the main house, in the living room – slipcovered furniture in linen is child and pet friendly. The sofa has wonderful lines – I love its tall, scalloped back. The house is almost Spartan in feel – there are no fancy moldings or built ins. The trim is very restrained. The walls are painted white. Everything is calming – there are no jarring colors or patterns. Linen is found everywhere. It would be a very peaceful and quiet house – if it wasn’t filled with a lively family and lots of pets!
Through arched doors is the family room with its linen sofa and cream colored console. Contemporary pieces blend with antiques. Through this window you can see the pool house.
I love the Fab Flea’s kitchen! The light fixture is wonderful – and I really like open shelves. She has a mix of ironstone and silver, which is so attractive together. And of course, there is a farm sink.
The Master Bedroom
And finally, the master bedroom has a tall vaulted ceiling with an antique light fixture. The end tables are slip covered in linen, and the headboard is tufted. Wall to wall seagrass, of course! The large tapestry brings in the color – as does the bench with its silk velvet fabric. The owner of the Fab Flea is another woman with great style and an instinctive sense of how to put it all together. She is another chic woman who chose Kurt Aichler to design her house. Is there a theme here?
If you are interested in buying the house designed by Kurt Aichler in Southampton, go HERE for more information. | <urn:uuid:b895f0d5-cfd7-40a4-96f2-fff62e11b71a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009_11_17_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966973 | 2,931 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The more common definition of "miracle" is much looser than the technical definition. In the common definition a miracle is anything that causes wonder or amazement, even if it's completely explainable. For example, here's a comparison between the two definitions:
- Technical: "I was walking down the street and an iron girder suspended above a construction site fell as I was walking underneath. Just as it was about to hit me it suddenly flew to the left and landed in the middle of the street, completely missing me and everyone else there! God was watching out for me."
- Common: "My son was just born this morning. He has the most beautiful eyes in the world. Childbirth is such a miracle!"
Some Christians have a skewed and often disturbing view of what a miracle is. To them, a miracle is something which spares them pain or hardship, even if it deals out said pain or hardship on someone else. For example, a Christian man is driving down the street when a car comes out of nowhere and hits him. Both cars are totaled and everyone dies except him. Later on, when he's interviewed by the local news station he claims that God was watching out for him (Argument from incomplete devastation). Obviously this is total bunk. The Christian God is said to be omnipotent and omniscient, thus he knew the accident would happen, he knew how to save everyone, and he was able to. Why he didn't is anyone's guess. In any case, the fact that one man survived doesn't mean that he owes his continued existence to God. This is also a good example of the problem of evil.
In his book, Unweaving the Rainbow, Richard Dawkins coined a term to deal with "miracles" that merely turn out to be coincidental in nature: PETWHAC, or "Population of Events That Would Have Appeared Coincidental". Dawkins points out that many mundane events occur every single day to every person on the planet, and the human mind has a great capacity to identify patterns where none exist. Dawkins explains that there is a space of events with perfectly normal probability, which could be interpreted as "miraculous" by people who have that sort of mindset.
For instance, suppose that you are thinking about a friend, and that friend just happens to call you. Is this event supernatural in nature? Extremely doubtful. People think about others all the time, and they also call each other all the time. Given enough time, there is a virtual guarantee that a coincidence of this nature will occur.
Another interesting point to think of is what if someone is out for a jog one day and suddenly drops dead right then and there, should that also be considered a "miracle"? Arbitrarily defining miracle as something beneficial that makes one feel good does nothing to support the case of miracles. The difference is when something terrible happens - people try to find a rational explanation for said occurrence. When they cannot find an explanation (typically due to lack of technology to do so) they simply say, "Oh, that's a tragedy.." Yet why do they not consider this event a miracle?
Calling something unexpected and unexplained a "miracle" is merely wishful thinking.
Main article: Miracles in history
Miracle claims in the distant past, especially the alleged resurrection of Jesus, play a major role in some varieties of Christian apologetics. The reasons to doubt such claims are many, including the common sense observation that most people would be skeptical of miracles outside their religion, the importance of observed regularities in historical research, and empirical considerations such as the lack of modern miracles.
