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Posted on June 28, 2010 with No Comments
Recently, one of our techs was called out to do a termite service at one of our customers house. Since he was already there, our customer asked him to check the rodent trap too. When she turned on the light in the basement she screamed and said that there was something else in the trap and not a mouse. The tech looked and said that there was a mole in it. Once he told her she was ecstatic because she said that a mole had been eating all of her vegetable plants! JP McHale is a Westchester pest management company that can conduct an inspection for your home or building to check for rodents, simply contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter.
Posted on June 23, 2010 with No Comments
Yesterday, one of our techs was called out to a home. He was doing a routine check on a customers home and started to check the cabinets for any pests. He got around to the counter where the the home owners kept the bread and coffee on, and in that cabinet you won’t believe what he found. In the very back corner of the cabinet, there was a family of mice! The tech saw about 6 baby mice and two adults. Mice can get into the tiniest of areas, so make sure you seal the smallest of holes! JP McHale PM knows exactly where to check for pests, unlike some homeowners that might miss an area. If you have a mice problem feel free to contact us. JP McHale is a pest management company in Westchester, New York. We would love to help you with your pest problem! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.
Posted on June 21, 2010 with No Comments
What better way to recycle tennis balls then to turn them into a home! Over in the UK, conservationists are cutting holes in old tennis balls used in the Wimbledon Tennis tournament with the hope of provide shelters to mice. In the recent years, mice population in the UK has dropped and is now starting to rise up again. The tennis balls provide a rather good shelter for the mice, and once they are settled they will breed 4 to 6 mice at a time. Over in the US mice have been on the rise in the past years, and more cases of mice invading homes have been seen. If you have experienced a mouse problem, feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter. JP McHale is one of the the leading Pest Control companies in Westchester.
Posted on June 11, 2010 with No Comments
Yesterday, one of our tech was called out to check on a customers mouse problem. In some cases, we will treat the problem by setting up ketch-alls (mouse traps). The tech was inspecting the catch-all that was sent up between a wall and discovered a mouse with her five, just born pups sheltered in the wall. If you set up mouse trap at home they might not be 100% effective. At JP McHale we use different techniques to treat mouse issues. Feel free to contact us with any questions at 800-479-2248.
Posted on June 3, 2010 with 1 Comment
Yes! After a mouse was found scurrying around in Simon Cowell’s dressing room from American Idol, he decided to keep it! A source said he became very close with the mouse and took it everywhere! The Daily Start posted this brief article earlier today.
JPMcHale is one of the leading pest control companies in Westchester, New York, we would love to help you with your pest problems!
Posted on May 21, 2010 with No Comments
Yesterday President Obama gave a presidential address to try and solve an ongoing Wall Street battle. As he began to address the audience, a small rodent ran across in-front of the podium. Some photographers snapped a photo of it but questions of what kind of rodent it was began to be discussed. A wildlife biologist, Russell Link, identified the rodent as a vole, which is commonly referred to as a meadow mouse. The vole ran from one bush, across the steps where Obama was, and into another bush. It is not clear whether the president saw the rodent or not, but minutes later he went into his office without answering questions. Workers at the White House said this was not the first sighting of a rodent appearing at a president address; surprisingly the same rodent appeared the week before when camera crews were setting up for a previous presidential address. The White House was originally built on swamp, so there is no surprise that rodents are an issue. Voles are usually found in grassy areas and underground burrows. Voles rummage though the ground, uprooting grass, causing destruction to your lawn. If you have a vole problem or any other rodent problems contact JP McHale by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, twitter, or visit us on our website.
Picture Source, New York Post article
Posted on May 20, 2010 with No Comments
Mice are scared off by rats and cats, but how do they know when they are coming or if they will harm them? A BBC News article recently showed how tests have been conducted to seek an answer to this question. They found that through the predator’s urine mice can sense if they are approaching them. Mice will go away from the scent, and then stand up on their legs to determine if they need to dash away. A study was conducted where they put a mouse in a cage with a rat that was anesthetized. The mouse was not alarmed and seemed to be comfortable with the rat. These results conclude that mice are usually not scared by the predator’s initial appearance, rather through the urine they can tell and be alert if they need to run. Having a cat in a house is always helpful to keep mice out, but not everyone has cats and sometimes the mice are too quick for the cat. To learn more about mice and how to prevent them check out our website, or contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, facebook, twitter, or live chat. | <urn:uuid:9c0f2d50-de40-48f3-b8df-5b5afa4214af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nopests.com/blog/tag/mouse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975559 | 1,286 | 1.671875 | 2 |
From the Catholic Sentinel:
US bishops set March 30 as day of prayer, fasting for religious liberty
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON — The U.S. bishops have urged Catholics and “all people of faith” across the nation to observe March 30 as a day of prayer and fasting for religious freedom and conscience protection.
The bishops announced the daylong observance in a statement titled “United for Religious Freedom” that was approved March 14 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Committee.
They asked Catholics and others to join them in “prayer and penance for our leaders and for the complete protection of our first freedom — religious liberty — which is not only protected in the laws and customs of our great nation, but rooted in the teachings of our great tradition.”
The bishops said that among current threats to religious liberty is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate that forces employers, including religious ones, to provide coverage of contraception/sterilization in their health plans.
Prayer resources have been posted on the USCCB website, HERE.
Also, “Prayer for Religious Liberty” prayer cards are available as a downloadable PDF file. The cards are available in English and Spanish, and feature three different images: Mary as the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the U.S.; Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the unborn; and St. Thomas More, the patron saint of the legal profession who was martyred for standing up for his religious beliefs. | <urn:uuid:4bc94ace-d45c-421b-b528-ddc33a20dd70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/03/30-march-usa-day-of-prayer-and-fasting-for-religious-liberty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96013 | 328 | 1.601563 | 2 |
UHP Seatbelt Convincer Reinforces Importance Of Buckling Up During Awareness Fair
A local youth learns about the importance of buckling up from a Utah Highway Patrolman during the Carbon County Community Awareness Fair last Thursday. The seatbelt convincer provided fair participants with a firsthand experience of force created by a slow-speed impact. Attendees were buckled into the convincer, which collided into a barrier at a rate of seven miles an hour and created a significant jolt. The law enforcement officials utilized the tool to encourage Carbon County residents of all ages to use seatbelts and child safety restraints. | <urn:uuid:07b9c3a6-61c6-4d14-be94-65d97061ac1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sunadvocate.com/print.php?tier=1&article_id=5692 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937504 | 123 | 2 | 2 |
What alarmed Marty was the fact that the authorities did, in fact, react as swiftly and definitively against these young tormentors; however, when it comes to the bullying that's done to their peers, everyone drags their heels. Worse, they fall into a very predictable pattern of complete denial. ("Those boys are good as gold"...Kim Lockwood) Once he pointed that out, they whole story about Karen Klein became a whole different story for me.
I'm wondering how "they" would respond to that. We know all too well about the intense bullying that goes on both in the schools and on the school buses. For those of us who have seen the movie, "Bully", we've seen it up close and personal. Some of you have been bullied yourselves or have kids who have been. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
"I feel really bad about what I did," Wesley, one of the boys in the video, said in a statement issued to the show by police. "I wish I had never done those things. If that had happened to someone in my family, like my mother or grandmother, I would be really mad at the people who did that to them."while the other youngster stated:
"I am so sorry for the way I treated you," Josh, another one of the boys, said in a statement. "When I saw the video I was disgusted and could not believe I did that. I am sorry for being so mean and I will never treat anyone this way again."See, they aren't born to act that way!! That repulsive, and dangerous!, behavior is taught. Directly or indirectly, the lesson is still taught and learned. I'm wondering what would happen if every case of bullying went viral like the Karen Klein incident did? Forced to actually see their actions as the video goes viral, and sentenced to hearing the world respond to their spiteful, nasty behavior, I'm wondering if we'd start seeing some of these young bullies begin to turn away from their negative and cruel behavior? One can always hope. | <urn:uuid:67d8321e-56d4-451e-bf98-1885891b2c1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ronkemp.blogspot.com/2012/06/wondering.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987983 | 421 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Lake County commissioners announced Monday they plan to conduct an engineering and architectural study of the Lake County Jail in Painesville.
One of the major concerns with the jail, which opened in 1990, is water infiltration, said Commissioner Daniel P. Troy. Preliminary estimates indicate potentially large repair costs.
Troy said the county’s Juvenile Detention Center is more than 30 years old and it might make sense to address the needs of both jail populations together.
The study could also help determine whether a new facility would be the best course of action for the county, he said. It could also suggest options to reduce future costs by finding ways to share services such as food preparation and to explore possible partnerships with neighboring counties.
The commissioner said the study, which he anticipated would cost around $40,000 and be completed in a couple months, would help officials decide the best option.
“Rather than us trying to sit down ourselves we thought it would be smart to spend a little money and have professional expertise and do an analysis on this facility,” Troy said.
A preliminary project description states the study would examine the jail from a capacity and programming standpoint.
The selected firm would examine the cost benefit of maintaining the existing facility with the anticipated capital renovation cost versus a new facility that may encompass other detention operations in the county.
The project would also research the operational analysis of a new facility based on current and future trends.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Frank Leonbruno said the jail study is a needed part of continued operations.
“Although we’ve worked very hard to maintain the internal components it’s an aging structure,” Leonbruno said.
How to serve a larger jail population is also something to consider, Leonbruno said.
The average daily Lake County jail population in 1989 was around 100 inmates and the facility was designed to house 353 inmates.
Leonbruno said Monday the jail’s inmate population was 399, and 380 of those inmates were convicted of crimes by Lake County courts
Extra space previously had allowed the county to rent plenty of beds to outside entities such as Cuyahoga County or the U.S. Marshals Service and with that came additional revenue to pay for housing costs and debts on the jail building.
“If you look at that growth over the past 23 years, we have to look at if this growth is going to continue,” Leonbruno said. “If that growth continues, what do we do for beds?”
The chief deputy said the county is one of the most proactive in the state to find ways not to incarcerate people whether utilizing house arrest, community service or other types of programs.
He said the jail population used to consist of about two-thirds of inmates convicted of misdemeanor crimes and one-third felons, but that has flipped around.
“Now there is a push to push low-level felon offenders back to the county jails,” Leonbruno said. “It’s great for the state, not so great for the counties because we’re not getting the funding to help us with those costs.”
Commissioners said firms interested to conduct the study should provide a statement of qualifications by Feb. 25. | <urn:uuid:7c250431-bc46-49b4-9035-de724ca3ae78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2013/02/12/news/doc511954d9c48b6006041560.prt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96482 | 681 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Acute kidney injury.
Lancet. 2012 May 18;
Authors: Bellomo R, Kellum JA, Ronco C
Acute kidney injury (formerly known as acute renal failure) is a syndrome characterised by the rapid loss of the kidney's excretory function and is typically diagnosed by the accumulation of end products of nitrogen metabolism (urea and creatinine) or decreased urine output, or both. It is the clinical manifestation of several disorders that affect the kidney acutely. Acute kidney injury is common in hospital patients and very common in critically ill patients. In these patients, it is most often secondary to extrarenal events. How such events cause acute kidney injury is controversial. No specific therapies have emerged that can attenuate acute kidney injury or expedite recovery; thus, treatment is supportive. New diagnostic techniques (eg, renal biomarkers) might help with early diagnosis. Patients are given renal replacement therapy if acute kidney injury is severe and biochemical or volume-related, or if uraemic-toxaemia-related complications are of concern. If patients survive their illness and do not have premorbid chronic kidney disease, they typically recover to dialysis independence. However, evidence suggests that patients who have had acute kidney injury are at increased risk of subsequent chronic kidney disease.
PMID: 22617274 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Link to Article at PubMed | <urn:uuid:891d4558-e96d-4b2c-ba98-77ba2d5a9754> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beckerinfo.net/JClub/2012/05/24/acute-kidney-injury/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958447 | 286 | 2.984375 | 3 |
So I've been reading The Body Odd again and found an article that goes perfectly with Spring. It's a study that found that people who glanced at the color green for two seconds before starting a creative task performed more creatively than those who glanced at other colors.
Flower Photography by CarolynCochrane
In this study, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin journal, 69 men and women were given two minutes to write down as many uses as possible for a tin can. A coder then rated each idea for its creativity and cleverness.
5x7 Matte Print of Grass Blades by Kudos2uPhotos
Overall, those who saw the color green for two seconds before the task came up with more creative ideas than those who saw white, gray, red, or blue. The green used was the green commonly seen in nature.
Pale Yellow by riotjane
Of course, this is a pretty small study, and I think the results from this study can lead to larger, more detailed studies. A larger sample of participants should be the first thing in order. Next, I'd like to see how they rated the creativity and cleverness of an idea. Third, what about looking at a color for longer than 2 seconds? And lastly, does it work if they used a green that wasn't natural looking?
Spring Leaves Abstract Photograph by FocusGroupFoto
But it doesn't surprise me that the green of nature inspires creativity. After all, seeing plants grow, especially after winter, is inspiring in itself. And, being in nature and seeing the sun outside shining on the grass makes me want to go out and do something, anything really. It's also not surprising since other colors are associated with affecting moods, such as red meaning passion, energy, or anger (basically leading to some sort of action), and blue bringing calm, melancholy, or peace (leading to inaction?) Regardless of all the unanswered questions this study brings, it can't hurt to add a little green to my work station :)
By Ben, via Flickr (one of my favorite pictures of all time!) | <urn:uuid:2080f98a-4303-4d8c-8400-b83634111038> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://petitehermine.blogspot.com/2012/04/does-green-spark-creativity.html?showComment=1334157649565 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965088 | 430 | 2.15625 | 2 |
A little while back I was involved with a woman (musician, nothing to do with animation) who had this:
For you younger readers, that's a "picture disk". It has music "encoded" into circular grooves which can be heard by spinning it against a needle with an amplifier attached. Sort of like this:
Usually they were round and black like in the picture above.
Picture disks were special promotions. Collector's items, like pogs or Grimace glasses from McDonald's.
This picture disk was the eponymous single (don't make me explain that...) by David Bowie from the soundtrack to the animated film When the Wind Blows.
I hadn't seen the film at the time I was dating the woman. For clarity's sake, she hadn't seen it either.
The film was released in 1986. I remember 1986. As a child, I was afraid of nuclear war. Reagan was a scary son of bitch. The media uproar over The Day After led to school board assemblies across America. What should we tell our children? The children! The children!
Today, when I hope against hope for an atom bomb to plop square on my noggin, When the Wind Blows is a curious artifact. It's production technique is interesting -painstaking in its day, easily achieved by amateurs 20 years later. The characterizations and animation are heartfelt.
The story -a long, brutal descent into wretchedness and death by two geriatric Brits -is, well, a long, brutal descent. I suspect the content of the film is as alien and bizarre today as the 45 rpm picture disk pressed to promote it. | <urn:uuid:421445a9-099c-4953-90d7-954a196e832e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asteriskpix.blogspot.com/2008/12/speaking-of-david-bowie.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970035 | 340 | 1.539063 | 2 |
by Ruby Coleman
While there were colonial wars and the French and Indian War that our ancestors may have been involved in, our research strategy usually begins with the Revolutionary War. Because of Indian attacks, the colonists were ready when the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776.
Do you have Revolutionary War ancestors? A rule of thumb is that men who served were born between 1740 and 1765. Records of the war are in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Researchers can also use compiled military service records which are on microfilm and also indexed. The microfilm can be used at the National Archives, but is also available at the LDS Family History Library and their many Family History Centers.
The first law creating pensions for Revolutionary War soldiers was on 18 March 1818. Soldiers applied through about 1832 to 1835. This law required that they needed to serve at least nine months and had a need for the pension. The act of 1832 removed the need for requirement and widows could start applying in 1836.
Pension files contain more genealogically interesting information. There is proof of identity, evidence of service and the record of action on the claim. The average pensioner was in his 70s when he applied. The bulk of those applying were then living in Kentucky. If your Revolutionary War ancestor was still living in 1840, you should be able to find him on the 1840 US Census indicating that he had served.
Not only could the Revolutionary War soldier apply for a pension, but some were also entitled to bounty-land warrants. These were issued for service of three years or more in a state or Continental unit. The land awarded was in the Virginia Military District of Ohio (then part of Virginia). Pennsylvania offered “donation land” in the western part of the state. New York awarded land in the western part of that state; Massachusetts awarded land in what later would become Maine. The states of North Carolina/Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Maryland offered bounty land and that information can be found in state archives. The Revolutionary War bounty land warrants have also been microfilmed.
After the Revolutionary War, the United States Army was established as a small regular Army with state and territorial militia. Microfilm also exists for soldiers who served and were involved in Indian campaigns and disturbances. These records are also indexed.
Most of the soldiers involved in the War of 1812 were born around 1790 or slightly before that date. Microfilm exists for the compiled military service records for all states that participated except the Territory of Mississippi. An index is available to the consolidated records and there are indexes for North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana on microfilm.
The first pension act pertaining to War of 1812 soldiers was in 1871 and pertained to those who had served 60 days or widows who had married before 1815. In 1878 an act was passed for veterans with 14 days or more of service and for all widows. These have not been microfilmed, but there is an index on microfilm. Bounty land warrants were taken up primarily in Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois. After 1842 the warrant could be used in other public domain states and after 1852 they could be sold or assigned.
Congress declared war on 13 May 1846 and this subsequently became the Mexican War. The compiled military service records have not been microfilmed except for the Mormon organizations and those from Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Pennsylvania. These are indexed and on microfilm. While pensions were granted, they have not be microfilmed, but there is an index on microfilm.
The following are some interesting Internet sites that will assist you with researching these wars:
The following are extremely helpful books that should be consulted if you are researching ancestors from these wars. The books, all compiled by Virgil D. White, are generally available in larger libraries with genealogical collections ... or ask your librarian to secure them on interlibrary loan.
Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, 4 vols. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1990-92.
Index to Volunteer Soldiers, 1784-1811. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1987.
Index to War of 1812 Pension Files, 3 vols. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1989.
Index to Mexican War Pension Files. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1989.
Index to Old Wars Pensions Files, 1815-1926, 2 vols. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1987.
Keep in mind that your ancestor may have served, but never applied for a pension or bounty land. You may learn through some of the above books that his application was rejected. It is still a good idea to obtain the file as it may contain a good deal of enlightening information. | <urn:uuid:d115c0d2-652b-4658-9538-d0ea1faa6da3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://genealogytoday.com/columns/ruby/040720.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967889 | 1,000 | 3.75 | 4 |
46-6-311. Basis for arrest without warrant -- arrest of predominant aggressor -- no contact order. (1) A peace officer may arrest a person when a warrant has not been issued if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person is committing an offense or that the person has committed an offense and existing circumstances require immediate arrest.
(2) (a) The summoning of a peace officer to a place of residence by a partner or family member constitutes an exigent circumstance for making an arrest. Arrest is the preferred response in partner or family member assault cases involving injury to the victim, use or threatened use of a weapon, violation of a restraining order, or other imminent danger to the victim.
(b) When a peace officer responds to a partner or family member assault complaint and if it appears that the parties were involved in mutual aggression, the officer shall evaluate the situation to determine who is the predominant aggressor. If, based on the officer's evaluation, the officer determines that one person is the predominant aggressor, the officer may arrest only the predominant aggressor. A determination of who the predominant aggressor is must be based on but is not limited to the following considerations, regardless of who was the first aggressor:
(i) the prior history of violence between the partners or family members, if information about the prior history is available to the officer;
(ii) the relative severity of injuries received by each person;
(iii) whether an act of or threat of violence was taken in self-defense;
(iv) the relative sizes and apparent strength of each person;
(v) the apparent fear or lack of fear between the partners or family members; and
(vi) statements made by witnesses.
(3) If a judge has issued a standing order as provided in 45-5-209, a peace officer shall give a defendant charged with partner or family member assault both written and verbal notice of the no contact order issued pursuant to 45-5-209. The notice must include specific conditions as ordered by the court.
History: En. Sec. 32, Ch. 800, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 425, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 350, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 484, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 304, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 411, L. 2005. | <urn:uuid:eb6a024b-9b18-48fd-9592-eb0ca0fe1cae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/mca/46/6/46-6-311.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946122 | 508 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Send an E-Postcard of:
Farren Memorial Hospital, Montague City, Mass.
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.
Montague City was a tiny village, first settled in 1792, when it became a manufacturing center in 1885. Taking advantage of the water power available at the terminus of the reconstructed Turners Falls canal, which emptied into the river at Montague City, the Montague City Rod Company set up operations there. Other manufacturing firms moved in and the town grew significantly. In 1900, Barney Farren, a leading citizen of the town, pushed for the creation of a community hospital, and the facility was later named after him. By the early 1950s the front porch was rebuilt, and columns, a railing, and a statue were added. Farren Memorial operated as an independent facility until 1984, when it was joined with Providence Hospital and Mercy Hospital, both western Massachusetts facilities, into Providence Systems and then Sisters of Providence Health Systems. Farren Memorial Hospital operated as a general care facility until 1988, when it was converted to a long-term care facility.
top of page | <urn:uuid:9e79889d-d1a5-4f1d-ad0d-4417297940d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americancenturies.mass.edu/activities/postcards/make.do?itemid=15752 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970918 | 248 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Bringing Musical Insights into Conversation with Biblical Hermeneutics
By Cynthia R. Nielsen
Performers and Composers as Co-creators
Bruce Ellis Benson in his book, The Improvisation of Musical Dialogue, argues that instead of choosing between Werktreu1 or a kind of musical anarchy, we should look to the past where we find a way of conceiving music composition as an event in which the composer and performer become “co-creators.” Using Gadamar as a way to help us to begin thinking about models of music composition, Ellis writes, “Gadamer claims that an ideal dialogue has what he calls the ‘logical structure of openness.’ I think there are at least two aspects to this ‘openness.’ First, the conversation often brings something into the open: it sheds new light on what is being discussed and allows us to think about it (or, in this case, hear it) in a new way. Second, the dialogue is itself open, since it (to quote Gadamer) is in a ‘state of indeterminacy.’ In order for a genuine dialogue to take place, the outcome cannot be settled in advance. Without at least some ‘loose-play’ or uncertainty, true conversation is impossible” (p. 15). As Benson notes, Gadamar of course realizes that this is the “ideal” for conversations and that they do not always flesh out in this manner. Likewise, in stressing “openness,” Gadamer is not suggesting that dialogues are without rules. Rather, “the rules are what allow the conversation to take place at all. In effect, they open up a kind of space in which dialogue can be conducted” (p. 15). Though rules are essential for a dialogue to occur, they can be overly restrictive or more on the “open” and “flexible” side and “are themselves open to continuing modification” (p. 15). Though today we tend to think of classical music as not particularly open, Benson shows that historically this view is relatively new and in fact is only one way, not the way to view composition. For example, in the 1800s there were two characteristic ways of conceiving composition and these were exemplified by Beethoven and Rossini. Though these composers represent two different styles of music, the deeper significance lies in the differing ways that they understand the nature of musical compositions, the role of the performance in expressing them, and the relation the artist and the community (p. 16). As Benson explains, “Beethoven saw his symphonies as ‘inviolable musical “texts” whose meaning is to be deciphered with ‘exegetical’ interpretations; a Rossini score, on the other hand, is a mere recipe for a performance’ (Carl Dahlhaus, Nineteenth-Century Music, p. 9 [Benson, p. 16]. In other words, Beethoven’s view is the more recent, innovative view that has come to characterize how we think of classical music as Werktreu, whereas Rossini’s conception was significantly more flexible, allowing the performer to participate in the creative process. Moreover, for Rossini, “it was not the work that was given precedence; rather, the work (and thus the composer) was in effect a partner in dialogue with performers and listeners” (Ibid., pp. 16-17).
Benson on the Openness of Composing
In chapter two Benson observes our tendency to think that a musical composition is finished when the piece (in its “final” version) is written down. However, there are a number of assumptions that we should question in connection with such a conclusion. For example, why assume that a process of revisions always leads to a better version, much less to the “perfect” version? Beethoven was known for ceaselessly revising and offering a number of variants for musical passages and entire sections. Even if we grant that his revisions generally improved his work, we should not necessarily conclude that they always did. Beethoven himself often commented that his works contained a number of imperfections that he simply had to let stand given his duties and other commitments. As Benson points out, there are number of “nonartistic” reasons for compositions reaching a “completion” stage. “[T]he vicissitudes of life have a way of deciding something is finished—whether or not the artist is of the same opinion” (p. 68).
Is there a sense in which a composition becomes “fixed” and definite, or is it the case that even for the composer there is a certain “indefiniteness” and indeterminacy involved in his or her work even when the composition is “finished”? Arguing for the latter, Benson explains that though it is the case that composers have “reasonably” definite intentions, “it would be impossible for their intentions to encompass all of the details of any given piece”(p. 67). In other words, often or perhaps most of the time, the composer himself is unsure exactly how he wants every aspect and detail of the work to sound until the piece is actually played with a specific group and very particular instrumentation. Mozart, for example, would at times perform different versions of the same work to a group of friends in order to seek their input as to which is preferred. Benson proffers a number of other examples, which I will forego for brevity’s sake.
There is also the additional complication of the performer “rightly” interpreting the composer’s intentions. To illustrate, Benson quotes Edward Cone who comments on the difficulties performers face in playing Chopin’s music, “The performer’s first obligation, then, is to the score—but to what score? The autograph or the first printed edition? The composer’s hasty manuscript or the presumably more careful copy by a trusted amanuensis? The composer’s initial version or his later emendation? [and so on]”2 (p. 70) To be sure one might give good reasons for choosing and preferring one version over another. But still we must recognize that performers, conductors and arrangers play a role in the process of composing, i.e., composing a work that is already “finished.” Yet, as we stated earlier, composers certainly have some definite intentions, but how extensive those intentions are is another question (as Benson asks, using Husserlian language—are they “vague” or “distinct” intentions?) Composers can and do, for instance, change their minds about certain works over a long period of time. Likewise, composers may not even be aware of a lack of determinacy until the work is performed. Though dealing with verbal content, Benson cites a passage by Hirsch that is applicable to musical content, “Determinacy does not mean definiteness or precision. Undoubtedly, most verbal meanings are imprecise and ambiguous, and to call them such is to acknowledge their indeterminacy: they are not univocal and precise. This is another way of saying that an ambiguous meaning has a boundary like any other verbal meaning, and that one of the frontiers on this boundary is that between ambiguity and univocality” 3(p. 74). We tend to associate boundary with precision, so “what does it mean for an ambiguous meaning to have a ‘boundary’”? (p. 74). As Benson points out, boundaries can of course be conceived differently. For example, they can be thought as rigid and inflexible or in a more flexible and bending way. This more flexible conception is the model for which Benson argues in terms of the “boundaries” of a musical work.
A number of interesting parallels might be drawn from what we have highlighted in regard to Benson’s musical findings and Biblical hermeneutics. Here I would like to widen this monologue to a larger conversation and hear your thoughts. Specifically, what are some of the ways that we might bring Benson’s discussions above in dialogue with biblical hermeneutics—how might we understand the nature of Scripture itself and our roles as interpreters (in a community or tradition)? In what ways might we apply (or not apply) the above musical insights to Scripture and why? | <urn:uuid:cf45a85d-7cd6-4828-83e9-f9f07502f776> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://churchandpomo.typepad.com/conversation/2007/01/bringing_musica.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963212 | 1,788 | 2.421875 | 2 |
With work on Leitchfield’s new water intake winding down, the utilities commission is starting to make final payments to contractors.
Clay Pipeline of Manchester and Cleary Construction of Tompkinsville were the main companies working on the roughly $5 million project, which included putting a new raw water intake closer to Rough River Dam and building a nearly nine-mile pipeline to bring the water to the city.
Clay Pipeline built the $3.7 million pipeline, while Cleary built the $1.076 million intake.
During the commission’s Thursday, Dec. 6, meeting, city utilities superintendent Kevin Pharis noted that about 90 percent of the retainage for Clay Pipeline has been released at this point, with only a few final cleanup issues to be addressed. Some of that work may have to wait until spring, he said. The city will hold enough funding back to cover those anticipated costs.
In a construction contract, retainage is money earned by a contractor but not paid to the contractor until the completion of construction or some other agreed-upon date. The amount is held back as assurance for the quality of the work.
Pharis said a related contract with Horsley Construction $44,200 to replace 400 feet of 18-inch discharge line at the water plant has been completed, and the city is awaiting some final change orders from Cleary that are expected next week.
A final progress meeting on the project is set for early January, Pharis said.
Leitchfield draws water from Rough River Lake for residential and commercial use. The new intake, about 4.5 miles from Rough River Dam, will replace the current one that goes from Peter Cave to Clifty Creek. The new spot will give the city a larger area to draw water from during winter pool, allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to drop the lake level. It also could allow the city to draw more water overall if needed for future growth. | <urn:uuid:f779045f-3b7d-4b9e-8227-e19187579acf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gcnewsgazette.com/pages/home/push?per_page=5&x_page=34&class=next_page&rel=next | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962213 | 401 | 1.671875 | 2 |
All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to firstname.lastname@example.org. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Page added in July 2011.
- Shaqqa (Maximianopolis)
(Theatre of Bosra)
Shaqqa is a small town east of Philippopolis (Shahba) in southern Syria; because of some imposing Roman ruins it has been associated with Maximianopolis in Arabia, a town mentioned as a dioceses in a list of bishops attending the 451 Council of Chalcedon. The Maximian referred to by the name of the town is most likely Diocletian's co-emperor.
Shaqqa is located in Hauran, a region of Syria which enjoyed a period of great prosperity after being annexed to the Roman Empire by Emperor Trajan in 106 AD. Hauran is a low tableland which is limited to the west by the Golan Heights and to the east by Jebel al-Druze, a range of low mountains which today are named after the Druzes who migrated to this region from Lebanon and repopulated it in the XIXth century; these mountains separate Hauran from the Syro-Arabian desert, a combination of steppe and true desert which from Syria and Iraq reaches Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
The locals call Kaisariye (imperial palace) the imposing ruins of a palace which perhaps was the residence of the governor of the town; the fašade is extremely well preserved and it is a rare example of this type of civilian buildings.
The residence was built around a large central paved courtyard which was not surrounded by a portico, but gave direct access to halls and rooms.
An unusual aspect of Kaisariye is the relatively large number of windows opened in the external walls; traditional Roman houses did not have such windows and all rooms received light from doors and more rarely windows in the courtyard.
The shape and decoration of the windows varies; in some cases the elaborate decoration is based on grapes, a reference to the rich agriculture of the region.
Kaisariye is generally thought to have been built at the middle of the IIIrd century; this timing would make its construction to coincide with the monuments of Philippopolis, which however show a very poor decoration, so maybe Kaisariye was built at a slightly earlier time when craftsmanship was at a higher level.
The palace continued to be inhabited during the Byzantine era and a building near the palace was turned into a church; Christian references were added by erasing the previous decoration of some lintels.
When exactly Maximianopolis was abandoned is difficult to say, although it is likely this occurred in the XIIIth century when the region was invaded by the Mongols from the north and a few years later by the Mamelukes from the south.
In the XVIIth century Druzes from Lebanon relocated to Hauran because of rifts among clans of their community; they were followed by more Druzes in the XIXth century; the newcomers repopulated some of the Roman towns and villages and nested their homes in the ancient buildings; although today the majority of the population has modern accommodation, some ancient buildings are still utilized.
This complex of buildings is now a farm; it is located to the east of Shaqqa; it was probably a civilian building which was turned into a fortified monastery by the Byzantines when the security of the region started to decline.
The massive tower allowed the early detection of Bedouin tribes approaching the town from the desert behind the mountains; at Shahba, similar to the other Roman towns of the regions, buildings have the black colour of the basalt stone which was employed in their construction.
The Roman presence in southern Syria, in addition to the concentration of monuments in some towns, is documented by a large number of tombs, bridges and other buildings disseminated in the whole region around Damascus and not only in Hauran.
Zabadani is a modern ski resort in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, very near the border between Syria and Lebanon and just a few miles away from Heliopolis (or Baalbek), the most important Roman town of Lebanon.
Map of Syria with all the locations covered in this website
To search this site you can use | <urn:uuid:d39c3b7e-72dd-4596-8781-dead11cf9d07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Shaqqa.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977269 | 891 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Evolution Education Opportunities
2. NCSE's Ed Director Louise Mead is joining with Jim Costa and Kefyn Cately to offer a course at Highlands Biological Station "Evolution in the Blue Ridge: A Field and Lab Course for Science Educators" - June 20-July 2, at Western Carolina University and Highlands Biological Station. Here is more information and links to the course: http://www.wcu.edu/hbs/currentyrcourses.htm
J3. udy Scotchmoor and Louise Mead will be offering the Think Evolution Summer Institute again, inviting middle school, high school, and community college biology and science educators. The summer institute will run August 1-5 at the University of California Berkeley and feature conversations with scientists and hands-on activities. Details can be seen at http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/about/institute11.php
New Assessment Tool for
Probably most valuable is the "My Item Bank" where you can select ready-to-use test items to use for your own pre/post-tests. You can select items missed by the highest percentage in previous studies (grouped by middle school and high school) - pre-test your students, point them out to your class clearly as misconceptions, then provide interactive experiences for your students to work with the current scientific understanding to see that it works - and to see that their misconceptions do not work, or do not fit what we observe.
The challenge for teachers is to bring a focus to common misconceptions - and why they are misconceptions - then provide those experiences that will repair those ideas, while still addressing the required state standards. Many of those misunderstood topics are addressed in the standards, but some may not. If nothing else, the lists of commonly misunderstood topics will help teachers to recognize some of their own misconceptions, so they don't pass them on to their students. In addition, it alerts teachers (and their students) to those ideas so they will make a special effort - and spend extra time - to get them right!
You may find misconceptions (and questions based on them)
that you could add to (or replace some of...) the statements
in the ENSI surveys intended to expose those mistaken ideas:
Knowledge Survey (focusing on common Nature of Science
misconceptions, and our Evolution
Survey that probes commonly misunderstood ideas about
Evolution. See http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/sci.tst.html
New Laetoli Trackway Files
Do-It-Yourself DNA Kit files revised
Whale Evolution PowerPoint
This PowerPoint was developed for presentations at
science teacher conventions. I discourage its use in
place of students doing the interactive lessons directly, but
parts could be shown for introduction, and other parts
as review or wrap-up. | <urn:uuid:f3ffabeb-58be-4900-b7a7-4a4bbf202551> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/News-May.2011.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908436 | 585 | 2.578125 | 3 |
16, 1820, (effective January 1, 1821) from Howard County and named for
County Seat: Columbia
|Smithton Company, a real
estate enterprise, founded the town of Smithton in 1818, anticipating
that it might become the seat of justice for the county of Boone.
Located about 1/2 mile west of the present courthouse in Columbia,
Smithton did serve as Boone County's first county seat until 1821 when
Columbia became the favored site.
Tradition maintains that first Circuit Courts met under an arbor of sugar trees. But in Boone, as most counties, courts met outdoors in pleasant weather and then moved indoors to private homes as winter came.
Three years after the move to Columbia, the court contracted for building a "hull of a courthouse," that is, the shell of the building. Subsequent contracts for interior work and exterior finishing continued into 1828. The 40-foot-square, two-story, brick courthouse with hipped roof featured a cupola-like structure at the apex. The courtroom occupied the first floor. After only 20 years, the building was reported in deplorable condition.
In 1845 the court appropriated $10,000 for a new courthouse and appointed William Jewell commissioner. The court boosted the appropriation $5,000 after approving the plan Jewell presented in January 1846. Architect probably was W.M. Winter, whose name originally appeared on a plaque. Little is known about Winter. He entered a proposal for the University of Missouri Academic Hall building, but was not awarded the commission.
The building measured 84 by 51 feet and fronted south. The columns of this courthouse aligned with the columns on Academic Hall at the University of Missouri several blocks south of the courthouse; this explains the unusual corner placement of the courthouse on the square.
Boone County used this courthouse throughout the 19th century. When the 1906-09 courthouse neared completion, the County Court ordered the old building razed. However, after a concerted effort by townspeople to save the building, the decision was made to preserve the columns. Today, the columns of the 1846 courthouse and the columns of the University's Academic Hall stand in their original alignment of the mid-19th century.
This courthouse, which housed a studio of George Caleb Bingham, appears as the courthouse in both versions of Bingham's 1855 painting Verdict of the People.
For the third and present courthouse, the location was moved to the center of the square. Twenty-two architects visited with the court before the court commissioned John H. Felt to draw plans for the new building. The court requested that Felt design a building conforming with their wishes for a restrained classic design. A taller dome, originally planned for the courthouse, met with disapproval; the architect altered the design, producing the lower, rounded dome (see Figure 5). Construction began in 1906 and was finished in 1909. The contractor was J.A. McCarter, Macon, Missouri; cost came to about $100,000.
|Records at Courthouse|
of Deeds: Index
to deeds, 1821-1890; Deed records, 1821-1886; Marriage records,
1821-1919; Negro marriages, 1865-1882.
of the Circuit Court: Circuit
court records, 1835-1886.
Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1821-1925; Probate records, 1871-1886; Index to Probate packets; 1821-1853; Will records 1821-1916
|Local Records Inventory Database|
Census Records | Vital Records | Family Trees & Communities | Immigration Records | Military Records Directories & Member Lists | Family & Local Histories | Newspapers & Periodicals | Court, Land & Probate | Finding Aids | <urn:uuid:53c7c56e-ba13-4511-9aef-950990b725df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mogeneal/court/booneco.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941916 | 799 | 2.890625 | 3 |
In the largest study of its kind, scientists looked at what happened when volunteers ate three levels of sodium: a "high" level typical of that eaten daily by most Americans; an "intermediate" level similar to the maximum recommended intake; and a "low" level roughly half of the "intermediate" level.
Consuming high amounts of sodium has been shown to increase risk for high blood pressure. Table salt (sodium chloride) is about 40 percent sodium.
The study reported today examined lipid data acquired during the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-Sodium Trial, which was conducted at four U.S. medical centers between September 1997 and November 1999. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsored the study.
"The main goal of the DASH-Sodium Trial was to test the effects of sodium intake on blood pressure in two distinct diets," said lead author Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
The DASH diet emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and reduced amounts of red meat, fats and cholesterol. It is widely recommended to help people prevent or reduce high blood pressure and to lower the risk of heart disease. The study team reported in early 2001 that the DASH diet together with low sodium intake reduced blood pressure substantially.
Several small studies had previously suggested that extreme reductions in sodium would increase a person's lipid levels and thus, increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
"The DASH-Sodium trial also provided an unusual opportunity to examine the effects of sodium intake on lipids," Appel said. "We had a
Contact: Carole Bullock
American Heart Association | <urn:uuid:6c366fba-4203-4f99-9ddc-b1ce33b59448> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-2/A-low-sodium-diet-does-not-raise-blood-cholesterol-levels-5489-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949617 | 355 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Workshop on May 8, 2010, in association with ACM CHI 2011 in Vancouver, Canada
This workshop is aimed at exploring the issues at the intersection of feminist thinking and human computer interaction. Both feminism and HCI have made important contributions to social science in the past several decades, but though their potential for overlap seem high, they have not engaged each other directly until recently. In this workshop we will explore diverse—and contentious—ways that feminist perspectives can support user research, design ideation and problem framing, sketching and prototyping, and design criticism and evaluation. The workshop will include fast-moving mini-panels and hands-on group exercises emphasizing feminist interaction criticism and design ideation.
We invite HCI researchers and designers interested in this topic to submit a 4-6 page position paper in the ACM Extended Abstracts format that addresses the workshop themes. Email your paper to feministhci.workshop [at] gmail.com with subject “CHI2011Workshop Submission” by February 18, 2011.
- Submission deadline: February 18, 2011 (extended)
- Notification of acceptance: March 1, 2011
- Workshop at CHI2011: May 8, 2011
If you have any questions or would like to learn about this workshop, please contact the organizers at feministhci.workshop [at] gmail.com. | <urn:uuid:d6a2e932-bc35-42c4-adc9-ffecf4cb5d50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://feministhciworkshop.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/welcome/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936418 | 279 | 1.617188 | 2 |
- Peter Pan
Show based on the classic stories by J. M. Barrie.
"A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies, pirates, and (from time to time) meeting ordinary children from the world outside."
Events for Peter Pan
- Wed 29th May 2013 to Sat 1st Jun 2013 Peter PanPlaza Theatre (Stockport)Buy Tickets
- Thu 22nd Aug 2013 to Sun 1st Sep 2013 Peter PanCox's Yard/ Attic (Stratford-upon-Avon)Buy Tickets
- Wed 20th Nov 2013 to Sat 23rd Nov 2013 Peter PanGrand Opera House (York)Buy Tickets
- Fri 6th Dec 2013 to Sun 12th Jan 2014 Peter PanRichmond Theatre (Richmond upon Thames)Buy Tickets
- Fri 13th Dec 2013 to Sun 5th Jan 2014 Peter PanEmpire (Liverpool)Buy Tickets
- Tue 17th Dec 2013 to Sun 5th Jan 2014 Peter PanWhitley Bay Playhouse (Whitley Bay)Buy Tickets
- Sat 21st Dec 2013 to Sun 12th Jan 2014 Peter PanRegent Theatre/ Britannia Suite (Stoke-on-Trent)Buy Tickets | <urn:uuid:2bf6794a-6711-4100-8247-a5dfffe4f700> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allgigs.co.uk/view/artist/51585/Peter_Pan.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920001 | 284 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Article One Partners (AOP), the world's largest patent research community, today announced that the company has hit a major research milestone, it has issued more than 550 research studies from a broad range of industries: automotive, consumer, medical device, personal fitness and technology. AOP's more than 23,000 registered researchers from 151 countries -- university students, sports enthusiasts, stay-at-home moms and retirees to professors, practicing attorneys and paralegals -- uncover research to discredit or legitimate patent litigation claims.
AOP Community researchers earn financial rewards upwards of $60,000 annually.Research incentives and rewards average $3,500 to $10,000 plus per pay-out,unlike other crowdsourcing platforms that pay nominally. In comparison to the average American worker,according to the National Average Wage Index in 2010 annual income was $41,673.83.According to a USA Today article by Paul Davidson,2011 wages ranged from 49,434 to $41,413.Unlike traditional 9-to-5 jobs,AOP research community earns more plus benefit from incredible work-life balance and flexibility.
"We witness patent litigation in all kinds of industries and we welcome researchers from across all walks of life,"said Cheryl Milone, CEO of Article One Partners.
Founded in 2010, the industry website, Crowdsourcing.org, is a neutral organization dedicated solely
to crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. As one of the most influential and credible authorities in the crowdsourcing space,
Crowdsourcing.org is recognized worldwide for its intellectual capital, crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
practice expertise and unbiased thought leadership. | <urn:uuid:25d75573-b2fd-4741-92af-e33e481a7aa0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crowdsourcing.org/document/article-one-partners-diverse-community----retirees-and-stay-at-home-moms-to-sports-enthusiasts-and-students----earn-60000-annually-on-crowdsourced-research-platform-/18028 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918659 | 330 | 1.867188 | 2 |
We have discussed about anti-virus on the clouds here at Cloud Ave earlier. As I had pointed out in my earlier post on Panda Security, there are some distinct advantages in using anti-virus on the clouds. They are
- Much lower resource consumption on desktops by leveraging the processing power of the clouds
- Better deployment and management capabilities, especially for bigger companies
- Faster patch deployment to protect against newer threats
- Possibility to take advantage of crowdsourcing
- Better forensics
The fourth point about crowdsourcing is very interesting. In that post, I explained it as follows Well, a former Symantec executive understood the advantages of Crowdsourcing and Cloud Computing very well. He ended up starting a company called Immunet, which came out of stealth mode yesterday. This new free product takes advantages of three aspect of the modern day computing to offer a real-time protection against the threats to your computer.
Well, a former Symantec executive understood the advantages of Crowdsourcing and Cloud Computing very well. He ended up starting a company called Immunet, which came out of stealth mode yesterday.
This new free product takes advantages of three aspect of the modern day computing to offer a real-time protection against the threats to your computer.
- Cloud Computing
- Collective Intelligence
Immunet’s product plays the community game very well. They take advantage of crowdsourcing by tapping into the clouds. They gather information about various threats to users security in real time and offer protection against these new threats in real time. They could achieve this by tapping into Cloud Computing technologies to their advantage. Also, their product is uniquely positioned to support the current era of social networks and the contacts through these social networks. They are not only protecting the users from security threats, they also integrate their social contacts to the product and offer an easy way to automatically invite them to take advantage of the Immunet security. Essentially, it is a good marketing strategy to spread the word about their product.
The use of Clouds to offer their anti-virus solutions helps Immunet to decentralize the detection and analysis process. Also, only those detections needed by the users are kept in the users’ computer, thereby, reducing the bloat in the software. The user’s computer is always connected to Immunet Cloud, providing them with real-time AntiVirus protection with a detection set that is always up to date.
There is another trick Immunet uses to offer a better quality protection. It taps into the intelligence gained by the other security applications already installed on their machines. This, along with the fact that it can do it on the whole installed base, makes their offering a superior one compared to other traditional anti-virus solutions.
The change in how we do computing has already happened. It is about time we have security vendors incorporate these shifts in their products. In this sense, Immunet is an anti-virus on clouds tackling the problems of the cloud era. | <urn:uuid:23a52cf7-c629-42b8-a8d4-dee3236e9562> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cloudave.com/1686/virus-security-by-leveraging-community-and-clouds/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959683 | 609 | 1.914063 | 2 |
What lies ahead in 2013Published 7:17am Monday, January 14, 2013
We’re almost two weeks into the new year, and if you’re like the average American, this is the point where your New Year’s resolutions start going the way of the dinosaur.
I hope you’re still doing a better job of managing your money, eating right, exercising and focusing on faith (and if you are, by the way, you should check out our stories about resolutions in the January edition of Peach Living magazine, which is available at stands across Chilton County and at our office).
But as we thought about these resolutions, we wondered: What resolutions would local leaders make? Not resolutions about getting off the couch, of course, but resolutions about what would make their respective municipalities and organizations healthier.
The mayors of Clanton, Jemison, Maplesville and Thorsby, as well as Chilton County Commission and Chilton County Board of Education officials, gave us some great answers. The stories that can be found on the front page of today’s newspaper offer insight to what will be on the agendas for these agencies as the year progresses.
The start of a new year is also a good time for residents to think about how they can help leaders accomplish these goals. So, make this the year you attend a city council or county commission meeting. Listen to the issues your local governments are facing, let those in charge know how you feel about those issues, and do what you can to help.
It takes a community working together to make that community a better place.
–Stephen Dawkins is managing editor for The Clanton Advertiser. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:cafb321f-8ded-424c-b2e0-0c4be7273e8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clantonadvertiser.com/2013/01/14/what-lies-ahead-in-2013/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957115 | 364 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Sep. 18, 2009 So you're a manufacturer about to introduce a new consumer product to the marketplace. Will that product or the manufacture of the product contribute to global warming through the greenhouse effect? Until now, there was no clear way to answer that question.
Scientists are reporting development of a new method for screening molecules and predicting how certain materials, ranging from chemicals used in carpeting to electronics, will contribute to global warming.
Their study is scheduled for the Nov. 12 issue of ACS' Journal of Physical Chemistry A, a weekly publication.
In the new study, Timothy Lee, Partha Bera, and Joseph Francisco note that carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas, which traps heat near Earth's surface like the panes of glass in a greenhouse. However, other gases have the same effect, and in fact are even more efficient greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Scientists know that the molecules in gases differ in their ability to contribute to global warming. But they know little about the hows and whys – the molecular basis of those differences.
The scientists analyzed more than a dozen molecules involved in global warming to find out which chemical and physical properties are most important in determining their inherent radiative efficiency, and thus possess the largest potential to contribute to global warming. They found that molecules containing several fluorine atoms tend to be strong greenhouse gases, compared to molecules containing chlorine and/or hydrogen. They found for the first time that molecules containing several fluorine atoms bonded to the same carbon increase their radiative efficiency in a non-linear fashion.
"It is hoped that the results from this study will be used in the design of more environmentally friendly materials," the study notes.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
- Bera et al. Identifying the Molecular Origin of Global Warming. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2009; 090820133132029 DOI: 10.1021/jp905097g
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:dd6efa19-c080-4e2c-bd34-986915bddb62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916103420.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923836 | 408 | 3.875 | 4 |
|22 May 2013||Home >About the SWMHS|
The four counties of SW England comprising Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
We welcome members who have an interest in the Maritime History of our region, no matter where they live.
We hold a number of meetings each year at different venues throughout the Region, enabling our members and friends to visit many places of maritime interest, from museums, galleries and nautical colleges to ship-yards, naval establishments and fishing ports. Talks and seminars cover a wide range of topics, covering the whole maritime spectrum, and members enjoy a regular opportunity to meet and exchange views on their current work and interests with like minded friends.
We publish an informative newsletter South West Soundings three times a year containing short articles, book reviews and information on our members, events and activities. We also publish Maritime South West which contains a range of articles of historical and current interest. These publications are FREE. In addition from time to time we publish Maritime Monographs in the form of books available to members at minimal cost.
An invitation to join us is extended to anyone whose interests include the sea, ships and seafaring, in the widest sense and at whatever level. The South West Maritime History Society is an informal friendly group and we look forward to sharing with you a varied programme of meetings, visits and events, on a broad maritime theme, at locations throughout the South West. | <urn:uuid:1d6c7111-b0d1-4b6b-948a-bca7786e81b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.swmaritime.org.uk/aims.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943974 | 286 | 1.648438 | 2 |
6.1.1 Editorial Decisions
On the basis of evaluations by the editors and peer reviewers, submitted manuscripts are either rejected or returned to authors with suggestions for improvement through revision. Authors should realize that a request for revision does not guarantee acceptance, because revised manuscripts are subject to editorial review and may also have additional peer review. Several rounds of review and revision may occur before a final decision is reached. Acceptance of manuscripts expressing viewpoints, perspectives, or opinions may be based solely on editorial review, but reports of original data and other major articles almost always undergo peer review, statistical review, and revision before acceptance for publication (see 1.0, Types of Articles). Journals with more than 1 editor may hold meetings during which submitted manuscripts and their reviews, and also revised manuscripts, are presented and discussed before decisions are reached regarding revision or acceptance for publication.
The decisions for rejection, revision, and acceptance all belong to the editor, not the peer reviewers. The term referee, meaning a person to whom a paper is referred for review, is sometimes used synonymously with peer reviewer. However, in the United States referee can be misleading because that term often implies one who has authority for decisions, particularly in sports events. In biomedical publishing, editors have that decision responsibility. Peer reviewers have an important and helpful but advisory role, essentially serving as consultants to editors. | <urn:uuid:4d9d2e3f-5302-426c-8be5-72188de3a791> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amamanualofstyle.com/view/10.1093/jama/9780195176339.001.0001/med-9780195176339-div2-240?rskey=XxUOod&result=1&q= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953259 | 273 | 2.375 | 2 |
Scapegoating, excuses, denial of guilt and playing victim are all common defence mechanisms used by all people at times but amongst the ANC-alliance it has become a reflex action. It is a reaction to criticism, accusations, reprimands or whenever their schemes and plans fail, which is usually the case.
All alcohol abuse and its accompanying miseries are blamed on the "dop" system. Violent behaviour and murder are blamed on apartheid when a culture of violence was established which apparently is transfered from generation to generation, getting worse all the time.
Apartheid is also the cause of our failed education system since black people received "inferior" education at the time and now fail to adapt to well financed "superior" education . The education authorities now have to lower standards and requirements to get learners past grade 12.
Other phenomena like poverty , unemployment , unequal distribution of land and wealth , corruption , rape , drug abuse , child neglect etc all stem from the past according to our president and his supporters.
Only the clever ANC-elite could apparently overcome these handicaps to become wealthy magnates.
An enigma to me however is that the further we move away from the apartheid dispensation , the greater its influence seems to be on events in the country.
Lets hope many voices will join Mamphela Ramphele in denouncing the ANC destructive approach and persuade young people that playing victim has no future.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received. | <urn:uuid:560d8c17-f0a9-4b6f-92f1-434ef5597782> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Excuses-Excuses-Excuses-20130228 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972016 | 355 | 1.796875 | 2 |
From its marble and textile production booms to its place as the hometown of "Big Orange" football and basketball, Knoxville has been an integral part of the fabric of United States' history. The history of the second-oldest city in Tennessee reflects both a diverse and progressive spirit, and a unique culture that is the foundation of the city's present-day prosperity.
With fact-filled photo captions and chapter introductions by author William E. Hardy, Historic Photos of Knoxville rediscovers the fascinating past of the "Marble City" through nearly 200 rare photographs culled from the Library of Congress, McClung Collection, Tennessee Sate Library, Thompson Collection, and the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and showcased with exceptional clarity and beauty.
In scenes of events from parades to politics, celebrations to sporting events, the Old City to Neyland Stadium, and much more, Knoxville shines through the decades in glorious black-and-white photography, displayed in a large format.
"I think Knoxvillians are proud of their history and the photographs selected for this book will afford them an opportunity to take a peek back at their rich history" says Hardy. "The images bring a period of the city's history prior to the advent of urban renewal in the 1950s and 60s to life for residents of all ages."... read the rest of the story by Subscribing now. | <urn:uuid:96ad8d38-30a7-4729-8b49-4108dd5a5359> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seymourherald.com/blog/2007/08/26/the-history-of-knoxville-told-through-historic-photographs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938998 | 285 | 2.234375 | 2 |
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Group of about 30 islands, southeastern Moluccas, Indonesia. It includes the large island of Yamdena, some 70 mi (110 km) long and 30 mi (50 km) wide, and the nearby islands of Larat and Selaru. Though there is a lack of fresh water, the soil supports corn, rice, coconut palms, and fruits. The Dutch claimed the group in 1639 but did not establish rule until 1900. The islands became part of Indonesia in 1949.
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise. For the full entry on Tanimbar Islands, visit Britannica.com. | <urn:uuid:df82ebab-bb50-4a7b-97a0-da3689d0c59c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/tanimbar%20islands | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904955 | 145 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Your #1 source for all things Entertainment, Fashion, Business... and Finance!
Despite our $1.1 trillion worth of buying power, African Americans are still largely underrepresented in the business sector when it comes to ownership, accounting for just 7 percent of all businesses, according to the U.S. Census in 2007, when the entrepreneur landscape was last surveyed.
Programs like the Venture Capital Access Program (VCAP), a partnership between Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of Greater New York (HBSAANY) and The National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) are aiming to turn the tide, however.
A report last year indicated that black-business ownership may actually be on the rise, yet still, the challenge of funding lingers.
Bloomberg Businessweek's Diane Brady looked at the impact startups can have in providing jobs and stopping the erosion of the country's middle class and offered a closer look at why the disparity exists.
Black borrowers face “a perception out there that African Americans have an inferior skill set and expectations,” argues R. Donahue “Don” Peebles, chairman and CEO of Peebles Corp., an African American real estate developer. “How do you start a business if banks won’t lend?” asks the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Smaller nonprofit players such as Seedco Financial, which extends money and technical assistance to low-income entrepreneurs, may help some deal with the funding gap.
VCAP hopes to provide some of that capital as well, linking women and diverse entrepreneurs nationwide with access to venture capital that Ed Dandridge, President and Chief Executive Officer of NAIC, says is essential to innovation and job creation.
According to a press release on the program, entrepreneurs can apply through The Marathon Foundation website at www.marathonfdn.org. VCAP applicants will be reviewed in a series of screenings conducted by the Marathon VCAP selection committee, HBSAANY, and NAIC board members. Finalists will be announced Monday, June 18th and will present their business plans to HBSAANY angel investors at a Pitch Night in New York City on Wednesday, June 27th.
If there are any other opportunities you know of please share them below in the comment section | <urn:uuid:3e6b4e0c-d6d5-4107-8ffd-cdba86e026bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bosschicks.com/profiles/blogs/entrepreneurship-program-offers-financial-aid-to-female-minority-?xg_source=activity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935584 | 461 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Horned Human SkullMarch 20, 2011 0 Comments
Sayre is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 59 miles northwest of Scranton. The exact year is not clear, but during the 1880s a large burial mound was discovered in Sayre. It was reported that a group of Americans uncovered several strange human skulls and bones. The skeletons belonged to anatomically normal men with the exception of bony projections located about two inches above the eyebrows. It appeared that the skulls had horns. The bones were characterized as giant, as they were representative of people over seven feet tall. Scientists estimated that the bodies had been buried around A.D. 1200. The archeological discovery was made by a reputable group of antiquarians, including Dr. G.P. Donehoo, the Pennsylvania state dignitary of the Presbyterian Church; A.B. Skinner, of the American Investigating Museum; and W.K.Morehead, of Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts.
It was not the first time that gigantic horned skulls have been unearthed in North America. During the 19th century, similar skulls were discovered near Wellsville, New York and in a mining village close to El Paso, Texas. At one time in history, human horns were used as signs of kingship. Alexander the Great was depicted with horns on some of his coins. In Moses’ time, horns were a symbol of authority and power. Many gods, including Yahweh, have been depicted with horns. According to historical accounts, the Sayre bones were allegedly sent to the American Investigating Museum in Philadelphia. However, the artifacts were stolen and never seen again. Apparent pictures of the skulls do exist, but many people claim the discovery to be a hoax. Many websites suggest that the objects are of extraterrestrial origin. | <urn:uuid:a4b58bea-4104-4a07-8fc4-45262ea44322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mythicmysteriesmiscellany.devhub.com/blog/603630-horned-human-skull/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986112 | 367 | 3.125 | 3 |
Seed to Cup: Coffee Training in India
Demonstrating leaf rot
Did you know that coffee is the second most important product after tea for Asian Fairtrade producers? Several Indian producers sold Fairtrade Robusta coffee for the first time in 2012. Now they are keen to offer quality coffee in 2013 too. At the Asia Pacific Coffee Forum for Fairtrade producers held last year in Indonesia, Indian producers identified training on coffee production and quality as one of the priority needs. This follow-up training session was one small but very significant move to help achieve that.