Main article: Faith healing
In modern times, many Christian evangelists have claimed the ability to supernaturally heal diseases. Some Christians have cited them as powerful evidence for the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. However, investigations of faith healers by men such as doctor William Nolen and magician James Randi have failed to find any evidence of actual miracles, and have turned up much evidence of fraud or, at best, self-deception.
Near-death and temporary clinical death
A person being near death or even clinically dead for 5, 10, or even 30 minutes and then coming back is not evidence of a miracle in the strict/technical sense. There is a phenomenon called "autoresuscitation" (AR) that is easily understood in terms of known human physiology that is accepted by the medical community. Reports of "autoresuscitation" (Google it, it is not too difficult to find medical journal articles on the topic) after less than 15 minutes of clinical death are not even almost astounding, and there have been cases of AR after 33 or 37 minutes documented. If cases of hypothermia can be included, this period can be extended to over 45 minutes to 1 hour. This is largely because hypoxic brain damage is suppressed at lower temperatures.
Perhaps counterintuitively, according to the modern understanding of medicine it would be far more miraculous for an amputee to regrow an entire arm or leg than it would be for someone to clinically die for (say) 19 minutes and then wake back up. | <urn:uuid:c3068de6-e94c-4e5f-9ad8-6931912cd3e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wiki.ironchariots.org/index.php?title=Miracle&direction=prev&oldid=19379 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966814 | 1,055 | 2.671875 | 3 |
LAST SAMPLE of the Engineering Green Buildings e-newsletter!
Produced by HPAC Engineering, Engineering Green Buildings is an e-mail newsletter devoted exclusively to the green-buildings industry. Monthly, we report on green-building projects in the news, energy-efficient ways engineers are incorporating green-building solutions into their designs, and innovative ideas to promote a green-building future.
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Specifying High-Performance Buildings and Systems
By Mark Frankel
Better performance outcomes through simple and common-sense changes to the specification process...[MORE]
New Report Examines Wind Energy's Impacts on Emissions, Wildlife, and Humans
The report Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects, released by the National Research Council, offers an analysis of the environmental benefits and drawbacks of wind energy, along with a guide to aid decision-making about projects. The report states that a primary benefit of using wind to generate electricity is that it produces no carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas, or any other air pollutant...[MORE]
DOE Updates EnergyPlus Program for Building Energy Design
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a new version of its EnergyPlus Version 2.0 program. The free program allows architects, building engineers, and others to model energy flow within a building, examining the effects of the building's heating, cooling, ventilating, and lighting systems. The software allows users to simulate the performance of a building at intervals of less than an hour, studying the energy and thermal-comfort effects of a variety of energy strategies, including natural ventilation, dividing homes into multiple heating and cooling zones, and adding solar photovoltaic panels...[MORE]
Who's Green--Directory of Green-Building Professionals in North America
Ecotone Publishing LLC is accepting listing applications for its Who's Green 2008. The publication is a resource book for locating firms, organizations, and institutions actively participating in the growth of the green-buildings industry. Firms and organizations wishing to be listed in the directory must submit an application outlining their green-building experience and expertise...[MORE]
Sustainable Buildings Standard to Define Green Buildings
Proposed Standard 189, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which provides minimum guidelines for green-building practices, is being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Applicable to new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, it will address energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water-use efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The standard is open for public review through July 9...[MORE]
PepsiCo Shifts to 100-Percent Green Power with Record Purchase
PepsiCo announced that it will buy more than 1.1 billion kwh of renewable-energy credits (RECs) annually for the next three years. RECs represent the renewable attributes of the electricity generated by renewable-power facilities. When those facilities sell their power into the electrical grid without taking credit for their renewable-energy benefits, the facilities are able to sell those benefits to others in the form of RECs. PepsiCo's REC purchase is equal to the amount of electricity used in its U.S. operations and is enough to power 90,000 average U.S. homes. The purchase was hailed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the largest corporate purchase of green power, the largest REC purchase to date, and the largest purchase made under the EPA's Green Power Partner program...[MORE]
Building Green TV Show Airs on PBS
Building Green TV announced that its weekly television series about creating homes and buildings in harmony with the environment is set to air on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate stations starting June 5. The show looks at a variety of ways to "green" homes and buildings using earth-friendly techniques and materials...[MORE]