More than 40 farmers from three Fairtrade coffee co-ops met at a coffee research station in Wayanad District, Kerala to get trained by the Coffee Board Scientists on the theme “Seed to Cup.”
Over the course of the day, various scientists gave farmers all kinds of information and tips. Mr Prakasan revealed that productivity in Kerala is below the national average and just half of the potential. Dr Suresh Kumar explained how simple interventions like timely pruning, grafting techniques and irrigation can vastly improve yields. Dr Vijayalakshmi talked of pests and diseases and informed the farmers of simple steps to ward them off. Mr George talked about post-harvesting techniques and highlighted how bad practices in drying and storage influence coffee quality. Outturn of coffee, some bad practices like excessive pruning, requirement of shade etc were also covered during the discussion.
Every farmer took something different out of the session. Annakutty liked the information provided on pests and diseases, while Sudha emphasized the relevance of grafting techniques to the farmers. George was particularly keen to organize a training for his farmers on post harvest techniques. Vineesh hoped that this training is only a beginning and talked of a more frequent training from the coffee board. All the farmers groups were keen to take up the offer to get their soil tested by the coffee board, and to receive their recommendations for nutrient application.
The organic farmers pointed out some shortcomings like lack of suitable information for mixed cropping systems and not enough stress on organic farming research. There is always room for improvement!
As the aroma of South Indian filter coffee filled the air, a drizzle brought the curtain down on the program. Meanwhile, I mentally started scheduling more coffee trainings in 2013 to benefit more farmers….
Raju Ganapathy is a Fairtrade liaison officer in India, supporting farmers to join and benefit from Fairtrade. | <urn:uuid:03f6a593-e428-4626-906b-89f1678bbf9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fairtrade.tumblr.com/tagged/IYC2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957944 | 503 | 1.921875 | 2 |
- The Tundra will tow Endeavour on Oct. 12.
- The tow requires a special rig.
- The shuttle weighs in at 300,000 lb.
The full-size Toyota Tundra pickup is just days away from displaying its might by towing a 300,000-lb space shuttle down a Los Angeles street. On Friday, Oct. 12, the Tundra will pull Space Shuttle Endeavour over I-405 in Los Angeles on the shuttle's way to its final resting place at the nearby California Science Center.
While the Tundra is normally rated to tow just 10,000 lb, a specially designed rig created by lifting and transport company The Sarens Group will help the pickup haul Endeavor, which weighs in at a whopping 292,500 lb. Although the truck was originally intended to tow the shuttle on the last leg of its journey to the California Science Center, Toyota recently announced it will instead pull the shuttle over the Manchester Avenue Bridge, which spans Interstate 405 in Los Angeles's Inglewood neighborhood.
That's an even more visible location for the Texas-built Tundra, which will haul the iconic space shuttle without any modifications. According to Toyota, the Tundra that will pull the shuttle is a 2012 model in 4-door CrewMax configuration. It's powered by Toyota's robust 5.7-liter V8 powerplant, which produces a healthy 381 horsepower and more than 400 lb-ft of torque.
"There is no larger or more recognizable icon of the US space program's success than the shuttle, and to have it towed by the Toyota Tundra is not only an incredible example of the capabilities of the truck, but an honor to be part of history," said Ed Laukes, vice president of marketing communications for Toyota Motor Sales. "The entire journey is something the world will be watching, and gives us a chance to prove that the 'overbuilt' Tundra is built to do any job--even tow the space shuttle."
Once the shuttle's journey ends, it will be prominently displayed beginning Oct. 30 at the California Science Center, allowing visitors to view the now-defunct symbol of American space exploration. The Tundra used to pull the shuttle will also be displayed at the Science Center as part of an ongoing partnership between Toyota and the center to provide support and awareness of the space program.
Anyone looking for more information about the Tundra's space shuttle haul can find all the details--and a live stream of the event--on Toyota's Tundra Endeavour website. The event will take place during the evening on Friday, though the exact time is still uncertain.
What it means to you: By hauling Endeavour over the 405 freeway, the Tundra showcases its impressive might--and provides an image that will likely stick in truck shoppers' minds as they consider their next tow vehicle. | <urn:uuid:da025dac-ef0f-425b-9c59-c6ea8b678c96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.autotrader.com/research/article/car-news/193271/toyota-tundra-to-tow-space-shuttle-endeavour.jsp?rdpage=NEWSREVIEWSCONTENTARTICLE_04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92452 | 596 | 2.03125 | 2 |
History of Ozark
Ozark is a member of the "Wiregrass Region." This name was given to an area including southeast Alabama, western Florida and southwest Georgia because of the native wiry-stem grass found here. The Creek Indians inhabited the land nearby on Lake Eufaula, which is only an hour's drive from our city. Many Creek Indians settled along the Chattahoochee River near Dothan. Other regional names have been given to the area such as Southeast Region and Lower Alabama ("LA") Region.
It is said the name of Ozark originated from the comments made by an early traveler, who said the town was located in a hilly area that reminded him of the foothill mountain area of Arkansas.
The early history of Ozark is related in a book Forgotten Trails by Fred S. Watson.
Allen Cooley and his son William came from South Carolina about 1820 and settled in the Ozark vicinity. When the courthouse was at Daleville (1830-1846), the county commissioners built a road which followed the Cooley trail from Daleville to Louisville.
1822 John Merrick Sr., a veteran of the Revolutionary War, moved from Louisville and built a cabin on the east side of the Cooley trail where the present First United Methodist Church stands. In honor of its first settler the town was first called Merricks.
In 1826 Rev. Dempsey Dowling came to the area south of Ozark from his home in South Carolina. He and his descendants were connected with building the first Claybank Church. The Claybank Church structure built in 1852 still stands, and is the oldest log church of its type in Southeast Alabama.
The first name change was from Merricks to Woodshop, in recognition of a local blacksmith's operation to process wood. On June 7, 1843, the Woodshop post office was established on the end of North Union Avenue. The little settlement of Woodshop began to expand. The first municipal water plant was built in 1840 and the first school in 1841.
The first appearance of the name Ozark came in 1855, when a petition requested the name change.
The country courthouse in Newton burned in 1869. An election held on January 30, 1870 determined that Ozark would be the county seat. The town was then incorporated on October 27, 1870.
In the last quarter of the 19th century and for most of the first half of the 20th century, Ozark was primarily a trading center drawing most of its trade from agriculture related activities. In 1870 the Southern Star, a weekly newspaper, began publication. The Southern Star continues in business today.
New growth began in 1941, with the establishment of Camp Rucker. Today Fort Rucker is the well-established home of Army Aviation and the newly formed U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career Center.
Numerous other companies have made Ozark their home over the years. The 1990s brought dramatic changes in Ozark - expanding the city's boundaries to encourage economic development, and increasing the population to over 15,000. 1996 marked the opening of a new Dale County Agricultural Complex and the establishment of a High Technology Center, a small business incubator serving all of Southeast Alabama. | <urn:uuid:af77b6c5-8688-4ec4-8bfe-b21d21628780> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ozarkalchamber.com/ozkhist.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974791 | 659 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Two Sports Greats Whose Lives Are Worth Talking About and Remembered
Forget Lance Armstrong. Forget that Notre Dame guy with the imaginary dead girlfriend. Forget the fact that nobody was nominated to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year and what all of that says about tainted glory.
Let’s talk about Earl Weaver. Let’s talk about Stan Musial. Both of them are already in the Baseball Hall of Fame, with no disclaimers, no errors, just grand slam lives and careers. Weaver and Musial, diminishing further a sports world dominated by obscene amounts of money, crazy, outrageous and sometimes criminal behavior and egos that can only be shaded and shared by confessions with Oprah.
When it comes to baseball, both Weaver, whose fame rests on his hugely successful run as a crafty, crusty Baltimore Oriole manager, and Musial, a major nice guy and star as a St. Louis Cardinal who counted among his peers players like Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, were old school, each in his own way.
Weaver was a major figure in the ranks of managers as colorful characters—a la Casey Stengel—but was also a pragmatic, shrewd visionary who anticipated stat-driven strategies and team building. He was a very smart, hard-working, completely to a fault honest, a man who salivated in front of umpires and became a legend. Musial, for sheer consistency of excellence and effort, stood right up there with his more glamorous peers. Sometimes, he stood above them. Each man defined their baseball times to some extent, and surely their teams and the cities they represented.
Among the many photographs you saw printed of Weaver, after his passing Jan. 19 of a heart attack, included one where he was getting into an umpire’s face, mouth wide open in a scream, full of combative fury, about to kick up home plate, the umpire a moment from yelling, "You’re outta here.” Weaver did not suffer fools gladly, and that included especially umpires, but also his players and the media, which covered just about everybody in his professional world.
But he was always a very smart guy in terms of managing and strategy, and he was blessed with great players like Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and great pitching topped by Jim Palmer. He once quipped that managing was easy—all you needed was a team where every guy was named Robinson. As a man and person, and manager, he understood himself very well, but he understood the game better. He was short of temper and short of stature—five foot seven—but long on game knowledge, charisma, loyalty and a few other things that make up the complexity of being human.
Weaver managed the Orioles from 1968 to 1982 and again for a year and a half in 1985 and 1986. He won 1,480 games and lost 1,060, for the ninth best percentage among managers ever. He won one World Series and lost three; two to the Pittsburgh Pirates and one to the New York Mets, an astonishing upset.
He believed in great pitching and the three-run homer and hated bunting, squeeze or otherwise, or playing for one run. “If you play for one run, that’s all you get,” he once said. He avoided friendship with his players which peeved Palmer but worked for Weaver. He did not avoid criticizing his players—he told one player, according to reports, who was in the midst of a big slump and heading for a chapel to “take your bat.”
For Weaver, who drank inordinate amounts of beer and smoked a lot, managing was work, but sometimes you suspect that heckling umpires was a joy for him. When one umpire offered to let him read his rule book after one loud dispute, he declined, saying “I can’t read Braille.” He was ejected from more than 100 games, which may be a record. But when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, in his acceptance speech, he thanked “the umpires.”
According to the New York Times, when Pat Kelly, a player who led prayer meetings, was peeved that they didn’t get enough time for the meetings, he asked Weaver, “Don’t you want us to walk with the Lord?” Weaver replied “I’d rather have you walk with the bases loaded.”
In his final season—his only losing one—he said, “Just write on my tombstone: 'The sorest loser who ever lived.' ”
I’m not going to check that one. You never know.
Stan Musial, who died at the age of 92, didn’t cuss out umpires as far as anybody knows. If he did, it was quietly, where only the second baseman might have heard what he said. They called him "Stan the Man," and he was described as a gentlemanly slugger, which seems a contradictory term, but there you are.
As a player, he had attitude: the same kind Ernie Banks, the perennially sunny and great Chicago Cubs player and Little Orphan Annie had: the sun will come out tomorrow, and that’s when we’ll play two.
He was born grit and true working class, the son of a Polish immigrant working in the steel town of Donora, Pa., a little ways away from Pittsburgh, the kind of town full of Eastern European mill workers from Serbia, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Ohio and Pennsylvania were full of towns like that—one such was featured in “The Deerhunter.”
But Musial wasn’t rough and tumble: he became a legend for his performances and the way he hit a baseball better than most people. He was one of the good guys. He was an exuberant, warm, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy. He did not have DiMaggio’s aloofness, Williams’s fixated bully competitiveness, May’s bustle-hustling spectacular style or Mantle’s self-destructiveness. Indeed, he was “The Man.”
Here’s why: from 1941 to the 1960s, he hit 475 home runs, got 3,630 hits, drove in 1,951 and had a career batting average of .331, playing on three World Series Championship teams and was named Most Valuable Player three times, playing the outfield and third base. His favorite song? “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” which he could play on his harmonica. He married his wife Lillian, who died last year at the age of 91, in 1940. He was in the restaurant business, hosting Stan and Biggie’s since 1949.
Musial was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011. The president said Musial was “untarnished, a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your kids to emulate.” | <urn:uuid:ee217b58-af88-40c0-9426-6322a6e83714> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgetowner.com/articles/2013/jan/22/two-sports-greats-whose-lives-are-worth-talking-about-and-remembered/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985199 | 1,498 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Something in the news today caught me off guard. What I read was breaking news from the Associated Press (June 10, 2009): “Fiat Closes Deal to Take Chrysler’s Good Assets.” OK, once the Supreme Court removed the final obstacle to the takeover, this was expected. But what jarred me was this: “The Italian automaker won’t put any money into the deal but will give Chrysler sorely needed small-car and fuel-efficient engine technology.” I was surprised first of all that Fiat wasn’t contributing any money. But I was even more surprised that instead of money they were contributing innovative technology. Not that Fiat can’t invent, but what happened to the creative juices of U.S. manufacturers?
Chrysler radiator emblem, on display in America on the Move.
Having once owned a Vega, I know first-hand about Detroit’s problems with small-car technology. Maybe Fiat can help fix this, despite its own flirtation with bankruptcy only a few years ago. However, Detroit was once one of the most innovative places on earth, and U.S. auto manufacturing attracted some of the nation’s most inventive minds. True, in his address to Congress last February, President Obama had his history wrong when he credited America with inventing the car. But, he still had a point: Henry Ford’s introduction of the moving assembly line between 1910 and 1914 certainly reinvented the way cars are made. If you visit the Museum’s America on the Move exhibition and Web site, you can see how he revolutionized the auto industry. “Fordism” captivated not only America but the world.
A generation later, working in Japan during the Allied occupation after World War II, American statistician W. Edwards Deming instructed Japanese engineers and managers in the methods of statistical quality control, widely credited for the Japanese post-War economic miracle and the amazing resurgence of its auto industry. Ironically, facing formidable competition from Honda, Toyota, and other Japanese companies, the U.S. auto industry eventually came around when the ailing Ford company sought Deming’s help in the early 1980s. The result was the profitable Taurus-Sable line of cars. But that was more than two decades ago.
So, I’ll leave you with this 21st century puzzle: What happened to automotive innovation in the U.S. (and why does it need Fiat to show the way)? And, if one of our flagship industries can’t stand up to international competition, what does that say about America’s historic leadership in innovation?
Art Molella is Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Director of the National Museum of American History’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. | <urn:uuid:729fc5f6-331c-4911-b6cd-69749b025a81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2009/06/hey-detroit-wheres-the-innovation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957742 | 579 | 2.265625 | 2 |
A panel exhibition, with interpretive and educational materials, that uses images, broadsides, and letters to explore the early life of Frederick Douglass. Born a slave in Maryland, he made a daring escape to New York City in 1838. Once free, Douglass fought to end slavery and championed civil rights for all Americans. Among the highlights are: a broadside entitled Slave Market of America from the American Anti-Slavery Society, excerpts and quotes from Douglass’s autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, and a letter from Douglass to Hugh Auld, his former slaveowner.
For more information about the host site, visit www.stac.edu/
For further information about the exhibition, visit the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website: www.gilderlehrman.org/programs-exhibitions/frederick-douglass | <urn:uuid:844198ac-66a8-4345-878a-525a3a989083> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gilderlehrman.org/programs-exhibitions/calendar/frederick-douglass-from-slavery-freedom-journey-new-york-city-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907659 | 193 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Workshops & Training
The Excellence in Missouri Foundation provides several opportunities to learn more about performance excellence principles and tools throughout the year. The workshops and events listed below are those that are open to the public. If you prefer, Foundation staff can design customized training to bring on-site to your organization. If you would like additional information, please contact us.
1) Systematic approaches to systematic evaluation and improvement of processes including 10 STEP Process Improvement Process including tools for working with teams, and Plan, Do, Study, Act
2) Brainstorming on Steriods - Five Approaches to more effective brainstorming
3) Tools - Decision Matrix (Tool), Sampling, Scatter Diagrams, SIPOC Diagrams, Storyboarding, value added analysis
This workshop is designed for executives interested in learning the Baldrige model, the leadership role in implementing the model, and a framework for implementing Baldrige in their organizations. Topics covered will include the history of Baldrige, detailed criteria training, application of the criteria to a case study, the benefits and challenges of implementing Baldrige by award process recipients, and the development of a Baldrige organizational profile for attendees’ home organizations. The class is offered in two one-day sessions, with a month in between to complete an assignment leading to the completion of an organizational profile. Attendees will complete the workshop with a plan for implementation of the model. Hands-on exercises combined with criteria training will prepare executives for leading Baldrige in their organizations.
Beginning with your current business strategy and operating models, you will learn how to develop more effective work systems and processes which will help your staff to reach optimum performance capcity for a more efficient and effective workforce.
Innovation starts with leadership, but strategic planning and integrated measurement systems drive results. Join us for this informative workshop which will guide your organization to a greater use of current knowledge, and practices to obtain more effective knowledge results and communicate findings systematically to organizational stakeholders, staff, and customers.
Click Here for Kansas City Metro Area Offering
- "The Baldrige Examination Process for Non-Examiners" Registration Form | <urn:uuid:842c478b-f2b3-4c0a-9561-eec12303e24c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.excellenceinmo.org/Pages/OS_ACT_Workshops.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918198 | 439 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The Penobscot County Soil and Water Conservation District was formed on
June 15, 1945, in accordance with Chapter 29, Revised Statutes 1944, of
the Laws of the State of Maine. A board of supervisors carries out the
District’s programs. Two members are appointed by the
Maine Association of
Conservation Districts Advisory Council and three are elected by the
residents of the District. The laws of the District are based on the
principle that landowners and operators should take the initiative and
responsibility in creating programs that will protect and improve
resources that have a direct and immediate bearing on the people.
We work with many partners to provide conservation assistance to the
public. Our primary partner is the United States Department of
Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Through this
partnership, NRCS provides the District with a strong technical
background. We also work with many other federal, state and local
The District reaches out to all local stakeholders in the community to
determine priorities and set a course of action to solve natural resource
problems. We provide local conservation leadership, teach the value of
natural resources, encourage conservation efforts, and help plan and
implement voluntary programs.
Benefits of District Programs
- Local solutions to local problems
- Hands on training.
- Direct technical assistance to the community.
- Conservation education.
- Voluntary, cooperative approach to resource conservation.
- Local leadership.
- Promote understanding of the value of natural resources.
- Protection of drinking water supplies.
- Protection of property values.
- Bring in outside funding to be spent locally.
- Provide technical assistance for community projects.
- Help maintain farm productivity, values and profitability while
protecting the environment.
- Improved quality of natural resources.
- Through the District’s Sponsorship of the Kenduskeag Stream
Watershed Program (PL-566) we have provided over $1,000,000 in
cost-share assistance, which translates to well over $2,000,000 in
conservation practices being installed.
- We host and coordinate the Central Maine Regional Envirothon every
three years. The Envirothon is a competition that tests high school
students’ knowledge of natural resource issues.
- We provide advisory services to residents and municipalities on such
matters as soil testing, fertility management on lawns, recreational and
farm fields, and erosion control measures at construction sites and on
shore frontage. We also provide soil maps, soils information, flood
control area maps, aerial photography and much more.
- Our Education Program provides lesson plans and materials to
schools, teachers and home schooled families throughout the county. We
are also available for presentations to schools and civic groups.
The District coordinates annual plant sales in the spring and fall. We
focus on plants that promote Backyard Conservation.
- Through our partnership with the USDA we are also able to provide
cost-share assistance to landowners through many Farm Bill Programs.
If you have any conservation or natural resource issues please contact
us, we can help! | <urn:uuid:97ee5eef-5241-42a7-b88e-a31b674be8b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://penobscotswcd.org/about.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904876 | 667 | 2.875 | 3 |
Ted Finlayson-Schueler is a veteran school bus safety advocate and president of Safety Rules! He is also a member of SBF’s editorial advisory board. For more info, e-mail him at email@example.com or go to www.safetyrules.net.
Training budgets are being cut with every other budget, and you wonder, “How will I keep my staff thinking safety?” Safety is our bottom line as an industry, and we know that it doesn’t just happen.
I believe that even when you can’t afford to pay an hour’s wage for each employee to sit in a monthly safety meeting (100 x $15/hour = $1,500!), you can continue to support a safety culture by looking for cracks and crevices in the day where you can insert that safety mantra.
Radio: Write up a list of morning and afternoon safety messages that your dispatcher can read on a rotating basis. An enthusiastic and positive morning safety message helps to set the tone for the day.
Bulletin board: Post safety banners and posters in the staff room and offices of your department. Post newspaper articles about school buses, both positive and negative. Be sure the environment speaks safety everywhere you turn.
Reading materials: Leave copies of industry magazines and newsletters in the staff room. Print and leave out copies of National Transportation Safety Board reports, the Kansas State Department of Education’s National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s driver training courses and courses from your own and other states.
Boast about the accomplishments of the staff and of the schools you transport. If you receive information about a staff member who did something great, post it on the bulletin board and praise him or her publicly.
If a school team wins a championship, say it’s because your bus safely drove them there. Post accident-free miles or days since an accident. Post vehicle inspection pass rates.
Use graphs to demonstrate improvement. Make it clear that safety is a priority in your organizational culture.
Even if you can’t pay hourly wages for training, sometimes free food or a drawing for a prize will buy you just as much attention. Schedule short (one topic in 15-20 minutes) presentations during a point in the week or month when staff is hanging around waiting for something like paychecks or afternoon runs.
Not everyone will attend for free food or door prizes, but if the presentation is hard-hitting and interesting and the cookies are good, you will develop a following.
Nothing focuses performance like a contest. Hide Post-its on buses for a pre-trip contest drawing, or have drivers find defects on a specially prepared bus. See who can open all the emergency exits on their bus the fastest while blindfolded. Hide dummies on a smoke-filled bus and see who can find them all in two minutes or less. Do a scavenger hunt with a safety theme or crossword puzzles that require research into safety topics.
Be a role model
Even if budget woes are wearing you down, safety before schedule must still be the priority. Buses with safety defects must still not go out on the road.
If staff shortages put you behind the wheel of a bus, follow safety procedures to a “T.” Show that you are using every avenue to maintain a strong safety culture and remain its champion.
More with less doesn’t have to be a downer. Use it as a time to pull together, to maintain standards and to overcome the odds. It may be your finest hour. | <urn:uuid:06ea33f9-8baf-4ce1-b678-7c17013ee82f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/Channel/Management-Training/Articles/2010/06/Training-around-the-edges.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947454 | 749 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Science is a broad and exciting subject especially for children, who are naturally curious and have questioning minds. It is therefore important that a wide range of experiences is introduced to children in the early years so that they can begin to develop their scientific knowledge.
Inquisitive children can easily be encouraged to find things out for themselves by making observations, carrying out simple experiments and sharing their discoveries. It is also easy to extend activities and introduce ways of recording their findings.
Below are links to themed pages of activities for young scientists.
|Food and Drink||Sight and Sound|
Collections of interesting objects
Children love to look at and touch interesting objects. By displaying simple collections they can start to make comparisons, sort objects into similar groups and develop their communication skills through discussion.
Safety is obviously important when handling certain objects and so adult supervision should be planned.
Learning basic skills and making simple recordings
By introducing the use of new equipment such as scales, magnets, hand lenses and measuring jugs, children can explore and extend their observations and experiments.
By making simple recordings of their observations and discoveries children can then be encouraged to draw conclusions.
In a simple experiment with five balls dropped from the same height the children can count how many times each ball bounces. This can be recorded by using different coloured stickers for each ball and sticking a sticker on a pre-drawn table for each bounce. By looking at the table when the experiment is finished the children can count the spots and see which ball has the most and decide which is the bounciest ball. | <urn:uuid:b8e4c0a1-8e72-4678-9221-62f4fcde1517> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bigeyedowl.co.uk/science/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944913 | 316 | 4.25 | 4 |
Seagrasses are unique as they are the only marine flowering plants. Seagrass beds form complex physical structures and are a highly productive ecosystem. This enables them to support a considerable biomass and diversity of associated species. For the first time the World Atlas of Seagrasses summarises the opinion and science of the world's leading experts on the global status of the ecosystem.
The Atlas is a collaboration of more than 50 authors from 25 nations. Fully illustrated, the Atlas contains the first global and regional maps of seagrass distribution and a wealth of information on key issues concerning this 'forgotten' ecosystem.Resource Type: Books
The Environmental Management Group (EMG). in 2004, decided to focus its attention on environmental capacity building, following concerns of UN agencies and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in this area. Consultants were asked to prepare draft studies for the further work of the EMG on capacity building in the areas of biological diversity and chemicals, respectively. The draft studies were further developed following discussions in the EMG and an Issue Management Group established by the EMG. This paper is the result of these discussions for the area of capacity building for biological diversity.Resource Type: Reports
Since the late 1970s the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has delivered services that support implementation of international biodiversity-related agreements at global, regional and national levels. These services not only support the work of the agreement secretariats, but also of the advisory and governance bodies, and of governments party to the various agreements. The aim of this paper is to illustrate this work through examples of work we have undertaken.
The support that UNEP-WCMC provides is based on expert understanding of the agreements and how they work, resulting from many years of experience and close relationships with secretariats.Resource Type: Reports
Written by UNEP-WCMC and UNEP-FI, this paper provides an overview of biodiversity offsets as a mitigation mechanism and examples of the different types of global regulatory and voluntary initiatives adopting this concept, as well as highlighting some existing challenges and opportunities.Resource Type: Reports
National Parks and other protected areas not only provide a safe haven for biodiversity, they provide benefits to local communities and preserve some of the most beautiful places on our planet. ‘Coverage of protected areas’ is also a specific indicator in the 2010 Target of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Obtaining the data necessary to monitor trends in protected areas requires a massive effort by national authorities to compile, analyse and then distribute this data to the centralised depository of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). With a living and growing system of protected areas that now exceed 100,000 sites covering 19 million square kilometres, you can imagine that this is no small task!
Produced jointly between UNEP-WCMC and UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, this document reviews the business case for biodiversity; provides an overview of impacts by sector and highlights existing and potential opportunities for companies. The document covers a wide range of sectors and complements existing and ongoing work on business and biodiversity.Resource Type: Reports
The forests of eastern Tanzania are a globally important biodiversity hotspot. In this study 361 eastern Tanzanian restricted range forest tree taxa were assessed. Of these taxa, 223 occurred in the Eastern Arc, 150 in Coastal forests, 17 in Northern forests and 21 in the Lake Nyasa forests. The majority of the taxa had restricted elevational ranges with 76.3 occurring in no more than two 200 m elevational bands out of a total potential elevation range of 3000 m. The majority of the taxa occupied a small area in the eastern Tanzanian forests, with 201 taxa being only found at a few sites. In determining priority areas for conservation, selection of taxon definitions can have important effects. For example, tree size varies with elevation, so if only large trees are used then site selection will be biased towards particular areas.Resource Type: Journal Papers
This study demonstrates the utility of carbon isotope discrimination in describing genetic adaptation to arid environments, although it is probably most useful in detecting differentiation when the strategy of the species under investigation is to increase water use efficiency, rather than drought-avoidance. The results suggest that populations on the eastern and western sides of the Andes should be treated as separate management units for the purposes of conserving the genetic resource of this species.Resource Type: Journal Papers
Tropical trees in the genus Aquilaria Lam. are the principal source of gaharu, one of the most valuable forest products traded internationally. Although these species are the focus of increasing conservation concern, information on their status and distribution is lacking. Information from herbarium accessions, a national forest inventory (NFI), field surveys and gaharu traders was used to assess the distribution of Aquilaria species in Indonesia, indicating population concentrations in Sumatra and eastern Kalimantan.
Given current deforestation rates, these data suggest that all Aquilaria species in Indonesia classify as Vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List criteria.Resource Type: Journal Papers
©2013 UNEP All rights reserved | <urn:uuid:54f854c5-0228-403e-8451-be11763b40db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unep-wcmc.org/datasets-tools--reports_15.html?%0A%09%0A%09%09&types=JournalPaper,Report,Book&q=%0A%09%0A%09%09%0A%09%0A%09%09%0A%09%0A%09%09%0A%09%0A%09%09%0A%09%0A%09%09%0A%09%0A%09%09%0A%09%0A%09%09&ctops=Seagrass,Trees,Business,MEAs,Capacity%20Support | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920466 | 1,055 | 3.078125 | 3 |
You can’t actually move an island. But by losing a day, Samoa will improve its position on the globe.
The island nation in the South Pacific had announced earlier this year that it would switch from being on one side of the International Dateline to the other, putting itself in the world’s earliest time zone instead of the latest.
To achieve this change, Samoa has to lose a day. So even though today is Thursday, tomorrow won’t be Friday. Sorry, Rebecca Black! Friday is canceled, as is the date of Dec. 30, 2011.
According to the Guardian, being on the east side of the date line for over a century helped Samoa do business with the U.S. But it is now more convenient for the small country to be on the other side of the line for its trading with New Zealand and Australia.
American Samoa, a nearby U.S. territory, will not be part of the switch. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi had told the Guardian that after this week, tourists will be able to experience a day two times if they spend one day in Samoa then the next in American Samoa. Not bad for a tropical vacation. | <urn:uuid:47f7e4ed-3dfe-47a1-85ea-c644e949eccd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/29/samoa-will-skip-friday-this-week/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950527 | 251 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Establishment of an NCTE DC-area office last summer was only a first step towards expanding our organization’s influence on policies shaping literacy education. Over the past few months, the executive committee has taken a vital next step by carefully researching pending legislation, hosting hearings with key congressional aides, drafting, and approving a legislative platform. The platform will guide on-going work at the national and local levels to inform legislators regarding measures that can truly support, not inhibit, high quality teaching and student learning.
Building the Platform
Last April, a group of NCTE officers and staff leaders met with the government relations staff of the American Association of School Administrators, widely recognized as one of the most effective education groups in Washington DC. Bruce Hunter, their Director of Government Relations, described the process that they use to establish an annual legislative agenda. It involved inviting AASA executive committee members to a series of briefings and working sessions in Washington DC each winter to gather information, focus on the most critical issues to AASA members, and establish core positions for the organization. They invited experts and legislators from both parties to brief them, took several days to analyze and debate positions, then drafted a document that established positions on matters in which their members had both expertise and concern. Subsequently, they developed a field network to offer expert testimony on the issues, and to mobilize their membership to generate communications as needed to inform the legislative process.
After evaluating the AASA experience and practices of other leading education groups, the executive committee appropriated funds for members of the government relations subcommittee and NCTE Officers to come to Washington DC in late January to draft a first-ever NCTE legislative platform. In preparation for the meeting, the NCTE Federal Relations Director (Sandra Gibbs) and our Legislative Consultant (Ellin Nolan) scheduled a series of meetings at the Longworth Building with legislative staffers from the Senate HELP committee and the House Education and the Workforce Committee. They offered a full day of testimony and data about the future of matters like the Higher Education Act, No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, and emerging federal programs relating to high school reform and the American Competitiveness Initiative.
NCTE leaders then spent the better part of the next two days sifting the testimony and information, and drafting a platform document for consideration by the full executive committee in February. Eventually, two documents were passed—a more detailed, technical document for staff to use to advise Congress about specific legislative provisions, and a more thematic document for use with public audiences.
The legislative platform incorporates various NCTE resolutions and guidelines, and weaves them into a series of recommendations to Congress. While consistent, progressive themes are found throughout the document, it draws special attention to matters of immediate policy concern at different scholastic levels and in areas where we have greatest expertise (notably, teacher preparation, professional development, and research). Here’s a selection:
- Early learning recommendations call for a full, independent, study of Reading First to evaluate its long term effects and overall effectiveness. A restoration of full funding for Head Start is singled out for federal action.
- General K-12 recommendations focus on decreasing the emphasis on high stakes tests while investing in assessments that advance, not merely measure, student learning. Further exploration of “growth models” that incorporate longer term evaluations of student cohorts is advocated, as is greater support for English language learners, teachers in high-needs schools, and well-informed literacy coaches.
- Teacher preparation recommendations focus on the need for legislation to support teacher learning about subject matter content and pedagogy. It warns federal investment in only a narrow range of research methodologies or programs aligned solely with this research. It calls for full integration of new technologies in teacher preparation, and establishment of program assessments based on consistent, long-term data drawn from students who have completed teacher preparation study, rather than students who have completed other degrees.
- Professional development, and access to it, is a major focus throughout the document. The emphasis in the NCTE Platform is on support for career-long professional development that is designed to meet local challenges. Measures that expand access to mentors and literacy coaches are advocated, as is more funding for programs that promote the integration of technology and that leverage partnerships between universities, school systems, businesses, and non-profit organizations.
To bring our platform and related issues to the attention of key policymakers, two major undertakings are scheduled for April. During the latter half of the month, a series of email invitations to schedule appointments with Congressional Representatives in their home offices will be sent to NCTE member activists. It will include links to our platform, supporting research briefs, and logistical advice on scheduling and making the meeting count. For those who want to meet key office-holders in Washington DC, we are hosting English Language Arts Advocacy Day on April 27. The day will begin with briefing from Congressional Aides, NCTE staff members, and our legislative consultant (Ellin Nolan). In the afternoon, participants will be invited to share their perspectives on literacy education issues through meetings with their Congressional Representatives and Senators.
As we move ahead, members can expect to find more frequent briefings on the Squire Policy Research Office web pages and more frequent calls to action through the emailed action alerts and announcements in the NCTE Inbox. This is a critical period in the history of our organization and a time of opportunity for the larger literacy education community. We have the experience, research base, and energy needed to improve education legislation and learning outcomes in English language arts classrooms. Our challenge today is to develop the grassroots organizational capacity to bring our expertise and carefully-considered messages to policy makers. With the active participation of members at local and national levels, we can resist one-size fits all “solutions” and make a positive difference for teachers, students, and their families. | <urn:uuid:6cf36cff-b603-457a-9ec3-fea446a16f56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ncteblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/ncte-legislative-platform.html | 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 | 0.948985 | 1,187 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Take a peek at the classroom of tomorrow
The latest in interactive technology is storming the classroom, and learning will never be the same. The days of chalkboards and even pens and pencils are being replaced with laptops, digital projectors, tablets, eBoards, and who knows what next?
Over recent decades, modern schooling has evolved into a mixture of traditional methods and new forms of teaching aided by digital technology. One of the latest educational advancements having a major impact on the class environment is the Digital eBoard. By enhancing the lines of communication between the teacher and the student, with new forms of media and interactive techniques, students are able to benefit from a richer and well-rounded education.
But how? you might ask.
Teachers can now bring up high-quality images, articles or videos with various other links onto the eBoard to support their course material. By utilising external sources, such as the internet, the class work is not limited to a textbook or even the teacher’s experience but to the endless information source that is the Web. And so, with the expert guidance of the teacher, resources such as the Web can be used effective teaching tools.
The class work can be shared with student laptops from the eBoard easily via wireless streaming, ensuring a truly collaborative environment. This sharing also allows for teachers to maintain a certain amount of control over what the students are viewing on their screens, e.g. making sure they’re not on distracted with personal websites during class time. This then lends itself to new possibilities in testing and assignments, with exams or quizzes being digitally downloaded onto screens and then automatically transferred back to the teacher.
The touch screen technology allows lessons to take on new forms of class participation. With either the use of pen or finger, classmates and teachers alike can demonstrate complicated ideas with the use of movable images on the screen. This also helps unlock the creative element in course work, which is a powerful method of connecting with and teaching students.
Some of the more advanced eBoards come with software packages to provide extra tools for the teachers. For example, the Samsung’s 650TS Interactive eBoard features basic drawing software, a contents library and Classroom Management Software - giving teachers even more resources for their students.
The major hurdle for new devices in the classroom environment is in maintaining the traditional values we expect of the education system, like human interaction and guidance, while at the same time providing the generations of tomorrow with resources, opportunities, and tools that weren’t previously available. | <urn:uuid:ef4ce997-c83c-44b9-95c0-08891830ea8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.samsung.com/uk/article/take-a-peek-at-the-classroom-of-tomorrow?group=pc-peripherals&type=professional-lfd-displays | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936631 | 519 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Brad DeLong: Thank you. I remember, back when I was working for the Treasury, after one White House meeting Joseph Stiglitz—then one of the members of the President's Council of Economic Advisors—turned to me and said:
Brad, not every question is best answered with a 10 minute economic history lecture.
But most are.
So let us start in the 1860s with the industrialization of America and the rise of the large scale business enterprise. There is then a law of bankruptcy: when a company does not pay you, and when you cannot work out terms, you go to a judge. The judge bangs his gave. The sheriff then auctions off the company's assets on the sidewalk and the company shuts down.
By the 1890s the judges in New York are saying: "Wait a minute! This makes no sense. Even though it is bankrupt, the New York Central Railroad is much more valuable as a going concern than if we simply pulled the individual rail segments off the roadbed and sold them off as ornamental ironwork. Moreover, there are lots of other stakeholders who rely on the operations of the New York Central--and even though they are not parties, there is a public interest in not having them suffer economic harm." So the judges change the law: they decide that when a large business enterprise goes bankrupt, we the judges will freeze its finances but let its operations continue while people negotiate and design and we approve a plan to restructure its debt and equity so that it can continue to operate. After judges took the lead legislators followed, and so we developed our current law of bankruptcy: when a company declares bankruptcy; we minimize the economic disruption by freezing and then sorting out its finances but letting its operations continue.
This system works pretty well in dealing with the bankruptcies of operating companies. Finances are frozen, debtor-in-possession financing is arranged, operations continue, the lawyers maneuver, and eventually a new financial superstructure is negotiated and plopped down on top of the operating company.
The problem is financial companies. They have no operations. They are all finance. When you freeze the finances the thing dies instantly.
Come the 1930s we face the waves of bank bankruptcies which make the Depression Great. The unemployment rate spikes to a peak non-farm level of 28%. We get the New Deal. The New Deal establishes the FDIC—which exists, among other things, to handle bank failures. When a bank fails the FDIC will go in, pay off its insured deposits, take over its assets and other liabilities, hopefully find a solvent and sound bank to take over the good-bank parts, and eat the remaining losses. This serves as an financial-sector analogue of Chapter 11. The hope was that with the FDIC we will never get into another situation like 1931 in which applying bankruptcy law to failing financial institutions produces general economic disaster.
Then comes the fall of 2008. The Federal Reserve and the Paulson Treasury look at the situation—with nearly every investment and commercial bank in the United States on or over the brink of bankruptcy because of incredibly, incredibly bad risk management by the top and lots of people actually trading assets who don't care what happens to their positions or their firm in the long run as long as the mark-to-model valuation of their position on December 31 generates a huge bonus for them. The Federal Reserve and the Paulson Treasury realized: Wait a minute. These aren’t just commercial banks. They are investment banks too. If we use the FDIC we can keep half the operations going, but the FDIC will have to shut down the investment banking operations, the shadow banking operations. And Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke decide that they just cannot risk doing that. The shadow banking operations of the major overleveraged New York financial institutions are just too big to fail—or rather, too big for us to risk failing without an adequate reorganization net beneath them, and we did not have that reorganization net
That is why Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson went to the Congress and asked to borrow $700 billion for the TARP on the faith and credit of the United States and lend it out to recapitalize financial institutions during the crisis—hoping to get all of it or most of it back after the crisis ebbs.
But then question is: how do you recapitalize the banks so that they don't fail and have to shut down their financial operations immediately? Last month I was at a conference with one of Paulson's Assistant Secretaries, Phil Swagel. Phil said that at the time the Treasury and Federal Reserve believed that they had two choices. They could give the money out to all the banks—even those that weren’t over the edge of but only on the immediate brink of bankruptcy—and accept that the banks are going to make money on the rescue, because neither the Treasury nor the Federal Reserve had any legal authority to force a recapitalization and could only do so by making the terms sufficiently attractive that all the banks would take the money voluntarily. Or they could sit back and wait until banks over the edge of bankruptcy came crawling in and were willing to accept any terms at all—in which case the government could take the options, take the equity, take the executive compensation, take some of the short-term debt, and make a big profit on the TARP by selling off its large equity ownership stake in the bank over the crisis was over.
Phil said that at the time the conclusion of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve was that the second strategy was too risky. You needed to calm the crisis immediately, and waiting for the banks to come in begging for help on any terms at all would not do that. As then Vice-Chair of the Federal Reserve Don Kohn said: the choice was between rescuing the jobs and millions of Americans if you did the first, and teaching a few thousand financiers a well-deserved lesson by taking their fortunes if you did the second.
Now Phil said that he still believes that the Treasury and the Federal Reserve made the right decision in the fall of 2008, but that this question can be debated—would it economically have been better if the princes of Wall Street and the investors in overleveraged New York financial institutions had lost their fortunes even if the recession had been deeper as a result? Perhaps: it is important that moral hazard be limited, and that financiers whose actions cause systemic risk not emerge with their fortunes intact and augmented—as they have. Is that avoiding the enabling of moral hazard more important than reducing the rise in unemployment? Perhaps. Politically, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury have burned their capital with the public and the Congress because of the correct perception that they rescued Wall Street. Would it have been better to have had a larger rise in unemployment and spectacular personal bankruptcies of most of the princes of Wall Street if that had preserved the Federal Reserve's and the Treasury's credit with the Congress and the public so that they could take more aggressive stimulative action down the road, like now? Perhaps.
What is clear is that the absence of a Chapter 11 or FDIC analogue for investment banks and shadow banks gave Paulson and Bernanke no truly good options in the fall of 2008. And that is what Dodd-Frank is supposed to fix. I do think it’s a significant improvement: the next time a Paulson is caught in a similar situation he will have the authority to do for mixed investment and commercial banks, for investment banks, and for shadow banks what the FDIC has done for commercial banks since the 1930s and what U.S. bankruptcy law has done for operating companies since the 1890s.
That is a very good thing.
Brad DeLong: This will be another history lesson—less than 10 minutes this time. I remember talking to the late Ned Gramlich, first a University of Michigan professor and then a Clinton-appointed Governor of the Federal Reserve—sometime in the early 2000 about why it was that the Federal Reserve was being so... unaggressive at regulating mortgage finance. Ned—who was then in favor of the Fed being much more aggressive—made several points.
First, the people who tend to be attracted to jobs at the Federal Reserve and who like to be Governors of the Federal Reserve are people who like bankers and like banks. They are not people who focus on restricting bank freedom of action, but rather on empowering banks to do what bankers want to do.
Second, then Federal Reserve Chair Allan Greenspan was a Randite: one of those right-wingers who sees enormously value in individual freedom. If you tell him that unless finance is more tightly regulated that consumers will make mistakes, he will say: they are adults, and we do adults no long-run favors by treating them like children. If you tell him banks will make mistakes, he will say: they are adults too, and we do adults no long-run favors by treating them like children.
Third, Ned said: can you imagine Greenspan up there on Capitol Hill, with the Republican members asking him why he won't let the mortgage lenders make the loans they want to make and the Democratic members asking him why he won't let the American people buy the houses they want to buy that the mortgage lenders want to finance? Denouncing him as an incompetent national nanny? Saying: I know the lenders want to lend and the borrowers want to borrow and buy these houses, but I am the Federal Reserve and I know better? That is not something that the Federal Reserve can do.
But this is, I hope, a role that a Consumer Financial Protection Commission can take on—even as it is, housed in some strange way I do not understand inside the Federal Reserve Board. It is substantially independent. Its explicit mission to serve as a check on lenders' ability to trick borrowers into borrowing on terms they they not. It is going to make it much stronger and a much better regulator than we have had over the last two decades. For the consensus has to be that over the past two decades the regulators have not done a very good job at all. | <urn:uuid:cbca04dc-5e41-4e92-9165-84eb5ece3080> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2011/05/california-democratic-party-convention-too-big-to-fail-panel.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970481 | 2,066 | 2.1875 | 2 |
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This paper presents a state-of-the-art distribution system fault location solution that uses information from all available intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) associated with the feeder together with a detailed feeder model to provide accurate fault location estimation. The system uses a reactance-based method to minimize the impact of load and fault resistance on the fault location estimation accuracy. It also uses efficient topology processing and search algorithms to quickly identify the possible fault location. We use real-world event data to verify the performance of the fault location algorithm. Finally, the paper presents the architecture of the automatic fault location system that has been deployed by one utility company as a part of its smart grid efforts.
Date of Conference: 27-29 March 2012 | <urn:uuid:88a4b823-e127-49ea-9be7-19844a95e60a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=6307719&contentType=Conference+Publications | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914771 | 153 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Understanding the risks of borrowing to get what you want sooner.
For bigger financial goals, such as a new car or a house, borrowing money means you can get what you need sooner. However, it comes at a price – interest, charged every month. Banks will generally charge you less interest than finance companies.
How much to borrow?
It's rarely a good idea to borrow 100% of what you need. Unless it's a house you're buying, your purchase will usually start to devalue as soon as you take it home. After a couple of months, it's possible that your loan will be more than the value of what you bought. So even if you sell up, you'll still owe money.
Understand what happens if you get behind in your payments
When you get a loan of any sort, be aware that borrowing from lenders who take security in all your personal property (all the things you own) is a risk. If you get behind in payments they could claim the right to take all your household goods. To avoid problems, know when payments are due and make sure you have money to cover them. If you're getting behind, it's not a good idea to borrow more to re-finance a debt. Instead talk to the lender about what can be done to solve the problem.
Did you know?
Try to save for a set amount of time, so that you have a substantial deposit. Having some of your own money invested in the item will strengthen your commitment
to paying the loan off.
Be careful with hire purchase
When you don't have quite enough to pay for something and a retailer is offering a good deal on it, hire purchase can be very tempting – especially when they're offering no interest payments for a while. But before you agree to buy something on hire purchase it's important to understand the details of the agreement you're signing.
Always ask for a list of everything you'll have to pay for, such as charges to prepare the agreement, insurance and all the interest you'll pay until the end of the loan. Whoever you're buying from should tell you the all-up cost. It's often called the total cost of finance. The law says you have to be given a disclosure statement within five working days. This tells you all the details of the hire purchase deal. If you're not given one then ask for it and read it carefully. If you're not happy then don't go ahead with the deal.
When you're offered 0% interest for a while, it's important to ask what the interest rate will be on the amount you still owe after the interest-free period. Deals with 0% interest can be a good idea if you know you'll be able to pay back the loan before the interest-free period is over. Otherwise you can end up paying a lot of interest while you finish paying off the loan.
Did you know?
If you don't clear your credit card balance each month, you are effectively borrowing money. The interest charged by credit cards usually range from about 12% to as much as 20%. Be sure you know what interest rate applies to your card.
Golden rules of borrowing
- Borrow only what you need. The more you borrow, the more you have to pay back
- Avoid high interest debt, like unpaid credit cards, store cards and unsecured personal loans
- If you have a number of smaller debts – personal loans, credit cards, store cards – it can be a good idea to combine them into one loan at the lowest possible interest rate
- Secured loans cost less than unsecured loans. ‘Secured' means that either the item you're buying or other personal property can be claimed by the lender if you can't make payments
- Think very carefully before you guarantee someone else's loan - you'll have to pay for their borrowing if they don't keep up the payments
- Make sure you understand all the fees that could be charged so you don't get a surprise | <urn:uuid:78b84e73-c207-4b40-b090-b2c3b20a28a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bnz.co.nz/personal-banking/be-money-smart/budgeting/borrowing-money | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976162 | 818 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Global effort is local attraction
Making a difference by purchasing goods from small businesses around the world
July 4, 2010
Visitors to the 219th General Assembly’s Global Marketplace can buy olive oil from Israel/Palestine and a blend of spices grown there so they can whip up their own salad dressing. Nearby they can buy a bowl to hold their salad, and beyond that a new purse to hold the money to pay for all their purchases.
Not only will folks come home with a keepsake from the Assembly, but they’re directly supporting the people who produced that memory.
Emily Hewes, who runs Esperanza en Accion (Hope through Action) in Managua, Nicaragua, helps more than 225 artisans to better price and market their goods. A top seller is a small coin purse that Nicaraguan women make from the shiny, colorful foil from used potato chip bags.
“Our purpose is to help Nicaraguan artisans support themselves,” she said. All one artist needed was a loan for $65 so she could buy two kilns. Now that she’s becoming more well-known, she’s been able to rebuild part of her flooded house and has successfully started a no-interest loan program for her fellow artisans.
Dean Current works with Eco Palms, which pays Guatemalan and Mexican farmers a fair price for the palms that churches use for Palm Sunday services. The agency returns five cents for each frond sold for community development projects in a way decided by local farmers.
On Palm Sunday 2005, the group sold 5,000 palm fronds to U.S. churches; this year that number was 780,000, “all through the efforts of churches,” Current said.
Barbara Lorraine, who splits time between Texas and Guatemala, works with 80 craftswomen who inhabit a dangerous part of Guatemala City, the capital.
“Most of them know how to sew, but they need to know what gringas will buy,” she said. Fortunately, Lorraine’s importer also has a fashion sense, and she gives the Guatemalans periodic pointers on what’s selling in the United States.
Lorraine’s group, United for a Better Life, also has a school, clinic, library, and a half-day tutoring program.
“It’s like I have 80 daughters,” she said of her band of sewers. “I have the best Mother’s Day in the world!”
On the other side of the world, Palestinian farmers sell their olive oil with a group called “Import Peace.” Robert Massoud offers shoppers hunks of bread and a dish containing the rich, tasty oil, which he sells for $19 per bottle.
That may be more than you’ll pay your grocer, but Massoud pays the farmer five dollars per bottle for his or her work. That’s many times more most farmers receive.
“The olive is a universal symbol of peace,” he said. “Our hope is that olive oil will open people’s hearts so they’ll work to influence the government to act more even-handedly to bring about peace.” | <urn:uuid:e3a48ea5-e80e-4e30-bcc6-59e9bb83a651> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcusa.org/news/2010/7/4/global-effort-local-attraction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960973 | 679 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Getting a baby brother or sister is a milestone in any child’s life. To minimize the family stress associated with a new addition to the family, you’ll want to help your children adjust with these practical strategies while you’re expecting and after your baby is born.
Steps to Take While You’re Expecting
1. Get an early start on any major changes to daily routines. Give your child time to adapt to any big transitions long before the new baby comes home. This may include moving to a new bedroom, toilet training, or starting preschool.
2. Talk with your children. Let your kids know what to expect. Give them a chance to ask questions and express their concerns.
* New parents are bound to be tired and less attentive. Explain that this is just temporary and assure them of your love. Take a positive tone, but be respectful of any anxieties your child feels.
3. Read books together. There are many children’s books and videos that discuss getting a new brother or sister. They can help your child understand the process and make it easier for them to talk about their feelings.
4. Practice with a doll. Give your son or daughter a doll they can use to learn how to hold a baby. Praise them as they get the hang of supporting the head and using a gentle touch.
5. Share family memories. Break out the old baby books and tell your son or daughter how excited you were about their birth. Look through their baby pictures and pick some out to display around the house.
6. Invite your child to participate in your pregnancy. Bring them to your prenatal visits and see if your hospital will give them a tour.
* Some families even bring their kids into the delivery room. If you plan to do this, ensure they’re well briefed and have an adult assigned to watch over them.
7. Make your baby’s homecoming a team effort. Give your kids a role to play. They may want to select the outfit the baby will wear home or help send out birth announcements. Make the day special with a cake and some small gifts for every family member.
Steps to Take After Your Baby is Born
1. Spend regular one-on-one time with your child. However busy your schedule gets, set aside time to give each child your full attention. Plan special outings or let them choose a book or game to enjoy together.
2. Encourage visitors to notice all your kids. It’s easy for your son or daughter to feel left out when everyone is fussing over the baby. Make a deliberate effort to steer positive attention their way. Bring them into group discussions and brag a little about their accomplishments.
3. Work as a team in caring for the new baby. Find age-appropriate tasks your kids can excel at. Even toddlers can help by smiling and talking with their new sibling. Older kids may want to pitch in with bathing and feeding. Let your family find its own comfort level.
4. Respect your child’s privacy. Siblings are great for teaching how to share, but your child probably still wants some items and places to call their own. Honor their preferences for toys they’re happy to share and possessions that they want to use exclusively.
5. Praise your child for their contribution to your growing family. Most of all, let your son or daughter know how much you appreciate them. Applaud their progress in becoming more independent and giving of themselves to help the family run smoothly.
It’s challenging to deal with a new sibling. Give your children lots of attention and guidance to help keep harmony in the family. The relationship between brothers and sisters is a precious gift, so get them off to a great start. | <urn:uuid:20e1c8f1-6a6a-40f9-83c0-742650549c5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beyondburnoutblog.com/tag/old-baby/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961337 | 778 | 1.820313 | 2 |
About four years ago, when U.S. Postal Service employee Gary Lee was gathering donations at the Friendship Village retirement community in Tempe for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, he looked inside a plastic bag and discovered about two-thirds of a cherry pie.
The median age of people Lee delivers to in the 85282 ZIP code is 84, and someone mistakenly thought that all the plastic bags surrounding one of the retirement community’s mailbox units were for trash pickup day.
“At first, I thought, ‘Who would donate two thirds of a pie?’ But then I saw the other stuff in the bag, too,” Lee said at the time. “It was trash. Someone must not have realized we were having a food drive.
“And no, we didn’t donate a partial pie,” Lee said laughing.
Lee, who has 38 years of service in with the U.S. Postal Service, will be one of 4,500 mail carriers throughout Arizona hoping to fill their mail trucks this weekend to benefit Stamp Out Hunger, a national food collection effort celebrating its 20th year. Last year, the program collected about 900,000 pounds of food in Maricopa County and more than 1.8 million pounds statewide. More than 70 million pounds of food is brought in nationally for various food banks.
So, if you’ve seen a post card inside your mailbox this week that says “Fill a Bag. Feed Families,” it’s a reminder to help your neighbors whose cupboards might be running a little low in this downer of an economy; that also goes for the warehouses of local food banks, each tending to run a little low going into the summer.
One in five Arizonans lives below the federal poverty line and record numbers of Valley residents continue to turn to local food banks, according to the Valley of the Sun United Way.
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive benefits St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the United Food Bank of the East Valley and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank.
“We’re asking you to play a role in what we see as the most important food drive of the year for us,” said Jerry Brown, a spokesman for the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. “We really count on this food to carry us through the summer. A lot of people usually head for the hills in the summer or travel in the summer to stay cool, and those who can’t afford it, are left behind. If folks would take the time to drop a couple of cans in the mailbox this Saturday, that would be great. Helping out is something you can do without leaving your driveway.”
Brown also was quick to say that although St. Mary’s received about 340,000 pounds of food last year, it currently has 28 percent less food than it had at the same time a year ago. Overall, food donations are down 10 to 15 percent from previous years — a noticeable drop, Brown said. In addition to food donations being down, St. Mary’s is being pinched by high gasoline prices for its trucks — diesel fuel being $4 a gallon or more. That hinders a very critical part of the food distribution process.
The food drive actually was started about 25 years ago by a group of mail carriers in the Valley, when a handful at Post 576 in Phoenix took it upon themselves to print up flyers announcing that they were conducting a food drive on a Sunday. From there, the food drive grew and transformed into a national event. Today, many post offices throughout cities in the East Valley have friendly rivalries, egging each other on and challenging one another as to who can collect the most food.
Last year, Tempe’s South Station at 8205 S. Priest Drive collected 18,800 pounds of food to top all the post office branches throughout the East Valley. Mesa’s Desert Station at 6644 E. Broadway Road was second in the East Valley by collecting 17,000 pounds of food, according to the Valley of the Sun United Way.
Which sections of the East Valley will put help to lead their post offices to the top this year?
Geoff Ouimet, a mail carrier for Mesa’s Branch 1902 who is helping to coordinate food drive colletion efforts there, echoed Brown’s sentiments.
“This is a way to get food to our neighbors,” Ouimet said. “As mail carriers, we walk through neighborhoods every day. We know foreclosures are happening and can see when a neighborhood is going down and when people are struggling. To me, the food bank is there to help people in a non-intrusive way. For people throughout the Valley and the nation, this is something easy to help out in a big way without spending a lot of money. As postal workers, we know we can be in that same situation, so we’re continuing to do what we can to help.”
Contact writer: (480) 898-6533 or email@example.com | <urn:uuid:cb79264e-612d-413c-92e0-85ba53c6ee33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_774eb3a0-996e-11e1-b780-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960221 | 1,075 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Heads up Lemon Grove pedestrians- your city ranked near the very bottom of a Regional Walk Scorecard of San Diego County cities recently released by WalkSanDiego, California’s largest walk advocacy group.
Lemon Grove scored 41.2 out of 100 possible points in the study, which is said to measure the extent to which cities in the San Diego region are responding to the call for more walkable neighborhoods.
From the Report:
"Cities that scored lowest – Santee, El Cajon, and Lemon Grove – are all East County cities built primarily around the use of automobiles as the main form of transportation. In addition, these cities scored lower on policies and implementation of street improvements that improve walking safety or convenience. This is not to say there are no such policies – indeed, all three have focused on increasing walking, bike safety, traffic calming, and transit use in key areas, such as residential neighborhoods, Main Street corridors, and trolley stations. Due to past planning decisions, however, creating safe and convenient walking conditions will be a long-term effort for these cities."
National City emerged with the highest rating in San Diego County, closely followed by La Mesa and Solana Beach.
Lemon Grove ranked 10th out of 18 cities studied, with a total number of 44 pedestrian vehicle collisions from 2005-09.
The Scorecard rates the walkability of each city in San Diego County. The comprehensive rating system ranks cities based on the status of walking and considers such factors as the number of people walking, safety, walk-friendly policies, infrastructure and even aesthetics. The study also used crowd sourcing for acquiring data, distributing a free cell phone app that local residents used to rate neighborhood streets. The BestWALK phone app was used by volunteers around the County to rate more than 1,500 streets and intersections.
“We created the Walk Scorecard to focus attention on the issue of walkability and to create a dialogue that will lead to improvements," said WalkSanDiego executive director Jim Stone. "But we also hope to foster a little friendly competition among cities to be the best for walking and active transportation.”
Health and Economic Benefits of Walking
Recent research has shown that people who walk 30 minutes a day have a lower risk for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, according to WalkSanDiego. The economic benefits of walkability have been documented in several studies, including one based in the San Diego region. These studies have demonstrated that houses in walkable neighborhoods command higher prices than similar houses in less walkable places. Transportation research has shown that when people choose to walk or ride bikes instead of driving, significant reductions in green house gases can be achieved.