Building-Design Leaders Unite on Energy-Reduction Targets
To reduce the building-design industry’s impact on the environment, key leaders in that sector are collaborating to establish carbon-neutral buildings by 2030. The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Architecture 2030, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council, supported by representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, finalized an agreement of understanding this week, establishing a common starting point and a goal of net-zero-energy buildings. To reach that goal, the organizations agreed to define a baseline starting point for target goals, based on the national average energy consumption of existing U.S. commercial buildings reported in the 2003 Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey...[MORE]
Engineering Green Buildings Conference & Expo
HPAC Engineering has announced the dates and location of its fourth annual Engineering Green Buildings (EGB) Conference and Expo. Touted as the engineering event for green design in hospitality, education, and government buildings, EGB 2007 will be held Sept. 17 and 18 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
With its focus on hospitality, education, and government buildings -- key sectors for construction growth and green design -- EGB 2007 is expected to attract engineers, architects, mechanical contractors, and building owners/operators from around the country. The conference portion of this year's event will provide training on energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and sustainability. The expo area will enable vendors to display and demonstrate green characteristics and applications of their mechanical systems, components, equipment, software, technology, and services in a green-design setting...[MORE]
Contact information: Jami Knoth, HPAC Engineering
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What are the facts about
Being obese can have serious health consequences. These include an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, and some forms of cancer. Losing weight can help reduce these risks. Here are some general points to keep in mind.
Any claims that you can lose weight effortlessly are false. The only proven way to lose weight is either to reduce the number of calories you eat or to increase the number of calories you burn off through exercise. Most experts recommend a combination of both.
Very low-calorie diets are not without risk and should be pursued only under medical supervision. Unsupervised very low-calorie diets can deprive you of important nutrients and are potentially dangerous.
Fad diets rarely have any permanent effect. Sudden and radical changes in your eating patterns are difficult to sustain over time. In addition, so-called "crash" diets often send dieters into a cycle of quick weight loss, followed by a "rebound" weight gain once normal eating resumes, and even more difficulty reducing when the next diet is attempted.
To lose weight safely and keep it off requires long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits. Inside this book are the tools needed to assist you with your goals.
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Written by PETA
How am I just hearing about this? Come on, the first ever veggie dog eating contest, I would have been on a plane to get there faster than the Olsen twins throw up their lunch. Seriously.
The soon to be annual event happened last Saturday in Austin, TX, and the report I got said that over 300 people attended, and 40 contestants devoured some 600+ veggie dogs in about 24 minutes. Not bad, eh? The inaugural World Veggie Hot Dog Eating Champion, at a count of 16 ½ veggie dogs, is Colin "the Tim Duncan of Competitive Eating" Kalmbacher, a vegan.
Full results and photos will be posted here soon. And of course, mad props go out to ilovemikelitt for putting this event on. Fair warning to you, Colin, I’ve already started training for next year. I’m coming for your title. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to
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here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the
animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local
police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA
immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? Read more. | <urn:uuid:16d32d9e-ae72-4c17-bb6a-2a213eae6097> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2007/06/02/Veggie-Dog-Eating-Contest.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954129 | 364 | 1.734375 | 2 |
ification is the expression of the relations which different animals bear to one another, in respect of their anatomy and their development.
Zoological distribution is the study of animals in relation to the terrestrial conditions which obtain now, or have obtained at any previous epoch of the earth's history.
Zoological physiology, lastly, is the doctrine of the functions or actions of animals. It regards animal bodies as machines impelled by certain forces, and performing an amount of work which can be expressed in terms of the ordinary forces of nature. The final object of physiology is to deduce the facts of morphology, on the one hand, and those of distribution on the other, from the laws of the molecular forces of matter.
Such is the scope of zoology. But if I were to content myself with the enunciation of these dry definitions, I should ill exemplify that method of teaching this branch of physical science, which it is my chief business to-night to recommend. Let us turn away then from abst | <urn:uuid:73b8933d-9c3f-4a6a-928d-20eb9c4c10a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://manybooks.net/titles/huxleythetext01thx1510.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958448 | 204 | 2.796875 | 3 |