WalkSanDiego will issue its Walk Scorecard annually. Residents are encouraged to download the BestWALK phone app and rate streets to help collect data for next year’s competition. Cities that did not score as well as others will have some time to adopt new policies and create ways to encourage residents to walk more.
“Who knows, this competition could create a real race among cities to become the most walkable place in the region," said WalkSanDiego’s Jim Stone. "The winners will clearly be the people who benefit from more walkable, livable communities.” | <urn:uuid:f0375257-37e5-455c-a942-63946d0c765b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lemongrove.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/santee-rated-least-walkable-city-in-the-county | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951325 | 672 | 1.773438 | 2 |
For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
PHILADELPHIA—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to Philadelphia to deliver remarks at the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) International 58th Annual Seminar highlighting the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) collaboration with the private sector on cybersecurity and protecting our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.
“Protecting critical infrastructure and cyberspace – including the systems and networks that support the financial services, energy and defense industries – requires all of us working together,” said Secretary Napolitano. “From government and law enforcement to the private sector and members of the public, everyone has a role to play in protecting against cyber threats.”
During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano underscored the Department’s commitment to create a safe and resilient cyber environment. In addition to protecting civilian government networks, DHS also works with owners and operators of critical infrastructure to help them secure their networks by conducting risk assessments and developing plans to mitigate risks. Last year, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, part of DHS’ 24-hour watch and warning center, responded to more than 106,000 incident reports, and released more than 5,000 actionable cybersecurity alerts and information products to public and private sector partners.
Secretary Napolitano also discussed the importance of public-private partnerships to develop a world-class cybersecurity team. To that end, DHS has increased the National Cyber Security Division’s workforce by more than 600 percent since the Department’s creation.
For more information, please visit www.dhs.gov. | <urn:uuid:c2ad1625-b33a-49c7-8e93-aeb2be2a8d8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dhs.gov/news/2012/09/10/secretary-napolitano%E2%80%99s-remarks-asis-international-58th-annual-seminar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917274 | 339 | 1.5625 | 2 |
When we think about basicity, those species which have more electronegative terminal atoms do not have a higher level of basicity than those with less electronegative ones. This is because electronegative terminal atoms attract electrons.
We already know bases as electron pair donors but in the case of electro negativity of terminal atoms and their behavior with electrons, what can we develop as a reason of lower basicity? The reverse situation is correct for acidic compounds.
Additionally, if alkyl groups are terminal atom attached to the center atom we have point that explains the situation like this; The more carbon atoms, the lower electro negativity but this does not effect the center atom because of their larger size due to more carbon atoms. Steric effect is starting here because larger sizes hold the electrons with smaller angle of center atom - terminal atom. In acidic molecules we have obviously larger bond angle like 120 degree in boron triflouride. So, can we argue that such angle makes acids exceptions when talking about steric effect ?
The question is why more electronegative terminal atoms containing bases weaker. Additionally if the size of terminals are larger then this rules out that effect in bases because larger sizes hold electrons attracting them so if you have larger size in terminal atoms your base is again weaker but this is not correct for acids because of larger angles. Can every acid molecules be considered like this ? | <urn:uuid:c0dcf1f5-b00f-421e-a3aa-e4b0a3185625> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/2595/inductive-effect-basicity-of-electron-donor-center-atoms-and-sterric-effect | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927704 | 285 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2007 November 27
Explanation: Last August, the Space Shuttle Endeavour crew captured this shot of the International Space Station (ISS) against the backdrop of Planet Earth. During that trip to the ISS, the space shuttle crew re-supplied the station, repaired the station, and even built more of the station. Its primary mission complete, the crew took the premier spaceship on a tour around the premier space station. Pictured during this inspection tour, the ISS is visible in front the Ionian Sea. The boot of Italy is visible on the left, while the western coastlines of Greece and Albania stretch across the top. The dorsal fin of the upside-down shuttle orbiter pokes into the very top of the image. The Space Shuttle Discovery subsequently visited the ISS in October while the next shuttle mission to the ISS is scheduled for next week.
Authors & editors:
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U. | <urn:uuid:7982d63d-a672-4934-a18f-82699e38024f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071127.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901024 | 245 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Quimby - what does Quimby surname mean?
Recorded in the various spellings of Quimby, Quinby, Quenby, and Quemby, this is a locational English surname which originates from a village called Quenby in the county of Leicestershire. The village name and hence the surname is of 7th century Olde English origins, but with a later Danish-Viking overlap. The translation is from the words `Cwene-berg` and means `The Queen`s Manor`, although the `berg` was later transmuted to the Danish `bi` meaning farm. The first known official recording is that in the 1086 Domesday Book when it appears as `Queneberie` becoming Quenby in the records of the year 1242. Who the original Queen was who held this manor is unknown, but no doubt it was associated with the kingdom of Mercia. The recordings of the surname are much later and like most locational surnames refer initially to the lord of the manor. Whether the later nameholders are decended from him or whether they assumed their name when they moved elsewhere from the village, can only be decided by a full genealogical survey. Early examples of the surname recording include Jane Quenby, who married William Beech at St George`s chapel, Hanover Square, London, in 1791, but the first known all recordings is that of Ralph de Quenebi, in the Hundred Rolls of the county of Huntingdon, in the year 1272. This was during the reign of King Edward 1st, 1272 - 1307.
Get the Quimby surname meaning widget for your website!
Select and copy the text below in your website's code. | <urn:uuid:367238bf-6814-42e3-ace3-e88500e5fb5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mysurna.me/surname.php?s=Quimby | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969568 | 364 | 2.953125 | 3 |
- 2.6 billion people worldwide lack access to improved sanitation facilities,
- Approximately 2 million people die from diarrhoeal diseases annually.
- Currently, there are an estimated 1.7 billion pit latrine users worldwide, used by 25% of the world's population
Above are only some figures around sanitation, many other often worrying data can be found on the websites of WHO (link: http://www.who.int) and UNDP (link: www.undp.org)
In almost all urban slums in the South water supply systems, even if they are in good repair, are stretched to the limit in terms of available supply, and the outlook is bleak: in many areas the most that even well built and managed urban water supply systems can provide are standpipes or water kiosks. There usually is no additional water supply available for sanitation. Therefore, WASTE concentrates on various non-sewered sanitation options, and particularly on innovative systems that can help ‘closing the nutrient loop’ by using little or no water. For instance the so-called ecological sanitation or ECOSAN, systems based on separation and the option of re-use of urine and faeces for agricultural purposes. Mounting evidence about declining world stocks of mineral phosphorous, the basis of most chemical fertiliser, provides extra urgency to recover human waste. However, specific demand, culture, and local priorities are key to acceptability and sustainability of sanitation sytems. While at the forefront of ecosan promotion and development, WASTE will advise on other technologically appropriate systems if circumstances dictate, including on grey-water treatment and non-sewered sanitation options with a limited water use. | <urn:uuid:cc5f690a-9da7-465d-92e6-9764a1698eb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.waste.nl/en/where-we-work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92516 | 345 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Java EE or .NET - An Almost Unbiased Opinion
Arguments pro Java EE:
- Java EE has better OR-support than .NET. JPA, Hibernate etc. .NET comes with Entity Framework, but it isn't as lean as JPA. In .NET land there are some ports from Java available like e.g. NHibernate. .NET seems to more rely on stored procedures, whereby in Java we prefer (sometimes are obsessed) to keep everything in domain objects outside the DB.
- Build systems and CI tools in Java are more advanced. Hudson + Maven / ANT is a really nice and lean solution. On .Net side you can use NAnt or a proprietary MS tool.
- Community: Java community rocks - in .NET you have to rely on MSDN. However - this can be considered as advantage and disadvantage as well. You will (always) find an answer for your question for free.
- Java is the most popular language #1.
- Java IDEs: If you are thinking about .NET vs. Java EE you have already allocated some budget for tooling (otherwise the choice would be obvious). In that case you should look at IntelliJ first. It is the best, commercial IDE. If you are looking for free IDEs, start with NetBeans (best out-of-the-box experience) and Eclipse (the most popular one). Java tool ecosystem is remarkable.
- Integration: Java integration story is excellent. You get connectors for SAP, AS400, files etc. for free. ESBs, LDAP servers are free.
- Framework / Libraries: If you need a specific library - you will find everything in Java. Before you are going to write a single line of code you should do some research first.
- Strategic consideration: with Java EE you are truly vendor-neutral. This is very handy in the price-negotiation phase. You can even go into production without any costs (subscriptions, licenses etc). Java EE apps are very portable. Java EE is not even dependent on Sun - it was developed by all major vendors.
- Stability: Java language is stable for ages. There are no breaking changes. Java EE 5 and 6 platform is backward compatible as well. So you can deploy your legacy J2EE 1.X app to a Java EE environment and smooth-migrate it (if you like to).
- Best practices: Java EE / J2EE are about 10 years on the market. There are many applications out there. The most mistakes are already made - the best practices / patterns are very mature.
- In most of the .NET projects you will find opensource extensions, as well as, commercial .NET tools. Such a mixture can be very "interesting" (regarding support issues)
- Operating System: you can choose whatever operating system you want to for production and development.
- Opensource: 80% of Java applications in production are built on opensource tools. This is your ultimate insurance.
- You get everything from one vendor.
- C# develops very fast. It has nicer features, than Java. C# shines in the DSL area. LINQ is very nice for database (and tree-like) queries (however you should look at Scala and Groovy if you need similar features).
- You don't have to search for a given solution. The choice is clear. It can save you a considerable amount of time.
- You will find most of the tools at MSDN - there is no need to evaluate tools and IDEs in advance.
- Visual Studio .NET is a very good environment with very good DB and team extensions. With a commercial plugin (like e.g. Resharper), it gets a good, as IntelliJ.
- The UI best practices are more consistent, than in Java. ASP.NET MVC is e.g. the way to go in .NET. In Java EE you will have to choose between JSF, Wicket, GWT, Struts 2....
- The language integration in .NET is seamless. You can easily call methods from C# to VB.NET. In Java it is hard to call Scala functions from Groovy.
- SharePoint, Exchange and Office Products are very well integrated with .NET. You can access them with Java, but will need third-party libraries.
- Continuous Integration comes already with Visual Studio Team System.
I forgot some arguments for sure - what is your opinion?
Posted at 10:27AM Sep 10, 2009
by Adam Bien in Real World Java EE Patterns - Rethinking Best Practices |
| Views/Hits: 76323
NEW Workshop: "JPA, NoSQL, Caching, Grids and Distributed Caches with Java EE 7", May 7th, 2013, Airport Munich
A book about rethinking Java EE Patterns | <urn:uuid:28e60edb-5daa-46f2-a6b2-15de19c1681f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adam-bien.com/roller/abien/entry/java_ee_or_net_an | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925672 | 1,020 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Front Page Titles (by Subject) Author\'s Preface - Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit
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Author's Preface - Frank H. Knight, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit
Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit (Boston MA: Hart, Schaffner and Marx; Houghton Mifflin, 1921).
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There is little that is fundamentally new in this book. It represents an attempt to state the essential principles of the conventional economic doctrine more accurately, and to show their implications more clearly, than has previously been done. That is, its object is refinement, not reconstruction; it is a study in "pure theory." The motive back of its presentation is twofold. In the first place, the writer cherishes, in the face of the pragmatic, philistine tendencies of the present age, especially characteristic of the thought of our own country, the hope that careful, rigorous thinking in the field of social problems does after all have some significance for human weal and woe. In the second place, he has a feeling that the "practicalism" of the times is a passing phase, even to some extent a pose; that there is a strong undercurrent of discontent with loose and superficial thinking and a real desire, out of sheer intellectual self-respect, to reach a clearer understanding of the meaning of terms and dogmas which pass current as representing ideas. For the first of these assumptions a few words of elaboration or defense may be in place, in anticipation of the essay itself.
The "practical" justification for the study of general economics is a belief in the possibility of improving the quality of human life through changes in the form of organization of want-satisfying activity. More specifically, most projects of social betterment involve the substitution of some more consciously social or political form of control for private property and individual freedom of contract. The assumption underlying such studies as the present is that changes of this character will offer greater prospect of producing real improvement if they are carried out in the light of a clear understanding of the nature and tendencies of the system which it is proposed to modify or displace. The essay, therefore, endeavors to isolate and define the essential characteristics of free enterprise as a system or method of securing and directing coöoperative effort in a social group. As a necessary condition of success in this endeavor it is assumed that the description and explanation of phenomena must be radically separated from all questions of defense or criticism of the system under examination. By means of first showing what the system is, it is hoped that advance may be made toward discovering what such a system can, and what it cannot, accomplish. A closely related aim is that of formulating the data of the problem of economic organization, the unchangeable materials with which, and conditions under which, any machinery of organization has to work. A sharp and clear conception of these fundamentals is viewed as a necessary foundation for answering the question as to what is reasonably to be expected of a method of organization, and hence of whether the system as such is to be blamed for the failure to achieve ideal results, of where if at all it is at fault, and the sort of change or substitution which offers sufficient chance for improvement to justify experimentation.
The net result of the inquiry is by no means a defense of the existing order. On the contrary, it is probably to emphasize the inherent defects of free enterprise. But it must be admitted that careful analysis also emphasizes the fundamental difficulties of the problem and the fatuousness of over-sanguine expectations from mere changes in social machinery. Only this foundation-laying is within the scope of this study, or included within the province of economic theory. The final verdict on questions of social policy depends upon a similar study of other possible systems of organization and a comparison of these with free enterprise in relation to the tasks to be accomplished. This one "conclusion" may be hazarded, that no one mode of organization is adequate or tolerable for all purposes in all fields. In the ultimate society, no doubt, every conceivable type of organization machinery will find its place, and the problem takes the form of defining the tasks and spheres of social endeavor for which each type is best adapted.
The particular technical contribution to the theory of free enterprise which this essay purports to make is a fuller and more careful examination of the rôle of the entrepreneur or enterpriser, the recognized "central figure" of the system, and of the forces which fix the remuneration of his special function. The problem of profit was suggested to the writer as a suitable topic for a doctoral dissertation in the spring of 1914 by Dr. Alvin Johnson, then Professor of Economics in Cornell University. The study was chiefly worked out under the direction of Professor Allyn A. Young after Dr. Johnson left Cornell. My debt to these two teachers I can only gratefully acknowledge. Since the acceptance of the essay as a thesis at Cornell in June, 1916, and its submission in the Hart, Schaffner & Marx competition in 1917, it has been entirely rewritten under the editorial supervision of Professor J. M. Clark, of the University of Chicago. I have also profited much by discussions with Professor C. O. Hardy, my colleague at the same institution, and by access to his unpublished "Readings on Risk and Risk-Bearing." Professor Jacob Viner, of the University of Chicago, has kindly read the proof of the entire work. My obligations to various economists through their published work are very inadequately shown by text and footnote references, but are too comprehensive and indefinite to express in detail.
Iowa City, IowaJanuary, 1921 | <urn:uuid:682b009c-95b9-40b1-9202-3db635add04e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=306&chapter=36589&layout=html&Itemid=27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949116 | 1,191 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The first chunk of Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760 to 1913 have been released on Findmypast.co.uk today. The records released today are a small part of the whole collection, covering men discharged in the period between 1883 and 1900.
Findmypast.co.uk have provided some useful resources for understanding these records, which is just as well. Even the words "Chelsea Pensioners" are a bit misleading, they were not necessarily residents of The Royal Hospital at Chelsea, but received a pension that was administered by the hospital.
Like any database it is important to know what is and isn’t included, why would a soldier be in this collection? For example, according to the website it "doesn’t contain the records of soldiers who died in service or who took an early discharge because they didn’t receive a pension."
Having used these records in their paper form I can safely say that they are real goldmines of information, of course the contents do vary from soldier to soldier, but they contain detailed descriptions of soldiers along with relationship information (next of kin), not just details of their army service.
The records are not that different from the WW1 Service Records (1914-1920) previously released on Ancestry.co.uk, expect of course the condition and the fact that the vast majority have survived.
For my own research I know there will be several relations contained within this release, although I am in no rush to get their details yet. It is another database that I will need to check regularly as I go through my family history, like I already do with the WW1 Service Records. I am sure lots of previously unknown soldiers will turn up, filling in some gaps in my database. | <urn:uuid:da9dd3b8-497a-426f-82ca-7eea711336fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wanderinggenealogist.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/british-army-service-records-1760-1913-on-findmypast-co-uk/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=39eb77acf0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974228 | 359 | 1.648438 | 2 |
This little tidbit was spotted on BuzzFeed.
Okay, here’s the deal. When you mean “a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption,” “a primary source,” or “an underlying faculty or endowment” (M-W), then the word you want is principle. When you mean “a person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position” (M-W), such as the person who has the power to put you in detention until the day you graduate from high school, then the word you want is principal. In this case, although Allen Gregory may very well love his principles, what they meant to show was that Allen Gregory loves his principal.
In principle, the proofreader of this article might want to make checking for spelling of principal importance.
Bonus MRP moment: In addition to this delicious typo, BuzzFeed also brings us “14 Punctuation Marks That You Never Knew Existed.” Impress your friends and scare your enemies with your new knowledge of guillemets, sheffer strokes, and asterisms. | <urn:uuid:73f1fabe-593c-4964-b81f-914e90b0e2eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mightyredpen.wordpress.com/tag/mispellings/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952258 | 231 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) began in 2005 serving wounded military service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, PHWFF has expanded nationwide, establishing its highly successful program in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics.
The Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing program provides basic fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying and rod building classes, along with clinics participants ranging from beginners who have never fished before, to those with prior fly fishing and tying experience who are adapting their skills to their new abilities. All fly fishing and tying equipment is provided to the participants at no cost. Fishing trips, both one day and multi-day, are also provided free of charge to participants.
PHWFF is unique in that our volunteers are teaching classes on an on-going, long term basis. It is much more than a one day fishing trip. For many participants, particularly disabled veterans, the socialization and camaraderie of the classes are just as important as the fishing outings, and provide them a new activity.
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing relies on Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, and independent fly fishing clubs to conduct the program at the DOD and VA facilities across the nation. The volunteer staff and outings leaders include experienced fly fishers and guides, all of whom donate their time and knowledge to support PHWFF participants.
In order to have a viable program, three groups must co-exist: a fly fishing club willing to provide the volunteers and organize the program, a DOD or VA medical facility willing to host the program, and injured military members or disabled veterans willing to participate. Because each of these groups is unique, no two Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing programs will be exactly the same.
Below are materials containing more information about Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. Media inquiries should be directed to Martha.Kleder@projecthealingwaters.org. | <urn:uuid:9078e99e-1dc1-4926-a6d1-d640737b1c58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/About/OurProgram.aspx | 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 | 0.934567 | 398 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The Case for Student Blogging
I've heard that many people complain that kids do not read any more. I even hear students in my class claim to never read and that they hate writing. These people are right and wrong. Books and Magazines are the traditional reading materials and pens and notebooks are the traditional writing tools. Under the traditional standards, kids do not read ans write as much as the previous generations. If we expand the reading to include blog posts, online magazines and newspapers and even Facebook posts, students are reading more than the previous generations ever did. The amount that students are writing is much more than we ever suspect. Students are updating statuses, commenting on blog posts, writing reviews of music, movies, restaurants, etc. Students think they don't like to read and write because they have only been taught that reading is done in books and writing is formal pieces done for school. These ideas need to be changed in teachers so they can be changed in students.Instead of forcing dated views on what literacy is on our students, it is time to switch the focus from books, pen and paper to mobile devices, blogs and tweets. There is a new type of literacy out there and blogging is a way to help our students become literate 21st century learners.
Reading and writing alone no longer define literacy. Computer literacy is key in developing modern learners and thinkers. Computer literacy gives students easier access to creation tools instead of just consumption. According to Bloom's Taxonomy, Evaluation and Synthesis are the two highest learning objectives in education. Most classes stop half way on the scale with application. Students take notes, study their notebook the night before the test, take the test and move on to the next set of notes. It's a cycle of education that teachers continue to use and I used for many years. The students are great at spitting out facts they were taught. what will they do when they are given new material and are asked to create new meaning? They often struggle. Blogging can help reach the Higher Order Thinking that Bloom talks about.
Class blogs allow students to information given in a class or taken from a book and create their own opinion. Once they have created their own ideas, they can evaluate the ideas in other blog posts and even use those to further evaluate their own ideas.The set up of every class blog will be different and will ask students to create and evaluate in different ways. A science class might focus more on interpreting data while an English Class will have students focus on more abstract concepts. Art, Music, Social Studies, Math and other subjects can all benefit from blogging. Blogging allows the teachers to tailor the system to their class and the students in the class. If you are a teacher, you are a teacher of literacy. Struggling students can only be helped if every teacher helps the students become literate. Blogging can do more than just help literacy in students.
Blogging allows students to take ownership of their learning. It taps into a medium that require little teaching in how to use. It connects students with others beyond the classroom walls. It encourages learning and exploration outside the school day. Class blogs/Twitter accounts provide real-time knowledge and feedback. As students are receiving varied bits of information from all over the world, students will be taking that information and creating something entirely new on a class blog. They will then be taking that new information and evaluating it. Students will be working with the information instead of just memorizing facts. That interacting with the information will result in higher retention rates in all students. Think of it this way, do you remember those projects your favorite teacher gave you? Why? You remember them because you were immersed in the information. You were able to play around and create with it. Every teacher has a memory like that. Why do teachers move away from what clearly worked for them? Blogging is a tool that has students constantly working with information taught in the classroom instead of preparing for a couple of days for a test. The long term benefits of using the information will help students when they take state tests and other high stakes tests. Blogging has many other great benefits for the classroom.
Student engagement will increase as they strive to recap the days events for the class blog. Parents will be engaged in the on goings of every class period every day from a student's perspective. Embracing the tools students use provide validation to their generation. Blogging and Tweeting have limitless potential. Video blogs (vlogs), Skype, movies, discussion boards, cross curriculum projects; these are all possible with these tools. Literacy is no longer an English/Language Arts problem. It is an education problem. These free services can help create literate 21st Century Citizens.
I am currently working with Van Meter to connect my English Classes with theirs. We are setting up our Freshmen Curriculum so that we can teach the same units at roughly the same time. We have ideas for joint Poetry Slams and a joint class production of Romeo and Juliet. There is a good chance we will pair up students from the two districts to write opposing viewpoint research papers. The potential is limitless as we continue to meet online and discuss ideas. I haven't felt this excited about lesson planning since my first year of teaching. By connecting with another school, my head is filling with ideas that will not only allow my students to create new ideas, but share them with people from all over the world. If you live in a small or isolated community, blogging is a great way to open the eyes of your students and that is what I hope happens after working with other schools. Our students have a chance to a singular learning opportunity that could change the way people look at education. Blogging is helping me create a flat classroom that will allow my students to see around the world. They will read and write more than they ever have before and they will do it using tools they already use everyday. Blogging will be the gateway I will use to usher in a new era of learning for my students. They will love to blog and comment and will become literate 21st Century Learners while claiming to hate reading and writing.
I'm not suggesting that blogging is the cure to the literacy problems in schools across America, but it is a tool that can help many students work on needed skills. Instead of forcing traditional teaching methods on students, why not try and meet the students where they are and get them creating and evaluating. You might be surprised at what the students create. Hell, you might even surprise yourself a bit. :-)
I want to give a quick shout out to Shannon McClintock Miller (@ShannonMMiller) of Van Meter fame. She has worked very hard at connecting me to English teachers at Van Meter and we planning some amazing things. We will be tweeting ideas and posting updates on our Van Meter/Grosse Pointe South experiment. Our hash is #VMGPS. If you are not following her on Twitter, you are missing an important part of your Twitter Life. Thanks for being awesome Shannon. I can't wait to see where this crazy train takes us. | <urn:uuid:906da8f1-bde3-4246-a8e8-16b12874bbee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/2010/07/case-for-student-blogging.html?showComment=1279722514047 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964017 | 1,441 | 2.421875 | 2 |
HARRISBURG - Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-36) announced recently that the spring 2013 Student Challenge program would encourage students to share their thoughts on an individual who has served as a personal inspiration.
Students are encouraged to submit an essay of 500 words or less describing how an individual has influenced them in a positive way to accomplish their goals. The deadline to submit an entry is May 3, and winners will be announced on May 13.
“Almost every individual can point out at least one person who has helped make their life better and brighter,” Brubaker said. “Recognizing the qualities of individuals who inspire us is one of the best ways we can improve ourselves, and that is the goal of this project.”
The Student Challenge program features periodic competitions and is open to all K-12 students in the 36th Senatorial District, including the school districts of Cocalico, Columbia, Conestoga Valley, Donegal, Eastern Lancaster County, Ephrata, Hempfield, Manheim Central, Octorara, Pequea Valley, Twin Valley and Warwick. Home school and private school students from the district are also encouraged to apply.
Winners will be selected from each age group by an independent panel. Winners will receive an award certificate from Brubaker and a visit to Harrisburg for lunch and a tour of the state Capitol Building with a guest.
Entries may be dropped off or mailed to Brubaker’s district office at 301 E. Main Street, Lititz, PA 17543, or students may submit essays on Brubaker’s website at senatorbrubaker.com. | <urn:uuid:ce8ad500-26ac-4fae-8c81-56dc8f18f53f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tricountyrecord.com/article/20130212/NEWS01/130219969&template=printart | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954428 | 343 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The straightforward imagery of American wilderness in Matthew Offenbacher’s intriguing paintings arouses curiosity which he sustains with his skillful techniques and intellectual ideas. His recent work resembles cross sections of sequoia tree rings, animal hides and large-scale pages of pressed wildflowers that, in their simplicity, evoke childhood memories of tales about Daniel Boone and the stories of prairie life by Laura Ingalls Wilder. But Offenbacher’s subject matter is not so much a commentary on romantic American idealism as it is a complex riddle that ties the American frontier with American modern painting, painting in general and the myths and nuances that surround these various concepts.
Painting, or rather traditional realistic European painting, was challenged by artists throughout the twentith century, especially by American abstract painters who wanted the flat plane of the canvas to be recognized, and Offenbacher is having fun oscillating between the desire of the artist to vivdly recreate the real while simultaneously commenting on the nature of this act. Nowhere is this more obvious than in four works that resemble their titles. Deer Pelt, Otter Pelt, Skunk Pelt and Squirrel Pelt, by way of canvas shape, paint color and technique, appear to be the real things. Such thorough mimicry precludes comparison to seventeenth-century Dutch painting because they kept their subject matter within the confines of a rectagular canvas that never igonored perspective whereas Offenbacher tricks us into thinking these are actual animal skins.
Offenbacher’s wildflower paintings also tweak our perceptions of reality in that the paper fiber on canvas looks like actual pressed flowers. Pansies, a small oval-shaped canvas that could easily be found hanging in a nineteenth-century American home, is especially remarkable for its authenticity, as is Fern and Dandelion. It is only in a work such as Morning Glory, which is modern in the large size of the canvas and the fact that the flowers fall off the canvas, that Offenbacher’s cunning playfulness becomes apparent. The realism of this work begins to resemble abstraction. What, we begin to ask ourselves, is the artist really depicting?
This question becomes particularly important in the six Sequoia paintings: what appears to be cross sections of unique tree trunks, are also clever allusions to the minimalist pattern paintings of the 1960s. The artist’s toying strategy of placing two opposing American ideals within the same context is most obvious in a number of works that depict illustrated animals but which, in their titles, refer to recognized works by famous American abstract artists. Looking at Big Red by Sam Francis, a small, simple straight- forward drawing of a polar bear in tones of gray, white and black, contradicts Sam Francis’s painting at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, which is lush in its field of rich shimmering reds and receding grays. Similarly, Looking at One (Number 31, 1950) by Jackson Pollock (also at MoMA), a small rendition of a bat, in no way comments on Pollock’s drip masterpiece full of dramatic gestures and lyrical movements. Which takes precedence, the image or the title? In many ways this exhibition is about myths but it is also about idealism, ideology and the purely conceptual. Offenbacher, by way of his subject matter and painting style, cunningly makes us think about American values, American traditions, American folklore and the very different aspects of American Art. | <urn:uuid:adaf206f-659e-4ac5-ab04-03cd67d33298> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.helloari.com/~matt/reed0404.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951291 | 722 | 2.1875 | 2 |
A recent innovation that adds more than convenience and enjoyment to one of the daily activities of personal hygiene is the digital shower. With a digital shower, you can save time, energy and water, by saving the setting in memory so that no readjustments of temperature and pressures are needed. The settings can easily be recalled at the push of a button, the savings can be significant if there are a large number of people involved.
The water is usually fed from both hot and cold sources and mixed by together by an electronically controlled process that is very precise and repeatable. The water is then fed to the shower-head when it reaches the desired temperature. The shower-head can be of almost any form, as long as it can support the flow rate of the water that designated by the user.
The processor that is used is specifically designed for the water heating system, and it is important to determine whether the heating unit is a gravity- fed system which is usually lower in pressure delivery than Combi-boiler units. Installations can vary not only by manufacturer, but the features of each model can also vary. A number of installation types are available, depending on manufacturer and model.
The digital shower can either be exposed, with the supply lines concealed in the riser or they can be concealed with the lines built into the wall. There may also be options available to vary the style of the shower, which may be fixed overhead, or adjustable, or even detachable hand-held telephone shower heads. Manufacturers may also offer remotely controlled shower that operate on wireless technology.
You can exercise total control of your shower experience with a digital shower, as you know precisely what your settings are, and you can easily read the measurements on the large LCD panel. Installation is easy and operating the shower may even be easier. The digital processor can be located up to 10 meters away from the remote control unit.
Some very unique and handy features can be included in the shower experience. The water flow can be paused temporarily for two minutes without the need to reset the controls. This can be a handy feature that can be used when you shampoo or condition your hair, brush your teeth, or shave. You can also manage your time, and conserve water and energy, by setting a pre-determined time to be spent in the shower. Engaging the auto shut-off feature that may be included in some models, shuts the shower off as soon as the set time expires, so that you do not spend more time in the shower than is deemed to be necessary.
Digital showers can not only be functional, but they can also be very stylish and complement the decor of almost any bath. With a minimalistic design and attractive styling, the showers are supplied in a variety of corrosion resistant finishes that make it a joy to handle. | <urn:uuid:7663c4f8-6a94-4083-9fcb-db245e4853b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.novartisventurefund.com/?id=24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95357 | 569 | 2.484375 | 2 |
WICHITA — Volunteers provide nearly all of the firefighting protection in the South American country of Paraguay. Their equipment is mostly what they can gather and adapt by their efforts. They will soon have an additional 5 tons of protective gear, thanks to Kansas Paraguay Partners.
KPP has gathered surplus equipment that can no longer be used in Kansas due to its age or changes in safety requirements. The Wichita Fire Department is the leading donor, along with fire departments from Clearwater, Colwich, Hesston, Newton, Walton and Wellington.
"We are deeply grateful for Kansas fire departments reaching out to support their international colleagues," said KPP representative Steve Richards.
About 85 percent of fire personnel in Kansas are also volunteers. Priority is given to local needs before donations are sent farther away.
The Wichita Fire Department has been host to the fire equipment donation project. Firefighters and others volunteer their own time to the effort to sort and pack the equipment.
However, Kansas hand-me-downs will be a major boost to the Corps of Volunteer Firefighters of Paraguay. For example, 100 air pack breathing units may increase their inventory by as much as 30 percent.
According to a news release, KPP interest in Emergency Preparedness was reinvigorated after a tragic fire killed more than 400 and injured hundreds more in the capitol of Asuncion in 2004.
The US Air Force will airlift the donation from McConnell Air Base as part of the Denton Humanitarian Assistance Transportation Program. The Denton Program puts extra space on US military transport to use, when available, for humanitarian aid. The Denton Program is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of State (DOS) and Department of Defense (DOD).
The Kansas Paraguay chapter of Partners of the Americas creates opportunities and fosters understanding by promoting bilateral people-to-people exchanges. Active since 1968, projects include Civil Society, Cultural Arts, Education, Health, International Trade, and Natural Resources in addition to Emergency Preparedness. Partners of the Americas (POA) is the western hemisphere’s largest private, completely apolitical volunteer organization. | <urn:uuid:c8fb56ac-85bb-421c-9bf1-a335ab1eb000> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thekansan.com/article/20130208/NEWS/130209127?rssfeed=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942851 | 443 | 1.898438 | 2 |
more articles like this
National Kidney Foundation
updated: Mar 19, 2011, 8:45 AM
The NKF Serving S. California & S. Nevada, a major voluntary health
organization, seeks to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the
health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases,
and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. One in nine
persons has chronic kidney disease, with most unaware. That means over 2.4
million people just in Southern California and Souther Nevada.
The National Kidney Foundation is the leading voluntary health agency dedicated
to the detection, prevention and treatment of diseases of the kidney and urinary
tract. The NKF Serving S. California & S. Nevada is proud to bring help and hope
to Southern Californians who suffer from kidney and urologic diseases, and does
so through patient and community services and advocacy, public and professional
education, and research and organ donation programs.
The NKFSCSN is governed by an unpaid Board of Directors which oversees all
business of the Foundation and which receives regular reports from volunteer
committees responsible for the planning and implementation of program services
and fund raising projects. The work of the volunteer leadership is augmented by
the support of a small number of professional staff. The Board adheres to the
standards of the not-for-profit version of the Better Business Bureau - the
National Charities Information Bureau, and submits its books to an independent
auditor for review and report each year.
Among voluntary health agencies, the NKF Serving S. California & S. Nevada is
second to none in fiscal responsibility. NKF Serving S. California & S. Nevada's
expenditures reflect its balanced approach to serving those who suffer from
kidney disease while working toward the eradication of these diseases.
113 individuals attended the first Santa Barbara Free health screening for people at risk for kidney disease - area residents with diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney disease. KEEP (Kidney Early Evaluation Program) Includes a health risk appraisal, blood pressure measurement, blood and urine tests. Each individual was guided through the process and assisted by volunteer nurses. After the screening, each individual received a one-on-one consultation by volunteer nephrologists from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Only 55 had pre-registered and were expected, so the event was quite an overwhelming success.
On Sunday, April 3 the local chapter of the NKF will host the Inaugural Tri-Counties Kidney Walk from Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort on the Santa Barbara waterfront. Get details and sign up to walk or support the walk at this link
Expanding Patient Services and Community Resources
Educating the Public
Supporting Research and Research Training
Continuing Education of Health Care Professionals
Shaping Health Policy
5 comments on this article. Read/Add
# # # # | <urn:uuid:dafb52da-f9f2-464d-bad2-5e5ab8486f93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=50636 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930565 | 605 | 1.789063 | 2 |
World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List outlines the classes of substances and methods that are prohibited in sport, including rugby union.
A new list is published by WADA on January 1 every year. Substances and methods can be prohibited if they meet any two of the three following criteria:
- Evidence that the substance or method enhances or has the potential to enhance performance;
- Evidence that the substance or method represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete;
- WADA's determination that use of the substance or method violates the spirit of sport.
A summary of the modifications to the Prohibited List for 2012 is also available.
WADA has also established a monitoring programme for substances that are not on the Prohibited List but which are monitored closely to detect patterns of misuse in sport. A range of substances have been placed on the WADA 2012 monitoring programme. | <urn:uuid:97d26753-0e97-4763-a10c-533b57711b7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rfu.com/thegame/antidoping/prohibitedlist | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937739 | 193 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Studying Linguistics at HKU
Linguistics is an option for you--
- if you enjoy learning languages and learning about languages
or are fascinated with some aspect of language,
- if you want to combine a scientific approach with an Arts or
Social Science subject, or
- if you are an Arts student with an analytic frame of mind.
A minor in General Linguistics shall consist of 30 credits of
second/third year Linguistics courses. As a prerequisite, students
are required to pass LING1001 Introduction to linguistics.
To be accepted for our majors, students must have completed satisfactorily
the first year course "Introduction to Linguistics". Other
non-majors who wish to take Linguistics courses in their second
and third years' studies will also be expected to have passed the
first year course.
The following B.A. majors and programmes are offered in the department
or in conjunction with other departments:
At the postgraduate level, the following programmes are offered
in the department or in collaboration with other departments:
The primary library resources in Linguistics are housed in the
University's Main Library. Books
and journal titles can be looked up easily through the Library's
computer catalogue system, Dragon, and articles may be searched
for through on-line resources such as the MLA Bibliography, the
LLBA (Language and Linguistic Behaviour Abstracts), and Linguistics
The Department has a small library of reference works and linguistics
books. It has a well-equipped Phonetics laboratory for teaching
and research in Experimental Phonetics. There is also a Laboratory
for Research in Language Neuroscience and Cognition.
The Department's courses are enriched by seminar
presentations by guest lecturers, members of staff,
and postgraduate students in the department. Seminars are open to
the public and all students are encouraged to attend.
A variety of research projects
are under way in the department, encompassing the fields of phonetics,
speech recognition, phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicology and
lexicography, language typology, language and literacy, sociolinguistics
and conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, child language acquisition,
pyscholinguistics, language and the human brain.
The department has established a particular concentration on linguistic
studies of Asian languages. A strong tradition of research in Cantonese
linguistics continues with new tools such as corpus linguistics
and language processing being brought to bear on the field. Current
research includes a Hong Kong Cantonese Corpus project, a project
on Cantonese speech understanding in conjunction with IBM, studies
of language development in Cantonese/English bilingual children
and studies in the field of language and neuroscience. Other projects
involve comparative studies of Cantonese in relation to Southeast
Asian and African languages as well as English, and the grammar
of Min dialects such as Chiu Chow.
Beyond the Asian focus, members of the department are conducting
studies on Dagaare and Akan, spoken in Ghana, Ndebele, spoken in
Zimbabwe, and European languages such as French, German, Norwegian,
Icelandic and Russian, as well as Latin and Classical Greek.
The Department seeks to attract qualified postgraduate research
students from Hong Kong, China and overseas with sufficient background
in linguistics. Postgraduate studentships or research assistantships,
research grants and international conference funding are available
to support their research.
Enquiries should be addressed to Department of Linguistics, The
University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong. Telephone:
(852) 39178606; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:b6624566-f650-4bee-92cd-01fb6498c034> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linguistics.hku.hk/pro/index_2010.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905572 | 796 | 2.140625 | 2 |
A pseudoscope is a binocular optical instrument that reverses depth perception. It is used to study human stereoscopic perception. Objects viewed through it appear inside out, for example: a box on a floor would appear as a box shaped hole in the floor.
It typically uses sets of optical prisms, or periscopically arranged mirrors to swap the view of the left eye with that of the right eye.
Switching the two pictures in a standard stereoscope changes all the elevated parts into depressions, and vice versa. The pseudoscope produces these inversions also, it changes convex into concave, and high-relief into low-relief.
But the pseudoscopic inversion of a complicated picture — a landscape, streets, etc., produces a bewildering impression. It seems as if all the objects — men, trees, etc., had been placed in a depression of the earth, and yet everything remains in its place. Therefore, nearer objects appear very large, because we imagine them to be at a great distance, and more distant objects smaller, because they seem to be nearer.
Before the pseudoscope itself was created intentionally, it existed in binocular instruments as an imperfection. The first binocular microscope was invented by the Capuchin monk Cherubin d'Orleans. Because his instrument consisted of two inverting systems, it produced a pseudoscopic impression of depth by accident, although not recognized by microscopists of the time.
The instrument subsequently fell into complete neglect for nearly two centuries. It was revived in 1852 by Charles Wheatstone, who published his ideas in his second great paper "On Binocular Vision," in the Philosophical Transactions for 1852. Wheatstone's paper stimulated the investigation of binocular vision and many variations of pseudoscopes were created, chief types being the mirror or the prismatic.
- Experimental Psychology p.146 by Edward Bradford Titchener, Macmillan, 1906
- The Five Senses of Man, p.137, Julius Bernstein, Appleton, 1876
- Harvard U. Herbaria
- Binocular Instruments, from a classic 1911 encyclopedia | <urn:uuid:3bb789f2-b848-4f2a-a4e3-802c4240355a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscope | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933524 | 436 | 3.765625 | 4 |
Women, welfare & human rights
HSPH student examines government policies and social forces that affect the sexual and reproductive health of women.
Should poor women on welfare have additional babies while receiving cash assistance? In the wake of welfare reform in 1996, some U.S. policymakers answered “no” by passing “family cap” policies. While cash grants had typically been based on family size, the new measures excluded from the calculation of a family’s cash grant the children who were conceived by moms on welfare. With this attempt to regulate the reproduction of a specific segment of the population — poor, predominantly black and Latina women — policymakers committed human rights violations, according to Madina Agénor, doctoral student in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health.
“Family cap had one major purpose: to send a clear message about which women are worthy of being mothers and which are not,” says Agénor, whose paper on the policy appears in the November/December 2009 Women’s Health Issues. “Poor women were seen as profiting from the system — even though welfare was an entitlement — and intentionally having babies while on the rolls in order to get more money.”
The policy violates the right of every woman to have a child, if she chooses, says Agénor. It also violates the right of children to the resources needed to lead healthy lives. To back her claims, Agénor cites eight international human rights and reproductive rights documents, several of which are signed by the United States, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Such efforts to control fertility, she adds, are reminiscent of coerced sterilizations of women of color and other “undesirables” in the twentieth century.
Such far-reaching analysis typifies Agénor’s approach to public health research. She is driven to understand how societal forces — from government policies to household decision making — affect the sexual and reproductive health of women, particularly those on the margins. “I want my research to have real-world policy implications for the health of real women,” she says.
A Reform in Need of Reform?
Passed in 1996, welfare reform dramatically altered the nation’s approach to supporting needy families, converting the 60-year-old cash entitlement program into Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which provides states with the funds to run their own programs, in addition to the power to adopt new rules aimed at promoting heterosexual marriage and two-parent families. Twenty-four states have introduced family cap policies. Three states have repealed them.
Agénor’s interviews with administrators in charge of enforcing family cap policies revealed that many of them agreed with studies showing that the measures have little effect on poor women’s reproductive decisions. Those who supported the policies lacked empirical evidence to back up their case.
Congress’s fall 2010 reauthorization of TANF provides an opening to re-evaluate family caps, but Agénor isn’t optimistic. Although public health professionals and others opposed the measures when welfare reform passed, the issue has since fallen off the radar of most advocacy groups, she says. The three states that have repealed their policies, however, leave her hopeful that the remaining family caps gradually will be chipped away. Agénor argues that officials would better help poor women and children — and reduce welfare caseloads — by promoting education and economic opportunities for women.
A Witness to Poverty, A Passion for Change
Agénor’s passion to improve the lives of marginalized women has roots in her early childhood. Born in Martinique, she lived in Haiti, her father’s home country, from ages three to six, before her family moved to the United States. “Poverty has always been something that I’ve witnessed,” Agénor says. “Living in Haiti, that’s part of what you see around you day to day.”
Early in her undergraduate studies at Wellesley College, she sought to gain a complex understanding of how the social context of women’s lives affects their health. But an internship in Costa Rica provided one of the most transformative lessons of her academic career: reading about people’s lives doesn’t always convey how the people themselves view their situation.
“I had read that Costa Rican women followed traditional gender roles, so I took that into account when I was doing a workshop on HIV prevention,” Agénor says. “But while I was talking, a number of the women pointed out to me that they worked outside the home and that they had decision-making power in the household. They really challenged me to rethink what I had read and to learn from their lived experiences.”
Screening to Save Lives
Having earned her master’s degree at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Agénor now is beginning her doctoral thesis work on potential differences in rates of HPV screening between young U.S.-born black women and young black women from the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, and how any discrepancies relate to cervical cancer mortality. She’s particularly interested in finding out whether differences within these groups of women — such as the amount of time they’ve lived in the United States, their access to health insurance, and cultural norms around gender and sexuality — affect their likelihood of being screened for HPV.
“HPV caught my eye because black women die at higher rates in the United States than any other group from cervical cancer, despite the fact that it is entirely preventable,” Agénor says. “I’m excited that my work could have policy implications for the way that we think about HPV and cervical screening, and could shed light on whether the recent sweeping recommendations that women should delay receiving a Pap smear and forgo annual screening make sense.”
Like Agénor’s work analyzing family cap policies, this project falls into an area where there’s little previous research. “That seems to be a trend with the questions I want to look at,” she says. “It’s a challenge, but it bolsters my resolve.”
Amy Roeder is assistant editor of the Harvard Public Health Review. Photo by Kent Dayton. | <urn:uuid:278908c1-1698-4388-8da5-cf7678990f76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/women-welfare-and-human-rights/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966016 | 1,309 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare blood cancer and slow-growing due to spinal cord cells produce too many B cells (lymphocytes), a type of white blood cells that fight infection in charge. When viewed with a microscope, it looks abnormal B cells and 'hair'.
As the number of leukemia cells, automated white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are also getting a little healthier because of being pressured by the leukemia cells.
This cancer is more common in men, particularly middle-aged or elderly men.
Until now, the cause and cure of this disease has never been found. Hairy cell leukemia is considered as one of the chronic diseases because the disease is never completely lost though maybe in a few years the treatment dose is reduced. | <urn:uuid:06dc8208-9477-4026-a613-ffa957fb985d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searchingforagoodread.blogspot.jp/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965171 | 157 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Practical Issues for Parents and Teachers
Chapter 6 presents data from qualitative studies conducted with parents of lesbians, gay men and bisexual men and women who have been bullied or harassed at school. Some of the legal cases and human interest stories that have brought homophobic bullying and harassment to the attention of the courts are reviewed. In addition, resources written or edited on behalf of the U.K.'s Health Development Agency (HDA; now the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence) on tackling homophobic bullying are illustrated. The aim of this chapter are to provide an overview of the lived experiences of parents whose children have been victims homophobia at school, and to provide guidance to educators and administrators in schools on how to address the issue of homophobia and homophobic bullying in particular.
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. | <urn:uuid:8171a0de-3a43-4b44-8e62-5559101b5463> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195160536.001.0001/acprof-9780195160536-chapter-006 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951815 | 211 | 3.109375 | 3 |
I have finally managed to watch Michael Morpurgo’s Richard Dimbleby Lecture. How refreshing to hear someone from outside of the world of Education recognising how undervalued the Early Years profession is. The lack of financial reward and status means that many of the UK’s brightest individuals are discouraged from entering the Early Years profession. Working with our youngest children is one of the most important occupations of all, as Morpurgo put it
‘a pound spent in the early years can save ten pounds later’
Thank goodness some of us care enough not to desert the profession.
The lecture also decried the target driven education system we have in this country. When everything relies upon targets and league tables it is easy to forget about the individuality of each child and how their needs can be met. Morpurgo explained how in New Zealand children enter school on their 5th birthday, thus allowing teachers time to get to know each child individually , rather than having a class of 30 all arriving at once. Also in Finland, which comes 2nd in the OECD World Education rankings, children do not start school until they are 7 years old. With an education system built on targets and children starting school at such a young age we are setting our children up for failure. No wonder we keep seeing headlines about how boys are failing to read.
Morpurgo argues that the most important part of a child’s education is building trusting relationships, focusing on the unique qualities of each child. When teachers and adults are passionate about a subject, be it reading, music, sport or science they enthuse children to enjoy those things too. This reminded me of Sir Ken Robinson’s book ‘The Element’. In this he talks about how each of us have something that we excel at , that we enjoy and is at the core of our very being. Many of these things are discovered by perceptive and enthusiastic adults when we are children, others of us do not find our ‘element ‘ till much later in life, if at all.
There are a number of people who helped me to find a passion. My mother read me books, took me to the library and showed me that books were special, instilling in me a love for reading. The primary school teachers who first put me on the stage in school shows and sowed the seeds for a love of performing and my secondary school English teacher who recognised my talent for writing and called me her ‘shining star’ helped me to believe that I could.
It also made me think of another thought I had earlier in the day as I taught my eldest daughter to play clock patience. I thought about all the things my grandfather taught me to do when I was young. Not only clock patience, but how to make a paper hat and paper aeroplane, how to play pick up sticks and two little dickie birds with pieces of paper on your fingers – things that I hope I remember well enough to pass down.
Working in Early Years Education I am sure that we touch children’s lives in many ways, with the experiences we give them, through listening to them and sharing their worlds and understanding their needs. In some ways it’s a bit sad that few of the children we teach will remember the influence we had on their lives, they wont cite us as someone who touched their life, but I’m pretty certain we did.
For a full transcript of the Dimbleby Lecture http://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/news/read-michaels-dimbleby-lectur/
To watch or listen to the lecture http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ymf57/The_Richard_Dimbleby_Lecture_15_02_2011/
Sir Ken Robinson’s book ‘The Element’ http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/the-element | <urn:uuid:8a9fe0ee-66ce-412d-9bbd-90a957794bc3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rightfromthestart.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/who-touched-your-life-when-you-were-a-child-michael-morpurgos-richard-dimbleby-lecture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962269 | 818 | 2.15625 | 2 |
- Published on Friday, 28 March 2008 22:12
The agricultural workers of the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez' region continue to suffer poverty and neglect despite their valuable contribution to the economy of the border region.
In 1993, the average annual income for the border agricultural workers was less that 7,000. This was only a third of the Poverty Income Guidelines of the Federal Government. But in the last 15 years, the salaries in the fields have fallen dramatically. Today they only earn half of the wages of 1993.
Unemployment affects more than half of the farm labor force. As a result, seven out of ten farm workers don't have a place to live. The majority lack access to health and medical services and only a few are able to provide a basic education to their children.
Additionally, the border farm workers don't have the same benefits and legal protections like the rest of the labor force. They don't have,
for example, the right to organize.
In order to demand justice and dignity we are having a march on Monday March 31, the official state Cesar Chavez holiday. We will gather at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of El Paso and Sixth Streets, near the El Paso del Norte International Bridge.
We invite everybody to join this march and support the struggle for justice and dignity for the border agricultural workers and their families. | <urn:uuid:f3e1dcd8-62fc-4a7c-8192-498530a8d626> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.viacampesina.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=483:a-response-to-the-global-food-prices-crisis-sustainable-family-farming-can-feed-the-world&catid=21:food-sovereignty-and-trade&Itemid=38 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949907 | 283 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Filmmaker Loach urges cultural boycott of Israel
Press TV - January 15, 2010
The acclaimed British director and winner of Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Ken Loach, has called for the boycott of Israeli movies at the international film festivals and cultural events.
“The massacres and state terrorism in Gaza make the showcasing of Israeli films in various sections of international film festivals unacceptable,” Loach was quoted as saying at a ceremony commemorating Israeli offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip by IRNA.
“Tel Aviv sponsors various international film festivals with the intention to open the way for Israeli films.”
He added the call for a boycott of Israeli cultural products comes from many writers, artists, journalists, lawyers, academics, trades unionists and teachers. They see it as “a contribution to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation, colonization and system of apartheid.”
Last July, Loach withdrew his film ”Looking for Eric” from the Melbourne International Film Festival in protest against the Israel’s sponsorship of another filmmaker. Tel Aviv provided airfare for Tatia Rosenthal, whose film ”9.99” is an Israeli-Australian co-production.
In May 2009, Loach as director of the Edinburgh International film festival returned a £300 gift from the Israeli embassy as a sign of his cultural boycott of Israel and in protest of Tel Aviv’s policies towards the Palestinian people.
The Toronto international film festival (TIFF) came under fire in September for selecting Tel Aviv as the subject of its inaugural City-to-City Spotlight strand. Renowned movie makers including Loach, Jane Fonda and David Byrne were among those who signed a statement supporting Canadian film-maker John Greyson, who withdrew his short film “Covered” from TIFF after learning of the program.
In a letter to the festival, Greyson cited Israeli action in Gaza and the expansion of illegal settlements as reasons for his withdrawal.
A United Nations inquiry led by former South African Judge Richard Goldstone details what investigators call Israeli actions “amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity” during Israel’s offensive against Gaza.
Tel Aviv is worried that charges could be lodged against politicians and army officers for war crimes committed during Israel’s 22-day offensive against blockaded Gaza Strip. Top officials who would be in the judicial cross-hairs could include former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as well as current Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed during three weeks of Israel’s land, sea and air assault in the impoverished coastal sliver. The offensive also inflicted $ 1.6 billion damage to Gaza economy. | <urn:uuid:4082b525-3e96-4eae-a1e7-e3811df8284b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/filmmaker-loach-urges-cultural-boycott-of-israel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966936 | 573 | 1.539063 | 2 |
FREE DISPENSING GUIDE FROM "adhere" AT INTERTRONICS
The “adhere” Intertronics range of dispensing equipment includes automatic, semi-automatic and robotic systems, hand held guns and all the consumables users are ever likely to need for their adhesives or other liquids like inks, coatings, greases or oils. So in order to help production engineers, they are offering a free download of “25 top dispensing tips” – considered an indispensible guide to the ins-and-outs of fluid dispensing, including equipment selection and techniques. Also they are offering a free sample kit including a selection of tips, barrels and other consumables – all featuring industry-standard fittings and total backward compatibility.
The “adhere” Intertronics top tips cover subjects such as the best type of tips to use for solder paste or conductive epoxies, dispensing of light sensitive materials, how to prevent dripping or backflow, how to increase accuracy and how to minimize clogging in the dispensing tip. There are also tips on low viscosity materials and micro-dispensing, right down to correct tip angles. Further information, along with a free download and kit may be accessed by visiting www.intertronics.co.uk/25toptips | <urn:uuid:5e442a6a-a874-4355-a075-75cf2f7e5ce1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.solusource.com/TomInfo/ui/default.aspx?callerid=24&Criteria=2&id=10651&compid=138524&key=Latest+Press+Releases&rowIndex=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911663 | 274 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Phase-of-firing coding of natural visual stimuli in primary visual cortex
We investigated the hypothesis that neurons encode rich naturalistic stimuli in terms of their spike times relative to the phase of ongoing network fluctuations, rather than only in terms of their spike count. We recorded Local Field Potentials (LFPs) and multi-unit spikes from the primary visual cortex of anaesthetized macaques while binocularly presenting a color movie. We found that both the spike counts and the low-frequency LFP phase were reliably modulated by the movie and thus conveyed information about it. Moreover, movie periods eliciting higher firing rates also elicited a higher reliability of LFP phase across trials. To establish whether the LFP phase at which spikes were emitted conveyed visual information that could not be extracted by spike rates alone, we compared the Shannon information about the movie carried by spike counts to that carried by the phase of firing. We found that, at low LFP frequencies, the phase of firing conveyed 54% additional information beyond that conveyed by spike counts. The extra information available in the phase of firing was crucial to disambiguate between stimuli eliciting high spike rates of similar magnitude. Thus, phase coding may allow primary cortical neurons to represent several effective stimuli in an easily decodable format. | <urn:uuid:50ad0fea-4169-4498-a88b-6ef004abd252> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eprints.pascal-network.org/archive/00004106/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955548 | 261 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Arabian Nightmare. BOOKS
THE SATANIC VERSES by Salman Rushdie. New York:, Viking. 547 pp. $19.95.Skip to next paragraph
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WITH all that's happened - Muslim demonstrations, bannings and book burnings, a death-sentence from Ayatollah Khomeini - ``The Satanic Verses'' has begun to look prophetic. That's remarkable, if only because at first sight it's a savage satire of the very idea of prophecy, or the utterance, by man, of truth with a capital T.
The concept behind the book is simple: A plane from Bombay is blown up over the English Channel by terrorists. The only survivors are two media types from India, an actor and a voice-over artist.
The city they fall into, modern London, is the polyglot, multiracial sinkhole of the British Empire. The impact of their fall affects the two differently and even paradoxically. The mild voice-over artist is transformed into a devilish looking goat, while the macho actor, who specializes in portraying deities in the Indian pantheon, is encouraged to think of himself as a messenger of God.
This concept controls with varying degrees of success an enormous amount of detail drawn from contemporary London and Islamic tradition.
The constantly shifting point of view rarely gets outside the alienated consciousness whose symbol and wand is the TV remote-control stick. The ``tortured metropolis'' of London is seen as a ``composite video monster.'' The language of the characters and the book ranges from ``smart-alec Bombay English'' to parodies of the holy book of Islam, the Koran. This book about exile is drenched in fear and anxiety. ``Paranoia,'' Rushdie writes, ``for the exile, is the prerequisite of survival.''
Words and images start from the page with unnatural lucidity. Rushdie's eclectic style, which gives voice to a multitude of brilliantly sketched characters - some only for a page or two - has a political and religious basis. The modern Indian culture, he says early on, can be seen as ``based on the principle of borrowing whatever clothes seemed to fit, Aryan, Mughal, British, take-the-best-and-leave-the-rest.'' This style would replace the ``authentic'' Indian style.
But Rushdie's target is bigger than India, bigger than fundamentalist Islam. He seeks out, and often destroys, the ``too many demons inside people claiming to believe in God.'' This has led to charges of arrogant, militant skepticism. Rather, this book is a kind of postmodern, speculative ``Arabian Nights,'' in which the fallen know-it-all gets his come-uppance and the tragedy of intellectual pride yields to the comedy of human love and enlightened political engagement.
THE special tone of the book is not anger but an impish melancholy. Rushdie was meticulous in qualifying his criticisms of Islamic tradition by using literary fictions like the dream. Perhaps he's been too clever. He seems to suggest that the Koran was tampered with by an alienated scribe (named Salman!) who becomes first sad then wickedly inventive - ``polluting the word of God with my own profane language'' - when he notices that the prophet Mahound (a devilish twist on Muhammad) doesn't notice the changes he is making.
Salman knows he'll be found out and killed by Mahound. His consolation is that of the alienated intellectual: ``I would fall, I knew, but he would fall with me,'' Salman says.
Rushdie's vision is partly tragic. The idealism of love between the sexes seems out of place in the paranoid world of exile. In a book about the burden of inheritance, Henry James is quoted: ``The natural inheritance of everyone who is capable of spiritual life is an unsubdued forest where the wolf howls and the obscene bird of night chatters.''
``Take that, kids,'' adds the narrator, exhibiting once again his inability to keep a straight face. In its rhythms, this book brilliantly captures the surrealism of the media-mind, the monstrous product of openness and pluralism. Eventually, it may come to be seen as a dicey drama of monotheism in a pluralistic world. Against the vertiginous swirl of events, certain pieties, certain polarities, certain responsibilities, hold fast.
The book is serious about the spiritual equality of men and women. It's serious about the family. ``To fall in love with one's father after the long angry decades was a serene and beautiful feeling,'' says the hero, though the sentiment is checked in its progress toward its kinky, vampirish opposite. And this book is serious about the potential relationship between man and God. The dream that has so enraged some readers concludes with a remarkable passage in which the death of the messenger, the parody of Muhammad, is seen in the broader context of the inextinguishable life of God.
Rushdie finds a deep sadness in the way his characters, faced with anarchy without and within, try to will their identities, mocking the Creator's language and saying ``I am that I am,'' and he ends on an ambiguously meliorist note. Apocalypse is not now, prudential liberal politics is.
AS another Salman says in the book, ``To dream of a thing is very different from being faced with the fact of it.'' Indeed, ``The Satanic Verses'' bears witness to multitudes of facts about modern life. Furthermore, it has engendered a host of new facts, facts that have been screaming from the headlines for weeks now.
``The Satanic Verses'' can't be separated from those facts, any of them. Read carefully, it provides a map to a great deal of them. Which, at this moment, may be its most remarkable virtue. | <urn:uuid:41fe661d-265e-46d1-ac38-365c7c834aa5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/1989/0302/dbsal.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953592 | 1,207 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Last weekend I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Have you heard of it? If you haven’t by now, you surely will soon. Just this week it was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture. (By the way, in case you were wondering, I think it should win Best Picture.)
Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal Malik, an orphan from the Mumbai slum who gets a chance to compete on India’s version of TV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (For those of you who are worried about a spoiler, don’t be. In the opening scene you find out that he makes it to the final question.)
Of course he is accused of cheating, as everyone assumes there is no way that someone from the slum could know the answers to so many trivia questions. The movie shows Jamal’s life in a series of flashbacks based on the game show questions, and explains how he knew the answer to each question.
It’s a fascinating concept for a movie. Thought-provoking, funny and often heart-wrenching, it is superbly executed.
Anyway, going into the movie, I had a rough idea of what it was about: a young man from the slums of India. Based on that, I figured that there would be a certain amount of poverty-related imagery. What I didn’t expect, though, was how deeply I was affected by the slum scenes.
Scenes of Jamal’s life reveal abuse, prostitution, drugs, violence … all the circumstances that typically characterize a life in poverty. Though it was a necessary part of the story and none of it was gratuitous, at times it was difficult to watch.
I found myself wondering what others in the theater were thinking. Was this the first time that some people in the theater have seen poverty like that? Did they realize they were seeing reality or did they think it was “Hollywood-ized”? Were they as profoundly affected as I was?
Then today a friend sent me this article about. Apparently the success of the movie has led to an increased interest in the “slum tourism” business in India. People see the movie and then want to see the “real thing.” The article contrasts the movie to the real-life slum tour:
While the show offers Jamal a route out of the gutter, the tour makes a beeline for the squalor from which his real-life equivalents strive to escape: the excursion’s “highlights” include a stop at a stall of six toilets that serves 16,000 people and a stroll alongside a river so black and septic that it oozes rather than flows.
I mean, really?? Ridiculously overcrowded toilet facilities are an “attraction”? I have a hard time accepting that people actually pay to see that.
For those of you who’ve been around here a while, you might remember our previous discussion about poverty tourism. This article showed me how conflicted I still am about this idea.
On the one hand, I think these poverty tourists are despicable for engaging in this overt exploitation of other people’s suffering. On the other hand, they are getting a close-up, powerful (and hopefully life-changing) view of poverty that few get the chance to experience.
So here is a question for you to ponder …
In the case of poverty tourism, does the end justify the means?
In other words, is it worth exploiting the poor in their helpless, and often hopeless, situation if it ultimately changes someone’s heart towards the poor?
I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this one. | <urn:uuid:233374fb-b31b-43a2-8de6-36f68d21c1a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.compassion.com/slumdog-millionaire/quote-comment-4812/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972525 | 781 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Today, further signs of how the world may be reshaped as population pressures grow and global warming intensifies.
A South Korean company has leased 3.2 million acres of farmland from the government of Madagascar for 99 years. That’s an area about half the size of Belgium — and it represents nearly half of all the arable land in the country, according to a report in the Financial Times. The company, Daewoo Logistics, plans to grow maize and oil palms, with the produce to be shipped back to South Korea, according to the report.
This news comes just a week after the the president-elect of the Maldives, a nation of 1,200 low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean, said he was planning to use some of the country’s tourism revenue to buy an alternative homeland for its 37,000 citizens, in case rising sea levels inundate the country. (Not so far-fetched: the highest point in the Maldives is just 7.5 feet above sea level now.) The practical president-elect, Mohamed Nasheed, mentioned Sri Lanka and India as possible spots for a refuge, should the deluge ever arrive.
Both developments hint at the possible large-scale global upheaval that could ensue as temperatures rise, sea levels rise with them and burgeoning populations put new pressure on existing world food supplies.
Earlier this year, The New York Times chronicled the chaos caused by skyrocketing commodity prices around the world, with droughts in big agricultural nations like Australia and violent protests over crimped supplies of foodstuffs like rice in countries from Cameroon to Egypt, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Yemen. As worries over food security intensified, India, Vietnam, China and others limited or banned rice exports in order to keep the valuable staple within their own borders.
Since then, the looming global economic recession has brought commodity prices back down somewhat — especially crude oil — but there are still long-term worries about food and commodity security in an uncertain world.
The Daewoo solution would seem to be a clever approach to the problem, potentially meeting the needs of both South Korea, which is chronically short of farmland, and Madagascar, which is chronically short of money. And it may become a model: Ethiopia’s government has said it, too, is “very eager” to lease hundreds of thousands of acres of its farmland to rich Middle Eastern countries, according to the FT report.
But the report also says that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that such arrangements risk creating a “neo-colonial system.” What would happen, for example, if the Madagascan subsistence farmers’ own crops were to fail while shiploads of maize were still being sent to South Korea? | <urn:uuid:79eda1e2-7ac2-429b-916d-d778d6ac9d02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/short-of-food-rent-half-a-country/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949974 | 569 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Making Nothing of “Almighty Space”
This chapter argues that one of Hume's principal objectives in his discussion of space and time is to discredit the Newtonian doctrine of absolute space and time, which had recently been given a prominent and influential defense by Clarke in his famous correspondence with Leibniz. The significance of this, however, reaches well beyond the immediate issue of space and time. Clarke employed the Newtonian doctrine of absolute space and time as a key part of his “argument a priori.” Considered from this perspective, Hume's critique of Clarke's Newtonian doctrine of absolute space and time serves the deeper purpose of discrediting core features of Clarke's (dogmatic) theological system. So interpreted, Hume's discussion of space has intimate links with his general philosophical system and is an essential component of his wider irreligious intentions.
Keywords: Samuel Clarke, cosmological argument, God (attributes), ideas (abstract), infinite (divisibility), G. W. Leibniz, necessary‐existence, Isaac Newton, plenum, space and time, substance and mode
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. | <urn:uuid:92356c4a-00f6-4ec3-a387-4678c0525113> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195110333.001.0001/acprof-9780195110333-chapter-9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938666 | 290 | 2.90625 | 3 |
If there s anything architects like doing more than designing buildings, it s talking about architecture. Whether musing about their inspirations (a blank sheet of paper, the sun hitting the side of a building), expanding on each other s thoughts (on materials, collaboration, clients, and constraints), or dishing out a clever quip, architects make good copy.
The Architect Says is a colorful compendium of quotations from more than one hundred of history s most opinionated design minds. Paired on page spreads like guests at a dinner party (an architect of today might sit next to a contemporary or someone from the eighteenth century) these sets of quotes convey a remarkable depth and diversity of thinking. Alternately wise and amusing, this elegant gem of a book makes the perfect gift for architects, students, and anyone curious about the ideas and personalities that have helped shape our built world.
"A pocketbook of inspiration.... Coming across unexpected quotes or ones that hit a nerve makes a flip through the book great. A couple of my favorites includes Jan Kaplicky: 'It's not a sign of creativity to have sixty-five ideas for one problem. It's just a waste of energy.' and Frank Gehry: 'I don't know why people hire architects and then tell them what to do.' These and other quotes make the book a great gift." | <urn:uuid:0b28495a-3ac4-49a0-92ab-446bfa137380> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://papress.com/html/book.details.page.tpl?isbn=9781616890933 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931565 | 272 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Last month’s article dealt with testing copper cabling systems.This month, we examine the performance and testing requirements for installed optical fiber systems. Testing and performance requirements for optical fiber cabling systems were established in Annex H of TIA/EIA-568-A in 1995. Unlike copper, optical fiber established performance requirements for not only horizontal cabling, but also for backbone cabling. With the publication of TIA/EIA-568-B.3 “Optical Fiber Cabling Component Standard” and the approval of TIA/EIA-568-B.1 (SP-4425) “Commercial Building Tele-communications Cabling Standard,” these initial requirements have been refined and enhanced.
Unlike copper systems that require eight electrical performance tests, optical fiber systems only require one test—attenuation. Additionally, copper testing specifies both “permanent link” and “channel” testing, whereas optical fiber testing only requires “link segment” testing. The optical fiber “link segment” is equivalent to the copper “permanent link,” but given the consistent performance and limited impact associated with TIA/EIA-568-B.3- compliant patch cords to the channel, the standard allows the “link segment test” to represent the resulting channel performance when the system patch cords are installed. This does not mean that non-compliant patch cords will not affect the channel, because they can have dramatic effects; however, complaint patch cords will provide similar results to those obtained with the test patch cords used during the link segment testing.
One change that has occurred with the revision has been the requirement on the light launch condition of the test equipment. Previously, the launch condition was for what is known as a Category 1 (overfilled) launch. Now the requirement is for launch conditions, as established by ANSI/EIA/TIA-455-50B (mode-conditioned) launch.
This launch condition is typically obtained by mandrel wrapping the launch fiber prior to and during test and removes the transit higher-order modes of light that can produce erroneous higher attenuation results. This launch can either be obtained inside the test equipment or by mandrel wrapping the test equipment cords. This is accomplished by wrapping the test equipment jumper attached to the light source five times around in non-overlapping warps around a smooth mandrel. For 50-micon systems, the mandrel diameter is specified as 0.9 inches and for 62.5-micron as 0.7 inches. By following this requirement, the test results will not only be more consistent and accurate but also better represent the system’s performance, such as whether it uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (such as Fast Ethernet) or uses vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) (such as Gigabit Ethernet). This is because single-mode fiber operates with only one mode of light, that this mode conditioning and corresponding mandrel warp is not applicable.
The performance and test procedures for optical fiber systems remain relatively unchanged with TIA/EIA-568-B.1 approval. First, the test procedure still specifies a one-jumper reference and a two-jumper test method. This procedure ensures that the system under test will contain two more connector pairs than the reference test, which represents what the system electronics will experience in actual operation. This sort of reference is easily established when the connector interface on the test equipment is the same as the system under test. But unfortunately, this is not always the case, especially now with the allowance of small-form factor (SFF) connectors; however, this exists also with just ST-Style and SC connectors.
Many fiber optic system providers and test equipment suppliers have established acceptable modifications to the test reference set-up to accommodate unlike connectors between the test equipment and the system. The over-guiding principle is that the system under test should contain two more connector pairs than the reference. Therefore, the reference could be a two-jumper (one-connector pair) reference with a three-jumper (three-connector pair) test. Additionally, some manufacturers have introduced test equipment with selected SFF interfaces that simplifies the reference set-up and reduces the number of variables in the test.
Both backbone and horizontal link segments are to be tested in only one direction. For dual-fiber systems, specifically SFF systems, the common practice is to test one fiber in one direction and the second fiber in the opposite direction. This is entirely acceptable and actually preferred because it also then tests for proper polarity of the fibers. Horizontal and centralized cabling systems need only to be tested at one wavelength (either 850nm or 1300nm for multimode) because of the short length of the system resulting in only minor differences between the two wavelengths. In the case of both horizontal and centralized cabling systems, a single attenuation performance value is given for system acceptance. These values are stated below and are dependent upon whether the system is implemented with a consolidation point (additional connector pair) used in open office cabling configurations. These numbers are based on acceptable attenuation results resulting from complaint cable and connectors for these various configurations.
Because optical fiber is the predominant media in the backbone, the committee felt it essential to provide system performance and test requirements for the backbone, unlike copper. The only difference between testing the backbone from the horizontal is that the backbone should be tested at both wavelengths (850nm and 1,300nm for multimode or 1310nm and 1,550nm for single-mode). The backbone performance requirements are actually based on a formula versus a single number as with the horizontal and centralized cabling requirement. The formula takes into consideration the length variations of the backbone as well as the possibility of splices being contained in the backbone. Simply put, the acceptable link attenuation is equal to the sum of the attenuation of the cable, connector pairs, and splices.
Connector and splice attenuation is a straightforward calculation. For connectors, it is the number of connector pairs times 0.75 dB and for splices it is the number of splices times 0.3 dB. Cable attenuation varies based on the length of the system and the attenuation coefficient (dB/km) at the appropriate wavelength. Figures 1 and 2 provide a graph of this equation for a multimode (50 or 62.5 micron) and single-mode backbone systems that contain two connector pairs and no splices. The values would simply be increased at corresponding 0.75 dB for each additional connector pair or 0.3 dB for each splice.
While optical fiber systems are quick and easy to test, care must be taken to properly establish the reference. This requires high-quality test jumpers and that you maintain the quality during the test by cleaning. Also, when testing systems with a different interface from the test equipment, ensure you have the proper jumpers.
BEAM is director of systems marketing at AMP NETCONNECT Systems. He can be reached at (336) 727-5784 or firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:c6c525ab-867a-4e83-94b7-7936c76406fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecmag.com/print/section/systems/performance-and-field-testing-installed-optical-fiber-systems | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920562 | 1,468 | 1.773438 | 2 |
The introductory section of The Red Hot Chilli Cookbook contains a history of chillies, May's own experience with them and how to grow them. He outlines the benefits and different varieties of chillies. It's interesting with lots of information but having it all in one big chunk makes it a bit dry to read straight through. The contents page is quite general but there is a full list of recipes at the start of each section which makes the book very easy to navigate.
Each recipe has recommendations for the type of chilli which should be used which is not only handy for the recipe itself but gets you used to lots of different types of chilli and what type of meal they suit best so you can apply it to others as well. The notes at the start of each recipe are generally useful but can sometimes be a little too long and unfocused.
This is a very original cookbook with lots of very disparate influences showing through in the food and flavours. As well as a number of classics there are many dishes that you wouldn't ordinarily associate with chilli. There are more meat than fish dishes and the sweets section is rather small as you would expect with such a niche cookbook. On the whole the vegetable dishes are excellent and there is a good range of ingredients used throughout. Some of the types of chilli might be hard to get hold of but there are usually a couple of different selections and you can always try growing them as May does!
The photography is beautiful and rustic. The presentation is simple and the styling suits the recipes very well and it all looks really tempting. Almost all of the recipes have pictures. Ryland Peters & Small are excellent in this respect, I love to see lots of pictures when I'm cooking. May has included a nice combination of simple and more complex dishes to suit most occasions. The recipes are clear with good steps laid out as well as handy menu combinations linking meals throughout the book.
My favourite recipes were the Spanish Potato, Garlic and Chorizo Soup, the Seriously Tasty Traditional Texas Chilli, the Mango and Chilli-Marinated Chicken and the Chilli Chai. I especially enjoyed reading the meals based around finding new uses for chilli and seeing all of the different types to experiment with.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of 'The Red Hot Chilli Cookbook' from Ryland Peters & Small.
Follow V.C. Linde on Twitter: www.twitter.com/vclinde | <urn:uuid:8f6080b5-a3da-4be0-a51b-f5c0581068ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/vc-linde/review-of-the-red-hot-chi_b_1565707.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970959 | 502 | 1.53125 | 2 |
LOS ANGELES -- The roots of the modern family -- monogamous coupling -- lie somewhere in our distant evolutionary past, but scientists disagree on how it first evolved.
A new study says we should thank two key players: weak males with inferior fighting chops and the females who opted to be faithful to them.
These mating strategies may "have triggered a key step in the very long process of the evolution of the family," said study author Sergey Gavrilets, a biomathematician at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. "Without it, we wouldn't have the modern family."
The mating structure of humans is strikingly different than that of sexually promiscuous chimps, in which a few alpha males dominate other males in the group and, by dint of their superior fighting prowess, freely mate with the females. Lower-status males are largely shut out from mating opportunities.
In addition, male chimps don't contribute to rearing their young -- that is left to the female.
Some scientists believe that ancestors of humans had chimp-like patterns of mating and child-rearing. The transition to pair-bonding was a key step for our big-brained species, because our children take years and much energy to raise to independence. It's hard for a mother to go it alone.
How did the transition take place? It's not a simple question, Gavrilets said.
Dominant, promiscuous males have it good -- they don't have to invest in their young because they'll have plenty of offspring regardless, Gavrilets explained.
Males that help feed and protect a smaller number of offspring can also be very successful, reproductively speaking -- but only if they can be sure who their children really are or if they provide for all the young in a group. Otherwise, the "providers" will be wasting their resources on offspring that are not their own, and there is ample opportunity for some males to cheat and not do their part.
Gavrilets wanted to see how we might have gotten from A to B. In his work published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he used mathematical models to test factors that scientists believe may have driven the transition to pair-bonding. These include mate-guarding (males hang around the females they've mated with so others cannot mate with them too) and provisioning (males offer food or other resources to a female in return for sexual favors).
His number-crunching found that these factors alone were not enough to move a species away from promiscuity. The models did work, though, with a few adjustments. | <urn:uuid:5c38083b-8b1e-44fe-af56-0c9f0d14189e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201205280135 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961926 | 545 | 2.90625 | 3 |
International Education Week, celebrated on campuses all over America, kicked off Tuesday and will run until tomorrow. Its mission is to help students experience cultures from around the world without having to leave their home country.
“In America, most people don’t travel that much, so just to hear about (other cultures) would probably be good,” said Matthew McAllister, freshman pre-engineering major. “Know that your way is not the only way.”
Nicole Reutzel, sophomore math education major, said it is important for students to learn about different cultures. Reutzel also said that there are more international students on campus than she had expected before enrolling, especially for Kansas.
“I think it’s very important that the students that are from here get to know some of the international students because it really is a unique opportunity while we are in college,” Reutzel said. “I mean, I definitely don’t anticipate running into this many people from other cultures daily once I graduate. So I think it’s really a unique opportunity that I think people should take advantage of.”
The largest number of international students at Emporia State come from China, said Rozita Smith, interim director of international student and scholar services. South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Japan take the next four places respectively.
“When we talk about international, it’s not necessarily pertaining to a student from Japan or Korea,” Smith said. “It’s also including the American students because when American students go abroad, the other people also call them international. So when we talk about international, it’s actually all of us.”
A different booth is being set up for International Education Week in the union each day this week. Tuesday was Japanese Day; Wednesday, Saudi and Oman Day; today, South Korean Day; and tomorrow, Chinese Day. Each day, the groups will have a booth set up displaying things from their culture, and students at the booths will show others how to write their names in the “language of the day.”
DohGyoung Ahn, junior pre-art therapy major, said she wanted to go to the booths each day and see the International Culture Show.
“To other international students who (are) yet to come, they’ll have a good impression of this school because it sounds like this school cares about other cultures and diversity,” she said. | <urn:uuid:cd4bce94-4bd3-41d4-8325-67206880d6d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.esubulletin.com/2012/11/15/13660 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965144 | 518 | 2.015625 | 2 |
The Future of U.S.-EU Energy Cooperation
Chief of staff at the Office of the Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy at the U.S. Department of State, Vincent J. O'brien, stated that "stakes for an energy secure future have never been higher than they are today." Cooperation is needed on securing new resources of natural gas, diversifying energy sources and creating a more integrated European energy market. Given that the U.S.–EU trade relationship is the largest in the world and that the economies are increasingly becoming interdependent, Europe's energy security is naturally in the best interest of the U.S. While the dynamics behind Europe's energy concerns are complex, pipeline politics seem to dominate discussions.
To help combine efforts and formalize ongoing discussions between the U.S. and the EU on these issues, the creation of a U.S.–EU Energy Council was realized in November of 2009. The Council is divided into three main working groups addressing: energy security and new markets to help secure new natural gas resources; standards and policies to harmonize the ongoing work on electric cars, smart grids and other technologies; and technical research and development to cooperate on research for carbon capture and storage, rare earths and renewable technologies.
Ulrich Eckle noted that the need for the Council originated in part from Europe's necessity to find alternatives to the dependency on Russian gas sources. Russia is increasingly leveraging gas supplies as a domestic and foreign policy tool, which increases risk to EU markets. Eckle sees cooperation with the U.S. as vital for diversifying resources through consultation on energy policies that will establish standards and efficiency, and by continuing to work together on renewable energy. As Europe looks to meet its long-term gas requirements, sources in the Black Sea-Caspian region should be added to the picture, as well as Iran, which has the world's second largest natural gas reserves and could become a viable player if the political environment changes.
Jeffery Piper was apprehensive about the lack of infrastructure holding an integrated EU energy market together. The issue, as he sees it, is that it is difficult to agree on who will bear the costs for this public good. With 27 member states having their own priorities and interests, progress has been slow in creating a common approach on energy issues. Unfortunately, he states, it took the gas crisis in 2009, when millions of homes went without heat in the winter due to a standoff between Russia and Ukraine over a price dispute, to bring the EU member states to the table.
In an effort to integrate gas networks, the EU is expanding its internal market toward southeast Europe and engaging the Western Balkans through the Energy Community Treaty. A big step in this direction was signing the Protocol of Accession to the Community with Ukraine last year, which will help to reform Ukraine's energy market to EU standards and create a more stable, efficient and transparent energy market.
Alexandros Petersen spoke about the development of the Southern Energy Corridor, which is intended to bring a network of natural gas pipelines from Caspian and Middle Eastern resources through Turkey to European consumers, avoiding the disruptions and geopolitical machinations that create risks for Russian and Ukrainian routes. Currently there are several pipeline projects, but he believes that a choice between the Western-oriented projects will be made soon by the Shah Deniz gas consortium in Azerbaijan. If the project is going to reach its full potential, the U.S. and EU will have to work together on harmonizing their approach to gas-rich Turkmenistan, resolving challenges with major producer Iraq and cooperating to determine whether North America's shale gas revolution can be replicated in Europe.
An important note to remember, according to Piper, is that the EU is not looking to replace Russian gas, but to include additional sources that help support global markets. As the Council progresses, the hope is that it will become a useful tool to developing a coordinated approach to the challenges and goals of achieving global energy security.
By Andri Peros. Edited by Nida Gelazis
Christian Ostermann, Director, European Studies and History and Public Policy | <urn:uuid:658301cf-7833-4d3f-ac41-1143b119fba1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/the-future-us-eu-energy-cooperation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955653 | 830 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Dignity in Care
'Dignity' can be a difficult term to define. This is because dignity means different things to different people and can cover a wide range of topics. We believe that dignity is about ensuring that people in care are treated with dignity and respect in adult social care whatever the setting.
The 2006 the Department of Health sought views from members of the public and health and social care staff to help identify examples where services did not treat people with dignity and respect. The study categorized the examples into four main areas, the environment that care and support being provided in, attitudes and behavior of workers, the culture of care within the organization and in care activities. Whilst poor service must always be challenged to ensure service respects people's dignity, we should not forget there are many examples of good practice.
On completion of this module learners will have covered these learning objectives:
- Understand how the people we support might feel when not treated with dignity and respect
- Know what constitutes best practise when providing services with dignity and respect
- Understand why inappropriate staff attitudes and practices must be challenged
- Ensure all staff working in adult social care employ best practise
- Understand the ten key aspects of the Department of Health's Dignity Challenge
- Welcome and Learning Objectives
- Definition of Dignity
- Safeguarding and Dignity
- Social Policy, Legislation & Summary
Target AudienceThis module is aimed at anyone working with adults in a social care setting, alongside other providers of public services for example hospitals, care homes or community support services.
DurationWith over 50 interactive screens, it is estimated that this module will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete (depending on learning speed). As an e-learning module you can complete this training in convenient stages and revisit whenever you wish. The system will record your progress throughout.
CertificationOn completion of this course you will be able to download a Virtual College certificate.
CPD AccreditationThe content of this course has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines
What our customers have said...you could work at your own pace, dip in and out dependant on personal need.
Easy to use, very interesting and content very applicable to/for the work i do
easy to follow and understand.
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Discounts are available for multiple users (10 or more) for more information please contact email@example.com, or telephone Sales on 01943 885083.
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This is an online course, all the training will be taken through your browser window. There will be no face-to-face sessions with instructors nor will you receive any training material through the post. If you wish you may print out any page of the training material, and may also print the notes you took during the training.
You can also revisit the training material at any time, even after you have completed the course.
The material for this course has been broken down into several smaller lessons, each lesson dealing with a specific area of the overall subject.
The lesson consist of a series of pages in which an instructor will talk you through the lesson material at a pace that suits you. Pages may also include supporting pictures, graphs, animation or extra sounds to help with the learning where appropriate. Some lessons will include challenges/quizzes to help you keep in touch and interested in the material.
Lessons can be taken in any order and each lesson may be PAUSED and RESUMED at any stage. When all lessons in the course have been completed our system will realise and automatically record that you have successfully completed the course
This course is delivered fully online allowing you to learn at your own pace, however an average duration would be 1-2 hours.
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When you click "Submit" you will be transferred to our secure payment system (provided by WorldPay) where you will be able to enter your credit or debit card details.
Start Your Training Today
Once the payment has been accepted you will immediately be allocated an account in our Training Management System, and you will be able start your training right away. | <urn:uuid:ebb8446d-c299-480b-81ce-e97eef8b30ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.safeguardingchildrenea.co.uk/node/20188/150932 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936495 | 948 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Julie Kelsey, from Germantown, Maryland, was very frustrated with her insurance after the birth of her son. "I received a bill after my son was 18 months old for something that the insurance company kicked back," Kelsey says. "The hospital blamed the insurance company—the insurance company blamed the hospital. Everyone was sure that it was my responsibility. It was horrible and very annoying."
Insurance doesn't have to be so confusing. The secret is knowing who to go to when you have questions and knowing what your carrier covers as soon as you know that you are pregnant.
A Preexisting Condition?
A major concern for women who are considering switching jobs while pregnant is wondering if their labor and delivery costs will be covered.
Rae Lee Olson, a spokesperson for Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE), a nonprofit organization that strives to educate Americans about the role personal insurance plays in proper financial planning, as well as a Principal for the Vita Benefits Group, says that pregnant women no longer have to be concerned that pregnancy will be considered a preexisting condition.
"A law called HIPAA (passed in the 1997) prohibits group insurance carriers from excluding pregnancy under a preexisting condition clause," Olson says. "Therefore, as long as a woman has continuous coverage (without a gap of more than 63 days), then a pregnancy could not be considered a preexisting condition under a new group insurance plan."
It is important to remember that the insurance for your new job may not kick in for up to three months. That may leave you uninsured for a period of time. Check to see how long you can keep your current insurance and see if there is any way you can extend coverage until your new insurance takes over. It may cost you extra money, but remaining covered during all of your pregnancy is vital.
Who Can Answer Your Questions?
One of the issues many women have with health insurance is where to find the answers to their questions. Olson says that many companies have a human resource department that usually has someone who specializes in health insurance and policies.
"Typically there is a contact in the Human Resources department for questions on employee benefit plans," Olsen says. "Who you contact typically depends on the size of the company you work for. For example, in a very large company, there may be a dedicated benefits persons to assist you with questions. In a medium-sized company, your general HR representative may be the contact. In a smaller company, you may be directed to the insurance broker or agent who assisted your employer setting up the coverage. You should always feel free to ask when you have questions about your coverage." | <urn:uuid:72f22eb9-5553-407f-ac87-a726fbeb007a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.babyzone.com/mom/budget-and-saving/pregnancy-insurance_70115 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978456 | 542 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Photo of the Week: A Better Banana in Kenya
Rosemary Muthomi sorts through bananas with an employee at her business, Meru Greens Horticulture.
Rosemary Muthomi (left) sorts through bananas with an employee at her business, Meru Greens Horticulture. Rosemary and her husband, Gerald, started Meru Greens in their central Kenyan community to give smallholder farmers an opportunity to sell their produce for a better price.
Beginning in 2004, TechnoServe helped Meru Greens identify a promising market opportunity for high-quality bananas. Our advisors showed the company’s workers and suppliers techniques for producing bananas more efficiently and profitably. Meru Greens has thrived, more than doubling its purchases from smallholder farmers and growing its sales fivefold. Today, the company employs nearly 160 people and buys products from 4,300 farmers.
Learn more about our work with Meru Greens. | <urn:uuid:8944540a-ffcc-4d30-92b7-8cf35cf80e5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.technoserve.org/blog/photo-of-the-week-a-better-banana-in-kenya/tag/Strengthen%20Market%20Connections | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949625 | 185 | 1.507813 | 2 |
AUSTIN TEXAS SENTINEL [1840-41]
AUSTIN TEXAS SENTINEL. Two Austin newspapers were called the Texas Sentinel.The first, nominally a weekly, began publication on January 15, 1840. Jacob W. Cruger and George W. Bonnellqqvere its publishers until Cruger withdrew from the firm on July 28, 1840. Bonnell continued alone until December 1840, when Cruger and Martin Carroll Wing became owners. The paper changed the spelling of its name to Texas Centinel on April 22, 1841. The paper was bitterly opposed to Sam Houston in policy and published slander on his personal conduct. During sessions of Congress the paper was a semiweekly, and extra editions were published, such as that of July 1841 on the "Texian Loan." The Sentinel appeared at least through November 11, 1841, after which Greenberry H. Harrison acquired the paper and split it into the Daily Texian and Weekly Texian (see NATIONAL VINDICATOR).
Joe B. Frantz, Newspapers of the Republic of Texas (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1940). Mary Glasscock Frazier, Texas Newspapers during the Republic (March 2, 1836-February 19, 1846) (M. Journ. thesis, University of Texas, 1931). Marilyn M. Sibley, Lone Stars and State Gazettes: Texas Newspapers before the Civil War (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1983).
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article."AUSTIN TEXAS SENTINEL [1840-41]," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eeayz), accessed May 19, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. | <urn:uuid:c14c8f3d-f7ab-4cf9-a212-931949f1bf5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eeayz | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953875 | 389 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Editor's note: Frank J. Barrett is a Professor of Management in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School. His latest book is, "Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz Improvisation."
(CNN) -- How do you cope when faced with complexity and constant change at work? Successful leaders do what jazz musicians do: they improvise.
They invent novel responses and take calculated risks without a scripted plan or a safety net. They negotiate with each other as they proceed, and they don't dwell on mistakes or stifle each other's ideas.
In short, they say "yes to the mess" that is today's hurried, harried, yet enormously innovative and fertile world of work.
An improvisational "jazz mindset" and the skills that go along with it are essential for effective leadership today. But how do you bring that into your work-life?
First, master the art of unlearning. Jazz musicians guard against the seductive power of routines and habits. They challenge themselves to explore the very edge of their comfort level, to stretch their learning into new and different areas. Leaders could stand to take a page from the jazz playbook. When organizations become locked in a dominant design, people find themselves trapped in roles, and dynamism is lost.
Second, develop affirmative competence. Leaders frequently find themselves in the middle of messes not of their own making or in over their heads, having to take action even though there is no guarantee of outcome. Jazz players face the same issues, but what makes it possible to improvise is an affirmative move, an implicit "yes" that allows them to move forward even in the midst of uncertainty.
Human beings are at their best when they are open to the world, able to notice what's needed, and equipped with the skills to respond meaningfully in the moment. Improvisation grows out of a receptivity to what the situation offers.
Third, perform and experiment simultaneously. Leaders need to do what jazz musicians do -- anticipate that when people are encouraged to try something new, the results will be unexpected and can include errors. Innovative cultures maximize learning by nurturing a mindset of enlightened trial and error that allows managers to take advantage of errors to offer new insights.
This involves creating a psychological comfort zone, one in which it is safe for people to talk about errors and what can be learned from them. Failures are occasions for learning.
Fourth, balance freedoms and constraints. Jazz bands and innovative organizations create the conditions for guided autonomy. They create choice points to avoid getting weighted down with fruitless rules, while also maximizing diversity, inviting embellishment, and encouraging exploration and experimentation. To foster innovation, leaders hedge against the trap of "too much consensus." The underlying assumption is that when people disagree, they're both right. Thus, such organizations tolerate and encourage dissent and debate.
Fifth, learn by doing and talking. In jazz, learning and ideas for innovation take place in jam sessions, the creative equivalent of conversations in 19th-century coffeehouses.
It is here that musicians get innovative ideas, and learn whether their playing is up to par. Organizations need to create similar room for jam sessions as Steve Jobs so deeply understood. They need to deliberately design for serendipity, to encourage happy accidents and unexpected discoveries. The key to this in organizations is opportunistic conversations. Great insights occur in the context of relationships and exchanges, as people share each other's work and ask questions.
Sixth, take turns soloing and supporting. We put so much emphasis on leadership today that we have forgotten the importance of followership, what jazz musicians call "comping," or accompanying. In organizations, followership -- supporting others to think out loud and be their best -- should be an art more fully articulated, acknowledged, and rewarded.
Leaders need to model and support the practice of taking turns as leaders and supporters, just as great jazz players do. Followership can be a noble calling, but organizations need to let it flourish.
Seventh, practice provocative competence. Provocative competence is a very special leadership skill that helps people break out of competency traps. To do it leaders need to discipline their imaginations to see a person's or group's potential. Leaders also can introduce a disruption that demands people leave their comfort zones and attempt new and unfamiliar actions.
Duke Ellington and Miles Davis were masters of provocative competence; they understood that it was an art form in itself. Leaders in every sector would do well to heed the lesson.
Eighth, hit a groove. Organizations often overlooked that the most creative breakthroughs come from relationships. Jazz musicians know that creativity is a collaborative achievement and improvisation is an emergent, vital process. When players are listening and attuned to one another they are more likely to experience a flow state.
Organizations should also appreciate the importance of relationships and teams rather than over-focusing on individuals. When organizational teams are able to hit a groove, the collaboration is more likely to lead to innovation. Thomas Edison knew this. So did Steve Jobs.
Leaders today need to be expert improvisers. The principles of jazz thinking and jazz performance can help anyone who leads teams or works with them, wherever they sit in the organization, develop these critical skills.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frank J. Barrett | <urn:uuid:c6f50510-72a1-4a14-9278-0ffc3e27d692> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/21/opinion/route-to-top-jazz-business-success/index.html?hpt=hp_c3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960562 | 1,099 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The prices of many staple food commodities have increased substantially over the past year. As a result, many developing countries are facing larger food import bills. The cereal import bill of the world’s poorest countries is forecast to rise by 56 percent in 2007/08, following an already significant increase of 37 percent in 2006/07. Given the growing dependency of many developing countries on imported food commodities and on foreign aid, as well as their generally high levels of debt, increasing food prices have important implications for growth and development.
At the micro level, poor households in both food importing and food exporting countries are exceptionally vulnerable to increases in food prices, given the large share of food in total expenditure and the constraints they face in terms of low income and capital endowment. However, higher global food prices present an opportunity for agriculture.
Many countries are currently faced with difficult choices on how to respond to the global increases in food prices. High prices have prompted a number of policy responses by governments aiming to ensure food supplies at more affordable domestic prices. Several food importing countries have reduced or suspended their import restrictions, while many exporting countries have limited, or even banned, exports in order to avoid food shortages and higher domestic prices. Other countries have released stocks in order to stabilize domestic prices. Furthermore, a range of measures have been taken to mitigate the adverse impacts of high prices on vulnerable households, including subsidized food sales or food distribution to targeted households in distress.
The purpose of this policy brief is to highlight a number of issues that countries ought to be aware of when designing national policy responses aimed at the market - and at micro-level. These policy responses address two basic challenges:
- to ensure the provision of adequate food supplies through domestic market management or trade, or in stimulating a short-run supply response from the domestic agricultural sector; and
- how best to provide direct support to consumers, especially to most vulnerable population groups, to assist them in maintaining adequate food consumption levels, including through what are known as “safety net” measures.
Consequences of food price shocks
The impact of increasing prices on the wider economy is determined by a number of structural characteristics. Typically, low income food importing countries that rely heavily on tradable cereals for their diets (deriving most the country’s dietary energy needs from imports) and are already experiencing high levels of foreign debt, are most of vulnerable to global food price shocks. Given high levels of exposure to world markets, food price increases directly affect purchasing power, increasing the incidence of poverty, as well as government expenditure and debt. A deterioration of the terms of trade may destabilize the economy and hinder economic growth.
Households react differently to price increases depending on their initial endowment and production structure, their consumption patterns, the investment constraints they face, and the policies that are in force. Urban and rural households that are net food buyers may lose, as they have to pay more to maintain adequate consumption levels. However, some rural households, especially those that are net producers of staple foods, or those whose wages may increase by more than the increase in food prices as a result of increased demand in rural labour markets, could benefit. Female-headed households tend to be more vulnerable to food price increases as they normally spend a greater share of their income on food, as compared to male-headed households. Female-headed households also stand to lose, as they often lack access to productive resources.
Policy responses to high food prices
Two interrelated categories of response are considered:
- market-level policy responses through trade and market management; and,
- direct support to consumers and vulnerable groups at the micro-level.
Policies aimed at directly influencing domestic markets include trade policies and market management policies. In the context of soaring food prices, two types of trade policies have been used by many countries: reductions in import tariffs and export taxation, or restrictions.
Reducing or eliminating import tariffs on food products
Reducing or eliminating import tariffs on food products has been the most widespread policy response for stabilizing domestic food prices. However, for this type of intervention to succeed and have a meaningful impact, applied tariffs need to be sufficiently high at the time when world prices begin to rise. Among 60 low-income, food-deficit countries surveyed in early 2008, applied tariffs on cereals and vegetable oils were already fairly low, with 2006 data showing on average rates of only 8 and 14 percent respectively.2 Hence, even when reduced to zero, reductions in tariff levels were able to offset only a small proportion of the overall price rises of food imports.
Export prohibitions, restrictions and export taxation
Of the 60 low-income, food-deficit countries surveyed, about one quarter resorted to some form of export restrictions in response to soaring food prices. Export restrictions lower domestic prices but also reduce government revenues where exports are taxed. In addition, export restraints exacerbate price instability in world markets and negatively affect importing countries. Export restrictions also have longer-term implications, as they discourage producers in exporting countries from investing in agriculture.
Market management policies
Market management policies include measures such as price controls through administrative orders, restrictions on stockholding by private traders, restrictions on interdistrict movement of foods and open market operations, such as selling public stocks of foods to reduce market prices. These measures, which aim to control prices in the short run, were applied widely in the 1970s and 1980s, but have generally been discontinued given a number of disadvantages, including high costs of maintaining stocks, negative impacts on producers, leakages in the sense that the operations also benefit rich consumers and discouragement of private sector engagement in food markets.
Market management measures may be effective for very short periods, but can be destabilizing in times of food shortages, and can promote hoarding, which contributes to further price rises. The concentration of market power in government-appointed agents or agencies is perceived by many as a major source of market instability in developing countries. For long-run market stability, policies that improve the functionality and competitiveness of food markets are needed. Responses to increased food prices in a sample of 77 countries surveyed in early 2008 vary by region. In Asia and in the Middle East and North Africa, both trade and market management policies were widely used.
In Africa and in Latin America and the Caribbean, fewer interventionist policies were used, with a significant proportion of sampled countries not having intervened at all.
Given the high costs associated with open market operations and their unintended effects, the preferred policy has been to rely on trade for price stabilization. Where governments perceive trade to be an unreliable source of food at short notice, stockholding and open market operations are still carried out. The experience of soaring food prices provides an opportunity for food importing countries to reassess their relative reliance on trade and stocks.
Direct support at the micro level
Micro-level interventions implemented in response to increased food prices are generally motivated by the reduction in the ability of poor consumers to purchase sufficient quantity and quality food and the associated adverse effects on their nutritional status. The characterization of “net buyer — net seller” status of rural households provides a partial guide to the shortrun
impacts of high prices but needs to be modified in medium- and longer-run analyses to account for substitution in consumption, increases in production and the effects that these changes can have on local food and labour markets.
Three main categories of micro-level interventions designed to mitigate adverse consequences of higher food prices have been identified:
- cash-based transfers;
- food access-based approaches; and
- food supply-based approaches.
Cash-based transfers can include the distribution of cash or cash vouchers and can be tied to cash for public works programmes and/or microfinance initiatives. They are appropriate where food markets function well and the key constraint that households face is insufficient income. In addition to providing the ability to procure higher priced food, unrestricted cash transfers allow households to make their own decisions on how to spend or invest the cash. Such interventions can foster local market development in food and other goods by providing greater incentives to the private sector to engage in higher volume, more stable marketing channels. However, where markets work imperfectly, for example where they are geographically isolated and poorly integrated with other markets, or where there is limited supply response to increased prices, such interventions can result in further food price increases due to the increase in the households’ purchasing power in conjunction with fixed local food supplies. Where food prices are increasing rapidly, adjustment to the value of transfers will be necessary to maintain purchasing power and this can pose significant administrative difficulties.
Food access-based approaches
Food access-based approaches include food stamps or vouchers and restricted cash transfers (for example, in exchange for attendance at schools or clinics). As with cash transfers, these interventions are appropriate where local food markets function well and improving access to food is the objective. Vouchers can become a parallel currency in food and other goods’ markets. As such, they can have some of the positive effects of unrestricted cash transfers in fostering local market development, but, due to their restrictive use, tend not to be used for investment. The schemes also tend to have higher transaction costs than cash-based measures. The design of these interventions can be complicated. For example, school feeding programmes can miss target populations, such as poor households without children, or whose children do not attend school. It is also important to determine ex ante any potential disruption to private marketing channels. Such policies should only be implemented in combination with targeted food sales through public food stores if private channels are constrained in their ability to scale up distribution. The choice and design of intervention also needs to recognize that the transaction costs associated with the different interventions will vary significantly depending upon the specific context in which they are to be implemented. Schemes appropriate for densely populated cities with well developed financial services may be inappropriate in sparsely populated rural areas.
Food supply-based approaches
Food supply-based approaches consist of interventions primarily aimed at alleviating the effects of short term emergencies and those targeted at increasing supply to local markets in the longer term. Short-term approaches, such as the distribution of food aid, are most appropriate where insufficient food supply is the main reason for reduced consumption. Longerterm measures work through facilitating access to inputs, and/or improving technologies and infrastructure to increase the production of food. The former include productive safety nets (for example, seed and fertilizer distribution), subsidies to selectively reduce the cost of inputs, and support to finance institutions to help alleviate credit constraints. Where input markets are working well and inputs are available, but producers are cash-constrained, voucher systems may be best, as free distribution of inputs could undermine input markets. Where input markets are not functioning well, starter packs could be distributed. However, if local output markets are not well integrated with larger markets in the country, interventions for increased production could result in a significant fall in local food prices to the detriment of producers and wage labourers.
Most micro-level interventions can be designed as either universal or targeted programmes. The case for universal coverage is that targeting is administratively too expensive and that in many cases the costs of targeting can exceed the benefits. The case for targeted interventions can be made on budgetary cost grounds or to avoid leakage to non poor populations. The main issue that should be highlighted is that unless a safety net with targeted interventions already exists, any speedily arranged programme is likely to lead to leakages and could be ineffective.
Selecting the appropriate response
In determining the appropriate policy responses to rising food prices, the root causes of the price shock need to be well-understood. Questions to consider include:
- oes the price shock have its origins in factors external to the country, such as world markets, or in domestic market fundamentals?
- To what extent are the factors that have led to the price shock structural or transitory?
- What is the level of uncertainty concerning the factors that may influence the future course of price development?
Answering these questions is not easy and there may be legitimate differences of opinion among analysts. However, the choice of policy interventions should be based on:
- Compatibility with existing targeted transfer and safety net programmes
- The relative efficiency of output and input markets
- The different factors that cause households to be negatively affected
- Ensuring that policy choices do not diminish the signals to producers to increase production. | <urn:uuid:7ac78b2e-c25c-403c-a315-4fd56d9a1a09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fao.org/economic/es-policybriefs/briefs-detail/es/?no_cache=1&uid=21524 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954338 | 2,515 | 3.453125 | 3 |
I recently bought a Falconnier catalog in German
, dated 1900, and put it online. (I'm working on an English translation). It shows these blocks, or at least the full-size one (this is a half-brick) for use in curved walls, domes, etc:
Looks like the location of the pastille is incorporated into the design, instead of being hidden as in the other patterns, ala bull's-eye panes of crown glass.
The catalog lists four basic styles, and fancy colors "yellow", green
and opal (milkglass). Green I have seen, and yellow usually means amber, presumably including this darker brown shade, and there's a milkglass one in the Swiss National museum, but blue
! Cobalt maybe, or cornflower (which is just light cobalt). Oo la la
, must find one! | <urn:uuid:46dfff61-c1fc-4d2f-bfba-2d3b74e6b151> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,3665.msg103359.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917712 | 182 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Going underground for a climate solution
Posted December 14, 2009; 09:00 a.m.
Catherine Peters, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, tours the Homestake Mine in South Dakota, where she plans to test whether the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide can be stored safely underground. (Photo: Bill Harlan/Sanford Underground Laboratory)
Hoping to help fix the Earth's atmosphere, Catherine Peters recently found herself 4,100 feet underground.
Peters, a Princeton associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, rode an elevator down a deep shaft into the Homestake Mine, a defunct South Dakota gold mine being transformed into an underground science laboratory. She toured the mine to plan for a research project that will explore whether factories that emit carbon dioxide, the gas primarily responsible for global warming, could instead safely pump it into the ground.
"They warned us that people who are claustrophobic may have problems," Peters recalled later. "The elevator was an open cage and they warned us to keep our hands and fingers inside. It took us about 10 minutes to go down, and we could feel our ears pop."
Together with collaborators at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Peters has received $750,000 in initial funding from the National Science Foundation to design an experimental facility in the mine to test what would happen if carbon dioxide stored underground were to leak up toward the surface.
"One of the main uncertainties and what is hindering this strategy for carbon mitigation is what will happen if there is a leak and it migrates upward," Peters said. "What we are trying to do is reproduce the kind of processes that would happen in an actual sedimentary basin, the kind of geological formation where we might store carbon dioxide."
Located in the state's Black Hills region, Homestake was operated as a gold mine from 1876 to 2001 and reaches a depth of 8,000 feet. It was first used for scientific research in the 1960s, when physicist Raymond Davis of Brookhaven National Laboratory led a Nobel Prize-winning experiment to detect neutrinos emitted by the sun.
In recent years, a nonprofit organization, Sanford Underground Laboratory, re-established research facilities in the mine. Sanford's efforts laid the groundwork for the National Science Foundation and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to convert larger portions of the mine into the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Lab (DUSEL). The facility will be the world's deepest laboratory, hosting physics, engineering, geoscience and biology experiments that can only be conducted under thousands of feet of rock.
The mine presents a unique opportunity to study the leakage of carbon dioxide through the ground, but not for the reasons one might expect. The regions actually being considered for storing carbon dioxide gas underground are sedimentary basins, such as those in Michigan, Illinois and Alberta, Canada, which boast vast layers of porous sandstone. Homestake's tunnels cut through a more varied collection of rock and are inappropriate for underground gas storage. But the mine offers plenty of vertical space along with horizontal tunnels, known as "drifts," that provide access at different depths and are perfect for Peters' experiments.
Princeton engineers plan to build a laboratory in an old South Dakota goldmine to test whether carbon dioxide can be safely stored in the earth's crust. The facility will consist of tall pipes (red) filled with sand to simulate the stone under which carbon dioxide gas might be stored. The pipes will pass through several vertical layers of mine tunnels (beige), which will allow scientists to more easily track how fast gas pumped into the bottom of the pipes moves upward. (Graphic: Dave Plate/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Her team plans to build up to four pipes that are about 2 feet wide and nearly one-third of a mile high. To simulate a carbon dioxide leak from an underground reservoir into sandstone, they will fill the pipes with sand and water, pump carbon dioxide into the bottom of the pipes and track what happens as the buoyant gas travels upward. The pipes will intersect three or four of the drifts, allowing the researchers access to the pipes at various heights so they can easily measure the progress of the gas with sensors mounted at each level.
"It's not something that we could study in some smaller system in the laboratory," Peters said. "The physics don't scale down."
Scientists disagree on what will happen in the case of a CO2 leak. Some say the gas will diffuse into the sandy sediments as it rises and "fizzle out" before it reaches the surface. Others predict it will expand and become more buoyant as it moves upward, accelerating the leakage. Whether a leak involves large or small volumes of gas might also play an important role in how quickly the gas rises.
"One can simulate with a computer both of these scenarios happening, but without experimental validation of those models we're left wondering what's going to happen," Peters said.
She also hopes to address another matter of debate: how carbon dioxide will interact with layers of harder rock that might serve as caps to the gas reservoirs. When it dissolves in water, carbon dioxide creates an acid that some scientists propose will eat away at the cap rocks and eventually rupture the protective seal. On the other hand, the acid could react with chemicals in the rock to form hard deposits that reinforce the seal.
Peters is working with several colleagues in her department, including George Scherer, Michael Celia and Jean Prevost. Tullis Onstott, of the Department of Geosciences, also plans to use the facility to study how microorganisms found deep underground might provide insight into the origins of life.
The team is working to design for the facility, which will be called DUSEL CO2, within the next few months. Peters expects construction of their portion of the DUSEL facility to begin around 2016 and to see results from their first experiments as early as 2017.
In the meantime, general improvements will be made to prepare the mine to serve as a full-time research facility. "The first thing they're going to do," Peters said cheerfully, "is refurbish that elevator." | <urn:uuid:5a792462-ce20-4dd3-9a0c-568fa81c2b28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/05/67C32/index.xml?from=2012-04-01&to=2012-05-01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952024 | 1,248 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Well, too bad. The extroverts have won the values battle. Probably because they talked louder and faster. More and more creative companies, filled with introverts, have re-organized into teams. More and more schools sit students in pods and assign projects to teams. And now introverts, who like to reflect before they speak and who are naturally more self-conscious than extroverts, have something else to worry about.
It’s called the "influence score." And having a low one could someday prove worse than having a low credit score. The influence score is the brainchild of companies with names like Klout and PeerIndex. If you haven’t heard of them yet, you will.
There’s a good chance these social analytic companies have already heard of you if you’re on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. In fact, they may have already assigned you an influence score based on the number of friends or followers you have, how often you post, how often your posts attempt to persuade. Several companies are already targeting consumers with high influence scores.
But your influence score may also have a darker side: It may impact whether or not you get a job offer or a promotion. A few years ago, no one would have guessed that having a low credit score could cost you a job offer. Well, your influence score is going to be even more important to companies as they look for employees who can spread the word and gain clout and notoriety for businesses and their clients. | <urn:uuid:d75121bb-a567-4680-bc43-fc46af908251> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/1007/Introverted-talent-in-America-buried-by-the-influence-score/(page)/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969613 | 309 | 1.648438 | 2 |
I know I made a snide remark last week about a misguided pair loudly snapping phone pics of virtually every piece of art while browsing NOMA, but here’s an actual reason to do that (on silent please). Google has partnered with The Getty Museum in LA to allow visitors to photograph works with their Google Goggles app to access a virtual guided tour, including audio commentary by artists and curators. I’ve missed The Getty on my previous trips to LA, but maybe this will seal the deal on my next trip.
Google Goggles, although extremely awkward to say, is a pretty great tool. In addition to enhancing your Getty experience, it’s quite a useful enhancement to your smartphone’s camera for identifying any work of art, easily saving information from a business card or identifying an item by barcode for comparison shopping on the fly. It’s available for both the iPhone and on Android. | <urn:uuid:0318912b-de5a-4fe7-baff-6aef33dbbb32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marshallmatlock.com/2011/06/using-googles-goggles-to-enhance-your-getty-museum-experience/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93251 | 190 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Nice leaders threaten?Human Resources, LEADERSHIP Friday, July 1st, 2011
Even nice leaders need to threaten at times
By Tom Harper
The book of Lamentations deals with the apparent contradiction between the biblical principles of harsh punishment and grace.
When God’s people continually disobeyed him, he simply did what he said he would do, even though “He does not enjoy bringing affliction or suffering on mankind.”
As leaders, how are we to discipline our people without alienating them? This aspect of leadership – holding people accountable for their actions – is unpopular in churches, though that is precisely where it must be consistently executed.
A new view of integrity
The biblical definition of integrity is not just doing the right thing, or even doing what you say you will do. For leaders, it is both rewarding and punishing at the proper times. That is biblical integrity. Much of the Old Testament tells of God’s coupling of blessings and threats based on the choices of his people.
Let’s look closer at God’s discipline/reward process in Lamentations:
- He establishes rules
- He warns of the consequences for disobedience
- He pleads with those who disobey
- He disciplines when the rules are broken
- He restores relationships through forgiveness and reconciliation
The most overlooked step in today’s organizations is number 3: if you lead, at times you need to plead. Through his prophets, God implored his people to repent. He gave them ample time to turn from their ways to avoid judgment. Though he did not enjoy it, his integrity compelled him to follow through on his threats.
One way to enhance our reputations as leaders is to bind ourselves to our threats. This requires taking risks with our follower relationships.
In a Harvard Business School article, “Six Steps for Making Your Threat Credible,” author Deepak Malhotra advises leaders to increase their negotiating power by visibly restricting their ability to retreat. “A public commitment makes it difficult for a negotiator to back down from a threat … There is no better way to make your threat credible than to ensure that you can’t go back on your word.”
Threats are heard louder and clearer when the leader has the guts to address a group head-on, rather than keeping it to one-on-one admonitions. An existing reputation as a threat-keeper reduces the likelihood the leader will have to make good on them.
Of course, we must make realistic threats of punishment – unlike the angry parent who threatens to turn the car around, then has to threaten again when the back-seat squabbling continues. On the other extreme, unreasonable punishment demotivates. What’s the use in trying to please the leader anymore, when he’s left us lying bloody in the dirt?
The power of principle also lends weight to threats. I know a leader who is so fanatical about “the principle of the matter” that he will devote hours of personal time and energy to right a wrong, regardless of the cost.
Is your reputation what you want it to be? Your personal leadership brand is what everyone thinks everyone else thinks about you. In other words, if someone says to a rebellious coworker, “Bill won’t allow that,” different employees may interpret that differently: “Bill is an ethical leader,” “Bill isn’t afraid to lead with conviction,” or “I’m going to stop fighting Bill on this – he has too many allies.”
When our people both fear and love us, the stage is set for stellar performance, which leads to job satisfaction and further results. This cycle is fed by the dual-natured leader who isn’t afraid to inflict tough love and appropriate pressure.
A love/hate relationship is the antithesis of God’s perfect love/fear leadership style. In the divine model, a lot of love, mixed with some fear, yields long-term, healthy results. When the Lord disciplines, he grieves. When he punishes, he laments. And when his people obey, he blesses them.
Tom Harper is president of NetWorld Alliance, which publishes ChurchCentral.com, in Louisville, KY. www.networldalliance.com | <urn:uuid:514094d1-a06d-4f2e-b35b-6b462126c21b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://churchexecutive.com/archives/even-nice-leaders-need-to-threaten-at-times | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958567 | 906 | 1.875 | 2 |
Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet
Five killed, one rescued in Harlan County mine accident
HOLMES MILL, Ky. (May 20, 2006) - Five miners were killed in an explosion early today at an underground coal mine operated by Kentucky Darby LLC in Harlan County. A sixth miner was rescued and treated at a hospital.
Governor Ernie Fletcher, who flew to the site, promised a thorough investigation of the accident. He personally expressed condolences to families of the victims and restated his commitment to mine safety.
"This is a tragic loss that is felt by everyone in the Commonwealth," Governor Fletcher said. "Coal mining is hazardous work. Our administration recognizes that and has worked for improved safety in our mines. We value all of our coal mining men and women, and we want to do what we can to ensure that they all go home safely at the end of their shift."
Ten miners have been killed in Kentucky so far in 2006. There were five fatalities - the record low - in both 2004 and 2005. The state recorded 12 mining fatalities in 2000. Since then, the number of state inspections per year has virtually doubled - to 2,191 in 2005, compared with 1,081 in 2000. The administration last month won passage of legislation to enhance mine safety enforcement. The legislation takes effect in July.
The Kentucky Darby No. 1 Mine is at Holmes Mill, near the border with Virginia in northeastern Harlan County. Records at the Office of Mine Safety and Licensing (OMSL) show that the mine has been licensed by Ralph Napier since May 18, 2001.
Five OMSL rescue teams were among responders to the accident, which occurred between 12:40 a.m. and 1 a.m. EDT.
Upon reaching the mine site, Governor Fletcher personally thanked members of the rescue teams and remarked on the bravery of those who brought out the victims. He also telephoned victims’ relatives who could be reached.
Rescuers found the injured miner, Paul Ledford, about 2,000 feet from the mine entrance. He was treated at Lonesome Pine Hospital in Big Stone Gap, Va., and released.
Rescuers found three of the victims between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. The last two victims were located shortly before 9 a.m. Victims were identified as Amon Brock, of Closplint; Jimmy D. Lee, of Wallins Creek; George Petra, of Kenvir; and Paris Thomas Jr. and Roy Middleton, both of Evarts.
OMSL, an agency of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, will investigate the accident. | <urn:uuid:8defbd0c-b47e-4506-9167-59e1af7c2988> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://migration.kentucky.gov/newsroom/environment/Darby+mine.htm | 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 | 0.977136 | 543 | 1.867188 | 2 |